Sunday, January 30, 2011

A Little Diversion

The CHA is over for me, but it will take me a while to do the final post about it.  Since my husband came with me and it was his birthday yesterday, I thought I better indulge him some time.  :-)


While I was at the conference today, he did his research for our dinner plans.  He is a Hell's Kitchen fan and he knew the winner of the recent season was Nona, now head chef at LA Market restaurant in the JW Marriott near the convention center.....   Well, you guess it.....





This is where we had dinner.


Our waiter caught me trying to take this photo from our table into the kitchen. Nona was a blur!  But we got to see her often as she zipped around kitchen.


Our wonderful waiter asked her to come out and see us, but she sent back that it would be a while before she could get away.  After an hour we thought it was time to go, so I got up and took this:

I said "Smile!" and she sure did!  I added a "Congratulations!" and let her get back to work.  So we left with a great meal tucked under our belts and a whole lot of smiles.

Nona is a different kind of creative person!

So Happy Birthday Honey.  Sorry you didn't get to shake Nona's hand. But this is was way more fun than a handmade card from *me*!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

CHA - Saturday, January 29

I hardly know where to start!  I guess with the first event of the day.  I'm not sure I got too much from the keynote speaker, but then maybe that's not what it's about.  It's not a workshop or a seminar, after all. I began chatting with the woman who sat down behind me.  Her name tag said Maria, but I couldn't pick up her last name in the gloom. After only a few words, I said to her - "I know you".  Turns out it was Maria Nerius who used to appear on Aleene's and Carol Duval.  She has a very distinctive voice.  So that was a fun start to the day!

Next to the exhibition floor and I made a direct bee line to Spellbinders.




And look what I found there.... 


In real life! - a recent project done by Becca Feeken .  Oh, my - it's back on her blog today again!  Let me tell you - Becca takes very good photographs, but it's spectacular to see her artwork in real life.







I looked around the booth a bit more and found another of Becca's gems.  Let me tell you, they better frisk me next time I visit their booth, because I  think this box wants to come home with me....  I adore this box! I'm sure it will grow little legs and follow me   :-)















 I was one of the lucky ones today and was there at the right time to receive a signed copy of Stacey Caron's new book. Spellbinder's Nestabilities Basics and Beyond.  Now how cool is that?  Thanks very much to Stacey and Spellbinder's for the fabulous treat!  This is a book well worth owning and is now available.


When I examined the book info, I saw the editor was Tanya Fox.  Whoa, hello! She was there, too. Tanya Fox used one of my stamps in one of her books and I finally got the chance to thank her! 









Did you know those naughty Spellbinders have released MORE beautiful dies to tempt us?  As soon as I get home, I'll add them to my site for pre-order.  Wait till you see these!  The order has been placed directly with Spellbinder's on the first day they were available, so we should be in good shape to get them sooner!


Included in the new book are these Christmas creations!  Again by Becca Feeken.  Thank you so much Becca for loving the Quietfire Rubber stamps.  After I took this photo we fixed the bow that had slipped. Now everyone could see the Naughty Nice stamp with the sweet pearl in the Nice box!


I was walking by the Ranger booth and guess who was there?  Heh, heh.  I got within about five feet of Tim Holtz.  That was another thrill of the day. I know that won't impress a lot of you who have had classes with him, but it worked for me!  I didn't stay at the booth long - I went back later to check out the Kraft Glassine.  And they have the cutest bitty dispenser for Tissue Tape.  It's on my list!

Another visit was to the Kaisercraft booth.  I talked to the cutest young Australian woman (Kaisercraft is an Aussie company) and picked up their current catalogue.  They are now producing their 6x6" paper pads in 6-1/2 x 6-1/2", which will help those who make 5x7" cards! (Yogi!  vbg!)

I had a good chat with the Kuretake rep and really want to get in some of their marker sets.  I talked to Canson about paper and ink!  Bored yet?

I had a seminar this afternoon on making videos from Kathy Cano-Murillo and Patti Wilkinson.  These ladies are upbeat and fun and gave some good tips for the newbie vid-maker.

And last is some yummy paper that doesn't show up better, but this won't be the last you see of it!



Thanks for reading!  I hope to have more tomorrow!

Friday, January 28, 2011

CHA - A Quiet Day for Many of Us

Let me just say that LA is one busy city!  We arrived in the dark last night and well, it was busy! 
The LA Convention Centre is in downtown LA, right beside the Staples Centre (the LA Lakers were playing tonight) and the Nokia Center.  We're staying at the Downtown Marriott and it's not too far from the convention.  There are hotel shuttles every half hour at least - and these are not little shuttle buses, these are coaches!  They open the luggage bays for everyone to load their boxes or wheelies.
The convention floor was not open today as it was another set up day for the exhibitors.  Let me tell you, if you have any craft supplies, there is almost certainly a booth here representing them. 

  
Most attendees today were like me, taking seminars or workshops (I registered far too late for workshops, but I experienced some fabulous seminars! - about things like taking a product to market, advanced Photoshop and new members info sessions).  These photos are of the entrance/lobby.  The convention center is HUGE! The place seems to go for miles with meeting rooms.  I'm sure the whole population of Courtenay could fit in here easily.  And have room for their second cousins....


 The convention center is as long as 17 football fields according to the local touristy info.  Somehow I don't think it will look this quiet tomorrow when the booths are open.


I'm here as a buyer, although I guess I could have come as a manufacturer or a designer - or, perish the thought, an exhibitor.  (I think manufacturers pay a lot more to be here though, so this weekend I'm a buyer.)
I got lucky this afternoon after a meeting with designer Judi Kauffman and slipped into onto the exhibition floor with her.  Yes, that was my chin dragging on the floor when I wasn't in danger of being run over by a fork lift.  I ended up lending a minor hand at one booth with some very wonderful people.

I'll try to get some pictures of the lobby tomorrow as well as some booths.  In my brief nosing around, I can say that EK Success has a BIG space.

Tomorrow at 8:30 is the keynote speaker.  It was originally Randi Zuckerberg, marketing director of yup-you -know-that-name Facebook, but that changed in the last few weeks.   Too bad! We'll have to see how her stand-in makes out.

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow!  Thanks for reading - wish you were here!

P.S. Usually this conference is held in Anaheim and will return there next year.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Ainsley

My friend Lizard had her first grandbaby recently.  She tries to be calm about it, but we know better!  Here is a card I made in celebration of the event.  Congratulations to everybody!




Card Synthesis:
Blank Greeting cards and Envelopes
Core'dinations Cardstock from the Nostalgia pack
Kaisercraft English Rose Decorated 6x6 paper pad
Spellbinder Wizard or Big Shot
Sizzix #5 Frame Back
Spellbinders Nesties Ovals: large and small
Mitchell #2 Roundhand Nib
Schmincke Calligraphers Gouache: Supra White and Red Pearl mixed together
Pop Dots
Double-sided tape
Paper Flower
Pearls

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Congratulations!


This is a card I made for my calligraphy tutor Fred Salmon (more about that in another post later!).  This paper was good to letter on.  And yes, it is crooked.....  Don't ask!


Card Synthesis:
Mitchell Roundhand Nib
Walnut Ink
Blank Card and Envelope
Cosmo Cricket Wanted 6x6" paper
Spellbinders Wizard
Spellbinders Labels 4
Core'dinations cardstock - Nostalgia

Created byhand Challenge... oops, missed the deadline

Missed the deadline by quite a lot actually!  Does it help that its been waiting to be photographed for over a week? 
Anyway, this was for the glitter challenge!  The reindeer is all glittered, but I couldn't seem to pick up the glint in the glitter.  It's beautiful!




Card Synthesis:
Glitter Ritz, Warm Highlights
Waxed Linen thread - Country Red


Thanks for looking!