Chicago CHA 2011 trip recap and TAC stamp set candy winner! (VERY long post)

Oh My Gawd, Becky.  It was so awesome :)  I was so lucky to have been one of the instructors from The Scrapbook Page that was able to attend CHA this summer!  Thanks Cameron & Carolyn!!!  I had never been to CHA before, though I always read about it on the net.... the only bad part was that we couldn't take the new stuff home with us :(  The bosses asked us to make a list of what we thought would be good sellers... our lists were LLLLLOOOOONNNNNGGGG!

It was complete crafty-sensory overload for me, so I didn't snap many pictures.  I have a few from my phone, but they are out of focus (my first time using the camera on it)... I'll post them here anyway :)

Tim Holtz's booth

Tim Holtz's booth

Tim Holtz's booth

I was SO glad to see so many creepily-elegant Halloween themed lines this year!  I'm not one for cutesy, though they still had plenty of those, but there were a ton of grown-up Halloween lines.
At the top of my list:

Blackbird & Nightfall by Memory Box (LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!)
Midnight Dreary by Moxxie (LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!)
Apothecary Emporium by Echo Park
Haunted Hallows by Teresa Collins
Phantom by Pink Paislee
Kraft Halloween by Canvas Corp
Trick or Treat stamp set by Darcie's (LOVE)
Tim Holtz's new Halloween dies by Sizzix

Graphic 45's booth

Canvas Corp's booth

A few non-Halloween schtuffs that were awesome:
Burlesque line by FabScraps
HUGE background stamps by Impression Obsession
sassy sentiment stamps by Art Impressions
stamp & cut sets by Sizzix
Chalkstock, velvet, burlap and canvas by Canvas Corp
Let's Face It (doll parts) & Botanical (metal findings) by ArtC
chipboard, acrylic & papers by Harmonie
AWESOME new distressing tool by Prima (LOVE LOVE LOVE)
faceted, not-so-shiny bling by Prima
re-vamped Melt-Art by Ranger
Gelatos pigment sticks by Faber-Castell
Tim Holtz's kraft resist papers

Prima's booth (freakin' awesome!!!)

Prima's booth

Prima's booth (LOVE this!!!)

I was also over-the-top lucky to attend the two Ranger classes taught by Tim Holtz!  He was a fantastic instructor, had each step timed perfectly, was very well organized and really fun, too :)  Not only were the class projects awesome, but the amount of product we walked away with was un-freakin'-believable!  Check it out:

(not all of this is from the Ranger classes... but a BIG part of it is... hellooooo, a Melting Pot!  And those big plastic bags are STUFFED full of paint, ink, tools, UTEE, art supplies and more!)

(all Ranger projects... I'm still missing a couple of knobs & a pediment, but it will get finished eventually!)

(my absolute FAVORITE from Ranger Melt Art class)

I also took the 7 Gypsies altered tray class... it is probably my favorite project of the entire week (sorry no pic).  Easy to do and not very time-consuming.  The fabric binding tape isn't sticking as well as I'd hope, but it's probably due to the humidity around here (hello summer... when are you leaving?!!).

Had one downer of a class, but the products we received were awesome!  The class wasn't structured, the focal product wasn't shipped by the manufacturer, and the mixed-media project was just too complex for the setting.

I didn't do my Faber-Castell Gelatos / Maya Road canvas album because I wanted more time to play at home.  LOVE the products, and the project is very cool.  Not a papercrafting project... more mixed media.

UTEE-dipped paper flower brooch.... delightful!

I took a couple of seminar-type classes... one on copyrights and the other was how to present/teach on tv.  I thought the presentation one would give me a few hints to better present/instruct at my classes, but no... it was more like "how to present on HSN", "don't wear red or white" type stuff.  The copyright seminar was very informative.

Shrink plastic on a whole new level :)

Whew, right?  One more quick announcement... the random drawing winner of the TAC stamp set candy that I had blogged about early in July is:  TRINA!  Email me with your snail-mail address so I can send that out to you!

I also received a HUGE mound of rubbah stamps from TAC this week... I couldn't wait to redeem my gift certificates from Seminar, plus some of the sets with which I designed samples for the catalogue were in there :)

It's gonna take awhile to cut them all out, but what BLISS!!

What do you think?

Wednesday Card Quickie...

I needed a couple of super quick & easy "thank you" cards to send out this week, so I thought I'd share :)

 

I don't know if this first card could get any more CAS:

Yep, card base, one stamped sentiment, one stamped border & one Copic marker & blender :)

The recipient of this card is a very elegant & CAS cardmaker, so I tried to emulate that.

I'll share my other one tomorrow!

What do you think?

Stamps:  For Everything (TAC)

Cardstock:  White 110# (PTI)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Copics:  BG10, 0

New TAC catalogue set previews... Day 3

Last day of new stuff for this week... I'm probably THINKING about getting out of bed and packing for the trip home right about now.  Lucky for you I scheduled this post ;)

Anyway, let's get to it:

Awwwwwww, right?!  Now let me just say that this would NOT be happening at my house.  I hate it when the puppies kiss me... I'd much rather just snuggle up with them :)  What about the rest of the set?

Cute!  LOVE LOVE LOVE this set, being the dog lover I am :)  Just look at the other main image of this set!

What do you think?

New TAC catalogue set previews... Day 2

Today, a super quick post... and a super simple card:

Cute little puppy, no?!  I decided to dig into my scrap pile for this one.  I think this will be good to pop in with a little giftie.  Wanna see the rest of the set?

 

 

LOVE that purse the chick is carrying, don't you?  Not to mention the top right sentiment pair... heee heee.

 

 

Well, one more day of peeks tomorrow, and then maybe a Seminar recap next week!

 

What do you think?

 

New TAC catalogue set previews... Day 1

Seminar is here!  Well, more like I'm at Seminar :P  Anyway, as promised, I am gonna share a few quick peeks at some new sets from the new catalogue from The Angel Company!  The first two will be super simple, small, but cute ;)  

First up is this little cutie:

ACK!  Told ya'... ca-yoot!  This little one is from the set called "Pocket Peepers"  which is an add-on set that goes with "Friends and Pockets".  Wanna see what both of those look like?

Fun stuff, right?  LOVE the fancy pocket design... I might be using that one a lot :)  And just look at that frog... and the daisies... and that BABY... seriously sweet.

Don't forget to pop by tomorrow for another peek!

What do you think?

Happy (early) birthday to Poot...

Yep, Poot's birthday is this week... he's turning 35.  Why yes, I DID marry a younger man, thanks for noticing ;)  At least I look younger than he does... sucka!  Dang it, this isn't nearly as fun as it should be... he doesn't even know what my blog site address is.  But, I'll be sure to relay that bit of info to him in a few days anyway :)

ANYhoo, I decided that the babies should give Daddy a birthday card this year... it's been awhile since they've done that :)  For those of you new to my blog, allow me to introduce you to the babies, Heidi & Thor:

Heidi is the blonde & Thor is the redhead.  She's uber-hyper & a licker and he's totally laid back & only gives kisses on occasion.  She is a Daddy's girl, and he a definite Mama's boy.  This is where I typically find them... napping on our bed.  Heidi is obviously no lady.

Heidi usually wedges herself between Poot and I in the middle of the night, and we have to fight to get her back on the floor.  Both of the babies end up in bed with us in the morning, usually nosing us awake to get their breakfast... damn kids. :)  They NEVER let us sleep in.

As you can see, Heidi is a spread-eagle back sleeper, and Thor curls up in a tight ball... usually with his face covered with a blankie or his paw.

Now that you've seen the babies in real life, here they are in rubber stamp form :)  Aren't they the CA-YOOTIST BABIES EVER?!  I know, they are... both in real life AND on this card, right?!

I know... the colors are way brighter than they should be, but I'm still working on my Copic collection :)  But could those stamp images be ANY MORE PERFECT?!  I know!

The "We're" on the front is handwritten, as well as the sentiment on the inside.  I tried to make the signature look like child's handwriting... I know... I'm a goof.  But the paw prints really seal the deal, right?

 

Stamps:  Good Dog, paw print (unknown)

Paper:  kraft, black & Premium white cardstocks

Ink:  Burnt Sienna & Burnt Umber Palette, Memento Tuxedo

Other:  Juliette & Mimi hardware, PTI wood grain texture plate

Copics:  E09, E31, E35, V99, Y11, Y15, YR07, YR18, YR 23

So there it is.  All the cuteness that is my babies...

What do you think?

Dragon Boo

This little bit o' cuteness is part of the August Stamp of the Month set Delightfully Spooky.  I put together this make-n-take for last month's Angels Inspired weekend in Kansas City... super simple, but when the image is this adorable, you don't need a lot of fluff :)

I was also asked to create samples for The Angel Company's main website to showcase this set.  You can see all of those HERE.  Just click on the photos on the right and they will enlarge.  I will tell you that on the little Dracula guy card, I used some vintage red velvet flocked wallpaper... it is soooo yummy :)

BONUS... this month Delightfully Spooky is only $10.95 with a $30 purchase!  Or you can also choose to purchase it at full price of $15.95 without a $30 purchase.

And I have to show you these wonderful new spooky & fall sets!  TAC has released the following sets early!  They will be in the Fall Inspiration Avenue magalogue, but some of us want them before that!

AND if you order Spiders are Seen this month, you will receive a Rockin' Roxie Album kit for FREE!  Just be sure to enter the special code:  AUG10... or if you email me the order, I'll enter it for you and you may take advantage of additional customer and/or Hostess benefits!
AND another great special:  The August - September Starter Kit Special
August 1 - September 30, 2010
During the months of August and September, when you sign up to be an Angel, you can purchase your Starter Kit for just $75 (retail value over $160.00)!
Just click the link below to check it out:
August - September Starter Kit Special Form


Ok... now, back to today's card :)

Stamps:  Delightfully Spooky

Paper:  Sands of Time dp, Mia's Cottage, white ultrasmooth, DCWV & Neenah cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  Bazzill Bitty Blossom, Scor-bug, white grosgrain ribbon, Cha Cha hardware

Copics:  0, BG15, BG34, BG49, E000, E00, E11, R32, W3, YG01, YG03, YG91

I've got a couple more super cute images to show you... non-Halloweenie even... so be on the look-out this week!

What do you think?

Violet daisy

Today's lil' beauty is from the new Blossoms & Blessings set from The Angel Company.  And this was so relaxing to color... definitely a stress reliever.

And it wasn't HORRIBLE to cut out really.  I created a stem from the same green cardstock and then edged it with a black marker.  And don't you LOVE that fatty ribbon?!  I know!  No need for patterned paper or other foof when you've got that bit o' beautimousness... just sayin'.

Stamps:  Blossoms & Blessings

Paper:  Bazzill green, Neenah white & kraft cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Palette Burnt Umber

Other:  Scor-Bug, fatty ribbon (Waste Not Paper), PTI wood impression plate

Copics:  YR20, YR23, YR24, E57, V93, V95, V99, G85

I probably should have blended a little bit more, but oh well... it looks so much better in person... trust me :)

What do you think?

Keep Life Simple...

... if it was only that easy :)  

I wish I liked camping, but alas, I am a true princess at heart.

{no laughing from the peanut gallery, thankyouverymuch}

Poot loves it... when we got married we made a deal that I would concede to go camping once a year.  The first year, I went twice... the second once... the third once... and that's pretty much it!  Yeay me :)

I mean really... heat, bugs, creepy-crawly-slithery things... not a fan!  Well, FAKE creepy-crawly-slithery things for Halloween is ok, but definitely not the real thing :)  So, this card will have to count as my camping trip for this year :)

Stamps:  Outdoor Adventures, Background Soup

Paper:  ivory ultrasmooth, Bazzill & misc. cardstocks

Ink:  Noir Palette, VersaMark

Colorant:  Prismacolors w/ mineral oil

Other:  Nesties, blending stumps, MS border punch, MM metal plaque, Gold Star glitter pen

What do you think?

I Like Poot...

Cute, right?  What's funny is that the sample I did for the new catalogue from The Angel Company with this stamp set really does remind me of Poot & I.  The catty version has girl as a redhead and Poot wears his hair super short... so THAT card was called "I Like Poot", too :)

I know... there is none of the fluff and foof... no sparklies or blingies... me thinks I need to challenge myself to use some of that stuff.  Otherwise, why in the heck did I buy all that crap... other than to sit unused in the cabinet?

Stamps:  He Likes Me

Paper:  Sands of Time dp, premium white cardstock

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  Scor-bug

Copics:  (can't remember... sorry... I did it awhile ago)

Yep, me & Poot.  Both pudgy, but Poot doesn't bring me flowers much :)

What do you think?

HDH045 Macabre Monday challenge...

Thought I'd post this before the weekend gets too far away from me.  Of course it didn't help that I slept in until 10am!!!  I KNOW.  But, I didn't go to bed until the wee hours of the morning, so it's not like I'm THAT big of a loser :)  I was up watching some LAME horror movie... I didn't even wait until the end to change the channel... yeah, THAT lame.

Anyway, on to today's bit of creepy cuteness :)  Over at my Haunted Design House blog, I've got a stamp masking challenge going.  I FINALLY finished my entry.

I had the idea for this since I first saw this set in the new TAC catalogue at seminar.  Well, I didn't have the broom and hat in mind, but the rest... definitely.  I admit, it looked better in my head... it looks kinda cluttered and busy now.  I should have left off the broom & hat... but I LOVE that broom stamp.  And isn't she such a cute little witch... all ready for bed in her pink curlers?!

Stamps:  Movie Night, Spring Dream and All Season Swirls (retired TAC), broom (Battle Axe), sentiment (Viva Las Vegas)

Paper:  Penelope & brown cardstocks, Cougar white cardstock

Other:  Lime Stickles

Copics:  0, YR02, YR04, YR07, YR18, YR23, YR24, YG01, YG03, YG91, V01, V06, V09, RV02, RV10, RV11, RV13, E09, E31, E35, E53, E57, E59, BG02

Here is the original stamp image (above).  I masked over the little girl on the left.  I LOVE the hair curlers.  They make me smile.  They remind me of when I was a very little girl... I would watch my sisters & mom put them in their hair.  I also masked the sentiment/swirls & a teensie bit of the broom.

So much fun to color... I need to work on my wood floor technique more.  Maybe I should google you-tube that.  Her hair & face turned out awesome, me thinks.

What do you think?

Seminar Day 2...

... and I'm sure I am having a fabulous time :)  Once again, this post has been scheduled ahead, but I'm sure y'all don't mind, since you get to see some more new stuff :)

How's this for a heart warming card?!  The tree comes nekkid, but with two sets each of two different leaves (these and oak leaf shaped).  It also has a little birdie in a nest, an owl, a tire swing, the bench swing, and I think a flower or two (can't remember).

But isn't it just the sweetest?  I thought these leaves look like little hearts, so I colored one pink... it makes me smile... :)

See?

Stamps:  Tree Swing Fun (available June 28th!), Happy Thoughts

Paper:  white UltraSmooth, brown, & Bazzill cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Micron journaling pen

Copics:  0, YG01, YG05, E53, E57, E59, RV13, RV14

(I'm not sure about the pinks & there may be more greens in the grass... I colored this awhile back)

Another flat card!  At least it is matted... the tree is so darn big, there isn't much room for anything else :)  I jotted down the "of you" below the sentiment... sucky handwriting, but it works!

I might post one more on Sunday when I get back... just not sure yet :)

What do you think?