I'm Home from CHA!

Ahhhhhhh. I just love getting home after a long weekend away. I'm such a homebody. But I have to say, CHA was fantabuloso! I am so thankful I had a chance to attend this amazing trade show. It's like a dream come true.....waking up and discovering that there really are crafts in heaven!!!! Yippee!

I was just too busy yesterday to get a post in, so sorry peeps. It was a day spent walking around CHA which was followed by an evening hanging out with all of the amazing ladies who fill our computers with love everyday....Sarah M., Sarah V., Taylor, Melissa, Martha, Nicole H., Julie B., Lisa J., etc, etc. This is all of us last night at Gino's East in Chicago, a delish pizzeria. I'm the fat one at the end of the table closest to the camera. Ugh. I have got to lose some weight. Anyway, there were nearly 20 of us there, and we had a great time. It was wonderful getting to put a face/body with an online persona! Thanks Sarah for setting it up and allowing us all to meet in person!

One of my favorite peeps to meet at CHA was Sarah Vrolyk of Kindred Spirits. She is the sweetest woman ever. If I would have had the chance, I could have talked one-on-one with Sarah all night long. But we really didn't have that opportunity as we were sitting across the table from each other and it was noisy! But Sarah, if you're reading this--I'm thankful I met you! If we lived near each other, I think we would be great buds! I was teasing her a bit about how I thought it appeared on her blog that she had the most perfect little boys since she never wrote anything bad about them! She tried to assure me they had their moments, but I'm skeptical.....she's probably a great mom and is raising great boys!

I also had a chance to meet for the first time my Craft Critique compatriots: Sarah Moore, Melissa Norris, Donna Lannerd, and Martha Bonneau.
This is Martha and me. Martha and I discovered a little something about ourselves last night...we both admitted that we are introverts by nature. But when we create our masterpieces (!), we tend to be drawn and attracted to bright, cheerful, loud, happy colors! We think that's because using these colors in our artwork helps us express ourselves in a way we are unable to because of our introvertedness. Very interesting deduction...don't ya think? I think it's right on the money sistah! It was great meeting you Martha!

This is me and Melissa....isn't she just adorable? She's a little firecracker!

Before I sign off for the night, here a few more of my favorite things from CHA...






This is the STUNNING new designer paper by Webster's Pages. It was my absolute favorite paper at CHA! Please click on the link and take yourself to their website. Once you're there you can immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of these papers designed by Terri Conrad. I had a chance to talk with this bubbly, warm caring woman about her new line. What a genuine, down to earth lady. She let me take some sheets of paper home with me, so you'll be seeing some fun stuff with it on my blog in the next few weeks!

New paper by Prisma (yes, the flower people!). This paper is called Printables, and it's designed for you to PAINT ON! They were stunning!

Prisma didn't shortchange us in the flower catagory either! Their Belle Fluer line was so elegant looking....




This is a 12x12 piece of embossed chipboard from Prisma (in it's unfinished state)....


and here it is finished.....Wow!!!!




In the stamp category, I was MOST impressed some stamps by a company called Inque Boutique (above photo is a scrap page made using their stamps)...according to many, they are "fun, flirty, fashionable"! And I couldn't agree more! Their stamps are unmounted rubber with cling backs in fun colors like lime green and hot pink! Each stamp has the design printed on the opposite side (the cling side) so you can see what the stamped image is through the acrylic block! Very cool! I can see many of these stamps in my future! I am having trouble finding their website (I'm getting an error message), so once I get it figured out, I'll post it here.

Well, I think I need to sign off. I've got to go finish packing for my youngest son's trip to camp. He leaves tomorrow morning! I'm going to miss him. Not enough time with him today:(!!!!!!!

Hugs to you all,
Amy