First blog candy! CHA - Part 5

This weekend is my first blog candy giveaway! If you are not yet following me yet, click here to find out why you should and read about my blog challenge. I was afraid to announce blog candy over the weekend but apparently many of you are still quite active on the weekends. You guys are AWESOME!!!! I'll give everyone until Tuesday night, midnight, to participate. Who knows, maybe I'll be up to 100 followers by then, lol! This will be a small give away (can't give it all away all at once) and cricut users are more likely to benefit from this blog candy than non-cricut users (hint, hint). Here is what I require to qualify for my first blog candy give away:

1. Be a follower if you're not already.
2. Comment on one of the tags below. These are tags that Tim Holtz himself made for difference CHA show booths and which were put up on display. Tell me which one you like best and what you like about it. Some of the items you see on his tags are new products (fountain pen tips, coat hangers, easel BIGZ die).
3. Post a link back to your own blog in your comment.

Anonymous followers and "guests" will not qualify so make sure you are following this blog and logged in when you post. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Good luck!

CHA - part 4

First, if you are not yet following me yet, click here to find out why you should and read about my blog challenge.

Today are a few more items made at the PC booth (we'll move on to other booths in Part 5). PC was pushing a new product, sort of a mini-Yudu. All I can say is, I'm not impressed. Here's why: why should I do something messy on paper with a squeegee that I can normally do with a stamp? It's less than half the mess with a stamp. Don't get me wrong; I have the Yudu. But I don't use it for cards. I suspect this mini-Yudu (whatever it's called) will find it's way to the craft cemetery somewhere near the Your Story. Below is the card we made, but be sure you check out the necklace! I have a story to tell you about that one!

I like the images, but I can do this with a stamp. I don't need to buy another PC product to do what a stamp can do. Whatever the selling point is for this new PC product, I failed to grasp that.

Ok, now for the necklace! If you think the concept is the least bit familiar that's because maybe it is. I'm beginning to suspect that whichever PC employee that thought of this project for one of the CHA show make and takes moonlights on the side as a Stampin' Up Demonstrator. At the very least the concept was "scraplifted" if you will, lol! If you don't believe me, click here to see what I'm talking about! And yes, we created that crown using the mini-yudu thingy (I probably have a crown stamp...somewhere).

Have a great day all!

Winter CHA 2011 - part 3

First, if you are not yet following me yet, click
here to
find out why you should and read about my blog challenge.

Ok...ready to see some Provo Craft make and takes? These were really awesome!
They used the Imagine for both projects. The pirate Imagine cartridge is new,
don't know when it will be released Argh!! They used their printable vinyl with
the Pirate frame project as well. I have the Imagine but haven't used it yet.
However, I plan to soon, mainly for classes and when I have my next try before
you by workshop I can actually explain how it works. Pop dots were used with
this project as well.

 

 

On the flower frame PC used stock paper, it's not printed from the Imagine.
The images are from the Imagine. Pop dots were used with this project as well.

 

 

Finally, there was this really cute "jewelry" box. The pink
paper is embossed with a cuttlebug border embosser. To get the crinkle effect
with the flower cut out several flower pieces and spray with water. Then crinkle
up the flower and unfold; allow to dry. The box was already painted white.

Winter CHA 2011 adventures - part 2

First, if you are not yet following me yet, click here to find out why you should and read about my blog challenge.

One of the perks of going to the CHA show was going to the Cricut Circle Crop. We had to make 3x3 calling cards for the even to swap with other ladies. Some were really good. Below are the two cards I did (as well as cards I collected). I started with the pastel green paper, which I preferred but ran out of; that's when I switched to the orange. I ran the paper through my cuttlebug with one of my flower folders and inked it with Tim Holtz's walnut stain distress ink which really helped on the orange to tone down the brightness. I loved the look on the pastel green; looked a little like aged bronze like the Statue of Liberty. Then I used a daisy punch and punched out 2 daisies for each card. Next a small daisy punch for the center of the flower. Adhere a rhinestone in the center of each flower with glue dots ($2.99 package at M's with 100, varying sizes). Finally, fluff up the yellow part so it looks like the daisy center. As I finished each card DH was sticking my info on the backside which I printed up on Avery labels:

Below are cards I collected from other scrappers in the room. Some how I picked up 2 cards from 2 different scrappers. However, in a room that size, with that many women, you're bound to forget who you met. Because this is the internet, I covered up personal info that was on the cards except blog URLs. If you see your card here please give me some blog love!:

Ok, here's my complaint; in order to go to the Circle Crop we had to pay $30. We were promised a goodie bag with $30 worth of goodies to offset the $30 we paid to reserve our seat. Wanna see what we got for $30? Look below:

And we got a charm for our bracelet.

On the other hand, had I passed on the Circle Crop I would not have met Jinger or Robyn (My Pink Stamper) or any of the other wonderful ladies. Plus, we each dropped a calling card into a box which PC used for the many raffles:

Winter CHA 2011 adventures - part 1

First, if you are not yet following me yet, click here to
find out why you should and read about my blog challenge.

Ok, this is part one of my adventures to Winter CHA 2011. My trip started off with a challenge of it's own....WHAT TO PACK! lol! As you can see I got everything into the carry on bag which I put inside the larger bag that I checked. Once in LA I put my clothes in the dresser and took the carry on bag with me out onto the floor. The larger bag was to accommodate all the cool stuff I brought home with me.

I ended up shipping home stuff that weighed down my luggage; there was no way I would have been able to handle lifting the carry-on above my head with it weighed down and put a combinations of clothes and goodies in the larger bag. I've ordered stuff online that people cram into Priority Mail medium flat rate boxes and I know that those boxes will tear at the seams; that's how I "lost" a medium flat rate box of chip board I ordered (the seller sent me another box). Fortunately the post office had clear tape to buy so I could wrap that around the seams for reinforcement.

For summer CHA I think I will bring some Priority Mail flat rate boxes with me, guess (based on my LA trip) how many labels I will need, and pre-print those before leaving home. It's cheaper to do it online and the price includes delivery confirmation. If you pay for it at the post office then it's the flat rate fee, plus 90 cents for delivery confirmation. Yes, I realize it's stuff I got for free, but I'm passing it off to blog followers and customers so $10.95 or even $14.95 for Large flat rate is a small price to pay for the amount of merchandise I can cram in those boxes. Oh, and bring my own roll of clear tape so I don't have to pay inflated prices for less than a roll I can buy at Walmart. So there ya' have it, I have a plan for Summer CHA 2011. If any of you ever go to CHA (hmm....maybe that's a contest I'll have, will have to think about that one) you will soon catch on how to better organize yourself and the SWAG you take home with you.

So, while we were at CHA, the floor wasn't as busy or humming as much as I thought it would be. Blame it on Mother Nature. A lot of people didn't make it in on time, or they left early because of the predicted blizzards. The other thing I learned was if you couldn't get into a class there is an opportunity to get in on stand-by. There is a separate stand-by room to go to and let the attendant know which class you want to be on stand-by for. For both Tattered Angels classes (101 and 201) and a Flower Soft class I got in on stand-by. Twice there were almost 20 people in line and both times the attendant (after the class personnel counted empty seats) said we could all go it.

On Sunday morning Mandie and I woke up at the crack of dawn (5:30) to get ready for the day and head to the convention center. I was banking on the number of people who went to LA Live the night before and were too hung over to wake up in time for the Tattered Angel's class (101). My gamble paid off! WOO HOO! And, Mandie's chair was the chair with the gold label underneath so she won a bonus prize. The 201 class was the next morning and that morning I was hoping people would simply be exhausted. Lightening strikes twice! Double WOO HOO! And where was Kim both morning? sleeping in ;-). There were parties every night: Fiskateers, The Provo Craft Gala, dinner with reps, and the CHA evening event on the last day.

Below are pics, starting with the photo of mine and Mandie's stained hands after TA 201. Thank goodness the inks don't stain my wedding ring! There are days, not even an hour after I get my nails done, that my hands and nails are all stained up; it does eventually wash off ;-).

This was the last night of the show (Monday). I was
sooooooooooo tired by then.

It was the red carpet treatment! LOL!

We we had dinner one night while in town.

On Tuesday, Feb 1, the last day of the show, DH flew into LA
so we could spend a few days together before going home. We went to LA Market in hopes of a Nona sighting. For those of you who don't know, or don't watch the show, Nona was the winner of Hell's Kitchen last season. We tried for tickets to the show but they already filmed the next season last Fall, and their next filming isn't until May I think. The camera was back at the hotel (d'oh!) and all we had was our cell phones. We did not know at the time there is a way to force the flash to go off on a Blackberry so this photo is an enhancement from the original:

CHA - Ranger Booth

First, if you are not yet following me yet, click here to find out why you should and read about my blog challenge.

Ok, here is the first of many series of photos from CHA. I did a really cool make and take at the Ranger booth and was very flattered when a couple of women took photos of my tag. We had artistic freedom for the most part; we just had to color the tag using the new distress stains. I'll tell you something...it was a lot less messier than using the distress or alcohol inks. I purposely positioned the wings (a stamp) where I thought the sewing form would go. The writing stamp was only a few lines but I thought it would look awesome all over the tag. We used the distress stains to color the silk ribbon, tag, and the blue part of the form (which is sticky back canvas cut out from a new die). Archival ink for the black accents on dress form; Vintage photo distress ink for inking on the edge of the tag and stamp.

I also met Tim Holtz himself (separate occasion). He's so sweet! Mario is a lucky guy!

Blog challenge!

Hi everyone! Is everyone ready for a challenge? Help me meet a goal? It benefits you in the long run! Here's what is going on. I would like to reach 500 followers by the end of July. Yes, I admit that's a VERY optimistic goal. But we all know enough people on the yahoo groups to make this possible. I would like to do the same on the Scrap-a-rama facebook page.

Anyway, here's the deal: I met many MANY wonderful people at CHA and collected a bunch of SWAG which I will be passing on to blog followers and customers. My goal is to have at least 500 blog followers by Summer CHA at which time I will be giving away the biggest basket of blog candy you have ever seen as a huge THANK YOU!

The rules are simple: you need to be a follower, not anonymous, and post (hopefully something positive) when it's blog candy time. I will put everyone's name who qualifies into a random drawing via http://www.random.org/ and the winner takes all! It's the same as other blogs so this routine should be familiar to most of you.

I realize some of you might need a little motivation to get going. What that means exactly, there will be a blog candy give away starting when this blog reaches 50 followers; we will have another blog candy give away when we reach 100, 150, etc. until we reach 500 and then it will be monthly with the exception of the Summer CHA show blog candy (that will be in addition to regular blog candy give aways). I have some stuff that is limited edition and/or exclusive so you definitely don't want to miss out!

So tell your friends and family to follow the yellow brick ro...er, I mean this blog! It's all about the numbers. You would not believe the amount of swag I saw two different women go home with because they both have over 1000 followers on their blogs!

Another woman made out just as well because she's a writer for a popular online "scrap-a-zine". I don't have either credentials and still went home with stuff to give away; imagine what I would have gotten if I had the numbers to brag about. With that said, the more followers I have, the more people who post, the more swag I get, which means more blog candy, raffles and goodies for you!

** YOU benefit in the long run. **

You do not need to be a customer of mine, just a blog follower. I have a brick and mortar store and the online shopping cart is not quite set up yet. So I couldn't limit this to customers only even if I wanted to. But when the shopping cart is up and running I will run a different special that is in addition to the blog candy stuff. Facebook will also be something different so be sure to "like" Scrap-a-rama on Facebook for additional contests. I don't know the link off the top of my head but if you search for scrap-a-rama on
Facebook (with the hyphens) it will come up.

Thanks all!