Tying up loose ends

CHA schwag
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

Tonight I finished the prep work for the two sewing classes I'm teaching tomorrow. I'm very excited about them and will post pictures after the classes are done.

But first, I realized that I'm woefully late in posting photos from the Craft & Hobby Association convention. I'm so sorry about that--I've been busy getting ready for these sewing classes. But without further delay, here it goes!

This first shot shows you all of the stuff that I scored at CHA. I'm still not sure how I got it all to fit in my suitcase. By the time I was done, my little roll-aboard suitcase weighed 51 pounds! The Delta guy was a sweetheart and didn't charge me even though my bag was officially over the weight limit. (Though I did still have to pay $15 for the right to check my bag -- what's up with that, Delta??)

Probably the most amazing thing I came home with was the Sizzix Big Shot die-cut machine shown at the center front of the image. It's worth $100! I won it at a workshop that was taught by Margot Potter (thanks Margot!).

But so far my favorite find from CHA is Fabri-Tac adhesive. I'd never used it before and now I can't put it down! In fact, I'll be introducing it to my students tomorrow.

If you want the low-down on all the other other schwag from CHA, just click on the photo above and then follow the notes and links within the photo.

Now here's a shot of me with the one and only Crafty Chica.



I was so excited to meet her in person. She was sooooo nice, and in a very genuine way. And the glitters in her new product line from Duncan? Amazing! Click on the photo if you want to see the glittery goodness larger.

Here's a shot of me with Leah Kramer, the founder of the awesome site Craftster.org.



And here's a shot of me with Sarah*n*dipitous.



There's a funny story behind this photo. I was wandering the CHA show floor and was drawn to Sarah's booth as soon as I saw it--she made the whole thing out of cardboard!

We started talking and she insisted that she knew me from somewhere. Eventually we figured out that we're Twitter friends! Too funny.

That was the first time I'd ever met a Twitter friend in person--all I can say is that I hope all future meetings are as fabulous. Sarah is an amazing person who has seemingly limitless creativity and generosity. I wish we lived closer, but I'm sure our paths will cross again.

I also met Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching, but for some reason I forgot to ask for a photo with her. She was so open in sharing her knowledge of the industry. Thanks Jenny, especially for the tip on Kreinik threads!

And finally, here are some shots of me and my clock in the Indie Craft Booth.







Okay, it's off to bed--I've got to teach in the morning!

CHA here I come!

I leave for the Craft & Hobby Association convention and trade show at the butt-crack of dawn on Saturday. I'm super excited about it -- not the leaving early part, but the trip itself.

Not only will I have the chance to network with folks in the industry, I might even spot some craft-world celebrities like Jennifer Perkins, Kathy Cano-Murillo, Jenny Hart, and Faythe Levine. I'm so giddy I can hardly stand it.

My atomic eggbeater clock will be on display in the Indie Craft booth (Hall D, Booth 1309). Plus, I'll be doing a demonstration of my toothpaste vase (see photo) on Monday at 11 a.m. in the same booth If you're attending CHA, stop by and see me!

Crafty exaltations!

I have some truly exciting news to share. The Craft & Hobby Association recently sponsored an Indie Craft Contest searching for 30 indie crafts to highlight at the upcoming winter convention (details here), and my atomic eggbeater clock was one of the projects selected!

They want me to send my project and some promotional fliers, but it sounds like they'd also be receptive to me attending the show and possibly doing a demo. Woo-hoo! 

It would probably be expensive for me to get out there, but I'm thinking that there's no way I CAN'T go. I mean, what an amazing opportunity. 

Last year's show had more than 16,000 attendees. I could rub elbows with all of the crafty celebrities I love. I could take some of the fabulous workshops being offered by the top names in the craft world. I could also network with reps from various craft companies and publishing companies. Heck, I've been talking about writing a craft book for a few years now--what better way to pitch my ideas than in person?

I need to call my friends who live in L.A. and see if their offer to stay with them any time still holds. I need to check flights on Southwest and the other airlines to see how much airfare will set me back. I also need to call my best friend from Oregon who, in an ironic twist, had arranged to see me in Florida at the tail end of a cruise she's taking that same week. So much to do!

Oh, and did I mention that I need to recreate the clock? I already sold the one that's pictured. Oops. 

Well, time to stop blogging and get busy on all these things I need to do. Whew!