CHA...a crafter's paradise!

Just got back from Chicago this afternoon, and I was pretty sad to leave. It's not that I didn't get to see a lot of stuff -- I walked the whole show SEVERAL times! I think it was the wonderful people I met and the atmosphere of being surrounded by hundreds of folks who get just as giddy as I do over paper and cutting tools -- that's what I really miss now that I'm back.


That's me on the left with Lori Allred (Imaginisce Design Team Coordinator) and my fellow design team member Liz Qualman, sporting our blinged out i-rock aprons at the Make and Take table. We had such a great crowd...thanks to all those who stopped by!

The Imaginisce booth looked awesome (check out the photos here), and the i-rock tool was a big hit. It was fun to watch people in the Make and Take getting just as addicted to this little tool as I am. Once they started adding the stones, they couldn't stop.

I was fortunate to have plenty of time to venture outside the Imaginisce booth. Here are some things that caught my eye:


I loved this display of the new Dear Lizzy collection (and yes, Elizabeth Kartchner was there promoting it).


These flowers in the old soda bottles are going to have me scouring junk and antique stores for the next several months. On second thought, this sounds like an assignment for my mother-in-law. Oh, Susan...

As for my favorite new find at the show, I'm going to go with Epiphany Crafts.


Not only did they have the cutest booth (and they have the CHA award to prove it!), they have this fun little gadget that makes epoxy buttons and "pebbles" using your own paper, photos or printouts.


And if you want to go a step further, you can attach the finished pebbles to one of these layered felt flowers and snap it onto a ring, headband or barrette. Yes, this is a must-have for my house o' girls.


I also loved the Websters Pages booth. Check out these gorgeous window boxes with the big paper flowers:


And I'll end with a couple of photos of the Making Memories area. I was blown away by the detail in these displays:


The photo really doesn't do this justice. All of the leaves on this tree (which had a real tree trunk with live bark) were cut from the new Paper Reverie collection. Gorgeous colors: deep reds, vibrant yellow gold, black, cream.


This is the Je T'Adore collection. I remember just enough French to know that means "I Love You," and I loved this little scene they created. I didn't see anyone sit in those chair or dive into those delectable looking cupcakes (which were also made of paper), but I know I wasn't the only one who was tempted.

My first CHA was everything I hoped and then some. Can't wait 'til the next one!