Just a Bit More from CHA

Apart from showing you one or two things I made in workshops I think I will wrap it up after today on showing you pictures from CHA as it might get boring.

What about some of Claudine's work

Love these dresses she made with images printed on her canvas with an inkjet printer - must try this when I get home.

In my Steampunk Clay class with Christie, Syndee wore this gorgeous polymer clay necklace.

She showed me this one from her bag and I swear they looked like real seashells.  Christie was hilarious so this was a fun fun fun workshop and her helpers were really wonderful and so friendly.  Christie tells me she is going to the UK later in the year - watch out for her classes.

This is chainmail art

And here is the Chain Mail Lady herself

Carole and I spent quite a while with her, she was so nice and so helpful showing us how she actually did the various patterns.

Can you believe these are all made from jump rings?  Truly they are.

Makins Clay - yes, air dry clay

Tombow had some pretty things on their stand

 How about Tombow Zentangles?

Just look at this giant book

And finally

The glamorous, wonderful Lisa Pavelka with a weary, footsore, cream-crackered woman who wishes to remain anonymous.  My feet were like two puddings and I was in so much pain (big aaws all round please)

Hope It Is Thursday in England - more on CHA

I am so confused with this time difference and my head is full of the weather forecast for other parts of the country and I have a couple of friends travelling back via New York today.  Just hope they don't get stuck in an airport somewhere.  I bet it has hit a lot of others travelling from CHA back to the UK too.

Thinking of you all who are experiencing these terrible winds and snow - some of the pictures I have seen are unbelievable.  Think it was Elizabeth who gave me a smile with one picture from a Baptist Church which said "Those of you who are praying for snow, please stop" - nice to see a bit of humour in a situation like that.

Of course I am truly concerned for the people of Queensland also, they had the floods and now they are awaiting the cyclone.  It must be terrifying for them.  All of you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Anyway, now to a beautiful stand - always one of the most stunning (and especially for Anne):

Self explanatory - Graphic 45

Love that Big Clock

That's a whole blog devoted to Graphic 45 - click on each picture for a larger view - well worth it - some great ideas here.

Blog Award

First of all a Big Thank you to Jinny for giving me this award (see right).  You really should check out her blog - it is fantastic - she makes some amazing things and I just love her blog to bits.

It is the third award I have had since I came to America so I am so chuffed I might just stay over here.  Only joking, the money is running out and the insurance on the house would be invalid if I stayed any longer.

Now I have to pass it on to eight others and tell you eight things about myself:

1.  I really don't know how long I have been stamping but prior to that I was into cake icing and decorating (sugar flowers) and guess I have been into crafts most of my life but not as seriously as now.

2)  Every year at CHA I have to have my photograph taken with Lisa Pavelka as she is so wonderful.

3)  I work for Oyster Stamps in the UK demonstrating at the northern shows and Tracey and Graham are the most wonderful people to work for and great vendors too.

4)  I do workshops for Paddy's Stamping Place in Prestwich which is the north of England as well as several other companies.

5)  I have the most wonderful small family consisting of my other half, Chas, my son Andy and his partner Sam(antha) - my other family live in Australia and I also have my adopted family now here in America who I love with all my heart.

6)  I go to Victoria Stampers in Rainhill once a month with a great bunch of people.

7)  Despite having a HUGE garden I am not much of a gardener but I wish I was.

8)  I wish I was 20 years younger and at the place I am right now as there is so much I want to learn and do in the crafting world.

Now to pass on to some amazing blogs which you must check out:

http://anne-ectdotes.blogspot.com - my dear friend Anne who does some beautiful cards

http://cockneyblonde.blogspot.com - Alison who had a brief spell away from blogging but who, I am glad to say, is back in blogland with her lovely colouring

http://harpie38.blogspot.com - Sid, who everybody loves so much

http://atcsbylottie.blogspot.com - Lottie who made the most amazing journal a few months ago and who makes beautiful things all the time

http://rarelizzie.wordpress.com - Liz Welch who is the greatest tutor ever and does the most amazing Friendly Plastic work

http://sam21ski.blogspot.com - Sam, who I love dearly and who has branched out into so many wonderful medias with fantastic work

http://yoursartfully.blogspot.com - what can one say about Lin, who, with Leandra, runs the most fantastic workshops ever and does some truly inspiring work

and lastly, but certainly not least http://theartsiders.blogspot.com - Paul, my best friend who not only is a very talented crafter but also the nicest friend a girl could have.

It was so difficult to decide who to list as there are so many talented people out there that I could have sat here all day listing peeps - a hard decision to choose but eight.  Do check them out and don't forget Jinny who gave me this award.

I Slept 10 Hours - More from CHA and a WOYWW

I can't believe it!  I went to bed at 10 pm, woke at 6.15 and went back to sleep until 8 am - do you think I missed out on sleep whilst in LA?  I could have slept more but thought I would try to make my eyes open and stay that way so I could sort out all the stuff I had brought back.  I really want to show you a couple of albums I made so I need to get working on them to finish them off.

In the meantime it's not what is on my workdesk that I am showing you - it's what is in my camera but I am hoping that will still qualify for Julia's WOYWW this week.  Posted yesterday also about CHA and will be posting for a few days yet so if you want to see what happened at CHA keep tuning in.

In the meantime check out these paper dresses on the Die Cuts With a View stand - blew me away - click on the photos for a larger view.

Yes, these are entirely paper, full sized.  These paper curls were done with a hair curler.

I just love the wire body forms that they are on.  Reminds me, I have one at home (smaller of course) but doubt I could produce something like any of these.

Above is the back view and below the front view.

Although they were leaves that made up this dress it did remind me of a Peacock with the way the back fanned out.

Short, sweet and sassy.

Everyone loves butterflies - this was the favourite of the young lady I was talking to who was guarding the stand.

How about one of these for your next project?

Will show you one of my favourite stands tomorrow but before I leave I must show this to Sam.  Unfortunately I did not do this Make and Take but when I saw the one Heather had done I just knew Sam would love it.  Here you are Sam, right up your street:

Oops!  Sorry Ann, will make sure Graphic 45 are on tomorrow.

Cream Crackered from CHA

Well, I am home now (home being back at Mary's in Sylmar not UK home - 'my American one' as Mary calls it) and absolutely cream crackered.  Just a quickie for tonight.

Mind you the night before we left for CHA we all went for Happy Hour to El Presidente - my favourite Mexican restaurant near to Mary's. Three Margarita's later Jo, Caz and I were singing the night away.

Not quite sure what Caz is doing - maybe trying to see if she is still sober by touching her nose in a straight line?

Jo and Caz after a couple of Margarita's

Mary hates photos being taken

BUT NOW TO CHA

Friday was just a workshop day, the show actually opening on Saturday, so I did a couple of workshops.  Not got photographs of my samples yet but here is the low down:

1.  Technique Filled Card Making Class - made some cards but not really to my taste - wouldn't have said I learned any new techniques.  When I find them I will post them so you can see.

2.  Cool Tools/Hot Techniques - more cards but this time using felt which seems to be the up and coming thing so watch out.

3.  Steampunk Mixed Media Album - a fabulous book using Graphic 45 papers with gears and watch parts from Stanislaus Imports.

I should have done four that day but the first one was 8 am and uit was much too early for us to get to the Convention Centre in Downtown LA, register and get to class 15 minutes before it was due to start.  I am so sorry I missed it but it could not be helped.

I was so disappointed that I had not been able to do the Ranger Class as it was the first time in quite a few years I had not been able to get on (you will understand - this class must have been booked up within 5 minutes of it being posted) but I did sit near to a lovely young lady from Holland who allowed me to take photographs of what she had done in the class.

Think this was Diane Reaveys section of the class.

No prizes for guessing that this was Sir Tim's section.

Think this was Wendy's section.  Unfortunately cannot find Claudine's section so here is a photograph of one of the most delightful young ladies you will ever meet.

Can you believe this was taken at the end of the day?  She was so bright, cheerful and chatty when most of us were dead on our feet. Claudine rocks!

Not got a photograph of Tim Holtz this time but there will be one coming towards the end of the month so watch this space.

Think I had better leave it there so will just upload some photographs of the Ranger booth to whet your appetite for what can be done by those talented artists who work so hard to make the stand so exciting.

Want to make one of these

Love these

Fantastic Displays

Right, going to leave it there for now as "bed" is calling but tomorrow I will upload some more - Graphic 45 (as usual) stole the show for me with their stand.  Ab Fab!

Mary's Centre

The other morning Jo and I had a walk about the Park and saw rabbits, squirrels and various birds (think there were hawks of some kind soaring above us in the sky).  It was a gorgeous morning so we thoroughly enjoyed our walk although I did get us a bit lost at one time.

Later we picked Carol and Chas up from the house and went over to the Community Centre for a nosey around.

When Chas and I were here last year at this time this building was just a wooden shell, still being constructed. The tower reminded us of the search tower you see in war films and we half expected to see a big beam of light from it.  How nice to see it completed - it looks beautiful now.

Now, if any of you know Carol you won't be surprised by the photograph of her having a swing.  There were no swings in this children's play area so she decided to sit on the climbing ropes and try to swing.  

And, here's Spencer by the pool.  He said it was a bit chilly so he kept his t-shirt on for the photograph.  Most of you will not know Spencer, he goes on holiday with us each time and pops out for a bit of sun now and then.  Carol got quite attached to him and kept having a quick word or two when she saw something new.

Well, by the time this is published we will be at CHA and probably having our first workshop.  The show does not open until tomorrow (Saturday) but there are workshops today.  At 11.30 I am doing "Technique Filled Card Making" with Creative Imagination.  At 3 pm Cool Tools/Hot Techniques with Hero Arts and at 7 pm a Steampunk'd Mixed Media Album with Punky Sprouts.

Watch this space ....

Shopping

Not done any crafting for a couple of days - been shopping instead.  Here are some of the crafty bits on Suze's blog - courtesy of Michaels:

Spent a fortune at Michaels yet again and introduced Jo and Carol to Bev Mor's which is the most fantastic booze shop ever.  They have some really expensive bottles of wine but it is the spirits that are fascinating.  The bottles are fabulous and just calling out to be bought, emptied (by any means) and altered.  Trouble is they are quite expensive.  Maybe if I go again I will take some photographs.

This is a bit of a catch up as the day before (Tuesday?) we went out with Mary and visited three craft shops.  This is the workroom in one of them - quite something isn't it?  What about that lounge area?  It was lovely to go in and meet up with someone who worked there from Lincolnshire of all places.  We had a lovely chat about "good old England" but she would never dream of moving back there - who can blame her!  Weather, standard of living - no comparison.

They had some terrific samples on show, as had the other stamp shop we went in, and it was very inspirational.

The real reason for my blogging is to say a BIG THANK YOU to Nicola (Sunshine Girl) for giving me the Magical Blog (see Tinkerbell to the right) on Sunday last.  I did upload it but now have to pass it on to seven other people so I am giving it to

Minxy
Peggy
Helen
Elizabeth
Kay
Dot
Sam

I enjoy visiting these blogs so much, they give me so much pleasure and inspiration that I think they need some recognition and I think they will like that cute little button.  Hope so.  It was not easy to limit things to seven people so I hope nobody feels left out.

I also received another blog award yesterday from Cardarian and need to nominate some people for that one.  Think I will leave that for tomorrow (American tomorrow) if nobody minds.