CHA Recovery!

It will probably take me a month to recap everything I saw and took pics of at CHA, so expect it to come in dribs and drabs (mixed in cards from all our new release sets this month!!) and hopefully you won't have already seen it on everyone else's blogs by then ( I don't think you will) I still need to take a pic of the PILE of stuff I brought back, tons of Make & takes, freebies, samples, etc!!
First: Tim Holz. I get now why he's such a big deal (not that I thought he wasn't a big deal before, but just didn't know much about him besides the name, and that I love his scissors (the handles are designed for his big guy hands, ha ha!). Really talented, had almost all the ladies swooning(I didn't have a pic taken with him, like some people!! ;) The demos of all his products were very enlightening, and I'm excited to say Gina K will be carrying several in the store!!! :) here he is about to put some of the new Designer Stickles they debuted (new colors and bigger, chunky glitter)
The next few pics show his "Grungeboard" which I'd heard about but didn't understand how it was different from chipboard, check it out! It feels and bends like leather, springs back, doesn't crease, but it's made from paper! AMAZING!
And look how fine the detail is of that scroll, can you imagine trying to pop that out of chipboard? (it would bend or break...) All the pages of this altered album use it. The butterfly was heated and then molded with his fingers to keep the shape after it cooled, soooooooooo coooooooool
Look soft and pliable, like cloth! I'm sold! I want it all!!! So yeah, I've joined his fan club!! (My husband was looking at the pics of the ladies crowding around him and asked me, "Is that what women like? Crafty men?" "Yes, dear, I replied, "that's why I married you." He doesn't stamp, but he builds, gardens, ...) :)
This following pic shows my favorite little tool of the show,a little finger mounted cutter from Fiskars, of the show, so simple but WOW! (If you read my blog you know I get out a Hobby blade/craft knife for a lot of projects, but it's not very ergonomic) this thing is terrific, zip, zip, zip around this piece of MDF, a perfect cut, no sanding, fast and comfortable (They showed this at Winter CHA so I am 6 months behind but they DID have a new version they debuted at this show that slides on your finger like this but swivels so you can make curvy lines, very cool!! and each less than 10 bucks!!

I also got to play with the Big Bite by Cropodile on this same project. Gotta have this now, too (sigh) My regualr one could have reached in far enough for this, but I love the table mount design and being able to adjust it to punch several inches into your project when needed.
Here is my finished book, isn't it adorable?? I can put in some of my favorite CHA pics. These papers and embellishments are all from Kaiser(that scroll is wood, inked with black), I wasn't familiar with them before but I took tons of pics of projects in their space, I'll be back with more later...
These lanterns covered with a sheet of DP on each side inspires me to head over to IKEA!!
Here are the first few of MANY "me & my peeps" pics...

Gina K and me*, right after finally meeting!! Getting to spend 3 days her was worth the plane ticket alone, she was all I knew she'd be and more! Me and Joanne: I love this girl! She cracks me UP! She was every bit as nice as I thought she'd be, but why was I thinking she'd be a little on the quiet side?? (I think she needs a little caption under her avatar "I only look sweet and innocent!" ;) (just kidding, Joanne, you are very sweet LOL!!)
Me and one of my biggest stamping crushes, Debbie Olson. I watched her color for about 10 minutes at the Copic table before she looked up and saw me, I got a little misty eyed while doing so, thinking about how long I've admired her work, our time on the Dirty Dozen and all the help she has given me over the years. She is as humble as she is talented.
Me and Diana Crick, creator of the Scor-Pal (I also got to meet Valerie Stangle who was working their booth) This pic isn't quite as exciting as SOME you will soon be seeing of Diana on another blog(!) but I was so excited to meet her and even more excited by all the Scor-Pal stuff I walked away with! She was so generous when I explained how much I love her product and enjoy creating projects for my blog with it, she offered me some things I didn't yet have (score! hee hee) and will be mailing me even more! PLUS, she gave me some extra things I can give away here as candy, does that excite YOU?! Coming soon!
Although the pressure's on, it is really fun to come back and have these sneak peeks and a release party planned right away, the excitement just doesn't end! Good thing for ME I got tons of stamping done before I left but I'll be scrambling to catch up on posting and email because the kids are really needing me after being on, but I'll somehow make it work! More to come!

*I'm scrunching down because in the first 15 minutes after meeting her, I'd already heard 15 people exclaim to her," "You're so SHORT!!" Enough already, she knows, I think! (okay, I was one of 'em! actually I think I kept this to myself, it wasn't that much of a surprise to me, as I'd read this about her earlier, played it cool ;)) but doesn't she look so HAPPY here being the tall one?? (I noticed it is one of the only pics she's smiling with teeth!) Unfortunately I forgot to get a pic of the two of us with me fully extended to my towering height(5'4 3/4"), doh!!