some of my loot during this trip. love those kits; love those flowers! my poor baby dog, tiffany, does not know where to go with such an obstacle course! what a mess!
Oh Where, Oh Where Should I Put Them? Craft Room
Here's a picture of one of my organizer armoire which is begging me, "No more goodies, please! We're overcrowded here!" As if that's a problem for me???? As you can see from above, it ain't always this clean and organized. It's creative chaos.
Convention Recap: Raves, Rants, Tips
Had a fun time at the CKC Mesa convention last week. It was my first CK convention. Here are some highlights and comments.
1. Vendor Exhibits:
a. Rave: I felt like a kid running amuck in a candy store! Gosh, the stores were filled with new and awesome goodies. Made a serious dent in my retirement funds ... yikes, still don't know how to tell my DH what happened. Maybe something like "A Papercraft witch overtook me and made me do things I didn't like such as buying all the Technique Tuesday chipboard set!" Do you think that will work? Other suggestions?
b. Rant: The lines for paying were way too long and wasted precious convention time for us. People were getting grumpy. Vendors should invest in scanners to make transaction paying faster. Or open more cashier lanes. Or have cashier savvy staff man the payment lines. This was VERY frustrating! ... Bad news for stampers - CKC didn't have much goodies in this department which is disappointing. Even Rusty Pickle hardly had distressing inks available. Why the discrimination for stampers, CKC? I'd like to see varied inks (pigments, chalks, vintage), Tim Holtz distressing inks, daubers, sponges, pearlescent chalks, etc!
c. Tip: After lunch seems to be a lull time in shopping. So sched your shopping within this time.
d. Rave: Good freebies from some stores. CKC offered online coupons.
e. Tip: Look at the online coupons for discounts and freebies. Arrive early for the early bird freebies. Mark the zones where these vendors will be. Attend the Thursday night pre-convention classes such as mini-album class, pre-crop night. The vendors give freebie coupons.
f. Rant: Some stores were grumpy when customers traded their freebie coupons. Tough! They offered this and I was determined to get all my well-deserved freebies!
g. Trends: Kits galore abounded. Shop around and compare. Now you're no longer wedded to a year of monthly kit purchases. Some allow you to only purchase 3 months out of 6 months contract, such as "Heart Strings" Company. Canvas, frames, chipboards, glitter, home decor extensions, clear stamps, flowers in all colors and sizes are the rage.
2. Classes:
a. Rave: Varied classes were offered by companies and usually reflected their styles. I liked Technique Tuesday's stamp classes, Lickety Lick, Lil davis, SEI, Rusty Pickle, Heart Strings, etc ... Papercraft classes were the best. I especially liked Wendy Johnson's swap card class. learned new techniques. I took the Thursday album class. The album inserts were all coordinated to match together. It was good class because we finished an album at the end of the night. It's not high end designer album pages, except for some like Technique Tuesday's, but still okay for fast crop ideas.
b. Tip: Make sure you have the basic supplies listed in the class info - I didn't bring distressing inks because I wanted to buy supplies there, but the stores were not open on Thursday night. Hey, CKC, why not sell stuff on Thursday nights as well? ... Everyone seemed to be carrying the crop open tote bag. That seemed handy for the classes. Check out the skill level and coordinate your style with the style of vendors ...well sometimes, expanding your comfort level helps also.
c. Rant: I participated in the swap card. But I was disappointed when some traded with me haphazardly made cards and I felt it was not fair to trade with them because I put so much effort in mine. But then they zoom to you when they see your well-made cards, it's awkward to say no to them! ... Vendors/Demonstrators - make sure your materials match your instructions! It's confusing when there are last minute changes in materials that demonstrators don't know. Have pictures of end product or 3 main steps so advanced people can work on their own pace. CKC - invest in high end projectors that do not look washed out with lights on. Images were projected onto the screen but it strained our eyes because we couldn't see the images well. Better still, get 3d projectors so your steps can be projected to the class as you go along!
3. Crop Nights:
a. Rave: I met some awesome ladies - we called ourselves the Scrappin Divas - Robyn 1, Robyn 2, Liz, and Val - you guys are the best! Had a blast with our cheerleading competition led by the only guy scrapper in the room - my son, Michael (there, you know how valuable early training can be!) Keep posted for more info and hilarious pics on this Cheer Night! ... Cool prizes and raffles. Thanks, sponsors! ... The "room service" while you crop offered by Marriot in the ballroom was kewl! Nice waiters also. Lastly, the massage service was a hit! We need more of this. Have a massage chair available also throughout the sessions.
b. Rant: The light in the ballroom was not adequate. I'm quite young (yeah, right) and don't really wear glasses and was squinting, so what more for the oldies? Hey, CKC - why not have a crop night contest as an incentive for the croppers to stay behind and get a well-deserved prize, not just via raffle. What about a tool section/table to test new supplies or use supplies we forgot from home. They had this at the Scrapbook Expo and it was very helpful.
c. Tip: Attend the Saturday night crop send-off. Why? Willing vendors give deep discounts on their goodies! Also, stay behind a little later - there was a mass get what you can table give-away. Good thing my son came and hustled his way along to get my good freebies. Thanks, Mike!
That's all for now. Keep posted and your comments are very much appreciated.
here's the original wooden swivel rack straight from ebay. i couldn't wait to mess with it. but i have more stamps to organize so i guess i need another one? what would dh say??? the last pic is the section with stamp pads organized neatly.
Posts
