I'm in Stitches

I got back from CHA (more on that later) on the 14th of February, picked up a hire van on the 15th and packed it, drove up to Birmingham and built the booth on the 16th and had a blast. There are so many people that I met for the first time and others who I was meeting up with like they were the old friends that they are.

It was great to see Alain and Tim were over in the UK again, but I don't envy either of them their gruelling schedules for the next few weeks. Becks and Leandra looked to be having a great time at the PaperArtsy booth, Wendy Rhodes was having a great time on her own little booth (although, without power for her heat gun until two hours before the end of the show) and as always, it was really amazing to see Barry Short again. Kim from Spellbinders was looking wonderful (albeit rather jet-lagged) and introduced me to Peggy Budfuloski from LuminArte who gave some of her lovely Radiant Rain shimmering mists. Joanna Sheen was having a great time with the people from Sakura and was very admiring of the Scrapperdashery range of papers.

I also got to meet a lovely woman, who is incredibly talented (and said all the right things about my papers) by the name of Traci Cornelius, who as well as teaching, demonstrating and designing, runs her own business. Go over to her blog and find out more about her. I also got to meet a talented crafter by the name of Els Van de Burgt who took away some of my paper to play with and came back with some amazing things using Sakura pens.

So many people were interested in Scrapperdashery products that I didn't get much of a chance to get out and meet as many people as I would have liked, but lots of them came to see me.

I have to thank Peggy Budfuloski for the Radiant Rains as I'm having so much fun experimenting with them and I also need to thank Kristen Highberg for giving me a Big Shot and some dies to play with. I'll post something as soon as I can clear the remnants of the stand out of the office and get to my desk.

Colorado - at the foot of the mountain

I'm here in Lafayette with my friend, Jen Lowe and we're having a fantastic time.

But I digress.

I've been in the USA for a week and I haven't told you of any of my goings on. I met with Product Performers in Chicago who will be launching my papers at CHA in 5 days time. I got a chance to teach at Stampology Chicago all using Scrapperdashery paper. At present, Stampology Chicago is the only store in the USA that you can buy Scrapperdashery paper, but after CHA that will all change.

Here are a couple of the Cheque Books made by the women in my class. I was very impressed as it was blowing a snowstorm outside and some of them came way across town to meet me and do the class.

My hosts in Chicago were Ken and Judi Petersen. Ken owns Product Performers who distribute a lot of great products for different companies like Ranger and now, Scrapperdashery. Judi and I took the tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright House and Studio and more inspiration has hit this head of mine.

I taught another class on Saturday making two greetings cards. My cards are very rarely simple ones. If my husband asks me to make up a card, I generally need three days to get something together: One day to clear my work space, one day to think of a design and another to put the design together.

The Stampology people were wonderful (pictured right are: Dave, Gloria, Me, Sue and Chris). On Saturday after the class, they took me out for BBQ.

On Sunday morning, Ken put me on a plane and here I am in Lafayette. Jen and I are having so much fun. I will post some of our creations when they're finished. There are some people coming over to play tomorrow and I (unfortunately) have to fly out on Thursday (pray for snow, people. If I get snowed in in Colorado for another two days I get to play for a little longer).

On Sunday I'll be at CHA on the Product Performers booth. If you're going, come down and see me!