Whose Who at the Craft and Hobby Show 2015

The annual Craft and Hobby Show is like being a kid in a candy store!  It’s a fabulous opportunity to meet all of the Top People in the Industry and learn how to use their products directly from them.  The one saving grace is that you cannot buy things and bring them home with you or I would probably have to sell a kidney! :-O  I go for many reasons but one of the main reasons is so that I can bring all of you the information on what is new and trendy for the coming year.  It is not open to the public so I feel like I’m sneaking you in with me when I share photos.  I hope you are inspired by some of the samples!  There are lots of photos so I’ll be sharing more of them soon.  Enjoy!

You know I love me my T!m!  George makes fun of me because every time I see one of Tim’s Techniques, I disappear into my Craft Room for HOURS!  So – He jokes that I’m with “My Boyfriend, Tim.”  Watching him demo is worth the cost of the plane fare!  He throws out all kinds of interesting tidbits without even realizing it!  My favorite was a trick for when you get stray strings of adhesive on your project and you’re trying to carefully pick them off…Leave them and pour Clear Embossing Powder on them!  They’ll create little wisps that will add to your project’s overall finished look.  I love that!  I could watch him for hours but I don’t want to be classified as a stalker! LOL

Then, there’s Mario Rossi who does BTS – Behind the Scenes – for Tim Holtz.  He is truly one of the nicest people I’ve EVER met…EVER!  It is so heartwarming when you meet people you admire and they’re actually nicer than you’d imagined.  The next photo is Dyan Reaveley, another Ranger Signature Designer.  She’s so fun to watch!  She just throws things around and ends up with a masterpiece!  Wendy Vecchi (Signature Ranger Designer) always has little gems. The alarm clock on her desk (which you can’t see-sorry) looked like enamel but it’s her embossing powder!  The jar on her desk was done in the same way over glass!  Becky Higgins is the creator of Project Life.  She revolutionized the Scrapbooking world with her Pocket Scrapbooking System.  Jen Cushman is the VP of Ice Resin.  I didn’t realize how badly I needed this stuff until Jen’s Class.  OMG!  Total addiction!  Below is a photo of the two pieces I created in the class.  They’re not finished yet but they’re so cool!

Magic Boy, Dave is an incredible Magician/Comedian who works for Sizzix at the CHA Shows.  He’s hilarious and informative!  Tammy Tutterow is Tim’s Social Media Director and an awesome Crafter.  I took her class and loved the project!  Suze Weinberg – OMG – Suze was the Original Signature Ranger Designer.  The “It Girl” way back in the day when I started crafting almost 20 years ago.  She created the melting pot and the Ultra Thick Embossing Techniques we all know and love.  And then there’s Vanna White!  She has a line of Yarn for Lion Brand.  She was there for the Fashion Show.  I don’t knit but if you do, you should check it out.  My son taught himself his letters before he was three!!!  I was shocked when he started reading letters and asked him HOW on earth he knew that.  His response was:  “Like Vanna, Mommy.”  He used to love watching Wheel of Fortune and always used to say – “Doesn’t Vanna look pretty?”  So, I took this picture and sent it to him with the caption  “Your Girlfriend is here.”

These are the two Ice Resin pieces I created in Jen Cushman’s Class.  This stuff is so incredible!  I can’t WAIT to get my hands on more of it to finish these pieces and make other ones.  Stay tuned.  I’ll be sharing my exploits with you.

Ice Resin Class

This beautiful creation is from Tammy Tutterow’s Class.  It is an altered version of one of Tim’s Binders.  So cool.  I’ll take more pictures of the inside of my version and share it next week.

Tammy’s Binder

This is a Designer Collage of some of the samples:

As I said, there are scores of talented designers showcasing their work at this event – in booths, samples, demos, classes, showcases, etc.  Everywhere you look, there is art!  Clockwise from top left:  Susan Lenart Kazman, Owner of Ice Resin; Ice Resin Booth Samples; Suzanne Stalcik; Marjie Kemper; Andy Skinner; Andy’s Work; Jen Cushman’s Ice Resin Suitcase; Tim’s Tag Carousel; France Papillon; My Challenge Buddies – Margie Kemper, Candy Colwell, France Papillon and Linda Ledbetter; Dina Wakely’s Project; My delicious Chocolate Soufflé from Roy’s Restaurant; Booth Samples; Karen Burniston’s Star Card; Booth Sample; Wendy Vecchi’s technique for getting two looks from one embossing powder *Tip – original is shiny so if you want matte, add Frosted Crystals.