More News from CHA

Whilst at CHA, I make the most of the time there by booking up on classes as well as walking the show floor. I'd booked on so many classes, half the time I didn't know whose class I was taking, our tickets we bought only had a class number and a vague title. So I was in the middle of a class "pressed for success" wondering who my crazy tutor was when it dawned on me that it was the one and only Donna Downey.

Now I've got a couple of her books on scrapbooking and there is one in particular I think is probably the best scrapbooking book I've come across.
It's called "Designing Layouts" (ISBN = 9781933516875),

and features layouts where your photos take center stage by using photos-only sketches to make over 100 reusable page designs.
It really is a very, very good book, makes you realise that all the embellishments (although very nice and pretty) aren't really needed to make a stunning page. You'd have to see the book to see what I mean really. Anyhow, after reading this book (or more to the point, flicking through it as it's not really a book you can read!), I found that I just loved this lady's style.
And so it was such a delight to be booked in on one of her classes. She's such a character, she has so much energy and so outgoing, and really knows how to work the crowd!! I now wish I'd taken my book to get signed - oh well, there's always next year. If ever you get a chance to be on a class or event of Donna's, I seriously suggest any of you scrapbookers out there should take the plunge.

The project we started to create was a fabric scrapbook album using iron-transfers. Not the sort of thing I've ever done before or had even contemplated doing but I enjoyed it as far as I had got.

When I eventually get around to finishing it, I'll let you guys know and show pics - hopefully you're still following this blog in a couple of year's time!! I got as far as ironing on the various transfers to my fabric pages and that was about it, basically we were suppose to take our own distress inkpads to ink up and spritz with water, the edges of the pages. Although my lovely neighbour offered me her inkpads to borrow (we are all such a friendly crowd us crafters), I declined after deciding that I'll colour co-ordinate each page with appropriate ink colours rather than do every page brown. I'm looking forward to finishing it off but probably won't be this side of Christmas :(


Anyhow, onto more exciting new products we saw at CHA...

We've been waiting for this a long time, metallic staz-on colours in silver, gold, copper and platinum

unfortunately they won't be cheap.
They'll come packaged - a little like the white staz-on, ie uninked pad and a reinker bottle:

Tattered Angels are expanding their range. As well as adding more colours to their Glimmer Mist collection (including colours inspired by Heidi Swapp), they have also launched a Chalkboard range, Glimmer Glaze and Glimmer Glam:

all new goodies already ordered and just waiting for it all to arrive.
However, the Heritage travel ledge kit is already in stock:

and provides all the goodies needed to create this wonderful project (a brilliant all-inclusive weekend project):

Check out full details here.


Cosmo Cricket goodies should be arriving any day:

And all the brand new Penny Black designs have been ordered and just waiting to arrive now, you can find all the designs in our "What's New" section where you can pre-order them (currently about page 6!!).

And watch out for a very exciting announcement coming soon, regarding a very special Penny Black person!!! Just finalising details and then I'll be able to spill the beans.

And finally, if you have a free Saturday this weekend, and fancy a crafty day, we still have a few spaces spare for Ann's Popcorn Bear class:

these are piccies from her demo day just to give you a little idea of what you could be up to!!
Give me a ring on 01733 324 007 to find out more.

meanwhile, happy stamping
- janicex