The Craft and Hobby Association, and Me

CHA = Craft and Hobby Association.

The CHA Winter Trade show is happening... right now. Right now. Sunday Jan 24 - Wednesday Jan 27 th.

And I have projects there. :)


Yay! I know I sound like such a dagg, especially to those friends of mine who have been involved with CHA for years and years and probably know it's really no big deal, but I am DANG excited!

So, a little warning. My photo's came out pretty bad on a few of these. I took them late at night with no good lighting, and should have done a better job to at least make sure they were in focus.

Okay, so remember this lady?

Well, next I did this..


Then this..


Then this..

Then I put this part on that part... and added a little lace.



And a little ribbon..

And a handmade rosette...


And, wa-la! She's ready for the shop window.



REALLY thinking it would be cool to make a life size replica paper dress that you couldn't sit or move or bend or twist or go in the rain.. but hey, it would be cool.

I do have a life sized dress form...

Have I mentioned my projects are on Display in the GCD Studios, Melody Ross Designer Collections booth?

This is Melody's new line called Homespun Chic.. and it's fantastic. I love this line. It's so girlie and chic, and homemade, and screams the 1950's newly liberated women hood.

Check out the whole collection at GCD Studios by clicking here. It's FAB, you'll love it.

Here are some more of my Homespun Chic projects:


This was a super easy, super fast, project I made with the Homespun Chic Layered Frames, and a bit of chip board and Melody Ross's Chip Art stamp tools... the chickadee alphabet, and the hearts. Check them out here..


This was another really fast, easy project.

Old frame, a little Mod Podge. (Gotta love Mod Podge) and an old Buttericks pattern.

The string across the back, is the same old string that's probably been on the frame for 20-30 years.. used to mount the frame to the wall.

I am a big fan of vintage found items, keeping them close to their original state and just enhancing.

On the string I hung the Homespun Chic Inspirational Cards using the Homespun Chic Metal Rimmed Glass Brads.

Check out all the amazing Homespun Chic Embellishments here.



More Homespun Chic.

I love it. You know how it is when you're working with a paper line that just speaks to you, and the minute you see it you know exactly what you want to make and everything comes together?

This is what Homespun Chic did for me.

I stinking love it, and no, I'm not getting paid, or getting kickbacks, or even getting free products for blogging about it. I just love it.


I'm so sad the picture quality didn't come out better on this next one.

I folded a thin strip of paper and then bunched it like a ruffle and glued it in place behind the chipboard. Beautiful gingham ruffle.


The next line I designed with is also by Melody Ross Designer Collections, and is available at GCD Studios. It's called Artsy Urban, and it is just that.

Sorry, the picture quality is SOOOO BAD! :(



I wanted to make a perpetual calendar. I started with a plain premade wood base available at any craft store, and glued some Artsy Urban Blue Floral flocked paper to the front. Here's the link: check it.

I wanted the flocking in brown, so I mixed a bit of brown paint with art medium and painted over the top of the paper.

Then using the Chi Art stamps, I stamped right into the paper and wood, added a little paint and wiped it off.


Then added some upholstery brads.

Next, I used the Chip Art, Book Kit pages (here) to make my calendar pages. I used both sides on each page, since they come 6 to a package you only need one set to complete the whole year.



Alright, I didn't have time to finish the whole year yet.. and I, um, somehow forgot about April.

I'm an artist, what can I say.


Love May though!



I also made a little memo board page, so if I get tired of knowing what day it is I, then I still have a functional item. :)


More shaped Chip Art. This stuff is so easy to work with. Start with a practice sheet to get the hang of it, and then go to town.


I like to finish my Chip Art by painting one color over the stamped chipboard, then mixing a second color with art medium and painting on, then wiping of, and painting on and wiping off, and .. over and over till I am happy with the effect, then mixing medium with a bit of brown paint and adding a layer or two of that as well. This was green, then yellow, then brown.

Next, I had made this HUGE Artsy Urban Flower. It was BIG.. It measured about 24 inches in diameter, and about 6 inches deep. I took a picture with my phone and sent it to Melody and she confirmed what I was already thinking... How is she ever going to get it to CHA?


hmmmm... So I cut it down. Way down, to about 10-12 inches. Still not sure it made it to CHA.

I still have pictures of the full size version on my phone, but the pics are a pain to download so I'll have to post it later.


This is absolutely one of my favorite chipboard finishes of all the pieces I made. I love how it looks like it could be.. might just be... is it?? Stamped leather? But it's not. It's chipboard.

Plain, old, pressed cardboard. Amazing huh? For this finish I also mixed various paint colors with art medium and used a fine paintbrush to enhance the Chip Art.

This last project, my fabulous friend Shawna made.

Shawna does not scrapbook, but she is however a fantastic artist.



So I asked her to come over, and hang out, and do a project.

I love this.
Artsy Urban, and Chip Art. See it here.

Shawna and I got to know each other in High School Art class. Love her. She's so spicy.

That's it for now. Hope you liked my CHA gallery.

See ya next time.

xoxoxo

Cam

Yes please... stay at home...

I came across this while on Facebook.

I did not edit or photoshop this ad...
Sweet beard.... mom.

Enough said.

On a different note, tomorrow is the start of CHA, so I'll post my project pictures. :)

Have a good one.

Sometimes...

Sometimes things work out. Sometimes.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this post. Things have been so busy. I need to update, but I have no really interesting news to share with you..

Good heavens there is plenty of gossipy crap going on in my life to keep you all busy and occupied for ages, but nothing I want to share with the world..

You know those times in your life when all the stars and planets seem to align and everything goes exactly as you would have hoped.. usually better.. when everything: relationships, work, friends, dieting, family, clothes, hair, projects.... just everything is right were you want it.

Wouldn't it be amazing if things were like that all the time? I know, and I believe, that our problems and struggles help us to grow and develop, so I suppose when things are going perfectly perfect we're not advancing, but still, I think I could use a few non advancing days. Is that so wrong?

I think right now I am only going to focus on what is going right... because that's way more fun that focusing on what's going wrong and feeling down about it for the rest of the night.


I got it back! My crafting abilities that is.. after my horrendous Christmas album, I couldn't even finish the 2009 set.. and then my friend who has a scrapbooking line sent me some of her line so I could show her what I could do with it... and everything seemed to be aligned against me... But now.. I'm back baby!

Okay, I made this airplane years ago, but I recently came across it and I love it. It's one of my favorite projects.



I'm doing some design for a friend for CHA's (that's the national Craft and Hobby Association) huge semi annual wholesaler trade show. There are probably tens of thousands of people who end up contributing projects and work that is displayed for the retailers so I shouldn't be so excited, but I TOTALLY am. I am thrilled. I even had the chance to go to the show and work a booth, but it's in the middle of the week and I don't want to take the time off from my full time job... more on that later.. I can't show you the projects I'm working on till after CHA, but I'll give you a peak of one of them..

Here is what I started with:

And after I ripped all the crappy black fabric off and removed the hanger things., (hmm.. maybe I should have blurred the picture...)


Then started redesigning:

O0op! That's all I'm going to show you... Well okay, I'll give you a little peak at her lacy petticoat..


But that's it!

Back to the time off.. It's my first year with my employer so I only have two weeks vacation time.. and I'm totally going to end up going over that..


In Feb I am going BACK to Brave Girls Camp, and in June I am going to Australia!


Brave girls camp. I'm going as staff again, which I love. I am so excited to be a part of something with so much power to be a positive influence on women. Not to mention the personal recharge I get while I am there and the amazing strong women who become life long friends. There should be 24 of us there this time.



Australia! Holy crap. I need a passport. Holy crap. I'm going to have a passport with a stamp in it. Holy crap I am finally going to be able to meet my besties family and spend time on her side of the world!

Ali and I have been best friends since about June of 2004. I know... that sounds so high school cliche, but she is absolutely the best friend I have ever had. She came to visit me last summer, and now it's my turn. Andy promised to do everything in his power to make sure I was able to go. I know it's a sacrifice, but I have to do it.. otherwise I will put it off... and put it off... indefinately forever, waiting for things to be perfect, and they never will be.

I know, it hasn't been that long since I posted these same pictures on my blog.. but freak... we have 6 years of history and only two weeks of pictures together.

Townsville... here I come.

Have I mentioned I can't wait to go to Australia?

Things are going really great at work. I love my job. It challenges me. I have so much to learn...

My kids are amazing.

They are so smart and working so hard to get along and be their best.

Noah is 10 now.. that means it won't be much longer before we can trust him to babysit anytime. Really happy about that. Just gave him his practice spelling test for the week and as usual he aced it. I don't know why I bother to "correct" them when there is never anything to correct.

Jennica gets more and more beautiful everyday and is such a lady. I am really enjoying the friendship we are developing as mother and daughter.

There is not a day that goes by that Aaron does not tell everyone in the family they are beautiful, or handsome at least 5 times.... and he still likes to sit on my lap.. even though he doesn't really fit very well anymore, he's getting so tall.

I got to see my brother and sister in law on New Years Day. They are the only family that doesn't live in the area and I miss them so much. xoxox


And my youngest brother is ENGAGED!

Not the best picture, but seriously... They are so cute. Go Al.

That about wraps it up.

Hope you've enjoyed your stay. Come back soon.

I'll leave the light on for you.

xoxo

The pigs can stop flying.

I finally have my computer back! I want to do a nice long blog post, but first I've got to reinstall ALL of my software... then download and edit my pictures etc...

xoxox miss you.. well okay mostly I miss the positive affirmation I get from your comments.

More soon.