My CHA Wish List

I am really excited about many of the new releases from this week's CHA show. For the last couple of years I haven't been wowed by what I've seen, and have struggled to find even five "must haves" from each show. Um...not this time. There is so much that has caught my attention! Beyond October Afternoon and Bella Blvd (which I already have or am already getting...can't wait!) this is what I will likely be buying:

1. American Crafts' Dear Lizzy Neapolitan Date Stamp

2.  Crate Paper's Storyteller Collection

3. Crate Paper's Pretty Party Tag & Accent Cutouts

 

4. Echo Park's This & That Charming Collection

5. Lily Bee Handmade Index Journaling Cards

6. Studio Calico's Take Note Collection

7. Studio Calico's Abroad Collection

 

8. Studio Calico's Classic Calico, Vol. 2 Washi Tape

9.  Simple Stories' Fabulous Fundamental Cardstock Stickers

  10. Pink Paislee's Prairie Hill Collection

 

Help me out with my shopping list, please! If you've seen something you think I would like that's not on this list (other than October Afternoon or Bella Blvd) please comment and link me to the product(s). 

More Write.Click.Scrapbook. and Bella Blvd

Write.Click.Scrapbook. 

Today is the last day of CHA Armchair Attendee Week at Write.Click.Scrapbook. After three days following trends and one give.away.day., we're focusing on the Write.Click.Scrapbook. team members' "must haves" from the show. Take a look at our picks, see if your wishlist matches up with ours, and tell us what we missed! 

Bella Blvd
 

Up today for Inspiration Unlimited Week on the Bella Blvd blog (well actually, "weeks," since it continues next week) is Stephanie's CHA Recap. Be sure to check out the booth as well as the projects and products in it!


In Other News

We have a snow day today! Most of the local school districts, including ours, called it last night. The whooping and hollering in our house was likely heard from a mile away. :) Since I work for our school district I also have a snow day; the university is closed, so Seth has a snow day as well. I'm glad no one has to get on the road! The forecast seems to be a moving target, but it looks like we may have as much as 18"-24" inches before this storm is done tomorrow! Good thing I went to the grocery store yesterday and stocked up even though at that point the last forecast I'd seen was for about a third as much snow. 

Off I go to use today to blog my personal CHA wishlist and to get caught up on all things scrap-related and household-related! Coffee first, though...

The CHA Fun Continues!

If you've been following my CHA Armchair Attendee Week over at Write.Click.Scrapbook., you know that today is the CHA give.away.day. If you've forgotten, head on over there and leave a comment to be entered to win goodies from the just-ended-yesterday CHA show.

The excitement also continues at Bella Blvd. Today is the fourth day of Inspiration Unlimited Week on the Bella Blvd blog.

Up today is the new We're Expecting Mini Series:

Be sure to check the Bella Blvd blog for projects showcasing this new line.

If you're planning your blog reading for tomorrow, be sure to stop back here for links to tomorrow's fun at both Write.Click.Scrapbook. and Bella Blvd!

 

Check These Out Today

I have three other blog posts for you to check out today. We'll just do these in alphabetical order. 

Number 1: Bella Blvd
Today is the third day of Inspiration Unlimited Week on the Bella Blvd blog.

Up today is the new Baby Girl Collection:

Be sure to check the Bella Blvd blog for projects showcasing this new line.

Number 2: October Afternoon
Go to the October Afternoon blog to see a video of the October Afternoon booth at CHA. 


Number 3: Write.Click.Scrapbook.
I'm still hosting CHA Armchair Attendee Week at Write.Click.Scrapbook. Today's post focuses on two big product trends.

Today is the last day of the CHA show, so once I have a little more time (and a little less going on over at Write.Click.Scrapbook.) I'll do my usual CHA favorites post here. Hopefully I'll get that up sometime this Friday, and if not, Saturday.

 

Office Eclectic

My CHA Armchair Attendee Week continues today over at Write.Click.Scrapbook. with Trends, Part II, focusing on product themes. I coined a new term in that blog post, "office eclectic," and am waiting to see if it goes viral. I used it to describe Echo Park's This and That Charming collection, which I absolutely love:

I think it applies to other lines as well, including the following:
 
Studio Calico's Take Note collection:

 Simple Stories' Documented collection:

Crate Paper's Storyteller collection:

What other lines out there are you seeing that fit into this category? Comment here if you see others, please!

Also, please don't forget that Inspiration Unlimited Week continues at Bella Blvd today with the Sunshine and Happiness collection (my favorite of the new lines!).

Blog Post in Four Parts

This is a blog post in four parts. Just warning you. One part family, one part Bella Blvd, one part October Afternoon, and one part Write.Click.Scrapbook. Here we go...

Part I: Happy Birthday, Eli!

Ten years ago today I had this:

Today I have this:

It's hard not to sit here and wonder how this is possible! While I grow a little wistful thinking of the baby years, I am so proud of the young man Eli is becoming. I see so many qualities in him that I admire. As I reflect on the last ten years, I am looking forward to the next ten years (as is Sadie, who is excited to have - in her words - "a double-digit brother" :)).

Part II: Bella Blvd

Now that the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) trade show is underway, and sneak peeks are done, it's the start of Inspiration Unlimited Week over on the Bella Blvd blog. 

Each day this week, a different new collection will be highlighted, including projects created with the collection. Up today is the Baby Boy collection. I'd like to think Stephanie and Laura chose that line for today since they knew it was Eli's birthday, but, really, it's just coincidence. :)

So, head on over to the Bella Blvd blog to check it out! 

Part III: October Afternoon

I have a blog post up on the October Afternoon blog today. In honor of Eli's birthday I decided that today's challenge should be a birthday challenge! Click on over to the October Afternoon blog to check it out.

If you missed my blog post here yesterday, all seven of my projects for the October Afternoon booth are there.

Also, if you haven't yet seen images, October Afternoon has included washi tape with this release! Check out this image of the washi tape for the 9 to 5 line:

Part IV: Write.Click.Scrapbook
 
As if there wasn't already enough going on around here, I am hosting CHA Armchair Attendee Week over at Write.Click.Scrapbook this week. 

Part V: The End
  
Okay, I lied, this is a five part blog post. But this part is just to say thank you for reading all the way to the end. :)

Wanna Get a Closer Look at the New October Afternoon?

I thought so! I'm going to share today all of the projects I created with the three new lines for the booth at CHA. (If you're reading this from CHA, please be sure to stop by the October Afternoon booth!)

Let's go in the order the lines were revealed on the October Afternoon blog. 

First up was 9 to 5. Here's a refresher for you of the official sneak image:

You may remember that I blogged about this line when it was first revealed, giving some ideas about what could be done with this line. Here's what I ended up doing with it:

Yes, this is my entire work history documented on one layout. The three photos at the top are each placed on a different embellishment from the line - a "from the desk of:" journaling card, an inter-office envelope from the Miscellany pack, and a file folder from the Miscellany pack. The three photo/embellishment elements stick off the edge of the layout a bit, and the inter-office envelope is angled up a bit with a pop dot. I used my Cameo to cut the title out of the woodgrain paper and used a strip of the paper at the bottom again. The woodgrain isn't just a woodgrain pattern - it actually looks like wood! It's called "Boardroom." Don't you love that fun row of working women? It's called "Shorthand" and has three horizontal rows of women set against a small-scale grid background.

Next up is Cakewalk, which I worked with a bit more. Again, reveal image first:

I started off working with this line by making a card using lots of different bits and pieces:

The top left circle combines a circle punched from star-patterned paper with a number sticker layered on top of it with a pop dot. The top center circle is from the Flower Sack. The top right circle combines two Flower Sack elements with a brad (yes, that's a chevron brad!). The bottom left circle combines a Flower Sack element and a tin pin. The center bottom circle is a word sticker layered on top of a label sticker. The bottom right circle combines a label sticker with two Flower Sack elements. The pink word strip is from the Miscellany pack. The pink polka dot paper at the bottom is one of the many fun basic patterns in this line. 

After my card, I made a layout:

I went for the fun factor here and journaled about Sadie by the numbers. This layout was really easy to do, as the number squares are 1" X 1". I cut 1" X 2" or 1" X 3" strips from white cardstock and glued them randomly over the patterned paper number squares. I added a circle-shaped number sticker to each with a pop dot and journaled something related to that number. I added the "5+1" flashcard from the Miscellany pack, as Sadie is six. I cut my title with my Cameo and added flag/pennant/banner shapes from the Streamers paper, which is covered with fun strips of these shapes in all different colors and patterns. I put some of the shapes on toothpicks as flags and others on a piece of string as a garland. Last, I punched large stars from white cardstock and small stars from patterned papers and large Flower Sack elements. I adhered the smaller stars to the large stars with pop dots and scattered them around the layout.

My last project with this line was a tag:

I cut the tag shape from star patterned paper and layered the bingo card from the Miscellany pack on top of it. I added a red cardstock "grommet" over the hole in the tag. A tin pin went on top of the center square and then I added smaller circles punched from a large-scale polka dot paper for the other bingo markers. A phrase sticker from the Word Sticker sheet added the finishing touch.

Last is the line I was most nervous about using. Woodland Park is a bit of a departure for October Afternoon. I can't quite explain why, but it just has a different feel. When I was trying to figure out how to work with it I blogged about it instead. After I had sat on it for a day or so I finally "got it" and was able to work with it.

First, the reveal image:

I was instantly inspired by the Huckleberry Hill paper in this line, which is filled with rows and rows of butterflies just waiting to be cut out. So I did just that and made this card:

 
I combined the butterflies with one of the floral patterns in the line, adding stitching, a ribbon bow, and a stick pin with a computer-generated greeting.

Next I deviated significantly from the theme of the line, choosing patterned papers in Christmas-y colors to create this layout:

I cut a bunch of Christmas tree shapes with my Cameo and then layered them in a pyramid shape to form a larger tree. I added a ribbon bow and a star punched from cardstock to finish the tree. Two rows of garlands at the top combine Cameo-cut title words with punched circles and stars, all machine-stitched. I journaled on a label sticker and added the date with Mini Market stickers.

Last, but not least, I made a tag with Woodland Park:

This tag combines the elegance of Woodland Park (the blue patterned paper in the background) with the cuteness of Woodland Park (the little animals, which are handcut from patterned paper). The "nature" flashcard is from the Miscellany Pack.

Still haven't seen enough? Head on over to the October Afternoon blog, or check out some of the October Afternoon design team members' blogs (look at the left here for a list of those folks!) to see more ideas for using these three lines. Also, be sure to check back on the October Afternoon blog and my blog tomorrow (Monday) to see more Cakewalk projects!