Tag Archives: craft and hobby show

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Great Products and Great Displays at Craft & Hobby (CHA) Winter Show

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After spending several days in southern California for the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) winter show, I came home inspired and excited. I took photos of the fabulous products and displays, so many photos that I will have to divide my CHA review into two parts. CHA is a huge show with such a variety of products in about all crafting cagtegories. The variety is one of the things I love about the show.

The trends that I noticed at the show included lots of paper sculpture as well as bead sculpture, glass mosaics, beads and needlework to include both embroidery (and Crewel) and felt. I’m sure I missed some other trends, but these caught my attention.

I was working in the Gutermann booth surrounded by the beautiful and high quality Gutermann threads.

Gutermann booth at CHA winter show

Gutermann threads display

I love the wide assortment of the in both cotton and silk.  Watch for designs and projects that I will be creating using their threads – comiong soon!

Gutermann thread patternI took a closeup of one spool of the varigated thread.  I loved the pattern created by the thread winding and the brilliant varigated color. Opening your eyes to things close  around you can give you beautiful patterns.

Brazzill Basic Papers sculpture

Brazzill Basic Papers had beautiful displays of sculptured flowers.  This display was hanging in a corner of the booth. A beautiful, larger display was in the center of the booth, but they were so busy and crowded with buyers, I could not get to it to take a photo.

Therm-o-Web glittered sculpure heart

Therm O Web demonstrated a new glitter – Glitter Dust, that gives a light sprinkling of glitter by aerosol.  The paper sculptured heart consisted of various sizes of flowers, all with a light coating of Glitter Dust.

Therm O Web Glitter Dust

Knitting and crochet are so versatile, as can be seen by the display in the Bernat booth with these chairs.

Bernat knitted and crochet chair coverings at CHA

These chair covers were knitted and crocheted using Waverly for Bernat, based on 5 of Waverly’s popular patterns.  The yarns are in color collections based on the colors of the patterns. You can see my favorite 2 chairs below.

Bernat Green crocheted chair at CHA

Crochet and knit chair at winter CHA by Bernat

Aren’t they wonderful!!

Bernat clothing and accessories at CHA

And I just love these sweaters and accessories also in the Bernat booth. I will take one of each! I really love the colors of this display.

Glass mosaic boots by I Love to Create at CHA

Dress made with paper plates by ILovetoCreate at CHA

The ILovetoCreate booth was filled with several wonderful displays created by EdoHeidi Borchers and Tiffany Windsor. Heidi created the mosaic boots using over 2000 pieces of mosaic tiles and buttons. They were gorgeous!  The dress was designed by Heidi and Tiffany with 90 paper plates hand cut into over 5000 petals, glued and painted to look like faux leather.  This was a stunning display to show the uses of Aleene’s glue.

Decorated white column ILovetoCreate CHA

This large column, designed by Tiffany and Heidi, is decorated with 1200 paper plate hand and die cut into over 3300 pieces.

Mosaic skirt created with broken china in ILovetoCreate booth at CHA

Mosaic table by ILovetoCreate at CHA

Broken china mosaic chair by ILovetoCreate at CHA

This display of mosaics was also designed by Heidi and Tiffany for ILovetoCreate. I love the skirt!  It’s made with broken china – cups and plates.  Its really a work of art! The table and chair are mosaics using broken china.  All three pieces created a beautiful setting.

Tulip body painting by IlovetoCreate at CHA

ILovetoCreate also has Tulip paints for body painting. A different design was painted each day.  The pretty model is Savannah Starr, Heidi’s granddaughter. I wonder if it tickles but it would be fun to paint and wear!

Phyllis Dobbs with Tiffany Windsor of ILovetoCreate at CHA

Tiffany is pictured here with me when I ran into her at the show. Besides being a great designer, Tiffany also hosts the Cool2Craft network.

Felt fish pillows by Kunin Group at CHA

The Kunin Group had adorable projects in their booth with colorful felt, including the this fish pillow and the stuffed fish.

Cell phone cases made with Kunin felt at CHA

The cell phone cases were one of the displays in the Kunin Group booth.  They are just too cute and are by Jodie Haffa of Lova Revolutionary.

Bridal accessories by Darice at CHA

David Tutera at Darice booth at CHA

David Tutera, wedding expert and host of My Fair Wedding on WeTV, has a bridal accessory line with Darice. Some of the products are used for the beautiful table setting above. And as you can see, I got to get a picture taken with David.

Mich Turner of Little Venice Cakes at Darice CHA

Mich Turner of Little Venice Cake Company, London, has a line of baking accessories also with Darice. Mich, the Queen of Couture Cakes, is demonstrating on the Darice stage.  Those cakes really look yummy!

Check back for part 2 of my review of CHA.  I have lots more to show you!

Phyllis

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Cooler Chicago for the (CHA) Craft & Hobby Show

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I was in Chicago last week to attend the Craft and Hobby Show, the trade show for anything related to crafts (a consumer show followed the trade show). It was exciting to see the show floor filled with people who also seemed excited as well.

While there, my friend Brenda Pinnick and I took some time off to catch the El and go into Chicago to visit the museum at the Art Institute of Chicago. Its a fabulous museum and had expanded with a new modern wing that has been open a year.

The weather was fabulous, much cooler and less humid than here at home so Brenda and I spend some time walking through the city as well.  Chicago is so clean and beautiful and there were flowers everywhere along the streets. Large planters divided the street on Michigan Avenue as we walked toward the museum.  And there were plenty of sidewalk cafes with vibrant flowers.

Huge planters also lined the street.  I just happen to be in front of this one.

I am a huge fan of Art Nouveau and in Chicago, you don’t need to go to a museum to see a lot of this style as its prevalent throughout the City on buildings and other items of interest.

These 2 pictures shows some of the art nouveau designs on buildings.

And here is the famous Chicago Theater landmark on State Street, probably the most photographed  building in Chicago. 

One final shot – the Chicago River.  Didn’t I tell you Chicago was beautiful!

We enjoyed our day and it rejuvenating to have a break.  The next day, it was back to the CHA show  for meetings and to walk the show as well as visit with friends.

Here’s to a beautiful day for everyone!

Phyllis

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CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) trade show with some of my favorite highlights.

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I can’t believe it is already February.  January was an extremely busy month with me in overdrive preparing for and exhibiting in two License and Design shows.  The first was in Atlanta at the Gift Market where I had a combined booth with 5 other artists under the name of Atlanta Art Licensing. The second exhibit was in Anaheim at the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) trade show where I shared a booth with my good friend, the talented Brenda Pinnick. At CHA, I also exhibited in the Designer Showcase which had a fantastic viewing by manufacturers, editors and publishers looking for new designs.   Now both shows are behind me but I have tons of following up to do and am excited with the contacts I made.

The good news from both shows, while the attendance was down, the mood was pretty upbeat.  While being cautious in buying, the buyers that were there were buying.  The vendors that I heard about were pleased with their sales. 

There was an abundance of new products at the shows so store shelves will have new items to entice you.  Colors remain bright to reflect optimism, with yellow (Mimosa) being the hot new color.  Think warmth and sunshine and to bright days ahead.

At CHA, Leatrice Eiseman, Director of the Pantone Color Institute gave a seminar on color trends that was outstanding.  For you color junkies, she has a blog http://www.eisemancolorblog.com/ that I recommend you put in your favorites.

Scrapblog sponsored a fun event that I attended.  There, I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Drew Emborsky, The Crochet Dude and Steve Piacenza of the DIY Network’s Creative Juice.

Deborah Norvillewas the Keynote Speaker at CHA and gave one of the best and most inspirational talks that I’ve heard.  She has been a crafter her entire life and focused on knitting and sewing.  It was a delight to hear that she sewed all her bridemaids’ dresses as well as her on-air clothes when she started in television. 

Since I was exhibiting, I did not get a chance to get out of my booth much to walk the show and to check out  new products. And I missed several seminars I had planned to attend.  But I did get to catch up with a lot of friends, as well as meet face-to-face new twitter and facebook friends.

Now back to my desk and drawing table — which are piled high and a scary sight!

Phyllis