Well, it’s come to an end and what fun I’ve had. Today Jeanne and I wandered around and hit some of the booths that we had missed the first two days. Of course, we have spent a great deal of time hanging in and around the Hanna and Spellbinders booths, who were just across the aisle from each other. We finally got around to making the Spellbinders Make n’ Take, which used the daisy from one of the boxes that Linda Duke designed. Those Spellbinder girls are so much fun to joke around with! I finally got to meet Heidi Blankenship as well. We have been emailing back and forth for some time now, but I had never met her. Why I didn’t get pictures, I don’t know — my BAD!

Jeanne and I finally spent some time in the Inque Boutique booth today. We had walked through briefly yesterday admiring the different images. There are so many to look at, and there is something there for everybody – from cutesy to grunge! They are all unmounted colorful rubber, and each set comes with their own foam stamping pad. It was so nice to meet Stephanie Barnard, and before we left the booth we had to gather for a photo.

Another SCSer that we have run into every day is Jan Marie Caruso from Flourishes. Today I finally made everyone stop so that we could get a photo. Jan Marie’s husband, who has been by her side the entire show, was kind enough to take the photo. It seems like I run into Jan Marie at every show I’m at, and it was so much fun to actually spend some time with her and talk. Love ya girl!

There was another stop at the Ranger booth today, to watch Wendy Vecchi do her magic. I showed you pics of her new images yesterday along with those fabulous grunge flowers she makes. Today I learned her secret to making those flowers curl — but I’ll never tell (well not yet anyway)! While at the Ranger booth, standing next to me was Lisa Somerville! Come to find out, she was in the same Ranger class we were on Thursday, sitting in the same row but on the other side of the room. Bummer that I didn’t know she was there! Wow how much fun to finally meet Lisa. I’m sorry that I didn’t think to get a photo when I had the chance with Lisa. Maybe next time we meet!

There’s a photo I forgot to show you yesterday. I think I might have been tired! I have met Joy from Eclectic Paperie before, but this was the first time I had met Daisy. I’ve been a Friend of EP for a long time, and it was so much fun to give them both hugs and get to chat for a bit.

I said yesterday that the picture with Cindy Lyles was so bad I wouldn’t show it. Okay I’ve tried to work on it and apologize to for everyone in it BUT look who I’m standing with, Cindy Lyles, Anna Wight and Kathy Sanders!

I think this just about wraps up my CHA coverage. Hugs were given to everyone as they left for the airport with promises to see each other soon! Jeanne and I fly back to my house in the morning and then she is going to hang out in my stamp room for a couple of days. Hopefully we’ll get some stamping done, if we’re not too tired!

Hugs to Gail and Sue and all the rest too!!

What fun I’ve had getting to meet some new friends here at CHA. I have pictures of most of them, and then some pictures that I really wanted have been pretty bad so I just can’t bring myself to upload them. I was thrilled to hang out with Kelley Holland and we had our picture taken with Tex, but alas it was a BAD one — you’re not going to see it at all. I also had the great pleasure of meeting one of my fellow DDA who I have admired for a long time, Cindy Lyles. Unfortunately the picture made with Cindy and a few others you won’t be seeing either. Truly hate that, but it just isn’t going to happen.

I feel like I know Jennifer Buck. She often comments here and we might have emailed a few times. Yesterday we hadn’t made it through the first when when who comes running up — none other than Jennifer Buck.

We also got together with the girls from Hanna. Here’s Kristi, me, Candice, Vicki and Jeanne.

Can you believe this, I finally got to meet Gina K and Melanie!

I feel like I’ve known Susan Roberts, a/k/a Rainy, for years. We’ve chatted forever on SCS and I finally got to meet her.

On Friday night, SCS hosted a Cupcake Reception for all moderators, team members, advertisers, Dirty Dozen past and present, and member companies. Here are just a few of the Dirty Girls that were caught all together at one time. There were many more in attendance.

Going left to right, Sharon Harnist, Sharon Johnson, Jerri Kay, Lindsey, me, Michele and Trudee. Of course, that’s Jeanne on the floor at my feet (BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA)!

Well, it’s getting pretty late and I’m getting tired. We’ve got another long day tomorrow and I so need my beauty sleep!

Hello from Chicago! What a day we had today. We got through more booths today and saw more that we did yesterday. We still have a few more booths we want to cover tomorrow, in particular Kaisercraft. We are hearing great things about this company and need to see what the buzz is.

I promised you photos yesterday, and I think I’ll start with product that I know I can’t live without and what I was most impressed with. We might as well start with Ranger, since that is where I spent most the day on Friday.

Tim Holtz has come out with many new products that are a must have. Let’s start with the new Distress Crackle in white and metallics. There are also new Distress Stickles which are thicker than the others.

You also have to love the new masks and Grunge Board.

Here’s a close up of the new nature element grunge.

AND check out these new oval and tag shaped fragments!

I’ve really taken with this new Studio line by Claudine Hellmuth. There are artist grade acrylic paints and the most exciting thing for me is a sticky back canvas. I ran a sample of the canvas down to the Spellbinders booth to see if the Wizard would cut it. WOO HOO, with a little shimming and run twice through the Wizard — IT WORKED!

I’ve admited Wendy Vecchi’s designs since I met her at CHA in February. Well guess what, she has a new line of stamps with Stampers Anonymous that work with the Grunge and the flowers she has made so popular.

Since this post is getting rather long with photos, I’m going to move on to a new one – the people.

Hey all! What a day today! So much fun and just down right exciting. I have so many pictures to share and things to tell you about, but oh my BADness, I am plain worn out. It 12:37 my time (11:38 Chicago time) and we haven’t been in the room but maybe 30 minutes. I’m going to catch you up with photos and more deets tomorrow when we get back a little earlier.

Let’s talk about the show a little first. Jeanne and I only made it to 4 booths today – Spellbinders, Hanna, Ranger and Stampers Anonymous. Most of our time was spent in the Ranger booth, watching demos, talking with the artists and looking at all the new product. I do have photos of some of my faves and will be going more into that tomorrow. There is so much to tell! While visiting with Suze Weinberg today and watching her melting pot demo, we got to talking about Rubbernecker. She was talking about Rubbernecker when Dave’s sister owned it, and what do you know, but Dave’s sister showed up! How exciting to finally meet her and get to chat with her for awhile.

Tonight was the Splitcoaststampers Cupcake Reception and it was so much fun to have some of the Dirty Dozen and Dirty Dozen Alumni together in one room. There were also many of the member companies and advertisers on the site. I can say that a great time was had by all and I have so many pictures to share – but alas, that will have to be tomorrow.

Jeanne and I were joined by Vicki Garrett, Kelley Holland (OOOOOPPPS, I was so tired), the girls from Copic Marianne and Colorin Kate, and Anna Wight for dinner. After dinner we did get a ride back to the hotel by none other than a shuttle supplied by our hotel. Imagine that! They came and picked us up . . . WOO HOO! Traveling today was not nearly as weary as yesterday.

As I am a little tired and my eyes are crossing, I must call it a night. I promise I will have photos and more deets tomorrow and so much more to tell! Good night for now.

What a day from hell Jeanne and I had today. Our day started at 7:15 am., when my aunt came to take us to the airport. Our flight left at 9:00 am., and we landed in Chicago at 9:00 a.m. How cool is that! Anyhoo, we tried to find a shuttle to the Convention Center, and finally settled on a taxi. Boy were we silly! Once the cabbie took off and got a few miles down the road, he told us he had only been driving a taxi for three days. Not only that, but he was calling his buddy to find out how to get to the convention center. At one point he messed up the fare box and reset it to zero. Okay, I had been watching and we were at $27 before it turned to $0. He reset it, starting all over at the necessary $2.50 and the additional $2.00. I was counting now in my head and deducting to what the actual fare should be. Jeanne and I did notice a sign in the back seat that there was a flat rate from Midway to O’Hare. To make a long story short, when we finally arrived at the convention center, we both handed over $40 per person and said we hope it covered him.

When we arrived at the Convention Center, Jeanne called our hotel about checking in and a possible shuttle. Since on their website they advertised a shuttle from the hotel to the Convention Center. We were informed that our room was not ready and would not be for some time and NO, they did not have a shuttle. I phoned them back pointing out that their website stated they had a shuttle service and that was one of the reasons we decided to fly and not drive. Tough – I was told that we must work our way back to O’Hare and call them and they would send someone to get us. More shuttles, more walking and more frustrations.

By this time, I was fuming and was seriously checking to see if the Hyatt or any other hotel across the street had rooms and could we cancel the rooms at our hotel. Joe, Jeanne’s husband, helped us get our room, and I didn’t want him to lose anything in the transaction. We finally decided to stay at our hotel, and with the help of Kristi and Vicki from Hanna, they were going to get us to our room. GREAT, problem solved.

It was still early, and our class did not start until 3:00 pm., so we decided to go up a crash the Copic class and visit with all our friends there. Of course, they were on lunch so we really didn’t interrupt the class. There we found the girls from Hanna, Bev Gerard, Leigh O’Brien, Sharon Johnson, Debbie Olsen, Joy Kennedy, Lori Craig . . . Well the list just keeps going and going! It was so much fun to see these girls, give them great big hugs and laugh for a few minutes.

We decided to give our legs a rest and crashed in the hallway outside of our classroom, and waited for our Ranger class to begin. Now lets talk about this Ranger class – All Things Adirondack. WOW what a class! Led by Tim Holtz,

we made 8 tags in 2 hours with all the different Ranger products.

We learned some fascinating new techniques and received tons of Ranger product. We were also given one of the new Tim Holtz stamp sets being released by Stampers Anonymous. Did you hear us scream with delight? Needless to say, it was a very exciting class and one that will long be remembered.

After our class, we met up with Kristi, Vicki, Bev and Candice, all from the Hanna Team, and we went to the Taste of Chicago offered by CHA, lots of great food from different Chicago restaurants. After we ate and socialized, we went with Kristi and Vicki to her van so that she could take us to our hotel. You now how I said earlier, GREAT our problems were solved. Well get this. Kristi had left the cooler plugged into the van. Oh yeah . . . Dead battery, deader than a doornail. Jeanne and I finally decided on getting a taxi and getting checked into our hotel. Once here, we brought up the issue about the advertising of the shuttle on the website. Since we are not the only CHA attendees here at this hotel, and not the only ones to complain, the hotel will be honoring the shuttle service. However, they will only get us to the Convention Center in the mornings. We still have to make our way back to the airport in the evenings and call them to come get us. We will be clarifying that one in the morning!

Now that I’ve babbled on and on, and honestly don’t even remember what I have typed, I think I need to call it a day. We are going to hit the convention floor early in the morning and I understand there are some new Ranger products that are a must see, including Distressed Stickles. I will be reporting back on these tomorrow!