Great American Scrapbooking Convention 2008: Shopping Roundup

On Saturday I went to the Great American Scrapbooking Convention (GASC) in Chantilly, Va.  This event is always held around my birthday so it’s something I look forward to as a birthday treat to myself.  This was the fourth time I’ve attended and the third time with my mother. 

I think this is the worst year in all the time’s I’ve gone.  If anyone from the D.C. metro area is reading this and went to the convention, please chime in.  Is it me or does the GASC get worse every year?  Last year I was disappointed, this year I was disgusted.  Here are some observations:

• The classes I want to take fill up on the first day of online registration and there aren’t that many to begin with.
• The vendor selection has decreased on an annual basis.  Vendors used to take up the entire show floor.  Now they take up half. 
• I go shopping with a list and the expectation that if I’m looking for Basic Grey, I’m going to get some Basic Grey packs.  Nope, nada, zip. Didn’t see any anywhere.
• I go to the S.E.I. booth thinking I’m going to get those very nice Preservation series albums and the new Chocolate paper collection.  Nope, nada, zip.  The SEI booth had NOTHING.  No new papers, no albums, just kits.  I was like, what the…?!
• I go to the Sizzix booth and expect to see Sizzix dies for days–tables and tables of them.  Nope.  I may as well have gone to Michael’s or A.C. Moore.
• Rusty Pickle ran out of some of the acrylix, clear albums.  They just didn’t bring enough.

I will grant you that the D.C. area (MD, DC, VA) is not a hot bed for scrapbooking.  I guess people are too caught up in government and politics to have time for artsy things.  That’s why we don’t have a lot of local scrapbooking stores.  Most of them closed when Recollections came to town and then Recollections left town so all we’ve got now is Michael’s and A.C. Moore.  I don’t even go there anymore.  I buy online.  So I can see why the vendors aren’t coming to D.C. in droves.  But it saddens me because when I first went to GASC, I saw Making Memories, SEI, Quickutz, etc. etc.  I know these companies don’t have the money to go traveling all around the country and they certainly aren’t going to spend a lot of money to go to an area that is lukewarm about scrapbooking.  But still…a junkie like me needs her fix!

I did manage to buy some things:

• Doodlebug Flock (multi-colored collection in cute little jars)
• Doodlebug Jewels (bling)
• 4 Queen and Co. felt border strips (2 for $1)
• Kaiser Scrapbooks (who are they?) 100 pk rhinestones in pink
• Tsukineko Glue pad with refill (for the flock)
• Impression Obsession clear journaling stamps because of the popular artisan shape
• Heidi Swapp Chipboard Alphabets ($1!)
• Deluxe Cuts chipboard tags and paisley shapes
• 3 Stickles (Black Diamond, Silver and Cotton Candy)

I hit the jackpot at memory lane, pa from Pennsylvania:

• I added to my Making Memories Noteworthy collection:
  • 30 pg spiral notebook of journal tags
  • jumbo pebble brads
  • 8×8 album
  • a nice stash of assorted papers from Hillary, Audrey, Ava, Addie and Delaney including the cool die cut shapes like scalloped edges and circles to add to my current stash
• BoBunny Organic Laurel paper (2)
• Fancy Pants Celebrate paper (4)
• Fancy Pants Clearly Big Clearly Unique Transparent Die Cuts (clearly neat!)

Afterwards, my mother and I went to lunch at Arby’s and then headed over the Scrapbooks Plus where I used to teach the Pinecone Press Book Club. There I purchased:

• Cosmo Cricket Fleuriste papers
• Collage Press Margot papers (2)
• Chatterbox Botanical Stripe (2–what’s up with Chatterbox lately?)
• Basic Grey Sugared (finally!)
• Basic Grey Euphoria (just a few different sheets; they didn’t have the whole line)
• 7gypsies ATC spinner
• 7gypsies ATC divider tabs
• 7gypsies photo turns with brads in creme
• Herma Dotto refill
• Cutterpede replacement blade
• Luxe Designs assorted photo corners acrylic stamps
• Heidi Swapp clock (to go with the transparent face design I’ve had for two years)

Funny how I did my best shopping at the small scrapbooking stores as opposed to the big name vendors.

I know, I know…what am I complaining about?  I got a lot of stuff.  But not four big totebags and two shopping days worth of stuff like I did at CKC-Valley Forge in 2006!  Sorry, but I gotta get my scrapbooking fix.  If I wait a year to do my major shopping, it’s gotta be worth it.  So I think from now on, I’m going to save up to go to the CKCs.  From crops to shopping to classes, you can’t beat ‘em.  And you get to meet some nice people.

So what do you think of Great American Scrapbooks v. CK Conventions?

Cat Nap

OK, I admit it…I was a little down about having to take down Crop Chic.  So to cheer myself up, I decided to tackle Sketch 1 in the Got Sketch 101 class.

My cat Frasier likes to take naps on my stomach or chest.  Sometimes he just leans on me when he’s ready to take a nap.  He likes to lean and he likes to make nests.  Wait’ll you see those pictures.

I took these pictures a little over a year ago and it’s the first time I’ve taken a closeup of either of my cats.  Luckily Frasier was patient with me.  Or he was just too sleepy to be annoyed.

I don’t recall what patterned paper I used on this layout ’cause it’s late and I’m tired.  But when I figure it out, I’ll come back and add it.  I know the letters are from Creative Imaginations, I used some Bazzill cardstock, an EK Success corner punch for the scallops, Making Memories buttons and brads.  Looks like We R Memory Keepers and Basic Grey ribbon.

Bridal Shower

If anything comes out of this Got Sketch 101 class

it’ll be that I will get around to scrapbooking the photos from my bridal shower and wedding.  Note that those events occurred May 2007 and June 2007 respectively.  Like most brides, I’m behind.  By the time the course is over, maybe I will have finished both albums!  Wishful thinking but ya nevah know.

Here’s the latest assignment.  The class hasn’t started yet, but Valerie’s giving us sketches to get us warmed up.

All products Close to My Heart except where noted: Boom-Di-Ada cardstock, patterned paper and stickers; flower stamps, "Delight in Everything" stamp set; sentiment stamps, "Friendship Word Puzzle" stamp set; flower brads (Making Memories)

And if you’re interested in purchasing this very pretty paper set, here’s how to buy.  It will be featured throughout June over at Crop Chic.

Got Sketch? I Do!

I’m back from a long break.  Actually I was busy building up Crop Chic.  I had it set up in Blogger, then I moved it into a content management system called Joomla then I said forget it, I’m going back to Typepad.  I was even able to keep my original Typepad name from 2005!  Some of you may recall Crop Chic from back in the day.  Then again, most of you probably won’t.  Anyway…

While trolling the ‘Net, I came across a sketch site called Got Sketch.  It’s by Valerie Salmon who used to design for Paper Kuts magazine (before it shut down).  You’ve probably seen her work in other scrapbooking mags.  If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I absolutely adore scrapbooking sketches and at this point, it’s all I use to get a layout started.  I like to crop quickly and I don’t have a lot of time trying to arrange photos on a page.  I just don’t.  But give me a sketch and you’ve jumpstarted my imagination.

Got Sketch has a workshop going on through June called Got Sketch 101 (notice the blinkie at the top of the page?).  It’s an online class that gives you a bunch of sketches in 12×12, 8.5×11, two-page and one-page layouts, cards and get this…altered items.  Now you know I had to sign up when I saw altered items because I’ve never seen sketches for that!

I’m pretty psyched about this class because I’ve been busy doing Crop Chic stuff.  I don’t mind that, but you know, when you teach, you hardly have time to do your own stuff.  This workshop will be just the ticket for me.  Of course I need to start taking more pictures too.  So many things to do…so little time.

I’ll be posting my assignments in this blog.  Here’s the first one.  It’s not really an assignment, but more of something to get us warmed up.

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; patterned paper and journaling stamp: Autumn Leaves; stickers: 7gypsies; flourish stamp: Close to My Heart; brads: Making Memories; die-cut letters: Quickutz; chipboard flourish: Fancy Pants

What I find amusing is that the people teaching the class are Stampin’ Up! demonstrators and as I’ve mentioned, I’m a Close to My Heart consultant.  Most of the supplies are Stampin’ Up! even though they say you can use your own.  It’s not like I don’t use Stampin’ Up.  I have some of their stuff in my stash right now.  But I’m going to sneak in some CTMH stuff on my layouts just ‘cuz I can. 

I [heart] iPod

I did a lot of stamping and scrapbooking today.  Should we call it "scramping?"

Continuing the iPod/Apple theme as of late, this layout is an ode to my iPod.  I was one of the early purchasers of the iPod when it was 5 gigs and a thick brick.  I used it off and on and never filled it up.  Then my husband bought a 30 gig video one for me for my birthday.  I took it on our honeymoon and put some movies and TV shows on it for our trip to Italy.  (My husband already had a 30 gig iPod but used it mostly for music).

I think the iPod is a great invention.  I use it when I’m scrapbooking.  I use it in the car.  I even used it during my lunch hour at work to watch TV shows.  I love this thing!

Cardstock: Bazill Basics; Patterned paper: KI Memories, Crate Paper; Ribbon: American Crafts; Brad: All My Memories; Eyelet: We R Memory Keepers; Rub-ons: Making Memories; Dies: (heart) Quickutz; Stamps (flower, parentheses, arrow) Autumn Leaves, (stitches) Technique Tuesday, (journaling lines) Rusty Pickle; Ink: Close to My Heart, Stampin’ Up!; Sketch: Page|Maps

Stamps ‘n’ Stitches

Here’s another one of my goddaughter.  It’s a recent school portrait.  As I mentioned in my goals, I’ve been trying to incorporate more stamping on my layouts.  I’ve been having fun using "stitch" stamps as I’m not very good at using my sewing machine on layouts.

Cardstock, Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper and stickers, Close to My Heart; Extra large eyelets, We R Memory Keepers; Staples: Making Memories; Acrylic stamp, Autumn Leaves; Ink (Close to Cocoa) Stampin’ Up!; Sketch: Page|Maps

This old layout of my cat (circa 2005) uses actual stitching that I did by hand.  I used a Lasting Impressions stitching guide with Making Memories paper piercer, needle and thread.  I think that’s when their tool kit came out.  I put it to good use!

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, Patterned paper: Karen Foster; Conchos and ribbon: Michael’s; Stamps (letters in conchos): Stampin’ Up!; Diamond Glaze; Dies: (Paige) Quickutz; Fiber: Making Memories

Call Him Sarge

Sargeant Major George is a dog.  Yes, a dog is a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.  Had no idea.

In my job as a public affairs specialist, I was working on a story at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital about all the things they are doing to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  They told me about George and I had to meet him.  After trotting around a rec room a few times, he stood still long enough to take the obligatory picture and then rolled out.  I guess he had more important things to do.

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper, ribbon, extra large eyelets: (Urban Window collection) We R Memory Keepers; Chipboard stars: Basic Grey; Dies: (Vixen) Quickutz; Acrylic stamp: Autumn Leaves; Pens: American Crafts; Ink: (Close to Cocoa) Stampin’ Up

My Aching Back

I’m working on doing a layout or two a month that tells what’s happened to me during that particular month.  I was inspired by a year-in-review project from one of the scrapbook magazines (I’m sorry I can’t remember which one).  I already completed a January page that lists highlights from that month.  Then I did this page that illustrates a major event from January–my back going out.

I was cleaning the house in preparation for some friends who were coming over.  In the middle of mopping, I bent over to squeeze the water from the mop and stood up too fast.  Suddenly, I felt a pain like no other rush down my back and left leg.  After a few days of not being able to move, my husband convinced me to go to the doctor.  Turns out I sprained my back and had sciatica.   I was out for about a week.  My cats were kind enough to keep me company.  I think they were happy to have me home during the day.

Cardstock, patterned paper, accents: Crate Paper; Brads: Making Memories; Sticker: 7gypsies; Dies: (CK Typist) Quickutz; Ink: Colorbox; Sketch: Page|Maps