Fiction, Part I!

Disclaimer: This story is pure fiction. I'm writing it because I love fiction and mysteries and writing and all that goes with it. I'm going to write installments no more than twice a week (sometimes less) until no one is interested in reading it anymore. No outline, no pre-conceived plot or characters. I'm writing this soap opera style, with an ongoing storyline and characters that "build themselves." I will be using my experiences in the music business, the legal business, as a writer, as a mom, celebrities I've met, etc., but none of them will be real. I will also be using some of my favorite names, but they do NOT represent REAL PEOPLE. I know at least 8 or 9 musicians named Mark in real life--but the Mark in this story is not any of them! Names are names, nothing more. If you don't like the story, that's okay, but please don't get up in arms if I make a reference about Mick Jagger being too skinny or Pamela Anderson's breasts being too big--this is all for fun. Thanks for reading!

It was a dark and stormy night... It really was, and Sam, short for Samantha, Weber, was happy to be snuggled in her waterbed, a glass of wine next to her, a good mystery book in her hands. She was just beginning to doze off when lightning struck outside her window that made her jump. Then the phone rang and she almost knocked over her glass of wine.

"Yes, hello?!" she gasped, trying to mop up the wine with her nightshirt.

"Girl, where are you?! It's after 10 and you should have been here an hour ago!" Sam's best friend, Liz, was trying to shriek over the background noise.

"Supposed to be where?" Sam demanded, getting up to find a towel in the bathroom.

Liz sighed dramatically. "Girl, sometimes I swear you'd forget your ass if it wasn't attached to your backside! The Rainbow--helloooo.... video shoot at midnight on the dance floor. Anyone who was here by 9 gets to stay!"

"Oh hell." Sam groaned as she sopped up wine from the night table and the carpet. "Liz, really, I was just about to fall asleep--I've been in bed for almost two hours reading!"

"Well, get up!" Liz said in disgust. "You promised! I'm sitting here by myself for over an hour, and I am not giving up this spot!"

"And how do you propose I get in?!" Sam demanded. "It's way past 9:00. There's no way I'm getting in anyway."

"I already told the manager you went to get some money because we both ran out--he was fine with letting you back in, so get your ass in gear and get down here!"

"Liz, I'm exhausted! I've got three deadlines on Monday, which means I cannot be hung over tomorrow and--"

"La la la la la!" Liz sang. "I can't hear you! I'm not listening! My best friend wouldn't leave me here alone! I am the only black woman in this hard rock hell, and your butt better be here in 45 minutes or you're going to be black and blue when I get over there tomorrow!"

Sam sighed. There was no fighting Liz when she was in this kind of mood. She'd hoped Liz would bail--she hated going to the Rainbow. It was full of musicians and Hollywood types that Liz normally couldn't stand, but she'd always dutifully tagged along when Sam begged her to go with her. So tonight, with Liz actually excited about being there, Sam felt a twinge of guilt.

"Damn." She got up and looked in the bathroom mirror. How on God's green earth was she going to make herself presentable in 30 minutes or less? Finding parking on the Sunset Strip on a Friday night would be almost impossible, and it would take at least 15 minutes to get there. Making a face at herself in the mirror, she pulled her wavy hair back into a ponytail and stuck some toothpaste on her tooth brush. This was going to be a long night.

She arrived at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, a popular Hollywood night spot on Sunset Boulevard, sometime after 11:00. She told the bouncer at the door that she'd gone to get cash and the manager had said it was okay. He'd given her a look like he didn't believe it, but in the end--whether it was her push-up bra and low-cut tank top or the five-inch stiletto heels that accented her calves--he let her in. She found Liz the moment she went up the stairs--she was the only six-foot black woman with platinum blond hair in the place--and Liz silently handed her a drink.

"'Bout time you got here!" she muttered, her eyes slanted dangerously. "I was about to give up on you."

"I was ready for bed!" Sam shrugged. "You're lucky I'm here--so what's going on? What is this video you're up in arms about?"

"It's for LL Cool J!" Liz's eyes glittered. "And you know I am going to have that boy's baby!"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. So does everyone we know!"

"And he is going to spot me tonight!" Liz said with a flourish, swaying her hips from side to side.

"Like he did the last five times we put ourselves in his air space?" Sam chuckled.

"The stars weren't in alignment those times," Liz pouted. "My horoscope today said that I was going to have an encounter with a person or distinction that will change my life."

Sam forced herself not to roll her eyes again; Liz did not appreciate it when people made fun of her love of astrology! "So, is he here?"

Liz eyed her. "Of course not! He won't arrive until he can make an entrance."

"Okey-dokey, then." Sam gulped down the entire glass of wine. "Get me a refill!"

The video shoot was over almost before it began, without any sign of LL Cool J. Apparently, the shoot was only for footage of people dancing at a night club. The star himself had never even been on the bill for the festivities. Of course, it had been almost 1:30 a.m. before Sam managed to find someone to give her that information, and she'd almost dragged Liz out by the hair. Of course, Liz had been so disappointed she didn't have the heart.

"I'm really sorry," Liz sighed as they made their way through the crowds towards the exit. "My friend Sasha--"

"This isn't the Sasha who told you that Mary J. Blige was staying at the Roosevelt Hotel? But it turned out to be some woman named Mary J. Blig from Duluth, Minnesota?"

Liz wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, that's her. But she's not always wrong!"

Sam refrained from making the comment on the tip of her lips. "Well, on the bright side, you owe me one!" she laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Liz had just reached the door. "You want to go for breakfast?" she asked. "My treat--" She whipped her head around. "Sam? Where are you?!" She stepped back into the main dining room. "Sam?!" She called as loud as she dared, but her friend was nowhere in sight.

"What the hell?" She scanned the room. 'Where the hell did she go?!"

CHA Summer 2009, Part II: Review THIS!

Okay, so there's a lot of stuff out there and it's coming out in the near future. I didn't get to see it all, I didn't get to play with even half of it, and I only got samples of a fraction of it, but I did get enough information to talk to you about them, so here I go. Please remember this is not an a sales pitch or a lynching party. There are products I liked, products I disliked, and a handful of things I loved. Art, regardless of the medium, is extremely subjective and personal, and this is just my taste, my preferences, and my opinions!

A Few Things I Liked:

*Jillibean Soup: This company was new to me up until a few months ago, and when I got into their booth, I saw two lines that I really liked. The first was by far my favorite, "Alphabet Soup," and is a school-themed line, but although there are distinctly thematic papers, there are also more generic patterns that could be used for anything. I love that kind of thing, because normally I won't use one line to do multiple layouts of one theme, so I could use the school houses, the report cards (my absolute favorite!) and the letters for school layouts, and then the other sides for anything from boy pages to heritage and anything in between! A+


My second favorite was called "Talk Soup," and although it's definitely not as colorful or thematic, it caught my attention because it wasn't any of those things, but it wasn't boring either. I also liked the owls, because that's the mascot of my son's new elementary school, but the more I looked at it, the more uses I found for it, and as you can see in the picture, their samples are pretty variable too!

*Scrap Within Reach: I don't know much about this company, but really like how they are both subtle and overt at the same time. "Carnival Ride" is young and busy, but the colors are a little softer, so the circles and stripes and ferris wheel designs don't scream out; instead, they kind of gently nudge you to look at them. My favorite line is probably "Paper Boy," with a navy blue, sage green, mustard yellow and white color scheme. Really cute stuff.

*Upsy Daisy: Another one of those companies that has suddenly caught my eye, I was introduced to them in my AC Bailey Kit of the Month club package for July with their "Man About Town" line. Great masculine papers that can also be used for heritage, wedding, and many other things depending on color scheme. My current love is a line called "Vroom" that is all boy, no doubt, but cute as heck!

*Graphic45: This company is, in their own words, for "unique papercrafting." Although a lot of their stuff is heritage-esque, whimsical and even over-the-top old-fashioned, I just love some of it. From cards to layouts, there's a lot you can do with this stuff. I got a few interesting samples that I'm going to work with, and when I do, I'll post them here!

*7Gypsies' Binderie: This is one of those products that I liked a lot, really, but not enough to say I LOVE it. It's cute as a button, works very well, and is extremely accurate and easy to use! Unfortunately, for something that basically punches some symmetrical holes, it's expensive ($39.95) and I'm not sure how much I would use it. They were using them just this past weekend at Archiver's for make n takes, and although everyone thought they were very convenient, I didn't see or hear anyone interested in buying it for that price. It DOES match my office/scrap room decor (red and black) so I might have to have it, but I will definitely wait for a coupon! In general, though, there's always something interesting from this company, and I was incredibly inspired by their products and the new "Victoria" display pictured below...


A Few Things I Didn't Like That Much...

*October Afternoon: Bo-ring... they only had a couple of new lines, and one of them didn't even arrive until part way through the show! I have loved this company in the past, but the summer/fall releases weren't all that special. I was disappointed, and am hoping for more next time!

*Karen Foster: I'm a big fan, but this time, she had very little to offer. It was a disappointment for scrapbookers, although her catalog has some interesting Canning and Gift Label Kits... maybe January 2010 will be more exciting!

*Chatterbox: After their incredible "Fabulous" line, I was expecting a lot, and obviously I was disappointed. I really didn't see anything else that was new or interesting in the least. They had their own "brad maker" but weren't really pushing it or demonstrating, so I'm guessing either it's not selling or something else is going on because I don't think they're competing with the i-Top.

*My Mind's Eye. Before I talk about the negative, let me make it clear that I normally LOVE this company! They are always coming out with something cool, and their summer "Breaking Free" release was all that AND the bag of chips! Unfortunately, that came out BEFORE CHA so the magic was already gone, and the other stuff, like "Penny Lane," "Abbey Road" and the seasonal stuff was just not that exciting. "Ooh La La" is cute enough, but honestly, how many pages like that can one company possibly come out with? "Free Bird" and "Maggie May" aren't bad, by any means, but again, except for color scheme, it's all starting to look the same to me. "Spider's Web" (pictured below) is probably the only line I may buy, but there's so much competition for Halloween products, I'm not even sure about that. I do like the muted color scheme (bright orange gets old sometimes), though.


A Lot of Things I Loved:

*Craf-T Products' new Metallic Rub-ons kits! These little paint-like products are awesome; they come in sets of 7 colors each, are incredibly versatile and dry quickly! You can use them with an applicator or your finger, with stencils or freehand, and on a large variety of surfaces! Just dab them on for a layer of color on its own, or let it dry (which is almost instantly) and then edge it, layer it, emboss it, glaze it and more for another color! Really easy to use for someone like me who's not all that artistic when I'm working freehand, and the colors, texture and variety is impressive. Can't wait to use these on some upcoming projects!

*Laser engraved 12x12 Albums by Harmonie. Oh my gosh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE these albums! In fact, I love so many things by this company, I should probably buy stock in it and get it over with! Holy guacamole, I wish they weren't in Canada (which means it's going to be hard to get retailers here in the U.S. to deal with the tax and shipping issues) because I want some of this stuff NOW! Their Christmas and Halloween lines are to die for, and frankly, if I was a serious rubber stamper, I would be in stamp heaven!

*ClearScraps: This company just has so many fun little things, it's hard to choose just one! The picture below was one of their display walls with just a sample of the great stuff to come--how cute is a stocking-shaped acrylic album?! So many things to choose from, I dont' know how I'm going to come up with classes for my customers!

*Quick Quotes: Holy projects, Batman! This company is so friggin' cool I don't know what to talk about first! Seriously, people, if you go to conventions anywhere in the country, you've got to take one of their classes to see what the fuss is all about! Just looking at the projects on display was enough to get my gears spinning for class ideas, and I am so excited because they are working on a deal with AC Bailey to distribute certain products--and that just rocks! I also have become interested in working with canvas, which I never really thought about before. Now that I've used it with a make-n-take, I see just how unlimited the possibilities are, and I'm about to move into new territory... the pictures below are just a tiny sample:

This 8x8 Canvas Flip-Flop Book is going to be a cute little project!

How pretty is this?! Large canvas done up scrapbook style... wow!

* Little Yellow Bicycle: Yeah, I know, I sound like a broken record, but this is by far the best new company to come out in a LONG time! Not since Basic Grey have I seen a company come out with better products each and every time. Not everything is my personal taste, but you can't say anything bad about the quality, selection and price! I just want some of everything... for now, though, I'll stick to talking about "Autumn Bliss." This line is starting to show up now, and the pictures honestly don't do it justice. In person, it's elegant, catchy and simply gorgeous. My favorite paper in the line is called Pumpkin Patch, and it's "thermographed," or embossed, if you want it simply stated... what do you think?

I don't expect to see blues in a Fall papers/colors, but this works, and when you see the foil-like parts of the paper, you will be absolutely entranced. Trust me on this--run, don't walk, to buy this line!

Their Christmas line will blow you away, too, but I'll save something for another day!

*Helmar: Adhesive isn't that exciting, we all know it, but when you find some that works, is versatile, and rubs right off of your hands with no mess, you have to take a second look. After all, without adhesive, none of our projects would be very good, right? So I'm always interesting in new stuff, like Helmar 450 Stainless Adhesive and the Helmar Gemstone Glue. The 450 is liquid that dries clear on all sorts of materials--from fabric to cork!--and doesn't bleed through. It also dries really quickly, which is a bonus when you're working on mini-albums or projects that have a lot of different pieces. The Gemstone Glue is also really great because you can use it on clear buttons or other see-through products and it dries 100% clear!

Here I am at CHA with Helmar's Design Team Coordinator, Tracy Weinzapfel Burgos and the AC Bailey Girls! Left to right: Dee (standing), Julianne, Gail, Tracy, Erica and me (standing).

There are a handful of products on which the jury is still out because I haven't really had a chance to use and/or watch them in action. I like the Unibind PhotoBookCreator. You buy a machine that will make those bound books that have been all the rage in the last year or two. There are size, color, and even sound options, so it seems like it might be on the cutting edge, but I'm not sure about costs and ease of use, so I'll reserve judgment for now.

Hot off the Press has some interesting CDs--1000 Card Quotes, 11,000 Alphabet Tiles and 500 Ephemera Art Pieces--for just $14.99. I didn't see the actual contents, so again I'm waiting until I see more, but that's a great price for so much ready-to-print artwork!

GlueArts has the latest in Glue Gliders, a smaller one than the trendy ATGs that everyone seemed to need last year (myself not included). I have one on order, because it looked like it might be something I can use all the time, with mindless cartridge changes, so I'll let you know if it lives up to its reputation! I also got a sample of their Wall Art Adhesive, but haven't had a chance to try it yet, so I'll keep you updated on that as well.

So that's it for now... I have a few other things that I'm going to talk about in more detail, along with samples and other information, but for now, you're going to have to wait! I have lots of surprises planned for you, including a giveaway, but I'm going to make you work for it, so stay tuned!

Happy Scrappin'!
--Kathy

CHA Summer 2009, Part I: Recap, Review and Remember

For those of you who don't know, CHA is the Craft & Hobby Association's industry-only vendor fair. Craft manufacturers from literally around the world congregate to show off their wares and convince retailers of all kinds to order their products for the upcoming season. It happens twice a year, in January and July, and although the summer show is undoubtedly smaller than its winter counterpart, there was something particularly quiet about this show. Some booths had no lines at all, and even the most popular companies had shorter lines than usual. Although it's always a thrill to be there to see new products before they're even available, there was something missing in this year's CHA summer, and I have yet to put my finger on it.

One thing that was strange was the absence of quite a few large manufacturers, including Fiskars, K & Company, Xyron and Pazzles. There was a lot of talk about moving the show from Chicago, where it's always been, to Orlando. It was hot, the overall exhibit was smaller, and according to veteran attendees, attendance wasn't just down--it was almost embarrassing. Not having been to a summer show before, this is all hearsay, but since almost everyone said the same thing, I'm inclined to believe it. Personally, I was disappointed that K& Co. and Xyron decided not to attend, but there were still a lot of wonderful companies, both old and new, as well as incredible products...

On the bright side, there was still more than enough to see and do over three days. We started bright and early Tuesday morning and went right up until 4 p.m. on Thursday. I could have used one more day, personally, but the truth is that three days is plenty. In fact, it's overload, so it's not conceivable to imagine another day, though most of us wished we could have had just that!

Day One consisted of a lot of perusing, getting our bearings, collecting catalogs, talking to new vendors, and checking out the best make and takes. Day two was more of the "meat and potatoes" of the show, doing as many make and takes as possible, figuring out the best deals and trying to make sure you don't miss any cool contests or giveaways. Day three, of course, is all about getting to everything you missed, getting business cards from people you didn't get a chance to finish up with, and trying to figure out how you're going to lug everything home. Just as a point of reference, this was a relatively small show but I still managed to bring home FIVE large tote bags of products, catalogs and make and takes!



Here we are, the "ACB Girls," having appetizers and drinks at one of the hotels... from left to right: Julianne, Dee, Gail, Erica, and Kathy.




As an overview, I decided to give out my own 'awards' in categories of my choosing--in Part 2 I will do specific reviews of products and manufacturers--with the Top 3 in each:

* Best Make - N - Takes:

Third Place: Kaiser Craft - We made a wooden mini-album with specially printed embellishments that read "CHA Summer 2009, Florida" (from the new "Pina Colada" line).

Second Place: Diecuts with a View - They had one of those novelty photo booths where you go in, take 6 pictures (with or without hats and props), print them, and then use them to make a mini album featuring their new papers.

First Place: Provo Craft. They had SEVERAL going on each day, including a beautiful silk screen frame, another frame with etched glass, a Disney-themed paint bucket, an altered recipe tin, and more.

* Best New Product(s):

Third Place: The i-Top Brad Maker from Imaginisce, a hand-held tool that will let consumers make brads out of any paper or fabric they have handy. Although it's an expensive initial investment, you'll save money in the long run by not having to buy the expensive brads manufacturers product exclusive to specific lines.

Second Place: Provo Craft's "Gypsy," the new hand-held design studio for the Cricut that lets you store Cricut cartridges with a wealth of amazing features. Cool product, but will retail for $299 and you have to own a Cricut or Expression to use it, which can be a deterrent to some.

First Place: Making Memories' Slice. Although the machine itself isn't brand new, the upgraded ('Think Pink') version with its new features and accessories are amazing. One machine will cut shapes as well as their mirror images and shadows, emboss, de-emboss, draw and trace! Incredibly affordable too...

* Best New Company:

Third Place: Kanban, a British manufacturer who is branching into the U.S. with a unique set of card-making supplies as well as non-traditional scrapbook papers that are absolutely gorgeous!

Second Place: Helmar, an Australian company that makes some interesting new adhesives, including a 'liquid' pop dot, spray vellum adhesive, and more! I'm psyched to see it in some stores!

First Place: Harmonie, a Canadian company with paper, embellishments, rubber stamps and, my favorite, 12x12 acrylic albums that are both customizable and affordable!

Best New Paper Lines:

Third Place: "Home For the Holidays" by Websters Pages. Although this is a bit more traditional than some lines, this is by far my favorite holiday-themed line because it's incredibly both different and versatile. I can't wait to get my hands on these double-sided papers, as well as the coordinating embellishments.

Second Place: "Teen Angst" by We R Memory Keepers! This company has just exploded in my opinion, and I can't get enough! I don't love every single paper in every single line, but I really love this one... of course, I'm a "closet" rock star, so papers like "Rock" and "Rebel" really speak to me! The embellishments are amazing too...

First Place: If you love Halloween, you won't be able to resist 'Trick or Treat' from Little Yellow Bicycle. Seriously, folks, this company never fails to impress, inspire and get me eager to scrap. This line has everything from incredible double-sided paper, lace-cut card stock, decorative edge card stock and overlays to chipboard, journal tablets, brads, stickers, vinyl... the list is simply endless. You won't be able to resist either!

*Note: I could add half a dozen "runners up," but don't want to bore you, so I'll hit a few of my other faves in the next post!

* Best Overall Booth:

Third Place: Kaiser Craft! I know these guys were one of my favorite make n takes too, but I have to give credit where it's due, and they were prepared, friendly and full of information, products and surprises! They had a great (and generous) make-n-take, as well as plenty of their catalog/idea books to give out (without being stingy, like some others who shall remain nameless!). I'm really happy that they're releasing ALL of their products in the U.S. now, and not keeping some just for release in Australia. Lucky us!

Second Place: Quick Quotes! I always thought of this company as "that company with all the vellum sayings and the great classes." I had no idea they were so incredibly talented, versatile and inspired. Their make and takes were gorgeous, fast and inexpensive (to re-create for customers). Their staff is knowledgeable and interested in customers from every aspect of their business, from store owners to bloggers to regular old customers!


This is the beautiful make-n-take we did at the Quick Quotes booth--it only took about 10 minutes and is adorable. I can't wait to put pictures on it and hang it up somewhere! It's a canvas back with actual flip-flops






First Place: PROVO CRAFT! I really hated to give first to the booth that seemed to spend the most money, but there's just no way to deny the make and takes, the giveaways, the party, and the products themselves. This booth rocked and rolled from start to finish, whether they were taking pictures, giving away Gypsies or just talking about their products. Their staff was informed, interesting and genuinely excited about everything they're doing. Even upper management was approachable and available. I can't say anything negative about the booth, the company or the employees we spent time with--way to go, Provo Craft!


This is my friend Julianne and I digging into our Provo Craft Goody Bags and finding brand new Cricut cartridges, a new book about crafts from author Faythe Levine, and vouchers for a brand new Gypsy when they are released this Fall!





Part II of my CHA review coming in a couple of days!

Keep in touch!
--Kathy