SuzeBlogz

did I forget anything ?

You try to fit it all in...naturally you manage to leave something or someone out that was beeeeeeyond fabulous...

Did I mention the glorious LINDA CAIN

who had samples in the Ranger booth using their new Inkssentials Manilla tags

if you want to see and read more about CHA from another perspective go to Lindas blog. She took amazing close-up pictures with wonderful narrative. Did I mention she's glorious.....OH MY SHE SURE IS. ! Between her work and Wendy Vecchi's work it's SSO....serious sensory overload.

Thanks also to friends Debbie and Patti, two of the "Rangerettes" as I call them,  for all they do to make life easier in the booth and at the Ranger CHA classes. BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE...louder clapping please !

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Now..on to what some friends are doing..."AVENUE A", synonymous with the yummy Angela Bannatyne - oh she of beading brilliance - ....has been featured in ...drum roll....

the also yummy Margot Potters new book

of which I have a signed copy that Margot the magnificent gave to me. I am jumping for joy and doing the most happy dance.

 

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here was something else I spotted at the show and was mesmerized by

I understand these will be (or may now be, don't know...) available from Purple Cows....you know them..the trimmer people..

A 'Wire Winder'..like a jig....so cool...wish I knew more about it...just loved it. You can make terrific embellishments to put on cards, in scrapbooks or even in jewelry.

and a new type of craft stapler that will place decorative staples (like those seen on the left in the bins) anywhere on the paper...even the center. Yes..that's a staple !!!

It was soooooo impressive. It is manufactured by DN Craft Corp in Korea.

then...they had a 'Ball Brayer'....you roll it in an ink pad and you can literally write with it or scribble patterns.

and they had a 'Puzzle Punch' which can do limitless patterns and will punch paper and foam. This was a sample of what it can do. It's the first ever handle pull up type punch with a movable hinge.

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as always...Prima has THE most delicious trims

 

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Unibind is also a favorite of mine. I have had one for years. You can make and bind your own gorgeous books. Their Photobook Creator comes with the machine, 1 photobook with window on the front cover, 25 sheets of inkjet paper and a software disk.

well...that's a pretty good wrap up....

to all my CHA friends that I got to see (and even those I didn't) ...Love you all and can't thank you enough for all your support.

it's because of people like you that crafts stay alive and flourishing !

The Final Roundup - Part Two

When you go to a CHA show there is so much "WOW" you feel like EVERYTHING should be on your "must list".

I "must" for everything...or maybe that was "lust"...oh well..same difference.

Let me tell you about one of the MOST exciting products I saw

From Lucia at Epiphany Crafts came the concept of making your own 'buttons'. This adorable little punch requires no computer or complicated manuals or how to videos...that's why they won a CHA award.

You can make epoxy buttons from 1 to 100..easy, simple, quick. Lots of shapes. Place your paper in the punch, place your epoxy dot in the open hole and press. I loved it.

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Here are some other beautiful displays...Makin' Memories Vintage Groove

 

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Gel pens to fit your Cricut or Pazzles machines from Creative Inserts

Creative Imaginations has been doing really well with their crystal rhinestone embellished items...pencils, nail files, clothespins...etc. If it has a rhinestone it's for me !!!! I'm very understated you know.

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How about Fabric Tapes from LoveMyTapes.com

Its hard to remember, but I think these were on the Prima display..they were sooooo gorgeous.

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I really LOVE the Shimmer Sheetz.I have a whole bunch now that I hope to make something from. I'm picturing some kind of over the top jewelry piece.....plus..they work so great with your die cut machines and embossing folders

Crafty Secrets had some very lovely things

Other wonderful visuals.......

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My gorgeous...inside and out... friends

old friend Sharon and new friend Audrey

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A beeswax collage I did during the show. I added the new 'Layered Mists' technique to the surface...a Ranger/YouTube video will be coming soon. Be patient...Patti has to edit and upload them

I made this bird out of UTEE and gave it to that sweetie Wendy Vecchi cause I love her and her work. It too has the 'Layered Mists' technique

Wendy has a fabulous technique too by the way...check out what she does with transparencies.

well...on that note....I've been 'transparent' enough tonight...gotta catch up on lost sleep and mull over the idea that Ellen, Kara AND Simon will all be gone from Idol come January...oh dear....

la de dah

The Final Roundup part 1

Aaaahhhh...the last day.

can we re-cap? I'll try

Claudine demos. Everyone LOVES her new stamps..watch for them coming September.

 

I demo Mold n Pour and blow on the UTEE to cool it quickly ! Truly..I'm not eating it !!!

My leftover UTEE looks like a butterfly bird, or maybe a peacock with a head feather...how'd that happen...way too funny

and speaking of funny......

fun people do attend this show, sometimes in the oddest attire....LOL

fun people ....they wear the glitziest things

fun people.....they have the strangest eyewear (yes..that's Carmi !)

and some fun people are just that.... FUN PEOPLE...Miss Donna Downey !

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Ranger shows some of their new product...LIQUID PEARLS & Jenni Bowlin Dabbers & Ink Pads in the colors to match her paper line.

I displayed some cool UTEE samples and shot a Ranger video on how to do a technique called Layered Mists using the new Perfect Pearls Mists and UTEE.

My friend Carolyn demonstrates chalks and rub ons at the  Craf-T products booth

and check out at the cake made by Catherine Van Steenburg - Winston Salem,  NC that was made with fondant and colored with Craf-T chalks

Spellbinders has some faaaahbulous new dies...fit for a queen

ZENTANGLES is so hot right now and Design Originals has gotten right in on the craze with lots of books and projects

Tim has new trims..I like to tease him and call them TimzTrimz. He's sprayed them all with Ranger COLORWASH...what a cool idea

7 Gypsies always has the way coolest stuff..real optical lenses and you add the rub ons to them

and more exciting displays from 7 Gypsies

 

Like how fab is this concept...they look like mousetraps....

I got to make a ring out of buttons at a make it take it in the Blumenthal-Lansing booth. I had a great time layering buttons.

and...speaking of jewelry...(we were you know)...Midwest Products has taken on a line of jewelry kits..THIS is VERY exciting. Call them...ask for Ruth...tell them Suze sent you.

more from Midwest

 

just great new stuff from them

I had to take this snap of the beautiful hat in the Graphic 45 booth

and, speaking of Graphic 45....meet the person who helped to design the mannequin

and old Steampunk hats

my friend & beautiful soul Renee Hull, owner of Simply Renee

 

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Let me assure you....there was so much more at CHA...but..it's bad if the blog goes on f-o-r-e-v-e-r...I'll run out of steam....

so...tomorrow we all head home and I'll finish more then...

so... if you're curious for more....

Curiosity is not a sin.... But we should exercise caution with our curiosity... yes, indeed.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
(Spoken by Albus Dumbledore.)

Time for friends

After I finish demoing I try to walk the show a bit. I am often stopped by people wanting to chat, just say hi, talk about work, take a picture, share an ice cream, just show wonderful friendliness....

so...in honor of these really terrific and special friends...tonight is just for you

FABULOUS to meet my best fan Joe Rotella

 

what a hoot it was meeting you....Joe....you're my new BFF, go FLEX your little heart out !

Dearest Diane Schultz owner of Graphic 45 and my sweet friend Carmi Cimicata

two of my most gifted creative friends, Margot Potter, beader and Julianna Hudgins from Ellison

 

The most gracious and sharing friend Linda Cain who made me a very special piece of UTEE art and who's work I so admire.

My little Indian "Queen" (see her UTEE crown) Bhakti Oza who always reminds me to "Carry On" !!

Cyndi Duncan editor of Altered Arts Magazine and Facebook buddy !

Claudine, and Jess from Vintaj, both have been to visit me at my house...come back..you're welcome anytime ! The guestrooms are waiting.

 

I got a faaaahbulous Cath Kitson gift from my Hong Kong friend Doveen Schector, owner of Dove of the East & lunch buddy

The Marvelous Judi Kaufman...writer, designer, crafter extraordinaire and very longtime friend !

Suzanne MacNeill and I go back a long way and love to shop together. She owns Design Originals and we've done 2 books together.

 

Robin Beam is the Educational Director for A.C. Moore Crafts and we've known each other for years and years

 

Author and designer Bernie Berlin who also runs "A Place to Bark" animal shelter and is now designing a line of Artist Trading Cards for Ross at C-Thru Ruler Co

Craft Diva Danielle, (minus Rayme Royale), gives the royal welcome.

and nothing beats an evening of power shopping and a Cheescake Factory dinner with my UK friends Amy and Dawn.

tomorrow 9 AM I'm back in the Ranger booth doin' it all again !

damn I'm tired !!!!

thanks for the great pix Jessica !

Share & Tell...

Good grief...there's just waaaaay tooooo much to report.

Morning....breakfast with my UK friends Amy, (l) Cathy,  Dawn (far R) and the rep from QVC UK (and I so apologize for forgetting her name !!)

then, the crowds line up for the show

CHA always opens with the bagpipers

and the day begins...Tim runs us all through the product lines

the booth has some gorgeous samples by WENDY VECCHI

 

Some friends drop by, like Cheryl and Megan from Ten Seconds Studio

some beeswax samples in the Ranger booth

and my friend Belinda who stopped by to give me this fabulous prezzie...she made me this mixed media bracelet. She's a wonderful artist.

and along stopped Corrine Byers who took notes in her hand decorated notebook.

some of the other booths I passed as I got a chance to walk the show

Stacey at Spellbinders, home of the Wizard

 

and the hysterically funny T-Shirts at the Spellbinders Booth...you definitely can't miss THESE gals !!

Paper Dreams Factory

and I used a piece of their beautiful German Scrap to make a UTEE necklace

One of my favorite booths of all time was GRAPHIC 45...and I'll show more of them tomorrow...but, today I'm showing you the glorious steampunk handmade hat on display in their booth...they let me try it on...

but I'm going to close tonights blog with one of the most innovative things at the show

Phenominoes

art you wear. Meet Sandy...it's all her bright idea

each domino comes with this brilliant and attractive bale

it's an interesting new concept for putting art on the domino...they do it for you using a very special machine and process...check them out. I think it's really amazing.

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well...after the show ended over 25 of us piled into taxis for the big Ranger dinner which didn't end till after10...

so..now its past midnight and I'm getting awfully sleepy and my fingers can't find the keys too well ....

  so...off to sleepy-land I go and I'll share and tell a wholebunch more tomorrow.

Menopause what ????

OK...I believe I have your attention...

Now...I'll explain the story...

I texted Tim yesterday to make sure he knew my flight delays (by now you ALL must know that story..!!)...and Tim texted back.

He meant to say "Keep me posted", but the Iphone - with it's wonderful spell check and the fact that he forgot to add a space between 'me' and 'posted' - anticipated his typing and before he realized it he'd pushed SEND and...... off went the message

KEEP MENOPAUSE !!!

I appropriately informed him that Menopause took place years ago but that the flight was finally departing, 8 hours late, and, Thank the Good Lord for both !!!!

we're still laughing !

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AND NOW....in Chicago...set up day for CHA !

 

Outside of the convention center you see tons of gorgeous flowers

at 8 am Tim gave a class

and everyone went home with these amazing goodies

and made these fabulous tags

then Claudine taught her class

where everyone went home with her new stamps and tons of other goodies

 

and made this beautiful book from her sticky back canvas

here are some other of her wonderful samples

 

and she now also has her own catalog of stamps from Stampers Anonymous

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booth set up always has it's fun moments...

Ludmilla and I compare IPhone Apps and Mario, Wendy & Tim cut dies

I had a few minutes to walk around & see other booths (Advantus & Doodlebug) and caught Margie setting up hers 'A Girls Paperie'. Margie is one of the worlds nicest people.

and speaking of nice people...how about the Pink Paislee girls..yup..that's Heidi Swapp there on the right.

and the beautiful, creative Lisa Pavelka, who now has a polymer clay line with VIVA !

All great women....you go girls !

here's some other sightings

These are transparencies creating the pattern on the lights

 

Maya Road

and I was super excited to find

and she sells wholesale as well as in bulk.....tomorrow, when the show officially opens I'll have to check it out further....are you listening Angela ???

OKay....now I'm off to nurse another broken tooth...this has just been one bad week and it hasn't even really started yet!!!

LOL !!!!!

No matter what

ya gotta stay bizzzzzie.

So, by now most of you know the 'teeth saga'. Three front teeth are now gonna be a 'bridge' due to a 20 year old resorption problem. Oh well....that's the way it goes..not great but better than being toothless !!!

BUT, I took the pain meds yesterday, the first day  and while they made me just a bit loopy they certainly did help. I took my mind off of it with some jewelry making.

A short while back I bought this gorgeous rhinestone bird at a Forever 21....yes...a store for teens...it cost me about 8 bucks....I am soooooo serious...8 bucks for this...

it came on a cheap-o chain. I removed the chain and added some nice beads.

I'm wearing it today...it's gonna be a new favorite cause it goes with everything and looks expensive !

Then, a while back I went to the opening of Two Buttons in Frenchtown, NJ. This is the shop owned by Elizabeth Gilbert author of Eat, Pray, Love and her husband.

I found this interesting jewelry accessory just sitting there and, because I love all things with an Asian flair (this being Indonesian) , I picked it up

and it came home with me. It sat for a long time. Yesterday I added beads to it

and, in between the bead mess I decided to make more of a mess with one of the large canvases from Ten Seconds Studio.

beeswax and UTEE.

I placed some abstractly cut Wonder Tape sheets on the canvas.

Left the red liner in place, waxed the canvas several times.

Pulled off the tape liner and sprinkled on UTEE powder in Platinum over the tape.

Heated the UTEE till it became bumpy. A little risky cause some of the wax reheated too and they are not compatible..the UTEE & the wax. They melt at very different temps.

The Buddah is also made of UTEE. Glued him down with Glossy Accents.

The wax is dusted with both Perfect Pearls and Pan Pastels. It's no where near 'finished', but it's a good start.

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Now's as good a time as any to start thinking about classes.

I will be at ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING in Topsfield, Mass the weekend of August 27-28

I will be at STAMPERS INK, Shawnee, Kansas the weekend of Sept. 24-25

I will be at the ART IS YOU retreat teaching Sat October 9th

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Some recommendations:

Best Beeswax Encaustic Medium on the market

http://www.clairvoyantencaustics.com/

Get yourself a copy of Carmi Cimicata's faaaaahbulous Art Girls Paris Guide

and..have a great day today friends. I have to think about packing again. leaving Sunday for CHA.

Rev it up !

Fun day !

Motorcycle day !

One of The Lensters groups (he belongs to a few) held their summer Bar-B-Q at Merrill Park in Edison, NJ. Lotsa people came. Lotsa food. Lotsa sun and lottttsa humidity !

Brenda (3rd from L) has a beautiful hand painted bird on her bike (and a tattoo on her leg to match !) and she's done her nails to match the colors....my kind of girl !

and The Lensters Bike has this wonderful little articulated 'model' that rides along with us !

 

we like to keep 'art' in everything we do !

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Now I MUST share something faaaaaahbulous with you....from the brilliant hand and mind of my friend Linda Cain...she used UTEE to create this piece

go and visit her blog and leave her a comment...she deserves it !

Well....tomorrow I'll be going somewhere I haven't been for a few months....one of my least favorite places....THE DENTIST ! I'm feeling a bit tipsy already !

Ooh La La Carmi

You've heard me chat about my Canadian friend Carmi Cimicata many times. A day doesn't go by that I don't read Carmis' blog. Carmi makes it a point to make some type of creative thing EVERY SINGLE DAY...whether its jewelry, a one of a kind card, a wearable...doesn't matter, she creates something every day and I cant wait to read about it. She's incredibly inspiring.

Well...now she's OUTDONE herself if that's possible. Today this lovely envy came in my mail...couldn't wait to open it

Oh My God....it's a BOOK

It's a book BY Carmi called The Art Girls Guide to Paris

and it came with a note

so...here I am telling you that I am THRILLED to blog about Carmis' self published book...it is fabulous

Beside her beautiful photography, Carmi tells you EXACTLY where to shop to find EVERYTHING. She's been going to Paris every year for the last 14 years...believe me SHE KNOWS !!!

On my first trip to Paris I consulted with Carmi about where to go and what to see and how to rent an apartment and everything...she was invaluable.

she even shared her favorite secret jewelry shops with me...oh la la.... and now, even though I've been there several times I know I still have much to learn & this book covers it all.

 

she'll even tell you what Metro trains to take, where the clean bathrooms are, how to buy flowers, who has the best coffee, what she does in the churches she visits, the flea markets that are the best...you name it..she'll tell you.

 

Here is a snap of Carmi and Claudine that I took in January at CA

and, she's so versatile....this was her entry into Rangers Melt Art designer challenge at last CHA...all done with UTEE

You can also catch Carmi, in person, at the ONE OF A KIND SHOW CHRISTMAS SHOW in Toronto

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and, while I'm on the subject of Canadian friends I wouldn't want to leave out my good friend Susan Williamson who also has a terrific book

which I also own and really recommend.

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Now I think perhaps The Lenster and I will try to catch a movie, have popcorn and just relax out of the heat.

My fellow Bloggers

Four score and seven......oh no...that was a different famous person....

This is famous little me....signing a new bill into law...one that outlaws all old people (namely 'me' !!) from spending 3 1/2 days in 90 degree heat, rain & humidity walking all over Washington DC. I've heard of shopping till one drops, but this.....oy vey !!

Who am I kidding...we covered so much ground...we had a terrific trip..

Yes..Jared, Bo the dog , Jen, Michelle, Barack and I all had a great time together on our little impromptu visit to their home.

 

just a little knock on their door.....

  and we were asked to stay for the evening...

now, if you believe that I do have a bridge I could sell you !!!!

What did we do on our last full day you ask? Well...here are some of those highlights

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The fantastic SPY MUSEUM...definitely a Jared favorite and also the Crime and Punishment Museum...incredibly interesting and interactive for kids AND adults !

 

The Air and Space Museum...absolutely amazing

 

The Wright Brothers plane

 

one of our favorite things that we got to do...make our own Dog Tags...they could say anything you wanted....mine has my favorite saying !

 

thermal imaging....whoa...can you spot me ???? Of course you can !

a visit inside of the National Cathedral

there are fabulous statues all over the city...even the birds think 'highly' of Andrew Jackson

Lots of time in Chinatown....there's always something going on in and around there

I just cant begin to tell you....it was the most amazing vacation only now I really NEED a vacation. I decided that I will NOT get out of bed tomorrow come hell or high water...My shins and calves are screaming at me !!!

so, instead, I am going to gather my 9 bazillion pictures and put them into a photo show and in a few days I'll have them up for you. It was IMPOSSIBLE to see everything you had your heart set on...especially with a 7 year old....but, boy, we had a FABULOUS time.

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Now that I'm home....must tell you to check out Rangers website...all the new products for summer CHA are there plus a terrific video tutorial from Claudine on her sticky back canvas.

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My friend Angela wants some excited fans on her Avenue A fan page on facebook.

and as for me.....OK friends....I need to hit that couch now....