SuzeBlogz

Whatever Happens in Vegas....

well, you know the story.....

The vacation continued long after CHA and the National Parks

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We went to see Penn and Teller, who were delightful and courteous and stayed after the show to take pix with EVERYONE who waited plus they signed autographs. YES...Teller talked, after the show !! And their wonderful show book...a mere $10 !!

we went to see ONE, The Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson show.

Michael Jackson ONE is a sonic, tonic fusion of acrobatics, dance and visuals that takes the audience on an immersive journey through the music and spirit of Michael Jackson. It was loud, it was wild, it was dynamic and we loved it !

the show begins with the "fake papparazzi" combing the audience and snapping "faux photos"

then the hologram curtain disappears and out come the amazing cirque performers.

The theater itself is gigantic and the side walls are covered with huge phony tabloid newspapers that move & change. (see 1st  collage photo from the show)

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we passed the old Treasure Island, now called TI

Glad they still have the ship !!

and there are pleny of other nudes around Vegas...of all kinds..

LOTS of candy too !

 

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we found 90 minutes to see The Bodies exhibition...OUTSTANDING !

and we wouldn't go home without stopping at the Bellagio to see the Conservatory

and you can never pass up the Bellagio lobby

with the 18-foot ceiling, a coffer filled with the most extraordinary glass sculpture, a chandelier called Fiori di Como by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. His work has been exhibited in every major museum in the world. This stunning piece is comprised of 2,000 hand-blown glass blossoms.

If you make a stop at Caesars you never know who you'll bump into

so, the goal is to keep investigating cause you just don't know what you'll find ....

a little hat perhaps??!!

maybe of the steampunk variety (VERY expensive...all leather !!)

maybe a few boots to go with them...??!!

or some jewelry??!!

to wear into a weird place...!!??

when you go to Vegas

you might get married....

or have a photo shoot

or just be a

go everywhere...try it all !!

it's really in a world all by itself !!

isn't it !!!!

Doug Day in Vegas !

One of the highlights for me in Vegas is that my friend of over 20 years, Doug Soule, lives there. Doug used to work at Stamp Oasis when he was just a kid and I taught there...often, as the owners Jimm & Audrey Freedman are wonderful friends.

As Doug grew up he starting working for the FOX 5 local network and is now one of their very important Production Managers. I adore Doug. I look forward to seeing him every single time I'm in town. I've never missed a visit.

Lenny had never gotten the "tour" of the network...so Doug took us around (I've done it many times!)..and you get to play at the real thing !

The newsroom is such a fun place cause everyone has the coolest things at their desk space

and, with American Idol being a FOX show, there is lots of Idol paraphenalia around.

It's obvious we have a great time when we go there !

The GIBSON room (sponsored by Gibson Guitar) is relatively new. It's filled with all kinds of FABULOUS, AMAZING guitars and other instuments and lots of famous bands (Daughtry for one) have been up there, picking instruments off the wall and playing...just for fun!

It has wild lighting and a fantastic chandelier !

then there's the tour of the "Green Room" (sponsored by "Real Water")

and one of the smaller, more intimate sets for important guests and interviews...tra la..

a studio (reminded me of the good ole Carol Duvall Days)

and the fun machines that guests spin to give charity donations

and lastly...aha..the control room

Yes Vegas is a lot of fun, but being with friends is the best !

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I have lots more pix to blog, but here are just a few that show the fun we had

The Lenster wasn't falling asleep on the job...I promise...he just blinked at the wrong time !!! He's not a camera HO like me !!

WOOT....WOOT....more to come !

Moving right along

breakfast at a charming local eatery....the hummingbirds and the bees were out... en masse...

the place was charming and the food delicious

and we always get a kick out of weird T shirts professing local culture...some peoples idea of 'funny' (we think not so much!)

but we did like some of the wonderful local art we saw in Springdale

we found the AMAZING Worthington Gallery on recommedation of my friend Diana Ptaszynski 

beautiful hand crafted pottery, wall art, etc throughout the entire gallery. Nothing mass produced.

The masks come from artist  Jim Stewart

yes...we bought one...we have eclectic, often strange taste!!

we also bought this really beautiful dish...we'll hang it.

It was made by artists Heath & Cathy Krieger

 

and, the shop displayed the "Magic Words"

 

we fell in love with the kinetic wind sculpture from Lyman Whitaker

 

 

It's clear that YOUNG

and old

just LOVE

 

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Tomorrow...it's back to Las Vegas as the journey continues....

Follow the paths....

where ancient native people and pioneers walked.

because you'll see massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky.

very different than Bryce Canyon. You can't ask me which I liked better...they were nothing alike.

a little history from the internet:

Almost 12,000 years ago Zion's first peoples, who are now almost invisible, tracked mammoth, giant sloth, and camel across southern Utah. Due to climate change and overhunting these animals died out about 8,000 years ago. People learned how to make due.

Jumping far ahead to the future:

In the 1860s, just after settlement by Mormon pioneers, John Wesley Powell visited Zion on the first scientific exploration of southern Utah. By hard work and faith, pioneers endured in a landscape that hardly warranted such persistence. Flash floods destroyed towns and drought burned the crops. Only the will to survive saw Paiute, Anasazi, and European descendants through great difficulties.

Perhaps today Zion is again a sanctuary, a place of life and hope.

In Bryce Canyon you are looking down at the landscape, here, in Zion you take a scenic bus tour down to the bottom and look up....way up!

it's unbelievably majestic...and it goes on and on and up and up. The road into Zion Canyon is 6 miles (9.7 km) long, ending at the Temple of Sinawava ("Sinawava" refers to the Coyote God of the Paiute Indians)

there was an antique 'Model T Ford' car rally happening at the same time as our trip...with 100 degree temps there they were out on a fabulous, albeit s-l-o-w,  cruise of the park

one of the most recognizable highlights of the park is the Court of the Patriarchs 

the three photogenic peaks bear the biblical names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Very impressive !

mule deer can be seen at the park if you look very carefully.

 

 

yes....it was amzing....and there'll be more of our trip to come...

so, as we head out of town....

you can always count on some tourist traps.... LOL

I HooDoo, do You HooDoo ?

Lets start with an explanation....

A hoodoo (also called a tent rock, fairy chimney, and earth pyramid) is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. Hoodoos, which can range from 5-150 feet tall (1.5-45 meters), typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. They generally form within sedimentary rock and volcanic rock formations.

The Lenster and I drove up (from LV) to beautiful, mesmorizing, BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK. It is a scientist's laboratory and a child's playground and about a 4.5 hours drive from LV.

and.....

This park has lots of Hoodoos because they are found mainly in the desert in dry, hot areas. They appear to have a "totem pole-shaped body." 

Hoodoos range in size from that of an average human to heights exceeding a 10-story building. Hoodoo shapes are affected by the erosional patterns of alternating hard and softer rock layers. Minerals deposited within different rock types cause hoodoos to have different colors throughout their height.

I know how it can get boring looking at pictures of inanimate objects ...but, no apologies.....this place was stunning.

 

Bryce was formed when ice and rainwater wore away the weak limestone that makes up the Claron Formation. Evolution at work !!

We drove the full perimeter of the canyon. It had lots of stop and view points to take pictures.

and I take LOTS of pictures !

Even the creatures like the scenery !

you're NOT supposed to feed any wildlife but we snuck him a few pistachios !!!

 

 

Climbing...Not so much !!!! You would have thought I'd learned my lesson in South America...!! I am NOT a climber ! More like a schlepper!..but, that being said,  it was kind of cool to reach 9115 feet...almost as high as when we did Macchu Picchu.

The canyon has not been without fire dangers

and amazing lookout points..yes..that's the Lenster

 

Lenny was also excited to run into bikers on their way to a motorcycle rally..he made instant friends.

 

 

It was an amazing day, which ended with a beautiful night

and tomorrow we're off to Zion National Park.

 

 

 

 

 

More from CHA

thought I'd share some more of exciting Las Vegas and the fantastic CHA summer show...which, BTW....is the' last summer show. CHA announced there won't be any more. They've gotten very small so I guess they are just going to stick to the big winter show in late January.

On the L is (seated) Holly from HSN, Kristi Parker Van Doren and Connie from Connie Crystals. Connie is located in NJ so she and I are gonna have a girls get together and make some cool jewelry!!

Of course who doesnt know Heidi Swapp, adorable little Santas helper that she is.

 

Make it Takes

Gettin' Round Town

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Claudine was demonstrating a cool technique with her matte Multi Medium. Using it to apply decorative napkins to different surfaces.

The new exciting Ranger release for this CHA was 24 colors of Tims loose Distress Glitter. Sorry I didn't grab a shot of them.

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After I looked at these pix again I freaked out when I realized the one of me holding the gilded Eiffel Tower looks more like a penis !!!

Like I said yesterday...I'm just a camera whore..& this just proves it !!!

The Lenster found this hat that had blinking glittery lights......I did have a moment that I considered it...but you know...whatever happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas. The hat stayed !

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New, exciting bezel hat pins from Spellbinders Media Mixage line

 

Dyan Reaveleys art

From Ellen Hull, designer

 

 

This is the VERY creative and talented Fran Ortmeyer from Clover needlecraft showing us how to do felting. I had to be pulled away cause I'm not taking up any new hobbies and I was fascinated !!

My new FAVORITE thing though was from Kellie DeFries and her CRYSTAL KATANA rhinestone & crystal pickup tool. OH YES !!!

 

its a really fantastic tool that aids in gluing & placing all your bling (or other small craft items....think Mini Mosaics...).

how about boots or your cell phone

more fantastic displays

 

 

I dropped in on Jen Cushmans class making metal jewelry

 

and wore my OWN resin/metal jewelry

 

I know there's probably even MORE I could share, and I will, on another day, but The Lenster and I are on a mini 3 day vacation to Bryce Canyon and Zion National park...

and who could resist blogging that ??

Opening Day

Hard to believe it's ALMOST 3 years since I retired...honest to God...I can't believe it either...but, that makes it really lovely for me when I'm able to WALK the CHA show without any reponsibilities, AND run into really terrific friends spontaneously!

Like Donna and Bill Downey and Claudine Hellmuth 

so, please dont get too bored looking at me in almost every picture...I'm a camera whore !!

Hello Bernie Berlin (upper L) and Julianna Hudgens (the other camera Ho's...really, they are !!)

Polymer Clay queen Lisa Pavelka upper R)

lower (L) Robin Beam, Education Dir for A.C. Moore, and lower (R) Cyndi Duncan , magazine maven/owner of Altered Arts magazine

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Marissa Pawelko from Ellison had on the snazziest hand made jewelry

I did a 'Make It Take' ring with Kathy, The Crafty Chica using their new jewelry dots adhesive and an "S" Scrabble tile

Watched my fav creative gal Debbie Tlach continue to 'carry the torch' with a melting pot demo. Debbie has used Tims new fabric to add a panel to her hand made skirt. She is amazing !

Elena from Charity Wings and Jen Cushman from Ice Resin compete in a live online 'make it take' that was hilarious and drew a big crowd....almost as big as Tims Ranger demo !!!

some of the floor art was fabulous

Right around lunchtime I couldn't believe I ran into

Upper (L) Audrey Freedman, whom I just adore. She is the former owner of Stamp Oasis and I havent seen her in years ! Smiles from head to toe. Then The Lenster and I greeted (Upper R) Jo Packham..the one and only !!

(Lower R) Elena, and Stacey Caron owner of Spellbinders and then my darling very special friend Chris Nicholson owner of Scrappy Chic.

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some of the pretty booth displays

Terri Sproul and the most wonderful Joe Rotella

equally wonderful...and Mr. Photogenic...

Ken Oliver with Spellbinders

and my British buddies from across the pond

Jane and Kathy

a little visit with Santa....I told him I was a good girl (I lied !)

Lenny was thrilled to run into Chad...our friend from Australia. He & his parents are distributors for Ranger down under and they've brought me to OZ to teach back in the day. We're very fond of them.

I could watch Dyan demo all day.....her work fascinates me.

Her newest Ranger product is her own BLANK ink pad....just squirt her Dylusion Ink colors into the pad and you have a beautiful mutli colored stamp pad. 

The Lenster and I drove out of LV this morning for a few special days vacation....but...I still have a lot of CHA pix to share and I will in coming days....so...be sure to visit again...

 

PROMISE NOW !! 

The Set Up

all aboard....it's lift off to Las Vegas !

we have a time share here so we picked this week cause CHA was also happening.

today was set up day...not that I'm in any way responsible for setting anything up...but, with Ranger exhibitor badges in tow The Lenster and I were able to get in and walk about.

catching all the excitement and lots of friends like the adorable Wendy Vecchi who now has her own product line with Ranger. Watch for the launch of her 6 new colors of Archival ink.

terrific artist Dan Reaveley...I am mad for her Dylusion colors and sense of design...not to mention the hair color!!!

Jen Cushman from Ice Resin & Debbie Tlach from Ranger

Luv them both

Stacey from Spellbinders...xoxo

 

Richard Garay (Spellbinders) and my sexy little sister in craft Julianna Hudgens...I heart you

some beautiful art from artist Dina Wakley

wall paper samples from a company called FabScraps

The Lenster loves catching up with HIS craft buds...like Ted Cutts

Ted was busy setting up his booth but he stopped everything dead in its tracks to talk to Lenny for over an hour. They had a lot of catching up !!

Here's a peek at a corner (or two) of Tims booth for Advantus

from what I understand Tim found this fab idea somewhere online and had it re-executed for the show. Pretty amazing. All the books are attached with staples.

There will be more tomorrow once the show starts.

Now...I need the security guard to let me out.....!!!

CREATE...in New Jersey

A wonderful mixed media retreat has been taking place all of this past week right here, a hour from me. I wasn't able to commit to being there for an entire week but I did drive up yesterday evening for the Vendor Fair and to hook up with some old friends...like Jen Starr (l) and Joanne Sharpe.

Who doesn't know these gals??

Jen has traveled the entire world, too many times to count, teaching her famous scrapbooking classes and now she can add another amazing thing to her list of accomplishments..CREATIVE DIRECTOR for ART ANTHOLOGY....she now has her own product line with them as well.

Dimension Crystals

a glaze with a high concentration of mica and glitter combinations. 12 colors in 2oz squeeze bottles with a precision tip. 

 

and Joanne...well...her lettering and joyous sense of color is simply amazing. Her BLOG tells it all. Her art was on a recent cover of Cloth Paper Scissors. If it involves a marker she is your expert !!

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The vendor fair was fun

Got to see the amazing Seth Apter

who has been dabbling in Encaustic art much to MY delight!!! You all know how much I LOVE waxy things and Seth is such a talented artist !!

I got super excited when I ran into both Katherine Engen (who organized Michael DeMengs NOLA trip) and Richard Garay (from Spellbinders, who was demoing)

Anna and her hubby from The Ink Pad, NYC....

their booth was mobbed!! And, BTW..they have moved into a bigger space...new address

as you walked the floor...

these from Jean Skipper of  "Not All Who Wander Are Lost"

I was IN LOVE with her things. She is also on ETSY

 

and, from Gail Crosman Moore

thats my delicious friend Linda Weinbaum in the forfront shopping her little heart out. Linda and I went to China together several years ago. Dont worry...I shopped plenty too!

Gails felting was AMAZING..and so was her booth

her earring design.. brilliant

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Continuing on to Lauren Rudolphs booth of Mixed Media art

and Staci Swider

and then we get to one of my all time favs...YAY...

Lynne Suprock of Simply Pretty Stuff

Lynne makes jewelry using shotgun shells and I own a ring

so,  last night I got one of her wonderful bracelets

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To conclude...at dinner some of the ladies were showing off their alcohol ink art done in a class using a paper called Yupo

very cool!!!

Well...in 2 days I'll be off to Las Vegas and CHA...you know the drill..stay tuned !

Whazzup ?

So, first it was a very busy weekend with the celebration of daughters Jens #42 BDay...Yay !

 

The best fun was having Jared (10) teach me how to make rubber band bracelets

and me deciding they needed glitz

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then, following evening it was dinner out with my oldest girlfriends...the ones I've known for over 40 years from my original first house...we TRY to do it once a month. This time we hooked up at PF Changs.

Next night Jen, The Lenster and I made the trip into Manhattan to take in the show at the Gotham Comedy Club in Chelsea.

you see so many cool things in NYC...sometimes just when you least expect it...artsy things...like The Doughnut Plant (obviously a donut shop) with fantastic arty cloth donuts on the wall

and donut tiles in the window

or this great sign on a city Synagogue

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So...now lets just get to the nitty-gritty..we went to see my hilarious GAY cousin Julie do her really funny shtick. Julies dad is my first cousin (his mom and my mom were sisters) and we LOVE Julie and we LOVE her lesbian humor. Nothing about Julie offends us in ANY way.

She'll tell you herself how butch she is if you don't already see it !!!

Also got to see my other cousin Adam (Julies bro) who took the train in from Brooklyn

Julies family (my family on my moms side) live in Massachusetts, but Julie lives in L.A. and has done some impressive TV gigs...for example the 2010 VH-1 awards where she sang with Jane Lynch and a brief appearance on The Sopranos, just to name a few.

the club was filled

and Julie was the headliner...with a very large following

in fact, she is so funny that I am taking my friend Connie to see her when she performs again tomorrow night right here in Asbury Park, NJ just 20 minutes from my house. 

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that brings us to today.....

I saw where Nordstrom was having some BIG Anniversary event...that included makeovers at the makeup counters. Being a B-I-G  M.A.C fan I went for that one !!

I actually left the house with NO makeup on..Dang !

They sat me in the chair and gave me a hand mirror.

then...1/2 hr later...done...loved it...earthy tones..easy to do on my own.

so..now..Im glammed up...gotta go somewhere...

gather up The Lenster, my friends Connie and Barbara and we went to a show at our clubhouse....a hypnotist that was hilarious

First The Lenster and I were chosen to participate in a little skit

after we got a lot of laughs the guy had a whole group of volunteers fill the chairs on the stage and he began the RELAXATION process.

Now....I want you to see the lady in the green and white stripped top and green pants..to the right....SHE WENT UNDER LIKE YOU CAN'T BELIEVE.

we...the audience, we were so hysterical laughing, but, when he had her stand up and speak like a Martian and she had no recollection of it after the show we practically peed in our pants !!

she was a goner ! I guess some people ARE very suseptible !

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So...don't yet know what else might be in store this week...but, I'll be sure to keep you posted