phew...seems like I've been gone for a month!
I finally got home from beautiful sunny WARM LA last evening.
LA is where they actually have sun, green grass & even a few flowers...
amazing to say the least...
I can't remember the last time we saw those things in Illinois...
I had a one day delay getting back
thanks to mother nature's little white gift to us...
Chicago really got nailed...
so I went from a wonderful 65 degrees
to a frigid MINUS 12, all within a 4 hour plane ride...
thrilling...
NSM...
but...even if the temp is brutal,
there's no place like HOME...
and sleeping in your own bed...
I had a blast @ CHA...
a total flipping blast...
don't get me wrong...
it's LOTS of work, but it's a buzz beyond words...
the atmosphere is exciting...
the products & displays are amazing...
there is inspiration around every corner...
it's so fun to reconnect with friends from all over the world...
I find it amazing that art changes strangers to friends...
I was THRILLED to see all my products displayed & SOLD in the Ranger booth...
YIPPEE!~!
Product Performer's picked up my stamp line...
so did Notions...
Yippee...
I'll be back with Stampers Anonymous
booth photos & more later...
one of the first highlights of CHA was to be included in this amazing group...
together we taught a Ranger workshop to 80 smiling faces...
(photo stolen from tim's blog)

we each used the same 6 x 6 chunky canvas as our base & then focused on a specific line of Ranger products...
I was assigned the Adirondacks...
each person had 30 minutes to teach the complete project!
YIKES...
it went off PERFECTLY...
and we got LOTS of wonderful comments every day...
and it was so much fun!
from the Adirondack line we used the color washes, pigment inks, metallic mixative & alcohol inks to create this...
what I want you to see in the photo below is the GIANT bag of goodies that each participant received,
compliments of Ranger...
they also got stamps
donated by Ted & Michelle from Stampers Anonymous...
take a look @ all the goodies in the lower right corner...
(another stolen photo...)
where to start???
ok...
I've gotten so many questions about tim's new distress stains that I think I'll start there...
some of the questions are...
do they replace the distress pads?
do you like them?
why do I need them?
are they like a re-inker in another form?
I seriously LOVE them...
and NEED the other 24 colors...
the HUGE benefit is that they quickly & easily lay down the base color on a large area...
you can ink a 12 x 12 in less than a minute...
think about how long that takes with the blending tool...
they DO NOT replace the distress pads...
you use the stains to lay down the base color & then go back & add the shading, blending & distress with the blending tool & the distress ink pads...
so, instead of rubbing & rubbing...
the stains make it so quick & very easy...
they react just the same as distress inks...
because they ARE distress inks...
so all the distress techniques work well...
for those who have taken my classes, those mini book pages can now be colored quickly...
instead of spending an hour getting all the pages inked,
I bet we cut it down to 15 minutes...
and that will include going back to add the distress & shading...
they are absolutely AMAZING...
they are awesome on paper, cardstock, ART PARTS, grungeboard & grungepaper...
and one of my favorite uses...
tim's new kraft resist...
OMG...serious LOVE...
kraft resist is kraft paper, printed in black,
with some clear embossed designs over it...
the distress stains are one of those TRUST ME products...
you will love them!
here are a few fun CHA projects...
I'll be back later with more info...
so just a few little comments about each...
one of my most favorite new art parts is the pocket watch...
the art parts frame was inked with weathered wood distress stain...
the mini flower is Clearly for Art...the NEW blackout...
my medicine box was stamped on kraft resist & inked with broken china distress stain...
love tim's new pen nib...
the red is fired brick distress stain over tim's kraft resist...
the blue is broken china, again over kraft resist...
and the green is peeled paint over kraft resist...
and it's all glued onto...
using the kraft resist made me want to clear emboss my art parts scallop...
tim sent out 2 of his new print trays & I was lucky to get one...
it's LOADED with idea-ology goodness and art parts...
you'll see that many of the new art parts were sized to fit configurations...
this guy took me 3 days & I was actually sad when it was finished...
can't wait to do another...
I used the gold dabber to edge the pieces & then glued the individual pieces in place, after they were completed...
I LOVE the plaquette...
LOVE the fractured dolls...
LOVE the face hiding in the corked vial...
the hanger clips are so stinkin cute...
as are the mini light bulbs...
ok...
on to the fun stuff...
unpacking & laundry...
yuck...
have a great weekend...
take time...
make art!
wendy
use discount code...
luvu2
for $5.00 off any order @ simon says...
and...
ePaperie has a package deal on the stains.
















































