Stalking Scrapbook Celebrities

So... here's how it all started. We were waiting in line to check our bags before the Martha Stewart keynote - and about 15 people in front of us in line... Cara's hero... Stacy Julian -- so Cara starts zooming in an snapping photos of Stacy, and we start accusing her of stalking.

In this particular instance - Cara got caught - and so we convinced her to pose for a photo with Stacy...

Much later - as we take our seats for the keynote - who sits down 4 rows in front of us?? Cathy Zielske from Simple Scrapbooks - so we stalk her too!

Well, by now, we are just having fun with our "celebrity stalking" and start looking for sightings all over the show floor - so here's who we snapped!! Stacy Croninger from Paper Crafts Mag:

Lisa Bearnson from Creating Keepsakes:

Carol Duvall from, well, the Carol Duvall Show!

OK - so Donna Downey we didn't really have to stalk. Cara and Tara took classes from her when she was at the Zone in October (I was in Rome, Italy - so I can't complain that I missed it TOO much)... anywho - Donna remembered Cara and Tara - so she POSED with us for our blog stalking!

And finally - our friend Barb got in on the fun, and snapped this photo of Becky Higgins from Creating Keepsakes for us!!

Well - the show is over for us - and we've been visiting another kind of celebrity - so I'll leave you with a photo of him!! M-I-C.... See you real soon!! K-E-Y.... Why? Because we like you!

Martha, Martha, Martha

I promised an update on Martha Stewart! We bought tickets to her keynote - figuring that we shouldn't miss an opportunity to see the icon of home decor and crafting in person!

Her talk was best when she drifted into unscripted bits about her life and crafting - she made us laugh with stories about how she couldn't imagine why all her family left on Thanksgiving when she pulled out all the supplies to make hand made cards!



We were quite a ways from the stage - so here's a photo of Martha of the video screen that was in front of us. Proof that we were there and saw her!

OK - but the most fun part of the evening was that BEFORE Martha spoke, there was a cocktail reception and the wine was stronger than usual wine - so we were all pretty silly. Before Martha - we had to check all our bags and totes - so we waited in line in front of some great ladies (Jennifer and Sara from Around the Block). Lo and behold - we get in line 2 hours later to pick up our bags... after a couple of glasses of wine, and some celebrity stalking (we'll post more on that later) and who's in front of us? The Around the Block girls!!! We love Around the Block.. and who knows, we may just have negotiated a teaching agreement there in our wine-drenched state - we'll keep you posted!!

I have to upload some more photos - but I"ll post about our celebrity stalking later on... we've been stalking all the great Scrapbook Celebrities for you!!

CHA - Visiting our Diamond Sponsors

Well, we're here in California! We flew in Saturday morning, and had a pretty low-key first day. We did go to the SEI Sneak Peek party (SEI is a long time exhibitor at the GLMM - and is once again a Diamond Sponsor for 2007!)

We started out Sunday morning each taking a class - I took "Untraditional Canvas" with Sarah Hodsdon (we did a Sneak Peek of her GLMM Classes here) What a great class!! I learned how to foil, I did an image transfer, and stretched canvas over a frame (I'll take a photo after I finish the project - for now it is only about half done!

We hit the show floor with a plan - trying to visit all our exhibitors, sponsors and instructors that are here at the show! We got to visit with several of the GLMM Diamond Sponsors:

Here we are with Sid from SEI and Shelby from Embellish It! - both Diamond Sponsor - both companies teaching classes at this year's GLMM! (Shelby is teaching a Basic Grey and Bazzill "Latest and Greatest" class that's not to be missed!!) Shelby's son came along to CHA -- what a cutie!"

Here's Cara with Quick Quotes - another Diamond Sponsor! Another company teaching lots of great classes at the GLMM!

Here I am with Keith Potter from Stamping Station! (He cleans up nice, doesn't he? - We told him he didn't have to dress up so nice for the GLMM!)

Tara spent some time with Brandi from Sizzix, going over addition to the Die Cut FREE Zone!! We'll have some fun new shapes and alphabets for 2007!!

Chris Foster is the man that brings you all the deals from Cropper Hopper - Cropper Hopper is a division of Advantus - another Diamond Sponsor!

Kristi Sikora-Blankenship is the Organazational Guru of Cropper Hopper - getting silly with me!



And finally at the Advantus booth - we got our mugs snapped with Heidi Swapp! Heidi herself won't be at our show - BUT she is sending an instructor to teach some fabulous classes with her products!!

OK - I have to get out to the show floor - but I'll post more later - I have photos from the Martha Stewart Keynote to share!

Another "Behind the Scenes" Look

OK - Cara says I shouldn't call these sneak peeks - so we don't confuse anyone with the event that takes place on Wednesday night before the show opens - and that makes sense - so what I'm doing here is giving you "Behind the Scenes" looks at things.

We got some bad news and some good news this week. The bad news is that one of our favorite companies, Deluxe Designs, has decided to close their doors. Deluxe Designs has been exhibiting with us for many years... they were one of the first companies to create laser cut die cuts - and quite possibly the first to introduce die cut designs that didn't have that "cute" look that is associated with traditional die cuts. The laser allowed them to acheive finer lines, and they added embellishments and layers to their die cuts. Then they introduced the concept of Color Blocking, and later the Pages by Design concept. They have truly been innovaters in the Scrapbook Industry, and we will really miss them.

However, the good news is that they are coming to do one last GLMM before they go! They will have the new product that will be thier last debut at CHA, and best of all, they are teaching two great classes! So here's your "behind the scenes" look at the Deluxe Designs classes for 2007! You won't want to miss these!! "You Brighten My Life" and "Treasured Secrets":

Attack of the Boxes

So - this is why starting in January, I can no longer have people over to my house! The GLMM is actually a home based business - so guess where all the donations get shipped? To my house!

So, Monday - after the ice storm - we have no power... BUT we got TWENTY-TWO boxes of stuff for the GLMM and for the GLMM Retreats in 2007 from Making Memories! Look how excited Tara is to check out the good stuff inside!

Can't wait - lots of great prizes and stuff for the crop bags, and stuff to give away at our retreat events!! Making Memories even sent some of their NEWEST stuff for us to give away!!! Oooh - maybe I'll give you a little peek into one of the boxes next week!

I like to call this next photo "Attack of the Boxes" - and this is only the beginning!! By May, just imagine what my dining room looks like!!

Countdown to the Mega Meet - T minus 114 Days

You guys have already started!! I just answered three emails today about "When does registration open?" It's January, and already we can feel your excitement! Well, in answer to the question above - Registration opens in early March - we haven't set the hard and fast date yet. We made lots of programming changes to avert the kind of issues we had last year, but quite frankly, we're a bit gun-shy at setting you all loose on the system at the exact same moment - even though we think we've got all the issues covered.


We are working on the class schedule - we will be posting it in full in early February - but in the meantime, I thought I'd give you some sneak peeks in the coming weeks at some of the fun stuff we have in store for you!


Today's sneak peek is the classes that Sarah Hodsdon will be teaching at the GLMM! Sarah is a nationally recognized artist and designer - and we're so lucky she lives in our backyard, and loves to teach at the Mega Meet! She's a bundle of energy, and talks at 80 mph, with gusts up to 120mph! She just taught one class for us last year - but it got RAVE reviews - so this year she's coming back and will be teaching FOUR different classes each day!!


I can't give it all away - but here are the class titles:

-Metal Impressions Class

-Alcohol Inks Revisited

-Out of the Album and On To Your Wall; Precious Memories on Canvas

-Freestyle Scrapping; The Art of Lettering and Doodling with Purpose


Don't these all sound great!! These are techniques classes - heavy emphasis on learning how to do something you may never have done before. Makes me wish I had time to take a class! The image here shows examples of what you might make in her classes! Sarah promises that the projects you make in the classes at the GLMM will be different from anything she's offered at local area stores! For more info about Sarah - visit her website at http://www.stampingtoday.com.

Keep visiting the blog for more sneak peeks in the coming weeks!

Kate

Happy New Year!

The holiday season has come and gone and now is the time to enjoy all the fun new gifts!

Did you get any new and exciting scrapping things for Christmas? My husband impressed me with a Daylight Lamp - WAHOO! And he thought of it all on his own!

We're making a trip to CHA in Anaheim, California in just a few weeks - talk about 'feeling like Christmas morning!' These tradeshows are amazing! Hundreds of manufacturers with the latest and greatest of everything - and we're looking forward to getting a 'sneak peek' of the new products that will be shipping and ready for sale by the time the Great Lakes Mega Meet rolls around!

Stayed tuned to this blog, as we'll post pictures of our great finds and meetings with our exhibitors!

Best wishes in this New Year from the Mega Meet team!

Cara