Okay... three in one weekend. Saw the CHA (Craft and Hobby Show) in Anaheim, CA and the West Coast Art and Frame Show in Las Vegas this weekend.

The CHA show was really crowded. We got there right at opening so we had saw the ribbon cutting ceremony and the bagpipe players. How Festive!

Like last year approximately 75% of the show was dedicated to scrapbooking... something I just have never gotten into. There was, however, some really nice paper there, so I picked up a few catalogs. The vendors didnt give away as many goodies as last year (BOO), but we found a lot of great projects for our children's workshops this summer at Art-A-Fair.

Pentel gave me some samples of new gel pens and they had a huge box of gold and silver which are nearly impossible to find anymore and the only thing we use to sign giclee's with! I think I am going to order a case! Derwent had a display of colored pencils in a three tiered wood case that I really wanted (actually I just wanted the case).

Got through the whole show in just a few hours because we mainly skipped the scrapbooking area. I heard today that Paris Hilton was at the show... I guess that was what all the screaming was about on the floor... I thought it was just the joy of scrapbooking!

Then it was off to the Art and Frame Show. The "Art" part of the show was actually doing really well. The print houses were making sales and there were quite a few artists showing up with the portfolios. I think I may do this show next year with the Big Cat line.

The "framing" part of the show was pretty dead. So many frame shops have gone out of business. We did find some great mouldings for my summer show line and some really neat shadow box mouldings for some customer projects at the frame shop. (We have to frame some bricks!) We got through that whole show in about three hours and turned around and drove the four hours home.

So.. I am SOOO tired!

I did get some sketching done in between shows this weekend. A few more for Easter and a couple Mother's Day pieces. Between now and the end of March I gotta get some work done.. no more lazy nights, draw, draw, draw.

Well... back to work.....

This is the weekend of trade shows. Went to ISS (Imprinted Sportswear Show) today. Really big crowd. During a down economy a lot of people go into "instant" businesses such as t-shirt designs. Believe me, its not as easy as it seems! But is was great to see the show busy... the past couple of years it was dead.

There was hardly and new art there, pretty much the same as the past couple of years. A lot of new direct to garment printer sellers and rhinestones were the hot commodity.No one giving away t-shirts this year either (BOO)....

I'm working on my Easter Card line, hoping to get six done in the next week. Posted the first guy today. I have to get another large piece done because the Art-A-Fair decided they were going to do the artist portfolio two months early this year (yep.. thank's for the heads up!).Well... back to work!