things are pretty crazy around here trying to finish samples and get every last detail taken care of before i hit the road. i just wanted to share with you a photo i snapped yesterday with my studio in total chaos. although i am very organized, when it comes to the time i’m actually "creating" i believe to just let it go and creativity will flow… that’s right, i have stuff everywhere, leave it everywhere, and don’t worry about cleaning it up until i’m finished for the day. that’s right…the DAY! i honestly think that taking the extra 30 minutes(depending on the mess), to put everything in it’s place, clean your table off makes it so much easier to get right back into it the next day. i’m serious – even if you’re in the throws of your work, when it’s time to stop, cleaning up will give you a fresh start the next time you tackle the project. it works for me anyways…
okay, so here are some things i’ve been up to these past few weeks since my return from Ranger. as you know from reading the blog, i’m heading out for CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) trade show tomorrow. it’s one of two big trade shows for our industry. i have some great NEW products releasing at the show. i have an entire NEW collection of embellishments and findings, tools, and new grungeboard in my idea-ology line with advantus, 43 NEW images with stampers anonymous (love them!), and 3 NEW Cd’s featuring my entire distressables line from design originals (since they retired my entire line last year) now you can print your own papers, doo-dads, the works, and of course distress crackle paint is still very NEW for Ranger! i am also teaching 2 workshops for Ranger at the show (100 students total) so we’ve been kitting everything up, instructions, packed and shipped it all out last week.
after CHA (we’re talking the last day), i am flying directly to the UK for their trade show stitches with my boss alain. before their trade show starts i will be teaching retailers for some of our distributors (100 students total there too). we’ve been busy prepping kits for that as well! then a few days of demonstrating at the show, and then i’m off to visit my friend Dawn Bibby at her shop topaz crafts for an afternoon of demos. (*Dawn is the Queen of Crafts in the UK and has her own show on QVC-UK!).
then we catch a flight to Amsterdam (my first time there) for their trade show! the day before the show i am also teaching some retailers there (about 50 students) for one of our distributors over there. then the following day i’ll be visiting 2 stores for a couple hours of demos at each. i can’t wait! the next two days i’ll be demonstrating for our other distributor at the trade show. then, it’s on a plane again back to London, and then connect to fly back to Newark. i’m staying the night there and catching the early a.m. flight home to arizona on the 27th – WHEW!
so, i just wanted to let you in on the goings on around here. always lots to do, but i truly love every minute of it. i’m looking forward to my travels and will do my best to blog when i can. i’m planning some video blogs from CHA so we’ll see if i can figure out how to do that. not sure if i’ll have much internet access abroad, but i’m taking my laptop with me just in case so i can keep you posted and hopefully share a photo or two.
so here’s to a creative journey ahead…i’ll be posting when i can… -t!m
