Jennifer Schaerer
Working for Paper Crafts magazine really doesn’t get any better than when we get the opportunity to interact with readers, designers, manufacturers and new friends at a consumer show. Although it sure is a lot of work to get the details developed, shipments sent off and booth built (our CK Events team does it 18 times each year…I bow in their presence!), to me it’s worth every broken nail and bruised shin to be able to meet and greet the wonderful people who visit our booth.
For this summer’s CHA Craft SuperShow at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont IL, we went BIG with a roomy booth and lots of fun (and FREE!) activities. We had a wild and crazy dart-throwing contest (thank heavens for plastic tip darts…just sayin’) and found out that people bring out their best aim when there’s a chance to win a free special issue. The line was long, but energetic Maren Benedict did a great job of chasing stray darts and cheering on the participants to keep things moving along.
Maren’s energy was infectious and her laugh lit up the whole convention center!
Taking aim under Maren’s watchful eye
In addition to offering special show pricing on our own special issues, we also had some fun with a project kit from Quiltmaker, our sister publication. The adorable baby quilt below was made with a kit you can buy HERE, featuring fabrics made with the Girl Friday collection by Cosmo Cricket. It’s a remarkably simple pattern that can be adapted to a wide range of color and fabric combinations – get the pattern and instructions in their special issue called Small Quilts.
Isn’t this baby quilt to die for?
Then there were the make-n-take cards we offered, which brought out young and old, women and men. At one point, we had a 12-year-old boy, a great-grandmother, a husband and three generations of women all sitting around our table making cards. Magic!
Visitors who came to our booth got to make these three cards.
A variety of people took part in our make-n-take card projects!
Guess what? I’ve got some of that card-making magic to share with you, because I somehow managed to bring a few of these make-n-take kits back with me. Leave me a comment by midnight (MDT) on Wednesday, August 11 telling me your favorite card-making occasion, and I’ll pick three random winners to take home a card kit and special issue of your choice.
Hoping to see you at the SuperShow next January in Los Angeles!
Jennifer
I just went to a card making class last night, it was great to get me inspired to start making cards.
That is a tough choice, I mean you can NEVER have too many birthday cards, but Christmas is always fun! OK- Birthday I suppose!
I always make birthday cards!
My fave is definitely Christmas!
my fav is birthday card!
My favorite time is new babies.
For the past year I’ve been making cards with my husband’s family. They’re a very, VERY large group (He’s the second oldest amongst 4 sisters) so it’s always someone’s birthday or graduation or -something-. Whatever the occasion, they whip out a bunch of old markers and some poster board and construction paper and everyone helps to decorate and write messages. They do this still today, even though everyone’s grown up, sending cards to the family members overseas in the military, making banners for high school graduations, and congratulation signs for everything from driving tests to SATs.
Everything is simple, just markers and paper! But there is so much love in these signs and cards and making them becomes a real family activity.
Love those cards! My fave occasion is definitely Christmas. It’s the season that started my card making obsession and it’s the season that keeps it going.
birthday cards!
I bet that was fun at the convention. You had some great cards for everyone to make. I love making cards for OWH. for our troops serving in the military. It is the biggest satisfaction that I have ever had. Then comes Christmas and that’s what I’m working on now!! Thanks for this opportunity to win.
I love making “just Because/Thinking of You” type cards. All of the new collections are so awesome. I can’t wait to see them hit the stores.
I love making Christmas cards. It gets me in the holiday spirit
I love making birthday cards, I try to match the stamps, drawing, pictures
etc. to the recipient’s personality.
So excited to have won a make and take kit! Can’t wait to see it! Thank You!