CHAW 2009

Here I am at CHAW in Anaheim, expecting (hoping) that the weather would be gorgeous, mild, SUNNY, and perfect for visiting the Mouse. Instead it is the same as we have been having at home- wet, grey, and COLD. Okay, so if you live in Minnesota, it isn't so cold. But come on, this LA, and it's SUPPOSED to be sunny all the time-right???

The show opened today, education started yesterday. I took a Melissa Frances class and just want to say that the instructors were among the most organized and terrific I've ever seen at a trade show in this industry, and I really appreciate that! Fun project, great product, very altered scrapbooky using a board book format, but the boards look like old Bingo cards-nice.

I am presenting today- a class on Community Based Marketing, and I'm very excited to share this great information for retailers to take back to their stores and pout into action. Community Based Marketing is so relevant in today's economy- it serves the community, creates interaction among friends and neighbors, costs little to do a lot, and can create tremendous positive buzz about the store! In other works- it's ALL good.

I'll post photos and maybe even some video later today- so check back. I'll also let you know what lines I'm loving and think would do well for retailers, and I'll have my ear to the ground for the trends and concerns of retailers around the world. after all, CHA is touting THIS show as the World's Fair of Crafting! See you soon..