Convention Time! - StampScrapArtTour

This Saturday (& Sunday) was our local convention here in Western PA.  So let's open with a card from the convention.

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This really cute & fun lemonade card was a make-n-take by Art Tech Supplies.  While I was working on this, I "heard" that there's been lots of cards similar to this online in the last couple years (ok, I googled it when I got home & found that to be true).  But.... I gotta say, with the literally  thousands & thousands of cards out there on all the blogs, forums, and galleries - I had never seen it.  You're just never going to get to see everything out there.  So it was "new to me" and I thought it was such a great make & take - bright & fun, perfect for a summer convention.  And Art Tech did such a great job making their version quick & easy so lots of stampers could get to make it.  It was the only make & take I got to & I really enjoyed it!

For the last few years, StampScrapArtTour has been doing our conventions.  In my "general" (read driveable) area, there are three conventions - Adventures in Stamping - Cleveland/Akron, Stampaway - Cincinnati, and the StampScrapArtTour here in Western PA.  I've been to all three many times & while this one isn't quite as big as the other two; I'm really grateful that we even have one that close to us.  (This one is about an hour away from me).  For anyone that doesn't have a convention anywhere in their neck of the woods; I can just imagine how much you wish you'd have anything come your way!

And I have to say, even for a smaller convention; the StampScrapArtTour people do such a nice job.  I've also gone to their Make-n-take "class" they hold the night before the show in past years and it was also a lot of fun. The convention itself is done really well - nice atmosphere, good vendors, nice door prizes & raffles and most importantly - very friendly.  I don't know, it's a whole different atmosphere than one of the big conventions.  You can really take your time & get to look at everything with the smaller size.  Plus, no booths three & four people deep where you can barely even get a look at the products or get up close with the vendors.  I've been to conventions where it's like shopping on Black Friday - everybody's bumping into each other, trying to squeeze past each other (literally) just to to try to get to the next section of a booth and all the while trying to grab things as fast as they can before it's gone.  Nope, I've done that before.  But ok, I'll be fair, I was the first in line in the very early pre-dawn hours (no, I'm not kidding) for Stampaway at several of it's first years.  And I had tons of fun every time (& spent WAY too much money- lol)!  But I'll definitely take this type of show anytime now.  I've done the craziness before - lol; I've had that fun.  Now I really enjoy not fighting the huge crowds & being able to really get up close & personal with the vendors.  And I feel grateful that we're lucky enough to even have a convention so close to us & always hope they do well enough to come back the next year.  Big or small, conventions are so much fun & I had a great time.  Didn't win any prizes this time - Darn!  Maybe next year!! Well, remember.....

 Life isn't measured in moments of time, but in Timeless Moments

Hope you make the best of yours!

Until next time -

**Julie**

Don't Forget - Sparkle N Sprinkles July Blog Hop is coming up in just a few days!  Don't miss it!