Convention Time! - StampScrapArtTour

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

Click photo for larger view

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!

Favorites from the past - An Elegant Bridal Shower Card

Hi Everybody -
I thought I'd start out by sharing one of my favorite cards from awhile back.  Now that I'm sharing my cards with "all of you out there"; I have quite a few past cards that I really liked & would like to share.  I thought I'd start out by sharing one of those & include a few of the others here and there as I start adding things to this blog.  Hope you enjoy what I have to share.

Click photo for closer view

This first card may be simple in design; but it's quite beautiful in person.


It was done a couple years ago for my cousins wedding shower and I still really like this card.  Her colors were Navy & White; so this card was perfect.

Inside

Sadly the photo doesn't do it justice at all - the beautiful navy of the card base matches so nicely to the ribbon but didn't show up too well in the photo.  (You'll have to forgive my photography skills at that point - we won't even talk about where I took this picture - I was heavily involved with getting things ready for the shower & was in a pinch for time - LOL!)  Fortunately, my skills have improved & you should get a much better view with my more current cards - I hope!

This was just my card from me to her and everyone really seemed to like it - it was passed around quite a bit.  We also did all the invitations for the shower, the shower thank you's, and several other pieces for the wedding.  I also handmade all her wedding thank you's myself as a wedding present to her.  Everything turned out so beautifully & despite all the work of making such large quantities of everything; we still had a lot of fun making everything so personal.

I hope you like this card & I'd love to hear your comments!  Please let me know what you think before you hop on by.  I'll be sure to read every comment!  Make sure you stop back to see more of my "...Basics & Beyond"  And......

Don't forget to enjoy the little things in life!  

Until next time, 
 **Julie**

Supplies:

• Die cut dress - Sizzix
• Pearl Embossed Paper (dress) - Marco's Paper
• Mulberry Paper - Marco's Paper
• Stamp - Studio G
• Paris Dusk Ink - Memento              
• Glitter Glue - Stickles
• Small Rhinestones - Martha Stewart