Crafter's World Exposition - 2010 Trade Show

Dean and Carrie Duehring will be heading out to the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) trade show in Anaheim, CA this January for its 2010 Winter Show.This is a big event in the crafting industry, allowing exhibitors to introduce new products and teach innovative techniques.

For those unfamiliar with CHA, it was formed by a merging of the Hobby Industry Association and Association of Crafts & Creative Industries back in 2004. According to CHA's website, "every year the Association holds two annual trade shows, the largest craft and hobby supply expositions in the world." It's the place to be if you're devoted to crafting.

One of the main goals of CHA is to "increase customers' knowledge and awareness of industry products" - and that's the main goal for Dean and Carrie. After a show, they come home to Craft-e-Corner energized and full of fresh ideas. And we'll pass those on to you, our valued customers. So stay tuned...

Valentine's Day is February 14^{th -} and what a beautiful opportunity to celebrate love. This is a day to remind a spouse, a soul mate or a dear friend how much they really mean to you. It's an occasion to involve children in an expression of caring, promoting that life skill of expressing feelings of affection.

If you have a cutting machine, you have what it takes to express your love with the personal touch.  And Craft-e-corner is here to help with the cutting accessories.

For Silhouette owners, use the sweeping elegance of four alphabet styles in the Sweetheart Design Portfolio to script your words of tenderness. Add a stylized or softly curving heart - set off by rich chocolate kisses and forever slogans of love.

Quickutz borders of hearts can embellish your cards with streamers of solid, cut out and chic heart shapes. Or give a year round loving theme to a room - framing a window, a doorway or even a light switch with small outlines of endearment.

Slice owners can get that perfect heart silhouette from Tag Maker. But if you want a little zing, how about the sassy slogans and images of Just Chillin? Or lift the Valentine's heart off of the Calendar Design Card...then spread the images out through the rest of the year on either your calendar or seasonal cards.

And Finally, the Cricut has several possibilities for your Valentine's wishes. Accent Essentials has a basic heart in its collection of images. But if you know that sweet stuff is leading to a wedding, the Sweethearts Cartridge takes heart rendering a little further...adding wedding clothes, forever rings and clinking champagne glasses.

For the truly devoted Valentine creator, nothing can beat Love Struck. This is the pièce de résistance of heart expressions.  These icons go the full spectrum from enchanting to graceful to extraordinary, making it hard to ever go back to the basic heart shape. Cupid works his magic of love throughout this Solutions cartridge. Cricut is offering the limited edition - seasonal cartridge of love for only a short time. Such an expression of affection is destined to be a valued collector piece in your Cricut library.

Craft-e-corner has worked to develop an assortment of accessories to put you on your way for any Valentine's fancy. And we send a Happy Valentine's Day wish to all of our valued customers.

Check out these projects made by one of us from Craft-e-Corner...

• The box was made with Love Struck Cartridge cut at  11 inches

• The card used the Love cut out at 6 inches

I Got This New Machine...Now What?

How many of us got a new Cricut or Slice or Silhouette - and couldn't wait to start creating? We just wanted to be alone and put something, anything...on that cutting platform, anxious to see an image sliced with crisp lines and no bushy shreds.  

We carefully removed that first precise image, holding it to the light with admiration. Now we just needed to find something to do with it. We needed to find the right adhesive and then attach. But to what?? Where would the embellishments come from and once I found some, where should they go?

Truth be told, many of us start out this way with scrapbooking. The machines make beautiful cuts, but it's up to us to create. Don't get discouraged.

One thing I've learned is that you must have a good selection of paper or cardstock on hand. Ideas build on each other, especially as we experiment. If you have to spend too much time running around for the correct paper, the idea fades. So does your motivation.  When you have the right medium for cutting, the vision you've got in your mind's eye can come to life - when you're ready to create.

Before you go shopping for cardstock though, spend some time thinking of your own interests and personality. Maybe you've got babies or weddings, soccer games or campouts in your activities. Take inventory of what drives you and then accumulate a little stash of paper that fits the color scheme in your head.

Are you drawn to glitter, vellum or pastels? What makes you happy? If you like what you're using, you'll stay with it. Packs of coordinated color papers are a good foundation, but don't be afraid to clash in patterns...be gutsy. Throw in a red plaid to frame a flowered mat.  Share papers with other crafters and save the scraps. There's a curious satisfaction that comes from finding the right spot for otherwise wasted paper.

This may sound basic, but it's a fact...any job is easier with the right tools. Having a machine is the big start. Add the cartridges, design cards or dies, a scrapbook - photos, but give special attention to your cutting medium. A good assortment of papers and cardstock sparks ideas, nourishes plans and smartens your pages. Go ahead and dive into your crafting with confidence, knowing you've got the foundational tools for creativity.

If you're in Wisconsin, don't forget to come out to the Little Chute Civic Center on Saturday, February 6, 2010 to help us crop out diabetes. The event runs from 8:30 to 5:30 with lunch, a cropper's rummage sale and plenty of scrapbooking. Share your ideas or just enjoy the company, but open spots are filling fast.

If you can't make it to the Civic Center, consider cropping with us online starting January 29 to February 5th.  Check it out at: www.cropoutdiabetes.blogspot.com

This is a worthwhile fundraiser. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation tells us that Type 1 diabetes strikes children suddenly, making them dependent on insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications. Each year, just in the United States, 40 children per day are diagnosed with diabetes.  

So come on out - or crop online - but let's all get together and work toward ending Juvenile Diabetes.  Craft-e-corner is happy to be donating a Cricut Create machine for auction.  All proceeds benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.