This year’s winter Craft and Hobby Association show was awesome! While this show was a touch smaller than past Winter CHA shows I can honestly say it was still a great and positive show to attend. There were so many new products, designs, workshops and wonderful contacts; this show sure was a busy one! It was a bit different for me because this was my first time doing demos at the CHA Globecraft Memories booth.

At the last winter CHA in 2011 I had gotten some information about a new company called Globecraft Memories. They had wonderful chipboard frame and globe sets that people could decorate with paper, fabric, paints, stamps or clay and place photos or family treasures inside. I saw one of their globes with a miniature polymer clay baby in it and I felt these would be prefect for my miniature work. I ended up finding out the baby sculpture was from their other company Secrist Dolls, which carries only the best vinyl doll kits, polymer clay doll sculpting tools and doll paints on the market. I left my business card and eagerly awaited the catalog to be sent to me. I ended up being contacted by the owner Mr. Pat Secrist because he had noticed I listed myself as a designer on my business card. They had some openings in their design team and they were looking for some new ideas. We got to talking and I ended up making a few samples for the website. Mr. Secrist then started to get in some new products to expand the line,  they sent me and their other designers some to test. I was sent frames to start making samples for the CHA winter show. I was excited to be then asked to demonstrate products at CHA in their booth! Mr. Secrist wanted to show people that the globe kits and frames could be so much more. The idea was to make these frames more than just a card making or a scrapbooking element but something that could appeal to paper crafters, home decor artists and even mixed media artists like myself. The end result was a wonderful line of products designed to make chipboard look like expensive metal wall decor, enameled art and stonework but for fraction of the cost.

I can honestly say I love their new line of products:

New Frame Chipboard Kits: A new line of frames and elements for all interests. Be it for scrapbooking, papercrafting, home decor or mixed media they have styles and elements you will love. They also have a line of Steampunk Airships that are just too cute, which come in Large, Medium and Mini. The chipboard elements before assembling can be put through an embossing machine like Sizzix or Cuttlebug for more texture and detail.

Piccolo Chipboard Elements: Both as mini chipboard elements to be used on frames, paper or card these wonderful little patterns and shapes come in so many styles. From Steampunk gears, birds, cats, swirls, butterflies to delicate corner elements. They also have Toppers that are small tags and elements that would be wonderful for cards, scrapbooks and mixed media art.

Glastique – Flexible Finishing Glaze: comes in Gloss and Matte. This is water based and non-toxic. It can be applied to chipboard, fabric, paper, glitter, paint, it can act as a glue and a clear glaze. In fact, when coated on pieces of chipboard that has been coated in embossing powder it makes the chipboard flexible! I have even put thick layers of the Glastique on rubbers stamps; once dried and peeled off the stamp, I have a clear flexible piece to be added to mixed media work or paper crafting.

Halo Glitter: comes in Gold and Silver. A wonderful fine glitter with several different sized particles for a more reflective effect. Layer it with Glastique and you have gorgeous color reflection.

Mica Powders: They carry so many colors I can’t list them all! Super fine mica powder for all you craft needs, from paper crafting, resin work to even polymer clay. They add no binders to the mica so there is no worries about odd chemical reactions like other products on the market. Layer it with Glastique to get a dichroic glass effect.

Mica Powders with Glitter: Super fine powder and glitter in vibrant colors. Stunning selection of colors for so many uses.

Super pigment rich acrylic paint and glazes: While this is a slightly more expensive paint than your standard craft store bottle paint it is well worth the cost. Their colors are luscious, they dry the same color they are when wet, their metallic paints only need one coat for full coverage and the glazes are just stunning on paper or wood.

Globecraft Memories Enamel powders: These powders are specially designed to cover larger areas such as the chipboard frames Globecraft Memories is known for.  The nice thing is the powders still look wonderful on detail elements such as their Piccolos. I love these powders but then again I am a bit partial to them. I ended up making a portion of the new recipes of enamel powders for Globecraft Memories and one of my colors, Girls Night Out ended up being their 3rd best seller at the Winter CHA! These wonderful colors can mimic stone, metal, natural elements and aged surfaces. In fact these powders worked did it so well for the first two days of CHA people walked past the Globecraft Memories booth thinking they were selling real metal and wood frames, not coated chipboard! A sign had to be placed in front to tell everyone everything in the booth was chipboard. 😛

The following is the few photos I was able to take while doing demos at CHA.

 Mr. Pat Secrist the owner of Globecraft Memories.

Some of the wall displays in the Globecraft Memories booth, the music sheet, solar, ambers and 4 globe sayings frames are my work.

The flower bouquet and apple basket sets are based on my illustrations and the samples shown are my completed work.

Part of the Globecraft Memories booth at the CHA winter show.

A close up of the sea frame set made into a mirror wall hanging.

Some of my completed airships hanging from the booth. Some of the Piccolo chipboard element packs are on the right.

Close up of one of the completed airships.

The following photos are some the prototype photos I took while making the samples for the show. You will notice in some of the photos the globes are not attached because it is easier to ship without the globes in place. If you would like to see more prototype photos check out my Facebook fan page. All of the frames are from Globecraft Memories.

My music frame that was picked as a booth sample. Classic Grand Rectangle backplate with other chipboard elements and Glastique Flexible Finishing Glaze Matte.

Prototype photo of my version of the seascape frame that was picked as a booth sample. This was before the mirrors replaced the globes for the final sample. Frame is covered in my enamel powder recipes. Seascape Wall Decor Kit.

A saying frame set that was picked as a booth sample. Inner frames are covered in my enamel powder recipes “Mardi Gras” and “24 K gold”. Little Fancy Rectangle, chipboard elements and Glastique Flexible Finishing Glaze.

Vintage airship that was picked as a booth sample. I used the Large Airship and chipboard elements.

Mini airship that was picked as a booth sample. This is a finished piece I used the Mini Airship, the pigment rich paints and Glastique Flexible Finishing Glaze.

Vintage airship that was picked as a booth sample. This is a finished piece. Mini Airship kit, enameling powder and paint.

Apple frame set that is based on my illustration. This version was picked as a booth sample. This is the Apples of My Eye Wall Decor Kit.

Birdcage piccolo that was picked as a booth sample. The globe is not attached in this photo because it is easier to ship without the globe in place. Classic Fancy Oval and Piccolo chipboard elements.

Dino amber frame that was picked as a booth sample. Frame is covered in my enamel powder recipe “Brown Stone”. I used the Classic Grand Rectangle backplate.

Museum frame, this is the first version. I put the label inside the frame and that version was picked as a booth sample. Frame is covered in my enamel powder recipe “Vintage Copper”. I used the Classic Grand Rectangle backplate with Piccolo chipboard elements and Glastique Flexible Finishing Glaze.

Flower frame set loosely based on a illustration of mine. This version was picked as a booth sample. Frame is covered in my enamel powder recipes. Big Bouquet Wall Decor Kit.

Until next time safe travels!