{Sue, me, and Adrianne}
Sue and I have attended rubber stamp shows several times before, in Reading and York, and yesterday’s show was tiny by comparison—just twelve vendors. But on the bright side, it was much less crowded and hectic, and I left knowing that I had not missed out on anything the show had to offer (though I would have enjoyed winning a door prize!).
To someone who doesn’t use rubber stamps or make cards, a rubber stamp show might sound like a weird way to spend a Saturday morning. But for someone who DOES enjoy these things, the show has a lot to offer:
*Drooling over art supplies. The booths were filled with old standbys, like card stock, rubber stamps, and ink pads, as well as things I’ve only recently considered using, like shrink paper and Copic markers:
*Watching product demonstrations. A sure-fire way to lure me into buying things I had no intention of buying is to show me all the beautiful and interesting way a product can be used. I already have a bunch of short stipple brushes, but I was lured into buying four long-handled brushes, which for all I know do the exact same thing but looked so cool when the demonstrator used them at her booth!
One man had all sorts of stencils, but no demonstrator. If someone had been there showing off how they can be used to create beautiful cards and gift tags, you can bet I would have been suckered into buying a few. But he spared me that expense!
*Looking at project samples. Most of the booths have card and project samples using their products, and it is inspiring to look at them and imagine how I might adapt them with my own supplies. There were MANY of us snapping pictures here and there of the pretty items on display:
*Chatting with like-minded crafters: Sue and I always enjoy getting together to talk about our current projects. We definitely have different styles when it comes to rubber stamps and card projects, but I think we both respect those differences. It was fun to get to know Adrianne, just getting started in her card-making, and especially dedicated to making cards to send to her new husband (of just four months!), who is away serving in the army. At one booth, Adrianne ran into a woman who had chatted with her at length at a local craft store a week or so before this event. And there are lots of quick exchanges with strangers as we “oohed” and “ahhed” over products and project samples at the different booths. There is a fun camaraderie in attending a show with others who value and enjoy the same things I do.
*Coming home with new art supplies to play with: When I get my postcards finished for Hanna’s postcard swap, I have vowed to get my sewing machine out and start exploring how I will craft with it. Now, with my new purchases, I’ve given myself further distractions! Most people seem to swear by having multiple projects going at the same time, so as I try that out for myself, I’ll be able to balance all these creative options! Here’s the final pile of “loot” from the day:
In addition to all of these benefits, I really enjoyed the “time away.” I discovered when I walked out of the show that I had NOT ONCE looked at my watch to check the time! I had no idea what time it was, and I loved the feeling of not having to worry about it. It gave me such freedom to just enjoy the day. I have to continue to include these "creative excursions" into my life, because they are so very energizing!
1 comment:
Anxious for you to try the stipple brushes since I'm not familiar with the effect they produce. I remember how excited I was the first time I discovered the neat backgrounds I could achieve with a fan brush. Isn't new stash great?!
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