scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130 
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Post by scrapnnana on Mar 26, 2024 15:31:43 GMT
i gave up on expos when they moved from large convention hall venues to practically the elk's lodge 40 miles outside of the city. as manufacturers ceased to exist, vendor lists shrunk. the last expo i went to, basic grey was there selling off tons of their paper packs. i haven't been to one since. I don’t blame you if it was as dismal as it sounds. The ones I’ve been to since they started up again have been small, but not as bad as you describe, although I did have at least a 40 minute drive to get to them. I was never a Basic Grey fan, but I do like Echo Park, and they were at this one. They were selling what I presume were older Echo Park paper pads, embellishments, and other items at a discount. I found items at their booth that I didn’t have and that would work well for my Disney and Harry Potter World trips. For those who always buy the latest and greatest immediately, that booth might be a let down, but not for me, especially since the items were a great price. I went mostly because Tall Mouse was going to be one of the vendors, so everything else was a bonus. In the past, a lot of the big conventions had multiple small, start up vendors who offered page kits, designed by themselves. They were cute, but weren’t anything that I couldn’t make myself. They made the convention look more full, but their booths never got much traffic. I didn’t see any of those at this one. There were other vendors, too, that I usually ignored at the bigger conventions. However, I also didn’t see all of the popular vendors that I have bought from in the past, either. In spite of the small size and how relatively few the vendors were, though, I was really happy that I went. |
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Post by workingclassdog on Mar 26, 2024 15:48:48 GMT
I haven't been to one in years. But from another thread I see the Expo one is coming here and on my birthday. I think I might go. I am getting back into some of it.. right now the junk journaling is calling my name. And I discovered a new company... so I am hoping to see some of their stuff there. 49 and Market.
I used to do all the big ones and stay all day or two and scrapbook and shop. They were always close enough that I didn't need a hotel. You could leave your stuff overnight safely and come back the next morning. I do miss those days. I took one class in making books with Club Scrap (that one might have just been their own deal, I can't remember) and took a class with (I can't remember her name) but the Chatterbox ladies. Does anyone remember Karen Burnison or something like that. I 'knew' her from meeting her several times at different places and I see she is still in the business. I think she was with Sizzix for years.
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Post by Night Owl on Mar 26, 2024 16:59:38 GMT
took a class with (I can't remember her name) but the Chatterbox ladies. Does anyone remember Karen Burnison or something like that. I 'knew' her from meeting her several times at different places and I see she is still in the business. I think she was with Sizzix for years. Melody Ross was from Chatterbox. I knew of Karen Burniston first because she was in the Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame, then she was a designer for Sizzix but I think she makes dies under her own name now. |
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Post by dewryce on Mar 26, 2024 18:13:14 GMT
My first convention was Creating Keepsake's University in San Antonio in 2001. Since then I’ve been to multiple CKC events, and tons of GASC events. My in-laws live in DFW so I could use all of my money on product and classes. Those used to be so amazing when the vendor floor took up the entire space and I took days to go through all of the booths. I often went alone, sometimes my mom and/or sister would come…we were so dangerous shopping together! And sometimes DH would go with me to help with my shopping, especially after I developed back issues. I’d pick out what I wanted and he’d stand in line to buy it and then come find me at the next booth. Often coming up to me with something in hand “You don’t have this do you? It’d be good for…” Such an enabler  I loved seeing new products, companies, and lines that were coming out and doing make and takes to try them out. Tim Holtz had lunch at a table with my sister and I and several other women when he first came out, he was really nice and even participated in our conversation about mascara of all things. I remember running across him in his booth and just being amazed at his creativity. I loved taking classes there, really learned a lot. My favorites were the Latest & Greatest classes and Andrea Deer. We also did a couple of Scrapbook Expos pretty early on, did classes there as well. The shopping is fun but what I really miss is the classes. There haven’t been many that appealed to me with GASC and CKC shrinking as they have. But recently I’ve seen some technique classes that look really great. Hopefully I’ll get to go to one after our vacation this summer. |
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Post by karensay on Mar 27, 2024 0:40:31 GMT
I used to get excited about CKC Charlotte (NC). You had to be on the phone when they started making reservations to get the classes you wanted to attend before they were Sold Out, I would spend most of the day there between shopping and classes. I have not been ta a convention since they stopped CKC Charlotte. The closet to us is 4 hours and I don't have the money to shop and stay at a hotel and drive 4 hrs each way. We are down to 2 LSS in the state (that I know of) and they are both 2-1/2hrs away,
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Post by mrssch on Mar 27, 2024 15:18:13 GMT
I’m planning to attend the GREAT Lakes Mega Meet in Novi, Michigan. It will be my first time attending. Has anyone been to this one recently?
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I loved seeing new products, companies, and lines that were coming out and doing make and takes to try them out. Tim Holtz had lunch at a table with my sister and I and several other women when he first came out, he was really nice and even participated in our conversation about mascara of all things. I remember running across him in his booth and just being amazed at his creativity. I loved taking classes there, really learned a lot. My favorites were the Latest & Greatest classes and Andrea Deer. 
