My Scrapbook Expo 2011 in Anaheim Experience!

I can sum up the Scrapbook Expo 2011 Experience with three adjectives — tiring, exhausting, but tons of fun! I spent the day with my gals, Heather & Julie, and we just had an amazing girls’ day out. I can’t say our wallets are very happy with us, but our crafting spirits are quite fulfilled! Here are some of highlights, trends, photos, and tips on the Scrapbook Expo!

Highlights

Here are my favorite things at the Expo:

• Sparkle N Sprinkle – This was the first booth where we got some major shopping done! I absolutely LOVED this booth! They had embossing colors in every color you can imagine! Same with the glitter. The demo’s were fun to watch and we even got free cute sparkly stickers. Here’s a hint, there’s a clearance bin full of demo and half-used embossing powders. Dig through it! Full bottles are $2 (as opposed to $3.29) and half-full are 50 cents. Anything that has less is free. The girls and I may have bought all the pretty colors though.. please forgive us.
• Stamps by Judith’s Tree for All Seasons – This tree stamp is so versatile, all three of us loved it! It’s a basic tree stamp that you can decorate with a variety of other stamps to fit the season!They had an enormous booth filled with all kinds of stamps! See StampsByJudith.com to see their wonderful stamps and amazing ideas!
• Me & My Big Ideas had a big closeout sale! They had a lot of bins filled with $1, $2, $3, and $5 items. 12×12 paper pads (lovely single-side paper I might add) were $5 each. You have to stop by here. I’m sure you’ll find a bunch of things you “need!”
• Sizzix Geo Die GD-8 – You need to see the demo of this at the ItsCheaperThanTherapy booth. It’s a geometric die cut that allows you to fold this very intricate shape. It looks amazing. There’s currently 11 Geo dies cuts designs to choose from.
• Sizzix & Tim Holtz – Lots of amazing selections of Sizzix die cuts and every item from the Tim Holtz collection in the ItsCheaperThanTherapy (which also had the Geo Die Cuts). If you’re looking for these things, you know which booth to go to! See more of their prodcuts at Itscheaperthantherapy.com
• Cri-Kits – Now if you own a Cricut (or another cutting machine), listen up! It’s not just for cutting anymore. Now it can draw and emboss as well with the help of the Cri-Kits. Basically, it allows you to remove your cutting knife from your machine and replace it with a their holder. This holder fits their color pens and embosser so you can do more on your Cricut (or craft cutting machine)! They are selling starter bundles at the show for $40+. Be sure to check it out when you’re there.
• Flock is a new material I found at the Expo. It reminds me of a velvet or felt-like texture material that you can add to your cards and projects. It looks and feels pretty neat! I found this tutorial if you’re interested in learning more about it. (How-To apply Flock Tutorial)
• Heartfelt Creations. Stamping and Scrapbooking. Their booth had some amazing projects displayed. My favorites were their scrapbook pages. So lovely! And if you’re looking for the best deals on Martha Stewart Edger Punch sets, they have them for 50% off ($12.50)!
• Hanko Designs has some amazingly beautiful cards on display! They specialize in Asian stamps (mostly Japanese) and crafts. There’s lots of Washi paper to choose from. These papers have a cloth-like texture, which are perfect for their quilting cards. You have to see all the example projects at the show. There’s also beautiful 12×12 paper packs in baskets on the floor. They’re 3 for $10 show specials. And don’t forget to print out this coupon! (Show Coupons)

So that’s a rundown of the favorite things I saw at the Expo. I’m sure there are plenty more except my feet said no more shopping. lol

Trends

• Copic Markers seems to be the big thing this year at the Scrapbook Expo. These are high quality illustrating tools used by professionals around the world. Now they’re making their way into the world of stamping and papercrafts. They are however a big investment. Each marker costs just a little under $5 each. You can find then at the show at various booths starting at $3.75. If you are an illustrator, it’s quite a nice investment.
• Cricut Cartridges – I saw that a lot of the booths were selling Cricut Cartridges. Take a look at them at the show to decide which you want. But I recommend purchasing them on Amazon, as they range from $20-$24 for most. They retail for $89.99 at the stores, but are ~$34 at the show. Amazon still has the best deal. Ebay is another place to look for better prices.

Advice and Tips

First time going to the Scrapbook Expo? Here are a few tips you may want to consider before heading out!

• Wear comfortable walking shoes.
• Have a granola bar, cookie, or some sort of snacks in your purse. Plus a bottle of water is a good idea too.
• Bring your reusable grocery (or conference) bags. It’s much easier to carry your purchases in these bags than plastic ones. Plus you’re being green!
• If you’re planning on buying a lot of stuff, bring a scrapbook cart. Nothing too big because you want to move around in the booths.
• Purchase an early bird ticket if you are planning to arrive before 9am It’s much easier to shop when the booths are not so crowded.
• Don’t start with the booths in the front of the Expo. Head to the back. There are most likely better deals in the booths farther back because they pay less for their display.
• Absorb all the creative energy around you! Every booth will have examples of their products and projects. This conference will help inspire you. Take advantage of that!
• Bring cash. It’s much easier to budget yourself when you don’t see anymore green bills in your wallet!
• Plan ahead, but don’t expect everything to go according to plan! It’s good to figure out what booths to go to ahead of time, but don’t expect you’ll find everything you want there. Be open minded and look around for alternatives.
• Allow yourself some time to take breaks.
• Everyone at the conference is there because they’re passionate about papercrafts. They’re happy to be there. Take some time to mingle with the attendees and exchange ideas! Note, this may exclude husbands/boyfriends who are bag carriers.. lol
• If you’re planning to attend workshops and classes, don’t overbook yourself, and definitely allow some time to scope out the Expo!
• If time permits, do some Make ‘n Take’s! This will give your feet a rest and allow time to talk with fellow crafters too.
• Finding a lot of bargains but don’t have enough hands to carry them? Don’t worry, the parking lot is pretty close! Just drop off your stuff and come back in for seconds. You may have to explain to your significant other about the pile of ‘stuff’ your brought home though.
• Have a girl’s day out! Take your scrapbuddies with you! You’ll continually inspire each other. Plus they’ll be there to help you make the hard decisions — should I buy this one or this one? BOTH!

That’s about all the tips I have for the Scrapbook Expo. Until the next Crafty conference, keep on scrapp’n!