What I Loved at CHA

I wrote this post as a member of the Guest Design Team at Flamingo Scraps and wanted to share it here.

Obviously, the best thing about the Craft and Hobby Association trade show is being able to see all the new products before they hit the stores. Unfortunately, this is also the worst thing about CHA! It's torture to see all sorts of things I'm dying to get, knowing that it will be weeks or months before they're available. Here's my list of what I loved the most:

Cosmo Cricket "Salt Air"
This line is beautiful, fun and rich. While it's meant for beach/summer pictures, the colors and patterns are versatile enough to be used for a much wider variety of projects.

Fancy Pants "Beach Bum"
Maybe I'm craving the warm days of summer, but I fell in love with a second beach line. Once again, it's the colors and versatility that draw me in.

October Afternoon "Campfire"
OK, it's apparent I'm ready for winter to be over, because my absolute favorite new paper line is full of camping and outdoor images! The papers were gorgeous earth tones with fun patterns. The embellishments are really cute. Some are camping specific (like tents, sleeping bags, and lanterns), but the others would be great for any outdoor activity- hiking, picnics, BBQ's, and my latest obsession, geocaching.

Tombow's Tape Runner / Stamper
I've loved Tombow's tape runners for years, and their new Tape Runner /Stamper is just as great. Hold it one way and it's a tape runner, just like the one I know and love. Change the angle slightly and it stamps a nice square of adhesive just where you want it. So cool!

Helmar 450 and Helmar Scrap Dots
I've never used Helmar's products before, but they've moved onto my must-have list. They're not actually new- just new to me. I was so surprised that the 450, which is a liquid, works so well on paper. It was fabulous on ribbon, buttons, and gems. The Scrap Dots was thick like toothpaste and dries to act just like a Pop Dot, allowing you to add dimension to a project.

Fiskars Limited Edition Punches, Summer
Another summer item! I love two of Fiskars' latest border punches- waves and those dragonflies that I'm seeing everywhere! And their new squeeze punches are so cute. I especially like the seashell.

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists
I am a big fan of Glimmer Mist and the new colors are incredible. My two favorites were Decadence, a gorgeous rich chocolate brown, and Sun Sisters, a beautiful yellow-orange with warm undertones. They're both be great with all the summer projects I'm apparently going to be making!