What on earth is CHA? Liz explains...

Hi everyone!
This week I'm off to Los Angeles to get the inside scoop on the Craft industry! Yipppee! So what and who are CHA? They are a Craft and Hobby Association who coordinate shows where manufacturers, designers and retailers get to meet, mingle, watch demos, complete make-and-takes and see the new products that will be released in the next 6 months. There are hundreds of booths at these shows - and ALL of your favourite scrapbooking and cardmaking brands will be there. (Tim Holtz, Teresa Collins, Bo Bunny, Basic Grey, Kaisercraft, Prima, Echo Park, Pink Paislee, Best Creations etc).

CHA runs twice a year. The winter show is always in Los Angeles and this year runs from Sunday 29th January and finishes on Wednesday 1st February (NZ time Mon 30th Jan - Thurs 2nd Feb). The July summer show is held elsewhere in the US. Manufacturers (like Prima etc) design and manufacture their products in time for the CHA shows - giving retailers the opportunity to see what's coming up in the next few months. Retailers are only able to order at the show - so I won't be coming home with my suitcases filled with new stock! But I will have plenty of brochures and catalogues though to wade through...

The show is not open to the public - only retailers, designers, tutors and manufacturers - and so I'm taking Graham with me to be an extra set of eyes and ears. He will be attending some of the business seminars that deal with websites and social media. Meanwhile I will be walking the floor visiting every booth possible to see what's new in the craft world.

The internet has transformed the craft world and if you look at craft blogs or craft shops on facebook it would impossible for you not to have seen the CHA hype. Contributing manufacturers have been putting out "Sneak Peek" product previews of their new releases.

Artfull Crafts is already posting links to the product previews on a daily basis - so be sure to check in each day to see what your fav brands are up to! We love the new Pretty in Pink from Glitz Designs (right).

Each day after the show we are committed to blogging about what we see, writing diary entries, uploading photos and videos, and letting you know any other information. Think of us like your foreign correspondant for the next week or two! The easiest way to know if we have updated the info will be to LIKE us on Facebook. Then you will be in loop and won't miss out on any of the updates. Alternitavely pop back to the CHA section of our website regularly to catch up on all the fun, or sign up to our website to receive our weekly newsletter filled with new products, specials and more.

So, come join us for a fun little trip to America...

CHANCE TO WIN!
If you plan on tracking our progress through the show, then leave a comment on this page (or on facebook) and we'll pop your name in the draw to win a set of the Pretty in Pink Papers (shown above) and some matching stickers. We'll send them off to the winner when they arrive instore.