Having now fully recovered from the hustle and bustle of CHA (and from the travel mishaps Tonia eluded to last week, which I just can’t seem to stop referring to as “Jessica and Tonia’s Excellent Adventure”—and if you’d seen the look on her face when her car didn’t start after 11 hours of trains, planes and automobiles, you’d understand why), I am happy to report that the show was a success on all levels. It’s really difficult to explain what it’s like to have so many products on display—and so many talented artists and crafters gathered—in one place. You almost have to see it to believe it, and photos really don’t do the scale of it justice. The show is bigger and busier than you could imagine—in the two full days I spent there, I just barely managed to stop by every booth on the floor! And CHA is a trade show for the craft industry not open to the general public. Imagine how big it would be if they ever decided to host a consumer show!

It’s always fun to see demonstrations of new products, or of products that I knew about but didn’t quite realize the full potential of. My favorite at this show was Grungeboard. While stopping by to pay a visit to Tim Holtz, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak with him about this new material and all it can do. (If you’ve ever seen the crowds that form around this craft-world superstar everywhere he goes, you can appreciate how lucky I really was!) The photo here shows my make-and-take project, a Grungeboard cuff bracelet I painted, sanded, inked and punched during just a short two-minute demo. In your hands, Grungeboard feels like a cross between chipboard and leather. But it’s more flexible and versatile than you would believe—while it’s soft enough to rip and distress it without any tools at all, it’s also sturdy enough to sew onto your favorite pair of jeans and run through the washer and drier!

Click here for a video Grungeboard tutorial by Tim Holtz himself. Soon your mind will be reeling with all the possibilities offered by this fun new medium.

What’s your current favorite material or tool that you can’t live without? Be sure to stop by the Media Tips + Tricks Discussion in this group’s forum to share the love!

Happy Tuesday,
Jessica