I spent this past weekend in the company of good friends at Adventures in Stamping. Friends from Cincinnati ink and my Dayton Stamping crew. I traveled from Cincinnati with Marolyn (our driver), Dorveda (giver of gifts) and Patsy (my roomey) for a fun filled, shopping and bonding weekend.
We left town Friday morning at 7 am and headed up I-71 to exit 100 to the Crackle Barrel for breakfast and then on to Columbus to the Super JoAnn's as well as Prism Art Store. I got a Ken Brown Calligraphy set for $5.97 reduced from $24.97 at JoAnn's and some Aqua-Board and minis canvases and easels at Prism.
The next stop after Columbus is Brunswick Ohio and the Hollo's Papercraft store. Hollo's was not as crowded as it was in past years. We love to shop here because there is card stock for $1 per pound. I found the new layout of the store much easier to navigate, and it appears that they have expanded the space...great. I found some copper colored mirror paper as well as the card stock and envelopes. We also visited Pat Catan's a discount craft store similar (but better) than Michael's.
Then we went to our hotel in Akron, the Quaker Inn where we learned that they had been sold to the University of Akron and will be converted to student housing. So where we will stay if we come next year is unknown. We liked the Quaker Inn because it was adjacent to the convention center. Oh well. Later in the evening we went to Archivers and I noted that their stock was different than my local store. We got snacks from the Giant Eagle and retired to munch and watch a movie.
Bright and early we went to the early bird entrance of the convention. I met my friends from Dayton: Pat, Marie Lynette and her friend Denise.
Marie found for us a new African American Stamp at Artful Illusions and its matching collage sheet, I love it when we find stamps that look like us. Lynette had researched and found some Rubbernecker stamps that were also African American and of children. I had not seen these before. Lynette was told that they had stopped producing them but decided to bring them back. We also watched the demo's at the Rubbernecker and I had to buy the Ranger Dabbers, Crackle paint and misters. Lucky for me Lynette was there to save me when the credit card machine went down and loaned me some cash since my check book was left behind. This touched me deeply as Lynette is a new friend. Thanks so much Lynette!
Likewise the demo at Starving Artistamps sold me on their mosaic stamps.
I was sad to see my Dayton Crew go home at the end of Saturday but we were all glad for the time we had. Reunited with the Cincinnati group we went to dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse...ummmm Alfredo and a side of Meatballs. Followed by our show and tell where we look over the purchases made by the other girls and take note of what we "need' to get on Sunday. This is why I like that this is a true 2 day show so you do have the chance to go back and get something more.
I was able on Sunday to get something Lynette had second thoughts about. And several of the things I saw at our show and tell. But all too quickly our time on Sunday drew to a close and we left the convention to check out of the hotel and head back down the road to Cincinnati. With old friends, out of town friends, and friends to play with (the new products and demos from convention) it was truely an adventure.
QP
Tomorrow is another me day. There is a lot of stress in my life right now and so I am going to have some Art therapy. I am taking a class with Cheryl Darrow of Ten Seconds Studios. I will post pictures of what I learn. Later QP
