My First CKC Convention

Hello,
Today I'd like to share a few new toys that I got from last week Valley Forge convention.   I have heard about this convention a few years ago but I never gave it a second thought.  Then I met Rachel and she convinced me that I should go just once to see how it was.  I needed a break from all the crazier things around me so I decided to go to this CKC (Creating Keepsake scrap book Convention) convention.   I called my other friend, Maritza, she had never been to this convention either and  she also would like to go.


But first let me share this.

My 35.5 oz. coffee-mate piggy bank! I should dress this can up a little.  Every year I would put most of my changes in this can.  A year later when it filled up, I would cash it and treated my children to something.  But this year I told them it's for "mom" and they understood mom's needs.  I took the can to the bank to cash it before I went to the convention.  I knew the total would at least be $200.  It took awhile to count. When it was finished counting, the lady behind me gasped and she asked me how long did I save it for.  I told her a little over a year.  The coins in the can worth $254.

I was thinking of spending at least $200 at the convention but I was a very good gal.  I spent less then that.  I was in awe of the things that I saw there.  The vendor displays were very pretty.  So many scrap book vendors.  I didn't buy any scrap book papers or anything that I would get from the local craft store.  My goal at the convention was to find something that I couldn't get from the local craft store.  I know I could get these items on line but who wants to pay shipping on these items.


Here was my first found. 

Flat back pearls! The smallest measure 3/16" and the biggest measure 1/4".  There were 72 pearls in a pack for just $1.  I bought 20 packs on the way in.  I got all the same color because I can paint them with different color markers if I needed a different color.

After the pearls booth, I found this 1 1/4" bind it all wires.  I had been looking for these for quite some time.

Then I found this unique punch.

This is a 8 punches in 1.  The yellow top can be removed and this punch can be used as a corner punch, straight border punch, large circle punch, smaller circle punch and oval punch.  My friend and I bought one each and we were thinking of swapping the punch for more designs.  What a great idea!


Then I found this.

Cuttlebug quilling kit.  I watched a video about this a while ago and was wondering when it was going to come out in the market.  They had three different kits at the convention.  I only bought one.  I will wait for the other two kits.

After I bought the flat back pearls, I saw the stencils booth.  There were so many varieties of brass stencils.  The lady there demonstrated a beautiful scallop flower.  I wanted it and so did a few other people who watched her but the seller just didn't know how to do business.  Both husband and wife didn't know much of the products that they were selling.  So every one moved on.  Then when we decided to come home I told Maritza that I'd liked to check that stencils booth again and that she should find a place to sit because I was going to take my time there to look for something.  I had a feeling that the booth had something that I was looking for.  Sure enough I found it.  The embroidery templates!   I got a handful of  the stencils.  Then when I asked the guy there, he didn't know what to do with them and the wife didn't bother to get up and help me.  She was too busy talking on the phone.   So I put most of them back and just got these three.

 I thought with these three templates, I will have plenty to play with.

We were at the convention for only two hours and we were done.   Maritza was just like me.  She was looking for something unique.  She bought a very good Martha Stewart scoring board for half the price I paid for my Scor-Pal!  We didn't look at the scrap book vendors at all.
 Then it was time to come home.  We went to the car and I still thought about the $1 flat back pearls.  I told Maritza that I spent less then I thought I would spend, so I wanted some more pearls.  I told Maritza the pearls won't be rotten sitting in my craft room, right! so I wanted a few more packs.

So we went back in and I got these:

Six packs of the purple color

and just 3 packs of these

and 3 packs of these.  I should have gotten more of these.  They would look so good on scrap book pages.

and 3 packs of these black pearls.  I had forgotten all about my La Cream gate fold album that was why I bought only 3 packs. 

Maritza and I had a good time at the convention.  Thank you Rachel for convincing me to go to the convention.  I am looking forward to another convention already. :)

Thank you everyone for stopping by today.

Helen