Stampaway 2008 - A winning team!

Just returned from participating in my 16th Stampaway convention in Cincinnati, OH. Always a great show but this year -- wow! Connie gave me a great spot in the lobby, had Mary Jo McGraw demonstrating, lots of new images (which I'll post in the next few weeks), so it could not have been better. A few travel glitches to be expected. Delays in LA, but after that, smooth sailing. Loved it that I did not have to schlep 200 lbs of rubber with me on the plane -- shipped almost everything ahead with Judi-Kins. Love the customers who attend the Cincinnati show! Great seeing friends like Mike and Chris of Coffee Break, Joni and Mark of Artful Illusions, Nancy Curry, Nancy Aronson, Jeff (Lemonhead) that we don't get to see more than once a year. When my vulcanizer died a few weeks ago I thought I was doomed, but Robert at American Art Stamp came through and pressed all the new images in a couple of days. I went through all my rubber and brought a wider variety than usual -- Halloween, Christmas, Little Elaine, Post Script Studio, and a large offering of vintage items that everyone dug through. I guess that's they key -- the more variety, the merrier! And big news! We won the award for Best Booth Technique (thanks to Mary Jo). We think it was for masking with Micro Glaze, but Mary Jo is so talented, it could have been for 10 different techniques, or Best Use of Big Boy...I start back to school full time on August 25 at Chapman University and will likely only be able to handle a couple of shows a year, but Mary Jo and I have already decided to team up again for the 2009 Stampaway. I want to do the Albuquerque show in 2009 and have already contacted Barbara for possible dates, but probably won't be able to teach. I'll be flying in and out for a quick weekend, but hate to miss that show, so I'll do a whirlwind trip. Other than those two shows, anything else will be "wait and see" until my school routine kicks in...watch for the new images and some interesting photo ops. Hope to become more proficient with the blog grahics in the next few months with a new banner and postings of my artwork. Hope everyone who purchased Screaming Mimi at Stampaway is annoying the heck out of family and co-workers!