The Midwest Art & Rubber Stamp Festival
August 10 & 11, 2002 - Rockford, IL
Sponsored by Heirloom Productions
Heyyyyyyyyy, Folks...
Yes! I'm wayyyy late in my report on the show...
But we had 3 shows in 4 weeks don'tcha know...
So I've been catching up big time!
If you weren't at the Rockford show...
You missed a good one!
If you weren't at the Rockford show...
You missed the fun!
The Rockford show ... well, it rocked!
We vendors were there, tables well stocked
Impatiently waiting for doors opening wide,
Shivering with the anticipation of your coming inside!
And come you did, rushing through the door,
With your "Hello" and "What's this?" and "Can you show me more?
Eager to see and touch and digest,
You also gave us feed-back and felt free to suggest
Other ways to use our wares in the art of creating...
(Do you have any idea how inspiring that is ... how elating????)
That's a biggie for me at every event ...
New ideas that emerge, many times by accident.
Your sharing a card or pin or maybe just a simple remark
Often sets off that amazing creative spark.
If you never knew that, you do now. Thank you!
Our flight to and from the show was smooth and easy. And... surprise! Our drive from Chicago to Rockford went smoothly, too. I scheduled our landing in Chicago for 7 pm Thursday night to miss the rush-hour traffic. The drive was a tad over an hour from O'Hare to Rockford, even with the highway construction going on.
We left Rockford late Sunday afternoon to miss the early-morning traffic going back to Chicago. We didn't have room reservations for Sunday night, but not to fear! We had our trusty "Denny's Traveler Discount Guide" by our side with two hotels near the airport as our target.
Our first stop was the Radisson in Arlington. The young desk clerk looked at us kind of funny when we showed her the coupon for $59 in the magazine we had picked up at the Denny's Restaurant in Rockford, went into the back office to check if they accepted those, came out with a smile and said ... "Yes! We do!" She seemed as happy to confirm that fact as we were to hear it! She then ever-so-neatly clipped the coupon out and handed the magazine back to us.
Meeting and re-meeting stampers ...always the highlight of our shows! As many of you know, I have a real problem putting names to faces at the shows. Show me your face, and yes! I know you! Give me your name, and yes! I know you! But at putting the two together ... I fail miserably many times. I really, really appreciate your coming up to me as many of you did at this show and letting me know what name to put to the familiar face smiling at me.
And speaking of re-meeting stampers ... tons of thanks to our three booth helpers!
Patty R: Who almost ran from me when I asked her if she wanted to help us in our booth wayyyy back in 1997 at our first Chicago show. I didn't know at that time that Patty was attending her very first rubber stamping convention ever and was (as we all are at our first show) overwhelmed with it all. Patty was in our booth this past weekend helping you with your selections and even volunteered that help! Thank you, Patty, and for helping us set up Friday, too!
Melinda M: Who was a tower of strength and activity in our booth at the Milwaukee April show last year and was there for us again at this show. Mr Evo LUVS the way you load those bins into the MiniVan! And I LUV everything you do ... from setting up to writing up sales to demoing with verve to packing up after the show.
Shelley M: Who also was a tower of strength for us at the November Milwaukee show last year when my arm was broken and again for this show on Saturday. And we had the privilege of Shelley's hubby and young daughter joining all of us for dinner. Ever noticed how young people spice up a conversation? Mr Evo & I loved it!
Norma Jean J: Who helped us at the '97 Chicago show and many, many shows in Florida since then. Norma did her best to make it to the Rockford show this year (she lives in Miami and has family in the Chicago area) but had to cancel out at the last minute. Thanks for trying, Norma ... we missed you!
And, by the way, Folks ... it was Norma at the June Orlando show who originated the idea of the pocket card that I've been demoing at the shows the last couple of months. Up until then, I was doing the same demo but either leaving the card "as is", masking and stamping, slapping on an image or cutting out for a frame. Pocket card??? Had never thought of it! Amazing.
"Other ways to use our wares in the art of creating...
(Do you have any idea how inspiring that is ... how elating????)"
See what I mean? And you thought I was just joshing you!
Many of you in Rockford and other shows have asked me if I have a web page up showing the demo cards. I didn't but now I do! And... speaking of inspiration... I've also added where some of my inspiration came from that appears in the demo. You can see it now at:
Pocket Cards
Next stop? Heirloom's Oregon Art and Rubber Stamp Festival ... Portland, Oregon ... Oct 31st & Sept 1st. And, new this year ... Friday classes are being offered! See you there!
Ellen :}> Evo
