CHA with Scrapbook Royalty and Suzi Blu

Suzi Blu, Elena and Sally

On Friday, January 22, 2010, Suzi Blu and I drove to Anaheim for CHA. We were carrying in our car all our own stuff plus also things that Elena needed for Scrapbook Royalty. At 2 pm we met Elena and in the rain, dropped off what she needed at the convention center and then went back around again to the Hilton which we were sharing a room with Elena.

Back to the convention center where along with other loyal Scrapbook Royalty Volunteers, we worked our little tails off until 9 pm and then to dinner with Lisa Bebi and her daughter. Then off to bed to be fresh and alert for Scrapbook Royalty's World's Largest Crop. From 8 am until noon, I did all I could for Elena and her worthy organization including retrieving donated raffle prizes from anywhere down below where CHA was setting up. I certainly got my walking exercise in that morning.

While I was running errands, Suzi arrived and captured events on her video camera as the Crop unfolded. At noon, on Saturday, Suzi and I hit the Scrapbook Expo also downstairs where we could purchase products. Suzi was wearing one of her wild wigs that you see in her YouTube videos and in her online classes. People recognized her everywhere requesting photos with her. What a fan club Suzi has. I also saw many friends and scrapbook store owners from the San Diego area including Diane and her husband plus Vicki (worker-bee on steroids :) from Stamping Details in Poway, Liz and Krystal from Scrapbook Your Life in San Diego and the sweet owner of Paper Tales in Point Loma.

We go there just as Carol Duvall set up at the Judikins, Inc. store. Suzi took lots of video of Carol and asking both well known artists and the public the question of the day, "What does Carol Duvall mean to you?" Be sure to visit www.icraftnetwork.com and also e-mail Carol at icraftwithcarol@yahoo.com.

Here is the video Suzi Blu made at CHA that is also on her site. Thanks Suzi for letting me post it here also. "Bring Carol Duvall Back!"



At 7 pm we returned to the 3rd floor of the convention center and Elena's World's Largest Crop to see artists like Lisa Bebi, Alisa Burke, Traci Bautista present donated art they had created to be raffled or bid on for charity. The final artist/publisher was Jenny Doh previously publisher extraordinaire of all the Somerset Magazines and now creator of Crescendo and online magazine. She told everyone about her vision for Crescendo and Art Heals.

Sunday the doors opened for CHA. I was particularly excited to see what Melody Ross' product line kiosk was going to hold. I had been lucky enough to be included the Tuesday before CHA to go to Gail Lopez's home and experience first hand the new product line of GCD Studios, Inc. featuring Melody Ross's new product. The display was innovative and eye catching. It had been created at Gail's home and had tall panels of wood that turned and displayed all the new products. Plus there were demo's and make and takes.

I also wanted to see Prima's new line of products. Last year, they were the only exhibitors that left a lasting impression on me. And, of course, Ranger Products/Tim Holtz and Claudine Hellmuth giant booth where the line for demo's was sometimes 3 deep.

At Provo Craft, the New Cricut Cake Cake Personal Electronic Cutter Machine 2010 had maybe the largest display where they were introducing the Cake cutting products plus new dies/embossing plates for the Cuddle Bug. You must go to their sight to see what all is new for this year. Everyone was proudly wearing chef hats that they had received.

And at another very large exhibit, everyone was wearing pink aprons that they got from the Making Memories/Slice exhibit. I didn't get a hat, but I sure got an apron!

By Wed. morning, we were ready to go home, Suzi and I. We had come back earlier and earlier each night once CHA opened. And there we read and sketched and painted with our newly purchased wax batik tools.

I had also purchased from the Barnes and Noble Book Store a bunch of art books. It was wonderful to have them there and only art books on display. I purchased image transfer WORKSHOP by Darlene Olivia McElroy & Sandra Duran Wilson. This seemed to cover every method out there and says that it is Mixed-Media Techniques for Successful Transfers.

My First Fairy

This is the Dover Clip Art that inspire "My first Fairy."

Fairy #2

This is the Dover Clip Art that inspire my Fairy #2

I also purchased a Dover book with CD - FAIRIES, ELVES, AND GNOMES. I am always in need of prompts for my drawings. Above are two that I made in my Moleskine back in the room. The faces are mine and I got the ideas for the bodies and background from the book.

And one of my most favorite artists and teachers, Chris Cozen was there with a new book Mixed Media and Color Fabrics, Quilts, Canvas and Papers. I am currently enrolled in she and Julie Prichard's online class that started January 24. It is called Color: Beyond the Basics. I've watched the first two videos today and have much work to do to learn colors using Golden Paints.

I also acquired three books for free! The first is a little book called Cupcakes edited by Lynn Koolish. "30+ Yummy Projects to Sew, quilt, Knit and Bake," it says on the cover. It's only 6"x6" in size!


Khris Cochran autographed her book called The DIY Bride Crafty Countdown for me. "40 Fabulous Projects to Make in the Months, Weeks & Hours before Your Special Day" it says on it's cover.


But, the best I left for last. I got to meet Angela Cartwright and have her autograph her new book In This Garden Explorations In Mixed - Media Visual Narrative by Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn.


Susan Seddon Boulet continues. . .

And lastly is what I consider my best sketch so far. True, I am just trying to copy Susan Seddon Boulet SHAMAN's original, but for me to even get close - I find this amazing. After I sketched her painting as a 9x12, I then scanned and printed it on just computer paper and colored it with Prismacolor Pencils. All this has been possible because of my first Suzi Blu Class - The Poet and The Goddess.

Susan Seddon Boulet original

My 9x12 Pencil Sketch

My sketch with Prismacolor Pencils

Suzi Blu and The Paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet SHAMAN

Susan Seddon Boulet SHAMAN

"Fox Maiden" by Susan Seddon Boulet

Before Suzi Blu left to go back to New Jersey for Christmas, she left me her book The Paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet SHAMAN. She could see I was fascinated with the paintings. They had the same etherial quality that Sulamith Wulfing's Angel's had. There is such a surreal - not of this world - feel to both of theses painter's work.

I remembered my first painting teacher and dearest friend, Georgia, answer when I asked about 5 years ago, "what should I try to paint?" She told me to just find paintings I like and try to copy them. Then you don't have to think about composition or color and you can concentrate on just getting something down on paper. If you are in a hotel room, use those paintings on the walls of your room. I felt it took too much time to figure out what to draw or paint. I don't feel I have that part of the imagination thing down and going for me. I need inspiration! Enter Sulamith Wulfing and Susan Seddon Boulet! And for technique, Suzi Blu's online classes.

Sally's first attempt in Moleskine of "Fox Maiden"

My 2nd attempt at Fox Maiden
9x12 sketch book

I think my most favorite of all of Susan Seddon Boulet's paintings is Rites of Passage. I am amazed at how she imagined all three faces interacting with each other. It almost looks like a holy picture.

Susan Seddon Boulet
"Rites of Passage"

My attempt of "Rites of Passage" in moleskine journal

Susan Seddon Boulet has an entire series of paintings with men with birds on their heads. Here are just two more. Aren't theses paintings captivating?

Susan Seddon Boulet
"Visioning"


Susan Seddon Boulet
"Young Men Shall Have Visions"


My moleskine version of "Birds of a feather flock together"


My 9x12 sketch I call "Hawk on Head"

The painting below looked so simple to me. I thought this would be one of the easier paintings to try to draw. . .

Susan Seddon Boulet "Tiger Lily"

My scary drawings. . .

Have you ever seen anything so scary. The drawing on the right was done first. I spent hours and hours on it. It just got more hideous as the night went on. Then I tried it on the left. Not too much better. The following night I went to the 9x12 sketch book. That one was a little better. This all makes me appreciate all the work in Susan's paintings. Speaking of paintings, I will want to try to paint theses afterwards. Wish me luck.



Last but not least is the first painting I tried to copy. I choose this one because I am in Suzi Blu's Online Angel class and this one had wings.

Susan Seddon Boulet
"Eagle Woman"

Since I don't know how to do side views, I used the idea of the wings and the body and created this sketch - my first of Susan's - in my Moleskine.

My first attempt at one of Susan Seddon Boulet's Paintings.

Once again, I hope by showing you my failures and my progress at sketching faces and taking Suzi's classes, that you will be encouraged by your failures and see your own progress. I hope you will let me know what you think.

Here is what I found regarding Shaman:

Shamanism comprises a range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world. It is a prominent term in anthropological research.^[2] A practitioner of shamanism is known as a shaman, pronounced /ˈʃɑːmən/, /ˈʃeɪmən/, (|ˈshämən; ˈshā-|) noun (pl. -man(s)).^[3] There are many variations of shamanism throughout the world, but several common beliefs are shared by all forms of shamanism. Shamans are intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds. They can treat illness and are capable of entering supernatural realms to obtain answers to the problems of their community