January 29, 2011
A Tour of Plaid’s CHA 2011 Winter Trade Show Booth
There’s so much going on at the Craft & Hobby Association’s Winter 2011 trade show that it’s hard to capture everything – but let’s start with a tour of our home base! We pulled out all of the stops this year and went crazy featuring projects with your favorite Plaid product. There are large display units with vignettes ranging from Denim Destruction (our new fashion product) to Learn to Paint (painting has never been easier!). We’re also very excited about our Social Media-Craft TV-PlaidOnline side of the booth – our digital media covers one whole aisle! The display is pretty amazing and makes a big impact. Cathie and Steve are demoing a frame and promoting their new series on (click to see a preview!) Without further adieu, here are some photos from the show floor.
Cathie and Steve getting ready for a long day of making frames – they are always happy!
read more »
Posted in Events | 7 Comments »
January 29, 2011
Hot Glue Gun Helpers Top 20 Finalist for CHA Innovations
I know you’ve heard of Hot Glue Gun Helpers by Cathie and Steve. No? They are only the coolest tools for using hot glue without those nasty burns! Cathie and Steve brought the tools to Plaid and they are now available at the HGGH Etsy Shop. I’d also love for you to watch a video about these awesome tools .
The exciting news about HGGH is that they in the TOP 20 finalists for the CHA Innovations Award! As the name suggests, this prestigious honor is awarded to the most innovative product of the winter show as determined by a panel of judges. For the nomination Cathie and Steve had to set up a table and give a 60-second presentation in front of a group of CHA press and bigwigs. Then they had 40 minutes to show off how the HGGH works at their station. It’s a lot of pressure, but Cathie and Steve handled it like champs (of course).
read more »
Posted in Announcements, Cool Tools | Leave a Comment »
January 26, 2011
We’re Off to CHA!
Plaid is about to head to the senior prom of the arts and crafts industry – the 2011 CHA Winter Trade Show in Los Angeles, CA! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, Craft Critique provides a great description of CHA and the event here. I’m also excited to let you know that CHA is having a live broadcast this year featuring Terri O! She’ll be doing interviews and telling us all about what’s new. You can find that webcast here.
We’ll be on a plane tomorrow morning, and I’ll have a regular technique post for you to hold you over until Friday. Once we get there, we’ll be doing live blogging from the show. There will be A LOT of pictures and updates. Keep in touch with us over the next few days and wish us luck on our trip. See you in L.A.!
Posted in Announcements, Events | Leave a Comment »
January 25, 2011
Tuesday Huesday: It’s Showtime for Kids
Wouldn’t you have loved to grow up with a fun, colorful room like this one? I particularly love the “stage” with curtains. And the chalkboard cabinet. And the polka dotted green chair in the second image. Who am I kidding – I love the whole thing! I wasn’t a pink girl, so this room would have been perfect for me. The colors of blue are subtle enough that it doesn’t feel completely “boy.” The bright and cheery decor palette inspired me today.
This palette was created using Apple Barrel Acrylic colors (from left to right): Light Leaf Green, Kiwi, Cloudless, Pool Blue, Cool Blue
Posted in Apple Barrel, Kids, Tuesday Huesday | 1 Comment »
January 24, 2011
Make It Monday: Painted Kids’ Mat
Have you ever seen those giant foam mats that fit together like puzzle pieces? The ones for kids’ playrooms? Sarah from revamped hers with some acrylic paint, and it’s super cool! Are you suprised that acrylic paint worked? All you have to do is prime it, and you too can have a floor mat just like this one. You can seal it with our FolkArt vanish. Take a peek at the full blog entry .
Posted in Home Decor, Kids, Make It Monday | 1 Comment »
January 22, 2011
Saturday Find: Pantone Chip Cookies
At Plaid we use Pantone chips all the time for color matching and trend presentations – it’s pretty common for any company that is involved in design. Several of us squealed when we spotted these Pantone chip cookies on Kim Creative Star. She’s so good that she even made metallic chips. These will definitely appeal to the artist in you. Visit the full blog entry with more pictures here.
Posted in Saturday Find, Trend Driven | 2 Comments »
Tags: pantone
January 21, 2011
TGIF Project: Kiss Me Valentine’s Glasses
If you’re planning to cook a romantic dinner for your sweetie, may I make a suggestion? Why not paint some fun and pretty Valentine’s Day glasses with FolkArt Enamels! I’m always looking for original Valentine’s Day painted projects, and honestly, they are really hard to find. These wine glasses totally fit the bill. They also might be fun for a girls’ night out. Find the complete project instructions here.
Posted in FolkArt Enamels, Glass Painting, Holiday, TGIF Project | 1 Comment »
January 20, 2011
Adding Interest with Paint: XOXO Letters
How do you dress up simple wood letters and make them fantastic? You need to pay a visit to the , because she recently painted these “XO XO” letters and they now make the perfect Valentine’s decor! She actually painted a basecoat of one color, rubbed on paint of a contrasting color and then wiped it off. This is a great strategy for adding interest to a project – when simple painting in one color just won’t do the trick. Another great idea for these letters is the white polka dots in various sizes. Visit the Craft-O-Maniac’s blog entry . What could you paint with these simple techniques?
Posted in Holiday, Home Decor, Technique Thursday | Leave a Comment »
January 19, 2011
A Site You Should Know: Art is Fun!
If you are here, then I’m assuming you have an interest in paint – since that’s what we’re all about! I wanted to point your attention to a site I found: Art is Fun! Thaneeya, creator of the site, started Art is Fun because she kept getting questions from readers on her personal art website asking how to begin to paint. I particularly like the acrylic paint section and her sample paintings (like the abstract art above). Your favorite Plaid brands FolkArt and Apple Barrel happen to be acrylic, and can be used to create many of the works on Art is Fun. Take a peek at the site when you have a chance; I particularly like Thaneeya’s instruction on how to paint abstract art found here.
Posted in Apple Barrel, FolkArt Acrylic, Tips & Tricks, Trend Driven | 2 Comments »
January 18, 2011
Tuesday Huesday: A Floral Clustered Pillow
I fell in love with this handmade, sewn felt pillow I spotted in the Winter 2010 BHG Do It Yourself. It’s amazing how you can choose one craft item or home decor piece and then design a whole room around that color scheme. I personally think it’s a great idea – find an “anchor piece” that you like and then find stuff to match it. If you aren’t sure about color and how it works together, it’s a great place to begin. I pulled today’s color palette out of the blooms on this pillow; add a shade of tan and it’s such a pleasant scheme for home decor.
Today’s color palette was created using FolkArt Acrylic colors (from left to right): Turner’s Yellow, Autumn Leaves, Cinnamon, Burnt Sienna
Posted in FolkArt Acrylic, Home Decor, Tuesday Huesday | Leave a Comment »
