Snapshots from CHA Mega Show 2015

The lights are turned out and the booths all disassembled. Suitcases have been packed and flights boarded for home....the CHA Mega Show 2015 has passed into history.

Anaheim Convention Center

Apparently, Anaheim didn't get the memo that California is a desert. It was grey and drizzling rain for the majority of the days of the show, welcome weather for local residents but not for show attendees.

Hot Product Preview

Two product preview events were run on Friday evening, one for the designers and one for buyers and media. The one for buyers/media, pictured above, was packed, and the stations around the room's edge were busy with attendees getting a closer look at products after the presentations were done.

CHA Block Party

Fortunately, the weather was clear (and warmer than last year) for the Block Party on Friday evening. Attendees mingled and ate from food trucks on the plaza between the Marriott and Hilton hotels in front of the convention center. A band also provided music for dancing.

Nancy Nally

Remember my recent mini-rant against brown in the CHA trend preview? Well, apparently I traumatized poor Tim Holtz because he was afraid to use brown in front of me while demoing for my group at their private demo event! Tim sent me home with a limited edition "brown free" Tim Holtz original tag! To see the whole demo, and learn that Tim is just as talented when you take his brown away, check out the video from Scrap Time.

Tim Holtz

Vintage may not be as popular as it once was, but Tim still is!

Shimelle May Flaum

May Flaum and I stopped by the American Crafts booth to visit Shimelle Laine and see her new baby I mean collection. Wonder Boy was quite adorable (and the collection was cute too!)

Kelly Purkey

Kelly Purkey was giving demos in the Hero Arts booth using her new stamp collection, Clearly Kelly.

Gelato Rainbow

I love anything with rainbows of color, so I had to get my picture taken with the display at Faber-Castell showcasing the Gelatos color palette - including the addition of the new pastel colors.

Blogger Party

The invitation-only FaveCrafts blogger party on Saturday night was one of the hottest tickets at the Mega Show. Held at the Hilton Anaheim, it was populated by dozens of the industry's top bloggers who attended to network with each other and with manufacturers.

Ken Oliver

Ken Oliver was exhibiting his new line of products at the show.

Create And Craft TV

UK television channel Create and Craft TV, which recently made its U.S. debut, was broadcasting live from the CHA Mega Show floor to the U.S. and U.K. Many familiar faces, like Sara Davies (pictured above on the left in the purple) made appearances.

Marion Smith

Marion Smith Designs had loads of new products crammed into their booth, including a new kit for mixing your own spray ink colors!