Okay, so technically, I was only at the show for a total of … well … not even a full day. But isn’t it much better to keep a bit of suspense in my posts? I can’t just lay it all out there in one post, can I? :)

Truth is, this was a pretty hard show for me. I’m a buyer! I love to buy! I never could understand what the purpose was of collecting catalogs … well, unless you’re 8 years old and collecting brochures from the boat show {or is that something only my sister and I did?}.

My motto … you likey, you buyey {play with me here!}. No seriously, I would be careful about what I liked and what I got and if I was on the fence, I’d grab a catalog. But if I was downright in love with a designer product … no foreplay for me … I just went for it!

Oh how I’m going to miss those days. And it’s one of the reasons this show was so hard. I felt silly, almost, going into a booth to oogle over product I knew I wasn’t going to buy. And then try to ask to take a photo? Geesh! A couple places asked me for a card {rightly so}, but um … well, I’m in between cards right now! Actually, I did have some of my photography cards with and gave those out, but with a huge long, {I’m sure} unnecessary explanation of … well you see, I used to own a beautiful stationery store, but the fact is, I just sold it and well, now I’m a photographer, but I’m still blogging and love stationery and, and, and … AWKWARD!!

So you understand how this show was a little hard for me?

I saw some beautiful products I would’ve loved to share with you, but the fact is, I was too timid to go in and ask to take photos. So I stuck with the tried and true {and friendly} …

Like miss SusyJack* here … oh how I love her!! Love her, love her products, love her blog, love her style … love, love. And she let me take photos! :)

Susy’s {or Susie’s?} got some yummy new things!! I love the new calendars … she’s got a wall calendar, but I’m especially lovin’ the desk calendar. I haven’t seen one in this size before and I love that it’s not in the traditional, standard CD case size. Yay Susy!

She also has some new buttons, designs, pencils, note cards … and she continues to be as gracious and fabulous as always! It was so great chatting with you Susy!

Next up, is a new line. I haven’t carried it in the store, but have been watching closely for the last couple of years. Quite honestly, the name is what got my attention about 2 years ago. Two Trick Pony … don’t you love it?

The ladies looked friendly enough, so I mustered up the courage to go in and have a look-see! I love the booth, and as I guessed … two very lovely ladies manning it and they even let me take photos {but made me wipe the drool from their cards first … }!

Or maybe it was my awkward explanation {outlined above} and the fact that I mentioned over and over that if I still had a store, I’d definitely be bringing their designs to it? Seriously, I did mention/ask if they’d changed their look over the last couple of years … and that I love the way it’s headed. Everything is screen-printed with vibrant, bold colors. But there’s enough of a mix of soft colors too. I think a mix is good. When you’re displaying one line, it’s nice when there’s a subtle mix of colors and tension. Two Trick Pony got it right!

I also found a blog here … looks like a good read!

Last, but not least … the awesome, the creative, the lovely Hello!Lucky. And wow … just wow! Love the new cards, but I especially loved the new booth! Eunice had designed it for one of the gift shows … it was such a hit, they’re reusing it. I love it so much, I’d never change it!  I’m pretty sure Sabrina said it was book cloth … Eunice drew the frames, ‘signs,’ and even the little vase & shelf … how cute are the paper flowers?

Sabrina was as sweet as ever, gracious and got extra bonus points for letting me take photos!  I’m an avid reader of their blog, but took a special interest in this recent post.  Hmm … one guess why?  :)

Thank you Sabrina for taking the extra time to chat with us!

Well, that does it for me and my coverage of the show.  I don’t know … I must’ve been walking in a funk or with blinders on at some point, because later I realized there were designers I completely spaced on seeing.  We literally walked every aisle {easy to do this year} and didn’t even see some of my ‘must-sees’ …

LaFamilia Green, Sugar Paper, Yellow Owl Workshop, Sycamore Street Press … just to name a few.  And then there are my go-to fav’s that I didn’t have a chance to either see or take photos … Linda & Harriett, Paper + Cup, Uncooked {love them!}.

Okay, that reminds me … I have a story about Uncooked {gosh, I hope it’s okay to share … we thought it was classic!}.  We love Natalie and Armand … love their cards … sassy humor … they always give our tired feet a lift at the show!  So we happen upon their booth this year and ask, “How’s the show?”  Natalie replies, “Stupid!” … Classic!  We about fell over.

But I think it sums up the sentiment of how some exhibitors were feeling at first {in Natalie’s defense, this comment was within the first couple hours of the show …}.  I think they weren’t sure what to expect, but felt they needed to exhibit, or they might be forgotten, or lose possible sales, etc.?

Turns out, I think a lot of people ended up feeling pretty good about the show.  I heard comments that even though numbers were down, it gave exhibitors a better opportunity to talk to attendees.  And likewise, I don’t think attendees felt overwhelmed that they couldn’t see everyone they wanted.

‘Til next year?