Bottles of HOPE ON A ROPE Preview

As many of your read this in your morning email, I'll be on a plane heading to Anaheim, California to attend my 10th CHA (Craft and Hobby) trade show. BRING ON THE SUNSHINE!!! I'm tired of the cold!

Today, though is filled with all those last minute must-do's, finishing touches and printing of all my promotional materials.

I hope to have internet while I'm there so that I can blog a little and give you a virtual tour of the show. It is the biggest show of it's kind in the States. I look forward every year to meeting people literally from all over the world, places I've never heard of. I've become quite adept at "sign language" demonstrating when there are language barriers. I also look forward to this because it's a girls week...while we work hard...we have lots of girl fun, build great memories, meet new people and gain more friends.

For the past couple of trade shows, AMACO has offered a designer challenge featuring the Bottles of Hope. This year is no exception. So combining efforts with Staedtler (the new distributors of FIMO), Amaco has sponsored, Bottles of HOPE ON A ROPE. So it's a bottle with a twist - it's made into a necklace.

Yesterday AMACO announced it's top 25 entries from all the participants. I was so happy to see several friends who made this list - Jenny Cox of KindClay, Laura Griffin, Jen Lowe among others. The necklace pictured above was designed by Ponsawan Sila. I loved the way she made the bottle into a gumball machine!

Please take a look at all the entries. I'm so thankful that I'm not a judge...I mean how can you pick just one? They are all beautiful works of eye candy.

Overall winners will be judged by editors of magazines based on Best Use of Bead rollers, Best use of AMACO product and the like. They will receive a beautiful glass etched award along with a basket full of craft goodness and a $200 check in their honor to the charity of their choice.

So my best to all the TOP 25. You are all winners in my book!

Stay tuned, I'll be sharing more from the CHA show...and hopefully LIVE from CHA. llysa from PolymerClayTv will be interviewing me and I'll do my best to take tons of photo's to share.