Monday, January 20, 2014

CHA Recap


Hi everyone!  
Back to work today after a long trip to CHA in Anaheim and a family wedding this weekend. 
We had a really wonderful time at CHA, from setting up to tearing down.  I will start with a few pictures from our trip to Disney for Tim's birthday and then on to an in-depth look at the steps involved in setting the Idea-ology booth.
I will admit it right here.  I have not been to Disneyland in probably 15 years so this was a fun experience for me.  Thanks Mario and Tim for the invite!
I love the Tea Cup ride...needless to say, when you ride in the same cup with Tim he may just be taking your picture.  
Glad he did.

 The group!
We ended the night with one last celebration at Naples Restaurant in Downtown Disney.  Is that a pizza or what?  What a great way to spend a birthday with friends!

 And now on to the show!

Day 1: January 8th
We arrived on the showroom floor about 2:00.  The booth floor and walls were set that morning and girls from Advantus (our distributor) had already unpacked the props from the crates. It's a lot of boxes!
 
You might notice the white walls at the back of the booth.  Tim had them painted over when the booth was still in Florida so he could paint and glaze them here at the show.
You can see the girls still unpacking props from ONE of the large crates and someone working on the booth lighting up on top.  Mario is working on social media and Tim is getting ready to start painting.
Tim mixed the paint and glaze together in a small bucket.  Richele painted the wall and Tim spread it out with a rag to get the effect he wanted.  I just had to stand back to point out any bad spots and quickly wipe up any drips on the flooring.  The whole process to paint the two small walls took about 30 minutes.  People might not notice the subtle difference but it does look much better than the flat painted walls we had before.
 Someone should have worn gloves....
We had to let the walls dry of course, so we moved back to organizing the props.  Cameras together, pins together, books, cages, bottles, etc.  We also separated out small props for the windows which will be the main feature in Idea-ology, as well as props for the Stella and Sizzix booths.  Lots of things to consider when looking at the stacks of items.  I will be honest, we never know where props will end up at when we start.  Even if we look at pictures from past shows, it never turns out the same.  I think that's part of the fun.


 To set the booth, we start by splitting up the props between the sides of the booth.  Tim always helps us prop the top shelf which is really a 3 person job.   One person on the decking and a couple people to hand props up to that person.  It really is a team effort.
In this shot, you can see the newly painted wall and the "foundation" of the Idea-ology signage.  Some props have been placed on the the lower shelf, but that is just a start to the layering process.
 On the right side of the booth, Rana and Tracey have already hung all the Idea-ology product.  Again, we have the "foundation" pieces of the upper shelf in place, ready for day two of the layering process.
You might have noticed that we did work on the cart of suitcases and cages.  Since our new paper is called Wallflower, which includes birds on a couple papers, we decided to include the cages amongst the suitcases to support the paper images.  And with that, we are done with day 1 of set up.  I admit we were so excited at how far we had come in just a few hours time!
Day 2: January 9th
Today is all about the second layer of props and a third layer of greenery and twigs.  The greenery is always stored in a metal shopping cart (used for giveaways during the show)...it's easy to roll it out of the crate and even easier to transport foliage around the booth.
Today, Richele, Debbie and I worked on the upper shelf as Tim had to work in the Ranger booth.  One person has to be on the decking and one person on the ground to decide on placement of the prop.  We think about shape and size and color of each object before it is placed and in the end, it is up to the person on the ground to make the final decision if the prop works or not since being 5 feet away is better than being inches away.  These girls are always so willing to "make it work".
 
 The famous windows arrived and were unpacked by Mario and Chelle. 
They really were a labor of love by Mario who worked on the finish and the chicken wire and Art who made the shelves.  My husband Jay cut 12 panels for the empty spots, painted half with chalkboard paint and wrapped the other half with burlap to make pin boards.  Once again, team effort.
Time to hang the chandeliers over the cart of suitcases.  You might also notice the wall panels of bugs in the background.  Each show we pick one of the new papers to be blown up and printed, to cover the white walls at the back of the booth. 
The following pictures were taken on day three - we're done!
 Up close on the left side -




 Up close on the right side -



Well, this has turned into quite a long post.  I think I'll save the rest of the finished booth for tomorrow and maybe a little give away too!  You knew I couldn't come home empty handed!

By the way, Tim wrote a wonderful re-cap of all the booths on his blog here.  Please be sure to stop by and check it out, along will all the video clips that go over the new products. 
carry on,
paula



42 comments:

  1. It's incredible the amount of detail that you guys put into the displays! I wish I could have been there in person to see it in all it's glory!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, thanks so much for all those fab descriptions and sharing the whole process!! You guys are all amazing and the result looks truly spectacular! Great photos too, a wonderful chance to drink in all the detail!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It looks like a BALL! yes, I know it is a ton of work but you must be doing it all right because it comes off as looking like it has been there for eons!
    Thanks for sharing Tim's BD fun at Disney also!! FUN!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow and WOW! Spectacular! I could spend hours just taking it all in!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Seems quite overwhelming to me, but when you explain how it is done in stages, it makes more sense. Love the new stuff!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amazing attention to detail and so worth the effort. It's looks great! How fun to be part of such a wonderful team.

    ReplyDelete
  7. So fun to see behind-the-scenes photos! Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. WooHoo! So exciting to hear the nitty gritty and see the pictures! Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for the commentary. It really is fascinating to see how it's all put together.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Amazing how it all comes together. Thanks for the BTS. So much to look at in the booth. And then there is the Idea-ology products. Love the pics of you in the tea cup. Priceless!

    ReplyDelete
  11. It was a fabulous booth! I loved every bit of ya'lls labor of love! Love you on the Tea Cups too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Anita! I would have ridden the tea cups with you!!

      Delete
  12. Thanks for the recap. I am so impressed at all the details that go into putting the booth together. Wonderful

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love all of your vintage things!! Looks like a fun booth! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. oh what fun you all had playing with all those props! i know it's work, but work you love combined with the things you love and the people you love.....it just doesn't get much better than that. plus you got to see all the new things and drool over those while you were drooling over all those props. i don't think i'd ever get sick of handling those lovely things. what are your favorites? good work all around and i wish oh wish i could have seen every single thing. i would have haunted your booth, i'm afraid. really. just amazing. and what fun to go to disneyland. sigh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This time we used about 50 silver trophies between the Idea-ology and Sizzix booths. Definitely my favorite things! After that, books. Always books! The right stack of books can change everything!
      thanks
      paula

      Delete
  15. Hard work never looked so fun Paula!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great photos and tales of the trip! Thanks for taking the time to do so!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Paula, what a wonderful experience Cha show! All that i saw in your pictures looks amazing! The vintage details in every corner, books, window, everything was wonderful! Dysneland is one of the most adorable places in the world, I have been to Disneyland Paris at least 7 times because from Italy it is easily accessible and I would go back again! Your post makes me dream! How I would love work with you!! Hugs BArbarayaya

    ReplyDelete
  18. Glad you had a good time at CHA! Thx for sharing the photos showing how it all comes together. Can't wait to see the final photos tomorrow. :) Sounds like Tim had a great time celebrating his b.d. w/ya'll at Disneyland. How fun! And my-oh-my, that is a big pizza and it looks delizioso. :D

    ReplyDelete
  19. Fabulous display! Thanks for sharing how it all came together.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This obviously takes months of planning and many very organized folks to pull it all together. You all are an amazing talented team. The pics motivate me to gather a few of my vintage goodies and design some pretty shelving for my house. I don't know if it would look as fab as the ideology booth, but with all your great tips, at least I know where to start. Thanks so much! The tea cup pics are so hilarious!! Looks like ya'll had a lot of fun celebrating Tim's Birthday, after all that hard work. Creating wonderful memories is what it's all about. Thanks for sharing, Paula. Now, off to check out Tim's Blog!

    ReplyDelete
  21. WOW, 3 days to set up! I always wondered how it got done, so thanks for sharing. How long does it take to come down? Faster I hope?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Such wonderful photos Paula. Cha looks like so much fun and hard work. The displays were Outstanding. Love them. Thanks for sharing. Karen.x

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hurrah! What fun- lots of work, but such fun, eh?! I was there and really enjoyed seeing Tim, Dee Gruenig, Vanna White, and all the great people and products. I also really liked the Make and Takes, including the altered photo sleeve at your booth! Have a good week.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks, Paula for sharing this...so great to see the booth.
    Wow...alot of work!!
    Love your projects Tim show us on video.
    Wish you a great day!
    Anne

    ReplyDelete
  25. You ALL make organized chaos look like so much fun! Thank you for taking us along on the creative journey.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wow! What a labor of love! It's so cool to see how things come together and how much time it takes to make everything look visually pleasing. What a great job you all do!

    ReplyDelete
  27. So uch work but oh so beautiful!!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Loved your recap of the process...simply amazing how it comes together in just 3 days!
    what a team!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a fun and exhausting trip lol!!! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I was very fortunate to attend CHA with my friends and cohorts from Crafty Capers in Nanaimo, BC Canada. Victoria (store owner), Linda and myself took loads of workshops and then spent four full days walking the show floor. The T!m booth was absolutely fabulous. Despite the amount f time I spent looking through the booth, your BTS peek at the set up showed me that I didn't see 'all' if it! The layering concept works brilliantly with such amazing props, products and an amazing team to pull it all together. Beautiful job, all of you. Thank you for the peeks!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Absolutely stunning... both the finished look, but also all the incredible effort and attention to detail that you all put in. It's such a privilege to get a look behind the scenes at how the magic happens - lots of hard graft, but quite a lot of fun too, by the sound of it - thanks so much for sharing this... looking forward to hearing more!
    Alison x

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hello Paula. Just finished with Tim's two recaps of CHA. Between his discourse and your incredibly detailed account, I feel like I've been there! Thanks for taking the time to chronicle so wonderfully the set up of the booths. The effort that goes into the finished look is phenomenal, but the result is quite spectacular!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Just amazing! I love the process of staging/creating the booths and I'm so in awe of all the designers work with new and old products!!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Outrageous! Simply outrageous! It looks so put together in the end that sometimes we fail to realize all the hard work and effort behind it. Thanks for sharing Paula! Tracy P.

    ReplyDelete
  35. It looked amazing and full of eye candy and just glorious details and so many wonder elements to look at! It looked like hard but rewarding work andthe results are so worth it! Gorgeous x

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thank you for sharing how the booth is set up, such a fascinating process. I'd love to be there to watch it all come together - but you'd have to tie me to a chair, as I wouldn't be able to stop myself from touching things. :) Thank you to all of you for your hard work.

    ReplyDelete
  37. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  38. So enjoyed seeing you and chatting for the little time we had! The Booth looked fantastic!!! Love LOVE love the new additions to the Ideaology collections...can't wait till they are in the store and in my hands to play with!!! Be back tomorrow to see the rest!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Mind blowing! Amazing how much detail and thought has gone into these booths, sheer perfection. I dream of a chance to visit CHA one day. Hey, I would even welcome the chance to help unpack/set up or whatever else at CHA for TH booth (for free I mean!). Just the opportunity to be near so much talent and inspiration would be worth it.

    ReplyDelete