One of my favorite parts of my job is definitely teaching at the Creating Keepsakes Conventions (CKC). These shows, which take place all over the country, bring enthusiastic scrappers together to create, play and have fun!
I’m actually typing this on the airplane on my way to CKC Manchester in New Hampshire. So, to get in the CKC spirit and give you an inside glimpse into the show, I have a few videos to share from my last CKC experience in St. Louis, MO.
First, let’s take a look at just a few of the cool class projects you can make at the show.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7icY9LYLjdA&feature=channel]
To really be CKC cool, you must dress yourself in the finest convention logo wear. Our store has some awesome clothing available, including the super popular “Scrap Chick” t-shirt. Plus, you’ll find an assortment of our latest CK products for sale. Click on the video below to take a look inside the store:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzJiMz7X-KQ&feature=channel]
As a CK blog reader, you know how we feel about giveaways around here—the more the merrier! Well, the CKCs are no exception. We have class giveaways and the CKC team always hosts a fun layout contest, where awesome prizes are awarded! Here’s a look at some of the entries from the St. Louis show:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iFYn3O5QzE&feature=channel]
And what would any scrapbooking convention be without some fantastic scrap shopping? The Vendor Faire is packed with the latest products, as well as screamin’ deals and friendly faces. Here’s just a taste of what can be found:
Embellish It! Booth
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdlTn8TZ5Q0&feature=channel]
Queen & Co. Booth
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHJLEeZiHmY&feature=channel_page]
Are you attending CKC Manchester this weekend? If so, please take a minute to say hello. I’ll likely be the one in the pink polka dot apron, holding the video camera. 
And if you’re not in the Manchester area, worry not; as I said before, we have conventions all over. Click here for a list of the towns we’ll be visiting this year. We hope to see ya at one soon.
Cheers!
Megan Hoeppner, Creative Editor
How exciting! I’ll be in Manchester Friday night and all day Saturday! I can’t wait! I’ll be looking for you
OMG! I am going to volunteer at the Convention. I am working at the CK bookstore and then as a teaching assistant. The convention is always one of the highlights of my year! I’ll be looking for you in the pink polka dot apron! Maybe I’ll even get an autograph!
I’ll be hitting the one in Tulsa! Can’t wait! Sign ups are next week so I’m just all a-jitter! Woo-Hoo!
Thanks for the videos-
I’m sure you’ll have sooo much fun. I really want to go to the CKC. I will have to get to on in my around as soon as I can. Thanks for the videos I really feel like I’m there. Take tons of videos and pics this weekend.
Have fun everyone! Just not in my budget
Thanks for the video’s…I will be at the convention in Manchester all weekend!!!! Can’t wait to get a picture with you. What is on your bracelet in the first video?
I was in Manchester Thurs pm thru Sat pm. Had a great time in all my classes!! All were such great ideas!! The overall show was great too! Lots of vendors with lots of goodies to buy!! The Thurs night crop was a lot of fun!! As were the crops Fri and Sat nights! Can’t wait for the show again next year!!
The CKC in St. Louis was so much fun. I took one of your classes and learned a lot. You’re a great teacher! And, I was also a teacher’s assistant in one of your classes. I would recommend going to anyone that is even just thinking about it. I love walking aroung in the vendor faire just so I can get new ideas and see what new products are out there.
Hi! Going to CKC in Buffalo! Can’t wait! This is my time once a year. Getting so Excited!
I went to the vendor fair for Creating Keepsakes in Buffalo. This was my fourth year going and I was pretty disappointed. There were only a few good booths. Two booths had going out of business signs, but they weren’t really going out business. They had the signs up last year too. A lot of what was sold I could buy locally. There weren’t many vendors with a decent paper selection either. I was really excited to go, but I don’t think I will go again next year.
Don’t get me wrong, I really like Creative Keepsakes, but this vendor fair was not worth the time or money.
I went to the CKC Buffalo Show on Friday and Saturday. It was my third year going. There were some concerns I had that I really wish CKC would take seriously and make some improvements. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time and enjoyed many of the booths. However, here are my suggestions:
1. Some booths could sell the following .It was a common opinion among shoppers. Here goes:
2. Sell Scrapbook Totes (non were to be found at the show and they would sell like crazy!!)
3. Sell scrapbooking organizers – for paper, embellishments, tools, rolling carts, sturdy project totes.
4. Books! Sell scrapbook idea books.
5. More booths with Make and Takes – they are great!
6. More booths with new and different product. For instance, glaze pens are not well-known. I learned about them at the end of the day on Saturday at a booth and they were sold out. There is product out there that need to be introduced.
Here are some other ideas:
1. Instead of posting names on the bulletin board of winners – announce the names. We forget to ever look at the board!
2. Big Suggestion: Hand out more prizes at the crop! At the Friday night crop there were prizes given out. I happen to be one of the volunteers that helped pass out the prizes. I was astonished how much ‘stuff’ was in many of the give away bags to the lucky people who won. In some of those bags there had to be 50 – 70 items. Let’s be more fair and make it fun for more people and divvy up those gifts. I doubt whether the donors meant for one person to receive ALL of it! Also, why did they ask for volunteers to hand out the prizes? You should have enough staff to do that. I never received a thank you or even a trinket for spending my ‘crop’ time doing your job.
3. Here is my biggest suggestion: the class I took (CKC class) wasn’t done right. You needed more TA’s assisting (not just walking around showing picture. There was one colored picture floating around with the finished product. There should have been a color copy at each table or even 1 for each person. Not enough supplies at the table – in many cases, no supplies! And the supplies we had to use were dirty (with ink) and unsharpened colored pencils. We had to use white paper and the dirty stamps smudged my white paper in the beginning and they had no extra paper to replace it. None of us finished the project. I will add, it was not the instructors fault! It was what CKC gave her to work with – lack of supplies and help, and examples. $22 x 80 students = that is close to $2000 CKC received for holding a poor class. C’mon!!!! And to top it off CKC did not have the ‘tree branch’ clear stamp available to buy! I would have really liked to buy it! No booth with product available. They advertise prizes in the class too – NOT. In this economy this company needs to be diligent and have high quality to survive or you are going to fall fast and hard. I hope this was helpful – I am only being honest.I will come back next year and I look forward to it and I really, really hope we will see changes and improvements.
Geez…Everyone was happy about their CKC except Buffalo…I live here and have gone to every convention since they started coming here. Please don’t cut us off the list!!! CKC is awesome – every year, I do a little more and more, bring more friends and tell more people about it. I count down the days until registration in Feb., then count down the days until the actual convention in May, and then the day it’s over I count down until next year’s! (and start saving my pennies) Can’t wait for ’10!!
This was our second year attending the CKC Buffalo convention. We had a blast both times- taking six courses each (x3 of us), but noticed that things were definitely different this year. I’m sure the economy is to blame, but we are still looking forward to next year’s event. I miss the Simple Scrapbooks group though–such a fun crowd.
My friend and I noticed that there were many fewer vendors at 2009 CKC in Buffalo. We noticed epecially some of our favorite vendors were missing… I hope 2010 has more vendors, not fewer.
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