CHA Winter 2013: Innovations Showcase Products (Part 1)

Each show, CHA holds its Innovations Showcase, which serves as a combination media event and buyer preview. The top 20 entrants in the Innovations Showcase (as pre-determined by  a panel of celebrity media judges) take part in a speed round of presentations to the audience, and then attendees get a few minutes to visit each entrant’s booth around the outer edge of the room to talk to the various manufacturers about their products. (At CHA Winter 2013, Craft Critique’s own editor Nancy Nally was one of the celebrity media judges!)

Needless to say, we arrived with our cameras and notebooks in hand to get the most information possible in the short amount of time allowed for our readers. Our first stop was to see Julianna C. Hudgins demonstrating her new jewel loom from Beadalon.

Beadalon Jewel Loom by Juliana Hudgins

This patented loom works like a traditional bead loom but is specifically created to be portable and easier to use.  Notice the cool curve that allows for Julianna’s fingers to easily control the beads while stringing.

Beadalon Jewel Loom by Julianna Hudgins

Some of the samples she had on display included earrings, headbands, and more.

Beaded Jewelry by Julianna Hudgins.

Then I moved on to watch Tim Holtz demonstrate the new additions to the Distress product line from Ranger Ink: Distress Paint!

The new Tim Holtz Distress Products for 2013

You can see how vibrant the Distress Paint colors are in these projects:

Projects made with products from the Tim Holtz Distress Line.

This photo shows a project made on multiple different surfaces with Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint:

Card made by Tim Holtz with the Tim Holtz© Distress Paint from Ranger.

The representatives from Katy Sue Designs were demonstrating their new Cupcake Molds, which judges declared the winner of the 2013 Innovations award at CHA Winter 2013.

Katy Sue Designs Cupcake Molds

These particular cupcake molds by Katy Sue Designs are called the Messy Monsters and are quite cute.

Katy Sue Designs Messy Monsters Cupcake Molds

Next there was Faber-Castell, who were on hand to demonstrate their new colors and products from the Gelatos collections.

Faber-Castell Mix & Match Gelato Color and Tool sets.

They have two new collections of Gelatos called “Tropical” and “50′s Diner”.

Artwork made with Faber-Castell Gelatos colors.

There are also two new tools sets to work with Gelatos.

Gelatos Tool Set by Faber-Castell

Coffee Donut Ring made from EnviroTex Jewelry Clay.

The clay is easy to mix and looks a bit like porcelain when it has fully cured.

Jewelry Pieces made from EnviroTex Jewelry Clay

These are only half of the vendors who had product on display. To see the second half of the products, check back for part two!