A whirlwind Alumni weekend at CHF!

The Alumni weekend is over now, and what a weekend it was!  I had planned to blog daily while I was here but my computer caught a virus on the way out here.  It went to Best Buy on Friday for intensive care with the Geek Squad which resulted in me buying a new computer.  I just picked up the new one today and am very glad to be back online - I'd been having withdrawls!

Truthfully, though, we have all been very, very busy; I wouldn't have had much time for blogging anyway.  We've headed over to CHF each day around 8:00 am; on Friday we came back to the hotel at 8:00 pm, and on Saturday at 11:15 pm.  Sunday we got done around 6 pm and actually got to leave the building for dinner!

I've had a great time meeting all the other contest winners and getting to know them better.  A few I knew from the CHF Academy Forum, but I hadn't met any of them in person.  What a fun crew!  The CHF staff did a great job too, helping us work on our projects and providing great meals and ample snacking opportunities. 

The designs are great and are all quite unique.  We are going to WOW the Vegas crowd at the Expo in April!  I can't wait.

I'll post some pictures as soon as I can figure out how to download photos onto my new computer.  More soon!

Custom Home Furnishings Alumni Showcase Fabrication Weekend!

I just arrived in Charlotte, NC for the Custom Home Furnishings Alumni Showcase Fabrication Weekend.  I am SO excited to be a part of this!

During the course of this weekend, the 6 showcase winners and several industry experts will slave away at the Academy to create all the gorgeous designs.  The winners attended a webinar earlier this week where we got to see each other's designs and ... they are awesome!  I am really looking forward to see them all come together and to get to know the other talented designers who dreamed them up.

When I checked into my room, there was a nice gift bag from CHF waiting for me.....

Inside the bag was a comfy CHF sweatshirt and coffee mug.



I think CHF is trying to tell us dress comfortably and plan on drinking lots of coffee! 

I'll post another update when I can.  At the most recent webinar, we were told that last year everyone arrived at the academy around 8:30 am each day and didn't leave until about 11:00 pm!  So, I'm not sure how much free time I will have. 

Thanks for reading!

I've gone to the dogs!

OK, well, those of you who have known me for a while know that I "went to the dogs" a long time ago!  But this is a little different.

My good friend Leslie Gallager (owner of K9z Etc.,) has a very cute Dachsund named Claudia.

Claudia

Leslie found an adorable canopy bed online for Claudia and then it was my turn to create bedding for "Princess Claudia".  Leslie chose a great teal cotton print for the mattress and a shimmery, sparkly blue and green sheer for the canopy.  Here's what the bed looked like before.

First, I upholstered a board to lie underneath Claudia's cushion so she wouldn't fall through the metal bars.

Next, I made a cushion for her to sleep on and of course, a pretty pillow for a head rest!

The finished product with sheer curtains

Crown on top of bed with pretty sheer fabrics

When Leslie came to pick up the bed, she cried when she saw it!  The bed was a Christmas gift to her daughter, as Claudia is "her" dog. 

Do you know a doggie princess who needs a throne? Call me and I will custom design one for you!

To learn more about Leslie's pet sitting and training business, you can view her website at http://www.k9zetc.com/







Very exciting news!

In February I submitted an entry in the Custom Home Furnishings Academy Alumni Showcase contest.  I was recently notified that my design was selected as one of the winners!

I will be traveling to the Custom Home Furnishings Academy in Charlotte, NC at the end of March with the other contest winners to fabricate my design.  We will be treated like "Project Runway" designers and will have several industry experts from across the country assisting us as we fabricate our designs.

In April my design will be on display at the International Window Coverings Expo in Las Vegas.
 
I am SO excited about having been selected as a winner! I will be posting regular updates here during the coming weeks.  For now, I am sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal my design.  However, I will be taking loads of pictures to walk you through my experience and will post them when it's appropriate.