• Interactive LIVE streaming video featuring all your favorite craft personalities and designers!

• Chat LIVE with the interviewees and other viewers!

• Tons of fun and great prizes to be won as you watch!

• Freebies and inspiration galore!

• Witness firsthand the hottest new craft products before they even hit the market!

• And BEST of all by signing up you will be benefiting A Place To Bark a no-kill animal foster and adoption rescue foundation!

Have you ever been curious about the CHA show but unable to attend either because you just couldn't make it or because the industry event is open to the trade only? Well, here's your chance to attend this extraordinarily event without even leaving the house! I am giving away a ticket to Charity Wings LIVE from CHA to one lucky reader!

Included in this prize is the ability for you to tune in to the Craft & Hobby Association Winter 2012 Trade Convention and see demos, meet artists (including Modern Surrealist) and learn about the latest innovations in the craft industry! 

In addition you will receive a Make n' Take gift pack valued at over $40! With this pack you will be able to create many of the fun projects featured on the show! View and participate from the comfort of your own home! Invite your crafty friends to your home to join you in the fun! If all that wasn't enough, the winner of this giveaway will also be entered into 45 separate raffles with prizes valued at $50 each, some of which are hand crafted items created by artists such as myself! What an amazing gift that keeps on giving! 

To enter to win, please leave a comment mentioning "LIVE From CHA Giveaway" on the wall of the Modern Surrealist Facebook Page. 

Winners will be announced on the Modern Surrealist Facebook Page Friday January 19th, 2012. 

Contest Open to US and Canadian residents only. No PO Boxes.

Deadline to Enter is Friday January 19th 2012 at NOON CST.

Tickets to the event may also be purchased HERE if you prefer to have a guaranteed spot at LIVE from CHA with Charity Wings. Charity Wings in an awesome non-profit dedicated to raising funds for noble causes by sponsoring creative events throughout the United States. 

Sponsored by Westcott Brand - The World’s Favorite Scissors™ - Booth #2773

Witness the Excitement as Designer CHA Members Shred Their Competitors in FOUR LIVE CONTESTS!!! What Can They Create in 20 Minutes with a Basic Oversize T-Shirt and a Pair of Westcott Brand Extreme Edge® Scissors?!! The Possibilities are Endless!!!

Westcott Brand is pleased to announce our upcoming series of creative competitions in our booth #2773 at the 2012 Craft & Hobby Association Winter Trade Convention! This fast paced competition hosted by Modern Surrealist Marisa Pawelko is sure to be the talk of the show! 

We've got FOUR competitions lined up with some amazing CHA Designer Member Contestants! Check out this ALL-STAR Lineup! If you happen to be attending the show, please come to our booth and see who makes the cut!!!

Invite your CHA friends to the event on Facebook

*CHA Winter 2012 Convention is open to the trade only

Now usually I’m not one for following patterns or kits, but this was different. For the first time EVER, I was actually inspired to follow all the directions provided to a T! Originally being the craft rebel that I am, I intended to make something completely wacky, like another animal or a purse. However after watching the DVD, I was so inspired to create the pure classic sock monkey just like how Ana showed me how to do it in her DVD! She joyfully demonstrates this fun and easy sewing project and offered up lots of practical tips throughout the process!

In the video Ana mentioned the idea of designing customized sock monkeys inspired by specific people. That concept really ignited my creative juices! As you may already know, Betsey Johnson is my ultimate lifetime creative muse! That’s putting it lightly. She is far and away the most inspired, creative, passionate and stylish designer in the entire world! I have never seen a single BJ design that wasn't absolutely incredible! I actually had the clandestine honor of meeting my muse on a beach in Mexico and told about the experience in one of my first blog posts. Words cannot express my love for Betsey!!!! I aspire to be the “Betsey Johnson of the craft world”! So naturally I decided to create my sock monkey in honor of the spectacular Betsey Johnson! The kit provided included a pair of the Original Rockford Red Heel socks. In conjunction with the DVD Sock Monkeys Go BanAnas, Rit® Brand Dye supported the blog hop with Liquid Dye in the colors of our choice (Aquamarine, Fuchsia and Violet)! I experimented with tie dying my sock monkey parts (prior to assembly) and I must admit that even though I opted not to read the directions on the dye the colors came out great! Perhaps my being from Woodstock, NY I have the tie-dye gene? Some participating craft designers also received adorable sock monkey stamps from blog hop supporter Judikins to incorporate into their designs! After creating the basic form, I channeled my inner Betsey Johnson with the hair, accessories and clothing. The eyes are made from plastic water bottle tops filled with glitter and buttons and sealed with Mod Podge Dimensional Magic. Found this great thick Mexican yarn in my stash for the hair and put it up in a beautiful high ponytail, one of Betsey’s signature looks! Her hair actually looked this way the time I met her on the beach! Included are a couple of sequined Duck Tape dreadlocks thrown in just for good measure! In the DVD Ana even teaches you how to make pants for your sock monkey using another pair of socks! I just so happened to have an amazing purple and aqua leopard pair of Betsey Johnson socks that became the jumpsuit embellished with fabric, sequin trim, buttons and applique. Finally I had an absolute blast creating all of her little accessories out of buttons, broken jewelry and Duck Tape. I particularly love the little shoes made out of gold Duck Tape!

If you’d like to enjoy this same fun project and the DVD, you can buy the whole kit online at the WCK mall! Click here to order!

To see all of the designer’s creative interpretations of the Sock Monkey, simply click “Hop Forward” on the Designer Crafts Connection icon in the sidebar of our blogs!

There is also a great contest that you can enter, the deadline is December 19th! You could win the whole Sock Monkey Kit worth over $40.00 which includes: the Videobook "Sock Monkeys Go BanAnas", One Sewn Sock Monkey Ready to be Stuffed, One Pair of the Original Rockford Red Heeled Socks, Button Eyes, Needle, Floss and Stuffing! To enter: