On the first night of the National Art Education Association Convention, Crayola throws a lavish party for conventioneers. This year the convention was held at Mardi Gras World since the convention was in New Orleans. The warehouse is loaded with float parts that will be used on Blaine Kern floats.

Upon entering the Crayola Party, each guest was handed a "goodie bag." Inside the bag was a t-shirt and a 50th Anniversary Crayola set. Following the sound of music, folks made their way into the big room for hot hors d'oeuvres, desserts and open bar. The dance floor was already hopping as I arrived. Several people wore jester hats.

In a room across the hallway, there were three workshop stations to visit. One was set up for creating a collage. Another one was set up for imprinting and drawing. A third one involved collaborative mosaics. Here’s a piece I created that night using Twistibles Slick Stix™ (softer than oil pastels - kind of like lipstick), Model Magic (texture imprinting tools) and Washable Paint.

To see photos taken at the Crayola Party and the NAEA Convention, click here.