| What's Hot: Top Picks from CHA Summer 2005 |
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New Scrapbooking Products Coming to a Store Near You |
Every year manufacturers in the scrapbook industry roll out brand new product lines for the two major trade shows. The retailer from your local scrapbook store most likely either attended the show or will be receiving the new product information in the mail. These are just a few of my personal picks from Hot New Products from the Craft and Hobby Association show in Chicago, July 15-17, 2005.
Rub-On's:
It seems that there is always one embellishment or trend that takes over the show. This season it was definitely rub-on's. Everyone had them. If there was a paper and embellishment line you could bet the salesperson would say, "And, here are our new rub-on's."
A real stand out in the Rub-On category was Karen Foster Design. They introduced an entire line of 12"x12" full color title and phrase rub-on's. The themes include: Little Artist, Brave Knight, Princess, Circus, and more. You can see them all on the Karen Foster Design web site by clicking here. Watch for them in your local scrapbook store in September, 2005.
Paper:
It's not often that a solid cardstock makes my choice for a Hot New Product, but the DoubleMatestm double-sided cardstock from WorldWin is something you will not want to miss.
WorldWin introduced a full line of double-sided cardstock that has color all the way through the paper. This means that when you tear the paper you reveal the color from the opposite side of the sheet. The color combinations are gorgeous on this 90 lb. (heavy weight), textured cardstock. Ask for it at your local retailers, and watch for project ideas coming this Fall here on About Scrapbooking since I can't wait to play with this paper.
Cutting Tools:
Personal die-cut machines have been hugely popular in the market for the last couple years, with Sizzix, Accu-Cut, and Quikutz taking the lead. The big surprise, however, were the newcomers to these genre. These new machines will change the way scrapbookers cut letters and shapes for their pages!
Provo Craft, who partnered with Ellison to create the Sizzix personal die-cut machine, introduced a new computerized personal cutter. The Cricket
tm takes cutting shapes and letters for scrapbooking to a new level. Each font will be able to be resized from 1" to 5 1/2" high and words and phrases can be printed up to 11 1/2" long. No computer is needed for this stand alone machine. You will no longer need to lug around heavy die sets to take alphabets with you to crops as each font set comes on a tiny cartridge. Watch for this machine January 2006. The suggested retail price is projected to be $299 which includes a cartridge of a font and basic shapes designed by Wordsworth. Additional cartridges will retail for $89.99.Xyron, most well known for their adhesive and laminating machines, introduced a Personal Cutting Machine. This lightweight machine (only 6 pounds) has the ability to resize and cut fonts and shapes. Each font and/or shape set comes in a brightly colored book that has an embedded cartridge that easily snaps into the machine. The pricing is amazing on the Personal Cutting Machine, suggested retail for the unit will be $199 which includes a full font set and a large set of basic shapes. Each additional font or shape set will retail for only $39.99 while font and shape sets (like a baby alphabet with baby shapes) will be $49.99.
Stickers:
Memories Complete has a new line of gorgeous title and phrase stickers printed on clear backing. When applied to cardstock several of the phrases look like the have been added to a rustic, painted background. You can visit their web site by clicking here.
Embellishments:
Bazzill Basics Paper company introduced some really fun embellishments that have been custom colored to match its already popular paper line. A couple of my favorites were the Really Big Brads, giant size round brads that come in three sizes and a myriad of colors to match Bazzill cardstock, and the Really Big Buttons, super-size translucent buttons.
