CHA Summer 2011: Simple Stories

Simple Stories is one of the relatively new kids on the scrapbooking block. When I saw their booth I thought it was just another scrapbook paper company but then when I looked closer I saw that it was so much more. This company was created out of a necessity; to help get your memories in books quickly and simply. It is every busy crafter's dream. Simple Stories offers 12"x12" sheets that can be used for traditional scrapbooking or cut apart to fit divided page protector sleeves for quick and easy scrapbooking. There are a variety of sizes to fit the various sleeves available.

Their new collection, Generations, is all about family. With deep, dark colors and a family theme, this line would be perfect for documenting your family tree, new home, or just your family members.

Here's an example using the collection on a traditional scrapbook pages and other projects.

Or you could cut apart the sheets and slip them into divided sleeves along with your photos for quick and simple memory keeping.

The 25 Days of Christmas Collection is perfect for holiday projects, especially countdowns. There are plenty of numbered stickers as well as papers.

Their Baby Steps line is great for making a baby book or projects. Whether you have a little boy or girl, the color palette is perfect for both genders. The papers are also designed for documenting all the milestones of your new bundle.

Happy Day is their birthday/party themed line and it features bright, fun colors. With birthday cakes, candles, and presents, this is going to work great for all those special days in your life.

Are you a scrapbooker? Does this faster and easier system appeal to your busy life? Which collection would you get the most use out of?

CHA Summer 2011: Nikki Sivils

The Nikki Sivils booth debuted five new collections at the Craft and Hobby Trade Show last week. Each collection featured great patterned papers, sticker sheets, alphabets, and stamps available from Unity Stamps.

The My Lil' Monster Collection featured monsters big and small with a dark red and teal color palette. It would be perfect for both girl and boy scrapbooking layouts.

With back to school right around the corner, it was no surprise to see the new School Is Cool line. With bright primary colors and school themed images, this cute collection was a must see.

The collection that really caught my eye and made me exclaim, "Yes!" when I saw it was the Get Well Soon line. You really can't find many products in this theme usually and people generally make these cards and gifts for friends and loved ones. So, way to go Nikki! This cheerful collection has a great color palette of reds, yellows, and rich blues and also features stethoscopes, bandaids, and cute little germies.

It was apparent at CHA last week that the owl is still alive and continues to be a hot trend in paper crafting. The new You're A Hoot line features the popular winged character as well as bright fall colors.

The one collection not shown is the holiday line, Gingerbread Land. It features non-traditional holiday colors such as pink and baby blue as well as gingerbread images.

So, what do you think? What theme of paper products are there not enough of? Are you still in love with the owl or do you wish he would just fly away already? We would love to hear what YOU think.

CHA Summer 2011: Designer Dallas Graham

At CHA, some of the most synergistic moments can take place over lunch.  We met this quirky designer in the long lines for overpriced food.  Dallas Graham's designs are born from his love with typography.

Take a close look at these fine fellows... see they are made from punctuation; comma bodies, exclamation point legs?  With names taken from fonts, like "Red Fred Bodoni" and "Black Jack Brush," the viewer isn't just looking at fine design, we are learning!  We were so glad to see there is already a published children's book about these chirpy folks, and we hope to see more products in production soon.  I could see these designs translating well into scrapbooking, stationary, stickers, and home decor!  Wall vinyl clings would be fabulous please!

We think integrating fonts/typography into character design is brilliant. We encourage you to subscribe to the super fun, "Jolly Blog".  For children and adults alike!  And check out Dallas' personal blog, because there is more to this designer than just putting birds on things.

CHA Summer 2011: Ribbon & Trim

CHA was full of fabulous ribbons and trim.  Everywhere we turned there was ribbon!

Maya Road had an amazing collection.

The textures were beyond scrumptious. Zipper ribbon, petals, flowers, and more frills and ruffles than one could ever dream of!

 The colors and textures were amazing!

The ways we could use all this ribbon is endless!

The frayed edges on the ribbon used in the flowers here give such a textural look to these tags.

So much texture! 

Another booth with new ribbons, trims, and even netting was Webster's Pages. Their new Tinsel trims are unique, fresh, and come in four cheery hues and are available by the yard.

The colors and sparkle in these ribbons brings so much interest to these pages.

Netting and ruffles... a perfect combination for airy flowers!

We saw so much ribbon out there, it was hard to pick our favorites.  What is your favorite ribbon trend you've seen so far?

CHA Summer 2011: Hero Arts

Hero Arts is a powerhouse when it comes to rubber stamping. Their strong designs and long standing relationship with crafters makes them a force to be reckoned with in the craft industry. Making them even stronger are the partnerships they've made with some paper companies. Their Basic Grey collaboration started back in January and is going strong with 20 new stamp sets released at CHA this summer. With everything from florals to holiday themes, these designs are a great accompaniment to the Basic Grey 6"x6" paper pads.

Hero Arts also released their own designs in all the holiday themes.

And let's not forget their new partnership with Sizzix to bring you Framelits and Stamp and Emboss sets which combine what you love about Hero and Sizzix together.

The Stamp and Emboss sets include a large background set and coordinating embossing folder.

Here's a quick look at how they work. (click to enlarge)

And their newest partnership with Studio Calico has everyone cheering. With six new sets and two background stamps, these new designs are classy and simple, perfect for a wide array of crafts.

Are you a stamper? Love the new Hero Arts products? What kind of stamps do you prefer, wood-mounted, cling, clear?