CHA Summer 2011 | Innovation Showcase Favorites

Today was the start of the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show Conference and we got a peek at some new products at the Innovation Showcase. Celebrity judges Terri O (PBS-TV’s Super Simple With Terri O), Ana Araujo (WhenCreativityKnocks.com), Maria Nerius (FaveCrafts.com) and Torrie Nelson (Creative Retailer Magazine) judged the CHA’s 20 Hot Products; a great start for this year’s show. Each show, the Innovation Showcase features some of the most unique products about to hit the craft aisles.

Here are just a few of the products that caught our eye and we can’t wait to put to the Craft Critique test…

Little Pink Ladybug has come out with the Brilliant Bowmaker Ultimate Kit. With 19 templates, 3 instruction booklets, and a stapler, this kit has everything you will need to make almost any kind of bow. This system is designed to achieve bow making simply and quickly, allowing crafters to mix and match templates creating a distinct bow style.

With the popularity of die cutting systems, it is no surprise that we selected this next product as one of our favorites. Paper Layerz from Worldwin Papers is crafting paper that makes coordinating die-cut shapes and layers from any die-cutting machine faster, cheaper and easier. This paper is lightweight enough for your machines but strong enough to layer and use dimensionally.

When you say the name Tim Holtz, people’s ears perk up. Well, here’s his new Picket Fence Distress Stain by Ranger Ink. This stain will turn fluid water-based dyes for papers and other porous surfaces, into unique opaque colors.

Here is a little video demonstration of just what this product can do…

Organizing your craft stash has always been a challenge; here’s a new product with a great solution for all those ribbons you’ve been collecting. The Ribbon Carousel by Cropper Hopper will organize and dispense up to 54 spools of ribbon. And the coolest part is that each layer spins independently to assist you with finding the perfect one for your project.

We know how the kids love their Silly Bandz, but we think these Twistz Bandz are definitely gonna give them a run for their money. This cool kit creates rubber band links in a variety of styles and designs. This will be a hit with kids and adults alike.

Faber-Castell has some new Mixed Media sets, as well as colored pencils and artist pens that are going to catch the eye of all kinds of crafters. Whether you are an illustrator, mixed media artist, scrapbooker, or cardmaker, these new tools with their wide array of colors are going to get those creative juices flowing.

And here’s STKR.it to explain how it all works…

So, that’s a few new products to get us started with our CHA coverage. Remember to check back daily for all of our articles; we will be bringing you the best of the show! And we can’t wait to test out these products firsthand and let you know what we think.

So what do you think? Which of these products are you most excited about? Which would you like to see us test drive for you?