Hambly

Noteworthy | 9.02.2011

September 2, 2011 By May Flaum 5 Comments

As we enter September the announcements and excitement is at fever pitch. Here at Scrapbook Update, Editor Nancy Nally has been busily restoring the site after a catastrophic server failure. While this week has been noteworthy around here for reasons we wish it wasn’t, the scrapbook industry is booming with wonderful things this week! Blogs are bursting with new inspiration as CHA released products hit shelves fast and furiously, new design teams are being formed, and so much more. Here are some of the most noteworthy items of the week:

Rhonna Farrer has been designing beautiful scrapbooking products for many years, and after House of 3 closed, I had hoped to see her branch out on her own. Over the summer she has offered some beautiful digital designs on her blog, and recently put out a call for design team members.

This week she announced her new creative team, and now her website has been re-designed and is open for business with digital designs perfect for digital or hybrid crafting. She announced the details of the new shop on her blog, and stressed that her goal is to uplift & inspire through digital designs and project inspiration.

Speaking of project inspiration, Hambly Studios posted a simple tutorial of how to use washi tapes to create custom banners. Finding a way to use multiple bits of the tape in such a different way is refreshing and I can’t believe I never thought of it! Expanding on their idea, I’m now inspired to punch or die cut shapes from paper that has been covered with tape. A second project using the technique was posted this week on Hambly’s blog on as well. I predict we’ll be seeing a lot of washi tape banners all around the internet!

This week Becky Higgins shared news and images of the new 2012 Project Life designs, Cobalt and Clementine. She shares many photos of the new product designs and promises that there is still a lot more to come. Last Friday she revealed the images of the new binders, and also announced that from now on the albums will be made by We R Memory Keepers.

They are absolutely a leader in binders and albums. And because they’re making our albums, this means you can expect nothing less than … the very best. I’ve been personally using We R binders for all of our family scrapbooks for nearly 10 years.

Higgins answers a lot about the new binders in her post, including the target date for availability late this year.

A new on-line event is coming the weekend of October 20-22. “Spawn of True Scrap” is now open for registration. The event features 17 instructors who each are bringing a new class (presented in video format), make ‘n takes, and more. The instructors include Jennifer McGuire, Nic Howard, Shimelle Laine, and many more – myself included. For more information or to register visit the Spawn of True Scrap site.

Die Cuts with a View announced that they are releasing a number of new paper pads through Michael’s. Don’t look for their name on the product though – it’s being released under Michael’s in-house brand name, Recollections. In the blog post, the company explained:

Basically, these stacks are designed & produced by us at DCWV and sold under Michael’s own private brand, Recollections. We were honored to be chosen to represent them in this way! To us, it means they love working with us as a company and they LOVE our designs What could be more flattering??

The first of the new paper designs are available now, with more designs coming in the next few weeks.

Finally this week, I will share some noteworthy new releases. Pink Paislee’s Nantucket and Phantom collections have been spotted on store shelves. Also in stores some of the new Doodlebug bakers twines and the bakers twine inspired “doodle twine” alphabet stickers that have been anxiously awaited by the Scrapbook Update staff and many others.

“Noteworthy” is a new regular weekly column at Scrapbook Update. Have something new & noteworthy to share? Feel free to leave a comment, or if you have something you would like considered for next week’s column, email may@scrapbookupdate.com with a link or press release.

Want to stay up-to-date on all the latest scrapbook news?

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Becky Higgins, Die Cuts With a View, Hambly, Jennifer McGuire, Michaels Stores, Nic Howard, Pink Paislee, Rhonna Farrer, Shimelle Laine, Spawn of True Scrap

CHA Summer 2011 | Authentique, Crate Paper, and Hambly

August 2, 2011 By Melissa Stinson 7 Comments

Our next set of booth photos from CHA Summer 2011 is a visual feast for paper lovers! Today we’re featuring newcomers Authentique along with veteran CHA exhibitors Crate Paper and Hambly.

Authentique certainly made a splash last month when they introduced their first three paper lines, and they generated even more buzz by releasing three more beautiful lines just prior to CHA. Their Halloween line, “Glowing,” features a very traditional orange and black palette accented with distressed home decor motifs and the usual Halloween icons.

One of Authentique’s strengths is the variety of embellishments they offer at such a reasonable price point. Those tiny letter stickers are definitely some of my favorites!

“Journey” was one of Authentique’s first releases and combines pops of blue with cool grays and black. You can also find those colors represented in the sets of 12×24 solid papers that the company manufactures to coordinate with each line – an item that’s definitely unique in the industry!

Notice those display racks? Authentique offers pre-loaded displays to retailers, giving them an easy way to quickly get product out onto the sales floor.

The sophisticated pink and grey palette of the “Uncommon” line lends itself well to the floral and quilt patterns that are featured in the collection.

“Splendid” is loaded with a rich combination of turquoise, yellow, and brown in a variety of patterns. The mix of florals, plaids, and graphic motifs in this line make it versatile enough to use for both masculine and feminine layouts.

I made no secret of the fact that I fell in love with the “Blissful” line at first sight, and I even selected it as one of my pre-CHA picks! Yellow and gray is a hot color combination right now in the home decor industry as well as in scrapbooking.

Authentique also offers all of their lines in trendy 6×6 pads!

“Wonder,” Authentique’s Christmas offering, sticks to a traditional color palette, but it leans more toward emphasizing green rather than red, making it really stand out against other similar lines at this CHA.

There were piles of layouts scattered on tables in the Authentique booth, so I settled myself in to photograph a few of them to share here.

Crate Paper practically reinvented itself with its CHA Summer 2010 releases, and the Summer 2011 releases definitely followed in those footsteps!

“Farmhouse” carries hints of the style of “Restoration,” released at the 2010 Summer show, but deepens the color palette and shifts more toward oranges and reds for fall.

You’ll find 6×6 paper pads for all of Crate’s lines, as well, along with coordinating buttons and a variety of other embellishments (including a whole 12×12 sheet of chipboard shapes).

“Random’s” mix of colors is almost the spitting image of the Pantone Fall Color Forecast that I reported on earlier this year. I think Crate managed to include almost every color in Pantone’s report while at the same time blending them into a cohesive line. Well done!

“Peppermint” gets my vote as my favorite Christmas paper line of the entire show. I think the yellow is what won me over with its unexpected appearance in a holiday themed collection.

Isn’t that peppermint patterned brad adorable?

Hambly Screen Prints is well known for their hand-screened transparencies and papers as well as high-quality rub-ons. They debuted several new designs at CHA Summer 2011 as well as displaying several favorite patterns from their back catalog.

Hambly is also known for these creative lamp covers made with their transparencies- they change them up for every show!

This quatrefoil pattern of the “Lattice” print is one of Hambly’s newest offerings and also a popular pattern among several lines at the show. Hmmmm…do I sense a new trend in the making? I’ll have to keep an eye on this one!

The colors and deer motif of the “Holiday Reindeer” papers would coordinate so well with Prima’s new “North Country” line.

Hambly makes coordinating rub-ons for this print, as well.

“Mini Brocade” is a scaled-down version of Hambly’s original “Brocade” design.

And they prove that pennants haven’t gone out of style with their new “Banners” print and coordinating rub-ons.

I’ll round off the Hambly booth tour with a few quick glimpses of some of their most popular patterns from previous releases including bowties, cameras, woodgrain, and cameos.

CHA Summer 2011 isn’t over on Scrapbook Update! We still have a few more booth tours to bring you, and also be on the lookout for a “behind the scenes with Scrapbook Update at CHA” post, coming very soon!

Want to stay up-to-date on all the latest scrapbook news?

Filed Under: CHA, News Tagged With: Authentique Paper, CHA Summer 2011, Crate Paper, Hambly

CHA Summer 2010: More of “May’s Must-Haves”

August 11, 2010 By May Flaum 10 Comments

I did not attend CHA two weeks ago, but that certainly hasn’t stopped me from drooling over new goodies coming out. From where I sit, the scrapbooking industry is doing amazing things and I feel super inspired by all the products I’ve seen – and I know I’ve not nearly seen it all!

As I surf the internet and manufacturer websites I’ve been gathering some of my favorites. I shared an article before the show with some of my sneak peek favorites, and now I’m back with more. It certainly wasn’t easy to narrow down. There are a lot of great things! A few I’m especially loving are Tattered Angels, Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket, Bella Blvd, October Afternoon, and Crate Paper. They all have fantastic looking product coming out.

This article contains a few of my top picks. Oh yes – I have a whole new list of must-have items that are soon to be available. (And I hope it’s sooner than later!)

Jenni Bowlin has been a favorite of mine since discovering her years ago. Guess what? This release is no exception. Her products build on past releases and work well together to help breathe new life into older products and inspire with new amazing cuteness. I am smitten with these star stickers!

I have seen samples with these Hambly rub-ons where designers have partially filled the images with buttons and rhinestones, as if the jars are filled with the treats. I love that idea, and I adore this sheet of rub-ons! I think they’ll be a whole lot of fun.

Kaiser Craft has a lot of great stuff coming out, and I especially love their ‘beyond the page’ line of alterable items. This wreath is so lovely – I simply must have it. I have visions of a Christmas wreath for it, and I hope to find one of these in a store soon.

Making Memories, a company I’ve used and enjoyed for years has a bunch of must-haves this go around. Their Paper Reverie line really works for me. It’s got sparkle and vintage charm, and is fairly neutral, so I see it having a long shelf life in my stash. The pieces shown above are my favorites.

The Je t’Adore line from Making Memories has a lot of great stuff. This cute box of creative ‘chocolate’ has some interesting bits and pieces as well as being presented in fun packaging.

Studio Calico continues to grow and delight me. I am currently envisioning misting and enjoying playing with these notions. I wouldn’t have thought flowers would be so exciting, but I can not wait to get my hands on these unique ones. They also have a great paper line, some mists, and wood veneer stuff that I am anxious to get in my eager hands.

I am really excited about the “Freestyle” and “Celebrate” lines from Teresa Collins. I like the infusion of more color into her collections while still maintaining the style and look she’s known for. This argyle patterned paper will be perfect for scrapbooking about my girls.

If I were doing an article entitled “I want everything ___ company put out” then Webster’s Pages would certainly be in it. Their new “Sweet Season” line really captured my attention. I love the fusion of color and sweet treats in a winter line like this.

One more pick from Webster’s – I simply can’t live without these trims. I don’t know how they do it, but they bring out more vintage inspired trims each show and each time they are exquisite!

I must add Pink Paislee to the list of companies who had a “want every piece” release. I am so impressed with all they’ve come out with, from the line with the House of 3 to this line called “Sweetness”. I want every single item! They’ve come out with fresh ideas and new products with their signature flair and sensibility for useful but trendy product.

Before you faint with shock, yes that’s me (the ‘no die cuts’ lady) picking a die as a favorite. I’ll talk about that more some other time. For now, just know that Tim Holtz ROCKED the summer show with die cuts and texture fades and all kinds of other awesome goodies for his Sizzix line.

Tim’s idea-ology line is packed full (as are his stamps, and everything else he came out with) of amazing possibility. These trimmings are a must-have. Ink, spray, or paint them – heck, stamp on them, too! I just love everything about this line. The designs are great and I love them all. Just call me a crazy fan girl – I want it ALL!

[Editor's Note: Crazy Tim Holtz fan girl May became crazy Tim Holtz design team girl last week after she wrote this article but before it was edited & scheduled for publication. Our sincerest congratulations to May on getting her dream gig, and to Tim on getting a talented designer that I know from personal experience is as passionate about his products as he is.]

Cupcake Love is a new collection from Little Yellow Bicycle that is over the top girly, and frosted in pink. I love it! These layered felt ribbon sliders are my favorite piece.

Claudine Hellmuth released some stamps with Ranger that are intriguing. There are both foam and acrylic stamps that can be layered as shown above. She has several sets and I’m really excited about this look. I think it would be great on her canvas paper, with stitching or other elements added, and for all kinds of projects from cards to layouts and so much more. I look forward to seeing more of these.

As you can see my shopping basket is quickly filling, and this has been a fantastic show for new and exciting products. I haven’t gotten into the seasonal releases like the amazing Christmas and Halloween goods coming from the Girls’ Paperie [whose design team May also just joined recently - Editor] I can’t stress it enough – this show was FULL of good stuff!

I can’t wait to stop dreaming and start creating! What are you looking forward to working with? What are your favorites?

Want to stay up-to-date on all the latest scrapbook news?

Filed Under: CHA Tagged With: Claudine Hellmuth, Hambly, Jenni Bowlin, Kaiser Craft, Little Yellow Bicycle, Making Memories, Pink Paislee, Studio Calico, Teresa Collins, Tim Holtz, Webster's Pages

May’s CHA favorites: Paper & Stickers

January 30, 2010 By May Flaum 3 Comments

Paper, stickers, and rub-ons are staples in paper crafters lives whether their style is simple or shabby, and whether they make cards or scrapbook layouts. Here are a dozen of my favorites from the show:

An instant favorite: Melody Ross came out with a line called Homespun Chic (with GCD Studios) and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I was loving it so much in the booth in fact, that I apparently forgot to take photos of the actual papers! (These flowers give you a good idea of the designs I hope!)

When asked about my show favorites, Glitz Design is a company I was both surprised and delighted by. I truly loved every new item in the booth and these rub-ons made me dizzy with happiness.

Every paper from Lily Bee is on my wish list, along with their new chipboard stickers. It’s a beautiful two line release. I couldn’t stop staring at this particular two-sided paper from the new Lovely line.

Cosmo Cricket’s Garden Variety and Material Girl lines both got smiles and thumbs up from me, and these letters made me squeak aloud with happiness.

I re-visited the Core’dinations booth more than once to see the Core Impressions papers that are new. They have designs from Jenni Bowlin, Jillibean, and Cosmo Cricket that are all specially embossed and so useful in both patterns and colors. I can not wait to get my hands on them and sand, ink, and tear them to my creative heart’s content.

(Above are some of the Jenni Bowlin samples. Below is the Cosmo Cricket woodgrain cardstock.)

Jillibean Soup had a lot of offerings such as new corrugated cardboard alphas, journaling stickers, and papers that are just too cute for words, like this birdhouse design. It is a part of their Old World Cabbage Soup collection.

Adornit had a really large release this show. My favorite are these star stickers. They’re just so happy.

Teresa Collins created a line called chic bebe girl (and in blue, chic bebe boy), and it’s the first baby line in a long time I’ve been excited about. What I love is that almost every design and item in the collection can be used for any subject, making it far more versatile than most themed lines.

My favorite thing about The Girls’ Paperie “On Holiday” line is that while it is vintage inspired, it’s got beautiful reds greens and blues and can be used easily on both travel and any other photos as well. Every paper in the line is worth mentioning, as well as the really incredible alphabet, word, and border sticker set that is available.

My Little Shoebox was filled with color, happy themes, and very usable products. I especially loved their tiny alphabets and the die cut papers like this one.

Hambly makes rub-ons and transparencies that few can match in style or quality. While I want most of their new releases, these swatch rub-ons were just so unique they stayed in my mind and must be mentioned here.

Studio Calico had a simple booth that let their stunning offerings speak for themselves. The “Anthology” line is wonderful, as are the versatile rub-ons that they released that could easily be used with any number of products or themes. These wood grain and button rub-ons are not to be missed.

Last but not least, BasicGrey released a large line called “Basics”. It’s brilliant. These are neutral enough to work with most any other products. They will truly be timeless and something I can purchase and feel confident about getting my money’s worth from.

If you’re counting you notice I went with a baker’s dozen so I could get one more pick in. I feel compelled to say that there was a lot of lip biting and hand wringing here as I narrowed down my picks. There are many brands that released product that I love, and I look forward to utilizing them in future projects along with these favorites. Stay tuned for more updates here, and for my personal CHA experience and photos that I took including people please feel free to visit my blog.

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