Hello, Gorgeouses!!
My day started E.A.R.L.Y this past Sunday - I was so excited to get to The Collins Group Spring Education and Trade Show in Framingham, MA. Get your coffee, peeps, because I'm giving you the inside tour and it's going to be a loooonnngg post ~
First stop: the Town Hall Meeting at 8am. Tim Collins, owner of The Collins Group, introduced Andrej Suskavcevic, President and CEO of the Craft & Hobby Association. Andrej heard unfiltered feedback from a room full of our Local Scrapbook Stores (LSSes). It was a remarkable opportunity to hear a conversation about the direction of the industry, from both sides, and the introduction of CRE8TIME.org.
Then, we're off to the SHOW FLOOR!
***
First up, inside the door to the Trade Show, was a new addition to The Collins Rep Group vendor list: FarmHouse Paper Company. Who do suppose we got to see at the booth?? FarmHouse Paper Co. Design Team Member, and Massachusetts' own, Mary-Ann Maldonado!
 |
| FarmHouse Paper Co. is renowned for the kits they offer. They have special packs designed specifically for classes for their retailers to offer to their customers. Check YOUR LSS to see if they have them! |
***
Oh, can you get enough of Graphic 45?? The depth to their graphics on their papers can bring a project to LIFE! PLUS, they offer project sheets online, to get your creative juices flowing! Charee gave us a peek at their Sneak Peeks for the Summer Show (sorry, no photos allowed). BUT I CAN mention "Bohemian" layered-patterned color! **Don't forget: G45 has hooked up with Echo Park Paper Co. to produce "Photo Freedom's Transatlantique." Check out the Sneak Peek HERE.
 |
| G45's {NEW!} "Secret Garden" is available now! |
 |
| Graphic 45 has a wonderful variety of papers and coordinating embellishments for each of their collections, including this {NEW!} "French Country" |
***
OOoohh, it's Petaloo! NH's Lynne Forsythe was on hand to show us the wonderful inspiration she can offer us from the gorgeous Petaloo embellies! She always has terrific tips on how to customize those flowers to get exactly the look you want to get: spritz, spray, glimmer - it all works!
 |
| The flower on the LEFT has been altered into the three other custom colors |
 |
| Lynne Forsythe's DT work ~ |
 |
| Have a big project, or a full class, coming up? Petaloo offers a larger pack, too! |
***
Alma de la Rosa was on hand to brighten everyone's day with The Cat's Pajamas.
 |
| Check out her Subway Print stamps! Each line is a separate stamp, formatted to the same width, so you can stack 'em the way you like 'em! |
 |
| You know I'm die-crazy. I'm lovin' these little dandies, too. That ripped page edge from The Cat's Pajamas would get LOTS of use, don't you know ~ |
***
Jen Starr is in the booth, showing off the wonderful, colorful properties of Viva Decor.
***
Here are some of our local Favs, Little Yellow Bicycle from Connecticut! Ross Zachs showed me around the booth. More than a few items caught my eye, including their Canvas Stickers, both colored and soon-to-be-colored-by-YOU!
***
Copic has a terrifically talented group of artists that are backed by a company that offers a wide range of support for retailers and consumers, alike. Their products are the industry standard by which all others are compared. NH resident and Copic Design Team member, Cindy Lawrence, was at the show, offering Copic classes and meeting retailers at the booth.
 |
| If you're considering alcohol-based markers, Copic offers several different styles, including Ciao. |
 |
| Cindy Lawrence is a Copic Intermediate Certified Designer. She is hosting an upcoming 2-day Copic Color and Ink Workshop, along with Debbie Olson, in Boston on May 3 and 4th! |
***
Now here's a great product! New England's own Craft-Dee Bowz by Donna Maligno! If you are putting ribbon on 50 of your Christmas Cards, GIRL, you better have one of these self-contained bow-making tools!
***
Jaime Echt was on hand to answer all the stencil-related questions these mixed-media mavins had for The Crafter's Workshop. They fill the demand for Dina Wakley and Dyan Reaveley's Dylusions stencils. In addition, The Crafter's Workshop has wonderful patterned dies! Yum!
***
Our friend and neighbor (just about!) Michael Barker was at the show, too! His scrapbooking go-to company, Momenta, is from Portsmouth, NH, and they are the most recent addition to The Collins Rep Group vendor list. While they're best known for their paper, stickers and rub-ons, Michael was showing off the "bling" side of Momenta Sunday!
The trove of metal sticker embellishments he was introducing was large enough to satisfy any demanding retailer. PLUS, Momenta is revealing (sshhh!) wood cuts soon, too! Yeah! Dimension for all your paper crafting needs!
***
WOW! Embossing Powder is another new Collins Group vendor. They had a distinctive product - making embellishments with melting a special combination of their powders and "Melt-It" to set it up in molds! Great new technique - be sure to as YOUR LSS if they are showing how to make these great items!
 |
| I was loving the packs! What do you think?? |
***
Oh, Hero Arts. What can I say? We all love Shari Carroll, don't we?? and now she has Ink Daubers for Paper Crafting! How does she and her friends at Hero Arts keep coming up with all this GREAT STUFF??
 |
| Hero Arts Ink Dauber does not reactivate with water after drying ~ |
 |
| Who, but Shari Carroll, can make NEON so darned c.u.t.e?? Hero Arts has the high-demand colors in ink pads AND Daubers! |
 |
| You know the Hero Arts catalogue is PACKED with stamps, but can you even STAND how great this design is?? |
 |
| Drip stamp background on the left page ~ |
***
FabScraps were a big hit. They're from South Africa! I'll be interested to see who brings in this {NEW} product line to their store!
***
"Oh, look, the Sizzix booth is full," said I. Constantly. All day.
 |
| Karen Burniston featuring the outrageously popular "Pop-N-Cuts" dies. |
Can you see that precious flower that Tanya Bullock of Life's Memories and More is holding? That's the closest I got to Susan Tierney Cockburn's {NEW} line from Sizzix, "Secret Garden." Check out a video of Susan's CHA-W demo HERE.
 |
| Tanya's holding the detailed daffodil made from Susan Tierney Cockburn's new Sizzix die. |
***
The back ground stamps at My Favorite Things really caught my eye at their booth. Our friend from NH, Debbie Carriere, MFT Design Team Member, was on hand with wonderful samples that were just adorable!
 |
| Oh, my goodness, more lovely dies! Look at this one! Is this not perfect to frame your photo?? Yes, this "InstaFrame" Die-namics would get a load of use - and they're made right here in the U.S. of A! Love it! |
***
Therm O Web, best known for their adhesives, has an interesting new product on the market - "Glitter Dust." Boston Therm O Web Design Team Member, Alice Golden, was showing off the wonderful properties of this glitter spray. It is a clear spray, with no additional tint, so all you get is glitter! Perfect for Bridal Season, yes??
 |
| Therm O Web "Glitter Dust" added beautiful shimmer to the floral bouquet ~ |
 |
| With no additional tint, Therm O Web's "Glitter Dust" spray offers the ability to add a ghosting look to your card making. |
***
Canvas Corp/7Gypsies/Tattered Angels had an interesting booth, where a couple of things caught my eye. First off was the {NEW} Tattered Angels Paint System. Each set of four bottles creates an amazing texture. And there's LOADS to choose from. All kinds of colors of stone, metal and wood.
 |
| Tattered Angels Paint Systems are {NEW!} Grab a class in this technique when you can find it. The textures you can create are incredible! |
 |
| Talking about texture, Canvas Corp is printing on canvas and burlap! What a great way to bring in trendy elements to a rustic wedding! |
***
Oh, Cheryl, we love ya! New England native, author, AccuCut Designer and Splash if Color (formerly Creative Imaginations) Education and Design Team Coordinator, Cheryl Mezzetti is one BUSY lady!
 |
| The Viva Colour Modeling Cream was incredible with Luminarte's Primary Elements! I just wanted to rip that palette knife out of Cheryl's hand and PAINT SOMETHING! |
 |
This is one of Cheryl's {NEW} classes using
Luminarte H20's, Luminarte Acrylic Silks and
Primary Elements. Viva Colour Pearl and
Magic pens, Inka Gold, Ferro!
I've seen it IRL, and it is a show-stopper!
|
***
Oh, surprise, SURPRISE! Dyan Reaveley is in the HOUSE!! Coming to the show from sold-out classes in New York, the creative genius behind the Dylusions line popped into the Ranger Ink booth to demo her colorful sprays with her stencils by The Crafter's Workshop and her {NEW} "Couture Collection" silicone stamps.
 |
| Oh, YES! Dyan draws a crowd, wherever she goes! |
 |
| Ranger's Dylusions semi-opaque spray really added dimension by softening Dyan's brilliant colors into an equally lovely pastel palette. |
 |
| Dyan's "Couture Collection" silicone stamps. "Made out of the same stuff as fake boobs!" says Dyan. Wonderful to have them introduced in this size. Perfect for your art journal! Available smaller, too, when you need 'em! |
 |
| **Dyan's next stop for workshops is in Florida (Tampa, The Villages, and Fort Lauderdale), so be sure to catch up with her there! She's luv-ly! |
So, there you go! New England Paper Craft's peek into The Collins Group Spring Trade Show! and this was only an itty bitty bit of what was happening.
There were MORE demos, MORE drawings, MORE companies that I hardly had a chance to get to! All because YOUR Local Scrapbook Store was BU-SY writing orders with these phenomenal vendors. They're all working hard, ensuring you, their customers, have the latest and GREATEST paper crafting and mixed media supplies, details, information and inspiration on the PLANET!
Your Local Scrapbook Store would LOVE to tell you what they have coming in {NEW!} Stop in and ask them about it - you'll be happy you did!
Happy Day, Laurel
Laurel Lee Pollard, Online Publisher, Promoter
New England Paper Crafts
*To keep up with "the 411 on Paper Crafts in New England," follow the feed at:
