Thursday at CHA Summer 2012
The final day of the CHA Summer show is a good time to take a closer look at some of the smaller elements on display. Embellishment lovers are in for a treat with lots of unusual new options coming through across the board. Washi tape remains a popular product but there are a few novel twists to keep things interesting. Maya Road is adding texture with bright fabric tapes, while BasicGrey has included printed vellum tape in its beautifully bright Soleil collection. At We R Memory Keepers there’s a handy Washi tape dispenser to keep all your tapes organised, plus versatile Washi sheets, which can be cut or punched into any shape you like.
BoBunny has a huge new range of floral embellishments on the way. The BoBunny Blossoms come in coordinating colours and range from delicately layers paper flowers to beautifully coloured lace blooms. There are coordinating coloured lace packs heading to craft stores soon too. UK BoBunny fans will love the new 6×6” Double Dot pads, designed specifically with cardmakers in mind. These simple background designs come in a variety of collections and should be useful for a wide range of projects.
At the Jenni Bowlin Studios booth a new selection of printed paper feathers was causing a stir, and we can’t wait for the release of the new Jenni Bowlin squeeze punches from Fiskars, which are released this December. The pinwheel punch in particular is sure to fly off the shelves.
The much-anticipated Lucky 8 punches from We R Memory Keepers are already proving popular with scrapbookers but there’s now a smaller format range that cardmakers can enjoy too. The handy tool can turn a 6×6” sheet into a perfectly punched decorative circle in just a few punches and can be used to add decorative corners to any project.
With some traditionally paper-based companies straying into stamps it was inevitable that we would see some traffic the other way. Penny Black has launched its first paper collection in a 6×6” stack format. The Madison range is bold and bright and complements the company’s cardstock beautifully. Intended as broadly usable background papers rather than flavour-of-the-moment designs they could prove a useful addition to many a craft stash. Heartfelt Creations has two scrapbook paper ranges on show too, including a lovely rich Christmas offering.
If you’re looking to stock up on Christmas papers for your festive crafting you’re spoilt for choice this year with so many beautiful options to choose from. If you’re after something different to the norm then the All Is Bright range from My Mind’s Eye could be the one for you. With its on-trend use of chevrons and quilting-inspired patterns plus a cool blue and deep red colour scheme it really makes a statement. The Royal Christmas collection from Webster’s Pages forges its own path with a striking mix of restrained white and gold papers combined with deep rich colours and fabulous vintage door images.
One of the delights of the CHA show is seeing new companies making a big impact. The Farmhouse Paper Company is a new name on the scene, though the team behind it has worked on the Button Farm scrapbook kits for many years. Farmhouse has launched with three stunningly detailed scrapbooking ranges filled with usable and high quality papers, and fabulous coordinating chipboard elements. There are a few more collections on the way too later in the year, so we can’t wait to see what they come up with. We’re sure they’ll be one to watch for 2013.
