Cord Scrapbook Studio

The #CHAShow Previews Continue w/ Basic Grey!

After a short, two-day blogging break, I'm back with yet another big preview for you! I know a lot of you have already seen some of these collections online and that in a way, some of this stuff is "old news" already. But, I thought it might be helpful to know what your local Cord Scrapbook Studio will be carrying with some updated ETA's and stuff. And so I press on...

For starters.... the layout for this month's Basic Grey Page of the Month class (Friday, February 17th @ 5:30pm) is posted above. Plus, we're THRILLED to announce that we'll be continuing to offer the Page of the Month program throughout the 2012-2013 term!!!

An all new batch of classes starts next month and they've added a few new things this year, including a special gift for anyone who attends all twelve classes in the series, exclusive bonus projects to help you use up all of the extra product you receive and new exclusive digital content--a fun, digital element each month that you can download and use either on your class layout or with the bonus project! 

We've got a special blog page dedicated to Page-of-the-Month updates, and this is where you'll find the current page being offered each month--complete with supply list--as well as pricing information & incentives, class dates, and a re-cap of past classes offered with a list of which kits may still be available.

At the CHA Show, Basic Grey introduced four new lines, two of which will ship at the end of this month and two shipping mid-late April. Each line is incredibly unique and has a "flavor" all it's own (in true, Basic Grey fashion!)

The first new line is a collection of mesmerizing fuchsia, cherry blossom pink, bonsai-tree green and soft sky blue. Picture It-- delicated clouds of white lotus fill the sky. Outdoor street markets are alive with dangling lanterns and vivacious colors. Original, angled rooftops and architecture line the streets... you must be in Japan! Welcome. Or more appropriately, "Konnichiwa!"

 
  

Also shipping in February is the new Plumeria collection...

Breathe in the deep hues and experience the calming effects of delicate florals, striking geometric shapes and watercolor-style prints in this blooming Plumeria collection.  An assortment of dusky lavender, dramatic midnight purple, mossy green and a thrilling pop of orange cascade through this line of long-stemmed imagination! Take time to stop and smell not only the roses, but all of the natural wonders found in this classically intriguing line!

  

The first of the next two collections--shipping in April--is PB & J.
(I think this one's my favorite of all of them...)

This line is jam-packed with a hearty helping of heartfelt style. It's the perfect blend of classic comfort and down-home design! As you prepare your creative spread using this signature collection, your options are limitless. Maybe a mixture of banana yellow and strawberry-preserves red is a personal favorite, or perhaps you're a fan of trimming away those crusts... No matter how you slice it, your sweet treat is sure to impress as you create paper objects and preserve your memories!

 
  

And last but not least... "What's Up"...

Something is surely in the air with this billowy group of nostalgic, whimsical prints featuring a parade of hot air balloons, a banner-filled skyline and jet planes zipping across the horizon. This fanciful and free-wheeling collection of lilac purple, sunrise turquoise, Parisian pink and a chip pop of poppy red is your ticket to take off on an around-the-world adventure. You’ll be consumed by that floating-at-the-festival feeling as your creativity balloons out of control!
 
  

And these are mere snippets of the goodies you can expect from these four new lines! There's a lot of new embellishment categories and a few suprises you'll see as we take a closer look here on the blog when products arrive.

Until then... sayonara!

    

The Next in Our #CHAShow lineup... Echo Park!!

It's hard to believe that it's been over a year-and-a-half since Echo Park started up and here they are one of our top-selling companies! It just goes to show how much we scrappers love our patterned papers...right?

So over the next few months, here's what you'll find in stores from Echo Park, starting with a "twin" collection--This & That, by Lori Whitlock.

The "Charming" Edition of This & That is filled with subtle sophistication and vintage boyhood imagery, featuring a variety of natural and earthy elements. Let's take a peek, shall we?

  
 

And where "Charming" was masculine and robust, its sister collection "Graceful" is full of feminine colors and patterns, littered with sweet florals and elaborate damask. While that one is clearly for the boys, this one's definitely for the girls!

  
 

In addition to the traditional double-sided paper assortment, collection packs, cardstock stickers and 6x6 paper pads, these two collections also have some pretty nifty chipboard embellishments to match!

 

We're expecting the This & That collection to arrive within a couple of weeks (mid-February). This next collection, however, ships at the beginning of March and it's a whopper! 

Now, if you feel like you're looking at lots of different collections instead of just one, well... you are. See, what EP's done is gather together some of the most popular themes and bundle them all together into one giant release.  Think of it as collections-within-a-collection, if you will. Baby Boy, Baby Girl, the 4th of July, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Weddings, Outdoors & Camping, the Beach, Pets, Springtime, Music... it's gonna be great.

And last but not least, a collection shipping in April that's sure to put you in the mood for summer (as if these high 50-degree temperatures this week haven't already done so...)

  
 

Phew! Lots o' new goodies coming in! Of all that you've seen or heard of so far, either on this blog or elsewhere on the web... what are YOU most looking forward to?

A lil' Something "Authentique" from the #CHAShow

What a whirlwind-of-a-week this has been! Whew! I've got some more new goodies to show you, starting with two lines that are actually on the road being delivered to stores today--Celebrate and Genuine, from Authentique!

 
  
"Celebrate" has a very, very loose birthday theme. I mean, with the exception of a few stickers on the details sheet, it's not blatently obvious--and I love that. Call it a birthday line, call it your regular run-of-the-mill themeless paper line. Either way, these papers can conform to whatever you want them to be. And that my friends, is what we call versatility!

 
  
We often get requests for patterned papers and embellishments that cater to the men we often scrapbook--masculine color palettes, themes, and non-floral prints that are just as trendy without some of the female "fluff". And Authentique's "Genuine" collection just might fit the bill... don'tcha think?

Now y'all have probably seen Authentique's paper lines in stores over the past several months. And more than likely, you saw all of the little cardstock die-cut add-ons and sticker sheets that were each sold separately in this convenient little rack displayed over the paper lines in stores...

 
Well, they've changed things up a bit and now all of those pick-and-choose details are available in one convenient coordinating cardstock sticker sheet.

And the tiny alphabets and "diction" stickers we could hardly seem to keep in stock? Yup... they've changed those up, too! Those elements are now available on an 8x12 sticker sheet--all at a great price to boot!
 

But here's what may be the best news of all... Authentique will be shipping new collections every month. Woot! Woot! So you can look forward to seeing something new from them on a regular basis! I thought we'd celebrate by showing you a little preview of the next collection coming up...  
 
The collection is called "Loyal" and it looks pretty Father's Day friendly to me! (There's just something about plaids and argyles that make me jump straight to Father's Day cards--and that's not even until June! But I digress...) More on this line when the time comes... :-)

I hope you're having a fantastic week so far! Tomorrow we'll pay tribute to the new lines you'll see coming in from Echo Park...
TGI [the day before] FRIDAY!

#CHAShow Preview: We R Memory Keepers

We interupt our regularly-scheduled "What's New Wednesday" series to bring you yet another CHA preview of the goodies yet to come from the first big release of the year in the papercrafting industry. It just so happens that this post also happens to cover one of the new arrivals in stores this past week or so. Coincidence? I think not.

So let's talk We R. As in--We R Memory Keepers, or WRMK for short because wowee that's a lot of words to type over and over again in a blog post! Phew!

When I think of WRMK, there are three things--three major categories--that come quickly to mind. The albums. The tools. And the monthly paper collections. Shall we begin?

1. The Albums.
We stand behind WRMK's albums 100%. They're fashionable, sturdy and there's a wide variety HUGE assortment of different photo sleeves (refills) available to help you scrap what you want, the way you want. They've got both post-bound and D-ring albums in either linen or classic leather in dozens of colors and now they're adding eight new 12x12 classic leather D-ring albums--complete with windows!!

Say it with me now--- oooohhhh, aaaahhhhh.
*smile*

The new albums will be available in Black, Dark Chocolate, Strawberry, Real Red, Orange Soda, Lemon, Kiwi and Aqua--shipping to stores in April.

2. The Tools.
WRMK has really stepped up to the plate as one of the industry's leaders in craft tools. If you've ever kind of thought in the back of your mind "man, it would be really nice if I had some sort of something-or-other to help me do this..." well... chances are, WRMK has either come up with it already or they've got something in the works. Because seriously, rolling paper piercers for stitching? Specialized punches for threading ribbon? A tool for setting brads?! Holla! Let's work clockwise 'round this photo, shall we?

Up at the top left, you've got the all-new, anywhere corner mounter. It's perfect for photos up to 5" x 7", business cards, mattes--you name it. Adhesive-free mounting has never been easier!

To the right of that you'll see a funny looking green-handled punch. That, my friends is one of two new power punches. They feature a 2" reach, adjustable alignment guides, and a locking mechanism for convenient storage. Plus, they'll cut through paper, bookboard (thick chipboard), thin tin, leather and more! Think Crop-a-dile without the eyelet setting part. Nifty, huh?

Next up we've got a new batch of Sew Stamper cartridges and Sew Easy stitching cartridges. Achieving that handmade look has become increasingly popular, but it's not always practical to pull out your sewing machine. With these tools, you can either stamp or stitch your way to the handcrafted look (and feel) you crave!

That giant "8" thing-a-ma-bob you see next is actually one of the new Lucky 8 punches. Get a load of these babies--with just 8 punches around your paper, you can create your own die-cut, decorative papers! It's like a border punch--on steroids. Awesome.

And finally, there's the new mini tool kit--a cute little, color coordinating assortment of the basic tools you need for general papercrafting--precision tipped scissors, tweezers, brad setting & piercing tool, craft knife and a magnetic mat and ruler.

Necessity is the mother of invention.
We needed it. They made it happen. I love that!

3. Monthly Collections
WRMK has a new paper collection released each month which is totally great because it helps us keep things fresh and updated in the store! February's collection is a much-needed refresh for our baby section and you'll find it in stores mid-February. It's called Baby Mine and it's adorable! It's not listed online just yet, but here's a quick peek...

And if you're looking for something new, something springy... we do happen to have a WRMK collection new--and in stock--now! (This is where the usual What's New Wednesday routine comes into play!) The latest-and-greatest from WRMK is Good Day, Sunshine!

  
 

This is just a smidgen of what we can expect from WRMK over the next several months, so this won't be the last time you hear of such goodies! You might even see a few of them up close and personal in make-n-takes and demos this Spring! Ooh la la!

Tomorrow we'll be sharing more CHA previews, so stay tuned!

#CHAShow Preview: Jillibean Soup

I feel like my brain has been spinning around a mile a minute lately--the left side taking care of all of the behind-the-scenes order placement and item entry, website listings and budget tracking, while the right side keeps getting caught up in all the pretties I'm seeing on the catalog pages this week and thinking about pages I want to make with some of this fancy stuff coming out!

Needless to say, I'm exhausted! (And it's only Tuesday...!! Oy vey!)

But you know... I wouldn't trade this part of the job for the world!
It's like Christmas... every day... *sigh*

So enough with the dilly-dallying... here's the scoop! FOUR NEW Jillibean Soup paper lines--in stores now. You got it... patterned papers are in stock with all of the extras coming in over the next couple of weeks! Woot! Woot!

Want a lil' taste test? How about some Southern Chicken Dumpling Soup!!

  
 

From the chocolate bunny to the chicken coop... this super sweet Easter-themed collection is chock full of cuteness--for peep's sake! And did you catch that little image there at the bottom left? Oh yeah, baby... those are brand new COLLECTION PACKS. Now you can have your soup (and eat it, too!) 'cause it's all in there--the papers, the pea pods and the stickers.

Is it lunch time yet? Because, I tell ya... all of this talk about soup has me hungry for some Coconut Lime Soup... how 'bout you? Good! Because it just so happens that's the next line we'd like to showcase here...

  
 
I don't have a plan for that lime paper yet, but I just love it! Maybe I'll use it for something Cinco de Mayo-themed. Hmm... food for thought.  But the butterflies and the strawberries mixed with the bright colors and the subtle gardening theme? YUM-O.

Phew! Two collections down, two more to go and we are just getting started! Next up, I've got a small helping of Neopolitan Bean Bisque I'd like to share... grab a spoon!

    
Umm... love the telephone paper. You? And the teal with the red and the lime green with a little yellow spinkled throughout? So. Much. Fun. Modern vintage--who'da thunk it?

Now, what would a Jillibean Soup release be without a Kraft collection? Are you ready, sports fans? Because Game Day Chili is for you! 

  
 
They really do use the finest ingredients, don't they? Great designs, fabulous colors, a dash of cuteness and a pinch of fun... WHEW! I can't wait to see all of the pages and projects y'all create with these new lines!

Now, keep in mind... just the patterned papers (and a few of the pea pod die-cuts) are in stock so far. The Collection Packs, 6x6 paper pads, the cardstock sticker sheets, buttons, wooden accents, twine and soup labels are yet to come! So here's a lil' snippet of THOSE items to whet your appetite until they come available...

   
(Soup Label Stickers)

  
(Cool Beans: Wooden Buttons)

   
(Woodgrain Chipboard Epoxy Buttons)

  
(Baker's Twine - New Colors!)

   
(Alphabeans Cardstock Sticker Letters - in a new, smaller size!)

   
(Cool Beans: Wood Flags - Card Sentiments)

Whew! I don't know about you, but I'm full... OF EXCITEMENT! Soups on!

More new product announcements and CHA releases tomorrow! Stay tuned! 

Got Buttons? Washi Tape? Baker's Twine? Chevron?

Beginning early next week, you'll start to see full product releases on the web along with industry reporters doing their best to tell you what's trending this year. Though I'm far from being an expert in this area, with the sneak peeks that have already appeared on company blogs and websites, I've noticed a few things over and over I thought I'd make mention of. The CHA Winter Show starts this Sunday and I can't wait to show you what's coming to stores!

One thing that started to make headway this past Fall--wooden buttons. You saw them pop up here and there, but now it feels like they're everywhere! You'll see wooden buttons, etched & colored buttons and even woodgrain chipboard epoxy buttons from Basic Grey, Jillibean Soup, and Bella Blvd--just to name a few. And speaking of wood, be on the lookout for assorted wooden embellishments--from banners to flags to die-cut shapes!

How many of you know what Washi Tape is? Or maybe you've seen it around the web--just not up close and personal? Curious?! Well, I'm happy to report that a number of vendors including Bella Blvd and We R Memory Keepers have introduced some Washi Tape designs that are sure to add a little punch & pizazz to your pages & projects! So if you've been anxious to play around with an increasinly popular crafting trend--you won't be disappointed!

Another exciting movement is more of a handmade, handstitched trend I've noticed. Between the Sew Easy collection of patterned piercers and unique threads from We R Memory Keepers, you'll notice an increase in crocheted accents--like these adorable little flowers here from Bella Blvd. Adding a little bit of a homespun feel to your projects with handmade flowers, knitted accents, real stitched threads or even faux stitching--adds both texture and interest while keeping things fun!

And finally... there's one pattern I've noticed over and over that I can't ignore as an up-and-coming trend in the papercrafting world. If you're a little iffy on the notion that a simple pattern could instigate a hot trend all on its own though, just search "chevron" on Pinterest... go ahead. I dare ya. :-)

Yessiree.. the almighty chevron pattern/element of design has made quite the comeback lately. In fact, one of the collections arriving in stores today--On the Bright Side by My Mind's Eye--features just a few chevron elements in a variety of colors and styles!

  

Ahhh... I love this time of year. It's like a scrapbooker's Christmas all over again! New trends, new products and a fresh batch of inspiration to carry us through the winter doldrums. Love it. And I hope you do, too!

#CHAShow Sneak Peeks

Cue the scrapbook retailer's busy season--it's CHA time, folks!

For us, this time of year means seeking out the best of the best, downloading product spreadsheets and sending in multiple orders for shipments dated now through this Spring! And for you, it means NEW products, NEW waves of inspiration and a fresh NEW look to product displays in stores!

I don't know about you, but it all sounds good to me!

This week, the new product sneaky-peeks from various scrapbooking manufacturers have multiplied throughout the blogosphere and you can preview what's coming down the pike for Bella Blvd, Jillibean Soup, Fancy Pants Designs, Studio Calico, American Crafts, Prima Marketing, Bo Bunny... and the list just keeps going!!

I'm especially excited for this season's wave of new products to craft with, as we'll have a Design Team ready and rearin' to go! The goal this year is to keep you inspired... motivated. We want you to ENJOY the products you buy and the process taken in assembling your scrapbooks instead of feeling burdened by the supplies you've collected instead of crafted.

So as you're perusing through your favorite websites and checking out all of the sneak peeks and product teasers for the big CHA release coming up, know that we're open to suggestions!! If you find something out there you LOVE--let us know! If there's a product line you wish we carried--let us know! We really do strive to bring you the products you want and the variety you crave!

Happy Scrappin!

#CHAShow Sneak Peek # 5 - @BellaBlvd

Ok, Bella fans... there are FOUR (count 'em... 1-2-3-4) awesome & adorable collections shipping this Fall from Bella Blvd. Here's just a smidgen of a sneaky peek for you to help tie you over until you see the real deal. 

And... if you're really chompin' at the bit to see what's coming to stores, you can view each collection in its entirety by clicking on the images below. They'll take you to the Bella Blvd blog post where they were officially announced last week!

So without further adieu...
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Batter Up! It's a brand new, brightly colored, all-purpose sports collection jam packed with vivid patterns and a whole lotta fun!

 
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It's hard to believe Autumn will be here before we know it, but let's face it--it's coming! And by the time it gets here, we'll probably be more than ready to welcome it with open arms! (Anything to get out of the extreme heat & humidity season, eh?)

 
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And with Fall comes...HALLOWEEN!
I tell ya... these little monsters really are too cute to spook!

  
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And last but certainly not least... Christmas.

  
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All four collections will be arriving in Cord Scrapbook Studio stores sometime mid to late August! There are cardstock stickers, chipboard accents, alphabets and all of those pretty papers to look forward to. Are you excited yet?! I know we are...!!

#CHA Show Sneak Peek #4 - Fancy Pants Designs

There are four new collections being released from Fancy Pants Designs this Fall! To see these collections in their entirety, you can visit the Fancy Pants website or click here to download their CHA Summer 2011 catalog. I think you'll find there's a lot of goodies in store!

 
 
 
 
At Cord, we'll be bringing in two of these collections--Oct. 31st which will be available late August and Saint Nick which will be arriving somewhere in the middle of September! There is so much out there for the Fall/Winter season this year and we're incredibly excited to be sharing just a smidgen of what's out there with all of our blog readers this week! Stay tuned!

#CHAShow Sneak Peek #3 & a Friday Favorite

A couple of months ago we brought in a new collection from a new [to us at the time] company called Simple Stories. And I think from that point on they pretty much had me--hook, line and sinker.

Their designs are cute, the concept is amazing and to make a long blog post short[er], they're the answer to my "I have so many pictures & memories to document but zero time to do it" woes. And that's about it in a nutshell.

 
See, you start off with a killer library of albums. Personally, I like the 12x12 ring-bound Linen & Leather albums from We R Memory Keepers.  They're sturdy, fashionable and I just love 'em to pieces. Then you choose a variety of different photo sleeves to mix in with your usual 12x12 pages. I choose the ones I need based on the photos & materials I have that I'm looking to scrapbook. From there it's just picking out page elements from Simple Stories, printing your photos in the desired sizes (4x6, 4x4, 6x8, 6x12, etc) and then you just start filling in the different pockets to your heart's content. The end result... simple stories. Get it?

Scrapbook as much or as little as you want to. And being that variety is the spice of life, the mixture of 12x12 pages with all of the different pocket page styles adds a whole lotta somethin'-somethin' to your albums. And if you're like me, you might just discover that you scrapbook more than you thought you could given the time and circumstance restraints otherwise known as life. Keeping up with this kind of memory keeping is totally do-able. And I love that. It doesn't mean I like the traditional pages any less--this is just a quick & easy way to scrapbook a ton of photos & memories without sacrificing good design. Who wouldn't love that?

So ok, ok... enough with my yammering on and on about my new "Friday Favorite" product line. I think you catch my drift. :-) Anyway... the title of this post indicates yet another CHA sneak peek and I intend to deliver--swooning and all. So, here goes...

 
Four brand new collections--two of them (Happy Day and Baby Steps) arriving in stores at the beginning of August and two of them (25 Days of Christmas and Generations) arriving the first of September. And wouldn't you guess... I can hardly wait! Let's take a closer look at these new lines in action--shall we?

  
  
In my experience, this style of scrapbooking really caters to those events that generate a lot of photos year after year. Case in point--birthdays.  Lots of pictures. Lots of birthdays. Lots to scrapbook doesn't always mean you have lots to journal about, though... so with the Simple Stories papers, you're telling the story through photos and patterns and then fitting in those journaling elements when/where you can.

  
  
Babies... talk about having a lot to scrapbook with a little one around, am I right? Between capturing every adorable expression to documenting each significant milestone, there's lots of stories to tell. With the coordinating set of papers and embellishments from "Baby Steps" you could have a complete "year one" album that's uniform from start to finish and you could pass it along to your little one when they've grown older--and maybe someday they'll pass it to their children! (Perish the thought! I, for one, refuse to believe my little one will EVER grow up to be old enough to have kids of her own! Ahhh! They grow up soooo fast, don't they?!)

  
  
Speaking of having albums you can pass down to future generations, how about albums you can make to document years past? The colors & themes of the "Generations" collection are perfect for telling the stories of your family--past and present!

  
  
Well, I don't know about you, but my stack of Christmas photos towers over all the others. Pictures of different holiday traditions, Christmas card photo shoot outtakes, gift-wrapping (and un-wrapping), Christmas parties... Oh--and wouldn't this be the perfect line to outfit your 2011 December Daily album?

Now tell me... don't these collections make you want to just grab those piles of photos sitting at home in shoeboxes and get to work telling the stories of your life?! Check out the Simple Stories blog for daily inspiration and when you have a moment, head over to their Facebook page and hit that nifty little "like" button at the top. You can tell them Stephanne from Scrapbook Studio sent you and they should be so warned--I might be the closest thing to having their very first scrapbook stalker. :-)

Lots more CHA peeks and new product announcements to come next week! Stay tuned!
And hey... have a GREAT weekend.