By Carol Duvall
Though the products we showed today were designed with the scrapbooker in mind, many obviously could be used for a variety of projects beyond scrabooking. #1 - From a company called Scrapbook Stamp Company (out of business), a line of stamps with lines drawn across them. This is so those of you who are timid about writing on the pages of your scrapbook (because you have trouble keeping the lines from going uphill or downhill) can now stamp a sun or a truck or a bus or whatever. It has stamped lines for you to write on. The snowman we showed was actually three stamps that lined up the way a real snowman does with lines in each part of his body. #2 - More keep-em-straight guides for you scrapbookers are the templates from Chatterbox. They have full-sized, punched plastic pages with stencils for outlining almost every shape you can imagine, each one with cut-out lines as well. You draw the outline of the shape with a standard pen then draw the lines using their new pen with disappearing ink. The inked lines are there for you to write on but within 24 hours, all the lines disappear! Of course, if you prefer, you don't have to draw the outline of the shape at all. Also from Chatterbox is an item that might be wonderful for any crafter who likes to keep a cup of coffee or soft drink at their elbow. Called a Tag-Along-Tool Tote, it is a metal cup holder that fits onto the edge of any worktable. You actually screw it on and it has a deep well for the cup so nothing is going to spill. The Tool Tote is a canvas holder that fits around the cup holder and will hold pens and scissors, etc. There is also a spot for attaching a plastic bag for catching your throw-away trash. #3 - Pens from Sakura. With all of the scrapbooking that is going on, pens in all colors, styles, types of ink and pen tips have become more and more available. Some time ago, Sakura introduced their line of fine line Micron Pigma Pens in a few basic colors . . . red, black, etc. Apparently, they have proved to be very popular because they have enlarged their choice of colors as well as in the Gelly Roll pens that have been so popular. These pens (that can be seen on black or other dark-colored paper as well as light ones) have been a hit with youngsters and adults alike. Another item especially for the youngsters is the small spiral-bound book that contains a pull-out page of stencil shapes and black pages for writing. #4 - Magic Mesh is a rather unusual product from Avant Cards. It comes in small rolls and is a flexible webbing that is available in different colors, differently- sized grids and different widths. It is sticky on the back, yet it can be removed from the surface without leaving any residue. Crafters have been using small pieces of it to give texture, color and variety in appearance to cards, scrapbook pages and picture frames. It can easily be cut with scissors, and as the manufacturers say, "you can glitter it, color it, punch it, layer it, emboss it stick it," etc. #5 - Along with all the other carriers now being manufactured for crafters to tote and store their supplies comes McGill's Punch 'N' Go Tote that is a wonderful little compact item for carrying a lot. I stuffed it with a rather large stack of paper and sheets of card stock, scissors, pens, tape and a large supply of punches in a variety of sizes. There was a place for almost everything. Whether you are a stay-at-home crafter or like to be on the go and take your supplies with you, this would be handy . . . especially if you have a stash of those punches that are not easy to find a home for.
RESOURCES :
Magic Mesh
Contact Avant for a local distributor.
Avant Card
PO Box 8
Lake City, MN 55041
Phone: 651-345-6374
URL: www.magicmesh.com
Micron Pigma Pens, Gelly Roll Journal
Pigma Micron has 6 new Heritage colors.
Sakura of America
Website: www.sakuraofamerica.com
Punch 'N' Go Craft Punch Tote
McGill Inc. / Craftivity
Website: www.mcgillinc.com
VIP Vanishing Ink Pen, Journaling Genie Templates, Tag-A-Long Tool Tote
ink pen, templates and tool tote
Chatterbox Inc
Eagle, ID
Toll-Free Phone: 888-416-6260
E-mail: info@chatterboxinc.com
Website: www.chatterboxinc.com
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