Kathy Cano Murillo
The Arizona Republic
The Craft & Hobby World's Fair is every crafter's dream event: 3,500 exhibitors showing off the latest supplies, designs, gadgets, tools and products.
It takes coveted credentials to score a pass to this insider event, where buyers for art and craft stores place orders for merchandise. Entrepreneurs present their inventions and artists display their designs, all hoping for a licensing deal. TV producers audition new home-decorating talent, and book editors seek potential authors. More than 20,000 industry professionals pass through the doors.
This year's show in Anaheim lived up to the hype. Here are a few of the products you are likely to see in electronics and craft stores.
Overall best of show
Epson PictureMate Snap ($149.99): A photo lab that is the size of a lunch box. Simply slip in a memory card and digitally edit, color and print 4- by 6-inch glossy photos within seconds. It runs on battery or A/C power, and works with or without a computer. Available at Best Buy, Circuit City, Comp USA, Target and epson.com.
Art Blanche Collection ($1.79-$9.99): This line of sturdy chipboard accessories includes blank boxes, clipboards, calendars, albums, books and large monograms that can be decorated using EK Success' new and deliciously oversize 24- by 36-inch double-sided scrapbook papers. These jumbo sheets also come in handy for home decorating and decoupage projects. Available now at craft and scrapbook stores.
Kitchen crafts
Cookbookin' Recipe Scrapbooks ($7-$27): Here's a way to add personal sentiments to your family recipes. This line of kits and accessories lets you create a functional freestanding binder cookbook, as well as a personal photo-friendly scrapbook. www.cookbookin.com.
Sugar Veil Confectionery Icing ($15): This cross between icing and frosting dries to a flexible, edible finish. Use an icing comb or dispenser to create gorgeous textured lace designs that can be used to glam up your desserts. This dreamy icing not only picked up convention awards for best of show and most innovative product, it also made a fan of Martha Stewart, who after watching the demo pulled out her checkbook. www.sugarveil.com.
Scrapbook accessories
Digital scrapbooking is bigger and badder thanks to Avery Printable Scrapbooking products that include sticker paper banners, tags and borders. Use the software to design your own embellishments that look just as polished as the real thing. Available at office supply and craft stores.
Polished paints
Some of our favorite paint companies debuted new shades. Delta released 19 new Ceramcoat pigments (starting at 99 cents per 2-ounce bottle); Luminarte added 12 new hues to its wildly popular Twinkling H20s ($3.70 each); and Jacquard unleashed Pearl Ex Metallic Water Colors CD Sets ($13.99). All available at craft and paper arts stores.
Funky fibers
South West Trading Co. specializes in manufacturing yarns made from milk, soy, bamboo, corn, wool and even shrimp and crab shells. You'll also find Craft, Rock, & Love, the new yarn line by DIY Network's Knitty Gritty host, Vickie Howell. To purchase, visit www.soysilk.com to find local yarn stores.
If you dare to knit or crochet on the wild side, check out Hysterical Yarns (starting at $23) from Venus Art. Austin, Texas, artist Amanda Jones spins and twists various colors and textures — even sequins — into each ball of fun. www.venusart.org.
Glitter papers
Holographic Glittered Scrapbook Paper ($6.99 for five sheets) is just one of the super sparkly options new on the market. Each sheet is coated with actual glitter that can be cut, stamped and painted. www.papercellar.com.
For a lighter, shimmery effect, visit your local paper arts store for Bazzill Bling Cardstock collection. www.bazzillbasics.com.
Source : http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070506/LIFE05/705060318/1036
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