Getting Catty

I couldn’t agree more with Jess’s last post. Pet products are hot! But, as the happy owner (mommy?) of two cats (and Jess, herself has a kitty…) I had to wonder why she’d gone to the dogs!! Well, it certainly is much more difficult to put a cat in a cutesy outfit, or on a leash, so I get that there would be less of this kind of thing available, but how about all the great products that help us celebrate our fabulous feline friends?

I am a huge fan of the fold and mail line that Cat Fish Greetings is doing. Look at this cute one with Milton featured on what becomes the back of the mailer. The color is great, and Milton is so cute. I would love to use these to send to my friend who lives in Rome, Italy. She’s a cat-lover, and the fold and mail aspect of this really appeals to me.

And have you seen this “Stuff on My Cat” line? I think the whole thing started with a website and contest! Folks were asked to submit photos of their cats adorned with “stuff” (bows, feathers, stuffed animals, fake antlers…you get the picture) and from there Chronicle Books has licensed the line. .They are producing calendars, stationery and notecards (pictured below) - Apparently, this line has quite a following!

My cats just wouldn’t be patient enough for me to do this to them! You have to laugh. In fact, I don’t think I can stop.

If putting stuff on your cat isn’t funny enough, (poor babies) how about the Bad Cat card line from Nobleworks. This one gets me every time! Look at that face!

It’s that time of year to go calendar shopping, and every year I buy a travel-related calendar - Italy, France, England… This year, I found this: Cats of the Greek Isles by Graphique de France. I leave my cats at home when I travel, but always come home with pics of cats in their native environment. This calendar may save me the trip! (Yeah, right – hope to go to Greece one day!)

And how about this wrapping paper?

Cute, right? It’s from Design Design. I will wrap my cat-to-cat presents in this paper. (What…you don’t do this? Well, there are plenty of us out there who do!)

I’ve been having fun with words lately (another story, another day) and Magnetic Poetry’s Cat Lover edition is…umm…well, the cat’s pajamas? Get it?

Anyway, this kit makes a great gift for any cat lover, for kids or any wordsmith!

If that’s not enough, how about this funny “Little Ugly” from UglyDolls – his name is Gato Deluxe, and he was introduced to the line earlier this year. I’ve always had a soft spot for these homely little guys, and Gato is no exception!

I know there is just so much more out there celebrating cats, and the love of them. (Frames, magnets, gift bags, tags, paper plates – you name it!) It was really hard to choose what I wanted to show you!

- Kelly

Pet Extravagance

Last week I had to buy 2 presents: one for my best friend and one for her dog, Charlie. Which present cost more? The dog’s!

“Pet extravagance”, as I call it, is not the fad I thought it would be. Years after Paris Hilton started clothing her dog in diamonds, pet boutiques, gift stores and doggie spas are everywhere, and still very much in business! I never had reason to step into any of these locations until I received an invitation to Charlie’s birthday party. I couldn’t resist! After spending over an hour in the store, I walked out with my arms full of the cutest dog clothes and toys I could find and spent a good part of my paycheck enthusiastically. My favorite purchase being the mama’s boy t-shirt:




After this shopping excursion, I remembered the number of exhibitors in NSS who create products specifically for the pet-loving public. Pictured below are a few examples - from cards to magnets to frames, pets are on everything!

Greeting Card: Dr. D’s for Dogs

Magnets: Gifty Idea

Frame: Pearhead, Inc.

I am sure that “man’s best friend” will enjoy even more attention from our creative industry this holiday season. Hey - what about the rabbits, guinea pigs and goldfish?

Until next time,
Jess

Summer Stripes

Hard to believe it’s August…if time could just slow down a bit wouldn’t we all be a bit happier? I know I would. I’ve barely begun to exhale.

Summer is a time when so many of us kick back, relax and recharge. The business travel this summer had many of the NSS girls on the road – not the most relaxing of tasks, but surely among the most fun. It’s wonderful to see our customers, our friends, really, as we visit shows and stores around the country. It’s also a great way to see how a trend is interpreted across different American cities. For instance, stripes…

Here I was in the middle of the country in a small, independent home décor shop. There, I saw a dense, 9-color stripe on ceramic tableware. I thought, how perfect for my must-replace set of dishes! Loved the stripe, loved its luster on the ceramic. Next stop, a store local to me (NY suburb), a favorite, really, for cards and custom printing. The same stripe on notecards and paper tableware – and on giftwrap, which this store used as wallpaper – neat idea. Keep going, right? Yes indeed. Take me to the Southeast, baby! The same stripe on luggage, golf club covers and rain boots! What??? Next stop, Southern California…Throw pillows, mousepads and dresser liners. And, instead of wallpaper, this store put the paper in a fabulous frame.

I suppose this shouldn’t surprise me. Anything goes when you think creatively, flexibly. But, I just had to share because thinking outside the proverbial box can take us places that can bring us success and growth where we least expect it!

~ Patti ~

Do you know Paperclips?

Have you seen Paperclips yet? If not, you’re missing out! Paperclips is our new e-newsletter that covers a lot of the happenings in the stationery world – whether it be our show, trends, events or anything in between. Make sure you check out the past issues on our website so that you are up-to-date! #6 releases in the upcoming weeks. And, if you want to subscribe, just send me an email: jessica_reiche@glmshows.com or let me know by posting a comment!

In other news, here in the office, applications for the 2008 Show are flying in! I cannot believe how many new companies are already preparing for the Show – it’s great. I can already see some of their booths in my mind. The Show is definitely going to feature some terrific, design-forward start-ups!

While Patti was traveling she told me about 2 companies whose products she saw on the road (one was paper and one was a leather goods company). She talked about the patterning trend that’s "out there" and described the pattern and colors to me. Was it sheer coincidence that the applications I reviewed that very day represented products with the very same pattern? Reminded me of another GLM show, SURTEX’s tagline – Designs for Every Surface. Licensing will probably be really big this year!

That’s all for now,
Jess

Post Show Highlights

Hello Bloggers! The National Stationery Show has joined the blog world! We will make frequent entries, so that we can stay in touch with the bloggers in our industry be they exhibitors, buyers, reps, distributors, prospective participants and anyone in between.

First off, let me say that the Team is still on a high from the past Show in May. We continue to receive positive feedback about the depth and variety of resources and the great energy on the floor. This goes along with an increase in attendance numbers, so there is definitely something to be excited about. We plan to build on this success in 2008, and have plans in the works to make next year’s Show even stronger.

Just in case you missed the Show – here are a few highlights:

Exhibitor Crystal Art displayed "American Icon" – a Swarovski Crystal covered Mini Cooper used to introduce the new and exciting range of crystal greetings cards.

There were 7 winners in the Best New Product Competition:

PSA Essentials – Delegates’ Choice
Oliblock – Lifestyle/Specialty Gift
Nouvelles Images – Social Stationery

Yoropen - Luxury
TableToss - Party
The Paper Menu – Paper Craft/Scrapbooking

Sinden Home – Desk Accessories

Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor of The New Yorker and president of The Cartoon Bank, held a signing to kick off the New Yorker greeting card collection in the Nelson Line booth. He then spoke to attendees about the role of humor in society.

Participants enjoyed live music playing in the lobby opening day. The band then led the Show team across the Show floor to greet many of our new and returning exhibitors.

Our new signage!
We are so excited about the bright new colors and theme displayed
throughout the Show. It’s fresh, it’s new, and it conveys what the future of the Stationery Show is all about: Great business. Great fun.

Epson America debuted at NSS 2007 to promote its printing equipment and
technology to retailers and exhibitors. It was very exciting to have this industry giant exhibiting alongside brand new, start-up companies!

The Show was buzzing with action all 4 days – you DON’T want to miss next year!


So, I hope everyone had a fun, safe, dry 4th of July! And don’t forget to spread the word about the NSS blog – it’s a great place to learn some of the inside scoop about the Show and to let us know what’s on your mind.