Calligraphy is arguably the most enduring ancient art form. Now, in the age of social media, it is experiencing a major renaissance. See this month’s trend report on Hand Lettering. That is exactly what Jacquard has seen with their Pearl Ex pigments (Jacquard’s line of over 30 metallic/pearlescent mica pigments), which in recent years experienced an incredible surge in popularity, particularly among calligraphers. Search #PearlEx hashtag on Instagram, and the majority of the thousands of images that you will see will be of beautifully penned words, sparkling and shiny in well-lit videos or stills. Calligraphers are particularly fond of metallic colors. So much so that many of them banded together…
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Introducing NEW Strathmore VISION
Artists are as unique as their vision. That’s why Strathmore has listened to their requests for a series of artists pads with covers that can be customized. For the first time ever, this new line of products features a tear away fly sheet that reveals a heavyweight, customizable, blank cover made from high quality, steel blue mixed media paper. All products feature the new customizable cover, which is made from a specially created 184 lb / 300 gsm steel blue mixed media paper, and is suitable for use with wet and dry media. Artists can feel free to let the world see their vision using the materials of their choice, ultimately showcasing…
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Industry News
On April 6th MacPherson’s welcomes its newest member. Our category manager Lacey Elia gave birth to a boy, Nico. He is a very healthy (9lb. – 11oz.) and happy baby. Congratulations to the entire family! In an effort to create focus within its brands and market channels, Sharpie & Prismacolor maker Newell Brands Inc. announced that it will sell its Pine Mountain® fire starters and fire logs business as well as its Diamond® matches to Royal Oak Enterprises LLC, a leading manufacturer of charcoal and grilling products. Jo-Ann Stores announces acquisition of Creativebug, which is based in San Francisco. The digital company was founded in 2012 and offers an extensive…
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Trends Worth Watching
In recent tracking of Art & Craft retailers email campaigns, some notable trends are emerging. We’re following these developments closely and we think it’s so important to note that we’ve included a new section in the MacPherson’s Back-to-School Buyers Guide. It’s chock full of Trend opportunities to inspire and activate consumer engagement in your store. Look for it in your mailbox soon! Retailer Marketing Trends Print advertising, in store flyers & newspaper ads, continue to be a challenge as costs rise and circulations fall. The trend seems to be moving in the direction of retailers actively building their email mailing list and mailings going out more frequently (at least 3 days per week). A…
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Liquitex Cadmium-Free Colors Are Coming!
Liquitex will launch a new range of Cadmium-Free colors in 2017, giving artists a wider range of choice when selecting safe art materials. Since their foundation in 1955 Liquitex have partnered with artists to ensure that they continually evolve and innovate. As there is no universal view on the potential harm of cadmium pigments, Liquitex has chosen to acknowledge this and offer both alternatives side by side so that artists can make a choice based on their personal preference. ColArt is proud to be the first in the market to introduce a parity performance Cadmium-Free alternative for health and safety conscious artists. As a company they are committed to developing safe and…
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Strathmore Proudly Celebrates 125 year Anniversary in 2017
This year at the NAMTA show, Strathmore incorporated a birthday theme into the booth which included a birthday cake and balloons to celebrate their 125th anniversary. The celebration will continue throughout the year with special themed activities and events for consumers and retailers, so watch for special activities on social media platforms to share with your customers. As part of the anniversary celebration, Strathmore created a unique cover for the standard 400-8 400 Series Drawing pad. The composition and construction of the pad is identical to the standard product, with the exception that the pad artwork has been revised to include an image of founder Horace Moses, done in graphite by artist…