NAMTA 2015 Wrap Up

From members of the stellar MacPherson’s Category Managers/Buyers and Sales team, here’s a compilation of exciting new products that were shown at this years Show.

• Lineco – “Design by Me” new handmade book kits- about $12 retail, the covers are blank, so the opportunity for an end-cap with kits and other “ surface” decorating products could be a big Chain/Key account and B&M store endcap. In addition we are looking into their new frame supply basics. These are for the do it yourself artist or photographer who only has a few items to be mounted and or framed.
•  Speedball – NEW 24 inch block printing and silk screening merchandising displays – bring in orders and an opportunity to review the printmaking/silkscreen category. Akua Inks – dealers asking If MacPherson’s will stock the Akua printing plates, the bag of Mesh and the applicator pack? We are waiting for a bit more feedback from you!
• Also new at Speedball are aluminum frames, scoop coaters and squeegees for silk screening. Speedball is now selling Arnhem printmaking paper. This mill in Holland dates back to 1618! In stock Now!
• Speedball – With a heritage rooted in fine pen-making that began in 1899 Speedball is introducing great new on trend calligraphy kits. We will be stocking the Complete Calligraphy kit at $29.99 and we will set up the Collectors set as a special order at $59.99.
  
• Savoir Faire – new “Abstract” acrylic available in 4 oz. pouches, not tubes! It looks great!– a 4 oz. acrylic in “squeeze bags“ as a on price point of $7.99 – merchandised in Urban Art Category.
  httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMg69ON-bVE
• Golden – Two A-Z acrylic kits-#GD963-0 & GD962-0, received a thumbs up from dealers, as well as the High flow Nib#GD968-0 pack that screws on Golden Fluids 4 oz bottles and the High Flow MOP set #GD967-0 (On order, in by June 1!)
• Saw the trend of Calligraphy/Lettering/Writing throughout the show with Strathmore writing pads/journals/stationery, inks, Holbein’s Tachikawa and Nikko Japanese drawing nibs, FW 20 inks #DA160300005, smaller best seller display, Artbin Magnetic blade and nib case, Yasutomo Metallic Chinese inks in Golden black and Silver black. (we are reviewing and looking for feedback)
• Daler Rowney –  new Georgian Water Mixable oil color range and Georgian Oil and Mediums bestseller display in 225ml tubes were a big hit. Displays look great and retailers will be asking for MacPherson’s refills. Daler announced a smaller 20 ink best-seller version of their FW Ink assortmen.
• Daylight lamps – Sure to be winners in the BTS and Holiday seasons are the new Smart lamps UN1310 and UN1325, UN1327, LED under $100. (we are reviewing and looking for feedback)
• Sakura – New Zentangle sets – ALL good line extensions. On order, in by June 1!

• Global Arts – Art Graf Water Soluble kneadable graphite- AMAZING! lots of dealer interest. Available July.  New Art Graf set of 6 tailor shaped discs, earth tone colors of water soluble graphite in a cork box and open stock color. New colors added to their successful range of canvas pencil cases, chocolate, olive and denim. Pastel Premiere sanded paper, comes in 3 colors and grits, unique 100% cotton archival quality sanded pastel paper that is double primed with an exclusively made oxide coating. Available now.
• Jacquard – has introduced a full line of Cyanotype products, including open stock chemistry, a chemistry set and pre-treated fabrics. Cyanotype is an antique photographic process producing Prussian blue monochromatic prints (blueprints). It works similarly to SolarFast in that it is activated by the sun. With the pre-treated cyanotype fabrics you remove the fabric sheets from the package and expose to sunlight, placing objects or film on top to create an image. Exposures are short and then you just have to dip the fabric in water. The “Mural Sheet,” which is 5′ x 7′.is great for classrooms and parties. Several people can lie down across the fabric while exposing to sunlight to make full body prints! They introduced Jeanie Denim Dye in 11 colors. This is jean/denim dye in a dissolvable packet which you drop into your washer with your jeans. Jacquard is trying to target a new audience with Jeanie—the everyday customers opposed to the initiated dyer. For this reason, Jacquard is recommending Jeanie be positioned in stores differently than their other fabric dyes—near the register with impulse items or in the gift section, for instance. (we are reviewing and looking for feedback)
• Crafter Workshop – new stencil styles – we are in the process of reviewing and refreshing our selection.
• ColArt – has introduced a new pigmented marker line under the Winsor & Newton brand. This has a full color range as well as a humongous spinner rack. The marker has a slight alcohol scent but is the first art marker line to contain fully pigmented ink. Incredibly there are 120 colors plus clear and white blenders. The spinner comes with the rebranded ProMarkers and BrushMarkers now under the W&N brand. Available September . Great launch offer If you purchase the new PigmentMarker complete range you will receive the display rack, the ProMarker and BrushMarker collections for free.
• Liquitex –  introduced a new Intemixability end cap assortment. Offers quick access to all the Liquitex ranges and mediums.

• Strathmore – showed beautiful new Writing Paper (sheets, pads and envelopes) line. The paper itself contains 25% cotton and is available with non-photo blue lines or blank. (On order, in by July 1!) See this Art Dog’s Strathmore posting for details.
• Pacon – Creative Cut Ups –Paper centric hands on products that encourage creativity, imagination and open ended play for kids. Each pack contains 7-10 projects. Made from recyclable materials. Available June.
• Canson – upgraded the look of their XL pad line. The covers are brighter colors and have a velvet finish to them. They have also introduced a new Plein Air pad line. These thick pads containing Canson’s Art Boards cut to size are available in Watercolor, Canvas or Illustration Board varieties. (On order, in by July 1!)
• Gamblin – expanded family of Solvent-Free Painting materials featuring safflower mediums is a sure-fire winner and the ever popular solvent free gel is now available in a 37ml 9 tube counter display. Their 1980 oils is also expanding with an Introductory set with over $85 worth of product included selling for just $54.95.
• Chartpak –  two new Schmincke items. One is a new oil painting medium called Medium “W”. It can be mixed with oil paint to convert it to water based. (On order, in by July 1!) Schmincke also has a new offering of traditional bronzing powders. These are real metallic particles and incredibly brilliant! (we are reviewing and looking for feedback) New lead holders in both a clutch version and auto-advance, in multiple sizes with a possible assortment. Awaiting vendor set up information.
• MacPherson’s booth not only showcased the new Kinsho Photo Album (On order, due in July!) line but a new double-sided easel from MABEF (with casters), updated racks for Stabilo’s Point 88 pens and CarbOthello pencils, and the new RGM colored handled painting knives called, you guessed it “Colors”! (On order, due in June!). Also from Montana Cans, 15 new highly anticipated transparent colors in the Montana GOLD range (available in May!), and a new line of special EFFECT sprays including Marble, Granit, Crackle and Glitter (coming in June!).

• Art Alternatives – In addition to the hugely successful super value packs of stretched canvas, we also featured new super value packs of our AA Cradled Wood panels and Canvas Panels. Both lines feature top-selling sizes in multi-packs, all designed to retail at a single price point. Stack out assortments of these items are an easy way to create an instant promotional opportunity and introduce new customers to these surfaces. Additionally launched were new lines of product aimed at the beginning painter including carded economy brush sets, student grade sets of heavy-bodied acrylic paint and a new aluminum tripod easel with an amazing $19.99 list price. Possibly the most interesting new addition is stART, a collection of value priced pads, pastels colored pencil sets, etc., all at a price of point $4.99 to the consumer. The products are designed to perfection and the full set-up placed in the highest traffic part of your store will generate huge sales! (Arriving in June!)

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  Princeton – redesigned the graphics on most of their brush racks and has introduced three new brushes. Velvet Touch is an attractive brush line with limited SKUs and a step up from the popular Select offering. “Elite” is a new synthetic Kolinsky line which resembles the real thing but is obviously much less expensive. “Summit” has a showy blue handle, white synthetic fibers with short handles and should fill the need for watercolor and acrylic artists. (On order, available August!)

• Sanford –  introduced Sharpie “EXTREME” markers which have lightfast ink! The new “Electro POP” colors, Flair Tropical colors were introduced as well and a carded Prismacolor scholar kneaded eraser.  New Bundles, Prismacolor 72-color pencil set with a free 20 x 26 black portfolios and Prismacolor 24-color pencil tin with a bonus color pencil accessory kit. Feedback needed for stocking option rather than a special item.
• Crescent – Create & Show – A complete matting and framing system which is easy to use. Plus Dry Erase Student boards and photo mats.
• Nitram Professional Charcoal – introduced a new Baton which holds the charcoal sticks while using. The charcoal stick is specially designed to fit the baton and is called a mignonette (refills).

• Elmers – revolutionary new glue gun, which eliminates the nuisance of glue strings using craftbond hot glue. (Available in October)
• Deco Art – added Max Gloss, a sister product to chalky finish. Creates a contemporary, sleek and polished look on old furniture, flea market finds and more. A New product for MacPherson’s, an assortment and open stock of Decoupage paper. This has a peggable rack with 16 decoupage paper sets. A Perfect match for MacPherson’s line of Paper Mache.
• Fox Chapel – added additional lines to the on-trend Design Original series of coloring books and introduced the new Zentangle #11 work book.
• Itoya – added a Marker and Pad carrier which we sell in an assortment. A unique transportation solution for artists using markers.
• Manuscript – Trio Fountain pen, versatile and attractive fountain pen at a great price $16.95 plus Callicreative 12 assorted Italic Marker pens at $20.95 in both fine and broad tip.
• New Wave – added to their range of high quality palettes, the Avant-Garde which has the traditional ergonomic design with a grey finish that provides for enhanced value and color gauging, plus the White Pad, an extension to the successful Grey Pad.
• Studio Design – building on the growth of the Futura Craft Stations they have added fire engine red .
• Yasutomo – new traditional Chinese Inks in metallic gold and silver, high quality at a $8.95 retail.
• Natural Earth Paint – Eco kids products that are non-toxic, eco-friendly paint from the earth, featuring kits for kids to make their own paint (looking for feedback) www.naturalearthpaint.com.
• Daniel Smith – 5ml artist watercolor in an 88 color range, featuring two 6-color introductory sets.
• FM Brush – Black Gold range is their number #1 selling line which we are looking to bring in as it has unique brush shapes.
• Holbein – new Fluid Artist acrylics, a low viscosity acrylic offering 60 highly detailed colors in 35ml squeeze bottles. (Looking for feedback).
• Martin F Weber – Turpenoid light, made for RISD with a high flash point, waiting on its launch.
• Pentel – adding to the success of Aquash water brushes they have launced a new flat Aquash brush.
• Royal – added new kids art set called Cool Art, low price point oil pastels, colored pencils, water colors and multi media art sets.
• Testors – new Enamel paint markers, small 11-color counter top assortment. (Looking for feedback).
• Denik – Art that can Change the World. They gather artists from across the world and put their work on journals, note books and sketch books. Then with every product sold a portion of the proceeds go to directly supporting schools in developing countries and the artists. www.denik.com
• Indigo Art Papers – 100% cotton and a 75% cotton and 25 % flax, mould made paper sheets from India. Comes in various weights. Developing art journals and sketch books with tear out sheets to give a 4 sided decal edge. www.Indigoartpapers.com
• General Pencil – Updated drawing and sketching display plus a New USA Drawing POG, ships complete in a box.
• Grafix – New line of print media, including mono printing plates, stencil film, imaging print film and inking palettes. Plus long awaited Artist-tac, dry adhesive sheets in 3 sizes, in stock now.
• Legion – new Yupo heavy weight drawing pads and new Yupo landscape size translucent pad. On trend for water colorists and mix media artists.

Don’t forget, many of these and others will be shown at MacPherson’s Dealer Workshop in June! Don’t miss out!!!