Apr 22, 2009

National Stationery Show



I am busy prepping for the National Stationery Show.... we skipped last year due to the fabric shows, and this year committed to returning! I love doing this show... there is much fuss, prep and highly enthusiastic competition for everyone! The creativity that goes into each booth, or in European and Australian terms, each 'stand', that it simply boggles my mind. At the International Quilt Markets we have won best booth twice in different categories... but at the Stationery Show, even we have not won the infamous award of best booth!!! It brings me back to our very first booth 5 years ago, with a pink flokati rug, chocolate brown fabric walls and sweetly framed pink felt to show off our hot off the press recently printed invites and cards.... down in the basement in our last minute booth space.... and wow were our heads spinning at the rush of stationers from around the world clammering for our sweet little collection, Cid Pear. Now we have walls and perfect lighting and manage a key space each time among Anna Griffin, Vera Wang, Kate Spade, the lovely Jack & Lulu, Stacy Claire Boyd (a veteran in the business) and even unbelievable Elum the perfectly delicious letter press designers!
Times have changed and each year we have seen changes in buying habits from both consumer and of course retailer, and again recent changes with the awareness of a changing economic climate.... so we must change! We must, or we will not be able to bring our beautiful invites to the market... thus the new Tina Givens stationery collection.... it's perfectly lovely, very sophisticated and whimsical again all at the same time, but unlike Cid Pear's classic high-end price - point, we are able to bring this new collection at unbelievable prices. This means our stationers and book sellers and gift shops around the world will be able to introduce a Tina flavored collection to everyone! Not just those lovely fans of Cid who can afford Cid Pear. I am even encouraged to tell you, our most influential Cid Pear buyers are lining up for the new lower priced collection not because of the amazing price point, but the quality and design of the line. This is a wonderful compliment.
And for those of you who are fabric buyers and collectors of my fabrics.... you'll love this collection because it has a connection to the textiles I design for Westminster Fibers. They're pretty and full of mischief and those florals and fairies are all invited to the stationery party! So join us, come to the National Stationery Show next month. It's at the Javits in New York (trade only sorry) ... May 17th to the 20th.... We're booths 3252 and 3254..... I hope to see you there, and if you mention Tina's Blog password, which is 'BLOGGEDY BLOG BLOG' you will receive 20% off your show purchase! Big yeah! I will continue to post and will post through the show to give you folks who can't attend a flavored peek into the world of the stationery show!