CHA Winter :: Simple Stories
Simple Stories wins my personal prize for the company that is just making so much sense right now. They are a younger manufacturer than many on the floor, though their company history does actually go back beyond the Simple Stories name, with earlier adventures in retailing and all things scrapbook, but Simple Stories is doing smart things with an identifiable style, and it’s exciting to see their new ideas as they mature as a brand.
Starting with paper lines, the new feminine line Fabulous (available now!) includes both full 12×12 sheets and a variety of cut-apart pages with journaling, title and accent cards and strips.
So whether you prefer to scrap traditional pages, pocket pages or a mix – you’re covered. Smart move.
Seeing all the cut-apart pieces like this makes me want to use plenty of them on regular pages, so it really is more versatile than ‘just’ a collection for pocket systems. The Fabulous collection has a bit of flower-power influence but it’s not over the top in colours, daisies or peace signs. There’s a good balance across the line – and everything is double-sided to minimise anything being left-over because it’s not quite the right title for your page.
And it makes my heart very happy to see so many designs in a collection that encourage writing, especially when the 12×12 paper option makes them a lot more affordable than some journaling-card notebooks.
This is the big news on the Simple Stories stand: the 6×8 pocket album. Look for this in so very many projects come next December, I do believe! But plenty before that too.
The page protectors in this system have a variety of pocket configurations plus the full 6×8 page, so there are many looks to try even on the smaller page size.
The binder itself has a fabric spine in black, brown or navy, plus a heavy-duty chipboard cover that can be customised in any way you like. Inside, a 3-ring binder makes it easy to add and move pages as you work.
Plenty of options for packs of papers designed to this size and the coordinating page protectors so you can choose your own mix.
This paper size also includes some options for pockets to hold things you want in your album but you don’t particularly want to glue to the page. I like the scrolled edges on the pockets that make them a little more formal than a plain edge.
And there are pocket pages available in the 12×12 size too!
That leads us to the more masculine 12×12 collection – Awesome. (Available now – find it here!) It’s a similar format to the feminine line, but with a more primary-influenced colour scheme and circles and stars in lieu of flowers and peace signs.
It’s general enough that it should be easy to use on a variety of pages – it doesn’t require the boy in question to be a skateboarder or a fan of dirt bikes or any of the other specific themes that seem to turn up on boy collections so often.
Best name badge ever, right?!
Paper collections are shipping now and the album will hit stores from later this month. This was a very popular item at the show so I would expect it to sell out and be restocked at stores throughout the year. Simple Stories promised they would be making more since it was such a hit!
Click here to shop for Simple Stories products, including these new lines and the Year-ography and Documented lines, perfect for year-long scrapping projects.
Read more about:
Next post: CHA Summer 2012 :: Jenni Bowlin Studio
Previous post: CHA Winter 2012 :: Little Yellow Bicycle
5 March 2012, 00:56
I made some great birthdaycards from Simple Stories! I really like the new lines!
8 April 2015, 04:11
The biggest problem I’ve hit is that it just feels uncomfortably huge and awkward in my pocket more often than the 6 (which did have this issue sometimes as well, but not as often), and it’s clumsier to insert and remove from pockets.