Big trends have a way of sneaking up on you and Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are no exception. What are we talking about? ATCs are miniature pieces of art that are traded around the world. Artists create, trade and collect art at organized swap events, either in person or online. The only official rule is that the trading card measures 2.5″ x 3.5″. The movement started in 1997, when M. Vanci Stirnemann, a Swiss artist, created 1,200 cards by hand as part of an exhibit. On the exhibit’s last day, he invited others to create their own cards and trade with him during the closing reception. The movement has skyrocketed…

Sketch Book Imprint Program You work hard to put your store name out there and create an image for yourself – what better way to reinforce your message than imprinting your store logo on our Art Alternatives wire- and hard-bound sketch books? We’re taking orders for 2009 Winter BTS season now. Order forms are due June 13th so don’t wait! Your imprinted books will be delivered in December 2008. Remember that to receive the best discount, 70/20% off each book, order a full skid of 576 books. Ask your MacPherson’s contact for more information and an order form. Stretcher Bars Art Alternatives introduces an inexpensive, quality alternative stretcher bar for…

It’s Fall BTS time and we are featuring several new and exciting products as well as essential best-sellers: What’s New? Winsor & Newton’s giant 200ml tube Artist Oil in 40 popular colors Liquitex Professional Acrylic Inks, 30 colors in 30ml & 150ml bottles BASICS gesso in 250ml tubes as well as half- & full- gallon pump-top jugs Derwent’s Tinted Charcoal in 24 subtle colors Reeves Water-Mixable Oil Sets, Linseed Oil and Water-Soluble Wax Pastel sets Color & Co value-priced School Brush Packs Must Haves: All Winsor & Newton 37ml Artist Oils, assortments & open stock All Winton oil colors, assortments & open stock Galeria Acrylic 200ml, assortments & open stock…

Golden Artist Colors launched an entirely new product line – OPEN Acrylics – at this year’s NAMTA show. The uniquely relaxed working characteristics and remarkable ability to remain wet on the palette give OPEN Acrylics tremendous versatility, allowing artists a wider range of techniques to explore, including portraiture, plein air painting and other applications. OPEN Acrylics will begin shipping July 1. Contact your MacPherson’s sales representative for the introductory terms. To learn more about the new OPEN Acrylics product line, visit www.goldenpaints.com/OPEN and look for them in the upcoming July/August SMIAB. Congratulations to the winners of the OPEN Acrylics 2 oz. tube set-up & mediums booth drawing: Hyatt’s of Buffalo,…

Chartpak unveiled its new merchandising concept at NAMTA this year. This concept features Chartpak, Grumbacher, Koh-I-noor, Pelikan and Maco brands as a “Store Within a Store.” The concept includes the beautiful new Grumbacher acrylic paint and brush displays, metallic headers, custom branding posters, shelf labeling strips, and specific power panels with merchandising headers included. In the past 18 months Chartpak has launched 9 new brush assortments under the Grumbacher brand, brought back the hallmark of professional watercolor with the launch of Grumbacher Finest Watercolor and revamped the paint sets with new, attractive, up-to-date packaging. Koh-I-noor’s packaging was also updated and several new items were introduced. Retailers will definitely benefit from…

The new Back-to-School Prismacolor corrugated floor display was received very well at NAMTA. The quantities are modest and MacPherson’s is offering the display at a 50/20% (60%) discount off of the $1,472.22 MSRP for BTS. Perfect for impulse purchase placement throughout the year and particularly at BTS are the new eraser 72-piece display canisters. Available filled with Pink Pearl erasers (SA70521), Kneaded erasers (SA70531), or the Design Artgum erasers (SA73030). The Prismacolor Accessories tray is a convenient corrugated counter display that contains the Design Multi-Pack Eraser Set (SA73318), Prismacolor Sketch Accessory Set (SA3750) and the Prismacolor Turquoise Sketch Accessory Set (SA24187). All three of these items are great BTS items…

Strathmore Artist Papers 2008 Back-to-School Promotion is in full swing. Highlights of the promotion include 16 must-have items with an extra 20% off. Why the deep discount of 20%? Featuring these items on end-caps, floor stack-out displays and in your flyers will increase traffic and create excitement in your stores. To complement the 20% off offering there is also a great mix of pads, sheet stock, books and inkjet papers with an extra 10% off. The BTS promo includes the new Inkjet Iron-On Transfer Sheets at 20% off. This item has taken off and the sell through is excellent. In addition to the great discounts available to you through August…

Make a color statement in your store! To celebrate the introduction of the Amsterdam Acrylic Standard Series (formerly known as Van Gogh Acrylic), a new merchandising system has been designed to accent the features of this vibrant 70-color student range. This new merchandiser has a very sleek and clean look that allows color to take center stage. The ultra-clear tubes let the intensity of the individual colors show through. After all, you’re not selling tubes, you’re selling color! New to the range this year are hanging 250ml Amsterdam acrylic tubes, large 500ml and 1000ml jars, Amsterdam acrylic mediums and painting nozzles. The addition of these new items makes Amsterdam a…

Get ready for your back-to-school customers with these must-have books that can help take any artist’s painting skills to the next level. Utilizing the Color Mixing Recipe books from Walter Foster you can help your shoppers take the mystery out of mixing color. The Color Mixing Recipe Series began with a system developed by William F. Powell, one of Walter Foster’s more prolific authors and a renowned master of color. The system he devised includes a printed acetate color mixing grid to measure specific amounts of each color in a recipe. These recipes expand the color possibilities from a more limited basic palette to create hundreds of colors. Color Mixing…

A variety of new products and programs were well received by the attending retailers at the very successful NAMTA show, and MacPherson’s will be featuring the following new products in the July/August SMIAB: Elmer’s Clear Glue – It dries clear, is flexible when dry, is ideal for children, and is washable, safe and not-toxic. 78% of moms indicate that they will purchase this product. Available in a 5 oz. size. Elmer’s Glue-All Dual-Tip Glue Pen – Designed with 2 applicators; a fine point-tip for precise application and a broad-tip spreader for bigger jobs. Elmer’s School Glue Dual-Tip Glue Pen – Same great features as the Glue-All Dual-Tip, but in a washable formula.…

Logan Graphics introduced FoamWerks foamboard modeling tools and accessories at NAMTA this year. Designed for artists, framers, architects, photographers, 3-D model makers, crafters and sign makers, FoamWerks tools cut foamboard easily and precisely. The complete range – 21 new SKUs with seven tools, eight replacement blade packs, five accessories plus Foamboard Magic, a 72-page full color project book – allows users to cut circles, straight lines, beveled edges, V-grooves, freestyle designs and more. FoamWerks products will be available from MacPherson’s warehouses mid- to late-June 2008.

MacPherson’s purchasing and creative services teams produce and send out a Hot Deals drop ship promos e-mail to customers who have “opted in” to our marketing e-mail list. Below is summary of the latest copy. The actual e-mail is a pictorial “teaser” that has hot links through to the complete details located on our web site. Grumbacher Finest Artists’ Watercolors Assortment Display Jacquard Pearl-Ex .1 oz. Jars Assortment Displays Kolo Small Book Spinner Assortment Display Liquitex Professional Acrylic Ink Assortment Displays Pentel Hyper-G Retractable Liquid Gel Pen Assortment Display Polyform Studio by Sculpey Planogram Assortment Rembrandt/Talens Amsterdam Acrylic Standard Series Assortment Displays Winsor & Newton 40-Color 200ml Artists’ Oil Color…