We are back in stock on the Art Alternatives Young Artist Easel in our 3 distribution centers! The easels are being refurbished by replacing the old chalkboard with a new, compliant, black chalkboard. Our inventory will be completely converted by the middle of next week. If you’d like to place an order for this item, it is AA13301S, UPC 082435133027. If you are holding the previous version of the easel in quarantine, please click the link below to fill out a very short form. We cannot proceed with our chalkboard replacement plan since it has not been approved by the CPSC, but we can replace your inventory with refurbished easels…

At MacPherson’s we are constantly on the lookout for features to add that put you, the independent art material retailers, in control. You’ll find our latest idea in the Totals section on the last page of any invoice from us. It gives you the total retail value of the order, and the calculated discount from MSRP. What does it all mean? Now you can monitor your gross margin at a glance and make adjustments as needed.

Here is an article from a recent Small Business Trends blog by Kare Anderson that seems particularly timely given the huge challenges facing all sizes and shapes of brick and mortar retailers. How often have you entered a store. . . * And observed two clerks continue to chat instead of turning to smile at you? * To find that the order you called in the day before is not at the counter, ready for your quick pick-up and payment, because the clerk said she “got busy with other customers?” * And asked the clerk a question about a product and get an “I don’t know” response, with no offer…

Pentel Arts® new Pocket Brush Pen has finally arrived. This brush pen is ideal for cartooning, painting, fine detailing, and more. The refillable portable pen contains permanent pigment ink, which is both water and fade resistant. It also features durable premium bristles that will not lose their shape. The leak-proof fittings and measured ink flow guard against unwanted stains on clothing or spills on projects. The Pocket Brush Pen is available in a blister pack with 2 refill ink cartridges (PLGFKP3BPA) with an MSRP of $16.50. Also available are 2-pack refill cartridges (PLFP10BP2A) with an MSRP of $3.50.

Looking to add some color, while sprucing up your Kid’s Art Department?  Check out these new Art Instruction Titles from Walter Foster: All About Drawing Series Perfect for children who love to doodle, this introductory drawing book series makes the art of drawing easy. Clear, easy-to-follow examples use basic shapes and colors to teach children how to draw step by step. Inside, young readers can learn simple ways to draw and color a collection of reptiles, dinosaurs, horses, dogs, dolphins, whales, and more! Each lesson features fun, fascinating facts about species or breeds, as well as simple drawing tips to guide kids along. With the exciting titles in this All…

Here’s the latest from our friends at Strathmore… “REMINDER:  Don’t Forget to Use Our Helpful Tools for Back to School! We are offering fun and easy ways to drive more sales this back to school season.  You can access or order these tools on our Web site. How Do You See Green? Illustration Contest  – The competition officially opened August 1 and we have already received a number of art entries!  There also has been a lot of positive “buzz” among artists on Internet blogs and Twitter.  Don’t miss out on the opportunity to create excitement in-store.  Order your promotional material today! Back to School Stimulus Package – In June,…

Here’s a link to a great article from the LA Times on the importance of budgeting, one of the key elements to small business success in these uncertain times.  There are huge pluses for retailers to create budgets these days. Investors like to see that a business knows where it stands. When employees, customers and investors know you have an idea about how your company could fare in the coming months and next year, they have more confidence in you and your business. Here are the bullet points: Determine what your business will spend. Use current- and past-year financial information to build a month-by-month list of fixed and variable costs…

The Deals are Red Hot for retailers willing to pull the trigger on a great list of promotable products and lines.  Choose from Open Stock of MacPherson’s DCs selection or even better Drop Ship Promotions. These deals are effective through 9/30/09. OPEN STOCK All Grumbacher Brushes(74%) and Brush Sets(70/10%) All Grumbacher Color ranges at 60/5% Grumbacher Paint Sets at 50/15% Grumbacher W/C Pan Sets at 50/10% Koh-i-noor Pastel Sets, Pencils, Pencil Sets and Accessories at 50/10% Koh-i-noor Pastel Pencils and Sets at 60/5% Koh-i-noor Toison D’or Pencils at 60/10% Koh-i-noor Rapidograph 7 Pen Sets at 50/25/10% Koh-i-noor Rapidograph Pens and Points at 50/10% Koh-i-noor Pen Cleaners and Accessories at 50/10%…

It’s a sign of the new economy; a lot of people who lived high on the hog are now having to adopt frugal living techniques. But will these ways last? We’ve seen this scenario with our parents or grandparents who lived through the Great Depression and they never changed their “money minding” ways. Perhaps the trusty Tube Wringer will be the symbol for this generation of “squeeze every last drop of paint from the tube” artists. It certainly would not hurt to give them a few choices in Tube Wringer Models. That’s why we have added two well built models from the original designer of this art supply store classic.…

The GOLDEN YouTube Channel is Growing! Be sure to check out the ever increasing number of videos that have been posted to the GOLDEN YouTube site. The seven newest videos focus on common problems related to varnishing, including applying an isolation coat, thinning varnish and the entertaining, yet fundamental, “Shake Your Can”. Golden Video Channel Shake Your Can GOLDEN plans to continue producing short video clips, with particular attention placed on subjects that can be confusing for or problematic to artists. If you have a video that you would like to see, or that you think your customers would benefit from, please email your suggestions to drice@goldenpaints.com. New Fluid Colors…

·      Prismacolor will introduce two Marker Sets for Sequential Art and Manga use in September of this year. MacPherson’s has a great promotion that includes these two new sets and a FREE Strathmore Sequential Paper pack. You will see this offer in the Holiday Consumer Buyer’s Guide offered by Creative Catalog Concepts (CCC) and in the MacPherson’s Holiday Trade Buyer’s Guide. ·      Prismacolor has also just approved a Holiday Consumer rebate effective for purchases made between November 15th and January 15th 2010. More details on this as we get closer to Holiday time. ·      The Prismacolor BTS rebate form itself is available as a pdf download at www.prismacolor.com and can…

Sakura’s Pigma® Micron® and Cray-Pas® Expressionist® oil pastels are combined to turn a favorite photo into a unique handcrafted item. A plain 100% cotton canvas is transformed into a keepsake quilt home décor wall hanging. Each simple step of the creative process is demonstrated by designer Julie Fei-Fan Balzer in a video. View the Oil Pastel Canvas Photo Quilt video. Cray-Pas® Expressionist® with its extra fine quality pigment formulation is suitable for many surfaces: paper, cardboard, canvas and wood. 48 colors in 5 color sets; plus the new Cray-Pas® Expressionist® Multi-Cultural set.  Available now, Expressionist® Extender expands a color hue; available in a 2 stick set. Pigma® Micron® pigment ink…

Have you ever been bewildered by acrylic mediums?  Chroma, Inc.’s Resident Artist Jennifer VonStein takes the mystery out of using Atelier mediums along with Atelier Interactive Professional Artists Acrylics in the new online video series, found at Atelier Mediums Video.  Jennifer covers the main ways that artists use mediums such as Binder Medium, Fast Medium/Fixer, Slow Medium, Thick Slow Medium and the Unlocking Formula, as well as transfer techniques, monotypes, and ways to explore texture.  This series is sure to inform and enlighten you! Please feel free to place this link on your website!  If you have any questions about mediums, and would like to schedule an in-store workshop or…