Best New Product Winners (At Long Last)

As promised, I'd like to share photos of each of the Best New Product Award winners. NSS Show Manager Patti Stracher handed out the awards Sunday during NSS. Robin McMurray and I tagged along, and it was so fun to see (and hear) all of the fun reactions of those who won the awards. Let's just say there was a lot of jumping, screeching and smiling going on Sunday afternoon as our crew made its way around the trade show floor. Jacki Rigoni at Jacki Paper likened the Best New Product Awards to the Academy Awards and accepted her award with glee and "I'd like to thank my mom!" Needless to say, this is one of my absolute favorite parts of the National Stationery Show.

Think Green — Jacki Paper


Party — ThemeNaps


Social Stationery — C. R. Gibson


Desk Accessories — Woodessen


Lifestyle & Specialty Gift — Kookie Stationery


Paper Craft & Scrapbooking — Simply Renee


Luxury — Designers’ Fine Press, design by Margot Madison

- By Kimberly Warren, Great American Publishing (Photos by Robin McMurray)

LOUIE Winners

In my rush to get Day 3 issue of Stationery Today out during NSS, I neglected to blog about the LOUIE winners! Thanks to one of my Twitter followers for pointing this out. :) Here's the official release from the Greeting Card Association, followed by a list of the winners by category. Congratulations to EVERYONE who was nominated, and especially to the winners.

Winners of the 21st Annual International Greeting Card Awards – the LOUIES – were announced during the National Stationery Show in New York Monday evening. The industry’s equivalent of the Academy Awards, the LOUIE Awards were presented at CAPITALE in a special program themed A Celebration of Imagination.

Tam Tam Design Studio, of Arlington Heights, Ill., was named Card of the Year for its birthday card entry in Rising Star (above $3 price break), and Compendium Inc., of Seattle, received Card of the Year for Thank You ($3 & below price break). This marked the first time that both Card of the Year winners went to first-time entrants.

Fifty-eight awards were handed out along with the Cards of the Year in two price divisions. The Rising Star award for companies in business less than three years went to Shirley Bell Designs and Tam Tam Design Studio.

In addition to Compendium Inc. and Tam Tam Design Studio, first-time winners, all of whom were first-time entrants, included Charu Overseas (India), J-Dig Cards, Paper Belle, PostMark Press for Leanin’ Tree Inc., Shirley Bell Designs, some of me, Specialty Cards 4U, Spilled Ink Press, Sun Day Greetings and UNICEF.

Margie King of Paper Magic Group, of Scranton, Pa., served as this year’s awards program chair. King’s creative team developed the “Celebration of Imagination” theme featuring a butterfly, producing all collaborative materials from the call for entries to the souvenir program book.

"Just as a butterfly goes through metamorphosis, our designers, writers and illustrators develop greeting cards, invitations and imprintables from a basic idea to fabulous new and exciting products each year,” King said. “In recognition of its 21st birthday, A Celebration of Imagination recognizes this creative artistry.”

The Greeting Card Association previously announced the finalists for the best greeting card products of the year in March. All of the finalists are showcased in a special display at NSS at the back of aisles 2200-3500.

LIST OF WINNERS
Cards of the Year
(Above $3) Tam Tam Design Studio
($3 & Below) Compendium Inc.
Birthday – Children (Above $3)
American Greetings
Birthday – Children ($3 & Below)
Paper Magic Group
Birthday – General (Above $3)
The Three Maries, distributed by Collage Greetings
Birthday – General ($3 & Below)
DaySpring Cards
Birthday – Humrous (Above $3)
The Three Maries, distributed by Collage Greetings
Birthday – Humorous ($3 & Below)
Shannon Martin/Girl Designer, in partnership with Madison Park Greetings
Blank (Above $3)
à la cards
Blank ($3 & Below)
Paper Magic Group
Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal Counter — General (Above $3)
Meri Meri
Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal Counter — General ($3 & Below)
The Museum of Modern Art
Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal Counter – Humorous (Above $3)
Design Design Inc.
Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal Counter – Humorous ($3 & Below)
AVANTI Press Inc.
Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal — Boxed/Catalogue — General (Above $1.25)
Masterpiece Studios
Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal — Boxed/Catalogue — General ($1.25 & Below)
UNICEF
Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal — Boxed/Catalogue — Humorous (Above $1.25)
J-Dig Cards
Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal — Boxed/Catalogue — Humorous ($1.25 & Below)
max & lucy, distributed by Sunrise Greetings
Creatively Finished (Above $3)
Paper Magic Group
Creatively Finished ($3 & Below)
The Museum of Modern Art
Easter (Above $3)
some of me
Easter ($3 & Below)
AVANTI Press Inc.
Everyday Assorted — Boxed/Catalogue (Above $7.50)
PostMark Press for Leanin’ Tree Inc.
Father’s Day ($3 & Below)
Designer Greetings Inc.
Friendship/Encouragement — General (Above $3)
Meri Meri
Friendship/Encouragement — General ($3 & Below)
DaySpring Cards
Friendship/Encouragement — Humorous (Above $3)
AVANTI Press Inc.
Friendship/Encouragement — Humorous ($3 & Below)
Any Horrible Occasion
Get Well/Feel Better (Above $3)
Pictura Inc.
Get Well/Feel Better ($3 & Below)
DaySpring Cards
Halloween/Thanksgiving (Above $3)
Sunrise Greetings
Halloween/Thanksgiving ($3 & Below)
AVANTI Press Inc.
Handmade (Above $3)
Charu Overseas (India)
Handmade ($3 & Below)
Paper Magic Group
Imprintable — Everyday (Above $1.75)
Anna Griffin Inc.
Imprintable — Everyday ($1.75 & Below)
Paper Belle
Imprintable — Seasonal (Above $1.75)
Meri Meri
Mother’s Day (Above $3)
American Greetings
Mother’s Day ($3 & Below)
AVANTI Press Inc.
New Baby/Pregnancy (Above $3)
American Greetings
New Baby/Pregnancy ($3 & Below)
Palm Press Inc.
Packaged Fill-In Invitation/Announcement ($3 & Below)
Designer Greetings Inc.
Personalized Invitation/Announcement (Above $5)
SOMEDAY DESIGNS
Personalized Invitation/Announcement ($5 & Below)
Spilled Ink Press
Rising Star (Above $3)
Tam Tam Design Studio
Rising Star ($3 & Below)
Shirley Bell Designs
Romance (Above $3)
Great Arrow Graphics
Romance ($3 & Below)
Sun Day Greetings
Special Occasion — Everyday (Above $3)
Second Nature Ltd. (England)
Special Occasion — Everyday ($3 & Below)
Artists To Watch
Superbly Stated (Above $3)
JUMPING CRACKER BEANS
Superbly Stated ($3 & Below)
DaySpring Cards
Sympathy (Above $3)
American Greetings
Sympathy ($3 & Below)
Designer Greetings Inc.
Thank You (Above $3)
Specialty Cards 4U
Thank You ($3 & Below)
Compendium Inc.
Valentine’s Day (Above $3)
Meri Meri
Valentine’s Day ($3 & Below)
AVANTI Press Inc.
Engagement/Wedding/Anniversary (Above $3)
UNICEF
Engagement/Wedding/Anniversary ($3 & Below)
Paper Magic Group
Honorable Mention
Annabelle’s Creations
(Personalized Invitation/Announcement — Above $5)

- By Kimberly Warren, Great American Publishing