IV Pole Pals bring cheer to children in hospitals

IV Pole Pals Wins The Next Big Thing Contest



By Dallas Market Center
DALLAS – June 25, 2011 – Dallas Market Center, the world’s most omplete wholesale marketplace, today announced The Next Big Thing winner, IV Pole Pals. The Next Big Thing is a national search for the best new products from throughout the country.

The winner was announced during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market on Saturday, June 25 and awarded a prize package worth more than $12,500 including $2,500 cash, exhibit space at the January 2012 Total Home & Gift Market, a feature profile in one of Dallas Market Center’s award-winning publications, and consultations from leading industry experts regarding branding, public relations, visual merchandising and much more.

“Congratulations to IV Pole Pals and its founder Deric Salser,” said Bill Winsor, president and CEO, Dallas Market Center. “We’re glad to have had the opportunity to introduce IV Pole Pals to the marketplace and look forward to working with them and celebrating their success.”

IV Pole Pals was selected from three contest finalists including The Feeling Bag and The Pillow Bag. The finalists received airfare, hotel and exhibit space to show their products during Market in front of more than 50,000 attendees. To learn more about this year’s finalists go to www.dallasmarketcenter.com/contests/thing.

The winner was selected based on a combination of judges’ feedback as well as popular vote via a social media poll. This year’s judges were: Lori Eddleman, co-founder of Three Designing Women; Rawlins Gilliland, retail consultant; Caroline Kennedy, editor-in-chief of Gifts & Decorative Accessories; and Myra Prescott and Julie Tobolowsky, last year’s The Next Big Thing winners and founders of Clothes & Go.

IV Pole Pals are cheerful decorations that attach onto IV poles adding something special for patients needing their spirits lifted. The “pals” come in many shapes, sizes and themes and snap on and off any standard IV pole. They are made of durable plastic and have a convenient clip that wraps around the pole to secure it in place.

Deric Salser of Sunnyvale, Texas, founder of IV Pole Pals, was inspired by his 8-year-old daughter, Alexandra, who was diagnosed with an incurable disease called LCHAD. To take the fear out of needing an IV, Salser’s wife crafted homemade decorations and attached them to Alexandra’s IV pole. The decorations were the inspiration for the product line that now consists of more than 40

different “pals.” Visit www.ivpolepals.com for more information.

Dallas Market Center will continue to host The Next Big Thing, now entering its fifth contest, duringthe June Total Home & Gift Market. Information regarding next year’s contest will be available on its website in early January 2012. For additional information on The Next Big Thing, visit Dallas Market Center’s website at www.dallasmarketcenter.com or email thenextbigthing@mcmcmail.com. Dallas Market Center holds four Total Home & Gift Markets (January, March, June and September) and five Apparel & Accessories Markets (January, March, June, August and October) each year. Retail buyers are offered new lines and products at Dallas Market Center throughout its permanent showrooms and temporary exhibition space.

About Dallas Market Center
Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Within its marketplace of more than five million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and lighting to textiles, fashion accessories and men's, western, women's and children's apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 78 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward helping retailers expand business and increase profits. As a result, more than $8 billion in estimated wholesale transactions are conducted annually within the Dallas Market Center complex. The Dallas Market Center website is available at www.dallasmarketcenter.com.

A romantic food and cocktail garnish

Wild Hibiscus Flower Co. will introduce an exclusive, limited-edition food at the Atlanta gift show in July. The product is "bursting with joie de vivre," says Lee Etherington, the company founder. Each 12.3-ounce jar contains 15 hand-picked wild hibiscus flowers that are preserved in simple syrup scented with the essence of two dozen Bulgarian roses, sourced from a valley where highly prized rose oil hasbeen produced for centuries. The syrup can be mixed with a dry, sparkling wine. The flowers are edible.

The company says its flowers in rose syrup and the flowers alone are "trendy, edible food and cocktail garnishes" that have a three-year shelf life. They can be used in food dishes and cocktails and served at weddings, engagement parties, birthdays,holidays and themed events.

Qualifying retailers receive free POS materials—recipe brochures, counter and shelf displays,
plus wobblers.

See the company in Atlanta  at Booth 719, Building 2 - West Wing, 2nd Floor

Greeting Card Assn. to meet in Texas

THE GREETING CARD ASSOCIATION'S 70TH ANNUAL CONVENTION
RUNS SEPT. 14-17 IN HORSESHOE BAY, TX
GCA members and nonmembers are welcome!

By The Greeting Card Association

(June 22, 2011) The 70th Annual Convention of the Greeting Card Association (GCA) will be taking place from Wednesday, September 14, through Saturday, September 17, at the Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. All members of the industry – both GCA members and nonmembers – are welcome to attend.

Located just 45 minutes northwest of Austin, this luxurious – yet affordably priced – resort lies along the panoramic shores of Lake LBJ in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. It features three championship golf courses, four swimming pools, 16 tennis courts, seven dining facilities, a full-service spa, a marina and more.

Horseshoe Bay Resort is the ideal venue for the outstanding roster of dynamic speakers, informative panel sessions, strategic meetings and fun networking activities planned for this year's convention – themed "Staying Relevant." The theme shapes the content of the upcoming convention, which will address the significant consumer and communication shifts affecting the greeting card, invitation and stationery business, according to Convention Co-Chairs Jason Evans of Birchcraft Studios and Christy Kaprosy of American Greetings.

On the roster at this year's GCA Annual Convention is keynote speaker Jim Welch, president and founder of The Growth Leader, Inc. Welch brings more than 25 years of marketing leadership, having previously worked for Hallmark Cards and Procter & Gamble. As the "The Practical Growth Leader," Welch will provide convention attendees with innovative, cutting-edge growth strategies.

Research firm On Your Mark will lead an interactive discussion with a panel of young women to understand how greeting cards and stationery play a part in their lives. Another session will feature top retailers who will share unique sales category insights about the role of social expressions. Additional speakers and panels, including a presentation by GCA Associate members who are suppliers to the industry, will also offer critical industry knowledge to attendees.

Substantial early discounts for the 70th Annual Convention are being offered for those registering by Friday, August 12. To register, please visit www.greetingcard.org.

Single and double rooms at the Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott are available for just $150 per night (plus resort fee and taxes) until Friday, August 12. To book a room, please go to www.greetingcard.org. For more information about Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott, visit www.hsbresort.com.

About the Greeting Card Association
The Greeting Card Association, headquartered in White Plains, NY, is the U.S. trade association of the greeting card industry. Established in 1941, the GCA represents greeting card and stationery publishers, as well as suppliers to the industry. The GCA is managed by George Little Management, LLC, owner and manager of the annual National Stationery Show. For additional information, please visit www.greetingcard.org.

Dallas market welcomes Santa Fe Folk Art Artists

Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Artists To Exhibit in Dallas

– A Collection of folk art to be shown during FINDS Dallas Temp Show –


By Dallas Market Center

DALLAS – June 20, 2011 – Dallas Market Center, the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace, recently announced that artists from the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market will show at the FINDS Dallas Temp Show being held June 23-26. The Collection will be located in the Trade Mart, 1st floor atrium, near Design FINDS.

“We are honored to have artists from the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market on campus during Market,” said Cindy Morris, COO, Dallas Market Center. “It’s a unique buying opportunity for our retailers and a chance for them to order cause-related products that make a difference in others’ lives.”

More than a dozen artists will travel to Dallas before heading to Santa Fe, New Mexico for the annual International Folk Art Market, the largest international folk art market in the world. The mission of the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is to foster economic and cultural sustainability for folk artists and folk art worldwide and to create intercultural exchange opportunities that unite the peoples of the world. Each artist is making a difference for their families and communities through the sale of their one-of-a-kind handmade products.

One of the exhibiting artists that will show at Market is Janet Nkubana, from Rwanda. Janet learned to weave from her mother and is now co-founder of Gahaya Links. Her organization was founded after the Rwandan Genocide to help women cope with minimal support. Among the baskets that she will show are the elegantly-shaped, conical “peace” baskets that have earned international acclaim. In 2005, the baskets were featured in O Magazine. Today, the baskets can be found in the displays of Macy’s department stores throughout the United States.

Alba Sepúlveda, another artist, from Chile began hand weaving delicate miniature sculptures and designs out of horsehair at the age of seven, and has developed her craft for more than 50 years. She is today one of the foremost weavers in Chile, with a long list of awards and recognitions on an international scale. Alba recently developed a cooperative called Arte en Crin, made up of 14 artisans from her hometown of Rari. The cooperative was developed with the intention of creating a space for artisans to be able to support themselves through their traditional art, to engage youth in the centuries old tradition, and to preserve this very important cultural heritage.

Also showing during Market is Elhadji Koumama from Niger, who is the ninth child of the famous Nigerien Tuareg silversmith, Mohamed Koumama, and heads a cooperative that specializes in making exquisite fine silver jewelry. The Koumama family works in several small groups of two to 15 men with boys beginning their apprenticeship at age seven to learn the methods their forefathers used centuries ago. Elhadji works with family members and others in the Inadin (blacksmith) subgroup of Tuaregs. Niger is the poorest country on earth so few Tuaregs can afford their jewelry. Tourists who once bought jewelry from the Koumamas no longer come because of the Al Qaeda kidnappings. The Koumamas are now almost entirely dependent on sales of jewelry in the United States to support themselves and their communities.

Macedonio Palomino from Peru is a master weaver and teacher and will also show in the Collection. He founded the company Artesanías WARI-URPI in 2004. Together with his wife Luzmila Huarancca, a highly-talented embroiderer, he provides training and dignified jobs to more than 300 artisans in 12 native communities in rural Ayacuhco, a region in Peru’s central Andes. WARI-URPI is dedicated to preserving its native culture, which differs from that of other pre-Colombian cultures in Peru. Taking advantage of the remarkable skills of its artisans, WARI-URPI has developed a range of handmade products such as pillow covers, table runners, tapestries, handbags, belts, curtains, and other products.

To learn more about the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Collection artists, visit www.dallasmarketcenter.com/markets/overview/santafe and for information on the upcoming Santa Fe International Folk Art Market visit www.folkartmarket.org.

Art & Design Affair, an all-market party, will be on Friday, June 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. in The Grand Pavilion at the Trade Mart (1st floor). During the event, market attendees will have the opportunity to view the Sante Fe International Folk Art Market Collection, artists’ demonstrations, and the new Design FINDS area while enjoying cocktails, passed hors d’oeuvres and listening to the sounds of Phonophreaks Collective.

To keep up-to-date on market information visit Dallas Market Center on Facebook and Twitter.

About Dallas Market Center

Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Within its marketplace of nearly seven million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and lighting to textiles, fashion accessories and men's, western, women's and children's apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 78 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward helping retailers expand business and increase profits. As a result, more than $8 billion in estimated wholesale transactions are conducted annually within the Dallas Market Center complex. The website is available at www.dallasmarketcenter.com.

SOURCE: Dallas Market Center

Windchime honors Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Woodstock Chimes, the manufacturer of precision-tuned windchimes, honors the newlyweds, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,with a Royal Wedding Chime. The chime will be available in July, coinciding with the newlywed’s first trip to the U.S. The chime combines the strength of five large silver anodized tubes with a warm, heart-shaped feather and charmingly designed top piece, featuring five interlocking hearts.
The feather and clapper are both offset by clear glass crystal accents. Woodstock Chimes says "symbolizing the strength of love and power of togetherness, the chime is tuned to the sweet notes of “Westminster Quarters,” made famous by the Big Ben clock tower at London’s Westminster Palace."
The Woodstock Royal Wedding Chime measures 64 inches in length and retails for $100. It can be seen at various shows throughout the 2011 summer market season, including Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York.

New compact high performance two-way monitor

Bowers & Wilkins’ Prestige Monitor 1 (or PM-1) is a stylish monitor for audiopiles. The PM-1 features a new Carbon Braced Tweeter high frequency driver, which features an aluminum dome that has been strategically stiffened with a ring made of filament-wound Ultra High Modulus Pitch based carbon fiber. This construction technique pushes the breakup frequency of an aluminum dome up to 40kHz. Of course, these wavelengths are well above the limits of human hearing, but as with the 800 Series Diamond tweeters, the design provides a marked reduction in distortion at audible frequencies below 20kHz, and results in what is said to be a sweet-sounding non-Diamond tweeter.

Like the 800 Series Diamond tweeter, the drive unit also uses the same new surround material that gives wider dispersion at higher frequencies. This wider dispersion preserves the harmonic structure of instruments and voices and enables the listener to pinpoint the position of the performer with greater accuracy and stability. The cabinet itself has been called "a work of art."

The PM-1 is available in a Mocha Gloss finish with an optional matching stand. Suggested retail is $2,800 per pair. Stands are $550 per pair. It will be available in late June 2011.

About Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) is Britain’s leading exporter of loudspeakers, and is also the number-one imported brand in North America. Since 1966, B&W’s “Quest for Perfection” has resulted in a succession of technical loudspeaker innovations that have satisfied the world’s most demanding listeners. B&W’s rave reviews and universal acceptance as the monitor for classical music recordings have helped B&W become the dominant premium loudspeaker company throughout the world.

Magazine rack combines functionality and sophistication

Since its introduction of eco-friendly home décor products, Oceanstar Design Group Inc. has now launched a new line of functional yet modern looking magazine racks. The contemporary espresso-finishwooden magazine rack fits  into the modern home.

Made with bentwood, this magazine rack holds magazines and books, and can complement any living room, bathroom, office, family room or bedroom with its beautiful espresso finish. This magazine rack’s modern and sophisticated design, along with its storage functionality, makes it a very popular item as a home décor product or as a gift.

The magazine rack also has cut-out carry handles on each side for easy handling and transferring between places. It is said to be easy to assemble, with and no tools required.

Oceanstar Design Group is a manufacturer and distributor focusing on eco-friendly home décor and furnishing products, with the vision to help customers live green and provide home improvement and solution.

FINDS Dallas Temp Show Features Hundreds of New Lines

press release

FINDS Dallas Temp Show Features Hundreds of New Lines

– New product category, guest artists, dozens of special events, and more during June Market –

DALLAS – June 14, 2011 – Dallas Market Center, the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace, today announced that the FINDS Dallas Temp Show being held June 23-26 will feature hundreds of new lines showing during June for the first time. The June show will mark the debut of a brand new category, Handmade & Vintage FINDS. Also, one of the many highlights of the show will be artists from the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Collection.

“We are amazed by the growth and success of the FINDS Dallas Temp Show market after market,” said Cindy Morris, COO, Dallas Market Center. “With the addition of Handmade & Vintage FINDS, The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Collection and countless new lines, June is sure to be one of our best shows yet.”

During June, Design FINDS will relocate from the World Trade Center (WTC) 13th floor to the Trade Mart (TM) 1st floor atrium and include new lines such as: Aid to Artisans, Ann Gish, Cardboard Safari, Catstudio, JM Piers, Oxidos and Spaceform London.

Located on the WTC 13th floor, the new product category Handmade & Vintage FINDS will feature independent creators and designers including: Baabaazuzu, Farrah B, Global Handmade Hope, MPressions, Regina Lorraine, Saline River Diamonds, Sweet Talk and Vintage Rose Wraps.

The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Collection will be located on the TM 1st floor atrium next to Design FINDS and feature more than a dozen artists from the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For more information visit www.folkartmarket.org.

Highlights of new lines that will be shown at the FINDS Dallas Temp Show are:
WTC 6th Floor 
Home & Hill Country
Adagio Water Features, Bit of Santa Fe, Darzzi, EZ Designs, Fresco Fabrics, Lampworks, Lulu & Co., Moon Rein by Christi Proctor, Shine Handmade, Tiles Across Texas and White x White

WTC 12th Floor
Christmas & Floral
Crafty Innovations, Cross Tread Industries, Heeney Company, Holispheres and Karen Didion
Designs

Collegiate & Souvenir
All Star Dogs, Ariki New Zealand, Champion Treasures, Prints Charming, Prizes!, Randy Smith Limited, Smith-Southwestern, Sticker Universe and Team Sports America

Garden & Outdoor 
 A’Cero, Amedeo, Fullei and Star Imports

Gift
Bennett by Design, Clay Chick Ceramics, Dog Is Good, EM Designs, Epic Products, Inspired Generations, Rickshaw Trading and Scent Sationals

Kids 
Baby Legs, Bunnies by the Bay, Caden Lane, Elly La Rue, Moby Wrap, Mogo, My Buddy, Pick Your Pocket, Pop-In-Kins and SOZO

Paper & Party
Fair Earth Gifts & Paper, Lily For Hangables, Orange Circle Studio, Parc Packaging, Pumpernickel Press and Wexel Art

WTC 13th Floor 
Bath & Body
Bec and Chelle, BiNu Soap, Berjang USA, Dead Sea Spa Care, Do Not Disturb, Feeling Smitten, Instantly Ageless, Lovely Dorothy and Mojo Cosmetics

Fashion
Accessories by M, Apron Flings, Felicia, Jab-Wear, Peacock International, Pin & Tube, Primrose Accessory, Tangerine, Troo and Wenzhou Lookee Optical

Red Haute 
Barbosa Collection, Ciccia Bella, Elements Jill Schwartz, Good Works Make a Difference, Jillery, Judy P Apparel, Lori Bonn, Marigot, Novo and Scandolous

Market Hall
Cash & Carry (Open through June 27) 
Ace International, Hip Together, Joli Jewelry, Le Muse, Lisa Toland, My Mothers Buttons, Retro-E, Silver Spoon Jewelry, Unforgettable and Water Gems

Furniture 
Casa Bonita and Grandeur Couture

A complete list of all special events and seminars is available on the Dallas Market Center website. Also, to keep up-to-date on market information visit Dallas Market Center on Facebook and Twitter. Make plans now to attend the next Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, September 10-12.

Attendees may contact the Dallas Market Center’s in-house travel agency, Market Travel®, for substantial travel and hotel discounts by calling 1-800-DAL-MKTS.

About Dallas Market Center Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Within its marketplace of more than five million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and lighting to textiles, fashion accessories and men's, western, women's and children's apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 78 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward
helping retailers expand business and increase profits. As a result, more than $8 billion in estimated wholesale transactions are conducted annually within the Dallas Market Center complex. The Dallas Market Center website is available at www.dallasmarketcenter.com.

SOURCE: Dallas Market Center

Albums, photo frames for baby's first years

Story of Me

Prinz's Little Angels selection of frames and coordinating albums features new additions to the 2011 baby collection. There are 11 new frame series and two album collections, all featuring a variety of formats, styles and price points. Commemorating baby’s first year is Once Upon a Time, a collage frame featuring word art matting with openings for 12 photos, one for each month, and a larger 5x7 opening to showcase baby’s one-year photo.


Also new in the Little Angels line is Just Arrived, a silverplated frame with shiny silver baby buggy and teddy bear accents. At the center of the frame is an area to record baby’s name, weight, length and birthdate. The frame holds a 4x6 photo.


Prinz’s best-selling baby frame, New Addition, suitable for displaying a sonogram photo, has prompted the company to introduce a new frame series, Counting the Days, featuring a 5x4 opening for sonogram or other photo. Featuring mirror star cutouts, the wood frame includes a heartwarming expression beneath the photo opening. Two styles are available – "We wished upon a star and here you are" and "Love at first sight."

Baby Talk

Counting the Days

Just Arrived

Little Miracle

Once Upon A Time

Give Dad an upside-down beer glass gift on Father's Day

This upside-down beer glass novelty from Final Touch is made of hand-blown borosilicate glass. The insulated, double-wall design prevents condensation forming on the glass and marking the bar, table or linens. The design is said to keep beer colder than a typical pint glass (though the capacity is 13.5 ounces or 400 ml). It is sold in a gift box (singly or in a pair).

Colorful toaster matches any kitchen decor

Dualit noticed its toaster at the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street while First Lady Michelle Obama had tea with Mrs. Cameron.

The NewGen toaster from Dualit has a defrost setting for frozen bread and the option to toast buns and bagels. The selector control allows the user to heat either one or both slots. Designed for commercial use, the toaster is hand assembled in England and built to last, with an insulated stainless-steel body, variable controls and automatic turnoff. It is available in several colors, including those shown below.

For Father's Day, give an electric grill

Hammacher Schlemmer calls its new grill "The Best Electric Grill." In tests, the grill reached an average temperature of 617.2 degrees F, 259.6 degrees higher than a competing model. The grill’s stainless steel grates have integrated electric heating elements that produce powerful, direct heat. Coils below the grates generate even, radiant heat to ensure thorough cooking.

The Best model has 216 square inches of cooking surface that holds up to six 8-ounce filet mignons. It scored the highest for features because it was the only unit with a hot dog roller that rotates automatically, it has a removable searing plate that accommodates vegetables or eggs, and it has two 13-inch by 11¾-inch prep shelves.

Furniture, lighting, decorative accents from Maitland-Smith

Maitland-Smith introduced furniture, lighting and decorative accessories at the spring furniture market in High Point.




The amber-finished brass and tiger penshell inlaid lamp with cream silk shade is part of Mack’s Lounge, a new lifestyle Group inspired by the exclusive tuxedo clubs in Palm Springs frequented by the Hollywood Rat Pack. It measures 17 inches wide by 12 inches deep by 31 inches tall.

Faux birch mahogany box on pair of Pompeian patina brass squirrels.

Parisian walnut-finished king bed with raffia inlay and vintage leather headboard.

The Safari brown-finished chest of drawers with luggage motif and leather accents is part of the Cape Colony Lifestyle Group, inspired by an African holiday.

Area rugs for Halloween and winter

Peking Handicraft Inc. will debut a variety of new rugs at markets in Dallas, Atlanta, New York and elsewhere. The latest introductions include seven hook rugs, both Halloween and winter season-inspired, designed by the company’s newest licensee, Scott Church.

Six of the seven pieces created by Church are winter-holiday inspired and feature animals both familiar and foreign to holiday décor. These colorful, fashion-forward designs include a zebra amidst falling snow, three penguin kings bearing gifts, elephants carrying a Christmas tree, and a hedgehog pulling a sleigh of gifts. Church also offers more traditionally-themed creations, which feature snowmen and dogs.

Additionally, Church has designed a playful Halloween rug showcasing trick-or-treaters in their costumes making their way through a patch of trees littered with jack-o-lanterns and a large, orange moon lightening their way in the background.

Decorative pillows in a finger-paint motif

Kevin O'Brien Studio has released its news Finger Paints pillow collection in hot pink, blue/green, mango, aqua and orange/turquoise. The 100% cotton pillows are available in sizes 14 inches by 20 inches, 18 inches by 18 inches and 22 inches by 22 inches. The pillows are printed onto a smooth cotton ground with no print on the back. They have piped edging, a zip closure and a feather/down insert included. The original artwork is by Kevin O'Brien's son, Valentine Thurman-O'Brien.

Ceramic canister is a transitional accent

This chic ceramic canister is made in Italy and punctuated with details referencing classic Chinoiserie design, is new to the Vellum collection. It is draped in a glossy white finish, wrapped in gorgeous turquoise palm leaves and topped with a whimsical turquoise monkey finial. It is a transitional accent, suitable in traditional or contemporary settings. Use it in the kitchen as a cookie or pasta jar; it's food safe.