An abundance of high-quality sidelines were heralded at the first major trade show of the true new millennium at the New York International Gift Fair held in New York City. With almost 3,000 exhibitors, there were plenty of amazingly diverse sidelines on display. Below are some new notables.
The fun-loving designers at Zolo Inc. in Fredericksburg, Va., have added several new offerings to the company's charmingly quirky lineup of gifts, toys and stationery products for free spirits of all ages. Mixo cards—mix and match combinations of wildly colorful blank cards, envelopes and expressive stickers— bring do-it-yourself creativity to boxed cards. Each package contains 15 vibrant cards and envelopes along with 48 mixostickers, lively combinations of images, text and hues that can be put together in hundreds of ways to create whatever greeting the moment requires. Expressionizm, Zolo's 35-page multipersonality portrait book, is designed to encourage freedom of expression and the art of play; 54 provocative stickers and ideas are included to spur creativity. With subconscious expression uppermost in mind, Zolo also features the "zzz sleep kit," which includes a one-size-fits-all sleep T-shirt, an illustrative 52-page dream journal and a self-illuminating pen for wee-hours jottings and doodlings (journals and pens also available separately).
Among Zolo's intriguingly playful items are Squirm Cards, decks of 70 cards to be randomly combined ("gyrate" and "wet down your hair," "crawl" and "share your biggest beef") to help break the ice at any gathering in 1,225 unexpected ways. Based on aromatherapy, Applied Chemistry provides five essential oils with formula guides to aid in the creation of unique scents and enchantments. Kooky Cutters supply a new dimension for the culinary artist with sets of eight abstract metal forms nestled in a tin; doilies featuring neoclassical recipes and tasty decorating tips add substance to style.
Wood Zolo 3 is a collector's limited edition of the company's flagship toy, a handcrafted wood play sculpture set of 36 eye-popping pieces in a colorful tin storage container. Think Lego meets Mr. Potato Head via the Bauhaus. Zolo-a-Go-Go presents the classic set in a version that's ready to hit the road, complete with 48 durable plastic pieces in a vinyl carrying case. Call (540) 372-7603, fax (540) 371-4573 or e-mail zmail@zolo.com.
Some of the coolest desk accessories and calendars made today are available wholesale via Gallery 91 in New York City. Particularly exciting are Ecco Designs' sleekly Euro-style desk accoutrements, including small clocks, a tape dispenser, a combo bookmark/magnifying glass, a letter opener, a ruler and the utterly brilliant rectangular pencil tin/flower vase. Siliconbo Deskwear designed by Motomi Kawakami features simple shapes in bright colors. Op-Art 3-D plastic sheets make funky, eye-catching mouse pads and notebook covers, new products distributed only by Gallery 91. Innovative calendars, puzzle cards and notebooks from D-Bros and stunning origami greeting cards designed by Masahiro Chatani are modern aesthetic classics. Call (212) 966-3722, fax (212) 219-1684 or e-mail G91@gallery91.com.
Largely known for how-to-draw books and other hands-on art-activity instruction and kit products, Walter Foster Publishing Inc. of Laguna Hills, Calif., kicks it up a notch with its spunky new gift and stationery division, My Chaotic Life, targeted at preteen and teen girls and young adults. Photo frames and albums, photo-frame key chains, journals and address books all come in lively designs executed in high-quality materials; especially engaging for wild young things are the faux-fur and bandana motifs that embellish many of the offerings. For the younger end of the age span, My Life As a Kid and A Kid's Travel Journal use interactive text, inspiring illustrations and playful wit to jump-start imaginations as children record both everyday activities as well as those farther afield. Everyone's a Critic appeals to the somewhat older and more worldly-wise aficionados of entertainment in all its guises: books, movies, music, restaurants, TV and activities of all kinds. Interactive text and zippy illustrations give it plenty of attitude. Call (800) 426-0099, fax (949) 380-7575 or visit www.Walterfoster.com.
Tapping a different facet of childhood experience, Child Light LLC of Montpelier, Vt., creates play sets based on different events in U.S. history to encourage children to explore the real "action figures" who have shaped America. Each play set comes with at least 15 play pieces, including five-inch-tall figures, heavy-weight slot-together card structures, accurate accessories, carefully detailed animals and a colorful 32-page booklet that offers maps, drawings, pictures and complete stories about the hero or heroine involved and the environment in which he or she lived. Working with historians and other experts to ensure accuracy, Child Light has created within the past year a fine new series of educational toys that are imaginative and appealing. Currently available are Susanna White Winslow and Her Pilgrim Family; Paul Revere: The Midnight Ride; The Story of Harriet Tubman, Conductor on the Underground Railroad ; and First Steps at The North Pole: Robert Peary and Matthew Henson. Call (888) 780-6258, fax (802) 496-5963 or e-mail info@childlight.com.
Education from Down Under comes via Australia for Kids of Boulder, Colo., exclusive U.S. distributor of science and craft kits made in Australia in addition to some of the continent's cutest wildlife figures and puppets, among them echidnas, emus, koalas, Tasmanian devils, kangaroos and more. Animal figures are available in several sizes and in boxed sets as well as individually and as key chains. Call (800) 833-1787, fax (303) 776-6090 or e-mail roos@boulder.net.
