Poe Configuration Book by Teri Calia
Filed under Art Projects, Bella's Corner, Edgar Allan Poe, Newsletters
Where to even start on this macabre-u-lous Poe Config Book created by Teri Calia?
At first glance you may think that it is just a simple collage paying homage to an Alpha Stamps favorite, Edgar Allan Poe. Perhaps it may just be an old book that has been decorated in honor of Poe that would look great as a Halloween decoration. Oh, but as with any story or poem by Edgar Allan Poe, you must delve a little deeper because things are never quite what they seem!
Open the cover of the book (which is actually a New 9×12 Shadowbox Book) and be prepared… to be wickedly delighted! What awaits you are several 3D mini-vignettes and quotes: all from stories by Poe. I hardly think that anything can get any better than this! Unless of course I can somehow attain the body I had 13 years ago before I had children. But I digress!
Look carefully and you will find The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death, a tiny letter and pen nib, famous quotes such as “I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat” and more! Poe wouldn’t be Poe without a raven now would it? Not to worry! You will find plenty of ravens in there as well.
Ahhh, I can tell that you are looking at all of those new Edgar Allan Poe images and wondering where you can get some?! Well guess what? Miz Teri has created not one but two New Poe Collage Sheets! There is the Poe Story Elements Collage Sheet and the Just Poe Collage Sheet — and both are fabulous. Hey, that brings us up to Five Collage Sheets with a Poe theme!
Hush! Do you hear that? Listen very carefully over the beating of your heart; you will hear these haunting images beckoning you to create something of your own with them!
Want to know all of the components that Teri used in her Poe Config Book? Just click here! Two more book designs by our Design Team in preparation for our book challenge! We are asking each one of our Design Team Members to make a hand-made book (sized to hold ATCs (Artists Trading Cards)... or made of ATCs, and using The Language of Flowers as the theme) and will be putting out the challenge to you as well! The first book is by Miz Lora Mahaffey and she used the fabulous French Country theme of blues, golds, reds and greens. The second book is by Miz Rhea Freitag! Rhea's book is inspired by the flowers, fairies and soft muted backgrounds from the May Kit — The Language of Flowers. Some of my all-time favorite 19th century engravings, from illustrations of women as flowers by JJ Grandville are in the kit as well as in Rhea's book. And who won the related GIVEAWAY?)
More New Products from Teri's Artwork
Piccadilly Scrapbook Paper New and On Sale!
Black and Kraft Diamond Scrapbook Paper New and On Sale!
Even More Goodies from Teri's Project
Die Cut Alphabet Scrapbook Paper On Sale!
Elements Tissue Tape Back in Stock!
Engraver 6x6 Paper Pad On Sale!
Thursday Newsletter Recap: TWO Accordion ATC Pocket Books + Giveaway!
Hope Chest Scrapbook Paper - Documents New and On Sale!
Heritage Note Card Vertical Scrapbook Paper New and On Sale!
Large Ivory Paper Rose New and On Sale!
Large Fuchsia Pink Paper Rose New and On Sale!
Resin Hand Mirror New!
Tiny Antique Brass Leaves New and On Sale!
Heritage Note Card Horizontal Scrapbook Paper New and On Sale!
Hope Chest Scrapbook Paper - Treasures New and On Sale!
Hope Chest Scrapbook Paper - Trinkets New and On Sale!
Accordion ATC Pocket Books Giveaway Winner!
Filed under Book Challenge, Contests/Winners, Giveaways, Grimms' Fairy Tales, Sale
Drum roll please… the winner of the Accordion ATC Pocket Books Giveaway is Julie F! Please check your email for my message about getting your mailing address.
Thank you to everyone else for playing — and stay tuned: I have some more Giveaway & Contest ideas brewing. (Sign up for the Alpha Stamps Newsletter if you want to be notified of the next Giveaway.)
Reminder: the Sale on the ENTIRE Brothers’ Grimm Fairy Tales Collage Sheets Section ends TONIGHT, May 18th. The sale was/is in honor of the new Digital Images Section… kind of a stretch, but a lot of Cinderella artwork was shown during the announcement!
Hey… did you notice this intro to the The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales?
thanks,
Leslie
Accordion ATC Pocket Books + Giveaway
Filed under Art Projects, Bella's Corner, Book Challenge, Design Team, Newsletters, Tutorials
Two more book designs by our Design Team in preparation for our book challenge! We are asking each one of our Design Team Members to make a hand-made book (sized to hold ATCs (Artists Trading Cards)… or made of ATCs, and using The Language of Flowers as the theme) and will be putting out the challenge to you as well!
Here we are in the midst of Spring so what could be better than not one, but two Accordion Pocket ATC Books by two different artists?! Absolutely nothing, unless of course it is sipping frozen Patrón Tequila on my back deck … but I digress!
The first book is by Miz Lora Mahaffey and she used the fabulous French Country theme of blues, golds, reds and greens. Starting out with the On Sale! Square Accordion Chipboard Book, Lora added layers of different papers and embellishments to make pockets to hold ATCs. Also included in Lora’s book are two of my most favorite Dresden borders: the Zig Zag and the Thin Fleur Dresden Borders. I don’t think you’ll find any lint in the pockets of Lora’s book, but you may find some ATCs or other goodies when you check out her blog post!
The second book is by Miz Rhea Freitag! Rhea’s book is inspired by the flowers, fairies and soft muted backgrounds from the May Kit — The Language of Flowers. Some of my all-time favorite 19th century engravings, from illustrations of women as flowers by JJ Grandville are in the kit as well as in Rhea’s book.
The Crocheted Cotton Lace used throughout the book, the Whimsy Flower (On Sale!) on the book cover, and all tied-up with 1/4 Inch Celery Silk Ribbon make this a lovely book to add your favorite ATCs to. Hey, here’s an idea — if you want the Crocheted Cotton Lace to match a specific color theme you can color it with Distress Stains! Head on over to Rhea’s blog to find out what else is in this sweet little tome!
More photos of Rhea’s book are in the gallery. Plus see all of the goodies Rhea used here.
Check back all month for more tutorials and book design ideas. And for the announcement of the challenge and a big prize to the contest winner (to be chosen by you)! Be sure you are signed up on our mailing list to be the first to know!
Don’t forget to scroll down to enter the Giveaway, with an amazing collection of new paper and floral goodies to make either one of these books (and enough supplies for a few more projects, too)!
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Are you ready? For the Accordion ATC Pocket Books Giveaway!? I don’t know what happened… I started with soft pinks and sage greens, like the colors in Rhea’s book. And then added some manila cream/yellow. But then it seemed to need some purples and blues for contrast… and suddenly it was a large group! (And includes some large flowers… too large for an ATC but I know you’ll find a creative use for them.)
Beside the huge grid below, showing 16 items included in the Giveaway kit, there are even 2 more I didn’t list (well… 3 if you count a manufacturer’s rubber stamp sample that’s a one-off): Stitched Leaf Ribbon – Moss Green and Mixed Faceted Teardrops – Blue. Here’s a link to see all of the goodies in the Giveaway on one page.
To enter the Accordion ATC Pocket Books Giveaway drawing all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post by midnight, May 17, 2013 (Friday night PST). (Don’t forget to leave your email address, too, so I can contact the winner; note, your email address does not need to be made public. Note: I’m offering free shipping, too, but only within the USA. International shipping will still apply.)
Please be patient! Spammers try to post crap here a lot so comments are moderated. So if you don’t see your post in the comments section, be patient and check back in a few hours before re-posting it, please!
By Sunday morning’s newsletter, I’ll randomly pick the winner (via Random.org). So make sure to check back Sunday to see who won!
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Look at all the pretties in this Giveaway!
Hope Chest Scrapbook Paper - Documents New and On Sale!
Heritage Note Card Vertical Scrapbook Paper New and On Sale!
Large Ivory Paper Rose New and On Sale!
Large Fuchsia Pink Paper Rose New and On Sale!
Ophelia #3 (Pansies) Collage Sheet On Sale!
Flora ATCs Collage Sheet On Sale!
Iris Collage Sheet On Sale!
Violets Collage Sheet On Sale!
Purple Iris Paper Flowers On Sale!
Crushed Hydrangeas On Sale!
New Digital Images + catching up on new products
Filed under Digital Images, Grimms' Fairy Tales, Newsletters, Sale
And a sweet and easy floral ATC book, pretty enough for a quick Mother’s Day project!
Wow! A lot of news for today’s newsletter. A whole new Digital Images section on the site, a new section of collage sheets converted to digital downloads (and On Sale!) and (one of my favorite kinds of newsletters): catching up on the orphans (products that arrived too late for some recent themes).
Digital Images
In addition to the "printables" (pre-formatted collage sheets in .pdf format, laid out for 8-1/2" x 11" paper), we are now offering single digital images!
Digital files can be resized, rotated or flipped as needed. Most of the images in this section are in .png format. PNG format files have a transparent background so are easy to layer over other digital images. (Drop shadows are only on previews, and all items are 300 dpi.)
So that quick collage of Cinderella, at right, was a piece of cake! I took an image from The Dressing Table Collage Sheet added the header (and both sides with the fancy gold part of the curtains) from the Red Cat Curtain, then 2 copies of the Side Curtain with Fringe – Blue (one flipped so there would be curtains on both sides). Add some drop-shadows and you’re done! (Doesn’t everything just look better with a shadow?)
And you wouldn’t need to stop there: print out your digital collage, add some ribbons or trims, or paint… or go full-circle and scan the altered collage into your computer again to add even more digital elements.
A few of the new images are in multi-file sets (so you can get all 8 color options for that side curtain with one click, and at a discounted price).
We’ve got a ton of ideas and images in the planning stages, so check back in future weeks for more single digital images.
And, the ENTIRE Brothers’ Grimm Fairy Tales Collage Sheet Section is On Sale! That’s HUGE (and a section that has been on many requests… and it includes The Dressing Table Collage Sheet with Cinderella from the artwork above). On sale only through Saturday night, May 18th so get over there quick! And (I know — this may be shocking to some of you), this sweet, simple ATC book is by Design Team Member Laura Carson! Such a simple design and so many possibilities! As Laura explains in her blog post:
“Continuing on with Alpha Stamps May theme of “The Language of Flowers” is a super-simple-to-make ATC book. The ATCs make up the pages of the book and are connected with jump rings. The cards accordion fold and are held together with ribbon. The first ATC in the book also serves as the cover.”
And who won the related GIVEAWAY?) --------- Read the full blog post ---------
Highlights from the Digital Images View All
Highlights from the Brothers' Grimm Fairy Tales Collage Sheets On Sale
More New Products I do love these newsletters with a mixed bag of orphans from recent themes
Thursday Newsletter Recap: Language of Flowers ATC Book + Giveaway!
Another book design by our Design Team in preparation for our book challenge! We are asking each one of our Design Team Members to make a hand-made book (sized to hold ATCs… or made of ATCs, and using The Language of Flowers as the theme) and will be putting out the challenge to you as well!
Language of Flowers ATC Book Giveaway Winner!
Filed under Contests/Winners, Flowers, Giveaways
Drum roll please… the winner of the Language of Flowers ATC Book Giveaway is Alicia A! Please check your email for my message about getting your mailing address.
Thank you to everyone else for playing — and stay tuned: I have some more Giveaway & Contest ideas brewing. (Sign up for the Alpha Stamps Newsletter if you want to be notified of the next Giveaway.)
And don’t forget: the May Kit included as part of this Giveaway is still available! (And the related sale on the ENTIRE Summer Garden Theme Theme in on through May 25th!)
thanks,
Leslie
Language of Flowers ATC Book + Giveaway!
Filed under Art Projects, Book Challenge, Design Team, Flowers, Giveaways, Newsletters, Tutorials
Another book design by our Design Team in preparation for our book challenge! We are asking each one of our Design Team Members to make a hand-made book (sized to hold ATCs… or made of ATCs, and using The Language of Flowers as the theme) and will be putting out the challenge to you as well!
And (I know — this may be shocking to some of you), this sweet, simple ATC book is by Design Team Member Laura Carson!
Such a simple design and so many possibilities! As Laura explains in her blog post:
“Continuing on with Alpha Stamps May theme of “The Language of Flowers” is a super-simple-to-make ATC book. The ATCs make up the pages of the book and are connected with jump rings. The cards accordion fold and are held together with ribbon. The first ATC in the book also serves as the cover.”
I love those gold oval frames used on each page of the inside of the book (see the little photo at right to see all the pages/ATCs when the book is open). Those are actually mirror frames with the handle omitted(!) from Laura’s Whimsical Frames Collage Sheet.
I also like the mixture of the 2D paper flowers with the 3D mulberry paper flowers (and brass leaves and insects). And those lovely sprays of flowers on each of the ATCs, from the Flora ATCs Collage Sheet. (Hey, and that collage sheet is on sale right now, as it’s part of the BIG Summer Garden Theme Sale going on in honor of The Language of Flowers ATC Swap!)
More photos of Laura’s ATC book are in the gallery. Plus see all of the goodies Laura used here.
Check back all month for more tutorials and book design ideas. And for the announcement of the challenge and a big prize to the contest winner (to be chosen by you)! Be sure you are signed up on our mailing list to be the first to know!
Don’t forget to scroll down for a Giveaway, with pretty much everything you’ll need to replicate Laura’s book design.
Plus, some gorgeous new rosary and rhinestone chains. And some charms perfect for an alchemy collage. (Not exactly flower themed, but I’m sure if you put your mind to it…)
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Are you ready? For the Language of Flowers ATC Book Giveaway!? Beside an entire May Kit, I’ve added pretty much everything Laura used in her artwork… here’s just a few:
- Whimsical Frames Collage Sheet
- White Pearl Stamen
- Purple Iris Paper Flowers
- Raw Brass Rose Leaves
Click on either photo to see more details. See all of the goodies Laura used here.
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To enter the Language of Flowers ATC Book Giveaway drawing all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post by midnight, May 10, 2013 (Friday night PST). (Don’t forget to leave your email address, too, so I can contact the winner; note, your email address does not need to be made public. Note: I’m offering free shipping, too, but only within the USA. International shipping will still apply.)
Please be patient! Spammers try to post crap here a lot so comments are moderated. So if you don’t see your post in the comments section, be patient and check back in a few hours before re-posting it, please!
By Sunday morning’s newsletter, I’ll randomly pick the winner (via Random.org). So make sure to check back Sunday to see who won!
New Rosary/Rhinestone Chains and Alchemy Charms!
Hourglass Charm
New!
New Theatre Shrine Kit (and Monsters, Bees and Fairies)
Filed under Book Challenge, Collage Sheets, New Products, Newsletters, Paper Dolls/Theatres
What a treat! A new Masonite Theatre Shrine Kit (a smaller version of the Ornate Theatre Shrine Kit – Large) and artwork by three artists to show it off! Plus four new collage sheets designed for the theatre! (And, of course, there were more new goodies added to the site this week, too… and don’t miss the recap of Thursday’s tutorial for a preview of the Book Challenge.)
First, there’s the Small Theatre Curtains Collage Sheet, designed by Design Team Member Nichola Battilana and used in her Flying Bee Theatre shown at left! It includes beautiful, richly colored sets of curtains in 6 colors.
And check out that raw Brass Flying Bee (on the theatre artwork and at left).
Then, cast your eyes on the Naughty Flower-Eating Monster Theatre (!) by Design Team Coordinator Miz Bella (Kim Ayers)! There’s one photo below, but there is so much wacky, colorfulness that you’d better check out all the photos in the gallery.
Here’s just a handful of the flowery bits Bella used in her creation (and here’s a link to all the components in her artwork):
- Closed Red Tiny Rose Buds
- Orange Daisies
- Purple Iris Paper Flowers
- Tiny Purple Roses
- Tiny Orange Roses
- Fancy Gold Buttons in Tin
- Kira’s Flowers Collage Sheet
- Kira’s Owls Collage Sheet
- Little Monsters Collage Sheet
- Pewter Dollhouse Dishes
- Pewter Dollhouse Tea Service
Then check below (below the row showing off all four of the lovely new collage sheets) for the third of today’s sample artwork: The Fairy Queen's Garden by Teri Calia! Another riot of color! Must be Spring in the air (though we skipped Spring and jumped straight into Summer here this week).
There are lots of new items Teri used in her theatre highlighted below, but I couldn’t show them all so here’s a link to all of the components used in Teri’s artwork. And additional photos are in the gallery.
Speaking of wild colors, have you checked out the swap artwork from the Spring Fling 4×4 Swap in the gallery! Amazing stuff! And if you’re in the art-swapping mood, The Language of Flowers ATC Swap is still open to participants! And don’t forget the related Sale on the ENTIRE Summer Garden Theme Theme! NEWS: Alpha Stamps is going to be hosting a book challenge! We are asking each one of our Design Team Members to make a hand-made book (sized to hold ATCs… or made of ATCs) and will be putting out the challenge to you as well! So check back all month for tutorials and book design ideas. And for the announcement of the challenge and a big prize to the contest winner (to be chosen by you)! Shoot on over to Kristin’s blog and see her Star Book Tutorial! (And won the related GIVEAWAY?) --------- Read the full blog post ---------
Collage Sheets Designed for the New Theatre Kits
And Another Theatre...by Teri Calia!
The Fairy Queen's Garden by Teri Calia; other components used in the artwork (including way more than those highlighted at right). Additional photos are in the gallery.
Resin Button Set
New!
Recap of Thursday's Star Book Tutorial AND Book Challenge Preview
Design Team Member Kristin Batsel created a stunning Star Book and also created a step-by-step tutorial so that we can all make our very own.
Star Book Giveaway Winner!
Filed under Contests/Winners, Giveaways
Drum roll please… the winner of the Star Book Giveaway is Kate! Please check your email for my message about getting your mailing address.
Thank you to everyone else for playing — and stay tuned: I have some more Giveaway & Contest ideas brewing. (Sign up for the Alpha Stamps Newsletter if you want to be notified of the next Giveaway.)
And don’t forget: The new May Kit and The Language of Flowers ATC Swap have just been posted! (And the related sale on the ENTIRE Summer Garden Theme Theme!)
thanks,
Leslie
Star Book Tutorial and Giveaway!
Filed under Art Projects, Bella's Corner, Book Challenge, Design Team, Giveaways, Newsletters, Tutorials
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Feel like having your eyeballs spanked? Good thing you do because Kristin Batsel has created a stunning Star Book for you to gaze upon!
Before we could even ask her to do so, Miz Kristin also created a step-by-step tutorial so that we can all make our very own. The beads on the spine of the book, the Stitched Leaf Ribbon on the cover, and Red Seam Binding to tie the book closed — swoon! I’m all about any extra type of embellishments; like a crazy Magpie always looking for things that sparkle and shine. Oh yes I am but I digress!
I love that vintage matchbox label (with the rose design) on the front cover (from the The Lovely Garden Collage Sheet) — and it looks like Kristin used the colors in just that image to pull her entire color palette. (Hey, and that collage sheet is on sale right now, as it’s part of the BIG Summer Garden Theme Sale going on in honor of the swap!)
Plus, I love the ATCs in the pockets that Kristin has made for us in the past, including the adorable trio announced last week, made for The Language of Flowers ATC Swap!
NEWS: Alpha Stamps is going to be hosting a book challenge! We are asking each one of our Design Team Members to make a hand-made book (sized to hold ATCs… or made of ATCs) and will be putting out the challenge to you as well!
So check back all month for tutorials and book design ideas. And for the announcement of the challenge and a big prize to the contest winner (to be chosen by you)! Be sure you are signed up on our mailing list to be the first to know!
Shoot on over to Kristin’s blog and see her Star Book Tutorial! But before you leave (or after you come back) check below for a Giveaway Leslie has pulled together, based on the colors/images in Kristin’s Star Book PLUS the Circus theme that Kristin loves!
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Are you ready? For the mashup of themes in the Star Book + Kristin Loves the Circus Giveaway!? Beside clicking on the photos at left and below to see even more details, here’s a few things in the Giveaway aren’t too obvious (and all are On Sale!):
- The Lovely Garden Collage Sheet (Includes the rose image — and the text/title — used by Kristin on her book cover.)
- Afternoon Muse Chipboard Album (Not only do you get die-cut, printed front and back covers, you also get three printed & die-cut book pages that fit perfectly inside your album.)
- Circus Elephant Clear Stamp (that tiny little guy right above the “.com” watermark at left)
- Fun House Rub-Ons (Flags, banners, ornaments and a full set of numerals (in 2 sizes). 6″ x 10″ sheet of rub-ons. 48 individual images.)
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To enter the Star Book + Kristin Loves the Circus Giveaway drawing all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post (and tell me if you’ve ever made a book before) by midnight, May 3, 2013 (Friday night PST). (Don’t forget to leave your email address, too, so I can contact the winner; note, your email address does not need to be made public. Note: I’m offering free shipping, too, but only within the USA. International shipping will still apply.)
Please be patient! Spammers try to post crap here a lot so comments are moderated. So if you don’t see your post in the comments section, be patient and check back in a few hours before re-posting it, please!
By Sunday morning’s newsletter, I’ll randomly pick the winner (via Random.org). So make sure to check back Sunday to see who won!
------------ Pssst! All of these Goodies in the Giveaway are On Sale! ------------
The Language of Flowers Kit, Swap and Sale!
Filed under Collage Sheets, Flowers, New Products, Newsletters, Sale, Swaps
It’s almost the start of a new month and time to announce the next kit! If you’re a subscriber, you’ve probably already received your kit.
So drum roll, please, for the May 2013 Kit – The Language of Flowers! And info on The Language of Flowers ATC Swap!
Ah… The Language of Flowers. I’ve always loved looking through musty old Victorian (heavy Victorian) tomes, and this one is has a special section in my library.
This month’s kit was designed around an ATC swap with the theme of The Language of Flowers. So I’ve designed some collage sheets with small reproductions of some beautiful book covers, title pages and a few postcards. And you don’t need to stay with an accurate, Victorian interpretation of the theme (just look at all the colorful artwork by the Design Team!):
1 - The Language of Flowers Collage Sheet
All chosen for your own ATC-sized version of The Language of Flowers.
2 - Flora ATCs Collage Sheet
A lovely mix of 19th century engravings, from illustrations of women as flowers by JJ Grandville and bouquets from The Language of Flowers. Note that the 5 bouquets include text naming the flowers in each bouquet (the choice of flowers in the bouquets being a kind of hidden/coded message).
3 - The Lovely Garden Collage Sheet
A mix of images from books and ephemera, all with pink roses (or carnations).
Plus the ENTIRE Summer Garden Theme Section is on sale! (now through May 25th, which should give you ample time to gather your supplies for the swap). That’s HUGE! (Over 100 items, including New! mulberrry paper flowers, resin flowers, scrapbook papers…) And here’s the link if you only want to see the new items.
But you don’t need to join the swap to enjoy playing with the goodies in the kit. Speaking of things in the kit, most everything in this month’s kit is also available to buy separately (until sold out). Beside the highlights of the new items that are in the photos/links below, links to all of the kit components available separately are on the bottom of the Kit Page.
The May kit contains:
The Three collage sheets listed above (printed on cardstock)
Modern Romance 6×6 Paper Pad
Each kit contains 6 double-sided sheets from this pad… there are 12 different papers in the pad so you’ll get a selection with a range of all the colors and prints in the pad. See the photos of the kit on this page for an idea of the selections. And you can buy the full pad if you fall in love with the prints. See the links below for more info. (Psst… if you want to view all of the items from the Modern Romance Collection — not just those included in the kit — click here.)
Two Modern Romance Mini Floral Bags
Sweet little bags, printed on both sides with flowers. 2-3/4″ x 4″ (a perfect size for holding an ATC).
One Classic Cameo Button
Not really a button. These are flat on the back… kind of like they meant them to become shank buttons but didn’t finish them… makes them easier to use for collage though!
A gorgeous Silk Ribbon Set with 5 different ribbons including the new 1/4 Inch width in Celery color.
A packet of mixed-color mulberry paper flowers/leaves (flat so easy to send back with your swap art without being crushed… flat means they’re embossed but not 3D).
Highlights of More New Products View All
------------ See all the New Items ------------
