Toner Plastics™ launch new tools and craft kits
designed by Debba Haupert, BoBella Marketing & Design

Dallas, TX—February 4, 2004 – Taking a new twist on an old product literally, Debba Haupert (President of BoBella Marketing & Design, www.bobella.com) developed new tools for Toner Plastics ( www.tonerplastics.com ) that will be available in major craft retailers in 2004. The two tools, along with several craft kits designed by Haupert, will be sold in Michaels and Hobby Lobby stores.

The tools were developed to create new techniques with CraftLace™ (plastic lace, typically used in lanyards, a trademark of Toner Plastics). The “Twister Tool” twists CraftLace around Toner Plastic’s “Fun Wire,” making colorful wrapped wire. “Dip Sticks” are used to create permanent CraftLace spirals by wrapping lace around the sticks and dipping in hot then cold water. Both tools will be sold in Michaels stores. (Michaels is the world’s largest retailer of arts and crafts products. It owns and operates 805 Michaels stores in 48 states and Canada. www.michaels.com)

Said Steve Graham, President of Toner Plastics, “Getting a new product on the store shelves is one of the biggest challenges in business today and starts with design. We gave Debba Haupert a very difficult assignment but one that is quite common - take an age old product and look for something new to do with it. Not only did she complete the design effort but she helped develop a 50 state store survey, summarized the market research and kept a keen eye on design costs. The project would not have been a success without her.”

Haupert also designed several leather jewelry kits for Toner Plastics. To create the kits, Haupert resourced craft and hardware materials and designed projects that met kit production requirements. These kits will be sold in Hobby Lobby stores. (Hobby Lobby is the 3rd largest craft and hobby retailer with nearly 300 stores in 26 southern and southeastern states. www.hobbylobby.com)

In addition to developing new products, Haupert has assisted craft manufacturers by demonstrated their products at tradeshows and on the #1 cable TV craft show, The Carol Duvall Show. She has appeared on eight Carol Duvall shows on HGTV and is now in re-runs on HGTV and the DIYnetwork. (Haupert returns to Weller-Grossman Productions/Burbank, CA in Feb. 2004 to tape more segments.) Projects and information from these shows are online at www.hgtv.com and www.diynetwork.com. Haupert has also represented craft manufacturers on live QVC sales presentations and for A.C. Moore consumer and training videos.

Haupert’s company, BoBella Marketing and Design LLC, provides marketing and design services for the $29 billion hobby and craft industry. Offering new product development, marketing, communications, PR and design support, BoBella provides both creative and strategic services for craft manufacturers, retailers, editors, publishers and designers. Haupert’s craft designs have been published in numerous magazines and books. Her book, The New Book of Image Transfer, published by Lark Books, will be released in June 2004. A member of HIA and SCD (and a member of the 2004/2005 SCD Board of Directors), information on Debba Haupert and BoBella Marketing and Design is available at www.bobella.com.

Debba Haupert information: www.bobella.com, www.craftdesigners.org/members/haupert.htm

Industry information: www.hobby.org, www.craftdesigners.org, www.accicrafts.com

Contact Debba Haupert: debba@bobella.com
phone: 513-533-0793, fax: 513-533-0916

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