I have to admit that I wasn't familiar at all with the store that this line is based on before I rounded a corner in the EK Success booth on Sunday night during EK's press event and found May Flaum standing slack-jawed in front of the display, babbling incoherently while pointing emphatically at a wall full of gorgeous baubles.
It turns out she's a big fan. So much so that she locked the product samples that they gave her in her hotel safe for the rest of the week, continually referring to them as "the precious." I honestly got a little worried that she might follow "the precious" over a cliff and into the fires of Mordor...
Like I said, a fan. :)
May has written her own post about the French General line by Jolee's that explains it quite well (in fact, the girl even has video of it- sup-ah talented, I tell you!), and no amount of words on my part can convey the feelings and observations that a true fan of the brand brings to the table. So if you want more explanation, head on over to May's blog, and I'm gonna do my thing here with photos and interject the occasional "ooooh, pretty!" Because, really, I'm loving this line, too.
If you've followed my blog and/or scrapping for any amount of time, you know that I'm a fan of what I call "little bits." Sparklies, pretties, tiny gems, little beads and baubles- I love them all, especially when they come in a variety of sizes and coordinating styles that make them perfect for clustering.
And the French General line? Definitely has that going on!
Everything from tags to beads to brads to buttons are represented here, and all are reproductions of vintage items procured by French General founder and owner Kaari Meng. As a total aside, I had the pleasure of watching May go totally fangirl when we had the unexpected opportunity to not only attend a French General make and take, but also meet Kaari in person!
I was able to play with some of these fabric border strips during the make and take, and I'm happy to report that they're a nice, thick canvas with bold colors and clear printing. No worries about quality here!
I may be showing some things twice here, but I wanted to make sure I got it all in!
The sheer variety of items in this collection is staggering. I seriously want to buy the whole thing!
There are coordinating papers, too, including a set of fabric papers.
There were some lovely projects on display in the booth, as well.
French General by Jolees Boutique is scheduled to be available in March, and I've confirmed that Michaels stores will be carrying it. I'm not certain if any online stores will get it, though it is headed for some brick and mortar scrapbook stores, so keep your eyes open closer to release time for this amazing collection!