Per Annum Company Blog | The Forward Thinker

Raika Leather Albums: Timeless Classics

Over the years, we've seen lots of products come and go.  We add new products to our website regularly, and sometimes they thrive (yay!), or sometimes we end up removing them before long (boo!).  But there are a few items that have remained constant bestsellers, and right now I'd like to reintroduce you to one in particular:  The Raika Leather Album.

Now, Raika offers a lot of different albums, and all of them are very nice, luxurious, high-end leather products.  But I've noticed that the ones that people keep coming back to are the classic photo albums with slip-in pockets.  These oldies-but-goodies continue to be popular because they are, quite simply, perfect albums!  The slip-in pockets make them easy to use, of course... but it's the beautiful, colorful, multi-textured covers that are really striking.  Whether you're looking for a plain, smooth, glossy cover or a funky, red, crocodile-print, Raika will have what you need.

The albums are post-bound and available in 2-up, 3-up, 4-up and 5-up sizes, offering storage of anywhere from 120 to 250 photos (plus, they are refillable so you can add even more pages).  Choose from a variety of leather textures and colors, and rest assured that you will be able to display your treasured photos in style for years to come!

Click the links below to find these albums on our website:

Raika 2-up Album:
http://www.perannum.com/products/R102.aspx

Raika 3-up Album:
http://www.perannum.com/products/R127.aspx

Raika 4-up Album:
http://www.perannum.com/products/R178.aspx

Raika 5-up Album:
http://www.perannum.com/products/R105.aspx

Happy Mothers' Day!

As we wind down another week, I just wanted to take a moment to wish all you moms out there a very HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY from Per Annum!  We hope you all have a great day, whether spending it with family, friends or just enjoying some much-deserved relaxation!  And if you take any photos during your celebration, you know where to turn for all sorts of great albums, scrapbooks & supplies.  In fact, here's a list of five great items for moms that can be found on our website:

• Rag & Bone Baby's First Book -- Perfect for new moms, a creative and useful way to keep track of your baby's first days!
• Swing Cafe Photo Tray -- Add a personal touch to the kitchen -- though it's even better when used to bring you breakfast in bed on your big day!
• Kolo Catalina Photo Album -- An oldie but a goodie, just pick one of many vibrant fabric colors, slip in your photos and enjoy!
• Raika Brag Book -- Take your pride & joy with you with this attractive leather brag book, available in a multitude of colors.
• MyBook Adaptable Journal -- Keep track of thoughts and goings-on and unleash your creative side with this fully customizable and portable journal.

You can also find a full selection of Mom-related items by clicking HERE.

Happy Mothers' Day again!

What’s New, Baby?

We recently added two fun finds for new parents.  Rag & Bone's 12 Wishes for Baby and Binth’s Baby Book are sure to please anyone with an eye for something whimsical and unique for their little bundle of joy.

With "12 Wishes," Rag & Bone adds a third entry to their "fill-in" book series.  With  fun topics such as "When I first heard you were on the way I thought," "5 simple rules," "I promise I will never" and more, your child will have a great time capsule of what you were thinking in those early moments of parenthood.  Available in a variety of cover fabrics, the inside features the "Little Birdies" theme.  Get yours here.

Next we have the Binth Baby Book.  This company is known for original stationery and art prints in amazing color.  They mix all colors by hand using only water soluble inks and their papers are all recycled without looking recycled.  At $110, this baby book isn’t for everyone, but their highly refined screen printing process puts it in a class above most.  The woodland creatures seem to come to life on the pages.  Because it is gender neutral, this book makes a great shower gift for a special mom-to-be.  For a limited time only, we’re offering a box of coordinating thank you cards free with Binth Baby Book purchase.  See more details here.

Finding the perfect baby book can definitely be overwhelming, but hopefully these two great new products from Rag & Bone and Binth will help make your decision a little easier -- and more fun!

Welcome, Kaji & Essex

A couple of weeks ago, we introduced two new products on our website, courtesy of our friends at Kolo, which we think are among their finest creations yet -- and I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone that they are now on sale and available for pre-order!

First, there's the Kaji, a new post-bound, top-loading scrapbook that is as elegant as it is easy to use.  Simply slide your 12" x 12" photos, artwork, documents, etc., into the top-loading sturdy, top-loading, archival pages, and you're done!  Perfect for oversized photos, pre-made scrapbook layouts, or someone looking for a quick, colorful & easy way to store their memories.  Plus, the Kaji's screw-post binding is compatible with Kolo's classic Newport Luxury Scrapbook pages, so you can mix-and-match to your heart's content!

Next, there's the Essex Travel Book, an innovative tool that combines aspects of a photo album, journal, agenda, notebook and more into one ultimate companion!  It is also fully customizable -- the book comes with photo sleeves & lined journal pages, but you can add a third insert, as well as swapping out and adding sections of your choice.  The Essex is available in small and medium sizes and is a must-have for anyone on the go.

Both the Kaji and Essex are currently on sale for 10% off -- plus, use coupon code BLOG for an additional 10% on top of that.  These are two great new products that we hope will become Kolo's next big hits!

Quick links:

Kaji Top-Load Scrapbook

Essex Travel Book  (Small)

Essex Travel Book  (Medium)

Valentine’s Day is Coming!

Of course, you probably know this, thanks to the not-too-subtle hints that your sweetie has been dropping for the past several weeks.  But have you finished your shopping yet?  Probably not... and that’s where we come in.  In order to make your life easier (and keep your loved ones happy), we have put together a Valentine’s Day Shop filled with a variety of quick-ship gift ideas.  Choose from specially-priced albums, scrapbooks, frames, photo coasters, handbags, clocks, travel items… the list goes on.  CLICK HERE to browse and see what you can find.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to point out one of our newest and most popular Valentine’s Day items:  12 WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU from Rag & Bone. This 6” x 6” book contains twelve pages to fill in with all kinds of loving thoughts, questions, lists and more.  It’s available in 18 attractive cover styles, and is a great way to let that special someone know how you feel -- and best of all, it’s easy to use!  (Who ever said that romance had to be complicated?)

Happy shopping, and don’t forget that all of our products go perfectly with candy and flowers, too. :)

Classic Product Review: The Newbury Tied Scrapbook

I've been part of the Per Annum family for a long time, and I've seen new products come and go. But there are a few that have stood the test of time and remain bestsellers to this day. One in particular is Kolo's Newbury Tied Scrapbook, a versatile old favorite that can be used for pretty much any occasion, from newborns to weddings, vacation days to school days, and all points in between.

The album cover measures 8.5 x 10", and is bound with a matching ribbon tie. It comes with 25 pages but can fit about 40 comfortably, so there's plenty of room to arrange your pics and stuff. Over the years, customers have praised how easy it is to simply untie the ribbon, put in new pages, and tie it back up. Can't argue with that. It's available in Kolo's varied color palette, so you can find a use for it regardless of your occasion's theme or color scheme. Personally, I like the Sage fabric, but you can't go wrong with colorful Mango or Ocean, or classic Black or Ivory.

The Newbury Tied Scrapbook is indeed an old favorite that will never go out of style, and it comes highly recommended... by me! Check it out on our website, and enjoy!

Congratulations Lisa!

We have some exciting news – one of the Per Annum bloggers has recently welcomed to the world her first child, an adorable baby boy. Congratulations Lisa! We are all so excited and happy for you.

In the spirit of babies, I thought I’d highlight some some of Per Annum's baby-focused products:

Baby's First Book from Rag & Bone provides an elegant and classic way to remember all the firsts. Includes 24 whimsical pages such as "How Mom and Dad met," "How we picked your name,” “The Big Day,” and many more. Available in four colors for $66.95 (it's on sale!).

Baby Notes from Graphic Image are pocket-sized notebooks, available in blue or pink, that let you record baby’s first steps, first word, and other noteworthy events. Leather bound with 144 pages and a ribbon bookmark. Perfect to stash in a purse or diaper bag to record memorable moments on the go. Now only $24.

Check out other great baby items from Per Annum.

12 Ways YOU Made a Difference

In light of tomorrow’s holiday, I wanted to share an album that we’re recently started carrying.

Rag & Bone’s 12 Ways YOU Made a Difference is the perfect way to say “Thanks!” and tell someone what they mean to you. This book would be a great gift for teachers, grandparents, parents, or anyone special in your life. The pages are full of prompts like "I don't tell you this enough...", "The best advice you ever gave me...", "Our favorite day together..."

Available in 18 different  colors, for only $27.95.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Getting Creative with the Lucino

I love finding new, creative ways to use things. Kolo recently came out with a new album, called the Lucino.  This album isn't really an album, in the traditional sense.  It's more of a portfolio, designed to hold 8.5" x 11" sheets.  You can use it for business presentations, displaying larger photos, and a million other things.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I got to thinking about unique ways to store and share my favorite recipes. I realized that the Lucino was perfect for this - you can take out a page at a time to lend to friends and family, and when it's all put together, it's like your very own self-published cookbook. Creating one can be as simple typing out the recipe in a Word document and adding a photo of your completed dish. I created a page for my mom's delicious pumpkin pie, so if you're looking for a yummy, quick, and simple addition to your Thanksgiving meal feel free to download this recipe for yourself!

Albums Styles, Simplified

Albums come in all shapes, colors, sizes and binding styles – often leaving customers somewhat overwhelmed by the choices before them.  To make your choices a little clearer, I thought I’d offer up a little primer on popular binding styles.

Post Bound­ – this style of album features small metal posts that screw together to secure the cover and pages of the album together.  In most cases the screw is hidden from view behind an extra flap on the inside front and back cover. 

     

 

Additional “refill” pages are usually available with extender posts that lengthen or replace the original posts for added room.  One benefit of a post album is that it can be expanded.

Options:

• Post albums with paper pages that fit directly into the binding
• Post albums featuring page protectors into which you slip paper page inserts
• Post albums with pocket pages for slipping in your photos. 
• Some albums hide the spine while others allow you to see the edge of the pages

   

 

 

 

 

Ring Binder – similar to the standard 3-ring binder from an office supply store, but more presentation friendly.

 

Options:

• Number of rings - some albums are standard 3-ring varieties, while others feature 2 or 6-rings.
• Shape of rings - some albums feature standard O-rings while other feature D shaped rings that allow pages to lie a bit more flat when the binder is closed.

  

 

 

 

 

Binders are the easiest style of album if you add and rearrange your pages often.

Ribbon Tied­ – these albums are held together with a ribbon.  Some are removable others are not.

Options:

• Some albums feature a simple ribbon threaded through 2 holes and tied into a bow.  With this option you may be able to add a few more pages or even replace the ribbon with a different style or length for added expansion. 
• Other albums feature a more intricate weaving style of binding that is beautiful, but not refillable.

   

 

 

 

 

These albums make nice gifts, but tend to be more on the feminine side.

Book Bound – this style looks like a traditional hard cover book.  Its pages are sewn and glued permanently into the binding, so you cannot add or remove pages

   

 

 

 

These are wonderfully traditional and look great on a bookshelf, but are a bit more limiting.  If you need to add or subtract pages or even change the page order, this style of album would not be for you.