April's Review	Catherine's Review	Chris' Review	Penny's Review	Karen's Review

Review by April

In the last two years, Prima Marketing Inc. has really come into their own providing unique and innovative patterned papers and coordinating embellishments. Each new Prima paper line that comes out offers a fresh, original take on different color palettes and patterns. Most crafters were first introduced to Prima's splendid variety of flowers, which caught on quickly and were soon seen throughout the scrapbooking community on projects everywhere. Now that Prima has started producing fabulous new high quality paper and embellishment lines, they are quickly gaining even more popularity. With such a wide variety of products, scrapbookers and paper crafters now have the ability to create and complete stunning projects just using Prima supplies. "Morning Song" by Iron Orchid Designs, is one of the most recent new paper lines Prima Marketing has come out with. I always look forward to reviewing Prima Products and since this adventuresome new line really caught my eye, I couldn't wait to start creating with it!

I received the Iron Orchid Designs "Morning Song Papers" collection pack for this review. It consisted of twelve double-sided, 12" x 12" acid free cardstock sheets. There were 7 different patterns in all. Six of them were unique and included a mixture of diamond patterns, swirl frames, birds, flowers, polka dots, stripes, and newsprint. The seventh pattern was the coordinating back on all of the sheets. It came in six different coordinating colors and had a polka dot background with a slightly slanted 10" x 10" decorative floral frame in the middle. I thought this collection had a very interesting color combination. Several of the sheets contained a fabulous aqua, paired with a toned down lime green and a soft baby blue. There was also a vibrant red that was very eye catching, paired with 2 different shades of pink. Some of the papers were also complimented by a luxurious reddish purple, a soft light yellow, and white. Since the cardstock was fairly heavy in weight, each sheet could easily be used alone as a background. I thought the weight of the paper was great, which made it perfect for distressing, stitching, and painting. Each sheet also has a 1/2" tab across the bottom that lists the name of the paper, what collection it's from, the Prima Donna it was designed by, a bar code, and the Prima Marketing Inc. website address.

I was immediately drawn to the reds and greens in this collection. They were bright and fun, yet not overpowering, even when used together. To my surprise, I actually had a great set of pictures that totally coordinated with the red, green, and blue palette of my first project. Since each of the patterned papers in this collection offer such a variety of detailed patterns, I was able to create an intricate layout design with three papers, yet it looks like I used several different papers. All of these papers make it easy to create an unlimited amount of pattern designs simply by cutting them differently. To complete my layout, I sanded the edges of my photos and each patterned paper to help them stand out a little more, and then added some glitter glue and journaling.

Title: 1st Day on the Bus!
Products used:
Patterned Paper (Prima Marketing Inc. IOD "Morning Song Papers" in: Sunday Paper, Chattering, Skip a Beat)
Chipboard (Prima Marketing Inc. & Maya Road)
Paint (Ranger Paint Dabbers)
Glitter Glue (Ranger Stickles)
Markers (Staedtler Lumocolor)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

For my second layout, I used the coordinating backs from two of the papers to create my page design. I created a dimensional frame around my picture by cutting off the sides of the purple/blue cardstock sheet. Since the frame in the middle of the page was already slanted, it was easy to trim the slanted pieces for my frame. I cut out a flower and bird from the Little Miss Sunshine paper to use as page embellishments. I tucked some buttons in under the frame, added some journaling, and decorated everything with an aqua blue glitter pen. I really liked how mixing the purple and blues from this collection gave the entire layout a soft, feminine feel.

Title: Forever Friends
Products used:
Patterned Paper (Prima Marketing Inc. IOD "Morning Song Papers" in: Happy Go Lucky, Little Miss Sunshine)
Buttons (Autumn Leaves)
Brad (Karen Foster)
Pens (Sakura, American Crafts)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I just happened to have some blue file folders left over from another project, and since they coordinated with the colors in this collection, I decided to decorate some file folders for my third project. I see gorgeous file folders at office supply stores all the time, however I usually can't bring myself to pay the gorgeous fee that comes with them. So I thought why not just make my own. They were simple to make and I think turned out quite lovely just by adding a few pieces of the Morning Song papers and Prima's flowers!

Title: Decorative File Folders
Products used:
Patterned Paper (Prima Marketing Inc. IOD "Morning Song Papers" in: Happy Go Lucky, Chattering, Little Miss Sunshine, Skip a Beat)
Flowers (Prima Marketing Inc. Heidi Swapp)
Brads (Karen Foster, Making Memories)
Ribbon (Personal Stash)
Glitter Pen (Sakura)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I am a big fan of Prima and not only did I admire the quality of the Morning Song papers, I also really liked the variety of the paper patterns in this collection. I personally thought that some of the papers were easier to mix and match then others and I'm not sure I would say that all of the papers and patterns coordinated well with each other. I actually thought some of the colors kind of clashed, and made it a little harder to use with color photos. Everyone has their own taste and style, and even though I wasn't fond of a couple of the papers, that doesn't mean that someone else might not love them. That being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the collection, because I thought several of the colors looked outstanding together. I thought this collection had a fun, and funky sort of vibe to it and I would recommend it to others who are looking for a fresh take on bright and bold paper colors and patterns!

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Review by Catherine

Prima's Morning Song Collection is one of the newest releases for the company. With subltle and artistic patterns, but slightly bolder colors than some of their previous collections, this line of papers and products is sure to be a hit.

When I first opened my Review Team package containing the Morning Song Collection by Prima, I was struck by how similar in design these papers are to the Angelique Collection which we previously reviewed. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the colors are not as soft, and that many of the papers would be great for bolder and more graphic layouts, which is right up my alley. The color palette includes Lime Green, Red, Purple, Light Blue, and Pink. Although the patterns in this collection are mostly floral, I did not find them hard to use at all. Many times in the past, I have had a difficult time using floral patterns on my scrapbook pages. Lime Green is one of my favorite colors, so I was excited to see that this color was included in the Prima Morning Song Palette. Created by Iron Orchid Designs, these papers have a blend of classic, vintage, and funky. Exactly what I've been looking for.

Recently, our family took a trip to California. I was able to get several pictures of my boys playing in or near the ocean. When I first looked at the "Happy Go Lucky" paper in the Morning Song Collection, I felt that this paper would be perfect for scrapping beach themed pictures. I printed out a few pictures of my oldest son in the ocean, and began my page. I think that the end result of this page is exactly the feel I was going for.

Title: At the Beach
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Prima Marketing-Morning Song)
Title (My Mind's Eye)
Stamp, Stickers (7gypsies)
Brad (Making Memories)
Buttons (My Mind's Eye)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

For my next project, I needed to make a sympathy card. Using the Morning Song "Pastry Shop" paper, I was able to make a card that I was very proud to give.

Title: Thinking of You Card
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Prima Marketing-Morning Song)
Stamp (Stampin' Up!)
Scalloped Card (Jenni Bowlin Designs)
Chipboard Heart (Heidi Swapp)
Rhinestone (ScrapinstyleTV Boutique)
Ribbon (Maya Road)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Anyone who knows me at all know that I have three crazy boys who are very seldom quiet. I felt that I needed to make another layout about one of my crazy boys. The red word printed paper in the collection was actually the inspiration for the next layout that I completed for this review. What better paper to scrapbook about living out loud than a paper printed all over with words.

Title: Live Out Loud
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Prima Marketing-Morning Song)
Alphabet Stickers (Scenic Route)
Large Brads (Bazzill Basics)
Chipboard Circles (Scenic Route)
Acrylic Alphabet (The Scrappin' Connection)
Brilliant Sticker (7gypsies)
Stamp (Love, Elsie-KI Memories)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

After working with the Morning Song Collection, I have to say that it is so far my favorite paper line from Prima. The colors are bright and fun, but also extremely sophisticated. Using these papers was very easy for me, and I felt as if once I had the paper that I wanted to use picked out, the rest just flowed easily. I give this line a very high recommendation and lots of praise. Stop by your local scrapbook store and ask for the Prima Morning Song Collection today!

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Review by Chris

Well established as the "go to" company for a fantastic selection of flowers in a wide variety of styles and materials, Prima has expanded its line to include many other products for the paper crafter. Their partnering with Iron Orchid Designs, a well-known creative force in digital product design, has allowed them to develop beautiful paper collections as well as other products. Prima's latest venture into the Hybrid market has put them in the forefront of an industry which melds three dimensional products with digital designs.

Prima's Morning Song Collection, created by Iron Orchid Designs, features 6 different two-sided heavy-weight patterned papers. The reverse side of each paper has a common design in a coordinating color. The color scheme is bright and cheerful and includes shades of just about every color of the rainbow, with a bird and flower motif used frequently as a design element. The papers are highly distressed and many include multiple elements layered on top of one another to give add great depth and dimension. Iron Orchid Designs has always been a favorite of mine in the digital realm and now I'm happy to be able to purchase their papers for my hands-on scrapping.

Although the collection includes many colors, they all blend extremely well together, with common colors like purple, green and pink carried through-out the collection. The paper is heavy weight and holds up well to tearing, sewing, sanding, inking and all the other techniques you might like to use on your projects.

My first project was a layout of my son and niece in a purely coincidental similar pose, several years apart. When I came upon these two photographs, I knew they had to be scrapped together and I found the perfect quote to accompany them. I used the back side of Chattering as my main paper. I love the skewed frame design on these papers. I added circle shapes from Happy Go Lucky and Pastry Shop along with a punched strip from Little Miss Sunshine to complete the paper selection. You can see clearly how well these very different paper designs go together. I was inspired by an idea in the Autumn Leaves calendar to create the doodle swirls as accent elements. Some felt letters for the title and buttons completed my layout.

Years Go By
Products used: Patterned paper (Prima, Morning Song Collection, Chattering, Happy Go Lucky, Pastry Shop, Little Miss Sunshine)
Rub-ons (Scrapworks)
Felt Letters (KI Memories, Heartfelt)
Buttons (KI Memories, Softies)
Punch (Fiskars, Threading Waters)
Marker (Sharpie)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

For my second project, I created a small wallet-style mini album with photos of our new puppy. The bright colors and free-spirited designs of the Morning Song Collection are a perfect representation of her effervescent personality. This small album has flaps that open and once it's all closed up, it fits nicely in a purse or pocket.

Welcome Cali
Products used: Patterned Paper (Prima, Morning Song Collection, Little Miss Sunshine, Happy Go Lucky; Fancy Pants, True Collection, Pure)
Rhinestones (HeroArts; Kaiser)
Stamps (Inkadinkado; Studio G)
Ink (Tsukineko, VersaFine)
Punches (Fiskars; Stampin' Up!; EK Success)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I must say that I have always loved the variety and creative design of Prima's flowers. Now that they have partnered with Iron Orchid Designs, they have brought many other wonderful products to the scrapping table. The designs and colors of the Morning Song Collection are delightful. I look forward to future products brought to us by the creative pairing of Prima and IOD.

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Review by Penny

Prima Marketing's Morning Song Collection includes a lovely array of six double-sided premium quality patterned papers. There is both a soft and vibrant feel to this new collection mixing pale blue, yellow and pink with their more vibrant versions, candy apple red, lime green, summer sky blue and deep violet.

Similar to their other new releases, this collection carries a unique pattern on the front and a common full page flowered border with tiny polka dots on the reverse. The patterns are soft, romantic and a bit shabby in nature.

There are a series of elegant layered white frames on a lime green background in "Skip a Beat" with a hint of teal along it's edges and on its reverse.

"Sunday Paper" is a lovely bright red with newspaper-style columns of distressed white vintage text. A very cool look! The reverse is pale pink.

"Happy Go Lucky" and "Pastry Shop" have floral patterns on them. "Happy Go Lucky" has the summer sky blue background with watermark text, pink and yellow flowers and purple, red and green in the stems and foliage with pale blue on its reverse. "Pastry Shop" has a soft, pale pink background with a red and white flower pattern throughout and red on its reverse.

A pale blue with lime green accents and the word "Remember" at the bottom in "Chattering" would make an outstanding quick-page with its design. The reverse is pale yellow. I used the reverse side of "Pastry Shop" for my first project with a bit of "Chattering" inside of my star shape.

Title: Wish Big
Products Used: Patterned Paper-"Pastry Shop" and "Chattering" (Prima Morning Song Collection)
Flowers (Prima)
Chipboard (Fancy Pants, Cherry Art)
Rub-Ons (Stampin' Up!)
Tags (Be Blessed)
Buttons (Buttons Galore)
Ink (ColorBox)
Stickers (Me & My Big Ideas)
Acrylic Paint (Anita's)
Black Lava Texture Gel (The Scrapbooking Society)
Brads (American Crafts)
Adhesive (Ad Tech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Lastly, we have "Little Miss Sunshine" that has a series of stripes in different patterns that incorporate all of the collection's colors and purple on its reverse. My second project uses the reverse side of this paper with the corner folded over showing a bit of its front as well as the scalloped punch at the bottom of the photo.

Title: No More Garage Sales
Products Used: Cardstock (Prism, Bazzill-scalloped)
Patterned Paper-"Little Miss Sunshine" (Prima Morning Song Collection) and letters (Cherry Arte)
Chipboard (Heidi Swapp, SEI, American Crafts)
Rub-Ons (Making Memories)
Pen (Tombow)
Adhesive (Ad Tech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

The patterned papers carry a sale price of about $.79 each. All of the coordinating embellishments you could want are also available.

This collection has a unique mixture of colors that wake the senses and lift the spirit. My overall impression of this collection is "Girls just wanna have fun!" and they can, with Prima's Morning Song Collection.

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Review by Karen

From the earliest days of their products, Prima Marketing has found a way to draw the scrapbooker to their products. I remember the first time I saw a "got flowers" bottle. I immediately thought "I want them all". With the CHA winter 2008 paper releases, I am getting that familiar "got to have those" feelings again. I am lucky enough to have been able to work on the Angelique review as well as the Morning Song review. While the two collections share some of the same emotional response, they are very different.

Where Angelique was soft, Morning Song is bold. I love how the Morning Song collection has a color palette that is a bit shocking but very easy to work with. At first glance, I was worried that the strong contrast in the colors would make using the papers hard. This really isn't the case. I found that the color palette actually made working with my photos easier! With strong colors, I was able to find shades or tints of those colors in my photos. Not to mention how it helped some of the architectural photos that I have stand out. The patterns in this collection mix old with new. The classic line drawings of flora and fauna used with bold purples and reds really add a modern feel to an image that is very comforting.

My first project uses those beautiful line drawings to add interest to the page that I created. I started with photos that contained a lot of colors. The yellow and purples in these dance photos could have been difficult to work with, but the touches of yellow in the birds and flowers, along with the pinks made this the perfect choice for this layout. I loved how easy it was to mix other companies products in with this collection. Here I have added some Making Memories Noteworthy embellishments to add to the feeling of old made new again.

Title: {dance}
Products used:
Patterned Paper (Prima Marketing)
Die Cuts (Making Memories)
Letter Stickers (American Crafts)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

My second project is full of pictures that contain a lot of gray. Many times I take pictures of the places that we travel but the pictures turn out to be difficult to use because they blend into the background or the images on the patterned papers just don't work. I really think that this is where the Morning Song collection really shines. By using the classic feeling line drawings, I was able to keep the feeling of history in these photos from New Orleans, but the color palette really makes this page feel modern.

Title: NOLA
Products used:
Patterned Paper (Prima Marketing)
Letter Stickers (American Crafts)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

As you can see from the pages I created that the papers in this collection have a great color palette and design range. The papers are simply beautiful and eye catching. I received a package of paper that contained two of each of the patterned papers. These papers are true 12" x 12" with a cut off strip at the bottom, and have patterns on both sides of the paper. I love the variety of papers in this collection. I really think that just about any scrapbooker can find a paper that would work for them.

While I believe that most scrappers think of Prima Marketing as a flower or embellishment company, I can see Prima Marketing pushing to be thought of as more. With the addition of the Morning Song collection, I feel that Prima Marketing is really reaching out to the scrapper and showing them the range that the company has to offer. I'm excited to be able to share what I've done with this collection and even more excited to see what will be coming in the future!

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