Margie Romney-Aslett joining Bazzill

Margie Romney-Aslett has announced that she is joining Bazzill as its new Art Director.

Romney-Aslett departed Authentique Paper only a week before its launch at CHA Summer 2011 under murky circumstances. In April, Romney-Aslett had announced that she was leaving her signature line at Advantus, The Girls Paperie, to join the new start-up.

Bazzill is a natural landing spot for Romney-Aslett. She started her scrapbook career working at Scrapbooks Etc, the Mesa, Arizona retail store owned by Doug and Marti Jones, who also own Bazzill. Since that time she has maintained a close relationship with the Jones' both personally and professionally.

So what does Bazzill, known for their industry-dominating textured cardstock, need with an Art Director known for designing vintage patterned papers? Her new role at Bazzill is described by the company as "designing, managing artists and helping Bazzill as it continues building its product lines." Facing stiff competition in the cardstock market the past several years from Core'dinations and American Crafts, Bazzill began expanding their line of offerings beyond basic cardstock into embellishments. At CHA Winter 2011, they took that expansion a step further and introduced lines of patterned papers and coordinating embellishments. Romney-Aslett's talents will almost certainly be used (among other things) to breathe life into these lines that to date have not made much of a splash in the marketplace.