I am thrilled to announce something today about our upcoming products. Specifically, our Binders. All Becky Higgins Binders are now going to be manufactured by We R Memory Keepers! As in – the best of the best in binder manufacturing. As in – a bazillion years of experience in the book binding industry, and of course the scrapbooking industry … since it became an industry. They are absolutely a leader in binders and albums. And because they’re making our albums, this means you can expect nothing less than … the very best. I’ve been personally using We R binders for all of our family scrapbooks for nearly 10 years.

We are super stoked, and we know that any of you who are familiar with the We R brand are pretty stoked right now too. What you are seeing are our first four Project Life Binders: The Turquoise Edition and Amber Edition are our two 2011 Project Life editions that most of you are familiar with (we actually made the “Turquoise Binder” spine brown because – trust me – it just looked way better with the design).

The other two binders you see are … (drum roll please) … the two new 2012 editions! Say hello to the Clementine Edition and the Cobalt Edition! This is the first you are seeing of the new designs. Next week is when we plan to share lots, lots more from each of these two new kits (designer components + pieces that come in the Core Kits as well as some of the Project Life Cardstock). Stay tuned for that!

But enough chit-chat. Let’s get to some pictures!

I’d be willing to bet you have some great questions now. I’ll try to address several, and if I missed something … ask away in the Comments. Plus – tell me what you think! I’d love to hear.

Q: So these are different than the Binders that you have still in stock on Amazon?

A: That’s right. They are different and they are better. We do still have some Turquoise Binders and Amber Binders in stock, and they are still for sale. And while these currently-for-sale binders are not as crazy-excellent quality that our new binders will be, they are still good binders.

Q: What is different about the old binders and the new binders?

A: First and foremost, the construction, techniques in manufacturing, and materials used are better. The metal corners are new (yay for protecting the corners!). The metal label holder on the spine is new. The surface is now glossy – which not only looks sharp, but makes it so easy to wipe off little finger prints. The spine is now a color instead of black.

Q: Why would I want to purchase the “old” binders still in stock?

A: You don’t have to, of course. Those who either A) Don’t want to wait for the new binders, or B) Want to pay a few dollars less will be snatching those up very quickly.

Q: How much will they cost?

A: Our current binders (mentioned above) are $12.99 on Amazon for U.S. customers. While we do not know the exact price of the new binders yet, you can expect that they will cost a few-ish dollars more. Simply put, better manufacturing costs more. I do not know what the prices will be for customers outside the U.S. but that will soon be announced.

Q: Where are the binders manufactured?

A: Salt Lake City, Utah. The good ol’ USA!

Q: When can I get my hands on these binders?

A: I wish I could give you a date (and I will as we get closer) … but it’s going to be sometime this Fall – along with all of our other products coming out this Fall. It will likely fall somewhere in the October/November time frame.

Q: Can I pre-order the binders?

A: If you are in the U.S. or Europe, where Becky Higgins products are sold on Amazon – no pre-orders. If you are in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or pretty much most other countries, yes. Pre-orders will be available on those respective sites very soon. Please watch for that here (NZ/AUS) and here (CANADA and other countries).

Q: I like all my albums to be matching on the bookshelf. I think I’ll miss the black spine you used to have on all your binders.

A: Today’s great news gets even better! We will also be launching our Signature Black Binder and our Signature White Binder. More details and pictures of these items coming soon.