Carpentree has announced a new personalized product line. Consumers can have custom framed art in minutes, and retailers have no machines to purchase and no big inventory investment.

Seven personalized designs are available to choose from, including Love Never Ends, Young Boy, Young Girl, Teen Boy and Teen Girl. The framed art gifts come with easel backs and are ready to frame.

Gift suppliers aim to prepare stores with ministry resources ahead of the trick-or-treat season.

Children’s expert and best-selling author Mary Manz Simon thinks it wise for Christian retail stores to plan ahead for this season that has grown in popularity among the general population. 

“Halloween has catapulted to become the second-largest retail season of the year,” she said. “But while Christmas, the largest buying season, offers built-in opportunities to share the gospel, we need to look for ways to direct attention to the gospel message during autumn.”

Universal Designs has released new designs of its trick-or-treat Bible Basics bookmarks and Pass-It-On cards.

The National Stationery Show has recognized Ellie Claire’s The Simple Joys of Life Journal as a frontrunner in the 2013 Best New Product Competition in the Lifestyle category, which saw more than 500 entries this year.

A new imprint of Nashville-based Worthy Publishing, Ellie Claire aims “to share the unchanging truth of God’s love in irresistibly creative ways, infusing fresh expressions of faith into their gifts and journals.”

The National Retail Federation (NRF), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and CBA have praised the Senate passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act late Monday. The bill, S. 743, now moves to the House, where it is expected to face opposition.

Sponsored by Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) Richard Durbin (D-IL), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), the legislation passed the Senate by a more than two to one margin.

NRF issued the following statement from NRF Chairman of the Board Stephen I. Sadove of Saks and NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay on the bill’s Senate passage:

“We applaud Senators Enzi, Durbin, Alexander and Heitkamp and the entire U.S. Senate for standing with local retailers and America’s small business owners in a strong, bipartisan vote for final passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act, despite a highly funded misinformation campaign by the legislation’s opposition,” Shay said. “Today’s action in the Senate is a significant step for sales tax fairness and we look forward to a robust debate in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Band Angels, bandages for kids featuring healing-related scriptures, has announced a strategic partnership with Christian recording artist Jaci Velasquez. As spokesperson for the product, Velasquez will make personal appearances on behalf of the company.

Band Angels creators Tim and Tami West first met the singer a couple of years ago when Tim was a guest on “Your Family Friendly Morning Show with Doug and Jaci Velasquez” on Salem Broadcasting's nationally syndicated network 94FM The Fish.

DaySpring introduces new school supplies with Duck Dynasty values: Faith. Family. Ducks. Shipping is available in August in time for the new school year.

Spiral notebooks ($2.99), three-ring binders ($3.99), composition books ($2.99) and two-pack of dual-pocket folders ($2.99) are featured in the product offering related to A&E’s most-watched TV series, Duck Dynasty. DaySpring plans to release a wall calendar later in the year.

Christian Art Gifts (CAG) and Unilit have announced a partnership to market and sell CAG products under the new Spanish imprint, Semillas de Fe, through Unilit’s sales network throughout Latin America.

CAG designs and distributes more than 2,000 Scripture-based gift items to more than 8,000 accounts globally. Established in 1974 in South Africa, CAG opened independent distribution centers in North America and Australia and a manufacturing office in Hong Kong.