Jane Gauss, the creator of PaperIllusion, had contacted me a little over a month ago and asked if I had seen the instructional video that she made a while back. I said I hadn’t, so she offered to send me a copy.
In the meantime I found this video clip on the internet that shows someone using PaperIllusion. However, there is no sound and the picture quality is a bit poor (but then again, I don’t have high speed out here in the middle of the country). But it was nice to find something showing an actual Paper Illusions demonstration.
Well, I just received the VHS “How To” Video for PaperIllusion by Village (featuring Jane Gauss) on Friday and thought I’d share it with you today.
First of all, the copyright date on it is 2003…so it’s not new. Second, the picture quality was not the greatest…we have a VCR that is supposed to automatically fix the tracking and there were lines going through most of the video that made me think I had to fix the tracking, but couldn’t. I’m guessing it’s like that for two reasons.
- It’s VHS…need I say more?
- It’s mass-produced (going on 4 years now).
NOTE: After writing the above, I sat down to watch the video again to make sure I covered everything I wanted to in this product review. Wouldn’t you know it, there were no fuzzy lines and the picture quality looked a lot better. Maybe it was just dusty or something the first time I put it in to view (even though it comes in a sealed plastic wrapper). Who knows. Just keep in mind, if the same thing happens to you, watch it more than once and it should clear up for you too.
Anyway, the only other down side I noted was in the last few seconds a contact phone number and website is shown that is no longer in existence.
An aside…
You see, this product is licensed under “Village” through F. Schumacher & Co. and they were the sole distributor of this product up until mid 2006. Then for whatever reason, they sold the distribution rights to Blue Mountain Wallcoverings. It’s still considered a “Village” product, but it’s being distributed solely through Blue Mountain now. Unfortunately the references to “villagehome.com/cafe” or “paperillusion.com” and the 800 phone # at the end of the video (as well as what’s printed on their promotional materials) don’t work anymore, which is a shame, if you ask me. Maybe someone will get wise and do something about that, but in the meantime you can keep coming back here and I’ll do my best to keep you up to date on what’s happening in the wonderful world of PaperIllusion.
Anyway, back to my review…the above is what I would consider the down side. The up side, however, is that it has audio and some great tips on it! I was telling my husband it would have been nice to have seen this a few years ago when we got started…a lot of the tips we’ve come to find out were submitted to us from consumers like you as well as just figuring it out on our own when we used the product ourselves.
To this day I get people who ask about how to rip the paper so the backing doesn’t show as much…they demonstrate this on the video.
It’s a short video (less than 10 minutes), but it has a lot of close-up footage on ripping and overlapping the peices on your wall. And they show a bunch of small projects that can be done (like covering metal, plastic and paper mache surfaces). It was also nice to see who the creator of this amazing product was. Thank you, Jane.
As for finding this video online…like I said, the only thing I could find was this video clip for free. Lowe’s website says they carry it for $1.97 but it doesn’t appear that they will ship it to you…you would need to check their local stores. I happen to know a lot of the Lowe’s across the country stopped selling PaperIllusion altogether, but not all of them. The ones that do sell it, only stock a handful of colors, and I’m really not sure if you can buy the video through them anymore (it depends on the individual store). But I know you can find it for sale at Wallpaper Illusions.
If you’ve already hung the product yourself, most of this information will be useless (obviously you’ve already figured out how easy it is to apply), but it does give you some insight on other small projects that can be done. AND it’s great to give to friends or family when they say, how did you do that?
If you’ve never used this product, I encourage you to go ahead and get the Paper Illusions Instructional Video. It will give you the nudge you need to try it out. And believe me, you’ll be glad you did.
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6 responses so far ↓
PaperIllusion VHS Video : WiggleWigal News // May 16, 2007 at 8:36 pm
[…] recently came across a not-so-new PaperIllusion VHS Video demonstrating how to use the Paper Illusions wallpaper. It’s available for sale now at […]
Connie Simpson // May 18, 2007 at 10:40 pm
I saw a Lowe’s ad in our local paper advertising the Paper Illusion Product, and went to get some to try. They only had 2 colors. I asked why they didn’t have more, and they said that it never “took off”. I find this surprising, as I have started a wall, and it goes up easily with no mess. Do you know why they no longer carry it? It would be so convenient to be able to just go and get it, and to be able to visually see and feel what you are getting without having to pay for samples.
Carrie Wigal // May 19, 2007 at 8:52 am
That’s a great point, Connie. When I first heard about this product, I wondered why I hadn’t heard of it before. It’s so unique. Personally, I think it’s under-marketed. I saw an ad on QVC last year and I was blown away at how little they said this paper could do. The excitement level was lackluster…get me on the show, and I’ll move the stuff! LOL.
As for Lowe’s not carrying all the colors (and some stores none at all)… they, like many stores just put it on the shelf and expect the product to sell itself. What they don’t understand is that it’s their job to “sell” (”market”) the product in order for people to buy it…not merely offer it for sale.
If retailers would just get on the ball and tell people why this product is the solution to their problems, then I strongly believe sales would go through the roof.
If there’s a local wallpaper store (that specializes in wallpaper) in your area, you may have better luck in finding more colors and getting better service (seeing and touching samples prior to purchase). However, with the big stores like Lowes, it’s only one product of thousands on their shelf, and I don’t believe it will ever get the attention it deserves unless you get a manager in there that absolutely loves this product themselves.
Ty // May 19, 2007 at 10:10 am
I agree that the large box retailers such as Lowes should take more active roles in marketing Paper Illusions, as well as wallpaper in general, as they have made the choice to inventory them. I would also suggest that employees of these stores actually be educated on the products so they can actually offer some type of knowledge or informed opinions. It irks me to ask a question of a person working in the department and they pick up the product and read me the label. I feel like saying “Hey pal, I can read. How about gleaning some practical information that is not on the label?”
I have been in many Lowes across the country and the most in stock colors I have ever seen is 8, with one bin empty for 7 actual choices. Often, there is far fewer choices sitting in dusty bins. “There are 31 colors available, how do I get them?” 20 minutes after this question, the standard reply is to purchase one of the in-stock colors or go elsewhere.
If there happens to be a local wallpaper store in your area, that is definitely a better choice than Lowes. Many of these local retailers carry PaperIllusion and will have color options and samples in stock. I am in favor of supporting these stores which are there to serve you with their expertise. If the prices are a little higher , the overall value of a transaction is still much higher. The people there are working to make a living just like most of us. Give them your business so they will be there next time to serve you. Local sales also support your local services such as schools, roads, police and fire.
New “How To” PaperIllusion “video” soon to be released // Aug 1, 2007 at 3:52 pm
[…] few months ago I wrote about a VHS tape available on How To PaperIllusion. I gave a rather objective review of it with one of my only “complaints” being the […]
Carrie Wigal // Aug 30, 2007 at 2:10 pm
I just checked and the following sites are working now…The Village Home Cafe and paperillusion.com.
While you can get to the Village Cafe, you can’t submit any questions…you can try but it brings up an error message once you click the submit button. BUT you can access the archives (dating back to 2003) by typing a few words on a particular topic and clicking the “Search Forum” button.
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