*NEW* Pinkfresh – AUG release (Paige Evans debut) *UPDATE3

Thanks for your responses. I'm disappointed in the company's new direction, especially the paper packs only news. Given this release is a hodgepodge of styles, patterns, motifs, colors, etc. that looks dated, nothing is added to my wish list. Hoping for a Geralyn Sy/IACB collaboration...

IMHO the pause was a trial period to determine whether it was financially possible for PFS to exclusively provide cardmaking supplies, & its relaunch suggests profit from scrapbooking may be necessary to meet its budget/goals or was simply missed in the company's bank account. Perhaps the designer's comment implies the company either doesn't have the funds to produce paper by-the-sheet at this time or purposely intends to keep its only traditional scrapbooking supply - 12x12 paper - to a minimum (i.e. 1 SKU - paper pack - vs. 12 SKUs for individual sheets per collection) in an effort to satisfy both cardmaking & scrapbooking customers while simultaneously reducing its costs to produce, track, store, fulfill orders, etc. of papers by-the-sheet. 

PFS notes in both collection reveals (as quoted in the OP) that patterned papers will only be sold in paper packs, yet the designer reportedly states on the company IG a paper pad is the only option. Unless retailers are given a product description that clarifies these mixed messages, customers may have to order the paper pack to learn whether it is individual papers sold together in a cellophane package (like a collection kit) as expected or actually a gummy-bound paper pad. Both/Either if customers have to guess before ordering &/or a gummy-bound pad is the only paper option may further reduce sales! 

Or, most likely, the return of patterned paper is in response to feedback from &/or used in its classes/events for its target audience, cardmakers! The company is only able/willing to produce one extra product - 12x12 paper pack - to attract/profit from scrapbookers, since "it was either a paper pad or no papers at all."