Clearsnap

Paperclipping Roundtable #9 is available for download! This week the panel of Noell Hyman, Ana Cabrera, Cathy Zielske, and me talked about an issue that quite often divides the scrapbook community: page size.

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My pick this week was Clearsnap’s Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer. To hear why, you’ll have to listen!

Editor’s Note: This post marks past guest blogger May Flaum’s official debut as a Contributing Writer at Scrapbook Update. Welcome, May!

One of my favorite year end traditions is to look back and reflect on all that happened this year: what new authors I discovered, life events, changes made, and good things that have happened. This year I thought it would be fun to look over my crafting stash and share some of my new scrapbook discoveries from 2009.

As I sat down to write this I decided that the companies and products I selected must be new to me this year. In other words, they either didn’t exist or I had no knowledge of them or the specific product type prior to January 2009. I also decided they had to be something that I turn to and utilize on a regular basis and consider true additions to my crafting life this year.

In no particular order, here are six things that I consider great finds of the year:

Core’dinations cardstock: I discovered them in the spring, and it was love at first touch. The core is a different color than the cardstock’s front, and this makes for exciting sanding, embossing, tearing, and distressing opportunities.

The Jenni Bowlin Embossed Pack and the White Wash Collection are among my favorites from them – but to be honest I’ve yet to pick up a piece that I don’t love.

Webster’s Pages: This is a company that has been a sleeper for me. You see, I’ve received random single sheets of paper or stickers in kit clubs this year as well as picked a few up in a store but I never really thought about the company. When their latest releases hit the shelves (and I wanted all of it) I realized I’d underestimated the amount of creative love I have for them – and that they’d been flying under the radar for me.

The ribbons, papers, cameos, letter stickers, and everything else they offer is so beautiful – my hands are itching for more already.

The Girl’s Loft: This kit club started this summer and I was intrigued from first sight. The kits always have unique items and unexpected pairings – not to mention I find them very easy to work with. I don’t usually pay much attention to new kit clubs, but this one caught my eye and has held it with interesting kits and a very talented team of designers and great ownership.

Margie and her daughters, the owners, even came out with an e-book for Ella Publishing called Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts that is filled with their brand of crafty inspiration – and I hope we see more from them in future.

Smooch Ink: Clearsnap is one of those companies that has been around but I really don’t know much about or pay much attention to. One day cruising my local on-line store I came across Smooch Ink- and I needed to know more. It resembles closest my liquid eye-liner in consistency and in how the brush works. I use it for edging, doodling, detail work, even to hand-color images to stamp. It is so much easier for me to use than ink or paint in my detail work – and I’m totally addicted!

Taffy and Molasses continue to be my most used colors, and Gold Lame and Nautical Navy top my wish list. There is a whole rainbow of colors and even packaged sets available for purchase. How do you decide which to start with?

Making Memories Vintage Findings - I discovered this first on an end cap at Michael’s, and eventually saw them showing up in my favorite stores as well. I can not get over how happy the little packages of put together vintage inspired bits and pieces make me. It is my most sincere hope that we see a new batch of this product in stores in 2010 because I have yet to get my fill.

My favorite kits from this line include: Love, Girl, Nature, Bienvenue, and Christmas.

Lily Bee: Finally, this company suddenly started showing up all over my radar last summer. They are new this year, though the owner (kit-club owner) has been in the industry a long time. Their rub-ons and the French Couture paper line caught my attention and they’ve held my rapt attention ever since. The products are great quality and always bring out the best in my photos – what more could a girl ask for?

The new tulle flowers, recurring damask patterns in patterned paper, and beautiful lines overall will keep me checking back in – and hoping for more lines that continue to grow in product types and offerings in the new year.

That wraps up six of my favorite new companies and products of 2009, and now I’m inspired to get out some of my favorites as my husband spends time watching bowl games and more NFL football than I can imagine. I know my list is not a complete one, so tell me: what are some of your picks from this year in crafting? I’d love to hear from you about your favorites from 2009, and about your hopes for what 2010 will bring too!

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