Trendwatch: Fall Leaves

In every shape and form, leaves seem to be falling into scrapbook stores! While many of the designs are tied into seasonal lines, leaves could certainly be used for any number of crafting subjects. Here are a few great products I’ve noticed recently:

Above: Spellbinder Shapeabilities Assorted Leaves dies, Sizzix Tim Holtz Mini Tattered Leaf dies, EK Garland punch - Leaf [Read more...]

Top Ten Product Trends at CHA Winter 2010, Part 2

It’s time to look at part two of the top ten product trends from CHA Winter 2010! (In case you missed it, here’s part one.)

Please note that these trends are intended to take a look at the types of products that are being offered, not the specific design and style trends that were being applied to those products.

6. Fabric/Canvas

Top row, left-right: Studio Calico, Prima, Prima. Middle row (l-r): Adornit, BasicGrey, BasicGrey. Bottom row (l-r): Melody Ross for GCD Studios, Claudine Hellmuth Studio, Webster’s Pages.

Maybe it is a reflection of the homemade/vintage feeling that is sweeping scrapbooking, but a lot of CHA Winter products were created from textiles. Replacing the hard metal embellishments of a few years ago, fabric is both more versatile as a material and more affordable. There’s also less government regulation to worry about for manufacturers, such as issues created recently by the CPSIA.

Some fabric items, such as Donna Downey’s products for Prima, are a blank starting point for projects. Others, such as Studio Calico’s Fabrips borders, are full-featured embellishments designed to be incorporated into other projects.

7. Embossed Cardstock

Left-right: Jenni Bowlin Core’dinations, Bazzill, Tim Holtz Alterations.

Products that were either already embossed or for creating embossing are becoming quite common in the scrapbook market. All of the manual die cutting systems seem to offer embossing accessories, and Tim Holtz caused big buzz at CHA with his new Alterations embossing designs for the Sizzix machine. Many of the cardstock companies (like Bazzill and Core’dinations) seem to be entering a gray area between cardstock and patterned paper providers by branching into embossed designs. It’s also becoming more frequent for patterned paper companies to include embossed designs in their lines (K and Company has a long history of this, for instance).

8. Spray Ink/Mist

Left-right: Smooch Spritz, Inkadinkado, Chalkboard Glimmer Mist.

Ink of all kinds is a hot product right now. But spray ink, which has only recently gotten attention as a category, is the hottest of all the inks – attracting attention even from papercrafters who don’t own a single stamp. Tattered Angels offered up a big expansion of its Glimmer line at CHA Winter 2010 and many other companies also either offered the product for the first time or expanded existing offerings.

9. Fancy Buttons

Top: American Crafts Glitter Buttons. Bottom: Bazzill Vintage Buttons.

Buttons are back as part of the vintage trend, but with a twist from their classic scrapbooking incarnation. Instead of plain buttons we now have glitter buttons, textured buttons, and bling buttons. Gone are the days of companies selling color assortments of plain buttons to coordinate with their lines – now they must have extra detail of some kind. Offerings from companies like GCD Studios and Bazzill remind me so much of my grandmother’s button jar!

10: Die Cutting

Top row, left-right: Cottage Cutz, Sizzix eClips, Tim Holtz Alterations. Bottom row (l-r): Cricut Cake, Spellbinders, Craftwell eCraft.

At CHA Winter 2010, there was plenty of proof that lots of companies see both digital and manual die cutting as a viable market. Several new exhibitors were associated with die cutting, and some of the show’s biggest buzz was centered around the Cricut Cake machine. Besides the Cricut Cake, Sizzix and Craftwell also showed new electronic cutters, greatly expanding the options in that area for consumers. On the manual side, Cottage Cutz was exhibiting as an independent producer of dies, an indicator of the perceived strength in that market. Tim Holtz’s new collection of vintage style dies for Sizzix has potential to reach a new audience for their machine, which is known for a more graphic or cute style of design.

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Trick or Treat Giveaway at Scrapbook Update

So, did May get you all excited about holiday scrapbook supplies the other day?

If so, then stick around for Scrapbook Update’s version of “trick or treat”! Because instead of candy, Scrapbook Update is giving away holiday-themed scrapbook supplies in this Halloween extravaganza!

First up…are you wondering what to do with all those ghost and goblin pictures from tonight? Some Little Yellow Bicycle ‘Trick or Treat’ collection would take care of those pictures perfectly! Thanks to the generosity of Little Yellow Bicycle, we have two assortments from the Trick or Treat collection to give away:

Package #1:

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Package #2:

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But if you are already thinking mistletoe and carols instead of ghosts and goblins, Scrapbook Update’s got you covered there too!

How about some goodies from the always fabulous Brenda Walton– like some chipboard, a mat pad and some snowglobes you can actually stick to your pages?

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Thanks to K & Company for sharing these goodies with Scrapbook Update’s readers!

If you are into stamping and card making, this next giveaway package is for you…how about some holiday Jolee’s stickers and a snowflake stamp by Inkadinkado? Thanks to the generosity of EK Success and Inkadinkado, one lucky Scrapbook Update reader can get a jump start on their holiday cards!

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Little Yellow Bicycle has something to offer scrapbookers for Christmas as well as for Halloween…

IMG_6655_webLittle Yellow Bicycle is generously donating a package from its 25 Days of Christmas collection for a lucky Scrapbook Update reader to enjoy!

If holiday gifts are more on your mind than holiday scrapbooking, Scrapbook Update has you covered there too.

IMG_6635_webThis Creative Imaginations Bare Elements Veronika Gift Card Holder can be decorated to make the presentation of a gift card a bit more personal feeling.

Or, if it is an actual gift you want to make…how about some Jolee’s Jewels courtesy of EK Success?

IMG_6639_webOn the right are all the elements that you will need to make a beautiful bracelet to give away (or to keep!)…instructions will be sent with the prize package. And as a bonus, you’ll also get some holiday themed charms as well (pictured left).

So…what do you have to do to win one of these packages?

All you have to do to be one of the lucky winners is leave a comment on this entry before Midnight U.S. eastern time next Sunday night, November 8th. (If you are reading this post via an email subscription, click on the title of the entry and it will take you to the giveaway on the  Scrapbook Update website where you can leave a comment to enter.) Make sure you include your email address in the line reserved for it on the comment form (for your own protection, don’t put it in the body of the comment, where it will be visible to the public – just in the line labeled “email” in the form where only I can see it). You will need it to verify your identity if you are a winner. One entry per person.

Please note: There will be a slight delay in selecting winners of this drawing due to my medical leave the next two weeks!

While you wait…why not take the Scrapbook Update Reader Survey if you haven’t already?

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