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

Above (l-r): Creative Imaginations (Harvest Moon – Brown Leaf), American Crafts (Nightfall – Fall Leaves), Jillibean Soup (Apple Cheddar Soup – Apple Cider), Bella Blvd (Finally Fall – Leaf Pile)

Above: American Crafts (Amy Tangerine – Paper Leaves), Prima (Lovely – Mix 5 fabric leaves), Bazzill Cardstock Shapes (feather leaves)

These products are just the beginning! Whether used as an all-purpose embellishment (as you would a flower) or to emphasize the season, leaves add texture, and depth. Leaves can be found in many forms, pre-made or customizable with the use of die cuts or punches. While certainly not new, I bring up leaves today in this trendwatch column because every company seems to be offering something featuring them right now, and the choices aren’t limited to fall lines.

The leaf, cat, and oak leaves stamps shown above are by Inkadinkado, and while there are many leaf stamps out right now from other companies (Hero Arts and Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous come to mind), Inkadinkado has really blown me away with the variety and creativity of their designs.

Leaves can also be found in templates – like the Crafter’s Workshop template shown above.

With the increasing trend of more all-purpose product and fewer theme-specific items, leaves are a great example of something that can ride the line between those two types of product. Lately I have used them layered with other embellishments to add another layer to my layouts, as well as looking to leaves to add fall mood to my seasonal projects.

Here is a card I created using American Craft’s Nightfall line. This new line is one of my favorite this fall. Between the leaves and color palette, it is useful for everything from Thanksgiving to Halloween, harvest to general fall projects. (Besides the Nightfall line, I also used mist from Studio Calico - Mister Huey in Custard -  and  Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy.)

Another image I’m seeing a lot this fall that ties into the leaf trend is acorns. A few of the lines mentioned in this article feature them, and I expect they’re popular because they are a great fall symbol that adds mood without being heavily themed.

Whether you are using products straight from the package or customizing your own punched or die cut leaves with paints and texture, stamping and embossing or just using a bit of patterned paper – I am betting you will find some leaves sneaking into your projects this season. I invite you to share any of your favorite leaf products here with us in the comments.

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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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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:

Package #2:

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?

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!

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

Little 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.

This 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?

On 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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