Continuing Product Trends
There are quite a few product trends that emerged recently that I'm still seeing at this show. For instance, I am certain I could very easily wallpaper my home with just the rolls of washi tape being displayed at the CHA show. Twice over. I love washi tape, and am just getting into using it, so that's not a bad thing. I am noticing that the washi tape product trend is spilling over into a pattern trend, with paper and stickers being printed that look like washi tape. There was a bit of this with mid-release lines this spring but I'm seeing that trend grow. Examples include patterned paper from Crate Paper's Acorn Avenue collection and stickers from Pebbles' Walnut Grove collection:
Other continuing product trends include mini clothespins, date roller stamps, and 3-D flags/flag and pole sticker kits. I'd say this is a new trend, but I'm not going to focus on it: library card/journaling card pockets. While all of these continuing and new trends are interesting, I want to focus on one newer small trend and one newer larger trend.
A Small Trend: Polaroid Die Cuts
The polaroid motif has appeared on patterned paper within the last year or so, and now it's being translated into die cut product form. We saw a little bit of this at the last show from Heidi Swapp, and at the mid-release from Ormolu (disclaimer: I may have missed it elsewhere), but it's popping up a bit at this show as well. Here are a couple of examples:
Studio Calico Wonderland, Yearbook, and Classic Calico Vol 3 Frames:
KI Memories (now under the Hampton Arts umbrella) Flashback Instaframes (love the wide one at the center!):
I don't know why, but I just think this trend is fun!
A Large Trend: Alternatives to the Traditional Scrapbook Page
Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you've seen a big trend the past two years toward simplifying memory-keeping. A couple of products/trends come instantly to mind here. First is Becky Higgins' Project Life (and all of the variations thereof) and another is K & Company's Smash line. This is definitely an ongoing and growing trend and lots and lots of manufacturers are jumping on this bandwagon, producing everything from creative mini albums to divided page protectors to die cut journaling and title cards that fit these systems. I myself want desperately to jump on board with this trend, but I fear that my organizational skills are not up to par (or perhaps it's my available time that's a problem), as, after one week this past January, I gave up on Project Life. I am now thinking that I will try again, with the start of the school year as the start of my album.
Here are some highlights I'm seeing from this show:
October Afternoon's Here & Now Books and Chapters:
Simple Stories' Sn@p (there is so much here, from divided page protectors to inserts - I'm just going to pick one image to share here):
Studio Calico's Handbook (again, lots here - I'll paste a couple of images below, but go to their blog to see it all):
American Crafts' Amy Tangerine Ready Set Go Daybooks:
Pebbles' Seen & Noted collection, including Memorology Page Protectors and the O Flip! Album (I'll include the O Flip! image here - click over to the Pebbles blog to see the rest):
Heidi Swapp Mini Fotosleeve Books:
I could go on and on here, but you get the idea. Lots of options. Something for every style.
I said it yesterday, but will say it again. I am so excited about what we're seeing this summer. After another day of following the show online, I think it's not just the products themselves, but the sheer abundance of them. I don't know whether those of you at the show are picking up on this, but I'm seeing more lines and more products within lines, which indicates to me that the industry is picking back up and bouncing back from the recent recession. Keeping fingers crossed that I'm right on that account!
Stay tuned...tomorrow I will be back with my "must haves" list. I am really, really going to have to reign myself in this time!
1 comment:
Lovely post, thanks for posting
Post a Comment