Cath Edvalson
As you can imagine, we editors here at Paper Crafts magazine use the information we gather at CHA for at least six months until the next show.
We pore over our notes and photos, we organize and plan, and in my case, I see what rises to the top in terms of trends. We do this so we can bring you the freshest magazines possible filled with products we think you’ll love.
And while you don’t have to be trendy to be a good card maker, trends are fun, they inspire, and if you’re aware of them, you can pick and choose which trends speak to you most and then decide if/how/when to incorporate them into your work.
Here is my semi-annual Trends by the Dozen report. These are the motifs, styles, and patterns that kept popping up from booth to booth. And while butterflies, lace, doilies, and banners are still going strong, here are some new players in the paper crafting field. Check it:
The run-away trend of the show, cameos were absolutely everywhere. I’m not gonna lie, since cameos were the focus of our January/February Moxie Fabs column, I’m seriously loving the timing of this trend:
Images from Hambly Screen Prints, Maya Road, Webster’s Pages, Jenni Bowlin Studios, The Girls’ Paperie, Anna Griffin, Teresa Collins Designs, and Melissa Frances
Though closely related, these next two trends were hot, hot, hot! We saw a lot of circus product:
Images from GCD Studios, Graphic 45, and Glitz Design
…as well as a state fair theme:
Images from Studio Calico and Echo Park Paper
…and related to these two trends as well are fun and funky moustaches:
Images from My Cute Stamps, GCD Studios, and Hambly Screen Prints
And dare we say that playing cards are tag-alongs in this genre as well?
Images from Glitz Design, Kaisercraft, Bella Blvd., and Fancy Pants Designs
The single most predominant style of the show is Retro Vintage:
Images from Vintage Street Market, Webster’s Pages, The Girls’ Paperie, Unity Stamp Company, October Afternoon, Technique Tuesday, and Cosmo Cricket
…and I think cameras:
Images from Lawn Fawn, Hambly’s Screen Prints, and Maya Road
…and old-fashioned transportation are tag-alongs to that style as well:
Images from Maya Road, Technique Tuesday, Lily Bee Design, Webster’s Pages, and Crate Paper
Award badges are creeping in to the trendy tableau:
Images from Jenni Bowlin Studios and Glitz Design
…and lanterns are lighting up the scene brighter than ever before:
Images from American Crafts, InStyle Stamps, and Lawn Fawn
Botanicals were absolutely everywhere as well:
Images from La Blanche, Pink Paislee, Jenni Bowlin, and Tim Holtz
…while mixy matchy patterns have become almost commonplace:
Images from Glitz Design, Making Memories, The Girls’ Paperie, and BasicGrey
And there you have it, my trendy friends, the cream that rose to the top of the winter show. I’d love to know which of these trends you see yourself incorporating into your projects the most and why. Leave me a comment by midnight (MST) on Wednesday, Feb. 23 and I’ll send one lucky person something moxie fab from the show.
Your trend-watching friend,
Cath
P.S. Happy birthday wishes go out to our Lone Design Man, Matt Anderson! May the force be with you today!
P.P.S. It’s time to announce the three winners from Renae’s Back to Stamping Basics post!
1. Frankie (Feb. 17, 9:48 a.m.)
2. Shanon Gibson (Feb. 17, 8:09 a.m.)
3. Laura M. (Feb. 17, 9:29 p.m.)
Congrats, winners! You’ve won a copy of Stamp It! Techniques, Stampin’ Up!’s
Classic Stampin’ Spots and their A to Z Background Stamp. I’ll be contacting you shortly to get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!
Around my house it always feels like a 3 ring circus—-could use that collection on my everyday layouts!
love it!
Oh, most definitely, the Botanicals call out to the gardener in me. And I love the Lanterns and the Transportation themes – the old fashioned bikes are fab!
Love the botanicals and the old fashioned images! Classic stuff always looks good to me.
I LOVE those Botanicals! Enjoy the show.
I still can’t get enough of the botanicals, just love them! But those vintage modes of transportation are intriguing too!!
Technique Tuesday’s more masculine type stamps would definitely help fill a void in my collection, as I don’t have but a few images that I can use for cards for boys to men.
I like the vintage stamps. I love the camara stamps by Maya Road because I take lots of pictures. I have always loved cameos in any form and I am glad to see they are popular again. I am interiged by old modes of transportation so I love the bicycles and hot air ballons by Maya Road and Technique Tuesday. Last but not least are the Vintage Street Market , The Girls Paperie
and Technique Tuesday stamps. Botanicals are always in my collections.
Transportation…Yea! Botanicals…Yea! and Mixy Matcy…Yea! Thanks for the heads up Cath!!!
I love the vintage themes, I want to make my grandtwins something Dick and Janeish.
I love the Retro Vintage stuff!! So cute and of course, since I LOVE to layer, Mixy-Matchy is always Moxie-Fab!
MOXIE FAB, in deed! I love it all and NEED it all…LOL!!! Thanks so much for the heads up!!!
The cameos are beautiful – I hope they will be coming to stores soon. I have always liked to create with a Retro Vintage theme so I am glad to see more ‘stuff’. Since my Mom was raised on a farm I am happy to see all the farm stuff so I can make a calendar for her. I just don’t get the mustaches though
That set of mustache stamps is too funny! Loved the round up–so interesting to see what’s on the horizon.
Botanicals for sure, I will have lots of pictures of my Garden to scap and can really see some gorgeous cards with those butterfly stamps. I cannot wait to glassy glaze those butterflies and have them flying off all my projects.
I love the cameos and the Botanicals …. simply beautiful!
I have to admit, I’m not a fan of mixing patterns to the degree that is the trend. I look forward to the new trends if for no other reason than to be past the birds that seemed to have taken over for a while.
I have been seeing a lot of balloons too, but from your photos the one I think I would use the most is a camera stamp. So cute for birthday cards! “Say cheese”
Loving the camera and fun bike images.
It’s a good life!
Terri E.
I LOVE the Retro Vintage look…even though it makes me feel old when I can remember seeing some of the images when they were NEW way back when!
I still can’t get enough of butterflies, so I believe there are going to be quite a lot of them in my crafts in the future. I like the balloons, too!
I am just loving all the new stamping trends that are coming out this year! I have to say the mustache stamps really caught my eye, however, I don’t really know how I would use them! The papers are just gorgeous as well! I love all the finishes they are coming in!!!
I think I will use loads of cameras and mustaches! So much fun!
the moustaches and the cameras are drool worthy!
i love the cameras and the vintage bikes!
I love anything vintage and really, really enjoyed this post! Thanks for sharing the info with us. It’s always so exciting to hear about what the new trends will be:)
-DebbieK