Is It Just Me?

[pbp908]

Everything I'm seeing is starting to look like everything else. Maggie Holmes looks like Shimelle looks like other American Crafts looks like Simple Stories looks like MME.... I'm so tired of florals, pinks, b&w prints, cartoonish animals, teal/turquoise, etc. Even the Christmas collections seem uninspired. They're either pinks with lime green and other pastels or 50s retro. And TH? It all looks the same. Nothing new and fresh. I'm trying really hard to stock up before I retire (while I've got a little bit of extra play money) but I'm having a hard time spending it.

It is just me getting the blahs from what's available? Has anyone seen anything new?

[paddlegal]

Yes, I know what you mean Pam. Someone needs to come along with new colors.

While picking out a winter theme for our Pocket Letter swap, I really had to search far and wide for something a little different. I'm happy to say I feel like I found something a tad different. As for traditional holiday themes, I get it. It's either weird greens and reds that are a little depressing (Carte Bella for example...like their products but their colors are often sad) or turquoise and red...though I really don't mind that but BTDT.

Hang in there...you'll find a way to spend that cash. How about tools or dies? (love helping someone spend money... )

[pbp908]

I have dies and stamps now that I haven't used and I feel guilty about. Some of them have been here for at least a year. I'm not hoarding - I'm collecting.

[nchoney]

you're definitely not the only one, Pam.... I keep hearing about the new releases and when I go to look, it looks pretty much like the prior lines. I keep buying things at Tuesday Morning... when I see something I know I'll use. I know everything is probably a couple years old and discontinued and that's just fine with me... everything in my scrap room is at least a couple years old... so.. I'm not trendy, by any means... never really have been.

that said... I DID see a lot of rubber stamp lines at that expo thing I went to a couple weekends ago that I had never seen before.... about the only ones I knew about before then were the Close to my Heart lines.... and Technique Junkies.... though I really hadn't bought anything from either of those in the past.

One of the companies that I thought had some gorgeous lines was Heartfelt Creations... a bit pricey, but the art was gorgeous.... https://www.heartfeltcreations.us/
I really fell in love with their Winking Frog line.... bought the paper pack which is terrific double-sided paper.... but had to stop myself from spending even more on stamps and matching dies... https://www.heartfeltcreations.us/shop/ ... nking-frog

[Keitha]

I've been saying this for well over a year now. Add in to all the sameness the fact that everyone's shied away from themes for the most part and are doing generic prints, and it really all looks the same. It hasn't stopped me from buying, but I'd like to think I'm a lot fussier now; for example, instead of automatically buying a whole line when I like something, I cherry pick the few papers that are my favourites and a couple of embellishment packs.

I'm still a fan of Echo Park who admittedly do more themes than most. Steven Duncan is now designing for Carta Bella; I do like his retro designs which now that I think about it tend to be theme-y also. Perhaps that's one reason I bought a fair bit of autumn product this year; the browns and oranges and greens are a nice respite from all the rest. Not to mention I've always preferred earth tones with nature photos which comprise the bulk of my travel photos. I'd far rather get off the beaten path than explore a big city.

Lawn Fawn and Photo Play have done some plaid collections recently that I like; in fact Photo Play is a company I'm keeping my eye on as usually having something a little different. One current collection is called Slightly Sassy; while I don't see a big use for some of the sayings except maybe on cards, I like the fresh, retro palette and graphics. I like Pink Fresh Studio's Oh Joy! Christmas collection, although I'd have preferred a bit more green and a little less turquoise in it. But at least Christmas red and green are present, along with fresh graphics that will work through the winter season. My beef is that 98% of the embellishments have words on them, and I generally prefer a touch of colour without words.

[jfugina]

You know what's funny? I don't think I've purchased ANYTHING in well over a year - maybe two. I remember being distracted by a pretty paper slab a while back at Michael's, but as far as designer lines? Man, it's been YEARS. But I think I probably hit that wall a couple of years ago where things started looking the same to me too. I haven't shopped the big online sites, but every time I've gotten an email notice about a warehouse box, or a big sale or whatever, I do go look, but my reaction has usually been that "I think I already have that".

I'm finding that my "fresh" stash, of late, seems to be the stuff that I re-discover after several years of being at the bottom of the pile. I did actually get rid of a bunch of stuff a while back that was the "what the heck was I thinking?" collection, but I find that everything I saved, I still really like. So I've managed to keep myself pretty happy with just rediscovering old stuff.

Maybe instead of looking for new designs, you could find some fun new (or new to you) tools? Tools make me pretty happy when I'm itching to buy something new to play with.

[Monica]

Carta Bella and Photo Play are what has grabbed my attention over the last year. Aside from a couple Heartfelt Creations collections those are the papers I've purchased. I too am tired of everything looking the same... And I'm also OVER the cutesy adorbs lines. I did purchase Carta Bella's Christmas lines, both the traditional one, which includes some lovely plaids, and a religious one called Luke 2:2. I was actually surprised to find a really beautiful religious line that wasn't 'smack you in the face'. Yes, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but we have some holiday traditions in my family that fit the theme.

I have a large number of Heartfelt Creations' dies and stamps, because I love the 3D flowers that can be made, but their paper lines for the most part don't typically jazz me that much. I have bought their Christmas pads before to make easy Christmas cards. A little cutting, some glitter to jazz them up, and you've got easy beautiful cards.

And Pam... much as I love a lot of Tim's stuff I haven't been really enamored of it all for the last couple years aside from some dies here and there and the new Ranger stuff. I'm hoping that him stepping down as Ranger's creative director will mean he comes out with new fresh stuff soon.

I'm waiting patiently for the scrapbook companies to cycle back around to usable paper lines again, but meanwhile I'm not suffering for a lack by any means. And the purging thing... just went through my Christmas papers and embellishment drawer and got rid of things that have languished in my space for too long and will pass them on to a girlfriend who is anxious to have them. And in the process found papers and did up four Christmas pages for my MIL's scrapbook. And used some of the hoarded embellishments. I'm thinking for me that going through those drawers needs to be a regular thing. and if anyone needs flowers... I can probably spare at least a quart size baggie or so of them w/o making a dent....

[mpizzazz]

If I go to a website and see yet another collection that is turquoise and pink and yellow, I'm out of there fast. How much of those same colors does anyone need when there are so many other colors? It just shows how the industry is so afraid to break out and do something different from what others are doing. It's very sad. I say, support those manufacturers who continue to do their own thing and who don't get on the same band wagon as everyone else.
I also hope that Tim can do some other things now. I'm really not that keen to buy Ranger products until they have been proven reliable. So many products have changed colors or just not stood the test of time.

[Monica]

My all-time Ranger products are the discontinued Adirondack inkpads. I've had the very best luck with them. Bought reinkers way back when too, and I think the only pad I've ever had to use it on was a brown one I use as the default ink for detail images. Black is too harsh to me.

Things like the crackle paints though... those were horrible. And I wish they had kept the Distress stickles instead of going to straight glitter. It makes such a huge mess!

[pbp908]

I don't need tools - have more of them than I'll ever use, including a 12 x 12 Misti that I have barely used and a Wishblade that's never been used. I think what I'm going to concentrate on is solids in basic colors, like white and various shades of yellow and blue. I tend to use a lot of that and never have the right colors. This is just beyond frustrating.

Maybe I should give up paper for a while and go back to painting. At least I can gesso over a canvas if I don't like it. Or back to photography. Or housework. Oh, Lord no. Not housework!

Only 31 more working days to go!

[Debbie J]

Wow! Congrats on only 31 days! Well earned.

[jfugina]

No! Not housework!!!! So tools are out, but please don't resort to housekeeping. Surely we can do better with helping you find something crafty to spend your time and money on.

You could always take up the craft of wine or beer making. Then when your craft is ready to be consumed, go back to the craft room and look at your stash again - I've actually been inspired to use up some of my least favorite papers under the influence of a good coffee stout.

[pbp908]

The only time I drink is when I'm with my PAO sisters!

I just got an order from scrapbook.com - the Carta Bella and Photo Play Halloween kits are really cute. Now to look at the photos on my camera from the office party and see if they're any good. I was a bit disappointed to see that the new Simple Stories kit is - you guessed it - pink, yellow, peach and turquoise. That one won't be joining my stash.

[jfugina]

I actually spent some time on scrapbook.com today myself, and put together a wish list of some dies and a few embellishment items. Doubt I'll actually buy anything though. I get really sucked in my all things Sizzix, but I get them and never actually use them.

I started there to look at the newest collections, and see if I could pick out the same-ness you guys have been talking about. But I never got that far because I was distracted by other stuff. I did notice a simple stories collection called "#whatever" (I think) that was pretty cute, but then I figured that if I don't use it RIGHT NOW, like with 2016 stuff, it just won't make sense at all. But if I could capture just the right photo of Nicole, especially something with her friends, the embellishments for that collection would be spot on.

I think maybe I'll head back there now and try to stay focused on the collections to see if anything excites me.

[pamcook]

I still love my Hip Kits. I think she does a great job choosing products that work together without them looking "same old".
Fewer customers always means fewer choices, smaller aisles in the stores, and nothing locally owned. Yes, I miss the good-old-days but it's still better than when my choices were CM or printed stationery paper, and Mrs. Goodman stickers (was that the brand name?)!