2017 Creativation Trends for Scrapbooking
One of the greatest thing about attending a trade show is that seeing so many product introductions all in one place at one time really brings into focus the trends that are taking place in the industry at that moment. Here's a look at some of the top 2017 Creativation trends for scrapbooking.
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Puffy Stickers
Perhaps this is part of the growing trend of 1980's nostalgia, but whatever the reason, puffy stickers were making their presence felt as a trend on the Creativation show floor. American Crafts used this sticker style across several of their brands, including Maggie Holmes, Crate Paper and Pink Paislee. But it was also seen in the Jillibean Soup and Echo Park booths, among others.
Creativation Trends - Maggie Holmes puffy stickers
Stamp Presses
Since the introduction of the MISTI created what is arguably an entirely new tool category for the industry, other companies have rushed to introduce their own versions of a stamp press. We R Memory Keepers released theirs last year, and at Creativation, Hampton Art and Tonic Studio (under its Tim Holtz signature line) added their versions to the mix. This trend is definitely being fed by the increasing interest in stamping in the papercrafts market, especially layered stamping. The growing DIY party market (with the mass production of items like invitations and table decorations) is also a factor in their popularity.
Creativation Trends -Hampton Art Stamp Perfect 10x10
Geo Shapes
These geometric shapes that appear to be faceted or geodesic started appearing a lot in stamps and dies last year, and the trend continued at the Creativation show with products like this die from Spellbinders' collection by designer Lene Lok. This trend is one of those "universal" style trends that can be adapted for any season or theme, so its life isn't artificially limited by changing seasons (like the flamingoes below).
Below: Spellbinders Lene Lok collection.
Creativation Trends -Spellbinders Lene Lok
Planner Madness
Trend doesn't cover the level that planners have reached in the papercrafts industry. They are rapidly reaching full-on market domination, Creativation brought an avalanche of products for planners. Companies that had previously experimented with the market dived head long in and companies that had yet to enter the market dipped their toes in. Ranger, which markets itself mostly as a mixed media company, added a planner to its Dylusions line by Dyan Reavely. The trend's influence is visible even in lines not being explicitly sold as "planner" products, as "planner friendly" products like small stickers and washi tape are being seen more in papercrafts lines.
Creativation Trends -Dylusions planner
Flocks of Flamingoes
We started to see the flamingoes pop up in last summer's beach and tropical themed lines, but this summer scrapbooking is being invaded by entire flocks of flamingoes. There's stamps, dies, patterned papers, stickers - almost anything you can imagine has a flamingo on it! Echo Park, Crate Paper, and Spellbinders are just a handful of the industry names that are going to the (pink) birds for 2017.
Creativation Trends -Lawn Fawn Flamingo stamps
Emojis
They're not just for for internet hipsters anymore - emojis are cool for everyone. And with emojis making their way into the home decor and fashion markets, it was only a matter of time before we started seeing them in the crafts market. They've popped up in a few places in the past, but at Creativation they were much more noticeable. DCWV was prominently displaying a set of icons for its new letterboard, and Simple Stories introduced an entire emoji-inspired collection called "Emoji Love".
Creativation Trends -Simple Stories Emoji Love
Americana/Farmhouse
We usually see patriotic lines released late spring for the Memorial Day and July 4th holidays. But this year they reflect a new trend showing itself in home decor and fashion: Americana/Farmhouse. While Americana is red, white and blue like its patriotic themed counterparts, there are some key differences. Patriotic themed design is centered around red and white stripes and white stars on a navy background. But in Americana theme, the designs include those elements along with things like flowers, cows (or buffalos), bandana print, and other so-called "country" graphics.
Below: Pink Paislee "Sweet Freedom"
Creativation Trends -Pink Paislee Sweet Freedom Samples
Everything Old is New Again
Trends in the crafts industry tend to be cyclical, both in the sense of what craft is popular at a given time, and also in style trends. We're seeing a real avalanche of trends and products this year that harken back to the industry's early days. Hand lettering, foam stamps, rub-ons, cute animal characters, and the dominance of pens were among just a few of of the things on the Creativation show floor making me wonder if I'd time traveled to the early days of the 21st century again.
Creativation Trends -Tim Holtz tag maker
Foam Stamps
One of the "old is new" products currently growing in market presence are foam stamps. Back in the early days of the scrapbooking boom, foam stamps were one of the commonly available supplies to scrapbookers since the stamps were already on the market for use in painting and home decor. Making Memories in its hey day of being a trendsetter even made some specifically for the scrapbooking market, including popular alphabets. They were loved for their affordability, but fell in popularity when the market began to be infatuated with affordable clear stamps.
With the rise of mixed media and increasing use of paint in papercrafting, foam stamps - designed for use with paints - have been creeping back into the market again. Prima launched some a few years ago. Last year, mixed media artist Julie Fei-Fan Balzer launched a line of foam stamps with Canadian company Art Foamies, and Heidi Swapp launched foam stamps in her line as well. Creativation saw more releases, including from Tim Holtz's idea-ology line.
Creativation Trends -Tim Holtz idea-ology Foam Stamps
Hand Drawn Lettering
Another blast from the past that is rapidly gaining in popularity is the art of hand drawn lettering. This look was so popular in the early days of the industry that its popularity gave us the designer who is one of the biggest names in today's industry, Becky Higgins. Partially driven today by the popularity of Bible journaling, this resurgent trend is spawning books, pens, stencils and even stamps to fake the look of hand done art.
Below: Tammy Tutterow collection by Spellbinders
Creativation Trends -Spellbinders Tammy Tutterow booth samples
Letter Boards
Retro looks and signage have been very popular lately, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before the letter board came back. These old style boards that could have letters or words anchored in their crevices were popular before that age of computer signage. Now they are back courtesy of craft industry brands like Heidi Swapp and DCWV.
.Below: Heidi Swapp Letterboard
Creativation Trends - Heidi Swapp Letterboard
Butterflies
It's not uncommon to see a sprinkling of butterflies this time of year, but this year we are seeing hordes of colorful ones. Butterflies are being used in overall designs on patterned paper from One Canoe Two and Maggie Holmes, along with on many embellishments. This versatile trend covers themes from spring to little girl to nature.
Creativation Trends - One Canoe Two Hazelwood Butterfly paper
Mixed Media
The past few years have seen the scrapbooking industry dominated by a trend toward "mixed media". In case there was any question about whether mixed media was still going strong, two of the three new signature lines introduced by American Crafts at Creativation were mixed media lines: Jane Davenport and Vicki Boutin. Other companies such as Prima and Faber-Castell continued to expand their mixed media offerings, proving that they are still all in on this craft concept that combines various areas of the industry.
Below: Jane Davenport collection by American Crafts
Creativation Trends - Jane Davenport collection
Bible Journaling
It's hard to believe that the launch of Bella Blvd's "Illustrated Faith" brand with Shanna Noel was barely less than two years ago. Since then, Bible journaling has become a true force in the papercrafting industry, influencing the launch of mixed media products, stencils, stamp lines, and even a trend toward hand drawn lettering.
Creativation Trends - Faber Castell Bible Journaling
What Creativation trends are your favorites? What trends did you see at the show?
