The show this winter had more energy and excitement than some of the other shows have over the past few years. It seems like the industry is on the upswing, which is so good to see.
Here are some of the big trends I noticed over and over again as I walked the floor:
1. Chevron, chevron, and more chevron!
Chevron has become a staple pattern that is going to be around for a long time. (Think stripes and polka dots.) It was hard to find a manufacturer that didn’t have chevron somewhere in their booth, from paper to scrapbook layouts, to fabric, to transparency overlays, to vellum tape, to clear stamps, to masking templates it was everywhere. (Kind of made me dizzy to be honest!)
2. Collage journals
Several manufacturers are riding the Smash Book success wave and released their own versions of these collage type journals. October Afternoon, Little Yellow Bicycle, American Crafts, SEI, and Heidi Swapp are a few I noted. It’s a fun trend that I hope sticks around.
3. Washi Tape
Washi tape was also everywhere. Several manufacturers released their own new lines of it, and I even saw a cool variation on the theme–Little Yellow Bicycle is releasing printed vellum tape strips. Very cool!
4. Office eclectic
Vivian Masket at Write.Click.Scrapbook. coined this phrase, and I think it fits perfectly. Several manufacturers are releasing lines that incorporate vintage telephones, typewriters, clocks, radios, globes, and other office supplies. I also saw a file folder system (Heidi Swapp), die cut Rolodex cards, die cut bank/hotel ledger book pages, phone book pages, and variations on paper clips.
I’ll be back on Monday with some more trends. See ya then!
