2020 Scrapbook Update Blog Creativation Sneaks

Hmmm. This was a fabulous way of showing off the collections we might never see otherwise. My thoughts are as follows:

I will never have enough photos or memories to use another patriotic collection. How many ways can you do red, white and blue stars and stripes? However many there are, they've been done already.

Childish rainbows and more llamas are unwelcome elements to anything I want. A rainbow now has a new correlation and I am hesitant to appropriate it for anything other than St Patricks Day, rainy day photos or LGBTQ related layouts. That's just me.

Girl and Boy and birthday collections - nothing new. Not one thing. I guess I could say that about most of what is coming out. Flowers, rainbows, cactus, ferns, and everyone's version of Disney/not Disney.

1950's style family game night and school -come on now. How about something current?

The themes that are done to death are once again, done to death once more. Missing themes are pervasive. Are there that many new scrappers who need these same themes some of us have been accumulating for decades?

Yes, I will buy some of these at convention, but not one of them will I buy online. And that's sad.

Lots of pretty collections here, and nearly all within each company’s usual aesthetic. Mostly very predictable. Simple Stories’ Vintage Great Escape and Prima Frank Garcia’s Capri both appeal to me. Guess I’m in the mood for travel themes! Heidi Swapp’s Art Walk is pretty and fresh. Glad someone is filling the watercolor design niche.

I totally get where you're coming from, even though I'm newer to the craft and have almost no stash (I'm a minimalist/use-it-up crafter). Even to me this all looks very same-old same-old. And very much the same as each other, especially within the great AC empire.  

And yet, for whatever reason, these same-old same-old things ARE what sells. AC isn't losing money season after season. Heavily gendered collections are what (retailers believe) the majority of their customers want. Major holidays, florals, weird icons (although that might just be collateral interest) all this same-same stuff seems to be what sells at the big stores. Looking through Joann's open stock paper, which almost never changes, that's what people seem to buy. 

Shrug. I don't get it. But honestly some of the more original stuff in the batch is the vintage game night/other Steve Duncan designs.

If these companies need to bring out 3-6 new collections a year, and stick to a style that appeals to their fans, there's going to be a point where every single thing has been done many, many times. It's all just variations on a formula that has proven to sell. 

I don't disagree with you about it all being very meh. I see very little that I would be compelled to buy. But I'm also not sure that either of us represents the "average" paper crafter who buys lots of collections each year. 

I’m surprised that my favorites are Authentique and Graphic 45. Those are not my usuals.
I like the Authentique Dublin, although some of that may come from the fact that my ds’s favorite color is green.
I really like the Graphic 45 Ocean Blue and the Safari. I mean really REALLY like those.
Other than that, there isn’t anything that jumps out at me.

Yep! I agree about the not "average". I feel this way about the DCWV and now store brand 12x12 paper pads. I got over those things 2-3 pads in, years ago.

At this point I would never buy those pads just because I like 3-4 sheets in the pack. Not even for $5. And yet obviously someone is buying them. Joanns and Michaels in my area have whole rows of them, plus an island full at Michaels.

I'm liking CP Magical Forest and PP Camp Happy Bear.

I think I need the snarky cat stamps!

It kind of reminds me of my cricut cartridges. I stopped buying at 60 or so. I wasn't really seeing anything different.

Thank you so much, nicolep !

I'm on the fence. Nothing so far has made my heart go boom. I'm enjoying the versatility of Steven Duncan's Family Game Night. I do like the overall vibe of Crate Paper's Magical Forest but I don't like the sentiments or how child-oriented it seems to be (would love a dark, moody, fairy-tale inspired line that translates well to all age categories). 

By the way, Geralyn Sy is again a co-designer at Pinkfresh for Super Cool this year. I know she has a loyal following around here. 

and the several movies & TV series that have been out lately with ‘fairytale’ themes ( and marching band shows )

Oooooh I am loving a lot of those new collections.
But the most exciting for me.... MINC STAMPING KIT!

I thought the exact same thing.