Looking in vain for themes that apply to me in new lines

I agree, there need to be more lines that apply to the work life. Do you have the 9-5 line from OA?

I could not agree more with Loydene . I just looked at all of the lines Chinagirl828 posted and I don't need or want any of those. I just want some nice patterns in colors that don't include pink. Somehow I need to become a design theme advisor to these companies! There's just not enough out there for all walks of life.

I have kids, cook and cavort with unicorns on a daily basis but for my volunteer and writing and hobby life outside of "being a mom" I use the B-sides... Basic Gray was also good, sniff sniff.

I can't even imagine someone coming up with a PTA scrapbook line, maybe a mini-theme? I can think of some great snarky sayings for it though if anyone wants to become a paper designer...

I have been known to make scrapbooks for people leaving my workplace who would appreciate an album. I bought these stickers from Blue Q years ago for such an album, but ended up hoarding them because I liked them so much. I occasionally look at them and profile my coworkers. I really need to use them! At any rate, if anyone is listening and wants to make theme-y supplies that apply to my life, something like these would totally fit the bill. P.S. No pink, please!

Blue Q doesn't sell these anymore, but if you like snark, go check them out. I have so many pairs of their socks that I wear passively-aggressively (hidden under my pant legs).

Wow, I thought the photo would be huge as usual, and yet, it's tiny. Clicking on it will make it bigger.

Haha, blessed be the person that runs into unicorns on a regular basis... I totally agree about scrap products that reflect a day to day life instead of some happy go lucky utopia of rainbows and sunshine. I try to be a minimalist scrapper, so this may not apply to you, but I love using simple patterns and office supplies as embellishments. Paperclips and tags are readily available in lots of colors and sizes, staples add awesome texture, and there's nothing fussy about enamel dots or paint splatter. Maybe it's a positive that you can save so much money not buying all of the new collections, but I understand it's frustrating not having your needs met by the market when it's so CLEARLY the way most of us live! I wish I could drown myself in goodies sometimes but there's not a lot out there that I NEED TO HAVE OR ELSE I'LL DIE!

The only collection I will buy so far is Maggie Holmes line. Everything else I just want or two papers from. I don't want themes. SaveSave

It seems most of the lines were designed for a 10 year old girl, not sure why.

I agree with everything! I probably don't give the b sides a fair chance on most of these lines because all I see is bright, random, super specific icons like mermaid-cats and unicorn-cats which do not fit at all into my life. I really miss the distressed solids that Basic Grey, and to a lesser extent, Fancy Pants used to do, or the small repeating useful patterns in easy to use colours that complemented so many of my photos that used to be the staple of b sides.



Thanks for the giggle!

You guys don't cavort with unicorns, mermaids, and zebras?!
When I'm not making tacos for my tigers and flamingos that's all I do.

Yes! Would LOVE a work theme collection, as opposed to cat mermaids. I take tons of work photos since I spend a lot of time working. OA was always too vintage for me (think it's really lovely, I just found it wasn't my style). Felicity Jane has some work related stuff in one of the 2017 kits, "Kate". That was the closet I've come across, but it's not super work-ish. A girl can dream.

I'm a mum with kids who stays home and cooks...but alas, no cavorting with unicorns or mermaids or random pineapples. And I do scrap photos from both DH's and DS's work-life...so work-related collections would be nice.

^^^ yes, it was office-related, but it was 1950s-retro. And even now, still, designers are designing stuff that's 1950s-retro looking, like the Steven Duncan-designed (I'm guessing) travel line, last year's Authentique home / cooking line with the retro housewives, etc.  WHY are they still designing things with a 1950s-retro aesthetic now, when it's almost the year 2020??   

Maybe all the bright colors, unicorns, pizza and rainbows we're seeing now are their version of the 1980s, because they think THAT era is what's 'retro' now? That's NOT how I remember the 1980s, from living through them...  All I, too, want is interesting patterns / color combinations. Or at least themes that either aren't childish looking OR aren't overly elegant / formal.  Just 'grown-up' looking designs and icons related to 'real life' and general themes.   No wonky houses, no funky, wonky lettering that looks like a 6-yr old wrote it, no cartoony kittens / puppies or mer-cats. Or pizza; as much as I do love to EAT pizza, I am NOT going to scrap with it.


^^^  Yes!!  things like this are why I'm kind of glad I've been buying and (sort of) hoarding patterned paper for the last 15+ years... I still have some 'classic Calico' (I think that's what it was called- small patterns, tone on tone, ivory, beige and brown), sheets here and there from different Basic Grey, Scenic Route, Chatterbox, and Bo Bunny collections (tone on tone polka dots, stripes, etc.) and I can sometimes find random sheets of old Basic Grey collections or similar papers with 'tighter' patterns (if you know what I mean) at my recycle bookstore.  But the stuff they're (mainly AC, since they're taking over everything) putting out now? BLECH.

Tom Cruise and Mia Sara, cavorting with unicorns (unicorns come in at around the 2:30 mark...)  from Legend-- one of my favorite cheesy 1980s movies, and one of my favorite soundtracks EVER!