American Crafts- which brands should stay? Which should go?

Bo Bunny is awful now (But I have a beef with them anyway...I guess it doesn’t matter, though, since AC owns them.) Dear Lizzy, Amy Tan and Maggie Holmes can all go. I like some Crate Paper, LOVE me some Vicki Boutin (And hope she has a place to go if AC ever decides to drop her), and even though I don’t use a ton of Shimelle, I love her as a person and am very disappointed that they dropped her. She was the perfect person to advertise her products.

It's AC's strategy that should go: replacing brands that could embrace multiple aesthetics like Paige's more doodly designs for collab lines. It's not streamlining, it's effectively removing a whole design style and further narrowing their audience. AC are doing the opposite of diversity. It's pink, cutesy, doodly, childish/teenagey all around with the exception of BoBunny whose overall aesthetic is pretty specific as well. 

I'd be ok with Crate Paper picking up where Pink Paislee left off once in a while with a collection of clean lines, muted colours on white background, extremely usable and modern B-sides but I doubt they'll go that way. They might just turn CP into the messy, muted brand and give Maggie Holmes her own brand since the MH debacle appears to have already dissipated. At this stage, I give up. 

I've not used anything by Dear Lizzy in years and before that, all I really loved were the bunnies.    I'd be ok with trading her in. There's too much floral, pink, doodly overlap with Amy Tan, Maggie Holmes, Crate Paper, Paige Evans and Damask Love. But I guess that they're keeping her because her stuff still sells relatively well? I'd be ok with Amy Tangerine going as well but it seems unfair to say since her new line, Late Afternoon, is the first I find somewhat appealing in years. 

Somebody got a resurrection spell for Pink Paislee? It's that or I need to accio all the paper I can still find from their previous lines and my bank account isn't happy about such a shopping spree right now. 

I think American Crafts also owns WRMK?

I must admit, American Crafts is one of my favourite scrapbooking companies. My fear is if they ever fold... they'd bring a whole lot of people / supplies etc... down with them.

Ahh! It's a good thing I have been stocking up on WRMK 12x12 albums recently, as I heard rumblings about that... wow. Just wow.

Costco (Canada) is selling 100 12x12 page protectors by WRMK for $43, for those interested:

www.costco.ca/we-r-memory-keepers-premium-quality-page-protectors-value-pack.product.100147508.html

Brands under the American Crafts umbrella

The only AC products I purchase are at Tuesday Morning - Bazzill cardstock packs & an occasional punch, stamp, or other tool from EK Success, WRMK, Vicki Boutin, 1Canoe2, etc. Paper collections from AC brands aren't my style (ie vintage, floral, pastel, traditionally feminine, overly themed, odd icons, etc.), & many embellishments aren't labeled as acid free or archival quality &/or are advertised as stickers but don't stick!

Like sleepingbooty, I'm hoping the company will introduce a new brand with a white-based, modern, & clean aesthetic. Fingers crossed...

I wish they would keep Pink Paislee!! Those to stay IMO: Paige Evans, Vicki Boutin (I only buy the mixed media products), Crate Paper, WRMK, Bazzill. I’d say goodbye to Dear Lizzie, Amy Tangerine and Maggie Holmes. I mentioned on another thread that AC needs to sign up designers from You Tube - Adele Toomey, Suse Fish ( her Etsy lines are pretty) and Missy Whidden. I’d buy all of their collections. They have followers on YT so a built in base of customers. Time for new designers AC!

I feel like most of Paige Evans lines are basically the same thing. However, they sell, so it must work for her. The older Bo Bunny was just amazing. Their winter lines were so gorgeous with the colors and sparkle. Some of their summer stuff was beautiful too. I just got back from Tuesday Morning and AC is their go to line for purchasing. So many of the Amy Tangerine and Dear Lizzy lines just look the same. I like Echo Park and Crate Paper, but they are also very much the same too. At least they have more theme paper and I seem to buy that over flowers, tigers and donuts.

Would you mind posting a poll? It would be interesting to see the least favorite brands.

I’m probably in the minority in that I truly love Pebbles Inc and hope they never get rid of it. And every one of the Pebbles Jen Hadfield lines is always a “buy it all” for me. Many of my favorite lines of all time have been Pebbles. I have also always loved Crate Paper and Pink Paislee.
I miss the days when American Crafts did their own collections, like City Park, Garden Cafe, Letterbox, Classics, Nightfall, etc. I wish they would consider releasing more lines of their own. I like AT, DL, MH, HS and PE. I can’t believe they got rid of Shimelle, I really liked her stuff. I wish WRMK and One Canoe Two still produced paper collections.

Vicki Boutin’s products aren’t my style, so I wouldn’t personally be distraught if they discontinued her line, but I appreciate that they appeal to crafters with a different style then mine and lend some variety to their offerings. I have never really cared for Bo Bunny, but same thing, it lends some variety and appeals to a different customer persona than me.

Vicki boutin is not my style but I love her creativity and energy. I feel the same about shimelle and so sad to see her go.

Amy tangerine and dear lizzy definitely needs to go in my opinion. I am so tired of seeing random icons and patterns from them. CP needs a new face probably or some change. Maggie's stuff is always same old.

Bo bunny does not appeal to me at all but they have different style and offerings. I am sure it appeals to some customers.

I noticed this recently too, I think I saw someone using a Lizzy product that had a bird that looked the same as the ones from Shimelle's Glitter Girl collection.

Surely part of the problem with AC is having designers who work across multiple brands. I remember Shimelle saying she'd start a collection with one in house designer but change to another designer before the collection was finished. How can the brands have a unique look if the same people are literally creating them all?

          

I agree that AC definitely needs to do some refresh in the design world, but do not see how they can do that with using the same designers for multiple brands. If I had to vote who to eliminate tonight in a Survivor style, then I would vote for the brands I do not personally buy: BoBunny, Pebbles, Lately Maggie Holmes and Dear Lizzy. I also was not a fan of Amy Tan lines for a while but did preorder some of the Late Afternoon and did buy some Slice of Life at Tuesday Morning.
I guess creating new styles is not easy and you always will continue doing what sells, so hopefully when storm passes, we will see some new collaborations and designers.

But...I don't think I will buy CPs Christmas line this year. Too much pink.