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Post by scrappydo on Aug 27, 2021 21:30:40 GMT
Is it just me or does the quality of that canvas look sketchy. Fraying edges = messy. It's rough and definitely going for that DIY look. But it also looks pretty heavy. This + adhesive and thicker cardstock means you'll be adding quite a bit of weight to your album. You can just buy the super cheap off-white fabric from IKEA (Bomull) and sew canvas pockets yourself. Barely any effort, barely any money, zero sweatshop labour involved. My first thought was "oooh, I could make that!" therefore, no need to purchase! |
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Post by mom on Aug 27, 2021 21:32:16 GMT
The fraying doesn't bother me. Them being off centered bothers me immensely. I’m thinking they are that way, so you can punch holes on the left side? Otherwise I’d just trim that side, but I won’t be buying these so we will see what people do with them I guess! I love the idea of adding texture though. Ohh, maybe. I still dont want to have to deal with making it centered and trimming it myself though. |
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Post by karinec on Aug 27, 2021 21:45:29 GMT
The Greek pomegranate photos that sleepingbooty posted got me thinking...my dad was Armenian and there are a lot of similarities between the two cultures. Even though I am 1/2 Armenian I didn't get a whole of exposure to Armenian traditions, etc., because my parents split up when I was fairly young. I decided to google it and apparently pomegranate symbols are huge in Armenian culture. Anyway, my (Irish-American) stepmother told me a story not long ago, about when she made a visit to see the priest at the (only) Armenian church in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. She and the priest have kept in touch in the years after my dad passed away. She said they had planted a tree on the church grounds in honor of my dad. Come to find out, it's a pomegranate tree. She moved in with us not too long ago but fortunately has a photo of the tree. Neither she nor I had any idea of the significance! So thanks Booty! I was already interested in the AE kit, I will probably be all over it and I will definitely be telling that story at some point during my DD. |
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Post by joblackford on Aug 27, 2021 22:55:35 GMT
The fraying itself doesn't bother me as much as the frayed edge being slightly diagonal - it's not cut and sewn straight on the grain. So it's going to fray unevenly forever. To me it looks cheap and junky, and I'm visualizing the Chinese laborer who ran these through her sewing machine in 10 seconds flat rolling her eyes at the junk Americans will buy... sorry if that sounds judgey if you like them, but I would sooner hand sew one of these for everyone here who likes it than see us importing such things... at least it's biodegradable, I suppose... trying not to think about what I just read about the circumstances under which China grows most of the world's cotton... sorry to be a big old bummer. |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Aug 27, 2021 23:23:31 GMT
Anyway, my (Irish-American) stepmother told me a story not long ago, about when she made a visit to see the priest at the (only) Armenian church in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. She and the priest have kept in touch in the years after my dad passed away. She said they had planted a tree on the church grounds in honor of my dad. Come to find out, it's a pomegranate tree. She moved in with us not too long ago but fortunately has a photo of the tree. Neither she nor I had any idea of the significance! So thanks Booty! What a beautiful and touching story, karinec ! I'm just smiling ear to ear behind my laptop here. I'm sorry you no longer have your father with you and that you missed out on your Armenian heritage growing up but I hope you are finding ways to explore and grow into your Armenian roots these days. We have a big Armenian diaspora where I live and your story reminds me that I should some of my friends who are pf Armenian descendance how pomegranates are incorporated in their family traditions around the holidays! I'm so glad you have a photo of your father's pomegranate tree and hope you can incorporate it in your Christmas festivities this year. I've seen some gorgeous handmade ceramic pomegranates on Etsy so if you're looking to add a permanent ornament to your home, this could be a lovely Christmas gift to ask for this year. Regarding your heritage, have you seen The Color of Pomegranates, a biographical movie about the life of Armenian poet Sayat-Nova, which uses tableaux rather than dialogue? It's beautiful and available in full on YouTube: I agree. IKEA are no longer sourcing from Xinjang, fortunately, but I don't doubt these China-made SB embellishments that require manual labour are made under some dreadful circumstances. It's time for us as consumers to also step up and make decisions that suit our personal ethics. I'm also still pissed about the amount of plastic going into this "paper" craft. |
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pancakes
Drama Llama
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Post by pancakes on Aug 27, 2021 23:34:59 GMT
It’s the off centering for me… But I like the idea. And god knows I won’t have time to get the material and sew these. Being a first time mom makes me understand the appeal of these embellishments 🤦🏻♀️🙈😂 I’d probably commission someone on Etsy or something to make better looking ones. |
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Post by jenna on Aug 27, 2021 23:40:58 GMT
I'm also still pissed about the amount of plastic going into this "paper" craft. 💯💯💯💯💯 When my AE $2 sale order came in a few weeks ago and I went rummaging through everything the amount of cellophane bags was insane. In those 3 pack chipboards each sheet was in a bag and then all 3 were placed into ANOTHER one. |
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Ren
Full Member
Posts: 317
Feb 11, 2017 23:49:08 GMT
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Post by Ren on Aug 27, 2021 23:46:08 GMT
I’ve really liked the sneaks so far, but this, this looks like I’ve just shown my 5 year old how to use my sewing machine. |
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Post by infochick on Aug 27, 2021 23:58:38 GMT
The fraying itself doesn't bother me as much as the frayed edge being slightly diagonal - it's not cut and sewn straight on the grain. So it's going to fray unevenly forever. Exactly that, joblackford! I think the idea is super cute, and I like incorporating fabric, but I think this could quite easily be done at home. That said, I have a sewing machine, which makes this very DIY-able and is not likely the case for everyone. I'm envisioning button holes for the binder rings... What gets me, and I can appreciate the rustic look, is that this is sloppy and they are no doubt going to charge a premium for this. They should do better for their customers. |
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Post by anniefb on Aug 28, 2021 2:17:22 GMT
I’ve really liked the sneaks so far, but this, this looks like I’ve just shown my 5 year old how to use my sewing machine.  Love it |
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Post by anniefb on Aug 28, 2021 2:18:51 GMT
And it's a big no to canvas pockets. The unevenness and fraying would drive me crazy.
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A7
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Aug 12, 2021 8:12:32 GMT
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Post by A7 on Aug 28, 2021 2:35:01 GMT
I like the idea but man, the execution 🙄
I too am put off by the frayed edge, the stitching and the unevenness.
The stitching is the worst IMO.
I might have liked it better as a 6x8 so there were 4 tags. I don't really like floating items in my albums.
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Post by maryboys on Aug 28, 2021 2:49:30 GMT
And it's a big no to canvas pockets. The unevenness and fraying would drive me crazy. Way too primitive looking for me. Feels like we're going backwards in scrapbooking history. |
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,688
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Aug 28, 2021 5:53:11 GMT
And it's a big no to canvas pockets. The unevenness and fraying would drive me crazy. Oh heck yes! I already want to come in and trim up that raw edge at the top. I might have liked it better as a 6x8 so there were 4 tags. I don't really like floating items in my albums. I'd be totally on board with this, so much cuter than this pocket, where I feel like the tags get lost in the execution of the pocket design. |
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Post by peachiceteas on Aug 28, 2021 11:02:50 GMT
That canvas pocket is a complete no for me. I would never purchase it out of complete principle for many of the reasons mentioned. The quality is awful - the fraying would drive me nuts and it's completely off-centered. I am not prepared to fund anyone's lifestyle when the product is poor quality with the inevitable high price tag. The ethics - sewing machine and cotton growing labour as mentioned by joblackford for something that is so pointless. What is the point? To put two paper tags in with some journalling on? Come on. What a complete waste of resources. Big hard fat no. I want to see less plastic but I don't want it to look like this. |
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Post by mrsshampoo on Aug 28, 2021 11:54:11 GMT
My first thought on the pocket was that it was one big pocket and Ali added her own red stitching to showcase what one could do with it as an example. The red stitching totally looks like Ali’s, amateur and imperfect.
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Post by scrappyem on Aug 28, 2021 12:50:40 GMT
My first thought was "oooh, I could make that!" therefore, no need to purchase! Me too! and then I could pick better fabric. I was already interested in the AE kit, I will probably be all over it and I will definitely be telling that story at some point during my DD. Such a great story. Sorry about your dad. Really neat you found out that connection. Thanks for sharing the article. It's eye-opening. I need to do better about where I purchase my clothing and do a better job thrifting. I've seen some gorgeous handmade ceramic pomegranates on Etsy I'm also still pissed about the amount of plastic going into this "paper" craft. It's awful and I don't get it. So unnecessary. Drives me bananas. I've been thinking lately about purchasing the fabric gift bags that are reusable for Christmas wrap this year to try and cut down on the waste and the mess. If I was a better sewer, I could make my own. I'll look on ETSY, I bet someone has made some. |
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Post by joteves on Aug 28, 2021 15:37:54 GMT
I would also never buy the canvas pockets for all the reasons mentioned above. It's something I could so easily make myself with what I have in my craft room, and customise it to the size and shape I want + mine wouldn't look so messy!
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Post by honeypea on Aug 28, 2021 16:58:09 GMT
Big hard fat no. I want to see less plastic but I don't want it to look like this. Plus, you know the canvas pockets will arrive in a cello bag…in a drawstring plastic bag. |
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julie5
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by julie5 on Aug 28, 2021 17:16:24 GMT
That canvas pocket is a complete no for me. I would never purchase it out of complete principle for many of the reasons mentioned. The quality is awful - the fraying would drive me nuts and it's completely off-centered. I am not prepared to fund anyone's lifestyle when the product is poor quality with the inevitable high price tag. The ethics - sewing machine and cotton growing labour as mentioned by joblackford for something that is so pointless. What is the point? To put two paper tags in with some journalling on? Come on. What a complete waste of resources. Big hard fat no. I want to see less plastic but I don't want it to look like this.I often use the cello packaging as flip ups on my pages. It’s crazy to buy the simple stories page flips! I don’t use ALL that I get but I try really hard to repurpose the cello. |
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Post by songbird on Aug 28, 2021 17:23:07 GMT
That canvas pocket is a complete no for me. I would never purchase it out of complete principle for many of the reasons mentioned. The quality is awful - the fraying would drive me nuts and it's completely off-centered. I am not prepared to fund anyone's lifestyle when the product is poor quality with the inevitable high price tag. The ethics - sewing machine and cotton growing labour as mentioned by joblackford for something that is so pointless. What is the point? To put two paper tags in with some journalling on? Come on. What a complete waste of resources. Big hard fat no. I want to see less plastic but I don't want it to look like this.I often use the cello packaging as flip ups on my pages. It’s crazy to buy the simple stories page flips! I don’t use ALL that I get but I try really hard to repurpose the cello. I try to use as much as I can as well. I like that FYC changed to using glassine bags instead of the plastic package, since most of us store our stamps a different way anyway. |
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Post by joblackford on Aug 28, 2021 18:25:25 GMT
It's awful and I don't get it. So unnecessary. Drives me bananas. I've been thinking lately about purchasing the fabric gift bags that are reusable for Christmas wrap this year to try and cut down on the waste and the mess. If I was a better sewer, I could make my own. I'll look on ETSY, I bet someone has made some. Yes! I recommend learning about the Japanese art of furoshiki - fabric gift wrapping. You could use fabric squares (scarves, good pieces from novelty sheets you find at the thrift shop, or new yardage fabric) to wrap all kinds of gifts and have the recipient return the wrap, reuse it, or gift it back to you the following year. No need to sew, unless you wanted to hem the edges. Linking to KonMari's page about it since she is actually Japanese - there are cool ways to wrap any number of gifts, I have a couple of books on it, found at least one at my local library, and Martha Stewart jumped on the bandwagon at one point a few years back. Or use thrifted pillowcases and tie with a bow? I bet you are good enough at sewing to make a basic bag  Or you will be after you've made a few. |
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burnbright
Full Member
Posts: 366
Mar 22, 2019 21:27:33 GMT
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Post by burnbright on Aug 28, 2021 23:16:06 GMT
Huh? How can you even compare the two? It's like having a favorite kid!  And that's why I'm not having kids. I'd totes have a clear favourite!  #teamcroissant When I hear croissant I see this. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CSULPzAoFdY |
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Post by papertreerings on Aug 28, 2021 23:18:24 GMT
Just caught up with the tread after seeing sneaks up. I like the vintage colours but most of it’s an ugh for me at the moment but I’ll end up buying because I’m in the UK and no one wants to ship here  |
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Post by scrappyem on Aug 29, 2021 1:40:21 GMT
It's awful and I don't get it. So unnecessary. Drives me bananas. I've been thinking lately about purchasing the fabric gift bags that are reusable for Christmas wrap this year to try and cut down on the waste and the mess. If I was a better sewer, I could make my own. I'll look on ETSY, I bet someone has made some. Yes! I recommend learning about the Japanese art of furoshiki - fabric gift wrapping. You could use fabric squares (scarves, good pieces from novelty sheets you find at the thrift shop, or new yardage fabric) to wrap all kinds of gifts and have the recipient return the wrap, reuse it, or gift it back to you the following year. No need to sew, unless you wanted to hem the edges. Linking to KonMari's page about it since she is actually Japanese - there are cool ways to wrap any number of gifts, I have a couple of books on it, found at least one at my local library, and Martha Stewart jumped on the bandwagon at one point a few years back. Or use thrifted pillowcases and tie with a bow? I bet you are good enough at sewing to make a basic bag Or you will be after you've made a few. Thank you! Maybe it will inspire me to get better and practice. |
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Post by karinec on Aug 29, 2021 2:50:51 GMT
thanks sleepingbooty for the pomegranate ornament idea. What a great excuse to find and buy a pretty ornament! I'm so happy to put a smile on your face, esp for all you do on this thread. I will watch that movie when I some quiet time available. |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Aug 29, 2021 8:11:34 GMT
And a good Sunday morning to all! I got up early to go to the bakery today and get some... croissants. This thread has made me yearn for their warm buttery-ness. No regrets. Also, for our resident Christmas rom-com critics, I spy with my little eye... Hallmark's best kisser on a Christmas movie set (with Andrea Brooks - ETA: or Aimee Teegarden, the fans are split - for the chemistry prediction game)! https://www.instagram.com/p/CTGmHgqr4yP |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Aug 29, 2021 9:09:09 GMT
As suspected with earlier sneaks due to offset designs on the edge, there will be papers sized to fit the outside of page protectors at AE this year. Here's a look at the 8x10 (+ extra for border) paper pack coming to the shop: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTIy1rigBNs There's a mix of aesthetics happening here. I'm curious to see what that messy large brush design in black and white looks like (and how it fits in with the rest of the release). Oh, and oversized linear icons... Yep, definitely a mix. I don't see how all of this can come harmoniously together in a single album but oh well, you do you, boo. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,688
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Aug 29, 2021 10:43:05 GMT
I like the look of the red Christmas (presumably) text print with the tiny stars in it and whatever the black with tiny white stars is, but none of the others interest me at all, and I most certainly do not like that combination together. That poinsettia and that christmas tree print belong in completely different albums.
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Post by kimba on Aug 29, 2021 11:44:00 GMT
Is the canvas pocket look about a 4x6? How would you attach it? I was thinking if I recreated at home, stitch about a 4x8 single pocket. Decorate with some embroidery floss, make it a one tag pocket.
As for the classes, the "Back to Basics" that is a good marketing move. Show people how to use the material in the kits they are buying.
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Or you will be after you've made a few. 
#teamcroissant
