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Post by refugeepea on Dec 18, 2022 3:45:46 GMT
The whole scrapbooking/cardmaking industry is like this to me. So many cards are repetitive! It's wild to me because as a visual medium there's literally no limits on what you can build. But so much of it ends up boiled down to "put this big coverplate/flower/shape on the front, slap a big word diecut/sentiment strip over top, done". With nothing but small variations in how they made the two parts, usually geared to selling folks yet another overpriced art supply they can probably make themselves for far less out of things they already own.I don't know, it often feels like paint-by-numbers trying to masquerade as creativity. Products and themes, there it's more company B sees company A is selling X, so they quickly rush out X too. Whatever happens to be the "new" thing, which quickly becomes the "meh whatever" thing because everyone and their dog is trying to sell you yet another minor variation of it. You just described my scrapping style.  I'm a paint-by-numbers kind of gal. I freely admit I've never tried to masquerade as a creative type either. I don't make a lot of cards and when I do, I prefer to keep it simple with some generic fronts and add sentiments as needed. Make them all the same size so I only have to keep one size of envelope on hand. I do attempt to try more things in scrapping. Still, I'm perfectly happy with cutting, pasting, and calling it done. This is just a hobby to kill time.
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Post by Embri on Dec 18, 2022 4:05:21 GMT
I don't begrudge people making whatever they want to make; it's more ?!!?!! at the various creative channels / video makers who only seem to feature this one basic formula. It'd be like walking into a food court but every single restaurant sells sandwiches. I like the occasional sandwich, but seeing every single place offering only sandwiches is beyond strange. Maybe it's a comfort thing? People like to buy what they're already familiar with?
I keep watching technique and cardmaking videos but I usually end up wandering away or fast forwarding through them because it's all 95% the same thing. Or feels like it.
Maybe I'm the outlier in this equation, I don't know.
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Post by cecilia on Dec 18, 2022 6:35:48 GMT
I didn't scrap when chandeliers were in, or didn't buy anything so I've never used one. I think I have a llama chipboard laying around somewhere... I used one set of moustache stickers on a page about DS when he was two or three dressed up as Super Mario... I cut out yellow stars for the background and put moustaches on all of them. I am actually so bored of the same old colors, same old themes, that I am finding it hard to buy anything... Same. I noticed the things I hoarded tons of, doesn't fit my style now, and things I didn't hoard when they were new are the things I wish I had hoarded. |
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artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,388 
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Post by artbabe on Dec 18, 2022 15:23:48 GMT
The mustaches and chandeliers make me think of Hambly. I miss Hambly, but definitely not the mustaches and chandeliers. I really liked Hambly. But yes, they definitely did chandeliers. The screen printed papers were so different, though. I really liked their rub-ons, too. |
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pinklady
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,993
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Post by pinklady on Dec 18, 2022 15:50:41 GMT
When I see “Hello” I want to scrapbook Lionel Ritchie. The clay head video was classic. OMG I’ll never look at my hello cards the same way ever! 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 |
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amysolovay
Full Member
Posts: 331
Sept 4, 2022 6:25:20 GMT
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Post by amysolovay on Dec 18, 2022 18:27:14 GMT
The mustaches and chandeliers make me think of Hambly. I miss Hambly, but definitely not the mustaches and chandeliers. I really liked Hambly. But yes, they definitely did chandeliers. The screen printed papers were so different, though. I really liked their rub-ons, too. Yes, you're right, their rub-ons were awesome! Loved them. |
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Post by rune2484 on Dec 19, 2022 20:13:19 GMT
So over the weekend I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, 99 Percent Invisible. In the last couple of years they have been running this series called Articles of Interest, which is all about the history of different articles of clothing. In the latest episode, called American Ivy, they return to the topic of trend forecasting and the industry that is at the center of the next season's products.
And as the host is taking through how this process works for the fashion industry all I could think of was the homogeneous trends we see in the scrapbook industry. I'd bet there is a company that specializes in craft/stationary (and maybe even home trends?) that is advising all of these paper craft manufacturers and that is why the same things are popping up ad nauseum.
I'll go see if I can rustle up a link to the podcast, because it was really eye opening.
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Post by rune2484 on Dec 19, 2022 20:21:25 GMT
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Post by judyc on Dec 20, 2022 15:20:53 GMT
I have never been a fan of any of those motifs mentioned here. I primarily scrap holidays/celebrations, school events, and vacations, so if I can't relate the product to one of those events, then I won't likely buy it. I do have a few of those designs (like hot air balloons) in my stash, but it's because I've been in kit clubs off and on and haven't used the products that came in kits with those designs. The last couple of years I've primarily purchased 49 & Market, Simple Stories Vintage lines, and Vickie Boutin, and not really seeing the overdone designs like rainbows.
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Post by refugeepea on Dec 21, 2022 0:27:22 GMT
I get more annoyed by colors, like the abundance of pink. Most of my purchases are paper and the B sides are used more; smaller scale patterns and usually not themed.
I probably own quite a few of the different trends throughout the years, but not an abundance of one thing.
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amysolovay
Full Member
Posts: 331
Sept 4, 2022 6:25:20 GMT
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Post by amysolovay on Dec 21, 2022 0:52:11 GMT
So over the weekend I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, 99 Percent Invisible. In the last couple of years they have been running this series called Articles of Interest, which is all about the history of different articles of clothing. In the latest episode, called American Ivy, they return to the topic of trend forecasting and the industry that is at the center of the next season's products. And as the host is taking through how this process works for the fashion industry all I could think of was the homogeneous trends we see in the scrapbook industry. I'd bet there is a company that specializes in craft/stationary (and maybe even home trends?) that is advising all of these paper craft manufacturers and that is why the same things are popping up ad nauseum. I'll go see if I can rustle up a link to the podcast, because it was really eye opening. Thanks for the podcast link! I haven't listened to the podcast, but I used to work in the textile industry for more than a decade. I designed fabrics for both fashion and home furnishings. Later in my career, I also used to teach trend forecasting classes to fashion design majors. There are definitely trend forecasting services for the home furnishings industry. Most of the manufacturers I worked with subscribed to at least one service. When I was active in the industry, any USA-based business that was mass manufacturing using US-grown cotton could get a subscription to Cotton Incorporated's trend forecast. In my experience, theirs and Pantone's were some of the most widely used. I'm guessing some of the larger paper manufacturers probably do subscribe to Pantone's trend forecasts and possibly some of the others, too. I don't know if they specifically have their own trend forecasting services, but that wouldn't surprise me. I designed one zillion damasks for sofas and pillows during the time frame that damasks were popular in scrapbooking, so I am going to guess that there is a lot of overlap between stationery and home furnishings trends. I think some stationery and paper companies do go to Surtex, one of the big trade shows, where they would have access to a lot of trend information. Except for Cotton Incorporated's, the trend forecasts are expensive -- but designers who are currently attending or previously graduated from a design school can often get access to them. This is because most of the major design schools subscribe to various trend forecasting services. The design school I went to, FIDM, always used to keep them on hand in the library. They'd allow their current students and graduates access. When I used to live in Los Angeles and work in the textile industry, I spent a lot of time at their library. But most of my employers and freelance clients maintained their own subscriptions to some of the trend forecasting services, too. |
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I'm a paint-by-numbers kind of gal. I freely admit I've never tried to masquerade as a creative type either. I don't make a lot of cards and when I do, I prefer to keep it simple with some generic fronts and add sentiments as needed. Make them all the same size so I only have to keep one size of envelope on hand. 
