PaperAngel
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Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 17, 2024 22:43:01 GMT
Thanks for your responses. I like the color palettes in both months' releases - especially appreciating the break (except for the Valentine's Day mini) from the stereotypical feminine/oversaturated floral norm - & added both a non-themed/versatile multicolored stripe & plaid patterned paper from each of the Blast Off, Hip Hip Hooray, & Lucky Charm collections to my wish list plus a stencil (i.e. Good Luck Clovers). ETA: I noticed none of the collections includes enamel dots. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 17, 2024 8:05:13 GMT
I love this petite prints and the like but I’m just not a fan overall. It’s too bright and cutesy for me. All of it. I have a couple of lines..Pampered Pooch for example..so cute but I have a hard time using it. Interestingly, although Doodlebug also manufactures Bella Blvd, Petite Prints from Doodlebug are cardstock (e.g. Hey Pumpkin), while Bella Besties from Bella Blvd are patterned paper weight (e.g. Merry Mingle). Note Pampered Pooch is from Photoplay (ETA: here). |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 17, 2024 7:46:56 GMT
Again, there's that need to "busy-up" the papers, and to do so with random flowers had me scratching my head a bit. ... I'm also puzzled with (& completely over) the current trend of floral saturation in most collections regardless their theme. (ETA: Of course, it's been great for my wallet!) |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 17, 2024 7:07:39 GMT
I trimmed off the branding strips! Here is a picture though. Maybe Bloom and Grow?  IMG_0045 by Nancy Tim, on Flickr Both of you have great memories! It appears the paper is Chillin With My Gnomies from the Bloom & Grow collection (see here) that was released in 2016. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 16, 2024 11:09:59 GMT
... Front Porch looks an awful lot like the gnome paper they had several years ago (super cute though). ... I associate gnomes with Photoplay, plus one holiday collection from Echo Park. Do you recall the name of the SS collection or paper? TIA. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 16, 2024 11:05:25 GMT
And for the love of all that is Holy and good…HOW MANY st Patrick’s day lines do we need? It appears only a handful of brands release St. Patrick's Day-themed mini collections & at most one per year. As indicated in the OP, Echo Park (which manufactures two brands - Echo Park & Carta Bella) revealed only the EP Lucky Charm collection for this year. Per its website, it appears EP has never released a St. Patrick's Day-themed mini collection under the CB brand during its 12-year existence (see THERE) & only five times under the EP brand (2024, 2023, 2016, & two in 2014 - see HERE) since its inception in 2010. IMHO the St. Patrick's Day collections (& few others) are a welcome reprieve from the stereotypically feminine & oversaturated floral collections that dominate the industry. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 16, 2024 8:03:23 GMT
Wow. Do these companies not have spell check or go through 2 more levels of edits? Because that is unacceptable. Agreed. Given spell checker software & the various steps in the design/manufacturing/marketing/packaging processes, it's surprising the number of misspellings, especially of common words, that still occur! |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 16, 2024 7:58:12 GMT
... And while I really like a lot of the vellum and the stencils, they're just too pricey for me. ... IMHO both products are overpriced & have increased since the company's last release in July - vellum more than doubled (120%) from $3.19 to $6.99 USD/sheet & (6x8) stencils rose (24%) from $10.49 to $12.99/each! For comparison, American Crafts vellum is $3.29/sheet (e.g. AC/Bea Valint - Poppy & Pear: Vellum & Gold Foil), SB.com (exclusive) 6x8 stencils retail for $10.00/each but are regularly on sale at $7.49/each (e.g. SB.com - Geometric Snowflake Stencil), & Simple Stories 6x8 stencils are $5.99/each (e.g. SS Say Cheese - Magic: Confetti Stencil). |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 15, 2024 19:40:04 GMT
Ironically, the spelling error is on the September/school-themed paper! |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 15, 2024 19:31:29 GMT
... perhaps the card catalog drawer paper in the Academia line ... Sister! I put that in my cart. I have no idea what I'll do with it, but I couldn't resist. Same here! Maybe someday I'll make a page waxing nostalgic about the libraries of my youth.  Another fan of the card catalog pp - love that! ... It seems the card catalog cabinet paper ( Academia Paper 04) is a hit & would be ideal for documenting childhood libraries! |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 15, 2024 19:22:22 GMT
I love For the Record and some fell into my cart, oops!  |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 15, 2024 19:18:27 GMT
... Hip Hip Hooray - ... For some reason, I find that confetti die offensive $10 for a few little squiggly scraps of paper. ha! ... I had the same reaction to the Celebration Confetti Die Set! |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 15, 2024 7:51:11 GMT
... having given away a pile of naked chipboard pieces to a schoolteacher friend some years ago I won’t be recollecting ! Since I prefer flat layouts & avoid time-consuming tasks, I've never purchased plain chipboard &, like you, am not interested in buying it now either. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 15, 2024 7:36:15 GMT
The color scheme for Merry Mingle is great in that it's not the typical red, white, green, BUT, it's also not colors I would use, so it still doesn't work for me. ... While I also like the bright color palette (except yellow), I would probably only use the non-themed patterns & on non-holiday layouts. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 15, 2024 7:27:59 GMT
I might be in the minority, but I'm happy to see that Simple Stories seems to be moving away from the retro/ boho mustard yellow/ pink & teal collections like just Beachy, true colors, Noteworthy, What's cooking, retro summer, flea market, trail mix etc. ... Same; I detest the yellow. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 15, 2024 7:24:20 GMT
Blast off - I like the colors so I'm drawn to the non-themed patterns ... Same; I especially like the multicolored stripes ( Journaling 4x6 Cards) & plaid ( Explore Plaid). |
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PaperAngel
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Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 15, 2024 7:12:47 GMT
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 14, 2024 6:47:05 GMT
... I am always, always looking for lake paper or lake lines and this was so floral! ... It appears few subjects/themes are immune to the oversaturation of florals...UGH! |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 14, 2024 6:43:17 GMT
I reserved the year long collection, chit chat, ephemera and puffy stickers through a buy in group. I have a granddaughter who will turn 9 in January. This will make a fun album for her next year. I’m a huge sucker for Doodlebug and Bella Blvd. My Life 365 is ideal for your project; I'm sure your granddaughter will love the cute album you create with it! |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 14, 2024 6:34:08 GMT
... I would love a home theme that isn’t farmhouse kitchen. ... This seems to be one of those unwritten industry guidelines. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 14, 2024 6:27:37 GMT
Note the October release ( HERE) is predominantly CB. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 13, 2024 22:43:21 GMT
Although I'm not a collection scrapper & often purchase only one sheet from a given collection for its classic pattern (usually found on the reverse side), I also primarily store paper by manufacturer/brand. Therefore, my paper holder for any manufacturer contains an assortment of 1-3 sheets of patterned paper from various collections of that brand for ease in mixing/matching colors/etc.
ETA: If you are a collection &/or theme scrapper, an alternative is to add each random patterned paper to another collection from the same manufacturer/brand that has a similiar theme &/or color palette to expand its patterned paper options (especially since either/both sides - the theme & generic pattern on reverse - could be used).
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PaperAngel
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Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 13, 2024 21:46:29 GMT
I was excited to see a year-long kit, but SO disappointed by how theme-y it is! I don't scrap super icon/theme heavy, and they've really dedicated each month to a stereotypical idea. ... Agreed. The stereotypical season/holiday themes, combined with the cutesy aesthetic, implies it's intended for documenting a year-in-the-life of children. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 13, 2024 21:36:15 GMT
At some point, Simple Stories was my favorite scrapbooking company. I bought almost all of the collections one year. I am disappointed with the release this year. It's good that I don't need anything. Simple Stories is still one of my favorites, although I always pick & choose patterned papers & stencils from a variety of collections. Looking forward to the next reveal/release (& hoping it'll include collections that you love & can purchase with this year's savings)! |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 13, 2024 21:07:54 GMT
PaperAngel - I am a diehard OA fan so that’s exactly why I like CB especially Steve Duncan’s collections I also don’t mind mixing cream and white on layouts But os course- to each their own and I do embrace the diversity of our craft Interestingly, I also consider OA a favorite (mostly for its classic patterns on reverse sides which I still use), often mix white & off-whites on layouts (necessary when Simple Stories sans Simple Vintage is a favorite), & embrace/encourage diversity in the industry. Specifically, it's the CB (&/or any brand) collections with (yellow) cream backgrounds (that IMHO appear dated/old-fashioned), heavy distressing (especially around the edges which makes the paper look dirty) &/or dull colors (that camouflage the pattern) that I avoid (ETA: e.g. CB Gone Fishing - Reel It In). I definitely prefer the signature non-dull colors, no vintage imagery/distressing/etc., & white backgrounds of EP collections. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 13, 2024 20:35:08 GMT
I love the Lake papers. Wondering if they have 6x6. That would let me use their lovely images plus my own photos and story. ETA: They DO have 6x6 of By the Lake! And a 6x8 pad! Thinking those will find their way into my craftroom for sure!
It appears every collection includes a 6x6, 6x8 Add-On, & 12x12 paper pads/set. Per descriptions/images, the By the Lake 6x6 Paper Pad includes 4 each of the 6 double-sided papers in the collection plus 2 bonus designs on the inside covers (which appear to be from the detail/fussy cut Elements Paper), while the 6x8 Add-On Paper Pad offers 3 each of 8 designs (some different than the 6 double-sided papers in the collection & may also include detail/fussy cut elements). |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 13, 2024 6:56:27 GMT
A bit too much pink for me While only the February, April, May, & December themed papers in My Life 365 include pink, the color is certainly prevalent in Merry Mingle! |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 13, 2024 6:39:53 GMT
I can’t get on board with $1.59 for a sheet of paper 😳 While I understand it's a Poland-based company, I also am not interested in it to even consider the premium price per sheet of a double-sided patterned paper. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 13, 2024 6:36:50 GMT
... Simple Vintage Fresh Snow - I like a lot of this. Very pretty. But...not really something that works with my winter photos. I live in Northern Iowa, and pictures I take in the winter tend to have bright white snow, bright blue skies, and maybe a little brown. Definitely not much green. And those bright colored photos don't really work with such muted tones. In my opinion anyway. ... Lately, I also find that I like the paper patterns but not the color palette (looking at you odd yellows) OR like the colors but not the patterns (e.g. wonky stripes, handdrawn illustrations, floating icons) in many new collections. |
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PaperAngel
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Post by PaperAngel on Oct 13, 2024 6:30:13 GMT
I much prefer CB over EP ... I'm the opposite. Although I like its 80 lb/textured paper, I dislike CB's usual vintage aesthetic, cream backgrounds, pre-distressing, & dull color palettes (especially compared to product images). I do, however, like some CB collections that were reprinted as EP for Tuesday Morning (in its brighter colors on smooth 65 lb paper). |
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