pretty paper. true stories. {and scrapbooking classes with cupcakes.}

This week one lucky commenter will win two cards from Little Black Heart

Little black heart is the creation of Sal, who’s illustrations, I am sure you will agree are wonderfully unique! Sal describes her shop as “contemporary cards, stationery, prints and originals, featuring my quirky illustrations. I like all manner of things, from zombies to ninjas, birds to monsters, and lots of things in between”

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling us who you think deserves a big old Bear hug and why.

Entries close at midnight Thursday UK time and the winner will be posted Friday evening.

Congratulations to Chelsey, who wins her choice of earrings from Safi & Sasu

Chelsey, please email me (shimelle at gmail dot com) with your address.

Have a great week!

xlovesx

Comment [7]

After staying home from the summer show, I was intrigued to see what BasicGrey would bring on their return to the show floor. And I’ll just say they brought the good stuff. Four lines releasing this spring – look for two in stores in February and the other two in April – and I’ll warn you from the beginning: these collections are about looking past the obvious and seeing the amazing.

First up is PB&J, which I would say is the most traditional of the four collections. Lots of red and blue and summer colours and motifs. Bunting, bicycles and chevron – all popular and versatile. Of course there are plenty of papers and a range of embellishments. Take a look:




Love those big patterned letters!

Then we have something softer: Plumeria. BasicGrey is one of a very few companies that make purple tones work, and I think it’s because their papers give you the option of using lots or a little of purple while still having the feel of the collection.

Those detailed rosettes are an extra-pretty twist on the pinwheel trend.

These gorgeous blossoms are BIG and come in a few colours. But I don’t know where they would be prettier than here on a book!

Plenty of smaller (but still significant) flowers in this collection too.

I love this layout – and it shows that it-doesn’t-have-to-be-really-purple idea too. (But also the booth was busy so forgive the crazy angle to this picture!)

Konnichiwa will hit stores very soon with this burst of happy pink. It does have Japanese-themed motifs, but not a single example project included photos from or about Japan in any way, going to show you have to look past the obvious and onto the creative potential. I love this line.

As someone who gets so excited when the cherry blossom trees are in bloom, the pink floral pieces in this line make me very happy. They don’t have to be about Japan – but they do feel very much about spring to me. And delicate prettiness. But all approached in a way that isn’t overly dramatic, serious florals. This is light-hearted and energetic and doesn’t feel old (but isn’t too cartoony either).

Gorgeous page from the BasicGrey team.

And the final April release – What’s Up! Again, look past that gut instinct of What do I scrapbook with hot air balloons from the 1937 World’s Fair? and onto the good stuff: How can I use clouds and balloons as a metaphor for good things, flying hight and happy times?

I thought these two layouts were interesting because without them I hadn’t really noticed the infusion of red in this collection. But it’s definitely there!

I think this line is going to mix and match beautifully with the new line from Rhonna Farrer for My Mind’s Eye – I’ll show that to you soon!

Maybe this is an odd-ball call, but I think I will use every little bit of the What’s Up collection pack. It’s a good mix of less quirky, easy-to-use patterns with some bold statement prints thrown in to keep crafters courageous. Sounds like BasicGrey are totally in the game.

Click here to shop for BasicGrey products.

If you are attending the show, find BasicGrey at booth 1757.

---

Tonight I’ll be doing a one hour live chat to wrap up the show (though I still have plenty to post here with pictures!) at 7pm CST/5pm PST. When it’s live, I’ll post a link on Twitter and Facebook. Or just head to the CHA board at Two Peas if that’s easier.

And now – back to the show for the final day!

Comment [80]

Since writing this post about Smash books about seven months ago, the conversation has never really ended. You can read the comments there and see people continuing to talk about this product right up to this week and that’s not a usual thing. (It’s extra nice that everyone is actually talking about Smash books and not about knock-off handbags, imitation gemstones or prescription pharmaceuticals.) So I figured even though it’s a small collection, the new additions to the Smash line-up deserved their own post.

Also since that other post, I have acquired an actual Smash book (in addition to giving one as a birthday gift to a non-scrapper, which I still think is the duty of any scrapbooker with a non-scrapping friend who you could imagine coming over to the crafty side) and my general feedback is that I love the designs of the papers and the feel of the book, but it doesn’t work for me in the way I would like because it is just too darned big. If I’m going to smash, I want to smash on the go – so my Smash book needs to fit in my handbag. It won’t. (By the way, with a little influence from Wilna, I have started treating my Smash book more like a tablet of patterned paper and ripping out papers to use on more traditional 12×12 pages. And I love it. But anyway, the important thing is I felt it was way too big.)

So what did they do? THEY MADE THEM BIGGER.

There are two new books that can hold up to a full 8.5×11 sheet. These definitely won’t fit in your party handbag, but they will hold all sorts of things, provided you can get back to your desk to smash them. Interesting.

There are two new books that can hold up to a full 8.5×11 sheet. These definitely won’t fit in your party handbag, but they will hold all sorts of things, provided you can get back to your desk to smash them. Interesting.

But it’s okay because hey look! Itty bitty Smash too! So yep, a larger size and a smaller size entering the line up, and also wedding and baby themes in the standard notebook.

And new accessories. Plenty of new tapes (seriously there is no tape shortage at this show!) and die-cuts and such, plus transparencies which I think are new to this collection? (If I’m wrong, I apologise. It happens.)

The new Smash additions are scheduled to ship to stores in March.

Click here to shop for Smash books!

If you are attending the show, find Smash books at booth 1857, as part of K & Company and the EK Success family of brands.

Comment [82]

Lovely, lovely things from Lily Bee Studio, including probably my favourite colour scheme of the entire show. But before I hyperventilate about that, let’s just start at one end of the booth and take it in sensibly. I’ll try to act like a grown-up. (This is exceedingly difficult around vast quantities of pretty paper, I assure you.)

Just a note to start: the Lily Bee design team makes amazing pages and projects to be displayed. This is two shows in a row where my favourite layouts are found here on the LB booth.

This first collection is called Handmade, and each collection includes those fabulous little letter sheets that go on for miles and miles of titles as well as a pack of tabbed index cards… perfect for pages, minibooks and divided page protectors.

A look at the papers, stickers, stamps and die-cuts in the Handmade collection. Pink and red together is always something that makes me happy.

See? I told you the Lily Bee design team totally brings it. Always.

Next up is Double Dutch, with blues and oranges and lots of gingham b-sides.

That stamp set at the top right includes a solid and an outline for the banner. Stamp sets like that are some of my favourites – stamp the solid in a pale colour then stamp the outline over the top in a darker colour. It doesn’t matter one bit if you get them perfectly lined up – it still looks really cool if they are off a bit. Sometimes it can even have a look similar to an old printing press.

Buttercup!!! This is my favourite. Teal. And. Yellow. I can’t wait to scrapbook with this. So glad to see this colour scheme on the floor.

And that stamp set at the top right?

ALL KINDS OF CHEVRON. Oh yes.

Plus letters, index cards and gorgeous layouts! Buttercup is a win all-round.

Okay, one more collection but before I show you the products, make a mental note of this project. I have so many papers with a similar design like this – frames printed all over a page, essentially. And even if I didn’t, something like this could be made with a stamp. But I never would have thought to cut out some of the frames and layer things behind the patterned paper. I love how this is just the perfect amount. I have a feeling I would have added to much. But this is just right.

And that final collection is Victoria Park, with a mix of brights and black for a dramatic yet playful look. Can something be both dramatic and playful? I’m going with yes.

And the Victoria Park index cards are the most embellished. I think this could be a good set if you have a more elegant style but still want to do something like Project Life. Intriguing!

These new Lily Bee collections begin shipping to stores at the beginning of March.

Click here to shop for Lily Bee Studio products.

If you’re attending the show, find Lily Bee at booth 1690.

Comment [97]

My next stop was October Afternoon. I can’t think of a single paper collection they have released that I haven’t liked and purchased! And they have new papers, of course. Starting with the 9 to 5 collection.

9 to 5 features greens and oranges, which looks a lot cuter than it sounds. Embellishments include brads, stickers, labels, tin pin badges, die cuts and chipboard as well as washi tape and new coordinating colours of Sprinklers spray inks.

See that telephone photo thing? That something is very cool. It’s a new product called Chapters, and it’s essentially a set of mini book pages, all ready to make your own creation. If you liked the idea of the papers in Smash Books but wanted more freedom to make the book your own, this is exactly what you want. Each line has a great mix of images in the Chapters kit.

The papers are a mix of kitsch and small repetitive patterns. I think that’s why I find October Afternoon papers so easy to use: I cut my favourite elements from the bigger designs and then use the smaller, less specific patterns for backgrounds, boxes, border strips and pretty much anything else. If you’ve never used October Afternoon products, you’ll also love the quality of their paper stock. Their designs are cream-based and the paper is sturdy and smooth.

Collection two is called Cakewalk, with a happy colour scheme mixing soft shades with circus brights without relying on that elementary look of too many primary colours.

Same styles of embellishments and accompanying products – but to match the celebratory feel of the Cakewalk collection.

And more lovely papers!

Be still my heart: so many lovely shades of Mini Market letter stickers and Sprinklers spray inks. I love these two product lines and use them on the vast majority of my projects.

The third collection is called Woodland Park, which might be the most interesting of the three in that some elements break away from the recent designs – in a good way that adds breadth to the collection without making them look like they don’t belong.

Blue and green abound in this collection, but there are elements of pink and yellow thrown in the mix too. Not many manufacturers do nice deep blues, so this is a welcome colour scheme in my book.

And the papers: here’s what I mean by something different. That cloud paper isn’t something I would expect from October Afternoon, and yet I love it. There are chevrons and butterflies, which makes me happy of course. The trees remind me of one of the early October Afternoon prints but these are a bit larger and will be easier to cut out for both layouts and cards.

These collections are scheduled to ship to stores throughout the spring.

Click here to shop for October Afternoon products.

If you are attending the show, find October Afternoon at booth 1293.

Comment [93]

Next up: the second scrapbooking collection from Amy Tangerine, entitled Sketchbook. It’s bright and watercoloured and looks great with kraft cardstock and graph paper. Sketchbook ships to stores this March.

New Thickers letter stickers in foam, glitter, and wood-grain chipboard.

Another pack of mixed die-cuts to match this line. I am on pack four from her original collection, so definitely looking forward to these!

So much happy here! From left, a Camera. Printed. Album. YES! It’s a fabric-covered D-ring album in 12×12, and you can add anything you want to the window in the middle. Then the new set of clear stamps (includes the phrase ‘how lovely’ which I will obviously overuse). Paper rosette details. And two new Daybooks: one in white and one with a spiral binding to add to the existing five volumes in the Daybooks series.

Canvas stickers – love this texture. I was curious how the colours would print on canvas but I’m happy to report they look great and match the other items perfectly. There are also new tapes (black and white prints) and ribbons to coordinate with this line.

A look at the lovely papers – cameras, dots, hearts, splashes of colour.

This line makes me ready to be done with grey winter. Bring on summer photo opportunities and scrapping in happy colours.

And some general prettiness around the booth! Are you itching to cut and glue and layer now?

This made Amy the first of the Two Peas Garden Girls I found on the show floor. Amy has some fabulous fun scheduled for later in the show with some interactive art, so I have to head back to see that! (Don’t worry: I’ll take pictures.)

*Click here to shop for Amy Tangerine scrapbooking supplies.

If you’re attending the show, you’ll find Amy Tangerine in booth 1057, as part of the American Crafts family of brands.

Comment [129]

Ready for things to get really photographic? Because really you want to see pictures of all these lovely new crafty things. Got it.

And we’ll start with the always-lovely Jenni Bowlin Studio.

The JBS booth features four new collections to check out: two new paper lines (Magpie and Wren), a beautiful mix of new alterable items and the recent release of JBS punches from Fiskars.

If you haven’t seen the punches, here they are! Border, squeeze and lever punches, and these have just hit shops. You can find them here.

Seriously beautiful punch layering, right? So pretty.

Magpie is the first paper release – this will ship to stores in mid February. Magpie has a beautiful palette that mixes some softer tones with red and a tiny bit of black to keep it versatile and not pastel.

The new Magpie stickers include a mixed sheet (perfect for everyday scrapping documentation!) and very cool hexagonal stickers that are a great new twist on the expected circles and rectangles. I love how Jenni always gives things a simple change – it makes all her products so very easy to use but still exciting and fun.

The accessory sheet has border strips with both handwriting and coffee labels? I promise I didn’t pay her to do that. But I love it.

Love collection packs? You’re all set. Plus more hexagon stickers – red/black and cream/black to match pretty much everything!

Onto something else: Mixed Media Bases. So many things to decorate, keep around the house, and otherwise beautify life. A chalkboard easel? Small storage box with ‘handmade’ motifs? Definitely.

Will you hang necklaces, crafty ribbons or beautiful tags from something like this hotel key holding board? I wish I had something so cute in my old office when we had a million keys to keep straight!

Here’s how they might look once you art them up. Love that idea of adding a photo and some writing of whatever is a current event in your home – so change it up for holidays, birthdays, graduations, student of the week, awesome new haircut – whatever you want to celebrate!

This line also includes new clear stamp designs, printed pockets and tags (perfect for divided page protectors!) and plain chipboard in both button and tab shapes.

And this little vignette sets the tone for the second paper collection, Wren. Wren ships to stores in April.

It mixes beautifully with the pockets and tags, with a crisp blue and red colour scheme.

I love how the collection makes me think of Sunday brunch at a favourite diner, though it could certainly be used in patriotic designs if you’re so inclined.

And one last little addition: die-cut papers in kraft and white. Can’t wait to see how these look layered and misted and painted and inked. And the repetitive designs would be great for cardmaking for events when you need a whole set to match. Perfect for a vintage-themed wedding, right? (Come on: someone wants me to make pretty things for your vintage-themed wedding. Apparently it is frowned upon to like the idea of making more wedding things once you’re already married!)

And my face may look at a little this, surrounded by all these beautiful papers and projects! (This page is by Stephanie Howell – and the projects throughout the booth are by Jenni and the JBS design team.)

Click here to shop for scrapbooking supplies by Jenni Bowlin Studio.

If you’re attending the show, find JBS at booth 1773. (And I’ll be there Tuesday from show open till around 1pm, if you want to say hello and put me to work!)

Right – start making your wish list!

Comment [131]

In just a few minutes, the doors will open to the winter trade show from CHA – the Craft and Hobby Association. Across various crafts, manufacturers present their new collections for the year ahead, including plenty of new scrapbooking lines and papercrafting collections. And I’m very excited to be here blogging all this fun! Look for your favourites, brand by brand, throughout the next four days of posts.

And a little something extra special: I have more than $200 in gift certificates to give away throughout the show. Ten commenters between now and the 2nd of February will be randomly selected from all the comments left on the CHA posts to win a $10 gift certificate to Two Peas in a Bucket and even better? One person will win $100 to spend on anything you wish at Two Peas. A hundred bucks! This prize will be selected to a randomly chosen from all the comments left and those who pin a post to Pinterest or share a link via Twitter or Facebook. Share your favourites with friends and you’re entered to win – possibly the easiest hundred bucks ever.

Right – I’m off to run through that door and start snapping photos. I’ll be updating frequently over the next few days and I hope you see something that strikes your fancy!

xlovesx

Comment [145]