Hi everyone - fill me in on the last 10 years...

[blarf]

Hi guys!
I'm an old member from years ago and got sidetracked raising my two terrors for the last 10ish years. I've finally reclaimed a craft space, found all my ink pads have dried out and a lot of my stamps have perished but I've had a good clear out, stroked some paper and now I'm raring to go.
So - what's new and the latest trends?

[pyjama princess]

That's a difficult one to answer fully. It looks like you were in to stamping and colouring and I'm not so can't update you on current products.
Die cutting has become huge in recent years. Some companies now provide artwork to be cut out using matching dies. Carnation Crafts call them vignettes, Debbie Moore - match its and I can't remember what Tattered Lace/Two Red Robins call them.
I'm assuming you know Create and Craft went under, was taken over by Hochanda but kept the name C&C and then went under again in October last year.
The craft companies have joined forces and are now showing their products through The Craft Store. You can view the shows on FB or YouTube. But you buy direct from each of the companies not through The Craft Store.
Take a look at Lisa Horton's web site or FB group. She does a lot of colouring, dry embossing and die cutting. Although a lot of her designs are floral.
If you want more quirky designs try AAL and Create. They have several designers working for them and a lot of their stuff is quite whacky!
If I think of anything else I'll pop back.

[RozMinis]

Hi welcome back. Like PP I can't be much help, probably less in fact. I do very little paper crafting these days, preferring to spend my money on needlework, knitting, crochet, etc. And what a lot I have spent in the last few weeks.

I can't remember exactly how much, but my friend Christine is selling off most of her evenweave and linen fabric and kits at half price. I nabbed most of her Jane Greenoff's stuff last week and a load of fabric, charts and kits this week. Let us say I still owe her fifty squiddles for some of the 'stuff' I bought yesterday. At least she will have plenty to spend when we go to London to see Les Mis in a couple of weeks time while I could be counting my pennies! I might even have to rob the bank. ;)

Roz

[Borderline]

Looking at my crafting stash, I think a lot of it is 10 years old anyway! The main change since then for me is my Brother Scanncut and some SVG USBs from Tattered Lace/Two Red Robins. These days though they all seem to be either floral, very cutsey, or back to that old stand by, oriental. As Pink Pig said, there are many dies these days, from many companies, ever more intricate, sometimes with stamps to match. Whatever you used to like, it's still here! And welcome back to the forum, by the way!

[Waterlily]

Welcome back blarf. Most of my stuff is 10 years or older, haven't bought anything new for a few years.

[Little Jan]

Hi guys!
I'm an old member from years ago and got sidetracked raising my two terrors for the last 10ish years. I've finally reclaimed a craft space, found all my ink pads have dried out and a lot of my stamps have perished but I've had a good clear out, stroked some paper and now I'm raring to go.
So - what's new and the latest trends?

Welcome back
10 years how time has flown
I have 2 granddaughters now 10&6
And they love to rummage through my stash
I still use some of the craft bits I purchased from you when you had your craft clear out
There are loads of new crafty things out there
I am a cutting die addict but still
like using some of the old papers and shimmers
We still do card swaps if you ever feel
Like joining in and Pinkpig
runs a ATC swap,both swaps you can drop in and out of

The forum is not as busy as it was just a few of us hangers on

[blarf]

Ah my Daughter (8) hadn't realised just how much stuff I have until about a month ago when I let her rummage - she was in heaven and left my craft room coated in glitter.
I'm still in love with a lot of the dies and stamps I have, still love anything with glitter but I admit to feeling a lot guiltier about the planet these days when i use it.
I updated my silhouette cutter last year - think this is my third one now having decided that the cameo was too big for me these days and then losing the cable and cutting mat for my old portrait (it ended up almost cheaper to but a new machine - so I did ha ha). I've completely forgotten how to use the software though so that's a learning curve. But now my kids have custom cut vinyls on everything which they are still young enough to think is cool.
I seem to be adding more watercolour-painted cards into the recent things I made - I'm blaming insta for that. Who knew painting the rim of a glass then using it to stamp a circle could be used to make easy bauble cards for xmas? genius.
It's blooming lovely to see some familiar names on here still.

[RozMinis]

I think that is one of the reasons why I went off paper crafting. All that glitter isn't really a great idea. Then we have various foil card, double-sided sticky tape and 3D tape. Although why we should be worried about pollution, I am going to get political here, when certain politicians appear help bent on a world war makes pollution ithe least of our worries. Now what is dear Greta going to do about them?

Roz

[Borderline]

Just watching Hobbymaker and was amazed to see the new "mindful" craft is.......... Iris Folding! That was how I started paper crafting about 30 years ago. I still have the books I used and I'm sure some of the designs are the same. There really isn't anything new.