Creativation 2019 - Trends

The year 2017 brought us cacti, hot air balloons, flamingoes, pineapple, adult coloring and dreamcatchers. 2018 was the year of llamas, mermaids, unicorns, narwhals, sugar skulls, teapots, and hand lettering. Many of those are still around and going strong. But what does 2019 have in store for us that's new and fresh? I visited all of the booths at the Creativation show to see what I could find. The biggest trend? Avocados. Yes, avocados.

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Avocados  

I can't explain it, but avocados are showing up in stickers, stamps, patterned papers, metal dies, paintings, wood shapes, and pretty much everything else. Vegetables in general are trending, but avocados outnumber all the other vegetables combined. 

  

  

  

The Word 'Yay'

There's no doubt about it - YAY is trending. Oddly, every example I found had YAY written in all capital letters. 

    

Dotz

After Needleart World introduced Diamond Dotz in 2017, diamond art has spread like wildfire. I was not surprised to see many versions of diamond painting at the Creativation show. Of course, there were also plenty of new Diamond Dotz kits on display, including their newest Disney-licensed designs. Other companies had their own version of 'painting' with a variety of "dotz." 

Sloths

Sloths were almost a trend last year; I found three at the show and suspected they were going to be emerging soon. Sure enough. This year, they are everywhere. 

  

Tacos

Tacos have never been more popular, and that includes in the craft world. 

Toucans

It's hard to believe it's been almost a decade since we first "put a bird on it." Owls had their moment, then peacocks, and then flamingos swept in. In 2019, expect to see toucans (with or without flamingos). Any predictions for the next big bird trend? (Haha- wouldn't it be awesome if Big Bird trended? Stranger things have happened! Like avocados.)

  

French Fries

Sure, french fries are delicious, but have you ever wished you could craft with them? If so, you're in luck. French fries are trending. It's finally easy to scrapbook about your love of french fries! (French bulldogs, and other small dog breeds, are trending too.)

  

It's also a good time for vinyl and foil, sparkles and glitter, hedgehogs, mermaid/animal mashups (mer-kitty, for example), marbling, animals wearing glasses, balloon dogs, food puns (especially sushi and other Asian foods), and pre-formed looped yarn. 

What do you think? Any trends you'll embrace? Any that are a definite no?

Creativation 2019 - Cool Products

So yesterday was all about the hot products revealed at Creativation 2019. Today is about the things I personally found super cool that didn't necessarily have the same amount of hype. I've included affiliate links for the products that are already available; the ones without links are not shipping yet. I'll update those when I can.

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StickTogether

I think people are going to fall in love with StickTogether! It's equally fun for adults and kids, great for individuals and groups. It's basically a big paint-by-number using stickers and it is SO addictive. Every time I passed by their booth, I saw people adding stickers to the mystery poster. Can you tell what it's going to be?

If you said "unicorn," you're right! StickTogether has a bunch of different designs, plus they're launching custom designs as well, which is REALLY exciting! You'll be hearing more from me about Stick Together soon.  

BoBunny Sweet Clementine

I LOVE the colors in this collection. It reminds me of my wedding. 

WRMK's Big Happy Jig

At first, I thought this was just a cool wire-bending jig. Which it is. But what makes it EXTRA cool is that WRMK is selling neon wire in a bunch of colors that will light up a room!! If that isn't cool, I don't know what is. 

Echo Park I {Heart} Crafting

This is such a cute collection, and perfect for scrapping all about crafting!

Concord and 9th Crafty Turnabout Stamp Set

Take. My. Money.

In case you've never seen Concord and 9th's Turnabout stamps, check this out:

Darice Wood Cell Phone Holder

I really, really want a bunny cell phone holder. They had so many cute designs and I love that you can paint them however you want. 

Plaid Brush Basin

I don't think this is actually new, but I'd never seen or used the Plaid Brush Basin before. Now that I have, I MUST get one of my own. The grooves along the bottom make brush cleaning so easy! And I love the storage. This isn't a great photo, so click the link above to see all the features. 

FreshCut Crafts Pop-Up Cards

I'm always on the lookout for self-contained, kid-friendly kits. FreshCut Crafts' pop-up card kits have everything you need inside except glue. All the pieces are pre-cut, meaning you don't need scissors to do these on-the-go.

They sent me home with their unicorn card kit, which I brought along to a Scout event so that I could test if the kit was truly self-contained. 

Yes! It took me about 30 minutes to make the two cards. It was so convenient having everything pre-cut and the directions, which are primarily pictures, were very easy to follow. I do question the 5+ age recommendation - I don't think most 5 year olds have the dexterity or patience to make these. I'd recommend 7+ for kids to work independently.  

Anyway, the cards turned out so cute! My niece turns 6 next month and she'll be getting one of these. 

John Bead Bunny Rabbit

I am DESPERATE to get a pack (or 10) of the white bunny charms. I have big plans, but they are not available for retail sale yet. Soooooo cute!

Carpe Diem Seasons Stamps and Get it Done Stamps

These stamps are intended for planners, but I want them to make backgrounds for cards and layouts. They're so cute! I can totally see using these for a ton of projects.

  

Wagner Studio Dual-Temp Heat Gun

I need a heat gun and this is the one. It is comfortable, powerful, and has two settings. I couldn't walk away while this woman was melting candies in metal cookie cutters, then popping them out in fun shapes.

Satin Ice Modeling Chocolate

Satin Ice makes my very favorite fondant and soon they'll be selling my very favorite modeling chocolate. I had great fun playing with it, and it's absolutely delicious, too!

Darice Scout Fabric

I have big plans for this fabric when it's available for purchase. 

Echo Park Animal Safari

This zoo collection caught my attention because it isn't the typical super-cutesy, babyish zoo collection. There's a place for that, but this is a breath of fresh air and far more versatile. 

Beacon Adhesives Glo-Brite

Not only would this be AMAZING for a glow-in-the-dark party, but I can see so many safety applications as well. Fun stuff, and the same great quality that Beacon Adhesives is known for. 

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This is just the tip of the iceberg! I saw so many clever, COOL crafts at Creativation. Tomorrow I'm going to tell you all about the trends I spotted. 

Creativation 2019 - Hot Products

Creativation allows manufacturers to show retailers, designers, and influencers their latest craft innovations. Part of what I do at the show is to figure out which products are getting the most buzz and share with you the don't-miss items that debuted at the show. So what was everyone talking about? Read on to find out! I've included affiliate links for the products that are already for sale. The ones that aren't linked have not been released yet; I'll update with links as they're available. 

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Mod Podge Ultra

This spray-on version of Mod Podge is an all-in-one glue and sealer that works on wood, fabric, canvas, and many other surfaces without leaving brush marks. It comes in glossy and matte.

Waffle Flower Media Mat

This suction-back silicone mat has a 9" x 12" work area, 12 palette squares, guidelines and a center mark. It is safe for heat guns, glue peels right off, and is washes easily with soap and water. 

AdTech Dripless Glue Guns

I already love AdTech's glue guns, but their new dripless guns are a game-changer. The new ergonomic design pulls excess glue back into the gun, leading to a 90% reduction in dripping and strings. Hurray!

Faber Castell White Lettering Pens

There was a lot of talk about these gorgeous white lettering pens. The set includes a brush nib, calligraphy nib, 1.5 bullet nib, and 2.5 bullet nib. The opaque ink is immediately visible and waterproof when dry.

E-6000 Plus

I'm assuming that you already know and use E-6000. This product has the same strength and versatility but without the familiar smell.

Xyron Glaminator

Foil is hot, hot, hot! There were quite a few foil-related products that debuted at Creativation, including the Glaminator, which can both apply foil and laminate. 

ArtBin Vinyl Storage Rack

Speaking of vinyl, ArtBin came up with a rack to hold up to 12 rolls of vinyl. Lots of people were checking it out.

Diamond Dotz' Disney Designs

Needleart World, the maker of Diamond Dotz, now offers licensed Disney designs. They're not for sale yet, but based on the talk at the show, they're going to be huge!

Pebeo Porcelaine Outliner

There was always a big crowd at the Pebeo booth. A lot of the buzz was about the Porcelaine Outliner and Porcelaine 150 paints (55 colors). This bake-on paint works on porcelain, china, glazed earthenware, terra cotta, metal, glass, and more.

Pebeo Drawing Gum

This drawing gum acts as a resist and it is FABULOUS. It has a 0.7 mm plastic tip and the resist dries very quickly. Add colorant over the top, let it dry, then rub away the drawing gum. 

  

Folk Art Dragonfly Glaze

This shimmery paint creates a gorgeous iridescent sheen over light or dark bases. The pigments show multiple colors from different angles.

I could keep going because there were so many hot products revealed at Creativation 2019, but I'm going to end here. Tomorrow I'll show you some cool products - not necessarily a major part of the show buzz, but things that caught my eye and are most definitely cool.