Top 12 of 2012

This was a great crafty year. Lots of amazing stuff happening, lots of fun. I won’t try to put this list in order by any means, but I did want to list my personal top 12 of 2012 today, on 12/12/12!

Tim Holtz keeps bringing his A-game! From great new products to distress in new forms (and the seasonal colors being added as part of the full-time palette!) he has been full of amazing delights this year. But my #1 pick from him (because I swore to myself I wouldn’t give him 3 spots on this list as much as I’d like to!) has to go to the Blueprint stamps. They’re so cool, they’re like nothing else out there at the moment, and I adore mine! I hope we see lots more of these in 2013.

* Kelly Purkey goes independent and rocks the stamping world. Seriously – the girl rocks the stamps and she is creating a lot of amazing things – many of which you can buy at Simon Says Stamp. She has her own on-line shop here as well – and I always look forward to what she’ll dream up next. As a person who is an amazing designer and an avid scrapbooker, she really has a handle on what is useful and amazing. Her washi tape stamp and bon appetit stamp set are my current faves.

* The Crafter’s Workshop continues to be innovative and also totally dominate the stencil world. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer,  Dina Wakley, and Diane Reaveley are among the designers who rock my world and create stencils that I can’t craft without. 99.5% of the stencils I own are from this company, and with every new release I find more I need and love. This company will be one of my first stops at CHA next month.

* Lawn Fawn releases the Dewey Decimal line. Ok, it’s true I haven’t used it yet, but that’s because I LOVE staring at it and thinking about it. It is books + crafting. I adore it. Of course Lawn Fawn is rocking the adorable stamps + cute papers like nobody else – they’re truly a rising star in the stamping world and they do cute like nobody else.

* Dylusions stamps and stencils by Dyan Reaveley are great – her leaf and holly stamps are among my most used this year. (here’s a good link for all kinds of projects by me). But what gets her on this list is her vibrant mists. The Dylusions Ink Sprays are off the charts fantastic. I don’t know what I did without them! I am so grateful that I got to learn directly from her last spring – I can’t say enough good things about Dyan or the sprays.

* Heidi Swapp makes the ultimate comeback! I’m calling it a comeback because we’ve not had HS products in a while – and her new brand does NOT disappoint. I was not sure what we’d find from the new line, and wow. just WOW. It’s all so incredibly useful and fabulous quality too. I *LOVE* where she’s headed and I can’t wait to see what will be new for 2013.

* Claudine Hellmuth for HSN gets a spot here because a) I never order from them and yet I *had* to order 3 different kits of Claudine’s and b) I think it is the single best ‘made for home shopping’ scrapbooking product brand I’ve ever seen. Claudine ROCKS her signature whimsical style and the Christmas kit, not to mention the chipboard, card kits, wood, and all the other items she’s made this year are just awesome.

* Amy Tangerine (for American Crafts) wins the prize for the single most used paper brand in my stash in 2012. Seriously – whenever in doubt, I turned to Amy’s papers. When working on projects I have to actively stop myself from using it more often because I want to have more variety. Not only is Amy an amazing and talented woman that I adore – her products simply work for me and I love them all.

* Basic Grey returns! For a few releases, I’ve been underwhelmed with the offerings from this one time favorite company. So imagine my excitement when things turned back around, and suddenly they are back on top of my “Must” list with not just a few things but every single line released at the Summer 2012 CHA show. From Lucille to Aspen Frost – I’m thrilled with the direction they are headed and glad to see them back on top!

* French General is an amazing shop I hope to one day visit owned by the inspiring and phenomenal Kaari Meng. In 2012, it also became a line of scrapbooking embellishments that I happen to have, hoard, and on occasion even bring myself to use as well. Ok, so I’m getting better at using them more now – but seriously just French vintage inspired goodness at its finest – and I love every bit. You’ll be seeing me continue to use this, and cross my fingers that some day even more will be released.

* It’s a tie here – and because both are small businesses that are websites that sell direct to consumers but are also branching out into more wholesale goodness (so you can find them at your fave stores now too) – I have to talk about Freckled Fawn and Elle’s Studio. Products that are trendy and yet incredibly useful, on the cutting edge and yet timeless. Freckled Fawn sells lovely washi tapes that are entirely too addicting, and Elle’s Studio makes awesome journaling tags and other such products designed to help your scrapbook pages rock. As I could cut neither from this list, I cheat and place both of them here at spot #11.

* Hero Arts is a company that has long been a favorite. My first stamp sets? Hero Arts. They make amazing quality products and I love their stuff, I add to my collection every year. The thing is – they often fly under the radar for me! Their products are here, rockin’ my studio, but not generally flashy enough when I sit to make these kinds of lists. Well, not this year! Hero really rocked my socks. We can look forward to their new catalog (and new releases) pretty darn soon too! I’m excited and counting down.

– and that concludes my list! There are so many more amazing designers, companies, lines, and products I could talk about as favorites. This was a super hard list to narrow down! What are your favorites this year? What products did you try and love – or what were you surprised by? Personally, I can’t wait to see what 2013 will bring for us in the crafty world – and we won’t have long to wait! Why, in less than 30 days now CHA will begin (the big annual trad

8 thoughts on “Top 12 of 2012”

  1. Great post! I was wondering about sprays. i really dont have any and want to start buying them but I am really confused by all the different types. I love the colors of Tim Holtz but Hiedi Swapps look great also. Do you have a preference or can you explain the differences? Thanks.

  2. I absolutely love Claudine’s HSN kits too!! I use elements from them all the time in my layouts and projects!! Her images and patterns are so fun to work with!!! I’m so happy you included her products in your post!! xo Evie

  3. I did not know about Kelly’s online store-I could get in trouble. Right with on Claudine and HSN-I adore her. Interestingly enough she is totally out of my normal “box”-but her simple,whimsical style never fails to delight me.And Tim-thankfully hubby thinks he is completely cool and I have his permission to buy whatever Tim stuff I want!
    Cannot get the hang of the spray thing-maybe that should be my resolution for the New Year?

  4. Can I just say that you might be the biggest enabler in the world! Dylusions mists – why haven’t these been in my life? Claudine Hellsmuth for HSN – love it, and like you I never watch HSN, so I would have never known – but now I do. Will you be showing us how to use stencils and other products in your BPS class? I realize this might not be the place for questions about the class

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