New Spring time Trends

I love magazines, its so different to looking at things on-line. I can hold it in my hands and cosy down with a cup of tea on the sofa. The colours are somehow better, it is easier to read.

I have recently bought a selection of magazines some I buy occasionally and some are my regulars. I always buy Vogue in January to get a fashion forecast but this year I missed it so I bought February which has not disappointed!

It has featured some of the fashion trends for the year and I love the colours in the jacket on the front cover. I matched them with some Stampin Up colours to get a fresh new springtime look on my cards. How is this for a colour combination: Mint macaron, smoke slate (although I would probably go for silver), lovely lipstick and pacific point. I could have also gone for a lighter blue, with melon mambo (but some of my inks are on display in my local library at the moment!)

Wouldn't it be easy if there was just one trend, but there are loads. The up side is this is it leaves us lots of choice and there is bound to be something that fits in with our own individual style.

New Romantic - features lace and feathers, pleats and ruffles and faded pink with black accents. I love this look but can't wear it faded pinks and camels wash me out but it is a great look for pretty shabby chic cards so give your paper some pleats and your faded pinks and taupes a classic black accent or stamp in black ink for a crisp edge.

In the above card you have the washed out pink (petal pin in Stampin' Up), black accents, the sheer of the vellum and the spot ribbon and sequins bang on trend!

Heavy Petal - haha I love the name of this as well as the trend - another one that does not suit me in fashion because it is so busy but I can sometimes wear in summertime as a dress. Fabulous on cards.
It consists of big bold flowers like roses in vivid pinks and reds with black backgrounds or darkest green to set off the bright colours. The ruffles and gathers and frilled edges are present again with bold chain like jewellery with giant flower accents. I think it is very similar to this suite in the Stampin up catalogue and some of the second release papers coming soon in Sale-a-bration.

Gap Year - This is a long dowdy hippy look with long straight skirts and trousers and with crochet and feather elements. I like the crochet but I do mine BRIGHT!

Ballet - features ballerina tops paired with gauzy full skirts or softly pleated full skirts. Round low necklines and pastel colours.

Baby Couture - a real fun look with over sized upper arms and shaped skirts with guaze, lots of sequins in jazzy colours and gauze features again.

Girl on a motorcycle - This is a monochrome look with mainly black leather basics in jackets skirts and trousers teamed with some white and some cute features to make it softer such as some gauzy and silky fabrics. Hats feature in all of the looks too.

Strong Suit - This is a gangster style of suit with long line double breasted jacket and long wide trousers with soft tweed fabric and soft pleats this is complemented by plain polo neck sweater to set it off.

Mega-Mix - this is a clash of colours and prints and I have seen this in more mainstream fashion this springtime. Florals with animal print and spots with stripes. I noticed that black is usually there as a background colour and often it is the only colour that ties the other prints together. It not for me but looks pleasantly casual and thrown on and again features oversize shoulders, ruffled edges, feathers and big jewellery mixing diamanté's pieces worthy of wearing to the ball with daytime casual clothes.

Lady Luxe - black and white prints for the main piece of clothing teamed with understated soft silky partners.

Surf Club - young fun and off to the beach with some mens style jackets such as oversized suit jacket or a parka - looks as if you one to the beach, got cold and borrowed your boyfriends jacket! I love this look but the open toe footwear is making me feel chilly as the wind howls around my house this morning.

Psychedelic Redux - This is a nostalgic Adam Ant type of look and features velvet, embroidered or with appliqué accents and once again the frilled sleeves and necklines feature with pleats and lace.

So how is this going to help me in my crafting ?

Well it inspires me and helps me to choose new combinations and try new things - or sometimes dig out old things and revisit them. What I have taken from this fashion run down is to try some florals with black and to get some texture with lace, ruffles and pleats. I also want to try out some chain and ceramic flowers and a more heavily sequinned look. Gauzy ribbon and soft lace will also feature on the soft coloured items and crisp pleats and crisp lace on bright coloured items. I will definitely try out that jacket colour combination and hunt out some embroidery threads too.

So those colours in the Vogue magazine for example inspired the colour combo in this card.

I am reviewing my other magazines later in the week. I have chosen a knitting mag, a embroidery mag and a sewing mag. No papercraft mags at the moment, they are all geared up for hearts and flowers for valentines and mothers day and I have this taken care of with the new Spring / Summer Stamping Up offering but I will be looking to putting those hearts and flowers to good use in day to day projects in the coming month or so.

I hope you are able to get some ideas from this round up and there is something in your stash of wool, paper, fabric stash that you can update and save you going out and buying new stuff. Sometimes all you need is to add one thing or combine what you already have in a different way. Nothing much is totally new you just need to look at what you have and buy carefully.

Happy stash review!
JoP x