Preserving memories

LAS VEGAS — Scrapbooking is one of the fastest-growing segments of the crafts industry — not only in the numbers who are participating in it, but also in the increasing number of options available for them to use.

At the recent Craft & Hobby Association convention in Las Vegas, one huge display room was given entirely to scrapbook paraphernalia, and booth after booth was filled with the latest in wares.

After walking (and walking, and walking) the floor and talking to lots of vendors (including many from Utah), several overall themes emerged. Here's a look at some of the latest trends and ideas that caught our attention:

1. Outward and upward. Scrapping is not just for books anymore. "Scrapboookers are learning all these new skills, and they want to use them in other areas of their lives," said Making Memories' Kelly Mooney. That's translating into a variety of home-decor areas.

Scrapbookers, who have long relied on photos and personal memorabilia to add personal touches to their books, "are now driving the trend toward using larger, embellished photo art as personalized home decor," she said.

Making Memories, based in Centerville, has introduced a new Photo Decor collection designed to help hobbyists transform everything from picture frames, coasters, wreaths, clocks, serving trays and oversize words and letters into individualized works of art.

One of Provo Craft's hottest new lines is a set of tin containers that can be papered, painted, embellished and used to hold everything from trading cards and pictures to scrapping equipment, home accents and even lunches, said Alicia Mathias.

2. Getting it all together. With the advent of myriad scrapbook basics and embellishments — everything from paper, stamps, stickers, brads, buckles, buttons, bows, chalks, paints, pencils and more — come myriad ways to store and organize them.

Particularly popular are handbags and totes-on-wheels that allow scrappers to not only keep everything organized but also take it on the road to classes, crop sessions and parties.

3. Tools and technology. As scrapping gets more sophisticated, so, too, do the tools and technology that it employs. A couple of innovations:

• Die cuts: These fancy shapes, letters and figures are popular. But the latest trend seems to be do-it-yourself die cuts. Provo Craft's Cricut is a personal electronic cutting system that includes a keyboard so you can type in letters you want to cut — in any size from 1 inch to 5 1/2 inches. It also works with cartridges that offer a variety of design. "One cartridge, a thousand possibilities," says Mathias. "It's very popular."