In case you care what the experts are projecting the trends to be for this holiday season.
Christmas Trends 2009
an exerpt from Professional Crafters.com
COLORS
Purple and White
In 2009, Christmas tree decoration will take its inspiration from fashion. The tree will be decorated with baubles in every shade of purple. In conjunction with grey, which already gave black a run for its money last year, the tree decorations, candles and decorations will be sophisticated and yet subtle. As an alternative, the trends will continue to be based on white, combined with shades of cream, beige or brown.
Style
Traditional and Bold and Bright
Traditional, quality Christmas baubles will decorate the tree, together with glittering wire stars, glass icicles and little birds.
There will also be an element of kitsch to the 2009 festive season: Christmas trees with brightly-colored baubles, garish plastic trees and disco balls in all sizes will add up to a funky Christmas. Inspired by Glam Rock, there are red and black candles with sparkly skulls, roses and silver ornaments.
Edibles
In 2009, the range of sweet temptations is set to increase. As well as festive treats based on chocolate, espresso and coffee, there are biscuits and gingerbread hearts as tree decorations. Connoisseurs can also decorate the tree with their favorite treats. There are Gouda, blue cheese and Camembert options. There are even little bottles of wine or whisky.
Neutral Decor
In general, there is a trend towards quality neutral decorative items which can be decorated for different festive occasions. Individual pieces give the relevant occasion a Christmassy, summery or glamorous feel and the eye-catching food-related decorations which already featured on 2008 Christmas trees reflect this trend. The manufacturers of Christmas tree decoration are also designing their collections so that they can be used after the Christmas period as decorations for other occasions or events throughout the year.
Retro Meets Modern
When it comes to decorations, the old times are back in a modern guise. Christmas baubles with fairy tale figures and sayings bring back childhood memories. Christmas decoration gets a whole new inner life: delicate Christmas figures can be found inside glass baubles, music boxes and retro radios. You can even get Russian dolls which have another of their little sisters inside. To go with these, the manufacturers are offering homewares made of hammered silver and antique ironwares, plus rustic candles with a salt look. Designers are playing with the traditional and the modern. What happens when Erzgebirgische Volkskunst® meets modern design can be seen in the purist figures of smokers and angels in gold, red, white and green.
The Green Scene
Eco-friendly products. Re-used, re-cycled, re-purposed. But if you re-gift, remember to re-gift tag!
Patterns, Shapes, and Textures
Crushed-mirror mosaics, disco balls, glitter, snowflakes, snow texture, metallic.
Folk Art / Primitive / Country
Handcrafted, or the look of handcrafted, is still trendy for 2009.
Nautical
The nautical style has sailed into all categories of gift and home decor, and has weighed anchor for holiday 2009.
Memory
From scrapbooking to journaling, memory quilts, memory candles and pillows, frames, plates, ornaments, jewelry and holiday cards - look for the "memory" theme to continue as a strong holiday component.
Personalized
Personalization and customization will continue to be hot in 2009. Budget-minded consumers shopping for something special will take advantage of this trend. Personalized products have continued to sell well during this down economy.
Signs
From wearables to tabletop, the message is clear - and the signs are still everywhere.
Cute sayings, touching sentiments, funny comments.
Words used as design elements.
Handmade, or made to look that way.
Embroidered on pillows and towels, vinyl lettering on walls, painted on wood, walls, glass and planters, etched, routed, stenciled, stamped, needlepointed ... you name it, it's still out there.
Vintage
The aged look of antiques and vintage postcards is still with us for 2009. Bethany Lowe Designs features vintage style glass and glitter. Silver mercury glass and glitter-encrusted pressed paper. Wreaths, sailboats, Santas, teddys, glass trees and more.
Greeting Cards
Plantable or "seeded" greeting cards.
Recycled - greeting cards made from recycled products.
Christmas is the largest card-sending holiday in the United States - approximately 2.1 billion cards are sent annually. According to the Greeting Card Association, "handcrafted and intricately decorated greeting cards continue to capture the imagination and buying habits of consumers who want to give sophisticated cards that are both upscale and unusual."
"In stark contrast to the digital-age features of many greeting cards, these unusual cards demonstrate painstaking attention to detail and stand-out artistry. They frequently feature designs incorporating bits of fabric, ribbon, beads, or even tiny origami-like paper decorations that are attached to the card by hand. Elaborately crafted pop-up and paper sculpture cards also fall into this special combination of card, artwork, and gift."
"A similar appreciation of tactile artistry and upscale design can be seen in the growing trend toward incorporating textured papers and special printing methods to create cards with a distinctively luxurious look and feel. Cards featuring letterpress printing, embossing, and a sophisticated use of flocking are at the leading edge of this trend."
-excerpt from Professional Crafters.com Christmas Trends 2009
Glad to know that what I enjoy doing is part of the trend for 2009!!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
Tasha
This last week, the sale item is the Heart to Heart Punch for $10.99 (more than 30% off).
The two cards above were part of February's Cards of the Month Club and used the Heart to Heart Punch along with the coordinating Love You Much stamp set. 
As always, you can order this punch directly by clicking here for my business site.
Have you ever seen an owl in person? Not in a zoo but outside? These little owls are so cute! They must be designed after little barn owls or those tiny little burrowing owls. Because great horned owls like we see around here are creepy. Their call is ominous, their outline is sobering, and to have one fly over can make you understand why so many stories have been written about them!
