Tuesday, March 2, 2010

On the bandwagon


I found these at Officeworks last week...

Now it seems that stationery companies are jumping on the crafty bandwagon, and creating ugly plasticky rolls for our pens and pencils. Thank goodness I can create my own pretty fabric one instead!

20 comments:

Peg and Kate said...

Here Here!

Tanya said...

I am not happy with that. I agree re: the making your own nice one- although those pencils look alright.

willow and moo said...

Pretty fabric ones definitely rule!

Caroline said...

Holy pencil! Thats one ugly pencil roll. Yes, lucky we can make our own without nasty petrochemicals involved...

Unknown said...

Ewwww........! its not even attractive!

Anonymous said...

so true how the multi nationals are copying, I see toys as well in the catalogues which are direct copies of handmade ones we see on crafty blogs and sites! they must have desperate little staff trawling the net to see what they can rip off next!!!

Jennifer Rose said...

and its so easy to make one (well once you figure out how to get everything lined up, I tell everyone my mismatched lines are a design feature lol)

Stacey said...

Perhaps that's the hallmark of a successful design?
The sincerest form of flattery and all that.....

Snooze said...

i don't think i'm ever going to stop being amazing at your craftiness ... or how perfect your work is.

Cathy {tinniegirl} said...

I've been gobsmacked over here in the States by how much copying of the handmade aesthetic is going on in the big shops. Handmade is still handmade, and always outshines the imitation.

Bellgirl said...

Their roll looks like a sick parody made by a mad scientist/marketing director/malfunctioning robot. Bev could illustrate it well! But I do love coloured pens- are you gong to make your own roll for them?

mel @ loved handmade said...

Yes!! I have noticed in commercial shops too, not a patch on the homemade with love kind...

bec said...

Grrrrr....

Melinda said...

Yes, good observation. I've known for some time that the crafty world sets trends. For example, greeting cards that look handmade, cost $6 or so to buy from newsagents. Nothing made in a factory is as good as handmade.

Cate Lawrence said...

yes there is so much of this stuff, I'm always surprised when I see it in gift shops, who even sell mass produced art! Is it that people buy it or that they don't see any alternatives?

Jenifir said...

It is interesting how the large manufacturing companies have observed the consumers desire for hand made but have not been (and will never be) able to copy it and get it right. A more intelligent approach for the marketing types is to figure out a way to support hand made and sustainable inustries. Your pen roll is beautiful and so appealing on many levels.

Sandra @ Pepperberry & Co. said...

Sigh. Always the way...

Here's to handmade kicking on for much longer than the multinationals and proving that ethics do matter. xx

Marita said...

It looks like it would last about ten minutes - very flimsy and yuk! I'm sure the handmade pencil rolls will still be kicking around ten years from now. BTW really like your skirt in the last post!

bubbachenille said...

I love this, Dont I have a glass case in that fabric? Thought so, I'll have one of everything made in that fabric, I just love it X

Liesl said...

What the? Don't they know a pencil roll has to have one beautiful colour matched vintage fabric for each pencil?!