Angie Pedersen's Scrapbooking Industry News

Scrapbooking Industry News Closes

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:
I have decided to stop publishing news on Scrapbooking Industry News (aka SBIN), effective 8/25/08.  Since I posted the first scrapbooking industry newsbyte on One Scrappy Site in 2003, my priorities and interests have changed.  I no longer have the time, energy, or enthusiasm to keep posting.  There is no background drama, or bitterness, or other fodder for gossip -- it's just time for me to move on.

I will continue to post on my personal blog, The Blog of Me.

Fortunately there are others who provide updates about the scrapbooking community and industry - I encourage you to visit their sites to stay 'in the know'.

Blogs
Nancy Nally's Scrapbook Update: http://www.scrapbookupdate.com/
Angie Redhead's ScrapScene: http://www.scrapscene.com/
Michelle Thompson's Scrap-Rants blog on Scrapability: http://scrapability.squarespace.com/scrap-rants/

Podcasts
Danielle Forsgren's Diva Craft Lounge: http://www.divacraftlounge.com/
Lain Ehmann's ScrapHappy: http://knitandpurlgrrl.blogs.com/scraphappy/podcast/
Scrapbook Talk Radio: http://www.scrapbooktalkradio.com/

ScrapBiz Announces New PhotoBookBiz Program

(EVERETT, WA. August 22, 2008) For the past six years, Everett, WA based ScrapBiz.com has helped entrepreneurial scrapbook enthusiasts set up their own businesses selling traditional paper, embellishments and kits for the "hands-on" approach to scrapbooking.  Now ScrapBiz is offering members the ability to profit from photo books in addition to their traditional offerings through a new PhotoBookBiz Program.

Professional printed photo books are quickly becoming the scrapbooks of the 21st century.  According to current research from the Photo Marketing Association, the photo book industry is expected to top $350 million by the end of 2008 with nearly 10% of U.S. households having made at least one book. 

"The scrapbook industry has changed rapidly in the last five years," said Kim Guymon, industry consultant and founder of ScrapBiz. "Digital scrapbooking and photo books have become very popular ways to preserve your memories.  The majority of scrapbookers have digital cameras and for some of them, it makes more sense to print a photo book rather than individual photos.  Retailers in the traditional scrapbook industry have struggled to figure out how to capitalize on this trend. The PhotoBookBiz Program is that answer to that question."

The wholesale Photobook Biz program is offered by ScrapBiz and supported by Visan Industries, the creators of Rocket Life.  Visan provides the creative software plug-in, product printing and fulfillment while ScrapBiz provides the business support and marketing materials.

Retailers can offer their customers photo products such as mugs, calendars, cards and collages in addition to the photo books.  "The plug-in or creative platform used to make these products is very user friendly yet innovative," said Guymon. "Visan's exclusive 'Smart Arrangement Technology' makes creating a beautiful product or book easy for anyone who knows how to click and drag."

Currently, the program is only available to ScrapBiz members but will be launched this October to all retailers in the scrapbook industry.  Interested retailers may sign up at ScrapBiz.com to receive more information on the program.

Imprinting Options Launches New Album Line

Express Yourself and Your Memories with New Albums Now Available from Imprinting Options

Unique new product line allows local retailers and imprinters to provide custom albums to both digital and traditional scrapbook customers.

Jupiter, Florida – August 21, 2008 – Imprinting Options, a manufacturer known for its scrapbook customization tools, has developed a unique album product line for scrapbookers and photo crafters of all levels, whether traditional paper crafters, or modern memory keepers.  Five collections of albums, all made in the U.S.A., offer more than 20 color choices and a variety of cover textures.  The line is called Album Options.

"We developed this new product line especially for our foil imprinters," explains founder Pamela Valenti.  "With these new albums, our retailers and imprinters will be able to explore new markets while offering more options to their customers. Each album collection has been specifically tested to imprint with our foils and dies, which means our imprinters can feel confident offering these albums to their customers."

Each of the five collections offers its own look and feel:

• The Choice Collection – covered with traditional Book Cloth, these albums have classic appeal.


• The Select Collection – covered with rich non-woven materials with subtle textures, and available in ten rich colors, these albums impart quality and durable performance.


• The Expressive Collection – covered in elegant metallic materials, and available in nine luxurious colors, these albums define luxury and style.


• The Leather Collection – covered in genuine leather in five classic colors, these albums offer a distinctive look guaranteed to impress.


• The Custom Digital Collection (pictured above) – each cover is as unique as a photograph.  These albums feature distinctive covers made quickly and easily with templates, or from digital files designed by the tech-savvy user.  This collection allows retailers to offer digital-friendly products, without being digital scrapbookers themselves.

The Album Options® line is made with materials hand-selected to represent class, durability and extravagance at an affordable price. Available in 12x12 and 8x8 sizes, each post bound album includes 10 archival-quality pages, available in either traditional top-loading pages, or six-up 4x6 photo album style pocket pages.  The removable slip-in library spines easily accommodate more pages as the album expands.   Stain and water resistant materials offer superior hot foil stamping performance.

The Album Options® line is available at wholesale pricing to approved retailers in the photo, scrapbook, and imprinting market.  Retailers interested in becoming an approved retail site, and/or being listed in Imprinting Options' Online Retail Directory should visit the company website at http://www.imprintingoptions.com for more information.

About Album Options®
Album Options® is a unique line of scrapbooks / photo albums for scrapbookers and historians.  Album Option® prides itself in manufacturing high quality, innovative albums in the USA at a reasonable price. 

Triscape Releases FxFoto6

New FxFoto 6 Creates Advanced Slide Shows

Award-winning photo editing and digital scrapbooking software offers over dozens of improvements including powerful new options for creating and saving photos, layouts and slide shows in a variety of formats.

Windham, NH - August 12, 2008 -- Triscape has released the latest version of their popular photo editing, layout and slide show software, FxFoto 6.  This major upgrade provides a spectrum of new features and improvements, including powerful new slide show authoring.

FxFoto 6 makes it easier to create and arrange large slide shows with a variety of animated transition effects.  Fifteen new "wipe-style" transitions provide more creative options.  Borderless slides emphasize photos by eliminating white space.  FxFoto 6 also simplifies recording narration or selecting music for long slide shows.  It can now rearrange slides with drag and drop and can combine or break up slide shows.  FxFoto Media Edition can save slide shows and photo layouts in a number of new formats including Flash (SWF), MPEG, MP4, AVI, WMF and PDF.  Users can create multimedia shows for YouTube® and portable devices such as the Apple iPod®, plus Flash shows for the web.

Also new is an innovative Undo Brush that can selectively remove edits and effects.  The Undo Brush can blend original and modified areas with partial transparency.  FxFoto 6 now prints photos or layouts directly from left pane folders, making easier to organize and print scrapbooks or other multi-page creations.  New batch operations allow resizing a number of photos in one step and can flatten complex layouts into a single image for additional editing.  For digital scrapbooking enthusiasts, FxFoto Creative and Media Editions now offer a variety of free designer kits for download.

FxFoto's unique interface makes it easy to edit images and create multi-image layouts without sacrificing power.  With over 1.6 million downloads since 2003, FxFoto has become one of the most popular photo software solutions.  The download offers powerful free photo editing without the time limitations found in most trial software.  It can organize, edit and save photo files in JPEG and other popular formats and includes professional tools such as a Clone Brush.  The free edition now allows users to try most advanced tools and effects and create multi-photo collage layouts and slide shows, features that are fully enabled with a purchased registration.  Plus the free Standard Edition can now save photo text and frame annotations for future editing.

Availability
FxFoto 6 is available from the Triscape Inc. web site at http://www.FxFoto.com.

About Triscape
Triscape, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is located in Windham, New Hampshire, 35 miles north of Boston. The company is privately held and specializes in graphics software.

CHA Posts Orlando Info Online

Via Craftrends Magazine: .

The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) has posted on its Web site a recording of its first teleconference discussing the organization’s decision to move the summer show to Orlando in 2009. To listen to the recording, visit http://www.craftandhobby.org/_audioconferencecall/.

The 2009 summer trade show will be followed by a consumer show July 31-August 1. Participation in the first group of conference calls has reached capacity, but more calls will be scheduled in September and October.

CHA has also posted online answers to frequently asked questions about the 2009 events, though negotiations with the Orange County Convention Center (Orlando) are not yet complete. That information is available on CHA’s Member Networking Site: http://www.chamembernetworking.org.

PaperCrafts Magazine Announces Staff Changes

Paper Crafts Magazine recently announced that editor-in-chief Stacy Croninger has stepped down from that role to pursue a career with CK Media’s events team. After four plus years at the helm of Paper Crafts, she will move into her new role as Senior Events Manager of the Creating Keepsakes Conventions.

Under Croninger's leadership, Paper Crafts magazine has grown to be the leading publication dedicated to paper crafting in the industry. Croninger has represented Paper Crafts in the media, at CK Media events, at various paper crafting celebrations overseas, and on the ever-popular QVC.  The consummate paper crafting enthusiast, Croninger has brought to the magazine a love for the craft, a professional dedication to spreading the word, and a keen understanding of the hobby.

PaperCrafts also announced that Jennifer Schaerer will assume the role of editor-in-chief for the magazine.  Schaerer has a diverse background in journalism and publishing, combined with experience in marketing including consumer research, design development and execution, product management, and branding.

Schaerer is a "self-confessed paper fanatic who admits that there were a few years in her life in which she dictated that Christmas gifts be wrapped in a certain color scheme".  She proclaims a passion for stationery and paper crafted home décor. Her most memorable paper crafted project is a huge 4’ x 6’ corkboard that she made when she was 16, demonstrating that she has found a creative outlet in paper crafting starting at a young age.

CK Announces New Scrapbooker of the Year

BLUFFDALE, UTAH (August 6, 2008) – Creating Keepsakes magazine announced Mandy Douglass of Page, Arizona as the 2008 “Scrapbooker of the Year” at the Creating Keepsakes University education seminar in Provo, August 6th. Douglass was awarded $10,000 in cash, as well as thousands in sponsorship prizes from Creating Keepsakes, Sizzix, and Wausau Paper.

Additionally, Douglass is invited to appear in the Creating Keepsakes, Sizzix, and Wausau Paper booths during upcoming tradeshows and will sign a two-year agreement to represent Creating Keepsakes at upcoming events.

As the third “Scrapbooker of the Year” contest, Creating Keepsakes received hundreds of scrapbook entries. Five finalists were chosen and received an all-expenses paid trip to the awards reception and the Creating Keepsakes University education seminar, August 6 – 9.

 “We were delighted by the beautiful entries we received for the contest this year and it was extremely difficult to narrow them down to just five,” commented Lisa Bearnson, founding editor of Creating Keepsakes magazine and a leading spokesperson for the scrapbooking industry. “All five finalists are exceptionally talented scrapbookers—they wowed us with their amazing pages and unique article ideas. We celebrated their superb work and outstanding talent at the awards reception.

To enter the “Scrapbooker of the Year” contest, scrapbookers submitted a portfolio of their 20 best scrapbook layouts and prepared an article outline on a scrapbooking topic relevant to Creating Keepsakes readers. 

Founder Lisa Bearnson, editor-in-chief Brian Tippetts, creative editor, Britney Mellen, and managing editor Brittany Beattie were among those who selected the top five finalists by judging the contestants on their scrapbook pages, as well as specified personal interviews. Finalists were selected based on showing enthusiasm for the hobby, being able to inspire other scrapbookers, and presenting a unique viewpoint to the industry.
 
About Creating Keepsakes
Creating Keepsakes magazine is America’s leading scrapbook magazine, providing a wide variety of scrapbook page ideas and styles for intermediate to advanced scrapbookers who are passionate about their hobby. The magazine is published 13 times a year, has a readership of approximately half a million and is available at scrapbook specialty stores, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Michael’s and Hobby Lobby stores, as well as craft retailers nationwide. For more information about Creating Keepsakes, visit www.creatingkeepsakes.com.

Urgent Call to Action Regarding Orphan Works Act

Via Kizer & Bender's blog, Retail Adventures in the REAL World, a reminder that the trade organization Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) urges the creative industry "to write to their senators, asking them to halt all progress on the [Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act] until it is amended to protect visual artists and to include, at a minimum, a publicly accessible 'notice of use' filing."

The CHA Orphan Works information page points to this news alert from the Graphic Artists Guild:

Urge the Senate to protect creators' rights on S. 2913

"The Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008" S. 2913 is currently awaiting a vote by the full Senate. Senate Majority and Minority leaders are trying to "hotline" the bill, but individual Senators have put a "hold" on the bill. We urgently need you to contact your Senators to stop this bill.

Write to your senators immediately! Congress will recess on August 2nd for summer break. The bill may still be amended if the bill is scheduled for a debate by the full Senate. Write to your Senators and urge them to amend the bill, and ask them to vote against the bill if it is NOT amended. The Graphic Artists Guild opposes the Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008, S. 2913 unless it can be amended to protect visual creators and to include, at a minimum, a publicly accessible "Notice Of Use" filing. A public Notice Of Use doesn't eliminate fraudulent claims, but it will reduce the likelihood of users making fraudulent claims of an orphaned work.

"The Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008" has already passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. This is our last chance to stop the "hotlining" of the bill before it passes the Senate. We were unable to achieve all of the significant changes to the bill we wanted to better protect the rights of visual creators and rights holders. We were able to get one significant change; the prohibition of usage of an orphan work on "useful articles" (as described in existing Copyright Law), although we were not able to get a total exclusion for all commercial usage.

The Graphic Artists' Guild has created a letter-writing portal that automatically generates a sample letter that can be automatically be emailed to your US Senators, based on your zip code.

Visit your Senators in person in their office in your home state between August 4th and September 5th during the Congressional recess, or call your Senators and speak to them directly. Go to the GAG orphan works blog at www.orphanworksnews.com for talking points. Urge your Senators to amend S. 2913 to include at a minimum, a publicly accessible "Notice Of Use" filing.

Story Circle Network Expands Online Class Offerings

The Story Circle Network, the only lifewriting program designed exclusively for women, has expanded its online writing programs for women. This fall, they are offering five women-only classes, open to both SCN members and non-members.

The Fall 2008 online class lineup includes:

• Personal Maps and Place as Story (taught by Susan Albert)
• Start Small Finish Big: From Memoir Vignette to Publication, Part 1 (taught by Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett)
• Journaling by the Moonlight: A Woman's Path to Self-Discovery (taught by Tina Games)
• Writing A Healing Memoir (taught by Linda Joy Myers)
• What to Keep: An Introduction to Memoir Writing (taught by Robin Reger)

For full class listings, faculty bios, enrollment, and more, visit their website: www.storycircleonlineclasses.org

SCN is also seeking women teachers/writers who want to share their passion for lifewriting by working with women in online and email classes. Skilled writers with experience in teaching memoir, journaling, life-based fiction, and other lifewriting forms are invited to submit a proposal.  They are now accepting proposals for the following sessions:

• Winter, 2009 (January 19-March 16, 2009) - deadline for proposals is 10/1/08
  
• Spring, 2009 (April 13-June 8, 2009) - deadline for proposals is 2/1/09
  

About the Story Circle Network

The Story Circle Network is dedicated to helping women share the stories of their lives and to raising public awareness of the importance of women's personal histories. SCN carries out their mission through publications, a web site, classes, workshops, writing and reading circles, and woman-focused programs. SCN activities empower women to tell their stories, discover their identities through their stories, and choose to be the authors of their own lives.

Since 1997, SCN has offered courses and educational programs in writing circles, conferences, workshops, and online classes. They offer learning opportunities in memoir, reminiscence, journaling, poetry, family stories, kitchen table stories, writing-as-healing, writing for personal growth and spiritual development, poetry, blogging, and others. SCN classes teach general writing skills, organization, and critical editing, as well as technical skills in book design and development, online marketing, blogging, and other Internet-related activities.

About SBIN

Founded and edited by scrapbooking pioneer Angie Pedersen, Scrapbooking Industry News (SBIN) is a clearinghouse of information related to the scrapbooking industry.  It features press releases on product releases, manufacturer news, business acquisitions, personnel changes, and more. Online since 2003, SBIN compiles information from over 50 newsrooms and resources, filtering out the fluff, presenting only the juiciest tidbits. Whether you’re a scrapbooking beginner, an addict, a professional designer, a retailer, a manufacturer, or something in-between, you’ll find something of interest here. Scrapbooking Industry News…all the news that’s fit to scrap!

SBIN promotes information from manufacturers and business owners of companies related to scrapbooking (paper and digital), paper crafting, rubber-stamping, collage/altered arts, photography, personal keepsakes, and genealogy.

"You can't sneeze in this industry without Angie Pedersen knowing and blogging about it."

-- Molly Newman, Associate Editor, Digital Scrapbooking Magazine

"...[Angie Pedersen] knows more dirt about companies than anyone has a right to know..."

-- Anonymous

Craftrends to Cease Print Publication

Via Scrapbook Update, the news that trade magazine Craftrends will cease its print publication, effective August 1st.

In the July/August 2008 issue, in his Editor's Insight column, editor Bill Gardner wrote:

Beginning August 1, Craftrends magazine will be replaced by Craftrends E-News, the monthly e-mail newsletter we’ve been distributing since February 1. This issue is the last print edition of Craftrends. Economic times have finally caught up with us. As you may know, Craftrends is solely supported by advertising revenue.  And, unfortunately, there has been a tremendous downturn in that over the last couple of years. That, along with rising postage and paper costs, have forced us to close the book on a magazine that’s been published since 1982, and one I’ve been proud to be a part of since 1991.

...we’ll be in touch 12 times a year instead of six times as we were with the magazine. We’ll still bring you ideas on how to improve your business, as well as book and product reviews and commentary. And, we plan to make significant improvements on our Web site to complement the newsletter. And for vendors who want to get the word out to buyers, we do offer advertising opportunities in the newsletter and on our Web site.

The newsletter is currently being to sent to "everyone on our mailing list for whom we had an e-mail address as of February 1, along with those who have signed up for it since." Back issues of the newsletter are available on the Craftrends website.  Newsletter subscription instructions are included at the bottom of each newsletter.