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Posts from May 2005

New Sakura Product: News Comes in Threes

It is always news in the papercrafts and crafting industry when Sakura of America announces a new product. That news becomes even bigger when Sakura announces three new innovations, as it does now with its Quickie Glue™ glue pen, Stardust™ Clear sparkling gel pen and six new colors of the highly acclaimed Glaze™ raised-ink gel pen.

At 2005's premier tradeshow for scrapbooking and crafting, The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) show in Atlanta, Sakura previewed these new products to 18 leading designers and editors. Every attendee was excited with the variety and innovation Sakura introduced with these three new products. Attendees included such noted craft designers such as Susan Cobb of Hot Off The Press, Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame scrapbooker, Brenda Arnall, Lisa Galvin, Andrea Johnson of Mrs. Grossman's Paper Company, Tera Leigh, Margaret Hanson-Maddox, Mary Lawler, Lisa Pavelka, Vicki Schreiner, and Suze Weinberg. Other attendees included key editors from important scrapbooking and craft magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens Creative Collection, Creating Keepsakes, Expression, and Memory Makers.

Quickie Glue
The first product introduced was Quickie Glue, a two-way glue in a ball-point barrel. As simple as this may sound, crafters and scrapbookers are continually frustrated by the problems that glues present like uncontrolled spreading or globbing. In contrast, Quickie Glue lays down a smooth line just like a regular gel ink pen. Quickie Glue is versatile too---creating a temporary or permanent bond.

Even "seen-it-all" crafters are impressed with Quickie Glue. Tera Leigh, author of a new book on Faux Mosaics, says, "Quickie Glue is a wonder! The ability to apply a quality glue product in a defined space without pooling or messing around with brushes or other applicators is a huge time saver. Quickie Glue is also perfect for children or adults with hand problems because of the ease of use. Anyone who can use a pen, can use Quickie Glue!"

Besides simple adhesion, scrapbookers and crafters can use Quickie Glue to create embellishments. Sprinkle glitter on a straight, curvy or dotted line with Quickie Glue and crafters have instant sparkle. Quickie Glue's controlled flow is excellent for foiling techniques with foil paper. Draw a line with Quickie Glue, let dry for five minutes until tacky, place the foil paper on the area covered with Quickie Glue for 30-40 seconds and quickly remove. Voila! foiling easily done without heat guns and messy powders.

Quickie Glue is currently available in a one-pack pouch with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, or MSRP, of $2.49 each and is merchandised in a 24 pouch counter cup display.

Stardust Clear gel pen
Since Sakura introduced Stardust sparkling gel pens, craft designers have suggested that Sakura create glitter gel with just the sparkle - no color. Little did they know, it was already in the works. Stardust clear is ideal for papercraft and scrapbooking accents in a 0.5mm bold line and removes the hassle of messy powders or waiting for the heat gun to warm up that used to be needed to create sparkling effects on paper.

Stardust Clear's qualities are best expressed by independent designer Mary Lawler, "The Stardust pen is ingenious. Now I can get a fine, elegant line and sparkle at the same time. It's perfect for outlining and underlining on light as well as dark paper. I like to use it as a drop shadow on title lettering to make it pop. The shimmer is so beautiful I want to use it on everything." Stardust Clear is available in a two-pack pouch with an MSRP of $3.38and is sold in an 18 pouch counter cup display.

Glaze Raised gel ink - six new colors
As the inventor of gel ink, it was no surprise that Sakura was the first company to create 10 vibrant colors of raised ink, giving designers an instant embossed effect for papercrafting and other crafts. You can now add six new colors---sepia, turquoise, hunter green, royal blue, grey, and white---making a grand total of 16 colors. These new colors were based on input from leading designers who work with Sakura products in a variety of media.

As professional crafter Sharon Silver says, "the richness and versatility of the six new Glaze colors add an extra punch to my existing designs, particularly the opaque white glaze. Try it on dark paper and prepare to be wowed."

For those who didn't hear about Glaze, in late 2003, Sakura came out with the first pigmented, three-dimensional gel ink. Drying to a gloss, Glaze produces a water-resistant 0.70mm bold line. Most inks slide and run off smooth surfaces, but Glaze clings to most non-porous surfaces like stickers, ceramics, metal, plastic, iridescent mylar, as well as coated papers. It is also fun to use for personalizing cellphones and MP3 player cases.

As with the original Glaze, the raised ink rewards the patient crafter as it requires a few minutes of drying time to achieve its full raised effect on stickers and other non-porous surfaces. It also gives depth to gift cards, wedding invitations, and handmade stationery.

The Glaze new colors will be sold in two-pack pouches and will have an MSRP of $3.96. They are also being sold in a six-pack color assortment with an MSRP of $11.88.

New colors of Glaze are available in three different displays: 1) a corrugated counter display with 24 ten-pack sets of original colors and 12 six-pack sets of the new colors, 2) a wire rack display which holds 24 ten-packs of original colors along with 12 sixpacks of new colors and 120 two-pack pouches of the ten original colors.

The Glaze new colors are also available in a pouch-only wire rack which includes 12 two-packs of each of the six new colors and 24 two-packs of white. This merchandiser also includes 12 two-packs of original glaze black, blue and Glaze clear.

Headquartered in Hayward, CA, Sakura of America is the U.S. subsidiary of privately held, Sakura Color Products Corp. of Osaka, Japan. Besides Quickie Glue, Stardust Clear, and Glaze products, Sakura is the acknowledged inventor of Pigma® ink technology and oil pastels along with many other high-quality writing instruments and art materials.

SOURCE: PRWeb

ArcSoft Announces the Release of PhotoPrinter 5

Today, ArcSoft announced the availability of ArcSoft PhotoPrinter 5, an easy-to-use desktop printing application. PhotoPrinter, among one of ArcSoft's most famous desktop applications, has an all new interface with increased functionality, making desktop printing easier while introducing a broader range of features and control.

“Getting the best-looking prints for the lowest price remains the consumers’ number one goal. PhotoPrinter includes paper templates from all of the big printer and paper manufacturers, so the entire shelf of printing supplies is now available for every shopper,” said Todd Rumaner, ArcSoft COO. “Best of all, it’s really easy to use.”

PhotoPrinter 5 is a do-it-yourself photo printing application focused on making at-home printing fast, simple and more affordable.

Key features include:

  • Output to all standard US print sizes (8x10, 5x7, 4x6, 3.5x5, wallet)
  • Output to all standard Intl. print sizes (13x18cm, 11x17cm, 9x13cm, 7x10cm, etc.)
  • Supports hundreds of photo paper templates (Kodak, Avery, EPSON, HP, Canon, APLI and more)
  • Custom layout options -- Create photo collages and photo               index sheets from your photo collections
  • Capture and print video frames from home video files
  • Direct photo printing from digital cameras, scanners, and media cards
  • Color Profile Setting controls for optimizing print quality
  • Photo editing tools such as crop, rotate, flip, sharpen, enhance and redeye removal
  • Creative photo options such as add text, creative borders, blurred edges and color effects

PhotoPrinter 5 is currently available; please visit www.arcsoft.com for more information.  MSRP: $49.99.

About ArcSoft
ArcSoft, Inc. is a leading developer of software and firmware solutions for PC-peripheral, mobile phone, and consumer electronics manufacturers. Established in 1994, ArcSoft is a privately held company headquartered in Fremont, California, with regional commercial and development facilities in Europe and the Far East. For further details, please visit their corporate Web site.

SOURCE: ArcSoft.com

Provo Craft & Novelty Partners with Sorenson Capital

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2005--Provo Craft & Novelty, one of the world's fastest growing product providers for crafters and hobbyists, and Sorenson Capital, a private equity fund based in Salt Lake City, today announced Sorenson Capital has become an investment partner in Provo Craft.

Provo Craft, which owns the Roberts Arts & Crafts chain, distributes more than 6,000 proprietary, and more than 20,000 non-proprietary, craft and hobbyist products to retailers around the world. Merchandise includes many award-winning items for paper crafting, home decor and general crafts.

With the addition of financial resources gained from partnership with Sorenson Capital, Provo Craft intends to continue its rapid-growth strategy through innovation and new-product development.

"We've come a long way since our first retail store," says Robert Workman, CEO of Provo Craft. "In our partnership with Sorenson Capital, we want to continue that growth. Sorenson Capital shares our core values and brings us a tremendous amount of strategic, financial and operational experience."

The Sorenson Capital management team includes three former CEOs and several members who have top-level experience at leading strategy consulting firms and other prominent financial institutions in the U.S.

"We think the Provo Craft management team has done a fantastic job building their business," said Fraser Bullock, managing director of Sorenson Capital and former COO of the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics. "We look forward to helping them continue to grow an outstanding company." Provo Craft management has retained a significant equity stake in the business and will continue in their current roles.

The U.S. craft market has grown rapidly in recent years and is currently a $29 billion industry. Scrapbooking accounts for approximately $3 billion of the total.

About Provo Craft & Novelty
Provo Craft & Novelty Inc. was founded in 1964 with a single retail store and has grown to become one of the largest and most respected craft companies in the world, manufacturing, importing and retailing craft products. Headquartered in Spanish Fork, Utah, Provo Craft operates 10 retail stores in Utah and Idaho and has a 200,000 square-foot distribution facility in Spanish Fork.

About Sorenson Capital
Sorenson Capital is a private equity fund that provides small- to middle-market buyout and growth equity investments. Sorenson Capital is managed and controlled by West Rim Capital and has offices in Salt Lake City, Utah; Palo Alto, California, and Phoenix, Arizona.


SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance.

ScrapbookGifts Announces Kit to Raise Funds for Breast Cancer Research

BazzillkitspreadScrapbookGifts.com launched the “Personal Stories” line of scrapbooking kits at the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) 2005 Annual Advocacy Training Conference. Each kit includes everything needed to create a beautiful album to ‘tell a personal story’ by adding one’s own photos and words.

“Personal Stories” consists of three richly colored kits: Reflect (Pomegranate) Remember (Purple), and Renew (Parakeet Green). Each kit contains an 8”x8” scrapbook album, coordinating cardstock, buttons, brads, fibers, embellishments, a coin envelope, an ink cube and a page of scrapbook tips and techniques.

Thirty percent (30%) of the net proceeds from the sale of each kit will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund. Kits may be purchased in bulk quantities for use as a local fundraiser. Smaller quantities of kits are available exclusively at www.ScrapbookGifts.com.

About ScrapbookGifts.com
ScrapbookGifts.com (a subsidiary of VPS International LLC) is a leading online retailer of scrapbooking kits and gifts. The web store offers a variety of paper collections and all-in-one kits at attractive prices. Scrapbooking is a $3 billion industry in which approximately 25% of U.S. households participate.

VPS International LLC is a women owned company. “Personal Stories” was developed in conjunction with Bazzill Basics Paper and the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

SOURCE: PR Web

PhotoMesa 3 Released

Zoomable User Interfaces have met Digital Photo Managers and the result is PhotoMesa. PhotoMesa 3, a completely new application has been written from the ground up to support today's digital photography users. This new release (available at www.photomesa.com) uses a novel interface that makes it very easy to browse hundreds of photos in multiple folders at once. It then goes further by letting users easily annotate thousands of photos with who is in them as well as adding captions and even categories - all of which can then be used to search on.

PhotoMesa is unique in the ease with which users can perform simple browsing along with more complex annotation, regrouping and search. The new approach builds on years of research in this area from the University of Maryland's Human-Computer Interaction Lab.

Ben Bederson, President of Windsor Interfaces, Inc. says "The common wisdom is it takes 10 years to successfully commercialize a new idea. We're happy to show that we did it in 5. PhotoMesa finally makes Zoomable User Interfaces available to the general public, and they�€™re going to be excited when they come to realize that they don't have to be frustrated anymore while managing their important digital photos."

PhotoMesa 3 is available immediately for Windows platforms, and is recommended for everyone that uses digital imagery - from home digital camera users to designers and other professionals with large numbers of detailed imagery.

Download a free, completely functional trial version of PhotoMesa here.  It does everything the licensed version of PhotoMesa does except that the trial is limited to 2 weeks.  Full version is $25.

SOURCE: DigiCam News

Snapfish Cuts Prices to 12 cents a Print

I found this bit in the DigiCamNews blog:

USA Today: Snapfish price cuts could lead to price war

snapfish.gifOnline photofinisher Snapfish recently cut prices to 12 cents for a 4x6 print. That's well below the industry average of 22 cents, according to the Photo Marketing Association.

In this article, USA Today writer Jefferson Graham discusses the possibility of an online photofinishing price war between Snapfish, Shutterfly, and the Kodak EasyShare Gallery.

If you're ordering prints online, you can't afford to miss this article.

Also in Snapfish news: Hewlett-Packard acquired Snapfish in April this year.

Yahoo! Mail Announces PhotoMail Beta

Yahoo! Inc., recently announced the beta release of an innovative e-mail photo sharing feature called PhotoMail, available for free from Yahoo! Mail, a global leader in e-mail and the No. 1 e-mail service in the United States. PhotoMail greatly simplifies the e-mail photo sharing experience by allowing people to insert up to 300 photos into the body of an e-mail, minimizing the worry of exceeding message or attachment size limits. The new PhotoMail feature tightly integrates Yahoo! Mail with both Yahoo! Photos and Yahoo! Image Search.

The PhotoMail feature allows the sender to drag-and-drop images from anywhere on their computer, Yahoo! Photos, or even the Web and insert them as smaller 'thumbnail' previews into a Yahoo! Mail message. PhotoMail messages can be personalized by adding captions and borders to the pictures, and the size and quality of the pictures can be easily adjusted. Through integration with Yahoo! Photos, the No. 1 online photos site in the world, PhotoMail users receive free and unlimited photo storage. People can also insert images from Yahoo! Image Search, the largest index of images on the Web, with more than 1.5 billion images. PhotoMail is another example of Yahoo!'s commitment to provide a truly integrated communications experience where people can communicate with the people in their lives however and whenever they want.

Highlights of PhotoMail include:

-- Share more photos by e-mail: People can insert up to 300 photos into a single PhotoMail e-mail message minimizing the old worry of exceeding message or attachment size limits. With PhotoMail, people can easily e-mail pictures from any folder on their computer, any of their online Yahoo! Photos albums, or from anywhere on the Web via Yahoo! Image Search. The full resolution versions of the photos can be easily viewed by recipients of the PhotoMail message, by simply clicking on the thumbnails.

-- Unlimited, free photos storage: When sending a PhotoMail, the full size versions of the images from the consumer's computer and other albums on Yahoo! Photos are automatically saved in a new album in the sender's Yahoo! Photos account, providing additional options for printing, sharing, and advanced photo editing. If the sender doesn't already have a Yahoo! Photos account, one is automatically created for them when they send their first PhotoMail message.

-- Photos and messages can be customized: People can easily personalize the PhotoMail messages they send by adding borders and captions, rotating pictures, and adjusting the size of their images.

-- Easy for friends to view and enjoy: Sharing photos is easier with PhotoMail because there's no need to download and open separate attachments; the photos appear directly in the recipient's e-mail message. Friends can view a slideshow, print photos at home, order prints, save to their own Yahoo! Photos account, or save the full size versions to their computer, right from the sender's album on Yahoo! Photos. PhotoMail messages are supported by virtually all popular e-mail programs, so they can be sent to anyone at work, school, or home.

"Our users have told us that sharing photos by e-mail is an essential part of their online experience and that, up until now, the process has been much too complex. With PhotoMail, we're taking away all the complexity of dealing with large e-mail attachments and making it easier than ever to share images with Yahoo! Mail," said Andy Spillane, vice president of Yahoo! Mail.

Consumers can enjoy the PhotoMail beta by visiting http://photomail.mail.yahoo.com.

SOURCE: DigiCamNews

New Patriotism Product from Queen & Co

Queen & Co is proud to announce the arrival of their new patriotic themed product line.  In addition to their best selling Trio Brads, Alpha-Bet brads, Frame-Its and Tag-Its, they have added some fun new items. Included in this release are their new Number brads, Mini Alpha-Bet brads, Patterned Star brads, and Patterned paper designs which coordinate perfectly with their embellishments!

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Super Stars - Patriotic

Star brads made in four fun colors. Brads are brass and sized just over 1/2".  Patterns are designed to be free form and therefore will not be exactly the same on each brad.  These fabulous new patterned star brads are packaged 12 pieces per pack, in assorted styles and patriotic colors.

Tag Its - Patriotic
These great embellishments provide you with both tags and matching brads in one convenient package! Tags measure approximately 3/4". 4 matte finish tags, and 6 coordinating brads per package.

Wave Paper - NEW!
Queen & Co's new patterned paper provides fresh, fun design in perfectly coordinating patriotic colors. Available in five patterns, printed on 80# paper. Shipping begins the first week in June.

Trio Brads - Patriotic
Queen & Co's #1 best seller has gone red, white and blue with a touch of grey. Patterned brads in fun themed colors. Patterns include gingham, polka dot, stripes. Shapes include mini round, mini and larger square. 30 pieces per package including patterns and solids.  These adorable brads are sure to be a summer smash!

Number Brads - NEW!
By popular demand they have added new number brads to their product line up! These brads are sized at 1/2" and include 2 of each number, with extra #2 and #0. 25 pieces per package.

Mini Alpha-Bet Brads - NEW!
So cute and so tiny! Queen & Co's best selling alphabet brads are now available in a new smaller 5/16 size! Perfect for lettering on tags or in small spots. These also work wonderfully between their larger alphabet brads. Packaged 36 pieces per pack.  Larger Alphabet brads are sized at about 1/2" and come in a fun color mixture. Includes 36 pieces, with additional letters a,e,i,o,u,r,s,t,l, and n.

These fun new products have great appeal throughout the coming summer months. Perfect for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and of course Patriotic themes.

Creating Keepsakes Extends to Japan

PRIMEDIA Enterprises, the licensing and merchandising division of PRIMEDIA Inc. (NYSE: PRM), today announced an agreement with Sun-K, a leading hobby products manufacturer and retailer, to launch the popular Creating Keepsakes scrapbooking brand in Japan. Sun-K will publish a localized version of Creating Keepsakes magazine and launch the popular Creating Keepsakes University event program. This marks the introduction of the Creating Keepsakes brand into the Japanese crafts market, an estimated $3.2 billion industry according to the Hobby Association of Japan. This arrangement addresses that growth and demonstrates Creating Keepsakes' growing prestige among scrapbooking enthusiasts both in the U.S. and Japan.

From its launch in 1996, Creating Keepsakes has been recognized as the scrapbooking authority and go-to resource for ideas, inspiration and cutting-edge scrapbooking techniques. The success of Creating Keepsakes led to the creation of Creating Keepsakes University (CKU), an intensive and unique educational three-day event for students to refine and master their scrapbooking skills. The brand's entry into Japan leverages the leadership status and model for success established in the U.S. and increases the program's influence among an enthusiast audiences abroad.

"The Creating Keepsakes brand continues to gain traction and attract enthusiasts. We're now in position to take our proven success and status as the scrapbooking pioneer and expand outside of the more than $29 billion U.S. crafting market," said Jacqueline Blum, president of PRIMEDIA Enterprises. "Creating Keepsakes is valued for its strong educational tie-in and Sun-K is emblematic of the type of partner we seek out to expand our expertise and promote the craft. They carry equal clout in their market as well as an impressive breadth of experience."

Sun-K will launch a Japanese version of Creating Keepsakes entitled Creating Keepsakes with Simple Scrapbooks later this year. The Japanese edition will publish content from Creating Keepsakes and sister publication Simple Scrapbooks, a title focusing on the novice scrapbooker. By combining their expertise along with localized content, the Japanese version will track market trends and service the demands of a significant and growing scrapbooking audience in Japan, from beginner to expert.

In addition, Sun-K will replicate the brand's CKU event, with the creation of a smaller, intensive workshop for scrapbooking students of varying skill sets. CKU Japan will begin in 2006, following a similar format as the original educational forum.

"We're excited to be involved in the continued evolution of the Creating Keepsakes brand," said Naoya Kikuchi, deputy president and director of Sun-K Co., Ltd. "There is huge opportunity to bring high-quality content and expertise into the ever-growing scrapbooking market and through an affiliation with Creating Keepsakes we can further elevate our standing in the market."

The debut of Creating Keepsakes in Japan continues a series of successful international extensions for PRIMEDIA's enthusiast brands and demonstrates the company's commitment to extend the brands into new markets.

About PRIMEDIA Enterprises
PRIMEDIA Enterprises is the worldwide brand licensing division for PRIMEDIA's 250 publications, having established brand extension programs for titles such as Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Lowrider, Super Street, Import Tuner, In-Fisherman, and Creating Keepsakes. PRIMEDIA Enterprises extends the company's brands into consumer product categories such as apparel, accessories, toys, interactive games, automotive accessories and equipment, books, and calendars, as well as service licensing and promotions. Internationally, PRIMEDIA's content and brands are licensed in more than a dozen countries around the world.

About Sun-K
SUN-K Co., Ltd., founded in 1979, is a leader in the Japan hobby and craft industry, having introduced tole and decorative painting techniques for the first time into Japan. SUN-K has since extended the tole painting market and played an instrumental role in establishing the hobby in Japan. SUN-K invites famous tole painters and decorative and folk artists from all over the world to lead five nationwide seminars annually, as well as 360 courses for Japanese instructors at SUN-K shops in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. SUN-K also distributes various products related to these crafts. SUN-K plans to further develop the scrapbooking market in Japan under the partnership with Primedia, focusing on education in order for scrapbooking to be increasingly recognized in Japan.

SOURCE: PRIMEDIA's website.

New Ellison Dies Released at National Stationery Show

Ellison recently released 35 new dies at the National Stationery Show in New York City.  These new designs captured the hearts and imaginations of countless designers attending the Show.  Now available are a variety of Bags, Boxes, Cards, Envelopes and Tags.  The Matchbook Card, File Folder, and Layered Flipper Book dies make easy mini-books for your scrapbooking projects. 


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