Angie Pedersen's Scrapbooking Industry News

National Archives Offers Assistance to Gulf States

Washington, DC…Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein announced today several initiatives to aid in the recovery of original records in the states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana that have been affected by Hurricane Katrina.

In making this announcement, the Archivist said: "The potential loss of information that directly affects the lives of people in these states is staggering. The loss of our collective memory of this region, 'identity loss' in other words, is at stake. Property deeds; birth certificates; personal papers; information documenting the rights and entitlements of citizens, such as social security and veterans benefits, are all at risk. Records found in Federal, state, local and cultural sites must be rescued.

As 'first preservers', the National Archives is committed to being a partner, along with the major archival organizations, in helping assess, recover and preserve these irreplaceable records. We are sending both financial and human resources to aid in this disaster and will continue to offer assistance as long as it is needed. Archives staff has already spent hundreds hours working with Federal agencies and our partners in state and local government to scope out this effort and begin to identify and recover records. In the coming days and weeks, working with our partners in the states and the Federal agencies, we are committed to spending thousands more."

Current initiatives include:

• At the request of the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Archives will provide a senior conservator to assist the State of Louisiana Medical Examiner and the Orleans Parish Coroner in providing document recovery advice and support.
• The Archivist of the United States in his capacity as Chairman of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) has authorized emergency grants of up to $25,000 from FY2005 grant funds to the State Archives in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama for disaster assessment and response activities identified in consultation with their State Historical Records Advisory Boards.
• NHPRC will consider additional grants as needed per affected state of up to $100,000 from FY2006 when these funds are appropriated. The NHPRC also is working closely with the leadership of the Council of State Archivists and the Society of American Archivists to identify other funds and sources of support.
• The National Archives is working with FEMA to identify avenues for the affected states to quickly obtain emergency funds for recovery and preservation efforts of documents.
• The National Archives is continuing dialogue with Federal and state officials to assess their needs.

Initiatives already underway: The National Archives has:

• Aided the victims of this disaster - veterans and retired civil servants from the Gulf Coast region – by providing expedited access to copies of their veterans and civil service records so that they can establish or re-establish their personal information and obtain relief benefits.
• Developed a web presence for Federal agencies and courts, state and local governments, cultural institutions, and the general public which contains recovery and preservation guidance and information. www.archives.gov
• Offered Federal agencies with offices in the affected regions advice and assistance on records recovery issues, emergency disposal and other records management issues through the National Archives headquarters and the Atlanta and Fort Worth regional archives.
• Consulted with Federal agencies concerning classified national security information that may be affected by the hurricane.
• Delegated authority to Federal agencies to destroy contaminated records that constitute a menace to health, life, or property if those records have a temporary disposition of 10 years or less and if the information from the records is likely captured, at least in part, in other sources.
• Utilized National Archives professional preservation and records management staff from across the nation, to provide advice and assistance in the region.

SOURCE: NARA - Press Room

MemoryTrends 2005: Burnes Group Scrapbooks

BURNES GROUP, THE LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF PHOTO FRAMES, ALBUMS AND ACCESSORIES, LAUNCHES NEW LINE OF SCRAPBOOKS

Possibilities Boasts the Widest Array of Scrapbooks for Everyone from the Mommy-to-be to the Family Genealogist

AUSTIN, Texas, September 27, 2005—Burnes Group, the company that revolutionized the framing business with Level-Line, announced the launch of a new division dedicated exclusively to scrapbooking. This new division will use the Possibilities name as its consumer brand for all of its scrapbooking products. The new line, which is one of the most comprehensive lines of scrapbooks available to consumers, will debut at the Memory Trends trade show October 10th – 12th, 2005.

The launch of Possibilities is a direct response to the explosive growth of scrapbooking—now a $2.5 billion industry according to the Hobby and Craft Association. With more than 25 million scrapbookers in the United States and new devotees each day, the hobby is projected to continue its upward swing.

"Scrapbooking enthusiasts are more passionate about their hobby than ever,” said Charlie Lawrence, vice president, marketing and product development, Burnes Group. “We created the Possibilities line to meet the needs of scrapbookers who are looking for just the right book for his or her cherished photos and memorabilia at an affordable price. Our new line covers themes such as baby, family, bridal, sports, travel and pets, and offers albums for an unlimited variety of interests.”

The Possibilities line includes more than 200 scrapbooks designed to fit every type of interest and personality. The comprehensive collection will include everything from basic to gift and embellished scrapbook albums, as well as scrapbook kits. Possibilities scrapbooks will retail for $6.99 to $29.99, suiting both budget-conscious shoppers and scrapping sophisticates. The scrapbook albums are scheduled to hit retail shelves in November, just in time to give as holiday gifts or for preserving favorite holiday moments.

Here are just a few products from the Possibilities line:

Sassy Mommy Scrapbook Album: Perfect for giving as a baby shower gift, this fun scrapbook includes10 archival safe, top loading sheet protectors. Available in an 8” X 8” size and three styles, the album is postbound to allow for additional pages to be inserted. Suggested retail price: $14.99

Vintage Attic Scrapbook Album: This romantic-looking album is offered in three unique designs and three different sizes (6” X 6”, 8” X 8” and 12” X 12”). The postbound album comes with 10 top loading sheet protectors and makes a handsome accent to any décor. Suggested retail price: $19.99 - $29.99

Retro Travel Scrapbook Kit: This fun kit comes with everything you need to document a favorite vacation or family trip: a 12” X 12” scrapbook album, 12 printed travel pages, 3 sheets of travel die cuts, 2 sheets of travel and alphabet stickers and 10 sheet protectors. Suggested retail price: $24.99

ABOUT BURNES GROUP

Burnes Group is the largest American designer, marketer and manufacturer of photo frames, photo albums, and related photo storage and display products.

The company markets the Burnes of Boston, Carr, Connoisseur, Intercraft, and Decorel brands. Burnes Group headquarters are located in Austin, Texas.

The company has corporate showrooms in Austin, New York, Atlanta, and Dallas. Burnes Group is a division of Global Home Products, LLC.

Adobe Announces Photoshop Elements 4.0 and Premiere Elements 2.0

Via Graphics Software @ About.com:

Major Upgrade to Popular Tools Provides Innovative and Intuitive Ways to Edit and Share Digital Photos and Home Videos Just in Time for the Holidays

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sept. 27, 2005 — Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced two new products for digital photo and digital video enthusiasts. Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 4.0 for Windows®, a new version of Adobe's No. 1 selling consumer photo editing software*, adds powerful and intuitive ways to organize, edit and share photos. For video hobbyists, the award-winning Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 software for Windows brings unparalleled control, ease of use and more options for creative digital video editing with a self-adjusting workspace, support for all video types and DVD customization.

Available together in a single retail package, Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 Plus Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 delivers the powerful and affordable software integration consumers need to be creative and impress friends and family with their digital photos and home videos.  Photoshop Elements 4.0 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 also are available as separate products (see separate press release about Premiere Elements for more information).

"This holiday season, photos and video will be captured from digital devices which extend far beyond traditional point and shoot cameras," said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Digital Imaging and Digital Video Products at Adobe. "With so much freedom to capture any moment at any time, our customers need software that allows them to edit and share this unique content from any device, quickly, easily and in ways that are truly all their own."

Photoshop Elements 4.0 delivers more editing power with the new Magic Selection Brush that allows consumers to select specific parts of photos for easy color, lighting and contrast adjustments. The Magic Extractor easily extracts subjects from photos, with advanced edge defringing, for great composites. Smart technology behind new features means effortless photo enhancement with automatic red eye removal across a batch of photos, one-click skin tone correction and Face Tagging, which allows consumers to keep photos at their fingertips with new ways to find and view them. They can show off their creativity in countless ways, from exciting dynamic slide shows to one-click online printing, and enhanced Photo Mail (see separate press release about Photoshop Elements 4.0 for details).

Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 offers the perfect combination of superior control, new self-adjusting workspace ease and reliability to help automate tedious video editing tasks so that consumers can be creative more quickly. Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 makes it easy to import video clips from all digital video devices, experiment with hundreds of professional transitions and effects, and burn videos to DVD. Consumers can create professional-looking DVDs with customizable menus, or transfer their home movies to portable video players to delight friends and family anytime, anywhere.

Photoshop Elements 4.0 is part of a complete family of Photoshop products that meet the needs of a diverse spectrum of digital photographers: the free Photoshop Album Starter Edition for the novice digital camera user; Photoshop Elements for the digital photography enthusiast; and Photoshop CS2 for the professional or the most demanding amateur photographer. Similarly, Adobe offers Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 for superior quality home-video editing and Adobe Premiere Pro for the more advanced professional or the most demanding amateur videographer.

Each product offers more growth and creative control for customers, giving them access to award-winning technology and options for more sophisticated editing, organization and sharing options for their digital photos and video.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe's digital imaging and digital video products are available at www.adobe.com. Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 Plus Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 for Windows is available as a bundle in the United States and Canada at an estimated street price of US $149.99. Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 for Windows XP (Home, Professional, and Media Center with Service Pack 2) is available for an estimated street price of US $99.99. Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Windows XP (Home, Professional with Service Pack 2 or Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005) is available for an estimated street price of US $99.99. Adobe's complete hobbyist product line is being made available in early October 2005 on online sites and select retail stores. Information about the other language versions, as well as pricing, upgrade, and support policies for other countries is available on www.adobe.com . For more information, customers can call 1-800-492-3623.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe is the world's leading provider of software solutions to create, manage and deliver high-impact, reliable digital content. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

* Source: The NPD Group/NPD Techworld, September 2003 - May 2004

Canon Offers New PIXMA MP950 Photo All-in-One

New PIXMA MP950 Photo All-in-One from Canon Offers the Quality and Convenience of a Photo Kiosk for the Home

PIXMA MP950 Model Features 7-Color Ink System Producing up to 9600 X 2400 Color DPI, 3.6-Inch LCD Display, the Ability to Scan up to 12 Negatives or 8 Slides, and Wireless Printing

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 2005-- Photo enthusiasts and scrapbookers can now have all their imaging needs met at home thanks to the new Canon MP950 Photo All-In-One which prints, copies and scans personal photos and documents with the speed and ease of a photo kiosk - yet is small enough to fit on a desktop.

Along with the convenience of being able to print their latest images, scan their favorite slides or output text with one home office device, users won't have to sacrifice quality with the new MP950 model which uses a seven-color ink system offering up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi for sharp detail and clarity. Photographers and scrapbookers will also love this new All-In-One's 3.6-inch LCD TFT (thin film transistor) display which lets the user see the images they'll be printing without having to connect to a computer, along with its ability to scan up to 12 negatives and eight slides and directly print photos from select memory cards and PictBridge ready devices.

Wireless printing to the PIXMA MP950 model is also possible from select devices with an optional Bluetooth adapter. In addition, it offers support for IrDA wireless printing as a standard from devices such as mobile phones.

"With the ability to do so many imaging tasks well, this is truly the high-end all-in-one photo kiosk that photographers have been asking for," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. "The high-quality multi-function features of the MP950 Photo All-In-One are also great for scrapbooking enthusiasts wanting to catalogue those special moments in life - past, present and future."

Amazing Resolution, Color and Detail
To achieve up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi, the MP950 model uses Canon FINE technology with a next-generation 3,584-nozzle print head that ejects precise, consistent droplets as small as one picoliter. The advanced seven-color ink system includes six dye-based inks and a pigment-based black ink that produces truer, more life-like photos and laser-quality text. This PIXMA Photo All-In-One also offers great speed, with a photo-lab quality borderless photo taking approximately 46 seconds to print with the default setting in the printer driver.

A Great View with 3.6-Inch Color LCD Display
To access the extra-large 3.6-inch LCD color TFT (thin film transistor) display, all users need to do is insert a compatible memory card into one of the built-in card slots and then select the images on the screen. Images can then be automatically enhanced on the LCD Viewer for red eye, sharpness and brightness values or they can be fine tuned by using the control panel. Images can also be printed directly on the MP950 model from PictBridge ready devices.

The ChromaLife100 & FINE Systems
The MP950 model takes advantage of such Canon breakthroughs as the new Canon ChromaLife100 System for long lasting photos and Canon's pioneering Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) print head system for impressive speed and photo quality. The ChromaLife100 system produces prints on select genuine Canon photo papers that resist fading for up to 100 years when stored in an archival quality photo album (see the ChromaLife100 webpage for more information). The FINE print head system uses a ground-breaking high-performance multi-nozzle print head that ejects consistent and microscopic ink droplets. The results are high-resolution photos with greater detail and clarity and better longevity in less time.

Copying & Scanning Features
The AE (Auto Exposure) Copy feature on the MP950 model automatically optimizes reproduction quality based on the type of original that's being duplicated. The convenient Photo/Film buttons lets the user make reprints of photos and 35mm film without using a computer. When scanning on this model, high performance CCD technology can produce spectacular 3200-dpi scans, with vibrant 48-bit color depth. Even better for photographers and scrapbookers alike, the MP950 model allows for scanning of up to 12 frames of 35mm film (negatives or positives), or up to eight mounted slides. For convenience, two paper trays let the user keep photo paper stored in one tray and plain paper in the other so they're always ready to print either photos or documents. The MP950 model can also print two-sided documents automatically to help save on paper costs, and even create two-sided photos using Canon Photo Paper Plus Double Sided in 5 x 7 and 8.5 x 11 inch sizes.

Pricing and Availability
The Canon PIXMA MP950 Photo All-In-One will be available in late October and will carry an estimated selling price of $449.99.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2004, with global revenues of $33.3 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance

MemoryTrends Releases: American Traditional

American Traditional Designs® is proud to announce the addition of some new products to its expanding line of themed scrapbook collections.

Announcing the debut of Fabric Details™.  These easy to use adhesive backed fabric embellishments add that handmade touch to any project.  Choose from a variety of fun shapes and detailed designs created to compliment our themed collections.  Our assortment includes woven labels, embroidered felt and embroidered twill stickers perfect for any scrapbooking layout, card or tag.  [click the graphic to enlarge view.]

From whimsical trees and holiday flowers to Santa and his reindeer, the contemporary styling of Very Merry will add flair to all of your holiday projects.  The collection includes coordinating papers, stickers, rub-ons, our new Fabric Details™, and more!  [click the graphic to enlarge view.]

The entire collection will be unveiled at the Memory Trends Show in Las Vegas, October 10-12.

Scrapbook Retailing Study Results to be Released

According to the first-ever Scrapbook Retailing in America Study, conducted for Craftrends Magazine, annual average sales for independent scrapbook stores in the U.S. is more than a quarter-million dollars.

Craftrends will release results of the study at the MemoryTrends Trade Show on Sunday, October 9. A short presentation and a printed Executive Summary will be provided for attendees at the Welcome Reception in the Pavillion 9 Ballroom at the Hilton Hotel that evening.

More detailed results will be published in the November issue of Craftrends, and a detailed summary will be available for purchase around the end of December.

The survey was conducted for Craftrends by Signet Research. Approximately 2000 questionnaires were sent to qualified scrapbook buyers with a response rate of 23 percent.

SOURCE: Craftrends News Digest

StoryLife photo cards

Via DigiCam News:

From StoryLife's About page:

Introducing StoryLife
StoryLife offers an exciting new way to preserve and share your stories! Your stories are the thread of life. From the birth of a newborn baby to their first steps, first day of school, graduation, wedding, the birth of their own child and beyond, every person’s story is unique. At StoryLife, we are committed to help you share your stories, using your own pictures, captions, and our creative art for background, border and collage designs. At StoryLife.com, you can:

• Create a "one-of-a-kind" collage with your own photos, captions and beautiful StoryLife artistic designs
• Choose from hundreds of unique backgrounds, effects, borders and collage designs
• Order photo greetings, large size prints for display, collages for your scrapbook and more
• Improve your pictures with our editing tools
• Order real photographic prints from your digital pictures
• Have your order delivered to your home or directly to your friends and family
• Store your pictures
• Organize your pictures in online albums
• Share your photos and collages via email with friends and family

Tell your Stories with Pictures

If you are like most people, you have many treasured photographs stashed away
in closets, drawers and shoeboxes. You may even have a digital camera with lots
of pictures stored on your personal computer. Most people want to do more with
their photos: albums or scrapbooks, framed enlargements for the wall, even photo greetings, invitations and announcements. But who has time to run around to the print shops and find out how to make a personalized photo card?

Have we got a solution for you! Simply upload your photos to the StoryLife website, and with a few clicks of the mouse, you can create personalized cards, bordered enlargements and collages. You won’t believe the awesome quality of our printed products; real photographic quality to ensure a treasured lifetime keepsake.
 
StoryLife was born out of years of experience in consumer photography in the US and abroad. The founder of StoryLife, Cynthia Heigold spent 20 years with Eastman Kodak Company, where she worked across product development, manufacturing and marketing of photo products and services. She worked on the launch of the first consumer digital cameras (imagine a mere 180K pixels!), and Kodak’s first internet print service. Even back in the pioneering days of digital imaging, she recognized the inherent power of digital to bring together photos, text captions and art into a personal collage. Each collage tells a story, and when you thread them all together, you have created a lasting keepsake of treasured lifetime moments.

Memory Makers Masters Announced

Memory Makers Magazine has announced the list of 2006 Memory Makers Masters:

2006 Memory Makers Masters
Amber Baley, Waupun, Wisconsin
Kelly Goree, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Vanessa Hudson, Mount Olive, Alabama
Suzy Plantamura, Laguna Niguel, California
Valerie Salmon, Carmel, Indiana
Jessica Sprague, Apple Valley, Minnesota
Danielle Thompson, Tucker, Georgia
Lisa VanderVeen, Mendham, New Jersey
Susan Weinroth, Centerville, Minnesota
Angelia Wigginton, Belmont, Mississippi

2006 Contest Runners-Up
Erin Campbell-Pope, Petal, Mississippi
Nicole Cholet, Beaconsfield, Quebec, Canada
Holly Corbett, Central, South Carolina
Becky Fleck, Columus, Montana
Amy Goldstein, Kent Lakes, New York
Linda Harrison, Sarasota, Florida
Caroline Huot, Laval, Quebec, Canada
Barbara Pfeffer, Omaha, Nebraska
Kathleen Summers, Roseville, California
Samantha VanArnhem, Olmsted Falls, Ohio

Editor's Note: Thanks to SBB's Amy Edwards for the heads up.

 

MemoryTrends Releases: Queen & Co

Queen & Co is excited to announce the arrival of their new Memory Trends release products.  Included in this lineup are some fun new items in addition to their best selling products.

 

They have assembled four great new themed lines including fall, winter, traditional and old fashioned Christmas. They have also expanded their paper line to include 12 great new designs (which have already received some rave reviews!). The new paper stock has been completely changed. Their paper is now printed on a matte finish, 80# text weight stock. To see all of the new paper designs, visit their website.

Other new products:

Alphabet Brads
Fun themed alphabet brads include 36 pieces per package, sold in units of 6. Available in Fall, Winter, and Christmas colors. (Shown left)

Tag-Its
Fun and so frosty these tags come 4 per package and include 6 coordinating brads.  Also available in new Fall, Winter, and Christmas designs.

Anchors
Our adorable anchors are packaged 16 pieces per pack and are sold in units of 6.  Available in new Fall, Winter and Classic Christmas, and Old Fashioned Christmas colors.

New Pin-Its
Cute and colorful safety pins are packaged with 50 pieces per pack, sold in units of 6.  New colors include: Halloween, Magic, Fall, Winter and Christmas.

New Big Brads
These great new brads are sized at 1/2" for a larger impact. Packaged with 10 pieces per pack, sold in units of 6.  Available in: Black, Blue, Green, Pink, Purple and Red.  (Shown right)

Corner Brads
This old fashioned color scheme brings a new twist to the holidays. Packages with 12 pieces per package and sold in units of 6.  Available in: Fall, Winter, Christmas, and Traditional Christmas.

Trio Brads
Frosty winter colors adorn these new trio brads. Packaged 30 pieces per package, sold in units of 6.  New themed colors include: Fall, Winter, Traditional Christmas and Old Fashioned Christmas.

All products are now available, with the exception of paper. Paper will be in stock the week of September 26th.

Queen & Co welcomes you to come see all of these fun new products next month at Memory Trends, Booth #1729.

EK SUCCESS Seeks Sales Reps

EK Success seeks several motivated self-starters with a min of 2 yrs related sales or retail exp, to develop new business & grow existing accounts within several different geographic locations in the US. Responsibilities include maintaining current accounts, presenting new products to small chains & independent retailers & educating them on usage & industry trends. A min of 40% travel (including overnight stays) within the territory & national trade shows required. Interest in crafts & or scrapbooking a must.

Visit the EK Success Careers page for more information.