Angie Pedersen's Scrapbooking Industry News

CHA Show News

Results from the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Consumer Usage & Attitude Study will be revealed by Larry Anderson, vice president of Marketing Sciences for Ipsos North America, the market research company responsible for compiling the data. The presentation will take place during CHA’s annual convention and trade show in Las Vegas on January 31, 2006, 4-5:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend.

The study shows that the craft industry’s annual retail sales have hit an all-time high of more than $30 billion, and that there are 75 percent of households in America with at least one person who has crafted.

Anderson will address each craft category in detail, name the most participated-in crafts, and assist in how to interpret the data findings. In addition, Sandy Ghezzi, CHA’s vice president of marketing, member services, and education, will speak on how to apply the data to everyday business situations and develop strategies.

Also, Tim Sanders, author and leadership coach at Yahoo! will be the keynote speaker at the convention and trade show.  Sanders will speak Monday, January 30, at 5:45 p.m., and will uncover the secrets of each person’s likeability factor, demonstrating that the more someone is liked, the more they tend to succeed in business and life. He’ll detail how to boost likeability in areas such as friendliness, relevance, empathy, and realness based on his latest book, The Likeability Factor. Tickets are $25 for CHA members and $45 for non-members. The presentation will be preceded by a reception at 5p.m.

On Wednesday, February 1, 2006, convention and trade show attendees are invited to take part in a special Las Vegas Show Night. Complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 5 p.m., with buses departing at 6 p.m. for Le Reve, the show at Wynn Las Vegas.  Tickets for registered CHA show attendees are $60. The normal price is $121. Reservations must be made by December 31 at www.chashow.org.

NewYorkBusiness.com: Primedia's losing act may continue

As reported in the lastest Wooden Horse Publishing newsletter:

Is Primedia sliding into oblivion?  According to an article in newyorkbusiness.com, the stock is down 49% this year to $1.95. Its debt is a staggering $1.4 billion and, except for last year, it has lost money every year since 1996; it is on its third top executive in three years.  And ominously, some of the popular magazines it hasn't sold off, like MOTOR TREND, are faltering and are being redesigned, which always shake up the staff…

From the NewYorkBusiness.com article:

[Primedia] unveiled plans to divide up what remains of its once prominent magazine business. That split comes less than three months after Primedia sold a package of its trade magazines to financier Bruce Wasserstein for $385 million, and less than two years after it sold him its prestigious New York magazine for $55 million.

At the heart of Primedia’s problems is a hugely expensive $1.4 billion debt load that smothers any profits. At this point, the best hope for investors may be for Primedia to be acquired or broken up.

Primedia owns Creating Keepsakes, Simple Scrapbooks, CrafTrends, and Paper Crafts magazines.

Memory Makers Magazine Seeks Associate Editor

F+W Publications seeks an Associate Editor for its Denver-based Memory Makers magazine.

The Associate Editor position includes upper-level editorial responsibilities related to Memory Makers magazine, all SIPs, and online publications as well as departmental tasks. 

Responsibilities

• conceptualize issues and articles with editorial staff
• Manage all features and Scraphappenings section
  
• Research product for article placement
  
• Write articles as needed; edit and fit text for assigned articles

As a member of the editorial staff, the Associate Editor will work closely with the advertising, marketing and production departments to promote and produce the publication.

The Associate Editor will be expected to travel occassionally by plane with overnight stays for trade and consumer shows or other industry events.

See full job posting here.

Corel Photo Album 6

Corel Corporation announced a major enhancement to its popular photo management system, Corel(R) Photo Album(TM) 6, that will enable consumers to easily work with digital camera raw file formats. With support for more than 40 digital camera raw file formats, Corel Photo Album 6 enables photographers to easily open, enhance, process and convert images into the highest quality photos.

Functioning as a digital negative, digital camera raw file formats are gaining popularity among photo enthusiasts and professional photographers who want to preserve their digital image's authenticity. As consumers are seeking more and more ways to produce higher quality photos, they are discovering that the digital camera raw file format provides them with greater detail, true-to-life color and increased control over their image data. Now with Corel Photo Album 6 joining Corel(R) Paint Shop Pro(R) X in support of digital camera raw file formats, photographers have an easy-to-use platform for downloading, organizing, sharing, editing and protecting this valuable photo format.

With digital camera raw file support, Corel Photo Album 6 customers can now:

• Detect digital camera raw images instantly
• Seamlessly download digital camera raw images from the camera to the computer
• Easily preview digital camera raw formats on their cameras
• Manage and organize digital camera raw image formats by time and date, just like they would any other image
• Open and make edits to the digital camera raw file, then save it as a JPG
• Use these files in slideshows, VCD, printed photo projects and web pages
• Quickly e-mail and share digital camera raw file formats with others

"As the digital photography market evolves, photo enthusiasts and professional photographers are seeking more sophisticated ways to maximize the richness and detail inherent in the photos they take," said Blaine Mathieu, General Manager, Digital Imaging at Corel. "By offering our customers digital camera raw file support, we are enabling them to have more control over the photos they take and more choices in how they use Photo Album to manage, store and produce high quality images."

Pricing and Availability
Corel Photo Album 6 - Deluxe Edition is available for a suggested retail price of $49 US and is available from major retailers and resellers across North America including Amazon, PC Mall, Dell.com, Atomic Park, STAPLES Business Depot, Office Depot, CDW, PC Connection, SHI and Software Spectrum. Existing Corel Photo Album 6 users can download the digital camera raw file format update at www.corel.com.

About Corel Corporation
Corel Corporation provides innovative software solutions that help millions of value-conscious businesses and consumers in over 75 countries improve their productivity. The Company is renowned for its powerful software portfolio that combines innovative photo editing and graphics creation, vector illustration and technical-graphics applications along with office and personal productivity solutions. Corel's flagship products include the CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite, the WordPerfect® Office Suite, the Corel® Painter™ Natural-Media® painting and illustration software and the Paint Shop Family of digital photography and image editing software. Founded in 1985, Corel is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. For more information, please visit www.corel.com.

SOURCES: Corel.com and DigiCam News.

RealityScrapbooking.com Idea Book Call for Submissions

Via TwoPeasinaBucket "Pub" board (original post here), a new idea book is calling for submissions:

Do you want to be published in a 'Reality Scrapbook?'
We are publishing a fabulous, full color Reality Scrapbook to showcase and  inspire other artists like ourselves. In addition to Amazon.com, Reality Scrapbook will be marketed nationwide via webstores and scrapbook stores.

The submissions should  be exclusive to this website and entry process. You may not enter any work that has been submitted for publication or on any other site or message board.

The layout should reflect the 'real' side of  your life.  Please submit layouts of any size, altered art, collage art,cards  or any other format that highlights our concept.  All entries should be scanned using the highest dpi possible to ensure clarity.  The publication deadline is December 16th, 2005.

Submit your art via email to laura@realityscrapbooking.com

We will be evaluating art for relevance to publication guidelines.  There will be 100 creations chosen for publication.  We will inform you via email if you are chosen for the publication.

This project is headed by Laura Solomon and Tara Governo.  They will also offer monthly challenges with page kits as prizes.

2005 Digital Camera Buyers Guide from Digital Camera Review

DigitalCameraReview.com has posted their 2005 Digital Camera Buyers Guide, making several product recommendations in 9 categories, including 4 price ranges and 5 categories for specific camera types. The recommendations include several new cameras that have been very recently introduced just in time for the Holidays.

Craftrends Names Award Finalists and Hall of Fame Honorees

Via Craftrends News Digest:

The finalists have been selected for the 2006 Craftrends Awards of Excellence, honoring the industry’s best new products and books. Finalists will be featured in the January issue of Craftrends Magazine and winners will be announced at a special awards banquet during the 2006 Winter Craft & Hobby Association show in Las Vegas.

Also at the banquet, the 2006 inductees in the Craftrends Independent Retailer Hall of Fame will be honored. They are Carol Watkins, owner of Loving Stitches Quilt Shop in Fayetteville, NC; and Mary Coffee and Kim Griffis, owners of Scrapbook Warehouse in Lewisville, Texas.

Here are the book and product award finalists:

General Craft Books

Design Originals: Simply Soldered
Hot Off The Press: 30-Minute Beading
Lark Books: Altered Art
Sterling Publishing: Embellish Your Home
Watson Guptill Publications: Designer Style Jewelry

Scrapbooking Books

Design Originals: Scrapbooking on the Wall 2
Hot Off The Press: Scrapbook Recipes for Journaling
Junkitz: Journey to Junkitz
Sterling Publishing: Designer Scrapbooks the Red Hat Society Way
Watson Guptill Publications: Celebrate Your Stories

Papercraft Books

C&T Publishing: Spectacular Cards!
Design Originals: Book Basics & Beyond!
Making Memories: Ribbonrie
Quarry Books: Pockets, Pullouts, and Hiding Places
Watson Guptill Publications: Collage with Color

Papercrafts

Design Originals: Tim Holtz Distressables & Doodads
Karen Foster Design: Scrapper’s Floss
Making Memories: MM Kids Trims
Ranger Industries: Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powders
Ranger Industries: Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink Applicator

Scrapbooking Tools

Adhesive Technologies: Adhesive Tool Kit
EK Success: Fastenater
K&S Engineering: Her Embosser
Making Memories: Instant Setter
Xyron: Wishblade Personal Media Cutter

Scrapbooking Collections

Arte Latin-Oh!: Quinceaner-Ah! Collection
Junkitz: Essentials Paperz
K&Company: Studio K Collection 2005
Making Memories: Simply Fabulous
Scrapworks: Ethan Kate Collections

Scrapbooking Albums

EK Success: Maple Lane Press
Junkitz: Tim Holtz Ruler Bookz
K&Company: Danny O Tire Tread 12x12 Album
Pioneer Photo Albums: Snap Load Deluxe Top Loading Scrapbooks
Scrapworks: Bay Box Albums

Scrapbooking Other

Craf-T Products: Classic Glimmer Kit #2
Hot Off The Press: Tips, Tricks, Techniques & Trends DVD
Junkitz: Tim Holtz Clearz Circlez
Karen Foster Design: Rub-On Overlays
Krylon: Krylon Paper Finishes Preserve It!

Organization/Storage

Alvin Co.: Art Mate
Alvin Co.: Prestige Easy Pack & Go Traveler
Karen Foster Design: Seat Case
Making Memories: Modular Organization System
Stone Creek Creations: Passion Pink Krafter’s Purse

Papercrafts/Scrapbooking Kits

EK Success: Let-Me-Tell-You about the Bride-to-be Scrapbook
Hot Off The Press: Almost Done Scrapbook Page Kits
K&Company: Studio K Meadow Accordion Book Kit
Karen Foster Design: Baby’s First – Potty Training Paper & Stickers
MeadWestvaco: Mead Max & Lucy Bungee Kit

Scrapbooking Embellishments

Advantus/Magic Scraps: Designer Flair by Magic Scraps
Junkitz: Loose Leaf Ringz
Junkitz: Clipz
Junkitz: Binderz
K&Company: Mom To Go

Cardmaking

EK Success: Cutterpede Mini
Grafix: Grafix Vellum Pads
Junkitz: Tim Holtz Epoxy Stickerz
Xyron: Wishblade Positively Connected I & II Sets
Xyron: Wishblade Tough As Nails Font Set

Innovation

Bernina of America: Aurora 440 QEE by Bernina
Creative Crystal Co.: Be Jeweler Pro
Design Originals: Tim Holtz Distressables & Doodads
Junkitz: Gumdropz
Junkitz: Tim Holtz Ruler Bookz
Kaleidoscope Creations: Kaleidoscope Kreator
Karen Foster Design: Seat Case
MeadWestvaco: Mead Max & Lucy Bungee Kit
Ranger Industries: Memory Glass
Ranger Industries: Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powders
Sakura: Quickie Glue
Z Becky Brown: Creative Clazzic

Craft TV Weekly Launches Scrapbooking Internet Television channel

Craft TV Weekly(tm) is a subscription-based internet-only  global "television" network featuring multiple channels,  each relating to an individual art or craft. Craft TV Weekly launched its first channel, The Scrapbook Lounge(tm) on November 4, 2005. Several more channels will follow in the upcoming year.

WEBISODES
Available only to paid members worldwide, the main attraction of The Scrapbook Lounge channel is its webisodes-weekly streaming television programs approximately ten minutes in length that showcase projects using new design ideas, products and trends. Fresh webisodes premiere each Friday and are infused by the eclectic personalities of their designers.

DESIGN GUIDES
With each webisode, members can download a printable Design Guide(tm) with step-by-step instructions, full-color photographs and a list of products featured in that
webisode. The Design Guides can be printed, hole-punched and added to a 3-ring binder for the member's convenience.

FEATURED PRODUCTS & STORE FINDER
Since the show producers are not retailers, they want to help make shopping easy for members. Products featured in each webisode are showcased alongside clickable links to online retailers and downloadable coupons. In addition, the Store Finder presents a customized list of retailers in the member's local area.

CROPPING CIRCLES(tm), CALENDAR & FORUM
Members will have the opportunity to connect with others in their local area by creating individual Cropping Circles(tm)-home-based scrapbooking groups formed and managed online. A Personal Cropping Calendar(tm) keeps members informed by displaying all their local retailers  scrapbooking events in one convenient location and a Cropping Forum(tm) allows members to post questions and comments.

DIRECT CUSTOMER CONNECTION
The features available on Craft TV Weekly enable manufacturers to showcase the launch of new products and allow retailers to communicate directly to their customers. In addition, by entering the site through a secure back door, retailers and manufacturers can gather critical performance data such as the number of clicks on a banner ad, the number of coupons downloaded or the number of webisode views that translated into "buy" clicks.

FREE STUFF WEEKLY(tm)
Manufacturers are also able to showcase new products in Free Stuff Weekly(tm)-a weekly random drawing that gives away hundreds of dollars in product. Promotional video for each week's product will be featured at the end of each webisode. In addition, information about the product and buy links are included on the site as well as in a weekly email sent to each member.

The purpose of this site is to provide subscribers excellent programming and to drive consumers to the marketplace. Those consumers, who spend 2.5 billion dollars annually, are ready for something new and unique. Craft TV Weekly is delivering that "something" in The Scrapbook Lounge-the fastest, coolest and most-innovative source for consumers worldwide. The Scrapbook Lounge(tm). The future of scrapbooking is here.

Fotolia Launches the first Social Marketplace for Digital Images

Royalty Free Digital Images Available Online for FREE or as Low as $1

NEW YORK, NY – November 9, 2005 – Fotolia launched today the first global online social marketplace for creative digital stock images in four languages, where photographers and designers of all levels can store, share and monetize their photographs and illustrations. Fotolia’s free membership allows graphics artists, web designers, art directors, and consumers to obtain legal royalty free stock images for use in electronic and print materials for free or starting as low as $1.

Fotolia serves as an international distribution and purchasing center for quality digital content. It is a place for professional photographers, student photographers, amateurs, and designers to create an online image gallery of their work, receive feedback from peers, and earn money, with no charge or long term contract. Unlike competing sites, photographers and designers who use Fotolia will keep all copyrights to their images.

Each photograph or illustration submitted to Fotolia is reviewed by an editing team and judged for its commercial potential. The Fotolia editing team includes in-house editors and select contributors with professional expertise in photography, graphic design and illustration. This internal approval process provides quick and constructive feedback within 24 hours. Once approved, the artist can determine the price of his/her work, ranging from $1 to $100, within the photographer's or designer's rank. The ranking system allows for increased revenue potential over time, solely based on the success of an artist’s sales. When images do not meet Fotolia’s editing team’s standards, artists have the option of posting their work in the free section of the Fotolia website. This allows the artists to participate in a unique revenue sharing program from advertising and affiliation fees collected by the free section.

Collaborative features of the website include, photographer and designer forums, image feedback from peers, the ability to add descriptive tags to every image, and a photography and design news web blog.

“The Fotolia social marketplace for digital stock images enables artists to gain revenue from their original works, obtain constant feedback on the market needs, and encourage consumers worldwide to access legal images at the lowest price. This new business model is poised to help fight image piracy on the internet,“ said Oleg Tscheltzoff, Fotolia Co-Founder and President. “Fotolia is designed to be a legal source of inspiration where the creative visual arts community can interact and benefit from a global image library of quality and originality at an affordable price or even for free.”

The Fotolia site is built using the latest Web technologies such as RSS to create real-time buyer and seller alerts to match photographers and illustrators with designers' needs, as well as syndication of forum discussions. Fotolia’s use of AJAX technology allows users to zoom in and get a better view of the images before purchase, while Digimarc™ protects against circumvention of image licensing. An innovative search by color tool developed by Fotolia also detects dominant hues in every image and allows users to identify photographs available within a certain palette.

Fotolia’s digital image marketplace is available in French, English, Spanish and German and has already acquired over 115,000 images in its database.

About Fotolia

Fotolia is an inclusive, global community in which photographers and designers come together to form a marketplace free from traditional royalties and rights management. The web site allows photographers and designers of all levels to share and monetize their passion or profession while allowing graphic artists, web designers, arts directors, marketing professionals, and consumers to obtain high quality, legal digital stock images for free or as low as $1. Pricing is based on Fotolia’s ranking system, which provides photographers and designers the freedom to set their own prices as well as increase revenue potential based on purchases. For more information about the company and to access the marketplace, visit http://www.fotolia.com.

SOURCE: Fotolia Blog and DigiCam News

Epson's Storyteller Photo Book Creator

For as Little as $20, Easily Turn Your Thanksgiving Photos Into a Hardcover Coffee Table Book That Will Last for Generations

LONG BEACH, Calif., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- For many families, Thanksgiving is the one time each year when several generations will sit down together at the dining room table. This year, you can preserve the spirit of your Thanksgiving feast and other festivities for years to come with a new tradition -- creating and printing a coffee table book of your holiday photos in your home while the family is still gathered together with Epson's StoryTeller™ Photo Book Creator.

Epson's StoryTeller kit gives you everything you need to turn your digital photos into your family's unique holiday story to create a beautiful, hardbound glossy coffee table photo book in the convenience of your own home. Starting at $20, StoryTeller is available in 5" x 7" and 8" x 10" sizes with glossy photo paper to print the inside pages, a glossy book cover, a hardbound book that you can easily assemble, and easy-to-use software that lets you enhance and place dozens of photos on up to 20 pages per book. And, StoryTeller works with letter-size printers made by all major printer manufacturers.

Old and New Traditions with Epson StoryTeller Photo Book Creator

As the leaves turn their autumn shade and the mantles of crackling fire places are trimmed for the holidays, Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to capture picture-perfect family moments. Whether you're snapping pictures of setting the table, basting the turkey, raising champagne flutes for your dinner toast, the splendors of your holiday feast, or a quick game of touch football in the backyard, your photos tell a unique holiday story that can be quickly transformed into a hardcover book that can be shared and enjoyed with loved ones as part of your holiday celebration. The StoryTeller software features drag-and-drop design templates that make it easy for kids, parents and grandparents to add personal touches to the personalized coffee-table book you create. With easy-to-use image editing options, including red-eye removal, brightness and contrast adjustments, you can make photos look their best, as well as add fun captions in special font colors. In fact, users can choose from six different book styles with 60 unique page layouts and 18 cover selections.

The easy-to-use software also helps you personalize photos and titles for the front and back cover of the book, as well as add text along the spine, creating a finished cover that looks just like a professional coffee table book. In addition, the photos you place throughout the book show up automatically as sneak previews on the back cover, providing a photo thumbnail table of contents. Adding inscriptions inside the front and back cover flaps helps give that final personal touch. With this year's holiday photos and timeless stories, your StoryTeller photo book will surely warm the hearts of the people you love this holiday season. Using StoryTeller is also a unique way for grandparents to share family history with grandchildren by creating a photo book that symbolizes old and new traditions.

Learn More About Epson's StoryTeller Photo Book Creator

For more information, including a video tutorial on how to use Epson's StoryTeller Photo Book Creator, visit http://www.epson.com/storyteller. Epson StoryTeller Photo Book Creator kits are available at retail locations nationwide, including B&H, Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, Fry's, Ritz Camera, Staples, and Target, as well as the Epson Store.

SOURCE: EPSON MediaRoom - News Releases.