Angie Pedersen's Scrapbooking Industry News

Sakura of America Launches Sticklers Kits

Hayward, CA (PRWEB) February 20, 2006 -- The new Sticklers Kits from Sakura of America combines 3-Dimensional inks with outline stickers in easy to use kits. Sticklers are the hottest new craft idea appealing to kids, teens & adults alike. Sticklers can be used to decorate personal items such as cell phones, mp3 players, compact mirrors, & PDAs with your own signature style and creative flair.

Using Sticklers is “Easy as 1-2-3!” If you know how to “color-in” a shape, you’ll be an expert in working with Sticklers in minutes! Decorating items is as easy as applying a sticker and then coloring them in with either Glaze or Souffle™ 3-Dimensional ink pens.

Sticklers Kits utilize metallic colored die-cut stickers with three coordinating special craft pens that offer an easy & stylish way to personalize cards, wedding stationery, notebooks, crafts, personal electronics and more.

The Sticklers Kits make Sakura’s most recent 3-D ink innovations, Souffle & Glaze, even easier to use. Sakura's patented raised ink pens provide "writing you can feel" and eliminate the need for heat guns and powders which crafters have had to use in the past to create embossed, or raised effects on papercrafts and other craft projects. Glaze pens feature glossy, transparent colors on lighter surfaces and when used on clear plastic sheets – give a “stain glass effect”. Souffle pens offer matte, opaque, pastel colors and work well on darker surfaces such as cell phones & PDAs. Both 3-D pens adhere to a wide range of surfaces – and yet can be removed by carefully peeling off the stickers and colors. A full range of Glaze & Souffle colors are available separately.

Sticklers come in 4 different kits with a MSRP of only $5.99. Each kit contains a unique gold or silver outline sticker sheet plus 3 Glaze or Souffle pens in coordinating colors. Sticklers will be available in finer crafts, art and scrapbooking stores, nationally, starting March 1st, 2006.

Headquartered in Hayward, CA, Sakura Color Products of America, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of privately held, Sakura Color Products Corp. of Osaka, Japan. Sakura also manufactures the popular Gelly Roll gel pen, Pigma Micron fine-line pens, as well as many other high-quality writing instruments and art materials. Go to www.sakuraofamerica.com for more information on Sticklers.

SOURCE: PR Web

Carlsbad, CA Retailers Win the CHA SMART Store in Las Vegas

Carlsbad, CA (PRWEB) February 16, 2006 -- The SMART Group, in conjunction with CHA and SMART manufacturers, put together the first CHA SMART Store powered by The SMART Group.

Over 5,000 people toured the CHA SMART Store in three and a half days. In the end, however, only one lucky retailer would win it all. They won the displays, the merchandise, the point of sale system, the paper shaping center, the crop room, the samples, and shipping to their store location.

To ensure that the drawing was fair, an independent auditing firm, Extra Mile Marketing (http://extra-mile-marketing.com) was brought in to manage the giveaway and to authenticate the entries. All store owners in the continental United States who are current members of CHA were eligible for this prize, and they had to be present to win.

At 4 pm on February 1, in the CHA Theatre, John and Camille Akin, owners of Ever After Scrapbooks in Carlsbad, CA, won the store. John was stunned; as we watched him walk up from the audience, it appeared that he was gliding on autopilot. Camille said, “I’m speechless!” and later shared with us that she was weak in the knees. Nothing could have prepared them for this. And the most exciting part of John and Camille winning was that they are a member of The SMART Group, so they already are putting into practice the programs, processes, and principles The SMART Group knows will make this industry grow.

Over the next year, The SMART Group will be working with John and Camille to see how we can learn more about how this store format works, how their profitability increases, and how we can do things even better next year. And yes, we do plan for there to be a next year. The SMART Group is already in negotiations with CHA to have The CHA SMART Store 2 in place at the Anaheim Convention Center at CHA 2007. At that time, another lucky retailer will win the store.

The 3500 square foot CHA SMART Store was built in the middle of the Las Vegas Convention Center in four days. It has never been done before or even attempted by any other organization. Months of hard work by SMART staff, manufacturers, and CHA made this a reality. And, as a reality, it was the largest education and marketing effort the scrapbooking industry has ever seen! Principles like store display and design, merchandising, retail-manufacturer branding partnerships, education, business to business operations, and paper shaping and design were included in the store. With the research The SMART Group has done over the past few years, we knew that the goal had to be to improve the retail stores to show the industry what it can be like when we all work together to grow the industry.

The goal of The SMART Group is for independent retailers to have the right merchandise at the right time for the right price. To do this, they have to move their merchandise faster and increase their turn rates. This means building partnerships with fewer manufacturers who will work with them on branding products, cooperative advertising and store displays.

The SMART philosophy also means that manufacturers need to create strong retailer loyalty programs. Rewarding retailers for selling threshold levels of product and for dedicating a certain amount of square footage to them is part of this ideal. It allows the manufacturer to effectively manage their brands within the store. In addition, rewarding retailers with cooperative advertising funds that help the store to brand with the manufacturer’s trade brand is another part of this program.

Distributors are another important element of SMART business practices. They are integral in helping manufacturers to effectively manage their loyalty programs. Through their relationships with both manufacturers and distributors, they are in the unique position of managing a manufacturer’s brand while also focusing on increasing the inventory turn rates of the retailers. In this way, distributors can support all involved and increase the industry’s the profitability.

SOURCE: PR Web

CHA Winter 2006: Across the Street

Torrance, CA, February 13, 2006 -- Sandi Underwood and Marchelle Klein launched Across the Street LLC at the beginning of this year and exhibited the new Lazy Scrapper at the Winter 2006 Craft and Hobby Association Tradeshow in Las Vegas, NV on January 31-February 3. 

The modified paint can sports a turntable on the bottom so crafters can spin the can, grab their tool of choice and keep on working.  The stylish canvas jacket comes in two color combinations: pink and black, or blue and brown.  It has 20 pockets, some of which are mesh for visibility.  Another important design feature is the enlarged handle allowing personal trimmers, water bottles and other tall items to be carried easily inside the can.  The handle has a plastic grip for carrying the Lazy Scrapper comfortably to crops and classes.  Scrapbooking enthusiasts will quickly recognize the value of the Lazy Scrapper's compact size and appreciate the table space it frees up.

This innovative and classy product is the first to be released by Across The Street LLC.  Partner Marchelle Klein explains, "First impressions can make or break you.  Sandi and I were emphatic about producing high quality products at affordable prices.  We envisioned 'function meets fashion' and began formulating our product line.  The Lazy Scrapper is just the beginning.  As excited as we are about the Lazy Scrapper, we are even more enthusiastic about the next product to be released at the CHA 2006 Summer Show in Rosemont, Illinois."

Sandi and Marchelle possess 20+ years combined experience in the scrapbook industry.  Both live in Torrance, California; both are stay-at-home moms; both have four children (Sandi's fourth is due in August 2006), and both share the favorite hobby of...you guessed it, scrapbooking.

Photo Marketing Association: Digital Printing and Camera Trends Report

Via the Photo Marketing Association press room:

Digital Printing Volume

The volume of prints (all sizes) made from digital-still camera images increased by 69 percent for the year ending November 2005.  Online ordering activity grew at the rate of 159 percent in the 12 months ending November 2005.  Printing volumes on retail minilabs grew by 142 percent, more than twice as fast as the overall printing growth. Growth in home printing remains positive, but below the market average. For the period of December 2004 through November 2005 the volume of prints made at home grew by 43 percent.

Read the full 11-page PDF report here.

PMA Is . . .

For 81 years, PMA® has served as an international trade association for the changing needs of the expanding photo imaging industry with more than 20,000 members in 100-plus countries, headquartered in Jackson, Mich. In addition to the United States, there are membership offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Italy, France and Russia.

PMA membership is open to any firm doing a substantial portion of its business in photo imaging retailing, scrapbook and custom framing retailing, processing (digital and silver halide) or service work. Cooperating memberships are held by firms that manufacture or distribute products or services for the imaging industry. PMA provides more than 100 services to its members, and holds the world's largest annual photo imaging trade show, typically drawing well over 700 exhibitors and 20,000-plus attendees.

CHA 2006: Colorbok/Life's Blessings

Sarah Heidt has licensed designs for Faithbooking products to Colorbök (pronounced Colorbook) which is a leading creator of scrapbooking products.  The line, called "Life's Blessings" was launched at the CHA trade show in Las Vegas last month.

The "Life's Blessings" collection contains three lines: Family, Faith, and Baby.

Each collection offers a 12x12 album, embellishment packs (ribbons, metals, & sewn labels), woven labels, Page Kits, Mixed Media Packs (which includes, vellum, 30 patterned papers, punchouts and stickers), Quote Packs, and Sticker Packs.

The "Baby Blessings" line is done in gender neutral tones of sage green, buttery yellow, lavender, and periwinkle.

The "Our Family Blessings" line is done in tones of plum, heather, and shades of blue. These are great papers for heritage layouts, and have a classic, color- washed feel.

The "Faith" line (seen right) is done in shades of sage, olive green, and cool blues, giving the line a serene and contemplative feel. Perfect for scrapbooking your spiritual journey with photos of family and nature.

The new line also features specialty albums, each accented with ribbon and metal slide, and front window frames.

CHA 2006: Roundup of reports

Since I didn't actually attend the Craft & Hobby Association trade show in Vegas last month, I have compiled a list of links to reports from people who did.

• Ali Edwards reports on some of her favorite finds.
• Cathy Z reports on some of her favorite finds.
• ScrapTalk.com's Scrap Scoop
• Lifetime Moments' report
• ScrapJazz's report
• About.com's report
• Luv2Scrapbook's trend report

News straight from the manufacturer:

• New stuff from Junkitz
• Making Memories: new products, including Photo Decor
• New from Melissa Frances
• Scrapworks: Patterned Paper, Box albums, Tailored Tabs, the new Skinny line, and more
• new stuff from Art Warehouse (see press release here)
• Leave Memories: idea book & FUNdamentals stamps
• Boxer Scrapbooks: Canned Memories idea book, & tins
• Two Chicks Scrapbooking tshirts
• Moments Defined
• Tumblebeasts
• American Traditional Designs
• FiberScraps
• Flair Designs
• Queen & Co
• Inspired Crafts
• Colorbok's Life's Blessings
• ...and more as I find links!

Nancy Nally also offers a compilation of links at her Inside Scrapbooking blog.

Epson Creative Zone Launched

Epson Web Site Offers Free Downloadable Templates and Tips From Craft Experts for Easy, Convenient, At-Home Projects

The Epson CreativeZone, formerly the Print Lab Series, offers a wide variety of craft ideas to turn individual photos into personalized keepsakes for you to enjoy or to share with loved ones. The site also features additional resources to help consumers make the most of their photos, including articles, tips and tricks from scrapbook experts. Best of all, these projects are posted and ready for anyone to download for free!

The Epson CreativeZone is simple to navigate, featuring projects listed both by number and theme so consumers can easily browse through the wide range of options and choose what to create with their photos at home. Project categories include: seasonal, patterned pages, greeting cards, home/party, scrapbooking, school tools, baby themes, and more. Current seasonal projects include colorful items to make for a Super Bowl party or Valentine's Day, as well as unique original designs and scans to use for any type of printing project with a wintertime theme. Each project provides templates and instructions that can be downloaded right onto your desktop, and most are compatible with both Windows and Mac platforms.

For example, the Super Bowl Party projects (#118-120) feature several scrapbook page layouts (#118); a choice of themed invitations and matching envelopes (#119); and colorful photo mattes to print ahead of time upon which to mount a 4"x 6" souvenir photo for everyone who attends the party (#120). These easy projects and the person who prints them would be a hit at any party and remembered for a long time to come!

The "Patterned Pages" category is the most flexible of all the project types provided. It includes hundreds of original designs (scans or drawings) that can be used for anything from wrapping paper to greeting cards to simply the background of anything printable, such as photo mattes, award backgrounds, posters, newsletters, and is limited only by the consumer's imagination. The advantage to printing these backgrounds versus buying pre-printed sheets is the flexibility users have to customize the files, such as embedding someone's name into the pattern, or importing a digital photo directly onto a photo matte so that with one sheet it is ready for a frame and one of a kind! The files are provided in some instances in jpeg format and in other instances as Word documents, making it simple for users to download and include text.

"There's nothing more rewarding than seeing photos come together in a way that allows you to be transported back to a special time," said Barbara Kotsos, senior marketing manager, scrapbooking solutions, Epson America Inc. "The Epson CreativeZone gives busy people the chance to turn their ordinary photos into something truly unique and keep those memories alive without having to spend a lot of time."

The Epson CreativeZone includes over 120 projects, each with multiple templates and options per project, and is continuously updated to include new and original craft ideas. It is also a resource for consumers who would like to learn how to use software tools they may already have. The "Articles" section offers tips and tricks from industry craft experts on topics such as "Creating Combination Color and Black & White Photos," "Using the Cookie Cutter Tool in PhotoShop Elements 3.0," "The Power of the PC for Scrapbooking" [written by Angie Pedersen], and more. Visitors can also sign up to receive the free Creative Croppers newsletter for more great ideas throughout the year, as well as check out deals on products to help them create the projects they like.

For more information on craft projects for both your holiday and everyday photos visit the Epson CreativeZone at http://www.epsoncreativezone.com/.

About Epson

Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography, and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transaction terminals for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.

SOURCE: Epson Mediaroom

Craftrends Offers Preliminary CHA Report

Although many vendors expressed great concern with the state of some of our industry’s chain stores, the overall mood at the just-completed Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) show in Las Vegas was fairly upbeat. Many vendors told us they had great shows and that buyers, particularly international buyers, were placing orders.

While scrapbooking and papercrafts remain popular, buyer traffic in the non-scrapbook/paper exhibit area appeared to be better than last year’s show in Atlanta. In the scrapbook/paper area, several vendors offered giveaways, demonstrations, and other gimmicks to draw crowds.

As for “the next big thing” (which most everyone seems to be seeking at all shows), there wasn’t any news to report. Yes, there were plenty of new products, but nothing stood out as the next big trend.

One financial analyst who follows the industry for Wall Street, told Craftrends that the EK Success deal with Martha Stewart to manufacture Martha Stewart craft products opened the eyes of some investors and that there were several investment companies at the show exploring acquisition possibilities.

Final attendance figures have not yet been released.'

SOURCE: Craftrends News Digest

Wilton Enters Scrapbook Market

Wilton Industries has entered an agreement with Just Jinger Designs to design, produce, and market memory and scrapbooking products. By March 1, retailers will be able to order Wilton and Just Jinger products on a single purchase order. The combined orders will ship from Wilton’s distribution centers.

Just Jinger was founded by Jinger Adams, who began her career as an independent scrapbook storeowner, and has designed a line of kits, embellishments, and more.

Wilton is a leader in home celebration, food preparation, and home decor products, including baking and cake decorating items, candy and cookie making products, party and housewares products, wedding accessories and favors, and a line of Print-Your-Own stationery.

SOURCE: Craftrends News Digest

More on F+W's Acquisition of Scrapbook Retailer and GASC

As reported last week (January 27), F&W Publications acquired Scrapbook Retailer magazine and The Great American Scrapbook Conventions. In a press release issued after we reported the news, the company stated Jeanne Wines-Reed, founder of the conventions and Scrapbook Retailer, will continue to oversee the entities and will join F&W as group publisher of the Memory Makers franchise. CNA magazine will also operate under Wines-Reed and undergo a redesign later this year.

SOURCE: Craftrends News Digest