Angie Pedersen's Scrapbooking Industry News

Photoshop Elements 5: "The Missing Manual"

In a Sea of Digital Photo Software, an Affordable Pearl -- O'Reilly's Newest Missing Manual Explains Everything You Need to Know About Photoshop Elements 5

SEBASTOPOL, Calif. -- If you love scrapbooking, arranging photos in galleries, or creating cool slideshows set to music, you'll definitely want the just-announced Photoshop Elements 5. And for those serious about photography, the new version of Elements now includes Photoshop's most sophisticated drawing tool, Curves. This major upgrade combining Photoshop's power with Elements' simplicity gives digital photography enthusiasts the tools the pros use to make their pictures shine.

"The new version helps keep photos organized, makes top-notch prints and truly nifty creative projects," says Barbara Brundage, bestselling O'Reilly author and Photoshop Elements' expert. Adobe is really jumping on the scrapbooking bandwagon with this release. It's the must-have software for the scrapbooking hobbyist."

Indeed, the affordable Photoshop Elements 5, which starts shipping at the end of the month, has everything a digital photographer needs but a manual, adds Brundage.  Adobe only provides a pamphlet and some help files. Enter Brundage's newest book, Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual (O'Reilly, US $39.99), to bridge this information gap.

"If you have an earlier version of Elements, you'll find a fair number of similarities in the basic editing functions, but Elements 5 gives you a lot of new ways to tackle old projects," says Brundage. Her new book clearly and concisely explains how all the new tools and commands work and when to use them. "With so many appealing new features, Photoshop Elements 5 is definitely a welcome, even essential update, no matter which version of Elements you might have used before."

And with Brundage's fun, easy-to-grasp approach, readers are sure to enjoy learning all the insider tips and tricks. This new Missing Manual explains in plain words how to use the new tools and state-of-the-art functions in Elements 5, including:

• Scrapbooking tools. For the first time, users can create multi-page documents, fancy photo arrangements with realistic-looking digital frames, and customized layouts for scrapbook projects.
• True black and white conversion. You could always remove color with Elements, but in Elements 5 it's easy to create stunning black and white shots from your color photos.
• Curves. Not a drawing tool, but one of the most sophisticated color adjustment tools from Photoshop. It's come to Elements in a simpler, easy-to-use form.
• Flash Web galleries.  Wonderful, interactive photo galleries that let viewers do things like scroll through pictures (as though on a gallery wall), or "turn" the pages, book-style.
• Mapping tools. View photos like pins stuck in a Yahoo map, and share maps with friends so that they can click a spot on a map to see the photos you took of a particular location.
• Burst mode storage. If you use your camera's burst mode (multiple shots in quick succession), you can tell the Organizer to automatically
  create stacks of the photos from each burst.

Readers also have the option to head over to the Missing Manual web site , for links to downloadable images for the tutorials mentioned in this book, to practice without using their own photos.

Digital photographers and scrapbookers aspiring to improve their presentations will welcome this timely new title in the Missing Manuals series. This is the hands-on, desktop reference Photoshop Elements 5 users are sure to refer to again and again.

Via: Imaging-Resource.com

New Photoshop Elements 5.0 Released

Adobe Systems Incorporated recently announced Adobe Photoshop Elements for Windows software, a major upgrade to the No. 1 selling consumer photo editing software. Available for Windows®, Photoshop Elements offers new and more flexible ways for consumers to organize files, edit images with ease and share photos in engaging and innovative ways. Adobe Photoshop Elements allows for quick, one-click fixes to photos with the option of exploring more sophisticated editing techniques.

“Digital photography has changed the way people capture moments and memories and today's digital cameras and even camera phones have the potential to deliver some extraordinary results,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe.  “Adobe Photoshop Elements gives customers the creative freedom to get more out of their digital camera, with the sophisticated and accessible editing features that the Photoshop name is famed for. The result is
superior images that can be shared with family and friends in new, exciting, high impact ways - on the Web or in printed formats.”

Showcase and Share Photos in Entertaining Ways

Photoshop Elements software makes it easy to share photos with themed and customizable layouts, multi-page document options for albums and scrapbooks and over 100 framing choices. With drag-and-drop simplicity, photos can be moved and resized within these flexible layouts. The new Map View allows consumers to drag photos to any location tied to an online satellite map to relive memories based on locations where photos were taken.

Adobe Photoshop Services are easily accessible from within the application and offer new and fun ways to share photos. An interactive Adobe Flash® based photo gallery service, called Adobe Photoshop Showcase, allows photos to be shared for free, or upgraded to an extended sharing service via a Web site. These online galleries can take the form of a virtual scrapbook with flipping pages, a winter scene with falling snow or a spinning photo carousel. Photos can easily be sent directly to CEIVA digital photo frames, shared via SmugMug online albums or turned into real postage at PhotoStamps.com (U.S. only). One-click printing also makes it simple to order Kodak prints and using Photoshop Elements new photo layout functionality makes creating and ordering photobooks a more personalized experience.

Experience Superior Editing

Innovative editing functions give consumers new ways to tackle common photo edits. The new black-and-white conversion tool adds a dramatic and elegant look to photos, instantly converting color originals to a variety of rich black-and-white photo styles with deep contrast. The new Adjust Color Curves controls allow consumers to achieve the perfect exposure for every image. Photoshop Elements also allows consumers to easily correct camera lens distortion.

Adobe Offers Complete Line of Products for Every Level

Adobe offers a complete family of Photoshop products that meet the needs of a diverse spectrum of digital photographers: the free Photoshop Album Starter Edition software for the novice digital camera user; Photoshop Elements for the digital photography enthusiast; and Photoshop CS2 software for the professional or the most demanding amateur photographer.

Pricing and Availability

Adobe's digital imaging and digital video products will be available in October 2006 at www.adobe.com and other major electronics and online retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Comp USA, Circuit City, Fry's, Staples, and Office Depot.  Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 for Windows is available for an estimated street price of US $99.99. Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Macintosh also is available for an estimated street price of US $89.99. Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 plus Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 for Windows is available as a bundle in the United States and Canada at an estimated street price of US $149.99. Information about the other language versions, as well as pricing, upgrade, and support policies for other countries is available on www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin/

Kodak Introduces New Portable Solution with the KODAK EASYSHARE G600 Printer Dock

With Just One Touch, Consumers Can Print and Share High-Quality, Real KODAK Pictures in Seconds Anytime, Anywhere

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Building on its highly successful line of EASYSHARE printers, Eastman Kodak Company recently announced the KODAK EASYSHARE G600 Printer Dock.  The clever new design with a built-in handle, smart paper tray storage, and battery make portability easy, allowing for convenient, on-the-go printing and sharing.

“The convenience, print speed, ease-of-use and phenomenal picture quality from the line of EASYSHARE printer docks have resulted in overwhelming demand from picture-takers worldwide,” said Lisa Vandemark, Worldwide Marketing Director, Home Printing Business at Kodak. “Based on customer demand, we are excited to introduce an innovative new printing solution that truly fits an active lifestyle, and unleashes the power of pictures.”

Innovative Features Create Lasting Pictures
Never leave home without it – the smart and portable, KODAK EASYSHARE G600 printer dock (US $149.95 MSRP; available now) is designed to allow consumers to enjoy pictures on the go.  With PICTBRIDGE enabled devices and IMAGELINK print system compatible digital cameras, high-quality photos can be produced in just 60 seconds with the touch of one button.  Owners can enjoy the convenience of automatically charging their KODAK camera battery in 3.5 hours or less, with the optional battery pack.  The battery pack (US $49.95 MSRP) will be available on the KODAK Website at www.kodak.com and certain retailers.

For as low as $0.29 per print, the robust system delivers lifetime-lasting prints (under typical home display conditions) that are waterproof, fingerprint proof, stain resistant and wipeable with KODAK XTRALIFE™ lamination.  The automatic KODAK PERFECT TOUCH technology provides red-eye reduction and delivers consistently great prints time after time.

Make Pictures Part of the Fun
EASYSHARE printer docks make printing one-touch simple and, when combined with the included KODAK EASYSHARE Software, picture-takers worldwide can show their creative side by making personalized photo greeting cards and more at home.  The innovative high-capacity cartridge in the new G-series photo paper kit allows consumers to keep printing longer.  Designed exclusively for the G600, the new photo paper kit provides phenomenal picture quality and 100 borderless 10x15 cm (4”x  6”) prints.   Picture-takers can get creative and print fun sizes of 1, 2, 4 or 9 pictures on one 10 x 15 cm (4” x 6”) sheet.

Simply Pictures
Simply Pictures (www.kodak.com/go/simplypictures) is a dedicated area on the Kodak Web site that provides creative ideas and innovative solutions for doing more with your digital photos. From simple craft projects to scrapbooking to unique gifts, Simply Pictures offers solutions for personalizing your life utilizing your favorite pictures in fun, new ways. 

Scrapbooking icon, author and photo-crafts expert Sandi Genovese shares exclusive scrapbooking and photo craft ideas on Simply Pictures. Genovese updates her online scrapbook monthly and adds new photo craft projects often, providing constant inspiration to visitors. The new Simply Scrapbooking Community Hub on Simply Pictures lets visitors get involved with features including “Ask Sandi” and “Scrapbooker of the Month.”

In addition, celebrity party planner David Tutera provides tips and ideas for incorporating picture-taking and printing into party activities and décor. Tutera lends his unique vision to Simply Pictures – providing visitors with the inspiration to turn their parties from ordinary to extraordinary.

The KODAK EASYSHARE System
KODAK EASYSHARE digital photography system — consisting of cameras, viewers, software, docks, home snapshot printers, services, papers and accessories — makes taking, organizing, sharing, and printing high quality digital pictures effortless.  More information on KODAK EASYSHARE products is available at www.kodak.com/go/EasyShare.

technorati tags: scrapbooking, Kodak, EasyShare, photography, printers

Frances Meyer Launches Scrapbook Travelers Club Class Program

Chartpak Inc. announces the launch of the Frances Meyer Scrapbook Traveler's Club Educational Program.

The new Frances Meyer educational program is designed specifically for the independent scrapbook retailer. The program was developed by well known scrapbook designer Jennifer Newton, as a means to provide business resources for independent retailers and to educate consumers.

The Travelers Club Program uses travel as a metaphor and inspiration to create different themes, styles and designs for a variety of projects. Students are encouraged to bring their own interpretation and life experiences into their projects.  As members of a local store's Scrapbook Traveler's Club, participants explore: Color Schemes, Style and Theme inspired by the individual destinations, Journaling, Photography, Two Techniques, and a Destination Project.

The Scrapbook Traveler's Club program will be available at select scrapbook stores all over the world.  Unlike any other program offered in this industry, the club was designed to meet the needs of all skill levels of scrapbookers. It is also intended to help resolve the never-ending personal scrapbook supply issues that plagues so many enthusiasts. Everyone is searching for unique ways to use up their stock-pile of supplies. The Scrapbook Traveler’s Club is the perfect solution.

“We are reinventing the whole class concept," said Ms. Newton.  "The trainers become the tour guide and the customers become tourists embarking on a creative journey. Our goal was to design a class that didn’t just focus on duplicating someone else’s project. Rather, we want the customer to choose products from the store and then to inspire them to apply the techniques they are taught to create something unique and individual.”

“Our entire program was built around the concept of helping retailers move their current inventory by focusing on crafting techniques, not just on product,” said Chartpak’s Director of New Product Development, Robin Campion. “This way, each store owner can truly make this program their own and teach their customers skills that are truly beneficial to them as crafters.”

About Chartpak, Inc.

Chartpak, Inc is a creative products company founded in 1949. In addition to the Frances Meyer Brand, the company’s brands include: Koh-I-Noor (drawing, sketching other fine art  products), Pelikan (fine writing and fine art products), Clearprint (art vellums), Chartpak (graphic design art products), Craft House (paint by numbers and craft products) and Skilcraft (science based educational craft products).  Chartpak is located in Leeds, MA.

technorati tags: scrapbooking, travel+scrapbooking, Jennifer+Newton, Frances+Meyer

Cropping Out Cancer Event Planned to Benefit Industry Designer

HOT OFF THE PRESS, INC. & Metroscrappers are holding an All-Day Crop and Silent Auction October 21, 2006, to benefit the Shauna Immel Lifeline Fund.

Shauna Berglund-Immel has been a page designer for Hot Off the Press, Inc. for over 8 years. Her work has been published in magazines, advertisements, idea books, classes, and countless other projects for HOTP.  She has also been an active member of Metroscrappers, an online scrapbooking group of over 350 members.  Earlier this year, Shauna was diagnosed with cancer, and soon begins chemotherapy.

Metroscrappers and Hot Off the Press have joined forces to coordinate an all-day Benefit Crop, with all proceeds directly supporting Shauna and her family.

Crop Details:
12-hour Crop
Silent Auction
Special Guest Appearances
Door Prizes
Make & Take session lead by Stacy Croninger from Paper Crafts magazine
Lunch, Dinner and Snacks provided

Date: Saturday, October 21, 2006
Time: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Cost: $35 to attend Crop and Silent Auction or $5 to attend Silent Auction only
Location:Tualatin, OR

Seating is limited to 150 croppers so register by October 1, 2006.  Visit immel-lifeline.com for more information.

Craftrends Seeks Nominations for Creative Excellence Awards

Craftrends magazine is now accepting submissions (directly from manufacturers and publishers) for the 15th Annual Awards of Creative Excellence (ACE) competition. Submission deadline in October 24th.  Only products introduced to the market between October 15, 2005 and September 30, 2006 are eligible.

New this year, Craftrends will be presenting Technology Awards to "recognize achievements in technology in crafting, including CDs, videos, photo kiosks, software, etc."  There are two categories: instructional CDs and videos, and "other" (includes sewing machines, photo kiosks, digital cutting tools, etc.)

Finalists will be announced in the January issue of Craftrends, and winners will be announced at a gala event at teh CHA-Winter trade show in Anaheim in January 2007, as well as in the April issue of Craftrends.

For additional information or to download forms, visit the Craftrends website.

technorati tags: scrapbooking, Craftrends, scrapbooking+industry, crafts+industry

Creating Keepsakes Partners with Horizon to Create "Imaging Solution"

Seen in an ad in the September 2006 issue of Craftrends [trade] magazine:

"New retail imaging solution from the industry authority": Creating Keepsakes Studio -- "a self-service, multi-format imaging kiosk that prints on-demand scrapbooks and photo books, standard prints, posters, and enlargements."  [Intended as a tool for scrapbooking stores, not consumers.]

CK Studio offers:

• Four print devices from a single interface
• Three scrapbook sizes: 12x12, 8x8 & 5x7
• 4x6, 8x10, and enlargements
• Simple, user-friendly intuitive software: input and select images, edit, design, print, and bind.
• 12x17 flatbed scanner to copy existing layouts
• Scrapbook templates created by "some of the industry's leading designers, incormporating themes such as babies, school days, seasons, sports, and many special occasions."
• The CK Studio system comes with an exclusive line of album covers (available in "casual softcover and elegant hardcover") to match the ready-made layout templates.

technorati tags: scrapbooking, creating+keepsakes, digital, photo+books

New Scrapbooking Travel Guide Provides Direction for Crafters on the Go

Roaming scrapbookers can use “Scrapbooking Roads” to reveal local stores along the way.

LONGMONT, Colo., September 12, 2006—According to the Travel Industry Association of America, shopping is the most popular domestic trip activity; one-third of all domestic trips include shopping. Annually, that's 342 million trips with shopping sprees.  But knowing where to find unique stores -- or specifically, scrapbooking stores -- can be a challenge when one travels beyond their hometown.  A new book, “Scrapbooking Roads: a Travel Guide for Scrapbookers”, will overcome that challenge.  Compiled and edited by Kim Ivkov, Scrapbooking Roads is a guide to hundreds of local shops, consultants and resources – all in one handy 256-page book.

Scrapbooking Roads enables scrapbookers to find stores, independent consultants, and events when traveling throughout the United States, and in Canada.  The book’s maps and travel resources help paper-crafters plan the itinerary of their trips by revealing which stores they'll find along the way.

"I just received my copy of Scrapbooking Roads and am impressed with it.  I take a lot of road trips and visit scrapbook stores on nearly every trip.  This book will give me ideas for where to look," says scrapbooker Melanie Martin, of Charleston, Arkansas.

The book features:

• Map details for the U.S. and Canada: this allows crafters to see at-a-glance which stores they will pass in their travels. Maps are available at both the state/province and local street levels.
• Store Profiles of over 200 individual scrapbook stores:  find store addresses, descriptions, business hours, phone numbers, and websites.
• Listings for local independent scrapbook consultants and online retail sites
• A Resource Guide featuring industry specific publications, national associations, Scrapbooking events, retreat locations, and monthly kit clubs.
• Over 100 technique ideas, money-saving tips, and timesaving tricks contributed by featured storeowners and consultants

This unique travel guide captures the “the heart and soul” of each participating store. “While other store listing directories are available online,” says Ivkov, “most only list the address and contact information.  They don’t provide a sense of what the store is all about. Because I love to discover new stores when I travel, I wanted to provide crafters with an idea of what they will find when they visit each new store.”

A companion website is available at www.scrapbookingroads.com.  The website features interactive maps, an online store directory, a consultant directory, special offers from retailers, and an "Update Club" membership option for receiving store listing updates.  For more information, please visit www.scrapbookingroads.com.

technorati tags: scrapbooking, travel, travel+guide, scrapbooking+roads

New Products from the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference

The recent Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference saw several new and soon-to-come products that could fit quite nicely into your roots research agenda. Here's what to watch for:

• 1837online.com, having finished its British vital-records indexing project, is on to something even bigger: AncestorsOnBoard, a 30 million-name database of people leaving the British Isles from 1890 to 1960. You'll be able to download images of the passenger lists-- which include not just Britons, but those from all over Europe who boarded ships in Liverpool, London, Southhampton, Hull andother British ports. No launch date yet, but keep an eye on AncestorsOnBoard.com for more info.


• NewsBank's Tom Kemp filled us in on America's Genealogy Bank, a tantalizing-sounding subscription service set to launch in month or so. It indexes articles in 900 US historical newspapers--not just a few issues, but comprehensive collections for each title, says Kemp-- plus government documents and pages from more than 100,000 other publications. Results show the paragraph snippet containing your search term, then you click to see the whole thing. Fees won't be announced until the launch, but both individuals and libraries will be able to subscribe. Look for details at Newsbank.com


• ProQuest  announced its index to obituaries in seven major newspapers: The New York Times (from 1851), The Washington Post (from 1877), Los Angeles Times (from 1881), Chicago Tribune (from 1849), Atlanta Constitution (from 1868), Chicago Defender (from 1909) and Boston Globe (from 1872). Once you find your relative, you can click to see the full obituary. The service, which isn't part of ProQuest's HeritageQuest Online records collection, is available through subscribing libraries.


• MyFamily.com offered Family Tree Maker 16, an upgrade from Family Tree Maker 2006.  (Wondering why the switch from version numbers to years with Family Tree Maker 2005, and now back to numbers? One MyFamily.com staffer speculated the company wants to avoid being locked into putting out a new version every year.) Family Tree Maker 2006 users need not get out their wallets--just download a free patch at www.familytreemaker.com.


• Irish Historic Maps unveiled its online search tool for Ordnance Survey maps from 1829 to 1913 at http://www.irishhistoricmaps.ie/historic/.  You'll need to purchase access to search for a map by county or townland; prices vary from about $6.40 for a day to $383 for a year. The map images are crystal clear, with detailed building drawings. Streets, churches and schools are marked.  Once you specify an area you want to print, you can purchase an "A4" map as a PDF for about $30, or order a full sheet ("A0") by mail for $127.


• Irish Townland Maps -- www.pasthomes.com -- offers collections of Ordnance Survey maps on $39.95 CDs, or you can order a map by mail for $39.95.

***

Reprinted with permission from Family Tree Magazine Email Update, copyright 2006
F+W Publications Inc.

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technorati tags: scrapbooking, genealogy, ProQuest, ancestors

Memory Makers Masters Winners Announced

Memory Makers magazine has announced the winners of their annual Memory Makers Masters contest.  After evaluating over 500 submissions, the judges narrowed down the entries to 25.  Then Memory Makers staff voted, judging craftsmanship quality, design, originality, creativity, journaling, photos, title and techniques.

2007 Memory Makers Masters

• Brooke Bartimioli, Hayden, Idaho
• Catherine Feegal-Erhardt, Tampa, Florida
• Hillary Heidelberg, New York, New York
• Jill Jackson-Mills, Roswell, Georgia
• Ronee Parsons, Olympia, Washington
• Crystal Jeffrey Rieger, Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada
• Katrina Simeck, Colchester, Vermont
• Michele Skinner, Burnsville, Minnesota
• Nicole Stark, Roy, Utah
• Lisa Tutman-Oglesby, Mundelein, Illinois

  2007 Contest Runners-Up

• Jamie Cottrell, Sullivan, Missouri
• Rozanne Dioso-Lopez, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Jamie Harper, Phoenix, Arizona
• Amelia Mclvor, Southbank,Victoria, Australia
• Dominique Quintal, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada
• Jill Radley, Spanaway, Washington
• Tracie Radtke, Allen, Texas
• Katja Schneider, Galston, NSW, Australia
• Betsy Veldman, Rock Valley, Iowa
• Lynn R Whelan, Savannah, Georgia

technorati tags: scrapbooking, Memory+Makers+Masters