Angie Pedersen's Scrapbooking Industry News

Digital Photo Pro Emerging Professional Contest

Digital Photo Pro Magazine is now accepting submissions for their Digital Photo Pro Emerging Professional photo contest.

Entrant may submit up to three (3) photographs (each, an “entry”) per Category (as defined below); however, each entry must be submitted separately.

Format: All entries must be (i) optimized on a computer running Microsoft Windows and submitted on CD as a Photoshop .PSD file and (ii) printed using an Epson printer and Epson ink. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned.

 Entries can be submitted in the following categories: Fashion/Beauty, Fine Art and Photojournalism. Entries must be in keeping with the general theme of the usual content of Digital Photo Pro Magazine.  Potential winners will be determined from among all eligible entries received by a panel of qualified judges, based equally on the following criteria: Adherence to Theme, Composition and Creativity/Originality.  Visit www.digitalphotopro.com/emergingpro to download and print an Official Entry Form.

A grand cash prize of $10,000, plus a prize package, including an Epson Stylus Pro 4800 printer; Dell Computer; and having your winning image featured in Digital Photo Pro Magazine. 

Two runner-up winners will receive prizes and have their photographs published id Digital Photo Pro Magazine.

Early Bird deadline is January 26, 2007.  Entry deadline is February 23, 2007. 

Epson Offers Tips for Creating Merry Memory Books This Holiday Season

LONG BEACH, Calif., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In a season known for the taking and sharing of photos, Epson knows that scrapbookers have a special task of preserving precious holiday moments. To help make scrapbookers' seasons bright, Epson, the creator of the nation's number-one selling 4" x 6" photo printer, PictureMate, provides suggestions for both first-time and experienced scrapbookers.

Barbara Kotsos, senior marketing manager for scrapbooking solutions at Epson America, offers the below tips, hints and resources for compiling one-of-a-kind holiday memory books this season.

• Childhood Keepsakes: Start a tradition by having your children select their favorite holiday gifts and then pose for photographs. Each year, include these photographs in their memory books -- not only will they see changes in themselves, but also in their toy preferences. For an added touch, print doubles and include a photograph of your child and his or her toy in a thank you note to the gift giver.


• Picture This: Everyone agrees that the holidays are much more fun when seen through the eyes of a child. This year, rather than being the sole family photographer, let your child snap a few pictures. These photos are sure to offer a unique view of the holidays.


• Instant Memories: When juggling family, work, gift wrapping, cooking and caring for out-of-school kids, scrapbooking often falls to the bottom of the "to do" list. To stay on top of scrapbooking this season, print your photos as you go. With personal photo printers, such as PictureMate, you can print 4" x 6" snapshots in the convenience of home -- no driving, no lines, no crowds!


• All in the Family: Remember to include all of the holiday "ministones" in your scrapbook. Too often, we limit the holidays to the unwrapping of gifts or photos with Santa. This year, photograph the family at the dinner table or your children tucked in on Christmas Eve to capture the full spirit of the holidays.


• 'Tis the Season: In the midst of perhaps the busiest holiday season, there has never been a better excuse to "scraplift." Take advantage of Web sites that offer downloadable backgrounds or other digital templates for creating personalized, yet efficient, updates for your scrapbooks. Or better yet, visit http://www.epsoncreativezone.com/ for free downloadable resources as well as additional project ideas.


• Little Something Extra: Go beyond the photograph and include other holiday keepsakes in your scrapbook. For example, after Santa's visit, be sure to add your child's "Dear Santa" letter to your memory book. For added personalization, include a photo of your child drafting the letter next to note itself. This is also a fun idea for special holiday recipes of dishes that you cook with your child.

For more information on PictureMate by Epson, as well as special offers and rebates, visit http://www.mypicturemate.com/

SOURCE: Epson Press Room

EK Success Releases Merry Glo Round Light Box

Launched at MemoryTrends in October, the Merry Glo Round™ 9" light box is an indispensable tool for a whole range of art, craft, and hobby applications. It's a fast and easy way to trace and cut designs, patterns, stencils, photos, dry emboss and lettering.Suggested uses:

Features and Benefits:

• Illuminated glass surface
• Spins for easier embossing and cutting
• Lightweight - under 4 lbs!
• Spin lock holds glass in place
• 9" reflective working surface
• Even light distribution
• Heat resistant tempered glass
• Replaceable long lasting fluorescent bulb
• Gripper feet ensures tool will not slide
• Plastic body will not rust
• Closed design for added safety - light bulb can not be touched when in use
• Includes AC adapter
• Slanted edge is easier on the wrist
• Cut, glue and paint right on the surface and wipe clean with a baby wipe.

Dimensions: 13" round, with 9" round workspace

SOURCE: EK SUCCESS LTD.

Send Free Postcards of Support to US Troops Overseas

Not scrapbooking-related, but I thought this was worthy of posting...

www.LetsSayThanks.com forwards customized postcards designed by kids

ROCHESTER, N.Y., – Specialist Tommy Brooks from the 2-130 Illinois Infantry Battalion served a 12-month tour in Iraq – and says there's nothing like getting mail from home.

“A letter has a sense of warmth and is more personal than e-mail. With regular mail, it’s all yours to keep and take with you when you’re on the move,” said Brooks.

You can send your appreciation to U.S. soldiers like Specialist Brooks through a new Web site sponsored by Xerox Corporation at www.LetsSayThanks.com.

Launched this summer, the site allows you to write a personalized message on postcards – drawn by kids across the country – which will be printed and sent to deployed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Following the success of local community card drives in Atlanta and Phoenix, which delivered thousands of postcards overseas, Xerox created www.LetsSayThanks.com to give people a way to show their support no matter where they live. Visitors simply click on their favorite design, drawn by children ages 6-14, and write a personal message to a soldier. The colorful postcards are then printed on a Xerox iGen3® Digital Production Press and mailed in care packages by the military support organization Give2theTroops.

“We started this effort so specific communities could get even more involved with supporting their local servicemen and women,” said Mike Brannigan, president of Xerox’s United States Solutions Group. “But when we saw the reaction not only from the public but also from the troops overseas, we moved to an online effort that will allow people from across the U.S. and around the world to send postcards to the men and women of the armed forces.”

To submit a card, visit www.LetsSayThanks.com, click on your favorite postcard design and personalize it with your message, and then hit submit. If you live in the U.S., you can request a copy of the postcard and message to be delivered to you as well. In addition, postcard designs will continue to rotate with new artwork, so visit the site for details on how to submit new drawings for consideration.

SOURCE: Let's Say Thanks

K&Co Partners with Girl Scouts of the USA

Via a thread on the Two Peas Message Board:

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—K&Company, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of scrapbooking albums, embellishments, collegiate and military gifts, announces a licensing agreement with a true American icon – Girl Scouts of the USA.

“For years, our customers have been asking when we were going to come out with Girl Scouts products,” says Kay Stanley, founder and president of K&Company. “We're thrilled to finally have an answer for them.”

The company plans its initial rollout of the Girl Scouts collection at the annual Craft and Hobby Association's winter tradeshow held January 28-31, 2007, in Anaheim, Calif. The in-house-designed collection will consist of a full line of popular K&Company products, to be available at retail spring 2007: post-bound albums, die-cut stickers, dimensional embellishments and designer papers. Discussions about possible line extensions throughout 2007 are also underway.

“Our other group-themed collections have been a huge success,” says Stanley. “We expect that scrapbookers will embrace the Girl Scouts collection in the same way.”

The Girl Scouts organization sees  this as a resource for its girl membership as well as its 50 million alumnae.

"We are excited to be working with K&Company, a true leader in the scrapbook and craft industry," stated Barry Horowitz, vice president and general manager, Girl Scout merchandise. "For Girl Scouts past and present, Girl Scout activities create a lifetime of wonderful memories. We are very pleased that K&Company is developing a quality Girl Scout scrapbook collection that will preserve these treasured experiences for generations."

SOURCE: Girl Scouts Press Room

 

K&Co Announces New Partnerships

K&Company is partnering with Connect And Join, a Web-based company that provides a real-time, communication forum for military families, to create an exclusive Connect And Join Memory Scrapbook Kit. The kit will debut at the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Winter Show in Anaheim, January 28-31, 2007, and up to $5 per kit will be donated to the Connect And Join Military Family Fund with the EANGUS Foundation. The fund will be used to provide complimentary subscriptions to www.ConnectAndJoin.com for military families, and to support the various volunteer educational programs that Connect And Join provides to the National Guard Camps for Children.

K&Company is also teaming with WackyTac with WackyTac being K&Company’s exclusive adhesive brand. A new line of designer adhesives will be unveiled at the CHA Winter Show.

SOURCE: Craftrends News Headlines

Lettering Delights Releases Free Red Ribbon Alphabet

Orem, Utah (PRWEB) December 15, 2006 -- To support awareness of drunk driving during the holidays, Lettering Delights is offering its Red Ribbon alphabet for free download. The alphabet can be used to create fliers, signs, newsletters, cards, scrapbook pages and so on.

Drunk driving leads to many accidents, injuries and deaths each year. During the holidays, drunk driving is more common. The red ribbon, adopted by Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to generate public awareness, has stood as a symbol against drunk driving for two decades.

Motorists are encouraged to tie a ribbon to their vehicles as a pledge to drive sober. In addition, the red ribbon encourages drivers and passengers to wear seat belts, which can help saves lives in crashes caused by drunk drivers.

"We would like to remind everyone to please do their part to help keep our roads safe, especially during this special time of year," said Mark Seastrand, CEO of Lettering Delights.

To download the Red Ribbon alphabet, visit www.LetteringDelights.com.

The high resolution alphabet is available for Windows and Macintosh. Visitors can also download the Creative Delights Companion software program, which makes it easy to use the alphabet for those who are not proficient in graphic design programs.

For more information about drunk driving and how to support campaigns against drunk driving, Lettering Delights encourages individuals to visit MADD at www.madd.org.

About Lettering Delights
Lettering Delights offers thousands of creative products at a great value. The huge selection includes scrapbooking fonts, colorful alphabets, printable designs and the free Creative Delights Companion software program. Visit them online at www.LetteringDelights.com.

SOURCE: PRWeb

Adobe Releases Beta Version of Photoshop CS3

Company Also Previews Adobe Bridge and All-New Adobe Device Central

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Dec. 14, 2006 — Adobe Systems Incorporated will introduce a beta version of Adobe® Photoshop® CS3 software, the next release of the world standard in digital imaging, on Friday, December 15th. Adobe is delivering a widely available Photoshop CS3 beta to enable customers to more easily transition to the latest hardware platforms, particularly Apple’s new Intel-based systems. The beta is available as a Universal Binary for the Macintosh platform, as well as for Microsoft® Windows® XP and Windows Vista computers. The final shipping release of Adobe Photoshop CS3 is planned for Spring 2007. The software can be downloaded at: http://labs.adobe.com , in the early hours Pacific Standard Time on December 15.

Packed with new features, Photoshop CS3 beta also includes a pre-release version of a major upgrade to Adobe Bridge, as well as a preview release of the all-new Adobe Device Central. Photoshop customers can use Adobe Device Central to design, preview, and test compelling mobile content, created specifically for smaller screens. This new tool, integrated in the Photoshop CS3 beta, simplifies and accelerates the creation of mobile content through a preview environment and built-in device profiles.

“This is an exciting time for the Mac, and Adobe wanted to ease the move to new Intel-based systems with a preview release of Photoshop CS3,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe. “We didn’t want to leave Windows customers out of the party, so the beta is available to everyone in the creative industry's most passionate user community -- no matter what their platform choice. We still have some surprises in store, but this beta gives customers an early chance to see the power of another great Photoshop release, optimized and tuned to run natively on the latest hardware and operating systems.”

To utilize Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, customers require a serial number from either Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe Creative Suite® 2, Adobe Creative Suite Production Studio, Adobe Design Bundle, Adobe Web Bundle or Adobe Video Bundle. Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta is available in English only. Customers who have a valid serial number for all other language versions of qualifying Adobe products can download the software. Without a serial number, users can still download Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, with the product expiring after two days. Customers must register online with Adobe or have an existing Adobe.com membership account to access the software.

In related previews of future technologies, Adobe has also released two new web tools as beta releases. Adobe CSS Advisor is a new web-based community site to easily identify and resolve browser compatibility issues. Web designers and developers can contribute their own issues, comment on existing issues, or become an editor to participate in driving the site's future. The site is accessible at: www.adobe.com/go/cssadvisor. Also introduced is a beta release of Adobe Spry framework for Ajax, a designer-focused solution for adding the interactive power of Ajax when developing rich, dynamic web-sites. Adobe Spry framework for Ajax is available at: www.adobe.com/go/spry.

System Requirements
For Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, recommended system requirements are as follows. For Macintosh: Mac OSX 10.4.8 or 10.5, 1 GHz PowerPC® G4 or G5 processor, Intel based Macintosh. For Windows: Intel® Xeon® , Xeon Dual, Centrino® or Pentium® 4 processor, Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher, Microsoft Windows Vista. Both platforms require 512 MB RAM and a 1024x769 resolution screen. Photoshop CS3 beta will expire soon after the launch of Photoshop CS3 in Spring 2007. Details on final pricing, system requirements and availability have yet to be determined.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

SOURCE: Adobe Press Room

Online Genealogy Classes Begin

A new Web site called GenClass is offering four-week online genealogy classes for $29.95 per course. After you sign up, you'll get a password for the class Web site, where you can download two lessons per week, attend class chats and e-mail your instructor.

Among topics of classes beginning Jan. 4 are adopted ancestors, getting started, Family Tree Maker 16 and genealogy in the Northeastern United States. (See genclass.com for a course
schedule and curriculum details.)

Lecturers include Family Tree Magazine author and genealogist Lisa A. Alzo, professional "missing person" search specialist Linda Rakita and professional genealogist Cindy Rowzee.

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Reprinted with permission from Family Tree Magazine Email Update, copyright 2006, F+W Publications Inc.  To subscribe to this free weekly e-mail newsletter, visit their website. 

For a free sample copy of the print Family Tree Magazine, America's #1 family history magazine, go to http://www.familytreemagazine.com/

Finalists Named for Craftrends Awards of Creative Excellence

Finalists have been named for Craftrends’ Awards of Creative Excellence (ACE), formerly known as the Awards of Excellence. Winners will be revealed at the Craft & Hobby Association Winter Show in Anaheim, California, in January 2007.

Entries were judged on overall quality, originality, attractiveness, clarity of instructions, retail support, advertising/marketing support, and whether the products and books met consumer needs.

PAPERCRAFT BOOKS

Dare Dreamer Press - Real Women Scrap: Create the Life & Layouts You've Always Wanted
Design Originals - Crazy for Chipboard
Design Originals - Ink Essentials
Hot Off the Press - Design Elements
Watson-Guptill Publications - Paper in Three Dimensions

PAPERCRAFTS

Hot off the Press - Cardmaker's Clear & Frosted Overlays
Hot off the Press - Great Big Brads & Rub-ons
PageSage - The Journey Continues with Tim Holtz
Ranger Industries - Inkssentials Crackle Accents
WUBE - Wube Magnetic Paper

SCRAPBOOKING EMBELLISHMENTS

Around the Block - Soft Brads
Hot Off the Press - Brad Dress
Karen Foster Design - Metal Signs
Karen Foster Design - Pinch Tabs
Ranger Industries - Inkssentials Memory Frames