Angie Pedersen's Scrapbooking Industry News

K&Company Launches Recycled Paper Crafting Line

Leading Paper Crafting Company Partners with Habitat for Humanity to Help Plant Trees at Newly Built Homes; Product to Be Available at Michaels and Wal-Mart This Spring

KANSAS CITY, MO (May 14, 2008) K&Company, one of the nation's largest designers and manufacturers of scrapbooking albums, papers and embellishments, is launching the first widely-available paper crafting line that is comprised of recycled and reusable product and packaging.  As part of the product launch, K&Company also is introducing the "Plant a Family Tree" program where crafters and consumers can go online to make a donation to Habitat for Humanity Kansas City to provide a tree for every new home they build this year.

Both of K&Company's recycled lines will be available this spring.  The Amy Butler Lotus line will debut in May.  The comprehensive crafting collection will include paper pads, 12 X 12 scrapbook albums, two scrapbooking tool caddies and a variety of detailed embellishments.  The recycled packaging was specifically designed to be reused in scrapbook layouts and craft projects.  Products will be available nationally at Michael's stores in May 2008 and will retail for $1.99 - $31.99.

The ReMake line will be available at Wal-Mart starting in June 2008.  The collection, comprised of 100 percent recycled materials, as well as recycled, reusable and biodegradable packaging, includes soy-ink printed colored cardstock (available both as 12 X 12 paper and patterned mat pads), chipboard alphabets, cards and envelopes. All ReMake products will retail for $4.88.

To further replenish the Earth's trees, K&Company also is launching the Plant a Family Tree program.  Visit www.kandcompany.com/donate to make a donation to help plant a tree for a family at a new Habitat for Humanity home.  In return for the donation, contributors will receive a package of free, uniquely designed digital downloads including a "green" blog button and banner, an email signature attachment, a screensaver and a PDF to help virally spread the word on this important campaign.

K&Company will match contributions up to a pre-set cap each year.  In addition to providing financial donations, K&Company also will donate their time on local building projects and will provide a scrapbook to all Kansas City families on move-in day which will commemorate the construction of their new beautiful home.

"We are delighted to partner with K&Company on this project," explains Yahna Gibson, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Kansas City. "We provide basic landscaping for our homeowners, but new trees are something we are unable to afford. What a blessing to our families to be able to truly plant roots in their new home."

Shutterfly DigiScrap Blog Posts Survey for Scrappers-for-Hire

The Shutterfly Digital Advisory Team is "trying to assess interest in compiling a directory of experienced, talented digital scrapbookers and photobookers who would like to design and produce photo books/other products for others".  As such they recently posted the following call for input: Attention : Scrappers for Hire!

They have created a short survey: click the link posted in the Shutterfly Scrapbooking Community Area. (Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the "Learn More" button under the "Want to become a scrapper for hire?" section.)

Scrapbooker's Club House Hosts Celebrity Sketch Extravaganza

From May 12- May 21, Canadian scrapbooking community, Scrapbooker’s Club House, will feature sketches from various scrapbooking celebrities for a full ten days in an extravagant celebration of talent and creativity. Visitors will be able to create layouts from sketches designed by some of the biggest names in the industry, chat, and meet fellow scrapbookers during the event.

SBIN editor Angie Pedersen will be the featured sketch artist on Wednesday, May 14th.

Smilebox Introduces Teacher’s Toolbox Program

Via the Smilebox Blog: Smilebox has launched its new Teacher’s Toolbox program offering qualified teachers a free premium account to the Smilebox service (a $39.99 value).  A Premium account provides unlimited access to more than 650 Smilebox designs, music options, and print options (print any page at school, home or at a local retail store).

Smilebox has debuted a new lineup of designs created specifically for the needs of teachers including digital newsletters, school-themed scrapbooks, fieldtrip photo albums, school mascot/logo customizable slideshows as well as student activities such as multimedia autobiographies and storybooks.

At present time, the program is limited to the first 1,000 participants. Teachers can register for the Teacher’s Toolbox program at Smilebox.com.  Other interested parties can copy an invitation and send teachers an email describing the offer.