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Trend Watch: Manufacturer Blog & Website Updates Galore!

May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Did all of the manufacturers get together at CHA Winter 2012 and sign a secret pact to update all of their blogs and websites at the same time? Or maybe they all attended a workshop together that inspired them to update their web presence?

Either way, if you’ve been out surfing lately …. web surfing that is …. then you’ve surely noticed some website & blog facelifts!

Ranger Industries

Ranger introduced their new website & blog in late April / early May 2012.

In fact, if you were subscribed to the old Ranger Ink blog here, you’ll need to make sure you’ve updated your subscriptions to the new Ranger Ink blog here.

American Crafts

American Crafts revealed their new website on May 9, 2012.

The American Crafts website now includes an online store.

Crate Paper

Crate Paper launched their new website on May 9, 2012. Here’s a screen shot of the new website.

Pebbles Inc

Pebbles Inc announced their new website on May 9, 2012 also!

Studio Calico

Studio Calico also appears to have a new website home page too, which coordinates with those of Pebbles Inc, Crate Paper and parent company American Crafts …

Elle’s Studio

Elle’s Studio revealed their new website TODAY!

New features for Elle’s Studio include a messageboard, member gallery and a design team gallery as well as improved online shopping features.

Glitz Design

Glitz Design launched their new website on May 8, 2012 …

Glitz also updated their blog, moving it to a new location. If you were subscribed to the old Glitz Design blog, you need to update your subscription for the new Glitz Design blog here.

Whew!

Lots of changes! I think I’m feeling some peer pressure to upgrade or change or move PaperCrafter’s Corner! But I think I’ll resist …. for now :)

Any thoughts on all of these blog & website changes? Do you know of any I missed?

Filed Under: Industry Scoop

announcing ….. PaperCrafter’s Corner Design Team Call!

May 10, 2012 By 6 Comments

{Gasp!} Can you believe it? Yes …. it’s true!  We are holding our first ever design team call!

The Goal

We are creating a small team of contributors to help us bring more fabulous features to our readers. Our recent Alcohol Markers Week and Layering Week were hugely successful! With our new team, we’ll be able to bring our readers more inspiring, educational, fun and brand -neutral features just like them!

If you are interested in bringing your expertise, advice and skill set to all of our many readers and to our 8,000+ facebook fans, please read on!

Our Wish List

We are looking for a small team of paper crafting designers who possess:

  • a strong yet clean paper crafting style.
  • special strength on layouts, but a willingness to create other projects as well.
  • the ability to “step back” and see the big picture on trends and products.
  • experience creating photo and/or video tutorials.
  • experience in working with a variety of brands and products.
  • a well-tended, professional blog presence.
  • great project photos.
  • a good “stash” of products new & old to use for feature projects.
  • a facebook account — we’ll use a private facebook group to share ideas.
  • a positive attitude & a sense of humor :)

Team Member Requirements

Design Team members will be asked to submit just one project and/or article or tutorial per month for inclusion in a PCC feature series. (Additional opportunities will certainly arise for team members interested in doing more.) For all assignments, team members are free to use any brands / products desired.

Team Member Benefits

  • exposure & access to our readers and 8000+ fb fans!
  • recognition not only as an industry designer but as an industry expert!
  • links to your personal blog
  • occasional freebies
  • opportunities to leverage your PCC projects & articles to cross promote personal projects, classes, products, events, etc — when appropriate
  • chance to be part of a positive influence in the industry we all love
  • subjected to my corny sense of humor (oh wait, maybe that’s not exactly a benefit ;)

To Apply

If this sounds like you and you’d like to be a part of the PCC team, please send ONE email providing ALL of the following:

  1. link to your blog.
  2. link to any online galleries you may be a part of.
  3. link to a photo or video tutorial you have created within the last 12 months.
  4. attach images or provide links to 3 of your all-time favorite projects that you think best capture your style (if attaching photos, no more than 300kb per photo please!)
  5. a paragraph telling me about yourself
  6. a paragraph sharing WHY you’d enjoy joining the PCC team.
  7. ideas of at least 2 other “feature” week ideas you’d like see us share at PCC and and how you’d envision approaching those.
  8. a list of your other current industry obligations (including other design teams, etc.)
  9. how long have you been a PCC reader? Long time? Just found us? Just curious :)

Deadline to submit is Friday May 18, 2012 at midnight eastern. I can’t wait to see what you have in mind …. and to get started on some great new features for our readers!

 

Filed Under: DT Calls & Announcements

Scrapbooks Etc Magazine to Close :(

May 9, 2012 By 12 Comments

Bummer!!!! Scrapbooks Etc Magazine announced their impending closure today. The August 2012 issue will be their last. I know their other 350,000 subscribers are as disappointed as I am :(

Here is a portion of the press release from their parent, Meredith Corporation …

Meredith Corporation has made the difficult decision to close Scrapbooks etc. effective with the August 2012 issue. Scrapbooks etc. has been the longtime brand leader within the scrapbooking industry, but due to the longer term business forecast for the franchise and the industry, the corporation has chosen to cease publishing within this marketplace.

The August 2012 issue, with an on-sale date of June 19, will be released on schedule to our 350,000 subscribers and newsstand buyers through the scheduled off-sale date of August 14, 2012. The ScrapbooksEtc.com website will support the print issue throughout this time period as well.

Meredith Corporation continues our strong support of the crafts industry with our Holiday Crafts titles and our newest addition, Make it Yourself, launching in October 2012. And of course we will continue to serve the growing quilting industry with our multiple quilting titles and website, allpeoplequilt.com.

Gosh, it sounds like quilting is the hot new industry, doesn’t it? I’m sorry but I just can’t get “into” quilting. What about you?

Well, never fear –  PaperCrafter’s Corner is here! We’d love to do our part to fill some of your paper crafting media needs that will be creating by the void that Scrapbooks Etc leaves in the marketplace.

What additional features or services would you suggest that we offer in order to help fill that void left by Scrapbooks Etc? I’d love to hear your suggestions!

Please: I request no comments expressing concern about subscription fees paid. I expect that SBE, as a part of Meredith Corporation, will address subscription fees professionally.

What are YOUR thoughts about this announcement?

Filed Under: Industry Scoop

Echo Park Launches Sister Company: Carta Bella Paper

May 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

Echo Park officially launched their new sister company today: Carta Bella Paper!

Carta Bella describes themselves on their new Facebook page by saying:

As a sister-company to Echo Park Paper, we design and distribute paper products for the crafting and scrapbooking industries. Product collections include textured patterned paper, textured stickers, as well as a variety of coordinating embellishments.

The new Carta Bella team is comprised of: Lindsay Moore, Director of Sales. (You know Lindsay from his days at SEI and Cosmo Cricket.) Carina Gardner, Creative Director. (Carina designed their inaugural collection — check it out below) and Designers Deena Rutter, Samantha Walker and Melanie Ritchie.

The very first Carta Bella collection to be introduced is called Beautiful Moments and was designed by Carina Gardner. It will be shipping to scrapbook stores on June 7…

 

You can view the individual pieces of the Beautiful Moments collection via the Carta Bella website here, follow the Carta Bella blog here, and visit the Carta Bella Facebook page here. (Let Carta Bella know you were sent over by PaperCrafter’s Corner!)

So …. what do you think of Carta Bella so far? What sorts of scrapbooking ideas does the Beautiful Moments collection inspire in you?

 

Filed Under: Industry Scoop, Sneak Peeks & New Releases Tagged With: ,

Colorbok Acquires Making Memories (etc)

April 25, 2012 By 3 Comments

Colorbok announced via an April 13 2012 press release their “acquisition of the paper crafting business of ANW/Creativity Works and Making Memories.”  We are just picking up on this development as Making Memories shared the news via their blog yesterday.

Who Is Colorbok?

Colorbok was established in 1984 and is a manufacturer & distributor of scrapbook products as well as kids crafts and other related items. Some of the current Colorbok brands you might recognize include: Colorbok, Cloud9 Designs, Heidi Grace (the old Heidi Grace brand — not her new brand) as well as licensed crafts for Peanuts and Dr Seuss.

While they have a blog, we don’t see them being particularly active in the traditional social media outlets, so many of us aren’t quite as familiar with their brand. When I think of Colorbok, I think of the Colorbok branded products I most often see in the craft aisle at Walmart and Joann …Like the Colorbok 12×12 Scrapbook Kit and the Colorbok Everyday Memories Page Kit shown below…

Making Memories

Making Memories has been an important player in the scrapbooking arena for years. I can remember feverishly stocking up on Making Memories eyelets back in 2003 like it was going out of style! (No pun intended.)

Recently, Making Memories experienced some struggles and was plagued by rumors, addressed in an open letter from their company President in September 2011. Making Memories then merged with ANW Crestwood in November 2011 (discussed here.)

At CHA Winter 2012 Making Memories introduced a conservative number of collections & products, but the new Modern Millinery collection was a big hit receiving several notices from prominent industry bloggers.

(A search of the Making Memories website indicates Modern Millinery is due to ship in mid May 2012.)

Of course, fans and owners of the Making Memories SLICE cutting system will be particularly interested to see what Colorbok does with the Slice along with its cartridges and accessories …..

What do you think of these recent developments surrounding Making Memories? As we learn more, we’ll be sure to keep you posted!

Filed Under: Industry Scoop Tagged With:

Hampton Art Acquires KI Memories

April 23, 2012 By 1 Comment

Today, Hampton Art announced their acquisition of KI Memories. KI Memories, founded in 2001, is a scrapbooking & paper crafting company “known for for its colorful, contemporary design and award-winning, creative product concepts.”

KI Memories had what seemed to be a fabulous show at CHA Summer 2010 with the debut of new branding and fun new products debuts including “Slick Stuff” and “Sparkle Stuff.” And surely you remember the buzz surrounding the debut of their Sew Cute Calendar pages released that summer? Those Sew Cute Calendar pages were on several “Top 10 Picks” from the CHA Summer 2010 show! (Like at Write Click Scrapbook.)

Recently, we began to get concerned about KI Memories when we noticed (here) that the “Good Folks” and “Holly Lane” collections debuted at CHA Summer 2011 never reached production.

A few weeks ago, KI Memories announced a “pop-up online warehouse sale” lasting two weeks and ending this past Friday. And now, shortly after the close of the sale, KI Memories and Hampton Art have made their announcement.

For those of us who love the KI Memories signature style, we can take heart in the fact that, “Kimberly {Sabel}, KI Memories’® co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, will partner with Hampton Art to continue to develop and design new KI Memories® products for scrapbooking as well as other craft categories.” As with other recent acquisitions in the industry, sales, service and operations will now be relocated & handled by the acquiring company.

Meanwhile, Hampton Art has really stepped-up their game lately! Have you noticed?

Hampton Art recently selected a brand new design team for their stamping products and the brand has become far more visible in the scrapbooking & paper crafting social media landscape. (Hampton Art manufactures co-branded stamps for Graphic45, Doodlebug and others.) Now, with this acquisition of KI Memories, I have a feeling that Hampton Art has more exciting things in store for us! What do you think?

We’ll keep you posted!

 

 

Filed Under: Industry Scoop Tagged With: ,

Design Team Updates: G45, Sizzix, Hampton Art, Xyron and more!

April 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s been a busy few weeks in the design team world since our last Design Team recap of March 20, 2012. Here’s what’s been shakin’ recently in just the last 2 weeks ….

Graphic 45

Graphic 45 announced their 2012-2013 design team. The team members are: Denise Hahn– USA;  Sharon Ngoo – Singapore;  Nicole Eccles – USA; Clare Charvill - UK; Alberto Juárez Díaz – Spain;  Arlene Cuevas – USA;  Tara Orr – Canada;  Jim Hankins – USA;  Maiko Miwa – Japan;  Gloria Stengel – USA;  Susan Lui – Singapore;  Kristin Wilson – USA;  Jane Tregenza - Australia;  Roberto Cesar dos Santos – Brazil;   Laura Denison – USA. Did you notice there are 3 men on this new team. Interesting!

Tim Holtz / Sizzix Vintage Camera & Alarm Clock Die

Sizzix

Sizzix announced their first ever design team. The team members are: Amy Friend; Anna-Karin Evaldsson; Gretchen Schmidt ; Hilary Kanwischer; Jan Hobbins; Jeanne Streiff; Melony Bradley; Richele Christensen; Ronda Palazzari; Shelly Hickox; Tamara Tripodi; Tammy Roberts; Tiffany Johnson; Trisha Ladaouceur; Tammy Tutterow (design team leader).

Little Yellow Bicycle

Little Yellow Bicycle announced their new “biker chicks” design team. The team members are: Shanna Vineyard – Arizona; Corrie Jones – Georgia; Jenny Chesnick – Maryland; Heather Leopard – Texas; Robbie Herring – Texas; Tania Willis – Ohio; Vicki Boutin – Canada; Greta Hammond – Indiana Retail/Trade Show Specialist; Liz Qualman – Colorado (DT Coordinator).

My Little Shoebox

My Little Shoebox announced their new 2012-2013 design team. The team members are: Patti Beltan (Design Team Coordinator), Shemaine Smith (Social Media Coordinator), Becky Dreyer, Linda Kretz, Rosangela Phillipsen, Keely Yowler, Zoe Nemburt, Jennifer Cowles, Nana Campana, Megan Aaron, Grace Tolman, Robyn Schaub, Liz Chidester, Monique Liedtke, and Carol Theng Chai Foong.

Xyron

Xyron has announced a design team call. The call is open between now and April 15, 2012. For more on the call, click here.

Helmar

Helmar has announced their design team call as well. The call is open between now and April 18, 2012. For call details, click here.

Hampton Art

Shop Hampton Art at Two Peas Here

Hampton Art announced their new design team. The team members are: Linda Abadie;Diana Kovacs; Claire Towle; Dana Warren; Gini Williams; Britt Bass; Nina Yang ; Beverly Sizemore; Wendy Morris; Vivian Keh; Gloria Stengel; Jamie Harper; Adora Concepcion.

 And remember, you can always get current call listings & the latest “breaking” design team news at DesignTeamCalls.com!

 

 

Filed Under: DT Calls & Announcements

Like Totally Awesome Scrapbook Event — and Giveaway!

April 2, 2012 By 22 Comments

The Ella Publishing Spring Training 2012 Event is coming soon and it’s going to be like totally rad!

Twelve days April 23 to May 3 with a series of targeted daily paper crafting “exercise” sessions—led by five pro scrapbookers—that are “like totally” guaranteed to:

  • jumpstart your creativity and exercise your scrapbooking muscles
  • inspire you to lead a healthy and balanced crafting lifestyle
  • make you giggle with plenty of fun 1980′s references :)
  • give you new skills to try AND remind you of important foundational principles
  • get you in tip-top scrapbooking shape just in time for (inter)National Scrapbooking Day on May 4th

Checkout this fun preview video from Ella Publishing ….

You get like TONS of mini videos, exercises, live chats, etc …. And you want to know the best part? It won’t put a big dent in your scrappy supplies budget! The cost won’t “gag you with a spoon” and it’s definitely not “grody to the max!”

Over the course of 12 days, you’ll learn about photography, organization, cool techniques, design, pushing your creative boundaries and more.
Visit the Ella Publishing website >>HERE<< to learn more about the instructors and the classes as well as to read some great testimonials from attendees of previous events. Sounds like great fun!

Enter to WIN

We are lucky enough to be offering FREE admission to this fun event to one PaperCrafter’s Corner reader. To enter to win, simply leave a comment here telling us two things:

  1. Visit the Ella Publishing Spring Training Event page and tell us which of the specific topics covered are you most interested in learning AND
  2. One favorite 1980′s trend memory…. {tee hee! these are going to be fun!}

I cannot wait to read your comments! Giveaway is open now through Saturday April 7th at midnight eastern. Good luck and have fun!!

And now for fun, I absolutely cannot resist ….

 

 

I {heart} Olivia Newton John :)

 

Filed Under: Event Announcements, Giveaways

The Art of Observation with Heidi Swapp — Giveaway!!

March 22, 2012 By 143 Comments

Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the randomly selected winner MichelleGB

By now you have probably seen and heard a bit about the upcoming online class from Heidi Swapp & Big Picture Classes. It’s called The Art of Observation and it’s going to be AWESOME. How do I know this? Well, I’ve had a chance to work with Heidi quite a bit lately and to get to know her personally …. I can tell you that she has unbelievable charisma, passion & energy …. Her positive dynamic is infectious, and she is SO, so committed to this class being AMAZING. So therefore, it will be! But enough about what I think!

Heidi has put together some thoughts and a few SNEAK PEEKS from the class, just for you:

“I am getting super excited for my newest online class to kick off on April 5th at BigPictureClasses.com! i am part of the ’4Experts’ series (they call me an expert)… it’s called “the Art of Observation“! the class runs 12 weeks and we will be completing a new project each week that will challenge you to look around, and observe in a different way–and inspiring you to ask questions and seek out your answers!


i am especially excited to be teaching using my new ‘memory file‘ concepts… you will be amazed at what these little files can do! (they have even wowed me!) and while each week, the project will be based in a Memory File, you can certainly translate your project to a page or even a mini-book.

That is the best part of Big Picture Classes… is that you are able to do the class at your own pace, and using stuff from YOUR stash to complete the projects! (or…ok… you could buy some new stuff!) Each week, you will receive a clue, then observation assignments and observation techniques… once you have had a couple days to think and observe, you will get the instructions, photos, video tutorials for completing the project!

 

We’ll have an in-class blog, message board, and a few chats and even a live web-show all included in that class time! it’s going to be an amazing journey, one that promises to change the way you look at your world… and see it in a whole new light… and maybe even the way you perceive the art of documenting, storing and sharing YOUR memories!  i hope you will join me!”

Enter to Win

Heidi & Big Picture Classes are providing one lucky PaperCrafter’s Corner free registration at the class!  To enter to win, simply leave a comment answering at least one of the following questions:

I can’t wait to hear what you guys have to say! Enter now through Sunday night March 25 at midnight eastern. Giveaway winner announced on Monday. Have fun and good luck!! Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for participating!

 

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Filed Under: Event Announcements, Giveaways Tagged With:

Design Team Updates: Simple Stories, Lily Bee, Zutter, Clearsnap & More

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

March has been a busy month on the Design Team front! Here are a few highlights since our last update  (which was on Mar 3), all of which were originally shared over at DesignTeamCalls.com …

Simple Stories

Simple Stories announced their 2012 design team. The new team members are: Jill Cornell, Tonya Dirk, Guiseppa Gubler, Kim Holmes, Donna Jannuzzi, Rebecca Keppel, Allison Landy, Shellye McDaniel, Emily Pitts, Melissa Phillips, Liz Qualman, Kay Rogers, Ashley Stephens, Emily Lanham, Kellie Rabideau, Wendy Morris,  Gail Lindner, Cari Locken, Yuki Shimada, Natasja Cats-Verbeek,  and Layle Koncar.

Hampton Art

Hampton Art issued their first ever design team call. They are seeking stampers for a 12-month term starting April 1, 2012. Call deadline is March 26, 2011 at 8pm. You can find more call details here.

GCD Studios

GCD Studios Announced their New 2012 Design Team. Those team members include: Clare Prezzia; Elizabeth Carney; Heidi Van Laar; Jennifer Chapin; Leslie Davis; Teri Anderson; Tessa Buys; Abbie Nichols; Wendi Robinson; Pam Callaghan; Nina Yang; Mary Ann Jenkins; Guiseppa Gubler; Penny Smith; Jenny Suchin; Tegan Skwiat; Tracy Schultz; Emily Branch; Audrey Yeager; Julie Overby and Amanda Coleman.

Clearsnap

Clearsnap issued a design team call. They are seeking 6 new designers and the deadline to respond is April 15, 2012. You can find more call details here.

Gel-A-Tins

Gel-A-Tins issued a design team call. They are seeking 8 new designers for a 6-month term of May – Oct 2012. Call deadline is April 1, 2012. You can find more call details here.

Zutter

Zutter, maker of the Bind-It-All, has issued a call for more “Zutter Zisters.” They are seeking designers for their 2012-2013 team. Call deadline is April 15, 2012. You can find more call details here.

Designer Roundtable

DesignTeamCalls continued its new Q&A “Designer Roundtable” column focused on the burning questions that aspiring designers want to know. This week’s question was surrounding the decision of how to know which designer opportunities to pursue. Answers were provided by industry designers who each represent several different companies in the industry, including: Jaime Warren, Corrie Jones, Jess Mutty, Erika Taylor, and Stacey Michaud.   You can read the full Q&A here.

Scrapbooking the Everyday: 34 fresh new ways to celebrate your daily life

Filed Under: DT Calls & Announcements
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