Today...is a great day!

Today...I'm posting what Beth Hess, editor of Memorytrends Magazine, reported as trends and hot products from CHA summer (my notes in orange):

The Craft & Hobby Association Summer Show provided an array of new product collections for crafters of all kinds. New yarn textures and colors are likely to inspire papercrafters. So, too, are artist materials. One of the hottest new scrapbooking products of the show is the IOD Paintables collection from Prima. These 12"x12" sheets of cardstock feature outlines of swirls, flowers, and more and are designed to be colored in with paints, markers, color pencils, chalks, or any other color medium. Co-creator Josie Celio says, "I forget how much fun coloring is until I started with this line. It's a form of expression many of us haven't used in a long time." Judging by the crowds watching the demos and placing their orders, others agree scrapbookers are ready to incorporate more of their artistic self and products they already own, like ink pads and pens, in this way. (Watch for more about artistry in journaling and scrapbooks in the September issue of Memorytrends Magazine.)

Other Products that stood out:

• Glue Arts GlueGlider Max - a large adhesive gun runner GlueArts is a long-time sponsor of the NSA!
  
• Dove of the East - Japan Collection

Other Trends Spotted:

• Birds, Trees flocks of owls, bird-shaped chipboard mini-albums from Piggy Tales & Maya Road, penguin Christmas paper from Imaginisce
  
• Swirls, Paisley
• Calendar projects Karen Foster, Flair, and others; getting ready for Christmas gifts
  
• Unique shapes in mini albums, board books, spiral journals, etc.
• Storage, storage, storage - this category just keeps growing (and becoming more fashion-forward and in-line with today's decorating trends) I'm guessing that this product line offers a high return for both manufacturers and retailers, hence the flood
  

ETP!

Labels: industry insights, Latest and Greatest, trade magazines

Today...I visited the press room to get a preview of what's in store for us when the show opens on Friday.

Exhibitors and other CHA members provide press kits to announce new releases, entice with sample products, and provide catalogs and digital images for print. This is an excellent way for editors to find the info they need - and bring it home - to do their job, which is ultimately to spread information.

As a Service Provider, I find the press room an invaluable benefit and ultimately a huge time saver. In one room I can gather a significant amount of information that helps me to plan my show schedule and identify the must-see exhibits. Even if it's just an updated catalogue provided, having it in hand is so much easier - and appreciated - than if I had to hunt down my prospects for information.

I also get a glimpse of what the other categories are working on, such as Pentel's Fabric Fun Dye Sticks. Their press kit included a small canvas bag and encouraged creative time with their new product. Talk about make-n-take!

NSA members Cindy Bisson and Becky Chabot submitted press kits in the designer section, and they were on hand to preview the kits from the exhibitors. This video is just a sample of what we discovered on the show floor:



(Disclaimer: this is my first video post, so please forgive the lack of editing and the burst of exuberance at the end!)

ETP!

Manufacturer's mentioned

Bright blues:
me and my big ideas
Stemma

Skulls & Pirates:
Collected Memories Bad to the Bone albums
Rusty Pickle's Cap'n Jack and Pirate Princess Collections
Karen Foster Design's Pirate Collection
2 Daisies Designs' Heads of the Family

Celebrations:
AdornIt Halloween Collection

Labels: industry insights, Latest and Greatest, pudding, trade magazines

Today...I received the July/August issue of Scrapbook Business. I went straight to page 8 for Kevin Nelson's note from the editor. In his letter, he highlights the NSA's retail directory. The NSA Store Locator is like nothing else in the scrapbooking industry. Nowhere can you find a comprehensive list of retailers that specialize in scrapbooking but on the NSA site. Other lists are too expensive to join, tied to a product manufacturer, or terribly out-dated. And forget about functionality!

Thing is, we're hard at work creating a better retail directory and locator, and it's scheduled to launch very soon! So if you like the NSA Store Locator now, wait until you see what's in store next!

ETP!

Remember...the NSA lists all brick & mortar stores for free. Stores receive an enhanced listing -- with phone numbers, directions, maps, store hours, photos and more -- as a retail member of the NSA. You also will receive a monthly reminder to update your listing information.

Labels: pudding, retail tips, trade magazines

Today...Beth Mauro, editor of CNA Magazine, reported from GASC in Chantilly. Here are some quotes of note:

No matter what your crafting niche I highly urge you to attend consumer shows whenever possible. There is nothing better than seeing the industry through (these) customers' eyes. When crafting is your business there is a danger of getting jaded when it comes to products and projects. A short trip to a consumer show is like a shot of adrenalin.

My favorite part was seeing scrapbookers of every age, color, size and level of expertise. We saw three generations of scrapbookers visiting the show together and plenty of new moms looking to start a baby book. The crops were packed. Over a three day period, hundreds of scrapbookers dragged all their stuff in for the fun of scrapping with friends and soon-to-be-friends.

and

Digital Scrapbooking 101 classes were full as were sessions on getting photos off of your digital camera (I should take that one) and photo retouching. The fact that that attendees that come to this show are hardcore scrapbookers should prove that traditional scrapbooking and digital scrapbooking can co-exist under one roof. Will next year be the year of Hybrid Scrapbooking classes?

It boils down to this:

• Always remember the customer
• Scrapbooking is for everyone
• Never underestimate the passion of a scrapbooker

ETP!

Labels: About the ING, Expanding the Passion, hand holding, retail tips, trade magazines

Today...I'm pointing out the reality trend that has emerged in scrapbooking (perhaps a response to all those reality shows?). The trend has been looming, I mean, how many single photos layouts wallpapered with flowers can inspire Suzy Scrapbooker who only wants to organize and preserve her 3x5 snapshots of her teenager's ninth birthday?

To draw your attention to the recent surge, take these examples:

• Tara Governo's Imperfect Lives (F&W) tells the kind of wonderfully human, less-than-glorious stories that often go untold. Its pages are full of honest, edgy, quirky, humorous layouts about real life
• Tasra Dawson's Real Women Scrap and t.v. for busy women
• Memorytrends April 2007 cover story "What Women Want...and how scrapbooking gives it to them"
• The handful of blogs attacking and smacking celebs and wanna bes (and no, I won't provide the links...stay here and finish reading)

Here are some other observations. The number of inquiries to the NSA for information for LSS business plans has decreased significantly. More hobbyists are waking up to the reality that operating an LSS is 99% retail and 1% scrapbooking. Real life (i.e., kids, the mortgage, aging parents, insert "any daily stress" here) or lack of business skills, foresight or critical thinking has pushed retailers to close their doors, and the predictions are realistic. Industry politicos worn of the impending doom; the number of LSSs in the US will be down to 800 by the end of the year; this vendor is not exhibiting at CHA-S, and that vendor is not going to Memorytrends.

All this is reactionary and old news in this cyber-fast world. What we really need is to be pro-active.

Tomorrow...I'll talk about the new reality.

ETP!

Labels: IMHO, industry insights, trade magazines

Today…Creating Keepsakes announced its new editor. Replacing Tracy White is Brian Tippetts. Yep. A guy. He joins a handful of men making their way into the female-dominated world of scrapbooking. The guys have always been here; but now they’re getting face time.

CK started with Don Lampson. David Venable works side-by-side with Lisa Bearnson at QVC. And the first male Hall of Famer, NSA member Mitchell Kraft, was named in 2007.

F+W is doing it, too. David Pyle is now Group Publisher, formally held by industry matriarch Jeanne Wines-Reed. Steve Smith’s column, "Manly Memories," appears regularly in Memory Makers Magazine.

This sprinkle of men is just the beginning of the summer storm. There will be a gully-washing this year in the industry, brought on and carried out by the “guys who get it.” Are you ready to ride the winds of change?

ETP

Labels: consumer magazines, Expanding the Passion, industry insights, trade magazines

Today...the industry prepares for National Scrapbooking Day. Craftrends noted NSD in their news headlines. CNA provided a press release template for retailers. Here are more tips to make the most of our special day:

• Send press releases to local media, especially television network affiliates, and add the words "photo opportunity" or "remote feature" to the release. This will alert them to a visual event that they can cover instead of just a news event. Follow up with a phone call.

• Contact local community calendars, usually in suburban weekly newspapers, for free mention of your NSD event.

• Have a tool-focused, round-robin make-n-take project for your NSD crop. For example, build a one-page layout documenting the NSD event. For the first make-n-take, use the Crop-A-Dile to punch a hole in plastic drinking cups. Create a name tag (again, use the Crop-A-Dile to punch the hole and set the eyelet) and tie to the drinking cup. Continue with the second make-in-take by using a die cutting machine to cut a title for a layout. For the third make-n-take, break for a group photo. Demonstrate a compact photo printer and print copies of the group photo for each participant. For the fourth make-n-take session, demonstrate a technique that's new to the group, like machine stitching. Pass around pieces of cardstock for participants to sign as journaling to mark who was there. For the final make-n-take, assemble the layout and add the tag.

• Take pre-orders of the tools used in the make-n-takes. Alert customers that certain products will be highlighted at your NSD event. Have them stop by to try out the tools. Offer a discount on pre-orders (or pre-pays) and have the tools on hand for sale.

• If customers can't come for an all-day crop, invite them to an open house. Schedule make-n-takes for croppers and visitors, so everyone has the chance to do the projects.

• Make sure your event is posted on the NSA calendar! It's free, and the calendar is one of the most viewed pages of the NSA site. Scrappers are looking for crops to attend. Let them know how your store supports NSD.

Today...I got a call from a newspaperin Illinois wanting to know more about NSD, the NSA and if there were any NSD events in her area. Guess where I looked for that information!

ETP!

Labels: NSD, pudding, retail tips, trade magazines

Today...I'm answering Tisha's SBR QOTD (scrapbooking-related question of the day):

Scrapbook Library: Do you have your own mini scrapbooking library? Do you have multiple scrapbooking books and entire lines of scrapbooking magazines? How do you keep your library organized for it to be useful?

I have three stages:

1. The stack near my desk of recent issues. The ones at the top of the stack I need to read. Uh, I got 3 new issues this week so far!


2. The storage of past (read) issues. They are in cardboard magazine holders that I got at IKEA -- I didn't buy enough holders, I might add, because the mags that didn't fit are on shelves. Grouped by consumer vs. trade, then by title, then (hopefully) in date order.


3. A stack planned for the recycle bin. They are tied, bound and waiting for me to release them to their destiny. Most are old PaperKuts issues I just can't say good-bye to since PK was "my first"

I have to say that holding on to these issues does have its benefits. For example, CK recently had a call Your Favorite Ideas from the Pages of CK. I had a favorite idea (Tracy White's "The Perfection Trap," January 2004, page 111) but I didn't submit it.

And I have to admit that I enjoy the trade magazines more than the consumer mags. Craftrends, Memorytrends, CNA, Scrapbook Business, Scrapbook Retailer and the various eZines provide the industry insight that I need. And I love distilling it and putting relevant info on my blog to share with you!

Which means I have some reading to do! As far as idea books...they're on a shelf, looking pretty! I keep most for reference, but I'm known to give them away as RAKs!

ETP!

Labels: consumer magazines, RAKs, trade magazines

Today...EK Success announced its launch strategy for the new Martha Stewart Crafts™ line of paper crafting, scrapbooking, and storage products, begining with limited retail distribution in May to all Michaels stores, followed by distribution to EK Elite independent craft and scrapbooking stores later this year.

Today...I highlighted this tidbit of advice offered to independents by Rob Krieger, president of Checker Distributors, in the January 2007 issue of Craftrends, page 34:

The strengths independent shops can use to their advantage...are their unique product selection, classes, and individual attention (emphasis
mine).

and he advises retailers to...

"Find suppliers who are directing their total sales and marketing efforts to make independents successful. Why depend on a supplier who is doing all they can to help chains be successful at your expense?"

Krieger goes on to encourage independents to "think outside the box" and lists suggestions like using the Internet to attract younger customers, choosing the right supplier ("Make every attempt to buy products and brand names that are not in the chains."), keeping up with trends, and offering unique classes.

I can't help but think that EK Success released word of the launch schedule as a way to avoid a communications fiasco a la Provo Craft and the Cricut. They're making sure everyone knows that the box stores will have Martha's product before they attempt to ship it to their "elite" customers. Thanks for the warning, EK, especially before you have thousands of independent reltailers decend upon you at CHA.

Independents need to think outside the box or the only place to shop for scrapbooking supplies will be inside the box stores.

Labels: IMHO, industry insights, trade magazines

Today...the January Craftrends was in my mailbox. Lookie what was listed in the table of contents!!
The cover story of the sneak peek issue of the new Memorytrends magazine is "Keep in Touch: How scrapbooking can support our military families," and features Harvesting Memories. The photo taken at Scrapbook Warehouse in Dallas shows some of the cards we made to during the crop to raise funds for Trees for Troops.

Read the full story scanned from the January 2007 issue.

Labels: Expanding the Passion, Harvesting Memories, trade magazines

Today...I started preparing for the slice of heaven that is CHA. I developed a web page for the sneak peeks and glanced over the CNA issue new to my mailbox, one of the several pre-show mags I'm sure to receive. So here are some things that caught my eye:

Clip File System from Simply Renee...something new in storage and organization

Pay-per-project Online...something close to a concept I'm trying to develop, but no where near what it needs to be (Warning: I find F&W web sites painfully slow. This one is no exception.)

Give 'em what they need...excellent peek into what this industry should be -- and should not be -- doing:
Karen Ancona's editorial "We Reap What We Sow" about kindness and generosity...it was like she was speaking to the NSA about Harvesting Memories and our plans for CHA: "Americans love a company that promotes civility...a good deed in the pay-it-forward spirit."

ETP!

Labels: Expanding the Passion, Harvesting Memories, industry insights, Latest and Greatest, trade magazines