Industry News
Stop by on Fridays to catch up on the latest news in the world of art stamps and scrapbooking!
News for December 21, 2007
Weekly Crafting Webisodes
Hot Off The Press of Canby, Oregon (503/266-9102) debuted the first of its weekly online videos, co-hosted by Paulette Jarvey and Sara Naumann, two years ago this December. The concept? To showcase the latest techniques and products to scrapbookers, cardmakers and papercrafters all over the world—on their time. Paper Wishes Weekly Webisodes air every week, featuring a new and different papercrafting technique each time. Simply go to www.paperwishes.com and click on the Weekly Webisodes tab. Each episode runs about 10-15 minutes and features the latest products, techniques, ideas and instructions, all at the click of a mouse. You can wach the segment whenever you want, and archived segments are available if you miss a week. Each weekly webisode is free.
News for November 30, 2007
Manufacturers Increase Exhibition Space
The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) of Elmwood Park, New Jersey (201/794-1133) notes that a number of top manufacturers have significantly increased their exhibition space for the February 10-13, 2008 Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Winter Convention & Trade Show in Anaheim, California. Among the companies expanding their booth space for Winter 2008 are Fiskars Brands Inc., Product Performers, StickerKing, The Original Scrapbox, Anna Griffin Inc., Pazzles, Hampton Art LLC and Hero Arts Rubber Stamps Inc.
"At a time when trade shows around the country are experiencing exhibitor and attendee attrition, the CHA shows are holding strong," says CHA CEO Steve Berger. "The fact that many of the biggest names in our industry, especially in the scrapbooking and papercraft sectors, are expanding their space is a true vote of confidence in the show's strength and proven ability to deliver strong business results year after year."
News for November 16, 2007
CHA Goes Hollywood
The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) of Elmwood Park, New Jersey (201/794-1133) is holding its special show event for the 2008 CHA Winter Convention & Trade Show at the Hollywood Pictures Backlot in Disney's California Adventure® Park. Scheduled for Tuesday, February 12, the festivities will begin at 6 p.m. and continue until 10 p.m. As they arrive for dinner and stroll down the red carpet, attendees will be greeted by famous Hollywood celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe and Elvis. After dinner, the party will continue outside with a live band, dancing and an exclusive showing of Soarin' Over California, a simulated tour of the California coast.
Limited tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The pre-show fee is $50 for CHA members and $100 for nonmembers. The onsite fee (subject to availability) is $75 for CHA members and $125 for nonmembers. Transportation will be provided to and from the venue and official CHA hotels not within walking distance, as well as the Anaheim Convention Center.
News for November 2, 2007
Polyform Launches Home Training Program
Polyform Products of Elk Grove Village, Illinois (847/427-0020) is thrilled to announce the official launch of the Home Dimensions™ oven-bake clay education program. Fourteen women from around the country traveled to Elk Grove Village to be the premier group to undertake the five-day certification led by Donna Dewberry. Having completed the course, these talented ladies became the first official regional trainers in the Home Dimensions program.
The Home Dimensions program was designed to work hand in hand with the Studio™ by Sculpey® oven-bake clay and tool line and relies on a national network of instructors, called regional trainers, who are certified based on specific techniques and projects. These regional trainers will go on to train the Home Dimensions teachers, who will in turn teach classes at major and independent craft stores, through adult education programs, and in their home studios. As of October 19, 2007, there are 12 Home Dimensions regional trainers and two alternates covering all 50 states.
The Studio by Sculpey clay and tool line—a line of luxurious new oven-bake clay available in 34 rich, home décor colors, along with custom engineered tools created specifically for use with polymer clay—will be available nationally in early 2008. To coordinate with this launch, Polyform, Dewberry and the 12 regional trainers have set a goal to certify 500 Home Dimensions teachers by the end of the first quarter of 2008. To help reach this goal, a special incentive program featuring free Studio products and discounts on classes is available through March 2008.
Tombow Change in Leadership
Gordon E. Haight, chairman/CEO of American Tombow Inc. in Suwanee, Georgia (678/318-3344), will retire December 31, 2007. Haight has been with Tombow for 16 years (1991-2007), during which he was president/CEO until 2006, at which time he became chairman/CEO for his last year with Tombow. During this time, Tombow increased its sales and profits each year. Haight has stated that over the years he has established many great friendships and will continue to be involved in the industry.
Succeeding Haight is Robert Laubscher, who will become president/CEO. Laubscher joined the company in 1989, having worked in the financial and operational management of the company. In 2004 he was promoved to executive VP/COO and in 2006 to president/COO.
Jeff Lester has been promoted to executive VP of sales and marketing. Lester joined Tombow in August 2006 as VP sales-retail markets. He will be resonsible for all marketing and sales management. Reporting to Lester will be the marketing manager, VP sales-commercial and director of sales retail.
News for October 26, 2007
CHA Highlights Fashion Crafting
The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) of Elmwood Park, New Jersey (201/794-1133) has been inspired by the trend of consumers creating custom wearable designs to make "Fashion Crafting" the theme of its 2008 Winter Convention & Trade Show, to be held February 10-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. It is designed to help members tap into the tremendous new business opportunities this growing trend offers with a full roster of special seminars, workshops and displays. Programs will target three key areas: jewelry making, altering and embellishing clothing and accessories, and clothing and accessory design. CHA will offer a comprehensive look at each through features such as:
- Fashion Crafting Educational Track, where attendees can choose from a full roster of fashion crafting seminars, workshops and events.
- Fashion Runway Show... Crafts on the Catwalk, in which CHA has teamed up with Origin Publishing, a leading U.K. craft magazine publisher, to present a runway show featuring hats, bags and outfits crafted from papercraft and general craft products.
- Designer Fashion Crafting Display, where attendees can see CHA member products crafted into unique fashions in a variety of themes by CHA designer members
- Fashion Crafting Gallery, which is located in the main lobby of the Anaheim Convention Center and displays color and fashion trends that are certain to influence the look and feel of crafting and what consumers are looking for.
- Fashion Crafting Plasma Screen, where fashion crafting video projects submitted by CHA members will be shown in the Anaheim convention Center Lobby.
Pioneer Photo Albums® on TV
Photo albums and scrapbooks from Pioneer Photo Albums Inc. of Chatsworth, California (818/882-2161) will be featured on the upcoming holiday television special Designing Spaces. Pioneer's segment will focus on the importance of proper photo storage and photo storage innovation, including Pioneer's easy-to-use Snapload® binding system. The program will be seen by approximately 135 million viewers when it airs on TLC (The Learning Channel), WE (Women's Entertainment) and other networks in November.
News for October 19, 2007
CHA Expands Distribution of Portfolio Magazine
The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) of Elmwood Park, New Jersey (201/794-1133) announces that its member publication, CHA Portfolio, will now be sent to a broader audience. In the past, issues were forwarded exclusively to one contact at each member company. Starting with the Fall 2007 issue, to be distributed in mid-October, the mailing list will be expanded to include every CHA member.
CHA Portfolio is a quarterly publication that provides a blend of association and industry news, business-building ideas and trends of particular interest to craft and hobby industry professionals. The full color, glossy magazine will now be mailed directly to every contact in CHA's 5,500 member companies, including independent retailers, chain stores, publishers, wholesalers, designers, teachers/educators, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, institutional buyers, professional crafters and service providers.
A New Home for Grafix
Grafix of Cleveland, Ohio (216/581-9050) will be making room for new products and new faces by moving to a 43,000-square-foot facility that dwarfs its current facility of 19,000 square feet. This will also help the company be more efficient in handling material and orders. Renovations are currently underway, and Grafix plans to be in its new facility by the middle of October 2007. The company's new address is 5800 Pennsylvania Avenue, Maple Heights, Ohio 44137. Phone (216/581-9050, 800/447-2349) and fax (216/581-9041) numbers will remain the same.
News for October 12, 2007
Suze Orman is Keynote Speaker at Winter CHA
The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) of Elmwood Park, New Jersey (201/794-1133) announces that personal financial expert Suze Orman will appear as the keynote speaker for the February 10-13, CHA 2008 Winter Convention & Trade Show. Called a "one-woman financial advice powerhouse" by USA Today, the two-time Emmy Award-winning television host, New York Times bestselling author, magazine and online columnist and motivational speaker will share a wealth of practical tips and financial insights. Orman will help attendees understand how their relationship to money affects their businesses and lives at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 10, 2008 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Tickets for the keynote address are $30 for CHA members and $60 for non-members when purchased before the show and $50 for CHA members and $100 for non-members when purchased on-site. All tickets are subject to availability.
News for September 28, 2007
CHA's Website Honors the "History of Crafting"
The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) of Elmwood Park, New Jersey (201/794-1133) has dedicated an area of the CHA website, www.craftandhobby.org, to honor the past and generate inspiration for the future of the crafts industry. The website chronicles extraordinary moments in craft history, highlighting notable events, innovations, milestones and individuals that contributed substantially to the growth of the craft industry. CHA members, investors, suppliers and media representatives can utilize the site as a valuable communications resource to gain access to comprehensive background information and relevant industry facts. The website is designed to tell its story using multimedia—photos, video clips and written content—to give diverse member perspectives and illustrate how the industry has thrived and progressed over the years.
CHA hopes to expand member involvement with this new initiative by creating a manageable and easy-to-navigate site. Those who view the site will find a complete historical timeline and a direct link to an online library, plus sections dedicated to CHA history. Also featured on the site will be informative interviews from the current year under the link for "History in the Making." In addition, a "Then & Now" section offers comparative information on education, products and events from both the past and present.
News for September 21, 2007
Staedtler Supports "Fallen Heroes Project"
Staedtler of Chatsworth, California (818/882-6000) donated a substantial quantity of drawing pencils this month to celebrity artist, Michael G. Reagan, for his Fallen Heroes Project. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Reagan has completed some 800 portraits of our fallen soldiers who have been killed in the War Against Terrorism. He is an internationally recognized portrait artist who has assisted charities in raising more than $10 million through donated autographed celebrity portraits, and two of Reagan's pencil drawings hang in the Oval Office.
News for August 31, 2007
Staedtler Takes Over Fimo Distribution
Staedtler of Chatsworth, California (818/882-6000) will take over the distribution of the Fimo brand of polymer sculpting clay manufactured by its sister company, Eberhard Faber GmbH in Germany. Previously, Fimo was distributed by American Art Clay Co. Inc. (AMACO), a high quality pottery supply and equipment manufacturer. The distribution transition is scheduled to be completed by October 1, 2007, according to Michael Wiesmann, president and CEO of Staedtler's U.S. subsidiary.
"The Fimo brand was originally distributed by Staedtler nearly two decades ago," says Wiesmann, "but at that time, we felt that AMACO's craft and hobby capability was better suited to Fimo's exposure. Today, we are strategically focusing on this area, and Fimo will certainly be a big part of that. We will provide the same high standard of product support and market development for which Staedtler is well known."
News for August 17, 2007
Winter CHA 2008 Returns to Anaheim
The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) of Elmwood Park, New Jersey (201/794-1133) is bringing its Winter Convention and Trade Show back to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, February 10-13, 2008. Bringing 3,200 booths from 1,000-plus companies together with its educational program and networking events, the 2008 CHA Show will attract industry members from around the world seeking a firsthand look at the next bestselling products, breaking trends and business-building strategies.
Of special note, CHA has recently announced plans to significantly expand the License & Design section for the Winter 2008 show. The initiative for this section will include a central location on the show floor, specially designated pre- and post-show hours and other exhibitor support programs, as well as new, aggressive promotional strategies designed to help designers tap into the craft industry's growing licensing opportunities.
A key focal point at the Winter Show will be education, with more than 100 classes available to the different member segments. A full-scale series of seminars, hands-on workshops and demonstrations for all skill levels, plus a keynote presentation, kicks off on February 9 and runs throughout the show.
News for August 3, 2007
Blue Ridge Relocates
Blue Ridge Impressions (540/249-9160), manufacturer of original rubber art stamps designed specifically for the conservative Christian stamper, has moved from McGaheysville, Virginia to a new location in Port Republic, Virginia:
Blue Ridge Impressions Inc.
P.O. Box 50
Port Republic, VA 24471
540/249-9160
FAX 540/249-9162
Web: www.blueridgeimpressions.net
Clearsnap Hires and Promotions
Clearsnap of Anacortes, Washingtion (800/448-4862) named Jennifer Steiner its new national sales manager on June 25, 2007. Steiner brings approximately 13 years of industry experience and a love of stamping and scrapbooking to the highly creative team at Clearsnap. Steiner has previously worked as vice president of sales and marketing at Tsukineko and as an account manager at Lion Brand Yarn Co.
Bill Warmouth was promoted to international sales manager at Clearsnap. Warmouth will concentrate on new opportunities, including private label items and international sales. Bill has been National Sales Manager at Clearsnap for 15 years.
MemoryTrends Co-Locates with PMA
MemoryTrends Conference & Expo (MTCE) and PMA® have announced a co-location between the two organizations in order to generate growth opportunities for both the scrapbooking marketplace and the worldwide photo imaging community. MTCE and PMA will co-locate January 31, 2008 to February 2, 2008 during the existing PMA International Convention and Trade Show a the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The new event offers expanded, targeted educational and buying opportunities to retailers in both the photo and scrapbooking markets and will also deepen the prospect pool for show exhibitors. MemoryTrends will work with PMA on its international shows as well, focusing on bringing dynamic conference programming to a new market and providing new global exhibiting opportunities to manufacturers. The international events will be held in Canada in September 2007 and Austalia in 2008.