"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little 'extra'."
-- Jimmy Johnson, American Football Coach

by Jami Petersen

I can't believe it is July already! July 4th passed with a bang and now I'm looking forward to CHA Summer. I always get excited before a show, knowing I'll see old friends, meet new ones, and get to check out the latest products.  As your summer progresses, you may need a few more ideas to keep your business thriving. Read the Ask Tamara column for some great summer program ideas.

We also have an exciting addition to our magazine! You can now translate the entire magazine into 23 different languages simply by clicking on the "Google Translate" tool located at the top of each page. Au revoir!

Jami Petersen
newsletters@a-z.com

ANW Crestwood 

Announcing 7 NEW Design Collections to celebrate paper crafting during the Fall & Holiday seasons!

Visit us at the 2008 CHA Convention & Tradeshow in Booth 1321.

Mention this ad to take advantage of a 10% discount on your show order!*

*Order must be placed at the CHA show July 18 – July 20, 2008 and show special cannot be combined with any other discount.

ANW Crestwood: 800•525•3196 www.anwcrestwood.com

Press Releases

News you can use about the latest media coverage of hot trends, noteworthy events and dynamic industry leaders. Learn more about the current headlines in arts and crafts by clicking on the title of each article segment.

 

Copyright law cuts both ways. Bill would make 'orphan works' easier to use, but also aid copycats. Read more about this important issue written by Linda Fantin of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Scrapbooking helps capture memories, ease mourning. Groups find comfort through scrapbooking. Learn more about this unique program and implement one of your own.

Update: Beaverton woman sentenced for craft thefts. A woman accused of stealing  $200,000 worth of merchandise from area scrapbooking and craft stores pleaded guilty June 4 to one count of first-degree aggravated theft, racketeering and tampering with evidence. 

Spellbinders 

Only Spellbinders offers truly universal die cutting & embossing solutions.

The new Wizard—with improved performance and available at a new lower price—works with the most popular dies, embossing folders and texture plates on the market today.

And Spellbinders 3-in-1 die templates—including the popular Nestabilities™ Collection—are great, creativity enhancing solutions even for customers who already own other die cut & embossing tools.

Spellbinders is the only brand with the ability to unleash your profitability & your customers' creativity!

Listen to this

Bruce Aldrich of the Photo Marketing Association International (PMA) and Dennis Conforto of A-Z Media Group have helped launch several efforts to combine the marketing power of the photo, custom framing, art and scrapbooking industries through regional teams and media projects.

They tell DECOR Magazine's Assistant Editor Daniel Mullen about the progress they've made and why the efforts can benefit all of the industries involved.
Click here to listen to the interview. (Duration: 23:44).

 

Memory Mixer 

Bring in a NEW crowd! Broaden your customer base with MemoryMixer.

Digital Scrapbooking is the latest trend. Make sure you have what people are looking for.

+ Easy to use software
+ Additional digital content
+ CD labels and mailers

Create a digital community in your store today! Call today to see how you can benefit from our DigiRewards Program!

memorymixer.com

by Tamara Lipori, PRSO

Dear Tamara,
Summer is always the slowest time for my shop. Any suggestions on how to make this time of year more productive and profitable?
Out of Ideas in Oklahoma

Dear Out of Ideas,
Summer can be a challenging time, although for those in an area that draws tourists they can be a boon. I'm guessing tourists aren't part of your town's repertoire!

Building a summer program takes time - doing the same great things year after year so people count on them and make them a habit. Other store ideas can be more spontaneous and exciting.

Put together two programs, one for young kids, another for young teens. Try a day camp program for ages 6 to 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Run two weeklong sessions, broken by a week with no camp. Children bring a bag lunch, while you provide a snack. Break the time into chunks; include singing and movement. Have a scavenger hunt in the store or some other way to let them move around, remember, they are kids! It can be surprising what terrific students kids are - far better than most adults. Children know how to learn in a classroom setting without being difficult! During the 2 weeks, they can create a scrapbook, learn techniques, and have a great time. Price the camp to cover your time and basic materials, and give parents a supply list and a special class discount card so they (hopefully) will buy it all from you. Price the camp separately from the supplies or the price may seem too high.

Teen Nights are a great way to draw the younger crowd and to get moms coming on a regular basis. These Friday or Saturday evening events might run from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., and will likely draw ages 12 to 15. Let them have their choice of music. Bring in pizza and offer the same supply list and coupon used for the children's camp. Consider setting up stations where they learn a technique, but teens are happy doing their own thing, especially if they have great sample pages.

With both groups, make sure a parent physically comes into the store for drop off and pick up. Have emergency/medical permission slips and emergency phone numbers for each child. These are lock-in programs; kids cannot leave the building until picked up by the parent.

Do you have a Movie in the Park program? All it takes is a laptop or portable DVD player, a projector, and a large screen. Check with city hall for permits, don't charge admission, and put signage all over town offering free movie nights. Local food vendors might sell snacks at intermission. Do this as a fundraiser for a local concern (kindergarten playground equipment, etc.), and have a "donations accepted" table at the park entrance with signage stating the name of the charity. Check with an insurance agent in case a special rider is needed for an activity outside the store.

These ideas are worthy of press releases to all the local media and placement in newspaper sections on "Kid's Activities" and "Free Activities." Movies in the Park may create even more buzz for other activities. Don't wait to get the word out on Kid's Camps since parents plan activities as far ahead as possible.

Take advantage of this slow time to do marketing for the rest of the year. Make cross-promotional contacts, get things in place for fall and winter projects, and get to know the editor of the local newspaper.

Tamara Lipori is a frequent speaker for PSRO and is the author of A PSRO Guide to Scrapbook Retailing, available from PSRO Business Resources. If you have a question, email her at tamaralipori@gmail.com.

(Originally printed in PSRO Retailing News and reproduced with the kind permission thereof.)

PSRO 

Dedicated to those helping consumers preserve treasured memories.

The Professional Scrapbook Retailers Organization™ (PSRO™) bridges together retailers and suppliers for insight into the memories market.

Through educational programs, business services, industry research, networking, and events, PSRO leads its members to discover, understand, and act on new business opportunities.

For more information, or to join PSRO, visit www.psro.org or contact our member service department at 517-788-8100.

Duncan Enterprises to Distribute Multi-Cultural Line of Products at Michaels

Thanks to her award-winning web site and syndicated newspaper column, Cano-Murillo of CraftyChica.com is known for her use of intense colors, freeform collages, and inspiring blog posts, books and TV appearances. Now she is gearing up for the nationwide launch of her new Crafty Chica product line at Michaels Arts & Crafts Stores on August 1.

“It’s like a crafty fairy tale,” laughs Cano-Murillo, 43. “I started crafting with my husband 18 years ago as a way to pay the bills. We focused on designs that celebrated our Mexican-American culture because we couldn’t find any cool decorations in stores. We even mixed our own glitter colors and made our own scrapbook paper! Soon after, my motive shifted to inspiring others to get crafty. Little did I know all of it would lead to this!”

Cano-Murillo used kamikaze social networking skills to spread her multi-culti message to the masses. The result is thousands of loyal fans that prefer glittered varnish to pretty pastels. Duncan Enterprises, makers of Aleene’s® Crafting Adhesives and Tulip® Fashion Art brand products, knew that Cano-Murillo had found a very important niche within the craft industry and hired her to design the Crafty Chica product line.

Together with her husband, Cano-Murillo dreamed up and designed hundreds of products and handmade each prototype. They painstakingly chose the best 41 for the initial product launch. Rose stencils, holographic glitters, Day of the Dead appliqués, and milagro heart iron-on transfers are just a few of the items in the extensive line.

“This line is for anyone who loves bright colors, super shiny varnish and lots of glitter,” said Cano-Murillo. “It’s also for people who love world culture. Most importantly, I want people to know that each product comes with good energy - proof that the craziest of dreams can come true.”

About the Crafty Chica product line
The Crafty Chica product line, developed by Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica, is a vibrant mix of craft products and kits geared for those who crave color and pop art combined with innovation and easy applications. It's all about high shine, glitter and bold colors - with a dash of rock 'n roll.

About Duncan Enterprises
For 61 years, Duncan Enterprises, a Fresno, Calif. based company, has been a leading ceramics arts and crafts marketing, manufacturing, sourcing and distribution organization with a reputation for excellence in product development, quality, education and health & safety. Not one to rest on its reputation, Duncan Enterprises always strives to explore new avenues of creativity for its core brands, Duncan® Ceramic Arts, Aleene’s® Crafting Adhesives, Crafty Chica and Tulip® Fashion Art.