From the National Stampagraphic magazine (Winter 1998 issue, p. 40 end). Artist is Miquel Lopez, who drew "The Stamp Zone" for this magazine.


The Scrapbooking Addiction

Look - I got invited to a 'party' and I won't have to buy a basket, or jewelry, or candles, or even another plastic container! This party is different because I'm going to MAKE a page for a scrapbook! I'm going to learn how to put all those pictures we keep in a box into a photo album that will last lifetimes!

FOR YEARS AFTERWARDS this can be heard in the home:

How much can a pair of scissors cost? And why do you need an entire cutting system if you bought scissors?

The photo album was HOW MUCH? You HAD to get a paper trimmer too? Then please tell me..what are the scissors for?

How many magazines do you need to buy to be INSPIRED? And what's with all this paper?

You want what for your birthday? A xyron? What the heck is a xyron?

I don't understand why you need a digital camera. The 35mm I bought after college works just fine.

Ouch! I just stepped on one of your UGH! eyelets!
MORE paper? You haven't even used up what you got already!

First the camera, then the printer, what's next..a scanner?

I see..so if we get these target cubes you'll be able to see the paper you have and then you won't have to buy anymore?

Son, how many times have I told you - You CANNOT play with MOMMY's tools!

I don't get it ..why do we have to go to Lowes to get paint chips if we aren't doing any painting around here?

Don't worry sweetie..we won't tell Mommy you borrowed her stickers to make Barbie look pretty.

You had a 40% off coupon and you still spent over $100?

What do you need all this yarn for? You don't even knit! Do you?

No dear. I do not know how to scan and stitch. Maybe someone on YOUR message board can help you there.

Who took Daddy's sandpaper?

Don't worry sweetie..we won't tell Mommy you borrowed her stamps to make yourself look pretty.
It's 11PM. Isn't that layout done YET?!

Shhh..don't tell Daddy that Mommy borrowed his sandpaper.

Yes, I guess we can stop at that cute little scrapbook store during our vacation.

You're going to take a crap? I meant go to a crop..nevermind.

NO MOMMY! NO MORE PICTURES! NO MORE PICTURES! NO MORE PICTURES!

So who is this Becky Higgins and what's the big deal about her? She an actress or something?

I thought you already had a sewing machine. What's this one for?

No..I've never printed on vellum before..YES..I can help you figure out the right printer settings..but what's vellum?

Queen of the week doesn't mean you won't still make dinner, right? Right? Whew.

You just joined a what? A swap? I'm really happy for you honey.

MORE paper? What's so special about this 'BRAZIL' paper?

Where did all these boxes of pictures come from..I thought you were going to put them all in a scrapbook...

(author unknown)

••••••••••

Scrapbooker's Verse
(Kimberly Rinehart)

We gather up pictures
and bits of our past
and scrapbook them into
a gift that will last.
We write about milestones
and travels and such--
the times of our lives
that we treasure so much.
A few special photos,
a family tree,
a few thoughtful words
and soon we will see...
The album we've made
is much more than a book.
It's worth even more
than the time that it took.
It's a gift holding memories
and made with great care
by hearts and hands
with love to share.
 
••••••••••

Life Is a Picture

I took a little time today,
To, reminisce of yesterday.
To review, my life in the past,
Recorded here in photographs.
My scrapbook; such a treasure!
So great, I cannot measure...
Before my eyes, those moments are golden,
As, before me, my life unfolded.
Then as I paged through, year-by-year,
Sometimes, I'd shed a little tear.
So many faces, I have known,
Some passed away, and others grown.
Sometimes, it's hard to realize,
When all spread out, before my eyes.
With all the pictures that I took,
My whole life's in this little book

(author unknown)

•••••••••• 

'Twas the Night Before Christmas
(Connie S. UL TX--12/2000)

'Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the house
Everyone was sleeping, quiet as a mouse.
We were all "sleeping" all snug in our beds,
Except for our Mom, she was scrapping instead.
She was cropping and clicking and tape running too;

Mounting and planning, sticking stickers - all new.
We knew that Santa wouldn't come while she was scrapping away.

We began to worry he would just go on his way.
No presents, we thought, this would be no fun.
We could still hear her cropping.

It was way past one.

Then it came to us all so fast,
She was making US pages of each of our pasts.
What fun it would be when we gathered around
Looking at pictures that our dear Mom had found.
So we settled back down, for our long winter nap!
Who cares if he comes, we'll let Mom scrap!


The Stamping Addict

She learned to stamp on Monday,
Her embossing was quite fine.
She forgot to thaw out dinner
So we went out to dine.

She brayered backgrounds Tuesday,
She says they are a must.
They really are quite lovely,
But she forgot to dust.

On Wednesday it was birthday cards,
She says the chalking's fun,
Shading blending & watercoloring,
But the laundry was not done.

Her card swap was on Thursday,
Using green and blue and red,
I guess she really was engrossed,
But she never made the bed.

It was shaker cards on Friday,
Using techniques she just adores,
But she never seemed to notice
The crumbs on all the floors!

I found a maid on Saturday,
My life is now complete,
My wife can stamp the hours away,
and the house will still be neat.

Well, it is already Sunday,
And my forehead's feeling damp,
I cursed, I raved, I ranted...

The MAID has learned to STAMP!!

(author unknown)

**********

STAMPIN' QUEEN

Sung to the tune of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA
Lyrics by Kate Baldwin
(adapted by Teresa Brethauer for Stampin' Up!)

(appeared in Stamp It! magazine, Fall 2003...)

You can stamp, you can scrap, preserving the times of your life
Oooh...See that girl, watch her stamp, she is the Stampin' Queen

Friday night and the lights are low
Last time she stamped was an hour ago
Then she had a grand vision--something outta sight!
She's gonna stamp all night...

Anybody can buy a card
But to make your own it's just not that hard
So grab your favorite stamp set, ink and paper,
too
You're in the mood to stamp...
And when you get the cramp...

You are the Stampin' Queen, pinks and greens,
always acid-free
Stampin' Queen, inks and wheels in a stampin' spree (oh yeah)
You can stamp, you can scrap, preserving the times of your life
Oooh...See that girl, watch her stamp, she is
the Stampin' Queen...

I could show you a thing or two
Like masking, glitter and two-step, too
I can help you get started, then I'll show you
the rest
You're on a remarkable team...
And it will make you scream!

I am the Stampin' Queen, pinks and greens,
always acid-free
Stampin' Queen, inks and wheels in a Stampin'
spree (oh yeah)
I can stamp, I can scrap, preserving the times
of my life
Oooh...See me girl, watch me stamp, I am the
Stampin' Queen!

Yes I'm the Stampin' Queen...
Yes, I'm the Stampin' Queen...
We are Stampin' Up! Queens!


Here are the 3 'comics' of cards drawn by artist Narda.


Original articles below are copyrighted by the Memory Makers magazine. I thought I'd place them here since they're well-written and VERY important.)

THE HISTORY OF...
SCRAPBOOKING

by Maureen Taylor

Did you know that you have something in common with Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain, and President Rutherford B. Hayes? That's right. Scrapbooks. Perhaps you have your grandmother's or grandfather's albums. They may not resemble the books you create today in look and feel, but you might be surprised at the similarities. Before copy machines, earlier generations cut articles from newspapers and saved labels, greeting cards and illustrations for their books. They called them common-place books, friendship albums, and scrapbooks.

How old is the scrapbooking tradition? Although no one is really sure, scrapbooks probably have their origin in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The word "scrapbook" first appeared in the late eighteenth century. It is derived from the brightly colored paper called scrap that filled the albums of that time. Scrap such as product labels and greeting cards could be collected or even purchased from specialty shops carrying albums and scrap for the scrapbook mania of the late nineteenth century. If you want to see actual copies of these early scrapbooks, many library archives have collections of them. Compare your scrapbooks to their earlier counterparts to learn more about your grandmother's album, or to discover new ways to approach your own albums.

Common-Place Books

Educated men and women pasted quotes and phrases in things they called common-place books. Thomas Jefferson gathered newspaper articles of his presidency for his books in his leather-bound volumes of plain paper. Most of these books included clippings, drawings and even diary entries. By the first half of the nineteenth century, these albums also had beautiful embossed covers, engraved clasps, and locks. Hattie Harlow of Boston, a seamstress, organized her notes, clippings, and illustrations by topic in separate handmade volumes with wallpaper and cardboard covers. One of her common-place books even includes knitting samples with directions.
Even wealthy scrapbook keepers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries often pasted their clippings and memorabilia directly over the text of old books or catalogs, as shown in the albums above from the Colorado Historical Society.

Granger Books

Building on the popularity of common-place books, William Granger introduced in 1769 a printed book with extra blank pages so that the owner could personalize it with autographs, letters, or illustrations relating to the subject of the publication. Early scrapbookers also began adding pages to existing books to mimic the style. There were even manuals that described how to "extra illustrate" a book.

Friendship Albums

Laura L. Sherwin of Fairhaven, Vermont, wrote, "This lock of hair I will place in your little book for the remembrance of your friend," in Hellen Marion Adams' friendship album. In each place that her family lived, Hellen collected hair weavings and messages in a type of autograph album that originated in Germany in the seventeenth century. Young women in the Victorian period often created memory books or visitors albums filled with signatures, scrap, cards, hair, handwriting, poetry, and even photographs of their family and friends.

Scrapbooks

Just as your scrapbooks have a theme, men, women, and children of earlier generations also created albums for a variety of purposes. The peak decade for scrapbooks in the nineteenth century was from 1880, when a popular manual became available, to about 1890. Producers of scrap created a demand for their product by offering sheets of scraps in new styles directed at women and children. Magazines featured numerous articles on the value of scrapbooks as a family activity and educational tool. Housewives kept the labels and trade cards from new consumer products and included them in their albums, while male and female college students documented their years at school.
Mark Twain's self-pasting scrapbook had gummed pages that one would moisten before adhering various scraps. [He] was such an avid scrapbooker that he reserved Sundays for his hobby. He held patents for his invention of self-pasting scrapbooks that could be dampened with water. By 1901, at least 57 different types of Mark Twain albums were available. Albums could also be purchased from the Montgomery Ward catalog, but many individuals created their own albums using different types of cloth for the covers.
Some scrapbooks were collections of brilliantly colored scraps of paper items in the form of advertising cards or greeting cards arranged by subject or type of material. Other scrapbooks revealed the lives of their compilers through the type of items pasted onto the pages and their arrangement. Other scrapbook hobbyists used their albums as a form of artistic expression. One scrapbooker dressed the paper cut-out figures on her pages in actual fabric swatches.

Today, it's a rare scrapbook that doesn't include photographs. Although earlier generations of scrapbookers began using images in their albums in the mid-nineteenth century, it wasn't until the Kodak camera became available in the 1880s that photographs started to appear in most albums along with scrap. Generally, a photograph album is not considered a type of scrapbook because it focuses exclusively on images. As the number of hobbyists declined in the mid-twentieth century, scrapbooks remained unchanged for several decades as a combination of photographs, printed materials, and family memorabilia pasted into paper albums.

As family history experienced a resurgence of interest in the 1970s due to Alex Haley's Roots, scrapbooks once again became a popular hobby using magnetic photo albums with self- adhesive pages and plastic cover sheets. At an international genealogy conference in Salt Lake City in 1980, several individuals exhibited their family scrapbooks. This created a demand for new products, magazines. and preservation information about scrapbooking and thus sparked a multi-million-dollar industry.

Most recently, software allows you to create page layouts and albums on your computer. You can also post your pages on the Internet to share with family and friends. And what is a family Web page, but an electronic version of a scrapbook?
Do you still have family or friends that think creative scrapbooking is just a fad? Show them this article. Then sit down to scrapbook with pride, knowing that you play a part in one of the newest developments of a centuries-old hobby.


GLOSSARY OF SCRAPBOOK TERMS


acid-free:
In chemistry, materials that have a pH of 7.0 or higher.

archival quality:
A non-technical term that suggests a material or product is permanent, durable or chemically stable, and that it can therefore be used safely for preservation purposes.

buffered/alkaline reserve:
Buffering prevents the formation of acids within paper and protects it from exposure to secondary acids from memorabilia, other paper, glues, the atmosphere, and oil from fingertips.

de-acidification:
Treating paper with a solution that neutralizes acids and builds up an alkaline reserve, which helps prevent future re-acidification.

encapsulate:
To enclose or encase objects such as memorabilia in a pocket or envelope.

lightfastness:
A color which is resistant to the action of external agents, such as light, acids, alkalis. Color (ink) which is resistant to change from aging or from exposure to light, heat, or other adverse conditions. Non-fading over long exposure to daylight.

lignin:
An organic substance (sap) which acts as a binder for the cellulose fibers in woods and certain plants. It is undesirable in the production of fine papers as it reacts with light/heat to produce phenol (alcohol) and acids which cause deterioration and embrittlement of paper.

non-permanent mounting:
Using photo frames, photo corners, or pocket sleeves to hold pictures and memorabilia on a page without permanently adhering them.

permanence:
Ability of a material to resist chemical deterioration, but not a quantifiable term. Permanent paper usually refers to a durable alkaline paper that is manufactured according to ANSI/NISO standards.

pH:
The symbol for the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a substance.
-> pH value of 7 is neutral.
-> Less than 7 is acidic.
-> More than 7 is alkaline.

photographic activity test:
A series of tests designed to identify reactivity of photographic images to various elements.

pigment ink:
Water-insoluble colorants suspended in a liquid-either water, oils, or other carriers. Pigments do not penetrate the surface being colored. Instead they adhere to it, providing better contrast and sharpness.

polyethylene (pe):
A polyolefin made from ethylene gas. Polyethylene, when free of coatings and additives, is chemically stable. (Used in reference to paper protectors.)

polypropylene (pp):
A polyolefin made from propylene gas. Polypropylene, when free of coatings and additives, is chemically stable. (Used in reference to page protectors.)

polyvinyl chloride (pvc):
A plastic that emits gases which interact with photos in a harmful way. (Used in reference to page protectors.)


PRESERVING DOCUMENTS


Old paper documents are susceptible to damage caused by everything from humidity and light to oils on human skin. Protection of fragile papers begins with careful handling.

Attics, garages, and old basements have long been popular places for storing news articles, letters, certificates, and other precious documents. They also can be very harmful environments. Temperatures that soar and plummet, hungry bugs and rodents, rays of sunlight-all wreak havoc on unprotected documents. Dangerous storage places are just the tip of the destructive iceberg. Improper handling, poor paper content and more add to the rapid deterioration of important heirloom documents.

As fragile as paper can be, there are ways to protect it. Once you identify preservation problems, taking action against them can add years to the life of your irreplaceable documents.

Paper's Worst Enemies

Where are your heirloom documents? What could be accelerating their deterioration process? Here are some unfavorable situations to watch out for.

Cyclic conditions that alternate back and forth between hot and humid to cold and dry cause paper's surface to crack and become brittle. Moisture encourages the growth of mold. Non-insulated attics, garages, and basements are vulnerable to cyclic conditions.

Light also damages paper. Chemical changes occur in the paper when it is exposed to light. The chemical changes and oxidative responses can make paper brittle and cause discoloration such as yellowing, fading, and darkening. In addition, light fades inks, watercolors, and dyes.

Infestations by insects and rodents occur because these critters are hungry and looking for something to eat. Ingredients in some glues lure insects and rodents, as do food crumbs. Infestations cause surface abrasions, worm holes, fly specks, and chewed corners.

People are another damaging source for documents. People produce body oils that leave fingerprints and smudges on pictures and documents. Rolling and general mishandling of documents causes creases, bending, crumpling, scratches, scars, tears, and stains.

Copy machines are another destructive force. The copying process exposes documents to damaging heat, fumes, and bright light.

Other destructive materials often appear innocent, yet are damaging. Pencil marks smear, paints crack and flake, watercolors, and inks fade. Inks also can bleed and spread to other abutting documents. Acidic inks are corrosive. A rubber band may contain sulfur. Paper itself can contain ingredients such as acids and lignin that are destructive. Many tape adhesives stain, distort, and contract paper, create sticking problems and lift off the paper's surface. Lamination involves chemical adhesives and vinyl materials that can harm paper. Garages often house fumes from cars, paints, and varnishes that are harmful to your documents.

Preventative Measures

If you have documents in an old basement, attic, or garage, begin a rescue mission right now! Here are some tips to keep in mind when handling precious paper documents.

• Unfold strong, flexible documents, and gently smooth creases with gloved hands, or by placing the document under a polyester sheet for protection.
• Do not force open a rolled document. Even strong documents are subject to creasing, cracking and tearing from the unrolling process. Unrolling a document usually requires some humidity. This process is better left to a conservator.
• Never back fold creases. Back-folding weakens the paper.
• Don't flatten paper that is brittle, stiff, or badly torn. This is another process better left to a conservator.
• Discourage stains and infestation by refraining from drinking, eating, or smoking any time you're handling documents.
• Handle documents sparingly with gloved or clean hands to reduce the risk of tearing, creasing, and damage from body oils.
• Create a master copy for making additional copies by photocopying the original once onto acid-free, lignin-free, archival-safe paper. Since light damage is accumulative, you want to control exposure to light as much as possible. Professionals use low-resolution photocopying techniques. Use the copy for display purposes and leave the original in safe storage.
• Remove paper documents from old magnetic photo album pages by gently lifting a corner of the document to test how securely the document is glued. If it doesn't lift easily, you'll have to dissolve or melt the glue. Un-du adhesive remover can help with this. It does not stain paper or leave residue. It also is ideal for removing documents glued to old paper pages. [Or, use dental floss very gently and slowly.]

Preserve each document by encapsulating it between two sheets of archival safe (PVC-free) plastic: polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, or mylar.

While there are things you can do to safeguard and preserve important papers, there are also things you should not do. Cleaning and repairing documents can cause more damage and is therefore not recommended. Kathryn Clark, president/owner of Twinrocker Handmade Paper, warns against applying any water or liquid to paper. "Dirt will migrate with the water," she says, "causing tide lines and other discoloration." However, cleaning products such as the document cleaning powder and pad available at twinrocker.com can be used. Since it is a dry absorbing powder, it cleans without the risk of dirt migrating through water. Still, the safest solution for damaged and soiled documents is to leave the repairs and cleaning to a professional conservator.
     
De-acidification

Robert Strauss, vice president of marketing for Preservation Technologies, believes in removing the harmful factors before encapsulating documents. "Archival Mist (a water-free spray product that neutralizes acids) can help fight relative humidity and temperature damage in addition to removing harmful acids," says Strauss. While Archival Mist does not contain water, it does contain magnesium oxide that acts as an alkaline buffer. It is safe for paper and is easy to use. David Mishkin is the president of Just Black & White, a full-service custom photographic processing lab that specializes in photographic copies and restorations. He agrees with Strauss. "You should always treat all documents by de-acidifying them before encapsulating them," says Mishkin. "Acids will accelerate the yellowing of papers and make them more brittle." The compositions of many papers contain acids and lignin, and so it is important to remove these destructive ingredients. Clark agrees as well. "It is a good idea to de-acidify or neutralize paper if it is acidic," she says. "Magnesium oxide is quite good." Archival supply companies carry paper de-acidifying products that can be applied by spraying, dipping, or brushing techniques.

Scrapbooking Your Documents

If you're ready to start scrapbooking your precious certificates, news clippings, and letters, remember to use only archival-safe page protectors, adhesives, paper, and other scrapbooking materials when preserving them on pages. Keep these tips in mind as well.

• Avoid crushing corners by placing documents inside archival safe plastic sleeves and albums large enough to comfortably accommodate your documents.
• Support fragile documents with heavy, acid-free, lignin-free cardstock.
• Create a special album used only for storing original documents, and put it away in a safe, cool, dark place.
• Create copies of the original documents on acid-free, lignin-free paper, and place them in scrapbooks.

Now that you know the facts, get busy! Remove your documents from harmful environments, eliminate problems, and take action to protect your precious documents for generations. The future is counting on you.
--Patti Swoboda

Opening photo with documents caption - Old paper documents are susceptible to damage caused by everything from humidity and light to oils on human skin. Protection of fragile papers begins with careful handling.

Encapsulation and Storage

The same companies that sell de-acidifiers also carry encapsulation kits and archival-safe storage supplies. University Products, Inc. (archivalsuppliers.com) sells a kit that contains everything you need to encapsulate documents and works of art. Archival paper storage bags, paper storage units and miscellaneous supplies are available from twinrocker.com. Chests, totes, paper keepers, memory boxes, file folders, and many other acid-free storage products are sold at craft stores everywhere.

Where you store an archival-safe container is extremely important. An area that is cool, dark, and has low humidity is ideal. The temperature recommended by experts is 60 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity between 30 percent and 55 percent. A bank box can be an excellent place to keep your documents, because these boxes are usually kept in the basement of a bank in a controlled atmosphere.


Keeping it Safe: Dispelling Archival Myths

Answers to five often-misunderstood scrapbook preservation issues

by Amy G. Partain

Whether you are scrapbooking to create a family heirloom, a work of art or both, archival issues will no doubt affect you. As the industry grows, more and more myths about the safety of certain scrapbook products emerge. In this article, two research scientists help us prove or dispel five commonly held beliefs.

1. Journaling printed from a quality inkjet printer will last just as long as handwritten journaling.

False. While computer journaling is often faster and more convenient to use, you may be sacrificing the longevity of your words. According to Daniel Burge, a research scientist at the Image Permanence Institute, the best option for journaling is still a pen containing pigment ink. In tests, pigment inks that are resin coated have proven more stable, and therefore longer lasting, than both dye-based inks and inkjet printer inks. When purchasing pens, make sure they are pigment-ink based and waterproof.

2. If you are unsure of thesafety of an embellishment, matting photos will help protect them from acid migration.

False. "The idea that a mat will save your image is dubious," Burge says. Once a scrapbook page is completed and covered with a page protector, it becomes an enclosed environment that is prone to chemical interactions. Remember that every element placed in a scrapbook is made up of chemicals, and some are more harmful than others. That is why it is so important to use the safest, high quality products available to protect your photos. A photo mat can help keep your photo safe from acid migration if the mats are made of buffered paper. Papers that are buffered have been treated with an alkaline substance, such as calcium carbonate. If you are placing an item on your page that is possibly acidic, such as a ticket or receipt, those acids can migrate to your photos over time. Buffered paper helps neutralize this acid transfer.

3. If you are unsure about the safety of any paper item (greeting cards, receipts, etc.) you should coat it with a de-acidification spray before placing it in your scrapbook.

True. However, don't think that such sprays are a cure-all that will make any item safe for your scrapbook. These products are made to neutralize the acid in papers, and most are not intended to be used on other items, including photographs. "Archival sprays should help most paper products," Burge says. "But I would be concerned about spraying it on inks that are water soluble." Another option for including these items in your scrapbooks is to photocopy them onto acid-free, lignin-free paper.

4. Items labeled acid- and lignin-free are always safe to use with photographs.

False. "Acids and lignin are only two of the possible harmful components in scrapbook products," Burge says. Each item placed in a scrapbook consists of different, and possibly harmful, elements. Labeling products with certain buzz words (such as acid-free) can make products appear safe when they actually may not be. "Acid-free" is a phrase you will see on many products. Beware that while those products probably are acid free, they may contain other harmful ingredients. For example, acid is an issue with papers but is not the most important thing to look for in inks. When looking at ink, it is most important that they be pigment based and waterproof (see statement #1). Lignin is a naturally occurring property in tree pulp, so it only applies to paper products. Think of an old newspaper that is yellowed and brittle. That is what lignin does to paper. So while it is important for scrapbook papers to be lignin-free, don't be fooled if you see a pen or page protector that is labeled "lignin-free." They are not made of paper, so they are naturally lignin-free. To ensure that you are using the safest products for your scrapbooks, learn the terminology and know which terms apply to which products. In addition to pigment inks and acid-free, lignin-free papers, be sure to use only plastics that are made from Mylar D, polyethylene or polypropylene. Steer clear of products containing PVC. You know that new car smell you love? Well, that's the fumes being released by PVC - not something you would want in your scrapbook.

5. Photos that are traditionally processed are longer lasting than digital prints.

True, for the most part. A traditional print is made with the C-41 process on silver halide paper by a photo processor. Currently prints made this way are the most stable, but Burge says digital systems are getting better. While all photos will eventually fade if exposed to bright light for extended periods of time, digital prints are also susceptible to deterioration caused by air pollution, such as ozone in the air, and humidity. Traditionally processed color prints do not have this susceptibility because the gelatin layers used to form the photo protect it from humidity and form a barrier against air pollutants, according to information from the Wilhelm Imaging Research Web site, a facility that tests the stability of color photos (wilhelm-research.com). However, you can get long-lasting prints from a desktop printer, providing several factors are in place, according to Henry Wilhelm, president of Wilhelm Imaging Research. You should use inks and papers recommended by the printer company and store the prints in a dark, temperature-controlled environment. To test photos for longevity, Wilhelm frames prints under glass and exposes them to high-intensity, fluorescent light which equals exposure in a fairly bright room for 12 hours a day. In fact, when it comes to holding up in bright light, prints made from printers such as the Epson Stylus Photo 2200 and the Hewlett-Packard Deskjet 5550 even out-lasted traditionally processed photos, according to Wilhelm's tests. In bright light, the Epson prints had a 90-year life span and HP's prints had a 73-year life span. The longest-lasting traditional photos printed on Fuji's Crystal Archive paper showed evidence of deterioration after 60 years. Wilhelm's studies showed that most desktop photo printers will produce prints that last anywhere from two years to 38 years. Wilhelm is currently in the process of adding test results on a variety of desktop photo printers to his Web site. In addition to testing in bright light conditions, he will provide information on dark storage as well.


Take precautions to keep your albums safe

by Anne Wilbur

Safe scrapbooking may start with photo-safe, archival-quality materials, but it ends with where and how you store completed albums. Because improper conditions can cause more damage than acidic elements, the storage environment is even more important than safe materials. To maximize the longevity of both your scrapbooks and the priceless memories they contain, follow these basic storage guidelines:

choose a cool, dry storage place

Heat and humidity are the two most dangerous elements in the storage environment. High heat makes photos fade faster-twice as fast for every 10 percent increase in temperature. High humidity can cause photos to become sticky, develop stains, or grow fungus. Additionally, wide fluctuations in temperature and humidity can cause photos to crack, wrinkle, or delaminate. Excess heat and humidity can also cause scrapbook papers, inks and other materials to deteriorate.

To avoid exposing your albums to temperature extremes, store your scrapbooks in the coolest location in your home. The relative humidity should stay between 20 percent and 50 percent and the temperature should not exceed 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid hot attics and damp basements. A shelf or closet on the main floor are often the best locations.

Given your investment in photos and supplies, it's worth it to purchase an accurate thermometer and hygrometer to track temperature and humidity in your storage area. Such instruments are available from archival supply companies such as Light Impressions (lightimpressionsdirect.com) and University Products (university products.com). If you find that the relative humidity often exceeds 65 percent, use a dehumidifier. Air conditioning during hot summer months also helps avoid extreme heat and humidity.

store closed albums vertically

Store your scrapbooks vertically with the spine facing out and the sides supported with slight, gentle pressure. Ideally, use slip cases to support albums and protect them from dust. Slip cases are a type of slim box with one open end so you can slide your albums in and out easily. A variety of album styles with matching slip cases are available from Light Impressions. Albums should be closed when not in use because light exposure can cause photos, papers, and inks to fade and yellow.

prevent pressure problems

Elements such as eyelets, brads, wire, sequins, beads, and buttons must be used with care to avoid physical damage during storage. These embellishments can cause indentations or abrasions on scrapbook pages, especially if albums are stored with excessive pressure on their sides.

For pages that contain dimensional elements, try the "shadow box" technique to frame items with significant depth. Using foam adhesive covered with strips of paper, stickers or other flat decorative elements, build up a frame that is deeper than the object itself directly on the page around the embellishment. If a frame does not go well with your page design, use a similar technique to build up the page edges to create extra space next to the facing page.

For post-bound albums and three-ring binders, another technique is to add several spacer strips of cardboard or foam core between each page or page protector. Cut each strip about 1/2 inch wide and punch holes to match the holes in each page. In general, it is a good idea to plan your albums around 3-D elements when possible. Simply do not place photos directly across from 3-D embellishments on a facing page so there is less chance for damage.

keep things clean and critter-free

Air pollution, insects, and rodents can also adversely affect your scrapbooks. Burning wood, cigarette smoke, and various household products can emit potentially dangerous fumes. Dirt, dust, and soot can cause physical damage such as stains, smudges, and scratches. Insects such as cockroaches, silverfish, mites, termites, and moths can chew holes, leave droppings, deposit eggs, or otherwise damage photographs. In addition, common rodents such as mice can shred paper and photographs to use as nesting material.

To prevent these potential problems, don't smoke or store cleaning products, solvents or paints in the vicinity of your albums. Regularly clean the storage area using only a feather duster or clean rag, keeping it free from dust and critter-attracting crumbs. Periodically inspect your albums and take appropriate steps if you find a problem.

protect from flood and fire

While flood and fire are not always avoidable, you can take steps to protect your albums from their devastating effects. Don't store your albums on the floor or near potential water hazards such as overhead pipes. Keep your scrapbooks away from potential fire hazards such as fireplaces or stoves. Make sure your home is adequately equipped with well-maintained smoke detectors and fire extinguishers-they can save your life as well as your scrapbooks.

Also, store your negatives in a location separate from your scrapbooks. In case of fire or flood, storing negatives in another place will reduce the chances that both will be destroyed. Lastly, consider purchasing a fireproof safe or renting a safe-deposit box for particularly valuable photographs and documents.

Although nobody can provide ideal conditions, take the steps to improve your storage environment. With a little effort, you can ensure that where and how you store your scrapbooks will help them last.


Dos and Don'ts of Paper Storage

Place a document or newspaper clipping between two pieces of blank archival-safe paper, which can then be thrown away if acid migration occurs.

Place paper items in archival-safe page protectors to prevent them from rubbing against each other and causing further deterioration. Store papers open and flat, not folded.

Don't hang one-of-a-kind documents or photographs in direct sunlight. They will quickly fade and deteriorate.

Don't use the self-adhesive tapes or glue to repair torn paper or book-binding. In the long run, it will cause more damage to the paper. There are several types of acid-free adhesive tapes that can be used on the backs of photographs to repair them.

Don't laminate family heirlooms and one-of-a-kind documents unless you use a copy of the original. This will not prolong the life of the paper and cannot be undone.

Don't use staples, paper clips or other metal objects with paper, as they will eventually rust.

Don't store documents or photography in attics (usually hot and humid) or in basements (usually damp.) They should be stored in a cool, dry place.

~ excerpted from "New Ideas for Crafting Heritage Albums" by Bev Kirschner Braun


TIMELINE OF SCRAPBOOKING

1598—Early mention of a gathering of "words and approved phrases to make use as it were a common place booke (sic)."

1706—Philosopher John Locke publishes his New Method of Making Common-place Books.

1769—William Granger introduces a book that includes extra blank pages for collecting scrap.

1800s—Young women keep friendship albums of scrap and memorabilia.

1825—A magazine, The Scrapbook, begins publication with articles on the hobby.

1837—Godefroy Engelmann invents chromolithography, a process of lithographic printing in color from a series of plates.

1860s—Mass-production of advertising cards for companies and products.

1867—John Jerrard of London sets up shop as a dealer in photographs and scrap prints of every description for albums and scrapbooks.

1872—Mark Twain markets his self-pasting scrapbook.

1880—E.W. Gurley publishes Scrapbooks and How to Make Them, setting off the Victorian scrapbooking boom.

1888—George Eastman sells cameras for amateurs with the slogan "You push the button, we do the rest."

1900—Major publishers begin marketing themed scrapbooks for children and adults.

1945—Books Across the Sea sponsors a contest for children's scrapbooks with cash prizes.

1980—The Christensens display their scrapbooks at the World Conference on Genealogy in Salt Lake City.

1996—Memory Makers magazine www.memorymakersmagazine.com begins publication.

(compiled by Family Tree magazine online)

Paperkins™ Series 4 called "Scrapbooking Sally" by EK Success

Good-quality art stickers featuring the wondrous hobby of scrapbooking by Stickopotamus

More stickers, created by Karen Foster Designs (no official website as of present).

More 'scrapbooking' theme art stickers by Me & My Big Ideas, and...

also in die-cuts, by Me & My Big Ideas.

My display at my local library featuring scrapbooking!

A close-up.

A scrapbooking convention in downtown Phoenix.

A page judging contest.

(notice her skirt!)

A rubber stamping convention in Scottsdale, Arizona.

May/June 2002 issue of "Memory Makers" magazine

CONNECTIONS ad:

Are you trying to start a scrapbook club? Looking for cropping friend in your area? Memory Makers wants to help you make "connections." We post reader requests online to help you find what you're looking for.

WEST

Looking for individuals to crop with. New to Denver area (Bennett) and would like to meet people with a common interest to crop with and possibly make new friends. Kimberly: taylor.kimberly@dorseylaw.com

Fort Collins, CO - I am a stay at home mom of a 3-year-old and am looking for others that would like to get together and scrap a few times each month. I am not interested in paying for a club or being sold anything, just an informal meeting of friends who want to share ideas and get some pages done. If interested: circusbuff@attbi.com.


[My own ad below]:

Looking to correspond with other hearing-impaired scrappers and/or to start a club within Phoenix. E-mail Karen at scrappingirl@webtv.net if interested.

Looking to start either a club or e-mail club with other scrapbooker in Arizona. I am a new scrapbooker and would love to share ideas or information with others. Please e-mail me with thoughts even if you are not in my area. Jennifer backsthepack@aol.com


I MET HER! To read all about it, click HERE .

Pastor wife, mother of three, homeschooler, and owner of lisawhelchel.com , Lisa Whelchel Cauble today.

Actress Lisa Whelchel (far back, left) as a boarding-school student of TV's "The Facts of Life", which ran for 9 seasons 1979-1988.

CAPTURING THE FACTS OF LIFE

Taking the good and the bad, former TV star Lisa Whelchel relishes her role as mother and scrapbooker.

by Kerry Arquette

It's a fact of life that child stars grow up. Lisa Whelchel Cauble, who spent nine years playing young Blair Warner on the NBC television sitcom "The Facts of Life," has certainly done so, becoming a pastor's wife, a mother and a scrapbooker. After paring back her theatrical work, Lisa turned her creative efforts toward the raising of her three young children. She has shared insights gleaned from motherhood with readers of her two popular books: Creative Correction: Extraordinary Ideas for Everyday Discipline and The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me. And she's captured and recorded the experiences that led to those insights in a dozen creative scrapbooks featuring her kids.

"Childhood is one of the most precious times of life and yet kids lack the maturity to fully appreciate it. What a shame!" Lisa says. "But scrapbooks can capture those moments and memories so that we can enjoy, value and learn from the experiences when we get older."

Dream Vacation

The kinds of experiences Lisa's children enjoy extend far beyond the neighborhood birthday parties and park outings that define most children's early years. There are definite perks to having a famous mother-including an opportunity last fall to be with her on the set of "The Facts of Life Reunion" television show that was shot in Toronto. ("I called a local Creative Memories consultant in Toronto and got supplies to make the other actresses, the director and producer of the show Sentiment Albums. They brought tears to everybody's eyes. They're something that will remind everybody of a wonderful shared memory," Lisa says.)
Lisa's writing career has led to its own wealth of memory- making opportunities for her family. When her publisher recently proposed a book tour to promote her latest work, Lisa initially declined. As a homeschooling mother, she felt it would be impossible for her to leave her children. Then with typically creative thinking, she set about finding a way to continue her parenting duties and fulfill her publisher's wishes. She and her family moved into a 40-foot RV and on July 13, 2001 and set off on a yearlong jaunt across the United States.

"We try to map out our journey so we end up each weekend in a large town where I do book signings, appear on local television shows and participate in radio programs to speak about my books," Lisa says. "The rest of the time we visit the places my children would normally only have had a chance to read about, memorize the dates and forget again over summer vacation."

Hands-On History

When planning the trip Lisa scoured the Internet for educational and historic sites sure to inspire her children to ask questions and find answers. High points on their tour include Colonial Williamsburg, Plymouth Plantation, Mystic Seaport, New York City, Philadelphia, Yellowstone National Park, Walt Disney World and factories such as Crayola. But Lisa says that her children are not the only ones learning and growing from the road tour. A stop at Mount Rushmore provided Lisa with an insight she'll carry long after the family has returned to their Santa Clarita, California, home.

"In looking at the mountain I suddenly had a clearer perspective on my own purpose," Lisa says. "I realized that, just as it took the artist years of shaping and molding to encourage the images of those famous men to emerge, it takes years of constant work for parents to bring their children into focus. We parents are the sculptors whose hard work can create something magnificent that will, ultimately, hopefully, bless many people."

Keeping A Record

Lisa records each leg of her family's trip with a digital camera. She's taken thousands of pictures-all organized on CDs-of events both small and large. Each evening she posts pictures from that day's adventures along with a journaled account of the family's progress on her Web site-LisaWhelchel.com. According to Lisa, thousands of families across America tune in to the site and are participating, vicariously, in "The Family Dream" trip.

"The only negative part of this journey is that I'm not able to scrapbook while we're on the road this year," Lisa laments. "Still, that means I can look forward to creating a lot of albums when we get back to California!" She confesses to being a reluctant journaler in the past and feels relieved to know that her commitment to her nightly Internet postings will make the task easier. "I'll already have the journaling done and will just print the stories out and add photos to the pages once we get home! I can't wait!"

Once home, Lisa is also looking forward to renewing subscriptions to her favorite scrapbooking publications and immersing herself in reading. "I canceled my subscriptions for this year because I thought it would be too difficult to read the articles and not be able to try out the ideas! It would be like being on a diet and reading through Gourmet magazine!" she says laughing. "Too, too cruel!"

Lisa created a paper-torn mountain scene with die-cut trees to represent a visit to Yellowstone, a favorite spot on her yearlong Family Dream Tour. While life on the road usually prevents her from scrapbooking, she worked hard to finish several layouts in time for this article.

Lisa combined her extended family vacation with the business of promoting her books, Creative Correction and The Facts Of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me. On this spread, she included photos from a speaking engagement, a Focus on the Family broadcast with James Dobson and an in-store book signing.


More Famous Scrapbookers!


MERCHANT REPORT news:

If you have had a transaction problem with a scrapbooking or rubber stamping merchant (physical or online store / auction), please let me know so we could be forewarned. Thanks. Here's one from me. I've made numerous successful online purchases and auctions and earned under 100 positive auction feeedback ratings. However, the merchant below is the only problematic one I've encountered. I just had to write and share with you, my loyal visitors. I could never dream of treating my own customers as such! Read on...

problem merchant dated Aug. '04:

www.castampin.com
physical and online store
Pleasanton, California
Suzanne Slupesky, owner

suzanne@castampin.com

(e-mail snips)


"Thanks for my order and your goodies...

However, MUST you advertise your big ghastly yellow business stickers on the catalogs?? A loose insert was all that's necessary! My purchasing of the catalogs is for collectible purpose and not to use to purchase stamps from your website. I'd appreciaite it if EITHER you send me new catalogs without the stickers or, if that's impossible (i.e. you place a sticker on every catalog for online orders and/or in-store purchases) free of charge OR credit half my order total. I hope I am being fair. Removing the stickers is messy anyway. I did not pay good money for your sticky gimmicky adverstsing!

And, not only that, I failed to receive your reply to my e-mail requesting UPS tracking #, which caused me to miss the 1st delivery!

I look forward to hearing from you very soon.

Karen

P.S. Do not ignore; I do not want to take this situation up with my credit card company.


Karen...Thank you for sharing; however we sell the catalogs for one purpose, and one purpose only and that is to sell the products, so yes, the advertising is necessary. They are not meant for collecting. A loose-leaf flyer would easily get lost and then the person would have no idea how to get the items in the catalogs, as most of the companies we carry only wholesale.

The website picture shows the stickers on most of the catalogs; as we place stickers on all the catalogs that we sell. Since we sell the catalogs at cost anyway, we will not credit your account. If you do not like them, you are welcome to return them. You have nothing to take up with the credit card company; we sent you exactly what we advertised and what you ordered.

We have no record or receiving any emails from you asking for your tracking number; I'm sorry you missed the first delivery.

Suzanne Slupesky


I'm sorry, but you are wrong. You didn't mention there will be a huge yellow sticker on each catalog (you DID NOT advertise that). Just because you mentioned there's a sticker on the picture (which is barely viewable), doesn't mean you will include that on the catalogs you send to customers. There are various ways to secure a loose insert, or you should've used an easy peel-off sticker. Whether collectible or not, your yellow stickers are very ugly, and you can't tell a customer not to report to the credit card company. You don't sound like a satisfying merchant. If you do not work to satisfy me as a customer, I will have no choice but to report you to various sources (you have no idea of my connections). I waited a few weeks eagerly for the catalogs to arrive from you as agreed on your website, and then I open the box to see your ghastly stickers not even neatly affixed onto the catalogs. Then, you expect me to inconvenience myself to send it back and not even offering to pay return postage. Shame on you!

I await another response to my satisfaction. I will never order from you and will spread the word around about you! Ironically, you are the only awful merchant I've ever ordered from. You also need to credit the 3 cents you overcharged me, and I want that credit. You even overcharged on the one catalog. Improve your math skills! Funny, you could reply to my unhappy e-mail fast, but you couldn't respond to my tracking # request. You were probably ignoring my 1st e-mail and couldn't ignore this one, because it's a complaint! That was none of your business why I purchased the catalogs- I expect them to arrive in neat condition, NOT with your slop on them!

Karen

~~~

[And, that's when I just contacted my credit card co. by then...]

Never mind...obviously, you're not working with me so you have been reported, and I'm gettng my money back. Don't bother e-mail me anymore. [Unfortunately, she continued communicating with me by snail-mailing me a letter- see below after /e-mail snips.] You're an uneducated and careless bad merchant and not worth it. I eagerly waited 3 weeks for the beautiful catalogs that manufacturers work hard to impress that I paid good money for, in excellent condition (WITHOUT your ghastly stickers all over them) only to see you let me down. You know nothing about rubber stamp world collectibility in exceptional consumers like myself. You're just in business based solely on some trend. You're not a nice lady that you created your website out to be. You need to go to school to learn how to communicate with consumers better. May your business go asunder someday! We as consumers don't need phony garbage like this. BTW, I wonder if your 'complimentary testimonials' are real?? Again, shame on you.

~~~

There is a balance of 3 cents on my invoice due to your math error. Please apply that to my credit card immediately, which you have yet done since last month. I have no plans to order from you in the future anyway, and I don't appreciate such an error on your part without an apology, or lack of applying such credit as due- in place of hoping to receive my future order...

Also, it's very unwise to include a full credit card # / exp. date on the invoice sent with the order. Such a merchant should know that beforehand! Should such shipped orders get lost or stolen, we would come after you for any liability. Thank-you, and I look forward to seeing my request honored or you will be reported. Karen"

(/e-mail snips)

Unfathomably, lastly, she wasted over $9.00 in registered postal mail sent to me 'advertising/promoting her successful business and protecting her name from being soiled'. Too bad and who cares. That's what she gets for taking my good money and sending me defaced catalogs (the thick beautifully designed color high-gloss rubber stamp catalogs cost an average of $10.00 each, and I purchased 7 titles: Stampendous, Penny Black, Rubber Stampede, All Night Media, Hero Arts, Inkadinkadoo, & PSX). I paid only for brand-new catalogs. She never refunded a penny to me (or those 3 cents=fraud) nor did she send me new catalogs without her God-ugly stickers on them, nor did she apologized. It was not a cheap order(!) so you understand the root of my complaint/vent. She's nothing but 'a dominant perfectionist', as I quoted to my credit card co. in phoning in my report against her. My credit card co. was very understanding and apologized for her rudeness. She made her web store make her business look reputable. I ordered those catalogs through her to save on shipping costs than if I had ordered separately from various sources. She had fibbed in her response to my credit card co. that I knew about the stickers and that I could view the photos of the stickers on the catalogs on her website before I made a purchase -all beforehand-, to prevent a chargeback (in order for me to get a full refund AND keep the catalogs)! Every brower is different, and computer monitors as well. She can't read my mind or predict exactly what I could view online. Rubber stamping business is fickle, so I truly hope she does flounder or get closed down. She sounds like someone who won't accept one customer not being happy with the order- even makes me wonder how she treats her folks at home. Even though I managed to carefully peel off her stickers, it did leave some sticky residue, which I had to use a damp rag to remove, and some of the peeling did create a tiny hole due to the glue setting in from the heat during shipment. I will request fresh copies in the future direct from the manufacturers and hope they empathize my dilemma and send for free or, to be fair, on a discount. My conclusion? Always use a credit/charge card for all purchases, and I'm glad my credit card co. sides with loyal and honest customers such as myself. And, report to the Better Business Bureau and the like. We don't need merchants like that upsetting customers like myself, right?

Thanks in advance for listening and for your support!

UPDATE: THEY WERE OUT OF BUSINESS ON SEPTEMBER 2008. JUST AS I PREDICTED. THE OWNER ACTUALLY SOLD THE BUSINESS TO THE NEW OWNER (GO FIGURE) APPROX. A YEAR PRIOR, WHO WAS THE ONE WHO EVENTUALLY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. REGARDLESS, GOOD RIDDANCE! WE DON'T NEED THEM...THERE ARE OTHER PLACES TO PURCHASE STAMPS, RIGHT?


Related Links:

From Memory Makers magazine, July-August 2002 issue:

Comfort in Times of Pain
Scrapbooking is helping three women deal with the events, losses of September 11

by Lori Elkins Solomon

Deena Burnett
San Ramon, California

Deena Burnett had already heard the news about two planes hitting the World Trade Center on September 11 when she got a phone call from her husband, Tom. He was headed for home on board a plane that had taken off from the Newark, New Jersey, airport that morning. The plane was a United Airlines Boeing 757-flight number 93.

Tom told Deena that the plane had been hijacked, and that he and some other passengers were going to try to stop the hijackers. "Tom believed the greatest accomplishment for any of us to aspire to was to be a good citizen," Deena says.

Tom called Deena three more times that morning. Shortly after Tom's last phone call, the plane crashed southeast of Pittsburgh, killing everyone on board.

Tom's patriotic efforts during the last minutes of his life have not gone unnoticed. Countless newspapers, radio stations and television shows have lauded him as a hero. Memorials have been created for him. He has received various posthumous awards.

Now a scrapbook has also been created to commemorate his heroism. At the request of Deena's friend Susan Umar approximately 75 scrappers created a patriotic-themed album in which Deena can mount photos and memorabilia about her husband. This group effort was organized by Gotta Crop! during one of its weekend getaways. Some of the croppers added Scriptures or quotes about America, freedom and what a hero is. The title page of the albums says "Burnett Family Memories."

"Since Deena and I are both scrapbookers, I knew she would value this gift," says Umar. "I also knew that it would be passed down to her daughters and Tom's legacy would live on."

While Deena hasn't scrapbooked since September 11, she has decided what she will do with the scrapbook when she is ready to fill it. "I plan to start with a few photos of Tom, the ones released to the press. I also want a photo of him with each child," Deena says. "Then the pages will be photos of the children and me, of the memorials that were created for him, of the events held and of awards presented. We have dined with presidents, attended galas and traveled extensively to honor Tom. The photographs will reflect these actions."

Deena says she feels "heartfelt gratitude" to the women who designed the album. "I was incredibly touched by the tender loving care that each page portrayed. I carefully turned each page and thought about the women who decorated them.

Each one was so individual, yet they all portrayed a sense of pride in our country and the actions of my husband," she says. "I am sure I will find a great sense of comfort from these beautiful pages and the pictures that follow."

The scrapbook will be a way of remembering and honoring Tom. Deena advises other families who lost loved ones on September 11 to "cherish your pictures, record your memories, and share them with anyone who will listen."

Karen Ventre
Oak Ridge, New Jersey

On September 11, Karen Ventre watched television in shock as the World Trade Center-where her two brothers worked-burst into flames and then collapsed. Tim Grazioso, the chief operating officer of Cantor Fitzgerald's equity division, worked on the 105th floor of 1 World Trade Center (the north tower with the antenna). John Grazioso, part of Cantor Fitzgerald's sales team, worked on the 104th floor in the same tower-the first tower to be hit. Neither brother survived.

Looking for comfort, Karen turned to NJ Scrappers, an online club for New Jersey scrapbookers and scrapbook store owners. Her cyber-friends immediately provided her with much-needed words of sympathy and support. The group's moderator - Christie O'Connor of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey - collected money to donate to the brothers' wives and children.

"Even though I haven't met a lot of them, I feel like I know them," Karen says of her fellow club members. "Since everybody knew at least one or two people at the World Trade Center, I felt it wasn't just me. Everyone was in it together."

Although it was difficult at first, Karen now tries to attend weekly neighborhood crops. Scrapbooking helps her focus on the positive things in her life-particularly her children-and gives her something to look forward to each week. Karen also has started to collect newspaper articles about September 11 so that she can put together a scrapbook commemorating her brothers' lives. "I know it'll be in the history books," Karen says. "My daughter will be in school and see it and say her uncles were a part of this."

Melissa Ackerman
Princeton, New Jersey

Melissa Ackerman had just dropped her daughter off at school when she got a phone call from a fellow scrapper. An airplane had just hit one of the Twin Towers. Melissa turned on her television just as the second tower was hit. Her husband, Howard, worked in 4 World Trade Center, which stood next to 2 World Trade Center, the second tower hit. Melissa tried to call Howard's office but was disconnected. She then tried to reach him on his cell phone with no success. She managed to stay calm through the uncertainty with the support of several online scrapbooking friends, who e-mailed her throughout the morning.

Fortunately, Howard escaped the complex, dodging falling debris along the way. He passed through the Millennium Hotel and felt his way through the smoky air to a subway sign. He was home by 11:30 a.m.

Grateful to have her husband home, Melissa has refocused her scrapbooking energies. She created a one-page layout to tell her daughter what happened on September 11, but said she would much rather concentrate on enjoying the special times she spends with her family. She still believes in the importance of preserving family memories, but now she makes sure she takes part in the events she is recording rather than just being the family photographer.

"I am much less focused on scrapping every picture and event," Melissa reflects. "Now I'm even more conscious of the time I scrapbook and I'm careful that it does not get in the way of family time."



Melissa made this page so Rachel will know what happened on September 11, 2001. The journaling is as follows:

After a fruitless search for a flagpole bracket, we put out our flag, as is, on September 15. We were a few days behind the rest of the country in showing our patriotism. We were still in a state of shock.

On the morning of September 11, Daddy went to work and I took you to school. I had a few minutes before office hours so I cam home, watched the news for a bit and read e-mail. A phone call just after 9 a.m. from a friend alerted me to the start of a day unlike any other in history.

I tried unsuccessfully to call Dad, who was already at work at the World Trade Center. I knew in my heart that he was OK. But with not being able to talk to him and watching the horrific events unfold live on TV, I was scared. Aunt Joi came over as we waited to hear word from Dad. There were many e-mails (including from Aunt Beth who was in Alaska) and a few calls from friends and family, but I tried to keep them to a minimum to keep the phone lines clear. I didn't even call my mother.

Meanwhile, once the first plance hit the World Trade Center, Daddy and the people he worked with left the building. Amidst falling debris, they ran for the protection of a hotel across the street, only to see the second plane crash, just a few feet away. At that point, Daddy managed to find a subway station and begin what turned into a quick trip home. He was home in my arms by 11:30 a.m.

We decided to get lunch and pick you up from school. As we drove, fighter planes flew right over us several times. We picked you up during naptime. Mrs. Redmond and Mrs. Lippencott hugged Daddy when they heard where he had been. Naturally, you had so many questions! You had been to the World Trade Center many times, the last just days before. Once we explained what happened, you started to ask about everyone you knew, including people that worked at restaurants in the buildings. We were able to reassure you that everyone you knew either wasn't there yet or had made it out.

My concept of time is now divided into before September 11 and after. Our understanding of the world has changed. We will never forget.

Check out my 9/11: Afterthoughts Site



~~~~~

Fire destroys eight Mesa businesses

12:33 PM Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday, December 20, 2006
3TV and azfamily.com Staff
Kim Martinez reports | 11 a.m. report

An early morning fire at a Mesa strip mall ripped through eight businesses Wednesday.

3TV The building's roof collapsed, forcing firefighters to fight the flames from the outside.

It happened at about 2:30 a.m., at the Sun Valley Plaza at Power Road and Main Street. Fire trucks were finally starting to clear out nearly five hours later at 7 a.m.

A couple of passers-by who were strip mall before firefighters said they were floored by the raging flames.

"I can't even explain it. It looks like hell, literally," said Hunter Fox.
"I'll never forget this," said another passer-by. "I've seen fire, but I've never seen fire this bad in my whole life."

Firefighters were called just before 2:30 a.m., by some people who were in the area and saw smoke.

By the time crews arrived on the scene, flames were tearing through the tops of the building and the roof was collapsing. That forced firefighters to fight the blaze from the outside.

It took crews more than two hours to knock down the flames. More than 100 firefighters from four different agencies rotated through.

3TV Firefighters believe the fire started in a dry-cleaning business.

Business owners could do nothing but stand by and watch as their livelihoods went up in smoke.
"I think I'm in shock a little bit," said Randy Figueroa, who owns the ShowOff Hair Salon.
"We've been here for eight years. To see everything go down, it did hurt. I'm just wondering where I'm going from here, what's going to happen."

The strip mall also housed a scrapbooking shop [A Scrappin' Affair 7340 E. Main Street, Ste. 2 www.ascrappinaffair.com], a restaurant, a barber shop and a day spa, among others.

Firefighters said the fire started inside a dry-cleaning business. They're not sure exactly what sparked the fire, but said dry-cleaners have a variety of chemicals and electrical equipment.

While the fire is out, crews were still dumping water on the smoldering ruins and watching for hot spots at 10:30 a.m.

Investigators will be at the scene to try and figure out exactly what happened.

The fire caused $2 million in damage.

Although the eight businesses were destroyed, nobody was injured in the massive fire.

~~~~~

Subject: News from CPSC - Recall

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 15, 2006
Release #07-033
Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 955-9490
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Decorative Snaps and Metal Clips Recalled by Provo Craft Due to Lead Poisoning Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Decorative Snaps and Metal Clips
Units: About 76,000
Manufacturer: Provo Craft, of Spanish Fork, Utah
Hazard: The recalled clips and snaps contain high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: The recall involves the "Rob and Bob Studio Clip-Ease" metal clips with model numbers 28-1084, 28-1085 and 28-1086 and the "Rob and Bob Studio Snap-Ease" snaps with model number 28-1080. The product name and model number can be found on the packaging.
Sold at: Scrapbook stores and craft retailers nationwide from August 2005 through October 2006 for about $6.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should stop using these products immediately and contact Provo Craft for instructions on how to obtain a full refund.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, please contact Provo Craft at (800) 955-9490 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. MT, Monday through Friday or visit the firm's Web site at www.recall.provocraft.com
To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07033.html

~~~~~

Live near/in Washington, D.C. (or visiting)? Read on...press release...

Event: National Museum of American History

Event Description: The National Museum of American History and its Archives Center will present a special, one-day scrapbook program on Sunday, July 23 from noon to 5 p.m. Casual scrapbookers, as well as long-time enthusiasts, historians, and archivists, can explore the historical significance of scrapbooks and view scrapbooks on display. All activities are free.

Gallery Scrap Gather
Noon – 5 p.m.
Throughout the museum

Children, families, and adults are encouraged to find the scrapbooks in four exhibitions—"Whatever Happened to Polio?," "America on the Move," "Within These Walls…," and "Honky-Tonk: Country Music Photographs by Henry Horenstein, 1972–1981"—as well as the paper embosser in "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War." A staff member will give the visitor a souvenir scrap with an historical tie-in to the exhibition, and the scraps can be affixed to the program of the day's events.

Scrapbook Talks
12:30 – 1:45 p.m. and 2:15 – 3:30 p.m. (four 15-minute talks are repeated twice during the afternoon)
Carmichael Auditorium, first floor, center

Three of the talks are presented by co-editors of the new book, The Scrapbook in American Life.

•        "An Overview of the History of Scrapbooks"—Katherine Ott, curator in the museum's Division of Medicine and Science, co-editor, The Scrapbook in American Life

•        "Scrapbooks, Memory, and the Effect of Katrina on Gulf Coast Records"—Susan Tucker, archivist, Newcomb College, Tulane University, and co-editor, The Scrapbook in American Life

•        "Great Public Scrapbook Collections around the United States"—Patricia Buckler, professor, Department of English, Purdue University, and co-editor, The Scrapbook in American Life

•        "Historical Aesthetics and Design of Scrapbooks"—Jessica Helfand, graphic design faculty, Yale School of Art, and principal, Winterhouse Studio

Book Signing: The Scrapbook in American Life
Noon – 12:30 p.m., 1:45 – 2:15 p.m., and 3:30 – 4 p.m.
Carmichael Auditorium, first floor, center

Three opportunities for signings and conversations with the editors are scheduled before and after the short-talk sessions. The Scrapbook in American Life was published by Philadelphia: Temple University Press in Spring 2006. It features 15 essays by historians, librarians and literary critics about the myriad ways Americans have turned paper and photographs into albums that preserve memories.
Display

"Scrapbooks in the Archives Center: A Sampler"
Archives Center, first floor, west
CLOSES: Monday, September 4, 2006

The twelve scrapbooks on view represent the different eras and historical diversity of scrapbooks from baby books to travel and celebrity books. These significant examples demonstrate the variety and uniqueness of scrapbooks and their makers.

Open House
Noon – 5 p.m.
Archives Center, main reading room, first floor

Staff from the Archives Center will have a selection of significant, visually striking, or otherwise historically worthy scrapbooks from collections throughout the museum on view during the festival only. Staff from the Archives Center will be on hand to answer questions.

Paper Preservation Q & A
Noon – 5 p.m.
Archives Center, conference room, first floor

Senior paper conservator Lynne Gilliland answers visitors' questions about scrapbook preservation and shows various archival materials used at the museum

Presentation: "Digitizing Scrapbooks—Using Scanners and Digital Cameras"
1 – 2 p.m. and 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Information Age theater, first floor; Seating is limited; first-come, first-served.

David Joyall, photographer for the Northeast Document Conservation Center, discusses how to capture scrapbooks digitally. He will compare the use of scanners, relatively inexpensive and familiar to most, to digital cameras, which are better suited for capturing delicate or oversized objects. He will also explain how to use digitally created images for printing and on the web.

Contact Name: Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
Contact E-mail: info@si.edu

~~~~~

from: http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-scrapper12jan12,0,4911641.story?coll=la-tot-topstories

A scrapbook career in shreds

Kristina Contes was known in crafting circles for her avant-garde designs, celebrating Converse sneakers and her hairless terrier, Chloe. But with one mistake, her world turned on her.

By Erika Hayasaki
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

January 12, 2008

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — They called her "labelwhore," this 28-year-old rising star in the world of scrapbooking, with a silver stud in her lip and a tattoo in Latin on her left forearm: "Art is long, life is short." Before the Internet bullies bashed her and judges revoked her title in the scrapbooking Hall of Fame, Kristina Contes basked in a reputation built on making pages dedicated to her designer handbags, her Converse sneakers and the word "dude." She showcased her avant-garde designs on websites like ScrapInStyleTV.com, traveled the country teaching classes, and turned down offers to go to Paris, London and Norway.

"It's kind of like being a rock star," Contes said. "It's not what you think scrapbooking is."

A growing legion of 20-something scrapbookers -- with Contes as their pinup -- discovered one another online and bonded over pages that immortalized Coldplay lyrics and honored the Heineken bottle.

The edgier scrapbookers thought of it as an outlet -- much like keeping a diary -- in which they expressed political views, decorated pages of their poetry or paid tribute to television shows like "Project Runway," using torn and faded materials not guaranteed to last long enough for their grandchildren to see.

The new generation stuck out its tongue at traditional scrappers, who cultivated the hobby for decades -- creating folios devoted to baby's first Christmas, their granddaughter's wedding or Sunday's church service -- but rarely featured themselves or their feelings. Conventional scrapbookers, who liked layouts with teddy bear stamps, snowflake stencils and photos of birthday cupcakes, intended for their pages to outlast them.

"They're from the Stepford wife kind of mind-set," Contes said. "You're doing something different, you must be evil."

As popularity soared, scrapbooking -- in all its forms -- exploded into a $2.6-billion industry where enthusiasts young and old, conservative and radical, grudgingly put aside differences to compete in national contests, attend global conventions, build blogs, join chat rooms, create online portfolios, and view YouTube and other online instructional videos.

In that world, Contes stood out.

She created textures with vinyl and made patterns by dabbing bubble wrap in paint. She turned playing cards into mini-scrap pages, cut out curse words from cardboard, and laid out distressed fonts and fisheye photos. She started a blog, co-wrote a book and championed the world of scrapbookers -- until it turned on her.

"Has KC ever done a layout that didn't feature a photograph of herself?"

"My 4 y.o. does better with stickers."

"After you have viewed her work you know she has no class."

"I just want to . . . slap her!"

The trouble in the land of foam stickers and glossy glitter glue all started in February, after Contes won a contest sponsored by one of the industry's most popular magazines, Creating Keepsakes. Her winning pages featured photos of her feet and her hairless terrier, Chloe. Her name went into the magazine's Hall of Fame and her work was published in a book of the top 2007 entries.

But Contes -- inadvertently -- had cheated.

Someone else had taken pictures that ended up in her portfolio. When Contes called Creating Keepsakes to request that her friend receive a photo credit, the staff member approved it without realizing she had broken an entry rule: Submissions had to be solely the contestant's work. The book came out in October with both names published -- to the dismay of thousands.

Disgruntled scrapbookers besieged the Creating Keepsakes chat room threatening to cancel subscriptions, boycott and sue. Scrapbooking bloggers called it "Hall of Fame-Gate," naming it the top scrapbooking scandal of 2007. They compared it to the performance-enhancing-drug controversies involving major league baseball player Barry Bonds and Olympic track star Marion Jones. Someone wrote that Contes was as polarizing a figure as Martha Stewart.

At first, Contes found the uproar amusingly absurd. She replied on her blog: "Apparently, many lives have been destroyed by this catastrophe. The devastation will surely go on for many years to come, and this tragedy will not soon be forgotten."

Her post prompted a barrage of responses on message boards on sites such as Scrap Smack and Two Peas in a Bucket. One message string about her received more than 1,250 comments.

"I guess her response is 'dignified' if you live in the same trailer park as she does."

She "doesn't have a moral bone in her body."

Mortified and hurt, Contes stopped scrapbooking.

"I, seriously, was like the Lindsay Lohan of scrapbooking," Contes said. "I didn't just sign a million-dollar movie contract. I'm not on a billboard on the side of the road. I'm just a scrapbooker."

Many longtime devotees of scrapbooking credit the Christensen family of Utah with putting a spotlight on the craft in 1980 at the World Conference of Records, where they shared albums that captured their family history, the pages displayed in sheet protectors inside loose-leaf binders. The family wrote a how-to book and opened a scrapbooking store selling stamps, and archival and acid-free paper. The concept took off, especially among the Christensens' fellow Mormons, who were particularly interested in preserving their genealogy.

In 1987, Rhonda Anderson of St. Cloud, Minn., co-founded Creative Memories, a company that aimed to take scrapbooking to people of all backgrounds. Creative Memories now has 90,000 consultants who sell the company's products in stores, online and in classes they teach in 12 countries. The company earned $300 million in 2005, and slightly less in 2006 because many people shifted to computer programs to create digital albums, a niche the company is now expanding.

"The traditional family album is alive and well," Anderson said. "But scrapbooking is really changing -- it's not just keeping track of your baby or your family photos in a paper album."

Before Contes stumbled upon scrapbooking, the fashion addict couldn't figure out what to do with her life. She had dropped out of jewelry-making school and given up on a career in interior design.

After getting married three years ago, Contes decided to put together a wedding album, and began researching online. She found traditional scrapbook layouts -- albums featuring pink ribbon sashes, buttons, heart jewels, fabric flowers, and tags with the words "love" and "yours forever" in cursive fonts.

Then she came across a community of avant-garde scrapbookers in their 20s and 30s who had learned to express their loneliness, narcissism and rage on their pages. That's when Contes realized she had found her calling. She took on the screen name "labelwhore," playing off her obsession with fashion.

Many of the people she encountered online were caught in a quarter-life crisis, pondering decisions about whether to have children, questioning whether they were ready to let go of their youth, or wondering why they had not yet found the perfect career or ideal man.

Contes met one young woman who scrapped about her miscarriage. The woman printed a photo of herself for the page, adding stickers, stamps and Coldplay lyrics: "Come on, my star is fading and I swerve out of control. I know I'm dead on the surface but I'm screaming underneath."

Another woman created a page in which she took a picture of herself wearing a different outfit every day for three weeks. In each photo, she held a sign with a word. After laying out the page, the words formed the sentence: "I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up or if growing up is indeed something I want to do."

Some called their style "life art," setting themselves apart from traditional scrappers.

"Scrapbooking," Contes said she realized, "can be whatever the hell you want it to be. It can be messy, it can be angry, it can be angsty, it can be just you."

It was a way to combine her love of art, writing, design and photography. Her dining room became her design studio, the table her easel. She would happily drop $100 on glue guns, embossing powder and transparent paper. She filled baskets with fabric: plaid, leaf-printed, psychedelic-swirled.

Her Internet friends encouraged her. They formed a sort of indie-scrapper club, calling themselves "Effer Dares." Their blog, also called Effer Dares, took off, and hundreds of scrapbookers became fans.

Effer Dares posted daily prompts on the group's blog, challenging readers to focus on a theme, such as: Create a page that is a "letter to your former self."

The friends decided to put their ideas into a book. They called it "We Dare You: Scrapbook Challenges About Real Life." It was published in
2007.

Though the new crop of scrappers had their followers, they were criticized for their self-centered pages. One blogger wrote she wished everyone could go back to the days when "we didn't consider ourselves 'life artist[s]' or 'designers.' We were just plain ol' scrappers."

'Wha Happan??"

That was the title of Contes' Oct. 16 blog entry. She didn't mean to break the Hall of Fame rules, and Creating Keepsakes judges should have kicked her out immediately, she wrote, or "burned me at the stake, whatever."

"If I was doing something shady or trying to cheat then you never would have seen the photo credit in the first place (DUH). Wait, I think that bears repeating. DUH."

Contes' defense didn't stand up to her critics.

One person condemned Contes' lack of shame, admitting that she, too, had entered a contest once, and later realized she had broken the rules. "For about 10 minutes I kept thinking 'Don't worry about it, nobody's gonna know,' " she wrote. "But then I thought 'You and GOD are going to know.' " She withdrew from the contest so her children would still be able to look her in the eye, and then "proceeded to cry for about 3 days."

Lin Sorenson, vice president and editorial director of Creating Keepsakes media, said most scrapbookers aren't concerned with the gossip on blogs.

"What people write on their blogs or their comments on the hobby are not of interest to our readers; the hobby itself is important to our readers," she said. "It's a very positive hobby."

On Oct. 20, eight months after Contes won, Creating Keepsakes issued a news release in response to the protests: She had been disqualified from its Hall of Fame.

"We are painfully aware that our error has deeply upset many of you, our cherished readers and scrapbooking partners," wrote Editor in Chief Brian Tippetts.

"Did she have to give back her crown and sash too???" someone wrote on the Two Peas in a Bucket message board. "It's like Vanessa Williams all over again."

For weeks, Contes did not want to look at a scrapbook or talk to another scrapbooker. Her husband told her to focus instead on their restaurant, where she works as a waitress and bartender. She made her blog private, partly to avoid the "hordes of evil stalking" scrappers, and she limited her readers to about 20 friends.

Then one afternoon, sitting in her apartment decorated with framed concert ticket stubs from Lisa Loeb, Weezer and Imogen Heap, Contes felt a familiar feeling.

She started picking through different fonts and photos. She took a prompt from the Effer Dares collection: "Scrap about something that kicked your ass."

She pulled out a sheet of binder paper, and laid down yellow, olive green and aqua letters into the words "hot date." She glued pictures of herself and a friend, and attached typewritten letters about rum and Coke, vodka, a bartender and a night out with friends.

erika.hayasaki@latimes.com

~~~~~

Woman faces craft theft charges

Scrapbooking - Police say they found materials taken from stores in the Beaverton home

Saturday, February 09, 2008

HOLLY DANKS
The Oregonian Staff

HILLSBORO -- A 47-year-old Beaverton woman will be arraigned Tuesday on charges that she stole $170,000 worth of scrapbooking supplies from area craft stores and sold it at reduced prices from her home.

Karen Sue McGates ran All About Scrapbooking & More from her home in the 14200 block of Southwest Lisa Lane. She got her business license from the city of Beaverton in October 2007 after neighbors complained of all the traffic going to and from her residence.

When officers served a search warrant at McGates' house Feb. 1, they found so many scrapbooking and card-making supplies "that it was almost like walking into a store," said Sgt. Paul Wandell, Beaverton police spokesman.

The items, including paper, stickers, rubber stamps, punches and scissors, were displayed on multiple racks, Wandell said. McGates advertised with yard signs and online.

Police say virtually all of the merchandise was stolen by McGates and a friend who was registered on the business license with her.

Between July 2007 and last month, the women went to area craft stores and bought a couple dollars worth of items but left with their purses full of merchandise they didn't pay for, Wandell said.

Wandell said police searching McGates' house found price tags with store bar codes that she had peeled off the items and thrown into a garbage bag.

A loss prevention officer at Craft Warehouse in Gresham stopped the accomplice in December and called Beaverton police in late January after discovering the thefts were so extensive, Wandell said.

The second woman is not being named because she is cooperating with authorities and has not been charged.

Craft Warehouses throughout the Portland area were the major victim, but according to reports McGates also stole from Michaels Stores, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores and smaller retailers.

McGates was arrested Feb. 1 on an accusation of first-degree aggravated theft. She was released from the Washington County Jail on her own recognizance.

~~~~~

from: http://nctimes.com/articles/2008/09/30/ ... 0ec8a8.txt

VISTA: Gunman robs scrapbook shop

| Tuesday, September 30, 2008 9:10 PM PDT

VISTA ---- A gunman robbed an arts and crafts store Tuesday evening in Vista, a Sheriff's Department lieutenant said.

The suspect walked into Ever After Scrapbooks at 1954 Hacienda Drive and pointed a black and silver handgun at the two employees there, Lt. Anthony Ray said. He took an undisclosed amount of money from the register and told employees to go to a back room and shut the door, Ray said.

The employees called 911 from the back of the store, but by the time deputies arrived, the suspect was gone, Ray said.

He was described as a white man in his 20s, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, wearing a long-sleeved black dress shirt with a white shirt underneath and a baseball hat with a Hurley logo.

~~~~~

from: http://www.scrapbookupdate.com/scrapnancy/2008/11/key-points-from-the-antioch-companycreative-memories-bankruptcy.html

"Key Points From The Antioch Company/Creative Memories Bankruptcy

The Antioch Company (parent company of Creative Memories) filed literally hundreds of pages of documents with the court today as they started Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The documents make up about two dozen motions and other types of filings that were filed with the court.
In addition to the initial bankruptcy petition for Chapter 11 reorganization and the proposed plan that has already been approved by its major secured creditors, Antioch filed an assortment of emergency "First Day" motions. Since the company is continuing to operate while in bankruptcy, the motions are to allow for things like continued use of the company's bank accounts, payment of debts due to employees and consultants for payroll and commissions, and to ensure their utilities remain in service.

An order was issued this afternoon in response to the company's motion for an expedited hearing on all of the First Day motions. The hearing on those motions will take place tomorrow morning, November 14th, at 10:30am in Dayton, OH. The court's rulings at the hearing on the First Day motions by Antioch will determine whether the company can effectively continue to operate under its current systems. (Scrapbook Update will report on the hearing's outcome when information is available hopefully tomorrow afternoon.)

What happened to Creative Memories?

So how did the company that arguably started the scrapbooking revolution end up in this situation?

Antioch repeated blamed two factors in its court filings: the downward trend in the scrapbook market, and its move to being entirely employee owned (through a stock program) in 2003:

In 2004, one year after the Company became wholly owned by its employees, it achieved revenues of approximately $336.6 million. The Company's 2004 revenues represented an increase of more than 2400% of the Company's 1994 revenues of $13.9 million. As the scrapbooking market peaked and the Company's revenues began to fall, numerous employees left the Company.

With record high stock prices and the start of declining revenue and portfolio trends, employees wanted to sell shares that were allocated to their ESOP accounts, leading to an unintended incentive for many employees to terminate employment in order to lock in their stock value.

Consequently, between 2004 and 2007, approximately 800 of the Company's 1,150 employees resigned; the Company was required to make share repurchase payments of approximately $190 million under the ESOP.

The company's Gross Sales this year through the first 3 quarters were just shy of $149 million, putting the company on track for sales of just under $200 million if sales trends hold steady in the 4th quarter despite the economy. Those numbers would be less than 60% of the amount of business the company did in 2004.

Antioch doesn't sound too optimistic about the future compared to the past few years, forecasting only $156 million in sales for 2009 in their filings. Their forecast calls for slow, steady growth back to just under $200 million in sales in 2012, with 10% of revenue coming from digital products over this time period. Is this realistic given the state of the economy and the decline in interest in scrapbooking? It will be a challenge for sure.

Several attempts were actually made in the past year to sell the company, most notably to equity firm JH Whitney but no satisfactory agreement was ever reached.

What is the bankruptcy plan?

The bankruptcy plan that was pre-approved by the company's major secured creditors before the filing is extremely complex. It involves ending the company's status of being owned by employee-stockholders and making the company an LLC. The current employee-owners of the company would be compensated for the loss of their share ownership through being granted common member interest in a trust connected to the company's holding company in the complicated arrangement. The holders of the company's major debt would reduce some of that debt as part of the plan.

Why would employees give up their ownership shares in exchange for the interest in the trust that the company admits has an unknown value? The math is actually very simple if you believe the company's assertion that this reorganization plan is the only way they can continue to do business at all.

First, if the company was forced to file for Chapter 7 liquidation, all 518 (as of Oct. 31st) of them would lose their jobs. Second, according to the liquidation analysis the company filed today, there would be no money left over after paying the secured creditors to compensate the stockholders after a liquidation. Their stocks would be worthless.

Basically, getting something of unknown value in exchange for their otherwise valueless stock - and keeping their jobs in today's rocky economy - is better than getting nothing and being unemployed.

Why would the company's secured debtors agree to this plan if it reduces their own compensation?

Because according to the company's analysis, liquidation only gets them about 34% of what they are owed. The bankruptcy plan as filed today with their agreement will compensate them about 75% of what they are owed."

~~~~~


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