Digital Scrapbook Software

Online Scrapbook Maker Smilebox Buys Preclick For Direct-To-Store Printing

2009-10-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

Online scrapbook and ecard maker Smilebox has purchased Preclick, a company that makes software for big retailers so that customers can upload digital photos to their websites and then pick up prints at stores. In a blog post, Smilebox says that with the acquisition it now plans to add some “1-hour, direct to store printing of Smilebox designs.”

No financial details were disclosed. Smilebox has raised $12 million in funding in two rounds, most recently in December 2007, while Preclick has raised at least $2.1 million. Smilebox tells the Seattle Times that it expects to be cash-flow positive within six months.

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Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact: free software from Serif

2009-10-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

Serif has just released Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact, a free version of their popular software. Here are some details from the press release:
Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact offers all the features expected of a fully functional digital scrapbooking product, including a fun selection of tools and creative content such as embellishments, background papers and brushes. Available as a download from the online social scrapbooking site DaisyTrail.com, Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact is not time-limited in any way and gives consumers the perfect opportunity to make beautiful keepsakes from the stacks of photographs they all have at home.
If you are looking for new software or just getting started with digital scrapbooking then this would be a great program to try. It's completely free so you've got nothing to lose. You can also read my review of the retail version of Digital Scrapbook Artist here. It has even more features and effects for you to play with!

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" Digi-Scrapping " - a new hobby for the credit crunch

2009-09-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone is talking about the recession. But just how has it affected UK consumers? New research conducted by Millward Brown via social media has found that UK consumers are reassessing their priorities in life and are acknowledging that they don't need to spend money to be happy. The research highlighted a renewed appreciation of the simple pleasures in life such as health, happiness, family and friends, home life and leisure time.

More significantly - the research showed that UK consumers were spending more screen time at home. 60% of the respondents said they were spending more time using the Internet, 22% playing video games and 14% watching TV.In answer to the current UK consumers' plight of having to spend less cash and more time at home; Serif Europe Ltd, the UK's leading independent design, publishing and creative software developer,has announced the release of a completely free version of their popular digital scrapbooking software, Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact, available to download here. It is not a trial or time-limited in anyway and offers all the features expected of a fully functional digital scrapbooking product.

This seems to be perfect timing for the free product launch from Serif as the research results went on to highlight that 72% of respondents felt that now is the time to avoid financial risk - while only 19% say now is the time to purchase goods, taking advantage of special offers or discounts. Furthermore, the results showed that UK consumers are currently the most conservative in Europe when it comes to future spending plans, with 55% (over half) planning to decrease spending compared to a European average of 31%.

Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact does exactly what it says on the tin - think of traditional scrapbooking, but with a modern twist and you are getting there. Go ahead and create your very own ‘memoir masterpiece' by using the tools and creative content such as embellishments, background papers and brushes to get you started in an instant. Your beautiful personalised scrapbooks will present special nostalgic memoirs for holidays, new births, weddings and many more significant milestones in your life in a very unique way. Enter into a whole new hybrid world of ‘old and new' by simply adding in your own photographs, scanning in old leaflets, tickets and other keepsakes. Once you have created your very own unique scrapbook on your PC - you can fuse together the ‘old and new' by printing off and adding traditional embellishments like ribbons, glitter and lace to really bring your scrapbook to life.

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Serif launches free Scrapbook software

2009-08-27T00:32:00.000-07:00

Add embellishments and backgrounds to your designs

Serif has unveiled a free version of its popular scrapbook software, Digital Scrapbook Artist.

Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact can be downloaded from scrapbooking website DaisyTrail.com and allows users to create scrapbooks for their digital or hard-copy photographs.

The software also offers the ability to add embellishments and backgrounds to your scrapbook and even add drawings using brushes and other tools in the software.

"Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact will make it possible for anyone to enjoy a fantastic and fun way of preserving photos and memories", said Ashley Hewson, sales director at Serif.

"And what's more, the results you can achieve with this software far outshine those of our competitors, while still remaining an incredibly easy to use program and despite the fact that it's completely free."

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TIPS: 5 ways to scrapbook on a dime

2009-08-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

1. Scour eBay for store closing sales: Several local scrapbook stores have recently closed in my area. I happen to think much of it is due to the high price tags in specialty stores--the best prices are at large craft stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Owners are eager to squeeze whatever they can out of inventory and they are in a hurry to do so. Buying closeout merchandise is a great way to save on the same products you'd find full price elsewhere.
2. Make your own stickers: This is a relatively new thing and I love it! No more worries about running out of the letter "e" or buying prices adhesive graphics for just one or two images. Instead buy sticker paper at an office supply store, in matte or glossy, and find your own graphics online. You can create headings for pages and even print your own pictures in any size you choose.

3. Trim and "make" paper: Make a "frame" for your photos rather than mounting them on an entire square and you'll save more than 50 percent of your paper. You may want to sort your paper scraps in an organizer by color for easy access later. If you have a scanner, convert wallpaper or magazine images into digital files you can print on acid free paper.
4. Swap materials: For die cuts and specialty scissors, take advantage of the hard-core scrapbooker who hauls around her suitcase-o-goods in a suped up fishing tackle. Let her invest in the big machines that cut letters and politely ask if you can use her tools. If you plan on purchasing a similar monstrosity at least practice with hers to see if you like it. Host a party and ask guests to bring their machines and resources to share.
5. Dollar store gold mine: Your General Dollar or Big Lots often has a surprising selection of scrapbook goods. It may not be the fancy Jolie brand, but with your creativity can be more meaningful. Target also has regular seasonal clearance sales with savings of up to 70 percent off.

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Four fun ways to capture life's memories

2009-08-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

Life is full of unique experiences and memorable events. But often our most significant moments are fleeting. So we rely on memories -- and the tradition of storytelling -- to keep them alive.

Throughout the ages, women have found ways to preserve their family histories and honor loved ones. From keeping a journal to creating a beautiful charm bracelet that captures special memories, here are four fun, tried-and-true ways to tell your story:

Collect and Preserve Heirlooms

Who doesn't know a woman who has saved baby clothes long after her children are grown? Or still has her wedding dress years after their big day? Museums and libraries are not the only places to find old artifacts -- take a peek inside your grandmother's closet or attic. Treasures abound.

If you have objects that evoke memories near and dear to your heart, then preserve them. Tap into your inner curator, and invest in acid-free boxes and tissues that keep your objects safe. And when they're not on display, store your treasurers in a cool, dry place with little light.

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Who holds the key to the cellar scrapbook mystery?

2009-08-10T01:19:00.000-07:00

Can you solve the mystery of these long-lost newspaper cuttings?

Andrew Milne's uncle found the bundle – containing stories from 1894 – in the cellar of a house in Kendal and passed it on to his nephew.

Cable engineer Andrew, 23, of Nevett Street, Callon, Preston, examined the book with daughter Leah, five, to read the top news of the day from the Preston Guardian, which went on to become the Farmers' Guardian.

He said: "It looks like it's been put together but I don't know why or why it would have been in Kendal.

"My uncle found it when he first moved up to Kendal 22 years ago. He found it in an old cellar he was knocking down and ended up keeping it.

"It's got different stories from different months in 1894. It's very interesting. It's got suicides and murders and people getting trapped in machines in the mill.

"There's some stuff about Preston North End and an advert from when Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce first came out. To someone who collects stuff like that, it would be a really good thing to have."

Andrew is now hoping an expert will be able to help him find out who put the book together and possibly get it valued.

Charlotte Steels, assisting keeper at the Museum of Lancashire, Stanley Street, Preston, said: "If Mr Milne wanted to bring it down to the museum, I'm sure our social history curator would have a look at it."

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Scrapbook store owner looks to future after fire

2009-08-03T01:14:00.000-07:00

Dickinson's store is on the ground floor of the Hastings Building on Central Avenue, next to Set Free Ministries' building, which was ravaged by fire over the weekend.
Firefighters kept the flames off the Hastings Building, but Dickinson's store and the apartments upstairs were affected by smoke and water.
About 10 tenants are still homeless, said building owner Garry Hackett. It will take repairs and the insurance company's go-ahead before they can move back in.
Mountains of Memories Scrapbooks didn't suffer extensive damage, Dickinson said. Some ceiling panels on the west side were destroyed by water, along with paper products in one section, and the smell of smoke lingers in the air. However, that minor damage might be enough to ruin her sensitive supplies, Dickinson said.
Because scrapbook supplies are meant to be in contact with irreplaceable photos and other sentimental treasures, they have to be pristine, Dickinson said. Customers pay a premium for materials that are guaranteed not to damage those one-of-a-kind items. She doesn't know if she can still make that guarantee on products that may be tinged with smoke and water.

Hobby and business

Dickinson was scrapbooking before scrapbooking was cool. She's been into the hobby for 20 years, moving to Great Falls from Cheyenne, Wyo., to buy the store from the previous owner last July.
"I just loved the area," she said.
She and her husband moved into an apartment behind the store. That's where they were — fast asleep — as flames spread through Set Free Ministries' building next door.
As it happens, the scrapbook store's previous owner is Hackett's daughter. She learned about the fire from her brother, a firefighter at Malmstrom Air Force Base, and knew Dickinson and her husband were inside.
Dickinson turned her phone down when she went to bed that night because she and her husband had just returned from Glacier National Park and were exhausted. She didn't hear the first several calls.
When the ringing phone finally woke her up, she saw the list of missed calls, and knew it was serious. She answered, and learned of the fire from Hackett's daughter.
When Dickinson gets down about the damage to her store, she reminds herself that she and her husband are lucky to be alive.
The count
Now, she's waiting to hear from her insurance company. The adjuster said her situation, with the specialized products, is unusual, so it will take a little time to make a determination on whether the goods are salvageable.
In the meantime, Dickinson has a big job ahead of her. She has to take inventory of every frame, frill, decoration and doodad in the store.
"There are 100,000 different products in here," she said. "So it's pretty intense."

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OpenEdit Introduces EnterMedia Digital Asset Management

2009-07-27T01:09:00.000-07:00

OpenEdit, Inc., developers of the most powerful, fastest and flexible open source digital asset management software, will be showcasing a major release of their Digital Asset Management software, EnterMedia at the Henry Stewart Digital Asset Management Show in New York, June 1 and 2. This newest release of EnterMedia Digital Asset Management, due out June 2, has been supported in part by a Fortune 500 company using EnterMedia in an enterprise-wide, corporate environment to track, manage, share and archive digital files.

Formerly OpenEdit DAM, EnterMedia is a web based, open source digital asset management system which includes everything needed in a digital asset system such as Version Control, Related Assets, Cross Catalog Searching, Shared Albums, fast browser based Drag and Drop uploading and more. While in New York, OpenEdit will be introducing the EnterMedia Developer Community, a low-cost membership program directed toward developers and consultants interested in implementing EnterMedia digital asset management solutions. Included in the membership is the Entermedia software product, open source code, online support and more.

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The value of digitizing your life

2009-07-20T01:06:00.000-07:00

I have always been reluctant about committing the things in my life to exist on the servers of some web service. The biggest part of it I will readily admit is the generation I come from. A generation that believes in accumulating ‘stuff’. Stuff that for the most part is just physical mementos of events that have taken place in our lives. We stick them away in photo albums, scrapbooks and buried in drawers to be pulled out on the rare occasion we want to take a trip down memory lane.
Then there is just the plain old junk that human beings seem to love to accumulate around themselves. Scraps of paper with long forgotten addresses, date books from years gone by and many other types of miscellaneous crap. Much of it we have long forgotten why we kept it in the first place but even though the tugs on our memories are gone we still hold onto them.
But what happens should – god forbid – a disaster happen?
Instead of memories that we can pull out and share we have fragments of smoke seared photographs. All those cards that we held so dear have been destroyed beyond any recognition. Baby pictures, wedding pictures, photos of family gatherings, our children’s first drawing, their first report cards – all destroyed.
At what point does a cranky old fart’s desire to be able to hold physical things transform to understanding that any reluctance to transform those things into digital form is actually endangering the live of those memories. There comes a point where one has to realize that as much as we may have a feeling of trepidation at moving those memories to a digital format, we also have to realize that is the one way to keep those memories safe.
I hadn’t really thought about this idea of digitizing one’s life as being a way to keep it safe until I read a post on Computerworld by Mike Elgan where he shared his move to committing his family’s memories to a digital format. While Mike was chronicling his digitizing of his family’ memories because of his desire to move to more of a semi-nomadic life he also touched on the loss of those physical representation of memories.

When it comes to deciding whether to keep or discard something, where do you draw the line? Old holiday and birthday cards? OK, those can be discarded. Mother’s day cards from kids? Hmmm. Trophies? Yikes! There are a million items that make you feel a loss when you toss, but if you keep them, they’ll be buried unseen for decades.
It’s these same items that are irreplaceable after an unexpected fire, flood, hurricane or other regional or personal disaster.

I might not being going down the same path or have the same reason that Mike did but the end point is the same – protecting those valuable memories. Protecting them in case some disaster hits and those memories only exist in a tired old brain. Mike gives a great breakdown of how best to go about digitizing your memories and I thank him for that.
How safe are your memories? Would they survive a fire or make it through unscathed from a flood?

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Microsoft CEO Talks Economy, Unveils Bing

2009-07-13T01:03:00.000-07:00

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave his take on the economy and how his company is responding to the downturn at the All Things Digital Conference.

"People generally agree this is a different recession," Ballmer said. "To think that things would be back in a year seems naive to me." He said Microsoft had a "gut check," and "flattened out the cost basis," which means cutting back on what he called the "future project investment stream." Microsoft still spends $9 billion in research and development. "We can still do a lot with $9 billion, but we'll do less new things," Ballmer said.

Ballmer also introduced Bing, Microsoft's latest attempt to take on Google and Yahoo in the search area. According to a poll by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, 54 percent of those survey preferred Google, followed by Yahoo at 22 percent and Microsoft at 8 percent.

"We flailed with Windows a lot of years before we got it right," Ballmer said, and added that it will be the same for search.

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ALL THINGS DIGITAL: Fullpower's Motion-Sensor Advance

2009-07-06T00:41:00.000-07:00

Philippe Kahn's history of entrepreneurship is nearly as old as the PC itself. He developed software for the Micral N, one of the earliest commercial personal computers, back in 1973. As CEO of Borland Software Corp. (BORL), he touted himself the "barbarian" of the software industry and embraced that identity by holding one of the first press conferences for his company in a McDonald's restaurant in Las Vegas during Comdex. Ousted from Borland in 1995, Kahn went on to found wireless synchronization outfit Starfish Software, which he sold to Motorola Inc. (MOT). He followed that up with LightSurf Technologies, a picture- messaging company acquired by Verisign Inc. (VRSN) in 2005. Today Philippe Kahn is CEO of Fullpower, a company developing accelerometer-based hardware and software.
Walt and Kara welcome Kahn to the stage.
- Fullpower, says Kahn, has developed the MotionX Recognition Engine, a technology intended to do for motion and gesture what speech recognition did for speech. "We've created a system that studies how you move as opposed to reacting to it."
- The first demo involves a headset with on-board motion sensing. "Basically what we've done is build a motion-sensing headset," says Kahn. The headset will differentiate between the sources of motion of its user - if the user is walking, or running for example.
- Kahn calls a colleague wearing the headset onstage. Colleague begins walking and then running around the stage. The headset tracks the users speed and distance and the user can tap it for spoken updates about his or her progress.

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Virtual scrapbooking

2009-06-22T00:31:00.000-07:00

Scrapbooking enthusiasts are notorious for collecting the tools of the trade — colored paper, stencils, stickers, glitter — then failing to put them to use.

"Now, not only are they overwhelmed with their pictures, they are overwhelmed with stuff. They're overwhelmed by the whole hobby," said Paula Wessells, the Vancouver-based CEO of Big Picture Scrapbooking, "What really sets us apart is that we are about the process. We're not about the end product."

That business strategy of helping people connect with what's meaningful in their lives, along with classes priced as low as $10, has enabled Big Picture Scrapbooking to thrive, even in the economic downturn.

The privately held company does not disclose financial information. But Wessells said other than a dip in sales in February, the company's revenue has held steady.

Big Picture Scrapbooking, founded in 2005, was first to offer online classes. Now 31,000 students download classes.

Wessells first met company founder Stacy Julian, a Spokane resident, at a Portland scrapbooking store. She was founding editor of Simple Scrapbooks magazine.

"A year later, she called with a wild business idea," Wessells said. "She wanted to spread her passion for documenting life."

Julian had already been teaching live, in-person classes, which gave the students 90 minutes of inspiration.

"We had to come up with a way — a new delivery method — to continually inspire women," Wessells said. The Web provided that new method.

Julian is the business' creative force. A third partner, Kayce Rehn, also of Spokane, keeps the Web site running smoothly. That's leaves Wessells to handle the business side from her office in the Vancouver home she shares with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

In addition, the company employs four people — all stay-at-home moms, Wessells said. The company's 58 contract teachers are scattered around the country.

Personal goals
Big Picture Scrapbooking classes include "Wellness Journey," an eight-week course to create a scrapbook to help people achieve personal health goals, and "Everyone Can Write A Little," which incorporates Twitter and Facebook entries.

Wessells, 40, said she has always relished scrapbooking. Before the hobby became her business, the 1987 graduate of Mountain View High School worked for marketing and events agencies in Portland.

Although digital scrapbooking is a trend the company is heeding by securing a partnership with Shutterfly, most classes focus on traditional methods involving photos, not digital files.

Wessells said that's her preference for her own scrapbooks.

"I spend 10 hours a day on the computer. The last thing I want to do is go online," she said.

But the business is very much entwined with the online world, and plans to push that further.

"We're going real deep into social media," Wessells said.

Before, the company worried class content might end up scattering across the Web for free, but now the partners feel confident the class experience cannot be replicated. Big Picture Scrapbooking is working on creating an online community among the students, who are 90 percent female; 83 percent are from the United States, with the rest from more than 161 other countries.

"The women — and men — who scrapbook really want community and social networking," Wessells said. "Everything that's happening in your life, someone across the pond is experiencing the same thing."

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"It's the Manly Thing To Do" Digital Scrapbooking Kit

2009-06-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

This kit was made with men in mind when choosing colors and patterns to start the design. With a color scheme of blue, green, mustard and red and masculine textures of denim, plaid, and argyle, the items in this kit will allow for a scrapbook page to be designed for that special man in your life--for Father's Day, a birthday, or any occasion!

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BrandStar’s The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television Showcases Digital Scrapbooking

2009-06-08T23:26:00.000-07:00

Digital photography is modernizing how people create scrapbooks, adding a new multimedia dimension and global sharing capabilities. The Balancing Act TV show on Lifetime Television features Kathy Peterson, field correspondent and arts and crafts expert, who talks about a new website, www.scrapblog.com, that helps you creatively preserve memories. The segment aired in May and can be viewed at www.thebalancingact.com/scrapblog.

“Unlike old-style scrapbooks, with Scrapblog.com you can add music, stickers and video; edit photos and easily drop and drag all your creative elements onto the pages with just a few clicks of the mouse,” says Kathy. “And you can share your creations with friends and family worldwide via email or web postings, so you are no longer limited by proximity.”

“If you’re looking for a creative and unique gift for someone, how about a free printed card – set up like a mini-scrapbook?” she adds. “It’s as simple as creating a traditional scrapbook – but with thousands of elements to choose from. You might even recognize some famous artists and scrapbooking designers on the website, too,” she says.

Just log on, select a theme or start with a blank card, Peterson explains. “Then customize and personalize it. Add your own photos, captions, and more. They’ll print it and send it to that special person’s doorstep. You don’t have to register or purchase any software.”

“Once you’ve created your digital cards and scrapbooks, you can also publish them online – and invite other Scrapblog users to comment. It’s a great way to network with people around the world and share creative ideas.”

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Different types of scrapbooking

2009-06-01T23:23:00.000-07:00

Overall, there are many methods of scrapbooking that a person can utilize to document their memories. Each depends upon how creative or organized the scrapbook maker wants to be. It really doesn’t matter if you are creative or ‘artsy’, anyone can create a scrapbook of memories. Each scrapbook is reflective of the personality of the person who created it.

1. Standard Scrapbooking – Creating pages and placing them in a scrapbook album with page protectors. Scrapbooks used to only come in two sizes 8x10 and 12x12. Check out your local scrapbook store to see the many different sizes of scrapbooks available now.

2. Book-making Scrapbooking – Using a binding system, creating covers and pages with cardboard and embellishing the pages with paper, ribbons, stickers, pictures and other keepsakes. The binding can be done using a three ring binder, binding rings, ribbons, brackets, staples or spiral binders. Really the options for binding are only limited by the creativity of the scrapbooker.

3. Digital Scrapbooking – Creating pages online using digital images and software rather than purchasing individual embellishments. Many people use these to create pages to upload to their blogs or to print and place in a book. Many software packages are also compatible with online websites like Shutterfly.com and Snapfish.com and allow you to upload your pages and create a printed book of your creations.

4. Creating Picture Books Online – There are many different websites that allow you to use their templates to create a picture book of memories. You upload your pictures to their website, paste them into the prepared templates available based on the number of pictures you would like on the page and then add text to your page to personalize. There are many different photo and self-publishing websites available that offer this service.

5. Blogging or Scrapblogging – There are many people who utilize web logs to maintain a journal or to document the happenings of their family. These blogs are highly personalized. Starting out you can use a standardized template, but once you are comfortable with the services provided, you can upload your own creation to make your blog more personal.

6. Creating presentations – Using presentation software to create personal presentations on the computer is very easy. You can use templates included with the software or go online and find more individualized templates for creating presentations. The nice thing about using presentation software is you can add videos, and you can add sound and transitions between your pages. You can even automate a presentation to scroll through the entire presentation ‘hands-free’ once the file is accessed. When choosing a presentation software, be sure to choose one that creates presentations that don’t require those viewing to necessarily own the software you used to create it.

7. Picture slide shows – There are websites online that allow you upload your pictures and organize them into slide shows. Many of these sites provide the service free of charge and provide links so that you can post your slide shows to your blog or even to post them on social networking websites.

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Prim and Purple Digital Scrapbooking Kit by Darleen Araujo

2009-05-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

Browse and download this free kit of coordinating elements and papers for digital scrapbooking.

By Darleen Araujo, independent designer for About.com

The Prim and Purple kit was designed with a color palette of green and purple with accents of ivy, lace, hearts and ribbon. It has a lovely antique, feminine quality to it that I think is perfect for Mother's Day or any occasion. It also includes an alphabet set.
Kit Contents:

* 5 Papers
* 1 Alphas
* 1 Crochet Doiley
* 2 Buttons
* 1 Felt Heart
* 1 Gold String mass
* 1 Lace Ribbon
* 1 Ivy Branch
* 1 Poloroid Frame
* 2 Ribbon Flowers
* 1 Ribbon/Frame Wrap
* 1 Stitched Ribbon
* 1 Journal paper
* 1 Journal Tag
* 1 Quick Page

Terms of Use

How to Save the Kit
These elements and papers can be used with any graphics software that supports JPEG and PNG files. Click "Enter Gallery" or the thumbnails below to begin browsing this kit. From each page, you will be able to save the full-resolution file.

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Different types of scrapbooking

2009-05-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Overall, there are many methods of scrapbooking that a person can utilize to document their memories. Each depends upon how creative or organized the scrapbook maker wants to be. It really doesn’t matter if you are creative or ‘artsy’, anyone can create a scrapbook of memories. Each scrapbook is reflective of the personality of the person who created it.

1. Standard Scrapbooking – Creating pages and placing them in a scrapbook album with page protectors. Scrapbooks used to only come in two sizes 8x10 and 12x12. Check out your local scrapbook store to see the many different sizes of scrapbooks available now.

2. Book-making Scrapbooking – Using a binding system, creating covers and pages with cardboard and embellishing the pages with paper, ribbons, stickers, pictures and other keepsakes. The binding can be done using a three ring binder, binding rings, ribbons, brackets, staples or spiral binders. Really the options for binding are only limited by the creativity of the scrapbooker.

3. Digital Scrapbooking – Creating pages online using digital images and software rather than purchasing individual embellishments. Many people use these to create pages to upload to their blogs or to print and place in a book. Many software packages are also compatible with online websites like Shutterfly.com and Snapfish.com and allow you to upload your pages and create a printed book of your creations.

4. Creating Picture Books Online – There are many different websites that allow you to use their templates to create a picture book of memories. You upload your pictures to their website, paste them into the prepared templates available based on the number of pictures you would like on the page and then add text to your page to personalize. There are many different photo and self-publishing websites available that offer this service.

5. Blogging or Scrapblogging – There are many people who utilize web logs to maintain a journal or to document the happenings of their family. These blogs are highly personalized. Starting out you can use a standardized template, but once you are comfortable with the services provided, you can upload your own creation to make your blog more personal.

6. Creating presentations – Using presentation software to create personal presentations on the computer is very easy. You can use templates included with the software or go online and find more individualized templates for creating presentations. The nice thing about using presentation software is you can add videos, and you can add sound and transitions between your pages. You can even automate a presentation to scroll through the entire presentation ‘hands-free’ once the file is accessed. When choosing a presentation software, be sure to choose one that creates presentations that don’t require those viewing to necessarily own the software you used to create it.

7. Picture slide shows – There are websites online that allow you upload your pictures and organize them into slide shows. Many of these sites provide the service free of charge and provide links so that you can post your slide shows to your blog or even to post them on social networking websites.

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Sofware to make a great album or scrapbook

2009-05-18T04:15:00.000-07:00

Making an album – even with backgrounds, borders and text is easy given the right software.

Our Flagship Product is dg Foto Art - so much please check it out here! It is ideal for weddings and other celebratory albums, portraits etc - each one of its 1700+ templates being a real work of art. It is so quick and easy to use too - as one professional put it "I can do in an hour with dg Foto Art, what took me a day with Photoshop" -

For gneral purpose albums - especially for vacations and family use we recommend ACD Fotoslate4 .

The quickest, easiest, program - is the MyBook Album Generator - FREE to OPUS Club members and Pics Book or Unibind* albums or covers.

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A scrapbook for Mother's Day

2009-05-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

Looking for a new way to show Mom how much you care? Instead of relying only on their usual Mother's Day gifts and cards, an increasing number of people are starting a scrapbook in her honor.

"When recipients receive a scrapbook, the emotions are often overwhelming," says Lina Serpico, owner of Scrapbook Cottage in Levittown. "A gift made with the hand is made from the heart."

Scrapbooking is growing in popularity, with more than 25 million participants in the United States, according to the Hobby Industry Association. Sales of supplies topped $2.5 billion last year.

Putting together a scrapbook is something of an art - and can be a fun way to capture fond memories and convey loving thoughts that aren't always easy to express verbally. And it's not as difficult as it may sound to combine photographs with decorative paper, embellishments, fancy typefaces and interesting fabrics and fibers.

"For a mother who watches her children grow up so quickly, it's nice to freeze a few of those moments in an album for them to remember," says Andrea Steed, owner of Scrapjazz, an online learning resource and community of scrapbookers from across the country. "It's also a great way to say thank you and show appreciation for a lifetime of devotion that can't be repaid."

Connie Costanzo of Wantagh is putting the final touches on a scrapbook that tells the story of her mother's life. She'll present it to her mom, Eleanor Roland, in celebration not only of Mother's Day but also of her parents' 50th wedding anniversary at a surprise party Sunday.

"I have pictures of my mother's early years, celebrating who she was as a girl and a young woman, and who she became as a mother," Costanzo says. "She is now 70 years old. There is a lot to tell."

The journey begins when her mother was a young girl and travels through time, showing her parents' early life together, the births of their children and cousins, holidays, birthdays and anniversaries, all the way to this year (photos from Sunday's celebration will be added). Her mother is a twin, so there are side-by-side photographs of her and her sister. Roland worked at The Saturday Evening Post, so Costanzo incorporated Norman Rockwell illustrations as well.

"One of my favorite pages is a picture of my parents on the streets of Brooklyn in their early years," she says. "Last May I took pictures of them walking the streets of Manhattan looking like a retired couple 50 years later. To see them then and now is remarkable."

Using computers

Computers, digital cameras and the Internet can simplify the process of creating personal pages that tell stories about a moment in time, a relationship or a special celebration. Different typefaces make you an instant stylist or calligrapher; graphics and backgrounds add color and dimension. Scrapbooking software lets you add elements or create the entire page on the computer. With photo-editing software, you can repair old photos, add colorful borders, crop people out - or insert them where you want them.

"The computer lets you print out copies of things rather than sacrificing your only prints," says Carla Rose, author of "Digital Memories: Scrapbooking With Your Computer" (Que Publishing). "You can fool around with colors and textures without wasting [costly] sheets of paper. At the end, you've got a professional-looking page with good photos, beautifully set type and something that is your own, from your heart."

Melissa Partridge, 22, of Hampton Bays creates her scrapbook pages by hand, then scans the finished products into her computer. She e-mails the images to her mother in Berlin, Md., or shares them with her on www.scrapjazz.com. "If I do a scrapbook page and put it on the Web site, she can log on under her user name and leave me comments about how she feels about the layouts," Partridge says.

Now Partridge is creating tags - a type of embellishment for the photos - to give her mother on Mother's Day. She hopes her mom will use them in her family history scrapbook.

Tags are "meant to bring the focus onto the pictures themselves," says Dina Traube, owner of Craftique in Brooklyn. Embellishments include basic decorative papers, elaborate buttons, stickers, acetate overlays, fibers and metals.

Getting started

Here are some tips to get started scrapbooking:

Decide what you want to create. Scrapbooks, typically 12 inches square, can be as complicated as a heritage album, which records your family's entire history with photographs, memorabilia and words. Or a "scrapbook" can be as simple as a single page, which could be framed and hung on a wall.

Other possibilities include a mini-album, shadow box, recipe book or blank journal with pictures and embellishments on the cover. Photographs and other scrapbook elements also may be used to decorate everything from a candle to a paint can.

Determine how digital you should be. If your mother is technologically savvy, you might want to create a collage- style wallpaper image for her computer desktop, a slide show of photographs or a digital scrapbook full of pages, journaling and photographs that you present on a CD-ROM with a custom label.

But before going that route, think about whether your mom would prefer to turn the pages of a book rather than sit in front of a computer monitor.

Organize your pictures. You don't have to adhere to chronological order, but you may want to group photos by the event or activity.

Choose a theme, such as "20 reasons I love you," "Thank you for," "I admire you because," "I remember when," "We love Grandma because," "Then and now," "Generations" or "Favorite recipes you taught me."

Illustrate the theme with photographs and personal sayings, keeping in mind that a scrapbook "is almost like a permanent record to let parents know you really do appreciate them," says Michele Gerbrandt of Denver, founding editor of Memory Makers magazine.

Plan your pages. Many scrapbook magazines, such as Memory Makers and Creating Keepsakes, offer templates. Each page should have a focal point, which often is a photograph, plus a select number of embellishments, including titles and personal notes. Sketch a layout before you begin.

Visit a specialty store for ideas. Many offer classes to help you get started.

And even if you can't complete your project in time for this Mother's Day, scrapbooking can be a way to involve the entire family in a new tradition that will preserve your family's story. Plus, Gerbrandt says, "it might inspire you for Father's Day!"

TO GO DIGITAL, YOU'LL NEED:

* Computer
* Digital camera (although you can scan in film
* photographs as well)
* Scanner
* Color printer
* CD or DVD writer
* Photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop
* Elements 2.0 ($80.99) and Jasc Paint Shop Pro ($21.99)
* Scrapbook-specific software such as Art Explosion
* Scrapbook Factory Deluxe ($39.99) or Print Explosion Deluxe ($59.99)

SOURCE: "Digital Memories: Scrapbooking With Your Computer" (Que Publishing, $18.95)

What you need to get started

* Photographs
* Tool kit with the basics, such as an X-Acto knife, paper trimmer, scissors, wet and dry adhesives. They typically run about $65.
* Scrapbook album (if you're going that route). Albums are $15 and up.
* Embellishments include printed specialty papers, frames, tags, sayings, stickers and acetate overlays. Prices range from 50 cents to $10.

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Digital Scrapbooking: The New Way to Create Memory Books

2009-05-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

Digital scrapbooking, or computer scrapbooking, is the newest way to preserve your family memories. Using inexpensive, easy-to-use scrap book software, you can create entire scrapbook layouts and add fun fonts and graphics to take your scrapbook project to a new creative level. Some software packages like Corel Photo Album 6 Deluxe even come with free scrapbooking templates.
Computer scrapbooking has really taken off in the last year because people are finding it is less expensive, fast and takes up less space (no more taking over the family dining table) to make a computer generated scrapbook versus traditional scrapbooking techniques. Most people already have a computer and digital camera, and once you have a digital scrapbooking graphics software package such as Scrapbook Factory Deluxe and ACDSee Photo Editor and Manager. and perhaps invested in a scanner for older photos, you're ready to go.

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Digital Scrapbooking Software Review

2009-05-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

Traditional scrapbooking is an art form of expensive, painstaking and time-consuming. Different from traditional scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking save your time and money, and enable you to preserve so many memories in minutes. With digital scrapbooking software, you have everything to create digital scrapbooking, being guided step by step, and easily and quickly transform you priceless photos into precious memories. In my opinions, best digital scrapbooking software should at least include following characters:

Easy to use:

Lots of templates and layouts

Intuitive photo importing interface

Powerful photo editing capability

Easy to share

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Mother's Day can be unique and inexpensive with these gifts

2009-05-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

She gave birth to you. She makes sure you're fed, clean and prepared for the day. She finds your keys and reminds you of appointments. It's time to get your mom a gift (by Sunday, Mother's Day, preferably).

Since the best gifts are thoughtful ones, here are a few ideas (and they're less than $25).

Take her out
Several local attractions are honoring Mother's Day with special deals.

Miss Hampton II harbor cruise. Moms cruise for free with the purchase of another adult ticket at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. Sunday. The cruise departs from downtown Hampton and includes a tour of the Chesapeake Bay, a stop at Fort Wool and a review of the warships at Norfolk Naval Base. Adult tickets are $22.50. Reservations are suggested, call 722-9102.

"Blues Clues." The Hurrah Players will perform a play based on the popular Nickelodeon show. Mothers can attend the show for free with a paid companion. Performances are at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Nauticus in Norfolk. Tickets are $10 for children and $17 for adults for the theater performance. 627-5437.

Nauticus. Mothers can get free admission to the museum with the purchase of a child's ticket ($8.50). Waterside Drive, Norfolk. 664-1000.

"Romeo and Juliet, On Motifs of Shakespeare." You can get one ticket free with the purchase of another ticket to the Mother's Day performance. The ballet is based on Shakespeare's classic love story, but this version ends happily. Tickets for the 2:30 p.m. Sunday performance are $20-$75. To get the discount, use the password "mother" at the Virginia Arts Festival box office at MacArthur Mall, when calling 800-982-ARTS or on the vafest.org Web site.

Make it personal
Pictures are a universal treasure. Organize a personal keepsake based on your family's photos. With software programs, Web sites and in-store options, there are many ways to personalize and upgrade a photo book.

Recordable album. The 15-page scrapbook-style book has pre-designed pages that allow picture additions and handwritten tributes. You also can record a message that will play on the book's cover. ($18, Hallmark).

Digital scrapbook pages. Start a scrapbook for your mom without the glue or scissors. The Web site howfasttheygrow.com allows you to design 12-by-12 scrapbook pages on the computer. The site is free to use, although it costs $5.50 to have each page printed on card stock paper.

Shipping is an additional fee.

Framed keepsake. Michelle Stepp, blogger at Everydaycelebrating.com, framed one of her son's onesies as a reminder to savor every moment. A similar method can be used to create a keepsake of other cherished items, such as a baby's first hat or blanket.

For the techie mom
Here's a 21st-century take on a chore coupon. The Web site wuduplz.com ("would you please") allows parents to text message requests to their children from the computer. Although parents can type in their own messages, there are also stock messages that parents can select and schedule to send at a certain time.

Most of those stock messages are housework related. For example, parents can send messages that say "wuduplz wash the dishes" or "wuduplz clean your room."

For Mother's Day, kids can register their mom and offer a free "no whining" click on each chore message. There is no charge to use the Web site.

Oldies but goodies
Breakfast in bed always does the trick. Here's a recipe for a special twist on french toast.

Strawberry French Toast
4 (11/2-inch) thick slices of bread. The recipe suggests King's Hawaiian Bread.

2 cups sliced strawberries

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar, optional

1 tablespoon orange zest, optional

Butter or vegetable oil for frying

Powdered sugar, for garnish

Maple syrup, for garnish

Cut each slice into approximately 3-inch wide pieces. Using serrated knife, cut a pocket in edge of each slice and fill with strawberries, or another fruit of your choice.

Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and if desired, sugar and orange zest. Heat griddle over medium heat. Grease with butter or oil. Quickly dip (do not soak) slices in egg mixture.

Cook until golden brown on both sides. Keep egg mixture well blended.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with additional strawberry slices. Serve immediately with warm syrup. Makes 4 servings.

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Make Scrapbook Pages and Greeting Cards Online for Mother's Day

2009-05-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Now you can use your photos to create a one-of-a-kind gift for your mother

SAN DIEGO, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Give your mother the gift of memories this Mother's Day with a scrapbook page or personalized greeting card that you create online at CropMom.

CropMom at http://www.cropmom.com lets you use your photos and CropMom's scrapbook graphics to design digital scrapbook pages and greeting cards online.

"Our online scrapbooking software makes it easy and economical to create a unique, personalized gift for your mother," said Kathryn Balint, founder and chief executive of CropMom Corporation. "You can print the layouts you make at CropMom at home or have them printed by a photofinisher."

Online scrapbooking at CropMom is economical because there are no scrapbook embellishments or software to buy, and it eliminates the mess of paper scrapbooking. CropMom's online scrapbooking software at http://www.cropmom.com is free to registered users. Users upload their photos to the CropMom Website then create layouts using the online scrapbook builder. Users may choose from thousands of digital scrapbook graphics to decorate their pages. They also may add their own text.

Users who need help designing a layout may try one of CropMom's templates, or pre-made layouts, which can be customized and completed in minutes.

CropMom lets users download their layouts for free for use on the Web or for e-mailing.

Users who want to print their layouts may purchase the downloadable, print-quality digital files from CropMom for $1.79 each. Money-saving packages of layouts are also available.

Many CropMom customers have their layouts printed by third-party photo services, such as Fujifilm's SeeHere.com. "Our customers have had their scrapbook layouts printed on everything from coffee mugs to coasters to mousepads," Balint said.

Another popular way to display scrapbook pages made at CropMom is to have them printed in a photo book.

"I can't think of a better way to honor your mother than by giving her a gift imprinted with a scrapbook page you've made at CropMom," Balint said.

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Adult education opportunities in May

2009-05-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

KENNEBUNK — As you start cleaning out garden beds, consider adding a new feature such as a bird bath, a bird house, stepping stones. Join Garden Mosaics and you will learn how to create any of these items. The two-class session begins at 6 p.m. Monday, May 11.

Would you like to improve your golf swing, learn how to improve your concentration on the course and improve your golf score? In Golf — Improve Your Game with Hypnosis, you can see how easy it will be to better focus on your game. A reinforcement CD is included. Class meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday May 11.

Just in time for the warmer weather and brighter colored clothes in your closet, come to the Makeup Application class at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 13 and see how you can select the right makeup for your lifestyle in only five minutes each morning.

Now that the weather is warmer, you might want to learn about some new recipes for salads to prepare for supper on the back deck. Participants in the Salads, Salads class will make four different kinds of salads and then sit down together taste them. Class will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 18.

If you have a growing collection of digital photographs that you would like to put together in a creative digital scrapbook, come to the Digital Scrapbooking class beginning on Tuesday, May 26. This is a three-class session using Adobe Photoshop Elements® software. The class will meet for three consecutive Tuesdays.

To register for classes of the Adult Education of the Kennebunks, call 985-1116.

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Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Software for Windows

2009-05-02T03:45:00.000-07:00

Indigo Rose Software announces the immediate availability of Scrapbook MAX!, a complete and easy-to-use digital scrapbooking software application for Windows. Scrapbook MAX! is the first software package to fully integrate digital photography with the look and feel of traditional paper scrapbooking, providing enthusiasts with the best of both worlds.
Scrapbooking has become a major phenomenon with over 25 million households participating in the 2.5+ billion a year scrapbooking industry, according to the Creating Keepsakes’ National Survey of Scrapbooking in America. At the same time, people are taking more digital photos than ever. Scrapbook MAX! bridges the gap between paper and digital with a unique combination of features inspired by traditional scrapbooking.
Scrapbook MAX! offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop workspace that makes digital scrapbooking fast, fun and easy for everyone. Even computer novices can make great looking scrapbooks in little time. Start with a ready-to-use scrapbook layout, and then rearrange everything to make it your own. Add your own photos, titles and journal text - it’s as easy as pointing and clicking with your mouse. You can be as creative as you like with paper scraps, tags, speech bubbles, corners and more (there are thousands of embellishments included with the software). Scrapbook MAX! even includes professional features like cropping, rotation, resizing, red eye reduction, scratch removal and special effects.

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LittleSnapper update improves thumbnail generation

2009-05-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Realmac Software on Tuesday released an update for its digital scrapbook utility, . The update adds several small features and fixes a number of bugs.

Among the changes with LittleSnapper 1.0.3 are improvements when copying out snaps via the Edit menu; sites with absolute-positioned CSS elements are now snapped correctly; and better thumbnail generation to support drag-out.

A number of bugs were fixed in the new version too. A registration issue that caused a crash has been addressed, numerous problems with dragging images out of LittleSnapper and an issue with Safari 4 Beta that caused crashes when exporting to PDF have also been fixed.

Other bugs fixed in the new version include an issue with selecting (and uploading to) Flickr photosets; issues with colour profiles on exported images; a crash caused by leaving the 'Fit Within Pixels' options blank when exporting snaps; and an issue with tags being lost on snapping (when the tag field has focus).

LittleSnapper 1.0.3 is a free update for registered users. For new users, the application costs $39.

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Factors to Consider When Choosing Software

2009-04-25T03:32:00.000-07:00

Several different programs for scrapbooking with your computer are available. When deciding what is the best digital scrapbooking software for your needs, there are a number of factors to consider.

Do you like to edit your images before adding them to your layouts? For example, do you do a lot of cropping or converting photos into black and white?
Are you interested in special effects, such as filters to add a "dreamy" glow to your pictures?
Do you want a program that includes templates, graphics, and fonts or would you prefer to find these items on your own?
How much time are you willing to invest in learning new software? Do you have the patience to read long tutorials or would you prefer something that lets you create pages right out of the box?
What is your budget for digital scrapbooking? Are you looking to start as cheaply as possible or do you have money to spend on the latest software and technology?

What to Look for in Digital Scrapbooking Software

2009-04-18T03:27:00.000-07:00

Ease of Use – Digital scrapbooking software features and tools should be easy to find and operate, and digital scrapbooking software should be simple for both scrapbook novices and computer novices to use and understand.
Variety of Scrapbooking Images – Top digital scrapbooking software packages offer a wide variety of pre–made scrapbook page templates and a huge selection of fonts, frames and clip art to embellish any scrapbook project. Digital scrapbooking software should also offer additional clip-art, themes and templates. The digital scrapbooking software should also include enough variety for you to create your own scrapbook page layouts easily.
Import Scrapbooking Graphics – Digital scrapbooking software should allow you to import digital photos, images from a scanner and other media such as digital video, music and sound, and others. Importing tools in scrapbooking software must be intuitive or your scrapbooking experience will be far less enjoyable.

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Photo Collage Creator 3.15

2009-04-16T03:49:00.000-07:00

Photo Collage Creator is advanced digital scrapbooking and photo collage software that turns ordinary digital pictures and text into personalized works of art. The program combines three amazing functions: dozens of pre-designed fabulous collage templates, more than 50 photo frames, special mask effects, and flexible publishing formats. Photo Collage Creator includes everything one needs to turn regular digital photos and text into great-looking scrapbook pages suitable for printing, adding to a scrapbook, sharing with friends or hanging on the wall. Photo Collage Creator also introduces an entirely fun idea to assemble your precious photos into an artistic compilation, completely re-expressing your ideas. Using advanced features such as halo effect, perspective and atmosphere correction, you achieve dazzling results. With the innovative and fast digital collage software, the only limit to what you are able to create is your imagination.

Version 3.15 features new picture frames and masks, and new stylish collage templates.

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Why Digital Scrapbooking Software?

2009-04-15T03:06:00.000-07:00

To some traditional Scrapbooking is an art form, but like most art the slightest mistake can turn your masterpiece into a mess. But with digital scrapbooking software, you can go beyond the limitations of paper and cloth and take your scrapbooking in new directions. With digital scrapbooking software, you’ll have everything you need to make attractive, inspiring scrapbook pages. Digital scrapbooking software also saves resources by allowing you to experiment with design and color freely—giving you flexibility to change your mind on the fly, without wasting costly scrapbook supplies.
Most digital scrapbooking software suites offer hundreds of prefabricated themes and templates. Most templates can be modified or altered to suit the styling of the author. With photo editing software included in many digital scrapbooking software suites, cleaning flaws from copies of old photos, removing red eye and adding image effects is a quick and painless process.
With new importing options providing new directions and making new demands on digital scrapbooking software, many cutting-edge products are beginning to include direct digital camera and scanner importation, cutting the time it takes to upload and reformat.

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"Paesaggio" Italian Countryside Digital Scrapbooking Kit

2009-04-09T04:21:00.000-07:00

Let's all give a warm welcome to Darleen Araujo, the new digital scrapbooking kit designer for About Graphics Software. I think you're going to love her new kit which was inspired by a scene from an Italian countryside. Darleen describes it best herself:

"This kit was built upon the colors in an Italian photo I had taken. The color palette consists of beige, green and clay tones with a pop of blue to add interest. The title means Countryside (Scenery). Whether you use the kit to display your favorite vacation photo or a family memory, you'll find everything you need to make it special."

The free kit can be used with any graphics software and includes a quick page for a fast and easy scrapbook page.

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Easy Digital Scrapbooking with Quick Pages

2009-04-08T04:19:00.000-07:00

Quick pages are an easy way to create digital scrapbook pages. A quick page is a pre-designed digital scrapbook page with photo cut outs for inserting your own pictures. Rather than assembling papers and decorative elements to create a scrapbook page from scratch, you need only plop your own photos into the design. This tutorial will show you how to add your own photos to a digital scrapbooking quick page using Photoshop Elements or any other software with layers support.

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Release of Preset Viewer 2.0 Marks a New Day for Designers Frustrated With the Limitations of Photoshop Brushes

2009-04-05T03:54:00.000-07:00

TumaSoft, LLC releases Preset Viewer 2.0, the first stand-alone browser for Photoshop presets including brushes, styles, shapes, patterns and swatches. The program, which allows its users to find, preview and organize Photoshop presets, was created by John Tuma as a gift for his wife. Along with it's search and keywording features, Preset Viewer provides previews of brushes, patterns and shapes at their native size, a much larger image than had been previously available.

Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB) March 26, 2009 -- Most women get flowers or jewelry as gifts from their husbands; Betsy Tuma's husband presented her with a software program he had designed that revolutionized the graphic designer's business. And luckily for other designers, the program is now available to the public.

Preset Viewer 2.0 is a ground-breaking product that extends the usefulness of Photoshop brushes and other built-in tools by allowing users to find every file, quickly and easily.

Graphic designer and TumaSoft co-founder Betsy Tuma explains, "Designers know how frustrating it can be to search for the brush they need and not be able to find it--or even remember what it's called! Preset Viewer identifies the brush (.abr), pattern (.pat), custom shape (.csh), swatch (.acb, .aco, .act, .ase), style (.asl), compositions (.psd), and image (.bmp, .jpg, .png) files and quickly sorts them for display."

Plus, because Preset Viewer 2.0 is a stand-alone application and the presets can be exported as .png files, it allows non-Photoshop users to access these resources for use in their program of choice.

An attentive and supportive husband is the hero behind Preset Viewer 2.0. "I was working on a project in 2006 and was getting really frustrated because I couldn't find a custom shape that I needed to finish the project. My husband, John, a computer programming hobbyist, asked me what was wrong, and I explained the problem. He searched the Internet for a program to solve my problem, but he found nothing. So he set out to write one."

When he had finished, he had redefined an entire industry. Among the innovative features of Preset Viewer 2.0:

* The tiled view mode, along with the ability to change the color and shape of the brush and the background color, takes all of the guess work out of developing paper patterns or backgrounds, allowing the user to "preview" an idea.
* It's the only product on the market--including Photoshop's built-in preset manager--that allows a preset to be viewed at its native size.
* Non-Photoshop users can export software-independent PNG files from preset files within Preset Viewer. The wealth of readily available Photoshop presets can now be used by designers, even if they don't use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.
* Users can extract embedded images from brush and style files. Many Photoshop brush (.abr) and style (.asl) images were undetectable before the release of Preset Viewer, but users can now view them as a composite with the brush/style file and also separately.
* Users can quickly create a color swatch from a photo in just a few clicks.

One of the biggest benefits of Preset Viewer 2.0 is its versatility. "It can be used to keyword any type of file--not just presets," Betsy says. "Some of our customers use it to catalog their photographs and digital scrapbooking supplies, as well as preview Photoshop actions. Whatever you're doing, it saves you time and ends the frustration of searching for what you need."

Not only does Preset Viewer 2.0 make organization a breeze, but it also offers creative insights. "I honestly don't design without it any more," Betsy says. "The color features allow me to test what combinations actually look like together and make paper pattern designs pop quickly and efficiently."

Though the company could have put a premium cost on the product, they chose a retail price of $37.00 for a reason. "Our goal is to help people solve their problems. We decided that the price should be less than the per-hour rate that most graphic designers charge; in effect, Preset Viewer 2.0 costs them the hour they would have spent looking for a specific preset." And with a 30-day, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee--plus discounts for students and members of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals--there's no reason to live with the frustrations of Photoshop anymore.

Betsy says she's been flooded with heart-felt thanks. "We've been overwhelmed by positive feedback and have been surprised by the ways our customers use Preset Viewer--not only graphic designers and computer scrap bookers, but also vinyl sign cutters, photographers, and we even have a children's clothing designer as a customer. Anyone who uses their computer as a creative tool can benefit from Preset Viewer 2.0."

About TumaSoft, LLC
TumaSoft, LLC was founded by Betsy Tuma, marketing manager, and John Tuma, lead developer, in 2007. The company released a commercial version of Preset Viewer in October 2007; version 2.0 was released in November 2008. The product was initially a gift created by John for his wife, Betsy, to help her graphic design business run smoother and more efficiently. Once they recognized the many uses of the innovative product, they brought Preset Viewer to market so that everyone could experience its advantages. For more information, visit the TumaSoft web site at www.tumasoft.com.

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Two thumbs-up for digital scrapbooking

2009-04-04T03:02:00.000-07:00

Cherrie's Jubilee Digital Scrapbooking Kit

2009-04-03T03:52:00.000-07:00

"Cherrie's Jubilee" is a general purpose digital scrapbooking kit in a cherry and cherry blossom theme with a color scheme consisting of burgundy, purple and lavender tones, perfect for spring. With plaid and floral elements, it can work for both masculine or feminine styled scrapbook pages. These elements and papers can be used with any graphics software that supports JPEG and PNG files.

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How to Put Your Scrapbooking Page Layouts Online

2009-03-28T02:54:00.000-07:00

Getting your traditional scrapbook pages into a digital form can be done with two different methods. You can either use a high-quality digital camera to photograph the page or scan the page into your computer. Either method can turn out an excellent photo of your scrapbooking page, but each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Taking a photo of your page layout with your digital camera can be a challenge. You need to carefully consider available lighting. Use natural lighting, and turn off your flash. Flash can cause reflections on photographs and shiny page elements. for natural light or indoors near a sunny window. For best results hang or lean your page upright to avoid distortions.

Once you have photographed your scrapbooking page, upload it to your computer. You can use any photo-editing software to make corrections before you place the photo online. You may need to save the photo in a web-friendly size and format. Most sites have guidelines for image sizes.

If you want to use a scanner to convert your scrapbooking page to a digital format, you need to consider the size limitations of your scanner. Scanners are now very affordable. However, models that accommodate 12x12 pages are usually more expensive and less available.

You can still use a standard flatbed scanner for your scrapbooking page. However, you will need to first scan a 12x12 page layout in two sections. Once you have the two pieces of your page, use an image editing software, like Photoshop, to merge the two pieces back together. It may take some trial and error to do this, but the results in the scanner usually of higher quality than using the digital camera method. If you are using a high-quality scanner, the scanned page layout will show truer, brighter colors and sharper images overall.

Most scrapbooking pages are three dimensional and use objects that are raised on the paper. When you scan the page in a flatbed scanner, you may have shadows caused by your embellishments. You may still need to use your image editing program to correct these shadows caused during the scanning Scanning scrapbooking layouts takes a little practice, but once you’ve done it a few times, it often is quicker than the digital camera process.

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Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist review

2009-03-26T02:36:00.000-07:00

This isn't the first time we've looked at digital scrapbook software that allows users to display their digital photographs in a scrapbook. However Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist is a far more intensive program than any we've looked at before. Not only can you import and edit your pictures, then print them as with other scrapbook software - with the help of the some comprehensive content packs, you can also add backgrounds, embellishments and even cut-up material, just as you might if creating a real-life scrapbook.

Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist comes with a DaisyTrail Digikit, which offers a handful of themes, and more than can be downloaded from the DaisyTrail website. Some themes are free, while more are planned to be added this summer for a ‘small charge'. The website also offers Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist users the chance to upload their scrapbook projects and share them with other users.

Once Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist and its content pack have been installed, Serif recommends those new to scrapbook software should use the wizard to start their scrapbook. We found after we'd use the wizard once, we didn't have a problem starting from scratch.

Visit Photo Advisor for the latest reviews of digital photography and software

Once you've chosen your theme and selected the size of the pages, your Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist project is displayed in the workspace. From here, it's easy to change and add many aspects of the digital page - backgrounds, frames, letters and text, materials, photographs and embellishments. We found it easiest to drag and drop all of the themes' embellishments and materials to the side of the workspace, to build a personalised template to work from.

You can also access elements connected to other themes, and import these into your design.

You can replace the photos in the theme, or add in new images very simply by left clicking and then selecting Replace, which allows you to navigate to the required files on your hard drive. A cursor lets you move the image to correct position and the crop tool resizes and tweaks the angle.

With Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist you can make edits to digital images, such as adjusting the colour balance, curves and saturation; or to remove dust particles and add or remove blur from photos. We were impressed with Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist's group function, that allowed us to select items and group or ungroup them, ensuring that if we moved one item in the project, the rest of the group would automatically move with it. Colour and drop shadows on fonts and embellishments can be readily imported into a project.

For the more adventurous, Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist will let you start from scratch and personalise every aspect of your scrapbook. From adding brush strokes and drawings to cutting up materials into different shapes and even adding stitching to the project.

Verdict

Digital Scrapbook Artist is not for the faint-hearted. It’s aimed at those looking to create an authentic-looking scrapbook, with the results something that would make ideal gifts. If you’re prepared to spend time in creating your project, this is the software for you. At just under £30 its also excellent value for money.

Source

The Future of Scrapbooking is Online at CropMom

2009-03-21T02:51:00.000-07:00

SAN DIEGO, March 10, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----Scrapbook enthusiasts are putting away scissors and glue and going online to CropMom to create one-of-a-kind digital scrapbook pages using their treasured family photos.
The online scrapbook pages created at CropMom look like the real thing, complete with digital stitching, buttons, background papers and even shadows," Balint said.
CropMom at http://www.cropmom.com is free to registered users and includes all of the tools and graphics needed to make a digital scrapbook page. Users upload their photos to the CropMom Website then use CropMom's Builder to drag and drop photos and graphics onto a canvas. Users can even add their own text.
For those users who need help with a design, CropMom offers templates, or pre-made layouts for everything from baby books to heritage pages that can be customized in minutes.
After completing a layout, CropMom users may share their layouts for free through e-mail or by downloading a screen-quality file that can be posted on a blog or Website.
Users can purchase print-quality digital files of their layouts from CropMom for $1.79 each. Money-saving packages of layouts are also available.
The print-quality files purchased and download from CropMom can be printed at home or can be printed by a third-party photo service, such as Snapfish, Shutterfly or Kodak Gallery.

Source

Smilebox Inc. Announces Retail Availability of Its Leading Photo Service

2009-03-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

REDMOND, WA -- 03/05/09 -- Smilebox Inc., a leader in photo sharing and preservation, announced today the immediate retail availability of its popular service at select retailers nationwide. Smilebox is currently available at Fry's and Office Max stores and at Amazon.com for $39.99 for the Smilebox software, perpetual ownership of more than 800 design templates and a one-year subscription to its premium service. A six-month version of the same offering will be available at Target for $19.99 beginning in May 2009. Additional retail stores will be announced shortly.

"More than 6 million people have installed Smilebox and our new retail product now gives us yet another way to extend our reach to families nationwide through popular retailers such as Target," said Andrew Wright, founder and CEO of Smilebox, Inc. "Our next-generation approach to combining the convenience of a desktop application with continuous online updates gives retail customers access to fresh designs that are updated weekly and can be emailed, posted to a blog or social media network, printed or burned to a DVD."

Smilebox was brought to the retail channel through a partnership with Encore Software, the leader in Desktop Publishing Software with top-selling brands such as The Print Shop® and PrintMaster®. Cal Morrell, President of Encore, stated, "We are excited to enter into this partnership with Smilebox. This year we are aggressively pursuing new publishing partners as well as expanding our print/photo sharing business and the Smilebox partnership squarely addresses both strategic agendas."

Smilebox lets customers quickly turn life's moments into digital creations to share with others or save for themselves. Users can simply drag and drop photos and videos into animated templates, personalize them with music and words, and share them via email, free ecards, blog or print. The Smilebox catalog features more than 800 slideshows, greeting cards, photo albums and scrapbooking designs for every occasion from leading providers such as Making Memories, K & Company, Anna Aspnes, Design By Dani, as well as the Smilebox Studio design team. Smilebox distribution partners include Hallmark Cards Inc., Hewlett-Packard, NBC Universal Inc., Lifetime Entertainment Services, and Rogers Media Inc. Smilebox is available for the PC and Mac platforms.

About Encore:

Based in Los Angeles, CA, Encore® is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, and a leading retail software publisher. As a result of strategic licensing agreements, the company publishes a broad range of award-winning utility, entertainment, education and productivity software titles. Publishing brands include H&R Block®, Hoyle®, Smilebox®, Marine Aquarium, Family Tree Maker®, 3D Home Architect®, Advantage, Wheel of Fortune® and Jeopardy!®; as well as the Riverdeep family of brands including The Print Shop®, PrintMaster® and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing®. Many of these products and others are available at http://www.broderbund.com.

About Smilebox Inc.:

Founded in 2005 by Andrew Wright, Smilebox is the leading way friends and families share and preserve special moments in their lives. Since the service's launch in June 2006, more than 6 million people have installed Smilebox to date and more than 50 million Smileboxes have been played back worldwide. Smilebox is the only service that supports all personal media (photos, videos, music), all content types (greeting cards, ecards, slideshows, scrapbooks, photobooks and postcards) and all sharing methods (email, print, burn to DVD, blog and post). Smilebox is a privately held company and headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

Smilebox is a trademark of Smilebox, Inc. All trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.

(Editor's Note: To schedule an interview with Smilebox founder and CEO Andrew Wright or to receive an evaluation account for the premium Smilebox service, please contact tamese@smilebox.com.)

Contact:

Tamese Robinson
Smilebox, Inc.
425-881-9475 ext. 216
Email Contact

Yannis Dosios
Smilebox, Inc.
425-881-9475 ext. 222
Email Contact

Source

Gadgets: For photos and games

2009-03-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

Pandigital has introduced an incredibly thin product, the PanTouch Clear, a 10.4-inch digital photo to their line of digital frames.

It measures only 1/3-inch thin, making it the thinnest digital photo frame available today. To make the frame so thin, the rear housing has been eliminated but users can still hang it on a wall or use in any location seen fit.

It features Pandigital's high definition LCD, which appears to be "floating" in the surrounding glass along while also being a full function touch screen. Fingerprints are not an issue when touching the glass since it's made with a fingerprint-resistant, clear glass. Images are displayed in a 1024-by-768 resolution with a 4:3 true photo aspect ratio. This all translates to photos looking great while on display.

The LCD is surrounded by a dark espresso wood frame and also includes interchangeable mats in white and charcoal.

To use the touchscreen, users touch the easy-to-understand icons on the glass surface to access features including advancing to the next or previous photo, slide shows or even playing video's and MP3 music files.

The frame has 2GB of internal storage, allowing users to store up to 4,000 digital JPEG images (exact number can vary depending on each individual images size). The frame is also Wi-Fi compatible and has a 6-in-1 digital media card reader (Compact Flash, SD, XD, MS/MSPro, MMC) allowing it to be loaded computer free.

Pandigital expects to start shipping the frame in May with a MSRP of $229.99.

Details: www.pandigital.com

Vertus, Inc., has new software for kids called Play With Pictures. The software allows users to take digital images and alter them for just about anything including scrapbooks, posting online or even school projects.

Digital photos are brought into the program in a drag and drop manner and works for people without any photo editing knowledge. Users can cut or add people or objects to any amount of images in a simple manner using a paint-by-numbers process. They are then layered on a background with ease using the software's tools.

Working with layers is often difficult for beginners and can turn out poor results but Play With Pictures users an automatic blend tool to help users avoid this. It smoothes the layers together and corrects hard edges to provide a perfect fit from for the foreground and background layers.

Cutouts can always be a challenge, but the simple slider tool makes the necessary adjustments for a smooth transition and to blend the colors. If a cutout is needed more than once, a quick copy button duplicates them as often as needed.

Users can also add text, titles and captions to personalize the images in addition to making a speed bubble. Additional features will be added in time, which will be available through software updates include tools to adjust the look of the images with contrast and brightness.

The software works on both Windows and Mac operating systems and is available for a free trial on the company website. Users can activate the software two computers per copy.

Details: www.playwithpictures.com, $39.95

The Logitech G13 advanced game board is a hybrid gaming keyboard for gamers to play in comfort on both Mac and Windows systems.

Designed like their Comfort Wave keyboards (which I use), they give users the comfort and control over their games with the ergonomically designed device.

With this design, it works the natural shape of a hand and fingers to make locating the proper keys and buttons with ease. It has 25 programmable keys, an analog stick to be programmed and three game modes. This gives gamers up to 87 ways to control a game, while also creating macros while playing a game and not pausing.

The keys are backlit and are ideal for playing in lowlight situations and can be customized to a unique look after choosing from hundreds of available backlight colors.

A 160-by-43-pixel GamePanel LCD gives users system information; messages from other players along with actual game stats. Built-in memory allows up to five ready-to-play profiles to be stored along with pre-configured setting for many of today's popular games.

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The Future of Scrapbooking is Online at CropMom

2009-03-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Preserving family memories is easy and economical

SAN DIEGO, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Scrapbook enthusiasts are putting away scissors and glue and going online to CropMom to create one-of-a-kind digital scrapbook pages using their treasured family photos.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090310/NYFNSM01 )

CropMom at http://www.cropmom.com lets anyone create scrapbook pages, greeting cards and digital art online using designer scrapbook graphics.

It's the latest trend in scrapbooking, says Kathryn Balint, founder and chief executive of CropMom Corporation.

"The online scrapbook pages created at CropMom look like the real thing, complete with digital stitching, buttons, background papers and even shadows," Balint said.

CropMom at http://www.cropmom.com is free to registered users and includes all of the tools and graphics needed to make a digital scrapbook page. Users upload their photos to the CropMom Website then use CropMom's Builder to drag and drop photos and graphics onto a canvas. Users can even add their own text.

For those users who need help with a design, CropMom offers templates, or pre-made layouts for everything from baby books to heritage pages that can be customized in minutes.

After completing a layout, CropMom users may share their layouts for free through e-mail or by downloading a screen-quality file that can be posted on a blog or Website.

Users can purchase print-quality digital files of their layouts from CropMom for $1.79 each. Money-saving packages of layouts are also available.

The print-quality files purchased and download from CropMom can be printed at home or can be printed by a third-party photo service, such as Snapfish, Shutterfly or Kodak Gallery.

"One of the most popular ways to show off scrapbook pages made at CropMom is to have them printed as a photo book by a photo service," Balint said.

CropMom makes it easy to create personalized gifts. Some CropMom users have their digital scrapbook pages printed by third-party photo services on mugs, mousepads, notebooks, coasters and other photo products.

Online scrapbooking at CropMom is economical because there are no scrapbook embellishments or software to buy, and it eliminates the mess of paper scrapbooking.

About CropMom: Founded in 2008, CropMom Corporation operates an online scrapbooking Website that allows users to create one-of-a-kind digital scrapbook pages, cards and artwork. CropMom's mission is to reinvent scrapbooking, card making and storytelling by making it easier than ever to create designer-quality digital layouts that can be printed at home or professionally.

Source

Two thumbs-up for digital scrapbooking

2009-03-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

Well, this is Gina Chen, Family Life editor, busting into Scrapbook Mom's blog again. This time I just have to tell you about my experience with digital scrapbooking.

I tried it for the first time a few weeks back. We had gone to California to visit my in-laws, and we were wracking our brains to come up with a gift to thank them for their hospitality. I decided a scrapbook of the trip would be a great gift, but I knew there was no way I'd have the time to do a traditional scrapbook.

So I decided to go digital. It was great.

I've been scrapbooking the traditional way -- with stickers and paper -- for about 12 years, and I've finished more than 10 albums that way. I love doing it. I love expressing my creativity, reliving our family fun and chatting with my girlfriends.

But going digital had one big draw: speed. In about three hours I had an album done.

I selected my pictures, uploaded them, added captions and headlines. I used Creative Memories free software, so I had follow the pre-determined picture format. (But it's free!)

It was simple to use. Point, click and move a picture. I could change the color of the text. I could put a picture on the cover and a title. It allowed me to do all the basics things one would want, although eventually I'd probably spring for the $59.95 program. That allows you more flexibility and choice in picture placement, size, embellishments.

A few days after I put my digital scrapbook together, I proofed it, tweaked a few things, ordered it. Less than a week later, it had arrived at my in-laws' home. They loved it. I haven't actually seen the finished copy because I sent it directly to them, but my father-in-law's thank you e-mail speaks of it being of high quality.

This doesn't mean I'm ready to turn in my page trimmer and circle cutter. I still much prefer old-fashioned scrapboooking mainly because I love the social aspects of scrapbooking. (In fact, tomorrow I'm spending the day at National Scrapbooking Day) But to do something different, scrap an album quickly or make a gift, you can't beat going digital.

Anyone else have experience with digital scrapping? Please share.

Source

Noritsu America Corporation to Acquire Lucidiom Inc., a Market Leader in Retail Photo Kiosks and Online Photo Services

2009-03-05T21:21:00.000-08:00

BUENA PARK, CA, Mar 02, 2009 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Noritsu America Corporation, a global leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive letter of intent to acquire Lucidiom Inc. a market leader in self-service retail photo kiosks and online services. By acquiring Lucidiom, Noritsu will be positioned to deliver the most complete offering of proven photo imaging solutions and services for the retail industry.

Part of Noritsu's strategy to provide comprehensive digital imaging solutions, the acquisition of Lucidiom will enable Noritsu to develop a strong in-store and web-based presence for retail photo delivery and consumer-driven creative photo products and services. The combination of two industry leaders, Noritsu and Lucidiom will offer completely integrated photo solutions which can deliver maximum choice for consumers and more revenue-generating options for retailers at the point of sale or via the web.

"This acquisition is an important step forward in our vision to provide the retail industry a compelling single source photo solution," said Mr. Akihiko Kuwabara, president of Noritsu America Corporation. "We are also broadening the retailer's opportunities for new sources of revenue via the web."

Commenting about the pending acquisition, Stephen Giordano, Sr., founder, chairman and CEO at Lucidiom Inc., said: "Our focus since the beginning has been to empower the creativity of the consumer through the finest quality photo kiosk and web experience, while at the same time maximizing the return for the retailer. Now, we will have the opportunity to work closely with Noritsu's large retail customer base, providing truly innovative and creative photo products and services that will drive revenue growth and build consumer loyalty. We're delighted to be leading the industry's social expression revolution."

While post-acquisition plans are still being developed, Noritsu intends to retain Lucidiom's workforce, including its senior management. It is expected that Lucidiom will continue to operate out of its Vienna, Virginia headquarters facility after the acquisition. The acquisition, which is expected to close in Q2 of calendar year 2009, is subject to final agreement on terms as well as customary closing conditions, including approval by the stockholders of Lucidiom Inc.

About Noritsu America Corporation

Noritsu is a leading global manufacturer of professional digital imaging equipment, and a leading global provider of high-quality photo printing solutions to retailers, photo studios and other print-intensive environments. With over 15,000 system installations in North America, and availability in over 180 countries worldwide, Noritsu has been at the forefront of innovation in the image processing industry for nearly six decades, introducing revolutionary technologies such as the world's first one-hour film developing and printing system. Noritsu continues to build its legacy with its advanced line of award-winning imaging hardware and software products and solutions that offer consumers greater quality and choice in preserving their memories, while delivering high performance, flexibility and profit-making potential to Noritsu customers. Noritsu has implemented a strategy to engineer environmentally friendly products and operations that include chemical-free processing and reduced power requirements.

For more information on Noritsu and its comprehensive line of products, visit www.noritsu.com or call (800) 521-3686.

About Lucidiom Inc.

With more than 55,000 APM photo kiosks deployed worldwide, Lucidiom Inc. is the leading provider of social expression imaging solutions. Lucidiom's flexible and brand-independent digital photofinishing system, known as Lucidiom EQ, enables retailers to develop in-store and online revenue streams beyond the standard 4x6 print and empowers consumers to express themselves through images. Lucidiom EQ runs on the APM Network and features the best business systems, software tools and equipment: the APM photo kiosk; scrapbooking and creative content; the EQ Printer; APM ProfitWatcher statistics tracker; Photo Finale Web portal and the Lab 50 management system. For more information about how Lucidiom drives social expression in the digital imaging world, visit www.lucidiom.com.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Noritsu shall not be held liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. All non-Noritsu brand names, product names, or trademarks herein belong to their respective holders.

Source

Lucidiom Debuts New APM Kiosk Software to Further Integrate In-Store and Online Business

2009-03-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

VIENNA, Va., Mar 02, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Lucidiom has further integrated in-store and online operations in the latest version of its kiosk software, APM 7.0. The new kiosk software version, which will be demonstrated at the Photo Marketing Association Show (PMA) 2009 in Lucidiom's booth (Q180), already has received industry praise and recognition through a DIMA Innovative Digital Product Award.

"Version 7.0 of our APM software includes a number of innovative new features, but perhaps most notable is the instant upload capability from the APM kiosk to the customer's Photo Finale Web account," said Lucidiom CTO Jason Pareti. "We're calling it a software feature, but for the retailer, the ability to offer this kind of connectivity is really a whole new way of doing business."

Pareti explained the in-store upload capability of APM 7.0 provides an immediate new revenue stream for stores and will drive future online revenue by promoting 'social picturing' - online sharing and ordering. Instant uploads also will reduce the frustration consumers face at home of long upload times and difficulty getting photos from their cameras onto their computer. APM 7.0 brings the in-store and Web experience full circle by also allowing customers to access their online photos from the APM for an in-store order.

"Another key innovation in APM 7.0 is a brand new product recommendation up-sell engine," Pareti continued. "Consumers are presented with targeted products at the end of an order based on Lucidiom's extensive database of historical kiosk sales data, powered by the APM Network. For example, customers ordering a holiday greeting card might be prompted to purchase a photo envelope, a set of thank you note cards and custom photo wrapping paper, all in matching designs."

Lucidiom has been the industry-leader in the "beyond 4x6" movement for years with the APM currently boasting a catalog of more than 1,000 unique creative products. To help customers navigate this ever-growing breadth of options and find the perfect product for their occasion, APM 7.0 introduces a completely redesigned Product Finder. The new user experience simplifies the process, making it easier for consumers to browse products and styles, or search for products by theme or occasion.

Additional software enhancements include improved archiving tools with the new Image DVD and a 'selected photos' feature that allows consumers to load images from a certain folder or date range for faster ordering.

As with all Lucidiom products, APM 7.0 is flexible, open and brand neutral; the photo retailer's brand is front and center and the technology works with legacy equipment and third-party printers.

APM 7.0 will be demonstrated at PMA 2009, which runs March 3-5, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The software will ship shortly after the show.

Note to editors: High-resolution images of APM 7.0 screen shots and products are available online at www.lucidiom.com/art.zip.

About Lucidiom:

With more than 55,000 APM photo kiosks deployed worldwide, Lucidiom Inc. is the leading provider of social expression imaging solutions. Lucidiom's flexible and brand-independent digital photofinishing system, known as Lucidiom EQ, enables retailers to develop in-store and online revenue streams beyond the standard 4x6 print and empowers consumers to express themselves through images. Lucidiom EQ runs on the APM Network and features the best business systems, software tools and equipment: the APM photo kiosk; scrapbooking and creative content; the EQ Printer; APM ProfitWatcher statistics tracker; Photo Finale Web portal and the Lab 50 management system. For more information about how Lucidiom drives social expression in the digital imaging world, visit www.lucidiom.com.

SOURCE: Lucidiom Inc.

Source

Writer's Café 2

2009-02-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

Writer's Café 2 is a cross-platform software program that provides a workspace, resource centre and organisational tool for writers of all disciplines. Writer's Café aims to be the place you go to compose, develop, organise and brainstorm.

On installing Writer's Café, you arrive at the program's home space, newly integrated and smartened up for version 2. Here you'll find links to tools such as a digital scrapbook for your ideas and notes, a journal where you can keep track of your progress and set deadlines, and a dictionary.

Other improvements to Writer's Café 2 include OpenDocument support, tweaked formatting facilities and support for multi-level story structures, as well as the Pinboard and Name-generator tools mentioned below.

Despite installing locally on your computer, Writer's Café 2 feels like a Web app or even a browser. Writer's Cafe will run on just about any computer, including Linux-based netbooks.

There's an option to integrate that cross-platform productivity favourite, OpenOffice.org, by including a clickable link to its word processor Writer, conveniently accessible from the app's workspace. Note that you will need to install OpenOffice separately though.

Writer's Café certainly provides a comfortable, supportive workspace for authors. Suffering from writer's bock? The Writing Prompt will set you a simple timed task to get your juices flowing. An interesting little widget helps you generate character names. Perhaps an inspirational quote from the Cookies tool might help? Or simply click through to the Yahoo usergroup to discuss your blank-page issues with fellow scribes.

If you wake in the night with a blinding idea, you can jot notes down on your Pinboard, and then arrange them into coherent strategies. The Writer's Café Storyline tool helps gather your thoughts as you map out a tale, and the Scrapbook is a repository for all your random digital detritus, be it Web link, text or image. It's all beautifully laid out and blindingly intuitive.

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School news

2009-02-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

Events
Gloucester School Board regular meeting. 7 p.m. Tuesday; Colonial Courthouse, Gloucester. E-mail Christi Lewis, clewis@gloucester va.info, for more information.

Bethel Elementary School Spirit Assembly. 1:30 p.m. today for grades 3 to 5 and 2:35 p.m. for grades K to 2; 2991 Hickory Fork Road, Gloucester. An assembly to recognize Bethel student achievements. Both sessions will be in the school's gymnasium. Family members are encouraged to attend. Information: hwhitson @gc.k12.va.us or call 693-2360

Gloucester Department of Community Education. Gloucester County Public Schools Career and Technical Education, in partnership with Gloucester Community Education, have joined to provide various adult learning opportunities for the spring. Classes begin Feb. 24 and will be held Tuesday or Thursday evenings at Gloucester High School. Deadline for registration for all classes is Feb. 17. Cost: $45 or $60, depending on the number of instructional days and hours. A minimum of eight participants will be needed for each class. Visit www.gloucesterva.info/commed/services/adulted.htm, or call 693-5730 for more information.

• Basic Drawing. Students will learn shading techniques, texturing, blending, proportion, contrast and dimension. Students will be taught how to use charcoal, pastels and India ink. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Feb. 24-April 2; 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $60

• Beginning to Intermediate Sewing. The course will begin with basic instructions for operating a standard sewing machine. A special sewing project will be completed during the course. Tuesdays, Feb. 24-March 31; 8:30 p.m. Cost: $45

• Computer Basics. Students will learn the basics of computer operation, including hardware, Windows operating system, e-mail and Microsoft Office. Thursdays, Feb. 26-March 19; 6:30-8 p.m. Cost: $45

• Digital Photography. This class will teach basic camera functions and explain the differences between point-and-shoot cameras and those with single-lens reflex. Also discussed will be uploading pictures to a computer, an introduction to GIMP, movie recording and movie editing basics. Tuesdays, Feb. 24-March 17; 6:30-8 p.m. Cost: $45

• Financial Public Administration. Students will plan, illustrate, design and promote a hypothetical community. Also during class, students will propose a revenue strategy and compare and contrast actual actions taken, proposed or under consideration by the real locality. Tuesdays, Feb. 24-April 14; 6:30-8 p.m. Cost $45

• History of the American Presidency. The class is an in-depth study of the history of the office of the president through examining its changing roles, powers, functions and traditions. Tuesdays, Feb. 24-April 14; 8 p.m. Cost: $45

• Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD). Learn fundamental drafting design techniques using AutoCADD 2008 software. Learn how to navigate and draw using CADD software, principles of design and layout; and produce various drawings. Thursdays, Feb. 26-April 16; 6:30-8 p.m. Cost: $45

• Home Inspection and Appraisal. A look inside the real estate world at two important functions. Learn the differences between home inspections and appraisals, and what purposes they serve. Learn how each is performed and what decisions are made. Tuesdays, Feb. 24-April 14; 6:30-8 p.m. Cost: $45

• Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking. Learn how you can create beautiful digital scrapbook layouts in this introductory class. Learn how to build an all-digital scrapbook page. Create layouts that you can print, e-mail or post to your blog to share with family and friends. Tuesdays, Feb. 24-March 17; 6:30-8 p.m. Cost: $45

• Introduction to Photoshop. This course is designed for those who either have no experience with Adobe Photoshop or those who want to further their understanding of the necessary tools and techniques that a Photoshop user should be familiar with. Tuesdays, Feb. 24-March 17; 6:30-8 p.m. Cost: $45

Newsmakers
• Hampton Roads Academy student Caleb J. Rinderer of Gloucester is the 2008 winner of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Patriots Pen contest for VFW Post 8252, Gloucester. Rinderer was presented a certificate and $100 by Post Commander Warren "Grizz" Davis. The 2008 theme was "Why I Am an American Patriot." The theme for 2009 is "Why America's Veterans Should Be Honored." The VFW Patriots Pen is an essay contest of 300 to 400 words on this subject and is open to middle school students. The grand national prize is a $10,000 savings bond. To enter or for more information, call Davis at 693-6222. Contest entries are due Nov. 1, 2009 for judging.

Source

Its not about the Pixels anymore!

2007-11-27T16:50:00.001-08:00

HUDSON, Ohio, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital imaging has gone mainstream and the main target is -- Moms. Not surprising, considering they have always had the role as memory keepers for the family.

Moms love their digital cameras, but they need help getting beyond the tech hurdle of working with computers to enjoy those digital files. Moms would agree that they don't care about the pixels, they just want the pictures. StoryLife.com places the power of digital imaging directly in the hands of the Mom -- where she can easily create photo cards and complete scrapbook pages with a few clicks of the mouse.

"It is time to get those pictures off your hard drive and start enjoying them! Your kids deserve to have their own shoeboxes full of pictures of their childhood," says Cynthia Heigold, founder of StoryLife.

"Think of them as your 'new negatives' -- the easiest way to make sure you can get a new print in the future. Secondly, start enjoying your pictures again," Heigold says.

StoryLife.com has hundreds of borders and designs for photo projects. Can't find one photo with everyone smiling? No problem. You can put up to four photos in your StoryLife card or scrapbook page.

For more information, call 800-421-8539.

About StoryLife

StoryLife offers a convenient online service for consumers to create and order custom printed photo products such as cards and scrapbook pages. The website inspires women to tell their stories with easy-to-use tools, compelling artistic designs, and high quality printed products.

Website: http://www.storylife.com/

TRISCAPE PARTNERS WITH SHUTTERFLY TO PROMOTE DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING DAY

2007-11-26T16:48:00.001-08:00

Triscape, Inc., makers of the award-winning FxFoto Creative photo organization and digital scrapbooking software, has partnered with Shutterfly, Inc., the leading Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service, to promote Digital Scrapbooking Day, held this year on November 3rd. Shutterfly is offering educational and creative resources via the event's website, www.DigitalScrapbookingDay.com. Shutterfly's partnership with Triscape speaks of their commitment to provide premium solutions that allow the digital scrapbooking community to present meaningful, customized photo gifts for their friends and family.

In support of Digital Scrapbooking Day, Shutterfly will provide Photo Book printing services as prizes to event participants via random drawings throughout the day - each site visitor who participates in a digital scrapbooking activity as specified on the event blog at www.DigitalScrapbookingDay.com will have the chance to win an award-winning quality Photo Book printed by Shutterfly.

At the end of Digital Scrapbooking Day, one participant chosen via random drawing will be awarded a Grand Prize package of one of each size of a Shutterfly Photo Books: 12x12, 8x8, 8.5x11 and 5x7.

Other Shutterfly resources available for Digital Scrapbooking Day:

â¢ Holiday Card Templates - Designed by Shutterfly's Digital Scrapbooking Advisory Team, and available exclusively at Shutterfly, these free, downloadable Holiday Card Templates are found at http://www.shutterfly.com/digiscraptemplates Customers can download these templates, personalize them with favorite photos and greetings, and then upload them to Shutterfly for easy, high-quality card printing.

â¢ Digital Scrapbooking Advisory Team Holiday Blog - Shutterfly and its Digital Scrapbook Advisory Team are providing inspiration, ideas and surprises through its new Holiday Blog, http://shutterfly.typepad.com On the blog, consumers can discover how the Advisory Team is celebrating the holidays, get inspired by creative ways to scrap for the season, and read advice from the experts.

â¢ Scrapper Savings - To thank its loyal digital scrapbooking customers, this holiday season Shutterfly is offering a special discount on its new line of square-format, archival-quality Scrapbook Pages. When customers order three 12x12 or 8x8 Scrapbook Pages, they will receive an additional page of the same size free in the same order. Offer valid through November 15th.

Shutterfly recently announced three new additions to its digital scrapbooking services, establishing itself as the industry-leading source of printing solutions for digital scrapbookers. In addition to creating Photo Books, Greeting Cards and 4x8 Photo Cards from their digital creations, digital scrapbookers can now upload their designs and print individual 8x8 and 12x12 Scrapbook Pages, 5x7 photo cards and 12 and 18 month personalized Calendars. Shutterfly's position as the premier digital scrapbook printing solution makes them the ideal partner for Triscape in promoting this event.

For more information about the entire line of Shutterfly digital scrapbooking products, visit http://www.shutterfly.com/digitalscrapbooking

About Digital Scrapbooking Day:

Triscape created Digital Scrapbooking Day to encourage scrapbookers, photographers, crafters and genealogists to set aside some time to preserve, document and archive their memories digitally. Crafters of all experience levels can expect to find a wide variety of inspirational and educational resources at http://www.DigitalScrapbookingDay.com Digital Scrapbooking Day is an annual reminder to make sure your memories are documented and archived safely, creatively and more efficiently.

War Vets and DigiScrapbooking

2007-11-24T16:31:00.001-08:00

New Photo Collage Studio 4 released by Wondershare

2007-11-23T16:45:00.001-08:00

Wondershare Photo Collage Studio is a fun and easy-to-use application that enables you to make high-quality collages and scrapbooks featuring your own family photos and personal phrase Take advantage of Wondershare new Photo Collage Studio available in English, French and Spanish Do you know how to put your creativity in your digital photos and combine them to perform your full stories in your life? With the explosion of digital device and the wealth of accompanying digital images, photo collage and digital scrapbooking have emerged as an activity that inspires people to put photos together with described words into an artwork to show their stories, preserve their memories, and perhaps share a little gossip over the fabulous prints of their artwork. Wondershare Inc, now release such a photo collage and digital scrapbook application-Photo Collage Studio 4 in English, French and Spanish to enable people color their memories much easier. Variety of professionally designed templates for family, love, cartoon, travel, wedding and other occasions make you get the beautiful result in a little time. Just choose your favorite template, drag & drop photos, customize your text, and then decorate with beautiful photo frames, cliparts, word arts or special effects. You can also fully present your inspiration by using magic doodle drawing tool to create your own elements for perfect your story. In addition to digital scrapbooking, Photo Collage Studio allows you to print the high-quality scrapbook, make personalized desktop wallpapers, even share with your families and friends via email. Whatâs more, except collage and scrapbook, you can also DIY your calendar, create personalized greeting card, invitation card, poster and more you can think of with the program. Some of the major features in Wondershare Photo Collage Studio: 1.Easy to use: Specially designed for digital scrapbook green hands. Intuitive interface and clear workflow enable you to create professional-looking photo collage without any scrapbooking knowledge. You need nothing but collage ideas! 2.Theme templates: Variety of ready-made templates for wedding, family, holiday, sports, baby and other occasions help you ideally memorize your precious events in your whole life. 3.Photo editing tool: Offer you useful options to do with your photo such as change the size, rotate, crop and add shadows. Besides, special effects give you more creativity such as turn your photo into an old picture, watercolor, or embossment. 4.Embellishments: Amusing cliparts like mustache, pigâs ear, mask, sunglasses let you express your story absolutely unique. At the same time, multifarious style of photo frames make you pause every moment. 5.Text Support: Simplifies the process of adding descriptive text to your creative collages and provides the option to wrap text into thought bubbles or retouch them into word arts with simple click. 6.Doodle drawing board: Expands your imagination and accomplishes them with pen, brush, magic stick, eraser and other fun tool offered by program. The content of your drawing can be embedded into your collages. 7.DIY calendar: With the preset beautiful calendar templates and calendar edit tool, owning your made calendar for any year or any month is easier. The font, color, mode of year, month and date can be adjusted separately. Whatâs more, you can add your digital photos, journals to the template and decorate with other embellishments like clipart, frame, stamp and effect to make it look perfect. 8.Print & Share any where: you can print them out on photo paper and have them bound and you have a very professional looking album! Or you can make wallpaper or save in almost all common graphic formats and send it via email. Whatâs more, you can also share it through your mobiles, webpage, blogs and any other item you enjoy! Thanksgiving, Christmas holiday and New Year is around the corner. Have you ever thought of keeping your memories in these holidays and relive them in future? Donât let your happiness disappear into thin air. Pricing and Availability Photo Collage Studio is priced at $29.95 for Single-user personal license of the electronic versions. Multiple-user license is also available. Besides, upgrading is free for existing Photo Collage Studio users. To get more information and obtain a free trial version, please visit: http://www.photo-collage-software.com,

Digital Scrapbook for your Baby!

2007-10-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Scrapbook Groove Provides Inspiration for Digital Scrapbooking Enthusiasts

2007-10-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Winnipeg, MB (PRWEB) February 26, 2007 -- Scrapbook Groove is a new monthly digital scrapbooking newsletter, which along with its website at http://www.scrapbookgroove.com, is designed to inspire and connect the growing community of digital scrapbookers. Scrapbook Groove promotes the joy and creativity of digital scrapbooking by featuring innovative layouts, digital photography advice, design tips, contests, freebies and more.

Providing inspiration for digital scrapbook layouts is the main focus of Scrapbook Groove. You'll find tips on applying photo effects in your layouts, capturing particular moods and textures, creating custom embellishments, and more. Scrapbook Groove also covers a wide-range of technical topics for maximizing your digital scrapbooking experience. You'll find helpful tips and tutorials for using popular digital scrapbooking software such as Indigo Rose's Scrapbook MAX and Adobe's Photoshop Elements. You'll also find informative articles on getting the most out of your digital camera.

Scrapbook Groove is an exciting new link in the digital scrapbooking community

Contributors to Scrapbook Groove include professional digital scrapbook designers and the newsletter's own subscribers. "Scrapbook Groove is an exciting new link in the digital scrapbooking community," said Marnie Wilson, co-editor of scrapbookgroove.com. "You can just imagine the creativity out there - everyone walks away with exciting new ideas for their scrapbooks!"

Scrapbook Groove's free monthly newsletter, The Groove, keeps subscribers inspired with even more tips and ideas by turning the spotlight on members of the digital scrapbooking community. For instance, each month The Groove's 'Scrapper Profile' features an outstanding digital scrapbooker for their innovative approach to layout design. The newsletter also hosts a monthly layout design contest based on themes such as 'Summer Fun' , 'Back to School', and 'The Holidays'. Winners are featured in the newsletter and receive prizes such as mouse pads and downloadable digital scrapbooking kits.

To help generate further enthusiasm for digital scrapbooking, the scrapbookgroove.com website provides free downloadable content to all subscribers. Freeebie packs include items such as embellishments, backgrounds, borders, and word art.

A free subscription to Scrapbook Groove is available online at http://www.scrapbookgroove.com Subscriptions include full access to the site, links to free downloadable digital scrapbooking content, and monthly issues of The Groove digital scrapbooking newsletter emailed directly to subscribers in PDF format.

Rememble Helps You Remember Everything ::a digital autobiography!

2007-10-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

Rememble Helps You Remember Everything

Rememble is designed to help you organize your life by adding notes,
images, audio, video, e-mails, blog entries, and more to your
"membeline." (more on that later!) It also lets you view all of your
added items on a timeline that will help you remember both what you did
and what you need to do. You can even import images from Flickr and
posts from Twitter. The app is one part organizational tool, one part
digital scrapbook.

Some people will likely use Rememble in order to simply aggregate all of
their photos and media, and that's fine. As you add items, called
"membles" to your "membleline," you can see the items, make comments on
them, and find out when they were added. Because you can add items from
your cell phone and via e-mail, the service is designed to allow you to
instantly add memories and events so you can come back to them later.

Rememble's designers wanted to create a service that was less a dumping
ground for videos, blog posts, and photos, and more of an organized
timeline that can help you create a digital "autobiography" that you can
review at any time. Go back to photos of an old friend and you can find
out the last time you viewed them, and you can make comments about what
you did and where you were. Granted, it'll require using the service
frequently to get the "digital scrapbook" feeling that the designers
were going for, but Rememble accounts are free, allowing you to upload
90 membles per month, including 30 videos. The service is still in beta,
and when it goes public you'll be able to upgrade your account and add
more media.

Rememble has a social networking aspect as well. You can make friends
with other users, share your membles, and keep track of the membles they
add. If your friends don't use Rememble, you can invite them, or
generate mini-membles that you can add to outside blogs and sites, like
MySpace or Facebook profiles.

Rememble is a new service with a broad mission, and it has the tools to
help you do whatever you want with it. You can make it a mini blogging
platform and organizational tool, or you can use it as storage for all
of your photos and video. You can use Rememble to scrapbook or catalog
the things you do--something a bit more tangible and interactive than a
blog. Right now there are just under 1,500 people using the service, so
the community is very small, but as it grows, I can see people using
this both as a way to organize themselves and a way to reach out to
others.

DigitalScrapbookDesign.com has been hacked!

2007-10-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

I was searching for interesting DigiScrap software to review and I saw that one of the pages in ASk.com had the word "hacked" on it. Sure enough when I visited it, the word "hacked" as displayed in the DigitalScrapbookDesign.com website.

Well just goes to show how important strong security testing and software is needed if you want to survive the digital safari. :)

Funny that a "hack" is sometimes what you can call a digiscrapbook. The best kind of artful hack there is.

How To Do Digital Scrapbooks

2007-10-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

What the shutterfly news forgot to mention: The Talented Advisory Board!

2007-10-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

Shutterly's Digital Scrapbooking Advisory Team is a group of “best in class” digital scrapbookers working collaboratively to create, introduce and communicate Shutterfly solutions that help to innovate and grow the overall scrapbooking market.

Look at these names!

Amy Edwards
Ann Hetzel Gunkel
Carol Abram
Heather Ann Melzer
Jen Wilson
Kate Teague
Katie Pertiet
Maya
Renee Pearson
Ronna Penner
Rhonna Farrer
Savannah Brentnall
Sunni Rafuse

Details:

Let Shutterfly print your digital designs!

2007-10-06T01:03:00.000-07:00

Shutterfly Expands Digital Scrapbooking Services

LAS VEGAS, Sep 18, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- SFLY | charts | news | PowerRating -- From the Memory Trends Conference and Expo, Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY), an Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service, today announced three new additions to its digital scrapbooking services, further establishing Shutterfly as the premier digital scrapbook printing solution. Digital scrapbookers can now upload their designs to Shutterfly and print individual scrapbook pages, cards and calendars.

Scrapbook Pages

Digitial scrapbookers can bring their digital designs to life with professional-quality Shutterfly prints in two new square sizes - 8x8 and 12x12. These digital scrapbook pages allow scrapbookers to upload their personal designs, create unique page-at-a-time scrapbook albums, and order extra copies for loved ones or for framing. Shutterfly uses Fuji Crystal Archive matte paper and chemicals to produce its square scrapbook pages.

Cards

With the introduction of instructions and templates for creating personalized cards, Shutterfly makes it possible for digital scrapbookers to send thoughtful announcements, invitations and greetings featuring their digital layouts. Customers can print digitally scrapbooked layouts on a variety of Shutterfly Cards, including: 4x8 and 5x7 Photo Cards (printed on Fuji paper) along with 5x7 folded Greeting Cards (printed on heavy cardstock, with a personalized message on the inside). All card purchases include matching envelopes.

Calendars

Shutterfly is also making it possible for digital scrapbookers to display their creations every day in a 12 or 18-month Shutterfly Calendar. Printed on high-quality acid-free cardstock, calendars are easy to make and simple to send directly to loved ones as gifts. Users can customize their calendars with nearly 50 holidays and their own personalized dates, such as birthdays, anniversaries or school activities. (Shutterfly remembers each event, so making future calendars is even easier.)

"Since January, we've been delighted by the number of digiscrappers who've uploaded their digitally designed scrapbook pages to our website and transformed them into professional-quality photo books," said Kathryn Olson, Chief Marketing Officer of Shutterfly. "Based on input from these customers and guidance from our Digital Scrapbooking Advisory Team, we are pleased to expand our digital scrapbooking offerings today and to provide even more story telling options for this important community of Shutterfly users."

For more information, the entire line of Shutterfly digital scrapbooking products can be viewed at:

Digital Scrapbook Place collaborates with Adobe Systems and Epson to demonstrate a solution for digital scrapbooking.

2007-10-06T00:25:00.000-07:00

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Digital Scrapbook Place collaborates with Adobe Systems and Epson to demonstrate a solution for digital scrapbooking.

Digital Scrapbook Place, Adobe, and Epson have collaborated to share with retailers a complete approach to creating beautiful hybrid and digital scrapbook pages.

Troy, OH (PRWEB) September 15, 2007 -- Digital Scrapbook Place has invited Adobe and Epson to work together to bring retailers attending the Memory Trends Conference and Expo this week in Las Vegas, Nevada, a complete approach for making beautiful hybrid and digital scrapbook pages. Digital Scrapbook Place will show retailers the results of this collaboration, by demonstrating exactly what is needed to make them successful in this fastest growing segment of the scrapbooking market. Amanda Behrmann, COO of Digital Scrapbook Place says "We are so excited about this relationship. Retailers will be able to see exactly what they need in order to bring this new form of preserving memories to their customers." With Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software, graphics from DSP, and printing solutions from Epson, retailers will get the total solution.

"Entertaining and engaging friends and family with your life's moments and memories has become just as important as the photos themselves," said Jim Mohan, director of product management for Digital Imaging and Digital Video at Adobe. "It's exciting for us to see how scrapbookers are embracing solutions like Photoshop Elements to help them do more with their photos and give them the freedom to make their creations both personal and interactive. We're happy to be a part of this demonstration, combining Adobe software with great content from DSP and high-quality printers from Epson."

To learn more, retailers can visit booth 919 at the Memory Trends Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, NV September 18-20. DSP is also teaching a class "Gain New Customers and Wow Current Ones with Digital Scrapbooking" during the education session on Sunday, September 16 at 11am and invites retailers to visit a laptop crop to see digital scrapbooking in action that day as well. For more information please visit http://www.memorytrendsexpo.com or http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com.

About Digital Scrapbook Place
Digital Scrapbook Place was founded in 2004 by two women with a passion for digital scrapbooking. The company is dedicated to helping people use digital technologies to capture their memories, create scrapbook pages, and captivate their loved ones for generations. For more information contact Amanda Behrmann at (816) 396-5636, or go to www.digitalscrapbookplace.com.

from prweb