Scrapbooking computer software

The art of memory making is as old as the stationery store itself. As long as people have been clipping and saving momentos, the industry has been dedicated to providing the essential tools of the trade, including scissors, glue, tape, markers, stickers and paper. But the recent surge in scrap-booking--the market is a $500 million industry according to the Hobby Industry Association--is changing all of that. A new wave of merchandise is emerging that is revolutionizing the way broadliners and specialists alike treat scrapbooking.

The most apparent change is the way retailers are marketing directly to the scrapbooking community, and nothing sends a stronger message than the rise in bundled product. Rather than carrying a full line of scrapbook papers, some retailers are providing kits with all of the necessities for making a scrapbook. The price points for these kits start at around $5 for papers, stencils and die-cut shapes. The more elaborate kits include an album, various styles of paper, page protectors and templates, as well as die-cut shapes. These all-included kits range from $20 to $30 at most retail stores.

Though consumers tend to head toward arts and craft stores for scrapbook supplies, many broad-line mass merchants are getting in on the game. A recently opened SuperTarget in Orlando, Fla., for example, offers a 12-ft. section of packaged scrapbook papers, packaged die-cut pieces, stickers, acid-free markers, acid-free glue, paper punches, scissors and various styles of albums, including photo and scrapbook. The store also offers two types of paper refills and various kits, ranging from $10 to $20. Instructional books on lettering are available, along with small-edge trimming scissors for decorative styling that retail for $10 per pair.

The SuperT's scrapbook section was located beside such items as Post-It notes, labels, rubber bands and other miscellaneous office products, as well as cork and dry erase boards.

Wal-Mart also carries scrapbook supplies in its large craft section, typically providing an entire row to the craft. At a Wal-Mart in Anaheim, Calif., there was a larger selection of scrapbook materials, including cutting mats, paper crimpers and shape cutters. A number of paper edging scissors are available, along with stencils, stickers, paper selections and albums. Of all the major retailers, Wal-Mart's selection is the most competitive with craft stores for discount-priced craft supplies.

To make sure they aren't left out of the game, OfficeMax offers a small selection of scrapbook supplies at select stores. Its Anaheim location offered a 12-ft. selection of scrapbook supplies. Four feet of space was devoted to several types of albums and extra pages for the albums. The office supply retailer displayed stickers, paper punches, various glues and markers, instructional books and templates in the remainder of the section. In addition, OfficeMax offered 13 styles of loose sheets of scrapbook paper, something usually only found in craft stores or small scrapbook stores. Even Wal-Mart has steered away from selling loose sheets of paper.

OfficeMax's selection includes a range of scrapbook kits from $3 to $6 for paper kits and $20 for a full kit, which includes an album. Though most OfficeMax stores do not carry such an elaborate selection of scrapbook supplies, most stores do carry the $20 full kit.

As with most products, special lines of scrapbooking supplies have also been introduced. Artist Susan Branch is popular in the scrapbook community, offering papers and stickers with her unique watercolor designs. According to the artist, "After years of sewing, embroidery quilt making, cooking, gardening and decorating, I was given a gift certificate to an art store as a present. So, I went and exchanged it for my first watercolors, thinking I'd try it." This seems to be the case with many popular artists who have a line of scrapbooking supplies. The Susan Branch line is found in Michaels and most small scrapbook stores. The line has approximately 300 skus, according to Colorbok, the distributor of Branch's scrapbook series.

In the past, Fiskars has offered a large selection of scissors and materials used for altering pages. However, until recently, the company didn't delve into the design aspect of scrapbooking. The company is now offering memory kits that include decorative papers, borders, templates, stickers and die-cut shapes for approximately $5 to $8. These kits can be found in Wal-Mart, Michaels and other craft stores. The company offers books of vellum papers rather than loose sheets, which cost approximately $9. Since vellum papers can be seen through, the company also has a line of clear mounting stickers. "Because of the clear composition, they are less likely to show than regular adhesives," said a company spokeswoman.

Other interesting techniques of scrapbooking are taking place, including Mattel's Barbie Secret Talkin' Electronic Scrapbook, Freckle Press' Foldout Album and Hallmark's Scrapbook Studio Deluxe Windows-based program.

Mattel's Barbie Scrapbook retails for $30 and can be found at Target.com. The unique design comes with more than 75 "talking" and non-talking stickers that are activated with a special scanner pen. According to Mattel, the scrapbook allows children to hide personal messages and utilize a password to activate the book.

The Fold-out Album by Freckle Press retails for about $19 in Ben Franklin craft stores, as well as several small scrapbook store chains. According to a spokesman from Freckle Press, "The collapsible album folds out to almost 3 ft., and photos can be added to both sides." The company also offers kits for the album, which retail for $7. In addition, the company is planning to manufacture a stand for the album to be displayed on, according to the spokesman.

Hallmark's software design is unique because consumers can design scrapbook pages without the mess normal scrapbooking makes. Images can be added to template pages, or the consumer can make their own backgrounds. The computer kit offers over 500 templates, over 4,000 images and over 20 fonts, along with digital photo editing capabilities. This is an ideal alternative for new scrapbookers. The software retails for $40, and can be found in CompUSA and other consumer electronics stores.

Scrapbooking is spreading from craft stores into other types of retail outlets aside from consumer electronics stores and office stores. Even Bed Bath and Beyond carries small scrapbook kits. Though a Staples spokeswoman commented that the store sees no immediate plans for integrating scrapbook supplies into their stores, it just may happen in the future. On the other hand, Office Depot has removed what scrapbooking supplies the company did carry in order to focus on the small business customer. But as more and more retailers continue to pick up on the growing craft trend, others are sure to follow.