Scrapbooking and Framing

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Gina Hurst

Grumbler
Joined
Sep 2, 2002
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21
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AL
Hello Fellow Grumblers!

Just curious, are there any framers in Grumbleland who also sell scapbooking supplies. How well does this work for you?

Also, are there any framers who frame scrapbooking pages on a regular bases.

I would love to know how the combination works for you.

Thanks, Gina Hurst, CPF in Huntsville, AL
 
Gina,
While I don't sell scrapbooking supplies I certainly use some of the accents they produce in my framing. Actually a client 2 years ago introduced me to the idea. She brought in a Christmas cross-stitch and wanted these beautiful pointsettias on vellum attached to the mat. Ever since then, everyone of her pieces has both artforms together in whatever creative way I can use.
A couple of evenings ago I was looking for something baseball related to go onto a signature mat for a little league gift to the coach. Found a small leather baseball mit. Looks great and was a whopping $2.99.

There are all kinds of letterings, phrases and props being produced. There are city items (works well with the trip memories) sports (great for the kids photos or sboxes)and even clothing pieces. Spend some time looking and I'm sure you'll come up with all kinds of design ideas.

Roxanne
Langley House Gallery
 
Gina,

I haven't had much success in that area. I decided to try advertising to scrapbookers in my latest newsletter. I had no response at all. I even made up ready made frames in the size of scrapbook pages, 12x12.
It may work better if you actually carry the product,But I have found that most scrapbooker in our area are very thrifty and custom framing is far from cheap, so maybe that's why.
shrug.gif


Hopes that helps,

Jennifer
 
Scrapbooking may not be a real word but, around here, it's a real phenomenon.

There is a business in town that sells kits by subscription and has conventions and other events. Subscribers are paying big dollars for new papers, stamps, project ideas, etc.

I can't say that scrapbooking has affected my business one way or another, except that the afore-mentioned business had a bunch of framing done for their spiffy new headquarters.

Everybody from Wal-Mart to Menard's (a regional home center) is carrying the regular supplies here by Fiskars, etc, so I probably wouldn't be interested unless I was prepared to make a major investment in better supplies and a better selection.
 
About the only thing that Scrapbooking has done for the framing industry is, it has introduced a whole lot of people to the idea of "Acid Free" materials. The bad part is that the term is applied to items that would have never had acid in them in the first place.

We try to teach our customers to use "Conservation Quality" materials.

We sell some Scrapbooking supplies, and have found that if you can't offer a LARGE selection of paper, stickers, books, adheasives, clip art, cutouts, etc... then all you do is tell people where they can go to get the other supplies.

As for framing a Scrapbook page?... NEVER. We have talked to our Scrapbook customers, and they almost feel that framing a page would be a waste of time.

Framing is framing, and scrapbooking is scrapbooking.
 
As both a framer and a scrapbooker, I heartily concur with Sue... We also carry some supplies, and I would not call it a big profit center. Still, it fills up shelf space, of which we have plenty, and I get my stuff at wholesale! hehehehe
 
While I heartily support your efforts, CPT English (see my previous post wherein I do not end a phrase with a preposition), we must accept that new words are formed all the time in our Great Dynamic Language. We must avoid the provinciality of the French, who insist on convoluted French word phrases to describe new inventions, rather than use the English word. Scrapbooking is becoming an acceptable word that avoids the more cumbersome 'making scrapbooks' or as the French would say, "assemblage de photos heritages'... silly language.
 
Thanks for the support, Ellen.

For the most part, I love watching the language grow and change.

I can joyfully embrace a word like 'bling bling' but 'scrapbooking' just sets my teeth on edge.

I think it's because popular usage took a perfectly innocent noun and forced it to be a verb. (I believe a stapler may have been used.)

But I'm not worried; the word will go away as soon as the fad is over.

A much more insidious trend is the use of "12 items or less" at the supermarket express checkout lane. I spoke repeatedly to the manager of the offendng store but nothing was done. That grocery has since gone out of business.

I'm glad, I say, glad and vindicated.

Captain English
 
For anyone that is a member of PPFA, you may take advantage of the alliance between the Scrapbooking industry and PMA.

This is a growing industry with a lot of independent retailers competiting with the Gorillas of their trade.

I understand they are as eager for outreach as a lot of framers.

But, if you aren't a member of PPFA and you want access to this type of information, it might make you want to reconsider your isolated position.

There are some benefits of membership
 
I have never heard the term scrapbooking? Can someone quickly explain what it is.

Matt
 
I love looking at them but do not have enough estrogen do them. They are basically a focused scrapbook with themed pages. They are very decorative and interesting to look at. If I was you and scrapbooking wasn't popular there, I would learn everything there is to know about it and open a scrapbooking store tomorrow. Then hire a good accountant. It not a hobby, its a movement. Google it… WOW!
 
AuzzieMatt,

"Scrapbooking" is taking a photo of interest and telling a story or highlighting it with decorative elements in paper patterns and embelishments. There is an art to designing the page layout. In the US it is a fast growing industry.

Besides being a framer, I am a graphic artist for a Christian scrap book and publish company called www.remindersoffaith.com. I am trying to tie in my framing abilities with the scrap book industry. I was at a major trade show in Chicago last week and I only saw two booths exhibiting frames for this industry. I was very suprised because many layout pages are a work of art and should be displayed outside the album.

As mentioned before, the scrap book industry has enlightened the use of archival materials and I find it very easy to suggest these materials to clients when framing an item as simple as a child's drawing.

My ponder to the Grumble is to research the mix of framing and "scrapbooking".

Gina Hurst, CPF in Huntsville, AL
 
Originally posted by Jay H:
Google it...
Click to expand...
Ah, another noun which has been turned into a verb, much like Xerox. Then there's Netflix which would like to have us think people are doing with their brand. Not. Not yet anyway...

Scrapbooking: a noun whose time has come!

Betty
 
J Phipps,

Bama fan now, just moved to AL from SC (previous Clemson Fan).

The Frame exhibitors were nothing of note. Small booths, ready made frames. No one I had heard of before. 12x12s (1 page layout) and 12x24s (2 page layouts). Shallow shadowboxes. Very disappointed in representation. Not very creative in design. I was not there to view frames just the scrap book end of the show, but it got me to thinking...there could be a market.

Gina Hurst, CPF in Huntsville, AL
 
I just recently adding custom framing to my scrapbook store. I have had my scrapbook store for about a year and a half and although it is hugely popular here, I am in a small town and it was getting to be a struggle to stay open. The addition of framing to the business adds more financially than the scrapbooking ever did. I would not recommend adding scrapbook supplies to your current store unless you are going to add a lot. There are so many scrapbook stores now that it just is not a profitable business anymore, unless you are in a larger city and you are currently lacking a store (which is highly unlikely). I do have some of my own pages framed around the store, but I have never sold a 12 x 12 frame so someone could frame their pages.
 
Jessica T,
I was just going to ask that very question. I have seriously considered adding the supplies to my shelves. I was just wondered if it would bring in a whole new line of customers.Or,what do you think about teaming up with a scrapbook store owner for references and advertising in thier store. I know for you it wouldn't work but as a scrapbook shop, Would you have been offended if you had been asked,or would you have seen it as an advertising opportunity?

Jennifer, Kingsport TN
 
I make high quality copies of scrapbook pages and frame them. Few scrapbookers would want to frame an original page as they belong in context in the album but framing copies of a page or two make great gifts for family and friends. I invite the scrapbooker to add a few things to the mat before assembly.

Aways looking for that profitable niche!!
 
Jennifer,

I would not have been offended at the request. The only info I can offer is that from what I have seen so far with the two businesses together is that I have two completely different sets of customers. I have yet to have one of my regular scrapbook customers come to have something framed and vice versa. So while I may now have two different groups of people coming into my store now, I would not recommend investing in your own scrapbook supplies for your store because I can only see it as a waste of your money. I said in my last post that scrapbook supplies are not keeping me in business. I will keep with them though because I love that area of the business and I am a huge scrapbooker myself. If you wanted to approach a scrapbook store owner about advertising to her customers I am sure she would not be offended, but I could not tell you one way or another if it would help business or not. The way I see it it couldn't hurt!
 
Gina,

Horizontal Diversification can be a powerful way to grow and strengthen a business. It does require as much product knowledge, marketing research and an intuitive eye to compatablility and local/regional awareness. Tap into other sources of information, including </font>
  • Their are several previous discussions on this subject on the Grumble including: Framing & Scrapbooking</font>
  • PPFA has seriously been examining some of the parallels in education, etc with the "Scrapbookers" now that their organization (ISTA) has affiliated with PMAI.</font>
  • Scrapbook Retailer Magazine</font>
I was just going to ask that very question. I have seriously considered adding the supplies to my shelves. I was just wondered if it would bring in a whole new line of customers
Click to expand...
Jennifer - Please drop a note to a framer friend in Albuquerque, NM. Suanne Derr (Frame 'n Art) has added scrapbooking to her framing business and it has grown to such a degree that they are in the midst of moving into their new and much larger building. Suanne's email: suanne_derr@yahool.com

I would seriously adhere to Jessica Tracy's advise on adding serious inventory if you elect to go into this area, and also determining if your community already has a major player fulfilling this need.

As Bob Carter elluded, Scrapbookers are similar to Picture Framers in their desire to reach out, learn and market themselves better, hence their new affiliation with PMAI. It is noteworthy to point out that although a "NEW" business, Scrapbook shops generally gross 50-80% more annual sales than the average frame shop. ;)

John
 
Originally posted by J Phipps TN:
....Do any of you think we will see any scrapbook venders in Atlanta?
Click to expand...
I honestly doubt it, Jennifer as cross-over exhibiting is expensively prohibitive.

Here is a source for Scrapbooking Conventions

John
 
John correctly points out the disparity in average volumes between us and them.

They understand the need to diversify much like our Camera Shop brethren. We need to learn from these people as they are surely learning from us.

The greatest growth area in our Picture Framing industry is from those outside our industry that are ADDING framing to their current business profile. And they are doing it at much lower margins and much greater volumes than we.

You can look at it as a positive in that it extends what we do to a greater number of consumers.

Or, you can view it as a bunch of interlopers swooping down to take another slice of our pie.

But, in either case, rest assured that it is most certainly happening.

If you are not adapting and progressing, you simply make it easier for the others to do so.

I wonder if the 400lb gorilla in the Scrapbook Industry gets routinely accused of getting into the retail business?
 
Jennifer,

As for scrapbook vendors in Atlanta...for now you can find them attending the huge Craft Hobby Association show in Atlanta in Feb. 2005. http://www.chashow.org/

To bad, I would like to seen a few at the Framing expo in Atlanta. The industry offers a wide variety of embellishments and papers that could be used for shadowboxes and creative mats.

Gina Hurst, CPF in Huntsville, AL
 
I have owned a scrapbook store for 5 1/2 years now. This past year I bought a framing business from a local framing business as the owner decided to retire and moved all the equipment and supplies to my existing store. I was fortunate in that my building has a full basement that wasn't being utilized for anything other than some storage. We were able to do some relatively minor remodeling and set up all the working equipment while rearranging the retail floor to accommodate the design table and framing/mat samples.

My experience has been very similar to Jessica's - the scrapbook store was paying its bills, but I couldn't see that I was ever going to really make money - only just continue to break even. Since adding the framing business, I'm actually making money for a change. And there have been a number of framing jobs in which scrapbooking supplies have been added. I have seen a little cross over from both sides, but not too much.

Side note for Jessica - I'd like to chat with you privately regarding some scrapbooking issues. Would you mind emailing me - jmyers@altamontks.com.
 
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