Elmer's celebrates the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with 40 tips for becoming more environmentally friendly at home

Beginning on Earth Day, teachers across the country will begin recycling the millions of glue bottles and glue sticks their classrooms have collected since the beginning of the school year. This recycling effort is part of the Elmer's Glue Crew Recycling Program, which was created three years ago to help teachers educate children about recycling and environmental stewardship and prevent millions of glue bottles and glue sticks from going into our landfills.

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Elmer's is inviting parents to get involved in the Elmer's Glue Crew program through the "40 Days of Earth-Friendly Living." The campaign kicks-off on Earth Day and offers an eco-friendly tip or idea every day through the end of May. The tips are designed to allow parents and children to participate together and to give teachers more ideas for expanding their Earth Day curriculum. To participate, parents and teachers can download the "40 Days" calendar at www.ElmersGlueCrew.com or sign up to receive tips on Twitter or Facebook. The tips include:

Day 17: Walk instead of drive

Leave the car at home and walk to the store or a friend's house

Day 26: Don't run the water

When you brush your teeth, turn off the water when you're not using it

"Through Elmer's Glue Crew, we've been able to provide teachers with recycling information, student contests and curriculum ideas. The 40 Days of Earth-Friendly Living is a way for us to involve parents and help teachers extend their education into the home," said Mary Beth Cowardin, senior marketing manager for Elmer's Products. "Our goal with this program has always been to develop a mindset at an early age for being environmentally conscious."

Last year, nearly 1.2 million school-age children participated in Elmer's Glue Crew to recycle 2 million glue bottles and glue sticks. Beginning on Earth Day, classrooms will start recycling their collections by submitting the empties to Walmart or TerraCycle.  To recognize their efforts, Elmer's honors one classroom that has gone above and beyond to incorporate environmental stewardship and recycling into their daily activities with the Elmer's Glue Crew Grand Prize.

Elmer's® Products, Inc., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has been a trusted brand and industry leader for more than 60 years. Elmer's produces a variety of well-known adhesives, arts and crafts, educational and office products developed to provide project solutions and inspire people to create, build and learn for life.  Elmer's also markets the number one instant adhesive in the U.S., Instant Krazy Glue®, and X-ACTO®, a leader in innovative cutting blades, knives, and office supplies. For more information, visit www.elmers.com.

It's not to late to make some fun Easter crafts.


MarthaStewart.com has a bunch of great ideas like:

Floral Motif Eggs
Glitter Eggs
Spring Centerpieces
Speckled Egg Boxes

Have fun and Happy Easter!

150 Additional Prizes to be Awarded in Augmented Reality Instant-Win Game Including Martha's Newest Book - Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America, and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia today announced a new sweepstakes which will be tied to upcoming episodes of "The Martha Stewart Show" (distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution/check local listings).  Viewers will be rewarded simply for watching the show each weekday, with the chance to win a VIP trip to see Martha live in-person during the New York taping of the "The Martha Stewart Show."

The sweepstakes will run from February 22 through April 9.  To enter, viewers must watch "The Martha Stewart Show" each weekday and then go to marthastewart.com/viptrip to enter the name of the guest that appeared on the show that on that day.  

During the sweepstakes promotion, more than 40 million households will receive a Martha Stewart-branded Valpak signature Blue Envelope® in the mail.  Each envelope will feature a large black and white "M" symbol printed on the right side of the Valpak envelope that accesses an augmented reality instant win message.  Recipients with webcams are instructed to visit the official sweepstakes web page at marthastewart.com/viptrip and hold the black and white "M" symbol up to their webcam to find out if it is recognized by the sweepstakes web page as one of the 150 instant winners of Martha Stewart's new book titled Everyday Food:  Fresh Flavor Fast.  

After finding out if they have been selected as an instant winner, all recipients will be able to preview what is coming up on "The Martha Stewart Show" and will then be thanked for taking part in the sweepstakes by Martha Stewart herself through augmented videos.  Recipients of an envelope without a webcam can still play the Instant Win game by clicking on the "No webcam" button on the sweepstakes web page.  This instant-win contest represents a first in Augmented Reality technology use in this space.

"The interactive sweepstakes is a fun opportunity for "The Martha Stewart Show" to use Valpak's iconic Blue Envelope® to help Martha effectively reach her fans on several levels," said Deanna Willsey, director of corporate communications for Valpak.  "With multi-dimensional sweepstakes such as these, Valpak continues to establish its position as forward thinking in the digital space and as a leader in the direct marketing industry."

The Sweepstake Official Rules may be obtained at www.valpak.com or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Valpak's "Win A VIP Trip to The Martha Stewart Show" Sweepstakes, P.O. Box 13428, St. Petersburg, Florida 33733, Attn: Promotions Department.  The sweepstakes are open to all persons who are age 18 and over, and are legal U.S. residents to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province of residence at time of entry. The sweepstakes are void where prohibited or restricted.

For more information about "The Martha Stewart Show" visit www.marthastewart.com.  For more information about advertising in the Valpak Blue Envelope or for printable coupons for restaurants, groceries, auto care and more visit www.Valpak.com.

The 7^th annual Palm Beach Fine Craft Show brings more than 100 of the nation's most distinguished craft artists to the heart of West Palm Beach at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Meet and talk with the artists and see their latest celebrated work in ceramics, glass, fiber decorative and wearable art, wood-turned and carved objects, distinctive furniture, marvelous metals, exquisite jewelry and more.

End your search for masterful objects or art for the home at this juried showcase--all exclusively one-of-a-kind or limited edition pieces. Many of the artists' works are found in museums and private collections across the country.

March 5, 6, 7, 2010

More than 700 of the country's leading craft artists will gather under one roof to present their latest designer, handmade work at The American Craft Council Show in Baltimore, the largest juried, indoor craft show in the nation. The highest quality of handmade jewelry, furniture, clothing, home décor, and more, will be available for purchase at the Baltimore Convention Center, February 25-28, 2010.

Show highlights:

LAWN & GARDEN: NEW in 2010, this category features artists who craft outdoor and lawn-specific furniture, décor, accessories and more. 

CRAFT4KIDS: This category features artists who design objects especially for children and as family heirlooms.

GREEN CRAFT: Responding to pressing contemporary issues, this category highlights artists using found, recycled or green materials and sustainable techniques.

ALTCRAFT: This section features rising indie crafters whose work illustrates the innovative techniques and materials of the burgeoning new handmade movement, in a shared market-style space.

DEMO STAGE: Lively demonstrations, with topics ranging from ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry and wood techniques, will be presented by local experts.

SCHOOL-TO-MARKET: The Council has invited two exceptional colleges - Savannah College of Art and Design and Rhode Island School of Design- to debut their top students' work at the show.

LOCATION
Baltimore Convention Center
One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

DATES AND SHOW HOURS
Thursday, February 25 (10 am - 6 pm)
Friday, February 26 (10 am - 9 pm)
Saturday, February 27 (10 am - 6 pm)
Sunday, February 28 (10 am - 5 pm)

ADMISSION - SAVE UP TO $5 BY PURCHASING YOUR TICKETS ONLINE!
Purchase, print and bring right to the door!
Buy Tickets Online

ON-SITE ADMISSION
$15 per person
$25 for a two-day pass
$30 for a three-day pass
SPECIAL FRIDAY EVENING ADMISSION:  $6 after 6pm.  Onsite ticket purchases only.  No discount offers apply.

$25 introductory new membership at the Show only
Children 12 and under free

American Craft Council members admitted free.
JOIN NOW

Show Information: 800-836-3470

Confection Jewels, handcrafted, vintage cocktail rings will premiere with a Sweet Shop for your Sweetheart, Saturday, February 13th, 2010 hosted by Ron Robinson Fred Segal, located at 8118 Melrose Avenue. Store hours are from 10-7pm and a reception with the designer will be held from 3-6 pm.  Refreshments provided by Zonin Prosecco, Xan Confections and Sprinkles Cupcakes. 

In honor of Valentine's Day, the first 10 Confection Jewel shoppers will receive a gift with purchase from Confection Jewels' Sorbet Skies collection, not yet released.  

1st generation French-American, Yanique Venezia is the divinity behind Confection Jewels. Confection marks the Arizona native's first solo collection after years working as a designer for private label accessories clients such as Joes Jeans, Nordstrom and Ed Hardy.

Her garage work-studio in Venice Beach houses over 10,000 buttons and gems, all of which she plans to develop into custom assortments and styles for retailers and individual shoppers.

Spring 2010 styles will be available at Ron Robinson Fred Segal, www.confectionjewels.com and POOL tradeshow this February.

SOURCE Confection Jewels

The 8th annual 'Craft Fair on the Plateau' in Crossville, Tennessee will be held on June 5th and 6th from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM on Saturday and 12 noon until 4 PM on Sunday. The fair will be held on the Knights of Columbus grounds in Crossville, Tennessee. Crossville is located 75 miles west of Knoxville on Interstate 40. The fair again this year will be combined with an antique car show. The Craft Fair on the Plateau is open to all crafters with various types of creative craft items. All items are to be original hand-made items. Space is available for up to 50 crafters. A limited number of spaces are under a covered pavilion/hall. These spaces will be assigned on a first come basis. Spaces are 10' by 10'. Electricity is available to a limited number of spaces. Tables (8 ft long) are also available upon request. The cost per vendor booth under the pavilion/hall is $30. Outside booths are $25. Electricity is an additional $10 and tables are $5 each. No food venders are desired but on-site food and beverages will be available.

Free workshops and one dollar stocking stuffers make holiday shopping easy

Putting the finishing touches on Holiday '09 is easier this year, thanks to free workshops, last minute gift ideas and hundreds of stocking stuffers starting at one dollar at Michaels, North America's largest arts and crafts specialty retailer.

Michaels has expanded its selection of unique stocking stuffers to help shoppers stay within their holiday budgets with one, three and five dollar gifts for kids and adults, including holiday-themed soaps, playing cards, puzzles, candles, socks, note cards, pens, stamps, stickers and much more.

Ready-to-wrap gifts under fifteen dollars include kids' activity kits like Bead Pets, 3-in-1 Jewelry Designer, Moon Sand and Creatology(TM) art sets that will keep kids busy through the winter break. Other gifts to inspire creativity include the new American Girl Crafts(TM) line available exclusively at Michaels, and the widest selection of Crayola(R) products of any store.

"Our ready-to-wrap offerings cater to the whole family in order to help our customers save time and money during this hectic season," said Philo Pappas, Michaels Executive Vice President of Category Management. "Our workshops, webisodes, Handmade Holiday Gift Guide and online ideas continue to be extremely popular as people look for quick yet meaningful gifts to give this holiday season."

In a recent survey of Michaels customers, 65 percent said they were planning to make gifts this year. Michaels will introduce two more free gift-themed webisodes on Michaels.com and host in-store workshops this season: a free bookmark making event on December 12 from 1-3 pm and a free demo on gift wrapping and creative packaging for holiday baking on December 19 from 1- 3 pm.

Additional easy homemade gift ideas are available at Michaels.com, including last minute gifts to make for three dollars and up, such as wine charms, bottle stoppers and decorative candles. Hundreds more ideas and instructions submitted by customers for Michaels' first-ever "Handmade Holidays" contest are available at www.michaelscontest.com. The contest runs through December 20.

Michaels gift cards, as well as other top branded gift cards from the Gift Card Mall, recently introduced in all U.S. Michaels stores, can be tucked into a stocking or mailed in a holiday card to loved ones far away.

SOURCE Michaels Stores, Inc.

Rosemont to Host the 2010 CHA Summer Show and Craft SuperShow

The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) is pleased to announce the CHA 2010 Summer Convention & Trade Show and the CHA Craft SuperShow will return to the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center in Rosemont, Illinois after one season in Orlando, Florida. The annual CHA Summer Trade Show will be held from Tuesday, July 27 through Thursday, July 29, followed by the CHA Craft SuperShow consumer event from Friday, July 30 to Saturday, July 31, 2010.

"We are so glad to have CHA back home in Rosemont," explained Christopher R. Stephens, General Manager, Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center. "We look forward to working with CHA and its members to rejuvenate and revitalize the Summer Show and are also very excited to help promote the new Craft SuperShow to the crafters of the greater Chicagoland area."

For more than 30 years Rosemont has hosted the annual CHA Summer Show creating a friendly and familiar venue for CHA and its members. Like many other trade shows, CHA recently faced declines in both trade show attendees and exhibitors due to the sagging economy. After trying several different marketing programs to revive the Show in Rosemont, CHA relocated the Summer Show to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida and launched the CHA Craft SuperShow consumer event in 2009 in efforts to reverse this trend, grow the show, and expand the industry.

The CHA 2009 Summer Show in Orlando attracted about 5,000 trade show attendees with a 5% increase in the number of attending retailers over 2008. Summer Show exhibitors came from 49 different states and Puerto Rico, as well as internationally from countries across South America, Europe, and Africa. Additionally, there were over 50 new exhibitors at the Summer Show. Many who participated felt it was a successful venture despite the recession.

Following the Summer Show, CHA staff started to solicit feedback from exhibitors and the general membership about the experience in Orlando. Based on post-show CHA Summer exhibitor surveys, 50% of respondents preferred Rosemont to Orlando while the other 50% were split among several other venues. CHA hosted several member conference calls in which members commented about a desire to return to Rosemont. Member emails about returning to Rosemont were also sent to CHA staff which drove further discussions on the topic of venue selection for the 2010 Summer Show. Based on the common and recurring theme of returning the Summer Show to Rosemont, CHA contacted representatives from the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center and successfully negotiated a one-year agreement with options beyond 2010.

"As a member-based organization it is imperative that we listen to our members and develop the most effective approach to accomplishing our common goals and objectives. Developing a practical strategy to grow the Summer Show and expand the industry are high priorities at CHA and are key factors behind the bulk of the decisions we make," explained Steve Berger, president and CEO of CHA. "We are grateful for the creative minds in Orlando who partnered with CHA to develop a successful and meaningful program that helped increase buyer attendance and expand crafting participation with consumers. By working with our partners in Rosemont, we are confident that the Trade Show will grow significantly and the SuperShow will continue to gain momentum becoming an integral part of CHA efforts to expand the craft industry."

To learn more about the upcoming 2010 CHA Summer Convention & Trade Show or the CHA Craft SuperShow, please contact Anthony Licata, 201.835.1203 or alicata@craftandhobby.org.

Retailer Announces 18.1% Increase in Seasonal Hires

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, the nation's largest fabric and craft retailer, has announced an 18.1% increase in seasonal hires over last year.

According to Travis Smith, chief operations officer for Jo-Ann, the company has hired 2779 seasonal employees, which currently account for 13.4% of its total workforce. Last year at this time, seasonal employees accounted for 11%. "Obviously, we are very pleased to be able to offer employment to more people in these challenging economic times. This increase is a result of our recent sales trend and expectations for holiday traffic in our stores," Smith explained. "By hiring these additional employees we hope to ensure excellent customer service during the holiday season."

On Thursday, November 5, Jo-Ann announced same-store sales increased 4.3% in the third quarter, driven largely by a 4.9% increase in customer traffic. Smith cites the growing trend in handmade holiday gifts as a contributing factor. "Our customers tell us they enjoy making personalized gifts and that the recipients enjoy the uniqueness and meaning in these gifts," he said.

SOURCE Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores