Creative Memories has finally revealed the plans for the new direction of the company as they attempt to emerge from bankruptcy (pending court approval next month). The new company will be called "Ahni and Zoe by Creative Memories."
There is a very limited range of products available. Fast to Fabulous (Fast2Fab) preprinted and preassembled albums which have refill pages available, packaged with page protectors. There are new slide-in albums with pages for six vertical or horizontal photos and a 12 x 12 slide in page refill option as well. Packs of 4 x 6 papers to use along with photos in the slide-in albums are also available. There are a few other items in the catalog - a tape runner and refills, four pens, a photo storage box and magnetic display boards, but no tools.
Ahni & Zoe will offer an app called "inawink" that will allow you to shoot, edit, organize and print your photos. Photos can be tagged for printing and when you have tagged a set number of photos they will automatically be printed and mailed to you. The app will only be available for the iOS platform (Apple) but there will be a web-based version "coming soon."
You can see the catalog for the new streamlined company by clicking HERE.
The intention of this reorganization is to simplify and streamline the process of sharing photos by making it easy to get them off your devices and into an album. I would love to hear what you think about the new product line and the catalog. Please leave a comment with your first impressions from looking at the catalog - do these products appeal to you? Do you think that the app would help you do more with the photos that tend to stay on your phone? What items are missing that you would like to see offered?
For those of you with no interest in the Creative Memories bankruptcy and the new company, I have added a link to a project I did a couple of years ago - the lids of Tropicana orange juice bottles make great tea light candle holders - you can read the original post HERE.
This is moving week for my in-laws so much of my time will be spent helping out with all of the final packing and other details. It's amazing how much is involved with moving out of a house after 34 years!
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I checked out the new CM catalog. I'm kind of surprised that I like the simplicity of it. I like the new black and griege albums. I could see me using them.
ReplyDeleteHi, Diane. While CM's intentions are good with the new "Ahni & Zoe" business plan, my personal opinion is that their pricing structure is out of line with today's new reality. For instance, the 4x6" photos conveniently printed ring up at $0.32/each versus a typical MSRP of, say, Shutterfly, at $0.15 each. And you can often find sales or deals with Shutterfly.
ReplyDeleteAnother pricing example: the new A-Z catalog shows a tape runner for $9.50. What differentiates it from the $6 tape runner (less with a coupon!) I can get today at Michael's?
Also, the Fast2Fab albums are simply a strap version of Becky Higgins' "Project Life." I was really hoping for some innovation when they restructured!
Just my two cents.
Fondly,
Ellen CardMonkey
Hi Ellen, I agree that the prices seem unreasonably high. The difference in price for automatically printing photos you tag in the app as opposed to choosing and uploading your photos to one of many other services available already is too extreme. The tape runner is another good example - the catalog doesn't say how much tape is included but it would only make sense if the runner holds more tape than the tape runner you can buy at the large craft stores for far less.
DeleteThe Fast2Fab are the predesigned pages albums - not like Becky Higgins but the Slide-In albums are similar. Of course CM had Picfolio albums before the whole Project Life concept took off and they were also similar...a pocket page is a pocket page!
Disappointed in the products that will be available! I don't use pre-printed pages because I need to put more than 3 pictures on a page - I like to be creative. I will check out the albums (black) and the page protectors to see if that will work for me. I will miss the albums, pages, protectors as we know them today. Maybe the company should have sent out questionnaire to see what products customers really like to use.
ReplyDeleteHi Weezie, The company has stated that they did extensive research before going in this new direction. I believe they are searching for a new type of customer but I wish the original plain albums and pages would still be available. It makes you wonder a bit about who they asked when they did the research - this approach definitely seems to be going after a much different demographic.
DeleteI have seen some of the printed album done with more than 3 photos on each page by ignoring the assigned "boxes" and just using them as a background. It can work but it just seems silly not to have a plain vanilla option. This is a new beginning so maybe they will add a few more items to the line - time will tell.
Hi, I totally agree with Diane. I only use the original plain albums with plain pages. I like to be able to use the pages in my own creative way. The prefab pages look flat and rarely are the right colour for me. I wish you would offer one or two colours with plain white pages. Then perhaps in four months change up the album colour. A while supplies last idea. If not, I'll be hoping some other company will step up and meet my needs when my stash runs out.
DeleteHi Diane,
ReplyDeleteThanks again for all your help over the years. Wouldn't be creating nearly as much without your directions and tips. Once again, you have been great helping us through the C.M. bankruptcy. I'm not impressed with the new catalog. Will be purchasing the Panstoria through you. Thanks!
Jane K. in WY
Hi Jane! It's a pleasure to help - I am glad you are enjoying your crafting time. I do love the digital and since Panstoria is the author of the software I look forward to great things.going forward. I do appreciate it if you use my link (on the left side bar near the top) to purchase Artisan or Historian 0 the price will be the same for you but the affiliate payments help me keep this blog going.
DeleteI hope the new Company,Ahni&Zoe, does well but I don't really see a place in it for me.
It is definitely a trimmed down offering. I was a Storybook Creator person - and more of a papercrafter and card maker than a scrapbooker and preserver of photographs - so honestly, there is not much here that interests me. But it looks like they have decided to become more of a niche player - and the space they are playing in is primarily photographs and albums.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely is a streamlined offering and it won't be right for everyone. Isn't it great to have other choices available? StoryBook (or Artisan when you upgrade to the Panstoria version) is such a versatile program - I think I use it more for cards and other crafts than scrapbooking but I am trying to do more scrapping and I prefer digital for most of it. Let me know if you have any questions or need help with your StoryBook program.
DeleteI agree with a lot of what has been said....the whole issue with CM was their pricing! They couldn't compete before with the major craft retailers and I don't think they can now either...I will keep using my 40 and 50% coupons to get the tools I need, and I love quite a few of the scrapbook paper companies out there like October Afternoon, Crate Paper, Graphic 45...etc....I find their designs way too simplistic and very "beginner" looking at the end. Too many other companies out there offering GREAT deals on photo books. Just my 2 cents worth.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy, Thanks for sharing - I think people have become more savvy about hobby shopping and the pricing does seem high. It is a typical situation where you pay for the convenience of having everything right there, coordinated and available. Some people don't like to search for bargains so this may suit them as a time saver. There are so many paper companies making beautiful papers in many different styles - maybe it was a good idea to not try to compete with that aspect of the business anymore. Photo books are also much improved from some of the early versions and I will keep using my StoryBook/Artisan software and print my projects with other printers.
DeleteSorry, but I agree with the previous comments. I'm not impressed. I don't care for the Project Life type layouts and prefer to create my own layouts with my Cricut. I'm glad I have my CM products (especially the albums), but am really not interested in this new direction. If they had kept just the old type albums, pages and protectors, I would still be a CM customer.
ReplyDeleteHi Pat - don't be sorry! I am just interested in finding out what people think and my feelings are not hurt one way or the other. I will most likely be ending my time as a consultant as soon as my last orders and paperwork issues are cleared up. But I am curious to see how this new company model looks to my readers. They might bring out more colors of albums without the words printed on the coversets but that remains to be seen. I do love my albums and have never found quite the right substitute. I also agree with you that most Project Life type layouts are not to my taste - just too busy and "prefab" looking (which is probably why I am not a fan of the Fast2Fab books either).
DeleteI agree with all the above comments. In 1997 I became a CM consultant and formed relationships with women who have become my dearest friends. We still crop every other week. Although my CM ties were severed in 2000, I have tried to keep up with what was going on in the CM world. This new direction appears to me to be a recipe for failure. Their pricing, products and even the catalog does not captivate my interest. In my world, folks are using the 3 ring album, finding it easier. Big box stores with coupons make purchasing from them enticing, so I can't see any of "my" group even being interested in home parties anymore.
ReplyDeleteJust my two cents worth...but I do wish the company well. After all, there are people working there and it's their livelihood.
Hi Cathy, Thanks for your comment. It is interesting to know that your group has found other products that they are happy with - I think the only thing that is/was really unique to CM was their albums but I have moved to mostly digital scrapbooking. Home parties are not something I am interested in as a presenter or an attendee. I do hope that the new company can make a go of things since so many consultants are owed money that they put into retirement funds. They may have a chance of being repaid if this new company succeeds.
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