Letter from Creative Memories

 

June 28, 2013

Thank you, thank you.



All of us at the Home Office are so grateful for your support and encouragement as we transition out of the current Creative Memories business in order to create a bright new future business (which we’re excited to share more about soon).

For now, you may be wondering about the present, and what’s happening with the products you love. Exiting a business is a complicated undertaking, and we’re learning it’s a little bit messy. Here’s what we thought you’d like to know on a few key subjects:
Products on your Consultant’s web site (creativememories.com/.ca):

While Supplies Last Products
Most of the Traditional product line is now while supplies last. So if there’s a product you’ve had your eye on, you may want to get it right away. Any products marked WSL that sell out won’t be restocked.
New Products
We know it seems odd to offer brand new products when you’re exiting a business, but we had exciting product in the works at the time of our bankruptcy filing in April and we wanted to get it to market to share with you. (Stop by the St. Cloud office sometime, and our developers would be happy to make you a coffee and explain more about it.) So there are some really lovely new products for Kids, Celebrate products and more that are all Limited Edition - and are also while supplies last.
"Ooh…that’s back?" Products
As you may imagine, we need to start the new business with clean shelves, so you’ll find products like former limited editions and tools that were offered in earlier campaigns. They’re still totally relevant and cute (and yep, are also all while supplies last).
Last Chance Order Products
You’ll see some products on the site that have a "Temporarily Unavailable" note on them, like Refill Pages, Page Protectors, and some Coversets. These are currently oversold, but we have a fix for that. July 8-31 we’ll open up a "Last Chance" order period. What that means is that we’ll take pre-orders, order the materials and manufacture them so you have as many as you need. This may take a while, but we will guarantee you get the quantities you order. So you may want to take a look at your needs for current and future projects and plan accordingly to take advantage of the Last Chance timeframe. www.creativememories.com | 6401 8th Avenue South | St. Cloud, MN 56301 | 800.468.9335




Rewards Club

Concluding Aug. 21
Rewards Club Members are awesome, wonderful people, and we were quite fond of the Rewards Club program. It just doesn’t fit the future business we’re designing very well. So we expect the Rewards Club to end on or around August 21, 2013. Rewards Club Credits can be used until that date.
Membership Fees
Using the August 21 end date, we’ve prorated the remaining value of all Rewards Club Members’ membership fees (based on $39 rate) and on June 26, we applied that amount of Club Credit to each Member’s account.
Digital

Sorry for the ambiguity
Remember up above where we said that this is a messy process? Well, this is one great example. We’re working very, very hard to find a way to continue digital for all of our passionate digital customers in North America. And those conversations and negotiations are taking place as we speak. So for now, please be patient, and ignore any rumors. As we work this through, we will absolutely share more.
Product Certificates

Coupons, Codes and Certificates…oh my!
Over the years we’ve offered a variety of Coupon Codes or Product Certificates…like Coupon Code CDs, Host Rewards, Product Credits, Product Certificates and more. Like Rewards Club Credits, those will also have an end date of August 21, 2013.

As things change and as we get more information, we’ll be sure to share. Thank you for being the best customers in the entire world and for supporting your Creative Memories Consultant. We appreciate your kindness and faith very much.
The Creative Memories Home Office Team

Creative Memories Digital Update 6/28/13

For those of you who use Creative Memories software, here is an important update from the lovely ladies of Pixels2Pages:

Regarding Creative Memories Digital
from Jan at Pixels2Pages

June 25, 2013

By now you may have heard the buzz about Creative Memories with regard to their branded digital software, StoryBook Creator and Memory Manager. In case you have not, this was posted on the Creative Memories Home Office Facebook page yesterday (24 June 2013):

“At this point, we can confirm that our digital software will not be a part of our business moving forward. We will not be supporting the software or printing past August. There may be options for getting software support elsewhere, but nothing has been confirmed or finalized.”

We realize this may cause you to have more questions than answers, and we want to do our best to keep you in the loop with regard to the future of StoryBook Creator and Memory Manager.  We will not be engaging in speculation here or on our Facebook page, and we encourage you to honor our position.  As with many things involving legal issues, there are things that simply cannot be said until permissions have been granted. Creative Memories has given their permission for us to share this information:

“Q. What is the future of StoryBook Creator and Memory Manager Software? And what is the overall plan for digital?

A. All along, Creative Memories has contracted with a company called Panstoria, who developed and owns the rights to StoryBook Creator and Memory Manager. So even though Creative Memories is transitioning out of the software, and the new company (Jan’s note: new company = whatever CM becomes) will not sell the software in the future, that doesn’t mean that StoryBook Creator and Memory Manager will not exist or be supported. We’re currently working with Panstoria and other digital vendors to define what the future looks like for the digital business.

We’re working hard to find an answer that supports digital customers, enables a great consumer experience, and is more pleasing than shutting it down. We’re taking a strong stand to find a way for the digital business to continue, so current and future digital customers can be supported. The best-case scenario is that we can find a backer for the digital business so existing software customers can order products uninterrupted through a different interface. Those conversations are in process, and we expect to have more to share with you in a month or so.

The new company simply can’t bring digital forward in its current condition. The new company will include digital; it will just be starting with a new foundation.”

While this doesn’t answer every question, I hope it will allay some of your fears. We want you to know pixels2Pages is (and has been) working diligently to be a part of the digital solution. It is our intent to continue training on digital scrapbooking software. We appreciate your support and concern during this time of uncertainty!

Because we want to comply with our license agreement with Creative Memories, we ask that you refrain from using pixels2Pages.net or our pixels2Pages Facebook page as a forum for sharing information about other companies.  As posted above, Creative Memories is looking for solutions to offer you, and we will let you know when there is concrete information to share.

We understand that you may have many more questions about what might happen or what you will need to do; for now, other than making sure everything is backed up, the answer is finish up projects that you want to print at Creative Memories.  They will be honoring product credits through 21 August 2013, so get those books done – and don’t wait until the last minute!"

scrapbook paper organization

So I got my Scrapbook Paper Organization all finished! Now I'm ready to scrap!

 

The top half was organized by Color Wheel

 

These are the labels I'm using:

Pinks

Purples

Blues

Greens

Yellows

Oranges

Reds

Neutrals

(have enough for a drawer each of Black, Browns, Tans, and Whites)

Metallics

 

The bottom half was organized by Scrapbook Themes:

 

Celebrate (birthdays, parties)

School

Boy

Girl

Animals/Pets

Travel

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Christmas

 

I decided to include ABC stickers, Title Stickers and Themed Stickers along with the paper as I tend to scrap thematically or seasonally.  Now I am so motivated to DO SOMETHING!

Where to start? Where to start?

Creative Memories bankruptcy update 6/22/13

According to a call with Home Office Executives this week here is the latest on what they will share:

What We Know

1.       PRODUCTS:

·         For our FUTURE STATE some of our general products will be similar, but “sourced differently, re-imagined and re-packaged”  to help us manage our supply chain more effectively.

·         Some of our CURRENT products have hit the “low inventory, out of stock” list based on availability. We’ve created an “out of stock, expected to return” list (for the near-term, not long-term).

·         LAST CHANCE ORDER period proposed for July 8^th -31^st  is for traditional coversets in 12x12 only, and refills and page protectors in both 12x12 and 8x8 sizes (at full value, no reduction in price).

·         All other products will be available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST during that time. 

 

2.       HOST REWARDS and REWARDS CLUB:

·         Host Credit must be ENTERED by June 30^th and will no longer be available to earn after that date.

·         Host credit must be REDEEMED by August 21^st.

·         Rewards Club Credit can still be EARNED up to August 21^st and must be REDEEMED by August 21^st!

 

3.       DIGITAL:

·         All Digital Product Credits and Coupon Codes (including current “April Afternoon” CD that states expiration of 2014) must be REDEEMED by August 21^st.

·         Digitally produced Custom Pages, Custom Coversets, Page Prints, Calendars, Storybooks and all digital products will still be able to be produced until August 21^st (hopefully longer, but can’t promise)

·         Current digital platform will not be brought forward into the new company.

·         SBC and MM are usable, but going into the future, you may not be able to call the company for support or print through CM.

·         The new APP will be the new platform for the next generation of digital – modern, mobile, online, across platforms – much easier for consultants to maintain .  CM will let us know more as we move through the process. 

·         We will no longer produce digital products in house in the new company.  Requires a significant investment in the system and support we have right now.  We will work to provide a transition that will be seamless for customers. 

 

>>>>>>>>>>>

Here is what Donna Lyn recommends:

1. Figure out what you need to complete the album sets you currently have. 

2. Order the products that you need to finish your current and future projects.

3. Digital as we know it right now will not be part of the new CM, so focus on what you can complete by August 21st.

4. Plan to back up your StoryBookCreator projects you have on your hard drive onto an external drive or other backup method of your choice if you’d like to print it again.  This is good communication for any questions regarding projects that are currently stored at the CM Digital Center.

5. Let me know by June 30th if you have a large "stock-up" order. Gather your order and orders from a few of your scrapbooking buddies, and we'll put your order through as a Catalog Party. You'll get free hostess credit to spend as you wish. BUT, you must do this before June 30th, the last date for all Host Credit to be entered.  You will have until August 21 to redeem your Host Credit.

Thank you for your loyalty and support during this transition time!

Happy Scrappin',
DL

 

an update from Rhonda Anderson

The rumors are flying and it has been difficult to sort it all out but I want to be as helpful as possible so that

1. We aren't unnecessarily stockpiling and

2. We aren't caught off guard.

Some Consultants have contacted Rhonda Anderson, Creative Memories co-founder directly trying to get clarification on what will and won't be available if the court approves the launch of a "new" CM.

What I have heard (and granted this is hearsay) is that they are restricted on what they can share about their future product line by the bankruptcy ruling. But Rhonda did share that they will have Refill Pages for a variety of Fast to Fabulous albums in a variety of colors ("some very, very simple").  These refill pages will be the same size as our current albums.  

"I can also tell you that we believe Page Protectors are an important product."

As soon as they have permission from the Court they will share more information.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Personally (this is Donna Lyn typing), I have a Fast to Fabulous Kit and I love it! I love the album and I like the predesigned pages. What I don't like about the predesigned pages is that they have 2-4 photos per page and I usually put 4-7 photos per page but I can work around this by using photo mounting paper and also cropping photos smaller, etc..  Not as ideal as blank pages but workable for sure. And much faster if you just add your photos and journaling.

Here is what my Fast to Fabulous "Sunshine Getaway" looks like:

It also came with a pack of mounting paper and a pack of Page Protectors.

If you like BLANK PAGES, you will have to order NOW. Even the Fast to Fabulous Kits are not guaranteed to be here as all of the plans for the re-launch of a "new" CM are contingent upon court approval (June 26).

If it is approved, I am excited about it because I do love these F2F Kits and of course, there is nothing like Creative Memories quality album covers. So I am excited to see the larger variety that will be offered in this area.

However, this leaves me with a current dilemma in ordering enough Blank Refill pages to fill my current coversets. Although...if pre-designed page refills will be available, those will fit into my existing coversets, so that might just work! (And as Rhonda supposedly said, "some are very, very simple"). 

If you like BLANK refill pages, you will want to order them NOW. If the court approves, they will make them on demand through July. That means they "promise" not to run out and will make as many as are ordered. Including Page Protectors. Now is the time to count up what you need and preorder them. I hope this helps you make an informed decision on what is best for your scrapbooking needs and your budget.

Happy (?) Scrappin',
DL

 

Creative Memories website is down temporarily

If you've been trying to order or access www.mycmsite.com/donnalyn and aren't having any luck, do not panic. They haven't closed up shop yet! Creative Memories is aware of the situation and they are trying to fix it just as fast as they can.

A lot of the cutting tools, papers and embellishments are almost gone. They will let us order Refill Pages and Page Protectors until the end of July. They "promise" that (upon Court approval) we will be able to order pages and page protectors per demand. Everything else though is While Supplies Last.

Here is an update on their website issue: 


...As you know, we have had intermittent system issues since Friday last week and we have all hands on deck working on a solution.

In an attempt to solve the system issues it is necessary that we are shutting down and reboot all websites and support systems today (Wednesday, June 19) at approximately 4:00 PM CT. The process can take several hours to complete.

...We appreciate your continued patience.

Your Creative Memories Home Office Team

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Creative Memories bankruptcy update 6/15/13

Here is what I know as of today and this is all pending Court approval:

1. An extensive list of Current products (including many coversets) will be While Supplies last in June

2. Refill Pages and Page Protectors will be on a LAST CHANCE availability in July. They will make as many of these as needed starting July 8 (again this is assuming the Court approves this plan). So we will have July 8-31 to order Refill Pages and Page Protectors (and many Coversets).

3. Rewards Club ends August 21. So if you are a Rewards Club member and have credit, you need to use it or lose it by August 21.  

4. The "new" Creative Memories will launch in the U.S.A. this Fall. They have not said if they are changing their name or not. It will be a party plan business like CM currently is.

5. The "new" CM will offer "fresh" and "new" Albums and Pages. They will not give any more specifics other than they keep saying how Fast to Fabulous has been a big seller for them. They are moving to a SIMPLE offering of albums to complete quickly. They are closing out the old and rolling in the new.

Picfolios

Fast to Fabulous Albums

 

 

What is Fast to Fabulous? Basically their beautiful coversets with 12x12 pages that are predesigned...all you have to do is add photos and you're done! You can also add stickers, title stickers and journaling to personalize your album and make it more meaningful.

Fast to Fabulous Baby Girl

 

 

So it sounds like they are going in this direction. The only thing I don't understand is why Page Protectors would be on a LAST CHANCE in July. Unless they are changing the size? Or repackaging? But if they are just repackaging, then we should be able to purchase 12x12 sizes in the future I would think they wouldn't tell us to get them in July. I wish I knew! I think if the Court approves their plan, then they will be able to tell us more. I would hate to stock up on Page Protectors in July and then have them reintroduced in the Fall.

 

"All great changes are preceded by chaos." 

 

Here are some more Fast to Fabulous kits that are currently available:

 

 



color wheel paper organization

having fun organizing my paper storage today for easy accessibility!

 

 

I started with the basic color wheel for my mostly solid card stock.

 

 

After the basic color wheel, I still have 16 available spots!

I think I'll use the rest of the slots for themed papers and maybe even album projects.

 

So now instead of taking over the dining room table....which I don't really like leaving out like this,

 

 I may have to start scrapbooking in my office credenza because it is conveniently located next to my new paper storage...

 

Happy Scrappin'!

 

Creative Memories bankruptcy update

The following email went out to Rewards Club members today. It says that there will be a "last chance" order period in July for some core products, like Refills, Page Protectors and some core albums. This is pending court approval. They are intending to re-launch (perhaps under a new brand name or new packaging?) in the "future" but they have not been specific in how soon the future would be. Recently CM closed in Australia and their While Supplies Last lasted about two hours. I'm optimistic yet cautious as so much of this is out of CM's hands now and in the hands of the Court.

 

What do you need currently to make progress on your Creative Memories albums? Please take stock of what you have and decide what you may need in the near future to complete your current album projects. I will help you as best I can with keeping you up to date with news from CM. It is my heartfelt desire that our albums, pages and page protectors be around for generations to come.

 

Hugging my CM albums today,

Donna Lyn 

 

Dear Rewards Club Member,

Thank you for your membership, and for your belief in Creative Memories products and mission.

As you may know, we're working on exciting plans for a bright new future for our business that will bring the mission to even more people. As we’ve shared before, we intend to emerge from Chapter 11 with a simpler, more focused business model, and will be sharing more with you as we go.

As part of the Chapter 11 process, Creative Memories has sent a few official notifications on behalf of the Court, and you will be getting another one later today. It will likely be in "legalese," so we'd like to explain what it includes.

The future business we're working on includes new, fresh products and programs. To make that happen, we need to begin transitioning out of current products and programs. So we've filed a motion for the Court's consideration. It establishes procedures and modifies some of our programs related to while supplies last for many traditional products and a last chance order opportunity.

What's been put before the Court is our intention, and it does require Court approval, so it is not a certainty yet. But upon approval, what does that mean for you and for the Rewards Club?

• We will stop accepting new members or renewing existing memberships of the Rewards Club (this is effective as of the filing today, June 12, 2013).
• We will honor Rewards Club Credits, and the Rewards Club program will continue until August 21, 2013.
• Due to the while supplies last of traditional products, we will not be restocking much of the current inventory on hand, so this is an excellent time to use your Club Credits to get those products you've had your eye on.
• We will issue Club Credits to compensate for unused days of Membership. We will use August 21 as the final day for the Rewards Club and base calculations on the membership fee of $39. So for example, if an individual bought a membership on June 1, 2013, then as of August 21, 2013 she would have used 82 days of the membership, leaving 283 days used.  Thus, she would be credited with $30.24 in Rewards Club Credit ($39 x (283/365)).
• For some core products, like Refills, Page Protectors and some core albums, we will be offering a "last chance" order period in July, during which time we will do our best to manufacture to demand. We will communicate more about that as it gets closer, including the specific products available for a last chance order.

All of this is pending approval from the Court, so items like the reimbursement of Club Credits will happen when and if we get approval.

We understand this is big news, but hope, if approved as proposed, the transition period will be sufficient for you to get the supplies you need. And please know that we will welcome you with open arms as we re-launch in the future.

Thank you from the Creative Memories Home Office Team