Featured Buy: Scrap'n Easle (meet the maker)

Earlier today we announced today's Featured Buy, the Scrap'n Easel. We wanted to share more about this great product and so we thought, who better to share that with you then the creator of it. Welcome Marlo to the My Craft Channel blog....

INTRODUCTION

First, thank you to My Craft Channel and to all of those who requested Scrap'n Easel to be today’s Featured Buy. You guys rock! 

ABOUT ME

My name is Marlo Letterle and I am the owner of ContainYa Crafts, Ltd. and the creator of Scrap'n Easel.  I am a 50 something grandmother with 8 wonderful grandchildren.  I live on a small horse farm in northern Illinois about 40 miles southwest of Chicago.

MY COMPANY

ContainYa Crafts is a family owned and operated company.  We celebrated our first year in business this past July.  We also attended the CHA Summer Trade Show that same month.  Having Scrap'n Easel named one of the CHA's Top 20 Hot Picks made our one year anniversary even more special!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T SCRAPBOOK!

I get teased quite a bit from my customers and retailers because I don't scrapbook or craft . . . at all!!   Ok, maybe a little crochet here and there but I have never been one for scissors and glue.  I have no creative ability in that regard at all.  Naturally, you are probably wondering how in the world I came up with the idea for Scrap'n Easel if I don't scrapbook.  The short version of that story goes like this: 

I was up late one evening watching television  and happened upon the Cricut informercial.  I was so impressed with the Cricut machine I ordered it for my kids and grand kids to use when the came to visit.  As every Cricut owner does, we began to acquire cartridges so I went online to look for something to store them in.  I did not find anything I liked and began to realize that I had found a niche.   I designed and manufactured a storage product for Cricut cartridges, books & overlays.  I call "her" Scrap'n Tote.  Scrap'n Tote. has exceeded my expectations and my customers just love it. 

Naturally, I began meeting scrapbooking folks.  So many of them would mention to me that their back, shoulders etc ached from scrapbooking and that they even used a Physical Therapist at crops!    Eventually, the wheels started turning in my head and I envisioned bringing the work up to the scrapbooker in the form of an easel.  I felt that would solve the problem of body fatigue and offer fantastic visibility to the user as well..  As I mentioned my idea to my customers they began to offer suggestions as to how to make the product better.  I knew I wanted it magnetized with 12"x12" grid lines but it was my customers who told me to make it a double easel.  I worked with the same company who makes Scrap'n Tote to make Scrap'n Easel.   After about 6 months and several prototypes I finally had the finished product.  We launched Scrap'n Easel late spring of 2011.  Nothing has been the same since!  Scrap'n Easel has been a huge hit with papercrafters, card makers, scrapbookers etc.

"THE BEST THING I NEVER KNEW I ALWAYS WANTED!"

I receive e-mails and calls every day from delighted Scrap'n Easel customers.   I had a woman tell me the other day that "Scrap'n Easel is the best thing I never knew I always wanted". 

Nothing quite like Scrap'n Easel has ever been offered to paper crafters before.  Scrap'n Easel is a portfolio style, double, magnetic paper craft easel.  It weighs 4.3 pounds and measures 12.5"x12.5"x.5" and that makes it extremely portable . . . a real plus for those of you who travel to crops etc.   Scrap'n Easel brings the work up to you instead of you hovering over the work!  This enables you to actually sit in a comfortable position to work, design, create and play . . . for hours or days . . . pain free!    Scrap'n Easel includes 2 removable 12"X12" grids, 16 super strong neodymium magnets, and a flexible 12" magnetic ruler.  The ruler makes sure that your designs line up perfectly.  The magnets are strong enough to hold multiple layers of designs and/or embelishments  in place until you are ready to permanently glue them down.  Move things around as much as you like until it is just right.  And, you can do all of this right on Scrap'n Easel!

Instead of permanently screen printing the grids right onto Scrap'n Easel I made them removable.  The reason for this is that when you are finished designing you can remove the grids and invert your Scrap'n Easel . . . in other words, just flip it over.  You are now in Scrap'n Easel's "display mode".  You can use the easel in this position to display what you just created, or take photographs of your work (without the grid lines in the way), or use it for class room instruction, video taping etc.   The "display position" makes taking photographs so simple; much better than taping to the fridge to take a photograph.  And, the black background is easily photoshopped out!  Bloggers and class room instructors love the display position because it makes it so easy for everyone to see a demonstration or lesson, and, it makes video taping a breeze! 

A SCRAP'N EASEL ACCESSORY THAT TRULY ROCKS!

Scrap'n Easel gets even better with my new Jumbo Scrap' Light!  The Jumbo Scrap'n Light clips right on to

your Scrap'n Easel.  It runs on 3 AA Batteries and comes with an A/C adapter so you can plug it in to an electrical outlet too!  The Jumbo Scrap'n Light has 9 bright LED lights and comes in a lovely canvas storage bag.  You even get your first set of batteries with Jumbo Scrap'n Light!    This light is very bright and shines a signifigant amount of light on the work surface of your Scrap'n Easel.  For more information on Scrap'n Light just visit our website at: www.ContainYaCrafts.com

A WORD OF CAUTION

1.  Please remember to keep your magnets away from small children and pets.  Swallowed or inhaled magnets can be very dangerous!  I recommend using an old prescription medication bottle for storing your magnets.  It is a really safe and worry free way to store your magnets.

2.  The surfaces of Scrap'n Easel are made of vinyl (even the grids are clear vinyl).  Vinyl is sensitive to extreme temperatures.  Don't leave it in the car in summer time as heat will cause the vinyl to warp.  Conversely,  really cold temperatures can cause the vinyl to crack if you drop it.  Keep your easel indoors at normal room temperatures and you won't have any problems.

3.  Sometimes the manufacturer gets a little crazy and cuts the grids a hair too big.  If you receive ill fitting grids you can trim the edges with a good sharp scissor.  Don't use a sliding cutter as it will remove the screen printing and will erase your numbers.  lf you trim a grid and are not happy with how it turned out it just let me know and I am more than happy to send you a new one (or two as the case may be).

THAT ABOUT SUMS IT UP!

I could go on and on about Scrap'n Easel but I think you get the idea.  If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at ContainYaCrafts@aol.com. or visit our website at www.ContainYaCrafts.com.  Follow us on Facebook too!

Again, thank you to all those who requested Scrap'n Easel for today's Featured Buy on My Craft Channel.  I am truly thankful. - Marlo