Newsletter questionnaire.- Debbie

Your Full Name: Debbie Buckland

Website: http://godzoneds-thoughts.spaces.live.com/

What is your own background in scrapbooking?

I started scrapbooking when my friend introduced be while I was pregnant with my first child. I started a “this is your life” book that expands on what I put in her baby book. Ever since then I haven’t stopped.

I am now a demonstrator for Fiskars  with their tools and started up this NewsLetter called Oh Scrap. Have been a Design Team member for www.heaven-sent.com.au from 1 Sept 2007 – 1 March 2008

My scrapbook resume is online at: http://www.scrapbook.com/resumes/185029.html

How and when did Oh Scrap start? What inspired you to start the eNewsLetter?

Oh Scrap started about mid Jan 2008 when I had the idea to do an online Magazine. What inspired me? My design team position at Heaven Sent and my willingness to help and show people to do crafting. I started doing heaps of research on free website hosts and other places. Thinking about what I could do with it without just being a static magazine “just the same as everything else” and different from a blog or forum.

Money for me is an issue as I am on a low income so things had to be as free as possible.

I couldn’t find a free website host that I liked so I almost gave up when I thought about putting it out as an email PDF version then Oh Scrap was born.

The next thing was to recruit helpers for I new something like this could have the potential to explode. I wanted to have others involved in the process and let them also call it their own.

What kind of atmosphere does it have?

I hope it to have a fun, humorous, welcoming atmosphere.

Please describe the unique features and advantages of the newsletter. How is it different to others and what does it offer to customers that other stores do not?

The unique features and advantages has to be the male influence in the newsletter. The ability to see video, have how to tips and hints and saving tips. It is reader based – readers need to submit articles, video and projects for the next issue to be released. I don’t want it to be all about me.

Please tell me a little about your staff. What kind of scrapbooking background do they have? What strengths do they bring to the business?

Throws of the beginning on all this…..

Carlee – co-coordinator - trusted internet friend from Fiskateers forum. She shares the same responsibilities I have. She is my main ideas person and brain stormer. Other responsibilities include having access to the current editable version. Her position will grow soon. ;)

Tina – has been asked and is thinking about it - yet to confirm – another trusted internet Fiskateer friend. Has been asked to be the “subscribe co-ordinator.” She is the one that will send out the thank you for subscribing emails to subscribers. Add the subscribers to our contact list and put a note in the Notes when they subscribed just for reference.

What sort of classes and workshops do you offer? Do you offer classes in anything other than scrapbook pages or a unique area of the craft? Please also tell us a little about your teachers and their approach.

Classes will be offered as How to’s in video or article formats.

Be anything to do with scrapbooking or paper crafting.

Teachers will be subscribers to the newsletter itself and maybe co-ordinators.

Do you hold any special scrapping events or competitions?

I hope to in the future.

Working on how to get hold of credit so we can accumulate prizes.

The main thing we could start immediately is MSN conferencing with subscribers on MSN Messanger.

What incentives do you offer for frequent readers? What additional benefits do you provide your readers with?

Readers are able to submit their own work. And articles. Participate in anyway they want to. I’m open to anything.

Please tell me about your range of content. What do you specialize in? Is there anything special you supply that is not readily available from other magazines and newsletters?

Male influence – men scrapbooking, what their views are and how to do male orientated pages.

Scrapbook saving tips.

How to’s.

I’d like to put out a printable and  digital series of unique papers, embellishments available to subscribers in the future…. This will be my Design Team. Maybe 4 people?

How do you keep up-to-date with new products and the latest trends?

I need help with this.

But mainly with company blogs.

What is your company motto or philosophy?

Working on this….

Where crafters are welcome to share and learn.

What do you find rewarding about running the newsletter?

Being able to share ideas and expose people to things that they otherwise wouldn’t know about in paper crafting.

I’d be thrilled to get an email one day saying:

 “I have now got a job in scrapbooking because an industry person saw my work in the newsletter”

Describe the key elements and function of your newsletter? Is it easy to navigate?

Key elements:

Male influence

Tips and how to – learning environment

Yes easy to navigate.

Do you specialise in traditional or digital scrapping – or both? Is there anything unique you supply which is not readily available from other mags or newsletters?

I hope both in the future. It all depends on reader submissions.
the male influence and lots of how tos. Video.

Describe the unique features of your mag/newsletter. Do you offer special product discounts, free postage, competitions or any other element that could interest online shoppers?

We hope to have competitions as we accumulate credit with scrapbook.com affiliate program (if we are accepted) to provide prizes. Online shoppers click on our scrapbook.com link and they can buy things from them so we get credit to buy prizes.

Do you offer any special features in your mag/newsletter that may encourage customers to visit, such as a chat forum, online gallery or product reviews?

We have a blog and have MSN messenger. The online gallery is in the blog. Product reviews are in the news letter as they come to hand.

Does your blog/newsletter have a design team? How do they offer readers something extra? Is the design team made up of digital or traditional scrappers – or both?

My future design team will have a different twist….. The will design papers and digital elements for traditional and digital scrappers. They will then also design pages to show how their products work. Not started yet but is in the thought processes.

Do you have means to keep people informed about specials, new products, events etc?

Yes via the blog.

Past issues will be available by links via the blog.

Do you offer any online events like cyber crops, classes, workshops? If so, tell us about your teachers and their approach.

Online events will be via MSN and could be live crop classes or chat sessions.

Do you have any other interesting/appealing facts about the newsletter?

Gee I think I covered everything.

I hope to have a monthly release.

Email us at ohscrap@live.com with "Article idea or Video idea or scrapbook saving tip or sketch" in the subject line.
In your email type up a rough idea of your article/video. Once approved you will get an email to say your idea is either accepted or denighed.
All material must be new, original and unposted anywhere else on the internet or in print.

Due date is ALWAYS: 26th of every month.

Article:

Video's
Must be clear as you can get it.
Include in the end credits "Produced for Oh Scrap. see our blog at: http://ohscrapnewsletter.spaces.live.com "
Videos must be emailed to us for aproval and so we can upload to our You-tube account.
Meet You-tube guidelines....limited to 10 minutes and 100 MB in size.

Email us at ohscrap@live.com with "submission" in the subject line.

Please note down what supplies you used.
Tools, adheasive, papers, embellies etc.

You may include your blog and/or web