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  • Posted By: michelleinFlorida @ 11/19/2007 10:01:38 PM

    rules of the contest aside, People who have nothing better to do then to trash talk are wrong. The women who have bad mouthed CK, and Contes, are also tearing into the industry. It is just a reminder that the world is full of cruel people who just go through life looking for a reason to tear down another human being. Mistake, on purpose, etc. whatever it is, forgive, forget, and move on with your life. Go back to your scrapbook, and leave hers alone for goodness sake!

  • Posted By: Mary Mary @ 11/15/2007 4:01:26 PM

    How sad that Newsweek has been duped and lied to by Ms. Contes. Ms Contes cheated and was caught and now it's sour grape time. The rules clearly stated that all work must be sole work of the enterant. Ms. Contes used photography that another scrapper and professional photographer created. She used these photos even after signing an affidavit that all the work was her own. She cheated and was called to task when the book for HOF came out and other scrappers recognized the photography. A cheater is a cheater and it really makes me wonder how Newsweek would look at this whole situation if it was a reporter who plagerized instead of a dishonest young womean?

    • Posted By: jpscraps @ 11/16/2007 2:56:16 AM

      This article just reminded me of the reasons why I don't subscribe to Newsweek or CK. I would have liked to see someone other than the Scrap Smack blog represent the scrappers' and other contestants' points of view. I think Scrap Smack is a disgrace, Contes is a disgrace, and this article makes us all look like we've taken up scrapping to fill the void left by daytime soaps. Sadly, the manner in which women chose to address this issue has made all scrappers look catty. Want to be respected? Act in a way that earns it. Whether you're a blogger, a scrapper, or a contestant.

  • Posted By: Mary Mary @ 11/15/2007 3:56:44 PM

    How sad that you haven't researched and gotten the whole story. Ms. Contes used a professional photographer's work on several of her entries and then signed an affidavit that the entire entry was solely her work. It wasn't until months after she accepted and benefited from the publicity and perks, when the official Hall of Fame cook came out, that several women noticed that the photography was not Ms. Contes' work. As scrappers, we take pride in our own work and if we are all abiding by the rules, there should be some accountability for those who blatanly cheat. Plagerism is plagerism, how would that go over in the literary world?

  • Posted By: SusieScrapbook @ 11/07/2007 7:33:25 PM

    I think Newsweek missed the whole point! There are 100's of scrapbookers who could stand in for Kristina Contes, her work is not so special that she is unique. She won a contest. She cheated. She admitted it. She was disqualified. She is now throwing a temper tantrum about the whole thing. There are a lot of people who can replace her and someone has. To call all the women who demanded Creating Keepsake follow their own rules "...ridiculous, vile creatures," says Contes., just shows her lack of respect for women and for following the rules. Creating Keepsakes should shoulder the responsibility for this fiasco but as long as women like Contes continue to spew vulgar comments on the internet CK will not have to accept any of the real responsibility!!!

  • Posted By: scrapbookjudge @ 11/07/2007 11:45:13 AM

    I agree that this article is not the normal Newsweek publication but more similar to what I would expect to read on a blog or message board. I know to bypass future articles submitted by Linda Fantin since it's obvious that she does not understand the complete story of events that have transpired.

    It is admirable that Kristina wanted to give credit to the photographer, however her quoted responses as listed in this and other article publications only reflect her low level of maturity and bitterness of CK's decision to remove her from the HOF list. I'm guessing she just graduated from High School and is still learning about the adult world.

  • Posted By: SuzyScrapbooker @ 11/06/2007 11:51:08 AM

    The bottom line is that a few of the scrapbookers that won the contest broke the rules. the rules clearly stated that the pictures featured in layouts had to be ones taken by you personally, because this particular contest isn't jsut about scrapbooking, it's about photography too. KC admitted that she used pictures that she herself did not take. and as far as the highschool behavior she is accusing us "suzy scrapbookers" of, if that isn't the pot callng the kettle black I don't know what is. KC resorted to infantile name calling right as the accusations started flying. If KC actually retreats from scrapbooking (which i doubt since according to her blog, she is such a "polarizing figure" in the industry) then don't let the door smack you on the way out honey! no one needs your petty attitude! YOU WILL NOT BE MISSED!

  • Posted By: justanotherscrapbooker @ 11/06/2007 11:13:24 AM

    I didn't think it was possible, but Kristina actually managed to make herself look even more like a classless, immature little girl. She comments about it not being high school but she might want to check her files and make sure she actually received a high school diploma. I can't wait to see what happens when they go to buy their first home. Since she obviously can't be bothered to read instructions or the fine print my guess is they'll end up in a heap of trouble.

  • Posted By: JAREDHARLEM @ 11/05/2007 1:10:26 PM

    The whole point of scrapping is to remember the memories and to capture a moment in a artistic creative way. The whole scrapbooking business is maintained by creating books of other peoples photography. Without other peoples photos and memories than all we would be left with is a whole slew of crazy "lunatic, jealous women" filling there own houses with there own stuff. Without other peoples photos and memories than all you have is a bunch of bored woman who can only scrap there own lives. Without other peoples photos all you are left with is alot of out of work scrappers.
    I think that with a scrapbook page the least amount of work is the taking of the photo. The time and thought and love that is added when you add the buttons and artistry and paper and the ribbons and the glue and all the little things that change a plain photo album into a scrap book is where the work comes in. A photo is just a photo until you turn it into something more. That is what scrapbooking is. THIS WAS NOT A PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST I feel that Kristi did nothing wrong since the whole business is built on taking other peoples photos and turning them into something magical and worth keeping and looking at, instead of tossing in a shoebox with so many other memories. The final page is the artwork, the memory, regardless of who took the darn photo.


    And Just So you crazy women know. ALL publicity is good Publicity, so while your page has never been seen, Kristis page has been seen by everyone who thinks about scrapbooking everywhere

    • Posted By: scrapper2 @ 11/06/2007 10:15:40 AM

      Jared - You must have missed an important point. ITWAS A PHOTO CONTEST TOO. The rules stated that all photo were to be taken by the submitter ALL work was to be their own. Most scrapbookers use their own photos that they take of their own families. I don't know of anyone that hires people to follow them around and take pictures of the every day moments of their lives. Sure thay may have the occasional professional photo in their books but they are rare and not the norm.
      The whole mess is really about honestty and the lack of it!

  • Posted By: SillyScrap @ 11/06/2007 9:58:39 AM

    I personally think the photography rule is ridiculous. It is a scrapbooking contest, so the focus should be on the page design as a whole.
    However,a rule is a rule, and when one of your entrants breaks the rule, then their entry should be disqualified. Kristina Contes is not the only one whose photos were not her own.
    The issue is not "women tearing down women" which is the spin the author decided to take on this story. The bigger issue is the rumors that have been circulating for years about these so called contests. That the magazine has preselected winners and told them to "submit anything" and they would win. Using the Hall of Fame contest to reward designers of advertisers and other favored contributors and letting the rules slide if necessary.
    It may seem silly to outsiders, but people put alot of time and effort into fulfilling the requirements for the contest. It. It is understandable that they are upset.

  • Posted By: conkrot @ 11/06/2007 9:34:05 AM

    The entire point of this wasn't to smear Kristina or anyone else associated with the Hall of Fame. The point was and still is, honesty, integrity, and respect. And for those of us who help make scrapbooking the billion dollar industry that it is, respect is key. We are the ones who buy all of this stuff and make these magazines possible. Too often things have happend in the past and we-the consumers- are told to shut up and take it. We will no longer be quiet. The real story behind this is the power that a bunch of "suzy scrappers" have over the companies that spend lots of money on ads in Creating Keepsakes.

  • Posted By: conkrot @ 11/06/2007 9:32:59 AM

    The entire point of this wasn't to smear Kristina or anyone else associated with the Hall of Fame. The point was and still is, honesty, integrity, and respect. And for those of us who help make scrapbooking the billion dollar industry that it is, respect is key. We are the ones who buy all of this stuff and make these magazines possible. Too often things have happend in the past and we-the consumers- are told to shut up and take it. We will no longer be quiet. The real story behind this is the power that a bunch of "suzy scrappers" have over the companies that spend lots of money on ads in Creating Keepsakes.

  • Posted By: Ole_Sarge @ 11/05/2007 11:53:37 PM

    It goes back to, or comes down to a MAJOR issue in every facet of business and government - integrity.

    General Ron Fogelman told Congress back when an Air Force Officer was about to be Court-Martial over an affair with an enlisted Airman's husband. Lt. Kelly Finn lied about it, and even after given a direct order to end it, instead did not, and continued to lie about it. The breach was NOT the affair, but the lying and cover-up.

    The scandal is not Mrs. Contes "lying," all evidence points that she DID NOT lie about the fact she did not personally take the photographs (as required under the contest rules.)

    CK Media lied and attempted to "cover-up" and squash the controversy. The folks at CK Media and the editorial staff of Creating Keepsakes Magazine really ARE either too dumb to be running a multi-million dollar enterprise, or too corrupt to care about the scandal, and are ignoring it, if they don't see or acknowledge it, then it must not exist.

    Yes, "it's just a hobby" but it is just another symptom of the degradation of American Moral Character in the 21st Century.

  • Posted By: Ole_Sarge @ 11/05/2007 11:04:40 PM

    It goes back to, or comes down to a MAJOR issue in every facet of business and government - integrity.

    General Ron Fogelman told Congress back when an Air Force Officer was about to be Court-Martial over an affair with an enlisted Airman's husband. Lt. Kelly Finn lied about it, and even after given a direct order to end it, instead did not, and continued to lie about it. The breach was NOT the affair, but the lying and cover-up.

    The scandal is not Mrs. Contes "lying," all evidence points that she DID NOT lie about the fact she did not personally take the photographs (as required under the contest rules.)

    CK Media lied and attempted to "cover-up" and squash the controversy. The folks at CK Media and the editorial staff of Creating Keepsakes Magazine really ARE either too dumb to be running a multi-million dollar enterprise, or too corrupt to care about the scandal, and are ignoring it, if they don't see or acknowledge it, then it must not exist.

    Yes, "it's just a hobby" but it is just another symptom of the degradation of American Moral Character in the 21st Century.

  • Posted By: Ole_Sarge @ 11/05/2007 10:54:42 PM

    It goes back to, or comes down to a MAJOR issue in every facet of business and government - integrity.

    General Ron Fogelman told Congress back when an Air Force Officer was about to be Court-Martialed over an affair with an enlisted Airman's husband. Lt. Kelly Finn lied about it, and even after given a direct order to end it, instead did not, and continued to lie about it. The breach was NOT the affair, but the lying and cover-up.

    The scandal is not Mrs. Contes "lying," all evidence points that she DID NOT lie about the fact she did not personally take the photographs (as required under the contest rules.)

    CK Media, lied and attempted to "cover-up" and squash the controversy. The folks at CK Media and the editorial staff of Creating Keepsakes Magazine really ARE either too dumb to be running a multi-million dollar enterprise, or too corrupt to care about the scandal, and are ignoring it, if they don't see or acknowledge it, then it must not exist.

    Yes, "it's just a hobby" but it is just another symptom of the degradation of American Moral Character in the 21st Century.

  • Posted By: jodie.s @ 11/05/2007 8:25:50 PM

    Whether or not you like the rules, or agree with them, is irrelevent. These scrappers entered the contest, signed affadavits that the work was their own and used the photos of professionals. The quest for subsribers and other contestants to have the rules equally applied is not being jealous, vindictive or vile. It is making the playing field even and making sure everyone has the same advantages.

    And, Jared,,,you are right. Photography is the "least work" in scrapbooking. Especially when you use someone else's photos.

  • Posted By: Nancy Nally @ 11/05/2007 7:11:32 PM

    Perhaps if Linda Fantin had read the reporting on the issue at ScrapbookUpdate.com, she would know what the actual issue was instead of resorting to the tabloid version of events.

  • Posted By: Nancy Nally @ 11/05/2007 7:08:50 PM

    I find Ms. Fantin's article a discredit to Newsweek's standards of journalism. The acidic comments of a disgruntled contestant who was disqualified for violating the contest's rules make great (tabloid) journalism but are not the real story. The real story is of consumers who have been suspicious for years about the judging of a major contest finally having proof and demanding fairness be restored.

  • Posted By: Britishscrapper @ 11/05/2007 6:15:15 PM

    As I understand it, Kristina Contes realised the layouts she entered contained photos taken by someone else. She called CK to tell them this, and they did nothing - they did not tell her that would rule her out. Later one, it all became public knowledge and CK tried to cover up their blatant mistake. They also didn't disqualify two other people whose work contained pictures of themselves that had to have been taken by someone else. So why isn't anyone bitching about CK's role in all this?

  • Posted By: scrapbookjudge @ 11/05/2007 4:17:04 PM

    Kristina Contes did not follow the rules. She signed documentation stating she understood the rules of the contest and took the photos. CK did not follow their contest rules and selected her entry as a winner. CK attempted to blame a new employee for the oversight of the photo.

    So tell me Kristina, where's the jealousy? We are not jealous of your work or your fame. We simply do not tolerate dishonesty and you seem to be having a problem with that. Integrity, how about looking that up on the Wiki.

  • Posted By: scrapbookjudge @ 11/05/2007 4:16:30 PM

    Kristina Contes did not follow the rules. She signed documentation stating she understood the rules of the contest and took the photos. CK did not follow their contest rules and selected her entry as a winner. CK attempted to blame a new employee for the oversight of the photo.

    So tell me Kristina, where's the jealousy? We are not jealous of your work or your fame. We simply do not tolerate dishonesty and you seem to be having a problem with that. Integrity, how about looking that up on the Wiki.


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