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HOBBIES

A Scrap Over Scrapbooks

NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Nov 12, 2007

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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

      Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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: SillyScrap @ 11/06/2007 9:58:39 AM

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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

    Comment: 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 4:16:25 PM

    Comment: 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 4:14:47 PM

    Comment: 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: blondiek237 @ 11/05/2007 2:11:18 PM

    Comment: It is about following the rules of a contest that has a monetary prize--how would you feel if you had entered a contest, followed all the rules only to find out that the person who won had not followed the rules and was bitter and angry when asked to step down. Take scrapbooking out of the equation and then look at it. That was what all the uproar was about.

  • Posted By: svsugirl @ 11/05/2007 1:34:17 PM

    Comment: I think petty jealous women is correct. I think every woman who said BS to and about her is immature. Honestly what is wrong with people, obviously those that are so negative need to get a life, or a different hobby...

  • Posted By: svsugirl @ 11/05/2007 1:28:40 PM

    Comment: I think petty jealous women is correct. I think every woman who said BS to and about her is immature. Honestly what is wrong with people, obviously those that are so negative need to get a life, or a different hobby...

  • Posted By: JAREDHARLEM @ 11/05/2007 1:28:03 PM

    Comment: THIS WAS NOT A PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

    really that is what needs to be discussed
    without other peoples artwork and photographs their would be no scrapbooking business
    the time and thought and love that goes into adding the buttons and ribbons and gluing the paper and stickers and this and that that is where the work lies. The least amount of work is the taking of the photo. Without all the other stuff it would just be a photo in a plain old album that nobody looks at. Regardless of who took the photo the work is the final page. We dont give credit to the guy who made the paint that Michaelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel with but to the finished work. I think that in such a small community, you scrappers, who have only emerged recently, and mostly women, would be more compassionate and supportive of each others work and not be so cut throat and evil.

    and on a side note
    ALL PUBLICITY IS GOOD PUBLICITY
    so while most of your artwork has never been see you can be sure that Kristi's piece was seen by everyone

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

    Comment: 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

      Comment: 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: yapposcrappo @ 11/05/2007 12:15:08 PM

    Comment: This article made that Kristina Contes sound like the "ridiculous, vile creatures" she says the rest of women (in scrapbooking) are. She is doing a disservice to women everywhere with that comment. Thanks for perpetuating the "women are b!tchy" stereotype Kristina.

  • Posted By: gracie33 @ 11/05/2007 11:55:03 AM

    Comment: Are you kidding me with this?! How incredibly biased and one-sided can an article get? The outrage over this contest was never about jealously or, as Kristina Contes so eloquently stated, being "ridiculous, vile creatures," it was about right and wrong. Period! These women entered a contest, didn't follow the rules which were clearly stated and were still allowed to win. Last time I checked, cheating was wrong, reguardless of the setting it occurs in - whether it's scrapbooking or the Olympics.
    I am disgusted with Newsweek for publishing this. The writer should have checked his facts and gotten the whole story before making all sprapbookers sound like raving lunatics. Shame on you!

  • Posted By: gracie33 @ 11/05/2007 11:48:43 AM

    Comment: Are you kidding me with this? The outrage about the Hall of Fame contest was never about jealousy or being, as Kristina so eloquently put it, being "ridiculous, vile creatures," this was about right and wrong. Period. The fact is, these women cheated - they broke the rules. They should have been disqualified immediatly, but the magazine, Creating Keepsakes choose not to enforce their own rules or just didn't care enough to check, and named them winners of this competition.
    I am disgusted with Newsweek for trivializing this and making us sound like crazies. This article is clearly one-sided and should be retracted or at the very least an apology should be issued and the writter should check his facts and actually research this matter before trying to sum in it as a bunch of lunatic, jealous women.

  • Posted By: maribeth77 @ 11/05/2007 10:22:32 AM

    Comment: How patronizing!
    The Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame is a hugely advertised nation wide contest. The scrapbook manufacturers support and profit from this contest. The winners get more than a prize - their work is published in a book and magazines plus they receive employment opportunities, freelance and otherwise.
    These women are outraged that the winners cheated and won. It's not "petty" to insist that rules for a contest
    be followed.

  • Posted By: 2ruth @ 11/05/2007 5:44:50 AM

    Comment: It's too bad you didn't interview anyone other than the "injured party." Did you even bother to visit the blog? These people cheated; plain and simple. Not only were the photographs not their work, they were the work of PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS. This is so much more than "paper and glue" for many women. You have belittled that with your on-sided view of the truth. I'll be reading future articles in Newsweek with a lot more scrutiny in the future. Clearly there is bias that is neither monitored nor controlled.

  • Posted By: 2ruth @ 11/05/2007 5:40:15 AM

    Comment: It's too bad you didn't interview anyone other than the "injured party." Did you even bother to visit the blog? These people cheated; plain and simple. Not only were the photographs not their work, they were the work of PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS. This is so much more than "paper and glue" for many women. You have belittled that with your on-sided view of the truth. I'll be reading future articles in Newsweek with a lot more scrutiny in the future. Clearly there is bias that is neither monitored nor controlled.

  • Posted By: Mary Hartman @ 11/05/2007 2:14:44 AM

    Comment: The scrapbooking site Two Peas in a Bucket is more exciting that all of TV's melodramas combined. Think Stepford Wives with too much time on their hands meets mid-life boredom equals cut throat cat fights. Hollywood writers couldn't come up with more dirty, backstabbing drama! Even one of the site's managers, Kristina White, slings the dirt and acts unprofessional!

  • Posted By: Mary Hartman @ 11/05/2007 2:08:21 AM

    Comment: The scrapbooking site Two Peas in a Bucket is more exciting that all of TV's melodramas combined. Think Stepford Wives with too much time on their hands meets mid-life boredom equals cut throat cat fights. Hollywood writers couldn't come up with more dirty, backstabbing drama! Even one of the site's managers, Kristina White, slings the dirt and acts unprofessional!

  • Posted By: BernieRafter @ 11/05/2007 1:59:53 AM

    Comment: Where are the comments??

  • Posted By: smacker @ 11/04/2007 10:42:53 PM

    Comment: For even more of some of the behind the scenes mess, read what some of the members of 2peas found the owner was saying about them. (These are only tidbits found in the search engine)
    http://scrapsmack.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-safe-is-your-private-information-at.html
    Anonymous said...
    Message Board Post
    Thread: K - identity please posted by Pea1 on October 21, 2007

    omg, 'guess who smack u' is obviously not as smart as they think they are....they freaking logged in on the same computer as their regular account. and they have placed orders. so we have ..

    Message Board Post
    Thread: K - identity please posted by fraise on October 21, 2007

    i know i am naughty but i was on the smack blog just now and guess who (the blog owner) admitted her peaname...so there you have it! (but she doesn't think you guys can figure out her real identity


    Message Board Post

    Thread: K -
    identity please posted by Pea1 on October 21, 2007

    obviously i can search and find all the users who have 'smack' in their names. but if there are more related to this type of thing, without 'smack' in their names, i won't know like you guys know ..

    Message Board Post
    Thread: what i always wanted to ask a GG posted by Jennifer Harrison on October 27, 2007

    you both just posted great responses and Jpeb did too... i'm obviously too sensitive about "privacy", but that cindyupnorth chick is seriously being too pushy for me.

 
 
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