R.R. Donnelley and Clapper Communications Launch Online Craft Resource

Posted on March 29, 2000

R.R. Donnelley Online Services, the Internet solutions group of Chicago-based R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, and Clapper Communications, a crafting industry publisher, have relaunched Craftideas.com, a resource for craft enthusiasts. The new website synthesizes content from Clapper magazines and original materials.

The site features a wide range of craft projects, sources for hard-to-find materials and advice on making, selling and displaying crafts. Craftideas.com pulls in content from Clapper's four crafting publications -- Crafts 'n Things, Pack-o-Fun, Painting and Cross Stitcher -- as well as creates original content specifically for the site.

``With the Hobby Industry Association reporting that approximately 80 percent of U.S. households participate in crafts like quilting, knitting, cross-stitching and kids' projects, Craftideas.com captures a unique opportunity to create an informative, dynamic online resource and community for craft enthusiasts,'' said Kimberly Williams, vice president of R.R. Donnelley Online Services. ``Craftideas.com provides a content-rich, interactive experience for the community of crafters. Working with Clapper, we designed Craftideas.com as the premier site for crafters to gather and share information while serving as the source for new, unique ideas.''

``Craftideas.com already has a strong base of users who trust us as their leading crafting resource. But the challenge was to have this new full-service site not only appeal to our existing audience but to new users as well,'' said Heather Fox, online content editor for Clapper Communications. ``R.R. Donnelley Online Services helped us bridge that gap by providing us with the insights and capabilities necessary to create a user-friendly site adaptable to our changing needs.''

Clapper Communications Companies was established in 1951. Their first publication was Pack-O-Fun magazine. Since then they have added many more magazines to their crafting collection, such as Crafts 'n Things, Painting, Bridal Crafts and The Cross Stitcher.