Interweave Announces Step by Step Beads Magazine Will Merge Into Beadwork Magazine in Spring 2010

Loveland, Colo.: Interweave announced today the decision to merge Step by Step Beads into Beadwork magazine. Both publications serve the modern seed-bead crafter and jewelry-making enthusiast and have been published by Interweave for several years.

Beadwork was launched in 1998 by Interweave and is published six times a year. Step by Step Beads, also a bi-monthly publication, launched in 2004 and was acquired by Interweave in 2006 from Primedia, Inc.’s GEMS Group (NYSE:PRIM), along with the purchase of several other beading and jewelry making titles and bead events.

According to Interweave’s David Pyle, VP/Division Publisher for Art, Jewelry + Yarn, “While there’s no question that the editorial team has worked hard to position Step by Step Beads for success, it has become plain that the market and our readers will be better served through a merger. This move lessens the competitive pressure upon our other beading and jewelry titles, offers greater efficiencies across the market and within our internal operations, and should offer a boost to Beadwork in circulation and advertising reach.

Pyle added, “We’re confident that by merging and expanding our Beadwork readership, we’ll be even better able to satisfy the interests and needs of this powerful, committed segment of the beading market.”

The final issue of Step by Step Beads will be the January/February 2010 publication. Thereafter, subscribers to the magazine will receive Beadwork magazine.

The immediate past editor of Step by Step Beads magazine, Leslie Rogalski, has recently assumed the role of Online Editor for Beading Daily (www.BeadingDaily.com), Interweave’s online community for beading and jewelry-making enthusiasts. The current Step by Step Beads editor, Jane Dickerson, will remain with Interweave in another editorial capacity, and Melinda Barta will continue as editor of Beadwork.

Beadwork magazine has been serving the beading world for more than a decade and delivers the content that our experienced, passionate beaders want: techniques, inspiration, and great projects.

Beadwork will be introducing the following new features starting with the April/May 2010 issue:

• Project ratings: A graphic that rates a project’s required time commitment level on a 1-to-3 scale.
• Stitch Pro: A starting place for beginners that teaches a common stitch, while offering beaders of all levels an in-depth exploration of the stitch.
• Simply Seeds: A spotlighted project 100% made with seed beads, from clasp to the body
  of the project.
• Bead Artist: Expanded to include profiles of both bead artisans and beadweaving artists.

“We’re expanding Beadwork’s editorial content in some exciting new ways, says Editor Melinda Barta. “Most of all, Beadwork will welcome all seed-bead enthusiasts to a host of modern and wearable designs crafted in a centuries-old tradition.”

“As always, our mission remains to serve our readers with the best and most highly targeted content possible. This move allows us to do exactly that,” says Pyle.

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Websites

http://www.aspire-media.com
http://www.interweave.com
http://www.interweavestore.com
http://www.beadingdaily.com
http://www.beadworkmagazine.com

About Interweave

Interweave, a unit of Aspire Media, is one of the nation’s largest and most respected art and craft media companies, with businesses in magazine and book publishing, online media, television and video programming, directories, and events. The Interweave Publishing Group features 18 subscription magazines and many more special interest newsstand publications sold on newsstands nationwide. Interweave has more than 250 books in print and annually publishes about 40 how-to books on the same subjects as the company’s magazines. Additionally, Interweave produces several major events for fiber and bead, gem, and jewelry making enthusiasts and has an extensive Internet network of more than 30 websites and daily e-mail newsletters. Interweave is the proud sponsor of three craft television series airing on PBS: Quilting Arts TV, a fresh, contemporary quilting program, Beads, Baubles, & Jewels, public television’s only how-to program for beading and jewelry making enthusiasts, and public television’s newest show for knitting and crochet enthusiasts, Knitting Daily TV.

Linda Ligon founded the company in the 1970s when she began publishing Handwoven and Spin-Off magazines. Since then, the company has grown to employ more than 150 people throughout the country, with corporate headquarters located in Loveland, Colorado and other offices in New York, New York, Malvern, Pennsylvania, Santa Fe, New Mexico, San Diego, California and Stow, Massachusetts. For more information on Interweave, visit www.interweave.com or call (970) 669-7672.