American Crafts & Pebbles Inc.

It's final. The papers are signed and Pebbles Inc. will now be in the hands of American Crafts. It has only been two short weeks from start to finish and I believe it will be a good home for Pebbles Inc. These past nine years with Pebbles Inc. have been filled with many wonderful memories and a lot of learning experiences. Having one foot in retail stores and the other in product development has been hard at best to juggle with family. I love them all, but you can't have it all. People who say you can are crazy. There are sacrifices with every choice we make and people who do not own a business do not begin to understand the stresses involved. I have to simplify my life. I did what was best for my family and for the continuation of Pebbles and some of the employees. My focus will now be on the stores and consulting in product development for our Pebbles line at American Crafts. It has been a hard 2 weeks and aside from feeling sad, this feels right.
-Brenda

OREM, Utah – Oct. 1, 2009 – American Crafts today announced the acquisition of Pebbles Inc., effective immediately.

Pebbles Inc. brand products feature easy-to-use scrapbooking supplies, including patterned paper, craft chalk and stencils, Snapshot photo stickers, decorative Chips chipboard shapes, self-adhesive Candy Dot embellishments, themed die cuts, color-coordinated ribbon spools and more.

American Crafts will continue to offer current Pebbles Inc. product line and plans to introduce new products over time. Pebbles Inc. will remain a separate brand under the American Crafts umbrella.

Pebbles Inc. was founded in 2001 by Brenda Birrell as an extension of the Pebbles in my Pocket retail stores, located in Orem, Salt Lake City and St. George, Utah. The retail stores will remain under Birrell’s ownership and management.

Jeff Mitchell, president of American Crafts, says that Pebbles in my Pocket retail stores have been loyal American Crafts customers for years. “We consider Brenda a longtime friend and recognize the tremendous contributions she has made as a pioneer in scrapbooking. We think the line of products she and her designers have created nicely complements American Crafts’ product lines,” said Mitchell. “We’re excited to add Pebbles Inc. into the mix and offer an even greater selection of high-quality craft supplies.”

The core of Pebbles’ design team will join American Crafts to ensure a continuation of Pebbles’ simple, cute and fun look that’s well loved by beginner and intermediate scrapbookers alike.
Birrell says her goal with Pebbles Inc. has always been to allow people the opportunity to preserve memories and strengthen relationships in a fun and easy way.

“I feel good knowing American Crafts will move that initiative forward,” said Birrell. “When we made the decision to sell Pebbles Inc. to focus on managing our retail stores, American Crafts immediately came to mind as the perfect fit.”

American Crafts has created stylish and innovative scrapbooking products since the early 1990s. The company has established itself as a leader in the industry by providing stylish, high-quality products and responsive customer service. In addition to patterned paper, American Crafts produces Thickers,, albums, unique pens and markers, Premium Ribbon, Fla!r embellishments, Remarks stickers, Minimarks rub-on transfers and other embellishments that always rank as customers’ favorites.

Pebbles Inc. brand represents inspiring scrapbooking products that are fun and easy to use. Since 2001, Pebbles Inc. products have helped people preserve their memories in a simple, fun way. The company offers patterned paper, craft chalk and stencils Snapshot photo stickers, decorative Pebbles Chips chipboard shapes, self-adhesive Candy Dot embellishments, themed die cuts, color-coordinated ribbon spools and other easy-to-use supplies.