EasyToMakeBooks

Let me count the ways!

2012-02-15T22:06:00.000-05:00

Why do I lovedigital?

Let me count the ways.

With HeritageMakers -

I can crop a photo and then undo if it isn’tright. (No need to worry aboutdeveloping or printing photos and then cropping correctly).
I can change the size of my photos and even convert to black and white.
I can color match background papers or photoborders perfectly.
I can “Undo”!
I don’t have to worry about the right type ofadhesive or papers to protect my photos.
I no longer need bins, boxes, organizers,closets and rooms to store supplies - just my computer!
I can easily make copies of my work for otherfriends and family!
I don’t have to haul out supplies or clean upwhen finished. Just shut down my PC.
I can share my projects with others onlinewho would like to create something similar.
I can work onmy projects anywhere I can access the internet.

Have you consideredgoing digital?

Join Us At Our Digital and Traditional Scrapbook Retreat

Hosted by Independent Consultants - Patricia Glass and Lynn Zeddies

Starting - Friday, March 23, 2012 - 3 PM
Ending - Saturday, March 24, 2012 - Midnight
Place - Drury Inn, Frankenmuth, MI

For more information or register - go to digitalcrop.INFO

2012-02-12T19:05:00.002-05:00

At the Heart of Heritage Makers

When Heritage Makers asked Studio Product Manager Lynda Angelastro to add a new “grandpa” cornerstone to the Heritage Maker line, she naturally turned to her own father’s life for inspiration. He was happy to talk about his younger years and on a Christmas visit, Lynda and her dad finished the fact-filled 8 x 8 storybook that would eventually become template 52533.


“Listening to Dad’s stories was the highlight of my trip to England that year. As he recounted memories of his childhood and meeting my mother, I realized he was telling me the stories along with small, but important details I’d never heard before.”
Lynda’s father was delighted with the book and finished by dictating a personal message to each grandchild, to be included on the last page of the book. The plan was for Lynda to print the finished books for him to give to his grandchildren as surprise gifts. But, within weeks of her visit, Lynda’s father’s health was in rapid decline.

“Even at 88 years old, my dad was so self-sufficient and young for his age that I thought I still had lots of time with him.” Lynda recalled. “And while I should have been better prepared, the news of his death came as a huge shock to me.”
At a company meeting just before she left for the funeral, Lynda turned to her fellow Heritage Makers employees and said tearfully, “I’m so grateful to have had an assignment that prompted me to get my father’s story written. I’m taking the personalized copies of his book to England with me to the funeral. It will be a much bigger surprise than he had anticipated, but what a priceless legacy for him to leave his nine grandchildren.”
In her Heritage Makers role, Lynda produces many home décor, holiday and children’s projects. “I love designing super cute, fun things to inspire Heritage Makers,” she says. They are the “desserts” of my professional life and they ARE important, because they shape today’s memories and strengthen family relationships. But nothing will ever compare to the deep satisfaction, the sustaining “main course,” of having made Dad’s “Before I Was Your Grandpa” book.

She continues to show her heartfelt commitment to storybooks by designing new meaningful templates. For a recent milestone birthday she made her brother a “Down Memory Lane” 11.5 x 8.5 storybook, template 52543.


Lynda also preserved her own story for her grandchildren in the “Before I Was Your Grandma”, 8 x 8 storybook, template 52532.

With many of her father’s stories yet to be told, Lynda’s next project is making a copy of "For the Good Times" by Kelly Wolfer, 11.5 x 8.5 storybook, template 61703. This template is one of the easiest to use and most beautiful family history books at Heritage Makers. With instructions in the margins and a text and heading type style that requires no separate text boxes, this template is ideal for your first family history project too.
If you’re ready for a deeply meaningful experience of your own, we encourage you to start a cornerstone or family history project of your own today. As Lynda Angelastro knows only too well, you can never be certain how much time you have left to get your important family treasures made.

2012-02-05T22:29:00.000-05:00

Cards Anyone?

Check out what you can create with your photos and our cards!

The Versatile Playing Card

Of all the products offered in the Heritage Makers line, none has been used quite as creatively as our playing card deck. From personalized Valentines to bridal thank you’s, and from play date cards to lunch box notes, our imaginative customers have found ways to use this smaller-size product for a vast array of occasions and recipients. The cards are on sale for an additional 10% off during February, so it’s a good time to look at the many ways playing cards are being put to use.


The Standard Photo Deck
Let’s start with a standard photo deck. If you want to put a photo of your dad’s boyhood home, your mom’s favorite flowers or a your daughter and her boyfriend on the back of a regulation set of playing cards, Lynda Angelastro’s “Your Photo Card Deck,” template 51251 is the deck to start with. Replace the one back photo and your deck is done. It’s a basic template so anyone can make one.


Trading Cards
If your family is into sports, another very popular use of our playing card decks is for sports trading cards. Make a set for one child to give away to family and sporting friends or make a few decks with each member of the team featured and let them trade among themselves or with competing teams. While “HM Hockey Trading Cards” by Roxanne Buchholz, template 37873 is shown here, put “sport” in the search engine while playing cards are selected as the product, and you’ll find many different sports accounted for including, football, soccer, tennis, basketball, swimming, volleyball, baseball and more.


Memory Prompts
For a more unusual use of playing cards, check out Mandy Horne’s “Scripture Memory Verse Cards 2.” It’s the second in a series. This one’s template 51793 and each card face is designed to go with the scripture it displays. Mini works of art, this would be a wonderful gift for family members or Sunday School students and could be easily adapted to fit any set of memory prompts, from learning a foreign language to Boy Scouts knots!


Holiday Décor
Happy Easter gets spelled out when you join Sandra Dovre’s cards together with ribbon or punch only top holes and tie them together to form a banner. “Happy Easter Décor,” template 56768 is similar to sets spelling out “Be Thankful” (39747 or 39760), ”Merry Christmas” (46003 or 38735), “Peace & Joy” (48511)“or “Happy Valentine’s Day” (78906 or 78251). Instructions for assembly come inside all these templates and they are truly a bright spot in any home at holiday time.


Love Notes
You’ll find several love notes, kindness notes and other expressions of love and support in the Template Gallery. We’re showing Heidi Jackson’s “Lovebox Lunch Notes” template 59839. Change the messages to fit you and your child’s relationship and pack a positive affirmation with your child’s lunch each day.


Play Date Cards
One cute innovation in playing card use is for young children’s “play date” cards. Carry a few cards in your purse. When you meet up with the parents of a classmate, pass one along with the contact information needed to get the kids together. Shown here is a super fun set by Kristen Melnyk called “Space Playdate Cards,” template 59101. Find many in the Template Gallery for boys and girls or make one “back” side and customize fronts for two or three children in the family.


Teacher Tools
Teach school? Know someone who does? Make a “Welcome Back” banner, design personalized hall passes and more inside Sandra Dovre’s template 65387, “Welcome Class.” It’s a delightful way to get the school year started and requires just a few text changes to customize.


Family Time
“Family Table Talk Cards” by Kari Pieratt, template 78253, are a wonderful way to get the talk going at your dinner table. Leave one under each plate and have each family member take a turn, put only one under a plate and let everyone have a turn across the week or use as a game on a plane ride or anytime you want to get a conversation going.


Wedding Ideas
Thank you notes, change of address cards, wedding favors and save the date cards are all wedding items you’ll find offered by creative designers in the Template Gallery. Shown here are “Blessed Wedding Thank You Cards” by Darcie Toom, template 55513 and part of an incredibly beautiful wedding set that includes storybooks, invitations, canvases—and even matching address labels.


Popular for Valentine’s Day
Put “Valentine” in the Template Gallery’s search engine and you’ll see that one of the most popular ways of using playing cards is for personalized Valentines. Shown here is a “Bee Mine Valentine Cards & Treat Topper” by Joelle Paleologou. It’s template 50265 and if you haven’t ordered Valentine’s for your kids yet, do check out our offering in the Template Gallery.

A Hundred Other Uses
If you’re moving, just had a baby, handing out recipe or business cards, want to play family games, commemorate a family reunion, learn family history, teach sight words to your daughter, craft cute calendar gifts for friends or make gingerbread houses; there’s a playing card template for you. Check out this affordable way to have 54 custom cards for any purpose, today. And remember, this month you get an even bigger price break because playing cards are 10% off your already low Club prices.

2012-02-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

You're invited to our Heritage Makers
Digital and Traditional Scrapbook Retreat

Hosted by Independent Consultants - Patricia Glass and Lynn Zeddies

Starting - Friday, March 23, 2012 - 3 PM
Ending - Saturday, March 24, 2012 - Midnight
Place - Drury Inn, Frankenmuth, MI

For more information or register - go to digitalcrop.INFO

2012-01-11T15:55:00.001-05:00

Magic Feature: Import a Page Button

Have you ever seen a project in the Template Gallery that you really like but it’s not in the size—or even product—you wanted to choose? Say an 18 x 18 canvas you’d rather do in an 8 x 8 size? Or a 12 x 12 storybook you would rather have in 8 x 8 size?

Or what if you saw a canvas layout you wanted to use in a storybook? Or a page in a storybook you wanted to turn into a canvas? What about a greeting card that could become a page in a 7 x 5 storybook?

All these can happen in an instant with the addition of an incredible new feature called the IMPORT PAGE button that works like magic! Known as “scrap-lifting” in the scrapbooking industry, emulating another design for your own use is a common way to expand your creativity.

Released in September 2011 at Reunion, the company’s annual consultant convention, this single-click “re-create” button saves you so much time and effort, plus it opens up every possible option in Studio you could ever imagine! No wonder the entire crowd of consultants cheered so loudly when this was announced!

10 QUICK STEPS TO IMPORT A PAGE
1. Find the project you admire and wish to “copy” into a new project. Click “start my own” so it goes into your “View In Progress” folder. [Time-Saving Tip: Rename the project to “1ImportNAME” where you use something descriptive for the “NAME” part. You’ll see why renaming will help in a later step.]
2. Start the new project you want to put the “copy” into — or open an existing one in the Editor window.
3. Go to the page you want to “trade out” with the new “scrap-lifted” layout. If it’s blank or empty when you begin, that’s best. Otherwise the next step will delete everything already on the page so keep that in mind.
4. In the Content Browser at the bottom, click on the MY PROJECTS tab then find the “1ImportNAME” project in your “My Unfinished Projects” folder (or it could come from something you’ve already completed and/or published). [If you didn’t rename it, it may be harder to find in this list, especially if you’ve been actively creating in Studio for a year or more and have a long list of projects.] Go to the page or part of the layout you want to copy. Click on the IMPORT PAGE button.
5. Read and review the information, agree you’ve read these reminders, then click “yes, import page.”

6. Import Page will instantly place all items from the other layout onto this page. However, the items may not all fit on the new page. Resizing is often needed and usually repositioning too.

7. Click the Edit/Select All menu so it highlights all items.
8. Click the UNLOCK button (or use the dropdown menu to choose “Unlock all on page”). Use your mouse to drag an outer border in or out (smaller or larger) to suit your situation.

9. Once you’ve positioned the layout in its entirety into your new layout location, you may use the Edit menu for “Lock all on Page” so it stays safely in its new spot.
10. That’s it! You may now do it again for other pages if you wish.

This “Import Page” feature is so fast, you could turn a year’s worth of single scrap pages into an annual album in hardbound storybook form without much trouble at all — without recreating a single layout from scratch!
For a visual how-to, watch this tutorial video on the Heritage Makers YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/ywKsHh9Vx8s

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
The “Import Page” feature for items that are the same size and type — a 12 x 12 storybook page layout can be added to another 12 x 12 storybook with zero trouble or effort. It also works well for items that are the same general dimension or perspective but a slightly different size.
While you can take items larger, it’s definitely more risky and challenging as the photos and embellishments may lower in quality as they are blown up bigger, resulting in poor print quality. Although it works both ways, the best way is to take something larger and put it into something smaller.
It is not recommended to turn a 4 x 6 greeting card into a 20 x 24 canvas, for example. However, you could turn the canvas design into a greeting card with no trouble whatsoever.
Be sure to watch for crop marks, trim margins and such. Double-check that your images and embellishments are still high quality resolution with green (or yellow for fair quality) outer borders when unlocked.
Other things to consider include that you cannot “undo” this action once it’s been imported. Remember, it replaces ALL ITEMS already on the page.

One final note: If your new project includes an “imported page” from another project that is an existing template, it will be flagged as a template and you will no longer have the option to “submit as a template” when you are finished.

2012-01-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

January Newsletter

Check out my January newsletter for updates on our artwork, creating your family yearbooks and current specials. Contact me to set up an online demonstration or an in-home workshop.

Let's Get Started! Attend a workshop.

2012-01-04T17:07:00.002-05:00

Attend a Digital Workshop!

This will be a fun event where you can relax and learn how to create your Heritage Makers projects. Not only will you have dedicated time to complete your projects but you will also have the opportunity to:

Learn how to use our state-of-the-art publishing studio.
Learn valuable hints and tips for using the publishing studio.
Share creative ideas with others.
Enjoy the company of other Heritage Makers.
Win fun prizes!

Saturday, January 28, 2012
10 AM to 5 PM

Country Inn And Suites, Dundee, MI
$20 - Includes Lunch and Snacks
Click Here for More Information and to Register

Create Your Own 2011 Family Yearbook

2012-01-01T16:28:00.000-05:00

So what do you plan to do with your photos from 2011? We have some beautiful templates you can use to create your family's yearbook. Would you like to see how easy it is to use our publishing system? Join me for an online demonstration.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012
3:00 PM Eastern Time

Register Here!

Fun at the Digi Retreat

2011-10-30T14:47:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at our recent Digi Retreat in Birch Run. We had newbie and experienced participants who started and finished fun projects - everything from books and playing cards to cookbooks and thank you cards. We gave away fun prizes, shared great meals and learned great tips and tricks for creating our projects.

There is no need to wait until our February retreat - you can start you projects today. Contact me to find out how easy it is to get started and stay tuned for more information on out next retreat.

Happy Storybooking - Patty

Playing Cards are a Hit!

2011-10-28T22:17:00.000-04:00

I love my business - especially when I receive emails like this from a client.

"Patty, we had an absolutely wonderful time at our sisters' reunion this month in California. You may remember that the theme was 'western' and I am sending you one of the pictures taken in our western garb. We had so much fun having those pictures taken.

The other picture is of my three sisters when they opened the playing cards. They were so surprised and really loved the deck (especially the jokers). As the decks have been shown around they have made a real hit. In fact, my niece is planning on making a deck for gifts for her sisters at their reunion for next year. I told her to give you a call when ready. I have given out your email to others as well.

I could not have been more pleased with my gifts, and once again I thank you for your input. Best wishes and I will see you at Mega Meet next year if you are there."

Thanks Carol!

Start your deck of cards today!

Beautiful Fall Moments

2011-10-06T22:44:00.008-04:00

It's fall - a time of beautiful color in my area. Outside the leaves are just starting to turn colors and I want to stop time so I can enjoy the colorful beauty of nature before the long, white days of winter arrive. Just as the beautiful fall days help me with preparing for winter, it's those beautiful, touching and memorable moments in our lives that help us in challenging times. Just another reason I love to capture stories of my family. Our stories help us process what has happened in the past and help us navigate today and the future. They help our children know that they are not alone - that we have had challenges and have overcome. Stories help us celebrate, heal and remember. What are the stories you need to preserve? You know -those beautiful moments, those challenging times, those special people, those places you have traveled that have had an impact on you and your families life? I challenge you to capture, preserve and share those glimpses of life. The bright, the white, the dark and the colorful times.

Fun Fall Activities

2011-10-03T22:17:00.001-04:00

(This picture is a card I made with one of my favorite fall photos. Click on the photo to view the whole card.)

Looking for some fun, fall activities? Try these - and don't forget your camera!

Visit the pumpkin patch and have a pumpkin carving night.
Jump in the leaves.
Go leaf hunting and find some beautiful leaves of differnt colors
Enjoy a football game and tailgate party
Visit a Cider Mill and have cider and donuts
Take a walk in your local state park and photograph the changing season
Deliver beautiful color mums, pumkins or fall crafts to the elderly
Decorate your yard with harvest items
Bake yummie apple or pumpkin pies and share with a neighbor
Visit a corn maze and have fun finding your way through
Take a drive to a rural area and have a fall picnic
Make a scarecrow
Coordinate a harvest gathering for your neighborhood
Bob for apples
Go for a scenic drive and observe the take in the autumn colors
Go apple picking
Make Carmel Apples
Take a family bike ride
Make fall themed wreaths
Paint gourds into funny faces
Enjoy a hay ride
Publish a "Fall Fun" book!

What's Cooking?

2011-09-02T22:20:00.000-04:00

Looking for a fun shower gift? My friend, Cathy, created this beautiful cookbook for the bride-to-be and presented it to her at the wedding shower. On the invitation - also created in her Heritage Makers studio account - Cathy requested all the guests to send their favorite family recipes and photos. She used this basic template and customized it with her recipes, family stories and memories. It was a hit and even the guests wanted their own copy! Take a look and you will see why! (I even ordered one and I can't wait to try the pretzel jello salad. Mmmmmm!)

Try not to drool!

2011-08-19T16:53:00.000-04:00

Every month I love to see what gets added to our artwork collection. It's like getting a great gift that I can't wait to unwrap and start using. This month the artwork release was postponed so it could be released at our yearly conference. It was worth the wait! 25 new collections were added included some free basic collections with a military theme.

With these new collections - we now have over 60,000 embellishments! Hmmm... where to start - where to start!

Check out the new collections - and try not to drool!

Make it in Moments! Fun Sports Trading Cards

2011-08-07T21:23:00.000-04:00

Sports Trading Cards are a fun way to show your team pride and you can make several sets in a few moments. Here’s how.

1. Select your sport. Trading cards are available for basketball, football, hockey, soccer, and softball. Choose softball if your sport is not available. It’s the easiest to change to another sport.

2. Swap out the photo on the back of the card. A team or group photo is recommended. Personalize with team name and colors.

3. Go to PAGE MANAGE and delete all or as many duplicate cards as you can, leaving only one of each.

4. Personalize a single card front by changing to your team colors, swapping out photo for one of your team members and changing the name and player’s position.

5. Go back to PAGE MANAGE and duplicate the newly personalized card so you have four or five, depending on how many play in your team sport.
6. While you are still in PAGE MANAGE, delete all but one each of any remaining not-yet-personalized cards.
7. Repeat STEP 4 until you have 4 or 5 of each of 10-12 different player cards.
8. Use remaining cards for coach cards or other volunteers.
9. Print 2 or 3 decks of cards as needed. Divide each deck up into 4 or 5 team sets and give sets as gifts.
10. Alternately, make several decks each featuring just three or four players, divide into single player sets and allow team members to “trade” cards with each other.

It's fun, it's fast and helps build team spirit!

Tips for Better Backgrounds

2011-08-01T21:01:00.000-04:00

Better BackgroundsWhen you’re focusing on friends and family this summer, watch for natural backdrops that add to your photo, rather than take away from it. Backgrounds that inform without cluttering the shot include:
• Umbrellas in the summer rain
• Brightly colored playground equipment
• Sand and sea or swimming pool
• Grass, flowers or trees
• Walls, fences, or tree trunks

Register Today to Attend Our Digital Retreat!

2011-07-30T13:18:00.000-04:00

Back by popular demand!

Digi Crop Till' You Drop Retreat

in Birch Run, Michigan.

September 30th - October 1.

For more information or to register go to digitalcrop.info.

Family Reunions - Capture the Memories

2011-06-10T17:26:00.000-04:00

Last night's Inspirations class had a ton of great ideas for family Reunions. Check it out!

Ideas for Reunion Books

2011-06-01T17:21:00.000-04:00

Family Reunion Template

Ideas for Reunion Books

What to include......

Capture the essence and excitement of the reunion by including these moments and items:

Group Photos
Individual Photos
Photos of Family Groups
Fun and Games
Photos of the Location
Reunion Banner of Sign
Awards and Recognition
Oldest Attendee
Youngest Attendee
Children Playing
Adults Socializing
Family or Person who traveled the least and greatest distances to attend
Youngest grandparents
Couple with the most children or grandchildren
People greeting each other as they arrive
A map of where everyone is from
Food Table
Close up of Reunion Shirts
Family Members who are or who have served in the Military
Newlyweds
Family Tree (Use our Family Tree diagram under the "Basic Shapes" tab in the Drag and Drop system)
Invitation
A statistics page - Attendance, Number of States Represented, Number of Family Lines, Births, Deaths, Marriages, Graduations...
Memorial pages on family members who have recently passed away
Ancestor Look Alike Photos
Then and Now Photos
Traditions
Number of years Reunion has been held
List of Current Events and Prices of Common Items (Gasoline, Gallon of Milk, etc.)
Main Topics of Conversation

Book Tip: Use pictures of families as your background in the drag and drop. Just drag the photo onto the page and reduce the transparency and type text on top of the photo.

Any other ideas that you have of what to include in a Family Reunion Book?

Speechless Thank You

2011-05-30T22:57:00.000-04:00

"Hello?" I waited for a response. "Hello" I repeated. Just when I was about to hang-up I heard a quiet "Thank You".

I realized that it was my client, and now good friend, Bill.

"Patty, I received the book today." Silence - speechless. "It's perfect." Silence - speechless. "I have shown it to my mother and my family and I have gone through it at least 8 times since this afternoon. It is perfect. Thank you".

Bill and I met at a VFW vendor show three years ago and saw a book my sister had done about my dad's Military service in WWII. Bill had just found photos of his dad in WWII and wanted to preserve them for his son. So we put that book together.

Bill called me last November and asked if I would again help him by documenting his own story - his early years as well as his service in Vietnam. I was honored to help him. We met and scanned his photos and I captured information that he wanted to include. As I put the book together I was hit with the feeling of awe. His pictures of Vietnam and his life there brought to life his amazing service to his country. . How do we ever thank those who serve our country? Although he had a hard time thanking me when he received his book – truly I should be the one left speechless.

Thank you to all those who have or currently serve in our armed forces.

Happy Memorial Day.

View his book here.

Road to Digital

2011-04-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

Many people ask - how did you start doing digital books?

Well - many things led me to down this road. I have always loved working on the computer. I created newsletters for my family, photo collages, slide shows and videos with my photos and in 1999 when I purchased my first digital camera it came with some photo editing software that allowed me to make some fun photo montages. I was hooked.

Around the same time my sister, Nancy, introduced me to genealogy. Now there is an addicting interest which will keep you up until all hours of the night! It’s like being a detective and finding one fact that leads to another and to another and to another.

So rewind to 2005 when my sister and I decided to combine my computer skills and her genealogy research and create a simple, black and white book about our ancestors for my Uncle’s 80th birthday. I purchased a “kit” that had papers that I would feed through my printer and then place in a post-bound book. After many trips back to the store for additional paper pages (since they didn’t always print correctly) we finally had a presentable book. Simple and basic. But it was a book.

We gave it to our Uncle, who is not the most emotional person, but this book brought tears to his eyes. He loved it. Nancy and I looked at each other and said “We need to make more of these for the family.”   We weren’t sure how - but we knew we would.

Shortly after that, while researching my options on the web, I discovered the first Digital Arts Conference being held in Philadelphia. They would be focusing on digital scrapbooking. I was on the first plane to Philadelphia. One of the keynote speakers was Lisa Nelson, a consultant for Heritage Makers. She talked about the importance of preserving your family stories and showed us her hardbound, beautiful books.   I was in awe and couldn’t get to her fast enough after her presentation to sign up as a Heritage Makers consultant. Not only did I want to do this for my family, but I wanted to encourage and help everyone else to save their family stories also.

Since then I have created life story books, graduation books, anniversary books, family roots books, family yearbooks, Valentine’s books, father’s day books, vacation books, and special moments books. I even created a book for my future book ideas!   We all have stories. I’m so glad I jumped on the digital road. It allows me to preserve my stories quickly and forever.

What story would you like to preserve?

Your Story Matters

2011-03-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

My daughter created this beautiful canvas for me for Christmas. "Your Story Matters". The more I read this, the more I know how true it is for each and every one of us. Publishing our stories, whether it may be a life story, a wedding book, a reunion book, a vacation book, or even "A Day in the Life of" book - captures that story and preserves it in a way that we can share it with others and allow them to know us better. Our children will understand our values and be strengthened by our personal stories. Believe me - I have seen this over and over again.

I wrote the book about my mother and her decline from Alzheimer's. Was it easy to write? No. Did it take time to write? Yes. But I am so glad that I took the time to do it and publish it. Not only does it continue to help me but I have actually loaned this book out to many others who are now experiencing the same thing with a loved one. Stories have the power to heal and to help others.

I recently created a book as a gift for our Music Director's retirement at our church. As I finished the book I was overcome with this feeling of awe. This incredible man, Chris Hall, touched so many people through his music ministry. He influenced young children and youth. He made people feel needed, accomplished and loved. And although there isn't much text in this book - it shows his story. I only wish it had sound so you could hear the beautiful music he generated. His story matters.

Your Story Matters!

I would love to help you with your book. Sign in or create your account today to start your storybook.

Tips and Tricks

2011-03-07T21:29:00.000-05:00

Tip #1 – Photo Resolution Indicator
Have you noticed when you upload a picture to use in Studio there is a green, yellow, or red border around it? This is Studio letting you know something about the resolution and quality of your photo.

GREEN means you should have no problems with the photo you’ve chosen.

YELLOW means that the quality of that photo may not be as good as you’re hoping. It might be a good idea to upload a better version of the picture, or replace it with one that has a higher resolution.
RED means the quality is poor and you may want to try a different picture.

Some of these “red border” pictures are a result of downloading the photo from a site such as Facebook. It’s important that you use the high resolution option when you take pictures from your Facebook site for use in your projects.

Tip #2 – Border SpaceOn the subject of borders, be sure you are allowing enough space around each of your projects that your design will not be lost off the edges of the space you have. Our designers recommend a minimum of ½ to ¾ inches around the edges of your projects to ensure that you can clearly see all of the design without it slipping off. To help with this, on your design page in the upper left corner, click on “view” then “rulers” then “show ruler” so that you can see exactly how much space your design is using.

Tip #3 – Backgrounds
Here is another space-related issue. When you apply a background to your project, be sure to stretch the background until it reaches the crop marks at the edge of your design. There are two, small lines appearing at right angles at the corners of your project. The outer edge of those lines is the point to which your background should reach.

By stretching your background, you ensure that your design will cover the necessary areas for our printing processes and will not leave any uncovered areas to spoil your project.

Hot Off the Digital Press - March Newsletter

2011-03-03T20:31:00.000-05:00

March Newsletter

Digi-Crop Retreat = Success!

2011-03-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

We had a great time at our first digital crop retreat in Birch Run, Michigan. Both traditional and digi croppers enjoyed creating their books and sharing ideas. Prizes - Food - Fun - Chocolate - Laughter. What more could you want?

It's Easy Math!

2011-02-14T18:10:00.000-05:00

Your Photos + Our Templates = Finished Book!

Here is a quick video showing some helpful tips for swapping your photos into our templates.

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What's your favorite template in our template gallery?

Who's up for a cup of coffee?

2011-02-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

I just made myself a Valentine's gift! Well actually it was a test run for other gifts. I created this Coffee Tumbler insert using this template in my studio and a Create Your Own Photo Tumbler by Starbucks Coffee . I think it turned out great and can't wait to make more. Who's up for a cup of coffee?

Join the Club

2011-02-02T21:17:00.000-05:00

What a great way to save cost on your publishing and get Free premier!

Free Premier Weekend! January 27 - 30th!

2011-01-25T20:39:00.000-05:00

If you've been wondering how I make my books, this is your chance. Create a free account at my website www.EasyToMakeBooks.com and then play with the Premier Account upgrades for free from Thursday night through Sunday night. There will also be a free online class Thursday evening at 9 PM Eastern time. Click here to register for the class.

Done is Better Than Perfect

2011-01-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

I saw this picture on the All Facebook Blog. It shows Mark Zuckerman giving Katie Perry a tour of the Facebook offices. I thought that was interesting until I saw the signs above the door. I like them both although the one on the right struck me as strangely comforting. It reads "Done is Better Than Perfect".

You see sometimes I find it hard to get started on a project. I guess you can call it procrastination. But other times it is hard to stop a project. Hard to say “I’m Done.”

I tweak and fine tune. I arrange and re-arrange. I try it this way and that way.

But I get to a point that I have to say “Enough”.   It’s time to move on to the next project. It may be when I’m creating publications, newsletters or posters for Church or it may be when I’m creating books.

Do you find yourself looking at your projects over and over - scared that some little thing may be wrong? I stress to my clients that if there is a mistake in your book - it’s not the end of the world. I mean - if your grandparent or parent had written a book for you about their life, would you care if it had a grammatical mistake or a misspelling?

We all want things to be perfect but this can prevent us from ever finishing. So sometimes “Done is better than perfect”.

Your thoughts?

Better Than Ketchup

2011-01-14T20:35:00.003-05:00

Remember the “Ketchup Song”? Well really it is the song “Anticipation” by Carly Simon. It’s been going through my head over and over today as I anxiously awaited the arrival of my newest book.

“Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'”

Sometimes the anticipation is as fun as actually making the book. I love hitting the “Publish” button and sending my book off into the virtual world for publishing. I then compulsively check my account for that magical word “Shipped” to appear. And then - I anticipate it’s arrival.

So today, there it was. A plain brown box propped next to my front door!

Entitled “The Power of a Moment” I created a 12x12 book with various layouts of my favorite old and new photos. We all have stories about special occasions and milestones in our life. But we also have those little gems, those stories that happen in a split second - in a "moment". This book is filled with those little moments. Those pictures I have that captured an instant in time when I found some joy in a smile, an object, a simple random act. I have many pictures that didn't make it into other books - but they trigger some little memory for me. Those are the stories I captured. The stories of life's little moments. Nothing detailed, nothing complex - each moment with it's own identity.

As I look through it again and again, I realize, this is way better than ketchup.

View the book here.

If you are in the Michigan area - Join us at our Digital Crop Retreat in Birch Run on February 18th & 19th. We can help you publish your special moments!

The Value of a Book of Values

2011-01-08T22:23:00.000-05:00

This is Chase. Isn't he adorable? I met his Grandmother, Marlene, at a Heritage Makers workshop where she saw one of our History Heroes and You books. This easy to create, template book has wonderful artwork and stories about various people who demonstrate specific character values. Marlene knew immediately that she wanted to create a Hero book for each of her grandsons. She chose specific family values to emphasize in the book and included a photo of her grandson’s demonstrating the value. She also added a short paragraph for each value on how her grandsons demonstrated the value and why it is important.

I am so glad to have had the privilege of helping Marlene create these books. Marlene is a true Heritage Maker by taking the time to document and teach her grandsons valuable character traits. What better way to learn than with personal examples because if we don’t teach our children values - who will? Way to go Marlene! You are a hero in your grandsons' eyes.

Leave me a comment on what family values you are teaching your children.

Contact me to start your child's book today!

Happy New Year! Time to create your Family Yearbook!

2011-01-01T21:28:00.000-05:00

Through the Year - Projects to Help Look Back

As the year 2010 draws to a close, and 2011 dawns with promises of new adventures, it’s a wonderful time to take advantage of that feeling of connection to the past and the hope for the future to create a project that captures your family’s life over the past twelve months. We have several projects that will help you celebrate the unique moments, from small to significant, in your family’s history.

Consider creating a 12 x 12 storybook that celebrates “A Year in the Life” of your family. This year book is featured in the archived “Family Year in Review” Master Class with instructions for personalizing every page. Allowances are made for photos of every size, and step-by-step instructions for organizing photos for this project. Designed by Kelly Wolfer, this book is sure to be treasured by everyone in your family for years to come, and could be the foundation of a new tradition carried forward. Also, our 12 x 12 storybooks are a featured item in January, and you can save an additional 10% when you publish (discount given at check out).

Preview this Yearbook - it's beautiful.

Perhaps looking forward is more your style. Our 12 x 12 post-bound albums are a great way to collect and save the events that make up a year in the life of your family. These customizable scrapbooks let you invest a little bit each month into recording the heritage of your family. With wonderful examples from Wendy Bailey, Tanja Rigby, and Kelly Wolfer, you’re sure to find just the right design to suit your needs. These post-bound books allow you to add pages as you go, and create that one-of-a-kind family heirloom that will be treasured for generations to come. The 12 x 12 post-bound album is another featured product in January, and you will receive a 10% discount when you publish a book during January.

Another way to capture your year and share it is with a calendar. Our Jill Means designed calendar is color customizable, so with a few clicks of your mouse, you can change the template to reflect your own style and taste. There are a number of other calendar designs you can also choose from, and when personalized with your photos, you can create a tool for family time management that reflects the fun of times past while looking forward to the days ahead.

No matter which project you choose, I can help you to create something that will help you to celebrate yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Contact me now or visit my web site, and let’s create a new kind of time capsule that your family will love.

Pass the Milk

2010-11-19T20:36:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving.   1981.   We lived in Bolles Harbor. The table(s) were set for about 30 guests. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie. Mismatched plates and silverware. Family.

It was always a big day. Mom was up early to make sure “Tom” the turkey was in the oven and roasting so we could eat in the early afternoon. My sisters and my brother and their families arrived one by one. The back door slamming shut as each group arrived. Winter coats were piled in the closet when we ran out of hangers and the tables were set up in the living room around the free standing fireplace in the middle of the room. Kitchen chairs, card table chairs, footstools and the benches from the piano and organ were pulled up to the table.

In the kitchen potatoes were being mashed, turkey was carved and the gravy - well the gravy was being stirred, shaken and whisked to prevent lumps. Everyone would start carrying the serving dishes to the table and the glasses and handmade decorations were readjusted to make room for all the food. Everyone found a seat and the blessing was said and always included “Bless the hands that have prepared this food.”

Over the years our families have grown and moved and multiplied. We celebrate in different states but we still remember those great times of celebrating Thanksgiving together.

I went hunting for Thanksgiving pictures to share with you and realized that I had an abundance of Christmas photos but lacked pictures from Thanksgiving.   I did find this one from around 1981 when I had the pleasure of sitting next to my very cute nephew, Alan.   I’m not sure why he has that adorable pout on his face but maybe it’s because he has only “white” food on his plate. Or maybe because he had to sit on the booster seat (AKA phone books) and not at the kids table. Or maybe because he doesn’t like having that beautiful jug of milk sitting on the TV behind him. At least the picture of my niece, Cindy, on the TV shows a smile.

So I have many memories of the holiday but not too many photos. Can you relate?   If so - don’t let that stop you from preserving those stories. I heard a personal historian speak last night and she said that family stories last only two generations unless someone documents them. So take the time to preserve your stories. Don’t let them fade away.

I’m thankful to have the means to preserve my stories and photos.   Document the past Thanksgivings and don’t forget to grab your cameras this year. Capture the cook in progress, the table setting, the families arriving, and yes - the milk on the TV.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-17T00:07:00.000-05:00

Looks like I share more in common with Starbucks than just coffee!

Scan I Help You?

2010-10-30T21:18:00.000-04:00

Many of you ask me if I can help you with your scanning projects. Well "Yes I Scan!". First you will want to find the settings dialogue box on your scanner. To scan photos and other objects to include in your book you will want to set the scanner's resolution to 300 ppi/dpi. Most scanners will have a default setting of 150 which is great for posting on the web or emailing but to have a clear image in your book you will want to set this at a minimum of 300. You may want to set this as the default setting for your scanner so you don't need to change it each time you scan. When you scan at 300 this will allow you to place it in your book the same size as the original. So for example if you scan a 5x7 photo at 300 then you will be able to size the picture to 5x7 in your book. If you want to make it larger in your book then you will want to bump the scanner setting up to 600. (Don't scan everything at 600 because your files will be unnecessarily large.)

A couple other actions to take when scanning:

Wipe your photo off with a lint-free photo wipe to remove dust particles.
Clean your scanner surface as directed by your users guide to remove dust, smudges, etc.
Designate where to save your scan files so you can find them when you finish scanning.
Save your scans as jpg files so you can upload them into your Heritage Makes account for your book.
Place your photo or item on the scanner and position as straight as possible. Do a preview scan to review placement prior to actual scan. Make adjustments as necessary.
Crop your image to scan only the area that you would like to include in your book. This also helps keep your file size to a minimum.

From HP.com

Contact me if you have any questions about scanning!

At a loss for words?

2010-10-27T22:17:00.000-04:00

I love playing with the web application Wordle . You can type in words and create this fun artwork (I learned that if you repeat words they will show up in larger font). You can also enter a blog address and it will create the artwork using words from your blog! So I entered my Blog Site and it came up with this!

I'm thinking this would be fun to include in my future projects.

Beautiful Fall Days

2010-10-25T16:28:00.002-04:00

This past week while my daughter, Cora, was home on fall break, we took a day to travel up to Michigan State University (Go Green!) to visit our friend, Heather. The campus was stunning in its fall colors. The air was brisk and we had a wonderful tour of Heather's new dorm. The fall season is one of my favorite times of the year. I hope you are taking time to enjoy the fall weather and the changing of seasons.

Fall brings us into a time of reflection. We look back on our summer and we think back about our first days of school. We can preserve all of our favorite stories from the summer. It is easy to make a book about our vacation and include the pictures and more importantly - the story. The places we visited, the things we did, the people we picnicked with, the marshmallows we roasted. It may have been a vacation you just took this past summer - or maybe a special vacation from years past.

Fall also brings us into a time of looking forward. Winter is on it's way and so are the holidays. The New Year is right around the corner. We look forward to the holidays. Storybooks make great holiday gifts for your family. They are one-of- a-kind gifts that everyone will treasure. Maybe a book about growing up with your siblings, or one about how you met and courted your spouse. I know I have some plans for special books for my family (I'll have to tell you more about them in January so I don't let the cat out of the bag!)

Take advantage of the pre-holiday season sales to start your books. Holiday gift books need to be completed by December 2nd to guarantee arrival in time for the holidays.

Happy Bookmaking!
Patty

First Things First

2010-10-23T13:53:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it can be easy to become overwhelmed with where to start your project. Well - first things first - let's get your photos uploaded into your account. You can upload any jpg files (or png files if you are a premier member). Don't forget - you can upload scans of documents, items, photos, certificates, etc. as long as they are saved as jpg files. Here's a short and sweet video tutorial that shows you how.

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Welcome!

2010-10-22T22:55:00.015-04:00

Hi - thanks for taking the time to visit and read my blog. I'm closing my client help site and transferring the information to this blog which will provide a better forum to share ideas for digital scrapbooking and storybooking. I hope you will find the information useful and dialogue back with me to share your ideas and thoughts. I'm hoping to build a community where we can all help each other with saving our photos and stories.