Heritage Makers

Soup to warm you up!

2011-02-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

A friend made this Black Bean Soup for us on Sunday night,

and we LOVE it!

Give it a try during this Winter season!

I really am going to finish my 2010 yearbook tonight while dreaming of this soup... mmm!

Ingredients

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

Christmas Cards!

2010-11-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Aren't we so excited for this season?

It snowed ALL day here yesterday, so I figured I better start our Christmas cards.

Here are some fun ideas for your family:

FREE Premier Weekend

2010-10-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons to love Heritage Makers, but one of the best is the unlimited creativity available with a Premier account. Premier is an unrivaled collection of digital art, including nearly 50,000 art pieces and thousands of pre-designed templates. As a Heritage Maker you can get unlimited access to this incredible resource through a monthly or yearly subscription.

If you've ever wanted to try Premier, we have an incredible opportunity for you. On October 14-17 Heritage Makers is offering a FREE Premier Weekend! During this four-day period you can have full reign over the entire art and template collection at absolutely no cost! What's more, Lynda Angelastro, a leading expert in the digital scrapbooking industry, will kick off the event with a Studio Master Class offering project suggestions and a review of new art options. She will also conduct other classes during the weekend and host a "Show-and-Tell" session on Saturday.

To participate in FREE Premier weekend, simply login in to your studio at http://www.allyourstorys.com/ and click the "unlock premier" button.

This button will be available:

7PM MDT October 14th - Noon October 18th!

Full of Fun Decor!!!

2010-09-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right - fun holiday decor!

I am a little addicted to making blocks right now.

Best of Heritage!

2010-08-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

What a great story! It is stories like this that give me a desire to share Heritage Makers with everyone I know... It changes lives!

You have worth!

2010-07-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

2010-07-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's getting warmer...

and I thought it was about time to make sugar cookies and celebrate!

I'm no expert in the kitchen, but they sure taste great!

Am I the only one that finds joy in decorating treats?

Happy 4th of July!!!

Have a fabulous holiday weekend!

How to Have a Positive Attitude!

2010-06-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Flag Day!

2010-06-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Flag Day!

I'm always looking for new ideas, and so I thought I would share some latest finds...

This book was designed by Wendy McGee and always has been a favorite of mine.

Her son has dyslexia, and she made this book for him to show him what a gift he has, instead of focusing on the negative...

Click here to see the full book

This is a 12x12 individual scrapbook page, and it's fancy!

Click here to see a large view

This is a great idea for those seniors! It's a sign-in book for their graduation party!

Click here to see the full book

Hope you're having a great Flag Day!

Loving Life!

2010-06-07T08:51:00.001-07:00

The forecast might be full of rain, but we are still loving life! I am hoping to see the sun soon; until then, I will enjoy whatever comes our way. Today I am catching up on unfinished projects and trying to get organized.

Click here to see my latest project. I created this book for my niece's birthday, but I changed the pictures and some of the text to make it a generic template for others to use. Feel free to e-mail me if you would like to use it.

I'm quite excited about the special for this month - it's great to get ready for Christmas!

Click here to see the full flyer.

Memories from Memorial Day

2010-06-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, our house was the one with five flags in the front yard yesterday.

And very proud of it!

Here is a taste of what our memorial day was like:

A bison blocking traffic on one side of the road:

We had a blast at Yellowstone!

I hope you all enjoyed Memorial Day, as well!

Fun in the rain...

2010-05-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

It has been raining all morning...

I love rainy days.

Even if my skin doesn't even know what "tan" means anymore.

So today, guess what I am doing?

Working on my Father's Day gift!!!

Click here for more details.

Welcome Monday!

2010-05-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

My cute little husband and I got super sick over the weekend. We woke up yesterday morning feeling like we had the stomach flu... by the early afternoon, I couldn't take it anymore. We went to Urgent Care - thank goodness for modern medicine! They gave us both IVs to keep us hydrated... what a wonderful feeling! The prescription the doctor gave us knocked us out so bad last night that my husband missed his first class this morning. What alarm? We didn't hear it?

Well, I am resting today and thought this would be a nice quick video to watch:

2010-05-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

In the month of May, are you supposed to have snow?
Just wondering.
This is what we woke up to this morning...

Ready for summer...
Ready to see the sun...
Ready to feel the warmth...

But until then, I will enjoy watching the snow fall.

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!!

We have some exciting specials this month!

Click here for more information:

http://support.heritagemakers.com/comm/vo/files/POM-April10-150.pdf

What is your legacy?

2010-03-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

Author: Fred Molesworth, Salem, Oregon

I'm willing to bet your grandchildren will be upset with you. Here's why. Imagine, 50 years from now, as your grandchildren or great grandchildren are going through the boxes in the attic. They are enthralled with the treasures and keepsakes they find and how they tie into the story of your life.

Amongst all the old items, they find a number of round silver objects. Some have writing on them, some are blank, but they resemble some kind of a small platter about 4″ across, with a hole in the middle.

Puzzled, they take them to their parents. "What are these, Mom?" they ask. "Oh, I think those are all of grandma's photographs. Yep, here's one labeled `My Wedding'. Here's some more labeled `Family Photos,' and some more labeled `Vacations'."

"How do we look at them?" they ask.

"Well, I'm not sure we can. First of all, no one has the device that reads these anymore. Besides that, I doubt after all these years that they're any good anymore. Being stored in the attic, the heat and cold probably ruined them."

The kids are very disappointed. Nowhere amongst all the treasures are any actual prints. All that history is lost. Their connection with the past and all the wonderful stories that might have gone along with all those photographs are gone as well.

Along with all the wonders of our digital age come some significant problems that most people have never thought of.

Did you know that over 90% of all images taken on today's digital cameras are NEVER PRINTED? I'm guilty of that myself. I have gigabytes of personal photographs that have never been seen other than on a computer screen.

In the old days, film went to the lab and everything that was printable was printed. Even if it was a bad photograph, it still was a hard copy, a part of your family history and it had permanence. Even if they never went in an album, they at least went into a box, to be discovered as treasures years later.

The same problem exists in professional portrait studios today. Many people are simply asking for the images on CD. "I'll print them later" or "I'll design my own wedding album" are common phrases. Usually this is done with the thought that they'll save some money by doing it themselves.

But you know what? Most never make it into any kind of an album. Life gets busy and 20 years later they'll be looking for some way to read those disks.

Fred Molesworth

When you look back years later, you will wish that you had actually put words with those photographs before the details were forgotten... Your memories need to be preserved. Not someday; now.

Consultant Startup Kits are on SALE!

2010-03-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

We have a new recorded business opportunity call, which includes the special pricing on the business kits! Please feel free to click on the link below to listen to the call!

Heritage Makers Business Opportunity call
hosted by Wendy McGee
Click here to download or listen to the call:
https://www.box.net/shared/static/2ervjnyvk2.wmv

Enjoy the new design!

2010-03-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

We have changed the design of our blog! Let us know what you think!

ICE ICE BABY!

2010-02-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

I just had to document this icicle because it is so amazing! I am experiencing icicle formations for the first time... and I love it!
View under it:

View from the other side:

Just a few clusters of small icicles:
Ice seems to cover everything:
Such a beautiful day!!!

Weddings...

2010-02-16T14:26:00.000-08:00

Oh how we love weddings!!!
I am so grateful to live in this digital age,
when it is so easy to preserve our memories.

Here are just a couple of fun albums:
(click on the image to view the full album)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2010-02-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Fun Project

2010-02-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

I love board books!!!
They are great for wedding albums, sign-in books, etc...
And I really love them for baby books.

Here is one that is adorable:
(Click on image to see the entire book)

And... Valentine's Day is almost here! Yay!

Johnny the Bagger

2010-02-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

This an inspirational video that I love!
Click on the link below to learn about Johnny the bagger:

http://www.stservicemovie.com/

Use Ctrl Button for Swapping

2010-02-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

I found this tip very helpful, so hopefully you will also...

"I’m sure we have all had our amount of frustration trying to swap out a paper or photo. Just as we have been told, we keep the element locked in place, make sure it is highlighted, and drag the wanted element onto the page but that “drop art/photo here to swap” box does not appear. We drop it anyway in hope that it will magically work and… it doesn’t. We have a new element on the page with the old one still in the place we want it.

There is a solution. As you drag an element onto the page, hold down the ctrl key (or if you have a Mac hold down the Cmd. key). The element, then, should swap without any problems."
(HM Business Blog: http://blog.heritagemakers.com/?cat=15)

Blessing...

2010-02-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I forget what a blessing Heritage Makers is...
The goal of Heritage Makers is to strengthen home and family one storybook at a time.

This video gets me every time:

Get Ready!

2010-02-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

Are you getting ready for Valentine's Day?

Oh I love this month! Love is in the air!

Here's a PDF that will help you document your love story:
http://studio.heritagemakers.com/pdf/storymap_love.pdf

I recently have had more time to cook...
and I have come to appreciate the dessert recipes.

Here's my latest fave:

French Apple Pie
8 Servings

Ingredients

Streusel Topping (See below)

3 large all-purpose apples (Braeburn, Gala or Haralson), peeled and thinly sliced (3 cups)

1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon margarine or butter, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix

1/4 cup chopped nuts

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons firm margarine or butter

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease pie plate, 9 x 1-1/4 inches. Make Streusel Topping, set aside. Spread apples in pie plate.

2. In separate bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with topping.

3. Bake 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

For this month's specials, please click on the image below:

What is Premier???

2010-01-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

Start off 2010 by preserving your memories!

2010-01-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

We are ready for 2010!!!

I am so excited because I've already started my 2010 yearbook. I am going to update it as the months go on because 2009's yearbook has yet to be created.

Club Premier is a great way to start 2010 because then you are set for the entire year!

Two options: 12 months of Premier membership for $99.95

12 months of Premier membership AND 12x12 storybook for $159.95

Click on the image for more details:

In addition, the hosting gifts are amazing! There are even more incentives this month to host a workshop or to spend over $150.

Click on the image for more details:

Happy 2010!!!

Another recipe....

2010-01-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

Applebee's White Chocolate Walnut Blondie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg -- beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
***Maple butter sauce: ***
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º.
Sift flour, add baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift again. Add chopped nuts. Mix well and set aside. Melt butter. Add brown sugar and mix well. Add egg and vanilla. Blend well. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, mixing well. Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread in a 9x9x2-inch pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with slightly fudgy-looking crumbs. Serve with ice cream and maple butter sauce.

Maple butter sauce:
Combine syrup and butter, cook over low heat until butter is melted. Stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Add walnuts, if desired.

(Courtesy of CDKitchen.com)
This recipe from CDKitchen for Applebee's White Chocolate Walnut Blondie serves/makes 12

2010-01-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

We have a little critter that comes to our front porch,

but we haven't seen it yet.

We only have footprints as evidence:

Any guesses? Please share!

This is a view of the beautiful snow!!!

I love it! I keep asking:

"When is it going to snow again?!?"

I am sure everyone can tell I have never lived in the snow before because I take pictures of everything!

How cool is this?

And of course I had to capture this because the sun was peaking out for a moment, and with the snow and the American flag, it just can't get much better...

All in all, we are settling in just fine.

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

2009-12-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

Can you believe tomorrow is Christmas Day?
I am so excited!!!
We picked out our Christmas tree yesterday, and we are having so much fun.

Here is a cute little movie:

http://www.christmasblessingsmovie.com/

We are in transition right now. We haven't moved to our new house, but we have moved out of our old house. It's quite a fun transition though. Drove to Washington and stopped in San Fransisco on the way. Went to Alcatraz and had a history lesson, and this our favorite picture from that tour (credit goes to my lovely husband for this one):

Of course we had to stop at Ghiradelli Square. It was just splendid!

The Christmas lights were gorgeous!

This was at the Oakland temple:

Welcome!

2009-12-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

MOVING DAY!!!

We are currently in the process of moving. I apologize for the lack of posts recently.

Just wait - Our new home will bring MANY updates!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

4-day Fall-iday Swatch Book Sale!

2009-11-27T17:04:00.000-08:00

4-day Fall-iday swatch book sale!

Between November 27 and November 30

get swatch books for only $9.95 each!

Swatch Book (5 pack) - Only $49.95

Examples of Swatch Books:

(Click on the images below to view the full project)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Week 1 of the Holiday Sales!!!

2009-11-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!
Get your holiday cards on sale this week!

50 pack Postcards: Only $49.95
100 pack Postcards: Only $79.95
50 pack Greeting Cards: Only $99.95
100 pack Greeting Cards: Only $179.95

Click on the image below to see the details:

Contact me today to get started:

www.allyourstorys.com

stephaniemn@gmail.com

Noteworthy November!

2009-11-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

My adorable husband is not feeling well today... I came home this afternoon and made chicken noodle soup for him, and it made me think about homemade goodies. We have so much fun together as a family, and I love when we are in the kitchen together creating some fun-filled dish. Here is an awesome recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate-chip Cookies that will put anyone in a good mood:

1 Can Pumpkin
1 Spice Cake Mix
2 Cups Chocolate-Chips
Mix all three together. Spoon cookie-size amounts and scoop onto cooking sheet - the cookies don't flatten while cooking, so flatten the dough a little before baking. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 11-14 minutes.

When you are ready to bake up some goodies for next year, get started on some calendars:

Noteworthy November's Pick of the Month is here:

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T17:43:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Today has been such a fun day, and we are enjoying the holiday season. We made some pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies to get in the spirit of Halloween... yummy!

I hope you have a fabulous night, and once you get settled at home and login to your account at www.allyourstorys.com then use the new photo-sharing tool...

Here's some info about the fun tool:

To the left of the screen is where you can organize all your photos. Make multiple folders and multiple albums. Plus, you can do so much more.

To view an existing album, simply click on a folder. The albums in that folder will drop down. Just click the one you want to view.
To create a new folder, click the button “new folder” located above the photo organizer. Then name the folder (ex. Summer 2009) and click “create folder.”
To create an album, click on the folder you want the album to appear under. Click “new album,” name the album (ex. Lake Michigan), and click “create album.”
Share albums with friends and family by clicking on an album and on the “share” button located below the photo organizer.
Double click on the photo to add a title or caption. Ex. Title: Saving the Easter Bunny. Caption: Brian thought dad really ate the Easter Bunny and was ready to use the plunger to save him.
Also download a high resolution image by double clicking on a photo.

Plus, you can do all this all from within Studio Editor.
Using My Photos has never been more simple or fun.

6-Day Sale

2009-10-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

The calendar doesn't lie...the holidays are quickly approaching!
To help you get ready for your seasons greetings, we're having a HUGE 6-day sale! And when it's all over, you can celebrate having your holiday shopping complete.

Oct. 24 - 29
You can save big with our lowest prices of the season on storybooks. Go ahead, get your holiday gifts done today! To see the 6-day sale flyer, click here!!

http://hm.myvoffice.com/pdf/en/6day.pdf

Happy shopping! Have a great week!!!
http://www.allyourstorys.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/allyourstorys
--Preserve your memories--

Awesome Holiday Ideas

2009-10-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some awesome gift ideas!

DVD's:

These Animated Hero Classics are wonderful for children of all ages!
*Fascinating true stories from history*
*Hand-drawn animation from enowned animator Richard Rich*
*Heirloom Assurance*

Hero DVD Collection 1

Benjamin Franklin
Marie Curie
Christopher Columbus
Harriet Tubman
Pocahontas
Louis Pasteur
George Washington
Florence Nightingale
Abraham Lincoln
Thomas Edison

Hero DVD Collection 2

Joan of Arc
The Wright Brothers
Marco Polo
Helen Keller
Leonardo da Vinci
Beethoven
Galileo
Alexander Graham Bell
The Maccabees
William Bradford

JEWELRY:

Wear your favorite family photos each day with this beautiful Keepsake Necklace that’s a joy to give or receive. Upload your favorite family photos in Studio and your necklace will ship with your keepsake photos already inside.

Or use the single pendant as a keychain or add it to a bracelet:

This durable and delightful bracelet is a perfect gift for you or a loved one to treasure and enjoy:

2009-10-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

Click on the images below for some great Halloween project ideas:

New Website

2009-10-01T04:26:00.001-07:00

Happy October!!!

I love this time of the year! Visiting with family this week has made me realize how important it is to cherish our memories... If we don't preserve those memories, who will? All Your Storys has been updated recently! Click on the images below to see the wonderful updates for October:

Another Great Tip!

2009-09-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

TIPS AND TRICKS
Line spacing is the space between two lines of text. This space is important for both design and readability. At default, the line spacing in Studio is 0. But you need to remember that with each increase in font size, the spacing between lines increases while the measurement remains at 0. This is because Studio measures line spacing according to a given value that takes the measurement of each letter into consideration.

To make your text more appealing, you can decrease or increase the line spacing by using the line spacing tool. If the font is bigger, you may want to decrease the line spacing so the lines of text are closer together.

This is especially helpful in large pieces of text. Readers do not want to read a line and suddenly jump ¼ inch to the next line.

Just make sure that when you adjust the line spacing, your letters do not touch or overlap. Be sure to look at all lowercase letters with hanging stems and all uppercase letters.

Take a look at more Tips and Tricks on the Heritage Makers’ blog.

Supporting our Troops

2009-09-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a wonderful idea that you would love to read about:

A CARD A WEEK
By Leslie Dannelly

My husband, Mike, is in the Air Force. Through our 13 years of marriage Mike has spent quite a bit of time away from our family while he serves our country overseas. This past April, we got word that he would be deploying to Afghanistan for a year. We knew he might go this fall for four to six months, but we had no idea it would be in July for a year.

I decided I needed to find a way to help him through this time away from our family. So without his knowing, I emailed his friends and family and asked them to share funny stories and pictures about Mike. There was a “no sappy” rule—the last thing the troops need is sappiness.

I then took those stories and some of my own and made Mike a deck of cards—with enough cards to send him one a week and one for us to hand him when he finally walks off the plane and into our arms! Our three daughters love picking which card to send Daddy each week! It also gives me a chance to share with them all the funny stories of our family and friends.

Dancin' in the Rain

2009-09-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

If you love life, watch this video:

http://www.danceintherainmovie.com/

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to help others preserve their heritage and legacy. And I am so grateful that I have a way to preserve my own family's heritage and legacy. What a blessing that is! It's easy sometimes to get caught up in life and forget the value of life, friend, and family. We just need a little reminder every once in a while...

2009-09-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

Watch this awesome video!!!

Click on the image below:

Celebrating Life's Stories

2009-09-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

No matter what your story is, you should tell it.
I have become very passionate about preserving photos and my heritage.

Click on the images below for story maps.

Here are some questions to help you write your life story...

Here are some questions to help you write your love story...

Here are some questions to help you write your baby story...

Board Book, Swatch Book, New Calendar Size, New Canvas Size, History Heroes, and Jewelry!

2009-09-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

Heritage Makers

NEW PRODUCTS!!!

Click on the image below to see the new products:Board Book, Swatch Book, New Calendar Size, New Canvas Size, History Heroes, and Jewelry!
http://hm.myvoffice.com/pdf/en/NewProductGuide.pdf

September!!! Get ready for Christmas!

2009-09-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Now is a great time to start thinking about the Holiday Season!

Click on the image below for the Christmas card sale:

Click on the image below for the amazing new business kits for conultants:

August Pick of the Month

2009-08-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

It’s back! The Heritage Makers Pick of the Month backs it’s come back with one of our best specials ever!

For the entire month of August, you can get an 11.5×8.5 storybook for only $54.95! At full price, this storybook is $69.95!

To get in on the Pick of the Month go to www.heritagemakers.com.

2009-05-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Happy May!

This month we are gearing up for Father's Day, and I wanted to pass along these stories...

FOR A FATHER By Judi Hoggatt
I have been a consultant for three years now, and in 2008 I decided to “interview” my 91 year old step Dad. He was in San Diego and I was in Houston. But he was to make two trips to Houston in 2008.

I could keep him talking for short amounts of time-sometimes five minutes, sometimes twenty-but never much more than that.
He had this wonderful philosophy that he never considered a philosophy; it was just his way of life. He ended every day with “It was a good day,” whether he was here in Texas with his family or at home at the VA facility with 250 other veterans. And we had all heard him say it. This saying and the fact that he never complained made him a favorite no matter where he was.

Well, just in the nick of time, the night of the November deadline, I submitted his story. He received his copy on Christmas Eve. I received my copies on the same day. I spoke to him that day and he was very happy with the finished product.
On December 28th, he had a stroke and never regained full consciousness. He passed from this earthly life on January 1, 2009.
Once a month at the VA in San Diego, they honor everyone that has passed during the last month. I went to the ceremony and was able to quote my Dad directly. I knew his story by heart. After all, I had just written it, read it, checked for errors, and then read it to his great grandkids. What a timely treasure.

The sadness of not making preserving your life's stories NOW By Penny Hughes
A friend of mine from Washington is a mother, a daughter, a wife and a woman who has some cherished stories and photos to share about her family. Claudine is one of the first clients I ever got – way back in 2006. She was so caught up in getting her father’s life story written and everything scanned -- THIS had to be her first book…no if’s and’s or but’s. She has been to a couple of workshops I have done when I go back to Washington – even a digi crop or two! But never published. She keeps telling me that she is still scanning and writing.

She is currently living in China (for the past several months) with her hubby and kids while her husband is on assignment for work. It’s been so fun to follow her facebook and hear of all their exciting experiences... until this morning when I logged on to discover that tragedy has struck them – way back home in Washington. Here is a video link to her house fire in Washington state that occurred yesterday. http://www.kirotv.com/news/19496029/detail.html

My heart is breaking! All of her mother and father’s pictures and ALL of her writing is GONE! The house was a complete loss. How I wish that she had felt the sense of urgency that we feel to get our lives documented and SAFE.

Just a reminder for you all and myself that working on our computers on HM is not a hobby. It’s a necessity of life – preserving our heritage.

www.allyourstorys.com

2009-05-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on our wedding album:

(Click on the images to view the project)

This is our sign-in book:
These were Christmas presents from 2008:

2009-05-13T15:58:00.001-07:00

STUDIO TIPS 'N' TRICKS

When you format an image, piece of clipart, or a text box

- and you love the way it looks

Right click on it - and hit "Copy" (Ctrl+C)

Then Right click on another image, piece of clipart, or text box

- and hit "Paste Format" (Ctrl+Shift+F)

Now you have made the other object look just how you want it without having to change all the settings in the Tool Box again.

It saves time and makes your life easier! Hope this tip helped!

2009-05-13T15:57:00.005-07:00

STUDIO TIPS 'N' TRICKS

Align Elements:
Aligning elements on the pages of your projects so that edges of photos and text look straight on the page is a great way to dress up your books, cards and posters to make them look professional. To line up elements, go to view, rulers, show ruler. A red grid will appear on the page of your project and you can align the edges of photos and text boxes using the lines.

Make Multiple Copies of a Page:
When making multiple pages that look the same, it’s too much work to drag elements onto each individual page. The Page Navigation pane includes a manage feature that allows you to copy entire pages and place them where you want them in your project.

Just click on the “Manage” button located at the top of the Page Navigation pane. A window will pop up showing the pages of your project. Click on the page you want to duplicate so it is highlighted, and click the “Duplicate” button located at the top of the window. A copy of that page will appear next to it. If you want to place it in a different position in your project, just click and drag it.

You can also remove and add pages to your project from this pane. Note that when you duplicate a page, a new page is added to your project. So unless you delete another page, you will have more than 21 pages in a book and will be charged for the extra pages.

2009-05-13T15:57:00.003-07:00

STUDIO TIPS 'N' TRICKS

Are you a Basic member looking for templates inside the Template Gallery?

Try searching using the keywords “classic,” “basic,” or “cornerstone.”
If you would like to enlarge the letters inside a text box but you have reached the font size limit, hold down the Shift key and the Cntrl key simultaneously and click and drag on any side of the text box. This will enlarge the text along with the text box.
The arrow keys on your keyboard can be used to move items around your page in small increments. If you would like to move them faster, hold down the Shift key while pressing the arrow key.

2009-05-13T15:57:00.001-07:00

STUDIO TIPS 'N' TRICKS

You probably know that to stretch the dimensions of a photo or an art element, you need to go to the Layout tab on the Tool Box and "uncheck" the Lock Proportions box. But did you know you can skip that step simply by holding down the Shift key and dragging on one of the sides of your object? This will temporarily unlock the proportions of your object until you click off of it.

Sometimes, when you're rotating an object, it can be hard to get it exactly at a 90 or 180 degree angle. You can always check the angle of your object on the Layout tab of your tool box, but there's a faster way to get your right angle just right. Hold down your Shift key as you rotate your object, the object will automatically snap to right angles as you drag the rotation handle (blue line running down the center of the object).

Have you ever thought of using a text box as a background? Choose a few keywords that capture the spirit of your photographs. Create a large text box and fill it with those words. Suggestion: leave some space between the words so there is still plenty of white space in the box. Finally, use the transparency slider to fade the words. Place photos on top. Also consider angling your text box to create an interesting point of perspective.

2009-05-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

STUDIO TIPS 'N' TRICKS

1. Want to add emphasis or glow to an aspect of your layout?

Use your basic shapes—

heart, star, square, circle (found in the Basic Art tab).

Use the Fill Color feature to color your shape, place it behind a photo, and then use the Blur tool to soften the edges.

2. Design your own background. There are hundreds of background papers in the Scrap Girls™ collection to choose from. But you can still customize each paper to match your pictures by using the Fill Color, Blur, and Transparency tools to adjust the colors, tints and intensity.
Or, add words to a background paper. Type various words in text boxes, colorize, vary the fonts, and play with the transparency levels. By adjusting the rotation and placement of the boxes across the page, you can create a background with your own text.

2008-12-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

An introduction to Heritage Makers:

A book we made for Graham before he went to Iraq:

2008-12-18T22:13:00.000-08:00