Baby on Board

Join Studio Product Manager Lynda Angelastro and Creative Team Member Michelle Wolfley as they show off new addition, shower gift and baby's first year projects.

Watch online by clicking here:
http://youtu.be/9ZCeKpYQRt0

Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via email at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to learn more about Heritage Makers products.

Father's Day Gifts & Greetings

FORGET THE COFFEE CUP AND TIE!
Show Dad how much you care with priceless gifts and greetings from Heritage Makers.

Theme: Father's Day Gifts & Greetings

Watch online by clicking here:
http://youtu.be/u4BJvXntulk 

May is Magnificent with Heritage Makers

Welcome to my May 2012 Newsletter.  This issue is full of tips, tricks and ideas to help you get the most from your Club HM membership. We’ll show you ways to make designing in Studio even easier, priceless projects for grads and dads and an entire article featuring our popular 7 x 5 storybooks. Use this size book to make the perfect gift for your graduate or to let Dad know how much he’s loved this Father’s Day. Your 7 x 5 projects will be even more economical during the month of May as they are an additional 10% off your already low Club HM prices.

And from May 3 – 7, celebrate National Scrapbooking day with us by sharing FREE Premier with your family and friends. We’re unlocking the doors of Studio for this FREE Premier weekend. As long as a Premier project is started during our celebration, it can be finished even after our FREE Premier weekend is over.

If you’d like to save even more money on those priceless gifts you’re planning to give, talk to me about joining my team as a Heritage Makers consultant. Where else could you find a financially rewarding business opportunity that saves you money on the projects you love while lifting the lives of others. Contact me today and I can share more information with you about bringing meaningful HM moments to your family and friends.

And as this season of spring celebrations and gift giving begins, I encourage you to consider becoming a consultant on my Heritage Makers team. You’ll save even more money on those meaningful gifts you’re planning to give, while pursuing a financially rewarding business opportunity that can help lift the lives of you and your family. Contact me today and I can share more information with you about how our entire team would help you learn to bring meaningful HM moments to your family and friends.

Click on the images below to read more articles.

 

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Large or small, this tip will help your projects look best at any size. Learn more here.

Spread a little happiness this summer and enjoy FREE publishing from Heritage Makers. Find out how here.

Looking for some additional deductions for next year's taxes? Heritage Makers consultants enjoy a rewarding business as well as some fantastic tax advantages. Learn more here

Inspirations Online Classes Father's Day Gifts & Greetings Thu, May 10, 2012 7:00 PM MDT Register here Baby on Board Thu, May 24, 2012 7:00 PM MDT Register here

Upcoming Themes & Specials May: 7x5 Storybooks (save 10%) June: 8.5x11 Booklets (save 10%) July: Playing Card Decks (save 10%)

Notice: Website maintenance
May 19 10:00 pm MST to May 20 2:00 am MST

Click here to start a project now. http://studio.heritagemakers.com/getStarted/

Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via email at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to learn more about Heritage Makers products.

Please let me know how I can help you get your projects complete. I am here for you!

Rebecca Brooks
Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com
940-453-9192
http://www.OurPhotoStories.com

The Importance of Scale

Digital story and scrapbooking is fast and easy, enables multiple copies, carves far less “creative space” from your home and is typically much less expensive than traditional memory keeping. But there is one small downside, with “small” being the important word. While you’re working digitally, you don’t usually see your project at 100%. Constrained to your laptop’s screen size, it’s not always easy to judge the actual scale of your finished project. To assist you in making the most of every page inch, let’s look at some tips, tricks and screenshots that will help get size and scale into perspective.



How Big is Big?
To illustrate our discussion, let’s look at the screenshot above. It’s a page from a 12 x 12 storybook that looks fairly well laid out, right? Well check out the page below. It’s the same 12 x 12 storybook, but now you can see that the enlarged design is really an “import a page” from a 5 x 5 storybook (Michelle Wolfley’s “Daddy's Little Girl,” template 133363) that actually could fit on a 12 x 12 page four times with room to spare in the middle.



Tools for Judging
Here are several suggestions for using the space on your page well, while keeping it size appropriate.



1. Go to the size slider bar at the top of your project, just under the Heritage Maker’s logo and examine your project at close to 100% several times during your design session.



2. In the “toolbox,” go to the “layout” tab and check the size of unlocked photos against other photos you’ve published or have around the house. In this picture, the photo highlighted is about 2 ½ by 1 ½ inches. That’s about half the size of a playing card. Such comparisons can help you judge the designs you are creating.

3. Download Lynda Angelastro’s “Title & Text Cheat Sheets” to your “my templates” folder and choose “start my own.” This 5 x 5 storybook, template 17444, contains page after page of Studio fonts at the appropriate size for body text and headings on small to average pages. No need to print it, just use it to check and see which fonts work best at which sizes.

Scaling it Just Right
Ever got a book back and thought, “Wow, why did I try to pack so much on the page?” If the size and scale is off at either end, big or small, the overall design is not pleasing. Think of it like a home. If you’ve got a very small living room, you don’t try to crowd it with many pieces of large furniture. You choose fewer pieces in smaller sizes. Your page designs will benefit from the same attention to size. Use these suggestions and see if they don’t help you get the page scale just right.

Click here to start a project now. http://studio.heritagemakers.com/getStarted/

Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via email at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to learn more about Heritage Makers products.

Uncle Sam Wants you to start an HM Business

One of the simplest advantages to the Heritage Makers consultant opportunity is the sheer fact of what we sell. Or, more importantly, what we don’t sell. We don’t sell anything that causes clutter or needs to be “spring cleaned” from your home. We sell publishing points that clients turn into cherished family keepsakes in the form of storybooks and other custom publishing products.



It’s highly unlikely that any Heritage Makers product will end up on someone’s garage or yard sale. What we sell does not go out of style, season or fashion, which means we won’t discontinue products each season for those very reasons. No “clearance” merchandise! No inventory — simply share your OWN projects as samples!

Think of the many other product-focused direct sales opportunities available. Surely you’ve been invited to parties where a consultant is selling home décor, kitchen gadgets, food products, lotions, potions, jewelry, clothes, makeup, supplements, weight-loss shakes, bags, candles, cleaning supplies, and the like. There's nothing wrong with buying and enjoying those products—they're "nice" to have. What we're talking about here is something altogether different. If heaven forbid, your house were to erupt in flames, you might be tempted to spend an extra minute grabbing your Heritage Makers storybooks. Thank goodness there's Heirloom Assurance so you don't have to! The point is, no one would consider risking their life for gourmet kitchen gadgets, not to mention the scented candles, which are probably already gone anyway. Hey, wait a minute...is that what started this fire???



Unlike all these other products, Heritage Makers publishing projects are made to last and are treasured for generations to come. Storybooks are lovingly displayed on bookshelves and coffee-tables to be read and enjoyed time and time again. You can’t say that about a garlic press, earrings, lipstick, lunchbag, vitamins, mop or candle warmer, for example.

What’s more, our publishing products appeal to almost anyone — men and women, tweens to seniors, computer-challenged to tech-savvy, Mac and PC people, and everyone who has photos, both print photographs from the past and digital pictures of today. Very few people find our products undesirable because they see the value of saving their own photos and stories in a custom keepsake.

If you’re annoyed by the “stuff” you’ve accumulated and enjoy spring-cleaning those now-unwanted possessions, you may be an ideal candidate to consider starting a Heritage Makers business. Contact me at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories to learn more about selling something everyone enjoys and that’s never resold!

You can also visit my web site to learn more:  http://www.heritagemakers.com/business/.

"If You're Happy and You Know It...”

There’s a catchy childhood song that starts like this: “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!” It’s sure to bring a smile to young children’s faces as well as adults. It’s also a known adage in business that “a happy customer tells a friend; an unhappy customer tells the world.”

If you’re happy about Heritage Makers publishing products, you could clap your hands and tell a friend by simply hosting a Heritage Workshop in-home party! That’s the best way to share your enthusiasm for Heritage Makers publishing products.



If you’ve never hosted before, you have a unique opportunity to learn along with friends as I introduce the concept of storybooking and show you solutions for saving and sharing your photos and stories. You’ll be the one your friends will thank for showing them this creative way to capture and preserve family memories.

If you’ve hosted in the past, you already know how much fun we have! You know what’s expected of you as a host. And hopefully, you truly enjoy everything you published with your host rewards! Why not host another workshop? We don’t limit how often you can host so why not take advantage of our generous host rewards program?



Previous hosts can schedule a new workshop with a different group of friends. Chances are, there were some who couldn’t come to your workshop last time. Invite them this time so they don’t miss out again! If you’ve met new people, ask them to come check out your creative resource for custom publishing keepsakes. Plus, we’re always adding new publishing products, new Studio features, new art and templates so even guests who were there before will enjoy seeing the latest and greatest from Heritage Makers!

It’s a known fact that our personal publishing products and creative Studio site have universal appeal with everyone who discovers us. Whether you’re a new fan or have been a diehard believer for years, you can share the love by hosting an in-home party with your friends. They value your opinion and want to find solutions for their photos and stories too. And you benefit from a fun social event by earning free publishing for your own projects!

If you’re happy and you know it…clap your hands, tell your friends and host a Heritage Workshop!

Contact me via email at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to book your Heritage Workshop!

May New Studio Art

If you’ve noticed Dad’s special day creeping closer on the calendar, you’ll appreciate the May art that we’ve lined up for you. To celebrate Dad in style this Father’s Day, we’re bringing you new art from barbeques to basketballs, along with just-right word art to let Dad know how much you care.

From string-wrapped cardboard tags to grungy metal gears, “The Dads in My Life,” from Pickleberrypop, contains enough manly elements to make Dad something really special this Father’s Day, while providing lots of new masculine elements for year-round use. Add Faye Terlouw’s “My Man Word Art,” also from Pickleberrypop, and you’ve got a perfect pair of collections to recognize Dad.



Looking for a little whimsy or a less serious take on gifts or greetings for Father’s Day? Try the “My Dad Rocks” papers from Emily Merritt of the Lily Pad. And if Dad or the kids are into basketball, here’s a brand new collection for the hoop fans. It’s called “Slam Dunk” and is from Pickleberrypop designer Lindsay Jane.



For the active dad or to document your family’s travels, “Recreational Icons,” from Sahlin Studios at the Lily Pad, is a bright and useful collection you’ll turn to again and again. With its map-like symbols depicting boating, camping, hiking, fishing, photography, swimming, horseback riding and much more; you’ll find lots to make vacation storybooking faster and easier.

Taking a slightly different direction, this month we also offer a huge collection from Sweet Shoppe’s Shawna Clingerman called “I Can.” With elements and word art that work for heroic efforts like sports victories, weight loss or many endeavors that require determination and will power; use this collection to celebrate a wide range of special accomplishments.



For a feminine counterpoint to the Dad collections, check out “Sweet Caroline” by Eva Kipler of the Sweet Shoppe. This pink, orange and gold collection is full of the whimsical art you need to make a card that says “I love you,” or a page that celebrates your sister, mother or daughter. This month we’re also offering “Joy Without Measure” from Sekada Designs from our French art provider Digital Crea. Designed to be a matching companion to last month’s “Away From You,” “Joy Without Measure” is from the same designer, in the same palette; doubling the usefulness of both collections.

What You Need, When You Need It

As the seasons change and important gift-giving occasions inch closer, Studio’s art offerings constantly grow to meet your needs. Depend on your Club HM membership to provide the new art you want, in time for the projects you plan to make.

Click here to start a project now. http://studio.heritagemakers.com/getStarted/

Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via email at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to learn more about Heritage Makers products.

School Days

Whether you’re recording your child’s school year, congratulating a graduate or thanking a dedicated teacher; May is the time to bring school projects into full focus. Heritage Makers offers beautiful yearbooks for almost every grade, meaningful gifts or greetings for the graduate and one-of-a-kind teacher appreciation gifts. Let’s take a look at a few examples in each of these areas.

Yearbooks to Remember
From pre-school to graduation, every grade and experience is something to be preserved and celebrated. Ask any grandma and she’ll tell you, you may THINK you’ll never forget your child’s performance in the school play or his third grade best friend; but memories fade fast. As a parent, one of the greatest legacies you can leave your child is a record of his or her younger years. Roxanne Buchholz has an entire line of 8 x 8 yearbooks that span pre-school to high school. You’ll love how easy these books are to use and how they coordinate with one another so you can make one each year. Those shown here are “HM Kindergarten Yearbook,” template 81118; “HM 1st Grade Yearbook,” template 56434; “HM 2nd Grade Yearbook,” template 56433; and “HM 6th Grade Yearbook,” template 25798.



Words of Advice for the Graduate
Looking for a classic gift of wisdom and encouragement that can go with the graduate as he or she starts her life journey? Sandra Dovre’s “A Bit of Advice-Son,” template 34717 and “A Bit of Advice-Daughter,” template 34832 are Heritage Makers projects that celebrate the occasion and become lifelong keepsakes.



A Memento for the Graduate
One of the simplest graduate gifts you can create is a framed 11 x 14 “Graduate Subway Gift.” Template 84423 is by Lynda Angelastro and can be customized with appropriate school colors, name and initials along with the graduate’s name. Buy a large frame at the hobby and craft store that is matted for an 11 x 14 photo. Use a 40% off coupon and a good frame should be well under $20. With your Club HM membership, you’ll be creating a wonderful, original, personalized gift that’s also very reasonably priced!



Teacher Appreciation Time
At Heritage Makers, there are a many a one-of-a-kind ways to tell your child’s teacher “thank you.” Try these two ideas from Sharon Macfarlane. They are made on simple 7 x 5 Invitations that can be hole punched and attached to a beach bag for the “Teacher Fun-in-the-Sun Kit,” template 83307 or to any kind of container for the “Teacher Movie Mania Kit,” template 83309. Instructions are included on the reverse side for teacher to use an assortment of small gifts for a day at the beach or the movies. The reverse side also includes a place for a “thank you” from your child.




Group Teacher Appreciation Gifts
If you’re responsible for gifts for all the teachers in the school or want to say thank you to several of your children’s teachers, try these fun ideas from Roxanne Buchholz. “HM POP-ular Gift Tags” template 86184 and “HM Smart Cookie Gift Tags,” template 86183 are each designed especially for teacher gifts. Each card of these decks can be personalized on the front side to make up to 54 custom labels for cellophane bags of gourmet popcorn or cookies. Personalize with the name of the teacher and the child, or the class if it’s a group gift. If you’re using the gifts tags on cello bags of cookies, make the cookies from any recipe that stores well for a couple of days. For the popcorn tags, use your family’s favorite gourmet popcorn recipe or try the ones we show here.

LIME POPCORN
3/4 cup popcorn
1/4 cup olive oil for cooking popcorn
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Pop popcorn in hot-air popper or in olive oil in large lidded pan on stove. Mix together the butter, lime juice, lime zest and salt. Put popcorn in large, lightweight paper bag and pour over popcorn. Shake until popcorn is coated and moist. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spread popcorn evenly. Heat oven to 300 degrees and bake popcorn for 5-7 minutes until dry.

WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN
Two 3 1/3 ounce bags microwave popcorn
6 ounces white chocolate chips
Pop popcorn, remove unpopped kernels. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Place popcorn in large bowl or on cookie sheet. Drizzle melted white chocolate over all and refrigerate until hardened. Break up into smaller clumps before bagging.

Heritage Makers offers gifts and greetings for every school occasion. To find templates for commemorating your child’s school year, gifting a graduate or saying “thank you” to your child’s teacher; simply head to the Template Gallery. Search on “school,” “teacher,” “graduate” or “gift” to find well over a thousand perfect present possibilities for your school needs.

Click here to start a project now. http://studio.heritagemakers.com/getStarted/

Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via email at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to learn more about Heritage Makers products.

Father's Day Gifts and Greetings

Father’s Day is one of Heritage Makers most popular holidays. Dads, grandpas and husbands all deserve at least a few words of appreciation on their special day and we have the gifts and greetings that will make their day meaningful and let them know you care.



The Card That Says You Care
Give Dad a personalized greeting card for Father’s Day this year. He’ll treasure the sentiments you and the kids express even more when his card is filled with family photos. For a daddy daughter card, check out “Daughter to Dad” by Lisa Slotten. It’s a 7 x 5 greeting card, template 34431. If Dad’s a sporting man, try Lynda Angelastro’s 7 x 5 greeting card, “Dad Sport-Themed Card,” template 33942. While the card is set up for a single photo, each background paper square can be swapped for additional photos if they’re needed.



Whether Dad’s a fisherman, into playing Lego with the kids or hankering for the beach, we’ve got the cards for him. “Wanted: Tellin Fish Tales Card,” template 58125, “Fathers Day is Built for You,” template 58141 and “HM Beachy Fathers Day,” template 83823 are all 5 x 7 greeting cards by Roxanne Buchholz.




Books Full of Appreciation
“100 Reasons Why Dad is King” by Marin Barney, 7 x 5 storybook, template 86585 is a bright and beautiful gift in a clean, graphic style. Similar in content to same-size classic storybook “100 Things I Love About You, Dad” by Lynda Angelastro, template 59414; both books let Dad know how much you care, but are organized in different ways. In “100 Reasons Why Dad is King,” circular head shots let you know who in the family is paying the tribute to Dad. “100 Things I Love About You Dad” contains only one photo of Dad at the front of the book. While designed more from one child to Dad, each spread could be from a particular family member or names could be added in text after each quote.




Swatches for On-the-Go Dads
If your Dad is an on-the-go kind of guy, a swatch book might be the just right gift for him. Bound with a single “Chicago Screw” in the corner and covered with heavy-duty vinyl covers, a square swatch book is as durable as it is delightful. Check out Lori Mar’s bright and beautiful “Father's Day Swatch Book,” template 32296. With notes to thank Dad on every page, this colorful little book is sure to be a winner. And for the dad that likes to tinker in the garage, what better than Darcie Toom’s tool box themed version, “Dad's Garage Swatch,” template 59352.



Same shape but spiral-bound on the left-hand side, square flip books also make great dad gifts. Shown here is a design by Michelle Bedard. Template 86370, it’s called “My Dad's the Greatest” and of course, he is!




Other Dad StorybooksAnother beautifully designed storybook gift for Dad is "Dad in 3 Words" a 7.5 x 10 storybook, template 13141. Designer Sandra Dovre was inspired to create this meaningful book by a segment on “Good Morning America Weekends” called "Your Life in 3 Words." Viewers send in photos of themselves with a sign describing their life in three words. By its very nature fast-and-easy, this book would be treasured by any dad.



Easy Project GiftsFor the perfect gift for Dad or Grandpa, purchase an IKEA FIXA Tool Kit for $7.99. It's a surprisingly heavy duty tool set that’s wonderful to tuck in car or camper. Choose your favorite design from the two offered in the template, personalize it and delete the one you don't use. Attach your print to the box lid and you have a heartfelt, custom gift for Dad.


Another popular present for Dad at this time of the year is Lynda Angelastro’s “Dad's Junk Food Bucket.” Made from a single 12 x 12 scrap page, template 33943 was designed to be used with a “gallon” size, clear plastic “paint” pail from the craft store. Fill it with Dad’s favorite “junk food” and decorate the handle with 1 x 5 inch fabric pieces cut from Dad’s worn out shirts or discarded ties, or with string or ribbon. It’s a great gift idea for Dad that’s humorous but still shows you care enough to create something personal and appreciative.

Make It a Heartfelt Celebration This Father’s Day
Heritage Makers offers gifts and greetings for every kind of Dad. To find templates for gifts or greetings that fit your Dad’s personality, select the product you’re interested in and type “dad” in the search term field. Not sure what product you’re going to make? Leave the product type at “All” and input “Dad.” You’ll find hundreds of gifts and greetings to choose from to make your Dad’s day special this year.
 

Click here to start a project now. http://studio.heritagemakers.com/getStarted/

Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via email at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com  to learn more about Heritage Makers products.