Thursday, February 2, 2012

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.



L
ove 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.


Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via e-mail at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to learn more about playing cards and other Heritage Makers products.

Make it in Moments - 11 x 14 posters


Heritage Makers 11 x 14 posters are an amazing value at just a few dollars each and make fast and easy gifts. If you’re looking for a special Valentine gift or want to make something on-trend but fun and personal for a friend or family member, try one of these popular “subway” art style posters.


Add you and your Valentine’s name to Lynda Angelastro’s “Valentine Poster,” template 78993 and you’ve got a Valentine gift that is fast, fun and loaded with love. Frame it in white for a special touch. Often on sale at your local art and craft store, 11 x 14 is a standard frame size that’s easy to find and often very inexpensive to buy.


For a gift for family, make this similar version from Michelle Bell called “Family Rules Subway Art,” template 72831. Personalize it with your family member’s name, frame it in red, white or silver and have a beautiful gift, including frame, for under $20. Both posters are easily customized to fit your décor or for other occasions. Turn the Valentine poster into an anniversary tribute, but simply changing the background. To match Michelle’s all-in-Basic poster to your sister’s living room, use the color picker to change the plain background to any shade that matches her decor.

Easily made home décor projects strengthen relationships by surrounding your family and friends with the knowledge that you love and care about them. Make one tonight. It only takes minutes!

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

Import Page Tutorial Video

Check this out!!! How to use "Import Page" in Heritage Makers Studio to convert a project to a different project type (for example, convert a canvas to a poster or convert a canvas to a scrapbook page).

The BEST Studio Enhancement of all is the IMPORT PAGES function that will allow you to convert projects into a new project type. For example, you can take a set of 12x12 scrap pages and convert them into an 8x8 storybook quickly and easily!


Amy Dickerson shows how to import a page from an existing project into a new project. Click here to view the video tutorial.

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

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!

NO MORE PROCRASTINATING!!! "12 in 2012" is finally here. Heritage Makers has rolled out a plan to help you get caught up on ALL your photo projects! My job is to help you publish 12 projects in 12 months! Get going on your family albums, b-day cards, vacation books, Mother's Day & Father's Day books, Teacher gifts, and gifts for every holiday! Join Club HM TODAY! Earn prizes EVERY month! Head over to my website (http://www.OurPhotoStories.com) and Join CLUB HM, then click on the "Pledge" button!

Is your New Year's Resolution to get caught up on your scrapbooking?  I can help you get your 2011 photos put in a creative photo book in a fraction of the time it would take you to scrapbook traditionally.

January is a great time to create a 2011 Year in Review photo book. Save 10% when you publish any 12 x 12 or 11.5 x 8.5 storybook during January.  

Browse the template gallery for inspiration!


Is your New Year's Resolution to get organized?  I can help you create beautiful, custom calendars that will help you orgnize your time.

Save 10% when you publish any calendar during January.

Browse the template gallery for inspiration!



Click here to start a project now.

Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via e-mail at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to learn more about storybooks, calendars and other Heritage Makers products.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

We all want to get the best deals out there today and this weekend. Don't forget that I can help you preserve those special memories for your family and friends ALL YEAR LONG! check out these amazing gifts you can still make! www.OurPhotoStories.com!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Save 10% when you publish any calendar during October!

Need a beautiful, economic way to organize your time? Create and save on your custom 2012 calendars throughout October!




Need some inspiration for creating Calendars, Date Books and more for your holiday gifts? Click here to watch the Inspirations Online Class video for tips and tricks for personalizing a wide range of calendars, date books, and planners for that perfect holiday gift.

Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via e-mail at Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to learn more about calendars and other Heritage Makers products.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Why I Scrapbook

Summer will give way to fall, fall will fade into winter, winter will blossom into spring and summer will start again. So is the dance of life.

I document precious moments and people by creating scrapbooks and photo albums.
I understand the importance of gathering and creating lasting and meaningful times and memories.
I know in my heart that all things change and not only do my books share the constant evolution, they honor what was and they give us hope in what will be. They are a reminder that for everthing, there is a season.

The art of scrpabooking reminds us to embrace each moment with the mindfulness, dignity and passion it so rightly deserves before it gently fades into what it is next meant to be.

Go to my web site at http://www.OurPhotoStories.com or contact me via email at
Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com to find out how to scrapbook digitally quickly and easily.