Custom Valentine Treats

Create your own custom valentine treat wrappers.  The photo to the left is for a standard Hershey Bar.  The Hugs and Kisses would be on the front of the bar and the rest would wrap around to the back.  Creative Memories has provided a free template for a variety of party treats.   You can download it here. (Scroll down to find the Click and Fill Party Favor Templates)  There are templates for standard candy bars, cupcake wrappers, the small candy bars, cake toppers, treat-bag toppers and tags.  You can read about the step by step directions on how to use these templates on the CM Digital Blog. 

Remember these don't just have to be for candy or just for Valentine's Day.  As Cindy suggested you can use them to wrap granola bars.  How about a surprise in someone special's lunch bag on a random day?  You can also use the treat bag toppers to top a bag of fruit for a snack or a bag of granola mix as a gift.  The possibilities are endless.

If you want to create your own custom size - say for a granola bar this is what you do in StoryBook Creator 4.0.  On the Insert Tab choose "Insert and Empty Frame".   Then measure the item you are using.  First measure the width.  Then using a flexible tape measure measure all the way around the item.  Add anywhere from 1/2 to 1 inch to this measurement for the overlap.  Remember to take into account his overlap when designing your product.  For instance in the candy bar shown above the part below the heart will be lapped under when it is wrapped around the bar.  Once you know your measurements you right click on the frame you added and choose properties.  In the properties menu uncheck the box that says "maintain aspect ratio" and enter your custom height and width. 

Now all you have to do is use your creativity to design your own unique wrappers.  You can add photos, text, embellishments - anything you want.

Here are a few samples (the all use the P.S. I Love You digital kit):

Large candy bar

Bag Topper

Cupcake Toppers

Small candy bars

Tags

Creating "Subway" Art

from summersnowart.com

Have you been drooling over all the Subway art you see on the internet and on Pinterest?  You can create your very own using StoryBook Creator 4.0.  Here are some easy directions on creating two different styles.  The examples would make gorgeous Photo Panels for the one you love for Valentine's Day.  But this concept works for any occasions.  If you have questions or need help with this technique please give me a call.

Be inspired and check out even more options here.

Please share what you create.

Managing Views in StoryBook Creator 4.0

Ever wonder what all the different view options in StoryBook Creator 4.0 mean?  This document details all the view options and shows you exactly how best to use the view options when designing your projects. In my personal experience I like to leave anything important such as a photos or journaling more like 1/2 inch in from the edge.  This gives even more room to ensure that it won't get trimmed in production.

Save Even More Memory

     StoryBook Creator projects are extremely large files. This is due to the photos and graphics needing to be a high quality (large size) to get such super clear prints in your finished projects.  The first step to save memory when working on your projects is to use the Optimize Memory Options.  Read about it in this blog post.

     Once you have finished a project there are a few other options for saving memory on your computer. First you can move your finished projects to an external hard drive for safe-keeping.  As long as your account is active at the Digital Center you can re-order your project from there.  But sometimes it is good to keep a copy yourself, especially if you ever want to go back and make some changes before it is reprinted.

     Before you save it to an external hard drive find the folder with the project in it on your computer.  If you don't know where it is stored you can open it and then hover over the tab with the project name and it will show you the path.  Once you find the folder you can open the Images file and delete all the images.  This DOES NOT delete the images from the pages of your project.  The only time you may have a problem is if you make changes to the project (which is why I suggest not doing this until after the project is complete and ordered).  If you remove a photo from the page it will not pop up in the images section.  But you could always go get the photo from Memory Manager again.  Also, open the recycling bin and delete all files in here too. 

     DO NOT delete the actual images or recycling folders - just delete the contents.  If you have a large project with a lot of photos you will be amazed at the amount of space you save. 

Custom Card Idea

Here is an idea for a versatile custom card.  You create a card that has an area where you can adhere a 4x6 photo before sending it but instead of leaving that 4x6 slot blank you fill it in with some papers and maybe a quote.  This way if you don't have a photo to attach you can send the card anyway.  These can be created on the 5x7 flat or folded cards.  If you are doing a flat card you might want to put just A note from: and your name on the back on some coordinating paper.  If you are doing a folded card you could even create another photo slot for the top inside of the card.  Of course you could always make these in the portrait orientation too.  The possibilities are endless.  These make very unique cards and for a lot less than cards in the stores.  Plus cards are on sale for 20% off through December 31.  I know you might not have time to make your cards now but you can always purchase a product credit and have 180 days to make your card. 

Note: The Enchanted Power Palette was used to create this sample. 

Memory Usage in StoryBook Creator 4.0

StoryBook Creator 4.0 allows you to use very large images so that the clarity on your final project is exceptional.  Plus with our newer digital cameras having an increased number of mega-pixles our StoryBook files are becoming enormous.  This has recently been a problem with a number of customers as well as my own computer and projects.  There are several ways you can optimize the memory on your computer when working in StoryBook Creator 4.0.  I have created these step-by-step directions for you to follow. 

One of the most important things is to SAVE - SAVE - SAVE!  I know I fall into the same habit of working on a page for a long period of time and not saving during the process.  But you really save yourself a lot of frustration if you remember to save every 15 to 20 minutes.  It is especially critical if you are working on posters or calendars.  These files are extra large due to the larger size of the finished product so it is extremely important to save very frequently with these projects. 

If you have optimized the memory on a page and then decide later you want to make some changes you may have a problem is you try to increase the size of a photo or element on a page.  You will get the yellow triangle warning.  All you have to do is add that photo or element to the page again and you should be able to size it larger. 

Please call me if you have questions.

Create a Personalized Custom Mug in StoryBook Creator 4.0

In addition to the pre-designed templates (where you just drop your photos in) on the Creative Memories Digital Center you have the option to create your very own personalized mug.  Here are the step-by-step directions.  You would also follow these same directions to create a personalized mouse pad or t-shirt.  For the mouse pad use the custom dimensions of either 9.25 x 7.75 or 7.75 x 9.25.  For the t-shirt use the custom dimensions of either 13.5 x 10.5 or 10.5 x 13.5 depending on whether you want it portrait or landscape orientation. 

Learn to be a better photographer

Have you ever wanted to learn more about how to take better pictures?  Do you just want to learn some tips and tricks for composing better photos?  Do you want to learn how to use the manual settings on your camera? 

This has nothing to do with Creative Memories but it is a wonderful resource that I have found to be very helpful.  Nick Kelsh, of How to Photograph Your Baby, How to Photograph Your Family, and How to Photograph Your Life has started a daily photo tip subscription.  He covers a wide variety of topics to help amateurs learn how to take better photos of their loved ones and their life.  The month of June he is taking us through the baby steps of how to use the manual features of our cameras.  Even if you only have a point and shoot you may learn something from these lessons.  It may help you to understand what the different settings such a portrait, snow, fireworks, mountains, etc. on your camera do and when you might want to use them. 

Last month he did a week about how to take pictures at the beach.  One really cool tip was to put your camera in an old cooler when you are at the beach.  It will protect it from the sand, water, and heat and doesn't look like a camera bag sitting on your beach blanket. 

If you are interested you can learn more about it here. He also has a Facebook group where you can learn a lot without subscribing.  You can also share your own photos here for feedback from Nick and the group.

Nick has been the speaker at numerous Creative Memories functions and wrote a column when Creative Memories had a magazine.  He is very funny and is a great teacher.

Changing your default font

I've had several questions lately about how to change the default font in StoryBook Creator 4.0.  Most likely many more of you have the same question.  It is a bit hidden in StoryBook Creator 4.0.  But here are the steps to follow.  Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

Are you backed up?

Memories are the most precious gift of all.

You have all your photos, StoryBooks, digital content, and more stored on your computer.  What would happen if tomorrow when you turned your computer on it did not boot up?  There was no sound, nothing.  Would you be able to get all of these precious memories back?  What would happen if you had your computer stolen?  Is everything gone forever?

Backups are no fun to do. They take time and we are all short on time.  We always plan on doing a backup - after I finish this book, when the kids are done with school, after I finish this big project at work, etc. etc. etc.  But losing your data does not take into account your busy schedule.  We all need a system that is automatic - or at least as automatic as possible.

Like backups this post will not be the most interesting to read but hopefully you will glean some information that will protect you and your precious memories. 

You NEED to have an external hard drive.  This is the fastest way to create a back up and to retrieve the backup information if needed.  If you are using Memory Manager you need to set up an automatic shadow copy.  Then you need to plug in your external hard drive when working in Memory Manager.  The automatic shadow copy will do exactly as it says - it will automatically create another copy of your Memory Manager on the external hard drive when you close out of Memory Manager.  This way you will have a copy on your computer hard drive and an extra shadow copy on the external hard drive. 

StoryBooks do not back up automatically.  You must take the time to back these up yourself.  There are a few ways to do this.  You can manually navigate to the drive and folder your StoryBook is saved in and then copy this file to your external hard drive. 

The other option is when you are in StoryBook Creator 4.0 do the following:

1. Open your project
2. On the File Tab, Choose Save As, then Save Project As..
3. Choose a NEW NAME for the project such as Freye Family 2011 Backup
4. Choose a new location to save the project - your external hard drive
5. Click Save As

You have now created a copy of the StoryBook project that can be opened up in StoryBook and worked on if you lose your original copy.  You need to repeat these steps for every project. Be sure when you open the project next that you open the original project and not the backup.  That is why I suggest you add backup to the name of the backup file. 

Be aware that these copies are of your StoryBook on the day you created the backup.  Any changes you make to the original will not be made to the backup unless you manually save the file again.

Once a StoryBook has been uploaded to the Creative Memories digital center your book will be saved there as long as your account is active.  This way you could always order another copy of a completed book if the worst happened.  But you cannot download the book and make any changes to the book.  That is why a backup of the book should also be kept on an external hard drive. 

Some people like to be extra safe and also burn their projects to a DVD.  If you are doing this you should be sure to buy an archival CD/DVD.  The ones you buy in bulk at the store are not designed for long-term storage. 

Another option is to save each page in a project as a .pdf file and back that up.  Dr. Mark Mizen covers the step by step directions on how to do that here on his blog.  The advantage to this method is that a .pdf file is universally recognized.  He is thinking very long-term and hopefully you will be able to read a .pdf file in the distant future.  The backups I talked about above are ones that you could open in StoryBook Creator Plus but not in another program.

You should also backup any content you have, especially the freebies you may be saving.  You would do this by navigating to where they are stored on your computer and copying the folders to your external hard drive.  If you don't know where they are stored go to Content Manager in StoryBook Creator 4.0 and when you hover over a package it will show you the location of the package.

You need to keep your e-mail records for any digital purchases you make from Creative Memories.  This way you have the information to download and activate the content in the future.  Anything you have purchased since September 1, 2011 is stored in your account at Creative Memories.  But anything before that you are responsible for keeping track of.  As your consultant I do not receive the activation codes and download links - only you as the purchaser receive these. 

Print out a backup up of your activation codes. To do this in StoryBook Creator 4.0 do the following:

1. Open StoryBook Creator 4.0
2. From the Welcome Page click on Manage Content
3. Click on Activation Codes
4. Click make a backup copy of my codes
5. Print this file

In addition to the external hard drive and/or CD/DVD backups there is another option called on-line backups.  There are a number of companies that provide this service.  Just Google on-line backups and you will find several.  Some of the most popular are Carbonite, Mozy, BackBlaze, iCloud.  You will need to research the different pros and cons to each of them to see which one fits your needs the best.  These services back up everything on your computer to an on-line storage facility.  This is key if you have a house fire, or a robbery and everything is gone, including your external hard drives. 

I have been using BackBlaze for some time now.  The reason I chose it was that it allowed me to back up more than one drive and I have two hard drives on my computer.  At the time I purchased it the other major options only allowed you to back up your C drive.  I believe that has now changed. 

These sites are good because they backup everything on your computer - not just the Memory Manage and StoryBook Creator Plus I have been talking about.  The one thing to be aware of with on-line backups is that they are backing up what is active on your computer.  It you delete something from your computer it will delete it from the on-line backup.  They are not a way to free up room on your computer.  There may be options available for this purpose but most on-line backups are a mirror image of what is currently on your hard drive(s).

Some people like to have more than one external hard drive.  They store one off-site at a bank vault or a relatives house. 

We have so much information on our computers that would cause major heartache is we lost it all.  Take some time to think about what works for you but please do some types of back up.

If you have read this far, thank you.  If I can help you process any of this information please let me know.  I am not an expert but can share with you what experience I do have.

Albums Touch Lives

The albums we create have more power than we probably realize.  The following was shared by Cathy Wallin, a sister Creative Memories consultant,  about her Dad, Rusty McKellar, who passed away on April 15, 2012.  I share it here with her permission.  It was written back in February while her Dad was in the hospital.  Sometimes even the small books have a greater impact than we ever imagine when we are creating them. 

"While my father has been in the hospital for the last 22 days (19 in ICU), the digital Storybooks that I made for him have been a great comfort. Numerous doctors, nurses, and assistants have taken a minute, or several, to look through their 50th Anniversary album that chronicles their 50 years together.

Two weeks ago, when a doctor mentioned that on his day off, he had attended a cub scout Pine Wood Derby with his boys, my brother immediately reached for my parents' 50th Anniversary book. He showed the doctor a picture of our dad in scout uniform. Dr. G. immediately noticed that they were a part of the same Scout Council. Then, his eyes went wide when he saw that Dad had been awarded the Silver Beaver, the highest honor bestowed on an adult scout.  At that point, I recalled the small paper back Storybook in my bag that tells the story of Dad's discovery at scout camp of the largest piece of petrified wood ever found in NC.

Dr. G. stood next to dad's bed in the ICU reading. He then looked up to say that, as a young scout, he had sat on Dad's rock in the dining hall at scout camp. He apologized for asking, but continued, asking if it were possible to get a copy of the book. I replied that he could have that one and he immediately slipped it into his white coat. Later, while sitting in the hallway, I saw him leave the ICU reading as he walked down the hallway. Days later, Dad was alert and able to smile as Dr. G told him that as a scout camper for fifteen years and more years as a counselor, he had admired Dad's rock, and that it was an honor to meet the man who had placed it there. Dr. G also told dad that next month when he takes his son to camp for the first time, he will be able to tell about the man who discovered the petrified wood in the dining hall.

Unlike a hand made album, Storybooks are small and light enough to carry into the hospital. We do not worry about leaving them in his room because they are replaceable More importantly, they have allowed his nursing staff and even doctors to see the man that he is rather than just their very sick patient who just a few days ago was "essentially comatose" on a respirator."

Now wipe away the tears and keep plugging away at your projects.  Please let me know if there is any way I can help you.  You are creating lasting legacies for your families.  I'm proud of each and every one of you.

Gutter View Options

The latest update to StoryBook Creator 4.0 changed the way you view the gutter when designing your book.  You now have the option of viewing the gutter of a regular book or choosing to view the gutter for a lay-flat book.  The new lay-flat option is only available in new projects that you create after the update.  If you want to use this new option in a book you are currently working on you can create a new project and import the pages from your current project into the new project. 

As always be sure to leave at least 1/4" to 1/2" inside the trimmed or gutter view of anything important such as text or photos.  This is not a perfect system and leaving some extra room assures you nothing will get cut out in the manufacturing process. 

Here is a short video that gives you all the details about the new option.

Please call me with any questions.

Digital Got It Guide!

I want to thank another consultant, Kay Clark, for generously sharing her template for keeping track of your digital downloads.  You can find this template under the My Files section of my website. It is an Excel file.  On the first worksheet there are directions on how to use the file.  Each month I will update the file with new content released that month.  Be sure to check back monthly to get the latest update. 

You can keep track of which kits you have purchsed, the date ordered, and the activation code. 

Please let me know if you need any help getting started with this spreadsheet.

Universal Format Artwork

On April 1 Creative Memories launched a new format for their digital artwork.  It is called Universal Format.  The exact same content will be available in both StoryBook Creator Format and Universal Format.  If you are using StoryBook Creator for your digital scrapbooking please continue to purchase the StoryBook Format digital artwork.  The advantages to purchasing this format is that it will automatically download into your software, the keywords are pre-coded for you, and the fancy alphabets will work better in the program.

You will want to look for one of these logos next to the digital artwork before you add it to your bag:

The Universal Format was introduced for people that are using other digital scrapbooking programs.  It is compatible with both PC's and Mac's.  The papers are all .jpg format and the embellishments are all .png format.  The Universal Format kits will have this icon next to them:

Please call me if you have any question about the different formats. 

Searching my website

Have you ever wanted to add a snowman or a tulip or a truck or something else to one of your digital pages but did not know which digital kit to purchase?  You can now search for these things on my website.  Just go to Search in the upper right corner and type in the item you are looking for.  It works best with just one word but sometimes more than one word also works.  You will automatically be brought to a page with all the kits that contain what you are searching for.  Then you can go to Digital Artwork under the Help Zone at the bottom of the page and bring up the .pdf that shows the exact content for each kit so you know you are purchasing exactly what you want. 

Once you have purchased the digital kit you can use tags in StoryBook Creator 4.0 to find the item.