Using the Corner Cutter in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0

The corner cutter is such a versatile tool.  You can round the corners on your photos, similar to how you used the corner cutter in traditional albums. You can create your own background paper with unique corner cuts.  You can cut special corners on journal boxes.  You can cut all four corners the same or choose which corner(s) you want to cut.  The Basic and Corners come FREE with your purchase of StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0.  But if you fall in love with corners there are several more you can purchase under digital embellishments on my website. 

The samples shown use the Fabulous Digital Power Palette and the Fabulous Digital Corners.  Please share with me samples you create using the corner cutter.  This will help inspire others.

Creating a Grid Background

It's very easy to create a grid background in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0.  This adds a unique effect to your pages.  It works really well with scenery pictures but given the right photo it also works with pictures of people.  You may have to play with the people photos a bit and the size of the grids to be sure you don't cut someone's face in half. 

You can also use this technique with a background paper and then fill in some (or all) of the squares with photos.

Get creative and have fun playing.  Please share your completed pages with me to inspire others.

Creating a Globe

This amazing page was created by Alyson Root.  Today's video will show you how you too can create this globe effect for your page. Remember to include your story on your page - your story is what is going to make the photos come to life and give true meaning to your page.  At this time this effect is only available in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0



Here are the written instructions :

Creating a Globe in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0


1. Create a block of square photo frames. The photo frames can be any size you want and you can have as many as you want but you need to have the same number of rows and columns.

2. Fill all the photo frames with photos – remember the photos in the center will be the ones that are dominate in your globe. The ones along the edges you will not see as clearly.

3. Once all the photo frames are filled select them all – go to the arrange tab and choose flatten

4. If you want a specific color between your photos on the globe go to the insert tab and under shape choose Rectangle. Size the rectangle to be the size of your square of photos. Make it the color you want or fill it with a piece of paper or gradient. Then select both your photo square and the colored square and flatten them together.

5. Go to the Format Tab and choose Filters – scroll to the bottom and choose Spherize. Be sure the Clip outside edges box is checked and say OK.

6. Enjoy your globe!


 
Please share your creations with me so I can share them with other readers.  You will inspire them with your own creativness.

Creating a Ripped Edge in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0

Sorry for the lapse in posting entries but I was having problems with the software.  They seem to be fixed now. This recording shows you how to create a ripped edge in StoryBook Creator Plus.  It is very easy and gives you a lot of different looks for your digital projects.

Changing your paper color in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0

Have you ever wished that blue paper was a shade of pink instead?  Or do you love to work in black and white and want more options?  Or do you really like the monochromatic look for your pages?  Well you can have all this and more with StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0.  You can take one page and change it to a myriad of different options. This short video demonstrates how easy it is to do.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Share in the comments section what your favorite tool to change colors of a paper is.

Creating a two page spread from one photo

This video will show you how to get an absolutely breathtaking layout in your StoryBook project by spreading one photo across two pages.  It works best with a landscape photo.  Also you need to be aware that you will lose some of the top or bottom of the photo so be sure it is a photo that you don't need to see everything in the photo.  In addition to scenery photos it works well with large group photos. 

Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with.  I can't wait to see how you choose to use this in your books.

Which photos have you printed?

This short video demonstrates how the Print Track feature in Memory Manager 3.0 works.  It will allow you to quickly and easily see which photos you have printed, which you still need to print, and which you decided you did not want to print.  This is useful for both traditional and digital users.  If you print your pictures in a StoryBook you can still mark them as printed.  Share in the comments section if this feature has been useful to you and how.

Creating a custom card in StoryBook Plus

Front of 5x7 card to be used as thank you note

5 panel card with inspirational quotes

This video shows you how to create a custom 3-panel, 5-panel, or 5x7 card in StoryBook Creator Plus.  This video demonstrates how to start with a blank template and create the card entirely from scratch.  If you want to do something much faster you can start with a pre-designed template.  You can find a variety of templates for all size cards on my website.  If you don't have StoryBook Creator Plus you can still create these cards with the free templates at the Creative Memories Digital Center. The cards are on sale for 20% off through November 30, 2010.  These cards are great for invitations, announcements, thank-you notes, etc.  They are a super high quality.  Please let me know if you have any questions or I can help you in any way.  I would love to see the cards you create.  Please add a comment about the type of card you created and what you used it for.

Creating a Photo Panel

Looking for a unique, easy to create gift?  Our Photo Panels are perfect.  They are a photo and frame all in one.  The photos are printed on a high quality heavy board and they have a glossy coating on the front.  They print crystal clear, including any text you want to include.  Photo panels come in four sizes 5x7 and 11x8.5 in either vertical or horizontal and 8x8 or 12x12.  The first three sizes come with an easel on the back to stand on your table.  The 12x12 is printed on a much heavier board and comes with a keyhole on the back to hang on the wall.

You can use just one photo on the entire panel or you can add a quote or some embellishments to the photo.  You can also create the photo panel just as you would any StoryBook album page.  To make the project extra fast you can even import a page from a StoryBook automatically into the photo panel. 

I know any recipient of this amazing gift will be so thankful and will treasure it as an addition to their home or office.  It will make them smile every time they look at it.  What more could you ask for in a gift.

This short video walks you through the steps to create a photo panel.  As always just call me if you have any questions.

PicFolio Album Planner

This video demonstrates how to use the PicFolio Album Planner feature in Memory Manager.  Out PicFolio albums are slip and slide albums that are very fast and easy to create.  You can add some decorative touches to them with our PicFolio Milestones kits or just mat some of the center photos with our StoryBox mats.  These albums help busy people get their photos off their computer and into their life so they can savor the moments they captured in their photos.  If this style does not appeal to you think about using them for gifts.  They work especially well for grandparents.  You can send them photos as the events occur and they will have a place to put them and show off their grandkids.  Some people also like the idea we call "Just pick 9".  You pick just 9 photos from either a month and/or an event and add a journal box and you have a two-page spread completed.  Again a fast way to celebrate your life and do something with your photos.

Freebies

Don't we all love to get something for FREE?  Well Creative Memories is very generous and they post a number of free embellishments, word art, overlays, and paper each Friday on my website.  They are yours to download for FREE and use in any of your StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 projects.  This short video explains how to download them and add them to StoryBook Creator Plus.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  Be sure to check my website weekly for more FREE goodies.

     If you have a request for a special embellishment you would love to see please add it to the comments section under one of the weekly freebie links.  Also add a positive comment if you really love one of the freebies that are posted. The people who develop these every week love to know if others are enjoying them.  They are also quite responsive to your requests.  Let me know if you request something and I will be watching to see if they answer your request.

Creating a Calendar - Part 4

This video covers how to create dates for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. so you can easily add them to your calendar.  This technique is especially useful if you will be creating more than one calendar.  It is also useful if you create a calendar each year.  Please call me with any questions.

Creating a Calendar - Part 3

Today's short video will cover how to use a full photo as the entire background of your calendar; how to use a full photo on the top portion of your calendar; how to add a background to the calendar portion of your page; and how to use a page you created for another project in your calendar.  Please call me with any questions. 

If you would like to have the same calendar in both the 12x18 and the 8x12 size you just need to create the calendar once.  Create it in the 12x18 size and when you upload the calendar to the Creative Memories Digital Center you have the choice of downsizing and having it printed in the smaller size.  This means a lot less work for you and another gift checked off your list. 

Remember the calendars are on sale for 20% off through the end of October 2010.  How many calendars do you plan on making this year?

Creating a Calendar Part 2

This video focuses on how to customize the calendar portion of your calendar.  These options are available only in StoryBook Creator 3.0 Plus.  The video will explain how to customize the calendar style as well as how to add special occassions to dates on your calendar. You can find a list of 2011 holidays on my website under My Files.  If you are interested in purchasing the pre-designed holidays you can find them here. Please call me with any questions.

Note from previous video - if you are using the Free basic version of StoryBook Creator you must choose one of the three pre-designed pages for each month.  You cannot use a May template in June.  That can only be done with StoryBook Creator Plus.  I'm sorry for the confusion.

Creating a Calendar - Part 1

Over the next several posts I will be walking you through the steps to create a calendar in StoryBook Creator.  You can use either the basic version of StoryBook Creator, which is a free download, or the Plus version, which is $64.95.  Calendars come in two sizes - 12x18 and beginning Oct 1 8x12.  The 12x18 has a full size 12x12 perforated page on top that can be framed or added to a scrapbook. The 8x12 version has an 8x8 page.  The 12x18 calendar is $25.99 and the 8x12 is $20.99.  Both sizes will be on sale for 20% off from October 1 through October 31, 2010. 

Calendars also make great fundraisers.  By selling just 55 calendars you can make between $1,100 and $1,400 for your group or team.  I would work with you to create a completely custom page for each month with photos or artwork from your group.  Please contact me to learn how easy it is to make some serious money for your group.

This webinar explains the first steps - downloading the StoryBook program, downloading the page tempates, and adding photos.

Correct Pet Eye

Have you ever taken a picture of your pet and had glaring yellow eyes?  This is a result of using a flash.  While it is best to try to shoot pictures without a flash many times this is not possible.  That is when Memory Manager once again comes to the rescue.  In just a few short minutes you can return your pets eyes back to normal.

Delete a project in SB+

Many of you have asked how you delete a project in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0.  It is really very easy but you can't do it directly through the StoryBook Program.  Here is a short video to walk you through the steps.  Did you try it after watching the video?  How did it work for you?

Do you have pictures of red-eyed monsters?

Red eye occurs when we use our flash. The flash reflects off your eye and the blood vessels in the eye cause the red "monster" eyes.  You can have a really great picture, except for these glaring red eyes.  Fortunately Memory Manager has a very easy way to fix red eye.  This short video will walk you through the two very quick options available in Memory Manager. There is now no reason for you to have red eye in any of your pictures.

Click & Fill Pages and Content Manager

This short video shows you how to use the Click and Fill pages and how to save papers, embellishments and colors for a project. Are the click and fill pages helpful to you?

Circle and Oval Mats

This short video will demonstrate how to create both single and double mats around circle or oval photos in StoryBook Creator 3.0 Plus. Will you be matting more shaped photos now that you know how easy it can be?