Learning how to Resize Photos

It's the time of year when you may have received a new camera that takes extra large photos. It's also the best time to create your annual year book from last year's photos or create that 2012 calendar to help you remember all the dates you forgot last year. (ps if you publish either of those this month you will save 10% right at the check out).

So now you're ready to start that new photo project but all your photos are too large to upload to studio.
So here is the answer with step by step instructions.

See our HM blog post and save it on your computer for future reference.

Check out our website at www.recallwhen.com and use January Resolution month to get some prizes. Until January 16th you can pledge to Make Something Special as in Publish 12 in 2012 and after you fill out the online pledge form you are entered into the draw. By the way there are 12 prizes. By pledging it also helps me so I'm aware of what projects interest you. I'm published over 100 projects personally so I can assist in a more thorough manner by knowing what interests you.

2012 - Make Something Special and Make it a Great Year!
Digital Designer Barb
Your Personal Publishing Coach
barbashcroft@shaw.ca
250-752-5499

So much in Studio

Did you know that by mid-August, there will be over 900 art collections in Studio? (Just a sampling of some of the art used here for these projects). Many of these collections can be purchased elsewhere for $5-$10, a few are available for a little less and some are custom made for Heritage Makers and cannot be bought anywhere at any price.

Conservative estimates place the cost to buy the entire Studio Art Collection in the many thousands of dollars. What does that mean for you?

Well, if you’re a Club HM member, you’re banking points to pay for product every month, but the art is FREE for your use.

You don’t need an extra high-capacity hard drive to store your art on and you don’t need an expensive and sophisticated application to tag and organize it.

Here at Heritage Makers, we think it might also mean you’re a pretty smart cookie!

Go to the website and check out all the art for your next project.

Great Value - Great Variety!
Barb (your digital artist)
250-752-5499
wechangelives@shaw.ca

Referral Offer Extended

Yes you can still refer a friend to Club HM till August 18th and receive a 1/2 price coupon.

Check out the last posting for all the details.

Digital Diva
Barb
250-752-5499

Earn 1/2 price publishing coupons

Yes that's true. Earn coupons for 50% off. All you have to do is refer family and friends to our Club HM. Club HM is the place to get the best discounts on endless ideas for projects, FREE Premier with over 50,000 pieces of digital art and of course have the most fun with Heritage Makers (fb interaction with challenges and prizes ongoing).

Go to http://www.recallwhen.com and check it out. Time's wasting as this offer goes away July 31st.

This is all part of our Christmas in July Special where we show you Club HM is the coolest spin on lay-a-way programs.

Purchase publishing points over a minimum 3 month commitment and SAVE huge $$$.

Let's help you get started.

The SAVINGS start now.

Barb :)
Your Online Digital Design Center

The Reports are coming in!

I'm so excited to start seeing the responses of my wonderful Heritage Makers clients who have created projects on our website studio program and have already received them.

I met Cheryl at a Richmond, BC Chamber mixer and we definitely connected. When I planned a Digi Date in Delta last month she came and brought her grown daughter. Together they finished a project that afternoon and several more besides. Their Christmas shopping is mostly done.

Here's her excited email:

Barb, I just wanted you to know I have published and rec'd my canvases and cards...THEY ARE AWESOME! Now I can't wait to get some time in the New Year to work on others!
Thanks again for all you help. Wishing you and yours a Safe Happy Healthy Holiday Season.

Cheryl and Kim

You are welcome Cheryl and Kim. We provide an extra service of looking at the projects for our clients before they hit the publish button. It's one more reason you want to create online projects with a company that provides 'consultant help' along the way.

December will begin my planning for my Life Story and Storybook Classes in January. But for most of my students they will want to take advantage of the Fall Specials to have all the tools set up before the class. Maximizing their savings to boot!

Digi Diva

Barb

Your Personal Publishing Consultant

Share a moment of sweetness

I knew it had been awhile with packing, renovating, moving but when I saw my last post was in July I nearly fell over.

Well it's a new day and I LOVE SEPTEMBER!

I really do LOVE September.
It perfectly celebrates the end of summer and the beginning of fall. The weather is still great and I’m filled with yeah back to routine and getting all things in order!

With moving to our lovely little rancher I have actually completed most of my "Fall Cleaning" as my psyche was to think of the move as 'early' fall cleaning so I could feel good about all that packing up and reassigning new places for my stuff.

So now I'm into Creative Mode.....getting things all lined up for my workshops, my outreach and connecting with friends and clients. I thrive on creative time and this photo that I've shared before is now designed into an 18x18 inch deep canvas print. Isn't it so sweet!

Tomorrow is my first FALL Digi Date from 2-4 at Serious Coffee. Bring your laptop & I'll be teaching how to do this....we'll be ramping this up during the month and into October to help all my friends get their Christmas gifts not only started but FINISHED in time for gift giving.

I just read a neat post called 30 Days Hath September in a blog by Stacy Julian and while we're down to 24 days we can still accept her fall challenge. I encourage you to work on your projects for 20 -30 minutes a day or plan if you're working on a book to do One Page a Day. It's very doable with our studio that is built into www.recallwhen.com. It is like an intuitive photoshop program. In 24 days you could have most digital designed books done.

Glad to be back on track.

Join me for an amazing fall and if you've caught the digital heritage bug and want to share the fun and creativity of taking your photos and memories & placing them in heirloom projects give me a call. Our parent publisher has a great business kit offered right now. I'm also giving a free 8x8 canvas print to anyone who joins my team with a purchase of the business kit in September.

We don't wish any stories to be forgotten.

Signing off,

Digital Diva

Barb Ashcroft

Your Personal Publishing Consultant

250-752-5499

wechangelives@shaw.ca

That Magic will never go away

What could be more perfect? Sitting on grandpa's knee with your stuffy and you're both reading a book together and of course getting a tickle at the same time.

I just read a blog post in a First Time Parenting context that stated scrapbooks were going the way of the Apple iPad...hmmm. I don't think so looking at this photo.

Yes I believe scrapbooking in particular has changed. I saw my Mom's scrapbook when I was preteen. It showed all the paper clippings from the local prairie paper of 'the boys' who were going to war. It also showed her pangent ribbon as Miss Manitou in a beauty contest circa 1930.

I loved looking through it and 50 years later it is still clear as day on my mind.

With our busy lifestyle and everything so INSTANT I'm not surprised that busy parents can't find time or space to do their traditional scrapbooking (often described as therapy or girl time).

I think we have made a big leap to Digital Scrapbooking because of the ease of digital photography and the TIME SAVINGS...I can design a page (and complete it) in 30-40 minutes. I can do an entire book over a weekend or less. With web based online publishing several members in different parts of the country can work on the same book at the same time. How cool is that to create that one of a kind book for Dad or Mom having access to everyone's photos and each one can design their own pages.

Yes the world is changing, but I can't believe the feel good emotion of reading to a child and showing them pictures of themselves in a personal bound book will ever go the way of the iPad.

It will be a sad day if it does...

What are your thoughts?

Barb...online storybooker and proud of it!

Capture those Olympic Photos

Let's help our kids and families remember what a special time in history we are presently recording. How about sitting down and creating a beautiful swatch book or even a bound storybook of the adventure and excitement.

Here is a preview of a lovely family project that one of our Heritage gals created once they saw the flame in Okotoks. Click on Saw the Flame to preview the project.

Then go to www.recallwhen.com sign up for your account and let's get creating your own.

Where ever you are in Canada you may have had a chance to view it as well. The Torch is the symbol of lighting and connecting us from coast to coast. Never in all my years have I heard 20,000 sing O Canada in full abandon as we're seeing this week.

Let's Celebrate for all time and have something special to remember it all with.

I'd love to see this go viral....share with a friend who purchases the swatch book from me and I'll give you a swatch book to do for free. Contact me directly for this offer.

Go Canada Go!!!

Barb Ashcroft

250-752-5499 / 1-800-919-1998

barbashcroft@shaw.ca

www.RecallWhen.com

A Creative Outlet

Watch this 3 minute demo

Then go to our website and sign up for a FREE account.

Yes here is the perfect answer to what you've been worrying about doing with all those photos.

Virtual How-To Workshop Tonight

Would you like to create some cool items? Join us tonight for a Free Virtual Workshop.

Then contact me (Barb at www.RecallWhen.com and BarbAshcroft@shaw.ca ) for a FREE gift for joining us.

Here is the registration info and the link to register.

Heritage Makers Virtual Workshop Webcast

Webcast date: Tuesday August 18, 2009

Time: 6pm (Pacific) 7pm (Mountain) 8pm (Central) 9pm (Eastern)

Register for the online portion of this presentation by clicking on this link:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/692405185

You will receive an email confirmation of your registrations with a personalized link for joining the webinar.

Click on this link Tuesday night and you will be connected to the online presentation.

You will automaticallybe connected to the audio using your computer's speakers (VoIP). Or you mayselect "Use Telephone" after joining the Webinar.

If you elect to use thetelephone please dial:

Conference Call: 213-286-1201

Access code: 680-797-026

Barb Ashcroft

Personal Publishing Consultant

We Bring your Stories to Life

We remember MOMENTS, not days

One of my tweeps posted the cutest story about the Tooth Fairy who was MIA.

These are the Moments that make up a lifetime. It's another reason why I love helping folks create their own Heritage bound books. This is my toothless grandson, so I can relate to the tooth fairy.

Check out the cute story posted on Caroline's blog.

It's worth a few minutes and will bring a smile.

Tweet from Family Stories:
Well [a-hem] the tooth fairy doesn't *always* come thru [at least not the 1st time] ;) http://twurl.nl/ujlmal

(in case my link above doesn't work).

Make it a great week,
Barb
Persoanl Publishing Consultant
www.RecallWhen.com

Creative Online Workshops to Better Your Best

Fun taking the family to a Globe Trotter's Game

Yes, there are so many fun projects to do...I put this pix in designing my grandson's poster

Come learn this week: two Time/Date options for our free online workshop

Register for free online workshops with fun and inspiration for those projects.

Tuesday June 9th

9 AM Pacific, 10 AM Mountain, 11 AM Central, 12 Noon Eastern

June Online Workshop - Invite Everyone You Know!
This one is going to be our BEST EVER!
Theme: Family Reunion, Sports

When registering enter 'guest of Barb Ashcroft #173517'

REGISTER HERE: or https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/429253798
for Tuesday June 9th, 9 am Pacific Time class or

Register here: or https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/350302744
For Wednesday June 10th, 7pm Pacific Time

Have the BEST WEEK - learning fun new tools, new applications & techniques.

Barb Ashcroft
Personal Publishing Coach
www.recallwhen.com
1-800-919-1998

Special Creations - One Step Further & Tons of Fun

Many of my newest friends are talented in the area of genealogy. It is such fun to play detective and discover new family members & new stories.

The proof picture shown above is an outline of the Title page of our Ashcroft Family coffee table book (red lines are just for aligning & will be cut off). I was able to google a map of England and save that as a jpeg image and then place a transparent tinted circle over the area the family came from. I was also able to highlight the names on the family list that pertained to our LIMB of the Ashcroft Family Tree.

Whether you have just started or are well on your way, I encourage you to create a coffee table book to share the discoveries. Imagine a compilation of all the family photo albums (& more) put together in one place. The photos can all be tagged with names and with stories.

Once you have done that I want to encourage you to go one step further. Summer is approaching and we are planning our first long weekend at the lake.

It is the time when families come together and PLAY.

How about taking those photos and stories and history tidbits and create 3 more things that end up being a Family History Game.

1) Our website has a template gallery to show you how you can turn a poster into a Family Game Board.

2) Our personalized decks of playing cards becomes the Family Fun Facts - variety in the Template Gallery. The sky is the limit on creating it your way.

3) Our Family Fold becomes the Rules for the Family Game.

Right now I am creating a Family Game Board based on my 86 year old Dad's life. It begins with a photo of him as a tiny child, and progresses along his 'happy trails' right up to today.

Email me for a preview and I'll show you how I'm doing that.

The deck of cards are alternating photos of the family shots that correspond to photos on the game board. Our HM team has created endless ideas for your own Family Board Games - so have fun this summer, create some fun and get those kids involved in a fun way to celebrate family and our heritage.

Best yet, the work has already been started with the creation of templates. All you have to do is personalize it with your own photos and words.

Your basic account on our website is free. So go ahead and get started today.

Barb Ashcroft

Personal Publishing Coach

1-800-919-1998

www.RecallWhen.com

Bringing Your Stories to Life!

OMG An easy way to be paid for our FUN hobby

When I knew I had to be a Heritage Maker I jumped in with the Business Kit and invested $299.95 usd. It has been one of the best investments I have ever made. At the very least being compensated with the best pricing for my very own projects. Of course it has gone way beyond that and given me the opportunity to share in the precious life experiences of those who come across my path.

Just Announced!
May 1st, 2009 HM corporate announcement.
Business Kits are available on a short term basis for $199.95 AND include a publishing credit for a coffee table book 8.5 x 11.5 size (value $69.95).

So for a mere $130 net investment, women & men who have a passion to preserve special memories can receive a website, a business kit and the opportunity to BE PAID to create their own memories plus share the privilege to others.

It just doesn't get any better than this. When Oprah added us to her 'Top Ten All Time Favourite Gifts List' I thought we had reached the pinnacle, but this makes it available to everyone for the price of a good pair of shoes.

Is this you? Are you into design? Photography? Digital Scrapbooking? Self Publishing? Card making & sending?

Here's your chance to do just that and create an income stream at the same time.

Make a Living while you make a Difference!

Contact me right away for an overview packet.

Digital Design Diva,
Barb Ashcroft
www.recallwhen.com
BarbAshcroft@shaw.ca

Pleae help me get the word out. 29 days and counting. With all the folks financially hurting out there, this could be a huge opportunity for many.

Photography How To's worth Bookmarking

Going in the right direction! Yes!

It's like being pushed by a team of dolphins!

I felt like Wonder Woman when the two dolphins pushed me across the lagoon ....

They had awesome POWER!

They knew where they were going.

It's like having a great teacher - right?

One of my passions has been to be able to take great photo images.

But in the busyness of life, having manuals that are 200+ pages long, it just doesn't get to the top of my to-do list.

So today I'm going to DIRECT YOU to a Great Teacher.

I have come across Darren Rowse's blogs on digital photography and I enjoy how he simplifies it for us.

So click on these links and save them on your favourites. You are going to want to come back time and time again to make photography all it can be for you.

This one is terrific. 21 Settings, techniques that all camera owners should know

Happy Memory Making,

Barb Ashcroft

Personal Publishing Consultant

www.RecallWhen.com

We Bring Your Stories to Life

http://twitter.com/recallwhen

April Special: Pick of the Month Save 25% on our flagship 8x8 bound books

contact me directly to save.

20 Questions to ask when writing a Grandparent's Story

20 Excellent Questions to Ask

Questions = Page #

The Page # relatess to each question and tells you the exact page where you would put the answers when you create your

Grandparent Cornerstone Legacy Book

Example: Grandpa & Grandma _________: A Legacy That Lives On

Pg. 1: Their Legacy Lives On
What inspired you to write this book? What do you want your children to remember about your parents? (this is written from the perspective of you writing about your parents for your kids).

Pg. 2: Grandfather Benjamin
Give a brief biographical sketch of your father’s childhood. Where and when was he born, who were his parents, what were some of his childhood interests and experiences?

Pg. 3: Grandmother Esther
Give a brief biographical sketch of her childhood. Where and when was she born, who were her parents, what were some of her childhood interests and experiences?

Pg 4: When Grandma Met Grandpa
Write about how, when and where your parents met. What kinds of things did they like to do together? What did they admire about each other?

Pg. 5: Building a New Life Together
Write about why your parents decided to marry each other. How did your father propose? Where did they get married? Where was their first house? Describe their early life together.

Pg. 6: Working for a Living
What kind of work did your father do? Why did he choose that profession? What kind of professional advice would your father leave for your children? What kind of work ethic and legacy did he leave for them?

Pg. 7: A Woman’s Work is Never Done
Write about your mother’s work and responsibilities. Was she working when she met your father? In school? How did her responsibilities change as children came? What did she do to make your house a home?

Pgs. 8-9: A Growing Family
Write down the names and birthdates of your siblings as well as yourself. Include details about them such as their interests and talents, nicknames, or things they were known for. How did the children get along and care for each other? What experiences did you have that bonded you all together as a family.

Pgs. 10-11: The Places We Called Home
Write about the homes you grew up in. Write about your neighbors, your community, and your surroundings. How did that shape you as you grew up? Where were your favorite places to go? Who were your family’s friends?

Pgs. 12-13: Exploring the World Around Us
Describe family vacations or trips that you took together. When was the first time your parents took you beyond the boundaries of your regular home life and community?

Pgs. 14: Grandpa’s Favorites
What were some of your father’s favorite things: songs, food, recreational activities, books, quotes, music, hobbies, etc.

Pg. 15: Grandma’s Favorites
What were some of your mother’s favorite things: songs, food, recreational activities, books, quotes, music, hobbies, etc.

Pg. 16: Grandma’s Words of Wisdom
What kind of advice would your mother have left to her children? Make a list of some of your mother’s positive character traits. What kind of example did she leave as a legacy for your children?

Pg. 17: Grandpa’s Words of Wisdom
What kind of counsel would your father leave for his grandkids? What kinds of attitude and ethics would he like to see in his posterity? What kind of example did he set for his posterity?

Pgs. 18-19: Spiritual Reflections
Some people adhere to a specific organized religion. Some people have a more individualistic set of values they adhere to, but you can always tell a person’s true beliefs by the way they live. Write about your parents’ religious beliefs and personal philosophy of life.

Pgs. 20-21: Their Legacy Lives On
Write your own thoughts about your parents. Include thoughts of siblings, relatives, neighbors, etc.

This page is excerpts from our Story Maps

Once you create your free account you have access to Story Maps or cue sheets on the Studio Page. These include how to write a Life Story, a Love Story, a Baby Story and many more.

Follow these cues and you will have your Grandparent Cornerstone almost ready to publish. Just need to add the photos.

In fact contact me and I can provide you with a template that you only need to fill in your photos and your words. Totally customizable with your personal touches.

It never got easier to preserve the memories of those precious to you.

Create your free account today!

Barb Ashcroft

your Personal Publishing Consultant

http://www.recallwhen.com

http://twitter.com/recallwhen

BarbAshcroft@shaw.ca

1-800-919-1998 (North American toll free)

Don't like to Journal?

We've got you covered. We have the wonderful Quote Library in our Studio 2.0 online storybooking design center.

It even comes with a FREE Membership.

Just drag and drop the quote of choice (even comes with a search function) to your page and voila you're set. You select the font, size and color to fit your design.

Quote Garden is another great source.

Here are a few favorite Graduation Quotes to be thinking for 2009 Grad projects.

When you leave here, don’t forget why you came. ~Adlai Stevenson, to college graduates
Graduation day is tough for adults.

They go to the ceremony as parents. They come home as contemporaries. After twenty-two years of child-raising, they are unemployed. ~Erma Bombeck

You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world. ~Tom Brokaw

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. ~Aristotle

It takes most men five years to recover from a college education, and to learn that poetry is as vital to thinking as knowledge. ~Brooks Atkinson, Once Around the Sun, 1951

A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad. ~Theodore Roosevelt

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. ~Benjamin Franklin

Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated. ~Garry Trudeau

People will frighten you about a graduation…. They use words you don’t hear often: “And we wish you Godspeed.” It is a warning, Godspeed. It means you are no longer welcome here at these prices. ~Bill Cosby

The future lies before you

Like a field of driven snow,

Be careful how you tread it,

For every step will show.~Author Unknown

Hitch your wagon to a star. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just had to slip in a photo of my kids .....ah sweet memories.

Barb, Digital Publishing Consultant

We Bring your Stories to Life!

http://www.recallwhen.com

It is all about the JOURNEY

Life Story Classes:

This past week I completed teaching a four week Life Story Class for Seniors. It was magical! I felt so privileged to know these individual's stories. To see their excitement as they were able to place the photos and text about their lives in printed bound form was amazing.

When the books return from the publisher, many are sent off already, we will be having a dinner together; "Celebrating being Published Authors" and sharing about their books to each other.

Our course had a fee of $70.00 which included the introductory template to design with 21 pages.

Having these recorded for future generations is priceless, but that is not all.

I recently was directed to a website service in Vancouver that specializes in telling people's memoirs. I thought you'd enjoy the comparisons.

The most complete and largest Heritage Makers coffee table Heritage book (100 pages) I have ever created priced out at $141.00 usd plus taxes and shipping. It was an amazing process and the end result was incredible. I probably invested 200+ hours but it was a personal journey and was worth every minute.

The memoir company shares:
We specialize in projects for families and businesses, with prices starting at $125,000 for individual and family biographies and $200,000 for corporate histories. We also work with many of our clients on a long-term basis as "outsourced storytellers" where we are constantly gathering their new stories and delivering them back in creative and valuable ways.

Yes, they do interview you and your family.
Yes, they scan your photos and documents.

They write the story, they edit the story, they do the layout and they bind the books.

For me the enjoyment came in THE JOURNEY so I'm glad I did it myself, traveled across the prairies and scanned the family photo albums with my cousins and aunts, interviewed them myself, and re-established relationships with family.
ps I also saved the $124,859.00.
Yes, It is ALL GOOD!

Barb Ashcroft

Knitting families together with personal storybooks

Baseball Fever continues

Would you like to feature that family baseball star?

Don't have photos for an entire book?

Then by all means create a wall poster.

This template I designed is for an 18x24 inch poster.

What a great way for the 'star' to recall his special moments.

Personalized with his name, his photos, his team name and his own roster #.

What a great gift for the relatives that live far away.

I have created the template & will transfer for free into my client's accounts. That way they can use our wonderful 'swapping photo feature' and simply swap out or replace the photos with those of your own dear one. They don't have to worry about designing, just personalizing.

All the text can be simply revised to have your pertinent info in its place.

What do you need to do?

1) Go to www.RecallWhen.com

2) Set up your free account

3) Phone or email me with your account number so I can transfer the project to you.

4) Start uploading your favourite baseball photos into a photo album created on this free Heritage Maker account. I'd create an album called Baseball 2008 as you can have as many photo albums as you need and this is a perfect & efficient time to start sorting all your photos.

5) Ask me for your free 20 minute demo either in person or online so you can get your project done ASAP. In fact I've made this so simple it should take all of 20-30 minutes to complete once you've uploaded your photos.

Let's make some magic! Right now till the end of May...Special Price Discounts!

Barb, Digital Diva

Your Storybooking Coach

www.RecallWhen.com or wechangelives@shaw.ca or 604-271-5434

Baseball Fever

Ok my apologies first off. At the risk of sounding like a real ditz I have not posted for AGES as we moved and I misplaced all my log in, blog name etc. Detective Barb found it now! Yeah!

I am newly recommitted to posting at the very least, twice a week to keep you all in the loop.

We're having such amazing fun...I don't want you to miss out on ANYTHING!

BASEBALL FEVER! We can now design personalized playing cards.This photo is a template I created for TRADING CARDS for my grandson's baseball team. All the players can be added with their own names and favourite things they like about baseball. HOW MUCH FUN IS THIS!!!

I also did a set of "Seniors Memory Cards" for my oldest brother who turns 65 next month.

My two brothers and their wives accompanied Ron & I on a trip to Palm Springs last month.

We all got married 40 years ago within 8 months of each other and decided to celebrate this milestone together. So I had lots of fun photo images to place on the cards to make this personalized version of Old Maid. I can hardly wait to see his expression when he gets the package. They come in a neat plastic container. How's that for a creative way to ward off dementia?

If you want to create your own simply contact me at wechangelives@shaw.ca or phone 604-271-5434 (my new phone number since our move) and I'll get you set up with your own free account.

You can check out our website for all kinds of new products at www.RecallWhen.com

Till next time,

ta ta,

Barb Ashcroft

Your Storybook Coach

Don't let your babies grow up to be JPEGS!

Make something extra special with all those photos.