the story.

 

Last week was a biggie in the world of memory keeping.  There was real earth-shaking movement, and now that the dust has settled your options for digital tools & services just got bigger & better!

Last week, Rhonda Anderson resigned from Creative Memories, the company she founded 27 years ago, to continue her mission with Heritage Makers. And I went with her.  In Rhonda's own words "To preserve my personal integrity I had to leave. I lost my peace. I had a pit in my stomach that said it's time - I had to go."  Please read the whole story in this article:  Co-Founder Rhonda Anderson Resigns.

Rhonda's heart, passion and integrity were a big part of my decision to make Creative Memories part of my life for the past 21 years.  I am excited about my new adventure with Heritage Makers. If you would like to explore my web site for the myriad of digital products & services they provide, please click here.  Soon, with Rhonda's help, you will be able to get quality traditional albums supplies as well. 

The good news for you - You have more options than ever for getting your photos off your devices & into your life!

good advice.

 

This past weekend I was privileged to attend a conference in Dallas for The Association of Professional Photo Organizers, or APPO for short.  Everyone there had an appreciation and passion for all-things-photo.  I learned that 880 billion photos will be snapped this year.  I learned that there are 30,000 photos a minute uploaded to Instagram.  I learned that billions of photos are in jeopardy because we don't understand & respect technology.  I learned that photos are an easy marker of what is good, bad & meaningful in our lives.

One of my favorite quotes of the weekend was from the mouth of photographer Kevin Gilbert who said "A picture has no value if you can't find it."

In the spirit of these wise words, I want to share some good advice that I gleaned from the conference.  I compiled wisdom from the above mentioned Kevin Gilbert, and from Nick Kelsh's presentation.  Call it Ten Good Ideas.

1. Get your memories off your old computers, phones, tablets and onto a modern computer.

2. Put all your photos in one place on your computer.  This could be a file labeled PHOTOS or I use Panstoria's Historian (formerly Memory Manager).  Whatever the case, put them in ONE PLACE. 

You want them in one place because if / when your computer crashes you have ONE FILE to save. You want the file named PHOTOS because if something would happen to you, it won't be a mystery to family members as to where to retrieve the photos!

3. Re-name all your photos. CRV1026 means nothing to me... or to anybody.   This can be as simple as "Charlotte's Birthday" or "Dallas Trip".  This will enable you to locate your photos more easily. 

4. Sort them into folders. Think like a librarian.  This is how you organize your photos - by renaming them and naming your folders.  Nick Kelsh said "It takes discipline, but the time you spend doing it is less than when you can't find one."

Creating folders is super easy in programs like Historian. Since I have mentioned it twice now I will give you the link. Click here if you want to know more about the photo organizing software I love.

5. Create a "Greatest Hits" folder.  These are photos that make you gasp when they appear on the screen.  These are photos you want to share with the world.  These are photos you are proud of.  These are photos you gave a 5-star rating.

6. Get your photos from social media and back into YOUR files.

7. Back up your entire photo collection onto an external hard drive AND in the cloud. 

External Hard Drive backup is a one button process using the SHADOW COPY feature in Historian. And FYI, I use Carbonite for my cloud backup.  There are many options out there, just do it.

8. Treat your originals lovingly.  Remember that if you edit in PhotoShop, you trash your original image when you edit.  I like software (like Historian) that always keep the original image, no matter how many times you edit.  OK, I am sorry that this sounds like a commercial, but I cannot help sharing what I am doing & loving as part of the sound advice.

9. PRINT YOUR PHOTOS.  There are 1000 creative ways to do it. Honestly, this is the only way to guarantee that your photos will be around in 10 years... or even 5.

10.  Enjoy your photos. Reminisce.

take a photo.

Do it. Nick says that this is quickest route to photographic success. 

clean up tool.

This is a commercial for Historian software from Panstoria. This is the upgrade to our beloved Memory Manager software from Creative Memories.  I want you to know that I think the CLEAN UP TOOL alone on the new version is worth the $39.95 price tag.

This is a scanned photo of Mollie Kate.  It is a favorite childhood photo that she picked for her Senior Class Graduation Slideshow.  It was originally cut into an oval with a scissors.  I cropped it to rectangular in the scanning process.  The photo is well worn and grainy.  Can you see the noise, scratches and wear? I was worried about how much work it would be to clean up for the big screen. 

Then I tried the one-touch CLEAN UP button in the Historian (MM) software.  One touch of one button and I was sold on Historian for this feature alone.  When you are scan a photo you often get film grain and other noise distortions in the dark areas.  Now there is a one-touch solution for that!

I like the photo so much after the CLEAN UP that I am going to have it enlarged for the party! There is a soft finish to the AFTER photo that makes it more elegant. Now you notice the darling tear in her eye more than the fuzz in the dark spaces!

Try it. You'll like it.

How? Select the photo. Then click on the ADJUST tab. Click the CLEANUP button on the FOCUS tab. Easy as can be.

And click here to find out more about Historian software. It is time for you to upgrade if you haven't already.

are you game?

 

Remember the Memory Game? 24 little cards. You turn them over two at a time. And you have to use your memory to remember where you saw the matching card!  Very exciting when you are little.  Check out this Valentines Day version of the classic game featuring YOUR kids or grand kids.

Yesterday I made the game for our house  when the grand-girls are here.  I love the pinky-pink limited edition that Pinhole Press is offering right now.  (Don't worry. Chic Black and Fun Blue versions are available too.)

It took me under 15 minutes to create the project and cost my pocketbook only $19.99.  A deal. 

To be honest, it took me longer to select the photos I wanted to use.  Smile. You need 12 photos (because there are two of each card in the game.)  With our 6 darling grand daughters I got to pick two photos of each girl.  You could create your game with 12 different family members... or 12 photos of one precious kid. Want to see the pics I used?

I remember loving this game as a very little girl because it is one of the first board games you can play when you are very young.  I have memories of feeling very proud that I was BIG enough to play a table game. I look forward to playing this game again on about the 50 anniversary of the first time I played it. ha

Check it out here at   PINHOLE PRESS .

family flashcards.

want a great gift idea for kids in your family?
 The photo flashcards that Aunt Abby made for Charlotte & Eleanor this Christmas were all the rage on Christmas morning... And still are!

Family Flashcards are one of many creative photo projects available for the making at Pinhole Press.  Please use my link to check out the fun for yourself! You can find these Flashcards under Games & Education.

 Right here:  Pinhole Press. 

 

This is an easy drop-and-drag project.  Even the backs of the cards are colorful & fun.  The flashcards are made of a sturdy cardboard and super-reasonably priced at $24.99.  Another cool feature is that you can change up the alphabet letters to fit your family.  You might notice that we have lots of M's... and no Q or X.  It is 26 letters of your choice.

the insta-album.

If you are landing on this blog, you know that one of my passions is helping people get their photos off their devices and into their lives.   I became more serious about posting photos to Facebook and Instagram sometime in early 2012 when I learned that this is the hipster-way to stay connected to our kids. I can follow their lives in photo and word-snips, and they can follow me. They are the ones who told me that "Facebook is for old people" and I quickly learned that most of their social media comings-and-goings happened on Instagram.   It was easy to became a fan of Instagram because it is about sharing PHOTOS.   You can send your photo out into cyberspace with a caption, or just plain. But a photo is what is doing the bulk of the communicating.  Instagram comes with a set of editing filters and is a pretty fun way to communicate with family and friends.

One of my goals in January is to get my Instagram photos off my iPhone and into an album for safe keeping into the future.  For my Insta-Album, I chose a little hardcover 5.25 x 5.25 60-page book from Pinhole Press.   Since 2012, I have sent about 250 photos into cyberspace as "instagrams". These are the ones going in the books.  Not all 4000 photos I took on my iPhone are going into keepsake books... just the ones that were favorite enough to post to my Instagram world.   It looks like 4 little sixty-page books will get me current. This one is my first! Volume 2 and Volume 3 are on their way. 

When deciding what size / shape / style of album I wanted for preserving my Instagrams, I opted for something tiny and something hardcover.  Tiny because Instagrams are created & viewed in a pretty tiny format (phone screen size) and it suits them.  Hardcover because all of our family albums see a lot of wear & tear.  This does not mean we are careless with our albums.  It means that almost every time that the kids are home, I can find them pulling albums from the shelves and traveling down Memory Lane in the pages.  It is what happens when you have photo albums... and it is a truly marvelous thing.

Because I wanted a square photo frame on each page AND because I wanted to include the text that accompanied my Instagrams, I set up the page layout using Artisan (formerly StoryBook Creator) software.  I used the CUSTOM setting with Height 5.25 and Width 10.5.  I inserted a square photo frame on each side of the layout (mine are just over 3.5" square) and inserted text boxes under each photo frame. My guess is that Instagram uses Helvetica font, but since I don't own this expensive but classic font, I used the free cousin-font Arial. Once I create my blank custom layout, I duplicated it 28 times.  (Each 60 page Panoramic Mini Photo Book holds 28 - 2 photo - layouts.)

Then it is just drop & drag the Instagram images from your phone - and add the text!  Next step is -  SAVE AS jpegs, and upload using this link to Pinhole Press.  Nice and easy.  To create the album exactly like mine, just select the 'full bleed' page layout option for every page - and drag your created page into place.  There are prompts to help you personalize the cover and inside page.

I would like to create a mini how-to video to demonstrate how truly easy it is.  Maybe watch for it to show up in a couple weeks.  But don't hold your breath.  And don't wait to try it on your own!


 Please check out  Pinhole Press  for yourself!  I am totally in love with the clever and creative products that they offer.  My personal favorites are the Family Flashcards, the Memory Game personalized with your photos, address labels and wine bottle labels for a wedding or party. Please use my link to check it out for yourself.

Pinhole Press

it's time to upgrade.

If you own Memory Manager and StoryBook Creator, it is time to upgrade your software to the new Panstoria format.  It is quick & easy to do!

Just click on this link:  Panstoria

Or click on the banner on the right side of my blog.  Either one will take you to the Panstoria web site through my affiliate account.  Just purchase Artisan 4 Software (which is the new name for StoryBook Creator) for just $39.95.  Follow the prompts for downloading.  When asked if you want to migrate all your current projects and digital artwork into the new format, click YES.  In less than 5 minutes you will be done.  This newer version has a few more bells & whistles, but it looks basically the same on your computer screen.  The change to Panstoria insures that your software will continue to be supported, and any necessary updates will be made.  Another perk of Artisan is that it can be installed on two computers, while SBC could only be used on one.

Then purchase the Historian Software using the same link for $39.95.  This will upgrade your Memory Manager software to the new Panstoria format.  Follow the prompts to install.  When you open the new Historian software on your computer, under the FILE tab go to OPEN VAULT.  Browse to the location of where you store your vaults on your hard drive.  (If you do not remember, open Memory Manager and find the pathway.)   Again, the whole process will take less than 5 minutes.

Over the weekend I opened all of my vaults (I have 16!) and I did a new SHADOW COPY of each vault in the new Historian / Panstoria format to get everything converted over.


From time to time I still grieve that Creative Memories is not around anymore to support these programs.  More than that, I find myself rejoicing that the very people who created these amazing programs, are now supporting them.  Our precious pictures are in good hands.

If you find you have add'l questions, I would like to recommend  Pixels2Pages.net as an excellent resource. Click here to find out more.  It is where I go to get my questions answered.

imagine this.

Imagine an app for your iPhone that allows you to edit, organize AND easily add comments & stories.

Imagine an app that helps you get your photos off Facebook and into your life.

Imagine an app that sends reminders to take pics on special occasions.

Imagine an app that when you add a print plan and FLAG your favorites, they will automatically be printed and shipped to your door! (With NO shipping charges.)

Imagine that the app is FREE... and you get it from me... or at the Apple App Store.

No imagining necessary. It is called inawink. And it is coming soon!

This is Ahni & Zoe.

may i introduce...

Ahni & Zoe might be just what you need to get your photos off your devices and into your life!  A simple approach to album making... from snap to finish!  

The inawink app can be attached to a print plan - Simply tag 25 favorites - They will be printed and shipped to your door in a wink! All for only $8.50 - no shipping charge.

Ask me about the no-decisions album pages AND slide-in pages. It is genius. You have to see it to believe it.

We are waiting on the app... I will let you know when it arrives!

our new pathway for support & updates.

Hello  fellow lovers of Memory Manager & StoryBook Creator!  These two software programs changed my life for the good just over 7 years ago.  They equipped me with tools to manage my digital images with ease and confidence... all 40,000 of my photos can be found and enjoyed because they are in user friendly folders with helpful labels.  More importantly, these two software programs have helped me get my photos out of cyber space and safely into my family's hands. Now memories can be relived and stories can be passed down from generation to generation because our photos are enjoyed in hardcover albums, calendars, cards, photo panels and family cookbooks.

My love for these programs can hardly be contained.

As you know, Creative Memories was the company that introduced us to these amazing products that were created by Caspedia, now called Panstoria.  And we are all thankful for the great support CM provided over the past 7+ years!  In the process of Creative Memories' exciting "makeover", they have decided to reemerge without MM and SBC, but the good news is that the mother company will be providing us with the support and updates that we want from October 2nd forward.  We can even smoothly transition all of our digital embellishments in SBC - and all of our labeling, sorting, stories & stars in Memory Manager!

The link below (in pink) will take you to the Panstoria site and link you to me as my customer.  You can share this link (and this web site) with any friends you know that want to get Memory Manager (Historian) or StoryBook Creator (Artison) - and enjoy the best photo software in the world for themselves.  Or click on the banner under "about Me" on the right.

Support for Memory Manager & Storybook Creator through PANSTORIA

I am still researching what our best print options will be in the future.  In the next few days or weeks, Panstoria will be offering print services through the Panstoria Print Shop (similar to print services available at the CM Digital Center).  I want to spend some time researching where we will find the highest quality products, because that is what always sold me on Creative Memories.  I will keep you posted right here.

If you own StoryBook 4.0, you got an update notice in your software yesterday, October 2nd.  (Open your SBC software and look in the lower left hand corner.)  When you complete this update, you will have access to the Panstoria Print Shop.  I could not get the update to work for me today but I am sure they are working out all kinds of bugs.  Just be patient.  The great news is that the programs will still be supported and updated, and there is still a place where we can ask our questions. 

If you own StoryBook 3.0, watch for your update notice to appear around October 7th.

I plan to continue my Digital Diva Classes --- with hopes of going viral with some of the training.  Exciting times. 

the ONE YEAR...AND COUNTING album.

The Cover - Front & Back

Pages  1-20

 

This is a simple 20 page album that you can make in a snap!  I created this one to honor Charlotte's first year of life. It is basically a Photo-A-Month album.  What a blast to watch a baby grow up right before your eyes in a simple 20 page album.

Here is the link for you to view the StoryBook:
To see the shared StoryBooks Karen Blanc shared with you, simply follow this link:http://www.cmphotocenter.com/photos/share.php?code=-2M0Qh5Yg_LVLtt7yzcDlltGN_mGoZ4Z&share_type=storybook

And guess what? I made a ONE YEAR... AND COUNTING Template for SBC so you can make your own version quick as a wink!   Just clink on the link below to download the Predesigned Pages.   Drop and drag your own photos into the grey boxes - and VOILA!  Baby Album DONE.

Click here to view ONEYEAR...AND COUNTING Template.

I started with a pregnancy photo labeled 0 MONTHS.   Then I followed with 1 HOUR, 1 DAY and 1 WEEK.  (You could change it up depending on what precious photos you have.)   Then I followed with 1 MONTH, 2 MONTHS, 3 MONTHS, etc..   The hardest part is selecting just one photo!

On the last double page spread, I put 16 photos on each page that reflected her growing up like magic right before your eyes!  This also allowed me to use more of the favorite photos from her first year.  The final page was reserved for photos from the first birthday party.

I am sure you noticed (or I hope you did!) that this sort of works like a COUNTING BOOK too.

Babies grow up faster than you can say 1,2,3...

exciting times.

As you know, I am married to MM and SBC, so to speak.  These software programs have helped me to keep my treasures safe, and to enjoy my photos more fully.  I am in love with them and passionate about them.  And I have a love relationship with Creative Memories.  I am truly thankful that Memory Manager, StoryBook Creator and Creative Memories have given me an opportunity to have "work" that I love... and that doesn't feel like "work" at all.

As our beloved company re-designs itself for a happy future, I am now actually and honestly anticipating the transition.  I plan to stay loyal to CM and to MM & SBC --- and I hope to take you all with me!

What I know today:

1.  We know now that MM and SBC will be supported - either by a new vendor relationship or with the software's "mother", Panstoria.  Be comforted that we will still have:
 

- Continued support

- Continued ability to buy digital artwork and use it in SBC

- Continued ability to print StoryBooks and other output that we will be proud to own

- Continued availability of upgrades and improvements to the software

- Access to existing projects

- Ability to move the software to other machines

2.  Creative Memories has exiting things up their sleeves with the new company.  One of my dear, dear consultant friends is currently Beta testing the new digital app they will be launching in November.  And while she signed a confidentiality agreement and could not share specifics, I could hear the sheer excitement & enthusiasm in her voice about where we are going as a company.

This means we can still use the software that we are IN LOVE with - and also have access to a digital app that will offer 'simpler solutions' when we need it.

I just wanted to write to share my heart about this stuff... and my excitement.  We should all be working to complete any projects we have in the works, as we can use the current CM Digital Center to order projects until September 23.  I am having a blast being a busy bee with my photo projects.  This deadline is helping me stay more committed to the projects I long to complete.

Thank you for sharing my love for stories & photos!

 

do this.

If someone were is ask me "If you only had time to make ONE photo album this year, what would it be?"  My answer: Make an in-a-nutshell album about your life.  Where you live, what you do, what your house looks like, what your kids look like, and then add some nutty facts about yourself. 

When we went to Ireland four years ago, Mike is the one who said "You should make an album about our day-to-day lives to take with us.  Even though there isn't a language barrier, a picture is worth a thousand words and it might help us connect with more people."   Did it ever!  We were amazed at the number of times we whipped out this little album and made a conversation more interesting.

The fun (and fascinating) thing about this album project is that "ordinary life pictures" are sometimes something we don't even have in our possession.  The advent of the cellphone camera has helped, but ask yourself --- do you have a photo of the outside of your house?  Your car?  Do you have a nice photograph of where you work - and spend hours everyday? 

I grabbed our "Made in 2009 About Us Album" when I headed out the door to a 125th Anniversary Celebration of Delta Gamma recently.   While conversing with sorority sisters, I was shocked by how out-of-date our little book was - in just 4 short years!  There was no mention of our 2+ year house renovation... or Mike's cancer journey... or the addition of 6 grandchildren!  Below are some of the pages from our REVISED About Us album.  You can view the whole thing on this link:

Revised ABOUT US StoryBook

If you meeting someone for the first time and only had a few minutes to tell about yourself --- what would you say?  These are the sorts of things that go in an ABOUT US album.  

I always try to grab this little album when we are going out of town.  I was glad I had it in my purse when Mike was having his cancer surgery in St. Louis.  It turned out that Mike had to be on a ventilator for three days... the nurses that tended to him day and night knew nothing of the man they were caring for.  I made sure to leave the little ABOUT US book on the tray table next to his bed each night so that when he couldn't talk or communicate --- the book could for him.  I wanted the nursing staff to know about the fine man they were caring for.  Because of this simple collection of photos... they did.

thoughtful words.

"If you want to learn what someone fears losing, watch what they photograph."

 

Got this cool quote from photographer extraordinaire, Wyn Wiley.

Isn't it amazing to ponder the power of photography.

 

I used to regularly tell my clients that even taking a photograph of a child (or adult) esteems them, because it is communicating that 'you care' and 'you want to remember this moment together'.

 

It is thrilling to ponder that our photography (even with our phones) communciates a lot about us.

 

The wonders of photography run deep.

How are you protecting your treasure?

 

 

 

year review album is in my hands!

 It is hard for me to contain my excitement about this!  988 photos from 2008 in one fabulous 100 page digital StoryBook album!  988 photos saved from cyberspace with stories written beside them. It arrived this week.

2008 was the year that I stopped printing my photos with the digital age --- so that is where I started.  2009 is next.  Then 2010, 2011, 2012.  Now that I have a plan with these amazing predesigned pages,  the task  does not seem overwhelming.

Every time I get an album back I am always amazed at the quality of our Creative Memories albums. WOW.    This time I opted for the LAY FLAT option, and I will never go back.  (Why haven't I always done this?)  The quality of the paper and the colors and the inks is amazing!

There are more details in earlier posts about my favorite Wedding Gallery 12x12 and Photo A Day 12x12 layouts.  The real beauty of the YEAR REVIEW album to me is that this is where our "everyday family life" is captured... I have managed to keep up with getting vacations and weddings and big stuff in digital albums, but it is the precious, everyday, random stuff that eluded me.  Remember that this is not all the photos I took in 2008. That would be 4389 photographs. (Really.)  This is the collection that formed from creating 8 pages per month. This is the plan that made the project do-able to me.

The reason I wigged out when my computer crashed last December was because it was our "everyday ordinary family life" photos that were left hanging in cyberspace.  I am all about capturing 'perfectly ordinary' for images we almost forget to snap... I want to remember silliness at a family dinner or when Mike dressed in the girls clothes after folding too much of their laundry... I want to remember when Kiley drove the car into the house... and when the ducks started pooping on the porch... I want the quiet, tender moments of my daddy's hospital days as much as vacations and weddings.  A Year In Review album helps capture the gift of all those perfectly ordinary days that make a year... and life.

My quest will be to show this album to as many people as I can... to inspire them to retrieve their precious memories from the computer.  Remember the thought provoking saying "Memory Keeping begins with the printed photo..." This is the essence of it. Images on a computer are at risk - both to computer crashes and to changing technology. The best way to preserve an image is to have something that you can hold in your hands.

Want to take a peek at this album all done?

Karen's 2008 Year in Review Album

Want to make your own version?

year-in-review album.

You know the story... my hard drive crashed... I woke up to the pitfalls of cyberspace... my 2013 goal is getting my precious photos off my computer and into our lives...  

It was 2008 when I stopped printing my pictures, so it is 2008 where I am starting.  The ONLY way I can manage this large task is using the "YEAR-IN-REVIEW ALBUM" concept.  8 pages per month gives me a 100 page album (give or take).  The other part that makes this manageable for me is PREDESIGNED PAGES.  Specifically Wedding Gallery 12x12 and Photo-A-Day 12x12.

(This layout is from Photo-A-Day 12x12. I used it to celebrate the completion of Abby's traditional 

BABY BOOK, which she received for her college graduation!)

I am half way through 2008 and love the result.  Mostly because I am getting it done.  Please check out the book in progress with the link below:
Karen's YEAR IN REVIEW Album

The layouts in Wedding Gallery and Photo A Day are so valuable in my opinion that I am going to recommend that if you do not already have them, you head straight to my web site to do some shopping.  (Ordering hints can be found in an earlier post.)
Wedding Gallery 12x12 Predesigned Pages
Photo a Day 12x12 Predesigned Pages

The cover and first page options are one of the best features of the Photo A Day package. The collage effect is fabulous!

I am giddy happy about having a plan for the photos presently stored inside a metal box called my computer.   I have my work cut out for me, but I am up for the task - thanks to a "Year-In-Review" plan and some great predesigned page layouts.

iSay backup your iPhone pics.

This post is nothing more than a simple reminder to BACK UP YOUR PHONE PHOTOS and VIDEOS.  More and more we are capturing treasured photographs with our phones... and they are hanging over a dark precipice when they are not backed up in some other place.

PHONE PHOTO BACKUP:
Attach your phone to your computer with the USB cord. Open Memory Manager / Library tab / Get Media / the Camera or Phone.  Then GET PHOTOS.  I recommend putting phone photos in a separate vault.  (Select NEW MEMORY VAULT on the Start Menu.)

VIDEO BACK-UP:
Connect your phone to your computer with USB cord.  Click on COMPUTER / then  PORTABLE DEVICE.  After selecting your PHONE, click on INTERNAL STORAGE / then DCIM folder.  Find the folders with VIDEOS in them - which are distinguished with the black film edges.  Select them and add to a FOLDER on your desktop (or wherever).  I then RENAMED each one because some of these are my new favorite movies - like "Splash, Splash, Splash" featuring Eleanor Grace. 

Then open Memory Manager / Library tab / Get Media - and go to your new video folder and GET VIDEOS.  Did you know that Memory Manager stores your video images too?  Yep.  It is THE BEST!

where are my vaults?

Another favorite feature of our Memory Manager software is that I can have NUMEROUS vaults to house my photo collection.  For me, this means that the hundreds (and thousands?) of before & after pictures we took during our house renovation are in their own vault, which I call THE DREAM HOUSE.  This means that when I take photos of OTHER people's families and weddings and sporting events, they are housed in their own vault. 

I also recommend keeping your phone photos in their own vault.  I love the convenience of my iPhone camera and treasure the pics I can snap on a whim, but I personally don't like having these low-resolution pics in the same place with my "good camera" pics.  The point is: YOU HAVE CHOICES.  Use them.

Where are your vaults? They are on your hard drive - or on the C: drive of your computer.  And it is handy if you record the exact "address" on your computer.  I keep a list of all my Memory Manager Vault locations in a file folder at my desk for easy reference.

Or how about this?  When in MM, select OPEN VAULT on the Home Page or Start Menu to view a listing of your recently used vaults.  Then snap a photo with your phone!  Vault Address List DONE.

want fast? try auto-fill.

(Cover)

Want to get your photos in an album REALLY FAST?  Do you have 30 minutes to try?

For speed and ease, try the AUTO-POPULATE feature of your StoryBook Creator software.  Did you know that you can select a predesigned template - and the software will automatically put your photos in the album if you select this feature?  Yes, it is true.  I decided to try it out for myself.  To be honest I had resisted the concept in the past because I did not like any of the templates available.  They were too fussy and over-decorated for my taste.  But that has changed.  I have three favorites now:
SIMPLE LIFE 12x12
WEDDING GALLERY 12x12
PHOTO A DAY 12x12

My mom is turning 81 next week and I know that a photo album is the best gift I can give. Since I was short on time I thought I would try letting the software do the work for me. AND IT DID. I am amazed at the outcome.   I selected 116 photos from the 838 I took on our trip to France in 2007 for this album.  (This took 20 minutes.)  Then I started.  I opened my SBC software and followed the prompts:  CREATE NEW PROJECT / STORYBOOK / 12x12 HARDCOVER / then selected the SIMPLE LIFE template. My next option was to ADD PHOTOS - which I did. And then all I had to do was select the YES button for "Do you want your photos automatically placed on the pages in the project?"

After hitting the YES button I ran to the kitchen to grab a cookie.  When I came back my photos were in the album - like magic!   I could technically have printed the album just as it came out, but I wanted to add some text boxes for stories.  There was also a few places where the "auto-fill" left a blank or gray photo box because my selected photo did not fit the format.  I just want back into Memory Manager and picked another photo that was the right shape for the job.  I spent just over an hour filling in the stories - and boom! this birthday album was ready to order. Want to take a look?

http://www.cmphotocenter.com/photos/share.php?code=pZr8y_7vXHSRXIzZ1FRMeltGN_mGoZ4Z&share_type=storybook

Each 20 page Predesigned Template album holds approximately 100 photos.  If you have more photos than that, it will automatically add more pages.  Note: Use the 12x12 format even if you want to print an 8x8 size.  It gives you more options at ordering time.

If you have heard yourself say "I don't have time"... Auto-Populate might be your new best friend.