Photography Tips

Snippet of my family photos in this ad for Creative Memories

I was excited to be contacted by my friend Melissa at Creative Memories back in the spring to do some photography tip writing for them.  I love sharing my photography knowledge and this is a great way to reach lots of people!

At first she asked me to do one on Fireworks and a couple others and it has expanded to me doing 3 or 4 blog posts a month.   I hope you will check out my blog post on photo tips and all of the great scrapbooking ideas that are shared on there as well.

Tips for Photographing Fireworks
Put Yourself in your Vacation Photos

I am also providing them photos for some of the scrapbook ideas so you may see my families faces on there as well!
1-2-3 Layout Featuring Achievements Paper Pack!

I am excited to be back on the Creative Team for Creative Memories again, it feels like HOME!

I hope you will join me on my journey with Creative Memories again!

Happy Scrapping,
Beth

ORDER DAY FOR CREATIVE MEMORIES!!!

Check out all of these beautiful new products from Creative Memories!  I am ordering today if there is anything you need! 

Please place your order with me by this evening and you will SAVE on shipping fees!  We will split the cost! 

If you are attending the retreat I will bring your order with me.  If you aren't attending the retreat I will let you know when the order arrives and we can make arrangements for pick-up. 

I don't accept credit cards yet so good old-fashioned cash or cheque will work for me.  I do accept e-transfers as well which works quite nicely. 

Halloween will soon be upon us so Creative Memories has the products ready! 

The new Eggplant Album is a gorgeous addition to our line-up of beautiful bookcloth! 

Also, don't forget about our fantastic tools! 

 

New cartridges for our Border Maker!  And more coming!!! Check them out by clicking the link!

And, just to let you know our current tape runner refills fill the old tape runners!  This is great news!

 

So if you are needing anything at all, even just a tape runner or refill let me know so I can order that in for you! 

 

Thanks so much!! 

Happy Scrapping!

 

~~Beth

GOOD NEWS!!!

There's been a big development in our world of digital scrapbooking this week and I wanted to give you a summary.

Artisan 5 - there is a new version of Artisan available - this is the first major upgrade in several years. It has new features that makes our digital scrapbooking even more fun - and fast. It is being offered at special prices until Oct. 4.. Take a little bit to figure out the best option for you. I've broken it down in to a few categories:

1. You have Artisan 4 - UPGRADE to Artisan 5 at the sale price of US $23.96 (regular $29.95). Click here, select Buy Now and scroll to the bottom of the page to find the UPGRADE choice. When checking out, add the discount code CELEBRATE for the 20% discount.

2. You have Storybook Creator - go straight to Artisan 5.To purchase, click here, select Buy Now, then add Artisan 5 to your cart (if you are new to the website, you will need to set up an account. Be sure to review the computer Operating System requirements to confirm your computer fits) When checking out, add the discount code CELEBRATE for the 20% discount - you will get the sale price of US$47.96 (regular $59.95).

Note: Artisan can be used on TWO computers - that's a useful difference from SBC.

A few more things to consider:

• all art kits purchased for SBC will transfer in to Artisan. You do not lose your investment.
• projects started in SBC can be opened and saved as an Artisan project so you can finish them (yeah, I got a few of those!)
• when we changed from SBC to Artisan 4, it was a seamless transition. Pretty much looked the same. Artisan 5 looks to have some big improvements and from the discussion I see on Facebook, we will need to play around to learn a few new things. My plan - I am going to purchase it now at the sale price and install it later in the week. I am 4 pages away from finishing a book so I will do that and order it, then get in to the new-ness of 5.
• Pixels2Pages is our go-to training resource. They have excellent information about moving from SBC to Artisan 4 so go here if you have questions - click on resources. You do not need to be a member to see these instructions. I do recommend their training and membership - I rely heavily on P2P for training, ideas and support. Click here to look at their membership and course options. (note: they will be rolling out new training on Artisan 5 and I'll be there learning, too.)
• I am an affiliate with Forever, Panstoria and Pixels2Pages. When you click on the links I provide and purchase a product/service, I earn a small commission (which does not add to your cost). When you click on links provided by other people or businesses, they earn the commission. We are required to tell you this.
• I'm seeing all of this NEW-ness for the first time, just as you are. I'll be sharing my perspective in future blogs and Crops so I hope you'll join me as we create books and gifts and memories for those we love.

Artisan 5 Is Here!

Artisan 5 will change the way you scrapbook! Take a look at some of its great new features and improvements.

 

 

Trust us, you'll want to upgrade right now!

 

• It's so much faster. Pages and filters respond instantly. You can move and resize elements in a snap!
• Edit shapes after they've been created!
• A wide-range of stroke options for drawing lines and shapes on the page (from simple lines to amazing artistic patterns!)
• Elements can now have a mixture of photos, text, shapes, strokes and effects in a single element. Your only limit is your imagination!
• No more annoying pop-ups at the top of the page!
• Improved two-page editing! Switch between pages without needing to save!
• All new font manager! You can create categories and groups to organize as many fonts as you like. Quickly find the font you're looking for among thousands!
• Our improved content manager allows you to browse and organize content more easily!
• Members who already use Artisan 4 can buy Artisan 5 for $30 OFF the normal retail price. Just be sure to select the upgrade version of the software when you head over to our website. Don't wait a second longer! This deal won't last forever! 

 

Background (for the curious). When Creative Memories closed in 2013, the stewardship of the two software programs (Storybook Creator and Memory Manager) returned to the company that developed and owned  the software, Panstoria. Panstoria continued to update the software in their original names: Artisan and Historian. In the past year, Panstoria was bought by a company named Forever - I am new to Forever and I have signed up as an Ambassador.  Forever's main product is permanent, secure cloud storage for your photos - it is a unique product with key differences from the many "free" options you may see on the internet. This email is not about the cloud storage so I won't go in to detail about it here, however, my point is that it is encouraging to see Forever create this umbrella of digital memory-keeping services and products.  

 

 

Click Here for Creative Memories Paper Scrapbooking Products

Click HERE to upgrade / order Digital Scrapbooking Software: Artisan

Click HERE to check out all the Digital Artwork Panstoria has to offer.

Click HERE to upgrade / order Photo Management Software: Historian

Thanks for your time - please let me know how you're doing! Beth

Update on my 21 day Challenge!

I am so happy I took on this challenge to complete a scrapbook page a day for 21 days!  I have 15 days done!  I am behind by a day, but on one of my early days I did an extra page so I am on track!!!!  Yay!!!!

 

I will get 2 pages done today on Day 17 to get caught up officially.  Going away on the long weekend set me back, but I am determined to stay on track!  I really don't think I will stop after my 21 days.  I am loving going back through old photos and capturing those memories on pages and also I am purging photos that I should have deleted a long time ago.  I don't need 5 photos of the same thing.

 Pick the best and delete the rest!!! 

Here are my pages I have done to date: 

 

As you can see I am not up to date on my photos and I am working on past years, but it feels good to get somewhat caught up.  I am printing the pages as well!  Getting them done is half the work and then ordering them is the other important step.  I love the feeling of filling my scrapbook albums for my family to enjoy looking at their photos.

 

  I print my digital pages as calendars at Heritage Makers

and then tear them apart and put them directly in albums.  12 x 18  Calendars are also available from Panstoria Print Shop and I am an affiliate for them so I would love it if you supported me by using the code here on my blog to link your orders to me.  I always appreciate your support!

 

If you ever need any help with any of your digital needs don't hesitate to contact me for assistance.  Love to share ideas with you! 

 

I hope this has inspired you to get your photos off of your computer and into albums! 

 

Happy Scrapping,

Beth

WHO'S UP FOR A CHALLENGE???

I just had a lovely chat with a friend who was a CM consultant back in 2013 and has rejoined CM.

She shared something she does everyday and I am going to set that goal as well!!!  

IN AM INSPIRED!!!! 
 

She does a digital scrapbook page everyday!

Who wants to join this challenge with me??? What a great way to wind down your day!  To join this challenge it can be digital or traditional.  I take tons of photos so I always have a backlog!  I am still not finished my Disney Trip from 2013! This will be a great way to get this done. 

If you wish to join please go to my facebook page comment with "I'M IN!".
 
The challenge starts tomorrow (Monday, August 24)! Let's try this for 21 days because it takes 21 days to form a habit and see how it goes.  All you need to do is post a photo of your digital or traditional page in an album I will create tomorrow! I can't wait to see all of our fantastic pages! There may even be a prize at the end!

Please feel free to share and invite your friends! 

Happy Scrapping! 
Beth

Jack of all... Master of none!

Let me give you a history lesson on me...

I was a loyal Creative Memories Consultant for 13 years from 2000 to 2013 and when CM went out of business in 2013 I was sad to see them go.  Scrapbooking and photography have been passions of mine for a long, long time.  But a girl has to make a living so I was searching for something else.

Enter Park Lane Jewellery in August 2013 and I was a Division Manager from August 2013 until December 2014.  I was disappointed to give this business up as I was really excited for the ground floor opportunity that was offered to me.  If you know me, you know I LOVE bling!!!  That wasn't the problem, I could sell the jewellery, it was the timing in my life. 

Enter Type 1 Diabetes in December 2013 to our 7 year old son Grant.  I tried to work my business consistently, but it was difficult with two busy teenagers and Grant needing to be taxied to all of their activities with a husband who travels.   As you know, a jewellery business is mostly evening work and that was difficult for me, as I needed to be home with Grant at bedtime for his bedtime needles.  I work a home based business for my children, but my Park Lane business was taking me outside the home rather than keeping me home.   It was much different from my CM business where my clients came to me. 

After CM was gone I still was holding my Spring and Fall Retreats for digital and traditional scrapbookers.  I was still doing both type of scrapbooking and needing a source for my digital printing. 
Enter Heritage Makers in November 2013 and I wasn't focusing on this as an income as Park Lane was my main focus.  I continued to create digital layouts and print them through Heritage Makers and share their products and my website with my former digital clients.

Soon after I joined HM, Rhonda Anderson introduced her traditional scrapbooking supplies under the name "Our Memories for Life".  The products are very similar to the "old" Creative Memories products.

Heritage Makers falls under the umbrella company of Youngevity which is a parent company for a wide range of products from digital and traditional scrapbooking to essential oils, fashion, mineral make-up and skin care, health products, jewellery and many more.    So by joining Heritage Makers I have access to all of these products to buy and sell to you! 

Many of you probably didn't know that I am a distributor for all of those companies.  I invite you visit my website for all of these products.  You can shop with me by setting up a FREE account or you can be a distributor as well for a lifetime fee of only $25!!!!    I love doing shopping from the comfort of my home at wholesale prices and you can too!!!

Have fun looking around by clicking on Shop with me to see a full list of the companies with over 1500 products and if you have questions please let me know!!! 

Enter Beth Thomander Photography in August 2014 and I am loving providing photography services for families! 

Enter Creative Memories again in June 2015!!!! 

So in summary here are the business that I am involved in:
Beth Thomander Photography
Creative Memories
Heritage Makers
Youngevity

So Jack of all...master of none!  I will certainly try to help you fulfill any of your needs! 

Warmly,
Beth

Retreat Treats!

We get spoiled at the Old Orchard Inn by everyone! What a fun scrap booking retreat weekend. I did 44 traditional pages and had a great time with my best girlfriends! Joe the Chef spoils us everytime!