Classes

STUDIO WEBINAR SERIES SCHEDULE To register for a webinar, go to your My Studio page on the website and look in the Story Center. Click on the Online Classes button. Introduction to Studio Webinar, Bergen Fairbanks Learn the basics of Heritage Makers’ Studio program. Mondays at 5:00 p.m. MDT Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m. MDT Intermediate Studio Webinar, Shani Ogden Learn more about Heritage Makers’ Studio program. Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. MDT Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. MDT Interested in learning more advanced design techniques? Then attend one of our Master classes. Our Studio experts will show you fun, new, and creative techniques for making beautiful pages and projects. June 25, 2009 Studio 3.0 Online Master Class Instructor: Lynda Angelastro Heritage Makers presents a first look at Studio 3.0 Click here to register. July 9, 2009 Your Best of Studio 3.0 Instructor: Lynda Angelastro Watch as Studio manager Lynda Angelastro showcases favorite techniques from ten Studio users. Click here to register.

Tips and Tricks

TIPS AND TRICKS Finding your story: Starting your story is not always easy. And sometimes realizing your story can be even harder. First remember that everyone has a story. Your story can be about a vacation to Europe, camping in the mountains, your high school friends and activities, when you met your husband, when you found out you were pregnant, and on and on. Really, the stories are endless. Sit down and write: To get ideas flowing for your next story, just sit down and write. Those five minute exercises you used to do in grade school help a lot. Either at your computer or in a comfortable chair with a notepad and pen, write without lifting the pen for five minutes. You will be surprised by what comes to your mind. Then just take the ideas you get from your five minute exercise and begin expanding on your stories. Look at pictures: Another great way to find your stories is to go through your photos. As you look at pictures of you learning to ride a bike or playing kick ball with your friends, you will remember all sorts of moments that would be great in a story. Remember and write it down: The best way to start a story is to just remember and we are remembering all the time. The key is to have those memories with us when we're ready to write the story. So, when you're cooking dinner and suddenly remember how your mom used to dance around the kitchen while making family meals, jot the memory down on a notepad. When you’re tucking your child in at night and remember the stories your dad used to tell you, before you slip off to sleep, write it down. For more story ideas, look at Story Maps in your Studio.

Check this out!

PICK OF THE MONTH
Ready for a great new deal? One that will have you shouting?

For the month of June, get a 12x12 Storybook for only $59.95. That's $30 in savings. Now is the time to publish that family yearbook, your wedding album, your mother's story, and the big events in your life. Contact your consultant and take advantage of this huge deal while it lasts.

Life Changing

LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
By Leah Thibodeau

Heritage Makers helped me out of a terrible rut.

I had gone through a life changing experience. I was a scrapbooker at the time. I knew that when this chapter in my life was over, I needed to scrap the story. It was an unbelievably important story, and I needed to capture it.

During this episode in my life, I purchased the finest album, page protectors, pens, pages, you name it. I had it all ready to go. But this experience was changing me in ways I could never have imagined. I began to hate pictures. I couldn't stand the thought of taking a picture, being in a picture, or looking at pictures. The emotional trauma of this experience led me to give up on the past, disregard the present, and fear the future.

Once I had come through that experience, I thought things would change. I would often pull out that special album, knowing I wanted to scrap the story of what had occurred over the last six months of my life. But I just couldn't do it. I continued staring at the empty album on my shelf.

Two years later, I met a Heritage Makers Consultant at a stamping event. She told me about the Heritage Makers site and I checked it out as soon as I got home. I booked a workshop in my home and got right to work on my first storybook.

In three weeks I published this very special story of my life, and I didn't even have to pay for it as I earned the credits by hosting a workshop. About a week and a half later, when the storybook showed up at my home, my life changed once more.

I had no idea what publishing that book would really mean to me. First, I have to say that when I first held that book in my hands, I knew why I could never start scrapping the story. It was such an important story of my life. And I knew I could never scrap it to look as good as it deserved to look. I could never do the story justice. When I saw my story—captured in this beautiful, classy, elegant storybook—I wept. This is where my story needs to live. This Heritage Makers storybook does justice to my story.

As I read every page and shared the book with those I love, I realized how healing the process had been. For two years I defined my life by this experience. It literally was all I was. And now that it had been preserved, I finally felt free to move on. I finally began to heal.

I share Heritage Makers with others because I know that the end product means more than just a storybook in your hands. It means honoring the stories of your life, and ultimately, it means honoring yourself. I’m honored to share the gift of Heritage Makers! And thank you, for pouring your hearts into this process. You are helping countless others celebrate, commemorate, and heal. Keep up the good work!

Heritage Book

HERITAGE BOOK
By Sara Dudenhoeffer

Back in November I decided I wanted to make a Steeves Legacy book through Heritage Makers. The book would preserve family photos and give my children a better idea of the family I grew up in.

I determined to do this project when I looked at my grandparents one day and realized just how much they had aged in recent years.

My great grandmother was a very special lady—as was her husband, my great grandfather who died before I was born. Everyone who met her instantly fell in love with her. My best friend in elementary school once told me that her older sister had actually been named after my great grandmother because my great grandmother had done something special for her parents. But, although my great grandmother had touched so many lives and had a heart of pure gold, I had only known her as the old lady in the hospital that mom made me go visit. So when I see how much my grandparents have aged, it scares me to think that my children might only know them as 'old people.' Or perhaps my children will not know them at all.

The project was to be simple. I would go to grandma and grandpa's house one day and gather their photos so I could scan them. I would have grandma and grandpa tell me stories behind some of my favorite photos and I would write them down. Then I would put everything together in a book to preserve their photos. The book ended up taking months. I think I ended up publishing the first copy of it in February after starting it in November.

My grandparents had trouble remembering a lot of the stories behind some of their older photos, so I had to go to my uncles for additional information. Of course, the first person I turned to was my Uncle Darrell, or Uncle Bug as most of the cousins call him. I don't want to say he was my favorite uncle as all my uncles are special to me. But when I was growing up I spent a lot of time at his place and he had become a father figure to me, which was special because I lacked one at home.

I invited Uncle Darrell and his wife, Aunty Sue, to come over for supper so that afterward they could look through the photos and tell me a bit more about them. I didn't realize at the time that this was going to be the last evening I would spend with my Uncle.

One Saturday morning near the beginning of December, my uncle died quite suddenly of a seizure. He'd never had a seizure before. It was quite shocking to the entire family. He was having problems with his heart. But no one ever expected he'd be leaving us so soon.

When I set out to make this book, I worried that I would lose my grandparents soon. I never once thought that I was at risk of losing my Uncle Darrell. And I never thought when I started the project that the first page would be "In Memory of Uncle Darrell."

I wish that I had talked with my Uncle more while he was still here. I wish that I had taken advantage of his amazing wisdom more while I still had him at my disposal. I wish that I had visited him more. I really miss his crazy sense of humor and his excellent advice.

We printed ten copies of my Steeves Legacy book when it was completed and now almost all the families in my extended Steeves family own a copy. It is so special for me to go through the book and remember listening to and watching my Uncle Darrell as he relayed stories and reacted to photos from his childhood.

The book is mostly just photographs, but there are a few stories that give insight into the lives of the people. It is really hard but great to read through my Steeves Legacy book and know exactly which parts of it were told by my uncle. I wish so much that there were more of his stories in a book like Steeves Legacy. That wish is pushing me to create a book after each of my uncles and aunts and one after my grandparents. I hope you'll consider doing the same for the people in your life. The time you spend with them will be so great, and the resulting book will be cherished by you and yours for years and years and years.

It Sucks

"IT SUCKS"
By Annie Goldman

I've had the pleasure to speak with so many wonderful women and men in the time I've been a consultant, but this most recent story makes me laugh the most!

I've been working with a client/friend on her storybook that documents her family trip to Hawaii. Martha is a converted paper scrapbooker and was a little reluctant to give it up, but quickly found joys in digital scrapbooking and the ability to print three copies of the book—one for herself and one for each son.

She placed her order just over a week ago and received it last week. She gave it to each of her sons and they both stood at the kitchen counter and read their books cover to cover. One boy-the oldest-simply picked up his book and went upstairs to read it again. He's been showing everyone since he received it!

The youngest son said nothing, and while Martha was driving him to hockey practice she asked him how he liked his storybook.

He looked at her with a straight face and said, "It sucks!"

Martha replied, "Oh really? Why does it suck?"

Her son said, "It sucks," with a huge smile on his face, "because now every time we go on vacation, you have to make me another storybook! And please start with our trip to Quebec!"

I can picture the devilish grin on her son's face as he said this. It made me feel so good that he loves his book enough to want to keep receiving more and more of them. That makes me love my job as a Personal Publishing Consultant even more!

The stories we share

THE STORIES WE SHARE

Stories are a major part of our lives. We live stories, we see stories, we hear stories, and we tell stories. Stories are a part of conversation. They help us tell others who we are. They help us define and understand our world. They help us relate and sympathize with others. They give us new perceptions and knowledge. They give us confidence and humility.

We don't always realize the impact our stories have on ourselves or others. Relating our stories can have healing effects on us emotionally and psychologically. Putting our experiences in words helps us gain perspective on issues and circumstances. Writing helps us better understand our personal world. And when we share those stories with others, they may seem almost trivial and insignificant, but to the listener, the story is something to take from. It helps them gain new insights and speaks to their hearts.

Stories are a part of who we are. They are the gateway we use to connect with others. They don't only mean so much to us, the tellers, but they mean so much to the listeners. And with every story, a new story begins... The story behind the story.

Online Class Schedule

Introduction to Studio Webinars
Learn the basics of Heritage Makers Studio program.

Monday, June 8, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. MDT
Wednesday, June 10, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. MDT
Monday, June 15, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. MDT
Wednesday, June 17, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. MDT
Monday, June 22, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. MDT
Wednesday, June 24, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. MDT

Intermediate Studio Webinars
Learn about extra features such as “My Projects” and “My Favorites.”

Tuesday, June 9, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. MDT
Thursday June 11, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. MDT
Tuesday, June 16, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. MDT
Thursday June 18, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. MDT
Tuesday, June 23, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. MDT
Thursday June 25, 2009: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. MDT

Studio 2.0 Master Classes
Learn from studio experts about new and great techniques for making beautiful pages.

Thursday, June 11, 2009: 7:00 p.m. MDT
Topic: Scraplifting Duo – Demonstrating four ways to scraplift
Studio Product Manager: Lynda Angelastro
Guest Presenter: Kelly Wolfer
Register: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/493538761

Thursday, June 25, 2009: 7:00 p.m. MDT
Topic: Heritage Makers presents a first look at Studio 3.0
Studio Product Manager: Lynda Angelastro
Register: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/967110808

Father’s Day Deadlines

Make sure your clients know about the Father’s Day deadlines. You can still ship books by 2^nd day and overnight. Get those books ordered before June 9.

For all books – US only
June 1 – ground
June 5 – 2nd day
June 9 – overnight

For all other products – US only
June 5 – ground
June 10 – 2nd day
June 12 – overnight

All Products – Canada
Recommended by May 25
(We do not guarantee delivery times for Canada.)

And don’t forget about the Dad’s Day package. Get a little book package for only $39.95 or a big book package for only $59.95. Celebrate your dad with a book and show him just how much he is loved. Check out the flyer in your VO for more details.

New Premier Deal

For the month of June we’re offering an incredible deal on Premier. Get 3 months of Premier for $29.95, non-renewing. That’s only $10 per month! Tell your clients about this incredible deal and help them get their Premier membership today!

June Pick of the Month

Ready for a great new deal? One that will have you shouting?

For the month of June, get a 12x12 Storybook for only $59.95. That’s $30 in savings. Now is the time to publish that family yearbook, your wedding album, your mother’s story, and the big events in your life. Take advantage of this huge deal while it lasts !!