Personal Publishing with Candy

2012-02-23T00:51:00.002-08:00

Interview your loved ones.

Have you ever taken the time to sit down with a parent or grandparent and interview them about their life? Heritage Makers makes it easy with a print-out called "story maps" that are available to everyone for free. I have used these story maps to interview my grandpa, grandmother, both parents, and my father-in-law. The questionnaire takes about 45 min. on average and the information is priceless. You might think you know your parents but you soon discover there is so much you didn't know. Once you have the information you can then make a life story book that highlights the important things you learned from the interview. See example.

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How to use templates to make it your own

2012-02-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

How to Make Holiday Cards

2011-10-08T10:46:00.001-07:00

I hope you choose to do Holiday cards with us this year. We have a variety of fun sizes and unique ideas. We also have awesome prices!!

Here is an instructional video that will help you. CLICK HERE

Here are some important tips:

1. Get a family photo and upload them to your account (look at your summer photos or pick a fall day in Oct. and have a neighbor or photographer take a few shots of the family). I have yet to do this step!

2. Select a template you like (here are my favorites that aren't on the demo video)

TRI FOLD BROCHURE (see office supplies) this is a heavy paper. Gorgeous!!! This does not direct ship, but it also is it's own custom envelope as you fold it and just add the address. My clients are loving this one!) Click here for the templates available. THey come in packs of 20 and cost 22 publishing points ($14.52-$16.50 for club members)

3 panel Family fold This comes with an envelope but doesn't direct ship. Consider doing cute return labels like these Prices on sheet below.

Brochure used for newsletter that you can just insert with your holiday cards. Very inexpensive and amazing quality. These come in the business supplies and they come in packs of 30 for 20 publishing points or ($13.20-$15 for club members)

3. Direct ship or mail them out yourself. I highly recommend direct ship option, but be aware that a few of our cards do not direct ship (only the panel folds, the square cards, the brochures)

****4. Publish your cards in NOVEMBER for 20% off at checkout!!********

See Novemeber pricelist that breaks down the cost for basic clients, Club HM clients, and consultants. If you are not a Club member you can choose to join by just clicking on the word "modify" in the upper left hand corner of your studio account. You also get a sign up special of 100 publishing points for $50 (let me know if you want this). Joining club at the $30, $50 or $100 level is a 3 month investment. Premier is free to our club members and you are getting amazing savings! You can do holiday cards, calendars and other gifts. The video link above explains Club HM at the end. I am happy to visit with you about it as well.

A few of my favorites

2011-10-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite Heritage Makers projects lately... Hope they inspire you to hit PUBLISH and create some fun things this fall.

This is how I celebrate my Halloween with my family: I get my 4 trick-or-treaters all dress up, trick-or-treat, and then gorge on candy all while I take a LOT of photos. Then, when they are all tucked in I make a digital scrapbook page with my favorite photos and stories from the evening in my Heritage Maker's Studio. It takes about 10 minutes and I hit "publish" and when I am done I feel immediate satisfaction knowing I actually did something with those photos that will be enjoyed and treasured. Lastly, my husband go raid the kid's candy buckets!
I have scrapbook pages from the first year we had a child until now (12 years of Halloween fun).

I just add the page to the custom post-bound album I also created in Heritage Makers.

Not sure what to do with all those soccer photos you took? Poster for his or her room! These are my photos and it is hanging in Teague's room. I am very proud of myself! :)

Invited to someone's home this holiday season? What about a little thank you gift to bring with you? See how to do it using this 12x12 scrapbook page:

This is a newsletter you can create and then mail out with your Christmas card. It costs less than color copies and it is so fun!

This is a 8x20 canvas. I love doing these as gifts. I thought this was a nice design. You can see some cute ideas in the template gallery.

This is a poster you can hang somewhere your kids can see it! You can change anything on it to customize, but I think it's pretty sound advice! Also, can change colors and art to match YOUR decor.

This is similar. It costs more, but I think it is worth it. I think this would make a great gift. It is a 16x20 canvas with the optional frame. Again, you can change anything. Might be nice to put your own family "mission statement" here.

We now have a $0.80 card (see above this 4x8 one sided card option) and it DIRECT SHIPS to everyone on your list. Of course Club members don't pay full price. try $0.53-$0.60 and in November everyone gets an additional 20% off all card publishing!

This is a print I did to put on a tile (or frame). I love this quote and I plan to give as a gift to some special friends and my book-club friends.

If you are one of those people who LOVE to one-up others with your fabulous gift wrapping, here is a tag someone designed. How cute is that? I might become a good gift-wrapper after all. These tags were designed on a 12x12 scrapbook page and then cut out.

How about a 12x12 CANVAS for a gift to a special grandparent? Love it! So easy too!

Check out Club HM on facebook, I get a lot of great ideas there.

Thanks to my wonderful Club HM members. I appreciate you and I am so happy you get projects like these or 25-35% off our retail prices. Always let me know how I can help or share something you created.

2011-09-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

Want to make something really SPOOKTACULAR this Halloween... Check these great ideas and our wonderful instructional class by one of the industry's best!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH RECORDED CLASS

I couldn't pick a favorite! I love the doorbell covers.... definitely making one of these! Love the treat buckets. I can customize my little girl's bucket to match her costume!!

I am doing this!

I am not having a party this year, but if I was, how easy is this??

I am doing this! You will need a clear-plastic pail that you pick up at a local craft store. I attached a photo of my father's day treat bucket to give you an idea

Wouldn't this be sooooo cute for a 1st grade class? Click here to see the sample template, you just pop in your shots for a cute little brag-book!

This last idea, the scrapbook pages, is how I capture my Halloween memories quick and easy. After the night I upload all my photos and pick my favorites and make a scrapbook page for each year. It takes me just minutes and I have instant gratification and no stress or guilt about what I should do with all the cute photos I took!

Happy Haunting this Halloween with Heritage Makers!!

Love, Candy

Thanksgiving Ideas

2011-09-09T16:50:00.001-07:00

I am going to feel like Martha Stewart this year! If you are the host of Thanksgiving this year be sure to find out WHO is coming so you can make name place tags for all the guests and a placemat for all the kids! Type 39747 into the search in the template gallery!

I am in love with the place mats for the holidays! With 4 young children it is a fun and inexpensive way to have a little fun celebrating. Just go to our template gallery and type in 43230 and 41781 and when at the store pick up some dry erase markers for the kids to have fun at the table this year! (Could decorate the dry erase markers too! Sunflowers and glue gun? send me a photo if you do!)

For as little as 20 publishing points (and the cost of a clear, craft bucket) you can start this darling Thanksgiving tradition that will bring extra meaning and joy to your holiday! People at your table will have a little slip of paper under their plate and they will write a blessing or something they are thankful for and put it in the bucket. THEN, when your guests go home you can make this little blessing book with photos from the Thanksgiving celebration to keep and remember what everyone was grateful for at Thanksgiving 2011.... love it!!!

Note: Canada's Thanksgiving is about a month away... Send me photos and stories! USA folks, you have some time but don't wait too long!!

There are even MORE ideas by clicking and watching this archived class by the great and wonderful Linda Angelastro!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

I created the first storybook

2008-01-19T13:58:00.000-08:00

My name is Candace May and I started the concept of "Storybooking" 15 years ago when I wrote the first storybook about my grandfather. When my grandfather was turning 80 I wanted to do something special to celebrate is wonderful life of both struggles and triumphs. I wanted to do something so that my someday-children would know him too. I was getting my Masters degree in Teaching and Learning at BYU at the time and I knew that if I told his story he would never be forgotten. I called him on the phone on day and interviewed him for about 40 minutes. Then I wrote his story and enhanced it with his priceless photographs... photos of him as a child, as a teen, and one of him holding his first child in his arms--my mother. I took it all to a local copy store and spent all night trying to get it into some format that resembled a book. The book was a little crooked but priceless. I was so excited to give it to him. He was delighted. He proudly read the book to us and signed a copy for each of us. That special book is the INSPIRATION for an amazing company that is called "Heritage Makers." Now anyone can create a priceless storybook that is as professional looking as if you bought it at a bookstore. You are the author. It is fun and easy thanks to the wonderful technology of online publishing. Please check out my website and get started today on a book that will be read for generations to come.

www.heritagemakers.com/candymay.com

Candace May
Independant Consultant
Spokane, WA