A great new feature of MMS V2 is the great sidebar Resource Gallery. Located on the left-hand side of the screen, you can quickly find photos, embellishments, shapes, photo layouts and papers. You can also select a variety of predesigned wordarts to your layouts from this gallery.
The photos section of the resource gallery can link to any folder on your computer, which adds ease and speed to locating the perfect picture for your page. The Embellishment option of the resource gallery conveniently displays embellishments in folders. Change from folder to folder without any delays. Drag and drop your embellishments to your layout with ease to create the perfect layout.
The Shapes option lets you quickly select the perfect shape to compliment your layout. Edit your shape and add a paper for pizzazz using the shape menu on the right hand side of the screen. You can also add shapes made from your favorite papers using the paper option on the resource gallery. Just click the box that says “Add a Shape Object” to choose the background and shape you want in one click.
The Photo Layout option lets you easily place photos on your page. You can choose photo layouts with multiple photos and fill in the photo boxes with papers to create a different look when using the same photo layout on multiple pages in the same album.
The Background Papers option lets you easily select backgrounds for you page layouts and also lets you easily add shapes made with your favorite papers. Consider using the square-rectangle shape to make ribbons from your favorite papers.
The WordArt option provides a variety of premade wordarts using features from the wordart menu. This helps speed up the wordart feature by letting you select a format that will best fit your layout without having to go through each option of the wordart menu.
You can make your memories into a suite album in no time at all!!
So make every day a SUITE day!
Sarah B.
ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!!!
There is so much cool new stuff in the Version 2 of MMS that I want to make sure that you get the most of it! This edition will give the spotlight to the new ZOOM tool feature! This new feature is a wonderful tool that makes it incredibly easy to get up close and personal with all the little details that make your pages spring to life! Whether you are trying to line up embellishments just right (we’ll talk more about another new feature that makes this a snap in another edition) or just trying to get the journaling placed just right – the ZOOM tool makes it quick and easy! Open your project album page and find something you want to see closer. Look at the bottom right hand corner of your workspace screen. Under the right hand side Control Panel you will find the handy new ZOOM tool! You can zoom in to get a close up on the details on your page or zoom out to be able to see the whole page on one screen. This is especially helpful if you are working on a small computer screen that makes seeing the whole page full size difficult. There is a little plus and minus sign where you can adjust the zoom and get just the right look for your work space. This is a wonderful addition to the great feature list from Version 1 – it really allows you to get up close and personal with your work. When you need to take a closer peek, the ZOOM tool makes that possible!
So, pull up your next project page and give it a try! I am including a screen shot from one of my projects so you can see what it looks like. The page is from the great kit by StoryRock called “Boys Are” – this is a great kit for lots of special pages – whether you have boys or not! Remember that every Designer Template in the My Memories Suite Design Shop comes with several predesigned pages that are ready to go, but EVERY single element on the page is completely under your control. You can duplicate, rearrange, and eliminate every single photo box or embellishment on every page. Each template kit also includes all the background papers used and embellishments used in that kit. These will be added to your library and available in any album project you do! So, check it out and see what you think! Remember you can always find help on our Facebook page if you get stuck – or if you Twitter, you can follow us at Tweets4Suites! We do lots of fun giveaways and contests, and post users pages for great inspiration too!
Learn to get the most of your “My Memories Suite Version 2” software – we are here to help, so ask if you need help ~ someone’s always around to lend a hand!
So have fun and get to know your Version 2 – you will be surprised how many projects you can use this program for! If you are just getting started, don’t worry – you are on the right track now!
Try to also catch one of the FREE online interactive workshops hosted regularly to introduce you to ALL the great features and funtions in your My Memories Suite software~ they are posted regularly on the Facebook page, or you can email me directly for the schedule and links!
… and don’t forget to make a memory today!
Lisa J.
mailto:lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com
What does freedom feel like? What can freedom do for you? What does it mean to you to be free? Well, that is certainly a different answer for each of us. There is nothing like feeling free though! Feeling free to enjoy downtime with our families, feeling free to relax a little and enjoy life, feeling free enough from the stress that sometimes we feel from making sure that EVERYTHING that needs to be done is done! Well, there isn’t ANY scrapbooking program that can give you freedom in ALL the areas of your life, but My Memories Suite CAN create a sense of freedom in your quest to chronicle and preserve your family’s story! It is packed FULL of great tools and features that will make any project you do FAST and FUN! MMS is packed full of great Designer Templates to help you get started and offers a great selection in the Design Shop to cover most any other topic you might be looking for! We would LOVE for you to feel FREE from the stress and pressure that can come from trying to create the perfect scrapbook – it does NOT need to be hard for you to feel proud of your results! There are TONS of ways you can share your projects when you are done that will FREE you from trying to make sure that you create equally for everyone! Attend a family reunion lately??? You CAN create an amazing history of that event in no time, then with the click of the mouse, save it as a slide show, burn it to DVD, or CD and for very little cost, send one out to everyone that was there – BEFORE the next reunion!
Summer is a GREAT time of year to catch up on things – the kids are out of school, and even though schedules are still crazy – you can set aside a little time to create a wonderful memory book or project for your family! If you are REALLY good, you can use your My Memories Suite software NOW to create wonderful projects and gifts ahead of time to prepare for the gift-giving holidays that we all know are coming!
It’s never too late to get started and you are NEVER too far behind! We have a couple of GREAT promotions going on now to give you just the push you need to jump in!
Use promo code: FREEDOM15 at checkout to save 15% on your MMS purchase OR use promo code: MMSJuly4 to get the great Designer Template kit “Americana” FREE with $5.00 purchase!
So you have NO excuse NOT to get going! Put MMS on your laptop and it is ready to go on vacation with you – stop wondering, stop waiting – and just get going! We are also continuing to host ONLINE free “Intro to MMS” workshops to help you get a brief overview of the features and functions of your new MMS software, so be sure to email for the upcoming schedule! We would LOVE for you to join us!
… and don’t forget to make a memory today!
Lisa J.
lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com
What is MORE fun than the lazy days of summer??? Okay – I know – summer is busy too, but usually our schedules are a little more relaxed ~ okay, I said a LITTLE! Try and make the most of this time to get caught up on your spring scrapbook pages and get a jump on summer!
This is a great time to finish up the “end-of-school” pages, or get those memories on paper if you had a Graduation this year! The more time that goes by, the more the details fade and it really does make it harder to re-create those great pages! So, pull those photos OFF those memory cards, get them OFF that hard drive, and get them ON to your pages!
Take advantage of some great offers we have going right now at MMS to get re-energized or to stock up on goodies from the Design Shop! Use the PROMO CODE: DADSandGRADS to save 15% on your purchase. That will help get the goodies you need to create the pages that you will love to love!
Summer is also a time for FANTASTIC photo opportunities when kids are outside, at the lake, at the pool, at the beach, in the yard… those precious photos are really some of the best of childhood in my book! There is something about the late summer afternoon sunshine that just makes little freckled faces light up! Don’t miss your chance to capture those moments for later!
There are LOTS of fun kits and packs in the MMS Design Shop that will get you going quickly! Remember that ANY element included in a Designer Template comes individually with your purchase so you can create TONS of pages from scratch too! You can also alter the Designer Template pages in any way you wish to put together pages that *feel* like your own in no time flat!
There is NO excuse!! You CAN stay on track! You CAN create a keepsake album that your family will treasure forever!
Just get started today! You’ll be up-to-date in no time!
So, don’t forget to make a memory today ~ but don’t forget to preserve your memories from yesterday either!
Also, remember if you need help, I am hosting weekly ONLINE “Intro to MMS” for Version 1 and Version 2 – if you need help getting started, or just want to learn more about what your software can do! Just email me for more information!
Lisa J.
Hi all! Have you been toying with the idea of digital scrapbooking for a while and just don’t know where to start? Have you heard about this amazing software program and just don’t know if it’s right for you? Well, here is the perfect way to check it out! I will be hosting an “Intro to MMS” workshop for both Version 1 and Version 2.
These ONLINE workshops are FREE and FUN! I will go through the basics of how to get started in your journey to digital scrapbooking excellence. You will learn how to start your project and I will review most of the tools included in your software package. It is a GREAT way to see what My Memories Suite is all about and to get a quick helping hand to get started. You REALLY can create a wonderful, professional looking project from your very first try. If you have ever tried PhotoShop and been frustrated, or tried traditional scrapbooking and been overwhelmed with the “stuff” – I would *LOVE* for you to check this out! It really is the only program you will ever need to create wonderful photobooks and tons of projects that will help you to preserve your family’s story for generations to come!
So check out the time and link information below and give it a try! The “Intro to MMS” workshops are FREE and online – they are hosted in the GoToMeeting format, so you do NOT need to have MMS installed on your computer to participate!
Here is the log in information – please email me directly if you have any questions! Hope to *see* you there!
INTRO TO MMS VERSION 1 WORKSHOP
Monday, June 14 @ 8:00 pm (Eastern)
1. Please join my meeting, Monday, June 14 at 8:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/321821891
2. You will be connected to audio using your computer’s microphone and speakers (VoIP). A headset is recommended.
Meeting Password: MMS V1
Meeting ID: 321-821-891
INTRO TO MMS – Version 2 Workshop
Tuesday, June 15 @ 8:00 pm (Eastern)
1. Please join my meeting, Tuesday, June 15 at 8:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/447594202
2. You will be connected to audio using your computer’s microphone and speakers (VoIP). A headset is recommended.
Meeting Password: MMSV2
Meeting ID: 447-594-202
SO, come join us!! If you have any questions, or need more information – please be sure to email prior to the meeting start times!
… and don’t forget to make a memory today!
Lisa J.
lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com
lisa.jurrens@gmail.com
Have you seen ads featuring My Memories Suite and wanted to know more? Do you have Version 1 and wanted to check out Version 2 before you buy it? Well, now you have the chance! We are hosting LIVE interactive ONLINE workshops nearly every week for those of you who want to see what MMS can do! These fun workshops are also great if you already own MMS and want to learn some of the “tips and tricks” to help you get going quickly and COMPLETE some of those projects that have been sitting on the shelf! This is also a great way to introduce your friends, who haven’t gotten in on MMS yet – to the most exciting digital scrapbooking software out there!
We invite you to join us at one of the upcoming workshops. The “Intro to MMS – Version1″ and “Intro to MMS – Version 2″ are both completely online, and completely FREE. Please send an email to me if you would like to be notified of the next round and we will get you signed up! You do NOT need to have My Memories Suite (either version) installed on your computer to attend. The workshop is held in a “GoToMeeting” format and you can see and hear everything on the host screen as they give an overview of some of the major features of each version.
Please check it out and see for yourself – we hope EVERYONE learns something new, or brings something new to share to each and every workshop!
Email me if you are interested – and we will get the link information to you for the next round which will be coming up soon!
…and don’t forget to make a memory today!!!
Lisa J.
lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com
Happy Sunday everyone! Yes, you heard right! We are looking for a couple of new “Suite Chicks” to join our happy little Creative Team! Sarah and Beth are going to be leaving our Team for a while to concentrate on other things. Sarah is going to be concentrating on the new classes she is offering and Beth is SUCH a busy girl with her precious children! We want to THANK them both for their great input on the Team! Sarah promised she will still host fun challenges from time to time too!
But, here’s the good news for you ~ if you have always wanted a chance to be on our little team! We are looking for one new permanent member of our team and will rotate the other new member every two months to give more of our friends a chance to participate.
If you would like to apply, here is what you need to know:
We love creativity!
We love originality!
We love super fun pages!
You will need to post pages to Facebook on our Fan page, and also have your most recent pages uploaded to Flickr. You will be asked to create one or two layouts from each new kit that is released in the Design Shop – and also contribute thoughts and project ideas (probably much like you already do!) It is preferable that you have an active blog and will keep your blog posts recent and do a posting every week or so that highlights some project that you have done with MMS. It is helpful if you provide instructions with your posts that people can learn from you and your skills. We will also ask that you participate when we do special events, such as “Blog Trains” where we link to individual user blogs and link from one to the next. There will be more info when the time comes!
What you get:
Being a member of a fun team that doesn’t ask a huge time requirement!
Being a “Suite Chick”
Access coupon to Design Shop to download new kits for use in your posts for free!
If you would like to apply, please send me an email with a link to your Flickr page or current blog and show me some of the work you have done with MMS. Also, tell me why you would like to join us!
I will be taking applications for the next two weeks and then announce the winners after that. Please feel free to ask ANY questions you might have, and let me know if you are interested!
Lisa J.
lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com
Here is the latest in the Photography series from our fabulous *Suite Chick* Mary – who is our resident Pro! Another GREAT article on things we can do to improve our photographs ~ which just makes our pages better! 
So, I’m late with my May article because I decided to change my topic last minute. I had prepared a 4 series article on Action Photography. I recently taught a class on Action Photography to some of our varsity baseball moms and realized – before I can get these ladies off auto mode they MUST learn the importance of exposure. We started the class with exposure and there were several “ah ha” moments and “the light bulb just went on” comments. THEN, we were able to move on to Action Photography. Stay tuned for the Action Photography articles next month!
In one word – “exposure” – is what photography is all about. Exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the image sensor. In Greek, Photography means writing with light. Exposure is the combination of three factors (ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture) that determine what the light writes… hence the Exposure Triangle. ISO measures the image sensor’s sensitivity to light. Aperture determines how much light enters the lens and is registered by the image sensor. Shutter Speed determines the amount of time the level of light enters the lens and is registered by the image sensor.
Why Does Exposure Matter?
Overexposed Images = loss of highlight detail, that is, when the bright parts of an image are effectively all white, known as “blown out highlights”.
Underexposed Images = loss of shadow detail, that is, the dark areas that are indistinguishable from black, known as “blocked up shadows”.
These terms are technical rather than artistic judgments; an overexposed or underexposed image may be “correct”, in that it provides the effect that the photographer intended.
The Exposure Triangle – ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture
Each one of the three elements of the triangle relate to light and how it enters and interacts with the camera. The combination of these three elements results in a given subject’s exposure value (EV). What is critical to remember is that any change in any one of these elements will cause a predictable impact on the other and consequently impact the final image (i.e. by changing the Aperture, you change depth of field; by changing ISO rating, you change the amount of light required to obtain an image, and by changing the Shutter Speed, you effect how motion is captured). You will never be able to independently control a given element, because you have to take into account how the other two elements will interact for the final exposure. Fortunately, the mathematics of photography just so happen to work in such a way that each element in the Exposure Triangle has a relative “stop of light” value. If you increase the light by one stop by reducing the Shutter Speed, you can regain the original EV by either decreasing the Aperture by the same stop value and/or adjusting the ISO rating accordingly.
A Little More Detail
ISO. The measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to the amount of light present.
- The lower the number the less sensitive your camera is to light and the finer the grain. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the image sensor and therefore the possibility to take pictures in low-light situations.
- Higher ISO settings are generally used in darker situations to get faster shutter speeds (for example an indoor sports event when you want to freeze the action in lower light) – however the cost is noisier shots.
Aperture.
The size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken. The larger the hole the more light that gets in – the smaller the hole the less light. The aperture is like a pupil.
Aperture is measured in ‘f-stops’. You control the aperture by setting the “Aperture Opening”, also known as an F-Stop i.e. f/2.8,f/4,f/5.6,f/8,f/22 etc. Moving from one f-stop to the next doubles or halves the size of the amount of opening in your lens and therefore the amount of light getting through.
Smaller F-stops = larger openings. Larger openings = more light
Shutter Speed. The amount of time that the shutter is open.
Changing each element not only impacts the exposure of the image but each one also has an impact upon other aspects of it (ie changing aperture changes depth of field, changing ISO changes the graininess of a shot and changing shutter speed impacts how motion is captured).
Using Automatic or Manual Exposure?
Automatic Exposure (AE) mode automatically calculates and adjusts exposure settings in order to match (as closely as possible) the subject’s mid-tone to the mid-tone of the photograph.
Aperture Priority mode gives the photographer manual control of the aperture, whilst the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to achieve the exposure specified by the TTL meter.
Shutter Priority mode gives manual shutter control, with automatic aperture compensation. In each case, the actual exposure level is still determined by the camera’s exposure meter.
Manual mode is where the photographer adjusts BOTH the lens aperture and shutter speed to achieve the desired exposure. Many photographers need to control aperture and shutter independently because opening up the aperture increases exposure, but also decreases the depth of field, and a slower shutter increases exposure but also increases the opportunity for motion blur.
Keep in mind that Aperture controls Depth of Field, Shutter Speed controls
focus/blur and ISO controls graininess.
So what is correct exposure? When the camera effectively reproduces a subject on the image sensor where the most uniform amount of picture information is visible in the highlights, midtones and shadows. Most dSLRs today have an EV meter in the viewfinder that provides an EV on the subject that you are metering. An effective way of ensuring a correct exposure is to employ Exposure Bracketing. This is a technique in which you’ll be taking at least 3 exposures – one at the designated exposure value (EV), one 1/3 of an f/stop above, and one at 1/3 of an f/stop below. On some features-laden cameras, you set the ISO, f-stop and shutter to acquire an exposure value (provided by the TTL meter), and press the shutter release. The camera will automatically shoot the upper and lower bracketed exposure. When you review the bracketed exposures, you’ll be able to see subtle, but key differences in the images – most specifically if there is any over- or underexposure.
The wonderful thing about digital photography is that you can continue to experiment at no cost to you as you learn and master the three elements of the Exposure Triangle, going from semi-automatic to full manual. It takes a certain amount of practice and storing a great deal of information in your head… but master it you can!
Mary M.
Great Gifts for Mother’s Day!
I can’t believe that Mother’s Day has already snuck up on us! For the mother’s in my life I have created a tradition of giving them an empty scrapbook and then for every holiday/birthday I give them new pages to fill it with. With MMS it makes it so simple. I’ll I have to do is create one page and I have 3 books filled (mine, my mother’s, and my mother-in-law’s). There are tons of great designs and templates to choose from in the shop – make sure you check them out. Here is a page I did last year for Mother’s day. I used A Mother’s Life from the Ette’s and Company.
Another great gift idea that I think any mother would love is a brag book. I created some brag books for Grandparents this last Christmas and they were a hit. Simply take a template pack and you already have a starting point for a book. Here are some sample pages from the books I created. I used the Grandparent’s Brag Book from Miriam Lima. Once your book is created simply use the book option to have them printed. However, if you are like me and wait to the last moment to get things done, there is another option. Simply create your pages in a landscape format and print them as 4×6’s at your local print shop. Then go to your local store and find a cute 4×6 picture album and WHOLA!
Don’t make it complicated. Keep it simple and focus on the pictures and you can create an amazing gift in a flash!
Happy Scrapping and Mother’s Day!
Brooke 
Congratulations! You have some great pages digi-scrapped and you’re ready to create a DVD. Before you burn it, consider adding music or narration to really add a special touch (and quite honestly make it that much more interesting!). Adding music to your pages adds more depth and can create a mood that is like the bow on top of the package. It makes the show fun to watch and listen to! The hardest part? Deciding WHAT song to use, of course!
Do you want light-hearted, fun songs, songs that tell a beautiful story or music that has a special meaning? What genre? Country? Classical? Rock? Christian? Pop? Jazz? The possibilities are endless and can create whatever mood the pages are intended to portray. It’s all personal preference and limited only to your music library!
The best part is that it is quick and easy to do and can be added to ANY album matching any theme! Christmas pages? Carols of course! Baby/kids’ pages? Play your favorite lullaby or your child’s favorite song. Wedding album? Play classical music or the love song that you and your spouse danced to the very first time. Remember, it’s not just pictures that create memories but sounds, too. Music and voices can bring back memories the moment they’re heard.
Another way to add a special touch to your albums is to add narration. Does your computer have a built-in microphone? Use it! I created a “movie” for a client’s surprise party for her husband’s retirement. Many years ago, her husband composed a beautiful heart-felt poem for her and she wanted that included. I scanned it and placed in the movie. The writing was too small to have all the guests read from the projection screen so I recorded my husband reading it (obviously it would have been better to have HER husband read it but because it was a surprise, well, you see my point!). It brought tears to every eye in the room. Had we not added that narration, no one would have been able to read it and
Other narration could be the sweet sound of your child’s voice, a grandparent reading a favorite story for your child, you and your family sharing memories – ANY voice adding narration can create an unbelievably special memory, one that is worth preserving and sharing.
If you haven’t placed music or narration into your albums, first create your album (I LOVE Ettes Designs in the Design Shop at My Memories Suite) and consider the mood you would like your album to portray. Songs will just pop into your head as you go along because you’ll tend to use songs that are your favorites! Once you’re ready to add music, follow these easy steps:
Want to add narration to a page? Select the page you wish to narrate (make sure you’re open on that page) and follow these steps:
Have fun adding these special touches to your DVD!
Jackie L. ~ Creative Team
