Mix and Match! There’s no catch!

Have you checked out the great paper packs in the MMS Design Shop? Some of our designers feature beautiful paper packs that don’t have any embellishments. Let this be an opportunity for your creativity to shine by mixing and matching embellishments from other kits There are so many great designers of scrapbooking kits that it is often hard to pick your favorite. Don’t feel obligated to feature just one designer for your layouts – Mix and match embellishments and papers from your favorite designers to make the perfect page. Also consider embellishing a template page with embellishments in your stash to make it uniquely yours. Below is a Template page from the Family Defined Template pack by StoryRock. I swapped the background for one from Dana Zarling’s Champagne Wishes Paper Pack. Then I added a few embellishments from Barbara Ryan’s Sweet Girl kit. I think the final product is adorable. Switch up some of your kits, templates and embellishments today. You might be able to make some “suite” pages with them.

Happy Scrappin’!

Sarah ~

… and don’t forget to check out my blog for more great ideas!

ScrapHappySarah

Making a Designer template yours! :-)

Here are some great tips that you can use to help you make the most of the Designer Templates available with your MMS program! There are tons of great templates that can really help speed up the process of creating family keepsakes for you. Let’s face it ~ we creative people have a big struggle when we approach a project. We want to get it done, we want to enjoy the process, we want to enjoy the results, and we want it to look like it’s ours! The flip side of that however is, most of us have INCREDIBLY busy lives! We have children and families, we work inside the home and out, we volunteer, we are there for those around us – and we TRY to squeeze out a little time for ourselves in there somewhere! Well, I have found that using Designer Templates really help me to get through a project quickly. Now, sure, there are still some times and some projects that I start from scratch, because there isn’t a template that quite matches the look I want or I really do want every element added to be of my choosing. That’s one of the things I truly LOVE about MMS. I have the flexibility to choose either option every time I add a page to a project I am creating. But for today’s post, I really wanted to show you some quick tips you can use to start with a Designer Template and truly jazz it up and make it yours! A couple quick steps and you will be DONE before you know it!

So, first I will show you the template page, completely as is. All I did was drag in the photos from one of my folders. In this example, I am using some photos from a project I did for my aunt for Christmas. We live in Florida, so we don’t see much snow – but there is a wonderful exhibit called “Ice!” at the beautiful Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando every year and I have some cute pictures of her family that I am going to use in these two pages.

As I was saying in the first page, the “before” page – I simply chose the page I was going to work on, and dragged each picture into one of the photo boxes that were placed on the page. This is so quick and easy the page literally creates itself in less than a minute or two. Drag, drag, drag, DONE! Looks great, sure! I could move on, sure! BUT… I want to “snazz up” the page just a bit so it better suits my taste. So, I choose a few simple options from all of those available in my MMS software. Now, most of these additions are available whether you have Version 1 of MMS or the newly released V2. They are SIMPLE to do and whether this is your first page or your 1,000th – YOU can do it!

As you can see, I used the ZOOM tool, to really get the pictures more “close up” so you can tell who’s in them! Click on the picture you wish to zoom, then click the ZOOM IN button until you get close enough in. You can also adjust the visible portion of the picture with the CROP tool, which allows you to move the part of the picture that is shown. This is one of my favorite things to do to really get more of the subject in each picture on the page. Okay, so now that I have done all three photos, I move on to the next little change. I choose to add a MAT to my photos. Again, all under my control, for these photos I choose a thin white mat to frame them up a little, and click the “APPLY TO ALL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE” so they all match exactly. You can choose the color of the mats to suit your taste – you can also color match them so they are a perfect fit for your page! Then, I move on to my FAVORITE little change – SHADOWS. I can’t say enough how much I just LOVE shadows and what they can do for your page. They literally POP your pages to life. I pretty much use shadows on just about everything on the page! What I love about the shadow option in MMS is that it is COMPLETELY under your control. It’s more than just “do I want a shadow or not?”. It’s how much shadow do I want, where do I want the shadow to be placed, how dark do I want it, how much of a drop do I want? Everything is under my control! So, I first click on one of my photos and click on the SHADOW box in my Control Panel. That brings up the SHADOW PROPERTIES box. This is where you control the appearance of the drop shadow of your selected item (the shadows for embellishments work much the same way). So, you choose how opaque you want your shadow, how much blur (which affects how “soft” or “hard” the shadow appears). Then, my favorite part is to decide the offset. You can use either your mouse, by clicking on the actual shadow in the preview box and dragging it around until you like the way it looks, or by using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Either option gives you the flexibility to show a little or a lot, drag it more to the side or the bottom, etc. I just LOVE that option! You can even choose the COLOR of the shadow! Then, I click the little box that says “APPLY TO ALL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE” so that all the pictures look the same. You can do each photo individually, but this will save time.

Then I moved on to a little more personalization – but not too much, just to keep this short and sweet! I change out the text that says “Dec 2010” for a little “Ice!” so it fits more with the page. Remember EVERYTHING that is included in a Designer Template is completely under your control. You can move it, resize it, reshape it, duplicate it, eliminate it, whatever you like. I chose to just leave the little shape and embellishment and change out the little words. So, I created a new text box (you can create this in “WORDART” in V2). Used one word to help define what is going on in the pictures on the page. Of course, I add shadows to each of the three parts of this little set. The white circle SHAPE on the bottom, the little blue MAT embellishment, and the text. When I am adding the shadow to the little blue MAT embellishment, I click “APPLY TO ALL EMBELLISHMENTS ON THIS PAGE” so it also adds the shadow to the snowflake embellishment along the left side of the pre-designed page, as well as the shaped strip at the top of the page (that you almost don’t even notice until the shadows makes it pop!)

Then, finally, I add one line of text at the top of the page, and the year at the bottom, to really just define it better and fill in some of the empty space at the top and bottom of my page. I add the “Gaylord Palms Orlando” and the “2008” text. I choose a cute font (this one is called “Tingle Institute” – cute!) and add the text in black, of course add my shadow also. Then another one of my favorite little tricks is to create the text like I just described, then I click the COPY button up top and paste and exact duplicate of my text line, so now I have two. Then I click the WHITE button (or you can choose ANY color) to change the color of the duplicated text to white (or whatever color you selected). Then I just “layer” it over the previous black text and it really POPS your text off the page. Some of this can be done in fewer steps with the word art options in V2, but I still like the double layer look!

To finish up, I enlarged each of the pictures, just a bit, to fully utilize the space on the page and maximize how much of the picture I could show.

NOW, I can say, “I’m done!”. I am happy with the layout of the page, and a few simple, QUICK little changes that really just bring it to life for me. Now, you can spend a ton of time working on each little detail, and many of us love to do that – I love to do that too, but sometimes you just WANT TO GET IT DONE! And this is a great way to combine your own personal flair and the ease of the Designer Template options.
Please let me know if you have any questions, or need a little more help with the instructions for anything I talked about here, just ask away! You can always reach me at lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com or find me on the Facebook page at “Polaroid My Memories Suites”!

Good luck with your New Year’s projects and Happy Scrappin’!!

Lisa J.

My Memories Suite Version 2.0 offers an exciting new interface, intuitive features and a variety of unique designs. And for the first time is now being offered via download so users can start scrapbooking immediately!

My Memories Suite Scrapbooking 2.0 is a fun and creative way to keep and share memories. The software’s intuitive design tools and varied sharing output, help users to build entire albums effortlessly by using one of the many installed templates, or design their very own pages from scratch. Users looking to share or search for even more templates are encouraged to visit My Memories Suite’s online Design Shop offering a growing library of templates, papers, and packs to infuse the creativity of its users.
New Core Features

* “Resource Gallery”: Drag & drop embellishments, backgrounds, shapes, layouts
* feature_resources
* Find and replace text
* Identify objects that are off the canvas
* Allow setting (and showing) a mat and/or shadow on photo template objects
* Text that follows a shape (circle or rectangle)

* Add background as photo object (from backgrounds dialog)
* Import different QuickMix shapes into current album (i.e. Import landscape QuickMix pages into a   square album)
* Add different shaped album pages into current album (i.e. Import landscape pages into a square album)
* Set default shadow from shadow dialog
* Set default text options from text panel
* Better user interface design for Mat and Shadow dialog
* New Line shape
* Search for embellishments (search field on bottom of embellishments dialog)

* Edit object from right click menu
* Right click edit
* Hold shift key while dragging an object constrains it to horizontal or vertical axis
* Locate Albums (File–>Locate Albums) will ask for a directory and then search for albums)
* Warn if there are missing fonts when doing a hi-res output
* On canvas text editing

Additional Features

* Searchable Embellishments
* Add own embellishments
* Favorite embellishments
* New photo shapes palette
* Unsaved changes recovery option on next open�if shutdown improperly
* Added blue and red filters to effects palette
* New effects pallet

* Preview effect before committing
* Effects Pallet

* Created solution for the Windows Movie/DVD audio issue
* Print to contact sheet
* Fill text with background or photo
* Effects controls
* Allow for multiple backgrounds on a page (not as photo objects)

Other

* Text Art tool w/ bevel, emboss, gradient, drop shadow, image, warping or shape
* Text art tool

* Spell checking (including check-as-you-go technology)
* Duplicate & mirror pages
* Free rotate objects
* Zoom canvas for more precesion control
* Multiple Preview Views
* Enhanced (more streamlined) photobook, calendar, and card sharing wizards
* User should have ability to search provided images by tags: category, type, keyword
* Tiling for backgrounds
* Texture fills

* New look, updated interface
* Auto Fill at any time
* Gradient fills (add/edit color points, radial and linear)
* Gradient fills
* Better CD/DVD burning capabilities
* Better optical device support
* Space evenly

Code Enhancements

* Updated to install4j 4.1

* Adopted use of java 1.6 (speed, rendering, sharpness, general enhancements) Vista compatibility

Check out the website and order now!!

Introducing Paper Trunk

New in the My Memories Suite Design shop are three top selling

collections by Paper Trunk. Paper Trunk is one of the newest scrapbook manufacturers to join our design group to offer their great designs digitally.

Carrie Postma launched Paper Trunk in the summer of 2007 becoming one of the leading manufacturers to offer recycled cardstock and superior products.

Paper Trunk continues to be eco-savvy and makes every effort to provide luxurious quality and lavish designs. Going digital is a natural step and something Carrie has always wanted to do with her designs.

Click here to visit their website.

Paper Trunk prides itself on being one of the first scrapbooking manufacturers to offer recycled cardstock and a greener option for crafting. They wanted to create a place on their website where crafters can come to find resources to scrap greener and live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. And of course a great way to go GREEN is to digitally scrapbook.  Click here to learn more about Paper Trunk’s ScrapGreen.

MMS on Good Things Utah

Monday we had the pleasure of working with our designers “Ettes & Company” to be part of a local interest TV show called “Good Things Utah.” The projects were fun and colorful and Fayette and Annette did such a great job.

They demonstrated some darling home decor wood blocks inspired by the Heritage Blocks in our Design Shop. They used photos and their darling digital designs available in our Design Shop. These blocks would  make great gifts and would be perfect for Father’s Day.

You can also watch the Ettes on an older segment of Good Things Utah using the popular “Dude Collection” to create fun iron-on projects.

Three Bugs in a Rug

Have you heard? We are so excited to be working with a new partner manufacturer, 3 Bugs in a Rug. You may have seen their great papers and coordinating die cuts, rub-ons and stamps in your local scrapbook or craft store. Now you can download their great designs for the My Memories Suite software.

Introducing four popular collections of designs. Create a fun layout for the boys in your life using the Superstar or Playtime collections. Scrapbook your favorite trip to the beach with Three Bugs in a Rug Island collection. And scrapbook the many photos of your girlfriends with the Groovy collection.

NOTE: To enter the Island Contest and win a $50 gift card to the Design Shop, visit http://www.thevillasatpoipukai.com and leave a comment after this post telling us your favorite thing about the resort.  Don’t forget, My Memories Suite users get free airfare for two when you book a five night stay at the resort!

Actual Book vs. Digital Samples

The My Memories Suite Design Shop offers ton of great designs for a wide variety of topics. But I have to admit, sometimes I overlook a design because the design might be monochromatic or look plain at first glance. However, it’s when I see these beautiful designs printed in a book that I’m taken back and instantly run to download that template and start building a photobook.

One such example is the Family Proclamation by Legacy Digital Designs (aka Jill Means). The designs seems rather plain when you first look at it, but once you drop in your photos (casual or formal), they seem to pop off the page. The wordart she includes is beautiful as well and if you don’t like or need a particular title on a page you can easily omit it or even create your own. But this template set knocked my socks off when I saw a completed photobook.

So when you browse through the online Design Shop, take a minute and try to imagine the pages with photographs placed on it…you’ll be surprised how a rather simple designed template set might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Monster-ously Cute Onsies

Mary Ruth, CT Member over at Ettes & Company shared with us this darling idea using the new DUDE Template. She printed out the fun monsters onto to t-shirt transfer paper and ironed on the designs onto onsies. What a darling gift idea Mary Ruth!! Read more by visiting Ettes & Company Gallery.

The Dude Template and Dude Designer Packs are new in the design shop today. The “monsters” on this project can be found in the new Dude Template.

Designer Spotlight: The Ettes & Company

You may be wondering how or why we call ourselves “the Ettes”.  Well, here’s the story.  Several years ago we worked with a great sales rep.  He grew a bit weary of trying to keep our names straight, so he decided that he would simplify things for everyone and just call us the “Ettes”.  You know…AnnETTE and FayETTE…our names both end in “ETTE”.  It made sense to us…and well, it stuck.  We’ve been designing under our adopted name ever since.

We have been working together for a LONG time.  Before we were the “Ettes”, we designed for Provo Craft.  We both published tole painting books and clip art cd’s for several years.  We have been working together developing and designing products, traveling, making TV appearances and teaching for about eight years now.  It is still as fun as it was when this adventure began.  We believe that the reason we work so well together, is the fact that we really are the best of friends.  We go through regular fits of uncontrollable laughter, we can finish each other’s sentences, we know what kind of food the other “Ette” likes and we are both work-a-holics by nature!

This month you may have noticed our designs in the Design Shop and we hope you like them. We’ve packed them with tons of great embellishments, papers, monograms, word art and more!! We hope to continue this great working relationship with MMS andtheir great staff and you’ll see our designs added periodically since we never really stop designing. Stop by and visit our Ettes & Company Website, Ask The Ettes Blog or our new Facebook page when you have a minute.

Designer Spotlight: Emily Taylor

All of us here at My Memories Suite are very excited to introduce to you our first professional illustrator, Emily Taylor. We wanted to get to know her a little better, so here’s her bio:

Since 1993, I’ve been working at being an artist—I’ve had a successful mural-painting business that gave me the opportunity to work in some of the finest homes and businesses in the West. I’ve designed rubber stamps, and wallpaper designs. I’ve even sold my prints on QVC!

However, it wasn’t until I became a mother that my focus shifted and I found my niche in painting illustrations of women and children in daily domestic life. Today, I’m a diet-coke-drinking, PTA-participating wife & mama of three!

I cook, clean, do laundry and care for my family, so the inspiration for my work is always around when I take off my apron and get ready to paint! Here’s an idea of what you can do with my artwork. I printed these out on iron-on transfers and transferred them to these dishtowels.