family historian

  • digital scrapbooking, family historian, My memories

    My Memories Tutorial

    Making a digital scrapbooking page can be a lot of fun! The options are limitless when using digital scrapbooking. Here is this weeks new freebie, and a tutorial on one I made earlier today.

    MyMemories Suite is a great gift for someone who enjoys scrapbooking or someone that needs an introduction to the fun world of digital scrapbooking. Don’t forget to use Discount code STMMMS36408 for your $10.00 savings on the software and $10.00 off your digi scraps.

     

    1. Open My Memories Suite. From the New Album Options Window, click on design your own. I choose Square 12*12 inch.

    2. Enter your album title, chose the album location and choose your preferred shape, then click on ok.

     

    3. Select blank page and click on Ok. On the Right under Background Papers click Purchased, this will hold freebies and purchased papers. Quick pages will be under Elements.

    5. Choose Custom from the expanded list and browse to the welcome (or other) kit on your hard drive. I choose Christmas Lace for this page.

    6. Click on the drop down arrow next to photos in the control panel, and click on Add Photo.

    7. Browse to your first photo, select and click on Ok. The photo covered part of the elements, so I selected the Element button and found the matching ornament element.

    8. To keep your photos looking realistic on a page you can add a drop shadow by clicking on the drop shadow button. You can adjust settings according to taste. All Digital Scrapbook Place Elements however already have their own shadows.

    9.To Add Text to your layout, click on the drop down arrow next to Text in the control panel and click on Add Text. You can use the settings in the Text Control panel to adjust your fonts and font styles as required.

     

    10. Click on the Share Album button, select export pages, save and finish. You can now open your finished work in your photo file.

    Here is my finished photo page.

  • digital photo, digital photos, digital scrapbooking, family historian

    Digital Scrapbook Freebie.

    The designs at MyMemories.com are always adorable and quick to put together. This week MyMemories.com had this Valentines layout for free. You can download it at their Facebook Page. I used a photo of my Grandparents together with their oldest, my Aunt Theresa. As a kid growing up, my Grandparents were not together-photos of them together were not something I knew even existed. Since going through all my Grandma’s photos we have found so many photos of them together. They were a lovely couple, and had a beautiful family.

     

    Here is the second freebie this week from Mymemories.com

     

    Each element of the page is downloadable onto your computer and you can use for any layout, card, tag you wish.

    MyMemories Suite is a great gift for someone who enjoys scrapbooking or someone that needs an introduction to the fun world of digital scrapbooking. Don’t forget to use Discount code STMMMS36408 for your $10.00 savings on the software and $10.00 off your digi scraps.

     

     

  • family historian

    Flip-Pal Webinar and January Sale

    I love my Flip-pal, knew before I owned it that this was a perfect gadget to help with everything I love doing. As a Genealogist I can’t drag my huge scanner everywhere and the flip pal is so small, compact, no cords to worry about and handy. Here is their latest January Sale for Flip-pal. These are great prices for a handy gadget that will make your research and scanning needs great.

    January Flip-pal Sale

    $15 off the purchase of a Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner

    Coupon Code: 15JFP12

    $20 off the purchase of a Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner
    with Creative Suite Craft Edition DVD

    Coupon Code: 20JCS12

    $25 off the purchase of a Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner with Creative Suite Craft Edition DVD when you also purchase a Deluxe Carry Case

     

    Coupon Code: 25JCS12
    (both items must be in your shopping cart for this coupon to work!)
    $30 off the purchase of a Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner with Creative Suite Craft Edition DVD when you also purchase a Deluxe Carry Case and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger

    Coupon Code: 30JCS12

    (all three items must be in your shopping cart for this coupon to work!)

     

    Coupon Code: KOFP12A 
    $15 off the purchase a Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner when you also order a package of Flip-Pal Window Protector Sheets —both items must be in your customers shopping cart for this coupon to work! 

    Coupon Code: KOCS12A 
    $20 off the purchase a Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner with Creative Suite Craft Edition DVD when you also order a package of Flip-Pal Window Protector Sheets

     

     

     

  • family historian

    Vegas

    Many feel that Vegas is a place only for adults. Depends on what you are looking for in a vacation. For us and our little ones, we had a blast visiting the G rated parts of the strip. There is M&M World, where the M&M Nascar is on Display, and tons of chocolate for the kids.
    There are other things kid friendly, the Ethel M Chocolate Factory(FREE), The Hoover Dam, The Lion and Dolphin habitat, Titanic Exhibit, The Sirens of Treasure Island (FREE), the 117,000 Aquarium at the Silverton, the Fall of Atlantis(FREE), the Volcano eruption at the Mirage(FREE), MGM’s lion habitat(FREE), and Lake Mead if you love the water.
    I hope many will look pass the stereotype of Vegas, casinos are a huge part, but not the only things in Vegas. And if you are a fan of Pawn Stars, drop by their shop. They most likely wont be there, but many of the things you have seen on the show and employees are there. Worth the visit…
  • family historian, Uncategorized

    Road Trip to Las Vegas

    I  really love taking a vacation and just drive all the way there. You see so much more, and for me it is an inspiration for my crafts. Recently we drove all the way to Vegas, not for the Casino’s, but for the shows- Sirens of Treasure Island, the Volcano at the Mirage, M&M World, Hoover Dam, and the main reason we went was to see the Titanic Artifact Exhibit. There just is so much outside to enjoy that we hardly went in. And the drive between Northwestern Arizona and Nevada was breath taking, with deep windy canyons. It is the second time I have been there, and it only got better. There still is so much we didn’t even get a chance to see.

    My family enjoyed all the sites we saw. Did the tour at the Hoover Dam, visited a huge fish tank at the Silverton Casino, where the OCC Pro Base Bike is on display. They enjoyed the chocolate at the M&M World exhibit, and the chocolate from the Ethal M Chocolate Factory.

    But for me, my dream came true when I got the chance to see the Exhibit of the Titanic at the Luxor. There are so many artifacts that have been retrieved and carry a story of whom they belonged to. The perfume still has the strong fragrances that were once popular. Post Cards are still in readable condition, the Grand Stair Case built to scale, Coal from the Wreck, and the Big piece. The big Piece was brought up in 2001 after several failed attempts. It is small in size when compared to how large the ship was. It measures 25 ft by 15 ft and is 80 tons. It is scheduled to be at the Luxor til 2014.. Here is a photo of the second class dinner plate, we got 6 for our family.

    We got the opportunity to also visit the Hoover Dam, take the power plant tour. It was fun to learn about the Dam, how it was developed, and how it got its name. Hoover had been the inspiration and supporter of the Dam, it was to help 7 states keep their water rights, help keep from flooding, and offer water for farming of food. It wasn’t until 1947 that it was named the Hoover Dam, it was completed in 1935.

    I am really going to enjoy scrapping this trip, and the kids really enjoyed themselves.

  • digital photos, digital scrapbooking, family historian, photo album.

    Free Digital Scrapbooking Kit

    There are many things that I absolutely love about My Memories, it is easy, quick, classy, and the designers always have lovely layouts that add such beauty to my photos. Plus each week they offer freebies, both on Facebook and on their site. Here is the latest freebies for this week, it is in .PNG format and can be used with or without the software.

    I took a photo of my Great Grandparents Raymond F. Durbin and Ula Mae Akin Durbin on their Wedding day and used the newest freebie to add a new page to their scrapbook.  My Great Grandma’s sister Ida Faith had hand painted their wedding photo. My Aunt Theresa gave it to me during my last visit and I used my Flip-pal scanner to scan in the photo. It didn’t need any editing at all.

    These are the two new free layouts for this week. Each embellishment can be mixed and matched with each kit. The sizes are flexible and can be changed to any size you want your scrapbook to be. When you want to share your scrapbook you can make it into a DVD that can be played on any DVD player, you can have it printed by any company that prints scrapbooks, such as Snapfish. And even though you have saved it, you can always go back and edit or change things around.

     

    MyMemories Suite is a great gift for someone who enjoys scrapbooking or someone that needs an introduction to the fun world of digital scrapbooking. Don’t forget to use Discount code STMMMS36408 for your $10.00 savings on the software and $10.00 off your digi scraps.

  • digital scrapbooking, family historian, My memories, photo album., photo book, photo cards, preserving memories, preserving photos

    More Preserving Old Memories

    As I work through my large file of old photos fixing all the scratches and tears digitally I am also making a digital scrapbook. This book I will be able to print, make a movie DVD, or online video for sharing. The amount of options is limitless and I enjoy making these for my family. Adding old letters, original photos before editing, photos after they have been fixed and a lovely memory book that can be shared with every family member.

    This one of my Great Great Aunt Lovella and Uncle Earl Moore is just stunning. She had her mother’s blue eyes and married Uncle Earl when she was 16, they eventually had two wonderful children and lived a long happy life together. The top was bent and smudged quite a bit.

    After using Photoscape, and cloning the damage to the photo, I got this as the final result.

     

    And tonight I created a page dedicated completely for them, using MyMemories.com

    MyMemories Suite is a great gift for someone who enjoys scrapbooking or someone that needs an introduction to
    the fun world of digital scrapbooking. Don’t forget to use Discount code STMMMS36408 for your $10.00 savings on the software and $10.00 off your digi scraps.

  • digital photos, digital scrapbooking, family historian, Make the Cut

    Paper Crafting and Make the Cut Sale!!

    Make the cut is having a sale on their software. Imagine It. Create It. Cut It. It’s That Simple. Make The Cut! allows you to easily cut virtually any shape you can imagine (including TrueType/OTF Fonts, SVGs and PDFs) using your personal cutting machine. With its easy-to-learn interface, the possibilities are endless.

     

    Make the Cut Video shows how to use this wonderful paper crafting tool.

     

    Make The Cut! Features:

    • Works with all Cricut™ machines We no longer are compatible with Cricut™
    • Works with the new KNK Zing! (Shipping now!) new
    • Works with all Klic-N-Kut™ models
    • Works with the Pazzles Inspiration™
    • Works with BossKut Gazelle™
    • Works with Black Cat Cougar/Lynx™ series
    • Works with USCutter™ MH/LaserPoint series
    • Works with CraftWell’s eCraft™
    • Works with Silhouette SD™ including Print and Cut!
    • Supports HPGL machines with printer support (Craft ROBO™, Wishblade™, etc)
    • We do free Webinars every Tuesday night!
    • Fully integrated with Lettering Delights Cut-It files
    • Full WYSIWYG Printer Support for Print-and-Cut!
    • WYSIWYG Interface [image]
    • Fully featured Node-editing tools built in new
    • Thin Paths and create a new “drawn” look [example]
    • Preview/Import Any AI9, PS, EPS, SVG, TTF, OTF, PDF or SCUT File [image]
    • Export shapes in PDF, SVG, EPS, AI, JPG and PNG formats
    • Integrated SVG/MTC Gallery with over 5,500 files and growing!
    • Generate Jigsaw Puzzles with full control [image]
    • Choose From 4 Standard Mat Sizes [image]
    • Use Any Installed Font or Import TTF/OTF Files [image]
    • Convert Raster (PNG, GIF, JPG, etc.) Images to Cuttables [example]
    • Easily Create Lattices [image]
    • Easily Create Rhinestone Templates
    • Break/Split/Layer Shapes and Edit Them [image]
    • Weld/Join Shapes Together [image]
    • Place text and/or objects on Bezier paths [image]
    • Create custom background shadows from any shape [image]
    • Cut, Copy and Paste Shapes with Inkscape and Illustrator!
    • And Much, Much, Much More! new
  • Ancestry.com, family historian, family tree

    1940 Census Volunteer Opportunity

    The buzz about the 1940 Census has been released and you can be part of the process.  Genealogy organizations Archives.com, FamilySearch, and Findmypast.co.uk, will work together on the 1940 US Census Community Project. This project will work to involve online volunteers to publish name index to the 1940 US Census soon after the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) releases the records to the public April 2, 2012. All three partners will provide access to the free index on their websites. You can sign up to be an indexer at http://www.the1940census.com.

    Last month, NARA selected Archives.com, to host the digitized census records. Ancestry.com also has announced it’ll offer a 1940 census index and the record images free, at least through 2013.

    FamilySearch’s RootsTech conference, taking place Feb. 2-4 in Salt Lake City, is open for registration. The early bird rate of $149 is valid through Jan. 13, 2012.

    The National Genealogical Society 2012 Conference, taking place May 8-12 in Cincinnati, also is open for registration. Early bird prices ($175 for NGS members and $210 for nonmembers, plus extra if you want a printed syllabus) are good through March 20, 2012.

    You can read more on  Dear Myrtle’s blog that genealogy expert and Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian author Elizabeth Shown Mills now has a website where she explains her research methodologies. You can visit Mills’ Historic Pathways site here.

  • digital photos, digital scrapbooking, family historian, preserving memories, preserving photos

    Fixing those old photographs

    I have been fortunate that my family has kept several boxes full of old photographs. Most are in good condition, but some are falling apart. 

    This old photograph of my Grandma Ola as a young women is crumbling apart. You can see where pieces of the photo have been taken out completely. I have several different photo software programs that can help repair, my favorite is a free program that I find the easiest is  to learn with Photoscape.

    Here is a screenshot of Photoscape and where to find Clonestamp to correct these flaws.

     

    I have added arrows to the sections you will want to click on to fix. Once you have selected the clone stamp in tools,  you will want to click first on an area that is not damaged that matches the area that is damaged.  A circle will appear, locking in the undamaged area. Then using your mouse click over the damaged area. This will clone the undamaged area to the area needing to be fixed. Giving your this result.

    The amount of cracks and damage on this intense and I am still working on it. However you can notice the wholes are no longer visible and most of her cheeks are repaired. Here is another one I have fixed of my Great Aunt Lovella and Uncle Earl

    Before

    After

    The program is simple and free to use. No real complex techniques to learn with Photoscape.