Have you seen my Facebook groups and pages yet? There's a lot of inspiration, ideas, and things you'll love happening there! There are FOUR opportunities for us to connect on Facebook--two groups and two pages. See which ones sound like a good fit for you. 1. GROUP: Jennifer Wise's Heritage MAKERS
If you haven't joined my Facebook group yet, that's the first thing you'll want to do! This is where I hold quarterly digi-crops where you can set aside time to work on Heritage Makers projects and work with me no matter where you live. I post upcoming specials here, classes, and other information, but the most fun thing is when we share pictures of completed projects!
2. PAGE: LifeTales Books Powered by Heritage Makers (and a bonus!)
Believe it or not, after 13 years as a Heritage Makers consultant, 8 1/2 years with this blog, several years on other social media (scroll down at see the right sidebar for all of them), a Facebook page was the last thing to happen. Go figure. On my page, LifeTales Books Powered by Heritage Makers, I don't post a lot of specific things like Heritage Makers sales and such, but you'll find lots of encouragement and helpful articles from many sources--tips and tricks for preserving your photos, photo organization, how to write your story, time management, etc.
...AND AS AN EXTRA BONUS, the first 100 people to "like" the page will be entered in a drawing to win a Heritage Makers-made item from me! So be one of the first 100, and share with someone you know who would love the tips on memories, photos, and stories.
3. GROUP: (local) Heritage Makers Workshop Club
I also have a Facebook group for those in my area (Colorado) who would like to work on Heritage Makers projects in a group! I announce all the workshops (2-3 each month) in the group.
4. PAGE: Crafts with Heritage Makers (My Heritage Makers Shop) If you're looking for craft ideas (or gift ideas that look like you were crafty), I bet you'll like my Crafts with Heritage Makers page, too. This page is different from the other page and the group because here you'll find home decor and gift ideas for sale!
The 21st century gave us this cute phrase: "photo overload." And it's cute until it becomes photo overwhelm.
I talk to so many people who are just overwhelmed with their photos. They have too many, don't know what to do with them, and really feel like they're being crushed by their photos.
It prompted me to write this post on the Evolve website that I'm a contributor for. This post has four steps to climb your mountain of photos, introduces the concept of EXTRA, and gives some perspective you may not have thought about before.
I'm so passionate about this! We are losing our photos. The most photographed generation in history is quickly becoming the generation without photos. It's a tragedy. So I want to help people avoid it!
Need some creative Valentine gift ideas for that special someone, friends, or school classmates? Have you ever come to the right place!!
I've got six creative Valentine ideas for you that are all created online then professionally printed so they are really fun to create (no mess!) and impressive to give. Below each of the six ideas I'll introduce will be instructions on how to make them. So let's go!
Note: All Heritage Makers products shown are templates, but don't forget that all Heritage Makers templates are
fully customizable, so if you want more or fewer photos, more or less
text, not so many flowers, or a different color scheme, you can just change it! I'm just showing a few templates--there are lots more to choose from, or you can also create your own from scratch using the Heritage Makers Studio program and lots of available digital art to use.
SPECIAL SOMEONE
My favorite Valentine gift idea is a little Heritage Makers Flip Book. It's just 5.75"x3.5", has 20 pages, and is wirebound.
This darling template has space for you to add 10 photos and 10 reasons "I love you." There's just nothing like this to really tell your Someone Special what he or she means to you.
To make this 10 Reasons I Love You Flip Book: Go to www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise and login (or open your free account if you don't already have one). Click "template gallery" then "browse the gallery." Type 50462 in the search field and click "personalize" to move this project into your personal account. For a basic guide on how to upload photos into your Heritage Makers account, how to create text boxes, how to use digital art, etc., {click here} or {click here for a more in-depth video tutorial}. And don't forget about the "contact me" tab in red at the upper left on this page if you have questions!
Another great gift idea for a Special Someone is a simple Greeting Card with your own photo on it and your own heartfelt message in it. If you're giving something like flowers or concert tickets and need just a little greeting to complete the gift, this is perfect. Heritage Makers greeting cards are around $2-$3.
Again, this is just one example--there are 5x5 cards, die-cut cards, and many more options in many more styles.
To make this Personal Greeting Card: Go to www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise
and login (or open your free account if you don't already have one).
Click "template gallery" then "browse the gallery." Type 25355 in the
search field and click "personalize" to move this project into your
personal account. For a basic guide on how to upload photos into your
Heritage Makers account, how to create text boxes, how to use digital
art, etc., {click here} or {click here for a more in-depth video tutorial} or this {video tutorial specific to making cards}. And don't forget about the "contact me" tab in red at the upper left on this page if you have questions!
Personalized Playing Cards are one of my favorite Heritage Makers gifts to give, and this template has been transformed into Love Coupons! You're only seeing the back of the cards, but the fronts say things like, "candlelight dinner for us at home" and "30-minute foot massage." There are multiple coupons for each event, so you can print as-is (after changing the photo, of course) or you can come up with your own coupon ideas so you have 52 different coupons! I love how personal this is with the photo on the back of each playing card.
To make this Love Coupon Playing Card Deck: Go to www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise
and login (or open your free account if you don't already have one).
Click "template gallery" then "browse the gallery." Type 6114 in the
search field and click "personalize" to move this project into your
personal account. For a basic guide on how to upload photos into your
Heritage Makers account, how to create text boxes, how to use digital
art, etc., {click here} or {click here for a more in-depth video tutorial}. And don't forget about the "contact me" tab in red at the upper left on this page if you have questions! PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS TEMPLATE IS A PREMIER TEMPLATE. For information on how to get a Premier account for free {click here}.
FRIENDS
And speaking of playing card decks, they're one of my favorite gifts because they're always jaw-dropping! Recipients are so impressed. I love giving them! They would make a great gift for friends, too. This one was created for sorority friends--see the back of the card on the left and all the fronts?
Because (as I mentioned) you can add or remove any element when creating something in Heritage Makers, you could remove the Greek letters and add other elements like a "you're the best friend ever" text box or some hearts or flowers from the (included) art collection.
To make this Greek Life Playing Card Deck: Go to www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise
and login (or open your free account if you don't already have one).
Click "template gallery" then "browse the gallery." Type 63165 in the
search field and click "personalize" to move this project into your
personal account. For a basic guide on how to upload photos into your
Heritage Makers account, how to create text boxes, how to use digital
art, etc., {click here} or {click here for a more in-depth video tutorial}.
And don't forget about the "contact me" tab in red at the upper left on
this page if you have questions! PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS TEMPLATE IS A
PREMIER TEMPLATE. For information on how to get a Premier account for
free {click here}.
You can also make very simple playing card deck, if you prefer--just one photo on the back and traditional Ace of Spades, King of Spades (etc.) designs on the front. In fact, I made a tutorial video recently that shows step-by-step how to create personalized playing cards that are very simple! You can watch it and follow along to make your own cards!
If you're looking for a more hands-on approach to a very simple Valentine greeting for friends, this Valentine Make & Shake Card Kit is perfect! You get to be crafty, creative, and impressive while keeping the big secret that this whole thing is a KIT so you hardly had to do anything! ;)
This Kit is from Heritage Makers' sister company, Anthology DIY by Lisa Bearnson. This Kit makes 20 darling shaker cards (with envelopes) and comes cut and ready for you to put together (with instructions, too). The Kit is $49 (or $2.45 per card) and can be ordered at www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise by clicking "products" at the upper right then "Anthology DIY." From there, scroll down through the Kits section until you find Valentine Make & Shake Card Kit.
CLASSMATES
There are SO MANY creative Valentines you can create for a child's class. I love the ones created from Business Cards. Heritage Makers Business Cards come in a set of 50 for around $4, and you can personalize them any way you want, from a personal message to a little picture of your child! So fun.
With this one (template 131035), you punch holes and include a sucker.
Or for a treat-free option, give this one (template 131036) with a glow stick.
To make Personalized Classroom Valentines with Business Cards: Go to www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise
and login (or open your free account if you don't already have one).
Click "template gallery" then "browse the gallery." Type either template number shown above in the
search field and click "personalize" to move this project into your
personal account. For a basic guide on how to upload photos into your
Heritage Makers account, how to create text boxes, how to use digital
art, etc., {click here} or {click here for a more in-depth video tutorial}. And don't forget about the "contact me" tab in red at the upper left on this page if you have questions!
There are lots of creative things you can do with Address Labels and Large Address Labels, too.
The Large Address Labels can be cut in half and wrapped on top of Tic Tacs or other candies as you see above. Or this Large Address Label folds over a small bag of crayons:
Large Address Labels come in a set of 12 for about $4.
To make Personalized Color Your Heart Out Large Address Labels: Go to www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise
and login (or open your free account if you don't already have one).
Click "template gallery" then "browse the gallery." Type 143363 in the
search field and click "personalize" to move this project into your
personal account. For a basic guide on how to upload photos into your
Heritage Makers account, how to create text boxes, how to use digital
art, etc., {click here} or {click here for a more in-depth video tutorial}. And don't forget about the "contact me" tab in red at the upper left on this page if you have questions! You can find many more creative, unique, truly personal Valentine gift ideas at the "template gallery" link at the upper right of my website: www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise
"Do something with my pictures" is on many to-do lists. It's a common New Year's resolution, too. The sheer volume of digital photos we take, however, can make preserving them a daunting task. Sure, photo storage seems to be all the rage these days, but what about actually preserving a photo in print? Printed photos allow you to preserve your photos with their stories--your memories. The details or story behind a photo is a full HALF the value of a photo!
That's why I'm so passionate about sharing as many helps and solutions
as I possibly can. This blog is full of them, of course, but I also taught a 40-minute online class last week with some very specific tools, tips, and solutions,
including my Two-in-One Plan for CATCHING UP preserving your photos and
their stories in a meaningful way. In this class, we look at both
digital photos and photos that have already been printed. I walk you
through the steps you need to take before preserving your photos (such
as making time* and organization) as well as offer real, do-able solutions for catching up preserving your photos.
IF YOU MISSED THE CLASS, be sure you watch the recording here. It will be the best 40 minutes you can spend on one of the most valuable things you have to gift yourself and the world with--your own memories, photos, and stories.
I read something recently that really struck me. It's not so different from the idea of making time for things. Lanette Pottle calls it time creation.
Yes, time flies, but you're the pilot!
According to Pottle, time management is not the solution to finding more time--time creation is. I love what she says at the introduction to her {Time Creation Course}:
"The problem isn’t that we need to find space to cram more
appointments and tasks into our day, it’s that our decisions cause us to
fill our days with monotonous obligations, unfulfilling activities, and
other people’s priorities. It starts innocently enough. We are
ambitious and driven. There is a lot to accomplish to leave our mark on
the world and we take pride in doing whatever it takes to make it
happen. Sacrifice becomes a badge of honor (especially for those
among us that have people-pleasing tendencies). Deferring our own
pleasure becomes common place. We buy into the belief that if we stay
focused and committed, there will be time for that later. The problem is that all too often later never comes… or if it does, it’s on the other side of burnout. The REAL solution is to shift from managing our time to managing our decisions… and in the process, we become world-class time creators." ~Lanette Pottle
{Productivity Manager Julie Davis} teaches the same thing to her clients. I am an organized person, but I fall into the same traps many people do when it comes to feeling a little swamped. One thing I've learned from Julie is that everything on your to-do list falls into one of these categories:
Do it.
Delegate it.
Dump it.
Sometimes you need to just DO things. (You're the only person who can exercise for you. You have things in your job that you need to do.) Sometimes your time is better spent by DELEGATING something. (Can your kids fold laundry, even if it's not perfect? Is there a high schooler in the neighborhood you could hire to do that thing?) Sometimes you need to DUMP things. Julie says if you've moved something off your to-do list three times, consider if you need to just dump it. (Evaluate if it's worth your time or if you can let it go.)
Davis also suggests that there's no such thing as multitasking. I've always considered myself a good multitasker (and I bet a lot of moms do), but Julie says that productivity actually takes a nosedive when we try to multitask--even if we think we're good at it. #foodforthought
One last tip from Julie Davis: If something is on your to-do list for days and days and you keep putting it off, and you know you can't Delegate it or Dump it, do procrastinated projects in chunks of time. Take 20 minutes, set a timer, and work on your procrastinated project for just 20 minutes. You usually find out it's not so bad, and you can do it.
So many things take second (or third, or fourth, or fifth) place when we aren't in control of our time, aren't managing it, or aren't creating it. Doing something with your precious photos is often one of them.
I bet you have a photo like this--a moment in time stopped, a great memory you've had the blessing of capturing.
This photo, like yours, shouldn't just sit somewhere as a JPEG file. Files aren't usually looked at. Photos are.
organize your photos so you know what you have and what you're dealing with (You can find some pointers and actually watch me in my process of photo organization {in this video}.)
choose your favorites (If you have 1,000 pictures to deal with, you may make more progress if you narrow down the number you want to preserve by just choosing your favorites.)
keep your appointments with yourself!
Time does fly! The older I get, the faster it seems to go. But I'm the pilot on that flight. I get to choose how I spend my time. I hope you'll think about Marie Leslie's perspective of Priority Management--what you fill your days with and what you are (maybe inadvertently?) prioritizing. I know that makes a big difference in my own time management and creation.
There's so much to be gained, {so much that's GOOD FOR YOU}, when you make time to preserve your memories and your life's story. Start now, because there's no time like the present!
Welcome to #friyay at LifeTales Books! On the first Friday of every month, we will find out what people are saying about Heritage Makers (and me, in some cases). We'll start our first #friyay with a message from the very first Heritage Makers consultant, Wendy, who is a dear friend. We've known each other since elementary school and became good friends in high school. Wendy was one of the first people to introduce me to Heritage Makers, way back in early 2005. Here's what Wendy has to say on this #friyay:
Last January I introduced the Year in a Snap concept. It's designed to help you actually CATCH UP on your photos. Preserving photos is (obviously) great, but if you're still taking more pictures, how can you ever catch up? Year in a Snap combined with my Two-In-One Plan gives you actionable steps toward actually catching up!
If your New Year's resolutions include catching up on your photos, don't miss this free, 40-minute online class, "Conquering Your Photos with the Two-in-One Plan." It's NEXT WEEK, so save the date! At the class, we will talk about
why preserving your photos and memories matters
how to get started if you don't know where to start
the best options for preserving digital photos as well as already printed ones
tips for success
the Two-in-One Plan designed to help you CATCH UP on your photos
This is a Zoom class, so all you need to do is click this link on Wednesday January 10, 2018 at 10:00am Mountain Time: https://zoom.us/j/401772642
If you find it hard to wait, here are some sneak peeks to tide you over until the class:
(If you're seeing this post too late, don't worry--I'll post a recording of the class here in two weeks so you can catch it then. You'll be able to find it on the January 16, 2018, post.)
