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Why you must scan your photos!

2011-10-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

Like it or not, your photos aren't safe sitting in frames and albums around your house. They are slowing degrading and you're losing details like color and clarity.

The photo above is me at 5 years old. It's a 40 year old photo that has been in a frame on the wall at my parents' house for decades. It's getting dull and fading fast. My red hair is muddy and my white dress is dull. I clearly remember that dress - it was one of my favorites. I hate to see the photo disappear. Left alone, it will continue to darken and eventually be mostly lost to future generations. Scanning it is the only good way to preserve it and fix it. Below is the same photo "fixed" in some simple software. It needs some more attention, but I wanted to show you how a quick fix can bring a dull photo back to life.

Some people think they don't need to scan because they have the negatives. Have you ever tried to actually FIND a negative you needed for a specific photo? There's nothing quite so blinding as trying to hold up little black negative image strips to light and determine if that's the photo you're looking. It's impossible. And, we simply don't know what the future of traditional film development is. In 40 years, will you be able to get copies made from them?

Scanning is the best way to completely preserve your photos. You are not only saving them for future generations, but you are able to fix and share them, too. It's not about just being able to use your photos in digital projects, it's about keeping them safe for your children and grandchildren (and beyond) to enjoy in the same way you did.

Share that photo book!

2011-10-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yay! I have been waiting for this for a LONG TIME! Rocket Life just upgraded our photo book software with a new SHARE feature! It's PERFECT and timely for me as I have been working on some photo books for my mom to give to her friends at Christmas. It's been frustrating to not be able to share them with her before ordering them. But that has ALL CHANGED!

Check out this book I made last year: LINK. You can view it in 3D (as if you were looking at a book on the table) or 2D (looking at each individual page on your screen). You can also brag about your books on Facebook and Twitter if that's how you want to share them. They can even order their own copy from the link if they like what they see!

I tell ya', the Rocket Life photo book program is the best one out there - and it just keeps getting better!

Try it today by clicking HERE! It's just a quick little download to one of the most creative and user-friendly photo book programs anywhere!

Let Reason Prevail

2011-10-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

I was reading a blog the other day about someone going to a major retailer to have old (like from their grandparents) photos scanned. When they went to pick them up, the photo department said they were unable to scan the photos because they were professionally taken and, therefore, copyrighted. All their scans had been deleted and they were returning the photos to them. They were told that if they could secure written permission from the photographer, they could then go ahead and scan them.

These photos were from the early part of the 20th century. They appeared to have been taken by a professional photographer, however, there were no markings on them indicating who took them. But, because they were professionally taken (which, pretty much every photo was at that time since there was no such thing as a point and shoot or a Polaroid camera).

Seriously? It's not like they were stamped "OLAN MILLS" on the back. The photographer was as dead as the grandparents in the photo.

In my own case, the small home-based photographer who took our wedding photos in 1987 went out of business about 10 years ago. I was able to buy the negatives that they could find. But, honestly, they couldn't find very many. So, even though the photographer is out of business, I am stuck never being able to commercially scan or print my wedding photos. I couldn't even find the man if I wanted to. He had a little studio in a converted garage.

Copyright law on photographs can be the life of the photographer plus 70 years. That pretty much means most photos fall under a copyright.

Can we not let reason prevail when it comes to copyrights and photos? Does anyone REALLY think it's possible to hunt down the relatives of a man who took a wedding photo of your grandparents in 1929 to secure permission from his estate to scan and print the photos? If someone brings in professional photos of their family to have scanned and the kids are standing there looking the same as they do in the photos they had taken 2 weeks ago, then I can see requiring a release. But, even then, it's hard to tell. I have a Sony Alpha and took photos of a friend's daughter's wedding a few years ago. I wasn't their professional photographer, but many of my photos looked just as professional. When they went to order copies for the reception, they were questioned at Walgreens. I had to call and tell them I was just a regular person with a camera and that I had emailed those photos to Walgreens to be printed. It's hard to tell what's professionally done and what's just someone's snap shots anymore unless the photo is marked or it's clearly done in a studio setting. So much "professional" photography is done in a casual setting anymore - it often ALL looks like snap shots. For instance, the photo above was from my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary a year ago. It was my camera on a tripod and a friend pushing the button.

Home scanning has made it harder to enforce this law. And even then, what if I want to scan school photos and have them printed on a digital scrapbook page or in a photobook? Will the company do that if it's for personal use? The digital age has blurred the lines and muddied the waters. How, if I'm a digital scrapper, am I to get my professional photos in my family photo books if I can't have them scanned and printed?

When it comes to photos, especially old ones, we really need to let reason rule the day. We all know what the law is, but sometimes we need to engage our heads, too. We need consumers to be honest and photographers and photo shops to be reasonable so that everyone can use the images that are so precious to us and future generations.

Super Cute Free Halloween Fonts!

2011-09-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

One of the upgrades earlier this year in our Rocket Life software program was the ability to now use the fonts on your computer on your projects and in your photo books! I love that SO MUCH because, I confess, I AM A FONT JUNKIE!!!!

A cute font is like adding artwork to your page! Halloween is just around the corner and some of my FAVORITE photo projects involve Halloween! It's probably one of the most photo worthy holidays of all time! Costumes, parties, jack-o-lanterns, decorations, Fall foliage, Trick-or-Treating - it all makes for super adorable photos! I have made several smaller photo books of just Halloween photos.

Halloween fonts can be super spooky or really cute - just like Halloween. I ran across this blog that has compiled 20 FREE Halloween fonts of all types. Grab them for your computer and be ready when the leaves fly and the pumpkins turn orange and your children start dreaming of which princess or super hero they want to be this year!

Photobooks For Your Business

2011-07-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

We're in the process of buying a condo we'll use for a vacation rental in a recreational/shopping area in our state. When it goes through and we get ready to rent it, I'm going to make a couple of photo books for our guests to use at the condo.

The first one will be a simple recipe book. We'll have a crock pot available for our guests so I thought I'd fill a photo book with easy recipes they can put in the crock pot while they go shopping or skiing for the day. There will also be other really easy recipes that I might like to have if I were on vacation and wanting simple and fast meals for my family.

The other book will be full of information about the area and will include photos I have taken on our own trips there as well as our family's reviews of local restaurants and activities. It will be like having us there to give them tips and ideas for making the most out of their stay.

Photobooks aren't just for Grandma. They can be very effective in marketing your business and can set you apart from similar businesses by presenting your clients with a very professional image. Here are just a few ideas for incorporating a photo book into your business:

Photos of your clients (before and after for orthodontists, hair stylists, etc)
Showcase your home construction or remodeling projects
Real estate agents - homes you have sold and photos of the people you sold them to as well as their recommendations
Annual history of your church activities
Information about the professionals in your business (leave in your waiting room)
Photos of events you have organized
Client photos if you're a photographer
Photos of your artwork (portfolio)

If you're a business owner, check out our business backgrounds. We have sets for real estate, auto, medical, education and catering but you will also find backgrounds that work for all sorts of businesses throughout our many pre-loaded graphic sets.

Rocket Life Version 2.4 is HERE!

2011-07-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

RocketLife version 2.4 is here! We added lots of calendar features, just in time for back-to-school. (Remember, you can start your calendar on any month.) You can now set the font for each month, choose whether to start your week on Sunday or Monday, increase the size of the dates on the grid, choose the color of the month and day names, and more.

The software will automatically update when you open it next. It's a good time to get going on 2012 calendars since Christmas is only 5 months away!!!!

Click on the big banner above to get your FREE software upgrade!

2011-06-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

In May, a great big photobook company announced it's new "custom path" option. Of course, the buzz was how GREAT it was to able to customize your page with the ability to make a photo your background, add fonts and embellishments and resize things. Yawn.... PhotoBooks{etc} has had that since DAY ONE. I always said it was no fun to be forced to make a photobook that looks like 10,000 other photobooks made the same day. I have always wanted custom books that reflected MY tastes, not the tastes of the photobook software.

PhotoBooks{etc} and Rocketlife have been way ahead of the game when it comes to making your photobook experience uniquely yours. Try us out - you'll be thrilled with the quality of our books and we know you'll LOVE our software!

Photos Connect Us

2011-05-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

This past week has brought tragic news to our family. A family member in a distant country is very ill. He has three children who may eventually have to come to live with family in the United States. These children do not know us and a transition like that will be difficult.

My husband may be joining his father in this far-off country in the next week to help get affairs in order. It dawned on me this morning that we need to send photos. We need photos of every Aunt, Uncle and cousin these children don't know. We need smiling faces and names to go with them. They need a photo book they can keep there and look at and get to know the people in the photos so we are more familiar to them.

So, I will gather the photos and create a book of friendly, happy relatives in America that they can get to know. I will send it with my husband if he goes and, hopefully, the photos will help these children get to know us better.

A few months ago I watched a movie on Netflix, called Sweet Land, about a foreign born mail-order bride coming to middle America just after World War I. She had a single photo of the man she was going to marry. The problem was, it had been folded up and put into a letter to her. Her intended husband's face was in the middle of the fold. The thick cardboard of the old photo caused so much damage on the small face that he was unrecognizable. So, when she showed up at the train station in his town, she spoke no English and had no idea what the man who was supposed to meet her there looked like. She hadn't been able to send a photo to him so he didn't know who he was there to meet either. Eventually, her intended and his friend finally found her after some confusion about the time she was supposed to arrive. She assumed his overly friendly friend was who she was there to meet and was rather disappointed when it turned out the quiet, gruff man with him was to be her husband.

We are lucky to have modern photographic technology where we are able to have more than one photo of ourselves because it's cheap and easy enough to take photos and we are lucky to have easy ways to easily share photos with others - no matter where in the world they are.

I'm old enough to remember when film was considered so pricey that you only dragged out the camera for special events and then you only got double prints when you were SURE you had a quality roll of film. And, it was terribly disappointing when you paid for film processing only to realize just 1/4 of the photos were worth the cost and the rest didn't turn out.

Photos truly connect us and make our lives more accessible to others. I'm grateful for that this week.

Will Prince William and Kate Make a Wedding PhotoBook?

2011-04-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

Probably not, but you can! A PhotoBooks{etc} photobook is the PERFECT way to remember your special day!

My niece is getting married May 7 and they made a photobook from their engagement photos with lots of empty space (like the sample here) so they could have guests sign it at their reception. I LOVE this idea! Our wedding guest book is just a list of signatures tucked away in a bookshelf somewhere in the house. But, making a photobook gives guests the opportunity to express their joy to the happy couple with a note and is a great way for the happy couple to have a keepsake they will actually use and read.

Our layflat books are PERFECT for this type of thing. Just make sure you provide a Sharpie or Slick Writer pen that won't smudge on the slick pages.

Click on the GET STARTED tab above to start your photobook for your special day!

Open publication

A Passion for Pictures

2011-04-28T03:47:00.000-07:00

This past year, I have been trying to decide what I really wanted to do with my business. After spending 9 years in the scrapbook industry and then starting PhotoBooks{etc}, I have developed a passion for photos. I especially love old photos and have a collection of historical wedding dress photos. They tell a story of the time they were taken.

I have developed a great appreciation and at the same time a great fear for old photos. Everyone has them, but no two family members seem to have the same photos and, at the same time, no one would DARE let an old family photo out of their hands long enough for someone else to get a copy made. I call it "Photo Hoarding" - which is sort of unfair. If you won't let someone else makes copies, then PLEASE make copies yourself and send them off. The result of photo hoarding is a whole lot of people who don't get to see a whole lot of historical photos from their family. I have seen people fight and yell at each other over family photos. With modern technology, there's no reason for this. Play nice and share your photos, people!

Additionally, many of those photos are rubber-cemented onto black pulpy paper in old cardboard photo albums (or those criminal "magnetic" sticky albums that are soaking your photos in an acid bath). Who knows what's happening to those photos. The album above is one of those old pulpy albums. It's one my mom gave me to scan. But, it's stuffed full of photos and would take me WEEKS to scan them all on my flat bed scanner. I've had the album for some time but just lack the time to sit down, gently remove the photos and scan them one-by-one. She has probably half a dozen of these that she got from my Grandmother. They all desperately need to be scanned (and shared). I have been talking to my husband about it a lot lately. The other night I plopped this album on the table and said, "THIS is why I want that scanner. I want to help my mom and everyone else get these photos on to discs they can use and share." That's when he said, "Go order the scanner".

So, I have decided to save the old photos of the world (at least as many as I can). Today, I purchased the Grand Dame of photo scanners - a Kodak PS410. I've had my eye on it for a couple of years when it's predecessor was demonstrated during my presentation at The Photo Marketing Association Trade Show (PMA) to the delight of the photo retailers in the room. It's a batch scanner that you can drop a stack of photos into and in one minute, it will scan about 30 of them. They can easily be fixed and burned to a CD to share. GLORIOUS!!! I will spend more time removing the photos from the above album than I will scanning them.

My other desire is to digitize current photos so they can be used in photo books and just plain be backed up and saved. I know I would be DEVASTATED if I lost all the photos in our house. Scanning them provides another way to preserve them and in the future, if my kids want additional copies, I don't have to dig through thousands of negatives to find the photos they want.

I will shortly be adding scanning services to my business for local customers. Look for pricing and details at this site under the PHOTO SCANNING tab in the near future. If you are not a local (Seattle area) customer who can take advantage of my new scanning services, please find a way to scan and share any photos of historical value in your home.

The Cool Tips Guide to RocketLife

2011-04-27T01:23:00.000-07:00

Check out our cool tips for getting the most out of our software! Click on the document below. So many possibilities!!!!

I love a Royal Wedding

2011-04-26T02:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll admit it. In 1981, I got up in the middle of the night to watch Diana Spencer marry her Prince. That was WAY before the days of being able to record it and watch it later. And, I'll admit that my DVR will be set to capture the crack-of-dawn (at least in my neck of the woods) nuptials of Kate and her Prince. Being of sturdy British stock with roots well connected to the British Royal families, I am just a little excited. So, in honor of the Royal Wedding this weekend, I made this take off on the famous WWII British Safety Campaign sign that reminded the citizens of London to "Keep Calm and Carry On" in the face of war.

You can generate your own Keep Calm sign HERE. My favorite one being sold in the souvenir shops in London? "Keep Calm You Can Still Marry Harry" - LOL

By the way, you can save these as jpegs and print them at our site for a fun gift for a friend. The possibilities are ENDLESS.

Make Photobooks from Facebook, Photobucket, SmugMug, Phanfare and Flickr

2011-04-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

It's SO SIMPLE to make photo books or other photo products from your online social media and photo sharing sites. If you have photos at Facebook, Photobucket, Phanfare, SmugMug or Flickr, you can grab those photos and make yourself some fun things! Check out the screen shots as we show you how incredibly easy this is to do.

STEP 1: Open our software (or download the tiny little thing lightning fast from our site). Click on the GET STARTED button to get to this page. Then, select the product you want to make and click the green CONTINUE button.

STEP 2: click the ONLINE LIBRARY button

STEP 3: Log into Facebook (or whatever sharing site you have selected from the tabs across the top)

STEP 4: Allow RocketLife to access your photos

Step 5: Select the photos you want to use by checking the box in the corner of each photo and click ADD SELECTED FILES

Now, go make your photobook!

Why I heart RocketLife

2011-04-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Three or so years ago, I stumbled across an online ad at Martha Stewart's site for a photobook company called RocketLife. I contacted the company because, in my work as a business consultant in the scrapbook industry, I could see that digital scrapbooking and photobooks were changing the industry. I wanted a way that my interested scrapbook retailers could offer their interested customers photobooks and therefore retain those who were perhaps dabbling in digital scrapping or making a change altogether (as I was starting to).

At about the same time, I was being courted by a multi-level direct sales photobook company that was looking for a better connection to the scrapbook world. I spoke with their founders at length but in the end, was not comfortable with the multi-level aspect of the company. The multi-level nature meant that prices on many of their books were nearly twice what other companies were charging in order to pay everyone in the line a piece of the book.

But, this company and RocketLife shared something very important to me - the ability to be VERY creative with your project with a drag-and-drop feature that allowed you to do more than select a background and plop your photos on it. Coming from the scrapbook world, I wanted to have control over how my pages looked. But, that can also be a double-edged sword.

In my brief exploratory stint with the multi-level direct sales company, I made a photobook for my parents of childhood Christmas slides I had scanned. The book was about 40 pages in the end and took me literally hundreds of hours to make. I got caught in the ultra-creativity perfection trap. There were SO MANY options for pages and embellishments that I was spending HOURS looking for the perfect things for each page. Then, I would spend way too much time arranging, re-arranging and hunting down more to make sure each page was PERFECT. The result was the most amazing photobook I have ever made that brought tears to my parents' eyes. However, I swore I'd never do that again. My quest for perfection had cost me dearly in time. A shadow here, a slight angle there, swapping this for that, changing the whole page because I found a better digital scrapbook kit to use - it DROVE ME NUTS.

You're probably thinking, "but you made the perfect book! Why are you complaining about it?" I'm not complaining, but I realized that I had lost the true focus of why I was making the book in the first place - to highlight the photos of Christmases past that we hadn't seen in 20 years. Suddenly, the pretty pages, not the memories, became the focal point of the project. I firmly believe that the photos matter most in any photo project.

So, RocketLife and it's usefully simple software platform won my heart! I chose them as my partner to open PhotoBooks{etc} and I have never regretted that. Here's why:

RocketLife is creative: LOTS of backgrounds and graphics, but simple and not overdone. You can even upload your own digital scrapbook elements and papers to use. A recent upgrade lets you use the fonts on your computer (YAY!) and gives you lots of photo border options. Drag and Drop means you literally chose to put what you want on a page. You can even have the program arrange it all FOR YOU with the super awesomely cool "Smart Arrangement" feature. You can make a book in minutes!
RocketLife is simple to use: Simple and creative can totally go together. RocketLife was voted by a panel of photobook customers as being really easy to figure out. Who wants to spend hours learning how to do something?
RocketLife isn't just for girls: I have two sons. Sometimes it's hard to find stuff that doesn't have flowers or fairies. RocketLife offers a LOT of sports themed and masculine backgrounds and embellishments. I'm not sure there's a sport they missed. This makes our program PERFECT for your baseball or soccer memory book! Men make nearly as many photobooks as women do (I call it man scrapping). It's important to offer a good mix of backgrounds for customers of all types. Of course, we also offer all the girly stuff, too.
RocketLife has simple Photo Editing: I don't like to do much editing to my photos. But, sometimes I might want to tweak it just slightly or fix a flaw. There are just enough photo editing features without being overwhelming - remove red eye, blur a background, crop, recolor, lighten/darken - all simple and useful. And, you can do it right in the program while you're working on the project!
RocketLife has quality products: Our books are EXCELLENT quality. I have made photobooks from MANY companies and our products are equal and often BETTER quality than even some of the biggest names out there.
RocketLife has variety: we have SEVEN sizes of square photo books (I haven't found another company with that many), plus all the landscape, portrait, large, small, soft and hard cover books you could possibly want. If you want an unusual or specific size, cover or orientation, we've probably got it!
RocketLife backs me up with great customer service:I'd put our customer service people up against anyone! If you need help you can email or call immediately. They are located in the U.S., not in some off-shore call center and they are friendly!!!
Use RocketLife without passwords:You don't have to sign up for an account to use our program. No "consultant" will be calling you constantly and you don't have to send us all your private info to use our program.
Mac or PC: a recent upgrade lets you choose. You also get to choose which browser you want to work in.
RocketLife allows us to have Competitive Prices: Our prices are the same or less than even the biggest companies

If you haven't tried us, I challenge you to make your next photobook or project with us! I suspect, like I was when I tried it the first time, that you will be pleasantly surprised at how much more personal your experience is! And, I'm sure you'll be thrilled with the end result! I still LOVE getting my photobooks in the mail!

Everyone Loves Photobooks!

2011-02-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I turned a friend on to photobooks. She just had another baby after 14 years and was going to be faced with another baby book. Her oldest daughter's book was all traditional scrapping. She was less busy then. She didn't like the idea of having to try to keep up with her new baby's first year and all the other family photos.

So, I sat down with her one day and introduced her to PhotoBooks{etc}. After watching me do it and discussing how she could find digital scrapbook kits, she tried making a free photobook from my site about a trip to the coast her family took.

Well, her computer kept crashing all through the process and she was REALLY frustrated over it. She's not very tech-savvy. But, I talked her through it and she finally got the book ordered. When it came, she was OVER THE MOON about it. It was more beautiful than she could imagine.

She made a couple more smaller soft-cover books for Christmas before embarking on THE BIG ONE!

Last week she received her 2010 Family album. It was a hard-cover 12x12 with nearly 100 pages in it. I wish I could have recorded her phone call to me. She was GUSHING over how beautiful it was. She kept saying how much easier it was to not have to have the photos printed first and that she was able to work on it literally with one hand while she held her baby. I haven't seen it but I will definitely ask to see it next time I go to her house. When I saw her at church on Sunday, she said, "I called all my sisters and told them that they needed to switch from regular scrapping to photobooks!"

Last October, my folks celebrated their 50th Anniversary and I made a photobook of that day for them for Christmas with all the family photos in it. They were, of course, THRILLED with it. When my mom's cousin had a special milestone birthday, instead of sending him a card, my mom had me make a softcover photobook for him. Again, I received a GUSHING phone call about how wonderful the photobook was.

If you have never tried making a photobook, it's time! And PhotoBooks{etc} is one of the easiest ways to try it.

What happens when you ask an 11 year old boy to set up the Gingerbread Village

2010-11-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

I dare you to come down the slide, Gingy!

The Dinosaurs aren't extinct, they moved to Gingerbread Land

The Epic Battle of Gingerbread Men vs Lego Mini-Figs

One must be camouflaged during a snow battle

Note the sniper on the roof of the house

This is why photos matter. This is a priceless that I will love to share with his kids some day (and let THEM ruin the pristine solitude of a lighted Gingerbread Village - LOL). He started this a couple of years ago. Only, it was more off-the-cuff. This year, he's been planning and building his creations for a couple of weeks in preparation.

Take lots of photos this Holiday season - especially of those that make the best family memories!

Order your Christmas Photo books Early!!!

2010-11-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are fast upon us. Photobooks and custom photo gifts are hands-down the BEST thing you could give anyone! Luggage tags, fridge magnets and key tags are GREAT for your friends (swipe photos from their blog) and, believe me, Grandma will tear up when she opens a photobook or custom photo puzzle of your family. A photobook is even something your husband will probably put on his bookshelf at work. No wonder it's one of the fastest growing gift ideas for the Holidays. Everyone LOVES photos!

But, time is running out! Here's our shipping schedule if you want to be sure to get your products before Christmas. You can even have them sent directly to the recipient!

Novelty Items: Last day for Ground 12/11/10

Last day for Overnight 12/21/10

Premium Last day for Ground 12/07/10

Photobooks: Last day for Overnight 12/16/10

All other Last day for Ground 12/8/10

Photobooks: Last day for Overnight 12/13/10

It's HERE!!!

2010-09-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Our new software has arrived! Works on Mac, works in Firefox (or any other popular browser), lets you use your system (and foreign) fonts on your projects, "speaks" 22 languages (click on the little globe in the upper right corner of our page), offers lots of new photo frame options and has new background sets!

GET YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD HERE! You'll LOVE IT!!!! If you want to see the new features, click on the green circle with the question mark in it and you'll get to a help section with all the new stuff included.

It's like a free digital scrapbooking program!!!

Meet our New Software!!!!

2010-09-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Our PhotoBooks{etc} site should be updated next week and we can't WAIT!!! Not only does Rocket Life 2.0 run on Macs, but it runs on all the popular web browsers are well! No more being forced to use IE!!!!

Here are just a few of the amazing new features that we can't wait for you to try:

Runs in 22 languages: From Spanish to Chinese - we've probably got your language with just a couple of clicks. You can even switch back and forth
Use any font on your computer: Even international ones - you aren't limited to the fonts in our program
anymore!
Completely rewritten help (also in 22 languages), now with a quick-start section.
Tons of new themes and placeable graphics, including holidays, kids and teens, weddings, and sports - but you can STILL upload and use digital scrapbook content you already have.
New 4x8 photo card project, sized to fit standard envelopes.
Graphic Borders. Wrap your photos with any of our 1,600 placeable graphics. Or try classic designs like scalloped edges. There are literally billions of border styles.
Even easier to use. We've redesigned the screens for speed and clarity, and added helpful guides such as a low-resolution fixer and snap-alignment.

I've been waiting for this upgrade for a long time! I'm excited to finally see it arrive! Watch this space for the announcement that we've had our site updated!

Fundraising for Non-Profits

2010-09-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

I think one of the most challenging things a non-profit organization faces is fund-raising. It’s hard to find something that is easy to administer, makes a good profit and offers your supporters something they actually want.

I can’t tell you how many measuring spoons, magazines, candy and wrapping paper I have purchased that I neither wanted nor needed. Yet, I did because someone asked me to support their cause. The part I always dislike is that by supporting their cause, I pay prices far higher than I would if I bought that product in a retail store and I always wonder how little of that is going back to the group. At times, it's cheaper for me and more profitable for them just to write them a check directly and call it good.

Therefore, the key is to find a fundraiser that is a win-win for both the non-profit AND their supporters; one that makes good money for the group without sticking the customer with high prices and products they don’t really want. Some non-profits are interested in low-impact fundraisers, too. They don’t want to clog the world with more useless stuff.

What does such a fundraiser look like and does it exist? I believe it does and can be found by looking no farther than the millions of digital cameras found in households all over the country.

Everyone takes photos. Most households have at least ONE camera. The majority of cameras are digital and millions of images sit on hard-drives waiting to be printed. According to one article, this is the most documented generation in history. Many of us take photos nearly every day.

One of the fastest growing and most popular ways to turn those digital files into a format all can enjoy is to make photo books and gifts with them.

PhotoBooks{etc} is a great option for fundraising for your group. We offer products that nearly everyone will want and enjoy! And, it couldn’t be simpler for your non-profit.

Step 1: Sign up for an account. It’s just $49/year. You may be able to get someone to sponsor the cost for you.
Step 2: Set up your prices. You can leave them at MSRP (which is very competitive) or set them up or down. The profit margin varies per product but we have found that at MSRP, the photobooks (the most popular product) will make you around 20-25% profit less 3% for credit card processing (which we take care of)
Step 3: Upload your group logo that will show up in the upper left hand corner of your site to let your supporters know they are at the right place.
Step 4: Upload a high resolution graphic to be printed in the back of photo books and other products that bear a logo. You might want to do something that says, “Thank you for supporting… (insert your group name or logo here). It’s YOUR group’s brand and every time your supporters look at their photo book, they will be reminded of you!
Step 5: Send your fully contained store link to your supporters via email, in a newsletter or put it on your site or Facebook page.
Step 6: Deposit your checks!!! Your supporters will be getting products they actually want at competitive prices while supporting a cause they believe in!

It's a great way to raise money for your group and give your supporters products they are guaranteed to LOVE!!!

Hardcover Photobook Sale!

2010-09-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

Get those summer photos DONE before the Holidays creep up on you!

Photobooks{etc} is offering 25% off our hardcover photobooks through Sept 24!

LINK to info.

Just use the code VACBOOK25OFF in the coupon box at check-out!

Great Customer Comment about PhotoBooks{etc}

2010-06-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

We ran across this comment about us at another site the other day. It's true - bigger isn't always better! Sometimes small companies give you the best service, price and quality! Thanks, Erin!

Great service at PhotoBooks{etc}
by: Erin

I was having trouble getting my book finished and the customer service for PhotoBooks{etc} was so helpful figuring out what the problem was. This is a small company but that's not a negative. They are far more responsive than any of the bigger companies I've used. Smaller is often better and I'm going to keep using this great little photobook company.

PTA Discounts and Fundraisers for 2010-2011 School Year

2010-05-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

Our local PTA likes to partner with local businesses to get discounts for members. We provided a 10% discount when they used their secret "members-only" code. We've had several PTA members take advantage of that year-long discount.

We are happy to work with any Parent Teacher Association. As you start looking at how to offer the greatest value for your members for the 2010-2011 school year, contact us if you are interested in having a discount code set up for your members. You just need a website or email newsletter to place the link to our site in and we'll provide the code and the discount.

It couldn't be any easier than that!

We can even help you set up your own PTA Fundraising site for just $49 that you can direct anyone to. Your PTA can set it's own prices and keep all the profit (average about 20-25% if you stay at MSRP). You just have to encourage people to choose your site when they make their photobooks and gifts. It's a very simple nearly-automatic PTA fundraiser!

Thinking outside the personal photo book

2010-05-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

Most of us make photobooks for personal use using our every-day photos. But, if you have a business you could use photobooks to market your product or service in a way few others do.

Check out just a few ideas for marketing with photobooks. PhotoBooks{etc} has great size and cover options that look very professional and will stand up to use in a professional situation.

"Before and After" photos for orthodontists, plastic surgeons, salons, etc.
A book of "possibilities" for salons
Political campaign memories
A book of home construction photos for a new home-owner
Great homes sold by a real estate agent
The history of your club or organization
Photos of a classic car restoration (guys LOVE to have these types of books out in front of their car at shows for people to look at - it's a man's brag book!)
Remodeling photos for theaters, classic homes, down-town redevelopment, etc
Photobook of children's artwork
Your best clients and why they love working with you
Photobook of your own artwork
Calendar of your art to resell
Mugs, mousepads, magnets and coasters with your logo and photo
Club or Family Reunion T-shirts
Professional full-color photo posters for advertising your business
Key tag "business card" to carry

Then and Now Photo Challenge

2010-05-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

This has me laughing so hard! It's a "Then and Now" photo challenge from the I HEART FACES blog. The challenge was to recreate photos from your past. Some of them are SO FUNNY as adults try to relive their photographic history.

CHECK OUT THE CHALLENGE for some good chuckles. This would be a GREAT idea for a small photo book or a photo collage.

Collage Posters are Cool!

2010-04-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

This week I am pulling my bedroom together (after living in this house for 9 years) and I put a large antique wooden frame on the wall of the bedroom as a "decoration". It needed something inside it but I wasn't sure just what. The frame is over 100 years old and has non-standard, yet, proportional dimensions. It occurred to me that the large collage poster from PhotoBooks{etc} would probably fit.

My family just went on a very meaningful Spring Break trip. We asked some people in the area with us to take a family photo of us in a very special place. I made this 24 x 36 collage poster to go inside the frame. It's not as big as the frame but it has the same proportions and leaves about an even inch all around it. So, I'm going to mount the poster on foam core board and put it on the wall. The large antique frame (white with the ornate decorations rubbed with black paint) will nicely "frame" the photo on the wall.

I can't WAIT to get it! The collage posters are more interesting and beautiful than just a plain photo enlargement because you use backgrounds and embellishments. It's very inexpensive and personal custom artwork for your home!

Easter Memories

2010-04-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Are you dying eggs for the big hunt? Have you bought special Easter clothes for church on Sunday? Do you have a favorite meal you eat on Easter? Is your neighborhood having an egg hunt? Are the Daffodils and Tulips in full bloom? Easter is a GREAT time for photos! The pastel colors of Spring are light and refreshing after a long Winter.

Be sure to get your camera charged up and ready to capture some great moments. Here are some tips for taking great Easter photos: LINK

Then take those Easter memories to PhotoBooks{etc} and make a photobook, a cute collage photo or a Spring-themed key tag to capture those special holiday memories!

It's Vacation Time!

2010-03-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

I ordered new suitcases for my boys for Spring Break. My husband's first comment was, "Those aren't carry-ons". He lives under the delusion that a family of four can take a one-week vacation with nothing but carry-ons. My shoes alone need their own suitcase. There's a reason I don't backpack, dear.

So, I ordered these adorable aqua and brown 24-inch rolling suitcases for each boy so they can drag their own junk through the airport. I never go with black so you don't have to endlessly stare at every black suitcase that circles around and around to see if it's yours. We can spot our luggage instantly.

To make it even better, I made these ADORABLE luggage tags at PhotoBooks{etc} to go on their new suitcases. They are SO CUTE!!! Each one has their name and phone number. I'll probably scribble my cell phone number on the back of them, too.

Here's a travel tip: Never put your address on your luggage tags. In fact, it's best to only put your cell phone number. It's harder for unscrupulous luggage handlers to find out who's on vacation that week (and therefore who probably has an empty house). If you lose your luggage, the airport can get hold of you and you can give them your home address (assuming you're already home) then.

These adorable (and really sturdy) luggage tags are only $7.95 each. Make a whole set for your family and you'll be able to quickly find even the most common black bag on the carousel by the cute custom tag hanging off it!

Flat Stanley

2010-03-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

It's time for FLAT STANLEY!!! Every time one of my nieces or nephews is in Kindergarten, we get to take Flat Stanley on Spring Break with us. We've taken him to the Oregon Coast twice. This year we'll take him to the Midwest for our Buffalo to Chicago road trip. We have so much fun posing Stanley and making sure we include him in as many photos as possible. This is my youngest son playing with Stanley on the beach. It was windy (as it always is on the Oregon Coast) so he would toss him in the air and then chase him as he flew away. Stanley was pretty beaten up when he got back to Utah, but he had a great time at the beach with us.

Are you taking a Flat Stanley on an adventure this year? Make a little photobook or collage print at PhotoBooks{etc} to send back with him. It will make the Flat Stanley report extra special and a lovely keepsake for a special activity!

Every Mother Has a Story - tell it with a PhotoBook!

2010-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Mother's Day is 2 months away. You'll never give your mother a more valued gift on that day than the gift of the story of those she loves most.

Tell her story and bring tears to her eyes.

PhotoBooks{etc} can help!

BTW - this is a photo of my mother and grandmother - I'm telling their story this year.

Confessions of a Former Scrapbooker

2010-02-24T16:37:00.000-08:00

I have been a traditional scrapbooker since before Creative Memories started - that's way too many years to count or admit.

A couple of years ago, I made my first photobook and I was instantly hooked! Not only was it easier for me to make (and, ultimately cheaper), but it was easier to store and look at. I have my scrapbooks on a shelf directly below some of my photobooks. These are on exactly the same-sized shelf. Look at the difference in the space they take up.

I have SO MANY photos that I want to preserve. I simply won't have the space for them all in traditional scrapbooks. Truth be known, the shelf below the shelf full of scrapbooks is ALSO full of traditional scrapbooks. There's just not enough space.

So, I started making photobooks and never looked back. In fact, loving them is what drove me to start PhotoBooks{etc} with Rocket Life. Then, after realizing how much of a game-changer they were for the scrapbook industry, I started PhotoBookBiz for other traditional scrapbook businesses looking to add photobooks to their product offerings.

I still like to make cards, but other than that, I will be 100% digital with a scrapbook look.

Custom Photo Key Tags!

2010-02-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

Our key tags are totally awesome!!!!! I have had these two on my keys for a couple of years and they look new. They are like carrying a mini scrapbook with you all the time.

You can make these from your favorite page of your photo book at PhotoBooks{etc} or start one from scratch and whip it up in just a few minutes. They are just $6.95 and make a fabulous gift for yourself or someone special.

I love to snag photos from friends' blogs and Facebook sites and make them an unexpected little gift. I always get an excited, "THANK YOU!" when they receive them. Add a magnet ($5.95 and $7.95) while you're at it to keep the same adorable image on your fridge or filing cabinet at work.

Key tags are the {etc} part of PhotoBooks{etc}. We have so many fun products for you to preserve your memories with - we aren't JUST photobooks!

Fan us or Tweet us!

2010-02-19T07:35:00.000-08:00

Do you follow us on Twitter or are you our fan on Facebook? We love social media! It's so fun to get to talk to our customers more often than our monthly newsletter. We love the feedback we get from the new age of instant communication!

Check out THIS ARTICLE about how we use Social Media to grow our business.

Photobooks for Sports

2010-02-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

Been hitting the slopes this winter? PhotoBooks{etc} has a background set to help you preserve your skiing memories in a photobook (or make a cool luggage tag for your gear bag)! In fact, we have LOTS (and I mean LOTS) of sports sets!

Our sports sets include:

Lacrosse
Baseball
Basketball
Soccer
Swimming
Skiing
Hockey
Cars
Outdoors
Volleyball
Wrestling
Rowing
Tennis
Golf
Field Hockey
Water Polo
Track and Field
Cross Country
Fencing
Gymnastics
Rifle
Collegiate
Teen Soccer
Teen Basketball
Kids Baseball
Kids Basketball
Kids Soccer
Kids Tennis
Kids Football

Did I say that we had a LOT of sports-themed sets? We do! Did we miss any sports? I don't think so.

As a mom of only boys - I appreciate all these backgrounds because over the course of their lives, we're gonna need many of them!

Take your sports photos over PhotoBooks{etc} and start creating posters, photobooks, key tags, etc. for your team or athlete!

Make a Photobook, Help Others

2010-02-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

One of my FAVORITE PhotoBooks{etc} book sizes is our 8.5x11 landscape printed hardcover photobook ($34.95)! The quality is beautiful and the pages are stitched firmly together before being inserted in the cover. It fits nicely on any bookshelf and is easy to hold while looking at it.

One of my favorite authors is C.S. Lewis. In his book MERE CHRISTIANITY, he said: "If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us,… they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditures excludes them.”

So, this month, we have decided to donate 100% of the profit from the Premium Printed Hardcover 8.5x11 Photobooks to Haitian relief efforts. That's EVERY PENNY WE MAKE on that particular size of book.

The C.S. Lewis quote has been our personal philosophy and we have also made it our business philosophy. We normally give 50% of our profit away each month. But, this month, we will give it all away on the photo hardcover 8.5x11 books. Could we use that money to make our website better? Absolutely. Could we use it to place an ad in a magazine? Of course. But, we would rather use it to help the good people of Haiti who have lost everything in the earthquake.

So, I hope that as you look at your Holiday photos this month and consider how to best print them and who to print them with, that you will bring them to PhotoBooks{etc} and help lift a nation in their time of duress.

What We Love: My Camera Couture

2010-01-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

I have never been a fan of black camera accessories. That's why I carry a bright red leather Jill-e bag (that everyone thinks is a high-fashion purse) and have a cool green retro circle camera strap on my Sony Alpha DSLR.

I LOVE the camera straps from My Camera Couture! I bought one at the recommendation of my friend, Sandra, who owns The Memory Workshop.

It is a really high quality strap that adds a little "WOW!" to my black camera. Now, I wish camera makers would come out with DSRLs in FUN COLORS! Photography is full of beautiful colors. I think our camera equipment should be, too!

Free Photobook Software!!!

2010-01-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

Have you downloaded our FREE Photobook software? It takes less than a minute in most cases and is SO AWESOME to use. It has photo editing features like recoloring, background blurring, red-eye fix, etc. Consumers voted it as easy to use and fun! Add that to thousands of backgrounds and embellishments and it's one fantastic way to create your next photobook!

Love Is In the Air

2010-01-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

It's nearly VALENTINE'S DAY! Okay, it really isn't, but in the world of custom photo products that take about 7 days to make plus shipping, it IS! Time to start thinking about what you want to do for that special someone on that special day.

How about a LOVE COUPON book? They are SO SIMPLE to make at PhotoBooks{etc}. You can make them from scratch using our love backgrounds and graphics or you can snatch some from a site like THIS ONE. Just click on the printable coupons you like and right click. Then click on SAVE AS PICTURE and save it to your hard-drive. Then, you can easily upload it like any other photo to our Rocket Life software. These particular ones lack a printing margin so they work best if you place them on colored backgrounds as shown above rather than using the MAKE PHOTO FULL PAGE tool.

That site also has a list of other coupon ideas for you DIY people. If you don't like that offering, then Google or Bing "Printable Love Coupons" and see what you get!

We have a couple of softcover book sizes that will work GREAT for this! Our 5x7 personal softcover photo book ($11.95) or, if you want to make multiples of the same book (for the whole family), we have a 3-pack of 5x3 1/2 books for $23.95.

The recipient can either tear the coupons out to redeem or you can mark them "REDEEMED" in the book.

If you want MORE Valentine's ideas, sign up for our newsletter at this blog and we'll send it out to you right away.

Get your Valentine's projects ordered by the 3rd week of January to make sure you get them by the big day! Take your love-struck self on over to PhotoBooks{etc} and start your project today!

Project 365 - PhotoBook Style!

2010-01-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Something that caught on in the scrapbook world last year was Project 365. It's a simple concept of taking a photo every day of what's going on in your life and then preserving those photos in a scrapbook or, in our case, a photo book.

Of course, it's completely impractical to say you're going to make a 365 page photo book. You can't put more than 100 pages in a normal photo book. But, you can still make a book of your entire year.

You can make a larger sized book such as our 12x12 or 10x12 and have several days per page. Or, you can make several smaller-sized books (each book will usually hold up to 100 pages or 50 sheets of paper) all with matching covers to commemorate your year. Or, if you don't want to do a photo book, you can print a 5x7 collage print of every day and assemble them into a normal photo album.

At the end of 2010, you'll be amazed at the every day things you've done. It's like a photo journal of your life.

The PhotoBooks{etc} software is perfect for this project because you can literally make a page every day if you want to. Just upload your photo to your computer, open our software, make your page or collage photo, save it and close the program. At then end of the year, your project will be ready for printing. It's saved on YOUR computer, not ours, so you can work on it throughout the year and print it when you're ready to.

Now, you're already behind - get your camera out and go to work!

Before you put your Christmas ornaments away...

2009-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

walk around your tree and take photos of your very favorite or most memorable ornaments. My Christmas tree is like a vertical scrapbook with all the memories hanging from it. Check out this BLOG ENTRY about it.

Then, make a photo book about your favorite ornaments. Pair each photo with the story of why it's special. Did you buy it on a vacation? Was it from your first Christmas together? Does it commemorate the birth of a child? Did your child make it? A photo book of the story of your ornaments will be treasured long after those ornaments are gone.

Happy New Year!!!

We Love Photo Jewelry

2009-12-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

A company I worked with through ScrapBiz a few years ago contacted me recently. It's Memory Maker Photo Jewelry. We started working with them back in 2003 when they first opened. Scrapbook retail members at ScrapBiz sold quite a few of their original photo bracelets. I remember members begging to find certain styles and sizes to trade because they were selling so briskly at Christmas. I have two - a gold and a silver one - with photos of my family. Every time I wear one, people stop me to ask about it. It's like wearing a scrapbook on your wrist!

Now they have all sorts of different photo products from a variety of bracelets to necklaces to key chains and bookmarks. I'm giving my son's teacher the badge holder with the frame in it. She has one grandchild and she's a scrapbooker so I thought it would be perfect for her school badge! My mom will get one of the new sterling silver ones with red beads (she loves red) and four frames for her 4 grandkids.

If you love photos, check out Memory Maker Jewelry. It's a company we love!

Free Shipping for Cyber Monday

2009-11-28T06:13:00.000-08:00

FREE SHIPPING on orders over $30

from PhotoBooks{etc}

November 29 - December 1 ONLY

You choose what YOU want to make and we'll ship it to you for zero, zip, nada, nothing when you select ECONOMY shipping! But HURRY, this offer is ONLY good until December 1. You'll get your photo book or gift in plenty of time to get it under the tree!

Use promo code MERRY at check-out!

Happy Shopping!!!

May not be combined with any other offer or code

PhotoBooks are cheaper than scrapbooks...

2009-11-27T12:55:00.000-08:00

I was talking about photobooks with a friend the other day and she had never made one but had SO MANY photos from several trips she had taken the last few years. She had done very simple scrapbooks in the past - mainly just putting the photos on patterned paper and adding journaling and maybe a small embellishment. But, she wanted to try doing photobooks in the interest of time.

She said, "are photobooks expensive?" My answer, "It depends on how you look at it".

I've been a paper scrapbooker for nearly 20 years now. I have dropped plenty of money at Scrapbook stores all over the country. I have no idea, really, how much a traditional scrapbook page costs. I brought my stash into the house $20 at a time. So, when I finally got around to using it, I gave no thought to the total cost of a whole finished scrapbook. And, therefore, it didn't SEEM to cost that much because I had brought the products in one bag at a time over a long period of time.

Now, when I make a photobook, I make it and I pay for the whole thing immediately. So, while my 80 page photo book might cost me nearly $90 and I might freak out a little over the cost, it's REALLY a bargain. The difference is that you see the actual cost right there in all it's glory and have to pay for it when you order it.

Let's break it down though - that's an 80-page "scrapbook" AND an album for that cost. A traditional scrapbook would be far more if you had to pay for it all at once. The album alone would be about $25 and then each page would surely cost you more than a dollar by the time you pay for the photos to be printed, buy the patterned paper, embellishments and factor in the cost of the adhesive and the pens you would use for journaling.

So, I go back to my original answer to my friend, Sarah. Yes, really a photobook is a cheaper way to print your photos and "scrapbook" them. The difference is that it's harder to hide the cost from your husband...

PhotoBook Making is Fun!

2009-11-13T13:14:00.000-08:00

I saw a great quote the other day from a recent technology conference. It said something like, "Making a photobook should be fun. Using Excel isn't fun, but your photobook software should be!"

What a great thought! Rocket Life - the company that powers PhotoBooks{etc} IS fun software! It's easy to use and has just enough features without being too complicated.

Nearly 100% of our customers have told us that our software is FUN and EASY! Try it out today: PhotoBooks{etc} and see if they're right!

The other quote I saw from this conference is that the next 6 weeks is when MOST of the photobooks are made for the year. PhotoBooks are HOT GIFTS for the holidays - and so are custom calendars, puzzles, keytags, mugs, etc. Even Auntie "Cranky Pants" will love a custom photo gift. It's personal and thoughtful as well as easy and fast!

Get your projects ordered by December 1 to make sure to get them in time for Christmas. If you're making Hanukkah gifts, then you need to order by Thanksgiving. Time's running out - start making those books today!!!

Check out our Custom Background Sample Book

2009-11-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

We tried printing our square backgrounds to see how they would look in a book! They turned out SO CUTE! You can find these cute backgrounds where you upload your photos in our program. They are in our ONLINE LIBRARY. You can see a short video on how to use our library HERE. Just select a SQUARE book, add your photos and journaling and you're done!!!

Make a Nearly Instant Photo Calendar!

2009-10-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

We finished our custom calendar background set for our PhotoBooks{etc} customers. Just add your photos (and birthdays, holidays, vacations, etc. if you want) and you're DONE! You can whip up a calendar in NO TIME!!!! Talk about a FABULOUS Christmas gift!

You can find our EXCLUSIVE backgrounds in our Online Library. Watch this short video on how to get to and use our background library. Leave a comment if you use our set. I'd love to know what you thought!

Custom Backgrounds for your Photobooks!

2009-10-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Our custom backgrounds are SO CUTE! We printed a book of JUST the custom backgrounds to make sure they printed well - and they did! Every page is adorable and the details are crisp and clear! They will be even cuter with your photos on them.

If you want to see how to find and use our custom backgrounds, CLICK HERE to watch a short video about it. Remember, these are made for the SQUARE books only. They will not resize for your rectangular books.

Coming soon will be a set of calendar backgrounds - all you'll have to do to make an adorable calendar is put your photos on the page! Sign up for our newsletter HERE if you want to be notified when our custom calendar backgrounds are ready.

Get your FREE Photobook!

2009-10-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

We still have our FREE PHOTOBOOK promotion going on! CLICK HERE to read about it and then go get yours! If you've already made your free photobook, then come back and start your holiday gifts!

My Passion: Helping Women Start a Business

2009-10-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

I watched Small Fortunes for probably the 5th time last night. It's a documentary on the effect of micro credit on poverty and I cry through much of it every time I see it. Micro credit is a wonderful tool that doesn't just feed the poor in underdeveloped countries, it gives them their dignity, hope for the future, and a way to create a business for themselves and allows them to get out of life-threatening poverty. Many still live in what WE would call poverty, but their lives are greatly improved and their children are often educated as a result, which lifts the next generation out of poverty just that much further.

It only takes a few dollars to help. In this documentary, women are getting a loan that is anywhere from $10 to $100 dollars in order to start businesses. The amazing part is that the payback rate (with interest) is 90-100%! Many come back for subsequent loans to grow their businesses and many will employ other women in their village to help them, thus lifting others out of their desperate situations, also.

Most of the loans are given to women. Men haven't proven very often to be reliable with the loan. Due to the "machismo" in many of these countries, the men aren't taught to feel the same responsibility to starving children. They will often drop out of the required meetings and never pay the money back or use it for alcohol. Women, however, have a greater sense of responsibility to their children or have been widowed or left by their husbands. They are far more likely to participate, use the money appropriately and pay it back.

This touches me. I feel one of the biggest mistakes we make when we throw money at poverty is that we don't expect results or responsibility with that money. Therefore, it merely feeds someone for a day but doesn't give them the dignity and self-worth to change their situation. The companies working with these women said that many will come in with their heads hanging and their eyes downcast for the their first loan. But after a couple of loans and a growing business, they will come in with their heads high and often want to negotiate better terms for their loans. It's as if their fire has been lit.

Check out the PROFILES of the women (and men) featured in this documentary. Notice how small their loans are. That's dinner at a nice restaurant for most in the developed world. But to them, it's a small fortune.

I can give them their small fortune! Helping women start businesses has been my passion the last 7 years with my company, ScrapBiz and now with PhotoBookBiz. So, I will stop crying when I see this documentary and start helping to lift the lives of others. I can't directly help them start their businesses as I do at PhotoBookBiz, but I can help others help them with my financial support.

PhotoBooks{etc} has identified a couple of Micro finance non-profits that we like - Unitus, which works throughout the developing world and Yehu, which works mainly in Kenya. We will be donating 50% of the profit from every product sold at our site to one of these two Micro finance non-profit lenders each month. This will enable women in other countries to start businesses to feed and educate their children. I can think of nothing that would be a better use of the profit from sales at PhotoBooks{etc} than to enrich the lives of other women.

Please watch this video to be inspired as I was to help lift others out of poverty:

Make a Custom CookBook!

2009-09-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

I just spent several hours today going through my messy recipe file and cleaning out my cookbooks. Since I really use AllRecipes anymore, I don't crack open my cookbooks much. I have a few favorites I will keep like my Gooseberry Patch books and my Weight Watchers books, but it seems my cooking has really changed since I got most of my cookbooks (not to mention that there was no internet when I bought most of them).

But, I have a collection of recipes I've clipped from magazines or printed off the internet that I use a LOT and really love. They are in a file folder in my cupboard. After going through them, I decided to make a custom cookbook at PhotoBooks{etc}. That way all the recipes will be right at my fingertips. I may even make some extra copies for Christmas gifts.

Now, to find some cute cooking-themed digital scrapbook stuff...

I LOVE these camera bags!!!

2009-09-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have one of these WONDERFUL Jill-e camera bags. I have wanted one since the first time I saw them when they came out a couple of years ago.

Believe me - it's the best looking bag you'll ever carry a camera in. It's super sturdy and really high quality. I was more than happy to give up my black nylon UGLY bag for this beauty. People often mistake it for a really nice purse. A few weeks ago at a Boy Scout Court of Honor, a man asked if I had a pen. I said, "No, I don't." His response was, "You mean you don't have a pen in that big fancy purse?" He was shocked when I unzipped it to reveal my camera.

Actually, it IS my purse when I take my camera. There's plenty of room inside to tuck my wallet, keys and cell phone along with my DSLR camera and extra lens.

Seriously, if you want to be the photography Fashionista - this is your bag!!!!

New Custom PhotoBook Backgrounds!

2009-09-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

PhotoBooks{etc} is pleased to announce our new exclusive backgrounds! Our current backgrounds will work in square books but stay tuned for other sizes and themes. This tutorial will show you just how easy it is to give your photobooks the look of a traditional scrapbook.

Tips for Better Photos

2009-09-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

Good photos make GREAT photobooks! Check out these video tips from the pros for taking better photos.

Get FREE Digital Scrapbook Software!

2009-08-29T11:47:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Digital Scrapbook Artist by Serif. They sent me a copy to try and I totally fell in love with it. Every time I try it, I learn something new! It's got some FANTASTIC features and I love it because, unlike other programs, this one is designed for the digital scrapper. The new version is AWESOME because I can arrange the products I already have into digi-kits using the program. That is a really cool feature to help me organize my stash!

I'm thrilled that Serif introduced a totally FREE compact or light version of the full Digital Scrapbook Artist software! You can see a video about it and download it HERE. Of course, using the compact version will leave you wanting the full version! But, it's a good way to try it before you buy it!

Serif is also having a world-wide contest for digi scrappers who use their software. You can see the contest page HERE at their Daisy Trail site.

Check out the free compact version of their software if you are wanting to try digital scrapbooking. You can make your pages to use at PhotoBooks{etc}. Just don't put anything clear to the edge of the page - leave at least a quarter inch and you should be fine. Also, decide if you are going to make a square photo book or a landscape or potrait photo book and design your pages accordingly to make sure your book looks correct when it's printed.

Just export your page from Digital Scrapbook Artist to a jpeg and save it to your hard drive. Then, upload your page in our photo book program and click on "MAKE PHOTO FULL PAGE" in the tools bar and you'll be set.

It's Photobook Fundraising time!!!!

2009-08-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

The kids are heading back to school and thoughts are turning to fundraising for various school activities. Music Boosters, PTA's, Clubs, etc. are all looking for low-impact, easy ways to make money for their cause!

PhotoBooks{etc} has a GREAT and SUPER EASY way to raise funds for your non-profit group! We are offering a limited number of custom photo book and gift accounts to 501 c3 groups. The best part is that it costs you NOTHING!! All you have to do is promote your exclusive and custom link to your group and encourage them to make photo books, custom calendars, print their photos or make photo gifts at your site.

In return, your group gets 10% of every sale (before tax and shipping) through your site (did I mention you get this for doing basically NOTHING?). Other benefits are:

NO delivery by students: Every product is shipped directly to the customer
NO money collecting: We take care of all of that
Your Group Name on the Products: Every product that has a logo on it (like all the photo books) will have "Thank You for Supporting (insert your group here).
NO student selling: Just place the link on your group's site, send it out in an email, put it in your newsletter and encourage people to use it.
Low impact and useful: Many organizations are looking for ways to raise funds that provide their supporters with products they probably already use. Photobooks are just such products. Over 1/3 of U.S. households make photobooks and everyone has a camera. These are products your supporters actually WANT.

Our software is award-winning and easy-to-use. Everyone can be successful at it and the end result is a fabulous, fun way to preserve their memories.

EMAIL ME at Kim at Photobooksetc dot com to see if your group qualifies. Hurry because I'm only setting up a limited number of these fundraising accounts!!

Exclusive Premade Backgrounds coming SOON!

2009-08-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

Background paper and embellishments by BW Scrapbooking

We love our PhotoBooks{etc} program with all it's cool drag and drop backgrounds and embellishments but we also love the look of digital scrapbooking! So, we're busy making some exclusively designed backgrounds for you to use! If you love the look of digital scrapbooking, but don't actually want to do it yourself (although it's really easy in our program), you'll soon be able to access some pre-made backgrounds for your use!

These backgrounds will be FREE for our PhotoBooks{etc} customers! They will work in our square books (other sizes may come later) and will give you the look of a real scrapbook without all the work.

You just add your photos and journaling or page titles and you're done! It's SO FAST AND EASY! We're starting with a Fall set that we know you'll love! We've included a sample above.

We'll let you know when they're ready to be used and how you can access them soon!

Hey! Did you get your FREE PHOTOBOOK???

2009-08-12T11:51:00.001-07:00

FREE*FREE*FREE*FREE*FREE*FREE*FREE*FREE*FREE!!!!
Everyone's favorite word!

Did you get your FREE PHOTOBOOK, yet? I'm giving away 10,000 FREE 5 x 7 personal softcover photobooks ($11.95 value)! All you pay is $4.95 for economy shipping.

Customers have been giving us some LOVE over our program! Try it for yourself!

CLICK HERE for all the details on how to make your own FREE photobook and then do it quickly before I change my mind!

More Photo book Customer Comments

2009-07-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

We've gotten GREAT FEEDBACK from those who have taken advantage of our FREE PHOTO BOOK offer this summer! If you haven't made your FREE photo book, yet, click here to get the details. Remember - just ONE per customer, please! We want to have enough for everyone!

Check out some of the great comments from our newsletter survey:

"I did a book of our Washington, DC trip. The theme I chose was a patriotic one. I think it looks great! Thanks for the opportunity. My husband loves his book!!!"

"I love my photobook! I keep it in my purse and show it to everyone. It is my little "brag" book of my son, as well as a way to help my son remember what his out of town relatives look like."

"You're great! Thanks!" :)

"This was the first time I have ever used a digital scrapbook and it was really easy to use. Plus I loved all the tools the program offers. I tried a different companies last week but was not impressed at all. I love how I can do the layout of the images instead of it only being offered a few layouts. I have told everyone about my experience with both companies and have been reccomending your product!"

"That was the best experience with a photo book software. I will definitely use it again. Thanks for creating something so use friendly."

We love the great comments from customers! It's just confirming to us that our photo book software and products are the cream of the crop!

Our normal prices are other's sale prices

2009-07-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

I saw this week that another photo book company is having a SALE on their 12x12 photo books. Customers can get up to 3 of this size for $20 off their normal price of $79.95. Well, the NORMAL price on our 12x12 photo books is $47.95 - $53.95. And, you can buy as many as you want at that price! The quality is equal and we also have "drag and drop" software! And, you don't need a consultant to buy from. You just go to PhotoBooks{etc}, make your book and order it!

We don't have multi-layers of consultants to support and that's why our prices are often much, much lower. We may not have 10,000 digital scrapbook graphics for you to choose from, but you can upload your own and not pay the monthly cost. Compare us!

Sewn vs. Glued Photo Books

2009-06-17T16:38:00.001-07:00

Have you made photo books other places and wondered if they would last? I have. Sometimes I think I could easily rip the pages right out.

The photo book above is from PhotoBooks{etc}. One of the reasons I chose Rocket Life as my production partner is the quality of the hard cover books. Notice the stitching. The pages are sewn together prior to securing the end sheets to the cover. That means that your book will LAST.

The books from some photo book companies lack this tell-tale line of stitches. That means that they glue your pages together like a note-pad prior to gluing the end-sheets into the covers. That also means, that like a note-pad, your book may eventually start losing pages from the center.

Production varies depending on the book. The softcover books are more likely to be glued, but then, they aren't the ones we usually make for our family archives. It's often the hard-cover photo books we want to keep forever.

The stitching matters - it means durability and longevity. Look for the stitching in the books that matter the most.

Digital Scrapbooking with PhotoBooks{etc}

2009-06-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

You can visit BW Scrapbooking HERE.

Why The Stories Matter

2009-06-09T17:07:00.001-07:00

So many of our photos have such fun stories to go with them. I encourage you to make story telling every bit as important as photography when it comes to preserving your memories. We can put photos into an album with the name of the person and the date of the event on the back. But, is that enough? We can glue the photos on cardstock and embellish them like crazy and not have enough room for much journaling - but even that may not be good enough.

For instance - the photo to the left looks like a boy just putting on a shirt. And, in 25 years, that boy may not remember exactly where he was at the time. In 50 years, no one will know that there's more than meets the eye in this photo. They will just see a boy putting on a shirt. They may not even be sure who the boy is.

Here's the story: This is a photo of my 11 year old son at our Family Reunion in Wyoming last year. We were playing a game with all the cousins to see who could put a shirt on first. But, here's the catch. I had soaked the shirts in water, rolled them up and put them in the freezer the night before. Does that change what you see in the photo? He has spent about 30 minutes beating and pulling on his frozen, rolled-up t-shirt. Only after he was able to break the ice enough to unroll it and then pull the sleeves apart was he able to get it on. And, out of the 25 kids playing the "Frozen T-Shirt" game, he got his shirt on FIRST!

Wouldn't it be a shame if I didn't take the time to put that story with the photo? It totally changes what you see and suddenly you start seeing how the shirt is pulled at the neck. You can see the frost on the top of the right sleeve. You might even wonder if he's freezing as he puts it on.

The stories are what make the photos meaningful to the next and future generations. Photo books are a great way to bring the photos together with the stories behind them.

What are customers saying about us??

2009-06-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

We've had such great response to our FREE PHOTO BOOK offer! We've got SO MANY of these book codes to give away that I hope you'll spread the news!

Here's some feedback we've gotten in response to our program:

"I was so impressed with the finished product. I still can't figure out how similar pictures were grouped together--I'm sold!"

"It was very fast and easy to put together, really enjoyed working with the program"

"I really enjoyed making my book and am anxious to see the final product. I'm already thinking about using the site for Xmas gifts."

"I made one for my husband "from our son" for father's day and I really enjoyed the process! I am a big time scrapbooker, and it felt like virtual scrapbooking! What an awesome website/program!!! Thank you so much for the free photobook!!"

"I accidentally ordered the wrong book and called to ask if they could cancel my order. Their customer service was phenomenal! They took care of it with no issues."

"I loved it! Definitely going to use it again!"

"Excellent! It was so easy, so quick, and very affordable. In fact, I am thinking of doing these books for my kids instead of printing photos for albums. They are just more fun and cost about the same. Love this!!"

"Loved the software - easy to use, loaded my photos quickly (even with a dial-up connection)...good job!"

"It was wonderful! I love the variety of things you can do to make each page look different and interesting!"

Nearly 100% of those who responded to our survey said they would recommend PhotoBooks{etc} to a friend.

Ninety-four percent said making their book was a lot of fun and that they liked all the editing tools and ways they could customize their book.

I'm thrilled that so many have enjoyed using our fantastic software program! Get your free photo book and get to know one of the best photo book and custom photo gift programs out there!

Tips, Tricks and Hints to using our Photo Book Software!

2009-06-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

This is a "training manual" for using our Rocket Life-powered software. It's all the features and fun things you can do to make your custom photo books and products at PhotoBooks{etc}.

Open publication - Free publishing

Thank you!

2009-05-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

I must say that I have been THRILLED at the number of FREE photobooks that have been snatched this week. Thank you to all those who got caught in the code blow-out and were so kind and patient while we figured out what happened!

Rocket Life was like, "What the heck?! Code requests are coming in by the SECOND!" It was great to see so many try our software program! And, from the feedback I've received, I gather that most of you had a great time and loved the program!

I've even seen repeat customers come back and order more products before they even received their free photobook! That says that they liked our program as much as we do! The first wave of books should be arriving THIS WEEK! I would love you to come back and let me know what you think about the books and the program by leaving a comment here on this blog.

I have the best customers ever and this has been a great week! If you loved the program, tell your friends about it and let them know how they can get their own FREE PHOTO BOOK!

I hope to see you again in the future! The hard cover and lay-flat books are GORGEOUS high quality books. In fact, I think they are higher quality than some of the more popular photo book programs (I've tried them all) and our other products are pretty cool, too!

Our Photobook Software is a Consumer Favorite!

2009-05-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

The last few years, the Photo Marketing Association has had a Photo Book showcase at their trade show. Rocket Life, our partner, always does extremely well in the showcase. The 6 real-life photo book consumers who were asked to evaluate our software ranked it very high. Most said their overall experience was EXCELLENT! They also said our software platform was "easy" or "very easy". They were right on both counts!

I'm not sure what happened with Consumer 2 - they said there was no Autofill Option - they must have fallen asleep during the demonstration of the software because nothing is better than our Smart Arrangement Technology! It doesn't just auto-fill the pages randomly, but it reads your mind and groups like photos together no matter what order they were uploaded in.

Best comment from someone who just yeserday made their FREE PHOTO BOOK at PhotoBooks{etc} was: "It was soooooooo easy!"

Amen.

Get a FREE Photo Book!!!

2009-05-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

I want you to try our program because I am sure that you'll love it as much as I do! So, here's the deal: Get a 20-page 5x7 personal soft cover photo book FREE (+$4.95 shipping).

Go to PHOTOBOOKOFFER.COM and put in the code PBE509. Then, enter your name and email address and you'll receive your special offer code via email (one per customer).

When you get it follow the link within the email which will take you to PhotoBooks{etc} and make your FREE BOOK! Use the code you got via email at check-out. Just enter your code and hit APPLY to get your discount!

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE BOOK YOU ORDER. The free book offer is only good on the 7 x 5 Personal Softcover book. The correct book is already selected when you open the software, just click on ADD PHOTOS to begin.

The free book has 20 pages but you can pay for additional pages as well as additional books. While you're there, you can make other products from layouts in your book - key tags, mugs, puzzles, etc. with just a click of your mouse.

But, your 5x7 inch personal soft cover book is FREE!!!

Tour our Photobook Software Platform

2009-05-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Check out this quick tour of the Rocket Life Photo Book and Product software. It's truly as easy as it looks! Then head on over the Photobooks{etc} to try it out for yourself!

Dads and Grads love Photo Books!

2009-05-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

PhotoBooks{etc} has backgrounds for both Dads and Grads! Both will love a photo book or custom photo gift for their special day!

Luggage tags for backpacking through Europe on the graduation trip or for the traveling dad
a set of coasters for those special parties or to keep the desk dry
A key tag to remember the special people in their life
A mug for late night study sessions or morning meetings
A collage poster to remember friends and family
A calendar to keep them on track (you can start with any month and add special days)

Show them how much you love them with a fast and easy gift you make yourself from PhotoBooks{etc}.

Deal of the Month for May: Custom Luggage Tags

2009-04-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

We're going to start offering a GREAT DEAL each month! No coupon code needed! We're getting a jump start on our May Deal of the Month because it's sunny today and it feels like SUMMER! Nothing will make your bag easier to find in a sea of black bags endlessly circling on the carousel at the airport than a CUSTOM LUGGAGE TAG! You can easily spot which bag is yours because it has the cutest tag ever on it!

So, in honor of the summer travel season, which kicks off on Memorial Day Weekend, we have lowered the price of our custom luggage tags! The normal price is $7.95 but until May 30, they are only $6.75!

Make a set for all your luggage or for the whole family (the more you order, the cheaper the shipping)! These would even be a GREAT gift for Dad for Father's Day!

Here's a tip - put just your name and cell phone number on the tag. That way, no one can copy your address and turn you into a robbery victim while you're basking on the beach in Hawaii. Yet, if you get separated from your luggage, the airline can reach you on your cell.

Photo Editing 101

2009-03-24T02:13:00.000-07:00

A tour of the new PhotoBooks{etc} software!

2009-03-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!

2009-03-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

I am at the international Photo Marketing Association show this week. And, I spent some time in the Rocket Lift booth. Rocket Life is the company that powers our fabulous PhotoBooks{etc} software.

I got my hands on our new art leather premium lay-flat books as well as the regular lay-flat books and I instantly fell in love! These books are totally awesome! The pages lay flat and are much heavier - almost like a cardboard page. These books are such high quality and will last for years and through many "looks".

The new upgrade of the software platform continues to thrill me and impressed the groups of people around me who were watching the demonstration. This is such an easy to use program! Try it out today at Photobooks{etc}!

Try out our New Creative Platform!

2009-02-21T12:43:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about the changes that Rocket Life made to the creative platform at Photobooks{etc}!

Lots of new backgrounds and placeable graphics were added! (and they are SO AWESOME!) And, information is right at your fingertips - you can see product pricing and information before you start creating! We also get several new book sizes and shipping options!

Most exciting, though, is that the program is easier than ever to use! Instructions and informational links are clear and bold - you simply can't get lost!

Download the FREE new plug-in HERE and start using one of the easiest photo product software programs available! We have TOP QUALITY products at great prices using an innovative program that will make creating photo books and gifts fast and fun!

Coming Soon at PhotoBooksEtc! Exciting stuff!!!!

2009-02-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

WooHOO! Our program is being upgraded in a really big way! I've gotten a sneak peek of it and it totally excites me! New book options, themed sets and the return of the 4 x 8 photo cards are all included in the new upgrade!

Stay tuned for more information coming next week about it!

More on our new PhotoBook Fund Raiser!

2009-01-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

Non-Profit Fund Raiser Press Release

2009-01-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

Picturing a New Kind of Fundraiser
Non-profits tap into custom photo gift trend with new fund raising option

(EVERETT, WA. January 7, 2009) If you’ve ever bought measuring cups you didn’t need, magazines you don’t read, chocolate that was over-priced or saved labels from soup cans, then you can appreciate the fund raising efforts of non-profit organizations.

As it becomes less socially acceptable to send children out knocking on doors to sell wrapping paper and cookie dough, it becomes more difficult for non-profit groups such as PTA’s and Booster Clubs to raise money. Many have turned to online resources such as shopping sites that give a small percentage of sales back or grocery store affinity cards that pay back every time they’re used. But, they often pay very little so a lot of supporters need to participate to make an impact.

PhotoBooksEtc.com, an online photo book and custom photo product site, announces an easy fund raiser that offers groups 10% back on sales through their club site.

“Many schools and booster clubs I have talked with this year are trying to find low-impact ways to raise money by selling products or making partnerships with companies that families are using anyway,” says Kim Guymon, owner of PhotoBooksEtc.com, “almost everyone has photos that they want to display. Our products are something that nearly everyone will enjoy making and receiving.”

Non-profit groups can request a free account from PhotoBooksEtc.com merely by verifying their 501 c 3 status and providing a contact for the group. A link will be placed on the fundraiser page of the PhotoBooksEtc.com where supporters can go make products. PhotoBooksEtc.com ships the product directly to the customer and then gives 10% profit back to each group for sales made through their link. “All the group has to do is promote their link,” says Guymon, “it’s a no-brainer fundraiser. Everything is done for them; we just need to know where to send the check.”

###

If you’d like more information on Photobooks{etc} and it’s new fundraising program please email Kim Guymon at Kim@Photobooksetc.com.

New Photo Book Fundraiser from PhotoBooks{etc}

2009-01-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

Announcing our Photo Book and Product Fundraiser! Click HERE for information and HERE to see our new fundraising page!

Very few other "no work" fundraisers will give you 10% of the profit! Most just offer you a few pennies for the sale. And, we make it just as easy as those other sites. All you have to do is contact us to sign up for your FREE fundraising link and once we get it all set up, just place a link to our fundraiser page on your site or in your organization's newsletter and encourage your supporters to make photo books and products there by going through YOUR link. For every completed sale, your organization will make 10%. This is ONLY for non-profit groups such as PTA's, PTO's, Booster Clubs or other 501c 3 groups raising funds.

Our prices are very competitive - none of that "raise the prices 50% because it's a group" stuff. The prices you see at our own photo book and product site are the same prices YOUR supporters will pay and they compare very favorably to Shutterfly, Winkflash, Picaboo or other photo book sites!

And, our products are actually useful so they fit into the "low impact" fund raising philosophy many organizations have subscribed to this year. These are products people actually WANT and make every day. Why not have them make these products through YOUR site and support your group, too!

"I REALLY love this program!"

2008-12-19T00:48:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law called me this morning to ask a question about the size of square book she should order. She couldn't decide which of the MANY sizes of square books would be best.

She has been working on a MASSIVE book (99 pages) on the life of her brother who passed away in late September. She had not used the PhotoBooks{etc} program prior to that point - nor had she really done much digital scrapping. She's good with a computer, though, and wanted to try since this book was for everyone in the family and would need about 10+ copies printed of it. There was no way she could do it well or in time for Christmas if she tried to traditionally scrap each page.

Before she was even half-way done with the book, she signed up to be a reseller through PhotoBookBiz. In our conversation this morning, she kept telling me, "This is a great program" and "I really love this program!" After working on the book for a few weeks, she has figured out just about every little tip and trick there is. She can't wait until January when she can get her own site set up and introduce the program to her friends.

Like any new program, there is a little bit of a learning curve. You have to play around with it (which she did when she made some magnets and key tags for gifts) and try everything. But, once you figure it out, we're confident that you will love the program, too!

Click HERE to get to our site and start creating today!

Puzzled about Gift Ideas?

2008-12-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know - that's punny....and corny.

But, I just got a 252 piece custom photo puzzle today from PhotoBooks{etc} for my mom for Christmas. It's probably too late to get one now unless you selected the fastest shipping, but still, I ordered it less than a week ago - it came really fast!

The picture on the puzzle is our 2008 Christmas letter photo collage - what a fun gift for a puzzle lover and scrapbooker! She's going to FLIP over it!

It's too late for Christmas giving, but, Valentine's Day would be a great time to make a special puzzle for someone you love!

Got Christmas Photos?

2008-12-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Digital Scrapbook Graphics by BWScrapbooking

One of my favorite photo book themes is CHRISTMAS! We have so many "traditional" photos that we take nearly every year from a visit with Santa to making the kids sit at the top of the stairs for a photo before they can come down and see what they got.

I love to have photo books to compare each year! It's like a history of Christmas for our family.

So, as soon as the last cookie is eaten and the wrapping paper is all in the recycling bin - start on your Christmas Memories book while it's all fresh in your mind. Embellish the last page, but leave it blank and glue in a folded copy of your family Christmas letter and/or Christmas card for a special touch.

Check out our new GORGEOUS lay-flat books at our PhotoBooks{etc} SITE! They are available in 4 sizes with a photo cover. You design the cover and the layouts across the full page for a spectacular look!

Getting Help

2008-12-08T01:14:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you hate having to try to find out where to get help when you're working on a photo book or gift project. Well, now, at the top of your project page you can find help! It's as simple as a phone call or email away. From 9:30am to 6:30pm (Eastern), you can get a friend Rocket Life Powered customer service person on the phone to answer your project questions. You can also email them if it's after business hours.

That's a new feature that makes our program even MORE customer friendly!

Photo Book Magic!

2008-12-05T01:17:00.000-08:00

I was working on a project the other night at PhotoBooks{etc} and I uploaded about 35 photos - all of the same person but in different settings. Each event had 2-5 photos of it but they were all over my computer and not necessarily uploaded in order or groups.

Usually, I do the DIY arrangement in our program, but, instead, I hit the AUTO ARRANGE link. Right before my eyes and in about 10 seconds, the program laid out 6 pages for me grouping the photos correctly. So, all the ones of the person in the blue/green striped shirt ended up on the same page. All the photos of them standing in front of a certain building ended up on the same page. And, all the photos of them in the hospital were grouped correctly - one set was photos of them in a wheel chair and the other photos were of this person being shaved. The Smart Arrangement Technology decided which photos looked similar and put those on the same page. My eyes about popped out of my head (I had forgotten how great it is and resolved to use the Smart Arrangement Technology MORE). I even showed my husband and HIS EYES about popped out of his head. It was like MAGIC!

Once it was done, I literally just had to do any photo clean-up (cropping, blurring backgrounds, brightening, etc) and add a few embellishments and titles and I was done.

The whole project, which shipped less than 12 hours after I ordered it, took me less than 30 minutes to complete.

There's a reason the Rocket Life technology is award winning and consumers say they get more done than with any other comparable program - it's as fast and easy as they promise it will be!

By the way - a TON of new backgrounds were added and it's easier than ever to find the editing functions. And, a help number and email is at the top of every page so if you have questions while you're working on a project, feel free to call and ask! Come try us out today!!! Click HERE to get to our creative platform.

How's THIS for fast shipping!

2008-12-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

I ordered 5 8x10 collage prints and a magnet last night at 10:30pm and less than 12 hours later, at 9:30 this morning, I got an email telling me my products had shipped!

Can it be any faster than that??!!!

Photo Books take a little longer due to production but usually ship within 3 days of your order.

Make Photo Books and Gifts for the Holidays!

2008-12-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

This is the best time of the year to make photo gifts! Check out our selection of products including new backgrounds at PhotoBooks{etc}. Hurry! Our 10% off any order over $50 sale ends December 15!

It's the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR...

2008-11-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

to make a custom calendar!!! You can start your calendar at any month and for any year. You can even add birthdays, vacations, etc. to your calendar pages.

Custom calendars are one of the top custom photo gifts for the holidays. Start one TODAY at Photobooks{etc}!

Our Photo Book Program is an Award Winner!

2008-11-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Rocket Life Creative platform is impressive and fun and that's not just OUR opinion (because, hey, we're biased and we admit it!).

We were awarded the Editor's Choice Award at Computer Times. You can read about it HERE.

Also, in an independent comparison of Rocket Life to other major programs, our program consistently came out on top for:

Speed of getting started
Ease of use
Speed of the program itself (users were able to get more done in a shorter time than with any other program)
Editing tools (cropping, color changes, etc)
Fun-Factor (it really is FUN - you should try it!)
Likelihood to recommend the site to others or use it again

We LOVE this program! It's easy to use and the prices and quality are as good or better than you can find anywhere else. Try it today if you haven't already. You don't have to register or sign up for an account. You can do it without us even knowing you're doing it. It's like looking in the medicine cabinet at someone's home - you can be sneaky and we won't know a thing. So, go ahead and look!

If you have questions about the program, feel free to email us at Kim at Photobooksetc.com.

Don't forget our Holiday Sale! Get 10% off your order of $50 or more until December 15 (because you want the stuff in time for Christmas don't you?) when you enter the word HOLIDAY in the box at check-out.

What are you Thankful For?

2008-11-14T06:28:00.000-08:00

What are you thankful for? That would make a GREAT theme for a photo book from Photobooks{etc}. I made up this sample using a kit from BW Scrapbooking. It's called Grateful Bounty. It's FULL of beautiful digital papers and embellishments and they work perfectly with our program. Just upload them when you upload your photos and drag them over to your project.

Drag and Drop !

2008-11-12T08:59:00.001-08:00

"Drag and Drop" means "fast and easy" in the world of digital scrapping and photo books. Everyone wants to be able to click on something, drag it to the page and drop it in place. We've GOT DRAG AND DROP! You can upload your OWN digital scrapbook products right along-side your photos and then just drag those babies over to the project and drop them on the page! It doesn't get any simpler than that!!!!

"Drag and Drop" is one of the things I love BEST about our PhotoBooksEtc program. It makes creating a beautiful photo product a snap! Watch the 6 minute demo video at our site to see our program in ACTION!

A Tip for a Great Stocking Stuffer

2008-11-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

Key Tags make the BEST stocking stuffers! Snag photos from friends' blogs and make them one this holiday season - they'll LOVE IT!

The low-res photos on blogs are just fine for these small tags. Here's a tip, though, limit the number of photos to a maximum of three. Two is better and one plus a little embellishment is best. Don't use longish quotes on them. They are only a couple of inches by a couple of inches. So, while it might show up really cool in the preview screen at PhotoBooks{Etc}, it's going to be a lot smaller when you actually get it.

Grab some key tags for friends, grandparents, teachers, etc. Grab some for yourself, too. I have more of these on my key ring than I actually have KEYS! I'm addicted! It's like carrying around an instant scrapbook!

Happy Halloween Photo Book

2008-10-31T07:02:00.000-07:00

Make a photo book of your ghouls and boys after Halloween. Include photos of their pumpkins, their costumes, their friends and, most importantly, their "haul" after they get home from trick-or-treating!

Don't forget, you can get 10% off your order over $50 until December 15 when you use the word HOLIDAY in the coupon box at check-out!

Cool Book Sizes at PhotoBooks{etc}

2008-10-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Most of us are familiar with square books and the standard 11 x 8.5 books seen so often in the photo book industry. But, PhotoBooks{etc} offers some really cool book sizes rarely seen elsewhere.

Need a big, beautiful book? How about a 12 1/2 x 10 inch book. It's like a 12x12 but for those of us (like me) who prefer a more rectangular page.

I honestly don't think there are very many other companies who offer as many book sizes as we do! Here's what we have in addition to the big one:

6x8 in hard and soft covers
4x6 softcover
8x10
9x7
8 1/2 x 11 in both landscape AND portrait orientations (cool!)
5 1/4 x 3 1/2 landscape soft cover mini books (in a 3 pack)
3 3/4 x 2 1/2 landscape soft cover mini books (in a 4 pack)
3 1/2 x 3 1/2 soft cover mini books (in a 3 pack)
5 x 5 soft cover books (in a 2 pack)
4 1/2 x 5 1/2 portrait soft cover mini books (in a 2 pack)
8 1/2 x 8 1/2 square books in hard and soft covers
7 x 7
9 x 9
10 x 10
12 x 12

I LOVE the multi-packs on the mini books! What a great gift idea! I am going to make up some cookbooks for friends and family members this year.

Using Premade Pages

2008-10-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

I made these 8 1/2 x 11 pages a few years ago from some photos I got of my deceased mother-in-law. We also got some journal pages at the same time. So, I used Scrapbook Max and put together these pages with her photos and her own words on them.

So, the image above is NOT of pages made using the Rocket Life software, but pages made in another program and simply uploaded as a high res jpeg (go for 300 dpi) to our program. Then you just drag them from the photo tray and drop them on the book page screen. Right click on the image and select MAKE PHOTO FULL PAGE and POOF! it becomes the full page!

Because most of the photo book companies started out offering only landscape orientation on the 8 1/2 x 11 books, I never really did anything but print them out on my laser printer. But, now Photobooks{etc} has 8 1/2 x 11 PORTRAIT books and I can upload and print my pages into hard cover books! Woo-to-the-HOO!!!! I'm so excited about this that I can't see straight!

I have a TON of digitally scrapped pages that I would LOVE to put in books but it didn't work for me until now. I make them 8 1/2 x 11 because this is the size I have scrapped since the dawn of time (in scrapbook years) and because I have a KILLER laser printer to print the pages out on. But, using the pages in photo books is a challenge because of the orientation issues.

My problem is SOLVED!

Just in Time for the Holidays - a SALE!

2008-10-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

LOTS of people make digital photo gifts and books around the Holidays. They make AWESOME gifts! This year, many people have said they are making their gifts more meaningful than ever. So, I am having a sale to help you stretch your holiday dollars!

Until December 15, get 10% off any order over $50 when you put HOLIDAY in the coupon box at check-out at Photobooks{etc}.

Here are some ideas to give someone you love the best Christmas present ever!

Make a puzzle for Grandma
Make a key tag for a friend with a cute photo of her kids you took
Make a mug for your co-worker
The multi-packs of the mini-books make GREAT recipe books for your neighbors. Share your faves!
Make a photo book of all the grandkids for grandma and grandpa (I've seen so many of these proudly displayed in homes)
Make a book for you child of all the reasons you love them
Make luggage tags for Dad

Get going on your project TODAY to get a jump start on the season!

Dear Photobooks{etc}

2008-10-16T03:53:00.000-07:00

I am SO FAR behind on doing anything with my photos! It's driving me crazy as my 4 kids are growing up before my eyes and all their photos are stuck on my hard drive! No one can enjoy the photos I take.

Signed,

Photo Frenzied

Dear Frenz,

That's the beauty of a photo book! You don't have to abandon your usual method of memory preservation - like traditional "hands-on" scrapbooking. But, you can at least do SOMETHING with your photos with a quickie photo book! This especially works GREAT if you have lots of scrapping subjects. At the end of every year, gather the BEST photos from each month and organize them into sequence starting with January. Don't worry about who's on what page. If your kids played soccer in the Fall, just make a few soccer pages with their photos on them. At Christmas, just make a few pages with the BEST Christmas photos. Be sure to include everyone but no everyone needs to have their own page. This will be your family "Yearbook". Then, order a copy for you and a copy for each of the kiddos and tuck them safely away somewhere for the future.

Then, if you want to go and make an individual book in a more traditional method for each of your kids, you can. But the pressure to keep up with your photos each year is OFF!

New Backgrounds Added!

2008-10-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

We just added a bunch of new sports backgrounds for your photo projects! We now have more soccer, more baseball, more basketball, skiing, field hockey, golf, tennis, rowing, swimming, volleyball and football! There are backgrounds for kid and backgrounds for more mature athletes! Your kids and sports are a GREAT theme for a book. Or, show the world you're a sports mom with a custom key tag! Tell the soccer or football coach, "THANKS!" with a book about the team.

We also have a new and very cool BATIK background set. The image above is a sample of just ONE of the backgrounds available in this set. Along with it comes a set of funky, fun embellishments.

You can find all these at our Photobooks{etc} site. It's time to start creating your digital scrapbooking and photo projects for the holidays!

We Can Help you Finish Your Books in NO TIME!

2008-10-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

With our "Smart Arrangement Technology" by Rocket Life, you can upload your photos and finish your book in a matter of minutes! I also believe that part of the problem is that people "fuss" over the pages too much. Get those photos with journaling on the pages and publish those books!

According to the 2008 PMA Camera/Camcorder Digital Imaging Survey, 8.8 percent of U.S. households made photo books in 2007, up from 7.3 percent in the previous year. Seventy-one percent of households that made photo books in 2007 completed all of the books they started, while 29 percent did not complete all of the books started. PMA Marketing Research estimates the average number of unfinished books is two. If looking at the population as a whole, it is likely that there are many more unfinished books.

The top reason cited for not completing a photo book that was started was the intention to finish at a later time, given by 53 percent of households. Perhaps some of these books will eventually become finished products. Twenty-nine percent of households said the process takes too long. This is an indicator that the most important improvement in the photo book market is in the software. Fifteen percent of those who started but did not finish a photo book did not have enough pictures to finish and 12 percent who just got bored with it. Some consumers simply may not be aware of all that is available to them. Other reasons for starting but not finishing a book were they did not have the pictures they wanted, it cost too much, and the process was too difficult to understand.

Photo books may have started out not varying much from a basic album, but recently not only has printing quality improved, but cover and embellishment options are anything but boring. Photo books can be a time consuming project and in order for the market to grow, it has to reach out to those who have little time and those who are not highly skilled in the area, but would like to have custom books with their pictures. These consumers who started making the books are especially interested in what photo books have to offer and if the manufacturers and retailers are sensitive to their needs, they may see an increase in finished products.

-- By Kristy Clairmont

PMA Marketing Research Analyst

Get Updates and Tips from Photobooks{etc}!

2008-09-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

We have started a newsletter for our Photobooks{etc} Site called "WHAT'S YOUR STORY?" Sign up through the link below to receive ideas and tips about making your own photo books and gifts. You'll also be the first to know about specials and new products on our site. We'd LOVE to help you tell your story!

Subscribe to our newsletter - WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

Square Books have arrived!

2008-09-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

We finally have square books! There are a ton of sizes from 3.5 x 3.5 to 12 x 12. I'm amazed at how many sizes there are!

We've also added a ton of new covers and other book sizes! I'm SO EXCITED!

I took one of my books to Utah last week when I went to visit family and my sisters-in-law LOVED the book! They can't wait to start creating their own.

Here's a link to our store so you can get going on your OWN digital scrapbook project!

Don't Forget - Free Shipping ENDS MONDAY!

2008-09-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

My offer of FREE ECONOMY SHIPPING at Photobooks{etc} ends MONDAY, September 15.

If you're interested in trying our wonderful program or you're currently working on a project, get it ordered this weekend. Remember to enter TRYME in the code box at check out!