It's easy peasy lemon squeezy to set the default font for text boxes in StoryBook Creator 4.0 (US|CAN). Go to Help (it's that little question mark icon in the top right corner of the screen) and select Options. Click Text style. Choose the font, font size, justification, color, etc., that you'd like to use as the default, and click OK.
Ta da! All text boxes added to projects moving forward will use those text attributes by default.
Efficiency and consistency are two of my very favorite things, and the Sample tool in StoryBook Creator 4.0 [US|CAN] is a mini-miracle when it comes to both of those.
I know I’m not the only one who tweaks and re-tweaks (ok, and re-re-tweaks ...) the font being used in a project. I’m also guessing I’m not the only one who wants the font formatting to be consistent throughout a project. Here’s a hint for making that update quickly:
1. Select the text box with the style you'd like to apply to other text boxes.
2. Click the Sample button on the Format Text ribbon. When you click the Sample button it saves the style attributes of the selected text box, including font, font size, font color and justification.
3. Move throughout your project (or even to a different open project!), select the text box to update, and click the Apply button on the Format Text ribbon. (NOTE: If no style is sampled, the Apply button won’t be enabled.) When you sample the style, it's saved to be applied again and again until you either sample another element or close StoryBook Creator.
Imagine how easy it will be to update the font throughout your next project created using Predesigned Pages [US|CAN]! Be aware, however, that applying the style won’t change the size of the text box being updated, so pay attention that no text gets cut off when the new style is applied.
The Sample tool isn’t just for text boxes: to duplicate the frame style from one photo to another, select the photo and click Sample frame on the Format Photos ribbon. Then select the desired photo and choose Apply frame.
You can also sample the style of a calendar element, copying all the formatting associated with that calendar. Select the calendar element to mimic, then right-click and choose Calendar style > Sample calendar style. To apply the style, right-click on the desired calendar element and choose Calendar style > Apply calendar style.
Enjoy!
The latest rage in home décor is creating unique, custom printed artwork for your walls. Page Prints (US|CAN) in a Page Frame (US|CAN) or Magnetic Display (US|CAN) and Photo Panels (US|CAN) work perfectly for this. Since we’re gearing up for prime gift-giving season (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation), here’s an awesome idea for a unique gift any recipient would be proud to display in the home: a photograph with meaningful words in the background.
Create one yourself following these steps:
1. Find a photo worth featuring on a wall.
When selecting the photo, choose one with a moderately sized focal point around which the words will wrap, something that takes up no more than about half the total image space. Pay attention to how busy the background is, especially the variety of background colors. It’s easiest – and I think it looks best – to use a single font color for all the text. Having a background with a wide array of tones and colors makes this more difficult: a light font color shows up on the dark parts of the background, but is hard to read on the light areas of the background.
After playing around with several photos I ended up using a black and white image.
2. Make the photo the background of the page.
Start your project in StoryBook Creator 4.0 (US|CAN), add the photo to the project, right-click on the photo and choose Make background. Go the View menu and select Trimmed. Easy enough.
3. Create a shape of the focal point.
The next step is to create a shape (or several shapes) over the focal point of the image. From the Insert ribbon select Shape > Custom Shape Using Curved Lines.
Then bust out your best kindergarten tracing skills: make a series of close-together mouse clicks along the edge of the focal point of the image. It doesn’t matter what Fill or Line style you use, since we’ll eventually make the shape(s) invisible.
Click, click, click, and when the shape is completely outlined select Create. I ended up creating 2 separate shapes because I wanted my words to flow in between the two silhouettes, so mine looked like this:
Look how cute those shapes are in the Elements panel! I feel so crafty!
From the Insert ribbon choose Text. Resize and position the text box so it takes up the majority of the page, overlapping your shapes, and click Create.
In the Elements panel, drag the text box so it appears below the shape(s). Then, right-click on the shape(s) you created and select Text wrapping > Element shape. Now you can click twice on your text box and start typing or text (or copy/paste the text if you’re using something like song lyrics or a bunch of quotations you’ve copied from somewhere).
5. Make the shape invisible.
Select the shape and go to Format > Opacity. Set the opacity at 0 and click OK. Voila!
6. Place your order!
Click File > Order to upload your project to Creative Memories Digital Center (US|CAN). After all, your creation will look much better on your wall – or in a gift box! - than on your desktop.
Post your projects on the Creative Memories Go Digital Facebook Page!
Congratulations on completing the Baby Blog Hop! (Unless you just happened upon the end by chance...in that case you'll want to go back to the beginning!) We appreciate you hanging out with us and hopping to some of our Design Team's blogs.
For our final blog, we wanted to give you a closer look at a new product we are releasing next week - the iPhone Case! There seriously isn't a better way to show of the little love of your life everywhere you go. (US/CAN)
Available for iPhone 4, 4s or 5, our new Phone Cases will put the “fun” back in functional! Protect your phone while showcasing your favorite photos, phrases or designs on the back of your phone.
Beginning April 15, you’ll be able to choose from our funky predesigned templates, or create your own custom design using StoryBook Creator 4.0 software. Your order will include a plastic case that snaps around your phone and the custom printed metal insert panel. Order additional insert panels without having to order the entire case for easy updating!
Start picking out your photos now - these babies will be available on the Digital Center starting April 15. Talk to a Consultant to learn more about all of the products you've seen in today's blog hop (US/CAN)!
Your final letter clue is... E!
THE ENTRY FOR PRIZES HAS NOW CLOSED. Thank you for hopping.
CONGRATULATIONS to our winners: Jolene C. (It's A Girl) and Terri C. (It's A Boy)
You can find the official rules here.
Here's the full rundown of the hop, in case you missed a stop!
And you're on the final blog now!
Thanks again for joining us! Don't forget to check out the Secret Surprise Promotion, going on through April 18 (US/CAN).
Welcome to the third installment of Creative Memories’ ongoing series of blog posts highlighting quick and easy Memory Manager tips for using the software to its fullest potential. Check back often, and be sure to share the information with your Memory Manager loving friends!
This month we invited Robyn Foss, Creative Memories Unit Leader, to share how she uses Memory Manager’s Album Planner feature for more than just PicFolio™ project layouts. In this guest blog Robyn outlines how this technique, introduced to her by Senior Unit Leader Mary Logan, helps organize photos for both digital and traditional projects.
The Album Planner feature in Memory Manager 4.0 (US|CAN) has some great benefits:
Let’s step through the process for using Album Planner to prepare a StoryBook Creator 4.0 project.
Create the Album
Open Memory Manager 4.0 and click the My Albums tab.
Click the New Album button.
Give your album a title, choose the bookshelf on which it should be located, and select Album Planner for the layout type. Click OK.
Your empty album will now appear as a new tab.
Select Photos for the Project
Click on the Media Library tab to select photos for your project.
To find the right photos I filter them by clicking on the category I set up for the project (in this example, “Spring Break 2013”). This takes the items from the 50,000+ in my media library (yes, I am a photoaholic and proud of it!) to 858 items.
I also use the Timeline to show only items imported during the time of the event.
I further filter the pictures using the Rating feature of Memory Manager 4.0. After I edit my images, I give the images I want to use in a project a 4-star rating in the Item Properties area. Then I select 4 stars in the Ratings area of the Organizer panel. This brings my item count down to 344 items.
Select the first group of pictures (click on the first picture and then press Shift and click on the last picture of the group you want to select) and drag them into the work area tab on the right.
Using Album Planner
Return to your album by clicking on the tab with the album name.
Create one journal box to use as a place marker (mine says TAB), and then create additional journal boxes to serve as section dividers (for example, Trip to Hilton Head). I do this before adding images to the album, but these boxes can also be added after.
I make the TAB distinct so it is easy to find.
To add all the images from the work area to the album click Add images from work area.
If it's easier for you to only move small sections of images from the work area into the album, select the photos by holding down the Ctrl key while you click on them in the work area, then drag the selected images into the album. This method allows you to create journal boxes/section dividers, drag in the images for that section, create another section divider, drag in the images for that section, etc.
Repeat this process until you have added all items from the work area to the album planner. When you have finished with these photos, click the Clear icon at the top of the work area to remove all photos from the work area.
If you have additional photos to add to the album, return to the Media Library tab and repeat the process of adding photos to the work area, adding them to the album, and clearing the work area.
When adding photos from the work area to an album you can place them anywhere you like in the album. Drag them over the album planner to the spot they should be placed (you will see a black line) and let go. You can also rearrange photos in the album by dragging them to another location.
You can add a bunch of section dividers at once if that works best for you. Sometimes you might want additional sub-dividers within a section. So, you can adjust those sub-dividers to make them look different by clicking on the journal box, then adjusting the color in the Style section of the Journal tab. To make other journal boxes match this style, click on Sample, select the rest of the sub-dividers, right-click and select Apply.
Send the Images to StoryBook Creator
When you have finished arranging the various sections of your album, send them to your StoryBook Creator project. Select the first group of photos, right-click on one of the selected photos and
select Share > Send photos to SBC.
Click OK.
You can add the photos to a new project or to an existing project that's already open.
After you have added the photos to your StoryBook Creator project, return to the album planner and move the TAB place marker so that it is after the last photo you added. This helps you keep track of which photos have been added to your project.
Tip: For traditional scrapbooking the process is nearly identical, but rather than sending photos to StoryBook Creator you can upload them to be printed. Select the photos to be printed, right-click, select Print > Print at CM Digital Center. This saves you time later.
Being the giver of sweet, unique gifts is awesome. Being the giver of sweet, unique personalized gifts is even better! Now imagine if the personalization part of the gift creation is super easy AND the gifts are on sale?!
Yeah, that's where we come in :) April 1 - 30 we're discounting our favorite photo gifts (US|Canada)! You know, the kind you click into, then drag and drop a photo into and you're done? Our predesigned templates make these gifts a snap to create and order, plus the recipient will feel extra special because they're totally personalized.
Here are a few of our favorite templates in action:
8x8 Love You Mom Photo Panel (US|Canada)
And, in case you missed our blog post showcasing this adorable photo panel project featuring baby's first year - have a look back at that, too, for a fun twist on a great Mother's Day or Father's Day gift!
Enjoy, and happy creating!
Hippity, hoppity...Easter's on it's way! Have some fun creating special treats for the special somebunnies in your life.
And there's no need for you to start from scratch, either. Remember these easy Click and Fill Party Favor Templates (US/CAN) from Halloween and Valentine's Day? Fill them with some Vintage Chic digital artwork (US/CAN), print and assemble. Easy!
To create them, simply download the templates and install them into StoryBook Creator 4.0 Software. New to digital? Try a free 30-day trial of our software (US/CAN)!
Visit the Project Center for instructions on this type of project. Note: Each type of treat wrapper is featured on a different page in the project, so you can delete any that you don't want to make. If you want than one page of any of the designs, simply duplicate that page after you've finished designing.
Here's a closer look at the finished products!
{Candy Bar Wrappers}
{Bag Topper}
{Mini Candy Bar Wrappers}
Get started by downloading the free Click and Fill Party Favor Templates (US|CAN).
We'd love to see your finished projects - share them on the Creative Memories Go Digital Facebook Page.
Enjoy!
Kristen Jacobs
Welcome to Creative Memories’ ongoing series of blog posts highlighting quick and easy StoryBook Creator 4.0 tips for using the software to its fullest potential. Mike Pleice, Creative Memories Go Digital Facebook Fan Page Admin, has agreed to share fun tips like this with us monthly - yay!
Check back often, and be sure to share the information with your StoryBook Creator loving friends.
A paper is a paper is a paper. Not always. Papers can be used in other ways than simply just the backdrop for your digi page. Below are a couple of ways that I use them that are simple to do and hopefully will enable you to get more out of your papers and enhance the look and feel of your finished pages. (NOTE: Mike used the Tattered Flannel Digital Kit (US|Canada) in his sample below).
PAPER AS A BORDER
I use this technique a lot actually. It is easy and gives you numerous options for different looks that really can help your page stand out.
To use a paper as a border simply “Add a paper” to your page, but DO NOT set it as your background when asked, just add it to your page.
Next, grab the paper by the corner and set the length and width that you would like to have as a border.
From there, you can play with the temperature and color controls to get the color and tone that you wish.
You can also use the filter or surface options on it as well to change the look of it in numerous ways as well. Just play around until you get the look you want and viola! You have a one of a kind border!
Duplicate the process as many times as you like to give your page that unique look.
PAPER AS A FRAME
Looking for that perfect frame to make your pictures really pop? Have you thought of using a paper? Papers as frames can accent a picture extremely well and again, it is simple to do. Once you have the picture sized and set where you want it on your digi page then “Add a Paper”.
As previously mentioned, do not set it as a background. Place the paper over your picture and click “Arrange” “Move Backward”. Once the paper has successfully been moved behind your picture then simply resize it to the desired height and width. As with the border, from here you can experiment with the temperature and color controls or filters to get a desired look.
Surfaces, color tones and temperature can completely change the look of your page. Once you have a look you like then have fun with embellishments to complete your page.
Hopefully these few simple tips will help you get not only the most out of your pages but the most out of your digi kits as well. The most important thing is to just have fun experimenting. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, that is what the “Undo” button is for. The more techniques we have in our digi page trick bag the better! It will aid in making your overall work look more exciting as well as the process itself far more enjoyable.
- Mike
So... Leanne Bailey has been busy again! This time, she created a super sweet way to commemorate her baby Rylan's first year of life - with an adorable Metal Photo Panel (US|Canada):
I LOVE this project! In fact, I'm going to have one like this on display at my wedding featuring photos of my fiance and I over the years! (With different embellishments, of course.) ;)
And, the very best part is that Leanne shared the blank template with us all for easy creation of the project! Visit the project center for full instructions and to download the template. Enjoy! :)
Jenny
My friend Leanne Bailey always has the cutest ideas - if she isn't creating a fun-filled design for her daughter's room, she's creating something digitally that showcases the photography of her wonderful little life and family. And, since I LOVE it when she shares her creations with me, most of the time I ask if she minds if I share them with the rest of you for inspiration. Lucky for us, she always happily agrees. I would almost even bet it's even safe to say that Leanne and her family have inspired a good number of us to create something sweet, so THANK YOU Leanne! :)
Here's her latest little creation - an ABC Wall Print Poster like no other. Isn't it adorable? And, since Leanne is a full service inspirer, she created it in both girl and boy colors.
These designs are feature the new Tiny Treasures Digital Artwork (US/CAN). We knew you would want to learn how to create one, too, so we've posted full instructions on the creation over on the Project Center.
Happy creating!
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