All Aboard the MMS Easter Blog Train!

Allll Abooooaarrddd! It’s time to ride the My Memories Suite blog train!

Grab your tickets and get on board!

Happy Hoppy Easter to one and all! It is time to ride the My Memories Suite blog train again! We are super excited this time around to have some guest bloggers joining the train! In addition to blogs of our Creative Team, we are happy to introduce you to some blogs of our Facebook fans! They each share memories and events from their lives and how thy use My Memories Suite to create wonderful projects to preserve and share their family’s story. We would love to have you join us for this Blog Train ride!

So, get a glass of tea, a soda, or some hot chocolate, and then grab your ticket to ride! We will be visiting a whole train of wonderful blogs. For the Blog Train contest you will need to read each post for the secret (or not so secret) number—don’t worry, you’ll be able to find it! Add up ALL the numbers from each blog post and then email me the TOTAL NUMBER. If you get lost along the way, the full list of blogs will be posted below for you to double check!

So hop on board! We have some wonderful prizes to give away this time! 10 lucky riders will win free $5.00 shopping coupons for the MMS Design Shop, 5 lucky riders will win $10.00 shopping coupons for the MMS Design Shop and 1 lucky rider will win the Grand Prize of My Memories Suite V2 software!

To Begin

We will start the train with Sarah’s blog! We all have gotten to know Sarah through the wonderful challenges she has been posting to the Facebook page. Our friends and fans have created some wonderful pages under her direction and with her ideas for inspiration. It is such a treat to have Sarah leading the train this go ’round!

Be sure to pick up some great ideas and inspiration along the way! Enjoy the ride!

…And don’t forget, to make a memory today!
—Lisa J.

lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com

Here is the list in case you missed a stop!

Sarah's blog: http://www.scraphappysarah.blogspot.com/

Jamie's blog (our first guest blogger!) http://www.thedaytodayofgianna.blogspot.com/

Mary and Jackie's blog: http://thememoryboutique.blogspot.com/

Bree's blog (our second guest blogger!) http://onlythewilsons.blogspot.com/

Brooke's blog: http://lovingthefreelife.blogspot.com/

Jessica's blog (our last guest blogger for the Easter Blog Train!) http://www.scrapdigitally.com/

Lisa's blog: http://www.imsewkrazy.blogspot.com/

and finally here to the MMS blog!

** FOR EXTRA ENTRIES ~ POST A COMMENT TO THE BLOG HERE, OR BECOME A FACEBOOK FAN OR A NEW FOLLOWER ON TWITTER ~ we are TWEETS4SUITES!  MAKE A NOTE OF THAT IN YOUR EMAIL TO LISA FOR EXTRA CHANCES TO WIN!! **

Capture the Moment...

Last month we talked about the Rule of Thirds, the most well-known principle of photographic composition.  Now let’s talk about other aspects of composition...

Composition, the act of composing the image in the viewfinder, is the visual process of organizing the elements and individual details of a scene into a balanced and pleasing arrangement.  It is largely a matter of personal taste. What one person finds pleasing, someone else may not. A composition that clearly and interestingly conveys the photographer's intended meaning is an effective one. A composition that doesn't or that confuses the viewer is not effective and can make or break an image.  Below are some popular composition guidelines:

Change Your Angle. Not only does changing your shooting angle impact the feeling of size of your subject but it can also have a real effect upon the light and shade and patterns on it.


(In these 2 images, I climbed higher than the boys so I could get a better view of what they were looking. If I would have taken the shot at eye level you would not have been able to see the rocks under water that they were looking at through their goggles.)

Fill the Frame. A person’s facial features tend to disappear when you move more than a few meters away from them. While it can be appropriate to take shots that put a person in context with the environment that they are in - they often get lost in the scene.


(Almost all subjects will look more interesting close up. Just look at the detail in the flower that you don’t notice in the image where the flower doesn’t fill the frame.)

Watch your Background. You don't always want to fill the frame with the subject. Sometimes you want a little space around the subject, or you want to show the environment around your subject. But make sure you keep distracting, or unappealing things out of your viewfinder. Be sure that you don't miss the occasional tree (or other object) appearing to stick out of your subject's head. Simply moving the camera angle slightly usually eliminates the unwanted object. Look around for a plain and unobtrusive background and compose your shot so that it doesn't distract or detract from the subject.


(These images of the boy swinging were taken on the same rope swing. I walked a few yards around the pond to get the view without all the distractions. How easy is that?)

Simplify. Don't try to include too much in the image. The viewer won't know what to look at. Try to keep only those things that are essential to the subject in the frame. Remember that the outer edge of the frame is also part of the picture and don't let something distracting on the fringes take your viewers' eyes away from your intended subject.


(I didn’t include the little girls face in this image because my intent was to focus on those adorable little chunky legs and that gorgeous sunlight in the background. Simple!)

There IS more to good composition than the placement of elements. Lighting, shutter speed, depth of field and other considerations contribute to a picture's mood and clarity of what the picture is saying, and therefore the effectiveness of its composition. We’ll cover those topics soon!

Once you start observing the principles of composition, employing them will become second nature to you. The best way to learn and to improve your composition is by practicing and experimenting. With the dawn of the digital age in photography we no longer have to worry about film processing costs. As a result, experimenting with our photos' composition has become a real possibility; we can fire off tons of shots and delete the unwanted ones at absolutely no extra cost. Take advantage of this and experiment with your composition - you never know whether an idea will work until you try it. Your images will greatly improve and people will start commenting on how great they look! So go ahead and… capture the moment.

~ Mary M.

CONTEST!
If you have an image that you feel is well-composed, post it on the Facebook page for our fans to see and our FANS get to be the voters! The top 5 winners will receive the textured images below via download from Mary Moseley Photography. Your images will also be highlighted on Mary’s Blog. If you have any composition tips of your own feel free to post them too!

Easter is right around the corner! Save those precious memories!

Creating a Cohesive Look for your pages!

One thing that I love about My Memory Suite is the ability to create without thinking - let me explain.  Sometimes I just want to sit down and not worry about what will match or coordinate on my page.  For example, when I sat down to scrap part of my Easter from last year all I had to do was pick the kit I wanted.  Once I knew what kit I wanted I could easily look at all of the coordinating papers or embellishments for that kit and I knew they would all match and would look great together.  That is very important for me, especially when I’m making a lot of pages for big events or holidays.  Easter is coming so start looking for those kits that are a must have for your special day, like the Blue Skies Pack from the Ette’s and Company that I used for my layouts.  So whether you want to let your creativity shine and mix or match with multiple kits or stick with a single kit and keep a simple cohesive look you can do it all with My Memory Suite.  Most importantly - have fun and capture those memories.



So, take a look at all the wonderful kits that there are in the My Memories Suite Design Shop - you are sure to find something that is just right for your project.  Remember you can ALWAYS mix and match!  And if you get stuck you can always find someone to offer a creative helping hand either on our active Facebook page or follow us on Twitter - we're "Tweets4Suites" !  We do a lot of fun giveaways and challenges!  Don't miss out!

... and for a limited time you can save 10% by using the promo code: GMC10off at checkout!

Happy Scrapping!

Brooke

Happy St. Patty's Day!

You won't be needin' the Luck o' the Irish, to complete your very first successful album in My Memories Suite V2 software!  V2 (and V1) are both jam packed with all kinds of wonderful tools and accessories to give you a professional looking result from your very first project!  Whether you start with one of the FAB-U-LOUS Designer Templates, or strike out on your own and create an album from scratch, you are assured that you will be pleased with your results from the very first page.  This program is quick and easy to learn, but still feature-packed enough to keep up with the most seasoned scrapper!  To get through a project quickly, I usually start with a Designer Template.  Luck of the Irish is featured here from the recently released Quick Design Club CD.  If you haven't signed up for the Quick Design Club yet, why not try it out?  Your first CD is free and it is only $14.99 every OTHER month, and you can cancel anytime!  The Club allows you access to the newest releases BEFORE you can buy them in the Design Shop and you get 5-6 kits for $14.99!

So, check it out and sign up today!  Ye won't be needin' a pot-o-gold from that sneaky little Leprechaun either, My Memories Suite, Version 2 is available for the low price of $39.97 (and is even cheaper if you already own V1)!  You can also check out a great new combo pack from Designer, Meredith Cardall called "Lucky In Love" for only $6.97!

What the heck is "Clustering"???

Here is a GREAT tip from guest blogger Jessica Jay Johnson ~ Jess has a great blog with lots of great info: ScrapDigitally - Check out her blog and show her some love!  Thanks Jessica for letting me share your great tutorial on the blog!

What the heck is "clustering" my elements mean and why should I use it!

I have wanted to learn this technique for about a year now. It's tougher than it looks but creates a great look. Practice makes perfect. So what is "clustering"? I have read a lot of ideas on clustering and basically they all were saying that clustering is layering embellishments on top of each other to create one large embellishment or focal point on your digital/traditional scrapbooking page. I'm going to mostly approach this technique from a digital scrappers point of view but keep in mind this is NOT limited to digital. Let's read a few tips and then we'll look at doing some pages using clustering. Tips

Layout - You can use a cluster to draw attention to a certain part of your layout. For example, if you have a layout of four photos, but one is more sentimental or has more meaning than the others, use the cluster around that photo to draw your eye there first. Just be careful to not cover up your special photo. A scrapbook is in essence all about the photos (the actual memory) and the rest, although very important, is not the main reason why we look at a scrapbook! It's OK for embellishments to be under the photo, half hidden. Plus, embellishments don't always have to be used the way they were intended to be used! Here, I clustered stars, a ribbon mat, bracket, and stitching to create this page. My attempt was to draw attention to the bottom left picture first as I love how my daughters expression shows complete and utter satisfaction.



Shadows - Not all your embellishments are going to have the same kind of shadow! One tip I read said to use "real life" shadows. Embellishments on top will have more of a shadow than those on the bottom. Play around with the shadows and use what looks most natural. Most find it best to add shadows after the cluster is assembled. I used My Memories Suite version 2 to do these pages. One really neat feature in My Memories Suite V2 is that you can move your shadow around on the x & y axis. This way you can create a shadow as if the light was coming from any direction! It's hard to tell with shadows, and I'm still practicing using them, but below I added shadows to my cluster.



Angles - Again go with what looks best. Some people like to use different angles for their embellishment cluster to add character. You can create white space, which is pleasing to the eye, by spreading the cluster out. I have a harder time doing this as I seem to like things in a conformity. It's something I'm trying to overcome! Photos - You can create a cluster out of your photos as well. You're not limited to just embellishments for this technique! Choose a photo that will be your focal point for the page. Then add the other photos under and around yet keeping the one photo the focal point. I think we do this more often than we think about it. The above page is a good example of a cluster without realizing you are doing it. My intent was to make the bottom left picture the focal point of my cluster. My husband commented that the first picture he saw was the top left, mostly because it was a close up of our daughters eyes. To fix this, I added a shadow to the bottom left photo, decreased the size in the picture that drew my husbands eyes, and make all but my focal point picture black & white.



Kits- It's easier to use embellishments that you find all in a kit, and this is a great way to practice the technique. This way you have a great idea on what is available and you don't spend hours just picking out embellishments you might use. Then once you feel you have a feel for what "clustering" does for your page, use several kits to draw from.

Let's practice!!

Start small. Just choose a few embellishments that you want to use. Put them all on your page. It's easier to imagine the end product when it's all sitting right in front of you. Look at what you have on your page and decide what looks bulky and what looks flat. Put flat embellishments on the bottom and bulkier on the top. Play around. The nice thing about digital scrapbooking is that if you don't like it, delete it! If you decide you did like it, add it back!!

Here are the steps I used to create my first ever attempt to cluster thanks to Scrapping Sarah's Scribblings.

1. Pick your photos. Sarah suggests getting your background first, but I have a hard time seeing a background without the pictures on the page first.
2. Add/move your picture to the bottom right.
3. Add a frame on top of the picture
4. On the bottom of the frame add a ribbon. A curly of wavy ribbon works well.
5. Next add an swirly embellishment on the lower right hand corner of the frame – This could be a stamp or a glittery swirl. Make sure it will overlay the frame corner on bottom and the right hand side.
6. Add greenery on top of the swirl. This will be the base for a flower or flowers.
7. Select a flower or flowers and layer it on top of the greenery.
8. Add a title, journaling and a date.

I didn't follow these instructions exactly, but it gave my a guideline to follow.

Mix and Match! There's no catch!

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

Happy Scrappin'!

Sarah ~

... and don't forget to check out my blog for more great ideas!

ScrapHappySarah

Don't know where to start???

Maybe you are new to the world of Digital Scrapbooking…  maybe you are wondering,  “What do I do first?”  “What does it take to create a really GREAT photo album?”  “How do I get my albums to look like those in the pictures?” “What if I get stuck”!!!???  First of all, remember that even the best designers and scrapbook artists ALL started at square one.  They all had to learn.  They all made mistakes!  So, don’t give up before you get going!  YOU CAN DO THIS!  There are some great tools in My Memories Suite to make sure that your photos are preserved and your family’s story is told and that you create something very special that YOU can be very proud of!

First, realize that the PERFECT album will look different for everyone.  Even with the same photos, and the same page kits and embellishments, each person will see the story a little differently and build their       pages in a little different way.  The wonderful thing about My Memories Suite (whether you have version 1 or 2) is that this program puts YOU in complete control!  You have the ability to decide what goes where, your page order, your background paper, and your embellishments – EVEN on the Designer Template pages.  It is easy to make sure your story comes together in just the right way!  So, decide what story or event your album will include.  This can be anything from a general collection of photos by theme, or a group of photos that commemorate a particular event or holiday, and some will just be for fun.  A great way to give your album a coherent feel is to select a theme or kit to serve as the backdrop or foundation to build a great showcase for all your photos.  This is SO easy in the My Memories Suite Design Shop because there are TONS of great collections to choose from that will instantly give your album that “put together” feel that we all want.  So, gather your photos, pick your theme and you are READY to get started!

Make sure to stop by and check out the My Memories Suite Design Shop and take a peek at all the wonderful Designer Template pages and paper packs and embellishments sets.  Start with one that really strikes your fancy or suits the “feel” of the album you are trying to create.  Even if you build your own album from scratch, choosing a coordinated set of papers instantly unifies your pages.  Pair the set of background papers with a few of the photo only templates already built into your My Memories Suite software and you are well on your way to your own wonderful work of art.  I have included a few pages here from the “Drama Queen” paper pack from Dana Zarling to show you how the background papers pull the pages together.  See how the coordinated background papers and mat pull the pages together?





Your friends and family will be amazed at the impressive, professional results you will achieve, from your very first project.  How easy it was… well, that can be our little secret!  And remember, if you get stuck, or ever need help, we are only an email away.  Remember, you can also check out the Facebook fan page or Flickr gallery for some great inspiration, too!!  We have some very talented friends and fans who have posted wonderful pages that they have created quickly and easily in their MMS program.

So, what are you waiting for???  Your photos are waiting to tell your story!  Let them OUT of your computer, and off your memory card and into the hands of those you want to share that story with!

Have a happy scrappy day!

… and don’t forget to make a memory today!

Lisa J.

lisaj@mymemoriessuite.com

Capture the Moment… The Rule of Thirds

I am thrilled to be writing a monthly article, Capture the Moment…, for My Memories Suite.  The article will focus on one photography tip each month and will be posted on the My Memories Suite Blog on the 1^st of each month. Without photos, scrapbooking would be nonexistent.  As the core element of our layouts, photographs inspire us and influence our design choices.  Great photos will make even greater scrapbook pages.  So, let’s dig in…

Do you consistently try to center your subject when taking photographs?  This topic has been coming up a lot lately.  It’s also my pet peeve! WHY does everyone think the subject needs to be centered?  I often have to shake my head (and not scream!) when friends/family look at images and say “I would like it better if he/she/it was in the middle” or “why isn’t he/she/it centered”.  C’mon, seriously? NOT centering images is done for a REASON!  Here’s a little “design” lesson.  Let’s see if it will change your mind about always centering your images.

The “Rule of Thirds” is a basic design principle that is the basis for well-balanced and interesting shots. The basic principle behind this rule is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have a 9 part grid as follows:



With this grid in mind, the Rule of Thirds now identifies four important parts of the image that you should consider placing points of interest in as you frame your image. The four points where these lines intersect are strongest focal points. The lines themselves are the second strongest focal points.  In theory, if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines, then your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images, people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points more naturally than to the center of the shot. Using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.

In learning how to use the rule of thirds the most important questions to be asking of yourself are:

What are the points of interest in this shot?

Where am I intentionally placing them?

The auto-focus mode on your camera may cause problems when shooting in Rule of Thirds style because it assumes the subject is in the center of the frame.  That’s when auto-focus lock comes in handy.  Simply aim your camera so that the auto-focus frame is positioned over your subject and push the shutter release button halfway.  By keeping your finger in place on the button, you lock in focus.  You can then re-compose your shot and shoot the image.

Don’t forget to keep the Rule of Thirds in mind as you edit your photos - cropping and reframing images so that they fit within the rules.  Experiment with some of your old shots to see what impact it might have.  You may be surprised.

(by using the rule-of-thirds principle, I was able to crop out the distracting girl in the background which brings the focus on the boy trying to hide his smile from me)

Rules, as we all know, are meant to be broken. Ignoring the Rule of Thirds doesn’t mean your images are unbalanced or uninteresting.  In certain situations, breaking the rule can actually result in some striking shots.  A very talented commercial photographer recently told me that if you intend to break a rule you should always learn it first to make sure your breaking of it is all the more effective.

(filling your frame with an image is the ideal time to break the rule)

So go ahead… I DARE you.  Do NOT center your images!  Apply the rule-of-thirds design principle and you may surprise yourself.  In the end, we love our favorite shots not for technical qualities (ok, maybe just a little), but because they’re meaningful and spark within us a certain feeling or memory.  Capture those moments… centered or NOT!

~ Mary M.