Panstoria Announces Printing Partnership!

This is great news!

Panstoria announces upcoming printing service for albums, photos, gifts, and more Dayton, OH – July 25, 2013 – Panstoria, creators of the Artisan 4.0 digital scrapbooking software, today announced a partnership that will allow users of its software to upload and order printed products directly from the Artisan software. The partnership between Panstoria and Utah Print Solutions will provide Panstoria with its own branded photo center.  The integration of high quality print services with the Panstoria software will allow users to create and print their projects without the need to search the internet for an online printer. “Utah Print Solutions is the ideal partner for Panstoria in this venture,” said Mike Carroll, Panstoria CEO.  “As the exclusive printer for companies such as Heritage Makers and Persnickety Prints, they understand our market and its demand for quality products and service.” Panstoria expects to open the yet-to-be-named print center at the beginning of September. Available products will include a wide range of albums, canvas print, metal prints, cards, page prints, and a variety of photo gifts, including ornaments.  More details on specific products and pricing will be made available as the launch date nears.

Blurb Books Are So Fun!

Hi Everyone,
I want you to see one of the fun things you can do with your books made through Blurb. I designed this book for my mom. She is an artist. I photographed all of her paintings and designed this book for her. I had several copies of the book printed and gave one to each of my siblings for Christmas last year.

Then, I used the same book and created an Ebook through Blurb. Now I can share the Ebook through Facebook, my blog and view it on my iPad and iPhone. Pretty cool! This is a great idea for group occasions such as family reunions, weddings and parties. When someone views the book and wishes to purchase a copy for themselves, they may do so. If you would like to make a profit from selling your book, you may change the price of the book online and keep the difference .

Blurb also makes really awesome Ebooks with video and audio embedded in the Ebook file. Can you imagine, making a book for grandma and including your child's voice or video in the Ebook? It's a whole new world out there!

DoRi Art | Make Your Own Book

Click on the link below for your coupon:
Blurb 15% off during July with code: SUMMERFUN

Click Here To View Artisan or Historian

  

Panstoria releases Historian photo management and editing software

Dayton, OH – July 18, 2013 – Panstoria, developers of the Artisan 4.0 digital scrapbooking software, today announced the release of its Historian 4.0 photo management and editing software.

The Historian 4.0 software is the latest version of the powerful yet easy-to-use photo management and editing software created by Panstoria, though the first version to be sold under Panstoria’s own brand.  With its patented “vault” technology, Historian brings unique capabilities for organizing, preserving, editing, and sharing digital photos and the stories that bring them alive.  It includes advanced features like cloning and facial recognition that will satisfy even the advanced user, but in a user interface that doesn’t require special training to learn.

“We are excited to be selling this software under our own brand after eight years of successful sales through a private label agreement with another company,” says Panstoria CEO, Mike Carroll.  “Historian is the latest version of the first software we developed for the ‘memories’ market ten years ago.  We are thrilled to be able to share our creation with beginning and pro users alike.”

The Historian 4.0 software can be previewed for 30 days for free, and is only $39.95 to purchase after that.

For more information please visit www.panstoria.com.

Free QUICKFILL Monopoly template to use in StoryBook Creator 3.0, 4.0 or Artisan

Click Here To View Artisan

Hi Everyone,
I designed this Monopoly template a few years ago.  I was asked to bring it back today.  It is a .page file so it works in StoryBook Creator 3.0, 4.0 and Artisan.  Each of the gray areas are individual photo openings.  I created the "Dogopoly" page using my dogs as inspiration.  I would love to see what "...opoly's" you can come up with!

Please feel free to post your completed page layouts on my Facebook Group!

Click Here To Visit My Facebook Group

Click Here To Download - Monopoly Template

Panstoria Partners with Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO™)

Click Here To View Artisan

The latest news from Panstoria:

Panstoria Partners with Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO™)
New collaboration helps ensure solutions for rescuing people’s irreplaceable photos

Dayton, OH – July 11, 2013 - Panstoria, Inc. is excited to announce a new partnership with The Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO).

Panstoria is the creator of the premiere digital scrapbooking application, Artisan 4.0, as well as the soon-to-be-released Historian 4.0 photo management and editing software. Its mission is to help you tell the stories of your life through the preservation, organization, and sharing of your photos and other digital memories. Panstoria makes its software easy to use so you can focus on your story. “We are very excited about our new partnership with APPO, because their vision is so in line with our own. Panstoria's motto is "Life is full of stories. Tell yours." We create software to help people do just that. APPO's one-on-one photo management and organization services are a perfect match for our software” says Mike Carroll, President of Panstoria.

APPO represents hundreds of Photo Organizers across North America who work with clients and companies. The Photo Organizers™ are an emerging new profession in the photo-life management industry. They specialize in assisting consumers and businesses by rescuing their irreplaceable photos and organizing them in a way that makes it simple to share their memories, lives and traditions. “People today are seeking simple solutions for managing their lifetime of photos while ensuring the stories they represent are not lost. This is why we are very excited to partner with Panstoria. They provide easy to use tools for the Photo Organizers who are passionate about helping people share their photo stories. Photos are the memory keepers of our personal story. They are reminders of love, laughter, good times, vacations, family, friends and traditions. The help us reflect and remember a life well lived” says Cathi Nelson. “We look forward to sharing Panstoria’s software with our members and clients.”

Since it entered the memory preservation market nearly ten years ago, Panstoria has been dedicated to creating powerful, but easy-to-use software to help people preserve, organize, and share their stories. This partnership with APPO will help us better accomplish our mission and reach more people who need the services and software that our partnership will provide.

Official Update From Panstoria

Panstoria understands the difficult situation that many of you find yourself in with regard to the future of software developed by Panstoria but sold under a third-party brand name.  We cannot answer all of your questions yet, but are working diligently to be able to do so.  Here is what we can say at this time. Panstoria Historian (photo editing and organization software) Panstoria will soon be releasing its Historian software for photo editing and organization.  The Historian software will be 100% compatible with vaults created by other Panstoria-developed photo editing and organization software.  You will not lose any information by opening your vault with Historian.  In fact, the process for moving to Historian is as simple as installing Historian and using the Open Vault function to browse to your current vault. Panstoria Artisan (digital scrapbooking software) 1. Panstoria’s Artisan software is already available at http://www.panstoria.com/store. 2. Artisan can open user-created projects and pages if those projects and pages are in 3.0 format—that is, the project is named “manifest.projectx” and the page files have an extension of “PAGE”.  Files with an extension of SBPAGE cannot be opened by Artisan.  You can use the options on the “File > Save as” or “File > Save project as” menus to save current projects or pages in 3.0 format.  The pages do not have to be saved in JPG format in order to be used by Artisan. 3. Users of Artisan who purchased Artisan prior to August 2011 can open third-party digital content in PACKAGE files (i.e. the file extension is PACKAGE).  However, no Artisan users can presently open third-party digital content in SBKIT files. Artisan is prevented from using this digital content by legal barriers, not technical barriers.  We are hoping to be able to remove those legal barriers. 4. If the digital content from a PACKAGE or SBKIT file has been placed on a page and saved in 3.0 format, then the user can use that content when the page is opened by Artisan. 5. Artisan can use any digital content in JPG, PNG, or TIF formats. 6. Artisan does not have any built-in print provider.  However, you can export your projects and pages in a variety of formats, including JPG and PDF, then upload those projects to be printed at any number of places on the internet. We do understand everyone’s frustration.  We are doing what we can to address your concerns and the limitations on the use of third-party digital content.  If you are not already on our email list, please go to http://www.panstoria.com and fill out the form on the right-hand side of the page to receive updates. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving your photo editing, organization, and digital scrapbooking needs in the future. Panstoria, Inc.  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2013 Panstoria, All rights reserved.

More great news about Panstoria Historian!

Click Here To View Artisan

This news was released earlier today:

Another new feature in the upcoming Historian photo management and editing software! You will be able to post a photo or photos, along with a caption, directly on your Facebook wall. You will still be able to upload photos to new or existing Facebook albums as well, but the wall post option will allow you to share your photos and stories even more easily.

This was the comment from Panstoria: 

We are still planning on releasing the software the week of July 15. The retail price is $39.95.

This could be interesting for producing a Blurb Facebook book.  Check out Blurb photo books here:

Happy 4th of July!

I hope all of you in the US are all enjoying your 4th of July!  I created these 4th of July Freebies a couple of years ago and they were available under the page links above.  It has come to my attention that some people were unable to download them.  The Freebie section of my blog will be under construction for the next couple of days while I redirect some things behind the scenes.  In the meantime, feel free to click on the updated links below to download the free 4th of July page layout template and 4th Of July freebies!

Click HERE to download 4th of July Template

Click HERE to download 4th of July Freebie #1

Click HERE to download 4th of July Freebie #2

New Feature Announced For Historian

Click Here To View Artisan

Panstoria announced a new feature for Historian software:

We thought you might be interested to hear about a new feature that will be included in the version of the Historian software that we are about to release. The new feature allows you to export an entire vault or a selected portion of a vault to Windows folders with the photos being organized by either the media date or import date of the photos. For example, after you use this function, your output folder will contain folders named "2013", "2012" and so on, with each one containing sub-folders named "Jan", "Feb", and so on. Each photo will be in the appropriate Year\Month folder.

This makes it easy to share your vault data with friends and family who do not use Historian, or just to make a backup that can be used if you do not have access to the Historian software.

As with the current software, you can continue to export the photos to Windows folders with the photos organized in folders that match the category and tag structure.

Panstoria Announces Historian Software Release!

Dayton, OH - July 1, 2013 - Panstoria is pleased to announce the upcoming release of its Historian software for photo editing and organization. Assuming everything goes as planned, the Historian software will be available for purchase no later than July 15. The Historian software will be 100% compatible with vaults created by other Panstoria-developed photo editing and organization software. You will not lose any information by opening your vault with Historian. This includes face tagging information for those of you who use the facial recognition feature in your software. The process for moving to Historian is as simple as installing Historian and using the Open Vault function to browse to your current vault.  Whether your vault was created with version 1, 2, 3, or 4 of existing Panstoria software, Historian will open it. If you want to receive announcements like this from Panstoria, but are not currently subscribed to receive our email updates, please go to http://www.panstoria.com and fill out the form on the right-hand side of the home page under the heading "Follow Us."

Photo Book Opportunity

Many of you have been asking about my preference for photo book printing.  My favorite place to print books is Blurb.

Why?

• The prices are very reasonable.
• They have many book and paper choices.
• Some of the book styles hold up to 400 pages.
• You download their free software for Mac or PC, then you may create your book without being connected to the internet.
• You do not have to upload all of your photos to a website, which can be time consuming.
• Your book projects are saved on your computer as well as their website.
• Once your book is completed, you upload the entire book as a whole project.
• The software auto-populates your pages for you, if you choose.
• They host a free online bookstore so you may choose to display your book for others to view and purchase.
• They offer a very fun option to have your book made into an eBook that can be viewed on mobile devices.
• They have a fast turn around time of 7-10 days.
• They offer free tips, tutorials and webinars.
• If you are a blogger, they can "slurp" your blog into a book.  Very cool feature!
• They provide many special offers and online coupons.

Click this link for 15% off your first book:

Here is an introductory video showing how the process works:

Getting Started with BookSmart (2:11)

Take our 2-minute book making tour and see how easy it is to get started with BookSmart.

Panstoria Partners With myStory For Digital Scrapbooking Solution In Australasia!

Click Here To View Artisan

Exciting announcement for those in Australasia!

Panstoria partners with myStory for digital scrapbooking solution in Australasia

Dayton, OH – June 27, 2013 – Panstoria, developers of the Artisan 4.0 digital scrapbooking software, today announced a partnership with myStory Pty Ltd, a new Australian-owned digital scrapbooking and photobook company, that will bring Panstoria’s software to the Australasian market.

Panstoria has partnered with myStory to produce myStory Designer powered by Panstoria® Artisan®, a digital scrapbooking application that is full of features for the advanced scrapbooker but also intuitive and easy to use for the beginner. The combination of Panstoria’s software and the myStory print platform will bring a powerful and exciting print solution to digital scrapbookers in the Australasian market.

“We have worked with the team behind myStory for several years on other projects,” says Panstoria CEO, Mike Carroll. “They are not only a skilled and experienced technical team, but have always been committed to providing their customers with high quality products and services. We are very excited about our new partnership with them.”

The myStory Designer software is free to myStory members, and it’s free to join. Members will be able to create photo books, posters, calendars and other products, and have them printed by Australia’s premiere print supplier.
For more information please visit www.panstoria.com and www.mystory.com.au

Communication Update

Click Here To View Artisan


Due to the vast amount of changes occurring in the digital scrapbooking market in the last week, and the information in the article posted below, I have been flooded with questions.  It is becoming impossible to individually answer everyone's questions in the manner that I normally like to do, so I compiled a list of questions and answers for you to refer to until I can catch back up on my communication.  Thank you so much for your continued support and your patience!

6/24/2013  This information was officially announced from Creative Memories regarding digital software and products:

What is the future of StoryBook Creator and Memory Manager Software? And what is the overall plan for digital?

All along, Creative Memories has contracted with a company called Panstoria, who developed and owns the rights to StoryBook Creator and Memory Manager. So even though Creative Memories is transitioning out of the software, and the new company will not sell the software in the future, that doesn’t mean that StoryBook Creator and Memory Manager will not exist or be supported. We’re currently working with Panstoria and other digital vendors to define what the future looks like for the digital business.

We’re working hard to find an answer that supports digital customers, enables a great consumer experience, and is more pleasing than shutting it down. We’re taking a strong stand to find a way for the digital business to continue, so current and future digital customers can be supported. The best-case scenario is that we can find a backer for the digital business so existing software customers can order products uninterrupted through a different interface. Those conversations are in process, and we expect to have more to share with you in a month or so.

The new company simply can’t bring digital forward in its current condition. The new company will include digital; it will just be starting with a new foundation.


Questions:

1.  Can I still use StoryBook and Memory Manager?
Yes, both programs are installed on your computer.  They will continue to work.  The issue is future software support and updates.

2. Do your templates I purchased from you work in Artisan?
Yes, they are .page files so they work in SBC 3.0, SBC 4.0 and Artisan.

3.  How do I convert my Creative Memories digital content to work in Artisan?
At this time, I would not spend time converting content.  Creative Memories and Panstoria are still in Bankruptcy proceeding negoiations and it has not been determined yet if Creative Memories will allow Panstoria to unlock StoryBook digital content for Artisan users.

4.  What is "Historian"?
Historian is software designed by Panstoria that will be released soon.  If you currently use Memory Manager, you will be able to open your vaults in Historian.  NOTE: If you have Memory Manager 3.0 you DO NOT have to upgrade to Memory Manager 4.0 in order to open your vaults in Historian.

5.  Where do you print your projects?
I prominently use Blurb and Shutterfly for photobooks.  I use Scrapping Simply for 12x12 page prints.

I will keep the updates coming as fast as I can!
Thank you,
Laurie

Status update from Panstoria

This status update was just emailed a few minutes ago:

Panstoria understands the difficult situation that many of you find yourself in with regard to the future of software developed by Panstoria but sold under a third-party brand name.  We cannot answer all of your questions yet, but are working diligently to be able to do so.  Here is what we can say at this time. Panstoria Historian (photo editing and organization software) Panstoria will soon be releasing its Historian software for photo editing and organization.  The Historian software will be 100% compatible with vaults created by other Panstoria-developed photo editing and organization software.  You will not lose any information by opening your vault with Historian.  In fact, the process for moving to Historian is as simple as installing Historian and using the Open Vault function to browse to your current vault. Panstoria Artisan (digital scrapbooking software) 1. Panstoria’s Artisan software is already available at http://www.panstoria.com/store. 2. Artisan can open user-created projects and pages if those projects and pages are in 3.0 format—that is, the project is named “manifest.projectx” and the page files have an extension of “PAGE”.  Files with an extension of SBPAGE cannot be opened by Artisan.  You can use the options on the “File > Save as” or “File > Save project as” menus to save current projects or pages in 3.0 format.  The pages do not have to be saved in JPG format in order to be used by Artisan. 3. Users of Artisan who purchased Artisan prior to August 2011 can open third-party digital content in PACKAGE files (i.e. the file extension is PACKAGE).  However, no Artisan users can presently open third-party digital content in SBKIT files. Artisan is prevented from using this digital content by legal barriers, not technical barriers.  We are hoping to be able to remove those legal barriers. 4. If the digital content from a PACKAGE or SBKIT file has been placed on a page and saved in 3.0 format, then the user can use that content when the page is opened by Artisan. 5. Artisan can use any digital content in JPG, PNG, or TIF formats. 6. Artisan does not have any built-in print provider.  However, you can export your projects and pages in a variety of formats, including JPG and PDF, then upload those projects to be printed at any number of places on the internet. We do understand everyone’s frustration.  We are doing what we can to address your concerns and the limitations on the use of third-party digital content.  If you are not already on our email list, please go to http://www.panstoria.com and fill out the form on the right-hand side of the page to receive updates. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving your photo editing, organization, and digital scrapbooking needs in the future. Panstoria, Inc.

Using Storybook Content In Artisan?

Click Here To View Artisan

Hi Everyone,
I have stepped away from my blog for some time now.  Many changes have transpired since I last posted here.

First of all, I would to say that I am very sad for all of the Creative Memories consultants and customers right now.  Many of which are my close friends.  I was a consultant myself for four years and I started my digital scrapbooking business around Creative Memories software and products.  There is so much going on and so many things are unknown at this time following the companies second filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  There are uncertainties about the companies future and product offerings going forward.

I know many of you are from Australia where Creative Memories sold their business there to Close To My Heart earlier this week.  I know you are searching for what to do next.  There is still no official word as to what is going to happen to Storybook Creator and Memory Manager in the rest of Creative Memories market.  Hopefully, there will be answers from the bankruptcy court soon.

I have been using both Storybook Creator Plus 4.0 and Artisan since it was first released in 2011.  Both versions of the software have been developed by Panstoria and are so similar it is hard to tell them apart.  I am one of the lucky ones who purchased Artisan before August 22, 2011, so all of my .package files of digital content purchased from Creative Memories will open in Artisan.  For anyone who purchased Artisan after August 22, 2011 this is not the same.  I am hoping that if Creative Memories chooses to not support Storybook Creator Plus in the future, there will be a way to use their content in Artisan.

If you feel you would like to try Artisan, there is a 30 day free trial available by clicking on the link above.  I have decided to be an affiliate for Artisan.  That means that if you click on the link above and download the free trail and decide you would like to purchase the software later, I will make a percentage of the sale.  I want to be open and honest with all of you about everything I am doing.  In no way am I trying to undermine Creative Memories or any of the consultants or their possible future sales.  (Remember, they are my friends!)  I just want to offer a possible solution to those of you with no other options.

I  have discovered a work around for you to try for you to use your Creative Memories digital content in an Artisan project if you already own Storybook Creator and Creative Memories digital content!

I know this is a cumbersome way of doing things but it does work and it is legal if you already own the software and content.  Perform the following steps:

• Open a project in Storybook Creator Plus - (SBC)
• Open a project in Artisan.
• In SBC use your Content Manager to search for the content you would like to use on your page.  
• Add a paper or an embellishment to the page.  
• Select the element.  
• Choose copy.
• Switch to Artisan.  
• In Artisan, click on an open page.
• Choose paste.  
• The paper or embellishment is added to the page.
• You may add and select multiple elements to copy and paste if your computer has enough RAM and hard drive to process the function.

In the screen shot shown above, I have both programs running simultaneously on the same screen in Windows 7.

This is only a temporary solution, but it allows you to maintain the file structure of your libraries, categories and tags in your Storybook Creator Plus Content Manager.  It is also much easier than saving each element in your Content Manager as .jpgs and .png files, which I know some of you are doing.

If you give this a try, feel free to leave your comments below as to how it worked for you.  We can all help each other.

Creative Memories Parent Company Antioch Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Again

Click this link to read the story:
Creative Memories Parent Company Antioch Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Again

I read this today and thought all of you shoud be aware of the situation.  I do not know anything about what happened or what this means for Creative Memories digital market.  If any of you know please comment!

Thank you,
Laurie

StoryBook 4.0 Is Working With QUICKGRIDS Again!!

Today is a happy day for QUICKGRIDS!  The new update to StoryBook 4.0 released today fixed the bug that caused photo frames to not to "snap to grids" properly.  This made altering QUICKGRIDS templates very difficult.  The new update fixed the issue and they are back to snapping again!  Thank you Creative Memories software developers!  Below is a screen shot of the update information.  The yellow highlighted bullet point made my day!  To purchase the QUICKGRIDS templates click on the "Shop QUICKGRIDS Templates for SBC4.0" link above.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Happy Holiday's to all of you!  I hope you all have a blessed holiday season.  My Laptop Crop schedule for my local customers is posted in the tab above for the first quarter of 2012.  I look forward to getting back to work after the first of the year!  - Laurie

StoryBook Creator Plus 4

I never thought this day would come.  Today Creative Memories launched their update to Storybook Creator Plus!  Many of you have been inquiring about how it compares with Panstoria Artisan.  I have been using Artisan for nine months and I LOVE it!  After careful review of StoryBook Creator 4.0 these are the differences:

StoryBook Creator 4.0 uploads projects directly to the Creative Memories Digital Center for printing.  Artisan does not.  

Artisan includes a license for the software to be downloaded to two computers.  StoryBook Creator 4.0 is only licensed for one computer.

Artisan has a rich photo editing Image Editor feature that includes cloning and various other advanced photo editing features.  StoryBook Creator only has the touch up brushes.  Cloning may be performed in Memory Manager 3.0, if you have the accompanying program.

Artisan retails for $39.95.  StoryBook Creator 4.0 retails for $64.95 and the upgrade from StoryBook Creator 3.0 retails for $24.95.  All three options include digital artwork.

Both programs can read .page file format.

I hope all of you StoryBook Creator 3.0 users try the free trial for StoryBook Creator 4.0 and see why I have been so excited about all of the awesome aspects of Artisan!

Both software programs offer a free 30 day trial.  

I suggest you try them both and see which one best meets your needs.

Digital Album Planner - Free Download

Here is a great tool that was designed by my friend Marcy Moreno.  She saw something similar on the internet but does not know who to give credit to for the original idea.  She and I sat down and created this document together.  It is to help you keep track of your digital albums and projects.  To download a free copy of the PDF file click: HERE

How We All Got Here Today - Part 1

This is a post that I have been meaning to write for a long time!  I would like to thank my friends Sandy Mune and Marcy Moreno!  Both of these wonderful women have been very instrumental in my digital scrapbooking journey.

A few years ago when I was using Photoshop Elements as my software of choice, I went to several crops where Marcy kept showing me all the great aspects of StoryBook Creator Plus.  She was so excited and enthusiastic about her pages and progress I could not help but listen to what she had to say.  Well, I thought I was "to cool" for such a "simple" program such as StoryBook Creator Plus!  But I kept seeing Marcy's progress and how many pages she was completing.

Then, another one of my good friends Sandy Mune, who is a Creative Memories consultant, asked me to teach her how to digital scrapbook.  After showing her Photoshop Elements, she was a bit overwhelmed.  I asked her why she did not use Creative Memories software since she was a consultant.  She said there was no one to show her how to use it.  (This was when the software was first released.)  I told her that if she bought it, I would learn it and teach her how to use it.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we would all be where we are today!  Once I figured out how user friendly and productive Storybook Creator Plus was I NEVER went back to Photoshop Elements!  This is saying a lot, because at that time I had been digital scrapbooking since 2004 with a wide variety of software programs, before it was popular or mainstream.  I used to create all my own elements and started out making pages with "Strips and Triangles".  (Only seasoned Creative Memories consultants will probably recognize this ancient term!)

So THANK YOU Sandy and Marcy!  There are many other instrumental people on my digital scrapbooking journey that I need to publicly thank but I want to start with these two women.  They both attend my Laptop Crops regularly and continue to be a wonderful inspiration to me both personally and professionally.  Marcy is one of the few people I know that is completely current on her scrapbooking.  She swears it is because she uses all of my templates!  Here are a few photos of Marcy and her photo books.  Enjoy!

One of Kerri Powell's Free Templates!

I created this page using one of Kerri's freebie templates and the Panstoria "Easter Fun" digital kit.  To get Kerri's templates see my prior blog post.  Thank you again Kerri!

Guest Designer - Kerri Powell

I would like to introduce the first guest designer on my new blog, Kerri Powell!  Kerri is a very talented designer who has been scrapbooking since 1999.  She is a member of several creative teams.  Her blog features wonderful page layout ideas, free page templates, free word art and she is just starting to sell her new word art packages!  Kerri describes herself as:

"I'm simply a Mommy with a passion for making and documenting memories. If you know me then you know that I'm not just an ordinary Mommy, I'm a Mommy that waited forever to be one! Photography and scrapbooking are the means by which I attempt to make time stand still--especially when it comes to my little miracle!"

Please click on each of the links below to see all of the wonderful things Kerri has to offer!:

Click Here To Visit Kerri's Blog - Precious Pixels

Click Here for Kerri's Free Page Templates

Click Here To Purchase Kerri's Word Art

Panstoria Artisan - Feature Video - Coordinate Colors

This is a new video I recorded to demonstrate one of my favorite features in Panstoria Artisan called "Coordinate Colors".  I have never seen another digital scrapbooking software perform this action.  It is amazing!  Enjoy!

Panstoria Artisan - Introduction Video

Many of you have been inquiring about Panstoria Artisan.  Click on this YouTube video for an introduction to Artisan.  Two of the features I love, that are demonstrated in this video, are the "Built in Image Editor" and the "Color Coordinator" feature.

To download a free 30 day trial, click on the link at the top left of my blog that says "Click Here To View Artisan"   Enjoy!

Happy National Scrapbook Day! - New Freebie

Today is officially National Scrapbook Day.  I hope you are celebrating by doing something fun!  Here is a new Tulip Freebie for your Spring page layouts.  Click on the link below the picture to download the high quality .png version of the freebie.  Enjoy!

Click Here To Download Laurie Callison Tulip

Panstoria Launches Affiliate Program - Press Release

Follow this link to view the press release online:

Panstoria affiliate program to benefit all sales levels

• ShareThis Email PDF Print

Panstoria Artisan
We think affiliates will be very excited about this program, as it offers a competitive two-tier commission option and 90 day tracking.

Dayton, OH (PRWEB) April 14, 2011

Panstoria, creators of Artisan 4.0, a premier digital scrapbooking software, announced today the launch of a new affiliate marketing channel on ShareASale. Panstoria launched Artisan 4.0 on January 21 and has been making successful inroads in the digital scrapbooking arena.

Artisan 4.0 is perfect for the busy mom on-the-go or the experienced scrapbooker who wants to try her hand at hybrid scrapbooking. Currently retailing for $39.95, the software can be installed on up to two Windows-based PCs and includes 3 free art kits.

“We are happy to join with ShareASale to launch a new affiliate marketing channel. We think affiliates will be very excited about this program, as it offers a competitive two-tier commission option and 90 day tracking,” said Mike Carroll, CEO of Panstoria.

The Panstoria Affiliate program is a multi-tier program, offering participants 20% commission on the first $2,000 in monthly sales and 25% for sales above that. If the participant signs up another afilliate, the referrer receives an additional amount based on 10% of the new affiliate’s monthly commission. Once a company or individual becomes a Panstoria Affiliate, access will be provided to links and banners to help generate activity on their own website.

For companies or individuals interested in earning considerable revenue right away, visit http://www.shareasale.com/shareasale.cfm?merchantID=31040 to sign up.

About Panstoria, Inc.
Panstoria launched in 1993 under the name Interpersonal Computing, Inc. In 2003, under the name Caspedia, Mike Carroll and Paul Schweizer began creating photo management software to meet their own needs. Eventually, they used the Caspedia Digital Scrapbooking technology to develop software licensed to a third-party. In 2010, the company changed its name to Panstoria to prepare for the release of Artisan 4.0, a premier digital scrapbooking application for Windows. More information about Panstoria and Artisan 4.0 can be found at http://www.panstoria.com. Follow Panstoria on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/panstoria and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Panstoria.

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Please contact me for more information regarding the affiliate program at callisonclan@cox.net.
Thank you,
Laurie

Questions & Answers about Panstoria - Artisan

Many of you have questions about Panstoria’s Artisan software.  I would like to answer some of your questions!

Who is Panstoria?

Panstoria is a software design company that currently writes photo editing and organization software and digital scrapbooking software.  The company was formally named Caspedia.  They wrote Memory Manager and StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 that is currently marketed under a license agreement through Creative Memories.  In January of 2011, Panstoria released their own version of digital scrapbooking software called Artisan.  For more detailed information please visit their website at: http://www.panstoria.com/our_story/company_history/

How does Artisan compare to StoryBook Creator +3.0?

Artisan is very similar to StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0, with new features added.

Does Creative Memories Digital Content Work in Artisan?

Yes.  Artisan reads, JPG, PNG, TIF, .package and .pakit files.

Can I open projects in Artisan that were designed in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0?

Yes.  However, a word of caution – If you open a StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 file in Artisan, you cannot open it again in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0.  It is not backward compatible.  StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 uses the file name .page to save page files.  Artisan uses the file name .papage to save page files.  Artisan can open and read .page files but will convert them to .papage files.  StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 can not open or read .papage files. 

Can I download Artisan on the same computer as StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0?

Yes.

Does Memory Manager 3.0 work with Artisan?

Yes.  You can send photos to Artisan just like you can with StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0.

If I purchase Artisan and have never owned StoryBook Creator Plus, can I purchase Creative Memories digital content to use in Artisan?

Yes.  This is great news for Creative Memories consultants, they can sell digital content to StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 users and Artisan users.

Does Panstoria sell digital content?

Yes.  Their online store is located at:  http://www.panstoria.com/store/category-page/category/digital_content/

How many computers can I load Artisan on?

The Artisan license allows you to install the software on up to two machines.

Does Artisan work on a MAC?

No.  Not unless you use a virtual machine with Windows, such as Parallels.

Is there any online support for Artisan?

Yes.  They have a technical questions website called Get Satisfaction:  http://getsatisfaction.com/Panstoria

What training options are available for learning Artisan?

They have a YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/panstoria  I also offer training for Artisan.

How do I get my project designed in Artisan printed?

You may print the project yourself on your home printer.   You may send your JPG files to any online printer to be professionally printed.  To have your project printed as a photo book at Creative Memories, you may download the free version of StoryBook Creator and create a “full bleed” photo book with your pages saved as JPGS.  If you already own StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 you save the pages as JPG files and create a “full bleed” photo book..  For a detailed PDF file of how to print an Artisan photo book online visit:  http://getsatisfaction.com/panstoria/topics/how_do_i_print_a_photobook_online_using_services_such_as_shutterfly_or_snapfish

Why are you adding Artisan to your design and training business?

I have been digital scrapbooking for over seven years.  I have used many different types of software.  I fell in love with StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 when it was first introduced.  I am always looking for the next best thing in this market.  When I saw the numerous added features Artisan had to offer, I knew I had to teach it and use it for designing!  I put together this in-depth summary of the enhanced features Artisan has to offer.  I hope this helps you see why I choose to add this incredible software to my business!

Features that I love (in no particular order):

1. The Artisan license allows you to install the software on up to two machines.
   
2. Redo. – Need I say more?
   
3. It has a built in Image editor that can be used on any photo or element. It also does cloning.
   
4. Coordinate Page color change, allows you to select a photo on the page and choose from several color scheme options for changing the colors of papers and embellishments on the page to look better with the photo.
   
5. Text shapes and cutters. You can enter text using any installed, supported font to the page as a shape or use it as a cutter. For example, you can bring up the text cutter popup, select a font, then enter text and cut out that text from any element on the page.
   
6. You can choose between Basic mode and Advanced mode. Basic mode hides some more advanced features for new users. You can switch modes easily at any time.
   
7. The three views in Manage Content make looking for content easier. It includes separate views for organizing using tags, putting kits into categories, and managing content locations.
   
8. All open views are accessible directly via a tab—e.g. welcome, content, plus one tab for each open project/page—eliminating the need to go to a menu to switch views.  It looks like a Microsoft ribbon menu.
   
9. When you hover your cursor over a photo or content element in one of the panels, the software automatically shows an enlarged preview of that item.
   
10. The Auto fix option shows you four previews using different combinations of auto fix algorithms and parameters. To apply the fix, you simply click the desired option.
    
11. The Change Background feature on the Home ribbon is a quick way to fill the background with a color, a gradient, or paper.
    
12. You can add, mix, and rearrange Photo frame effects to create a wide variety of custom effects. You can also use Sample and Apply for frame effects.
    
13. There are five additional image filters in the filter dialog: Palettize, Canny Edge, Show Edges, Blur effects, Despeckle.
    
14. Change page template dialog shows a preview of what the current of page photos would look like on the selected page template. This allows you to quickly try different options without having to take the time to actually apply the change to the current page.
    
15. You can select a page from another project (or the project you are working on) when changing the template of the current page, rather than being required to use only predesigned pages in kits.
    
16. The Grid setting options go down to 1/8”. This is great for easy alignment.  You know how much I love grids!
    
17. New spell checking options.  You can add your own words, names, terms, etc. to the spell checking dictionary.
    
18. Tutorials on YouTube.
    
19. Project types are grouped in categories, allowing for a much larger number of projects.
    
20. Custom size project options include page dimensions, trim, and resolution. 72dpi – 300dpi
    
21. You can double-click a project or page file in Windows Explorer to automatically launch that project or page in Artisan.
    
22. You have the ability to open, edit and save JPG, PNG, and TIF files directly without the need to create a project or even a page file. You have the option of making Artisan the default viewer/editor for the supported image file types, allowing you to simply click on a JPG, PNG or TIFF file in Windows Explorer and have it open in the Artisan editor.
    
23. You can export a selected set of pages from a project to a single multi-page PDF file.
    
24. Local print capabilities include a wide range of page scaling and tiling options.
    
25. For book projects with a personalized cover, the personalized cover is shown in the pages panel above the pages.
    
26. The Wand cutter has a single threshold slider that controls how sensitive the wand is.
    
27. Fun Gradient fills, categorized into four separate options.
    
28. Format Photos has a Clean Up focus option.
    
29. Tab lines can be set at an exact position on the ruler.
    
30. The View ribbon allows you to Rotate the projects current view, which is useful for creating things like fold-over greeting cards.
    
31. The Photos panel has the option: Show photos on this page.
    
32. All three content panels (pages, photos, content) have three thumbnail size selectors.
    
33. In Manage my activation codes you can see a list of all installed kits and their associated codes (if any), as well as a list of all codes and their associated kits (if any).
    
34. Content panel has two small controls that allow you, with a single click, to increase or decrease the size of the content panel relative to the page size, making it easier to search for photos or digital art to use on the current page.
    
35. Insert shape (including text shapes) includes several options:
    · Four fill options: color, transparent (for outlined shapes), gradient, or paper.
    · Outline (stroke) options: color, width, compound style, joint style, dash style, and dash caps. · Flip shape (horizontally)
    · Line format options (for individual lines, shape outlines, and shape text outlines)  include: color, width, dash style, dash caps, compound line style, and joint options.
    
36. The Color picker provides fast access to colors you use, as well as advanced options for creating custom colors. It allows you to choose from:
    · Colors in selected image
    · Colors on page – (these first two choices are incredible tools to help you design)
    · Standard colors
    · Skin colors
    · Hair colors. Includes several new colors.
    · Personal art kits (created by you) containing colors.
    · Recently-used colors.
    · Sample color from screen. This includes a zoom view to show the individual pixel being sampled.
    · RGB
    · Hue, saturation and brightness.
    
37. Convert to black and white options:
    · In Basic mode, you are given four previews to choose from.
    · In Advanced mode, options include: Standard TV conversion, predefined samples, hue adjustment, color channel adjustment, infrared file effect.

I hope this information helps answer many of your questions!

For further clarification and questions regarding Panstoria Artisan, please visit their website at: http://www.panstoria.com/.

For further clarification and questions regarding Creative Memories StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0, please contact their home office at: http://media.creativememories.com/forms/ContactUs/ContactUs.html.

If I can help you with questions or training please click on the “One on One Private Training” tab at the top of my blog page to schedule an appointment.  I would be happy to help you!

Thank you! Laurie

Artisan Freebie QUICKFILL - Easter Idea

I designed this fun Easter page using my Freebie QUICKFILL template available by clicking on the tab above:

Free QUICKFILL Downloadable Templates - Artisan

The digital content I used was Panstoria's  "Easter Fun Kit" available at:

http://www.panstoria.com/store/category-page/category/digital_kits/

Please note: This template only works in Panstoria's Artisan software. - Enjoy!

QUICKGRIDS Templates Used in Artisan - By Lynn

Lynn designed these adorable pages using the QUICKGRIDS templates in Artisan software!  Yes, QUICKGRIDS templates do work in Artisan software, however the “Snap To Grid” function works a little easier in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 for resizing the photo openings.  That didn’t stop Lynn from giving it a try!  She said she doesn’t change the photo opening sizes very often, so it worked fine for her.  I love how she was adventurous and created these beautiful page layouts.  Great job Lynn! Thanks for sharing!

Freebies For St. Patrick's Day!

Here are some freebies for your St. Patrick's Day scrapbook pages.  Be sure to Click on the link below each image to download the high quality .png and .jpg files.   Enjoy!

Click Here To Download Clover Leaf

Click Here To Download Clover With Words

Click Here To Download St. Patrick's Day Paper