00000 Cherish the Moments
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Do more with your digital photos
Here is an article on helping you find new ways to share your digital photos easily.


Your photos, your stories. You've got hundreds of shots and now need new ideas on ways to share them with the world. In this article we've got helpful hints on the best ways to do it in today's fast-paced digital world.

Turn your photos into a DVD slideshow on TV

Impress family and friends by showing them your photos in a totally unique way. With powerful programs that come with Wondershare DVD Slideshow Builder, or Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows, you can make a memorable slide show with your digital photos, complete with elegant DVD menu templates, music, transitions and more.

Create a stunning online flash photo album
If you need a new extraordinary way to show off your photos, simply amaze your family and friends by turning them into stunning flash photo galleries with animations. Personally, I rely on two great tools
called Wondershare Flash SlideShow Builder or Flash Album Studio. These two programs allow you to create wonderful flash photo albums in fun and creative way using clean, simple-to-use wizards and cool flash themes. What's more, you can stretch your creativity with their unique Theme Designer.

Make a nice digital photo collage
Collage photo software can almost be thought of as a magic wand because of the spectacular results it can produce. Have a try with Photo Collage Studio from Wondershare. It's a new digital photo collage utility that assembles favourite photos into an artistic compilation. With Photo Collage Studio, you can make great-looking photo collages, either quickly and easily – with templates, or creatively - with rich animated/static cliparts to choose from. And each masterpiece can printed over and over again. Truth to tell - I enjoy using it.

Archive and manage your photos
Capturing pictures with your digital camera is so easy. But how do you go about organizing and maintaining your photo collection? That's where photo management software comes in. One of the best programs for this purpose is Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0. It's my program of choice and I really like the easy to use drag-and-drop capabilities, as well as attractive, clean user interface. Other good options include Wondershare PixManager (Freeware) and ACDSee .

Conclusion I hope this article has helped you understand what types of photo software are available in the market. Personally, I like to combine a good photo slideshow program like Wondershare DVD Slideshow Builder and Flash Slideshow Builder. This way, I have more creativity when its comes to editing or
creating my digital photo slideshows.


About the author:
Lisa Janice, a big fan of digital photography, publishes the photo slideshow website http://www.photo-to-dvd.com featuring reviews of Flash photo album and digital photo sharing services.



Have fun with those pictures!

Barbara
Cherish Collages - Custom Photo Collage Design
Friday, September 29, 2006
Scrapbook Max Digital Scrapbooking Software
This software is impressive for digital scrapbooking. I downloaded the tree trial and although the trial has few templates and objects to work with, the potential with the full version is great.

It's very easy to use and has great photo effects at the click of a button and they can be adjusted as needed. Some of the effects included; oil painting, watercolor, black and white (grayscale), sepia, blur, mosaic, and more. There were lots of shapes (masks) to apply to the photos as well to add visual interest. It includes an easy red eye removal and scratch removal as well. When you purchase the software you receive a cd with thousands more templates, papers, embellishments, etc...The program also has easy saving, publishing, and email options for the scrapbooks you create.

You can download additional templates from the community forum as well. This software is definitely a great tool for anyone looking to create digital scrapbooks in a easy to use quick format.

Click here if you want to try it, 30 day free trial.

More software quick reviews here

Barbara
Custom Photo Collage Design

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Thursday, September 28, 2006
Photo Collage Holiday Greeting Cards

Custom Photo Collage Holiday Cards are here!

A great ideas for a unique holiday card this year.

Options are a 5x7 or 4x8 photocard with a holiday message printed right on the collage. A 5x7 Folded Greeting Card with photo collage on front and a personal message printed inside or left blank for you to fill out. Or, a 4x8 holiday card as seen above, with decorative border, photo collage will be 4x6 and then your message is printed on the side bar.

Barbara
Cherish Collages...

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Monday, September 25, 2006
10 Unique Christmas Gift Ideas
Here is the most recent article I have written about finding unique christmas gifts for this upcoming holiday. I found some really cool things I'd never seen before recently and wanted to share them.



A personalized gift makes a terrific unique Christmas gift. They show the recipient that some thought was put into selecting the gift making them feel special. Personal photographs make personalizing gifts simple, here are some ideas for using photographs to create personalized Christmas gifts this season.

Caricature Portrait. Perfect for any fun loving couple on your gift-giving list. Add a frame, a red ribbon, and a bow and it makes a wonderful, personalized gift.

Photo Canvas. A favorite cherished photograph can be turned into a beautiful canvas print suitable for hanging. Turns any photograph into a piece of art.

Photo Blanket. Give the gift of warmth this winter. A stunning blanket with a cherished photograph to cuddle up under on a cold night.

Pencil Sketch. Turn a favorite photograph into a piece of artwork to be framed. Any photo can be transformed into a pencil sketch.

Photo Rubik Cube. Perfect for anyone who grew up in the 80’s during the Rubik’s Cube craze!

Photo Clutch or Cosmetic Case. Perfect for a busy mom, perhaps who travels. She can always have her children’s faces close by.

Photo Tote Bag. A personal photo on a tote bag makes a great personal gift, some are full color, and the entire bag is covered with the picture! Perfect for a teacher who often carries many items back and forth from home to school.

Mousepad. A great gift for anyone with a computer. A favorite photograph or even photo collage printed on a mousepad. If you have to be at the computer all day, why not have something nice to glance down at.

Tumbled Marble Photo Coasters. Photos are printed onto tumbled marble coasters, a great gift for new homeowners.

Watercolor Painting. A photo effect can turn a favorite photo into a watercolor painting.

A search for “Unique Christmas gift” in any search engine can bring you to some of the best sites for finding personalized gifts. This is just the tip of the iceberg; there are so many possibilities. Get creative, think of the people on your list, the things they enjoy doing, people they enjoy spending time with and you’ll come up with lots of ideas to make this a unique Christmas gift season!

Put a smile on someone face this Christmas with a unique Christmas gift!

Visit the links section of the website for links to the sites that sell these products and much much more. Gifts & More.


Barbara
Custom Photo Collage Design

Sunday, September 24, 2006
Home Decorating on a Budget
Home decorating on a budget can be as simple as using one item you probably have in abundance as your basis. Photographs. Create your own photo gallery to showcase your cherished memories.

All those pictures packed away in boxes or in albums you rarely open or stuck in cyber land on your hard drive. Use those photographs to decorate the walls of your home, creating a personal space you can be proud to show off to visitors.

If you have digital pictures, a printer, and a basic photo editing software, even a free one downloaded from the interest, you can create wonderful pieces of art yourself, for very little money. Craft and big box stores often have many sized pictures frames for very little and many come with mats including.

It’s as simple as picking out some of your favorite photographs. Close ups of family and friends, action shots, scenic shots you’ve taken, even without anyone in them, all make perfect pictures for framing. Then decide what sizes would be best for each picture, mix it up. Also consider color or removing the color and making black and white pictures from your color photographs for added interest.

Any photo editing software, even basic ones that often come included with digital cameras, printers, and scanners can produce some interesting effects. They easily convert pictures to black and white, antique, and sepia. Many have even more interesting effects available at the touch of a button. There are photo effects that can turn any photograph into a work of art. They can make your photograph look like an oil painting, watercolor, pastel, pencil sketch, even a cartoon effect for a child’s room.

Turn a plain wall in your home into a photography gallery. Any room can serve as the perfect location. A bedroom, family room, living room, home office, or even a bathroom would be suitable. Staircases, hallways, and landings are great spots too.

Use different sizes of photographs and frames and mats to create visual interest. Before making any holes in your walls, arrange the framed photographs on the floor and find the best layout, this way you can move them around and find the best look.

Have fun, get creative and bring a personal touch to your home without spending a lot of money. It will be an instant conversation piece, helping you relive those cherished moments captured in those photographs.

Barbara
Cherish Collages...
Roboform, login made easy!
My favorite discovery this week is...

Roboform - a free program you download and as you visit sites that require you to login, you can save your username and password to it. As many as you want, and I have quite a few because of my business. Then when you boot up your computer, you sign in once to Roboform and then any of the registered websites you visit, you can automatically fill in the login info with Roboform. Saves a lot of checking the login sheet because you can't remember exactly what you used on this or that website.


Barbara
Cherish Collages...
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Anatomy of a Photo Collage - Thailand
I'd like to share my favorite photo collage that I have done to date. This is of a trip my girlfriend took with her husband a few years ago to Thailand. They had great pictures when they returned and I made this for them.


To see it larger you can click on the picture on the homepage of my website.

They had a great blend of scenic shots and pictures of them enjoying their trip. I just live this photo collage because of how the blending worked out so prefectly. The image of my girlfriend looking out on the blue water, they are actually two pictures. She was standing on the hotel balcony looking out, but there was no water view. That was a separate picture.

Vacation photographs are perfect for photo collages because of the ability to blend people into scenery so well and really tell the story of the trip. There are other vacation photo collages in the Collage Gallery.

Barbara
Cherish Collages...

Friday, September 22, 2006
Work at Home Mom Resources
So, I'm a Work at Home Mom, or more commonly known as a WAHM in internet terms. I decided to add some links to some WAHM resources that have helped me so much over the past year in establishing and building up this photo collage business.

I've been asked my a few clients about being a work at home mom and how I started. I started the photo collages as a hobby really and got such a response from them that decided maybe it could be something I could do from home. I researched researched researched, everything about working from home, website building, internet marketing, etc..I've read as much as I can from Alice Seba in particular. If you are a mom looking to establish yourself with a work from home business, she is the Guru! Get to know Alice. I highly recommend her Truth about Traffic free course, it has a lot of great information to get you started. It literally sits on my desk at all times.

Good luck, it's a challenge, but a lot of fun to be able to work from home!

Barbara
Cherish Collages
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Photo Collage Software quick reviews
Today I thought I would share a few of the recent quick reviews I did on some of the photo collage and editing software that is out there. I tried these out and here is what I thought of them.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 - The newest version of Elements. Find all the information here along with tutorials. This is probably one of the best photo editing softwares available, if I did not have the professional version, Adobe Photoshop, I would be using Elements as it can do everything I need in my photo collage editing. Older versions of Elements are often including when you purchase a digital camera, scanner, or printer. The version I have is 2.0 and can do all the necessary functions to make a good photo collage.

Picasa - This a free software program by Google. It worked well to edit pictures, make adjustments,photo effects, etc...The collage feature was not impressive, it had a few choices for layouts, but therewas no modifying feature so not a good choice for making a photo collage. The one interestingcollage effect was a multi-layer effect. It worked best using just 2 pictures, basically they overlappedand blending into each other. See the effect here

PhotoMix - This software add nice photo effect applications and interesting border and artistic effects to easily apply to pictures. You could overlap pictures and apply effect, but there were no real blending options. This would be suitable for making basic photo collages, but mainly is for scrapbook pages. There is a free trail download available, the trial does not allow you to save what you create though.

Check out these on the Resources Page of the website and check back for more quick reviews soon...

Barbara
Cherish the Moments...
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
We have liftoff!
It's up! Wow, it was a lot of work, but I got it done and it's a big relief! I hope everyone enjoys the new features. It will always be a work in progress of course...

There is a lot more information and "Do It Yourself" guides. Check out the ezines for lots of information on Making a Collage and unique ideas for using them. More ezines to come of course.


Barbara

Cherish the Moments...
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2...
Countdown to launch continues...

Well, I'm just about there, I am hoping to be able to publish the new and improved site tomorrow, I'll be up late tonight getting it all done. It's been busy here, my husband left for a big trip yesterday to Ireland and I am alone with the boys.

You can see a preview of the design in the header of the blog.

Cherish the Moments...
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Countdown to Launch!
The countdown to the new and improved website begins. I've been working hard on it for weeks now and I hope to have it up by mid to late next week. I'm aiming for Wednesday. I've changed the look, added more articles and resources, and will even have how-to's for those of you just looking for information on how to make a collage and things like that. I've re-instated the birth announcements, greeting cards, etc as well.

I can't wait to publish it!
Barbara


Cherish the Moments...
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
So many picture frames, so little time...
Here is an article with some tips on decorating with and using picture frames as gifts.


Fun With Picture Frames
by Angel Estrella

They encase our photos and keep them safe from dust, scratches and other potential mishaps. Picture frames are available in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common. They are designed to keep our printed memories alive and well.
One of the most popular gifts to give is a photo and picture frame combination. A couple celebrating a milestone anniversary may enjoy receiving a retouched image of their wedding photo or a special moment captured on film from their earliest days together. Today's technology allows old photos to be restored with the touch of a button, but that's not the only way to restore an old image. Many gift givers present an artist's rendition of a photograph, which may be either oil or acrylic. And, what is the best way to present this beautiful memento? In picture frames, of course.

If you are giving the gift of a photo, select the perfect picture frame to go with it. If you envision the picture being hung above the fireplace, purchase a large photo and picture frame. The border should be bold and would preferably match something in the home's decor. If the photo is small and better suited as a tabletop gift, a regular picture frame will suffice. No matter the size, a picture frame is often too awkward to use with gift wrap. Most opt for a large decorative bow in the top corner, which is simple but outstanding.

There are a number of other ways to use picture frames in gift presentations, including baby photos or a collage of special memories, graduation photos, wedding memories or even a special pet memoir. Many have heard of novelty companies who offer a star-naming service. In exchange for a fee, individuals can name a star after a friend, relative or other acquaintance. These are popular gifts because not many people can say they have a star named after them. Upon receipt of the star kit, a large certificate is included. Even though the service usually offers a choice of picture frames to go with the star kit, any individual can do the work themselves for a lot less money.

If it weren't for picture frames, our photos would certainly age much faster than we would like. Discoloration, scratching and unwanted bending would most likely be a problem. Thanks to the sturdy help of picture frames, however, our memories no longer have to remain in our minds because they can forever live on in our photos. And best of all, we get to enjoy them every day.

About the Author
To get more facts about picture frames, check out our website at http://www.pictureframetips.info for lots of free picture frames information and reviews.




Cherish the Moments...
http://www.cherishcollages.com
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
First day of school

My little man had his first day of school today. Well, it's not really school, it's pre-school, he is only 3 years old, but still, it was a big deal. I was so nervous for him, I was afraid he would cry when we left of flip out, he's been leary around other kids since being out of daycare since his baby brother was born. But, he did really well, he behaved and played well the teacher said and he didn't even want to leave when we picked him up. I was so happy to hear that. He's growing up so fast.

Here is one of the first collages I did when I learned how to do them well. It's of him of course, mostly toddlerhood.

Cherish the Moments...
http://www.cherishcollages.com
Monday, September 11, 2006
Make a Calendar
Here is my most recent article, How to Make a Calendar using an online photo service. It makes a perfect custom gift and is really quite easy.


Make a Calendar

Making a calendar does not have to be a difficult process, it can be done rather easily at any good quality online photo service. These services make the process very simply and guide you step-by-step. The digital images, it’s quick and easy and the end result is a perfect, unique gift. Grandparents especially enjoy receiving these photo calendars of grandchildren, a gift they can enjoy all year long.

The first step is to select the pictures you would like to use. Close ups, scenic, and action shots make the best photos to use. Be sure the quality of the photo is good, although most online photo services will advise you if the picture you try to use is not of a high enough resolution. They take the guesswork out of the equation if you are not familiar with photo resolution, pixels and the like. You will also want to consider the months and decide which pictures you want on which months. Perhaps a good action shot of children sledding for January.

Next find the photo site you would like to use. My personal preference is Shutterfly because I have used it many time, but you can use any one you are comfortable with. All online photo sites have easy upload tools with guide you through the process of uploading your pictures to their website into your own account.

Once your account is set up and your pictures are uploaded, simply go to the sites storefront, choose “create a calendar” and you are almost done. The creation tool will guide you through selecting the pictures to use, how to place them in the appropriate month, and make any adjustments needed. Shutterfly has an online editing tool that allows you to edit the pictures, add borders, change the color, add frames, etc…you can get creative. Name your calendar and choose a cover picture. A collage of all the pictures from every month would make a nice cover. You are done and ready to order as many copies as you need.

In very little time you have created an inexpensive but very personal and unique gift. It’s must better than going to the mall and battling the crowds. Better still, because it is thoughtful and takes some time to make, it’s a gift that will be cherished all year long!

More cool ideas...http://www.cherishcollages.com/photogifts.html

Cherish the Moments...
Cherish Collages
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Chocolate, Chocolate, and more Chocolate, oh my!
It's Sunday so let's not be serious for a minute, here is some fun useless knowledge I'd like to share just because I love chocolate.


Interesting Chocolate Statistics
By
Criss White

Just about everyone loves the sweet temptation of chocolates and candy. Here are some intriguing statistics and facts about candy and chocolate:

1. The average American eats 10-12 pounds (4.5 kg) of chocolate a year. The average Swiss eats 21 pounds a year.

2. Chocolate is the food most commonly craved by women, but can contribute significantly to bulimia, obesity, and binge eating.

3. Several medical studies show that eating chocolate in moderation can actually prolong your life by reducing risk of blood clots and fighting bad cholestorol.

4. Chocolate is not physically addictive and does not cause acne, as shown in several medical studies.

5. Chocolate is not high in caffeine. A 1oz bar of milk chocolate contains only 5-6mg of caffeine. This is significantly less than in coffee, tea, and soft drinks.

6. Chocolates can absorb other flavors and scents, and should be kept away from other household chemicals.

7. Chocolate can be frozen for up to six months. It is best to seal chocolate in a zip lock bag before freezing.

8. In genearl, the shelf life for chocolate is a year. Chocolate that is refrigerated may not melt as readily. Thus it is best to store chocolate in cool dry areas 55-60 degrees F.

9. U.S. chocolate manufacturers use 3.5 million pounds of whole milk every day to make chocolate.

10. The largest chocolate bar ever made weighed over 5,000 pounds and was made in Italy in 2000. The largest slab of fudge was over 2,000 pounds and was made in Canada.

11. Children are more likely to prefer chocolate when they reach 10-11 years old than when they are younger.

12. Chocolate is America's favorite flavor, according to recent surveys with a little over 50% of adults preferring chocolate to other flavors.


About the Author - Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For more personalized gift ideas, go to http://www.mybabyshowerfavors.com/chocolate.htm (Chocolate Baby Shower Favors) and for more candle gift ideas, see Candy Baby Shower Favors (http://www.mybabyshowerfavors.com/candy.htm).

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits above remain in tact and the hyperlinks stay active.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Criss_White




I think I shall go find myself some chocolate...

Cherish the Moments...
http://www.cherishcollages.com
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Mother Gift Ideas
Here is an article outlining some ideas of gift ideas for the "moms" in your life. And you can add photo collage to those ideas below as well!


A Gift for Mom
By Jeff Kennedy

There are many special occasions in one’s life when one thinks of mom. The occasion could be her birthday, Mother’s day or even an anniversary. Even though you know her well, you might need some gift ideas.

The “mom” you think of could be someone other than your own mother, too. For example, you might like to show your wife how much you appreciate the excellent person she is, and the special mother that she always has been to your children.

Maybe the “mom” you think of has just entered motherhood, or even someone who is waiting to become a mother. Whatever your relationship with the person concerned or how well you know her, there are times when you’d like to show her that she’s special. Here are some great and special gift ideas for any mom.

Suiting the gift to the person

Before we start, let’s remember one thing–what’s great for one person may be just plain lousy for another. Try giving a high calorie food item (A box of chocolates?) to a person who’s dieting, or a controversial bestseller to a person “on the other side of the fence”, and you’ll know what I mean. Extremes aside, it’s always a good idea to know what someone would appreciate before deciding what to give them. How would you know what the person likes?

Well, since we’re talking about moms, this person may be very close to you—someone you know “like the back of your hand”. Even if you do know the person well, however, you might not be sure whether or not a particular item would really attract her. And if you don’t know the person really well—for example, a co-worker or in-law—it’s even harder to know what she would like.

How to know what the person wants

So what do you do? Well, you could ask the person herself or you could ask a mutual friend who knows her well. Or, you could choose a gift that would work for most moms. Keep these things in mind before you choose that special gift for mom. Here are some ideas.

A few gift ideas for moms

There’s one thing that all moms have in common—their child(ren). Maybe you have access to pictures of a mother and her family at various points in time. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful idea to present her with a thoughtfully put-together family album? And think how nice it would be if you remember to add a bouquet of flowers to your unique gift. If the “mom” you’re gifting to is not close to you, a well-chosen empty picture album would be thoughtful. What mother doesn’t need more albums in which to put all those pictures of her children?

Personalized items

How about personalized items like t-shirts, posters, porcelain ornaments, or a greeting card that has her image on it? Wouldn’t any of those be wonderful? Other possibilities include photo canvases, pillowcases and playing cards.

Do-It-Yourself gifts

Perhaps the best way to show that you really care might be to make a gift yourself, if you can possibly do it, or have one specially hand-made by someone who can. It could be something small and inexpensive, but it needs to be personal and touch a chord.

Say it with work

Something else that you can gift is time. It’s not a material gift, of course, but what mom wouldn’t appreciate some help with her work for one or more days? Maybe you could relieve her of all her work while she sits and relaxes. That would be fun for a change, and it would show how deeply you care. Even if you can’t give of your time, perhaps you could hire someone to help her with household chores on a temporary (or regular) basis.

By visiting the author's website at LazyGift.com you may find the perfect gifts for your mom. At LazyGift.com you can find ideal gifts for any recipient and occasion.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Kennedy




Cherish the Moments...
http://www.cherishcollages.com
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Hard at work!
I am hard at work, constantly trying to improve the website, http://www.cherishcollages.com , adding information and just making it better. I have been researching a lot and have so many ideas, it's a little overwhelming. So many things I want to do and they all take time. I am the sort of person who has an idea and wants it done, NOW, and having two little ones running around, well, one running and one crawling, makes it a bit difficult to devote the amount of time required to really get things moving in between orders. Slowly but surely it will happen. I am aiming to have lots of "how to's" and free information on photo collages, creating photo collages, the digital medium in general, etc...This blog will be the first place for new information so check back often.


Cherish the Moments...
http://www.cherishcollages.com
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Great Photo Gift Idea!

Is it too early to talk about this? Well, Labor Day has come and gone so I say full steam ahead to Christmas!

I've got an awesome gift idea for the upcoming holidays, a perfect gift for the grandparents. I've been doing this for a few years now and the hints start coming right about now that I better be planning a new one for this Christmas. The grandmothers want a calendar of the grandkids. It's a gift that keeps on giving, all year round! I normally do a few collages on some of the months and just individual pictures on the others. It's faily easy to upload pictures to an online photo site and order a calendar. They walk you through the process of setting it up and you can usually even alter and add effect to your pictures as well. Trust me, grandparents will love this gift.

I just added the calendar product to my website. I tried to keep the price as low as possible considering the cost of the calendar alone and the amount of time required. So if you don't want to go it alone, I can help, just check out the information on the website, you can find it at http://www.cherishcollages.com/photogifts.html

Happy early Holiday Shopping!

Barbara

Cherish the Moments...
http://www.cherishcollages.com
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