Merry Christmas!

Our Tree

O, Christmas Tree; O, Christmas Tree...

Wishing you a love filled holiday.

Snow, what better way to get in the Holiday Spirit...

We are in the midst of our third snow storm in a week.  We have been lucky that ours accumulations have only been a few inches each time.  Tuesday's storm though hit during morning rush hour & caused quite a bit of havoc.  Here's a photo from the buildings where I work.  Very pretty.

BLACK FRIDAY SALE ALERT

be sure to check out the Digital Content on Panstoria's page.  They will be having a sale on digital content on Black Friday, be sure to follow the link on the right of my page.  To view content, you will need to select the content , then the category before the kits will show in the preview.  Shop away as many of the kits will be leaving soon.

Here's a link: http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=535583&U=862322&M=47864&urllink=

Massing the Colors

Here are some of the things I did this weekend.  It was cold, cloudy, and rainy this Saturday, but it was also a perfect day to be out snapping some great photographs.  I had been through a very hectic week & really missing my camera.  I resorted to my camera on my phone a few times, which is like a sacrilege for me.  Not use my Cannon T1i for taking photos, rely on a total point & shoot camera on my PHONE!  any how.  I got some terrific shots and here are a few I want to share with you.

These three were from the beginning of setting up the flags to completion, just under 2 hours.  This is amazing to see this every year how the MAsonic Village honors our Veterans the entire month of November!

These three photos were taken in sequence in a matter of 90 seconds.  That's how quickly this front was moving through.  This was on my way to my parents, I was picking up my Mom to go take some more photos.  These were with my Canon, not my phone's camera as the 1st set were.

These two are of the signage at the massing of the colors explaining what the flags are representing.

I was able to capture the perfect shots with the flags and the breeze.  I'm hoping to get back on a little bit brighter day to get a bit more vibrant colors...maybe an early morning shot with the sunrise over the field of colors?

My last shot of the day and this one was with my camera phone...not bad.

My beautiful Maple tree!

October Newsletter

Panstoria Update: NEW Digital Content Available

Creative Memories digital content is now available for purchase in the Panstoria.com store! As a result, there are now nearly 1,500 digital content products available in the store (Buy Content Here).

All digital content is usable by both Panstoria Artisan and Creative Memories StoryBook Creator 4 software. Some content is also usable by StoryBook Creator 3 software. If you are a StoryBook Creator 3 user, please check the requirements for each kit before purchasing to ensure that you will be able to use that kit.

The Creative Memories content will be available only through March, 2014.

NOTE: When browsing the categories in the store for CM content, you will have to click on the lowest level category to see all the kits in that category. For example, if you want to see Predesigned Pages, you will have to select a particular size (e.g. 12x12) to see the available kits.

Additional Info for searching on the site:
Searching for content on the Panstoria.com store.

Many users have asked for a search function so that they can find kits more quickly. We are looking at adding a search to the site, but in the meantime, there's an easy way to search the store for content by keyword. Just use the site search capability of your favorite search engine. The top ones all support the kind of search in the following example.

To search for kits with the keyword "autumn" in the name or description, enter the following into the search box of your favorite search engine:

autumn site:www.panstoria.com

You will get a list of links in the Panstoria store to kits with the word "autumn" in the title or description.

I hope you find this information helpful. 

Clarifications about rumors with Creative Memories & Panstoria from CM's CEO

Have questions related to CM Software?

October 9, 2013 at 3:10pm

Have questions related to CM Software? Here are a few points of clarification/things to consider related to the software:

Creative Memories and Panstoria are continuing to work together to transition existing Storybook Creator and Memory Manager customers to Panstoria, per our agreement before the Court dated September 26, 2013.

• Panstoria has not “closed” the software, and has made a public commitment not to do so. Please do not give credence to rumors to the contrary.

• Panstoria has offered the Panstoria Print Shop to enable customers to print from Storybook Creator. An update needs to be applied to your software to make this feature usable; please see the News Feed within your software for instructions.

• Creative Memories is no longer offering digital printing from Storybook Creator, and CM has no immediate plans in the works to offer digital printing. We encourage our former StoryBook Creator customers to try the Panstoria Print Shop for their digital printing needs.

• Creative Memories Consultants should determine whether signing up as a Panstoria affiliate is right for their unique circumstances or not.  Only individual Consultants can make this determination.

The Creative Memories team is putting all of our efforts into our renewal and re-launch. We’re excited about our future, and wish Panstoria and all of our former digital customers all the best as they move forward.

Thank you,
Chris Veit
CEO

ATTENTION::Memory Manager & Storybook Users

To all of my Digital Users for Memory Manager (Historian) & Storybook Creator (Artisan), Panstoria has offered you a solution to Creative Memories digital programs and products and the Digital Center (Panstoria Print Shop) printing disappearing.  Please be sure to check this all out.  There are links to these items on the right hand side of my blog.  This is a great option for you with very little difference to what you are accustomed to using.  Panstoria has even offered updates to your existing programs for compatibility to theirs at no charge to you.  Be sure to read all of the details in their Help Zone on Panstoria's web page.  Another great feature is that Pixels 2 Pages is now partnered with Panstoria to give us continued support & inspiration for our digital software products.  You can learn all about it here.

Be sure to check out my Facebook Fan Page with all of the links & solutions to your many questions.  You may also contact me & I will help guide you through the process.  I am very excited about this development & I hope that you will be to.  I'm sure you have many $$ invested into these programs just like I do and I am very glad to see my investment will not be wasted.

Remember that after December 31st your Creative Memories programs will no longer be supported and you will no longer be able to activate any of your software or downloads from Creative Memories past the December 31st date.

I hope that you will find this news helpful as you move forward with your digital creations.

Gettysburg 150th

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend an encampment with New Birth Of Freedom, Boy Scouts of America at the George Spangler Farm in Gettysburg, PA with my son's Boy Scout Troop.  There were almost 3000 scouts in attendance.  I must say  that it was one of the best run events I think I have ever attended.  It was a well oiled machine...boys arrived at appointed station in a timely manner, and the Park Rangers did a tremendous job with educating all of us in attendance, and some 600 of the boys were able to participate in various service projects for the battlefield.  My son's Troop was one of those fortunate enough to take part.  This was a privilege and an honor to be a part of this as it is the 150th Anniversary of this historic battle in the Civil War.

I would like to share several of the photos from this past weekend with you:

 

The boys had a great time & we were all worn out from ALL of the walking, but it was nothing that the Soldiers from the Civil War had endured...

The Closing of Business for Creative Memories

Here is a bit of info from CM regarding the closing of business:

Digital Center
The Digital Center website will shut down at 11:59 p.m. CT on September 23, 2013. All orders for Digital Center or StoryBook Creator projects must be completed by that time. If you’ve uploaded photos to Digital Center, your photos are available to purchase as prints or downloads through 11:59 p.m. CT on September 23. After that they will be removed from our servers and will no longer be available. Please note that we’ve reduced the fee for downloading your photos to $0.05/photo to make it more affordable for you to retrieve any photos you don’t have backed up elsewhere.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to download projects that have been uploaded to the Digital Center.

Project Center
The Creative Memories Project Center website will shut down at 11:59 p.m. CT on September 30, 2013. If you’re interested in preserving any of the project ideas that are on the Project Center, you can copy the images and instructions and paste them into a Word, PowerPoint, Pages, or similar program, then save them to your personal computer for future reference.
We can't thank you enough for your support and input over the last several years.
Sincerely,
The Creative Memories Home Office Team

Shipping update 10/1/13

The materials for the black pages arrived Monday and we have begun manufacturing them.  We are working to get all Direct Ship orders processed this week.

Anyone with a Digital Center order can refer to the anticipated ship date on their order confirmation. They can also watch for their UPS ship confirmation email, which comes from Quantum View. 

You can also check back here: http://www.creativememories.com/index.html

Customer Orders from LCO

Good News!  The Home Office is making headway with ALL of the many orders that were placed during June & July.  Here is an update on the status of the orders from CMHO:

Excerpt from CMC This Week 09/09/13:
Traditional Shipping Update:
The Distribution team’s four lines just for pages and protectors are working very well. Last Thursday the team had a record-breaking day, exceeding the previous record by more than 2,000 cartons.
The team also worked over the weekend, filling four tractor trailers that are now in transit to you and your customers. So now all June orders have shipped, the only exception being those that include black refill pages.  We’re working with our supplier to expedite another shipment of materials, and will continue the pace as we begin fulfilling July orders.


I am very happy to report to my customers that the only orders that have not shipped to date are one's that contain the black refill pages.  I will keep you updated as I get news from CM.



Digital Center Orders:

The in-house processing times for digital products manufactured by Creative Memories has increased slightly, as we are allocating more resources to shipping traditional products.  Please be sure to check the estimated ship date at the time you place your order for the most current processing times. 
As of 09/04/13 we are printing orders and products as follows:
• Calendar Frames

We are printing orders with order dates through 08/20/13

• Calendars

We are printing orders with order dates through 08/27/13

• Cards

We are printing orders with order dates through 08/27/13

• Custom Albums / Custom Album Pages 

We are printing orders with order dates through 08/20/13

• Hardcover and Leather Premium StoryBooks

We are printing orders with order dates through 08/10/13

• Page Prints

We are printing orders with order dates through 08/11/13

• Photo Panels and Phone Cases

We are printing orders with order dates through 08/30/13

• Softcover StoryBooks

We are printing orders with order dates through 08/25/13

Digital News from Creative Memories

Good afternoon, Thank you for your patience as we’ve worked on a go-forward plan for the Digital business. As we’ve shared for the last few months, the goal has been to allow Consultants and customers to have a seamless transition of their software and projects as Creative Memories exits the current digital business, and we've now arrived at a solution so that can happen. We’ve reached an agreement with Panstoria (the creators of Memory Manager and StoryBook Creator) which has been put before the Court. Here are the highlights: Both Memory Manager and StoryBook Creator software will continue uninterrupted. Software can be activated through December 31, 2013, and Panstoria will continue to provide software updates as needed. This means that software purchases you or your customers have made that haven’t shipped can be activated without any trouble, even if they ship beyond September 23. Memory Manager and StoryBook Creator users will be contacted by Panstoria, and will be given access to printing and other features through Panstoria. The plan and timing for printing has not yet been finalized, but will be forthcoming. Please look for Panstoria news and updates in the Memory Manager and StoryBook Creator news feeds (right side of the main page). Any Creative Memories digital artwork you’ve purchased can be activated (without an end date) on any computer. Anyone who’s made an investment of time or money in software, projects or artwork can continue to use them uninterrupted. It’s important to note that the agreement is subject to Court approval, so it is not yet final. But because the motion is being filed today, we wanted to ensure you had the information today. We anticipate a decision from the Court the week of September 23. Also important to note: there are additional conversations happening between Panstoria, Creative Memories and a third interested firm. If that negotiation is successful, it will supersede this agreement between CM and Panstoria, but it will only improve on the above. As a reminder, the last day to order Creative Memories digital products is Sept. 23. Any unexpired Product Credits, Print Plans, StoryBook coupon codes and/or Host Rewards coupon codes can be used on the Digital Center through that date. And while September 23 will still mark the final day for Consultant compensation on Creative Memories digital products, we are pleased that customers and Consultants can continue to use the digital software they've come to love. I understand waiting on this news has been a challenge. Please know we are very grateful for your patience and for the work you’ve been doing with your customers. We will continue to keep you updated on all additional developments. All the best, Chris Veit CEO

Marching Band & Football season has begun

My son's school has an evening where the parents & the rest of the district are invited to come meet ALL of the Fall athlete's.  It's an opportunity for the families to get photos of them and the teams.  I love that our district does this, the parents are able to get the same poses at the yearbook photographer.

I've posted a few from that evening and our 1st football game of the season.  Using my lens that I am in debate about purchasing.  I do like how it reaches out & touches them on the field from the stands!

 

 

Warming up before the program.  It's held at the athletic fields which are located at our middle school.

Local News coverage, too.  They introduce the local high school athletes to the viewing area as well.

 

lined up ready to begin the field show...

 They are to step front & wave to the crowd as they are introduced.

 we are 112 members strong this year.  Largest band in 12 years!

 

It was a perfect evening with the weather and the kids all did a terrific job.


A few photos from the 1st football game (the Iron Spike Bowl).

 A safety!  Our first score of the game.

 

even the team mascot wants to join the band!