Pre- PMA2010

We arrived in Anaheim, site of PMA2010, on Thursday night.  The show officially opens on Sunday morning. We'll be ready!

Here's a video of the Anaheim Convention Center before the start of the show.  Set-up is in full swing.We'll update periodically throughout our stay.

Laura

Freeze Frame Publishing to display products at PMA2010!

Thank you.  We are so excited to have the opportunity of sharing some of our best printed samples of your custom created products at PMA2010 (Photo Marketers Association International) in Anaheim, California later this month.  We will be sharing space with Xerox in their booth at this annual event.  We will be talking about Freeze Frame Publishing, our printing and finishing processes, and our print provider, Color House Graphics.

Here are samples of the samples we submitted:

 

Andrea Booker, photographer and proprietor of Single Moments Photography, contributed these samples.

 

People from the West Michigan area will recognize this local iconic sign.  This card was created by local photographer, Jim Hegerty.

 

Local graphic designer, Sue Christafferson, created these products.

 

Nice Nines proprietor and rally driver, Matt Johnston, created these posters with our software.

Two high school students also submitted great products.  Devin Hendrick, a senior at Northview High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan created the samples above. Devin's portfolio won an award from Kendall College of Art and Design and her works are currently in competition for the "Governor's Traveling Art Show." Best wishes, Devin.

 

Robby Harwood, also a senior at Northview High School, contributed these products.

We also sent calendars, photo books, and scrap book pages. Thank you to all the artists, designers and photographers who allowed us to send their projects as our samples. You certainly make us look good!  We will be adding blog posts and updating our facebook page from PMA2010. Please check back!

Please visit our web site for more information on how Freeze Frame Publishing can help you freeze time and frame your memories forever!

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Laura

November Scrap Book Events Details!

As many of you know, Freeze Frame Publishing will be participating in our first scrap book events in November. We are quite excited for this new venture; we've met many interested scrap bookers and custom card makers already!

Our booth will have a little bit different look to it: we will showcase samples of custom cards and background pages created by scrap book enthusiasts. We will also have FREE software CDs available and we will give FREE card samples to people joining our email list.  We will also have 12x12 scrap book pages kits available for purchase. Of course, we will have sample photo books on display as well.

For more details on these scrap book events, please click the links! Mt. Clemens show, November 7-8; Birch Run show, November 13-15.  If you are in the area or attending these shows, please stop by and see us!

Please visit our web site for more information on our products and services.  If you have tips and ideas you would like to share, please contact me, I'd be happy to post your ideas (pictures, too!)!

Thank you for visiting our blog!  We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Laura

Local Photo Book Classes!

We are happy to announce that we will be conducting four evening classes on photo book building this fall.  Classes will be offered through Sparta Community Education and through Lowell Community Education.  Come join us for an evening of uninterrupted--concentrated photo book time!

You will have access to computers so no need to bring your own. However, if you have a laptop you can certainly bring it.

Cost: $45.00, which includes one 8.5" x 11" Classic 20-page photo book, a software CD for use on your home computer (and to share with your friends and family!), and snacks!

Places, Dates and Times:
Lowell Area Schools (Call Beth at 616- 987-2575 for more information and to register)
     Unity High School, 320 Monroe St, Lowell

     Monday, Oct. 19, 6:00-8:30 p.m. 
     Monday, Nov. 16, 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Sparta Community Education  (Call Pam at 616-887-7321 for more information and to register)
     Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6:30-9:00 p.m.
     Tuesday, Nov. 17, 6:30-9:00 p.m.


What to Bring: a CD or flash drive with 50-80 digital photos that you would like to use in your photo book.  If you need assistance preparing your digital photos for class, please email me.

This might be the opportunity you have been waiting for. Bring your friends!  We'll all build photo books together!  You will be ready to share your photo book online by the end of the night. Your photo books will be printed, finished, and shipped in plenty of time for holiday giving!

Please visit our web site for more information on our products and services.

Hope to see you there!
Laura

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"Mama's in Time Out" with Freeze Frame Publishing

Kiki, a busy mother and blogger from Greer, South Carolina, took "time out" of her busy schedule to make a photo book for her son.

"The whole process was fun and easy...I decided to create this book with lil' D and use his 'words' on the pages. We had so much fun and enjoyed looking at his old photographs together," she writes.

You can see pictures of Kiki's book and read her post on her blog "Mama's in Time Out."

Thanks, Kiki, for the kinds words and the great idea of making a book WITH your young children.  She 'froze time' and her young son's 'voice' in the captions that appeared throughout his book.  I'm sure he will cherish this book and one day enjoy sharing it with his own children.

Please visit our web site for more information on our products and services to help you 'freeze time... and frame your memories forever!'

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Laura

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Professional Photographer Guest Blog Series! NEW this Fall

We are excited to announce a new guest blog series especially for Freeze Frame Publishing:  Andrea Huddleston, professional photographer from Greenville, Michigan, will begin contributing photo taking tips this fall.

I had the pleasure of meeting Andrea at a bridal show this past spring. I was immediately impressed with her passion and knowledge of photography.  Please visit her web site for more information about her as well as to see some of her work.

Andrea is a busy woman!  She is a mom; a soon-to-be wife (September 2009); a school board member for Belding Area Schools; a Girl Scout leader; "a loan officer by day, and a photographer the rest of the time." She holds a finance degree in addition to training in photography.

In addition to writing tips to help all of us be better picture takers, she will also write about the profession of photographer: why photographers"charge so much" and why you should consider hiring a professional photographer for the Single Moments, the special moments, in your life.

You can follow Andrea at a number of online locations:
web site:  http://singlemomentsp.com/
email: singlemomentsp@yahoo.com
facebook: www.facebook.com/singlemomentsphotography
myspace: www.myspace.com/singlemomentsphotography

Stayed tuned.  Charge the batteries in your cameras!

We welcome your comments and suggestions!

Laura

Color House Graphics, Freeze Frame Publishing at Print '09!

Synergies.

We have an exciting opportunity ahead!  We will be speaking at Print '09, "the largest, most comprehensive, global exhibition...for [Book Printers and Publishers]"... and all of the graphic arts.

Print '09 takes place in Chicago at the McCormick Place, September 11-16, 2009.

Freeze Frame Publishing will join Color House Graphics, our print provider, as we take the Xerox stage in booth 1100 and 1117 on Saturday morning, September 12, at 10:00 a.m.

Color House Graphics has used Xerox equipment for years. That same equipment is what we use to print your photo books, cards and calendars.  Color House Graphics continues to expand their well-established book printing business to include the newest digital offerings to meet the ever changing needs of their customers.

Freeze Frame Publishing is strictly digital. We rely on the quality of the Xerox iGen. We rely on the capabilities of Color House Graphics and Xerox to seamlessly mesh technologies to produce the quality products that you have come to expect.

We will be sharing parts of our stories in Chicago.  If you are attending the print show, please stop by and see us!

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Laura

Joy of Photo Stories: blog post by Jen Mitchell

Jen Mitchell, a busy mother of four juggling home, family and career, took time to review our software recently. She wrote about her memories of a blue vinyl photo album, of family stories told again and again. "[Photos]... are keepers of stories, of history, my family's history."

"With digital photos being on the computer the whole part of sharing their story is lost. Sure my digital pictures all tell the story of the events that they captured but who gets to hear that story when they are all nicely organized and categorized on the computer? I have not prints to handle, no books to look through," she adds.

We are happy to report that Jen loved our software!   "I went to their site, downloaded the Free software and in one nap time, I had made a book of photos. A tangible book that my children can hold and we can look at together."

See the book Jen made, as well as read her blog post on her blog site.

Thanks, Jen for the good words.

Do you have a story to share? We'd love to post it on our blog.  Please send your "photo" stories to us!

We invite you to download our FREE software and give it a try as you frame your memories forever. Our software for photo books, cards and calendars is very flexible and easy to use. All of our products are fully customizable from page backgrounds to fonts, templates, page layouts, picture borders and enhancements. Our blog has many tips, ideas, and suggestions to aid you in framing your special memories forever.

If you have slow internet connection, or no internet connection, request a disc and we will send our software to you! You can also sign up to receive our blog posts emailed directly to your in- box! Please visit our web site for more information on all of our products and services.

If we can be of any assistance, please email us at info@freezeframepublishing.com, or me at laura@freezeframepublishing.com

Thank you for visiting our site. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Laura

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Upcoming Events with Freeze Frame Publishing

There is still plenty of summer left, but we are busy planning for a big fall filled with lots of opportunities for you.

If you are in the Greater Grand Rapids area, look for us in two local school districts: Sparta Area Schools and Lowell Schools. We will be conducting evening workshops in October and November. Sign up if you are like me and need a little extra push to get that photo book built! Specific dates will be forthcoming. The charge for these workshops is $40 which includes a software CD and one 20-page Classic photo book. The best part of the workshops though is concentrated time to start and finish your photo book... in time for holiday giving!

If you are a scrap booker, you can find us at two scrap book events in November. The first weekend finds us in Mt. Clemens, the second weekend in Birch Run. Our booth will be slightly different than usual in that we will be displaying and selling 12x12 background pages as well as a variety of paper for your hand-made cards and scrap booking needs. More details on these events to follow.

Watch our blog for examples of 12x12 background pages that were made using Freeze Frame Publishing's FREE downloadable software. You can create your own background pages for your scrap books, simply use our 12x12 book program and when you are finished, contact us for instructions on submitting your file.

Watch for our coupon in the upcoming Local First coupon book. We are very excited to be a part of this local fund raising program this year. Check the Local First web site for information on this promotion as well as other activities in our community.

And a quick plug for our upcoming 20-20-20 special. This may be the perfect opportunity to get that family history book completed! Twenty copies of our 20-page Classic photo book for $20 each. Contact us for help in getting your documents and pictures scanned into digital format. See our services page on our web site for more details on the services we offer.

Enjoy the rest of your summer! Take lots of pictures! Be thinking about holiday gifts for your friends and family using your digital pictures and Freeze Frame Publishing's FREE downloadable software!

We welcome your comments and suggestions,
Laura

Summertime Pictures!

At Last! Summer has arrived. The sun shines most of the time. The temperatures are warming. The days are long.

Like many of you, I am outside more in the summer and fall. My husband and I have planted a garden that needs tending; we enjoy fishing from the shore and from a boat; we kayak; we socialize with friends around campfires long into the night. I have many opportunities for taking lots of pictures. These pictures will be nice reminders of our wonderful Michigan summers during the cold winter months to come. But for now, it's SUMMER!

Digital cameras make taking lots of pictures fast and easy. We no longer have to think about how many exposures are left on our cameras, how many rolls of film we brought with us on vacation, do we need a flash bulb, etc. We can snap photos at every turn. And maybe, with all that 'clicking,' we will have taken a few really good pictures to remember our events. We can be very selective in the pictures we choose to keep, we choose to print.

If you've taken a great picture that you would like to share, please send it to us! We'd love to post your favorite pictures on our blog. If you have tips you'd like to share, send those along, too!

Keep your cameras handy. Take lots of pictures. Enjoy the summer season.

Thank you for reading. If you would like more information on Freeze Frame Publishing, please visit our web site. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Laura

Freeze Frame Publishing Now On Facebook!

That's right! We're on Facebook. Follow us from our blog or follow us on Facebook.

We'd love to hear from you. Please leave us your comments and suggestions.

Thank you for your continued interest and support of Freeze Frame Publishing.

Laura

2 Ways to Order Your Photo Books!

We are delighted to announce that now you can order your photo books from Freeze Frame Publishing in two ways: Order online; or order by mail!

Fast internet connection? Great. You are able to take advantage of our Order Online option. Simply click the Send to FreezeFrame button and follow the prompts! Your photo book will arrive in a few days.




Slow internet connection? No internet connection? No problem. Request a Disc with our software, help sections, contact information, and ordering instructions. Load the program on to your computer. Start framing your memories! You can create and order all of our photo products from the comfort of your home... even without internet connection!







Regardless of your method of ordering you must give final approval on your photo book. Once you are happy with what you have created, click the continue button.






If you opt to send your photo book to us through the mail, please be sure to include full contact information: name, address, phone number, and email address. In addition, let us know your choice of binding color and how many copies you would like. If you would like your photo book shipped to another address, let us know.

Please check our web site for current pricing and choices of bindings. If you are a Michigan resident, be sure to include 6% sales tax (before shipping charges).

Please enclose a check with your order.

If you would like assistance in placing an order, please email us at info@freezeframepublishing.com.

Thank you for visiting our site. We hope you will let us freeze time... and frame your memories forever!

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Laura

Share Your Photo Book Online!

Can't wait until your photo book is printed to show your friends and family? You don't have to!

Share your photo book online!

Simply click the 'Share Online' button on the tool bar; name your book; include a message if you like; provide the email address of your friend or family member; and leave the rest to us!



An email will appear in the in-boxes of your recipients with a link for them to click to access your photo book. They can turn the pages and view your book!


Your friends and family will also have the opportunity of downloading our software to their computer desktops where they can build their own photo books!

We invite you try our software and see for yourself just how easy it is to use--how easy it is for you to freeze time and frame your memories forever!

Please visit our website for more information. Sign-up to receive our blog updates and special promotions emailed right to your in-box!

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Laura

Request Our Photo Book Software Disc!

Do you have dial-up internet access? Do you have friends or family members that have dial-up internet access? Does your computer 'time out' while downloading things from the internet? This can make creating customized photo books frustrating and problematic.

No Problem!

Now you can request a disc of our photo book software! Simply load the software onto your computer and create your photo book! NO INTERNET ACCESS NECESSARY! When you are finished, you have the option of submitting your order online or saving your completed photo book to a CD or other media and sending it to us for printing.

You no longer need to sit in a loud, crowded, brightly-lit, big box store to frame your memories!

Also included on the disc is our card and calendar software as well as detailed help sections and some of our blog series. Now you can create your photo projects on your time, when it is convenient for you.

Sign up to receive our blog updates and current promotions emailed right to your in-box.

Please visit our web site for more information on how Freeze Frame Publishing can help you freeze time and frame your memories forever!

Happy memory building!

Laura

Thanks Dads!

Father's Day is tomorrow, Sunday, June 15. Father's Day is placed between two "life changing" events: graduations, and weddings. And near the beginning of summer vacation for the school-aged set. With so many other happenings, it's easy for Father's Day to be an "oh...what are we doing for dad this year?" after thought. Just as moms are important in our lives everyday, so too are dads.

Happy Father's Day, dads! Even if words aren't always there, you are. You are in our thoughts; your influence lives long into our futures.

My dad has been gone nearly 27 years now but I can still hear him ask me, "who do you want to be, Laura?" That question has helped guide me thoughout my life. I am now embarking on a new entreprenuerial adventure...but I come by the ability to take on the challenge honestly.

Thank you, fathers. Thanks, Dad.

Laura

Graduaton Photo Books: Part 4--One Last School Memory!

By now many of you have crossed that stage, received your coveted diplomas and are ready to take on the world! We all congratulate you. Your hard work and dedication have finally paid off. We have been encouraging you to take pictures of all of your graduation-related events. Now, what will you do with all of your pictures? Perhaps many of you have already posted your best shots on Facebook or another social networking site. And your friends have likely done the same.

The internet social networking sites make it easy to instantly share your photo memories with others in your group. That is great. With the proper equipment(large screen TVs, hand-held internet devices, etc.) many can view your site at the same time. Have you thought about where your pictures, your tangible memories, might be twenty years from now?

I read an article in the Grand Rapids Press recently written by Sarah Viren from the Houston Chronicle where she talks about several high schools in the Houston area doing away with yearbooks. Four national colleges have done the same. Social networking sites are cited as one of the reasons for the decline in popularity of the more traditional yearbooks.

That has me thinking about photo books and graduations and "holders" of memories. Social networking sites are marvelous for storing pictures and connecting and re-connecting with friends. But a printed book is also a good way of storing memories. A printed book does not rely on any technology. It is there for the holding.

Perhaps you can use the social networking sites to gather your pictures, select the best ones and build your own personal graduation photo book. Chances are some of your friends have some great shots. Uploading them to a social networking site ensures many "angles" of your shared memories!

Please visit our web site for information on our special graduation promotions now in progress!

Congratulations, Graduates!

We welcome your comments...

Laura

Memorial Day

It's Sunday morning. The sun is shining. Croton Pond is calm, save for a few fishing boats motoring to their favorite fishing holes. Truly a beautiful morning! Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day originally set aside to honor our country's Civil War dead. Many years, many wars, have passed since our first "Decoration Day" in 1868. Amidst all of the events your weekend holds we hope you'll find time to share stories and share blessings.

And while stores entice us with must-have sale items, grills await their first big firings of the summer season, flowers await planting... please take a moment to remember all of the men and women who sacrificed greatly that we might enjoy the freedoms we have.

Thank you for visiting our site. We welcome your comments.

Welcome summer. Thank you veterans. Thank you families of veterans.

Laura

Graduation

It's that time of year again. Students ending one phase of their lives and beginning new phases. I don't think it is an accident that many graduations occur in the spring. Spring marks Nature's new beginnings, it also marks the new beginnings for the students in our lives.

Are you planning a graduation party in celebration of this event? Will you display pictures of your graduate through the years? After the festivities end, after the thank-you cards are sent, after the last of the food has been eaten, why not build a photo book especially for your graduate?

Photo books make great keepsakes and great ways to store and share your memories.

If you would like help or suggestions in building a graduation photo book, or any photo book, please contact us. Please visit our web site for information on how Freeze Frame Publishing can help you freeze time and frame your memories forever.

Watch for more tips and ideas for graduation photo books!

We welcome your comments and suggestions... and graduation stories!

Laura

Spring Break

Tammy, Jen and Ericka at the fire.

Shamu!

Pat, Rob, and Mike after a game of frisbee.

Just recently my husband and I, along with some friends, headed south to escape the cold Michigan weather. The destination: Orlando, FL. While there we visited SeaWorld, hit the beach in Daytona, and visited friends that live in the area. The weather was great, and the company was even better! We made some great memories that we'll never forget!

Jen

Fish On!

Andrew, from North Muskegon area, caught his first steelhead of the season on the Muskegon River at Croton Dam on Wednesday, April 9. Good thing I had my camera! Congratulations, Andrew on your catch.

Keep your camera handy, you never know when a photo opportunity presents itself.

We welcome your fish stories or comments.
Laura

Springtime and Steelhead

Springtime has arrived in Newaygo! After a long, hard winter, the ice has subsided; the birds have returned; and the steelhead are making their way back up the Muskegon River. Wherever and whenever spring finds you this season, enjoy! And take a few pictures.

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting our site. We hope you will return again and that we can help you frame your memories forever!