Making a difference...one story at a time!

What is Heritage Makers?

2011-10-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Story is at the heart of all we do. Stories provide a way to discover the rich heritage of which we are a part. With Heritage Makers unique online publishing process those stories can be preserved forever in custom hardbound books and projects. Each project contains with its pages a unique memory that can be cherished and celebrated.

Heritage Maker products are available exclusively through our sales force of independent Heritage Consultants. {That's me!} These professionals bring the Heritage Makers products to life by sharing their own stories and demonstrating Heritage Makers products at in-home celebrations. They are there every step of the way to help you write and publish your very own story.

About the Company (A technical, short explanation):

Heritage Makers helps consumers showcase their favorite photos and experiences

through custom-published books and other printed keepsakes. The Heritage Makers

publishing platform is easy to use—anyone with photos and a story to tell will enjoy the

process. With Heritage Makers’ unique online publishing tools, including a searchable

database of over 65,000 digital art pieces and 6,500 pre-designed templates, photos and

memories can be shared with family and friends preserved forever. In addition, Heritage

Makers offers a unique income opportunity fueled by a strong sense of mission that

resonates with consumers.

About the Company (A more in depth look from a heartfelt perspective):
In just a few short years, Heritage Makers has found its way into the hearts of thousands of people around the world. There's a reason for it. At Heritage Makers, our goal is to make preserving family stories simple, fun, and rewarding. Heritage Makers helps people everywhere create beautiful, heirloom quality storybooks which document the priceless relationships, events, and experiences of life.

While creating and sharing storybooks, we also believe that the company can strengthen family, improve relationships, build children's self esteem, and bind families together. Once just one book is made, storybooking will become an integral part of everyday life. All it takes is for one heart to be touched, one relationship strengthened, or one look at the face of a person receiving a Heritage Makers storybook to know that this product has the ability to change lives for good. And we have a lot of fun in the process!

A gift from Heritage Makers is more than a one-time present. Heritage Makers is the power to change a life, to build a relationship, or create a bond. Heritage Makers is an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of others.

To find out more, watch the short video at the bottom of this page.

{Taken from http://www.heritagemakers.com/aboutUs.cfm}

I Am Back!

2011-10-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be back to working my business after a difficult pregnancy and my daughter being born very sick. She is beautifully healthy now, so I figured it's time to get back to doing what I love. I have a passion for helping people tell their stories through our customized Storybooks and beautiful home decorations. Please contact me today to let me know how I can help you with preserving your stories and photos. Here is my beautiful Emma:

Created using a template on Heritage Makers personal publishing system at
www.heritagemakers.com/annie

You can read the story about our journey with Emma on my other blog ~ Joel's Journey.

P.S. I also want to thank everyone for your patience with me through this very difficult time in my life. I deeply care about each of you.

Your Personal Publishing Consultant,

Annie

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-12-26T22:34:00.001-08:00

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to starting a new year! Here is our 2009 family picture taken by Tom Pfingsten (my brother) of Brooktown Photography. I really appreciate all of my clients and readers of this blog. Heritage Makers has blessed me and my family and I want to pass along the blessings to you. It really is amazing how many wonderful changes HM made this year. I'm excited to see what 2010 holds!

Christmas is coming!

2009-12-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

Give the gift of Heritage Makers. It will be a moment never forgotten!

A Card A Week

2009-10-24T23:50:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from: 28 September 2009 ISSUE 25

By Leslie Dannelly

My husband, Mike, is in the Air Force. Through our 13 years of marriage Mike has spent quite a bit of time away from our family while he serves our country overseas. This past April, we got word that he would be deploying to Afghanistan for a year. We knew he might go this fall for four to six months, but we had no idea it would be in July for a year.

I decided I needed to find a way to help him through this time away from our family. So without his knowing, I emailed his friends and family and asked them to share funny stories and pictures about Mike. There was a “no sappy” rule—the last thing the troops need is sappiness.

I then took those stories and some of my own and made Mike a deck of cards—with enough cards to send him one a week and one for us to hand him when he finally walks off the plane and into our arms! Our three daughters love picking which card to send Daddy each week! It also gives me a chance to share with them all the funny stories of our family and friends.

Besides the cards, I made a business wall calendar for Mike to cross off days. I added some of his favorite pictures and some words of inspiration. We have an exact copy on our wall and our three daughters love crossing off days.

And one other thing I have sent him is a copy of a postcard I originally made when he was in Iraq.

The following is Mike’s words about the projects:

The calendar was something. I really needed to cross off the days during this deployment. But when it showed up, integrated with all of my favorite pictures, it became so much more. I now use it to jot down little notes to better keep track of my experiences over here. Since we have two of them, it’s nice to know that the days are being crossed off at the same time by my girls on the other side of the world.

The Heritage Makers card “Remember Kissing” is one that Leslie sent me while I was in Iraq. It uses a picture we had taken in Florida a few years back. I was very happy to get it in Iraq and just as thrilled this time in Afghanistan. Receiving those perfect memories through photographs reminds me how great our marriage is and helps me press on through tough times over here.

The cards are fantastic. They never fail to bring a smile to my face. Each one brings back memories of various fun and unique experiences that Leslie and I have enjoyed together. They contain memories that are so powerful that I am taken away as if on a vacation for just a moment with every card.

I’m very proud of my husband. He has been in the Air Force 17 years and has served away from our family many times. It does not matter how many times your spouse is deployed, gone is gone and it does not get easier. You just know you’ll get through. I’m so grateful I had Heritage Makers to make my Hero gifts to help Mike with this long year.

Take a look at Leslie’s calendar.
And see what else you can do with cards and calendars:
Biz cards 2 by Wendy Bailey
Birthday and Anniversary Organizer by Karen & Jim Stucker

I simply LOVE the new products!

2009-09-26T01:16:00.000-07:00

Among my new favorite products are the Board Book, Keepsake Jewelry, and History Heroes. I actually cried when I saw the board book for the first time because I was SO happy. Now my little Joely can have books he can look at without me worrying about him ripping my pages. The new jewelry is BEAUTIFUL and will be so easy and fast to make, and best of all...it's affordable! The History Heroes book template is educational and entertaining for kids. It's great that it encourages good character traits. My boys watched one of the DVDs for the first time a few days ago. Immediately after watching it the first time they wanted to watch it THREE more times. And it was educational! BEST OF ALL...ALL THE NEW PRODUCTS MAKE GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE AND WON'T BE RETURNED OR RE-GIFTED. THEY'LL BE TALKED ABOUT AND CHERISHED FOR YEARS! Contact me for pricing and how to get started.

Swatch Book

Show off your latest family photos, recipes and more in the new pocket-sized Swatch Book.

Board Book

This delightful and durable new addition to our storybook line is sure to become your child’s constant companion.

20 x 20 Gallery Wrapped Canvas

This wonderful addition to our quality canvas line adds personalized pride to any family’s walls.

11 x 16 Calendar

A perfect gift or family focal point, this new calendar is stunning for any room.

History Heroes DVDs and Storybook

DVDs include fascinating true stories from history that teach a range of values. Join Benjamin Franklin, Joan of Arc, Beethoven, Alexander Graham Bell, and others as they teach dedication, courage, honesty, and teamwork. Then make your child a part of these incredible stories with the History Heroes Storybook templates: History Heroes and the Hero in You and History Heroes and Our Family Heroes.

HM Keepsake Jewelry

Wear your family photos each day with our beautiful Keepsake Necklaces and Keepsake Bracelet.

We've Got New Products!

2009-09-22T13:18:00.001-07:00

I just returned from Heritage Makers yearly Reunion and I am so excited! We have some wonderful new products that I love and am looking forward to sharing with you. Here is a video highlighting what's new:

Looking for a great activity for the kids this summer?

2009-07-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

Get them started recording their own ALL ABOUT ME book! What an amazing time capsule and a fantastic way to spend a hot summer afternoon! And better yet, have even more fun by entering a Young Authors' Contest:

Click picture for further details.

Tips and Tricks

2009-07-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

Finding your story:
Starting your story is not always easy. And sometimes realizing your story can be even harder. First remember that everyone has a story. Your story can be about a vacation to Europe, camping in the mountains, your high school friends and activities, when you met your husband, when you found out you were pregnant, and on and on. Really, the stories are endless.

Sit down and write:
To get ideas flowing for your next story, just sit down and write. Those five minute exercises you used to do in grade school help a lot. Either at your computer or in a comfortable chair with a notepad and pen, write without lifting the pen for five minutes. You will be surprised by what comes to your mind. Then just take the ideas you get from your five minute exercise and begin expanding on your stories.

Look at pictures:
Another great way to find your stories is to go through your photos. As you look at pictures of you learning to ride a bike or playing kick ball with your friends, you will remember all sorts of moments that would be great in a story.

Remember and write it down:
The best way to start a story is to just remember and we are remembering all the time. The key is to have those memories with us when we're ready to write the story. So, when you're cooking dinner and suddenly remember how your mom used to dance around the kitchen while making family meals, jot the memory down on a notepad. When you’re tucking your child in at night and remember the stories your dad used to tell you, before you slip off to sleep, write it down.

For more story ideas, look at Story Maps in your Studio.

The Stories We Share

2009-06-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

Taken from: Heritage Makers Stories & More Newsletter ~ 25 June 2009 ISSUE 22

Stories are a major part of our lives. We live stories, we see stories, we hear stories, and we tell stories. Stories are a part of conversation. They help us tell others who we are. They help us define and understand our world. They help us relate and sympathize with others. They give us new perceptions and knowledge. They give us confidence and humility.

We don't always realize the impact our stories have on ourselves or others. Relating our stories can have healing effects on us emotionally and psychologically. Putting our experiences in words helps us gain perspective on issues and circumstances. Writing helps us better understand our personal world. And when we share those stories with others, they may seem almost trivial and insignificant, but to the listener, the story is something to take from. It helps them gain new insights and speaks to their hearts.

Stories are a part of who we are. They are the gateway we use to connect with others. They don't only mean so much to us, the tellers, but they mean so much to the listeners. And with every story, a new story begins... The story behind the story.

HM on Oprah's All Time Favorite Things List...

2009-06-05T00:38:00.000-07:00

Did you know Heritage Makers is one of Oprah's All Time Favorite Things? Watch us on Good Morning America to hear all about it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qURMpMtW2ww

Here is the "Before I was your mother" book shown on Good Morning America. I love it! Every mom should have one of these for her kids!

A Gift For Parents

2009-06-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from: 1 June 2009 ISSUE 21
By Kelly Gettys

In March of 2007 I decided to create a book about my parents’ first 20 years of marriage to give to them for Christmas! I had no idea what I was in for! I scanned in over 700 photos on my flat-bed scanner (groan) on weekends when they were out of town. So they had no idea this project was taking place.

At this time the template gallery did not exist, so the book was created from scratch. And between scanning photos and creating pages, this project became known as my 9 month baby! All of my friends were so sick of hearing me talk about how I had to get my book finished. They just wanted me to be quiet or get it done!

Christmas came and I couldn’t contain myself. It was killing me to know that the book was wrapped under the tree for my parents to open.

I had them sit next to each other on the couch, and I gave them their gift. Tears started welling up in my eyes. (They probably wondered what in the world was wrong with me!) When they pulled the book out of its jacket and saw their wedding picture on the cover, I don’t think they realized what they had. As the pages began to turn, my mother began to cry and my Dad was speechless. Of course at this point I was in tears as well.

My mother continued to cry all day—each time she thought about her gift. She knew how much time and love I put into it, which made it that much more special. They were amazed I was able to find the photos in their house without them knowing!

Through the years I have had many special Christmas memories that I cherish, but this Christmas will always be remembered as the one where I gave the very best gift I could ever give anyone!

Three more copies of the book have since been ordered: a copy for each child. A true treasure in each of our homes! Had I never heard about Heritage Makers, I never would have thought to do something like this for my parents. And I was able to accomplish two things: one was to provide a very special gift, and two was to have my parents’ photos stored someplace safe—on a computer.

I am in the process of creating another book—all about my Dad and his life. And I have learned so many things I never knew about my father. I found out important family history that, were I not creating a book for him, I possibly would have never known. I just hope this project doesn't take 9 months like the last one! With the wonderful template gallery I am sure it won't!

Annie's Note: This story brought tears to my eyes as I read it. It's what Heritage Makers is all about. Also, thank goodness for the Template Gallery and our Scanning Service, neither of which were around when this story took place. Every year Heritage Makers comes up with amazing updates to our website and amazing new products! I can't wait to show you what's next!

Welcome

2009-05-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

I would like to welcome you to my newest blog. I have been blogging at Joel's Journey, which is a blog about my son's journey with a rare disorder, an even rarer brain surgery, and life in general, for almost two years now. I am starting this blog because, like the title says, I want to make a difference in the world and in your life, one story at a time. In future posts I will explain how Heritage Makers can change your life. For me, this is not just a job where I can stay home with my kids and still earn money, it's a mission. I know how important it is to preserve our stories. To pass them on to future generations. To teach our children the lessons life has taught us. To show them how much we love them. Life is not easy. Everyone goes through something difficult at some point in their life. I know this too well. Heritage Makers Storybooks have healed people, healed relationships and made families stronger. They have helped to start the healing process in myself. This is why I feel so strongly about sharing it with you. The Heritage Makers mission statement is "To strengthen home and family by creating, celebrating, and perpetuating family heroes, traditions, values, and memories with heritage-enriching consumer products that employ the power of story." Simply put, the mission statement is to strengthen home and family through the power of story. I long to make a difference in your life. It's why I'm a Personal Publishing Consultant.

So my question to you is, what stories are on your heart?