<![CDATA[Robyn Foss - My Blog]]>Fri, 08 May 2026 09:41:27 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Do I need Historian?]]>Sat, 12 Jul 2025 18:44:40 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/do-i-need-historianI often get asked, "Do I need Historian?"

Well, this is a personal call. I do like to edit my photos before I go into Artisan and I put the edited photos back into FOREVER when I am done. That way I have the best version of the photo available if I want to create something in the future and not just on a page in a book.

Check out this before and after sample. To me, this is worth the effort. I am working on my photos from a trip to Alaska. If you have gone to Alaska, you know that many photos are taken from planes, trains, busses, cruise ships, and more. Sometimes these photos need some help. 

I used auto fix first and then I went back in and I used the cloning tool to clean up the reflections on the glass of coach bus I was in. I also used the cloning tool to remove the light poles and telephone poles. I didn't want to take away from the beauty I saw peeking through the clouds.  Then I cropped the image to remove the other distractions. 

Original Photo

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Edited Photo

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I believe this edited photo will be much more fun to play with in my book and when I look back at my photos in FOREVER later this is definitely better. 

I will put a link below so you can check out Historian either to buy or download the 30 free trial.  I am also going to include the link to my pre-recorded self-paced training. They are from previous classes held over zoom. Eventually I will re-record them.  
Check Out Historian
Self-Paced Classes: Beginner & Intermediate
]]><![CDATA[Ways to Apply Masks]]>Sat, 26 Apr 2025 20:56:20 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/ways-to-apply-masksI had previously created a YouTube video about ways to apply masks. Then recently I learned how to quickly turn my papers into fun masks too. I will be adding a new video to YouTube showing this demo, but here is the handout for now. 
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Click here to access pdf handout
]]><![CDATA[Trimming Videos stored in FOREVER]]>Wed, 23 Oct 2024 07:03:34 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/trimming-videos-stored-in-foreverMany of us who have had our videos digitized by FOREVER want the ability to trim those videos into more meaningful segments.  I wanted to share with you a quick video and handout to help you accomplish this. At this time, you will need to download the videos and use a FREE app available on all pc computers: Movies & TV. Click the button below to access written instructions. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Here's a quick handout to go with the video
]]><![CDATA[Artisan 6: Trim View vs. Safe Zone]]>Sun, 18 Aug 2024 19:57:55 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/artisan-6-trim-view-vs-safe-zoneRecently I completed a 185 page book of an amazing trip to the U.S. Pacific Northwest & Vancouver Island. I made sure that text boxes were in the safe zone and my pictures too, but what I learned is that when the book is actually trimmed on the safe zone line, I don't like the layout without some page around those elements. Check out my example pages below, the watch my YouTube Video on this subject.  Be sure to click the follow button on my FOREVER Community Feature Request. 

Trimmed view page snip vs. printed safe zone.

]]><![CDATA[Creating & Saving Shapes into Personal Art Kits]]>Sat, 18 May 2024 18:40:01 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/creating-saving-shapes-into-personal-art-kits
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Click here to download PDF
]]><![CDATA[Organizing in Artisan 6 with Categories]]>Sun, 05 May 2024 00:43:18 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/organizing-in-artisan-6-with-categoriesI was chatting recently with someone working on organizing her content. If you are just starting this process, using categories gives you a quick way to throw entire kits into an organization system. You can group them by seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter), holidays (New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, etc.), digital artist (Cottage Arts, Mags Graphics, Seatrout Scraps, etc.), themes (birthdays, travel, boyish, girly, etc.), styles (art deco, farmhouse, etc.), and more.

Other uses for categories: 
  • Pick kits you want to use on a particular project so that you don't have to look through all your kits when completing pages. 
    • One time I did this and then deleted the category after the project was done. I regretted that because I really liked how those kits worked together. I would suggest renaming the category rather than deleting it. 
  • Create categories for temporary use. You can look through your content in the content manager and throw kits into a temporary category that would be at the top of the list when you go back to the page you are working on. I use "000 Home."

Below you can see some screen shots I took of my categories. I hope this helps you get started on organizing your content.  More training can be found in the getting started guide (see page 27). Click the blue button to open a handout on this topic from the Getting Started Guide. 

p2P Getting Started Handout on Categories
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]]><![CDATA[Consistently Using Artisan 6 - Brings Success]]>Wed, 06 Mar 2024 19:00:27 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/consistently-using-artisan-6-brings-success
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I met Sharon March 2023 at a scrapbooking weekend where I was a vendor for FOREVER. May of 2023 she purchased both Artisan 6 & Historian 6. She also signed up to take my beginner classes for both. She finished both classes and started attending my Digital Cafes. I believe all of these helped her to get going in Artisan.

Her first book was a reprint of a traditional scrapbook she had digitized. Once her pages were in FOREVER, she used the 12x12 Scrapbook Page Project Bundle by pixels2Pages to create a photo book. She added a few pages and ordered two copies for her sons at the beginning of December (just in time for Christmas).

The thing that I believe helped the most is that she has come to my FOREVER Day Crop starting in the Fall of 2023 She committed a few hours every Monday to work on her books. 

In January she attended a weekend retreat and she said to me, it feels like my page needs something. It was then that I knew she was ready for the next class Artisan 6 Tool Time 101.  She watched week 1 and learned all about finishing touches she can put on a page and fell in love with overlays.  We reviewed her project before ordering and I gave her a few tips and reminded her on how to add shadows, glows, etc. to finish her pages.  She was able to order her second book in January 2024. This was a book about fun activities & adventures from 2023. 

In the next month she was able to complete her third book almost completely on her own. This vacation book was ordered just over a month after she returned from the trip. Amazing!!

​She's still learning & having fun, but working on it regularly helps her to start where she left off the last time and there is less re-learning what she figured out the time before. 

Congratulations to Sharon for your great progress with your photo projects. 

Tips to Take Away: 
  • Use software regularly
  • Attend workshops/retreats/day crops
  • Take available classes

I'm here to help you. If you'd like to make more progress than you are, let's connect and see how I can help. 
]]><![CDATA[Artisan 6 Remember Tool]]>Mon, 11 Sep 2023 20:04:48 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/artisan-6-remember-toolAfter the recent update to Artisan 6, the Remember Tool is back. Watch the video below to see how to turn it on and some basic ways to use it. 
]]><![CDATA[Need a new place to print your photos?      Try FOREVER.com]]>Tue, 16 May 2023 22:34:09 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/need-a-new-place-to-print-your-photos-try-forevercomWith Costco shutting down it's photo services, many customers were directed to Shutterfly to print their photos. I have run into quite a few people who are not happy with the printing quality at Shutterfly and they are on the hunt for a new print provider. Right now is a great time to give FOREVER a try. 

With FOREVER Photo Prints you get quality and value. Right now through the end of the month, photo prints are 50% off. 

Looking at the chart below, if you ordered 200 photos, that would be $29 when they are 50% off. 

If you are new to FOREVER, you will get a $20 coupon you can use toward your print order. So, you would pay $9 plus shipping. 

This weekend, there is FREE shipping on orders of $139 or more ($99 for club members).

I have ordered sample prints in both lustre and glossy. Both are beautiful. 
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Create your FREE FOREVER.com account today!
]]><![CDATA[Why is calibrating your monitor important?]]>Mon, 15 May 2023 18:20:22 GMThttps://www.robynfoss.com/my-blog/why-is-calibrating-your-monitor-importantDuring week 2 of my Artisan 6 Beginner Class we discussed the process of print preview. During class we covered the warning screen that you see after preview and before upload. 
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The third point states: "I understand that if my monitor is not properly calibrated that the colors on the printed material may not match exactly what I see on my monitor."

I have actually had this happen. Back in May 2016 I ordered a hardbound storybook from FOREVER.  I noticed that the blues were way off. 
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Above: What I saw in my screen.  Below: The printed book.
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Below: Side by side: my screen and the book. 
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This is when I understood the importance of monitor calibration. I found out from another FOREVER ambassador what they used to fix this. There is a product by Datacolor called Spyder.  I ordered it and have loved it. I haven't had an issue since. Below is a link to check it out on Amazon and a screen shot showing the product in use during calibration. 
Check it out on Amazon
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