RootsTech Is Off To A Great Start

This week is one that genealogists look forward to all year. This week is RootsTech. The largest genealogy conference in the world, when thousands of genealogists from across the globe gather in Salt Lake City to learn, share, network and enjoy. 

Salt Palace lit up at night

The week started off in fine form tonight with the Media Dinner. This dinner is sponsored by Family Search and serves as both  welcome and a thank you from FamilySearch to the RootsTech Ambassadors. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to be chosen to use our social media channels to share our experiences with the genealogy community. 

Signs lead the way

Well over 100 RootsTech Ambassadors, Media and FamilySearch staff and volunteers gathered at the Salt Palace for an incredible meal, a chance to connect and celebrate and to get an overview of the week ahead. 

Thomas McEntee, Christine Woodcock, Dave Lambert

Team CanGen Summit - Christine Woodcock & Kathryn Lake Hogan

The In-Depth Genealogist team. 

Me and my genealogy twin

Here's to the week ahead. It will be full of opportunity, full of learning, full of networking and most of all, full of fun and celebration.

How Strongly Do You Feel the Affiliation?

Genealogy is about connecting. I personally have a pretty low need to affiliate. Don't quite understand the tears and hugs after a week long event (training, conference, mission trip, vacation). But genealogy is my passion (some say obsession). And it's all about connecting. A bit of a dichotomy.

I was once speaking with a second cousin. Suddenly a lightbulb went on when she said, "I've been feeling very Fowler this week." Fowler is the line we connect through. I totally understood what she meant. I was a Carrick that week, having done a great deal of research on my Carrick line and was overwhelmed reading about the death of William and his only son, Andrew (18), in a mine as the shaft they were riding on at the end of their shift broke it's cable causing them to plummet 184 feet to their doom.

When I was in Scotland, I spent several days immersed in the Haddow line - my paternal grandmother's family. So much so, that I definitely felt the affinity. I have been researching the Haddows for years. I have connected with several distant cousins who all connect to a single line but then branch off from a different offspring. I became known as the "go to" person for anyone setting out on or who was "stuck" in their Haddow research.

But when I was in Scotland recently, my focus was on a more recent generation. My grandmother and her siblings. I was able to access information that was far more recent than what is available online. I now know their stories, their successes, their challenges, their tragedies. I was able to drive out to the small little village where they lived. I managed to get photos of their headstones. When I returned home, I sat and wrote out the story of the Haddows, at least of this particular generation of Haddows, to share with my cousins. It was such a labour of love being able to share what I had learned. Our granny died when we were all quite young. Three of us then emigrated to different countries, so lost the connection to the story after Granny passed away. Our fathers weren't much for sharing family stories about their parents or grandparents, so we were all in a bit of a vaccum. Now, however, we are all feeling a lot more Haddow.

How strongly do YOU feel the affiliation when you research? Do you feel particularly connected to one particular branch? Is it fleeting or lasting? How has it impacted your understanding of who you are?

Creating Photo Book Backgrounds Using Flip Pal Scanner

Now that I am back in Canada, it is time to create a memory book, or a scrapbook. I use both traditional scrapbooking and digital scrapbooking. I find the digital books are so much quicker, easier and less expensive and are great when there are not a lot of photos to scrap.
One of the things I enjoy using my Flip Pal scanner for is creating my own backgrounds. Granted, most photobook programs come with pre-loaded backgrounds, but often then don't work for the themes I want to create in my digital scrapbooks.
Using Flip Pal opens up my options and makes the books far more personal as well. Here's how it's done:

This is a roll of wrapping paper I had purchased while in Scotland

I cut a small swatch to scan (I could have flipped the scanner over and scanned a larger portion, but this was left over from my traditional scrapbooking)

Ready to scan

Scan complete!

 Then once the photos were saved into the computer, it was time to crop them. I use Microsoft Office Picture Manager for ease of use, but there are dozens of photo editing programs. Use the one you are most comfortable with

I also scanned a couple of little gift tags that I had picked up along the way

This is the one I chose for my background

Then, in the photobook program, simply add the photo you have chosen for your background and click. I use PhotoInPress because of my comfort level with it and the quality of the books they produce, but you can use any photo book company that suits you.

To make the pics stand out against the back ground, and look separate from the background, I added a border to the photos. The possibilities of setting backgrounds with your Flip Pal mobile scanner are as endless as your imagination. So, start scanning!!

Enjoy the memories and keepsakes that you make with your Flip Pal. If you don't yet have a Flip Pal (they are a fantastic product - easy to use, incredibly portable, and durable), simply click the icon on the right hand side of this blog - the one that looks like this:

You can order your Flip Pal from that link. And, to make it even sweeter, Flip Pal is having a Summer Solstice Sale (until June 30th). Here are the details:

Summer Solstice Sale

Monday, June 18 – Saturday, June 30

Use Promotion Code: SSFP6A

Save $15 when you purchase a Flip-Pal mobile scanner! (Please place items in your shopping cart first before using the promotion code.)

Suite Summer Solstice Sale

Monday, June 18 – Saturday, June 30

Use Promotion Code: SSS6A

Save $25 when you purchase a Flip-Pal mobile scanner with Creative Suite Craft Edition DVD! (Please place items in your shopping cart first before using the promotion code.)