E-book Gifts

Today is black Friday! While you are beginning your Christmas shopping, I encourage you to think about artisticancestry.com. You could either give a membership to somebody as a gift or you could create personal family e-books to send as gifts to others. 

Family History is a Hobby!

Today's Brickwall Solution might surprise you.  It is this simple... Have a Build a Network of people to ask, whether it is on a message board or a friend in a Genealogical Society, or if you are close to a family history center, a family history volunteer or employee. The more people in your network, the better off you'll be finding somebody who will have the solution to your quandry.  Next, get more education. Watch the BYU Genealogies Online Seminars, take the online Genealogy classes that are free, or take a class through a local history society.  As the old saying goes, "The more you know, the further you'll go!"  And lastly, have a great attitude! Don't let it get you down.  Genealogy for most is a hobby. Something meant for you to enjoy yourself and time to relax.  A hobby isn't a hobby when it stresses you out and makes you upset.

Genealogy technology

Staying current in genealogy is like staying current with technologies. New things are always coming available, like ArtisticAncestry.com! However, you could also sign up with a society like Utah Genealogical Society or Federation of Genealogists. These societies almost always have newsletters or journals that are sent out a few times a year and emails monthly that will give you the heads up on what's new and innovative.  And if you are really determined, you can take part in institutes and classes that are offered throughout the year such as Brigham Young University Genealogy and Family History Seminar the first week of August or the Institute of Genealogical Research in Birmingham, AL in mid-July.  The options are there, just choose the one that fits you best!

Thank You Veterans

To our dear veterans who have served and are serving their country to retain our rights of liberty and justice. Our hearts go out to you for the trials you suffered, the hardships endured, and the difficulties you survived. We give you the warmest thank you we can.  May the Heavens smile down on you.

Family History Stories

What is your most interesting family history story? I have heard rumors in my family that a great great great uncle survived the Civil War and time in a Confederate Prisoner of War Camp, then on his way home in the explosion of the steamboat Sultana.  We always knew that both grandfathers served during World War II, but it wasn't until years later we discovered that on of my grandfathers served on Iwo Jima. Why would that be information we had never heard before?

What about you? What are some of your favorite family history finds?  Please leave a comment and share one of your experiences.

Genealogy Solutions

Today's Brickwall solution might seem like a simple solution, but I have to be honest. It took me FOREVER to think about doing it. You've hit the brickwall. Every scrap of paper, every source you can think to scour, but you simply cannot find the birth parents of your ancestor. Go backwards a little bit. Find your ancestor's siblings and then search the records for THEIR parents names and birthdates. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the hardest to come by.

Family Tree Scrapbooking

Finally it is here!!!  The first ever website that allows you to upload a GEDCOM file, family photos, oral histories, even videos!  You create the e-book using your pictures and your GEDCOM and then tag the pictures you want to use in the book!

After you are thrilled with your e-book, you can publish and share it with others!  Instead of being forced to buy a set number of hard copy books, you only have to purchase the number of books that you want to share with others, send it to them, and they can view it on their iPads!

Thanks to all who have stuck by us, and welcome to those who are new to us!  We hope you enjoy this grand adventure of combining the history of genealogy, with the future of electronics!

Family Tree Storage

I have to say, the more I learn about technology the more confused I am about how I should store my data.  Should I use a Compact Disc, SD card, flash drive, or an online Cloud Drive.  I keep thinking about the downfalls of each.

1- Compact Discs are vulnerable to scratches, low reflectivity, and delamination.  All of these issues will cause the CD to cease working.

2- SD cards are small, easily lost, and are also susceptible to damage.

3- Flash Drives are about my favorite.  It is possible for it to them to become damaged and quit working, but I have only had that happen once in several years.

4- Online Cloud Drives are dependable, accessible from almost every location with internet access. As long as Google and Amazon continue their free or cheap Cloud Drives it is my new favorite way to store information!

You just need to decide which works best for you and go with it!

An overview of what Artisticancestry.com is all about.

Artisticancestry.com has been created to pull family history off of the dusty shelves of genealogists and grandparents, and to bring it to life with color, stories and history. In the beginning aa.com was to be used on both iPhones and iPads, but the recent changes to iPhone technology has crashed that plan and the new standard for viewing eBooks will have to be met. This is why, until aa.com has generated enough income to have these codes and artwork created Artisticancestry.com will download eBooks only to iPads at this time.

In order to begin using Artisticancestry.com you will need a Gedcom file of your family tree; this can be created or downloaded from either ancestry.com (a subscription site) or from familysearch.org (a free use site). Please save yourselves time and grief by checking for duplicates before downloading your Gedcom!

(Gedcom is an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication) Because Gedcom's are not created with a standard format only those Gedcoms created at these two sites can be used at this time. 

For full usage and guideline information please to the bottom of the home page and click the links in the footer.

When an eBook has been finished, the Owner/creator buys a download of the eBook to be sent to email accounts of those they wish to share their eBook with. Then a link with instructions, with passwords, will be sent to the recipient so they can view their interactive eBook through Artisticancestry.com. 

Artisticancestry.com is not a research site and does not allow research to be conducted; it is the only online site that combines family history with basic scrap-booking. Just as with a printed book, once an eBook has been shared it is a fixed commodity and can not be changed or updated. Neither can family histories be updated on site; to update you must do so wherever you have created your Family tree.

 When the Author (You) wishes to make another eBook they can do so for as long as their subscription is current. There is no cost involved in the assembly of your eBook, only on the registration/subscription and each download.

For the purpose of making Artisticancestry.com  available to everyone the costs for eBooks and subscriptions have been kept as minimal as possible:

· The first 72 hours after registering on Artisticancestry.com is absolutelyFree. 

· 24 hour subscription is $3.95.

· 3 month subscription is $9.99.

· Yearly subscription is $39.99.

Please use your free 72 hours to upload your gedcom files, photos, videos, audios, PDFs and documents. Photos can be uploaded by 'drag and drop', all other files are best uploaded using the 'Add files' button.

I hope you enjoy Artisticancestry.com and it becomes the next best website to use for family history sharing since the creation of the internet, so please tell your friends and share this message with all your friends and acquaintances. I'm counting on you!

Sincerely, Cristina Besendorfer