It is that time of year. Kids love Halloween and all the fun that goes with it.
We recently visited Oil Ranch in Hockley, Texas. Their Halloween decorations have turned the ranch into a home for pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows.
I made a video of the festive sights and then added a map, videos, an article and songs with Thinglink's interactive tags.
When I was a school librarian, I was always looking for creative and clever ways to teach the library rules at the beginning of each year.
This video illustrates basic library rules for elementary children. I used Thinglink to embed links to some of the most informative and entertaining videos on YouTube that teach children how to use the library.
As you watch this video, click on the blue tags and the video on YouTube will start playing. This video will resume when you finish watching the embedded video.
This morning I went my Animoto account and discovered a new video template called "Rustic". I love everything country, rustic and vintage. This template is just what I have been waiting for to feature photos of my rustic treasures.
Animoto is a web application that produces videos from photos, video clips and music. Animoto analyzes the provided photos, video clips and music to generate a video similar to a trailer. According to the website, the song is analyzed, producing a unique video every time.
Here is a video that I made with the Rustic template.
FYI ~ The Animoto link in this post is my affiliate link. For a limited time, you will receive 20% off any new Pro subscription purchase and I will get 2 free months added on to my Pro subscription.
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Animoto has recently implemented a new feature that allows you to fit your photos/video to a song. It is now much easier to have your content and music end at the same time when you are designing a video slideshow. This is a very helpful feature if you want the entire song to play during your video. If you do not set the music and photos to end at the same time, the music will gradually fade out at the end of your content.
I have designed two new music videos to demonstrate this feature. Animoto has hundreds of royalty-free songs in their music library. I made selections from the music library, and then I chose photos/video to illustrate the music.
Music really speaks to the emotions and it is a great way to connect with people. There are many other services on the Internet that assist you in creating video presentations, but I think Animoto is the best when it comes to artistic style and creativity.
I chose the popular country song, "You Are My Sunshine" and illustrated it with a combination of my own photographs and pictures provided in the Animoto photo library.
In this video, I chose a cute children's song from the Animoto music library and illustrated it with some family portraits and some floral pictures from the Animoto photo library.
Animoto provides a license to use their music in public forums (like YouTube) so you do not have to worry about copyright infringement issues. I used the Animoto Pro account to make these videos but there is a free option available to try the service to see if it meets your needs.
Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
Would you like to spread the word about your book, business or blog? Is video marketing right for you? You don't need an expensive video camera to make a video for YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. Camera shy? You don't have to talk in front of the camera. Today I will share a video slideshow that I made to promote/advertise this blog.
I designed the following slideshow with Animoto. I think a picture/video is worth a thousand words so I am offering this video as an example of how you can use a slideshow to tell the world about your business or product.
Do you use video marketing? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
Would you like to create a professional quality video slideshow to share with your friends and family? Animoto lets you organize your photos, add some video clips and top it off with your favorite music. It is very easy to do and you will love the results. I recently attended my daughter's baby shower and created a slideshow with the photos and video that we took on this special day. I used a brand new Animoto template named "Through the Blossoms" to design the slideshow. I explain exactly how I made the video in the steps below.
How To Made A Video Slideshow With Animoto (1.) I transferred the pictures that I took at the shower from my digital camera to my computer. I also selected pictures that my daughter took with her camera and copied them from her album on Facebook. (2.) I saved some of the favorite video clips that I took at the shower with my Flip Mino camera on my computer. (3.) I went to Animoto and logged into my account. I clicked on the "Create Video" tab. (4.) I was able to view all the video styles that are available on the site. I chose "Through The Blossoms" for this video. (5.) I was taken to the screen where I would design the video. I clicked on the "Add Pics and Vids" tab. I uploaded all the photos that I had saved on my computer from my digital camera and the Facebook album. I then uploaded the video clips that I saved on my computer from my Flip Mino video camera. Animoto allows you to use 10-second video clips in your slideshows. You have the option of turning the audio off or leaving it on. I decided to turn the audio off on the video clips. (6.) Animoto offers a collection of stock photos and video that you can add to your slideshows. I chose several baby photos from their collection to add to my slideshow. (7.) I clicked on the "Add Text" tab and created several short written messages that I wanted to include in the video. You can drag and drop the text screens to the location you want them in the slideshow. (8.) I clicked on the "Change Music" tab to select the music that I wanted to complement my photos. This is always the hardest part for me because there are so many selections in the music library. I chose a song named "Golden Days" for this slideshow. (9.) I clicked the "Advanced Settings" tab to give the slideshow a name and description. There are other options you can use to customize the video to fit your needs. (10.) I saved my work and then clicked the "Produce Video" tab. I waited a few minutes and it was a done deal. I previewed the video and then upgraded the resolution to 720 HD. (11.) I exported the video to YouTube and shared it with my friends.
Animoto allows you to open an account and create a 30 second video FREE. Try it today.
Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
Happy Halloween! I would like to share an easy way to make a fantastic video slideshow with your Halloween photos.
Animoto has a brand new style in HD called Vintage Voyage. Vintage Voyage uses maps, clocks, vines, compasses and picture frames in the background. This style provides a lovely retro/vintage look that is great for displaying family pictures and vintage/antique images.
Last week, Animoto rolled out some new Halloween genre music that rocks! These Halloween selections will really make your slideshows POP!!!
I made this "Halloween Party" video to feature some treasured pictures of my granddaughter in her Halloween costume. I found some public domain Halloween postcard images to complement the vintage feeling that is conveyed in the Vintage Voyage style. The "Halloween Party" music is just perfect for this video.
Animoto makes it easy to design a video slideshow. You can make a FREE 30 second slideshow to see if this service is for you. Your slideshow can be posted on YouTube, Facebook or any other video sharing site.
Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
(If you designed a Halloween slideshow on Animoto, I would love to see it! Please post the link in the Comments Section below.)
Last week I attended a local Friends of the Library book sale and found a real gem. Trades and Occupations: A Pictorial Archive from Early Sources (Dover Pictorial Archive Series), by Carol Belanger Grafton, is a collection of over 1100 illustrations. These pictures were found in publications that were printed between 100 and 350 years ago. The picutres feature different kinds of work that people have participated in over the past several centuries. These pictures remind us that work was for centuries a common subject for art, and particularly for illustration.
The fair use policy for these illustrations state that "you may use the designs and illustrations for graphics and crafts applications, free and without special permission, provided that you include no more than ten in the same publication or project".
Last week, I wrote a blog article about how I use Animoto to create slideshows from my personal photographs. Today, I used some illustrations from this book to create a slide show of illustrations featuring Victorian book sellers and libraries.
Dover Publications has published dozens of books of clip art and vintage illustrations. Most of these book are 20 to 30 years old. I think these books are wonderful resourses for graphics to use on blogs, social media sites and videos.
Please click HERE to watch the video and post your comments below. I love to hear from you!
I got my first Flip Mino Video Camera in 2008. It was so easy to use and produces such high-quality video that I started to carry this camera with me everywhere I go. I have uploaded 134 videos to YouTube and I consider my channel an online journal or diary. It is so much fun to go back in time and relive the wonderful memories that I have recorded. I hope that other people are also enjoying some of my videos because I have over 60,000 upload views.
I recently discovered an online service for making slideshows that combine video and still photos. Animoto is a great way to add some pizazz and polish to your videos. The prices are reasonable and it is very easy to use.
We recently went to a huge antique fair and spent the day walking from one exhibit to the next. I found a few small treasure but I was mostly an observer. I made this video of our trip using Animoto. I hope you will take a peek and let me know what you think in the comments below.
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A digital stamp in crafting, stamping, card making and scrapbooking is a digital image printed onto paper from the user's printer. Digital stamps come in a variety of formats, including PNG, JPG, and TIFF. Digital stamps offer many advantages over traditional rubber stamps because of their ability to be flipped, resized, rotated and easily stored.
In addition, digital stamps can be printed on a variety of papers and cardstocks, and when properly heat sealed can be used with a variety of coloring mediums including colored pencil, copic markers, even watercolors.
I have been hooked on handmade card making for the past two years. My very favorite source of digital images is Mo's Digital Pencil Shop. Maurie J. Manning is a children's book illustrator who has built a very successful digital image business.
This is the step-by-step process that I use in making cards using a digital image;
I choose an image from my "digital stamps" folder on my computer. I have hundreds of images stored in this folder.
I use Microsoft Word or a picture editor program to size the image and print it on a piece of watercolor paper. This paper is thicker than cardstock and is better for coloring the image with colored pencils.
I color the image with Prismacolor pencils and a blender pen. The blender pen contains a solvent that melts the wax pencil lead so that you can blend the colors together.
I use scrapbooking tape and glue dots to mount the image to cardstock and patterned paper. There are many different layouts that you can use to put the card together.
I embellish the card with ribbon, bows, lace, buttons, etc.
I created this video last night using the Animoto online video service. These are cards that I have made using digital images from Mo's Digital Pencil Shop.
As I watch this video, I think about all my friends who have received these cards on their birthday, wedding anniversary, Valentine's Day, Christmas....or just because I was thinking about them. Card making is a wonderful hobby that allows you to spread joy to those around you. You can get started making handmade cards with supplies that you have around your house. This is a great way to send your love to family and friends.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
in 2008. It was so easy to use and produces such high-quality video that I started to carry this camera with me everywhere I go. I have uploaded 134 videos to 