Services

Having a thoughtful plan and staying organized is vital to ensuring the completion of your project. This service focuses on clarifying your vision for the project, setting goals and intentions, establishing a timeline for completion, and keeping the project on track as it develops.

We are here to help you overcome the challenge of bringing multiple perspectives within a family together to form a cohesive project, handle sensitive issues that may arise, and navigate the continually evolving world of digital technology and self-publishing as you bring your project to print. We will help you set-up a system to organize your materials and identify what additional information may be needed to complete your project.

Oral History Interviews:

We conduct oral history interviews for individuals and families. Carefully crafting a set of questions to guide the process, we utilize active listening techniques to help the narrator share their stories with comfort and ease. A high quality digital voice recorder is used to record the interviews. If possible, the interviews are conducted in person or they can be conducted over the phone as needed. The audio files are provided to the client at the completion of the project.

Writing:

The art of storytelling is brought to life through the creation of a finely crafted written narrative, preserving the voice and perspective of the storyteller through the pages. Using transcriptions of oral history interviews as a guide, the narrative is crafted to engage the senses, evoke emotions and transport the reader in time and place. Voices from multiple narrators can be woven together to share different perspectives within the framework of a story. Social, historical and cultural context can be included to support and enhance the story.

Text Editing:

Every great story needs a great editor. We help you revise, edit, and organize the life stories that you have written to create a cohesive narrative. Clarity of ideas, punctuation, and grammar are refined as needed to create a finished narrative that will stand the test of time. The completed manuscript is ready for inclusion in an illustrated book, or can be shared with family members as a stand-alone document.

Photo Organization & Editing:

Unearth your family’s old photo collection and preserve it for generations to come. Organize your family’s digital photographs from recent years, selecting the gems for inclusion in your project. Once the collection is organized, we assist you in selecting images to include in your illustrated heirloom book. Selected images will be incorporated into photo essays designed to illustrate the written narrative and enhance your finished product.

Image Scanning & Restoration:

Our professional high quality scanner creates digital files of your family photographs and memorabilia, generating a digital archive of your most treasured items. After the images are scanned, we digitally restore your images by removing dust and scratches, balancing exposure and contrast, and making color corrections. The resulting digital files are print ready for inclusion in your illustrated heirloom book. Upon completion of the project, you will have a comprehensive digital archive of your family’s photographs.

Custom Heirloom Art & Illustrations:

While photographs record a moment in time, illustrations have the power to also incorporate personal feelings and reflections, adding another layer of depth to the visual storytelling process. Merge reproductions of your photographs with illustrative painting to create original art that brings your memories to life. Custom heirloom art illustrations combine a blend of fine art techniques including; painting, drawing and photographic montage with reproductions of letters, memorabilia, and maps to create a unique piece of art. Heirloom art pieces make great gifts and dynamic illustrations for your heirloom book. We can help you produce archival prints of the original art piece so you can frame and share them with members of your family.

Transform your manuscript, photographs and illustrations into a beautiful custom designed, printed and bound book. Develop a visual style for your book that supports and enhances the content of your manuscript and illuminates your vision for the project. Comprehensive book design services include defining the scope of the project, drafting a proposed design, executing the selected layout and design, preparing the layout for print, and overseeing the print production process. Books can be printed in black and white or full color. We offer a range of book sizes and formats depending on the scope of your project, as well as options for both hard and soft cover bookbinding. Each print run is custom, with the option to order a short run of books for your family or a large run for sale or distribution. Check out a collection highlighting sections of illustrated heirloom books we have created for our clients.