Come visit me on Saturday, November 12th at St. Matthew Catholic Church. It’s their first annual Craft Show and it runs from 9 till 2. They’re located in Lake Worth Florida on 6090 Hypoluxo Road just east of Jog road on the south side. I’ll have all of my Heritage Books as well as my handmade jewelry, greeting cards, frames and more! Hope to see you there. Here’s a sneak peek at one of my handmade frames . . . the pink flower is a vintage pin that you can wear!
To me California is all about food, wine and beauty . . . . all that delights the senses. Michael and I first experienced California with our friends Bill and Cindy Cannova in 2005. Our travels began in Pasadena to antique hunt at the Rose Bowl Flea market. We drove along the coast to Hearst Castle and on to San Francisco. We ended our journey in Napa Valley.
We fell in love with wine country and returned the following year to celebrate our 20 year wedding anniversary in August of 2006. A week just wasn’t enough so for our 25 year anniversary in 2011 we rented a home in St. Helena. We spent 2 weeks taking in all the things that we love about California. Food so delicious that I had to close my eyes to savor every flavor. Wineries at every turn, each one more beautiful then the next. A cool breeze blowing through the window. The fog burning off the mountain. Vineyards, rolling hills and windy roads. Flowers a bloom with hummingbirds hovering. Art of all kinds. Fantasy gardens with crystals dangling from trees. Beauty surrounded us. Relaxing and enjoying this special occasion, celebrating 25 years of marriage in beautiful sunny California.
Michael’s brother Dave joined us at the end of our vacation along with his wife, Barbara and daughter Paige. They stayed on at the house that we rented for the third week. It was such a joy spending time with family and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Life is good!
I am almost finished the book I am making with all the thousands of photos that I took on our trip. Here’s a preview of some of the spreads . . .
Twenty-five years ago on August 16, 1986 Michael and I were married. The big day took place 7 years after our first date on August 16, 1979. Our love has grown stronger with each passing day. Two people, one life. I couldn’t be happier.
I just recently gave a presentation to the Martin County Genealogical Society located at the Blake Library in Stuart. It’s so important to preserve you family memories through photos. I hope I was able to inspire them to do so. It’s a beautiful library and everyone was so wonderful. I set up my scanning station and the members brought in their photos to share with me so I thought I would share some of them with you.
The following photos are courtesy of Virginia Streader. She is so fortunate to have such a lovely collection of photos of her family that she can incorporate in to her genealogy research.
Virginia’s mother, Lillian Roth Folk
Lillian and Frederick Roth
The Roth family at Coney Island New York
I am trilled to announce that the heritage book, “The Maternal Ancestors and Family History of Barbara Ann Page Stocks”, which I designed for Leanne Stocks Baraban, was admitted into The Daughters of the American Revolution Library in Washington. D.C. The DAR Library is very selective about accepting books to their inventory and it is an honor to be approved.
The library of the Daughters of the American Revolution is one of the most valuable research facilities in the country. The DAR Library was founded in 1896 as a collection of genealogical and historical publications for the use of staff genealogists verifying application papers for the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Shortly after 1900 the growing collection was opened to the public and has remained so ever since.
This is a page from the book about Frank Miller. What a treasure it is that the family still had his diary which he kept while he served in the Civil War. He even spoke about the death of Abraham Lincoln.
My latest project is a book about a wedding veil bought in the 1920′s and worn by over 20 brides. Each couple’s initials and wedding date are embroidered into the veil. I was fortunate enough to be able to photograph the veil and take closeup detail shots of each one.
Now we are collecting all of the brides photographs wearing the veil. However, there was one bride who was married in 1947 that no one seemed to be able to identify. With only the date and initials to go by I set out to see if I could solve the mystery for my client. I am happy to announce that the “mystery bride” has been solved. I was able to track down the wedding announcement in the New York Times, which is no easy feat since most searches require a name.
Above is a photo of 3 generations of extraordinary women that wore both the veil and the wedding dress.
We are off to a good start. I can’t wait to continue on!
I was lucky enough to spend Saturday at the Jaffe Center for Book Arts at Florida Atlantic University. I took the “Book Arts 101″ class. It was a great overview of some of the amazing handmade artists books that you can find here as well as learning some simple hands on bookbinding techniques. Bravo to John Cutrone who gave the class. John is the Programs Coordinator of the Jaffe Center. He is also a partner in Lake Worth’s Convivio Bookworks, a book art studio specializing in limited edition letterpress printed books and broadsides.
Here’s a photo of the nineteenth century Wesel iron handpress which is the central feature in the Letterpress Studio.
Their library focuses on the artists’ book and on all aspects of the Book Arts. This includes artists using the book as a means of artistic expression, fine bindings, limited edition printings, hand papermaking and paper decoration, and any of the handcrafts that artisans use to create books. I am so happy to have discovered this wonderful place!
Mark your calendars, the Florida State Genealogy Society 2010 Conference is less then a month away! This 2 day event runs from Friday, November 12th through Saturday, November 13th. It will be taking place at the beautiful Hyatt Regency in Sarasota. The keynote speaker is Maureen Taylor. She is a must see for anyone who is interested in family photos. I am also very excited to take part in this amazing event. I will be sharing examples of my recent heritage books and photo restoration projects. Come say “Hi” to me in the Vendor Hall.
Maureen Taylor will be speaking on the following topics
Maureen Taylor’s book “Preserving Your Family Photographs” is an invaluable source of information. The best book out there for anyone interested in this subject. Maureen has really influenced and inspired me to spread the word on how important and worthwhile it is to preserve your own families past, especially family photos and the stories behind them. I look forward to meeting her at the conference.
I just got the issue of Somerset Memories with my Treasure Box in it. You can find me on page 80.This is my first time being published in my favorite magazine and I am so thankful and excited. Check it out at your local bookstore. It is fulled with amazing art and is a great source for inspiration.
I am very excited to tell everyone that Somerset Memories has chosen my Treasure Box artwork for publication in their Autumn 2010 issue. This is my favorite magazine and I am so honored to be a part of it. It will be available October 1st at most Barnes & Noble bookstores and at craft stores. You can also order it online at http://www.stampington.com/html/somerset_memories_autumn10.html
You can view my Treasure Box artwork at
http://heritagebooks.wordpress.com/heirloom-gifts/
Photo 18
All of the following photos are from my incredible trip to Crete, Greece that I took this summer. I am so grateful to have happened upon “Polio’s House” where there is a folklore museum and traditional Greek cafe. It is located in Asteri which is near Rethymno. The owner, George Polioudakis, was kind enough to share these photos from his collection with me.
Photo 17 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
Wish I knew the story behind this photo. Men in suits, with the military and church represented. Perhaps they were all the important men of the area.
Photo 16 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
Photo 15 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
He’s a monastic priest – a priest-monk or hieromonk (I am told you can tell that by the headgear). He’s holding a gospel book – one with the printed gospels for reading in church each day. You can tell he’s a priest because he’s wearing a cross – bishops wear medallions showing Christ and his mother, as in the photo I posted early. This photo was taken at the folklore museum in Asteri near Arkadi Monastery in Crete.
Photo 14 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
Aren’t they handsome and proud all dressed up in their suits. Every time I post a photo from my adventures in Crete I am so grateful to have discovered the family that owns Polio’s house and folklore museum who shared these with me.
Photo 9 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
Photo 8 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
Another beautiful photo from the Folklore Museum in Asteri, Crete. They must be sisters.
Photo 7 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
Photo 6 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
Isn’t he a dapper fella. Love the curled moustache. If anyone can date this photo that I took at the Crete Folklore Museum in the village of Asteri . . . please let me know. Thanks!
Photo 5 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
Watch out Grandpa has his gun . . . he’s always there to protect the family. Are those belts the men are wearing or bullets wrapped around their waist?
Photo 4 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete, Greece.
This photo was hanging in one of the rooms in the folklore museum in Crete. Are they really lovers or is it just a postcard?
Photo 2 from my trip to the folklore museum in Crete,Greece. 
Here’s the first of many photos that George let me take of his collection of old Crete family photos. I am speculating that they were brothers. Unfortunately I ran out of time and was not able to get any details of who is in the photos . . . just grateful that I was able to take some photos of them. Funny that the frame is in English?
If you are ever traveling to Crete and you are near the city of Rethymno you must try and stop by “Polio’s House” where there is a folklore museum and traditional Greek cafe. It is located in the village of Asteri which is a municipality of Arkadi and is on the way to the Holy Monastery of Arkadi.
I took a photo of this kitten who was sound a sleep with the Arkadi Monastery in the distance.
I still can’t believe how lucky I was to have happened upon a person in Greece with the same interests as me. Too bad we did not speak the same language. My friend Argy interpreted for me. His name is George and him and his wife, Eleni, created the folklore museum which was a block from where I was staying in Crete. The front of the building was the original older part of the home and the addition in the back is an open air tavern. It has only been open for a year.
The Cafe at Polio’s House
Two of the museum rooms display objects of George’s family history. One is decorated with his Father’s photos and another is dedicated to his Mom. The rest of the rooms are set up like a typical older Greek home. One of the rooms had looms for weaving. It truly demonstrates the importance of family identity.
I was eating lunch at the cafe the day before we were flying home and noticed a door to another room opened so I peaked inside. To my surprised I discovered George’s private collection of family history albums that he has been working on for many years. The back wall was filled, floor to ceiling, with binders. He had done the family history for many families in the area. He made a handwritten timeline for each person with photos of them through the years including wedding photos. Some were photocopies, some were original photos . . . what a labor of love! Bravo George for caring enough to preserve the areas history for generations to come.
The physical enemies of photographs include obvious villains (like direct sunlight, insects and rodents) and those that are more subtle: adhesives that degrade over time, sulfur compounds that can be given off by wood or rubber and trigger fading, and high humidity that can encourage mold growth. Experts advise against storing photographs in basements, attics and garages. They recommend storage materials specifically designed for long-term stability (called “archival” products). Surprisingly, many of the products sold by frame shops and retailers contain materials like high-acid wood pulp and Polyvinyl Chloride that can trigger deterioration. So the first set of recommendations is based on common sense: use archival materials and keep your photographs away from bright light, widely fluctuating humidity, and extreme temperatures.
From the American Museum of Photography
On Saturday April 10th I exhibited my work at the Nova Southeastern University Genealogy Fair. I also gave a lecture on Photo Preservation. This was a fabulous event. The chief genealogist from Ancestry.com, Megan Smolenyak, was the main speaker. This is an event not to be missed. Put it on your calendars for next year . . . Saturday April 16th.
Martin Tiernan grew up in a house in upstate New York, with no electricity or plumbing in a large family of which many of his siblings died at a young age. He was the first in his family to go to college and later started a business that was a pioneer in developing clean water, among other things. In 1956 Martin wrote his memoirs which he published so he could share his family heritage with with his children. In 2010 his grandson, Michael Tiernan, wanted to remake the book so he could share the remarkable life of his grandfather with future generations. After all his grandfather did discover water purification. I was fortunate enough to have the privilege of undertaking this task. I scanned the images from the book and retyped the text. I am happy with the new design and thrilled to see it in print.
It has been quite a journey! Leanne lives in Kansas and I am in Florida. We accomplished this 154 page book all via email. I was thrilled that she included me in the opening intro to her book
“At times I would discuss with my immediate family the discoveries that I found. They were interested; however, showing them pictures of their ancestors (where they could see their own resemblances) really intrigued them. Thus, I knew when I began planning this book that it had to be a heritage scrapbook style genealogy book. As I searched for a way to accomplish this type of book I came across Suzanne Woodie’s website. I loved her artistic work. I hired Suzanne to design the pages of this book. I am so pleased with the results.”
The book is at the publisher . . . I can’t wait to see it in print!
Just wanted to thank all my friends for thinking of me on my Birthday! Loved all the presents and cards!!
I threw a party for my Dad’s 80th Birthday which was on February 1, 2010. It was such a joy to see him so happy. And I had fun creatively putting it all together. I placed a centerpiece on every table which showcased different parts of his life. This one was of us kids when we were young. I gathered glass vases from around my house and borrowed some from neighbors. I filled them up with sand and place curly willow branches in each one. Then I clipped the photos on to the branches. (best to scan them in and reprint . . . don’t use the original photos, plus it was fun at the end of the party I let everyone take whatever photos they wanted home with them) To add a little sparkle I took resalvaged pieces from a chandelier I found discarded in a neighbors trash. A family tree needs some birds . . . which I pulled out of my Christmas collection along with some butterflies. I wanted to have some sort of “party favors” so I designed a mini book about my Dad’s life which I had published. I made enough so that everyone could take one.
The party was held at my Dad’s clubhouse. The entrance wasn’t very appealing so I made a wreath for each door. Then I put a topiary tree in a ceramic pot on either side of the doors. I found the glitter letters at the craft store and made the “8oth” out of cardboard that I glued glitter onto. I also used pieces of the chandelier and some flowers. Here’s a closeup photo of the wreath.
I’ve been spending the last couple of weeks in Cincinnati, Ohio working at Frontgate catalog drawing layouts. What a joy to be able sketch all day. Over the weekend I went to the Burlington Antique Show. Found some lace, postcards, frames and 2 victorian photo albums . . . can’t wait to use them in my books.
I am working a freelance job in Ohio and got to visit the Dayton Art Institute. What a great museum and it’s free to get in! The highlight was a film that Salvador Dali made with Disney . . . a must see!
On our way home from Tarpon Springs we stopped at Florida Southern College to see the buildings that Frank Lloyd Wright designed. All of the buildings are connected by a walkway. The church was interesting with it’s glowing glass blocks of color.
After visiting my friend Elsie in Sarasota, Florida Michael and I headed for Tarpon Springs. It is a Greek town known for sponge diving. Established in 1905 it has the worlds largest supply of sponges harvested from the ocean. Of course I had to buy one. It’s amazing how soft and fluffy it is once you wet it and it will last for 10 years so they say. We had good food at Hellas, Lime-n-Coconut and Currents Restaurants. Downtown Tarpon Springs is filled with antique stores. My big find for the day was a 12×15 Victorian embossed sketch journal for only $8. Also loved the little shop on Athens Street called Sponge Diver Supply. It was refreshingly modern and hip compared to the rest of the shops by the sponge docks. The guy who owns it designed all of the graphics on the clothes and even took the photographs displayed on the postcards.
My friend Elsie Diana exhibits her fashion illustrations from the 1950′s through the 1980′s in galleries throughout Sarasota, Florida. This one is my favorite. During my visit I photographed some of her work to put in a book that I am designing about her and her family. My major in college was also fashion illustration . . . gone are the days.
Elsie Diana in 1948
Elsie Diana and Suzanne Woodie, September 2009, during my visit to see my dear friend Elsie who I adopted as my Connecticut Mom in the 1980′s when I lived in Hartford, Connecticut. Elsie and I were both layout designers for G.Fox Department Stores.
I love this photo that I just finished retouching. Does it not look like it should be in a magazine? It is of Aubra Hoppers looking cool and relaxed.
I am thinking of my Mom day and how much I miss her. Today is her Birthday. There’s so many things I wish I could ask her. Especially now that I am doing my family history. Like did she make this dress she is wearing in the above photo. Where was she going? What year was the photo taken? Are the flowers on the dress real? Wish I had that handbag. I wonder what happen to it? I may not have all the answers, but I am grateful to have this photo and all the happy memories of my Mom. For all of you whose Mothers and Grandmothers are still alive . . . take out those old photos and have them tell you their stories. And please write it down and put it in a binder along with the photos.
Today I am meeting my friend Christa and her Mom for lunch to give Christa the birthday present I made her. When Christa was in college she did a study abroad program in Japan. The album that she had used was one of the magnetic page photo albums. These are so bad for your photos. She hired me to replace this album for a better one. But I decided it would make a great present for her birthday. For those of you who have your photos in magnetic page photo albums please dispose of them. The magnetic pages which are made out of thick paper stock, coated with glue and covered with clear mylar plastic will ruin your photos. The acid in the glue deteriorates the photos and the mylar seals in the acidic fumes. Please do not let your precious photos get ruined.
Just finished designing this layout. I took the old letter below, removed the original words in photoshop and used it in my design. The original letter is part of my family history. We found documents that had Hungarian seals on them. I always thought that side of the family was from Austria. But this 4 page letter I am told is written in Windish. Windish? What’s Windish? I had never heard the word Windish before. I am told that it is an area located in what today is currently Slovenia, and what was formerly mostly the region of Carniola in the former Kingdom of Austria. The letter is from my great grandfather Janos Brodnyan’s sister telling him that there was a fire and that they lost everything. If anyone out there knows how to translate the Windish language please contact me at suzannecreates@comcast.net.
Just received another beautiful photo today for the book. This is Anna May Dillion when she was 16 years old in 1909. It is a photo of the same women I posted yesterday before she was married.
I am blessed to have a wonderful client who is letting me share the progress of her book. She is a genealogist and has lots of wonderful photos and stories. She never fails to amaze me at what she is able to find. A recent family search for information came up with this incredible photo. What a treasure. It really tells a story . . . her cat is by her side as she rocks in her chair listening to the radio with the light streaming through the window bathing her face with a beautiful glow. I just love it!
I know it’s been quite some time since I posted anything. I was inspired this morning to take some quick shots of my cat. She has no teeth. (A story I will tell another day) So when she’s really relaxed her tongue sticks out . . . too cute!
