A Quilting Authority on VoiceQuilt

This month, we had a very nice testimonial from a traditional Quilter, Meg Cox. In addition to writing a seminal resource called The Quilter's Catalog: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, (Workman Publishing). Meg writes a regular column called Megabites for the magazine Quilter’s Home.

“Megabites knows from personal experience how comforting and warm a VoiceQuilt can be….At the party, my beloved opened his (VoiceQuilt Keepsake) box and we all listened to the voices of those that love him, from Dick’s 2-year-old granddaughter to his 90-something godmother. We laughed and we cried at this recorded version of This is Your Life. So this is a recommendation from the heart, not a product placement."

You can read the entire article here.

I like to think that each voice message is like a “patch” in one of Meg’s traditional fabric quilts. Unlike a traditional quilt, however, the sequence of voices doesn’t require intense planning. The sum of the messages is greater than all the individual parts. It’s that collage of voices – that montage of memories – that gives a VoiceQuilt its “This is your life” impact.

Needless to say, we are very grateful to Meg for the wonderful review. Be sure to check out her site's tips on creating meaningful family traditions, too.

A VoiceQuilt "Stroke of Insight" At CHA

I’ve been at the Craft and Hobby Association Show (CHA) in Chicago the past two days.

I thought we would see supplies for scrapbookers. However, the show focused on tools for shaping, acrylic, beads, buttons, photos and other items into party invitations, birthday cards, thank-you gifts or Christmas decorations.

I am amazed at the artistry: a chandelier comprised of delicate acrylic butterflies; a kit for making cards that could be used to convey sympathy or to announce a new baby. (See photos here.)

On the way to the Chicago airport, I had picked up My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. The book is the personal account of a famous Harvard brain researcher that had a massive stroke at the peak of her career. The story is her personal account of her left versus right brain during recovery. It’s a fascinating read because she learns to identify the left brain’s role as an analytical storyteller and the right brain’s role as a intuitive artist.

“The two halves of my brain don’t just perceive and think in different ways at a neurological level, but they demonstrate very different values based upon the types of information they perceive…(page 140)

My left brain is telling me that we didn’t find add-ons for keepsakes at Christmas. My right brain is thrilled by the possibilities after meeting two other companies in the capturing voice memories space. (We also got some amazing tips on sourcing in the Far East from kind reps on the showroom floor.)

The Best Medicine? VoiceQuilt’s “We Love You Playlist”

We’re very excited about helping families encourage a loved one with voice messages. We are distributing flyers in Atlanta chemotherapy centers, offering discounts to gift givers who want to create a “We Love You” playlist.

You can check it out here

The inspiration for VoiceQuilt came from a get well scenario. My best friend’s husband, Glenn, was on full life support in an intensive care unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Whenever I joined them at the hospital, we would tease Glenn as we played cards, worked crossword puzzles and listened to his favorite music. We shared everyday moments and treated him as if he could hear us. And – against all odds – Glenn recovered.

I came out of the experience convinced that loving voices can make a difference. VoiceQuilt is all about making the process of collecting those loving voices -- those encouraging words -- as easy as possible.

So, the idea of helping families collect toasts, encouraging messages or song dedications for loved ones going through chemo is incredibly gratifying. Know anyone going through a tough time? Why not remind them how much everyone cares? It could make all the difference...

Words, VoiceQuilt and the Atlanta Gift Mart

Twice a year, Atlanta hosts a large gift show called the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market (“Gift Mart”). At the show, gift wholesalers display and sell product to independent gift retailers. It’s a terrific way to get a sense for trends in personalized gifts.

We visited the Gift Mart yesterday and– like the editors at Gifts and Decorative Accessories Magazine - we were struck by the following:

“Words are a big trend this market. Vendors are putting words on just about everything — from photo albums to decorative accessories.”

The gift industry experts showed the photo above as evidence of this trend. We, of course, were more fascinated with the proliferation of music boxes with quotes, inspirational sayings and words.

There’s something here that reminds me of the Wall Street Journal’s article about the growing popularity of Norman Rockwell’s paintings. The print version of the article implied that Rockwell’s art provided a comfort during anxious economic times.

Now, I’m all about sentimental but but some of the sayings made me feel as though I had put too much sugar in my coffee:

“Friends are kisses to us blown by angels.”

Curious? Check them out here.

Even if we're a little jaded, we applaud all the ways gift givers are trying to express love with thoughtful gifts. That’s important and we're delighted that gift givers are reaching out with words - written or spoken.

VoiceQuilt and Robin Roberts: A "We Love You" Playlist

"Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts is celebrating the end of chemotherapy!

Six months ago, Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, she continued hosting "Good Morning America" while fighting the disease and receiving treatment.

On her last day of chemotherapy, Roberts talked about "little rituals" that helped her get through her "least favorite parts" of treatment.

This was my favorite part of the article.

Before her first treatment, Roberts was given by her friends an iPod loaded with photos of them corresponding with their favorite songs to inspire her.

"It's like a little slideshow that goes by with different songs. … It was a great idea by my friends and they just wanted me to know they were here with me, they were here with me," she said.

(Later on in the article, Roberts refers to her headphones as “magic shields” that fend off negative thoughts.)

At VoiceQuilt, we’re well aware of the power of music. In fact, many Get Well VoiceQuilts include both voice messages and music. We think of these as inspirational mixtapes. What better way to support a friend? We think of it as a "vivid visit" -- a way for everyone to be there...

Go to http://www.voicequilt.com/ and click "Get Started" to sends words of encouragement to that special someone.

VoiceQuilt - An "Instrument of Relationship"

We were intrigued by this WSJ article today.

It's a review of retail expert Paco Underhill's most recent book, "What Women Want". The review contained a quote that jumped off the page:

"Men buy instruments of technology, whereas women buy instruments of relationship."

Many promising voice messaging companies have launched in recent years. Like VoiceQuilt, these companies have had impressive technology platforms. However, technology alone isn't compelling. As far as we're concerned, it's all about making it easy for women to capture memories and deliver the memories as a meaningful gift.

Women purchase nearly 3 out of every 4 VoiceQuilt gifts. These women understand that relationships matter most. The sound of someone's voice – their accent, tone and laughter – conveys much more than a photo, letter or a store-bought gift. The collection of toasts, tributes and favorite memories represents a legacy of sorts, a symbol of the gift recipient’s impact on the world.

We believe that a VoiceQuilt Keepsake is the symbol of a lifetime of relationships. The technology underlying VoiceQuilt's process enables this gift. We're hopelessly biased, but we think our cool technology is the ultimate "instrument of relationship".

Create your own unique, personalized "instrument of relationship" to commemorate a special occasion - Birthday, Anniversary, Retirement, etc. Go to http://www.voicequilt.com/ and click "Get Started".

Thanking a Soldier…In Your Own Voice

Last year around Independence Day, the National Museum of Patriotism asked visitors to call in thank-you voice messages for military personnel overseas. Thanks to creative TV coverage by Jennifer Leslie, a newscaster at NBC’s affiliate in Atlanta, we have this photo show with highlights from the National Museum of Patriotism VoiceQuilt.

This year, we look fondly back on that VoiceQuilt. We won't be in a TV studio like last year. Instead, we’ll be enjoying fireworks, burnt hotdogs and a dip in the neighborhood pool. However, we have a new item on the agenda: seeking out a parade.

Why? Our goal is to celebrate the meaning of Independence Day -- and to find some military families -- so that we can thank them in person.

We hope you will thank a soldier -- or their family -- too.