Touchstone Storytelling will be a guest presenter at the April 9th Memoir Writing class at Parkland College. Details here.
Touchstone Storytelling to present at Parkland College April 9
Touchstone Storytelling spotlighted in the Small Business Development Center’s December newsletter
BLOOMINGTON – I was thrilled to be featured in the Small Business Development Center’s December newsletter. You can check out my business profile here. Thanks to the SBDC for helping guide me in my sales and marketing efforts. Their business acumen has proven invaluable!
-Charlene Homan
Touchstone Storytelling on WJBC Wednesday, November 28
Listen here as Charlene Homan, owner/writer of Touchstone Storytelling talks about her newest book offerings – Adoption Books for children on WJBC. She was featured with the directors of the Small Business Development Center at Illinois Wesleyan University.
Touchstone Storytelling to present at Home Sweet Home Ministries Women’s Auxiliary
BLOOMINGTON — Charlene Homan will be presenting at Home Sweet Home Ministries Women’s Auxiliary’s monthly meeting Monday, November 12 at noon.
Her presentation will focus on the importance of storytelling and how to preserve your story or the stories of a loved one.
Home Sweet Home’s Women’s Auxiliary hosts monthly meetings at Home Sweet Home Ministries, 303 E. Oakland Avenue, Bloomington, at noon with a potluck luncheon and a program. All are welcome to attend.
Check out their quarterly newsletter here: https://hshministries.org/file/499/HSHM_Oct2018_FINAL.pdf
Adoption Story Books
I believe it is important for a child to always know their story. Adoption, just like one’s eye or hair color, is part of who a child is. Creating an Adoption Storybook is one way to memorialize the roots of your child’s Forever Family.
A customized Adoption Storybook captures and shares your child’s unique adoption story. Whether adopted as an infant or an older child, your child’s Storybook reflects his or her story told in simple language and colorful photos.
There are many wonderful adoption story books on the market today, but your unique story is just as exceptional as your child. Your photos, mementos and more can be scanned and shared in your book to make it truly one-of-a-kind.
What’s the process?
- Contact Charlene at Touchstone Storytelling via the Contact Form below to begin.
- Charlene will contact you and discuss your story. A questionnaire will be sent to you. Once information is gathered, photos and mementos can be uploaded.
- A first draft of the book will be emailed to you for your approval. Upon approval, the book will be designed with your photos and scanned mementos.
- A final draft of the book will be emailed to you for your approval. Once you approve the book and its contents, it will be sent to the printer. You may order one or more books.
- Books are shipped directly to you.
How much does a book cost?
Creation of your book is billed at $40 per hour. Most books are a two-hour project based on a 12-page book with standard text and one photo per page. Book prices are based on the size and number of pages. Most book projects range between $100-$150.
What are the Storybook details?
Books can be any page length. Books are full-color. Sizes offered are:
- Small Square (7×7 in., 18×18 cm)
- Standard Portrait (8×10 in., 20×25 cm)
- Standard Landscape (10×8 in., 25×20 cm)
- Large Square (12×12 in., 30×30 cm)
- Large Landscape (13×11 in., 33×28 cm)
Lay-flat options are available with a 20-page minimum. A range of paper types is also available for an additional charge. E-books are also available with a hard-back book order.
Adoption story books are ideal for ages three and up. See Touchstone Storytelling’s Adoption Board Books for babies – three years of age. Touchstone Storytelling also offers Adoption Journey Books for families who wish to record their adoption process in a more detailed way. See the Adoption Journey Books link for more information.
Touchstone Storytelling to present at Parkland College, Champaign, Oct. 11
Come find out more about writing your memoir or the life story of a loved one.
Class Details – 4 Sessions
Weekly on Thursdays
Location: Business Training & Community Education, Champaign
Instructor: Shirley Splittstoesser, Touchstone Storytelling will present in class on 10/11.
Tuition: $69
Registration Closes Thursday, October 4, 2018 @ 12 a.m.
REGISTRATION LINK: https://parkland.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=3520
My Favorite Things
This excerpt is taken from my Show &Tell seminar. What do you have to share? 
Pink Satin Boxes
One of my favorite things contains oodles of small trinkets, worth no more than a dollar. The pink satin diamond stitched box, most likely once home to women’s gloves or a small sewing kit, opens with a small loop of satin ribbon.
Inside the faded box lies a treasure trove of small plastic plates in a hue of colors, replete with plated lobster and peas, turkey dinners, and trout with blotches of green peas. There are china cups and silver teapots, baby bottles and heads of cauliflower, a pineapple, a fried egg. A pair of badminton rackets and small pots and pans dot the jumble. There’s a meat grinder, a spoon and a miniature roll of paper towels. A muffin pan and laundry basket complete the mix.
Running my hands through the heap, there’s a gentle tinkling of plates against spoons against cups. This brings me back to a home on Ann Street.
As small children we’d often visit my grandma and grandpa’s home and race to the dining room. There, in grandma’s cherry serving buffet nestled among boxes of “pretties” sat the coveted pink box. Me, my sister and cousins would reach our chubby hands in, delving into the world of miniatures.
We would play with this box for hours and hours, letting our imaginations guide us on our adventure, and shrinking us to play among the land of littles. I was always fascinated with miniature things, and coveted my cousins’ dollhouse. How I longed to live in a such a place!
Today, the pink satin box lies nestled in my office. It is one of the few things I requested to inherit from my dear grandma when she died. I was 26 years old. Among her most cherished items in our eyes were the pink box, the milky green depression glass bird-shaped candy dish which was always bursting with hard candies, and her prized collections of beautiful antique plates. I walked away with the pink box, but any one of us would have been equally blessed to have received it.
Although this treasure is worthless to others, it is priceless to me. My coveted pink box.
Touchstone Storytelling at Evergreen Place, Normal July 14, 10 am.-noon
Touchstone Storytelling is excited to present a senior “Show & Tell” at Evergreen Place in Normal tomorrow, Saturday, July 14 from 10-12.
Charlene Homan, founder of Touchstone Storytelling, will show you how you can start writing your life story by writing small sketches on specific topics starting with “My Favorite Things.”
Bring your favorite thing, or a photo of it, and be ready to describe it to our group, as well as why it’s important to you. Examples include a favorite book, photo, handmade item, etc.
Afterwards, we will spend time writing a short sketch of our favorite thing.
Touchstone Storytelling is available to present at your next meeting
Charlene Homan of Touchstone Storytelling is available to speak at local organization’s meetings. Topics include: Senior Show & Tell; Benefits of Writing Your Life Story; Writing Your Life Story Basic and a general presentation including her books.
Reach out to Touchstone Storytelling today! 309-706-5828 or contact Charlene@TouchstoneStorytelling.com.
CHAMPAIGN — Memoir Writing is coming to Parkland Community College in Champaign (BTCE Parkland College Business Training & Community Education, 1315 N. Mattis Ave.) Wednesdays, March 22 & April 5, 10 a.m. to noon. With Shirley Splittstoesser, learn seven styles for writing memoirs, and choose the style that is right for you. Learn shortcuts to successful writing, inexpensive self-publishing and a memorable means for handing out copies. Touchstone Storytelling will be a guest presenter at the April 5th class. See Parkland’s online registration at http://www.parkland.edu/btce. Class WLI 429 001 $45
DECATUR — Writing Your Memoirs is coming to Richland Community College (Fairview Park Plaza Center, 1485 W. King St.) Mondays, March 27 and April 3, 10-noon. Learn seven strategies for writing memoirs. Touchstone Storytelling will be a guest presenter on April 3. To register via phone, 217/ 875-7211, ext. 6265. CRLRN8920. $35
NORMAL — Memoirs: Your Life Story is coming to Heartland Community College in Normal and Touchstone Storytelling will be a part of it! This two-day enrichment class is a great introduction to memoir writing. Get professional tips and more from me and instructor Shirley Splittstoesser. Tuesdays 3/28 and 4/4 from 10 a.m. to noon. See Heartland’s online registration http://www.heartland.edu/continuingEd/index.html or call 309-268-8160 to register. Class COMMNCR 1083. Held at HCC WDC Rm 1400. $65
