Ali Edwards's Blog, page 100

Day Two | Keep It Simple Scrapbooking Week

Good Morning and welcome to day two of  Keep It Simple Scrapbooking Week (KISS Week). Today we are welcoming Ingunn Markiewicz and Jen Schow, both Ali Edwards Design Inc creative team members,  as they share their favorite tips to help document their stories. Enjoy!

Ingunn Markiewicz // Simplify Your Journaling with Bullet Points

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Writing is actually my favorite part of scrapbooking, and I doubt that anyone who has had to sit through an entire page of my journaling (or, cough, this run-on sentence you are currently suffering through) would say that I am known for my pithiness, but sometimes even I (see, I told you this sentence was long) balk at the idea of attempting to tie up an experience into a neat story. 

This is especially true when it comes to travel scrapbooking! I get very overwhelmed at the thought of recapping vacations in large walls of cohesive text, so I used to procrastinate for literal years before attempting to do it…by which time I had of course forgotten most of the details. 

In order to avoid this dread and procrastination (and also to avoid writing way-too-long sentences like the one I squeezed out earlier), I have now embraced the concept of bullet point journaling. It makes everything so much easier – you don’t have to worry about getting everything in the right order, or having to weave your words into a story that makes sense. I’ve also come to realize that I really do remember travels and events in moments (and smells, and sounds, and tastes, and feelings), not as stories.

This has made it really easy to go back and scrapbook those long-neglected vacations of yore. When I decided to revisit our trip to Maui in 2012, I reached out to my travel companions and asked what they remembered the most, which (a) was a delightful way to reminisce, (b) sparked some of my own memories, and (c) those little tidbits worked really well as bullet points!

They don’t have to be actual bullet points (though that is an excellent way to add color by using up your stash of enamel dots or little stars or hearts); a favorite approach of mine is to use numbers that correspond with numbered photos on the layout. 

On this particular trip to Yachats, Oregon, to run a trail race, I apparently went extra bullet point crazy throughout my pages. I started with an intro page with my top five favorite moments from the long weekend.

For the race itself, I turned the bullet points into a fun collection of stats in order to mix it up a bit.

These are interspersed with layouts with longer journaling and lots of photos and cute memorabilia in divided page protectors, but there were lots of missing pieces to the story. I decided to sit down yesterday and end the section about this trip with, you guessed it, more bullet points!

This photo of my youngest daughter and my husband is adorable, so I blew it up to 12x12 inches and wrote my bullet points directly onto it. I’m definitely a less is more girl (and this is KISS week, after all), so the only things I added were a digital stamp and physical numbers, both from the Storytelling Basics collection. 

Once again I cherished the chance to reminisce with my family (and my older daughter was thrilled to learn about her wild, deodorizer-eating ways as a toddler), and now this section of my scrapbook is full of little memories that take me right back to the Oregon Coast. Love! 

Jen Schow // When in doubt, grid it out!

Hey friends! It’s Jen Schow here to tell you about my absolute favorite + fail-proof design, a GRID! I have created so many grid layouts in my life that it was hard to whittle down what I wanted to share with you today, but let’s start with a recent layout.

I love all sorts of memory keeping, but traditional layouts are my favorite. Creating a grid is one of my favorite ways to use the journaling cards that Ali offers. On this little love layout about heart rocks, I’ve used three cards and three photos, which creates a nice balance.

Another thing I love about grids is that they take a bit of the guesswork out of creating a cohesive and balanced look. Each space can kind of corral the elements of your page. You can see on this one, I have photos, a quote, embellishment, and the title, each housed in their own little 3x4 space.

I’m sure that the grid design isn’t a new concept for anyone, really, but I’ve pulled together several other examples to illustrate the fact that you can use the same concept and vary it a little bit to get a different look each time.

Creating a grid doesn’t mean that all of the pieces have to be equal sizes. You can see in the layout above, two 4x6 shapes and two 3x4 shapes work perfectly together.

Again, you can see here that one 4x6 and two 3x4 rectangles create a great grid, which is extended on the top and bottom by patterned paper. 

On this digital layout, you can see that one whole 6x8 page is taken up by a grid of TVs, which is a fun twist.

I love creating grids with other shapes, like these hearts. It’s a bit more playful, but still orderly.

One of my favorite grid layouts uses the leftovers from some chipboard circles. I was able to include a bunch of photos for this calendar-style layout - gotta remember to try that again!

I hope you are inspired to go back to an old standby and create a grid layout soon! Maybe you can try switching it up a little to make it feel fresh. :) And when you aren’t quite sure where to start on your next story, just remember that when in doubt, grid it out!

xo Jen

We hope you enjoyed Ingunn and Jen's tips. Find more inspiration from them both on instagram! Ingunn can be found at @smultringunn and look for Jen at @craftyjenschow. Make sure to check back tomorrow for some great advice from Tazhiana Gordon-Hafele and Kasha Gage!!

Day One | Keep It Simple Scrapbooking Week

Good Morning and welcome to day one of  Keep It Simple Scrapbooking Week (KISS Week). Today we are welcoming Jenny Theriault and Jess Forster, both Ali Edwards Design Inc creative team members,  as they share their favorite tips to help document their stories. Enjoy! 

Jenny Theriault // Start with Stories of Life Right Now

I’m Jenny Theriault and I am thrilled to share my number one tip for folks just getting started in scrapbooking or those wishing to return; and that is start with stories of life right now. I have been scrapbooking for 20 years and often have been asked where to start. For me, scrapbooking is something I am passionate about and has become a part of my lifestyle, but as with everything in life hobbies ebb and flow. For me to continue to be excited about and invested in scrapbooking it also needs to feel interesting and relevant and not like a chore to be added to a long list. Some folks I have talked to have been keen to start with childhood albums or to go back in time to scrapbook their children’s baby albums, and while those kinds of albums are meaningful and have value, they can feel daunting (if this is you – check out Ali’s class Yesterday & Today for some great inspiration for telling some of those childhood stories). My hope is that scrapbooking will be a fun way to mix creativity and storytelling and using some pretty supplies too. 

I have two go-to methods for telling stories of right now. The first is to make a list of things that are going on right now in the life of someone you love. I use this method most often for my daughter who is growing and changing all the time and I love going back to read the stories of these pages that I have completed about her over the years, but this can also be used to tell stories about yourself or other loved ones in your life.

In this spread, using supplies from Ali’s storytelling basics product line, I simply made a list of things about my daughter right now. In this list I wrote about school life, home life, and included some of her hobbies right now. Then I added a large photo of her and a few embellishments. This page was quick, and easy and I love this look at what my daughter is into right now.

Here are a few more examples of past layouts I’ve created using this same storytelling technique:

My second go to way to tell stories of right now is to make a list of all the things currently happening in my life. This could include things just about me or a mix of things happening for all my family members. This is a great way to capture all the big and small everyday life stories that make up our lives. 

Thanks for reading my tip today and I hope this gives you some ideas for jumping in (or back in) to scrapbooking in an easy to do way that feels not only exciting, but doable. 

JESS FORSTER // PHOTO ENLARGEMENTS

Hi everyone - its Jess, I am so excited to be participating in the Keeping It Simple Scrapbooking (KISS) week here on Ali’s blog. Today I am going to share with you one of my favourite ways to make simple scrapbook layouts: photo enlargements. Not only can enlargements take up space and help reduce creative decision fatigue, it helps give your pages, a clean graphic look. Read on to learn more!

Photos have always been an integral part of my memory keeping process and photo enlargement is one design technique I return to again and agin on my pages. Not only do photo enlargements tell the viewer, “hey look at this”, it also can allow you, the scrapbook artist, to clearly define what is important to you. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and what I choose to enlarge, may be different than what you choose…and that’s okay. 

When you sit down to create, consider, what do I want to emphasize? What is meaningful to you? What is the “visual’ story you want to tell. Pets, friendships, places etc are just a handful of subjects you could document. Thinking about what you want to highlight is almost as important as the size you choose to print your photos. For me, I alway want to highlight relationships between my family members as well as growth and development of each family member. For me, as long as photo checks these boxes then I will choose to enlarge a photos I have taken.

Incorporating photo enlargements in to your layouts will depend on your scrapbooking budget and the type of printer you have. For me, photo enlargement sizes include but are not limited 5x7, 6x8, 8.5 x 11, 9x12” or 12x12. Depending on the album, pocket page or traditional layout size that you are working with, will guide what photo to select. Whether you print at home or send your photos to an outside printer as well as your budget, will determine how often incorporate this technique into your pages.

Here is one example where I have included a photo enlargement as part of a “daily opener” associated with a specific project. This 8.5 x 11 single page layout is from 2010 Week In Life project includes a photo of my husband and I pre-kiddos. The picture sized to 8x5 x 6”, the page tells the story of what we did on the Wednesday evening and is still one of my favourites to date. I love the idea of incorporating a large picture in a project like WITL, DTIL or December Daily as an “opener” or introduction to a specific day.

Another example where I have use a photo enlargement is this most recent project using the 2021 March Stories By the Month physical kit. It is an 6x8 double page layout documenting how my kids got creative in the first few weeks of COVID, quarantine lockdown. Although the photo is blurry, I love that this picture reminds me of a positive event from that shocking / weird time.

My final example is a 9x12 double page layout that uses the Celebrate Story kit to document the final walk on the beach for my dog Charlie. The page, which celebrates his life, highlights one of his favourite activities: a walk on the beach. For me, it was important to my to include the enlarged selfie of Charlie, my husband and myself from that day as it is one of his last happy moments before he passed away. 

There are many sizes and projects that can use photo enlargements. I hope this post inspires you to try this design technique to emphasize what is important to you in your layouts. Thanks so much for reading!

We hope you enjoyed Jess and Jenny's tips. Find more inspiration from them both on instagram! Jenny can be found at @jenny_theriault and look for Jess at @jess_forster. Make sure to check back tomorrow for some great advice from Jen Schow and Ingunn Markiewicz!!

Start Here | Keep It Simple Scrapbooking (KISS Week)

At the core of 
Ali Edwards Design Inc is the belief that stories matter. We scrapbook to celebrate. We scrapbook to make sense of our lives. We scrapbook to pay attention. We scrapbook because we love combining photos and words together to tell a more complete story.
We absolutely believe that there is no right or wrong way to document your life and each of us have stories to tell and that those stories matter.

Whether you are new to scrapbooking, coming back from a long break, or a veteran looking for a refresher, we've created this upcoming week with you in mind. 

KISS Week, or Keep It Simple Scrapbooking Week, is all about getting back to the basics. Our goal this week is to share favorite tips + tricks that we come back to again and again in our storytelling adventures. Starting on Monday our fantastic Creative Team will be sharing a daily post that features one design tip and + one storytelling tip each day: something to motivate, something to encourage, something to inspire, something to remind you that you don't have to make it more complicated than it needs to be, something to support you as you go about the process of documenting life. We are constantly inspired by our Creative Team and their commitment to memory keeping and we are so excited to share their pointers with you. 

Before we get to the content this week we thought it might be helpful to put together a resource that features some of Ali's most popular scrapbooking posts as well as an overview of the storytelling projects and resources we have available to help you tell your stories. 

POPULAR BLOG POSTS

Ali's Printers 
Ali's Basic Supplies
20 Scrapbooking Tips
Thoughts On Creativity and Scrapbooking
Tackling Unfinished Projects
Using the Affinity App (with digital products)
Stamp Week
Story Kit Crush
Popular Project Basics:



December Daily®
Week in the Life 
Day in the Life STORY-FOCUSED SUBSCRIPTIONS

We offer
several subscription options to help you tell the stories of your life: Story Kit, Story Stamp, Story Class, Stories by the Month, and Just Write. Some of these may be currently sold-out but we frequently increase our inventory and strive to open additional spots each month. If a subscription is currently sold out please click to join the waiting list and we will activate your subscription as soon as possible. 

Wondering what the classroom content looks like for the Story Kit/Story Stamp/Story Class? 
Try out our free, no-obligation "Firsts" classroom here.

COMMUNITY STORYTELLING PROJECTS

In addition to our story-focused subscriptions, we have a handful of community projects that happen throughout the year:

One Little Word® // This project centers around a year-long workshop designed to inspire you and offers monthly creative prompts and encouragement as you let this word into your life.
Week in the Life // A seven-day documentary project, Week In The Life™ is an annual opportunity to capture the simple everyday details of life with photos and words.
Day in the Life // If you are looking for a shorter duration memory keeping project or a way to connect to the rhythm of your day, you might be interested in this one-day documentary project.
December Daily® // >December Daily® is a December mini-album project that documents the 25 days leading up to Christmas. The simple goal is to capture the spirit of December via one story per day. 
Pieces Of Us // Originally a self-portrait adventure, this project is an awesome opportunity to document the things in your life that make you "you" right now. More details coming later in February. 

In addition to these core community projects we offer a variety of seasonal releases and a full selection of 
carefully curated classes offering in-depth education on many memory keeping topics. Check out our release calendar here for information on upcoming projects. These projects and products are fun and functional, but the heart of our mission is supporting and encouraging you to tell your stories.  

ALI'S YOU TUBE CHANNEL

Ali's newest video series, 
Craft the Story, is just getting started diving into a variety of topics related to scrapbooking/memory keeping including organization, philosophy, storytelling tips, and process videos. Subscribe on YouTube to make sure you don't miss a Friday video. 

CREATIVE TEAM GALLERY

If you're looking for straight-forward memory keeping inspiration we have a gallery of 
CreativeTeam projects as well as many of Ali's post projects. 

CRAFT THE STORY FACEBOOK GROUP

We've created a thriving and supportive community on Facebook and are so grateful for the inspiration and support that come from spending time with like-minded creators. We invite you to 
join us there for scrapbook ideas + inspiration. 

AED INSTAGRAM

Find our team on Instagram on the 
Ali Edwards Design Inc account where we share inspiration, product updates, and more. We have a new series happening on IG called Step it Up which focuses on topics + ideas for finding your own personal groove as a memory keeper. As it gets closer to December make sure to follow the December Daily account for inspiration and motivation related to documenting your December. 

For many of you this post is a review of the basics you have known for years. We are so thankful for each of you for being a part of this community and for sharing your own stories over the years. For those that are just starting out, welcome.
We are so happy to have you here and look forward to telling stories right alongside you.

Make sure to check back tomorrow, when we will welcome
creative team members Jess Forster and Jenny Theriault as they share their favorites ways to tell their story!

Connect Story Kit + March 2021 Stories By The Month

This month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of Connect.  

We are all connected. It’s a statement that is as simple as it is profound. Stories of connection (and disconnection) abound throughout our lives as they help shape who we are and who we will become. This month we are telling stories of connection and the ways we connect with both others and ourselves.

Initial story ideas for this theme include:

What is your favorite way to connect with others?
What is your favorite way to connect with yourself?

Sometimes taking action is about stopping something in order to start something else. Can you think of a time in your life where that was the case? Tell me that story.

STORY KIT™

The 
Story Kit™ includes: 

Here's a video overview of the 
Story Kit™ and Add-On options this month:

STORY STAMP™

The Stamp Set:

Here's a video overview of the Story Stamp:

DIGITAL STORY KIT™ (Included with the STORY CLASS)

Your digital kit and the classroom and any Add-Ons purchased will be available to you on the 15th once your card has been charged for the month. 

Here's a look at what's included in the Digital Story Kit™: 

And a couple peeks at the layouts I created with the kits this month in addition to the one featured at the top of this post (f
ull details, including process videos and how-to handout, are included with subscription):

Again, thanks so much for subscribing and/or considering my
Story Subscription program! If you have any questions about this program please let me know below in the comments. 

STORIES BY THE MONTH™

Stories By The Month™ kits include 4x6 chipboard, 3x4 and 4x6 cards, a 3x4 stamp, a sticker sheet, and an embellishment (wood veneer, cork, etc). 

Here is a full look at the kit: 

And a video overview:

This subscription is a great option for those who are looking to tell more calendar/everyday life sorts of stories. 

ADD ON OPTIONS 

Add On options are available to all Story Kit™, Story Stamp™, and Stories By The Month™ subscribers 
(this excludes Digital Story Kit/Story Class subscribers since you don't have any part of your subscription shipped already). 

Current and new subscribers can select + purchase Add-On's via your new drop-down menu access under your user name in the top right corner of the site.
Depending on product availability subscribers may be able to purchase the Add-On's after the Add-On period has ended and regular shop shipping rates will apply because they will ship separately from the kit.

In Case You Missed It | February 12

Happy Friday, friends! Welcome to the latest, In Case You Missed It. Just a reminder that this is a quick post that will happen every Friday afternoon with all the updates and links that have happened throughout the week. So, let's get to it:

Don't forget!  In Case You Missed It is also posted over in the Craft The Story Facebook Group. If you haven't joined, we wholeheartedly invite you to do so. We're so proud of the community we've built over on that platform. Find it here. 
Thank you all so much for your enthusiastic response to our upcoming Quarterly Scrapbook Kit announcement (find more information about this release in this post). We truly appreciate your understanding regarding the decision to delay the launch. We don’t have any updates yet, but we will absolutely let you know as soon as we do.

A new Story Kit™ and Story Stamp™ launches tomorrow, Saturday, February 13th at 12 pm EST. This month’s theme is CONNECT and you won’t want to miss it! Subscribe here. 


For our digital and hybrid scrappers, we have a 50% off sale going on right now on ALL of our Valentine-themed digitals. Enjoy! Find them here. 
Ali's next video in her Craft the Story Youtube Series is live. In this week’s video (Episode 06) Ali is sharing a process video for creating a 2-page, 9x12 inch scrapbook layout using the story spark “love you because.” Check out the companion blog post which includes additional images of this project.  Don’t forget to subscribe to Ali’s channel to get notifications every time she posts a video. Find it here. 
Today, over on the Ali Edwards Design Inc Instagram account we’re sharing our first video in a new series called Step It Up. Head over there and check it out! Find it here. 
The creative team gallery has been updated with all of their gorgeous Action Story Kit projects. This gallery is kept up to date and is a great resource for those of you wanting to get creative idea on how to tell your stories. Find it here.
You haven’t missed it YET! Next week a really fun series for our newest memory keepers is coming to the Facebook Group and the blog. Keep your eyes on the blog to get all the details. I can't wait to share what our team has in store for you!

We’re so grateful to have you all as members of this community! Thanks for joining me today and have a great week! 

Story Spark: Love You Because

In this week's Craft The Story video series (Episode 06) I'm sharing a process video for creating a scrapbook layout using the story spark "love you because." 

"Love you because" is an easy jumping off point for telling stories about people + pets + places + things we love. In my project today I decided to write out one thing I love about each person in my house right now but you could also easily approach this by focusing on one person and writing up a list of things you love about them. 

Before we dive into today's project I wanted to share a few past examples of layouts where I've used "love you because" as the jumping off point for my storytelling: 

This is one of the earliest examples I could find. It uses a Love You Because Digital Layered Template Set. You can see another version that a community member created using this template set here. 

The next example I found is this "love you because" mini book I created for Simon. Click here to check out the original post that includes free downloadable word art. 

We also have a "Love You Because" project class available here that takes you step by step through the process of building this mini book. It's a similar approach to the project above but with the workshop you get the process video and handout for putting it together (this was modeled after an in-person workshop I taught a number of years ago). 

It was seriously so fun to search back through my computer archives to see what past projects I could find that used this story lens. I came across this one with some super fun photos of me and Simon being silly in the car. My "love you because" journaling was handwritten in circles in the middle of the page. Lots of fun textures happening here. 

This layout appeared in a 2017 issue of Scrapbook + Cards magazine. Always + forever a fan of full page photo foundations. You can find a free "love you because" word art download on their site here. 

Built upon another full page photo foundation, this layout tells the story of five things I love about my friends using "love you because" as the story spark. This one was made using the You Story Stamp and the how-to is available in the You Story Classroom (digital version of the stamp available here). 

Now let's dive into today's video: 

Here's a look at the end result: 

This layout is a 2-page, 9 inch x 12 inch layout. 

I used one of the pattern papers from the upcoming Scrapbook Kit release to create homes for my journaling (more details on an actual launch date to come). On top of each heart I repeat stamped "so much love" using this rolling stamp and then stamped each person's initial using the Basics Alpha Stamp. Alongside their initial I added a puffy heart from the Scrapbook Kit and then hand wrote my journaling using a Slick Writer (thick) and a Precision Pen (thin). 

I paired those hearts with some pattern papers from my stash and adhered them alongside photos of my people. The photos and pattern paper blocks measure 4.5 inches wide x 4 inches tall. 

SUPPLIES 

Scrapbook Kit: Hearts (pattern paper + puffy hearts) (Coming soon)
Storytelling Basics 6x8 Alpha Stamp
White Cardstock
Staz On Ink
Rolling Phrase Stamp that includes “so much love”
Rolling Date Stamp
Small Fiskars Scissors
Fiskars Trimmer
Scotch Rolling Adhesive
Round Stamp Block
Precision Pen
Slick Writer Pen
Ranger Archival Ink Red Geranium
Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer
Epson XP15000 Printer
Assorted pattern papers from my stash

Wearing: Heart Sweater

I hope you enjoyed this week's video and that it helps you get some of your own stories told. 

AE Creative Team | ACTION Story Kit™

This past month we have been documenting stories of hard work and taking action. And today we are delighted to share with you the projects that our Creative Team made using the ACTION Story Kit™.

And just as a reminder, Friday, February 12th, is the last day to  subscribe and receive the ACTION-themed products.

Amy Gretchen

Barbara Picinich

Elizabeth Heinz

Ingunn Markiewicz

Jen Schow

Jennie Rey

Jenny Theriault

Jess Forster

Kasha Gage

Kim Chaffin

Krystal Idunate

Laura Wonsik

Linda Jordan

Lisa Varshine

Morgan Beal

Pam Baldwin

As always, we are so grateful to our Creative Team for sharing their stories and creative inspiration with all of us!

New Quarterly Scrapbook Kit Preview

We’re excited to announce a new quarterly auto-ship Scrapbook Kit subscription intentionally designed with traditional scrapbookers in mind. 

IMPORTANT UPDATE: In preparation for the launch of our new Quarterly Scrapbook Kit tomorrow our warehouse team notified us that a piece of the kit was missing. Unfortunately, upon further research we discovered this item has been delayed in shipment. What this means: We need to delay the launch of the kit and will notify you all on a new launch date and time once the item has arrived and been checked into our warehouse (hopefully in the next few weeks!) We thank you all so much for your continued support, enthusiasm and understanding!

Each Scrapbook Kit features a selection of double-sided 12x12 papers, double-sided 6x8 papers (sized to fit the outside of the page protectors), and embellishments to support your storytelling adventures. This physical kit also includes the digital kit for free: 

Themes for this 2021 Scrapbook Kit are as follows: February = Hearts, May = Circles, August = Hexagons, and November = Stars.

Here's an overview video of what's included in the kit along with additional details below: 

Details: 

The kit will be available for $34.99 and that includes both the physical kit and the digital files. The digital files will also be available separately with next month's regularly scheduled digital release. Shipping will be free domestically and $4 for international addresses.  This first kit will ship separate from other subscriptions, but the remaining kits will ship with your existing subscriptions.  This is an auto-ship subscription which means that when you sign up for this first kit you are signing up for the other three as well (this is the same set up we use for the  One Little Word® Mini Kits ). Subscriptions will remain available while supplies last. If you miss this first subscription you will be able to start with the second one when it releases if they are available. If we have extra inventory of this first kit when the second kit becomes available the first kit will move to the shop and regular shipping rates will apply.

We hope these kits offer inspiration to help you craft the stories of your life. 

If you’re looking or inspiration starting (or returning to) scrapbooking and memory keeping, check out Ali’s Craft The Story video series on that topic. Ali's video this Friday will show her using a couple supplies from this new kit to support a story. 

In Case You Missed It | February 5

Happy Friday, friends! Welcome to the latest, In Case You Missed It. Just a reminder that this is a quick post that will happen every Friday afternoon with all the updates and links that have happened throughout the week. So, let's get to it:

FYI: In Case You Missed It is also posted over in the Craft the Story Facebook Group. We invite you to join us there, if you haven't already. Based on your feedback, we also created an additional home for the product release calendar here on the website. Please find it here.New digitals are available in the shop today! This month’s release includes the 2021 Day in the Life Digital™ Kit. Head over to the shop and check them out. Find it here. New guest storyteller lessons are live in the Action classroom. This month we’re welcoming Lorilei Murphy and creative team member, Linda Jordan. Just a reminder that the Story Class provides monthly themed educational content that acts as a spark to help you document and celebrate the stories of your life. When you sign-up you’ll also receive most of the designs found in the physical Story Kit™ and Story Stamp™ in the freedom of a digital format. The Story Class is free when you subscribe to both the Story Kit™ and Story Stamp™, or can be purchased individually for $19.99. Learn more here.  This month’s One Little Word lesson focuses on creating a vision board for your word. Join us in the classroom for inspiring content from guest instructor Lucrecer Braxton. Also, if you missed Ali’s live chat with Lucrecer earlier today, don’t forget to check out the recording of the conversation located in the February classroom. It’s not too late to signup for One Little Word Ten! Learn more about the class here. Ali's next video in her Craft the Story Youtube Series is live. In this week’s video (Episode 05) Ali’s sharing a look at how to get started (or return to) scrapbooking. In this video she shares two different approaches to the same story: (1) using a 4x6 photo + a 4x6 journaling card and (2) using a 9x12 photo where she adds text before printing and adds a few embellishments at the end.  This video also includes a look at how Ali uses Instagram as a holding place for stories, how she uses Photoshop to crop + edit photos along with a quick look at how to use and print directly from the Photos program on her computer.   Find it here. A new month means a new theme for #storykitcrush (a fun community project created by creative members Krystal Idunate and Tazhiana Gordon). This month the ladies are tackling the Cozy Story Kit. Be sure to check out the hashtag on Instagram or share your projects here in the Facebook group.  

We’re so grateful to have you all as members of this community! Have a great weekend and I'll see you here next week!

How To Start (Or Return To) Scrapbooking + Memory Keeping

In this week’s Craft The Story video (Episode 05) I’m sharing a look at how to get started (or return to) scrapbooking. 

In this video I’ll show you two different approaches to the same story: (1) using a 4x6 photo + a 4x6 journaling card within a 6x8 album and (2) using a 9x12 full-page photo foundation where I add text before printing and add a few embellishments before slipping it into a 9x12 album. This video also includes a look at how I use Instagram as a holding place for my stories, how I use Photoshop to crop + edit photos, and a quick look at how I also use + print directly from the Photos program on my computer. 

Later this month our Creative Team will be sharing some of their favorite "getting started" ideas here on our blog and within our Craft The Story™ Facebook Group. 

As you watch today's video keep in mind that there are SO MANY different ways you can scrapbook/document your life. The key is to simply start - that's the best way to discover what you favorite style might be in this season of your life. As you'll hear in the video I recommend starting with stories from today. 

Over the course of the Craft The Story video series this year I plan to share additional ideas and projects to help you get your stories told in whatever ways make the most sense for you at this time. If you are looking for more inspiration + education right now I highly recommend checking out the current online workshops offered here. Hello Story is a great place to start if you are looking to create traditional scrapbook layouts. If you are just getting started with pocket scrapbooking you might be interested in Storytelling With Project Life. If you want to learn how to use digital products in paper scrapbooking projects check out Hybrid. 

Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy this encouraging video about getting started scrapbooking. 

LINKS MENTIONED IN VIDEO 
9x12 Light Grey Linen Album 6x8 Charcoal Cloth Album Stories By The Year Kit (includes 100 3x4 cards + 50 4x6 cards + 52 “this week” cards + the storage box) Stories By The Year Kit Digital Option Persnickety Prints (online photo developer) Epson PictureMate PM400 Epson XP15000 Printer Hybrid Workshop (learn how to use digital products in paper projects) 13x19 Epson Photo Paper Fiskars Trimmer Stories By The Month Kit Subscription  Ups + Downs Collection Foam Adhesive Squares Precision Pen

Wearing: Boden Starburst Sweater

TRY A STORY CLASS FOR FREE

Wondering what the education portion of our Story Class, Story Kit™, or Story Stamp subscription includes? Check out a past class for free here. There's no obligation and you aren't signing up for any subscription by trying out the class portion.