Ali Edwards's Blog, page 102
January 11, 2021
Add On Preview + ScrapSmarter Event
Looking for something fun to participate in this weekend? Check out the ScrapSmarter event that starts on Friday. I'll be giving a keynote talk on Friday evening where I talk about getting to your own "heart" in memory keeping processes.
ADD ON PREVIEW
There are just a couple more days to grab the Hope Story Kit™ before it is are archived. Next up: ACTION.
Subscriber Add On's for the upcoming Story Kit™/Story Stamp™ + Stories By The Month™ include a 4x6 acrylic 2021, plastic numbers with white borders, and fabric squares (with adhesive on the back). The ink color this time is Willamette.
These will be available on January 13th at 9am Pacific. Add on options will also include any leftover add ons from this month + the digital kit.
Curious about our Story Kit subscription? Check out our free Firsts classroom to check out the education portion of your subscription. Details here.
January 8, 2021
My 2021 Documenting Plans + Other Updates
I'm totally a fan of the beginning of the year. I've always appreciated the structure of beginnings + endings and I love the calendar based rhythms of our culture and find comfort in knowing that we get to begin again in one way or another each January.
Today I want to share with you my own personal list of memory keeping projects I plan to embark on this year and some thoughts/details on a personal intention + change for 2021.
Here's a look at the projects I'll be participating in + how I plan to document my/our story during 2021:
Story Kits™ // Each month I tell 3-4 stories using the Story Kit™ products + theme as the jumping off point. These projects, along with the process videos that show how my pages are created, are shared in the Story Classroom as a benefit to subscribers. You can view the upcoming themes for this year here. If you are interested in what this class content looks like you can check out the completely free classroom we have opened up to give everyone a chance to see what comes with the education portion of the subscription each month (we also added the digital kit to that classroom). One Little Word® // This is a 12-month personal development project that I start each January and end each December to document my experience with my word. Day In The Life™ // In 2021 I'll be doing two Day In The Life™ documenting days. We will release a collection of new products to support this project later this month and we will announce the specific days after the products are released. We generally do one community documenting day in the first half of the year and another in the second half of the year. Pieces Of Us // Last year I lead a week long self-portrait documenting adventure and we are planning to share more about 2021 plans for this project in the coming months. Week In The Life™ // Each year I select one week (usually in May) and document how we are living for seven days in a row. These albums + the stories they hold are absolutely some of my most favorites as they go deeper into the daily rhythms of life at a certain point in time. December Daily® // Each December I embark on a documenting project where I tell one story per day December 1-25. We release a new collection for this project each year in early September. Craft The Story™ You Tube Series // This isn't technically a documenting project but it is something I'm excited about and looking forward to embarking on this year. Starting today I plan to share a weekly video on YouTube that has something to do with memory keeping. Topics I plan to focus on over the course of the year include: scrapbook page how-tos, journaling/storytelling ideas, organizing tips, etc. If there's a specific topic you'd like to see me cover let me know! I'm really excited about creating content for this new series.
For 2021 I'm not planning to include a yearly
Project Life® style of documenting in my personal memory keeping plans. Rather than taking a specific monthly or weekly approach I want to take a more intentional story-focused approach + free myself up to re-imagine my own personal documenting process. I have no idea what exactly this will look like and I wholeheartedly welcome that shift. My 2020 PL monthly documenting fell apart half way through the year for a number of reasons and it feels like the right time for me to take a break (I might go back in + fill in those months at some point but am planning to just set it aside for right now). If you are looking for specific Project Life® pocket page inspiration you can check out my archives from the last 10 years of that style of documenting.
I'll also be continuing to work on Just Write prompts and we will have a Travel Collection (and workshop) released in the summer.
Consider yourself invited to join me on any or all of the above documenting adventures.
This year I will be taking a significant step back from the amount of time I spend on social media -
most specifically on Facebook.
My personal, heart-centered goal for 2021 is simple:
I want to consume less + create more.
I want to inhabit my entire life more intentionally (both personally + professionally) + I have zero plans to stop memory keeping.
Over the last few years I've tried a variety of techniques to reduce the amount of time I spend on social media. I've taken breaks. I've removed apps. I've set up schedules that allow for certain periods of time spent on this or that app on my phone/computer. I do okay for awhile and then one way or another I end up back to the almost unconscious habit of scrolling + consuming + having my attention stretched in way too many directions.
I am craving a different way of existing: one that goes deeper instead of wider and one that gives me both time + space to focus on creating vs. consuming.
As many of you know I've been sharing online in one form or another ever since I first started scrapbooking back in 2002 when Simon was less than a year old. I was sharing the ups and downs of my story before social media even existed. I don't have any intention of stopping the sharing of my stories, I simply want to reclaim the way I'm going about it.
I want to be writing my own story in my own way.
To help make this happen
Lisa Varshine is officially joining our AED Inc team. Among other responsibilities, Lisa will take on the role of Social Media Community Manager in our Facebook groups and on Instagram. Kelly Ishmael will be continuing to operate + create amazing content for our AED Inc instagram account, act as our Creative Team Manager, and she will also be taking on a new role next year as our Community Education Manager. In that role she will be assisting community members to bring new classes to our AED education platform (more on that to come later in the year). Katie Jaeger is still working right alongside me + is the boss of many pieces of our business puzzle.
What does this mean for you?
First and foremost you will see less of me on Facebook and in the AED FB Groups. In her role as Social Media Community Manager Lisa Varshine is super excited about creating fun new ways to engage + share ideas within the Craft The Story Group. I will still be active and involved in our OLW Facebook Group for those of you who are participating in the 2021 workshop. We will continue to request that you direct Customer Service questions to our Customer Service team who are there to help you when you need it. Our team will continue to provide information + inspiration + clear communication about our projects + products via the AED Inc Instagram account and within the Craft The Story Facebook Group (rather than coming from me in the FB group these posts will now come from our Admin AED Inc account). We are committed to continuing to encourage + inspire you in your memory keeping adventures via projects + products that support your storytelling adventures. I plan to continue sharing here on my blog, on YouTube (you can read more about my plans for that below), in our classrooms, and via my personal Instagram account from time to time.
This is going to be one of my biggest personal shifts in 2021 and it is certainly the thing that is most on my heart right now.
Thank you for understanding that my hope in stepping back from social media is to create space for me to create more in a way that feels most authentic to me.
I greatly appreciate your support as I get more intentional about how I consume + create in 2021.
Deeper. That's where I want to go.
As always, thank you for being a part of this memory keeping community. I so look forward to all the stories we will tell together in 2021.
December 31, 2020
Cleaning Up + Organizing After December Daily®
Today I'm sharing a video about what I do to organize + clean up after I finish up my December Daily® album.
SUPPLIES MENTIONED/SHOWN IN THE VIDEODecember Daily® Pouch PackDivided Storage Boxes: https://amzn.to/3rCGV95 (larger) + https://amzn.to/3nWIdJO (smaller)Ikea Dragan Boxes
December 30, 2020
One Little Word® | Completed Albums 2018-2020
As we get ready to enter a new year with One Little Word® I took some time to film a video walkthrough my 2018 - 2020 albums. This video is a great introduction to what goes into my album each year after responding to the prompts in the workshop each month.
For me this is very much a personal development project and I love that each word has it's own home. Using an album has worked really well for me over the last 10 years but you can totally make this experience your own in a blank notebook or pick up the One Little Word® journal (either as a companion to the class or use it on it's own).
You can also check out an overview video sharing my 2011 through 2017 albums here. It's so fun to walk back through these albums and literally see the growth that has come for me personally through showing up and documenting my journeys with my words.
Don't forget that workshop registration for 2021 is $5 off before January 1, 2021.
December 29, 2020
One Little Word® 2021 | Heart
Since 2006 I've been choosing a single word to focus on over the course the 12 months from January through December. I call it
One Little Word®. It's a personal growth project that uses memory keeping as the vehicle to help us live with intention.
My past words have included:
Play Peace Vitality Nurture Story Light Up Open Thrive Give Whole Connect Space Habit Less
For 2021 I'm going to focus on the word
heart.
To be honest I'm not sure exactly why heart is my word this year. Some years I have very specific intentions that I want to focus on and other years it's more loose. Going into 2021 I'm honestly not sure what I want to focus on (doing the January prompt in the classroom always helps me solidify my intentions) but what I know for sure is that I want to go into it with an open heart. "Open" was my word in 2013 and it is one of the ones that was most meaningful to me and I love it as a companion word to heart this year. Another of my most favorite words was "whole" - that one can also play a part in my journey with heart as in "whole-hearted."
I made a new Pinterest board and saved a few quotes that also relate to things I'd like to think about and consider in 2021. I definitely also love that I can continue to walk a little more with my 2020 word "less" too.
You're invited to join me in choosing word and working to make it visible in your own life in 2021.
Since 2011 I've been offering a One Little Word® online workshop that's goal is to help you stay connected to your word throughout the year through monthly prompts that invite you to document pieces of your journey with your word. It's not complicated and it doesn't take a lot of time but it's the documentation and community piece that helps many people (including me) stay connected with our words thorough the year. Each month you receive an email reminder to head back to the classroom for some sort of creative prompt/writing reflection.
For the 10th Anniversary celebration year I've made some changes to the workshop that you can read about here.
You can read all the details about this workshop and sign up here. You can also watch a video walkthrough of my past album projects here to get an idea of past prompts. Registration is $5 off until December 31, 2020.
I've also created a selection of products to help you document and support your journey with your word. Check those out here.
SHARE YOUR WORD IN THE COMMENTS
I’d love to read what word you’ve chosen or are considering or have decided on for 2021. In the comments feel free to simply leave your word as your comment or write a bit about why you are choosing this word. Next week I’ll combine all the words into a single post – it's become tradition and super inspiring to see all the words in one place.
If you’re new to the concept of One Little Word®, you can read some of my previous posts here:
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Download the word art here to share your word for 2021.
December 28, 2020
December Daily® 2020 | Story Twenty-Five
Welcome to my 25th and final story in my 2020
December Daily® album.
Today I'm wrapping up this project and am feeling so thankful to all of you who told stories along side me this season. Whether you are also finishing up or just starting to play in your album or somewhere in between, thank you for your support of this project that has become a way to experience December for so many of us.
In 2020 I really loved working outside the page protectors. That was the right choice for me personally and I savored the playing alongside the storytelling. It's such a good reminder for all of us that there isn't a right or a wrong way to approach these kinds of projects. We can do different things from year to year to get our stories told.
If you are just learning about this project now, welcome! Each year we launch a new product collection in the beginning of September to support this project. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates throughout the year at the bottom of my home page here.
Let's dive in and take a look how this came together:
Now let's take a closer look via images:
My Christmas Day storytelling starts with one of the pages I put together for Product Play 4/foundation pages that includes a 3x8 transparency with transparent circles on top paired with two 3x4 journal cards (stitched together with my sewing machine). I added a bit of handwritten journaling on top of the card and a white chipboard star. My journaling talks about how our chaos + joy was in the evening vs. the morning this year.
On the back of the journal cards I added a printed journal strip that holds the story I wanted to tell about our Christmas Day. I also added another white chipboard star to the back of one of the transparent circles.
It was really a good day.
A big messy Christmas Day photo is always a favorite. All my people diving in and chattering and laughing.
Onto my photo I added "the best gift" which was word art included in the digital package in Product Play 4. I also added a sub heading and two white chipboard stars.
On the back of my enlarged Christmas Day photo I added a photo from the 26th with some of the freebie word art you can download here.
Along the outside of my album spine I used some of the black puffy numbers to add the year.
Nice + thick! Totally celebrating that I was able to keep it closed on my shelf! I love that some people spread this project out into multiple albums in order to be able to add as much as thy want throughout the month. I like to stick with one album if possible and I'm so glad I was able to do that even when working outside the page protectors this year.
Again, thank you so much for being a part of this community! I hope to tell stories alongside you in another project in 2021.
SUPPLIES
December Daily® Main Kit 2020 (chipboard words, journal cards) // Digital available here
December Daily® Chipboard Bundle
December Daily® Transparent Circles (digital available)
Black Puffy Numbers BASIC SUPPLIES USED IN MANY PROJECTS
Tiny Attacher Stapler
Fiskars Trimmer
Avery Index Tabs
Scotch Rolling Adhesive
AE Circle Stamp Block
Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer (5x7 and smaller)
Epson XP 15000 Printer (up to 13x19)
Black StazOn Ink
We R Memory Keepers Punch
6 Hole Punch
Silhouette Cameo 4
Red Line Adhesive
Versamark Embossing Ink
Snappy Tray
Heat Gun
Brother Sewing Machine
SHARE YOUR STORY #25
You are invited to leave a link in the comment section if you'd like to share your daily pages. As usual, please include a direct link to your blog post sharing your Day 25 vs. a general blog address link.
December Daily® 2020 | Story Twenty-Three + Twenty-Four
Today I'm sharing my 23rd and 24th stories from
December Daily® 2020 album. Day 23 is super simple with text on a photo and a few embellishments and Day 24 shows how I used the gathered transparent circle hearts with my Christmas Eve story.
Let's dive in and take a look how this came together:
Now let's take a closer look via images:
For my 23d story I wanted to include something about the loft beds that we set up for the girls as a Christmas surprise. I added text to my photo before printing and then added some of the December Daily® 2x2 Die Cut Circles above the journaling (
digital versions of those available here). On top of one of the circles I added white puffy number stickers.
The transparent circles (
digital available) were added on top of a transparency. I used the die cut heart (digital version available here) as my template.
On the back of the heart with all the circles I added the chipboard piece "most wonderful time of the year" from the
Chipboard Bundle. Using the heart template I printed out a photo of my puzzle + drink and added a chipboard number and perforated phrase (both from the Main Kit) to the top.
On the back of the heart I drew lines and journaled by hand about our Christmas Eve. It was super quiet and calm and just right. For this kind of journaling I like to draw the lines first and then fill in my words and play around with a mixture of upper and lowercase letters.
SUPPLIES
December Daily® 2020 Main Kit (chipboard number, perforated phrase) (digital here)
December Daily® Large Die Cuts (digital here)
December Daily® Transparent Circles (digital here)
December Daily® 2x2 Die Cut Circles (digital here)
White Puffy Number Stickers
December Daily® Chipboard Bundle
Slick Writer PenBASIC SUPPLIES USED IN MANY PROJECTS
Tiny Attacher Stapler
Fiskars Trimmer
Avery Index Tabs
Scotch Rolling Adhesive
AE Circle Stamp Block
Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer (5x7 and smaller)
Epson XP 15000 Printer (up to 13x19)
Black StazOn Ink
We R Memory Keepers Punch
6 Hole Punch
Silhouette Cameo 4
Red Line Adhesive
Versamark Embossing Ink
Snappy Tray
Heat Gun
Brother Sewing Machine
SHARE YOUR STORY #23 + #24
You are invited to leave a link in the comment section if you'd like to share your daily pages. As usual, please include a direct link to your blog post sharing your Day 23 and Day 24 vs. a general blog address link.
December 27, 2020
December Daily® 2020 | Story Twenty-Two
Merry Christmas!
Continuing on with my December Daily® 2020 storytelling with story twenty-two. Today's short story + photo is about delivering gifts to a family we adopted through our local St. Vincent de Paul.
Let's dive in and take a look how this came together:
Now let's take a closer look via images:
On the front side of the triangle heart (design + how to included with
Product Play 4) I added the black 22 chipboard from the Main Kit. On the back side of that page I added one of the transparent circles and one of the chipboard words from the Main Kit.
My actual story was added to my photo in Photoshop before printing here at home. On top of the full page photo I added the three puffy wreaths from the Main Kit and added chipboard words inside. Above my journaling I added the "give love" acrylic phrase.
SUPPLIES
December Daily® Main Kit 2020 (chipboard number, chipboard words, plastic circles, puffy wreaths, acrylic give love) // Digital available hereBASIC SUPPLIES USED IN MANY PROJECTS
Tiny Attacher Stapler
Fiskars Trimmer
Avery Index Tabs
Scotch Rolling Adhesive
AE Circle Stamp Block
Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer (5x7 and smaller)
Epson XP 15000 Printer (up to 13x19)
Black StazOn Ink
We R Memory Keepers Punch
6 Hole Punch
Silhouette Cameo 4
Red Line Adhesive
Versamark Embossing Ink
Snappy Tray
Heat Gun
Brother Sewing Machine
SHARE YOUR STORY #22
You are invited to leave a link in the comment section if you'd like to share your daily pages. As usual, please include a direct link to your blog post sharing your Day 22 vs. a general blog address link.
December 23, 2020
AE Creative Team | December 2020 Stories By The Month™ Digital Kit
We love how our Creative Team captured their stories of magic and joy using the December 2020 Stories by the Month™ Digital Kit!
As always, we are so grateful to our Creative Team for sharing their projects and the stories of their lives with us!
December 22, 2020
Goodbye 2020 Word Art Freebie
A simple free download to help you tell the story of saying goodbye to 2020.
Download the free digital word art here.
