Ali Edwards's Blog, page 111
June 19, 2020
New Workshop | Start To Finish : Travel
Registration is now open for
Start To Finish: Travel.
We decided to change the name of this workshop from "
Product Play" to "Start To Finish" to emphasize that the focus of this class is on inspiration, ideas and encouragement for getting your past travel stories into completed albums. There will definitely be product play included as we use the 2020 Travel Collection Kit + coordinating supplies to support our stories but we want to distinguish that this workshop is different than the Product Play workshop for December Daily® (those are generally single page ideas vs. completed albums).
Start To Finish: Travel will begin on Tuesday, July 7th. New content for this workshop will be released once a week on Tuesdays.
I'll be joined by Design Team members Laura Wonsik, Tazhiana Gordon, Morgan Beal, and Pam Baldwin and we will each be using products from the 2020 Travel Collection to complete either a 6x8 or 3x8 album.
Ali will be putting together a 6x8 album from a trip to Ireland back in 2012.
Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!
OTHER TRAVEL WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE (ALL SELF-PACED)
STORIES OF TRAVEL // Stories Of Travel is a five-lesson workshop, featuring over 7.5 hours of video content, focusing on universal ideas for telling the stories of your travels. My main goal with this workshop is to dive into the topic with you and take a closer look at different ways you can get the stories of your travels completed. Travel means different things for different people and the processes I'll share with you will take that into consideration.
The three lessons of content will be broken down into the following categories: (1) before travel, (2) during travel, and (3) after travel. In addition I'll share video walkthroughs of all my completed travel projects along with a walkthrough of some of the ones I haven't completed with details about how I'm organizing them and making plans to "deal" with them. Join me for another in-depth story-centered workshop to grow your memory keeping skills.
Upon signing up all lessons will be available to you and you can work through the content at your own pace.
TRAVEL PRODUCT PLAY (2018) // Join me and four of my Creative Team members - Ingunn Markiewicz, Amy Gretchen, Lisa Varshine, and Pam Baldwin - as we each create a 3x8 travel album using products from the new Travel Collection. No matter whether your trip is near or far, from last week or many years ago, the new 2018 Travel Collection products can be used to help get your travel stories told. In this workshop focus will be on ideas for using the products included in the Main Travel Kit to document our adventures in a 3x8 album. Upon signing up all lessons will be available to you and you can work through the content at your own pace.
TRAVEL PRODUCT PLAY 2 (2019) // Join me and four of my Creative Team members - Ingunn Markiewicz, Amy Gretchen, Jen Schow and Jenny Theriault - as we each create a 3x8 or 6x8 travel album using products from the new 2019 Travel Collection. No matter whether your trip is near or far, from last week or many years ago, the 2019 Travel Collection products can be used to help get your travel stories told. In this workshop focus will be on ideas for using the products included in the Main Travel Kit to document our adventures in a 3x8 or 6x8 album. Upon signing up all lessons will be available to you and you can work through the content at your own pace.
June 18, 2020
Project Life® 2020 | March
Today I'm continuing with getting stories told in my
Project Life album for 2020.
As I started to dive into March I found that I wanted to tell a longer story to include my thoughts/reflections on the month as a whole. It's the month when everything changed. As you'll see below I used a 6x12 page protector insert to hold that longer story and then paired a repeated digital journal card with a few photos to give an overview of the month.
Also I filmed an overview of both February + March that you can check out here:
In the video I reference a couple things that you can check out below:
February 2020 Project Life + free template downloadArt Of Noticing Stories In My Notebook (we will be offering more of these notebooks before the end of this year) Persnickety Prints Coronavirus Timeline Downloads Pieces Of Us Project
Here's a look at how I tackled telling the story of March:
For March I knew that I wanted to write more so I started with creating a 6x12 insert. I took one of the 3x4 cards from the March Digital Stories By The Month kit and enlarged it to 6 inches wide and filled in the rest of the canvas with the same background color as the card. You can learn more about working with digital products for paper projects in my Hybrid and Hybrid Product Play workshops.
March was really the month when everything stopped. I started off my journaling by acknowledging that I honestly have no idea how to tell the story of how that all went down (and how it continues now).
I wrote out the story at the same time I was looking back through my March photos. Doing both at the same time allowed me to both remember stories that happened and to decide which ones I might want to print to add into this album. Remember that I have zero intention of including all my photos in this project and view it more as an overview of the month vs. day by day documentation.
I decided to use one of the cards from the March 2019 Digital Stories By The Month kit as my main repeated journaling card (a benefit of going with the digital version is that it allows you to print as many as you want/need and is great for creating repetition). I identified five specific stories I wanted to highlight from the month and used the font Adler to add my stories onto the cards in Photoshop before printing.
I used the adhesive backed metal hearts that were a subscriber add on for this month (Kindness Story Kit) as my unifying embellishment across the spread and the insert.
The quote cards are all from the March 2020 Stories By The Month Kit (which is the same as the digital version for March 2019).
9x12 Album (we will have more of these albums in the fall) 9x12 Page Protector 3B 9x12 Multipack Page Protectors 6x12 Page Protector March Stories By The Month™ Kit (digital version available) Avery Index Tab Staz On Ink Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer (for 5x7 and smaller) Epson Expression XP15000 Printer
June 17, 2020
AE Creative Team | July 2020 Stories by the Month™ Physical Kit
Stories of beauty. Stories of sunshine. Stories of freedom. Today we are delighted to share some creative inspiration from our awesome Creative Team using the July 2020 Stories By The Month™ Physical Kit.
There are so many storytelling possibilities in this little pouch of products. As always, we are so grateful to our Creative Team for sharing their stories and creative inspiration with all of us!
June 16, 2020
Project Life® 2020 | February
I am finally starting to get back to work on my 2020 Project Life® album.
For all the reasons you might imagine, this project fell to the bottom of my list of things to do over the last few months.
Today I decided to just dive in and get the ball rolling with something that was clean + simple. I created a 3x4 layered template in Photoshop and used that as the foundation for each of my 3x4 photos. I decided to not worry about embellishing but rather just stick mainly with the words and photos in an effort to just get me back into this project. Sometimes that's all we need to start making things happen.
When I look back at 2020 so far I think of February as the last month of "normal life" (whatever that means). February feels like the "before" and then March is when the "after" begins. I'm actually now looking forward to figuring out how to tell that story next.
Here's a look at how I ended up documenting February:
For my February storytelling I started with the back of January and added a 6x12 page protector insert along with a 3B style 9x12 page protector. I added in a few cards, a stamp, and a chipboard piece from the February Stories By The Month kit (digital version available here).
Using a 3x4 layered template simplified this process and allowed me to write a little bit below each photo for context and to tell the story. I saved that file for you guys and you can download it below:
Download the file here. Please note this is a layered PSD file for use in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. You will be able to edit the text box + don't worry if you don't have the same font I used - just replace it with one from your own computer. I used Source Sans Pro for "remembering" and Remington Noiseless for my journaling.
The front page of the 6x12 insert includes a photo of Simon getting into his car one cold morning and the caption I'd included with an Instagram post with that photo. I used Photoshop to set up the page, added two photos, and copied and pasted my text from Instagram onto my canvas before printing. On top of the page I added the "so glad to know you in life" chipboard circle from the February kit.
On the back side of the insert I slipped in an enlarged photo and added a chipboard piece along the top. Two cards from the February kit fill the two 6x4 pockets.
I can tell you that I loved the process of putting this together and having the repeated treatment for each of the 3x4 pockets. Using the prompt "remembering" was an easy way to identify the story in the photo as I thought back to what was happening at that point in time.
SUPPLIES9x12 Album (we will have more of these albums in the fall)9x12 Page Protector 3B9x12 Multipack Page Protectors6x12 Page ProtectorFebruary Stories By The Month™ Kit (digital version available)Avery Index TabStaz On Ink
June 13, 2020
Kindness Story Kit™ + July Stories By The Month™
In the
Story Classroom this month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of Kindness.
Here are a few thoughts about this particular theme:
Every single day we encounter opportunities to give and receive kindness. Some are small and some are huge. This month we are taking a closer look at stories of kindness in our lives.
Initial story ideas for this theme include:
Tell a story of a time you were the recipient of kindness and the difference that made for you.
Tell the story of a time that you showed kindness and the difference that made for you.
Is kindness one of your top values? Document a story about why kindness matters to you. STORY KIT™
The
Story Kit™ includes:
Here's a video overview of the
Story Kit™ and Add-On options this month:
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 (full 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™ kits include 4x6 chipboard, 3x4 and 4x6 cards, a 3x4 stamp, a sticker sheet, and an embellishment (wood veneer, cork, etc). Stories By The Month™ Kits are all based on the designs we offered digitally each month throughout 2019.
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 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). Please note that the Crafters Ink pad option will only be available to Story Stamp™ subscribers.
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.
June 11, 2020
AE Creative Team | WE Story Kit™
This past month we have been focusing on stories of family, friends and other awesome combinations of people (and pets!) coming together. And today we are delighted to share these awesome projects from our Creative Team using the WE Story Kit™.
And as a reminder, tomorrow, Friday, June 12th, is the last day to subscribe and receive the WE-themed products.
As always, we are so grateful to our Creative Team for sharing their stories and creative inspiration with all of us!
June 9, 2020
Week In The Life™ 2020 | Wednesday Through Sunday In My Album
Today I'm sharing the rest of my completed 2020
Week In The Life™ album.
Thanks for your patience as it took me a little longer than usual to get this one done. As you'll see below I'm following the formula that I started with Monday and Tuesday with a few adjustments here and there.
One reminder as you work to finish up your album: own your own story. When you scroll through the photos below I want you to remember that this is my story and yours may look similar or completely different. I wholeheartedly want you to capture and celebrate and document your own life and then bring your words + photos together in a way that makes sense and brings enjoyment to you. What brings me the most joy with this project is emphasizing the words and the photos with some embellishments to support my storytelling.
As I look at what I've brought together here I am missing two shots that I wanted to get and didn't: (1) a photo of all of us together and (2) a photo of outside the house looking in at night. Those two specific photos are on my list to take soon and I'll use them for another project.
Here's my process via video:
Let's dive in:
One thing I started to add was a few handwritten words directly onto my photos using either a POSCA White Paint Pen or a Slick Writer.
Loved adding that chipboard tag to my photo and adding the red twine that peeks up out of the top of my album.
I also enjoyed taking the opportunity to use those 4x6 daily cards to write about my reflections of the day with a little perspective (meaning that time had passed from when I did the in-the-moment journaling). They both tell their own kind of story and add to a more complete picture of life right now.
On Monday + Tuesday I had enough ephemera for the 2x2 page protectors but I had less for the rest of the days. I'm totally okay with that and I ended up just adjusting the size of the page protector to accommodate what I did have (meaning I used my trimmer to cut of any extra rows of pockets).
I also think it's completely okay to add to those squares after the fact if you didn't grab enough during the week. There is no rule that it must all be from those seven days.
I only filled in the front of those pockets and am just leaving the back how it is right now.
Writing directly on my photos feel more "loose" than my normal adding of typed text but I went with what felt good while I was working on bringing it all together.
Loved adding the label stickers from the Sticker Book.
I had fun looking for a place each day to repeat stamp using the days of the week stamp set.
THURSDAY
Always looking for that space to be able to add more words onto my photos.
I loved the adventure of seeking out ephemera to add into those pockets.
FRIDAY
Friday is the day all the kids come back (our transition day). This is the first year that I've done this project when the kids weren't here the majority of the days. I'm glad I did it because it shows what half our time looks like and gave me an opportunity to look at my life through a bit of a different lens.
And, man, I love photos. As I review my pages while I type this up I am so thankful for the opportunity to capture life via the lens of my camera and with a pen in hand.
For some of the 5x7 photos I ended up punching a 1/2 circle from the top of the photos vs. along the outside edge.
I will easily admit that I did some diving into my recycle basket to find pieces of paper to punch out those 2x2 squares.
Definitely had a few more 5x7 photos to add in for this day. More people often means more photos.
Those welcome back hugs. Gah. I want more photos of those.
SATURDAY
Following a formula (with a little room for moving things around) helps so much when bringing it all together. By reducing some of the choices we have to make in the process it helps us focus on simply getting it all into place vs. having to come up for a new design for each day.
SUNDAY
Here's a look at the travelers notebook I included at the front of my album:
As part of the Week In The Life™ Prep Day I included a printable Travelers Notebook file that includes the inside pages you'll see below. I loved adding this in to my project this time around and will totally consider something like this again for the future (I've done it in December Daily® a few times before as well). What I really love is having them write in their own words about how they feel at this particular point in time.
I used this Washi tape to hold it all together.
I still plan to do a page for myself and one for Aaron (he'd like to keep his private).
Thank you so much for joining me in this project in 2020. It's been a year like no other so far and documenting our lives is one of the ways we can work to make sense of our own story.
Let me know if you have any questions below and I'd love to check out your completed project as well - feel free to link it in the comments below!
Week In The Life 2020 AE Mini Kit
Week In The Life Label Stamp Set
Week In The Life Memories Of Right Now Stamp Set
Week In The Life Asterisk Chipboard
Week In The Life Pleather Embellishments
Week In The Life Plastic Numbers
Week In The Life Transparency Phrases
Week In The Life Sticker Book
Week In The Life Days Of The Week Stamps
Honeyman Ink
Page Protectors For 2x2 Squares (5A)
2 inch x 2 inch Passport Punch
1.5 Inch Circle Punch
Grafix Clear Plastic Sheets
Foam Adhesive
Tiny Attacher
6 Hole Punch
Epson XP 15000 Printer
Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer (for 5x7 and smaller)
StazOn Black Ink
Round Stamp Block
June Stories By The Month
POSCA White Paint Pen
Slick Writer
White With Black Dot Washi Tape
If you'd like to learn more about my approach to this project check out the 2020 Week In The Life Prep Day online event. It covers a lot of the basics and is a great introduction/refresher to various parts of the project.
June 1, 2020
AE Creative Team | June 2020 Stories by the Month™ Physical Kit
Stories of slowing down. Stories of summer fun. Stories of unplanned moments and everyday life. Today we are delighted to welcome the month of June with some creative inspiration from our awesome Creative Team using the June 2020 Stories By The Month™ Physical Kit.
There are so many storytelling possibilities in this little pouch of products. As always, we are so grateful to our Creative Team for sharing their stories and creative inspiration with all of us!
May 27, 2020
Week In The Life™ 2020 | Tuesday In My Album
Here's a look at how I brought my Tuesday words + photos together into my 2020 Week In The Life™ album.
I'm following a similar design formula with each of my days while also allowing for some flexibility based on my content. Check out my Monday post for additional details.
Here's a video of my process:
Let's take a closer look at Tuesday:
I added a card from the June Stories By The Month™ kit.
On top of my 5x7 photo I added a label sticker from the Sticker Book.
I seriously love those 2x2 squares. Punching things out during the week made me happy!
Since I had less photos for Tuesday (or more that I wanted to print 5x7) I cut off the outer two pockets of the 3x4 pocket page protector.
One thing I did different on Tuesday was decide to stamp "TUE" on top of one of my photo enlargements (using the Days Of The Week stamp set). I think I'll go back into Monday and do this on one of my photos from that day as well.
Finished up Tuesday with this photo of Aaron, Ernie and I and used the same two stamp sets + Honeyman ink to create an embellishment that I added to the photo.
Week In The Life 2020 AE Mini Kit Week In The Life Label Stamp Set Week In The Life Memories Of Right Now Stamp Set Week In The Life Asterisk Chipboard Week In The Life Pleather Embellishments Week In The Life Plastic Numbers Week In The Life Transparency Phrases Week In The Life Sticker Book Week In The Life Days Of The Week Stamps Honeyman Ink Page Protectors For 2x2 Squares (5A) 2 inch x 2 inch Passport Punch 1.5 Inch Circle Punch Grafix Clear Plastic Sheets Foam Adhesive Tiny Attacher 6 Hole Punch Epson XP 15000 Printer Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer (for 5x7 and smaller) StazOn Black Ink Round Stamp Block June Stories By The Month
If you'd like to learn more about my approach to this project check out the 2020 Week In The Life Prep Day online event. It covers a lot of the basics and is a great introduction/refresher to various parts of the project.
AE Creative Team | May 2020 Stories By The Month™ Digital Kit
From magical May moments to the messy stories of life right now, the May 2020 Stories by the Month™ Digital Kit is perfect for all of your May stories. And today we are sharing some project inspiration from our awesome Creative Team.
As always, we are so grateful to our Creative Team for sharing their projects and the stories of their lives with us!
