Ali Edwards's Blog, page 125
September 10, 2019
AE Creative Team | PLAY Story Kit™
Hello friends! Today we are delighted to share with you some creative inspiration with projects made by our Creative Team using the PLAY Story Kit™. And just as a reminder, Thursday, September 12th, is the last day to subscribe to the Story Kit™ and receive the PLAY theme.
As always, we are so grateful to our awesome team for sharing their stories and creative inspiration with all of us!
September 9, 2019
December Daily® 2019 | Thank You + Updates + Ideas
Thank you so much for the awesome response to the
2019 December Daily® Collection last week.
EDIT : All the links below can be found via the special December Daily® box ordering pages here .
Today I wanted to give you some updates and a few ideas I've been sharing over on the December Daily® Instagram account. We are getting really close to 10,000 over on that account and are planning to do an Advent Calendar giveaway once we reach that number. Consider yourself invited to join the community over there for inspiration, ideas and updates related to December Daily®.
As we move throughout the month I want to keep you updated on Items from the collection that are getting closer to selling out. Here's an update today (9/9/19):
12 Days Advent Calendar
Die Cut Bundle
3x8 Journal Card Set from Paislee Press
3x8 Journal Cards + Transparency Set
4x6 Specialty Journal Card Set
December Daily® Transparent Phrases
December Daily® Phrase Sticker Bundle
Don't forget that registration for December Daily® Product Play 3 opened early with early bird pricing. Grab the workshop for $3 off during the Order Selection Period. More details to come on contributors. This year the focus will be on wreaths, numbers, and hexagons.
We also added two more ink colors to the Box Order Selection:
Olympia + Rose Garden (the pink on the bottom).
A couple ideas for you to consider as you start thinking about December projects:
On
Instagram (you can see more in my saved story highlights) I expanded on an idea I mentioned in the product overview video related to creating a "Five" Memories album.
For this project idea I combined the 3x8 album + the 3x8 Journal Card And Transparency Bundle + the #5 Gold Chipboard piece to create a home for five memories. Maybe you want to really simplify things this year or maybe you've got some time or a story idea you want to do that's a complement to your traditional December Daily® project. Maybe you want to document five memories from your childhood or five favorite holiday traditions or five favorite details. Those two products work together really well for a simplified December Daily® or for a companion project.
One of the questions I often get related to the 3x8 albums is about photo printing. There's lots of different ways you can approach this. Some people use the
Print To Size app or you can simply take 4x6 vertical photos and crop a little bit off each edge to fit into the 3x6 pocket you see here. I use Photoshop to crop + edit and then print here at home on my Epson PictureMate PM400 printer. When printing a 3x8 photo I generally use Photoshop to crop and then print it (sometimes along with other images) on an 8.5x11 piece of photo paper and trim off the excess. Here I printed a 3x6 photo of Audrey and slipped it into the pocket paired with one of the 2x3 cards on top.
The
Story Card Bundle is great for using with the 3x8 Page Protector Variety Pack (available to add to your Box + they fit in the 6x8 albums too). The cards are designed specifically to fit in the 3x2 and 3x6 pockets. Love that you can mix + match the journal cards and photos.
A couple people asked about fitting either the
3x8 transparencies or 6x8 transparencies into the 4x6 album.
The 3x8 transparencies look cool added into the 4x6 album on their size (punch holes in one end). I totally loved the idea of adding ribbon or twine to the top where the holes have already been punched for the transpareiences to fit into the 6x8 or 3x8 album.
You can use the 6x8 transparencies in the album by either cutting them down to fit into the 4x6 pocket or by punching new holes (I use a Power Punch for that + for punching holes it he wood numbers).
Also, don't forget that the 4x6 album would be awesome for a Valentine's or other holiday related project.
I'm still not committed to an album size yet but leaning towards 4x6 for some variety. Loved playing around with the idea of one of the small rubber pieces either on the outside OR on the inside cover.
If you have additional questions about products from the collection I'm happy to answer them below!
September 7, 2019
For The Love Of Books | What I Read In August 2019
Here's what I read in August:
The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood | 5 stars : I have all kinds of feelings about this book and it’s hard for me to get all those thoughts/feelings in order. At its core, this is a love story. One of the main characters is autistic (Gentry). It’s raw and real and touching and hard and hopeful and human and deals with all kinds of family/relationship issues, especially loyalty and honor and love. It’s told from different characters perspectives (loved that) and Gentry’s version of the story is written using Middle English because that’s his passion. It takes a bit of getting used to the language in his chapters but I thought it was a completely awesome way to fully embody the character. As the Mom of a 17 year old who was diagnosed with autism at age 3, I had a definite soft spot for Gentry. I so appreciated that he was simply who he was and that he had people in his life who accepted and encouraged him for who he was and supported him in his passions (which complicates pieces of the story as it develops). Life is complicated and beautiful and I definitely felt those feelings as I read this one.
Thirst: 2600 Miles To Home by Heather "Anish" Anderson | 4 stars : Since I can’t hike right now (ankle sprain) I decided to order some books about hiking/hiking memoirs and this was the first I read. I read it in a few hours and enjoyed it - I can’t imagine hiking 40+ miles daily for two months - definitely inspiring in the “get out there and make it happen” realm.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead | 5 stars : An excellent, devastating book from the author of The Underground Railroad (which I have here but still haven't read).
The Sunday Lunch Club by Juliet Ashton | 4 stars : There is something about this book that I found really, really delightful. It might be because it was different than what I've been reading (my last book was "The Nickel Boys" so there's that), or maybe it was just the right book for me at the right time. Whatever it was, I totally enjoyed it and I loved how she used the lens of the Sunday lunches to tell the story.
The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains by Nicholas Carr | 5 stars : This is an older book but still super valuable about how the internet is actually changing the ways our brain works. Fascinated by so much of it - especially the chapter about memory. Felt super important and still mostly relevant. Following it up with Digital Minimalism: Choosing A Focused Life In A Noisy World.
COMPLETE LIST OF WHAT I'VE READ IN 2019
JANUARY
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (BOTM / Amazon) | Totally enjoyed this super-fast-to-read thriller. A great way to start out the new year.
There There by Tommy Orange (local book club book for January) | This was a brutal book but an important read in terms of exposing ourselves to different voices - in this case Native Americans. There were lots of places I wished I would have underlined and I might just go back in and read it again for those words. It was a little confusing to follow the characters as it went back and forth - I definitely found myself flipping back to previous chapters to make sure I remembered whose perspective I was reading. Read it.
Verity by Colleen Hoover | Super satisfying thriller. Started it one evening and finished the next morning. Just read it.
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith | Finally had a chance to start this series (written by JK Rowling under a pen name) and I totally enjoyed it. Detective mystery that kept me interested.
FEBRUARY
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown | 5 stars. There is nothing else to say besides this: this is an important book that should be read by everyone. Stories matter, especially of those who have been and continue to be marginalized in our society.
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai | 5 stars. I loved this book. I loved the weaving of the two different time periods (1980's during the AIDS crisis in Chicago + 2015) and I loved how the author posed questions about love, friendship, memories, stories (and who gets to tell them), imperfect people (everyone), and the passage of time. It was heartbreaking and rich and beautifully written.
The Winter Sister by Megan Collins (BOTM) | 3 stars. A fast ready but one that was really just "okay" for me. The characters, the story, the whole thing - it was just not quite there. I've read so many better thrillers over the last few years.
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum (BOTM) | 5 stars. Loved it. Go read it. Three generations of Palestinian-American women's stories of daily life, courage, family, expectations, faith, etc. Really enjoyed the storytelling and how it all unfolded. So many times as I turned the page I kept thinking to myself how the stories of these women continue today here in the US and around the world. So, so different than my life experience. This is why I read.
The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani | 3.5 stars // Picked it up because it was included in the New York Time's 10 best books of 2018 (others I've read from that list included "There, There" and "The Great Believers" which were both really good). This book was a super quick read - read it over the course of one day - and it was interesting but not awesome. Some pieces felt disjointed - I kept waiting for the author to go deeper into the story.
Maid by Stephanie Land | 3.5 stars. As an advocate for telling your story, I generally appreciate memoirs like this that detail how lives are lived because I believe there are always things to be learned from people's experiences. While reading her story I had a wide variety of thoughts running through my head regarding poverty, single-parenthood (a piece I have lived + was thankful every single day that I had a job to support myself and my children), the way the "system" works, as well as thoughts about people I have interacted with throughout my life. From that standpoint, I'm glad I read it (and it was a super quick read).
MARCH
Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson (BOTM) | 3 stars. I found this to be a satisfying thriller. It's totally possible that I wasn't paying close enough attention while I was reading it (meaning I wasn't trying to figure out what was going to happen) but I definitely enjoyed it. Aaron read this on our vacation and also enjoyed it. Definitely good for a beach read.
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens | 4 stars. Beautiful writing that I definitely think will stay with me for awhile. My local book club read this last month and I missed the meeting because I wanted to read it myself before having a conversation and the early part of my month was just too full to make time.
Daisy Jones + The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | 4 stars. I initially resisted this title as I was thinking I wasn’t interested in a story about rock & roll but people kept talking about it and then my book club picked it and down the path I went. I am so glad I went down that path! I definitely had a hard time remembering that it was fiction. I kept wanting to look up the band online to listen to their music and see their faces and read what had been written about them. That’s basically how well written and clever this book is. Beyond that, I loved the entire format for how she told the story and I loved the themes of love and loss and addiction and honesty and passion. So good. Highly recommended.
Next Year In Havana by Chanel Cleeton | 4 stars. Read this on vacation and loved the imagery. I'll definitely consider reading the new book she's coming out with that tells the story of Beatriz Perez: When We Left Cuba .
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith | 3 stars. This is the second book in the Cormoran Strike series and I didn't like it as much as the first one but it's a solid mystery with characters returning and their stories continuing. I like reading these ones on my Kindle on vacation. I'll definitely keep reading the series.
APRIL
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim (BOTM) | 3 stars. I really struggled with this book and I think it's probably just a personal problem with some of the subject matter surrounding autism. It's hard for me to articulate but I generally don't select books talking about Mom's + kids on the spectrum because it's already part of my daily life (and has been ever since my son was 2.5 years old). With this book I just kept having mixed feelings - about the characters, about the plot, about people trying to "fix" autistic people, etc. I'd be interested in hearing what other parents with kids on the spectrum felt about this one.
All The You Leave Behind by Erin Lee Carr (BOTM) | 4 stars. I really, really liked this one. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I appreciate real life stories, but this one has really struck me for a particular reason: we live in an era where content/source material for our personal stories are able to be gathered via email and text and social media messages. Voices live on in their own words - similar to written letters of the past but also different (more immediate I guess). In this book I love reading David Carr’s words of encouragement to his daughter as she navigates early adulthood and addiction - he had a way with words that has me underlining and nodding and reflecting on my own life and relationships. So good.
Lost And Wanted by Nell Fredenberger (BOTM) | 3.5 stars. I read this one while traveling and actually enjoyed the science mixed in with the story. I feel like I learned a little something about physics that is totally foreign to me and I liked the weaving through the story. I wanted to know how it was going to resolve itself and there were definitely parts that will stick with me.
Wolfpack by Abby Wambach | 5 stars. This is a super quick read based on a commencement address and I loved it. Can't wait to share it with my girls.
MAY
The Valedictorian Of Being Dead by Heather B. Armstrong | 5 stars. I'm going with 5 stars on this one because I think it's such an important read about depression + hope + life. It's Heather's own experience - not a prescription - showing a path she took to get out of a significant depressive episode. It's also a lot about understanding and kindness and asking for help and showing up for people. Really important read.
Boss Up: This Ain't Your Mama's Business Book by Lindsay Teague Moreno | I got to read an advance copy of this one (it's available for preorder now) and it's a fantastic, straight-talking roadmap for getting started and for continuing to evolve and thrive as a woman entrepreneur. Lindsay takes the lessons she’s learned through her own experience and shares them in an honest, humorous, and inspiring way. Boss Up will make you want to dive right in and take the next steps forward no matter where you are in the process.
Clean Mama's Guide To A Healthy Home by Becky Rapinchuk | As part of my personal wellness journey (more to come in a later post with an update about this) I'm working on reducing toxins in my house and this book and her site have been so, so helpful to me. It's easy to read and it was super inspiring me - I literally went around my house and got rid of just about everything I could that was a toxic cleaning product/personal care item.
JUNE
The Sound Of Gravel by Ruth Wariner | This is a tough book, along the same lines as Educated and The Glass Castle. I actually thought I had read this one already but I think I was confusing it with The Glass Castle. Definitely worth reading if you are a fan of memoir.
Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center | I got this book as advance reader copy from Katherine (you can get this one via Book Of The Month before it releases to the public here ). I loved this story of forgiveness and empathy and compassion and love and strength through struggle. Totally enjoyable.
In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware | Read this one super quick on the beach. I didn't find it to be scary at all but that might have been because I was reading it on the beach during the day. It was a like not love for me.
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah | I've read The Nightingale and The Great Alone (one of my favorite books in the last few years) so I decided to pick up one of Kristen Hannah's earlier books. I liked it - a good friendship filled beach read that definitely had me crying at the end. If you have to pick one of her books I highly recommend The Great Alone or The Nightingale.
JULY
Evicted: Poverty + Profit In The American City by Matthew Desmond | 5 stars : I started this one at the end of June and finished it fairly quickly - it's definitely an important book about poverty and housing. I love books like this where the author embeds themselves to tell the story.
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager | 3 Stars : As a fan of thrillers I found this one to be just okay. I felt like it lacked depth overall and was just kind of boring - could totally be me. Ha.
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo | 5 Stars : Super fascinating, very graphic look at the sexual/desire lives of three women + the stories they tell themselves + the stories that are told about them. Non-fiction that reads like fiction (pretty amazing storytelling using this voice/lens) - amazing achievement in terms of the research and then storytelling that went into writing this book.
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger | 3 Stars : I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen and how the story was going to be resolved and I stayed up too late to finish it up, but it I didn't love it. The way the characters behaved was a little like nails on a chalkboard for me (probably the point) and the issues raised are definitely timely for my friend group. I could see my book club enjoying this one for the discussion.
Recursion by Blake Crouch | 5 stars : Somehow I missed that this was a recent BOTM book - I totally loved his book Dark Matter - so I ordered this on my Kindle after seeing Stephanie's husband reading it. I totally loved and devoured this mind-bending, sci-fi novel. This was one of those books that I just wanted to stop everything and read.
She Explores: Stories Of Life Changing Adventures on the Road and in the Wild by Gale Straub | This is kind of a coffee table book (the cover looks awesome for sure) but the stories were really motivating to where I'm at in life right now. Loved it and gave me a bunch of new people to follow on social media who love the outdoors.
Wabi Sabi Welcome: Learning to Embrace the Imperfect and Entertain with Thoughtfulness and Ease by Juile Pointer Adams | Another coffee table style book but one I also read cover to cover and really loved because it was talking about a bunch of things I've been working on related to being more casual with get togethers. Really felt like it filled me up.
Turn Of The Key by Ruth Ware | This one came in the mail on the the 30th and I finished it on the 31st just in time to add it to my list (I get my Book Of The Month picks in advance as part of them Ambassador Program). Super satisfying thriller.
You can see my 2018 Reading Recap post here and what I read in 2017 here.
September 4, 2019
December Daily® 2019 | Kits + Albums Preview
I'm super excited to bring you previews today of the
December Daily® 2019 Main Kit, Mini Kit, Kids Kit and album options.
A couple updates/reminders:
You can see other shop products (journaling cards, papers, embellishments, stamps, etc) we revealed last week in my preview post here.
Make sure to go read Monday's How It Works post to understand how this ordering process works.
We will be including some past December Daily® products from our remaining inventory in the Order Selection Period for you to take advantage of the box shipping special. You will find these at the bottom of each section.
We've decided to launch the December Daily® Product Play 3 workshop tomorrow and it will be available at an intro price of $17 during the Order Selection Period (until September 30th). After that it will return to the $20 price. I'll be adding more images to the shop page for that workshop as the month progresses to show previews of the projects. The workshop will be available via our normal shopping set up and is a separate purchase from your December Daily® Box. The three themes we will be focusing on in that workshop this year are numbers, wreaths, and hexagons.
As you will see below and via the downloadable price list, we have had to increase some of our prices due to manufacturing changes and import tariffs. It's been a challenging year for forecasting and we truly want to continue offering you products that help you get your stories told and add to your overall memory keeping experience. We deeply appreciate our customers and thank you for your understanding as we navigate changes in manufacturing and importing.
Below you'll see images and videos of what's included in each of the kits this year. Additional images and information will be included when the products are released tomorrow:
Here's an overview video of what's included with this kit:
DECEMBER DAILY® 2019 | MINI KIT
Here's an overview video of what's included with this kit:
DECEMBER DAILY® 2019 | KIDS KIT
Designed by Tara of Rad & Happy, this kit includes a fun pouch to hold all your supplies, 4x6 and 3x4 cards, stickers, felt lights, plastic circles, a 3x4 stamp, and a mini red ink pad.
Please Note: The album is a separate purchase (responding to requests for more flexibility for those that might want to use a different album).
Here's an overview from Audrey and Anna showing what's included in this kit (please note that the album is not included with the kit but when we filmed this video that was our understanding):
2019 ALBUMS
White with gold stars 6x8 Album with grey interior text pattern. Includes 31 page protectors + 2.5 inch spine
Red 6x8 Album with Merry Everything + A Happy Always in gold on the cover and grey buffalo check on the inside. Includes 31 page protectors + 25 inch spine.
Our 3x8 album this year is olive green linen with a grey diagonal stripe on the inside. The 3x8 album spine is 1.5 inches and includes 31 page protectors.
This year we are also offering a red stripe 4x6 album with a 2.5 inch spine and includes 31 page protectors. I'm considering using this size for 2019. Back in 2012 I used this size album for this project and it was a super fun way to mix things up and help me focus on the stories (sometimes less space = more focus on what matters most).
MASKING TAPE BUNDLE
We just got the image for this product as well. Bundle includes two rolls of masking tape which is fun for adding to your projects or packages.
Click to download a product list that includes images.
September 2, 2019
December Daily® 2019 | How It Works
Each year before the release of the
December Daily® collection I like to go over how the Order Selection Period works to refresh everyone's memory and introduce newcomers to the community about how ordering works for these specific products.
We are hopeful that the changes we made to the order process last year will continue to alleviate some of the slow loading and other issues we've faced in the past for this very popular release. That said, we are imperfect people trying to get it right and it's totally possible that there will be issues on the day the products go live (this Thursday, September 5th at 7am PDT). We thank you in advance for your patience if issues do arise. Our goal is to create an awesome experience for you and we don't like it just as much as you don't like it when things don't run smooth.
Below I am showing screen shots of what the shopping experience looks like (on desktop and mobile) so you will have the opportunity to be more familiar with the process before the page goes live.
As you will see below from the screenshots and via the downloadable price list on Wednesday , we have made the decision to increase some of our prices due to manufacturing changes and import tariffs. It's been a challenging year for forecasting and we truly want to continue offering you products that help you get your stories told and add to your overall memory keeping experience. We deeply appreciate our customers and thank you for your understanding as we navigate changes in manufacturing and importing.
Grab yourself a cup of your favorite beverage and take a few minutes to read through the details.
Feel free to ask questions in the comments below.
When the products go live on Thursday morning there will be an option under the
December Daily® dropdown menu to shop (right now the main drop down menu is for the "Travel Collection" - that will be updated when the products go live).
When the December Daily® shopping experience is live you will see that we have broken the products down into four categories. Each one will have their own tab across the top of your browser window:
My Box, Kits + Albums, Stamping, Embellishments, Paper.
My Box: This is where your products will appear after you have checked out using the box in the top right.
Kits + Albums: Includes kits, albums, page protectors.
Stamping: Includes stamps, inks, stencil + paint, pens.
Embellishments: Includes chipboard, stickers, embellishments, etc.
Paper: Includes journal card sets,, transparencies, etc.
Checkout: Once you have added any items to your box a sixth tab will appear in red. You can click this to checkout or use the red button under your box in the top right corner. You will also be able to check out via the red box icon on the top right corner.
When the products are live you will be able to click on any product image and will be taken to a product page that includes a description and additional product details. You will also be able to add to your box from the main shopping page (as you see above) or from the individual product page.
When you add an item to your box from this main shopping page the red "add to box" will temporarily turn green showing you that the item has been added to your box. It will return to red enabling you to add more if you want of that product.
PLEASE NOTE: I highly recommend identifying the items you are most interested in and checking out with those things first. Let's say you know for sure you want an album + the Main Kit and a chipboard bundle. Add those three items to your "DD cart" (the red box icon in the top right) and then go through the checkout process to secure those items. Those items will then appear in your "My Box" tab - as will any additional items you add to your "DD cart" and "checkout" before the 30th. Items in your "DD cart" aren't secure until you have actually checked out.
The above screen shot shows where your "DD cart" is located while you are shopping the December Daily® products. You will not be able to add products from my regular shop to this cart - it is a completely separate cart for December Daily® during the Order Selection Period.
You can adjust the amount of the item you want to order or remove the item from your box (only before checking out) in this area. Please make sure to double-check your quantities before checking out.
Once you have clicked "checkout" and gone through that process your products will then appear under the "My Box" tab.
Above is a screenshot of the checkout page for desktop users. With our simplified shipping this year (flat rate $5 for domestic and $20 international) you will be charged this flat fee the first time you check out. After that it will note "PAID" in green for "Box Bundle Shipping" on any future checkouts.
MOBILE USERS
Did you know that almost 50% of you use a mobile device for shopping on my site? That's awesome.
Here's a look at what you will see on your mobile device. Again, the navigation between the different categories will be right there along the top:
From this screen you are able to add products directly to your box by clicking the small box icon under the product. The small red box in the upper right corner is what you currently have in your "DD cart." Once you complete the checkout process your products will then be viewable under "My Box" in the main navigation.
You will also be able to click on the individual product to see more images or get more details:
If you are shopping from a mobile device you will have an option when you are checking out to "Check Out Right Away"
OR to scroll down to review your details before checking out. Please note that once you have completed checkout you will not be able to remove items or edit order. Please be sure to review your order quantities before checking out.
The Order Selection Period for December Daily® begins on Thursday, September 5th at 7am PDT and will end on September 30th. After the Order Selection Period closes we will box up your order and ship it to you in early October.
Make sure you have an updated credit card and shipping address on file with us and that you are signed in under your "My Account" before starting to shop. Go do that now.
Once you have checked out you CAN NOT remove products from your box or edit your order. Customer Service will not be able to make adjustments to your order after you have checked out. Please verify the numbers of product placed before checking out - you will be able to see an adjust the quantity of an item before you check out via the box icon on the top right of your page.
The project will always be more important than the products.
You will be able to use Paypal or Gift Cards for the December Daily® Box Orders this year.
If there are complications my team will be working to solve them as quickly as possible. SIMPLIFIED SHIPPING RATES
For 2019 the Box Shipping rates will be as follows:
$5 Domestic Flat Rate
$20 International Flat Rate
This will be charged on your first "checkout" and that will be the only time you are charged shipping. After that if you checkout again under "Box Bundle Shipping" it will say "PAID."
My hope is that in sharing this information with you today it will help you have a better idea of what the shopping experience will look like. Please let me know if you have any questions below.
I'll be posting the Main Kit, Mini Kit, Kids Kit, and albums here on my blog on Wednesday, September 4th along with a price list to help you decided what you'd like to purchase. You can check out my Product Preview post that I shared last week that includes a walkthrough of all the other products in the collection this year.
August 30, 2019
December Daily® 2019 | Product Collection Preview
In this post we are sharing all the products we are offering for December Daily® 2019 with the exception of the kits and albums (those will be shared here on September 4th). All products will all be available on Thursday, September 5th at 7am Pacific. Be on the lookout for a post on Monday that walks you through the shopping process (very similar to how it worked last year).
We will be offering a downloadable price list with the Kits + Albums preview post on Wednesday, September 4th to help you plan.
Make sure to follow December Daily® on Instagram for album previews over the next few days.
You can get more details on the schedule for December Daily® here.
Let's dive right in:
2019 DECEMBER DAILY® PRODUCT PREVIEW VIDEO2019 PRODUCT IMAGESHere's a closer look at the products included in the video:
STAMPS
Christmas Words 6x8
Rad Tidings 6x8 : This year's Kids Kit was designed by Tara from Rad & Happy. She also created this awesome, fun alphabet stamp set.
Numbers 6x8 : These large number stamps are about 1.75 inches tall (almost 2 inches). The "6" is turned upside down to create a "9."
And the 4x6 stamps:
Patterned Blocks 4x6
Christmas Phrases 4x6
Merry Christmas 4x6
Memory 4x6 : Turn the lines horizontally to create journaling lines on a 3x4 card.
Paislee Press 4x6 : Liz Tamanaha is back with her fabulous designs in the Mini Kit.
Along with the stamps we will also have an ink bundle that includes the following:
Fabric Embellishments
Pleather Embellishments
Variety Rubber Pack
Large Rubber Shapes
Small Dimensional Bundle
Dimensional Bundle
Transparency Phrases
Gold Foil Chipboard Numbers: 1-31
Wood Veneer Numbers: 1-10
Chipboard Bundle 1
Chipboard Bundle 2
Variety Sticker Bundle
Puffy Sticker Bundle
Phrase Sticker Bundle
3x4 Shipping Tags
4x6 Shipping Tags
Die Cut Page Inserts
Die Cut Bundle
2x2 Die Cut Bundle
We are also adding the following (these have been released previously or included within past kits):
Puffy Phrases Stickers
Icon Puffy Stickers
Star Puffy Stickers
Large Plastic Words
Rubber Shapes
White Acrylic Stars
White Number Sticker Sheet
PAPER
Specialty Journal Card Set
3x8 Journal Card Set : Designed by Liz Tamanaha from Paislee Press.
3x8 Journal Cards + Transparency Set : This includes journal cards + pattern transparencies with holes already punched.
3x8 Transparency Bundle
6x8 Transparency Bundle : Designs include a white twinkle tree + a white grid (you can see both those better in the second image above).
Story Card Bundle : These work awesome in our 3x8 page protector with a 3x2 pocket on the top and a 3x6 pocket on the bottom (included with the 3x8 album).
Also included in this category you'll find the following: December Daily® Star Gaze Journal (first released in 2018), December Daily® Planner (first released in 2018), and the December Daily® Red Journal (first released in 2017)
KITS + ALBUMS SECTION
Plastic Envelope Bundle : Includes three envelope pockets.
DECEMBER DAILY® 2019 | 12 DAYS ADVENT CALENDARBrand new this year is an idea that we've been talking about for a number of years. Many of you know how much I enjoy getting Advent calendars for my kids (usually Legos or Playmobil) and we thought it would be fun to put together an Advent Calendar for memory keepers. This kit includes twine, clothes pins, a super fun large star pouch (12.5 inches x 10 inches), and 12 numbered envelopes (4.25 inch x 5 inch) that each include a small embellishment (think plastic pieces, chipboard, etc) that can be used in your holiday memory keeping adventures.
I can totally imagine using the envelopes within December Daily® or for another project.
Thanks again for being part of this community and for your enthusiasm about this project. Stay tuned for more details next week.
If you have any questions about the above products please let me know!
August 27, 2019
Day In The Life™ 2019 | November Date Scheduled
Just a quick heads up to let you know that I'm planning to do the second Day In The Life™ documentation for 2019 on Saturday, November 16th.
I'll be using the same Day In The Life™ Kit + adding it to my 3x8 album (shown below - low quantities of both are available):
For this documenting day I'll be using the 3x8 "time" and "story" cards to tell the story of my day. The kit includes 12 cards so you could easily approach it hourly or simply pick out a few times during the day to document and pair with photos.
You can see how I tackled the first documenting day earlier this year here using the story lens of morning, afternoon, and evening.
You can see all my past blog posts about the Day In The Life™ project here.
Let's tell stories together!
August 26, 2019
AE Creative Team | August 2019 Stories By The Month™ Digital Kit
Happy Monday friends! We are kicking off the week with some creative inspiration by our Creative Team! We are delighted to bring you their awesome projects using the August 2019 Stories By the Month™ Digital Kit.
There are so many ways to use the digital elements in these kits - from big titles, to repeated shapes, to filling up the pockets in your pages. And as always, a huge thanks to our awesome team for sharing their creative inspiration with all of us!
August 25, 2019
The Good Old Days Kit Scrapbook Layout #4
Welcome back for one more layout I created using
The Good Old Days scrapbook kit we created in collaboration with Studio Calico (along with stuff from my stash).
If you are just jumping in
make sure to check out my post that introduces you to this release and includes a shipping special that ends tomorrow: 8/26/19 at 11:59PM Eastern.
Thanks so much for joining me the last few days as I've shared projects I've created with this kit. I hope it inspires you to get some of your own stories told.
When I first started this layout I wasn't totally sure where I was going to go with it. I knew I wanted to use an enlarged photo of my feet + my fall door mat (because little stories matter too) and I also wanted to use the star pattern paper along with the wood veneer diamonds.
My beginnings looked like this:
Something cool happened when I was working on this spread. I had what you see above laid out on my work table when Audrey and Anna came in to hang out. Audrey came over to the table to check out what I was working on and suggested that I add stars onto the star pattern paper and I thought that was a fantastic idea and decided to pair stars from my stash with journaling strips that document what I'm thankful for right now.
As you can see above I ended up switching the pages around but really they can go either way.
Here's a look at the finished spread:
To simply mix things up I decided to print the full page 8.5x11 inch photo with a white border.
On top of the photo I used both sets of alphabets from the kit paired with a cork star on top because I wanted to bring some of the stars from the second page onto the first page to link the two designs together.
The second page includes four of the wood veneer diamonds from the kit brought together to create a larger diamond and I adhered those pieces onto a piece of pattern paper from the kit (the general idea being to create a "border" like I have on the photo).
I dug through my stash of stars and pulled out ones that seemed to work with this page and paired them with "thankful thoughts" I typed up and printed out. This was a super fun way to use up some of the many, many stars I have (and I'm not complaining because I love them).
And it's always a good time to give thanks.
The Good Old Days Kit
Stars from my stash in varying textures and sizes
Epson XP-15000 Printer
August 24, 2019
The Good Old Days Kit Scrapbook Layout #3
I'm back today with another layout and process video I created using
The Good Old Days scrapbook kit we released on Thursday in collaboration with Studio Calico.
If you are just jumping in
make sure to check out my post that introduces you to this release and includes a shipping special that is on until 8/26/19 at 11:59PM Eastern.
Today's layout tells a story about Audrey + Anna and includes their own voices as I asked them each the question, "What do you like about Anna?" and "What do you like about Audrey."
Here's a look at how the 2 page, 12 inch x 12 inch project turned out:
As you might be able to tell by now, I love circles and I still love my circle punches.
This layout pairs a full page, 12 inch x 12 inch photo with a second 12 inch x 12 inch page that features 11 circle punched photos of the girls together over the years.
The large chipboard from the kit was used for my title and I replaced the "O" with the cork happy circle and added my own text (white text on a black circle) to the bottom half.
On the second page I added a variety of embellishments from my stash, including those really fun puffy messy circles which from Crate Paper. I went for an organic placement of all those elements and enjoyed the process of layering in pattern papers, transparencies, and puffy hearts from the kit.
I still enjoy when elements continue from one page to the next as I did with the "U" in the title above.
Here you can see what Audrey and Anna each said they liked about the other one. This is gold.
Incorporating other voices into my memory keeping continues to be one of my favorite ways to tell stories.
The Good Old Days Kit
Crate Paper All Heart Puffy Phrases + Icons
Past Story Kit™ Embellishments
Epson XP 15000 Printer
Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer
3.5 Inch Circle Punch
3 Inch Circle Punch
Patterned Paper mentioned in the video but not used is Maggie Holmes Heritage
