Ali Edwards's Blog, page 186

December Daily® 2015 | Day Eighteen

Welcome to 
December Daily® 2015 | Day 18. 

I might have been a little overzealous in proclaiming how much better I was feeling yesterday. I was better than the day before, but still not great which equaled more taking it very easy here at home in my bed. 

With that said, I'm keeping it simple. I had printed this special passage (more information below) on vellum last month when someone mentioned it on the Facebook group. Today felt like the right day to include it as part of my story. 

Here's a look at Day 18 from my foundation pages post: 

And here's how it ended up in my album: 

I moved the Day 18 number (chipboard word from the 
December Daily® One Little Bird Mini Kit) + silver star onto the gold foil "december" 6x8 page which I trimmed down to 4x6.

Below that I added a photo I took with my self-timer of Sam at the foot of my bed and me on my phone and Anna with an iPad. On top of the photo I added two more silver stars and three word/phrase stickers. I had a hard time getting the color on the photo to be correct, even this black and white is leaning towards blue - embracing it for what it is today. 

The other page I included today is some writing about Christmas by 
Sister Joan D. Chittister, I formatted the quote in Photoshop knowing I wanted to use it as a full page and printed it on ink jet vellum. 

Here's the passage written by 
Sister Joan D. Chittister:

"Christmas is a strange season. When you're a child, it is a season of presents. When you're young, it's a season of parties. When you get your own home, it's a season of preparations. But when you get older, Christmas changes color drastically. Suddenly, out from behind the advertisements and big dinners, through the haze of old carols and soft candles, past the dazzling altars and sumptuous crib scenes, we begin to see what Christmas is really all about. Christmas is about finding life where we did not expect it to be. Every year of life waxes and wanes. Every stage of life comes and goes. Every facet of life is born and then dies. Every good moment is doomed to become only a memory. Every perfect period of living slips through our fingers and disappears. Every hope dims and every possibility turns eventually to dry clay. Until Christmas comes again. Then we are called at the deepest, most subconscious, least cognizant level to begin to live again. Christmas brings us all back to the crib of life to start over: aware of what has gone before, conscious that nothing can last, but full of hope that this time, finally, we can learn what it takes to live well, grow to full stature of soul and spirit, get it right. There is a child in each of us waiting to be born again. It is to those looking for life that the figure of the Christ, a child, beckons. Christmas is not for children. It is for those who refuse to give up and grow old, for those to whom life comes newly and with purpose each and every day, for those who can let yesterday go so that life can be full of new possibility always, for those who are agitated with newness whatever their age. Life is for the living, for those in whom Christmas is a feast without finish, a celebration of the constancy of change, a call to being once more the journey to human joy and holy meaning." 

For those of you who might be interested in including this particular passage in your own album I saved my 6x8 JPG/PSD/PNG of the file that you can print or adjust (font is 
Remington Noiseless).

Download Christmas Season passage here.

DAY 18 VIDEO OVERVIEW



SUPPLIES

December Daily® 2015 Main Kit
December Daily® One Little Bird Mini Kit
Ink Jet Vellum
Pink Paislee Yuletide Gold Foil Stickers
Maggie Holmes Craft Market Stickers
Epson R2000 Printer
Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer (4x6 photo)


SHARE YOUR DAY 18

I'd love to have you share a link to your Day 18 album pages below. Please link directly to your post vs. a general blog link.

December Daily® 2015 | Day Seventeen

Welcome to 
December Daily® 2015 | Day 17. 

A bit of a delayed posting today because I ended up with a terrible ear infection yesterday that knocked me out for the whole day. Seriously crazy how painful it was - I definitely have a renewed sensitivity for those little kids that have a bunch of ear infections.
Ouch. Feeling a bit better today now that the meds have kicked in (the pain portion is under control, now it's just plugged up) and will be taking it easy as we move into the week of Christmas. 

Day 17 originally included on of the white tags - I decided to take it out and just use a date stamp on top of a
label sticker for the date. 

Here's a look at my Day 17:  

Black letter stickers were included in the 
Mini Kit from Kelly Purkey. Red journal card is from the Jasmine Jones Mini Kit. The label sticker is from the Main Kit and the black and white washi tape along the bottom is part of a December Shop release of new products that will be available next week (new stamps, journal cards, more large chipboard alphas, and washi tape). 

Today is a great example of keeping it simple: words + a photo + a few embellishments. I handwrote my journaling first and underlined second. 

DAY 17 OVERVIEW


SUPPLIES

December Daily® 2015 Main Kit
December Daily® Jasmine Jones Mini Kit
December Daily® Kelly Purkey Mini Kit
AE Precision Pen
New AED Mini Washi Tape (available next week)
Rolling Date Stamp
Staz On Ink
Seven Paper Gold Chipboard Stars

SHARE YOUR DAY 17

I'd love to have you share a link to your Day 17 album pages below. Please link directly to your post vs. a general blog link.

December Daily® 2015 | Day Sixteen

Welcome to 
December Daily® 2015 | Day 16. 

Today I'm sharing my Christmas card and including a couple of photos of me working on them along with an idea for embellishing one of the white chipboard trees. 

Here's a look at Day 16 from my 
foundation pages post: 

And here's a look at how Day 16 with my story included: 

As you'll hear me explain in the video, I took out the 2x2 pocket page because I had just used the other one and want to save that one for a day with a story that will fit it better than the one I wanted to tell today. As always,
making it work for me just like you should make it work for you. 

I took this photo of myself by setting my camera on my kitchen counter and setting the self-timer. The top photo shows how I wrote the family's last name large. The "16" was already cut to fit the 2x2 pocket page so I decided to just put that out and use it on my main 4x6 photo. When adding my journaling in Photoshop I saved space for the "16" to fit in the corner. 

In the top right pocket I used three different sticker sheets (that I've been using throughout my album) right on top of one of the white wood veneer trees from the 
Main Kit (tree pattern paper is also from the Main Kit). I used scissors and an xacto knife to trim the edges. I love how that turned out. So fun. 

My card this year is from 
Minted. I've used them for the last few years and have always been really happy with the quality. 

To add it to my album I simply used my Crop A Dile to punch holes. I left the back blank. I might add something to it for Day 17 or I might just leave it as it is. 

The quote I added to the top in red is from Denis Waitley and says, "
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." It's a quote I hand-wrote earlier this year as part of my #givesunday series which you can download here. 

Here's a look at the spread outside the album: 

DAY 16 OVERVIEW


SUPPLIES

December Daily® 2015 Main Kit
December Daily® Emily Ley Mini Kit (#16)
Crop A Dile
Minted Christmas Card
Super Sticky Red Line Tape
Pink Paislee Yuletide Gold Foil Stickers
Seven Paper Gold Stars
Maggie Holmes Craft Market Stickers


SHARE YOUR DAY 16

I'd love to have you share a link to your Day 16 album pages below. Please link directly to your post vs. a general blog link.

December Daily® 2015 | Day Fifteen

Welcome to 
December Daily® 2015 | Day 15. 

Today I'm including Anna's letter to Santa (handwritten) and Simon's wish list (via text message) plus a cute little painting that Anna did the other day in my office.  

Today's also a good day to assess where you're at and what stories you still want to tell. What stories/thoughts/feelings/activities from this season are missing from your album? Keep a note of the things you make sure you don't want to forget. 

Here's a look at Day 15 from my foundation pages: 

And here's a look at how it came together in my album: 

Day 15 includes a small bag that's holding Anna's handwritten letter (she wrote it back in November using a Sharpie and a piece of paper torn from a lined journal) and Simon's list that he texted me last week. 

On the back of Simon's list I added one of the cards from the Jasmine Jones Mini Kit. 

After the bag I paired a journal card (similar to what I've done on other days with a title and Remington Noiseless font) + a day card from the Ashley G Mini Kit + a "lily pad painting" that Anna did the other day + a "tuesday stories" word art cut from the Silhouette. 

Anna was super excited to make a painting for me to include in this album. "For your book Mama!" Yes, Anna, for our book. 

DAY 15 OVERVIEW


SUPPLIES

December Daily® 2015 Main Kit
December Daily® Ashley G Mini Kit
December Daily® Jasmine Jones Mini Kit
Crop A Dile
Daily Stories And Photos Word Art
Silhouette


SHARE YOUR DAY 15

I'd love to have you share a link to your Day 15 album pages below. Please link directly to your post vs. a general blog link.

One Little Word® 2016

Welcome to the One Little Word® Kick Off post for 2016. 

Registration for the 12-month workshop has begun. Register before December 31, 2015 to receive the early-bird price of $26 (after December 31st the price is $31).

The workshop will operate much like it has for the past five years - monthly creative prompts to encourage you to connect with your word via writing, photography, and collage. This year I'll be working in the 6x8 format but will continue to provide printables in the 8.5x11 size for those of you who wish to continue in your current albums. 

Past students have reported learning about celebrating progress rather than perfection, about the power of focusing on a single word and the impact that can have in your life, about how many little moments make up the patterns of our lives, about thinking of your future self as you make decisions today, about how your own journey is important, about how to step back into the story of your own life as an active participant, about learning what you most need from yourself, and about the power of coming back again and again to your original intentions as a means of reflection and forward movement.

Is this your first time hearing about One Little Word®? The premise is simple - choose a word to invite into your life for the coming year. You live with it. You let it speak to you. You might even follow where it leads. There are so many possibilities and no right or wrong way to approach the adventure. Sometimes words have come to me out of the blue and other years I've gone looking for what it was I most wanted to bring into my life.

I'll be sharing my 2016 word after Christmas. 

In addition to the workshop this year I'm offering a small collection of products to aid you in your journey with your word - including 6x8 albums (your choice of gray or gold-lined), a OLW journal that includes 20 additional prompts/creative ideas + blank pages for personal writing, a monthly chipboard divider/stamp kit, and small custom acrylic words (written by me in either black or white - the size is between 4 and 6 inches). We've also partnered with MantraBand® to offer a selection of their word bracelets. 

During the One Little Word® Kick-Off period shipping is free domestically and just $5 international when purchasing products included on the  One Little Word® shop page (please note that If you add any other items from other areas in the shop to your cart, normal shipping rates will apply to those additional items.. This will be available through January 31, 2016. After that date regular shipping rates will apply.  

Here's a short video introducing you to the new products: 

Wishing you all the best this holiday season and I hope to see you in the 2016 One Little Word® workshop. 

December Daily® 2015 | Day Fourteen

Welcome to 
December Daily® 2015 | Day 14. 

Today I'm working with the back side of the 12 pocket, 2 inch x 2 inch page and telling an "around here" style of story using images from the last few days. 

Here's what Day 13 looked like in my foundation pages post: 

Obviously things have been moved around the last few days so I'm adjusting as I go. I'm likely going to remove a few of these pages you see above and start back with Day 15 tomorrow. 

Here's what Day 14 ended up looking like in my album: 

For my story today I printed six 2 inch x 2 inch photos from the past few days and created 2 inch x 2 inch journal cards to go along with each one. 

"Around here" is stamped/embossed using the 
Gold Tinsel embossing powder. 

To designate the day I created a small pocket using an extra pocket left over from a previous day and used my sewing machine to stitch it in place along the top. Inside the pocket is a small piece of the white star transparency + a 
Tim Holtz Countdown Coin. 

DAY 14 VIDEO OVERVIEW


SUPPLIES

December Daily® 2015 Main Kit
December Daily® Holiday Circles Stamp Set
Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder
Versamark Embossing Ink
Heat Gun
Brother Sewing Machine
AE Precision Pen
White Star Transparency
Tim Holtz Countdown Coins


SHARE YOUR DAY 14

I'd love to have you share a link to your Day 14 album pages below. Please link directly to your post vs. a general blog link.

New Story Theme Now Available | Old + New

Say hello to a new
Story Theme for my Story subscription program: Old + New.

Because life is a combination of old & new, now & then, and yesterday & today. Because stories that examine the sameness and the differences between our past and our present help us move forward into the future. Because it’s super fun to document stories that contrast old and new - thoughts, clothing, food, relationships, etc. 

If you are already a subscriber to you can now access the content in the classroom (make sure you are logged in to your account). 

If you are new to the Story Subscription program, check out all the details here.

Here's a look at the Story Kit™ contents for Old + New:

One of the things I'm totally loving from the kit this month (besides those chipboard circles + the patch) is this non-gummed pad of 25 who, where, when and why 3x4 pages. 

And the
Story Stamp™:

We also have a Digital Story Kit™ subscription available that includes access to the classroom content. Here's a look at what's included for Old + New (which also shows all the designs for the journal cards included in the printed version of the kit): 

Here's a video overview of the products included in the kits this month: 

And a couple peeks at the layouts I created with the kits this month (full details, including process videos and how-to handout, are included with subscription): 

Let's tell stories together!

December Daily® 2015 | Day Thirteen

Welcome to 
December Daily® 2015 | Day 13. 

Today I skipped the words and went with packaging and bits of paper collected around my house. It's a fun way to use the 2 inch x 2 inch pockets that tells it's own story via the images and words on the pieces of paper and packaging. 

This is a good day to remind you again that this album is not measured by any single day or any single story. It's the sum of all of them together that make it meaningful. 

Here's a look at Day 13 from my 
foundation pages post: 

Remember that I ended up moving the Day 12 to a full-page and moved Day 13 to the 12-pocket page. 

Here's how it looks in the album: 

One of my favorite things about this idea is looking for things to include. Consider receipts, packaging, things you read (like a devotional), tape (Amazon Prime tape), something you've been working on (I often look in my waste basket and/or recycling in my office to see if there's something to include), envelopes, magazines, catalogs, handwritten notes, etc. In the video I also mention it would be fun to keep little scraps of wrapping paper from presents received. I might end up adding that at the end of the album. 

DAY 13 | STEP BY STEP



SUPPLIES

December Daily® 2015 Main Kit
December Daily® Ashley G Mini Kit (#13)


SHARE YOUR DAY 13

I'd love to have you share a link to your Day 13 album pages below. Please link directly to your post vs. a general blog link.

December Daily® 2015 | Day Twelve

Welcome to
December Daily® 2015 | Day 12. 

My story today is a bit of reflection and recognition of turning 40 this past November paired with a photo of an ornament I received when I was just a month old. 

Is there a story from the past year that makes sense to include or memorialize in this year's December Daily®? Maybe a birth or the passing of a loved one or a birthday or something else monumental? Is there a way to connect it with the Christmas season in one way or another? 

The other inspiration for my story today comes from some awesome pages that have been shared in the 
December Daily® 2015 Facebook Group - specially two different pages featuring ornaments - one from Geralyn Sy and the other from Sandra Price. 

Here's the one from 
Geralyn: 

And here's the one from Sandra (
Sandra if you have a blog let me know and I'll link it up here): 

I loved both for different reasons - I loved seeing the ornament collection (with numbers even) shot with the white background and I loved how Sandra is holding the ball ornament with the flannel shirt. Both just made me want to make something and tell a story about one of my ornaments. 

Here's what my Day 12 looked like in my foundation pages: 

Day 12 was originally the 12-pocket page protector. I'm just moving that to Day 13. 

And here's what it looks like now: 

Another very simple page featuring a 6 inch x 8 inch photo printed here at home on my 
Epson R2000. I love these full photo pages - always have and probably always will. This one features my hands holding my 1975 ornament. I took this on the table in my office that I use to take photos of my projects and ended up using my tripod so that I could hold the ornament with both hands. 

Also remember that you can adapt the red chipboard letters - the white "40" that you see above is actually the red letters included with the Main Kit simply embossed with a layer of 
white embossing powder.

My simple journaling for today:

This year in November I celebrated my 40th birthday. As we were decorating the tree this past week this ornament from the year of my birth 1975 felt even more special and precious. Holding it in my hand and closing my eyes I flashed-back - 40 years of Christmases, of birthdays, of life experiences, of lessons learned, of love, of travel, of loss and of beginnings. All of it together is my life so far. And I am so, so thankful for the whole of it.

Keep making it work for you my friends. Look and listen for the story that means the most to you today.

DAY 12 | STEP BY STEP 


SUPPLIES

December Daily® 2015 Main Kit
Ranger/Tim Holtz White Embossing Powder
Versamark Embossing Ink
Heat Gun
Epson R2000 Printer
Remington Noiseless Font
Pink Paislee Yuletide Stickers
Seven Paper Gold Stars

And I also wanted to share an image of 
my new collection of paints in use (using the star silkscreen from the December Daily® Main Kit): 

SHARE YOUR DAY 12

I'd love to have you share a link to your Day 12 album pages below. Please link directly to your post vs. a general blog link.

Give Sunday | 49

This year, in honor of my 2015
One Little Word® "give," I'm sharing a hand-drawn quote each Sunday here on my blog.

Click here to read my initial post and download the #givesunday word art title and checklist for helping you to give a little something today. You can also view all the past #givesunday quotes via the archives. 

Click here to download the #givesunday 49 quote. Please note: If you are reading this post via email you need to click through to the actual blog post to download the file. 

You're invited to join me. What will you
give today?

Have a wonderful Sunday.