Ali Edwards's Blog, page 208

December Daily® 2014 | Day One

Welcome to
December Daily® 2014 | Day One.

Remember when I suggested not making this more complicated than it needs to be? It's still true. I thought about that a lot today as I printed my photo and added a bit of stamping directly onto the letter A. 

I also thought about how this project, like many others I embark on, is not about any one single page. It's about all these pages coming together - some super simple, some more complex, some with long stories and some with short - to tell the story of our December. 

Here's a look at my full page for Day One: 

My 
foundation page included a printed date card + green stripe pattern paper + star stamps + red stitching. 

We do have some 
printed date cards (in all three sizes) available in the shop if you'd rather have them printed for you (vs. using the overlay set to print your own). 

Today's story centers around a photo of Anna at the table in the early morning hours opening her Advent calendar. I'll probably include something about Simon and his on another day - he was still in bed at this point in the morning. On top of the photo (in Photoshop) I added 
"morning story" from this word art set + my story about Anna and welcoming December. 

The photo size I used (cropped in Photoshop) is 5.5 inches x 6.25 inches. 

I printed it here at home on my 
Epson R2000 printer. 

On top of the photo I added a letter A (A is for Anna but could also be for Advent). I played around with stamping using 
Olive Green Staz On ink directly onto one of the large gold letters.

As you can see, it's not perfect and it does want to slip around a bit but I still liked the text pattern it created.

If you know it's not going to be perfect then it tends to look a lot cooler when it's messy. 

One of those puffy hearts found it's way into the center of the A. 

I adhered the A to the photo using Scotch adhesive. I'm thinking (as I look at it now) that I might add a staple too because it feels like it needs to be "grounded" to the page a bit more.

A really simple start to December - because it doesn't have to be complicated and there is joy around every corner if we are willing to look.  

Here we go!

SUPPLIES
Click on the images below to link to the products used in this project.

TODAY'S POST SPONSORED BY | LAIN EHMANN

Get fun tips and strategies, and resources for simplifying your December project in the
free “Dazzle Your December” video scrapinar from Layout a Day. Every month, Layout a Day offers free video “scrapinars” for scrapbookers and papercrafters just like you! From techniques to trends, to new uses for old tools and products, we’ve got you covered in these inspiring, interactive sessions. Sign up for our next free session here.

SHARE YOUR DAY ONE

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

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December Daily® 2014 | Let's Begin!

Hello December!

I spent the last few days at the beach celebrating the Thanksgiving weekend with my brother and sister-in-law and her family and my cousin and his family and it was just what I needed to get in the mood for the holidays. Family, food, friends, beach, laughter, naps. The kids and I arrived home mid-day yesterday and I immediately started the laundry, pulled all my holiday boxes and the tree out of the garage, and turned up the Christmas music. 

To tell you the truth, this is the first year since getting a divorce that I really feel like decorating. 

This year feels different. I'm not sure I can pinpoint exactly what's different - maybe just time. But today, as I got those boxes out I felt joyful. 

I started a fire in the fireplace. We watched The Polar Express and Elf (I multi-tasked with pulling boxes in and opening things up and going through the accumulated holiday decor). I set up the tree with Anna's help and my favorite part was her enjoying going through my fabric box of ornaments from when I was a kid. I got out the Advent calendars and prepared myself to settle into December. 

As today is December 1, it's the start of 
December Daily® and I'm really looking forward to seeing what stories come up this year. I'm thinking I might do my page today (for December 1) about the kid's Advent calendars but I might do something else as well. I'll start sharing my pages tomorrow so I can live the day before I pick a story to tell. 

Here's a few things for you to think about as you embark on this project: 

1. Find a pace that works for you. You might work on this project each day or you might save up a few days for a longer period of work time or you might wait until the end of the holiday season. People have a so many different ways of approaching this project. For me, I do one story a day. Sometimes that's as simple as adding a photo and a few words to a pocket and sometimes it becomes a multi-page ordeal. I let the story, and the time available, lead me throughout the month. 

2. Enjoy the process. If it starts feeling like a job, simplify. If it becomes boring, mix it up. Make this be something that enhances rather than detracts from you holiday season. 

3. Read the 25 Ideas And Story Inspirations from a few years back. 

4. Remember that it's not about what any one else is doing except you. Embrace your own holiday spirit, your own stories - whatever they may be this year. 

5. Look for the joy. Really, that's what this project is about. Find your own joy, even if you have to make it happen for yourself. 

You can do this. Absolutely.  

I'll be including the opportunity for you to link to your own blogs each day. See below for the foundation page links. 

And let's all simply remember this: 

TODAY'S POST SPONSORED BY | MAY FLAUM

From scrapbook layouts to mixed media canvases 
Craft With May  on-line classes are all about happy crafting. Join May Flaum for classes that encourage you to try new techniques and to always enjoy the process. In addition to offering several free courses, May is pleased to offer you a special discount as well – enjoy 25% off the class of your choice by using this link . The discount will be taken automatically, and this offer is good for new orders only through January 1, 2015.

SHARE YOUR FOUNDATION PAGES

I'd love to have you share a link to your December Daily® foundation pages below. Please link directly to your post vs. a general blog link.

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Black Friday Sales + A Silhouette Giveaway

I hope you all who were celebrating had a great Thanksgiving!

For Black Friday this year I'm offering my Art Print Bundle - all of my art prints together for just $29.99. Give them as gifts this holiday season or save them for yourself. 

Heads up that Totally Rad is having their big Black Friday sale that includes my favorite photo editing tool: RadLab. Use the code "BLACKFRIDAY2014" at the checkout to receive 35% off all products in the store.

GIVEAWAY | Two (2) people will win a Silhouette Portrait. 

Open to US/Canada Residents Only.

SPECIAL BLACK FRIDAY SILHOUETTE OFFERS  
1 Silhouette Portrait machine & 1 free year to Club Silhouette for $179.99

 1 Silhouette CAMEO machine, Designer Edition software upgrade, Dust Cover, 4 Tools and $25 Download card to the Silhouette Design Store for $269.99

1 Silhouette CAMEO machine, Design Edition software upgrade and 1 free year to Club Silhouette for $299.99
1 SilhouetteCAMEO machine, Portrait machine and 2, $25 Download cards to the Silhouette Design Store for $299.99

40% off at SilhouetteAmerica.com (*excluding machines, downloads, download cards, subscriptions and gift cards) PLUS Free Shipping on orders over $25 for the lower 48 states

Please use the code "EDWARDS" at the checkout to receive these special offers between November 27th and December 8th, 2014.  

To be entered into this giveaway please leave a comment below (if you are reading this post on Facebook please come to my blog to leave a comment). Comments will be closed at 8pm PST on December 7th, 2014. The winners will be announced Monday, December 8th.

December Daily® 2014 | Foundation Pages + Free "Reason Why" Printable

Hey guys! 

I took some time this past weekend to get my foundation pages in order for December Daily® and I'm happy to share them with you today. 

Here's a look at the steps I went through in getting this album ready for December 1: 

1. Organize my page protectors. I use the term "organize" loosely as you'll see: I laid each of the four designs out on my table and put them into the album in this order: full 6x8, 4 pocket (3x4), 2 pocket (4x6) and then the 3-pocket one (4x6 and 3x4 combo). You'll run out of the 3-pocket first and then the 2-pocket next. Once I ran out of those two I just put the rest of the full page 6x8 and the 4-pocket in the back of my album. I want some flexibility. I want to decide I want another 6x8 page for my story today. The order of the page protectors really isn't super important in the long-run (and can make some people more frustrated than others). Also, as you'll see in the video - I have quite a few left over that I'm just keeping at the back of the album to work in during the month if/when I need them.  

2. After I got the page protectors in the album I simply began the process of getting a number on most of the pages. I mixed in the December Daily® 2014 Overlay Combo pack with the wood veneer numbers (I embossed those in white) and the big gold numbers (+ a couple others as you'll see below). 

3. I cut the three transparencies in half and am using them as fun dividers. I'll probably move them around during the month so that they go with stories I might be telling, but I might also just leave them right where I have them now. I used the Crop A Dile to punch holes in the sides (use a page protector as your guide) and then I folded over the sticker tabs and stapled them in place with a Tiny Attacher. NOTE: There is a "film" - basically a plastic layer on top of the transparencies that you should pull off when you are ready to work with them. 

4. After that I really just started playing with paper and numbers and embellishments as you'll see below. 

Here's a look at where my album is at right now: 

2014 FOUNDATION PAGES

On the cover of my album I added a gold letter "E" for Edwards using red line tape. I embossed the wood veneer numbers using white embossing powder (mine has been contaminated by gold glitter from a previous project so there's a few flecks included here and there). If you want to learn more about embossing I showed how I do it in my Foundation Pages video last year. 

The first page of my album for 2014 is a "reason why" page which is a great way to begin an album like this. Why are you participating in this project? What is your reason why? You can handwrite or open the 6x8 PNG in Photoshop and type in your words. Above "the reason why" I added one of the glitter stars and below I added the December Daily rubber banner (adhered with red line tape).

Today I'm sharing a Reason Why printable/PNG package with you: 

The package includes PNG files and printable PDF files of "my reason why," "our reason why," and "the reason why" so you can choose which one fits best for your own project. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE REASON WHY PACKAGE.

I printed mine on Epson Matte Presentation Paper.

I can't wait to read your reasons why. 

After my "reason why" my album begins with December 1. For December 1 I included a 6x8 overlay printable (these can be printout out like this or added to your photo in Photoshop). 

If you are adding pattern paper strips to the printables, the size on the 6x8 that worked for me was 4.5 inches x 1.25 inches. On top of the green and white pattern paper I stamped using red ink + the strip of stars on the stamp set. 

Here's the first of the transparent pages that I cut in half. To the middle edge of each I added the small word tab stickers (folded over) from the kit and stapled it in place with the Tiny Attacher. I punched holes in the transparency using the Crop A Dile. Don't forget to pull off that "film" before attaching the tab. 

For Day 2 so far I've included the "All I Want For Christmas" card (I stamped those numbers on there using stamps from the kit + Gray Flannel Memento Ink) + a gold glitter tree + a red plastic star + the embossed #2. 

On the back of Day 2 I started Day 3. Behind that gold glitter tree I cut pattern paper to fit and adhered it + a cute little puffy heart (from the kit). On the Day Three card I stamped "the story of today" three times. 

Day 4 includes the pink-border 4x6 card + the star circle stamp + an embossed #4.

For Day 5 I used the gold glitter to emboss two stars from the stamp set. 

Here's the second transparent insert - love these ombre dots. 

Day 6 is starting with a pocket full of tissue confetti circles + the plastic word twinkle + a plastic star + a few random gold sequins I had laying around. This pocket is going to be stitched closed, along with the #6 pocket, when I complete that day. I want to leave it open in case I want to add something else (or emboss the back of the #6). 

I added one of the gold glitter stars to the "o" of "more." This is one of those places where I'm leaving a little room to play during the month (no date set on the page opposite). 

Day 7 is an overlay + some of the orange triangle pattern paper + stamped "make merry" at an angle. 

Day 8 is currently just the number 8. 

I did emboss the back of the gold 8 - thinking I will probably do that for the other numbers. I like the back with the white vs. the plain chipboard. You can also simply back those numbers with a pattern paper - I just like the idea of keeping some of these pockets see-through. 

I'm using that fun number page for Day 9 - thinking I'll stamp "remember this" at the top left and then hand-write the things I want to remember from that day along the edge there. Or not. Just an idea to consider. 

Behind Day 9 I added this star pattern paper - not sure what I'll add to it yet but I like it. You can also see the next transparent divider was added here - no rhyme or reason - just spreading them out within the album. 

For Day 10 I've started with a pattern paper 4x6 sheet + the masking tape + embossed #10 + a bit of red stitching. 

Day 11 so far includes a 4x6 printable + pattern paper + acrylic star + a mini silver brad. I like to use Tim Holtz's Retractable Craft Pick to go through shapes like this (and chipboard) before putting the brad through. 

I painted the random circle chipboard page using Martha Stewart Summer Linen Satin. It took about three coats to get it to this consistency. My plan is to use this for Day 12 since there are 12 holes - most likely I'll add some of the chipboard shapes and/or photos or words. My initial plan is to print out a photo to cover up the back or I might just paint the back as well. I'd like to maintain some of the transparency of the holes so I'll be thinking of a way to work around that on the 12th. 

I haven't totally tackled the other two chipboard sheets that are included in the kit. I did decided to paint over top of the calendar sheet (same paint as above) and I'm thinking I'll cut that one up and use as insert pages at some point during the project. 

Day 13 so far includes the gold numbers adhered to the pinecone pattern. Above it I added one of the bokeh transparent stars + a gold glitter heart + a silver mini brad on top of the red stripe pattern paper. 

Behind that bokeh star card I added a simple card that includes a gold glitter star + the stamped star circle + some of the orange pattern paper cut and adhered along the bottom. 

Day 14 includes a 6x8 overlay with a piece of that cute lightbulb pattern along the bottom. I stamped "remember this" using the kit stamps. 

Following that page is the full page "let there be peace on earth" - I followed what I did before on that other full page text page and added a gold glitter star in the middle of an "o."

For Day 15 I created a card that includes some of the blue striped pattern paper + the grey star pattern paper + stamped red stars + stamped "make merry" + red stitching + the #15 embossed. 

Day 16 features a portion of that 6x8 star page + the number 16 stamped in red using stamps from the kit. 

Day 17 includes a 3x4 overlay + red pattern paper + red stitching. 

You can also see that I added the second star transparency insert here as well. 

Next to the Day 17 card I cut out "merry happy everything" from the black background and added it to the pocket (love creating see-through opportunities). 

That's Heidi Swapp Sweet Cherry Color Shine sprayed on top of the start pattern paper. I stamped "tis the season" from the kit stamp set and then embossed the 18 before adhering. 

For Day 19 (still need to do the number) I wrapped some of the printed masking tape around the card and then paired it with the star pattern paper. I also added line of red stitching there. 

Day 20 is a white sheet of paper + the "2" and the "0" from the postage stamp sticker set + the story of today stamp. 

Day 21 features a 6x8 overlay + green striped pattern paper + "let your heart be light" stamped in green and grey. 

I've also included the red dot transparency here with the "joy" tab stapled in place. 

For Day 22 I've started with a 3x4 card (that cute little tree) and then added a gold glitter star + the embossed 22 + a stamped "happy christmas."

Day 23 currently features an overlay card + a gold glitter triangle/tree + a red plastic star + a mini-brad. 

The last 1/2 of the transparency is included here. 

For Christmas Eve so far I just have the 24 in the pocket. My plan is to stitch them inside.

All I have for Christmas Day right now is that awesome big gold foil 25. I'll likely include more page protectors for Christmas Day since we tend to have more photos on that day (and like I said there are quite a few left-over to choose from). 

After the 25 I've got the large 6x8 Merry Happy Everything page included for now. I might end up moving that around based on the earlier days or I might use it as a closing page for the album. 

I put together a video overview of the album that repeats a bunch of the things I outlined above. 

VIDEO OVERVIEW

December Daily® 2014 | Foundation Pages from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.

ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES USED IN FOUNDATION PAGES

KIT | December Daily® 2014 (most products used above are included in the December Daily® kit)
INKS | Close To My Heart Cranberry Red, Memento Luxe Gray Flannel, Memento Luxe Pistachio
EMBOSSING POWDERS |  White and Gold Glitter
EMBOSSING INK | Versamark
HEAT GUN | American Crafts
STAPLER | Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
ADHESIVE | Red Line Tape, Scotch Rolling Adhesive
HOLE PUNCH | Crop A Dile
SPRAY INK | Heidi Swapp Color Shine Sweet Cherry
OVERLAYS | December Daily® Overlays Combo Pack
PAINT | Martha Stewart Summer Linen Satin 
BRADS | Silver Mini Brads
PAPER PIERCER | Tim Holtz Retractable Craft Pick
SEWING MACHINE | Brother XL2600I

December Daily® Digital Products & Printables Now Available & Updates

Hey guys! 

Lots of work happening behind the scenes here around here right now which makes for a quiet blog. I pretty much have every project going at once this year: a workshop (Lens Of Joy - if you missed this round I'll run it again sometime next year), December Daily®, Week In The Life™, and the Story Subscription. 

Here's a bit about where I'm at with each: 

December Daily® | Kits were shipped (expedited 2-3 day) to domestic customers on Monday so you should be getting them any day if you haven't already (minus the album that will be shipped this Friday). International kits + albums will ship expedited this Friday. Thank you for all the kind words of support as we worked our way through getting the albums released from customs and on their way to you. I love reading the positive comments from people who now have the kit in their hands. I'll be working on my foundation pages this weekend and hope to have something to share before Thanksgiving. 

Week In The Life™ | I spent most of today (Wednesday) printing photos (slow) and making progress on my album (also slow). I think it might be because I really want to get all those words I included in my blog post + the different sized images.  

Story Stamp™ & Story Kit™ Subscriptions | We are in the process of getting the new products into the warehouse and photographed and will launch the Story Kit™ once those are in place and the page is ready. I'm excited to share the next evolution of the Story Subscriptions with you. 

NEW DIGITAL PRODUCTS IN THE SHOP

As you can see in the image at the top of this post I've got a bunch of new digital products for the holidays in my shop. From top left to bottom: 

Christmas Rocks 6x8 Layered Template Set (8 PSD layered templates)

Christmas Rocks 3x4 Cards (includes PNG files + printable PDF)

Noel Word Art

December Stories 6x8 Layered Templates (12 PSD layered templates)

December Stories 4x6 Layered Templates (12 PSD layered templates)

December Stories 3x4 Cards (includes PNG files + printable PDF)

And here's a few more: 

Merry & Bright Text Overlays

December Daily® Overlays Combo Pack

December Daily® 6x8 Overlays

December Daily® 4x6 Overlays

December Daily® 3x4 Overlays

Interested in learning more about working with digital products? Check out my series of posts on Getting Started With Digital Scrapbooking. 

Giveaway Winner Update

The winner of the $250 Minted giveaway is Julie Logosz. Congratulations! Please email Katie at katie@aliedwards.com to claim your prize.

New Story Stamp™ Theme Now Available | Daily

Hello Monday!

Just wanted to let you know that a new Story Stamp™ theme is now live.

This month we are telling stories related to the theme Daily with a stamp set that includes 27 individual clear stamps. 

Daily stories are my passion. They ground me in the present and continue to help me develop a life-long attitude of gratitude. This month's stamp set was designed to become a go-to set to encourage you to tell a variety of different daily-themed stories. Mix and match the days of the week with the story themes to document your own daily stories.

If you are a current Story Stamp™ subscriber the set should be on it's way to you soon and you can access the content in the classroom now. In the classroom under the Lessons tab you'll find the 8-page PDF handout, the process video that walks you through how I created one of the sample layouts using the stamps this month, and a bonus PNG/cut file. 

A big thank you to all of you who are currently subscribing. I appreciate your support and your enthusiasm about the content in the classroom and the stamp sets. 

If you are interested in more information about how this program works check out the order page here. 

More information will be coming in December about the Story Kits™. 

December Daily® 2014 | Inside The Kit Video + Overlays + Printables

Ah my friends, it's getting closer! 

As many of you have noticed I'm getting going on this project a lot later than I have in previous years. It's definitely not my first choice, and there are a number of different reasons for that, some within my control and some out of it (read below for a shipping update). 

As always December Daily® for me is about capturing one story per day from December 1 through December 25th. I love focusing on the words and the photos, looking for things to capture via my lens (especially things that twinkle and sparkle - oh, I can't wait for those twinkle lights), finding things to be thankful for in the middle of the mess, capturing Simon and Anna's joy, and reflecting on this past year. I love that this is an album that can hold all those stories. 

While I wait for my full kit with the album to arrive here's what I'm working on: 

1. Re-reading my past December Daily® posts and reflecting (you can see the albums in one place here and you can read all the past posts here). What did I love? What do I want to do again and what do I want to skip? How can I simplify or how can I tell more if that's my intent this year? I think having a general awareness of the stories you want to capture is a great way to being this process and something to keep in mind throughout the month. 

2. Listen to this fun podcast: 
The Scrap Gals Podcast With Tiffany And Tracie. Katie and I listened to this the other day and it was so great and we were laughing right along with Tiffany and Tracie throughout - full of history and thoughts and tips about this project. 

3. Listen to Christmas music. Katie and I haven't started playing it in the office yet - which is unusual for us. But I think this will be the week we start. 

4. Gather up supplies you think you might be playing with in December and corral them into one place. I'm gathering things like gold embossing glitter and red embossing powder (always), white or cream paint, pens, etc. 

5. Print out any printable cards you might be including. Read below for information on my 2014 sets. 

Here's a look at all the fun things that should be on their way to you very soon if you've ordered the kit this year: 

December Daily® 2014 Kit from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.

So many fun things that I can't wait to start playing with - especially those big gold letters, the masking tape and the stamps. 

PRINTABLES + OVERLAYS

In addition I've got my annual packages of digital overlays and printables now available for those of you who like to incorporate those into your albums. 

This year I've included 6x8, 4x6, and 3x4 - sold in individual packages - as well as offering a combo pack for the first time that includes all three sizes. Each package includes 31 individual PNG files for each day in December + easy to print PDF's in black, gray and red. For 2014 I decided to go back to one of my favorite overlay designs and have updated it to correspond to 2014 dates. What's cool about these overlays is that you can also use them for different times of the year simply by erasing/removing/covering up the day of the week. 

I'll have some new layered templates and additional holiday themed items up next week.

KIT SHIPPING UPDATE

If you have purchased the December Daily® kit, please check your email today for a shipping update. 

It has always been our intention that this kit arrive to you in time to begin working on it before December arrives. 

Unfortunately we are experiencing a delay with the albums as they are stuck in customs in LA and we are waiting for them to be released. Please know that these were initially slated for arrival to the warehouse in October.  

As you can imagine, we are seriously unhappy with this situation and we are doing everything in our power to get these kits and albums to you (including exploring a variety of options to make that happen). Your patience as we assess the best path forward is greatly appreciated. 

Because this is supposed to be a really fun, joy-filled positive experience. 

If you have additional questions or issues related to your order (such as wanting it shipped to a different location) or would like other accommodations please start a conversation with Customer Service.

Hoping to have it in your hands very soon!

Practicing Gratitude In The Middle Of The Mess

I start a lot of blog posts that I don't finish right away. Sometimes I don't finish them at all. 

Some are about memory keeping or specific techniques or stories of our everyday lives I want to share. Many are thoughts/threads I'd like to follow or research or investigate. Some are one sentence and some are significantly more flushed out. 

Last night I took some time to look back through a few of my partially finished posts and came across this one that included two different threads about gratitude. The first I wrote right after a weekend with Aaron and all the kids more than a year and a half ago which is why I refer to him as "a friend" (he's significantly more than that now). The other is writing I did for a post on The Gratitude Project that I intended to share here at one time or another.

I'm in a different place emotionally then when I wrote the words below, yet they ring true to me now just the same. Some of my messes are still the same and others are new (or new versions of the old ones). Reading through the words about practicing gratitude in the middle of the mess all over again was a great reminder to check back in with myself and my current gratitude habits. 

This month there's a lot of people leading gratitude projects and talking about developing the practice of gratitude. Like Cathy. Like Rhonna. And probably many others I don't know about specifically. 

Now feels like a good time to share. 

I was chatting with a friend at the park last week and he made the comment that it's hard to savor the moment (beautiful sunshine, fresh air, good company) when the kids are all having their own individual meltdowns (throwing rocks, sulking, being unkind, etc).

Deep breath.

That was my answer. At least the answer in my head and my body's reaction to his words.

For me, taking that big deep breath is both a pause and a taking it all in. It's a recognition that all of this - the mess and the joy - is a part of my life. 

Learning to savor moments even in the middle of a mess is a practice that starts with a recognition that this is how I want to live my life. I want that for myself - to be the person who, even in the middle of all the crazy, can take a deep breath and be thankful. 

It's so not easy, but I'm pretty sure it's worth it. 

One of the ways I savor moments even in the middle of mess is to practice gratitude. Somewhere during that deep breath or immediately following, I identify one thing I'm thankful for, one thing that's good in my life. It might be right in front of my face or something I can't see at all. 

The key, I think, is to practice savoring moments and being grateful both when you're in the mess and when you're not in the mess.

Do it when it's hard. Do it when it's easy. That's what makes it a practice. 

I tell myself, "Look around, what's good? There is always, always something."
Always. 

What are you grateful for?

Ah, gratitude. My old friend.

I’m obviously grateful for the beautiful basics of my life like my kids, my family, my friends and my home. I’m also really grateful for my work and for the many opportunities I’ve had to travel over the years both personally and professionally.

But at the heart of it I’m actually really grateful for the mess.

Even when I’m knee deep in the messes of life I’m thankful for the opportunity to simply be alive - to learn and grow and make-it-through and be a witness to humanity and all the broken beauty it presents. I’ve been in that place where I was doubled over with sadness and fear and it’s tough to keep an eye on gratitude in those moments, but it’s possible. It takes practice and a commitment to coming back to it again and again even when I fail miserably.

Expressing gratitude is my lifeline. The process of identifying the things that I’m thankful for in the middle of the mess gives me so much perspective. It’s a tool I learned from my Mom. She’s awesome at practicing gratitude in the middle of it all. She writes handwritten letters, she calls to say thank you, she’s conscious of her blessings, she’s amazing at forgiveness and she’s so very real about it all and the struggles she encounters on her own journey.

One of the significant ways I practice gratitude in the middle of the mess is through memory keeping. I use photos and words to document my life and express gratitude as I live my story from one day to the next.  It’s through this process of documentation that I truly see (make visible to myself) all the things I have to be thankful for every day of my life.

Here’s to second chances, forgiveness, compassion, embracing imperfections and gratitude in the mess.

Originally written for The Gratitude Project.

I also love this message from Danielle LaPorte about loving your sadness. It's all about living the length and the width.

As I re-read the above writing I can't help but think of Brene and the conversation we had during the filming of her Oprah class on The Gifts Of Imperfection. We talked about how photography is a big piece of my personal gratitude practice and how that has helped me through many challenges, including divorce. 

Week In The Life™ 2014 | Working On The Album + Video Overview

Before you jump into seeing the photos or watching the video I want to remind you that there's no right or wrong way to approach bringing all this together into an album. Tell the stories that matter to you in a way that's enjoyable to you. That might mean you use a ton more product or a lot more handwriting or a lot less photos or no words right on your photos and a whole lot more pattern paper. Take my ideas as a jumping off point but make the process work for you and your family and what makes you happy. 

Here's what was rattling around in my brain as I began the process of putting this together this past: 

What is the story I want to tell? How do I want to communicate that?  Let the story take the lead.

My basic process is this: 

Choose photos. For me this includes looking back at my blog posts for the week. I figured that I put effort into those posts (choosing photos + writing words) so why not use that as the jumping off point for my album. I'm doing it one day at a time because each day had it's own feel and I like focusing on one day at a time. Resize photos in Photoshop and add words directly to the photos using the Type tool. Again, my words are coming directly from my blog posts with a few additions here and there. Print photos. I print at home using either an Epson PictureMate Show for 4x6 and smaller or an Epson R2000 for enlargements. Add embellishments. This includes stamping on the photos.  

Getting one day done really helped solidify my process for the rest of the days and I think it will go quicker as I move forward. I'll continue the pattern of dealing with the photos and the words first and then add embellishments. 

Most of the products I'm using came with the Week In The Life™ kit. I've added a supply list at the bottom of this post for any additional things I used. 

As you will see, I like repetition and I like keeping things simple. Here's a look at what I've put together so far: 

If you are following along with my design plan for 2014 and using the album/kit option you should have one or two extra page protectors. I decided to start my album with one of the 3x4 pocket pages that I cut in half (making sure to maintain the pockets by cutting on the outside of the seam) because I like to vary the size of the page protectors I include in my album.

Adding this pocket page gave me the chance to introduce this album and include "my reason why" and "who we are right now." 

TOP POCKET | Week In The Life™ patch adhered to the star transparency. 

WOOD VENEER DAYS OF THE WEEK | Along the edge of the pockets I adhered the wood veneer days of the week using 1/8 inch red line tape. You can paint this or emboss it or cut it up or just leave it plain and attach or adhere. I decided to simply adhere it along the edge of the cut page protector. Whenever I include a cut page protector (or another insert that is smaller) I like to add something to the edge. The red line tape seems to be holding it in place just fine and it's totally transparent from the other side. 

BOTTOM POCKET | Begin with your "reason why." I took one of the cards from the kit and stapled the "my reason why" (you can find this on the perforated phrase/word sheet) on top of the other word that was there originally. For the title of the card I stamped and embossed (with the Gold Glitter Zing) "stories of life" which is part of the stamp set that came with the kit. 

To print directly onto a journal card I simply set up a 3x4 inch canvas in Photoshop, measure the space I have for my text, and then print a test print on regular printer paper. After that I temporarily adhere the actual journal card onto the printer paper and run the card through the printer again - out comes the journal card with my words right where I want them on the card. 

Here's a look at the back of the first pocket page: 

Behind the Week In The Life™ patch I used the circle stamp + the "this is our life" stamp from the kit + Gold Glitter Zing. A 1.5 inch circle punch is just the right size for that stamp. 

MAKE A "WHO YOU/WE ARE" CARD | Another thing I wanted to include at the beginning of the album (and part of the reason I added this title page) was a simple journal card that included our ages and just a few things we are each into right now. The big "E" is from this set of Pebbles Gold Foil Letter Stickers. I use them a couple more times on other photos this day. 

As you will see throughout Monday I'm using the perforated phrases/words on just about every photo (seen above under the "E"). I love those things. 

For my title photo I went with a full page 6x8 + digital word art from my What Today Looked Like set. 

I adhered the blue star above the title using some red line tape.

And then we move into the first day of the week: 

In the video tutorial last week I walked you through the process of working with the Week In The Life™ Layered Templates. 

One of the things I mention in that video is the ability to remove (turn off the layer or erase it completely) to customize it to what you want. For Monday I decided to remove the lines - one click hid all the lines, another click hid the logo and the third click hid the year - and add some of my journaling right to this main page. 

All the journaling throughout this first day came directly from my blog post sharing my words and photos for Monday. On the perforated strips there are days 01 thorough 07 so I'm planning to add those to each day of the week on the first page. 

A simple and easy way to add more photos to your album is to adhere them back to back. I printed out these two photos, adhered them together with rolling adhesive and then used a Crop-A-Dile to punch holes that match the rings in the album. I do that by simply laying a page protector on top of the photos and using those holes as a guide. 

Next I cut the chipboard "AM" and added it right above the journaling. 

I really like the look of the printed journaling directly on the photos + a physical embellishment on top. I'll be repeating this simple concept throughout the album. 

In general I like to add photos chronologically, starting at the beginning of the day and moving throughout the day towards the evening. 

It's not a hard and fast rule for me though, as you'll see as I share the rest of Monday. 

You might choose to group yours in totally different ways - such as by time of day, theme, etc. 

Next up in my album is the 3x8 page protector. Which I love. Which I can't wait to have more of in the shop. I'm a big fan of inserting these kinds of pages in Project Life® (pages that are shorter widths than the rest) and was excited to include these in the album/kit option. 

Also included in the kit were these 3x8 timeline cards. For Monday I decided to print small photos and add them right onto the timeline card vs. journaling. It's likely that I will write or print on these on other days, but it's nice to show a different way of approaching them. 

On top of each photo I added 1/2 of a label along with a couple words about the photo itself. Cutting those labels in half will give me more options as I move forward with the week. 

The last thing I added to the 3x8 page protector was a small index tab (also included in the kit). Instead of using what's printed on there I stamped on the inside using ">> stories" ("remember" would also fit) in red ink. I stapled that in place using the Tiny Attacher. 

On the back I went for a full page 3x8 photo. I cropped this image in Photoshop (3x8 at 300dpi), added the text and then printed it here at home. 

I might not do this same thing each day because this is a great space to be able to add more words, but it works awesome for when you have a lot of photos. We'll see as I tackle the other days what makes the most sense for each individual day.

I cropped my photo in Photoshop and then printed on 8.5x11 photo paper and cut it out. 

For future days I'll likely do two 3x8 photos on one 8.5x11 inch piece of photo paper just to save some paper. 

Next up is a 4-3x4 pocket page. 

I'm including a chipboard number for each day of the week and using the Gold Glitter Zing on the front and back before stapling them into a pocket. I love keeping some things see-through. 

On the photo of Anna in the bottom left pocket I stamped "love this" from my Photos Stamp Set and added "be fearless" from this awesome Tim Holtz rub on sheet. To stamp on the photo I used Black Cherry StazOn ink. 

On the To-Do list journal card I just added a few simple things I knew were on my list that day.

On the back side of the 4-3x4 page protector I included the "Monday" card and two more photos. 

I stamped "this is my life" from the kit stamp set using Black Cherry StazOn ink on the top photo.

As I looked through my photos from Monday there were two more that I really wanted to enlarge. They didn't fit into my original design plan (hello, be flexible) so I simply enlarged them using the actual size of the page protectors as a starting point (so larger than 6x8) and decided to make the width just a bit smaller. The images ended up being 5 inches wide x 8.25 inches tall. I printed both out, adhered them back to back and used the Crop-A-Dile again to punch the holes. I did take into account where the holes would be when I was placing my type on my photos. 

There have been many mini-albums where I've done this sort of thing in the past. I'm remembering how much I like to have some other kinds of pages mixed in with the page protectors (I'll be doing this same thing in December Daily® again next month). 

In addition to the journaling I added a gold letter sticker + a perforated phase to each photo. 

You'll notice that I also added a larger index tab + stamped "this photo has my heart" from my Photos Stamp Set. 

Photos + words people. Sigh. I just love it. 

Next up is a 2-4x6 pocket page protector. I went super simple and just added four 4x6 photos with journaling + the perforated phrases. 

In the coming days in this album I'll add more of the labels, the chipboard pieces (like I did for "AM" above), and the longer label stickers. 

Another thing I did a little different is rather than use one of the 6x8 Layered Templates for the last page of my Monday, I decided to do another full-page 6x8 and add a list of my gratitudes for the day. These came right off my Daily Sheet. It's likely that I'll use one of the photo collages on another day, but this felt right for Monday. 

I also love how this page turned out - being able to add both these images next to each other makes me really happy. It's such a standard routine in our house at bedtime - a treasured part of the day for all of us.

"Filled with gratitude" comes from my Just Thankful Word Art set. 

One thing I didn't add, as you might notice, are the times of day. I usually add those in some way and to be honest, I forgot because I was simply copying and pasting my text from my blog posts. I will be adding my daily sheets in the pocket behind the last 6x8 photo so they can be accessed in the future. 

Remember, make this project work for you!

VIDEO OVERVIEW

Here's a 22-minute video that walks you through some of my choices and talks about my process:

SUPPLIES

In addition to the supplies in the Week In The Life™ kit I'm using:

Pebbles Gold Foil Letter StickersGold Glitter Zing (available in my shop)Versamark Embossing InkMemento Luxe Love Letter Stamping Ink (available in my shop)Tiny Attacher StaplerCrop-A-Dile1.5 inch Circle Punch1/8 inch Red Line TapeBlack Cherry StazOn Ink (great for on top of photos)Photos Stamp Set (available in my shop)Tim Holtz Remnant Words Rub Ons (these are awesome)2-inch Index Tabs

Digital Supplies

6x8 Week In The Life™ Layered TemplatesWhat Today Looked LikeJust Thankful Word ArtFont used for journaling is Remington NoiselessTHANK YOU

Thanks again for playing along again this year! I'll share more from my album as I complete the additional days. 

Want to check out past Week In The Life™ posts? Check out my archives here. You can also see examples of past albums under the Week In The Life™ Projects Tab. 

Week In The Life™ 2014 | Working With The Layered Template Set

Hey guys! I started the process of building my Week In The Life™ 2014 album yesterday. 

For me that begins with dealing with the photos and figuring out how many I want to use in album, what sizes, etc. 

Part of my process also includes using some layered templates in the 6x8 pockets. I put together a 20 minute video that walks you through the basic steps of working with the WITL 6x8 Layered Templates. In the video I show you how easy it is to change the date (if you didn't do the same dates as me), re-color the layers, adjust the sizes of the text boxes and mask your photos into the photo boxes. 

If you have any specific questions about working with the templates after watching the video please feel free to ask them below. 

In addition, the Layered Template sets also include PDF files that can be easily printed. I showed examples of that in the 2014 Getting Ready post. 

I'll be sharing more about my process of working with my images and the kit in the next couple of days. 

If you are looking to learn more about working with digital scrapbook products check out  my series of posts on Getting Started here.