Ali Edwards's Blog, page 56

In Case You Missed It | December 16

Happy Friday, friends! Welcome to the latest
In Case You Missed It. Just a reminder that this is a quick post that will happen every Friday afternoon with all the updates and links that have happened throughout the week. So, let's get to it:

ONE LITTLE WORD 2023 COLLECTION PREVIEW + CLASSROOM AVAILABLE

The 2023 One Little Word® collection and workshop registration are now available. The early bird workshop price will be $45 and after January 1, 2022 it will be $50 for 12 months of inspiration and community support as you make your word visible in your life. Preview the collection and check out a video walkthrough from Ali here.

NEW CLASS | PLAN, PREP, PLAY

Are you looking to set yourself up for success as you dive into crafting in the new year? In our newest class, Plan, Prep & Play, @lindalovescreating will help you do just that!  In this class, we are going to explore goal setting and project planning specifically for memory keepers, discussing and applying various techniques that are adaptable to a variety of lifestyles and crafting approaches. You do not need to be a self-proclaimed “Type A” personality to participate in this class; instead, this class is designed to help you find a system of project planning that works for you. We are going to learn techniques and tips for how to select projects, break them down into actionable steps, and celebrate following through on our intentions. Class starts January 2nd. We hope to see you in the classroom. Learn more here. 

NEW CLASS | STORIES OF HANUKKAH

Stories of Hanukkah is all about fun ways to document Hanukkah. We will explore several different approaches on how to include Hanukkah in your memory keeping and dive into some really fun interactive techniques to tell your stories. Community member and instructor Jenny Simon will be working step by step through several pop-up pages, creating Hanukkah papers with mixed media, and making Hanukkah layouts using items from the December Daily® shop. This class is for anyone who wants to find fun ways to document your Hanukkah stories and learn some awesome techniques that can be used year round! Learn more here. 

HAPPY DECEMBER DAILY® 

Last week we kicked off one of our favorite community documenting projects, #decemberdaily. We invite you to follow our official #decemberdaily account for Ali's pages, product updates, fun live chats, and more. You can find us at @decemberdaily.  If you're looking for a like-minded and enthusiastic community to cheer you on, we highly recommend you check out our December Daily With Ali Edwards Facebook Group. As many of us embark on this much-loved storytelling journey, we'd like to take this opportunity to gently remind you that this, and every other memory keeping project, should be a source of joy for you. There are no rules, you are never behind, and there is always space to tell your stories. Learn more here. 

2022 DECEMBER DAILY® DIGITALS ARE NOW AVAILABLE

The 2022 December Daily® Digitals are here! Kits, Stamps, Paper, and Embellishments...the same fun & festive designs as the physical @decemberdaily products, only in digital format.⁠ We love to see how this incredibly creative community plays with digitals! Resizing elements and cards, adding journaling to papers, creating cut files, transforming files into transparencies, the sky is the limit with digital files.  Shop digitals.

As always, we’re so grateful to have you all as members of this community! Thanks for joining me today and have a great weekend!

December Daily® 2022 | Story 14

Welcome to Story 14 in my December Daily® album for 2022. 

The other night Aaron and I took Betty (our lab) for a ride in the car to see some neighborhood lights and it was such a fun experience. I went out with the intention that I wanted to take a photo of her looking at the lights - inspired by a photo Lisa Varshine took of her daughter that was shared during the Photo Panel during our December Daily® Prep Day. 

For today's story I used a 6x8 layered template and included a tutorial in today's video: 

Here are additional photos + details: 

As you'll see in today's video I kept the crafting part of this story pretty simple by using a layered template and printing it out here at home on my Epson XP15000 printer. On top of the printed photo + title + journaling I added some gold puffy numbers and one of the foam circles from the Main Kit (and added another red embroidery floss stitch). 

SUPPLIES
December Daily® Main Kit (digital available) December Daily® 10x8 Santa Album Epson XP15000 Printer Avery Index Tabs December Daily® 6x8 Layered Templates

Done By December | Special Guest Nolana Lynch

Hi Everyone! Happy December! I am so very excited for this season and I am so grateful to be here with you on the blog! December is in full swing and I am here for it all! 

I am excited to share my Done by December update with you. 

One of the things I wanted to do before December 2022, was complete my “Baby’s First Christmas” albums for ourselves, my parents and my in-laws. 

I completed the first one for my mom before November 10th because I wanted to give it to her as a gift before she returned home (she’d been visiting with us for a couple months). 

Here is a video of my completed album.

I was so elated that I got through the first one, but also SUPERRR EAGER to play with this year’s collection and begin working on my foundation pages for December Daily. 

I decided that following that first album, the only really time sensitive one, I would work on my 2022 December Daily for the rest of the year (I typically finish by Boxing Day ish – so that I can enjoy the rest of End of Year festivities – which to be honest sometimes feel like more than the first 23 days of December combined lol).

You are welcome to check out my 2022 foundation pages here. 

Then, once I wrap up my 2022 pages, I will continue on with the other two albums during the course of the year. Starting with the one for my in-laws, they are visiting for the holidays, but return home on the 2nd January, so I am thinking that would be a bit too tight a deadline lol, and I do want to savour the rest of the process, seeing that they are in Australia (versus on the other side of the world, like my mom) – and we see them more often, there would be a few opportunities to deliver it in person or post it at a fairly reasonable cost. 

Then I will move on to the one for ourselves, especially when I need a bit more Christmas cheer during the year lol (perhaps Christmas in July). 

Thanks so very much for checking in – you may see all my December Daily and Done by December videos in this playlist. 

I do hope to connect with you, you can find me here on Instagram and here on Youtube

Happy Holidays to you and yours and wishing you a most beautiful December documenting journey (no matter what time of year you choose to document 😊)

December Daily® 2022 | Story 13

It feels pretty exciting to turn the page on my table of contents for today's story in my December Daily® project. 

Today's story is about a wreath-making workshop I took the girls to before Thanksgiving. I've been waiting for a day to tell this story and am so happy to have it in my album. 

Let's dive into the process video: 

Here are some photos of my completed project and additional details:

To tell this story I'm including a full page (11 inches x 8.25 inches) photo + a die cut word page + a cropped 2 inch x 2 inch page protector + a 7 inch x 8.25 inch pattern paper from the Paislee Press Mini Kit. 

I started off this project in the same way that I do many others by printing out my photos first. 

On top of the full page photo I added a stitched felt heart from a past kit + one of the canvas phrases.

I decided to leave the die cut page alone and just have it say what it needs to say without me adding anything. 

After that I've got the 2 inch x 2 inch pocket page that I cut down to just one column. Inside the pockets I added my photos that were punch to 2 inch circles. 

I also added in the 13 chipboard. I decided I didn't care if I had the number 13 in two places in this one (also on the red pattern paper). I also love that this is the girls ages. 

I repeated the circle punched photos on the back and repeat stamped "this is Christmas" on the raw back of the chipboard 13. Along the outside edge I added a tab sticker. 

I added my story directly to this enlarged photo before printing and then adhered it on the "this is happiness" pattern paper. Love these kinds of shots! 

SUPPLIESDecember Daily® Main Kit (digital available)December Daily® 10x8 Santa AlbumEpson XP15000 PrinterRolling AdhesiveDecember Daily® Paislee Press Mini Kit (digital available)Avery Index Tabs6x8 Page Protector with 2x2 PocketsDecember Daily® Canvas Words2 Inch Circle PunchTim Holtz Mirrored Stars

Stories Of Hanukkah

We are so excited to introduce you to our newest workshop, Stories of Hanukkah, taught by Jenny Simon.

Stories of Hanukkah is all about exploring fun ways to document Hanukkah stories and ways to include those stories in your memory keeping projects. She'll show you how to build your own DIY Hanukkah Kit as well as provide clever and creative ways of adapting products from the 2022 December Daily® collection to use with your Hanukkah stories.  

But even if you don't celebrate Hanukkah, you will not want to miss Jenny's creative mixed media and paper-crafting techniques. From fun, interactive pop-up pages to mixed media techniques such as stamping, foiling, and image transfer, Jenny will walk you through her processes and provide step-by-step instructions for all of these awesome ideas.

Also included in this class are unique digital downloads which include a Hanukkah mini-kit designed by Ali and Jenny's own hand-drawn papers to coordinate with the lessons.

Meet Jenny and learn a little more about her inspiring new class!

Whether you want to learn more about Hanukkah and documenting Hanukkah stories or learn some new mixed-media and paper-crafting techniques, there is something for everyone in this class. So join Jenny and learn new ways to tell your stories all year long!

December Daily® 2022 | Story 12

My 12th story in my 2022 December Daily® features a gratitude list. 

Let's dive in to today's short video: 

Here's a look via images + few additional details: 

This foundation page was created for our 2022 Product Play workshop and features pattern paper from the Main Kit and the Tag + Star Stamp Set. This is exactly the kind of page I like to do in advance because when I come to this day in my album it's so great to just fill in the blanks. 

There's always something to be thankful for and I love having a home for those thoughts and feelings. 

SUPPLIES

December Daily® Main Kit Papers
December Daily® Tag & Star Stamp Set
December Daily® Double Alpha Stamp Set
AED Inks: Redwoods, Willamette, McKenzie, Metallic Gold, Olympia, Black Butte
Foam Adhesive Square
We R Memory Keepers Multi Hole Punch
Tim Holtz Loop Rings
Tim Holtz Metal Number Token
December Daily® Chipboard Star from Star Mini Kit (2021) 
6 Hole Punch
Long Acrylic Stamping Block

December Daily® 2022 | Story 11

Welcome to Story 11 in my 2022 December Daily® project. 

Today's story documents my Book Club's annual "favorite things" Christmas gathering. 

Let's dive into the video: 

Here are a look via images + additional details: 

The foundation for today's story is the really fun gold foil framed page from the 10x8 paper pack. 

This is a great foundation for multiple photos, multiple journaling blocks, maybe home for your collection of wrapping paper, etc. I didn't have enough photos from our gathering which ended up being just fine as I liked mixing in the embellishments and the chipboard number. 

Before I dove in to cropping + printing my photos I measured out the inside of the boxes (these aren't exact but close enough for me). 

As I was printing the photos I marked off which ones I had used. 

In addition to my photos I added a Santa sticker from the Main Kit + a "book club xmas" icon run through my Minc machine using gold foil, a "test" version of the stars I added to my photo in story 02, and two pieces of journaling printed on transparency and attached using embroidery floss. 

You can download the "Book Club Xmas" word art here.

I love using scrap pieces of stuff that end up on my table during December - adding on that piece of vellum that I stitched the red star on vs. just throwing it away made me super happy! 

All photos were adhered with foam tape to pop them up off the foundation. 

Such a fun way to document our gathering! 

SUPPLIES

December Daily® Main Kit (digital available)
December Daily® 10x8 Santa Album
Epson XP15000 Printer
Rolling Adhesive
1.5 Inch Circle Punch
Minc Machine
Red Minc Foil
Ink Jet Transparency
Foam Adhesive

Tag Scrapbook Kit Instagram Hop

This weekend, some of our Brand Ambassadors shared projects they've created using the Tags Scrapbook Kit on Instagram. They're sharing traditional layouts, pocket page spreads, travelers notebook pages, and more. We were so inspired by all of their projects! As always, special thanks to Brand Ambassador Shu-Wen Tham for organizing our Instagram Hops! Find each of their projects below, along with where to find them on Instagram. Some of the ladies are also sharing process videos for these gorgeous spreads. You can find them all in this YouTube playlist.

Learn more about our Scrapbook Kit subscription here. And don't forget that your subscription includes the digital files for each kit.

Amber Dawson, find her on Instagram here. 

Denine Zielinski, find her on Instagram here.

Jeanne Williams, find her on Instagram here.

Kim Chaffin, find her on Instagram here.

Kirsten Heal, find her on Instagram here.

Kristin Ladstrom, find her on Instagram here.  

Neela Nalam, find her on Instagram here.

Nolana Lynch, find her on Instagram here.

Sabrina Poole, find her on Instagram here.

Shu-Wen Tham, find her on Instagram here.

Susan Brochu, find her on Instagram here.

Virginie Goujon, find her on Instagram here.

Yin Goh, find her on Instagram here.

December Daily® 2022 | Story 10

Story Ten in my 2022 December Daily® album is a simple little story about taking a deep breath on Saturday. 

Let's dive right in to the process video: 

Here's a look via images with additional details: 

When I was putting together my foundation pages I knew I wanted to use this pattern paper as a background with the red stripe window card on top. I just really liked the look of it and the simplicity of the basic design and the pattern on pattern (which is something that's feeling fun for me right now). I wasn't sure what story I'd tell with this page but I knew I could make something fit. 

On the outside of the window card I added the ten chipboard. I also ended up adding eyelets + red/white twine to use to hold the window closed. 

The eyelet goes through the window card window and through the pattern paper. The video shows you how this came about (through a little trial and error that includes cutting the pattern paper and then taping it back together). This page will be adhered to the back of Story 11 once that one is worked on tomorrow. 

Inside the window card I added a photo of our tree at night (sized about 3.35 inch x 3.25 inch and tucked inside the frame) and I also printed out journaling to go on the window flap. 

When I was setting up my journaling I ended up leaving space for the eyelet to be added to the window flap. 

My journaling is about taking a deep breath on Saturday and a list of a few other things that were happening around here. 

SUPPLIES

December Daily® Main Kit (digital available)
December Daily® 10x8 Santa Album
Epson XP15000 Printer
Rolling Adhesive
December Daily® Window Cards
Crop A Dile
1 Inch Circle Punch
Eyelets
Red/White Twine

Remember Story Kit + January Stories By The Month + One Little Word® 2023 Mini Kit #1

Today's the 10th of the month and that means a new 
Story Kit, Story Stamp, and Stories By The Month kit. 

This month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of
Remember.

At the core of memory keeping is a desire to remember. To remember the pieces of our lives. To remember the big + little things. To remember what sets our hearts on fire and what challenges us to grow. This month we are documenting pieces of this past year (and/or other years) via the lens of remembering.  

Initial story ideas for this theme include:

What do you most want to remember from this past year? Create a list of highlights by month from this past year. What is a memory you haven't yet documented? Use this kit as a jumping off point for that story. STORY KIT

The 
Story Kit™ includes: 

Here's a video overview of the 
Story Kit™ and Add-On options this month:

STORY STAMP™

The 
Stamp Set:

Here's a video overview of the Story Stamp:

STORY CLASS // INCLUDES DIGITAL STORY KIT

Here's a look at what's included in the Digital Story Kit™:

Your digital kit and the classroom and any Add-Ons purchased will be available to you on the 12th once your card has been charged for the month.
This kit is also available to physical kit subscribers as an Add On each month. 

Here are a few sneak peeks at projects you'll find in the classroom this month from our team:  

Again, thanks so much for subscribing and/or considering our
Story Subscription program! If you have any questions about this program please let us know below in the comments. 

STORIES BY THE MONTH™

As you may have seen last week we are making a few changes to our Stories By The Month™ kit starting with the January 2023 kit. 

First and foremost we are excited to begin offering a classroom included with this subscription (called Inspiration By The Month™). Each month Lisa Varshine, Krystal Iduante, and Jen Wong will share inspiration in a classroom using pieces from the Stories By The Month™ kit. 

Here is a full look at the kit this month: 

The kit now includes a sheet of vellum (sized outside the page protector in a 6 inch x 8 inch album), a pattern paper, a 3 inch x 8 inch (outside the page protector) journal card with the month at the top which will be repeated each month, a 3 inch x 4 inch stamp set, chipboard, 4, 3 inch x 4 inch journal cards, 3, 4 inch x 6 inch journal cards and an embellishment (this month it's a set of vellum outline flowers). 

And a video overview:

This subscription is a great option for those who are looking to tell more calendar/everyday life sorts of stories. 

DIGITAL STORIES BY THE MONTH // NOW "INSPIRATION BY THE MONTH" 

Our Digital Stories By The Month™ kit is now called Inspiration By The Month™. With this subscription you receive access to the Inspiration By The Month™ classroom and the digital kit.  

This kit is also available to physical Stories By The Month™  kit subscribers as an Add On each month.

ADD ON OPTIONS 

Make sure you check out what's all available via your My Subscriptions page. 

Add On options are available to all Story Kit™, Story Stamp™, and Stories By The Month™ physical subscribers (this excludes Digital Story Kit/Story Class subscribers since you don't have any part of your subscription shipped already). Current and new subscribers can select + purchase Add-On's via your new drop-down menu access under your user name in the top right corner of the site: you need to do this before the 11th of the month in order for them to ship with your kit.
Depending on product availability subscribers may be able to purchase the Add-On's after the Add-On period has ended and regular shop shipping rates will apply because they will ship separately from the kit.

ONE LITTLE WORD® 2023 MINI KIT

Our One Little Word® Mini Kit subscription is now available! 

Purchasing the first One Little Word® Mini Kit commits you to an "auto-shipment" + charge of the remaining three kits at the time of their shipping. The remaining three kits will be charged + shipped on/around 3/15/23, 6/15/23, 9/15/23.

Please note if you are already subscribed to the Mini Kits last year you do not need to sign up again. 

We hope that spreading out the kits throughout the course of the year will do two things: (1) help keep you continue to connect to your word by giving you products you can use as you make your word visible in your album throughout the year, and (2) spread out the cost over the course of the year rather than a bigger purchase all at once (since we totally get that this is a busy time for spending).  

The Mini Kits will ship  for $1 for domestic customers/$5 for international customers.