Ali Edwards's Blog, page 72
February 25, 2022
In Case You Missed It | February 25
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:
PIECES OF THE PAST
Ready for the next chapter in the Pieces of Life project? The Pieces of the Past collection is designed to guide you through the process of documenting stories back to your childhood. We hope these products inspire you as you reflect on the history of your life. Ali will be documenting her Pieces of the Past beginning the week of April 4th. As always, you are invited to join this documenting adventure or participate during a time that makes the most sense for your own life. Head over to the blog for all the details including a video walkthrough of the release.
NEW CLASS: THE STORY OF SELF W/ LAURA WONSIK
Join Laura Wonsik on a journey of self-exploration to learn more about yourself and your true identity. The Story of the Self is created by a memory keeper for memory keepers with the knowledge that this particular creative outlet is rich with material for this inner work. This class includes lessons in mindfulness, values, self-care, and vulnerability, all of which will help you uncover deeper layers of your story and find your authentic storytelling voice. In this four-week workshop, Laura will guide you through a variety of frameworks to explore your identity from different angles, using different methods, all tied together with the goal of being curious wanderers in the terrain of our identity. The content is aimed at building awareness of your inner and outer worlds in a way that becomes a practice ground for building insight, flexibility, patience and change through the memory keeping process. Learn more here.
ALI’S CRAFT THE STORY YOUTUBE SERIES
Ali is back on Youtube sharing a blog post and video most Fridays. Check out her latest video and blog post here.
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!
Scrapbook Basics: Printing Multiple Photos On One 8.5x11 Sheet Of Photo Paper
In today's quick Craft The Story video I'm sharing how to combine multiple photos (in a variety of sizes) on one 8.5x11 piece of paper (or any size you decide) in Photoshop Elements for printing.
You may want to do this to save photo paper or to simplify your printing process by placing multiple photos on one canvas before printing. The same steps below work for adding two 3x4 images to a 4x6 canvas.
Here's today's video:
Here are the basic steps:
Decide on a canvas size. I picked 8.5x11 at 300 dpi because that's a standard print size here in the US and it's a size my printer easily recognizes (with the Epson XP15000 I can also print borderless).
Open your photos in Elements or Photoshop. I'm currently using Photos and usually drag my photos to my desktop from Photos and then drag them into Elements.
Use the Crop Tool to size the photos for your particular project(s). I sized a couple to 3x4 and one to 4x6 for this example. Use the Move Tool to drag and drop the images onto your new canvas.
Print.
PROJECT REMINDER: The first Day In The Life™ community documenting day is coming up on Thursday, March 10th. Mark your calendar and if you need supplies you can see what we have available here.
Looking for more about printing at home? Check out my recent videos:
February 24, 2022
Pieces Of The Past | Release + Date Announcement
Ready for the next chapter in the
Pieces Of Life project?
Ali will be documenting her
Pieces Of The Past using a new notebook + seven categories/story sparks during the week of April 4th. As always you are invited to join this documenting adventure or participate during a time that makes the most sense for your own like.
Click here to see how Ali documented Pieces of Life last year: Pieces Of Me + Pieces Of Home
If you are brand new to this project we are offering a bundle of all three chapters we've released so far. You can find that here.
Here's a look at the schedule:
Here's an overview of the new collection and a look at how I documented last year:
Pieces Of Life Notebook Bundle Pieces Of The Past Notebook Pieces Of The Past Stamp Pieces Of Home Notebook Pieces Of Home Stamp Felt Folio Pieces Of Life Heart Patch Pieces Of Me Notebook Pieces Of Me Stamp
Interested in seeing all past Pieces Of Life projects? Check out the blog post archives here.
February 18, 2022
In Case You Missed It | February 18
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:
Our Stories Revisited: Digitals + Classes Event is happening! We’re bringing back past digital kits and components for four days only! For a limited time shop Digital Story Kits™, Digital Story Stamps™, Digital Stories By The Month™, Digital Story Kits™ Add-Ons, & Story Classes. Find Story Classes under the "Classes" tab on our website. Shop Digital Story Kits™ here.
NEW STORY KIT THEME
On Thursday we revealed our February Story Kit™ theme: AWESOME. This month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of Awesome. Sometimes the best thing you can do is focus on the stories of your life that are (or have been) awesome. This month we are inviting + highlighting stories of awesomeness.Take a look at Ali’s blog post, complete with video walkthrough and product photos here.NEW CLASS: THE STORY OF SELF W/ LAURA WONSIK
Join Laura Wonsik on a journey of self-exploration to learn more about yourself and your true identity. The Story of the Self is created by a memory keeper for memory keepers with the knowledge that this particular creative outlet is rich with material for this inner work. This class includes lessons in mindfulness, values, self-care, and vulnerability, all of which will help you uncover deeper layers of your story and find your authentic storytelling voice. In this four-week workshop, Laura will guide you through a variety of frameworks to explore your identity from different angles, using different methods, all tied together with the goal of being curious wanderers in the terrain of our identity. The content is aimed at building awareness of your inner and outer worlds in a way that becomes a practice ground for building insight, flexibility, patience and change through the memory keeping process. Learn more here.
ALI’S CRAFT THE STORY YOUTUBE SERIES
Ali is back on Youtube sharing a blog post and video most Fridays. Check out her latest video and blog post here.
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!
The Story of the Self
Today we are delighted to welcome Laura Wonsik who is teaching our newest class, The Story of the Self.
Join Laura on a journey of self-exploration to learn more about yourself and your true identity. The Story of the Self is created by a memory keeper for memory keepers with the knowledge that this particular creative outlet is rich with material for this inner work. This class includes lessons in mindfulness, values, self-care, and vulnerability, all of which will help you uncover deeper layers of your story and find your authentic storytelling voice.
This workshop includes process videos and PDF handouts for each lesson. Students will also receive reflection questions for each lesson to serve as journaling prompts and help them dig deeper into the lesson content. It also includes a bonus digital package containing cut files, journal cards, and word art in Ali's signature handwriting.
Here's Laura to tell you a little more about her class.
Registration for The Story of the Self now open, and in this four-week workshop, Laura will guide you through a variety of frameworks to explore your identity from different angles, using different methods, all tied together with the goal of being curious wanderers in the terrain of our identity.
Laura wholeheartedly believes that if you approach it with a certain perspective and attitude, memory-keeping can improve the quality of your life. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced memory keeper, the ideas in this class can help you reflect on your process in a way that makes it more fun, more peaceful, and more productive.
Scrapbook Basics: Printing On Vellum + Transparency
This week's Friday video is a follow-up to last week's video about printing at home.
One of the questions in the comments last week was about what I use to print on ink jet vellum using the Epson XP15000 Printer. To show you how I print on both vellum and transparency I created a page with journaling and a title in Illustrator and am pairing that with a photo enlargement of one of my cats. In the video you'll hear me talk about printing along with finishing up this particular layout.
Here at home I use the following:
Grafix Ink Jet Vellum
Grafix Ink Jet Transparency
After testing out both papers with a few different settings using my XP15000 this is what worked best for both the ink jet vellum + ink jet transparency:
I found that the "Rear Tray" seemed to work the best (I had more instances of the printer not reading that there was paper in the tray in the "Main Tray"). If the printer didn't read that there was paper in the "Rear Tray" I added a couple more sheets of paper and that seemed to help it along.
I also found that selecting "Auto Select" for the "Media Type" worked best for both papers along with choosing "Normal." I think when you choose "Best" it adds too much ink for either of these kinds of papers to handle.
Here's today's video:
Here's a look at how it all looks in my album:
I added a rolling date stamp to the top of the printed vellum page.
Along the bottom of the photo of Ernie I added a bunch of circles from my embellishment stash. Super fun to dive in and see what I had that could be added to this photo.
Epson XP15000 Printer
Epson XP15000 Ink
Grafix Ink Jet Vellum
Grafix Ink Jet Transparency
6 Hole Punch
Circle embellishments from my stash
February 13, 2022
Awesome Story Kit + March 2022 Stories By The Month + Rainbow Scrapbook Kit
Today's the 13th of the month and that means a new Story Kit, Story Stamp, and Stories By The Month kit. In addition we've got a brand new Quarterly Scrapbook kitreleasing today to which has a really fun rainbow theme (more about that below).
This month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of
Awesome.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is focus on the stories of your life that are (or have been) awesome. This month we are inviting + highlighting stories of awesomeness.
Initial story ideas for this theme include:
Make a list of the things in your life right now that are awesome.
Tell a story that includes both an awesome part and a not-so-awesome part. The reality is that most of our lives are a beautiful combination of both.
When you hear the word “awesome” what comes to mind for you? Is it a word that you use and if not write about why not.
The
Story Kit™ includes:
Here's a video overview of the
Story Kit™ and Add-On options this month:
NOTE: Starting with the Begin Story Kit™ we changed the number of journal cards in the kit by adding in 3, 6x8 papers and 2, 3x8 papers (sized to the outside of the page protector). Going forward the kits will include those papers along with 6, 4x6 cards and 8, 3x4 cards.
The
Stamp Set:
Here's a video overview of the Story Stamp:
DIGITAL STORY KIT™ (Included with the STORY CLASS)
Your digital kit and the classroom and any Add-Ons purchased will be available to you on the 15th once your card has been charged for the month. Here's a look at what's included in the Digital Story Kit™:
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.
Here are a couple peeks at pages from Ali that will be featured in the classroom this month:
Stories By The Month™ kits include 4x6 chipboard, 3x4 and 4x6 cards, a 3x4 stamp, a sticker sheet, and an embellishment (wood veneer, cork, fabric, etc).
Here is a full look at the kit:
STORIES BY THE MONTH™ DESIGN NOTES: For 2022 there will be 5 designs that are repeated each month to give you some design consistency throughout the year. Each month you will get a 3x4 gratitude card (with the current month’s name at the top), a “this + that” card with the month, a “this happened” card with the month, and a “moments” color blocked card with the colors for the month. You will also get a 4x6 card each month with the monthly circle design AND the 3x4 stamp will have the uppercase handwritten month each month.
And a video overview:
This subscription is a great option for those who are looking to tell more calendar/everyday life sorts of stories.
After taking a year to get our digital and physical Stories By The Month™ kit collections lined up, we are so excited to offer our popular Stories By The Month Kits™ as a digital subscription
AND for a new lower price than what we previously sold these kits for in our shop.
Starting on 12/13/21 this kit will be offered for only $9.99 as an ongoing month-to-month commitment.
Our month-to-month subscription option allows you to cancel at any point prior to the 10th of the following month without penalty or a cancellation fee.
STORIES BY THE MONTH™ DESIGN NOTES: For 2022 there will be 5 designs that are repeated each month to give you some design consistency throughout the year. Each month you will get a 3x4 gratitude card (with the current month’s name at the top), a “this + that” card with the month, a “this happened” card with the month, and a “moments” color blocked card with the colors for the month. You will also get a 4x6 card each month with the monthly circle design AND the 3x4 stamp will have the uppercase handwritten month each month.
CURRENT SUBSCRIBER BONUS: Stories By The Month™ physical kit, Story Kit™, Story Stamp™ and Story Class™ subscribers will be able to add the new Stories By The Month™ Digital Kit as an add on to their order for only $5 during the add on period each month.
New Subscriber Add On options this month include a pleather badges, puffy rainbows, large felt banners with stitching, and large wood veneer icons.
Add On options are available to all Story Kit™, Story Stamp™, and Stories By The Month™ subscribers (this excludes Digital Story Kit/Story Class subscribers since you don't have any part of your subscription shipped already). 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 15th 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.
This month we also have our first Quarterly Scrapbook Kit for 2022 now available: Rainbows.
Our Scrapbook Kit is a quarterly auto-shipment kit containing a variety of themed scrapbooking papers and embellishments. An auto-ship subscription means that when you sign up for this first kit you are signing up for the other three as well. Themes this year include Rainbow, Black + White, Numbers, and Tags.
PLEASE NOTE: If you subscribed to the Quarterly Scrapbook Kit in 2021 you will need to re-subscribe for 2022.
Here's a video overview of this kit:
And here's a look at the full kit:
This Scrapbook Kit includes 12x12 + 6x8 (actual size is 7 inches x 8.25 inches) pattern papers + vellum circles + canvas phrases + rainbow opening cards + wood veneer rainbows + a printed plastic rainbow set.
February 11, 2022
In Case You Missed It | February 11
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:
ALBUM + PAGE PROTECTOR SALE
Last call! Today we are wrapping up our Albums + Page Protectors Sale. Until 11:59pm tonight, save 20% on all albums and page protectors when you spend $50 in the category using the code ALBUM20. We have 12x12, 9x12, 10x8, 6x8, and 3x8 options in stock now. ***Offer does not include 2022 Day in the Life™ album bundle. Offer valid through 11:59pm EST on 2/11/22. Must enter promo code at checkout to receive offer. Cart must include a minimum subtotal of $50 from the Album and Page Protectors shop category to qualify. Offer subject to change. Not valid on previous purchases. Shop the sale here.
ALI’S CRAFT THE STORY YOUTUBE SERIES
Ali is back on Youtube sharing a blog post and video most Fridays. Check out her latest video and blog post here.
DIGITAL STORIES BY THE MONTH KITS™ ARE BACK
The Stories By The Month™ kits are back. They cover many of the time-specific events that naturally happen in a calendar year. Order by February 13th at 11:59 AM ET to receive this month's Digital Stories By The Month™. These kits are now a $9.99 month-to-month commitment. Learn more here.
ONE LITTLE WORD 2022
The 2022 One Little Word® collection is now available in the shop. Please visit this blog post for all of the relevant product information regarding delays and shipping. Find the collection here. One Little Word® 2022 Workshop // The OLW classroom is available for registration and the classroom is open now. Find all of the information here.
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!
Scrapbooking Basics | Printing Photos At Home
For today's Craft The Story video we are talking about printing photos at home and the printers I'm currently using to get my stories told.
As with so many things related to scrapbooking, there is no right or wrong way to print your photos (it's really more about what makes sense for your personal processes). The two most common options are to print via a service provider (
such as Persnickety Prints) or to purchase an at-home photo printer.
Printing at home is my personal choice based primarily on flexibility. Printing at home gives me ultimate flexibility in terms of size, shape, and the fact that I can print on demand any time it works for me and when I make a mistake I can fix it immediately. I started printing at home early in my memory keeping adventures and have continued to choose that route for the majority of my 20 years of scrapbooking.
Currently I use two at-home ink jet printers for scrapbooking. I've had both these printers for a number of years now and am very happy with both and would purchase them again. Both printers are connected to/hard-wired to my computer because that's how I work most often and can also be accessed wirelessly. I use Epson photo papers for my prints (specifics listed below) and edit my photos using Photoshop before printing.
A few things to consider when deciding whether you want to print at home:
How often are you scrapbooking/printing photos? One thing I've learned with printers is that if you use them sporadically they sometimes work sporadically. Regardless of printer manufacturer, inks get clogged, print heads need to be cleaned (this is usually as easy as hitting a button), etc. I've found that the more often I use a printer the better it performs overall. Where do you scrapbook? Do you scrapbook at home or when gathering with friends? I'm someone who scrapbooks on my own here in my home office and having a printer connected to my computer just makes sense for how I work. If you scrapbook mainly at events it might make more sense for you to plan out your stories and upload your photos to a printer to have them all ready to go. How important is printing on demand to your creative process? If printing on demand isn't all that important to your process having an at-home printer might not be at the top of your list. Printing at home, and the ability to print on demand, is ingrained in my personal creative process. My overall approach would likely be different if I was uploading photos to be printed at a service provider and then waiting for those prints to be delivered before working on my projects (not better or worse, just a different approach). Do you want to experiment with printing digital products? Another way that people use printers at home is for printing digital scrapbook products to use in paper projects. Both printers I'm sharing about today can be used for printing digital products. I most often print digital products onto Epson Ultimate Premium Matte Presentation Paper (this is a heavier weight).
The vast majority of photos I've printed at home (using a variety of printers) over the last 20 years have held up just fine and look like they were printed today. Having photos that last the "longest amount of time possible" isn't my personal highest priority so I don't spend much time focusing on archival longevity. As with so many things, knowing yourself (or getting to know yourself) and what matters most to you is the way to go and will inform other decisions down the line.
Let's dive into the video where I share more about the printers I use and my reasons why:
EPSON PICTUREMATE PM400
For prints that are 5x7 and smaller I use the Epson PictureMate PM400 printer. This print is generally available for $250. Amazon does have sales on it from time to time (often around Christmas).
For prints larger than 5x7 (and up to 13x19) I use an Epson XP15000. When I first posted about this printer back in 2019 this printer could be found for under $300. From my recent searches it looks like it might be a bit harder to find and sell for more than $300. I was also able to see via my Amazon purchases that I ordered ink refills for this printer twice in 2021.
Epson XP15000 Printer
Epson XP15000 Ink
Epson 13x19 Photo Paper
Epson 8.5x11 Ultra Premium Photo Paper
Epson Ultimate Premium Matte Presentation Paper
Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer
Epson PictureMate Ink
Epson 4x6 Ultra Premium Photo Paper
Photoshop
February 5, 2022
What Ali Read In January 2022
One of my reading goals for 2022 is to actually complete the non-fiction books I start or have started in the recent past. This is the first month that I can remember when I read/completed more non-fiction than fiction. Enjoyed all these books.
Here's a look at what I read in January:
FICTONThe High House by Jessie Greengrass : Quick read. Interesting story (climate disaster related). Complicated characters and lovely writing style. I think this one will revisit me from time to time.
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins : Tore through this one within a day. Kept my interest. A perfect one for getting back into a reading groove.
NON-FICTIONCultish by Amanda Montell : Fascinating look at language and the ways it can be used to manipulate people.
We Are What We Eat by Alice Waters : This is a topic I'm interested in so I enjoyed it as a tool for filling myself up with some more content related to slow living + eating.
Wintering by Katherine May : Been working through this one the last couple of months and really enjoyed it. I loved the seasonal angle on life and the recognition that we all live through various winters in our lives. I’ll probably re-read this one again in a future winter.
