Ali Edwards's Blog, page 82
October 18, 2021
#DoneByDecember | Special Guest Pam Baldwin
Hi friends! We're excited to welcome Creative Team member and co host of our 2021 December Daily® Prep Day, Pam Baldwin, to the blog. Today, we'll be taking a closer look at Pam's pages from 2020 as she works to get her album done by December. That phrase might sound familiar! Done by December or #donebydecember is a community challenge created by Jess Forster to help motivate the community to catch up on past projects before we start documenting our 2021 December stories. Below we're borrowing Pam's amazing projects and the fun bits she's shared about each page on her Instagram account. Be sure to check out her YouTube channel, as well, for process videos for most of these spreads. Let's dive in!
it’s that time of year again! @jess_forster is leading another round of #donebydecember , and I’ve got LOTS to work on 🤗 This day 10 story has been on my table forever. Like literally, since July. The 2 things that were causing the most grief were 1) I had a lot of ephemera from the stories of that day and I was trying to figure out a creative way to incorporate it all (hi my name is Pam, and I’m an over thinker of most things). And 2) I had 3 different stories that I was trying to tell, and my brain was struggling with the editing part. But it’s done, and I’m so pleased with how it turned out! Process video is up on my YouTube channel, and features those 2x2 pockets + a custom transparency from the December 2018 stories by the month Kit + working lights.
December 11 stories: letters to Santa. Lots of pictures for this day (again), so I made a pocket insert to hold them 🤗
December 12th stories in my #decemberdaily 2019 album! “In the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas”. That was totally the sentiment and jumping off point for telling a little story about the holidays at work. That same evening, we decorated our tree. So it’s all in there 🤗 This spread includes some hidden tag journaling, a flip out 3x8 pocket, and 2 flip up 3x4 pockets! Especially love the big photo on the back of the spread. I’ve got one just like it from a few years ago when it was Liam balancing on the arm of the couch to reach those top branches 🥰
Most years, without fail, SOMEONE in our house gets sick at some point in December. I’m working on my 2019 album, so this was pre-COVID. But the little viruses and “not feeling festive” sentiments were still very fitting! I also used the 2019 digital main kit. I split this into 2 process videos, now up on my YouTube channel! One to share my digital process for this hybrid layout, and a second one for the actual “putting it all together” process, so you can pick and choose if digital is not your thing. 😉 BUT, if you’re curious about the digital part, I’m sharing super easy step-by-step instructions for my top three favourite, go-to-techniques and a little dose of encouragement!
For day 14, I knew right away that I wanted to make one of those spreads where a giant photo spans all the way across the entire album. This photo is the perfect combination of chaos and calm! This is so, totally us! I also really loved the “simple joys of the holidays at home” sentiment on that transparency. So I put them together, and viola! Process video for this page is now up on my YouTube channel, including the process for printing these big photos at home WITHOUT a large format printer.
The #donebydecember challenge continues!! For Day 15, I’m giving these DIY vellum shaker stars a shot, and using some elements (word art and grid template) from the 2020 @aliedwardsdesigninc December Daily digital template set 🤗 The vellum stars turned out great, but filling them with glitter stars was a “learning experience” 😂. The thing that helped the most was to make a little paper funnel/trough to slide them in through an opening. 😉 Also, I went online and bought some vellum tape as soon as I finished this layout. Feeling more prepared for another future attempt 👍🏻 That little felt star at the top is working like a closure to keep the flap closed. One half of it is adhered to the photo background with redline tape, and the other half gently holds the flap in place. It lifts easily when you want to open the page to see what’s underneath. Feeling pretty good about this creative solution in the absence of brads! 🤗
Lots of little stories for day 16 about a completely ordinary December Monday! My goal was to make a custom folio to hold all these little stories of everyday life. It was all about the hustle and bustle that IS December! The process video for this page is now up on my YouTube channel 🤗 My favourite parts: 1) customized paper clip with stickers, 2) discovering the chipboard word phrase pieces from @aliedwardsdesigninc fit in the Avery index tabs and 3) the screenshot of my “to-do” list from my phone 🤗
#donebydecember day 17! When I went back to the notes and photos I had taken for this day, I was like “what on earth….”. It was practically a mini #dayinthelife. So I went with it, and kept the design super simple. Full page of journaling on the left, enlarged photo on the right, and a faux film strip of pics for an insert. And then I played! The process video for this page is now up on my YouTube channel 🤗 Word art on the left is actually from a 3x4 journaling card in the 2020 digital @paislee_press mini kit @aliedwardsdesigninc with metallic red foil. The pretty paper snowflakes are from the @cratepaper FaLaLa release (I added them to the photo first, the used the leftover bits on the journaling page). The filmstrip is a transparency I printed with a digital file from waaaay back in 2013.
#donebydecember Day 18! The stories for this day are all about going to see Santa 🎅🏻 As I was looking through the pics for this day, the thought struck me that this is the first time I had my picture taken with Santa is 30ish years! Totally fell down the rabbit hole of wanting to find the ones from my childhood. My mom was able to pinpoint the approximate ages of my brother and I, and I turned them into a little ‘zine. (@lifelovepaper does the BEST ‘zines!! She has a YouTube video all about them.) I think one of my favourite things about NOT making my pages in December is that I get the chance to mix in stories that are real time (still make notes/try to journal everyday in December) and some that are more reflective in nature. I probably wouldn’t have thought of this angle back in December. Process video for Day 18 is now up on my YouTube channel!
Pam's pages are simply stunning! If you are looking for more inspiration or motivation for your own December Daily® pages, make sure to check out the hashtag #donebydecember.
Day In The Life™ 2021 | Second Documenting Day In My Album
Check out my Day In The Life™ blog archives here for more information and many years of examples of this project.
Today I'm sharing a look at my completed Day In The Life™ album for 2021. I'm keeping it simple this time focusing on words + photos + the 3x4 pocket size with the small chipboard hearts added to the journal cards. For this documenting day I used the lens "today I/today we/today you" and identified eight stories over the course of the day. I love the reminder that not every memory keeping project we embark on needs to be super crafty and/or time consuming. As in the past, Instagram was a wonderful holding place as I documented my stories over the course of the day.
Check out how I put the first documenting day earlier this year in my album here.
Day In The Life™ will return with a new collection/story lens in 2022.
Here's a video overview of adding this day's content to my album:
Here's some images of this project in the album:
I also love that you could totally use this same set up/story sparks in larger divided page protector albums.
October 16, 2021
December Daily® 2021 | Prep Day Registration Open
Registration is now open for our 2021 December Daily® Prep Day which is happening on Saturday, November 6th.
This year your hosts are Laura Wonsik + Pam Baldwin and they, along with Ali, are super excited to spend the day with you as you work on past projects or get ready for this year's album.
Here's a look at the schedule for this $5 Prep Day:
2021 SCHEDULE6AM PDT | Intro + Welcome With Laura + Pam (classroom opens 15 minutes before each hour)7AM PDT | Live Hour with Ali8AM PDT | Workflow + Organization with Laura + Pam9AM PDT | Live Hour with Pam 10AM PDT | Celebrating Different Approaches To December Daily® Storytelling11AM PDT | Live Hour with Ali12PM PDT | Same Story Different Ways1PM PDT | Live Hour with Laura 2PM PDT | Hybrid Page Idea with Jennie Rey3PM PDT | Wrap Up + Q+A
Entrance to the classroom will be available upon registration and we have included some fun party prep ideas and a printable package to help you get ready for the day. The first live video will start on Saturday, November 6th at 9:00 am Eastern.
Each lesson will be open for you to access 15 minutes prior to the live content which will be available at the top of each hour. Then after the discussions and/or project ideas, you are free to work on your own projects, clean up, prep, etc.
Each topic will have its own Lesson within the classroom. Inside each lesson you'll find the live video, a free download, a challenge, and a spot for conversation in the comments section of the lesson. Live chat will be available for anyone who wants to converse back and forth during the live event. NOTE: All videos will be recorded so you can watch them at your own pace. You don't have to be online on November 6th to access the content.
October 15, 2021
In Case You Missed It | October 15
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:
NEW STORY KIT THEME
On Wednesday we revealed our October Story Kit™ theme: WHOLE. We’re so excited to share this one with you. Take a look at Ali’s blog post, complete with video walkthrough and product photos here.
DECEMBER DAILY
The boxing period has closed and the entire 2021 December Daily® collection is now available in the shop. Find the collection here.Digitals // Our entire collection of digitals is now available in the shop. Additional 10x8 layered templates will be available in November. Shop digitals here.
DAY IN THE LIFE
Today we embarked on the second and final Day in the Life™ documenting day for 2021. Stay tuned as Ali shares her final project on the blog.
BIG SHOP UPDATE
Our Pieces of Home collection is coming Wednesday, October 20th and a Basics Collection restock (including brand new stamps from Ali) is coming Wednesday, November 3rd. We’ll be sharing all the details as we get closer.
CRAFT THE STORY YOUTUBE SERIES
While on an IG break this past month Ali had fun taking a variety of short videos capturing pieces of her month using her iPhone. They are moments that caught her eye, things she wants to remember, and simply little pieces of her life. Find it here.
CLASSES
December Daily® Prep Day // Join the December Daily® community for a fun online prep day on Saturday, November 6th, 2021. Use this opportunity to finish past December Daily® projects or start working on your project for 2021. This year we are delighted to welcome Laura Wonsik and Pam Baldwin as your hosts for Prep Day. Ali will be online and participating and sharing ideas along the way as well. Entrance to the classroom will be available upon registration, and we have included some fun party prep ideas and a printable package to help you get ready for the day. The first live video will start on Saturday, November 6th at 9:00 am Eastern. Register here.December Daily® Product Play: Back to Basics // For 30 days in November you’ll receive one new idea per day (for a total of 30) brought to you by members of our December Daily® Creative Team, our AED Creative Team, and Ali. Ideas in this workshop will focus on physical products from the Main Kit and our 2021 collection. Our goal with this workshop is simple, fun ideas to use your products to spark stories. Register or learn more here.Create With Canva // In this two-week workshop, Kim will introduce you to the technology of Canva, a free, design anywhere, graphic design platform that is filled with powerful tools for memory keepers. Learn how to organize your digital files, print your photos, and work with all types of digital elements to create hybrid projects that unleash your creativity. Kim will be using December Daily® digitals. Register or learn more here.
STORY CHATS
Earlier this week Ali, Jess, and Jen had a great conversation around the new WHOLE Story Kit™ theme. Find a recording of the conversation here.Lisa & Kim Hurst will be chatting live all about Kim’s new class, Create With Canva, on Monday, October 18th at 1pm ET on the Ali Edwards Design Inc Instagram account.
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!
Pieces | Mid-September to Mid-October 2021
For this week's Friday video I wanted to share a little something that I put together from short video clips I collected over the last month.
As some of you know I took a month off Instagram and it was honestly exactly what I needed. I'll share more about my break and some reflections in the coming weeks but the bottom line is that it was good for all the pieces of myself that were feeling fragmented.
While on my IG break I really enjoyed taking these little video snippets. They are moments that caught my eye as I was going about my day, things I wanted to remember, and simple little pieces of my life. They helped me slow down and savor and get back in touch with the things right in front of me in my life and I love how the seasonal weather is a big piece of the videos I collected.
I used iMovie to bring the clips together and paired it with licensed music from Soundstripe. You can also create this kind of memory keeping video using an app like One Second A Day on your phone.
I showed Aaron when I was done and he said he wants one for every month. There are so many different ways to document our lives and so many different ways to be the keepers of our memories. This adventure was totally worth it.
Also, for those of you who have enjoyed the Pieces Of Life project be on the lookout for the next release "Pieces Of Home" to release on October 25th. I'll be documenting a Pieces Of Home week in mid-November and will share more about my approach to that project soon.
October 14, 2021
My Hybrid December Daily® Plans | Special Guest Shannan Manton
We're excited to welcome Shannan back for the second post in her series on working with digitals for December Daily®! This week she's sharing her plans for her 2021 album. Let's dive right in!
I don't know about you, but 2021 turned out to be even worse than 2020 (who'd have thought?). Thank goodness for December Daily.
I'm planning to go hybrid this year, which to me means using digital supplies to make a paper mini book. My regular scrapbooking is very clean, minimal and purely digital so it feels about right that I get out some paper, scissors and glue to play a little this year. Nothing too wild, but a bit out of my minimalist comfort zone. If I plug my Silhouette in, you’ll know I’ve gone off the deep end.
My intention is to make a little handmade 4x5 mini book that I can add to as much or as little as I like and have fun doing it. I won’t call it an album because that’s a bit generous for two pieces of chipboard held together by binder rings. It will be a lot like my 2019 4x4 book.
I’m planning to use this year’s December Daily digitals kits plus some previous collections, as well as non-Christmas items for my everyday and summer stories (which I hope there will be a lot of). I’ll make most of my pages in Photoshop Elements and print from home (on my Epson XP-8500) - mixing in some transparencies and vellum if the printer gods allow it. Pages will be glued back to back.
This won’t be a ‘daily’ album - I’m not even using numbers on my pages this year. I might end up with 20 pages or 80 pages, it doesn’t matter. I’m going structure-free and moving away from the 25-stories framework that most of my previous albums have followed.
In the past, I’ve worked on my album daily because I really enjoyed writing in the moment, choosing my story and getting my spread made. This year’s more casual approach means I will probably work on it every few days rather than daily.
Throughout December, I hope to build my book as a collection of 4x5 photos, journal cards, patterned papers, stickers, lists, notes and thoughts all hole-punched bound together. A little book that celebrates December, Christmas and summer (which officially starts here on December 1st).
This book will be heavy on photos and journal cards because they just work so perfectly with this format. The small size and the idea that I don’t have to stick to a set amount of pages means I can add in more of our every day.
I’m so looking forward to working on this little book. I’m hoping it will be the perfect blend of simple and fun. Bring on December!
Find more from Shannan here:
Digital scrapbooking process videos
Day in the Life 2021™ | A Tale of Two Days
Tomorrow, October 15th, we will embark on our second and final day of documenting for Day in the Life™ this year. We hope you can join us! We love that this one-day documentary project offers us the opportunity to connect to the rhythm of our day, to think about what we do, where we go, what we eat. The beauty in this project is capturing the mundane everyday details of life. We also love that this project can take so many formats and can be adapted to work for you and your documenting style. Today, we're excited to share some inspiration with two different approaches to the day: a 4x6 album from Creative Team member Elizabeth Heinz, and a portfolio notebook format from Creative Member Barbara Picinich. Enjoy!
Elizabeth Heinz
We love both of these approaches! For more inspiration from Elizabeth, find her on Instagram here. For more from Barbara, follow her here. We hope you will join us tomorrow! Watch this space for more from Ali as she documents her day using the theme of "today I/today you/today we" as her story lens. She'll be sharing more tomorrow on the blog.
October 13, 2021
Whole Story Kit + November 2021 Stories By The Month Kits
This month we are focusing on stories related to the theme of Whole.
The stories of our lives include so many different pieces and threads and chapters. This month we are investigating stories about what it means to be whole.
Initial story ideas for this theme include:
Many stories in our lives are in progress and include a variety of pieces that come together to create a whole story. Tell “part of the story” about something in your life right now.
Who and what do you love with your whole heart?
You are whole as you are right now. Write about your feelings about that statement and any stories that might pop up for you.
NEW THIS MONTH: We are making a change to our Story Kit and Stories By The Month Kit packaging to a more sustainable option which is why you won't see the plastic envelope or plastic pouch included in the kit images below. Kits will be packaged and shipped in an expandable cardboard mailer.
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:
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™:
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):
Love this sample from Kelly Ishmael using this month's Story Stamp:
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™ 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:
And a video overview:
This subscription is a great option for those who are looking to tell more calendar/everyday life sorts of stories.
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).
Here's what the 6x8 Heart Stamp looks like when stamped and cut out (it measures about 5 inches wide by 5 inches tall at the widest portion):
Here's a short video of Ali working with this stamp set:
Here are two past project examples using the transparent die cut pie chart (this is a re-release of a past product):
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.
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.
October 11, 2021
AE Creative Team | Care Story Kit™
This past month we have been telling stories about the things we care about, and the ways we care for others and ourselves. Today we are delighted to share with you the projects that our Creative Team made using the Care Story Kit™.
Also, just as a reminder, tomorrow, October 12th, is the last day to subscribe and receive the CARE-themed products.
As always, we are so grateful to our Creative Team for sharing their stories and creative inspiration with all of us!
October 8, 2021
In Case You Missed It | October 8
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:
DECEMBER DAILY
The boxing period has closed and the entire 2021 December Daily® collection is now available in the shop. Find the collection here.Digitals // Digitals are coming next week! Our entire collection of digitals will be available in the shop on October 13th. Shipping Update // We recently sent an email communicating an unexpected delay in shipping out December Daily® boxes to due to labor and manufacturing delays happening across the country. We’re thankful to still be shipping within our usual timeframe, with boxes heading out on October 11th. As in years past, international orders will be prioritized. As a thank you for being a valued customer, Ali has designed a brand new set of December Daily® Digitals, available free for a limited time. Find them here. Key Dates // Here’s a list of upcoming dates related to December Daily, for quick reference:December Daily® digitals will be released on October 13th. October 19th our new class Create with Canva starts. November 1st the first of 30 lessons will go live for Product Play. December Daily Prep Day is happening Saturday, November 6th.
DAY IN THE LIFE
Last week Ali announced the date for our second Day in the Life this year! We’d love for you to join us next Friday, October 15th. Shop digitals for this release here.PIECES OF HOME
Our Pieces of Home collection is still planned for the end of October. We will be sharing more details as we get closer!CRAFT THE STORY YOUTUBE SERIES
In today's Craft The Story video (Episode 36) Ali is sharing her starting place for her 2021 December Daily® foundation pages, along with a companion blog post. Find it here.CLASSES
December Daily® Product Play: Back to Basics // For 30 days in November you’ll receive one new idea per day (for a total of 30) brought to you by members of our December Daily® Creative Team, our AED Creative Team, and Ali. Ideas in this workshop will focus on physical products from the Main Kit and our 2021 collection. Our goal with this workshop is simple, fun ideas to use your products to spark stories. Register or learn more here.Create With Canva // In this two-week workshop, Kim will introduce you to the technology of Canva, a free, design anywhere, graphic design platform that is filled with powerful tools for memory keepers. Learn how to organize your digital files, print your photos, and work with all types of digital elements to create hybrid projects that unleash your creativity. Kim will be using December Daily® digitals. Register or learn more here.ON THE BLOG
This week we kicked off a new series of digital December Daily® inspiration with Shannan Manton. Head over to the blog for more: https://aliedwards.com/2021/10/my-dec...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!
