Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking

Paperclipping Play Along: Finishing An Album + My Album Overview

I'll be playing along with Noell Hyman's Paperclipping Play Along: Finish An Album in Less Than 30 Days!  First off, lets just say that's a concept that is long past due - brilliant Noell!  As a big lover of starting things; I'm happy to play along and get something finished. 

I picked an empty 3 ringed album that was in my Library of Memories and decided to make a "Home Sweet Home" album all about the renovation of our home and our family life in our home and then I picked way too many scrapbook pages from my Library of Memories to include in this Themed Scrapbook.

 

I made a couple of videos - one on ustream and another on youtube - if you want to see the whole album.  If you can't or don't want to see the videos, I show the basic set up of the album about our home which is 1. Intro; 2. Rennovation; 3. Everday Life; 4. Rooms in Our Home; 5. Funny Disasters; 6. Celebrations; 7. Conclusion.  I put the album together and then took out about 20 pages since it was huge - I plan to do more editing and also adding and tweaking the layouts that are in the album.

Here are two pages that I made years apart, but one is about playing and the other is about cleaning up but the older layout about cleaning up is kind of a mess so I added the title "Clean Up Clean Up, Everybody, Everywhere" which is a song we used to sing when the kids were small and we wanted them to clean up.

Stay Tuned - I love this concept of finishing albums with other online scrapbookers - very fun stuff!

 

 

 

Paperclipping Roundtable #149: Forever Access Love (All About Online Scrapbooking Classes) & The After The Show Show by Katie Scott (now with printed notes)

Here's a Link to The Paperclipping Roundtable PRT #149 "Forever Access Love"  all about online scrapbooking classes:

The Paperclipping Roundtable #149: Forever Access Love

Here's a Link to My After The Show Show on Ustream all about my first experience on The Paperclipping Roundtable:

Video streaming by Ustream Here's a picture of me trying to get a picture of me ustreaming - it took a few takes:

P.S. If you can't watch ustream (or can't stand all my rambling), here were my notes for the show - thanks for the note Ruth!  Please note these are notes so there are lots of sentence fragments & bad punctuation etc.

_________________________________________________

KATIE SCOTT's Notes for the PRT #149: Online Scrapbook Classes

Name:

different from lawyer name; Kiss & Tell Scrapbooking (keep it simple / KtScott)

History:

scrapbooking forever, made little books when I was a kid, art classes, writing, business major, law, busy mom - scrapbooking perfect daily short amt of time solution for my need to be creative - someday I’ll paint & write novels but at this part of my life scrapbooking fits my needs

Pubs/Teams:

teacher and design team at Scrapbooking in Paradise,

one page in Simple Scrapbooks,

Article in First For Women (3.5 million readers) called"How Scrapbooking Saved My Marriage"

Ella Publishing friend,

& currently on design/creative teams for Get It Scrapped

& LLS Whim So Doodle - & main benefit for me on the teams is to get assignments (GIS) and get some discounted & free product (LLS) and connect w/ real life local scrapbookers

Classes:

I think the 1^st one I took was Stacy Julian’s b/cs I fell in love w/ her concept in The Big Picture & Simple Scrapbooks; taken BPC classes, shimelle class & videos, ella ebooks, and PAPERCLIPPING! And currently masterful scrapbook design & get it scrapped

I also really think of the PRT like a class b/cs I try to take an idea (one idea) from the show and implement it - like last week I did misting outside !

I did a blog post on my favorite online Classes sites & also 10 that I don’t use but I recommend.

 My Top Ten favorite Online Scrapbooking Classes and Tutorials are:

1. Debbie Hodge's Get It Scrapped: This is a free scrapbooking idea blog that is highly organized so you can find exactly what you you want to learn. I'm lucky enough to be on the creative team there right now!

2. Debbie Hodge's Masterful Scrapbook Design: Amazing ebooks, video tutorials, podcasts and interactions with the teachers on scrapbooking topics that both digital and paper scrapbookers will love. Plus lots of your favorite scrapbookers are teachers there: Celeste Smith, Lisa Dickinson, Paula Gilarde, Emily Pitts, Noell Hyman, Pattie Knox, Debbie Hodge, Tami Taylor, Amy Kingsford, Kim Watson, Leah Farquharson, Corrie Jones, Anna Aspnes, Amanda Jones, Dina Wakely, Lynnette Panacho, Summer Fullerton, Tiffany Tillman, Jana Morton, Audrey Neal, Kelly Purkey, Erin Bassett, Peppermint Granberg, Doris Sander, Michelle Clement, Wilna Furstenberg, Aly Dosdall, Vivian Masket, ... and there are actually dozens more!

3. Stacy Julian's Big Picture Classes: The original online scrapbook schoolhouse with so many of my favorite people from the old Simple Scrapbooks including Stacy Julian, Cathy Zielske, Ali Edwards, Angie Lucas, Wendy Smedley, ... and actually there are dozens more here too!

4. Noell Hyman's Paperclipping Roundtable Podcast: I love this podcast! I listen while I'm on the stepper, while I'm driving, and/or when I'm scrapbooking; when I'm scrapbooking it gives me the feeling of being at a crop without having to leave the house or share my scrap table space! Plus all of your favorite scrapbookers are talking about scrapbooking there - and its free! ... and there are dozens and dozens of guests so chances are your favorite scrapbookers are there.

5. Noell Hyman's Paperclipping Tutorials Membership: This is a paid for membership that runs 6 months at a time so it is a perfect way to jump start or re-start your scrapbooking mojo; the videos are professionally produced by Noell's "cameraman" who doubles as her husband. I love the videos because I can watch them on my iphone and Noell has a different and unique perspective so you can learn new ways to look at the same old things.

6. The Digi Show Podcast: This was a spin off of the Paperclipping Roundtable and while I'm not a digi-scrapbooker, I listen and look forward to it every week anyway. They often talk about general scrapbooking concepts and ideas; and when they talk very techie digi, I just listen and hope that someday it will sink in and I'll "get" how to or want to digi scrap.

7. Two Peas in a Bucket Classes and Events: This is a store but they offer so much in the way of free scrapbooking eductation that it should be on your radar. You can watch videos and take old and new classes, many of which are free. This year they have daily scrapbooking how-to videos that I am just loving - especially: The Adventures of Glitter Girl and Seeing Double (with Lisa Dickinson in particular).

8. Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog: This is more of a challenge blog than an online scrapbooking class site but they have so much in the way of learning links and every month they encourage readers to create their own scrapbook kit with stuff from their scrapbook stash. It is a fun place to find new ideas and participate.

9. You Tube: You can find lots of scrapbooking tutorials for free on You Tube; word to the wise: You get what you pay for, but there are some amazing videos there too - especially those done by Shimelle Laine who also offers free and paid-for high quality and jam packed with content scrapbooking classes at her blog.

10. My Craft Channel offers free "shows" from scrapbookers like Heidi Swapp, Stacy Julian, Teresa Collins, and Amy Coon. They videos are about 10 minutes each and they are delightful.

Classes I recommend:

Those are just some of my favorites, there are probably hundreds of places to get online scrapbooking classes - yessiree, we have an active and vibrant subculture and we're proud! Here are 10 more links to sites that I recommend but don't currently use:

1. Jessica Sprague: Online classes and products for digital scrapbookers

2. Renee Pearson: Another source for online classes for digital scrapbooking and photography. And Renee is delightful in her "in person" classes, I took one in 2007 and loved it.

3. Lain Ehmann: True Scrap & Layout A Day "Load Challenge": If you've never tried scrapbooking everyday for one month, do it! It will speed up the way you scrap!

4. Donna Downey: She started at Simple Scrapbooks and has gone very artsy - lots of fun painting and art journal type classes here - I think they are on line and in North Carolina.

5. Creative Passion Classes: Online classes to fuel your passion for creativity.

6. Lynda.com: Learn how to use software programs and things on the internet and photography tips and a lot of tech information.

7. Ustream: You can find a wealth of free scrapbooking videos on ustream - the downside is that it gives you commercials before each video - but if you find some favorite teachers and follow them, it is a great resource.

8. Ranger U: All sorts of scrapbook technique videos.

9. Creating Keepsakes: There is a ton of information about scrapbooking here, but I find it a little difficult to nagivate - but it is worth the effort, the content is good - the web aspect of it could use a little streamlining.

10. Ali Edwards: December Daily, A Week In the Life, One Little World, and many more scrapbooking concepts and ideas with a mix of free and paid for classes.

 Keeping track of Oncline Scrapbooking Classes:

I really like that BPC does this for you, I’ve lots classes & ebooks I’ve taken else where. But I’m an in the moment kind of learner so I like to focus on my current class and I rarely go back - with the exception of listening to Stacy’s audio messages (like a podcast) on BPC

BPC Classes I’ve taken:

Lom / Photo Freedom; Design Your Life; 12 Design Challenges, and 12; I put a list of the classes on my blog - I think there were probably more than 30; some of which were the free big idea festivals & creative crops; I’ve also done the Ella Boot Camps & I think they are w/ bpc now & I loved them.

BPC CLASSES I WANT TO TAKE:

Self paced: (all are in the $10-15 range)

1. Organizing FUNdamentals / Wendy Smedley & Aly Dosdall

2. The Good Life / Amy Tangerine

3. Grateful Everyday / Mou Saha

4. Life As We Know It / Elizabeth Dillow

5. Cluster Embellishments / Nic Howard

6. Theme and Theme Again / Doris Sander

7. Me + You / Lisa Day

8. The Mirror Project / Donna Kert

9. Family History Simplified / Georganna Hall

10. The Kid Perspective / Deanna Lambson (free)

(Wish they would organize these listings or make them searchable by teacher or topic)

BPC Workshops I want to take:

Get Artsy Mou Saha 25-Apr-13 to 5-Jun-13 (6 Weeks) $34.00

Clean&Simple: The Workshop Cathy Zielske 4-Apr-13 to 26-Jun-13 (12 Weeks) $99

Organizing FUNdamentals Wendy Smedley & Aly Dosdall 21-Mar to1-May-13 (6 Weeks) $59.00 Get Great Photos with Any Camera Elisha Snow 11-Apr to 8-May-13 (4 Wks) $59.00

Ella ebooks I love:

Story Telling & Photo Freedom! & Secrets of Happy Scrapbookers/ Stacy Julian

Don’t Say Cheese & Real Life Photography / Rebecca Cooper

Scrapbooking the Everyday / Elizabeth Dillow

Journaling that Matters / Angie Lucas

8 is Enough / Studio Calico

Stretch Your Sketches / Donna Januzzi

(I would like to see Ella & BPC figure out a way to get the ebooks I purchased in the past on the BPC "MY classes" (& books)" screen - I’m sure they’re working on it, I’m not worried.

IN PERSON CLASSES:

I used to teach a ‘scrap your scraps" class at my LSS

I have taken in person classes from Donna Downey, Renee Pearson, Mou Saha, Kal Barteski, The Inspired Event, Stephanie Akerman,

but I don’t really take advantage of all the awesome scrapbookers who come to whim so doodle on a regular basis because its hard to get away from the family on the weekends but it is easier to get online: tim holtz, margie romney aslett, dina wakely, dianne reavely, etc.

On PRT #2 Donna Downey said how you have to go on a band tour - that you can just gloss over things on the internet - I think that’s true to a certain extent but I also think that you can find real and meaningful connections over the internet with people you have never met and will probably never meet in real life. And being in person with someone sometimes kills it (ie. Computer dating & then seeing them in real life - sometimes its probably better to keep it on line). I think it is still possible to build friendships and relationships on line. I have. I’ve met real life friends who I only met because I became friends w/ them online through scrapbooking.

other PODCASTS I love:

Digi Show & Debbie Hodge’s memory keeper’s life & amy coon used to do one called the paper life which I loved. Also The Nerdist (profanity alert); This American Life, & The Accident Creative & The Foolish Adventure.

School / Lifetime Learner:

I went to Eckerd College where they preached being a lifetime learner - that you should keep taking classes all of your life & in law I’m forced to do continuing legal education; but in my hobby of scrapbooking I like to take classes because the re-energize my hobby and get me interested again; they help me to see the same things in different ways.

Creativity Book by Jonah Leher:

I know he embellished a bit; but I think many of the concepts he was talking about were true - especially that you need to mix up the old stuff w/ the new stuff - so while I like to continuing to take just about anything that Stacy Julian puts out, I also like to try new things - like all those Garden Girls videos, or in the last year its been Masterful Scrapbook Design & there too I see familiar faces & new faces and I love that mix.  (see PRT episodes #119 & #103 for more thoughts on learning & creativity)

 Where to Hoard & Spend Your $ in Scrapbooking:

I’m as guilty as anyone else of having way too much in the way of scrapbooking supplies (10 Feet of Paper layout) and I should purge; but I am not all that attached to my stuff - living in Florida we have hurricane season every single year and every year we are faced with the possibility of losing all of our material things. So having things backed up on the internet or in the cloud (someday) is great; but really - if I lost all of my scrapbooking supplies - with the knowledge I’ve gained from Online Classes! I could start scrapbooking again without any supplies. If you want to blow your budget - stop buying more stuff - buy some creative energy and knowledge with the classes, for real - I should remember to take my own advice on this more often!

Plus the skills you gain through classes - esp. photography, writing, etc. won’t go out of style the next time CHA comes around & chevrons are no longer groovy (could you ever imagine a day? I can’t, but seriously - that day will come and chevrons will be has been - but your photography and writing skills will translate to the next trendy scrapbooking product thing).

Plus classes take up less space & will mean less clutter to have to learn to organize!

Improv class:

I realized that when I’m learning something new, going to a new place, meet a new person that I get more creative in all areas of my life - you need to keep learning in order to continue to be creative and interested over a long time.

Also this class made me think about life & scrapbooking in a whole new way & I went through a surge of creative energy & created more pages than ever before and faster before - and my coach and I actually wrote a book on the subject (we are both very impulsive creative types - so we really just need an editor to get the thing spell checked & uploaded - its on our list)

Loss of Mojo:

There’s an ebb and flow to creativity, that’s normal & I like to take breaks, but sometimes those breaks feel like the end and that’s when you need to do something to jumpstart your scrapbooking - unless you really want to quit it - which I don’t think most scrapbookers want to do - I know people like that and they always seem very sad about stopping - like they gave up to the excuses of I don’t have enough time, money, creativity, whatever - I don’t ever want to feel like that - I want to be a scrapbooker for the rest of my life and I know that it will change over time just like I will change over time - that’s the point right? I like to look at my old pages because they show where I was (one my my biggest regrets is pulling apart a magnetic scrapbook album I made of my semester in greece from 1989 - I wish I left that intact - acid and all.

Batch & Tackle -

Works great for parts of scrapbooking like doing all your painting or printing photos at once, but

Does not apply to classes - better to take fewer at a time & fully immerse yourself, just pick one or two at a time.

I like the workshops better b/cs others are taking them at the same time & I think you can learn a lot from other students & make friends & connections etc. on the workshop message boards.

If you just keep consuming informaiton & ideas & not apply them then its not useful - you need to apply what you learn for it to sink it and for it to keep you excited about scrapbooking.

Sometimes you need to take a break from the learning - like summer vacation for regular school - you shouldn’t try to be learning all the time. Sometimes just let it simmer in your brain and then wait / or set up your learning like semesters.

Plus when you are a student you let go of your perfectionist tendencies & actually try something new & practice & that is awesome

PLUS if you travel and get stuck somewhere - if you have lots of online scrapbooking friends from your classes - then you’ll always have someone to call in an emergency no matter where you are in the world! For example - we are going on a cruise for spring break & I’ll be meeting up w/ Christy Strickler who lives in the Bahamas - I’ve also has an idea of "couch surfing" for scrapbookers - because you know these people would be nice & they’d probably let you work on your travel mini - someone should do that - do an across the country scrapbook couch surf - it would be a fun blog series & a cheap way for someone to travel :)

Your online scrapbooking friends can be all different - so it is a way to broaden your perspective - different politics, different religions, different family situations, different ages etc. but we all have this common bonder of scrapbooking so we all speak the same secret language

YOU CAN LEARN SO MUCH

From FOLLOWING your curiosities w/I the classes you take so that if you listen to a prt / go check out the guests blogs etc.

 YOU CAN FIND ME:

Get it Scrapped.com & kissandtellscrapbooking.com

- sometimes make you tube & ustream videos that are very amateur but describe my improv scrapbooking & the century scrapbook project

Glitter Girl & Seeing Double w/ Lisa Dickinson / I usually post a project to those video challenges

Quick Review of My Classes at Big Picture Classes

Sometimes its good to take a look back at where you've been:  I've taken a lot of Scrapbooking Classes at Big Picture Classes, I thought it would be fun to review an dot down a few thoughts on each of them:

****

Workshops:

Name	Instructor	Starts	Ends
Library of Memories Community		09/01/2011	08/31/2013
Project Life Community	Becky Higgins	11/24/2010	11/24/2011
*** both of these workshops were low priced $15 and are a nice place to come and touch base with everyone on the message boards.
Self-Paced
Name	Instructor	Starts	Ends
10 Summer Photos To Take Right NOW!	Lisa Damrosch	07/01/2008	07/01/2014
Cocoa, Daisies, and Stacy	Stacy Julian	11/01/2008	11/01/2014
Come Away With Me	Kimberly Lund	04/25/2011	04/25/2013
Embrace Imperfection	Karen Grunberg	03/15/2011	03/15/2014
Finish Line Scrapbooking	Stacy Julian	11/01/2011	11/01/2014
Fit-to-Be-Scrapped Holiday Letters	Lain Ehmann	11/01/2008	11/01/2014
Glimpses	Stacy Julian	01/01/2007	01/01/2014
Introduction to Digital Memory Keeping	Lisa Cohen	07/01/2008	07/01/2014
My New Year	Sunny Schlenger	03/01/2009	03/01/2014
Scrapbooking with a Digital Template	Steph from the Daily Digi	04/25/2011	04/25/2013
Start Here, with Stacy	Stacy Julian	07/01/2009	07/01/2013
*** some of these are free!  I recommend anything taught by Stacy Julian!
Completed
Name	Instructor	Starts	Ends
A Library of Memories (2008)	Stacy Julian	02/28/2008	09/01/2008
A Library of Memories (2009)	Stacy Julian	02/12/2009	06/30/2009
A Library of Memories (2010)	Stacy Julian	02/03/2010	05/31/2010
A Life Well Crafted: Audio	Kolette Hall	01/01/2009	12/31/2009
Big Idea Festival		09/04/2012	09/21/2012
Big Idea Festival (2011)		08/14/2011	08/27/2011
Big Idea Festival! (2010)		08/12/2010	08/24/2010
Big Wig Bash	Stacy Julian	08/18/2008	09/30/2008
Creative Crop		05/05/2012	05/07/2012
Creative Crop (2011)		05/07/2011	05/07/2011
Design Challenges	Elizabeth Dillow	04/25/2012	05/24/2012
Design Your Life (2008)	Cathy Zielske	10/02/2008	01/21/2009
Finding Photo Freedom 2011 (Alumni)	Stacy Julian	06/01/2011	08/17/2011
Get a LOAD of This!	Lain Ehmann	01/01/2008	02/11/2008
Have More FUN	Stacy Julian	07/03/2008	11/30/2008
Move More, Eat Well 2012	Cathy Zielske	12/31/2011	12/31/2012
One Little Word 2012	Ali Edwards	12/31/2011	12/31/2012
Reading Room	April Peebles	01/01/2009	12/31/2009
Roundup Your Memories	Katie Nelson	01/04/2012	01/18/2012
Summer Fun!	Stacy Julian	08/05/2009	09/03/2009
Twelve.	Stacy Julian	12/31/2011	12/31/2012
Week In The Life	Ali Edwards	04/18/2012	05/18/2012

*** I highly recommend LOM which is now called "Photo Freedom" with Stacy Julian and I loved Twelve.  The Big Idea Festivals and Creative Crops are Free!  My other favorites were Elizabeth Dillow's Design Challenges and Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life!

Links to Online Scrapbooking Classes and Tutorials

My Top Ten favorite Online Scrapbooking Classes and Tutorials are:

1. Debbie Hodge's Get It Scrapped: This is a free scrapbooking idea blog that is highly organized so you can find exactly what you you want to learn.  I'm lucky enough to be on the creative team there right now!

2. Debbie Hodge's Masterful Scrapbook Design:  Amazing ebooks, video tutorials, podcasts and interactions with the teachers on scrapbooking topics that both digital and paper scrapbookers will love.   Plus lots of your favorite scrapbookers are teachers there: Celeste Smith, Lisa Dickinson, Paula Gilarde, Emily Pitts, Noell Hyman, Pattie Knox, Debbie Hodge, Tami Taylor, Amy Kingsford, Kim Watson, Leah Farquharson, Corrie Jones, Anna Aspnes, Amanda Jones, Dina Wakely, Lynnette Panacho, Summer Fullerton, Tiffany Tillman, Jana Morton, Audrey Neal, Kelly Purkey, Erin Bassett, Peppermint Granberg, Doris Sander, Michelle Clement, Wilna Furstenberg, Aly Dosdall, Vivian Masket, ... and there are actually dozens more! 

3. Stacy Julian's Big Picture Classes:  The original online scrapbook schoolhouse with so many of my favorite people from the old Simple Scrapbooks including Stacy Julian, Cathy Zielske, Ali Edwards, Angie Lucas, Wendy Smedley, ... and actually there are dozens more here too!

4. Noell Hyman's Paperclipping Roundtable Podcast: I love this podcast!  I listen while I'm on the stepper, while I'm driving, and/or when I'm scrapbooking; when I'm scrapbooking it gives me the feeling of being at a crop without having to leave the house or share my scrap table space!  Plus all of your favorite scrapbookers are talking about scrapbooking there - and its free!  ... and there are dozens and dozens of guests so chances are your favorite scrapbookers are there.

5. Noell Hyman's Paperclipping Tutorials Membership:  This is a paid for membership that runs 6 months at a time so it is a perfect way to jump start or re-start your scrapbooking mojo; the videos are professionally produced by Noell's "cameraman" who doubles as her husband.   I love the videos because I can watch them on my iphone and Noell has a different and unique perspective so you can learn new ways to look at the same old things.

6. The Digi Show Podcast:  This was a spin off of the Paperclipping Roundtable and while I'm not a digi-scrapbooker, I listen and look forward to it every week anyway.  They often talk about general scrapbooking concepts and ideas; and when they talk very techie digi, I just listen and hope that someday it will sink in and I'll "get" how to or want to digi scrap.

7. Two Peas in a Bucket Classes and Events:  This is a store but they offer so much in the way of free scrapbooking eductation that it should be on your radar.  You can watch videos and take old and new classes, many of which are free.  This year they have daily scrapbooking how-to videos that I am just loving - especially:  The Adventures of Glitter Girl and Seeing Double (with Lisa Dickinson in particular).

8. Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog:  This is more of a challenge blog than an online scrapbooking class site but they have so much in the way of learning links and every month they encourage readers to create their own scrapbook kit with stuff from their scrapbook stash.  It is a fun place to find new ideas and participate.

9. You Tube:  You can find lots of scrapbooking tutorials for free on You Tube; word to the wise:  You get what you pay for, but there are some amazing videos there too - especially those done by Shimelle Laine who also offers free and paid-for high quality and jam packed with content scrapbooking classes at her blog.

10. My Craft Channel  offers free "shows" from scrapbookers like Heidi Swapp, Stacy Julian, Teresa Collins, and Amy Coon.  They videos are about 10 minutes each and they are delightful.

Those are just some of my favorites, there are probably hundreds of places to get online scrapbooking classes - yessiree, we have an active and vibrant subculture and we're proud!  Here are 10 more links to sites that I recommend but don't currently use:

1. Jessica Sprague:  Online classes and products for digital scrapbookers

2. Renee Pearson: Another source for online classes for digital scrapbooking and photography.  And Renee is delightful in her "in person" classes, I took one in 2007 and loved it.

3. Lain Ehmann:  True Scrap & Layout A Day "Load Challenge":  If you've never tried scrapbooking everyday for one month, do it!  It will speed up the way you scrap!

4.  Donna Downey:  She started at Simple Scrapbooks and has gone very artsy - lots of fun painting and art journal type classes here - I think they are on line and in North Carolina.

5. Creative Passion Classes:  Online classes to fuel your passion for creativity.

6. Lynda.com:  Learn how to use software programs and things on the internet and photography tips and a lot of tech information.

7. Ustream: You can find a wealth of free scrapbooking videos on ustream - the downside is that it gives you commercials before each video - but if you find some favorite teachers and follow them, it is a great resource.

8. Ranger U:  All sorts of scrapbook technique videos.

9. Creating Keepsakes:  There is a ton of information about scrapbooking here, but I find it a little difficult to nagivate - but it is worth the effort, the content is good - the web aspect of it could use a little streamlining.

10. Ali Edwards: December Daily, A Week In the Life, One Little World, and many more scrapbooking concepts and ideas with a mix of free and paid for classes.

Have fun scrapbooking using inspiration from online scrapbooking classes and tutorials!

 

 

 

Big Picture Classes: Library of Memories Community & Stacy Julian Appreciation Week (March 2008)

The Story {the journaling} :  "So its been about 8 years since I discovered Stacy Julian - I've always been a scrapbooker but Stacy and Simple Scrapbooks really introduced me to awesome modern scrapbooking.   I've been "modern"  scrapbooking since about 1998 but it wasn't particularly cool or fun until I "virtually" met this lady and all of her fun friends.  They've inspired me and help me document my happy life."  (and probably actually make it happier).  "Love my online peeps:  Online Friends - Online Books - Online Learning."

What prompted this?  A combination of a couple things - one being that I found this scrapbook page I made 5 years ago:  Blast from the Past:  "Stacy Julian Appreciation Week - March 2008" made during the grand old days of Simple Scrapbooks:

Side Note On Photographing Scrapbook Layouts:  My scrapbook layout picture taking skills still aren't perfect, but taking that same original photo of the layout and tweaking it in Google's free Picasa photo program:  1. I cropped it to a square; 2. I hit the "I feel Lucky" button; 3. I adjusted the sharpness with the slider tool; and 4. I created a border. And voila - that same layout looks a lot more internet ready right?

Another reason for all this gushing?  I've learned some things over the years thanks to my online friends, online books and online scrapbooking classes and communities.  Today I've been thinking about that and about how I have real feelings for my virtual scrapbooking friends - some of whom I've never and will never meet - others whom I have met in real life - and scrapbooking friends I've met online who become real life friends.  I've been thinking about how Patti Knox's interview over at Debbie Hodge's Get It Scrapped / Masterful Scrapbook Design so touched my heart and that I knew her and Debbie's essence just from listening to them talk to each other about scrapbooking for one hour.  (Click Here for Debbie Hodge's Masterful Scrapbook Design interview with Pattie Knox from November 2012 all about Telling Family Stories and Scrapbooking Old Photos). 

This online scrapbooking thing isn't just about recording your family memories, its also about finding your people.  I know I've found mine.  Its also about appreciating life and thinking about the bigger picture, what you want to focus on and remember and what you want to leave behind.

I've been a fan of Stacy Julian and her Big Picture Concept since her book came out in 2005 and I read it cover to cover on an airplane ride up to see my Grandma Grace.  I took Library of Memories (now called Photo Freedom) in 2007 and took the alumni course every year since.   This year I think my class enrollment turned into a pumpkin and former students had to sign up again so this was the first year I haven't been in Library of Memories / Photo Freedom - it feels weird.  I miss it.  The class is completely awesome in so many ways, but it is so amazing to go on that scrapbooking journey with so many other amazing women - and get to hear and see Stacy Julian videos every week for 10 weeks.  Yep, I miss that.

I am a member of "A Library of Memories Community" which I think was a one time payment of $15.00 for "Forever Access" to get a weekly email every Thursday.  I admit that often times I just get the email and I put it into my "Library of Memories" folder on gmail, but I think if I used it more often my scrapbooking would be even more awesome.

So just for fun, I thought I'd take a look at the Big Picture and Photo Freedom Books today and listen to Stacy's video message in the BPC Class. I took a look at the last Weekly Challenge and it was this:

Creating
It's time to create something with some square-punch pictures! Make a page or a card or a fun note to put under someone's pillow. Square-punch pictures are ready to go and EASY to use. Please note how happy this creative exercise makes you!

So I didn't follow the directions exactly but I did use a couple of square sized photos.

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If you are in A Library of Memories Community there are 4 chats in 2013:

Your chats with Stacy Julian are scheduled for:
Friday, January 25th 2013 at 5:00pm PT
Thursday, May 9th 2013 at 10:30am PT
Saturday, August 3rd 2013 at 8:00am PT
Thursday, November 7th 2013 at 2:00pm PT

Super Excited! Whim So Doodle Design Team :)

I just checked over at The Whim So Doodle Blog and they have their Design Team announcement up and I scrolled down a little so I could see the first 5 or so names and then stopped, told myself not to get my hopes up, that I probably didn't make it, took a deep breath and then scrolled down a little more and SAW MY NAME!  next to the last one.  I'll take it!  (I would be terrible on the Bachelor if Chris Harrison came out and said "there's only one rose left" - they'd cut to me and I'd be sweating it out.)  Anyway, I am completely delighted to be on the Whim So Doodle Design Team! 

P.S. If you aren't familiar with Whim So Doodle, it is the most amazingly beautiful scrapbooking store in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.  They host lots of classes from scrapbooking teachers from all over like Kelley Purkey, Margie Romney-Aslett, Dina Wakely, Tim Holtz, Donna Downey and lots of other fabulous teachers.  The store itself is beautiful and whenever I go I have to make 3-4 rounds of the store before leaving - it is always at least an hour - total eye candy. 

Improv Scrapbooking: How to Use the Principles of Improvisational Comedy to Become a Better More Authentic and Prolific Scrapbooker; Plus: SNL Mini Book & Being PRESENT in your Scrapbooking Process and Scrapbooking Videos!

Improv Scrapbooking:

I took an intro to Improvisational Comedy class last summer with Toby Martini and while taking the six week class, I had a spark of creativity that went beyond the class, learning the principles of improvisational comedy didn't necessarily make me funny, but it gave me a new way to think about my creative process and applying these principles to my process of scrapbooking has been a revolution for me.  I am more prolific than ever, in October I made 40 layouts in 7 days and last month I made 60 layouts.  Making a million scrapbook layouts is not the goal. Being more present and authentic in my creative process and product is.  Telling better stories is the goal.  Spending less time on stuff that doesn't matter  is the goal.  Spending more time on what makes my heart and soul sing is the goal.  I'm there and I want to share.

In Improvisational Comedy, one of the first principles you learn is to be present.  To listen to what your scene partner is saying and to respond to that, not to be thinking about what you are going to say next, but to be listening and then just opening your mouth and saying whatever pops into your head.  Improv Business Consultant Marcia McGilley of Limelight Presentations says  "I've also been a stage actor in plays, infomercials and 'improv' comedy shows. Improv is short for 'improvisational.' That's a fancy word which means thinking on your feet. No scripts or lines to memorize, you just say whatever pops into your head in a given situation. Improv was great training for real-life situations in business and consulting. I know how valuable it is as one of your communication skills." 

This principle of being present, listening and saying whatever pops into your head can be applied to the process of scrapbooking.  Think of what that little voice in your head is saying or what is on your mind or heart right now.  What has you worried or excited  or experiencing any heightened emotion right now.  Listen.  It is there.  Scrapbook about that.  Don't pre-plan it.  Don't write it down in a list of things to scrapbook later.  Just scrapbook it right now with what you have available to you right now.  Even if that means it won't be as awesome as you think it would be / could be with better photos, better embellishments, or better more thought out writing.  Chuck all that planning out the window.  Remember the Nike ads?  Just do it. Right Now.  You have 15 minutes to spill your guts on the page.  Don't edit.  Be real.  Say it (write it down) before you think much about it.  Don't worry about grammar.  Don't worry about anything that you think it should be, just go with what it is, what is in you that wants to get out.  Listen.   Listen and then Go! 

Here is an example of what I mean by Listening to What Your Heart is Telling You, Being Present, and Being Improv about how you respond to that in a scrapbooking kind of way:  (Hey - ppssst - blog reader - You can skip over this part or skim it - as I am a bit "improv" in my description - in other words, I am long winded - I'll highlight some important stuff).    Today is Valentine's Day, I intended to make a scrapbook page about Valentine's Day or at least the theme of love.  I started the page yesterday in anticipation of today being Valentine's Day - check yesterday's posts for the videos in which I made that and other projects.  But, this morning  when I woke up, I was thinking about Saturday Night Live and about the Grammy's Music Award Show, about Whitney Houston's death and about how Paul McCartney did the last number at the Grammy's; about how music and certain songs can instantly take us to a time and place and bring back memories; and about how the show Saturday Night Live also does that for me.  When I see or think about an SNL sketch, I am also reminded of the time in my life when I first saw it.  For example, the Coneheads and Gilda Radner bring me back to the 70s when I used to spend Saturday Nights at my Grandma's house watching the Barbara Mandrell Show, Love Boat and Fantasy Island, and then if I was still awake and Grandma would let us, we'd watch some Saturday Night Live, I don't remember it too specifically, but I knew it was cool.  In the 80s I can remember my friends in AP Calculus Class (my most hated class), imitating Dana Carvey as the Church Lady - "Now isn't THAT special?"  In college I used to spend the weekends with friends who were married with very young kids and we loved Kevin Nealon "I'll Pump (clap) You Up" and Mike Meyers in Wayne's World  - I'm pretty sure Dana Carvey was in both of those sketches too (without googling it  I think I'm getting his name right).  When I first met my husband and we were dating, we'd often watch SNL after dates and that one night in August 1997 or 1998(?) when we turned to NBC at approximately 11:43  (so we knew SNL had started and we were on the right channel) and we were horrified that they were trying to do a sketch about Princess Diana being in a car accident and then slowly realizing it wasn't SNL, it was real.  And now, my kids and I love Andy Samberg and his SNL shorts like Lazer Cats and Space Olympics.  The show has been a constant in my life.  It is like an old friend who knew me way back when.  I am reminded of the different people I watched the show with depending on the sketch and when it aired.  There are Deep Thoughts, like the ones Jack Handy used to do (miss those):  1. How powerful it was when Paul Simon sang The Boxer with the FDNY behind him right after 9/11 - I still get a little teary just thinking about how deep the emotion was at that moment; 2. How tender Chris Farley was when he did the awkward interview of Paul McCartney and he asked about whether it was true when McCartney sang "The love you take is equal to the love you make" and how Paul McCartney closed last weekend's Grammy Awards with that line and how the Beatles and Rolling Stones and U2 and Madonna have been musical constants  and all have been on SNL (well at least members of the Beatles have been on the show).  Music and this long running show of Saturday Night Live have been a constant in my life as I was born in the 70s and that show started in 1975 when my parents got divorced and that show has been the backdrop to my Saturday nights for as long as I can remember.  If I never scrapbooked about something as random as seemingly random as Saturday Night Live, my story would be incomplete; but more importantly, if today, when I took time to scrapbook, if I didn't scrapbook about Saturday Night Live because it was on my heart and mind, whatever else I did would have been forced and not as real, it would not make an impression on me; whereas if I scrapbook what I am passionate about right now, chances are in 20 years when I look back at that page, I'll be taken back to today and that page will be a better memory trigger for me of time and place, like when you hear an old song, than if I hadn't been present and listened and then scrapbooked using these improv principles.  Improv will make the memories more authentic and real.  There will be more of me in what I create.  I think this goes beyond scrapbooking; improvisational comedy principles can be applied to any creative process.

 Here are 3.5 videos that you can find on YouTube about the process of applying improvisational comedy principles to scrapbooking and my actual process:

1. Watch as I use improvisational comedy principles in my scrapbooking creative process:

 

I use the principles of improvisational comedy for my video making too - I just press record and talk, there is no preparation and I say what is on my heart and mind, I am in the present moment, not thinking about the next thing I'm going to say - this is improv - it isn't always funny or interesting - but it is real and the more real you are, the better it is in an improv way.

1.5 Here's my improv fix for the 20 minute video that wouldn't upload to YouTube - This is The Middle (which is also a great show by the way)  - I tried to get it to a point where there isn't too much overlap - but it is not perfect - it is improv!  And just ask Seth Godin about how he feels about shipping when it is not completely perfect - I'm pretty sure he'd say ship it. So here's the fix:

 

2. Here is part 2: (Darn it! There is a gap between #1 and #2 so I'm going to upload a 1.5 to bridge the gap).

 

3. SNL Mini Book Cover & Applying the Improv Concept of Using What You Have and Getting It Done Now:

 

If you are interested in learning more about applying the concepts from improvisational comedy to scrapbooking or to any other part of your creative process, please leave a comment and/or email me.  I am working on some projects that will expand on this concept and I need some guinea pigs. 

Meantime, if you wish to support my blog through the Amazon Affiliate Program, you can check out these books and Paul McCartney's new album, Kisses on the Bottom (which sounds like an improv concept of "taking it the wrong way") that dropped today:

Sing it Paul:  "And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make. " 

I think you you can substitute the word love for memory keeping or the creative process; in other words, what you get out of your scrapbooking or memory keeping hobby is what you put in to it - so put good stuff in OK? 

Scrapbooking Embellishment Sneeze & How to Make Valentine's Day Embellishments and Banners

I saw a message thread on the Two Peas site the other day about embellishment sneeze.  While most of my scrapbooking does not involve a lot of embellishments, I do enjoy going overboard with scrapbooking embellishments from time to time.  IT.  IS.  FUN.  Here's a video about how I use punches and die cuts to facilitate scrapbook embellishment sneezing:

 

For more on scrapbooking embellishments and techniques, check out these books:

How I Organized the 60 New Scrapbook Layouts I Made In The Last Month.

Wanted to share how I organize my recently made scrapbook layouts and Charlie offered to help me make a video:

I've had a burst of creativity and I made 60 scrapbook layouts in January.  What do I do with all those layouts?  I put them in my Stacy Julian Style Library of Memories System, check out the video:

P.S. Charlie filmed this video on the iPad2.

 

P.S. I saw this question on the YouTube comments (but I think there is something there preventing me from linking this post up), so I'm answering here:

YouTube Commenter:  "Great video! I've always wanted to take on LOM but I never got around to it! I really love how you organize your albums and would love a more in depth overview! Thanks in advance! :)"

The "official" Library of Memories album titles are "People We Love" "Places We Go" "Things We Do" and "All About Us".  An easy way to remember just think "nouns" which are people, places or things and then just remember to add in a "proper" noun for your own family.

My Library has been building for well over ten years and I have what I call "bump out" albums for specific things like Christmas, each of my children, and school.  Here is a list of the category names of albums that I have - what you should name your albums really depend upon how many layouts you have and then your specific categories - but the basic 4 official noun themed albums is a good place to start.  My List:

PEOPLE WE LOVE / bump out albums include Cousins; Friends; and Ancestry Albums

PLACES WE GO / bump out albums include Disney World, Home, 50 States, My College Travels Through Europe,                     

THINGS WE DO / bump out albums include School, Work, Celebrations, Holidays, Christmas, Valentines Day,

ALL ABOUT US  / bump out albums include one for each member of the family, family pets, favorite photos,

You can take Library of Memories / Photo Freedom with Stacy Julian at Big Picture Classes.  I think she is offering it every other year now - so when it is offered - sign up!  Then there is forever access.

Meantime, you can check out her books on amazon which explain the Library of Memories concepts in detail:

The Big Picture and PHOTO FREEDOM are the most relevant to the Library of Memories system, but the others are oldies but goodies - the products may be a bit dated but the theories about scrapbooking in a simple but meaningful and easy way are still there - still good stuff.

 

One Little Word: 2011 Year of Awesome in Review

Last year I did Ali Edwards' project "One Little Word" but didn't sign up for the class and didn't really incorporate my word into my life except that I did create a Book of Awesome Mini-Album and I did keep my word close to my heart and mind all year long.  I loved this word.  It was both sarcastic and sincere.  The year 2010 was a challenging year on many levels so it seemed like having an Awesome 2011 was in order and I must say that I think that the one little word helped.  At the end of 2011, I felt sad to let it go, but I'm not letting it go, I'm keeping the spirit of Awesome with me.   I never really defined the word, but looking back the meaning I gave it was: 

AWESOME:  The attitude of doing your best and making the best of things no matter what the situation and seeking out experiences and feelings of awesomeness. 

Supplies:  Cardstock, Pokemon Trading Card Box + QuicKutz Studio letter die cuts; 12 photos printed 4 to a 4x6 photo (so three photos), sewing machine stitching.

This year I am signed up for the Big Picture Classes One Little Word and I'm interested to see how doing a montly project will bond me to my word.

My 2011 word worked, even without any class, and we had an awesome year full of totally awesome experiences and attitude shifts and I got to notice it the entire time.  Not to be redundant, but it was AWESOME! 

Wrapping Up Christmas

Stacy Julian had a line on her blog about being OK with the Mess of Christmas because it is evidence of the day's abundance; I paraphrased her and added it over a photo and I keep repeating it to myself to be OK with all the stuff that needs to be cleaned up.

Along those lines, I have been listening to this song called "There's Hope" by India Arie - give it a listen while you are wrapping it up.  Trust me it will give you some hope to tackle job of cleaning up Christmas:

 

And its got a good upbeat for cleaning.  Seriously Awesome.  I'm trying to add a little of my One Little Word into each day, I'm going to plant something today in this pot I painted yesterday:

I planned to wrap up Christmas today and put all the decorations away, but there are 5 kids in my house! So I don't think that is going to happen. I did manage to clean up the kitchen and have told the kids that there are no more dishes today - we are paper plates from here on out. The boys are playing wii and nerf guns and can be heard from miles away despite that they are in my son's room with the door closed. The girls are eating ice cream cones and playing Barbies and peeking in on the boys since there is a set of french doors with blinds on my son's room that we keep permanently closed but that make for a good spying place for the girls on the boys. I am also working on wrapping up December Daily but that is going to be delayed a bit too since I don't like the girls and boys to play together unsupervised - so I'm on Mom Duty until things settle down a bit more. Here's what I did get done this morning:

More wrapping up of December Daily to come soon !

Show & Tell Time: Project Life & Twelve in 2012 Class

I made a couple u-stream videos about my Project Life Albums and my pre-class assignment for the BPC class 12:

PROJECT LIFE - HOME MADE ALBUM VS. BECKY HIGGINS KIT:

 

After making this video, I actually had my husband sign me up for the Amazon Affiliate Program,  I want to share what I love on this blog and if Amazon could reward me for that - great - but I will only recommend things I really love, sound good?  Good.

This is what I use and recommend for Project Life:

1. The Core Kit - the journaling cards are more than worth the price - I was reluctant to get them but I think they are awesome and I think that in 2012 will be successful at keeping up with Project Life because of these journaling cards.  I bought the Amber Core Kit, but I have been seriously tempted to get the Turquoise Core Kit; and I am excited about the Clementine Core Kit which should be available soon.  I think that if you love this system and can afford it, getting more than one kit would be fun since the cards could be used in other projects; however, if you are trying to be a bit more frugal like me, then I'd recommend just picking one - there will still be more than enough to use in this project and have some left over for other projects.

2. The Page Protectors - sure you could do Project Life without them, but the journaling cards and the page protectors make the whole system lightyears easier than trying to make them on your own - trust me I tried last year and I can now say that the Project Life system really works, even though I'm only a recent convert - I am really in love with how easy it is.  I bought the Page Protectors in Style A - the 60 pack and I also bought the multi Page Protector pack in 60; I'm tempted to buy another 60 of Style A since they often go out of stock and they are in stock right now.  I think that if you wanted the bare minimum, I'd recommend getting the 60 pack of Style A or the smaller pack if you just wanted to try them out to be sure you liked them before committing to 60 of them - although I love them and 60 pages will take you though the entire 2012 year, so I recommend the 60 pack.

If you want other page protector configurations, I have also bought these and like them very much - although for Project Life, I recommend starting with Design A and then branching out to these other types of page protectors - and I am including the standard 12x12 C-Lines that I've been buying for years and I think are the most economical:

3. A 3 ringed 12x12 scrapbook album - I have several different types and these are the ones I like and use:

One item from each of the above 1-3 should be sufficient to get you off to a successful start in 2012 with Project Life.  When I ordered my items they took less than a week to arrive, but I ordered before Christmas season so I don't know if the holidays effect shipping time.  I am seriously considering ordering another pack of the page protectors style A since the multi-pack page protectors are currently out of stock and the 60 set of style A is seriously useful.

PRE-CLASS ASSIGNMENT DIVIDER BIN FOR THE 12 CLASS BY STACY JULIAN AT BIG PICTURE CLASSES:

 

I bought a bin at the craft store for my pre-class assignment for Stacy Julian's 12 class at BPC, I couldn't find the exact one on Amazon but this locker style bin is very similar to the one I have and very cute - especially the little locker label thing:

 

Twelve in 2012

I am so excited to have signed up for Stacy Julian's Twelve Class at Big Picture Classes.  I can't wait for class to start!  Yes, I'm that nerd in the front row with two number 2 freshly sharpened pencils laid out neatly in front of me and my notebook opened and ready to take very detailed notes.  I love learning and I am always inspired by what Stacy Julian has to share. 

The pre-class project is to repurpose an open bin that you already have, I used a "Stacy Julian Green" metal locker style bin that I picked up at Joann's Crafts a few years ago.  It is about 10 inches deep, 10 inches front to back open at the top and 1o inches across at the top and about 7 inches at the bottom so I had to cut the divider sheets for the unique shape of the bin.  As per class instructions, I made 12 divider sheets with cardboard bases and colorful patterned paper and binder clips; I added the envelopes from Ditto.  I also sewing machine stiched the paper down to make the patterned paper stick down better; I am actually in the process of finishing the stitching on all of them.  The black and white checkerboard at the top is duct tape!

See you in class!

P.S. Stephanie - here's a link to the envelopes I used - they are Ditto by Hampton Arts, colorful binder clips from Office Depot, and the awesome patterened duct tape!

Did you see there is Hello Kitty Duck Tape??? And the Black Damask and Houndtooth look awesome too and the Candy Cane??!!  I love that they are making fashion colored duct tape, it is a happy, happy thing.

Ella Boot Camp: Custom Backgrounds {Stamping}

I'm a bit behind on the Ella Publishing Boot Camp because I came down with the flu this week, but I'm on the mend now and catching up on the challenges.  I made this layout by stamping the circles in the horizontal border strip in the bottom third - and then I punched patterned paper to fill in the circles. 

 
I don't often stamp on my pages so this was challenging for me even through it was very simple to accomplish.  Trying something new - or something you haven't done in a while - is a good thing.

 
The circles and the papers I used made me think of the seasons - and that there were more than four circles running all together made me think of the seasons in Florida and how my Floridian children don't really get the experience of the changing seasons like I did growing up in New England.

Journaling:  Growing up in New England, I felt very connected with the 4 seasons because it was always very obvious from the weather which season it was.  The quote by John Keats "The Human Seasons" which goes "Four seasons fill the measure of a year; there are four seasons in the mind of [humans]".  I do think the seasons mimic our lifespan and my kids are Floridians and all the seasons blend together.  I do my best to take them to other states to see and feel the seasons, but its hard to know withtout experience." 

I sort of ran out of space before I could write something better to end upon; but its ok, I'll maybe put this page near the beginning of a seasons scrapbook & then the rest of the layouts will finish this thought that even though they haven't gotten the seasons here in Florida, we have done many things to fill in this gap and the other layouts will exemplify that.

I also did a scraplift of Nichol Migouirk's boot camp layout:

 
I tried to do this with stamping - but the patterned papers I already had were close enough - somehow stamping always seems like too much effort for me when it is actually not all that time / effort intensive.  Do you stamp on your layouts? 

 

 

Ella Publishing Boot Camp - No Grammar (Charts) Journaling Drill & Forced Family Fun in Alligator Danger Zones

 

This is a very simple 8.5 x 11 landscape oriented scrapbook page but contains so much information thanks to the first of the exercises at Ella Publishing's Boot Camp - the challenge was to create a page using a chart of some sort.   I made this table in my word processor.  I trimmed some 4x6 photos that had lots of wasted space and came up with a page with very little white space, but I think still an easy to look at page.  I used some old patterened paper with a fun feel as the base and border of the page. 

Lately, I've been trying to make 8.5 x 11 pages instead of 12x12 pages when I can - those 12x12 scrapbooks are so big & I scrapbook at a rapid rate, so the smaller sized album is more space friendly.  On a related note, I've been reorganizing my scrapbooking albums; my Brother P-Touch is smoking! - I'll post photos of that project sometime soon.

The subject of the page was inspired by Angie Lucas's repeated reference to the personality trait of being stubborn - and this reminded me of how my family can be a bit stubborn in their preferences for family fun and how this past weekend I invoked my FFF rule - Forced Family Fun - and took the family for a geocaching adventure in an alligator infested lake - look at the chart & take some guesses about who was on board with this idea.  Thankfully, no one got eaten by an alligator and I did live to tell and get these photos:

 
And in case that top left hand picture with the sign about the alligators is too small - here it is again: