Studio Friday.
TOPIC: "Studio Friday, for me, is a network of Artist from all over the world. It's a fabulous way to communicate with and learn from artists of all backgrounds. With this being said, I would love to see a showcase of what YOUR art is. Are you a scrapbooker? A clay artist? Are you a collage artist or a photographer? Do you paint or work in the fibre arts of Knitting, sewing or enbroidery? Are you a gardener a botanist or an eclectic artist of many trades? I'd love to see a piece that you have created that you are most proud of. SHOW off your STUFF!!" - posted by Gabi Cool. I am a storyteller. I am a collaborator. I am a crafter. I am a scrapbooker. I am a cut & paster. I am a computer geek. I am a photographer. I am a writer. I am a business woman. I am a life artist. I am a work in progress. Went back through some of the pages I created over the last couple years since I first started scrapbooking to pick out some of my favorites. Take a look. Love this one for the comparison of yesterday and today - and for the story it tells. 
This one is from December 2002 - about a month after I began scrapbooking. I love it because it really tells the entire story of Simon's birth (hidden journaling behind the photo): 
And a couple of recent favorites include this one about John, Liz and Simon: 
And this one that documents a moment in time at our house on a random day: 
It has been a long time since I have gone back and looked through all my begninning pages. I have 16 pages of layouts posted on Two Peas - you can see the beginning here. One of these days I will go through and count them all and get them into some sort of order in their albums. Right now they are all just placed in randomly. Does it bother me? Not really - I know at some point I will get to organizing them. For now at least I know they are protected in some way. I think the cool thing for me in looking back on these layouts is watching Simon's story unfold. Seeing his physical changes. Reading my journaling and witnessing and remembering all the moments. And seeing photos like this one that are simply priceless: 
and this one: 
and this one: 
And this, once again, is why I love scrapbooking. The stories. The emotions. The photos. It has absolutely changed my life. For the better. Want to see what others answered? Click here.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing :)
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Love everything Ali. I love looking back, reflecting on pages I've made and remembering...time really DOES fly. Have a great weekend. Peace and blessings.
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wow. thank you so much for sharing all you do, especially your sweet photos of your boy. his smile is just infectious. i think that is a good reminder, to go back and revisit our own journey of crafting/scrapbooking/art creating of how we are where we are now. very cool reminder. i'm hooked on those scrapworks bay box albums we used in the cku- album track, but am having a hard time locating any. they all seem to be on back order. do you know of an online resource perhaps?
peace.
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thnx SO much for sharing.
love to see your stuff.
i always look at my old stuff for many reasons~
~see how my art has progressed
~enjoy the pics
~read the stories
~see how my kiddos are growing & changing
~etc.
it's why we do it & LOVE it.
thnx for making it even more fun!
mj
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love how you explained your passion
you have a great way with words
love all of your layouts too
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These are fabulous layouts, and really tell a story! I especially love the black & white layout with the stitching - simply lovely! Thank you for sharing!
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Very nice! You are a wonderful story teller!!
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ali.. youre always opening my eyes to something new i havent thought of yet... * i love that* :)
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Thanks for posting some layouts! What a nice treat for today!
I remember when you posted that one with the orangy Chatterbox paper. I was on 2Peas that night and that was one of the first layouts I praised!
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Fabulous layouts. Each one, with the story it tells, is a wonderful treasure.
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Thanks for sharing these. It's great to see your work from back then. Story telling is so important! You're just the neatest girl! http://jolenegeorge.blogspot.com/
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You have such a way with words. I can feel your emotions towards your art.
Thank you so much for sharing; sharing your love of art, life, moments & especially your love of your son. He is an amazing boy & so lucky to have a mom like you.
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Hi Ali - thanks for sharing these...so fun to look back with you. I stumbled across a few of your posts at twopeas tonight. Some of my favorites from the April CK.
Cool stuff.
~Mary
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Thank you so much for sharing all of this wonderful art. You are one multi-talented woman! I love your photos and you are a wonderful story teller!!
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WOW! Thanks for sharing all those Ali :)
hugs
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These are wonderful. Thank you for sharing again. Thank you for being so inspirational over and over again. You are amazing!
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AWHHHH...these are all priceless. LOVE THEM!
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So beautiful to see your photos, your life, the evolution in your layouts. Just simply beautiful! Gave me that nostalgia feeling to look through my albums from yester-year.
-t
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...I love your spirit! It shines through your words and art...thanks, Diane
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Wow-how fun to look back (and forward!)
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so lovely to look back on your work.
i would love to be able to read the journaling about simon's birth. my screen doesn't seem to make it appear large enough.
any chance you could post it?
thanks for sharing so much of who you are.
sheri
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This really is a talent.
ANd one I don't have.
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I recently sorted through boxes of old photos, cleaning out my garage. My youngest son Nathaniel struggles with autism. It's been over 3 years since the diagnosis and there have been times of real challenge, and of course joy. I don't know if you have ever struggled with this, but I have a difficult time thinking of Nathaniel without the autism - and had even started to think perhaps it had always been a part of our lives and I just didn't notice. And then there were these marvelous photos - eyes open, big smiles, excitement and wonder. Life art, scrapbooking, for me it's all about celebrating the good stuff! Thanks for sharing your layouts, your blog inspires me and makes me feel normal.
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I love seeing all your pages. I remember seeing your "possibility" page when you first posted it on 2 peas. I totally copied the quote and fold-out journaling idea for a layout about my son's birth (2/03). Thanks for the continued inspiration!
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OMG-I remember most of those older pages of yours-love them, STILL. And my pages are all in 3ring binders in no particular order either. Yes, someday they will get organized and it will be so fun looking through them to do it. You are amazing Ali.
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