Week In The Life : Bringing It All Together • The Completed Album
It's amazing the number of emotions I go through when working this project to completion.
Anticipation. Excitement. Frustration. Glee. Love. Pride. Distress. Impatience. Happiness.
It's done. Another week in another year of my life/our lives is done. I can close it up and put it away and take it out again down the road and marvel at how simple & easy things were, or how crazy & stressful & complex - all depending on what my life is like at that moment in time.
This is definitely a labor of love. It takes time to write things down as you go about a day. It takes time to take the photos. It takes time to sort and upload and wait for printing. It takes time to organize the words and add more if needed. It takes time to add the elements to the page protectors.
It is a commitment of time and energy.
It is worth every single minute.
Below I am going to take you through my entire album from beginning to end. Along the way I 'll tell you a bit about changes or adjustments I made. I have also included tutorials or links to additional information when it's applicable.
WEEK IN THE LIFE 2010
Here's a shot looking down at my 8.5x11 We Are Memory Keepers album. You might be able to fit two years in here - it really depends on how many bulky things you add or how many additional page protectors you add. As you will see below I added at least one more page protector per day for journaling.
This was my first time using a We Are Memory Keepers album & page protectors. I loved it. The page protectors seem thicker and sturdier than my favorites from American Crafts.
Included with the We Are Memory Keepers album is a black plastic page which could definitely be removed. I ended up keeping it because I added this little black paper with white type that I collected during my week. It says, "experience life to the nines."
Also, somehow I missed that We Are Memory Keepers makes 8.5x11 divided page protectors. The slot sizes are 3.5 x 2.625. I would love to have all the page protectors be the same along the rings (yes, that's a little on the type-A side). Looks like they actually offer a bunch of different options for both 12x12 and 8.5x11 divided page protectors. Be still my divided page-protector loving heart.
Included in the digital layered template packages is an intro page. The digital page includes the spot for the photo, the title, a spot for an initial, and the twill strip with the days of the week.
For my album, which is a combination of digital and paper, I printed out the intro page with just the title on cardstock. I used the School House chipboard alphabet from Cosmo Cricket for the initial ("A" is for my first name rather than "A Week In The Life"). I used these chipboard letter stickers in other locations throughout the album.
In Elements I re-sized the twill strip, printed it on photo paper (see the how-to process below), cropped it and added it on top of my photo. The photo size on the intro page is 8.5 x 6inches.
RESIZING & PRINTING A DIGITAL TWILL STRIP
Twill strips are one of my favorite digital products to use on paper pages. My packages of twill at Designer Digitals are sized 12 inches wide but can easily be sized down for use on a smaller project. Here's a look at that process for my intro page:
- Open the PNG file. For my intro page I choose the "no bold" option for the Days of the Week because I didn't want any of the specific dates highlighted on the cover.
- Image/Resize/Image Size and change to 9 inches wide. Make sure "constrain proportions" is selected or you will get a warped image. If you want to save paper you can print more than one strip at a time by creating a new canvas and adding multiple strips to that canvas.
- Go to File/Page Set Up to adjust your page orientation to landscape (11x8.5).
- Print on cardstock or photo paper, trim, adhrere.
MONDAY
One of the interesting things I discovered this time around, with my slower pace, is that I thought of other things I wanted to include. Mostly I thought about more words to include about where we all are in life right now. I feel that by taking a bit more time than usual I was able to round out our story and include things I may have missed during the whirlwind week of documentation.
Because of that, I ended up creating some Long Journalers that allowed me to write more or to simply copy and paste the text I used to describe my photos/days here on my blog. On the backs of these journal blocks I did different things on different days including an enlarged photo, more journaling, pattern paper, etc.
For each of these long journal blocks (the blocks fit on a 4.25 x 11 inch piece of paper) I stitched on page protectors to create custom sizes. For more on creating custom sized page protectors, including a short video of my stitching on a page protector, see this post. I really like having the different width included in this album.
This opening long journaler is titled "Life Right Now" and it documents in general what's happening for each of the people in my immediate family. I thought this was a nice way to begin the album - an overview of sorts.
On the back of the long journaler I inputted the content I had documented including time of day.
When working on my long journaling blocks I added in either blue or red type as emphasis. It's a nice little something extra.
Some of my journaling cards, like the one above, are very simple sentiments. Simple is good.
I did end up using the 7gyspies date stamps for each day of the week on my large daily opener photo.
The red wonder woman paper includes notes from our babysitter about Anna's day.
For Tuesday, because I had already hand-written a complete day, I just left my journaling as-is and slipped it inside a page protector.
WEDNESDAY
For Wednesday I turned my journaling from under each photo into a paragraph and went back and forth between brown and black type to show the change in thought from one to the next. The bottom portion is the commentary I included at the end of my post.
On the back of Wednesday's long journaling I chose one of the pattern papers and added a simple "W."
On Thursday I had less text to add to the long journal box so I adhered a photo to the cardstock.
On the back I included an enlarged photo (4.25 x 11 inches). Love adding in this big photo and wish I would have done more of these.
On a couple of the days I simply printed out the captions I added below my photos in my blog posts and adhered them to the photos.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
I had significantly less jouranling for Saturday than I did for other days (and less photos too). To fill in some of the slots I wrote simple things on the journaling cards. I liked including some journaling that was more reflective rather than in the moment - there is definitely room for both in this album.
SUNDAY
Simple sentiments to fill space and tell a bit more about my life.
This. This is it.
CLOSING PAGE
As many of you know it's not often that I create an "ending page" for my albums. I'm not sure what's up with that...I think so many times I am just DONE by that point and want to move on to the next thing. This time I decided to add one in - a very simple one.
I re-printed the intro page from the template package onto cardstock and simply hand-wrote a couple sentiments and signed my name.
YOU CAN DO THIS
- If you are still sitting on the fence...one of those people that needs to see the end before beginning...it's time to get down from the fence and get moving. This is one of those projects that I promise you will never regret. You can do this.
- As you can see, this album is not about embellishments and do-dads and pretty little things glued down. It's about the words and the photos. And it is oh so amazing to see your life in this way. You can do this.
- If you are in the middle of working on your album...keep at it. It's a
process. Give yourself the gift of working on it a bit at a time...but
commit to finishing it. There's nothing like a completed album to boost
your confidence. You can do this. - If you are just coming across this concept for the first time, honestly, you can do this.
Finally, I want to humbly and sincerely say thank you for embarking on this journey with me. I hope you have captured a glimpse of how wonderfully precious your life is - whatever stage you are in right now in April/May 2010.
Click here for a complete list of Week In The Life posts.
Nice work Ali! Need to get mine done.. Finishing a couple of other projects first :)
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Nice work Ali! Need to get mine done.. Finishing a couple of other projects first :)
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Sure - just open the png file + open the photo. Using the move tool (black arrow) click and hold on the png art file and drag it onto your photo. What version of photoshop are you using?
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ALWAYS love your clean lines. Most of your photos were vertical. I dislike divided page protectors for you have to follow its limitations. Do you mostly shoot vertical?
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Oh don't feel ashamed at all Johanna! There's no problem with that at all - the only issue that comes sometimes is that people then talk themselves out of the whole process as they deal with other "creative gremlins" like...my photos aren't good enough, I don't have enough words, mine doesn't look like hers...lots of not-good-enough talk.
I like to see the end too :).
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Perfect Melissa! Keep it simple :).
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This is absolutely beautiful Ali, I am so inspired. Sometimes I find it hard to know where to start because there is so much I want to say in my pages, so much deep emotion to express and so many tiny moments I don't want to forget. Seeing your album has made me see that the important thing is to just start now, and do things the best I can. If I wait until I can make everything perfect then moments will pass and memories will fade. Thank you for sharing your lovely work.
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Beautiful finished album!
Love the way you added your words, and the addition of the reflective journaling is a wonderful idea, might just do that. This is giving me a needed boost...off to figure which road I should take!
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Thanks, Ali. I recently had an epiphany regarding just the situation you are describing - seeing a website design I thought was really awesome and then noticing that if I had been the one who had created it - I would have seen a thousand little bits that weren't "good enough". Ack! This self-reflecting mind of ours is a tricky thing. Anyway, I figured that maybe "others" have this tendency to "always" seem "better" because they can surprise us, and it's hard to surprise oneself with a self-made solution. So I better remind myself to take the inspiration and run!
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Thank you for the repetition- "you can do this". Keep telling me that!
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Thank you for being such a HUGE inspiration for all of us!
Love your book and your work in general!
MERCI ~
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Yes, yes, yes :). That is so totally right on Claire.
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Hi Judy - actually ALL but one of my photos were horizontal. I almost always take horizontal shots. For this album I cropped many of the photos to fit the page protectors. You can see more about that process here: http://www.aliedwards.com/2010/04/week-in-the-life-the-photos.html or just the video tutorial here: http://vimeo.com/11271003
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I love your mix of hand-written notes and news clips and ephermera and typed out journaling.
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You deserve a standing ovation for that beautiful album!
Thank you so much for A Week in the Life. It has been such a fun journey and I have gotten inspiration for so many other projects!
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Inspirational! Loved it! Might have to try this myself. Ali, your blog is like therapy. I look forward to each and every post of yours. Enjoy your day :-)
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Ali, as always you are simply inspiring. I did my Week in the Life project for the first time last week and am SO glad I did. Memories that I have now would have otherwise slipped by mostly unnoticed into the past. I'm working on finishing my project through Blurb.com and just printing everything into a hardbound book. I know it's something I will treasure for the rest of my life. Thank you for all you do without even knowing it. :o)
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Oh. So. Lovely.
The simplicity of your pages really lets the words and photos shine, and you're so right when you say that "I love my family" is what this project is all about. I felt the same way while working on my album.
I love that each day of the week is just a little different. Different papers, different elements included, different structure for journaling. Love it!!!
This is a treasure. Thanks for sharing.
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Several times while reading this I felt my eyes fill with tears...dont know why but it did...this is such a gift to give to future generations
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Awesome album, Ali.
For those looking for a suitable album, Aaron Bros (their brand) offer a nice red or black 8.5 x 11 album. It's just right to hold one or two years and has a 4 x 4 window for a photo or other accent on the cover. About $15.00 w/out 40% off coupon.
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Ali, will the We Are Memorykeepers protectors fit the American Crafts 3D ring binder? I really want to buy some, but I am afraid they won't fit my albums.
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Beautiful album. Love the different page protectors. Your journaling is amaizing, I wish I can write like that. Thanks Ali.
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Hi Ali, I loved seeing the "end" and also the comments of the others. I can't do it the same way you are, but more than anything I want to say thank-you for encouraging us to journal - too much of my life remains "unsaid" and I need to get better at writing it down. It seems that I have always used journaling in the tough times - which is good, but I also want my children and grandchildren to know the other thoughts and dreams! Thanks again.
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Ali, love it. Love the focus on the words and the piccies - that's what MATTERS after all.
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now THIS is my kind of project! thx so much for doing this! i've never really "got" scrapbooking--the paper, embellishments and goo-gaws (and how expensive all that is!) this is a great photo album--one that "lives" without stuff getting in the way.
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