Request for Memory Keeping Q & A

It's been awhile since I did a big round of memory keeping Q & A here - August 2008 to be exact (you can check out that series here) - and I'd like to take some time over the next week to do that again.

Feel free to ask anything related to scrapbooking, supplies, creative process, words + photos, organization, techniques, minibooks, paper, digital, classes, etc.

I'll leave the comment section open until Friday at noon Pacific with the first-round of answers posted Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

PLEASE NOTE | Some basic FAQ questions (such as what equipment I use) are covered on my FAQ page.

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177 thoughts

  1. Anna Vollmer says…
    04/28/2011

    Do you have a list of photos you take often or like to take? Ex: Things around your house, Kids playing, Dinner, Etc. I would love a list of photos to get in the habit of taking to better document my stories.

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Shauna Miller says…
    04/28/2011

    First of all thank you for this website and all your inspiration.
    I have learned so much from you in the past year especially with digtal scrapbooking. I just bought your letters and downloaded them onto my computer. So my question is how do I put them in Photoshop or word where I can use them to journal with? I have been trying to use them but it only lets me use them one letter at a time!! (grr.) sorry if this is a silly question but I still feel very new and clueless in the digtal world! Thanks again.

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. annette says…
    04/28/2011

    Hi Ali,

    I have a granddaughter that lives accross the country, I have started a scrapbook for her (she is 13 mo.) the photos I get are posted on FB with little or no comentary. Wondering what is a way to document for her without being there to experience her in person?? I'm running out of ideas. the whole "I'm missing you grow up is getting old"??? Thanks

    Annette

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Karen M. says…
      04/28/2011

      I have the same situation with grandkids. Sometimes I will repeat stories the parents have told me - even if it doesn't match the picture. I figure just getting the story down is important.
      I also use find photos of my son at the same age and put both photos on the page and compare their likes and dislikes, or what their days looked like or some other compare and contrast stuff. I have even used pictures of me at their same age.
      And sometimes I just write down what they say to me over the phone. It's just a different kind of memory keeping.

  4. Jessica B says…
    04/28/2011

    I was wondering about your cameras. I know you have a DSLR and something a little fancier. But, do you ever use a point and shoot? I am thinking of investing in a 'fancy' camera, but I really love how easy it is to throw my point and shoot in my purse. So, I was just wondering your theories or thoughts on using cameras.

    Reply 3 Replies
    1. Birgit says…
      04/29/2011

      Exactly my thoughts. I have dropped our Olympus c-5500 zoom again and have to buy a new camera. At this point I don't have the time and energy to figure out how to use a Nikon Rebel/SRL ...(although my husband and I are thinking about getting one in the near future but right now I am looking for a an easy to use point and shoot camera - I love the zoom on ours. Any recommendations? Thank you.

    2. An says…
      04/29/2011

      Hi,
      there are many DSLRs with full-automatic programs that you can use as a point and shoot camera. Only the pro-level cameras (the most expensive ones for the professional) don't have an automatic program. The maior advantage of a compact camera is the size. The maior advantage of a DSLR is the quality of the photos. I use them both, I always carry the compact on me, but I'm somethimes disappointed on the quality, so more and more I bring my DSLR with me.

    3. Jessica B says…
      04/29/2011

      I have a canon point and shoot and love it! But, I do find myself wishing I had a higher quality camera a lot.

  5. Tiffany Welk says…
    04/28/2011

    Hi Ali!
    I would like to know how you decide which layout to put in which childs album, ie. if they are both in the pictures, do you do 2 layouts? Make a copy? Keep a family album?
    Thanks so much!

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Karen M. says…
    04/28/2011

    Who do you use for your website help?

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. marisa says…
    04/28/2011

    I'd love to know how you pick and choose which photos to scrapbook? I find myself printing every single photo I take and becoming overwhelmed. Do you also have just photo albums for some photos?

    Thnks
    Marisa

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Michelle N says…
    04/28/2011

    My scrapbooking style has always been on the very linear and simple side. However I have always been a fan of the more free form styles of scrapbooking...I especially love the mini books of seemingly found objects with varying sizes and mediums. Over the years I have tried to replicate the feel of those books but it always seems TOO organized and put together.

    My question is: What is your one piece of advice for getting from linear and simple to creative and different?

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Betty Silva says…
    04/28/2011

    Organizing, always about Organization...
    hi Ali! My favorite Topic is Organization. I've been trying to Organize my whole life, and realized that it is all about keeping organized instead of spending time trying to do it once & again. But I know you are pretty organized, so any tip you can give us in this particular issue would be simple GREAT!
    Thank you for keep on chatting..
    xoxo

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Christine says…
    04/28/2011

    I was wondering what is the major difference between Apple iPhoto and Aperture? What are the avantages of Aperture over iPhoto? Thanks.

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Anthea says…
    04/29/2011

    How do you choose which layouts to put in whose album?

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Around The Yard | Early Spring Part Two | Ali Edwards says…
    04/29/2011

    [...] for all the questions added to the comments of this post. I’ll leave the comments open until today at noon [...]

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. An says…
    04/29/2011

    Thanks for the opportunity to ask questions.
    I looked at the album of Simon, there are about 48 lay-outs in them: how many lay-outs do you make a year? How much time do you need to make one lay-out? How much time do you need to gather all the supplies, and more important how much time do you take to decide which supplies you'll be using? Can you still make that many lay-outs, since Anna is born?
    I also follow your PL, thanks for sharing this every week, with us: do you keep extra stuff of everyday that not make it into PL? Or are the stuff in PL the only things you keep? Have you, like I have, extra boxes filled with stuff, that possibly will never leave these boxes again? What is your strategy in keeping, or storing stuff? Photos and stories you can easily store in a computer, but what about all the others things, clothing tags, birthday cards, arts from the kids, school stuff, magazines, folders of things you bought... Do you keep that kind of stuff extra, of is it in PL or in the trash? When you keep that kind of things, how much space does it take? For me I'm keeping way to much and there are boxes, and boxes and boxes...
    Thanks for all your answers.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Birgit says…
      04/29/2011

      Same at my house. I have organized it my month and year and not used any of it. My husband sometimes wonders what I am going to do with all those cereal boxes, clothing tags and labels, spelling tests, math home work, writing projects, drawings and paintings, letters, postcards, food labels etc. Do you just collect them for a week, print your photos, decide what to use for PL and toss the rest? Thank you.

  14. An says…
    04/29/2011

    Hi,
    How much time do you spend, weekly on making layouts?

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Susan Anderson says…
    04/29/2011

    When doing your layouts do you start with photos, layout or the story? And do you print your pictures for several layouts at a time or just photos for the layout you are working on?

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Electa from El Cajon, Ca says…
    04/29/2011

    Hi Ali,
    Can you please tell us how you organize your digital scrapbooking papers, templates, etc? Do you print a hard copy and keep it in a notebook and then reference it on the computer? I am struggling to figure out how to use different elements from different manufacturers. THANKS so much for sharing your insight :-)

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Kathleen says…
    04/29/2011

    Hi Ali,

    I have been scrappbooking with Creative Memories for the last 18 years. With our very large family, my philosophy has developed into "done is better than perfect, done is better than creative". With the birth of identical twins 10 months ago, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed with what to do with albums for twins. I have started their 12 X 12's albums but have kept them "identical" for the first four months. It has been very difficult to tell many of the pictures apart and I feared if I didn't get going, I might just keep putting it off. Any thoughts as to how to work with albums for twins?

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Tina Lee says…
    04/29/2011

    How do you like your Brother sewing machine? You mentioned ordering one like Mary Ann Moss' from Dispate from LA.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Tina Lee says…
      04/29/2011

      oops! I meant Dispatch from LA.

  19. An says…
    04/29/2011

    Hi Ali,
    the journaling in your PL: do you first make a rough draft, or do you write straight on the journaling cards?

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Susan McL says…
    04/29/2011

    wondering what pens you use to write on photos and if they are archival safe---or if that matters anymore??

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Amy says…
    04/29/2011

    Hi Ali,

    I'd just like to know how you build a page...do you place the photos first and then decide on paper and embellishments? How do you decide the look and feel you want the page to have? Do you just pull different embellishments until you get the ones you like?

    Thanks so much!

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Kelly says…
    04/29/2011

    I would love for you to make a class (like your On the Road) based on your Technique Tuesday journaling class from last year. Or just a general class with journaling techniques and prompts and getting us thinking in new ways about our writing.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Val Irwin says…
    04/29/2011

    I am so inspired by how you scrapbook and I think you have really helped me to find my "scrapbook groove". With two little boys (4 and 2), I don't have a bunch of extra time but I want to get get everything down so I don't forget. I have been looking at digital scrapbooking and hybrid scrapbooking and have played around a bit with some of your brushes and other digital elements and I love how they are turning out.

    I recently purchased your Today You Album from Designer Digitals, it says it is Shutterfly ready, when I look on Shutterfly I don't see how where I need to go to publish my own photobook without using the templates supplied. Thanks!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Laura says…
    04/29/2011

    This is such a great opportunity and I don't know what to ask!

    How do you organize your supplies? Color, manufacturer, "kit" whether premade or assembled yourself....

    Reply 0 Replies

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