words + photos : friday + weekend creative

The project this weekend is to create a layout using only words + photos. Maybe one other embellishment? That part is completely up to you.

What is a story you have been wanting to tell?

Remember this photo from earlier in the week?

Supplies

That photo + words printed out on textured cardstock + a bit of ruler ribbon (and a smidge of ink) =

Thestoryofthetie

[ cardstock: Bazzill; font: Avenir; ruler ribbon: Papier Valise; ink: Stampin Up; date stamp: Staples ]

Here's a couple things that ran through my mind as I was putting this page together:

1. Use journaling as a chance to speak to your audience. In my case my audience is often Simon. I write as if I was talking with him, telling him the story. This is real language and more personal.

2. Remember that there are lots of different ways to get words onto a page: handwriting, type, stamping, letter stickers, typewriter, etc.

3. Don't forget a date. Man, this is such an easy thing to forget. I scanned this layout in before realizing it was missing the date. Depending on the story I am telling I may include that date I wrote the jouranling as well as the dates for the photos (in this case they were the same).

4. Maybe my next ten layouts will be as simple as this and maybe not. Bringing yourself back to these basics for a bit and then moving forward gives you perspective once again. So worth the effort.

Dottedline_2

Thanks to everyone for all the kind comments this week. It has been cool to delve deeper into the real heart of scrapbooking. Going through the process of gathering all the content has solidified my belief in the power of words + photos. They are what truly matter to me in the long run.

There is also something very powerful about the process of creativity. I was reminded this week that there are so many different ways to be creative.

Focusing energy on words + photos is a creative act. My creativity comes into play big time when I take photos (setting up the shot, following the emotion, capturing moments that otherwise go by in an instant) and when I sit down to write the story.

Again, thanks you for your interest and time this week!

Dottedline

[ The full words + photos series can be found here: monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday. ]

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85 thoughts

  1. Shelly says…
    05/09/2008

    Ali, thank you so much for putting all the time and effort into this series of posts and for sharing them with all of us. You continue to inspire me.

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Amie says…
    05/09/2008

    This is totally my favorite style these days! thanks, love it!

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Danielle C. says…
    05/09/2008

    Ali, such a great series this week. This is what motivates me to scrapbook. So many times I go to crops and pretty much everyone there is just placing as many photos on a page as they can with little to no journaling. Might as well put them into a photo album! What they fail to realize is that they are not telling their stories. It is the stories that motivate me and that is what we will want to remember years from now. The photos, while they help to tell the story, are almost secondary. Thank you for your inspiration!

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. deana says…
    05/09/2008

    Ali,
    Thanks so much for such a great week! I have all of your books, but ALWAYS enjoy hearing MORE from you! I especially appreciated when you made me stop & think this week. I've been playing around with different scrapbooking styles, trying to learn digital scrapbooking, looking at blogs, etc... & when it comes down to it... it's all really just a DISTRACTION from getting the photos & the words on paper. This week has really been a reminder that my scrapbooking style is OK, it doesn't need to be like everyone elses and to just focus on words + photos because in the end, THAT'S what's going to matter.
    Thanks for your continued inspiration! :-)
    Deana

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Tracy B (in Alberta) says…
    05/09/2008

    Thanks so much Ali for a week of inspiration :) Sometimes we do need to go back to the basics. Thanks for re-teaching me about words + photos instead of the latest and greatest new tool and technique. The fluff & stuff (aka tools and techniques) are great, they are the icing on the cake, but they DON'T tell the story, capture the moment and preserve the memory like the photos + words do.
    Thanks again for the free 'class'.

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Lea says…
    05/09/2008

    Thank you, Ali. I've really enjoyed the series this week. It's nice to remember that things don't have to be so darn complicated all the time.

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Angela T. says…
    05/09/2008

    Thanks, Ali! I really enjoyed this weekly series. I know I'll be referring back to it a lot for advice and inspiration. Looking forward to the next one! :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Cindy says…
    05/09/2008

    Thank you. This was a great series filled with practical and important messages.

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. RUTH ALLMART says…
    05/09/2008

    Thank YOU Ali for a fun and very informative week. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog each day. Have a terrific weekend :o)

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Calli Taylor says…
    05/09/2008

    What a wonderful picture. My seven year old had "tie" moment that I didn't capture in a photo. It's a great reminder that it is the little moments that matter.

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Elisa says…
    05/09/2008

    Ali,
    Thank you so much for all the work and inspiration you put into the words + photos series this week. I absolutely loved reading it every step of the way, and am a little sad it's already over. Looking forward to putting all the learning and inspiration into practice this weekend. Thank you again for getting down to basics, and for focusing on the heart of scrapbooking.
    Have a great weekend, and Happy Mama's Day!

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Kimberly White says…
    05/09/2008

    Thank you so much for your thoughts this week Ali! I've been thinking a lot about how I don't want to make "You are cute" fluffy superficial layouts anymore ... but I want the story of our lives to be front and center in my layouts. I'm also really wanting to scrap for me and not be so competitive in my thoughts about this hobby. Hope you have a wonderful Mother's day ... thank you again for your inspiration and your willingness to share!
    Kim

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Tracey Mc. says…
    05/09/2008

    Thank you for a
    Simply Inspiring week!
    Happy, Happy Mother's Day, Ali.
    Enjoy all the MOMents

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. JANE says…
    05/09/2008

    THANK YOU..! I really enjoyed reading your blog this week. I actually copyed a little and put it on my blog to tell other people. You made me really think about my pictures. I am really not good at journaling at all.
    THANKS JANE
    www.freshpickedthoughts-jane.blogspot.com

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Diane says…
    05/09/2008

    Thank you Ali, for a wonderfully encouraging series this week. It has been redirected me back to the original reason to why I scrapbook and reminded me to be more consistent in focusing on our family's stories. Your work is such an inspiration!

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. lacey says…
    05/09/2008

    Hi Ali- i did this photo collage kind of thing for the Becoming More class at BPS- just used images and words-i thought of what you were saying on your blog while i was doing this. Pretty cool :) if you want, check it out at www.landerson.typepad.com I think its the 5 & 6th pic :)
    ~lacey

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. DNese says…
    05/09/2008

    Loved this week. I hope to have you do many more of these. It was great learning from you. You ARE the best in my eyes..

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Gina says…
    05/09/2008

    Hi Ali- You really set the bar high this week (for blog commitment, that is). I have admired your approach in your books,and just recently tuned in to your blog. As a handletterer, I've mostly ignored my computer, but I decided to jump in with both feet and try blogging. I hope you'll take a peek someday! (Dig out your old 2003 Hall of Fame book, I'm in there too somewhere.) Thanks for the inspiration!
    Gina
    richinnerlife.typepad.com

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Anna-Marie Still says…
    05/09/2008

    My take on this is here http://annamariestill.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/sneak-peek.html
    on my blog post from May 7th. Seems as I'm always on your train of thought! When my daughter said this last week - I knew I had to scrap it or it would be easily forgotten in the busyness of life!
    Thanks as always for your insight and thought provoking ideas!

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Jodee says…
    05/09/2008

    Ali, you are such an inspiration and such a wonderful teacher! I have really enjoyed this week and I hope you do something like this again. Thank you for all your insight!

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Mary says…
    05/09/2008

    This was a great week that got me doing LO's again. My block was a huge hurt I was nursing from an insensitive older daughter who should have known better. You inspired me to go ahead and write the story while using her photo. My thoughts became very concise - I realized the fact she could hurt me so deeply was because I love her so much. The words formulated just as concisely but a little more poetic. There was no need to air the dirty laundry but just express the depth of that love and that sometimes - love hurts. I paired it with a great picuture of her and some simple embellishments. It turned out to be a fantastic layout for me personally that someone could read later without causing more pain.
    You rock!

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Martha says…
    05/09/2008

    Ali - Thank you so much for a great week - I'm soaking this up like a sponge.
    ;) Mart

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Viki Banaszak says…
    05/09/2008

    What a cool idea. I am crossing my fingers that I will be able to try this product.

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Dawn Priestley says…
    05/09/2008

    Thanks very much for sharing your philosophy with us Ali, and reminding us why it is we do this crazy thing called scrapbooking. Peace to you and your family.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Erin Glee says…
    05/09/2008

    This week has been so FULL of great info. and reminders.... thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do!
    Have a wonderful Mother's Day~Simon is so sweet and special~thanks for "sharing" him with us!
    LoveErin

    Reply 0 Replies

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