Weekend Photos & Workshop Input

Ali,
I would like to go back and scrap some of my pictures from my past. How do you make the journaling heartfelt even though it was written not in the moment? I struggle with the journaling, I am not as confident about my writing skills. When I do write I find it too factual and not enough feelings. For example, I love how you write. You capture the moment. I marvel at your pages but struggle with completing these pages. I would like to complete more of these in the moment and everyday pages. Although, I intend to do these type of pages, but often are only an idea in my head.
I would also like to experiment with different types of journaling and point of view.
I would like to learn more about using the cool digital images that you have created. I get overwhelmed by doing digital pages. I would like to do some hybird pages only using one or two digital elements.
Lastly, I am wondering how to complete my December book while doing this class. To be honest, I have all the journaling, but have not completed last years book.
Look forward to your class! Thanks for asking for the input. Jessica

Hi Ali -
I'm so looking forward to your class this fall - can't wait!
I struggle with scrapbooking the past - especially finding unique/efficient ways to include family trees. Ideas on how to include this kind of stuff with just the bits and pieces of stories, photos and memorabilia that I have would be good. I am often stumped by either the amount of or lack of information available to me on these heritage layouts. It seems I either have just a really cool photo with a name and date and no real story to go with it or I have a box of family trees, birth/death/marriage certificates and don't know how to work it all in. I am a perfectionist who likes to have all the infomration, so, I usually give up on these kinds of projects and that is SUCH a bummer as the people left that know these stories are getting to be fewer and far between.

Hmmm. About my past, I'd want to learn to let go of the bad, and embrace the good. The present, I want to learn more about embracing the little things, and the future...just about preserving our story for my kids.

Hi Ali! Thanks for asking for input! I have tons of childhood pictures sitting in a box. I have no idea where to begin with telling my story from childhood. I started scrapping with my son's birth. Anything before then is unknown territory. I would like to see a class that focuses on the past (the very distant past!)and keeps it simple. Right now it seems like such a daunting task. Thanks, Andrea :)

Being silly. That's a great thing to have in your home. Freedom to be silly and creative and goofy. I grew up in a VERY serious household where being silly wasn't allowed. But your blog today reminded me to be silly TODAY! Thanks, Ali.

I'm looking forward to taking your class because I feel like it will be a little out of my comfort zone, but still look like me. I really enjoyed Cathy Z's design class because her style is clean and timeless, and yet clever and interesting. I am hoping that your class will showcase some of your signature style and use some of your digital products which I admire, but am not completely sure how to use. I look forward to projects and prompts that make me think and yet can be accomplished in a timely manner.

Hi Ali
I would love to scrapbook my past but don't really know where to get started, and would love such a course to get me going. I have always loved the pages you have done from when you were a child and hope to be prompted to do pages like that too, and prompts for retrieving those memories. Also wondering how you go about collecting, scanning and organizing your childhood photos.
Looking forward to the course. Will there be class size limit?

Hi Ali,
Great photos. Thanks for asking for suggestions about your class; it just seems really great when the teacher is open to learning and dialogue from the students so that it can be a truly meaningful experience. I would love to work on scrapping the photos from my past so that I can put them into a meaningful book of memories for myself and my son. I can't wait for your class to begin though I really don't want to wish the summer away.
Kelly

I am embarking on a major project that will involve scrapping my childhood. My parents took all of my childhood photos on slides! Even though I have great memories of "Slide Show Night", I have not been able to peruse through those photos for a very long time. I am looking at getting a decent scanner and converting all of those slides to digital files this summer. Then comes the task of making sense of them all, dating them, and telling the stories. I would like to know how to scrap photos that do not conjure up vivid memories and yet are a part of who you are? I am sure that there will be those photos amongst this bunch that I cannot recall the moment. What then?

what a great tradition! i think it would be fun to run a 10K again!

On the upcoming class:
I have trouble scrapbooking the past sometimes. I feel like I'm me-the same me I am now- even though I KNOW I'm totally different. It's hard to journal what I thought, felt, and imagined at those younger ages because everything is tinted with what I think, feel and imagine NOW. Any tips for revisiting those past personalities? BTW- your little baby is THE MOST ADORABLE little girl!!! I just love seeing how much she's growing!

Ashley, I always struggle with the same thing. I have such a hard time scrapping any family pictures of my parents together because it seems like it wasn't truthful maybe even at the time the picture was taken. But at the same time this is the only family I have. I agree it's a tough one. Ali if you have any tips for this it would be great!

I'm looking forward to your class in the fall. I'd like to learn how to quickly scrap about childhood, teen years, even college without feeling overwhelmed. I have some pix (really have to find them), but I do have a few albums filled with them. Just not the stories! And anything in the present, too! But I'm excited for your class whatever you do...

Count me in! Can't Wait - I, too, am scrapped out on 'all about me' projects. I recognize that we ignored our part of the story for a long time, but I feel like as a hobby, we have been overwhelmed in the last few years with pages and journaling about ourselves. The other side of that is that I'm a long time scrapper, so it may just be the trend of oversaturation on that topic. I've just felt that we're a little too 'me' centered and feel the need to get away from the egocentric path. Sharing the emotion and story as opposed to a documentary. Tackling the huge pile of archival photos from my mother and grandmother's era is where I need help. How much is enough to tell the story versus what should I scan and just leave for future generations to view?
Again, thanks for making time to teach once again!
~Monda

Hope it's not too late to add my thoughts - I tend to mull important things over.
I'd like to learn how to show connections between my past and present as well as show the changes I've made. I feel a need to scrap something titled "I've come a long way, baby" but am at a loss where to go from there. I think part of my problem is not knowing how to include the pain (and there's been a lot) and still show hope and the good stuff.

Hi Ashley
You have summed it up perfectly about divided families! So many of the scrapbook pages shown in magazines show the good times/happy stories, but as you say we don't want to make sad/depressing pages, but realistic ones. after all, everyone has the good & not-so-good times in life. :)

I think the things I struggle most with are scrapbooking the hard times, without putting my heart and soul out there & also the relationships in my life that are difficult. For example, I have a very unstable relationship with my dad & I have never scrapbooked him. Also pages that incorporate a lot of journalling, sometimes I have way too much to say, but I don't want it to take up the whole page & not have space for photots/pretties. And incoporating 'stuff' like maps/tickets from trips etc.
i am SO excited that you are running a class, I can't wait!

I have a hard time scrapbooking myself - I feel that it is somehow too prideful or egotistical to do a layout that focuses on only me. So I think it would be good to have some prompts or challenges for scrapbooking yourself that gets over that hurdle.

Hey Melanie,
My step daughters name is Melanie.. I am in Florida and I use to live in Cincinnati. Interesting HuH? Where are you moving to in the Natti? Maybe I can suggests a few places. They do have an Archiver's there that is amazing. Over in the Mason area.
If you wish to connect please by all means contact me.
Melissa

Allison,
I am really wanting to take your class at BPS. I hope I am able to get in. I am wanting to make an album of my life. I wanted to share with you a program I found that I use for scrapbook journaling. It is great for organizing all of your journaling and you can then copy and paste it for use. I thought you may like to look at the Memory Grabber template. http://www.davidrm.com/thejournal/tjfeatures-memoryg.php
I think it would be really cool if you created frame work in this program for your class. It can be saved and shared the memory grabber is just an example of what can be done.

I am really hoping to take your class this fall. I wanted to share this link with you. http://www.davidrm.com/ It is for journaling software that I use and love. Check out the memory grabber add on. You could create an add on for people who take your class to use. Just a thought...

Thank you for your interesting article, and your blog is also full of useful information, many find useful information.

Thank you for your interesting article, and your blog is also full of useful information, many find useful information.