AE : Inspirations

IT ALL COUNTS : Yesterday I was listening to the new Paperclipping Roundtable podcast and enjoyed hearing Stacy Julian talk about where she's at with scrapbooking right now. One of my favorite things she said is this, "it all counts." Meaning paper, digital, hybrid, photobooks, sharing images in online albums, etc - it all counts as a way to share, present, deal with, & preserve your memories. Totally worth listening to if you have a chance.

AE_Jan12

365 : I've been playing around a bit with a 365 project. Right now mine is a combination of words, photos, and stuff collected each day. I am using Becky Higgins Project Life kit as the base (I love those page protectors) and filling in with content as I go. I am trying to be really low-key with this project. I want it to be a place to collect bits of our life throughout the year. No stress. No high expectations. I also love that it can hold a combination of things vs. just being a purely photo project. Date on this photo was created using my Outline Days, Months, Years & Numbers Value Pack from Designer Digitals. I hope to show some images of my album in the coming weeks.

iPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY : Did you know that there are a bunch of apps out for the camera on your iphone? This post on Shutter Sisters by Stephanie Roberts details a few of them. I think it would be cool to add some of these photos into my 365 album.

THE GOOD GRIEF BLOG : This is a really inspirational blog, started by Amanda Probst, about scrapbooking loved ones who have passed on. Read the How It Works page here.

MY ONE LITTLE WORD : My word, story, is inspiring me. It's motivating me and moving me forward. One of the biggest things I am working on right now is connecting an old storyline of mine (being an athlete) with my current storyline.

HOW TO CREATE A PAPERLESS KITCHEN : Loved this article at Simple Mom.
We've been leaning towards paper-free in our kitchen with paper towels
being the last hold-out. I think reading this article may have pushed
me over the edge for this to be our last package of paper towels. I
actually love our cloth napkins (picked up at various places) and nice
plain white dishcloths/washcloths from Costco. We keep a small wire
basket in the kitchen for the dirty towels, wash-cloths and napkins -
when it's full they all get washed all together. Keeping it simple.

AE_StitchedLine
NEXT WEEK : I am working on a series of posts about getting started with digital scrapbooking and my personal process for creating digital layouts for next week (initially I was going to do a post this week but the Q&A started getting longer and longer and I'd like to add in a few other ideas as well). I've got a list of topics going - feel free to leave a question in the comments today. I will try my best to work answers into the posts next week. 

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93 thoughts

  1. Juliann says…
    01/14/2010

    I am continuing with my one little word wednesdays - trying to take a moment to sit with my word each week. I also picked up the Christina Baldwin book - Storycatchers and it is giving me great inspiration. Thanks again

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  2. heidig says…
    01/14/2010

    My question is about pse8. When printing your photos, pse8 doesn't give me any photo paper options to choose from to print the photos on. I get lines through my photos so I've been using Shutterfly for printing. I'd love to be able to just print a picture or two for Project 365 instead of always having to use Shutterfly. Any suggestions you can give me would be grately appreciated! Thanks Ali.

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  3. Blayne says…
    01/14/2010

    Several things-Thanks for link to Simple Mom. I'll give it a whirl. I hate buying things that then go into the trash, but my family is so resistant, it's taking a while. Another cool camera iphone app is "Best Camera" (on iTunes). It's fun and easy - I can't get my husband and kid to stop taking pictures while we're at dinner :-) I LOVED your Yesterday and Today class. I mostly had to audit b/c of my job, but I've got so many ideas to work on. THANKS!
    I love your blog - you've got so many ideas and share so many other wonderful sites/blogs/information

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  4. Cynthia Friese-Hassanein says…
    01/14/2010

    Happy Friday Ali!!!!! Oh my I am so loving all the good stuff in this post:) Thank you as always:) Now I am super stoked about some digi next week. I have gone completely digital now except for mini books. There just too fun to do. It has given me open creativity to be able to really do what I want with my pages and It frees up time to really tell the story:) I Hope this will open the door for other scrapbookers to try it. And it so inexpensive vs. paper. Once you have your software. I found also through layering you can really make your pages look real. That is a big plus for me. Sorry about my enthusiam:) I haven't felt this way since I first started scrapbooking. I feel like I have become the unofficial poster child for going digi:) LOL. Sorry about the novel of a post....have a great thursday.

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  5. arrica says…
    01/14/2010

    Can't wait for the digi helps!
    I would love to know:
    1.) How you organize your paper,elements,brushes...
    2.) How you print a customized size photo in pse5.
    3.)How you do it all... :)
    Thanks for your time.
    AM

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  6. Tammye says…
    01/14/2010

    Thanks so much for the link to the Good Grief blog. I have a close friend who lost her 25 yo daughter a few months ago. My friend is just getting back into scrapbooking after 10 years. This will be so good for her as she works through her grief and documents her daughter's life for the two small children she left behind.

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  7. Tinkersdamn says…
    01/14/2010

    I never realised it before, but we are about %98 paperless. I do have paper towels on hand, but they don't get used a lot. And we always have cute paper napkins (although we don't use them every meal, and make a point of re-using ones that stayed clean) bc my kids are at the "use your sleeve to wipe your mouth" age.
    Am I the only one thinking holy cow you have a huge washer and dryer? I really miss American-sized appliances... in London there's no space for such behemoths.

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  8. Beth says…
    01/14/2010

    Thanks for sharing the Becky Higgins Project Life kit. Fascinating approach and making it easier to get the photos and stories told together. I created a similar album with photos and journaling and memoriabilila from our vacation in Vienna and Bratislava. It was just too much to make a whole bunch of traditional pages so I bought an album with two 4 X 6 photo slots and space for writing next to them, choose one kit with paper and embellishments for consistency and then did some journaling cards in the photo pockets, some photos and some memorabilia slipped in or glued in the writing spaces. I never thought about tackling a whole year this way. I wish the page protectors were available separately to use in my regular albums. Maybe you could pass that idea along to Becky!! Great photo of Anna too!

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  9. Brandi Z. says…
    01/14/2010

    Ali,
    I am getting starting with digital scrapping also and I am wondering if you could give me some pointers on how you organize your digital elements. I have several things/kits, but can't easily find "the thing" that I am looking for at the moment.
    Thanks!

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  10. shan says…
    01/14/2010

    I'm on year 2 of Becky's 365 Project and just yesterday I put "stuff" into my wednesday pocket, instead of a photo, for the very first time. . . . I think I really really like it! I've done your week in a life project several times (including @CKU) and I love the visual enjoyment that comes from a combination of photos and physical evidences of everyday life. I, too, am trying to take a low-key, low-stress approach with this project. I can't wait to see your pages!

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  11. Susan says…
    01/14/2010

    Hi Ali...as always, you're full of wonderful ideas...and I always enjoy seeing the adorable photos of both your kids.
    I have never done a digi page, my excuse being that I love paper too much. I do!! I'm very tactile. Having said that, I adore your new outline dates and would LOVE to be able to add those to photos. A very simple explanation of how to purchase and use something as simple as that would be incredibly helpful to me...and likely many others who are ready to dip a toe in the digi waters. I have PSE 7 and have always wondered if I should just go ahead and get Photoshop, or if Elements is enough. Thanks for everything!!

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  12. Holly Smith says…
    01/14/2010

    Thanks for these. Loved the article about paperless kitchen and agreed that that's something I want to try. Also love the iPhone photography post, iPhones are always a goodie! :)

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  13. Amy says…
    01/14/2010

    Hi Ali,
    Are you putting your pictures/words/collections in your 365 album daily or are you storing them somehow and adding them later? What is your process?
    Thanks!

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  14. TracyBzz says…
    01/14/2010

    Stacy was great on that podcast! Since we take a zillion photos we need to do a variety of things with them otherwise we will have hundreds of traditional scrapbooks.

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  15. KathleenA says…
    01/14/2010

    I have yet to produce a digital layout, but have really been wanting to try some. Looking forward to your posts next week!

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  16. Gale says…
    01/14/2010

    I switched to cloth napkins two years ago. I'm always on the look out for new napkins to add to our pile. Cloth napkins also seem to make even simple meals more special.

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  17. Teresa Cotterman says…
    01/14/2010

    Been a hybrid scrapper for as long as I can remember: my journaling usually starts and ends with the computer. Thinking about expanding my horizons. Curious to know how you manage your digital elements. Been collecting them, but not sure how to organize them so they are easy to find

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Dawaila says…
    01/14/2010

    loved all the comments about paper towels. I must admit I am a big hold out. We gave up all the paper plates, cups etc. I don't know if I can but you definatly have me thinking hard.

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  19. Alison Patalon says…
    01/14/2010

    I'd love to know what kind of scanner you use (mine is terrible!) and how you go about getting all of your old photos scanned and incorporated into your digital scrapbooking?
    I guess that's not necessarily about digi scapbooking but would love to hear about your process anyways. Like you, my goal this year is to tell more stories and make more connections with my past + present, but the idea of scanning all of my old photos is overwhelming (especially with a bad scanner).

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  20. Leida says…
    01/14/2010

    I have a MAC and all pics are in iPhoto. I am cofussed about getting my pics into PSE8. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO/HOW TO do this.

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  21. C@rol W says…
    01/14/2010

    Can you please explain the difference between a rub-on, brush and overlay in the digital world? To me, they're the same things - you just open and apply them differently. (Is that right?)
    I'd like to create my own masks from scratch (like a water splat or fabric texture). How is that done?
    To other bloggers here: CATHY ZIELSKE has a few, free, wonderful "how to" videos on Vimeo. Hope that helps!

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  22. ShellyJ says…
    01/14/2010

    Very cool that you are doing a 365 project! would love it if you would share a week or two of your finished product :) thanks :)

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  23. Rachel Smith says…
    01/14/2010

    In regards to the Paperless Kitchen, I tear up my husband's old white tee shirts and use the scraps for messy jobs that I would have previously used paper towels for, like cleaning grease from a pan. I don't even wash the really yucky stuff, I just toss and feel better that I've at least recycled the old cloth and not wasted any paper.

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  24. Carla Riley-Felt says…
    01/14/2010

    I hope you read this.
    You need to know how amazing you are.
    The things you think are normal are amazing revelations and ideas to the rest of us. I love your perspective, your ideas, your willingness to share your life with us. I love the products you point us towards. When I read your blog you challenge me, calm me, make me laugh, and make me look at the life I have and appreciate it.
    Thank you

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. barrentree says…
    01/14/2010

    We went paperless in our kitchen about a year ago and it's been great. At first, it was awkward without paper towels, but I bought a cute stack of washcloths and handtowels from Target (they match the kitchen colors) and when there's a mess, they work just as well.

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