Stamp Week | Prompts

Bring on the story prompt stamps! 

Prompt-based stamps are at the heart of the stamps we offer. Designed to both spark and support your stories, prompt stamps give you an opportunity to focus more on the story you are telling and less on adding a whole bunch of other stuff. 

A few things to keep in mind related to prompt stamps that came to me as I was working on these projects: 

• Stop making stuff super complicated. I get it, I do it too. Pick three stamps to use together to create a series of journaling cards for Project Life on white cardstock. Simple, easy, and cohesive. You don't have to do this every week but it's an awesome design formula to return to again and again. 
• Start with story. This is my memory keeping mantra. It's pretty simple and can be very effective and it's one of the reasons we make stamps that literally encourage, invite and support your stories. Let the prompt stamps be the story spark for your journaling. They are designed to help you get your stories told and are just waiting for you to use them that way!
• Repetition is one of the design concepts I come back to again and again when I'm telling stories. I use it to organize my content and to eliminate way too many choices (I'm a fan of less choice because it helps me get stuff done). 

STAMP WEEK SHOP PROMOTIONS

• Try the Story Stamp Subscription for just $5. Use the code TRYSTORYSTAMP. Offer ends 3/9/2020 at 11:59pm EST.
• Sale on stamps in the shop (up to 60% off) - including some past Story Stamp + Stories By The Month designs!
• Giveaways on the @aliedwardsdesigninc Instagram account. 

Here's a look at how I played with some prompt stamps today: 

Here is a closer look at the projects: 

From 2010 through 2018 I did weekly Project Life in a 12x12 album. In 2019 I switched things up and am now doing monthly storytelling in a 9x12 album. As you can see, I'm still working on stories in my 2018 album and I'm totally okay with that 100%. In the Story Classroom I include a Project Life weekly spread with the content each month and that's helping me get more of these stories told. 

One of my favorite ways to use prompt stamps is on 3x4 journal cards in  Project Life. My most loved spreads are often those that have a consistent stamped design on each of the journal cards (whether there are three or more). The consistency of the stamped designs bring the whole spread together. 

For this spread I created three journal cards using stamps from the following sets:  Seasons, Pieces, and One Little Word Hearts using Pendleton, Tillamook, and Honeyman inks. 

As an embellishment for my 4x6 photos I used a Week In The Life Banner stamp (similar digital version available  here) with Memento Black Ink and cut out each of the banners and stapled them onto the photos. 

DESIGN IDEA: Think title ("loving this") + subhead ("pieces of my heart") + accent (heart/shape/number) when creating titles for your journal cards. 

SUPPLIES

• Project Life 12x12 Page Protectors
• Seasons Story Stamp
• Pieces Story Stamp
• Heart 4x6 Stamp
• Banner Days Of The Week Stamp (similar digital version available here)
• Inks: Tillamook, Pendleton, Honeyman
• Momento Black Ink
• Label Stickers
• Epson PictureMate PM400 Printer 
• Rolling Date Stamp
• StazOn Ink
• Chipboard Asterisk
• Precision Pen 

Next up I'm continuing working on my Art Of Noticing Las Vegas notebook. 

In the video you'll see me work through a couple more spreads, including this one that uses the "love you because" stamp from the You Story Stamp. 

For this one I cut a piece of Vicki Boutin pattern paper to 4.25 x 8.25 and rounded the outside corners. Using three different stamps I organized my story into five reasons why I love Aaron - using the "love you because" stamp as my story starter. Along with the prompt stamp I added a number using Willamette ink and a star inside a circle using Tillamook ink. The color combination refers back to the alphabet stamping I did in this notebook yesterday. 

Seriously love how this turned out. 

SUPPLIES

• Art Of Noticing Notebook
• You Story Stamp (start your subscription for just $5 this week during Stamp Week)
• Inks: Willamette, Tillamook
• Magic Story Stamp
• Believe Story Stamp
• Numbers Stamp
• Vicki Boutin Kaleidoscope Look Up Pattern Paper
• 1/2 Inch Corner Rounder
• Rolling Date Stamp 
• StazOn Ink
• Precision Pen