be AUDacious

guest blogger: Elizabeth Dillow

Elizabeth is one of those people that I wish I knew in person. One of these days I'll get a chance to meet up with her and talk scrapbooking, books, teaching, music, and all the other things we have in common. She's a phenomenal storyteller, and her scrapbook pages get right to what matters most: telling a story with pictures and words. Her blog is proof of that same incredible voice; spending time in her pages or on her blog is much like I'm sure spending time with her in real life would be: full of humor, intelligence, and great stories.

 

 

When Audrey invited me to be a part of this guest blogger series, she asked if I would talk about using timelines to build pages and guide journaling. Absolutely! I love a good timeline. When I was teaching high school history before my children were born, I always started a new unit with one; it was fun to see my students measuring off years, decades, even centuries of history and arranging stories in the right order. Sometimes if a unit end coincided on a Thursday leaving Friday open for something new, we would take a break and play one of my favorite history games called Chronology, a game where the objective is to build timelines and place events in the right order—always easy at first (which comes first on the timeline: the fall of Rome or the invention of the Model T?) but increasingly difficult as the game went on. Even the most reluctant of my students played along, clearly enjoying themselves despite their best anti-history class instincts. There is something comforting about a timeline when so much of the world is painted in grey; a timeline is black and white. It’s only the first part of the equating to truly understanding history, though; making the jump to filling in the details of events and interpreting their impact is the real work of history, and the work we do in scrapbooking.

 

As long as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in chronology. Understanding how events unfold in history is inextricably tied to my love of scrapbooking, because I love a good story—and everyone knows scrapbooking is really about telling small stories that add up to one really big story, which eventually connect to another generation’s really big story, creating connections that transcend life expectancies and geography.

 

I really like playing with pretty paper just for fun, too. But sometimes I like to think about the real significance of what it is we’re doing in our respective scrapbook spaces.

 

So, timelines. They really are a terrific technique to try in scrapbooking, because they serve two very distinct purposes:

 

1.)    to help the people viewing our pages understand specific details about our lives and

2.)    to help us organize events in our own minds.

 

Sounds easy? It definitely is. So easy that we forget how useful it can be, actually. Here are a few examples to get you started.

 

I created this timeline page for an assignment at Ella Publishing Co. as a way to sum up an entire decade on one layout. It was fun to create; obviously there is no way I could fit every single thing that happened to me between 2000-2009, but I definitely documented some of the things that defined much of those years. It’s a very traditional way to incorporate information, and came together quickly. It would be very easy to include twelve boxes and sum up each month of a year the same way!

 

 

Because we move so much due to my husband’s career in the Air Force, I wanted to capture a quick list of places we’ve lived in the first 15 years of our marriage. My daughters love to see a visual representation like this, and I wanted to interpret all those moves for them in a simple way—that wherever we go, having each other is the most important part. I’m sure one day I’ll be using lists like these to remember where exactly we were living in any given year, too!

 

Tip: to perfectly space your years as I did, simply create a timeline and include every year; then use your software’s method of distributing the space evenly, and go back and delete the years you don’t need. Or, if imperfect measurements don’t keep you up at night, just eyeball it. That works, too!

 

 

When you think in terms of events and timelines, you’ll no doubt recognize the pivotal “before and after” events quickly—sometimes, they’re even announced from your refrigerator. I’ll never forget how I opened my refrigerator three years ago and was stopped in my tracks by this orange juice container, which was dated three days past the due date of my third daughter. Suddenly, my life was defined by a timeline of everything that still needed to be done before the date on the orange juice container and everything that would change forever after the orange juice expired. If I actually plotted it out, it might look something like this:

 

 

Silly, perhaps. But it made a huge impact on me.

 

I used this same kind of before/after thinking to make this page that appeared in my book The Scrapbooker’s Almanac:

 

 

I know very little about my grandma’s life before she was married, and even though this page doesn’t provide any new facts, it does inspire me to imagine what her life might have been like, and to consider how my own has changed over the years. It’s definitely an abstract way of using a timeline, but thinking about her life as a series of unfolding events helped me organize this page. You don’t have to use a traditional timeline to think of things in a… timeline-esque way.

 

 

Timelines don’t have to be actual lines and hatch marks, either! I consider this series of time-lapse photographs to fit into the category of timeline scrapbooking. You can choose any subject matter to recreate your own photographic timeline of events; it’s a fun way to see them unfold.

 

 

I recently saw a family tree featured in an article in Ohdeedoh and instantly fell in love with the creative method the artist used to present a family’s basic information. It got me thinking in terms of timelines, too—since each ring inside a tree represents a year, I decided to make my own and create a family tree that doubled as a visual representation of the years my husband and I have been together (six years of dating, and almost fifteen years of marriage). I drew the circles freehand in pencil, then carefully painted over them with a paintbrush in acrylic paint. The result is a unique addition to our family album!

 

Note: you can find the original, far more professional version here. Spread the word and support her unique Etsy shop!

 

Whether you’re documenting the events leading to the birth of a child, a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, or even how your own life fits in with historical events, using a timeline can organize the details and theme of a page in a fun and functional way!

 

Elizabeth Dillow currently lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming with her husband and three daughters. She is the author of The Scrapbooker’s Almanac, an instructor for Big Picture Scrapbooking, and the co-founder and content editor for Write. Click. Scrapbook. She loves her iMac, Canon 5D, Pilot pens, and sports teams from Cleveland.

 

www.elizabethdillow.typepad.com

www.writeclickscrapbook.com

www.bigpicturescrapbooking.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

words I love + layouts to share

Another quickie today. Last week, I took off a couple of hours early one afternoon to run some errands. I finished up quickly and still had about an hour before Cassidy finished with track practice, so I headed over to our local bookstore (I am SO happy that Murray has a good bookstore!), grabbed a cup of hot chocolate, and spent some time browsing the shelves. I picked up this slim little volume and tucked myself into a comfy chair in a corner, then devoured it right then and there. I can't recommend it highly enough! (I'll do an "official" review later this week).

So much of what she had to say resonated so strongly with me, but one statement in particular had me scrabbling in my bag for a notepad and pen.

"I heard once that the average person barely knows ten stories from childhood and those are based moer on photographs and retellings than memory." (p.4)

Why do we forget so many things? Do we only have a finite capability for storing memories, and as new ones happen, older ones are pushed out? Or does it have something to do with age -- as kids, are we so busy living in the moment that we fail to stop and really impress a scene upon our mind's eye, knowing that later we will want to relive it? Does that appreciation come only as we get older and learn what we have to lose by forgetting? Regardless, reading this book not only reaffirmed my urge to record our lives for my girls, to tell them all the things I don't get a chance to say daily, through my scrapbooks.

But it also awakened in me a stronger urge to get my own memories scrapped. For a while now, I've been meaning to create a series of scrapbook pages that chronicle random memories I have of my own childhood -- even if they are just fleeting glimpses of a landscape, a room, a sound, a moment. Those memories are important and shouldn't be lost. The details of this idea are becoming clearer to me, and I think I have a format that will work. I'm looking forward to sharing some of these with you soon.

In the meantime, I have two more scrappy pages to share. Thanks for your comments on my earlier pages. I don't scrap nearly as often as I'd like, but having to prioritize my time like this does mean that I make sure I get the important stories told. So it's a good and bad thing, I guess.

**Note: This is a page that falls into that group of pages from my childhood that I just spoke about. I'm glad I was able to record this little snippet, and I'm looking forward to recording more.
CREDITS: Ciao Bella Spring by Leora Sanford 

CREDITS: Nature Boy by Emily Powers

guest blogger: Peppermint Granberg

Peppermint was part of the team at {we are} storytellers with me, and she's become one of my most favorite scrappers. I love her minimalist design and gorgeous photos, but I'm most drawn to the way she tells a story. Her voice combines wit and sarcasm with insight and reflection, and each layout beautifully captures a piece of her life in a way that's truly unique. I think she just rocks, and I pretty much decided, when I first met her, that I want to be Peppermint when I grow up. Just sayin'. :)

There came a fateful day late in 2008 where I was asked to take a few minutes to choose a few of my favorite layouts from that year, and since I’m all about delegating I felt it was only fair to tear my son away from a pile of Legos and make him do it. That’s why I’m here – to ruin all his fun. Perhaps you all have children who come willingly to their scrapbooks, but that wasn’t my boy. That would all change one day, but more on that later.

As we flipped through the images I started pointing out to him all the interesting techniques and design concepts I had used on each page. You can imagine how enthralled he was. “Ooo, what about this page? I had really great depth on my shadows here, and notice how the composition flows from one side to the other? Is THIS one a favorite?” Not. Even. Kind of. Turns out my boy didn’t really care about shadows. Can you imagine? I was already opening up my browser to Google the nearest DNA lab, because obviously there was a mix-up at the hospital 8 years prior. I’d had my suspicions all along because he doesn’t like cookies either, but this drop shadow thing was the final straw. Oh sure, this one looks exactly like me, but something is horribly amiss.

About halfway through 2008 I joined the creative team at {we are} storytellers, which is where I first met Audrey, and to say that I joined the team as a “reluctant journaler” would be an understatement. I was utterly convinced they would not turn me into a storyteller, but there was something in the water there that eventually had me writing on my pages with ease. And wouldn’t you know it, once Nicholas arrived at the halfway point in his album the post-it note markers started flying. He plowed through the first half of 2008 in about 10 minutes, he spent over an hour in the last half of 2008 – and it wasn’t the shadows that were drawing him in.

At that exact moment my entire scrapbooking philosophy changed. I vowed then and there that in 2009 I would create more meaningful pages. Not just meaningful to me – meaningful to him. 

The thing about 7 year old boys (and 8 year olds, and so far 9 year olds, too) is that you probably have a ton of things you want to say to them, but only so much they’ll listen to. So when I started journaling on my pages I thought about all the things I wanted him to know one day - entire streams of thought that didn’t always get verbalized because his favorite show was starting in five minutes. I will admit that there’s a lot of sappy, mushy mom stuff in his albums.

But I try to temper it all with a smattering of odd-ball commentary on the puzzling things he does, or the funny things that come tumbling out of his mouth – the ones he didn’t know I’d be preserving for all of eternity.

I don’t always need a picture, I just need a moment. I’ll paint the picture with words, because there are things I never want him to forget.

As time went on, telling the story of our lives became more of a deep-seated need for me than a casual idea. Putting a thought down on a scrapbooking page allowed me to release it, free from the fear that it would be gone forever. Four days after the loss of our family pet, I created this page with tears streaming down my face – but it gave me a sense of closure to know that I could look back on it at any time. I still choke up to this day when I open it, but I wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything. This is part of our history.

Nobody is safe in my new kingdom of storytelling. If you’re in my life, chances are you’ll appear in my scrapbook at some point in time - even if I don’t have a picture of you. In this past year, telling the story of our lives has actually become far more important to me than whether I actually have an image to go along with it. Have words, no image necessary. I bet our snow plow driver wouldn’t guess in a million years that he’s a part of our family history, but his mere existence (and apparent vendetta against Tom) is a big part of our lives every winter! I’ll want to remember that when we’re sixty years old, believe it or not.

And that’s what it really boils down to for me – what I want us all to remember. All of the conversations Nicholas never thought I’d memorialize for all time. All the little ways that I marvel at the person he’s becoming. The happy times, the sad times, the people who come into our lives and stay forever and those who pass through too quickly. I want to flip through pages describing our favorite pastimes, our favorite technology (at the moment), the stories of who we were, who we are, and who we want to become. Those pretty pictures and well placed elements of early 2008 are no longer enough. I want the history of us.

About Peppermint:  I'm a 30-something mom to an 8 year old boy (Nicholas), a clinically diagnosed reality TV junkie and a lover of all things technological. I'm lighthearted - getting lighter by the year, which is the one thing I appreciate most about growing older. I love to laugh and do so as often as I can. I'm a champion of the underdog. I tell it like it is. My life is an open book and I treasure the lows just as much as the highs. Life is beautiful, and scrapbooking allows me to put it all on a page.

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your story, alternate voices

A few weeks ago, Cathy Zielske wrote a post about inviting "other voices" into your scrapbook albums. It's a fantastic read, and for the past couple of weeks, I've been thinking about it off and on. I'm sure there were a number of you who thought, "Oh, that would be nice, but there's no way that my husband would sit down and write something like that." I've been trying to talk Chris into doing some writing for the girls' albums for years, and he keeps evading me on the topic. (I think he likes the "idea" of doing it, but the execution is a different issue.)

Quote Me template available at Design House Digital

So how do you get those other voices included in your albums? Here are some ideas -- and I welcome you to add your own ideas to the list; what has worked for you, and what hasn't?

• anything written -- use emails, old letters, even snippets from greeting cards (even the shortest couple of words can be a touching message), notes, to-do lists
• social media -- Twitter, Facebook, blogs
• interviews -- this can be a survey-type format, or you can go the stealth route (sit at your computer and ask your spouse/child/parent something and then type out their response as they say it)
• quote them -- keep a notebook handy to jot down funny or random sayings; remember that even simple nicknames or "inside jokes" can have great stories behind them
• get it on tape -- use the voice recorder app on your phone or a video camera to record feelings

guest blogger: Stephanie Howell

I've "known" Stephanie through 2Peas for quite some time, and like many of you, I've followed along as she blogged about life with her two girlies and a husband who was deployed in Afghanistan. There's just something about Stephanie that I really like: a kindness, a genuine glowing spirit. She's the kind of girl who can laugh at herself, but still carries a sense of vulnerability about her. She just strikes me as a great mix of t-shirts and pearls, or ratty jeans and high heels. And her smile just makes me smile -- I like that about her. Almost as much as I like what she has to share with you all today. :) Enjoy.

Journaling from the Heart

 

 My layouts are not complicated. They don’t showcase in-depth techniques. I don’t sew, stamp (much), or do paper piecing. I’m not a professional photographer.

While I think all of these things are fantastic (and wish I could be better at many of them!!!), they aren’t the focus of my layouts.

 

The focus of my layouts is getting the story down. Sharing photos that are important to me, and writing how they make me feel. 

 

I have many old photos from my family…what I don’t know is the emotions or story behind them. I’d give anything to know how my mom felt when she was falling in love with my dad. To know that  some days, she didn’t know what to do as a mother. That some days she was frustrated and overwhelmed…but full of love for her babies.

 

Those are the things I try to translate into scrapbooking pages. My pages are love letters for my children and my husband.

 

How do I journal? Simple. From the heart.

 

 My journaling is very stream-of-consciousness. I don’t have much of a filter. I kind of just write what I’m feeling. I look at the photo(s) I’m scrapping, and I write about how they make me feel. Things I want my family to know.

 

I want my girls to grow knowing they are treasured. And one day when they have babies of their own, they can rest assured that every mama goes through what they are going through (or at least their mama went through it!!).

 

My advice? Keep it authentic. All of your pages do not have to be schmaltzy, cheesy, or deep. Some might be and that’s great. Some might be light-hearted and funny. I love telling funny stories on my pages. Some pages might be introspective and a bit sad. Some will be hilarious. Just do what feels real to you.

 

Write what is in your heart.

Stephanie has been published in Creating Keepsakes, Simple Scrapbooks, Scrapbook and Cards Today, Scrapbooks Etc., Memory Makers and Scrapbook Trends magazines. She designs for Lily Bee and Jenni Bowlin Studio and has guest designed for a multitude of wonderful companies. Stephanie lives in Georgia and is married to Jimmy, who is a Captain in the army. She is also a stay-at-home mom to Harper Elizabeth, who is three, and Sadie Caroline, who is almost two. In her spare time, she loves antiquing, reading, and watching reality tv (her dirty little secret). She dreams of learning to sew, embroider, knit, quilt, and cook (well). But most of all, she loves just being together as a family, and she relishes those moments…as they are few and far between.

guest blogger: Debbie Hodge

I first "met" Debbie when we were both selected to be part of the Scrapbook Answers Magazine creative team; we worked together on a number of assignments and found that we both shared a passion for writing. Unfortunately, Scrapbook Answers ceased publication, but I'm so excited that Debbie has carved out a niche for herself in the online scrapbooking education arena. Her layouts get to the true heart of what scrapbooking -- in my eyes, at least -- is all about, and I'm thrilled that she's sharing this knowledge with all of you today.

USE PROVEN STORY FORMS FOR TELLING STORIES ON YOUR SCRAPBOOK PAGES

When are you at your storytelling best? Is it when you’re recounting recent events at coffee with friends? On the phone? At the dinner table with family? And what makes that your best? What are you doing at that point? Are you entertaining, informing, presenting your life the way you’d like it to be understood? Maybe all of the above? There are common story forms that have been used through the ages, and you can use them to tell your stories on your scrapbook pages.

Tell a “bear at the door” story.
The beginning of your story is your hook, the element that you use to draw your listener in. One of the easiest kinds of stories to “hook” a reader with is the “bear-at-the-door” story. This is a story in which there’s an immediate and pressing problem -- like, say, if there really were a bear at your door. 

When telling a bear-at-the-door story:
1) Make your reader immediately aware: a) of the problem; and b) of the urgency of the problem.
2) Be aware of (and share) how the personalities of your main characters impact the events you’re recounting. (Adding these aspects to the story takes it beyond an action-filled recount to a story that tells a longer-lasting lesson.)
3) Be sure to include how the problem was resolved, and, if it’s relevant, any longer-lasting impact. 

The opening lines of the journaling on “Heroes of the Day” tell just what the problem is and why it’s pressing: we’re leaving for the airport and our keys are locked in the house. The story proceeds with character complications, and stress, and, then, finally a happy resolution.

Tell an “aha” story
In this kind of story a character comes to a new realization (aka epiphany). This could be a realization about other people or about self. It could be a realization about the past or a new understanding of current life. Tell this story from the point of view of the person who arrives at the new understanding—which would most likely be you (and, thus, first person).

When telling an “aha” story:
1) Establish your main character’s current view on the relevant subject.
2) Describe an incident that brings about a change in this view. This part should be in scene (i.e., in a place with people who do and say things).
3) Tell what the new insight is.

In “See Why” I write about what “we’ve all said about rather than to” my father, thus establishing my view. The journaling describes a bumpy tractor ride with lots of sensory details. By the end of the journaling my new understanding of why he has been a farmer all of his life is revealed.  

Tell of a journey—small or large, figurative or real.
The “journey” is the oldest story form known. It’s in the bible, children’s storybooks, and Greek myths. It’s a story in which your subject leaves home on a “journey” and returns transformed. The journey can be a true trip or a more figurative journey of the spirit. Examples of real life incidents that are “journey” stories include pursuing a weight-loss program, getting through a year with an intimidating boss, or doing something new that’s out of your comfort zone. In journey stories, there are often unexpected meetings and events along the way that all contribute to the effect of the journey.

When writing a journey story:
1) Begin by conveying how the journey came about.
2) Tell of the events along the way.
3) By the end, be sure you’ve told about the impact of the journey on your subject. 

The journey described in “Been There” begins with my own greatly desired departure from a small-town farm. The journaling is written in letter form to my nieces. My pursuits are encapsulated—college, early failed marriage, successful business career,  and, then, finally a stay-at-home mom living a life closer to that I left than I ever imagined I’d have. The final paragraph describes the resulting impact: that I now appreciate the land I left in a way I never did as a child.

Tell the story of when a stranger came to town.
If the journey story is the oldest story form in existence, the “visitation” story is the next oldest. This is the story of an unexpected visitor—or demand or event—showing up at your door and the subsequent detour from everyday life as you know it. The detour you take because of the “stranger in town” may be brief or long-lasting, but it is caused by the intruder. Your visitor might be a new neighbor, an influential teacher, even a new family member.

When writing a visitation story:
1) Begin with the introduction of your visitor.
2) Proceed to make clear what disruption to life as you’ve known it the visitor makes.
3) Continue the story to an ending that shows and/or tells of the changes that have come about as a result of this visitor entering your life.  

The journaling in “Campaigning with Victoria” opens by revealing how Victoria came into my life and how important she became to me for a short time. The middle elaborates on the time we spent together, and the end tells of her exit from town and my feelings about that as well as all that I gained from our brief work together.

While you may not use these story forms exactly as I’ve described, I believe that knowing about them and seeing how your own stories fit with them, gets you thinking about what the incidents in your life mean in a way that goes beyond the obvious, in a way that yields stories with complexity and multiple layers of meaning. I share many more journaling writing approaches and strategies in my online, self-paced class “Be Real.”


Debbie Hodge is the owner of Get It Scrapped!, a website offering online classes for scrapbookers and art journalers. She’s the author of the book Get It Scrapped! from Memory Makers Books as well as Embellishing with Alphas and Every Little Thing from DesignerDigitals.

 

guest blogger: Jennifer S. Wilson

I've been fortunate enough to team with Jennifer Wilson at Simple Scrapper for a number of projects: Capture the Season, guest posts, and several giveaways. I think the content she provides at Simple Scrapper is so invaluable; while scrapbooking is a hobby that I love dearly, I know that it's also something that can be a huge time- and money-sink for me if I'm not careful. Jennifer's tips on simplifying and managing the process have truly helped me to think seriously about what I do and why I'm doing things the way I do them. Plus, Jennifer has what I think of as a teacher's eye -- she can spot a teachable moment immediately, and I learn something new from her every.single.day.

 

Storytelling shouldn't feel like a chore. It's OK for the documentation process to tug at your heartstrings (and even your nerves), but the feeling of "I hate writing" isn't a necessity. Journaling on your scrapbook layouts can be easy and fun if you keep a positive mindset. These tips will help you feel more love for this part of scrapping. (Audrey's note: All images are linked to their respective galleries, so please stop by and share your praise with these scrappers!)

Lists are easy

When you think "but I don't know what to write", just start with a list. It can even be a list you already have, like your bucket list or even a grocery list.

Sometimes a title is enough

With every story you tell, consider what kind of words and how many are truly necessary. Think quality over quantity.

It's OK to be selfish

Our scrapbook pages are one place where its OK to be totally self-centered and self-indulgent. Write in the first person and make it all about you. Be thrilled that you're the center of attention!

Do you remember snail mail?

Remember when you wrote 6 pages in one fell swoop to your best friend? Recapture the lost art of letter writing on your next layout.

Begin with real words

In digital, we can get so wrapped up in our online lives that it can become harder to cherish each moment in the IRL world. Focus on the little things important people say and use those as launch points for your writing.

Cheaper than therapy

The root of journaling is journal, as in diary. If you're comfortable, your next layout can be the perfect vehicle for a gush, rant, whine or letting go of the past. Catharsis is possible via scrapping.

Play pretend

Are you a poet who didn't know it? With clever placement, your words can be poetry. Explore the more creative side of your writing with no judgment.

Re-gifting is cool

Scrap a page celebrating a few important people in your life and gush in black and white about what they mean to you. Print multiple copies and you've got gifts at the ready.

Just do it

Not every page needs to be though-provoking or touchy-feeling. Documentation in its purest form is still journaling. Don't beat yourself up when you only have a little to say.

We all get stuck at times, languishing in that feeling of writer's block. Jump out of it free and clear by just writing. One. word. at. a. time. Don't forget about delete and undo -- isn't that why we all love digital anyway?

Jennifer S. Wilson writes daily at simplescrapper.com where she provides tips to make scrapbooking easier and more fun for busy people.

Jennifer's post is a great way to get your journaling mojo jumpstarted, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg. I'd love for you to add your ideas to hers -- and as extra incentive, I'll give one reader all my new releases tomorrow (that's a minimum of 8 products). Here's how you can win:

• Leave a comment with your favorite way to jumpstart your journaling.
• Retweet this post (make sure you let me know you retweeted) for a second chance to win.
• Blog about this post and contest for a third chance to win (leave a link to your blog post in the comments!)

The contest closes at 12:00 pm EST; I'll use a random number generator to select the winner. Keep your eyes peeled (on Facebook, Formspring, Twitter, and here) for more chances to win free product and coupons very soon!

guest blogger: Laura Kurz

I don't really remember when I first came across Laura's work; it must've been shortly after I discovered 2Ps (that's where most of my scrapbooking crushes started). Laura is another scrapper with an impeccable sense of design; she's queen of the minimalist layout, but with a unique flair that makes me instantly recognize her work. I particularly love the way she scrapbooks travel and heritage photos, and the interesting ways she incorporates titles and journaling into her overall design. When I found out that Laura is working on her Master's degree in Nonfiction Writing, I asked her to share some tips she's gleaned not just from her own journaling experience but also from the memoirs she's studied for her coursework.

1. If you are having trouble writing, use a writing prompt. Try to remember your first memory. Remember a time you were scared. One I had my last semester was to write about an altercation/argument I had witnessed. You don't think about writing about this kind of stuff until prompted! I just googled and found this website: http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/# - they have a lot of great prompts (some are for writing fiction - check out the ones for non-fiction).

2. Ask questions of your family and friends. I am constantly e-mailing my mom and dad asking them to remind me about something about our family or my childhood. I have a really, really bad memory and rely a lot on my mom's excellent memory. (Audrey's note: These emails have resulted in some of my favorite posts on Laura's blog -- I love looking at pictures of her from high school or college and reading the stories that go along with them.)

3. Use photos as a prompt. For my 365-day blog, a lot of the things I wrote about people came to me by looking at pictures of a time when these people were part of my life.

Here are some of my favorite layouts by Laura.

Laura lives in an old house in an old neighborhood of Baltimore with her husband, Ken, son, Charlie, and golden retriever, Charmer the dog. She will finish her master’s in writing from Johns Hopkins University in 2010.She is a member of the Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame, a Garden Girl at Two Peas in a Bucket, and was recently named a new addition to Studio Calico's design team.

guest blogging + album planning

I co-wrote a guest post at The Daily Digi which went live today with Liz of paislee press; we also have an album planning series that we'll be unveiling in the next week or so. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know your thoughts, and feel free to post any questions about album planning here -- we'll work them into the series.

As for me, we're off to a Murray State Racers game today; they've got a bracket-buster against Morgan State. Our guys just won the OVC Championship and right now, they currently hold the nation's longest winning streak. You may have seen mention of them recently with Canaan's half-court from-his-knees shot making ESPN and getting major YouTube coverage. This evening I'll be catching up on some book reviews and doing a little scrapping, so look for more posts as the day moves along.

guest blogger: Moon Ko

Today marks the first in a series of guest posts I've lined up for the blog. I think it's safe to say that you all know how strongly I believe in the power of telling your own story and learning to step past all the obstacles -- fear, reluctance, your inner critic, perfectionism, lack of time, misconceptions about writing -- that keep you from doing so. Naturally, I'm drawn to scrappers who have a knack for writing, who possess the ability to tell a story in a way that engages me and entertains me, that moves and motivates me, that leaves me wanting to do the same with my own stories. These scrappers do just that. They represent a variety of writing and scrapbooking styles, and they all have something interesting and important to share. Enjoy.

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I've been a fan of Moon for quite some time; I think I originally spotted her work in Simple Scrapbooks and then started stalking following her blog after that. Her clean designs and beautiful photos are serious eye candy, but for me, the real joy in checking out Moon's work is her sense of humor. It's evident on every page, in every story. And to me, it makes everything she writes just a little more real, because there's no sugar-coating. It's real life, baby. (And it's real funny, too).

"Whenever I think of writing, I think of high school and those awful things those teachers  always made us do. What were they called again? Oh yeah. Outlines. Roman numerals. Capital letters, numbers, lower case letters and so on and so forth...

Those were gross.

 

Being a scrapbooker has made it possible for me to throw away all those rules and do what I want to do and do it the way I want to. (Like ending a sentence with a preposition). I'm sure English teachers everywhere are cringing right now as I type.

 

I got into scrapbooking after having my second child and quickly realized that I wanted to more than just take their pictures and I wanted to remember what they said and how they felt and how it made me feel and I scrap about them and for them and these children can make me happy beyond words, annoy the heck out of me, remind me of why I wanted to be a mother on some days and on other days, wish I could auction them off on Ebay. (Ooo look...a run on sentence.)

 

And to me that what journaling is: a translation of those feelings onto paper with a few photos and glue. That's it.

 

Take today as an example. I had to load all the kids in the car to pick up a homework paper that my middle child left at school. As I'm driving along, I look in my rear view mirror that is permanently locked onto the reflection of the back seat where my two year old sits and I see him licking the bottom of his shoe. He does it once (and I say nothing because you know, he's the third child) and I think that he surely won't do it again but he proves me wrong and does it a second time. At this point I tell my daughter to take his shoe away from him and when she does, he hurls the other one at her. Luckily, he misses her head by a few inches and we go on our merry little way.

 

That's a scrap page right there titled, "Oh the Wonderful Things Charlie Can Do: He can lick on his shoe and throw it too...".  

 

The beauty of journaling on your page is just that. It's your point of view.  It's your voice. You aren't going to be graded on it. It's not going to lower your GPA. No one's going to make you rewrite the whole thing. The important thing is putting those thoughts down somewhere so you can remember them, and if you're like me, throwing all those rules out of the window while you're at it."

Moon Ko lives in Central KY with her husband and three children. She currently designs for American Crafts, is a Friend for Ella Publishing and is a member of the Write. Click. Scrapbook team. You can find her work on the following sites:

 

her blog: www.moonkophotography.com

American Crafts blog: www.americancrafts.typepad.com

WCS: www.writeclickscrapbook.com

Ella Publishing: www.ellapublishing.com