new year | new word
I am a big fan of One Little Word. Big. Big fan.
It's one of several albums I keep in a year.
One Little Word came to me, oh let's see...I am not sure how many years I have kept this album of monthly prompts. At least 5 years now? Let's just say five years.
While I am not on the Ali Edwards Design Team, and there is no monetary kick back for promoting her class, I am a big promoter of her class One Little Word. I just so happen to think everyone should take this class. For so many reasons. At least once in your life anyway.
For one, I am a huge advocator of self examination. Scrapbooking for me is just that anyway. It's a way to write the narrative all the while gaining perspective on the life I live by way of photos + words + pretty stuff. Participating in monthly prompts that help keep my word visual is just another extension of how I pattern my personal world. Of how I document my life. This creates a way to keep the focus very narrow on just one aspect of my life, the word that I chose to be part of my year.
For this year's album I am changing things up a bit. For the past few years I have used either an Ali Edward's or StudioCalico 6x8-inch album to house the year of One Little Word. I really wanted to use one of Ali's again this year, but honestly, I just did not love either the pattern or color, or how the inside looked. So I hemmed and hawed...then I stopped hemming and hawing and just made a decision. Make your own album. For now this will work. But I can always change my mind later. Female prerogative.
As I initially prepped my album, I chose to use pieces from the Heidi Swapp Honey & Spice Collection. I love this beautiful black on white floral. It's definitely a statement piece. Keeping the cover simple I used heavy weight chipboard (also known as the backer chipboard to my watercolor paper pad). It was covered with the Flourish Pattern Paper. Using the Thickers I added the title. And then just a swatch of Washi Tape to add a bit of color to the cover.
As the album opens, the intro page is crafted on clear plastic paper. Using embellishments from Honey & Spice I crafted a title cluster with the reveal of my One Little Word: Rise. This is a word that can go in many directions. As with many of my past words, I have chosen words that I want or need to explore and understand more. This falls in that category. But not only that, this word is a motivator word for me too. My hope is as I unpack it's meaning and uses I will find my self responding to what it is teaching me.
Ali Edward's class includes prompt cards to fill out as part of the January lesson. I used page protectors I had on hand to be home to these prompts after I filled them in. The page also shows off more of the paper collection.
I'm a fan of uplifting quotes. I'm a fan of adding elements to the outside of the pocket. I'm a fan of making all the things pretty. And so it will be with this year's album. This intentional story telling and documenting always results in a life well lived. At the end of the year as I go through these complete albums I literally sigh with satisfaction. It takes intention to show up every month. It takes purpose to respond the the prompts. It takes time for us to show up to our best selves and this is just one way I do just that.
I hope you will follow along with me this year. I will be posting my progress plus insight to the crafting of this album as I progress through the year. But more than that, I hope you will be inspired to actually play along with the class. Tell your story with One Little Word right along with me. It will be fun. It will for sure be rewarding.
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This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of jamiepate.com I do receive financial compensation and material product and affiliate sales in the development and posting of my craft posts, but all ideas and opinions are my own.
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