Scrapbook Your Way

When Kim and I sit down to chat, we not only have our own experiences to draw from but those of our entire community. Kim Edsen is my teaching assistant inside of My Simple Scrapper and we're chatting every month about what we've learned from the past month's theme and how we see the upcoming theme apply to scrapbookers. This particular conversation is full of creative and lifestyle favorites, along with helpful insights on how to find more fun and fulfillment in your hobby. See the full show notes for this episode.

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It's one thing to talk about planners and another to actually use them. In this follow-up to episode 43, Alissa Williams and I review our big-picture goals for the year and the adjustments we've made to our respective planning processes. We're both practical planners, yet we take very different approaches. If you enjoyed our previous conversation, you'll love this conclusion. See the full show notes for this episode.

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A full cup of coffee was all it took to get me going on my favorite subject: scrapbooking. I'm excited to share a solo episode today, where I share what's working so darn well for me right now (Hint: It's something I've never done before!), how you can start fresh for the season ahead, and what to expect from my newest class. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Brianna Lepper relishes in playing with colors, textures, and layers. Many of her layouts start with mixed media and often incorporate a cut file. In this episode of the podcast you'll hear how our Featured Artist for January stays inspired, organized, and productive! And then, inside of our membership you can find four new sketches and layered templates inspired by Brianna's pages. See the full show notes for this episode.

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This year every month at Simple Scrapper will have a theme. January's theme is Creative Habits. We'll be exploring all the ways your day-to-day actions support your hobby. In this episode I'm joined by my teaching assistant Kim Edsen to chat about what's new, look back on December's theme, and share some of our best advice related to habit-building. I'm loving these conversations and you'll definitely want to check out all the resources we've shared! See the full show notes for this episode.

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A few months ago I asked Iris Fox if she wanted to chat about her personal wellness journey, but this episode blossomed into so much more. We discuss how our intentions shape our successes and challenges, covering the keto diet, scrapbooking projects for 2020, growing an online business without going crazy, and specific strategies for daily and weekly planning. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Photos are the heart and soul of our scrapbook pages. And while perfection is certainly overrated, we often wish our pictures looked more like the memories we lived. In this episode I'm joined by the talented Crystal Livesay to hear about her journey to creative confidence and share tips for improving your photography and photo editing. We'll also introduce a brand new experience available inside of the My Simple Scrapper community. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Robin Adryan is our Featured Artist for December.  We love the variety in her choice of formats, along with a harmonious balance of white space and details in her design style. You can hear Robin's story and what motivates her to create in this installment of the My Way series. See the full show notes for this episode.

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This episode concludes my conversation with Kim Edsen about our plans at Simple Scrapper, along with an in-depth discussion of options for scrapbook formats and albums. You'll get a taste of all the crazy ideas we're considering, plus hear what we're most looking forward to in 2020. Each month you can expect an episode from Kim and I that shares our personal perspectives on the monthly theme and what we've got going on behind the scenes. See the full show notes for this episode.

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In the past decade we've covered a wide range of topics on the Simple Scrapper blog, in classes, and on the podcast. Going forward we're going to simplify by focusing on one theme at a time. And at the end of every month, my teaching assistant Kim Edsen will join me to chat about our lessons learned and preview what's coming in the month ahead. These will be more casual back-and-forth conversations that we hope will also offer a small peek behind the scenes of the business. This month our conversation overflowed the original time slot, so I've broken it into two episodes running about 45 minutes each. Part 2 will air on Monday, December 2, 2019. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Which planner is the best? You know us well enough to expect "whichever one works best for you." That's just part of the answer we're sharing in today's episode. I'm joined by my friend Alissa Williams, whom you heard in episode #28, to run down all of the planners we've tried in the past decade. We'll share what's worked well and which planners were total fails. If you're still in search of planner peace, this one is for you! See the full show notes for this episode.

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Gratitude is more than just an attitude, it's a way of living that closely aligns with our values as memory keepers. Katie Clemons is a storycatcher and a long-time friend of Simple Scrapper. In this episode you'll hear Katie's fascinating adventures as a journaler, traveler, and author. Her latest book, We Are So Thankful: A Shared Gratitude Journal, was released November 1. See the full show notes for this episode.

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If you've been scrapbooking for any length of time, you know that some things work well and others just don't. The beauty of our hobby today is the bounty of options for crafting your way. That's what this podcast is all about. And in this episode, you'll be guided through a mini class on how to use that knowledge to start planning for 2020. These five important prompts can offer key insights to ensure than next year is even more fun and productive. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Krystal Becker has a colorful scrapbooking style with plenty of clean lines to balance her love of florals and clusters. Though she began scrapbooking many years ago, she only transitioned to 12x12 layouts recently. You can hear more of Krystal's story and what motivates her to keep creating in this installment of the My Way series. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Amy Melniczenko has been part of our Simple Scrapper family for as long as I can remember. Her work behind-the-scenes helps keep this ship running. But in addition to her support of our community and her full-time job as a project manager, Amy is a voracious reader. As we count down to the November 1 announcement of our 2020 selections for the Simple Scrapper Book Club, I invited Amy to share how her creative and reading lives intersect as well as the strategies she uses to keep herself accountable. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Jen Chapin was on the some of the most high profile design teams in the industry when she moved to a new house, changed her work schedule, and experienced viral growth of her YouTube channel from a video that wasn't even about scrapbooking. In this episode you'll hear when Jen learned from her time away from the hobby, the advice she has for aspiring content creators, and what she's excited to tackle next. You'll also hear a confession about my own creative productivity since launching this podcast. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Traci Reed began the year with a plan to scrapbook fewer pages with more intention. Her new-found creative freedom actually took her down a different path, one that was further accelerated by her health and fitness journey. In this inspiring episode you'll learn how Traci's 100-pound weight loss and incredibly productive year reflect major mindset shifts just as much as hard work. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Shadnee Breeden has a colorful, crafty style of paper scrapbooking that features lots of layers and a celebration of supplies. Her love of quilting shines through on her pages, which often feature grids, paper piecing, and embroidery. In this episode you'll get to know Shadnee and her creative process. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Jenna Fortner is a true champion for the Project Life App, giving generously to the online community through the Simply Project Life group, which she co-runs, on Facebook. In this episode we explore Jenna's journey in scrapbooking, the pure simplicity of the app, and a wide range of tips for memory keeping with this unique tool. See the full show notes for this episode.

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I've had a bit of drought in my own creativity this year, so I asked myself what advice I would offer someone in my shoes. In this episode I share a simple process for getting unstuck, my best strategies for summarizing big stories, and answers to common questions about the Before Your Story class.  I also offer a few personal anecdotes about what's exciting me right now and what story I am most eager to scrapbook. The reason might surprise you! See the full show notes for this episode.

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"Before your story, there was mine." These words still give me goosebumps when I think about the legacy of my memory keeping. So often it is the weddings and births that give rise to creative desires, but what about before? Some of the best stories happened before we started scrapbooking. In this episode, I'm joined by Kim Edsen to explore the purpose and process behind the Before Your Story album class. Registration for the upcoming live session opens Thursday, September 12. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Shannan Manton has figured out what "simple" means to her. In this episode you'll hear about the odd-sized pages she loves to create, her favorite digital resources, and how she makes big projects super doable. My conversation with Shannan is certain to leave you filled with nostalgia and itching to tell more of your stories. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Katie Pertiet is a graphic designer with a passion for vintage and botanical motifs. Her artwork can be found on digital products, paper scrapbooking lines, fabric collections, and other home decor items. In this episode I asked Katie to share how she is so prolific in her creative output, offering lessons for both professionals and hobbyists alike. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Technology is an inevitable part of modern memory keeping. In this week's episode I'm sharing a quick run-down of all the tech tools in my creative workflow, from photo taking to photo printing. Plus, I introduce the newest class inside of our membership community. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Steve Wilson is an enthusiastic amateur genealogist whose scientific training offers just the right combination of patience and attention to detail need for ancestry research. He is also my husband of eleven years. I'm excited to share Steve's perspective on memory keeping and some of our family history insights in this episode of the podcast. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Alissa Williams is a life-long scrapbooker, Simple Scrapper member, and library director. She's passionate about stories in every aspect of her life, but she almost gave up scrapbooking. In this episode you'll hear how Alissa leveraged in-person connections and getting organized to rekindle her drive to create. See the full show notes for this episode.

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I love learning what fuels the creative fire of individual scrapbookers and how their journeys have evolved over time. In this installment of the My Way series you'll hear from Tazhiana Gordon, a memory keeper with a passion for colorful pages, mixed media techniques, and Happy Planners. See the full show notes for this episode.

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It's far too easy to put off scrapbooking the stories that matter most. They can feel too precious to touch, too important for your amateur skills. But, what if you were running out of time? We have all faced the passing of loved ones and I know some of you have stared death in the face. Some of you may even be fighting that battle right now. The bucket list concept is such a powerful inspiration to action that we can all lean on to scrapbook with more intention. In this episode I introduce a new free tool to help you escape overwhelm and tell more of the stories that you want to have told. See the full show notes for this episode.

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I believe that every season offers a chance to start fresh, to check in with your priorities and make any needed course corrections. Three months is just the right amount of time to get something done without getting (too) distracted or lost in the weeds. In this episode I walk you through a similar exercise to prepare for the season ahead, as well as offer some optional suggestions for going deeper. The process can be found in the Scrapbook Your Way workbook, which is available in multiple formats. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Trello is a free, user-friendly project management tool. It takes list-making to a whole new level and has become a favorite within the My Simple Scrapper community. In this episode I'm sharing why I moved my entire business and personal life out of Asana and into Trello. Plus, you'll learn how to get started using our free Trello version of the Scrapbook Your Way workbook. See the full show notes for this episode.

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There's more free stuff on the Internet than you could ever use and it's not doing you any good hiding in that downloads folder with take-out menus and school forms. We want to help you gain control of your digital chaos by offering a small selection of tools that help you keep track of everything else and start taking action on what's most important. In this short solo episode, the first in a four-part series, you will be introduced to a small mindset shift with huge implications as well as something brand new to Simple Scrapper. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Empty nester Lee Currie has adulting figured out. She leverages her Virgo-ness to make self-care, personal development, and memory keeping a priority. In this episode you'll hear about the myriad of influences on Lee's evolution and the two specific practices that make all of her creative endeavors possible. No matter your season of life, this is an essential episode for anyone ready to craft a juicier life. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Do you feel overwhelmed with SO many photos? You are not alone. Smartphones have changed the way we take pictures, adding new hurdles to the storage and organization of our family memories. In this episode I'm joined by Kim Edsen, my Simple Scrapper teaching assistant, to offer our insights on making photo management just a little bit easier. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Whether you're a product minimalist or a super crafty babe, there are several areas where memory keepers commonly get stuck. In this episode Andrea Gray, publisher of Retro Hip Magazine, joins me to answer your questions. We cover the entire creative process and offer practical, inspiring tips to help you get unstuck and have more fun in scrapbooking! See the full show notes for this episode.

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When you're a grown up, it's not always easy to make new friends. Plus, the closing of many local scrapbook stores has shifted the search for scrappy like-minds online. In this episode I'm joined by Tracey Fox, the new host of a popular Facebook group for scrapbookers, to discuss the importance of community in strengthening our personal projects, peer relationships, and the creative industry. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Creative team member Sara Case Strickland loves mixed media and creating in a clean and simple way. In this episode we share beginner-friendly tips for playing with paints, inks, and mists without all the mess. We also dig into an important, but sometimes sensitive, subject: letting story take a back burner to the artistic process. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Scrapbooking is beautiful because we did it. No matter how you tell your stories, this episode is full of thought-provoking wisdom on goal-setting, making choices, and creating through life's challenges. Guest Theresa Moxley shares how Project Life has helped her cope with a painful past and craft a positive outlook for the future. See the full show notes for this episode.

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When you know the basics, stamping on your pages and projects doesn't have to feel intimidating. In this episode stamping fanatic Jessica Urrutia shares her favorite techniques and products to help you start stamping with ease. We cover different types of stamps, inks, and our best tips for getting a clean impression. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Natalie Schmidt is curating the stories of her life with The 100 Day Project. In this episode I'll share a beginner's perspective and Natalie will offer lessons learned from successfully completing two projects and embarking on her third journey this year. Whether you're joining in on this 100-day challenge or not, you will take away valuable insights on consistency, accountability, and creative inspiration. See the full show notes for this episode.

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So much of the scrapbooking industry revolves around trends, but at Simple Scrapper I’d like to think what we do is pretty timeless. In this episode I’m playing excerpts from my Weekly Pep Talks, a series of video podcast episodes I hosted in 2013. For each excerpt I’ll share my reaction and critique of how well that advice holds today. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Have you ever lost your creative mojo? We have all been there and in this episode we'll explore what a creative funk looks like, what causes it, and seven strategies to escape this place of frustration so you can get back to scrapbooking. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Audrey Medd is practicing attorney with limited time for scrapbooking during the week. She's also a self-admitted perfectionist. In this episode you'll hear why Audrey loves a hybrid approach to scrapbooking and how she's created a workflow that fits her busy schedule. See the full show notes for this episode.

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From the months of planning to the hundreds (or thousands) of photographs captured, how do you document the most magical vacation of them all? In this episode I'm joined by seasoned Disney traveler Terri-Lynn Torrez to explore what first-time Walt Disney World visitors need to know about memory keeping and your park adventures. See the full show notes for this episode.

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When used with intention, social media can be a powerful tool for life documentation and practicing gratitude. This episode explores Jess Forster's fresh take on memory keeping and the opportunities it has created to go deeper in her scrapbooking projects. See the full show notes for this episode.

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How is it that some scrapbookers can enjoy this hobby so much, yet have trouble finishing (or even starting) projects? Often it all comes down to personality. In this episode Kim Edsen and I will explore how to use Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies framework to devise accountability strategies that really work. See the full show notes for this episode.

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Victoria Calvin, aka Victoria Marie Designs, is known for her authenticity as a scrapbooker and business owner. This interview showcases her genuine passion for both the hobby and the industry while also offering a wealth of actionable advice for the listener. Whether you're a big fan or new to Victoria's world, you're going to love this episode! See the full show notes for this episode.

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The Project Life app has been a game changer for modern scrapbooking, offering a simple entry for beginners and a more portable option for even the most serious memory keepers. In this episode I'm joined by two Project Life app power users, Breon Randon and Patricia Dettloff, to explore the versatility of this free mobile tool. See the full show notes for this episode.

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The scrapbook community is buzzing about the latest new paper products, many of which are already hitting shelves. In this episode Crafty Jen Schow breaks down the trends she noticed at the 2019 Creativation trade show, including this year's cute animal motif and the colorful options she spotted on the show floor. We'll also look back on what was popular in 2018 and where we see scrapbook products heading in the future. See the full show notes for this episode.

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This episode offers a twist, with Kim Edsen hosting and putting me in the hot seat. It's an honor to share my creative journey as just one example of how scrapbookers evolve through each season of life. While I will offer personal anecdotes week by week, my aim is to shine a light on how our differences make this hobby so special. See the full show notes for this episode.

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We all fret about not having enough time to do the things we love. And while we can't bend the laws of physics, there are strategies to make life and memory keeping feel a bit easier. The ten recommendations from this episode stem from observing what has worked best for our Simple Scrapper members. See the full show notes for this episode.

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