{we are} storytellers

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: "june 09" by valoriew

Val always comes up with such fun and creative ways to tell her stories; this week, we're featuring her layout "june 09" for our {writer's notebook} column. Here's what we love about it:

1. Mark that date!
Valorie's fun calendar template lends a great interactive element to her journaling. Not only is this a great way to add a different twist to your journaling, but it also helps you to practice writing on a daily basis. Find a fun template, use your day planner, or even make notes on your cellphone -- it doesn't matter what format you use. Just spend a few minutes at the end of every day jotting down the basics of what happened that day. Record your impressions, your reflections, your emotions -- and try to remember snippets of conversation too!

2. Use short verb phrases.
This keeps your journaling action-oriented. Complete sentences seem a little out of place -- and can get wordy, too. Since this template features small boxes for journaling, these verb phrases allow you to include plenty of details without taking up much space either.

3. A picture's worth a thousand words.
That's what the quote says -- and while we think it's important to make sure you are telling your story, sometimes including a few photos or images in place of words can make a great substitution. It's fun and creative; Val included small photo details, but you can also use dingbats too.

Show us how you've put these tips into practice; post your layouts in our gallery {stories} and then stop by to chat for a bit in our forum {tales}. There's always something going on! Today's a great day to stop by the boutique too -- our Book Fair kit is FREE with any $5 purchase, and we've got several items on sale for 45% off!

write on,
{storyteller} aud

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: "Inside Words" by chickypow

This week's layout, "Inside Words," comes from Erin's gallery, which is just incredible -- she's a real journaling dynamo! Here's what we can learn from her work:

1.  Create your own definitions.
Every family or group of friends has their own "language." Use this as the starting point for a great journaling alternative. Create dictionary definitions for these words and then create a layout about them. Use one main word as the focus for an extended journaling piece, or do like Erin did and put several words on one layout.

2. Whip your journaling into shape.
Photoshop and other photo editing programs are really flexible graphics programs that allow you to arrange your text in any number of creative shapes. Even simple word processing programs like Microsoft Word allow you to create shaped text. Put one of these tools to use -- or allow a page embellishment to guide your arrangement, which is what Erin did with this cool wire accent.

3.  Use captions to organize your journaling.
In Erin's case, these captions are the words that she's defining, but captions -- short one or two-word phrases -- can be used to break your journaling into sections and help guide your reader through it. Think of them as subtitles, in a sense. These can take any number of formats: use little quotes or phrases, descriptive words, verbs, and more. This is an easy to really play around and have fun with both your writing and your design.

As always, we welcome your layouts in our gallery {stories} and your comment in our forum {tales}. Don't miss out on our weekly Book Fair kit; as always, we're offering a great kit and products at 45% off! Stop by the shop to find out more!

write on,
{storyteller} aud

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: "God Bless America" by emilymerritt

This week's 3 tips layout is "God Bless America" by Emily. Let's take a peek and see what we can learn from Emily's gorgeous work:

1. Keep it short and sweet.
Most of the layouts I've featured in this column have had somewhat lengthy journaling. But Emily is the master of "short and sweet" journaling. She says just what she needs to say, and that's it -- no need for extra. Don't think that your journaling isn't as effective because you've only included a few lines; just make sure that those lines get right to the heart of the story. With a layout like this, where the focus is obviously on a tiny detail taken from a larger overall experience, you don't need to capture everything. Use your photos to help you narrow your focus and take it from there.

2. Can you repeat that?
Using text as a design element is a great way to add interest and variety to your page. Emily used a block of text -- created by repeating the phrase "God bless America land that I love" over and over. She placed this behind her main photos and used a subdued gray color. This way it doesn't detract from the focal point but instead helps ground the papers, photos, and accents.

3. Change your orientation.
Your journaling doesn't always have to be placed horizontally on your page. Emily shakes things up nicely by turning her title and journaling vertically. This helps to integrate her overall design. There are a lot of really fun possibilities with this option, and it can help you fit your journaling into a design where you normally wouldn't have considered it.

Stop by our shop and check out this week's Book Fair kit; also stop by our forum and our gallery.

write on,
{storyteller} aud

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: "Decisive Moment" by Lori Potts

Lori's layout, "Decisive Moment," has been in my inspiration file since the moment I laid eyes on it. Of course, the bonus is that I know Lori's layouts are always going to feature knockout journaling. This one's no different. Here's what we can learn from it this week:

1. Say thank you.
Lori's layout is her way of saying thanks to a special teacher for helping her to make an important decision. By choosing to journal as though she's speaking directly to her teacher, Lori's words ring with authenticity and honesty. If you feel like your journaling sounds too stilted or forced, try writing directly to the person the layout is about, rather than writing in third-person. This change in perspective can help you to loosen up and feel more relaxed, which always helps the words to flow.

2. Integrate your title.
To create her page title, Lori simply choose one of her sentences and emphasized a key word in it; she used a larger font and a different color to make it stand out, but she still oriented it in the midst of her journaling, so that the connection was obvious. The effect is subtle, but helps to set the mood for the entire page.

3. Use your photo as a canvas.
Lori's page is one where all the details -- the calm blues, the winding string and swirls, the dandelion photo -- all combine to create a sense of peace and contentment. Using the blue sky of her photo as the location for her journaling helps pull all these pieces together; the journaling blends in with the photo, which blends with the paper, which blends with the embellishments. Since the viewer's eye is drawn right to that great photo, you can't help but notice (and then want to read) the journaling down the side.

Show us how you've put these tips into practice; post your layouts in our gallery {stories} and then stop by to chat for a bit in our forum {tales}. There's always something going on! Today's a great day to stop by the boutique too -- our Book Fair kit is FREE with any $5 purchase, and we've got 30+ items on sale for 45% off!

write on,
{storyteller} aud

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: "celebrate life" by carolee

By  now, I'm sure you've noticed the many beautiful pages in our gallery created with the iHope collaborative kit. Each of these layouts tells a story of hope and love, of survival and celebration, of life and loss. While each layout is special, I wanted to spotlight Carolee's layout "celebrate life" today; it's an incredible example of beautiful design and authentic journaling.

And here's what we can learn from Carolee's layout:

1. Even "white space" layouts have room for significant journaling.
Carolee's layout is a beautiful example of a simple design and an effective use of negative or white space. Yet she's still able to fit a lengthy amount of journaling on her page without throwing off the design. How does she do it? The rule of thirds! By blocking her journaling in a section that is the same height as her photo, she creates one unified element. She then placed this element in the upper third of her layout. Using an informal handwritten font lets her get away with a smaller size and less leading between the lines.

2. Don't get overwhelmed by the whole story.
A traumatic illness or accident can often span months of hospital stays, surgeries, and more. I'm sure that Carolee could've written pages and pages about this frightening situation, but instead, she focuses on what's most important for this part of the story -- the part about celebrating life. By using the word art as a way to focus her thoughts, Carolee explains what happened, reveals her own thoughts and reactions, and makes the connection to the photo. Her journaling also works as a before and after, giving a brief reflection on how this event changed her life. You have multiple pages in your album. With any big story, break it down into smaller pieces -- chances are, it will be easier in the telling.

3. Make sure you get your most important stories told.
Before posting her credits and journaling, Carolee offers up two simple sentences that reached out and punched me in the gut: "This is the most powerful story of my life, I was waiting for the right kit to come along to tell it." Wow. The most powerful story of her life. I know you have these powerful stories of your own. Are you telling them? Why not? There's no excuse for leaving these stories unwritten; you owe it to yourself and your family to get them written down. Today.

You don't have to wait for the perfect kit, either; the iHope collaborative benefit kit offers 45 papers and 85+ elements that are perfect for a variety of stories. Better yet, your purchase helps fund important breast cancer research, treatment, education and screening. As an extra incentive, I'm offering three fantastic prizes on my blog if you purchase the kit or donate to the cause; please take some time to check it out here. With your help, millions of women and their families can continue the fight against breast cancer and make their stories heard.

Remember, today is our weekly Book Fair event with a free kit and 45% off selected items in the shop!

write on,
{storyteller} aud

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: "broviac training" by pne123

This week's 3 tips layout is one you may have seen recently -- it was featured on Gallery Standouts within the past couple of days, and for good reason. Erica's layouts always feature compelling journaling, and "Broviac Training" is no exception. Here's what we can learn from her layout:

1. Don't be afraid to scrap the hard stuff.
Erica's layout is just one of many that detail the surgeries and procedures that her oldest daughter has had to endure. Erica has never shied away from documenting this aspect of Grace's childhood -- and she shouldn't. Although I'm sure creating these layouts has been painful at times, capturing these stories is necessary; by glossing over the reality of everyday, we miss out on the reflection that shows us what we've learned, what we've gained, by making it through these hard times. Life isn't always fun and smiles, and we shouldn't aim to only show that face in our scrapbooks; adversity and hard times have much to teach us, if we let them.

2. Include a mix of factual details and personal reactions.
With a layout like this, Erica wanted to make sure she documented the facts from this procedure, but focusing only on the facts would've made this layout too clinical, too cold. Instead, she also included her personal reaction -- her fears, her concerns, her worries. This brings a human element to the issue and gives the reader a way "inside" the event, so that he or she can connect with the scrapper. It's this human element that causes us to react to the story, to feel emotionally involved.

3. Scrap your daily routines.
During the time surrounding Grace's surgery, cleaning and changing her broviac dressings became a part of Erica's everyday life. Don't just assume that because something is commonplace or part of your daily routine that it isn't worth documenting. These small details that make up your daily routines are an important aspect of life to document -- these are the details that, looking back, you'll want to remember most.

Today is Book Fair with a great new kit available -- spend $5.00 and get it free! Check out the artist choice items on sale for 45% off, too! While you're browsing the site, stop by our forum and gallery to share your thoughts and layouts with us; we'd love to see them!

write on,
{storyteller} aud

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: "eggheads" by MelissaL88

School's out, summer's here, and it's time for another series of quick writing tips for {writer's notebook}. This week, we're spotlighting a layout by MelissaL88 called "eggheads:"

Here's what we can learn from Melissa's layout.

1. Open with a question.
One of the simplest ways to immediately draw your reader into your writing is to ask a question. This makes your writing more interactive and lets the reader make connections from his/her own life to the story you are telling. It's a great way to hint at what's coming, as well, which helps your reader to feel oriented and to have some idea of what to expect.

2. Mimic the style of another type of writing.
The last few sentences in Melissa's journaling take their tone from an interview or newspaper article. Adopting the writing style and formatting of another writing genre helps you experiment and broaden your own writing skills, and it puts a twist on what readers would normally expect.

3. Use color to emphasize certain words.
While this isn't a new trick, it's still a good one. Putting certain words or phrases in a different color font helps to draw the reader's eye and emphasizes the point being made. You can do as Melissa did and match your color to the items on your layout or photos, or you can choose a color that matches the emotion being conveyed in your journaling.

The Book Fair is going on today, so make sure you stop by and fill up your cart with our 45% off goodies from each designer; spend $7 and get this great kit from Emily Merritt. Take a minute to visit our forum and gallery too -- we'd love to hear from you and see your latest layouts!

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: "creativity" by shanknits

Welcome to another weekly edition of {writer's notebook}! This week's layout, "creativity" by {wst} user shanknits, features a simple design that really puts the focus on the journaling:

There are several great tips to be gained from this simple layout, so let's get started!

#1: Use a definition.
This is really one of my go-to techniques for journaling. Using a definition not only gives you a great starting point, but it also allows you to take someone else's words and extend them with your own examples. Moving from general statements to more specific situations is a great way to create more elaborate journaling on your layouts. Shannon opens her layout with the definition of "creativity" and even sets it off below the title, to tie the two parts together.

#2: Create a paragraph from a single sentence for emphasis.
Shannon uses this technique wonderfully. Her first paragraph sets up a list of craft-related activities that she'd like to try. Rather than leaving writing, which is the most important of those activities (in her eyes -- ours too!) to languish at the end of a rather impressive list of items, she drops down, begins a new paragraph, and puts the item there, even repeating it for additional empasis. There are several organizational strategies for paragraphs; if you use the method that puts your most important point last, then you sometimes run the risk of this information getting lost in the shuffle, especially if the paragraph it belongs to contains a lot of detail. So dropping down and placing that main point in a single sentence by itself works quite effectively to draw attention to it and help emphasize the point you are making.

#3. Begin a sentence with a conjunction.
This is one of those instances where it's okay to break the grammar rules, as long as you know what rule you are breaking and, more importantly, WHY. In this instance, Shannon begins two different sentences with the conjunction "and." (Conjunctions are those handy little words, like "and," "or," "but" that help connect two words, clauses, phrases, etc. Here's a fun little video by one of my very favorite bands: Conjunction Junction by Better than Ezra to help you review.) It's always been considered a no-no to begin a sentence with a conjunction, but if you use it sparingly, it can be an effective tool. Keep in mind that this is a pretty informal tool -- so you don't want to begin a sentence with a conjunction if your journaling is formal or professional in tone.

Remember, we've revamped our Book Fair, so head over to the shop to check everything out; drop by our forum and gallery to say hello and share your work too! You could be our next {writer's notebook} feature!

write on,
{storyteller} aud

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: "blabla" by lisamars

It's Thursday, which means it's time for another installment of {writer's notebook}! This week, we're highlighting a lovely layout by {wst} CT member lisamars: "blabla"

Lisa lives in France, and English is not her native language. Yet her journaling translates beautifully, and this layout presents several excellent examples for this week's writing tips.

#1: Rely on your native tongue.
If English is not your first language but you're posting in primarily English-speaking galleries, don't feel pressured to journal in English. First of all, these layouts are YOUR layouts, and the only "standards" they have to meet are yours. Secondly, using your native language will help your journaling to feel more natural and more relaxed -- it takes the pressure off. This applies to English-speaking scrappers as well; each area of our country possesses its own dialect. If you talk like a southern girl, then chances are you probably write like one too -- don't use "you guys" in your journaling if you're more likely to say "y'all" in conversation.

#2: Templates are for more than just figuring out where to put your pictures and embellishments.
If one of your biggest hang-ups with journaling is trying to figure out where to put your journaling when it comes to the overall design, then you might want to give templates a shot. Lisa's layout makes beautiful use of Emily's template; since this design featured a large block designed specifically for journaling, she wasn't left struggling to find a place to fit her journaling. (An extra tip: Do your journaling first and place it on the page either right before or right after placing your photos, then add embellishments. If you begin thinking of journaling as one of the first steps in the design process, rather than the last, things get infinitely easier!)

#3. Use parallel structure.
Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or." In Lisa's layout, she uses parallel structure in the following sentences: "Every little thing requires a comment, every sound brings a question." This helps to create a sense of rhythm in her writing; as a result, the words seem to flow and the ideas have more of an impact on the reader.

As always, we welcome your layouts in our gallery {stories} and your comment in our forum {tales}. Don't miss out on our weekly Book Fair kit; we've made some minor changes to our Book Fair promotion -- as always, we're offering a great kit and products at 45% off! Stop by the shop to find out more!

{writer's notebook} 3 tips: our morning routine by mimsmom

Welcome to another week of {writer's notebook}! This week, we're taking our writing tips from a fun layout by Michelle, who is an active member of our {we are} storytellers community:

Tip #1: Take it point by point.
Sometimes it is easier to just jot down the main aspects of our stories, in a numbered list or as a series of bullet points. Getting to the meat of the story this way helps us to overcome any anxiety we might have about the way things "sound;" it also lends a more informal feel to our layouts and can help set a certain mood or tone. Michelle's journaling, numbered 1-6, helps move us through a chronological list of what happens when her daughter wakes up each morning. It's so simple: first this happens, then this, and then this...

Tip #2: Capture conversations.
I can't stress this one enough. You may think that you'll remember all the cute things your kids say, or the funny jokes you shared with your best friend -- but you won't. Our memories are far from perfect, so that's why I urge you to keep a notebook (or your PDA or the video mode on your camera) close to hand so you can capture this snippets of talk. Michelle puts her daughter's early morning comments to great use in her journaling. These little questions and responses provide a level of detail (in a limited space) that no amount of description could accurately capture otherwise.

Tip #3: Remember, your journaling is a part of your design, so choose your fonts carefully.
In this layout, Michelle wanted a font that would capture the cute responses of her daughter -- something informal and childlike, something that would capture the "quickly jotted this down" aspect of the story she's telling. Although your readers are ultimately responding to what your words say, how you present the story can have a great impact on their mood as well. So consider your font type when you're deciding how to format your journaling on your page.

Stop by the gallery and leave some love for Michelle; don't forget to post your own layouts too. We'd love to see them -- and your work could be featured here during our {writer's notebook} segment.

Check out the Book Fair this week; spend $5.00 in the shop and get "Circus Circus" for FREE! 24 hours only - Offer begins at midnight (est) Thursday, May 21st @ 11:59:59. Just spend $5 or more in our Book Fair Category, and this kit is yours for free. Once your cart total reaches $5, the kit will automatically appear.  Plus, we've got 40+ products for 45% off, so there's plenty to pick from!