An advocate for not making things more complicated than they need to be and embracing imperfection, Ali Edwards shares cool concepts, design, and project ideas in her idea books: A Designer’s Eye for Scrapbooking, A Designer’s Eye for Scrapbooking with Patterned Paper, Life Artist, and Sharing Your Story: Recording Life’s Details with Mini Books (available August 2008).





You can also find Ali’s monthly column in Creating Keepsakes magazine: Studio A.

“I started scrapbooking in 2002 as a way to organize all the stuff I collected after the birth of my son. It has become so much more than an organizational process for me - it has let me find my own personal passion and voice. It has become all about the process of capturing life and creating art.”

Well known for her signature style of everyday-life scrapbooking, Ali is a highly sought-after workshop instructor. She travels the US and internationally conducting classes and inspiring students to tell their stories fearlessly.

Ali lives in Eugene, Oregon. She enjoys travel, reading, politics, and spending time with her husband and son.

And here’s a cover shot of the second album Ali did!

I had a request for more information on the album.

This is the Tinkering Ink 6.5 x 6.5″ acrylic and chipboard album as pictured below:

There are 3 acrylic pages and 4 chipboard pages.  Ali painted the album using the Kaiser paint from the “Map” add-on.  She covered it with Modge Podge to give it the glossy finish.

This album will also come with printed instructions to make the red album Ali created.  Ali also used products from add-on #5, Compass, to create this album.  She has now completed a second album using products drawn from the main kit.  Those directions will also be made available to customers.

Pictures of the second album will be up later today!

Thanks!

Come Play Eugene! was great!  It was so nice to see so many new faces, meet long time subscribers and just to have the opportunity to spend time with so many interesting, diverse women all brought together by scrapbooking.  Ali’s projects were inspiring, Jill’s house was lovely as always and Emily did a phenomenal job of keeping us all organized.  (look for photos to come…)   I’m looking forward to doing it again in September when we’ll tie a trip to the Coburg Antique Fair in with the classes!

The only drawback to the weekend was I had access to the internet for about an hr and I am still playing catch-up with email.   The scores of emails that came in over the weekend are going to make that a tad bit more difficult.  I’m going to do my best to get through as many as I can this morning before driving to Portland to pick up the kids.  Fortunately it’s overcase and chilly so not much of a temptation to be outside playing…

And without further ado, here are photos of Ali’s Favorite Products and add-ons!!

***If you are a new subscriber and would like to add add-ons to your order please email your requests to mailbox@cocoadaisy.com .  Please have your requests in by June 30th but of course the sooner we hear from you, the higher the likelihood that we’ll have in stock your requests.

“Ali’s Favorite Products, 2008″  This kit will retail for $42.95 ($39.95 with a 6 month subscription and $40.95 with a 3 month subscription) and beginning with the August 2008, kits will be $32.95 (and $29.95 & $30.95 respectively).

Add-on #1 Ali’s Travel Album $16.50   This will include the 6.5 x 6.5″ Tinkering Ink Peekaboo Album as well as written instructions for Ali’s album.

*****Ali has now created a second album using the kit (we’ll have photos of that one soon.  We’ll have pictures soon.  Most of the students in the classes this weekend were purchasing a second album so that they could create both.  If you are a subscriber who has already sent in your request and you wish to add an additional album please email us prior to the July 1st.

Add-on #2 Ali’s Exclusive Travel Stamps  $11.95

Add-on #3 Share Your Story (Autographed Copy) $19.99  This is due to be released from the publisher on August 1st.  If you are a subscriber, this will ship on with your August kit.  If you purchase this in conjunction with Ali’s kit there will be a separate shipping charge.

Add-on #4  Three Things $21.95

• Maya Road Calendar Turn

• Marah Johnson Travel Swatchbook

• Narratives Cream and Black Paper Ribbons

Add-on #5 Compass $20.95

• 7 Gypsies Crystal Book Knob

• 7 Gypsies 6 Arrow Photo Turns - Red

• Scenic Route Tabbed Photo Mattes - Worn & White Grid

• Scenic Route Date Label Stickers - Red

• Narratives Cream Circle Label Stickers

• Chatterbox Fabulous Brads - Red

Add-on #6 $29.95

• 7 Gypsies Travel Stamp Set

• Heidi Swapp World Travel Mask

• Marah Johnson Travel Signs Epoxy Stickers

• My Mind’s Eye Peaceful Dream Clock Diecut

• Prima Clear Tape - Harmony Red

• Tim Holtz Game Spinners (12 of various sizes including coordinating brads)

• Cosmo Cricket Subway Alphabet Rub-ons
  

The world traveler mask is not pictured above:

Add-on #7 Map $15.25

• Heidi Swapp Clock Stamp Set

• Jenni Bowlin Tiny Trim Rub-ons

• Kaiser Paints:

  • Red

  • Pistachio

  • Mud Puddle

Add-on #8 Fly Away $12.95

• Chatterbox Lacquered Paper - Alabaster

• Collage Press Grayson Collage Cuts

• Graphics 45 Times Nouveau Hip to the Jive

• Heidi Swapp World Traveler Overlay

• KI Memories Lace Cardstock Journal Teal

• My Mind’s Eye 29th Street Self Genuine Scroll

• Narratives Cream Bluebell

• Prima Angelique Heavenlies

• Prima Paintables Clock

The Heidi Swapp World Traveler Overlay and the Collage Press Grayson Hall Diecut Tags are not pictured above:

Add-on #9  Patterned Paper from the Main Kit  We do not yet have a photo or price on this.

Add-on #10 Cardstock $5.50

• Bazzill Beatle Black

• Paper Accent Kraft

• Bazzill Kisses

• Bazzill Creampuff

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Hope you are having a happy Sunday…

I just discovered this through an email from a subscriber.  Disclaimer:  the blog is actually fictitious, but a clever way to advertise about a good cause.

It’s called the I’m initiative.  And here are the basics:

The i’m™ Initiative from Microsoft™ makes helping social causes easy. Every time you use Windows Live™ Messenger or Windows Live Hotmail®, our free webmail service, we’ll share a portion of our advertising revenue with some of the world’s most effective social cause organizations. Exactly how much will we share with our partner causes? Well, that’s up to you and the growing masses of registered i’m Initiative users. The more messages you send, the more we give.

Now the small things you do every day, like e-mailing and IMing, can make a big difference.

One of their organizations is the Red Cross.  I heard last night on the news that their disaster relief fund is empty and will all those poor Iowans flooded out of their houses, disater relief is definitely needed.  Another, that I had never heard of, is ninemillion.org; it sounds like a great organization!  Here’s their mission:

The UN refugee agency’s ninemillion.org campaign is committed to giving the most vulnerable refugee and IDP (Internally Displaced Person) children in the world the chance to learn and play. Many of these children have no access to any formal education and live in camps or urban settlements with no playgrounds or sports facilities. It’s easy to take for granted access to education, sport, and technology, but millions of kids miss out on these important elements of childhood.

Sport and education are a vital part of childhood. Children need to play and learn. Education provides children with tools to support themselves throughout their lives. Sport develops tolerance and cooperation, and is a great source of inspiration. It can help as part of the healing process for children who have been emotionally affected by conflict, and it motivates refugee children to attend camp schools, which is particularly important for girls, who are all too often left out.

Hmmm… maybe this was the push I needed to finally enter the world of instant messaging!