Ali Edwards: Featured Scrapbooker, June 2005

Our Featured Scrapbooker for the month of June 2005 is none other than Ali Edwards. Clap, Clap, Clap! I first discovered Ali’s work when I stumbled upon 2peasinabucket. 2peas was recommended by my good friend, Gem . The first time I laid eyes on Ali’s layouts, I was hooked! Ali is part of the highly creative 2peasinabucket Creating Garden Team. She contributes regularly to Creating Keepsakes Magazine. I just loooovvveeee her layouts and designs!

For Ali, scrapbooking is the perfect marriage between two of her favorite passions: graphic design and history. According to Ali,
“We give an amazing gift to our families, to future generations, and to ourselves, when we take the time to record our history. All those crazy, wonderful, tough, endearing moments that make up our day to day lives.”

Her goal is to aid scrapbookers in effectively communicating those stories by empowering them to embrace their individual creativity.

Ali lives in Creswell, Oregon with her husband, Chris, her son Simon, and their Black Lab, Lily.

1. How and when did you discover scrapbooking? Who/What encouraged you?
I started scrapbooking in November 2002 with the intention of doing something with all the photos and such I had gathered since my son Simon was born. I had been surfing online and came across www.twopeasinabucket.com. The gallery at Two Peas really opened my eyes and my imagination to all that scrapbooking could become. I was instantly hooked and a day has not gone by since then that I did not think about scrapbooking in one form or another. It has changed my life.
2. What are your top 5 favourite scrapbook materials and tools? Things you cannot live without?
1. X-acto knife & lined cutting mat
2. Hermafix tab adhesives
3. Textured cardstock – favorite at the moment is Bazzill Cottonwood
4. Alphabet rub-ons
5. My computer – for photos, type & journaling, etc.

3. What is your favourite scrapbook/layout technique and why?
I love shapes: punches are a tool I use constantly. I love to layer. I love to bring unusual patterns together. I love to combine computer elements with paper elements and handwriting.

4. How do you do your layouts? Do you do them chronologically, by events or special occasions or what you feel like doing at the time?
I am a “do what I feel like at the time” scrapbooker. I focus on the story I want to tell; sometimes inspired by photos, other times inspired by an idea or event. I like jumping around. I like not having a beginning or an end. I like having so many possibilities in front of me.

5. Where do you get your ideas for the layouts?
Lots of my design ideas come from graphic design magazines (such as HOW or Communication Arts), general interest magazines (such as Real Simple or Domino), and by simply keeping my eyes open out in the community. I love to see how shapes come together, how colors work side by side, how type is used in our environment. As for layout subjects I am continually inspired by the everyday life of my son Simon, by reading books about all kinds of things, and by seeing what other people are recording in their own scrapbooks.

6. What is your favourite scrapbook album/layout and why?

http://www.blisstree.com/files/29/2006/02/ali%20fave%20album.jpg
ali fave album.jpg

I think my favorite album has to be my First Home album. It was created a couple years back now and is mainly handwriting and photos. What I love about it is how complete the story is – the story of where Chris and I first lived together and all the things that happened in that location. To me, the story is really the most important thing.

As for my favorite layout, it seems to change with the seasons. One of my favorites is in my book, A Designer’s Eye for Scrapbooking. It is a layout about coffee shops in Portland and how they seem to be on every corner – something about it just speaks to me each time I look at it again. Love the design and the colors and, of course, the subject.

To view the rest of Ali’s work, go to:
Ali’s Layouts

Ali’s Creative Space

To view rest the rest of Ali’s Scrap Studio, click HERE.

Purchase Ali’s ‘A Designer’s Eye for Scrapbooking’ here:

A Designer’s Eye for Scrapbooking