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july 11, 2007 volume one | issue twenty-one It is seriously summer here at my house. Temperatures this week are over 100 degrees (that's pretty hot for the Pacific Northwest). Thank goodness for outdoor pools and air conditioning. I am excited to let you know that an archive is now set up for my Studio A articles featured in Creating Keepsakes magazine. Click here to access the files. Right now my studio space is in a state of chaos (my goal is to not have this be a normal thing). I am going through everything, moving things around - trying to find a set-up that is both inspiring and practical. For awhile now I have felt like I can't breathe in here - too much of too much in every corner. It is definitely a process. As I get things organized I will share more in an upcoming issue. In my attempt to make some room I have been thinking a lot about the products that are my personal tried and true - the ones I reach for over and over again that don't really change from season to season as new products are introduced. Below you will find my list of favorites. Here's to spaces with room to breathe and products that you love so much you would buy them again and again. Peace, Ali tried & true One of the questions I am often asked at workshops usually has something to do with the supplies I use all the time. Over the past few years I have tried all kinds of different products (and I will certainly continue to pick things up here and there to try as they catch my eye) - some have been awesome and others found their way out of my studio pretty darn fast. I am particularly prone to picking up adhesives - you just never know when you may find that perfect one for your project. Below are my current list of supply staples - my go-to basic products. Adhesives: Dot n Roller Adhesive : by far my favorite since being introduced to the Japanese version last year + feels great in my hand UHU Glue Sticks : these are multi-purpose and I love that they go on in color and dry clear Terrifically Tacky Tape : this is a roll of thin red double-sided tape that is great for lots of different uses - very, very sticky Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares : I have been loving the dimension that comes from these lately - they seem to be just the right size for most of my projects Pens American Crafts Pigment Pro Pens : hands down my favorite writing pen Sharpie White Paint Pens : a white pen great for photos + dark papers Punches McGill File Tab Punch : I love adding tabs to the top of my layouts and within minibooks - this one allows me to use all kinds of different patterns Fiskars Circle Punches : use this all the time Albums American Crafts 3-ring Albums : what I love best about these is the ease of use and that I can have all kinds of different page sizes included easily Storage Stuff Display Dynamics Paper Trays : most of my patterned paper are stored in these trays Cropper Hopper Photo Storage (5x7) : this is where I store my printed photos Cropper Hopper Page Planner Pockets : see the question and answer section below for my thoughts on these Trimmer Fiskars Desktop Trimmer : for a long time I have been using simply an xacto + a metal edged ruler for all of my cutting needs - this one is my new best friend (still using the other system about half the time depending on the project Camera & Lens Canon Digital Rebel XT  Canon 50 mm 1.4 lens What are your go-to supplies? As a challenge this week take some time to list out the things you find yourself buying over and over - the things you would recommend. Create a blog post (or even a layout) sharing your favorites. I'll set up a post on my blog next week for links. question & answer Q from Betsy: Do you ever find yourself with so many projects (scrapbooking and not) that you don't know where to start? If this is an issue for you how do you handle it? A: Absolutely. You are so not alone. You should see my room right now. Piles of projects, half-started, so many good intentions - just a bunch of chaos. For me my starting point is often dictated by deadlines - that helps me organize what must be finished first and what can remain safely on the pile for a bit longer. You may consider setting some deadlines for yourself or at least a priority list of projects you would like to complete. Even if you don't stick to that list it will still give you some sort of direction (and a place to begin). Another thing that happens to me when I have too many projects is that I tend to want to reorganize everything I own. It is a form of procrastination, but one that I have come to recognize as the way I get ready to work. Reorganizing energizes me, reminds me of what I have, and actually helps me organize my project list. Read below for more about storing projects.  Q from Cindy: Hi Ali. As I read your post on Friday you mentioned having Project Folders. Can you tell me more about those?? When you know you will be making a specific project do you "dump" everything into a folder, including the embellishments you think you might use? I have ideas for projects and layouts but need a good system to keep my thoughts organized. Any suggestions? A: My favorite project storage lately has been using Cropper Hopper Page Planners. They are a bit bigger than 12x12 and are a great place to just drop in stuff as I go along (especially as I am going about organizing all my piles around here right now). As I come up with a new project I pull out a folder, jot a title or name on the little card that comes with the folders, and then add stuff as I go along. Sometimes it will be products, sometimes notes, sometimes photos - all the things that I don't want to lose or know I want to use for the particular project. I found the storage basket at a antique/junk store - perfect size to hold my project folders.  inspired by | guerilla art Love this idea - kinda risky, kinda dangerous, kinda why not: You Are Beautiful. For more on the idea of Guerilla Art check out Keri Smith's great new book: The Guerilla Art Kit .Copyright 2007 Ali Edwards/AE Design/Life Art Media. Please do not reproduce any content without permission. Ali Edwards, author of A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking and A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking with Patterned Paper, is Lifestyle Editor of Creating Keepsakes magazine where she writes a monthly inspiration column called Studio A . She is a wife, mother, artist, writer, and seeker of balance. Owner of AE Design and Life Art Media, she conducts life art workshops around the globe. You can find her online on her blog or contact her through email at ali@aliedwardsdesign.com
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