Storytelling | Plant Your Story

Everyday Storyteller {a giveaway}

May 1, 2012 By Mrs. Gleason

Happy Blog Hop!!

Recently I’ve been all a flutter about documenting dialogues. There is just something so enchanting and so charming and also so revealing about the things we say and hear every day. These little conversations really color our stories so much. And it’s that soundtrack of chatterings that I felt compelled to share about in my contribution to Everyday Storyteller (which is so very nearly here!!).

And if there was one little nugget that I would share with you at this moment about documenting dialogue it would be this: There are always opportunities to preserve the daily “things we hear” if we tune in. Think outside the box and take advantage of technology when documenting the special sayings and conversations that live in your everyday.

Make use of technology: the notes or voice record capability in your cell phone, applications, and social media to get these things done *as they happen* so you can scrap them later.

For example, on President’s Day when my daughter uttered these words:”Daddy could be president. But he doesn’t have a president outfit. You really need a tie for that.” I *knew* I needed to scrap this giggle-worthy moment. I knew I *needed* to remember just how she delivered these lines. It was too endearing, too sweet, too humorous and too much an example of who she is at this moment in time for me to risk letting this gem fade into the sea of Other Moments.

But we were out grocery shopping at the time. So how was I to be sure I would remember this memorable scrappable quotable? Never fear! I simply shared the quote as a Facebook status right after I stopped chuckling. And then I used my Momento app to look back and snag it when I was ready to scrap it:

Today I’m so so thrilled to be sharing this as part of a fantastic blog hop FULL of little tidbits just like this from the contributors to Everyday Storyteller, the new scrapbooking idea e-book (I’ve been excitedly chattering about here and here).

And we’re feeling a little extra celebratory as the launch party is nearly here! The whole shebang kicks off at 8:30pm CDT on Friday, May 4. There will be more than $700 in prizes given away from our sponsors during the party. Which is pretty awesome. You can join the VIP list {HERE}.

And, AND! I’m even more thrilled because I have one copy Everyday Storyteller to giveaway today!

To enter this giveaway: simply comment here telling me your favorite “memorable/scrappable quote” memory

Deadline: 11:59pm CDT on Tuesday, May 1.

You can visit the rest of the hop for more practical tips and chances to win!

Be sure to enter here before you go. If you’d like to win a copy of Everyday Storyteller before it’s available to the public, simply comment here telling me your favorite “memorable/scrappable quote” memory before 11:59pm CDT on Tuesday, May 1.

And don’t forget to Sign up for the VIP list to join the exclusive launch party on May 4 and get in on the pre-party fun too.

Lots of luck! <3

Everyday Storyteller :: The Trailer

April 10, 2012 By Mrs. Gleason

As we are stepping ever closer to the launch in May I’m getting even more excited about Everyday Storyteller. Especially after seeing this fantastic little one-minute trailer for what kind of inspiration is in store from this incredible line-up of scrapbookers and storytellers:

Are you a storyteller? Sign up for the Everyday Storyteller VIP list to join the celebration of real world memory keeping.

Everyday Storyteller

March 25, 2012 By Mrs. Gleason

It’s probably no secret that I am completely In Love with The Story. I get all kinds of ooey gooey for it. And one of my most favorite aspects of scrapbooking and storytelling is the documentation of the every day — the little details that when woven together create a beautiful tapestry that is the history and the narrative of our lives.

And so I am so completely honored and humbled and thrilled and grateful and excited (read: gooped up on the gop) to announce that I was asked to lend my voice to Everyday Storyteller — a new scrapbooking idea e-book featuring 33 practical ideas from real world scrapbookers, landing in May.

Discover practical, real-world approaches for scrapbooking with Everyday Storyteller, a new idea book arriving this May. Sign up for the VIP list to be the first to find out how your favorite memory keepers document everyday life.

Take a peek at the list of contributors {HERE}. Wow. Right? I’m feeling at once starstruck and so so excited to be among these inspirational scrapbookers as part of this fabulous project! You can see a wee peek of my contribution by clicking on the wee banner next to my name.

There will be more details to come as we get closer to {inter}National Scrapbooking Day and the launch of Everyday Storyteller. Don’t forget to Sign up for the VIP list to join the exclusive launch party on May 4 and be the first to hear the latest details.

Putting Pen to Paper

March 1, 2012 By Mrs. Gleason

One of the wellsprings of inspiration you’ll find here at Plant Your Story is a project in storytelling called Papyrus. It’s all about Putting Pen to Paper and I hope you’ll find it both inspiring and encouraging in your own scrapbooking and storytelling.

You can find Papyrus products in my store as well as inspiration in the Anthology; each release includes a set of page design templates accompanied by a a series of story driven journaling prompts and a spot of content in printable .pdf format. These printable .pdf pages will contain a sprinkling of story starters, a dash of encouragement with a side of creative inspiration designed to meet you right where you are, as you are, whether you love to write or not with the hope of nudging you to put pen to paper.

My personal philosophy for scrapbooking, storytelling, memory keeping, documenting, capturing, goodness…even *living* can essentially be boiled down to these 6 words:

everyone has a story worth telling.

The longer, spill my heart version of that can be found here: Planting Roots in the Story wherein I share in true Wordy McGee style my heart for documenting our stories. And that big fat ooey gooey heart is that storytelling and scrapbooking, for me, is about documenting and recording, it’s about remembering. It’s about saying “I was here”, it’s about taking stock in life, it’s about celebrating the every day, it’s about finding your voice and getting to know yourself better, it’s about writing love letters to those we care about, it’s about keeping a family history, writing biographies and an autobiography, and it’s about building a legacy. It’s about things that matter. Not to the world. Not to Tom, Dick or Harry or Lady Gaga. Not to anyone else but those who matter to me, to YOU. The ones we love, the ones we hope to teach and to learn from, the ones we share ourselves and our lives with. We are recording our stories. And in the process, we are *writing* our own.

And that’s what Papyrus and Putting Pen to Paper is all about.

The process of “putting pen to paper” comes easily for some..the words just flow like water. There is a comfort there. Others are less comfortable in their journaling skin. But the “how” is the same for everybody and it’s really simple. As with anything else in life, the growth and the fulfillment lives in: practice. So our motto is: “just press record”, “just start”. Today is the best time. And the comfort and the ease lives in: being authentic. Just be YOU. Doubts and hesitations live in comparisons. It doesn’t matter how much or how “well” anyone else journals their story. This is YOUR story. You are the author. And you’re the *only one* who can tell it.

So please do.

Grow With Love: One Year Later

July 29, 2011 By Mrs. Gleason

July of 2010 marked the beginning of something special.

One year ago, Crystal and I introduced our storytelling concept Grow With Love. It was fresh, it was a little challenging, and we were a little terrified but hugely excited about it. Grow With Love was and remains our vision for our personal storytelling and it also reflected our philosophy and heart for encouraging others in their own storytelling. We hoped to create story-and-prompt driven projects that would challenge and encourage scrapbookers and storytellers to document their personal stories in a more meaningful way. And more importantly, in a way that would have a tangible impact on their lives beyond the page. In the year since we first put ourselves and this heartsong “out there” we have been so amazed and inspired by the beautiful pages and stories we have seen shared. And it was Grow With Love that gave me the personal nudge of confidence to really surrender to my love of Story and develop Plant Your Story.

So reflecting on this adventure, one year later, has me feeling a little nostalgic and ooey and gooey.

And Crystal and I both agree that our first project, Grow With Love: Marriage, holds a special place in our hearts (and in our albums)…and not just because it was our “first” but because of the impact it had on both of us personally. To this day, the pages that I created during the GWL: Marriage process remain some of my most favorite because they are full of my heart and they document the most important relationship in my life. It was transformative. It was empowering. It was challenging. But it was worth it. So so worth it.

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So today, in honor of our One Year Grow With Love “anniversary”, Crystal and I would like to offer three Plant Your Story readers with the chance to take part in this storytelling journey as well.

Grow With Love: Marriage was inspired by deep reflection of our own loves and relationships. It is a series of templates and journaling prompts that we hope will inspire you to share your own stories and create beautiful pages from the heart that you will love. Includes twenty layered templates and twenty printable thoughtful journaling prompts that we hope will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone a little bit, reflect on your relationships and loves, and love a little more deeply and truly. And as you scrap, at your own pace, you can review the process and get inspiration and encouragement that was posted here on the blog.

To enter this giveaway, simply comment here by next Friday 5 August at midnight (PST) for your chance to win Grow With Love: Marriage Edition. To increase your chances of winning, you can tweet (or retweet with a visible link) or blog or share news of this contest — be sure to share a separate comment with the link to your tweet or post.

If you have already scrapped Grow With Love: Marriage Edition, you can still win something special! Simply share one of your pages on the Plant Your Story FB page (For a “how to” see this link) and comment here for your chance to win $20 to shop my store!

Lots of luck! And thank you for one year of growing with love! ♥

The “We’re Really Excited” Post

June 21, 2011 By Mrs. Gleason

So….this is a post where we tell you how excited we are about our latest Grow With Love class, Staycation. I’ve called it The “We’re Really Excited” post because, embarrassingly, I used that phrase more times in our roughly 8 minute chatter than should be allowed. And I know that calling attention to it will only ensure that you will notice it all the more, but I’m all about owning the goofy and not being afraid to giggle at yourself a bit. But, also…it’s totally true. We ARE really excited about this project. We hope you’ll have a listen to our little introductory chatter to learn more about this adventure:

Chatting About Staycation: Really Excited

Grow With Love: Staycation is a summer adventure in everyday storytelling. Designed with the hope of helping you focus on the {extra}ordinary details and moments in your everyday, squeezing every last drop of fun, and finding the joy that lives in the overlooked “regular” elements of your story. All the while, actively and intentionally creating memories you will treasure. This class is meant to celebrate the everyday, embrace the fun of summer with fresh perspective, and encourage and inspire you to create and write the story you will document. Our prompts, products, articles, and tutorials will be the tools you need to write your special summer story and create meaningful pages that reflect the beauty of your everyday moments.

And more than that, we hope this fun filled adventure will encourage you to be intentional in your memory making: setting out to inject the fun into your moments and creating moments worthy of legacy and your story. And we are totally, sincerely and enthusiastically really excited about Staycation.

And we invite you to learn a little more {HERE} and in the Q & A thread in the forum. And we also invite you to ask questions here in this post! What would you like to know about the process and the class? Feel free to ask any questions in the comments and we will respond to them as best we can.

Crystal and I addressed a couple Q & As in the audio, but I’ll share a few more FAQs here as well…

Q: What if it’s not summertime where I live?

A: That’s ok! Apart from the fact that it will be summertime one day in your part of the world, we hope that these prompts can be kept close and used anytime throughout the year, any time you feel pulled to make an ordinary day a little something MORE. There is room for these prompts to be used and enjoyed over any holidays or breaks or any every day.

Q: What if I’m not planning a “staycation”?

A: That’s ok too! Even though these prompts can be used as a “staycation” in and of themselves, you can approach them anytime, over a period of time, once in a while, whenever it works for you. It’s all about making memories with those you love and making the most of your every day! It’s about having fun and documenting the process.

Q: Do I have to register in the forum?

A: No, you do not. You’ll receive all the basic course materials which are enough to follow along with the series at your own pace. That said, we really encourage you to register in the forum because, while we will send out some emails with additional content, the bulk of our bonus content and all of our exclusive offers from class sponsors and contributors during the “enhanced class period” will be posted in the forum. If you’ve signed up for the class, or even if you haven’t feel free to register and join in conversation in the forum.

Q: What if I’m not comfortable sharing or participating very much?

A: That’s ok! Crystal and I really understand that not everyone will want to participate at the same level. And so we aimed to design the class in such a way that you can still participate with as much or as little involvement in the forum as you would like. You can sign up for the forum and peek in throughout the class simply to snag the latest content or exclusives or you can get comfy cozy and join in and share. It’s completely up to you!

Q: Is the forum private?

A: Yes! The Staycation Forum is exclusive to Staycation participants. This will go live just before the official class start date of Monday 11 July. Only class members will be able to see and share in this forum. There is also a general forum area that is visible to all Plant Your Story forum goers. This area is for general chatter about storytelling and for storytellers and scrapbookers to mingle and be. You are welcome to post anywhere and everywhere you feel comfortable.

Q: Is the gallery private?

A: Yes! The Staycation Gallery is exclusive to Staycation participants. There is also a general Storytellers gallery that is open to anyone. You are welcome to post and share in either the private gallery or in the public gallery, or simply in the forum, or not at all…whatever you are most comfortable with.

Q: Is this class only for digital scrapbookers?

A: Not at all! While Crystal and I both have roots in the digital scrapbooking community we feel sincerely that this is a class that any scrapper (traditional, paper, or digital or digital art) can find inspiration. We have had paper scrappers follow along with Grow With Love, scrapping the prompts and we have LOVED to see the results. In fact, you could adapt this project in to any craft or type of storytelling. And while the exclusive kit is in digital format, it is produced in printable quality and can easily be used in hybrid or paper scrapping. And the digital templates can also be used as basic sketches. We will be offering some more traditional sketches as well, but we truly believe that anyone hoping to tell their story can find inspiration in this journey. 🙂

Please feel free to ask anything that comes to mind. We will update this post as we receive and answer questions. We’re getting excited! Can’t wait to embark on this journey! Staycation registration is open through Sunday 10 July, 2011.