Online Scrapbooking Class :: True Stories - Journaling for Scrapbookers and Bloggers
For a long time, scrapbooking (and even the odd scrapbooking class) was something I did in my spare time, not my every day. The spare time when I was not in my more traditional classroom, teaching English to teenagers. The spare time I needed to kick back after being my most energetic and my most creative in finding ways to get those very teenagers to embrace things like reading and writing as useful and enjoyable rather than just required.
Now that scrapbooking is my every day, there is part of me that misses that very core of my curriculum and the excitement at seeing someone realise that perhaps writing has an unwarranted bad rap. Discovering that really, putting pen to paper can be an exercise in being in complete control of your world and saying things exactly how you want to say them and better yet – saying them in a way that anyone else could pick them up and understand you completely.
I’ve said it many times: to me, scrapbooking is pretty paper and true stories. I’ve taught plenty of classes about the pretty paper. This time, we’re going to focus on True Stories.
True Stories is an online class that starts on the 25th of October, but it can be completed at any time. It lasts three weeks, with fifteen full-colour PDF prompts delivered straight to your inbox, Mondays through Fridays. From the beginning, there is absolutely no way to ‘fall behind’ or ‘not finish’ because it’s not that kind of class. You can follow along by working on a prompt each day if you would like, but you can also keep the prompts as a reference for when they come in useful for your own scrapbooking, blogging or other story-telling needs.
True Stories covers fifteen different ways to approach your story and commit it to paper. You can use these prompts as a scrapbooker and see your journaling evolve to something that will be a treasure to read. You can use the prompts as a blogger to make your entries feel like honest, unique and compelling tales. Or you can just use them in general as a collection of ways to add a bit more excitement to your writing if you’re feeling like you’re in a rut of writing the same way on every project.
True Stories is a natural complement to all the classes I offer here at shimelle.com. If you loved Something from Almost Nothing, you’ll love that the prompts include scrapbook pages you can create with the supplies you already have on hand. If you loved Blogging for Scrapbookers, these topics will push your writing another step, and we all know that a successful blog can be just as much about the way something is said rather than just what is mentioned. If you love Journal your Christmas but would like to expand your written memories of the season, this will do just that. And if you have been working on scrapping your own story with a class like You Think You Know Me or My Freedom, then there is a lot of content here that would be a happy match to writing from your own memory (though it’s not a requirement of True Stories to just write about yourself). This natural complement is why it doesn’t matter when you take this class or if you use it in the order the prompts are delivered or instead choose to keep it all as one reference and dip into the materials whenever they are most useful for you.
True Stories includes my own notes, scrapbook pages and writing exercises in each prompt, but there are also many special guests. On the crafty side of things, a different scrapbooking star (or two!) will join us in each prompt to share their spin on storytelling — they will share a new layout with you as well as their thoughts on writing. On the writing side, I’ll be joined by Relly Annett-Baker (twitter | bio), who travels around the world teaching corporations and designers how to get the most from words. And she’s a scrapbooker! So she’s the perfect balance — she’s a technical expert with a love of this same hobby we all share. She’ll be sharing her own tips and exercises to bring it all together – and Relly has a wicked sense of humour too! I can’t wait to show you what all these great contributors have helped me build for you, and I just love the variety of backgrounds that we’ve all come from while coming together to share one love: scrapbooks that tell beautiful stories.
True Stories also includes a private forum for class participants to discuss and share their work, including a section for getting feedback on your writing if you would like to share your journaling with others, or the option to submit your writing for feedback privately if you would rather just have some tips from the course leaders rather than share with everyone in the class. Like all shimelle.com classes, True Stories includes permanent access to all the class materials so you can return to the prompts and discussions at absolutely any time.
Ready to sign up? You can sign up at any time and you can choose to pay in UK Pounds or US Dollars. If neither of those is your currency, you can choose whichever you prefer – you don’t need to do anything special to change the currency from your account.
You can pay by credit/debit card (click on the left of the payment screen) or Paypal account (log in on the right of the payment screen). The email address on your Paypal account is where your class materials will be sent by default, so please be sure this is a valid email address. If you would like your prompts sent to a different email address, you can enter this email in the ‘notes to seller’ field or you can send me an email (shimelle at gmail dot com) and let me know if you miss that step.
Class starts on the 25th of October but you can sign up at any time (even if you are reading this later than the 25th). Please be aware that your class registration is processed by an actual person (me!) and that means there will be a short wait before you receive your information. It’s never more than a day and usually much, much less, but I do try to make a habit of sleeping once per day, in general.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me or ask in the comments on this post.
I’m so excited to write with all of you — especially since you’ll never have homework deadlines which means I’ll never give any detentions!
xlovesx
Read more about:
Next post: An Online Scrapbooking Class for the Holidays :: Journal your Christmas
Previous post: Two frequently asked questions
14 October 2010, 15:09
I was all set to be one of the first to sign up – then I spotted the mention of a special offer for LSNED alumni! Glad I read to the end rather than being carried away by my own enthusiasm…. ;)
This sounds fab Shimelle, can’t wait xx
14 October 2010, 15:14
And I jumped the gun! Signed up blind…and now read the bit about LSNED! Anyway, can’t wait.
14 October 2010, 15:15
Oops! Signed up early this morning and now I see there’s going to be a special offer for LSNED alumni – got too carried away there! Oh well, I don’t mind as I love Shimelle’s classes! Can’t wait to start Shimelle! I love journalling :D
14 October 2010, 16:58
I am so excited to be involved in this class. Shimelle has been planning some really interesting and different stuff – pushing both of us to come up with some new and fun ways to journal.
14 October 2010, 17:35
Oh, for goodness sake. I didn’t read that properly and signed up without noticing the special offer for LSNED people either. Still, the class sounds great anyway.
14 October 2010, 19:39
Sounds tempting – sure wish that discount was for the Blogging for Scrapbookers alums too! (hint, hint)
14 October 2010, 20:13
ooo sounds great!! I shall wait for my email tonight then :)
14 October 2010, 20:33
This sounds exciting, Shimelle! I’ll watch out for more posts (and the special e-mail!)
14 October 2010, 21:03
Sounds great, thanks Shimelle.
Now how do I stash shop from Two peas in a bucket, please? Do they send stuff to the UK. If yes, do you get hit with a big Duty bill that cancels out the lower prices? Incidently,my DH would rather no one answers this. Ahem.
14 October 2010, 23:04
It’s gone midnight and no email.
14 October 2010, 23:33
Sounds great!
15 October 2010, 02:02
Oh My! Can’t wait for my email promo to pop in to my Blackberry. It feels so great to take one class after another esp if it helps me build my blogging technique! Thanks for the special offer in advance.
15 October 2010, 07:06
Sounds great…I’m waiting for the email…now Friday and haven’t received one yet!
15 October 2010, 09:37
Ooooh, great! I would love to join in! Can’t wait to get my email….well I suppose I’ll have to!!XX
15 October 2010, 09:38
I’m in!!! :)
15 October 2010, 11:31
sounds wonderful, as always your classes are!!!
15 October 2010, 12:04
Oh YES! I’m all signed up. Can’t wait for another awesome Shimelle class. Good job it starts in half term & I can bribe kids with TV/Wii!
15 October 2010, 14:07
All signed up and looking forward to it.
x
15 October 2010, 14:16
All signed up – ready when you are..
:)
15 October 2010, 14:46
Signed up love your classes X
15 October 2010, 15:57
Yay! This is exactly the kind of class I’ve been waiting for :) Signed up and raring to go!
p.s. I saw you in Cafe Nero in Bath the other day Shimelle – sorry I didn’t say hello but I was with a friend in need of hugs and coffee x
16 October 2010, 14:52
can’t wait for class!
it’s sounds exciting!
xo,a
16 October 2010, 18:14
Sounds like a wonderful class – I’m in. And glad i read the comments about the discount for LSNED alumni before I clicked the link! although i would have signed up anyway!
17 October 2010, 01:21
I love everything you do, Shimelle! I’m in!
17 October 2010, 05:47
Just wondering if you plan to offer Blogging for Scrapbookers again or is this in place of that? Thanks!
18 October 2010, 04:08
Hi gals! I sent my payment information via paypal, but I haven’t figured out how to put in the email I want the class sent too? Do I need to sign up somewhere?
19 October 2010, 11:57
Have never done any of your classes Shimelle, so am really looking forward to this!
21 October 2010, 02:06
I forgot to leave my email in paypal when I signed up for the class…what now?
21 October 2010, 03:31
Hi I just saw you were teaching on Shimelle’s blog and came looking to check out your blog. I love your style. I would love to win a chance to take this class
21 October 2010, 14:00
I have always wanted to take your class. I would really like to win this.
24 October 2010, 06:58
hi! I am so happy I won your class thanks to Doris giveway!! i am so excited and i can’t wait to start learning more! i am a teacher (teaching french as i am french!) and it is nice to be a pupil for once!!!!
24 October 2010, 14:38
I just signed up Shimelle!! I love your classes glad you sent me an email!! Much appreciated.
24 October 2010, 17:58
What is the discount for LSNED alumni? I’ve not seen that anywhere…please help! =)
25 October 2010, 01:44
Just signed up, can’t wait. Journaling is the thing I struggle most with on LOs so really hoping this will be a big help (or even a little help would be good :-)
25 October 2010, 04:59
I don’t know where to enter my emaail after paying via PayPal…my PayPal account is an old email address. Please advise.
25 October 2010, 10:46
Great news got your email yesterday signed up today was pleasantly surprised as i never recieved prompts from last years class i could only assume you never recieved my new email but i was proved wrong.
25 October 2010, 12:50
I signed up and I am very exited. It is my first class here. XOXO
25 October 2010, 19:59
Has anyone received the first daily email yet? Has anyone received anything? =) I signed up yesterday. So far I’ve only received a confirmation from PayPal that I paid, but nothing from this site.
25 October 2010, 21:07
If anyone else signed up for Pen to Paper and hasn’t received anything, check your Spam. Everything Shimelle sent went straight to mine! Off to read the prompts!
25 October 2010, 22:12
Just signed up but don’t know how I get the class info??? I paid by paypal (and yes, my email on there is current) do I need to do anything else??? SOOO excited! (amazing, a class to get me OFF the computer!! ;))
26 October 2010, 02:00
I got the e-mail with the link to the forums but I don’t see the new class in the forums. Anyone??
26 October 2010, 04:55
I am also one who is very confused about how to access the class/forum. No information was emailed – I checked my spam box too.
26 October 2010, 07:06
I’ve emailed everyone who has commented here with a concern up to this point. :) Often your class emails go to spam or sometimes they are being sent to a different email address than what you expect as it’s the email address of your paypal account that comes through when you register. :) But all easy to change if you would like.
You can email me any time at shimelle at gmail dot com too. :)
Thanks!
26 October 2010, 15:50
Just signed up, always a day late in my world! Super excited though!
27 October 2010, 16:55
Love this idea but am home recovering from surgery
may pick it up later
28 October 2010, 08:41
Late ..but willing :D
31 October 2010, 14:47
Hi Shimelle..I’m from Indonesia..is it an online class…love scrap booking so much…
24 August 2011, 07:47
The post is written in very a good manner and it entails many useful information for me. I am happy to find your distinguished way of writing the post. Now you make it easy for me to understand and implement the concept. Thank you for the post.
28 September 2011, 06:38
http://www.toryburch-shoesale.com
28 September 2011, 06:42
http://www.shoesnew.net/nikefree70-c-13.html
17 October 2011, 14:18
THKS
25 October 2011, 05:09
Beautiful post a number of the person looking for hours you eid sms will find resources to share your post.
5 November 2011, 05:36
Wow. I am blown away. That is a great design with the locket. I love the circular card. So great.
6 June 2012, 16:48
Whether one needs transport from the place to the flight terminal terminal or just wants to view the Great Greater Area, limousines are the perfect choice that guarantees high-class, style, comfort. Caledon Airport Limo – Cambridge Airport Limo – Hamilton D/T Airport Limo
2 November 2012, 23:25
So wonderful blog is to make people open seeing, the characters of colour let a person calm to write in. Later I will frequently visit your site. Thank you very much! MCMODDR
2 November 2012, 23:27
Wow. I am blown away. That is a great design with the locket. I love the circular card. So great. pokemon team builder
15 November 2012, 05:10
Let your life rich rise. This is a very meaningful. I like to do so! Ascertained your internet site and adjudicated to apply a barred interpret
22 December 2012, 03:50
Please tell me, is this possible and how can it be done? When it comes to Google, there is no shortcut to success. Here are some tips
11 May 2013, 22:19
It also helps in removal of the dead cells from the upper layer of the skin and the nutrient elements of clay makes the skin tight and much more toned.