Everything AE/Ali Edwards

I am very pleased with the changes and will continue my SBTM sub. They addressed my 2 concerns- the crap stamp and the papers that were often hard to use for me as I mostly do PL. For me, the value of the kit seriously increased because I didn’t care about the stamp anyway- even when it was a good quality I rarely used it as it often copied the kit and why would I need to basically stamp the same thing? I got more paper cards back which is great and then all the vellum cards as well! I agree the amount of vellum cards is kind of weird as they will be a bit tricky to use but I just think of them as a bonus anyway as I’m already getting more out of the kit than I was before. I like the colors of January- the only real miss for me was the weird bird cards. Don’t care for those but that’s still ok for me- there is more product than I can use anyway so I like that now I have options of using what I like the most. Depending on the price I will probably buy the paper pack add on as well most of the time so it was a smart business move I think to separate things and let people pick the things that are going to work for them AND make more money. I mean I want AE to do well as a business so they continue to produce products I can purchase.

Oh I thought of another slight miss- I don’t like that the three things card is back. We already had it a full year. I enjoyed it last year but I want something new.

I just watched a live and Ali read the story kit themes for next year really quickly at the end- I might have the months not right but this is what I quickly scribbled:

Dec 23: present

2024
Start
Savor
Birthday
Around here
Enjoy
Collect
Quiet
Nature
School
Grit
Magic
Hello

I am going to keep SBTM for next year but I just have too much product so I will phase out my story kit sub - might do every other month for a bit to see kits through enjoy and then end it. I don’t need/have interest in the kits after that. I mean things like nature are usable but I don’t need any more in that theme so it should be easy enough to let it go. TBD! Lol

OLW sneaks

http://instagram.com/p/C0hc3LqyGx8

I assume it's some random designer at Inked. But who knows. 

Sky worms? LOL I am dying at this and will also think of that when I see a butterfly. 

Re: sky worms in the kit -- I am over all them always being in the OLW kits. 

I mean no offense by this and am genuinely asking this question, but if you didn't notice the change in quality, why would it matter? I 100% agree that if the change in quality was noticeable and something you disliked that the kit would be less valuable to you, but if you can't even tell the difference, why does it matter?

I am adding this to my line up for 2024 and I'm excited about it! I've only picked up their kits as one offs before. I am no longer going to get freckled fawn, so in 2024 I'll be using Cocoa Daisy + Ali Edwards + stash (and picking up one offs here and there).

I love the SBTM changes, I was so excited when my kit arrived! I also do weekly project life and intend to keep doing that into 2024, so I like having more cards. Even though I do the 6x8 and other traditional pages, I like this kit for project life and other kits, like the story kits, for other layouts. I personally love vellum and use it in most of my projects, so I'm super excited about the vellum cards. That said, I saw the comments about the vellum cards and agree they could be difficult to use in pockets by themselves if you don't plan both sides of the spread together. I am going to brainstorm some additional ways to use them in pocket pages and will hopefully share a youtube video on this topic! (But likely won't be until February because I have a packed youtube schedule)

paget thanks for sharing the upcoming themes! I was hoping they'd update on the website soon because it only goes through March. I am super excited to see "collect" on the list, I've been suggesting this for years now ha. I also really like a few of the other ones, but didn't they already do magic? I think it was one of the first kits. I have never seen them repeat before so I'm surprised to see that on the list, but also could see some use in repeating some favorites because it's been like 9 years and most people haven't subbed the full time (I know I'm a weird one).

For one little word, I don't think I'm going to get the kit/take the class for the first time in forever. I have done and loved this project since 2015, but I never finished 2022 and I fell off on 2023 in like March. I think I just have been doing it so long, I needed a switch up. I also have so many other projects I want to do, and as I add more to my line up, I think something has to go. So I have made the hard decision that I will skip this as a stand alone project. I do still intend to have a word, but I will include it in other projects like project life + my daily journal, without specific prompts or a separate album.

(Edit: I also updated my screen name on here. I had made it legal lady for awhile because that makes more sense, but then people couldn't tag me because it doesn't actually change your name for tagging purposes. So back to this nonsense name.)

I had also purchased the class every year since 2015, so I was nervous about skipping it this year, but I'm glad I did. I decided right from the start that I would only do 10/12 prompts, and I picked and chose the ones I liked from past years. I bought the main kit, but I have a lot left over. I've been using supplies from the story kits that I wouldn't otherwise use in my regular scrapbooking. This coming year, I may work out of a notebook and keep it fairly simple.

By the way, lasteve1 , I purchased your Plan, Prep & Play class not too long ago, and I've really been enjoying it. This is a good time for me to reflect on the projects I want to focus on in 2024, and your class is helping me make thoughtful decisions.

This is where I am as well. 

I will have a OLW but won't do the class. I don't like that so much of the class is same ol' same old and I also don't like the prompts (having a convo with my word, etc). Just not my style and I am ready to focus on something else. I am contemplating doing my own thing but we will see. 

Because I am picky about my stamps. I currently can't edit photos (need a new computer as my current one can't handle photoshop anymore) and I haven't been papercrafting as much because life has been crazy and my craft space now resides in the middle of the chaos in my house (and I don't function well in chaos)...but I still purchase(d) a couple of kits and this was one of them. I plan to use them, the point of stamps are that they are not consumables, so they'll be there when I am ready. It isn't that I didn't notice while using them, it is that I haven't gotten a chance to. It probably makes me sound like a nutjob buying scrapbooking stuff when I haven't been doing it for a while, but my shopping has dwindled to almost nothing...I pick up things here and there (you'd be amazed the number of new unopened xyron refills I've been finding while thrifting) and my 2 small kits were my fun shopping to look forward to when I am ready to get back into it again.

In general, I use my stuff a lot...mostly for my kids, but I love that I can fulfill most of their needs (even helped my mom punch a new hole in a belt she got that was too big because her pants don't stay up post cosmetic surgery) without having to leave the house.

I know I shouldn't be defensive or feel like that should be my first reaction, but I mean, just because I don't reach for something right now doesn't mean I won't and doesn't mean I shouldn't have expectations of its quality when I get to it.

At any rate, I am glad to be done with it now as it ate up about 20% of my fun money every month and now I can save that money to put towards other things I am more likely to use in the interim. The price hikes have been outrageous so while many might love the changes, I am stoked that they made the decision easy for me...zero FOMO, which is the only reason I held on so long. It worked out. It is great that some people are excited, but for me, the price is insane for the paltry sum of products the kit now includes. It went from being a great value to being the worst value of anything her shop offers.

I agree. The OLW prompts became too abstract for me (talking to my word, writing a poem about it, etc.). Next year might be singing loudly about it. No, not my thing. I liked the project when it started at BPC, but now it morphed into some weird project, just for the sake of doing a project and offering products for it. I do still have all my old OLW prompts and will most likely use whatever I feel like works for the month. Having said that I do like the sneak of the kit but I have never bought the kit as it is just way too much product for me for just documenting one word/one aspect of my life. I might pick up the digitals if I really like it.

Yes! In the beginning it was awesome! Not 'too off the wall' but still crafty. I would totally be in on doing that again....but it's like the leaders of the class keep steering the class into some weird direction. No thanks.

Those stamps will end up in sales for $5. I can’t imagine anyone thinking the $10.99 price is a reasonable value. I don’t think they’ll be good sellers. There are always folks who have that “full collection collector mentality”, who will get it regardless.

I am skipping the Present SK. I had hopes for it, but I’m not loving it. The darker colors are too dark.

I don’t know what possessed me to sign up for a six month sub months ago, but I’m only 2/6 so far.

I would love the add-on paper pack that’s for SBTM, but I guess I’ll just cross my fingers it’s in the shop at some point.

That’s a good thought, paget ! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. 🤪