This month over bigpictureclasses.com I'm teaching you how to build a connected story in a variety of protectors, layered together. A connected story is one where photos taken at different places and times are arranged together to illustrate memories and experiences over time. Ever since I was a girl, we've picked raspberries. Recently as I was scrolling through 2015 images, I came across a handful of snapshots, taken with my iPhone while picking raspberries. When I saw these images again, they sparked an idea for a longer, connected story!

There are four lessons in my January class.

ONE. I'll introduce you to the concept of connected stories, share an overview of my project and issue a challenge that will undoubtedly spark a story for you, if you don't already have one. 

TWO. I'll show you the page and photo protectors that I selected and talk about why I selected them and how I will use them to house all the pictures and words and decorative details in my story. 

THREE. This is where I talk about shopping your product stash for papers and other goodies to properly embellish and visually communicate the mood of your story. You'll get to watch my assembly process too!

FOUR. I'll share my approach to getting the words down and using them to connect generations. 

This video shows you another example of a connected story, that I created for my Inspired Scrapbooking class.

Journaling reads: 

In 1994 we moved to our first ‘real’ house, a home we rented in Bountiful, Utah during the first year of Geoff’s residency. Clark was 15 months old and I was expecting Chase. I was very eager to nest and feel comfortable in this new place. There was no money for real decor, so I stained a six-foot long wood shelf, with pegs to hang in our living room. Each month I would decorate that shelf for the season and any approaching holidays. I purchased a small piece of watercolor art that winter, framed it and displayed it on my shelf (see the middle pocket on the first flap.) I continued to display this shelf with it’s seasonal decorations in five different homes for a period of twelve years. When we moved to Mill River Lane, the holiday shelf went away, but I was not able to part with many of the decorations I had either created or collected. I remember removing this watercolor from the frame and placing it with two early photographs of Clark and Chase and snowmen in my scrapbook ‘to do’ files. I love the sentiment, “My child be builder,” and knew that someday, I could create a scrapbook page or project with lots of of snowmen photos. I would then give this watercolor an appropriate and permanent resting place, in a scrapbook. 

Fast forward to the 2013 holiday season. Both Clark and Chase are serving missions and since my family is not together, I do not feel like having a family photo taken. But then, I suddenly have an idea: What if it snows and we build two snowmen to stand in for my two boys? That might be a really fun and clever Christmas card! As I contemplated this idea, my vision began to take shape and I became more and more excited. I hired my photographer friend, Randi Brunt and invited her family to join ours one Saturday morning, in search of snow. The photo and the card were a hit. I thought nothing more of snowmen, until recently, when I was cleaning up my scrapbook studio and came across my little watercolor. Aha! Now is the time to bring my collection of photos together and celebrate the fact that there have been many snowmen (more than are represented here) and more importantly, the fact that my missionary boys are fulfilling that beautiful sentiment—the are builders! They are daily building their own faith and the faith of others. I am so grateful for the gift of perspective, grateful that I can document family stories, grateful for full-circle moments like the one captured on this page and most importantly grateful for a loving and kind and gracious God that has blessed and prospered my little family over time. Life is good.    Jan. 2014

If you stick with me this year, you'll end up with TWELVE super cool, meaningful, story-rich pages.
My personal intention in 2016 is to create five pages a month, where ONE of those pages is a connected story. 

I hope you'll join me. 
Click HERE to learn more.