Hi there! This is Amy Sorensen for Big Picture Classes, and I'm excited that you're interested in learning more about my class called Textuality. Before I give you all the scoop on Textuality, can I tell you a story? A few days ago, a friend asked me to speak to a group of teenage girls about scrapbooking and why it's important. So I showed up, and as the girls began riffling through paper and other supplies, I asked them what makes a scrapbook different from a photo album. One 13-year-old girl raised her hand and said "well, duh! It's all the pretty stuff. It's the pretty stuff you add that makes it all interesting." My own teenage daughter looked at me with that look that means "oh, no! My mom is going to embarrass me!" because she knows exactly how I feel about the pretty stuff. Of course—I love it! After scrapbooking for nearly 15 years, I've accumulated lots of it. I'm certain you have too.

But here's what I believe—and yes, I did share my opinion with that group of girls, although hopefully I did it in a non-embarrassing way—the thing that transforms a photo album into a scrapbook isn't the pretty stuff. It's the words. Stories, not supplies, are the heart of our craft. But who said that the two have to be separate? Why can't the words themselves be the pretty stuff?

And that's what Textuality is all about: using words as embellishments. Now, I have to tell you that I have a deep-down, life-long, abiding love of words. There are two parts to that affection. The first is for using words to communicate. I love writing of all sorts, be it a novel or an intriguing work of non-fiction or a collection of essays or even books of poetry. I confess: when I look at a scrapbook magazine, I spend more time reading the journaling of complete strangers than I do studying design or techniques.

But the communication thing isn't the only thing I love about words. The second part of my affection has to do directly with Textuality: words make the perfect embellishment. Think about it for a second: how many scrapping supplies include words in some sort or another? Whether it's alphabets or titles or random words or complete sayings or intriguing quotes, there are tons of supplies that pay homage to the simple alphabet. And why not?

After all, the alphabet is a fairly consistent thing. It's not as old as, say, flowers or the stars, but you can trace its origin all the way back to the ancient Egyptians. I don't think it's going out of style any time soon. It's timeless. That's why I think words, letterforms, the alphabet, or text in any shape is the perfect accent to any layout. And that's what Textuality well help you see. How to use text on your layouts in purposeful and exciting and new ways. Each week we'll focus on a different text-based aspect of scrapbooking, starting with the visual components of journaling. We'll discuss titles, products, quotes, text as embellishment, text papers, alphabet stamps, fonts, letter stickers-whatever takes the shape of any letter of the alphabet, we'll discuss, we'll use in new ways. You'll fall in love with the alphabet all over again. You'll be intrigued by all the ways you can use text in your layouts. You might even never again be stuck in the dreaded "how should I embellish this layout?" slump. Because there are always, always words. And as the class progresses, you'll learn how to use them in ways that'll make your layouts even better.

Something you should know: I am an equal-opportunity lover of scrapping supplies. This means that I am not afraid to mix the alphabet stickers that the UPS man dropped off yesterday with a stamp set I bought five years ago. In my mind, the idea of "in" or "out" techniques or supplies just doesn't mesh—I like finding new ways to use any and all of my supplies. So the class isn't about using just the newest supplies, but any text-based supplies that you already have, even if you bought them a decade ago.

And, while my other Big Picture classes are about writing journaling, Textuality isn't. It's not about how to write your journaling. Instead, it's about how to make that journaling you've sweated over as visually appealing as it is well-written. It's about words as art in the least-metaphoric sense possible. If you love words, or if the sight of your favorite letter makes you weak in the knees; if you're looking for a new approach to your designs or if you've got drawers bulging with alphabet rub-ons and chipboard letters and want to really use your stash, then this is the class for you. I hope you'll join me in the Textuality classroom. I can't wait to get started!