Finally! I have completed my December Daily album! I am so excited, but, now I have to finish Project Life and get 2013 started! Egad! I’ve been busy with work, getting sick, Christmas, New Year’s, and my 13-year-old’s birthday, as well as other life obligations. It doesn’t help that my computer is so darn slow. Yes, I did take it to one of those computer geek repair shops a while back, and they said nothing was wrong. It worked as fast as lightning for them, of course. Just like a car, huh? Anyway, instead of posting my DD photos here, I put them on Flickr so it would be easier (there are something like 36 photos of my album).
I used Basic Grey’s Aspen Frost collection, some My Mind’s Eye stickers, Ali Edwards’ digital Christmas files from Designer Digitals, bought some silver and gold glitter paper at Michaels to cut my own stars with either my EK Success star punches, or my Big Shot for the larger sized ones. I also bought some washi tape at Michaels as well as the bright red Chevron tape from Two Peas In a Bucket and I couldn’t tell you what brand it is. I also used various things I already had in my stash, or downloaded from Pinterest. My mom was wonderful about stamping some Project Life cards for me with stamps she received from Studio Calico (Thanks, Mom!).
Now, on to Project Life. I don’t tend to show many photos of this project here because I do such a rush job, there wouldn’t be much to see. I am going to try to do a better job this year. Hopefully.
Are you taking Ali Edwards’ class One Little Word at Big Picture Classes? I am, but I still cannot think of my word. Nothing has come to me, except maybe the word LEARN. I have a lot I want to learn, so I can grow more, personally as well as professionally. I’m mulling it around in my brain. It would be interesting to know what your word is, if you’re in this class, and let me know. Thanks for coming by, and Happy New Year!
I know it’s just the beginning of November, but I am already in the mood for the Christmas season! Why? December Daily madness! Ali Edwards started it a few years ago, and it has spread like wildfire, and now everyone seems to be doing one. If you’re not in the know, it’s a month-long documentation of Christmas activities, shopping, decorating, preparing, visiting and partying in the month of December. Each day of December seems to be about Christmas, or getting ready for it, no? This is a way to put your special activities into a sweet little scrapbook to remember this Christmas in the years to come when 2012 is long forgotten.
Ali Edwards has a special December Daily kit available through Studio Calico, but it’s pretty expensive, and they run out quickly. Her album, this year, is only going to be 6×4″, too small for me. The album I did last year is approximately 6×8″, which is a much better size, but mine got way too full, so this year I’m going to do another 6×8″ album with divided page protectors, thanks to Simple Stories Snap album.
I think it will cut down on the bulk, and make decorating much more fun. I got the idea when I signed up for Lisa Truesdell’s class “Divide and Conquer” at Two Peas In a Bucket. She uses this same album and shows how to have fun with all the pockets. “Why don’t I do this with my December Daily?’, I thought. Good idea!
After printing out the PDFs for this class and reading through them, I got online and shopped at Two Peas In a Bucket for some essential supplies.
Rather than spend an arm and a leg on a pre-made kit for my December Daily, I decided to make my own (after all, I’m going to need that arm and leg when I shop for Christmas gifts!). Even though the Simple Stories album was unavailable when I wanted to purchase it, it was only two days later that I received an email announcing its return to the shop, so I purchased it maybe three days ago, and it came in the mail today! Good service!
In her class hand-out, Lisa Truesdell explains that she only used a 6×6 paper pack for the album she created; the smaller size is perfect for this album, and all the papers will coordinate together to ensure a cohesiveness throughout the album. I decided on Basic Grey’s Aspen Frost line (I thought it to be the prettiest one), so I purchased the 6×6 pad (saving a lot of money!), a sheet of stickers, a package of mini envelopes, a stitched garland and some more Micro Mini Monogram letters. I wanted some pretty brads, and I loved the ones My Mind’s Eye has in its All Is Bright collection, so I got those as well. I shopped at Studio Calico, too, and had to have their wood veneer Christmas trees, and their Wonderland adhesive badges. I also got my washi tape at Two Peas In a Bucket, and I found sequins at Joann. I still had some left-overs from last year’s December Daily, so I don’t see anything wrong with using those supplies as well:
[Correction: the word stickers are by Authentique, not Glitz.] I’ve also noticed some great ways to make tags on my own: look for free downloads from your favorite blog, or on Pinterest. I’ve found plenty on Pinterest and I got a free downloads from Ormolu,and Creating Keepsakes:
One of the front, title pages of my DD album.
This is called “subway art” from Creating Keepsakes; you can download it here. The Ormolu download is really nice, too:
You can also download this printable for free, here.
All I need now is for December to get here, and get my camera out and ready for some action! I promise to be back when things are under way to show my progress from time to time. I am really looking forward to it, and I hope you will share your December Daily ideas with me, too! Thanks for stopping by!
Finally!! I finished my December Daily album. It was so much fun for the most part, but while working full-time, taking care of the family, and daily yada-yada chores, it got tough to manage. Not every day had fabulous activities happening, but that didn’t mean that not every day had meaning. That was my focus: the little things. Catching up on the December issue of Martha Stewart Living yesterday, I read an interesting article about a father who wrote letters to his son- from the time he was a baby- in order to ensure they would remember their life together; “to leave behind an indelible remnant for him.” This is what memory keeping is for me, and as I put together my December Daily album, I tried to keep in mind that this does not have to be a spectacular feat in scrapbooking history, nor is this going to end up in the pages of Creating Keepsakes magazine. I want to be able to look back in the years to come and simply remember. That being said, here is my album, from day 18 to yesterday (warning: lots of photos here!)
The ribbon really helps keep it closed!
I hand-painted the star using a stencil, then covered it all over with Mod Podge.
The Mod Podge smeared the cool December Daily tag I had from Bananafish Studios, so I covered it with this one.
This photo I used because this is a special tradition from my mom; it best symbolized Christmas to me.
Please forgive my spelling errors. I did enjoy doing this, but a small part of me is happy to have it finished! Starting on January 1, I will be starting Project Life for the first time. After tossing the idea around in my head for the last 3 years, I finally decided to do it. I chose the Clementine style, and my album should be arriving any day now. I am looking forward to that! I am thinking that the key to keeping up with it will be to keep the album out on my work table, ready and organized so I can slip photos and notes in easily without much ado. I also begin a new year of One Little Word(I need to discover my word still), and this coming Thursday, I will be starting a new adventure with Big Picture Classes, Journey to Happiness: What Matters Most. I am really excited about this class; I need it! Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve been doing an okay job of keeping up with my daily pages, but photographing them and posting here have not been easy! This certainly is a busy time of year, isn’t it? My problem is that I do like to get to bed before midnight, and so not everything gets done. No 36-hour days have been invented yet, so I do the best that I can! Here is a composite of my December Daily album, days 11 through 17:
And did you notice anything? I got my binder from Studio Calico! Hot diggity! It hasn’t been decorated yet, but I have been putting my pages into it so I have a secure place to store them. Maybe tonight, or maybe tomorrow, I’ll put a coating of Mod Podge or matte medium on it with some decorations. I really don’t know how I want to decorate the covers, but I know it will be something simple. I’ll be back again soon to let you see what I came up with. Thanks for stopping by!
Merry Christmas to me!! Today I came home to my much-anticipated package from Banana Fish Studios…a December Daily ephemera pack, and a Fall/Thanksgiving mini album kit. Talk about excited!! I love to experience what other talented artists are doing…and my December Daily album will benefit greatly!
The Fall/Thanksgiving kit
Day 10, side 1
Day 10, side 2
I’m still using items from the Studio Calico December Daily kit (no longer available), as well as Banana Fish Studios, and my own hand-made embellishments. I like the idea of putting bits and pieces of everyday life onto my pages. Magazine photos, catalogue pages, packaging, etc., bear weight to the story of my life right now; this is what I’m looking at, buying, seeing, talking about, using, etc. This is life, right now. I love that. I want to remember years from now when and where I got this or that decoration; who sent Christmas cards; how I celebrated; what I baked, and who said and did what. Thanks, Ali, for giving me the inspiration to make certain that this season is remembered and appreciated as never before.
Busy, busy, busy!! I’m working, going to various meetings, doctor’s appointments, cooking, getting ready for Christmas, and tending to an ill child….oh, my! It’s not unusual for this time of year to be rather time-consuming, and I admit, that this project of mine does take more time than I’d like it to. I think the perfectionist comes out in me, and I can’t just print out any old photo and just paste it onto a piece of paper and be done. No. I want it to look good. I think that’s because I looked back on last year’s Christmas album, and I was utterly appalled with what I did. I took short-cuts and just threw things together to save time. I am now trying to see if I can do things better without spending every moment of my free time doing it–oh, wait…I have free time? News flash: I didn’t know that!
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Extra page of every day ephemera
Day 9
I may not be able to post every day, but I will get each day recorded and documented, and when I have a chance I will post the pages here, even if it means posting numerous past days all together, like here. That’s okay; I don’t want to stress too much about ‘shoulds’; I want to do what I can and concentrate on the ‘coulds’. Life is too short; enjoy today! See you next time!
Somehow, I didn’t get the original email from Studio Calico, but I received a copy this morning….the binders were to leave China on December 1, and the minute they arrive at their warehouse, they’ll be shipped off to us immediately. I feel bad for feeling bad about it in the first place, but I didn’t get that darn email explaining the hold-up! Oh, well, I’m not worried. I’m still participating, and I just discovered today that Ormolu also has cute smaller size binders ready for decorating any way one pleases (check it out here)! Now, why didn’t I know about that sooner? Well, my head is out of the sand at this point in time, and I’m ready to celebrate December!
Back side of the pockets.
Pictures are not the greatest, my apologies. This is fun, though; I am so glad I am doing this!
Work, work, work! That’s what I’ve been doing, whether it be at the job that actually pays me, or the ones at home, life gets so busy this time of year! I took some time this weekend to play catch-up for my December Daily (luckily I have remembered to take photos, at least!), and after downloading some pics to put on my pages, I suddenly feel so grateful that I did at least some preliminary foundation work. I don’t have all of the PDF pages printed out yet, and I’m waiting for more Hambly transparencies to arrive in the mail to make more page dividers, but I at least had the first 5 days somewhat ready. I just put my photos on, did a little embellishing, journaling, and here you go, so far:
Hmmm, notice anything missing? No page protectors…..no binder! I ordered it with the kit from Studio Calico way back when, but I have not received my binder. I got a note in the kit that apologized and indicated that I would be receiving it by December 1……I was hoping they meant this year. Phooey! Well, these things happen, and it’s not going to stop me from completing my pages, anyway. I can always make my own binder, or pages, can’t I?
Extra ephemera I'll be adding
I am so glad that I am doing this; this kind of project is going to help me enjoy and appreciate the holiday season even more than usual; instead of feeling anxious, stressed or worried, I feel excited and full of anticipation (not expectations!) for joy, pleasure, and lots of love. That’s what the season is all about!
On another note, I did get the chance to make a layout which I am adding to our monthly calendar (It’s a My Mind’s Eye scrap calendar):
Photos from my daughter's recent Christmas recital
I used Mr. Huey's spray mist in white with a tree mask on the green background.
Not thrilled about the alphabet font….it came with a Christmas kit from a year ago, and had been unused, so I though, why not. The layout itself is scraplifted from a recent one Ali Edwards did. Thanks, Ali!
And thank you, too, for stopping by. It’s getting late, so tomorrow I will be sure to include the products I’ve used. Any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Yes, that’s me. I work full-time at a hospital; difficult, stressful, demanding; my idea of relaxation is coming home to my bedroom (where my ‘studio’ is) to scrapbook. Case in point: I got off a night shift last night, not my usual shift, and what did I do when I came home? Sleep? No. I looked for something pretty to create. Tired? Shmired!! I wanted to scrap. My husband once told me that I have an addiction, and I think he’s right. But, there could be worse addictions, okay?
December is right around the corner, and for once, I really want to make a December Daily. I want to enjoy and appreciate this holiday season in any way, shape and form it arrives. I want every day to count, and I want to document it all. I have a Christmas tree (thank you, Mom!!); decorations (hand-made); and ideas for some really wonderful things I can do to make our home comfy, cozy, and delightfully festive. It’s been a long time coming, and I am really excited about the fact that I am so inspired and motivated. Yes, I do have to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas day (after all, cardiac disease doesn’t take any holidays, so, why should I?), but that won’t diminish my holiday joy. I am so grateful to have what I have, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Except one. Silly? Yes. Important? No…but to me, it was. I love stars. I’ve said that before, but when I saw the canvas star on Ali Edwards‘ December Daily part II photos (Nov. 4, 2011), I fell in love. That is so me. I immediately looked online for some of her beautiful embellishments to go on my own December Daily (thank you Ali for the links!), but when it came to ordering the canvas star, I was out of luck. And I wanted that star! No emails ever arrived to announce that this particular product is back in stock, so today, of all days, I needed to get into a closet I rarely frequent, and found some duck cloth canvas sitting there from I-don’t-know-when. I have my star! was my first thought. I know how to sew. I have a star die (to go with my trusty Sizzix Big Kick). I have the right material. Nothing was going to hold me back. My poor husband didn’t even know I was home before I was getting things going.
My inspiration, from Ali Edwards.
My own humble version....
...inspired by Ali and ready for my own December Daily
Not knowing that Scrapbook.com now has these canvas stars back in stock, I made a lot, and I made them to sell on my Etsy shop to share with all of you. Who knows how many of you were looking for this, and couldn’t find them, either!
I am so looking forward to this holiday season, and I hope every one of you reading this has an a beautiful season as well! Okay, time to get some shut-eye before the next shift. Zzzz.
I am actually feeling the spirit of the season. The decorations around the hospital and at home are no longer superfluous fluff, they actually have a magical sparkle to them that I see from within me, and it’s a great feeling. I am loving Christmas right now!
The entire December Daily album can be seen here.
