Thinking ahead (Christmas Project #2 : December Daily).

I am completely in the holiday mood.

We found out over the last few days that it looks like we will be hosting a bunch of family here for Christmas and it is lighting my fire even more for creating and decorating.

Right now I have a list of projects I am working through - figuring out which order I want to tackle them and reflecting a bit back to the things I made last year like this and these. Totally planning to make something along these lines as well.

One thing I have already made (besides starting the ATC spinner ) is a December journal which is featured in my Creating Keepsakes Studio A column for December (available in stores now). The idea here is to take some time before December to create an album that can be easily added to (photos + words) during the actual days of the month. Documenting the everyday activities of December.

I did lots of playing with this album: different sizes, different textures, envelopes and lots of transparent products. I set it up so that each page included a bit of space for journaling (added blocks onto transparent pages) and some room for a photo. The cool thing about working with a ring album such as this is that I can add in photos as pages (an entire photo could be a page) if I want to add more than one per day or do some enlargements. My plan is that from the 1st through the 25th I will simply add a photo and a bit of journaling to each page and call it good.

Here's a look at some pages from that project:

One of my favorite pages is peeking through in this photo: I cut up a Heidi Swapp transparent clock (a bit more than 1/4 of the clock) and am using it as a page all by itself. Love the bit of curve it adds.

When gathering supplies for this album, look to what you have on hand first off. I bet you may just have some transparencies, some envelopes, some stamps for the numbers, etc. that would work just fine. And for those of you out there who are looking to do a bit of shopping, take a look at the list below for products featured in this project:

Acrylic Album: d. reeves design house (8x8)
Large Acrylic Star: Picture It Pageframe
Transparencies: Hambly, Narratives, Heidi Swapp, My Mind’s Eye
Chipboard Numbers & Letters: Basic Grey, Scenic Route
Red Circle Numbers: www.everyjotandtittle.etsy.com
Metal Clip: Narratives
Letter Stickers: Scenic Route, American Crafts
Vintage Journal Blocks: Jenni Bowlin
Paint: Making Memories Cranberry
Envelopes: Paper Source
Rub On Numbers: Fontwerks

Look for completed pages to be featured on CK's website daily during December.

If you want to do something even more delightfully creative this holiday season, check out my friend Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas online class. I have done this project for the past couple of years and have so enjoyed the creative prompts and process.