December Daily : Day 3 (part two)
Here are some thoughts and tips that came about as I was putting this page together this morning:
Catalogs. How many catalogs did you get in the mail yesterday? Put those printed materials to good use and reuse them in this book as accents and patterns. The one I used here is from JCrew. (Note: if you are interested in receiving less - or zero - catalogs in the mail you can "take control of your mailbox" with Catalog Choice.)
[ Word Keys: Tim Holtz; Font: Baskerville; Paint: Making Memories Cranberry; "E" Chipboard: Basic Grey; Joy Mini Bingo Card: Jenni Bowlin Studios; Cardstock: Bazzill; Scallop Edge: Fiskars Threading Water Punch; Glaze: Glossy Accents ]
Blog posts can become layouts/content for your projects. My
journaling for yesterday came directly from my post this morning. I
copied them into a Photoshop document and printed on cardstock before adhering on top of the catalog page.
Not printing your photos at home? If you are not printing
from home, using your blog to record your daily observations and your
photos is great way to keep it all together in one place before working
with it creatively in your album.
Multiple pages & changing things up as you go. Today I ended up with four pages. Some daily
stories simply take up more space - don't worry about adding in more
pages to create room for more content and spreading one day over more
than a couple pages. Don't be afraid to change things up as you go
along. I trimmed
off the top of the green diagonal patterned paper so that it was the
same height as the photo (before page is shown below).
Simple works just fine. Maybe just one accent is all a page needs. I loved adding a single word key with rik-rak to that first page.
Here's a closer look and some how-to details:
Add a word key to patterned paper with Glossy Accents (this is quickly becoming a favorite liquid adhesive). Just squirt a little on the back and spread it with your fingers. I placed the rik-rak through the key before adhering and tied after.
To create the scalloped edges for these pages I used the Threading Water Punch from Fiskars. It's a simple way to add a decorative edge to any papers.
Journaling was copied from my blog post this morning and printed on white cardstock. I changed the color of a couple lines of text, rounded the corners, and inked the edges red. Added the little star with Glossy Accents.
The page from the JCrew catalog was adhered with rolling adhesive to the back of this photo. In Photoshop I added a line from my Holiday Word Art collection at Designer Digitals before printing.
To add a little something to this chipboard "E" from Basic Grey I painted it with cranberry paint from Making Memories and then added Glossy Accents on top for shine. It works great as an adhesive or to add some shine/dimension to accents (depending on how much you use).
And the before image:
[ Art Warehouse Mistletoe Ledger; Ali Edwards December Daily Photo + Journal Overlays; Fiskars Threading Water Punch (for decorative edges) ]
Celebrate the season. Read more about the concept of a December Daily Album and links to all related posts here. See many more examples from participants in the Flickr December Daily Group.
Back in 2006 I designed a "creative thoughts" monthly calendar for 2007 that was available through my Cafe Press Shop. I made a few small adjustments to that design and am re-releasing it for 2009. You can check it out, along with the design for each month, here.
it's looking so good already!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I am so super jealous of all your supplies and tools! I would love to make an album like yours but have realized that the cost just adds up too quickly. I always love to see what you are working on, though. Thanks for an awesome blog!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
it looks great. I am surprised that I have been keeping mine up to date. Yay!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
It is coming together nicely! I've really been diligent in mine of only using things I have on hand. No, it's not as cute and wonderful as Ali's but it sure feels good to use things I have.
One thing I have decided to add is Christmas Cards. I just punch them and add them in on the day of receipt. One even came in handy as a mat for a photo on one side while showing the front of it on the other.
Another thing is I've also tried to resolve to myself that even if something seems silly to include, years from now I'll look back and remember daily life.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
What a cool idea to include a catalog page! Looking forward to seeing your third post today! :)
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Chris - I love the idea of adding in the cards!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Oh I was wondering when you'd make this calendar again coz I missed the 2007 one. Thanks so much Ali, it'll be a wonderful, inspirational monthly thing! :-)
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I love and appreciate all of your tips and twists. You are a gift to so many of us.
I just posted my first 4 days of my December
album. I am really enjoying this project. We've been on vacation and I couldn't wait to get home to work on the album.
Thanks Ali!
Joni
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I love how you recycled the catalog!!!!
I get so many--I'm sure I could find something to use in them,
thanks
{vicki}
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Great pages..love the Word Art.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Yay for the 2009 calendar. I loved the 2007 one! I just bought one for myself to wrap up and put under the tree.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
It looks Great!! You really know how to make random come together to look like it was planned! Amazingly talented Ali!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
This looks awesome Ali. I am doing my own December album by playing along at Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas and I love it as well.
Just a question about printing at home, I'd love to know what photo paper you use? Looks great.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Thanks for the tips on using your blog... great idea. And love all the goodies you have.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Megan - I just use HP Premium Photo Paper or even the Office Max brand (what I happen to have right now).
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I am so enjoying watching you put this book together right before my eyes my book is finished but I have not been able to add my pictures as of yet but I am taking them I will take your advice and use my blog to log in my journaling until I can sit down and get those pictures in thanks Ali
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Sometimes your creativity just blows my mind!! You make it all look so fabulous and effortless and fun and well... all good things!
Thank you, thank you, thank you - thanks for sharing and inspiring!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I love the ragged stitch you used on the Joy page...
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Posts like this that feature your creative projects are always a little moment of pleasure for me. I love landing on your page, seeing something you made on a new post, and then giving myself some permission to forget things and enjoy.
BTW, thank you for explaining what that brown page was a couple days ago. I don't know why it never occurred to me that that was BEHIND the acrylic, lol.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Oh, also meant to thank you for posting the before page. It helps me to get how it worked.
I just love the simple beauty of all of your stuff.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I'm really enjoying watching your album come together page by page.
I'm working on my first one....and am loving the results.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
So beautiful! Love the key! Excited to see the calendar, just came across 2007 and was wondering...so too cool!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
all great tips, thanks ali! so happy that you will have your calendar out for 2009. cheers, rachel
Sign in or sign up to comment.
love this album! I am having so much fun watching it come together!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Ali,
What do you use to apply your paint? It seems that my foam brushes leave "unwanted" lines on my chipboard.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Sign in or sign up to comment.