January 17, 2011
December Daily™ 2010 | Reflections On The Process & One More Look At The Binding
I had a few requests to see what my December Daily™ album for 2010 actually looks like with the baker twine + ribbon binding. You can read the original post here.
In the photo above I simply opened to a random page and laid it on my desk - that's what it looked like laying flat.
Here's what it looks like when I pull the binding strings a bit tighter. That's about how much give I allowed for when I tied the twine + ribbon.
2010 Process Reflections
I love this project. I still love it after five years of committing myself to doing it each December.
Here's a few thoughts on this year's process:
- I'm a definite fan of the all-one-size pages. That doesn't mean that I won't change it up again in the future but I loved the simplicity.
- I also really liked having the templates. They were simple and provided a nice solid foundation for all my content. I liked that I was still able to keep it interesting by mixing up different things in each of the areas (photos, journaling, papers, etc).
- I LOVE full page photo enlargements.
- The binding continues to be an issue each year. 25+ days of content means a thick book. Maybe for next year we can get someone to make a thicker album that can hold an album of this depth.
- This was the first year that I kept up every single day (except for getting the title page + binding completed). I really think that was because I set myself up for success by having all the pages printed and ready to go. It also helps that I post them here everyday.
- I can't say what, if anything, I'll do differently for December 2011. I'll just have to see what I'm thinking and feeling when it comes time to start thinking about it actively again in October.
What I love most is pulling them out of storage each December (I pack them away with our Christmas stuff). When we pull them out the next year and the year after and look through each one and recall stories and see the images and laugh and sigh and enjoy seeing what the season was like in our lives in that particular year, it is just so great.
Again, thanks so much for joining me in 2010!
All posts about December Daily™ can be found here.
i really love your DD concept and i am in the process of completing my book. (schedule is so hard with work and family, i really hope i can find some me time soon).
thanks Ali. you truly inspire a lot of us to document our lives for us and for our family.
God bless!
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Thank you for posting your thoughts for us. I learned a few things also especially this being my first year. Next year I will buy a bigger album, didn't have enough room past the 25th like I had hoped. Seeing your full page photos was my favorite thing you did and I hope to do that next year too. It was so helpful and very inspiring being able to link up everyday and see everyone's pages that's what made me stay on top of it. Next year I might have it just be a December album without worrying about the dates. My family loves this album and it's still being passed around for everyone to see. I will pack it away when it gets returned. Thank you again Ali for coming up with this great album and sharing the journey with us. So happy that I followed this year.
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Oh Ali,
i really really like the finished daily. I'm finished mine yesterday and hat the same issues with the binding. I'm taking red twine insead of binder rings and it worked fine but looking for another solution next year. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Marit
PS: you can look my finished book here:
http://tagfuertag.typepad.com/weblog/daily-december-2010/
I just checked out your album. WOW you did an amazing job. I think it came out great the way it is. Thanks for linking it up.
I really like the size you used!! Great inspiration for next year! Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for all the effort you made in guiding us(me!) through this process Ali. I still have the last few pages to finish. Today might be the day! =)
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Perfect timing! I finished my 1st book today - woohoo! but also had to change from the rings to twine. I was just checking to see how you bound yours when I read your new post. This will help. Thank you. One issue I have had is the spacing of the holes. I followed your recommendations from the FAQs but I struggled getting the holes to match exactly from page to page, if that makes sense. I tried to measure and mark on the cardstock but had difficulty doing the same on the transparencies. I would love to know how you approached this. I understand that you probably want to be `done' with this project, so if you can't answer now, could you please consider addressing in DD 2011? Many thanks.
Kelly, I don't know how Ali does it, but I put an already punched page on top of an unpunched page and after lining them up, I punch through both. This has worked great for me whenever I have to hand punch pages.
Kelly, I just did this for a similar album over the weekend. What I do is punch the holes with my Big Bite for the album covers (front and back usually made of chipboard) first. Then I measure the holes for my inside pages off the cover page with a pencil. I guess the trick is to have all your pages match the inside depth and punch the same. Mine came out all matching when I did this.
I don't measure at all. I just start with the first holes and then I hold each page up to the first one and punch.
I'm pretty sure Ali covered this in her Q&A post. It's at: http://aliedwards.com/2010/11/december-daily-qa-update.html
Thanks for your repsonses. I'll remember that for next year!
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This is the first year that I made the album and I love how it turned out. Last year I took pictures but having the actual completed album is awesome. Thank you for the inspiration. Thanks for keeping up and posting your projects too - that helped me keep up!
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hi ali! this is the first year (i've done DD with you since 2007) that i've finished the album in jan. woot! i've completed the prior years in nov, july, etc. and i think the simplicity of this years book made such a difference! with two little ones and working full time, much like you, i needed it to be easy this year. even with fewer embellishments, i still just love this album. and this year i journaled more, which i also love. also love the full page enlargements. may be addicted to that concept now...
binding was an issue for me too, although i am going with the 2.5 inch rings. really love your thought about someone making an album just for DD (talk to those house of 3 girls: that canvas album they make is awesome!).
have a wonderful day!
beth
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perfect thanks;) wonderful job again for 2010!!
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thank you for a month of motivation, incouragement and inspiration.
that would be encouragement :)
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thank you for the extra info, it is always helpful. Loved this years simplicity, it stayed fun, not just another project that needed completing before Christmas.
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I too undertook DD for the first time this year and am totally in love with my bulging album which I finished last week. I used a 7" x 9" D-ring file folder which I purchased at my High Street stationers, it coped beautifully with the first 25 days of the month but struggled with the last week and I had to create a closure from an old leather belt! It is groaningly full but I love that it is, it's chock full of memories and photos and is sure to be something that I will enjoy looking through in years to come.
I've enjoyed my DD so much that I have decided to start a new album capturing the highs and lows of 2011 month by month. Thank you for giving me the inspiration!
I posted the final pages of my album onto my blog today at www.totalpapercrafts.blogspot.com and am so pleased with the finished project!!
Karen, your album is beautiful!! I just bookmarked your site for future inspiration. Can you show a picture of your finished album with the belt you talked about? I would love to see how thick your album turned out. I also used a similar size and used a D ring binder. It worked out pretty good! Thanks so much for sharing!
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You make great points. I like most nº6 - wait and see.
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Looks great Ali. I would love to see a thicker book (maybe Teresa Collins whose stuff I love) and more consistency as you had this year. I am very happy with mine but used varying pages and it was very labor intensive. Used your 6 x 8 page overlays but had to attach them to background sheets to fit my pages. Can't wait to see what you come up with next year. Thanks.
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that would be great if someone could come up with an assortment of d-ring binders built to fit an album of this size. i love this size. it is what i have done for all these years now.
i always say this, but i mean it, thanks for the inspiration, ali. our family loves these books so much.
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I loved seeing your December Daily pages each day and what you were doing and photographing along with the other links were helpful. I truely think it is a very precious memory and as you say will look forward to seeing it next Christmas and see how much the kids have grown. Thanks for inspiring so many of us. It's fun doing these things together even if it is remotely and most of us will never meet. There's support and encouragement out there and it makes the project fun.
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I didn't do the DD, but i followed along with you. I love the way you finished up with your reflections on the whole process -- that is project management at it's best!
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Ali, you always inspire me so much. I finished my DD album pages every few days and it was completed by the end of Dec. Like you I had a hard time with the binding. I am going with some Christmas "rope" I found. I don't mind this type of binding so that's okay. I do plan to do it different next year but wanted to combine your DD idea with Stephanie Ackerman's Countdown to Christmas kit. It turned out great. I need to take pictures and put them out so people can see it.
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Your page templates made this year so much easier and I love the clean look and the versatility of the pages. Finished my book yesterday and love it. Looking forward to next year. Thanks for the inspiration!
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I would LOVE to see 24 and 25...
and I guess I will jump in and try pages all 1 size next year!
Darling! I need to start hunting for some vintage wallpaper...
Here's the link: http://aliedwards.com/2010/12/december-daily-2010-day-twenty-four-day-twenty-five.html
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Hi Ali. This was my very first try with the December Daily and it was a great experience. I did it ALL digital witch made it easy to stay on track and make a page a day and by january 2nd I ordered my photo book. That was the plan: one story and one page a day - only two days had two pages - and I kept on through all of december. I was easy because of your templates they made it easy for me.
Also a wonderful thing to follow how december turned out "around the world" :o) Thanks for sharing and keeping up posting every day.
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I took a normal photo album (with 2 4x6landscapes and the little 'journal spots') And just slipped in 2 photos every day or some "paper stuff" ... I love it! It was so simple and the small journalling space made me really have to work to keep the story simple (or Photoshop the journaling on the picture.) It was such an easy no-prep way to do it. In fact, I got the album on Dec1! The only thing I had to watch, was that any stuff I put in could only be paper-thick. But it worked out wonderfully! Thanks for all the inpiration!
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I have just posted my finished album on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deeanncummins/sets/72157625844945466/
Above is the set, but if that doesn't get there, the album is the last pictures uploaded at
www.flickr.com/deeanncummins
Thanks for looking if anyone does!
I have followed Ali's December Daily every year, but this is my first album. I loved making it. My boys are grown and this is my granddaughter's first Christmas. There isn't much journaling since she is so young and doesn't have many activities. I took pictures on the days I was with her, filled in with the decorations at their house and a few photos my son took. I see many things I would do differently, but I really love the completed project.
Thanks, Ali.
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This was my first year doing the Dec. Daily. I really enjoyed the ride. I can't wait until next year. I didn't do the transparencies this year but I plan on using them for 2011. In fact, I'm already collecting stuff for 2011 Dec. Daily. Thanks Ali for helping bring out my long lost creativity.
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i love this project too...I have done it for 4 of those 5 years...
such a treasure to pull out each year...Now that all my kids don't live at home i really value them even more...This year's is so different...but it's good...
thanks for inspiring me to do it!
loves...
m
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I too LOVED the one-size, lol. Multiple-sizes in an album normally don't bother me (I mix and match all the time) but for a theme album, especially one that had to be done each day, I needed the simplicity of the standard size. =)
I'd *love* to see these same templates in landscape for next year! It'd add a neat perspective I think. Also, these templates are awesome for just every day, you know? Like an album of Mondays or Saturdays throughout an entire year. Would you consider doing that, making the 6x8 available for each day in 2011? And maybe in landscape too? <--- That's asking too much, isn't it. LOL!! But I really do love this template and the spaces it creates: Large (back side that's bank), Medium (the top part of the front), and Small (the rectangle next to the date). The trifecta! =)
Thanks for all you did for the project, and for the binding information as well. Those rings had me in fits, lol.
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