December Daily Album : Part Two
Now comes the fun part: selecting + organizing + numbering pages.
One of the things I aim for in this album is variety: sizes, textures, colors, edges, etc.
For this album I cut a bunch of pieces 6 inches x 9 inches and arranged them inside the album (or as close as I could get with some circle + die cut papers). You will cut yours to whatever size makes sense for the book you are using. After putting them in I did other things: tearing, cutting smaller, creating decorative edges with the Fiskars Threading Water Punch, etc.
Next, as you will see below, I added numbers to each page.
For me, this book is less about decoration and more about documentation. What that means is that when the time comes in December to add my words and photos I will not spend a lot of time trying to figure out what I want to add product-wise. I don't have any plans to spend more time each day than it takes to upload and print a photo (here at home), write up some journaling, and adhere it into my book (and maybe add one embellishment or a couple word stickers). I don't want this album to take up more time than necessary during the holiday season. Again, I want to be present and experience the season and do a bit of documentation as we go along.
I like to do documentation as we go along, rather than after the holidays, because I find that I have a tough time remembering what were the specific important or poignant or endearing or special parts of the day months after the fact (sometimes they are comments in passing or very simple things that end up meaning the most). Instead of "we went to see Santa today" I want the journaling to be more personal and real: how did Simon react, what was special about the moment, did he say anything silly or wonderful, what made it unique from last year, etc.
Those are the things I want to capture in this album.
As you will see below this is all about keeping it simple. Don't spend too much time deciding where to put the numbers or journaling blocks. Get it done. When December rolls around you will be working with what you have in front of you rather than starting from scratch. Making it work is a creative task in and of itself.
Day One:
[ Clear Scraps XL Deco Acrylic Page (cut in half + used the second half for Day 18); Ali Edwards December Daily Photo + Journal Overlays ]
Day Two:
[ Scenic Route Kraft Photo Mattes; random playing card tucked behind the tabbed photo matte ]
Day Three:
[ Art Warehouse Mistletoe Ledger; Ali Edwards December Daily Photo + Journal Overlays; Fiskars Threading Water Punch (for decorative edges) ]
Day Four:
[ Hambly Climbing Vine Antique White Transparency; Tree: Art Warehouse Noel Epoxy Sticker ]
Day Five:
[ Baseball card page protector cut to size; Every Jot + Title Red Circle Numbers ]
Day Six:
[ Creative Cafe Dark Red Polka Dot Felt; vintage circle 6 card; American Crafts Ribbon #57604 ]
Day Seven:
[ Paper Source Red Envelope; American Crafts White Subway Foam Thickers ]
Day Eight:
[ Art Warehouse Mistletoe Transparency; #8: Every Jot + Title Red Circle Numbers ]
Day Nine:
[ Heidi Swapp Overlay Dots; Ali Edwards December Daily Photo + Journal Overlays ]
Day Ten:
[ Art Warehouse Mistletoe Dot Die Cut Paper; American Crafts White Subway Foam Thickers ]
Day Eleven:
[ Making Memories Flocked Vellum Snowflake Paper; still needs a number ]
Day Twelve:
[ Making Memories Flocked Dot Papier Rouge Paper; #12: Every Jot + Title Red Circle Numbers ]
Day Thirteen:
[ Random Chipboard Piece; Scenic Route Berkley Red Letter Stickers ]
Day Fourteen:
[ Heidi Swapp White Moments Clock Overlay; #14: Every Jot + Title Red Circle Numbers ]
Day Fifteen:
[ American Crafts Bushels of Fun; Jenni Bowlin Studio Boy Icons Printed Journal Ticket; American Crafts Black MOMA Remarks Letter Sticker Book ]
Day Sixteen:
[ Paper Source Pocket Envelope; Scenic Route Berkley Red Letter Stickers; Tree: Art Warehouse Noel Epoxy Sticker ]
Day Seventeen:
[ Unknown Music Paper; American Crafts Mumbo Jumbo Black Letter Stickers ]
Day Eighteen:
[ Clear Scraps XL Deco Acrylic; Ali Edwards December Daily Photo + Journal Overlays ]
Day Nineteen:
[ Making Memories Skinny Stripe; Circle Sticker: Art Warehouse Christmas Cardstock Stickers; American Crafts Black MOMA Remarks Letter Sticker Book; "Merry:" Unknown ]
Day Twenty:
[ Jenni Bowlin HOME Bingo Card (may be replaced with one from her holiday collection coming soon); Circle Stamp: Savvy Stamps ]
Day Twenty-One:
[ Baseball card page protector cut to size (end up with four pockets); American Crafts White Subway Foam Thickers ]
Day Twenty-Two:
[ Art Warehouse Die Cut Mistletoe Text; Ali Edwards December Daily Photo + Journal Overlays ]
Day Twenty-Three:
[ Heidi Swapp Overlay Dots; Tree: Art Warehouse Noel Epoxy Sticker; American Crafts White Moma Remarks Letter Sticker Book ]
Day Twenty-Four:
[ Making Memories Artisan Solid Die Cut Paper; Scenic Route Berkley Red Letter Stickers ]
Day Twenty-Five:
[ Art Warehouse Dear Santa Hollyberry Paper; Scenic Route Berkley Red Letter Stickers ]
These albums get more stable (vs. just a piece of patterned paper as a page) when photos are added. Some photos will cover the entire page, some will be cropped and arranged on top of the patterend paper, and others will be added in as pages themselves. Most of that will depend on what happens on that particular day. Take a look at last year's album to see completed examples.
Edited: Feel free to leave questions in the comments today. I will address them in a post tomorrow.
Am I skipping Thanksgiving?
Someone asked in the comments yesterday if I was going to do anything for thanksgiving/November/gratitude-related and the answer is YES. I am hoping to have more information and details on a great project for you soon! I mainly just like to get this one out and done with early on as I have lots more projects planned for the lead up to December (you can see the holiday projects I did last year here).
This is part of a series of posts on creating a December Daily Album. All posts can be found here.
Awesome, I can't wait to start this one. I did the "week in a life" and loved the process, and the result. I still need to print some pictures and I will be done. Yippee! Hope I win the giveaway. The products are wonderful. Thanks Ali for including the blog world in your projects. I love your simple style and your philosophy of words + pictures.
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Hi Ali
Love all you do - you are such an inspiration - keep up the great work! Would like to know if you reinforce the pages that are just cardstock??
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I was so inspired by your pages and my new Bind-It-All that I finished my december daily album pages in a couple of hours! I put them on a flickr page...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30306358@N05/sets/72157608493739877/
I tore out tons of green, red, black, white, and manilla colored items from my stash, piled them on the floor, then punched without planning and numbered with whatever I could find. It felt great to be so haphazard.
Thanks for another great do-it-together project. I don't know any scrappers, so its nice to have people who are working on the same things, even if you don't know them personally!
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Buying a christmas tree and decorating the house with christmas stuff. Shopping,shopping, shopping. Family gatherings and exchanging gifts. Smell of december.
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having two weeks off to spend with my kids, making Christmas crafts and gifts with my kids
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I am looking forward to all the magic of the holiday season and sharing it with my two little angels!
Joanne
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Just working on my album, I was wondering with your clear pages what kind of adhesive do you use so stuff stays put but you aren't staring at a glue dot or some adhesive blob?
This project is so great! Thanks for the inspiration.
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I am SO thrilled you are doing this again and are sharing :) THANK YOU!!
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Oh Ali,
I am so in the Christmas mood after seeing this album! Thank you for sharing your creativity yet again.
Blessings,
Amy (aka Earl...long story bout this one! LOL!)
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http://rebeccavavic.typepad.com/blog/2008/10/christmas-album.html
I have mine done and ready to go on this journey with you :) YAH!!!
Last year I wasn't organised. I saved a Christmas Kit I received last December, and I knew this is what I'd use it for.
Thank you Ali, once again, for being such a wonderfully inspiring woman.
Hugs
Bek xo
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I would love see pictures of how you organize your projects like this so that you can work on it easily each day in December.
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What a beautiful project! I especially love that it can be made with supplies that I have in my stash.
One question...what size binder rings did you use? Just wondering how thick last year's album ended up being??
Ali, thanks so much for sharing!
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I often visit your site for inspiration, and I have yet to be disappointed. I love the samples and instructions or hits you provide. Working full time and spending as much free time with my grandchild, I find it hard to go to classes. This blog is the next best thing! Thank you for all your beautiful postings.
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Love your album.
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Yay! I just finished mine -- can't wait for December now! Blogged it (and shared in the Flickr group!)
http://lynlepre.typepad.com/lifeinpajamas/2008/11/11808.html
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Beautiful album .. and what a great idea! My family will be traveling in Dec, so this will be a perfect idea for a travel album/journal. The only thing is that it'll be hard for me to plan the pages ahead as I don't know what our schedules/activities will be .. and depending on that, I may want to use an envelope (to contain ticket stubs) or a folder to store maps/postcards) instead of a photo page...
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THank you so much for sharing, again Ali.
Was inspired last year and this year have made my own.
http://skruijver.blogspot.com/2008/11/december-daily-album.html
Looking forward to filling it.
Take care and have a super special Christmas
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OK -I'm going to GO FOR IT & do this album. $$ is super tight this year and so I'm going to get my "little ones" involved (ages 11,9 &7) and this is going to be OUR project. I'll go through all my supplies & use what we have -- I am so inspired & excited. Not only will we be preserving memories.. will be creating some new ones along the way! Thank you Ali!
Jennifer
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I just finished my December Daily album. I used a kit for an album that was Christmas themed, added my own stuff and used my bind it all. Turned out really cute...I just hope that I remember to carry my camera around with me. Thanks for the great idea!! I am such a Halloween fanatic that I may do one for that holiday as well!!
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I just finished my December Daily album. I used a kit for an album that was Christmas themed, added my own stuff and used my bind it all. Turned out really cute...I just hope that I remember to carry my camera around with me. Thanks for the great idea!! I am such a Halloween fanatic that I may do one for that holiday as well!!
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wonderful album !!
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Hey Ali,
Are your journal pages going to fit to a 6x8 size book?
Thank you.
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hi! just preparing to do my very first december daily. can't wait! a little apprehensive as to making a "foundation" first. i'm so used to having my photos on hand before i make a layout. anyway, i also just wanted to let you know that if you haven't found out by now (two years later) the "unknown music paper" that you used on day 17 is "gingerbread" from october afternoon's "good cheer" line that was launched during CHA summer 2008. i loved that paper and hoarded it. thanks again for all the amazing inspiration.
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