December Daily 2020 - Day 1

Oh my goodness. December is here. 

I didn't get foundation pages together the way I have in the past, this year. 

I have had a hard time getting motivated, though I KNOW I will be putting an album together. 

Such a weird year this is going to be. 

Having said that, I finished Day 1. 

I have a flip up 3x4 sized flap that shows the under photo and includes my journaling. 

I used Sahlin Studio product on this layout, a combination of Holly Days and Favourite Things. 

Taking this project like everything else this year, one day at a time. 

To check out products I used, click the links below. 

Holly Days

Favorite Things

Home for the Holidays | Sahlin Studio

The November featured product for Sahlin Studio is Home for the Holidays. 

You can get it, through the entire month of November for 35% off!

For me, it came at the perfect time. Just when I'm beginning to think about putting my December Daily album together. 

December Daily... My most favourite, as well as the most 'all-encompassing', project of the year. 

This year, I didn't buy any new products for DD. Last year I was delighted with the Elle's Studio Document your December kit, but this year the shipping to Canada was off the charts. I just can't justify paying those prices in US dollars. 

So, this year, my album will be mostly digital. Though I have lots of left-over physical product from past years. I'm kind of excited about how it will turn out. I love some of my albums more than others, but what I do love is the 11 years of December Daily albums I can look back on. 

So, I created this 6x8 sized layout, that will be the title page, or close to the title page of this years album. 

We had family photos done in October. A Christmas mini session. It's been 2 years since we last had photos done. I am a photo person. Pictures bring me such joy. This is something that's worth doing, to me. I know I could have set up my camera and taken photos myself. [And sometimes I do] But the kids listen better, and don't roll their eyes as much when someone else is telling us what to do.

Looking forward to working on this years album. 

For sure a bright spot of 2020. 

The following Sahlin Studio products were used: 

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Home-for-the-Holidays-Elements.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Home-for-the-Holidays-Papers.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/December-Days-No-4-Numbers.html

December Daily - 2017

Can you believe tomorrow is already December 1st? I can't.

This holiday season, I feel very settled and content. Last holiday season was an absolute blur... 

I was working, and the closer Christmas got, the busier I was. The days were busy, the nights were busy [with extra curricular kid stuff] I wasn't in an overly happy space. In fact, I'm pretty sure looking back, I was pretty miserable. 

Last year I was totally rushed. Shopping was last minute and stressful. I did absolutely NO baking, much to my kids horror. 

This year is a different story. 

I actually have a good chunk of my Christmas shopping done. Already. And it's November 29th. Yay me. 

I've already made my first batch of Gingersnaps. They didn't stand a chance. They were mostly consumed. But this year is looking pretty promising compared to last year. 

I have also put my foundation pages together for this years December Daily album. This year I went back to Ali Edwards December Daily album, though I didn't order the entire kit. 

I ordered this year and last years Paislee Press mini kits. I love them. 

I did have a mix up however. I thought I'd ordered an Ali Edward 6x8 binder. When the box arrived, no binder.  I checked out my bill, and no binder. So, I had to scramble a little bit. I did manage to find a 6x8 binder on Scrapbook.com. I love the ones Ali offers, because they are 6 rings [check out page protectors you can see this new binder is only 2 rings] The 6 rings definitely gives you a bit more stability. However, I'm using what I've got. 

I have created a title page, and my intention page. [I attempted to write out my intentions in my own hand writing. But I hated it. So I typed it instead. Now, to figure out how to run journal cards manually through our new printer] Wish me luck! 

Here is my title page. Loving it. 

On the back side of the title page, I printed off this calendar. For now, it's just printed off blank and included in the album pocket for now, but I plan to include everything that happens in our month. [Which will be a lot, I know that already]

This calendar is a freebie that can be downloaded, along with a few other styles, to download, click here: Stitch in Time. So generous, and I love the van with the tree on top. It's my favourite. 

This years colour combination is going to be a mixture of red/black/white. 

I will try my best to keep up with pages here. 

[Of course, the first 3 days of December, I'm out of town in a ringette tourney] I'll have some catching up to do when I get home. 

I'm really looking forward to putting this album together this year. 

December Daily 2016 - Putting foundation pages together

So, I'm starting to get my head around my December Daily album.

I am disappointed with myself, with my lack of Halloween flair this year. [I knew I would be] I had such good intentions, to make this final elementary school year full of memories, but feel like I crashed and burned. First off, let me start by saying, that it's totally easy to feel inadequate, when you have perfect seeming bloggers and pinners out there. Everywhere. Pinning and posting and blogging their things. Their layouts are perfect. Their mini albums are perfect. Their house is perfect...

It's easy to feel this way, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I couldn't get sugar cookies made and decorated for Halloween this year. Or last year. Or probably, the year before that. I want to, but I just can't seem to get it together.

I can't to do it all. And, I have to be okay with that. And I sort of am. Until I start seeing the perfect christmas decorations. And cookies. And crafts. And mini albums, showing up the day after Halloween.

I'm working p/t, which makes things even more hectic than they were before. I can't give enough accolades to parents that are working full time. I don't know how you do it. My calendar hardly has an open day on it, from the beginning of September, until the end of March, when hockey and ringette are over. 

It would seem my ability to multi-task, is more of a 'multi-lack'. But I do what I can. 

Last year, I flew by the seat of my pants when it came to my December daily book.

Now, having gone back and looked at it, it's better than I thought. If you're interested, you can go check out this post here: December Daily 2015

This year my plan so far is to have a little bit more of the foundation put together before December hits. I don't print stuff off at home, even if I did print from home, for some reason, we can't get our printer set up properly for this new computer. I send my stuff to be printed at Costco. You just can't beat the price.

As far as my album goes, I don't know what's going to happen, on what days. However,  I like to have the date pages ready to go, at the very least. So when I have to work on pages/photos and then send them off to be printed, it adds another step. Another busy step, which has me going to Costco... Multiple times, during the holiday season. If you've ever been to Costco, I know you know what I'm talking about. Get in when the doors open and GET OUT....

This year, in anticipation of not having a working computer, I'd actually been excited to do a more hands on approach. More playing with paper, and less, digital stuff.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I finally got brave enough to download the new PSE15, and fiddle around with it. Then, a week or so ago, Sahlin Studio released 'Oh What Fun'.

There's no way you can look at this stuff, and not have DECEMBER DAILY ringing in your ears. I just love it. So, I'm going to try to do a bit of digital, and a bit of paper... The truth is, I just love the digital aspect of creating layouts... But I also love working with paper too. So, I hope to have a perfect  combination of them both. You have to go check out these products, they're awesome. [All products are listed and linked below]

This year, I decided to go with a 6x4 sized format. I purchased one of last years mini albums from  Ali Edwards. Last year I used a 6x6 size, and made a lot of my own page protector sheets that I cut down to size and used my We Are Memory Keepers Fuse Tool on. I have seen a few DD albums this 6x4 size, and was eager to try it this year.

Like I mentioned, these are not at all set in stone, and could change. But here are my first few foundation pages.

I was trying to get fancy with my sewing machine and make a round loop. I love that it looks like a misshapen heart, and I didn't even mean for it to. LOVE stitching in my albums. I like the look of the digital stitch too, but there's nothing like actually running the sewing machine across the page.

I backed all my 3x4 cards, with festive paper on the backs. I just didn't show them all. I also love this monthly calendar card, that I adhered to paper, and it's on it's own in the book.

These numbered 'day' pages, will be more of a guideline than anything else. I'm looking forward to seeing what December brings, in the way of stories.  And I plan to take a lot more photos this year, so that after Christmas, I'm not disappointed.

The following Sahlin Studio Products used:

Oh What Fun kit
Oh What Fun - Journal Cards
December Days No. 2
Number Journal Cards 

December Daily - 2015

**Warning - This is a very photo heavy post.

Consider yourself warned.

I finally finished my December Daily album.

This year it felt painful.

I wasn't prepared ahead of time like I have been in the past. Next year, I need to re-read this post.

BE PREPARED... Get things ready. Have foundation pages created. Buy a proper book.

I'm finally comfortable in my own scrapbooking skin. Which means, I'm okay with MY stuff. There will always be people out there, in blogland and pintetest. [ESPECIALLY on pinterest] People who's work I admire, and gravitate towards. I've finally stopped caring that my albums don't look like somebody else's.

Having said that, I completely 'winged it' this year. Which, from experience, I do NOT recommend.

I used an old 6x6 album I had lying around. I thought getting page protectors for it would be easy. WRONG. Turns out, no one seems to be selling 6x6 sized page protectors any more. Major bummer. I have always enjoyed using lots of different sized page protectors. Next year I will most likely buy a December Daily Album. Who am I kidding, next year I will most likely buy Ali Edwards December Daily Album. Love that girl.

I bought myself a FUSE tool, from We Are Memory Keepers. Since I couldn't find 6x6 page protectors to buy, I had to get a little bit creative. I waited until I was able to purchase it with a 50% off coupon at Michael's. [Merry Christmas to me] I used it quite a bit, but I'm not totally sold. I like it, but I don't know if I love it...

That being said, it allowed me to buy standard page protectors [I got mine from Staples] and cut them down and create my own page protectors.

So, with a huge sigh of relief, here's my 2015 December Daily book.

 

 

 

There are some pages I love. There are some pages I don't love. But I'm finished. It's put away for another year. Next year, when re-reading this post [because my intention is to PREPARE IN ADVANCE for my December Daily album] I will also be reminded, to TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES. Even if I don't feel like it. Because I'm totally bummed out with the lack of photos I have. [Even though I said it was okay... And it is...] I'm still wishing I'd had a few more pictures to choose from.

I used the following Sahlin Studio product for this album:


Project Mouse Christmas [dec '13 release]
Making Spirits Bright [nov '14 release]
Joy - MPM Add on's [dec 14 release]
Mad for Plaid [nov '15 release]
Number stamps [nov '15 release]

Other product used:

Sara Gleason - MPM Add on - Arboretum Joy [dec '14 release]
Sara Gleason - MPM Add on - Joy Word Art [dec '14 release]
Stolen Moment Designs - MPM Add on - Joyful Papers [dec '14 release]
Stolen Moment Designs - MPM Add on - Joyful Elements [dec '14 release]

I also used papers and elements that I had in my stash.