WE'RE DOING DECEMBER! Whether you pre-plan your December Daily or create as you go along in the Christmas month; make your own covers or decorate ready-made ones, use Project Life style with plastic sleeves and pockets or create your own pages. Maybe you havent made one before and ask 'I cant think what I'd fill a page with everyday?' We'll help with that! Whatever your style we'd love to see it! Here you will find a seasonal blog open from 1st November to 31st January each year. We hope that this will become a wonderful resource of sharing, prompts and inspiration. What is a December Daily? Its a mini-album recording your daily memories capturing the spirit of December. Bring it out with your decorations each year and remember Christmases past. Scroll down on the right side bar and you will find past December Daily albums of each Designer. Check their 'journey' link too, this will give you some great tips and scroll a little further down and you will see the albums categorised into types for easier searching :) Now - 'Let's December Daily'!

Sunday 23 November 2014

Mandy's December '31 Day's of Lists' Book




'30 days of lists'!
and for December!
To explain: in my previous December Daily's, there is very little about me, typically I do all the photographing and proudly present Christmas along with my family - but its lucky if I get in one of the photos for the whole month...  not that I want my December Daily to be about me - but it makes me think what snippets I might not be leaving behind in the future....
What '30 days of lists' achieves is a no-fuss, everyday the page turns to make a list of what's to be done, or thoughts, or a stapled photo to represent what each day means directly to me. So, I need another little book (or you could choose any album genre) and no-fuss being the operative word!  
Then I thought:.... do I need to just do this little book and no December Daily?..... weeeeell that thought lasted a micro-second - that's just plain silly because what if I ended up not liking the '30 days of lists' and end up with NO December Daily!
Mind was made up!

(However, if you are time poor, this would be the perfect solution to documenting your December!)

 This year, I'm going to do both together and see how I feel about it at the end.  An experiment! I'm not so mad (in my defense) - because at the beginning of December each year my work breaks until February (I'm the boss lol) - so do have time to give this a go....

So born is what I'm going to call 
'The Companion to the December Daily'
And trusty Brotherhood of Books coughed this little blue book up from its coffers too!
 I couldnt believe the title and only 90 pages!
And will be completely pre-prepared by Dec 1st.

They will be worked together!
And it will either work a treat - or never to be repeated again LOL!
Arent they special!



Cover completed.....
 (I 'think' I'll do the full 31 days??)



Did put some effort into the inside cover....
 but it truly didnt need it.
(I was scrapping with friends, talking too much, and kept adding and adding!!
could have paid more attention and stopped to keep it simple!)



It has the same set up on each page - easy to use,
a little doodle around each page,
 



 A coffee stained tag with ribbon, a patterned card behind and a little paper Christmas embellishment,
all sewn together.    Each page has a sewn in numbered plate and inked throughout.
This page, being the 1st,  a little calendar of December.




 The tag is where the day's list of 'things/events/ to do's' etc will go remembering that this little book is for me- and the 'running' (or should say 'run-around' lol) of December... and completely seperate to the December Daily.




 And the numbered pages are where I'll add something that directly affects that list, it could be a photo, a docket, anything...  just simple and quick.


December 1st
Filled out.... its started!!




  Day 2



  Day 3
This day, I made 8 little snow hats for the ballet 'Nutcracker'  so I've added in a sample of the fabric used, a pic of one of the hats being sewn, and a quick sketch of a hat too.


  Day 4
Another baby bird to care for, so added some feathers as a feature.

30 Lists - Day 5

  Included is a tiny pic and a torn off part of my list for that day


30 Lists - Day 6


I got to say the experiment is working!!  I LOVE my little list book...
It's so easy and quick to list down the page what events took place each day and to add a small token pic or embellish to match something in the listing.
The ONLY trap is (and I nearly fell in it!!!!) not to start printing out photos for the lists book and then go repeat it in the Dec Daily ----- oooh I came close and had to remind myself that this is not the purpose of the list book!


 Day 7
Cant quite see the day number as the newpaper clipping is covering it.
Here I've added in a couple of newspaper clippings on 'Nutcracker' glued back and front so it acts as a foldout



 Day 8
Here I cut out a picture from the packaging of Paige's new curtains for her bedroom along with the retail price - except - I got them half price - something worthy to be scrapped since I bought four pairs!


Day 9
A Christmas advertisment added



Day 10


Day 11


Day 12
After bringing in the last lot of decorations, a tiny piece of branch fell off-
 perfect to stick in here!

Day 13

So glad I pre-prepared this little book!One of the things this little book has come in handy for is ....
the lists are fabulous to refer back to when catching up on what days did which - with the Dec Daily!


 Day 14



Day 15


Day 16


Day 17



Day 18



Day 19



Day 20



Day 21


Day 22



Day 23

List Day 24


Lists Day 25

Lists Day 26


 
Day List 27

 
 Day List 28
(you can see the move away from Christmas embellishing)

Day List 29
 
Day List 30
Day List 31


Oh my, and it grew a little fatter 
than I thought it would be for a little Lists book!

It truly would be the answer to very busy people who do not have the time and/or inclination to do a full Dec Daily.  And its so great having a document how my days pan out for future family to read.  I wish I had a book like this from my mother, or grandmother - sigh.    I 'think' it will be an ongoing concern for next year in some sort of format.  My two books truly are working hand in hand.
 And as much as I love this book,  I know I could definitely not go without 'creating' all different kinds of pages in my December Daily.   The 'List' book wouldnt be enough... this I know now.


6 comments:

  1. This is wonderful, Mandy. Love the stitching on the tags and dates.

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  2. Fabulous! That book is just perfect for what you're doing....hope you'll share some more when you've filled a bit in:) LOOOVE the way you've 'repeated' the pattern throughout:):)

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  3. This looks wonderful.. a lovely keepsake type of diary...

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  4. Such dedication! Must have taken forever to doodle and stitch all those pages. But definitely worth the effort it looks absolutely divine.

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  5. Ohhhhhhhhhh these are FABULOUS!! I love love love them!!!!!!!

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  6. How brilliant is your DD Mandy...I do love it! I have not ever been inspired...but perhaps seeing yours I am??? Let's see!

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