Jane's 2016 December Daily

 

Kit & Ideas

Oh how exciting to finally be able to reveal some more! This is album number six and a different size and shape and feel to all the previous five!

And that's where my ideas for 2016 began. I knew as soon as I saw this digital kit that my colours were set. It's not even a Christmas themed kit, but I was just so smitten by the colours that I decided there were enough elements in it that would be fun to Christmasfy - is that a word? Well it is now!

The album and some papers came next - just sort of jumped into my basket. Many of the 12 x12 papers are Simple Stories Bloom & Grow and the 6x6 pad is Kaisercraft Sea Breeze. Loving this selection of non-Christmas stash!

Then of course the time to add Christmas elements came. So some leftover bits from previous years were added to the mix. And brand new totally adorable stamps sets .........

 

 ..........joined by old favourites and a growing collection of bits and pieces of shiny ribbons and embellishments. 

So that's my 2016 December Daily supplies introduced - a Project Life style album which will contain 6x6 photos, a mix of digi and traditional paper crafting journal pages in brown, acid green and aqua blue plus lots of stamping. And maybe the odd outside of the page protector insert and a hint of red creeping in - can't avoid red at this time of year!

The cover

My album cover this year has movement!

 I was inspired by a Christmas card I saw in a magazine that had things pegged to a line and a little light bulb went ping!

I collected together all the bits and pieces I thought I might need and set about making my washing line by attaching some hessian looking ribbon across a piece of Simple Stories Bloom & Grow woodgrain paper.

I knew I wanted to include some hanging gems, but at the time of making I didn't have any green gems. So I used some white pearls and coloured them using a promarker.

Then I needed to find a way to suspend the gems - yes beads would have been much simpler, but they had yet to jump into my shopping basket! So I had to be a bit inventive and cut a couple of strips of acetate and arranged the gems on them.

I really liked the Christmas tree Project Life card and knew that would be the first thing to get pegged to my ribbon line. Next I die cut two stars from patterned paper and adhered a sticker on one and stamped a greeting on the other. And then everything got pegged onto the line.

My final job was to add a title and year. I used alpha stickers from Simple Stories Snow Patrol

And I couldn't resist adding a few mini stickers on the stars and around the words and  numbers too.

As you can probably see I haven't adhered the cover to my album yet. That's because I'm trying to find a way of protecting the very easy to remove elements - especially by inquiring little fingers - without compromising the movement of the washing line. I'll be getting back to you on that soon.

So that's my album cover just about done. I'm loving that it features all the three main colours that will be found inside, that it has a couple of pops of that hard to get way from at Christmas red and of course how it always looks a little different each time I look because of the movement.

Page preparation

 Oh yes this is so important to a like-to-get-ahead person like me! So I started by making my numbers.

All the outside and inner mats were die cut using the three colours I've chosen for this year.

The numbers were created digitally, printed and punched.

Bit of a production line going on here, one set of colours at a time.

Numbers all prepped and time to move on to the pages. I cut thirty-one 6" x 6" squares from patterned paper and popped them into the page protectors. I'd like to say randomly, but couldn't quite do that, so they went in a brown, green, turquoise order and the numbers were popped in as well.

Some days got extra bits popped in too - just in case you know - so terrified I may forget to use something if I leave it in my stash pile!

But of course I couldn't leave it there and actually laid the foundations for a few pages when I know life is going to get particularly hectic - got a few family birthdays in December.

And I'm thinking my pages are going to be a very comfortable mix of digital bits, paper bits and stamping.

Day 1 & Title pages

After all the preparations at last it's time to get going and share a page - well a few pages actually as I've done a couple of title pages as well as Day 1.

 Mmm, three title pages, gradually increasing in size.  I started with this gorgeous Christmas tree stamp because - well just because I love it - and it was the perfect fit for my advent photo challenge to be adhered on the back.

Next up was a little poem that always make me feel Christmassy. When the pages are closed the third page's 2016 shows down the right hand side and the first page's tree allows the poem to be seen.

Here's the first two pages all opened up.

On the back of the middle page I've adhered my 2016 weather chart. I always include this in my DD album I suppose because it's fun to compare temperatures from year to year, but mainly because it's become a bit of a habit!

Here's my largest page

And here's what's on the back of it - my December planner with a few things already written in.  Facing the large page is my 2016 manifesto or you could say my intentions for the season.

A closer look at my intentions. This was created using photoshop elements and Katie Pertiet digital supplies available from Designer Digitals.

And now on to my first proper page - yes it really is December 1st! So I started by gathering all my supplies - a die cut deer and leaf border, a stamp set, the number and a journal card.

 I started by stamping the splatter, adhering the journal card and number to my backing paper.

The deer and leaf border were added next.

And finally some gems and my journalling.

 Here's today's photo. The border was created using photoshop elements and the embellishments are Katie Pertiet digital supplies available from Designer Digitals.

I added a trio of die cut stars to the empty space on my photo and I was done. And it feels good to get the first page under my belt!

 

Day 2

I used my misti tool to place the stamps and get really deep and clear images.

I added some washi and a small PL card into the mix.

Once the journalling was added I felt the page needed a bit of a colour lift so I added three trios of enamel dots - this is a favourite thing for me to do when making cards and scrapbook pages and will probably feature again throughout my December album.

And here's the photo page all done digitally with photoshop elements and Katie Pertiet digi stamps.

 Day 3

Time to go buy that tree! The trio of trees were stamped and fussy cut and decorated with sparkly gems. The truck embellishment is from Simple Stories Mistletoe Kisses.

Journalling added and a couple of more tree themed stickers - like how this makes another trio of trees to balance out the stamped ones.

And here's that FOUND IT moment captured on camera! All the digi elements are Katie Pertiet and available from Designer Digitals.

Day 4

I began by placing the journal card and number and then stamping this gorgeous feathery tree and sentiment from Penny Black

I coloured some microporous tape - you know the one from the first aid box -  to make my own washi strips and then put a little paper stack on top.

I added my journalling and then finished off the page with a washi and ribbon strip down the left hand side, a die cut Stamplorations magical word and a tree embellishment bought from Boyes - a cheapo UK shop. And of course I couldn't resist some sparkly gems on the tree and a trio of pearl round the sentiment.

Today's photo is a bit bitter sweet, but daily scrapbooking can't always be sunshine and light, sometimes it has to be what it is.

Day 5

Time to get that tree decorated! I love this PL card - the subtle colours and the quote - which was sent by a Pocket Letter friend last year so it had to be included on a page and it seemed apt for today's photo. I added the journal card, number and a tree themed stickerto get me started.

And then went to town once the journalling was added! Washi tape, two trios of enamel dots, red gems on the tree and brown gems round the circle. For a CAS at heart girl I sometimes get carried away once I let go!!

Today's photo showing my conservatory as it's not looked for ages - mmm yes, usually a play room and filled with toys. The photo and writing were created in photoshop elements and the embellishments are from Katie Pertiet.

Day 6

Today's page should have been all about a shopping trip and I prepared this page ahead as I knew I'd be late home and tired.

Well things went a bit pear shaped for me today and I needed to add a longer bit of journalling to explain, so out came the washi and a flap was added to expand the journalling space. And that bobble string just wasn't working for me either, so off it came and some more washi and a rick rack braid replaced it. Some stickers and some trios of enamel dots and then I was happy. 

In case you're wondering I did get to go on the shopping trip and here's my favourite photo. Oh and I'm sharing the story under the flap on my blog today - here.

Day 7

Back to some stamping as the focal point of today's page, here's how it all began:

Then I went a bit crazy with the sparkly gems and added a wooden snowflake - coloured with a promarker pen - to balance it all out a bit, ha!

 Here's the completed page with journalling added.

 Today's photo:

 Day 8

Another page with stamping as the focal point. I love these Wonky Tonk trees, so whimsical.

 Once I added the journalling I decided the page needed a little something more so I used a Stamplorations stencil to add a diagonal line of stars. Then of course out came the sparkly gems!

Today's photo features all my previous December albums which have come out of hiding and are now on display by the real tree. The digi elements are Katie Pertiet and available at Designer Digitals.

 Day 9

Today I knew the focus would be on my youngest grandson's birthday so I prepared the page this far with a fun reindeer and a bright background paper from MME Cozy Christmas.

Today was bound to be photo heavy so I included one on my journal page and then pretty much covered that background paper with stickers, a title and sparkly gems.

I added a simple photo collage opposite and then needed to find a way to include more photos.

So extra page protectors were inserted to enable this. And to add even more sparkle - are you getting that I kind of love sparkle -  I chose a chevron semi transparency sheet added some sequins and stitched along the zig zag, added some more sequins and stitched again and repeated this process once more.

I used my tiny purple sewing machine that I keep just for paper work, saves me blunting the needle on my big fabric machine and it also tucks under my craft desk easily.

Here's the 'official' photo page for day 9 - you know, I mean the one that follows the pattern I've established - see neat and tidy me has to follow a pattern!

And this is the flip side of the chevron page.

Day 10

Today's page started with another of those gorgeous Wonky Tonk stamps - this time a penny farthing bicycle loaded with presents and few dangly accent stamps from the same set.

And then it got coloured and washi taped and arrowed!

And here's my tags! I'm sharing how I made them on my blog today - here. The digital elements are from the Katie Pertiet Antibes collection, Ali Edwards Cozy Christmas and ep Merry Little Christmas.

Day 11

I took a quote card from Simple Stories Mistletoe Kisses and matted it onto a PL card - love this quote, love the film too! The tree  is also from the Simple Stories collection.

I stamped and die cut the bauble and tied a ribbon bow to it, added some word strips and, of course, dazzled up the tree with gems and pearls. Oops and spot that handwriting squidgy moment! All part of the daily journalling process and I'm happy to embrace it as part of who I am.

I'm loving the addition of some blue to the banner, makes it so much brighter. The digital elements are from Katie Pertiet Antibes and Ali Edwards Christmas Star & Cozy Christmas.

Day 12

Another quote and a word from the Simple Stories Mistletoe Kisses collection and a gorgeous shiny embossed background paper from Kaisercraft's Sea Breeze pad got my page off to a great start..

A few little additions - a holly sprig, some washi tape and pearl gems and the journalling to complete this page.

I used a journal card from Katie Pertiet's Antibes collection for the stripy panel down the side of the photograph by rotating it round and hiding the bits I didn't want to be seen under the photo. I often use this trick in my paper crafting too, although I would be thrifty and trim off the unused part for use on another occasion.

 Day 13

The stamp I used as a starting point for today's page was a magazine freebie - always a good source of extra stash and I'm a bit mean really as I only buy magazines when I want the giveaways!

I created the quote card using Photoshop Elements and then matted it onto the woodgrain Bloom & Grow paper - the same as my cover -  and added a card snowflake from Mistletoe Kisses.

Apart from one sticker and the inevitable sparkly gems I decided to leave this page fairly unadorned - it is pretty full on with the stamping anyway! And apologies about the photo colours being so different, they were taken at different times of the day, but the ones below on the finished page are the closest to real life.

Today's photo includes more journalling as well as a very smug selfie - you need to read it to find out why! The digital elaments are from Katie Pertiet Antibes with the writing on the little button adapted to something more relevant and Ali Edwards Cozy Christmas with the colour of the text changed to brown. The font for the journalling is also Ali Edwards.

 

Day 14

Please excuse the awful colours on some of my pics, really struggling with the light, gloomy dark days here in the UK! Day 14 began with a journal card matted onto pearlescent brown card - yes really it is brown - a washi strip, a digi strip and the number.

Next I cut out three present shapes from left over pieces of patterned paper - Kaisercraft Sea Breezes - and popped narrow washi tape ribbons and a bow on top before making a wonky stack standing on the horizontal washi strip.

I cut the FA LA LA strip from a piece of Simple Stories Misteltoe Kisses paper to pop under the bow and then started my journalling. Seems I had more to say than would fit! So I made a flap, attached it with washi and popped a gingerbread man cut out on top. Oh and the obligatory sparkly gems of course!

I had a few photos that I wanted to include today so I made a strip of circular shots, using photoshop elements, to go above the main photo.

 Day 15

A very simple start to today's page - just a journalling card and the number.

I decided to make stamping a real feature and made a stamped PL style card and also two stamped and handcut trees using Uniko sets.

Once the journalling was written I added a couple of word stickers and an ampersand and made myself stop!

Today's photo features the contents of the gift bags and is very busy, bright and hectic so I only added a shadowed border strip at the top and bottom and a staple on the side and then called it a day.

Day 16

I started today's page with a stamped bird cage and a heart banner plus the journalling card and number .......

 And then I went completely bonkers! Well the theme was crazy Christmas jumpers! All the elements are from Simple Stories Mistletoe Kisses plus a few alphas. What do you think about covering the love birds with the cheeky Christmas bird? I decided it was more in keeping with the madness of the page, those love birds were far too sophisticated!

As there was quite a chunk of empty space at the bottom of my photo I added a little bit of extra journalling to fill it up. I also went a bit crazy with the Katie Pertiet digi light strings.

Day 17

  As I was still in mad mode from yesterday I stamped my favourite fun and fabulous reindeer and a silly sentiment to start off today's page.

I used alpha stickers to add three large words and the dots and some word stickers went on the right of the journal card. Two hearts and a star button - from a White Stuff label - and a phrase sticker fiished off this page. And in case you haven't already spotted them the reindeer have sparkly green gems on their noses.

My three precious grandsons all looking at the camera and all smiling! Such joy - I can't tell you how many times this has not worked out so well. The digi elements are Katie Pertiet Antibes and Ali Edwards Cozy Christmas

Day 18

Another wonderful woodgrain paper from Kaiserkraft Sea Breeezes was chosen as the base for today's page. Three PL cards, a journal card and the number was quickly added on top.

Then I punched some leaves from pearlescent brown card and created a border down the left hand sid I also added some red gems, brown pearls and two strips of the hessian ribbon that I used as the washing line on my cover.

Journalling added and the page was complete.

And here's the photo of almost the whole gang. 

Day 19

 A couple of journalling cards, some ribbon and a stamped Honey Doo Crafts Snowflake Reindeer plus the number was how I began.

Picking up on the reindeer elements I added some wooden snowflakes to the chopped in half card on the left hand side. And plenty of sparkly gems and three word stickers went into the mix too.

Journalling added to complete the page.

Here's the digi photo page for today.

I decided to add extra photos about today and made a transparency shaker page to insert too. 

I die cut some stars and stitched most of the way round the large star, inserted some sequins and then closed the star with more stitching. The smaller stars are floating freely and add to the movement.

Here's how it looks inside my album.

 Here's a clear view of the photo. Have you spotted that pompom fringing that I removed from a page earlier in my album? Waste nothing! And I'm loving how it looks here!

Day 20

So today's page started oh so simply ....

And then got a bit busier with the addition of a stamped bauble, greeting, music notes, some grungy sprinkles and a star and brown pearls .......

.... expect you've guessed - it finally got well and truly layered up. I used washi tape, three almost funny jokes from inside yesterday's crackers - the rest were so bad they didn't get saved - and some bright trios of sparkly gems.

 And look who came to sit on my Christmas tree - think I love the elf hunt as much as he does!

Day 21

Something a bit different for today. I made a background out of ribbon and digi strips and adhered the journal card and number to the middle. This was inspired by Lizzy's page here.

I added the journalling round the edge, just like Lizzy's page. I tried it in black and then went over it in white to make it show up better.

And, a bit like Mandy, now the days are getting fuller my crafting is getting simpler. Not that these precious photos need a lot added, so I'm happy for them to speak for themselves.

As this was such a special day - all three grandchildren together all day - I decided to add a couple of extra photos. I cut a piece of patterned paper slightly larger than the 3x4 photos and attached the photos either side - back to back on to a chevron transparency.

It took a bit of time to rumage through my stash to find sized matched word stickers so that they looked OK on both sides of the transparency. I also added some gems back to back too.

Day 22

 Mm, glued the journal card upside down and it won't come off. Glue is so tricky like that, never holds what you want it to, but clings fast when you've made a mistake!

Oh well, best go with it then and cover up the more obvious upside down bits. A gingerbread man and sweeties chipboard does the trick. Also added a stamped and die cut bauble using a paperclip and a trio of brown pearls.

A few mishaps today in real life as well as crafting, but my photo page is focussing on the positives. I added SPEND to cover an unwanted word on the top banner (Katie Pertiet Antibes) and added a flair badge to the end to complete the sentiment.

Day 23

I knew I would have to include this wonderful Uniko wreath stamp somewhere in my album and used it to outline today's number. I used my misit tool to line things up and get a good clear stamping.

I added a small sprig onto the journal card too.  A few stickers and a chipboard elf also found their way onto the page.

Some journalling and more stickers and I was done.

I have several versions of this photo over the years and love how it's always seems as if it's the first time for them. I think one of the most wonderful aspects of a December Daily is tracking the similarities and differences of each year, not to mention the growth of children! The digi elements on today's photo are from ep Merry Little Christmas.

Day 24

Today's focus was always going to be about that special Christmas Eve visitor  and I prepped the page accordingly with a stamped Clearly Besotted elf reading the nice list and added stickers from Simple Stories Mistletoe Kisses.

My journalling about the morning used up all the space on the card, so I decided I'd just have to add some more writing on my main photo page.

Inspired by Deb's inclusion of drawings by her grandchildren I decided to try out once more this idea with my two older grandsons. In the past this has not gone well - boys!!! But today they were being very co-operative and produced some real beauties for me.

 I'd already prepared a square cut from a Hambly transparency with a Wonky Tonk tree stamped with Staz-On timber brown ink. This seemed the ideal opportunity to include it. So photos of the boys  were mounted onto patterned red card and then lined up back to back.

The word stickers were chosen carefully to match up too and then I took a leaf out of Lizzy's book and outlined them in pen.

And here's today's main photo page with that added journalling. The digi elements are all by Katie Pertiet and available from Designer Digitals.

Day 25 - the big one!

 Here's how the page began ....

and developed ....

and finished up. No room for journalling ....

so I made another.

And developed it like this.

But no time for journalling now, so it stayed like this:

I decided to let the photos tell their own story.

There is also a page protector in between with some extra pics - sharing some of them on my blog - here.

Day 26

Lots of stamping on this page - a poinsettia from Uniko and trees and sentiments from Clearly Besotted plus the journal card made using Katie Pertiet Antibes digi elements.

I added some colour to the poinsettia and some vertical strips of washi to liven things up a bit.

A quick and simple digi photo page - maybe tomorrow things will calm down!

Day 27

At last a quiet peaceful day without visitors and time to catch up a bit on my album. I coloured some wooden snowflakes and die cut a leafy strip.

I added my journalling, some ribbon strips and a tree from Simple Stories Mistletoe Kisses bits & pieces ephemera and thought I was done ...

.... but the pink dots on the tree were bothering me, so I covered them with brown pearls and green gems.  And discovered I was no where near finished! Word stickers, picture stickers, red gems and a coating of Wink of Stella to the snowflakes seemed like essential additions.

As this was a nothing much happening sort of day I decided to use all my Advent photo challenge pics in a digi collage.

Day 28

As I love it so much I used the reindeer die again - first appearance was on day 1.

 I added some digi word strips, some ribbon and enamel dots.

Then came the journalling and word stickers - chosen because it was such a chillly frosty but bright and sparkly day. I noticed that the reindeer was disappearing into the background a bit so I outlined it with a brown promarker.

 The photo is up on Lincoln castle wall with the Victorian prison, ancient keep and cathedral in the background just seconds before we began a perilously slippery descent.  The boys thought this enormous fun, but it had me gripping the rail tightly with both hands!

Day 29

I'm impressed that I'm still going and keeping up to date, but if I'm honest the energy is beginning to flag and I'm so pleased I prepped so much in advance. A simple beginning to today's page ....

... that got jazzed up with a die cut tree, digi word strips, a snowflake and sparkles.

And then some word stickers and more gems once the journalling was written.

One of my favourite photos from the season, so I just added an ep digi banner and kept it simple.

Day 30

Another prepared ahead starter page using that gorgeous woodgrain paper from Simple Stories Bloom & Grow collection.

As this was a bit of a chill out, relaxing sort of day I chose a coffee cup and a cupcake sticker placing them on top of my journal card. I'm more than happy to cover over earlier bits like this if they just don't seem to fit the page any more. 

I used alphas to make an appropriate sentiment and stamped the little birds to create a border down the number card strip and linked it to the journal card with one more bird.

I used quite a few digi elements and brushes on my photo today, some Katie Pertiet, some Ali Edwards and the smudge behind the title strip is a freebie included in a Jessica Sprague workshop. And can I just say here that just about everything I know about using Photoshop is as a result of Jessica Sprague classes - can't recommend her highly enough!

Day 31

The last day of my album today and also the last day of a bonus four extra days with my Isle of Man grandsons - all due to their car break down.

Still keeping things very simple as I was wanting to the make the most of this last day with my grandsons. So I simply added a photo, a quote strip and some trios of enamel dots.

The digi elements today are from Katie Pertiet and ep and the photos reveal some very full mouths!

We'd love you to share all your process and December Daily journey with us

below:

Kits & Pre-Planning
Covers
2015 or Previous Dec Dailys
Completed Pages

We'd love to see them!