Dec. daily 18 - 25

Before I get started today let me just say one thing, Downton Abbey. 

OMG!  Its even better than last season......and longer.  2 hours!  I'm loving it!

Okay, let me say one more thing, Matthew.........sigh.

Alright I'm done.  Go watch it.  Trust me, you'll love it too.



Day 18

Day 19

This page is a slightly different size.  I wanted to scallop the edge and use the round tab punch but didn't want it to stick out farther than the other pages.  So I cut off 1/2".  Since I didn't have a picture for the day it worked just fine.

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

 

Day 23

Day 24 left side

 

Day 24 right side

 

Day 25 left side

Day 25 right side

Day 25 backside

All pages use a variety of these products:

Classic Numbers (retired) and Fabulous Phrases.  Garden green, riding hood red, crumb cake and natuals white cardstock.  Riding hood red and garden green inks.  Big shot, label framelits, hemp, round tab punch, black journaler, scallop border punch, 3/4" and 1" circle punches, wide oval punch, and dimensionals.

This is what it looks like from the side.  I used book rings to bind it. 

So what did I like this year and what do I plan on changing for next? 

• I liked the size, 5.5 x 8.5.  I like being able to make one cut and have 2 pages.  No waste that way.
• I like that I stuck to just a few colors.  
• I'm not so sure I like using just 1 pic per day.  Then again, there were quite a few days that I took no pics.  
• I didn't like how so inconsistent I was in keeping up with it daily.  

Next year:

• I plan on journaling EVERY DAY.  No matter what.  This year I did write down a subject to write about but not the story.  Since I had to go back and play catch up, I know I missed out on a bunch of stories I would have liked to tell.  bad, bad, bad.
• I'd like to be a little more creative in adding more pics.  This will take lots of pre-thinking/designing on my part, but it will be worth it. 

Overall, I love this project.  I really do.  Even though I didn't get to tell as many stories as I would like, it will still be a family treasure.  

I hope next year you join me.  

Thanks for stopping by.  I have some non-holiday projects up my sleeve coming soon.

Blessings, b. 

Dec. daily, days 9-17

Okay, lets continue shall we? 

For those of you who didn't do this this year, I hope my little album inspires you to try it next year.  Not that mine is all that wonderful but when its done, its a magical little slice of life that you will treasure. 

Promise.

day 9

I sewed a pocket!  I didn't even cuss at the sewing machine!  Again, see that groovy die cut?  That is one of the Label Framelits in the Occasions Mini.  Love them!

In the pocket are everybody's wish lists.  And my final list of what I bought everyone.  I have to keep track or I WAY overspend.

day 10

Since this is the backside and it already had the stitching on it, I thought it would be cute to stitch a little date tag.  Nifty eh?

day 11

Oh the garden.......I have loved my garden again this year.  I just last weekend cut back the cherry tomato.  The onions are the most delicious onions ever!  I only like onions when they are cooked to smithereens and these ones are like onion candy.  So good.  We are getting ready to plant the broccoli and more carrots. 

day 12

This picture is so HIM!  He hates for me to take it. 

day 13

Big big day for Grace.  She made that star last year and I've kept it  just waiting for the perfect use.  There ya go..........

day 14

day 15

day 16

day 17

All pages use a combination of these products:

Classic Numbers (retired) Headline numbers (retired) and Fabulous Phrases sets. 
Crumb cake, naturals white, garden green or riding hood red cardstock.
Black Stazon, garden green and riding hood red inks.
Big shot, label framelits, 3/4" and 1" circle punches, round tab punch, dimensionals, bakers twine, hemp, black journaler, scallop border punch and Frostwood lodge DSP


Thats it for today.  I will have my final thoughts on this years process when I post the last pages.  Its always a changing and growing experience for me.

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Blessings, b.

back in the saddle again..........

Hey there!  I hope you all had a wonderful New Year's Day!  Ours was a sign of times to come.  Both big kids went to parties where they slept over.  So it was just me and the Mr. and Grace.  Talk about quiet! 

I've been thinking about resolutions and what I'd really like to focus on this year.   

Most importantly I want to quit procrastinating so much.  I don't even realize I'm doing it half the time.  Simple things like, paying the bills on the day we get paid, cleaning the toilet before I see its getting a little...........you know, sweeping and mopping the kitchen at least weekly, etc.  

Can anyone relate? 

Hello?.........hello?.......moving on.....

Alrighty then, I know its already January but I still want to show you the completed Dec. Daily.  I'll just do 8 pages at a time so I don't bore you to death. 

The cover:

  Grace said she wanted to do the cover.  I like it.


Inside the front cover:

Do you see that groovy die cut shape?  Thats the new Label Framelits.  Super neato dies in the Occasions Catalog.  Love them!


Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

I didn't get permission from my friends to post their pics.  Really, they have beautiful faces.

Day 4

Day 5:

Day 6:

Day 7:

Day 8:

All pages use a variety of the same supplies: 

Classic Numbers (retired) and Fabulous Phrases.  Crumb cake, naturals white, garden green, riding hood red cardstock.  Riding hood red and garden green inks.  Round tab punch, 3/4" and 1" circle punches, bakers twine, hemp, black journaler, Forest Lodge DSP, scallop border punch, leaves #2 die, big shot, and dimensionals.

The pages are 8.5 x 5.5, just 1/2 a piece of cardstock.  No waste that way.  I'm all about making things simple. 

Alrighty then, its back to work tomorrow.   

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking in. 

Blessings, b.

December Daily

I know, I know, I said I was going to be on here more often but, .............. I've learned that once you step away from blogging, its easy to stay away.  Same can be said for stamping..........darn it!

Not that I don't have things to share with you (not much stamping anyway) but when I do get time to sit down and write to you.......I just don't feel like it.  Hmph........

This will rememdy that situation............December Daily. 

And like right now, when I do have things to show you.......the dryer just sang to me.  I'll be right back.........................................................




Okay, December Daily.  Its time to stop thinking about it and start getting ready for it.  I've got a pretty good start:

Grace saw me getting this together and said, "Can I do the cover Momma?" 

I couldn't say no.  Besides, ultimately these books are for the kiddos anyway.  So here is her creation. 

Groovy huh?

I went with a half sheet ( 8.5 x 5.5) of cardstock for the pages.  That way I don't have any waste.  And since I don't have a fancy photoshop program I can just print 3.5 x 5 pics from my regular program. 

The patterned paper I'm using for this is the Frostwood Lodge DSP from the Holiday mini.  The colors are Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler (which I don't have so I'm using riding hood red), Whisper White, and Marina Mist. 

So I made the pages Crumb Cake, Riding Hood Red and  Confetti White.  I chose Conf. White just because its a little more sturdy than Whisper White.  I just rotated them throughout.  Right now I'm thinking of just having one page per day.  But I can always add more for those days when I have more pics.

I used the same binding as last year since that worked pretty swell. 

Here is a running list I've got going of things I could include.  There are always going to be those days where I don't have a story to tell.  Ali Edwards has a great post talking about things you could include check it out here.  That will give you even more ideas. 

So I feel like I'm ready to go.  My other embellishments are going to be very simple; some hemp, Forest Lodge DSP, punches.  I don't really have a stamp set to go with it this year.   I'm keeping it flexible so we'll see what I end up with. 

I hope you decide to do your own Dec. Daily.  You can look here at my 2009 album and 2010 album for some more ideas. 

Everybody has enjoyed going through the old ones.  Funny how quickly we forget little things.  Even The Boy got a kick out of them. 

So I hope you do it with me.  Everybody has a story to tell. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. 

Blessings, b.