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.
PEE MY PANTS EXCITING!!!!! THanks for sharing! I'm SOOOOO inspired! I just wanted to go get all my stuff out and put it all togehter somehow! But wait; i don't have anything Christmas around yet...BUT NOW I WILL!...soon:)
THanks again for sharing!!! :)
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Thanks for sharing this, Ali! I am planning on starting my December Daily album real soon. I have the cover and the embellishments planned. Just need to decide how it will all go together. I am excited about this! Your album is beautiful. I can't wait to see the finished product.
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I'm so agree with TERRI's question...how do you know if the pic will work out? just wing it? cut it down?
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I love this album. I just moved to new house so this year will different decorating. Do you put photos on the back of tranparency pages or just back photo with pattern paper?
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Ali, thanks so much for the inspiration!! Not only am I making one for myself but also for my sister-in-law and best friend. And what's even better is I am using stuff from my stash.
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For your pages, are you making them front/back for each day, or just putting stuff on the front of the page? I noticed that you have a new number for each separate page instead of putting the next day on the back of the previous page. Does that make sense?
I'm so excited to play along....still trying to decide on the album and pages too. As always, thanks for the inspiration!
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Hi, Ali! Thanks for posting your albums...they are so inspiring. I have a question. What type of adhesive do you use to attach your papers back-to-back? Also, how do you utilize this adhesive? By that I mean, do you use the adhesive all the way around the edges, or just every so often?
Thanks!
Nancy
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Looks great! I love it!!Fun; Have a great day!
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Beautiful!!! As always. I already finished my December Daily for this year (I don't use numbers, as some days I have 5 photos I love and other days I just don't have any.) But now I'm thinking of giving the one I've already made to my sister in law and making a new one for myself...I love the transparent overlays from last year and this year. Thanks for the inspiration!
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This is great Ali!! You have me wanting to do one now. Why do you have to have such good ideas girl? LOL!! Great composition of this album. Did you order the Clearsnaps acrylic online? Also are the journal ovrlays availabl somewhere to download? The Ali Edwards ones.
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Ali, you just never disappoint!! Another great album! I love it. I can't wait to get started. I purchased the American Crafts Corduroy album for this in 8x8, but I saw your post yesterday about needing really big binder rings, so I'm thinking I may have to do some creative disassembling of that album to fit more pages! :) I have been enjoying your blog so much lately, I even enjoy reading the comments! lol
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Fun, fun, fun! Now I'm going to go dig out my Christmas supplies!!
Thank you!
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Thanks for your ongoing creativity that you share with us! it really helps me to see how real people put their ideas into their work. This year I am definately doing the December Daily project. Maybe even convincing a few friends that, yes, they have time to do it too.
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Where do you get all of the different sizes of page protectors that you use? Like the baseball card one or other sizes that I've noticed in other albums. I have found some 4x6 pages at my local office supply chain store, but there are all these extra spaces in them that the ones you use don't seem to have. Thank you for all of the wonderful inspiration!
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Totally do this book this year!
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I love this album! You inspired me to get a clear acrylic album as the base for this project. I am ready to start on it, but wondered what adhesive is best to use on the acrylic pages and on transparency pages?
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I was wondering what size metal rings you are using. I am doing a different size chipboard album, but was considering using 3" rings. I wasn't sure if that would work. Thanks
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Love your albums. I'm wondering if/how you use the left side of the clock overlays?
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I love that you are doing this and I truly looked forward all day to coming home from work to see the inside of this album. Truly amazing Ali. My heart sank when you brought up Thanksgiving because I was going to ask you today *in the comment section* if you ever do anything Thanksgiving related. I can't WAIT to see what you come up with.
Thanks for sharing the step by steps on your wonderful XMAS album and linking the materials used. This is ONE great album.
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I also meant to ask you-how do you go about your supplies when you purchase them. You seem to always have just the right items on hand. Do you do one massive shopping and pile stock away or do you purchase what you have in mind for your album and then create once the items are received?
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Thanks for sharing this album. I am really going to try to make one this year. I was wondering what you use to make sure all the holes line up? Is it a single hole punch or 3 hole punch?
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Hi Ali,
The December Daily Album is just wonderful. I would like to get some more information on your creative process. How long did it take you to put this album together? Did you create all of the pages first and then figure out the numbering or did you complete a page and number it before moving on to the next? I am trying to learn how to speed up my creative process. Thank you!
Sue
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CUTE, CUTE, CUTE, did you create your album first and add pictures at the end of the month.
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Hi Ali! Thanks for being such a fabulous inspiration to so many of us. You're #1 on my "favorites" and I so look forward to seeing what you have to share every day. Your generosity is incredible. Love this album with it's "little of this, little of that" personality - so eclectic and fun. Now can't wait to read all the answers to all these interesting questions tomorrow. Thanks again!
Linda B
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Love it. I'll assemble mine this week.
I, like some others, will keep in mind that some of my celebrating happens after the 25th and allow for several other days to be added. I may even combine a few days in December to allow room for the week after Christmas. With flights being so expensive it may be months before I see some family members. I'll still add them to the album later--like I did this year. (Christmas in March--yay!)Plus it's fun to have pics of the packages sent at the post office during December.
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