December Daily™ 2010 | Intro Page & Binding

Your album is beautiful, Ali. Thanks for all the inspiration and sharing of your life. I have finished my first December daily and am so happy with it. I also liked your advice of packing it away with Christmas and will enjoy seeing it again in a year. Can't wait until next year to start a new one. Just curious, won't the bakers twine come undone with handling? It just looks like the rings are more secure.

I did Dec Daily this year for the first time. I ended up buying your templates and doing it as a digi album (that's just easier for me right now, having some of my stuff packed away due to lack of space, and I can just save and come back to it if my two little ones need something). All my pages are done, I just have to get them printed. I'm not necessarily in love with each page on its own, but I love the memories from the whole album put together.

Thank you so much, Ali. This was my first year participating as well and I looooved it. You were absolutely correct about the House of 3 binder getting way overstuffed!! Even in my attempt to keep it very simple, it ended up being so full, that I have it tied with a big piece of fabric for safe keeping! :) It's probably my favorite album I've ever made though! October should be fun!

OK Now I think I like the string/ribbon for binding mine instead of the rings. Need to see what I have here to do that. Thanks Ali

This was my first time with the DD and I love how it's turned out, Thank You for your inspiration. I've got about 3 pages left to finish and every time I walk away from it someone in my family starts flipping through and looking at it. I think one of the things I love the most is having a place to put all the little treasures I collected through the month.

Will definitely have to try the twine the original rings stopped working, and the 3 in ones don't turn as easy.

Looks great! I like the ribbon better too! This reminds me, I'm enrolled in the OLW and YT classes and while working on my YT last night, I randomly came across a (free) download of yours in a folder at home. I was wondering, do you have the downloads (like the DD one here) linked on your blog anywhere? Now that I'm dabbling in digital I will keep the files better organized!

HI ali.
Thank you so much for your inspiration and guide in this project. As my first year I had a lot of fun, and I learnt alot during the process and I can't wait for this year to try it all over again. I know its very very early days yet, but have you had any ideas on what you'd like to do this year? I would really like to use the templates this year (as I didnt have a printer last year) and make it for 2011?

hope all is well, Beke x

Another idea for binding is using cable ties. You can get very long ones and snip them off at the appropriate length (black and white are easily available but I have gotten colors). I used this method last year. It's a little sturdier than ribbon but very adjustable. When trying to get the size finalized,I always stick a marker or ruler in the binding to give me a little extra bulk while I'm adjusting and then I can just slip it out when I'm done.

What's funny is that as I was making my book I didn't really like my pages. I thought they were to plain. I wrote all of my journaling because it was quicker that way and I only had about 5 or 10 minutes here or there to work on it so I didn't go into to much detail with the embelishments. But now that it's all finished and we were able to look through the pages together I simply love it! I imagined what it will be like a few years down the road when we look at this and it makes me happy!
It was my first year doing it and I"m so glad I played along! Yours is absolutely beautiful, btw!

I love the photostrip for your intro page and absolutely love the ribbon/baker's twine for the binding.

I still have four more pages to go- the end is in sight!

That's how I ended up binding my book, too! (It's linked on your Day 25 page - Jan Barlow finished book). My book turned out so fat, no ring would suffice! :)

And thanks for the reminder about the opening page! I was going to do a photo collage and totally forgot! I'll have to add that to my project list.

Thanks for all your info, resources and especially inspiration!

perfect timing! my rings weren't large enough either, and i was frustrated because i want this project COMPLETED! i will try the twine and be done!! great way to finish this as we are snowed in in Atlanta! thanks, ali!

LOVE your solution for binding!!

Ali - Your book turned out so nice. I just love it. Which version of Photoshop do you use? I want to buy it and learn how to use it this year. I signed up for your classes in an effort to help me learn. There are four versions on the Adobe website. Thanks for the advice.

I don't usually comment but I wanted to get on here to thank you for doing this project and telling us step-by-step how you did yours. I'm almost finished with mine and although I wish I could have been more creative, this way was more do-able for me and I'm happy with how it's turning out. I love your binding solution too. I tried the binder rings and I wasn't happy with it either. I'll have to use your method when I get it all finished. Thanks so much!

I finished my December Daily album and have not been happy with the rings I used at all. I love the binder twine and ribbon idea. I'm going to do that.

Hi Ali, I also ended up changing my binding from 3 rings to an A5 "lever-arch" file, which I'll paint.
Using this 6x8 format has taught me:
-I love the economy & availability of using a standard stationery file to house the pages.
-Full frame photographs can be printed at 4x6 or 5x7.5, eliminating the crop factor. Awesome effect of enlargements!
You mentioned that you would let us know how to adapt the "day of the week" on your templates for using in another year; this whole project was a winner, Thank you again!

Use a small crochet hook that will fit thought the holes easily. Make a loop (I don't tie it just make a loop with a long tail), catch it with the crochet hook and pull it through.......so much easier than trying to thread through all those holes. Maybe this is not new to you and maybe you have tried and didn't like doing it that way. Just thought I would pass it on.

I don't like how the rings look either. I'll have to try the twine. I finished mine up this weekend. I did a summary page at the end with some reflections on doing the DD this year. Thanks for sharing this with us each year.

My book just came in the mail from Shutterfly this weekend, and it warmed my heart to look at it all together. Thank you so much for the inspiration, and for bringing us all along for the ride. I absolutely love this album and look forward to making one each and every year!!