December Daily: Days 14-19

Happy Sunday to all!  Motivation + energy + creativity + time combined today, and I was quite productive with my December Daily album.  Many of the pictures were shot and ready, they just needed to be printed and included in the book in some way.  Here's how it unfolded.

I used my materials from the Ashley G kit and created Day 14 on a back-to-back 6 x 8 layout.

The Bingo card was one I had in my stash.  I drew a glittery star over the number 14.  The first part of the day documents what I decided to do for gifts this year for many of my friends/family.

Here, on the other side of the 6 x 8, I documented the process of sending out Christmas cards.  That coincided with the first page, explaining the gifts to Heifer International.  I included some fussy-cutting from some Shimelle patterned paper as well as an actual Peanuts Forever stamp from the stash I used for my cards.  I included a hand-drawn frame on a simple piece of red cardstock.

For Day 15, I used the concept of having the day card be free-standing again.  On the back, I included a card with some of Silent Night on it, as I felt it went well with the Advent wreath photo.  I used Photoshop to layer the [Joy] word art.

I used part of a Becky Higgins page protector for this part.  I wanted to include the portrait oriented photos, but I did not want two more 6 x 8 pages back-to-back with the last ones.

For Day 16, I cut another page protector, this time I cut what held four 3 x 4s and I just used one strip.  Day 16 is also going to include a December calendar page that I am making that documents the events of December.  Since I am typing it, I am waiting to print it until the end.

This is the flipside of Day 16.

For Day 17, I used the free-floating number card again.  I kind of like the concept, can you tell?

On the back, I used a Cathy Zielske card that says "Tree Lovin'," as the next page documents some of the ornaments that adorn our tree and mantle.

I knew I wanted to get my mom's needlepoint in this book.  It is her signature gift.

I took up Ali's idea to use 2 x 2 pieces of wrapping paper.  I used paper that I used as well as paper from gifts I was given for this layout.  I cut the day card to 2 x 2 as well.

This was yesterday.  All I could do was sleep.  I was completely wiped out.  So, on one of my more alert moments, I snapped a selfie.  It's what I do on Saturdays, but especially this Saturday...the beginning of break.

Holiday Cards

Many a reveler knows the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas."  Few realize that, in the church, the Christmas season lasts about that long.  So, Happy Christmas Season to all.  I have been making cards one by one this year, thinking I would start in October, yet here I am after Christmas Day making and sending holiday spirit.  Before Christmas, for a teacher, is not the time to squeeze in crafting.

I have cranked out 4 cards tonight, this one being unlike some others I have posted.  It's a combination of Lawn Fawn and Stampin' Up.  I colored the quatre foil with Copics and stamped them with some American Crafts pigment ink.  I used my Stampin' Up punch to punch them out and my Stampin' Up embossing folder for the background.

Hugs and Kisses

Man, people are getting so sick lately!  So many of my friends' kids have gotten knock-down, drag-out, Advil-resistant, viral sick.  For one little four year old, I decided to make her a card, because she spiked a 104 temp last night.  She was a good buddy to Max this summer, so I made the card from "Max and His Mom."

Wish I could say it was my idea to use a bandage on a get well card, but I did see some here and there on galleries.  It was my first use of American Crafts glitter tape (what a great idea!).  I used my Stampin' Up! Basic Gray cardstock and embossing folder.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink (Limitless Labels).  I used some Nestabilities dies, some google eyes, and some SU! Dimensionals to raise things up a bit.  

Project Life and the Use of New Supplies -or- Who am I and what did I do with JoLynn?

The remainder of Week 11, finally finished by one Maximilian Plato:

I actually added some arrows to this page...just realized it now.  Ah well.  Anyway, very cute turnout overall.  Well worth the efforts!

And now, Week 12, featuring the use of new material.  Wow.  Unbelievable.  I usually put stuff away and forget I have it!

I got a great deal of stuff at the Sidewalk Sale at The Scrapbooking Studio this weekend.  Kim and I literally went kind of like little tornadoes through their stuff.  We had a limited amount of time.  I spent just under $25 and got TONS of great things, many of which are on this page.  How fun are the raindrops and clouds (that American Crafts!).  Really excited that I branched into writing on labels.  Seems to be trending at the moment.  Going outside of my little box!

Note: An entire sheet of 12 x 12 patterned paper was won over simply by that title card.  Say Yeah!  CRACKED me UP!

Happy Saturday!

The sun is shining and it's a cool and crisp day here in Central Illinois.  My eight year old still has his mind set on the pool, even though it has just hit 70 degrees.

Crafting has been occurring quite a bit as of late, so I thought I would drop in some ideas and Project Life updates.

I am happy to report that my buddy Kim is now well on her way to independence with her PL album for her granddaughter's first year.  It looks awesome, and she is caught up through May!  She's on a roll!

First spread of Harlow's album

Used some Making Memories alpha stamps to create this calendar

Kim was at first intimidated to journal, so she found the texts between she and her daughter when she awaited labor news and we printed those up.

Within my Project Life extravaganza, a baby shower card was required.  This used the colors that the mama-to-be was using in the nursery.

All stamps are SU!, plus the hexagon embosser.  I used Tempting Turquoise as well.

And now, to catch up with Project Life in my album, weeks 8 and 9...

I used the back of the Ali Edwards journal cards from Week 7 to journal on the first page this week.  Very handy!

I used a digital hybrid of the Rain edition from BH for this page.  Oh my do I adore the Rain edition.

First Fun Run of the year required several pics to archive the night.  I used a Flip Flap from CTMH for extra space.

This week was somewhat disappointing due to rainy weather the first week school was out.  The theme was, ironically, Carpe Diem.  Instead of focusing on what I could not do, I tried to shift focus to what I could.  

Lots of different product lines: Jillibean Soup, Simple Stories, Project Life, Jenni Bowlin...

Saw Ali Edwards write on a diagonal card, and I thought, "Well, duh!  That's a good idea!"  I also used one of the collection of roller date stamps I have been purchasing.  I have Amy Tangerine, Studio Calico, Dear Lizzy, and soon: Stampin' Up.  Fallen in love with them to my typical crazy level.

I think this week will be an entire spread of Rain edition, then I think Max will get full authority over the next week.  That should be fun!  Stay tuned!

I am currently prepping the NYC pics for print.  My son took outstanding (mostly portrait orientation) pics.  Time to get creative in a book that is mainly landscape.  All doable!

Project Life, Edition 2, Begins

Oh happy day! Look at what came my way today!

Quite hard to contain my excitement.  Of course, I broke in the Cameo.  What a beautiful machine.  Truly.  I only experimented, nothing major.  But I tell ya.  Instant love.

I spent most of my evening working on my cover page for Project Life.  You may recall that a few years back, I participated in the original launch of PL.  If you thought I was excited then, you have NO idea how excited I am now.  Back in 2010, Becky Higgins started with one album kit (now called the Cherry Edition) and an idea: make archiving life easier and more accessible to everyone, especially working moms.  The kit came with page protectors, journaling cards, title cards, a date stamp, and an album.  The cards were printed on one side, unless they were the folded journaling cards.  I loved the album, and I cranked out a ton of pages.

Now, Becky's idea has, well, exploded like Mt. St. Helens.  She has many, many styles to chose from, the introduction of mini albums, page protectors for vertical AND horizontal orientation, and everything is pieced out.  She has partnered with American Crafts, and not has a line of pens (which I purchased and have already fallen in love with) as well as the partnership with AC Digitals, which carries her many designs for PL in digital format.  The album set I purchased is called the Blush set.  I also purchased the AC Digitals Midnight album graphics.  I love the chevron nature of the Blush album, and most of the colors and graphics are up this girl's alley.  However, some of the cards just are not.  So what follows is a hybrid version of PL, and I am super excited to share.

Part of this layout's concept was borrowed from this wonderful cover page I pinned on Pinterest.  I loved how she used individual pics of her family members in the 3 x 4 spaces (which, if you are doing this, size your cards to 2.9 x 4...that's what actually fits in the sleeves).  I found a file with a rounded .png frame and recolored it to white (I will figure out how to create these on my own, but for now, HELLO Internet!).  I used Petunia Bounce font to write the names on each pic.  This will probably be the font I use throughout, as I love it so.  I treated the photos using Rad Lab.  I pledge my Photoshop neophyte love to this filter arrangement.  Do check it out if you are not so sure how to treat your photos to make them print beautifully. And yes, there's an app: Pic.Tap.Go.  I used the full fledged Rad Lab as I took my pics with what I lovingly call "Bertha," my Nikon D60.  My pic was snapped by my 16 year old!  Yeah, Ig!

The "bits & pieces*" card came with the Blush cards and is recommended for the first page (it's printed on the back of the card). I hemmed and hawed about this one, but I really like it as part of the finished page.  The card beside it is from the Midnight Edition.  I typed in "Three Hundred Sixty-Five, Two Thousand Thirteen, Two Thousand Fourteen."  Yup, I am going to try to do a photo a day.  We shall see how ambitious that might be.

On the bottom of the page, I used some cardstock from the Midnight Edition.  I cropped it to 4 x 6 in 300 dpi and found the parts with sayings that really fit best.  Then I printed on white cardstock.  The last card was part of the Blush Edition and is recommended for the first page.  I added some Amy Tangerine Thickers (recent purchase!) with our family name.  At first, I left it blank, but I felt the name was important.

Whew.  Can you say "overthought?"  From this point on, I am hoping it's not going to take me this long.  The title page is always my tough area.  I tried to get some yellow in, but it just did not blend.  Love the gray and blue.  It works well for me. :)