December Daily Base Pages Pt. 1

Like everyone else in the scrapbooking world, I'm getting my base pages ready for this year's december daily.  I'm going ultra basic this year with black, white, gold and kraft.  A hint of silver, too.  Since I don't celebrate Christmas, red and green isn't really my bag.  I'm really loving this color way, though.  I think I could scrap everything in these colors.  

Cover Page Detail

A little bag to put trinkets in

Using Ali Edwards' 2012 December Daily Stamp Set

Lots of layers and pages of different sizes

Those gold scallops are on a 4x4 page

I stamped the back of the pocket with the doily glued on it so it looks good on both sides of the protector.

I'm about half way done with bases so far, which is pretty good progress.  I'm stalking instagram looking at what everyone else is up to.  I love looking at December Dailies!

Pulling Together my December Daily

This is a quick and dirty nap-time snapshot.  Excuse my lighting.

Okay, I'll admit it.  I have a love/hate affair with December Daily albums.  Love because I mean, it's a fun project and a neat way to document a very unique time of year and it feels so SPECIAL.  And hate because I'm Jewish and, well, December Daily is very Christmas-y.  And I LOVE looking at everyone else's red and green albums with their belighted pine trees and elves on shelves -- but that's not my life.  I've got candles and dreidels.  I've got potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts.  And it's awesome and I love it, but sometimes it just doesn't mesh with all the DD stuff out there.

 So this year, I'm totally going non-traditional and owning it.  I used Crate Paper's Bundled Up last year, and it was cute.  But this year I'm going black, white, kraft and gold.  Maybe a hint of red.  I found an awesomely cute little 6x6 paper pad at Tuesday Morning called Hot Cocoa by American Crafts (which is a mystery -- I can't find info on it ANYWHERE!) but I loved its graphic patterns.  I may pull out all the red and use it for different projects, or I may add it in sparingly.  I haven't decided yet.


This isn't the completed collection of what I'll be using, but it is the start and probably the bulk.  I'm going to go simple, clean, and graphic this year.  I need a few transparent overlays, maybe a bit more vellum, some sequins and enamel dots -- and the Printshop star wood veeners that Joann's is carrying in stores now (yes 50% off coupons!).  I'll be using a Studio Calico Handbook album (kraft) that I got on Uber clearance off amazon.  I pulled some mambi pocket pages cards from my DT days with them that will compliment nicely.  Overall, I'm liking it a lot.  I think it'll look cool, and different, and most importantly it'll be true to my not-so-much-about-Christmas December.  And that's awesome, if you ask me.

Kite Festival

I've been plugging away at the 6x6 paper class when I get a chance, and here is what I did with the sixth sketch in the class.  I found working with a strip of horizontal photos really challenging -- it is very much not my usual MO when it comes to how I put things together.  I kept adding washi to echo the line of the photos, and eventually it came together for me.  I'm not sure it's one of the better pages I've made, but it was a great learning experience with working through it's issues.  

I did use some cloud washi that I got with a kit that I had never used, so that was exciting for me.  Add in some hand drawing on the kite I cut with my silhouette as a cute and personal detail and it adds those little finishing touches that really make a layout feel complete to me.  I love to draw on my layouts.   I guess it seems like it puts a little bit of laurie onto the page.  Pretty paper is good, but the essence of me is what I really aim to capture.  This is my life and this is what I draw; my pages are an extension of me.  Forgive me, I got philosophical just now -- it's been a long day with lots of laundry.  :)

Much love to everyone out there in cyberspace.  Hope the chill of fall is warming your hearts!

Love Those Daddy Pancakes

Sorry the light is weird on this -- still figuring out the best place to take photos at the new house!

Another page based off a sketch from the Scrapbook Generation 6x6 paper pad class -- I love that these pages feature lots of photos!

My goal with these pages (besides documenting memories, of course!) was to use up a lot of the little bits and pieces that I had lying on my desk.  I think it came out pretty cute!

  

The Good Life

A quick and fun layout today that I did using a Scrapbook Generation sketch (from the 6x6 class) -- I didn't have much purple paper in my small paper pads; I think I used most everything I had.  Some funky tape, a fun Silhouette cut title and I'm pleased enough with how it turned out.  I'm enjoying the challenge of two page layouts lately.  I'm such a one-page girl by nature.  Getting out of my comfort zone is fun!

Rain Dancer

I've been going through my stash trying to use things up and I had these fun little October Afternoon rain clouds.  They came with a kit, and while I'm not sure I'd ever buy them for myself, I basically designed this layout around them (based off a Scrapbook Generation sketch).  Love that Mon Ami paper with the rain and the clouds -- perfect for my photos of Orli dancing in the rain.  And the best news -- the chipboard clouds are now in my album and off of my desk.  Gotta love that!

Baby, You're a STAR

I'm working through the Scrapbook Generation 6x6 paper "class"right now and this is my interpretation of sketch #2 from that packet.  It's a really fun class if you're looking for ideas on how to use up your 6x6 paper pads.  Me?  I'm always terrible when it comes to two-page layouts and need to work from a sketch; I find that I like Scrapbook Generation sketches the best.  I think they're clean, photo-centric, and easy to work with and edit, which I appreciate.  They do require some odd sized photos, so there is often a good deal of photo editing before you can work on a layout, but I find the final project is worth the time invested on the front end.

I used a Studio Calico Print Shop paper pad for this layout, along with some Smash washi tape, and some of the vellum die cuts from the Print Shop line as well.  Some sequins, a few wood veneers and some odds and ends (from Crate Paper & My Mind's Eye) and it all came together. I just love these photos, and I think it's such a fun layout with the bold colors and black and white pictures.

What's on your craft table this week?  My plan is to keep working through this class at a pace of two per week, plus make a few more things with my Paper Camellia kit.  I'll post results soon!

Love That Tongue

I am so behind posting, you guys, and I am totally sorry.  Life happened -- we bought a house, moved, my baby girl turned into a toddler, started one year old preschool, projects at the new house piled up (and continue to do so -- goodness knows there are always about 100 things to be done at any given time!).  I'm going to get better about posting regularly, though, I swear.  Things are calming down at the new house, as in things are unpacked and everything mostly has a place, so I'll have time to scrap and blog more regularly now.  

This is a page I made over the summer utilizing a lot of orange, and I love how it turned out.  I'm a color girl, so I enjoy the bold on white.  I've been pondering lately simplifying my scrapping style, getting rid of stuff, and memory keeping in a very basic, clean way.  I think this layout is a good move in that direction.  Still fun and enjoyable to make, but less visual clutter while still looking a little funky.  I think all the white space helps.

You'll hear from me again soon, friends!  I won't get so behind again!