One of the keys to success in this project is getting an album structure set-up in advance of December so that during December you can enjoy the season & enjoy the process of documenting your days without having to be putting the entire thing together at the same time. It is not meant to be stressful. It is meant to be a way to creatively celebrate the season and document you special holiday memories in one album." - from aliedwards.com. Go here to see her current posts on December Daily 2010.
+ Interested in keeping your own journal for December? I have kits available in the shop here - complete with all sorts of fun papers (new and vintage) as well as super cute embellishments and tags.
A closer look at some of the pages as well as the kit contents:
I am still in the process of putting my personal journal together, and have decided to make it a little bigger this year - 6"x8". I added in a few extras I've been collecting, such as a baseball card holder (cut to size - 6"x8" - 4 pockets), some glittery paper, and some designed and printed day sheets - these sheets will be a lot like what Ali has in hers this year-- mostly blank sheets, where each have the day printed at the bottom (December 1, December 2, etc.). These will be perfect for journaling on or adding a picture and then printing the sheet at the end of the day. I plan to attach extra pictures and labels and some of the journaling tags I designed (also in the kit) on the patterned paper, so each day will have 2 (maybe even 3) pages.
++ I posted last year on making your own journal at home, with supplies you might already have on hand or can purchase inexpensively. The idea is to keep it simple - your journaling and pictures are what is important!
An excerpt from last year's post and a link to the entire post: ...Want to make your own December Art Journal? Rummage around your home for scrap paper and envelopes. A few ideas of papers you probably have around:
- Envelopes for mailing
- Envelopes that come in bills to return the bill (you could use these if you pay your bills online)
- Calendar Planner pages
- Pages from Christmas catalogs (!! These are fabulous backgrounds for pasting on mementos)
- Construction paper
- Christmas cards/envelopes (snag one from your stack of cards you'll be sending out to friends and family)
- Security envelopes from junk mail (cut these up and use these as pages- you'd be amazed at how many different patterns and colors there are for security envelopes once you start paying attention!)
- Find a pattern here to make fun handmade envelopes and inserts
A couple ideas of things you could purchase very inexpensively:
- $1 bin Christmas cards/envelopes at Target or Michael's
- $1 bin Christmas paper/lists/Christmas stickers/embellishments at Target or Michael's
- Items from a dollar store - envelopes, paper, graph paper, any sort of fun paper you can find! Spools of ribbon, wrapping paper, writing paper, stationery
You can purchase binder rings at Staples, Michael's, or AC Moore for less than $2 for 6 rings. Use a 40% off coupon at the craft stores and save even more (these usually come in the newspaper or you can sign up online to receive their emails and receive the coupon in your inbox) Or, use ribbon to bind your book.
Decide what size you would like your journal to be - I find that 5"x7" is a nice size and holds items and 4"x6" photos very well. Cut your papers to approximately that size (or smaller if your found papers are smaller than that - it's fun to have all different sizes!) For sturdy covers, cut the chipboard from the back of the construction paper pad, or a large legal pad into two 5"x7" pieces (yay for recycling!).
- Envelopes for mailing
- Envelopes that come in bills to return the bill (you could use these if you pay your bills online)
- Calendar Planner pages
- Pages from Christmas catalogs (!! These are fabulous backgrounds for pasting on mementos)
- Construction paper
- Christmas cards/envelopes (snag one from your stack of cards you'll be sending out to friends and family)
- Security envelopes from junk mail (cut these up and use these as pages- you'd be amazed at how many different patterns and colors there are for security envelopes once you start paying attention!)
- Find a pattern here to make fun handmade envelopes and inserts
A couple ideas of things you could purchase very inexpensively:
- $1 bin Christmas cards/envelopes at Target or Michael's
- $1 bin Christmas paper/lists/Christmas stickers/embellishments at Target or Michael's
- Items from a dollar store - envelopes, paper, graph paper, any sort of fun paper you can find! Spools of ribbon, wrapping paper, writing paper, stationery
You can purchase binder rings at Staples, Michael's, or AC Moore for less than $2 for 6 rings. Use a 40% off coupon at the craft stores and save even more (these usually come in the newspaper or you can sign up online to receive their emails and receive the coupon in your inbox) Or, use ribbon to bind your book.
Decide what size you would like your journal to be - I find that 5"x7" is a nice size and holds items and 4"x6" photos very well. Cut your papers to approximately that size (or smaller if your found papers are smaller than that - it's fun to have all different sizes!) For sturdy covers, cut the chipboard from the back of the construction paper pad, or a large legal pad into two 5"x7" pieces (yay for recycling!).
++Go here to see the entire post.
Excited to get your journal going? Me too! Now is the time- Have fun! :)
your journal will be so cute ! you really have an eye for putting together colours, patterns, embellishments...great work !
ReplyDeleteI first saw these this summer when I discovered your blog, and have wanted one ever since! Recently I purchased a found paper scrap pack from your etsy shop, and so I think I will have to make one this year! Thanks for your fun ideas!!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to receive mine!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of your scrapbooking ideas Ashley, I love how you use corrugated card for the cover and peel it back to expose the rawness of the material.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the ideas of where to collect papers around the house, I'm going to see what I can find and am off to have a peek in your shop :)