Holiday Journal :: December 1-11

A peek into my Holiday Journal / December Daily thus far. I'm going for super simple this year. And wow is it hard. There is so much I want to put in to it (pictures, every single detail of the day, etc), but I'm really trying to keep it to one spread per day.

I'm having a challenging time with the 4"x6" layout and having to work within that size. Last year, my journal was 6"x8" and that worked well. My autumn journal worked well in the 4"x6"; naturally I thought it would also work well for the holidays. So, although I feel somewhat constrained by the size, I'm also feeling somewhat free with having tight parameters (does that make sense? ;)).

I like the small size in that:
+ I have to be creative to get everything in one spread.
+ I can print a regular 4"x6" photo and put it in the book with no trimming needed.
+ It's a challenge for me.
+ I like how it works well and has a cohesive feel sitting next to my autumn journal.

I'm still pondering what to do with Day 9 - this is the day my hubby left for Haiti. Thinking about writing thoughts about this day, the trip, etc. Excited to still think about this one.

DIY :: Jotter Journal

Today (finally ;)) a tutorial on making these super cute jotter journals. These cuties would make great stocking stuffers for someone who likes to jot notes, or you could fill one up with pictures and words and give as a gift this holiday season. 

Supplies (to make two journals):

+ 1 piece of cardstock, 8.5x11

+ 2 pieces of scrap fabric (I used fabric from some old blouses), slightly larger than 5.5"x8.5"

+ Spray adhesive (permanent)

+ ruler, rotary cutter and cutting mat

+ library card (or other sturdy credit card type card)

+ sewing machine and coordinating thread

+ 8 sheets (for each journal, 16 total) of paper cut to approximately 4.25"x8.5" (I used found papers like graph, ledger, and writing, but you could also use blank computer paper)

+ 2 butterfly binder clips

+ pencil, scissors, newspaper

Begin by cutting the sheet of cardstock in half to 5.5"x8.5".

Outside, or in a well-ventilated area, lay out the newspaper and spray one of the cardstock pieces with the spray adhesive. Be sure to get the edges nice and good so that the fabric doesn't start to peel off. But don't spray too much or the glue will bleed through the fabric, and not dry (I know from experience). I usually wait about 30 seconds for the glue to begin drying before adhering the fabric.

Carefully lay the piece of fabric over the now-sticky piece of cardstock. Smooth out any bubbles with the library card so that it's all nice and flat. Repeat these steps with the other piece of cardstock.

Next, trim off the excess fabric with the ruler and rotary cutter on both journal covers.

 Gather up 8 sheets of the papers and get them all nice and flush.

Fasten them in the middle of the cardstock (see picture below) with the butterfly clips. Then draw a line down the middle (at 4.25" in from each side) using the pencil and ruler. Repeat for the second set of papers and the other journal.

Sew down the middle on the pencil line you just drew. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. Repeat for the second journal.

 Trim off the excess thread.

Almost done! Now open the journal, fold the cover back, and gather all of the pages together and trim off 1/4" on the edge so they are nice and flush. Repeat for the second journal.

Voila! Two cute jotter journals. Ready for gift-giving or for jotting your own thoughts and ideas.

Photographing Lights: Bokeh

So I finally found out that this super cool technique of taking photos of lights is called "Bokeh" (I know, I'm probably really behind on this one). I love how it looks like confetti. Love it. 

I am by no means a photographer (nor do I really know camera and photographer terms, etc) and credit all of my semi-decent photos to my amazing Canon Rebel XTi, and now my 50mm f/1.8 lens. I was on pinterest the other day and came across this tutorial on taking photographs like this and was glad to (finally) know what it is called. I experimented and was SO excited about how the photos turned out. 

I used my Canon 50 mm f/1.8 lens with these settings:

f/1.8

1/125 sec

1600 ISO

The dial on top is set to "M" and I adjusted the f-stop by pushing the Av +/- button and turning the other wheel on top to 1.8 (all seasoned photographers reading this, my apologies for my lack of knowledge on terms ;)). If you go here, there is a basic tutorial on changing all of these settings.

I took the photos at night so there wasn't any extra light (like the tutorial suggested) except for a nearby 60-watt table lamp. I used the manual focus (so no auto focus). The photos below show how the lights become bigger circles as you un-focus (?).

I also experimented with a plain string of Christmas lights. The photo is in focus and progresses to completely out of focus.

And I then made a lens hood (?) to create different shapes of light. Seriously, I was giddy about how fun these were turning out (the picture below shows my other lens 18-55mm as an example - I took these pictures with the above-mentioned lens). Basically you put the hood on the lens and do the same thing as above, only the lights are now shapes.

Flowers and Hearts! Yay!

catching up.

+ playing catch up on my december daily - running a few days behind :) will share the progress and my thoughts early next week.

+ i will be closing my shop this weekend until after Christmas - so if there is anything you've been wanting to purchase, please keep that in mind. i may leave a few items in stock, but for the most part am taking a break to spend more time with my family :) i will still be blogging, but want to take a break from prepping orders, packaging them up, and going to the post office.

+ i am still planning on sharing a tutorial on how to make jotter journals, and plan to share early next week.

+ working on Christmas gifts for family right now and will be sharing a few of my DIY handmade Christmas gift ideas soon.

Food: Christmas Sugar Cookies

The other day, our activity from our Advent Book was to make Christmas sugar cookies. My sweet Jimmy had been waiting for the day when "we get to make cookies and put icing and spwinkles on them!". So make them we did, decorate them we did. And it was so much fun. I typically use my parent's sugar cookie recipe but could not find it (fail!) so found one and adapted it a little. I also found a great icing recipe that dries all nice and shiny.

Best Rolled Sugar Cookies (adapted slightly from allrecipes.com)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add in vanilla extract and then eggs, one at a time and mix thoroughly. Add baking powder and salt and mix. Then add flour, 1/4 cup at a time and mix well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Dust work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters or a biscuit cutter (or a drinking glass) to cut out cookies. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to brown (be careful, the edges brown... fast!).

Let cool completely before icing.

Sugar Cookie Icing (adapted slightly from allrecipes.com)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
4 tsp. milk
2 tsp. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Food coloring
Sprinkles, optional

Mix confectioner's sugar, milk, light corn syrup and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Add more milk 1/2 tsp. at a time if icing is too thick. Divide into different bowls and color each with food coloring. Use a pastry brush, spoon or butter knife to spread icing on cookies. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.

DIY :: Festive Holiday Garland

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I had shared a tutorial for a Festive Holiday Garland in Discover Paper's 2011 Holiday Guide. I wanted to share it here also - here it is! :)

This garland is simple yet festive for the upcoming holidays. Made from vintage book, dictionary and music pages, as well as deep red and forest green cardstock, this garland is sure to spruce up a Christmas tree, holiday mantle or banister. You could also drape over a mirror or hang in a guest bedroom to add a festive touch.

To make your own, you will need:

+ Sewing machine

+ Red, green or white thread

+ Several paper rounds in various sizes and shapes (I used a 1.5" round punch, a 1" round punch and a 1" jagged edge punch), punched from vintage books, as well as Holiday red and green cardstock. The number of punches you need will depend on how long you want your garland to be. For example, if you use all 1" punches, 12 punches will equal about 1 foot.

+ Optional: Snowflake paper punches, punched from vintage book pages

DIY:

1. Begin by threading your sewing machine with desired thread color and pulling extra thread through before you sew. These two threads (one from the bobbin, the other from the needle) will serve as a way to tie up the garland.

2. Slowly feed in your first paper round and sew through the middle, as though you were sewing a piece of fabric. Then feed in another paper round and continue feeding rounds. Feed each round in one at a time so that they are butted up against each other as you sew them together. You can layer smaller rounds on top of bigger rounds to create a layered effect and add in the little snowflakes if you choose.

3. To create the "3-D" effect, layer 3 paper rounds on top of each other (all the same size) and feed in at the same time.

4. Continue feeding and sewing rounds. No particular order is necessary, but it will look nice to have the different sizes and colors mixed up. Sprinkle in the 3 paper rounds (to make the 3-D look) on top of each other here and there as well. 

5. Once you have reached your desired length, pull extra thread through again (to be able to tie up this end of the garland). Cut the thread and you now have a garland!

6. To create the "3-D" rounds, fold the top paper round edges closed and fold the bottom paper round edges closed. The middle paper round stays flat. The top and bottom paper round will now be in a v-shape, creating a 3-Dimensional "ornament" on your garland. Repeat where necessary on your garland.

7. Voila!  A gorgeous, festive garland to decorate your home this holiday season.