Here's a short update video on my Christmas journal. A little tip. Those neodymium magnet things? Holy moly, they are strong, even the tiny ones! The down side with this is they tend to want to stick to each other & not the page, so you need to make sure there is at least on layer of cardtsock between them, otherwise they will tear your page. Punch out a little circle and glue it over the magnet if need be.
By this time next month, Christmas will have you up against a wall with your arm twisted up your back, so November really is your last chance to get your Christmas crafting sorted; make those cards, create those hand made decorations and put together a Christmas journal in which you can tenderly record all the misty eyed moments that December brings. Or, if you're like me, the date of your first Gingerbread Latte (do you know, I went to Costa for one last week and they didn't have them in yet. They were still churning out the summer menu! Outrageous!).
I've started making my journal but I'm not using a daily record format this year, as I've found it diffcult to keep up with in the past couple of years. Now my children are a bit older all the cutesy seasonal photo opportunities have dried up a bit. And they have developed a fierce and eye role-y objection to having their every waking moment photographed and documented by their dear mama. Frankly, I've found it tricky to drum up enough content to complete an entry a day. So I'm hoping that the unstructured style of a file folio will allow me to create a collection of December 2015 memories, rather than a slavish countdown to the Big Day. And hopefully I'll feel more inspired to keep up with it, as there'll be no sense of falling behind if I have days without working on it.
Supplies wise I'm using the Project Life Hello December cards, accessory pack and stamp set and I'm mixing them in with the Home for Christmas designer series paper which has a lovely 1960's retro feel about it. I'll post further videos as it progresses. Or, if it turns into a hot mess, there will be a pointed silence on the matter AND WE WILL NEVER SPEAK OF IT AGAIN!
I had to take the photo in poor light, so some Photoshopping was needed to brighten it up a bit. It went more orangey red than I would have liked - my pages are pre prepared & the rest of the page is a cooler blue/green, so I brought the colours together with a little red on the blue part & some green & black on the red.
I used the Bokehful app to add the twinkles to the front of the card. It's great for adding extra interest.
This page took me just 10 minutes to complete - if they're all like that I'm certain I'll complete this album. Prepping in advance & using colour matched journal cards & accessories really speeds things up.
If you're doing December Daily leave me a message - I'd love to see what you did.
If you're planning on keeping a December journal you need to prepare well in advance. The first couple of weekends in November are ideal - Christmas ads are all over the telly & it feels kind of festive but you really can't dive headlong into Christmas JUST yet, so treat yourself to a little taster, complete with glitter & sequins & snowflakes.
I decorated the covers of my album this week. I used the December Wonder stamp set for the snowflakes (heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder). The wood Joy plaque & "remember this" are from the Hello December accessories pack, as are the number stickers. Use Crystal Effects to glue the wood plaque & sequins on & they should stay put.
I've also made a start on my opening page.
If you watched the video I posted last week you'll recognise the reindeer from the Boden catalogue. I popped my Project Llife 3x4 Framelit over him & it cut out to the perfect size for the pocket.
I might add to it as I go along or leave it as it is. My usual style is to embellish each page like I do the front cover, but that's so time consuming that I'm going to make an effort to leave it clean & simple this year.
If you're interested in keeping a December journal & you live local to me (Stockport, UK), order the elements listed at the bottom, from my Stampin' Up! shop, & I'll give you a free 1-2-1 class on how to approach Project Life and keeping a December journal, plus some handmade journaling cards that will co-ordinate with the Hello December kit. Email me at bracegirdlesam@gmail.com when you place your order.
I've kept a scrapbook type journal of my family's life each December since 2008. It's a daily record of us as a family each December & it's fascinating to see the changes, year on year.
My kids are a bit older now, but I value doing it even more. As they start to grow away from me, and having a photo taken seems more of a chore than the lark it was when they were little, Christmas festivities give me a legitimate reason for taking pics and capturing their last precious moments of childhood...
Goodness. How very mawkish! But if you've got teenagers I'm sure you know what I mean.
Last year I made a very elaborate December album. So elaborate, in fact, that I used up all my mojo making it & by day 17 I got fed up & stopped filling it in.
I learned a valuable lesson, and this year I've pared things right down. I'm going to use the Project Life method to keep my Christmas journal. I'm using the Hello December cards, accessory pack and PL album from Stampin' Up! and I'll complete it with photos and other bits and pieces from my stash. I'm confident it will let me to balance creativity with the inevitable demands on my time that December brings!
Here's a video overview of the kit, plus you can have a look at some of the Christmas journals I've done before.
To qualify for my free class, please purchase the following (4 items)
