A few weeks ago I created a Monthly Best card set with the express purpose of either a) just making a simple list card for my Project Life album, or b) making an actual layout for our family album. As I was itchy to use them but realized January wasn’t quite far enough along to legitimately make a Best of January layout, I decided to make just one for December 2013.
I wanted to make a true, old school hybrid layout, one that combined the best of my computer with the best of other more traditional scrapbooking acoutrements.
I started out by creating the card and the list, then I designed a whole page around it.
I printed the card onto my favorite Bazzill cardstock, then printing the photos onto one sheet of photo paper.
I also created a simple title to cut out of white cardstock using my Silhouette.
Then I just started cutting and adhering with a basic Kraft cardstock as my background.
Here is the final page.
The thing I like about this is that it reminds me to try other ways of using 3 x 4 cards, whether they are digital files or cards from my Project Life Seafoam kit.
Today, I wanted to share four different versions of this December 2013 card with you for your scrapbooking pleasure. This file is a printable PDF. No Photoshop needed. Just print using your Premium or Best Quality settings, trim and make a page or use it in your December Project Life pages. Design note: Make sure you choose Actual Size when printing from Adobe Acrobat.
Click on this link: Download CZBestOfDecCards
If you like the idea of the monthly best cards, check out the entire set here.
Note: the digital set comes as 3 x 4 PNG files, which lets you customize and play with them as you like.
You can also use the same template I used to create this layout.
I just turned off the center card, journaling block and title placeholders before printing my photos out.
Enjoy the download if you need to catch up on documenting your December!
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dawn says
This is a great idea Cathy! I love your page, so cute! Thanks so much for the download, will use this in my PL and put one away for next December.
Nina Christensen says
Hey Cathy
I’ve been told once that printing on Best Quality setting only wastes more ink and that you shouldn’t do it. Can you tell me what difference it makes?
I love your layout and list cards. I’m all about the lists. 🙂
xo Nina
Maureen says
I love your page – your style of clean and classy always appeals to me – it’s how I scrap too! Now you got me thinking that this would be a great addition to PL each month! I’m thinking it could be fun to go back through the last 3 yrs of PL that my husband and I have done and do one layout for each month put them into one book that can be added to each year. Hmmm, the wheels are turning!! Thank you for sharing your 3×4 cards!
Keianna says
Taking a break from PL this year, but this might be a great way to do a month in review album. Thanks for the card and idea 🙂
cathy says
The difference is only that you get richer color that looks better. Thats a choice I make for my layouts because its worth it to me that they look good. : )
When I dont use Best Quality, the color looks nothing like what I see on screen. : )
Lori says
I love this idea. Thank you so much for the download. It has inspired me to do something different than PL.
Caroline says
Do you have a similar template in a 12 x 12 format? I like to do monthly pages because I can’t always get organized enough to do Project Life on a weekly basis, but I prefer the 12 x 12 format.
cathy says
Hi Caroline, I dont. Not one set up to have a 3 x 4 card in the center. : ) But, one thing you could do is simply layout all the elements on a 12 x 12 piece of cardstock, and just have lots of nice white space. : )
Melissa R. says
Thanks Cathy! I’m just finishing the end of Dec for PL so this will be great!
Vickie says
Thanks for the freebie!
Cynthia H says
Oh for cute! Love your layout and thanks so much for the download. I am still finishing up December Daily and this is perfect for it!
abbeyviolet says
This layout is great. I have been, mentally at least, looking for a way to tie up our December experience and I think this is the perfect approach for me too. Thank you.
Caroline says
you and your white space! good idea
Jennifer says
I wanted to purchase the entire set but I was wondering how do you change the color or if you can even can?
Judy Webb says
Follow your blog to get encouragement for clean and simple….the photos and the story. My husband says you are very COLD today. It was at kitchen table we decided we’d take Heat in Summer over COLD in Winter! Stay warm.
cathy says
Jennifer, yes! You can change colors of PNG files. This video shows you how to work with a PNG file, though its not the same file, its the same process:
Meg says
thanks Cathy! 🙂 super cute!!
AudreyV says
Thanks for sharing. When I see your templates on DD I like them, but when I see you make something from them, it really inspires me to use them. I love your hybrid and digi shares. Keep ’em coming! 🙂
Abby P. says
I’d forgotten how much I love to see your hybrid in-progress layouts vs. digital – it’s beautiful! I’m pretty much all digi since my printer took a poop on me – Guess I’m missing 3D! Thanks for the download – very cute!
Christina says
wow thanks so much. I need to go back and watch Clean & Simple class. We are awesome!!
Liz M. says
Thanks for the freebie; always like to see your hybrid projects 🙂 Just wondering with the interest in 6×8 albums lately if you would try your hand at a smaller 6×8 hybrid page?
Christine K says
So love this! Thanks for sharing.
cathy says
Oh definitely! I have two 6 x 8 albums sitting around, beckoning me.
Martha Saenz says
THANK YOU for the freebies! I really appreciate that!!!
Connie says
I couldn’t get the download to work – I just get a blank grey screen. Thanks!
cathy says
Connie, are you on a Mac or a PC? Try right clicking the link if your on a PC. Otherwise, just email me at czdesign@comcast.net and I’m happy to email you the PDF file!
Andie says
Ive spent all weekend trying to recreate this with my very basic knowledge of photoshop. Ive just bought your template and downloaded it …YEAH thank you. First page done in years and it only took me an hour to complete. 🙂
cathy says
Excellent, Andie!
Natalie says
Hi Cathy. Love this!! Do you have a separate album for traditional hybrid scrapbooking pages? Where will this page go?
cathy says
This will go into All About Aidan Vol. 2. Each kid has a series of albums (not a ridiculous number, mind you), and then both Dan and I have albums just about us. Plus, we have a family album called All About Us. Then I had one holiday album, two baby albums… hmmm, and a of course, a lot of other project based albums. : )
Natalie says
Wow that’s amazing. Good for you!
Natalie says
Would it look ok to put this 8.5 x 11 template onto a 12×12 plain white background to add as an insert in my 12×12 photobook? Would that be TOO much white space?
cathy says
NEVER TOO MUCH WHITE SPACE. Ever. There is too little white space in the world. I think it would look LOVELY!