I’m jumping back onto the December Daily bandwagon this year. This will be my third year doing the project (I was a mildly late adopter as you can read in my “The Reason Why” page below), and I am not sure what the album will end up being with Aidan off at school and, well, you know, not a lot of camera happy folks here other than Dan and occasionally me.
But as Ali wrote on her December Daily kick off post, “Find your own joy, even if you have to make it happen for yourself.” So I’m going to keep that spirit in mind all month long.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t live with Scrooges. But teen-aged sons and busy Dads don’t always want to do up the holiday hoo ha. You feel me?
I’m using a mix of products. I have the December Daily kit, lots of white card stock and a host of my own holiday products. I’m going to be tweaking some of my 6 x 8 template sets for this, using some of Ali’s sets and creating others from scratch as needed. I’m not sure quite how crafty I’ll get, but I will have you know this: I spray painted all of the December Daily kit wood veneer numbers. Yeah. You heard me. #craftycathy
The other cool thing? Aidan is getting into the spirit and is providing me with images and stories, too. So far? She fills the album. Love that girl. Here’s what I have so far. (All supplies are listed at the bottom of this post.)
My title page is very simple. I modified a template ever so slightly from this set (I brought the mask margins in by one extra grid square), and added a white rectangle shape to create a space in which to put that adorable rubber December Daily embellishment (part of Ali’s kit).
DESIGN TIP: Do you know about the Grid in Photoshop Elements? If not, you should! You can turn the Grid on and off and you can change and customize the how many little grid squares show up. I use the Grid when I design in Photoshop. It’s a quick and easy way to have even spaces in and around elements. Find it under the View Menu (View > Grid) and change its size under the Preferences (Preferences > Guides & Grid > Subdivisions).
This first spread includes my “reason why” page. Ali has provided this as a free download on her site (the artwork and various printable versions). I just added a little of my own patterned paper design to the bottom. The facing page is just a story, photo and journal card. I have journal card templates available for free that are designed to work with some of my Merry Hipmas card collection.
As shown above, I spray painted all of the wood veneer numbers from Ali’s December Daily kit. I’m using mini glue dots to adhere them to the pages. I created a simple 3 x 4 template with a circle shape in the middle to make the number card. Then I just clipped some digital patterned paper into the file. I’m going to repeat this idea throughout the album.
FREE CARD TEMPLATE: If you would like this simple card template, download the layered PSD file here: CZ_NumberCardTemplate
Here are Days 2 and 3.
For the Day 3 page, I modified the heck out of a template, added a journal block, a digital stamp and got generally crazy with it. But how cute, right? Don’t be afraid to play with templates. Open one, do a Save As… give it a new name and muck around with it. You can play with any template and experiment!
JOURNALING ON DAY 3 READS: Aidan has decided to send me some Christmas cheer every day that she remains in Madison. She took a photo of a life-sized cardboard Elf cutout and when I got the text, I couldn’t stop smiling. Her spirit is infectious, even from 228 miles away. We are counting down the days until it’s time to go pick her up. I’ll be leaving on the 18th and we’ll stay one night in Madison to avoid back-to-back four-hour drives. Until then, I can’t wait to see what Aidan texts me. It’s like Elf on the Shelf, but with iPhones and no scary elves.
Note: on the actual card there is a typo. It reads “her spirit is infection”. It kind of cracks me up. I’m leaving it. Life is too short to get hung up on typos.
And that’s as far as I’ve gotten. I’ve never prepared foundation pages in advance. I like the idea of tackling a little page every day in December. I probably won’t be doing any traditional scrapbooking this month (read: Make a Page Monday is on hiatus for a few) as this usually covers all the stories I want to tell.
PRODUCTION NOTE: This year I’m trying something new with all of my journal cards by printing them on smooth laser card stock using my HP LaserJet. This is a very new approach for me as I have always used my HP Photosmart ink jet printer to print everything. I just never realized I could buy laser card stock, specifically designed to take laser ink. Am I worried about the acid free, longevity of the journal cards? Well, sure, but I feel like the print quality that I’m getting is superb and I’m keeping all of it in page protectors. I’m thinking it’s going to work out just fine.
I’ll be sharing pages here throughout the month and on Instagram. Here’s to a month of making merry little entries.
December Daily is a registered trademark of Ali Edwards. Ali makes amazing products to help people document their December memories plus she is an amazing woman running her small but mighty business. I encourage you to check out all of her products for December Daily here.
SUPPLIES:
Tammy Davis says
Cathy, I always enjoy reading your blog posts! Love your sense of humor. Thank you so much for the journal card (and all of the Christmas freebies so far!). Oh, and you are an infection yourself!
Pam K says
I love how you are using the diagonal patterned paper. It gives your pages a unified, clean look. I love the simplicity of your pages — it so sophisticated & classy! Thanks for sharing the template.
Yolanda says
Such a great looking album. I adore the simple elegance of your number journal cards. Thank you for making it so easy to duplicate the look.
Theresa says
Love love love!!! So beautiful
Kim Smith says
Love seeing your take on documenting your December. All of that crisp, clean, loveliness has me smiling. Thanks for the freebie!
Katrina says
oh, I totally feel ya on the daughter being away, and the teenage boy-ness at home. i’m texting Hope right now to remind her to send me things for Dec Daily (she’s been known to text images with the notes “this is for your project life thing-y”). i love the reminder to create joy for ourselves.
Kelsey, Especially says
Love the simplicity of these pages. And the lightness + brightness.
Also, I’ve had SUCH a hard time jumping on board with this project for the same exact reasons. In fact, it’s Day 4 of the month and I’m already on revision number 8,432 to my approach to this project. But I think I’ve finally figured it out this time. Maybe?
Cathy Zielske says
Wait a minute, Kelsey, Especially? You should totally do this. Your style is so cool and simple and hip. You just need to make it your beyotch. 😉
Britiney says
Love this, as always. If I could only follow two blogs (heaven forbid) it would be you and Ali. Thanks for sharing your inspiration.
Judi says
Cathy, I love your number cards!! And everything else, as usual. I wasn’t going to do a December daily this year, for many reasons, but caught up in the spirit, and am having a great time with it. Love your style. Also love your relationship with Aidan. Those days with my daughter happened many years ago, but I remember it vividly. So grateful you are sharing your project…and your life…with us!! Happy holidays.
Chris H says
I finally got inspired to not can the whole idea this year. I released myself from the requirement do something every day, further, I gave myself permission to be real. Sometimes December just isn’t all that joyful all the time. I’m liking how it came together today and where it is headed. Using the Merry Hipmas kits, printing at home, and giving it some true purpose… looking forward to the result.
Holly Corbett says
I like the simplicity of your December Daily! That’s my goal too!
I’ve tried to recolor Ali’s artwork (my reason why) and I haven’t been so lucky like you! I always, always have problems recoloring her stuff!
Holly Corbett says
BTW…I eventually figured it out! Ha!
heidig says
I know you don’t want to step on any feet BUT…I really think you should design some DD digital templates to compliment Ali’s kit – maybe for 2015? I know there have to be some people out there, besides me, who would gladly buy Ali’s kit AND some digital elements to go with it. Just a suggestion…
Cathy Zielske says
You know, Heidi, it’s just one of those ways I support Ali fully. She’s one of my closest friends and she is working so hard to create such wonderful things. 🙂 I have stuff that people can adapt and use but I want to support my friend and her business all the way. Ali has one of the most generous spirits of anyone I know. I owe a lot to her and the ways she’s supported me over the years. Sisters in scrapbooking business!
Mel says
I agree with heidig, it would be so cool if you could design stuff for Ali’s digital store 🙂
heidig says
I completely understand. Great friendships are hard to come by!
Pat says
I’m glad to see you are doing this again, Cathy. If you are looking for ideas, I saw someone’s blog post about doing December favorites – cookies, Christmas song, movie, best present ever, etc. – instead of doing daily happenings. With just me and two dogs, that’s what I’ll be doing. I will capture the absolute debacle over outside Christmas lights! I did the third fix of them last night (and I’m not sure I’m done yet. Every evening when they go on, I’m never sure what I’ll get! I guess there was a reason I haven’t put them out in, like, 6 years.)
Isabel says
Love your pages, I agree with Pam K they are sophisticated and classy. You have always the wow factor for me with your works, with the bonus of crap free scrapbooking. Thank you for the free card template.
Merry says
I feel the same way about typos. It is part of life…not being perfect.
Vonda says
Love it – I’m using your Six by Eights No. 2 template set for my all digital December album and it is working great so far. This is the first year I seem to be able to sit down in the evening and finish the entry in 30 minutes to 1 hour. I will definitely incorporate some of these journaling cards.
Kathleen S says
Oh how I love clean and simple! That’s my reaction every time you share your LOs. I haven’t actually done Dec. Daily, but your approach and attitude make it seem doable. I’ll look forward to the rest of your pages! Thanks for an uplifting post!
Angie says
What font do you use for your journaling?
Cathy Zielske says
Oh! I forgot to include it in the supplies: Archer. Here, I’m using the Archer Medium weight. It’s not a cheap font, unfortunately.
Jenny B. says
Love these pages, Cathy! 🙂 Quick questions… What is the journaling font? I know you’ve told before, but it’s escaping my memory at the moment. Also, when you add embellishments like the little gold dots and stars, do you adhere them to the page or the on the outside of the page protector? I’m guessing the page, but I’ve also heard of people putting them on the outside – I guess so the page protector stays flat? Just curious. 🙂
Jenny B. says
Doh! Should have read the comment RIGHT above mine, apparently! 😉
Cathy Zielske says
I always put them on the page! : ) And yes, Archer font.
Cara S says
How lucky are you, getting Aidan on a shelf instead of those creepy elves! Much better.
Lida says
Glad you are doing DD again. Really like your clean fresh approach!
Amanda B says
Very nice! Love the simplicity and love the spray painted numbers. I’m trying to decide what I want to do with mine. I don’t emboss (the powder gives my anxiety attacks) but I don’t want to leave them plain, either. Spray paint might be something I can handle. Or maybe that shimmer mist crap. I don’t know. I’ll see.
Great pages – love that Aiden is helping to fill the pages. You’re a lucky mama!
Abby P says
Okay, thanks for the loud snort this comment forced out of me: “You just need to make it your beyotch.” I got Ali’s kit (love it) and found tons of DD inspiration on pinterest, but seriously? I don’t have time (or craftiness) to layer tons of crap together and make it look awesome. And then came the stress. But, when I saw your first DD page I thought, thank-freakin’-God! Clean & simple — now that’s something I can copy and make look good! Love how your album is turning out and inspiring me daily. Hug yourself for me!
Jill S. says
Cathy, you crack me up! Thanks for the freebie little template!!!
SherriS. says
I love your pages! I had to laugh at your typo realization and attitude of what the heck. I did the same last month for one of my 30 Days of Thankful.
I know Aidan sending you pics from college will help fill your pages. Can’t wait to see them.
Sally says
You’re just pure awesomeness Cathy!!! Thanks!
Claire says
Thanks for the freebie! It’s downloaded, and your Merry Hipmas cards and the 6×8 template have been purchased. Slippery slope!
Wondering what size you made the white rectangle to house the rubber sticker. I’ve never modified a template before… Would you mind telling me how to do it?
Kim L says
Thank you!
Peggy says
Hi Cathi. I am looking at some of the digital things at Designer Digitals that you have in their shop and just wondered….can those papers that you used in your DD 2014 be printed and CUT out, or are they STRICTLY digital. THANKS!! Peggy
Cathy Zielske says
Hey Peggy, absolutely! I’ve done it myself. 🙂 Of course, how they look in terms of color matching with your screen might be a bit different when printed, but I used my digital papers for my album and you can see the results in my posts. 🙂