December daily day 15 and plans for the blogging future

Welcome to day 15...the light at the end of the tunnel has appeared! AND, I finished page 23 tonight...almost done!


A 3 page layout again... this time about a nice day out with Brecon. :)



Page one is a combo of 2 templates from the Ali Edwards December Daily 6x8 templates from Designer Digitals - "tis the season" and "peace and joy". I liked the photo layout on peace and joy so I turned off the overlay on that one and flipped it vertically to switch things up a bit. Then I put the "tis the season" overlay on top. Once my pictures were in place I added the Christmas Words Twill from the Ali Edwards Christmas Twill set from Designer Digitals. These were fun photos from a trip to Barnes and Noble...the kiddo loves it there. Train table and cocoa in one
spot!!! We took turns taking each others picture at the cafe...the black and white shot is one he took.



Page 2- went pretty simple here...for once! Just made a doc in photoshop to fit the large box and filled the center area with a text box. I used the georgia font for my journaling and then used CK Ali's Handwriting (available here) to highlight some key words. I wanted them to stand out a little more so I turned them read and bumped up the font size. Dropped a couple of cute Katie Pertiet elements on and done. The title in the small box comes from my boy. He sang this phrase all day to anyone who would listen to about a million different tunes. Too sweet. I especially wanted to remember that part of our day and a title seemed a good way to do it.

Supplies for page 2: little girl sticker and silver tree charm from Katie Pertiet's Christmas Memories Collection from Designer Digitals; red ribbon from Katie Pertiet's Old Time Christmas Kit from Designer Digitals; Merry Border Strip paper, Merry Christmas Alpha stickers and Merry Christmas Element Stickers from the Merry Christmas collection by Echo Park Paper Co

Page 3 Love. Another favorite pic from this year. I loved that he wanted to wear that hat every where we went. This was made with the "wonderful memories" December Daily template. I wanted the little text box on top so I just flipped the overlay. I decided to swap out the text too since I'd already used this template once. I erased the text and used the "Merry Christmas to you" brush from the Ali Edwards Hand Drawn Holiday set from Designer Digitals. Love how the red overlay pops on this photo.

There we go, another day down...

So I have lots of ideas for expanding the blog topics here. So far its obviously been heavy on the DD, but that's why I started the blog, so there ya go. But as I near completion of that project I'd like to move on to some other things. I'm going to start with a "nom nom monday" post each week to share a favorite recipe. I'm also taking Ali Edwards' One Little Word class and I'm sure discussions on that will pop up too. I'd love to do some book reviews and ideas as well. I up for suggestions :)

December Daily day 14

Day 14 was a rough day, both to live through -in an I have a 3 year old sort of way- and to scrap. But I ended up being very happy with the layout though.



Day 14 was probably my favorite intro page, so I had to share it again. Since its not a transparency this was a 3 page layout.

The 2 page spread- I actually took the picture before I had it complete...whoops.

Page 1 - another full photo page- these full shots ended up being one of my favorite elements in my album. I was so pleased with this pic. I asked Joe to sneak a picture of the two of us at some point unannounced and it happened to be a really sweet time together. I used one of the full pic templates from the Ali Edwards December Daily 6x8 templates from Designer Digitals and used the eraser tool to take the text off the template. I replaced it with the Love You brush from a freebie set Ali Edwards offered on her blog - she is so great, have I mentioned this?

Another smug Photoshop day for me, since I've never had any training on it and have had to figure stuff out on my own. So, this is how I did it...a much easier method almost certainly exists. I created a 6x8 doc in photoshop so my sizes would be right, dropped the color photo into it and got it arranged and sized the way I wanted. Next I created a copy of the picture layer and used the convert to black and white command on this copy layer. Finally I took the eraser tool and, working on the black and white layer, I erased the shape of Brecon's hat, allowing the color on the layer below to show through. Yay! Love how it looks with the over lay and brush. Of course, I had to do all these adjustments before adding the picture to the template...a frustrating truth I've learned through trial and error...

Page 2 was super simple. I created a doc in photoshop to fit the large box of the dated over lay page and added the sketch star brush from the Ali Edwards Christmas Celebrations Elements Pack from Designer Digitals. I turned the opacity on this layer down to about 20% so it was a soft grey background. Then I added my journaling (a little note to Brecon) in a text box on top of the star and printed it all right onto my dated overlay page. I signed the note by hand. Other supplies: buttons -Splendid Treasures from the Artsy licious Kohl collection by Chatterbox; floss-DMC; this is gorgeous embossed cardstock that I know I got at Archiver's. But since my sister and I used literally every scrap we bought I can't find anything that tells me the name or company. I'll figure it out.

Brecon loves to have me set up my camera timer and take pictures together. So I included a couple of these silly shots for page 3. Just dropped a couple of photos onto a 6x8 blank doc and added a Peace & Joy green twill from the Ali Edwards Christmas Twill from Designer Digitals

I am also happy to report that the album is VERY nearly finished! It has been rough getting the motivation to finish it up when I got behind those last few days. Apparently I am one of those people who loves Christmas, but is so done with it once the day is over...who knew.

December Daily day 13

Hello Day 13! You feel like a long time ago already!

Day 13 had a transparency intro page and I wanted to show it here since I loved the little "peeks" you can see of the page behind. I wasn't sure I was going to like that, but I do.

Page 1 with the transparency open. I loved that snowflake lace. Just realized how horrible this pic is! Wow. I really wanted to scan the pages in, but there is some trick to getting my scanner to actually "work" that I haven't discovered yet...need to get back on that...

A closer look at page 1. I actually didn't use a December Daily template for this page . (I know its shocking...but don't worry, there's one on page 2. ) I really like this little journaling tag and it fit perfectly on the dated overlay page. Printing my photos as 2x2 squares left just enough room for the journaling card. I measured the blank spot and created a doc that size in photoshop. I used my favorite wonderful trick again (printing on plain paper and taping the journal tag over top and printing again...how I love this) and it turned out so so great. I really liked using the little box on the bottom for my titles, though it did make my album a little lopsided. Ah well.

The journaling reads: Brecon is big enough this year that we wanted to teach him about doing service during the holidays. We decided to pick out a toy to give to a local charity. Brecon chose a Chick Hicks car launcher. When we went to Walmart the next day we found out Wow 104.3 was doing a promotion for the Boise Mission charity. Their DJ Dan Matthews is spending 104 hours in a tent in front of Walmart collecting donations. We decided this was a perfect place to donate our toy. The radio guys took pictures of Brecon putting the toy in the bucket and getting a high five from Dan Matthews. They put 2 of the pictures up on their website and I grabbed them to use here. Brecon loved showing off his picture on the computer. He was excited that they made a big deal of his donation. I know he doesn’t get it yet. He doesn’t know it’s important to help. But now he knows its fun, and that’s a start.

Supplies for page 1: Journaling card from the Christmas Wishes collection Journaling Tablet by Deja Views; Mistletoe Argyle paper from the Mistletoe collection by Making Memories; rubon letters in Jack Jr by American Crafts; "delight" thickers in leaf by American Crafts; red Mark-it pen by Bic

Here is my trust December Daily template! The word art is another brush from the Ali Edwards Hand Drawn Holiday set by Designer Digital.

I love this picture. This is Brecon with Dan Matthews, a DJ from 104.3 here in Boise. He was so excited that Brecon had picked something himself to give as a donation and the guys at the booth took several pictures of him talking to Dan. He also announced Brecon's name on the radio. The pics were posted on the radio station's website and Brecon was very excited to so famous!

December daily Day 12

I loved this project. I loved the challenge. I loved how aware it made me of what we did each day and how we shared and experienced it. I loved actually making a scrapbook. (I have a room literally full of supplies and have been collecting them for years but this will be my first completed album, holding my first completed layouts.) And I loved loved loved how this "day" turned out...


Another 3 page layout, and a good thing since I ended up with some really fun photos to use.
Here is the 2 page spread...with a peek at my very messy scrap room lol.




I adore this page...it may be my favorite. I love the photo, how the colors pop. I'm really rather proud of it since it was exactly what I tried to do! Yay! This is yet another Ali Edwards December Daily 6x8 template with the text removed and the border turned white. The word art is a brush from the Ali Edwards Hand Drawn Holiday set from Designer Digitals. I added the underline with the pencil tool in Photoshop. I gave it its own layer to make adjustments easier. I was rather proud of my little line too. ;)



Wow I got some great photos for this day. These cookies are one of my favorite parts of Christmas and I was so excited that we had time to do them together all 3 of us. It's tricky since my hubby works for FedEx and the holidays are CRAZY for him. I love the black and white pic of Brecon...again the camera was friendly and did exactly what I tried to do. I also love the patterned paper on this page. (Tradition Strips from the Tradition collection by Fancy Pants Designs) Great colors that go perfectly with my photos. For the pics at the top I used the "celebrate today" template from the DD 6x8 templates and erased the big outline around the edge of the page. Then I was able to print it and the remaining box fit just right on my dated overlay page.

Page 3 was fun to put together. I cropped a photo I'd taken of some blue snowflake cookies to a closeup and filled a 6x8 doc with the photo. Then I turned the opacity down to about 30%. I put my journaling over top of the pic and printed the whole thing onto the back of my dated overlay page. The picture looks really cool. Its soft and aged looking, almost like its on canvas or soft fabric. This picture isn't great. I promise in person its pretty cool. The font is CK Journaling available free here.

The journaling here reads: It never really feels like Christmas until we make these cookies. This is the first year Brecon has really been able to help.I’ve been making them ever since I can remember. When I was little we had a metal cookie press with a handle you had to turn. Now Mom has a fancy electric cookie gun! My press had a lever that isn’t very easy to use (in fact I think I pulled a muscle today because the dough was a little too cold). Oh well, it gets the job done. Someday I’ll upgrade to a cookie gun. When I was a kid we only made 2 shapes : green trees and red flowers. Now it has expanded to include blue snowflakes and this year I tried some yellow stars. They are my favorite Christmas cookie, so soft and yummy. Now it feels like December.

December daily day 11

Welcome to day 11...nearly half done!


Day 11 was a 3 page layout, and since my pages were simple I was able to tell 2 stories for this day.

Here is the 2 page spread


Page one- another full page pic...loved these! And I adore this picture of my 3 favorite little boys. I used one of the Ali Edwards December Daily 6x8 templates from Designer Digitals and turned off the picture spots and used the eraser tool to remove the text from the overlay. I dropped the full page photo in and turned the remaining border line white. I'm sure there is an easier way to make this little border line on my own, but I knew the template worked and would keep everything consistent, so there ya go. The cute outline wording at the top right is the "Tis the Season Outline" brush from the Ali Edwards Holiday Outline Word Art set from Designer Digitals.



Page 2- the dated over lay page. This used the "peace earth" template from the December Daily templates. I turned the over lay off this time and just used the template to size my pics. Then I made a text box to fill the rest of the large section of the dated page. The "merry" is a brush from the Ali Edwards Painted Christmas Words set from Designer Digitals. I "stamped" the word on its own layer and turned the opacity down to about 20%. (Another idea I took from Ali, sensing a pattern?) I messed with the small box at the bottom FOREVER and finally decided I liked this simple cut circle/paper thing. Lol. The paper is Christmas Morning from the Christmas Delight collection by Little Yellow Bicycle. The snowflake circle is from the Diecut Cardstock Pieces pack from the Jovial collection by Basic Grey.

Page 3 was the closest I came to designing the whole digital page by myself, haha! I just wasn't loving the way the page was coming together using the templates the way I had before, so I sort of made my own. I did the same border trick as page 1 (used an Ali template and turned the pics off) and then made a photo collage on the right. Text box in the bottom corner for the journaling. Finally, one of my favorite brushes this year: "Hello Santa" from the Ali Edwards Holiday Word Art set from Designer Digitals. I'm pretty happy with how it came together.

The journaling reads:Brecon got an email from Santa today. Santa checked his list and found his picture. He even knew Brecon had been to the beach, & was a pirate for Halloween. Santa was proud of Brecon for trying hard to listen to his parents and that he wants a camera for Christmas! Brecon couldn’t believe it! What a fun surprise!

Page 3 in the book with the intro page for day 12.

One of my simplest days so far but I really liked how it turned out.

PS...the personalized Santa email Brecon got was one of the coolest things we did this year. Bookmark http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/ for next year. We loved it and Brecon had a ball showing off his email to his Grammy and Grampy. And it was FREE!!!

DD day 10

Hello! another December Daily page to share

I loved this project because it allowed me to do little pages that focused on individual people or places in a festive setting! Day 10 was one of these...I decided to do a layout about a very important place to our family (Casa Mexico) and our wonderful friends there.


Day 10



Since day 10 had a transparency it was a 2 page layout. For page one I created a 5.5x6.25 doc in photoshop to fit the large box of the dated overlay. I dropped this sweet pic of all the kids in the top and filled the rest with a text box for the journaling. The "love" I just typed big in a new layer with CK Ali's handwriting font (available on her blog) and turned the layer opacity down to about 20%. Then I printed the pic on photo paper and the journaling right onto the overlay page. The small box is another photo from our night at Casa. Every year they hang a ton of ball ornaments from the ceiling and we've always loved that, so I wanted to include it.

The journaling here reads: Casa is a very special place. For the last 7 years we have come here nearly every Friday night. This was the first restaurant any of the grand kids ever went to. It was the first public outing for the twins. Devin has his own “button” for his special quesadillas. They miss us when we don’t make it. When we get takeout they label our dinners by name, They even write “hi Bubba” on his cheese taco. We celebrate and play here. We have wonderful friends here. They laugh with us, hug us and hold our kids. Lidia and Hector are our neighbors & the first people we think of to take “boo” treats and Christmas plates. We are all friends on Facebook. We’ve watched Adan grow up. Devin makes cookies to bring for special occasions. Hector wrestles with the boys. Lidia asks after every one of us. The family was invited to Devin’s graduation - and they came. Ernesto has brought us sweet & thoughtful gifts more than once from his trips home to Mexico. Iris and I talk about scrapbooking. Carlos jokes with Joe and talks football with us. We share news, talk about kids, cheer for BSU. This whole family have become dear friends & we love them.This isn’t a restaurant to us anymore. This is having dinner with friends every Friday night




Page 2 was made with an Ali Edwards December Daily 6x8 template from Designer Digitals. This one was "Holiday Traditions". I used the eraser tool to remove the text from the template and used the "family and friends" brush from the Ali Edwards Hand Drawn Holiday set from Designer Digitals. I used different layers to put the journaling around the edge of the page.

The Journaling here reads:Beki had her first real piano gig at Casa tonight. She played 3 hours of Christmas songs and even sang some. She was a bit nervous, which is unusual for her, but she did a great job, everyone really enjoyed it. She even made $ 78 in tips! Mel,Heather, Nan, Brady and Baby Jimmy came to see her too, so it was an extra treat! Ernesto says she can play any time!




Page 2 with the intro to day 11.

I really loved this page since it allowed me to capture a memory that was bigger than just Christmas or just this year. It's a part of our lives I want to remember and this was a great start.

Thanks for reading!

December daily day 9

Day 9 ended up being one of my favorites. I got such sweet pics of my boy for this day. :)



Another 3 page layout...here's the 2 page spread




Page 1 has a background of Home for the Holidays paper from the Merry Christmas collection from Echo Park. It was actually the back of my intro page paper and I loved it, so easy easy! The journaling block is from Ali Edwards Christmas Celebrations Element Pack from Designer Digitals. I created a blank doc in PS, dropped the journal block in, added the text and printed it on Cream Puff cardstock. The font is CK_ journaling, a free download from Creating Keepsakes

The journaling reads: Our advent activity today: hot cocoa by the fire. Daddy and Brecon went out together especially to buy marshmellos for our drinks. They even picked out the kind with holiday colors and shapes. We all made our own cocoa and Brecon chose the penguin mug (of course). Mommy and Brecon had chocolate with “smarshmarllos” and Daddy had caramel.Yum! We all cuddled up with our mugs in front of the fire to watch football It was a bit messy, Brecon had a hard time keeping his mug steady (he was too excited), but we had a fun time. Brecon liked seeing everyone get a cocoa “mushtash.” I wasn’t sure he’d like the hot chocolate, but he drank it right up. Loving these cozy times together!



Page 2: Another modified DD template. I think I used Peace and Joy for this one: turned off the overlay, and flipped the whole template vertically. I added a couple of digital elements at the bottom and printed the whole thing to fit the big box of my dated overlay page. The cocoa cups was a 3 step process: first I stamped 3 cups directly onto the cardstock page and added some red stitching for them to sit on. Next I stamped a cup onto 3 different patterned papers and fussy cut each of them out, cutting off the steam swirls. I stamped the 3 cups once more onto brown cardstock and fussy cut just the oval for the cocoa. Then I assembled the cups over the image on the cardstock and glued the cocoa ovals on top. Took a bit of time but I really love the result. Supplies: "celebrate" digital sticker from the Ali Edwards Christmas Celebrations Element pack from Designer Digitals; "most wonderful" word strip from the Ali Edwards Holiday Word Art set from Designer Digitals; brown cardstock from the Natural collection by DCWV; Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black by Tsukineko; red dot paper from Yuletide Designer Paper Collection by K& Co; Victorian Greetings paper from Christmas Past Collection by Graphics 45;
cocoa cup stamp by Michael's



a closer look at the cocoa cups

page 3 is one of my favorite pics from the whole season. Brecon loves that penguin mug! I used a DD template here (don't remember which since I erased the text) and added part of a brush from the Ali Edwards Handdrawn Holiday set from Designer Digitals (I just erased the part I didn't want to use here). I also added a little sparkly flourish brush, but I can't remember at the moment where I got it! I'll link it when I figure it out.

More to come soon!