The Stamp Spot December 2014 Design Team + Foundation Pages part a

 
December is fast approaching - we are down to single digits in the countdown until the Silly Season officially begins.

 

It's the perfect time to introduce the Design Team December 2014 for The Stamp Spot.

This group of awesomely passionate memory keepers have been brought together to share all things December using the various kits sold instore.

 The Design Team Members are:

Beth Patfull

Gabrielle Ingerson

Beck Holder

Kirsteen Young (UK)

Bernii Miller

Melinda Sweetman

Amanda Horne

Tanya Watson (NZ)

Stacey-Lee Collis

Amanda Miller

 

Different locations, different lifestyles, workhours and responsibilities, different family units, however...

every one of these ladies has the desire to get this December documented.

Each has been busy prepping their albums ready for December 1st, I am super excited to be sharing this prep work via snapshots here, you can see and learn more by following the links to their respective blogs. Each members in depth blogposts will be up soon if not already.

We have a broad cross section of memory keepers to help you with those Foundation Pages,  including 2 brand new participants this year. It doesn't matter if this year is your first, your 3rd or your 6th. It also does not matter if you didn't complete last years or any other previous years.

What matters is this year.

2014.

 

 To learn more about December Daily^® please visit Ali Edwards website - www.aliedwards.com (you will find it under Projects).

 

 

Let's meet the first of our Design Team  members, Beth Patfull -

Beth is a busy shiftworking Mum and wife, she and her sweet family live on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Beth has been scrapbooking for 14 years, Project Life for 3 years, and this year will be Beth's 2nd year for December Daily, she considers Becky Higgins, Ali Edwards and Amy Tangerine to be her scrapbooking idols.

Some words from Beth about her set up and process for December Daily 2014 -

"I'm using a red 6x8 Simple Stories faux leather album.  Most of my page protectors will be the two 3x4 top and 4x6 below, plus a couple of Instagram ones all by Simple Stories. Also, I have on standby a few four 3x4 page protectors for any days with lots of photos. This worked for me last year so I am going with similar this year.

Along with the main Documenting December 2014 kit, I am using the teal add-on kit.

What I've learnt from last year was to be organised this year, with setting up the foundation pages a priority. Also to have a few extra filler cards on hand to pop in to spaces that have no journaling or photos. This year, as I am working all through December (unlike last year when I was on holidays for 3 of the weeks) I feel that if I can have as much (if not all!) set up before December 1, I will be able to pull it together on a daily or at the very least second daily pace.

I will also be trying to capture one to three photos each day and not have too many, just a snapshot of each day will be ideal.

(Great Tip Beth for those who struggle to choose between photos, less to choose from less time involved selecting!) 

I also have a list of 'daily photo needs' eg Dec 1 Christmas tree and decorations; Dec 3 Last day of school; Day 6 Mooloolaba boat parade; Dec 20 work Christmas party.

Other days in no particular order will be - Christmas pressie wants for all of us; photos of Christmas in the shops and locally around the neighbourhood; Christmas food ideas and recipes for Christmas Day, maybe even a photo of Santa somewhere, by himself or maybe I might sit on his knee this year haha (and ask to win Lotto!). Unfortunately hubby is working all Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and I am working Christmas night, so we may do a special Christmas lunch/dinner a few days before."

 I invite you to stop by Beth's blog here and follow on Instagram here.

A brief overview of Beth's Foundation Pages:

 

 

   
 

 

 

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Next, please meet Gabrielle Ingerson -

Hi! I’m Gabby from the gorgeous Adelaide Hills in South Australia.  I share this beautiful part of the world with my husband and 2 kids.  I’m fortunate enough to be part of The Stamp Spot Documenting December 2014 Design Team.  This is my first year undertaking December Daily and I am super excited.  I’ve scrapbooked for, well, years it seems.  Most of that has been traditional pages but recently I discovered pocket pages and I am hooked.  I am just in love with getting our memories and photos documented.  That is what’s drawn me to December Daily – documenting our memories and traditions combined with my love of all things Christmas.  Seriously, it has my name all over it.  One of the challenges I have this year is that we will be having 2 Christmas days.  My husband does FIFO and will be away for the 25^th so the man in red will be stopping all toy production just to visit us early.  Then while my husband is busy cooking up a feast at work, the kids & I will be celebrating Christmas Day with extended family.  I’m pretty much tipping that my album is going to be really full.  And while it is a challenge combining it all, it also gives me extra opportunities to use even more of these stunning kits.

The Stamp Spot kits are all fabulous and I really, really struggled to choose between them all.  I’ll be using the main kit along with the red and teal add ons in a Snap 6x8 album.  I’ve been busy making foundation pages ready for the silly season to really begin.  Initially I was more than a little overwhelmed at just starting.  However, once I did, that fear was quickly replaced with excitement and I’ve been scrapping up a storm since.  My craft area is awash with sparkly gold. 

 A little something about my foundation pages.

The feature of my cover page is a family photo.  That’s mostly because I take lots of photos but it isn’t often we have one of all of us.  I machine stitched a 6x8 page protector into different size pockets to work around the photo and the shaker pocket. I do love sequins.

 

Having not worked with burlap before, I wasn’t real sure about using it. However, I discovered I could print on it pretty easily using my inkjet printer.  And that then opened up a world of possibilities.  Check out my blog for a quick tutorial on how to do this.

 

One of my favourite techniques is using baby powder on the back of stickers to remove the tack and I’ve done this on day 22. It means I can move the pieces around while I decide on my placement and also mount some of the pieces. I really love how the oval pocket turned out.  The gold strip across the oval is a piece of the gold washi that I’ve cut with my craft knife into a thin piece of washi.

 

And lastly, the believe card.  I love this card but it just wasn’t working for me being black & white.  To fix that I used some Heidi Swapp gold colour shine with my paintbrush and coloured the white letters.  Now it glows gold too.

 
 

and a few others:

and a cute 4"x4" insert -

 

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed my foundation pages.  I’ll be sharing my pages throughout December here as well as on my blog  and on instagram.   

 

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 Next, please allow me to introduce Beck Holder -

Hi everyone! December is nearly here and I can’t wait to get into my album for real!  My name is Beck Holder and it is a blessing to be part of The Stamp Spot Documenting December 2014 Design Team. I live in Melbourne with my husband Toby and our two young kids. This year will be extra special as we celebrate Sam’s first Christmas. I have been participating in December Daily for a long time- this is my 6^th year. There’s nothing like seeing my pile of albums and looking back over the years to see how things have changed- single, dating, married and now a family of four! 

This year I am creating my album using The Stamp Spot Documenting December 2014 kit and the Red and Green add on kit. I purchased from The Stamp Spot a Simple Stories Burlap 6x8 album in Red and a range of page protectors to complete my album including Sn@p Life 6x8, Sn@p! Insta Pocket Pages 6x8 (2x2 squares) and Project Life 6x8 page protectors in design 2, 3 and 4. I will also be using extra goodies from my personal stash and I will be using my new toy, a silhouette, to cut words and images.

As this is my first year using page protectors in my Christmas album, I’ve gone about my planning a little differently. However, when approaching this project I always find it helpful to create a one page overview of the month. I write down what we have on beside each date and then slot in other stories that I want to feature in my album. In addition to this, I have placed all of my page protectors in my album, mindful of what I will likely be covering each day. I have embellished some of the 3x4 and 4x6 cards included in the kit to use as journal and date cards.  

I’ve also created two cover pages. One using a Sn@p! Insta Pocket Page where I have filled each 2x2 inch square with an embellishment and then sewn on the horizontal to keep the goodies inside! This was a new experience for me and I love how it turned out. I created a 6x8 page on kraft coloured cardstock using the silhouette to cut a portion of the Christmas Story. It's a good reminder for me about the reason why I celebrate the Christmas season.

My album is currently full of post it notes with ideas of what will go where around the place. Having a little structure ahead of time helps me to enjoy the project more throughout December, but I am also flexible and happy to change the order of things as life happens!

I wish you all the best as you document your December this year! 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see Beck's December 2014 Album unfold on her blog.

 

 

Thanks Beth, Gabby and Beck for your work, your commitment and sharing your processes.

Stop by again soon to meet more of The Stamp Spot December 2014 Design Team, they are equally awesome.

We began this journey together, some as friends, some as complete strangers, some I have met in real life, some I probably never will... but you know what - the love of Memory Keeping and the support and encouragement, respect and courtesy amongst this team is simply wonderful.

December may end in however many weeks time, but this talented group of ladies and I share the beginnings and the continuing of friendships and together we will celebrate our ongoing love of getting those memories recorded.

Cheers,

Michelle x.

Comments

[Stacey-Lee]

I'm really excited seeing just how wonderfully different everyone uses your kits. Such diversity and talent, honoured to be a part of the team, thanks x

[Cath]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this inspiration - thanks so much ladies, I'll be checking back regularly. x

[Amanda Miller]

Wow! Great inspiration here already!
I am super excited to be part of this wonderful team.
Thanks so much Michelle for your kind and lovely words!
I can't wait to get started...

[Beth]

Thanks for the opportunity Michelle. Really enjoying looking at everyone's DD. Can't wait to see more.

[Beck Holdeer]

A joy to be involved Michelle!