December is just around the corner.
I am so ready!
Well... until today I was ready mentally but perhaps a little less ready in the physical/work flow/work space kind of way.
This past week, even past 2 weeks has flown by, I have been super busy with decluttering and then donating the 'declutter' ... 10 large boxes went to a local Respite Centre, 6 boxes have been collected by a Girl Guides Leader and I have another 6 or so almost ready for collection this weekend. Paper and fabric .... each stash is shrinking shrinking shrinking!
Today was the day I felt compelled to have my December Daily supplies organised completely, I had made a start on this but didn't finish, along with my work station.
This year I am going with similar to last year... I use a largish clear plastic tray. I purchased mine at IKEA a few years back and from memory it is marketed as a cosmetic storage type of tray. It is quite deep, approx 8 cm and rectangle in shape - 38cm x 24cm. It worked really well for me last year and I am confident it will again this year.
The majority of the cardstock, papers and vellum from The Stamp Spot Documenting December 2015 are actually in the album.
Above is what is left in those 6x8 4x6 4x4 and 3x4 supplies, along with my essential extras - stamp sets, a stamp block, stamping inks, adhesive, tiny attacher, dies, washi, very small embellishments (in the mini white pail), journaling pens, alpha stickers, doilies etc.
This year, in addition to this tray, I am using a clear round tower picked up from my local variety store -
Here it is all opened up, each layer has a collection of bits and pieces that would otherwise get lost in the tray. I chose it for its transparency and the separate compartments. This too is marketed as a cosmetic type of storage item.
These 2 items plus my album will all hang out together most likely on a section of my office desk.
Last year I had a dedicated long narrow table for all my December Daily supplies and albums. I was undertaking 5 separate albums and only 2 of those albums had the paper collection in common, so separating out the paper type supplies was important. This year it is still undecided how many albums I will complete but it is definitely less than 5. Additionally, the kit from The Stamp Spot has far too much in it for one album. There is also less real estate available in our home, together my Mum and I share a spare room for our fabric adventures, it was this room I set up in last year.
I have not decorated the outside of my album. I felt it was a mistake last year to do this very early on.... the layers of embellishments did get a little damaged and had to be re-secured a few times plus I didn't actually love it by the time the album was complete. Maybe I had just seen to much of it, I work on my album every day.
This year I have decided to leave decorating the cover until either a. inspiration strikes or b. the album is partially or fully completed and I will know how to set the tone more accurately.
From the top my album is a long way from full, again another change up from last year. I have prepped pages but I am not numbering them and I am leaving some page protectors completely empty. I think this stems from using an 8x8 for the first time, I don't have a few years of experience up my sleeve as I have had with 6x8 albums. Those extra 2 inches of real estate is making an impact already!
I have put this American Crafts 8x8 album up against the previous years 6x8 (these have included Simple Stories, October Afternoon and Studio Calico) and it is deeper by 1 to 2cm, that too is making an impact.
I plan a video walk through when I am happier with the album content and the balance of different size page protectors. I am using a combination of the 8x8's that came with the album (10), Studio Calico 6x8's in various configurations (6x8, 1-4x6 2-3x4; 2-4x6; 4-3x4) plus Studio Calico 6x7 Handbook in a Snap's and the odd 6x6; 5.5x8.5; 4x6 and 3x4 - really mixing it up this year! Already I am thinking it's too mixed up page protector size wise... time will tell.
A quick look at some of the pages and how they sit in the album...
This first one I am almost certain will be my opening page, I fused the star using the WeRMK fuse tool around some gold spot printed glassine that was die cut using Little B dies - stars, added sequins around it then fused to the right and along the top. This left an approx 2.5" narrow 8" tall strip left. I have cut white cardstock to fit this tall narrow pocket and I plan to write or type my 'Reason Why' journaling on it.
Up next, this one has a 6x8 space to the right with just a piece of patterned paper in it so far and a 2x8 sequin pocket created using the Fuse Tool. The co ordinating sequins have settled to the bottom, you can see through to the next pages quite easily.
This next one was a real creative brain challenge. I wanted homes for at least 4 tags. I cut the tags and used them as templates so as to know where to fuse their pockets. They weren't pockets until I cut through the top layer of the page protector with a rotary cutter, I used a thick piece of card inside each pocket to stop the rotary cutter cutting both layers... in hindsight it probably would not have mattered and in fact might be a good idea because then tags could be inserted and easily accessed on the flip side. Effectively making 2 tags per pocket. I think I will make this idea reality before December 1. I ran a strip of 3mm Little B wash along the top of each cut pocket to make the opening more obvious... this will probably not stay there permanently.
The next page was inspired by Ali Edwards 4th week lesson in Storytelling with December Daily online class. Ali created a tutorial on how she has made flip ups and flip outs in previous December Daily albums. This is a 5.5 x 8.5 inch horizontal page protector from my stash (I think its an S.E.I. from many years ago). I cut white cardstock to fit the pocket in full and then trimmed the blue 6x8 piece of cardstock (out of the kit) to 5.5 x 7 inches and added a flair badge (also from the kit). When adding the badge I put foam squares on the right side only so that the left side could have the blue cardstock tucked under to keep it in place. I really like how this has turned out - an organised yet blank canvas ready for the right story.
I know that I will need homes for longer stories this December and for some stories to have hidden journaling.
Last share today, this one is one of my faves. Again using the Fuse Tool I made a home first for the aqua 4x4 piece with die cut tree, this left the perfect home for the die cut white "Every picture records a little story". A 4x8 pocket was created in the process - I am looking forward to a photo being this size and I can journal my story on top of the photo.
A whole lot of fusing using the Fuse Tool has been happening, and this year more than any other year I have many more 'peep through' pockets and elements. The Fuse Tool is helping me make the most of the 8x8 size page protectors without having to buy any more supplies than I already had in my stash.
Each day, depending on the story I am telling, I will select a 'story appropriate' partially made page and run with it, sometimes it will include a photo, sometimes it will just be a photo, sometimes there will be no photo.
My Design Team have been getting busy with getting organised also.
Melinda shares her set up here - super cute, super organised trays and bright pink post it notes have Mel all set up ready to go come December 1
Beck is crazy organised and you can go checkout how she has achieved this here. Beck has even posted an album walk through YouTube video (spoiler alert : the cute Miss Tilly, Beck's daughter joins in the fun!)
Design Team Member Beth posted her blogpost quite early on, you can find it here. Sadly, Beth's heavy study commitments, which wont end until mid December, has meant she needed to step down from the Design Team. We will miss you Beth (*insert sad face emoji).
I hope something/anything that you read here or on my Design Team members blogs inspire you to join in in the December Daily fun.
Of course you can go straight to the December Daily Mastermind and inspirational Ali Edwards website. Here Ali shares all her past albums, runs a December Daily specific class, a December Daily specific facebook group and updates her blog daily during December along with December Daily supplies and can be found here on her website, simply click on the various tabs at the top to navigate you way to the various areas.
Cheers
Michelle x.