Life's Trivialities

Toast House / Elf Antics Travelers Notebook

Yup, yup... I did well for a while and then things dropped off. But, I'm back again! AND, I have a free download for you for your December Daily and/or Christmas Travelers Notebook. It would be great just for winter memory keeping too. Read on to find it!

I have a confession to make; I never used a Travelers Notebook before. NEVER! Not a once. But I have remedied that with this particular little album. Spurred on by and Instagram hop for SpiegelMom Scraps, I decided that another Elf Antics mini album was in order and that a TN would be perfect place for that under taking. Each double page spread will be the story of the day, or, more appropriately, the antic of the evening. I am HOPING this is the last year that Henry will be visiting us and what better way to remember?

I used Shimmerz goodies from the SpiegelMom Scraps store to created a mixed media background that spreads across both pages. Many of the goodies are from Pretty Little Studios but the lovely thing about a TN is that there really isn't much. Lots of washi from my stash. AND, my free download; those black and green trees. I was inspired by some wrapping paper that I bought. Knowing that this is the center of the album, I wanted to comment a bit about Henry's time with us this holiday season. This 3x8 insert is a perfect way to add additional journal. There is so much you could do with this! I think it will look fantastic in a December Daily album! You could cut out the black outlined tree and make an acetate window, or just a window of the picture behind it!

Download available here.

Those houses from PLS are just the perfect house accompaniment to the toast house, don't you think? Naughty, naughty elf... 6 pieces of toast! And a lot of patience! The first thing Mia does every morning is look for Henry! And we hear all about his latest antic. I can't figure out what's going on in that brain of hers. Am I being foiled and she knows what's going on or does she truly still hold the magic? I should enjoy it and her joy in this while I can, I try to remind myself of that at 10pm at night when I'm crawling into bed and suddenly remember a task must be finished!

 

I hope you enjoy my TN process video as much as you do my memory keeping or scrapbooking process videos! I hope to have more of this mini album to share with you in days to come! Thanks for stopping in and I hope you are enjoying a joyous December to date! Take care!

 

December Daily 2017 Process / Title Page, Shaker Word

I have decided to give it a go, again... I'm not sold this is a wise idea but, I am not one to give up. I got a good way into last year, perhaps this will be my year. I decided simple has got to be the way the go so I started out as I mean to move forward: with a simple yet colorful title page.

A digital template was involved in the creation of this giant shaker shape as my title page. It truly is simple. Yet effective. Or, I think so anyway. It doesn't need much more and let's the star shine!

I used "Oh What Fun" sequins from SpiegelMom Scraps and my Fuse for this along with patterned paper from the Crate Paper "Falala" collection. The "yellow" is actually a matte gold that I had. I like the yellow'ish look and will try to incorporate more of that into the book to add more than the tradition green and red.

 

The process video is a bit of a tutorial offering you tips and tricks on using your Fuse. I invested in the Fuse mat and it has made a world of difference for me! A glass mat works nicely but the Fuse mat works even better. The glide of the tool is much more even thus providing a cleaner, more consistent seal.

This will be one of the pockets in the book. As I haven't made much head way in setting up foundation pages, I don't know what day this will appear. I only today found the album I want to use. I'm bummed that Simple Stories SNAP albums aren't readily available at Michaels like they used to be. Instead I found this recipe album at TJ Maxx that has 3 rings. I will continue to use the Simple Stories divided page protectors, I am just going to have to re-punch them to the format of my binder. A good excuse to buy the WRMK planner punch board thingy, don't you think?!

The sequins I used for the "O" wreath in Noel is also from SpiegelMom Scraps and called "Shabby Chic Christmas". I love the aqua wood grain in this! Just sublime! The digital cut file is something I made myself specifically for this purpose. Come back later this week and see how I used that same file on a scrapbook layout!

If you have any December Daily tutorials or other things you would like to see, do comment either here or on my YouTube channel and I will see what I can do! I have had such fun with my Fuse and sequins lately!

Are you doing December Daily? Are you all set up, ready to go? I can't believe tomorrow is December 1st!

Thanks for stopping in! Take care!

 

December Daily / Days 4 and 5

Welcome to the next installment of my 2016 December Daily. Today I am sharing days 4 and 5 with you. I wish I had taken pictures of the foundation pages so you could see the so called before and afters. The problem with that is that I didn't really organize the days. I just made a bunch of pocket cards, hole punched a bunch of bags and miscellaneous goodies/filler and tossed them into my Simple Stories SNAP album. I didn't really "plan". I wanted a little more flexibility that didn't mean too much shuffling. So, it's just the "mostly" finished pages that you will find here on the blog. I say mostly as I know I will go back at the end and add little touches here and there.

Day 4's moment documented are our attempts at cookie making. We had every intention of baking however the projects that we did finish weren't baking. Our day got away from us and Christmas treats were made but then other things took over. It's okay, I'm embrace this month and letting things happen as they would rather than forcing it. I don't want to plan my life around December Daily so that I have things to put in the album but rather, let the days unfold as they are meant to and find a moment within each to cherish and document. It may be the decorating we did in November or the wreath we hung days prior. That's okay as I'm enjoying it today.

Look at all those little pockets of goodness! The treats that did manage to make and snippets of the lights from the previous evening poking through! Happy, happy! I just love this project! I hope I still love it by month's end. It really has been fun this year, unlike years past. I just got overwhelmed with everything going on.

This side of the spread is simple; a picture, journaling and a larger card. I could have added more pictures but it really didn't need it. My story is told and there is sufficient support to it. I liked that there is a resting spot for your eye at the bottom of the spread. I made that bottom card and amended the top, left journaling card. It was a free download that I overlaid a journal block to in PhotoShop. The free download was actually wrapping paper that I resized to work for the size journal card I wanted. You can find the download HERE

Day 5 not much Christmas happened so I am going to use it as a space to house our elf antics. This is a rather simple spread again with filler cards that I adjusted from free downloads. I think the top left card was also wrapping paper. The Merry and Bright card down the bottom was a 4x3 card that I turned the lettering the opposite direction to fit better on a 4x6 card. The woodgrain is from cards in the Dollar Spot at Target. I cut it down and created a liftable element.

The journaling is about Mia's elf enthusiasm. Henry wasn't going to come to Richmond this year but Mia so looks forward to finding him and his latest adventure that we are glad he did return. I got the idea for that liftable card from a tag on clothing. Inspiration is everywhere!

Currently the calendar is a tad sparse as it's early in the month still. I take a daily picture of the elf and his latest antic and insert it into the calendar. At the end of the month I will use little glitter stickers I have left from my Core'dinations/Darice days on each day. I want to use some red somewhere on there, probably a long stripe of skinny red washi under the notes box. I will cut and glue some patterned paper into the long rectangle down the right hand side of the calendar which I created in PhotoShop.

How is your December Daily going? I hope it has been a great month for you! So much going on!.

December Daily 2016 / Day 3

Welcome to day 3 of my 2016 December Daily! I almost have today finished too. It's been such fun to work on. The true test of my "sticking" ability will come during the week when I've working and shuttling kids around.

Day 3 is actually night 3. We went up to Doswell to see the Illuminate Light Show that is at Meadow Event Park. We have never been before so this was a lovely treat and a nice way to spend time together. It is definitely more impressive live and capturing the experience in a moving vehicle (no tripod and no stopping allowed) while driving down largely gravel road proved a challenge!

The left hand page of this spread is, you might recall, the back side of a chipboard tabbed divider. Ugh... The black of the photo really required me to push the picture to the edge and not trim it as I had on the front side. I also had to be mindful of bulky embellishments on the opposing page as there isn't a protective cover to the picture and I don't want the photo scrapped by anything. I toyed with typed journaling on the page but found it distracting and omitted it. This ends up being a very simple page leaving the emphasis on the picture.

The infamous square pockets a plenty that I both loathe and love! I love the idea of transparency and the peek into the day to come. Filling all those squares with purpose often proves challenging as you have to think of both sides. I think, having begun day 4, that I will end up filling one of those frames. Probably the red hounds tooth one. I don't have frames that I can back for the other side so the problem is really the backside. I quite like the striped pocket card you see from Day 4 through the gold frame, it adds to the color of day 3. The split in the day 4 divider behind the hounds tooth frame bothers me. I didn't realize how much until I took these pictures. I want something on the kraft tag in that center pocket, I just didn't have "the" thing and didn't want to spend a lot of time searching. So, it will stay as it is for now and perhaps once the month is complete I will go in and touch up.

If you haven't done this before or haven't succeeded it completing it, I cannot stress to you enough how much more manageable this project is with completed foundation pages. You don't HAVE to leave things where they are but the concept of a book makes this mammoth task so much more enjoyable and less complicated. Another thing I have found very useful in the working of my first few days is to have a basket/bucket/tub or some container of embellishments that compliment your color scheme and leave everything else be. If you contain yourself, you are less likely to get distracted by all the pretty things and focus on the task at hand.

December Daily 2016 / Cover, Day 1 and Day 2

Hey scrappy peeps! It's December which means that scrappy "landmark" (perhaps time mark would be more appropriate) of December Daily has arrived. I have five years of unfinished December Daily albums perched on shelves somewhere. A number that is rather alarming and disappointing to me. And while I have said it before, I AM GOING TO FINISH my album this year! I have never premade pages before or completed the foundation pages and think this was my downfall. This year, foundation pages are complete. All digital pieces that I created myself! I'm very proud of this. I borrowed free downloads from here and there and personalized them, adding my own spin in some way, shape or form. Today I have my cover, the calendar and days one and two to share with you.

I am using a Simple Stories SNAP album as my album along with the various size pocket protectors available for the SNAP albums. I chose the colors kraft, teal, white, black, grey and red as my foundation colors. I realy wanted a simple cover. A little white mist splattered here and there provided the perfect backdrop to a die cut snowflake and the year with a few bits and bobs to accent and add a hint of red. The bakers twine united the fabric and chipboard, tying the two together nicely.

Upon opening the album, there is a gold polka dot vellum that overlays this calendar. I'm not crazy about the look of the polka dots on the circles numbers for the dates so am going to have to go back to the drawing board on that one. I also want to put a little something on the inside cover of the album. The calendar is something I printed off the web, it was a free download. I really need to begin writing down where I got these things from so I can direct you in the right direction. I was in such a creative flurry getting the foundation flowing that my brain wasn't logically thinking. I personalized the calendar by changing the font color of "December" red and removing the numbers the creator had in the original. I used date stickers from Simple Stories to add some pizzaz. I wanted to be able to write each days activities somewhere for a cohesive overview of the month.

 

The back of that calendar is empty. I'm pondering what I want to do there. I think I want to write a why or do a dedication but I haven't put much thought into it and want to be pleased with the results and not rush the process. So, until I know what I want there, that space is empty.

The little "jingle jangle" tag flips to reveal the delicious details of the December party breakfast that Henry, the Elf on the Shelf, brought with him. For years now, Henry has arrived on December 1st and brought a welcome party with him. For the past few years the kids have independently enjoyed their share of the party and Nikolas is in middle school, a later start than Mia in her last year of Elementary school. The "Eat & Drink" card is one that I made on my own and added a few embellishments to. I also made the top, right card; there is a vellum overlay over the journaling.

A lot actually happened yesterday, December 2nd. I chose to focus on this annual shopping trip with a girlfriend of mine. Mia and I also went to Bethlehem Walk, an event I also want to document but think I might have to put somewhere later in the album. Or, just scrapbook it. I can't have everything in this album so I'll figure it out as the month proceeds.

Simple. Really simple. A glassine bag with a metallic "2" from the Pink Paislee number pack, 2 pictures and another pocket card that I created. I toyed with typewriter journaling but decided that I like my writing and it more meaningful in my own handwriting.

I in essence reproduced the emblem for this event. I scanned in the brochure in order to be able to trace and cut the bow with my Silhouette. I then back the opening with a metallic red and further decorated. This white foundation with stitched edges was then adhered to the tabbed chipboard that came in the Simple Stories album. The little tag hanging from the bow is such a simple touch yet is my absolute favorite part of this double page spread.

I am determined to keep this going and finish this year. I am hoping, the accountability of blogging will also aid in my push to cross the finish line so be sure and check back in help me finish this this year!

December Daily Planning / Simple Stories Carpe Diem Planner

Welcome back to part 2 of the month of December as found in my Simple Stories Carpe Diem planner! Glad you popped back in for a visit!

For these inserts, I used the free project download and made them my own. You can find the free downloads from Simple Stories HERE and you are looking for the Life Documented Free Printables - November. Once you have opened them, the A5 planner page is what you are looking for.

The left hand page can be printed as is however I chose to remove "in review". My original intent had been to put something witty underneath... Then I decided that I really need just needed functionality. The things written on this side of the page are for the purposes of planning my December Daily. I'm terrible at getting it going in the month of December and need those reminders of the things that aren't on the "big"/main calendar. Or the little snap shots I took on my phone for fun photo memories using the Paper Issues Remember December prompts. All these lovely memories will be recorded in brief here.

Between the left hand and right hand pages is a transparency that I made again using the aforementioned free Simple Stories file. I opened the PDFs in PhotoShop (I use CS6, can't speak for Elements) and worked with the files there. I sized the Joy file to A5 planner size and printed it on a transparency. Don't forget to spray it with a fixative spray! I have a template made from cardboard for hand punching holes. I really need an A5 hole punch - couldn't find one at Staples while there the other day. Must keep looking.

The right hand page is for recording all of Henry's antics, our Elf on the Shelf. While my pictures have attached date info, I often take pics the night that he arrives and not the morning that the kids find him, if you know what I mean. Wink, wink, read between the lines there. This helps me know what he was doing the morning the kids find him. Again, for December Daily planning purposes. Possibly even a pocket spread. The page itself is the same free download with the december heading removed and flipped horizontally. I then embellished with some stickers and stamps. By putting the numbers in the middle of the double page spread, it works for both pages.

See, now you have some great ways to use those free printables from Simple Stories that are a bit out of the ordinary! I hope your December planning is going well!

December Project Life / Christmas Confetti Pocket Tutorial / Pebbles Inc

During this crazy, busy time of year, it's easy to get hung up in the hub-a-bub of activities and forget the little details of the Christmas season and transition into a new year. I always get overwhelmed by the number of pictures I have from the Christmas season and they just end up sitting there because I don't know what to do with them. Nor do I want yet another Christmas layout. Solution: PL style layouts! You can incorportate a ton of pictures.

Add some of the magic of Christmas to your pocket memory keeping with a magical Christmas confetti pocket! Here's how you can create one of your own:

*  Gather your ingredients for magical Christmas dust: gold glitter, American Crafts red and green Spark!, Stampendous Shaved Ice, confetti (round and tree shaped) and star punches from the American Crafts border punch. Add a pinch of love and swirl with your finger!

*  Sprinkle your magic concoction into a pocket of your pocket pages and sew along the top edge ensuring that no magic dust is left behind.

* Create a punched border using the American Crafts Knock Out star border punch with rounded corners and use your Xyron high tack tape to camouflage some of the imperfection in your stitching!

 

* Using stickers from the Pebbles Thirty-One collection, add the year ON TOP of the page pocket. It's okay to have embellishments and elements NOT in the pocket!

 

Not all things must be Christmas when you're creating Christmas themed pages. The red banners are from the Pebbles birthday/celebration collection Hip, Hip Hooray. Make it more festive by folding notched ribbon on top and adhering that down with some Xyron 5mm dots.

This photo overlay comes from the From Me to You collection by Pebbles - it's just PERFECT for a splash of Christmas red! A complimentary green page tab adhered with Xyron 1/4" double sided tape is the perfect way to secure the overlay with minimal visibility.

Another element that I adhered using Xyron dots on the outside of the page protector. Doing so preserved the dimension of the Christmas star which would have been flattened in the pocket.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if there weren't presents and gift giving! I have a present for you this holiday season! I posted earlier on my blog a link to a free cut file download of this Deck the Halls tag that is perfect for your 3x4 pocket. It is available in both a vertical and horizontal orientation!

May peace, prosperity, and happiness be yours throughout the holidays and new year!

Supplies

From Me to You Photo Overlay

From Me to You Black Rub Ons

From Me to You Chips Chipboard Pieces

From Me to You Cardstock Stickers
Welcome Christmas double sided cardstock
Basics Washi Tape Black
Basics double sided cardstock Leaf Chevron
Front Porch double sided cardstock Home
Front Porch Phrase Cards
Hip, Hip Hooray Banners
Party Super Hero Glassine Bag
American Crafts Ribbon
American Crafts Spark Tinsel Rouge
American Crafts Spark Tinsel Grass
American Crafts Pow Glitter Paper Silver
American Crafts Pow Glitter Paper Large Dots/Evergreen
Knock Outs Border Punch Mini Stars

December Daily 2012 / Basic Grey 25th & Pine

I will be at Scrapdoodles up in Fredericksburg today teaching this mini-album! I have never taught before so I'm a little nervous but optimistic that it will go well! The album is a coordinating "Capture" spiral journal with pockets and fun journal spots. The remainder of the contents are from the 25th & Pine coordinating waterfall pack and Jumbo Die Cut numbers

Some of the days have a single page while others are double. When teaching the class, you will leave the picture spots blank to fill in as the month progresses. I created this album utilizing last years pictures so you could have a complete visual of what this will look like.

This is the intro page. Every good book has an introduction! So too should your December Daily!

As you can see, a lot of the pages are interactive; journal cards to lift, doors to open, tags to remove. Lots of nooks and cranny's for lots of little detail.

When I was creating the class, I flipped out a little because I wasn't sure how I was going to utilize all those 4x6 journal cards that came with the waterfall pack as the spiral journal wasn't really big enough to fit them all! I found ways! I found ways!!

There is a glassine bag at the end of the album that you can save tickets or other memorablia in.

Have you thought about your December Daily this year? Have you started the creative foundations of it? There are some amazing options out there! Scrapdoodles has extra kits if you're interested!