December Daily 2011

This is my second year doing a December Daily, and I'm both excited and a bit nervous. I really enjoyed the process of filling up my mini last year and loved the final book. However, last year's dec daily was more of a 'December mini' because I picked and chose which days to include in my book. I think I ended up with about 20 or so days in total (I ended it at December 25). This year, I'm aiming to do December 1-25. I hope I will make it all the way through! 

Supplies:

For my supplies this year, I'm using the Ali Edwards/Studio Calico December Daily kit, as well as a mishmash of supplies from my own stash. I have Crate's Peppermint collection on hand, and I've also collected some bits and pieces of other Christmas products and other non-Christmas supplies that I think would work well with this mini. I'll also be using the leftovers from my Studio Calico December kit and add-ons. If you've seen my past minis, you'll notice that I love mixing up products and supplies when making mini-books, and I'm definitely looking forward to mixing up my stuff to create this dec daily :) 

Format:

One thing I really love about the SC dec daily kit is the format...it reminds me of my Seoul mini-book that I made earlier this year and I really enjoyed putting that one together. That travel mini was approximately 6x8" and it was my first time making a mini with page protectors. The spine of that book was only about 1" though, so my pages had to stay pretty flat. I'm glad that the spine of chipboard album for the DD is much larger...it allows for bulk and more dimension on my pages. I have a slight pin-back button/flair addiction right now so those kinds of buttons will make their way onto my dec daily pages ;)

I decided that like last year, I won't be premaking my pages. I know that for many people, it saves a lot of time throughout the month of December, but I just like having the freedom of having a 'blank canvas' for each page. My general plan is that I'll probably be mixing up single pagers and double pagers throughout the album, and I want to include some envelopes as well. Uhh, and that's pretty much as far as I have gotten. I did work on my album cover and title page though, which I'm sharing today!

Album: 

Here is the album cover. I wanted to keep it simple because I knew I would be making a title page for the inside of the book. I also wanted to keep it pretty neutral because I know the inner pages of my mini will be a mix of bright + neutral colors. 

Amy Tangerine fabric paper (for the spine) + Studio Calico's Woodgrain One patterned paper (for the front and back) + a strip of washi tape + some buttons + a charm and baker's twine from Ormolu's Merrymaker Trims & Charms

Here is a close-up of the buttons and Ormolu charm, which I love.

Before adhering my woodgrain patterned paper, I misted it with Mister Huey's Calico Shine, which adds a subtle shimmer. I really love how it looks! It's difficult to capture on camera, but it's a lot prettier in real life and I love how it catches in the light.

Here is a picture of the spine of my album :) Yes, that is another Ormolu flair!

I also debated about leaving the inside of my album plain, but then I accidentally got it a little dirty and had to figure out how to fix that ;) I went through my washi tape collection (I love washi tape; it's a staple for me!) and picked out all my grey washi tape and voila! Still neutral, but festive.

Just a close-up of the different washi tape I used.

Title Page:
I adhered the patterned paper for the title page right onto the backside of the 7x8" chipboard calendar page (included in the SC dec daily kit), so that the chipboard allows for some stability. It didn't photograph very well, but the misting on the title page is more noticeable in real life. I used a vintage plastic doily - a gift from Stephanie - as a mask and lightly misted with Dewey Mister Huey. It's one of my favorite mist colors!

The SC calendar page is behind the title page. I plan to write a little intro about this mini and what I love about December and the holiday season on the journaling lines, but I haven't figured out how I want to word it yet.

Bonus: 

I hope I can find some 'real life' stuff (holiday ads, etc.) to include in my mini this year. I don't think I included any last year. I do have a suggestion for you all though...go to Starbucks and get this ;) I brought home this super cute kraft bag from Starbucks the other day and I punched some holes and added it to the back of my album. I haven't decided yet if I'll use it as an actual pocket for a day in December or if I'll leave it at the back to collect some miscellaneous December stuff.

That's all I have to share for now! This post is so long, haha. I'd love to see the progress you've made on your December Daily...link me up if you can :) Have a great day!