December Daily -- Days 2 & 3

I am back with more pictures of my December Daily.T o simplify things, and keep my posts short, I am listing all of the supplies on this post. If you have any questions about a specific product, please leave a comment and I will do my best to answer. I did try to use up my stash so some of the products I used are older. Okay now for Day 2.

December 2nd found me at home taxiing the kids while Sal was at his company Christmas party. In all the years we have been together, spouses have only been invited one time. I asked Sal to take a picture with his cell phone and when that one didn't turn out well, he brought the camera to work and returned to the Roosevelt Hotel to take a picture for me. It's so nice to have a husband who supports my hobby even though he laments the space it takes up! Here's the layout:

That beautiful red glitter snowflake was actually a tag I found on clearance at Bath and Body Works in 2010. I only paid $0.10 for it! Needless to say, I bought more than one. You just never know where you can find embellishments! Here's a close-up of the journaling:

On Day 3, we took a little road trip to West Chester University to hear my niece sing in her school's choir. This is the second year we have attended the concert and it has fast become one of my favorite holiday activities! Here's my layout:

The Simple Stories journaling card had the word "traditions" on it. I customized it by stamping the word "New" using Technique Tuesday's Initially Yours "N" stamps. Here's a closer look at the number:

That's it for today. I will be back with Days 4 through 25!

Christmas in February!

Even though the calendar says February and the temperatures in the Northeast feel more like April, it's Christmas on my blog! Yes, I am finally getting close to finishing my December Daily so I thought I would start to share it.

I am using an 8.5" x 11" American Crafts album. Most of the pages are going into page protectors but I have a few that were done on transparencies. I built most of my pages on Recollections cardstock but if I had to do it all over again, I would use a higher-quality cardstock with a heavier weight. I found this cardstock difficult to work with. It tore when I pulled pieces up even though I was using repositionable adhesive. And, although my pages aren't loaded with embellishments, this lighter weight cardstock seems a little warped in the corners on the heavier pages. You can't tell the difference when I put the pages in the page protectors but I don't think the cost savings outweigh the negatives. I'm just saying!

Now, for the pages. The first is my title page. It uses a picture of a nursery that I literally stumbled upon when I took my mom to buy a grave blanket. I could kick myself for not having my camera with me but I couldn't pass up this beautiful scene so I used my phone. It's not the best picture but I think it captures the grandeur of the poinsettias and works as a good opening page. Here it is:

Throughout my album, I use December Daily journaling cards from Pretty Little Studio. On this page, I layered the card on top of a Maya Road doily that I misted with Calico White Mister Huey and stamped the title using Technique Tuesday's Studio AE stamps. Here's a close -up:

Another element that I used to tie the pages together was the red velvet paper from SEI. I used a 3/4" strip on most pages. Multiple uses of Authentique Diction word stickers and Simple Stories Countdown Stickers also help unify the pages.

For Day 1, I took a picture of my Advent Angel. Here it is:

Journaling reads: Hanging the Advent Angel is a sure sign that the Christmas season has begun! When Mark and Melissa were small, each wanted the coveted job of moving the star on Christmas day. Using their birth years as a guide, I developed a system to make it fair. Mark moved the star on odd number days when the year ended in an odd number, and Melissa did so when the year ended in an even number. Now Mark doesn't care so much and Melissa moves the star ever day. We will see what happens on Christmas morning.

Here's a close-up of the countdown sticker embellished with rhinestone stickers which I layered on top of the journaling card.

Well, one down and 24 to post!

Album Supplies:

Patterned Paper: October Afternoon (Good Cheer); Simple Stories (25 Days of Christmas); K& Company (Yultide); My Mind's Eye (Lost & Found; The Merry Days of Christmas); Little yellow Bicycle (Christmas Wishes).

Specialty Papers & Transparencies: SEI (Rouge Velour); Hambly; Fancy Pants; Basic Grey Basics (Take Note).

Stickers: Authentique (Wonder Diction Words); Simple Stories (25 Days of Christmas); K & Company (Yultide); recollection (Rhinestone).

Stamps: Technique Tuesday (Studio AE -- 25 Moments by Ali Edwards; Celebrate the Seasons by Ali Edwards; Believe by Ali Edwards; Initially Yours -- N): Hero Arts (Magical Background)

Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black); Stampin' Up! (Ripe Advocado; Riding Hood Red; Crumb Cake); Tim Holtz Distress (Antique Linen; Persimmon); Mister Heuy (Calico White; Overdue);

Punches: Fiskars (Scalloped Sentiment, Upper Crust); EK Success Edger Punch (Postge Stamp);

Misc.: Pretty Little Studio (Journaling Cards); Maya Road (Kraft Doilies; Die Cut Kraft Doilies; envelope) Recollections (Stars); Tim Holtz Idea-ology Collection (Numerals; Christmas Adornments; Mini Paper Clips); My Mind's Eye brads (Lost & Found/Union Square); Making Memories felt stickers (Tinsel); Little Yellow Bicycle Epoxy Chipboard (Christmas Wishes); Me & My Big Ideas misc. embellishments and rub-ons (Noel) Creative Imaginations rub-ons (Hollyberry); Imaginisce Poinsettia Vendetta (Cinnamon).

Some Sweet Valentine's

Sorry for the long absence, yet again. I have been very busy with a new project at work so blogging, and even scrapping, have had to take a bit of a back seat. I had a meeting with clients in New Jersey on Valentine's Day that went longer than expected so my darling children got i-tunes cards instead of handmade Valentine's. That was fine for Mark but Melissa jokingly reminded me how I did manage to make cards for my nephews. Note to self: don't leave making holiday cards to the last minute. LOL!

Anyway, as I said, I did make cards for my nephews Paul and Thomas who are 2 1/2 and 3. Since time was of the essence, I pulled out an old mini-pad of Cosomo Cricket and used two of the journaling cards as my sentiment. I customized each with the heart outline stamped in black and filler stamped in red. I added a little shine to the heart with Glossy Accents. A little twine for the one card and brads on each finished them off and kept them flat for mailing.

Here is the card I made for Thomas:

And, here is the card I made for Paul:

Paul's mom, Jenn, texted me to tell me that Paul loved his Valentine from "Lindy"! With such a rave review, I better get to work on my St. Patrick's Day cards!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Neenah Solar White.

Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket (Cogsmo).

Stamps: Technique Tuesday (Loving Words).

Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black); Tim Holtz Distress (Barn Door).

Tools: EK Success (Corner Rounder; Postage Stamp Edger Punch).

Misc.: Martha Stewart twine; Eyelet Outlet brads.