December Daily {Days 1-4}

"Simple, simple, simple."

That's my mantra for December Daily this year.

So when Gretchen posted on Instagram that she was going to follow

this photo a day prompt for a December journal,

I jumped on Gretchen's sled!

Brilliant and simple.

 

Day 1 ~ Bright

 

 

 

Day 2 ~ Cherish

 

 

 

When I sat down to put days three and four together,

I accidently switched the photos.

{I was watching TV again.  You'd think I would learn.}

 

Day 3 ~ White

 

 

 

Day 4 ~ Joy

 

 

Neither grungy, nor doodly.

Just simple.

Sometimes I have no idea what will come from my hands.

 

 



December Daily 2013

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a lovely week last week

and all of my fellow Americans a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I had hoped to get by here last week, but obviously it didn't happen.

 

 

So if you remember, a couple of weeks ago I started preparing for December Daily.

Not long after that post I stayed up till 3 o'clock in the morning putting my journal together.

I just didn't want to stop.

 

 

You might not know this about me, but I covet velvet.

Velvet anything.

Especially old velvet.

It just so happened that while putting my book together this bit of old, blue, velvet ribbon was sitting on my worktable.  I had thought to use it on another project, but while putting my signatures together I noticed how beautifully it went with the Basic Grey Fuitcake paper.

Ooh.  Makes me a bit giddy, that ribbon does.

 

 

Also I wanted to try binding my book block into the spine this way.

Even though I reinforced my spine well, I still had to do some repairs afterward.

{and looks like I need to on the inside now}

That's how it goes when you use a book that's around 90 years old.

But man, I think it was worth it to showcase that blue velvet.

 

 

Though I've started the intro pages of this year's book, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to tackle the inside pages.  I'm pretty sure these two aren't finished.

However, I really need to keep this project as simple as I can.

The first year I did a December Daily {2010} it was more in a traditional scrapbook style.

In 2011 I went full on grungy art journal.

Last year I had started to go the same route, but it just didn't feel right and ended up turning towards a more clean and doodly style than grungy.

At the moment I'm feeling a combination of both of those, however, there are some traditional scrapbook techniques that I might try to incorporate into my style.

{whatever that might be...}

 

 

Last week I finished up a current art piece I was working on and have decided to not start the next as I had intended to, but instead designate the month of December to only December Daily {this year's and past,} as well as, catching up and finishing Project Life.

Crossing my fingers I can do it!

 



Call Me Crazy

It's that time of year again.

Time to start thinking about December Daily.

And I've already done more than start thinkin', y'all.

 

 

I've gone ahead and picked my paper from my

Basic Gray Christmas hoard

and purchased a vintage book to house it all in.

Now normally by this point I haven't even finish last year's book,

but this year I've upped the ante.

 

 

I have not only

not finished last year's December Daily,

but I haven't finished 2011's either.

Yep, that's right.

 

 

And that's not even the all of it.

I am really livin' on the edge,

because not only have I picked my paper and found my book for this year,

 

 

but I am ready for next year too.

 

Seriously people....

what's wrong with me?

 



December Daily 2012 ~ Days 2 & 3

Day 2

 

 

Pretty self explanatory.

 

 

We bought a tree.

A Noble Fir.

 

 

Because we're narcissistic like that.

 

Day 3

 

 

The lighting of the tree.

 

 

Well, the beginning of it anyway.

On the third is when I started putting lights on the tree.

It took several more days before I actually finished it though.

 

 

I'm totally loving doodling in this book.

Simple and easy.

Although the first two pages don't really flow with the rest of it now,

but I'm just going to go with it.

 

I actually have several more pages near done,

mainly just journaling to do on them,

but tomorrow I drop the Farmboy's pig-dog off for surgery in the morning,

then have lunch with a friend

and finish {hopefully} my Christmas shopping

before picking the pig up at the end of the day.

And I have a project that is more important right now than this book, that I need to get finished.

So we'll see how long it takes before I get more pages posted over here.

 

That's life, right?

 

Y'all have a great weekend!

 

******

 

More Dec Daily here.

 



December Daily 2012

This is the 3rd year I've done a December Daily book.

The first year, 2010, was done in a more traditional scrapbook way.

Though not all of the materials I used were traditional.

Last year I decided to make it in a more art journalish way.

I learned a lot from that.

A lot.

Like, don't add so many pages to the book.

Limit your supplies.

Over all, keep it simpler.

and

I do love a handmade book.

 

I should also take a moment here to tell you I have yet to actually finish that book.

But I will.

Eventually.

 

So here's how it went down this year.

I started with my paper stash.

A long time ago, when I did scrapbook, I had a love affair with Basic Grey paper.

{Oh crap, I shouldn't have gone there.  I may have just relapsed.

Did you just see that Lucille collection?  I might need that for an art journal about Lucy.}

Now I am working my way through all of the collections I still have.

This year I went with Dasher.

Then I went to Etsy and found a book that would work with it.

 

 

On the front cover I changed the names of the author and the illustrator

 

 

and then sewed the book together.

And I can't even tell you how many times I stitched this whole thing together only to un-stitch it...

so many times I lost count...

before I finally decided on this simple bead pattern.

 

 

And then after all that, I covered the things up with all that ribbon.

Because I really wanted a string of blue beads hanging from the spine

and one string of beads looked sad and lonely.

 

 

I had a lot of trouble getting started on the inside.

 

 

That chili pepper red paper from the book

{that I covered my binding tapes with}

threw me for a loop.

After several layers of paint, watercolor crayons and gesso I still wasn't exactly sure in what direction this was going to go,

so I just moved on.

 

 

A little collage with bits from the original book and sheet music.

Some paint washing and then doodling.

 

Day One

 

 

All about new "empty nest" traditions.

The "rekindle" Starbucks sleeve was the kick off point.

 

 

Oops.  Blurry photo.

 

 

SBX sleeve on glassine envelope.

Popped our Nutcracker tickets into it as that's going to be a regular new tradition for us.

At least for as long as a certain Farmboy can keep from snoring or

dropping his program as he dozes off.

 

That's it for now.

I'll share more later.

Have a beautiful weekend!

 



Five More Days of Last Year

Day 6

for us was all about having new carpet installed in all the bedrooms.

 

 

Thanks to a hot water heater leak,

{though leak would be putting it mildly}

we got new flooring throughout, nearly, the entire house.

 

 

Day 7

was the day of spontaneity.

We went out to get tree cuttings and came back with an entire tree.

 

 

The first live one we have ever had.

 

 

 

Day 8

it was cold.

It ended up being the only day, out of the whole of winter, cold enough to wear a coat.

 

 

 

Day 9

The Farmboy and I decorated the Christmas tree.

Just the two of us.

 

 

And we took a 1959 Better Homes and Gardens posed photo of it.

 

 

 

Day 10

is where I tell the story of our Christmas cards and accompanying photo

 

 

and how they came so very near to getting sent out,

 

 

however, are still sitting in a neat little pile on the corner of my desk.

Almost one year later.

 

 

More December Daily 2011 here, here, here and here.

Have a beautiful weekend!

 



349 Days Ago

That's when December Daily 2011 started.

I shared the beginnings of my book here and here and here.

So now, as I scramble to finish it before starting this year's, I thought I would go ahead and

{within several posts}

share the rest of it.

 

Day 3

 

 

 

Day 4

 

 

 

Day 5

 

 

In the next DD post, I'll show you days 6 through 10.

 

Have a great rest of the week!