December Daily featuring Teresa Collins Christmas Countdown Memory Album

Each year I struggle with my December Daily album and usually it's just keeping up with assembling it. I have no problem journaling about daily events, it's just that in the hectic holiday season, I don't find time to make some pretty pages and once the holidays are over, I'm sort of Christmas papered out!
This year I started early, buying this Teresa Collins Christmas Countdown Memory Album early in the year. I think it was even before Halloween!

It included a binder, dividers, pages, and all kinds of fun embellishments like tages and die cuts.
To prepare for December, I cut out filler pages out of kraft, and put together a Ziploc bag full of things I would add to pages for embellishing. I also made a bunch of library card pockets, my newest obsession, to fill with memorabilia along the way.

I decorated the cover, filled the pages on the inside, and I'm ready to go!

I put the book and the Ziploc in a tote, along with blank tags to journal on along the way. Because it is easy to take along, I can work on it when I have free time along the way, and journal as we go. I've kept caught up, and people have enjoyed looking at it along the way.
Because of the binder style, it is so flexible to add and change things as I go. I think that was a big obstacle for me in the past, feeling sort of stuck in a style or structure. This is much more smashbook style, a style that got me started into scrapbooking years ago in college, when I didn't have as much time, and focused on the memory keeping. I'm excited to see how it unfolds!

Simple Stories Library Pocket Advent Calendar

A friend shared an advent calendar idea with me last year that involved little notes each day for the kids to open with an activity for each of the 25 days until Christmas. It was such a big hit with my kids that I decided to do it again this year, but with a large decorative approach.

I cut out library card pockets from kraft paper using an SVG on my Cricut. Each pocket has a tag inside with activities like, go ice skating, make Christmas cards, bake cookies, etc.
Then I embellished each tag with Simple Stories Handmade Holiday line.

I love how the tags turned out with this pretty and classic paper and I can reuse it with new notes as I get new ideas.

Go Fish Challenge blog has a great prize for those who complete a Christmas project! Check it out here: http://gofishchallenges.blogspot.com/

December Challenge at A Cherry On Top

I love the fun of scrapbook message boards! With many scrappers living in small towns, or the busy lives of many women, it's nice to have a place to visit with other people passionate about paper, any time and anywhere! I am always fascinated to hear about people's stories in other parts of the world and yet we share the common bond of scrapbooking!

A board I love and host a challenge on is the one at A Cherry On Top. The ladies are fun, the conversations are both scrappy and not, and there are so many fun challenges with random drawing winners!

I host the Trends & Techniques challenge on their board and this month it's all about handmade embellishments!

Here is the challenge link: December Trends & Techniques Challenge
I'd love for you to play along! Just head over to their website, add your entry to the gallery and post it to the message board link.Plus, if you become a follower of my blog, you get an extra entry for a gift card to A Cherry On Top! While you're there, check out their other challenges hosted by board members!

On The Farm

With a trip to a farm for a Kindergarten field trip, we had lots of photos to scrap! October Afternoon's Farmhouse Line is so perfect with the farm theme and natural tones.

I used Paper Secrets sketch for inspiration...
Paper Secrets Sketch Challenge

MidWeek Mojo Coral Series

The Coral series at Scrapbook Steals MidWeek Mojo is wrapping up and I'm catching up on all the layouts.

Coral Layout #1

Coral Layout #2

Coral Layout #3

Coral Layout #4

Coral Layout #5

Coral Layout #6

Coral Layout #7

Coral #8

Coral Layout #9

Coral Layout #10

Scrap Much? Colour Challenge

This month's color challenge at Scrap Much? was a springy refreshment in a fall season of browns.

I used some fun patterned papers from Heidi Swapp's Vintage Chic line for my layout.

Quick Quotes Friday Challenge 21

I love the versatility of black & white photos, especially if you have a large collection of paper to use. It lets the subject of your photo shine, while allowing you flexibility in your paper choices. The most recent challenge from Quick Quotes was to feature a black and white photo in your layout.

I used a fun fall photo from a pumpkin patch visit, and put the layout on a diagonal to add interest. I made little rosettes from scraps of the same paper and added some fun twine to "tie" it all together. :)