Journal Your Christmas 2008

Warning! This is a kind of long post...

I spent a little time this week gathering supplies and pre-planning my album for this year's Journal Your Christmas class. In my last post I forgot to mention the best perk of taking this class: you pay for in ONCE. As alumni, if you have signed up and taken this class in the past, you may participate from then on free. :) Creating this album the past two years has really helped me refocus on the holiday season more and focus less on the commercial craziness. It's helped me reconnect to the reason for the season, so to speak. :)

Disclaimer: this is only how I am going about my album and in no way signifies how anyone else should create theirs. :)

I have given quite a lot of thought to how to proceed with my album this year. For my 2006 album I created album pages for the first of December all the way through the first of January (the class prompts go all the way through the 6th of January). Last year I didn't fair quite as well, only finishing pages through the 23rd of December. Chad asked me last night when I was telling him about the album for 2007 if I planned on going back and finishing up the remaining prompts and my answer was "no". Not only do I have no idea what was going on those days almost a year ago, I think the fact that I quit there tells a story as well. We were busy and as I read back through last year's album I still got a fabulous sense of what the season was like and what we were doing. I guess I don't feel it is incomplete. This year, just as the past two years, my goal is to complete all 37 prompts but if that doesn't happen I'm not going to make myself feel badly about it. I still journaled my Christmas. :)

The other evening as I sketched ideas for this year's album I decided to go with the "less is more" mentality this year. I am pre-planning a lot of pages (as much as possible anyway) to reduce the time (and stress) of creating a brand new page and design each day. However, part of the fun for me is to create, so with that in mind I like to keep my options open, just in case I want to do something completely different some days. :)

I always, always start with the cover. For me, the cover kind of sets the tone, the theme for the entire album. I have done a 6x6 album (2006) and a 6x9 album (2007). I try to keep my books slightly on the smaller side, easier for me to complete a page. :) This year I wanted to go with the square format again so this is a 6x6 album. I believe this album is actually from one of CK's KOTM (one of the kits Ali designed). I recently went through my studio and broke up kit components and rearranged everything and got rid of things that didn't inspire me. All this was in an effort to use the things I have. And to remember it's okay to not use kits as they are, to use the pieces that I love. 

Supplies for cover:

6x6 Album (CK KOTM)

Felt Snowflake (something I saved from some pajama packaging from a couple of years ago and I'm finally getting around to using!)

White dot rub-ons (another CK KOTM...the travel tin/album, I believe)

Christmas Rub-ons and flocking, Button, Ribbon, Chipboard Numbers (MM)

Swiss Dot Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug)

I also want to mention that even though the majority of the pages in my album will be 6x6, I also took some 4x6 page protectors from an old SEI album and I will intersperse them throughout my book for those days where maybe I just want to include a photo. I purchased THESE and THESE digital overlays from Designer Digitals that I want to include over photos in my album. :)

Here's a peek at some of the things I pulled out to use for my Journal Your Christmas album:

Supplies:

Cardstock by Stampin' Up (Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red)

Kraft Cardstock (Hobby Lobby)

Stamps (Stampin' Up,  Hero Arts, Catslife Press, CK KOTM)

Punches (Stampin' Up, Martha Stewart)

Ink by Stampin' Up (Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red)

Snowflake Diecuts (Cuttlebug, Silhouette, Cricut)

Title Dicuts (Cricut "Journal", Silhouette "Christmas")

Background Diecut (Graphically Speaking Cartridge by Cricut)

Other (Buttons, String, Ribbons)

Even though these are the items I pulled from my stash to use with this year's album, I leave my options open. Some things I may use very little, if at all and I may add other product as I see fit. These are just things that inspired me at the moment. :)

Using primarily cardstock is a little new for me. I am a patterned paper girl. However, I adore these cardstock colors from Stampin' Up. They are like my favorite cardstock colors, ever. I'm really wanting to create a uniform looking album and cardstock is an economical way to do that.

Another thing you will see a lot of in my album this year is diecutting. I am completely addicted. I have way too many machines and tools and just keep wanting more! I love creating my own personalized pieces to a project and diecutting is such a great way to do that. The cool rounded background with the dot border is a Cricut design from the Graphically Speaking cartridge. I don't even feel bad admitting that this diecut and THIS project by Robyn Werlich is the reason I bought a Cricut and this cartridge! In fact, Robyn's project is the inspiration behind the design of my Journal Your Christmas album. :)

These are some of the components that I'll be using on the title page of my album:

I absolutely adore the jumbled up title diecut. It couldn't have been more perfect for this album. :)

My plan for this afternoon and throughout the Thankgiving Holiday is to pre-assemble several backgrounds, diecut items I'll be wanting to use so that they are all ready to go when I want to create (especially on those super busy days closer to Christmas) and to have fun. :)

I will be sharing my album here as we go along and I look forward to seeing other participants pages as well. I am finally starting to feel an inkling of holiday spirit and I can't wait to get started! Check back December 1st to see the completed title page and how I scrap the first prompt. :)

Tomorrow I have some scrapping Q&A's to get to plus I will share my opinion of the Twilight movie (because I've been getting a ton of emails regarding that!). And then later this week, I will share another new mini album that I've started for the Thanksgiving holiday. :)

Have a great Sunday!

Comments

[Carla]

Oh, thanks for sharing. Super cute!! I really like the "Journal" die cut and I'm a big fan too of the in colors this year. They work so well together!

[laura vegas]

love seeing what you're using for this years album! and even though i'm sure you'll add more goodies in ... i love how simple all these choices are. the cardstock, basic punches and dies, and stamping ... should make it easy to get the pages done without thinking too much!

and i traded my cricut away to a friend months ago ... and havn't missed it. until seeing this new cartridge ... the "graphically speaking" one. now i want a cricut again!!! lol!

[Bridget =)]

oh yes, i can't wait to see what you thought of twilight! I myself thought it was lame... =( i was bummed!

[Machele]

What a beautiful cover, Nichol!
I am loving all of your diecuts as well.
Question(s) for you...what is your best on-line source for Cuttlebug dies? I think you've posted it before but I couldn't find it (honestly, I didn't look too hard :)). Also, do you have any of the alphabet dies from Cuttlebug or are they other brands? I want a bigger alphabet and so far have only seen a couple of different ones. Oh, and one more...that funky little flair thingey (by Quikutz, I think) that you used on your Christmas Photo card page, would that work in my Cuttlebug? I would really like to stick to ONE machine but I love many of the other diecuts and such.
Thanks for sharing your album and for answering my pressing questions. HA!

[Deneen]

Can't wait to hear your take on Twilight the movie. Took my girls to see it friday night. Only one of my girls had read the book first another on is reading it now. The one who read it was a little disappointed but liked the movie all in all. I had a little different take on it but I will share that with you later.
By the way I love your christmas journal!!!!

[JenGallacher]

Is that cursive font from that cartridge or is that your handwriting?

Well . . . the Twilight movie . . . what did you think? :) I didn't hate it, which surprised me. I think I was prepared to be disappointed.

[Cheryl]

HI Nichol,
I have that cartridge too and I love it but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to do that tiny dot border. How did you make that?

[Sandi]

Nichol

Wow!!! You really inspire me both in scrapbooking and as a life mentor. We all have busy holidays with all the "must do" on our check list. However, you have reminded us of the "must share" check list of life. You are right we really do need to spend more time making memories instead of running crazy through the Christmas season. Thanks for giving us this gift this Christmas season.

I also love diecuts too. I find you use them just beautifully. Your way of working them on a page and layering, makes them lovely pieces of art. You have a true talent to making a balance of greatness.

I do not have Graphically Speaking. (wink, wink) I am sure you will have me enables by the end of the month. I do know for sure I want Wild Card. There are so many wonderful cards on this cart. I just love all the options Cricut has to offer.

Thanks for sharing.
Sandi N.

[Sarah]

That is B.E.A.utiful. So many exciting people in the JYC class, I can't wait!

[Mary]

*sigh* this is perfect! I haven't even starte mine yet. I all ready bought a bunch of Xmas things for it, otherwise I would happily copy your album :)

[Latharia]

Just beautiful! You do gorgeous work! I agree -- the jumbled up diecut IS perfect for this project. And you cover is so super cute!! I hadn't thought about doing a cover first and setting the tone ... I always do mine last & have it reflect whatever I've put inside! LOL!

[Loydene]

Hi Nichol! I, too, am wondering how you and Robyn achieved that dot border? And -- not to be a complete copycat (but I do love your ideas!) how did you do the "journal" jumble for your title?
Thanks!