It’s the time of year when my crafty mojo comes out of hiding. It’s the time that I am able to really focus on family. It’s the time of year that I get to play in the kitchen with new sweets recipes. It’s the time of year for many reflections with the anticipation of new beginnings. I absolutely love this time of year (I could really do that without the colder weather, but I can’t have everything).
Last year, I decided I wanted to try working on a December Daily album. I thought with the focus on things, traditions and family during the month, it would really be a great time to put them all together into an album. I spent my entire holiday season last year taking pictures, but even better, taking notice of everything. It really helped me to focus on those that mean the most to me.
I’ve never scrapbooked “current” events because my brain won’t allow me to skip ahead, with the exception of a “project” album. December Daily was just the thing I needed to work on a current project. I spent all of November and December pouring through videos on YouTube and I purchased several classes from Ali Edwards and watched them all. Then I was stuck…I didn’t know where to begin!! I couldn’t understand how people were able to work on an album while they were still living the album. And then there were those that were able to do the album before they even had the pictures!! Foundation pages, as they are commonly known, appear to make everything easy to put together during the month and I can definitely see the value. I admit that I was not able to do them at all! I couldn’t even do my album during the month!
I was, however, able to set myself up for success when I was ready and able to do my album. I made a promise to myself – I will have my album done by the end of July. I spent the month organizing my thoughts and deciding what type of layout or technique I wanted to try. I took notes and clipped ephemera for the album. And then it sat, in a corner, in my office…until July. I remembered the promise I made to myself. On July 1st, I pulled it all out and focused on working on the album. I would do a few pages, then take a day or two before working on it again. This worked fantastic for me! I finished my last layout on July 31st and I was so happy to have my December completely documented.
Here is a flip-through of my completed album here.
This year, I may take the same approach with a few exceptions. I’m participating in a couple presentations in December Daily Inspiration Group – Anything Goes! Facebook group. This group is full of amazing inspiration and so many talented paper crafters. I will count myself as being ahead of the game come July when I have to fulfill my promise to myself to finish by the end of July. December is so full of everything I want to enjoy and I really don’t want to take time out to work on my album unless the mood strikes me to work on it.
If you are one of the talented people that can work on current events, I look forward to seeing what you put together! If you are one of the people that just can’t work on it during the month, join me in July and we will have a wonderful Christmas in July party!! But most importantly, Have a safe and full December full of everything you love and hold dear!
AnneMichelleCreates 