A Christmas to Remember

Tomorrow I will begin filling my first every December Daily Album!  All of my foundation pages are complete.  Each day, I'll choose either a story to tell, journal about something special, or just record the day.  I will also be using the Journal Your Christmas prompts from Shimelle.  I have all of my foundation pages ready to go.  For my album cover and back, I used some chipboard from the back of a pad of paper, cut it down to 6.5" x 8.5". All of my foundation pages are a combination of SU confetti and crumb cake cardstock.  I cut the foundation pages 6" x 8".  While I do dabble in digital scrapbooking, I wanted to do this album all paper.  I really liked Ali Edwards foundation page templates, but really didn't want to spend the extra cash for the download.  Instead, I free handed the pages.  This took some time, but I really like the way they turned out.  I divided either the top or bottom of the page at two inches, and then drew in a small box for the date.  For my numbers, I used Kerri Bradford's December Daily numbers.  Y'all, these were so worth downloading!  I cut the numbers out of SU chocolate chip cardstock, added the Studio AE 25 Moments stamp set "December" sentiment in Black Cherry Stazon.  I LOVE how the pages turned out!!!!  For the transparency pages in between, I bought a few at Hobby Lobby, and made a few myself.  I still haven't embellished all of those.  My plan is to work on those as I go along.  Now, all I need to do is remember to take pictures each day, journal and then - at some point - put everything together.  Here are the pics:

Cover made using Simple Stories 25 Days of Christmas Papers and KBS numbers

I stamped  on this Office Depot transparency with a circle stamp and white acrylic paint.

On this transparency, I used white Staz On ink and a snowflake stamp. Once dry, I added a dot of red Stickles in the center of each snowflake.  Once the photos are placed on the page behind the overlay, the snowflakes will pop right out!

Overlay embellished with Simple Stories 25 Days of Christmas cardstock stickers.

This transparency overlay is by the Paper Studio at Hobby Lobby.

I really like this Tim Holtz tissue tape!

One last closeup of the foundation pages. Some have the journaling boxes at the top and some at the bottom.  The colors of the pages alternate.

This year, I also made a countdown calendar for the kids. I purchased the calendar undecorated from Hobby Lobby.  It was so much fun to use some of my old Christmas paper stash and supplies to decorate this. I covered the front of each drawer with coordinating papers, distressed the edges, added the numbers and them embellished each box in some way.  Each day we will fill the box with a small paper with the daily advent scripture rolled up and tied with bakers twine. The kids will love opening the papers and reading the scripture together as a family.  With Advent being a time of anticipation of the coming Saviour, we will remember the anticipation and celebration of his birth while we look forward to His second coming.  (I will also be recording the daily scriptures in my album.)  We also plan to put some special tiny treat for each child in the box as an extra surprise.  I may even do a scavenger hunt with clues that lead to a bigger prize that may not fit in the tiny box.

Have a blessed start to your December!!

Rachael