Project Life 2012..Week 52 + New Year's Eve

The last 2012 Project Life post....today I'm sharing Week 52 which includes Christmas festivities + my New Year's Eve page which wraps up my album.  I will admit that I have about a dozen insert pages to complete yet for 2012.  Mainly photographs that will go into smaller sized page protectors.  I've made my list and am printing and catching up week by week.  

So here's Week 52.  The 2 page spread using lots of my pre-made journaling cards.  

The left page which features a Christmas celebration at my folks.  My niece brought her daughter + her fiancee has kids so it was a very lively time.  

 The right page which features more everyday photos from the week.  Notice the photo of Jordan below.  When I ask for photos now, this is what she gives me.  I'll take it and I hope in 10-20 years her kids act the same way.

I love this main dated 4 x 6 insert. It's a great piece from the October Afternoon papers adorned with some embellished woodcuts and typewriter journaling.

 The 4 x 6 inserts.  Lots of little labels and tabs from October Afternoon.

 This is a 4 x 6 card from Elle's Studio.  Love how my nice loved her new dolly.  Don't let the sweet cheeks fool ya, that girl is a wild child.

 The day after Christmas.  Saying goodbye to the holiday season and the Christmas tree.  I took the ornaments off on the 26th because Charlie had mauled enough of them already.

 More of taking down the tree.  I do miss the mesmerizing lights though for a week or so.

 This photo just melts me.  We babysat for Stella, my sister's miniature wiener dog.  We were worried that Charlie might kill her by accident so we kept a close eye on these two.  They ran and played the entire time.  Charlie would get a little rough then Stella would take all of his big toys and run to her teeny bed and hide them.  Charlie was so polite though and just nudged into her little bed with big puppy dog eyes.

 The 3 x 4 inserts.  A shot of my parents' new puppy Molly + a week in review card.  That fun stamp is from BananaFishStudio.

 Never a dull moment.  Stella escaped while going potty, took a swim in the icy pond, nearly drowned...then my mom's old hair dryer blew fire while trying to dry her off.  It was a Christmas miracle this dog survived the day.  More like the Griswald's family Christmas at our house.

 A fun quote that I found since I love the jars so much. Plus a gift from Jordan, another beautiful cutting board.

 Putting the new stove to good use + a new list of groceries, banking and shopping to be done.

I had two inserts for this week.  First up is this one that I altered from a bigger page protector that had (4) 6 x 6 slots.  I used the XL tags from my shop as bases for journaling cards and some stamping.  I stitched the right side of the page protector edge so that the tags fit in nicely.  For the 6 x 6 inserts I cut cardstock to size and stitched on a grid where small photos could be placed.  Loved this look and will probably use it more in 2013.

 The back side of the insert was dedicated to Charlie. He was sweet but oh so ornery this holiday season.  He would ever so slyly take ornaments off the tree and then chew them to death.  Plus his big wagging tail broke so many ornaments from him just passing by the tree.

This insert was one that I pre-made also, using 2 clear pockets as slots to hold confetti, wood veneer, candy canes and a fun die cut piece from October Afternoon.

 The back side of the insert.  That middle piece is from October Afternoon and was used to make a flipper card.

This is the very page of this album and features New Year's Eve.  I didn't know how to wrap up the album so I thought a full page of New Year's Eve fun was suitable.  

 The 4 x 6 inserts were ones that I had pre-made.  I added another XL tag to this one and added stitching and smaller Instagram phtoos.

 Some 3 x 4 slots featuring Charlie playing in the snow + an embellished card using an Evalicious circle tag + some of my altered wood pieces.

 A little silver shine from the fun sticker letters and some Metal Rim Tags.  The top portion of the 4 x 6 insert uses a Medium White Parcel Tag, cut in half.

Whew, I made it!  I completed 52 weeks of Project Life for 2012.  365 days of our lives were recorded into 3 albums.  I didn't make it with just 2, but this is all the scrapbooking I did for the year so I think that's pretty darn good.  I loved every minute of it and was so glad I took the time to get caught up when I got behind a few months.  I have the 3 albums sitting out in our living room right now, for everyone to view.  We all take a little time to reminisce and laugh over funny photos and stories.

Now I'm on to Project Life 2013 and am caught up to Week 3.  I have a few new processes this year and I'm excited to share those with you starting in February.  It's gonna be a good year, I hope you'll join me!

Project Life 2012, Week 49 + Daily December...

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!  I had a nice morning drinking coffee and sitting by the warm fire with my little family.  We're off to our first big family dinner today at my mom and dad's but first I wanted to share another week of my Project Life.  

If you've been following my posts, you know that I've been combining my Project Life pages with a December Daily of sorts....calling it Project + December.  It's worked out really well for me and I love the festive look the last few weeks of my album.  Today I'm also sharing my pages over at Elle's Studio.  There's been a fabulous month long blog event featuring some great folks and I'm so happy that Elle asked me to join in on the fun.  I used lots and lots of Elle's printed tags and journaling this year in my Project Life and will continue to do so next for Project Life 2013.  You simply must add some of Elle's goodies, and now stamps, to your Project Life product list.  

On to the pages.  I'll try to keep the talk short since we're all hustling and bustling for the holiday.  Here's the 2 page full spread. Lots of my pre-made journaling cards which was a huge time saver.

Christmas cards in the making, some classic Christmas movies and a little story about an ornament.  I used lots of Elle's 4 x 6 journaling cards for my main, dated insert.  So easy to layer with other embellishments.  

The traditional hot peanuts, Eric's work party, a nice cozy fire and Jordan got her first deer.

 Here I tried some glitter on October Afternoon chipboard letters + a cute snowman tag.

Lots of mixy matchy letters with a fun ornament...all layered onto another Elle's 4 x 6 journaling card.

 A little flipper photo for a story underneath.  I used various numbers throughout my pages just like you do in a traditional Daily December type album.

 The inside of the flipper photo.  I created a pocket by stitching on a large manila tag from my shop. (Check back for a grand update in January) Inside the pocket I tucked in 2 more photos and the story of   Eric's hot peanuts.  I adhered the tag pocket directly to the outside of the page protector so that the pocket items could be accessed more easily.

 Eric's work party. There is always a fun "rob your neighbor" type gift exchange and Eric was determined to get me a battery operated heated scarf.  Just what I always wanted.  ;)  A 4 x 6 Elle's Studio card was the perfect foundation for this mini layout.

 The 3 x 4 inserts, complete with a Week in Review card + a list of our favorite Christmas tv shows and movies. Notice the little circle journaling spots from Elle's Studio.  I love to tuck those in here and there.

 I had a blank spot so I used a Project Life card with stitched on patterned paper, an Elle's Studio tag + sequins and an October Afternoon tin pin.  On the right card I used one of the Studio Calico arrows that I stamped on.

 More 3 x 4 cards, using an Elle's journaling card for a base.

 The weather update which I fancied up with a snowflake and some glittery snow confetti from my stash.  On the right I created a fun pocket using polka dot vellum and a tag from my shop.  The deer image was from the Gossamer Blue Daily December Kit.  I adhered all of this to the outside of the page protector again.  The pockets are just too fun to be tucked inside the plastics.

Here's my 2 page Project Life with the inserts tucked in.  I really love inserts because I know more goodies are tucked in between the pages.

You've seen this insert as I had pre-made it some time ago.  It's a pocket page that holds my lists.  I love how it looks with a few actual lists tucked inside.

Turn the page for the next set of inserts, a 2 page spread about putting up our Christmas tree.  Note:  Due to Charlie's constant wagging tail & 5 broken ornaments, the tree now has ornaments from 3' up and higher.  And no presents under the tree, that would be a playground for Charlie.

 This 8.5 x 11 photo of our living room was embellished with a simple journaling piece from Evalicious.  Be looking for more of her items on my pages for 2013 as I love her style.

 Some closeups of the inserts.  The star of wonder insert is a 3 x 4 Elle's Studio journaling card. The glittery tree is a Studio Calico wood veneer piece that I covered with shiny green glitter.

 The next set of inserts featuring my holiday decor + the Senior Citizen's Dinner we attended as guests for Eric being on the School Board.

 My favorite part of this week, just so festive and colorful.  I used a pre-made 4 x 6 card that I made from Elle's products.  I had a piece of the polka dot vellum stitched on and then I added more stitching and some confetti to create a fun base for yet another Elle's tag.  Stamping is from Ali Edwards' holiday set.The bottom journaling card was from my pre-made stash and has a stamped sentiment from Elle's Christmas set.

 A few photos accented with an Elle's tag and an October Afternoon Santa brad.

Inserts from the school dinner.  I used a 3 x 4 Elle's journaling card on the left, layered with a photo and the bottle cap pin that the art students made for the guests.  I just popped off the pin backing.  On the right is a journaling card featuring a large circle tag from Elle's.  I love how the circles add fun twist to the inserts.

 The very back page features photos from the girls' basketball tournament.  Both JV and Varsity teams took FIRST PLACE! So proud of my girls.

 I love how this pre-made holiday card worked for my basketball photos.  The "joyful" sentiment definitely fit in with the theme of my photos.  A short story I must tell:  Jordan had just stolen the ball and made a layup for 2 pts.  The other team was taking out the ball under our basket.  Jordan and her best friend deflect the ball and are scrambling on the floor for it.  Kara is sprawled on the floor and passes it to Jordan who is on her knees.  She can't get up or she will get called for traveling.  So she shoots the ball while on her knees.  AND SHE SCORES THE BASKET!  The crowd goes WILD!  Best shot ever made!!  And the funny thing is Jordy tells us afterwards that she and Kara practice that shot all the time in PE class for some weird reason.  It paid off!  And no, I didn't get the photo, dang it, but I  will remember this story forever.  :)

 A special thank you again to Elle and Jenni for having me guest at Elle's blog today.  Here's to another great year of Project Life in 2013. I'll be back with some of those fun posts I've been promising....slow but sure.  :)

Survery....I'm debating on whether to keep the white borders for my photos or print them borderless.  What do you think???

And with that I wish you a joyful holiday season.  Our hearts are all heavy for those that have lost their loved ones this year. I think a lot about my grandparents and my brother Jeff, wishing they could see my sweet girls and be with us.  My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who is missing their special someone this year.

Project Life 2012, Week 48 + Project December inserts...

Hello everyone.  Like you, my heart is heavy this morning as I think about the folks in Connecticut.  Please keep them in your prayers and use this as a reminder this holiday season that family is what matters most.....not stressing over shopping, baking, decorating and feeling overwhelmed.  Just stop what you're doing and be with your family.  

Long post today....lots to share.....be sure to check the bottom of the post for a fun guest spot I'm doing this month over at 2Peas.  

Today I'm sharing Week 48 of my Project + December....my combination of my Project Life + Daily December happenings.   It was pretty much just a regular week for us but I wanted to jump start my December pages with some festive looking inserts.  Below is my 2 page spread of what would be my regular Project Life pages for this week. I used lots of October Afternoon, Elle's Studio, Studio Calico, Gossamer Blue kit items, American Crafts chipboard letters, etc. 

The left page, with a fun December insert kicking off the holiday season.  I used the red chipboard letters to carry the festive color throughout my 2 page spread.  The Week in Review insert was one that was pre-made by me earlier.

This is the right page of the 2 page spread.

This week I have 5 inserts + my December monthly page divider.  Here's what all the inserts look like sandwiched in between the main 2 page, 12 x 12 layout.  

If you've followed my process then you know that I like to keep all of my inserts smaller than 12 x 12 if possible.  This way the 12 x 12 layout shows through and all of the inserts are like little bonus pages.  I'm so pleased that I've found an approach that works for me.  I'll be continuing this with my 2013 Project Life.  No extra albums, it all goes into my Project Life albums....which I've found is 2 per year, including all inserts.  I just have to be care to not bulk up the pages to much with lofty embellishments.

Here's another shot of my full spread with some of the insert pages, the pages are just turned.  Thumbing through my albums is somewhat an interactive process for the reader.  The different size pages are fun to turn and the short stories + the photos all make up a wonderful week of our lives.  

How do I decide what goes into the inserts vs. what goes into the weekly spread? I find that my day to day activities with a single photo go into the main 2 page spread inserts.  Any big event like a birthday, a fun road trip, a graduation, or just stellar photos that I want to highlight by enlarging them go into my inserts.  I'm loving selecting a few photos and enlarging them to 5 x7 or larger.  

On to the 4 x 6 inserts of the main, 2 page spread. This is the main weekly insert, marking that December is here.  You'll notice the dimensional badge here.  I've found that my inserts make the center of my album bulkier than the outside.  By using a badge like this every once in a while, it adds a little bulk to even out the pages when the album is closed. I like to place them on the outside of the page protector.  The tactile feel is fun for the viewer. 

Am loving adding some photos of meals into my albums.  It just rounds out our weekly events. 

Here I have a photo that is actually a flap that opens to reveal another photo + journaling.  

Josey crafted me this absolutely beautiful walnut cutting board.  It's one of those things that you will just treasure forever.  Handmade.  From the heart.  My favorite kind of gift.

Sports are always part of our weekly activities.  They sometimes don't fit into a holiday theme but I have to make them work.  It's just so much a part of our weekly lives. Here I used a 3 x 4 insert with star patterned paper + some Studio Calico wood veneer stars + a Studio Calico Mistables arrow that I stamped with stars. The stars are holiday-like but really allude to my little super star basketball players. 

The 3 x 4 inserts....here I have my Week in Review which uses a manila tag from my shop, a glittered snowflake that I made earlier + a photo of a favorite snack.  Don't get these, they're horrible, yucky, gross.

2 more inserts using a pre-made card from my stash with added sticker letters + an Elle's Studio journaling card with some gold striped Washi tape added.  

The weather always makes it into my pages.  I simply take a screen shot then print it.  Charlie is decked out in orange.  He got to go for a ride with the hunters so we dressed him in an orange t-shirt so he wouldn't be mistaken for a deer if he happened to jump out and go for a run. Hunters are required to wear this bright orange amongst their camo attire. 

Here, Josey is sporting her camo shirt and hat.  I called her Jose Ebere and she had no clue who I was talking about.  The hair dresser.  

Okay, now on to the inserts.  This is a Becky Higgins Project Life monthly plastic divider.  I covered it with gold polka dot vellum, added an embossed Ali Edwards stamp + a December sticker from October Afternoon then stitched it with my red thread I'm using this holiday season.

Before stitching I added a white paper doily from my shop + I sprinkled in some confetti glitter/snow mix that I mixed up earlier. I love how it shows through on the back side of the divider.  I think I might go back and do this to all my monthly dividers.  And I'll definitely be doing this to all of my dividers for 2013.  You could easily add a thin strip of typed journaling or perhaps save this for the end of the month and stitch on some month in review photos.  Lots of possibilities, I'll have to take some notes. :)

Here I have a 5 x7 photo that I enlarged of our fireplace mantel.  I chose to mainly decorate the mantel and put up the tree this year, keeping the other decorations in the house minimal.  I added the journaling  using the Phonto app for my iPhone.  I plan to scour my Chalkboard Board on Pinterest and actually add a holiday greeting soon.  

Turning the page, I have (2) 5 x7 inserts, the left is a photo of a holiday decorated fireplace mantel from the antique shop we road tripped to recently.  It inspired my fireplace mantel makeover which is shown on the right.  The photo on the right is actually a 4 x 6 photo adhered to one of the 5 x 7 inserts I made previously. 

A few simple embellishments makes for nice, simple pages.  

Turning the pages once again, I have close ups of my fireplace mantel + a little story about being home for the holidays.  I'll show you my vintage finds from the antique shop road trip soon.  

Journaling about my thoughts on being home for the holidays.  I used one of my pre-made 5 x7 page inserts along with a circle journaling tag from Elle's studio, chipboard letters + one of the painted, glittered snowflakes I created earlier. Just scroll down for lots of posts on how I pre-made a lot of my inserts & embellishments my December pages. 

The 4 x6 pre-made insert on the right page.  I added a doily, glittered snowflake, journaling, chibboard letters + lots of red stitching.

Turn the page and here's the backside of the previous insert.  It's a Becky Higgins 10 x 12 divided page protector.  I used lots of photos from a recent visit to Target + my thoughts all the "stuff" out there these days.  The 4 x 6 insert is filled with (2) pre-made journaling cards.  

On the left I added lots of stickers from October Afternoon + red lines of machine stitching.  On the right I added an October Afternoon "today" sticker + some fun silver sticker letters. 

Below is a simple 8.5 x 11 insert that holds a ripped sheet from a Pottery Barn catalog.  I tore out some favorite pages from catalogs to keep in case I needed some fillers.  And whaddya know, I needed something here.  I added a pre-made stamped piece using Ali Edwards stamps + a glittered wood snowflake.  And of course some red stitching.  I added some confetti glitter to kind of cover up some words on the bottom of the catalog page. 

Okay, still with me.  Whew, my fingers are getting sore from typing.  ;)  This is the back side of the above page.  It holds some hand written notes from the girls and me to Eric.  He was unable to make it to the first basketball game of the season and we all just hated it.  It's rare that Eric or I miss a game of the girls.  

My pre-made embellished vellum envelope was adhered to the outside of the page protector.  I used 2 long strips of Washi tape to hold it down.  This way the envelope is easily accessible and the note that will be tucked inside can be taken out easily. 

Okay, that's it for the first week of my Project + December.  Wowzers, that was a lot!  I'm very happy to report that aside from just a few inserts I am officially caught up with my Project Life.  2 full albums almost done for 2012.  That. is. awesome. in. my. book.  All the hard work paid off because I love my albums.  A total labor of love.  

Hey one more thing....I'm guesting this month over at 2Peas for Lisa Truesdell's Captured Project Life class.  Please join Lisa as she shares some of her Project Life pages + mine + another awesome Project Life friend.  And check this link out to shop for a lot of the fun products I've used for this week's pages.  Thanks for joining me today.  Have a blessed day everyone.  I'm off to make a big crock pot full of chili & spend time with my sick, little Jordy + the rest of the family by our tree.