Hi everyone! I know I have been slacking on my blog posts. I have been very busy with work and some family stuff and I just couldnt find enough time to blog at the moment.
But yey for me, I'm able to make some few projects while I was away from the blogging scene. Recently, Kathy Orta of Paper Phenomenon did a series of Youtube video tutorials in making her December Daily. Wondering what a december daily is? Its a scrapbook/smashbook or whatever you want to call it that was started (if im correct) by Ali Edwards a few years back and it has been a hit. Its where you record the memories, things, events, traditions and whatever it is that makes you look forward to December and most especially Christmas. Some may start as early as Thanksgiving and end it up to New Year. It doesnt matter, its your book and you can do it anyway you want it to be.
Anyways, I have made mine using Kathy's Tutorial on a lapbook type album at it was a great project I tell you. It seemed to much work but she taught it well and I was able to make it.
Here's a quick video of a flipthru of my 2012 December Daily, and I hope it will also inspire you to make your own and record your holidays this year.
And by the way, incase this looks complicated to you all, Kathy has another video tutorial series on Youtube making a december daily using cards and envelope.
A few weeks ago, a good friend Cathy introduced me and some ladies to Heidi Swapp's Memory File System. And as always, I got curious and started searching for websites and of course, Heidi's blog as well. It looks so interesting and seemed to be another simple way of preserving memories. For Heidi, she says, its an interactive scrapbook - that can hold about 25-50 photos depending on the accessories you are putting in.
I can't find any of this here in the Philippines and ordering online is out of my options since international shipping is way too much and I can't afford it for now, even if the products are affordable and reasonably priced.
So yes, like any crafter would, I made my own using what I have available. Recently, we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday and his retirement so I wanted to make one to store photos from that event.
So here's a tutorial of how I made my Memory File System.
Enjoy!
Gather your materials. 12x12 paper/cardstock of your choice, additional paper for accent/embellishment, adhesive, scissors and short file holder
Choose 2 pcs. - 2 designs of 12x12 paper to cover the inside and outside part of the file folder
Trace the folder and trim
Apply adhesive onto the file folder, making sure to add it to the edges of the folder to prevent them from peeling off. Use a good adhesive, adhere the prepared designer paper and trim off excess.
This is how my outside cover looks like laying flat on the table.
Repeat the process to cover the inside part of the folder, make sure to leave a little gap between the paper so you won't have a problem closing it.
You can skip this part if you don't want to add additional pages inside. You can also use mini file folders and repeat the process of covering the inside and outside part. But for this project, I made a pattern for a top note shape, about 12 inches wide and 9 1/2 inches in height. Traced it to a chosen cardstock (you can choose double sided this time if you want) and cut.
I prepared 2 of the top note shaped paper scored at the center to make a 6x9 1/2 page
Also, I made a flip page to store more photos and for journaling. I cut 4 1/2 inches wide paper out of my 12x12 paper, holded and stack 3 papers (for this project) and folded them 1 page longer by 1 inch. Say 1st page is at 4 inches in height, the next page would be 5, and so on.
Finished project. Front
1st spread when opened.
Attached the pages using staple wires. You can opt to stitch them.
A few weeks ago, I shared the start of my September daily album with the instagram photos i had for the month. If you haven't seen it yet, its this post I was talking about.
So last Monday, I was able to finish my daybook and was able to write all the journaling I needed. Ha! Good thing I was still able to recall everything. One good tip, try to make your dailies within 2-3 days that it happend LOL.
So here's the other pages I did: WARNING: photo filled post.
Oh wow, it took forever before I could post again. Something's been eating my time, and even checking facebook is a task for me. Haha...
Anyways, if you are following me on Instagram, you would know what's been taking my time off my computer. Yup, I found a new love, CROCHETING! I have been trying this for years now, and thanks to YouTube, I was able to look up close how to make chains and how to make those stitches.
Here are some of the projects I have made in about 3 weeks.
First attempt in making Crocheted Doily using light yellow #8 crochet thread and #8 crochet hook
Doilies ranging from 6 inches to 12 inches in diameter
6 pieces Coasters
Another coaster - need to make 4 more to complete the set
Table Centerpiece approximately 12x16 inches - connecting individual patterns to form 1 whole piece
My first project with a pattern using legends. Approx. 15x30 inches
As some of you may know, I and Cathy of Inside the Crafters Studio enrolled in Amy Tangerine's self-paced class on BPC (Big Picture Classes). She showed there some tutorials and tricks she has in making her daybooks and how to keep the creative juices flowing. Before I joined her class, I have already been making myself some daybooks and was able to use it for the trip I had with my siblings to Palawan Philippines last February of 2012. Mind you ladies, ones you get to start making and get a hang of it, you'll end up making tons and dont know when, where and how to use it.
I have 2 Original AT Daybooks, the first one is the Noteworthy Daybook I purchased, and another one is the Montage Spiral Daybook sent by my good friend Cathy. I have a handmade daybook sent by one of the Smash*aholics Patti Martin during one of our challenges/swap sessions in the group. I have already made about 8 daybooks using the paper collections that I have and have used only 2 so far and RAKed 3 to other girls, and 1 for my swap with Patti.
Daybook is a great way to document shorts trips, daily or monthly lives, favorite activities, children's school activities or programs they're in. Its nice to keep this little daybooks or others may call it journals so you have something to look back at after a few years. You get to appreciate life more.
So here's the daybook that I made using 6x6 paper pads. The size of the daybook is about 6 1/4 x 4 1/2. I used this daybook to document the instagram photos I have for the month of September. Im doing this now because I am preparing myself to commit to making my first ever December Daily - yup, save it for another post :)
Here's the look of my daybook, half filled, still a work in progress as it is still September, and as soon as I'm done, i'll post the rest of it.
The front cover of the daybook. Using paper doilies, thickers, mini alpha stickers, and some washi tapes. The camera die-cut was sent to me by Cathy.
First page - Sept. 1. Facetime session with the boyfriend surprising me with a bunch of giant gerberas.
Sept. 2 - Lunch with family at TGIFridays then a little shopping. Was able to save the tag of the bag.
And here's a tutorial video I made on how I hand stitch my handmade books.
And this is a video of the very first daybook I have made before I joined BPC class to document my vacation.
Hope I have inspired you to make your own daybooks and share it with me on how you used yours.
