i caved…sort of…

I’ve attempted “December daily” a few times.  One year I was diligent and completed it.  The next year I got sick the second week of December and didn’t take daily photos, so the album didn’t get finished.  The next year I thought I’d take the photos out of the one I’d started the previous year and just give it a do-over.  It was a fleeting thought.  I didn’t do it.  Since then, I’ve loved the idea – I think the concept is awesome…but I just haven’t been able to get myself excited enough to actually give it another try.

I wasn’t planning on doing one this year either…until I got this awesome mini album kit from Melinda at Scrap Kit Studio.  I love the fun shaped album.  I love that Melinda does most of the work by cutting all the paper to fit on the chipboard album pages.  I love that all of the products coordinate.  I love that I didn’t have to add anything at all – just some time and adhesive.  (And I did add some extra jute/twine, but that’s it.)

I spent a few hours last night, just gluing the papers onto the chipboard and adding all the stickers and embellishments.  And now I am ready for December – and I’m ready to record it!  BUT…I am not committing myself to taking a photo or adding journaling every single day.  That’s why the title is “JOY, 25 ways and days (be merry).”  I’m taking it a day at a time.  Some days I might record five different things that brought me joy.  Some days I might not record anything.  As long as I fill the album up with 25 “ways/days” one way or another, I’ll be a happy girl…and maybe even brave enough to do it again next year.  But no promises…except that I plan to “be merry” through the process. :)

So, today I want to share my album with you guys – having it all complete and ready to fill gives me more incentive to work on it as well:

 

I cut apart all of the journaling pages that were included in the kit and added them between several of the pages.  It was fun to embellish those – and I can always switch them around if I need to.

 

I love the option of just adding them to the rings so you can see both sides of the design!

The little number banners in the corner are included on every page.

Here are the rest of the blank pages…waiting to have photos and journaling added…

And of course I wanted to add the year and some more fun embellishment to the back cover as well.

I love that these kits are designed so you can put them together just like the photos in the kit – OR you can add your own “extras” (whether that’s product or technique) – depending on your time and desires. 

These kits would make great gifts for the holidays – either as the kit OR as a completed album…don’t you agree?

Let me know if you have any questions about my album – and be sure to check out the Scrap Kit Studio Shop AND Blog!  Thanks, Melinda, for creating such a fun album kit for us to work with!