Christmas Daily Worn Journal

Hi everyone! We are counting down to Christmas this week at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, with this holiday countdown challenge that Ashli suggested. I made a December Daily mini-book.

I like Ali Edward's idea of a December Daily, but I don't print photos at home so it isn't practical for me to do a page with photos every day. Last year, I made a simple December daily mini book, wanting something where I can quickly write down what we have done every day, without doing a specific layout for each day. This year, I wanted to do something similar, but in a different format. For my base I used Tim Holtz Composition Worn Cover, which is perfect for this kind of project, not too small, not too big and it is easy to add more pages. I used tags for my inside pages and embellished the cover with a mix of die cuts, rub-ons, stamps and Idea-ology pieces.

For another example using Tim Holtz worn covers, check out my Book of Random Things.

I glued Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements fabric to grungeboard, let it dry, and die cut with the Victorian Carolers die. This die has such intricate details. The edges were inked with Gathered Twigs.

 

The new white Christmas Remnant Rubs look great on the cover. Make sure you rub them real well so that they stick. If an edge is lifting, use a bit of matte multi-medium to stick it down again. White paint was rubbed into the word band and I layered it on a label stamped with Vermillion ink on a leftover tag.

The reindeer was painted with Evergreen Bough Distress Paint, most of which was rubbed off, to create a patina effect.

I used this calendar stamp on my December Daily last year too, here I stamped it with Watering Can ink on a leftover inky tag. Together with a muse token and label stickers it forms the title of the book.

 

I like the tag format and tags also fit perfectly into the cover. The tags were coloured by applying small spots of Distress Stain on my craft sheet, misting a tag with water (both sides) and pressing one side at a time into the ink. I really like the addition of a little bit of Brushed Pewter, which gives a nice metallic look to parts of the tags.

When the tags were dry, I made a template and punched holes in all the tags. I often leave this step to last, but keep placing important stamped images where the holes will be, ending up with holes in Santa's face etc. This time I remember to make the holes first. Numbers were stamped with Vermillion ink and Hero Arts Copper Plate numbers set.

 Instead of using my normal Gathered Twigs, I inked the edges with Iced Spruce.

My favourite ledger stamp, from Tim Holtz School Desk set, was stamped with Iced Spruce, holding it in my hand instead of mounting on a block.

I pulled out my Tim Holtz Christmas stamps and stamped them on the tags with Watering Can ink, which is a great grey ink. I had fun making each tag different. All the stamp sets are listed and linked in the supply list.

I stamped a little star/snowflake with Evergreen Bough on most pages.

The smaller stamps on the Mini Holidays (1-5) sets work great for this type of project.

 

We celebrate Christmas mainly on Christmas Eve, which is why Santa is coming with his gifts on that tag.

 

I went all the way to 26 December, since we celebrate Christmas until then. On the back of the tags, I stamped portions of the large Fabulous Flourish with Evergreen Bough ink, first stamping it off once on a scrap paper.

The inside covers of the journal I used were light grey, which worked well for me, otherwise you can paint them, as I did in my Book of Random Things. They were stamped with a whole bunch of Christmas stamps, using Watering Can ink. The stars/snowflakes were stamped with Evergreen Bough paint.

I used a large ring binder and attached it with hitch fasteners. Somewhere I saw someone who did this and thought it was a cool idea, sorry, I can't remember where I saw it. I can easily add extra tags if I have more to say, or to add extra photos.

I also placed some of the new page pockets at the back, for bits and pieces, mementos, photos, and whatever I might think of. 

You need to add a little bit of glossy accents to the tissue tape to make it stick down firmly. I added more rub-ons to the spine and here you can also see the hitch fasteners.

I hope you will join us this week and as always one random participant wins a $50 voucher from Simon Says Stamp.

 

Thank you so much for looking!!

Happy Christmas Crafting!!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

Surfaces: Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Composition Cover, Grungeboard; Ranger manila tags

Dies: Sizzix: Victorian Carolers

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz: Mini Holidays, Mini Holidays 2, Mini Holidays 4, Mini Holidays 5, Christmas Time, School Desk, Old Fashioned Christmas, Classics #9, Winter Sketchbook, Holiday Wishes, Reindeer Flight, Simple Sayings, Grunge Flakes, Fabulous Flourishes; Hero Arts: Copperplate Numbers Set LP193

Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Watering Can, Vermillion; Distress Ink: Evergreen Bough, Pumice Stone, Iced Spruce, Gathered Twigs

Stain: Distress Stain: Brushed Pewter, Antique Linen, Evergreen Bough, Iced Spruce

Paint: Distress Paint: Evergreen Bough, Picket Fence

Fabric: Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements

Embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Christmas Time Remnant Rubs, Christmas Word Bands, Large Ring Binders, Tags Page Pockets, Label Letters, Hitch Fasteners, Long Fasteners, Christmas Adornments, Merriment Tissue Tape, Christmas Muse Tokens