December Daily - base journal (Warning! Photo heavy)

It's that time of year again to start using a December Daily. As you may know, that is a journal used to document each day of December. It can be part scrapbook, part journal, part art journal. There are many ways to make this journal - a traveler's notebook, a gutted hardcover book, a ring-bound journal, a totally-junk journal, or repurposing other kinds of books. Last February (pre-Covid) a few friends and I gathered so I could give ideas and show them how to make one. We each made our own iteration of a base  journal that weekend so I'm ready to start decorating and documenting!

This year I die-cut Eileen Hull's Sizzix journal die to make another traveler's journal (I seem to prefer this size and format as I've done several in past years. But this is the first time I've used the die.) I used a Christmas digital printable for the cover and mostly patterned paper scraps from my stash. I've been trying to use these up since I first started a Dec. Daily 4-5 years ago and still have a stash! I have bought very little every year! Some of you who have been scrapbooking for very long will probably recognize many papers. What I like about the traveler's journal format is the pages are folded and slip into the journal's elastic binding so they can be rearranged, added to or deleted during the process. And they all don't have to be the same size. I have added in small pieces and even cards as pages.

Here's a peek-through of the base pages. I usually add the numbers as I work in the journal and I like to have all different kinds, some from patterned paper, some printed, some stamped, some stickers.

Front and back covers - digital paper

Inside front cover and first page - the poinsettia page is decoupaged napkin

Pocket on right is small piece of patterned paper with a journaling card

The wreath pattern is actually a paper bag made into a pocket

Back of card on left covered with patterned paper and a journaling card glued on
left and bottom to form a tuck spot

Two smaller pieces of paper on right with ribbon to cover the join

On the right is a vintage Christmas card

Just papers

On right is small piece of paper

Back of smaller piece covered with 2 scraps; on right a scalloped border 

added to paper for width

Pocket on right side with a card from patterned paper

Page on right is decoupaged tissue paper

Center of signature so both pages are same paper; journal card for a tuck and flip on
right is paper attached with washi tape

Paper on left is kraft wrapping paper and pocket on right is old Christmas card

Layered paper

On right is other half of the small piece earlier in journal

On left back of smaller piece

Journal card as tuck on left; belly band strip on right

Pocket on right made with two pieces of paper; added Dec. 25 tag for Christmas Day
so may have to move around in journal

Papers (washi tape on left page)

Back page and inside back cover

So that's my base journal. Now for the fun part! Stay tuned.