Thursday 19 November 2015

Thinking About December Memories

Last night I had a dream of Christmas: of sturdy white boxes under the tree. Tied with red ribbon they were, and when we opened one we discovered it was filled with old photographs.

So you can probably tell that I have a Christmas album on my mind. Yesterday I finally got twenty minutes to make a start and I worked on a quick front cover...


This year I have a beautiful December Memories kit from Gossamer Blue; and included in it is this Simple Stories 6x8 album. At first I was going to leave the Kraft cover in its natural state: but I've been painting on pages recently, so I grabbed a brush and added some white and then I pulled out the numbers from the Pink Paislee Countdown box and toned them down a bit too. I'm delighted with the way it turned out and I'm looking forward to filling it now. It's going to be a special gift album for our girl, who is, as you might have guessed by now, in her last year at school.

There is a December Memories class along with the Gossamer Blue kit (and you can also buy it separately). It's two month's worth of lessons, so I've been enjoying the suggestions already. But I do also have a plan for my book. I want that girl of ours to remember what will be, all being well, her last Christmas "at home". And I want her to remember all the Christmasses before this one: all her favourite bits, all our favourites too, what she said, what we thought. 

I've made a little list to work through:


Better to plan ahead a bit, I thought, instead of sitting down each day wondering what to write about. It's not set in stone (or even Royal Icing, though I could go for a slice of snowy peak covered Christmas Cake right now..): if I think of anything else I'll add it in as I go. And of course I'm going to leave a few pages at the end for her to use as she wishes. I'm not daft: I know perfectly well that my Mum didn't hear about the half of what I'd choose to remember of my last Christmas at school (or maybe she did, but wisely chose to keep quiet? There's a grown up kind of thought..)

Anyway: let's see how many days we are in before she realises what I'm up to; though doesn't have to be a surprise. I'm happy to have her contributions as we go



More to come. Oh, and if you are looking for further ideas for an album of your own, Get It Scrapped has a December Story class and here is the video to tell you all about it. Are you making a Christmas album this year?

27 comments:

Sandra said...

You just do it so so right x

Eileen T said...

Oh, this is a wonderful idea. Don't forget to include her involvement and contribution to Christmas music events past and present.

Ruth said...

That's perfect and The Girl with the Golden Phone is going to love it!

Karen said...

Last year I added my December memories to the Project Life album, and I really missed the Christmas Journal I'd been making for years. So this year, I'm doing another album---like you a Simple Stories album, and like you, I finalized the cover yesterday. I'm taking Ali Edwards class this year, and enjoying the videos and inspiration. I have a long list of story ideas because when you are empty nesters, telling a fresh story gets a little more challenging. In looking back at my old albums, however, it's clear that every December has its own flavor and unique stories that pop up.

Linda said...

oooh! that's lovely Sian! I like your list of prompts too. Not sure whether I will do a Christmas album this year. I might scrap some older photos, I've done 1970s/80s/90s when we didn't take so many photos! Now I need to do 2000s. It will be fun, cos it's when mine were little.

Patio Postcards said...

OK why am I all teary again? Sian this is SUCH a lovely idea, one filled with so much love & planning. I like your list. I don't think it will take the Not So Little Golden Phone Owner long to figure it all out, after all she knows her Mum so well. Interesting to have you capture a story & then have her capture the same story with her memories & point of view, the She / Me perspective. I am moving out of envious to jealous on this project.

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

What a treasure that will be for your girl, in years to come. I'm feeling a little teary too, but that may be the after effects of the migraine and watching the last episode of River!

alexandra s.m. said...

It's going to be a lovely DD Sian!
Thank You for sharing such wonderful prompts.
I used to make December Dailies too but now that I'm keeping up with two PLs, I have stopped.
This year is going to be more difficult for me to get into the spirit of Christmas but I'm looking forward to coming back and taking a peek at your beautiful pages on paper...
xx

Sian said...

Eileen: of course! You are absolutely right! The first year I did a December album I made a page about "the littlest flute player" but things have moved on a bit from then

Jennifer Shaw said...

It will be a wonderful gift. I love the effect of the cover. Just beautiful! About not knowing what is really going on in a teenager's life, I used to tell my girls, "Mama doesn't need to know everything." LOL

Lizzy Hill said...

Hr is absolutely fab- love the whole idea & especially the provisional ideas for it......she'll love it! What a very special thing to do!!!!

Lizzy Hill said...

That...!!!

Alison said...

What a lovely idea for a last year at school!...you DO have clever ideas xx

Bubbles said...

Oh, Sian - that's so lovely... especially the "With Love From Mum - So You Remember xx"
Utterly wonderful :)

alexa said...

This is already beautiful and will be even more so by the time it is complete. And it is a gift that will grow with meaning the more the years pass. Just lovely inspiration.

Susanne said...

You are off to a good start, and I especially like your thought, I mean memory, provoking list. Good job!

Deanna said...

What a wonderful thing to do! Our Christmas season is so boring really, my book would be blank. It's just the 3 of us not too jolly usually. (I sound like such a scrooge!)

scrappyjacky said...

This is going to be lovely.

Louise H said...

An amazing idea. I have never done a December album, and with my 3 getting older and older I sort of regret it. I'm wondering whether to try and complete one this year. Look forward to seeing what you do z

Jo said...

That is going to be a really amazing gift and I can't wait to see it all coming together x

Becky said...

What a wonderful idea and I love your list of prompts.

Melissa said...

This is going to be such a lovely Christmas project & gift! The cover if beautiful!

I've had a hard time wrapping my mind around the Christmas season arriving this year & haven't really started on anything! Although I have that lovely mini-album I made back in July to record this year's memories. And I'm very tempted by the GIS class - I'm thinking it would give me a focus for this season that seems to have snuck up on me.

Unknown said...

What a gorgeous idea, I wish you luck with it and she will indeed treasure it.

Miriam said...

What a lovely thing to do Sian. Your girl will be so thrilled. the cover looks beautiful already! Yes I am making an album again. This will be my 7th year. I just love to look back through the early Journal your Christmas prompts from Shimelle, December Daily from Ali Edwards and then of course my own ideas as the years go by. This year I am unashamedly going to ask you if I can use your list as a starter for my pages. The ideas are so different and clever and perfect for me this year. Once again I am using last years Christmas cards for my pages and this time I have written on the page who the card came from. Perhaps I should make a post about it? Sian, she of the marvellous ideas!

KraftyKaren said...

Such a lovely idea. I am undecided yet about whether to do a December album this year - I am still finishing Journal Your Christmas from last year. We are away cruising this year for Christmas so I won't really have the luggage space to take anything away with me but I am thinking of maybe making some Project Life cards and taking those so that I can just slot them into an album with photos when we get home - decisions, decisions!!

Maria Ontiveros said...

What a great idea. I decided not to do a decemeber album this year and now I'm kindof regretting it (after having taken out my albums/journals yesterday and seeing how much I loved them!).
Rinda

Unknown said...

Beautiful album Sian! I can't wait to see more :)

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