Photoshop Friday! Daily December Mini-album

This week’s Photoshop Friday is a template that you can use to create a Daily December album. This album, which features a single page for each day in December, was inspired by the fabulous Ali Edwards. She created an album here on her blog that will allow her to create a page-a-day to celebrate the month of December. It is SUCH a cool idea, and I wanted to make it really easy for those of us who are digitally inclined to join in the fun! :D 

Part 1: Download the “Daily December” Templates

This mini-album consists of one layered template in .psd format. I’ve left the design of this 8x8 page pretty simple, so you can complete it really quickly, or spend some time embellishing, either before you print with digital supplies, or after you print with traditional supplies.  

Here is what the template looks like:

Download: You can download the template by clicking on this link: Daily December Album Kit (17 MB).

Part 3: Create a Quick Album From the Kit

Download and unzip the album template. The template has rectangles for clipping in your favorite patterned papers, and is layered so you can place flourishes or other embellishments behind the frame if you like. This page template is designed to be used as a set of clipping masks for any photos or patterned papers you would like to use in it. This idea of “cutting without cutting” has become really key to my own scrapbook work lately, and I think you’ll find that it is an awesome design tool (and a time-saver!).

To use this template’s clipping masks for your photos or patterned papers:

1. Open the album template. Save off a working copy so you don’t overwrite your original.
   
2. Open and drag your patterned paper or photo onto the template.
3. Position the photo or paper in the layer just above the rectangle you’d like to clip it to.
4. Hover your mouse on the line just between the two layers, hold down Alt (your cursor will change into two circles - one filled and one empty), and click to create a clipping mask.  

Here is my sample, with a pic from last year. I am so excited to do this album this year! I think the ability to go about the month consciously, and really focus on the memories of each day, will make the entire month more special, and more memorable.

 

Supplies:

• Patterned papers: from Merry Days 3rd kit by Jen Wilson
• White patterned paper (behind journaling): Cabana White single by Katie Pertiet
• Flourish Frame: Ledger Frames No. 2 brushes and stamps by Katie Pertiet
  

You can create one for each day in December to record all your holiday happenings as they happen. What a cool record to have. Now you can extend the December holiday celebrations for the whole month! (And let’s not forget photo ops like holiday cookies, hanging ornaments, getting the tree, and so forth). Thanks to Ali for the inspiration, and have a super awesome Photoshop Phriday! :D

Comments

[Cindi]

Thank you so much for the wonderful freebie! You are so generous!

[marilyn]

thanks for sharing.

[lesliereid]

Thank you for the beautiful template. Love your layout!

[Tammy]

TY for the template!

[T-Wan]

Your page is so cute and the template is great. I will be using it to document the holiday and decorting for our first christmas in our own Home.

Thanks so much for creating it.

[Jan]

Thank you.

[monica]

this QP is wonderful!! thank you

[ms ellie]

I really love the layout and I am ssssooooooooo not computer savvy--

I am going to ask a question that may by totally stupid, but here goes.

I tried to download the file above but my computer tells me it can't find the ACT.EXE to zip the file?
What the heck does this mean?

[Priscilla]

Hi! I just discovered this from Ali's blog. I am going to jump into the digital world blindly. I'm getting ready to purchase PSE 6.0. Hope it isn't to hard to figure out! I really liked the template you posted here but had a question (saw someone else ask the same thing but wasn't sure it was answered), the numeral in the circle--can that be changed? I thought at first that it was meant to be changed to the number of the day of December, but since it's a template, I wondered if that could be changed.

[Kim]

Thank you for sharing this. I actually used it as my holiday card this year. I know everyone will be amazed. THANKS

[rachel carlson]

thank you so much jessica, what a great way to make sure that i'm creating something each day of december - WHEW! i feel so productive now. creative cheers, rachel

[Tana]

Thank you for this template, I love it and am experimenting with my first digital album just to try it out!

[Krista Lund]

thanks for the template :) i am using it for a journal i am creating. check out my blog for pages from my journal:
http://cheerfulcropper.blogspot.com/

cheers! krista

[Becky P.]

Oooh - simply beautiful. Thank you for the template! Merry Christmas.

[Beth]

Oooh, I can't tell you how perfect this is!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. And just in case you couldn't tell, I LOVE IT! ;)

TFS and take care! *B

[Jill]

Thanks for the template!

[dg]

Thank you! You are wonderful, talented and generous!!

[Carla Schenk]

Ik have tried several times to open this template, but t's impossible to open it. I really love this template and it would mean a lot to me if you would send it to me unzipped. Thanks in advance.

[Ashleigh]

Thanks for the template. I saw this idea in Simple Scrapbook magazine and I thought it was a lovely idea. I can't wait until December to start. Heck...you've made the template so easy to customize that I may just do one for November instead.

Thanks again!

[Priscilla Ware]

Thank you for this wonderful album kit page. It is just beautiful. I will enjoy using it so very much.