In this post I'm sharing a review of some specialty papers (specifically vellum & canvas) that I use for printing digital designs for my crafting & memory keeping projects.  

I'm honored to be a brand ambassador for Ali Edwards Design Inc.  And in this post I'll be using the digital files of these super cute die cut trees that sold out like hotcakes on December Daily release day.  This set of 5 die cut trees were printed with gold foil accents on transparent plastic.  I was lucky enough to get a set to create with for my Product Play lesson (here's a sneak peek of my page idea coming on Nov. 18th) where I create the most magical wintery page with these trees.  

But I also wanted to find a way that you could recreate this foundation page using the digital version of the trees.  Hence, this blog post!  ​

In the video below I share a quick tutorial to show how I set up a page design with the digital trees using Canva.  (Don't stress, Canva is free & easy to use design software for everyone)

I share more tips & videos like this one in the Scrapbook with Canva community.   This is your invitation to come join us! 

In this next video, I share my printed page reviews. 

I printed each letter sized page on my home printer; an HP Envy Photo 7155 that I've had for a few years now.   I don't believe it's still available, but this one looks like it might be the newest version.   I have also cut down these papers and printed digital designs with my Epson PM-400 photo printer with great results! 

Once my pages were all printed, I wanted to recreate the gold foil accents that were on the plastic die cut trees.   A crafty friend of mine, Jessica, highly recommended these paint markers from Hobby Lobby and I have to totally agree with her on this.  They are fantastic! 

​

In this next video I test out the gold paint marker on my pages. 

And in this video below I share my thought on how the gold looks on each type of paper. 

And as promised here's the information for the specialty papers I used in the video. 

In the end, I chose paper No.3 to use for my next project; a handmade beaded ornament.  It's giving me all the Anthropologie vibes.  

It's easy to embellish these canvas paper trees to make them your own; just a heads up that it will take you a bit of time to string the beads.  I used metallic gold embroidery floss and a mix of tiny seed beads and sequins I had on hand in my craft supplies.  I found it relaxing and a change of page from paper crafting.   The stitches are secured on the backside with washi tape to hold the ends in place.  Then I covered the backside with a card stock pattern paper and adhered them together with this adhesive.   Once it was dry, I fussy cut out the tree shape outline.  Then punched a small hole in the top of the star, making sure it wasn't too close to the top, and attached gold embroidery thread for hanging.  ​

  

You can discover more December Daily inspiration & ideas on IG #decemberdaily or follow me here. 

It's fun to make a little bit of your own magic at Halloween. I've always loved the look of little flags & banners that can be tucked into a little gift such as a boo basket or added to your haunted holiday decor.   

These are super easy to make with the printable designs I've put together that come as a bonus in this template.  I also created a special freebie pennant set for the Teal Pumpkin Project. These would be great to stick in the "alternative" basket of treats for your trick or treaters with food sensitivities. When printing at home I like to use double sided matte photo paper because it prints the colors so vibrantly and I don't have to keep track of which side of the paper is the printable side. They both are! I was able to pick up a big bundle of black & white trims at Michaels which had a lot of variety and then shopped for the embellishments from supplies I had on hand. Digging through my stash I found some sequins and smaller paper punches. I used glitter paper to punch the stars & bats. Think about the things you might have in your stash that you could use to add some sparkly magic to your banners.  Below is my supply list & simple steps to customize your own banners.  

Supplies Needed

• printable white card stock or matte photo paper (recommended) 
• 3/16" x 12" wooden dowels
• assorted thin ribbons & trims 
• assorted sequins & embellishments 
• hot glue gun (or strong glue suitable for project)
• paper glue or foam/glue dots 
• Scissors or paper cutter 
• optional; paper punches & glitter paper

These little flags go together very quickly. And I found them so fun to make I couldn't stop at just one. These would be an easy project to make as a DIY craft activity your next  Halloween Party; for kids or adults!  

Make your own Customized Pennants with a Canva Template
These custom pennant shapes are designed to work with Canva so you can create your own designs. Drag & drop digital pattern papers or photos. Add text or digital word art. Easily recolor & resize for any project from tiny cake banners to larger pennant flags. And yes! you can even use these designs on a scrapbook page. The creative possibilities are endless.  

Canva is free to use, forever. ​

As I write this post it's what's commonly known as "December Daily Eve" as the community is filled with excitement for the 2022 December Daily Product Collection release early tomorrow morning.  Every year the product selection gets better and better, and its hard to not have FOMO if some of my favorite items sell out super quickly.  
This will be my 6th year of documenting stories during December and I've definitely learned a few things along the way.  My December albums hold some of our most treasured family memories, and my only regret is that I didn't create albums like this when my kids were little. My 2016 & 2017 albums are "almost" done, but now I can clearly see what held me back from finishing them.  My 2019, 2020 and 2021 albums are done and 100% completed in December, or early January.  And I know none of this would be possible without using Canva.  I now embrace a hybrid approach to my memory keeping leveraging all the "pretty things" while embracing digitals with easy to use technology.

I've watched and re-watched preview videos.  I've printed and highlighted the .pdf price list and I've edited and added a few times now.  You can find the entire December Daily preview post here along with videos and even more info on the AED social channels; Instagram & Facebook communities. 
With all this excitement I often get asked "what's on my must have list" so today I'm sharing my personal wish list of products I want to purchase on release day, and will also share which products I think will work really well in digital form.  So here we go!
​

The physical kit that made the top of my list this year is the Mini Kit by Paislee Press.  Here's 3 reasons why I chose it:

1. It's the only kit with chipboard and I LOVE chipboard!
2. The papers & journal cards are two-sided so you have more options and not to mention the gold foil accents are stunning!
3. A set of transparency cards with white foil are included in this kit which are great since I always struggle to get my minc mini to play well with the white foil.   

For me this kit has a great mix of physical embellishments, along with a minimal modern feel that I just love and plays well with the entire product line.  

For the past three years I've done albums in a variety of sizes: 2019 in a 3x8, 2020 in a 4x6 and 2021 in a 4x8.  Maybe...I subconsciously started with a smaller album and worked my way up, just so I could actually complete an album.   But if you're not sure you can totally commit to creating a page for every single day in December, creating a December album of stories is another way to take the pressure off.   By not using numbers on my pages I did just that and it gave me the opportunity to focus more on the photos & stories, not what happened on each day.  I could work on my pages as time permitted during December and I really enjoyed this approach. 
My album pick for 2022 is the Floral 6x8 album. (and I predict it will sell out quickly) I love that it matches the kit I picked, but it's also going to look very complementary among all the red albums on my shelf.   I think I'm finally ready to tackle this larger page size again, especially since I'm going to creating this December album with Canva & a using slightly different lens to storytelling this year.  

So in addition to my top picks above, here are a few other of my favorite physical items this year:

Edited to add a few more of my favorite things! 
If you like a to get a little crafty with DIY & Decorating for the season add these to your wish list.   Twelve Days of "Handmade Holidays" will be coming this November.

I really do love all the pretty things, but getting everything isn't always within everyone's budget.  So creating this project with a mix of physical items and digital files is a great way to go that's easier on your wallet.  And most of the items can work well in a digital format.  
Ali's main kit is always ah-maz-ing! and it's got so much in it.  I'm pretty sure you could literally do your whole album with just this one kit.   This kit also get's my top pick for digital this year because; it's very paper forward; which is great for Canva custom frames & templates, and has a great mix of embellishments that could be used digitally endless ways.   

Here are two more items that are "must haves" in digital for me; journal cards and stamps!
​
Digital Journal Cards

The 3x8 journal card & transparency set is my go to for longer digital journaling since I can edit my stories without the fear of messing up that "one & only" card. This way you always have multiples. ​ And with digital you are not limited to this page size.  They also translate well for 4x8 and 6x8 page sizes too. ​ It's also really easy to add photos on these cards in Canva before you print.  And the digital pattern designs are easy to print at home on transparency or vellum paper. 
​
Digital Stamps

Digital stamp designs are filled with possibility because you can resize & recolor them without the mess!   You can also play with the opacity to create really cool effects on your pages.  And at a fraction of the cost they are an affordable way to collect them all!

If you've made your own wish list, I'd love to hear what your top pick is from the release this year!  I invite you to share in the comments. 
​