Project December 2012...6 x 6 pocket pages

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I enjoyed 2 great feasts with my family and had a great time watching lots of movies and just relaxing.  

All this week I'll be sharing the last of my Project December creations that I've pre-made to go into my December pages.  Today I'm sharing a 6 x 12 page protector that has (2) 6 x 6 pockets to hold receipts, tags, snippets of gift wrap, etc.  

Let me show you how I created this insert.  For product picks I'm using some October Afternoon and Studio Calico papers.  I've also selected a few Washi tapes + some stitched, grid vellum pieces from my Stitched in Red Kits.  

For my page protector I'm using a 12 x 12 protector that has (4) 6 x 6 sections.  This will be trimmed down for the final insert that will only have (2) 6 x 6 pockets.  To start, I trimmed down 2 pieces of patterned paper to 6 x8.  I scored the papers at 2"then folded the 2" flaps down.  These will become pocket flaps.

I used one of the grid vellum pieces and trimmed it in half. I typed my wording using my vintage typewriter.  I use a scrap piece of paper + strips of Washi tape to secure down small pieces of paper that I want to type on.  The Washi tape pulls up easily without tearing my finished product.

Next I stitched my typed pieces to pieces of 2 x 6 October Afternoon patterned paper.  I added some of my vintage sequins for a little holiday flair.

Each of these 2 x 6 pieces were added to the 2" flaps I created earlier.  I added festive paper clips to keep the flaps flat.

A red clip to match the red sequin and a green clip to match the green sequin.

Next it was time to trim down the 12 x 12 page protector.  I like my smaller than 12 x 12 inserts to have a defining line that sets it apart from the main 12 x 12 Project Life pages.  Creating a long strip of contrasting pattern is a great way to create a visual divider.  I've been doing this a lot and you'll see me use this technique in my regular Project Life pages when I blog those.

To create this strip I used some adhesive backed fabric strips from Studio Calico. I cut a 1" x 12" strip using my paper trimmer.  I then trimmed my page protector 1/2" wider just to the right of where my 6 x 6 pockets will be.  I then folded the 1" strip around the 1"x piece of page protector.

The wood grain fabric strip will show on the front of this pocket page and the back.  I used 2 lines of stitching in my signature red thread that I'm using throughout my holiday pages this year.  This creates a nice, sturdy edge to my 6 x 12 pocket page insert.

Here is the finished pocket page from the front view.  This will come to life when I fill it with receipts, tags and such.  The page protectors are an interactive part of becoming the pocket with flaps.  Nice and sturdy but totally see through.  And I think the fun part will be in years to come when we can open the flaps and take a peek inside.   I especially think the kiddos will enjoy this part of my albums.  I might even throw in a sprinkling of snow confetti mix too.

Tip:  Make a mental note to save lots of receipts, tags, wrapping paper, clothes tags, gift sacks, ads, magazine cover, etc for your December Daily.  I'm keeping a sturdy plastic envelope in my kitchen to collect the items and an in/out try on my work table for a daily deposit of papery goodness.  When it comes time to work on a page, I can sort through the items and pick & choose some pieces to use.  I think how cool it would have been to have the price tag for my beloved Hee Haw overalls I received as a kid!  Yes, we were as country as it gets, people. 

Here's the back side of the pocket page.  The patterns you see are the back, or "B", sides of the patterned papers used to create the pockets.  No need to add more papers and bulk to the pockets.  I'll most likely add some photos here.  Perhaps a photo collage created with the Diptic phone app.  Or this might be a great place to add a longer story for the page this page will butt up to.  Or if I want to make it really easy I can print a 6 x6 photo with some Phonto app journaling.  I'll add a little tag under the paper clips to make good use of those.  

This was a fun one!  I hope you enjoy.  I'm off to dust and put away all the Fall decor so that I can start decorating for the holidays.  I have a fun Winter fireplace transformation that I'll be sharing soon that was inspired by a recent junkin' trip.  Stay tuned....