On the table...

I'm the kind of cook who cleans as they cook, so that when dinner over all that needs to be cleaned is what was on the table. I remember hating when I had to clean up after my roommates in college before being able to cook anything! I'm the same with my scrap area, so this weeks challenge was really a challenge...

Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #21: Use whatever's out and on your scrapbook table/space on your layout. I had to make due with what lives on my table (as shown here), which is cardstock and embellishments. This is what I came up with:

I sanded some Core'dination pre-embossed cardstock for the background and the bow. Other cardstock from Discount Cardstock; Cosmo Cricket Ready Set Chip; Fancy Pants buttons; Making Memories flower layers; unknown floss.

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Snow in Venice

Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #19: create a layout using multiple photos - more than six and none more than 4x6 in size.

Echo Park - Wintertime - craft kit; DCWV Stitch In Time Alphabet Rub-Ons; Sakura Glaze Pen; GlueArts High Tac cartridge for Glue Glider Pro; unknown rhinestones, brads and cardstock.

Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #20: Create a whimsical layout and don't spend more than 60 minutes on your layout. I think snowflakes, swirls and pearls are very whimsical - and I was saving that snowman for these pictures:

Echo Park - Wintertime - craft kit; Prima pearls; Sakura Gelly Roll pen; GlueArts adhesive (High Tac and U-CutIt foam).


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It's Party Time!

It's Party Time Tuesday challenge time! And as it's the last Tuesday of the month, the theme for this week is Anything Goes! Pattie of Twosday's Techniques is showing us how to make some really cool flowers and we have a great digi sponsor, Chi Chi Memories! I got to play with the Birthday Boy stamp set:

I paper pieced the cake by printing the stamp on scraps of cardstock, then colored with Sakura gel pens and added buttons and Robin's Nest Dew Drops. Background paper is Echo Park - Little boy. I made the flower pin following Pattie's technique, but I used a star punch:

Here is what it looked like before soaking in water:

Now a closeup after shaping:

I hope you can join the Party this week!

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Palazzo Ducale

Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #18: use something "regifted" on your scrapbook page. I was visiting my Mom last weekend and she gave me some buttons she saved from clothes she gave away, some are in the LO below. I would consider this recycled AND gifted :)

Doodlebug Design paper, DMC black floss, Karen Foster Crazy Coil brads, Scenic Route alphas, Creative Imaginations journaling sticker. I couldn't believe I ran out of "z" - but the upside-down 2 worked as a sub.

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St Mark's Square

More layouts from our first day in Venice. The boys had so much fun just playing around St. Mark's Square!

Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #16: add your scrapbook version of balloons by incorporating round items; at least two pieces must be larger than 3 inches.

I used Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker - My Friend Birdie - for the background and the circles were cut with a Coluzzle template from My Mind's Eye - Fine and Dandy and American Crafts - Tree House. Nikki Sivils corduroy brads, SRM stickers, K&Co. black cardstock, unknown mini brads and solid blue paper. Jewel brads from Eyelet Outlet & Brads.

Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #17: incorporate a box, or block, on your layout.

Sassafras Lass Papers - Jungle Bungle and Life is Beautiful, American Craft cardstock, Cosmo Cricket alphas, brads from Eyelet Outlet & Brads. I still can't believe this LO came together in less than an hour - and most of the time I spent lining up those scallop circles...

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Feeding pidgeons

Apron Strings birthday party day #15: create a layout using at least three different patterned papers. I used two from Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker - My Friend Birdie - and one from Little Yellow Bicycle - Pack Your Bags.

American Craft cardstock, Sassafras chipboard letters, Nikki Sivils corduroy brads, Pentel pen and unknown hemp.

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No pictures?

Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #14: do something new to you on your layout. I decided to go far outside of my comfort zone and make a scrapbook page without photos. I've made mini books without photos before, but they were all gifts and I knew the pages would have photos later. This time I wanted more of a cover page, where I could have a pocket for all the journaling I did during the trip (as I left my travel journal at home). I think this is also the first time I have so much journaling in one page, not that you can see it....

Little Yellow Bicycle - Pack Your Bags - paper, Jolee's Boutique title, jewel brads from Eyelet Outlet & Brads. I marked the towns we visited with Queen&Co. rhinestones. The map is from Rick Steves' Italy 2010, which I do not recommend if you are traveling with small kids. The guides we ended up using were: Frommer's Northern Italy with Your Family and Open Road's Italy With Kids.

I also wrote a post on my other blog last year about traveling with toddlers, in case you are interested.

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Time for another Party!

It's time for another Party Time Tuesday challenge! The theme for this week is monochromatic and Lisa Tedder of Twosday's Techniques is showing us how to "cut it up" for interesting backgrounds. We also have a great digi sponsor, Stitchy Bear Stamps! Here is what I came up with:

I dug into my scrap bag and found some coordinating yellow papers to print the digi and layer for the background. I paper pieced the umbrella then cut up the Sassafras - Sweet Marmalade - paper following Lisa's video tutorial. Other papers: Cosmo Cricket - Garden Variety, My Mind's Eye - Fine and Dandy, MME - Bloom and Grow. Core'dinations cardstock, Offray ribbon, SRM sticker sentiment (on the ribbon).

I hope you can join the Party this week!

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Up to the challenge...

When I was scrapping the Sketchy Thursdays sketch last week I was wishing Lori would add it to her weekly challenges...Then Lori sprang this one on me this Friday: Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #13 - use the 3.10 sketch from Sketchy Thursdays on at least two layouts. So I got it, in double! LOL!!! I'll be more careful on what I wish for next time...

The following layouts are from our trip to Venice last year:

American Craft cardstock (yellow and orange), Core'dinations whitewash cardstock, Sassafras paper, Prima flowers, Making Memories brads, Bo Bunny alphas and border stickers, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type, K&Co. chipboard elements, Studio Calico rub-ons, Jolee by You 3D stickers, unknown buttons. I used the receipt from the hotel as my journaling, along with the cards from some of the restaurants we dined at.

American Craft red cardstock, Bazzill Dotted Swiss cardstock,  Echo Park - Little boy - paper, Bo Bunny alphas and element stickers, K&Co. chipboard elements, American Craft Thickers, Martha Stewart (EK Success) bright large gemstone stickers, Pilot white pen. The circle at the top is the outline of the Sassafrass journaling tag I used on last week's LO.

And here is the sketch, in case you haven't seen it before. As you can see, for each of my 3 LOs I took different aspects of the sketch...

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Knights are brave

Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #12: "candles" - use at least four 1-2" strips of paper. I cut the Boardwalk paper into strips and "reassembled" it for lots of "candles".

October Afternoon - Seaside - papers and alphabet sticker from an Apron Strings blue-plate special. Also from the kit: American Crafts cardstock and Jillibean Polka Dot Canvas Flowers. Other: American Craft Thickers, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type, Jenni Bowlin Tiny Circle Alphabet/Numbers, Sassafras Lass In Stitch Blooms, Sakura gel pen.

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Medieval Fair

Apron Strings Birthday Party Day #11: create a layout using 6 or more photos - the more the merrier, right?

LillyBee - Catching Fall - papers and stickers, Bazzill black cardstock, American Crafts Pewter Brads, DMC black floss, Sakura Gelly Roll pen. The rest I got at the fair :)

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Reading Inheritance

I haven't read many fantasy novels, even though I enjoy imagining that kind of world. Some of my favorites I read in my teens: Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride and Mists of Avalon. Later I read The Forest House (The Mists of Avalon: Prequel), and Lady of Avalon (Avalon, Book 3) as I love series.

However, on one of my flights last year I watched a bit of the movie Eragon, so I decided to get the book. Even though it was no Lord of the Rings, I enjoyed reading it. Once I realized this was just the first book, I had to buy Eldest and Brisingr. Only yesterday, at the end of the third book did I realize there is still one book missing... I hate when that happens! I would rather read a series once all books are published... Now can he hurry up and publish the final book?


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Come join the Party!

This is a fun month at Party Time Tuesday, we have some great tutorials by Twosday's Techniques and one lucky person that parties with us all month will win a 6 month membership to the site! And make sure you submit this week's entry by tomorrow to be eligible for the $45 gift certificate to CSN Stores.

This week the Party Planners are making Easel cards - one of my personal favorites! Pattie from TT has a great tutorial to share with us. But that is not all... Stacy has another great sketch for us this month and we have TWO sponsors!!! Circle B Enterprises Scrapbooking & More Store gave me enough Jolee by You flower embellishments to fill a garden and the adorable Lady Baby Bug digi stamp came from Baby Bud Designs.

I printed the stamp on a DCWV cardstock sheet, then cut it out and colored with Sakura Gelly Roll pens. Bazzill white cardstock; Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type; Sassafras Lass glitter alphas; Martha Stewart (EK Success) bright large gemstone stickers. Paper stitching using We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy Stitch Piercer using the scallop head and their red floss. The shamrocks are actually a Sassafras Lass - Sweet Marmalade - paper that I colored green with a marker. Did I fool you?

I hope you can join the Party!

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Ready for Taxes?

Apron Strings Birthday Party #10: use Kristi's layout as your inspiration. I loved her page and I lifted the "sketch", the blue/green color combo, and the paper with stars when scrapping pictures of my youngest figuring out his taxes last year.

I used Jillibean Soup - Monster Stew - papers and journaling sprouts; Core'dinations - Black Magic - Cardstock (scored and sanded); Doodlebug Design - Hopscotch - alphas.

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Friends

Last layout for our trip to England, and to finish off "Vacation - book 2". For the Apron Strings Birthday Party day #8: incorporate swirls on your page. I used my quilling tool to make the paper swirls.

Crate Paper - Snow Day - papers, cardstock stickers and chipboard elements; American Craft cardstock; Maya Road envelope; Thickers; Cosmo Cricket chipboard alphabet. On a side note, this LO was a pain to photograph for some reason... the only way I got a good picture (i.e. not gray) was in full sunlight!


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Bluebell Railway

Here is another layout from our trip to England - Our ride on the Bluebell Railway. While I was putting this together I realized I haven't added a brochure/map to a LO in a long while...

October Afternoon - Campfire - papers; Bazzill kraft cardstock; K&Co. black cardstock; Sassafras cardstock journaling sticker; BasicGray Sparkling Rubs. Train brads from Eyelet Outlet & Brads. Brochures and tickets courtesy of Bluebell Railway.

This layout followed the Apron Strings Birthday challenge #9: add a bit of chaos to your page by putting something on an angle (rub-ons and tickets), and was based on sketch 3.10 by Sketchy Thursdays:

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Vol 4, #6