My Croppy Summer #17

I have not been scrapping very much this summer because I have been on vacation.  I got back and saw that I had missed a lot of challenges on the Apron Strings Blog!  I managed to squeeze at least one in today.

This is a spread that is for my girlfriends...it is actually a shared spread, started by my friend (she did the photos) and then added on by me (I added the paper...all scraps!), and then my other friend will do the title and journaling. 

This fit with the theme to use scraps, and I think that is is pretty cute. This was our girlfriend getaway to go scrapping, and before my one friend moved to Hong Kong!!!  This is also the first time that I have used my scanner and stitched two scan together...not too bad?

Inspired by a Cookie Jar Treat!

This weekend my goal was to finish up my album from last year (through July).  I had all the little bits left: some journaling here, a title there, and just a couple layouts.  Of course these are the ones that I haven't done because I wasn't inspired.

Luckily for me, I had a yummy bag of goodies from Lori at Apron Strings.  I spent a little time digging through the papers, looking for something to get me going.   I LOVE how this layout turned out.  I used Cosmo Cricket papers (really they are geared for a wedding, but I think that they worked beautifully for Rome).  I love how they all went together.  I even pulled out my old QuicKutz...which I haven't used in ages.  See, all of the stuff is worthwhile after all!

Overall this weekend was a success...scrap area cleaned, album finished, and I used some special paper from the Cookie Jar Treat.  Thanks Lori for keeping me inspired.

PS If you have been reading along (and I don't really know who is...) you might have noticed on my title page (below) for the challenge that it says Dec 2009-July 2010.  Well, that was wrong!  I am almost caught up on my scrapping, but not that caught up!  I was making the label for my album (on the spine), when I realized that I had the date wrong!  I laughed so hard, because at the time I kept confusing myself.  At any rate, I fixed the date, slid in this last layout and with the correct date on the album, I put it on the shelf.  Then, I spent some time looking at old albums (2003).  The style is very CM and simple, but you know what, I loved looking through those old memories.

Sketch Challenge

School's out!!! yeah!  My first Friday night I treated myself to scrapping time.  It felt so luxurious.  Because school ended on Wednesday (at which point I went to bed at 8:00), I could even stay up because I wasn't exhausted.

I worked on finishing things, which isn't always my strength.  I added titles and journaling here and there, and I created a title page and end page for my most recent album.  The title page was inspired by this sketch at Apron Strings.

Here is my take on this sketch (which I turned in to a 12 x 12 layout):

These are kind of random papers, but they all came together, and I like the feeling it gives for this album. The letters are "boxes4abc" at The {Stamps} of Life, a fantastic place to get incredible stamps.

Mon. Tues. Wed. Challenge

Finally, a moment to scrapbook!  Hooray!  I took on the challenge as inspiration.  These papers were definitely for a little boy, and as I don't have children, I kept passing them by.  THEN, I was waiting and waiting for the group shot from my Godson's baptism.  Wow, it all came together for a challenge at Apron Strings.  And, I made it in under the wire.  End of school just about 8 days away, so maybe there will be some time soon for scrapping. 

Here is my layout.  Busy, but fun.  I got kind of crazy with the stars, but why not???  Of course I can't find my white pen, so no journaling. 

Hodge Podge Card

This card was inspired by Gloria at Apron Strings on their blog.  I've been having a lot of fun making cards with my left over goodies and with stamps from The {Stamps} of Life.  I never thought that I would be a stamper, but it is actually a lot of fun!

Here is the original sketch:

And, here is my creation:

Hometown Challenge #5

The spread is the final step in the Hometown Challenge at Apron Strings.  I've been collecting photos along the way, and today I completed this two page spread.  Not every picture is perfect, but I love how it captures my hometown.  I never scrapbook this sort of thing, so it is exciting to have this in my album.  I didn't get to the A Week in My Life, but at least I have this finished! 

Lori, I hope that you do more challenges like this!  I loved it!

Here is my final photo, a view from my Hometown.  This is absolutly my favorite view of Seattle from Gasworks Park.  This is also where I got engaged!!!

Hometown: Assignment 4

So, I have to admit it...my favorite food is breakfast.  This is our go-to place that we can always count on.  Yummy!

Hop To It Challenge 10

I'm trying to keep up with at least one challenge each week at Apron Strings Designs.  This is for the Hop To It Challenge #10, to create a monochromatic layout, using green. In the end I just kept it super simple.  If you are a Bachelor fan, this is the same place they went on the last show  We cracked up when we saw the episode.

My Neighborhood Park

As I don't have children, I am usually at the park to work out.  This is the best park in Seattle: Greenlake Park.  There is a three mile loop around the lake and there is something for everyone.  There is a theater, a playground, crew, golf, basketball, swimming and on and on.  Here is a shot of part of the park and part of the loop trail.

Hop To It #4: Favorite Papers

This layout was inspired by Hop To It Challenge #4 at Apron Strings Blog to use some favorite paper from your stash. 

So, I have been stashing these papers for the "perfect" layout of our Spain trip last summer.  The problem is, there isn't a perfect layout!  I kept looking at these papers and not using them.  I love how they look, even though in the photo they don't look that special.  Somehow the colors and textures just remind me of Spain.  So, I finally put them to work, and they look pretty good.  I'm just glad to be doing some scrapbooking and getting past some barriers.  Thanks for the challenges!

Hometown #1

I'm coming in a little late on this one, but I want to catch up.  Here is the front of our house.  It is a gorgeous day...finally!  Love the blue sky in the background.  I went through photos and realized that I didn't have a photo of the front of our house (almost three years after moving in!).  Thank goodness for this challenge; at least now I have a few.

Hop to it #5 at Apron Strings

I'm hopping into some of the challenges on the Apron Strings blog for April.  I'll see how many I can complete.

Here is my submission for the challenge to use mostly white with a few pops of color.  This is very lightly embellished, but I think that it shows off the photos beautifully.  Somehow this just came together lickity split and I really like it!

Hometown #2: Your Grocery Store

This is my favorite grocery store.  I love everything about it! 

Apron Strings Challenge #18 Faux Stitching

This week's challenge at Apron Strings Designs is to use faux stitching.  It was perfect for the birthday card for my niece.  She turns three on Saturday.  I used some stickles to make it sparkly.  Guess who she loves...Elmo!

Ad Inspiration: Monday Challenge #16

It feels great to complete a challenge again!  I'm down to the wire, but I'm uploading this before the end of the night Sunday.

This is for a challenge at Apron Strings Designs to use an ad for inspiration.  Here is the ad:

Here is where I went with it (thanks to a Recipe from Pagemaps that came with my wonderful kit from Apron Strings Designs.  This is the best kit club ever!

This is a page from our trip to Spain this summer.  This page is about all of the wonderful people we were able to spend time with while there.   It's going to take awhile to get all of the pages scrapped, but I am at least started (and I've sorted my photos into pages that I want to scrap, so that is good.)!

Croptober-Fest: Nuts About Sketches

The best kit club around, Apron Strings Designs has started their Croptober Fest!  Yeah!  Unfortunately I will be out of town for their big crop next weekend, but I have some time now and will be trying to keep up.  The first challenge was to use a sketch from Nuts About Sketches.  It had to be done by Friday night.

Here is the sketch:

And here is my take:

This is from my DH's 40th birthday party.

Sketch Challenge (#9)

This week Apron Strings Designs posted a challenge to use a sketch to complete a layout.  Or, you could use the card sketch (or for double bonus--use both!).

I am not a card maker.  I think that I have made two or three in my life.  However, I was wanting to send my MIL a thank you for some scrapping goodies, so I was inspired.  She is a scrapper herself, so I was pretty sure that she would appreciate the effort.  In the end I was pretty happy with my design!  All from scraps, of course.

In case you are wondering, here is the original sketch:

Color Inspiration

This week at Apron Strings Designs we were challenged to use the following color scheme to create a layout.

I completed this layout of my spring break trip to LA.  It is a little busy, but I like the color combo, and how I used the orange to piece together a frame.  Then, I stitched around the border.  I love sewing on my layouts, even though my machine is so heavy!

Five on Friday: September 11

This spread was created for a challenge at Apron Strings Designs to use only five items.   This week these are the items:

• 1 sheet paper with dots or circles
• 2 sheets of cardstock
• 1 set of chipboard
• 1 frame

This is an overview of the 30 days I was on vacation this summer in Spain and Italy.  There is one small photo for every day.  This challenge was perfect for these photos so that it was not too busy.  My frame is around the date :)  I really love how it turned out.  Now I just have to scrap the rest of the photos that tell the story in detail.  Ha!

For those of you at ASD, the chipboard was a Cookie Jar Treat from a previous challenge!  Yum!

Monday Challenge #6: Grandparents Day

This layout was started for a challenge at Apron Strings Designs (Apron Strings Designs Blog).  Grandparents Day is today, September 13.  This challenge came at the perfect time, because on Tuesday (9/8) my grandmother Tricia died.  She had been ill for a long time, and it was not a surprise, but it was still very sad.  I spent my free time this week working on a page honoring both of my grandmothers, who were incredible women.  I miss them so much!

 

The journaling on the left reads: Both of my grandmothers played huge roles in my life, and I loved them greatly.  Alice Erlene (Hendrix) Schwartz was always there for me through my life.  As a child she welcomed me to share in adventures and in my difficult teen years she was a steady force and confidante.  Patricia Josephine (McHugh) Branstetter was a consistent matriarch who taught me manners and etiquette and shared with me a love for cooking, reading, the sun and nearly a birth date!  both of these women are a part of me now ans forever.  Thank you grandmothers.  09-12-2009 

On the right, the photo on the middle left I picked out because in that photo my grandmother is wearing a green checked skirt.  This was an important skirt because my grandmother made me the same and matching skirt.  Even more incredible, and important to younger me, was that she made my barbie the same skirt too!  This from a woman who was a woman's studies major in college!  Yes these women were impactful on my life.  Scrapping was a great way to remember stories and honor them both.