Out With the Old, In With the New Day 5

Housekeeping:  Someone, I think it was Deanna, asked if using the sketches was necessary.  No.  It is not.  It is a jumping off space for those who need the place to jump from.


I see a couple of layouts already linked up.  I hope to see a lot more as we move towards the end of the week.  Bexx?  :)


Today's challenge:  Combine two of your Apron Strings kits - one of your older ones and one of your newer ones.  Mix up the papers or embellies or both.  If you have a partial kit, this is a great way to reinvent it.  If you don't have Apron Strings kits, take some of your older papers and mix in a newer purchase.  Due date:  Saturday, July 9th in the evening.


A few examples from Past Kits:

• The We R Memory Keepers Show & Tell from the Smaller August '10 with either the Fancy Pants Rusted Sun or Graphic 45 Boardwalk from the Smaller July '10 kits
• The Echo Park's Sweet Summertime from the Bigger August '10 with the Jillibean Blossom Soup from the Bigger April '11 kits
• The Lily Bee Domestic Goddess from the Smaller October '10 with the Sassafras Lass Elle's Tale from the Smaller May '11 kits
• The Bella Blvd Honey I'm Home from the Bigger January '10 with the Bella Blvd Tail Waggers from the Bigger May '11 kits

I'm off to accomplish something, since that didn't go so well yesterday.  I've got play time coming up later today and I'd like to enjoy it without a list of "should haves" running through my head.

Happy Thursday.

Summer Inspiration

Thanks to the fickleness of my email service, the first of this month's guest designer projects didn't reach me until last night.  However, that doesn't deminish the adorability-factor of the fact that you can make this for next year or alter it to fit the season or holiday.

This month's guest designer is Kailyn Siebert and she played with the Bigger than a Breadbox July kit.  This banner uses the My Mind's Eye Americana papers.  Kailyn's done over her blog so you can check out the makeover and new content HERE.

"I used my Cricut Independence Day Solutions cartridge to make it the banner shapes and the blue background star.  The red star I cut from my George and Basic Shapes cartridge. I used both Glimmer Mist in Jack Frost and Mr. Huey in Calico White mists on everything, used some clear Stickles around the border.  The only thing I used outside of the kit was the ribbon to tie them all together."

This is a great, easy to do, and do many times for different seasons, project.  I can't wait to see what she brings the rest of the month!

Out With the Old, In With the New Day 4

Short and sweet today.  The older three kids are off with their aunt Adventure Golfing and Go-Karting, so it's just me, the toddler, the dog and some cooler weather.  I plan to take advantage of the time, the quiet and the cool air to get some stuff done.


Today, your challenge is short and sweet too:  Use your oldest non-summery kit with some of your newer photos.  If you don't have any Apron Strings kit, use your oldest non-summery papers, along with your newer photos.  Remember, this week's challenges are due Saturday evening.


And here's a sketch for ya. . .

Okie-dokie, off to rotate and fold some laundry (yehaw), find something for dinner and make some dessert that requires the use of the oven, since it's cool enough to do so.

Happy Wednesday!

Out With the Old, In With the New Day 3

I hope everyone in the States enjoyed your 4th of July.  We had a nice time with my in-laws having burgers and conversation.  The heat was awful, but had cooled down very nicely by the time we headed to the local fireworks show.  It was sort of a first for the 2 y.o.  He'd gone last year, but didn't really "get" it.  Sitting on the wide open soccer fields in the twilight he started to get it.  The neighborhoods surrounding the fields had plenty of pre-game warm-ups for him to watch.  Plus, just getting to run all over without anyone calling him back . . .he was in heaven.  When the real show began, we all sat on our "blanket boat" as the kids called it and watched the fireworks light up the sky.  The 2 y.o. loved it - calling out colors and ooo-ing and aahh-ing right along with the crowd.

For today's challenge I was thinking of my own stash of kits.  My many, many kits.  I have some that I have used and kept together because the leftover paper was large enough to meet my "keep it" requirement - larger than 6 x 12.  (Yes, smaller than that and I toss it.)  Yet I pass these kit remains up when I scrap.  Why?  I don't know.  I'm not opposed to using the same paper in more than one layout - my pages are not chronologically scrapped, so the possibilities of the two pages ending up together are slim, and if they were together I wouldn't care.


Today, take one of those semi-used kits from the past and combine it with some new cardstock.  Maybe a different color than was in the kit.  Add a new embellishment or two if all you have left is the paper.  If you don't have kits, combine some old scraps with some new cardstock and embellishments.  This challenge, along with the rest of this weeks challenges are due Saturday evening.


A note about the "New" portion of these challenges.  New is a relative term.  It does not mean go out to purchase what the challenge requires.  It defeats the purpose of pairing down your stash.  If your newest cardstock is two years old, great, use it with that five year old kit.

Oh, and because I seem to have provided a sketch everyday as well, here's the one for today.

Come on ladies - let me see your work!  I have prizes screaming your names.  :)

Happy Tuesday.

Out With the Old, In With the New Day 2

Happy 4th of July!  May your day be filled with good food, fun times and safe firework displays to watch.  We are under fire restrictions so if it has a fuse it's outlawed.  'Course all fireworks are always outlawed here - yep even sparklers.  We can do worms though.  But really, how patriotic is that?  A black, smoking thing - not so much.


Also, welcome to day #2 of this month's challenges - Out with the Old, In with the New.  Your challenge today, find a past kit with the following color scheme.  No kits?  Pull some of your older papers.

Seriously, you aren't surprised are you?  I know there are several past kits with this color scheme, so let's think outside the box.  Does it mean you're locked in something patriotic?  Heck no.  I see Christmas pages with this scheme - the blue twinkle of lights and ornaments, red is the color of the season and white of the snow (if you're lucky to have it).


Snow - oh so cold and crisp.  So far, far away from the current 95 degrees.  Sorry, I digress.


This color scheme is also naturally good for sports, baseball in particular. Use these colors for water skiing, sprinkler running, boating, swimming.  It's also great for highlighting those summer pie recipes, county and state fairs and local carnivals.  How will you use it?


Need a sketch?

Your layout for this is due Saturday evening July 9th for a shot and some Summer Treat Goodness.


I want to see your layouts!  So come on and play.


Happy 4th!




Need some examples of past kits that have this scheme?

• Studio Calico Countryside (Bigger June '11)
• Basic Grey Life of the Party (Smaller May '11)
• Bella Blvd Tail Waggers (Bigger May '11)
• Imaginisce Animal Crackers (Smaller March '11)
• Echo Park Little Boy (Bigger March '11)
• Echo Park Wintertime (Bigger January '11)
• Basic Grey Jovial (Bigger December '10)
• American Crafts Heat Wave (Smaller July '10)
• Jenni Bowlin Play Date (Smaller August '10)
• Pink Paislee Starlight (Smaller July '10)
• Lily Bee Hello Sunshine (Smaller May '10)
• Sassafra Lass Cherry Delicious (Smaller April '10)

Two Things. . .

When I got all off track this week with what day it was, I neglected to post Kristi's final work with the Bigger than a Breadbox June kit.  Below you'll see Kristi's layout where she combines paper from both the Pink Paislee and Studio Calico lines to create a great background for her Zoo page.  Krisit says, "Invest in a corner punch!  I bought one that does three different corners in one punch (with coupon it was around $10) and I have loved it! It makes a big difference with little effort."  You can see some of the punch on the Audubon Zoo page.  The Daydream Foam Thickers Apron Strings Pantry.

 

And her final project is using scraps for this themed album.  I love theme albums, you get to play on a smaller canvas, the pressure of selecting photos is minimal since they seldom hold more than one or two per page, experimenting with embellishments and layering is less stressful, especially if you're embellishment-challenged like I am, and you make good use of scraps.

Thanks, Kristi for all of the awesome ideas this month!

And finally. . .CHA Summer is coming up and I'm starting to see the upcoming releases, which is a good thing since my want-list from the Winter show is quickly dwindling, and oh-my-heck!  There are some gorgeous, some fun and some totally awesome stuff about to come out.  Upcoming kits for the fall/winter/holiday seasons are gonna be superific!

Out With the Old, In With the New

Welcome to the month-long challenge Out with the Old, In with the New.  This month is gonna be crazy with challenges.  Any necessary details will be given with each challenge.  One Grand Prize winner will be drawn from all those who have played along during the month.  Weekly prizes will be given, as well.  If you're not a formal "follower" of the blog, now's the time to follow, as I've been known to select a random follower, or two, or three to award a little goodie to.


Out with the Old? Out with the old, as in get out your old.  Your older stuff that is.  In with the New. . .and we're gonna mix it up with some new stuff.  By the end of the month you'll have less stacks of photos, less stacks of supplies and more completed pages.


Today's challenge:  With the July 4th weekend right here, use your oldest summer-themed Apron Strings kit (oldest summer-themed paper if you don't have Apron Strings kits) and combine it with your newest metallic embellishments.  I won't be posting challenges over the weekends, so this challenge along with all of next weeks, will be due next Saturday evening, July 9th.

And to help things come together quicker, a little sketch from Nuts About Sketches.  I like the 4x6 photos (no cropping necessary) and how much product you'll be able to use up on it.  =D

Now, go dig out your older supplies, call-up your cyber-friends (get them to follow along too. . .prizes remember =D) and let's get crankin'