Catching Up

Every once in a while, okay it's, unfortunately, more often than that, but I'm sticking with every once in a while, a week goes flying by and I really don't know where it went or what I did. Such was my week last week. I thought it was Wednesday on Thursday, thus loosing an entire day on top of the week rushing along. This phenomenon was, I'm sure, due to the fact that my kids started school and getting used to a new schedule coming off summer can be, and is, nuts. During times like that I just keep paddling along, hoping my feet will eventually brush up against solid ground. Luckily, they did today -- brushed up against something fairly solid, so my toes dug in. I started back on my cleaning routine, the baby cooperated by following the same routine he has been in since last week, and I'm working on finding a moment or two in the day for me - even if that moment is only 15 minutes long, I'M GOING TO FIND IT! There was one challenge that will finish up today -- thank you Jennifer for the wonderful inspiration, and there is a 5 on Friday winner to select. I tossed the entrants into Random.org which picked lucky number 1, who is Bessie! Bessie, you know the drill -- you'll get a tasty treat in your next shipment. Look for this week's 5 on Friday and create your layout for a chance to win. In the meantime you can see the layout Bessie created from last week's 5 on Friday Challenge.

On another note, Missy had a question about Apron Strings' Yahoo Group, which serves as our chit-chat place, but has its fair share of challenges and contests. Missy you can find the Group here. Some exciting news -- Apron Strings will have a blurb in Scrap 'n Art e-Magazine's Kit Review. Scrap 'n Art magazine is online by subscription, but subs are only $10 A YEAR! Their magazine, besides just scrapbooking, offers info on paper crafting, tutorials, product demos, sketches, tips and more. Plus there's a whole slew of subscriber exclusive places to wander around in. Ooh, and that $10 will also get you access to available past issues. It's hard to find a deal like that these days. Is my excitement showing? LOL, well, I am very excited to be included in their review.

Let's see what else -- oh, a large portion of October's kits are here and OOOHHH MY GOODNESS, they are just too cute. I love the Halloween and Fall lines that came out and had a really hard time choosing. Luckily, I have November to let the overflow spill into :). I'm so looking forward to the upcoming kits, September's turned out fabulous and October's makes my fingers itch, so much so that I may need to show some super sneaks. We'll see if I can hold out.

Okay, well I think that's enough rambling for one night. Turn in your "Jennifer" challenge and look for this week's challenge AND 5 on Friday.

Monday Challenge #5 - Sketches

Hello everyone, hope you had a wonderful weekend. Maybe some relaxing and scrapbooking involved...isn't that the perfect weekend for us? For some, this was the first week of school for kiddos, for others we still have one more week left before they go back to school. Whichever is the case, I'm sure that we have or will have many pictures to get scrapping. That brings me to our next challenge. I'm sure that a lot of us love sketches, so this week I'm bringing you a LO sketch and a card sketch from the very talented Valerie Salmon. Feel free to use these sketches as inspiration, and load your LO or card to our yahoo group or link it here on or before Sunday evening for a chance to win a fat-free cookie jar treat.

TOU: Valerie Salmon's sketches are for personal use only and not for the purpose of publication submissions, contest entries, design team projects, and design templates. For more amazing sketches from Valerie feel free to go here.

So, here are my takes on both sketches. Can't wait to see what you create.

Now, on to our winner for challenge #4: Linda, thank you for playing along with us. Great card with the color inspiration from this challenge.

Hope you all have a wonderful week and until next Monday.

Bessie

5 on Friday

Well, first week of school is behind me. Only 12 more weeks until Christmas Break -- not that I'm counting. ;) It's been a crazy week of shoving kids out of bed, pulling them downstairs to get their things together and beg them to eat and while I make lunches. Followed later in the day by homework pleas that will ring all year round "Please, just do your work!" (This will eventually be followed with threats of restricted privileges, which has some degree of success.) With all the pushing and pulling, I'm about ready for something easy. Bring on this week's 5 on Friday challenge! Grab these five items:

• 1 sheet patterned paper with swirls
• 1 sheet patterned paper with stripes
• 1 sheet cardstock
• 1 alphabet set
• 1 length of ribbon

Outside of any journaling, use only the ingredients listed above and have your layout linked in the comment section of this post by Saturday evening. Remember, you can be creative with the items you do have to use -- ripped, rolled, torn, paper blossoms, etc. -- but you can only use these items.

Molly resolved her technical issues from last week and was finally able to share with us her 5 on Friday layout. Nice work Molly!

Blog Party Challenge #6

Our challenge today comes from Awesome Chef Jennifer Halleck. She thinks, and I agree, that we should create a layout about where "we (yes, I mean we as scrappers!) are right now in our life, right before the back to school stuff. Or how about a summary of summer layout? Don't you love my alliteration (isn't that what it's called?)" Don't ask me, Jennifer, I'm fairly brain dead these days and getting the kids back to school hasn't helped. I think I just created the basis for my layout, LOL. How about you? What's your layout look like, since it's about right now. Create it and post a link in the comment section of this post by Monday, August 31st to be eligible for a Cookie Jar Treat. Thanks Jennifer.

Monday Challenge #4 - Color Inspiration

Happy Monday, ladies! Hope your weekend was great. I know that some of you have kids going back to schoool, which I'm sure is bittersweet. So, lets do what we do best...record those memories.

This week challenge we turn to color for a bit of inspiration. So, make a LO or card with this color combo and link your post her or at the yahoo group by Sunday night to be eligible for a cookie jar treat.

Subscribers of Apron Strings think of June '09 STB Fancy Pants Delight, June '09 BTB Lily Bee French Couture, May '09 Cosmo Cricket Lil' Man & Crate Lillian, March '09 STB Scenic Route Sonoma, August '09 STB Basic Grey Lemonade & Prima Mommy & Me, August '09 BTB Basic Grey June Bug among many others. Not a member? Not a problem, you can still play along using your stash.

This is what I created for this week's challenge:

Now, on to last week's winner: Michelle, thank you for playing along with us once again. Isn't that LO so adorable and look at that perfect hand stitch border. Awesome!

Can't wait to see what you create. Until next Monday!

Bessie

Winners and School

First things first -- the winner from the Blog Party Challenge #4 (Crop Green) is Charlene. Charlene send me an email with your shipping information and I'll drop some "Cookies" in the mail to you. We had participants in the 5 on Friday, but one didn't share -- Bessie :) -- and one had technical trouble -- Molly I still want to see your creation when you're all fixed up. We start back to school tomorrow and I'm half looking forward to it and half not. It'll be nice to get back into a predictable, if crazy, schedule. But with the kids gone, the distraction for Matthew is also gone. Here's to hoping I'll re-learn how to get things done with a baby in the house. I had all summer to forget. It should be a hectic start, trying to rouse bodies out of bed and get them moving. Snapping the requisite first day photos and hustling out to make first bell. Luckily, we have two half days to get a rolling start, so there won't be lunches to have to deal with, but the time will come. Hopefully as school schedules pick up for most of us, you still manage to find time to make for yourself and, perhaps, a page or two. Look for Blog Party Challenges to continue through the end of the month.

Blog Party Challenge #5

From our fantastic Sous Chef Amy Duff, comes a card sketch -- her very own, just for us.

The challenge? Use the sketch, of course. The sketch is for a card, which can be made of your scraps (so you can clear a spot for the next challenge) or new goodies you may have. If you're of a scrapbook layout frame of mind, use the sketch as the basis for your layout.

Link up your work in the comment section of this post by Wednesday, August 26th to be eligible for a Cookie Jar Treat drawing. Bonus - Do both, a card and a layout, and get your name in the "hat" twice for the Cookie Jar Treat drawing.

A big thanks to Amy for her sketch and so let's see what she's inspired in you!