February - Apron Strings

3.0.0
The Dish
February, 2010
I heard a statistic on the news tonight that this winter is one of the weirdest on record – 49 of the 50 states have had snow
this year. I missed which state didn’t, or hasn’t yet. So that snow paper you thought you’d never have a use for, well. . .
Unless of course you’re in the one state that hasn’t seen snow . . . yet. This is why Valentine’s Day comes in February –
this far into winter we need some love, some warmth (even if it comes from snuggling. And what’s wrong with that?) and
some nice, bright colors, because there’s just too much cold, snow and dreariness. February’s kits are filled with moodlifting color. If you’re enjoying a snow day, and chances are you are, be sure you grab your kits and some photos and
enjoy a little scrapbooking. If you’re going to be stranded and stuck inside, you might as well enjoy yourself.
What’s Cookin’
Apron Strings is five! Yep, five years ago this month, the first kits went live. In those five years there have been some
new additions, lots of fun and there are lots of great things still to come. Want to celebrate, too? Drop on by the Apron
Strings blog and enjoy the “Don’t Stash It Challenge. These challenges are aimed at reducing your stash, and earning a
chance to win some goodies for playing along. After all, what’s a party without presents? Come by and check it out, it’s
going on all month long.
Apron Strings’ Blog – www.apronstringsdesigns.blogspot.com.
With new members joining all the time it never hurts to go over the benefits of autoshipping. Did you know?
Autoship members can skip any kit, any time they need? No penalties, no restrictions? But instead of skipping
have you thought of:
Substitution? Substituting means you won’t miss a kit because one paper pack isn’t right for you because you
already have it or it isn’t your style (though sometimes stepping away from our set style can be a fun creative
adventure.) You can substitute one pack out of your upcoming kit that you can't use, for a pack from an available,
same-sized, past kit that you can use. Limited to one pack per kit and substitutions can only be made from past
kits that are the same as your autoship: i.e. Bigger than a Breadbox packs for past Bigger than a Breadbox packs.
Your other option instead of skipping - Flipping. Instead of missing out on the fun, you can flip over to the other
size kit for a given month, i.e.: your regular membership is for the Smaller kit, you can flip over to the Bigger kit
for one month. **Members who are subscribed to any given kit have first priority. Members wishing to flip their subscriptions for a
month may do so, so long as there are kits available in the AutoShip they are "flipping" to.**
If you need to try either of these options, all you need to do is email [email protected] and the rest is taken
care.
Save your money, the following lines may make an appearance in a future Apron Strings kit:
CHA was at the end of January and there are loads and loads of great lines coming out. Most start shipping in March, so
you’ll start seeing new lines in kits in April. Below is a loose list of lines that are being considered for kits over the next
several months. As catalogs roll in the list will become more definitive. As always, subject to ship dates and availability.
 My Mind’s Eye Quite Contrary
 Jillibean’s Old World Cabbage Soup, New England
Chowder, Egg Drop Soup
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Crate Paper Doll, Pink Plum, Brook
Fancy Pants My Family, About a Girl, Roadshow,
Rusted Sun
3 Bugs Great Outdoors, Little Chick, Savanah
Pink Paislee 365 Degree, Cottage Bayberry, Queen
Bee
Bella Blvd Estate, All Inclusive, Man of the House
Cosmo Cricket, Material Girl, Joy Ride
Bo Bunny, Jazmyne, Sophie, Flower Child
American Crafts Abode, Dear Lizzy
Sassafra Lass, Cherry Delicious, Apple Jack
Imaginsce, Splash Dance, Scooter’s Vacation
Webster’s Seaside Retreat
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Jenni Bowlin, Homespun
Basic Grey, Capella, Max & Whiskers, Kioshi, Green
at Heart
October Afternoon, Fly a Kite, Thrift Shop
We R Memory Keepers, 72 & Sunny, Hippity Hop,
Vintage Blue, Retro Glam
Pebbles, Twitterpated, Treehouse, May Bouquet
Upsy Daisy, Vogue, See Ya Later Alligator, Blossom
KI Memories, Paisley Parade, Posh, Groovy, Wild
Life, Sweet Life, Enchanting
AdornIt, Buggaboo
Little Yellow Bicycle, Clothesline, Snugglebug Boy
March’s Recipe Card Layouts:
Get your creative juices cooking with examples of this month’s Recipe Card, created by Becky Fleck. To see more of
Becky’s great sketches go to: www.PageMaps.com
“Chris at 4” by Vicky Kelly
“Princess Party” by Maria Swiatkowski
“Food Lover” by Amy Crockett
“The Best” by Jennifer McNeil
March’s Complete Recipes
Cut instructions and tips. Refer to examples for placement.
“Happiness” Created by Jennifer McNeil
Webster’s Pages Nature’s Storybook – Smaller than a Breadbox
1. (Left-side) Using patterned paper (#1) as a base, adhere one 4x6 photo to a ¼” mat and adhere photo to left-side
of page about 3” down from the top and 2” in from the left-side.
2. Adhere journling, using the Jenni Bowlin notebook paper, to the right of the matted photo, about 2” from the top
edge.
3. Adhere one 2x1 ½ photo to the right of the journaling block, bottom edges even.
4. Adhere one 4x6 photo under journaling and 2x1 ½ photos, left side lined up with left side of journaling block –
leave equal margins.
5. Cut a 12” length of ribbon and adhere, vertically, on the left side of the page about 3” in, over the matted photo.
6. (Right Side) Using cardstock as a base, cut a vertical 2” strip from another patterned paper (#2) and adhere to the
far right side of the page.
7. Cut a ¼” – ½” strip from another patterned paper (#3) and adhere, barely overlapping, the left edge of patterned
paper #2.
8. Cut a 6 ½ x 6” block from patterned paper #2.
9. Mat a 3x5 photo and adhere on the right side of the 6 ½ x 6” block, about ¼” from the right edge, centered toptto-bottom.
10. Optional: Add another 5x2 ½” journaling block, matted, on the right side of the layout about 2” from the top edge,
centered over the ¼” strip of patterned paper #3.
11. Next photos are adhered, overlapping, starting beneath the 6 ½ x 6” photo block layer a 4x6 photo, then a 4x3, then
another 4x6 and finally a matted 2 x 1 ½ .
“Polyphemus Moth” by Amy Crockett
Basic Grey Sugar Rush – Bigger than a Breadbox
1. Cut a 1 ½” x 12”piece of patterned paper and adhere about ¼” away from the right side edge of the background
cardstock sheet.
2. Cut a 1” x 12” piece of patterned paper and adhere parallel and about ¼” away from the first piece of patterned
paper.
3. Cut a 5 ½” x 12” piece of patterned paper. Cut out a 4 ¾” circle off the right side edge near the center of the
patterned paper.
4. Adhere the 5 ½” x 12” strip about ½” away from the left side edge of the background cardstock sheet. Flip the
circle and layer it above and to the right of the cut out area of the 5 ½” x 12” patterned paper.
5. Adhere the 4 ½ x 5 photo at the bottom of the layout and slightly to the right of center.
6. Adhere one 3 ½ x 5 ½ photo above and slightly to the right, overlapping the first photograph.
7. Adhere the second 3 ½ x 5 ½ photo to the left and slight higher and overlapping the first 3 ½ x 5 ½ photo.
8. Place the title in the circle shape above the photos and journal in the negative circle cut out of the 5 ½ x 12 piece
of patterned paper.
“A Date With Dad” by Vicky Kelly
Pink Paislee – Smaller than a Breadbox
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Using cardstock as a base, adhere a 7 x 5” photo about 2” down from the top and 1 ½” in from the left side.
Cut floral paper to 4 ¾ x 2 ¼” and adhere right next to photo on the right side.
Embellish a few flowers by adding a pearl or crystal to the center of the flowers on the paper.
Cut green paper (reverse side) to 4 ¾ x ½” and adhere right next to the photo on the left side.
Cut polka dot paper to 1 x 9 ½” and adhere beneath photo.
Cut red paisley paper to 3 ½ x 9 ½” and adhere beneath polka dot paper
Used the punchout for the title and adhered beneath the photo, edges lined up on the right side. Depending on
punchout, can be embellished with ribbon, flower and some pearls.
8. Title was created with diecuts.
“Little Pets, Big Love” by Maria Swiatkowski
Basic Grey Sugar Rush – Bigger than a Breadbox
Photo sizes: 5x7, 3x2, 2x2
 Use Ocean cardstock as a base
 Cut a 10”x 9” piece from the Fireball paper
 Punch a scalloped border from the Orange Slice paper
 Adhere scalloped border to the Fireball paper
 Adhere papers to cardstock (optional: add machine, hand or fake stitching at seam of papers)
 Adhere 5x7 photo on 3 sides, leaving one side open for the journaling tag
 Add Maya Road trim
 Add small photos
 Add green rhinestones (from MME kit) in-between scallops
 Add half of the title to the orange Creative Imaginations tag and half to the bottom of the 5x7 photo
 Add glitter (loose or glue) to the Maya Road chipboard heart, adhere to top of cardstock
“Princess Love” by Maria Swiatkowski
Basic Grey Sugar Rush – Bigger than a Breadbox
Photo size: 5x7
1. Use Ocean cardstock as a base
2. Cut an 8 ¼ by 8 ¾ piece of the Runts paper
3. Punch approximately 22-25 one inch circles from various kit papers
4. Glue them to create a scalloped border on the bottom of the Runts paper; trim the edges
5. Adhere a piece of the blue corduroy ribbon to the Runts paper, covering the seam between the circles and the paper;
tuck the edges of the ribbon underneath
6. Glue to the cardstock
7. Add photo, title (instructions below), circles and buttons to page, cluster your embellishments so they don’t look “lost”
on the page
8. Add the Maya Road Chipboard heart to the page (I covered mine with ink and Martha Stewart Microbeads)
9. Journal around the edge of the patterned paper
TIP: To make the chipboard letters:
Take a scrap piece of the patterned paper that is lightest in color (green or orange). Glue it to a spare piece of recycled
chipboard. Using a red ink, swipe the ink pad over the paper, getting a decent amount of coverage. Die cut the letters (I
used Hippie Chick from Cuttlebug, any steel rule die that cuts chipboard would work). Spray the letters with Red Velvet
Glimmer Mist (available in the “Pantry”). Let dry and glue to your page.
All Year Cheer Card Kit
Laura Williams,
Our January Sous Chef,
has created TEN! cards this month. You’ll get complete color instructions with
your February kit. You can see two of Laura’s creations below. To see and make all of Laura’s creations get your
February All Year Cheer Card Kit.
Smaller than a Breadbox
Created by Jennifer McNeil
Tips:
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Ok my #1 tip is: I love taking pictures and sometimes find it hard to pick which ones to add on. So what I do is
pick my very favorite, do a layout and then try and find spots that a picture can be squeezed in at an angle or cut
down to put on top of another in a blank corner. I admire those scrappers who can pick a perfect picture, but for
me and I assume many others one picture just isn't enough to share the memories of an event. So have fun
slanting, cutting and collage-ing pictures together to get more of that event on the page. I fit a small picture with
the blue polka dot mat in the corner of the Complete Recipe layout where there was a little empty space.
Created by Vicky Kelly
Tips
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“Summer Days”: I cut out a couple of the butterflies from one sheet of paper and on one butterfly added some
Stickles to give it some pizzazz
“ Date with Dad”: The self adhesive pearls and crystals are perfect to use as centers on the flowers on the floral
paper,
To adhere the ribbon flower to paper or other project, use a glue dot or sew it on.
To handle the very small round bling embellishments use tweezers to get perfect placement with ease.
Bigger Than a Breadbox
Created by Maria Swiatkowski
TIPS:
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Don’t be afraid to mix and match upper and lowercase letters in a title. The Basic Grey cardstock letter stickers
are perfect for longer titles. You can also easily ink them to change their color. I prefer using a dye ink, it dries
quickly.
Combine kit elements – the letter stickers were used in both kits (inked brown for the “One Week” layout) as were
the green gems. I also flipped the MME paper and used the Kraft backside for the “a girl and her Cinderella
dress” layout. The Prima Pebbles were used on the Basic Grey papers for the center of the accordion flowers.
Smear glitter glue (Stickles) with your finger for a glossy and glittery effect on paper and embellishments.
(“Pretty as a Princess” layout)
Raid your stash, and your previous kits, for coordinating items. The Glitter Lax Thickers on the “Pretty as a
Princess” layout were from a previous kit as was the Maya Road chipboard house on the “Welcome Home” card.
The letter stickers on the “Home” card were from the Apron Strings Pantry.
Created by Amy Crockett
Tips:
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Naked chipboard is so versatile. You can cover it with paper, paint it, stamp on it, or even just leave it plain.
Cut apart rhinestone accents to use the individual pieces as flower centers like I did in the Food Lover layout. I
also cut very thin strips of paper to make the stems for the flowers.
Outline letter stickers with pens or markers to help them stand out against the background and give them some
added dimension.
Table Scraps
Don’t forget that scraps make quick cards, tags, accents or altered items in just a few minutes. So before you clear off
your workspace, take a second and use your scraps before you toss them.
Created by Amy Crockett
Created by Jennifer McNeil
Created by Maria Swiatkowski
Created by Vicky Kelly
Sneak a Taste of Next Month’s Kits
March Bigger than a Breadbox features:
American Crafts Blue Skies (double-sided) & Fancy Pants Rough and Tumble (double-sided)
March Smaller than a Breadbox features:
Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety (double-sided), Piggy Tales 5 Little Ducks (double-sided) & KI Memories Daydream
Member Info
Email: [email protected]
Web Address: www.apronstringsdesigns.com
Yahoo Group: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/apronstrings
Billing Date: 9th of every month
Ship Date: 12th of every month
Opt-Out/Cancel Date: By the 8th of every month
Flip or Substitute Date: email by the 8th of every month
Additional Items ordered by: 8th of each month for inclusion with current kit shipment