112413 CKC November Challenge #2

Challenge #2 over at Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog this month is to change the color on something.  Paint, heat emboss, color,  glitter...sky's the limit! I decided to use the bold b/w #56 I had subbed into my kit for the Jenni Bowlin #31...

...to make a layout about my birthday last month!
I changed up the color of the b/w letters with a yellow Pitt pen,

and added some turquoise enamel dots to accent & marry
them to the cute owl paper behind my photos.

Happy Birthday to me!

112413 CKC November Challenge #1 Blog Hop

Once again we are hop-hop-hopping along peeking in on the varied results to a stimulating challenge project this month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge! Follow the links at the bottom of my post & don't miss one bit of the creative genius represented there.

The challenge this month was to make a mini-book sharing what you are thankful for. Of course here in the USA November is our celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday. Thankfulness, however, can be found anywhere & everywhere - it doesn't depend on the circumstances that you find yourself in or your bank balance, a good hair day or the sun shining, delicious food or great company...

For me, I had an especially precious time back in September when our entire family piled into a
12-passenger van & drove 1,500 miles round trip in 4 days to introduce the grandbabies to their great-grandparents!

Let's start with this wonderful 7Gypsies Naked Gypsy Wire-O album.

(Loved their tag - very inspiring)

Okay so I grabbed a whole bunch of goodies out of my kit & printed off some 2x3s from our trip.

 I had this long strip of really thick transparency with this leaf image so I fussy-cut it
& punched a few holes, then slit them so I could insert it into the wire binding of my book.
I put another of a bird in with the pages from the japanese garden. I love how transparency inserts look in minis!

Let's have a look!

 (Closure detail - there is a small button on the inside)

(I wrote a haiku... :~)

Don't you just LOVE having your kit to make the work easy?

CKCB  http://www.counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/

Jemma http://just-jimjams.blogspot.co.uk

Valerie http://myrainbowcoalition.blogspot.com/

Dawn http://www.dawnsscrapbookcottage.blogspot.com

Cindy http://www.cindyscreations-cinmfoster.blogspot.com/

Angela http://colestoucan.blogspot.co.uk

Leslie http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com You are here...

Tricia http://triciasimmons.blogspot.com ...now go here!

Milissa http://millermall.blogspot.com

Milica http://milicaradulovic55.blogspot.com

Lisa H http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com

111613 CKC November Challenge #3

Our monthly challenge assignments are one of the delights of the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog . A series of ready-made prompts ensure that we are using up all of those goodies in our kits & hopefully inspiring those who are following along. The third challenge this month is a "Little Bits Card Challenge": Use little bits (buttons, paper bits, brads...) to liven up a card!

Well, I am normally not a card maker, but timing is everything! Laying on my scrap desk was a little piece of goodness designated for a VERY late birthday card for my kindred spirit in Texas.

When she was here for a visit we spent some lovely scrappy time together in my happy scrappy place. She raided my scrap drawer & used my punch hoard to make a lot of goodies to sneak into her suitcase. I found the two hearts on the floor after she left...awwwww... sniff, sniff  :~(

Put together with this adorable hedgehog image I knew they would make the sweetest card,
so I grabbed my kit & went to town! So many bits & bobs to choose from...

And here's the final product - I hope I have sent it her way by the time this posts!

111413 CKC Mystery Partner Swap Hop!

Over here at Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog they certainly keep the Design Team stretching! 

 One of the many nice things about this team is that not only do we get to know each other through our pages & projects 

but also through a weekly QOW (Question Of the Week) email. It really makes the Team a little community - lovely 

for those of us without the blessing of a real life scrapbook family for support & to bond with.

This month we had a brilliant little insider challenge courtesy of our own QOW captain, Lisa H.

We each filled out a questionnaire all about our scrapbook style. This was harder than you might think!

She then gave us each someone anonymously to make a COUNTERFEIT page using their style.

Smack-my-forehead brilliant! Forgers counterfeiting each other? Genius...

First we had to make a layout in our own style, according to our questionnaire answers.

 Who was this woman that answered mine? I hardly recognized her but plunged forward.

I decided to set a few ground rules for myself. I would use my kit for both, 

use the same photo & title, and would start with a sketch as per my partner's profile...

 

I used the ScrapHappy October sketch but rotated to the right & flipped 

for mine, and rotated once to the left for my mystery partner.

Mine: Single photo, colourful patterned paper background, feminine, diagonal elements, clean edges

Hers: Multi-photo, colourful cardstock background, masculine, elements in a visual triangle, clean & simple, distressed/inked edges

The final part of the challenge is to guess WHO your are counterfeiting & I am certain 

that I have been given JEMMA! I am not so certain however that she would have made this page. 

It is intriguing to realize that our own personality & style comes through no matter how we are directed.

Now hop on!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge:http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com 

Angela:  http://colestoucan.blogspot.co.uk/

Bethany: http://inspiredscrapper-bethany.blogspot.com/

Dawn:  http://dawnsscrapbookcottage.blogspot.com

Jemma:  http://just-jimjams.blogspot.com/

Julene:  http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com.au

Lesley G.:  http://ohblogitifyoucantbeatthem.blogspot.co.uk

Leslie:  http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com  YOU ARE HERE!

Lynnette:  http://sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com/   GO HERE!!!

Millisa:  http://millermall.blogspot.com/

Stephanie:  http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.ca

Lisa H.:  http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com/

110913 Date Day Saturday

This week our weather has been gloomy, cool & windy.

 

We turned the clocks back last weekend so this has been a week of transition.

All week long, though, I have been looking forward to the Deer Widow's Weekend scrapbook show.

I was delighted that The Paper Bakery was coming!

A FAB kit club & shop with their own unique line of stamps & wooden products that are gorgeous.

 

When I called my scrapbestie, Lynnette in New Jersey, to find out which of the flair she wanted, she asked me if I was wearing a brown shirt. She had just spied me in this photo on The Paper Bakery Face Book page!

I also had a great helper who was working with her Aunt Natalie over at The Scrap Shack!

 Here's my haul - I'm super happy with everything I got, 

but disappointed there was not more new product to choose from.

Biggest score was my DECEMBER Paper Bakery Project Life kit - not even released yet!

Yes, please!

Gotta have the Bloomin' Onion!

 

I like their philosophy...

Then we joined the kids up at Bronner's Christmas World in Frankenmuth.

If you've never heard about this place check out the link - they do international business.

Frankenmuth, Michigan is a really charming little town...

with quaint Bavarian-style architecture...

and romantic horse-drawn carriage rides.

On to the Christmas store!

Perfect gift for a Michigan State Sparty fan!

Perhaps not the best place for a 22-month old boy to have fun!

 

Our happy little Cooper.

 

This is his new cheesy grin! Utterly delightful (and he has 2 little teeth now on the bottom!)

 

Lincoln just adores his Bampa.

Today was a very good day. It made me HAPPY.