010121 January Archi-Scraps Challenge

 

Mushrooms!

 

As always, Julene has discovered an amazing Archi-scraps January inspiration for us!

We just celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary in December & my daughter took this great photo of us. I knew I wanted to go with a wintry theme & found this great image:

So sweet, and paired with some ephemera from Simple Stories/Simple Vintage Great Escape Foliage Bits I got the mushrooms in! 

I also included a number of wooden elements & branding strip borders. Isn't that woodgrain background paper yummy? 

How will the inspiration spark your creativity? We can't wait to see! Remember to post in the Archiscraps Facebook Community.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

121120 Stick It Down December Guest Designer!

 

What a thrill to be the December Double Page Guest Designer at Stick It Down! Earned with my October submission seen HERE.

The December sketch looks like this:

I absolutely L-O-V-E to use a sketch as inspiration, although I have not done a double page spread in a long time until their October one. I wasn't in the mood to do Christmas pages yet, but I did have some wonderful snowy photos taken recently when my daughter & grand daughter were visiting Michigan from down South. It was a real treat for them to get an unexpected snowfall!

I rarely use a sketch in its original form. I tend to flip & flop it, rotate & resize - you get the idea. This one was no exception. I'm calling this my up-ended version!

I really wanted to use a large photo inside of the circle shape. I paired a familiar Robert Frost poem with the snowy woods photo, purposefully cropped to show the tiny scale of the people compared to the majestic forest. Here's my spread:

 

The polka dots in the background appealed to me so I decided to emboss them directly onto the page using WOW! Clear Ultra Slow Drying Embossing Pad with their clear embossing powder to act as a resist, using a 2009 Stampabilities OR1044 polka dot background stamp. My other pattern was made with a 2008 Stampabilities PR1019 snowflake background stamp using cobalt Ranger Archival Ink. 

A wash of Heidi Swapp Ocean Color Shine gave a subtle arctic blue quality to the background. I added a single strip of grey star washi tape between the two patterns to ground the photos, and later overlaid the waste vellum from some of my punched snowflake shapes.

Next I began to create the left side's wreath elements with Close To My Heart's D1171 New Fallen Snow stamp set snowflakes using Ranger Cobalt Archival Ink. The swirls are from 2007 Inkadinkado 97618 Brenda Walton clear stamp set with Color Box Petal Point light blue ink. I then settled in for a long evening of fussy-cutting made vastly easier with Tonic micro-serrated scissors!

Now I could spend my next session playing with all the pretties. The large blue snowflakes were arranged with the swirls for the basic circular shape & each got a smaller companion blue flake. I grabbed the vellum snowflakes I had made with Martha Stewart's Snowflake & McGill's Starburst punches & filled in the gaps. I love all the dimension created by only gluing in strategic spots.

 

I raided my bling drawer & sequins & dressed everyone up with a little sparkle. In the process I ran across that perfect pearl swirl on the right that carries your eye to the final vellum flakes wafting up.

My title was stamped with the WOW! embossing pad & Judi Kins EP206 Opaque White Embossing powder which really popped on navy cardstock.

I took a shot of most of the products that I used.

Have a little fun & visit the Stick It Down blog for monthly inspiration! There is a single page & a card sketch each month, too, plus loads of inspiration from their Design Team as well as others who have uploaded to the Linky. One lucky random winner receives a prize & a future Guest Designer is chosen from each sketch's submissions!

Thanks for stopping by!

111220 CKC November Challenge #1

 

 Welcome to Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog's first challenge of the month. Here's a reminder of our November inspiration kit:

Hip Kit Club (October main kit)

Master Forger of Ceremonies Lisa says, There are several papers in the inspiration kit which just scream out to me for some fussy cutting and it's one of my favourite things to do! It's therapeutic and never takes as long as you think and the results are always pretty! It can be a perfect way to use brighter or bolder designs or add some individual embellishments to your kit. It really is one of my top five techniques. So I'm challenge you to fussy cut something from your kit and use it on a project! 

You know that this is my wheelhouse! In fact there are already a lot of goodies in my kit that were fussy-cut, namely the critters & stamped leaves in my counterfeits!

 I have a couple of patterned papers in my kit that are great candidates as well. 

2018 Carta Bella/Our House "Country Floral" & 2012 MME/Bramble Rose

Then I took this photo of an ornamental grass by our little waterfall pond, backlit by sunlight on a glorious Indian Summer day.

THEN I ran across this quote:

Source link

So I began to fussy-cut the orange doily paper - my utterly favorite technique!

 The paper leaves & apples on the left side are cut from an exclusive subscriber download from The Scrap Gals. Also the orange doily patterned paper yielded that beautiful pumpkin color accent piece. The right side is specialty fussy-cut to allow the blue stripe to slide underneath some of the icons on the background paper, creating the illusion of a die cut. Hand stitched baker's twine provides texture & a swirly wind for the burlap die cut leaves. Machine stitching frames the photo & anchors the title made from alpha stickers. An assortment of buttons plus copper colored sequins complete this ode to autumn!

Don't forget that there's plenty to keep you inspired this month so we invite you to return regularly for ideas and challenges. The month is going to look like this:

• 18th November: Challenge #2 - another chance to get creating from your own kit
• 24th November: Follower Showcase - who has caught our eye this month
• 30th November: Killing Kits - Use up the bits & pieces left in your kit box

We always love to see your work, so please share your kits and projects with us. You can post them in out Facebook Community, or share them on Instagram (we are @counterfeitkitchallenge or tag us using #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcnovember2020).

 

Thanks for stopping by!

110420 CKC November Forgery on the Fourth

 

So what do I have for you this month from the Counterfeit Kit Challenge November inspiration kit? Some easy-peasy forgeries of Autumn elements.

Here's the overview:

 First the stitched felt leaves. ***SWOON***  I saved a screenshot of  these when I ran across them & have been hoping to have a reason to make them. Used felt with this leaf die plus embroidery floss, and also cut a few out of some burlap paper from a friend. Look at all of that yummy texture!

Inspired by these Felicity Jane/Harper stitched felt leaves.

Next up, these uber cute geometric critters. A new (to me) Tuesday Morning stamp set find, colored with Shimmer mists, except for that hedgehog fussy-stamped with the colored inks (worth the effort, don't you think?)

Plus the perfect leaf stamps to counterfeit these beauties:

Discovered on our own Master Forger Susan's IG account.

Do yourself a HUGE service & follow her - not a day goes by that I am not inspired!

I used Archival black ink to stamp the leaves from pages out of a prospectus (I always save these as the paper is kind of tissuey & they often include graphs & charts if I want them) & an assortment of Distress ink pads to add the colors. 

 I hope you've found some inspiration to create your own kit element(s) this month! Be sure to check out the other Master Forgers counterfeits this month on the November FOF post. Be sure to return for these November features:

• 6th November: Mini-kit reveal and project showcase - if you need some inspiration for a smaller kit or individual project idea
• 12th & 18th November: Challenges #1 & #2 - to inspire you get creating from your own kit
• 24th November: Follower Showcase - who has caught our eye this month
• 30th November: Killing Kits - An idea or two for using up the bits and pieces that might be left in your kit box at the end of the month

We always love to see your work, so please share your kits and projects with us. You can post them in our Facebook Community, or share them on Instagram (we are @counterfeitkitchallenge or tag us using #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcnovember2020).

 

Thanks for stopping by!

11012020 CKC November Kit Reveal

 

Found HERE on Pinterest

 Here's our Counterfeit Kit Challenge inspiration kit, courtesy of Master Forger of Ceremonies Lisa!

 As most of you know, November is my favourite month of the year and I love doing the CKC kit at this time - and this year is no exception. I had a bit of a look around but as always the Hip Kit Club's autumn kit just got me and therefore, even though we just had the HKC a couple of months ago, I want to have it again this month as our inspiration! It's got a bit of everything - cosy days, leaves, flowers, autumn colours, homely feeling, cute embellies, and a handful of items that might be good for forging! I hope you love it too! I'll be showcasing the main kit but there is a pocket page and embelli kit, too, as well as some other mini-kits over there on the site. I like the fact that it's full of "real" product - not exclusives!

Hip Kit Club November Main Kit

 

This proved easy-peasy for me as I had already hunted & gathered all things Autumn in preparation for a #thankful30 project I'm joining in this year!  It all started with this amazing kit from Feed Your Craft. I added the Simple Stories Bits & Pieces to my CKC kit. My counterfeit kit will act like an add-one to my #thankful30 kit!

FYC My Thankful 30 2020 kit

 

Before I show you what I've put together, though, let's meet our November Guest Designer Sarah Rice. Lisa says, "When she was showcased by MF Tina a couple of months ago, I just knew that I had to get her on board and was thrilled when she said she would fit it into her busy schedule for us."

 

Hello! I’m Sarah and I’m super excited to be the guest designer for November. I’m mostly an 8.5x11 scrapper with a few cards and 12x12s tossed in. Scrapbooking is my happy place. I feel better when I allow myself time to get messy. I work full time as a food and beverage manager for an entertainment venue. My husband and I have been together for 18 years (married 14). We live in Ohio with our 2 rambunctious daughters who are 11 and 5. We love to play games and take adventures and try new things as a family. We are always looking for places to explore both large and small.

You can find Sarah over on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sassybagladysarahscraps/.

 

 

So how do I pare down my bulging Iris box of Autumn goodies to a manageable kit? By using the CKC inspiration kit, of course! I'm guessing that I will add some things to my box in the quest for a decent imitation, as well as hopefully finding some forgery opportunities.

Here are my Whimsical Autumn papers: 

2020 Carta Bella/Hello Autumn "Scattered Leaves" b-side, Jenni Bowlin, 2018 Carta Bella/Our House "Country Floral", 2012 MME/Bramble Rose, 2010 Jenni Bowlin "Geo Flower", 2020 Carta Bella/Hello Autumn "Fall Harvest", 2016 Felicity Jane/Maggie diagonal stripe, 2018 Carta Bella/Fall Break "Pumpkin Trucks" b-side, 2012 Graphic 45/Happy Haunting "Jolly Jack-O-Lantern" b-side, 2012 MME/Bramble Rose, 2020 Carta Bella/Hello Autumn "Scattered Leaves", 2020 Simple Stories/Kate & Ash "4x6 Elements" b-side, unknown, 2020 Carta Bella/Hello Autumn "Leaves", 2012 MME Lost&Found/Halloween "Hallows Music".

Acrylic leaves for crafting, 2020 Simple Stories/Cozy Days "Bits & Pieces, 2017 PinkFresh Studio/Dream On puffy alphas, 2019 Scrap Gals October printables (available with membership), 2012 Cosmo Cricket/2WENTY-THR3E Photo Booth b-side labels, assorted baker's twine, felt leaves, assorted buttons, assorted Felicity Jane sequins, 2018 Pink Paislee/Little Adventurer ephemera, burlap leaves, Sticko/Label Lingo "Autumn" Dymo-style stickers, 2015 American Crafts DIY Shop gold phrase stickers.

I also have a 2019 Pebbles/Jen Hadfield Warm & Cozy acrylic stamp set and a 2015 Echo Park small leaf die, which will make an appearance on the November Forgery on the Fourth CKC blog post - don't miss it!

Here are some close-ups of the kit:

I'm really happy with how nicely all the parts & pieces play together. I feel like I have infused some of the inspiration kit's whimsy into mine.

 

Be sure you stop at kit on the hop - you can find just as much inspiration there as you do from the monthly inspiration kit!

 

• Counterfeit Kit Challenge - http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com
• Guest Designer Sarah:- https://www.instagram.com/sassybagladysarahscraps/
• Cindy:- Autumn Blessings
  
• Julene:- Dusty Days
  
• Leslie:- Whimsical Autumn
  
• Lisa :- Splendour
• Tara:- https://kryptonite72-rambles.blogspot.com/ 
• Tracey:- November Nights
• Tina:- Fall Breeze
  
• Laura:- https://www.instagram.com/mrsp_scrapsandtea/

 

 Here's what we have coming up this month: 

November 2^nd: “Just the Gist” post to help you jump start your kit making.

• November 4^th: “Forgery on the Fourth” post where the Master Forgers will reveal how they created their own version of some of the items in this month’s kit.
• November 6^th: Mini kits and projects in case you’re a little limited for time this month and would prefer a more petite kit.
• November 12^th and 18^th: Two challenges to help you use the kit you’ve made.
• November 24^th: Showcasing one of the CKC Community who’s caught our eye.
• November 30^th: Another Killing Kit Installment to help us finish off our kits!
  

 

We always love to see your work, so please share your kits and projects with us. You can use our Monthly Link-up page, post them in our Facebook Community, or share them on Instagram (we are @counterfeitkitchallenge or tag us using #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcnovember2020).

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

101220 CKC October Challenge #1

 My "Be Happy" October 2020 counterfeit kit:

Master Forger of Ceremonies Tracey has issued the first challenge: 

The first challenge for October is for you to pick your favourite Season from either Autumn (Fall) or Spring and scrapbook a page (a double page if you dare!!!) about an event or activity that occurred in the Season you have picked.

My inspiration began with this October Stick It Down double page sketch:

They post a monthly Double Sketch, Single Sketch, and Card Sketch with an amazing Design Team for inspiration. Pop by & take a look, won't you? Here's my take:

I've got a few less bits & bobs and my journaling appears on the photos themselves.

Here's a closer look:

My title block was anchored with a couple of fussy-cut labels from my counterfeit paper.

More fussy-cutting of the 2018 Pink Paislee/Horizon #04 word paper.

2014 BasicGrey/Second City sticker photo corners helped dress up the open sky of this photo.

We get an early frost here in Michigan!

I printed two photo collages of 3-1/2" square photos, one for each page of the spread. I had a photo that needed to be horizontally rectangle, so I just slipped it into two slots on the right hand side collage. I reserved a blank spot on the left hand side for my title block.

My other problem was only having one sheet of each of my kit papers. I knew that the bright mixed-media style orange paper would be perfect but it was so old that it was flimsy (not cardstock weight), so my spread rests on a foundation of white card. I had to carefully calculate the size of my strips to eke out what was needed from that one sheet!

I'm so pleased with how this turned out. It's certainly been awhile since I've "dared" to tackle a two-page spread! Thanks for the challenge, Tracey!

So what else do we have left for you in October?

• October 18^th: We’ll give you another challenge to help you use the kit you’ve made.

• October 24^th: Tracey will be showcasing one of the CKC Community who’s caught her eye.

• October 30^th: Another Killing Kit Installment to help us finish off our kits!

We always love to see your work, so please share your kits and projects with us. You can use our Monthly Link-up page, post them in our Facebook Community, or share them on Instagram (we are @counterfeitkitchallenge or tag us using #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcoctober2020).

 

Thanks for stopping by!

100420 CKC Forgery on the Fourth

 

This is the full Counterfeit Kit Challenge October inspiration kit.. 

I chose two of the papers to forge, along with a page of pocket cards.

 The first is the star paper, CratePaper/Magical Forest "Always" b-side

which I actually forged in March 2020! Here's that LINK.

The second is the label paper, P13/Around the Table 02

Using a 2011 Jenni Bowlin Labels acrylic stamp set with an assortment of Tim Holtz Distress Inks to match my kit's color scheme (Pine Needles, Dusty Concord, Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade & Forest Moss; Ranger/Nick Bantock Chrome Yellow.) I crafted my forgery. 

I actually stuck the entire label set still attached to the acetate in the packaging onto my stamping block! They were already lined up uniformly & it worked great. I inked each one carefully at the corner edges of the ink pads to get multiple colors with one quick stamp press. Re-inked the same colors, rotated halfway around & stamped the opposite corner - minimizing the time spent cleaning off between color changes.

 And, yes, you eagle-eyed peeps who noticed this:

Yep - I dropped the stamp & made a schmutz! Okay with me. It's likely to get covered or cut up.

Finally, I made some pocket cards using some random things I had tossed in for die cuts + some of the stickers from the 2014 BasicGrey/Second City sticker sheet applied to my kit papers. This is such an easy counterfeit once your kit is together! Just start matching things up & pasting them down.

Well I hope you've been inspired to try out a few things! Make sure we see your creations. You can use our Monthly Link-up page, post them in our Facebook Community, or share them on Instagram (we are @counterfeitkitchallenge or tag us using #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcoctober2020).

And be sure to return for our featured posts the rest of October:

• October 6^th: We will reveal the mini kits and projects in case you’re a little limited for time this month and would prefer a more petite kit.
• October 12^th and 18^th: We will give you two challenges to help you use the kit you’ve made.
• October 24^th: We’ll be showcasing one of the CKC Community. Will it be you??
• October 30^th: Another Killing Kit Installment to help us finish off our kits!

 

Thanks for stopping by!