020120 CKC February Kit Reveal

Master Forger Julene has chosen a lush romantic inspiration kit for CKC which is based on pieces of the gorgeous Prima Darcelle collection. The Tres Jolie Kit Club reveal link includes a video.

Tres Jolie 2019 November Scrapbook Kit

"Fall under the dark, romantic spell of Darcelle by Frank Garcia for Prima. This mesmerizing and delicately elegant collection is filled with indigo blues, boysenberry purples, and medallion golds for creating projects that will leave you speechless. Design a mixed media panel, love-filled card, or gorgeous notebook pages filled with vintage charm and beautiful accents. Discover wild and free sentiments, curious butterflies, whispers of foil, and glittering jewels in the secrets that Darcelle holds"

 And who more perfect for our Guest Designer spot than "Queen Kat" Katherine Boddy Blue!

Here's a little bio offered by Kat on her last stint as Guest Designer:

Hello everyone! I'm Katherine Blue but everyone in crafty circles either call me Kat or Kate. I  live in a small town in Maryland being a wondermom to my son and daughter and in 2019, for the first time ever, a dog!

I began doing photography and scrapbooking about 11 years ago as a way to relieve my high stress levels when my son was extremely ill. I'll admit I was never ever crafty or artsy when I was younger because I never believed I'd be good at it and it was a talent that no one ever asked me about. So after getting addicted to scrapbooking, I now also dabble in art journaling, watercolors and decorative painted canvases. I've been a HUGE fan of the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog for YEARS (for the inspiration AND the stash busting) and I'm delighted and honored to be this month's Guest Designer!

I DO know that she also just completed a charity Polar Plunge!
Find her on Pinterest as Queenkat, Instagram as KraftyQueenkat, or http://kateblue.blogspot.com  

I must sheepishly say that I went a little berserk with my kit. I challenged myself to find navy blue and that elusive boysenberry colour in my stash & was stunned to see the pile of paper that I had pulled. Here's my first (yes - gulp - I said first!) batch:

Top l-r: 2018 Kaisercraft Misty Mountains "Light Leaks"; unknown (ancient) vintage typewriter; unknown (ancient) purple poppies; 2012 Heidi Swapp No Limits "Smarty"; unknown (ancient) black lace; 2018 Pink Fresh Studio Indigo Hills 2 "Eminence"-b; unknown (ancient not-even-cardstock) hydrangeas; 2018 Pink Fresh Studio Indigo Hills 2 "Valley"; 2019 Simple Stories Simple Vintage Botanicals "Everyday Bliss"; 2018 Pink Fresh Studio Indigo Hills 2 "Meadow"-b; 2018 Kaisercraft Misty Mountains "Marbled"; gorgeous image from @ceciliabohm#frostfile.

Bottom l-r:  2014 Studio Calico Lemonlush " Gold Punchinella vellum; 2018 Graphic 45 Flutter "Memorable"; 2019 Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Heritage "Portrait"; 2010 or older DCWV Once Upon a Time; 2018 Pink Fresh Studio Indigo Hills 2 "Gorge"; 2019 Echo Park Great Outdoors; 2019 Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Heritage "Keepsake"; 2018 Kaisercraft Misty Mountains "Dusty Plum"; 2018 Kaisercraft Misty Mountains "Moody"; 2018 Pink Fresh Studio Indigo Hills 2 "Highland"; my own alcohol ink paper.

Part II below includes these 8x8" papers from the 2012 7Gypzies Trousseau collection & Stamperia's Cosmos collection by Cristina Radovan.

Whew!

Here is "The Bees Knees" kit.
I suggest poring over these on a big screen, lol.

The Bees Knees - Part I

The Bees Knees - Part II

I neglected to take detail shots of Part I & decided not to post the Part II pics, so if you have any questions about products just ask in the comments here!

I've also already done a page for February's Archi-scraps challenge:

 I really had fun with this kit, styling some retro-fresh scrappitude!

Now on to our blog hop to see what our fabulous designers have made for their kits.

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

Guest Designer Kate: https://kateblue.blogspot.com/

Cindy:- http://cindyscreations-cinmfoster.blogspot.com/
Julene:- http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com//
Leslie:- http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com/

NEXT Lori:-https://loriannie670.blogspot.com

Shannon:- https://www.youtube.com/user/ShannonAllor 

Tara:- https://kryptonite72-rambles.blogspot.com/

Tracey:- https://3obsessions.blogspot.com/
Tina:- http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com/

Laura:- https://www.instagram.com/mrsp_scrapsandtea/

Just a reminder that we'll be back throughout the month to give you some tips, ideas and challenges as you put together and use your kit. 

Here's what we have coming up this month:

• February 2nd:  I'll be back with a "Just the Gist" post to help jump-start your kit-making.  
• February 4th:  We'll have our "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.
• February 6th:  We'll reveal a couple of mini-kits and projects, in case you're a little limited for time this month and would prefer a more petite kit.
• February 12th and 18th:  We'll give you two challenges to help you use the kit you've made.
• February 24th:  I'll be showcasing one of the CKC community who's caught my eye this month
• February 27th: We'll be offering another installment in our {Killing Kits} series to help you find ways to use up all of your kit.

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 #ckcfebruary2020).

Thanks for stopping by!

050119 Archiscraps May Challenge

Archi-scraps May Challenge

Yellow, black & white plus a clock!

And so I begin... with this Tim Holtz Idea-ology Assemblage Clock!

Then I hunt up a particular black & white photo of my mommy & I,
since Mother's Day is celebrated in May here in the U. S.

Spring 1959

 I've just completed a major renovation of my studio space due to getting new flooring. Now I hunt & gather what I will need for this project, many of which are Prima/Finnabair products. In the heat of the creative flow I neglected to photograph each step, but they are simple enough to describe.

I began by removing the glass on the clock & coating the entire piece with black gesso. I worked on the background inside of the clock first by adding LuminArte Primary Elements artist pigments & chunky gold glitter, sealing it with final fixative spray. I glued lace to the sides & added a flowering branch to mimic the photo & add a touch of true yellow. I bent the petals of a Prima dimensional metal flower to hold my photo, securing it with raised foam adhesive dots.

 I then used matte medium to glue polka dot crepe paper around the outside of the clock. I added lots of gold accents with metallic paint, a jaunty little plaid bow & charm, and decorated the metal butterfly with Prima/Finnabair Opal Magic paints.

The final product meets the criteria - a yellow/(gold), black & white colour scheme plus a clock!

I may continue to challenge myself to try other dimensional projects each month
using the a-ma-zing creative Archi-scraps inspirations!

Won't you join in? Make sure to add your projects to the Linky at Archi-scraps.

Thanks for stopping by!

020618 CKC February Mini Kit

This month I jumped on the CKC mini bandwagon.

Frankly the inspiration kits scared me a bit!

They are so much like how I used to scrap,

and I worried that a full month kit might languish on the shelf.

Aren't they gorgeous, though?

Noel Mignon Weekend in Paris Classic Kit

Noel Mignon Weekend in Paris Daily Diary Kit

One piece that I own is this cut apart sheet from a custom Wild Hare Kit. 

This just looks like fun! So I used a Melissa Frances pair of resin wings to make a flying giraffe...

American Crafts/Maggie Holmes Carousel "Carnival"

 I had a BIG birthday last October that needed a page, hence my "Happy Birthday to ME!" mini kit.

I got so inspired that I fussy-cut the card elements that I wanted before I had photoed the kit - oops! 

One of my elements layered a wild-eyed carousel horse card underneath an elegant vintage framed Parisian lady transparency, perfectly representing mixed feelings about my sixth decade birthday. The sentiment came from an old forged card I had included just for that purpose.

My gold glitter came out grungy, but 60 is a little grungy!

I gave my flying giraffe a little add-on golden crown, a stickpin from Prima.

I tricked out this cute carousel with some bling & a little twine. 

I added the border at the last minute & it just brings the whole page to life.

It is a hoarded favorite Felicity Jane Caroline kit paper - I even saved the middle!

Lots of fun (for an old lady!) on this page.

The mini kit option really does inspire. 

Go for it!

Thanks for stopping by!

100617 October CKC Mini- Kit Reveal

Oops! I forgot to post this on time...

But you would never know it from our CKC inspiration kit this month!

 I'm actually delighted with St. Tropez from Prima, chosen by Julene from Australia
where spring is in full swing,  as I have recently returned from another beachy vacation.

"Visit the French sands of St. Tropez in this beautiful collection by Frank Garcia. 
Featuring a beautiful blue, yellow, and vintage color palette, 
mixed with modern hand lettering and florals, this collection is sure to transport you out to sea. 
St. Tropez is perfect for summer vacations, lazy days, and sea-inspired projects!"

I think I may be warming up to the idea of the mini-kit!
If I decide beforehand on the story or photos it's a snap,
plus I know it will get used up on the project.

Here is my page:

I need to add some journaling + the date.
There is another story to be told here that may become a companion page.
 

Thanks for stopping by!

010617 CKC January Challenge #1

"Knock knock, who's there?"

 CKC Challenge #1 is to use a door on your layout.

This beautiful "Mantra" paper was part of the Kaisercraft line,

featured in the January inspiration kit.

My Boho Bali kit included this stash-busting 2012 Prima door embellishment.

I also loved the absolutely ancient & totally flimsy heart patterned 

paper from The Paper Company by Sarah Rugg (above.)

This year, I chose "yield" for my One Little Word & this page to document it.

I simply wrote my journaling right on the background.

 

The door opens to this...

...and I've embellished the printed florals with stitching & beads.

That starts my happy scrappy new year off with flair!

Actually, I didn't use any flair... 

Rise to the challenge & scrap using a door!

Don't forget to post on the Linky.

Thanks for stopping by!

100115 Archiscraps October Challenge

Another intriguing Archiscrap inspiration this month!

Use MOSAICS

At first I got a little sidetracked with the colors, but then 

a happy accident brought this to me via Whimsical Musings #184

I thought those strips at the bottom could be modified to look like mosaic,

plus I remembered that I had these sweet little Prima tiles.

I was envisioning them smooshed into modeling paste...

funny how far from your original inspiration you can get!

I did use the modeling paste to add this beautiful lace effect.

I raided my 6x6" paper pad hoard for any & all possibilities.

I am trying to remember this grossly overlooked resource!

A few Prima flowers, vellum lace borders a little stitching, and my

favorite die cut of the delicate vining flowers out of vellum fill things in nicely.

Meet my new granddaughter, Adelaide Elise!

Was sooo nice to play with pretty things.

071515 Finnabair class at Scrappy Chic

Had a lovely day out at Scrappy Chic 

taking a class from the incomparable Finnabair!

(I'm under her right armpit, lol)

We started by painting our canvas with heavy black gesso, adding 

vintage travel themed papers in a mosaic arrangement & choosing a photo. 

We also used Prima's Finnabair 3D Gloss Gel & some texture tools

to create a transparent background texture that we will come back to later...

You can see it in the photo below.

Next we got to revel & rummage in the generous packs of 

Prima Finnabair metal embellishments provided to each of us in our kits.

I didn't want a real feminine vibe so I decided on a crown.

This will be called "The Crown Prince" as he IS the first-born.

Next step is to paint over all metal & plastic items with black gesso.

This will give a good base for the spray colors & shimmer.

This was a bit of a leap for me, as I was really loving all the different metals.

Not so sure at this point!

 The Soft Gloss Gel can be mixed with glitter, microbeads, etc. & then applied as you would paint. The gloss is transparent & sticky so anything you add appears as itself but can be adhered easily. 

We mixed in Luminarte Primary Elements pigments in metallic colors 

to dry brush over our textured background. Wow! Did it ever bring THAT to life :-)

The pigments can also be used mixed with plain water as a shimmer mist or water color.

One of the finishing touches that helps marry your photo
to the painterly background is adding "makeup" to it!
If you have any oversprays or boo-boos around the edges you can use
black gesso and carefully feather in a little grungy edge or white gesso on the face.

 

You'll notice she has a teeny tiny brush, and has used the back of her hand for a palette!

She used heavily diluted color for just a hint of blush & eyeshadow.

I didn't think it would improve Lincoln's looks, though.

I'll be adding some gems & some more shading & color at home.

I'm going to do one for each of the grands!

The project really had a wide scope of possibilities.

Some of the variety in the finished product between my table mates...

HAPPY SCRAPPERS!

Thanks, Anna, for helping tame my fear 

of multi-media messy techniques.

Headed home with a lovely Pettit team mixed CD 

playing & the sun roof open... happy day.

Thanks for stopping by!