090121 Archi-scraps September Challenge

 

Shades of purple

My favorite color! Julene's Archi-scraps has a way of inspiring me on many levels. 

I think I got my love of purple from my sweet grandmother. So I found a vintage photo of us together that even has purple toned drapes & grandma's dress. Then I scoured my stash for that PERFECT piece for my page - a purple paint chip sampler!

When I think of her love of purple I can't help but think of her love for pansies. She used to say how she loved to look at their little faces. I strategically used the patterned paper scraps to showcase the pansies & reinforce the vintage vibe. I even snuck a variegated purple pattern onto the background!

Another fun one & another story told.

Hope you will join us & share at the Archi-scraps Community Group.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

081821 August CKC Challenge #2 - Sketch It Up!

 

Master Forger of Ceremonies Lisa:

 

We all love a good sketch and I found a cracker for us today. This is a BasicGrey (insert longing sigh here) sketch from way back in 2012 (see if at their blog here ). It's a double spread but feel free to use it complete or just one of the pages - it features some chevrons which reminded me of the photo corners in the HS sticker book from the kit and I really think it can be reinterpreted to reflect today's scrappy style if that's the way you want to go!

 

One, two, three... sketch!

  I love a good sketch. My tendency is usually to tweak, flip, flop or generally change it up before I even start my page. After that it's a free for all! I wanted a single page layout so first I squeezed it in PSE & floated it on a digital mixed media background.

I didn't do the mixed media after all but otherwise kept quite a bit to this design.

A little detail was fringing the banners cut from the 2017 Crate Paper Here + There/Traveler paper. I couldn't believe how I found the perfect phrases in my Heidi Swapp pack - even down to the colors being exactly right. When does that ever happen?!?

I know you will find inspiration from this sketch. Feel free to use my version if it helps! And be sure to come back for the last few features this month:

• 12th & 18th August: Challenges #1 & #2 - to inspire you to get creating from your own kit 
• 24th August: Follower Showcase - who has caught our eye this month 
• 31st August: Killing Kits - an idea or two for using up the bits & pieces left in your kit box 

You KNOW that 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 #ckcaugust2021). 

Thanks for stopping by!

081221 August 2021 Challenge #1 - Going Diagonal!

Master Forger of Ceremonies Lisa

Many years ago, I did a year-long scrapbook class with Heidi Swapp and I have to say that I learnt a lot of sound basics that are still part of my scrappy repertoire today. As this kit is full of gorgeous Heidi products, it reminded me of that class. One of the design principles that I use the most is using the diagonal for your page. Place elements on a diagonal to draw your line down through the page - whichever direction that might be.

 

Today, use a "diagonal" design on your page!

 

The page on my header is one by our very own Master Forger Lisa! I will be scraplifting her for this challenge. When I searched my own gallery I found very few examples of a diagonal design. I intend to do some looking for more inspiration to add this to my repertoire.

 

 I also borrowed another scrap habit of Lisa's - putting the page together before you know which photos you will scrap. This makes my eyes get wide & my throat get dry but I did it! Lately I have been scrapping many layouts of the grands & wanted to give some attention elsewhere. I have completed a project to digitally capture all of my in-laws photos on our frequent check-in visits & decided to begin some pages for a future album to document their lives (while they are still here to tell their stories.) Sifting through the photos I decided to begin with my mother-in-law because of this wonderful photo from the 1930s of her & her brothers:

 I decided not to tweak the photos too much as they provide an interesting progression of photography. I had a little worry about the contemporary products with vintage photos but I love it after all.

Childhood, high school, marriage, & a baby - I think I captured all the highlights. 

Here are the few diagonal layouts of mine for inspiration. Feel free to scraplift!

 

 

 Bonus link:

How to Use Diagonal Lines in Photography

Be sure to share what you do for the challenge & keep coming back for:

• 18th August: Challenges #1 & #2 - to inspire you to get creating from your own kit 
• 24th August: Follower Showcase - who has caught our eye this month 
• 31st August: Killing Kits - an idea or two for using up the bits & pieces left in your kit box 

You KNOW that 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 #ckcaugust2021).

 

Thanks for stopping by!

080121 August CKC Kit Reveal & Blog Hop

 

Cute YouTube video LINK

 Here at home in Michigan our summer, weather-wise, has been very unorthodox. I'm writing this post three weeks into July & everything is lushly green, but the high temperature yesterday was in the 60s. We are already losing more than two minutes of daylight every day! 

Master Forger of Ceremonies Lisa says: I'm delighted to welcome back Sarah as our Guest Designer in August. As you will remember, she joined in with our (i)NSD challenges and I invited her to join us as a thank you. We are thrilled to have you with us again, Sarah!

 

Master Forger of Ceremonies Lisa chose the inspiration kit with this in mind:  

 

I wanted something different (as always) and thought the colour scheme of this German kit would be an interesting direction to go. It's not exactly summer but somehow it does remind me of the softer colours of the season. There's some travel beach elements but I think this colour way also works for entering the winter season down in Australia.

There are some themed items and of course, rainbows! Doesn't everything have rainbows right now? Makes me happy. 

There isn't exactly a lot of meat to the kit but I think there's room for interpretation and many of the motifs could be reinterpreted for FOF I think.

I'm focusing on the main kit but you can find links below for three additional add-on kits if you want more variety - and for those of you who make the mega kits

Dani Peuss - May 2021 kit

• 9 x 12x12 Heidi Swapp, Maggie Holmes and American Crafts papers
• Clear Stamps Alphabet by Heidi Swapp
• 8-page Sticker book by Heidi Swapp
• 1 Pkg. Die Cuts by Heidi Swapp
•  

 So I did a weird thing with my kit - I pulled my papers based on a quick first glance. I couldn't believe how off I was (!) but then again, in the end, I think it definitely worked, and it's a big one. Let's start with those papers.

1st row (includes an assortment of 6x6" papers from Pink Paislee Take Me Away collection):

2021 Echo Park Hello Baby Boy/Sweet Dreams, 2018 Kaisercraft Havana Nights/Ferns, Pink Paislee Indigo & Ivy/12, 2018 Pinkfresh Studio Indigo Hills 2/Ridge, 2018 Maggie Holmes Gather, 2021 Cocoa Vanilla Sunkissed/Fun in the Sun, Bella Blvd Make Your Mark/Believe, 2017 Felicity Jane Caroline, 2009 BasicGrey Basics/Table, 2019 Mintay Berrylicious/10

2nd row (includes an assortment of 6x6" papers from Prima's Golden Coast collection):

2018 Maggie Holmes Gather, 2016 Authentique Fabulous/"Fabulous Nine, 2020 American Crafts The Color of Memories/624398, 2014 AC Shimelle/Goodfield, 2018 Pinkfresh Studio Indigo Hills 2/Eminence, 2011 BoBunny Back to Basics/Etcetera, 2017 Pinkfresh Studio Let Your Heart Decide/Instinct, 2017 Crate Paper Here + There/Traveler, 2021 Mintay Next Trip/02, 

Just for fun let's take a quick peek at the back sides:

That gives me 35 - 12x12" and 18 - 6x6" patterned papers to choose from... WOW! Along with a few other bits & bobs...including that (1999!!!) Three Generations title from Cock-A-Doodle Designs!

I totally reserve the right to grab whatever I need for the projects I make this month! I've already produced three pages & am raring to have a go at August!

Be sure not to miss any of the masterfully collated kits by our Master Forgers Design Team!

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

• Guest Sarah Rice - https://www.instagram.com/sassybagladysarahscraps/

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

• Julene - http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com
  

• Juliet - https://www.instagram.com/julesd/

• Kate - https://kateblue.blogspot.com

• Leslie - http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com

• Misty - https://craftysoup.com

• Tina - http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com

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

And August is going to look something like this:

• 2nd August: Just the Gist of It - to help you find an easy way into creating your kit 
• 4th August: Forgery on the Fourth - Master Forgers share simple ideas for creating kit elements 
• 6th August: Mini-kit Reveal and Project Showcase - inspiration for a smaller kit or project idea 
• 12th & 18th August: Challenges #1 & #2 - to inspire you to get creating from your own kit 
• 24th August: Follower Showcase - who has caught our eye this month 
• 31st August: Killing Kits - an idea or two for using up the bits & pieces left in your kit box 

You KNOW that 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 #ckcaugust2021). 

Thanks for stopping by!

080121 Archi-scraps August Challenge

 

Concentric arches

 How does she do it??? Julene's Archi-scraps challenges are truly unique.

My mind immediately went to this stencil:

 

to make this background:

I know, I know - they're upside down. That's because they're raindrops!

Next I'm adding wet umbrellas.

Seriously!

Clear embossing powder on black paper works as wet umbrellas!

Inspired by this stitching by scrappy friend, Tara O'Rourke, 

I added sequin raindrops!

The custom cut clamshell shapes are another raindrop element.

 

 

The music paper reinforces my title,

My husband is a retired meteorologist & this became a very creative homage to his career.

So how do concentric circles speak to you?

Be sure to post on the Archi-scraps Facebook Community.

Thanks for stopping by!

071821 July CKC Challenge #2

 

Wabi-Sabi... the Art of Grace

 Master Forger of Ceremonies Lisa has thrown down another great CKC challenge for July:

Buenos Dias! Get creative with a foreign language!

Whatever your main/native language is at home, use a foreign word or expression on your page today!

Link it to a story about a holiday spent abroad or even a foreign word you just love because of how it sounds or the literal translation. 

 

I chose a phrase that has always intrigued me.

 

I am at that stage of life where my joints are getting knobby & my hands are showing their age. There is such a beauty in the patina of age, whether it's on our skin or the well-worn top of an antique table.

 

 

As I put my page together an ironic thing occured, considering my subject. I planned carefully to get the image positioned in the center of my patterned paper but this is what happened:

 

 Embrace & celebrate the imperfection! I actually think it's more graphic & dynamic this way. Then I ran out of the cross-hatch rub-ons so had to finish up with a zigzag. Heidi Swapp (or was it Vicki Boutin?) 6x8" papers gave me the artistic look I wanted without all the work.

I wrote the haiku about this current stage of life.

 

 

I can think of dozens of pages to make from this prompt, and some already made that would qualify. It is interesting to think about how many international phrases are in our everyday speech. Some of my favorites are Italian - marinara, rigatoni, canelloni... just teasing!

Looking forward to everyone's creations, and don't forget the rest of the CKC July calendar!

• 24th July: Follower Showcase - who has caught our eye this month 
• 31st July: Killing Kits - an idea or two for using up the bits & pieces left in your kit box 

You KNOW that 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 #ckcjuly2021).

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

071221 July CKC Challenge #1

 

Ticket, please!

 Master Forger of Ceremonies Lisa has come up with the perfect challenge for our Counterfeit Kit Challenge July kit!

"The ticket and cinema elements in this kit reminded me of all the ticket stubs and piles of "stuff" I keep to use on my projects... one day!  Today is the day to get some of those memories out and onto a layout.  So I challenge you to use a ticket or in fact, any collected memorabilia on your project."

 I happened to be working on the weekly sketch over at A Cherry on Top & thought I could make the banners a string of colorful tickets. We had some cherry pit spitting competition fun at our Independence Day family celebration & I was ready to scrap it! My approach to a sketch is often deconstruction as opposed to imitation, as I'll show you in this side by side comparison:

Theirs/Mine

I was stumped by that block of white space but more on that later... I used the striped washi in my kit for the horizontal piece, and the very small piece of confetti paper cut into skinny strips for my border. I used rub-ons in place of stitching on the white background, matted the photos with patterned papers from my 6x6 pad, and marked the cherry pit locations on the driveway photo with puffy arrows. 

Here is how the ticket banners with stamped cherries above the photos turned out:

(I even got to use my ACOT cherry flair in my title!)

 

 

 

The white space was perfect for this old stencil. It was too large so I traced it out & used a reduced copy to create a watercolored version. I really love how it came out!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing everyone's take on this challenge! And of course, as always, we have a full month of inspiration to keep you inspired! 

There's still more to come in July:

• 18th July: Challenges #2 - to inspire you to get creating from your own kit 
• 24th July: Follower Showcase - who has caught our eye this month 
• 31st July: Killing Kits - an idea or two for using up the bits & pieces left in your kit box 

You KNOW that 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 #ckcjuly2021).

Thanks for stopping by!