Counterfeit Kit Team Challenge

Behind the scenes here at Counterfeit Kit, we have a whole cast of characters.  First and foremost, we have Bethany, the creator of CKC and our provider of kit inspiration and challenges each month. Next, there's Lisa who helps coordinate the team with weekly behind-the-scenes questions on our Master Forgers Facebook page to keep us interacting and charges us with special Master Forger-Only challenges - like the one we will share with you today.  Even though our relationship is just online, we try to connect and interact to bring you the BEST scrapbooking challenge site. 

It is quite amazing how we all work together on the world wide web to make all of this happen.

Speaking of the world, that brings us to the topic I chose for the Team Challenge.  Lisa found some darling printables on Pinterest by Allison Kimball.  Many are project life card sized and are  "Thankful" themed.  To add to the cuteness, they have that oh-so-trendy coloring book vibe to them.  I had my eye on several and was attempting to print them off when a happy accident occurred.  The design I chose printed out full size and inspiration struck!  I knew this globe would be the perfect opportunity to document another photo from my lovely visit with Lisa.  

Take a look...

While not a requirement, using a KIT is always welcomed at Counterfeit Kit Challenge.  Most of these supplies are from my March 2015 "Orange Crush" kit.  Yes...it is still hanging around my scrap room!  I knew it would come in handy, eventually!  LOL!

I did an informal cut around the globe, leaving a bit of a white border and used watercolors to color in the graphic.  Nothing neat or fancy here in technique as the sketch feel of the printable allows for a causal look.  While not in the original "Orange Crush" kit, how could I not include the German flair expressing gratitude acquired at Lisa's beloved "Scrapabilly" shop in Deutschland!

I'm not always a doodler on my layouts, but a bit of pen sketch seemed like a must to finish off the edges.

What an exciting time!  I'm thankful for Lisa, the whole team and our members who keep us motivated to create and share.  

Now it's your turn to use these printables to express your gratitude.  

Find them here:

http://www.allisonkimball.com/my_weblog/2013/11/gratitude-lists-free-download.html

(you need to go to the bottom of the post to download her own creations)

http://www.allisonkimball.com/my_weblog/2014/11/gratitude-pie-charts-free-download.html

(Allison is cool with us using these...just be sure to give her a shout-out if you use them for your own personal use.)

 Hop along to all the Master Forgers participating in this fun activity.  It will be sure to fill you with gratitude!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog http://www.counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com
Bethany http://inspiredscrapper-bethany.blogspot.com
Lynnette http://www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.de
Susan http://littlethingsbigdays.blogspot.com
Susanne http://snapsandsnippets.blogspot.de
Leslie http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com
Kelly http://www.honeysucklehillcrafts.com
Margie http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com
Lisa http://lisahausmann.blogspot.de

Thankful for YOU!

CKC Challenge #1 - Hate It!

Challenge #1 charges us to create a page about a pet peeve!

I MUST make my bed...everyday!  Not only does it neaten up the room in an instant, I simply just can not sleep in an unmade bed.  The few times I've tried, I had a terrible night.  Plus, I love my pretty bedding, so why not enjoy it?

Here's my layout showing the before and after photos.

It's getting late and all this talk about my bed is making me sleepy!

Nighty-nite!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge November Reveal and Blog Hop

Welcome to November...my favorite month of the year.  I love the crisp, cool weather this month brings.  I love the "calm before the storm" feeling that it holds with the holidays just around the corner.  I love its grey days and earlier nightfall with all the coziness that surrounds us.  November is a time of quiet reflection of the year passed.   Yes, November is MY month!

So, that brings us to this month's inspiration at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog...Cedar Lane by Pink Paislee.  A cozy kit with greys, weathered woodtones and hints of harvest colors.  Take a look for yourself...

Pink Paislee

Something about the gold, brown and even the deep plum made me think of Indian Corn that is often used in harvest decorating.  

Presenting my November Counterfeit Kit...

Nestled within the cornstalks and Indian

corn cobs, my paper selections this month are an a-maize-ing match up to the originals.  Follow me into the corn maze and I'll give you a closer look...

I found the "Wildflowers" paper collection by Carta Bella had a very similar feel to the inspiration.  The herringbone grey weathered wood (I believe a Dear Lizzie paper) made a perfect substitution for Pink Paislee's straight planks.

This all-over floral has the perfect colors and vibe to fit right in the cornstalks.

Let's turn down this corner of the maze to see what's ahead...

A few autumnal journaling cards coupled with a grey diagonal stripe paper will work to create a neutral backdrop to a layout.

Did you notice the scripty page in the inspiration?  Well, here's my version.  This muted plum feather paper just has that Native American vibe this kit evokes.

A bit of mint green matches up perfectly to the inspiration color palette.

And the all over sequin paper reminds me of the speckled colors of the Indian Corn.

The inspiration has a deep plum paper...I've got a deep plum paper!  While solid cardstock is not my go-to these days, I had to throw it in.  I always get a kick out of perfectly matching up to the inspiration.  And who knows?  I may just end up USING it!

Here are some of the Project Life style cards from that Carta Bella collection.  

Such beautiful and varied colors in that Indian Corn!  God is quite the artist, wouldn't you say?

Well, I see the light at the end of the maze!  We made it through!  

And look what waits for us at the end...

 My a-maize-ing embellishment tray!  Speaking of embellishments, this month each Master Forger chose an embellishment to create our own original add-on embellishment kit.  Head back to the blog tomorrow to see all of them revealed together.  Here's a sneak peek of the die cut pack I chose.


Journey - Crate Paper

After the Add-on reveal tomorrow, come back on 11/4 for Forgeries on the Fourth where we will show you how to re-create these goodies.  We are here to lead and inspire you through every step of this scrappy maze.

So, there's my A-maize-ing November Counterfeit Kit.  Don't get lost in your abundant maze of supplies.  Pull them together to create a manageable kit by which you can easily navigate.

Try it...you will be a-maize-d!

I'm at the end of the line this time around,

 but in case you've missed any of the others, here is the blog list.

A warm welcome to Alicia, our guest designer this month.  So glad you are here with us!

Guest Designer: http://www.aliciaredshaw.com.au/

Margie: http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com

Susan: http://littlethingsbigdays.blogspot.de/

Stephanie: http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.com

Susanne: http://snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com

Clair: http://obstinatepursuit.blogspot.co.uk/

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

Julene: http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com

Kelly: http://66.147.244.112/~honeysv0/

Leslie: http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.ca

Lisa: http://lisahausmann.blogspot.ca

Lynnette http://www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Driver - Layout #1

This month I'm participating in the Layout A Day Challenge (LOAD), as we call it.  It is the ScrapHappy community's private session this go around.  Leslie and I have had the honor of running the whole thing the past few years.  It's great fun and draws from a whole other level of creativity, but it can sometimes take away from me actually scrapping.  I'm just gonna keep chugging along and go at my own pace as I know I'm a dedicated scrapper.  There was a time when I really felt like I needed to "prove myself" and create a layout every single day, but now it's just more relaxed in my mind.

So, even though it's day 5...here is the Day 1 layout where Leslie inspired us to tell something legendary about ourselves.  I took a lighter approach talking about how I'm a "legendary" soup maker.  With my "Sunday Driver" kit ready to go, I had all the supplies I needed.  Take a look...

Have any other good soup recipes?

What makes YOU legendary?

I'd love to hear!

Thanks for stopping by!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge October Reveal and Blog Hop

Well, hello there!  I see you are back for some more scrappy inspiration...counterfeit style!  It is a bit addicting, isn't it?  I find the counterfeiting and kitting process almost as much fun as the scrapbooking part!  It's fun to use and play with scrappy goodies!

This month you will need to be a super sleuth scrapper as you navigate some clues to create your kit.  We're not providing a direct kit-to-copy, rather a case file of evidence, testimony, scheme and a scene to get your creativity flowing this month.  Color Stories Inspiration (CSI) offers a unique approach to scrapping that can certainly be translated into kit building.  Honestly, it opens the door (maybe even the CAR door) even wider for kit possibilities!  Let's take a look at the case file - think of it like your road map:

CSI Blog

It's beginning to feel like autumn around here and this photo and color scheme ties right into that vibe  I've got an urge to get on that open road with the old '69 Bug and see some fall foliage.  

C'mon...let's go for a drive!

Ladies, Start your Engines...

Of course, the inspiration photo spoke to me immediately!  I knew exactly how I would stage my kit this month.  We're fortunate to have one of these in the garage.

I used the color scheme as my guide for choosing my papers.  Shades of pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet cream and mint cover the windshield.  The plaid piece just seemed to have that vintage car feel and satisfies the grey in the inspiration.

Now, here are the B sides!

Hehe!  That's kind of fun!  Remember that your B sides are fair game when you actually start working with your kit.  Even if that side wasn't what you had intended when you assembled your kit, it doesn't matter!  It's all about USING your stash!

Next, on to the printer's tray.  The evidence called for metal and music so I added some metal eighth note brads.  Numbers...some large black and cream ones.  Transportation...bikes and some little vintage car die cuts that are stuck in a traffic jam of embellies.  String was also mentioned and trust me, there's some baker's twine in there!  Then just a variety of spare parts like brads, stickers, border strips and buttons that seemed to match the feel of the kit.

Also in the evidence list are mists and watercolors.  

You never know when you may need an "oil" change!

Well, we're back from our Sunday drive!  Time for you to gather your supplies so you can take a whirl down your own scrappy road.

Take a spin over to all of our Master Forgers' blogs.  Your first pit stop will be our guest designer - the amazing and lovely, Tina!  You will also have the opportunity to stop in to our 3 new design team members' "garages":  Susan, Kelly and Clair!  Be sure to honk your horn for them. 

 BEEP! 

BEEP!

Guest Designer: http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com/

Lynnette http://www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com

Margie: http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com

Susan: http://littlethingsbigdays.blogspot.de/

Stephanie: http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.com

Susanne: http://snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com

Clair: http://obstinatepursuit.blogspot.co.uk/

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

Julene: http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com

Kelly: http://66.147.244.112/~honeysv0/

Leslie: http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.ca

Lisa: http://lisahausmann.blogspot.ca

Now, buckle up and scrap safely!

More September Creations

Scrapping and I have been reunited...and I have to say, "it feels so good!"

I love playing with my papers and supplies!

Here are two layouts I created with my September kit, "Fern Gully".  I don't have much time before I have to pick up the kids, so I'll skip the small talk.

All I can say is that I sat down with my kit and played!

Take a look...

If you've been away from scrapping, just sit down and play.  You will be glad you did! 

Gotta run!

Thanks for stopping by!

I Did Not Know That!

So, with the kids back to school I was able to find a little bit of time to play with my September Kit, "Fern Gully".  I decided to make use of the forged Studio Calico polka dot paper I whipped up.  You remember the one, don't you?

Ahhhh, yes!  Now you know the one.

Hmmm...should I cut it up?

Is it too much to use whole?

I was a little bit stumped, so I decided to head over to Pinterest and see what was on the boards under "Pop Art" by Studio Calico.

And guess what I discovered?

The original version of this paper is actually a scratch off sheet!

I DID NOT KNOW THAT!

Did you know that?

I totally missed that feature!

So, I took my forgery one step further (using some inspiration from the SC blog) by making it look like some of the gold foil dots were scratched off, revealing a message behind.  Just a quick dab and smear of white paint that I even scratched with my fingernail and then some rub-ons and handwriting to complete the look.  

Haha!  That's funny...I used rub-ons on my scratch-offs!

And here's how I ended up using the paper...

And some close-ups...

Some gold stitching detail ties in to the gold foil dots and some gold splatters for good measure.

Check out the Studio Calico blog post that inspired me HERE.

So glad to have used my hand forged paper and make the scratch-off discovery!  

Thanks for stopping by!

Pick a Card...Any Card!

And you have the choice of THREE!

Over at Counterfeit Kit Challenge, Bethany charged us with the following challenge:

*Challenge #2: Make a collection of 3 cards using the same type of paper/embellishments from your kit. Keep them similar, but add a different twist to each one.* 

Cards should be an easy and quick craft project, right?  But sometimes I struggle with how to fill the space.  I guess I'm a bit of a hoarder (or not very generous), but it kills me to put a fancy embellishment on a card.  I guess we all know the inevitable fate of a greeting card and I'd rather that prized embellishment be on a scrapbook page.  There's a better chance of longevity on that one.

So, I decided to occupy that card "real estate" with some photos.  Easy and relatively inexpensive to print, photos printed in a smaller size make a perfect focal point.  I used scenery shots that are pretty and generic enough to send to anyone.  Even the photo with people are only silhouettes so it really can work for anyone (although, I do think my sister will be receiving this one!).  I also chose shots that are from the same photo session to satisfy the "same, but different" challenge.

Here are my creations:

What types of cards will you whip up?  Perhaps consider some scenery shots for your next batch!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Simple Paper Forgery

By now you have seen the Studio Calico kit-to-copy this month, Pop Art.  It is a sparse kit with not many embellishments, but it did have a paper that called out to me as a candidate for forging.

I'm not sure if it is white or a very pale pink coupled with those gold dots, but I went with the very pale pink.

Next, I looked through my stash of vellum and found a gold piece.

A circle punch will work perfectly...1.5 inches works for me.

Then there's that pesky dilemma on how to adhere vellum.

I dug out my Xyron sticker maker and fed those circles through to create an even cover of adhesive.

I tried not to get too particular about placement.  I did follow what I'll call a random diagonal.

And here is my result...

Pleased as punch!

I always get such a kick out of creating something that's just like the original. 

 You should give it a try!

Thanks for stopping by!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge September Kit Reveal and Blog Hop

Why hello there.

Where has the time gone?

May I ask a favor?

Slow down the treadmill of life, please!

Wasn't it just July and I was preparing for my trip to Europe?  Time has marched on and little has been scrapped.  But there's no guilt here as sometimes (mostly summer) you have to stop and LIVE life.  The scrapping and the kit can wait.  Has this ever happened to you?  Don't beat yourself over it. Open up an Iris box and place your goodies in for a rainy, scrappy day.  That's what I'm going to do. I fully intend on using that Jet Setter kit from August.  Stay tuned.

In the meantime, we are on to our next batch of inspiration.  Let's take a look at this eclectic mix from Studio Calico:

I will be honest.  I looked at this and thought, "I'm glad this didn't arrive in my mailbox!"  It seems rather random to me, but I decided to keep positive and figure out my angle.  I noticed those green and teal ferns and they reminded me of a fern paper I have in my stash.  And there...my kit was born,

Introducing...

My inspiration fern paper seemed to fit with the existing color palette.  A very unlikely mix for me, but that's the beauty of CKC.  We strive to stretch you (and the Master Forgers) in all different directions.  Take a closer look...

Be sure to check our "Forgeries on the Fourth" post on September 4th, of course!  I'll show you how I replicated the gold dot paper as seen in the lower right corner.

No printer's tray this month as it is still loaded with last month's goodies!  I have this month's offerings scattered here near my lush summer fern.

 Not quite a fern, but that transparent leafy sprig will stand in well.  Lots of old product like some smash journaling cards and metal rimmed tag.

The light pink paper with the black dots reminded me of one of the inspiration papers and the addition of the paper daisies is a nod to the flower paper.

So there you have it...another kit created.  The important lesson to learn here is keep an open mind.  I'm still glad Studio Calico didn't send me this kit in the mail, but I am thankful for the inspiration to create a fun, fresh and lush kit that uses the supplies from my stash...the supplies I love!

Here's the order of the hop.  Be sure to visit all my fellow Master Forgers and Cindy, this month's talented guest designer.  Welcome, Cindy!

Guest Designer: http://www.cindyscreations-cinmfoster.blogspot.com/
Lisa: http://lisahausmann.blogspot.ca
Lynnette http://www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com
Margie: http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com
Stephanie: http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.com
Susanne: http://snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com
Jemma: http://just-jimjams.blogspot.co.uk
Julene: http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com
Leslie: http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.ca

Woo Hoo!  Kids are back to school soon!  Time to Scrap!