February Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop!!!

Welcome to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog hop! I hope you are having as much fun as I am this month! You should have gotten here from Meridy's blog. If not, you can go back to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog, and start at the beginning. There are so many of us participating this month, it is so exciting!!

I absolutely love a good sketch! They are a really fun way to get scrapping if I'm lacking motivation, or can't think of a place to start. Sometimes, I try to stick closely to the design of the sketch, and sometimes I use it as a jumping off place for my layout.


I loved this sketch from Scraps of Darkness sketch designer Charlotte Jenkins (aka Suepup), and I followed her design fairly closely. I also wanted to try my hand at one of the dark, grungy layouts that their club is known for. I had a blast going to the dark side! This photo of my me and my husband on Halloween was perfect for my kit, and for the layout I had in mind. I was wearing a really fun devil Mardi Gras mask I bought for the occasion. I was torn between going as an angel or a devil, and the mask is what changed my mind.

I was also inspired by the song "(You're a) Devil in Disguise" by Elvis Presley! It was running through my head the entire time I was working on this page.

The only item I used, which was not a part of my kit was the title alpha (Pink Paislee) and rub-on (Pink Paislee). Thanks for looking!

Gabrielle

Next stop on the blog hop is Karen's blog. I hope you have fun!! Don't forget to link your kits and projects to the Counterfeit Kit blog, for a chance to win one of those fabulous Scraps of Darkness kits!

I was able to complete a few more projects with my kit! This layout was for a gift album I'm doing for my mother-in-law, of photos from her childhood. I went with lighter colors like pink and white, which was a relief after all those really dark projects I've done lately. I discovered this Basic Grey Take Note transparency in my stash, and thought it worked perfectly with this page! The little houses are just right with the photo, and I was really pleased. I made the snowflake by applying Stickles through one of the stencils I included in my kit, and then cutting it out when it dried.

The card was something else I did for the paper piecing mini challenge. I thought a bird would be pretty, so I made a wedding card to have in my stash. Again, I went with a black/gray/white color scheme to get away from the dark reds I've been using. I'm very happy with how it turned out!

Counterfeit Kit Paper Piecing Challenge!

The February Mini-Challenge #3 for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge is to make a paper pieced item to use on the project of your choice. When I think of paper piecing, I am automatically reminded of those adorable little tear bears from years ago. Although I admire the detail and effort that went into those little creations, 'cutesy" is not my style at all!

Then, I remembered seeing a project by one of the BG designers on Scrapbook Memories TV show, which was a very cool mosaic picture frame made from heat embossed paper scraps. I thought I could adapt that idea for my Valentine card project.

Basically, I cut up little bits of paper from all of the papers in my kit. This is an awesome way to use up little scraps of paper! I glued them onto a cardstock base, with a glue stick. Then, I cut out the heart using a template. I heat embossed the heart by stamping over the entire thing with a Versamark pad, and layering clear embossing powder, heating between each layer. Eventually, the embossing will resemble ceramic tile! I adhered my embossed heart to a black mat, and glued it to my card.

As I was working on this, I kept thinking of the song lyrics "Don't go breakin' my heart...", and thought that would make a great sentiment for my card. I'm not sure who I would send it to, but it's always good to have cards on hand for any occasion.

All of the items came from my February Counterfeit kit, except for the ribbon rosette, which was left over from my January kit. This was a lot of fun, and quite a stretch for me! Thanks for looking!

Counterfeit Kit Journaling Challenge

I think we all know how important it is to include journaling on our pages! When I pass away, I would love to leave something behind besides just pretty pages with photos on them. The story behind the photos is just as important! I have been guilty of including only the bare minimum information on my pages, so I know how difficult it can be. In fact, when making this page, I did at least four first drafts!! There is still one part that I wish I could change! My handwriting is not the best, and I really tried to make it as pretty as possible. It would have been much easier to print it out on the computer, even though I know it's important to leave behind an example of my handwriting. So, this project was a CHALLENGE for me!

"I love the idea for the mini-challenge because journaling is so important, and so often forgotten on our pages! For the "journaling only" challenge, I knew I wanted to scrap a page about my husband's proposal. It is one event that I don't really have a photo of, and since it was very romantic, I thought it would go very well with my kit. My journaling was so long, and I tried several times to fit it onto my page in an attractive manner. I originally printed one of the free journaling spots we were given very big, in the hopes of fitting it all in. It looked funny, but I really liked the artwork on that piece. So, I used the reverse side of one of my papers (it was lined), and wrote my journaling out on that. Then, I cut out the flourish pattern from the journaling spot, and adhered it to my journaling block. I used the Prima backing behind the journaling block, so I could include the rest of my story, which can be read by sliding the card out. I used water colors and the Shimmerz to color in the floral design, and dotted Liquid Pearls along the flourish for a touch of bling. I layered many pieces of paper to make the frame for my journaling block. The alphas I used for my title were ones I had planned on using in my add-on, but had forgotten to include (Fancy Pants Road Show). Everything else is from the kit. Thanks for the awesome challenge!"

February Counterfeit Kit Challenge!

I was thrilled when Meridy and Bethany asked me to be the February guest designer for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge! Their blog is jam packed with ways to make a fabulous kit of your own, including tutorials on many unique embellishments. I hope you visit, and take part in some of the fun we're having!

The February inspiration kit by Scraps of Darkness is absolutely drop dead gorgeous, in my opinion! I love the "ooh la la" drama and romance of the kit, and wanted to match it as closely as possible. I hope you get a chance to visit their site to drool over their kit! You can enter into a drawing for a chance to win this beautiful kit by playing along with the Counterfeit Kit Challenge, and linking up your blog on their list!

"When I first saw the inspiration kit, so many adjectives came to mind! Dark, dramatic, romantic, and mysterious, to name a few. I wanted to run out and buy every piece in the kit, but that's not really the point of this challenge! I did purchase one thing, which was a pack of glass pebbles from the Dollar Tree. Total cost - $1. Luckily, I had some products that were similar to those pictured, and some that I could improvise on. I knew I wanted to try and match the intensity of the inspiration kit, that was certain.

I pulled many different pieces out of my stash, and will try to list them, if possible. I first added card stock, because I think that is an important base for most scrapbook layouts. I chose pink, dark red, black, and cream to coordinate with the patterned papers."

Patterned paper (some partial sheets included):
My Mind's Eye - The Spider's Web (black/gray Dot)
Jenni Bowlin - Red Cabbage Flower
Scrap Within Reach - Industrial Park
Glitz Designs - Distressed Couture Vines
Tim Holtz - Idea-ology Seasonal Paper distressed red backside
My Mind's Eye - The Spider's Web Haunted Parlor
Graphic 45 - Communique Society Page
Basic Grey - Bittersweet Hand-Dipped
Tim Holtz - Idea-ology Seasonal Paper ATC Valentine images
Pink Paislee - Amber Road Apple Cider

Also included in main kit:
Prima felt embellishments - partial pack
Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type - ivory
MSL Mini Alphabet Set - black
Life Preservers Special Edition acrylic stamp set (Feb. 2010)
handmade "pebble" embellishments
distressed shipping tag - Eiffel Tower image from internet/Daisy D rub on
Basic Grey Bling it on rub on and rhinestone pack
Prima flowers from can
tiny dollar store blooms - burgandy
May Arts crocheted black ribbon
eyelash yarn from stash
Cricut and Accent Essentials cartridge - black die cut heart
corsage pin tied with ribbon
Making Memories glittered brads - black/red
rhinestone hearts from stash


Add-on kit:
Tim Holtz Idea-ology seasonal masks
Maya Mist - red
homemade mist - black
Stickles - red/black
Stickles - pearl platinum
handmade cardstock flower - red
handmade ribbon flower - black
Cupid charm from an old earring
black velvet ribbon
red ruffled ribbon
Basic Grey Bling It "Love"
Basic Grey Opaline hearts

I had a blast making up these kits, and I can't wait to see what each of you come up with! I am excited to get started on some projects with my "Counterfeit Kit". I think it will be perfect for some Valentine's Day projects. A big thanks to Meridy and Bethany for having me as guest designer this month!