Gabrielle's Scrap Blog

Finally a counterfeit!!

2012-01-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

It seems like forever since I've participated in the Counterfeit Kit Challenge! Since I started back at work, leisure time has been hard to come by.

This month the inspiration came from Cocoa Daisy, and is gorgeous! I loved the papers by October Afternoon! During the blog hop, I was really impressed by the OA Attic Trunk paper Helen recreated! So, I decided to try it out myself. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

The original Attic Trunk by October Afternoon:

My version:

I'm hoping to be able to put together an entire kit soon, and will keep you posted!

Scrappin Fun Weekend!!!

2012-01-13T14:46:00.000-08:00

I hope you can join us on the Absolutely Alter It message board for a fun crop this weekend!

December Daily.....WTF????

2011-12-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows anything about the scrapbooking world has heard of the December Daily album, an idea created by the scrapbook maven, Ali Edwards. The whole idea has always intimidated me, and I have studiously (and smartly) avoided doing one for a few years now.

My resolve began to cave when some friends of mine at Absolutely Alter It message board decided they were doing one. I thought maybe, just maybe I could pull it off.

I ordered a gorgeous kit from Paper Lovelies, which has a very fun and unusual Christmas line by Prima (North Country). I thought this might be a great jumping off place for the doing a December Daily book.
I began with a simple 6 X 6 spiral bound album which has about 20 page protectors already bound inside the album. I thought I'd take it really easy, since I am working 34 hours a week now, and I shouldn't be too hard on myself. Sounds good, right? Well, by the first day of December I was already feeling pressured to take photos, and prepare the pages for this thing!!! The photos I took the first day were a pile of dirty dishes in the sink that were threatening to reach the ceiling, and some flowers my daughter received from a boy she likes after her choir performance. They seemed really lame, and not very festive.

I have a crippling secret, and maybe some of you can relate. Creatively, I struggle from performance anxiety. Sometimes the urge to make something really beautiful and special can hinder my actual process. Maybe I should just make the stupid album, and let it turn out however it turns out. Who am I going to offend, anyway?

I do find that doing photos every day is very stifling for me. I thought it would be easier to just photograph the things I think are important to me during the holidays, and put them in the book in any order I please. So, maybe I don't have to stick to a DAILY album, and can just make it anyway I please! I know I sound like a brat! I'll keep you updated in my progress, or lack thereof...

One little layout....

2011-11-23T13:04:00.001-08:00

I feel so out of it lately, but I was able to complete one layout with my Halloween counterfeit kit. I used some photos of my two youngest sons from this Halloween. Both of them dressed up as zombies, and I had them pose in front of the tombstones we had decorating the yard.

The sketch came from Pagemaps 2, and I really stuck closely to it, as I was not feeling that creative. At least I accomplished one layout!

I'm late to the party!

2011-11-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a counterfeit kit for Halloween, although October has come and gone. October's inspiration kit came from Little Red Scrapbook (September, 2010), and included a Halloween themed kit. I liked the kit, but wanted to make mine a little creepier, and less cutesy because my kids are getting older and are definitely into the spookiness of Halloween.

Inspiration kit:

My version:

I recently bought last year's Hocus Pocus line by Pink Paislee on clearance, and used that as a base for my kit. I added a few sheets of other Halloween paper I had laying around, one new sheet of Pink Paislee and a bunch of embellishments to top it off. Maybe I'll get a chance to do a few layouts from this Halloween with the kit.

A Little Something to get you in the Halloween Spirit!

2011-10-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I updated my blog. Now that I'm working, and I dropped all my dt commitments, I don't feel any pressure to create. In an effort to keep up with my blog, I feel the need to post SOMETHING.

I was browsing the internet recently and found a few really creepy vintage Halloween photos that I wanted to post. I don't know why old photos of children in costume are so much creepier than modern ones. Maybe it's because of the crude homemade masks, poor photo quality, or that the kid's faces are covered up. I love how weird they are! Enjoy!

September Masters of Forgery Blog Hop!!

2011-09-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Masters of Forgery blog hop! You should have gotten here via Lisa's blog. My last month on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge DT has been fun and a little bittersweet! Since I'm not an expert stamper, I really had to push myself to use my stamps creatively.

For the blog hop challenge, we were supposed to use our stamps in a "special" way on a layout or project. I was a little stumped on what to do. So, I decided to use my stamps in a couple of different ways, that are not the typical ways you might think of to use stamps.

First, I decided to use an old Halloween foam stamp for my Willy Wonka page. I liked the hat on the stamp, but did not want to use the rest of it. So, I masked off the part I did not want, and just stamped the hat part onto a piece of grungeboard. I then cut it out, and used it on my page. As you can see, I was a little sloppy with my masking, because my stamp ended up with a five o'clock shadow! I love stamping images, then cutting out to use on my projects. It's so much less intimidating than stamping directly onto the project!

Next, I stamped some twill ribbon to create the flower for my page. I love the way stamped ribbon looks, but hardly ever use it. I also stamped my journaling spot.

Pardon the terrible photos! I had my first day back at work today, and when I got home to take photos, my camera batteries were dead. I'll try taking better pics in the morning.

I hope you were able to come up with some creative ways to use stamps on your project! Thanks for stopping by! Your next stop on this hop is Meridy's blog. I'm sure she has something gorgeous to show you!

Stamp an embellishment!

2011-09-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

This month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge we are having a ton of fun with stamps! Our third challenge is to stamp an embellishment to use on a layout or project. I admit, I'm not a huge stamper. Every time I work with them, it's really a matter of trial and error. I enjoyed trying some new things with my stamps this month.

I love the idea of tags! Tags are awesome because they can stand alone as a lovely project, which you can collect, or give away like cards. Or, they can be used on a scrapbook page!

I got the inspiration for my tag after seeing a photo of an ornate Victorian ceiling, which was covered by square panels. Inside each square was a cherubic (although creepy) face surrounded by wings. It was very cool, and I thought it would be fun to do something similar for this project. I have a beautiful set of wing stamps by Stampers Anonymous, which was given to me by my sister. For the face, I used a stamp I just got from Big Lots, which had a little vintage looking child's face. It's sort of creepy, like the faces on the ceiling. I stamped the face onto paper, punched it out with my 1" punch, then glued to a Tim Holtz grungeboard circle, which are miraculously the exact same size. That fit perfectly inside one of the bottle caps from my kit. I covered the surface of my image with Textured Effects. I stamped and embossed the wings onto yellow cardstock, then I went over them with some acrylic paint to make it even more gilded looking. I kept thinking of the words "Angels in the architecture..." from that old Paul Simon song, but that title was too long. Instead I used the nickname of Los Angeles, which is near the town where I grew up as a child.

I can't wait to see the amazing embellishments everyone made with stamps!

1000 sheets of paper????

2011-09-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

Check out this giveaway!

Challenge #1 Stamp a background!

2011-09-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's all about stamping this month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge! Our fabulous sponsor is none other than our own Master Forger, Sherri! She is giving away a stamp set from her etsy shop, which is a very cool and generous prize!

Our first challenge this month is to use stamps to create a background for a layout or card. Because of my bold paper choices this month, I struggled a bit with this one. I wanted a background that would not get lost with the strong patterns of my other papers. I also needed to make a card for my middle son, Joey, who turned 12 this weekend. I had a fun photo of him riding a unicycle, and decided to silhouette cut around his figure. I used a starburst stamp, and intended to create a mat to place behind the photo using the stars radiating out from the center. At first, I used a gold ink pad, and the image was too faint. So, I went with gold acrylic paint, which is not the most precise medium, but at least it showed well on my dark cardstock. After I got my stamped image down, I did not like the way it looked. So, since I was already feeling scissor happy, I cut out around all the stars, leaving a space intact in the center. I glued the center down to my card, but popped the ends up, so the appear to come right up off the front of the card. I also popped the image of Joey up. I cut out one of the fun images from the Graphic 45 paper, as well, to create this card. My son absolutely loved it, and all his friends were impressed, as well.

While I was on a roll, I made this page, using one of the stunning sheets of paper from my kit (Le Cirque). It begged to be cut into a frame, which I've seen done before, but I wanted to try something a little different. I was lucky enough to check out the free class a few weeks back put on by Miss Arts Papercrafting School, which was one of our former sponsors. It was called "The Secret Garden", and one of the examples was a gorgeous layout, which was cut in a similar manner, and popped up off the page. The designer, Stacy Cohen, used paper to create the ruffle around the edge of her cut out, but I used crepe paper, which seemed to go more with my circus theme. I found the perfect photo of my youngest son, Anton, last year at a local parade. His soccer team dressed up like clowns for the parade, but he wanted his face painted like a "sad clown". It was really cute, and I was lucky to get this shot of him with his face made up. Most of the items used were from my kit, except the crepe paper and Jillibean Soup alphas.

I am having a blast with my kit this month! It may be one of my favorite all time counterfeit kits! I hope you are enjoying yours, and can't wait to see your projects!

My last kit as a Master of Forgery :(

2011-09-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Sadly, this will be my last month as a Master of Forgery for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge! It's time for me to get a real job after sixteen years as a stay at home mom. I will definitely still participate in the challenges, if time permits!

This month's inspiration kits were by The Sweet Peach Crop Shop (September, 2010). I loved the soft blues of the main kit, but unfortunately don't have anything like it in my stash. I thought briefly about ordering some Sassafras Lass Indie Girl, but that's not really the point of this challenge. I was inspired by the Juicy Themed kit, which had a more bold vintage feeling to it.

I recently bought the Le Cirque line by Graphic 45. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to use it. The paper is stunning, with beautiful vintage circus images and a dramatic color scheme. I thought I could do a lot with it because my kids are very active, and always seem to be doing something acrobatic. I combined some embellishments I thought would work with this themed kit. I have a ton of ideas floating around in my head, and can't wait to get working on it!

Patterned Papers: Graphic 45 - Le Cirque "Le Cirque", "Bohemian Floral", "Borders", "Wizards of Wonder", "Greatest Show on Earth", "Extravaganza", "Under the Big Top", "Flying High", "Magnifique", "Circus Parade", and "Dazzle and Delight".

Embellishments: kraft corrugated alphas - Jillibean Soup, Thickers "Bewitched", Cosmo Cricket tiny type, little paper bags & Basic Grey pearls (rak from Crysal), Le Cirque tags, wild cards - October Afternoon "Thrift Shop", ephemera Daisy D's, black velvet ribbon -Maya Road, bottle caps, chipboard buttons & vintage buttons - Jenni Bowlin.

August Masters of Forgery Blog Hop!!

2011-08-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Masters of Forgery blog hop! I hope you got here via Lisa's blog. Our fabulous sponsor this month, Allison Davis of Sketch support, created a sketch especially for us this month! For the blog hop, we are challenged to use this sketch to create a project with our Counterfeit kits.

See the sketch here.

This was a challenge for me because I don't often do two page layouts! It's such a fun sketch, though. I was inspired to scrap some older pics of my kids that were taken by my cousin's husband Isaac Hernandez. The kids were wearing his old hat, and he just snapped these shots in our back yard. They are some of my favorites! I only had enough photos to fill up some of the spots for photos, so I used pieces of the glittered paper from my kit in the other spaces.

The layout was different for me, also, because I don't usually do this type of monochromatic color scheme. I think it's growing on me!

Next stop on the hop is Meridy's blog. I'm sure she has something amazing to show you! Thanks for playing along this month. I hope to see you here again next month!

Challenge #3 Turn it on it's ear!

2011-08-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe August is almost over! Summer seemed to fly by this year, and my kids start school tomorrow. With vacation and two kids' birthdays this month, I missed out on the challenge #1. I hope to complete it before the month is out, however.

All of our challenges at Counterfeit Kit Challenge this month come from, Sketch Support. Allison Davis, the creator of Sketch Support and our fabulous sponsor this month is offering an awesome free gift to one of our blog hop participants! Please be sure and check out the blog hop on the 28th!

Challenge #3 is called "Turn it on it's ear"! Pick any of the sketches from Sketch Support and rotate it before you use it on a card or layout.

I used one page sketch #10 as a starting point for my layout, which I rotated 90 degrees. I also misted the big heart shaped doily from my kit, and placed it behind my photo and other elements for a very feminine feel.

I can't wait to see how everyone else interpreted this challenge!

August Counterfeit Kit!

2011-08-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that the Counterfeit Kit Challenge is in its eighth month! Our gorgeous inspiration this month comes from My Creative Scrapbook at http://www.mycreativescrapbook.com/pkits.htm. You have to scroll down to September 2010 to see the photos of the kit(s) for this month. There are 4 kits to choose from, the Main Kit, the Album Kit, the Mini/Creative Kit, and the Limited Edition kit. I did one kit this month, as August is extremely busy for our family with vacation, family birthdays, and back to school. I took inspiration from the Main Kit and the Limited Edition Kits.

Patterned Paper: Seven Gypsies - Avignon "Orchestra Music Notes" (partial sheet), Fancy Pants - Lilac House "Heirloom", The Girl's Paperie - Paper Girl, My Mind's Eye Lost and Found - Portabello Road Family "First Class" and "Brocade", Party "Celebration" and "Looking Glass" , Crate Paper - Emma's Shoppe "Fabric", "Dresses", "Quilts", and "Books", Fancy Pants - Wishful Thinking "Memories", and Deja Views "Lovely".

Embellishments: Die-Cut cardstock - K & Co. (Brenda Walton), chipboard teacup mini album (Studio 18), lace floral border - Recollections, cardstock stickers - Crate "Emmas Shoppe", chipboard alpha stickers - Making Memories "Passport", black epoxy foil alphas - Making Memories "Vintage Findings", buttons - My Mind's Eye - Portabello Road "You and Me", Prima Say it with Crystals, flowers (Prima), stamps (Life Preservers Feb. 2010), large heart shaped doily (thrift shop find), and misc. ribbon.

We are pleased to announce that August's sponser is Allison Davis! Allison will be sending the winner of our August drawing her two newest sketchbooks, Sketches for Scrapbooking Volume 8 and Sketches for Scrapbooking One Page Layouts Volume 1. In order to be entered in the drawing you can either join the blog hop or comment on the blog hop...it's that easy!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!!

2011-08-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

I took all the names of people who left comments on my blog during the blog hop, and put them in a jar. My youngest son drew the winner!

EMILY will receive my travel mini kit! Please e-mail me your address at gabriellec1962@sbcglobal.net, so I can get it out to you.

Thanks to all of you who participated in the July blog hops!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog Hop and & More Giveaways!!

2011-07-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the last stop on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog hop! I'm filling in on the regular hop today because Bethany had a family emergency. You should have gotten here via Glinda's blog. If not, you can go back to the challenge blog to find your way.

The challenge for this blog hop is all about Flower Power!

"Find a creative way to use flowers on your project! If you need some fun new flower ideas, Miss Arts has a great new class on making flowers...you should check it out!"

What a perfect challenge for those of us who tend to "collect" products such as flowers! I admitted yesterday to having more than my fair share of Prima's "Got Flowers", and promised to give you another fun idea for using up some of these babies that are collecting dust in your stash!

I found this fantastic idea on a scrap blog awhile back, which I thought was a brilliant way to create something a little more fancy looking out of these simple paper blossoms. I decided to make a few of these to show you, and use them on a quick card with items from my kit. I hope you get a chance to give it a try!
The top right flower is what I started out with, and the top left is the flower I cut to make my "leaves". I used four or five layers to make my flowers very full. These "Got Flowers" are a natural creme color, unlike the green ones in my kit, but otherwise they are the same flowers. After gluing the layers together, I misted my flower with red Maya mist for a completely different look.
I hope you've had a chance to check out our awesome sponsor this month! One lucky winner will win a two month membership to May Arts Papercrafting school! I've heard their classes are excellent.

We have another exciting giveaway this month! Polkadot Whimsy, the kit club that created our fabulous inspiration kits, has graciously offered the Liberty Sparks add-on kit as a prize this month! See all the details on this post at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog to enter.

Speaking of prizes, I am also giving away my vacation mini kit! All you have to do is post on this thread or yesterday's DT blog hop thread for a chance to win. I will choose one random winner next week! Good luck!

Thank you for joining us this month for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog hop! I hope you got some great ideas on using flowers in your scrappy projects, and had fun in the process! I hope to see you next month.

July Masters of Forgery Blog Hop & Giveaway!!

2011-07-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge DT blog hop!! I'm hoping you got here via Susanne's blog. If not, you can go back to the challenge blog to get your bearings.

Flower Power!! That is what our blog hop challenge is all about this month! If you are anything like me you have flowers. Many, many flowers! I am a complete sucker for those big jars of tiny little Primas "Got Flowers" that you can sometimes find on sale for $2 or $3 at the local crafts store. I buy them just because they are sooo cute! The problem is, I have several bottles of them now, and each bottle holds almost 200 flowers. Even if I used one on every layout I ever make, it's going to be years before they are all used up!

Here is one solution! Use a whole bunch of these little guys on a fun altered frame for summer! I started out with one of those $1 frames you can get at Michael's or similar store. This particular frame came in a pack from Ikea years ago, but you can find something similar anywhere. You can even use a chipboard frame, if that's what you have on hand.

I sanded the frame lightly to smooth any splinters, and then painted the edges with acrylic in a warm yellow color that matched my paper. I then covered the front of the frame with one of the papers from my kit. I managed to spill a bunch of matte medium on my cutting mat in the process, but we won't go into that! You can see in my photos that my mat is well used! Any liquid glue works for this. I cut around the edges with my exacto knife, and then sanded the edges for a smooth finish.

At this point, I went to town, with a bunch of flowers from my kit/stash! I also used a few stickers to go with my theme. I would suggest placing everything on your frame before gluing down. The bonus is I also used a bunch of brads from my stash! This is another item that will never seems to get used up.

The great thing about a frame like this is that you can change the photo if you want! And, since they are so inexpensive to make you can give it away to an admirer, or recycle (or donate) it when you are tired of it!

I am also doing a giveaway this month! I will choose one blog hop participant by random drawing to win my travel mini kit! All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post.

Tomorrow, I'll post another idea on how to use those little paper flowers in your stash! The next stop on the DT blog hop is Meridy's. blog. Enjoy the hop, and don't forget to leave a comment!

Gallery Stand Out Challenge!

2011-07-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pastimes is to look through online scrapbook galleries for inspiration! The latest challenge at Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog was the perfect opportunity!

"Mini Challenge #3: Gallery Standout Challenge Go forth and find a gallery for inspiration and use it to create a project. Be sure to post a link to your inspiration as well as a photo of your project so we can appreciate YOU!"

I got my inspiration from this layout on Scrapbook.com. I loved the ink splats, line of circular embellishments, and mixture of patterns on this page!

Here is my version:

I can't wait to see where you get your inspiration!

MIni Challenge #1 - Emboss your heart out!

2011-07-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

First of all, I wanted to mention our fabulous July sponsor!! One lucky winner will receive a two month subscription to Miss Arts Paper Crafting School, which holds online classes for all kinds of interesting techniques and projects! Make sure to take part in our blog hop for a chance to win!

Mini Challenge #1:

The first challenge this month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge was to use embossing on a project.

"Challenge #1: Embossing Challenge! Find some creative ways to emboss on your project! I don't care if you use embossing powders....embossing folders or even a stylus. Emboss your heart out for this challenge! "

I don't think I'm alone in that I own all the tools I need to for embossing, but don't always take advantage of them. At first, I was a little stumped about what to do for this, but then I remembered the cool embossed titles I've seen and admired. I used some pre-cut cardstock sticker letters from my stash, and adhered them to an old sticker backing sheet. This allowed me to run them through my Cuttlebug, and not have them stick to my embossing folder (Tim Holtz). I used an additional technique where I painted the inside of the embossing folder (right side) with black paint before running through the Cuttlebug, to add even more depth and texture to the impression. It worked very well, except in some places, where the embossing was particularly deep, and tore the letters. I just made sure to glue them down in their original shape. I also embellished the journaling spot with a heat embossed flourish, and a placed a few little stamped and embossed stars around the page.

For this page, I used a few photos of my oldest son and his best friend, who just moved away to another town. I've heard the expression for my title, and thought it fit their relationship. My son's friend spent many hours at our home, and felt like part of the family.

I used my "Liberty Shores" knock off kit for this page, because the colors were just right for the photos.

I'm excited to see what everyone else comes up with! It's always fun to learn something new.

Here is another page I did for a crop last weekend at Absolutely Alter It message board, using my July kit and a sketch from the July Pagemaps sketches.

July Counterfeit Kit and more!!

2011-07-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

Summer is such an exciting time for scrapbooking! There are so many opportunities to capture aweseome photos this time of year, with 4th of July celebrations, vacations, outdoor activities, and family reunions. This month at the Counterfeit Kit challenge blog, there are several ways for you to create a kit that's perfect for your scrapping your summer occasions.

Our July inspiration kit come from a club called Polka Dot Whimsy. There are two add-ons, as well, which are each very different in style. I was very excited about the main kit, because I happened to have a few of the items that were featured. I thought it would be easy as pie putting my version together. It ended up being one of my most challenging kits ever, mostly because I kept changing my mind about what papers I wanted to use. Since I did not have any patterned paper with banners, airplanes, or little shirts/flip flops, I had to make a few substitutions. I finally settled on the suitcase paper, which I included in my kit a few months ago, but had not used. I also used a bold sheet of pennant paper by Sassafras Lass and car paper by American Crafts. We always go camping in summer, and I embraced that by including a few items from Cosmo Cricket "Mr. Campy", as well. I'm still not about my final kit, but it will be interesting to see how it goes when I start working with it.

Papers: Coordinating cardstock (Bazzill), Cosmo Cricket (Early Bird "Farmer's Market"), Paper Trunk (Socialite "Posh"), Sassafras Lass (Amplify "Intensity"), Jenni Bowlin Homespun "A Cherry on Top" &(Play Date "Die Cut Label Paper", Cosmo Cricket (Mr. Campy "Skipping Stones" & "Happy Trails", American Crafts (Road Trip "Rest Stop"), Crate Paper (Emma's Shoppe "Dolls"), Pink Paislee (Hometown Summer "Summer Fun"), October Afternoon (Thrift Shop "Great Find"), and Deja Views (Pack Your Bags "Baggage Claim").

Embellishments: Cosmo Cricket - Mr. Campy journaling cards & rub-ons, Jenni Bowlin red trim cardstock alpha stickers & Homespun banner alphabet stickers, October Afternoon Fly a Kite word stickers, 7 Gypsies Top Ten stickers, Bazzill library pockets & yellow banner border, kraft journaling spots (Jillibean Soup), travel transparencies (Little Yellow Bicycle), summer bingo cards (Pink Paislee "Hometown Summer"), flowers (Prima), and other misc. items from stash (ribbon, tickets, journaling spots)

I also put together a vintage inspired "Liberty Shores" add on, which was much easier to. I included some very old (out of business) Rusty Pickle "Mayflower" line from way back in 2007! I'm very excited about scrapping with this kit, because I got some good shots of fireworks this 4th of July, which this kit will coordinate with perfectly!

Add-on contents: Jenni Bowlin papers (Bullseye, Naptime, Cherry Pie, and Snack Time), Rusty Pickle papers (Mayflower "Pricilla Mullins", "Miles Standish", "Stephen Hopkins", and quote cut-outs, Tim Holtz Season Paper (4th of July block words & vintage fireworks), Cosmo Cricket "Halfway Cafe" journaling cards, Jillibean Soup celebration alpha stickers, American Crafts Thickers black "Bumble", Pressed Petals metal squares, Jenni Bowlin buttons, flowers (Prima), and ribbon/trim from my stash.

This month, I also made a vacation mini page kit, which you can see by scrolling down to the previous blog post. I'm excited to get working with my kits, and I can't wait to see what the rest of you have put together!

July Travel Mini page kit!

2011-07-06T00:02:00.000-07:00

At the Counterfeit Kit Challenge, we are trying something new. Each month, one of the Masters of Forgery makes a mini page kit of their own, including a sketch. I was lucky enough to be able to make a travel/vacation mini kit this month! Our family's big vacation each year is a camping trip to one of the gorgeous parks we have within a few hour's drive of our home in California.

I recently purchased My Mind's Eye Abbey Road "Round and Round" collection, which I failed to get two years ago when it was released. I love the colors and texture of this paper, which I thought would be perfect for this kit and the page I had in mind! My kit included some of the papers and cardstock embellishments from that paper line, as well as dimensional vacation stickers by K & Co., mini alphas my Making Memories, a fun vacation stamp set, and buttons.

This is Pencillines sketch #228, which is simple, yet just right because of the shaped cardstock included in my kit.

My layout features photos from our "stay-cation" camping trip last summer.

I have another fun idea for saving all of the memorabilia you've collected on your summer travels! Why not make a cool travel souvenir case?!! I've included a simple tutorial, which you can see by scrolling down to the prior blog post.

Travel Souvenir Case Tutorial

2011-07-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

I order lots of photo prints from my local Walgreens. Each time, the photos come to me in these sturdy card weight envelopes. I usually recycle them, but I started thinking that there must be something to make with them. Here is my solution! Make a cool vacation travel souvenir case for all of your post cards, brochures, and even 3-D momentos you've collected this summer! All of the items used on this project are things you probably already have around the house! Items needed for this project are: photo envelope, old map (National Geographic works well) or other paper, adhesive of choice (you can use liquid or dry, as long as it's strong and permanent), scissors or exacto knife, some kind of closure for your envelope (I used a circle punch, eyelets, and string to make a library envelope style closure), alphas and travel themed embellies for decoration, and ink for edges (optional).

Start off with your photo envelope.

Carefully tear open you envelope at the sides, where it has been adhered. Lay flat you your work space.

Apply adhesive to the printed (up) side of the envelope. You should have a line of adhesive along all of the edges (get as close to the edge as possible), along any of the fold lines, and a bit in the middles for good measure. Next, lay your envelope up side down on the WRONG side of your map. It's a good idea to look at the map first to figure out what part you want to have show up on your project. Smooth your envelope out with your hands to make sure it is well adhered.

Next, use your scissor or exacto knife to cut around all of the edges.

At this point, you should fold along all of your fold lines, making sure to accordion fold the sides and bottom folds. Next, apply adhesive to the map side of your side flaps, and fold the front panel up and over your side flaps. The edges should be square. Press gently to make sure the adhesive is firmly in place.

Use some type of closure system for the top flap. I used two circles cut from thin cardstock with a circle punch, eyelets, and my Crop-a-dile to fasten a library-type closure to my case. Measure the centers and hold the circles up to the case first to make sure they will fit. Wrap and tie string around the top circle, and leave enough to wrap around them a few times.

Now, you can fill your envelope with all of the goodies from your vacation, and enjoy!! This would easily fit in your car's glove compartment during your trip, and you could also fit a small photo album or mini book of your trip inside! Imagine the possibilities!!

A love affair with paper???

2011-07-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not alone in my obsession with beautiful scrapbook paper. It's almost like a serious crush or infatuation, really! You know what I mean, don't you? When I see a gorgeous new paper line from across the room, my heartbeat quickens and I feel a little flush. Then, comes the inevitable stalking stage, where I keep looking at photos of my obsession, even bookmarking the page where I can get a quick peek periodically throughout the day. Eventually, I cave into my desire to possess my crush, buying the entire line online or at a store. Occasionally, I feel a tinge of regret over my purchase, but usually I'm so enamored with my coveted new love, I keep going back to fondle, gaze at, and even smell it! In the end, it becomes a part of my ever expanding stash of product. If I'm really smitten with a certain paper, I might even "save" it until I find the absolute "perfect" photos to scrap with it. As a result of this hoarding behavior, I've got quite a few pieces of my favorites languishing in my stash. That does not stop me from seeking out new papers to play with, however!

Although I adore new products, I will never forget my former loves! I've recently decided that I should revisit some of these old favorites! I even went so far as to buy an entire line of two year old product I have admired from afar. I always loved the My Mind's Eye Abbey Road collection, and really enjoyed using the papers from the Stomp line. I never bought "Round and Round", although I secretly coveted it! The fun greens and reds were perfect for pages about my four kids, and especially the three boys. I never acted on my impulses, for some reason. Recently, I saw the entire line for sale online, and purchased every piece I could get my hands on!

Some of my other favorites include the 2007 release Cosmo Cricket "Halfway Cafe"! I bought two entire sets of this collection, which I used on many, many pages. It was a fabulous summer romance, and was so fun and easy to use, it seemed to make all of my photographs look good!

One of my favorite manufacturers, Rusty Pickle, sadly closed it's doors a few years ago. Not before I was able to purchase many sheets from the 2007 (a good year!) "Mayflower" collection! This paper was perfect for many different occasions, although it definitely had a stately old Americana patriotic feel.

You will be seeing some of these old favorites in my counterfeit kits this month! I encourage you to revisit some of your old loves! I'd love to hear what some of your favorites have been throughout the years!

Masters of Forgery Blog Hop!!

2011-06-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge DT blog hop! I just love looking at all the fabulous blogs of our talented team! You should have arrived here from Lisa's blog. If you are lost, you can start at the Challenge Blog.

Mini Challenge #2 ( All About The "I" Challenge) was to make a page or mini album all about You with at least one "I" statement in it. This was tough for me. I sometimes struggle with doing pages about myself. I decided to take a different approach with this one.

I'm sure you all have seen the summer-long challenge going on at Counterfeit Kit Challenge, which is to make your own Counterfeit "Smash"-type book. I absolutely loved this idea!! I never really though Smash books were that exciting, until I saw one the other day at a local craft store. They really are adorable, and some of the accessories were very tempting! I loved the idea of making my own book, though. What a great way to actually put my lovely scrapbooking product to good use! Once I got started, my book only took a few hours to make. It would have been quicker, but I had to figure out what to do about the binding, since I don't own a Bind It All. Then, I remembered some EK Success binding coils I had purchased at Big Lots not long ago for $1.25. The large binding coil fit my 6" X 9" book almost perfectly, and I only had to cut a little bit off. The coil is over an inch wide, so I can really cram my book full of all sorts of memorabilia.

How I fit this into the challenge was with the title of my book. It says "I AM SMASHING", which is sort of a play on words. It can be a very positive message, meaning I'm really great, or it can mean I am actually making and using a Smash-type book! I thought it was pretty clever. I intend on filling the book with all the things I love, so it will definitely be about me.

I followed the directions for making a Smash book (part one, and part two) that were given on the CKC blog. I even used the same stamp set for my title (thanks, Crystal!). I found a really great thread on 2 Peas, which had a link to a tutorial by Tracy on binding your book using a Crop-a-dile. This was how I made the holes in my journal. I followed the directions, making each hole 1/2" apart. It worked very well with my binding coils. The coils would be fairly easy to remove if I wanted to rearrange or add to my pages.

I cut down some manila folders to make the divider pages, and used October Afternoon sticker tabs from my kit. I used almost all of the paper from my kit, and had to include a few additional sheets to make the book a little fuller. I also made a nice pocket page for the first page, and included thin white cardstock, grid paper, and other papers to add interest to the book. Lastly, I included a 6" X 9" manila envelope inside the back page for larger memorabilia. It fit perfectly inside my cover, and only required a minor adjustment to keep the flap from hitting the coils. Here are a few of the pages, as seen from the side.

I still need to embellish the pages and start gluing stuff into the book, but I've made a good start. I may even make another book for our summer vacations. These are so much fun to make, I really hope you give one a try!

I hope you enjoyed the hop! Your last stop today will be Meridy's blog.

Get In Shape for Summer!!

2011-06-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Shape plays an important part in scrapbooking, and is one of the fundamental design principles. Believe it or not, every shape can convey a message.

Our next challenge at Counterfeit Kit Challenge is all about shape! "Mini Challenge #3: Get in Shape Choose a shape to take center stage in your layout, card or mini album!"

As soon as I saw this challenge, I knew right away I would use circles on my page. Circles are one of my favorite shapes to use in scrapbooking, and you will see them on many of of my pages. To me, they represent fun, and have such a pleasing roundness that I can't get enough of.

According to this article, the following can be said of circles.

"Circles suggest infinity. They are also protective (think of protective encircling arms). They can also denote free movement such as a rolling ball or a more controlled movement such as a spinning globe."

For my page, I cut my background cardstock into a big circle. I used a photo of our family taken at the beach on Easter, which I placed on top of a group of doilies cut from one of the sheets of patterned paper in my (it almost killed me to cut into this particular piece, but I got over it!). I like how the group of circles resembles a cloud, and looks as if the photo were floating on a cloud. I also used the round sew brads from my kit as circles for the doilies. I even used the word "circle" in my title!

I can't wait to see how you use shape on your projects!

Mini Challenge #1 Ad Inspiration!

2011-06-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me, you find inspiration everywhere! The first challenge this month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge was too much fun!! The challenge was to get inspiration from an advertisement, and use it on a layout or project. I looked through several magazines before I found this ad in the February, 2011 edition of Martha Stewart Living. I loved the cluster of words in this Special K ad, which is also known as a "word cloud".

There are websites available online (like this one) which allow you to enter words and make your own word cloud. I decided on this page to take it a step further, and use rub-ons for my word cloud. This is an awesome way to use up all of those rub-ons you have laying around collecting dust. Although the rub-ons were not included in my original kit, I thought using old product was perfect for the spirit of the challenge.

For this layout, I used a photo of my two oldest kids, and the flip sides of two of my kit papers. I used acrylic paint to cover my little handmade chipboard frame.

In case you haven't heard, we have a wonderful sponsor this month!! Socal Scrapbooks is providing an awesome prize package to one lucky blog hop participant! Be sure to sign up to join us on the 28th to see all the gorgeous work done by our followers, and for a chance to win!

Prize package:

Copycat "Bloomers" Tutorial!!

2011-06-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

The inspiration kit this month contained some gorgeous fabric and felt flowers by Basic Grey "Hello Luscious". I really love the look of these, but don't have anything like them in my stash. I get a kick out of trying to figure out how to recreate embellishments with items I have in my stash, and this was the perfect opportunity! Some people might think it would be easier to just go out and buy them, but I really enjoy a challenge. Here is a simple tutorial on how to make your own fake "Bloomers", and also some tips I learned along the way.

Basic Grey Bloomers:

Start off going through your stash for any felt and fabric you may have that will coordinate with your kit. If you're like me, you have a ton of other craft supplies from various other projects. Some of the supplies you will need are felt (either regular or adhesive backed), fabric, iron on fusible web (Steam a Seam 2 is good because it will not gunk up your needle when you sew on it), iron, sewing machine with different colors of thread, embroidery floss and needle, sharp scissors, buttons, and Cricut or other die cut machine.

Step One: Apply the fusible web to the wrong side of your fabric and/or felt, according to the manufacturer's directions. This will give your fabric a crisp appearance and keep it from stretching out. It also allows you to bond each of the layers of your flowers together nicely. You could skip this step , but I found it really helps the flowers hold their shape with all the handling they will get. The paper backing also provides a perfect surface for tracing a pattern. This step is critical if you are using your Cricut to cut out your fabric.

Step Two: Next, cut out your flowers. You will want to cut your flowers in a variety of shapes and sizes out of both fabric and felt. I discovered a really fun technique when doing research for this tutorial! If you have never used your Cricut to cut out flowers, it is an awesome way to get some great flowers cut very quickly. I watched a few tutorials on Youtube, including this one, which were very helpful. I've heard that it's possible to cut felt with the Cricut, but you will either need a deep blade housing or a multi cut feature, neither of which I have on my original baby bug. I was forced to cut my felt shapes by hand. It is easier to cut them out if you use a template, which you could also make with your Cricut. If you have a big standard die cut machine and flower dies, this would make the job quick and easy. If you are good at sketching, you can sketch out a design for a flower, or do a Google search for printable flower patterns. Cut out some circles in a few sizes, as well. These will be used for centers for your flowers.

Step Three: Stitch along the edges of your flowers and circle centers with a long machine stitch, or embroidery stitching, depending on the look you want. It takes a little patience to stitch around the circular edges. Your efforts will be worth it, I promise!

Step Four: Layer your flowers together in a manner that pleases you. You can experiment to get the look you want.

Step Five: Thread your button, sewing all the layers of your flower together. Voila!! You have made your own copycat "Bloomer" flower! Here are some of the flowers I made, which I just love!! I hope you give this technique a try!

June Counterfeit Kit!!

2011-06-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this is the sixth month of the Counterfeit Kit Challenge?! I just love it! If you've never heard of it, check out the blog. Every month we create a new kit, copying an "inspiration" kit by one of many gorgeous kit clubs available online. If you are anything like me, you spend hours drooling over some of these kits, and here is a great chance to make one of your own, using your own supplies.

This month, our inspiration came from a fun new club called Burlap and Buttercups. The kit is pretty, feminine, and shabby, and features many papers by Basic Grey Hello Luscious line. I fell in love with the soft sweetness of this kit, and tried to find similar items in my stash.

Inspiration Kit:

For my kit, I pulled some vintage inspired items from my supplies, including papers from the Crate Paper Restoration line. I made a few "copycat" embellishments by hand. The result was very old fashioned and whimsical. I am calling this kit "Grandma's House"!

My version:

Items included in my kit: Papers: Coordinating Cardstock - Bazzill, Fancy Pants - Road Show "Dilly Dally" & Lilac House "Needlepoint", Crate - School Spirit "Homeroom", Crate - Restoration "Ruffles", "Slipcover" (partial sheet), "Doilies", "Heirloom", and "Lace", October Afternoon - Thrift Shop "One of a kind", and Cosmo Cricket - Early Bird "Ribbon Sandwich".

Embellishments: Alphas - Thickers "Cream Soda", word stickers - October Afternoon "Thrift Shop", butterfly and flower dies - Cuttlebug "Naturals", Sew Brads - Crate Restoration, chipboard frames - handmade with threading water punch, handmade "Bloomers" (tutorial coming soon) bakers twine, corsage pins, and pearl ribbon from stash,

May Counterfeit Kit Challenge Design Team Blog Hop

2011-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Design Team blog hop for May! You should have gotten here from Lisa's blog. If not, please go back to the challenge blog, and start over.

This month's blog hop challenge was to get inspiration from your favorite manufacturer's blog. My all-time favorite manufacturer is October Afternoon!! I am so in love with their products, I feel compelled to buy almost every line they release. Looking through the blog, there are so many lovely projects, that it was hard to narrow it down to just one! So, I chose two, which are very similar in feeling. What I admired about these pages are the neutral backgrounds, layers, and clusters of embellishments.

Because my kit has a much brighter color palette and because it is a boys page, I had to improvise on some things. I'm happy with how it turned out for the most part. I was able to use more of my handmade embellishments and other stuff from my kit. I also got a chance to play with my brand new charcoal Maya Mist, which was very fun! I wanted some big drips on this page, so I took the top off, and shook the end of the nozzle tube to make the larger drips. I also sprayed once or twice, for good measure. I love that the mist is such a nice dark color!

Here is my version:

I also found this free printable, that some of you might enjoy! These cute little Father's Day cards feature some very sweet boys and girls, that reminded me so much of our inspiration kit this month! Have fun with it!

Your next stop on the DT blog hop is Meridy. Enjoy the rest of the hop!

Embellishment Challenge

2011-05-22T15:14:00.001-07:00

Our next challenge this month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge was to make an embellishment(s) to use on a project. There were so many fabulous ideas for creating your own embellishments this month, and I knew I was going to have to try a few of them!

I especially love the "wooden nickels" or poker chip tutorials that were posted. I wish I'd had some of those cool wooden disks, and would love to find some one day. The poker chips I had were too dimensional to decorate, so those were also out. Then, I remembered that I had a pack of Tim Holtz grungeboard with various sizes of circles and squares. I haven't found a really good use for them yet, so this was awesome! I wanted something different than the grayish color the grungeboard comes in, so I first painted them with a mixture of gesso and acrylic paint, for a really good finish. Then, I decorated them with rub-ons (October Afternoon, Scrap Within Reach, Kaiser craft), stamps (thank you, Bethany!), and patterned paper! I just loved how they came out!! I love that they are neutral, and help to tone down the strong colors from my boys kit.

I've had the design for this page in my head for awhile, and I think I saw a sketch with diagonal circles like this somewhere. I can't for the life of me find it now, so I can't give them credit. If you remember seeing a sketch similar to this, would you let me know, please! I like how many embellishments I was able to use on the diagonal cluster of circles, and even layered some circles cut from one of the papers and buttons from my kit.

That was not all! I knew I wanted to make a few banners similar to the ones in the inspiration kit, so I did. I plan on using them on some future pages from this kit. I think I got carried away! I hope you get a chance to try one or more of these tutorials!

MIni Challenge #1

2011-05-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

The first challenge this month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge was to make a card using this fabulous sketch from Sketch Support!

I love using sketches! They make putting a quick card together so easy. My kit included product from the Sassafras Lass Nerdy bird line. The stickers are the perfect size to match the sketch, so I decided to make two! Lately, I've been making cards with unusual sentiments, but you never know when you will need that special card.

My May Counterfeit Kit!!

2011-05-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy at Counterfeit Kit Challenge! This month, we had the opportunity to counterfeit an awesome kit by Work In Progress kits! I just loved the whimsy and playfulness of the main kit, and wanted to keep that feeling in my own kit.

In my version, I chose to use many items from the Sassafras Lass Nerdy Bird collection. I have had these papers in my stash for awhile, and this was the perfect opportunity to use them. The colors of Nerdy Bird are somewhat different from the inspiration kit, but I was excited that they included purple and pink! These were my daughter's favorite colors as a little girl. In the back of my mind, I wanted to make a boy's add-on, so I did not mind if this one was on the feminine side.

Kit contents:

Papers: Coordinating Bazzil cardstock, Bo Bunny Sunkissed "Summer" & "Adventure", Crate School Collection "Ruler", Echo Park Sweet Summertime "Raspberry Delight", Sassafras Lass Nerdy Bird "Cheery", "Tea for Two", "Starstruck", "Sprightly", "Book Club", and My Mind's Eye Jack & Jill "Serene Spots"

Embellishments: Sassafras Lass Nerdy Flag Banners, Nerdy Journal Tags, October Afternoon Thrift Shop Schoolroom Alpha, Thickers "Rainboots" alpha, Thickers "Dear Lizzy" chipboard shape stickers, K & Co. adhesive gems, Basic Grey Bling It ice cream cone, Recollections flowers, ribbon from stash, "Summertime" and hot air balloon stickers Echo Park "Sweet Summertime", die cut shipping tags (Cricut & scal), ice cream and kite cards October Afternoon, punchouts Pink Paislee "Hometown Summer", and Mickey paint chips from Home Depot.

I was finally able to put together a boys kit! Since I have three boys, it was a no brainer. Mine has a rather patriotic feeling with all the stars, red, white and blue but it could be used for any event, as well as 4th of July.

Add-on kit contents: Patterned paper Bo Bunny "Block Party" & "Jamboree", Blueberry Dot, clear stamps by Sandylion & Sassafras Lass "Song Writer", Sassafras Lass Alpha Token, Pink Paislee alphabet stickers & punchouts "Hometown Summer", star brad Target Dollar Spot, borders "Decadent Edges Boy" Making Memories, ribbon GCD "Rockets Red Glare", and ticket stickers My Minds Eye "Little Boy Blue", felt stars (rak from Crystal!), star chipboard mini album and boy shape Maya Road, and buttons from stash.

I have to confess, after I saw the inspiration kit, I bought a couple of the items from that kit because I "had to have" them! I hope you don't share my secret to Bethany & Meridy!! That really isn't what the challenge is about, but I thought it's a good example of how you might have an item or two from the inspiration kit, and use them, but also include other items from your stash. For me, the most fun of all is putting the kits together! I enjoy scrapping, but I really get a kick out of trying to match the feeling of the inspiration kit. That's one of the big reasons I love this challenge so much!

The numbers!

2011-05-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! Time to look at the last month's kit to see how much I managed to accomplish. I completed two layout, with a photo a piece, two cards, and eight ATCs. I'm not going to complain that it wasn't enough this time! It is what it is. I am truly amazed at the quantity of work by other scrappers on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge!! Keep up the good work, ladies!

CKC Design Team Blog Hop!

2011-04-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Design Team Blog hop! You should have gotten here from Lisa's blog.

This challenge was so easy because of the talent of our Masters of Forgery team at Counterfeit Kit Challenge! The hard part was narrowing it down to ONE designer! As soon as I visited her blog, I was immediately inspired by Lisa's artistic style. She uses a lot of paint and doodling, which I really want to use more of, and this gave me the perfect opportunity. My layout was inspired by two of her recent projects, the painted canvas and the kraft "Park Day" page.

I'm almost positive I've never used this much paint on a layout, so I was a little nervous going into it. I am happy with the way the layout turned out, though. The photo is of me as a baby, going through the dog door. It is one of those legendary stories I remember as a child, and I'm so happy to have a photo of it. I used the scanned photo as is, but it could really use some restoration.

Next stop on the hop is Meridy's blog. Have fun, and remember to leave some love on each blog!

Mini Challenge #3

2011-04-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

Our first challenge this month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge, was to use food as inspiration for a project! I thought this was a fun challenge, but was stumped on what to do. I am not known for my cooking skills, and was not really feeling inspired by any of my meals. I do love coffee, however!! I am very good at brewing a delicious strong cup every morning. My son's teacher loves lattes, and I made her a coffee card to hold a gift card from Starbucks for teacher appreciation week, which gave me the idea for this card.

While making the card, I was suddenly inspired to make a mini album about my adventures in cooking! After getting married, I could barely boil water! I'm surprised we didn't starve that first year of marriage, because my hubby's not a great cook, either. I'd love to document how I've taught myself to cook basic meals like baked chicken (with mashed potatoes & gravy), homemade macaroni and cheese, pizza, pancakes, spaghetti sauce, and some of my other stand by recipes. It would be a funny look at my "food evolution", and also a memory of how we survived feeding four kids over the years. Obviously, I ran out of time before this project was due, but I will hopefully get to it before the month is over.

Mini Challenge #1

2011-04-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

Our first challenge this month at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge is to use memorabilia on a page, which is perfect because I'm one of those people that saves everything! Birthday cards, ticket stubs, visitors maps from past trips, drawings and stories the kids made, you name it!

My oldest son, Leo, is going through a tough time right now, and I wanted to do a layout about him, and what a great kid he is. I had saved a note he wrote to me and my husband a few weeks ago. I listed some of the wonderful qualities he had. This photo was taken at the Christmas tree farm, but I liked how two of his siblings are looking up at him, and thought it would fit my title really well.

I used a sketch #103 by Creative Scrappers for this page, which called for the circular elements on the side. I cut out some circles freehand, and stitched spirals around them, and left the thread hanging. I really love that look, but rarely use it on a page. I think it gives this an artsy feeling. I also added a few items from a recent rak from Crystal! The little envelope and dictionary page came from her. Thanks again, Crystal!

Stamp of Approval and Gerber Daisy Tutorials!!

2011-04-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here are the tutorials I promised for two of the patterned papers from our Counterfeit kit of the new Front Porch kits! I loved the look of both "Stamp of Approval" and "Gerber Daisy", but I had nothing like either of them in my stash. I decided to try and re-create the look each of them. I really enjoyed the challenge of creating my own patterned paper! It's definitely not something I'd do every day, but it's fun to try.

Gerber Daisy Tutorial:

Here is the real deal "Gerber Daisy" by Fancy Pants:

My kit version:

I thought this paper could be re-created by a repetitive stamped image. This was not hard to do, but was time consuming. For my example, I used a 4" X 4" piece of paper, and it went very quickly. On the sheet in my kit, I used two different flower stamps, which made things even trickier. For simplicity, I used just one flower stamp in my instructions.

You will need card stock, or other paper to stamp on, a small flower stamp, acrylic block, black archival ink pad, ink pens to color in your flowers (if desired), and a white Uniball Signo (or similar) pen to outline your flowers.

Step 1: Begin stamping your flower image in the middle of your page, but not dead center. The idea is that you want to stamp the image as randomly as possible. I've heard that if you group your stamped images in groups of three, you can avoid an obvious pattern. Remember to turn your paper and stamp to avoid the image always going the same direction. Continue stamping until you cover the entire page. If your image is light in one area, you can color over it with pen, but it probably will not show after you color the image in. Don't worry too much if you leave a small gap, or your flowers run into each other in spots. You really will not notice it later. Don't forget to have some of your flowers run off the page, for a natural look.

Step 2: Color your flowers in, if desired. I chose to color my flowers brown, because I have other browns in my kit I wanted to match. If your stamp is solid, you can skip this step. I also colored the center yellow (on the blue paper in my example, the yellow looks more green). Allow the ink to dry before going to the next step.

Step 3: Using your Uniball Signo pen, outline each flower image with a line of white. This really makes the image pop. On my large page, I used a lighter green cardstock, which did not show off the white outline as well as the blue of my example. Try to do one section at a time, because this ink takes awhile to dry, and it can smear. If you make a little mistake, don't worry about it! The overall effect will be whimsical and charming!

Stamp of Approval Tutorial:

Echo Park "Stamp of Approval:

My version:

To complete this project, you will need two sheets of paper (one darker, one lighter in color. The original has a grid pattern on the light paper, and a lined paper on the dark.), a paper trimmer or exacto knife, ruler, pencil, and a circle punch (mine is a 1"). All of the measurements I've included are with the use of a 1" circle punch. A 3/4 punch would have created a look even closer to the original, but I went with what I had. If you use a different sized punch, you would have to figure out the proper measurements. It's also helpful to use a magnetic cutting board, with lines for measuring, but it's not completely necessary.

First, cut 1" off of two sides of your lighter colored paper, making it an 11" square.

Next, measure 1/2" in on each side of your paper, drawing a line along the entire length of each side. You can work on the back side of your paper, to avoid your lines showing later.

Mark the edge of your paper at 1/2", 1 1/2", 2", 3", 3 1/2", 4 1/2", 5", 5 1/2" (center), 6", 6 1/2", 7 1/2", 8", 9", 9 1/2" and 10 1/2" on all four sides. These will be the guides for punching your half circles. The measuring is the hardest part of this project! Once you measure, everything else is fairly easy. I tried to do it "free hand" and it did not turn out well.

Turn your punch over. Using the lines you marked as guides, and starting in the middle (the 5 1/2" mark should be dead center in the middle of your first punch), use your punch to make half circle marks along the edge of your paper.=. You will end up with 7 equally spaced half circles, and a 1/2" space between each half circle, and at each edge.

I inked the edges of my grid paper with green ink, to simulate the look of the original paper, which has a green edge. You can omit this step, if you wish.

Adhere the punched sheet to your darker sheet, and voila! I hope you get a chance to try making your own patterned paper this month. You might really enjoy it!

My April Counterfeit Kit!

2011-04-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Counterfeit Kit Challenge is in it's fourth month, and is going strong! The April inspiration kit was by a brand new kit club called Front Porch Kits! "A Little Birdie Told Me" is full of really fun bird papers and embellishments that are perfect for spring! I was really drawn to the color combination of the kit, which contains bright red, teal, chartreuse, yellow, and black. I chose to use brown instead of black, to coordinate with my papers. Some of the patterns I could not even come close to matching, so I attempted to make two of them. This was a really fun experiment, although it can be challenging and time consuming. Stay tuned for a tutorial on how I re-created "Stamp of approval" and "Gerber Daisy"!

Patterned papers: Cosmo Cricket (Early Birder Borders), My Mind's Eye (Jack & Jill "Blissful"), Pink Paislee (Spring Fling "Bird's Nest"), Hand made copy of "Gerber Daisy" by Fancy Pants, Pink Paislee (Spring Fling "Spring Flowers"), Chatterbox "Red Birds", Deja Views (Pack your bags "Baggage Claim"), Hand made copy of "Stamp of Approval" Echo Park using grid paper (October Afternoon "Detours") & brown cardstock, Scrap Within Reach "Carnival Ride" stripes, Cosmo Cricket (Early Bird "Brunch"), Crate (School Spirit "Chemistry"), Bazzill brown, kraft, creme, gold Swiss dot, bright red.

Embellishments: October Afternoon Journaling cards, 3 assorted fabric remnants, chipboard (Lil Davis - Heart Doodles), Stitched felt (Chatterbox - Together), Thickers (Hat Box), transparent pocket block (TTT), chipboard birds (Maya Road), Glitter - metallic teal (Creative Beginnings) & chartreuse (K&Co), sunflower metal slides "Maya Road", various ribbons (teal, chartreuse ruffle, brown crocheted, buttons from stash, small paper flowers (American Crafts, Prima), jute twine, shipping label, soda bottle caps.

More March Kit Projects!

2011-04-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get to participate in the crop this weekend at Absolutely Alter It! I had a really good time, but only managed to get two projects completed so far. Both were made from my "Sunny Clearing" Counterfeit Kit, which was really fun to play with and perfect for spring projects!

This layout was made for the Early Bird Challenge, and the card was for Karen's doily challenge.

March Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog Hop!!

2011-03-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog hop! You should have gotten here from Jemma's blog. If not, you can start over at the challenge blog.

This month's challenge is a fun one! "Scraplifting (taken from the Pebbles Blog) is the the act of "lifting" or copying ideas and/or designs from another person’s scrapbook page to use in your own pages. Designs or ideas can be copied in whole or in part. And most importantly be sure to give credit where credit is due. If you do "lift" someone else's idea be sure to mention where the idea originated."

"Mini Challenge #2: Scraplift YOURSELF
Look back at some of your older work. It could be something that you absolutely love or something from long ago that you wish you could have done better. Now your challenge is to make it again, but using your kit."

Personally, I love a good scraplift! It's a fun way to get ideas, and make them your own. The idea of scraplifting ourselves is even better! It's a great way to appreciate our own work in a new way, and look to it for inspiration.

Here is the layout I've chosen to scraplift. I originally got the idea for this layout from Julie Fei-Fan Balzers blog on this post. Her challenge was to make a layout, where you split the page right down the middle, and use items of equal weight on either side of the line. I did cheat a little by placing an embellishment in the bottom right hand corner of the photo.

Here is what I came up with. I even chose to do masking on the background, use buttons, and the "extra" embellishment in the right hand corner of the photo, as I did on my original. They do look similar, but not identical. I encourage anyone to try this type of layout! It feels a little strange at first, but you may be surprised at how you like the end result!

Your next step on the blog hop is Thomisia's blog. Have fun looking at all these fantastic blogs, and please leave some love for everyone if you get the chance! Don't forget to link your projects to the Mr. Linky post on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog, for a chance to win some awesome prizes!

Bethany's Etsy Mini Challenge

2011-03-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

Bethany's challenge was to take inspiration from an item you found on Etsy! Etsy is a fantastic site with countless cool vintage and handmade items to choose from. It was really fun browsing!

I chose this kitchy felt calendar wall hanging from 1970 for my inspiration. I was not thrilled by the colors, but I liked the shape of the owls on the piece. I used them as inspiration for the paper piecing on my layout.

Here is my layout. As I was cutting this little guy out, I had so much fun! I realized I just said last month I wasn't crazy about cute paper pieced items, too! I may be a convert!

Masters of Forgery Introduction

2011-03-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few fun things we did to introduce ourselves as the new Masters of Forgery at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog. I chose to make my collage like one of the I Spy pictures from the books my kids have. It was really fun to do, and would be a great scrapbook page!

I Spy game:

1. Find my picture.

2. Find photos of my hubby, my daughter, and my three sons.

3. Find the state I live in.

4. Find the first and last letters of my name.

5. Find eleven stars, representing the eleven MASTERS OF FORGERY.

6. Find our newest family pet.

7. Find the two pictures of my 2nd son's favorite sport.

8. Find something you would wear to our favorite place to visit in the summer.

9. Find the instrument my hubby and kids play.

10. Find one popular building toy that my son's love to play with.

11. Find two common childhood fears.

12. Find 13 (or more) rhinestones.

13. Find 12 flowers.

14. Find the largest living land mammal.

15. Find the largest living sea mammal.

Word Game:

I chose the word: COPYCAT

C - Cosmo Cricket

O - October Afternoon

P - Pink Paislee

Y - Little Yellow Bicycle (this was a bit of a stretch!)

C - Creating

A - Adhesive

T - Tim Holtz

I'm so excited to be a Master of Forgery!!!!

2011-03-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

After sending in my application on the LAST day of the call, I really thought there was no chance of getting picked for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge design team. The level of talent participating in the challenge is astounding, and I honestly was not holding my breath. So, when I received the e-mail, I was completely surprised and thrilled!!! Thanks so much to Meridy and Bethany for creating such an awesome challenge, and for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of it! For all of those who applied, you are all winners in my eyes!

Here is the complete list of the team and their blogs:

"Sunny Clearing" Counterfeit Kit

2011-03-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

The original "Sunny Clearing" add-on by Studio Calico:

My counterfeit "Sunny Clearing" kit:

I know I'm going out of order with my add-ons, but I was very inspired to complete this kit! That was a bit of a surprise, considering I'm not a huge fan of yellow. But as I started putting this one together, I had so much fun, and it just made me so happy! In my opinion, the kit just screams SPRING and FUN!

The only thing I regret not having, or being able to make was the crocheted flowers. I think I need to teach myself to make those!

Supplies:

Patterned papers - Echo Park (Sweet Summertime - Sunny Spots), Bo Bunny (Block Party - Fireworks reverse side), Bo Bunny (Sun Kissed Skies), My Mind's Eye (How Sweet It Is - Yummy Stripes), My Mind's Eye (Jack and Jill "Cute" Beautiful Blooms).

Embellishments - Alphabets (Pink Paislee fashion script), MME (Jack and Jill "Cute"), Yellow Butterfly stickers (Jenni Bowlin), hand painted doily, pressed petals daisies, handmade button clips, October Afternoon wild cards (Fly a Kite), various journaling spots from stash (Cosmo Cricket, Scribble Scrabble), chipboard doilies (Crate Restoration, GCD), yellow checked ruffle ribbon from stash, and Shimmerz (sunny).

Crackle paint wood grain technique

2011-03-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite altered art techniques is the Elmer's glue crackled paint technique! This will give you a very distinctive old wood look that makes a gorgeous base for a scrapbook page, or altered art piece.

I thought it would be a great way to create your own wood grain paper for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge, since there is a sheet of wood grain paper in the main kit by Studio Calico.

Start off by getting all of your supplies together for this technique. You are going to need a sturdy surface to work on. You can use heavy cardstock, foam board, cardboard, and my favorite, a big side from a used Priority mailer! You will also need paint brushes, gesso (to prepare your paper or board for this process), several colors of acrylic paints, a heat tool, and Elmers white glue. You may want a paper plate or old tray for your Gesso and paint to make them easier to apply. It would be a good idea to cover the area where you plan on working, because this can get a little messy. Also, I would recommend reading through the instructions once before you start! We are going to take this step by step.

Step #1:
Apply a layer of gesso to your surface. I am using the opposite side of a used Priority mailer. Don't worry about making the edges even, we will do that at the end. I did not go all the way to the edge of my surface, because I planned on cutting it down to smaller than 12 X 12. If you want a larger finished size, take your gesso and paint all the way to the edge. Allow the gesso to dry completely.

Step #2:
Apply a base coat of acrylic paint. I chose three different colors of brown for my base, because I was going for an aged wood look. I applied the paint in vertical strokes to further simulate the look of wood. You can use an colors you wish, but I would recommend that the base coat and top coat have a lot of variation. In other words, if your bottom layer is dark, make the top layer light, or do the reverse. Also, contrasting colors would work. This layer is going to show through the top layer, and that's why the variation is important. Allow this layer to dry completely.

Step #3:
(Note: Have your paint for the next step ready to go, because you are will apply the paint over the glue while it is still wet!) Apply a generous layer of glue over your DRY paint. Squirt it directly out of the bottle and cover the entire surface. Then, spread the glue out with your paint brush. It does not have to be perfectly even, because the variations in thickness add to the crackle effect. Immediately go to Step #4, while the glue is still wet!

Step #4:
Apply a top layer of acrylic paint to the WET glue. I used a tan colored acrylic paint for my old wood effect. This layer of acrylic should be thinned down with water to the consistency of Hershey's chocolate syrup (the kind in the can). Prepare your paint before you do Step #3, and have it ready to go before the glue layer dries. This is crucial to get this effect to crackle properly! When you apply your paint, try not to press too hard, you don't want your paint to mix with the glue, you just want to have it glide right over the top. At this point, you can go immediately to Step #5 if you have a heat tool, or allow the paint to dry naturally.

Step #5:
Heat the painted surface with your heat tool to speed up the crackle effect. Hold the tool at least 6" to 8" away from the surface and keep moving your tool, or you can bubble the paint (I've done this!). You will begin to see small crackles appear in the surface. It is really fun to watch. After a few minutes, allow your project to dry completely.

Step #6:
After the surface dries completely, you should see many lines and cracks that have formed all over the top layer of paint. I love this effect! If no cracks have appeared, you may have missed a step. Don't give up! Keep trying until you get it to work, it is so worth it!!! At this point, you will want to cut down your board to the desired size. I used my Basic Grey mat, metal ruler, and an exacto knife.

The Final Project:
I did this layout in an 8" X 8" size, using one of my favorite photos of one of my sons. The little owl was made by tracing out an owl chipboard shape onto the cardboard, then peeling the top layer away, and inking the edges. I used brads for the eyes! It really makes a beautiful page or framed art piece! I hope you give this technique a try!

March Counterfeit Kit!!

2011-03-09T14:53:00.001-08:00

I was so excited to see this month's Counterfeit Kit inspiration! Studio Calico is one of the most popular clubs out there, and it's easy to see why! I had so much fun making my version of the kit! I decided to go with the theme and flavor of the kit, rather than copy it piece by piece.

I started out with cardstock, and lots of it! I've run out the past few months, so included two sheets each of brown, soft green, kraft, orange, cream, and teal. I went with orange instead of gold, because my kit had no yellow.

I was lucky enough to have an old sheet of wood grain paper by October Afternoon in my stash, and that's the first piece I pulled. The rest was a matter of riffling through every sheet of paper in my stash!! It was messy, but I think I came up with a kit that reflects my taste and style. Since three of my kids are boys, I was happy to make a kit with more masculine potential. I gave my kit a punch of color with the embellishments. I plan on trying to make a paper pieced mushroom, and print out a bee from one of the fabulous sources on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog.

Papers by Fancy Pants (Road Show), My Mind's Eye (Little Boy Blue), Pink Paislee (Fetching), October Afternoon (Fly a Kite, Thrift Shop, Weathervane, County Fair), and Little Yellow Bicycle.

Embellishments: Journaling spots (Scenic Route), phrase cards (Scribble Scrabble), alphabets (Thickers, Jillibean Soup), chipboard tree (Maya Road), Buttons (Bo Bunny), kraft stars cut with Cricut George cartridge), and faux wood strip (backing to sticker package Imaginisce).

In loving memory of our beloved Violet

2011-03-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

February 16, 1998 - March 5, 2011

Photo courtesy of Isaac Hernandez

It's All in the Numbers!

2011-03-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

Tallying up all my statistics for the February Counterfeit Kit Challenge was fun, but it left me feeling like I could have done so much more with my kit! I was really impressed by the incredible numbers put out by some of you! I've never been a super fast scrapper, and I also had knee surgery this month, so it was a struggle to get more accomplished.

Here are my statistics:

# of layouts completed - 3
# of two pagers completed - 0
# of cards - 2
# of Valentines - 1 (?)
The year of the oldest supply you used: The Basic Grey paper was from 2008, but the earring was at least 15 years old!
Total $ spent putting kit together - $1 + tax. Thinking about it, I realized I spent money on the supplies ORIGINALLY, but I guess the point is since we're shopping our stash, it's FREE! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
# of photos used - 2

I hope my totals next month are much more impressive!! All in all, I'm happy with what I accomplished. Since my totals were lumped together with Meridy and Bethany's, they look much more awesome! Those girls can scrap!

Here is what I started with:

This is what is leftover from my kit:

The cardstock is almost completely gone, as I only included four sheets with my kit. There are no full sheets of patterned paper left, and many very small scraps. I'm sure I could do a few more layouts with what I have left, if I had more time. I hardly used any of the flowers and ribbon I included in my kit, which surprised me! I'll keep that in mind next month when I make up my kit. I made a pretty good dent in the rest of the embellishments, though.

February Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop!!!

2011-02-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-02-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-02-06T08:00:00.001-08:00

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!

I love these!

2011-01-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

Check out these beautiful felt flowers made by Debee! You can see all of her lovely creations at her Etsy shop Inspire Lovely. She makes such pretty things!

Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop!!

2011-01-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first ever Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop! Hopefully, you got here via Debbie's blog. If not, you can start the hop at the beginning, at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog.

This card was made for the "Roll the Dice" challenge, where we were given three things that must appear on our project, determined by the roll of three fabulous altered dice (blocks)! The three items we had to use are card, fashion, and bling.

The card part was easy, although cards are not my best thing! The fashion element was no problem, because my kit included a pack of rub-ons from the October Afternoon Thrift shop line, with a fun fashion image. My kit did not include any bling, so I replaced the inside of one of the metal flowers in my kit, with a coordinating rhinestone. I also used the flip side of one of my kit papers, some scraps of cardstock which I cut with my Cricut into ovals, hand and machine stitching (inspired by my friend Karrie), and a piece of crocheted ribbon from my stash.

Your next stop on this blog hop is Glinda. Have fun hopping!

Here are some of the other projects I made with my Counterfeit Kit. I think I did pretty well with it! The best part was using some really old product I've had for years.

I did this layout for the sketch challenge. All items came from my kit, except for the ribbon (flower stems) and MLSB mini alphas (subtitle).

Detail:My links aren't working, so please scroll down to see two other layouts done for the "Back to School" mini challenge:

http://nomorelittlemonkeys.blogspot.com/2011/01/first-layout-of-year.html

http://nomorelittlemonkeys.blogspot.com/2011/01/crazy-for-border-stickers.html

My New Toy

2011-01-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, we will pick out my new toy! I'm getting a Sony A390, to replace my Minolta 5D, that was tragically dropped at a family function last summer. It's been many long months since I've felt the weight of a good camera in my hand. It almost felt like a part of me was missing! Thanks to all my generous family members who made this possible!

Crazy for border stickers!!

2011-01-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

At Two Peas, they are having a really fun class right now on "Love your products every which way", and which gives some really great ideas on creative ways to use up those border stickers we all have laying around! I thought the technique would be perfect on this heritage page I made for my MIL's album. I spaced my pleats very evenly and neatly on the frame for this photo, but it looks really great to get all funky and messy with it, too. I thought it looked better with the style of page to be more uniform. You should check out the free classes at Two Peas!

Struggling with art journaling!

2011-01-15T10:35:00.001-08:00

This year began with a strong desire to dive into the world of art journaling! I love looking at all the creative work other people have done, and I was so eager to try this for myself. I added a bunch of art journaling blogs to my side bar, and visit them frequently, looking for inspiration. When it came time to actually sit down and work on one of my own, I feel like I have failed miserably!! I even have a journal of partially prepared pages, which I had attempted in a class a few years ago. Some of the pages are textured with gesso, and a few even have a coat of paint on them, ready for my imagination go wild. The first page I completed looks like I threw up on the page!! I used some wrapping paper from Christmas, and an article from the paper about how the paper is not recyclable in our area, after we has painstakingly saved every bit of it to recycle. I also added some dried needles from the tree, and then dumped a bunch of glitter on the whole mess. On another page, I attempted a technique that looked really cool on another blog where you create "ghost writing" on a page by writing on it with Sharpie, and then covering the whole thing with gesso. Mine looks so terrible, I can't even describe it! I wonder if this is a stage everyone goes through with the art journal process, or what? Maybe I'll try collage next, because I feel a little more comfortable with that. Or, maybe I'll start with a list....

The first layout of the year!

2011-01-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

This is my first layout of the year, and the first project I've completed in over a month! I used pieces of my Counterfeit Kit, and my Cricut machine, and Accent Essentials cartridge to make the round embellishments. Because it was a boy's page, I really wanted to stay away from flowers. The shapes are perfect for the summer theme of this page, and I was able to match the colors of my other papers.

I was able to complete three different challenges with this layout. The weekly challenge at the LPS message board was to use something "new" on a page, and also to spell out the word "year" with products used on the page. I used "Y"ellow, Accent "E"ssentials Cricut cartridge, "A"ugust calendar card, and "R"ed or "R"estoration (Crate) to spell out my word. I used a sketch from Page Maps #2, to complete that challenge on LPS message board, as well. For the "Back to School" challenge on the Counterfeit Kit challenge, I watched the video on border stickers. I layered them behind my title on this page. I think it really set off my large title. Nothing like multi-tasking!!

January Fabulous Five!!

2011-01-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

Taking inspiration from one of my favorite blogs (Maggi "Just Add Glitter and Stir" http://justaddglitterandstir.blogspot.com/), I've decided to do a list of five of my favorite things at the moment. I think every week is a bit much for me, so I've decided to do it once a month, or whenever the mood strikes me!! Hey, it's MY blog, right?!

Without further ado, here are my current favorite things:

#1 - Southland

I got hooked on this new show shortly after it premiered in 2009, because who doesn't like a good cop show, right? I guess I'm still mourning the loss of NYPD Blue! The great thing about this one is that it's shot in my old stomping ground of LA. The characters are flawed and believable, and not overly Hollywood gorgeous like some shows these days. After an amazing first season on NBC, with an all time most heart-stopping season finale, the show was suddenly canceled during it's second season, and sold to TNT with six episodes still in the can. I've heard it has something to do with Jay Leno (figures, the big trouble maker!). TNT finally showed one of those six episodes last week, and the show has been renewed for a third season!

#2 Parenthood

This is the family I wish I had! I'm in love with the father, mother, and their messed up neurotic children and grandchildren! Just like family, some of them are annoying, although I love them to death. The show is sentimental without being cloying. I am totally hooked!

#3 Counterfeit Kit Challenge

Ever since my favorite kit club was put on hold, I have been more than a little depressed! I'm not really interested in committing to another club, but I sorely miss the kits and comraderie. Being on a strict budget has been holding me back, as well. I heard about a new challenge to take inspiration from kit clubs, and use that to make kits of your own. http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/ just posted their first challenge, and as soon as I tried it, I was hooked! The blog is full of all sorts of great tips, as well. They have links to instructions on making your own tissue paper flowers and doily transparencies! Fabulous!

#4 "Just Add Glitter and Stir"

It seems like more and more of my favorite blogs have died! Frankly, I was deeply saddened when Maggi (http://justaddglitterandstir.blogspot.com/) stopped posting for several months last year. I understand that it is a huge commitment to keep coming up with ideas to post about, and no one should feel the pressure to continue. I did, however, keep checking on the blog every so often. I was tickled pink when she finally posted again!! Always a fan of a great comeback, I was thrilled to read her witty stories about young motherhood, and all about her interesting and varied hobbies. I can't get enough!

#5 Awkward Family Photos

This is the online place to embrace the awkwardness in us all! I visit the sight frequently, whenever I need a good laugh! http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

Counterfeit Kit Challenge

2011-01-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

Check out the new Counterfeit Kit Challenge by Bethany and Meridy: http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/. Each month, a new kit will be posted, and the challenge is to look through your stash for products to make a kit of your own. This month was a blast, and I had so much fun looking through all of my supplies to find just the right things to make up my kits.

Here is the inspiration kit, by Jenni Bowlin.
Here is my version and add on.

Kit Contents:
Cardstock: Yellow, Dark Red, Green
Fancy Pants - All Fall (Penmanship) partial sheet
K & Co. - Wild Saffron (Wild Garden)
Jenni Bowlin (Numbered Die-Cut Label Paper)
October Afternoon - Thrift Shop (Still in Box)
Crate Paper - Restoration (Fringe)
Fancy Pants - All Fall (Multiply)
Crate Paper - Restoration (Slipcover)
Making Memories - Boho Chic Round Brocade Metal Frame
Round paper doily from stash - sprayed with red Maya mist
Jennie Bowlin die cut calendar cards
Baker's Twine
Jenni Bowlin Pearl flowers - maraschino
October Afternoon Thrift Shop rub-ons
Scenic Route red date label cardstock stickers
Sassafras Las Nerdy Glitter alpha
Prima Marketing Gallery Roses Quillen (partial pack)
Pattern tissue flowers - handmade from tutorial
Yellow metal flowers from stash
Metal clip - SEI Moravia

Add-on kit contents:
October Afternoon Thrift Shop Good Junk patterned paper
Crate Paper Restoration Borders
Stamped Bingo card
Scalloped circle days of the week journaling spots - etsy
Jenni Bowlin vintage buttons, chipboard buttons
May Arts red rosette ribbon
Teresa Collins - various paper phrases/journaling spots

All the the items came from my stash, and many of them came from prior Life Preservers Kits.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T17:21:00.001-08:00

I hope all of you have a wonderful 2011!

Last night we spent a very boring New Year's eve watching the Twilight Zone marathon on tv. Greg, Anton (my eight year old), and I kept falling asleep on the until it was time for the ball to drop. Leo joined us for the final seconds of the countdown, and we all yelled "Happy New Year" and quickly went to bed.

Today I took everything off the tree, and put most of it away. The rest of the decorations still need to come down, and the tree needs to be put outside. It is a complete fire hazard at this point, but it was raining all day, and never got taken out. It's always sad when Christmas is over, and the presents have all been opened. Everything starts to look a bit cheap and tawdry, like Vegas in the day time.

I also spent some time working on an art journal page about my mixed feelings about Christmas trees and wrapping paper. The page is as ugly as sin, so I'm not sure if I'll post it, or not. I am making a commitment to spend some time every day working on the journal, inspired by "Art Journal Every Day" with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. The spiral bound book I'm working in is one I've had for some time, and some of the pages have been prepped with gesso and acrylic paint from a class (Art Journaling 101) I took with Dina Wakely a few years ago. That's as far as I got in the class. I just kept thinking how ugly they were. When you slap a bunch of other stuff on there, the background hardly shows! Is that the key to making a good art journal page? I'm definitely still in the learning stages of this process.

Happy Birthday, Bean!!

2010-12-31T09:12:00.000-08:00

Our puppy turned one on December 29th! It's been an exciting year with the new addition to our family. He still has much to learn, but I think he's going to be a great dog!

Wisdom

2010-12-30T14:36:00.001-08:00

It seems everywhere you look, people are choosing a theme "word" for the year. I always felt really limited by choosing just one, so I refrained from every doing it. I found this word search on another blog, and the word I first saw was "wisdom". I realized that would be an awesome word to use as my word this year!

Favorite Projects of 2010!

2010-12-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's blog, I once again selected some of my favorite layouts and projects from the past year. Here they are, in no particular order.

Looking back at the work, I am amazed at how much I like them! Although I felt a lag in creativity in 2010, I did make some things I was happy with. When looking at them for similarities, I discovered that many of my projects are heavily distressed and inked, many have a soft and romantic feeling, and many feature a single photo (my new goal is to do more multi-photo layouts). Circles are a common element used throughout the work, as are photos of children and animals. I don't know what that says about me, but it is interesting to look at!

A few photos from the tree farm!

2010-12-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

I've been in a real funk lately with photography, ever since I killed my beloved Minolta D5 by dropping it last summer. Joey was kind enough to lend me his new Kodak Easyshare camera to get a few photos at the tree farm last Sunday!

DCWV Giveaway and Sizzix Blog Hop!

2010-11-19T08:51:00.001-08:00

A lot of fun and prizes are going on right now at DCWV. Check out the giveaway here http://www.dcwvinc.blogspot.com/

It's week three of the big Sizzix blog hop! Check it out here. http://sizzixblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/sizzix-triple-play-blog-hop.html

More challenges!

2010-11-18T08:36:00.000-08:00

The challenges are continuing over at the Life Preservers message board! I created this layout for my last challenge, which was to use only cardstock as a background for a layout. I stitched lines of stitching on the machine for the background, and used a Pencil Lines sketch as inspiration for this layout.

If you complete a challenge, you can display a fun flair button on your signature!

Scrapping Echoes!

2010-11-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

Chris (1CC) came up with a fantastic challenge/game over at Life Preservers message board called Scrapping Echoes! The idea of the game is that she comes up with a layout, then sends it to the next person on the list. They create a layout using hers as inspiration, send it back to Chris, and to the next person on the list. That continues until everyone on the list has created their layout. Then, Cris posts them all to the gallery side by side. The progression is really amazing and so much fun to see! So far, she's done two Echoes. Here are the projects I created.

The first Echo challenge was a layout design.

Echo #2 was a card.

It's beginning to look a lot like....Halloween!!

2010-10-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

We are throwing a Halloween party this year, and I have been feverishly decorating the house! I made this cool Halloween tree, which was inspired by one from Pottery Barn Kids and Martha Stewart. I made it for a make and take from the last crop at LPS. I hope to post some photos soon of more Halloween decorations from around the house.

LPS Harvest your Memories Crop!

2010-10-10T12:13:00.001-07:00

We hope to see you over at Life Preservers for a fun crop weekend October 15 through 17th! These crops are always guaranteed to be full of fun challenges, chat, games, and prizes!

My challenge was called the Fall Classic challenge, and was to create a layout about your favorite fall sport.

I wish I had been able to complete more of the fun challenges! I was able to do Jodi's 1 hour sketch, which is a favorite of mine. Here is what I came up with.

Life Preserver's August Featured Kit!!

2010-09-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

I've had the pleasure of making some things with the fabulous August Featured Kit at Life Preserver's this month! The papers are very youthful and fun, and are perfect with some of the kid's photos I took over the summer.

More challenges!!

2010-08-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was my turn to post a challenge for Life Preservers! The new flair given for completing the challenges are so fun, and we decided to make it even easier for you to earn your monthly flair! At the end of the month, the challenge will be a Keep It Simple card challenge. My challenge was to use a pre-made element on your card! What could be easier? I used a little wreath and leaves by Jolee's Boutique to embellish my fall card. I hope you give one of these challenges a try!

August Challenges at LPSC!

2010-08-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Are you in a rut? Try one of the weekly challenges at Life Preservers Scrapbook Club to give your creativity a boost!

August weekly challenge #2 - Make a positive from a negative:

This is one my favorite photos I took during a recent family reunion! I just love the faces of the two girls, who look so much alike when they are side by side. Using the #2 August weekly challenge from Life Preservers, I was able to scrap it! Lisa's challenge was to use make a positive out of a negative, or use something unusual as a "mask" on your page with spray mists. I used some heart shaped doilies I have to create the lacy background for this page.

The French title was inspired by a past month's challenge to use a title in a language other than your own. I thought it was perfect because the girls are so pretty, and the only girls on that side of the family.

August Week #3 Challenge - LPS in the House!

Sharon's challenge was to use one of the LPS kits to make a decorative item for your home. I have coveted these pretty paper garlands I've seen around, and decided to give one a shot. I used papers from 5 different October Afternoon kits, punched circles from the paper, and sewd them together using a straight stitch on a sewing machine. It was so easy, and very pretty!

Fly A Kite!

2010-08-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

The kits at Life Preservers Scrapbook Club are always adorable, but I especially love the Alternate kit this month, which features products from the October Afternoon "Fly a Kite" line! Here are a few of the projects I've done so far.

A little mini book made with tags.

Here is a card I made for my sister's birthday.

The Race Goes on!

2010-07-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

The Amazing Scrap Race continues at Life Preservers Scrapbook Club! This week, each of the players had to choose one of three rooms. Each room has a percentage of points you can win if you guess either an odd or even number correctly in a game of roulette! Von and Frank thought of everything for this contest! Then, each of us had to do a layout about a time in our lives when we took a chance on something. I decided to do this layout about getting married and having four kids at a late age and in a short amount of time. My journaling describes how we stress out at times, but feel very fortunate.

Challenge of the Week 7/9/10

2010-07-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

I've posted a new challenge of the week over at Life Preservers Club! There is always something exciting going on to help get you motivated. This week's challenge is to use your spray mists on a layout! It's easy to do, but sometimes we forget to use this awesome supply! Spray mists are perfect for personalizing your background paper, spicing up plain cardstock, jazzing up your flowers and other embellishments, and is amazing for quickly covering plain chipboard! Have fun with it.

Man of Mystery

2010-07-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite June kits at Life Preserver's Scrapbook Club was the awesome mini kit, which features papers by Graphic 45 (A Proper Gentleman)! Browsing through G 45's fantastic blog, I saw this idea to alter a book as a base for a project. Here is what I did with it.

Dude!

2010-06-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

The June kits at Life Preservers Club are to die for! I'm excited to be working with the Alternate kit, which features papers by Paper Loft (Dude collection), and embellies by Little Yellow Bicycle. The film strips and lace cardstock are so cool and are perfect for masculine pages! Here is my first layout. I was able to use these wild photos of my oldest son jumping off the deck in a bedsheet and mask! Perfect subject matter for this kit!

This layout was done for Rhonda's week #4 weekly challenge to mix up your title on a page. I scrapped some photos I took on Father's Day.

Weekly Challenges!

2010-06-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

The weekly challenges at LPS have become even more exciting, now that you can get flair for each challenge you complete! And now, you have until the end of each month to complete the challenges, which makes it much easier to get all weekly flairs! I managed to do weeks one and two, so far. Here are my layouts.

Melissa's June week #1 challenge was to use journaling on a layout.

Lisa's June week #2 challenge was to use something on a layout in a way that it was not originally intended. I used the Prima backing packaging as a frame for my photo, and the 4 as part of my title. I'm hoping to work on the other two challenges this week, so I can get all that fabulous flair!! Check out the challenges at Life Preservers Club.

This challenge was to fulfill Andrea's June week #3 challenge to scrap something that is not a person, and the Amazing Scrap Race challenge to use lime green, teal, and orange/yellow on a layout.

The Amazing Race Continues!!

2010-06-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

I'm hanging in there for the Amazing Scrap Race at LPS! It has become quite competitive, with the top players shifting around. I've found that speed is more important than anything else on my layouts, which are becoming more and more simple. At least I'm still in the top of the pack. Our challenge this week was to do a page about a memorable vacation, which was easy to do.

Amazing Scrap RAce Week #2

2010-06-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

I'm shocked I was able to get this done by Monday, considering I was wiped out from the crop! The Prima bling is so gorgeous, and I really need to use more of it.

Summer Lovin' Crop June 11 - 13th!

2010-06-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Fun was had by all who participated in the crop at Life Preservers last weekend! I was even able to get a few layouts and one make and take done. The Design Team kicked butt once again! Here are some of the things I completed.

Here is my example for the "Gifts from the Sea" challenge.

Lisa's Early Bird Sketch challenge was really fun!

Lisa's 1 Hour Sketch Challenge was a riot, although I did not make the deadline!

I had to try this make and take by Laura-Lee! It was just too cute!

Amazing Scrap Race Week #1!

2010-06-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

The fun has begun at Life Preservers, with the latest contest called "The Amazing Scrap Race"! We have already been given tricky questions regarding a mysterious destination. It took me two tries to get that one right! Then, we were given a photo and layout assignment. Many completed both of these within the first deadline. There are seven more weeks to go, with many surprises in store!! Here was my scrappy assignment, which was to use distressing on a layout.

I took the term "distressing" to the extreme, using a peeled paper technique from Claudine Hellmuth's book "Collage Discovery Workshop". This is a great resource for altered artists and paper crafters.

You want a good laugh?!!

2010-06-05T17:08:00.001-07:00

My friend Maggi Just add glitter and stir recently posted some photos of herself in some glamor shots from the 90's! Not to be outdone, I decided to post this one I had taken in the early 90's (I was about 26) to impress my new boyfriend (now husband). The stylist did not understand what I wanted at all, which was more Marilyn Monroe. Instead, he curled my hair tight, outlined my eyes and brows in black, and painted my lips pink! Yuck! This definitely falls into the category, "What were you thinking?"!! They're good for a few laughs, anyway. I was furious at the time, because I was out $50 for the sitting fee, and I did not even order any prints!

Jump!

2010-06-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a little 8" X 8" layout I did with my May LPSC kit! I just love the feeling of these papers!

Sketch Inspiration Layout

2010-05-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Life Preservers will be the sponsor next week for Sketch Inspiration. The DT was asked to provide a layout using this adorable sketch.

I had fun with my layout, but am disappointed with how it looks in the photo. The green looks a little like split pea soup, and it is much cuter in real life.

May Mini Book

2010-05-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

I just received my May kit from Life Preservers Scrapbook Club last week, and was so inspired by the fun papers (Crate - Brook, MME), that I decided to make a mini book with all the extra photos I have of my sons. Here is what I have completed so far.

A New Challenge at Life Preservers Club!

2010-05-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

This week was my turn to come up with a challenge at LPS. I wanted to do something that was simple and easy, but fun. I got this great idea from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's blog! The challenge is to split your page in half right down the middle. Then, place your photo on one side, and another element of equal weight on the other side of the line. This page was so easy to do! View all the challenge details here. I hope you give it a try!

Amazing Scrap Race 2010!!

2010-05-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

Life Preservers Club is starting a new exciting contest just in time for summer!! Sign up now to play the "The Amazing Scrap Race"! Find out all the details at LPS.

Another layout and project from the LPS Cambridge kit

2010-05-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here is one more layout made with the LPS April alternate kit! This was such a fun masculine kit, it made me think of this old photo of my two great uncles, Carl and Earl Chamlee! In the photo, they are both playing the banjo. It reminded me of how my father loved to play music (which of course involved vast quantities of alcohol).

Here is a frame I altered with the kit.

NSD Blog Hop Winner!

2010-05-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for participating in the challenge Laura-Lee and I prepared! It was a fun way to celebrate NSD! My winner, chosen by random.org was Kim (Kimber)!!! Congratulations! I will get your prize out soon. Keep watching for the big prize winner from Life Preservers!

Image Transfers

2010-05-04T12:22:00.002-07:00

I've been playing around with gel transfers for the past few days. I actually posted a class on this on the Life Preservers message board. I love the effect, although it takes a little practice to perfect. You can find the complete class and directions here. Here are a few of my examples.

Here is an ATC I did using a transfer made from a picture from a magazine.

This card was made using a transfer of a vintage clip art image from the internet.

Her are a few of my early attempts. I love the artsy distressed look of these images.

Would you like the chance to win a FREE Cricut Expression?

2010-05-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Check out Every Day Cricut for many chances to be entered into a drawing for a free Cricut Expression and other great prizes! http://www.cricutholiday.com/2010/05/our-gigantic-national-scrapbook-day.html

Blog Hop Sketch Challenge

2010-05-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

I was able to complete one layout for the LPS blog hop yesterday. Lisa and Jodi challenged us to do a layout using a sketch provided by Robin Wade and using a recycled item. Here is what I came up with!

NSD Blog Hop is Today!!!!

2010-04-30T21:50:00.001-07:00

You have until May 6th to complete the blog hop! I hope you all can participate!

Happy National Scrapbook Day! I am so happy you're here to participate in the blog hop! Isn't it awesome that they actually named a DAY in honor of our favorite hobby? Scrapbooking adds so much to each of our lives, and is something that we all share in common. I can truly say that scrapbooking is my passion! My obsession started when my first child was a baby. I was nuts about taking photos and putting them into books. I kept a detailed baby book, writing down every phase of her development. Scrapbooking was a natural progression from that. A few years later, I began using patterned papers and scrapping as we now know it. I have never looked back!

To celebrate National Scrapbooking Day, the design team, hosted by Life Preservers wanted to bring a little extra excitement to the day. We have partnered up amongst ourselves to provide you with four separate challenges. Each designer will add an element to include in your project. There are so many things to inspire us during this time of year, in addition to National Scrapbook Day.

Hopefully you came here via Laura-Lee's blog! She and I have partnered up to bring you a fun challenge in honor of NSD and May Day! What says May Day more than ribbon and flowers! Laura Lee's challenge was for you to use at least five pieces of ribbon and no patterned paper in your layout. In addition, I am asking you to use no fewer than five flowers on your layout (You may use patterned paper for handmade flowers). Here is my example.

As you can see, your layout can be very colorful and fun without using any patterned paper as your background! Have fun and be creative! If you complete a layout completing all the elements required by Laura-Lee and I, and post a comment to my blog, you will be entered into a drawing for a random prize from me!

All you have to do to participate in this blog hop is to visit the Design Teams blogs. Do the challenge posted and link your creation to their comments. You can link this from your gallery on Life Preservers if you would like. There will be links to follow on each of our blogs. Make sure you comment on each DT blog with your creation if so applicable. For each challenge that you do you will be entered into a random drawing for a prize from Life Preservers. Make sure that you have also read Laura-Lee's blog for this particular challenge.

Thank you so much for participating in Life Preservers first annual NSD Blog Hop. Please hop on over to Sharon's blog, and see what else is in store for the hop!

Crowning Glory of Scrap Within Reach "Cambridge"!

2010-04-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

This layout was made using the latest kit by Life Preservers, and includes products by Scrap Within Reach (Cambridge). The papers are very regal and masculine in feel. I took these photos on a recent trip to the Santa Barbara Mission for a retreat. The location is so stunning, it's actually difficult to get a bad photo of the place! I used an image transfer technique to place the image of Father Junipero Serra, who was one of the major founders of the California missions. He died after securing the site for this mission, which is known as the "Queen" of the missions. In California, all the school kids study the missions and are required to do a project and paper on one of them, and I am fascinated by their history. This particular mission is breathtakingly beautiful, and is still held by the Franciscans. The area surrounding it is covered by rose gardens and mult-million dollar homes. If you are ever in the area, I strongly urge you to visit!

For more information on the image transfer technique, stay tuned for a class coming next week at LPS!!

Layout inspired by Live with Prima

2010-04-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to watch the Live with Prima for 4/19/10, which was given by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, my new scrappy hero! She used a variety of mixed media to alter a canvas. I chose to work with some foam board I had laying around, but would love to try an actual canvas at some point. The background is made with many different techniques, and I was surprised that it hardly resembled the original paper by the time I was done with it. I used some leftovers from the March LPS Featured kit (Shabby Green Door - Wings of a Dream and GCD - Ella Blue) and a reprint of a baby picture of my father. I think it looks beautiful together. Thanks for the awesome class, Julie!

Beastly!!

2010-04-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

I used the March LPS mini kit by Glitz for this layout of our new puppy! He looks so crazy in the photo, and his teeth are so sharp that I did made some "blood" accents with acrylic paint and red Stickles.

Blog Candy!!

2010-04-11T14:46:00.001-07:00

Check it out! http://papermoments.blogspot.com/2010/03/blogaversary-celebrating-my-first-blog.html

LPS Store Grand Opening!!!

2010-04-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

LPS is having the grand opening of their new online store! The wonderful thing about it is that any purchases can be sent with your kit at no extra cost!! They had several things in stock I "had to have"!! Come check it out! http://www.lifepreserversclub.com/Store.html