April's Counterfeit Kit Challenge

I'm still in a teal kind of mood today! It's all down to this month's Counterfeit Kit Challenge (if you are new to this wheeze, quick - check it out here and come back).

The kit the girls (and that brand new Design Team) have chosen this time round is from a new kit club Front Porch Kits and the link to the kit to copy can be found here. It was a hard one for me to get a feel for at first. I had a couple of false starts before I really looked at that teal and loved it.

I've already used up my stash of "For The Record" , so without that to base my kit around, I decided to take it in a fresh, Spring direction. With linen and Amy Butler fabric, embroidery threads, flowers and butterflies. It probably doesn't look a lot like the original (except for that teal!), but it does look a lot like a kit I think I'll use. What do you think?

Pink Paislee tapes, Prima flowers, linen tag and bird, Making Memories Bamboo Alpha.

The March Counterfeit Kit Challenge

It's time to get fancy with forgery again - it's the Counterfeit Kit Challenge.

This month's kit comes from Studio Calico. And who doesn't love a bit of Studio Calico? This one is bound to have a record number of counterfeiters! It sold out as soon as it was released, so the only way to get one now is to make it yourself. And that's exactly what I did.

The original can be found here. It's an earthy mix of browns and yellows with touches of green and blue. I pulled some papers, mixed up a bit of this and a bit of that and made an outdoorsy kit of my own:

contents:

Dark Brown, Green, Kraft, Dandelion and Vanilla cardstock

2 exclusive Studio Calico papers - alphabet and blue grid

1 Pink Paislee Enchanted

1 October Afternoon Nightlight

2 October Afternoon Campfire "campstove" and "animal tracks"

1 Dream Street Heartsong "lighthearted"

1 My Minds Eye Cloud paper

1 Basic Grey Marjolaine "profiteroles"

1 piece woodgrain fablon

1 My Minds Eye Stella and Rose title

1 American Crafts Thickers "hardcover"

1 Sassafras chartreuse glitter alpha

2 pieces Prima flower

mini chipboard trees, woodgrain stamp, felt bee, journaling tags, buttons and butterly chipboard stickers - all from stash.

And a closer look:

Gotta Crafters, I'm saying nothing. But it's a nice little tag isn't it?

Now there's a stamp I'm glad I found

Now all I need are some fresh outdoorsy photographs. Did anyone just say "hike"?

Join the Counterfeiters right here to check out the other kits.

She's Great Gas

"You off out with your doctor friend tomorrow, then?" asked The Tall One, as he grabbed a snack or four.

"She's not just a doctor, she's an anaesthetist," said The Small One, slowly and carefully.

It says Gaz toxique on this Pink Paislee paper!

"Duh. YES. She'd definitely been on some of her own gas last time she was here," said her brother, handing her some supplies.

"Hey!" said The Small One, "That's not fair! She's cool. I asked her if she wanted to borrow me for Take Your Daughter To Work Day; and she said she'd see, but I'd have to be a bit older, and..."

and off they went to do their homework. My friend wasn't always a doctor, of course. We bonded in Additional Maths class. She could do it. I couldn't. We hadn't a father between us; and I think our mothers fondly believed we were good support for each other. In truth, we just liked the same boys.

We worked on the school magazine together. We interviewed an old headmaster. And those rumours about us being the last people to see him alive? Probably just rumours, though it's true he didn't ever get to see his words in print.

We shared a room the night before I got married, giggling like teenagers again, until she put on her bridesmaid dress and zipped me into my frock. Now we do more grown up things, talk about adding on conservatories or the price of tomatoes; and we spend on the fight against ageing with a facial each, not two coffees and a bun between us. But her laugh is the same. Her world view still cheers. She is always, as my Father-In-Law would have said, Great Gas

A layout without a photo, using my February Counterfeit Kit for their "Putting the Pen to Paper" mini challenge

That's it for today - but, don't forget, Storytelling Sunday is next week. Sunday 6th February.

The February Counterfeit Kit Challenge

I had a lot of fun with the Counterfeit Kit Challenge last month, so how could I resist playing along in February too? This month's kit-to-copy comes from Scraps Of Darkness:

and as you can see, it's dark, it's gothic. it's really quite black. Now, I don't use a lot of black when I'm scrapbooking, although I have been through a black phase - and I have The Smiths CD's to prove it - so I knew I had to find another direction to take the kit in. Then I remembered the page I had torn from a magazine a while back because I loved the striking decor. It's a Swedish Country look in white and black; similar to the style of a favourite interiors blog of mine: Me And Alice.

So that's what my kit became. Scandanavian Country instead of Romantic Gothic. With black and white and gray and, for contrast, a touch of green with a little shabby chic floral thrown in too. This is a kit I know I will use.

Kit details:

• Bazzill: black dotted Swiss, 3 white and 1 pale green
• I sheet Studio Calico Herringbone
• 1 sheet Jenni Bowlin "Deco Chain"
• 1 sheet Amy Butler Lotus "Teabox"
• 1 sheet Pink Paislee "Eclipse"
• 1 sheet black printed alphabet paper
• 1 sheet studio Calico bicycle paper
• 1 sheet Amy Butler Lotus "Faded China"
• 1 KI Memories Lace Cardstock
• Jenni Bowlin alphabet
• Prima Say It In Pearls, green flower and pink flowers
• Maya Road Transparency and kraft tags
• mirror and acrylic tag
• Basic Gray Bling It On
• Bella Blvd flower
• Homemade black windmill
• pink and black ribbon and a selection of stick pins
• Making Memories white metal flowers
• Not pictured - Maya Road black rubons

And here is the whole thing:

Now I'm heading off to check out the other counterfeit kits here. And then I might just have to make a page...


Psst! Don't forget, you can add your story to Storytelling Sunday any day this week. I've been blown away by all your tales - thank you!

The Counterfeit Kit Challenge

Anyone else think that one of the best things things about scrapbooking is the kits? I love 'em! I look forward to seeing how each kit club pairs which with what. Every month, And then quite very often I sit back and wait for that pizza box (or two..) to arrive.

But now I've discovered a way of taking this kit thing to a whole new level...

The Counterfeit Kit Challenge is the most intriguing new scrapping idea I've seen in a long time. Here's the plan: at the beginning of every month the girls choose a freshly revealed kit as an inspiration and the challenge is to make a counterfeit with your own supplies...any way you choose. Shopping your stash, making your own embellishments or treating yourself to a few new pieces, it's all allowed. I think it's genius!

Of course I had to have a go; and in true kit club style, I'll give you a sneak (of my made-at-home yellow felt flower)

and a peek (of my also made-at-home dictionary paper "notions")

and my Martha Stewart doily punch at work

before I reveal my complete kit, based on Jenni Bowlin's December collection.

Believe me, this might just be the most fun I'm going to have today without resorting to Paypal. But check it out yourself and see what you think. I'll be playing along next month again. Definitely.

My kit details: 

• cardstock: 1 red, 1 green, 1 kraft
• 1 sheet JBS Family Tree diecut
• 1 sheet MME Life Stories Recipe Paper
• 1 sheet BG Nook and Pantry Measuring Cups
• 1 sheet BG Nook and Pantry Placemats
• 1 sheet BG Nook and Pantry Cookbook
• 1 sheet Glitz Scarletts Letter Stripe
• 1 sheet Glitz Scarletts letter green
• 1 sheet Studio Calico Exclusive paper
• JBS exclsive alphabet
• JBS Family Tree journaling cards
• Glitz cardstock stickers
• Black doilies cut with MS punch
• JBS green buttons
• handmade yellow felt flower
• handmade dictionary paper notions
• a twist of yellow thread