In Wonderland

Between our challenge blog and the 2 Peas classes, I cannot possibly run out of things to create!  My little notebook of what I want to make this month is full, thanks to some pre-determined challenges.   :)  It is nice to get some things accomplished.

Here is the layout that I did for Shimelle's 4x6 Photo Love Class...

I used my favorite Cosmo Cricket Paper (Girl Friday) and Chipboard Set, some Basic Grey Glazed brads from various lines, clear stickers (put on white cardstock, cut out and foam squared for dimention) from American Crafts and a Library Journaling Card that I printed out.

I am loving me some stick pins...

Last month's Counterfeit kit has stick pins in it.  I got out my obligitary pins that I had purchased along time ago and put them in my kit.  Whoohoo.  Then a wonderous thing happened.  My sweet husband brought home several of those plastic storage holders with the drawers FULL of jewlery making things.  Um...I don't make jewlery honey.  But you could.  But I don't.  But you could...just look through it, okay?

So I looked...and started to see some pretty things (and alot of things I will never use).  And started to get some scrappy ideas!  Hmmm...these charms would be cute on a page...those beads could have rub ons put on them...

And then this months kit had a stick pin again.  But this time, I was excited about it.  I was going to make my own.  I was lucky enough to find some straigh pins (for jewlery making) in the glorious mess of beads, so I got to work.  It was SO easy and I am in love with them. 

Here is my first one that I did for my kit this month:

Really, it doesn't take much at all to make these.  All you need is some beads/charms, straight pins of some sort or even safty pins and clear glue.  You might have most of this already in your house.  Go look.  I'll wait........

If you are using a safety pin, just put the beads on and close it.  Done.  If using straight pins, put a bead on the pin toward the end and put some clear glue on the top and bottom of the bead...you don't have to wait for it to dry.  Go ahead and add any other bead/charms as you see fit and put clear glue in between each and especially at the end.  Then put it down and give it a few minutes for the glue to dry.

Look how cute!  Do I have to use them?  LOL

Now go and create something. 

February's Counterfeit Kit

I am so excited about this months kit from Scraps of Darkness!  If you haven't seen the kit we counterfeited yet, head on over there and check it out!

If you haven't stopped by the Counterfeit Kit Challenge, check in there to see more pictures of the kits we were inspired to make!

When she first sent pictures of her kit and add on kits to us so we could get started on them, I will admit to being overwhelmed with the amout of items in these kits!  So much scrappy goodness!

Let's walk through how I put together my kit:

Step one for me was to focus on an inspiration piece in the kit.  I really like the patterns of the paper she chose, so I decided to start there.  I have a pack of American Craft Metropolitan Paper that I was looking for a chance to use and decided to start there.

I used this pretty print as a guide for picking out my cardstock.  I do a lot of 2 page layouts, so I put in 2 sheets of each color to give myself some options.  Since I had the whole stack from AC, it was pretty easy to pick coordinating papers for my kit.

Next I moved onto the embellishments.  There are so many in the kit!  Not to mention the add on kits!  I took some liberty with my embellishments, although I did try to stick to the original kit as much as I could.  That is the beauty of making your own kit.  You can do whatever you want!

Original Kit embellishments:

Cut apart cards (see picture further down in post) (check)

Mini alpha stickers (check)

Bingo Cards (check)

Small Frame Stamp (check)

Page Pebbles (made...check)

Lace Trim (check)

Stick pin (made...check)

Fiber Trim (replaced with a cute pom pom trim...check)

3 bunches of small roses (made...check)

various brads (check)

Pack of larger flowers (made...check)

self adhesive pearl design (check)

2 die cuts - fairy and heard (replaced with 2 chipboard shapes...check)

Teresa Colling Blingage (used chipboard shape -embossed and heat embossed...check)

additon of buttons...I love buttons (check)

Here are the cut apart cards I made.  I used See D's stamps, Michaels $ stamps and The Girls Paperie set (it also has the frame I am adding to my kit).

Scraps of Darkness has great add on kits, so I got stared on those next.
I trimmed down the Romance Add On Kit.  I didn't feel the need for more flowers, so I skipped those and the pearl dots and pins.  I made my own metal frames and added a metal trim instead of the trim with beading.

For the Color Add On Kit, I decided to not go ahead and mix up colors and things until I am actually working on a project.  I did pull out my collection of Pearl Ex products (all obtained through garage sales, thank you very much).  I have not used them much, so I am excited about playing around with them and will be sure to share my experiments with you!

I can't wait to see what you create with your kit!  Don't forget to link a picture from either your blog, facebook or even 2 Peas or Scrapbook.com to enter our contest for this month over at Counterfeit Kit Challenge!  Inspire me, people!

Pretty displays make all the difference

Who cannot stand a messy desk?  Come on!  I know you are out there!  Stand proud with me!  I am a clean as I go sort of person whether it is scrapping or cooking.  I need a nice clean area to work in or I cannot focus. 

That is great for staying neat, but not so great for feeling creative.  Right now I think I have the perfect organizational systems.  I love them and everything has it's place.  This weekend while I was putting together a kit I was working on and creatively taking some photos of the kit (see other post) and it hit me!  I should keep my kit things out in some cute containers on my desk so I will be inspired to use them! 

So here are a few different containers I came up with (the first picture you will remember from yesterday):

(This last bucket I turned upside down so I would have a more shallow container. )

So what fun containers do you use (or could you use) to display your scrap stuff that you are in the process of using?  Share your good ideas with me, please!

My photo taking "aha" moment!

This weekend I was working on my kit for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog and was trying to figure out a way to get better pictures.  My camera is not fancy and I don't have alot of photography skills.  I envy people who are able to get really great shots of their finished cards and layouts.  So I decided to poke around online and see how the kit clubs were showing off their products.  I noticed three things:

1.  Natural lighting
2.  Interesting backgrounds
3.  fun display containers

Here is what I came up with to try and integrate those things in my display photos. 

First I pulled out some white foam core boards that I had sitting around and some patterned paper:

Then I found a good, natural light source (a great window with lots of light...I also can use my front bay window) and put made a "stage" with the foam boards:

Pick some patterned paper and prop it up on the foam board (like wallpaper, but not glued down).  You could also use fabric and even put some cardstock down as the "floor":

Then just put the object in front of the patterned paper, get down on eye level and take the photo.  Looks prettier already!

I also decided to find some pretty containers to display some of my stuff that I wanted to photograph (a neat trick that I saw on alot of kit clubs).  My husband thought using a gravy boat was a bit nuts, but I like it.  I also turned the candle sticks upside down because the bottoms have more room to store things.  Look at how much nicer my embellishments look with a little TLC photography:



January was an inspired month...

I am the first to complain about not having as much time as I like to scrapbook.  I am a stay at home mom, so time is a bit more abundant for me (at least more flexible), but the interruptions are neverending as well.  There is always something to be cooked, cleaned, read, played...YOU understand. 

So why was January such great scrappy month for me?  I know of a few reasons:
1.  My new word Perspective has really helped my attitude and my priorities
2.  I did better at making more time for me
3.  I was MUCH better organized since starting the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog with Meridy (Love the kits...really streamlined my time)
4.  I limited my computer time more...it is an bad distraction for me
5.  2 Peas had it's CHA social...which gave me inspirations and deadlines

Here are the things I created during the CHA Social...I didn't finish all of the challenges, but I do love what I did:

Shabby Chic Challenge:

Use a color you love to wear Challenge

Use Red Challenge

Accessorize Challenge

Simple, Classy Style Challenge:

I am very excited about what I finished between the social and the Counterfeit Kit Challenges...I was able to preserve some very important stories this January!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge January Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog Hop! Every month one of our challenges will be reserved for an end of the month blog hop! You should have started here: http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/


Today's hop is inspired by a roll of our creative die: Card/Fashion/Bling

And here is my fashion inspiration:

I had all sorts of ideas swirling through my head on how to do the ruffles and experimented quite a bit with scrap paper. I finally just cut my favorite green patterned paper (jillibean soup) into a strip and then used a border punch to give a more ruffled feel. I added them to the card base at an angle and overlapped them to get the same feel as the photo. Then I bent the ruffles up to give it some demension.

I added cream at the top (that is the color I would wear with this...lol), but it needed some sort of separation, so I added a grey "belt". The buckle is a chipboard one I had that I heat embossed with silver. My bling is pretty obvious. I love my I-Rock! So easy and fast to use! Some faux stitching and a quick sentiment finish it out.

Supplies in addition to my kit:

I-Rock crystals, Fiskars Border Punch, chipboard buckle, embossing powder, CTMH sentiment stamp

Thanks for hopping along with us today! I hope you will be a part of the hop next time!

(Pssst....are you still reading?  Good!  We have some great things planned for February!  You will meet our Guest Designer...see a great new kit to copy and perhaps have a chance to win a prize!  Make sure you are a follower so you don't miss out on ANYTHING!)