Finally pulled one out!

I have despaired the last few weeks of doing ANYTHING with my June kits.  I pulled something in my back, so sitting for much time at all has been a pain.  Literally.  LOL  It is still hurting, but I was able to put together one layout today.  Typing up this post is killing my back again, so I will keep this brief.

My girl is VERY into rainbow loom.  I snapped a few photos of her hard at work on her creations when it struck me that I used to be the same way with my potholder loom.  I remember making so many of them.  My poor grandma had a drawer full.  LOL  I think people may have ran when they saw me coming.  I thought it was a fun connection and wanted to document it.  I pulled out my June kit and snuck in some extra enamel dots.  Shhhh...don't tell!

Jennifer Grace had a great sketch on her blog for her event last weekend.  I was not able to participate because of my back, but was happy to be able to go to her sketch for some faster scrappy results!

Now to go sit with a heating pad.  LOL  At least I can get some of my cross stitch caught up!  Can't have me just lazing around not being creative!  Hmmm...another idea for a layout?

I'm in love with my June Counterfeit Kits!

Did you see it?  The "s" on the end of Kit in my title?  Yep.  I made TWO kits this month because, well, I just couldn't pick.  Which is the same reason we have a choice of kits to counterfeit in the first place.  LOL  They both had a similar feel to me and are a great jump off from our Wonderful World Of Color NSD Event from last month.  (Seriously proud of my fabulous team for pulling that off so well.)

So let's jump right into checking out the kits for this month!

Scrapbook Circle Shop has a great kit for May:  High Five!

I threw caution to the wind and decided to not be so literal with my interpretation (I wasted a whole day trying to recreate that circle paper...epic fail).  Instead I just started pulling some fun, colorful paper and embellishments and let that direct me.

Next up is the Summer School Workshop Kit from Clique Kits!  What a fun concept and what a great kit!

More random paper pulls!  I loved just digging in and picking papers I liked.  My embellishment hunt led to some fox stamps (by Close to My heart), so I will have a great time with that direction!

I pulled some great colorful embellishments (dots, mists, sequins) that will work well with either kit as well.  I am eager to try out some gloss gel medium (like a stencil paste) as well this month.

My office looks like Rainbow Bright has been visiting me.  LOL

I am really excited to see what kits the design team has put together for this month.  Angela is up next with a super kit to share with you!

Bethany:  http://inspiredscrapper-bethany.blogspot.com  (You are HERE)

Angela http://colestoucan.blogspot.co.uk/

Jemma http://just-jimjams.blogspot.com/

Julene  http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com.au/

Lesley G.  http://ohblogitifyoucantbeatthem.blogspot.co.uk/

Lisa H. http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com/
Leslie  http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com/

Lynnette http://sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com/

Millisa http://millermall.blogspot.com/

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Now, how can YOU participate?  Go to the sidebar and use Mr. LINKY to link us to YOUR kit or project using your kit so we can leave you some love!  We will make a brand new Mr. Linky for each month, so get your blog posts linked ASAP!

To make Mr. Linky a little easier for us to use, please type your name and then a description of what you are linking (ie: kit, mini challenge, ect…).

We also have a Flicker group, if you don't have a blog, but would like to share your creativity with us!  CKC Blog Flicker Group

We also have a new twist on our Follower Blog Hop for this year!  I hope you like it!

End of the Month Blog Hop:

On the 24th of each month we offer a blog hop opportunity to all of our followers!  A chance for you to show off a special project made with your counterfeit kit for that month.

Here is how it will work:

Your Blog Hop Project may be from any of the 3 challenges we offer throughout the month.

Your project must be something new that you have not shown before and only post for the hop.

To be a part of our blog hop:

1.  E-mail us your name/blog address/promise to participate at counterfeitkitchallenge@yahoo.com  BY THE 18th!  (No late requests will be able to join this time due to the work it takes for us to get it put together.)

2.  You will receive  an e-mail from us by the 20th with a list of the hop participants.

3.  You will need to schedule your own blog post showing your project based on this challenge and links to the person after you in the hop.

4.  All Blog Hop posts will need to be scheduled to go live on the 24th at 12:00 A.M. Mountain Standard Time (Arizona)

Happy Mail

Photo Credit

Send a card.  Today.

As crafters, we love to create beautiful things.  We make cards by the dozens.  When is the last time you mailed one out?  I have a box full that I made because it was fun.  It is time to start putting them to good use.  Today I am mailing some cards to several people I barely know because I know it will brighten their day.

Let's send some happy mail, friends!

My creativity has a cold

 

It is amazing how being sick can drain all of the creativity from your body.  I finished up with work early this week so I could have some time to play...and promptly got a cold.  LOL  Between the medications and symptoms and lovely asthma issues (thanks to both the cold and the constant rain), my brain just will not work. 

I am still trying my best and sitting in my now cleaned up studio (I could think enough to get that done) with some soup and a hot apple cider (my go to sick drink).  Yawn.  LOL  I would nap, but my brain will not let me sleep unless it is night time, so I know I will just lie there and stare at the ceiling.

I find myself mindlessly browsing for scrapbook supplies online.  Not good!  Let's see what Blog lovin' has right now to inspire me.

I love this sketch by Sam Simpson on Cas(e) this Sketch.  It looks simple enough that some stamping alone should just about do it for me.  Not much strenuous thinking required, which is perfect for today.  I happen to have someone who could use a nice pick me up card right now, so this will be perfect.

I pulled out a great Paper Trey Ink set (Up, Up and Away) and did a bit of stamping/coloring.  I like the results.  I could add a lot more to it to make it really a WOW card, but I think it is sweet the way it is.  In fact, I might be making a few of these to send out today.  

I also, in my mindless wandering, stumbled across an I-Phone app that might be just what I am looking for to track my supplies.  I cannot tell you how many times I have been at a store (with a coupon) and thought I should get a new Copic, or some Mists, but do not remember what colors I still need, so I put it back.  I have a great memory for stamps/paper, but some of my coloring things always escape me.

ScrapStash App

I'm going to go crash in bed and try out this app.  I"ll let you know what I think!

A little sketchy fun!

Scrap 365 has a wonderful sketch up on their site for May.  I love the simplicity of it and have JUST the right photo I want to use.

I rotated the sketch and found a photo of Isabel and her snowman for this year.  Her favorite movie right now happens to be Frozen, so the direction I wanted to take was obvious.  My favorite bit is the cloud raining down dots and hearts.

Introducing May's Counterfeit Kit!

We are jumping into May with a wonderful kit by Paper Camellia.  Since there is a Main Kit, Add on and a Pocket Page kit for May, I decided to go a little bold and make a 12x12 kit based on the Pocket Page Kit.

HERE is the kit that inspired me this month:

I also decided to do something a bit different (for me) and take a quick inventory of the kit and then not look at it again while I make my own kit.  I made a list of the things that struck me in the kit, so I could free style it a bit.  Crazy?  I hope so!

My notes:

Colors:  Blue, Orange, Pink, Green, Yellow, Black

Embellishments:  Cork, wood, metal

Shapes:  Stars, Globes, Cameras, Words

Theme:  Travel/Adventure

 Now comes the brave part.  I got out the box.  Don't YOU have a box?  A box of special papers that you are hoarding and don't want to ever use?  Yes.  I got out that box.  My special box is full of October Afternoon.  You know that October Afternoon is hard to come by around here.  My friend Pam has sent me some and I was able to snag one of their boxes this past Thanksgiving.  I tried pulling other papers for my kit, but knew that the perfect papers were in that box.

See that Map paper right there on top?  Sigh.  I love that paper.  Most of what I picked is October Afternoon with a bit of Crate Paper thrown in to round it out.  I LOVE the colors and it came together pretty quickly with no patterns to try to match up.  

So here is my complete kit I like to call Oh, the Places I'll Go.

Next on our hop is our Guest Designer, Laura.  You are in for a treat so head over there next!

If you get a bit lost on our hop, here is the list to keep you going:

Bethany:  http://inspiredscrapper-bethany.blogspot.com

Guest Designer: Laura  http://beadsbuttonsandbirds.blogspot.co.uk

Angela http://colestoucan.blogspot.co.uk/

Jemma http://just-jimjams.blogspot.com/

Julene  http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com.au/

Lesley G.  http://ohblogitifyoucantbeatthem.blogspot.co.uk/

Lisa H. http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com/
Leslie  http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com/

Millisa http://millermall.blogspot.com/

Stephanie http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.ca/

Don't forget to check back in at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge for a special two day Event for National Scrapbook Day!

Make sure you stop back by The Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog to see how you can participate this month in our challenges and end of the month blog hop!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge #3 for April: BIG TITLES

My printer is out of ink, so I had to dig through some of my older photos to see what I could use for a layout for this challenge.  The color combination of my kit is also limiting me a bit, but I finally found a photo with a great story that I want to document.

I found some great inspiration over on the blog, Happiness is Scrappy.  I fell in love with her layout:

Head over to her blog to see more about it HERE.

The placement of the photo is different and interesting and I love how prominent the title is.  I decided to give a bit of scrap lifting a go.

I have to say that my Silhouette is one of the best gifts my hubby has gotten for me.  I enjoyed my cricut, but finding the right cut was tedious and time consuming.  (I actually still have a Cricut and an Imagine, but they are resting in my closet.)  The Silhouette is so much faster!  I have a subscription (gotten at a great discount) to the online store and can quickly locate what I want and cut it out within minutes.  For this layout I browsed the store for the perfect font and really liked.  Then I decided to just do it.  Not cut out a font FOR the layout, but cut it out ON the layout.

And just like that, I did my first cuts on an actual layout.  Now I feel silly for worrying about it.  LOL

Now to figure out what to put behind the paper.  I tried a lot of different patterns and textures.  My daughter reminded me of the backside of a cute fairy tale paper I had in my stash...PERFECT!  Since the "Frozen Yogurt" was supposed to be blueberry, I figured blue dot paper would work for the rest of the title.

TADA!

Journaling:

Billy has the worst time expressing exactly why he dislikes a certain food or meal.  When I ask him, he says it "Tastes Like Dirt".  It is a good thing I love him.  After one "It Tastes Like Dirt" comment, I decided to get him back.  I went to my friend's frozen yogurt store (The Pink Walrus) for some help.   Billy asked me to bring him back a container of their blueberry frozen yogurt.  Instead, Kylee and I filled  a container with dirt.  Yep.  It flew all over when he pulled off the lid.

And since I am digging around in my supplies today, I decided to make my girl a card kit.

She is now happily making some cards for some birthdays coming up.