December Mister Linky

Here is the Mister Linky for all of your December 2011 projects.

November's Photo Challenge and Blog Hop Winner

We have a new post addition to our little blog.  Once a month, I will find a photo that I find inspiring and post it here.  I will be adding a Mr. Linky to the bottom so you can also find an inspiration photo and post if for me to see!  Look for photos that inspire you with their color, design, or content.  We can use these photos to inspire a great new project or even a fun photo for us to take ourselves!

Here is my first pick from PhotoChallenge:



And now...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

13

Timestamp: 2011-11-29 18:31:10 UTC

The winner of the Scraptastic Gift Certificate is....

Margie (Scrappin Margie)

Congrats, Margie!!

And thanks to...

for sponsoring us this month!

Milissa's Thanksgiving Page Kit

Milissa has put together a seriously cute Thanksgiving page kit for us today!  The color pallete is perfect for some family fall photos!  I especially love the little envelope and the multicolored alphas!

Milissa

You will have no excuse to not get alot of pictures scrapped with this Page Maps Sketch.

Home Decor Blog Hop!

Why you should hop with us today:

I am not suggesting you overindulged, but we do consume about 3,000 calories at our Thanksgiving Dinner.  Just saying.  A little hopping my be just the exercise that you need. 

Blog Hop Challenge:  Create a Home Decor piece with your kit!

 Heather
Angela
Bethany
Emily

Don't forget that we have a prize at stake this month!  To win a $20 gift certificate from:

Scraptastic

You will get one entry for commenting on THIS post.  Do it!  Do it now!  (The participants in the hop will get an additional entry!)

Scraptastic and Master Forger Blog Hop!

We have a great lineup for you today!  Let's give some love to our friends over at Scraptastic who are playing along with us today!

Blog Hop Challenge:  Create a Home Decor item with your kit!

Blog Hop list:

Jessica at Scraptastic

Heather Landry

Juliann Marchant

GDT Melanie Stanczyk

Michelle Unruh

Crystal  

Glinda 

Helen

Jemma 

Jen 

Julie Ann 

Kim 

Lisa 

Margie

 Milissa

 Rebecca 

Meridy 

Okay, now to win that Gift Certificate from Scraptastic!  Whoohoo!  Comment on this blog post telling me your favorite project and you will be entered!  That is all!

I Spy...Heather!

Heather

A really great showcase of a special single photo!

Blog Hop Reminder!

If you are looking for a creative break and a chance to have a few minutes to your self...stay tuned for our blog hops coming up!

November 27th:  Scraptastic and Master Forger Blog Hop!
November 28th: Counterfeit Blog Hop

And if great projects are not reason enough, you also will earn a chance to win a $20 gift certificate from:

Scraptastic Club

So pencil us in!  You will not want to miss this!  

Unscripted Sketches

I was browsing around...minding my business and I found a fun card sketch blog named Unscripted Sketches.

I love this sketch:

Sketch 132

The side is just perfect for the extra bits I always have left over from my kit! 

You should check out their site...lots of pretty things to see over there!

Master Forger Challenge #3: Craft for a Cause

I know this is an unconventional challenge, but I hope you have fun with it!  Look at what WE made!

Our Guest Designer, Felecia

Susanne

Lisa

Jen


Did you make anything special for Thanksgiving?  I'd love to see it!

Challenge #3: Scrapbooking for a Cause

Scrapbooks Ect. is doing a great project every month on their blog!  They showcase a project idea for you to create and then give away!  I thought it would be fun to share the crafting love this month, so you can find our challenge at the Scrapbooks Ect. site.

Scrapbooks Ect. November Scrap it Forward

My brain is busy with some fun ideas for making some placemats for Thanksgiving for some kids I know.

Look at these fun ideas!

Cool Placemats to keep kids busy

Personalized Place Mats for Kids

Photo Placemats

Books Placements

Challenge #3: Scrapping for a Cause.  Make some scrappy placemats and give them away.  (And if you are able, laminating them may not be a bad idea.)

December Daily Challenge---written by Master Forger Margie

"I really love the idea of doing a December Daily album, but, with 4 kids and a limited scrapbooking budget, I felt that I would be able to make a great "Counterfeit Kit" from the supplies I already had on hand.

There are so many great Christmas kits out there that it was HARD to narrow it down to just one kit to copy-so I picked 2! The kits I chose to draw inspiration from were : The hot kit this season from Studio Calico, and a fantastic kit from last season, from  A Kiss on the Chic. I drew inspiration from both kits to come up with a Christmas kit that I just love!I have plenty of supplies to make my December Daily-plus plenty of other goodies to use on layouts and cards.



Margie's Counterfeit Kit

Some of my favorite elements in my kit are the chevron paper (a free digi paper that I got on a Jessica Sprague blog hop, and printed on watercolor paper) there is a link for a free chevron pattern here, the "chicken wire" die cut (which I cut with silver Wasua cardstock, my Cricut and SCAL), and my tiny die cut envelopes (cut from Echo Park For The Record digipaper with my Cricut and SCAL), and the awesome free printables from Creativity Prompt, Just Something I Made, Pink Paislee here, here and here , the Graphics Fairy, and ormolu. 

I needed an album to stuff this all into-what better than that new green Smash book I haven't used yet?! I will also be using a mix of photography prompts from Capture Your 365 , and Rebecca's "Simple as That" blog.

I have some awesome December Daily albums, kits, and ideas pinned to my December Daily Christmas Album Inspiration Board, if my kit didn't suit you, have a peek and make one the way you like it!!"

Here are some links to a few of the printables that Margie used:

Creativity Prompt's December Daily Journaling Cards Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Creativity Prompt's December Daily Labels

Ormolu 12 Days of Christmas Tags

Graphics Fairy Christmas Images

Jack and Cat Curio's freebie "Santa" Bingo card

If you are interested in creating a Counterfeit December Daily kit please share it here!  Rather than a Mister Linky for the December Daily...leave a link to yours in the comments below.  To easily find this post in the future, there will be a "quick link" towards the top of the right hand column called "December Daily".  I'm super excited to see every one's kits and/or completed December Daily's!!!!   

I Spy....Clair

Clair

Oh, my great goodness!  She made the patchwork paper! It came out beautifully!!!

**Sigh.  I wish I could sew.  LOL

Gadanke Journal Review

I was extremely intrigued to discover these sweet handmade journals from an online store named Gadanke.

Gadanke Online Store

Don't panic!  I'm not loosing my mind and giving up creating my own scrapbooks, but sometimes, it is nice to take a break and have someone else do the creative part.  Sort of like bringing a yummy cupcake to a professional baker.  There is nothing wrong with enjoying the cupcake even if you didn't slave over it yourself. 

Now I admit that I am a bit indecisive at times, but WOW, did I have a horrible time trying to decide which journal to get.  I looked through every.  single.  one.  Twice.  Then I asked Billy (the hubby) for his opinion.  He told me which SEVERAL he liked.  Ugh.  Then I asked my kids.  DUH.  They liked the kid's journals.  That was no help.  Here are some of the reasons for my brief brain freeze moment:

 SEE why I had such a hard time?  I finally decided on the Love where we Live journal.  I thought it would be nice to do something as a family.  This is what it looks like on the inside (I picked the cheery yellow cover.).

Okay, I will admit that even as I was pushing the send button, I still thought about a few others that I should have ordered.  They all look so good!

After that tormenting decision (yes, I tend to lean towards the dramatic), I sat back and waited for it to come.  I just love mail!  And I did not have to wait very long.  Fastest shipping time ever!  I love that it was addressed to: the fabulous Bethany Hardy.  How on earth did she know, right?  Katie (the owner) does a lovely job with the details that make this such a special purchase.  It comes tied with a cute rafia bow and even had a note to me in the package.  I felt pretty stinkin' special.

The book itself is 4x4.5 inches, which is the perfect size to put in a basket with all of your other mini albums.  For me, the hardest part of journaling is thinking of what to say (I know...but I am an English Teacher...weird, huh?).  Katie has such a creative and fresh outlook on how to journal about your topic (in this case, my house).  I love all of the journaling prompts (like what we do during our together time and what big splurge we made for the house) and the meaningful quotes scattered throughout the album.  It is all designed to really get you to think about what you are writing.  Even the photo spaces are marked with suggestions for pictures to take and put in them.  I LOVE that.  She really walks you through how to make a meaningful book.  I think my favorite part has got to be the mini maps.  They are so cute!  I have some good ideas for those!

Basically, I love that the book is ready to use, as is, but lends itself to adding your own special touches to it to make it uniquely yours.

If you want to check out Katie and her Gadanke shop, here are some ways to do it:

Gadanke Shop

Twitter

Facebook

Blog

Intrigued by these journals?  Katie is offering YOU a special code for 10% off your order.  Hurry!  This offer expires November 25th! 

Code:  COUNTERFEIT10

Blog Hop Challenge: Home Decor Challenge

Blog Hop Challenge:  Home Decor Challenge!  Make something fantastic for your home...or the home of someone you love!



Blog Hop Details:

Create your assigned project and take a photo of it.

You have until the 25th to e-mail me at counterfeitkitchallenge@yahoo.com with BLOG HOP in the heading.  In your e-mail, please give me the LINK TO YOUR BLOG and be ready to publish a post with your challenge on the 28th (12:01 AM Eastern Time) for the hop

We will put together a list of all participating blogs and will e-mail everyone the order of the blog hop and how to do their post!

By the 28th (or earlier if you want to schedule it to simply post on the 28th) you will create a blog post that shares your creation and then post the link to the next blog on the list!  Easy!

PRIZE:  You have two ways to be entered to win that lovely $20 gift certificate from Scraptastic:  you get one entry for participating in our blog hop and another entry for commenting on the blog hop post!  So get going on your projects and e-mail us to let us know you want to play along!



Scrapbook Destinations

Scrapbooks Ect.

Factory Direct

The Tutorializer

Seriously, I could keep posting pictures all day!  Leave me alone and go make something!  :)

Sport's Page Add On Kit

It is that time of year again!  Time for this...

and this...

and this....

so maybe you need to put together this...

a great sport page kit from JEN

And here is a great sketch from Sketch Support (Sketch 19)

So many fun things to do with this kit!  Come on...you know you want to make one, too!

I Spy.....Scraptastic!

I spy with my little eye:  Scraptastic

Becky's Projects

Ocotber Afternoon pretties

Yummy Cards

Contests anyone?

Bird MUST haves!

LOVE THIS STAMP!!

Fun ideas for these...

Master Forger Challenge: Tag! You're it!

Seriously, you don't get any better than this!  Our Master Forgers are amazing designers!! 



Crystal

Bethany

**Check out my blog for a second project I made!

Felicia

Helen

Jemma

Julie Ann

Lisa

Margie

Milissa

Are these not the best projects ever?  Don't forget to head over to their blogs and give them some love!

Challenge #1: Tag! You're it!

Photo Credit

Wait!  Don't run away yet!  I need to tell you what your challenge is!  Then you can run, but I am pretty fast for a mom of two.  Just warning you.

Challenge #1:  Tag, you're it!  Create a project using tags!

Here are some great free tags to get you started!  (Thanks, Felicia, for the links!)
Green Tags
Canvas Tags
"Hot" Tags

Don't forget to add a link so we can ooohhh  and aaaaahhhh!

Oh, and have you done a bit of window shopping at Scraptastic yet?  Don't forget that they will be a drawing for a gift card from them at the end of the month (entries for participating in and commenting on the blog hop).  What will YOU buy with the money?

Some Sketch Inspiration

Now that Meridy has helped you get your kit together, let's see if we can start to use it up, shall we?

Here is a great sketch for this month.  I found it at Scrapbook Challenges

Sketch 258 by Chanell

**Head over there to see some great samples made with this sketch!

Tutorial-Free Printable and "Found" Items

I thought these free printables would be perfect in this month's kit!!!

The following items can be found around the house and used in this month's kit...

Recipe cards
Office style file folder stickers
Old seed packets
Old ticket stubs
Product packaging with a vintage or retro feel (tags, labels, etc)
Lined notebook paper--distressed to look vintage

Tutorial-Creative Replacements for Rub Ons, Cloud Embellishments, and Chipboard Images



Fancy Pants-summers end rub-ons
Studio Calico-memoir chipboard clouds
Fancy Pants-summers end die cut embellishments
from the Inspiration Kit

 Try these different options to recreate the baubles in this month's kit...

1- Instead of rub-ons or die cuts---fussy cut patterned paper or a stamped and colored image (if you have Copics, here is a great reason to pull them out!)

2-Instead of chipboard pieces---create your own Shrinky Dink images, color them to fit your color theme, and bake them!  Milissa created a tutorial for this, which can be found here.

3-Instead of the cloud embellishments---I used a scallop circle punch, cut the circle apart, and placed the pieces to overlap one another, they look just like clouds!

Tutorial-Faux Leaf Buttons and Wooden Shapes



Kaisercraft-wooden leaf flourishes
Studio Calico-memoir wooden veneer houses
Favorite Findings- wood autumn leaves buttons

from Inspiration Kits

A few different ideas for counterfeiting these wooden embellishments.

Kaisercraft Wooden Leaf Flourishes- try cutting a leaf from fun foam with a Sizzix or Cuttlebug, then cut it again from wood grain paper, glue the two cuts together.

Favorite Findings Wooden Autumn Leaves Buttons- I punched 6 leaf shapes, glued them one on top of each other, coated the top leaf with Glossy Accents.  After the Glossy Accents dried, I punched 2 hole with my Crop-a-Dial to mimic the button holes.


My Faux Buttons

Faux Wooden Embellishments-Once again, Milissa created a tutorial.  It can be found here.

And a few tutorials for creating wood grain paper...

• An awesome tutorial for Creating Faux Wood grain for Embellishments
• Faux Wooden Planks (mimics flooring, decking, etc)
• If you need a large piece of wood grain paper, here is a more detailed technique for creating Faux Wood Grain Using Acrylic Paint