February 2026 - Inspiration Kit and Social Media Hop!!!

Welcome to February on the Counterfeit Kit from all the Master Forgers! This month we have a new inspiration kit to help you use up your stash! I am Master Forger Amanda and I am hosting the blog for the month of February! I hope that you are refreshed and ready to tackle some more challenges and you play along with us on Facebook!  This month's inspiration kit is from The Scrap Room's Flavor of the Month from January 2024.  This kit features Carta Bella'a At Home, PhotoPlay's Bro's Amazing, Simple Stories' Winter Wonderland and Vicki Boutin's Discover + Create. 

To add a little more embellishment to play with - I decided to include the embellishment kit too! 

As you can see, this inspiration has a lot of options that you can scrap all sorts of events and everyday activities with!  Make your kit as big or as small as you want to!  There are soo many opportunities to get those memories scrapped!

I am pleased to introduce our Guest Designer for the month of February, Kathy Price. 

 Be sure to follow her on Instagram and YouTube!

 

 

"Hi, I’m Kathy — mum of five, Deputy Principal by day, and a scrapbooker for over 24 years. Scrapbooking has been part of my life through every season, and my style is best described as eclectic: I don’t believe in boxes, rules, or “one right way” to create. I’m always willing to give any scrapbooking style, trick, or tip a fair go. From clean and simple to messy, layered, budget-friendly or bold, if it helps tell the story, I’m in. My heart is in capturing real memories for my family, the everyday moments as much as the big ones. I truly believe scrapbooking is more than a hobby, it’s history recording In real time. One day, future historians won’t just look at textbooks; they’ll look at the stories we preserved. Our layouts show how we lived, what we valued, who we loved, and how life evolved over time. That’s pretty powerful. I love to scrapbook, I love all things paper and my motto - just add more!"

Kathy has some great papers and embellishments picked out for this month! She definitely has a variety in her kit!

Our Master Forgers have lots of inspiration for you as they share their counterfeit kits.  Be sure to check them out on their creative pages, as well as the Counterfeit Kit Community Facebook group.

• Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog - http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/
• Guest Designer, Kathy Price   https://www.youtube.com/@kathyloves2scrap617
• Brandi - https://www.instagram.com/scrappy.boymama/
• Misty - https://craftysoup.com 
• JoJo - https://www.instagram.com/scrappyconfessions
• Julene - https://julenebydesign.blogspot.com/
• Ryann - https://www.instagram.com/scrapbookjoey/
• Tina - https://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com/
• Tara - https://kryptonite72-rambles.blogspot.com/
• Vikki https://www.instagram.com/memoriesandmomentsscrapbooking/
• Amanda - https://youtube.com/@amandacreates1980

We have a full month of inspiration and challenges.  See you back here tomorrow for Just the Gist of it!

• 2nd February- Just the Gist of It: A look at how to build your own counterfeit kit
• 4th February- Forgeries on the Fourth: Creating elements from the inspiration kit using your own stash
• 6th February- Mini Kit & Project Reveal:  See how the Master Forgers create a smaller version of the inspiration kit
• 12th February- Challenge #1 -10 Things I love about... 
• 18th February- Challenge #2 - Birthday Blessings - create a birthday themed layout that focuses on a birthday tradition
• 22nd February- Sketch Challenge from our Guest Designer - Kathy!   
• 27th February- March Sneak Peak (In Facebook Community) 
• 28th February- Baby, Use Those Scraps 

The Master Forgers love to see what you create.  Share on our Facebook Community Find us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge and tag us in your posts #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcfebruary2026.

Happy Scrapping!

Amanda Bass

January 2026 - Challenge #4 Baby, Use Those Scraps!

 Hello!  It's the last challenge of the month.  It's time to use up those scraps from your counterfeit kit. Whether it's a scrapbook page, a card or an embellishment cluster, you can do many things with scraps of paper or a few leftover embellishments.

Let's take one last look at the inspiration kit, Curiosities in Willow Grove by Vicki Boutin.

Let's look at what our Guest Designer and Master Forgers created with their scraps.

Guest Designer Melinda

Melinda was able to create a double page layout with her scraps.  She made good use of her scraps by cutting them into hexagons.

Master Forger Amanda

I ended up with quite a few scraps and some larger pieces this month -- so I choose to use the 1" strips in the fern paper to border an 8x12 inch piece. I also had enough to mat my photo with a scrap, and had a background paper to match left in my kit! I even got one of my forgeries on this page!  I love using scraps that I have put together in a kit, because they usually go so well together! My process is available to see here.

Master Forger Misty

I'm sneaking in here today! I created several pieces out of my scraps for this layout: die cut letters, banner for my title, background layers for my photos and the small banners I used to fill in the grid. Leftovers are good for so many things!

It's been a true pleasure being your hostess for the month.  I hope this month gave you the inspiration to create your own counterfeit kit, forgeries and to participate in the challenges.  Be sure to come back on the first of February when Master Forger Amanda takes over the blog and shows us a new inspiration kit.  It's sure to get those creative minds working overtime.

Thank you for sharing all of your work with us.  We love seeing it!  Facebook Community Find us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge and tag us in your posts #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcjanuary2026.

Happy Scrapping!

Master Forger Vikki

January 2026 - Challenge #3 Let's Get Sketchy!

How do you feel about sketches?  I love them!  Sometimes I follow them exactly.  Sometimes they are a starting off point and my final product looks nothing like the sketch.  And both are okay!  I hope you like this month's sketch.  I can't wait to see how you interpret it.

 Curiosities in Willow Grove by Vicki Boutin. is our inspiration kit this month.

Our sketch this month was created by me.

Our Master Forgers knocked this challenge out of the park!

Master Forger Ryann used her forgery paper and one of the journaling cards she forged as well for this.  She had landscape photos of her Disneyland trip from last summer that went perfectly with this kit and the sketch!

Master Forger JoJo

She found this paper in her kit and it fit perfectly with this month’s sketch. She used it to make a layout to keep track of her book that she reads this year, a new hobby that’s she been waiting to start for a few years now. The little girl she found the image on Facebook and printed it out and fussy cut it and added a giant Library card and embellishments from her kit.

Master Forger Vikki

I thought the sketch was perfect for a layout documenting two of my favorite things, books and coffee.  Most of the embellishments on the layout were forgeries created and fussy cut.

 One more challenge to go.  And don't forget about the sneak peak for February's inspiration kit.  You're going to love it!

• 28th January - February Sneak Peak

• 30th January - Baby, Use Those Scraps Challenge

We are loving all of the layouts you are sharing with us.  Post on our Facebook Community  Find us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge and tag us in your posts #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcjanuary2026.

Happy Scrapping!
Master Forger Vikki

January 2026 - Challenge #2 2026 Goals

 Since it's the beginning of a new year, it's the perfect time to set goals for yourself.  Do you set scrapbook related goals - maybe you keep track of how many pages you complete each year, or how many paper collections you want to use up.  Do you have a goal of how many books you will read this year?  Whatever the goal, today's challenge is to document one, or all, of them.

Our inspiration kit is Curiosities in Willow Grove by Vicki Boutin.

Our Master Forgers shined on this challenge!

Master Forger Brandi

For 2026, I am hoping to work in a 6x8 album to document more of the things I do for ME! I spend so much time focused on albums for my boys, I want to make sure I am documenting some of the things I do just for me/for fun/our household! So, for this challenge, I created a fun little cover page for my album. 

and some close ups!

Master Forger Laurie

My first thought when I was given this challenge was that I don’t make yearly resolutions or goals. How will I create a layout about something I don’t do? Then it hit me! I am a procrastinator, big time procrastinator! So that’s my goal I’m working towards this year……to not procrastinate and just get things done! Here’s my layout. I think I’ll hang it on the wall over my desk as a daily reminder. 

Master Forger Tina

This year I'm trying something new as I always have my scrappy goals, but now that I'm reading more I decided to make a reading goal in 2026. 

 

Our sketch challenge is up next.  See you then!

• 22nd January - Sketch Challenge  

• 28th January - February Sneak Peak

• 30th January - Baby, Use Those Scraps 

The Master Forgers can't wait to see what you create with your kit.  Share on our Facebook Community Find us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge and tag us in your posts #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcjanuary2026.

Happy Scrapping!

Master Forger Vikki

January 2026 - Challenge #1 Use Those Doilies!

Welcome to the first challenge of the New Year!  I don't know about you, but I have a zillion doilies just waiting to be used.  I seem to always forget about them when I am gathering all the things to include on a page.  Because of this, I decided to make it a challenge to use a doily, or multiple doilies, on a scrapbook layout.

Here's a quick look at the inspiration kit, Curiosities in Willow Grove by Vicki Boutin.

Here's how our Guest Designer and Master Forgers took on the challenge of the doily:

Guest Designer Melinda

Melinda used ink blending to add color to white doilies.

Master Forger Julene

I used one big oval doily behind my photos.

Master Forger Vikki

I was able to use two small doilies on my page.  It felt great to use some of them up!

Come back and check out our next challenge!

• 18th January - Challenge #2 - 2026 Goals

• 22nd January - Sketch Challenge  

• 28th January - February Sneak Peak

• 30th January - Baby, Use Those Scraps Challenge

We love seeing what you create with your counterfeit kit.  Share on our Facebook Community You can also find us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge and tag us in your posts #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcjanuary2026.

Happy Scrapping!

Master Forger Vikki

January 2026 - Mini Kit and Project Reveal

 Today is when we show how the Master Forgers create a mini kit based on the inspiration collection.  If you are new to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge group, this may be the perfect post for you.  By having a smaller number of product/supplies in your kit, you might feel less overwhelmed.  You  might have less time to scrapbook this month, but still want to participate in the fun challenges we have.

Before we see how the Master Forgers created their mini kits, let's look at the inspiration kit, Curiosities in Willow Grove by Vicki Boutin.

Here is what our Master Forgers have created this month.

Master Forger Tara

For my mini (ish) kit this month, I pulled mostly Vicki Boutin Storyteller.  There’s a few other items in there, and I forgot to take a picture of the fun leaves a friend gave me for Christmas!  There is a video up on my channel showcasing my kit and my first layout that I created.  You can find my channel here.

Here's a photo of the leaves I forgot to photograph with my kit!

 

 

Two sheets of that patterned paper I put into my kit for fussy cutting.  I cut all of the leaves from the leaf paper and then cut up 1/3 of the sheet that has the colorful butterflies.

 

 

For my first layout, I created a two page layout using two of the sheets of patterned paper in my kit!  

 

 This is a simple layout that allows my photos to tell the story with a bit of help from my journaling.  I used a few of the fussy cut leaves and butterflies as embellishments as well as some ephemera and chipboard.  I pulled the word Document from my puffy stickers and used my alpha for the word "this". 

 

 

For my second layout, I am also scrapbooking about a Homeschooling moment.  One of our science projects in the spring of 2017 was to watch the metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies as well as hatch a praying mantis egg case.  This layout showcases the day that we got our box with the caterpillars and egg case.  I have already scrapbooked about the butterflies and their subsequent release! 

 

 

Master Forger Christine

My life right now is the perfect example of a time when Mini Kits are just the thing.  And I "cheated" even more because I actually own the inspiration kit.  So for my Mini Kit, I decided to work with items I might normally find challenging.

For my kit, I pulled the 6x8 paper pad, the Icons and Ephemera pack, the chipboard titles pack, and then the two 12x12 papers of tags and cut-aparts.  My project with this mini kit - to make some cards.  One of my goals in 2026 is to mail cards to my friends each week.  So what a great time to build a little mini stash ready to stick in an envelope and mail.

The quickest way to make a bunch of cards is to batch your processes.  So the first thing I did was to cut up all the tags and cut-apart papers.  Then I fussy cut the few elements I knew I wanted from those pieces.  After that, I went through the 6x8 paper pack and snagged 6 papers that looked like a good, solid base for cards.

I scored the 6x8 papers at the 4" mark to make the cards 6x4".  A bit non-traditional, but works well with what I have.  Once I had the bases ready, I went through and matched which tags and cut-aparts I wanted to go with each base.  
I then went through the chipboard and ephemera titles to build 6 sentiments.  After gluing those elements, I picked through the ephemera to decorate the card fronts and insides.

I added a little white cardstock to the inside of a couple of them so I could write a note to the recipients.  These cards don't really have a specific event (like a birthday) in mind, which made them easy to design with this kit. 
All in all, this took me just over an hour and I have 6 really unique cards while using quite a bit of items I might not normally grab.  You can see my video over on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@ScrappingHarden/videos 

You'll definitely want to check back when we start our January challenges.  See you then!

• 12th January - Challenge #1 - Use Those Doilies!
• 18th January - Challenge #2 - 2026 Goals
• 22nd January - Sketch Challenge  
• 28th January - February Sneak Peak
• 30th January - Baby, Use Those Scraps Challenge

The Master Forgers love to see what you create.  Share on our Facebook Community Find us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge and tag us in your posts #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcjanuary2026.

Happy Scrapping!

Master Forger Vikki