Just One More Thing - Series Hiatus

Drawing by Peter Falk

Just in case you were wondering, our Just One More Thing series, is in hiatus.  Fear not, there will be a Season Two.  The scrapbookers (screenwriters, of sorts) are working feverishly on it.

And just so you know, there will be a definite plot twist in Season Two. In fact, instead of leaving you with that as a cliffhanger, I will tell you what it is.

Audience participation!  Yes, you too, can join in.  Can you see Colombo there lowering his hand and pointing at YOU.

Here is how it works:

1. Email us a photo of a layout you have already completed from a counterfeit kit - past or present.
2. Tell us what you like about the layout.
3. Tell us what you don't like or what you would like to improve.
4. We will share that information privately among our design team members and in a week (or possibly two) we get back to you by email with our comments and suggestions, which are just that - suggestions.  I promise, we are kind and gentle reviewers.
5. It is totally up to you which changes to make - we only require that you change JUST ONE MORE THING.
6. You then revise the layout and send a photo back to us, along with your write-up about what you did. We will give you about 3 weeks to complete that.
7. You even get to choose which comments and suggestions you share publicly. (You must have had a really good agent to get script approval, like that!)
8. We then post your photos and blog post to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog. 
9. You do not need to have a blog to participate.  We make you the star of the show right here.
10. Just leave us a comment below and one of the design team members will get in touch.

So who's up for a special guest appearance?  We are ready to start booking your debut now.





Oh, and just one more thing, during this series hiatus there is a winter replacement series in the works. The new mini series - sorry, no teaser trailer available -  starts this Saturday. Don't miss it!  "Set designer spots" available to you for that series. Come join the fun.

Just One More Thing - Design Team Challenge, Episode Five

Is anyone else still busily working on December Daily or Journal Your Christmas? Or have all thoughts of winter been shelved, while spring is eagerly anticipated?

I must confess, I'm still in winter mode, working on prompts from Journal Your Christmas (and using up the last of my Document December Kit.) But, before I started on new layouts, I revisited some of my older entries and realised that the one thing that was consistently missing from my Journal Your Christmas layouts was the journalling! I usually find it a little daunting to add journalling to my layouts - and, of course, like any scrapbooker, I hate my own handwriting. Why is it that so many of us hate our handwriting?

I knew that this layout, which I liked but didn't love, was a serious contender for our latest feature series 'Just One More Thing'. (If you've missed the previous episodes, check out the synopsis of the series and catch up with layouts which have already undergone the team's analysis!)

Not wanting to ask any leading questions, I didn't mention my own desire to add more journalling (and, of course, the Master Forgers were questioned in isolation.) Here's what they suggested:

• Add a title, perhaps with red Thickers. 
• Emphasise the photograph. It's 'floating uneasily above the bottom border. 
• Add washi tape to the top/bottom of the photograph. 
• Add a tiny, little sentiment to the journalling card. 
• Add a title and some journalling < Wahoo! Someone mentioned it,  corroborating my own story! 
• Add more contrast, the photograph is 'disappearing.

(You can really tell which photograph was taken in natural light and which was taken in my kitchen late at night, can't you?) 

Well, it seems that they had their stories straight, doesn't it? There was no contradictory advice, so taking all of the suggestions on board, I started by adding an extra strip of patterned paper to the bottom border. This covered the bottom of the photograph, stopping it from 'floating' and 'grounded' the layout a little.

I then added a title (and I am so pleased with it) using some lovely red alphas from Simple Stories. A little smaller than Thickers, they fit perfectly into the space alongside my embellishment cluster.  I then added a little sentiment to the bottom of the journalling card. (I'm sure I was supposed to add it above the twine, but I do love some white space and I was 'giving it up' elsewhere.) I also had to replace the little red acrylic star that was on my original layout. It was the one casualty of my crimes!

Finally, I added a little journalling. I still hate my handwriting, but the story of the layout has, at last, been told and my layout is complete!

So, now that I've confessed my own crimes, I hope that you'll join us for the next instalment of Just One More Thing when we'll see whether I've 'rolled on any of my accomplices' for a better deal (at my local scrapbook store.) 

Just One More Thing - the plot thickens - Chapter 4

Hi there, Lisa here for another chapter in the nail-biting, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, layout mystery here known to one and all as the Just One More Thing Team Challenge!

If you've missed the previous episodes, you can read the "tv guide" synopsis of this series here and catch up with layouts which have already undergone the forensic analysis here.

Drawing by Peter Falk

I handed over the following layout to the team for their expert opinions on the crimes committed:

I'll start off by saying that this was actually a Counterfeit layout from March 2014 which was used for my contribution to the member blog hop. I know that I was "pleased" with it at the start but somehow found that something wasn't quite right and as time went on, I realised that I just didn't like it! Or at least a lot of it!

What I DO like:

• The photo. I seem to have "misplaced" a lot of photos over the last 12 months with various computer problems etc so I want to save this one if possible as I love that bright foreground with the incredible Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the background. 
• The story behind the photo - though the journalling was a little sparse
• The background papers which were all from my March 2014 kit full of neutrals and soft tones
• The little sparkly enamels
• The gold glitter title

What I really DON'T like:

• The gold brush strokes
• The contrasting back elements
• Those strange fussy cut shapes
• The mix of style, texture and dimension
• The bright colours mixing with those neutral shades
• The design

Not really much to work with.

My trusty colleagues offered me a plethora of advice including:

• Make the title pop by using some colour
• Use more colour 
• Go with black and white papers with some coloured embellishments
• Find a photo to match the mood of the product then redo this photo with papers and products that fit that better.
• Go for more contrast
• Ditch the veneers, the black arrow, the ribbon and make a stronger visual triangle
• Use more colour - again!
• Remove the photo but tip the whole thing one turn to the right then maybe make a heritage page
• Make this into two layouts - one for the photo and one for the background papers
• Add some spots of red
• USE MORE COLOUR! (ok, I hear you!!!)

I picked up their subtle loud hints about matching this photo up with more colour. Yes, it made me realised that was what I'd been feeling. But maybe also find a use for the background. I particularly liked the idea of turning it so that the papers were vertical - I make too many horizontal! I was also interested in the idea of using more black and white and trying to salvage the black diagonal here - a fabric frame. And I was determined to get rid of the background paper with the dodgy gold brush stripes. I also loved the idea of making one layout into two. 

And that is exactly what I did!

I started off by carefully removing the photo and trimming it a little to get rid of the rough edges my not so careful removing had caused. Then I ditched the tag, the veneers, the ribbon, the arrow and the odd fussy cut elements. I saved the enamels and the title and then tore the layered papers off the background.

From there it was easy. 

I added those to a new sheet of cardstock and using my November Remembrance kit, added a few more elements to bring it right up to date as well as a little more colour and three very recent (this week - go me!) photos. The same gold alphabet seemed perfect for this Advent inspired layout.

Then I got to work with my bright, modern, geometric kit from April, Vivid, and made up a whole new layout using the original photo, the black diagonal print frame and the alphabet. I made sure I went with strong contrast, pops of red and gold, plenty of colour and some strong black and white paper. I added a date and some journalling - still not much but more than before.

Now don't you think that the two layouts I've shared here are SO much better than the original, rather badly designed one?!?!?

I had great fun hearing what my fellow Forgers had to say and was laughing because everyone was so friendly and kind! But it's all good fun and I know that you will enjoy the next episode of Just One More Thing which will premiere in the new year - I've seen the original and am super curious to see how the suggestions we made are executed!

Just One More Thing - Design Team Challenge, Episode Three

I stepped in this month to volunteer my very first layout EVER, for comments.
I made this 15 years ago when scrapbooking was just using pretty papers & photo mats.
It had no title.
I was going to name it Little ray of sunshine, but never got it done.




After showing the DT, here are their suggestions:

1.You might gather those separate boxes into closer proximity or even a grid and swap the photos' positions so that the adults were looking into the center of the page where the baby would be.

2.Group the elements together to give the page a focal point - at the moment it's difficult to know where to look first.

3. You could really give it a modern touch with some metallics in there too. The rose border is lovely and I might try to salvage some of it to use under the photo block for example. The journalling is sweet but maybe you could add a litlte more detail? Date, baby weight, names etc. I know that there's no way you can forget these facts but someone looking at the page might like to know. I think you could get a super modern, fresh, baby layout with a little rework
                                                                  ******************

I took all those ideas on board and carefully reworked my layout.
In those days I used Hermafix, so I managed to salvage the border paper and with Erica's costume design training, it had to be bling!!
I took the baby bangle and tag out of the keepsake pocket.
My journaling is tucked in behind the photos.
The lace is from my wedding dress, so there is another tie in.
At least Warren and I are facing each other now.
The cream thickers match the manilla tag and the blanket.
The pink heart brads show that we love her.



I'm much happier with this.


This little baby turns 29 next week!
Thanks for looking, from  Julene

Just One More Thing...Design Team Challenge...Episode 2

Remember this challenge? And Susanne's great page makeover? Well, it was up to me  (Margie) for the next contribution. And it kind of goes against my policy of not redoing my pages, but I'm always up for a challenge, so I powered on. First order of business was to go through my old scrapbook pages/albums, until I saw a page that I thought needed to be redone. I found one from way back in the early 2000s, and decided to go with it.

Here is my original page:

(Please excuse the terrible photo, it was a cell phone snap at night, and I totally forgot to retake the photo before I tore it apart).

Here is what the design team liked:
*the blue color
*the title
*the cute little guy ;-)
*the photos across the page(some felt it was too busy, though)

Suggestions:
*black and white the photos (I chose not to do this simply because they are so busy. I like my black and white photos to be simple and striking)
*having the journaling on a card or tag, and tucking it in somewhere
*use blues-some felt darker, some said lighter blue. The Shimelle True Stories collection was suggested
* bring in some red to tie in the red sweater
*use a square formation for the photos
*trim the photos to eliminate the background
*use Thickers
*use only the three photos on the right
*reduce the photos down to two

I tried to think about all of their suggestions as I was putting my layout back together, although I did have to do it my own way, and include the things that made the page feel complete to me. My favorite part of this challenge: I developed my story more in the process, as I was explaining the layout to the girls, so I included that on my finished layout design.
Would you like to see my finished product?

Here is the updated layout:

I separated the three dancing photos from the other one, which I gave a little more prominence with its own photo mat. I tucked the journaling in on tags, and used a kraft background to ground the photos and the wood tones. I added red as suggested, in bits from Say Cheese, Shimelle's True stories did make a small appearance (can you spot it?), along with a few bits from my September kit. I even got a little bit of light and navy blue in there! What do you think? Better?

Just One More Thing - Design Team Challenge - The Pilot

Are you sitting in a comfy seat?  It is time for the pilot episode of the Just One More Thing Design Team Challenge.  If you missed last week's post describing how it works, click here to read the "tv guide" synopsis of this series.

Drawing by Peter Falk

Susanne here.  I proffered this layout for perusal and pointers by the team -

Design features the team liked (in no particular order):

1. the misting, the misting, the misting (they really liked the misting!)
2. the photo collage
3. the color combination, with one dissenting opinion on the yellow
4. the enamel dots clustered with brads
5. the center line is softened by the offset layered papers

Suggestions for improvement (also, in no particular order):

1. shorten the top border on the left and add it to the bottom left to eliminate trapped space
2. add a cut-out border to soften the line between the misting and the patterned paper
3. add small amounts of red to better tie the design to the photo
4. make the 2014 tiles more jaunty to match the other tiles better
5. soften the journal block, perhaps using misted strips instead laid jauntily like the tiles
6. change the journal font to script to match the number 28

What say you?  Is the one thing that you would change on that list?

Here is my finished layout -

First of all, it looks brighter because I had a nice sunny day to photograph it outside.  I wouldn't want Columbo to cuff me on a false advertising charge.

I decided to incorporate most of the suggestions, making one change at a time to ensure it would work with the ones that came before. In some cases, I addressed the problem but not in the way suggested. If I were to do only one change - it would be the addition of red to the page - I added the red book die-cut and switched the coral enamel dots to red as well.

There is always a danger when you start fiddling with a layout that you won’t be able to stop.  But I was prevented from over tweaking the layout for a couple of reasons.  First, I had very specific things to improve and second, my scrapping time was repeatedly interrupted that day.  I won’t deny that the second may have had more influence than the first.  Lt. Columbo wouldn’t let me get away with fibbing, now would he?

Thanks for viewing.  Another teammate will be back to take the challenge soon. Stay tuned.

Just One More Thing - Design Team Challenge - Preview

Remember Peter Falk as the inimitable Lt. Columbo.  Always throwing off his suspects by asking one more question just as they thought he was going to leave them alone.  And, of course, it was the one thing that cleared up all the other questions, wasn't it?

 

 (photo credit - peterfalk.com) 

Well, Peter's not with us anymore.  But we love his style.  In fact, we do think he is imitable!  Of course, we would!  We consider many things to be imitable - worthy of being imitated or copied. Like Columbo, we can't help ourselves, it is what we do.

So how does this apply to scrapbooking, you ask?  Well, don't you sometimes find yourself looking at a layout not quite satisfied with it; you are about to walk away and call it quits.  But it is still nagging at you.  What if you had a friend, of the scrapping variety, not the police variety, that would suggest just one more thing you could do to improve it?  What if that one more thing, was just the thing to make you really happy about the page?

Well, we here at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge design team, decided to try it out.  In the coming months, some of us will put forth a layout that we are not quite sure about.  We will ask our design team colleagues to let us know what they like about the layout, and what one thing they would change in the design.

Then the original scrapper will take none, one, some or even all of their suggestions and revise the layout.  We will show you the before and after layouts, in the hopes that you will pick up a design tip or two in the process.  

Sounds like fun, don't you think?  Next week, you will see the first episode.  We promise no one will be taken away in handcuffs. No one would dare try to cuff women who are so handy with their scissors!

Stay tuned.