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

January 2026 - Forgeries on the Fourth

 

Hello and welcome to Forgery on the 4th!  Each month, our Master Forgers use their stash to create elements showcased in the inspiration kit.  We hope their forgeries will inspire you to create your own.

Here's another look at our inspiration kit, Curiosities in Willow Grove.

Let's take a look at what the Master Forgers created.

Master Forger Misty

Misty recreated a couple of simple embellishments: foiled butterflies and some sweet little magnifying glasses.

Master Forger Julene

I used a wet teabag to age some neutral papers in my kit.

Master Forger Ryann 

Ryann had a very productive creative session! She made many things, a few of which will be shared here. Check in on her Instagram or on our Facebook group as she is likely to share more over on those platforms as well.

Here are some journaling card "cut-aparts". She started with recipe card bases and then added decoration to mimic the originals.

She was also busy making her own pattern papers. Here are two of them. This goes to show that simple supplies and a little bit of time creates beautiful elements.

Master Forger Amanda

Amanda created tags this time. If you are short on time, this is a great one to get a little creative energy in your life. Just pick one or two ideas and sit down to play.

See you back here on the sixth for our mini kit reveal.  And stay tuned, we still have the challenges to come!

• 6th January - Mini Kit & Project Reveal:                                                                               

• 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

January 2026 - Just the Gist of It

Hello!  Now you've seen our inspiration kit for the month and how the Master Forgers took on the challenge.  Have you begun to create your own counterfeit kit yet?  If you're struggling with how to start, today's post is for you.  I'm going to show you how I put together my kit for the month.

Before we start, let's take a look at the inspiration kit, Curiosities in Willow Grove by Vicki Boutin for 49 and Market.

                                

There are A LOT of great elements in the inspiration kit.  The papers are amazing, too.  When I start my kit, I usually pick out a paper that includes the colors I want to represent in my kit. For me, this was the library card-ish paper.  I found something similar in my stash and built on from there.  A book is included in the ephemera of the inspiration kit, and I found a patterned paper with books in similar colors as my initial paper.  Perfect!

Here are the patterned papers that I chose.

Next are the solid papers.

I pulled a handful of stamps I think I might use.

I'm in love with wood veneer and want to use some this month.

I have a ton of leftover embellishments from Vicki Boutin's Flower Emporium, so I included them in this kit, in hopes of using them up.  I also pulled some labels and puffy hearts.

A girl can never have too many options for alphas.  I was sure to pull a BUNCH of alpha stickers in different colors and sizes.  I even selected a couple of alphabet stamps to hopefully use.

Finally, I found that I still had quite a bit of the Fernwood collection, and it happened to have butterflies and a cool magnifying glass.  I am including that collection in this month's counterfeit kit to see what I can use.

I feel like my kit took on a life of its own and that's okay.  The counterfeit kit doesn't have to perfectly match the inspiration kit.  It's okay to add an element of your own.  Also, don't be afraid to keep adding to your kit as you see fit.  I see a lot of opportunity for forgeries this month.  I'll definitely be creating some things to use in my kit.

I'll see you back here on the fourth to take a look at forgeries created by the Master Forgers.

 Be sure to come back and see everything we're doing on the blog this month.  

• 4th January  - Forgeries on the Fourth: Creating elements from the inspiration kit using your own stash
• 6th January - Mini Kit & Project Reveal:  See how the Master Forgers create a smaller version of the inspiration kit
• 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 

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