August 2026 - Forgery on the 4th

 

Sometime when we look at a kit, we have nothing in our stash that matches what we want to add, BUT we can use the kit for inspiration to make things for our own kits! I love being able to pull out my stamps and stencils to create something that I don't have!

Here is a reminder what the inspiration kit looked like

 Master Forager Amanda

A favorite for me is to create at least one background paper - the pink with the yellow heart was a must try. I used a cardstock pink paper, and mustard seed distress oxide through a Hip Kit Club stencil. The yellow looks a little more orange on the pink paper -- but I am OK with that.  If you wanted to give this a try, but wanted more of the vibrant yellow - take your yellow ink, and a white texture paste and mix them together before applying! 

I also had a lot of fun creating some of the embellisments from the including the strawberries and lemons, and I had a stamp for some cherries - so why not?  I used the stamp set from 49&Market and Sissix called Perfectly Imperfect. I love that some of the items came with metal dies to make cutting them out easy!   First I choose some inks that would go well with the two strawberries (large and smaller stamp) and the cherries.  I choose Festive Berries for the large strawberry, Picked Raspberry for the small strawberry and Lumberjack Plaid for the cherries.  I used the packaging technique to add color to white cardstock first, and then used my black archival ink to stamp over top.  A few of the berries also have the addition of some Fossilized Amber Spritz added before stamping with the packaging technique too! 

I also stamped a few two overlapping color titles.

I also decided to mimic some of the lemons in the kit using the same stamp set.  I used Mustard Seed Oxide to add some color to white cardstock with the packaging technque and then stamped with black, and then hand cut them out. I stamoed these just black and white, as there are some black and white lemosn in the kit too.  I also felt inspired and did a mini background paper with using the packaging technique with the yellow ink, and the spritz and then stamped the background with a repeating lemon pattern! 

You can see my process for all of the above bits here: https://youtu.be/V4oFYI10qLU 

We'll be back in two days with some Mini Kit inspiration. Stay tuned for that and much more.

• 6th - Mini Kit and Project Reveal
• 12th - Challenge #1 Summer Adventure
• 18th - Challenge #2 Let's get a little Messy
• 22nd - Challenge #3 - Let’s Get Sketchy
• 30th - Baby Use Those Scraps

We love to see what you are working on so don't forget to show us on our Facebook Counterfeit Kit Community.  Also tag us wiht #counterfeitkitchallenge #ckcAugust2026

Are you inspired to create? I sure hope so! 

See you soon! Amanda

August 2026 - Just the Gist of It

Master Forager Amanda here, with a look at how to set up a kit! All of the master foragers set-up their kits a different way, and not even the same way each time! The important part is to get the gist of the kit, but you can take it any direction you would like! 

We are using the kit from Crafty Templates as inspiration this month -- as a reminder this is what it looks like:

Sometimes pulling a kit can be quite intimidating -- but there is no wrong way to pull a kit and no rules to break when setting up a kit!  There are so many bright colors and fun prints in this collection that I thought I would start with the strawberry print and dig deep into my stash to find some strawberry papers! I don't worry about matching a paper completely, or even with the scale of the print -- I find things that kind of work, and go with it! 

After I pulled the strawberry and cherry papers -- I had to pull butterfly papers because of the cute butterflies that are sprinkled throughout some of the papers in the kit.  I have so many butterfly papers I had to scale back what I had so it was more reasonable which ended up being three papers because I cannot scrapbook 20 papers of butterflies in one month, and keeping them all in the kit would have been overwhelming! 

Then I remembered that I had 49 & Market's Nature's Haven in my stash, and had to pull it too, those strawberries, bees and butterflies are perfect to add! (I am pretty sure I am not the only Master Forager that pulled these papers to play with this month!) 

The last papers that I gather from my stash are the patterns.  I try and pull items that are similar - such as the stripes, plaids, poka-dots and florals. In my stash, I have these papers organized by color and pattern/theme, so it makes it quite easy to see what I have. 

Last - I always pull a few embellishments -- if I have a ones that match a paper, those are easy to include - if not, I can dig deep to find stamps and stencils, and other bits and pieces that will work. I don't worry if I don't pull a lot -- as I can always add and make more later or as they fit with the photo that I document! 

Here's what we have coming up this month:

• 4th - Forgeries on the Fourth
• 6th - Mini Kit and Project Reveal
• 12th - Challenge #1: Summer Adventure
• 18th - Challenge #2: Let's get a little Messy
• 22nd - Challenge #3: Let's Get Sketchy
• 30th - Baby Use Those Scraps

We'd love to see what you create! Share your projects in the Counterfeit Kit Community on Facebook or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge.  #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcAugust2026

I can't wait to see what you come up with - I hope you will play along with your stash! 

Happy Scrapping!  XO Amanda Bass 

July 2026 - Last Challenge - Baby, Use Those Scraps!

 Can you believe we're already at the end of July?

We've spent the month creating with our counterfeit kits, and hopefully we've made a nice dent in our supplies. That means it's time for one of my favorite challenges: Baby, Use Those Scraps!

One last time, a reminder of our inspo kit!

If you're anything like me, you've accumulated a healthy pile of leftover paper strips, partial die cuts, sticker sheets with just a few pieces remaining, and odds and ends that seem too good to throw away. Today's challenge is all about putting those leftovers to work.

The music theme of our Crescendo kit reminds me that even the smallest notes contribute to the overall song. In the same way, those little scraps can come together to create something beautiful on a layout.

So dig into those leftovers, challenge yourself to use what remains from your July kit, and see how much mileage you can get from supplies that might otherwise end up back in a drawer.

Let's take a look at how our team used their scraps this month!

Master Forger Amanda

I had quite a bit to choose from for scraps today! I decided to use the left over pattern paper I made from Forgeries on the Fourth, and some of the smaller strips left over to put this layout together! I also decided to get a little messy and I used some Lunar pastes, and some spritz to add some glitz to this page! 

The green is from the same paste that looks crreamy on the page, except it is smeared into to lined of the textured black cardstock! I even took a fan brush with the spritx and brushed even more sparkle across the page (it looks pinkish in the photon)

I have a process video available on my channel to check out how I came up with this -- and I show all the scraps I had left over 

Master Forger Christine

After I completed most of my layouts, I had just 1 full sheet, a half sheet, this circle cutout piece, and some tiny strips I had cut from another full sheet. Because the half sheet already had a collage look going for it, I fully embraced the "junk journal" style and just went for it.  I did have to get into my stash for the title(s) but I really love how this turned out.  It is unique and really different from my normal style.

But I had JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE!

I mean, look, I still had scraps enough to make a card!

So placing the 3 music papers as little blocks to hold the three diagonal stripe pieces made into banners, I was then able to put the little embellishments.  And voila!  I used literally EVERY SCRAP of this month's kit!

We'd love to see what you create! Share your projects in the Counterfeit Kit Community on Facebook or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge.  #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcjuly2026

Life moves Fast.  Scrap the moments that matter.

Love, Christine | ScrappingHarden

July 2026 - Challenge #2 - Turn Up the Volume

Welcome back, scrappy friends!

We're continuing our month inspired by the Crescendo Deluxe Theme Kit, and today's challenge is all about building energy and impact on your page.

Inspo kit photo:

Challenge #2: Turn Up the Volume

Create a layout that uses repetition to build visual "volume."

Challenge Requirements:

• Repeat one design element at least 5 times (stars, circles, tickets, labels, arrows, flowers, notes, etc.).
• Use a large title.
• Include at least one photo that captures excitement, celebration, or fun.

One of the things I love about music is how a crescendo builds. It starts quietly and gradually grows bigger, fuller, and more powerful. That's the inspiration behind this challenge.

Instead of increasing the volume with sound, we're going to increase the volume with design. Repeating elements across a page is a great way to create movement, draw the eye, and add visual impact. Whether you choose stars, circles, labels, flowers, tickets, or something completely different, let those repeated elements guide your viewer through your layout.

This challenge is also the perfect opportunity to pull out those embellishments you've been saving. Sometimes a single sticker is cute, but five or ten of them together can create a much bigger statement.

To really embrace the "turn up the volume" theme, use a large title that commands attention and pair it with a photo that captures a moment worth celebrating. Think vacations, parties, concerts, sporting events, family gatherings, holidays, or any memory that was full of energy and joy.

As always, don't overthink it. Start with one element you love and see where repetition takes you. You may be surprised by how much movement and interest it adds to your page.

We can't wait to see how our team interpreted this challenge and how you decide to turn up the volume with your own supplies.

Now let's see what everyone created!

Guest Designer Rona

My Counterfeit Kit was perfect to go with these photos of my grandson playing at the park. My "Crescendo" may be more of an Ostinato, but I do have repeating elements in my arrows and metal rings.  I also may have failed with a LARGE title. My title area is largeish, hopefully that still counts! My photos are definitely representing lots of fun though!! I love how the layout turned out and I'm glad I had pulled all these fun elements together because it made creating this layout a snap! Thank you so much for having me play along this month!

Check out the process video here.

Master Forger Amanda

This challenge really made me think on what and how I wanted to have repeating items that showed volume.  I used some of my 8x8 paper in my kit to make some squares in 1", 1.5" and 2" squares to repeat and get larger into the center of the page, where there was a larger picture 5" square which I matted in two more pattern papers from mini paper pads.  I played around with the placement and decided that a diagonal for the squares would work best, and then added some repeating triangles.  The fun, exciting picture I choose was of my youngest playing with slime,  which led to to large title in the same color as the slime. Since is accendently ripped a couple of letters, I added a little more grunge and ripped all the blue slime letters! You can see my process on my channel here.

      

Master Forger Shala

 When I put together my kit and picked this large cut file title, I knew exactly what pictures I wanted to use and it fit perfectly with challenge #2. My repeated design element was a no-brainer - musical notes and I think all three photos capture excitement and fun. This is my son and one of his high friends learning a dance for a candidate skit competition. They felt ridiculous but had so much fun.

Master Forger Briana

I've been using this kit all month to document photos from the Joey's Song Epilepsy Foundation fundraiser concerts, but for this layout I switched gears and scrapped some photos of my daughter. She shares my love of live music and attended a Mayday Parade concert that just happened to fall on her friend's birthday. It was the perfect combination of celebration, excitement, and great memories—exactly what this challenge called for.  I love how this layout celebrates not only a fun birthday concert but also my daughter's passion for live music. It's always satisfying when a challenge inspires you to tell a story that might have otherwise stayed on my phone!  See my process video here:

Here's what we have coming up this month:

• 22nd - Challenge #3: Let's Get Sketchy
• 30th - Baby Use Those Scraps

Life moves Fast.  Scrap the moments that matter.

Love, Christine | ScrappingHarden

July 2026 - Forgeries on the Fourth

 

Happy Fourth of July to our friends in the United States, and happy crafting day to everyone else!

One of my favorite Counterfeit Kit traditions is Forgeries on the Fourth. This is our opportunity to take a closer look at the inspiration kit and recreate some of its elements using supplies we already have on hand.

The Crescendo kit includes lots of fun music-inspired details, layered embellishments, and energetic design elements. Rather than purchasing something new, I challenged myself to look through my stash and see what I could recreate.

One of the things I love most about scrapbooking is that creativity often flourishes when we work with what we already own. A little ingenuity, a few punches, stamps, dies, scraps, or even some fussy cutting can often give us the look we're after.

Today I'm sharing my forgery and hopefully it inspires you to take a second look at the supplies already sitting on your shelves.

Now to be completely honest, my forgery is a bit off center.  Here's what I mean by that.  I noticed the darker paper in the original kit had music notes all over it.  So, I pulled my darker paper and initially thought to just use my VersaMark to put little music notes all over the paper.

Well, that turned out to be harder than it looked!  I had a hard time seeing the little notes on the pattern of the paper I selected.  So I decided to pivot and go ahead and add embossing powder.  I chose Seafoam White.

So, in the end, I do have a darker piece of paper with music notes all over it - but they are white!

Master Forger Tara

I created some forgeries using my Cameo. Here's the screenshot of my computer screen.  The musical cut files aren't an exact match but work for my personal kit.

 Here's my completed forgeries:

For the banners, I didn't use a music note patterned paper.  I couldn't find one so I pulled this black and white print from a Maggie Holmes collection.  I cut out three of each banner so I could stack them and make them appear to be chipboard.  I like to do this the most with titles on my Cameo.

 The other two items are cutfiles. The heart is one I TRIED to make as similar as the one in the inspo kit, but it was an epic fail.  I will use it anyway.  The second one is just a cutfile that I purchased somewhere.  Here they are:

 

Master Forger Amanda

Two things out of the kit caught my attention for forgeries this month - that green bird wearing headphones, and the chevron like paper with the purples, blues, red and oranges. 

I used a stencil to make a background inspired by the chevron like paper.  I had a spellbinders stencil called Dynamic Backgrounds, and used the distress oxides in Festive Berries, Crackling Campfire, Villainous Potion, and Prize Ribbon. 

To make the birds, I used two different stamp-sets, and couldn't just stop at one bird!  I drew the headphone for this green bird - I am sure you can tell - but I love how he turned out! 

 I spent some time coloring each of the birds, fussy-cut some out, and stamped a whole pile extra to color at a later date!

Here's what we have coming up this month:

• 6th - Mini Kit and Project Reveal
• 12th - Challenge #1: Summer Soundtrack
• 18th - Challenge #2: Turn Up the Volume
• 22nd - Challenge #3: Let's Get Sketchy
• 30th - Baby Use Those Scraps

We'd love to see what you create! Share your projects in the Counterfeit Kit Community on Facebook or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge.  #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcjuly2026

Life moves Fast.  Scrap the moments that matter.

Love, Christine | ScrappingHarden

June 2026 - Challenge #2 - Be Excellent to Each Other!

 It is the second challenge of the month!

Before we dive in, here is a reminder peek at our kit.

One of the phrases in the kit says "Be Excellent to Each Other," and those from my generation can hear the words of Bill and Ted ringing through our heads!  But I want you to document how someone has blessed you - in everyday life, or in crisis - or how you did something for someone else that you felt was “excellent” for this challenge!

Master Forger Briana had this to say about her layout:

I had a little help from my husband to choose an example of being excellent. I am a RN and do lots of volunteering but I feel that people bless me more than I bless them. My husband’s uncle is 69 and has dementia and in a memory care facility. I get to visit him when his wife is out of town. Our visits always lift my spirits. I also get to help his wife with navigating the health care system. I am blessed to have them in my life. I am terrible at journaling and trying to get better and this was important for me to journal. Forgive my scribbles. I used the sketch from 30 days of sketches and my kit. I don’t have many embellishments in my kit but lots of stamps so I stamped my own embellishments. 

 

You can watch Briana's process video HERE!

 
Master Forger Amanda

This was a little more of a challenge for me to think about and do. Normally I would say my spouse is this person for me always, but this last year was especially difficult with the mental health of our youngest child, and of course he was still a great support and my best friend, but I had three colleagues and friends step up in that crisis to be supportive and amazing throughout it.  I do not have a picture to go on this layout at the moment, but plan to have them pose with me so I can document them properly.  My journaling will be a little more detailed about how they supported me and continue to support me through this difficult time, but that will remain private.  I also used the sketch from 30 days of Sketches with Christie's Beautiful Life, and used some strips from this kit and some strips from previous kits to make the shelf, and I wanted to use some mixed media because I haven't gotten that messy lately.  The embellishments also came from my kit. 

Master Forger Christine

For Challenge #2, “Be Excellent to Each Other,” I immediately thought about my upcoming cruise with my best friend. Life has a way of keeping us busy with responsibilities, work, and the everyday demands that pull us in every direction. This trip feels like a true blessing for both of us, but especially for a friend who has spent so much time caring for others and deserves a chance to simply relax, recharge, and enjoy life.  I created this layout using my Counterfeit Kit, which is filled with colorful Vicki Boutin goodness. The bold title, playful layers, and bright pops of color capture the excitement and gratitude I feel as we count down to our adventure. The journaling will document not only the trip itself but also the friendship behind it...the kind of friendship that shows up, supports, encourages, and reminds us that sometimes being “excellent” means giving someone the gift of time, laughter, and shared memories.

I left the photo mat blank so I can drop in the photo we will get taken as we get on the boat.

This layout is a celebration of friendship, gratitude, and the simple joy of getting away together. Sometimes the biggest blessings come wrapped in ordinary moments with extraordinary people. 

How can we be halfway through our challenges already!?!  Luckily, there are still two more we can look forward to . . .

• 22nd - Challenge #3 - Let’s Get Sketchy
• 30th - Baby Use Those Scraps!

We love to see what you are working on, so don't forget to show us on our Facebook Counterfeit Kit Community.

Remember, Make Every Day a Day Worth Scrapbooking!

~Ryann