Welcoming Our New Design Team!

Now it's time to say goodbye to some of our Master Forgers and say HI to some new Design Team Members.

We are sad to say goodbye to some friends.  We have loved having Andrea, Jennifer, Libeeti, Lisa J., and Rebecca!  Thank you for all of your hard work and wonderful creativity!  We will be keeping our collective eyes on you!

We are thrilled to welcome back 

Angela

Jemma

Lisa

Lynnette

Milissa

And now please say...

to our new Design Team...the Master Forgers of the Counterfeit Kit Challenge!

Ashley

   

Hey There! My name is Ashley Spiller. I am so super excited to be a Master Forger here at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. I am married to my high school sweetheart, I work full time and love to cook giant dinners. I am also a very silly or so I have been told! When I am not working or cooking you can find me scrapping. I call myself a "chaotic scrapper" because I can make a mess....a BIG mess.  To see my mess and some of the layouts that result from said mess check out my blog- Paper for People.

I choose Mist (and a wood veneer) as my scrappy item(s) that best represent me. About 6 months ago I refused to try mists because it always looked "weird" on my pages. But now (almost) no page is complete until I have inked, splattered, spotted or misted it!! As for the wood veneer well....I collect them!!

Dawn

Hi my name is Dawn and I live in Clever, Missouri a darling little town in SW Missouri.  And I LOVE my patterned paper.  The particular collection I'm holding is Allison Kreft for Webster's Paper.  I LOVE that designers are now teaming up with these fabulous companies to make splendid lines.  Some of my favorites are Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper, Amy Tan for American Crafts and anything Heidi Swapp.  There is something about the colors and patterns that just make me want to grab a photo and create something pretty =).  I am so excited to be on the Counterfeit Kit Club DT.  I am looking so forward to working with this amazing group of lovely ladies.  Please visit me at my blog www.dawnsscrapbookcottage.blogspot.com for more fun and inspiration ~~ Blessings ~~  

Stephanie

Hey everyone! My name is Stephanie and I live in beautiful Vancouver, Canada. I have been scrapbooking for 10+ years and I love how this hobby allows me to document my family's memories in such a unique, creative way. I am so excited and honoured to be part of the Counterfeit team, and I hope my monthly contributions inspire you to put your stash to good use. My favorite scrappy product are mists and spray inks. I've accumulated quite the collection and I love how versatile they are. I used to be sooo afraid to use them because I was terrified of making a mistake, but then I realized that mistakes are part of the creative process."When in doubt, ink it" is now my scrapping motto and I think that captures my approach to life as well. We should never be afraid to take chances and get our hands dirty. You can read more about my messy creative endeavours over on my blog, Skyline Paperie.

Lesley G.

Delighted to meet you - Lesley(G) here. 

My husband (Nick) of 18 years and my 14 year old daughter, Imogen are very understanding when it comes to my scrapbooking and they always take a great interest in my creations.

Luckily for me, Imogen loves being creative too and I enjoy nothing more than spending a day chatting and scrapping with her at the dining table.

If you care to hop over to  http://ohblogitifyoucantbeatthem.blogspot.co.uk/ you can find out more about me.

My favourite "scrappy" item (at the moment!) has to be Washi Tape, it is so versatile and colourful.
and also one thing that I just can't resist buying so I don't think I will ever use up my massive collection.

Go on, show me yours...

Leslie S.

Hi, I’m Leslie from just outside of Flint, Michigan, USA. My childhood sweetheart & I share our little acre with our grand-dog Lila & our cantankerous cat, Captain Hook. Retirement is looming and with 3 grandbabies to spoil & enjoy it should be sweet :~)

With all of the marvelous products available to us today I am convinced that none is more essential than patterned paper.  It can be torn, cut, pinned, pasted, stapled, stamped, painted, inked, folded, spindled & mutilated – well, you get the idea! It comes in an infinite variety of patterns, colors, textures & themes. My motto? “Let the Patterned Paper Do the Work!” I can’t seem to get enough of the stuff, and joining in here at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge has helped me to rescue some of my orphan papers from the back of the bin & to fall in love with them all over again.  Head on over to MY BLOG to see what I have been creating!

Julene

Hello fellow forgers, I’m Julene Matthews from Sydney Australia. I’m so excited to be part of Counterfeit Kits Design Team. My very busy blog is http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com .I also run http://archiscraps.blogspot.com ,a challenge site based on architecture.

Choosing one item is difficult. I’m never without double sided tape, Fiskars scissors and a ruler. However I guess the item that best describes me would be alphas. My world is books and letters. I’m a teacher-librarian, and it flows over into my scrapping. I’m often choosing a title or labels as I scrap.

Being a Virgo I’m precise, organised and practical.

So much talent in one blog!  It is going to be a great 2nd term!

Jennifer's Onwards and Upwards Event

Design Team member Jennifer Grace is having a big blog event this weekend, with hourly posts on the theme of 'Onwards and Upwards'. There's all kinds of tutorials, crafts, challenges, a blog hop, and lots and lots of giveaways! Click HERE for the start of the event with more details!

This hour she is revealing a counterfeit kit she's made to match the theme of the weekend. Here's a sneak of it:

You can go HERE to see her full kit. If you're inspired to make an Onwards and Upwards counterfeit kit of your own, then you can link it to her Challenge to be Inspired to be in with a chance to win some Jillibean Soup goodies!

Have fun!

April Kit Tutorials

This month's kit was a bit tricky with tutorials, but here is what I was able to find.  

Printable Viewing Reels
Messy Desk: Blank Viewmaster Reel PNG

Printable (blank) Elephant

Printable Elephants

Printable Elephants

Making Chipboard Buttons

Chipboard Buttons Tutorial

Shape Up Your Scrapbooking: Triangles
Crate Paper Embellishments/Magnets
Jennifer: Gold Ruffle Trim and Handmade Tidbits

Tutorials for arrows and bags

Didn't you just love the little bags and arrows in our kit this month? And they are SO simple to recreate with materials you already have on hand! Our awesome Master Forger Angela has some free tutorials up on her pretty blog HERE.  I also found a few more so here you go ENJOY!

Make GLITTERY arrows (love her accent!) using photos corners!

Make DOTTED DIGITAL arrows (you could also do this with paper using a pencil tip eraser dipped in ink for the dots and then a triangle two side of a stamp for the arrow portion)

Angela shows us how to do digital arrows HERE .

For the bags you can easily recreate these using stamps, decorative scissors (you know you have them laying around, you do don't you? Or it's just me? OOPS LOL!), and/or by altering small kraft/white etc bags from Michaels etc. Our own Jennifer and Angela have made tutorials for us on making some bags! (Click on their names to go to their blogs.) They are super cute to tuck hidden journaling in, tags in, house your title etc. How else would/have you used them?

Wood Embellishments Tutorials

Wooden Embellishments are still all the trend going into 2013.  Many companies are producing these cute embellishments, but finding them can be tricky for some of us.

Here are some that I LOVE!

Studio Calico

 

2 Peas: Crate Paper

 

 

 

Blue Moon: Kaisercraft

 

 

To recreate the cute Wooden Branch found in our inspiration kit this month, here are some ideas for you!

 

DIY Wood Embellishments

Amanda Jones: DYI Wooden Embellishments
Master Forger Jennifer!
Master Forger Rebecca!
Another from Master Forger Rebecca!
 

 

You can also:

1.  Use Chipboard and stamp wood grain on it or cover it with woodgrain paper

2.  Layer a die cut to get some thickness and use woodgrain paper/stamp for the top layer

3. fine some cute wooden shapes at a craft store

4.  Stamp on a posicle stick for some great word alternatives

5.  Buy some thin veneer sheets and use a punch or die cut machine to make shapes

 

Here are some great links for altering your wood embellishments:

 

Mish Mash

Project of the Day

Studio Calico

 

And some Freebies:

 

ReFab Diaries: Free Printable Woodgrain Tags

Friday Freebie: Woodgrain Circle Labels

 

 

 



Meet our Design Team

I would like for you to meet our 2013 Design Team!  We have some familar faces as well as some new friends to inspire you!  I asked each Master Forger to take a photo with a scrapbook item that represented them...have fun getting to know our new Design Team!

My name is Andrea Ockey Parr and I reside in the great state of Utah. You can find out more about me on my blog: http://snappingmonsters.blogspot.com/. The scrappy item that represents me is a handful of colorful yarn, ribbon and lace. This says "ME" because I like to take materials that I don't really know how to use in the traditional sense (knitting) and use them for artsy stuff anyway. I believe that you don't have to be trained, pro or "correct" to use all sorts of fun stuff!

Hello my name is Angela, I live in England with my husband and three children, two of them have special needs. I keep sane by crafting, art and scrapbooking. I blog my journey at Toucan Scraps and News [ http://colestoucan.blogspot.co.uk/ ] . I love to teach and write tutorials. A few years ago I decided to move my tutorials onto a separate blog to make them easier to find, they are at Toucan Scraps Tutorials [ http://toucanscraps.blogspot.co.uk/ ] . I craft with paper and textiles, and play with mixed media art, but when it comes to scrapbooking my most important scrapbooking tool is my laptop. Nearly all my scrapbooking is digital.

I'm a Brit in (north-west) Britain and I'm called Jemma but I go by the username Jimjams on various forums (fora?) as wel as on my blog Just-Jimjams. I've picked a rainbow's worth of buttons for my scrappy item as I love a good rainbow and I use lots of buttons on my pages.

 

 

 



Hello! I'm Jennifer Grace, a crafting mum-of-two from Dorset, UK, (and owner of the blog: Jennifer's Jumbles ) and I've chosen gems and pearls to represent me. I like to scatter jewels on my projects, because they help me to feel 'free' - I tend to keep my photos and papers straight, but then I let loose with the jewels, and have fun with it in the moment. That's quite like my life - I'm always trying to be organised and sensible, but then I rebel for a bit and just act silly instead! I also like to add sparkle to the lives of those around me - I like to make lots of gifts and cards for friends and family to share my passion, and I hold bi-annual blog events to spread inspiration, and a chance of winning giveaways, with the online crafting community! I hope you'll enjoy my twinkly projects here at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog!

Hello, fellow forgers! I'm Julie LaKose (aka hisglorygirl or glorygirl), creating and blogging here in the USA (www.hisglorygirl.blogspot.com). SO excited, thrilled and honored to be part of the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Design Team! YIPPEEE! It was more difficult than I expected to choose one scrappy item that best represents me. While I use a variety of different items, depending on the project, the one item I can never be without is a set of letters. Words are super important to me in real life and on my pages. I believe there is power in our words and I strive to keep mine positive and uplifting. It's important to me to encourage others with words whenever I have the chance. Thanks so much for the opportunity to be part of this community! I'm so looking forward to the months to come!!!!

"Hi, I'm Libeeti from Israel. I'm a mom of two adorable and energetic boys. I'm a full time working woman by days, and an addicted scrapper by nights and weekends.
I started scrapbooking about 3 years ago, encouraged by a good virtual friend of mine. Scrapbooking became my mental therapy, but I'm not sure it's low cost comparing to psychologist... LOL.
The scrapy tool I chose to take is Prima's distress tool. Distressing is my all time fav technique to use and I distress almost every paper I put my hands on (luckily I don't use it on my boys...). Till lately, I used simple cutting knife to distress my papers, but from the first day I got Prima's distress tool, I can hardly put it down. Sometimes I feel that it does everything except making coffee...LOL."  Feel free to come by MY BLOG to see my work!

Hi, I'm Lisa! Originally from Birmingham in the UK, you can now find me living in a small town called Marl in North Rhine Westphalia in Germany, home to great beer, delicious Bratwurst and traditional Christmas Markets! I moved for love and soon discovered that I also fell in love with Germany! I'm a traditional scrapper, creating mostly single 12x12 pages about my life. I chose the What's Up line by BasicGrey to represent me as I'm a basic kind of gal, there's a whole lot of neutral in my life (grey!) and my number one manufacturer is of course BG themselves. This line (and to be honest, many of their lines) has plenty of pink and anyone who knows me, KNOWS I love me some pink, as well as lots of whimsical patterns and colours which can also be me when I'm not being very grey! I'm full of contradictions ;-) I reach for BasicGrey more than any other manufacturer and it was my very first piece of BG paper that got me hooked. I'm thrilled to be part of the Counterfeit Design Team and can't wait to get going in the New Year with new challenges, new fellow Forgers and plenty of new inspiration!   Check out what I am workin on at MY BLOG!

 

 



 

Hello from Australia. My name is Lisa Johnston and I thrilled to be given the opportunity to contribute to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge.

I am a mumma to four boys, wife to my wonderful husband and I squeeze a part-time job in there as well.

I have been scrapbooking for ten years and my stash shows it! I have imposed a scrapbook spending ban on myself for the next six months (apart from adhesive of course) and counterfeiting will be a perfect way to make old supplies seem new again. I can't wait to get started.

I chose a photo with one of my favourite Scrapbook Magazines. I may not scrap everyday but I certainly read about it and plan my next scrapbook project in my head so when that precious time comes I am ready to go.  You can see what I am up to at MY BLOG!

Brown paper packages tied up with strings...these are a few of my favorite things. And of course, that string MUST be baker's twine! My name is Lynnette Nagle and I'm thrilled to be on the design team of another one of my favorite things: Counterfeit Kit Challenge. Baker’s twine is all the rage these days. Whether used to make a simple bow, wrapped around a photo or used as lines for journaling, this vintage embellishment can add a lot of interest to your page. Originally red and white, it was used in bakeries to secure the classic white bakery box closed. Today, it is available in every color in the rainbow and goes way beyond the box. It seems as though baker's twine and I go together perfectly. It's classic in style with a nod to vintage flair. It's strong and hardworking holding boxes secure or tethering balloons. The twine's colors are well-coordinated and tightly intertwined much like the relationships I have in my life. And most of all, it's just so whimsical that is HAS to bring a smile to your face!

Lynnette and classic red and white baker's twine...so happy together!

My real life home is in Allamuchy, New Jersey which may be too far for you to visit, so be sure to stop by my virtual one at www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com

 

 

Hello, fellow scrappers. I'm Milissa from southern Texas and super excited to be on this fabulous team with these wonderfully talented women. I chose this birthday board book for my project for a couple of reasons. First, the colors in the two paper lines I used for it are beautiful and I love them. Second, I don't get to make altered projects near enough and I love making them. And finally, when I was making this I wasn't sure my daughter was going to like it but she absolutely loved it so that made it even more special. I hope to see you around, both here on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog and on my own blog, One Happy Scrapper at millermall.blogspot.com.

My name is Rebecca, and I am from Ohio.

I chose my ATG as a scrappy item to represent me. The ATG is a pretty simple piece of equipment, but it gets the job done. I'm a pretty simple  scrapper;I like scrapbooking to be easy. My scrappy time is pretty limited, and while I can be slow and get lost in the details, I generally try to keep things simple so I can get as much done as possible. So that's why I chose the ATG to represent me. I don't think I've done any scrapping without my ATG since I bought it a couple of years ago, and its the only scrappy-related item that actively saves me money as I use it. So I'd say it had definitely earned its keep on my scrapping desk!  You keep an eye on what I am up to on MY BLOG!

 

 

We would also like to say a sad goodbye to Susanne and Margie as they move on to other things!  It has been a joy to work with both of you! You will be missed!

 

Christmas Season Photo Opportunities

Get out your camera, it's time to take some pictures!



Photo by Meridy Twilling

Today I want to give you a list of Holiday season photo ideas. You may need photos for your P365, December Daily, or for your scrapbooks or photo albums. I hope you find something on the list that inspires you to get out your camera.

I know that most of us are already taking pictures of the holiday events, school programs, picture with Santa, Church programs, and snow. I am trying to give you a few different ideas. Most of these ideas will work with or without people in your pictures.

* your mailbox filled with your outgoing Holiday cards

* the stockings hanging empty and then filled- When my daughter was three I got a picture of her decorating the tree and she was wearing two Christmas stockings.

* children writing their letter to Santa

* the temperature on a bank sign or in your car when you go out in the morning

* the Menorah each night

* a holiday craft you are working on

* a baby in a Christmas stocking- We did this to my grandson the year he was born.

* the special dish you only get to eat on the holiday along with the recipe

* playing with the decorations as you are trimming the tree- I have a picture of one of my daughters wrapped in Christmas lights, and another of the girls wearing ornaments as earrings.

* the wrapping paper rolls

* lined up boots and the mitten pile or everyone bundled up to go out

* enjoying a warm cocoa or tea

* a pinecone and needles with snow

* your favorite ornament- I love the idea of making a mini album with pictures of all of my favorite ornaments and who gave them to me and any story behind them.

* your street decorations or a picture of all of the houses on your street decorated

* snow angels

* charity work- donated canned goods, the tree of names, the Salvation Army bell

* the grocery cart filled with everything you need for you holiday party

* decorating a gingerbread house or cookie

* the kids getting off the bus on the last day before vacation

* three wise men- I know you have to know some wise men

* kids wrapping their gifts to others- My girls always shopped at the dollar store for our whole family. They picked one item for each relative and then wrapped them all. It was so exciting for them to be able to pick each gift and take the time to wrap them.

* the clock when you finally get to go to bed on Christmas Eve or New Years Eve

* snow chains on your tires

* enjoying your favorite holiday story or movie

* the plate of cookies and milk or whatever treat you leave for Santa

* dreidel game

* a special seasonal jewelry piece- I have a snowflake necklace that I love and a reindeer pin made from puzzle pieces.

* holiday morning breakfast

* watching the parade in person or on tv

* Advent calendar- It doesn't matter if it's the Lego Advent, Starbucks, or the one you worked on at home for weeks.

* Christmas jammies

* winter toys- ice block maker, sleds, quads, snowmobiles

* the sledding hill before there is snow and after

* Happy Birthday Jesus- Our friends make a cake and celebrate every year.

* a holiday craft you are working on

* a craft fair

* the bus if you are taking a bus trip- At Christmas we have a lot of bus trips to NY for a show.

* your suitcases if you are traveling

* the car loaded with the gifts you are giving

* baking

* a live nativity

* the special gift/craft that comes home from school with your child

Last, but not least...Don't forget to take a picture of something that didn't work out- the gingerbread man that someone bit before he had a chance to be decorated, the wrapped gift that the paper didn't fit on and you had to use another sheet to patch, the clay ornaments you made that all cracked when you baked them. Those things that you don't want to even think about right now but will be funny later.

Happy Picture Taking!!!

Jennifer