Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog Hop

Hi all

Today I hope you'll have found your way here via Suzannes Blog, Snaps and Snippets. If not, and you've got lost along the way, you'll find the whole list of participants below. 

Today my LO has no layers! ... Wowee that was harder than I thought!

As you will see, this is VERY different for me, as I have had a go at Zentangle! Now, don't judge me on my tangle.. it was only the second attempt I'd had at it, and it took me ages to do a whole 12 x 12 to fill it in... I know I have a long way to go, but I've got the book now and I can only get better! 

But anyway... here it is, no paper layering, simply doodling, a photo of my daughter in laws wedding bouquet and the title. 

I played with adding some other embellishments...but tbh, I like it enough as it is without confusing it with more embellishments.. so although it's completely and utterly different and I'm rather pleased with it now... although to begin with I wasn't too sure about it! 

The idea was also inspired by a challenge over on the 'White with One' blog where I was challenged to create a LO with White and Liquorice only.. well I think you can say I've done that here! 

Thanks for stopping by, do continue on the journey and hop on over to Lesleys Blog to see what she's been up to... here's the whole list of participants too in case you get lost along the way.

Happy Hopping!

CKCB

http://www.counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com

Jemma    http://just-jimjams.blogspot.co.uk

Tina         http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com
Susanne  http://snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com

Elaine      http://chidkids26.blogspot.uk

Lesley     http://ohblogitifyoucantbeatthem.blogspot.co.uk

Laura       http://beadsbuttonsandbirds.blogspot.co.uk

Leslie      http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com

Cindy      http://www.cindyscreations-cinmfoster.blogspot.com

Lisa         http://lisahausmann.blogspot.de

Beat the Christmas rush

Good morning everyone

A very quick post from me this morning before my Blog Hop post goes live!

As you can see, for a change, my post is about Christmas Cards. 

Now I don't profess to be much of a card maker...so simple works best for me... but last night I sat down and made 8 cards in honour of my friend Sues', Beat the Christmas Rush challenge on her blog, Me and Mine where she challenges us to make 5 cards a month so it isn't all left until December to catch up!

As I left it so late to come to the party, I decided I'd make 8 instead. So here, they are.. simple trees cut from some ancient MME Lost and Found Christmas papers, cut using the SU pennant punch, and added to a little trunk that I cut from scrap that I had rolled through a crinkle roller (no idea what the real name is but I'm sure you know what I mean!) 

I them heat embossed the Merry Christmas.. and added pearl dots to the 'trees... job done, simple but effective!

Do pop along to Sues blog too as she is a far better card maker than I am, as are some of her visitors, so why not link up your cards too? 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Elaine

Another LO from my August Counterfeit Kit

Hi all

My LO today is created from my August CKCB kit, Girls Aloud, that I chose to have a lot of black and white in (as well as hot pink that isn't represented here) It's been eons since I last did a black and white only LO, and on Saturday I was lucky enough to be invited to a scrap day in honour of my friend Sues' 50th birthday! She had scrapping in the morning, provided us with a lovely lunch, and then we had party games and make and takes in the afternoon! Wasn't that a great idea?? I loved it! 

Anyhow, I digress! When I was there, my friend Suzanne had found a lovely LO she had wanted to scraplift.. and she had a print out of it... I took one look and knew I'd like to use it too, so I borrowed her print out and scraplifted this LO. Now, normally I would give credit here to the originator, but I'm afraid I have no idea where it came from, however, I've done a fairly faithful replica, so if anyone recognises it, please let me know and I will give credit where it is due! 

You may not be able to see from here, but basically I took a Stampin' Up bauble punch and cut out lots of plain white baubles, edged them in black ink and the cut a few more from black and white patterned papers. I then laid them all out to make sure I was happy with the placing, stuck the plain white ones down flat, and then stuck the patterned ones down with Pinflair so they were slightly raised. If I'm honest and I was doing it again, I would use foam pads for regularity of height, but overall, I'm delighted with it!  I finished it off with the photos, mounted on white card, a strip of black and white ribbon and two pennants and a scattering of small flowers and a couple of sequins.. and voila!  All done!  

If you want to scraplift this, I would suggest that you definitely used a wet glue when placing all the white baubles as it's amazing how many times I had to go back and 'just tweak' the angles! 

Finally, I am a recent follower of the 'White with One' blog, which this month challenges you to create a Lo with just White and Liquorice.. so this Lo fits with that brief too! 

I do hope you like the LO.. it's a little different for me, and I confess, it is already one of my favourites! 

Thanks for stopping by.. do let me know if you like it too?

Have a great day!

Elaine

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The best is yet to come

A very early good morning to you!  I'm having a sleepless night tonight, so instead of being asleep, as I should be at 3am (!) I am here writing to you all instead!

So.. tonight I bring you a LO created from a challenge over on the Being Scrappy blog in which Niki created a challenge to use colours from this colour inspiration here as challenge No 6 for the UKS Summer Scrapbooking challenge 

As luck would have it my Counterfeit kit had several colours similar to this in it from my August kit, Girls Aloud, inspired from the talented designers over on the Counterfeit Challenge Blog

First I printed out the colour inspiration.. and used it as my starting point.. to be honest, the colours I printed out did not truly represent the colours you can see in in this picture..but at the time I hadn't realised this, so my colours aren't as representative of these as I might have liked..but it is what it is (and it just goes to prove that printers don't always replicate colours very well!)

Then I took this sketch from Sketch n Scrap blog sketch no 62 here  and chose my photo. 

I had to dig deep for this picture.. it was taken in 1979 whilst on holiday in Malta, taken 5 months into my engagement and 8 months before we go married and bought back many memories.. which I have journalled in depth about on the back.

Then I took elements from CKCB kit and created this LO here as my representation of the sketch. 

First I took a pale bokeh page from the Crate Paper Flea Market collection and then I added more papers from the same range. 

I added the wood veneer quote in place of a photo as the quote seemed perfect for an engaged couple! 

I finished it off with enamel chevrons and hearts and a large brad and finally three more wood veneer trims too. 

Thanks for looking!

Elaine

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New techniques for me

Hi all..

A lovely sunny day here today..but I gather the weather is going to take a turn for the worse tomorrow.. So I'm making the most of the good light today.

So... I've been busy in my craft room and tried a couple of techniques I've not tried before... using Gesso for one!

Anyone that knows me, knows how I loathe getting messy.. and if I get stuff on my hands it's a real no, no! 

Now I know that's a little strange for scrapbook people..but, as you will have seen by now, I use a lot of patterned papers and that 'gets me out' of getting uber messy!

So today, when I saw the latest challenge over on Scrapology .. Adventures in Scrapbooking, I just knew I was going to have to bite the bullet!

So here it is, my scraplifted LO designed by the inspiring and talented Ingvild Bolme who invited us to scraplift this gorgeous LO 

So.. first I sliced into the background paper I had chosen, then I found some CS that 

co-ordinated with the pp and I then positioned the photo underneath and set it in place. Then I punched some edges of the top paper and used Butterscotch Dylusions Ink to paint the edges of the CS.

Then I misted the same ink on the top pp  and slit the paper some more, rolling it back and away from the photo.. then waited for it to dry, having ink painted the rolled edges too.

Once it had dried, I used some Gesso to smear...with my fingers (!!!!!!) it over the misted ink. I then used a water pen/brush to blur the ink...ending up with a smudgy finish.

Once it had all dried I stuck the flowers and sprays around the photograph with Pinflair and finished with the sequins.

I then photographed it and was really pleased with the 'end' result.... Then I looked back at the challenge, and realised that I was supposed to put a title on it..top and bottom... so back upstairs I went to put the final touch of the title.. It's a it mushy but I do love him really! Having looked at the title now it's photographed I'm going back to straighten it up!! 

Anyway, I hope you like it.... do you try new techniques often.. or do you tend to stick with tried and tested methods? I'd love to know!

Elaine

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4th LO with my CKCB kit

Hi everyone

Today I'm pleased to bring you a LO created from my friend Sues sketch challenge, over on her blog, Me and Mine. 

This is Augusts sketch where there is a prize of a great kit collection up for grabs.. why not play along and be in for a chance to win too?

This LO I also made with my Counterfeit Kit, Girls Aloud, inspired by the CKC Blog.

First I took a piece of white CS and punched it all around the page and mounted it on to the pale blue background CS. Then I took some arrow paper and polka dot paper from the MME 6" paper pad and then two more from the same paper pad that I included in my kit (it is shown in the original kit as the black chevron paper which is opened up and tucked behind the rest of the papers)

Then I layered them and fussy cut some of the arrows, cut the title on my Slice and added the sticker clouds and black gems from my kit. 

Simple but effective I think...but the best bit about the LO? My doggie of course! Lol

Thanks for looking.. do remember to pop back soon! 

Elaine

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3rd LO with my CKCB kit

Evening all!

Here is another LO made with my Counterfeit Kit inspired by the awesome team over at the CKC Blog 

My kit, 'Girls Aloud' had some pretty funky paper in it this time around.. some really BRIGHT colours... and to be honest- I've added them to my previous kits and not used them! Why? I don't know.. they certainly weren't my favourite papers that I didn't want to cut into.. I just didn't 'feel the love' for them.. I tried may times to match them up and rejected them.. but this time I actually managed to use them! 

Which papers? The bright 'citrus circles' above the black chevron paper, and the one on the left next to the chevrons.. with the hot pink and lime doily patterns... 

I also managed to use some of those black starburst confetti and some washi from my kit amongst others. 

I started with this sketch here and then went in search of six photos that all went together! Needless to say.. I came up with more wedding photos!  This time they are of my Daughter in Law as the bride in question. 

I decided to use six of them in black and white to make them stand out against such bright background papers.. and to draw attention to the final photograph, where she is on her own, I left that in colour to emphasise the image. I've never tried that before.. and I think it works OK.. so who know I may try that again. 

Anyway folks.. here is the finished LO.. an unusual colour scheme for a wedding LO, but as I am on my third wedding album now, (my own one at last!) I wanted to make each page completely different. 

The first album I made was for my son and wife.. and I colour co-ordinated that one in their wedding colours.. the second one I did was for my Mum.. and I did the same, so I was determined that this one would be any papers and colours I liked.. so there! lol

Anyway... I hope you like it... I think it works?

Elaine

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2nd LO from my CKCB page kit

Morning all! 

Another bright sunny one here in my corner of Kent.. long may it last now that humidity has dropped a bit! 

Anyway.. enough of my meteorology.. and on to the layout! 

As you will, no doubt, know by now.. the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog is celebrating their 1,000th post.. way to go guys! 

So, in honour of that, I created this page kit (left) to make a LO using rarely used techniques. In addition to that, over on UKS, Niki from the Being Scrappy Blog has organised the most amazing Summer Challenge for us.. several challenges a day!!! 

You don't have to be a member of UKS to join in, you can join in anyway.. or of course, you can join UKS.. you don't have to live in the UK! 

On this occasion Niki challenged us to use mist, use a frame or frames and to use a Project Life card.

So.. first I found a sketch I wanted to use.. in this case, this one from Stuck?!  (this blog is also well worth a look!) 

Firstly I took the bokeh heart page from Crate Paper, Flea Market collection and then misted some clouds over it.. but I was a spectacular fail.. it didn't show up at all.. and I didn't want black clouds, so I took a heart mask and lightly inked hearts over the background.  Then I took my photo and cut it to fit this chalkboard frame and cut the flourish at the bottom to 'hug' my photo. The photo is of me and my Dad in 1974 on holiday, and he is hugging me, so it seemed appropriate! (I journal on the back of these special LO's for privacy)

I then took some more papers and layered them beneath where the photo and frame were going to sit, along with a scalloped trim, some black check ribbon and I cut two PL sized pieces of PP and tucked them behind the photo too. I the added a PL card beside the photo and finished off with the film reel above it. 

Finally I added the Teresa Collins 'Love and Laughter' sticker at the top with the pink camera sticker and the title. 

All bases were covered for the UKS challenge.. and of course, I got a second page from my 'page' kit!  Happy days! 

Thanks for looking.. do pop back soon.. there's always more to come! 

Elaine

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1,000th post Page Kit.. called 'Blast from the Past'

Hi all

Another quick post from me.. this time to showcase my Counterfeit Kit Blog Page kit in honour of  their 1,000th post! They do an awesome job over there.. so do hop on over and have a look what they are up to! 

My Page Kit is called 'Blast from the Past'.. why that name? Well.. because the foundation for the kit was some floral brads and some hot pink and black ribbons that I have had since I first started scrap-booking back in the day!

Because they are so pretty I've been 'saving' them, but I figured three years is long enough.. and these just have to be used.

Once I picked the papers and the embellishments, I thought about the techniques that I would be using. Although I posted the picture in my last post, I thought I'd share it here to in case you missed it.. 

These are the four I chose:

1) Design a title that is created with something other than stick on alphas  (I have a Slice cutting machine that rarely gets used so I wanted to do something that was more effort than reaching for the Thickers)

So.. firstly I cut the word 'Precious' in black glitter paper and then I cut a 'shadow' from white CS to make my title... I'm pleased with the way it turned out so I will be doing this again!

2) Add some doodling. (I like the look of the Zentangle craze but have never been brave enough to try it out before)

Firstly I inked the edge of a ruler with black ink and I created some lines on the white CS background, and then drew a flourish with an outline too. I then painstakingly drew and doodled some black ink into the flourish and the margin... although, I eventually ended up covering most of it up! (DOH!)

3) Add some stamping (I love this technique, but often forget to use it)

I used three different flourish stamps.

4) Use some misting. 

I used a Perfect Pearls Pink Bubblegum mist spray.

I finally added the PPs, flower brads and hot pink and black ribbon, some washi and I was done... here it is:

I hope you like my page kit and the end result...but... amazingly.. I even had enough for a second LO from this kit.. so that will get blogged next!

So do pop back soon.. take care all!

Elaine

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CKCB August Kit- Girls Aloud

Good evening all..

Happy Saturday to you! 

Today I bring you my August CKCB kit, 'Girls Aloud'.. why that name? I hear you ask.. well.. because it has a lot of pink..so therefore girly, and then I think it is quite a loud kit, with lots of bold colours and bokeh pages.. so it is loud, right? Hence.. 'Girls Aloud!' The original inspiration can be found here on the CKC blog

I needed to de-stress last night when I pulled it all together as I had had a frantic afternoon racing to see my Mum after she had been involved in a car accident.. she's 84 and I'm afraid it was her fault! She crashed into 4 parked cars when her foot slipped from the brake to the accelerator  .. it was a miracle no-one was hurt.. but, thankfully, she is OK. I think her driving days are over though! (Phew!)

Anyway.. my ideas came from this lovely kit from Studio Calico- Penny Arcade


Firstly I decided to shy away from the coral like colours that were dominant and I chose to replace them with hot pink/cerise. The black also jumped out at me too, so that got included in abundance with white CS too. Here is my take on the complete kit. 

I then noticed that there were some bokeh pages in the sample kit, so I knew I had some somewhere.. so I found this from the Crate Paper 'Flea Market' collection and the Echo Park, Capture Life collection. From there the rest of the colours flowed and I found myself including a little yellow, florals, more pinks, lilacs etc. and I added a cloud mask, like the one in the original and some pink Pearl Mist spray. 

Then I started on the embellishments.. and I found these hot pink floral brads, and cp-rdinating ribbon that I have had in my stash for sooo long.. they just had to be used up!

I then added plenty of Washi tape as I have a huge collection now and I need to start using some up (!) and then I added my embellishments of bakers twine, ribbons, flowers, butterflies, pink mist and die cuts. 

Finally.. from this kit I made a page kit, here, to mark the 1,000th post of the CKCB. I have been wanting to try some different techniques etc for a while and my LOs that will follow, made from this page kit, will represent the different techniques. You'll have to tune in later to see my results!

...so do pop back later :0)

Elaine
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