A Calendar from a Counterfeit Kit

It's very nearly time for the reveal of the February Counterfeit Kits - I hope you'll be here tomorrow to join in the blog hop, and see all the Design Teams kits for the month! But just before the new kit is revealed, I've one more project to show you using My January Counterfeit Kit - here's a desk calendar I made for my husband, for his birthday on the 19th of January:

The base is a piece of 23" x 6.5" mountboard, scored at 10" and then 10" again to fold round, giving a 3" base. The base and the back are joined with a twine bow tied through two holes. I also covered the top hinge with washi tape as it looked a bit rough otherwise.

Then it was simple to punch some holes at the top, add two 1" book rings, and fill the calendar with pages (the pages are approx 9¾" x 6").

The supplies are approximately half from my January Counterfeit Kit, and half from my other stash. I used photos from the corresponding months of last year. I got the calendar printables as a download from HERE. 

Here's the pages, I won't say much as there's so many photos, I'll just tell you what some of the extra stash is:

(Feb includes a Wood Veneer Speech Bubble from Freckled Fawn)

(March uses Studio Calico Hey Day Papers and an Elle's Studio Tag)

(May and June include some Pink Paislee Portfolio Ephemera)

(July mainly uses Echo Park Everyday Eclectic)

(August's has My Mind's Eye On The Bright Side Paper for the background, and an Elle's Studio The Sweet Life stamp)

(September's Background is Amy Tangerine 'Running Errands' Paper)

(October uses mainly Crate Paper Acorn Avenue)

(December features some Elle's Studio Be Merry Tags)

Hubby was very happy with it, he's going to display it on his desk at work. He got it a little later than his birthday, as it took me a while to finish it off! He did get a handmade card, also using Counterfeit kit items, on his birthday though:

So I didn't feel too bad that the calendar was a little late!

What do you think? Have you ever made a scrapbook calendar? I kind of want to make one for myself now as hubby's taking this one to work!

See you again soon, x

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Valentine's Day Counterfeit-Kit Card

I used my January Counterfeit Kit to make this Valentine's Card for my husband:

The heart has zig-zag stitching around the edges, so that it makes a pocket behind - the 'Sweetheart' tab pulls out to reveal a heart-shaped note card.

I took the opportunity to use up lots of pink sparkly adhesive dots, before they get too old and lose their stickiness:

Here's the pull-out tag, with a list of some of the reasons I love my husband. I used some Simple Stories Sn@p 'Just the Basics' 6x8 paper to make the tag - I doodled a scalloped border around the edge, and coloured it in with gold pen:

I hope it will make him happy on Valentines day. We don't usually do much other than exchange a card, and maybe have a peaceful dinner to ourselves after the kids are in bed. But I still like it as an excuse to be a little more romantic for a day! Do you celebrate Valentines?

x

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Snuggle Layout

Here's the last of the layouts I made for the Two Peas in a Bucket CHA Challenges (I managed to enter four of them). This one uses a lot of the Crate Paper Fourteen Valentines-themed collection, which I got hold of recently, and am in love with! The Two Peas challenge was to use 6 of an item, so I used 6 Crate Paper phrase stickers and 6 Papermania Shimmer Dome hearts.

Snuggle:

The photo is of my son on his first trip to the beach, when he was just a few weeks old, and he spent the whole time asleep on a blanket! 

I liked the bold chevron-style paper, as it looks like a big arrow pointing down at my baby. But I softened the look a little by sprinkling some grey and gold mists, and adding a few drops of Gold Liquid Pearls.

The picture melts my heart each time I look at it, because he was tiny then, so I added lots of love-hearts on my page. The larger ones are cut from a piece of Fourteen paper, and stitched a few times through the middle, with a couple of label stickers on top... it looks a bit like a sandcastle flag:

The photo is layered on some white linen. I pulled some threads off to make it fray, to echo the edges of the blanket:

I need more tags with a ledger pattern - it's so much easier to write on lines:

Do you have and Valentines themed supplies? In the UK we don't do a whole big 'thing' for Valentines, so I won't be making tons of cards or decorations. But I think I'll be able to use the Fourteen collection on other projects too - there's still lots more hearts I can cut from that sheet of paper! x

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Progress - My word for 2013

Here's my word-to-live-by for 2013... 'Progress'

I wanted a word that would fit with my own personal goals, as well as those of my family. I've got lots I want to do to progress, including blog improvements, pushing myself to keep improving my projects and my photos, trying new recipes, and to keep using last year's word 'organise' to de-clutter the house. 

Organising is still a priority as we want to try and move house this summer, so that's a family goal to progress. We will still be renting (I don't know if we'll ever be able to afford our own home!), but we really need a garden. Here we just have a small paved courtyard which is no fun for the kids on a hot sunny day. 

I've made this layout to stick on my craft space wall, as I do every year, to keep reminding me of my goal. I had been putting off making this layout, as I didn't have a photo for it. Then the Two Peas in a Bucket CHA challenges kicked me into gear - one of the challenges was to use 3 trendy items, so I chose washi tape, the colour gold, and a ton of Freckled Fawn arrows,to help my word stand out:

I had fun pleating the wide gold-striped washi underneath my title, to give a bit more dimension and movement across the page:

And the speckles include drops of gold mist, enamel dots, and some new Gold Liquid Pearls that I bought from SJ Crafts last week, and it's gives such a luxurious touch!

I like how bright and bold the layout is, it catches my eye each time I walk past! 

Do you have a 'word for the year'? If so, how is it going so far? I've got so many things on the go that I'm sure some of them must be contributing to progress. Though today the main thing I'm focussing on is progressing my way through the laundy pile...

I hope your Sunday is lovely and relaxing! x

Supplies: American Crafts White Cardstock. Pink Paislee Portfolio 'Incredible' Paper, Label Stickers, Photo Tabs, Stamps, Ephemera, and Alpha Stickers; Artisan 8x8 Papers (sprayed orange on a previous preoject). Freckled Fawn Speech Bubble Wood Chips, Arrow Wood Chips, Aqua Grid Washi, Yellow Airmail Washi, and Wide Gold Airmail Washi. Elle's Studio The Sweet Life Cutouts, Turquoise Pennants, 'Notes' Tab Stamp. Studio Calico Classic Calico 3 'Ledger Sotheby's' Thickers. Scrap & Create 'Daily Words' Flair Button. My Mind's Eye The Sweetest Thing 'Together' Enamel Dots. Gold Liquid Pearls. Black Ink Pad.

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CHA Winter 2013 Product Picks!

I mentioned that I was caught up in CHA madness at the weekend. Even though I don't get to go to California (wouldn't it be lovely?!), I still love to look online at all the new releases, drooling over my favourite bits, and taking frantic notes to try and work out how much of it I'll be able to afford!

Here's my 'product picks' of the things I want most from the new releases... sorry if any of it makes you want to spend money! I'll start with the whole collections I'd like to buy, and then I'll move onto the picks of some individual items I want. Click on the Brand - Collection heading to see more about each collection.

Collections:

Glitz Design - Uncharted Waters

I have never really noticed Glitz Design before, in fact I thought they just made alphas and tape! I don't know why I haven't spotted their collections before, but when Sarah of SJ Crafts suggested I check their blog out, I was blown away! I'm most absolutely in love with this 'Uncharted Waters' collection, because I know the colours and theme will work perfectly on my numerous beach layouts! 

I really do want every last bit of this, but here's a couple of my most favourite items...

One of the journaling cards has two multicoloured kissing seahorses. Love!

And this kraft washi tape says 'Choose Happiness':

Glitz Design - Color Me Happy

This collection is so bright and fun!

I like that it has hints of travel and adventure, but it's NOT a travel collection, it can apply to everyday life too:

And this woodgrain roller stamp looks awesome, especially after Glitz showed an Instagram photo of it all inked up with gold...

Elle's Studio - Serendipity

Elle's Studio made an exciting announcement this CHA - that their collections will now include 12x12 papers to match their fabulous tags and stamps! I only discovered Elle's Studio last year, but I love tucking their little bits of goodness onto my layouts. The colours in the 'Serendipity' collection are lovely and fresh:

I adore all the stamps:

Elle's Studio - You & Me

This collection caught my eye because of the chalkboard effect. I love the 'to the moon and back' phrase on one of these note tags:

And these tidbits and cut-outs are so darn sweet:

Crate Paper - DIY Shop

Crate Paper knows how to make my heart beat faster, which it definitely did when I first laid eyes on DIY Shop. It's got a cool eclectic mix of items, and I can imagine using the collection for Spring, Summer, and Autumn pages (N.B. A little bird has told me that SJ Crafts will be getting in the collection pack for this! Keep an eye on the website, blog, or facebook page):

Say hello to this piece of paper which I need a few sheets of, because I love both sides so much:

And this Washi Tape looks intriguing. When I first saw it I thought it would be thick like paper, but after seeing a video of it I think it will be rather more washi-like than I first thought. So now I'm quite intrigued and will have to get a sheet just to try it out:

Jillibean Soup - Chilled Cucumber Soup

This is another brand I haven't noticed much before, but this entire collection is just dreamy! Just looking at it makes me feel like I'm standing on a hilltop, on a breezy, sunny day:

The sentiments on these make me smile:

Individual Items:

Crate Paper - Maggie Holmes

I do like this collection as a whole, but I won't be able to afford it all. My must have items are this cloud paper:

And the gold glitter Thickers, look how they sparkle:

Pink Paislee - Luxe

You may be starting to notice that I have a bit of a gold obsession right now. I don't know why. Perhaps it's because I spend most of my days covered in toddler snot (or worse), and adding gold to my projects gives me that feeling of luxury? What ever my need is about, it's going to be nicely fuelled by the Luxe collection. I want lots of it, but my favourite thing is the Rub-Ons:

Webster's Pages - Sweet Notes

Webster's Pages layouts are normally beautiful, but not my style - too layered and frilly for me. But now they've added some 'Clean and Simple' style DT members, and they're releasing some collections designed by Allison Kreft. These two factors mean I will be checking out Webster's Pages a lot more often, and some of their items may slip into my shopping basket this spring...

Mini paper bags:

Love this mix of trim, it's all so different, but so pretty:

Dear Lizzy - Lucky Charm

Phew, this post is getting long, so I'm going to finish up with this collection, full of lovely phrases:

In which I really, really, really love this stamp (sorry I can't find a larger image of it):

So that's my top picks! There's a few more I want to mention, but I won't post photos or babble on about them, as otherwise this post will never end. Just assume there's wonderfulness there somewhere if you follow the links:

Studio Calico - Sundrifter (especially the wood veneers)

Lily Bee Design - Pinwheel (check out the set of brads, buttons and twine)

Cosmo Cricket - Honky Tonk (I want to dress my kids up as cowboy & cowgirl just to co-ordinate with the collection)

Carta Bella - So Noted (perfect for photos of me dressed up as Jane Austen years ago)

Little Yellow Bicycle - Naturals  (cork and burlap - oh my)

Heidi Swapp - Colour Pop (fun for misting!)

Echo Park - Oh Snap (cute cameras)

Simple Stories - 24/7 (chalkboard and cork elements)

My Mind's Eye - Boy Crazy (robots and spaceships!)

Amy Tan - Yes Please (I mainly just want the embroidery guides)

I hope my husband doesn't read this post or he might start hyperventilating, imagining how much money I want to spend! Do you have any must-have items you've seen being released? Has anything on my list caught your eye?

I'll be back in a day or two with my word-of-the-year layout. x

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A couple more Counterfeit Layouts!

My January Kit was feeling a bit neglected. I couldn't work out why I didn't want to do any scrapbooking. Then I went looking for a photo to scrapbook, and I realised all the photos in my 'to scrap' box were duplicates of ones I'd already scrapped, or they were shots I'd printed before I knew how to edit properly, so they were too dark or not cropped right. I had about 20 photos left which were true scrapping material! That's not enough to inspire me... so I placed an order for 250 photos from Photobox. Yay, I shall be scrapping like mad when they arrive!

In the meantime, Two Peas in a Bucket has been having an Online Social for CHA winter 2013, when all the manufacturers show off their upcoming products (there's a post to come on my 'picks' of the new releases!). I was really inspired by some of the Two Peas challenges, so I scrapped a couple of those 20 pics which I had left!

Here's the first, a layout for challenge #2, to scraplift 2 concepts from other people's layouts.

Accio:

This page is about when I went to see the last Harry Potter movie at the cinema with my friend Rosie. Harry Potter is one of the things we bonded over when we met at Uni, and we saw most of the movies togeher at the cinema, so going to see the last one was like the end of an era! We dressed up in cloaks and took chopsticks for wands, and our husbands were with us but pretended not to know us :-)

The photo is really dark and blurry, which is why it sat in the 'to scrap' pile so long. But it was taken at night on an old I-phone, so I knew no amount of editing would make it any better, I just had to use it. Because no matter how bad the quality of the print is, the memory will make me smile each time I see the photo!

For those of you that don't know, 'Accio' is a summoning spell. I chose the title mainly because it used letters that I had left in my Counterfeit Kit - I'm proud of myself for changing the title instead of breaking open a new set of alphas! 

The layout mostly uses my January Counterfeit kit, the only things I added were a chopstick for a wand, and lots of stars! A couple of the stars were punched from papers in my kit though. I just wanted lots of stars to make it look super magical! The free-from-the-chinese-restaurant chopstick that I used was originally really light in colour, but that didn't look wand-like enough, so I coated it a couple of times with a brown ink pad:

And the two concepts that I scraplifted were 

1: A twirly twine look by Emily Pitts for Sassafrass HERE,  

2: Using lots of sequin stars by Corrie Jones HERE:

What do you think - is it magical enough?

The next layout was for challenge #8, to use 8 different materials on your page.

 Sweet and Adorable:

For my 8 materials I used: 

1. Patterned Paper (I'm counting the tag for this too as it was cut from a PP sheet)

2. Lace

3. Chipboard pieces painted to look like wood

4. Stickers

5. Sequins

6. A Beaded Pin

7. A Button

8. Washi Tape

Everything on this layout is from my January Counterfeit Kit.

The pearly pin worked well for the cute, girly page, as did the pink sequins pulled off my sequin trim:

And what a perfect page to use my DIY wood embellishment branch on!

There's not so much of a story to this photo, it was just a lovely day watching my daughter run around with her cousin, and collecting flowers. Those two are so cute together and we don't get to see them often enough!

My kit is looking nicely dented now, but there's still plenty left for when my new photo prints turn up any day now. Happy Scrapping! x

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