Category: Kit Talk

CKC Kit Build Aug ’22

I love kit building and I am on the design team for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge project. We take an inspiration kit each month and proceed to replicate it, or as we say, counterfeit it. This is a free, friendly group that helps inspire you to use up supplies you already own. We are not about needing to buy the latest and greatest thing (though we won’t stop you if you enjoy new crafty goodies😉 ).

You can hear all my thoughts on my kit build in this video, or keep reading for the quick version.

Our Master Forger this month is Julene and she chose the Citrus Twist Kit called Travelogue Life from April of this year. It is full of travel themes, teals, greens and blues with pops of golden yellow and just a smidgen of pink. Before we go too much further, let’s also give a very warm welcome to the guest designer for this month: Caryn Adams Kidwell (@thecraftycaryn)!

Now that we’ve seen the overview, let’s take a look at a few closeups of elements…

Now my kit last month was travel theme so I’m toning that part of this kit way down and adding in some summer fun elements instead. I am also playing up more of the pops of navy and woodgrain in the inspiration. Here is how it turned out.

My papers…

And my embellishments…

I forgot to put into this picture some cut apart elements! But those do show up in the video if you want to see more. And a sneak peek here: notice the flamingo, flipflop, and pennant elements? I created those! How I did that will be the feature of my next post, so stay tuned.

Finally, there is a tradition over at CKC of titling our kits just like companies do. So I’m calling mine “Summer Sun”.

I hope you can check out the other designers and see how they interpreted their own kits.

Here’s the full hop link list

Have fun kit building and don’t forget to show off your stuff over on the CKC Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge or use #counterfeitkitchallenge.

SCT Sampler Kit Unboxing, July ’22

Getting my SCT Sampler kit in the mail each month is a bright spot. This small affordable package is just enough newness + surprise to keep me satisfied. This month the package contained products from Maggie Holmes, Doodlebug, and a stamp set from Gina K designs. We also have our word die cut from the SCT company.

I wouldn’t want to leave you wondering just what to do with these supplies. So I almost always make a project as soon as my box arrives. That way I am sure to use it instead of just showing it off. This time around I made and 8.5 x 11 layout featuring a vacation photo. And when I create a project using my samplers I really try to pull at least one thing from each of the supply categories included in the kit: the die set, the reusable item and each of the two manufactures.

Of course if you want more information you can watch my YouTube video to get a better look at the kit products and my project.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look at what these little kits have to offer and seeing it put into action with a project. I’ll be back soon with more crafty goodness. Until then, have an artful day.

CKC July ’22

I love kit building and I am on the design team for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge project. We take an inspiration kit each month and proceed to replicate it, or as we say, counterfeit it. This is a free, friendly group that helps inspire you to use up supplies you already own. We are not about needing to buy the latest and greatest thing (though we won’t stop you if you enjoy new crafty goodies😉 ).

June sure went by in a whirlwind and I can’t believe it is July already. So glad I got this post up in time! Here is the full video experience, or you can read on for the quick overview.

Our Inspiration kit this month is the May Round Trip 12×12 add-on kit from Citrus Twist Kits. Before we dive in too much further, let’s give a warm welcome to Clem Reid as our guest designer this month. You can find her take on this kit, as well as all the other team members from the hop links below. Now on with the show…

With this inspiration in mind I pulled a variety of stuff from my stash, organized it all, and then narrowed it down. Here are the three categories of papers I put in my kit: A side inspired, B side inspired, and “filler” papers.

“A” Side inspiration
My choices
“B” side inspiration
My choices
“Filler” papers
The overall paper view

Moving on to embellishments… I had the Pink Fresh Titles ephemera directly from the inspiration kit. Then I just added other elements such as travel, homey icons, enamel dots and tags.

Embellishments

There is a tradition over at CKC of titling our kits just like companies do. So I’m calling mine StayCation for the mix of travel and homey icons.

I hope you can follow along with the other designers and see how they put together their kits.

Here’s the full hop link list

Have fun kit building and don’t forget to show off your stuff over on the CKC Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge or use #counterfeitkitchallenge.

CKC Kit Build, June ’22

I love kit building and I am on the design team for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge project. We take an inspiration kit each month and proceed to replicate it, or as we say, counterfeit it. This is a free, friendly group that helps inspire you to use up supplies you already own. We are not about needing to buy the latest and greatest thing (though we won’t stop you if you enjoy new crafty goodies😉 ).

You can see my process video or keep reading for the blog version of the info.

This month we are working from a German kit company, Danipeuss.de . Their November 2021 kit featuring Paige Evans brings us lots to be inspired by.

The color palette was too autumnal for me, so I focused my choices on patterns in the kit and used colors that were more to my mood. You can see that direction in my paper choices here.

From there I pulled embellishments. I added in more stars, which was the first thing I was drawn to when building this kit. I also had several pieces from the inspiration kit itself. I know I won’t use all those pieces due to the color palette, but I can pick and choose what works for me.

There is a tradition over at CKC of titling our kits just like companies do. So I’m calling mine Star Struck.

I hope you can follow along with the other designers to see how they built their kits.

Here’s the full hop link list

Have fun kit building and don’t forget to show off your stuff over on the CKC Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge or use #counterfeitkitchallenge.

One last thing before you go… I was also inspired by several things in this kit to create on my own. So join me next time when I show you some product “forgeries”! Until then, have an artful day.

SCT Sampler Kit Unboxing, May ’22

Getting my SCT Sampler kit in the mail each month is a bright spot. This small affordable package is just enough newness + surprise to keep me satisfied. This month the package contained products from Vicki Boutin and Pinkfresh Studio. Take a look…

I wouldn’t want to leave you wondering just what to do with these supplies. So I almost always make a project as soon as my box arrives. That way I am sure to use it instead of just showing it off. This time around I made a mixed media layout featuring the included stencil.

Of course if you want more information you can watch my YouTube video to get a better look at the kit products AND this project.

That’s it for this time. I hope you have an artful day!

Kit Build: CKC, May ’22

I love kit building and I am on the design team for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge project. We take an inspiration kit each month and proceed to replicate it, or as we say, counterfeit it. This is a free, friendly group that helps inspire you to use up supplies you already own. We are not about needing to buy the latest and greatest thing (though we won’t stop you if you enjoy new crafty goodies😉 ).

This month’s inspiration was chosen by team member Kate and the kit comes from Scrapbook Doodle from back in 2015. The kit focuses on Bo Bunny’s Sweet Life collection. Along with our host Kate, we have guest designer Dawn playing along with this kit. So be sure to give them big thanks for taking care of us with their inspiration.

Since this kit was really the Bo Bunny Collection I did have a peek at their full line to see what other ideas I could come up with. Particularly I wanted to look at the B sides of the pattern papers and closer looks at some embellishments.

I knew from all this I wanted to incorporate striped pattern papers, buttons, and film strips. So lets look at the papers first. I was excited to incorporate old Basic Grey and Scenic Route papers along side brand new Simple Stories and Heidi Swapp. That is the joy of building your own kit!

For embellishing I pulled plenty of things straight from the inspiration: butterlies (or at least a way to create them!), enamel dots, flowers, tags and ribbons. Then I added in doilies, film strips and buttons (oops, the photo doesn’t include the buttons; trust me, I have them.)

There is a tradition over at CKC of titling our kits just like companies do. So I’m calling mine Life Past and Present for the mix of supplies I have incorporated. And hey, maybe I can even do some then & now layouts!

You can hear the thoughts that went into each choice in my video.

I hope you can follow along with the other designers and see how they interpreted their kits.

Here’s the full hop link list

Have fun kit building and don’t forget to show off your stuff over on the CKC Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge or use #counterfeitkitchallenge.

SCT Sampler Kit Unboxing, April ’22

Getting my SCT Sampler kit in the mail each month is a bright spot. This small affordable package is just enough newness + surprise to keep me satisfied. This month the package contained the monthly die, which says Lovely, a Gina K stamp featuring daffodils, and collections from Echo Park and PhotoPlay. Take a look…

I always do a project when I open up my new goodies. Since I’ve been making so many cards lately, this time I felt like a layout was in order. I decided to go with a double pager since I had 5 4×6 photos to show off. I think this page is simple but pretty. I’ve used many things from the kit included mixing and matching the pattern papers, using the die as decorative elements as well as for my title, stamping as subtle border and creating some of my own embellishments.

Of course if you want more information you can watch my YouTube video to get a better look at the kit products and my project.

CKC Kit Build April ’22

I love kit building and I am on the design team for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge project. We take an inspiration kit each month and proceed to replicate it, or as we say, counterfeit it. This is a free, friendly group that helps inspire you to use up supplies you already own. We are not about needing to buy the latest and greatest thing (though we won’t stop you if you enjoy new crafty goodies😉 ).

Our fearless leader, Lisa Hausmann, is our kit hostess for April. She chose a kit from Papers and Beyond called Follow Your Bliss. We are also welcoming Helen (DeRam) as our Guest Designer. She can be found on Instagram. Be sure to give her some love over there!

Here are just a few more detailed photos of what this kit has on offer.

This kit is loaded with Jen Hadfield and Vicki Boutin products. As I am a fan of both designers I happen to own a chunk of their work. So, taking in all this inspiration, and the fact that I have some of these designer’s paper lines, here is the kit I came up with.

The top row of papers come directly from the kit inspiration. The lemon paper replaced the bird paper, but if you look at the Jen Hadfield sticker sheet, there are lemons in there! The second row of paper are extras that I was inspired to add. The cups are a nod to the food theme in the Jen Hadfield stickers. The critters are in line with some Easter thinking. The gnomes go along with an icon on the Vicki Boutin ephemera that I added. And the shirts are there for the home theme that emerged from the Jen Hadfield supplies.

The embellishments started with a Jen Hadfield cut-apart sheet, much like the one in the inspiration papers. And I added in gold phrases, and Vicki Boutin die cuts. Plus birds, butterflies and feathers from many of the icons made for great embellies. I chose those in wood veneer inspired by the wood buttons. I also added corrugated cardstock for more wood vibe. I needed more texture so in with the twines. As I bonus I had that washi tape sitting on my desk from my recent washi review so I tucked that in as well. Add some alphas and the kit is complete.

You can hear my thoughts that went into all the choices I made for this kit in my video. There is also a sneak in there about what I have coming for the Forgery on the Fourth project.

I hope you can follow along with the other designers and see how the interpreted their kits.

Here’s the full hop link list

Have fun kit building and don’t forget to show off your stuff over on the CKC Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge or use #counterfeitkitchallenge.

Scrap BACKWARDS! March ’22

If you have spent any time at all with me here on the blog or over on my YouTube channel, then you know that I like scrapbooking kits. The Scrap Backwards facebook group (totally free inspiration group) has their own twist on approaching scrapbook kits. They start with an older supply, often something that has been left neglected because of difficulty using it, or it being not a favorite item. Then they build a kit around that specific supply. In this way, the group is very much a stash busting process. Yet it can be made fresh by tucking in favorite new supplies as well.

The photos come very last in the process and that is why it is called scrap backwards. So many crafters often start with the photos and pull supplies to match that. Since we end with the photos, this process is also a process in letting go… letting go of the perfect product, the perfect color palette, the perfect embellishment. When we let go of the just right, it frees us up to tell more stories. We don’t waste time hemming and hawing over what will be perfect. We put somethings together, learn from what we liked and didn’t like, and move on to the next project.

This month I started with the embellishment pack on the left. I love the pack, but the color palette has been a challenge for me. So I pulled the set of brads next. It has the reds and blacks, but pulls in some other colors to work with as well. Since I had an expanded color palette I could now pull in papers and a few other goodies. Pulling in orange washi tape, which is a color I avoid, challenged me to use up that supply that has been hanging round in my space.

You can catch more details in my video.

So far with this mini kit I’ve created just one layout. I’ll update things here if/when I get more layouts done.

I hope you are inspired to check out this group and do your own backwards scrapping.

SCT Sampler Kit Unboxing, March ’22

Getting my SCT Sampler kit in the mail each month is a bright spot. This small affordable package is just enough newness + surprise to keep me satisfied. This month the package contains brands new to the SCT kits — LDRS and Crafter’s Companion. I’m fairly new to both of these myself so I’m excited to learn more what they have to offer. In addition, we have more from Echo Park, and the 2022 die set from SCT. Such a full package.

Here is a list of the included supplies:

You can see the full set of products and my project process in this video.

Because this kit had a stash of birthday themed products, and birthday cards are the cards I send most, I decided to make a whole set of cards. I played in three different ways with the products. I focused on the paper + ephemera for one set of cards, the die set for another set, and the stamp set for a third grouping.

That is it for this time. Happy crafting to you all.