So, what is Mystery Box Makes? It is just a silly game and creativity stretcher! I have a “grab-bag” style box of supplies that I purchased online as part of a store clearance sale back in Nov ’24. Since the box is a grab-bag, that means all the supplies in the box are a mystery. The box comes at a steep price reduction because the supplies are unknown. Who doesn’t like a good deal and a fun mystery?
I’m going to reach into this box and pull out three items. Much like that cooking show with the mystery basket ingredients, I have to put those items to use on one crafty project. Will these ingredients work together? Or will it be a recipe for disaster? Let’s find out…
This month I actually had the live come together with only minor technical glitches. I promise, some day I will have zero tech issues and I will rejoice. Despite the small glitch I pulled out a few fun things and got right to work.
Item #1: Pattern paper with balloon on the front, red & white stripes on the back.Item #1: Pattern paper with balloon on the front, red & white stripes on the back.Item #3: Distress Spritz in Picked Raspberry
I was sure I would not use the balloon paper. However, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do a card, a scrapbook page, a mini book, or… I pulled out my story binder to see what photos I had ready. Wouldn’t you know it, I had a birthday story to tell. So, balloons won the day after all.
The photo for the story is not a great one. Even in person it is really hard to tell what it is (blueberry frech toast covered in whipped cream!). That is probably why the story has been left untold! Today was the day to use an imperfect photo to create an uncomplicated layout. Here is a quick peek at the finished product.
If you want to see the details of this layout coming together, here is the live video recording.
So that is it this time around. I hope you join me for future Mystery Box Makes LIVE. I’ll be back on Nov. 20th for the next one. Until then, I hope you have an artful day.
As a design team member over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge group I play along with as many of our monthly inspiration challenges as I can. The Forgery on the Fourth project is definitely one I enjoy! That is where we see a scrap product we like and set out to recreate it with supplies we already own. So let’s go ahead and dive in to what I have for you this month.
Each month I enjoy finding inspiration in our Counterfeit Kit. Some months ideas pop instantly. Sometimes I have to dig deeper. And, like this month, sometimes I have too many ideas for the time I have. I needed to pick and choose. Even limiting myself to three items kept me very, very busy. Let’s take a look at the inspo to see where I went. Our inspiration is the Intrinsic Limitless kit from Not Just for Boys. I did pull from some of the add-ons to this kit as well.
I did pull from some of the add-ons to this kit as well. In fact, those fabric stars where part of the add-ons. Plus they were a popular item with the team this month! I knew that the sewing technique and the fabric they used would make it a bit tricky to do at home, especially at that size! I altered it up to fit my needs: non-fraying fabric plus sewing that didn’t require my machine. That way I could sit and stitch while I watch TV, lol. Despite my less than perfect blanket stitch (pointy corners stump me!) I think they came out well.
Next up I wanted to tackle those charms. My first thought was to make them from clay. But I don’t have any clay and I was not about to go out and buy some. If I did that I might as well just buy some already made charms. The point is to use what we have on had to mimic the inspiration. So I pulled out shrink plastic and metallic ink. It has been a while since I’ve worked with shrink plastic, but it was just as satisfying as I remember!
The final idea is one that I based my entire kit around this month: postage. I have been loving the trendy postage theme out in the crafty world lately. I have a few products that are clearly postage related. Yet as you can see from my makes, you can use just about anything to create these little gems. It helps to start with a great postage die. I used the Waffle Flower Postage Collage die. Waffle Flower makes many postage products; this one is sized for A2 cards. I threw in plenty of other supplies from my stash to create postage, from a nature theme to an Alice in Wonderland theme.
That is where I had to stop with my makes. I had too many ideas for my energy to hold out. I was very tired by the time I finished all these. It took me a couple of days to get through everything but it was fun. If you want to see details on how to create these, my video is up. Each make is in its own section so feel free to jump around to just what you want.
For more creative ideas, the CKC blog has more forgery examples to check out. I hope this gave you some ideas on how you can recreate your favorite product ideas with supplies you may already have on hand. Don’t forget to show off your stuff over on the CKC Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge or use #counterfeitkitchallenge.
Until next time, have an artful day.
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As a design team member over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge group I play along with as many of our monthly inspiration challenges as I can. The Forgery on the Fourth project is definitely one I enjoy! That is where we see a scrap product we like and set out to recreate it with supplies we already own. So let’s go ahead and dive in to what I have for you this month.
Since we always start our forgery projects with inspiration, here is the image we are working with this month. It is the Balboa kit from 2014. This kit no longer exists, which a perfect reason to pull inspiration from it and make our own version!
There were many ideas I could pull from this. I ended up focusing on three things.
The Chalkboard pattern papers. I thought I had some in my stash, but didn’t find it when pulling my kit. So… I’ll just make it!
The fancy pins. In fact, I think my mock version is even better than the real thing. Stay tuned for why!
That “Hello” word. A nice thick chipboard word covered in colorful spatters? Yes please!
Here is a quick look at the finished items. But let’s go over them briefly one at a time.
Chalkboard Paper
This process is really easier to see in action. I’ve got the video tutorial linked below for you.
I punched out a nearly 2 inch circle and cut it in half. Then I cut that half in half. That left me with a quarter of a circle. I used that to trace the curved edges. With a white gel pen I was able to trace a cruve in each corner of a black piece of cardstock. Remember to use the smooth side if you have textured cardstock. Then with a ruler I could connect each of those curves with stright line. Repeat that process to create a second border. Then realize there are smudges of white gel pen and make more purposeful smudges and marks to make them blend in.
Decorative Sewing Pins
Recreating these pins is awesome. I’ve used real sewing pins for projects in the past. They create two problems: danger of being poked and excess bulk on layouts. My version solved both those problems. You can make these using twist ties! Peel off the paper portion of the tie, but leave about 3/4 of an inch of the paper intact at one end. This is where you can glue on enamel dots. Once the glue is dry, trim away any excess paper using a pair of fine scissors and you have your mock pins! They are a major budget saver as well.
Just a note: the one on the right end was made using Nuvo stone drops instead of enamel dots. While it did work, these weren’t my favorite.
Word Art
Finally, I made the Hello word. This was easy to do on my Cricut. But you can also use dies. I just don’t have any word dies this size. I cut 4 layers of the word, then stacked and glued them. Once dry I simply splattered them with some watercolor. Done!
You can see all these ideas in action in my makes video below.
For more creative ideas, the CKC blog has more forgery examples to check out. I hope this gave you some ideas on how you can recreate your favorite product ideas with supplies you may already have on hand. Don’t forget to show off your stuff over on the CKC Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge or use #counterfeitkitchallenge.
As a design team member over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge group I play along with as many of our monthly inspiration challenges as I can. The Forgery on the Fourth project is definitely one I enjoy! That is where we see a scrap product we like and set out to recreate it with supplies we already own. So let’s go ahead and dive in to what I have for you this month.
Since we always start our forgery projects with inspiration, here is the image we are working with this month. It is the Lil’ Man collection from Bella Gypsy. You can find this digital kit over at Pickle Berry Pop. Since it is a digital kit, that gives us the perfect reason to create our own version of physical products!
I honed in even further on some of this collections elements for today’s projects. What do you think I’ll be making from each graphic? I’ll tell you know that the third one is my favorite!
I started off easy with die cut and stenciled cork embellishments. Pigment ink is the key to stenciling these items. The opaque ink will show up crisp on the cork!
Next up I played with wire. This was a bit of a struggle with some of the ideas and easier with others. After checking them out, would you attempt this one?
For sure, this last idea was a super new one to me. Not only was it really fun to create, but it worked beautifully! I made paint splatter stickers! Acrylic paint can be hard to work on cardstock. The wet nature of the paint takes a long time to dry and it can really warp paper. The solution? Make them on a non-stick surface ahead of time. Let them dry. Peel them up and put them on your project like you would a sticker! Any size, any color. Plus it takes the fear out of mixed media. Only use the ones you love!
These were just a few of the paint splatters I created. To see even more, check out the video.
For more creative ideas, the CKC blog has more forgery examples to check out. I hope this gave you some ideas on how you can recreate your favorite product ideas with supplies you may already have on hand. Don’t forget to show off your stuff over on the CKC Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge or use #counterfeitkitchallenge.
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