A New Tradition Layout

A few years ago we changed our Christmas routine when my youngest son was unable to spend any time with us due to his job. I didn't have any pictures of our car packed up and the five of us on the road, but I did have a picture of Izzy our Chihuahua standing at the steering wheel of our car as we were checking into the hotel.

I started by pulling a page kit together. It's really easy for me as I keep all my Christmas papers and embellishments in and Iris box - actually I have three of them for Christmas.

Here's my kit put all together. I have four sheets of pattern paper, a few different sizes of labels, wood veneer, and three different alphabets. 

My page came together really quick. Below is my layout, where I used two different  alphabets. On traditions I had to make a "t" as I only had one so I cut up the letter h. I'm trying to get the alphabets used up and I know I don't have enough of the darker blue to make three titles.

I added a rectangle of the dark blue cardstock so that I had a place to put my year and the wood veneer tree. I made sure I had plenty of room at the top of the layout for the snowflake. I used some of the smaller labels for the embellishment clusters.

I had already printed the photo, matted it onto white cardstock and the dark blue cardstock so I added a piece of white and dark blue cardstock to extend it down for the year. I also ran out of the "i" and cut the bottom of the "j". 

Don't forget to stop by the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog daily for our daily Advent Calendar inspiration. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Recipe:

Papers: Recollections white cardstock, K and Company - Darks Color Basics Paper Pad the dark blue pattern paper, Recollections Bright and Jolly paper pad - three papers

Embellishments: Wood Veneer - trees and snowflakes, DIY labels and Crystal Stickers - glitter dome

Alphabet Stickers: Two unknow - both sets of light blue; EK Success - blue foam.

Misc.: Adhesive

Christmas Cards

I make Christmas Cards all year long that way they are ready for donations to different charities. Today I made 10 Christmas cards using 3 12x12 Christmas Patterned Papers. I find that when I'm making a bunch of cards sketches help me whip them out. I tend to make 2 to 4 cards per sketch. 

The first two papers are from Recollections Bright and Jolly 12x12 Christmas Stack and the last one I think is DCWV - Holiday Collection The Christmas Stack.  I pulled green, white and red cardstock. 

I made two cards for each of the following 3 sketches.

The first card uses an Operation Write Home sketch  #27 and rotated.

The second card uses an Operation Write Home sketch. One of the nice things about their sketches is that the dimensions are already on the sketches. Operation Write Home Sketch #72

The third card uses Moho Monday Sketch #168

The fourth card is using one of my favorite dies. 

I only made one card of each of the next two sketched

I used another Operation Write Home Sketch #154

My last card uses Mojo Monday Sketch #238

I've gotten in the habit of stamping and then embossing on my envelopes. Here are my cards with envelopes.

and the last 4 sets

Here's a few posts from earlier this year for cards and the sketches I used.
Christmas Cards from January 29 2018  - 10 cards made
Christmas Cards from January 10, 2018 - 6 cards made no sketches used.
may the Joys of the season be yours - 2 cards

Thanks for stopping by.


Recipe:
Papers: Recollections Bright and Jolly 12x12 Christmas Stack and I think is DCWV - Holiday Collection The Christmas Stack; Cardstock - red, white green
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug "Snowflakes"
Stamps: Close to my Heart "Say it in Style"; Unity Stamp Company - October 2018 KOTM {all winter long}, October 2017 KOTM { conspiracy of love}, October 2016 KOTM {holiday hugs}
Ink: Gina K - amaigam ink
Dies: My Favorite Things - Quilt Stamp

Counterfeit Kit Challenge 1 - Sprinkle and Sparkle

Our first challenge this month is Sprinkle and Sparkle. November is Lisa's Birthday month and there's always a sprinkle of shimmer, confetti, sequins or glitter to be seen. Make your own project shine this celebratory month by adding some extra sparkle!

So I made two layouts and a card.

My first layout is a picture of my youngest taken at the aquarium in Texas. I started with the scallop paper as it reminded me of the water in the tanks at the aquarium. I then had to add this sunglass paper and the orange stripe paper. I added in the polka dot paper to hold all my layers together.

I die cut glitter paper in two colors orange to mat behind the 6x6 paper.

I snapped a picture of each of them when they were not looking. That is one good thing about cell phones. Here's my eldest's layout. the only difference between the two pages is the color of the glitter paper and the 6x6 paper. 

For the embellishment spot I added a tag I had in my kit and a few of the die cut leaves, along with a tag to place them all on. The hearts are ones from my forgeries, one is stamped and cut out and the other is white glitter paper and die cut.

For my card, I pulled out some scraps and cut them into 1" squares. I loved the way my Forged paper turned out so much that I wanted to make a card.

I trimmed it down and used a die to cut the bottom. I had to cut my wavy line twice as I did not have my black mat trimmed and behind my pattern paper to cut..  I little bit of black and white twine to finish it off.

Be sure to stop by the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog to see what everyone else's Sprinkle and Sparkle.

We love seeing your work, so be sure to share your kits and projects with us.

Thanks for stopping by.

Recipe:
Paper: Colorbok - Delilah, Simple Stories - Hello Summer 6x8 paper, Amy Tangerine - In a Whim 6x6; glitter cardstock, black cardstock

Misc.: Adhesive, DIY leaves and heartsZots and Zyron

Forgeries on the Fourth

The November inspiration kit for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog is the Citrus Twist Kit, Little Things and can be found here. I made a few forgeries from this kit.

First off is my favorite. I fell in love with the Maggie Holmes Spread Love paper - the multi paper side was included in our inspiration kit.

I pulled out my bag of scraps to make my pieces. I cheated by not punching them into squares, instead I used rectangles and a 12x12 cardstock. I used white because I wanted a small border around the edge of the paper. I started cutting random strips approximately 3" long and various sizes. 

I love the way it turned out and will have to continue making a background paper  with my scraps when I'm done with my kits.  

My next forgeries include the:
Amy Tangerine Inflated Hearts:

From the Pinkfresh Studio - Indigo Hills 2 collection - the frames and die cut leaves

To make my hearts I stamped and fussy cut, punched and die cut several heart shapes, then used glossy accents to make them shinny. I did let them dry overnight.

For my  rectangle frame I used several colors of distress ink, starting with the lightest and working to the darkest. I did use my misti to so that I would be stamping in the same place every time.

For the leaves I used a combination of scrap cardstock and fun foam. I know the kit didn't have read leaves but the red will go well with mine. I even die cut a couple of words.

Now for all of my forgeries.

Be sure to check out the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog to see what the other Master Forgers created.

Thanks for stopping by.

November Counterfeit Kit - Hearts and Stars, Oh my

Hello November. Today is the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog Hop. You should have arrived from Tina's blog, if not I have the whole hop listed below. This month we are counterfeiting the Citrus Twist October Kit - Little Things. Just love the happy colors in this kit.

Here is my November Counterfeit Kit - Hearts and Stars, Oh my.

My inspiration papers are the two Bella BLDV papers Pandaland and Sugar Patch.
I picked some of my paper to match the b side of the Citrus Twist papers, and I couldn't find any start paper so I pulled just embellishments in stars.

Maggie Holmes "Gather" Collection first two papers; Bella BLVD - "Pandaland" and "Sugar Patch"; Echo Park - Capture Life "hearts" and "Bokeh Blur"; Webster Pages "Eternal"; Jen Hadfield "Best of"' Colorbok "Delilah"; Bo Bunny - Genevieve Collection, DIY paper and Unknow camera paper to cut apart.

Now for some embellishments:

6x6 paper pad - Amy Tangerine on a Whim; Punches - Fiskars - folk heart, EK Success - mini heart and star; Dies: Becky Higgins - Nested dies for project life "heart"; Stitched hearts; Stickers -Maggie Holmes :Flourish" Shimelle - Puffy Hearts, Thickers; Vellum -Tags Unknown Manufacturer, Elements - True Meaning of Thanks and Watch the Leaves Turn;  DIY frames, leaves  and hearts;
Stamps: Unknown Alphabet stamps, Studio g - Capital and Lowercase mini stamps; Unity Stamp Company KOTM - July 2014, March 2013, June 2016, May 2016,March 2016 and June 2017.

Your next stop on the hop is Lisa's blog. Be sure to check out what everyone's take on the inspiration kit is.

Thanks for stopping by.

Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop:

 Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog - http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/

 Guest Designer Alex - http://www.pinkcraftymama.com/

 Julene - https://julenebydesign.blogspot.com/

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

Lori - http://loriannie670.blogspot.com/ 

 Tina - https://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com/

 Cindy - https://cindyscreations-cinmfoster.blogspot.com/

 Lisa - https://lisahausmann.blogspot.com

 Laura - https://www.instagram.com/mrsp_scrapsandtea/