March Inspiration Hop

  Welcome to March 2025. It's time for a new Counterfeit Kit Challenge! I have the full hop listed below.

Our Master Forger in charge this month is Ryann. She chose for our inspiration kit this month a kit from Sweet Shoppe Designs, the  Beach Tale Collection by Kristin Cronin-Barrow.  

Ryann say this about the kit "This one spoke to me since it looks like Hawaii - and I just got back from my first trip to Hawaii in February!  My husband and I hadn't been before, and we went for his birthday.  And speaking of birthdays, March is my birthday month, so we will use this kit for birthday layouts, too!   I know that not everyone has tropical photos to scrapbook, but this kit looks really versatile - lots of wood grains in different colors, water that can be pool photos, and there are two collections in this kit - one that is softer pastels, the other that is a little more bold.  There is enough of both pink and blue to appeal to nearly anyone!  The woodgrain and browns gives enough neutral options to make the whole kit great for a variety of layouts. 

Here is what the kit looks like:

Kit 1 - High Tides

Kit 2 - Good Vibes

Our Guest Designer this month is Martha Saenz. Martha and Ryann met years ago on another scrapbook group.  She does a lot of detailed work, uses stamps and dies in her work, and loves to make cards.  I'm hoping we can see some of those creations this month as well!

Martha says, "Hello everyone!  My name is Martha Saenz and I live in San Antonio, TX.  I’ve been a scrapbooker since my early 20s – going on 27 years!  My favorite subject to scrap is my family.  It started with my nephews and nieces but then I got to be a Mom and my little boy Nick was my favorite subject, of course!  I may or may not have about 50 full 12x12 albums of just Nick’s life… LOL!  I blame it on being the youngest of five children in my family and there are hardly any photos of me growing up, but it’s all good!  I also have a chihuahua dog, my little Frankie, and three cats who Frankie works hard to “regulate.”  LOL!  All have their appropriate place in my treasured albums.

 

My scrapbook style is more symmetrical and neat with a touch of whimsy to keep it fun.  I love using my Cricut to make my own embellishments but do not set me loose in Hobby Lobby because things can escalate quickly!  Over about the last three years I’ve become more of a card-maker.  I lost my beautiful son Nick to cancer when he was 17 years old, which was almost four years ago.  I am here to tell you to never stop taking pictures because you never know if one of those may be the last one you have of that person (or pet)!  Keep on scrapbooking all.of.the.pictures. and always tell the stories of who and what you love, and the stuff that isn’t so great, too.  It’s so therapeutic to write it all down and get those treasured memories onto paper, not to mention Alzheimer’s is on the rise and it’s impossible to remember it all! 

Now for my kit: CKC March 2025 - Waiting for Spring 

I use a combination of the pale and bolder colors for my kit. I will add cardstock as I go along during the month. I may even add more woodgrains, I was undecided, so I kept them out, but I do have them nearby if I want them. 

I have a variety of embellishments this month, some that go with the papers I did pick out. A Kaiser Craft Sticker Sheet - Blue Bay Some, Pinkfresh - Simply the Best, and Pink Paisley, Paig Evans' - Bloom Street.

Here is the full Social Media Hop and your next stop is Jody - www.instagram.com/floppyearedfarm 

Social Media Hop:

 

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

• Guest Designer - Martha Saenz - https://www.instagram.com/msaenzmd

• Brandi - https://www.instagram.com/scrappy.boymama/ 

• Christine - https://www.youtube.com/@ScrappingHarden

• Cindy - http://cindyscreations-cinmfoster.blogspot.com/ (You are here)

• Jody - www.instagram.com/floppyearedfarm 

• JoJo - https://www.instagram.com/scrappyconfessions

• Julene - http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com/

• Misty - http://www.craftysoup.com

• Ryann- https://www.instagram.com/scrapbookjoey/

• Tara -  https://kryptonite72-rambles.blogspot.com/

• Tina - http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com/

 

 Now, let's see what we have lined up for the rest of this month:

• 2nd March - Just the Gist of it. 
• 4th March - Forgeries on the Fourth
• 6th  March - Mini Kit and Project Reveal 
• 12th March - Challenge #1 
• 18th March - Challenge #2
• 22nd March - Challenge #3 Sketch Challenge
• 24th March - Follower Showcase 
• 26th March - April Sneak Peek (on Instagram and the Facebook Community) 
• 28th March - Challenge #4 Baby, Use Those Scraps Challenge

We love to see what you are working on!  Drop in your projects to our Facebook Community Group and of course tag us on Instagram at #counterfeitkitchallenge and #ckcmarch2025

Thanks for stopping by!

New Beds - Double Page Layout

 As if I don't have enough paper in my CKC February 2025 - The Neutrals, I am adding in this set of papers with these photos. I will be making another set of 2-page layouts.

The papers are from DCWV - Vintage Memories paper pad (2017), Natural cardstock paper pad (2010), and The Old-World Stack (unknown) and I am also using Pinkesh Golden foiled Wood Alpha stickers. I am also playing along with Follow a Sketch February Day 3. 

I grabbed a couple of scraps for the vertical strip down the center. My background paper is plenty busy with the gold highlights throughout, so I am not including any extra embellishments. I have also started scrapping this story and the journaling is on other pages. 

The difference on the second page is the flipping of the photos to the other side and the addition of the strip of paper I cut off from the first page. 

Here is my 8 1/2" x 11" pages.

Thanks so much for stopping by

Kitty Time - Guarding the door.

 The challenge at Counterfeit Kit is to scrap the animals which was inspired by the animal paper in the inspiration kit. I had included some zebra paper in my CKC February 2025 - The Neutrals kit for this layout. I have a couple of pictures of Milo and Maverick guarding the door while the grandkids were taking a nap.

Here is the Challenge page set I put together to scrap this layout. 

The only thing I actually used is the cat that I cut out using my cricut. I added in off white ribbon and black and white thread. Sometime that happens, it's really a starting point for scrapping. I have other photos of the Milo and Maverick I can scrap so it all works out.

Here is my finished layout.

I love how they curl up outside the door waiting for them. Thanks for stopping by.

Transplant - Double page layout

 Today I pulled out page set #2 from my CKC February 2025 - The Neutrals kit.

My background paper is from DCWV - Vintage Memories (2017) and I have also added in two sheets of from Simple Stories Wood and Gingham Basics (2017) for my youngest son's layout and of course several scraps.  I am also playing along with Follow a Sketch February and am using Day 2's sketch.

 I cut a couple of strips of the green pattern paper for the top and bottom of my layout, then start cutting sown my photos and matting them on scraps of brown cardstock. I used a couple of bowls to cut out my circles for all four layout and inked the edges.

I substituted some previously die cut greenery for the star and skipped the chevron arrows. My journaling is at the bottom of the pages instead of on the side. 

The gingham paper I cut down to 8 1/2" x 11", following the same process for the 12x12 layout. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Sympathy Card

 I'm starting February off with a Sympathy card for a co-worker. Included in the inspiration from our kit was a few inks. 

For my card I pulled out the Unity Stamp Company KOT February 2021 {a beautiful mindset} for the butterflies and Distress ink in Tumbled Glass and Peacock Feathers.

 I used both inks on watercolor paper, dried it with the heat gun, and stamped in black ink. 

 Thanks for stopping by.