Counterfeit Kit Challenge July member blog hop

Wow, that month went fast!

It was busy round here and I got to go travelling which was a lot of fun and resulted in my page for this month's Counterfeit Kit Challenge member blog hop page.

But more of that shortly. First up, you should have reached me via the lovely Roxie and I'm at the end of the hop so if you've missed any of it, you can go back to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog to start at the beginning or check out the full list at the end of this post.

This month we were given these challenges:

• Challenge #1:  Picture This:  Use at least 4 photos on your project
• Challenge #2:  Old Tool Challenge: Dust off an old tool and get creative
• Challenge #3:  Project Altering Experience: Include an altered embellishment

And, as I haven't been doing an awful lot of scrapping recently, I thought I'd give #1 and #2 a shot, combining more than 4 photos with an old tool.

The photos were easy. As I said, I just got back from a short trip over to London to meet a very good scrappy friend, Kathy all the way from the US and we had a blast running all over the city catching the sights. So all I had to do was collate some happy selfies for a great combination of 6 shots.

Then combining a few ideas I've seen around the net recently such as someone's horizontal grid - sorry I can't seem to identify which one in particular and I tend to make vertical grids so I know it stood out to me - and a beautiful layout by the very talented Ashley Calder, I decided to pull out my Fiskars scallop edge punch and create a little edge detail and pile up my 6 square photos along the bottom of the of the page.

Somehow most of the photos had a sort of soft, greyish-green look to them so they matched the products in this months Redux kit perfectly! (See my reveal here)

A little cluster of embellishments at the bottom combined a few different textures and elements.

This vellum card from Crate Paper was perfect to just add a hint of detail at the top of the page and house a few more elements.

There was twine and thread in my kit which I've stopped using so often so it was good to use three of them at once. I must remember to use this edge punch more often - I still love it!

All in all, this page came together really easily - fluke that the photos went with the papers and embellishments so well!

As I mentioned, I'm at the end the hop today but here's the full list in case you get lost along the way.

Don't forget to let me know you were here!

CKCB   http://www.counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com

Jemma   http://just-jimjams.blogspot.co.uk

Karen   https://pinkycrafter.wordpress.com

Tina   http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com

Julene   http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com.au

Susan   http://littlethingsbigdays.blogspot.com

Laura   http://intheairingcupboardcrafts.blogspot.co.uk

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

Gabrielle   http://nomorelittlemonkeys.blogspot.com

Roxanne   http://roxyrolla.blogspot.ca 

Lisa   http://lisahausmann.blogspot.de

Scrapabilly July kit shares - part 2

Back to share the rest of my creations using the Scrapabilly July kit featuring Crate Paper Poolside and Journey collections. You can find out more details about the kit either over at the Scrapabilly shop or in my first kit share post here.

Don't forget that the Scrapabilly gallery is full of further inspiration from the other Design Team girls.

Here's the kit - check out all those gorgeous summer colours.

The kit was so inspirational for me and I created a total of 6 layouts and two cards. Success!

I used a Simple Scrapper sketch for this one nd really liked the bold left hand border. Check out those gorgeous blue skies which I think work really well with the sunny colours of the kit. I added in the gold doily, a little gold twine/thread and of course, a splattering of mist.

I mentioned in my first share post that we had some fun cutting out flamingos from foam sheets when I was last at the Scrapabilly shop and I was determined to find a way to incorporate them onto my layouts. No, the Philippines do not have flamingos, but they are tropical and pink and fun and I thought I could get away with them here! I especially love that little heart that's created when the two heads meet!

For this one, I added in the flamingos and a handful of enamel dots - and mist of course! I couldn't help myself from using up all the little mini letter tiles on the sticker sheet in the kit! They are so gorgeous and the gold against the aqua goes with every element of the kit. I might need to buy another sheet. Perfect for adding extra titles or journalling substitutes!

And then the last layout seemed a perfect addition on a layout about Scrapabilly's Sylvia and how I'm so happy to have found such a good friend! The *F* for friend card seemed perfect for this too.  The little bag held closed by that mini clothes pin will house my journalling. Leaving all the journaling for a quiet moment which seems elusive at the moment. I only added a few enamel dots and the flamingo to the kit for this layout. The journalling bag came with the kit and housed the embellishments. Love finding a way to use them.

And just to finish off some of the scraps, I made up two summer greetings cards. I sprinkled Stickle spots over the lover edge and finished them off with a couple of left over die cuts and the Scrapabilly exclusive flair - which I can never get enough of!

So, another month, another gorgeous inspiring kit! Such fun.

Why not get one of your own from the Scrapabilly online shop here?

Scrapabilly July kit shares - part 1

It's time to share my layouts (and 2 cards) made using the Scrapabilly July kit which is based around the Crate Paper Poolside and Journey collections.

Loads of paper (I managed 6 layouts and 2 cards, of which 3 layouts used paper as a background), collection stickers, matching die-cuts, a set of Thickers, mini-clothes pins, a Scrapabilly exclusive flair, twine, a bottle of Stickles and of course a selection of cardstock all added up to a fabulous mix of summer colours full of sunshine and inspiration.

There were all my favourite elements in here - sunny colours including lashings of pink and aqua; shiny gold and glitter; gorgeous alphas and some amazing paper designs.

Let me show you three of the layouts today and then the rest of the kit over the weekend. And don't forget you can get your own kit here and see what the rest of the Design Team made with their kit in the Scrapabilly gallery here.

I'm going to share the 3 layouts where I loved the paper so much that I decided that I just had to use it as a full background sheet.

This geometric ombre effect was first up and I just couldn't bear to cut it up at all - there were so many lovely small labels on the back but I could only bring myself to trim off a small border round the edge. I then cut out the same colours from the chevron design and contrasted it with some of the red and gold elements in the kit to create a nice mix. The diving lady paper was so cool that I completely made up this layout before going off to find a suitable photo that could be used. Not that I think that the photos must go with the papers. That's not really my style. But I wanted to draw attention to the cute diver so this photo of my sweet niece P waiting - probably impatiently - for her swimming session to start.

For this layout, I added in a gold doily but everything else is from the kit.

Next up was the pool water paper that also screamed to be used complete. So I listened to that inner voice and build my layout on the top.

Using the word paper, I decided to make one corner concentrate on hot and hot colours - this was the first time I went on such a sun holiday in high temperatures - and then the opposite corner represents the cool swimming pool water which I enjoyed so much.

As is the case for most of us who have photos from the 70s, they are imperfect with odd colours, faults down the edge of the print and hardly any suitable photos to show the story I want to tell. But there's the pool and there's my granddad who is the main character in my, yet to be written, journalling which is enough of a connection for me! Again, I held off writing the journalling because I want to really think about how to portray the feelings I want to record on each of those layouts.

And last but certainly not least, this map paper just needed to be used as one because it features London. How could I choose which tiny bit of that should be cut out? And it just so happened to show the corner of The Mall just opposite Buckingham Palace which reminded me of a photo I remembered from years before when I'd been there and the Queen had driven past. I think the Queen was on my mind a lot because she's been here in Germany at the same time. I need to add an arrow to highlight exactly where we were standing when she drove by.

I think I need more sheets of this paper...

That's it for now, but keep your eyes open for part 2. And just to remind you - you can get your own Scrapabilly kit here and check out the Design Team Gallery here.

15 loves {July 2015}

Welcome to the next in the series {15 loves} for 2015 based on the original concept by my beloved friend, Pam, back in January 2013. I shared my loves (mostly late) all through 2013 & 2014 and now it's time to see if I can continue the series through 2015. I hope you will come back each month to see if there is anything in my list to inspire you. You can see all my {13 loves} {here}, my {14 loves} {here} and now all my {15 loves} {here}

I hope there's something in here to inspire you or maybe just make you smile.

one

Ever one to follow all the trends, I rather love these trendy flamingos on this layout - tempted to lift this completely!

Anna Kosakovskaya for Pink Paislee - found here 

two

Everyone who knows me, knows that I love pretty shoes. And pink. And bows. Think these tick all the boxes. Originally from J. Crew and now not available but I can dream!

Pinterest find here

three

I hung pictures! Prints from my home town and even my home back there along with some special places, a happy quote and a look back in time. Making our home piece by piece.

four

I loved the Scrapabilly Atlas (Pink Paislee) based kit and made six great layouts. But this one is just amazing and I'd love it give it a go with the Silhouette.

Gina Lideros for Pink Paislee here

five

I think I need to make these. Sometimes I just crave corn fritters and I have no idea why! These look particularly delicious!

Found on TableForTwo blog here

six

I pinned these some time ago and think it would make an amazing present for someone sometime. Or maybe just to me. I love such personalised ideas.

Brevity Jewelry here

seven

Yes, another map based layout but I just can't help myself.

Previously on TwoPeas - Pinterest source here

eight

I know I should be bringing more colour into my life (as Pam would say!) but this caught my eye and I'd love to achieve this kind of look. So calm. So stylish.

Pinterest find here

nine

A few weeks ago at Scrapabilly, we had a lot of fun die-cutting these cute, on-trend flamingos from foam. I managed to use three on my July kit pages and I'm so tempted with the die. Could I really find enough uses for it?

Cottage Cutz at Scrapabilly.de

ten

Just because...

Pinterest find here

eleven

I travelled back to the UK last weekend to spend a few days in London. I met up with a very dear scrappy friend and even spent a day with my baby brother. What a treat! 

We had a Fortnum & Mason afternoon tea at The View from the Shard and this was honestly our view from our picnic table on the 72nd floor. I couldn't have hoped for better!

twelve

We stopped by the Palace in the hope that Queen Liz would be in for a cuppa only to find her not at home. :-( But this place is always a highlight for me and I think it was very special for my friend from the US.

thirteen

Oh my, I was in heaven! I never thought I'd manage to get to this exhibition and was so excited to get there at last. It was fabulous and he really IS the King!

Elvis at the O2

fourteen


I also managed to fit in this exhibition which was amazing and another one I never thought I'd make it to. I dragged said baby brother along and being the good sport he is, he seemed to enjoy it too. Such a beautiful selection of stunning photos and plenty of information. Amazing.

Audrey Hepburn at the National Portrait Gallery

fifteen

I don't get much chance to spend time alone with each of my siblings so this day with my baby brother was such a treat for me. We did some sightseeing too such as The Natural History Museum and caught up on the all goss! All in all, such a fabulous weekend and worth the aching bones and blisters, although I was happy to sleep in my own bed last night!

The Natural History Museum

I’d love you to share your own {15 loves} lists with me. Why not link up in the comments below?

{15 loves} is a series that will feature on my blog each 15th of the month