Counterfeit Kit Challenge meets "Last Minute Lisa"

Great to see you back here at my very neglected blog! I really must do better.

It's prompt #2 up on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog today and Leslie challenged me with the following:

"National Animal Crackers Day! This could take you in many directions. First might be a favorite childhood treat. With all the cute whimsical animals in the main kit inspiration you may have something in your kit that will inspire. Or that iconic box with the circus train car may take you in a whole new direction!"

I was last minute as usual and actually managed to make up a layout and photograph it just under the wire before I realised that I'd forgotten to actually WRITE my journalling! Doh! I'll get to that in the next few days for sure as I know that once you leave it, it never gets done.

I was inspired by the cute and whimsical paper I'd included in my kit from Webster's Pages with butterflies and birds. So there I have inspiration from animals #1. Then I found a couple of extra photos of sweet P, my niece, which I'd printed off but never used and thought it would be nice to bring them together on my favourite sort of page. Her nickname as a bump was always "Little Bird" and so that is also inspiration from animals #2. And what better title than the nickname itself. Inspiration from animals #3. 

I know that I've used this title on a P page before but these are different photos and I will make sure that I write something different for the journalling so that they don't overlap.

I loved the fact that everything in my April kit, Chirpy, seems to go together so well even though the items all come from different manufacturers and collections. This was a super easy layout together even though I helped myself by making it simple. I'll add the journalling at the bottom under the bow.

This chipboard banner fits the subject so well referring to a bird's wings as well as being brave. Little P is nothing if not headstrong and confident!

I have to admit to adding in the clips from the Paige Evans Take Me Away collection into my kit for this page. It was good to break into the pack and use one. Hopefully it will encourage me to continue as they are so cute.

Thanks for dropping by today. 

Don't forget to join in with your own kits and kit creations over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Facebook Community and while you're there, head over to the main Counterfeit Kit Challenge Facebook page where we are heading up to 1,000 likes! We'd LOVE to hit that magic round number and you never know, we might even find a way to celebrate!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge April kit reveal blog hop

Hi there and welcome to my very sorely neglected blog. As always, I have high hopes for the coming month so let's see if I can be a better blogger/scrapper/person in April!

Hopefully you've reached me via Kelly's blog where I'm sure she's pulled together something simply gorgeous as ever, and next up is Margie who is also sure to delight - both these ladies always see something in the kit that I don't which makes it so interesting! Of course, don't forget Clair who never fails to inspire me by mixing up her minimalist approach with the original kit without taking out any of the scrumminess! 

This month, we are also delighted to welcome Beth Moloney as our Guest Designer and she'll be sharing her kit over on her YouTube channel - how exciting! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTV9IWEGfhuAU0Bi8u-ob3Q

It's going to be a great month!

Leslie picked out the February kit, Ashton Court, from Cocoa Daisy for our delectation and we were all taken by the fresh colour scheme - it's always our aim to mix up the palettes from month to month and this year, I really think we've been changing it up each time.

Here's the original kit but you can head over to the Cocoa Daisy site to find extra shots and some add-ons that I thought were also gorgeous.

Here's my take on it with a spring-inspired name, Chirpy!

Now, as you might guess, my kit doesn't look anything like the original, but I promise it's all there!

I started off with my list for colours and designs. It gave me:

• sunshine yellow
• bright and light blue
• scarlet red
• lime green
• white based
• small and large florals
• large and small (random) spots
• geometric
• ombré
• whimsical motif - birds, balloons etc

That's quite a list. And apart from the lime green, I've got it all!

I started off with that Webster's Pages bird paper and worked out from there. I've included Heidi Swapp chevron, My Mind's Eye small floral and Crate Paper large(r) floral.

Then, I added in the frame paper instead of the triangular geometric by American Crafts, the sunburst ombré by Simple Stories, the small hexagonal spot by American Crafts and the large yellow diamond by Paige Evans. Phew, I don't think I've ever included such a mix of manufacturers before!

Then I included a multi-coloured alpha to match the original coloured alpha and some chipboard die-cuts instead of the cardstock die-cuts. I've thrown in a Studio Calico stamp so that I remember to use it too.

Instead of flair, I included some gold heart dots. Extra to the items in the original kit, I've added some washi and ribbon - never use enough of these items and really ought to make a dent in my stash. There are also some whimsical tropical veneers - flamingos, pineapples and palm trees - which just caught my eye. I've also added the leftovers from a BasicGrey pack of die-cuts which have florals and spring elements - seemed perfect.

Instead of puffy stickers, which I still don't have enough of, I've got some enamel shapes by Pinkfresh and to finish off, a selection of mini alpha stickers.

It's a small - for me - kit with a sunshine feeling and I think that really matches the original really well! I have no idea how I'm going to use some of those elements together, but let's see :-) Of course, all the papers are double sided so I can use those too!

Thanks for getting this far! Next up is Margie and don't forget to head over to YouTube to check out the wonderful Beth Moloney and here's the full blog hop list for the Master Forgers in case you missed it.

CKC - http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com
Clair - http://obstinatepursuit.blogspot.co.uk/
Kelly - http://www.honeysucklehillcrafts.com/
Lisa - http://lisahausmann.blogspot.de
Margie - http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com

Tune in again over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog on 6th April for the Master Forgers mini-kit and project reveal - we are loving this change to our schedule and loving the mini-kits even more!

And you can share your projects and kits with us on the CKC blog Link Up page, over at our Facebook Community Group, or on Instagram @counterfeitkitchallenge or #counterfeitkitchallenge

The monthly challenges will go live on 12th and 18th! What a month.

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