Counterfeit Kit Challenge - using triangles

July is off to a good start with a fun challenge over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog - to use at least 5 triangles on your project.

I am totally loving the triangle trend right now and have been using them more and more - but mostly across the page or in the corners so using a bunch of triangles as the paper design was something new to try.

I found this gorgeous sketch on Pinterest and used it to inspire and drive my design.

I used my Sunshine July kit for this first layout as I thought the brighter colours would be fun to contrast against each other as I layered up the different sizes of triangle.

I'm still fighting to improve my layout photography so apologies for the blue tinge and yes, it is actually straight in real life!

Sunshine kit layout #1

I thought I would play up the stereotype about English weather by using clouds and raindrops for this summer day themed page!

I tried to get dimension by raising up the photo even though the background is relatively flat despite the layers

I love trying out new trends when I create and piling up the triangles here was so much fun! What about you? Trends or classic?

Thanks for dropping by and don't forget to come back tomorrow to see more Scrapabilly creations.

Scrapabilly Shares July kit pt 1

It's time to share the Scrapabilly July kit with you and to share what I've created.

This month, Sylvia is highlighting the gorgeous October Afternoon, Public Library collection with oodles of paper from the collection, a smattering of matching cardstock, a flurry of brads, Mini Market letters, a generous two sheets of labels, a couple of tags, a length of twine and a sheet of cut apart pocket page cards. There's a lot to love in the kit!

Because I knew how much I'd love working with this kit - October Afternoon being one of my all time favourites - I added in the Tin Pins (flairs), the alternative coloured Mini Market letter stickers and the Miscellany pack (die cuts, ribbon and buttons) from the collection as well as a few extra sheets of cardstock and a couple of extra alphas for a few of the titles. Splats from one or two different mists and a few inches of twine complete all I needed to make 6 layouts and two cards.

Here's the full kit in all its glory. Head over to Scrapabilly now to secure yours before they are all snapped up! October Afternoon fans will be delighted with all Public Library has to offer...

This Little Miss Muffet pocket page card from the Miscellany set got my memory working about a costume my mum made for me many many years ago for the local summer fête. It was a perfect outfit with a wonderful dress made from my granny's flannelette candy stripe sheets and was finished off by a giant spider hanging from my hat. I was even equipped with a real bowl of porridge (although it was probably Ready Brek thinking about it - LOL). However, the costume had more to offer when one of the judges got caught up with the spider and trying to grab it, the porridge got spilt down my beautiful dress - as you can imagine, I was pretty upset! It all turned out fine in the end as I was offered a consolation prize because it sort of matched the whole rhyme! As luck would have it, I'd recently scanned this photo and was so happy to track it down for a turn back time layout.

This paper was too pretty to cut up so I just layered my photo and clusters on top to tell a short story about how Libby and I were always involved with books - to read or even to play with. Libraries or School were always firm favourite games for us and many of our old books have evidence of this inside - stamps, tickets or general drawing can be found on many pages.

I really like how many letters you get as part of the Mini Market stickers. It makes it easy to make long titles without running out of letters.

No, this photo does not relate to the story in any way other than it reminded me of long summer days when I'd take my blackboard outside and play school with my toys. :-)

Again, a photo that has nothing directly related to the story apart from I'm about the right age! I was a bookaholic at that time and would read all the time. I went down to our local library at least once a week I think. It was old fashioned back then and was surprised to see how it's modernized and trendy now. No doubt the young adult section is more extensive now though.

Come back again on Saturday to see the final two pages I made with the kit as well as a couple of really easy cards. Pinterest inspiration strikes again...

Don't forget to check out the Scrapabilly site to see all the team's creations in the gallery (here). You can also find links to Ilonka, Nadine, Maria and Silke's blogs in the right hand side bar. You don't want to miss out on their amazing projects. Make sure you say hi to them!

Killing off Balance

Back today to share another kit that I managed to kill off during LOAD514 :-)

My Counterfeit Kit Challenge March kit, Balance, was a neutral-toned selection of partial sheets which I thought would be good for making some cards. In the end, I managed to make 6 full layouts and no cards at all. But it just worked so well when I wanted to have a softer background in contrast to the photo or maybe which helped support the theme of the page.

Balance kit, layout #4
LOAD prompt: Whoops! (a mistake)

I was inspired to make this swirly twine banner from a Pinterest find but I can't find the source. If I track it down, I'll add the link.

The blonde was just one of many hair horrors during my teenage years - never again! Brunette and proud of it!

I love using sequins but sometimes struggle to attach them, managing to get glue everywhere, so when I came up with the idea of stapling them on individually I thought I'd give it a try. I like the effect.

I've used this baby photo time and time again but there are many stories to tell and so few photos that it always works. I also like the fact that the "spot" is so clear to see which supported my story. Having recently scanned many older photos, it was good to come up with a way of differentiating all those black and white baby photos!

Balance kit, layout #2

Balance kit, layout #3
LOAD prompt: "When I grow up..."

Balance kit, layout #5
LOAD prompt: "If I knew then..."

This one was just using up the last of the bits and pieces in the bottom of the kit box. As always, over the weeks that a kit is active, a few additional articles found their way in there (such as that black and cream spot) but they are all treated equally. Some kits "grow" considerably over their lifetime but that can keep them from being boring.

Well, this is the second time I've written this post due to the joys of limited technology so I'll sign off now.

Although my scrap style might usually be more colourful, I really enjoyed using this simpler palette for a change. What do you think about neturals?

Counterfeit Kit Challenge July kit reveal blog hop

Welcome to July and to a month full of changes round here. I'm curious to see what comes my way but in the meantime, I'd like to share my Counterfeit Kit Challenge July kit with you!

If you've arrived here via Lesley (here), who no doubt had an amazing kit to share with you, you're on the right lines. But if you're here directly, why not pop back to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog (here) to make sure you don't miss out on any of the fun.

Our Guest Designer this month is Jane - make sure you go say hi to her here - and we are over the moon to have Susanne back in the team - happy dance in this part of the blogosphere for sure!

We were given a gorgeous kit this month for our inspiration in the form of Noel Mignon's Balboa Kit.

Look at this incredible selection of goodies...

I was really inspired by the items in the kit and ended up making up two kits if you can believe it. I didn't have any of the original items so I started by jotting down some of the elements and colours you can see in the kit - lots of aqua, pinks, orange and brights then spots, diagonal stripes, chevrons, raindrops, hexagons and speech bubbles. I can see frames, labels, clips, veneer, die cuts, thickers as well as mini alphas, enamels, tape and pins. Looked like exactly my kind of kit.

When I started creating my version, I found that BasicGrey Fresh Cut and plenty of papers from Echo Park had similar patterns and tones, helping my Sunshine kit come together really easily. Oh yes, it's huge (as always) but I really liked how the colours and designs reminded me of the original Balboa.

Still fighting with lack of computer so sorry for the low-tech photo presentation!

I couldn't resist adding in the gold hexagon vellum that is really new but beyond gorgeous!

I have lots of the Fresh Cut collection in here with the sticker, the alphas and the die-cuts

You know how I love my frames at the moment and decided to challenge myself to use up some flowers which hardly feature on any layout at the moment

However, when I looked at the finished selection, I noticed that it was full of relatively new items and it's always my aim to get older, forgotten stash into my kits too.

So I decided to have another go and see if I could come up with a similar kit using some of these neglected pieces. Relax is full of somewhat older, "vintage" items.

I tried to match up all those types of colours and designs I'd used in the first kit as well as the embellishments item by item.

Die cuts, pins, veneer, speech bubbles and words

Can I really find a way to use up rub-ons? I'm always terrible at getting them onto my project correctly. We'll see

Such an ecclectic mix of products here

Now, two kits may seem like a lot - especially when I've still got my June kit unfinished on the shelf but I love the variety this offers me and have already made a layout from each one. And of course, the next LOAD only 3 months away when these kits really come into their own. It's never a problem to have a few lying around ;-)

Off you go now to check out Leslie's blue box full of goodies and if you get lost along the way, you can find the full blog hop list over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog (here)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll leave a message for me to let me know you were here and have a guess at which of my two kits will get more use in the weeks to come!