English Country Garden Pocket Letter {Counterfeit Kit Challenge}

Hey! This morning, I have a Counterfeit Kit Challenge make to share, made with the remainder of my 'Collecting Small Moments' Mini Kit. I was on a Pocket Letter roll and decided to use most of the kit to make another Pocket Letter for a Craft Paper Scissors Facebook Group swap - with an 'English Country Garden' theme! 

This Pocket Letter uses a lot of the Blue/Aqua/Grey tones seen in the Lost River Scrapbook Kit, but I've also added in Peach/Amber, simply by using some 'B Sides' and a few additional embellishments from my own stash!

I've added a selection of sequins as well, because who doesn't love sequins? And to finish off, I made a beaded charm as a little extra. I've now used all of my  'Collecting Small Moments' Mini Kit, so it's time to start on the 'Field Notes' Main Kit!

Forgeries On The Fourth {Counterfeit Kit Challenge}

This month at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge, we're basing our kits on the Lost River 'collection' of kits from Studio Calico. There are three kits in the'collection' - the Lost River Scrapbook Kit; the Lost River Documenter Kit and the Lost River Planner Kit, so there's a lot of inspiration to work with.

I made a little 'add-on' of cards inspired by the Documenter Kit. There's a few from Elle's Studio and Simple Stories, but the majority are 'counterfeits' that I've made over time, with leftovers from other Counterfeit Kits. I've also included cards from the free 'Go Outside' download from Persnickity Prints. It has some lovely 'Foil' effect cards, so it's a fantastic addition to a kit that includes lots of shimmer and shine!

I also loved the Gold Alpha included in the Lost River Scrapbook Kit, but didn't have one in my (overwhelming collection!) that was suitable. So, in true counterfeit mode, I made my own with some Glossy Gold Foiled Paper from Rinea and one of my favourite dies. I also made a two-toned version (which I used with my Counterfeit Kit in June. I even made a tutorial - Custom Shimmer & Shine Alpha Tutorial.

Head on over to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge for more counterfeiting resources and tutorials from the Master Forgers!

Counterfeit Die-Cuts {Forgeries On The Fourth}

I had a lot of fun with my (soon to be revealed) mini-kit for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. At the end of the frenzied crafting session, where I used it all in one sitting, I decided to use the last few remnants to emulate some of the die-cuts, stickers and embellishments in the Main Kit. 

I used stamp sets from Heidi Swapp and Neat & Tangled, both of which have a wide selection of smaller, adorable icons and sentiments. I think the envelopes are my favourite - and I can see them featuring in a Pocket Letter soon! 

Head on over to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge for more Forgeries On The Fourth. It's full of inspiration this month!

Stitched Pocket Pages Journalling Cards Tutorial {Forgeries On The Fourth}

Each month, over on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge, the Master Forgers share their counterfeiting tutorials and resources in a collection of Forgeries On The Fourth and this month, I included a couple of counterfeits in my Counterfeit Kit for February 'Spring Garden'. (The first was a camera acetate, made using the same method as my Stamped Planner Dashboard Tutorial.)

The second, are these little Pocket Style Journalling Cards. I had admired the selection of Little Things In Life Journalling Cards from ScrapDelight, but I didn't have any in my stash that I felt would work well with the rest of my kit. So, I sifted through my scrap box and found some in colours that would complement the kit and then made some of my own cards using those little scraps, my trusty sewing machine and some little leftover stickers from Elle's Studio.

You'll Need:

1. Some white cardstock cut down to 3x4 inches.

2. Scraps of cardstock in co-ordinating colours.

3. Gluestick

4. Trimmer, craft knife and/or scissors.

5. Sewing machine. (Optional.)

6. Stickers, stones and little embellishments. (Optional.)

1. Start by cutting some of the cardstock scraps into 3x3 or 2x2 squares, then cut each of the squares into halves to form two triangles.

2. Add the shapes onto the 3x4 cards, but don't stick them at this stage. (The example below shows two overlapping triangles, each half of a 3x3 square.)

3. Play around with several layouts until happy with the outcomes. (The example below shows two stacked triangles, one half of a 3x3 square and one half of a 2x2 square.)

4. Once happy with the overall layouts, stick the scraps into position on the 3x4 cardstock. Leave to dry before stitching, or the sewing machine will become a sticky mess! (The example below one half of a 3x3 square and one half of a 2x2 square, side by side.)

5. Use a variety of stitches to add detail to the cards. (The added bonus of adding stitching is that the scraps are more secure!) Trim all of the thread ends to neaten the cards.

NB: The cards using blocks, rather than triangles are, of course, even easier to create. Simply find a scrap with a straight section, stick, then trim before sewing.

6. Add some detail to the cards with some small stickers, sentiments, stamps or embellishments. Then sit back and feel accomplished!

If this little tutorial has whetted the appetite for combining scrapbooking with sewing, then you may be interested in checking out my Stitching On Paper Series. And, of course, I'd recommend visiting the Counterfeit Kit Challenge for more Forgeries On The Fourth.

Spring Garden {February's Counterfeit Kit Reveal}

Hello! Hello! This month, we've made some small amendments to how we're setting up the kit 'reveals' for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge and to our standard set of challenges (so if you haven't started at the main Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog be sure to visit for the low-down.)

One thing that won't change is that when it's the first of the month, it's time for a new inspiration kit! This month, it was my turn to choose the kit (as well as our lovely Guest Designer, Lisa-Jane.) So exciting!

I chose the Little Things In Life Kit from ScrapDelight, because I almost never see lavender as the main focus of a collection or kit. It's so different from other kits I've seen recently - and I loved how fresh it felt - especially with the little hint of sunshine that the Little Things In Life Cardstock 'add on' lends to the overall feel. The kit is such a lovely transition between winter and spring.

Having said all that, I was really nervous about my creating my own kit. I rarely choose lavender (or any purple shade) when buying stash, because it's not usually a colour I love. But, once I started to sift the stash, I found a lot more than I was expecting. I unearthed some very small bits of some really old cardstock, which must be from when I started crafting. I have no idea when or where it's from, it's *that* old. (You'll see them in use when I share my Forgeries On The Fourth.)

I also found what must be a co-ordinated set of 6x6 double-sided cardstocks, which are now the main focus of my kit. These were in my 'Summer Crop Gift Set' from my local craft crop (there's usually cake, wine and a little 'something, something' to take home) and I can't now understand why I dismissed them and left them to one side. I love them!

I'm intending to use the kit in my Project Life Album for 2017, so I haven't included many dimensional embellishments. Instead, I've focused on including some smaller die-cuts, labels and stickers. I've also added in some small alpha stickers from Simple Stories (which I realised I needed *after* I took all of my photographs!)

You'll see that I've also included a small sheet of acetate, which emulates the camera sheet in the main kit. I'm happy to say that I broke out some of my stamps to make this myself, using the same method I used in my Stamped Planner Dashboard Tutorial. (Go make one. It's fun.)

I adored the beautiful Little Things In Life Stamp Set 'add on' which includes some banners, florals, wreaths, arrows and small sentiments; and I found the most amazing match for them in the 'Folk Sentiment' Stamp Set from DoCrafts. I've not used this set much, so I'm really happy to be breaking it out!

I also loved the Little Things In Life Journalling Cards 'add on' but I didn't have any suitable matches. Instead, I went hunting in my stash and then made my own from a selection of 'leftovers'. I'll be sharing the tutorial for the cards in Forgeries On The Fourth.)

I love how inspired I've been by this kit - and how it's broken me out of my comfort zone. Now, I'm excited to see how the rest of the team have interpreted the kit, so I'm making myself a cuppa, then I'm off to visit Kelly, Lisa and Margie.

Moody Blues {January's Counterfeit Kit}

Well, it's a New Year - and a new month - and that means that it's time for a new inspiration kit from the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. This month Master Forger, Julene, chose this lovely kit from the Australian kit company, Shop and Crop Scrapbooking. It's base is the new collection, Ubud Dreams, from Kaisercraft. It immediately made me think of summer (which is somewhat refreshing after Christmas!)

I started out by making myself a little list of the elements that I could spot in the inspiration kit - Aqua, Black, White, Navy, Hessian, Tabs, Doily Shapes/Mandalas, Pennants/Bunting, Laser Cuts, Arrows, Woodgrain, Spray Ink and Borders. Keeping this in mind, I then trawled my stash for some counterfeits - and was amazed at how much blue I have (still have, even after so much counterfeiting in 2016!)

I stuck fairly closely in colour and texture to the inspiration kit, adding in some beautiful cardstocks from Dear Lizzy, American Crafts, Echo Park, Sodalicious and My Mind's Eye. To counterfeit the 'borders' from the inspiration kit, I included several base strips from the bottom of some 12x12 cardstocks, as well as some which were lingering in my scrap box. 

As I'm intending to start 2017 by finally (!) finishing my Week In The Life albums from 2015 and 2016, I wanted to include some Project Life sized cards. I've included a small selection, along with some die-cuts from Elle's Studio. I didn't find any hessian in my stash, but I did find a little bit of luscious grey felt and, although I have no idea what I will be doing with it, I thought it toned in well with the rest of the kit!

Now, I cannot wait to see what the Master Forger's (and our lovely Guest Designer, Cindy) have included in their own kits this month. I have a feeling that there may be some surprises! Let's head on over to Stephanie at Skyline Paperie to find out!

The Expectation of Christmas Future {A Counterfeit Christmas Carol}

My last task for our 'Counterfeit Christmas Carol' is to share a little about my creative wishes for the next twelve months. Well, 2016 has been a little bit of a whirlwind. I've been busier than ever at work; commuting; looking for a new home; and steadily building business in my little etsy store, Obstinate Pursuit. 

Unfortunately, it looks as though 2017 could be even more hectic. I'll be moving home (but the conveyancing is taking so long that it might be 2018 before I'm actually in the new house) and, hopefully, we'll be selling two houses! And, of course, there's still work. *sigh* Wouldn't it be amazing if we were all able to stay at home and create all day, without worrying about how to pay for all of our supplies? 

So Much To Do!

It's tempting to 'simplify' by reducing the time I spend on scrapbooking and beading, but I know that it's when we're most busy that we need time to ourselves. 

Week In The Life 2015

So, I'm keeping my scrapbooking wishes for 2017 fairly simple and am hoping that, in twelve month's time ...

• I will have started and finished my Week In The Life albums from 2015 and 2016. (Is hoping that I'll have completed 2017 as well a little too much to hope for?)
• I will have completed twelve months of working with my One Little Word.
• I will have made three mini-albums 'Portsmouth', 'Summer' and 'London' from photographs that I haven't even had printed (all of which are from 2015 and 2016.) 
• And, of course, that I will be looking back at a full year of counterfeiting with the amazing Master Forgers!

I think that's more than enough to start with, right? Please let me know if you have any of your own scrapbooking/creative wishes for 2017. I'd love to know!

Followers of Christmas Present {A Counterfeit Christmas Carol}

Over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge, we've been busy, high-lighting some of the 'Followers of Christmas Present', showing a little love to the wonderful followers (who are like an extended family, really) who help to make the Counterfeit Kit Challenge such an amazing venture. We love and value each and every one of you! 

Joyce's August 2016 Counterfeit Kit

Today, I am thrilled to introduce the 'Queen of Collage', the lovely Joyce Rodli. The Counterfeit Kit Challenge was but a idea in the minds of our founders, Bethany and Meridy, when I first 'met' Joyce on Flickr. (Back when Blogger was 'the bomb' and Hambly Screen Prints were 'in'. So, so, long ago!)

Some of Joyce's Amazing Mixed Media Projects!

Somehow we lost touch. (When I was locked out of my Flickr Account, I lost more than my images. Yeah, thanks for nothing Yahoo!) But, amazingly, Joyce started following the Counterfeit Kit Challenge and I found her on Instagram (@able2rejoyce) via our hashtag #counterfeitkitchallenge. I was so, so happy to find my long lost friend!

So, here's to Joyce. I hope we'll see more of you in 2017! x

Memories of Christmas Past {A Counterfeit Christmas Carol}

Hello! Happy, Happy Holidays! Today, I'm over on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge sharing some of my memories of Christmas Past and what better than to share some a selection box and some Christmas leftovers?

Our kits for Christmas Past were meant to be small and easy to use - ideal for creating at such a hectic time. So, I returned to my selection box (well, files) of leftovers from my Counterfeit Kits. You can read more about how I store them in Keeping Kits (Plan With Me)

Having stashed away the remainder of my Document December Kit from 2015, it felt fantastic to haul it out and, after all that time tucked away, it felt fresh and exciting!

I cut two of the remaining cardstock pieces down to 6x8; layered up some of the scraps in a fairly simple fashion; then added some random photographs from my 'winter' stash of untold stories.

Once the images were on, I added a few final touches with some washi, embellishments and a little bit of stamping. I stuck with the same basic layout, as these little lovelies won't be next to each other in my albums. Starting with the supplies and a basic layout is a fantastic way to create more quickly, because you aren't lost in how best to tell the story.Just stick, stamp, scrap - and volia!

I'm thrilled to have final documented these small stories at last. And I might even add to them before the end of 2016. You see, there's still a wee bit of that kit left!

A Counterfeit Kit Challenge Christmas Carol

So, it's a new month. That usually means that it's time for a new inspiration kit over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge, but true to form, we're shaking it up a little for December and this month, we're bringing you A Counterfeit Kit Challenge Christmas Carol!

Sneak Peek: One of My Projects for December

Each of the Master Forgers will be sharing three posts, during the month of December - The Memories of Christmas Past; The Followers of Christmas Present and The Expectation of Christmas Future. Head on over to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge for an explanation! It's fantastic!

Thankful for Counterfeiting {November's Counterfeit Kit}

Hello! Hello! It's so wonderful to be back with the Counterfeit Kit Challenge after taking a little break over the summer. Life has been devoid of scrapbooking for several months (what a sad state of affairs) so it's fantastic to be playing with pretty paper once more!

If you've been following the blog-hop from the Counterfeit Kit Challenge you'll already have seen the inspiration kit in it's full autumnal glory. Rather than counterfeit the kit exactly, I wanted to recreate the 'feel' of the kit and opted for a mix of autumnal colours as a base (and included a lot of kraft, which isn't seen in the inspiration kit.)

I've echoed those colour choices in all of the embellishment choices that I've made, adding in a variety of kraft coloured die-cuts and envelopes; blue lettering; burnt orange inks and cords; and some washi tapes in blue, grey and teal. And, can I mention these amazing stickers from Love Elsie's Jack & Abby Collection? (Um, remember when Elsie Larsen was a scrapbooker? It's so, so long ago, that no-one remembers!) And those stickers have been in my stash that long. About time that I used them, right?

Balancing out those ridiculously old stickers are some new stickers, die-cuts and stamps from Elle's Studio. There's a mix of colours included, but I felt the emphasis on thankfulness and family would be wonderful for November scrapbooking (or holiday prepping!) and I was thrilled to find these little diamond stamps which are reminiscent of the red diamonds in the inspiration kit.

And that's me! It's so lovely to be back with the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. I cannot wait to see how the other members of the Design Team have been inspire, so I'm making myself a cuppa and then I'm heading on over to see Lesley's version at Oh Blog It!

Misty Morning {October's Counterfeit Kit Reveal & Blog Hop}

Hello! Hello! I am so thrilled to be starting October with my first kit reveal as a member of the Master Forgers Design Team for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge! Each month, I have looked forward to the inspiration kit reveal (it's like receiving a kit, but without the stash sinning!) and I am always inspired by the amazing counterfeits created by the Master Forgers. 

I was delighted to find out that, although we each receive advanced notice of the kit we'll be using as our inspiration, we don't see each other's kits until the reveal - which means that I'll be hopping along with the rest of you to see the kits created by my fellow Master Forgers. I love that I'll still be able to make myself a cuppa and settle in for some inspiration!

If you have arrived from Susanne's blog Snaps and Snippets I am sure you have already seen some fantastic counterfeiting, but here's the full list of kit reveals in case you'd like to start at the beginning!

Guest Designer, Tina : http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com/

Lynnette http://www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com

Margie: http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com

Susan: http://littlethingsbigdays.blogspot.de/

Stephanie: http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.com

Susanne: http://snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com

Clair: http://obstinatepursuit.blogspot.co.uk/ (You are here!)

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

Julene: http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com

Kelly: http://66.147.244.112/~honeysv0/

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

Lisa: http://lisahausmann.blogspot.ca

This month's Counterfeit Kit Challenge inspiration is CSI Casefile 365-9. It's a beautiful blend of seasonal colours and themes - with a little bit of added (and tweak-able) inspiration.

Starting with the colour scheme, I chose cardstock and patterned papers from Bazill, American Crafts, Sodalicious, Papermania and Dear Lizzy - in a mixture of 6x6, 6x12 and 12x12. I also found an old Hambly vellum, which I thought would add a little additional softness to my kit!

 

Next I went looking for the perfect alphas and found some amazing, soft khaki coloured Thickers with a beautiful, flocked finish. *swoon* I also added in some smaller alpha sets from Pebbles and October Afternoon.

Then I went looking for my evidence, using the list as the basis of an eclectic embellishment 'add on'. I found some little travel themed wooden veneer embellishments; a dinky bicycle charm; some beautiful, little autumn leaf beads and some 'transportation' themed die-cuts. I added a few extras that match the colour theme - and think I have a small, but cute collection. I popped them all into a small bag (which you can see in the photograph above) for safe keeping! 

A little more 'scouting' meant the addition of a sheet of watercolour paper; some embroidery thread (in place of the string) and some 'transportation' accents from Studio Calico. (These were free - and the link will be coming up in this month's Forgeries on the Fourth over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog!)

I'm intending to use the 'testimony' inspiration as starting points for my projects during October, creating some 'Thank You' notes; a travel inspired project and maybe, just maybe, including my own handwriting on a layout!

Now, I'm going to pop the kettle on and settle in for some extra inspiration from the other Master Forgers. Will you join me over at  Just Jimjams to see how Jemma has been inspired?