Counterfeit Kit Challenge Member Blog Hop

It's that time of the month again-time for the blog members to show off what they have been creating with their kits and/or our challenges. 
Here's a look at my kit again:

We had three challenges on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog this month, 

Challenge #1:  Own Challenge: Your turn to challenge the counterfeiters.
Challenge #2:  Selfie Challenge: Scrap a selfie.
Challenge #3:  Mixed Media Embellishment: Get messy and inky with some home-made embellies.


Since I did a sample of Mixed Media Embellishments for the blog already, I decided to go with Challenge #1 and make my own challenge. And then my brain blocked up and I could not figure out what I wanted to do for it! Finally, I was looking around my scrap room, and my eyes landed on my "inspiration dish".

 A class I took a while ago, I believe it was one of Shimelle's, urged us to write creative prompts/tools/items on strips of paper and put them in a jar or dish to grab from whenever we are feeling stuck creatively. I grabbed 3, and this is what I came up with:

Tape, Badges, Mist
So, that was my challenge, and that is what I am challenging you to use as well. I was in a hurry (When are you ever not in a hurry as a mom of 4?), so I challenged myself to make the page in 30 minutes. It ended up taking me about 40-45.
I pulled my papers from my kit, along with my required items, and went to work:

 So, here is my challenge to you:

"Make a project in 45 minutes or less, using tape, badges, and mist."

Here is my completed layout:

There were lots of fun bits in my kit that I put to good use, such as all of the fun arrow shapes,the diecut glitter title, and my homemade cork embellies, and I got the story recorded, which was the most important part to me.
Close-ups:

Tips to make it work, quickly:

• Make snap decisions. Don't agonize over every detail!
• Try to stick with the kit. Luckily, I had badges in my kit already, just grabbed the washi tapes that matched my papers and my favorite teal Color Shine.
• Don't dig through all of your photos! I used the first ones that I saw that would work with the papers that I chose. I had a stack of photos sitting on my desk to be filed away, and I just scrapped them instead. 
• If you happen to prejournal your photos, that could save time too. I had already written the journaling on a Post It and stuck it to the top photo in the stack, so I knew I could tell the story quickly, without leaving anything out.
• The biggest tip-use the first thing that will work! Don't go searching for the "perfect" paper for your photos or vice versa, just use the first thing you see that will work, and go with it! You'll end up tweaking it to your tastes anyway!

Thank you for hopping along with us today. Jemma is your next stop on the hop, be sure to check out her lovely work! 

If you get lost, here is the full list of the hop:

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

Lisa      http://lisahausmann.blogspot.de

Tina      http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com

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

Binty     http://scrappingpluv.blogspot.com

Margie  http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com

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

Friday Faves

This Layout by Ashli Oliver AKA Soaphousemama:

http://purplemailbox.blogspot.com/2014/09/fall-is-in-air.html

Oh my goodness, so many things to love about it! I want to be as artsy as her when I grow up . Love the stamping the embellishments, everything!

I have to try this pizza from Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life:

http://www.sweettoothsweetlife.com/2014/09/18/homemade-honey-whole-wheat-pizza-dough-bbq-chicken-pizza/

I'm looking around for fall decor, and here are some of the ones I am loving:

http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2014/09/diy-fall-wreath-fall-themed-tour.html

http://savedbylovecreations.com/2012/09/upcycled-aluminum-can-fall-wreath-diy.html

http://www.ellaclaireinspired.com/2012/08/autumn-sign-tutorial.html

And this mood board from Crate Paper's blog is just too pretty for words:

What's inspiring you this week?

Workspace Wednesday...Of a different sort

Normally I would show a glimpse of my craft room today, but since that's not where I am working right now, I will give you a peek at some iphone photos of what I am working on- my master bedroom. Note the peachy pink walls, trim, and doors. Brass everything, circa 1985. And the best part- the mint green carpet! Awesome, right? I meant, mint green is a pretty color, but...for carpet? Maybe not. We started a couple of weeks ago removing wall paper. Unfortunately, it was good wallpaper (20 years ago). Therefore, it was super thick (the steamer didn't loosen it), and it was pasted on. With A LOT of wallpaper paste. We spent a week peeling off wallpaper in teeny tiny strips and chunks. Along with chunks of the paper covering the drywall...what a nightmare! We also scraped popcorn off of the ceiling, which is easy, but super messy! You spray the popcorn down with water ( we picked up a new chemical sprayer at Wal Mart so we didn't have to keep squeezing a trigger bottle, we have a pretty large room), make sure it is well saturated, let it set for a few minutes, then used a wide scraper to scrape it off the ceiling.
So our room looked like this:








 You see all of those spots where the paper came off the drywall? Yeah, they have to be patched. And sanded. And patched some more...AGGGHHH. The prep process is my least favorite but the most necessary part. So. We spent one day spraying the wall down with water, and scraping off GOBS of wallpaper paste (you can't see it in these photos, but it is definitely there!) It took my husband and I working together most of a day to scrape it all off. Then we thought we would see if we could just prime without patching the bare spots. Nope. So we wasted a day priming. Well, I guess the day wasn't entirely wasted, because we did prime the ceiling, which needed it, too. But we could tell that the bare spots were going to show through the wall paint and stick out like a sore thumb. And we discovered that the cheap paint wasn't going to cut it. So, I spent the next 3+ days filling the gashes gouges and tears with this stuff:

And waiting for it to dry, sanding, and finally priming again. 

Trust me, I was so over this project by this point!! But, I was finally ready to start painting! So, I went and got some Olympic One flat finish (a flat finish will hide more imperfections than any kind of paint with a sheen, like satin, eggshell, etc). The color I chose was called Royal Palm:


And this is very close to what my bedroom looks like right now. A construction zone, with mattresses on the floor. I'm hoping that my hubby will get enough time off this weekend for us to put in the floor, as that is something I am not quite prepared to tackle on my own. Fingers crossed! I am so ready to be done with this room! Today, I will be putting a second coat of white (Olympic One Silver Feather, to be exact-the trim color I am putting throughout the whole house) on the doors, and hopefully the hubs will be able to come home and change out the ceiling fan for a new, more modern and updated one, and replace the electrical outlets (they're all outdated, painted over in peach paint to match the old walls, and loose, cords just fall out of them). Luckily he has worked in construction, and is very handy and able to do all of this pretty quickly. He'll replace all of the old outlets and switches with new white ones, and it will look so much better!  Tomorrow, maybe the new plantation blinds can go up. So, there you go. That's what I'm working on. What about you? Do you have any renovation nightmares to share? Or are you getting crafty and doing fun projects for fall or your scrapbooks? If so, I'm a bit jealous, but I'd love to hear about it!

CKCB Challenge #3: Mixed Media Embellishments

Since I rejoined the Master Forgers' design team, I have been charged with the responsibility of inspiring our members and friends for the third challenge of each month. This month's challenge is a fun one; Make Your Own Mixed Media Embellishments.  I thought that the embellishment size was the perfect way to "stick my toe in the water" of messy mixed media fun, and try out a few of the ideas that have been floating around in my head for a while. I knew I had a sheet of rather plain burlap embellishments from Little Yellow Bicycle, so I pulled those out and set to work.

I gessoed a scrap of off white smooth cardstock.

 

I swirled it with my foam brush and it rather reminded me of frosting....mmm, frosting...my favorite is the seven minute whipped frosting, it tastes like the best marshmallow topping...anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah...mixed media embellishments ;-) 

I have been thinking about and picturing watercolor butterflies everywhere, so that was my main idea here. I stamped the Jillibean Soup stamps with Staz-On:

 And painted them with my Prang Glitter water colors (I didn't worry about staying inside the lines since I knew I would be cutting the butterflies out):

 While I was waiting for the butterflies to dry, I thought I would work on a few of the burlap shapes, so I sprayed and splattered some Color Shine on one:

 And I stamped another one, and colored the heart shape in with a glitter marker:

 When the butterflies were (almost) dry, I stapled them to one of the burlap shapes, and added some Stickles and gems to their centers.

 I am quite happy with how my little embellishments are looking, and now I am trying to decide  exactly how I want to use them on a project! I hope I inspired you to get a little messy today and make a few embellishments (or frosting, that would be good, too!). I would love to see if you do! Be sure to link up at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog!

Use Your Stash Saturday...Collection Pack cover sheets

Just a quick post today to show you how I used a cover sheet from a collection pack- you know, these sheets that show a sampling of the collection of papers:

I handcut it at the bottom of the blue scallop, put it on cardstock and added more borders and bits and pieces. One of the simplest ways to put those sheets to use and get a sampling of the collection papers-and makes a lovely vibrant layout! I even scattered some ancient Jolee's flowers on the layout as well. What do you think? How do you use your collection pack cover sheets?

Friday Favorites

Here's a look at what I am loving this week:

*My Gran's scrapbook.

 I found it a couple of years ago when helping my parents clean out their library, but my dad wanted to hang on to these priceless memories of his mother at the the time. He passed away in a car accident a few months later, and the scrapbook was forgotten, left on a shelf to be discovered at another time. I came across it about a week ago when I was over at my Mom's house, and she told me I could bring it home to look through. I found so many treasures inside, and learned so much about my grandmother in the process! It sort of seems like fate that my grandmother, the one who I was named after, was a scrapbooker too. In a different sort of way than I am, of course, but what a wonderful thing to be able to look through her book, learn about her life in a way that I never had before, and to see the things that were important enough to her for her to put them in this book of her special memories. Just a few of the things inside were several of her high school papers, a copy of her valedictorian speech, her cadet nurse's patch from WWII, all of her course study cards from Memphis State, newspaper articles, graduation cards and announcements, and a few programs and things as well. Her report cards from 6th grade (in 1936!) through high school were even there. It made me realize that it is important that I tell my own story as well as my kids'-hopefully, even just one person will treasure my albums in the future, the way I treasure my grandmother's now...We all want someone to be a witness to our lives, someone to listen to our stories and pass them along. I want my children to know how much they were loved and to carry on a legacy of love.

*Pumpkin Recipes.

It rained and got cooler, so it really feels like fall here. And when fall comes around, I just can't seem to get enough pumpkin-I wouldn't be surprised if my skin took on a slightly orange glow ;-). I have had some yummy pumpkin waffles this week, and have plenty more pumpkin recipes on the brain now, thanks to some of these links.

http://sweetsugarblossoms.blogspot.com/2013/09/i-freakin-love-pumpkin.html

 http://www.yellowblissroad.com/best-pumpkin-recipes/

*Tuesday Mornings Stores- I have had great luck finding bargains the last few times I have gone by there! Here's my most recent set of bargains:

 I hit the jackpot on embellishments and diecuts!

*Olympic One Paint+Primer from Lowe's. 

I tried buying a couple of gallons of mistint paint at Walmart because I loved the color for my master bedroom, but it was a nightmare! It bubbled when I put it on the wall, you could see through it after 2 coats...luckily I tested it on one wall first, because I spent a couple of hours sanding the wall afterwards, because when I saw how terrible it was I tried to prime it so I could repaint, and primer wouldn't stick to it. I went to Lowe's and got my favorite paint, the Olympic One, and I was soooo much happier. It covers very well and goes on so smoothly. The moral of this story? Don't buy cheap paint! It's not worth the trouble to save a few bucks!

*The Scrap Gals -
 Tiffany and Tracie totally deserve a shout-out from me this week! I won a giveaway of these fun October Afternoon goodies from them:

I love listening to their scrapbooking podcasts each week. If you haven't listened yet, and you love scrapbooking too, check them out! They are so sweet and so much fun to listen to, it's great for inspiration, scrappy information, and just plain fun! Check out their blog here.

So, this is what I am loving this week! What about you? What are you into this week? I'd love to hear from you!

Throwback Thursday...Football Then and Now

It seems like just yesterday that Evan started playing football-he started playing flag football back in 2010:

He was so proud and excited to be the quarterback for his team! We didn't win very many games, but he had so much fun!

2011 Season (4th Grade):

He was picked to be the QB again, and we had a different coach this year. A girl was his center- she shocked all the boys with how fast she was! We got more wins this year, and it was so much fun to watch his face light up when they got a win!

2012 flag football season (5th grade):

This was the best season! They had the same coach as the year before, and most of the same teammates. They knew their plays and ran them well-and had an undefeated season, culminating in a championship trophy at the end!

2013 (last year, 6th Grade) First year of tackle football:

Last year was a rough year. After coming off of a flag football team that won every game, it was hard (for him and me both) to come to a new team, and to learn a new way to play football. He has told me many times that tackle is nothing like flag football. It hurts. And it scares me to watch him play. It scares me to sign the concussion or death waver that we have to sign each year. It gives me chills just to think about it! But. He's learning. He's learning to be a part of a team, even if you're not the star. He's learning how to do his part in a different place or position. He's learning to be braver and tougher. And I guess I am (trying) learning to let go. A little bit.
His team didn't win any games last year, but they got so close by the end of the year!

2014 tackle football (7th Grade-this year):

I didn't know if he would want to play again this year after last year being such a tough year on him and his team, but he did. And I am so proud of that! He is on the JV squad this year, and they don't keep score on the JV games. But he got to play in the varsity game last week, and that made me proud too. Even if I do cringe, wince, and shrivel inside when someone breaks a leg or gets hit too hard in the helmet, hurts their arm or hand. Maybe this will make me tougher too?

If you're here for scrapbook inspiration, I have more of that in the works! But, I love taking a moment here and there to reflect on my life and share little tidbits of it with you.

Trendy Tuesday

As a scrapbooker and generally creative person, I am influenced and inspired by current trends in fashion, color, and home decor. Something I like to do from time to time is head to pinterest and type in the search bar, "trend", "trending", or even something like "trend fall 2014", which is what I did today. Here is a small sampling of the trends that are inspiring me right now;
Color:

I love the richness of the jewel tones and shades for fall, so pretty!

Prints/Patterns:

Other inspiration for me and my crafting right now:

If you would like to keep up with the trends that are inspiring me, feel free to follow my "Trending Now" board on Pinterest.