Countfeit kit challenge

For a few months now some of my friends have been talking about the Countfeit kit challenge. Basically you make your own kit to work with inspired by the kit of their choice. Since I started scrapping about a year and a half ago I have only worked from kits. It makes it so easy to match everything! I was very nervous about putting together my own kit but it seems like such a great way to use up your stash, I had to try it!

I choose to counterfeit the Scrapbook circle, You + Me kit or to be more exact I counterfeited my friend Heather's counterfeit of the You + Me kit. This being my first time it was easier for me to start with Heather's kit for inspiration since I had a lot of the same paper and embellishments in my stash.

 Paper
My minds eye: Be loved, Affectionate
My minds eye: Be loved, Desirable dots
My minds eye: Be lover, Lovely Loops
My minds eye: Be loved, Fond Flowers 
My minds eye: Be loved, Sweet Hearts
My minds eye: Love me do, Rock and Roll Heart
My minds eye: So Sophie-Savvy, Anything for you
My minds eye: So Sophie-Savvy, In love
My minds eye: So Sophie-Savvy, Never enough
My minds eye: Ooh la la, Lah dee dee
My minds eye: Ooh la la, All dressed up
My minds eye: Ooh la la, Frivolous
My minds eye: Alphabet soup, Zoo cuties
My minds eye: Fine and Dandy, Delicate
My minds eye: Be loved, Dearest dot
My minds eye: Lost and found-Market street, Happy birthday
Sassafras: Sunshine Broadcast, Beaming
Sassafras: Paper crush, Pucker up
Sassafras: Paper crush, Sweet smooches
Sassafras: Ellie's tale, Sweet score
Cosmo Cricket: Upcycle, Re:Peat
Cosmo Cricket: Togetherness, All a flutter
Cosmo Cricket: Togetherness, Kite Strings
Crate Paper: Emma's Shoppe, Playhouse
Studio Calico: Classic calico, Newsprint
Sassafras: Starters, a...b...c...
Sassafras: Starters, Line up
Sassafras: Starters, Prolouge
Brown, Tan, White and Kraft cardstock

Alphabets
Studio Calico: Classic calico, Cardstock stickers
American Crafts Thickers: Apartment (red), Delight and Daydream (light green) Rocketeer and Daydream (brown)
My minds eye: Lush chipboard alphabet stickers
My minds eye: Alphabet soup alpha stickers
My minds eye: So Sophie-Savvy Alphabet stickers
Cosmo Cricket: Tiny type in Teal, Storytime, Top Secret, and Handwriting
My minds eye: Lime Twist, Together alpha stickers
American Crafts: Mini mark rub-ons, Hildi

Embellishments
Die cuts from My minds eye, So Sophie-Savvy and Be loved
Sassafras: Vintage Brooches
Buttons, Brads and eyelets in coordinating colors
Tattered Angels glimmer mist, Bronze, Old Lace, and Creme de Chocolate
Twinery Twine, Maraschino and Cappuccino
Divine Twine, Cotton Candy
Floss in Brown, Tan and Red

Finally here is my first page using my kit. I used Scrapbook Steals  Mid week mojo sketch  #8.

The doilies weren't originally in my kit but I knew they would be the perfect addition to the layout. I was surprised at how easily the layout came together and I love that my counterfeit kit forced me to step out of my comfort zone!

99 and 100!

The last 2 projects to finish off my 100 project challenge were two layouts for the 8x8 albums I made for my mom and mother in law. I did a layout of Brianna's second birthday with We are memory Keepers, Funfetti.

I took a picture of Brianna holding a picture of herself on her first birthday. I got the idea from pinterest and I love how cute it turned out.

I'm so happy to be done with my 100 project challenge. It has been a good exercise in restraint and helped me to focus more on creating instead of buying. I might even start another challenge soon. 

Mini smash book (98)

Months ago when K&company released their smash books I was so excited to get one. I had been looking for a nice notebook to write little stories about the cute stuff Brianna does. Things that I wouldn't do a scrapbook page about, like the way she mispronounced words when she was first learning to say them, or for cell phone pics that weren't scrap quality. The smash book looked perfect. I used it for about a month or two and then it sat on a shelf in my scrap room forgotten. So around new year, as I was making scrappy resolutions, I decided I needed to try harder at keeping it up.

The problem I had with using it was it wasn't convenient. The smash book itself is a little big to carry around with me and I don't have time to stop what I'm doing and go write down a cute story. So I decided to make a small notebook to carry with me. I pulled out my Bind-it-All and made a small three and half by five inch notebook. I guess I could have bought one but this way I got to use my scrappy toy and make it pretty!

Now I keep this notebook in my diaper bag at all times so it's easy to grab and jot down a quick note. After a few weeks I sit down and transfer the stories to the actual smash book. So far my method is working great and I'm so glad I will have these stories to look back at as Brianna grows up!
 

Tiny Dancer (97)

I love when it comes time to get Brianna's pictures done. We found an amazing photographer last year, Summer Lee, and her photos are unbelievable! I usually spend the entire photo shoot dreaming up scrapbooking pages and Brianna's two year photos were no different. On the advice of some scrappy friends I decided to use Crate Paper's Emma Shop to scrap the photos.

I didn't do any journaling as this will be in a series of layouts with her two year photos and it just seemed like I would be forcing it into a space where it didn't fit. Only 3 projects away till the big 100!

Cards for the VA hospital

About a month ago I decided I wanted to make more cards. I decided a good goal would be to try using my scraps after creating a layout. So I got right to it and started making cards, I quickly realized that I really didn't need that many cards. Other than birthdays and the occasional congratulation or thinking of you, I just don't send out many cards. Than my husband had a great idea. (I will deny ever saying that!)

Right before Christmas Trevor and the guys in his unit went to the local VA hospital to visit with the veterans. He came home with all kinds of stories and really enjoyed spending time there. So fast forward about a month to me telling him I didn't know what to do with the cards I was making, and he says to bring them up to the hospital. They have a card donation box at the hospital so the residents have cards to send to their families. Great idea! Right?

So I've slowly been building up a card stash to bring to the hospital. I have to say it feels great to have a purpose when making my cards. I hope they bring a smile to someones face. Here is a handful that I made last month.

Hopefully I can start cranking out more cards and get them over to the hospital soon! Thank you for looking!