Focus on Valentine's Day

Having finished the paper organization portion of a Spring Organizational Challenge it is time to recognize and reward the accomplishment. Five hours of scrapbooking is a good treat. I didn't time myself but yesterday I enjoyed working with paper.

First it was time to try a couple of forgeries. To hack of the overlay in the Mind The Scrap kit to copy should be fun. If I had transparency paper, would have just printed it off. But didn't so I took a page protector and tried permanent ink and pigment ink with a stamp. Tried painting with acrylic. And tried free hand copying with a Sharpie and then Creative Memories Photo Pen. The last attempt was the winner, although it couldn't mimic the shade gradations. So next, shrunk the jpeg of the product, and printed on regular paper.

Stuck things down with a bit of washi.

 And doodled awhile. Came up with this:

Now that was easy.

Next project was  to recreate the fringed hearts. My internet connection was down so had to rely on what my leaky memory could recall from the blog hop Forgeries on the Fourth. 
 as well as a photo, saved to the desk top.

Out came the sewing machine. Using washie tape for pins, 2" Strips of overlapping paper got sewn together.

A quick heart paper template, a pair of scissors.

Glitter tape added. Then snip, snip, snip, snip........

And moving along, as they were begging to be used right away, a Valentine's layout instead of a card, for my dearheart.

Searched "old couple"  until  this funny photo. showed up in the image roll. Robin and I both like to garden. Put my thoughts on the tag about the "long row that we have been hoeing".  There is a heart paper clip around here, that will replace the arrow, once it surfaces. Lots of alpha saves, as these thickers are going to be done with at the end of this kit. And the red sharpie line around it all is a nod to a most inspiring designer that we all hope will join back at WM soon, the remarkable Pam.

Also submitting this layout for Whimsical Musings #93 Inspired by the everyday.

Thanks for stopping by. Double thanks for comments.






  

Focus on Joy

Hello dear reader. How is your February going so far?

Last month, Robin went in for some serious surgery, so we are spending a lot of time at home, recuperating.

For Christmas, one of my gifts was "The life changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondon. I have read it twice, already.

At the moment, Totally Tiffany Spring Organizational Challenge is in week three. With all the time we are at home, and my strong objection to going out(side) if I don't have to. I am getting through the challenges at a good pace.

Last week I sorted through all my patterned paper. In KonMarie fashion, I removed all my paper from the shelves. Dusted the back corners. Then one by one, I held each sheet and asked of myself. Is this a paper I want to scrap with? If it was part of a challenge (CKC kit) would I want to work with it? Does it bring me joy? If I got to the third question, the answer was always no. And now I have over 7" of paper to donate to a school/library/hospital.

Back to January. When we were in the city, Robin was stuck in intermediate care, hooked up to wires and tubes and sleeping a lot. I took myself to Treasured Memories a lovely paper craft store that I rarely get to. It was just the day after my birthday, and at the door, on display, was the store's own monthly kit. I swooned and grabbed it, telling myself it was a birthday present.

I liked the idea that there were part pieces of overlays, and packages of emblies are broken down between several kits. I am beginning to understand why people buy monthly kits. Many a time I have looked at a product with 24 paper clips or wood veneers items and not bought it because that is just too many for me to use. After about the 4 or 5th one getting on a layout, I am bored and tired and want something new. So with a kit, there is only a few of this and a couple of that and a whole lot of current trend items at an approachable price.

Then the February Counterfeit Kit Challenge debuted.

http://www.mindthescrap.co.uk/catalogue/4590074922/february-pre-order/10429274

Sooo.....with a nod to Lisa and her kit compiling list. I pulled some of the papers from my new kit. Then added some old papers. A couple of old half used sets of Thickers to use up.A new loopy stamp set. Acrylic paints, to try my hand at forging some of the kits elements.

http://www.scrobby.nl/american-crafts-amy-tangerine-better-together-specialty-paper-transparency-black-white.html

http://www.scrapbook.com/store/ac-374000.html

And all the lovely bits that came with the kit. Tags, tickets, glittered stars and hearts, words. I added some arrow washi, teal and black punched shapes made from scraps, and this is what it looks like:

Overlays on left, Patterned paper in middle, cardstock on right

Thickers, stickers and stamps

Pocket card sheet, gold hearts on vellum and start stickers from store kit.

 Acrylics Washie and Stencil from old stock.

From the store kit. What crow could resisit?

Focus on Joy

So have you ever bought a ready made kit? What did you like about it? or was there any disappointment in it? Let me know about your experience. [edit: And post a link, in comments to your favorite kit company.]

Thanks for stopping by. Double thanks for comments.