So This is Finland - Counterfeit Kit Challenge #1

Hello and Happy Sunday! 

It's time for the first challenge at Counterfeit Kit Challenge. For this first challenge, Tina is challenging us to use globes on our layouts. Here is what I came up with:

I was so happy I had included that paper with the globes on it in my kit! I also used a stamped globe as an embellishment. 

About the photo - earlier this year, my son took his first vacation abroad. When I found out he had a connecting flight in Finland, I asked him to please get a photo of Finland for me. When I was in junior high, I had a pen pal from Finland. We kept in touch all through our school years and even after we'd both gotten married and started our families. I always thought it would be so cool to see Finland and where she came from. A couple of years ago, I decided to see if I could find her on Facebook. I knew she had moved to Sweden, but that was about it. I did find her, and it has been so cool to reconnect with her after all of these years!

Not only is this photo special for that reason, but my son barely had enough time to get from one plane to the next. He still stopped long enough to get me a photo of Finland.

For this layout, I used a sketch from the October 2025 PageMaps sketches:

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I love how this layout came together!

Be sure to check out the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog to see how the design team took on this challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you have a great day!

Sketch N Scrap's WCMD Sketch #1

 Hello, hello! Happy Saturday to you! It's the first Saturday of October, and that means it's World Card Making Day! We are celebrating all month long at Sketch N Scrap with a new card sketch every Saturday.

Here is the first card sketch of the month:

I love everything about this sketch and have already added it to my favorites to be used again. And again. And again!

Here is my card:

I found a few pieces and some scraps of this Garland collection from Scenic Route (oh, how I miss them!), and I knew it was time to use them! I have enough left over for a few more cards and maybe a layout or two, so you may see this paper popping up on my projects in the near future!

The background of the dotty paper is not quite white, but a very light cream, and that made it a little difficult to match. I got around that by brushing a little bit of Close To My Heart's Bamboo ink all over a piece of white cardstock, and it was the perfect color!

The sentiment stamp is one of my favorites from the Hero Arts Lower Case Greetings stamp set. The tree is from Close To My Heart's Oh, What Fun stamp set. I popped it up on foam tape for some dimension. I finished it off with a few gold gems to take up some of the empty space.

My first Christmas card for the upcoming season is done!

Be sure to stop by the Sketch N Scrap blog to see the sketch and more inspiration from the design team. I hope you find some time to play along with us. I would love to see your take on the sketch, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! Have a great day!

Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash October Kit Challenge

Hello again! If you are looking for my Counterfeit Kit Challenge post, please scroll down to the next post!

I am back with my second post of the day! October is kicking off with all of the scrappy goodness around here! This time, I am back with the kit I created for Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash kit challenge. 

If you don't know what this challenge is all about, here's how it works: On the 1st of each month, we will post a challenge prompt and the stash kit we have created using that prompt. During the month, we will try to use as much of our stash kit as possible on different projects. This will be a just-for-fun challenge, so there is no monthly prize - but isn't the real prize using up our stash? We hope you will join us in our quest to bash our stash! If you play along, link up on either my blog or Lisa's blog (or both if you choose) so that we can see who is joining us each month.

Here is the October recipe:

To create your kit, pull 10 papers, 3-4 embellishments, 5-7 scrap papers, and for October, our focus item is ephemera.

I really expected to go full-on fall for my kit, but I am just not feeling the fall vibes right now. Probably because we are still in the mid-80s and it's looking to stay that way for the next couple of weeks. So, I decided to pull some papers that I found when I was reorganizing my papers a couple of months ago, which I have been hoarding for years! I think it's time these old papers got put to use!

Here is my kit:

All of these papers are from Cosmo Cricket - The Early Bird Collection, The Social Club Collection, and the Garden Variety Collection. I love the beautiful colors in all of these papers!

Here's a closer look at the papers:

That floral paper on the front row is my favorite of all of these papers! I may have to fussy cut some of those flowers out if I can bring myself to do that! It's just so pretty!

Here is a look at the embellishments:

If these collections had embellishments, I must not have bought any of them because the papers are all I have in my stash. I pulled a few ephemera pieces that matched the colors and were things I thought I'd be able to use easily, but I will have to grunge some of the pieces up because some of them are stark white!

I also added in a few wood pieces, enamel dots, brads, and a few flowers.

Here are a few stamp sets I pulled to help out in the embellishing department, if I need them:

I thought a few of the flower stamps would work well.

And, here are the scraps that I pulled:

That is my kit! I just hope I can bring myself to use those pretty papers!

Be sure to head over to Lisa's blog - My Creative Endeavors - to see the beautiful kit she has put together. Remember, this is a just-for-fun challenge, but if you do play along and put together your own stash bash kit, add it to the linky below, and we will be sure to check it out and cheer you on! 

Here are the rules: 1. Follow the challenge prompt to create a kit to work with throughout the month. You may use other items, but please concentrate on using your kit, and link it below. 2. Create new, not previously posted projects using your stash kit. 3. If you have a blog, please include the challenge graphic and a link to our challenge in your posts. 4. You may link to social media if you don't have a blog. If you share on Instagram, please make sure to use #lisaandlorisgreatstashbash2025 

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you have a wonderful day!

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Guest Designing at Counterfeit Kit Challenges!

Hello, everyone, and Happy October 1st! I can't believe it is already October. I'm pretty sure summer just started last week!

I am super excited to share that I am guest designing at Counterfeit Kit Challenges this month! A big thank you to Tina and the rest of the design team for having me back as a guest designer. 

The inspiration kit for this month is Not Just For Boys Kit Club's - Journey the World Deluxe Theme Kit. Not Just For Boys offers up beautiful kits every month, so be sure to go over and check them out! Here is a look at the inspiration kit: 

 I was a little nervous when I saw that the inspiration kit was a travel kit. We are homebodies and rarely go on more than a day trip now and then. I thought I might have to go rogue with my kit! But, I decided what better time to scrap a few of the photos from Matthew's first international trip from earlier this year, so I embraced the travel theme and went for it! 

My kit is a bit more colorful than the inspiration kit, but I do have similar patterns in my kit.

Here is a look at my kit:

I was a little surprised at how many travel collections I had in my supplies! For someone who doesn't travel, I have quite a few.

Here are the papers I picked for my kit:

I have papers from Simple Stories, Pink Paislee, and Echo Park. 

I don't have many travel embellishments aside from the sticker sheets from the collections, so I have added in quite a few cut-apart papers to help out with embellishing. I see a lot of fussy cutting this month!

Here are a few of the travel sticker sheets I found in my supplies:

Not everything will be usable, but there are quite a few stickers that can be used.

I also found a couple of roller phrase stamps and other travel-related stamps that will work, and I pulled a few wood pieces, enamel dots, and flair pieces for my kit.

I thought these cut-aparts from an old Simple Stories collection could be cut up for embellishments, or used as is:

For more about this month's inspiration kits, head on over to the Counterfeit Kit Challenges blog.

Here is the list of the hop participants. Be sure to check them all out!

• Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog - http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/
• Guest Designer -  https://loriannie670.blogspot.com ----------------You are here!
• Brandi - https://www.instagram.com/scrappy.boymama/
• Cindy - https://cindyscreations-cinmfoster.blogspot.com/
• JoJo - https://www.instagram.com/scrappyconfessions
• Julene - https://julenebydesign.blogspot.com/
• Laurie - https://www.instagram.com/scrapbookingbits/
• Ryann - https://www.instagram.com/scrapbookjoey/
• Misty - http://www.craftysoup.com
• Tina - https://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com/
• Vikki https://www.instagram.com/memoriesandmomentsscrapbooking/
• Amanda - https://youtube.com/@amandacreates1980

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! Have a great day!