A Doily and a Reveal

Today the girls at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog posted some links for making doilies - the latest craze - and for making flowers. Since I've been in a crochet mood lately, I decided to try my hand at making a doily. I didn't make the whole thing because I wanted a small one. I used one pattern for the middle and a different pattern for the edge. Here you go. My first doily. Warts and all.

And finally, the reveal of my version of the May scraplift for OSU. I used my May Counterfeit Kit for this one. On our way home from New York last summer, we were delayed in Denver. Every time a plane would come in to our terminal, they would announce that it was going somewhere besides Boise and we were to move to a different terminal. We got our exercise lugging our carry on baggage around the airport. 

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Tense

We began our vacation last summer in New York, but not in New York City. We rented a car when we arrived in Rochester and kept it until we got to New Jersey. Lizzy had advised us not to try to drive in the city, so we planned to return the rental car in New Jersey and then take the train. Everything was just fine until we hit the New Jersey border. Oh. My. Goodness! We are not used to the amount of traffic there, and we were a bit confused about which lane we needed to be in to get to our exit. I was so glad I was not driving. I captured a couple of shots of Terry during this harrowing time. To tell the truth, I was laughing at him because he was so completely stressed, but I was also glad I was not in the driver's seat! He was awesome and we got to the car rental return safely. We were never so glad to get rid of a car as we were that day.

Today's challenge at Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog is to scraplift this layout by Crystal. 

Crystal used this sketch for her layout.

I began by creating a mini kit in a masculine theme. I had to do this because I really don't have much left of my June kit. Now, I know I said this is a mini kit, but in my defense, I have a lot of stuff to choose from. If I didn't put it into my kit to begin with, I would have had to go and fetch it. As it was, I had to add some bakers' twine, LOL! 

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Me at 53

Welcome to the June Design Team blog hop for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog. Have you ever scrapped about yourself? Or are you too busy scrapping about everyone else? This month's blog hop challenge was to scrap about yourself using "I" statements. For example: I was . . . , I am . . . , I think . . . , I wonder . . .  My layout is just about me. In fact, it's about me at 53. I've never been one to shudder about my age. I figure most people can tell how old I am by looking at me. The only thing that matters is how I feel about me. That said, I am "happy, intense, lucky, faithful, thankful, smart, cool, unique, amazing, one and only." My self-esteem is alive and well, LOL! I am more confident than ever and excited for what life has yet to bring me.

I'm down to fumes with my June counterfeit kit, but I did have this great piece of patterned paper from Stampin' Up! left. I got on a flower-making binge a week or so ago and whipped up these cute little pansies. Two of the die cuts were in my kit, I added the green scalloped circle from SU. I also added the kraft circles and bingo numbers from Maya Road, bling, acrylic figure and green journal papers from my stash. I've had that bling so long, I was afraid it wouldn't stick!

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment, and then hop on over to Crystal's incredible blog. I'm so excited to see how everyone interpreted this challenge. This has been an awesome month, full of inspiration from everyone who has been participating with all the challenges. The girls at Counterfeit Kit Challenge have really outdone themselves. Happy blog-hopping!

Girls' State 2011

Today was one of the busiest days at the Department. The Director was out for a workshop all day, Rates and Forms had an actuary in and were in meetings with him all day, consumer affairs had training meetings all day with everyone from the outlying offices, and it was our privilege to host a guest from Girls' State. This is our fourth year to be involved in this event. As Public Relations Specialist for the Department, it is my job to organize and plan her visit. She was a darling girl and everyone enjoyed having her spend the day. It's quite a challenge bringing a high school student to the office and keeping her occupied for four hours without boring her to tears. We are all about insurance after all.

I always prepare a mini book for our guest and this year was no exception. The girls at the Counterfeit Kit blog challenged everyone to create a smash book for the summer. I am doing that for myself as a sort of simple, daily journal and it has been lots of fun. So this year I made our girl a smash book for a memento of her visit. 

 

Usually I make the mini books at home. This year I decided to make it all from office supplies. The covers are manila envelopes; it is decorated with a mailing label and stamps my co-workers put on it as I roamed the office. 

It contains brochures and other items that we use for outreach. I included a plastic zip-loc bag that file folder labels come in for her to stow business cards in. 

Finally, I printed pages on white and colored paper from this link. The copy center bound it for me free of charge, and what a hit it was with everyone who saw it.

Are you keeping a smash book for the summer? Do you know what a smash book is? Check it out and get on board!

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Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station was on our "places to visit" list while were were in New York City. Lizzy had done some research and found a lot of interesting things for us to learn about and look for while we were there. 

This layout was done with my June Counterfeit Kit for the "Get in Shape" challenge. I chose to work with a circle. This was easy to incorporate with the clock in Grand Central Station. I also used a clock stamp from Stampin' Up! to carry out my theme. For my big circle, I traced a Tupperware bowl and then sewed around and around on my sewing machine. The flourish stamp is from Scrap Goods. I misted the background paper with Lemon Metallic from Maya Road. This orange paper is the reverse side of the blue and white paper in my June kit.

Have you tried this challenge yet? If not, check it out and let's see what you come up with!

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Shaped Card Challenge

Counterfeit Kit Challenge has introduced a "Get in Shape" challenge for all of its followers. The idea is to think outside of the box (the  12" by 12" box, LOL!) and use a shape to take center stage in a layout,  on a card or in a mini album.  I don't usually make cards, but after watching some of the tutorials the girls posted, I was reminded of these cards that I made a few years ago from Stampin' Up! supplies. 

This brown card is just too, too cute! This is simply a card 4 x 6 card with the fold at the shoulders. Use a circle punch to make the neck, arms and leg holes. Then add trim that you have punched using a circle and then scallop punch. A piece of ribbon, a sweet sentiment and you're almost done. I folded up the bottom and added a couple of eyelets to resemble snaps. I added inked polka dots to give it some design. Voila! A onesie to welcome someone new to the world. This is not my original idea, but it's been so long, I can't remember if it was in the catalog or on someone's blog. Sorry if it was yours and I didn't give you credit.

Stampin' Up! offered these pretty, die cut card shapes a while back and I made this card. Easy peasy.  A ribbon across the middle with a pretty ribbon slide from the hodgepodge hardware kit, a half circle of designer series paper and a stamped sentiment. I dipped a pencil eraser in brown ink to accent the scallops, but you could use a hole punch or brads to achieve a similar look. I think I copied something from the catalog to make this one.

Now that I have rediscovered the leftover scallop die cuts, I will incorporate them into my June kit to see if I can use them up!

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Central Park

As we walked through Central Park, we came across this row of checker boards and benches. I could just imagine people sitting here, whiling away the hours with their friends playing chess or checkers. It was a shady spot and was so peaceful. No one was there that day except for us, so we staged a couple of photos to remember it by. Strolling through the park along the wide walkways lined with ancient trees was calming. It seemed so far from the hustle and bustle of the city mere blocks away. On our way out of the park, we saw this long line of yellow cabs. If that doesn't say 'New York,' I don't know what does!

This is the fifth layout I have made from my June Counterfeit Kit. I am nearly down to scraps by now. I have loved this kit and have been so inspired by it. I added the laminate sun, die cut paper and journaling cards to my kit for this layout. See, I told you it was getting down to bare bones, LOL! I recently purchased some Martha Stewart punches, and used one on this layout.

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Surviving on the Streets

These pictures were taken in Manhattan. I think we had grabbed a quick bite before we went to the theater. Terry and Lizzy were good photo subjects while eating their hot dogs. Lizzy had told us that we could always find something to eat on the street and she was right. 

Using up my June Counterfeit Kit here. Everything here was in my kit. I am really plowing through this one; it's nearly gone!

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Manhattan Temple

Our time in Manhattan was jam-packed. On this day we went to the Manhattan Temple. We walked here from Central Park and passed Juilliard along the way. 

On the outside it looks like any other building downtown - except for the statue of Moroni on top. But inside, it is quiet and peaceful and so beautiful. Here we are just inside the door. Once we went through the next set of doors, we left our cameras with the attendant; no photos are allowed inside. We spent an hour and a half in quiet worship before we went back out to the busy street. Many of the people in our session had headsets so that they could participate in their native languages including French and Spanish.

I used items from my June Counterfeit Kit for this layout. I added two of my hand made flowers and some paper scraps. I misted one paper strip with Maya Mist Bubblegum Metallic to make it match.

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On Broadway

While we were in New York last summer, we saw Mary Poppins on Broadway. All over the theater we saw signs saying "no photography allowed." These are some sneaky shots I took with my cell phone. The theater was beautiful and the show was amazing. This was Mary Poppins like I've never seen it before. I was in awe of the set and the choreography. The story was a little different from the Disney version, so I had to read the books from the library when I got home. A grand experience and worth every penny!

The first challenge this month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge is to make a layout based on inspiration from an advertisement. My scrapping has linear roots, so this ad appealed to my sense of good design:

I prefer multiple-photo layouts and this one was perfect since I could use four photos. I layered several of the larger flowers from my kit in the center along with a strip of paper ribbon that I made with my new Martha Stewart quilt-edge border punch. The tutorial for how to make that ribbon is from Archivers. 

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