Hi everybody! Gia here for my first June post. Today I am sharing a layout that I created by scraplifting a follower who never fails to tag us on Instagram when she creates with one of our kits. Her Instagram handle is @scrappincolleen and if you are not following her yet you should be--she shares a lot of scrapbooking and is also a big time planner. 

​When I first started scrapbooking over 20 years ago I met so many friends by going to by local scrapbook store where we would meet up and crop together on Saturdays and also by going to home parties. The online scrapbooking world of blogs and forums were only just getting started back then and while we would sometimes look at the designer pages in awe, more often than not we focused on WHY we were scrapbooking (ie. my daughter's dance recital, my son's football games, our trip to the Rocky Mountains...)  There were always the stories we shared that we couldn't wait to talk about and find the perfect papers and cute or pretty things to "match" our layouts, which 9 times out of 10 were going to be spread out over 2 pages. (Otherwise, how could you ever narrow it down to just 6 or 7 photos when you had 200?) If you can relate, than you understand why this community is so important to us and even though we may be interacting a lot more on the internet than face to face, our hobby is one that is so much better shared!  

When I saw a layout by @scrappincolleen where she created a background with some strips of paper cut into frills and she used a doily for a layering effect behind her photos, I knew that this was the perfect layout for me to lift. Here are the things I love about Colleen's design:

1. The way her photos take center stage on the layout
2. All of the fun layering she did
3. All of the texture she added with the doily and fringe.

And here is Colleen's layout. Isn't it sweet?
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For my layout I used the Kaia Kit and I immediately thought of using the doily in the kit as a mat for my photo and then I planned the rest of the background around the scene of the baby rabbits paper from Alexandra Renke. Since the kit contains 2 of each paper, I was able to fussy cut from one of the papers and then use foam tape to layer on top of a whole sheet of the same paper adding dimension to certain parts of the design and creating depth in the background scene.
Then all I had to do was dig out my fringe trim scissors (it's a little rusty but still works) and create the fringe edge along one side of strips of different patterned papers in the kit. I cut them a little wider than an inch
(I don't measure I just eyeball what looks right to me. If it is a little wonky that works for me.)
After arranging my fringe strips how I wanted them I realized the lace trim in the kit would be perfect to alternate with the paper to add even more texture with the fabric lace and the machine stitching.

I hope you enjoyed my process and can appreciate why it is more fun when we are together, even if the way we connect nowadays looks different from how it used to be. I am grateful to @scrappincolleen for sharing her layouts with us by tagging us on social media and hope that you will tag us too! #cliqueinternational @cliquekits

Hello crafty friends! Today I have a fun and easy layout to share with you. I used the "Once in A Lullaby" Kit to document a very special walk in the forest. On a sunny sunday in May my family and I visited the "Grossvatertanne". Standing 45 m/150 ft tall and measuring 1.60 m/5 ft around the middle, the "Grandfather Fir" is the Black Forest’s mightiest tree. And it is really impressive. It's over 300 years old and strikingly bigger compared to the trees in the area. It is located on the "Schöllkopf", a little mountain where there is now forest throughout. Once the whole area was a meadow with a farm and the Grandfather Fir was formerly a single standing tree. Long after the farm was abandoned and destroyed by the French in 1693, other trees were planted and the meadow was turned into a forest. Being there, in this big forest, taking a walk and see all the vegetation, it's really hard to believe that this fir was standing alone once upon a time. 

My son loved the tree right away and started to jump from its big roots and running around, hiding between them. Of course I made a bunch of photos like the ones you see on my layout. It was so nice observing him having so much fun. At home I chose the "Parfait" Paper from the Sweet Story collection by Crate Paper for my layout. I cut the rainbow apart, arranged the rays and glued them on a 9x12'' white cardstock paper. Then I handstitched along each one. I used the ephemera pack included in the Kit (from the "Hey Hello" collection by Pebbles") and the Alpha Thickers. The additional florals were cut out from the "Yellow Roses" paper (also from "Hey Hello"). 

From the B-side of the "Parfait" paper I cut out some stars and combined them with the star constellations die cuts from the "Color Me Happy" collection by Pretty Little Studio. You can find the collection here. For creating my title I used an Alpha Stamp Set by Studio Calico and wrote some journaling with a yellow pen on the yellow ray. 

I hope you feel inspired to play with this beautiful kit and all its pretty little details. Please don't hesitate to share your work with us on Facebook or Instagram. We always love to see what you create. Thanks for stopping by today! 

Hi friends! Dana Tatar here today sharing an upcycled project featuring the beautiful Wind Beneath My Wings Limited Edition Kit. The Don't Throw Me Away post series is focused on recycling, repurposing, and reducing waste as we create. I had a lot of fun repurposing materials for this project!

My husband and I are constantly working on projects around the house and our scrap wood pile is steadily growing. I had my husband cut the top corners off of a wood block to make the house shaped base for this project. We recently installed a new window in our kitchen. Part of the packaging materials included foam-backed cork tiles to protect the glass. I immediately saved all of them! I really love mixing textures in my art and wood and cork are two of my favorite materials to create with due to their versatility and ability to stand up to a lot of different mediums.

I added an embellishment cluster between the hearts and sentiment on the rice paper made with acetate shapes, die-cuts, and paper flowers from the kit.

I finished the face of the wood block with vellum hearts and dimensional butterfly stickers.

To carry on with the yellow I added using embellishments to the front of this piece, I decided to paint the sides of the wood block with yellow acrylic paint. I stamped and embossed the cork tiles and colored the hearts with red and pink paint pens. I alternated between cork tiles and rhinestones to dress up the sides of this wood block.

Hello crafty friends, Rachel here! I have a summer themed layout to share today using the gorgeous new collection by Dear Lizzy Here & Now which is available in the cliquekits.com/shop-all/

I decided to create an 8.5x11 inch layout. I started my layout by creating a string line which is fastened with two eyelets at each end of the white cardstock. I cut some palm leaves and added stitching down the centre and then added a small punch hole to thread them on my line. I next typed my journalling on a tag from the ephemera pack from the collection and added to the string line. My layout is inspired by my return to living by the ocean, where I was born (although a different country) and how good this is for my soul and well being.

I next added my photo of me walking in the ocean, using a die framed to make it the focus of my layout I added a floral bunch and a large ice cream die cut.

I have added machine stitching to my tag, palm leaves and page order to provided contrast and texture.

Lastly I added a fun embellishment cluster at the bottom of my page because who doesn't love a floral cactus and flamingo! I went back and added some finishing touches such as enamel hearts, enamel dots, puffy sticker (sunglasses) and a die cut phrase sentiment. To add dimension I have also added some of my elements with foam tape (which also allows you to tuck elements under and over). I love this happy and summery layout, it is now winter here in Australia and my next goal is to photograph a winter beach themed layout. Thank you for stopping by and I will see you again later in the month. Stay safe!

Hello crafty friends! Nicole here, and today, boy do I have a treat for you! How about something different, bright and colorful today?! I'm here to give you just that!

Today, I'm sharing not only my experiment using neon acrylic paints, but also a step by step process of my layout, my thoughts, what I liked and what I didn't like about the process.  I have an accompanying YouTube video that's linked below my photos to share the "real-ness" of this process.  It gets mess (yes, I literally dropped a bottle of paint on my palette), I create something that I didn't like at first that took me three times to fix, and lastly, all the cuteness of these embellishments and the process I took to lay this out just right!
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Here's a look at the close ups and I invite you to watch the video below to share in this experience with me!

​Obviously, I had to start with this Bad Girls Couture Art Journal. Art journaling is something I love so much because my creativity can be free! Free of barriers, free to fly without judgements or rules.

If back in the days I was a little scared about a plain/white piece of paper now this is my favourite base to start. It is easy!! Just splash some paint over it and ta..dah.. you have a background to build on. ​
​Or you can do as I did, use a roller to apply the paint or use just a brush. After the paint, as you can see in the video, I used some gesso over it. Did that just to light up my background a little bit. I wanted the image to be the central piece and since it was a B&W image a darker background would pop-up more than the picture and I didn’t want that.  But this is my personal taste working here!


And you? Do you like making mixed media projects/pages?

You can find a coordinating VIDEO  here on You Tube. Please check it out and subscribe to my channel! 
Happy crafting.
- Tânia
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Hello everyone!
​It's Isa today on the blog and I am very happy to be back here on The Clique blog with a new project. Today's topic of the project is Let's Go and I have prepared a layout using the Serendipia collection by Cocoloko scrap that you can find in the Serendipia kit on the link here. 

I wanted to make a layout with these pictures because they belong to a holiday I took with my sister, my aunt and my uncle to a small village in the region of Castellon, Valencia, Spain. It was back in 2013 and it was a great summer. I remember specially this trip because we were in a tiny village with only three named streets (YES THREE) and in the morning when I woke up and I opened my windows all I could see were the mountains and pure nature. They were the mountains that I am in in those pictures.  I really liked the peace and the beautiful landscapes that we enjoyed there. So it was worth making a beautiful layout with these beautiful pictures that my aunt took of me. 

To create the background of this layout, I used some pastel color gelatos from Faber Castell. I extended the pigmet with the help of a baby wipe (yes, believe it or not, they are VERY useful in scrapbooking techniques LOL). I cut with different dies in the shape of a circle the papers that I had left from the 12x12 stack of papers from Serendipia and I combined them with some flowers from the die cut set.

As a title of the layout I used the word Slow from the die cuts set also from Serendipia from Cocoloko. The word really suits the layout because I can promise all of you that those days were really slow life for me in the good sense. That peace and that environment is something that somebody needs at some point in life just to stop, breathe and think. I really recommend it, especially after the hard times that we are living worldwide. 

I add some tags on a corner of the layout with a little of journaling. It is something that I don't like adding on my projects, but I am really starting to realize that it is really necessary on layouts to remember good times. I add just some few words to remember where these pics come from. I hope you liked the layout and that you keep beautiful layouts of really beautiful memories. See you soon! Take care. Love. Isa

Hello there, it's Giorgia here today on Clique International blog to give you an idea on how to recycle some products that lie down your craft room waiting for a new purpose!

"Don't Throw Me Away" post series is in fact all centered in recycling, repurposing, and reducing waste as we create, that is really important for the environment and for all of us!

There was a time when I was a little girl that I went to nuns to learn hand stitching and I still have all those threads and also embroidery hoops from that time, also if I don't do it anymore... Finally I had the chance to give one of those embroidery hoops a new life and a new purpose: I used it and the amazing ​Hey Crafty Girl by Simple Stories sampler kit to create a wall decor for my craft room!

​I have a big collection of vintage buttons (many of them inhereted from my granny), so I thought of using them too.
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The embroidery hoop was already in a beautiful light blue color, so I didn't have to repaint it, lucky me!
The hoop is double face, I will show them both and tell you how I made both of them.
This is one of the side: I traced the hoop shape on patterned paper and I glued it to the hoop.
Then I glued down all the buttons trying to alternate colors and dimension.
I created a sort of pocket that I decorated with die cuts and stickers from Hey Crafty Girl by Simple Stories sampler kit.​​

I added a badge from  ​Lila & Elena Embellishments add-on kit and an acrylic star from My Brilliant Friend main kit; did you spot the cute acqua button that seems a flower? It is contained in this kit too!

I love all these colorful buttons, they make me happy! And did you see the ones that says "dream"?! How cute are they? Just perfect for a craft room where we live our crafty dreams!
I added a bow from My Favorite Story: Sequel add-on kit.​​ and this side of the hoop is ready.

Now for the other side: I used one of the tag in a paper from om Hey Crafty Girl by Simple Stories sampler kit​ as focal point and I decorated with buttons, die cut, stickers.
The flatback crystals stars are from My Favorite Story: Sequel add-on kit.​ 
I added a pom pom fringe and that's it. 

In the next pictures you can see the hoop hanged on my craft room: I have this wall full of projects I made and some other cutiness! It makes me feel inspired and crafty!

Have a good day, ciao, alla prossima!

Hi there, it's Piroska here today with my latest layout. This time I've chosen a Hungarian hit as an inspiration. The song "Neked írom a dalt..." is a song from 1975(!), and it's always been popular, but in these days of Lockdown it has got a new meaning. The song writer asked famous Hungarian singers to sing a line of the song - and they all did it, in their homes. From these small spots they made a new video clip.
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And what is the song about? You can read the translated lyrics, if you are interested in, but briefly the song is written for anybody, who is doing his job, who is studying, "who do your job in the daylight (...) Heal people and teach children, And waiting for your dream in the evening when you are tired". Its new meaning is  thanksgiving, a song for all medical workers, teachers, and everybody who is still working at home or at his workplace in the times of pandemic.

 You probably all know, that there is a campaign, supporting the community healthcare heroes by displaying a heart on your door or window. I am only a teacher, working from home, teaching online and simultaneously coordinating the homeschooling tasks of my daughter. It is exacting... And I can't listen to this song without getting tears...
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So I thought I deserve a heart. ALL OF US deserve a heart. For our work (let it be housework, studying or payed job), for our endurance, for our staying at home and flattening the curve. So this song and this layout is also FOR YOU <3

I cut the Floral Filled Heart 02 cut file of CUT to YOU from white smooth cardstock and backed it with the watercolour patterned paper from the Studio Forty So Beautiful Base Kit.

When I was ready I recognised that I made a mistake: I didn't left a border from that patterned paper, in order to use it as a frame for my layout. So Plan B: I got out my old border punch (thanks for the inspiration, Paige Evans!), and started to make punched stripes from the left overs.

I didn't need 12" long stripes as I was going to put that big cut heart in the middle. I glued cardboard on the back of the heart so it stands out from the background. I love playing with dimensions.

I also backed the photo, made tabs for the stickers and stamped a label for my journalling. It wasn't a 30 minutes layout, but I really like the result.

Hello everyone!! It's Isa today on the blog and I am thrilled to be back in the Clique Team. I cannot wait to show you more of the things I am working on. But from now on, today I come with a very cool snail mail I created with a collection of one of my favorite Spanish brands of Scrapbooking. You can find the Serendipia Kit on the web and on sale here.

When I create a snail mail, the first thing that I think of is the structure or the type of snail mail I am going to make. This time I have used some 4x4 project life pockets to combine with some handmade envelopes and some pages I made as if this snail mail was like a mini album. So it is like a mixture of a pocket letter but with different elements combined. 

I have to confess also that when I prepare a snail mail for someone I like to add tons of things to give to the person that is going to receive it. Let's go through what I have included in this one.

I have made mini envelopes with my Big Shot to include some die cuts from the collection on the snail mail. As you can also see, I have included tabs and Project Life cards. 

I have used vellum paper to create a shaker decoration and an envelope that has on the inside more mini envelopes and more project life cards. I have also used die cuts to decorate and the washi tapes from the collection. On the inside of one of the pockets which is 4x6 I have put more die cuts. 

On the inside of the snail mail, I included also decorative pages I made using scraps of paper from the collection and die cuts. I have used 4x4 pockets and 4x6 pockets. 

And I couldn't forget about the letter for the receiver of this snail mail and I created an envelope with a template that I had at home and with the rest of papers that I had I made some handmade tags that are included in this snail mail.

I hope you like this snail mail I created full of flowers and peaceful images. I like creating snail mail to send to my scrapbook friends from time to time. It's a great way to exchange beautiful creations!! I hope to see you soon on the blog with a new inspiration!

​Lots of Love,
​Isa