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Drumroll please!  Congratulations goes to Lynn Darda, the random prizewinner of last week's Wildflower Blog Share blog candy. Lynn is a great friend of Clique Kits and an amazing card maker. We are really excited that she will be receiving this happy mail. Even though she is no stranger, the prize drawing was totally by chance and each comment, share, and follow was counted as an entry. (Some people are just lucky- I am not one of those people, as I never win anything!) We want to personally thank everyone who stopped by and left some love. It truly makes our day to have the support of friends, old and new, who love paper crafting as much as we do!
And now, the countdown begins…14 more days until Clique Kits will officially begin taking subscription orders! Yes, we definitely have SOMETHING SWEET in store for Valentine's Day. Stay tuned!!
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 Welcome to our January Blog share! We are excited to highlight the fabulous paper line Wildflower by Carta Bella, designed by Kaitlin Sheaffer. The four of us Clique Kit gals and a few of our friends will take you on a journey today, you will see some fabulous projects using this line. While you are hopping from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a prize, for extra entries share on Facebook and let us know in the comments below! (prize package below)  We are not stopping there though, everyone is walking away with something special. Clique Kits is offering a Free Printable designed by Lacey. This will coordinate with not only the Wildflower papers, but many collections you find on the market today.  To download this printable, click on the image above. Today, there are 6 blogs to stop by and loads of inspiration!
Gia Lau Jody Spiegelhoff Erica Thompson Lacey Igo Jenn Bidwell-Edwardson Cathie Hollins Now lets get sharing! ♥ the Clique Gals 
Clique Kits is so excited to share a new blog feature column which we hope to make a regular highlight of each month. It's called, Designer in the Spotlight because we want to get to know the women behind our favorite paper crafting product collections. Today, we are very fortunate to have a Q & A with the designer who created the collection Wildflower for Carta Bella that we are all excited to show off in tomorrow's Blog Share; Kaitlin Sheaffer. Q: Give us a brief insight on your creative process. What inspired you to create the Wildflower line? A: When I first started this collection I didn’t really have a particular direction I was headed with it. I was feeling a bit stuck on it actually. I live in Northern Colorado, about a fifteen minute drive to the mountains so our family heads up there quite often for quick day trips to go hiking and just get outside. I had taken photos from a recent trip to the mountains and was envisioning using them as a small stack of polaroids. I drew up the polaroid element on the sticker sheet and then it just kinda clicked that I could use it with this collection in a sort of modern adventuring, outdoor theme. I love how it turned out because it is really different than any collection I have seen and it still can be used for many types of layouts. Q: In your day to day life, what inspires you? A: I am a stay at home/ work from home mom so most of the time my day is very repetitive and I work around kids schedules. I think we can find inspiration in many of these moments though because more often than not these are the moments we are documenting. Many times I will be reading a book with my kids or out running errands with them and see color schemes, words or a theme that is inspiring. Other times I might be scrapbooking and think of a paper or element that would work well with it and so I am inspired by more of a need. Q: What time of day do you usually feel the creative bug? A: I think this varies for me. It used to be I only felt creative at night but because I have to utilize any free time I have, I am productive when I need to be. What works best for me is when I have a spark of creativity I use my sketchbook to take notes/ draw it out and then when I have free time I use it to work out what is in my sketchbook. Q: Who are some of your influences? A: I think the pages that really drew me in and caught my eye when I first started scrapbooking were both Rebecca Sowers' and Ali Edwards. I love how their pages are clean but they always seem to have an artsy twist. It’s definitely something that appeals to both sides of me. Q: What do you consider your greatest artistic accomplishment? A: This is unrelated to scrapbooking, but I’ve always thought of myself as a person with a small attention span when it comes to projects. I tend to stay away from projects that are long term or don’t have an immediate result. In college we were assigned to copy a famous painting with watercolor pencils and I chose a Degas painting for my daughter who was in ballet. It was a huge canvas and took several weeks to complete. I was sure I was going to lose interest and it was going to come out horrible. In the end I had a lot of fun working on it and came away with something I was very proud of. I learned that doing long term projects can be fun and enjoyable. Q: What supplies are always on your desk/must haves in your own work? A: I love my Silhouette Cameo, my sewing machine is used on almost every page and lately I seem to always put a few wood veneers on my pages. I also love my Epson Charm, (a new toy!) for printing photos and I also use my Mac a lot for printing journaling or digital elements on a page. Q: In three words, how would you describe your style? A: clean (with a) artsy twist (hopefully!) Q: Right now: What are you… A: Reading: I hate to say this…but I don’t read often (gasp!) Listening to: I love listening to podcasts or talk radio Loving to Eat: Mexican food. I am always in the mood for Mexican food…I think my family gets tired of me making it or suggesting it when we eat out but I don’t really care! Loving to Wear: Lately I have been living in my black leggings. I have a few pairs and I just love them so much! Super comfy and I love that I can play on the floor with the kids or head out to the grocery store in them. We are super grateful that Kaitlin was willing to play along and loved learning more about her! We hope to see you tomorrow for the blog share starting right here on the Clique Kits Blog. You bet there will be a prize for a lucky hopper who comments on each blog! We also have a surprise in store for everyone who visits the blog tomorrow. See you then! 
-The Clique Kits Gals
Hi again-it's me, Gia. It's time to show you the last batch of pics from my trip to Anaheim. If this is your first time stopping by- scroll down for two more posts about CHA-Winter 2014. Here is a peek at the Simple Stories booth. Simple Stories is releasing so many new things-you will definitely want to head over to their blog and look at all of them in detail! And now, how about some of my other favorite picks?
It was so nice to see Heidi Sonboul's new company Chickaniddy become a reality!
Are you an Authentique fan? If so, you will be thrilled to hear they have 6 or 7 NEW lines coming out this release!
We R Memory Keepers now has a second pattern for their scrapbooking travel bags, plus a newly designed Washi tape holder that is stackable! (Unfortunately for me the original version I have isn't compatible but some of the newer generation are.) I was also impressed with We R Memory Keepers 12 x 12 washi tape sheets and even 6 x 6 washi tape pads. Webster's Pages and Maya Road both have eye candy when it comes to embellishments this year!
My Mind's Eye is usually a favorite brand and the new releases will not disappoint the fans of their recent lines. The same is true of Teresa Collins.
Last but not least I want to show you a peek at the Hazel & Ruby booth. This newer company is all about celebrating DIY and handmade. They have paper collections as well as larger rolls of patterned paper for projects off the page. They have washi tape that has a scallop design as well as wide rolls in really cute patterns. The scalloped washi is perfect for decorating a planner. Hazel &Ruby are also doing sequins in packages of 3 tubes in coordinating colors. Probably the biggest innovation from them, however, are the re-usable stencil/mask alphabets and designs for creating custom unique home decor. You can check them out here. Clique Kits will be doing a Blog Share featuring Hazel & Ruby paper collections in March. Stay tuned as we announce the schedule of up coming events here on the blog! Behind the scenes we are working on planning and designing our kits so we will be ready to start shipping them to subscribers in April. Make sure you are following us to get a taste of the types of products and embellishments you will see in Clique Kits every month. We also want to hear from you all about the new products you are loving and want to see come to live at your house real soon!
In the spotlight this month is Kaitlin Sheaffer (AKA Ormolu) who designed the fresh and fun Wildflower line for Carta Bella. We love the colors, the patterns, and some of the "wild" aspects of this collection. Kaitlin Sheaffer's WIldflower for Carta Bella Blog Share on January 23, 2014 starting right here! I'll see you then- -Gia This is Gia back for my second post reporting to The Clique on the Mega Show in Anaheim-- CHA Winter 2014. If you missed the first one just scroll down and check out photos of actual products-not just the design work-ups posted during the reveals! There is nothing like being able to see them up close, pick them up, even sniff that new paper smell! (Sorry- I get a little carried away!) Today I will do my best to cover more ground on our tour. Back in the American Crafts section, I wanted to show some of the new Dear Lizzy collection as well as the DIY products. I just found out that a few weeks ago American Crafts will be distributing the Heidi Swapp brand. I am not sure of the business details, but as long as Heidi Swapp is still designing-I will be a fan! In November, the Clique Kits girls hosted a Heidi Swapp blog share featuring the Mixed Company collection and some Color Magic. If you missed it, we would love for you to check it out now right here. Heidi has three big reveals this show: 1) My Favorite Things collection 2) Dreamy collection and 3) Mini stencils! I was just a teeny tiny bit miffed that a NEW Heidi Swapp line and a Heidi Swapp planner is coming to a Michael's near you right now (because I have no Michaels in Hawaii of course!) It's called Hello Today and is all about the decorate-your-planner fad sweeping across the paper crafting world right now! If you are lucky enough to have a Michael's near you go check it out and tell ME what you think! Thanks Heidi, I will need one of everything. I couldn't believe that more than one vendor actually knew I was coming and stocked one of my must-have-treats when I am crafting… 
I was hoping that the Aussie company Kaisercrafts would have my other weakness- Australian red licorice! Instead, I was just smitten by their new Violet Crush collection. Probably because it features the Pantone 2014 Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid.
While at the convention I had my eyes open looking for other evidence of this color beginning to trend. I did find it popping up here and there! Simple Stories new simple set Hey Mom! Maja Designs Fika collection (This company from Sweden is marketing more in the U.S.--Talking to the owner/designer I learned that Fika translates to having a get together with good friends over coffee, tea, and maybe some pastry or other refreshments. The meaning is all about friends and connections! Just like us!) They were so nice to give Clique Kits paper samples and I hope to do a blog post featuring what the Clique kits girls make with them!
I will be back soon with more to share from Simple Stories, We R Memory Keepers, Chickaniddy Crafts, Hazel & Ruby, My Minds Eye, Authentique and more. Don't go away!
-Gia Hi, it's Gia! I am so excited to be writing my very first post on the Clique Kits Blog. It is the most wonderful time of year for paper crafters! It is a brand new year, new products are being revealed and critiqued every day, and CHA happens! In case you haven't heard of it, or have had your head buried under a heap of snow, CHA is the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show- I am pretty sure the biggest one in the business. How lucky am I that I was invited by a close friend and business owner to attend ? I have been on the design team for her company for the past year, and she values hearing the opinions of those of us creating with the products she sells (a pretty awesome perk for me.) Even though my primary mission was to seek out and test new art supplies for mixed media artists, I also couldn't help but absorb the scenery at the scrapbooking booths! A complete win-win wouldn't you say?   What do you say you pull up a chair (like this one from the Bo Bunny booth) and take a little tour with me as I try to hit some of the highlights of the show! As much as I loved taking pictures with the giant (human) jar of Mod Podge, I know you really want to see the good stuff. Can anyone say stimulation overload? A little background about the show this year since it was my first time and I had nothing to compare it to: It is HUGE! Although people said it has been way bigger in past years, it literally took me all three days I was there to feel like I had actually made a dent in getting to see everything I hoped to. So I apologize in advance if I missed something or someone you were hoping to see. The heart and soul that the exhibitors put in to their booths is unbelievable. It's better than Disneyland for paper crafters! I am going to start at the American Crafts section since they encompass so many different designers and companies. First up, is Amy Tangerine's Plus One Collection (inspired by the new addition in her life.) The Clique Kits girls are huge fans- and we will be doing a blog share in February showing off her Cut & Paste line- which was released just prior to this one. Stay tuned for that happening February 21st! Nearby I had a chance to glimpse another one of my favorites- see if you can guess whose booth this photo is from:  If you guessed Maggie Holmes you were absolutely correct! Did the cork M give it away? Maggie Holmes designed her third line for Crate Paper called Style Board. We love her shabby chic-updated vintage look combined with bold florals and so many fun embellishments. Back in October, when the idea for Clique Kits was still a seed, we hosted a Maggie Holmes Blog Share featuring her previous line Flea Market. If you would like to check it out you should start here and stop by all the links. For some close ups of the whole paper collection take a look at this post. We want to hear what you guys think about these new releases! So please leave us your comments ! We want this blog and your whole experience with Clique Kits to be interactive. Stay tuned for more posts about CHA coming soon! Click. Create. Connect.
-Gia Hello everyone, Lacey here! I'm so excited to launch Clique Kits with 3 other amazing women; Gia, Jody and Erica! We have been working behind the scenes putting together the company, ideas, and our passion for paper crafting to share with fellow friends, old and new, in the industry and hope to inspire you all! Clique Kits is a kit club coming this Spring. We will be offering fantastic products from the scrapbook industry in our kits as well as some exclusive embellishments and printables. More information on how to become a kit member and kit content information will be coming soon. Since I mentioned printables, why not start with sharing a printable I designed! This year I decided to start a Project Life album or what I am calling A Year in My Life. I'm not sure if I'll be completing weekly pages or monthly pages, perhaps both! I want it to work with my schedule, photos, moments and not feel overwhelmed or discouraged if I don't get weekly layouts completed. In addition to the album I wanted title pages, so us gals at Clique Kits thought it would be fun to offer you, our new fans, a freebie printable of calendar cards! I have designed them in two sizes, 3" x 4" and 4" x 6" to fit your album needs. Use these in your own, A Year in My Life album, scrapbook layouts, cards and other crafting creations! Share how you use these cards on our Facebook page! Click on the images below to download the PDF file, print and enjoy!! Join us for a blog share / hop on January 23rd... there may be MORE goodies to share ;) Lacey
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