Almost one year ago the photo was taken in the layout below. I picked up my wedding rings with my bridesmaids. Every time I looked at my ring, it brought tears to my eyes. It was so beautiful and it still amazes me that I get to wear this ring every day! 

I love the GOLDS in the May kit - Field Trip. I think it really enhanced the concept behind the layout and to reflect the photo. I added a lot of the digital printables and cuts as well to my layout as it stretches each kit even further.  To point out a few printables, I used the "Yes" hexagon, "Memories" tab, the tags and lables and even a circle. The word "Happy" is actually the negative of one of the tickets!

You can also personalize journal cards and add stickers or other embellishments to them. In my layout I wrapped twine around the journal card for an added element and texture.

Remember, even though a kit or paper line may be geared towards a "theme", idea or concept, it doesn't mean you have to stick to that. In my layouts I crated with the Field Trip kit, none of them are geared towards travel, which you will see more in the coming weeks!

Thanks for stopping by on another Tuesday! Happy Scrapping!

Lacey

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Gia here with a layout of me and my mother back in 1968. Okay, you can't see me very well-ha ha! But I love this photo of where MY story begins. That's my older sister Marianna, and my beautiful Mom.  It gives me a warm feeling knowing that my Mom was smiling at my Dad taking the photo.  And that she looked so good for a woman literally about to go to the hospital any day. Come to find out, my Mom passed on a lot of traits to me,  but her photogenic beauty-not so much.  I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day-whether you are celebrating the woman who brought you in to this world, or your children are celebrating YOU! 

Quick How To:

•  I started with the dark woodgrain paper from Field Trip as my background. 
• I printed my photo, a 5 x 7, in sepia tones which were softer against the woodgrain than black and white would have been. 
• I used a  white "chalk" marker to free-hand doodle my laurel wreath and then layered my fussy cut flowers, paper scraps and die cut  and printable elements around my page tucking some behind the photo.

Disclaimers: I have never considered myself very good at drawing -one reason why mixed media drew me in. Luckily, knowing that the woodgrain paper had an awesome pattern on the other side, helped me overcome that fear that says, "What if I ruin it?" Even if your doodling isn't perfect, it's just another way your family can see the artist's hand in your work!  Not in the kit:  some gold label stickers from Crate Paper Maggie Holmes, and the large floral paper from the As You Wish Collection (fussy cut flowers.) When we plan a Clique Kit, we try to minimize anything too gender-specific, which is how this gorgeous floral got voted out of the kit. But it was still a must have for me personally. 

You may notice on Pinterest and around the blogs that laurel wreaths and retro looking floral patterns are coming in vogue again. I love that about scrapbooking-which is like fashion- everything old eventually comes back in style.  Have you used your printables and die cuts (downloadable) that came with your kit? There is so much in this kit, and those extras just stretch the kit even more. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this months Clique Kit, and I feel badly about rubbing it in to folks since they completely sold out. We do havesubscriptions available starting in June (just a few left) and July. If you have even been considering joining the Clique- we have really outdone ourselves with the June kit (and considering how quickly April and May sold out, that says a lot!)

Clique Kits is giving away our LAST Hey Mom Simple Set by Simple Stories to one winner who will be randomly selected from the comments! Let us know that you have liked our Facebook page, and are following our blog by email, and we will draw a winner on Wednesday, May 14th. 

Time is running out to sign up for Clique into Summer!  This class is so jam packed with awesomeness, it is going to be such a blast. We can't wait to see you in summer school. Not to mention the kit is an amazing deal-over $70 in product for just $40. And the workshop is INCLUDED! So pre-order today! 
-xoxo Gia

     Our May kit, Field Trip is featuring the Fancy Pants As You Wish collection. We loved everything about this collection including the color palette, the travel elements, the trendy patterns and fun icons. One of our goals is to allow our members to get to know the women (and men) behind the collections they love by featuring a Q & A style interview on our blog. Thank you so much Jodi Sanford for your willingness to donate your time to sharing a little bit about yourself with our members and followers!

Q: Can you share a little bit of background about your early life and education? Were you always creative? Who were your biggest influences leading to your decision to start a scrapbooking company?

A: Yes, I’ve always been a creative person… I’ve loved color, stickers, stationery and paper since I can remember.  I’ve always been a bit of a hoarder when it comes to paper and stickers… and growing up, my mom always had handmade crafts in our house, so I guess it was just something I grew up with.  My biggest influences were my husband and my kids.  Being a stay at home mom, with very little extra cash, I LOVED to scrapbook, but the hobby was more than our budget could handle.  I knew that I had a talent when I started doing work for magazine publications and local manufacturers, so, my husband convinced me that it would be worth the risk to give it a try—to go out on my own and start a business.  He believed in me and I loved to create projects around our family, so it was his influence and my desire to create for my cute babies that convinced me to put myself out there!

Q: There have been many companies that have come and gone since you started Fancy Pants Designs, and you are still going strong. What do you think has been most important to your success? What challenges in the industry have you faced?

A: Like many companies, we’ve seen our ups and downs.  And, scrapbooking is ever changing, so I think our success is based on riding the waves.  We’ve been at really high points and at really low points, too, but we really don’t think we can just give up, so when faced with challenges we just try to figure out ways around (or through) the obstacles we are facing.  We know we’ve been blessed in times when it seems like we couldn’t survive… so, for me, it’s not just what we do, but something beyond our control that has kept us going!  We know that if we continue to work hard, things will work out!

Q: How has scrapbooking changed since you started? How has your style of designing changed? 

A: It's changed a lot!  Most of the books I have from my early scrapbooking days are filled with mini dolls that I’ve created to look just like my photographs!  It’s funny to see the drastic difference, but I love those pages and would NEVER change them—the hours I spent then were so fun and that shows in my pages (In fact, I included an old page for your viewing-along with a current design)!  As for now, I am a more design oriented scrapbooker.  I love color, I love patterns and I love embellishments!  I also love to do projects off the page… home decor, cards, tags and gift packages—there is so much to be done with paper and embellishments, I just love all of the possibilities! 

Q: Did you work in the industry in any capacity before starting your own company?

A: Yes, as I mentioned above, I created projects and products for magazines and manufacturers!  My first “big” job was with Scrapbooks, Etc. magazine when I approached them with an article concept called Piece Talk.  They loved the idea and I was working on that article every issue, creating paper piecing designs and projects to match!  I loved that “job”!  I did cut back when I started Fancy Pants Designs, Inc., but the article continued on with the help of many other talented scrapbookers creating for it until the publication ended!  That’s so cool for me!  Aside from the magazine article and publications, I did do side work for a few different companies and had some really great success and was honored to be working in the industry even more.  

Q: When is your most creative time of day? Are you a morning person, or a night owl for example?

A: I am a complete and total night owl-no question!  Since having children, it’s really the only time of day that I have to myself (but, even still, I’ve always been a night owl-never a morning person).  My husband used to work the night shift, so I was always anxious to get the kids to bed and dash downstairs to my scrapbook room and design the night away.  Since starting our business, I find less time spent designing projects and more time spent designing product and just running the business.  I work from home, so really, I do work all day and into the night, but my best work is still done in the late night/early morning hours …when the kids have gone to bed and I have some quiet time!

Q: How would you describe your own personal style of scrapbooking? Does it influence how you design your collections?

A: Trendy.  I think that’s probably a good word.  I love fashion, home design and color.  So, I tend to follow trends—sometimes I choose to make my own—, but overall, I’d say I’m a trendy scrapbooker.  And yes, most definitely, my style influences the designs that we release.  I do not design every collection any more, but I have amazing designers that have a good feel for trends and know me well enough to put my ideas on to product!  It’s an amazing thing—and I feel so lucky to be surrounded with amazing people considering it used to just be me, alone in my basement!

Q: Can you share with us what inspired you to design the As You Wish collection? 

A:  I LOVE this collection…my inspiration for this line was really a lot about home decor and interior design.  I love that the trends are so filled with color…the As You Wish line has a multitude of awesome colors in it…and they all work together to create something fabulous!  This line was really based on so many things, from pillows & curtains to hardwood floors and sofas!  And, the whole ‘travel’ portion really came in to play when we created the ‘map’ paper… my all time favorite… and things just went on from there! 

Q: Do you have an all time favorite Fancy Pants Designs collection? 

A: Oh, my!  One collection…I’m not sure I could name just one since we’ve had so many amazing designers along the way!  One of our most popular collections, that I designed, recently was Park Bench.  That was a big hit, so I’d say that is a recent favorite!    As for overall, fans love our summer and our holiday collections, too…oh, and the boy collections…  see, I told you I couldn’t have just one!

Q: Do you have any advice for other women entrepreneurs who dream of making a living in a creative business?

A: Prepare to work…hard and a lot!  It’s fun, but it’s also a daunting task to turn your hobby into a business…and, to be completely honest, it does take away some of enjoyment of the hobby!  Now, when I create, it’s more about design and presentation, so there’s a little more stress behind the creation!  

Q: Do you have any secrets for staying ahead of the trend curve? Places you find fresh ideas and inspiration? 

A: No big secrets here…I wish I had some as I think that could really benefit me :)… but, like most of you, I use Pinterest for ideas, blogs, home decor and storage magazines.  I also like to head out to antique shops now and then to see what “was” cool…as I’m sure it will be “cool” again!

Q: Three things that most people don’t know about you?

A: Mmmm Let’s see.  

1. I was a bouncy, hyper cheerleader from 9th grade through high school on one of the top squads in the nation!  2.  I am really shy (weird since the first one would make you think otherwise).  Many people take me for snotty or “stuck-up”, but I’m just a quiet girl that’s not big on lots of attention!  3.  I LOVE sports.  I love to watch my kids play (they rock!), I love to watch it on TV, and we love to take family trips based on where our favorite teams will be playing! 

Q: Favorites:
Ice cream flavor:  Bubble Gum
Breakfast food:  Yogurt and Granola (but I certainly love a big stack of pancakes with syrup!)
TV show:  Reality TV is great for me…The Amazing Race, Survivor, The Voice…
Sport:  I love sports (you just learned), so really, anything goes!  
Vacation Spot:  Hawaii

Wait? Did she just say Hawaii? That's where I live! Party at my house Jodi !! 

Thank you so much for spending time with the Clique, and for supplying us with all of the super trendy As You Wish designs!  This kit has received nothing but AWESOME reviews, and we have you to thank. 
We will definitely be on the look out for more Fancy Pants Designs collections at upcoming shows and releases! 
You have been a gracious Designer in the Spotlight… Thanks a million!

--xoxoThe Clique Kits Gals

I adore the May kit! and love this add on stamp set from Lawn Fawn we are offering this month! Using the cut file for May, I cut the file folder our to create my 4x6 card. I was then inspired by the stamp set and couldn't wait to use the Map. I stamped the map onto my card base and added some of the papers and embellishments on the bottom portion of the card.

Here you can see that I wrapped the twine around a tab printable, which I cut in half. 

Thank for joining me tonight! Stay tune for more inspiration this week by the rest of the Clique Kit gals!

Happy Scrapping
Lacey

We are so thrilled to welcome Sophie this month as our Guest Designer! You will be seeing projects from her throughout the month here on our blog, as well as her personal blog using our May Kit - Field Trip!

We adore Sophie's style and fell in love with her layouts and her layering! This layout below caught our attention right away, we love all the sections and little touches put into this layout! We look forward to seeing what you create with our May kit!

Thank you for stopping by today and checking out our May Student of the Month, Sophie. You will get to know her much more over the next few weeks and her scrapping style! 

Have a scrap happy day!
Lacey

Hi everybody! It's Gia back in the Art Studio today showing you all a layout I made yesterday while celebrating National Scrapbooking Day.  There were so many challenges, online giveaways, and other events taking place it was impossible to take everything in, wasn't it?  I came across a challenge to make a "paperless"  layout. Of course by paperless, they meant patterned paper-less. I decided this would be a good challenge for me, because patterned paper is actually my all time favorite supply. So I don't always make the most budget friendly decisions when it comes to acquiring  the stuff.  It is easy to buy and hoard way, way , WAY more than you need. Know what I'm sayin' ? 

To accomplish this challenge, I turned to my Simple Stories Snap sets which made up the majority of the layout. But I also pulled out a 12 x 12 sticker sheet from last year's I {Heart} Summer line as well as some of the coordinating brads  from my 'leftovers." Here are a few ways I saved money on this layout!

• Using Simple Stories Snap cards in place of cutting in to whole sheets of 12 x 12 paper.
• Checking my stash for previous lines' leftovers that continue to be very usable with this year's new releases! (I don't know if you have noticed this, but some of my favorite designers have been making this possible with this continuity  from one release to the next! My pocketbook thanks them!!)
• I created my own "patterns" free-stylin' it with some watercolor paints which cost me- oh a few drops of water!

Living in Hawaii land of the endless summer I can't seem to get enough summer themed supplies, so I am pretty excited that Simple Stories has two new  Summer Simple Sets, Sea to Shining Sea and Under the Stars coming out, the Summer Snap set, AND coming soon the Good Day Sunshine collection! If you haven't pre-ordered your Summer School Clique Into Summer Limited Edition Kit and Workshop, we really hope you will join us! Pre-order your Burlap Snap Album from us and save 30% this weekend only with our NSD30 coupon.

-xoxo Gia

How are you celebrating today? The Clique Kits gals hope you will make time for yourself today, maybe take in a crop, a workshop, or an online event! If you are lucky enough to have something live going on in your area-by all means take advantage of it!  Whether you are scrapping by yourself or with friends-we hope you will take a minute to be grateful for the joy this hobby brings to all of our lives. It is up to us to keep scrapbooking alive for years to come by sharing our skills with others- whether they have simply never tried it or are part of the next generation of scrappers. Give a gift of some new supplies to yourself, or pass some on to a friend. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your day! We would LOVE to hear what you are up to. We will also be checking out all of the layouts that will be posting on Instagram as part of the Big Picture Classes 10K event. If you are a scrapbooker, then today honors YOU! So please enjoy our gift to you of 30% off storewide all weekend long. Click.Connect.Create.

--xoxo The Clique Kits Gals

Have you registered for Summer School? This summer, Clique into Summer with us and enjoy a ton of product from Simple Stories Good Day Sunshine collection along with Clique Kits exclusive embellishments and many other surprises!  (Over $70 in product for $40/$50) You won't want to miss out on the gorgeous FREE printables offered on the Simple Stories Blog today for National Scrapbooking Day-they coordinate with Good Day Sunshine and the Limited Edition Summer School Kit from Clique Kits!  I've got mine downloading as we speak! Remember, if you are a subscriber, you are IN the workshop absolutely FREE. This is a great time to pre-order your kit -hurry they are going fast! If you are not a subscriber yet but want the kit (which includes the workshop), take advantage of the sale and pre-order yours here. Coordinating burlap chevron Snap albums are also up for pre-order and will be in stock at the end of this month in time for Summer School. Subscribers, you can have your Summer School Kit and your June kit ship together!  If you are not a subscriber yet, we have just a few remaining slots open to start in June. We would love to have you join us!

Have we mentioned that the Field Trip has taken off? It is time to start signing up for our monthly subscriber blog share which will take place on May 21 2014. Everything you need to know about our blog shares and other subscriber benefits is right here.

This month our designer in the spotlight is the amazing Jodi Sanford of Fancy Pants Designs! Stop by next Wednesday to learn more about the woman behind not only the beautiful As You Wish collection, but the Fancy Pants Designs company you know and love!

What did you do before there was Pinterest?  Some of you may have never used Pinterest before so today I am going to give you a brief explanation of what it is and how fantastic it is not only for the crafty type but for moms, dads, designers, cooks, business owners, ect.  

1. Pinterest is a visual discovery tool that people use to collect ideas for their different projects and interests. People create and share collections (called “boards”) of visual bookmarks (called “Pins”) that they use to do things like plan trips and projects, organize events or save articles and recipes.
   

Basically it is a virtural cork/bulletin board where you can pin your little hearts out!  Before there was Pinterest I would cut up magazine articles, photos, recipes and photos and smash them into a binders!  I started this when I was in middle school and even had a wall in my room where I would "pin" my favorites too!   Little did I know I had created a mood board on my wall!  I have many many different boards in my pinterest account from photography tips, desserts to scrapbooking inspiration.  Lately I have been seeing a lot of layouts being pinned that all have a "grid" type feel to them and I am really loving it!  They range in style but still have some type of grid or block type feel to them!  Check out my Pinterest to have a look at my recent Inspired by board and the layouts that inspired me to create my layout.

I used this fabulous tool called Pinterest to give me inspiration while creating my own grid style layout.  I pulled out some Simple Stories A Charmed Life Collection and the layout kind of just fell into place.  I knew I wanted a nice clean layout with very little embellishment but still wanted something that was attractive to your eye!  

I used this fabulous blue paper with the cameras all over it as my background and then cut out a white square to attach to the center of my layout to use as my grid base.  From there I just added layers inside the white square and within 15 minutes my layout was complete!  Now that is the kind of scrapbooking I like!  With 5 children my creative time is very limited so simple, fast but yet still eye catching is what I am going for these days!

Using the Simple Stories Collection packs make it even easier to scrap because you have the fabulous papers from the collection, cut apart sheets in a variety of sizes, 2 full size sticker sheets and some fabulous transparencies!  You have everything you need in one pack!  Check out the Clique Kits shop for a variety of Simple Stories collections to make your scrapbooking a snap!

Make sure to follow the Clique Kits girls on Pinterest, Facebook and sign up for our Newsletter!  We have some fabulous things coming up that you do not want to miss out on!  To subscribe to Clique Kits please head on over to the store and subscribe HERE!  Also we announced yesterday that Clique Kits will be offering Summer School using the newly released line from Simple Stories Good Day Sunshine!  Clique Into Summer with the Clique Kits girls in this fun and interactive class!  We have an amazing kit that is jam packed with exclusives, printables and diecuts and also we will be having "Pop Quizes" (Giveaways) during our Summer School so you do not want to miss out!  We are taking pre-orders now so head on over to get yours HERE! 

I hope you all have a fabulous day and Happy May Day!