September…
Are you or someone you know going back to school pretty soon? The young at heart of all ages from pre-school all the way up through college and beyond can't help but inspire us with the excitement a new school year brings! This September, Clique Kits is taking you back to school in style like nothing you have seen before. After all, we are all students in the school of life. How about a semester abroad? Where would your dreams take you? The Clique Kits girls will see you at the corner coffee shop for a study break!   

This mood board was brought to you by the Clique Kits girls on Pinterest, and by the letter C. You know that C is for Clique Kits, but did you also know that C is for Cut, as in The Cut Shoppe and Collaboration? And C is also for Chalkboard…and that is ALL the hints we can give until the FULL REVEAL on August 25th. Don't forget this Wednesday, August 20th is the Pep Rally, Clique Kits monthly member blog share where we will be sharing projects made with the August Kit Glam Camp before the summer completely gets away from us! And if you don't want to let another fantastic kit get away from you, subscribe now!

Welcome to Glam Camp Friday with Jody!  Today we're not only playing with our August Kit Glam Camp, we're also playing with some acrylic paints, dry embossing and vellum.  Now, I love this floral background but there's no doubt its bold.  Sometimes bold papers scare us away from creating with it, but what we should be doing is embracing it!!  Just go for it!  Here's one easy way to help you tackle that bold background paper you're dying to use!

My go to supplies for this task are acrylic paint and plain 'ol vellum.  I started with a 5" x 7" piece of scrap vellum and ran it through my Sizzix Texture Boutique with my favorite dots embossing folder.  It's already cuter just by embossing it!  Next, I painted over the backside of the embossed vellum and let it air dry.  You can carefully run your heat gun over the painted vellum to speed up the drying time, but since I tend to work in short time frames with our girls home, this was a perfect stopping point for me to go back upstairs and see why it was all of sudden so quiet, because that's rarely a good thing! Turns out, they made a huge fort in Abby and Hannah's bedroom :)  Good times!  Anyway, I always say it takes just "15 minutes to scrap", and you'll get some layouts done in no time!

Here are a couple close ups of the main elements in my layout.  Note: the kraft cardstock with white stamped leaves is from Amy Tangerine for American Crafts and was totally begging to come out of my stash this week.  A few other embellishments which are available in the Clique Kits School School under August are the lovely My Minds Eye Enamel Dots, Gold Wood Hearts and Starry Night Confetti.  I also included some fabulous UMWOW Studio chipboard clouds and hash tag words!   They're just so fun!

Besides the paint on the embossed vellum, I also brushed the same paint in opposite corners of my layout.  I simply started off the page and then gently brushed some paint onto the layout.  It really added a nice wispy effect and toned down those corners a bit.  To compliment the white paint I also added our exclusive Clique Kits die cuts in white card stock to add some pops of white. These really stand out, even against the bold floral background.  I even brushed some paint onto the UMWOW Studio chipboard to help tie it all together.

Thanks so much for spending your time with me today!  Now, dig out a sheet of bold paper and have some fun with it!  I think one of my favorite things about our Glam Camp kit is all the fun gold accents!  I love how they catch the light just right and BAM, you see some glam! 

Did you know that you can join our Flickr Group and upload your own Clique Kits creations!!  We'd love to see your work!  Head over to our Facebook and Instagram pages to follow us Clique Kits girls so you don't miss a thing! 

Click.Create.Connect

Jody

Hey Clique Kits fans!  This week is a super busy week for me not only at home in my personal life but also in the Clique Kits warehouse!  We have some great things happening soon so make sure to stay tuned!!  My oldest had his first day of Sophomore year yesterday and he was a little more excited than I thought he would be!  He is looking forward to new art classes this year and working hard towards his dreams of becoming a graphic designer.  I have been so busy around the house with getting the kids ready to start school, 3 kids in sports and a million other things that my creative mojo has run away from me!  I have sat down more than a handful of times to create and I end up having to walk away from my desk because I have just not been feeling it!  Well Pinterest to the rescue!  I can always count on Pinterest to get my creative juices flowing again!  Do you ever lose your creative flow?  What gets you back into the swing of things? 

 While I was on Pinterest I noticed more and more 8 1/2 x 11 layouts and I was really loving how they were looking!  I have only completed a few myself and tend to just stick with one page 12x12 layouts.  I do follow Kelly Holbrook and she creates some fabulous 8 1/2 x 11 spreads!  I have also created a Pinterest board with a few of my favorite 8 1/2 x 11 layouts and you can check that out HERE!  I was also inspired by a lot of the stitching that I saw on these layouts along with shapes either all over a page, on the top or bottom of a page or even off to the side!  Here are a couple of my Inspired by Layouts from my Pinterest board.

I really enjoyed creating my layout and pulling some inspirations from the layouts on my board.  This may be my go to size when creating layouts!  Here is a look at my completed layout using the August 2014 Clique Kit and a few items from the Clique Kits store!

I used one of my heart dies and my Big Shot to cut out all the hearts and then pulled out my sewing machine to add some gold stitching through the hearts and also in the middle of the layout and the top left corner.  I love how this layout turned out and I am in love with all the gold touches in the August kit!  Thank you so much for stopping today and I hope you enjoyed my Pinterest inspired layout!  I would love to see you change it up a bit and create an 8 1/2 x 11 layout!  Share with us on the Clique Kits Facebook page, tag us on Instagram or upload to our Flickr Gallery!

Exploring with Clique Kits - Part II

Hi Everyone!! Welcome back to Exploring with Clique Kits - Part II. I'm so excited to be back on the CK blog showing you another project using my Cricut Explore and the CK August Glam Camp kit. I really wanted to show off how amazing the CK monthly kits are and how easy they make it to quickly put together projects, layouts and cards. While looking for inspiration, I wanted to continue with the quick and fun theme so I went ahead and found a mini-book in the Cricut DesignStudio Make It Now projects. Here's a screenshot of my inspiration - 

The best part of the Make It Now projects is that all of the cuts are already created for you in DesignStudio so all you have to do is size it to what you are looking for and go. When you pair the ease of the Make It Now projects with the fabulous Glam Camp kit from CK it makes the creative process so easy and fun! Check out my mini-album...

I really love how fun it was to pair all the cuts from DesignStudio with all the little accents from the Glam Camp kit (along with some extras from the School Store). I added some cardstock, washi and embroidery floss from my stash and used some of my Close to My Heart stamps and inks for accents.

Here are a few more looks inside the album -

I also had some fun with vellum, a digital file from my CK Glam Camp kit and my Explore. I uploaded one of the CK files and used my Explore to draw the image on some vellum as an overlay to my card. Here's my super simple card - 

I hope you enjoyed this week's Exploring with Clique Kits and I can't wait for next week's CK Pep Rally blog hop and I'll be back closer to the end of the month for my final installment using Glam Camp. See you soon!

Click.Connect.Create.
-xThe Clique Kits Girls

Two page spread. When was the last time you created one? Do you find them intimidating or just can never seem to balance the pages? Personally, it has been years since I created a 2 page layout, unless of course it is a pocket page spread. So this week I thought  how about combining a traditional layout with pocket pages? And that my friends is exactly what I did!

Now I promise this story relates to the above. Last year I got married. However, I have YET to really dive into my wedding album (and print pictures). I am slowly putting together some 12 x12 layouts using the Clique Kits, kits which has been helping me get started. So I'm taking the plunge and I decided to start scrapbooking my engagement photos (photos by the fabulous Bernadette Pollard.) Since there are so many photos I LOVE and want to document, I thought that this was a perfect opportunity to highlight one photo and also share the page with multiple other photos in a pocket page.

As you see I created a shaker packet with stamped images and the awesome confetti that comes in this kits. On the layout I added a journal card from Pink Fresh Studio. Oh! and what about that bow!? So lovely! I also stamped on a cork heart  and tied the twine around it. Finally, it's hard to see in this picture, but I embossed the gold doily!

I challenge you this week to create a two page layout. Whether you create a 12 x 12 with a page protector on the opposing page or two 12 x 12 layouts. Lets see what you got! Share them on our Facebook page, The Clique, or our Flickr Gallery!

Lacey Gasper
Click.Create.Connect.

Also known as The Project Girl, this month's amazing Designer in the Spotlight is someone most scrapbookers appreciate very much for bringing us one great collection after another designing for the hit brand My Mind's Eye!  Clique Kits is so very lucky that Jen graciously agreed to stop by our blog for an interview and to take time out of her busy schedule to create with our August kit, Glam Camp! If you have not already done so, you have to see the adorable mini album she made all about her trip to London which you can see here.

Before we get to her Q & A, take a moment to read Jen's bio:

Here is a peek at The Market Street Collection that was featured in the August Clique Kit Glam Camp

Q: How long have you been designing for the scrapbooking and paper crafting industry? Also, how long have you been working with My Mind's Eye? What are some of your favorite collections from past years?
A: For as long as I can remember! I got my job working for My Mind's Eye shortly after graduating from college (in Graphic Design) in 2003. It's been 11 years! Isn't that crazy?? It's hard to pick favorites, I'd have to say Bohemia (2006) because it has so much personal meaning to me, and Lost & Found.  


Q: Can you tell us how you got 'discovered' as an artist/designer for scrapbooking supplies? What other kinds of design work have you done?
A: I've kind of only been a designer for scrapbooking supplies, so I wouldn't considered myself "discovered" I got my job through a friend who worked at MME. I do some freelance identity/corporate design, digital scrapbooking design, home decor/renovation, and recently worked to develop a stationary and party release for MME.


Q: Can you tell us about your workspace? Do you do most of your work from a home office/studio or do you work on site? Are there any must haves on your desk/within reach while working?
A: I work from home, which is great with two little boys running around. I always have my iPad playing a show on netflix or hulu in the background. I also need lots of papers and pens to jot down ideas, drawings, and to do lists. 


Q: Who/what are your influences? Have you always been creative?
A: I wouldn't say that I have any particular influences, I love getting on pinterest and feeling inspired by all the beauty. I've always been creative and am in my best mental state when I'm creating. 


Q: Where do you find inspiration? Can you share a little bit about your design process for collections such as Market Street? 
A: Pinterest, magazines, instagram. For Market street, I did a lot of drawing to get my florals. They look hand-painted, but I actually painted them in Photoshop using brushes that give a paint look. Finding color schemes that are fresh and translate well into scrapbooking can be challenging. I usually end up combining several different inspiration color pallets and mixing them up a bit. 


Q: Can you tell us about The Project Girl. Is there a story behind this name? 
A: I started my blog in the spring of 2009. I read an article about creating a brand instead of using your actual name and tried to think of some iconic brands that told the story of me and the vision for my blog. Originally I was planning on going with the name "The Idea Girl" because I always have way too many big ideas, but after a few days, I decided that "The Project Girl" was a better fit for all the projects that I love to take on. Over the years it has become incredibly fitting. I love doing all sorts of projects - home projects, diy projects, craft projects etc. And I really love when I meet people who follow my blog and they call me "The Project Girl" and my husband "Mr. Project"


Q: How would you describe your individual style of…
Dressing?  I like to dress pretty simple but with pops of bright color, fun patterns, and fabulous shoes. 
Home decor? Right now I'm obsessed with white. Our new house is all white walls with black doors and I love it! 
Memory keeping? Instagram is my main memory keeping avenue right now. I love to print all my little instagram photos and make mini albums and frame-able collages. 


Q: Your favorite features of Market Street? 
A: All the gold foil! I'm loving gold right now, and the gold accents with all the colors are just perfect. The 12x12 chipboard and chipboard buttons are definitely my favorite items. 

Hi everybody, Gia here. Lesson 9 has just been posted on the Summer School page for workshop participants and subscribers, and is all about using a typewriter for journaling on your layouts!  It has been so much fun learning new things together all summer long! I am really going to miss it when fall arrives !  (Don't worry there are still 3 more lessons after this!) The only consolation I have is that with back to school comes the next season of NEW things happening in the Clique! We have been working hard behind the scenes planning more great special activities for everyone and we can't wait to share…Squeeee! 

But getting back to this week's lesson…
Here is a peek at the projects I made to inspire you to find yourself a manual or electric typewriter if you don't already have one and add some nostalgic looking journaling to your next layout!

This layout uses (2) 4 x 4 square cards, (1) 3 x4 card, (1) 4 x6 transparency card, and (3) 2 x 2 square cards from the Simple Stories Good Day Sunshine collection that was featured in the Clique into Summer kit!  Sometimes when I have been using the 'front' side of the cards a lot, I switch it up and do some layouts with all backsies! This layout is one of those backsies layouts! ( I just noticed that my photo perspective was also a backsie since I snapped this pic of my daughter deep in thought just sitting on the dock.) This is another way to make the most of your kit supplies…challenge yourself to flip those patterned papers and those pocket page filler cards over, and BAM fresh new inspiration! The same is true of trying a new photo perspective! 

Here's another idea I am sharing this week! Try using some office supply labels and your typewriter to document something seemingly mundane in your day to day life this summer. In this layout, I decided to document each member of my family's Shave Ice pick the last time we went out for a cold, yummy treat!

Clique Subscribers and Workshop Participants make sure you download this week's PDF file containing even more tips and information just for you!

Thank you for spending your precious time with us today!  I hope I've helped you find another way to use bold paper in a new way and stretch your stamps a little bit further too.  I've linked the products used in my post, but you also find a link to that awesome Lawn Fawn stamp right HERE.

See you on Sunday for the next installment of Clique Into Summer with Gia!


~ Jody

Hey everyone!  Erica here with you today to talk about using busy, bold and fun papers on your layouts!  I tend to use white cardstock as my base for layouts or a very subtle paper as my layout base but I always admire when other scrabookers use the busy patterns in their layouts!  So today I am sharing a layout I created using a beautiful polka dot paper from My Minds Eye that is included in the August 2014 kit.  

Now this may not be busy for some scrapbookers but for me this would normally be cut up and used as a layer piece in my layouts but today I went for it and used it as my base!  Once my layout was complete and I stuck everything down and committed to using it I really did love how it looked!  

To keep my main focal point from looking like it was just floating on the page I adhered two strips of solid paper along the top and the bottom of my page.  This helps to ground your layout and give it more of a complete look.  I also used some cork embellishment from my stash to try and create a visual triangle to help your eye move around the page.  

You can see I also stamped out some tiny hearts from the Lawn Fawn stamp set Wish You Were Here pretty close to the cork embellishments.  The Fancy Pants corrugated paper adds some texture to my layout along with the May Arts string that was also included in this months kit!  Using busier backgrounds as a base for me will take some getting use to but I am up for the challenge!  How about you?  Do you love using a busy pattern paper as your base?  Feel free to leave your tips and tricks in the comments section below if you would like share!  I challenge you to pull out your busiest pattern paper and have some fun!  Share with us on Facebook or upload to our Flickr gallery!  If you are a subscriber and using one of your kits please upload to our Pinterest group board!  I am looking forward to seeing what you all share with us!  Thanks so much for stopping today!  I really hope you enjoyed my layout today as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you!  Our 25% off sale is still going on and some products in our store are already marked down so this is the perfect time to get some great deals on some fabulous products!  Enjoy your day!


Products used today
August 2014 Glam Camp Kit
My Minds Eye Enamel Dots
Lawn Fawn Wish You Were Here Stamp Set
July 2014 Kit

Born and raised in rural New England, I spent the first 20 years of my life in Northern Maine and have spent the last 7+ years traveling the country with my military husband and our beautiful five-year-old daughter, whom I refer to most as Miss Munchkin. Our travels have allowed us to live near Charleston, Seattle and our latest home, the Albany area. I welcome the constant change and use it as renewed inspiration in many aspects of my life. I have always been creative and interior design is one of my deepest passions. I have only more recently begun scrapbooking in the last few years... I quickly fell in love with the craft and am a self-proclaimed addict... those who know me best will adamantly agree with that classification.

I am so very excited to be guest blogging for Clique Kits this month and I just have to say a giant THANK YOU to the CK Girls for having me! I am a huge fan of Clique Kits and their beautifully crafted kits... they have very quickly become one of my favorite scrap companies. I give them the absolute highest recommendation possible and cannot rave enough about the Clique and this awesome community that they have created...

This month I will be working with CK's August Glam Camp kit and I have to say, it is my favorite kit thus far (I know that I say this every month when I receive my kit, but it is always true!). I have decided to show some tips on utilizing the new Cricut Explore for your Glam Camp layouts and projects. One of my favorite things about the Cricut Explore is that I have the freedom to use my current stash of Cricut Cartridges (I have A LOT), but I also have the freedom to upload my own image files (jpg, png, svg) to cut, write or score them however I'd like... this was such a happy compromise for me since I've been debating on moving over to the Silhouette for some time but I've been hesitant to give up my cartridge stash. In case you are new to Clique Kits, each CK kit comes with digital and printable files. I love uploading these files and adding them to my projects, they are just fantastic!

Okay now onto the process, here are a few screen shots of the uploading/creating process inside of Cricut's DesignSpace software for the Explore... Once you are logged in, just select the "Upload Image" in the left menu, from here it is super easy and takes just a few clicks to be well on your way to a fabulous project.

From here, it is just a matter of resizing and duplicating as many accents as you'd like. For this project, I chose to use a few of the leafy-feather cut outs and the cute little heart... Here they are on my layout…

We recently spent some time with our extended family in the mountains of Georgia. We had a great time with the family and each took turns hosting an "entertainment" for everyone... this particular day, our cousins had put together a "Hot Potato" dress-up game using a trash bag full of items from Goodwill. It was a riot to see everyone's outfits by the end and here they are for the world to see on my full layout!

I hope you enjoyed and I know today was very basic, but I just wanted to show you how easy it is to add a little something "extra" to your layouts using the Cricut Explore with the digital images and pretty patterned papers that are included in your kit. I love the little extra touches on my layout and I cannot wait to get back to creating something new for my next installment of Exploring with Clique Kits!