Aloha!! It's Hannah with you today. If your life is anything like mine, you have been really busy. In the thick of December, school projects, work parties, traffic jams and all that stress requires some special time in your scrap room. That is definitely how I have been coping with all the chaos of life. The busier things get the messier I like it on my pages. 
Today I am using both the Main Lemonade Kit and the Traveler's Notebook Lemonade Kit. These kits work together so well I couldn't help but put them together and get more layouts and projects out of them. Before I add all the pretty papers and all the cute embellishments layered on my layout I am gonna talk you through how I like to create my own background paper. 

I started off with my choice of smooth white card stock. I like the thickness of smooth card stock and how it holds up to the many different kinds of mixed media I like to use. This time I decided against using gesso. Gesso is a primer that you can use before adding any kind of liquid media. It helps less of the liquid soak into the background you are adding it too. If you add it to paper, it will help less of the liquid in the media will soak up into the paper and helping it not warp as much. It will make the media dry differently because it sits on top of the gesso and paper. 
I choose to not add gesso because I also find that sometimes the gesso itself will make the paper warp. In times when I think I won't be using a ton of media or media that is not really liquid, like acrylic paint I find it isn't as necessary. This is purely a personal choice and if you love to add mixed media to your projects playing around with gesso and without gesso is a must. This will help you figure out what your personal preference is especially with the brands and products you enjoy using.
For this layout I am using mainly acrylic paint and some glitter liquid ink from my mixed media stash.  

I added and mixed green, yellow and white acrylic paint in a paint dauber. Once I played around with the mix of colors, by adding more green and more white I got a fun mint/aqua color. I also added a few squirts of acrylic airbrush medium. This liquid will help thin my paint and help it not separate and be easier to spread through the dauber. I used the dauber straight down on the layout and splatted it on the paper in random spots. I love the way the liquid paint splats and sprays out onto the background and leave lots of little streaks of paint across the white background. This is messy but a controllable mess, I like when I can control where my mess can go. 
After I used the dauber I just dropped my liquid gold glitter ink straight from it's bottle onto the page. I am a big fan of watercolor splatters of any kind on layouts. You don't need much of it to make a huge impact. The higher you hold up the paint brush or bottle of liquid from the layout the bigger the drops will be. I wanted my drops to be a little smaller than my dauber spats. The glittery and shiny gold against the mint really adds contrast on the background. 
I still felt like it needed something else. I could have stopped, and called it good. This is something I have just learned from my own playing around with mixed media. How much I like on my pages, how much media I use until I feel the background is complete. I think each project and layout is different but playing around is really the only good way for you to know what you prefer and the look you want to go with. Since I wanted this white card stock to look like a patterned background, I knew it needed another layer or so. I find mixing patterns, shapes and sizes helps create an appealing design. These layers can really work together if you do it right.
For this background I decided I wanted black stripe. I used a paint brush to apply acrylic black paint. I didn't want my lines to straight and perfect so I just added them from the bottom to the top of the layout. I started with a thinner line at the bottom and getting a little thicker as I went to the top. I decided not to draw over the splatters and splats so I didn't cover up the texture you see with those splatters and splats. I also like the way this skip adds extra white space and breathing room on the background.  

For the last bit of mixed media on the actual background I used thinned navy/black acrylic paint in a fine line bottle to doodle circles near the splatters and splats. I left some of the circles open in the middle and fill some in. Because the paint is in a fine line bottle and thinned out it is really easy to control and doodle with, but when it dries it still adds a little dimension on the background. The circle design also repeats off of the splatters and splats and creates a really design that is unique but has a bit of structure. 
Creating my own backgrounds allows me to play with something messy, and play the stress of the week away . It also allows me to add a little bit more of me on the layouts that I make. Being creative and playing with media is my way of leaving a bit of me on my layouts and spreads for my family. When we make layouts for our families we use words but we also leave and tell more of a story with the way we arrange things on our pages. I really hope to encourage you to think about the things you do on your layouts and projects and what it tells to your family about you the creator. Do the things you love and use the things you love on the layouts you create so your family can really get to know you creatively and with the words you do leave on the spreads you make. Use your strengths to help tell your stories. 

I used some copper acrylic paint on this big chipboard words to match the copper on the stickers and die cuts from the kits. I layered this word with the die cuts and Paige Evans wood shapes. I think nestling embellishments together in clusters really leaves a big impact. Each shape peeking out a bit and creates shadows.
To back the white card stock with the mixed media on it I added a 12x12 patterned paper with a small dot pattern slightly askew. I know this will make it difficult when adding it to my page protector, but I really like the way these two patterns look hanging off of each other. I like the imperfect look it creates. I added some stitching with my sewing machine to the top and side connecting the two papers. 
I used a 3x4 sized photo with a few patterned papers from the main kit. I added the photo near the bottom of the layout. I used the stripes on the background as a shelf for the photo. This helps the photo feel more grounded. In the layers I also added a glassine bag filled with some sequins and some die cuts sticking out the top of the bag. I wanted the sheen of the bag to feel a little like the snow in my photo. 
I let the embellishment clutters trickle down the layout. The first main cluster is up at the top of the layout. I added a couple of die cuts layered with some wood pieces and stickers near the cluster. I added some copper paint to parts of the wood pieces too. 
 I will later added the journalling in the stripes before I add my layout to my album. This is a picture of the first major snow my kids have seen. The look on my son's face is priceless as he steps out into the snow for the first time. He is beaming to play in this magical thing called snow. I love that I can remember this moment forever by just looking at this photo. This is really the final nail for way I scrapbook. To remember these faces and moments, because my kiddos will grow up, they will move away from home and I will get older and that smile will fade from my mind's eye but this photo will last and I can see that cute big grin again. 

Thanks for joining me today and playing with some mixed media to create a background. I hope you play and share what you are creating with your lemonade kit on our Facebook group or on Instagram. Use the hashtag #click_connect_create. 
I will see you around, and if I don't have a post before Christmas I wish you a very special and crafty holiday season!! 

Hello Clique fans! Here is Réka and today I am sharing my mini album’s cover created with the beautiful December Main Kit.
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For this cover I have used one illustration from the CK Workshop // December 2017 - Holiday Memories’ printable and I have converted it as a cut file. After I have cut it out of the Dear Lizzy: Stargazer - Sun Setting paper and I have backed it up the white cardstock and gold paper from my stash. The next step was to sew around the card with my sewing machine.
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​Finally, I have added one die cut piece from the Dear Lizzy: Stargazer - Copper Foil Ephemera pack and one flair from the same collection. I have fussy cut the cute bear illustration from the CK Workshop // December 2017 - Holiday Memories’ printable and also added it.

And done! I really like how it turned out.
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​I hope you liked my album's cover. Thanks for stopping by today! Have a wonderful crafty day! Réka

Hello Clique fans! Here is Réka and today I am sharing my mini album using the sweet November Main Kit.

When I saw this gorgeous Kit I decided to create a cute mini album for the November’s days.  
​For the cover I have fussy cut one flower image from the Crate Paper (Maggie Holmes) Carousel – Belle paper and I have colored it with my pencils. I have also added some hearts enamels from the Bella Blvd: Illustrated Faith Enamel pack. For the ‘November’ title I have used the gold alphabets from the American Crafts: Hazelwood - Hazel Thickers. I love these gold alphabets. 

​For the inside pages I have used a lot of embellishments from the Pebbles: Girl Squad – Ephemera pack. 
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​I have printed the beautiful November Kit exclusive printable on the vellum paper. Printable designed by Maryam.

​For the pages I have also added the pink alphabets from the October Traveler's Notebook Kit.
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​I have also used the cute round images from the November Traveler's Notebook Kit exclusive printable which designed by Lacey Gasper.

​Here are some close-ups.
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​I hope you like my mini album. Thanks for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day! See you next time! Réka

Hello Clique fans! Here is Réka and today I am sharing my first layout created with the November Main Kit. This Kit is AMAZING!

One of my favorite material is the vellum and the gold is my other favorite. So the Pretty Little Studios: Leaves Vellum is two in one, and it is stunning! I love it. I also love the beautiful patterned papers from this kit and the Crate Paper (Maggie Holmes) Carousel – Prize paper is also so pretty. See them on the following photo.

​I have decided to fussy cut them.
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I have created lots of flowers from the Prize paper. I have chosen two pieces from the fussy cutting images and adhered them together with foam tape to add dimension for it. I have also added enamel on it. I really love the result. I have put them on my layout.

Between the flowers, I scattered the fussy cutting leaves.
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The cute yellow bow is also went on my layout.
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I have also added some cardstock shapes from Pebbles: Girl Squad - Ephemera Pack.

​The last step was to add some green mists and embroidered around the page with light yellow thread.  
Here is one last look at my finished layout.

​I hope you liked my layout and thanks for stopping by today! Have a wonderful crafty day! See you next month! Réka

Aloha!! It's Hannah with you today!! I hope you all have wonderful plans this weekend. Today I am going to be using the November Cornucopia Traveler's Notebook Kit. This kit is so cheerful, these supplies really help lift my spirits. 
We have been back to school and getting into our school time routine for a little over a month now. I won't lie, I am really missing the summer and my extra free time. This time of the year though, just has something that draws me in. Preparing for the winter, getting back into a daily routine, new seasons of tv shows to watch and lots of reading and writing, are going on in my house. 
I really love the idea of documenting this big change this time of the year. I think every year I expect something a bit different, and to have that in some journaling is really nice. At the end of the year it really helps you see how far you have come. But back to school layouts and spreads really have a bad rap. Whether it's sleepy cranky faces, whether it's the change in the lighting , the lack of enthusiasm about the upcoming times, it sometimes is hard to capture this season change in a good light. 
I think for me some of it is that the info can be generic. You want to make sure you have facts on the layout. 
Hopefully today I can give you some small easy tips to make documenting your back to school and season changing that help you share your families stories. 

My first tip is to make your layout fun, whether you have little kiddos at home or some not so little kids. use a fun design to document your daily routines. Today I am going to scrap lift myself. I made this above layout 2 years ago for a back to school challenge.  I love how there are elements that point to autumn but that I used my favorite technique, layering. This design is so much fun. Scrap lifting myself means I don't have to come up with a design but can focus on other elements on my layout. 

I did lots of fussy cutting for this layout, but it meant I didn't have to raid the main kit for too many die cuts, just a few that helped tell my stories. 
My next tip is, Use your paper as embellishments. There are so many papers now days that have flowers (In fact our kits both have lots of florals and cut worthy pattern papers), or other elements to cut out. Use these pieces as embellishments to layer on your page. Whether you like a clean and simple layout or a busy layout, you can cut a lot of just a little.  This is so helpful when you have really bold patterns too. 
I used the little 2x2 squares to draw leaves and cut them out. I also fussy cut the flowers in the patterned paper in the TN kit. I got so much from just a little paper. 

My next tip is to use those word die cuts as part of your title. If you are anything like me, I struggle coming up with awesome titles. Thankfully these die cut words can help me with that. It also helps draw interest to the title when you vary the size font and font look. 
In this layout I even used one of the journaling cards with beautiful hand script words as my title.  Now my title isn't quite the same as two years ago back, you know it is a back to school layout. 

My next tip is not be afraid to use all your themed pieces together on the layout. But don't let this stop you  if you don't have themed die cuts. A couple of themed pieces go a long way mixed in with what might feel like a lot of non themed pieces. 
I know I tend to stay away from the traditional items but I don't want a really themed layout, but you know it's ok to have that kind of spread every once in a while. But by mixing themed pieces with items that don't say Back To School it really helps to balance the theme. 
Remember to mix up colors, shapes, sizes and textures. This will help draw interest to you layout. 

I had fun layering all the beautiful colors of this kit. The Main Kit's die cuts were perfect for cutting that brightness too. I also love this October CK exclusive Flair badge. It works so well. 

My last tip is to change up your journaling. This layout I decided to write it like I was talking to my kids. They may not fully understand it all now, but later years down the road, they will be able to hear my voice as they read my words to them. 
Another suggestion is to add your kids favorites, and see how they change from the beginning to the end of the school year. You could even have you r kids write their own journaling, changing the tone by them telling things about this time and how they feel about it. As a mom, we can only tell part of the story, so adding your child's voice it really can change the way they remember that day, that year. 
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Here is a finished look at my layout. I liked using my Traveler's notebook Kit for something other than my Traveler's Notebook. I love how this cheerful kit, helped my back to school layout be fun and helped captured my kids personalities. They are so playful, goofy and they really were enjoying this photo time, even if they laughed during most of the photo shoot. 
I hope I encourage you to document these special moments in a different way. Also don't forget to share with us all the layouts and projects you make with your Clique Kits!! Use the hashtag #click_connect_create and #cliquekits on social media and we will be able to see it!!
I hope you check out all the November Add Ons. They will ship out with your November Clique Kits at the beginning of the month. Use my code Hannah10 an you can get 10% off your Add Ons. 

I can't wait to see you later next week!! Until later Stay Inspired!!
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