Hello my crafty friends!
Nicole here and today I'm sharing my latest entry in the new Storyline Chapters kit from Clique International and the new gorgeous Catherine Pooler inks!

I have dedicated 2021 as the year of "me" and prioritizing myself and today, I'm reflecting on my five best qualities in my latest spread!  I'm also taking on the "on repeat" challenge, too! Here's a look at my completed layout:

When I started this page, like most projects, I typically start with my product and story first, then fill in the photos as I go.  For my "On Repeat" topic today, I loved these beautiful tags and paper clips and I also loved the stamp set that comes in the Storyline kit. I used all of those elements together and repeated them to keep my spread cohesive. Changing up colors while keeping different elements the same adds variety to the simplicity of the layout.  If I get in a creative block, I tend to use these tips to get myself back on track.  It takes the guesswork out of it!

I love the variety that this Heidi Swapp stamp has to offer!
The lines on my tags were stamped using the lined stamp from the set, but if turned it upside down and double stamped!  Don't be afraid to make your products work for you!

Lastly, to keep that cohesiveness, add these repeating elements to your opposite page to pull everything together! Here, I didn't use the rainbow anywhere else on my spread, but the colors and the heart stamps I did! This helps keep the eye moving around the pages.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you've had fun and got inspired!
Be sure to join us in our Facebook group where we host monthly challenges and giveaways! New events coming soon and we hope you join in on the fun!  See you there!

Hello crafty friends! Nicole here and today I'm using the fresh and new Phoenix add on kit that features the beautiful Simple Stories Quarantine papers and Hello Today ephemera.  I'm also using the brand new Succulent Potted Plants cut file. I love how Gia set the cut file up! You're able to mix and match the different succulents with the different pots!

Today I'm documenting a proud moment in my travelers notebook. About a year ago, I tried to root a little leaf that had fallen off of my succulent. Ten months later, this little guy is rooted, healthy and still growing! Here's a look at my completed spread:

The left page, I used my photo of my succulent as my focal point.  I printed it large enough to cut it from the rest of the photo, letting it stand out even more.  I used a 3x4 journaling card from the kit along with a few pieces of ephemera to embellish the page.  I used my tab punch and stamped "Hello Today" with the Studio Forty Stemple clear stamp set.

For the right side of my spread, I used the succulent cut file as my main focus. I also added a few bits of the Simple Stories ephemera and some stamping from the same Stemple stamp set.  How cute is that little sun, cloud and rain?! I just love that added little touch!  To finish off my layout, I used enamel dots from my stash to add a few pops of color.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to visit The Clique shop for TONS of  new products and loads of new releases that are currently on pre-order! You don't want to miss these kits!

Hello scrappy friends!

Nicole here and today I'm sharing a new spread in my Heidi Swapp Storyline Chapters insert. For this project, I'm also using our January sketch that is currently live in our Facebook group. This is a month long challenge where you have a chance to win $25 shop credit to Clique International! Be sure to stop by and join in the fun! Now, on to my project!

For my double page spread, I used the gorgeous Paige Evans Take Me Away line. When I was figuring out the layout I wanted to use for this, I knew that I first, wanted the spread to be just about me.  It's been a crazy year and I wanted to focus on just me and tell my story thru selfies. I also knew that I wanted to focus on my absolute favorite selfie, which I used as my large photo on the left page. I used a stamp from my stash and glitter heart enamel dots from Paige's collection.

For the right side of my spread, I focused on eight other selfies that I took of myself throughout the year. Some of them were happy moments, some funny, and others, well, not so pleasant. I documented them all because they tell my story of 2020. They tell the story not only of the struggles, but also the triumphs and accomplishments too.
Using different papers and embellishments from Paige's collection along with the super cute Jolee's felt birds, I created two photo strips and embellished around them. I thought that "Take Me Away" was a very appropriate title for 2020 as well. I added in a few other bits of stamping, florals from the same Jolee's sticker set, paper clip and more of the glittery enamel dots to finish the spread. Here are a few other close ups of the completed project:

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to join our Facebook group and participate in our monthly challenges! They are free and you don't have to use specific products to join in the fun!
Until next time, have a crafty day!

Hello scrappy Friends!
Nicole here and today I'm sharing a peek inside my Document December album using the beautiful Christmas Cheer collection from Pretty Little Studio and also the super cute puffy Bella Blvd alphas from the shop!

I have always documented December in some way. Over the years, I've done it daily in a mini album, used a single 3x4 card in my main project life album to document each day, and many other ways. This year, I've been focusing on my stories more and decided to migrate this project into its own three ring binder.  This isn't a fancy binder, in fact, I picked it up in the school supply section at Walmart. It's been perfect for this project allowing me to let my pages get chunky and this is one of those pages!

I fell in love with the paper that looked like a quilt in this collection and it gave me the idea to sew my own quilt page. I sewed literally every piece of paper to the page and LOVE the texture it adds! Two of the octagons I sewed straight to the page. The other four I made flip ups to add my photos and journaling under neath.  Top right octagon I decorated with a cute house and tree ephemera. The bottom left I used for my page title...Comfort and Joy.

For the flip ups, I decorated those with the tree ephemera from the kit and used the really cute phrase stickers. I love these phrase stickers in this collection.  They are a lot smaller than the normal size and so perfect for smaller photos and layouts!

Under the flip ups, I adhered my photo the the page itself and added my journaling and a couple flags from the same PLS collection to the top.

In my layout, I talk about what comfort has meant for me this year.  Normally, comfort would be nights by the fire, visiting family, large family meals around the table and so much more.  This year, comfort has been so different.  It still has been relaxing by our fires, but its also been about remembering who I am, where I have come from...my family roots.  It's been about laughing and being a kid again...watching cartoons, having popcorn and hot cocoa.  It's been about kindness in other people that put smiles on my face in some of my worst moments.  It's been about finding comfort around me in a time that has been very emotional, painful and yet joyful all at the same time.

This year has be devastating for all of us. I hope that each of you find your peace, comfort and joy in what surrounds you this holiday season!

I hope that each of you have a very safe and Happy Holidays!

Hello scrappy friends!
Nicole here and today I'm sharing a mixed media Halloween layout with you.

I've been binge watching mixed media layouts lately and there were some that I was very inspired by. They were from Missy Whidden and she did a messy stamping and then water colored the words and images on the background to give it a "running" look.  I was instantly inspired and HAD to try it!

Today I'm using the Flora Fauna stamp and die set along with the Halloween Hey Pumpkin kit to create this layout of my "baby" and I. Both of these have a very limited supply available in the shop!

I did begin with gessoing my background. I used distress inks in yellow and orange to stamp the large spooky on my background. I then misted them with water and it created this beautiful mess watercolor look! I absolutely LOVE how this looks!  For some added fun, I stamped the eyes and popped them up on foam adhesive and attached them to the "O's" in "SPOOKY." 

I then added in a few layers of embellishments, but not too many because I didn't want to take away from the background.  Here are a few other close ups of my layout:

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
I hope you've been inspired!

Hello scrappy friends!
Nicole here and today I'm super excited to be assigned one of my most favorite topics. Today, I was challenged to scraplift a project from a Clique follower.  I love doing this because you guys seriously know how to inspire me and influence my designs all the time! Today, I'm happy to share with you a layout that Clique Facebook member Nicole Ellis shared in the group:

Thank you guys so much for stopping by today! I hope you have been inspired!

Be sure to head on over to The Clique on Facebook, join our group, and play along in our monthly mood board challenges! We give away a $25 store credit if your layout is chosen and featured!

xoxo, Nicole

Hello crafty friends!
Nicole here and today I'm up on the Clique blog featuring the adorable Flora & Fauna Halloween Word Party Set and coordinating dies. This set has soooo much versatility and I was very excited to get my hands on it!
You guys, seriously how cute is this stamp set though?! Today I'm using it to make an entry in my travelers notebook of a photo of my son and I from last Halloween when we were trick or treating.  I've never personally been very big on dressing up.  My oldest son had found a Snapchat filter that made us looked like we were both dressed up and matching and insisted we took a selphy! So stinkin' cute!!

I started this layout by adding my base layers on the left. I cut the base layers for the right, however I didn't adhear them down just yet.  I used a piece of regular printer paper to stamp out "BOO" in a few distress ink colors...I was afraid I would either mess the stamping up or it would bleed thru the other side. This played it safe! I used an assortment of coordinating colors, then attached it to my page and added the layers.

I then took two ghosts and the "Stay Spooky" sentiment and heat embossed them in black on white paper, die cut them with the coordinating dies and sketched and cut a speech bubble around my sentiment. I got this idea from the Elle's Studio stickers that are included in the THIS Halloween kit from the Clique, which is where all of the papers and embellishments came from for this spread.

I added my photo and layers to the left page and use lots of the stickers from that Elle's Studio sticker sheet.  I'm loving the sentiments, pumpkin and speech bubbles and how it just ties this whole spread together!

Lastly, I stamped and die cut matching bats to adhere around my page. I also added that cute little spider in the top right corner of the page to bring in that third cluster of elements.

Thanks so much for joining me today!
Be sure to stop by the Clique shop HERE to pick up your stamp and die set!

Have a colorful week!,
<3 Nicole

Wait...don't throw that away just yet!  Can you reuse it and recycle it to create a project with?

Hi everyone! Nicole here and I ask myself this question CONSTANTLY! Every time I get a package in the mail, junk mail, and so much more, I always pause and ask myself if I can use it to create a crafty project, mini album or add it to my junk journal. Today I'm sharing how I used Gia's glassine bags from product packaging to create a mini album featuring the Bella Blvd Cooper add on kit and my two favorite fur babies!

 
Once the grommets were added, I used a blue binder ring from the Clique shop to hold all of the envelopes together.  Now that the base of my mini album is set, I took the time to sort thru the ephemera, print my photos and cut patterned papers to adhere as my base layers.  Here are several images of the finished project:

Once all of my pages were complete, I use the tags in the ephemera pack to create inserts for the glassine bags.  I used the tags to add a few more photos and a bit of journaling.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Next time you make something from a recycled item, be sure to share it with us so we can inspire each other to reduce and reuse!

Hello scrappy friends! Nicole here and today I'm sharing two spreads in my art journal that feature the composition book and mist available in the Dina Wakley Explore & Learn Series Kit available in the shop! This kit includes one of Dina's composition books with prints of her artwork, a white Gloss Spray and her Scribble Sticks!

My first spread (left) uses a silhouette from the book along with scribble sticks and a few of the dylusions acrylic paints.  I also used some markers from my stash to add highlights of purple, black and pink to the figure.  Once dry, I added loose writings to the left of the page us phrases like "be happy," "be trustworthy," "be open," "be creative." etc.  Just a few as a reminder of who I want to be as a person.

The second page (right) uses the heavier weight paper in the composition book and I used it to add in an insert to my journal. For this page, I used a stencil and Vicki Boutin Molding Paste that are available in the Explore & Learn Series: Basic Textures kit. The floral image was a cut out from a magazine that I have and I added highlights with markers after it was adhered to the page.  This helps add more dimension and it takes away from the natural look, which is what I was going for. It helps the image feel more cohesive with Dina's art work.

Here are a few other close ups of my pages.  You'll see that I ended up creating a pocket behind the left page (by gluing two pages together) and added one of Dina's tags from her composition book.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
I hope you've been inspired!

Hello scrappy friends!
Nicole here and today I'm sharing a 12x12 cutfile layout featuring the Pinkfresh Studio Let's Stay Home kit from Clique International!  What inspired me to create this was a combination of combining older cutfiles with newer product and also the monochromatic square paper in the Pinkfresh kit!  The cutfile and paper worked so perfectly together that I knew I needed to use them together on a page!
Here's a look at my completed project:

I began by backing my cutfile with the squares from the Pinkfresh kit.  If you notice, the squares are two different colors and on a diagonal, just like the houses.  I chose to glue the squares on the opposite diagonal than the house. This is really noticeable on the bottom two green houses in the photo above.
After the entire cutfile was put together, I, of course, had to add mixed media. There isn't a project that goes by that I don't incorporate it in some way! So I took the hearts that were left on my cutting mat, removed them, painted them with gesso, then painted them with Lindy's Magical Shakers in California Poppy Gold.  (This was a shaker that was included in our fall kit from last year, so if you have it, break it out and use it with this collection!)  This yellow matches the yellow/gold in this collection perfectly! Once they were dry, I used foam adhesive to pop them up on my layout.

Once my background was complete, it didn't take much more to complete the layout.  The background did a lot already!  I added two photos, title and a few embellishments, including a small embellishment cluster in the top left of the page, and called this layout done!

Here are a few more photos and there is a YouTube process below! I would love for you to stop by and subscribe!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you've been inspired!