Hi crafty friends! Rita here with a new project. This time I made a coptic bound mini album as a gift for someone special to use as a photo album. One of my resolutions for this year is to stop hoarding and use all my stuff. And one great project for using a lot of papers and embellishments is making a book or mini album. For this project I used all the papers I had left from the Paige Evans "Go the Scenic Route" collection. You can find them in the shop here. I also added different sized vellum paper here and there to mix it up and add some fun accents. Also I've learned that it's really important to use good tread, in this case: wax thread. It makes binding a book so easy. 

I've watched different tutorials on making a coptic binded book, and I wanted to share with you a tutorial that explained it really well and is by far my most favorite. I made my album watching this video and it was so easy to follow. It's by Sea Lemon and you can find it on youtube. 

For my cover I used (recycled) cardboard from a package and painted it blue with acrylic paint. I love that the color matches the colors of the embellishments. As you can see I already chose the theme for the photo album. I had a special trip in 2014 in mind that definitely needs to get documented. The book size is about 6x4 inch. 

Here you can see how I incorporated the vellum. I had some photos from that trip and added them to the album. Almost all pages are still "untouched" though, so the gifted just has to put the photos in. 

Down below you can see how I added some little details like a punched out circle. 

I'm happy how this little book turned out and I can't wait to give it away. I hope you feel inspired to get crafty  and use up your stash, so you can make room for new awesome collections. Don't forget to check out the Clique International shop to see all the new Releases and kits. Thanks for stopping by today and happy crafting! 

Hey crafty friends and happy November! Rita here with a new project today! Can you believe we are getting closer and closer to the end of the year? Wow, I sure can't. And although it's autumn and I'm feeling all the cozy vibes, I was in the mood for a super colorful and fun layout. There's probably no better suitable kit than Paige's Passport Add-On Kit (which is still available in the shop btw!). It was so easy and enjoyable to play with. The first thing I did was using the Kesi'Art Metaliks Die "Maui" which was part of the Main Kit. I used all kinds of colors to achieve a little rainbowy effect.  

I used two papers from the Add-on Kit, #17 and #18, and had so much fun fussycutting the flowers and tag strips. I also used the stickers from the collection which are available here and here. 

After arranging all the flowers and die cuts, I used watercolors to add some dots and splatters. For the final touch I opted for the stamp set by Studio Forty which is part of the Story Documented Kit. It's also still available and so versatile, I highly recommend it. Let's take a look at the whole layout: 

I documented a visit to Peterhof Palace nearby St. Petersburg a couple of years ago. It was such a nice and sunny day and my hubby and I had the best time. We visited the super gorgeous palace and were in awe of the beautiful surrounding, the garden and architecture. I can't believe that I never made a layout documenting this trip. Well, I have a lot of undocumented photos on my computer, so I will probably never go out of ideas and projects. LOL 

I can't wait to share with you my mini album which I also made with this collection, so stay tuned! I hope you feel inspired to use this beautiful kit. Don't hesitate to share your projects with us on Instagram or our Facebook The Clique. We would love to see what you create! Thanks so much for stopping by today and happy crafting! 

Hello everyone, it is Piroska here today with my latest layout for Clique International. Summer weather is slowly reaching Europe, and I've been longing for bright colours on my scrapbook layout! The 5th and Monaco Sampler Kit is full of colours, good vibes, so it's perfect for all your summer memories!

We live in the capitol city of Hungary, and now that our daughter is big enough, we love to take sightseeing tours here. Budapest has many beautiful places, buildings and a rich history. Last summer we visited the Várkert Bazár, the Castle Garden in Budapest. The Garden was built and designed by Miklós Ybl more than 130 years ago, and it connects the Royal Palace of Buda with the Danube riverbanks. It is part of the UNESCO’s World Heritage sites, and has been reconstructed in 2014.

The history of Hungary and Austria has been connected through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 which created the dual monarchy of Austria–Hungary. Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and his wife, Empress Elisabeth of Austria were officially crowned King and Queen of Hungary in the Buda Castle. Elisabeth, the beloved Queen of Hungary, nicknamed Sissi, loved Hungary so much, that she lived several years in Buda-Pest and Gödöllő, instead of Vienna (Austria). She loved to make long walks, and she walked a lot here. The Castle Garden was built to make the Castle accessible from the port of the Danube, the stairs lead among beautiful flowers and bushes, and you can have a beautiful view on the Pest side and the Danube walking up or down on the hillside.
The papers of the 5th and Monaco Sampler kit are perfect for showcasing the beauty of this garden: everything is green, and the road is lined with rose-bushes. I took many photos, but they are all full of photo bombing tourists, so I have chosen two selfies , where you can see a bit of the entrance building of the Garden.

First I draw a line with a pencil on the floral dotted paper to draw the frame and then I used my craft knife to cut the middle of the paper out. I glued thick cardstock on the back of the frame so it is lifted up when I glued it down on the leaves patterned background paper.

I fussy cut the remained flowers of the patterned paper, curled up their leaves and added them around my photos. I like that I could reflect on the rich vegetation of the Castle Garden with this bright and busy background, and I am happy that the focus is still on my photos.

Now, get to the shop to grab your Sampler Kit of the 5th and Monaco collection by Pink Paislee, and create a layout full of life and colours! AND come to visit Budapest once! ;-)

Hey friends, today I'm sharing a gorgeous layout I made using the October Changing Seasons fall sampler kit by Clique Kits. I loved all of the bright colors in the kit and couldn't wait to use them in a layout. I started by fussing cutting the moths out of a Paige Evans paper from the Truly Grateful collection. And the kit also came with her floral die cuts and some bright and colorful Amy Tangerine phrase stickers and puffy stickers. I painted the puffy phrase "Adore" with metallic gold paint so it would fit in with all the warm orange and pink tones I have on my page. I also hand embroidered fun flight paths from each moth with white thread and it adds so much texture and dimension to the page. If you love this layout, you can follow me on YouTube to see more of my creations and what else I end up making with the kits this month! 

While you are over on the You Tube channel checking out Laura's channel you can take a peek at the unboxing video for the Changing Seasons kit and workshop taught by Nicole Kerr! We are so excited to offer this workshop with this kit this fall which will inspire you to create several gorgeous layouts using exclusive cut files also included with the kit! Changing Seasons kits are available and shipping now! Hope you will subscribe to both channels for more  inspiring videos!

Hello, CK friends! It's Donna here today and I'm excited to share my project with you all since it's been quite a while since I last posted.

I arrived from my vacation almost a couple of months ago and had to settle down first aka clean the house etc because there were so many sandstorms while we were on vacation in the Philippines and all of our things were.. yes, covered with dusts and all. Anyways, most of my kits arrived after a few weeks and just got to use them. I have lots of projects to share soon, here on the blog and in IG and FB too, so watch out for them.

Anyways, for today's project, I used the January kit "Heart Eyes" featuring Paige Evan's Whimsical collection. I used both Main and TN kits. The latter has still some available so grab it if you don't have it in your stash yet.

I thought of an idea of documenting a part of my creative journey, all the announcement of the teams I am currently on. I already started with the Pink Paislee DT announcement and created a scrapbook layout about it. But I wanted them to be in one place so I thought of making a TN insert just with all those wonderful news. Here is for the CK 2019 Design Team announcement.

I used the specialty paper as base and backed it with some 6x6 papers. I used dimensional tape to some of the petals for a bit of height. I also fussy cut the teeny tiny patterns in one of the 6x6 papers and adhered to the edges. The sequins accentuated some of the petals/florals for a bit of shimmer.

I had fun creating this spread and I can't wait to start with the rest of the pages. I wonder if I'd add more in the near future... we never know... But  as it is, I am thankful and grateful with the current teams I am on. All of them are wonderful companies and I couldn't be more proud and honored to be part of them.

I hope this inspired you to be creative today. Thanks for dropping by and see you next time in my second post!
​Happy crafting,

Hello Lovelies! Theresa here to share a most fun layout I created using the January Heart Eyes kit! I wanted to create a mixed media background and build up layers on top today, so take a look at what I created.
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One of my favorite things about the Heart Eyes kit and the amazing Whimsical products included, are all the different color options in the kit. You can literally pull any color scheme from these beautiful papers and I always say go with your favorites. For my mixed media background I pulled pinks, yellows, and greens, which are the main colors I see in my photos.
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I wanted to repeat the hexagons in my background, so I started with a hexagon stencil I had in my stash from The Crafter's Workshop/Balzer Designs. I pressed my Versamark ink pad down over the stencil and then heat embossed the design using American Crafts Zing! powder in clear. Then I used Dr. Martin's Bombay watercolor inks to apply my color. I used Yellow Ochre, Cherry Red, and Aqua. 
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When you heat emboss a design and then add watercolors, the design then resists the colors that you apply to your paper. For this layout I applied each color one by one, just dropping a tiny bit of color in different areas and spritzing water to the splotches so the colors would run across the page. I love this method so much! Watching the colors react to the water and leave the beautiful pattern behind is so satisfying!
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Once my background was complete, I layered photos and ephemera on top of a cutout from the hexagon patterned paper. I also created my title from the foam words included in the kit, and added a bit of journaling at the bottom of my page. I also used a label from the kit to add my date above one of the photos.
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My story for this layout is all about my daughter Natalie's first day of Kindergarten. The photos themselves tell the story of how excited and ready she was, and notice how tiny she looks getting on that bus! I had to much fun adding ephemera around the photos, including hearts (because of course!), butterflies, the watercolor palette, a wolf (which is her spirit animal), and a bird (which I include in almost every one of her layouts). Everything about this layout was so much fun to put together!
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Thank you so much for joining me today! Have you had a chance to play with your Heart Eyes kit this month? If so, please share with us so we can see! 
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Hi CK friends!

It's Jodie here with you today!  Working with the January 2019 Heart Eyes kits that feature Paige Evans' Whimsical collection has really inspired me to try some techniques that Paige is known to use.  Today the technique I'm trying is a rainbow themed spread.

I'm loving stitching on my projects so much at the moment and that's how I started off my background.  I marked a point where the centre of my circular photo would sit, and then marked around the edge of my spread at 1" intervals.  I drew a really light pencil line from the centre point to each mark around the edge and then stitched holes along those lines with my sewing machine (with no thread in it).  I used an eraser to remove the pencil lines, and backstitched each line in embroidery thread to make up a 360 degree rainbow.

So yes the stitching took a while, but I put together a little pencil case with my layout, all my chosen threads and a needle and scissors and carted it around with me over a few days, and every time I had a few spare moments, like in my lunch break at work, or while my hubby was driving the car and I was in the passenger seat, I pulled it out and did a little bit more, and do you know what?  It was completely finished before I knew it!

The next step was to add a little mixed media to my background with some watercolour splatters to match each colour of the rainbow.  Each colour overlaps just a little bit and I love how they blend into each other.

I die cut a scalloped circle in white cardstock and my photo in a smaller regular circle.  For some texture I chain stitched around the photo in white embroidery thread.  The cluster to frame my photo stays true to the rainbow colours in that section of the spread, with blues at the top and greens to the lower left.

To finish up my spread I pulled a bunch of small pieces from the sticker book and rub on sheets in the kit.  The phrase and stitching rub ons were placed directly onto my spread, and the butterflies were placed on some scrap white cardstock and fussy cut.  Then it was easy peasy to place each little ephemera piece in its colour section.

I also used the Thankful cut file from the Clique Kits store for my title, cut it in white cardstock and heat embossed it twice with gold embossing powder.  You might notice that this piece is missing some squiggly bits on each end.  I really love them but if I had left them on this piece would have been too big for my page.  So I used the eraser tool in Silhouette Studio to erase those parts before I sent the file to cut.

I hope I've inspired you to try a rainbow project today, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Hello, again, lovelies! I have another scrapbook layout today using the October "Gather" Main kit.

I started with a watercolor splattered background just to give it a bit of mixed media feel.

This is really pretty simple but with all the layers of fussy cut flower patterns which were also mounted with foam tape, it gave the layout a bit of dimensional look. I used the "beautiful" sticker as part of the title.

I still have a few left of these papers and will definitely use them for another project which of course I'm going to share soon!

How about you? Do you like fussy cutting as well? I sure love doing it, it's kind of therapeutic :) 
​Thanks for dropping by and happy crafting!

​Hello again, lovelies! Donna here with my second project using the October "Gather" Main kit. 

​It's another beautiful kit featuring Auburn Lane collection by Pink Paislee. Fall/Autumn is my most fave season (Winter as second) though we don't have Fall nor Winter where I came from (Philippines). I just love the rich and warm colors. Then mix it with pink, burgundy or peach colors... just wow!

​For my project, I made something to showcase the floral prints in the papers. I created a bouquet with my daughter's photo as the focal point.

​I splattered a mixture of pink and brown watercolors to the white background before placing the bouquet of fussy cut flowers. I mounted most of them with foam tape for dimension. Then I placed my photo and layered with a doily and some messy white thread.

​The bouquet idea turned out really pretty! I love it!
I hope you liked my layout and it inspired you to create something today!
See you in my next post!
Thanks for dropping by! 

​Happy crafting,

Hello Lovelies, it's Theresa here to share a mixed media layout I have created. I am working with the October Gather kit, which contains elements and papers from one of my favorite collections this year, Pink Paislee's Auburn Lane. Here is the layout I am sharing today.
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This layout was quite a process, and in the end I relied heavily on my most favorite mixed media tool, gesso. I began with a black and white patterned paper from the kit, pink solid card stock, gesso, modeling paste (both Liquitex brand), a floral stencil (Dear Lizzy), and of course my photo and other embellishments.
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I used my stencil to lay down a floral background on top of the patterned paper, using the modeling paste. This one is a gel paste and I love how light and easy it is to use. I also painted some of the gesso onto the patterned paper, so there was a transition between the stencil and the black and white. Once it fully dried I had this.
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Now, I absolutely love color and at this stage I decided to add watercolors to the stenciled image. I take a very wet paint brush and start with the lightest color first. Let the colors flow in and out and through all the cracks and crevices left by the stencil and see what happens!
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At this point it's really pretty, but the alphabets and photo got a little lost when I tried to place them on top. So I pulled my favorite trick, whenever the background is a little too much: gesso. I added another full layer of gesso right over top of all of it. Gesso has this magical quality that allows colors to show through just a bit, and it makes a busy background perfect.
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Once all that was dry, I added my photo plus embellishments to complete the layout. My photo is of our daughter Natalie, who is age 11 and went into middle school this year. I did a mini photo session with all four of our kids right before school began, and this is one of the candid photos. She looks so pretty and her pink shorts tie in perfectly with the pinks in the kit!
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My title also evolved a bit as I created the layout. All together the title reads: I will always love her and her beautiful heart. 
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As I was adding my embellishments to the page, I layered the photo on top of the grid papers and library cards that were in the Gather kit. I also added some of the florals and hearts and the adorable houses from the embellishment pack, and I stuck down the Beautiful sticker.
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The title is the working design element in this layout because now it moves your eye from the upper left hand corner down and across to the bottom right. It also serves as my journaling for this layout.  Here is one more look at the full layout for you.
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Thank you so much for joining me on a mixed media journey today! I hope this inspires you as you receive your kits this month. Be sure to share your projects with us, we would love to see what you are making as well. Use #cliquekits. See you again soon!
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