Locker Room- Cards

Hello friends!  Candace back with you to play a little today making a few cards and tags using the May main scrapbooking kit & travelers notebook kit.  I love to get both kits every month because they coordinate perfectly and it gives me so much product to play and create with.  You can pick up the scrapbooking kit, travelers notebook kit and extras in the shop.

I wanted to create bold cards mixed with the light greens and pinks in the Pinkfresh Studio collection.

For the base of the tag I used black cardstock from my stash layered with a white doily.  For my sentiment I paired the “Happy” puffy sticker with a stamp from my collection.  My final embellishments to the tag were a little die cut leaf and an adorable button.  Now I have a ready made tag to add to a gift in a pinch!

For this simple card I layered patterned paper from the 6×6 paper pad along with a die cut sentiment, a word strip and button.  I like the simplicity of this card, a simple thank you card is always nice to send.

I love this card with the large drop shadow sentiment.  To create this I die cut the large sentiment out of pattered paper from the kit and black card stock.  I layered all the card stock pieces together but slightly off set the black to create a shadow. To create a little more interest I layered the sentiment over card stock and doily.  For my final touch on this card I added a little thread and the adorable flair.  (I LOVE this flair!)

The last card I created is a tiny birthday card.  The only thing better than a homemade card is a cute, tiny homemade card!  I created this simple card by layering white card stock on a back base.  Next I simply adhered 3 of the cute puffy stickers and added a sentiment strip.  Too cute, right?!

It is always great to have sweet and simple cards and tags on hand for any occasion.  I hope this gave you a few ideas on how to quickly put a few together with this months kit.

Have a beautiful day!

Candace

 

Field Notes-Memories From This Adventure

Hello Clique friends!  Candace with you today to share a fun traveler’s notebook spread using the limited edition kit featuring  Crate Paper’s Oasis collection.

I am in love with this little kit!  So beautiful!  If you missed out on the kit this time around make sure to stay in the know on our Clique Kits Facebook page.  We post there first when limited edition kits are available!  There are still a few add ons available in the shop here.

I set up my spread in the cute insert that came in the kit.  For this spread I wanted to document the weekend our family spent in California at the beach.  It was a magical weekend and I wanted my spread to reflect that.

For the main focal point of my spread I created a full page photo of one of my littles looking at the beach.  To add my journaling and a few additional photos I created an envelope out of the 6×6 paper.

I cropped the pictures down to 3×4 to tuck into the envelope.  On each photo I added a little word strip and a cute puffy sticker.  I included a few of the exclusive journal cards in the kit to tell my story.

To accent the large photo I added a few more word strips and a geo tag.  So many special memories from this trip!  Magic…I am so glad I got all our moments recorded.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope this inspired you to document your magic moments in your travelers notebook.  Let me know if you have any questions!

Have a wonderful day & create memories!

Candace

Field Notes-You Do You

Hello again friends!  Candace with you today to share a travelers notebook spread using the breathtaking February kit.  In case you haven’t seen the kit yet here is a peek at all the goodies in the kit.  You can check out the kit and the extras in the shop here.

For my spread I knew I wanted to use the “you do you” acrylic piece as the focal point and theme to drive my spread.  With all the light and whimsical colors in the kit I knew that creating a spread doing a little personal reflection would be perfect.

For the right side of my spread I paired the acrylic piece with a photo of me from January.  To add a little more color to the acrylic piece I backed it with a few different papers from the kit.  I simply glued down the acrylic to the paper then used sharp, fine tip scissors to cut around the acrylic.

For the left side of the spread I needed to create a home for my journaling.  To create the pocket for my tags I stitched down an embossed piece of vellum on three sides.  I tucked a few tags from the kit along with a few tags I created from coordinating patterned paper.

To add a little light embellishment I added a flower from the die cut pack and a little gold tab on the edge of the journaling pocket.

I love the final spread!  I think it is so important to take the time to include yourself in your scrapbooking.  Years from now I know I will love reading about my thoughts and feelings at this point in my life.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Don’t forget to share you travelers notebook spreads with us in The Clique group on Facebook!  We love to see all your creations.

And don’t forget…You Do You!

Candace

Locker Room- Seamlessly Mixing Different Elements

Hello friends!  Candace here to share my first layout using the completely yummy January kit!  Here is just a little sneak at the kit.  You can check out the kit and the all extras in the shop here and here.

I loved all the papers in the kit this month and I loved how beautifully they played together so I wanted to create a layout using multiple papers.  I started with a 12×12 piece of white card stock for my background.

Next, I cut 2.5inch  strips from various patterned papers and vellum from the kit.  I adhered the strips down to the base then ran a stitch along the top and bottom of each paper about .25inch in.  I slid my bone folder between the stitching to pop up the edges of the paper to add a little dimension and interest.

I wanted a soft edge around my photo so I added a white base to my photo stack.  This creates  a seamless transition from black and white to the colors in the patterned paper.

To add a little more interest to my title I combined different fonts.  This is one of my favorite tricks to combine color elements across my spread and stretch my supplies!

Using a few of the beautiful dimensional embellishments from Crate Paper I created a cluster on the bottom right corner of my photo stack.

I love how seamlessly this layout blends together from the patchwork background to the mixed title and black and white photo.  Give some of these tips a try on your next layout!

Remember to always tag Clique Kits when you post pictures of your projects so we can swoon over your creations!  We are a community of crafters and we love to support one another along our crafty journey!

Have a beautiful day and a lovely Christmas!

Candace

 

Locker Room: Santa

Hello friends!  Candace back with you today to share a layout using this month’s sketch.  I knew when I saw this sketch I wanted to play with it.  I love the clean lines and geometric shapes.  With sketches like this the possibilities are endless as far as creating interesting & creative layouts!  Here is a look at the sketch.  We would love for you to play along and create a fun project or layout using the sketch too!

For my layout I used the Clique into December kit featuring the Snow & Cocoa line from Crate Paper.  I started the layout with white card stock.  Next, to create the triangle pieces, I cut 2 of the patterned papers to 6×6 inch squares and then down the center on a diagonal.  This gave me 4 equal triangles making putting together the shapes super simple!  I decided to simulate the white lines on my layout with stitching.

I wanted to add a little more interest to the layout but keep the light, soft feel of the spread.  I used embossing paste and a tiny star stencil to add subtle detail to the corners of the layout.

I let the paste dry over night then continued to create my layout by adding a photo stack using various papers and ephemera from the kit.

For the title I used the lovely large letters in the December kit along with the exclusive word & phrase stickers for the journaling.

The final touches included wood veneer snowflakes and stickers.  I just adore the final layout and the adorable memory that was captured and documented.

If you would like to play along the sketch do forget to link it up on the blog and tag us so we can swoon over your creation.  Also, make sure that you are a part of our Facebook page The Clique, this is where you can stay up to date on all things Clique Kits and share all your projects!

Have a beautiful day!

Candace

Field Notes-Love This Life

Hello Clique!  Candace here with you to share a new series on the blog called “Field Notes”.  For today’s installment of Field Notes I created a small spread in my travelers notebook using the October kit Sapphire.  Here is a look at the beautiful kit that you can still pick up in the shop here.

For today’s spread I wanted to keep it light and soft to match the feeling of the photo.  On the left side of the spread I cut up the 12×12 die cut sheet from Amy Tangerine that come in the kit.  I adhered the die cut down and then trimmed off the edges.

For the right side I adhered down the beautiful leaf to the notebook then layered a soft doily and vellum on top.  I finished off the right side with a photo of my little guy and me.

I stuck my journaling between the layers of the photo stack to keep the layout clean and organized.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Give some of these ideas a try in your travelers notebook and tag us on Instagram so we can swoon over your creation!

Have a beautiful day!

Candace

 

 

Locker Room-Hello Love

Hello friends!  I am so happy to be here today sharing with you a new layout created with the stunning October Sapphire kit.  Here is a peek at the kit and you can check it out in the store here with all the fun add-ons too!

One thing that I absolutely adore about Pinkfresh Studio papers is that they come so beautifully decorated like mixed media.  This allows me to concentrate on creating a page with embellishments and stitching because the mixed media work is already done!  Having predesigned paper also allows pages to come together much quicker and with less mess.  Here is a look at my final spread!

To start the page off I stitched around the edges three times to create a circular pattern to provide a resting place for all my embellishments and to keep the focus on my photo in the center of the layout.

I clustered the embellishments by color along the stitching for maximum design impact.  I love how it makes the mixed media background and embellishments pop!

I just adore the black ink splatters on the page!!!

I wanted a big bold title so I used the Dear Lizzy thickers from last month’s kit…they are kinda my fave!

Thanks so much for stopping by today to check out a little design inspiration with the new October kit.  Remember to stop by the shop to check out the kit and all they extras!  Also, make sure that you stop by the blog to see all the new design team girls inspiration with this kit…they are fabulous!!!

Have a beautiful day!

Candace

 

 

Geek Lab-Photographing Projects

Hello Clique Kit friends!  Candace here with you today to share some tips on photographing your projects.  Recently on the Clique Facebook page there was a discussion about project photography so I wanted to put together some quick, easy and inexpensive tips to improving your project photography.

Here is a look at a home decor project I made with an old Maggie Holmes frame and the beautiful goodies from the Hot Mess February kit.  I will give you a quick walkthrough of how I photographed the final project.

Tip #1: White background.  I bought a package of 16×20 canvas at Walmart to create a white background for my projects.

Tip #2: Natural light.  If possible go outside to get the most clear and natural light.

Tip #3: No direct sunlight.  In this photo you can see I placed the canvas outside but in the shadow not in direct sunlight.  Photographing in direct sunlight will washout your photo too much and create a glare.

Tip #4: Get directly on top of your project.  This will make for easier cropping and straitening of your photo.

Tip #5: Use a good photo editing program.  I use a combination of two programs. Photoshop and Rad Lab.  Photoshop has so many different functions BUT I think that it does have a rather large learning curve, (or maybe it is just me!).  Photoshop can also be expensive, though they have a new monthly option which I think is fabulous!  Rad Lab runs through Photoshop and has various filters and recipes to correct common problems with photos.  Think of it kind of like a really advanced Instagram. If you don’t want to go with either of these programs you could follow all the previous tips and use Instagram’s filters or Pic Tap Go for the IPhone.

Tip #6: Take lots of photos.  You never know if one will come out blurry or cropped on the actual photo so take a lot of photos!  I also like to take different angles to show the dimension and different points of view on a project.

There you go! Six quick, easy steps to improve the photography of your beautiful projects!  If you have any questions please let me know, I am happy to help!  If you haven’t gotten your hands on this beautiful February kit you can head over to the shop here.  There is also a new Spring Card Kit that is absolutely stunning and is now available for preorder here.  Have a beautiful day!

Candace

 

Locker Room-Mini Clipboard

Hi Clique Kit friends!  Candace here with you today to share a mini clipboard project I created using the February Hot Mess kit.  I love all Maggie Holmes collections so when she releases a new collection I usually buy it all up!  I create away, but her collections are so jam packed with goodies that I often have a bunch left over.  When I got the Hot Mess kit I looked thru my stash to see if I had anything that I wanted to use up and I found these little clipboards that are from her 1st collection.

I cut up various papers from the kit to 5.25 x 7 including the acetate.  I also made some 5×7 envelopes to layer in between the patterned paper and acetate.  Then I went to embellishing!  I had so much fun creating this project!  I did some gold embossing on the wood veneers, painted some wood veneers, did a little sewing.  So much fun!  Here is a look at how it all came together!

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  Now for the best part of the post.  I am giving this little clipboard project away! Here is how you enter to win! Head over to the Clique Kit’s Instagram page and make sure that you are following, then head over to my Instagram page and follow me too!  Lastly leave a comment on my post about the mini clipboard letting me know that you would like to win the clipboard. For an extra entry you can tag a friend!  I will announce the winner on my Instagram page on February 25th.  Good Luck!  Have a beautiful day!

Study Hall-Editing Out Embellishments

Hi friends!  Candace here today to share a layout I created using the new January kit Algeria featuring Fancy Pants collection Happy Place.  Here is another look at the beautiful kit.

For this layout I wanted to keep the design pretty simple.  I think that sometimes it is just as difficult to edit embellishments and papers out of a layout as it is to add them in.  I love this photo of my little guy and I wanted the photo to really be the focal point and central focus of the layout.  I felt that if I added too many embellishments it would take away from, and distract from the photo.

***Side note:  For Christmas I received the photo editing program Rad Lab. I used Rad Lab to edit this photo in Photoshop and seriously…this program is AMAZING!!!  You can check out their website here.  I will share how to use this program in an upcoming Geek Lab.  You will love it!***

Back to the layout… For the background I used white card stock and added a simple white line of stitching on the diagonal eye line of the paper to keep the eye moving on the diagonal.  I placed my simple photo stack close to the center of the page and added some simple embellishments from the kit to frame the photo.  To finish off the layout I added some enamel hearts and some ink splatters again along the diagonal to stay in the theme of the layout.

Here is a look at the final layout…

And a few close ups…

Thanks so much for stopping by today to see whats going on in The Clique! I would love to see some of your simple layouts where you are choosing one element on the layout to be your focal point.  Please post on our Facebook page and tag Clique Kits so we can love on your layouts!  Have a beautiful day!

Candace