Art Studio – Bulletin Board Layout

Hey there!

I really wanted to channel my inner college student with this layout!  Somehow all these little sayings and words of encouragement throughout this fabulous kit reminded me of my college dorm bulletin board.  I used to cut out things from magazines and put random candid pictures up.  Honestly, I still kinda do that now in my office!

Those little bits of Pretty Little Studio word strips caught my eye as little fortune cookie papers.  Grouped together they look like I’ve had too much takeout!

I used a lot of those little dot stickers from Fancy Pants Designs as replicas of push pins.

The faux layering of elements is something that my real bulletin board already looks like.  Just sticking another saying up on top of another is achieved but adding little bits of patterned paper.

That squirrel was so cute I attached him to a piece of the exclusive journal cards.  Random staples on word strips add another level of informality.

By having the top of the 12×12 paper be 2/3rds of the KaiserCraft dot paper, that left the lower 1/3rd plain white.  It allowed the journal cards and pics to hang off the edge of the ‘bulletin board’ just as they would have been in my dorm.

It has been a blast being on this team for Clique Kits and I hope to see you around all my social media outlets and blog!  Create lively my friends!

On Repeat

I’ve always wanted to do a repetitive picture layout but I wasn’t sure how to put it together.  Finally, with this June’s Kit, I was able to put the pieces together in my head enough to go for it!  I figured out I could use the repetitive picture as the “paper” and mask it somehow to make it a little softer.

 

 

I printed out the same picture and pasted it as a base with some Ellie’s Studio Paper as the foundation and accent.

  Then using the exclusive Just Nick Cut Files, I isolated the circle shape.

 

Repeating it and with different sizes, I made my own cut file design.

 

 

 

 The journaling was printed on velum and placed on the bottom with a row of labels covered with the vellum as a base.

 

 Again, more layers of paper underneath the main picture with bits of the same repeat picture peeking through the cut file.

 

I always seem to go for the stapler! Guess I appreciate the industrial look in a softer layout to balance it. #stapleallthethings 🙂

Here is the whole layout!Thanks for stopping by today!XOXOXO-Kim

Printables to Planners

This months Clique Kits printables are pretty darn crazy cute!  With the boxes, flags and phrases, I thought it would be cute to use them in my planner since they match this week’s spread.

Yes, I could have just printed the pdf on sticky paper, but I wanted to customize them to EXACTLY fit the boxes in my planner. For this week, I used my Erin Condren Life planner with the vertical boxes edition. I’ll show you how to resize them and also make custom stickers below.

I imported all the .png’s into my Cricuit design space and added them all to my canvas for resizing.

Each box is 1.5 inches wide and 1.9 inches in height so I used the edit function to unlock the proportions and type in the dimentions.

I also made some layer sticker sets to print off as is as well.  Like scrapbooking, layers of stickers to add dimension is always a great way to be creative with your layout.

The best part is that the program is that it fits them on a page for me in such a way as to maximize each sheet of paper. It will print the page first and then it will be ready to kiss cut. Load the print out, turn your dial to custom to choose sticker paper, and it’s all ready to go!

Have I told you how much fun (and cheaper) it is to make your own stickers?!

The program bleeds each picture so the cutter cuts just inside the designs box.

Brilliant!

Now it’s time to have some fun!

See how lovely they fit in those boxes!? Perfection!!

BTW I used bleeds from the designs and cut them out, like where it says “Hello June’. Then I add those to my planner as well!  Adds a little extra highlighted box fun!

On the other side of the coil. I’m off to a good start!  It looks a little bare right now, but if you follow me on Instagram, I’ll show you each day this week how I’m filling it in and adding more stickers as well!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

XOXOXO

-Kim

The Devil is in the Details

Pocket pages are supposed to be simple; put a piece of paper in a plastic pocket with some photos and writing and you’re done.  While the overall project would get done and done quicker, would it get done so that I would like it in the end?

For me, the Devil is in the Details. The letter stickers, fussy cut heart from one of the 6 x 6 papers and ephemera flag work together to create a corner of happiness in this layout.

I used the packaging from the Elle’s Studio ephemera pack and turned up the corner on this card. A large print, small print and stripe are always a winning combination.

 

This card I decided to fringe this paper a bit thinking the pocket page could use a little texture. I know it would not be at it’s full potential since it will be placed in the pocket but it really will make a difference in the long run.

Using the cut aparts to journal on the picture, which is mounted on a ‘little moments” paper, is quick way to add a specific thought to a picture.  Attaching it with stamps adds another layer of love!

Honestly, I have never used completely clear acrylic die cuts. As for the ones from JellyBean Soup included in the kit,  I added a special touch to it to make them sparkle! (I’d love to spill the beans but I’ll show you how I did that on June 2nd!)

Finally adding something bold, like the family sticker to draw you eye to the picture below, is always a favorite trick of mine!  Now, try imagining this layout with 5 plain pieces of paper.  See?!

I totally appreciate you stopping by. Until next time….

xoxoxoxo

-Kim

Testing…Testing…1,2,3!

HI there!  You’ve caught me on the first day of the  April Kit reveal AND it’s CK’s anniversary month!

Today we are going to talk about trying new things. Sometimes I jump right into a project and just do it with out spreading my wings a little bit. But I wanted to show you a few things I’ve been doing that are new for me!

Here you can see I wanted to use these three pictures in a cluster so I tried which one set the best mood for this layout.

 Of course I ended up using only 3 due to the massive amount of toes present but sided with the yellow stripe from Simple Stories.  He was so cheery, I thought the stripe should be too.  Also, I know the kit comes with these die cuts that spell ‘Life’ but I loved them too much not to have them go with my precious Eli on here.

I also trimmed the pictures down to a manageable 4 x 4 size.  As I have stated before, I do not print at home but use Walgreens instead and to have me crop and print 4×4’s from there is twice the price. So instead,  I use my trusty rotary cutter and see through ruler.  It’s found in the quilting section of your craft store and I find that I can get a more precise, clean cut using it instead of a paper trimmer.

I love using paint as a background just as much as any crafter, but I wasn’t so sure it was my thing today.  Playing off the geometric style of the letters, I composed a grid and some dots to use instead.

I finally ended with this layout all clean and fresh.  Hopefully you’ll test some new techniques to you that will become favs you’ll work into other projects too!

XOXOX

-Kim

100% Successful Layout

If you want a sure-fire way to finish with a successful layout there is ONE thing you can do to ensure that.

Go MONOCHROMATIC

That means pick ONE color from ONE picture and repeat it throughout your layout!

In this pocket page layout, I decided to repeat the color red which I got from the bleacher chairs behind Tyler.

We love ephemera but adding elements that have red already in them will always draw everything together.

I introduced another color, in this case is black,  It’s in small doses that I’ve included an accent color. That way it doesn’t compete with the primary color.

Doing a monochroatic layout may make your finished product “flat”.  Add texture by height to add some shadowing!

Lastly, if you have more than one picture, it’s helpful to make sure all the other pictures you’ve included are neutral in color.  Again, no competition!

Good luck on your next 100%  sure thing layout!

XOXOX

-Kim

Art Studio: Gel Medium and Crayon

These two, Gel medium and Crayon are and unlikely combo but I hope you are up to reading what this is all about!  Let’s get started with the tutorial!

Using the black Fancy Pants paper that came with the kit, I took some Matte Gel and spread it on the paper.

While it is still wet, I wrote ‘hello’ and ‘2016’ in the gel with an dry embossing tool to add some texture and interest.

After it was dry I took a neon crayon and rubbed it over the matte gel.

Layered the embellishments with height,

and highlighted some of the writing with a write pen.

Viola!  A textured background!

I wonder what it would look like to use different types of paint instead of crayon and the overlay?

I’ll have to try that one out next.

Thanks for joining me for this Art Studio!

xoxoxo

-Kim

Geek Lab: Digital Stamps on pictures from your phone!

If you are a Clique Kit’s subscriber did you know you get extra access online in your account that is FREE???!!!!!!

There are cut and printable files designed specifically for each kit!  I use them frequently but not the way you think.  This blog post I will teach you how to add digital stamps using CK printable files, RIGHT ON YOUR PHONE!

I use my phone to take, edit and print all my pictures! Every single picture for the past 5 years has been taken using my phone and I can assure you it probably will be that way for another 5 years.

Here is my final layout!  We will be adding the ‘flawless’ stamp with the tutorial

You’ll need:

a smart phone (Android OR Apple)

Download ‘Dropbox’

Download ‘Picsart’ (on android AND apple)

Let’s get started!

• sign into your CK account on your phone. Go to Header the Clique, then Monthly Downloads

• Since we are working on January it’s there for me.  Most likely you’ll have December’s there but It really doesn’t matter.  The process is the same and in the same place every month. Click ‘download file’

• once it is downloaded – click on the file it should ask you to unzip for you .

• Upload all the files to a Dropbox.  I usually put each month in it’s own folder and then at the years end, I put it in a year folder.

• Open Picsart, and open the picture you would like to add a digital stamp to.

• Click Add Photo

• Pick the digital stamp you’d like to use from the Drobox icon

• This is the one I have chosen. Notice all the files are .png.  That means that the background they are made on is invisible and therefore the perfect match with layering with a photo.

• Move it around on the screen when you’d like it, change it’s size or opacity and viola!  You have a digital stamp on a picture.  Don’t forget to save it then print away!!!

• One last thing that I do every month is to print out a sheet with a picture of each of the files I have downloaded.  That way I see what digital journal cards, script, stamps or elements are in my personal electronic file folders! For more information about that, visit this blog post 🙂

 

This app does not shrink the size of the .png no matter how large so it won’t be fuzzy. Digital stamps always turn out so crisp when you print the picture!

Hope you use those freebies from Clique Kits often!

XOXOXO

-Kim

3 Creative Ways to Journal (without using a journal card)

I tend not to use a lot of journaling cards in my pocket page layouts because I feel like the story should be told through the pictures and then write just enough to tell what’s going.  Of course there are always exception to the rule, but what if you just don’t like to journal or your have too many pictures to have space for a journaling card?  Today, I’ve got 3  ways to incorporate journaling in a creative way if you are anything are like me:)

•  Tag it:  You can always attach a tag to a picture but why not attach it to a journaling card?!  Don’t you think sometimes ‘How on earth am I going to fill up this card with what’s going on?’?  Easy enough, this January kit came with so many tags, use them in this style then your are assured not to stress about the wide open space.
• Journal on an Embellishment:  Find and open space and use it! This feather had a long line of white space to write my thoughts in.  I think it also adds a bit of whimsy when you’re looking for what happened and your eye catches these hidden gems.  It doesn’t have to be a lot of space either.

3.  Write on the Picture:  Yes…You Can!  What is the worst that could happen?! Have to print it out again or cover it up with a tag?  Your hand writing is you and part of who you are. Embrace it and make your layout perfectly you!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXOXO

-Kim

Geek Lab: Try Printing on Velum

When you open that kit and see the specialty paper like a fantastic gold foil and vellum paper in the October Funfetti, you can do just about anything with it and love the results, it’s so pretty on it’s own.

But if your looking for a unusual embellishment to add to your layout, I’ve got an idea for you.  I ran mine through the printer as a journaling piece in a recent layout and I thought you might like to know how.:)

Supplies that I used for this project:

• Inkjet printer
• vellum
• restickable glue stick

Here is what I did:

• Using Word, I typed what I wanted and printed it out.
• With your velum, use the restickable glue stick to attach a piece of velum larger than the printed area taking care to make sure the edges of the velum are secure against the paper.
  • The restickable glue stick is exactly like what is on the back of sticky notes.  It will totally peal of without residue or harm to the surface.
• Insert the paper with vellum attached into printer as before and print your document again.
• Let dry completely before attaching it to your layout.

This process works for all types and kinds of paper and I sure hope you’ll like the results.

I sure did!

XOXO

-Kim