Don't Just Follow Your Dreams, Chase Them - JustNick Studios and Clique Kits

Hello blogging friends!

School is winding down here in the states and another of my nephews is graduating! I just received his grad party invite in the mail along with a photo and had to use the new JustNick Studios  Dreamcatcher_1 digital cut file to scrap it. The dreamcatcher is perfect for him as he is part American Indian.

I placed my title on the left side of my photo as I did not want to cover up too much of my dreamcatcher. Of course my title had to contain the word dream! To keep the dreamcatcher from being too busy I limited myself to just 3 different pattern papers.

This is my 5th layout with the May Clique Kit featuring the Fancy Pants Designs Attwell collection and I still have plenty of paper left for a few more layouts I think! I thought that feather pattern paper in the collection was perfect for the dreamcatcher. I also used the feather washi tape that was an add on.

Here is the Dreamcatcher_1 cut file I used...

I hope you snatched up the free cut files last weekend from JustNick Studios for International Scrapbook Day. This Dreamcatcher 1 file was one of the freebies.

Thanks for stopping by. 

~Marcia

Be The Change - Clique Kits and JustNick

Hello blogging friends!

I am back today with my 4th layout using the May Clique Kit Northern Lights. Since I am not a PL scrapper, I like to look for new ways to use those PL cards that are in every Clique Kit. This PL card stood out for me; 'Let your smile change the world, but don't let the world change your smile'. I knew I wanted to use it on a layout ... and lucky for me my daughter left this selfie on my phone, lol. Maybe the political campaign is getting to me as this layout reminds me of the Bernie Sanders commercial Together. He really does have the best political commercials out there.

I used a JustNick digital cut file called Bits and Pieces Heart. If you look closely you can see I cut apart another PL card and used it to fill my negative space behind my cut file. Since that Smile PL card contained blues and purples, I then choose blues, purples, white and black pattern papers from the Basic Grey Urban Luxe and Fancy Pants Designs Attwell collections to fill the remaining negative spaces.

 

I left the rest of my layout relatively simple. Because I wanted to keep the heart shape prominent, I added embellishments on top of my photo. That Hey Chica die cut also went with my color scheme. I added a few alpha stickers and a puffy heart sticker from the Fancy Pants Attwell collection. I tucked a tag behind my photo for my journaling.

 

I hope I inspired you to give those PL cards another look when using them on your next layout.

Thanks for stopping by.
~Marcia

Honolulu Skyline - Clique Kits

Hello blogging friends!

I am back today with another Honolulu layout using the gorgeous papers from the Basic Grey Urban Luxe collection. This one captures the skyline at night. Our hotel with its partial ocean view was the ideal spot to watch the fireworks. Who knew that every Friday night, there are fireworks over the harbor! What a wonderful surprise!! Here is my layout ...

   

I love using my Silhouette sketch pens to embellish my background paper. With the skyline photos, I thought it would be really cool to add a sketched skyline to my layout. I used a platinum sketch pen so it would have some shimmer and stand out against the black background. Some splattered white paint and a few stars complete the skyline look. Aren't those emoticon cloud die cuts adorable! They are a Clique exclusive.

 

Since the top of my layout was so dark, I wanted the lower half to pop with color. I cut several circles the same size out of a variety of pattern papers. Then I scored a square in the middle of each one. This made it easier to fold the edges of the circles to the inside.

   

 Yes, it is a bit labor intensive, but the result is eye catching.

 

 

With all that color, I didn't go too crazy with other embellishments. I love this flair button from the Fancy Pants Attwell collection and those Richard Garay matte enamel dots.

   

I hope you give this paper folding technique a try. It's lots of fun and is a good way to use up lots of scraps. 

 Thanks for stopping by!

~Marcia

Today Love Blooms - JustNick and Clique Kits

Hello blogging friends!

It's Spring and I have been out cleaning out my flower beds to prepare them for planting this year and my husband has already put my water fountain out. He gave me this fountain as an anniversary gift over 15 years ago. I could probably count the material gifts he has given me over the years on one hand, but when he does buy me something, he knows my heart. Keeping this fountain running is a labor of love for him, a gift he continues to give me each year. I can't tell you how many people have walked up to me while I was outside and offered to buy it from me straight out! No Way!!! That fountain is way too precious.

I thought I would use the gorgeous Fancy Pants Designs Attwell papers from my May Clique Kit to document this awesome gift along with some fabulous cut files from JustNick.



That background paper is so beautiful, but I did not want my photos to get lost. Framing them with the Spiral Background cut twice from white cardstock really helps keep them from blending into the background. The spirals are so similar to some of my floral die cuts too.



Some black Stems really pop against all that vivid color.



I used two different cut files to create my title; "Today" from the Today Forever Always cut file, and the "Love" from the Word 3 cut file.



Here are all the cut files I used today.

Thanks for stopping by.
~Marcia

Waikiki Beach - Clique Kits

Hello blogging friends!

I am so excited to be kicking off the May Clique Kit inspiration!! Have you see the kit? It features the Fancy Pants Designs Attwell collection AND the Basic Grey Urban Luxe collection plus lots of Clique exclusives. I LOVE it all!

 

Those Urban Luxe papers were talking to me. I thought they would be perfect for scrapping photos of Honolulu from our recent trip to Hawaii and what could be more urban luxe than Waikiki Beach ...

   

 My favorite pattern paper from the Urban Luxe collection is that floral background paper. I tore the piece of corrugated cardboard so the edges would be distressed. I added a little gesso to soften the edges. Then I placed another piece of pattern paper on top. I clustered two smaller photos in the lower left corner and placed a larger photo in the opposite corner.

 

This die cut is one of the Clique exclusive cut files this month. I love how intricate it is. The flair in the kit this month is part of the Attwell collection. There is even a fabulous roll of yellow chevron washi tape!

 

Here is another flair button from the kit along with these fabulous Richard Garay matte enamel dots. I used a couple of the tags behind my photos to hold my journaling.

   

 The heart is one of the Clique exclusive ephemera die cuts. I combined it with more enamel dots and a puffy arrow sticker.

   

 We recently had a user in the Clique Facebook group ask how to import the Clique cut files into the Silhouette software. She had just gotten a Silhouette Cameo!!  I wanted to share with you my method of storing my Clique cut files in my Silhouette library. I like to be able to browse through all my designs. It reminds me of files I might otherwise forget about. I created a folder just for my Clique Kit cut files. To create a new folder, right click on My Library, select New Folder. Give your folder a name (like Clique Kits). Then left click your new Clique Kits folder to select it. The right side should be empty (if you just created the folder).

 

To extract your downloaded files. Open up the zipped file and select which ones to extract and click the Extract button. If you do not have the deluxe software version that allows you to cut SVGs, you want to look for the Studio files.

 

Now open your download directory where your unzipped files are located. Arrange your windows so you can see both your downloaded files (on the left) and your Silhouette Clique Kits folder (on the right). Select one, (or a range of files you want to move) drag the files to the Silhouette Clique folder. I store my printables and cut files together.

   

 It's really that easy!  

 I hope I am getting you all excited to receive your May Clique Kit! Thanks for stopping by.

~Marcia