Clique Kits Design Team Blog Hop

Clique Kits  Design Team Blog Hop  

Hello there!

I am so excited to welcome you all to my blog today (you have just come from Candace's blog). It is still so surreal to realize that i am part of the Clique Kits design team 2016-2017, working with their awesome kits, and the rest of the talented designers.  

Most of you are wondering who i am.  Well, let me introduce myself in a few words by answering a few fun questions.

My name is Nathalie DeSousa,  I am a stay at home wife/mom of two teens and a dog.   I love my God-given life, my family and friends, photography, crafts, reading, good coffee, and soccer.  HEre are some other fun facts:

1.  What is my favorite color?...    I love black.  There is something about it that makes it elegant, yet mysterious.  I love how it can complement and contrast all colors.  I just love it!

2.  What's your favorite song right now?...  This one is  a bit tricky for me, but can I say anything Adele.

3.  Who inspires you?...  I find inspiration everywhere, but if i had to define it... I would say my mom is who has inspired me to become the person that I am today.  We are so similar, yet so different, but I have always admire her.

4.  Favorite book?...  I love to read.  So it is hard to pick a single book, however I can say that I read my Bible every day, and i have been known to binge read the Harry Potter series a few times a year.

5.  Favorite Movie?...  There are so many movies i love, but one of my all time favorites is a Spanish movie (Spanish is my native language) called, "El Hijo de la Novia" - The Son of the Bride.  If you ever run into it, watch it, you will love it, too.

6.  Favorite Snack?...   This is an easy answer:  Dark chocolate (the darker, the yummier!), and gummy bears.

7.   What is your favorite food?...  Another easy one:  Ecuadorian food in general, and carrot cake, in no particular order.

8.  Where would you like to visit someday?... It has always been a dream of mine to go to Australia, and New Zealand.   My wanderlust has a soft spot for those countries.

9.  Who got me into scrapbooking?... I think I got myself into scrapbooking as I became a mom.  As a child, my mom took pictures of us (but they were destroyed when they were stored in a humid environment), so I chose to document my kids in a way that i could preserve all memories forever.

10.  How many years have you been scrapbooking?... I have journal my life since I can remember, but started scrapbooking when my kids were born -though time was limited then-.  It was once they got older that I started to spend more time surrounded by pretty paper.

11.  Favorite Manufacturer?...  I really don't have a favorite manufacturer,  I simply love pretty paper!


 Now I get to share some inspiration with you!  I have created a few layouts with the beautiful
  Pink Paislee's Take Me Away collection available  in the Clique Store.   For this page, I am documenting my niece's 8th birthday celebration by trying to recreate the cupcakes we shared on her celebration.

I used the Clique Kits's XOXO kit cut file to create the cupcakes that surround the picture; however, I did not use my digital machine to cut the paper, but chose to cut each piece using the printable version of the cut file.   I have created this video to show you how I built the layout:

Here are a few more close ups of the project:

I love the combination of texture and dimension in this cluster of cut-outs and fussy cut pieces.

A close up to the detail in the cupcake cut-outs.

Here is the second project created with the same paper collection, Pink Paislee's Take Me Away.   This page documents my daughter and niece after enjoying some ice cream on Easter Day.

I used a cut file from Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine, and vellum to soften the layout.  The cut-out was backed with papers from the collection using foam adhesive (also available at the Clique Store) to ensure dimension to the layout.  Here are a few more close ups of the layout:

I love to add dimension to my pages.

A close up of the picture in the layout.

I am so thankful to God, and all the Clique Kits's girls (Gia, Lacey, Erica & Nicole) for the opportunity.  I look forward to sharing with all of you my work as I get to document memories with these beautiful kits.

Don't forget to leave comments in the blogs as you continue to visit the rest of the Design Team, there is a prize for a lucky comment.

You can always find me on social media as Tachita55 (my nickname since birth), i would love to hear from you!.


See you all soon!

Now you are off to visit Melissa's Blog.

In case you missed any of the DT members, here is the line-up for the day:

Clique Kits http://www.cliquekits.com/
 Maryam Perez-Chile http://maryamperez.blogspot.ca/
Audrey Yeager-New York http://audreysreflection.blogspot.ca/
Caroli Schulz-Chile www.carolinaschulz.com
Candace Perkins- http://findingeverydayperfection.com/
YOU ARE HERE  -->> Nathalie DeSousa-Canada http://tachita55.blogspot.ca/   <<--

 Melissa Elsner-Washington http://theprofoundbrunette.com  <<<NEXT STOP

Magali Le Luc-Canada http://blogladybird.blogspot.ca/
Dani Brown-California https://danibscraps.wordpress.com/
Enza Gudor-Washington https://creativefindingsblog.wordpress.com/
Steph Gold-Arizona http://goldensimplicity.com/
Nicole Martel-Maryland http://nicolemartel.blogspot.com

World Card Making Day 2016 (Clique Kits)

Cards created for World Card Making Day 2016  -on line crop- for Clique Kits.

Hello,

 In case you didn't know, today is World Card Making Day, and the new Clique Kit's design team is holding an on-line crop live on its Facebook page, THE CLIQUE.   We will be giving away prizes, to a lucky member who completes our challenges, plus you can collect all the sketches and cut files used in the Clique Kits store, and throughout the crop time.

For my time slot, I will be using this sketch designed by Maryam Perez (the youngest member of the Clique Kits DT ) to create a card for my challenge Cut File and Vellum.

For this card, I am using the beautiful Sapphire kit from Clique Kits, a cut file (available at the Clique kits facebook page, and some vellum).

For the first card, i followed the sketch to the last detail.   Here is the card:

Since I was left with the negative pieces of the cut-file, I used them to create another card using the sketch as inspiration, here is the second card created:

For the second card, i used some back stitching in the place of the cut lines, and used a banner with a mirror piece as my sentiment.

I hope you will join me, and the rest of the design team, as we go live as of 9 am CST.  If you would like to purchase the kit, please visit Clique Kits (you can use the code NATHALIE10, to get 10% off your purchases).  

Thanks for visiting today, and 

Happy Card Making Day!

World Card Making Day 2016 (Scrapbook Nerd)

Card created for Scrapbook Nerd (World Card Making Day 2016).

Hello there,

Today we celebrate World Card making Day!

I am not a full time card-maker, but I do enjoy making them.   To celebrate today's special occasion, Scrapbook Nerd is holding an on-line crop.  Here is the link to the forum where you will find all the challenges, sketches and prizes.

My card is a combination of  some of my favorite techniques: watercolor, cut files and embossing.

I started by creating a background on watercolor paper with my new Prima palettes (i love them!).   While it dried, I used a stamp to emboss my sentiment on heavy vellum.

I used Clique Kits September kit to create the dreamcatcher cut-out, that is the centerpiece of the card.   Using foam adhesive, i added dimension to the card.   I used a second piece of vellum to mat the watercolor background, before attaching it completely to the card.  Here is the final card:

You are welcomed to visit Scrapbook Nerd forum to see what the rest of the design team created for this date.

Till next time!

Materials Used:

-White cardstock - American Crafts

4x6in watercolor paper  

Pastel confections  watercolor palette - Prima

Cut file - September Kit exclusive - Clique Kits

Vellum - MInc collection - Heidi Swapp

Stamp - Yes God collection - Pinkfresh Studio

Gold embossing powder - ZING

Sequin - Birthday Bash collection - Pink Paislee