Latest Layout

I'm back working for a few months so I don't have as much time for scrapping and card making.  Rotten timing when it comes to making my Christmas cards.  But thankfully (yes, it is the time to be thankful!) Studio J helps me complete my layouts quickly.  This layout is the last from our trip to Black Butte.  I finally got a photo of our friend Jim.  I didn't have any of him on my camera!  What a great trip!

Glitz Up Your Artwork

Jeanette Lynton's latest blog shows you great tips on how to glitz up and add shine to your artwork.  Here is a card she made using these tips.  It's beautiful! 

 

If you want to see how she does it, click here to go to her blog.  The instructions are detailed and helpful if you want to shine up your creations!

Love Your Layout!

Here's the latest Studio J video, about layering your My Stickease!  It really just adds so much more versatility to your creating!

Sneak Peak!

You'll love the Rock the Block promotion, featuring the new My Acrylix® Rock the Block E-size stamp set (available only during this promotion) and the My Creations® Collage Cubes (a Spring/Summer 2010 sneak-peek product!), available for just $15 with a qualifying purchase. Coming in December!  Let me know if you're interested.

November 2011 Cherish the Day

AUTUMN/WINTER 2011 IDEA BOOK

Cherish the Day, set of 44

Recommended Blocks:
1" × 1" (Y1000)
2" × 2" (Y1003)
2" × 3 1/2" (Y1009)

BEAUTIFUL STAMPS, AMAZING DISCOUNTS

Each month you can enjoy a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5—that’s over 70% off retail! When you place an order of $50 US/$55 CAN or more in Close To My Heart products, you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.

Close To My Heart Holiday Wishes

HOLIDAY WISHES

I love this stamp set!  It's gorgeous and coordinates with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge.  I can't wait to make some Christmas cards with these stamps!  You can get this set, regularly a $17.95 value, for only $5 if you buy $25 in My Acrylix stamp sets*.  But you have to hurry, this deal only lasts through November.  You can buy one Holiday Wishes stamp set for every $25 in qualifying stamp sets you purchase.  They'd make a great gift!  Contact me if you're interested in this great deal!

*Stamp of the Month, K-size customized name stamps, Cricut^® Art Philosophy collection, and Workshops on the Go™ kits do not counttoward a qualifying purchase. Offer valid November 1–30, 2011. Tax and shipping apply.

Baby's Milestones Scrapbook

Posted on November 1, 2011 By Studio J

Pattern: Sideline Surprise^™
Kit: Sophia

Babies grow and change so quickly! That's part of the reason we take so many photos of our little ones—we want to always remember that first smile (or was it just gas?), those enormous baby blue eyes with curly lashes, that special blankie (the only one that will do), and that first tooth peeking through drooly gums.

But being a new mom means having so little time for anything other than the “have-tos” in life. The flurry of burp cloths, diapers, and half-eaten jars of baby food takes over, leaving mamas with little time for recording those sweet, irreplaceable moments. Is baby content in his bouncer? Quick, Mom, hop in the shower! Who has time for anything else? But who can afford to forget those sweet coos and first toddling steps? Moms need a solution: a fast, easy way to capture the stories and photos.

Enter Studio J^®. This program makes scrapbooking so quick and effortless, you can create a couple of layouts during baby’s naptime! And the best part about scrapbooking events as they happen is your memory is fresh with all the details—nothing is lost to time.

Pattern: Imagine: Stars Above^™
Kit: Sophia

Take a look at Jessica Booth’s darling Studio J layouts of her cute baby girl. Jessica recognizes how important it is to capture those memories right away, so she’s doing a month-by-month scrapbook of her baby’s milestones and progress. To make it easy and give continuity to her album, she’s using the Sophia kit for each layout. What a great idea! You can see more of Jessica’s Studio J layouts on her blog.

Make a goal of creating one or two baby layouts per month on Studio J. Years down the road (and as more babies come!), you'll be so glad you scrapbooked those memories while they were current.

Which Do You Like Best?

I'm trying to decide which of these cards I like best.  I need your help.  If you're a crafter you might now what I'm going through.  Your creations are like your kids, it's hard to pick a favorite because you can see why each one is special!  

There's something about the combo of yellow and black that I really like.  I need to use yellow more; I for some reason tend to shy away from it.  The "Congratulations" is heat embossed.  In person you don't see the little spots that show up on this picture.  I think I might need to redo that.

The second one has a splash of red with it.  It looks a little pink in the photo; much better in person.

The last one uses the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  The saying inside says "Hey there cupcake!"

If you could only pick one, which would you pick???  Thanks for your help.  

More "Shape-A-Day"

I have chip board flourishes, sticker flourishes, sparkly flourishes, etc.  It's nice to think that I don't have to buy and keep an inventory of flourishes; I can make them when I need them, and I'll always be able to have them coordinate with my papers.  Awesome.  Here's the latest post from Jeanette Lynton from Close to My Heart regarding how to make flourishes using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.

Many of you are sure to recognize my dear friend Monica and her sweet new baby, Maya, in this layout. If you’re looking for flourishes to add a big WOW to your layouts, the Art Philosophy has several to choose from. This gorgeous splash of color calls on a few different flourishes to achieve its effect.

Shape instructions: You can see several flourishes on page 76 of your Art Philosophy booklet. For the large flourishes used on the left page of this layout, push the “Font Layer” feature key, then shift, and then the second key from the right on the fourth row. These flourishes were cut at 2 ½”.

Jeanette Lynton's Shape-A-Day

Here's the latest Shape-A-Day from Jeanette Lynton's blog.  I like the simplicity of this card, and the colors really work for me!  The Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge makes it so easy.  Love it!

In today’s card, all three heart shapes were cut using different features found on the same button – and, as a result, you can see how the card cut-out, the heart, and the heart outline are perfectly matched.

Shape Instructions: For the basic heart shape, push the sixth key from the left on the top row, with the size set at 1 ¾”. For the outline, leave the size at the same setting and push the same key with the “Layer” feature key activated. For the card, you’ll set the size to 4 ½” and push the same key with the “Card” feature key and shift activated.

Crafting Chicks Giveaway

If you've read any of my other posts, you probably know by now how much I love Studio J, the online scrap booking program from Close to My Heart.  I'm a relatively new Studio J fanatic, and I think Studio J is so easy!  It gives me a great boost in my scrap booking because I can do so many beautiful layouts so quickly.  Don't get me wrong, I still love the traditional scrap book pages too, but I think having both options is such a great benefit.



Well, I'm glad to tell you, there are other Studio J fans out there.  Check out Crafting Chicks giveaway!  They love it so much they're giving it away, free!  They agree that it is so easy and fun to use, and want to share the experience.  So check them out, sign up for the giveaway, I'd love to have one of you win it.  Tell your friends!  And if you don't win, don't worry, contact me and I can get you started.  If you host a gathering, you can use your hostess rewards towards your Studio J purchase.  If you're not in my area, don't worry, we can do an online gathering.  Let me know if you're interested.

I Believe!

I used the Close to My Heart Believe Workshop on the Go Bonus Project to make these next Christmas Cards.  The instructions have two of the cards as Thank You cards but I switched one to Christmas.  I loved how easy these were!!!  And I think they turned out great.  The Holiday Pockets are a great idea, easy but they look great.  I might have to make a few more of these, and I have one Holiday Pocket left!

For my stars on card #2 I used the Art Philosophy cartridge and the Dimensional stars.  So easy, I'm not one who likes to cut free hand.

Christmas Cards!

It's time to start making those Christmas cards!  I like to have all mine made before Thanksgiving, I then spend the next week or so addressing them and they're off!   In the past I've made only one or two cards of each design, mostly because I want to try a lot of different designs and can't decide on just one.  Of course, this takes a lot of time!!!  I'm going to try to be more disciplined this year and do more of each design.

So far I've made the cards from the Close to My Heart Believe and Wonderland Workshops on the Go Bonus Projects, which helped give me a good head start.

Here are the cards I made using the CTMH Wonderland paper packet and Workshop bonus project instructions.  I love the Silver Glitz Glitter Gel!  It took me awhile to get the hang of it, I have sort of a heavy hand!  But once I did, I loved it.  I like the idea of cutting up the Top Coats Icing Overlays and using them on cards.  I think they add a nice touch.  Very blingy!

My Funny Aunt!

I have a great Aunt who's got a terrific sense of humor.  Birthday's and social etiquette are very important to her, so you always get a card from Aunt LaVelle.  But this year my birthday came right after she had heart surgery.  And it was sort of a tough surgery.  She's going to be fine, but the healing process is going to be slow for her I think.  Well, when my birthday came around, it was Columbus Day and so no mail, no birthday card. But my hubby and I were talking and he said it'd be surprising if she had been able to get a card out.  So the next day, when no card showed up, I wasn't surprised.  I was surprised the next day when lo and behold, there it was, my birthday card from Aunt LaVelle.  But the best part of all, it's hilarious!  I love this card!  I've gotten some great cards, and this one has to be one of my top three favorites.  When I called to thank her, she apologized for it being late but she had forgotten there was no mail service on Columbus Day!  What a gal.  Thank you Aunt LaVelle!

Inside it says "Hope your birthday is full of lasting memories."  Perfect!!!
(the card is from American Greetings, written by Jackie Tilton and designed by Jack Delaney.)

SVN Retreat 2010

This layout is of the Sperry Van Ness Retreat in 2010.  I used the Studio J online scrap booking program. I played around a bit with the paper styles and colors.  I also experimented with copying and re-sizing the embellishments.

While Supplies Last!

New items have been added to the "While Supplies Last" section of my Close to My Heart website, including Bliss paper packs for just $3.25, Miracle paper packs for $5.50 and your LAST chance at the retired sizes of our acrylic blocks! You can combine your order for these deals with regular priced items as well! Spend $55 and get this month's AWESOME stamp of the month for just $5.50!   Click here to start shopping!


     

My plan to get current (or at least closer to current) on my scrapbooking, is to use Studio J for the "new stuff". The older photos I'll use the traditional scrapbooking.

So here's a layout of my day at the pool with Pam and Charlotte!  I love this paper for pool pictures.  And Charlotte was such fun!

This layout uses the Dreamin' Kit from Studio J.  I tried the Double Mat technique on the photograph on the left.  

Love Your Layout

I didn't realize you could crop the My Stickease in the Studio J program.  I guess I never thought of it.  Another reason I love the Studio J videos that come out.  They really remind me to experiment and try new things.  Here's a video that shows how they cropped the stickease to make this beautiful layout.  You really need to try Studio J, and it's free!  Just click here to access it from my CTMH site.

Jeanette's Shape a Day - are you following it?

Love this card! I haven't made too many envelopes with the Art Philosophy cartridge, but think I might try it next.  I've enjoyed following her Shape A Day posts!

jeanettelynton.com: Shape-a-Day: Day 10

www.jeanettelynton.com

I could not love this card any more! Imagine my excitement when I'm perusing through my blogs in google reader and look twice at this card, only to be pleasantly surprised with the fact that it's using the new AP cartridge! I'm a new cricut owner, thanks to the AP cartridge and this card is really g...

I feel overwhelmed with all the projects I want to do!  Cards seem to get done first because they seem easier and quicker.  You can see something for your effort much quicker then with a layout.  Here are some cards I made.  I love this first one, it uses the Close to My Heart Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain ribbon that I love. I was looking for a project to use it with and this is what I came up with.  I also used the Dreamin' paper packet.  I need more of this paper, it is so versatile.  

This second one uses the Sweethome paper packet and the Neighborhood stamp set.

This last one also uses the Sweet home paper packet.  The stamp set is Welcome Home and Thank you.

We just spent three nights at Black Butte Ranch in Central Oregon.  It's a beautiful spot and we hadn't been there for awhile.  It's one of our favorite places to get away, maybe do some golfing, go on long walks, and just  enjoy nature and relaxing.  Here are two Studio J layouts of the trip.  I'm still working on a third.

This first layout I tried adding text to a ribbon.  I like how it turned out.  

And on the second layout and changed a text well to a photo well.  I liked this paper pack for Black Butte!

Become a Close to My Heart Consultant Now!

Now is a great time to become a Close to My Heart Consultant!  If you sign up in October, you not only get the new consultant kit for $99, but you get a free add-on! Click here to see more.

Sign up as a new Consultant between October 1–31 and receive one New Consultant Kit add-on collection of your choice FREE! Add-on collections are priced at $40 each and have a retail value of $80, making this an incredible deal!

For just a $99 enrollment fee, you'll receive a New Consultant Kit packed with business essentials and new products valued at over $280, plus a FREE add-on collection to enhance your kit! Then you can choose to buy one or both of the other add-on collections for just $40 each. It's an incredible deal!  Contact me today to get in on this great deal! 


Not sure if you would want to be a Close to My Heart Consultant?  As a consultant you can purchase CTMH product at great discount.  Many people sign up just for the discounts, and then end up making it a career.  There are many incentive programs that make it worthwhile.  It's also a great way to make money doing something you love.  You can work it as much or as little as you want.  It's a great company to work with and the quality of the products are something of which you can be proud.  Interested?  Let's talk!

Check out the October Stamp of the Month from Close to My Heart!  The link will take you to the CTMH site where there are examples of layouts and cards you can make with the set.  You can get this beautiful stamp set, just in time for the holidays, for just $5 - that's over 70% off retail!!!  You can get this special price when you place an order of $50 or more in Close to My Heart products.  But hurry, it's only available until October 31!  Let me know if you're interested.

jeanettelynton.com: Announcing Cricut Shape-a-Day!

www.jeanettelynton.com

Close to My Heart's founder Jeanette Lynton is starting a Cricut Shape-a-Day project on her blog.  She'll feature a different Cricut shape from the Art Philosophy cartridge every day!  It's a great place to get inspiration for your next project!

Here's a great video from Close to My Heart Studio J, which shows you different techniques to increase the flexibility of Studio J.  It shows how to best use your photos and size them correctly in Studio J.  I love how they use to photo wells for one photo.  Check it out, it's very clever!

Halloween Cards Using CTMH Spray Pen

I got the idea for this card from Heather Jane Design.  I changed it up a bit.  I used the Close to My Heart (all products are CTMH) Spray Pen to give the moon some dimension.  I used the Color Ready Craft Borders, the August Stamp of the Month - Wicked, Mischief paper packet, Black Brads, and the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge (for the moon!).

Studio J Basics

Do you or a friend want to learn the step-by-step basics of Close to My Heart Studio J online scrapbooking program?  Here's a video from CTMH that will have you scrapping like a pro in no time!

Thank You and Congratulation Cards!

I received an order for Thank You and Congratulation cards.  The customer will be using them in her real estate business, so we want a professional and simple.  Here'a a few of them.

(All products are Close to My Heart unless stated otherwise.)

This first card uses the Mischief paper packet and the September Stamp of the Month-Limited Edition and Chocolate stamp pad.  The Colonial White cardstock is embossed using the Cuttlebug embossing folder, Leafy Branch.

The second card is very simple, using the Cuttlebug Scrollwork embossing folder, For Every Occasion stamp set, Flutter Just Blooms Paper Shapes, and the Bling Assortment for the stick pin.

This last one uses Cuttlebug Allegro embossing folder, Silhouette paper packet with Cranberry cardstock and ink, and Life is So Good stamp set.

Roxie Card

Here's a card I made using the Close to My Heart Roxie paper packet and other CTMH products.  I got the idea for the card from Betsy Gully at Paper Boutique.  It's a beautiful card.  I switched it up just a bit with the sentiment on the other side.  I also used the Card Chatter-Sympathy stamp set (D1476), Designer Antiquated Copper Brads and Desert Sand ink pad.  The inside of the card says "You are in my prayers."

I almost made this a Christmas card.  I think it has that vintage Christmas look.  What do you think?

Photo Editing with Studio J

I used to think I needed to edit my photos prior to loading them into Studio J.  But Studio J provides flexibility for you to edit your photos right in Studio J.  You can edit settings, such as brightness and contrast, and many others.  This video helps you understand all the editing options available.  Close to My Heart provides many videos and tips for using Studio J, so you're never left in the dark!

September Stamp of the Month

September 2011 Limited Edition

CLOSE TO MY HEART OFFERS BEAUTIFUL STAMPS AT AMAZING DISCOUNTS

Each month you can enjoy a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5—that’s over 70% off retail! When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products, you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing. If you want, you can purchase it for the retail price of $17.95, but why would you?  If you're interested, contact me.  But hurry, this offer expires September 30!

Limited Edition, set of 21

Recommended Blocks:
1" × 3 1/2" (Y1002)
2" × 2" (Y1003)
2" × 3 1/2" (Y1009)