Mmmm - embellishing...

... my printed Studio J layouts :)

This was FUN! Only working with embellishments and my sewing machine. No paper, no pictures, no trash, no trimmers ext. all over the place. I am really liking this new Studio layout thing!!!

Here I am with my layouts all ready to go - they don't look digital do they :)...

I took some (bad/blurry) close-ups to share with you all. And I will start with the layout that I embellished the least...

- - - 1) whole layout here

I DIDN'T add real ribbon (loved how this title turned out)...

... I added a few staples (loved this circle tag as well)...

... and some real snaps where the digital big brads were (I didn't distress - that ink is printed on)...

- - - 2) whole layout here

I DIDN'T add real ribbon on this one either, but I added some brads (loved the vellum look under the title area here - I never use vellum anymore on my Classic layouts)...

... and some sewing (so easy to add to the Studio layouts - it was great)...

- - - 3) whole layout here

On this one I added decorative brads to the title (love the Studio J Fonts)...

... and some twill to where the digital ribbon was, but that photo hanger I left digital and stuck a real brad in it (totally cute!)...

... I also added some sewing and some swirly clips (the torn paper looks so real!)...

- - - 4) whole layout here

This one was fun. I added some liquid glass to the title, and some real buttons where the digital ones were...

... I also added real ribbon where the digital ribbon was...

... and some sewing in brown :)...

- - - 5) whole layout here

This one was the MOST fun to embellish - I just couldn't stop! I cut the title letters out and popped them up! I sewed in brown again...

... I added real ribbon where the digital ribbon was...

... and real embellishments where the digital embellishments were...

I loved doing all this - It was so fast and easy to have 5 COMPLETELY finished layouts!!!

• I don't think I would have titled the way I did if it wasn't a Studio layout.
• I definitely would NOT have journaled yet.
• I would not have embellished in the patterns I did.

This really got me out of my box and I had a GREAT time doing it!

My layouts are now already slipped into their spots in their albums and with them there I can't even tell the difference between my Studio layouts and my Classic layouts! I am LOVIN' this!

Now that I have officially received my printed layouts and was able to work a little more with them and get them into their place in an album... I can say I would recommend Studio J to any Classic scrapper anyday!

Another Studio J Layout

Today I got two things off my To-Do list for Sunday Scrappin'!

Not only did I plan the pics for this new layout today... I also MADE the layout today! I am really lovin' how fast I get things done with Studio J!

Not only this, but I also ordered my first 5 Studio Layouts! :)

They are still running the special if you want to jump on board... receive free Memory/Page Protectors if you order 5-9 layouts and free Memory/Page Protectors + free shipping/handling if you order 10-20 layouts.

Here is my layout...

When I receive this layout from the printers I am planning on taking my sewing machine to it a little with some white thread :).

I might also add some liquid glass to the title for a little pop of dimension. I LOVE that stuff!

More Studio J...

This is what I've been doing tonight :) while I sit around with a stiff neck :(

I think this is my favorite Studio layout yet. Of coarse it might be because I already knew and totally loved this "You Rock" line of paper!...

Or I think it might be my title that goes with the star paper :)...

I also really like how easy it was to journal directly on the "empty" space in my son's picture...

It could just be all the yummy pictures of my son that are effecting me also though!!! :)

Remember, if you want to try Studio J, it's free.

And there is a special introductory sale right now... if you get 5-9 layouts printed you receive free Memory/Page Protectors and if you get 10-20 layouts printed, you receive free Memory/Page Protectors + free shipping/handling!!!

Studio J - Launches Today!

Yep - yep - you heard me right.

I have been showing you some of my digi layouts from Studio J, and I even made another one to share with you today (below).

I am very excited about this. I got a new My CTMH - website just so you gals can try Studio J for yourselves. If you like it, then you can also order through me as your consultant.

But I am also excited to say that you can order ANY Close to My Heart products from my new site any time you want, and they will be shipped right to you :)!

Studio J is unlike other "traditional" digi scrapping. You don't have to buy all the digi scrap kits, store them on your computer, coordinate everything yourself, and have a big honkin' printer to print them from home. Studio J is all online, it does all the guess work for you and it's free (until you purchase your layouts of coarse :).

All you do is...

1. Upload your photos (anywhere from 2 to 15).
2. Resize and edit your photos - if necessary.
3. Select from CTMH's many pre-coordinated kits (even retired ones you can no longer purchase as tangible papers).
4. Choose a pre-set layout design/pattern.
5. Personalize it with text, embellishments and more.
6. Then have it printed and shipped!

I am not normally a "digi-scrapper" at all, and I am really lovin' Studio J!

They are even holding an introductory special right now to receive free Memory/Page Protectors if you order 5-9 layouts and free Memory/Page Protectors + free shipping/handling if you order 10-20 layouts. Score!

I don't know about you, but I'm shootin' for free shipping and handling :).

Here's my recent layout.

I love that after I get it printed I will be able to add tangible CTMH products to it before I stick it in my daughter's album.

I also love that Studio J MAKES me HAVE to journal!

When I scrapbook with tangible products I tend to always leave a spot for the journaling and tell myself I will do it later! In these layouts, they are not complete and ready to print without journaling! :)

I don't tend to use My Stickease - stickers from CTMH - in my tangible layouts either, but I LOVE them in Studio scrapbooking... mostly because you can resize them all you want! :)

Now GO and SEE what you can create in Studio J. And enjoy :).

Scrapbooking on my Mind

I had scrapbooking on my mind today. I actually almost thought today was National Scrapbook Day and I was missing it.

So I decided to try to do SOMETHING scrapbookie :)

I organized my extra things and made a list of all that I would like to sell, I will post it on here sometime soon if you are looking for some good (well priced) stuff :)

I was even more excited when I realized NEXT Saturday is National Scrapbook Day and I WASN'T missing it!

So now I have a week to possibly have something planned.

Noticing I had that much time made me think of past NSD's and what I have done. Last year I got to go on my first Scrapbook Retreat! Three years ago I threw a little one day blog party. And two years ago I threw a TWO WEEK blog party! This bought back sad memories and a conviction! You see I planned 10 gifts to give and STILL have not sent ANY of them! SLACKER!!! The Bible say to "let your yes be yes and your no be no", which pretty much means do what you say you're going to do... conviction!

So I also started getting those old gifts ready to ship! :)

And while I was working on all that I got a happy surprise... Today's mail...

The new Close to My Heart Summer Catalog came! Let me know if you want one!

And I got THE CUTEST baby shower invitation! (Don't pay attention to the swirly parts, it doesn't really look like that, I just blurred out the personal info on it so I could show it to you!)

Isn't it amazing???!

So what do you all have planned for National Scrapbook Day next week?

Sunday Scrappin'

For Scrappin' Sunday we share our "ta-da's" and our "to-do's" to keep us motivated each week. Join me...

TA-DA - I got a lot done this week...

I'll start with what I got done off my to-do list.

Well at least the ones I can take pictures of, because I did make my CTMH order and I did learn most of my camera, but here I made one more Studio J layout!

It's one of my daughter's two layouts for her year of being 4 :).

It's always fun to narrow down a year of favorite photos! The top one in the brown sweaters, they were pretending to be Ewoks. The bottom one was from her poising for "P90x pics" :).

The paper and stickease used here are from CTMH's Magic Moments line.

The other things I got done this week are...

• I chose all the photos for the 2 layouts of my older daughter's 5th year. (2nd half are in the layout above)
• I also designed a collage to make an 8x10 flip-book out of. I plan to hide it under an 8x10 pic from the 1st half of those photos. It will be labeled "the things you do"... It is her art projects, her silly things, her buildings, her drawings, and her bad things :).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• I also chose all the photos for the 2 layouts of my younger daughter's 2nd year.
• I started planning the second layout for those photos with a May 2009 PageMaps sketch...
  
  
  
  
• I also got some "Classic" scrapbooking done. On Saturday I went to my S.I.L.'s house to hang out. Here is the first layout...
  
  
  
  Most of the product here is CTMH as well, accept for the lace ribbon, the crystals and the white rub-ons. The line of paper is Perfect Day.
  
  
  
  This is the first time I used the technique to bunch my ribbon up like that, and I love it.
  
  
  
  Another thing I love is to lightly distress the paper after I put white rub-ons down to make them stand out...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  But I only do it with white rub-ons, not any other color.
  
  
  
  MMM, I also like to layer my embellishments. Ribbon, flower, bow, button, crystals :)
  
  
  
  
• Here is the second layout...
  
  
  
  Both these classic (non digi) layouts are for my younger daughter's baby/birth to one year album. My other two have their baby album's done. And this one I have 9 out of 22 layouts complete so far.
  
  
  
  The colors didn't come out so good on the pics of these layouts - still learning that camera - maybe I need to experiment with the ISO.
  
  
  
  The paper used here is not CTMH, but I did use my Twilight colored inkpad (favorite) for these letters and some of my distressing. Along with my Garden Green and my Blush, I always find my ink colors matching right up, I love it!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I used my new CTMH Outdoor Demin marker here - another color that is always perfect that I love.
  
  
  
  These are my new Twilight colored corduroy button brads, distressed with twilight ink of coarse!
  
  
  
  And these are my all time favorite CTMH photo hangers! love loVE LOVE these, maybe that's why there are three :). I also have the names of my three kids on these three strips of paper, but I don't share their names here on my blog so I blanked them out.
  
  

I told you I got a lot done :).

Now onto my running TO-DO list...

1. Make a wedding card.
2. Scrapbook again this week.
3. Plan more layouts.