August Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Yeah - August 1st!  Many of us have been waiting all month for today!  There are so many new Close to My Heart products and more that I have to share with you but FIRST up is the August stamp of the month.  This month we have 67 consultants hopping with us and I am excited to see everyone's artwork!  If you have been blogging with us, then you have arrived from Julia's blog here and checked out her totally creative card!  I love the flowers - really?  "wings= flowers"... who knew?


Since this is a huge list, do not worry if you get lost, you can find the entire list on Melinda's blog here.

I love this month's stamp set S1408 What A Hoot!  Can you imagine the possibilities with this stamp set?

I decided to create a single scrapbook layout using my great nephews' pictures from last year.  You are getting a sneak peek of the NEW Halloween paper pack, Complements and new markers! 

Here are the details...

S1408 What A Hoot.

X7185B Scaredy Cat paper pack

X7185C Scaredy Cat Complements

E1029 Marquee Upper case

Z2453  P83 Lavender

Z2467 WG4 Warm Grey

6" x 4" Frames were cut using Cricut Design Space and the Artbooking cartridge.

Colors are  Sunset, Black, Whisper and NEW Thistle

Now it is off to see Melinda's artwork here...  You are not going to believe her awesome artwork is all in just ONE card!

Studio J Snippet #4

Hello Wednesday!

 It must be time for another "Studio J snippet".  Today I am back into the "No Limits" layout.  It is hard for me to get away from this because I can create my own pages as if I were working with paper!

"Studio J snippet #4" - Studio J offers paper packs that we do not sell in the actual paper form. 

 I found a video by the wonderful Am Ulen in which she featured the "True Friends" paper pack and I thought - I TOTALLY forgot about our animal paper pack!


So I created this layout of my favorite furry friend - Harley!

Harley is a rescue dog through Pet Finders.com and he had a few problems.  He is a Bichon and his original owner left him 10-12 hours a day all by himself.  We rescued him (or he rescued us!) and he is our best friend.  Here he is laying by the sliding glass door, usually behind the curtain!

I also found a free digital scrapbook kit here and used the font and quote from the kit to accent my page.

                              

I am almost ready to submit my July Studio J order.  I am excited to finally get so many pages done and IN my scrapbooks!

Why don't you try it out here and see for yourself!

H2H Challenge

Another Monday and it is time for another H2H challenge.  One of the problems of taking a vacation is being able to create a layout or card without your paper crafting supplies BUT" ta...dah" - enter Studio J to the rescue!

The challenge is to use the Picture My Life collections or the My Crush collections for our artwork.  Well I was unable to be at home to finish my project (look for a post later this week) but I was able to create it in Studio J!  

Here is my PML collection using the Jubilee paper pack along with the "No Limits" layout in Studio J.

Once I received the printed layouts, I can cut them and put them in the appropriate Memory Protectors.

Here is the Memory Protectors Design 3 - 4 vertical photos and 4 horizontal photos or cards.

Memory Protectors Design 5 - 3 vertical photos  and 6 horizontal photos or cards.

Perfect to finish the pages for the "Summer Theme" of the layouts.

07/23 Studio J snippet #3

Wow - this summer is just flying by...can you believe it?  It is time again for my Wednesday Studio J snippet #3?!

Snippet #3 - Add WORD ART to your layout to make it pop!

Yesterday I traveled to western New York to visit my family.  I had a 3 hour layover in the Atlanta airport.  So I parked myself in the "Juke Joint" and I had some lunch and worked on my Studio J layout.

One of my favorite ways to use Studio J is make a landscape picture using adjoining photo wells.  My husband took the photos of the gorgeous sunset in Key West and I wanted to create one photo on the right.

Here is the original "Close Up" Studio J layout. 

I added the one photo to both of the photo wells on the right.  I nudged each into place to make one large landscape photo.  I selected both of the photos and moved them to the left to line them up with the edge of the paper.  There was an empty area and I filled it in with the journaling strip and matching paper.  I layered the stickease and added the stitching lines to create the accents on the page.

To create the overlay with the Word Art, I added a photo well, removed the mat and placed it on the page.  You can find the FREE Word Art here

I am thrilled, another 2 page layout DONE! 

Some Like it HOT!

This week's post on the H2H challenge blog is "Some Like it Hot"!  But not ME! It is too darn hot for me at this time of the year in Tampa, Fl.  But it was so fun to create this Studio J layout using the pictures from our Easter vacation to Florida in 1986.

The best part about this layout is - it is DONE!  I scanned the 28 year old photos into my PSE 12 software, cleaned them up a bit and then inserted them into my Studio J layout. I then created the layout using one of the 'special' paper packs from Studio J and now it is ready to print and add to my scrapbook.

You can find some ideas to jumpstart your creativity here.

Here are the rules for all of our challenges.

*Our challenges are open to everyone!

*To enter, use the challenge of the week to inspire you and post your results to your personal blog or other online gallery.

*Be sure to come back here and use a direct link* to your challenge post so we can see your artwork!

*In order to enter a challenge, you must use CTMH products but your project does not have to be 100% CTMH.

*If you use something from another company, please consider including details in your project's description.

* You MUST mention H2H challenges in your blog post (and a link back to us would be appreciated).

*Spread the word about our challenge blog by including our badge on your blog.

*Most importantly, have fun creating - the Close To My Heartway!

Any entries not following the above rules are subject to having their link removed.

(*To direct link, please leave a link that takes us directly to your blog/gallery page that includes your challenge post - not to your blog home page. To do this, after you've published your post, click on the title. That URL in your browser window is the one that you want to copy & paste into Mr. Linky.)

Please join us in celebrating - "Some Like It Hot" - hot weather, hot foods, hot chicks.. OK....anything hot!

Studio J snippets

It must be Wednesday!  Yes, it is and it is time for another "Studio J snippet"! Many times I need a jumpstart for an idea to create my layout because there are times when I only have 2-4 pictures to make a page.  Rather than just stare at the paper, I 'google' ( how about that - a verb not an adjective?!) FREE digital scrapbook pages sketches.

Snippet #2 - Create your own unique scrapbook layouts using FREE digital sketches.

There are many sites out there and one of my searches resulted in this page here.  As I looked through the choices, I found one that will work with my photos.

But in Studio J you have to create a 2 page layout not just one...what to do??  I got this idea from fellow consultant Katy Donaldson Taylor and it is FAB-u-lous...  I created two different layouts using the same paper pack.

Check out her blog post here

SO I looked for another page and some pictures that would work with the Thanksgiving theme.

I decided this one might work....

I decided to use the "No Limits" pattern again so I could create my own layouts. After I scanned my photos and added them to the layout, I had to select a paper collection that would work with both photos.  Her explanation is quite thorough in how to do this ( so no need for me to do it!)

I scanned the photos in and cleaned them up in PSE 12.  I got the idea to add journaling strips to the layout on the left from Amy Ulen's You Tube Video. She is absolutely amazing when it comes to creativity using Studio J!

Here is the video..

Here are a few tips to add when creating with Studio J!

#1 - Try to think outside the box when you are creating your layouts, especially when you have only a few pictures to add to the layout.  
#2 - Don't forget that there are many resources out there to give you ideas to make it uniquely yours.  Just 'google' it!
#3 - The "No Limits" kit is just exactly that!  It can be used in so many different ways!

NEW!! "Studio J snippets"

Starting this week, each Wednesday, I will post a 'snippet' about Close to My Heart's fabulous on-line digital program called Studio J.  Their are so many versatile uses for this program. I dabble in digital scrapbooking using Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 BUT this program is so easy that it takes less time for me to create a quick layout.

Snippet #1 - Create a collage with photo wells and the "No Limits"  pattern.

The first 'snippet' I want to share is creating your own photo wells using Studio J. Check out this You-Tube video.

I started working on my son's wedding album with all of the 600+ photos. My biggest dilemma...... where to begin!'

The first step was to create a "Wedding Photos" album.  Then I decided to try and create this collage using the "No Limits" pattern and following the suggestions from the video.  

I still may tweak it a bit but at least it is saved and ready to go in the album until I am ready to place the order.

Why don't you give it a try?  you can log onto my site here and try it out.  It is under the PRODUCTS dropdown menu- the 3rd one down.  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

H2H Challenge for this week is Up, Up and Away!

Well I have had a hard time NOT singing the song by the 5th Dimension,  so I thought I would share it for all of you out there!


                 

So I know I am dating myself but that's half the fun!  During the winter months there are many mornings when the ' Big Red Balloon' drifts over my house.  Some mornings i wave at them while I am drinking my coffee!  As soon as I hear them I run out with my camera and start shooting my pictures.

This weeks challenge is to create a design focusing on a something in the air!  So I had to create a one page layout with my February pics of the Big Red Balloon!

My colors are pretty basic - Cranberry, White Daisy, Black and Sky...good-bye Sky - I really liked you :(

The Design Space layout is adapted from Make It From Your Heart - Volume 2 Pattern 18.  I love to design my layouts in DS and then cut out only the pieces I can't cut easily without my cutter.  Here is my design idea.

As you can see it looks exactly the same but with a few minor additions, such as chalking the clouds and some black Bakers Twine for the basket. I decided I had better add a month and day, so I would remember when I took the picture!  You can find the Design Space file here.

As always if you have any problems just email and I will see what I can do to help you out.

Enjoy and come joins us for this week's  challenge!

H2H Challenge Blog Design Team member

July 1st brought some exciting news!  I am a Design Team member for the H2H Challenge Blog.  You can find the information in the post here.  But if you have been following my blog then you already know all there is to know about me! :)

                     

This challenge blog is to inspire you to 'amp' up your creativity!  For me, I hope it gets the scrapbook pages finished and in the book!

You can find all of the information and my one page layout for the Red and White Daisy challenge here.  Please join us for the first scrapbook challenge of July!

Tomorrow I will bring you another one page layout!  See you then!

H2H Red and White July Challenge

Welcome to the July Scrapbook challenge with H2H.  This month's challenge is to use the colors of Red and White Daisy.  Here is a picture for inspiration...

For my first post as a member of the H2H Design Team, I created this one page layout.

I love using the Cricut Design Space to design my layouts. I play around with the elements until I get the look I want.  You can find the Cricut Explore file here

I used Z1906 CTMH Artbooking Collection to create the layout.  I added the sparkle with the Z1848 Red Shimmer Trim behind a few stars. I actually used my expensive Bernina 830 machine to stitch on the cardstock (we won't tell Gregor!).  I was trying to create the look of the stitching on his jersey.  The colors I used are Ruby and White Daisy with Pacifica and Whisper.

Please consider joining us this month in the July challenge. Here  are the guidelines for your design.

So remember, show your CTMH pride, scrapbook-style, with

*Any red and White Daisy

*sparkle

*sewing

*optional blue and/or neutrals

You will find the linky for the challenge here