Graduation Announcements and So Much More in Studio J!

Hey everyone!  I have a pretty cool idea to share today, so I am glad you stopped in!

You might not know it, but Close to My Heart has an online digital scrapbooking program called Studio J.  You also might not know that it is completely free to try and set up an account.  This month all the two page layouts are just $5 each!  They are regularly $6.95, so now is a great time to try it out.  I don't have nearly the time to catch up on all my scrapbooks the traditional way, so I use Studio J to catch up in between.  You even get a JPG file of the layouts you purchase to use however you would like!

Last year at Christmas time my upline posted a fantastic idea to use Studio J for her Christmas Cards.  Well, I just finished designing my daughter's graduation announcements with it!  I didn't have to buy the usual, ordinary ones from the sale at school...I made them myself for one low price!

You can fit four journaling wells on a page in Studio J by sizing them at 4 x 8 inches.  I let Kaylee pick the papers to use, and she immediately settled on one of the current paper packs, Ivy Lane.  Did you know that you can use many of our retired paper packets in Studio J?  Yep!  Have a favorite paper that you miss?  Go try it in Studio J!  :)

I used the extra 4 x 4 spot on the page to create an invitation to her graduation party that I can just slip into the announcement envelope too!  :)  I just LOVE all the possibilities with this program!  Need invitations for anything?  Birth announcements?  Studio J is the answer!

So, with the sale, my announcements are only $0.63 each!  Even at regular price they are only $0.87 a piece!  That figure doesn't even include the invitations that are free!  :)

Shipping for Studio J is also fantastic.  You can have up to 50 two page layouts shipped for just $5.95!  Wow!

AND, remember, you can also SCRAPBOOK in Studio J!  ;)  Here is a layout I made with the retired La Belle Vie papers...

AND did you know you can print out ALL KINDS of sizes of pictures to fit in your layouts you make with the CTMH Workshops on the Go kits?  Check out this layout of pictures I sized for different layouts I am planning...

Alright, who wants to play in Studio J today?  Go set up your free account HERE on my website.  If you want to make your own photo cards or announcements instead of scrapbook layouts, you can see the directions on my upline, Mandy Leahy's Blog HERE.  Have fun!  :)

Be sure to join my Rewards Club Gathering to qualify to win FREE products this month in my Mystery Hostess giveaway!  :)

 

Close to My Heart Flip Stand Album Take Two!

Alright, I promised you more Flip Stand Album pages, and I finally have another one to share!  Yay!
I am linking up with the Muse Challenge this week as I incorporated elements including the butterfly, script paper, and sentiment flag from this lovely card by Vickie Dutcher.

 Here is the 6 x 5.5 inch page that I created using the Ivy Lane Paper Packet and Smoothie CS.

How much do you love this gorgeous butterfly!  I stamped it in a special way using the image from the new Dreamer My Acrylix from Close to My Heart.  It is the first thing I thought of when I saw the Muse butterfly.  I stamped the butterfly on scratch paper first and trimmed it out.  Then I placed that image on the page and stamped the image again right over the cut out in Smoothie Exclusive Ink.  It left an amazing outline of the butterfly on the background!  I stamped another one to cut out and adhere on top with the wings folded up slightly.  I LOVE how this looks!  Just like on the Muse card, I added three Purple Glitter Gems to the body of the butterfly for some bling.

That adorable BFF badge in this cluster is found in the Lollydoodle Assortment.  I used the brand new Topiary Mini Chevron Ribbon as little leaves for my flowers like I did a while ago with a ribbon on THIS TAG for Heart 2 Heart Challenges last year.

The rest of the stamped images on my page are from the Lollydoodle Workshop on the Go Scrapbooking Kit that I gave you a peek of over the weekend HERE.  I covered a piece of White Daisy CS with this Smoothie Striped Washi Tape to make a little flag with the sentiment.  I did this trick with the centers of the flowers as well.

I adore the little journal box sentiment in the picture below.  I used a simple, but oh so effective technique to create it in two colors.  First I put the image on my block upside down (with the side you are supposed to stamp with stuck to the block) and inked it up in Sky Exclusive Ink.  Then I flipped the stamp over to the real image and inked it up in Black to stamp directly over that image!  You can use this trick for many different symmetrical stamps, and Close to My Heart makes ONLY clear Acrylic stamps that work like this!

Behind the journaling is a peek of script patterned paper in the Ivy Lane Paper Packet trimmed at the bottom with some of the greatest product ever invented--Purple Shimmer Trim!!!  This self-adhesive glitter tape has an endless number of non-messy uses!  :)

I love how this page just came together!  This is a really nice size to work with for a change.  Bigger than a card, but smaller than the standard 12 x 12 layout.  You should really give it a try!  You can pick up the Designed Decor Flip Stand Album on my website HERE!

Damask Divas Ivy Lane Blog Hop!

 Hello, my crafty peeps!  Welcome back for another edition of the Damask Divas Blog Hop!  This time, we are debuting the BRAND NEW Ivy Lane Paper Packet! Our entire hop goes live on February 1st, so all of the links will be working by then--please bear with us as we get the kinks out and help our newest Divas get the hang of this thing!  :)

If you came from Jessica's blog, then you are on the right path!  If not, feel free to start at the beginning over at the Damask Divas Blog where you can see the entire line-up of Divas participating!  :)

Since February is a month of love at our home for a variety of reasons (V-day and two anniversaries!), I wanted to focus on that for my theme.  I had never made the mailbox from the Close to My Heart Cricut Artiste Collection, so I figured it was about time!

This amazing paper project is found on page 51 of the Artiste handbook.  I LOVE how they color coordinated the parts in the pictures so you know just what you are cutting with each step.  It really makes choosing your papers a breeze!  Then, it even shows you how to put it together in the Assembly Guide.  Thank goodness, because I did NOT do it the right way at first!  ;)

I used Cocoa CS that is included in the Ivy Lane Workshop on the Go Cardmaking Kit for the main body of my mailbox.  The trim was cut on Kraft CS.

These gorgeous 3D flowers were JUST the thing to decorate my mailbox.  I used Kraft CS, Hollyhock CS from the Cardmaking Kit, and the double sided pattern paper included as well--one side for the leaves and the other for the flowers.  :)  These beautiful cuts are also found on Artiste...the leaf is right underneath the flower.

I attached a great little love banner that is found on the Remarkable Wreath My Acrylix.  This has long been one of my favorite stamp sets from CTMH, and I even bought it BEFORE I became an independent consultant.  I stamped it in Cocoa Ink and blinged the ends of the banner up a bit with a couple of the smallest gems in the Sparkles Brown and Tan Assortment.

Back to those flowers for a moment...I inked the edges with my Sweet Leaf Exclusive Ink Pad and dauber.  Then I folded them along a faux vein to give them some depth.

See the bit of glimmer on those inked edges?  I used my Wink of Stella glitter pen to easily add the pretty sparkle.  Super-easy and quick, PLUS I love the effect on the flowers!   I attached them to the mailbox with Liquid Glass--THE BEST go-to adhesive for bulky embellishments! 

Here is one product you won't find anywhere else in the NEW Spring and Summer Idea Book--GOLD Shimmer Trim!!!  It is exclusively available in the Ivy Lane Workshop on the Go Cardmaking Kit!  Let's just say it was on my FIRST order!  ;)  It matched really well with these Rolos candies that I decorated with a simple 3/4 inch scallop punch.  These were PERFECT to fill my mailbox!  I used the Almond Hershey Kisses that are wrapped in gold for another version of this box (and my friend adored it, BTW!)

I hope you found some mojo to take with you from my blog today! 

Your next stop is Brenda's blog!  Have a great time browsing all the fabulous creations on the rest of the hop, and never let ANYONE steal your sparkle!  :)

February Stamp of the Month!

Embossing is BOSS!!