Summer Idea Book is Here!

Do you have your copy of the brand new summer Close To My Heart catalog yet? If not call me at 952-913-6480 or e-mail me at lrhart2002@yahoo.com to get a copy!

Close To My Heart has done it again! They have come up with some gorgeous papers, cute stamps and some really wowie embellishments! You will just die when you see all the great stuff we have to offer!!!

You can see just by looking at the catalog's cover how cute that new Cherry O paper is like. I must say "Hat's off" to CTMH's art department, they have outdone themselves this time around. The art really is FANTASTIC in this new catalog! There is something for everyone and every event in this jam packed catalog.

Ok, I am off to look through the catalog again and I am going to start making my wish list, I just know it's gonna be a long one! :-)

Studio J is HERE!!!!

Studio J Release! - Real Life. Real Scrapbooks. Real Time.

You’ve taken the photos—now keep the memories. With Studio J™ online design software, you can create designer scrapbook layouts in minutes, ready to be custom printed for your cherished album. Are you ready? The fun begins Today!!

Starting today, you will get a chance to check it out for yourself. I am sure you have a lot of questions, so I thought I would help to answer some of them. If you have questions that I haven't answered here, feel free to e-mail me or post your questions and I will do my best to answer them for you.

Here are a few FAQs
What is Studio J™ Design Software?

Studio J™ is free online scrapbooking design software brought to you by Close To My Heart. (Did I mention FREE?) Studio J helps you easily create custom-printed two-page layouts using our foundational scrapbook patterns, exclusive color palette, and themed designs all delivered in 12" × 12" custom prints ready for your albums. It’s a snap!

Is Studio J easy to use?

Studio J software is extremely intuitive and easy to use. The program walks you through five steps that include:

uploading your photos
choosing your desired themed kit
selecting an exclusive layout pattern
adding photos, embellishments, titles, and journaling
purchasing custom-printed layouts ready for a cherished album It’s super simple and extremely fun to use!

Will Studio J use the same great papers, patterns, colors, and embellishments?

Yes! If you love Close To My Heart’s scrapbooking philosophy, then you will love Studio J.

Do I need to download any software to my computer to use Studio J?

Not at all! You only need an Internet connection, and then you simply log in to my CTMH website and click on the Studio J link to get started. Feel free to design to your heart’s content—you are not required to buy anything or provide any personal information to get started!

Can I save what I am working on and come back to it later?

You bet! You can create a customer profile that allows you to save and return to a project in progress at a later time. Your active projects will be saved for up to 90 days, giving you plenty of time to work on them. You extend that timeline for your active projects by 90 days each time you make a purchase, and your purchased projects will remain archived for one full year after purchase.

Do I need a printer that can print 12" × 12" pages to use Studio J?

No. Your Studio J layouts are not available for you to print from a home computer. In fact, we take care of the printing for you. When you purchase your designed layouts, we print and ship them quickly and directly to you using only top quality printing technology and archival-quality papers.

What is the price?

You are not charged a thing until you order your custom prints. The price per printed two-page layout is $12.95. We also offer some fantastic rewards for larger orders. You can receive FREE Memory Protectors® to protect your layouts in your albums, and FREE shipping/handling based on the number of layout prints you purchase in a single order as follows:
For 5–9 layout purchases: You’ll receive a pack of 5 Memory Protectors FREE!
For 10–20 layout purchases: You’ll receive FREE shipping/handling PLUS a FREE pack of 5 Memory Protectors for every 5 layouts in your single order.

When can I begin creating with Studio J?

You will be able to start creating layouts with Studio J TODAY!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out! Click here and play, play, play!!! If you would like to see some samples of the Studio J layouts click here and check out my friend Tammy's great layouts that she created using this fantastic software!!! They are so realistic looking you actually have to touch them to see if the buttons are real or not!

Kate's Paper Candy Layout

Here's the last paper candy swap and layout and they are from Kate. She is another whiz at the Cricut machine and she did a really cute Summer theme! Here's her paper candy

Here's the layout that I did with her paper candy. I used the Reflections program for both layouts and the first on is called Quartet - Pinwheel

The second page is called Maine Frame - Quarter Circle

Thanks for doing such great work on the swaps girls!

Liz's Paper Candy Layout

Here is Liz's paper candy. She choose the theme Winter

Here's the layout that I made with here swap. I used the Imagine program Everything In It's Place. Aren't those snowmen just the cutest things? I think so!

Dani's Paper Candy Layout

Dani's Paper Candy was a Fall theme and here's what it looked like

She is a whiz at the Cricut Machine and has done some really great
things with that!

Here's the layouts that I made using her paper candy. These layouts were taken out

of the Imagine Program and I used Swing Rhythm.

Sorry about the bad photos it sure is hard to take good photos when you have bad lighting!

My Second Paper Candy Layout

Here's my second paper candy and it is everything you need to do a layout for a birthday or a party.Here' s the first layout page
I used the Reflections program Title Topper - Billboard

This is the second page and for this I used the Reflections program Sidebar - Balancing Act
Ok who wants to party with me? I need some fun photos to put on these layouts!

My Paper Candy Layout

OK here is my paper candy for Valentines/Love that I did. Here's my layout that I made with the pieces.
I am really please by the way this turned out. It was so much fun to do and a lot easier to do than I had anticipated. Now I just have to find some pictures to add to it!

Enjoy!

Paper Candy Swaps

I got my Paper Candy Swap back and check out the great stuff that the girls made!

Mine

Mine

Dani's

Kate's

Liz's

Aren't these all great? I think the girls did a GREAT job and I can't wait to show you the layouts that I made for each one of these, so keep checking in to see them.

Swap Layout

I just finished a swap that I do with Liz's club members. This swap is the best and it's anything goes, so I can use whatever I want. It can be CTMH or not and it can be current product or not. I love doing these types of swaps because I have a TON of stuff that is non current and I need to use it up.

This is the first page and I modified the Reflections program Quartet - Perfect Square. For the clip board look I used the stamp set Confidential. The paper pack I used was Game On, which I thought would be perfect for a boy or girl and it doesn't even have to be used on sports photos.

When I attached the photo mat I only attached it on the top and bottom so I could add a hidden journaling page. It can be used for more photos as well as journaling, whatever they want to do. The tab says "Pull" I thought it was a great way to tell the looker how to look for more info or photos.

This is the second page and I also got this from the Reflections book and this layout is called Title Topper - Photo Alternative. This layout you can add up to 7 photos depending on the size. I used the stamp set Giggle Upper Case for the title and the stars were a Sizzix die that I got on clearance at JoAnn Fabrics. I also used colonial white buttons and tied hemp through the button holes to finish them off.

I sure hope all the ladies like my layout and will have photos to add to it. I am very critical about my own work but really do like these two layouts.

Cathy's Birthday!

Today is my BFF Cathy's birthday and she is getting birthday kisses from her best pal Max! I just LOVE this picture and Max LOVES to give his mom kisses!!

Happy Birthday Cathy may all your birthday wishes come true!!!

My thoughtful friends!

I have some pretty great friends! I was not able to go to my friends Stampin' Up! party because I had to work and they were nice enough to make a set of cards for me! Check out these really great cards they made.

This card is an easel card and I just LOVE the way the ribbon holds the card open. I have made cards like this but always have used foam tape to pop up my sentiment that holds the card open.

This card is made with Stampin' Up!'s newest die for their big shot machine, which by the way I got at a party earlier in the year. I got my vacation check from work and had some extra Christmas money and finally spent it on something for me rather then bills! Any way, my friend Cathy bought this die for me for my birthday! Isn't she just the best friend ever? I think so and I can't wait to get it and play with it. It must be really popular becuase it has been on backorder for a while now.

These next two cards are made with Stampin' Up!'s new 3 way punch. This punch is a bird, wing and stem with 4 leaves. Check out just how creative Karen, the Stampin' Up! lady, is she used the wing as the flames for the candles. How great is that?

You will just die when you find out that the petals on this tulip are the wing of the bird too! Isn't this card beautiful? I think so and I can't believe that someone can see that wing and think of a flower petal, I sure do wish that I could do that. Thinking out of the box is not my thing, I try and try but it never happens, oh well I guess I will just have to keep coping everyone else's good ideas!

Paper Candy

I joined the Super Sassy Swappers swap group for this month and it was to make "Paper Candy." For those of you who are not familiar with the term paper candy it is just the embellishments and do dads that you put on your scrapbook page as decorations.

I signed up for two spots on this swap and we had to make 6 items. Here is what I did:

This one is a birthday paper candy

I don't think that you can see this but I stamped the word "Party" in each of

the circles to be used as a title. I also put glitter on the cupcake too. It really

sparkles in person.

This one is Valentine/Love paper candy

I used a lot of foam tape with these I wanted there to be a lot of dimension

to these items. I also used glitter on the LOVE word but you can't really

see it on my photo.

I can't wait to get this swap back and to see all the great things the girls came up with. You will have to check back and see what I do with these and to see how my pages turn out!

Play Time

I have been wanting to work with the April stamp of the month for a while now and I finally got to play! Here's what I came up with.

This is a tent card and I used the Creative Basic paper packet, the ribbon that comes in the Creative Basic packet and colored pencils to color in the flowers and leaves. I paper pieced the flower pot.

This is another tent card and I used the Creative Basic paper packet along with the ribbon that comes in the paper packet, Twilight cardstock and I also used a Stampin' Up! border punch.

This card started out to be a tent card but I turned it on it side. I used the Veranda paper packet, Chocolate cardstock and Creme Brulee cardstock. The ribbon is the same ribbon that I used on the previous two cards. I used the water brush to color in the flowers, leaves and flower pot. For the center of the flowers I used some adhesive backed pearls.

I hope you enjoy these cards as much as I do. They will make great additions to my birthday card stash! Is your birthday coming up? If so, watch your mail box you just might get on of these!

Northwest Flooding

I was on my way to my dad's house to clean and do laundry last weekend and I thought I'd stop and see just how bad the flooding was.

My dad lives across the river in Chaska but since the flooding the two ways that are the most convenient to cross the river were flooded so I have to drive quite a distance to get there. Usually it takes me about 10-15 minutes to get there normally, now it takes me 30-40 minutes.

This time I took my camera so that you could see what we are dealing with!

This is a little road that goes to a farmer's field that gets flooded out every year. I thought it was really cool to be able to see first had how much the water had receded. The water was up the to road that I turned off of which was about 50 feet back.

Here's the first sign telling you that the road ahead is closed.

I parked my car in a park and ride area and started walking towards the barricades.

I am walking down the middle of the highway and let me tell you it is the weirdest feeling ever! A month ago you would have gotten hit trying to cross this road as it is a very busy road!

Here is the road that I normally travel on to get over the river and you can see that the water is not on the road anymore. You can get a visual at how much the water has gone down now we just have to wait for them to make sure that it is safe to travel on again and then they will re-open the road!!! I can't wait!!!

I sure wish I would have done that while the water was really high it would have been interesting to see just how much of the road was covered.

Note to self: get a smaller camera so that you have it with you at all times!! Problem would be solved! LOL

Have a great day!