Make a Smilebox greeting |
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Studio J Layouts
This is my very first Studio J layout!
Have you heard about Studio J yet? It is free online design software that allows you to create custom-printed two-page layouts you put in your albums. There is no software to purchase and install. You just need to simply log in to Studio J and start designing your layouts! You can create and immediately purchase your layouts, or you can save them for later completion and purchase. Oh my word, it is so much fun and so easy to use.
My 2nd downline Pam (Hi Pam!) sent me her top 10 reasons why everyone should try Studio J. I thought I would share them with you...
Here are a couple more of my first Studio J layouts.

Click here to visit the Studio J website and to sign up for Studio J email updates. You will also be entered to win a FREE album! Stay tuned for more Studio J fun...

My 2nd downline Pam (Hi Pam!) sent me her top 10 reasons why everyone should try Studio J. I thought I would share them with you...
- It doesn't cost anything so what do you have to lose?
- It is extremely user-friendly. You don't need to be great with computers to figure it out.
- Almost anything you can do on a classic scrapbook page you can do on Studio J ... edge distressing, layering objects, matting photos, adding ribbon and metal embellishments, etc.
- There are things you can do in Studio J that you CAN'T do with your classic supplies. You can re-size Stickease, change out the paper at the last minute, zoom in or out on a photo while you're working on the project, and change the color of embellishments to coordinate with your page.
- Studio J is a great tool for planning pages even if you ultimately just decide to make a classic layout.
- When you're done with a Studio J layout, you don't have a mess all over your scrapbook room.
- You can scrapbook anywhere that you have Internet access ... restaurants, hotels, work, vacation, the in-laws house, even the pool.
- When working with Studio J, you never find yourself just "one brad short" or "needing an extra letter-L Stickease". You've got as many embellishments and as many Stickease as you need!
- Studio J is the only place you can see the new exclusive paper packs!
- You can earn free shipping and free page protectors by grouping your layouts together and having them all printed at the same time.
Here are a couple more of my first Studio J layouts.


Tuesday, December 29, 2009
January's Club Project - Family Layout
January’s Creative Club project will be a 12x12 layout that can be used either as a scrapbook page or as a home decor piece, for my club members who are not scrapbookers. Although by the time you are finished with the project, you may want to become scrapbookers. LOL!
We will be using the beautiful new Veranda paper packet from the 2010 Spring catalog along with the stamp set that comes in the Felicity Kit only available until the end of January or while supplies last. Click here for more information on the Felicity Kit. The little birds are the top are from Follow your Heart, the the exclusive stamp set that will be available only in the Veranda Workshops on the Go Kit starting January 1st. The LOVE definition is from the State of Mind set that I talked about in my last post. (I love this set!)

My Creative Club meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7pm at my house, however, you do not need to be local to be part of the club. My long distance members get their kits mailed to them and any orders they place, get drop shipped to them directly from the Close to my Heart office. (Sometimes they even get their orders before the local gals!) Next month’s club is on Wednesday, January 13th. If you would like to attend or order a kit, please contact me no later than January 1st so that I have enough time to order the supplies and prepare your kit(s).



Click here for more details on this super fun club! Contact me at lisa@myctmh.com for more information, to sign up for next month’s class, or to order your own club kit(s).
All supplies are from CTMH unless otherwise noted.
Paper Packet
Veranda (available January 1st)
Stamps
Felicity (available through January 31st), Friendship Large Alphabet, State of Mind (available January 1st), Follow your Heart (available only in the Veranda WOTG Kit starting January 1st)
Inks
Cocoa, Créme Brulee
Other
Big Pinks Just Blooms Flowers, White Daisy Just Blooms Flowers, Pewter Designer Brads, Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon, Microtip Scissors
All supplies are from CTMH unless otherwise noted.
Paper Packet
Veranda (available January 1st)
Stamps
Felicity (available through January 31st), Friendship Large Alphabet, State of Mind (available January 1st), Follow your Heart (available only in the Veranda WOTG Kit starting January 1st)
Inks
Cocoa, Créme Brulee
Other
Big Pinks Just Blooms Flowers, White Daisy Just Blooms Flowers, Pewter Designer Brads, Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon, Microtip Scissors
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Kindness Card - New Product Sneak Peek

The funny thing is that this morning I was checking out some of my favorite blogs and came across this card from Kathi. I had to laugh because although the card is fairly different, we both had the same idea to use Sweet Leaf and Crystal Blue cardstock to make a scallop circle card. (Great minds think alike, right Kathi?) LOL!

Happy Sunday!
All supplies are from CTMH unless otherwise noted.
Patterned Paper
Caboodle Paper Packet
Cardstock
Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, Sorbet
Stamps
State of Mind (to be released 1/1/10)
Inks
Crystal Blue, Chocolate, Sweet Leaf
Other
Spring Just Blooms, Sorbet Ribbon Rounds, Spring Blossom Brads
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas
I know I promised to post some more artwork before Christmas, but I spent the day with my family today instead of taking photos of my creations. So, you will have to wait a little longer for my projects. (My family thanks you!)
In the meantime, I wanted to stop in and wish you all a VERY merry Christmas and a blessed New Year! I hope you enjoy spending time with your families during the next few days and focusing on what this beautiful holiday is really about—the birth of our amazing Savior, Jesus Christ! I know it is somewhat of a cliché, but He really is the reason for the season!
I will leave you to enjoy this beautiful card that my sweet friend Barbara sent to me. (Love ya Barb!)
Check out the gold embossing and the sparkly red berries. Barb sure is talented!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
XOXO
In the meantime, I wanted to stop in and wish you all a VERY merry Christmas and a blessed New Year! I hope you enjoy spending time with your families during the next few days and focusing on what this beautiful holiday is really about—the birth of our amazing Savior, Jesus Christ! I know it is somewhat of a cliché, but He really is the reason for the season!
I will leave you to enjoy this beautiful card that my sweet friend Barbara sent to me. (Love ya Barb!)
XOXO
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Yummy Christmas Gifts
Hi All! Did you think I dropped off of the face of the Earth? I have been so preoccupied with Christmas preparations that I have neglected my poor blog and all of you my friends! I am so sorry.
I wanted to share the gifts that I gave to my neighbors this year. As most of you know, I am really not good in the kitchen and homemade (edible) goodies are not my forte. I actually tried it last year and attempted to make some peppermint brownies and what I thought was an easy Chex mix type thing. Indeed they were both easy to make, but they didn't turn out too well. As I delivered them to my poor neighbors, I felt I had to apologize for their gift. So sad. LOL!
Anyhoo, this year I opted to share one of my FAVORITE treats with my neighbors. They are Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Candies I found at Costco. Oh, they are just so good I really need to get the rest of them out of the house before I eat them all!
As I was creating the project for my September Creative Club, I had the idea that I could fill up the tins with candy and give them as gifts. That is exactly what I did. The CD tins came from Specialty Bottle and, as I mentioned, the candy came from Costco. I decorated the outside of the tins with cards from the Around the Holidays Card Kit. The best thing was that my gift doubled as a card.
Here is a picture of the chocolate bags so you know what to look for on your next Costco run. (wink)
I hope to post a couple more things before Christmas so be sure to check back soon. *Ü*
I wanted to share the gifts that I gave to my neighbors this year. As most of you know, I am really not good in the kitchen and homemade (edible) goodies are not my forte. I actually tried it last year and attempted to make some peppermint brownies and what I thought was an easy Chex mix type thing. Indeed they were both easy to make, but they didn't turn out too well. As I delivered them to my poor neighbors, I felt I had to apologize for their gift. So sad. LOL!
As I was creating the project for my September Creative Club, I had the idea that I could fill up the tins with candy and give them as gifts. That is exactly what I did. The CD tins came from Specialty Bottle and, as I mentioned, the candy came from Costco. I decorated the outside of the tins with cards from the Around the Holidays Card Kit. The best thing was that my gift doubled as a card.
Just look at that heavenly row of yummy chocolate.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Celebrate National Papercrafting Month

- Purchase it at full retail price for $34.95.
- Place an order of $60 or more in full-retail priced stamp sets and receive one collection FREE!
- Place an order of $125 or more in full-retail priced Close To My Heart products and receive one collection FREE!
- Host a home gathering or workshop with a minimum sales of $400 and receive one collection FREE!
- Join Close to my Heart between January 1-31 and you will receive the collection FREE in your New Consultant Kit.
*This promotion is while supplies last from December 15, 2009-January 31, 2010.
Click here to place a Close to my Heart order.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Huge Online Clearance Sale - Holiday Heyday!

Sit back and relax. It's OK to start your holiday shopping a little late this year, because the best deals start in December! You can buy everyone on your list a gift and stock up on much-needed supplies for yourself, leaving you time to enjoy the festivities! Beginning December 2*, you’ll want to get in on the amazing deals like My Acrylix® stamp sets from only $2 and My Reflections® paper packets from only $5. But that’s not all—there are “grab bags” for $30, each filled with over $100 in retail products! Plus, great shipping deals too. How about $5 flat rate on orders over $100? What a deal! These products are only available while supplies last, so mark your calendar and be the first to fill your shopping cart!
My sweet friend Melissa compiled the following list of just a few of the great deals. (Thanks Melissa!)
15+ Level One Kits: (favorites like Vintage Travel, Laid Back, Free Spirit & more) $5.00 (regularly $9.95)
10+ Level Two Paper Packs (Caprice, School Zone, Expedition) $6.50 (regularly $12.95)
10+ Stickease $4.00 (regularly $8.95)
35+ Stamp Sets from $2.00 to $8.00 (Let Us Adore Him, Lets Play Ball, Precious Alphabet, Card Sentiments, and other greats)
Embellishments like brads ($3), ribbon rounds ($4), chipboard ($3)
plus lots more!
Click here to start shopping!
*Sale continues through December 17 or while supplies last. Shipping/handling: US orders of $100+ have a flat rate shipping of $5. Tax is charged based on discounted amount. Sale has quantities restricted to FIVE per item to provide a smooth shopping experience for all customers.
Christmas Boutique
You are invited to a
Christmas Boutique
If you are in the Southern California (San Diego, Riverside) area,
please join us for our third annual Christmas Boutique!
If you want to find the perfect gifts, while still enjoying what the season is all about, you won’t want to miss this fun day. Come hand pick, design, or even create your gifts without crowds or stress!
You will enjoy great food, free creative make and take projects,
a free 5 minute massage, door prizes, and more!
Saturday, December 5th • 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
(Contact me for directions)
Featuring Gifts Galore from:
Close to my Heart Stamping & Scrapbooking
(Get some great discounts on my cash and carry products)
Homemade Gourmet
Pampered Chef
Dani’sHandcrafted Jewelry
Unique Children’s Accessories
Hand Painted Portraits
Arbonne International
Simply Fun Family Games
Lori’s Massage
and more!
Come make this fun card during the make and take session.

I am giving away these cute little bags which include a mini card and a mini stamp.
We would love to see you on Saturday! Contact me for more details.
If you are in the Southern California (San Diego, Riverside) area,
please join us for our third annual Christmas Boutique!
If you want to find the perfect gifts, while still enjoying what the season is all about, you won’t want to miss this fun day. Come hand pick, design, or even create your gifts without crowds or stress!
You will enjoy great food, free creative make and take projects,
a free 5 minute massage, door prizes, and more!
Saturday, December 5th • 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
(Contact me for directions)
Featuring Gifts Galore from:
Close to my Heart Stamping & Scrapbooking
(Get some great discounts on my cash and carry products)
Homemade Gourmet
Pampered Chef
Dani’sHandcrafted Jewelry
Unique Children’s Accessories
Hand Painted Portraits
Arbonne International
Simply Fun Family Games
Lori’s Massage
and more!
Come make this fun card during the make and take session.



We have a winner...
The winner of my November Creative Club contest is Marlene Spencer who created Project #3! Congratulations Marlene! You win a $10 gift certificate. I will give it to you at our next club meeting. Thanks for playing ladies! (And thanks to those who voted.) *Ü*
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
December Club Project - Mini Album Ornament







Click here for more details on this super fun club! Contact me at lisa@myctmh.com for more information, to sign up for next month’s class, or to order your own club kit(s).
All supplies are from CTMH unless otherwise noted.
Cardstock
Colonial White, Cocoa, Dessert Sand, Foam Tool
Stamps
Frame of Mind, Vintage Christmas, Card Chatter - Christmas
Inks
Cocoa, Garden Green, Chocolate for distressing
Other
3x3 Mini Album (Kraft), Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon, Cranberry Brads, Waxy Flax, 3-D Foam Tape
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Gingerbread House Gift Box


The peppermint lollipops on the front and the peppermint candy on the sides are actually a stamped snowflake from the Snow Friends stamp set. I stamped the snowflakes in Cranberry ink on white cardstock and then punched them out with a circle punch. Then I wrapped a little clear plastic from a baggie around them and tied them each with some Waxy Flax.


Don’t forget that you can get the adorable Around the Block set at a discount or even for FREE this month. Plus, with Stampaganza still in full swing, you can get even more stamp sets for free! Click here for more info on how to get your free stamp sets!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Treasure Life Scripture Cards for Charity

This is the project that I came up with for the ladies to make this month. I am hoping that it will be simple enough that we can make a bunch of sets to be able to sell in February. We will be using CTMH's Treasure Life Stamp Set along with a set from Papertrey Ink called Everyday Blessings. The set of boxed cards will include 5-6 cards in clear plastic boxes from Clear Bags. Each card has a different bible verse or inspirational saying. The little tag on the ribbon on the outside of the box can be changed. We will probably make a variety of mini tags and have the buyer choose which one she would like.


Sunday, November 15, 2009
Christmas Tags and Box

The best thing about this project is that it only required one stamp set. I used the Just for the Holidays set. If you have the Christmas Melodies set, you could use that too. The instructions to make the box can be found here.


Stamps: Just for the Holidays
Cardstock: Chocolate, White Daisy, Cranberry and Olive
Inks: Chocolate, Cranberry and Olive inks
Other: Cranberry Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop and Circle Punches (SU!), Acetate (Overhead Transparencies from Staples), Gold Cording
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A Cute Little Mini Box and an Award
I am humbled and honored to receive the “Over the Top” Award from the one and only, Fabulously Artsty, Stamp Goddess herself, Tresa Black. If you have never visited her blog, you must run (don't walk) over to check it out. She is amazing! I was honored to receive the same award a couple of weeks ago from another super talent, Melissa. You can check out my answers here. (Not too many of them have changed. LOL!) Thanks Girlies.
Speaking of the Stamp Goddess, I used one of her wonderful video tutorials last month to make this cute little box. Tresa’s instructions were so easy to follow. You can check them out here. I decorated my box with patterned paper from the Twitterpated Collection and filled it with Hershey’s Kisses. Yummy! These would make great party favors or place cards. (I just may make some more and attach a tag with everyone’s name to the ribbon and use them as place cards for Thanksgiving Dinner.)
Speaking of the Stamp Goddess, I used one of her wonderful video tutorials last month to make this cute little box. Tresa’s instructions were so easy to follow. You can check them out here. I decorated my box with patterned paper from the Twitterpated Collection and filled it with Hershey’s Kisses. Yummy! These would make great party favors or place cards. (I just may make some more and attach a tag with everyone’s name to the ribbon and use them as place cards for Thanksgiving Dinner.)

Please vote for your favorite...
I had a little contest with my Creative Club members this month. I told them that they could enter any project that they liked and I would post them on my blog for you all to see and vote on. The only criteria was that they had to use at least one CTMH product. Out of 18 club members, I only had three entries, so their chances of winning are pretty good. LOL! The winner will receive a $10 CTMH gift certificate.
So, now it is up to you. Please leave a comment on this post letting me know which project you like the best. The winner will be announced at the end of the month.
Project #1: Uses the Tickled Pink Paper Packet.
Project #2: Uses the tree stamp from the spooky Spellbound stamp set along with some multicolored Flower Soft.
Project #3: Uses the Unforgettable Paper Packet and Stickease.
Voting will close on November 30th.
So, now it is up to you. Please leave a comment on this post letting me know which project you like the best. The winner will be announced at the end of the month.
Project #1: Uses the Tickled Pink Paper Packet.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Notepad Book List

Nichole sells note pads that are the perfect size for making cute little list pads, but I decided to try to make one on my own. I bought a pack of two notepads at Staples that were perfect. They were 5"x8" eco-friendly writing pads. (To be honest, the main reason I bought them was because they had brown lines that I knew would match my project.) I cut them in half with an xacto blade and made a folder out of CTMH Bamboo cardstock. I followed Nichole's example and made a rounded pocket on the inside where I put the gift card.



Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Anniversary Card

ETA: I just gave the card to my hubby and he said, “I like the cute little cups toasting each other.” What? Cups? I had to gently correct him and tell him that they are love birds. I guess they do kind of look like cups with legs. Oh well. LOL!


This is the two of us just before we floated up.
Have a great day! *Ü*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)