First Day of School Layouts using StudioJ Online/Digital Scrapping with Member Only Layouts and Class Act Paper

These are the 4 layouts I created in StudioJ to celebrate the kid's first day of school.  Can I just say how fabulous I feel that two major events from September 2010 have ALREADY been scrapped?  First Time Ever that I've been so quick and its all because I could just pick the paper, pick the layout, drop in the photos with a wee bit of editing and (POOF) I was done! 

I absolutely adore this StudioJ Member Only paper set called Class Act - the crossword paper and the black board paper are just so cute!  I used heavy distressing on all these layouts and was REALLY happy with our blemish removal tool as Devin had a big scab under one eye that was very prominent in these photos!  I also used 4 different Member Only layouts - how cool are these?!? 

Isn't my daughter beautiful?  Eliza is becoming the young woman I've hoped and dreamed she'd become - smart, independent, funny, empathetic, athletic and a really good head on her shoulders.  I couldn't be more proud of my girl.

Check out the smile on my cutie Spencer.  He's such a happy fun-to-be-around guy!  I've never seen anybody better at catching critters than this kid.  I swear he's a frog whisperer. 

Devin is such a character!  This kid has unbelievable inner strength and persistence.  He's like water - he'll just keep pouring it on until he gets the results he's looking to achieve.

CTMH StudioJ Online/Digital Scrapping with Hooligans Paper

Our new Hooligans paper pack has such fun colors and themes that I knew it would be perfect for all of the pictures I took during Devin's 9th B'day party.  On these StudioJ layouts you can really see the distressing tools in action.  On the first one there is our new Sunset color sponged on the edges of the two White Daisy base pages and Cross hatching directly on the paper on the black strip underneath.  I love that you can make your cross hatching in any color - even ones that wouldn't show in traditional scrapping like Lagoon on Black (shown here).

One of the other cool things in StudioJ are the photo mats.  You can choose various widths starting at 1/16" and going up and you can use any of our 60 colors on any of the mats.  Here I've used Pear on the first three mats and Sunset on the last three on the left.  Again, I had fun working with sponging on the edges of this layout.  Both of these layout patterns are for Members Only - aren't they AWESOME?  I love the diecut paper look on these two layouts.  Tomorrow I'll share our First Day of School layouts with even more of the Member Only funky layouts!

I hope you are enjoying this peek into StudioJ!  If you haven't already checked it out, go over to my site https://paige.myctmh.com/Retail/StudioJLanding.aspx?PageId=185

and have some fun playing around for free.  I just love that there isn't any nickle and diming on the different elements - no $1 charge for this paper pack or $3 for this layout - everything in all of StudioJ and all of the future upgrades and new releases are included in the membership price!  Yep, this product ROCKS!





My First Studio J Order - and I LOVE IT! Hooray for online/digital scrapping!

Let me preface this post by saying that when StudioJ first came out we were in the midst of unemployement so I wasn't able to play with the new product like I wanted to.  Now we're back in the black so to speak and I was able to get a full one-year membership to StudioJ - YES!

These new memberships ROCK because:
- You get unlimited layouts at just $3.25/page ($6.50 for a double layout)
- FREE Shipping (up to 20 layouts) once per month (extras are up to 20 in a box for $5.95 shipping)
- FREE High Resolution and Low Resolution JPEGS
- FREE Page Protectors
- Member Only paper packs AND layout patterns

A THREE month membership is only $30 bucks (can you believe it?????) and a 12 month membership is $99.  You seriously break even on a YEAR membership with just 15 layouts! 

What do I LOVE about StudioJ?  My biggie is that I don't have to print out the pictures before I can scrap!  I'm terrible about getting the photos dumped from my computer and over to Costco to get the pictures printed - not to mention having to re-print enlargements because I change my mind on which is my lead photo.  So many of my scrapping ladies laugh at me because they have tons of pictures and need to make the layouts - I have the layouts and need to get the pictures printed to fill them!  StudioJ takes away that extra step and I adore how easy it was to use. 

The biggest plus for me was being able to enlarge photos/crop with ease AND the new photo editing tools.  I was able to fix red-eye, remove a scab under my son's eye with blemish removal, remove mega-glare from glasses, and use wrinkle remover if I wanted to (okay - these are all kid shots so I'll use that when I get to MY OWN photos!)  I wanted to make sure I got my FREE shipping in September so this Saturday I sat down and made 7 layouts in one evening!  I did some finishing work and double checked my distressing and such on Tuesday and pressed BUY yesterday. 

Here is my first Studio J layout to share - a cute layout of my kids in the pool this summer using a Member Only paper pack called Splash Zone and the layout I chose was Dialogue (open for anyone).  I'm using my FREE Low Res JPEG to share here - how cool is that?!?

On this one I didn't use a whole lot of distressing or anything - pretty much just colored in the ribbons and added stickease (the H2Oh! title and the tag).  Tomorrow I'll show some of the first day of school layouts I did that used more of the distressing tools.  So, what are you waiting for?  Did you know you can create a FREE account on StudioJ to check out the product without ANY cost?  Go play around on my site here and let me know what you think!  You don't get charged a PENNY until you purchase a layout or signup for a membership but I really think you're going to love the product and ADORE the pricing!

Wedding Dress and Tuxedo Card

 

Isn't this a beautiful card?  I was blurfing (isn't that was blog surfing is called?) several months ago and came across a consultant with another company who had the original idea.  I used the basic idea but changed up the dress and tux.  I also antiqued the dress with a few swipes of Parchment Ink (a very pale peachy ink) after I sent it through the cuttlebug and embossed the white tuxedo shirt with the Candy Cane cuttlebug folder - I just rotated the piece until it lined up straight up and down on the lines instead of using the diagonal.  Unfortunately, I wasn't good about grabbing the blog site so if you are the consultant and come across this - let me know and I'll be happy to add your link to your original!  I loved using our self adhesive pearls to make the dress and tux look real.

This one is going to one of my husband's co-workers who is getting married next month.  Now I have to come up with a nice wedding gifty item to go with it!

Materials Used:

Paper:  Colonial White and Black Cardstock

Embellishments:  Opaques Pearls

Other:  Cuttlebug Embossing Folders - not sure what the heavily textured one is called, Cream Satin Ribbon (Target)

Last Call to get a Ticket to Ride for a Happy B'day with CTMH Zippidee and Ticket to Ride

So most of you know how very, very much I adore our Workshop on the Go kits.  They have a Level 2 paper pack (12 sheets of B&T in 6 patterns and 10 assorted cardstock), a coordinating B size stamp set, a full size accessory, a workshop guide which gives you both a scrapbooking workshop AND a cardmaking workshop - and best of all (be still my frugal heart) its all at a discount!  All the kits are just $29.95 - perfect for a one-a-month budget!

Anyways - where I was going with this is that these puppies only last during the Idea Book cycle (right now they are also giving a one month grace period through the end of September for the summer Idea Book workshop kits).  So - if you haven't picked up your set of Zippiddee (card above used the B size stamp from the kit plus leftover papers), Cherry-O, Spelendor or Passages - don't wait any longer!  Click on those linked names and check them out.  Once you try them you'll see why I love them so much!

If you read yesterday's post about how nervous I was before the Black Belt Club boot camp (total butterflies in my tummy - worse than on testing night) then you are probably wondering if I survived.  Thanks to my darling daughter (could I love that kid more?!?) who worked with me, shouted encouragement and pushed me to succeed, I not only survived - I won the cammo belt this month!  The cammo belt is given to the person who pushes themself the hardest during boot camp - you don't have to be perfect, you just need to give it your utmost and all.  And let me tell you, there is nothing like fearing I'm going to look like a fool to motivate me and make me push myself hard!  My legs and arms were like jelly when I left and today I'm feeling muscles in some pretty weird places (who knew your armpits could get sore?) but its a happy sore.  I think the thing that made me happiest was that two of my kids were there to see me get the belt - there is nothing in the world better than having your kids be proud of you!

Hoppy Birthday Happy Froggie Boy Card with CTMH Tinkerin', Frogs and Dream Big

Its a very "hoppy" card for a birthday!  I don't know about you but that frog seems to be shouting "Yippee!" to me! 

Tonight is my first Black Belt Club boot camp - this is a special torture class they do once a month to really stretch you to your limits.  I'm soooo nervous about it - especially as we had a hard class at noon today and I tweaked out my right knee doing jumps.  Ugh - I sometimes wonder if my knees will ever be the same after injuring them a YEAR ago!  My dearest, darling daughter is going to go to class with me and be my sweating buddy.  Sometimes even a Mom needs to have her hand held....

Materials Used (all CTMH unless noted):

Paper:  Tinkerin' (retired) , Black CS

Stamps:  Frogs (retired), Dream Big

Inks:  Topiary, Twilight

Other:  Watercolor Pencils, Glitz Glitter Gel (on dragonfly wings)

CTMH With Love Card

Isn't this card sweet?  I had several packages of Dazzling Diecuts - a CTMH special probably about a year ago - that I hadn't used yet.  I pulled out Petal, Smokey Plum, Sunkiss Yellow and Bubblegum packages and mixed it all on top of a Citrus Leaf piece of cardstock I ran through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder.  I really loved how it all came together - especially the little ballet style lacing with ribbon on the side of the card!  There's a bit of our new Glitz glitter gel in the center of the flowers - can I just say how much I LOVE that stuff?!?  This card was a big hit at our Stamp Camp.

On a personal note, things have been SO busy since school started!  We've all been getting adjusted to the school and homework routine (so far it hasn't been too terrible).  I'm missing my kids while they are at school BUT I've been super busy so the time has been flying.  I joined Black Belt Club at our Martial Arts studio (its an extra level of training for people who are dedicated to persuing their black belts in Tae-Kwon-Do) and I've been upping my hours at the dojo.  Every two months they focus on a specific set of skills or weapon for everyone to learn.  Being the new kid on the block in these classes, I really pushed myself to learn the Bo Staff routine.  I love working with stick weapons like the Eskrima sticks so the Bo Staff was a really fun weapon for me to start to learn.  This past week we had belt testing (we do this every 2 months) and I had the honor of receiving a badge in recognition of my training with the Bo Staff - talk about exciting - it was a close call on keeping the tears in check!  This is my first EVER award for a physical accomplishment.  I was never a jock during school, far from it, so its been a wonderful journey over the last two years finding a sport that I truly love.  The best part is sharing this journey with my kids as we all take classes at the same studio - as I like to say - a family that kicks together, sticks together!

I'm off to finish prep work for our upcoming Stamp Camp on September 21.  Right now it looks like there will be about 16 projects total during camp - whew!  That's a LOT of cutting!  The kids are all downstairs playing with Devin's birthday presents.  We got him an IPod Nano for his b'day and Mark loaded it with all Devin's favorite music, some Annoying Orage clips (if you haven't checked these out on You Tube you really should) and a couple of movies.  He's been plugged in ever since....

Upcoming Classes and Events

This is a one-stop listing of my current upcoming classes.  I'll be adding some more details as I finalize projects on some classes.  All classes and events can be found on my website's Calendar by clicking here.  There is also a button on the left side of my blog - yep - look over there - which will always take you to my website caledar.

Just a quick note on my Stamp Camps - these classes are super fun and a great value!  For a $15 flat fee you get 2.5 hours of all-you-can-create time!  I have 10+ projects (usually more like 14-16) for you to choose from and people can make more than one of each project they choose.  All projects are pre-cut, boxed individually and ready for stamping and assembly.  This class is a huge hit and fills up fast so RSVP as soon as you can!

September:
Tuesday, 21 September  7-9:30PM  September Stamp Camp ($15)
Friday, 24 September 6-10PM Paper Playgroup Crop (FREE) and Optional Magnifique Friendship Board Book Class ($8 or $15 for 2 books) 

October:
Friday, 1 October  7-9:30PM September Stamp Camp Session 2  ($15)
Tuesday, 5th October  7-9PM: Recipe Box Class ($12)
Friday, 8th 7-9PM:  Magnifique OR Hooligans Board Book ($8 or 2/$15)
Tuesday, 19th 7-9:30PM: Christmas Card Stamp Camp ($15)
Friday, 22nd 7-9:30PM: Christmas Card Stamp Camp ($15)
Friday, 29th 6-10PM: Playgroup Crop (Free)

November
Tuesday, 9th 7-9PM: Christmas Card Stamp Camp ($15)
Friday, 12th November 7-9:30PM - Christmas Card Stamp Camp ($15)
Friday, 19th - Christmas Card Stamp Camp with Nathalie and Friends
December
Saturday, 4th 10AM-6PM: SUPER SATURDAY – Details to come

Close to my Heart New Products and Programs - released for September 2010

Any release of a new Idea Book is exciting as there are so many new and fun products to play with.  If you weren't able to come to my Open House on Septebmer 3rd I thought you might like a quick run down of the highlights of the new products and programs.  I'll also publish another post telling you about what I have up my sleeve for the next couple of months - lots of fun classes are coming your way!

8 New Colors
Both of the Summer color palettes were re-vamped with LUCIOUS new colors - these colors are ultra rich and best of all, they coordinate with the other color families much better so you can combine color palettes much easier!  I've linked the color names below directly to my online shopping so you can take a peek!
- SKY
- PEAR
- COTTON CANDY
- GYPSY
- LAGOON
- PACIFICA
- SUNSET
- SMOOTHIE

Magic Interactive Scrapbooking How-To Book
This book not only shows you fun interactive layouts, it takes you through the process step-by-step so you can create everything from hidden journaling to fold-out surprises on your scrapbook layouts.  We even carry a new line of Flip-Flaps (up to 6x12") to help you create jaw-dropping interactive fun!  Click here to check this book out!

Workshop Kits
Just when I thought these kits couldn't get any better - they go and make them better!  The new kits have all the same components - one Level 2 paper pack, a full sized embellishment and an exclusive B size stamp set but now the instructions have been simplified and are done picture-tutorial style to help you make your creations faster, easier and simpler!  One side has the 2 page layout and the other side has the 6 card workshop.  Additional projects are shown online.  All that for JUST $29.95 - no additional accessories to buy!  Check out the new kits!
- Hooligans
- Olivia
- Magnifique
- Mistletoe

Studio J Memberships
If you haven't tried out Studio J yet, now is the time to go check this program out!  Unlike the regular digital scrapping that you might be familiar with, Studio J is an online studio where everything is INCLUDED in the membership!  No more nickle-and-dime payments for this paper pack or that layout, this set of embellishments or that font - every single design element is available ONLINE with NO DOWNLOADING so you can literally get caught up on your scrapping during lunch at work, sitting at Starbucks or on a business trip.  Our new Membership Options make it EVEN BETTER - in just 15 layouts your YEAR LONG Membership will PAY FOR ITSELF!  Click here to check out these Membership options!

12 Month Membership:  $99
- $3.25 per page (compare that to Costco which is $2.99 for just printing - no design) for up to 10 double layouts.  11+ layouts are charged at $6.50 per page price.
- FREE Page Protectors
- FREE High Res and Low Res JPEG for additional prints AND sharing on your blog or facebook!
- FREE Shipping Once a Month (between 4-20 layouts per shipment)
- Storage of all active unprinted layouts as long as membership is current
-Exclusive Member Only Content (there are at least 20 additional layout patterns for members plus one paper pack at this time!)

3 Month Membership:  $30
- All the same benefits as above for a 12 month in a 3 month version.  You really can't go wrong trying this out at this price!

5 Double Layout Gift Card:  $55
Perfect to give as a baby shower gift, wedding gift, retirement, holiday, birthday, etc.  Any time there is an event that someone would like to commemorate!  You'll get a lovely gift card to give and the receiver will have all 5 layouts shipped to them for FREE!  The best part is the cards DO NOT EXPIRE so you can feel assured that your gift will last until they get a chance to make their layouts!

Whew...what a FUN time we had at the Open House last night!

A HUGE ***THANKS*** to all the wonderful ladies who came over last night to help me celebrate the launching of the Fall/Winter Idea Book!  I had such a wonderful time with all of you!  A special thanks goes out to Hilary K. who drove 3 hours ONE WAY just to share our special night!  I'm so glad you could make it and I hope you had as much fun as I did!
Getting ready for these Open House events takes a lot of work but so worth it to share a special night with my friends!  We had 4 make-and-takes (one for each of the 4 paper packs) using the new Workshop Kit stamp sets, art boards for each of the Workshop Kits plus lots of project classes shown for signups.  I already have my next couple of classes half full! 

We ended our night with a Stamp Bucks Auction - my favorite and most hilarious part of these events.  People could earn Stamp Bucks (I use Monopoly money) for doing certain things like an RSVP, showing up on time, purchasing a Workshop Kit, signin up for club, registering for a class, etc.  They can then use the Stamp Bucks to bid on auction items that I have - things like stamps, items I've made, extra products I have on hand, etc.  My daughter helps me out with this portion of the night - she's my Vanna showing off the products and taking the Stamp Bucks payment from the winners.  It gets pretty wild during the auction - there's lots of laughter (mostly at my silly antics as I hype products) and friends bid against friends, friends give money to friends for bidding power and friends let other friends bid low when cash is low.  If you think of the Survivor auctions then you get the right idea!

I can't even say how much I enjoy spending an evening in the company of this great group of ladies.  You girls ROCK and I'm SO glad you are part of my life!  I'm looking forward to the next couple of months full of fun workshops and crops!  I've got lots of gifty things in the works for the upcoming holidays - what can I say - I need to fill my own gift stash so I'm making everything into a workshop this year! 

Big Hugs,

Paige

Teacher Thank You Card with CTMH You're Sweet, Classmate Alphabet, Animal Cookies

Going with a school theme (kids just went back) here is a card I created for a Stamp Camp a couple of months ago!  The top of the card is created by using our Classmate Alphabet and stamping the lines in Gray Wool and the letters in Tulip.  The apples come from our fabulous fruity set You're Sweet.

Materials Used:

Paper:  Animal Cookies (retired), White Daisy Cardstock

Stamps:  Classmate Alphabet, You're Sweet

Inks:  Gray Wool, Tulip, Archival Black, Clover Meadow (retired)

Other:  Ribbon from Michael's