October Cards and Layouts (and one bonus card) featuring Swan Lake!!

 THANK YOU to my lovely creative friends
who joined us for card class on Saturday evening 10/8!
(Sandra, Gloria, Jackie, Debbie, and Carolyn)!
As usual, I had a great time with you ladies!

These are the four new card designs I'm offering for the
making during October (plus one bonus card I just added)!
There are still two more dates this month to join us to make
any of these cards (or others from my pre-cut card buffet).

Upcoming October dates still include...

an all-day CREATE DATE and potluck

on Saturday 10/15 (10am-5pm)

and an afternoon CREATE DATE 

on Sunday 10/23 (1pm-5pm).

Swan Lake Scrapbooking workshop participants

will also be joining our card-makers 

to create their pages on these dates, so I expect a full

house, bustling with fun and laughter, on each date!

It's not too late to plan to join us if you want to

(please contact me to RSVP ASAP
though, as space is limited)!!

The bonus card (above), I designed for my friend Gloria, since she is in need of a "Retirement Card" soon. The "Happy For You" stamp set (C1660) shown here, includes a great variety of congratulatory sentiments that might be useful to you if you know anyone who has retired, been promoted or taken on a new job, graduated, adopted a child, welcomed a new baby, and/or moved into a new home. This stamp set is also available to purchase with sentiments in Spanish and/or French if you'd prefer! Gloria, you can expect to get one of these cards in your mailbox from me very soon! Enjoy!!

Lastly, here are the Swan Lake Scrapbooking layouts (below) that my scrapbooking workshop participants will be making with me this month as well! It's not too late for me to order additional kits (for the 23rd) if anyone else wants to join us!! Just $30 per kit (pre-cut for you by me) to create the three lovely Fall 12x12 layouts shown here!
  

Spread the Love Operation Smile Blog Hop! (featuring the "True Love" stamp set - D1711)

THANK YOU for stopping by to enjoy our
Spread the Love
Operation Smile Blog Hop!

Today, 15 consultant artists are sharing

artwork they've created using this stamp set

available NOW through the end of July 2017
only from Close to my Heart!

When you purchase this stamp set 

(True Love - D1711) for $17.95,
a $7.00 donation will be given to
Operation Smile, our affiliated charity!
(Learn more at OperationSmile.org).

If you've just arrived here from
SHEILA's BLOG
then you are on the correct path.

I just adore this stamp set! It inspires so many creative possibilities, but I'll start by sharing just one card I've designed with it for now. This Standard-size card features the Swan Lake papers (X7212B). All images are stamped with a Black memento ink pad (Z899) and colored in with Shin Han Touch Twin Markers (Barely Beige for skin, Golden Yellow girls hair, Marigold boys hair, Turquoise Blue dress, Warm Grey 4 on the heart & boys shirt). SPECIAL TIP:  To achieve the "Peacock" color on the small balloon & boys shorts I simply colored them in with a Marine Blue marker first, then colored a second layer on top of that color with Peacock Green!...Super easy!!

Finally, I couldn't decide which side of the Poppy B&T duos paper I liked the best, so here's a view of the card (below) shown both ways. I love that it's so easy to simply flip our patterned papers over for another option whenever we want to change the design up just a little bit. The top card is perfect for giving in the Summer/Fall, while the bottom card looks more appropriate for Valentine's Day.

Now you can continue on with hop...

and be inspired by more creativity

using this stamp set by visiting

GINA's BLOG next!

Enjoy the hop!!

  

October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

THANK YOU for stopping by to enjoy our

October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

featuring this month's SOTM:

Yuletide Joy S1610

If you've just arrived here from 

KRISTA's BLOG

then you are on the correct path.

This month I created a variety of three different cards with the City Sidewalks paper pack (X7213B) that features the following colors: Black, Cranberry, Lagoon, Peacock, White Daisy, and Willow. All images are stamped with a Black Memento ink pad (Z899) and colored in with Shin Han Touch Twin Markers (Leaf Green, Peacock Green, and Carmine). Cards are embellished with Black Shimmer Ribbon (Z4012), Black Shimmer Trim (Z1809), and green and blue Epoxy Bubbles (Z1806 retired).

  

 

Now you can continue on with the hop...
and be inspired by more creativity
using this stamp set by visiting
MELISSA's BLOG next! Enjoy the hop!!

The "All About Me" Album Opportunity!

Did you miss out on the

"All About Me" album classes
(for adults and kids/tweens/teens!)

that I offered this past August?

I only promoted this class through Facebook,
so if you're not connected with me there,
you might have missed it.

Well, I still have a few extra kits and materials
available for anyone who might be interested!
Read on to learn more...

It is so important to scrapbook about YOU and tell YOUR story!! We know this, but even so, most of the time WE (the moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandmas, and grandpas), are behind the camera instead of in front of it. We take lots of pictures that document our family and friends, the special days, events, and holidays…and that's ALL good…so very good…and sometimes we even end up in a photo or two…sometimes…BUT all too often we don’t take enough pictures that include ourselves and we neglect to put the focus on “us” to really tell OUR story, so that our kids and future generations can really know us, know who we are, what we loved, what we did, and what we valued! THIS new class I’m offering is the PERFECT opportunity to get started telling your story now! THIS little album we’re making will become a treasured keepsake for generations to come (and in the process, this project will remind us that WE really matter! WE are just as wonderful, unique, and important as all of the cherished loved ones we’ve been photographing and scrapbooking about already)!

Life is not remembered one day at a time, but by small moments at a time. Preserving those little "memory moments" is what it’s all about. Our Everyday Life™ albums, 6” x 8” page inserts, pocket pages, and memory protectors offer a fast and easy way to save our favorite photos, PLUS lots of little things like ticket stubs, post cards, a napkin from a favorite restaurant, grocery lists, receipts, favorite stamps/stickers, quotes you love, little notes from your kids/friends, pictures they’ve drawn for you, greeting cards, favorite thoughts and scriptures and creative ideas that inspire you, goals you’ve set for yourself, and so much MORE! If any of the memorabilia you want to include is too large or not practical to include in the book (things like a trophy, your craziest socks, a quilt/craft you made, or something that you grew in your garden), then just take a photo of it!! Then, at class you’ll grab your adhesive and/or some washi tape to attach your mementos on the colorful pages, and there’s no real "designing" or “organizing skills” required either! This album can be a scrapbook in the truest sense of the word…little “scraps” and “bits & pieces” of your life, along with any photos that document who you are and what your life is like.

START NOW by collecting little “bits and pieces” of YOU…YOUR favorite memories and things! Over the next few weeks collect, find, gather, and save anything that makes you happy…AND take some current photos IF you need to! Cut photos of your favorite things from a magazine or print some off from the internet (don't forget to take and print photos of your current home/car/school/workplace, and especially take photos of YOU and your favorite people/pets too!!) The photos can "go with" your memorabilia, or NOT...let go of that perfectionism…your album CAN always be just random photos and stuff in no particular order! Simply grab a box or a large envelope and start adding your goodies into it NOW and every day until we meet!

In order to prepare for these classes, I began by creating my own pages for an "All About Me" album. I decided that I wanted my album to focus on my childhood memories and who I was while growing up (because these are photos and memorabilia I have procrastinated saving for a long time). Like mine, your album can include older photos and memories you have, of course, but don't be afraid to use only current and new photos and memories of yourself instead, if childhood photos and memorabilia are difficult for you to get access to or get copies of. Start with what you have and what is easiest for you right now, as this will ensure that you succeed from the start! (then you can go back and preserve older photos when you are a more experienced and confident scrapper). Our children and grandchildren will want to know who we are NOW, just as much as who we were long ago.

Here are a few of my favorite pages (so far)

that I hope might inspire you:

Would you like to start an
album project similar to this?!

I'm happy to help you get started now! The kit options I have to offer for this project start at just $50 (or less!) Each kit purchased from me includes all of the materials you will need to create your own album (plus my expert help/assistance if you want and need it!)...which makes my kits such a great bargain!! Please contact me now if you'd like to get started...

and Let me show you how!!

Call or email or text message me today!
760-220-0683
StampwithJen@ymail.com