July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

Thank you for stopping by to enjoy our

July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

featuring this month's SOTM: 
  Sweet Life S1307
 
If you've just arrived here from TAMRA'S BLOG,
then you are on the correct path.
 

 First, I'm sharing a standard size card I created using the Buzz and Bumble papers (which recently sold out and are retired). Stamping was done with Cocoa pigment inks, then I colored the images with Creme Brulee, Desert Sand, and Olive markers. The apple was colored in using a water brush and a Barn Red ink pad. Embellished with Burlap Ribbon Z1760, a clear acrylic flower from the Claire Assortment Z1813, Durables Artisan Studs Z1816,
and Mocha Opaques Adhesive Gems Z1333.
 

 Next, I'm sharing another standard-size card I created using the Buzz and Bumble papers (which recently sold out and are retired) with a small strip of Olive cardstock added. Stamping was done with Cocoa pigment inks, then I colored the images with Autumn Sunset, Creme Brulee, Desert Sand, and Olive markers. Embellished with Burlap Ribbon Z1760, a clear acrylic flower from the Claire Assortment Z1813, Durables Artisan Studs Z1816,
and Mocha Opaques Adhesive Gems Z1333.

 

Finally, here's a view of all of the images included in this Stamp Set:

 

Now you can continue on with our Blog Hop

to be inspired by more creativity using this stamp set by visiting  
LORI'S BLOG next! Enjoy the hop!!

Project 365 Scrapbooking Club (Kit #2 - Surf's Up)

Here are photos of the pages you can create using my Project 365 Club Kit #2 featuring the "Surf's Up" papers and My Stickease!  If you've been taking at least ONE photo EVERY DAY during the month of June, you will be ready to add your June photos and journaling to these pages during my Scrapbooking Play Dates in July
or in the comfort of your own home!

Even if you didn't YET take a photo every day in June, it's not too late to begin now! There's still time to get a few photos of the things you've been up to this month and write down a few of the memories and stories you don't want to forget!

The contents of each kit include all of the materials to create 

4 - 12x12 layouts (8 pages total!)

You will have a 4x6 pocket and 3x4 journaling card for at least 7 photos each week, with room for a few extra photos you can add to the 6x12 Flip Flap page topper.
You can adhere this to the top of page 1 as shown
(or anywhere else you might want to add it)!

You will insert one of your 4x6 photos into every pocket where you see blank white cardstock (the blank white cardstock is NOT included as part of the kit). The 4x6 white cardstocks are shown here just to help you visualize where your photos will be. I will however, include a few extra journaling squares with each kit just in case you make a mistake or need a few extras that you can add instead of photos. This kind of album is so versatile...you can move things around so easily to make extra photos or extra journaling cards fit however you prefer!

If you tend to take more "vertical" (6" tall) photos than "horizontal" (6" wide) photos, then just let me know and I can personalize your kit to include vertical pocket pages for you, or a combination of both horizontal and vertical pages. I also don't have to stamp the lines on the journaling cards if you would prefer them to be "unlined," just let me know your preferences when ordering.
 

Pages 1 & 2 (above)

Page 1 (above)

Page 1 (above) with the Flip Flap lifted open!

Page 2 (above)

Page 3 (above)

Page 4 (above)

Page 5 (above)

Page 6 (above)

Page 7 (above)

Page 8 (above)

The price for my pre-cut kits will always be just $20 per month!

(or $25 per month for long-distance participants,

due to the additional cost of mailing it to you).

Each monthly kit will include:
Pre-cut papers and the coordinating My Stickease or Complements Assortment, plus a variety of additional embellishments (that may also include Flip Flaps),
and 4 - 12x12 Memory Protector Photo Storage Pages 
(your choice of Horizontal 4113 or Vertical Z1324 pockets).
The retail value of combined kit contents will always be at least $20 or more!

I can accept cash, check, or PayPal payments online (below). Contact me by phone, e-mail, or Facebook if you need my mailing address to send a check.  
Local customers can plan to join me during my monthly Scrapbooking Play Dates to assemble our kits together!
The next dates I am offering are:
Friday, July 19th (7-10pm)
and/or Saturday, July 20th (1pm-4pm)

The deadline and LAST DAY to purchase this kit from me will be July 13th! Then I will mail all kits to mail-order customers on Monday, July 22nd. 

FOUR left-over kits are still AVAILABLE!
Use the drop-down menu below to choose your kit option,
then click the "buy now" button to place your order via PayPal online!

Kit #2 SURF'S UP (to be mailed when payment is received)

Long-distance ($5 covers postage) $25.00 USD Local (attend class or Jen will deliver) $20.00 USD

I will post again soon to share photos of these pages complete with my photos and journaling on them so you can see how great your completed pages can look! :)

June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

Thank you for stopping by to enjoy our June Stamp of the Month
Blog Hop featuring this month's SOTM: 
  A Flowering Bunch S1306 
 
If you've just arrived here from ANGEL'S BLOG,
then you are on the correct path.

Standard-size card #1. Colors I used include Black Archival (44751) and Smokey Plum ink pads with Creme Brulee, Olive, and Smokey Plum alcohol ink markers. Papers I used include Black, Colonial White, and Smokey Plum Cardstocks with a B&T duos from the Chantilly paper pack (X7163B). The lace border image I stamped through the middle of the background is from a retired stamp set...Simple Memories D1472...sponge-daubed with Smokey Plum ink around the edges.

Standard-size card #2. Colors I used include a Black Archival ink pad (44751) with Indian Corn Blue, Olive, and Smokey Plum alcohol ink markers. Papers I used include Colonial White, Creme Brulee, and Olive Cardstocks. Simple design, but so fun to stamp and color-in with our markers!
 

Finally, here's a view of all of the images included in this Stamp Set:
(and remember, the large flowers and leaves that are outlined are the ones that have
a corresponding shape that can be cut using the Cricut Artiste cartridge!)

 

Now you can continue on with our Blog Hop to be inspired by more creativity using this stamp set by visiting ALLISA'S BLOG next! Enjoy the hop!!

 

Project 365 Scrapbooking Club (Join now)!

If you've attended any of my classes recently, you may have heard me expressing my excitement over a new scrapbooking class I've been participating in with one of my CTMH uplines, Cindy Baker.  Cindy began offering "Project 365" classes to her customers and consultant team members in January of this year and I've been participating with her long-distance (meaning I purchase a kit from her each month and she mails it to me to assemble and add my photos and journaling to).

When I began taking this class with her, I had hopes that I would find a way to offer a similar class to my own customers and team members soon also.  Well, I am very excited to announce that...

I am finally ready to begin offering a "Project 365" club kit

of my own to you starting in June!!

The idea is very simple, here's how it will work.

Your job is to complete two steps each day:

1).  Take at least one photo each day that documents your life.

2).  Write just a little bit about that photo and/or any other things

that you accomplished that day in your "Project 365" notebook.

I don't want you to obsess or be a perfectionist about this...this should not take very much of your time!  If you miss a day, jump back in quickly and take two photos the next day...or just move on and skip a day occasionally if you need to.  The point is that this should become a quick part of your daily routine that is easy enough to do in just 5-10 minutes OR LESS...no more than that!  Keep in mind that it is impossible to document every aspect of your life, we just want to end up with about 20-30 photos by the end of each month that give our readers a "GLIMPSE" into our daily life each month for the next year.  And in case you're wondering...Yes, the idea for this type of an album originated from Becky Higgins' "Project Life" scrapbooking kits that are so popular right now (you can learn more about this trend at BeckyHiggins.com).

In June, we will create the Cover Page for our album as well as the binder cover for our organizational notebook. June's "Kit #1" will also include the 3-ring binder and Black Glamour Glitter Alphabet stickers ($5.95 retail value). The binder will include calendar pages for you to use to write a few details about the photos you are taking daily as well as some photo-taking "prompts" (lists of ideas to help guide you towards what you can or should photograph each day).

Here is what my June "365" Kit contents will help you create:

 (Cover of the 3-ring binder we will use to organize all of our daily photo-taking notes!)

(Front Cover page we will create to begin our "Project 365" album)

Then in July, we will begin creating our album pages (Kit #2) using the photos we took in June...you will be slipping your photos and paper rectangles (with journaling on them) into pocket pages...which means no time spent cropping photos or using a lot of adhesive...the focus is on YOU telling your story!...and I promise the page designs will be oh-so-cute and creative...I will post photos of Kit #2 page designs soon so you can see what I mean! 
  
July's kit pages (that you add your June photos to) 
will be designed with the "Surf's Up" collection (shown below).

The price for my pre-cut kits will always be just $20 per month!
(or $25 per month for long-distance participants
due to the additional cost of mailing it to you).

Each monthly kit will include:
Pre-cut papers (the equivalent of approximately half a paper packet),
 the coordinating My Stickease or Complements Assortment,
plus a variety of additional embellishments (that may also include Flip Flaps),
 and 4-12x12 Memory Protector Photo Storage Pages 
(your choice of Horizontal 4113 or Vertical Z1324 pockets).
The retail value of combined kit contents will always be at least $20 or more!

To join my 365 club, all I need is for you to
get your payment to me by June 15th to reserve your first kit!
 I can accept cash, check, or Paypal payments online (below).
Contact me by phone, e-mail, or Facebook if you need my mailing address to send a check.

Local customers can plan to join me during my monthly crop playdates on
Friday, June 21st (7-10pm)
and/or Saturday, June 22nd (1pm-4pm)
to assemble our kits together.

Long-distance customers just need to purchase the kit from me by June 15th and then I will mail all kit contents out to you on
Monday, June 24th. 

ONLY 1 left-over kit AVAILABLE!!
Use the drop-down menu below to choose your kit option,
then click the "buy now" button to place your order via PayPal online!

Kit #1 (to be mailed when payment is received)

Long-distance ($5 covers postage) $25.00 USD Local (attend class or Jen will deliver) $20.00 USD

Then get started NOW by taking at least
ONE PHOTO EACH DAY during the month of June!! (and remember to use some notebook paper to take a few brief notes on those pics you take each day also!)

PLEASE check back soon for photos of the pages we'll be creating
in July using the "Surf's Up" kit...coming soon!

Papercrafting Pajama Party (Thursday 5/30) - Enroll now!!

Close To My Heart is teaming up with Big Picture Classes to bring you a live webcast with step-by-step instruction for making this "Happy Thoughts" kraft container! Tune in for the FREE webcast on
Thursday, May 30th at 6:00pm (7:00-8:00pm MDT) at

BigPictureClasses.com

During the presentation you'll learn to make several projects from a variety of sponsors, including Close To My Heart! If you'd like to interact on the message board, participate in live chat, post to the gallery, download handouts, or enter any contests, you will need to log in to the Pajama Party "classroom" by creating a FREE account on the Big Picture Classes website. I suggest you register for the class online NOW to get acquainted with how the website works. I'm so looking forward to this and hope you can join us for the fun!!

  

To make our Happy Thoughts kraft container, you will want to have the following items—or similar products—on hand:
 

My Acrylix® Frame Flair Stamp Set (D1546)

My Acrylix® Happy Thoughts Stamp Set (C1536)

Chantilly Paper Packet (need 1 sheet of B&T, X7163B)

Crème Brulee Cardstock (need 1 sheet, X5754)

Lagoon Cardstock (need 1 sheet, X5762)

White Daisy Cardstock (need 1 sheet, 1385)

Whisper Cardstock (need 1 sheet, X5929)

Whisper Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2172)

Lagoon Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2195)

My Creations® Kraft Container (Z1833)

Baker’s Twine Neutral Assortment (need 3 yards, Z1701)

Color-Ready Trinkets Wooden Shapes (Z1844)

Sparkles Black & Grey Assortment (Z1754)

3-D Foam Tape (Z1151)

Micro-Tip Scissors (Z534)

Corner Rounder (Z578)

Paper Trimmer (Z1783)

My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner (1778)

My Acrylix® Stamp Scrubber (Z1782)

2" x 3" My Acrylix® Block (Y1009)

4" x 5" My Acrylix® Block (Y1012)

Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection (Z1686)

 
Please contact me now to purchase any items you need

or order online at: www.StampwithJen.ctmh.com 
 

Happy Mother's Day!!

 Here's a Mother's Day card I created using the special "Dream Pop"

paper pack that is available during the month of May only!!

(just $10 with a $35 purchase this month!)

 It's easy to order online at StampwithJen.ctmh.com

or contact me to place your order by phone or in person.

Love...for all Teachers!

When you have five kids, you get to know many, many teachers in the community over the years and we have been so blessed to have so many GREAT teachers!! Many of my best friends are teachers and WE just L-O-V-E all teachers. My husband has been a high-school math teacher for the past 20 years...this year is his first year as an AP (Assistant Principal) at our high-school, so if you were wondering what an AP is,
that card is for him...the "World's Greatest AP"!

 

I made these 8"x 3.5" Teacher Appreciation cards using the Colonial White Die-Cut Cards & Envelopes pack (Z1738). I love the little wrap-around flap that can be covered with paper and embellished (shown at the bottom of these cards). Papers I used include Buzz & Bumble (X7164B) for the striped pattern and retired bulk Typeset (Juniper) papers (X7139B). Colors I used include Cocoa, Colonial White, Juniper, and Sunset. Stamp sets I used include Perfect Fit-Dad (C1542) for the "World's Greatest" image, For Every Occasion (D1187) for the "Thanks" sentiment, A Typeface (A1117) for the letters "ap", and the Cricut Artiste Collection "Kudos" (D1530)
stamp set for the medallion part of the ribbon.

These cards also fit the Heart 2 Heart Challenge for this week...to share something created to show "Teacher Appreciation." I hope you will visit the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog now for more creative ideas and inspiration!

You're Invited!!