Wasted Time & Birthday Wishes

Over the summer, my baby sister needed to make a scrapbook layout for a friend's 21st birthday "shot book".  I had never heard of this before, but I guess it's a thing now.  Wow... just say that makes me feel/sound old!  LoL.  Anyways, my sis asked if I could help her.  Ummm... is the sky blue??  OF COURSE, I COULD HELP HER!!

So we set out to create a masterpiece.  My sister wanted to use a song lyric for the title and what better than Keith Urban's Wasted Time to go along with this fun picture of the girls at the beach in the summer and, of course, a 21st birthday?!?  We pulled paper from my non-CTMH stash (::GASP::), but jazzed it all up with some fun CTMH embellishments -- Calypso washi, green shimmer trim, and clear sparkles.  Of course, we used the clear sparkles!  Girls need their bling, right?

Here's a picture of my sister with the finished layout.  Today is actually her birthday.  Not her 21st as she's already passed that momentous occasion, but still her birthday!  :-)  Happy Birthday, baby sis!!

Until next time, design with {heart}!

CTMH Holiday Expressions New Product Blog Hop

Welcome to the CTMH Holiday Expressions New Product Blog Hop!

If you came from visiting Vickie ODell, then you are in the right place.  If you just happened upon my little corner of the blog world, simply start here and continue hopping until you return here -- our fun hop is one big loop for your viewing pleasure. 

This hop features product from the new Holiday Expressions idea book (pictured below).  The products in this book are available from now until December 31st.  From Halloween to Fall to Christmas, the HE book has you covered.  And with so many great products to choose from,, this hop is sure to be full of lots of fabulous inspiration!

For my project, I decided to put together a pocket scrapbooking layout using the Jeepers Creepers paper packet.  While this packet comes with two fun sheets of cut apart cards, I chose to make some of my own using the B&T papers and other CTMH products to show the versatility of pocket scrapbooking.  Our Picture My Life collections and paper packet cut-apart sheets are awesome for putting together quick and easy pocket layouts, but with a little fun and creativity, you can make your own pocket pieces for a unique layout that's completely your own.

I've designed both pages, but will be assembling and adding the final embellishments to the right hand page on Friday night at a home gathering.  Below is a peek at the layout as it sits now.  I will be trimming down the White Daisy layer of the monster to expose some of the fun Tangerine on the base layer -- for sure, I will make the horns Tangerine and possibly the toes.  What do you think?  I will also "sprinkle" several more black stars throughout the page.

Supplies used:

*Artistry Cricut Collection
*Artbooking Cricut Collection
*Memory Protectors -- Design 3
*Jeepers Creepers paper packet
*Thin Cuts -- Happy
*12" x 12" Black cardstock
*12" x 12" Pansy cardstock
*12" x 12" Tangerine cardstock
*12" x 12" White Daisy cardstock
*12" x 12" Willow cardstock
*Pansy Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Tangerine Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Willow Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Jennifer's Hand Stamp Set
*Picture My Life Watercolor Cards -- Clear
*Picture My Life Journaling Cards (retired, now available w/tabs)
*Waterbrush -- Medium Flat
*Green Shimmer Trim
*Black Enamel Stars (retired)

To order these or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Thank you for visiting me at jd designs and for hopping with us on the CTMH Holiday Expressions New Product Blog Hop!  Next up on the hop is Michele Rowley. I hope you'll hop on over to her blog for more inspiration.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

September Close to My Heart Specials

September Constant Campaign

Celebrate National Stamping Month this September with hand stamped cards designed to help create a little more kindness in the world. The Create Kindness card kit contains all of the supplies needed to create 24 beautiful handmade cards that you can use to brighten someone’s day! The kit can be yours for only $46.95—a 15% savings off the retail value!

Thanks to the pre-printed card bases, these cards come together in no time, leaving you more time to do something thoughtful for someone. Watch Close To My Heart’s blog, Instagram account, and Facebook page throughout the month of September to see what we’ve created with this card kit as well as the acts of kindness it has inspired! This exclusive kit will only be available in the month of September while supplies last, so make sure to get your order in early.

As a special bonus, the exclusive stamp sets and pre-printed card bases with envelopes are also available for separate purchase, but only in the month of September while supplies last!

Kit Contents

Kit Stamps

* * * * *

September Stamp of the Month

Only $5 with a $50 purchase

To order these or any of the other fabulous CTMH products, please visit my online store at jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

It's About To Get Wild, Baby!

We recently celebrated the upcoming birth of a co-worker's first child.  She's having a little boy.  As a fellow boy mom myself, I wanted to give her something special.  As I said, I have a little boy myself and in addition to all the typical baby stuff, one of my favorite things I have for my son is a journal I keep on my bedside.  I don't use this journal to record milestones or to document our days -- I have his scrapbooks for that.  Instead in this journal, I write down all the funny / crazy things my son says and does.  If you are a fellow boy mom, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.  Boys get into all sorts of craziness and come up with some of the funniest things to say.  Nothing against girls, but I just don't remember my sisters (9 & 12 years younger than me) doing/saying anything like my son does.

Anyways, back to the gift.... I bought my co-worker a cute journal and pen to keep by her bedside for documenting her son's adventures.  In the card, I shared my thoughts on writing down the things that make her smile or laugh as it's too easy to forget those little moments as life is flying by.

I added a small cardstock "bookplate" to the first page in the journal so she could write her son's name in her own handwriting.

Supplies used:

*Georgie paper packet
*12" x 12" Canary cardstock
*12" x 12" Champagne cardstock
*12" x 12" Sapphire cardstock
*12" x 12" Whisper cardstock
*12" x 12" White Daisy cardstock
*5 1/2" X 4 1/4" white cards & envelopes, value pack
*Wild Wonders stamp set
*Slate Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Black Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Grey Enamel Gems

To order these or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Damask Divas' Happy Times Blog Hop

Welcome to the Damask Divas' Happy Times Blog Hop!

The Damask Divas' team is excited to inspire you with fabulous projects from this beautiful collection!  If you came from visiting {Jenifer Benner}, then you are in the right place.  You can see the full hop line-up over on the {Damask Divas' blog}.

This hop highlights the fabulous new Happy Times paper packet which Close to My Heart released in honor of National Scrapbooking Month.  This paper packet features a gorgeous color combination of Canary, Fern, Pink, Magenta, and Mint along with beautiful gold foil -- and it also has a coordinating stamp set!

 For today's layout, I used a sketch from Scrapbook Generation.  I love using sketches with my projects!  When I saw the awesome floral-like border across the top of the sketch, I knew it would be perfect for the Happy Times paper packet, and boy, was I right!  I just love how my layout turned out.  It is one of my most favorite layouts I've completed in a while... and that's saying something because I loved some of my more recent layouts featuring the now-retired Regatta collection.  But anyways, I digress.  I'll stop rambling now, and let you check out my project.

The Sketch:

My Layout:

Supplies used:

*Happy Times paper packet
*Art Philosophy Cricut collection
*Artbooking Cricut collection
*Fundamental Stickers Whimsy pack
*Gold shimmer trim
*Flamingo Dots
*Marvy Uchida LePen journaling pen

To order the Happy Times paper packet or stamp set or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Thank you for visiting me at jd designs and for hopping with us on the Happy Times Blog Hop!  Next up on the hop is {Jessica Wilson}. I hope you'll hop on over to her blog for more inspiration.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Regatta Leftovers -- 3 More Double-page Scrapbook Layouts

As we wrap-up April and Seasonal Expressions 1, I am also wrapping up my Regatta Workshop Your Way projects.  For some reason, this paper packet seems to be never ending.  In addition to the 3 double-page scrapbook layouts, 1 Picture My Life (pocket scrapbooking) layout, and 8 cards I made using the Workshop Guide, I've also made 3 additional double-page scrapbook layouts, 2 single-page layouts, and 9 more cards.  I will be sharing these projects over the next few days.

Let's start with the double-page scrapbook layouts...

*Submitted to Heart to Heart Challenges - Regatta

*Submitted to Heart to Heart Challenges - Four

*Submitted to Heart to Heart Challenges - Photo Op

The majority of the supplies used came from the Regatta Workshop Your Way along with some solid cardstock and sequins from my CTMH stash.  If you would like to know any product specifics, please leave a comment below, and I'd be happy to share them with you.

To order the Regatta Workshop Your Way kit or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Why I Became a Close to My Heart Consultant Blog Hop

Welcome to the Why I Became a Close to My Heart Consultant Blog Hop!

If you came from visiting Melissa Robinson, then you are in the right place.  If you just happened upon my little corner of the blog world, simply start here and continue hopping until you return here -- our fun hop is one big loop for your viewing pleasure.

This month, in place of an additional customer special, Close to My Heart is offering a fabulous special for anyone who wishes to join our CTMH family as a consultant.  And we truly are a family... we love, we laugh, we help each other, and we even disagree from time to time... but at the end of the day, I know my CTMH sisters (and brothers!) are always there for me -- in the papercrafting world and beyond!  To learn more about the "Baby I'm Worth It" New Consultant Campaign or on joining my CTMH team, check out my April specials blog post or head directly to my CTMH website for all the details.

In honor of the "Baby I'm Worth It" campaign, today's hop is a little different than our typical specific-product-focused hops.  We will all be sharing our CTMH story -- why we chose CTMH and why we became a consultant -- as well as a project relating to those reasons.  

For me, my CTMH journey started about 5 years ago.  A good friend met a local CTMH consultant at a vendor event, and knowing we both love papercrafting, my friend signed us up to attend the consultant's monthly club nights.  After the first night, I was hooked.  I loved CTMH's products (especially the Cricut collections and Workshops on the Go) and its focus on documenting your memories.  CTMH has always offered a good balance between cardmaking and scrapbooking with other types of papercrafting mixed in for fun.  I quickly became addicted, and as many in our digital world do, I began searching online for ideas and other CTMH crafters.  Then in April 2014, CTMH offered an unheard of special -- join the CTMH family and receive a FREE Cricut collection.  As a busy mom on a tight budget, I couldn't resist -- a kit full of products, a free cartridge collection, and a discount on all future orders... for a one-time cost??  I was in!  I knew I could maintain an active status just as a hobbyist with my friends and hopefully grow my hobby into a business that would fit my life and my family.  Last week, I received an email from CTMH congratulating me on my second anniversary with the company.

Before I show you my project, let me break down my reasons for joining CTMH...
>> Focus on documenting memories
>> Fantastic products -- including Cricut collections and Workshop kits
>> Great quality at reasonable prices
>> "Let Me Show You How" motto & philosophy

And just for fun, here are the reasons I have stayed (and will continue to stay) with CTMH...
>> Family atmosphere -- within my team and throughout the company as a whole
>> Amazing customer service
>> CTMH takes great care of its consultants
>> Extra income to take care of my family
>> Plus all the reasons why I signed on in the first place

Supplies used:

*Artbooking Cricut collection
*Georgie paper packet
*12" x 12" White Daisy cardstock
*12" x 12" Juniper cardstock
*12" x 12" Canary cardstock
*12" x 12" Whisper cardstock
*Georgie complements
*White shimmer trim
*Carnival washi tape pack (retired, but still available online)
*Grey enamel gems
*Make It from Your Heart™ Volume 2

To order these or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Thank you for visiting me at jd designs and for hopping with us on the Why I Became a Close to My Heart Consultant Blog Hop!  Next up on the hop is Tammy Lubick. I hope you'll hop on over to her blog for more inspiration.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

April Close to My Heart Specials

April Constant Campaign

If earning money—and rewards—through your love of scrapbooking and stamping sounds like a dream job, then now is the perfect time to join Close To My Heart. Believe me, it’s worth it!  Sign up as a Consultant in April and earn amazing rewards—including a FREE Cricut® collection!

Signing up as a new Consultant with Close To My Heart during April is more rewarding than ever. 

When you sign up as a New Consultant, you already get:

• New Consultant Kit with essential supplies for only $75

• $50 in Select Product Credit to spend on additional supplies

• The chance to earn fantastic Straight To The Top start-up rewards

And only during April, you can also earn your choice of a FREE Cricut®collection or an additional $100 in Select Product Credit when you submit $350 in personal sales within your first 30 days! 

* * * * *

April Stamp of the Month

Only $5 with a $50 purchase

To order these or any of the other fabulous CTMH products, please visit my online store at jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Spring Fever with Penelope

Out of the three collections included in the Seasonal Expressions 1 catalog, I will honestly say Penelope was my least favorite.  But as always, when I get the collection in my hand and begin playing with it, I quickly fall in love.  Maybe it's the time change... maybe it's the weather... but either way, I definitely have Spring Fever.  How about you??

I cannot wait to fill this pretty layout with pictures of my family outside enjoying the first days of Spring.  We've been cooped up all winter long and are ready to get out and play!

Supplies used:

*Artbooking Cricut collection
*Artiste Cricut collection
*Penelope Paper Packet
*12" x 12" Crystal Blue cardstock
*12" x 12" Honey cardstock
*12" x 12" Pear cardstock
*12" x 12" White Daisy cardstock
*Thistle Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Thistle extra-thick twine
*Limeade washi pack
*Silver shimmer trim
*Playful puffies
*Diamond embossing folder
*Magic how-to program (book)

To order these or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Little Bundle of Joy

As I continued to play with my Penelope paper packet scraps and the Penelope Workshops Your Way card designs, I decided to make a baby card.  The subtle polka dot B&T pattern in this collection was just screaming to be made into a sweet baby card.

I love the Wild Wonders stamp set I used on this card.  This set is adorable and so much fun -- especially with the great coordinating giraffe and lion cuts on the Artbooking Cricut cartridge.  Note -- Wild Wonders is one of the stamp sets not currently shown in the Annual Inspirations Idea Book and will be retiring on July 31st.

Supplies used:

*Artbooking Cricut Collection
*Wild Wonders stamp set
*Just to Say stamp set (Artfully Sent exclusive)
*Penelope paper packet
*12" x 12" Crystal Blue cardstock
*12" x 12" Watercolor paper
*5 1/2" X 4 1/4" white cards & envelopes, value pack
*Canary Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Crystal Blue Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Thistle Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Limeade washi tape
*Thistle diagonal striped ribbon
*Bitty sparkles

*Water brush

To order these or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Documenting His Story

Recently, in one of the scrappy groups I am part of on Facebook, a woman asked for advice on scrapbooking events in her husband's life that she is not part of herself.  Lots of scrappers responded, including myself.  One of my biggest ongoing scrapbooking projects outside of our family / my son's book is documenting my husband's running adventures.  He's been running for about 6 years, and with each race, he gets another race bib, pin, medal, and/or other memorabilia. In an effort to avoid accumulating those various items in a box somewhere, I've worked to incorporate these items into his scrapbook.  I've included the details in the photo captions below. 

My husband plays an important part in helping me prepare and organize each race's memorabilia.  After a race, he pulls out his current scrapbook, places any race bibs/pins/etc into the next available page protector.  He also documents his statistics on a pre-printed Race Stats form I created and keep stocked in the back of the scrapbook, and then he slips the completed form in the page protector with the memorabilia.  When I'm ready to scrapbook, I grab the book, print pictures, and get to work.

When it comes to the actual scrapbooking, I find it helps to use page maps and sketches.  I also don't worry too much about matching my papers to the colors of the pictures.  If the race has a theme (such as a St. Patrick's Day run or a Christmas run, I use papers to fit the theme instead of matching the pictures.  My husband tends to run in bright colors so those cheering for him can spot him so if I worry too much about matching the pictures, his whole album would look like an 80's throwback.

Anyway, that's enough about my process... now for the real reason most of you are here.  The pictures!  I tried to choose a a variety of layouts showing different ways I incorporate my husband's race memorabilia and the Race Statistics form.  Please note -- I have blurred race bib numbers and other details in pictures below to help protect our personal information.

Scrapbook cover with window showing picture
of shoes and years documented in the album.
Album "belly band" (made using leftover ribbon from a  race
medal and wide elastic) helps hold the thick album closed.

Cover Page

I removed the pin back from the race pin and used the pin front
as an embellishment on this layout.

I mounted the dog tag / chain received at the race
to this layout for embellishment

Layout using race medal and part of attached ribbon

I took apart the race medal / ribbon from this race and used part of the
ribbon in place of one of the paper layers and filed down the ribbon holder
on the back of the medal to flatten it so I could add the medal to the layout.

Race stats hidden in flip flap mini album
(behind Fall panel on right page)

Completed Race Stats sheet and Race Bib in page protector
waiting for me to print pictures and scrapbook

One last thing before I go, I mentioned using flip flaps in my captions above.  For those of you unfamiliar with flip flaps, they are clear pockets made from the same material as page protectors.They have a sticky strip at one end so you can apply them directly to the outside of your page protector allowing you to include additional photos / journaling with your layouts.  Close to My Heart offers various sizes of flip flaps.  To see the full collection or order flip flaps for your own projects, click here.

Due to the variety of layouts I've shown in this post and the extensive range of products used, I will not including a supply list today.  However, if you are interested in knowing the details of anything I used, please leave a comment and I'll be happy to respond with the information.

To order any of Close to My Heart's fabulous products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Watercolor Blog Hop

Welcome to the Watercolor Blog Hop!

If you came from visiting Sheila Bennett, then you are in the right place.  If you just happened upon my little corner of the blog world, simply start here and continue hopping until you return here -- our fun hop is one big loop for your viewing pleasure

This hop features various projects created with either the Close to My Heart watercolor paints or the watercolor pencils.  Watercolors are very trendy in scrapbooking these days, but can be rather intimidating.  The key is to practice, practice, practice -- and don't be afraid to grab some cheap white cardstock and just play around.

For my card below, I took a piece of watercolor paper and simply began adding color from left to right not bothering to rinse my brush too much between colors.  I also tried to move from one color to the next before the first color was really dry.  This allowed me to pick up some of the first color and transition it nicely into the next color.  I didn't worry about keeping my lines or edges straight.  This adds to the simple organic flow of the watercolors.

Once my watercolor piece was complete, I used my craft heater to dry it.  If your paper curls while watercoloring, simply use the heater on the backside of the paper to help it curl back the other way.  For my sentiment, I cut the word "happy" from the Artbooking cartridge 3 times and glued all the cuts together to create a chipboard-like piece.  I then added a layer of black cardstock being the watercolor layer to offset the colors and mounted it on a small sheet of fun foam to give the whole thing a smooth lift of dimension.  Finally I stamped "birthday" on the card base to further add to the dimension.  I love using varying heights on my projects for great texture and dimension.

Supplies used:

*Artbooking Cricut collection
*Jennifer's Hand alphabet stamp set
*12" x 12" Black cardstock
*Watercolor Paper
*White Daisy card bases
*Black Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Watercolor Paints
*Paintbrush Set

To order these or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Thank you for visiting me at jd designs and for hopping with us on the Watercolor Blog Hop!  Next up on the hop is Brenda Lapp. I hope you'll hop on over to her blog for more inspiration.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop -- Balloon Animals

Welcome to the February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

If you came from visiting Brenda Lapp, then you are in the right place.  If you just happened upon my little corner of the blog world, simply start here and continue hopping until you return here -- our fun hop is one big loop for your viewing pleasure. 

The month's featured stamp set is S1602 Balloon Animals (pictured below).  This set is only available until February 29th and is only $5 with a $50 Close to My Heart purchase.

Personal side note --- Balloon Animals hold a special place in my heart.  My husband's uncle is a clown who specializes in balloon animals.  On the morning of my wedding, my husband-to-be called my cell phone and asked if it would be okay if his aunt (a face-painting clown) and uncle did their thing at our reception.  So there I was at the church about to step into my dress faced with two options -- I could either have a Bridezilla moment and say no way (along with a string of other similiar phrases) or I could take a deep breath and simply roll with it.  I was about to marry the love of my life, and nothing was going to take away from that.  So I smiled and told my other half that his aunt and uncle were more than welcome to do their thing -- but without their clown costumes.  A girl's gotta draw the line somewhere, right??  Having Aunt & Uncle Bubbles "perform" at our reception (sans costumes, of course!) turned out to be a memorable, enjoyable experience for everyone -- balloon hats all around!

Now back to my project...

For today's layout, I used the Kaleidoscope paper packet along with a sketch from the Magic How-To Program / Book to create this fun scrapbook layout perfect for any celebration in life.  The top-center square of the right page opens into a fun mini-album great for capturing extra pictures and memories without taking up valuable real estate on the overall layout.  The Magic How-to Program is filled with lots of wonderful tips and tricks for creating interactive elements on your pages.  I highly recommend adding the Magic book to your scrapbooking tools.

Pop-out Mini Album
revealed by untying white ribbon bow 

Supplies used:

*Balloon Animals SOTM stamp set
*Artbooking Cricut collection
*Artistry Cricut collection
*Kaleidoscope paper packet
*12" x 12" White Daisy cardstock
*12" x 12" Pear cardstock
*12" x 12" Canary cardstock
*12" x 12" Pixie cardstock
*Canary Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Gypsy Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Pacifica Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Pear Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Pixie Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Sunset Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*White & gold ribbon
*Gold sequins assortment
*Marvy Uchida LePen journaling pen

To order these or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Thank you for visiting me at jd Designs and for hopping with us on the Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month February Blog Hop!  Next up on the hop is Lela N. I hope you'll hop on over to her blog for more inspiration.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Pow! Double The Birthday Fun!

Last week, my nephew celebrated his 7th birthday, and over the weekend, we had the joy of getting together as a family for a birthday party honoring him and his little brother who turns 2 today.  I was able to pull a card from my stash for the 2 y.o., but made a card for the 7 y.o.

Before I show you the card, let me say I {LOVE} washi tape!  There is so much you can do with it!!  From accents to main elements (such as below), washi tape is a great way to add color and life to any project.  And for checking out my blog today, I'm going to share with you another teaser from the soon-to-be released Close to My Heart Seasonal Expressions Idea Book -- WASHI is BACK!!  CTMH is releasing new washi tapes on January 1st!  Here's a peek...

To make the card below, I used some old washi tape.  First, I cut the center rectangle.  Then I added the large yellow sound effects washi and used it as a guide for the red and blue washi.  Wanting the card to have a birthday feel, I skipped a strip of washi towards the top -- instead I stamped a strip of Happy Birthday sentiments using the CTMH Holiday Tags stamp set.  To really make the Happy Birthday "pop", I stamped it separately on a Hexagon cut in a different color and used some foam tape to make the piece stand out.  In hindsight, I wish I had placed the hexagon piece parallel to the rectangle instead of in line with the sentiment "strip", but hindsight's always 20/20, right? 

Supplies used:

*Artbooking Cricut collection
*Holiday Tags stamp set (retired)
*12" x 12" White Daisy cardstock
*White Daisy card base & envelope
*Pacifica Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Canary Exclusive Inks stamp pad

*Scotch Expressions washi tape - Pow!
*Scotch Expressions washi tape - Red
*Scotch Expressions washi tape - Blue
*Cuttlebug Spots & Dots embossing folder
*Yellow cardstock from my stash

To order any of our fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Until next time, remember to design it with {heart}!

Jackson Week -- Day #1 -- WOTG Scrapbook Layouts

The 2014 - 2015 Annual Inspirations and 2015 Seasonal Expressions 2 Idea Books are only available for a few more weeks.  All the paper collections and many other items in these catalogs will be retiring on August 31st to make way for a beautiful new line-up -- which will be released on September 1st.

One of my favorite collections over this past year has been the Jackson collection.  This masculine-feeling collection is perfect for male projects as well as summer / outdoors / camping projects.  This week on my blog, I will be featuring a variety of projects made with the Jackson collection.  Be sure to stop by every day to see the latest project.

Jackson Workshop on the Go

Today, I have two scrapbook layouts from the Jackson Workshop on the Go.  CTMH's scrapbooking Workshops on the Go include a full paper packet, an exclusive coordinating D-size stamp set, two coordinating embellishment packs, and full color instructions / cutting guide to complete two double-page layouts.  You simply need to add the coordinating ink pads and basic supplies such as adhesive, scissors, paper trimmer, and stamp blocks.

Featured Layout

Additional Layout

Supplies used:
*Artbooking Cricut Collection
*Jackson Workshop on the Go
*Juniper Exclusive Inks stamp pad

*Cocoa Exclusive Inks stamp pad

*Barn Red Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Glacier Exclusive Inks stamp pad

To order these or any of our other fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post featuring two additional layouts made with my leftover Jackson WOTG contents, a few extra sheets of cardstock, and the Jackson complements.

Until next time, happy crafting!

Oh Baby! -- Baby Boy

Warning!!  This post is VERY picture heavy!

This is a continuation of Friday's post, Oh Baby! -- It's a Boy -- which featured a shaker card and pop-up gift card tag.

In addition to the group gift I shared with my sisters, I also wanted to make something personal and special for my cousin and her husband from me.  A long time ago, I saw an adorable baby-themed mini album online that had been crafted using the Artbooking Cricut Cartridge (I wish I could remember where online, but sadly, I can't).  I don't traditionally make mini albums, but at the time, I was looking for something I could create using Artbooking to display at my workshops and vendor events.  So I decided to put together a mini using my son's baby pictures.  It was a true labor of love that I will cherish forever.  Anyways... back to my cousins... I love my son's baby mini so much, I decided to make one for my cousins' baby.

Supplies used:
*Artbooking Cricut collection
*Wild Wonders stamp set 

*Slate Exclusive Inks stamp pad
* Diamond embossing folder
*Slate Diagonal ribbon
*Slate Baker's Twine (retired)

*Recollections cardstock / patterned paper from my stash
*1" clear round epoxy circles

*Brads from my stash
*Cork heart from my stash
*Washi tape from my stash
*Ribbon from my stash

To order any of our fabulous Close to My Heart products, please visit http://jddesigns.ctmh.com.

Until next time, happy crafting!