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 Taste of Summer Cards

 

CTMH Blossom Cards

 

 

CTMH Calypso & Calypso-inspired Cards

 

 

CTMH Happy Times Scrapbook Layouts

  

  

Supplies used:

*Happy Times paper packet (National Scrapbooking Month exclusive)
*Various other CTMH supplies (current & retired)

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}!

Going to the Chapel & They're Gonna Get Married!!

2016 has been a big year for weddings in my family.  And all the fun events surrounding weddings mean lots of opportunities for papercrafting.  One night earlier this month, I sat down to make cards for several weddings and bridal showers -- not only for myself to give, but also for my mom and sisters.  Let's just say it was a marathon crafting night.  Here are the results -- all of which were produced in multiple quantities.

For the Bridal Showers...

 

For the Weddings... 

 

  

And for one of the bride's at her maid-of-honor's request...

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}!

Nurses' Week 2016

My sister is a nurse, and for Nurses' Week back in May, she asked me to help her design tags / bag toppers for treats and little gifts she and a co-worker were going to leave as "Secret Santa" -type gifts for their fellow nurses.

Clockwise from upper left --

>>Monkey bag toppers were attached to animal crackers and read "It would be wild around here without you."

>>Hand tags were adorned with the nurses' names, read "You are the best.  Hands down.", and attached to a bottle of hand cream.

>>Lifesaver tags read "You're a lifesaver!" and were used with lifesaver candies.

>>Coffee cups had the nurses' names written on the coffee sleeves and were tied to a Starbucks drink.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

From Michigan to Wisconsin with Love

I started this pocket letter for my dear friend, Jody, at SpiegelMom Scraps, earlier this year.  However, I set it aside too many times to work on other projects.  Finally, I decided it was time to complete it; so I sat down and got it done!  I just love the way this letter turned out.  Pocket letters are so much fun to make as each pocket is its own unique work of art and they all come together in the end as a final masterpiece.

Supplies used:

*Blossom paper packet (retired)
*Blossom complements (retired)
*12" x 12" Pear cardstock (retired)
*12" x 12" Lagoon cardstock
*12" x 12" Slate cardstock
*12" x 12" Sunset cardstock (retired)
*12" x 12" White Daisy cardstock
*Lagoon Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Pear Exclusive Inks stamp pad (retired)
*Sunset Exclusive Inks stamp pad (retired)
*Finding the Words stamp set
*Artfully Sent Curlicue stamp set (retired)
*Little Things stamp set (retired)
*Michigan stamp set
*Wisconsin stamp set
*Opportunity stamp set (consultant exclusive)
*Waterbrush -- Medium Flat
*Coral Shimmer Trim
*White Shimmer Trim
*Chalk It Up assortment (retired)
*Just Blooms paper flowers - Paradise (retired)
*Carnival washi tape (retired)
*Boardwalk washi tape (retired)
*Lagoon Hearts washi tape (retired)
*Various supplies from my non-CTMH stash

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}!

Last Day of School -- Teacher Gifts

My son and I made these planters to give to each of his teachers on the last day of preschool.  We have been so blessed with a great group of teachers this year and will definitely miss them as my son moves on to another school for the next chapter in his education adventure.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

National Scrapbooking Month - Happy Times Blog Hop

Welcome to the National Scrapbooking Month - Happy Times Blog Hop!

If you came from visiting Haley Dyer, 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 the National Scrapbooking Month exclusive paper packet Happy Times and the coordinating stamp set with the same name.  These fabulous items are only available during May 2016 and can be found online at my website by clicking here.

For today's project, I chose to explore the softer, more subtle side of the Happy Times paper packet.  But first, let me start by saying how much I love the designs and colors in this collection.  The mint color -- especially when paired with the beautiful pink color -- is simply divine!  And when you add in the gold foil, WOW!!  Amazing!

Supplies used:

*Happy Times paper packet
*12" x 12" White Daisy cardstock
*12" x 12" Whisper cardstock
*Pink enamel gems
*Stitch guide
*Foam mat
*Marvy Uchida LePen journaling pen

*White thread
*Dear Lizzy Serendipity royal gold foil word phrase Thickers

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 National Scrapbooking Month - Happy Times Blog Hop!  Next up on the hop is Darlys Recker. I hope you'll hop on over to her blog for more inspiration.

Until next time, design with {heart}!

Pinwheel Pop

Spring has finally sprung!!

And wow -- it definitely came in with a bang!  Several days of sunshine and almost 80 degrees really does one good.... and inspires a bright flair into my papercrafting.  With the windows open and the fresh air blowing in, I decided to update the vase I keep on the counter in front of my desk at work.

Instead of flowers, I make arrangements of paper pinwheels in festive themes from Valentine's Day to Christmas.  In the past, I would simply cut a 6-inch square and then cut diagonally from each corner to about 1/2-inch from the center.  I'd use my bone folder to curl each of the four "petals," roll the corners towards the center, and pin them all to in the center with a brad.  However, I recently picked up the Pinwheel Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers and several packs of Pinwheel Attachments.    So this time around, I amped up my pinwheel game and made these beautiful pinwheels that do more than look pretty -- they actually spin!

The fun paper I used is now retired.  It was called Dream Pop and was the National Scrapbooking Month exclusive paper packet from May 2014.  That's right -- May is National Scrapbooking Month... which means next month, CTMH will be releasing a new exclusive paper packet for NSM 2016.  I can't say much yet, but let me tell you it is beautiful and on-trend.  I got mine last week and oh my wow... I love it!!

Supplies used:

*Dream Pop paper packet
*Bone folder

*We R Memory Keepers Pinwheel Punch Board
*We R Memory Keepers Pinwheel Spinning Attachments

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}!

God Bless You

Last week, I had a co-worker ask me if I would make her a card for a first communion.  Would I?  Would I??  Of course, I would!  I typically prefer more than one day's notice, but challenge accepted.  :-)  Her only request was that it be boy-ish and not girlie as the card was for her nephew.

Knowing I was short on time, I turned to the Seasonal Expressions 1 idea book and decided to scraplift the card on page 20.  This card uses the nautical-themed Regatta paper packet, but does not look nautical at all.  I thought I had the Rejoice stamp set in my collection, but I couldn't find it.  So I ended up pulling an old set from my pre-CTMH stash.

Supplies used:

*Regatta paper packet
*12" x 12" White Daisy cardstock
*Glacier Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Whisper Exclusive Inks stamp pad
*Bitty Sparkles

*White thread

*Crosses of Hope stamp set (non-CTMH)

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}!

Grass Wreath with Burlap Flowers

A couple years ago, I built this frame for my kitchen wall.  I have a wonderful rustic star I use for Christmas and a cozy yarn wreath for Valentine's Day, but I didn't have anything for everyday purposes.  After leaving the V-day wreath hanging for all year, I finally decided over the weekend that I needed to make a new wreath.

Quick tip -- save yourself some $$$ and skip buying wreath forms.  Instead grab a pool noodle from the dollar store and duct tape the ends together to form a wreath.  I've found it helps to wrap the end of the noodle with duct tape before wrapping them together.

Supplies used:

*Pool noodle from the dollar store
*Duct tape
*Cypress Yarn Bee Haute Fur Yarn
*Burlap daisies
*Straight pins
*Cotton lace ribbon trim

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}!