You Rock - He's a Champion!!!

This layout was a life-saver! I had some pretty bad photos - well, not bad - just oddly colored and off of facebook so they were already small and the quality was lousy. But this even was so special and important to my nephew, I just couldn't leave it out. I LOVE how this layout allowed me to use only a few pics (I only had a few) and they didn't have to be very big to fill in the space!

This photo had an unnatural blue tint to it because of the spot lights, but the multicolored "You Rock" design package blended the different variations of the photo colors perfectly. I also really liked how the stickease pieces could be layered - in this case - to allow me to point out that awesome drummer-boy!

By the way, have you noticed how the titles in the Studio J Online scrapbooking can go directly on the paper or even over pictures? It's like stamping (without smears) on transparency paper and without the glare! (I can't even FIND transparency paper anymore, let alone the glareless type!)

By the way, this layout shows pics from a special regional "Idol" competition, and YES, my nephews band won!!! He SO ROCKS!

As soon as I finish dumping Verizon internet, I'll upload this last picture. It is thoroughly ridiculous that I have to spend 5 hours downloading 5 pics! And customer service just keep telling me it all seems fine and I should just upgrade to their new high dollar program. I don't need a new program, I need the one I have to work the way it has for the last 7 years! So stay tuned until Tuesday when a new carrier will be configured!

Studio J Album - Animal Cookies

I gave my sis-in-law a full album for Christmas of her only child, who graduates from high school this year. I knew she really wanted one and although she is one of the craftiest gals I know - and amazing at everything she touches - I also knew she didn't have time to make one before his graduation. I started collecting photos in the summer, but I didn't really start on the layouts until October. I was able to scrapbook ALL of the photos I was able to get with no problem in less than 10 days, just working a little here and there. In fact, I was able to get as many as 4 double layouts completed in just 2 hours! (With journaling, embellishments, photos, and titles!) So until I get some more "blog fodder" at my retreat next weekend, I'm going to start showing the pages in my nephew's book to give you an idea of the amazing tool that Studio J offers.

OH, and this month - February 2011 - Studio J members can get a free layout when they purchase 9 others! Considering that the doubles are only about $6.50 for members, it is a GREAT deal!

With photos in such color, the perfect paper pack is the Animal Cookies set! The pictures that I had for this weren't the best of quality, but the photo spots were small so the quality worked out fine! And take a look at the metal photo clips! Don't they look real??? Unless I'm running my fingers over the embellishments, they look just like the real thing, 3-dimensional with shadows and light glares just like they would if they were actual metal accents.

This little snippet of the layout shows several important details. First is the stickease. You can even layer stickease, like putting letters over an open frame. This picture also shows the torn white edge of the "paper." Again, looking totally real. The paper in this case is set up like the "backside" of the actual paper. See, the actual Background & Texture paper has a backside that repeats the print only in a solid color. The extra bonus you get in doing it online is that you can CHOOSE the color you want for the print. I love that, because sometimes the backside color just doesn't go with the way I've worked the rest of the layout.

Not only do the metal accents look realistic, but the ribbon accents look like real ribbon. With the program, I have the options of adding ribbons wherever I wish. There are also options to widen the ribbon or make it thinner. I can turn the ribbon accents in any direction. I can also add knots, ties, and loops. I can connect it to photo loops like shown, or through ribbon slides. I can have a slant or flat cut to it and I can crop it so it ends where I want it to. This picture also shows the torn paper. This particular layout uses a lot of torn paper.

The titling available in Studio J is so easy to use. There are probably two dozen different fonts and they can be added on a mat of any color - including vellum. But my favorite way of adding titles is just across whatever is already there, like I did with this title. It can even show up across the photos themselves if necessary.

This design is from the Imagine book (page 58) and is called "Dialogue."

Studio J - Free Spirit

This was one of the first layouts I made with Studio J. I was just fooling around. (Did you know you could try it without paying a dime? Try it now at my website: marji.myctmh.com)

I was showing it to a customer and then I liked the way it ended up so much that I just had to go ahead and get the printouts.


This layout really shows a awesome detail in the program. See the title isn't a Stickease, it's just a title. I could choose the size, font, and color of it. I can also choose the background color, if I'd rather have a vellum background, like I did with the journaling (and it perfectly "sticks" without showing any adhesive marks at all like the real vellum does!) or, like I did here, with no background at all. I could even lay it over a picture if I choose. I wince when I think of how difficult it would've been to stick down those tiny letters of the "the" if I'd cut them out with a Cricut! Yikes! But here, no tiny letters, but perfect lettering every time!

Studio J - Splendor

The layouts in Studio J also vary greatly. Some of them require a large picture or two with a couple of extra on the side. Other layouts, like this one can offer places for LOADS of pictures. I especially like the way I can focus on a small element of my pictures as is the case in the 2 photos below.

As with the other sets, the Stickease for this one is plentiful. I used it to creat the flower vine. This Stickease set also included a rickrack ribbon that worked perfectly for my layout. This particular layout also gives a good example of all the embellishments that are available with this program. Buttons, ribbons, and all sorts of metal embellishments, in any of the Close to My Heart 60 colors, are easy to use.

Studio J - New Paper Sets!!!

The paper sets I can choose from at Studio J include all the current sets. They also include some of the most popular retired sets - LOVE THAT! In addition to all of those, they all add sets that were never offered in paper. This set, called, "Hippitiy Hop," is such.

Even though this set was never physically published, it still has all of the elements of the published sets. It includes plenty of stickease, like all the eggs, the "Happy Easter" title and the date that I created using the Alphabet Stickease. (And I never run out of the letters I need!)

Just like with the last posting, I had some pictures that wouldn't print out well, but were just too cute to blow off. Using Studio J and some of the mattings that are available through the program, I could still use the pictures! I ended up making 3 of these double layouts in just under an hour for 3 different books (one for each girl). All I had to do was switch out a few pictures and change the journaling a little. Studio J lets me copy a whole layout as a new project and do simple adjustments in no time!

Studio J - Back Country

I'm working on catching up with all of the layouts I have failed to create. Studio J makes this so easy. I can make 3 to 4 double layouts in just about 2 hours and have them totally complete, with titles, journaling, photos, and impressive embellishments.




Studio J also allows me to resize my Stickease. See the Stickease that comes with a "My Reflections" pack is better than stickers because they are heavier card weight. But the Stickease that comes with Studio J is even better because I can reuse each sticker again and again on the layout and even change the sizes of the images.






I love that I can place brads and ribbons whereever I please and I can resize them, too. I can also place my titles and journaling anywhere, even across photos. OR in this case, place my title in a light colored font over a dark cardstock base. That's possible in normal paper scrap-booking, but rather difficult unless I want to stick with plain cream colors or white.



Another thing that was important with this layout is the fact that I could use all of my pictures. Many of them wouldn't process well because the images were too small, but on this digital layout, I could focus on the small images and easily bring them into focus.

Also, I have become a member of Studio J. For a yearly fee, I can get all of my layouts for half-price, and I can get 1 order per month for no shipping. I also get large and small jpegs of my layouts so I can post them here or print them out again. It makes the membership SO worthwhile!

Studio J Layouts - Animal Cookies

I'm a big fan of Studio J and will be showing you numerous layouts that I've made recently with this fabulous new tool!!! I have so many favorite things about this program that it is hard to narrow it down to one, but I think the best thing of all is that I can use it for free!!! I don't have to pay a penny until I decide I want to purchase a layout. That means I can play around with all sorts of options before I settle on one.

Another thing I love about the program is that I don't have to print off pictures. That's a big plus, because I enjoy using a variety of sizes in my photos and this really saves me money since I don't have to print out the more expensive 8 x 10 or 5 x 7 pictures. I can also get sizes like these 2 x 2 which are impossible to print. Its not such a big deal if I can cut down a 4 x 6 print to the size I want, but, as in the case of these pictures, cutting the original down to a 2 x 2 would cut out so much of the action, it would be impossible to tell what was going on at all.

There are a variety of embellishments available with Studio J in any of the Close to My Heart 60 colors. I can also use the colors in titles and journaling, not to mention the fun fonts I have to choose from. And in the title of the layout, I used the Alphabet that came with the Stickease. Of course it wasn't this big originally, but it is easy to adjust the size.

This layout is call "Dialogue." I'm not sure if it is from the Cherish or the Imagine book, but I like the way it has paper tearing throughout.

My Baby is GORGEOUS!

Yes, I'm shamelessly partial! These pics were taken from the recent Christian Homeschool Prom. This evening is an amazing event from the decorations, to the food, to the theme, to the music! This year's theme was the Golden Age of Hollywood and there were sets all over of famous movies like High Noon, Phantom of the Opera, Singing in the Rain, Gone with the Wind, and the Wizard of Oz. The whole family took part this year, with Katie and Richie attending as special guests (and entering the swing dance competition together) Paul was on the security team and I was a photographer, and Brittany and Breana were Munchkins on the Wizard of Oz set. Needless to say I had LOTS of pictures and LOTS of journaling and I was able to put all of it on this Studio J layout. It won't win any awards, but it will bring a LOT of joy every time I look back at it.

Did I mention how much easier it is to journal on digital pages than on regular pages? I don't have bad handwriting, but I always make mistakes and they don't make correction fluid in Close to My Heart's 60 different colors! (Hey, that's an idea!) This layout is also another example of retired papers! This is the Elegant Floral paper. Perfect for prom!

This is just plain EYE CANDY!

And NO, Gary, I'm not talking about your best impression of Larry Boy!!!

The way this layout lays out is just so stinkin' clever!!! It perfectly draws the eye in to the photos and there is a new treasure at every turn. I particularly like the small pictures. I didn't want to trash the little photos - precious memories! - but they were just too small to come into focus as a full-sized picture.
And again, the Stickease is all available in different, adjustable sizes along with the buttons and brads and ribbons. This just doesn't get any easier!

Types of Titles

This was one of the first layouts I made with Studio J. I particularly like the way the title works with the words simply across the layout instead of on a mat or background.

Stamped titles look sharp and distinct but must always have a base. Stamping over several layers of paper leaves gaps in the images. Stickers can be annoying because they won't come back up if you accidentally set them down, and because once you use a letter, it's gone. Cutting or punching letters provides an alternative to stamping, but they can also prove difficult to adhere to the layout. With digital scrapbooking on Studio J, I have tons of options for the title and it floats on top of the rest of the design perfectly.

If you haven't tried Studio J for free, why not??? Find the link at my website: marji.mycmth.com

Adjusting Photos into Focus

Most of the prints that I got from this camp out were a little grainy and somewhat out of focus. But since I can make them smaller than a regular print just by adding a border, I can really bring them into focus. And I get to use the paper I like most over and over again. (My favorite in this set is the blue plaid.) I never run out and I never have to go on a search for a coordinating paper because they're all together. Try Studio J for yourself at the link at my website. marji.myctmh.com

I don't have to buy ANYTHING I don't want to use!

I really like the new Animal Cookies paper set. The papers shown in the layout are awesome for all sorts of events, but the others in the set would be a little harder for me to use. Cartoon animals, Number paper, and a variety of red hearts are great for little kids (and maybe years ahead of me when my girls are all teenagers), but unless just the right situation comes up, it will be unlikely that I would use them anytime soon. But since I'm using them on Studio J, I don't have to waste the rest of the kit or find a place to store the odds and ends. I also LOVE the fact that the stickease is available for all the kits online - ALL of the Stickease and I can use them more than once! Hurrah!

Studio J Makes Things Super Simple!

This is such a cool layout. If you're like me, you always have plenty of pictures for your events. It is often a challenge to choose between the pictures! But this layout can really pack in the pics and still look well-designed.

I admit, though, that the first time I did this layout - on my own, with paper and adhesive - I cut the far right/bottom picture with the wrong angle and had to cut it again. It wasn't a BIG deal, but it gnaws at me that my picture has an extra cut line through it.

Such is not the case with Studio J! I just drag and drop the pictures and then I can align them as I need to so that the best parts of the pictures show.

I Have 5 Photo Albums

Yes, I really do. I know, I'm a glutton for punishment! And, natuarlly, I find I'm terribly far behind in them! I have a several-year hole in my albums when life was just too busy to scrap-book, but I've got tons of pictures from this time period because my kids were all young.

But Studio J is helping me catch up and I know I showed you some of my latest layouts a couple of weeks ago, but my recent ones are so cute, so I want to showcase them as well. I used the Blue Ribbon pack with this one. I like that pack okay, but have never been a huge butterfly fan so I never bought it. With Studio J, I can use just the parts of the paper pack that I like and get a great layout that works perfectly with my twinkies' softball team (The Firecrackers) without having to find a way to use the papers that aren't really my favorites.

You can try Studio J for free at my website: marji.myctmh.com. Just click the Studio J link!

This layout was posted only a little over a week ago. But this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge is Patriotic projects, so I'm linking this layout. Afterall, what is more patriotic than baseball? Try a challenge for yourself at heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com.

Need I tell you more?

Okay, I want to hear what you think about Studio J? If you've tried it, make sure you post what you liked about it! If you haven't tried it, what's stopping you??? It's free to try out. In fact, you don't have to pay a nickel to use all the templates, papers, and embellishments - even some you've never seen before! There isn't any requirement either; you don't even have to create an account, (Click the "Try it out" link just above the picture.)although if you do, the program will save your pictures and layouts. So go to the link below and play for a few minutes, then come back here and tell me what you think!

Visit Studio J

New Paper Packs!

Did I mention that Studio J has "paper" packs that you can't get anywhere else???
This is an example of one of those kits call "Hip Hop" with an obvious Easter theme. These sets are just like the paper ones that we get, complete with 6 B&Ts (background and texture design paper), 4 "cardstocks" of coordinating colors, and a great variety of stickease images and embellishments. I also love the way I can choose any font from the Close to My Heart font programs. I really like the colors that this set, in particular, brought together. They are the newest ones that CTMH introduced a couple of years ago: Juniper, Creme Brulee, Tulip, and Sorbet.

Have I given up paper scrap booking??

Oh my goodness, NO! Like I said in the last post, I LOVE the puzzle. I like the feel of the paper and the challenge of making everything fit just right!

But being as behind as I am - yes, this layout is of pictures from our first year of home schooling in May of 2001 - and having so many of my pictures on disk, digital scrapbooking just makes sense for me in order to catch up! And this layout was one of my favorites. Yes, it's digital, even the paper tearing and the sanding that you see on the navy "card stock". This site allows for all types of paper distressing in a variety of colors! If you haven't tried it, go check it out at the Studio J link at my website, marji.myctmh.com, or use this direct link: Studio J

You need to check out Studio J!!!

Seriously? Digital Scrapbooking? No Way! I love the paper, the puzzle of it all. I would NEVER enjoy scrapbooking if I had to do it on the computer!

. . . At least that's what I THOUGHT! I had actually tried some digital scrapbooking a couple of years ago, so I had some experience, but it was NOTHING compared to the ease and speed with which I made pages using Studio J. If you're like me, you have many events that haven't been scrapbooked. For me that runs from about 2001 to about 2006 AND I keep up with books for my kids as well! This program makes all of that so simple! I just follow the steps, upload my pics from disks, and make a few choices about the layout and the paper pack, and the embellishments.

NO JOKE! I made the layout above with 2 different sets of pictures and the layout below in the two hours of my girls' gym time. Folks, it just doesn't get any easier than this. If you've never tried digital scrapbook, you just have to! Try it before you spend a nickel! Take about 15 minutes and check out this incredible program! You can find the Studio J link at my website, marji.myctmh.com or just follow this direct link.