The Crafting Diva in Me...

a little Mischief....

2011-10-19T17:01:00.000-04:00

The Bohnart Family has been up to a bit of Mischief lately and I dived into the new paper pack by Close to My Heart to honor our Mischief. :-) What I love about this paper pack is its versatility! It is a great fall paper pack- from your Spooky Halloween events to your family focused fall celebrations- this paper will work beautifully!

I have been scrapping a bit each day- trying to do a layout everyday or at least 3 a week. So far I am keeping in my rythym. I found I had a creative block for awhile and I think the biggest thing that was keeping me from Scrapping was I was OVER THINKING! I started to question my own abilities and artwork- sad but true. I finally let it all go and just started creating. It is meaningful to me and having my children come home and look at the pages and remember these moments really helped me focus on my true WHY!

It seems lately that life has been whizzing bye. Moving as much as we do often times helps me to stop and reflect on our journey and keep life in perspective as well as make me crazy setting up our home over and over again! LOL! I scrap to remember our journey and all the special moments and adventures!

So here is my take on the Paper Pack Mishief....

And here are a couple of other layouts I have done this week-

Life has been on a roll here with Patrick doing Fall Baseball and Ireland taking piano and horseback riding lessons. It is so fun to watch them become more and more apart of their new community. This is Patrick's first season of kid pitch and we are so proud of his growth with the big guys!

Then there is Ireland....fitting right in and making a name for herself! I tell you the 1st week I volunteered at the school I was so blown away by all the staff that already knew my daughter! Her new friends even helped her become a part of the safety patrols at school- which after the ceremony Josh and I found out is a big exclusive deal at this school! CRAZY! ! They had a cute slide show at the Safety Patrol Ceremony and it was fun to see Ireland up on the screen! Pride beams from us and thanks for letting me brag a bit about my fantastic kiddos and how special they are

Serious Safety Patrol Cuteness!!!

Here is hoping that October is bringing you lots of fun and Mischief!

~Jennifer :-)

Fun Friday Crafty Project= DIY Time!

2011-09-23T10:53:00.000-04:00

So many of you know we recently moved and with that comes organizing and finding homes for everything! Okay so I think I have that part pretty much under control- just wish the little people in my house would keep with the system I created! HA!

Next comes the FUN part- DECORATING!!!!!! We have been having fun changing things in the house. I have to say I am pretty lucky that my Big Guy is so willing to do some of the work I envision because without his skills I would be calling a Handy Man or the men from Lowes or Home Depot to come do it! So my Big Guy has changed out the lightining in the master bathroom, the entry hall, the dinning room, and installed 3 ceiling fans so far and a light for my office or I should say our joint custody office. :-) While he has been doing that on the weekends I have had fun hanging pictures, arranging furniture and putting my spin on the house.

So where does the DIY part come from....well we had 2 chairs my Mother in Law gave us 4 years ago and they were in need of some tlc- wish I had a before picture. The paint was chipping off and rust was starting to form. So I sanded them down, then put a rust primer on them, and then next layered on the new Almond color. I think they turned out pretty good and look nice on our new enclosed patio. :-)

Once in awhile my hubby gets involved in the decorating which can be challenging sometimes! HA! No seriously he has a good eye but when he decides to go the Sport Route leads me a bit crazy. He has this Packer Thermoter that we got when we went to Lambeau Filed last summer and he has been waiting to hang it somewhere......yep he found a home for it! We needed new cushions for our patio set as the other ones were pretty worn out after 6+years. So I needed to find something that could coordinate with the proud Green and Gold but take it up a level of sophistication if you get my drift! And thankfully I found these pillows- LOVE THEM! Then I found some simply Khaki seat cushions and we are good!

Now onto my new DIY project that will begin this weekend!

Our Kitchen table! Okay when you are military and move as much as we do pieces of furniture need to be transitional. This was our Kitchen table back in Navarre, Fl four years ago but when moved into our townhouse we did not have room for this and our dinning room set. So this table became a night stand in our bedroom. Yep- how crazy is that?!? Our bedroom was that big that the table could be a nightstand. The 4 chairs that went with it I had no need for and they were in pretty bad shape so we donated them. Fast forward to here....we have room for the table but I needed chairs

and I want to paint the table black to go with the house. I found 4 chairs at Home Goods- love that store. They have a weathered gray finish on them and I think they will look really sharp with the table when it is black. So that is my new DIY project- to paint my table black. And the big Guy will be putting in a new lighting fixture too this weekend.

So stay tuned.....I am excited for the results!!!!

Happy Fun Crafty Friday!

~Jennifer

Birthday Gift for Fun Friday Crafty Project!

2011-09-19T10:34:00.000-04:00

Yep it is Monday- OOPS! So I have been working on making my Mom cards for her Birthday present this year. For Mother's Day she wanted cards made by me and now for her Birthday that is what she requested as well. So over the summer I have had fun carving out time to create some cards for her and then it dawned on me.....

She needs a cute Card Box to put all of these in!!!! So here is a fun project I love and makes a great gift and even better when it is stuffed full of cards!

Here is what you need:

* My Acrylix Organzier
*A Paper Pack of Your Choice with coordinating Cardstock- I used the retired Silhouette Creative Basics Paper(oldie but goodie!)
*Coordinating Ribbon
*For Every Occassion Stamp Set(one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE stamp sets!!!!)
*Alphalicious Cricut Cartridge for the Letters.

Dimensions for the Box:

Need 2 4x12 pieces to wrap around the box. These two pieces meet in the back of the box and wrap to the front. You will have a gap in the front but the next pieces will cover that and you will not even know!

1 4x6 piece of carstock- mine was black
1 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of cardstock- mine was bamboo
take a piece of ribbon and wrap around these pieces.

Your cut out letters will fit on this above piece- arrange them to your liking. I used 2" letters to create my title.

Inside dividers- 6 6x6 cardstock pieces. I used a true fit folio to trace top of the file folders to make the outline.

Looking forward to mailing this box full of cards to my Mom this week! Wish I could give it to her in person but Colorado is a bit far from FL! :-(

Wishing you success with a fun crafty project whatever day you choose to create one!

Creatively Yours,

Jennifer :-)

Guest Post! for Fun Friday Crafty Project

2011-09-09T13:17:00.001-04:00

Sorry I missed last Friday- hubby had the day off and that always gets me out of sink! Thankfully we knocked out some house projects around the new Casa and made a list of what I still would like to "reasonably" conquer. :-)

Fast forward to this week where one kiddo got diagnosed with Strep Throat on Tuesday and then the other one came down with it yesterday. Not much crafting taking place this week as I have been running back and forth from clinics, pharmacies, etc... As well as becoming the queen of Lysol. I am just hoping this is not a sign of my year to come with the kids at a new school and new environment.

My fabulous friend and dowline Kris Brown made me the most original and CUTE gift before I left Virginia! You can find Kris here and if you live in the NOVA area you should attend her fun monthly workshops! I miss Kris' monthly inspirations at club!

I adore this and I am so happy to have found the PERFECT spot for this in our new Casa! She told me that she loves to make these for wedding gifts- what a great idea! I think they are the perfect gift and adds such a classy touch. I was so surprised when she broke down how easy it is to recreate!

You say you like it too??? Okay so here is what you need:

a black frame(size of your choosing). Your are going to take all the mattes and paper out and just leave the glass.

a drill(going to have to drill 2 holes into the top of the frame to thread your ribbon through)

Ribbon- fun ribbon to coordinate with your project. For this frame Kris used our Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon.

Vinyl- so 12x12 or 12x24 vinyl sheets to use in your Cricut to cut your letters out. I would love to hear from my readers of the places they shop at to find the best prices and selection of vinyl to use with their Criuts!

And really that is all. You pick your font or fonts you want to use with your Cricut, size of the lettering and then just put together!

I love the possibilities of this and I am so grateful to Kris for such a thoughtful handmade gift and one that gets my crafty energy peaked!

Here is hoping all are healthy in your house and that you have some time for a Fun Friday Crafty Project!

Creatively Yours,
Jennifer :-)

C'est Magnifique!

2011-08-31T13:33:00.001-04:00

I am having so much fun catching up on my scrapbooks minus the other day when I had to spend over an hour figuring out that I had scrapbooked pictures in the wrong year. OOPS. No major biggy other than a date wrong on a page and then sent me into a panic to look through the pages and make sure I had not made other mistakes! So I am using this time to get caught up! I feel like I have been working on 2006 and 2007 FOREVER!!! This moving stuff really interfers sometimes! :-)

Let me tell you about my crazy, easy process of scrapbooking CTMH style- LOVE IT! So this layout just started out with me looking at 7 photos and thinking hmmm how will I put this together. FIRST step- the CTMH layout books(LOVE THEM ALL- you've got to pick one or all of them up, click here to check them out on my online shopping page)! I took out the Magic book- looking through to see what layout with 7 pictures spoke to me. VOILA! It was the Shuffled Deck Layout on page 42. Second Step- paper....hmmm...what to use??? The turqoise in the pool pictures really spoke to me and I wanted to capture that and the fun polka dot turqoise paper in the Magnifique collection really caught my eye! So then I start pulling out paper and layering to see what combination looks the best to me. Thrid- I cut the pieces out according to the directions and then glued the puzzle together and there is the layout!

Of course if you know me I cannot leave paper ALONE! I have got to distress it!

So out came the Pacifica ink and I distressed all the pieces- yep all of them! Love that Distress to Paper Technique- simply swipe the edges of the paper in your ink pad! There is no right or wrong! Okay then I had to scissor distress some of the pics to give them interest. Thought that would really help draw your eye to the 4 2x2 pictures layed in a row- love this techqnique too!

And if you notice I even had my Cricut Chirping today! Boy is it ever fun to have your titles cut out! I simply sanded each individual letter too! And I found Liquid Glass to be a great adhesive for these skinny letters. I used the Jasmine Cartridge. :-)

And I am so happy with my layout and of course I love remembering these fun days!!!!

And I have been madly creating with this paper pack too...look at these FUN cards I made as well.....

I had fun with our Sparkles and Opaques that helped jazz these cards up and give them a little pop!

~Jennifer :-)

Fun Friday Crafty Project!

2011-08-26T09:08:00.001-04:00

Make your own Coasters! FUN and easy to Do!

Run on down to your local home improvement store and grab some 4x4 tiles- choose whatever style you like.

Then come home clean them- just wash them off and let them dry.

Next thing I did was pick out a fun Alphabet Font to use for the tile. I love our E size alphabets. I used the Baroque Alphabet. And the E size alphabets are now a NEW lower price at just $29.95! All of our Stamp Sets have NEW lower prices and I just love that!

I then loaded the letter I wanted (for us B for Bohnart :-) ) and dipped it in the Stazon Black Ink. Then take your time and line it up where you want it on the tile(love our clear blocks for this project). Be sure to press down firmly and not wiggle your block. Let it dry and you are good to go. I also added those small felt pads for the bottom or you could use the small plastic bumpers- whatever you think would work best it is up to you.

This makes a great house warming gift or any gift for a family. Personalized Coasters are great! Let me know if you like this and if you decide to make them!

Enjoy and HAPPY Crafty Friday!

~Jennifer :-)

Time for....Me...????

2011-08-25T08:43:00.001-04:00

Okay that is an interesting concept, right!?! For any mom out there you know what I mean. We are so use to doing and getting things done and tableing those items that we would like to do for ourselves. My kiddos started school on Tuesday this week and I found myself all day walking around this new house thinking of them constantly and not knowing what to do with myself while they are gone!

New places, new schedules, new friends(hoping I will find some soon) and just everything NEW! It can lead you down a crazy path- one that can drive you a little batty as you are not knowing where to start, what to finish, or what is a true priority. Yes this is our 6th move in our 13 years of marriage and yes one would think you would get use to it and know how to "roll" with everything but let me tell you it is new everytime unless you are going back to a place you have been before- in our case that has never happened. So the first day of school, I was all consummed about my kids if they were doing okay, meeting friends, feeling settled- all the typical concerns. And then yesterday I came home after dropping them off and started with the pacing around the house and trying to figure out what to do with all my time....then it hit me like a ton of bricks....something a friend mentioned to me during our move/transition and it made sense when she said it but to be honest I just sorta pushed it aside. But yesterday it hit me square in my face- TAKE THIS QUIET TIME AND DO WHAT YOU WANT!
really?!? So I sat and thought about what have I not had time to work on that if I had all the time to devote to what would it be.....CATCHING UP ON MY SCRAPBOOKS!!!!

Okay some of you may be thinking- what?!? Seriously I work on a lot of different projects and teach classes to others be it preschool last year or my monthly Scrap N Play club but that does not mean I am working on the things that I want and that are meaningful to me! So I dived in and tried to figure out where I was in my books but that path just leads to me overplanning so I opened up one of my photo boxes and just started cranking them out. Confession here----because I have taught so many classes and designed different projects I have a lot of Scrapbook Pages ready for Photos so that cuts a lot of my time in half! So I sorted through my stack of created layouts and would match the colors/themes with my photos I had to scrap. Then I needed to add the embellishments, journaling and other fun touches. So here is just one example of what I mean:

All the pictures added but it needs more...don't you think? Like what is this about...what is the focus of the story I am trying to tell???(you can click on the photos too to see them larger if you like)

And then I LOVE our Memory Protectors Photo Storage Pages they help a lot when you want to keep the story contained within a few pages.

and I love adding a fun journaling spot in one of the photo pockets too and you can jazz it up with a few stamps to coordinate with your scrapbook layout.

So I am off to continue to put photos to pages and work on things that are meaningful to me. I think as Life comes together here I need to keep this in focus and remember to take time to work on my scrapbooks and not let the overwhelming feeling creep in.

Oh my new Cricut Expressions was delieverd last night too....thinking I need to drag that out of the box and figure that bad boy out! So much to do- I guess I do have things to keep me busy! :P

Creatively Yours,
Jennifer

Fun Friday Crafty Project!

2011-08-19T13:12:00.000-04:00

Hi Bloggin Friends!
Okay so I have decided that each friday I am going to post a FUN, cute, and paper crafting project! You may see me use old paper or new just depends what strikes my fancy! One of my favorite things about paper crafting is creating fun unique gifts to give family and friends and I love sharing with my crafty friends my creations so I feel like this theme for each Friday will be a great fit!

Also it is going to work great to show you the FANTABLOUS new Cricut Cartridge that is exclusive to Close To My Heart! I am so excited about this cartridge and how it will help bridge that gap between my love of CTMH and paper crafting. The cartridge has fun exciting features and one of them that I LOVE is how it works with some of our stamp sets! I know I have several crafty friends that were always hoping for a punch here or there to work with our stamps BUT this is SO much better as it is in one spot and not a million clunky punches stuffed in a basket or drawer somewhere! So I look forward to creating with you and sharing my fun new projects using the Cricut. (and shhhh....I am a Cricut newbie! so maybe you all could teach me a trick or two!).

Today's Fun Friday Crafty Project uses one of those metal 12x12 Scrapbook Frames you can pick up at Michaels or your local Craft store. I love making these for my daughter's friends as Memo boards, dry erase markers, and fun decor for the bedroom is right up their alley! Ireland has a birthday party to attend tomorrow and we were trying to think of a fun gift to give her and that is when it hit me...Cute Memo Board! So Ireland and I got to work picking out paper that would coordinate with her friends room and then picking themes for each of the squares. And here is what we came up with....

And what I love is using my stash of paper to create something unique and special!

Here is wishing you a FUN Friday and hopefully you can make some time for a crafty project or two!

~Jennifer :-)

It's coming together....

2011-07-27T15:19:00.000-04:00

Okay my last post was of my craft space/office that needed to be unpacked, organized and somehow put together! HUGE task! Let me first give you a little back story......

House hunting back in April was quite the process. You start off with a list of wants, needs, desires...you all have been there you know the drill. Soon the list and my expectations needed to shift a little. No pool in the backyard- okay, no huge bonus room for the kiddos/me- okay BUT need to figure out a plan to balance everyone's needs and make the new house work. So over the course a few months I needed to convince my loving/amazing hubby that the office needed to be MINE! Of course that took some serious negotiating and at times me being a brat saying "Well- you got your 3 car garage I can put all your plaques and accolades in there!" I think over time he started to get it and realized...he goes to work everyday...would he really use the office?!? Once we moved in I started laying the ground work slowly but surely and he came over to my side! BUT there was a custody agreement- his beloved pictures and memorabilia from each assignment needed a home......

So one half is his side and the other is all mine! And the other part of the story was that I was initially afraid that my Beloved PotteryBarn Craft Table/Desk would not fit. In fact I sorta tried to sell before we left Virginia. Thankfully Josh told me one night not to sell it and that we could make it work....see I already was winning and I didn't even know it! HA!

I am pretty much all set up and out of the 3 homes that I have had since having my own designated space.....I have to say this is my FAVORITE!!!! And I LOVE, LOve, LOVE our new home and really hope we can be here for awhile!!!

So here are some pics of my Space put together...I know over time I was tweak and ADD to it but I am really happy with the progress. Plus I actually made some cards yesterday!!!!

Creatively Yours,
Jennifer :-)

All moved in and back to Blogging!

2011-07-20T13:08:00.000-04:00

Whew! We are here!!!!! After being in Lithia, Fl for two weeks I am starting to feel at home!

All the rooms are put together, love the house, neighborhood has a good feel, and we are starting to get into a routine- YEAH!!!!!!!

Okay but there is still one thing missing(well a bunch of things) but this is a MAJOR thing- My office is a NIGHTMARE!!!!!! The last room of the house to be tackled and with all the chatter this past week from our annual CTMH Convention....I am just itching to get back to being creative and sharing my passion! BUT this room has got to get it together! I am feeling overwhelmed!!! I need a plan and probably a date to Ikea for some new bookshelves for storage as my oak ones are now in the family room. Major case of where to start!?!!!!! So here are the before pictures and hopefully soon I will have some great after pictures!!!

I mentioned that Close To My Heart had their annual convention last week where all the new up and coming super FANTABULOUS things are released and announced to us(and one major upset DIVA here that could not go due to the move!)- hold on to your seats as I will have lots to share and update you with! The biggest thing I need to let you know is there is a HUGE retirement list and you need to get your order in before the 31st of July as they will not be available after that date! You will notice a big section of our cardstock on the list- don't be alarmed the colors are not going anywhere, it is just a repackaging situation at CTMH. So if you need to stock up or see something on here that you cannot live without- let me know!

Items Retiring & Not available after July 31, 2011:

Bliss Level 1 -- X7132A pg 12
Bliss Level 2 -- X7132B pg 12
Bliss stickease -- X7132C pg 12
Miracle L1 -- X7133A pg 16
Miracle L2 -- X7133B pg 16
Miracle stickease -- X7133C pg 16
Sweetheart L1 -- X7134A pg 20
Sweetheart L2 -- X7134B pg 20
Sweetheart stickease -- X7132C pg 20
Wings L1 -- X7135A pg 24
Wings L2 -- X7135B pg 24
Wings stickease -- X7135C pg 24
Magnifique L1 -- X7127A pg 38
Magnifique L2 -- X7127B pg 38
Magnifique stickease -- X7127C pg 38
Olivia L1 -- X7128A pg 38
Olivia L2 -- X7128B pg 38
Olivia stickease -- X7128C pg 38
Hooligans L1 -- X7129A pg 39
Hooligans L2 -- X7129B pg 39
Hooligans stickease -- X7129C pg 39
Mistletoe L1 -- X7130A pg 39
Mistletoe L2 -- X7130B pg 39
Mistletoe stickease -- X7130C pg 39
Sweetheart WOTG -- G1017 pg 41
Lucky WOTG -- G1018 pg 41
Sophia WOTG -- G1019 pg 41
Bliss WOTG -- G1020 pg 42
Fanfare WOTG -- G1021 pg 42
Mayberry WOTG -- G1022 pg 42
Miracle WOTG -- G1023 pg 43
Wings WOTG -- G1016 pg 43
1” x 1 ½” block -- Y1001 pg 45
1” x 6 ½” block -- Y1005 pg 45
2” x 11” block -- Y1007 pg 45
2 ½” x 2 ½” block -- Y1004 pg 45
4 ½” x 6 ½” block -- Y1011 pg 45
My Acrylix block starter kit -- Y1500 pg 114
Envelope flats – 2 ½” x 3 ½” -- Z1021 pg 114
Envelope flats – 3” x 3” -- Z1022 pg 114
Envelope flats – 3” x 4 ¾” -- Z1023 pg 114
Envelope flats – 4” x 4” -- Z1024 pg 114
Envelope flats – 4 ½” x 4 ½” -- Z1244 pg 114
Envelope flats – 5” x 5” -- Z1025 pg 114
Envelope flats – 5” x 7” -- Z1026 pg 114
Envelope flats – 5 ½” x 4 3/4 ” -- Z1027 pg 114
Envelope flats – 6” x 6” -- Z1028 pg 114
Envelope flats – 8” x 3 ½” -- Z1029 pg 114
Designer ribbon – cranberry -- Z1209 pg 115
Designer ribbon – buttercup -- Z1154 pg 115
Designer ribbon – sweet leaf -- Z1125 pg 115
Sophia L2 Journaling Spots -- Z1357 pg 116
Mini Medley Accents – Pear -- Z1339 pg 117
Mini Medley Accents – Lagoon -- Z1340 pg 117
Mini Medley Accents – Outdoor Denim -- Z1277 pg 117
Top Coats – Framed In -- Z1211 pg 118
Rub Ons – Across the Board -- Z1231 pg 118
Rub Ons – Primavera -- Z1265 pg 118
Dimensional Elements – Villa -- Z1390 pg 118
> · Dimensional Elements – Miracle -- Z1354 pg 118
> · Dimensional Elements – Booksmart -- Z1223 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements – Borders -- Z1156 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements – Framed Fun -- Z1140 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements – Plain Chipboard -- Z1164 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements – Stars -- Z1312 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – A -- Z1055 pg 119 (new DE alphabets in fall book – similar but new sizes and shapes)
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – B -- Z1056 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – C -- Z1057 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – D -- Z1058 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – E -- Z1059 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – F -- Z1060 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – G -- Z1061 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – H -- Z1062 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – I -- Z1063 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – J -- Z1064 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – K -- Z1065 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – L -- Z1066 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – M -- Z1067 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – N -- Z1068 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – O -- Z1069 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – P -- Z1070 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – Q -- Z1071 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – R -- Z1072 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – S -- Z1073 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – T -- Z1074 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – U -- Z1075 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – V -- Z10576 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – W -- Z1077 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – X -- Z1078 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – Y -- Z1079 pg 119
> · Dimensional Elements Monograms – Z -- Z1080 pg 119
> · 3” x 3” Mini Album -- Z1166 pg 120
> · My Creations 3 ring binder -- Z1141 pg 120
> · Kraft Color Ready Borders -- Z1377 pg 120
> · Red Eye Pen -- 3501 pg 121
> · Embossing Powders – Clear -- Z671 pg 121
> · Embossing Powders – Heavenly Blue -- Z647 pg 121
> · Embossing Powders – Pansy Purple -- Z664 pg 121
> · Embossing Powders – Silver Pearl -- Z678 pg 121
> · Block Buddy Set -- Z1289 pg 121
> · Pivot Point Stapler -- Z1009 pg 122
> · Texture Tools – Foam Tools -- Z1090 pg 122
> · Fun Flock -- Z263
> · My Accents Organizer -- Z183 pg 123
> · My Accents Block Organizer -- Z185 pg 123
> · Euro Personal Paper Trimmer -- Z338 pg 123
> · Euro Replacement Blades -- Z339 pg 123
> · Euro Replacement Blade/Scoring -- Z340 pg 123
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Grey Flannel -- 5573 pg 124
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Grey Wool -- 5571 pg 124
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Brown Bag -- X5644 pg 124
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Parchment -- X5645 pg 124
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Amethyst -- X5631 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Baby Pink -- 1299 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Heavenly Blue -- 1285 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Key Lime -- 1235 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sunkiss Yellow -- 1240 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Taffy -- X5630 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Juniper -- X5752 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Lilac Mist -- 1295 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sorbet -- X5751 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Spring Iris -- 1296 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Tulip -- X5753 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Gypsy -- X5757 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Holiday Red -- 1274 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sunny Yellow -- 1225 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sunset -- X5758 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Topiary -- X5635 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Cotton Candy -- X5760 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Dutch Blue -- 1241 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Lagoon -- X5762 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Pear -- X5764 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sky -- X5761 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Autumn Terracotta -- 1270 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Barn Red -- X5637 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – New England Ivy -- 1282 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Pansy Purple -- 5590 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Sunflower -- 1242 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Garden Green -- 1244 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Goldrush -- 1243 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Hollyhock -- 1246 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Indian Corn Blue -- 1284 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Vineyard Berry -- 1248 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Buttercup -- 1271 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Garnet -- X5638 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Moonstruck -- 1293 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Ponderosa Pine -- 1276 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Smokey Plum -- 1291 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Blush -- X5640 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Crystal Blue -- 1292 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Honey -- X5668 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Petal -- X5667 pg 125
> · Cardstock 24 pk 12” x 12” – Twilight -- X5666 pg 125
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Antique -- X5686 pg 124 (colors are not changing but are being re-grouped so combo packs will change)
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Timeless -- X5700 pg 124
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Harmony -- X5682 pg 125
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Blossom -- X5756 pg 125
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Carnival -- X5765 pg 125
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Celebration -- X5766 pg 125
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Harvest -- X5684 pg 125
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Garden -- X5698 pg 125
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Classic -- X5685 pg 125
> · 12” x 12” Combo Cardstock Pack – Cozy -- X5800 pg 125
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Antique -- X5691 pg 124
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Timeless -- X5705 pg 124
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Harmony -- X5687 pg 125
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Blossom -- X5755 pg 125
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Carnival -- X5767 pg 125
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Celebration -- X5768 pg 125
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Harvest -- X5689 pg 125
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Garden -- X5703 pg 125
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Classic -- X5690 pg 125
> · 8 ½ ” x 11” Combo Cardstock Pack – Cozy -- X5801 pg 125
> · Stamp Pad set – Antique -- Z1564 pg 124
> · Stamp Pad set – Timeless -- Z1569 pg 124
> · Stamp Pad set – Harmony -- Z1560 pg 125
> · Stamp Pad set – Blossom -- Z1570 pg 125
> · Stamp Pad set – Carnival -- Z1573 pg 125
> · Stamp Pad set – Celebration -- Z1574 pg 125
> · Stamp Pad set – Harvest -- Z1562 pg 125
> · Stamp Pad set – Garden -- Z1567 pg 125
> · Stamp Pad set – Classic -- Z1563 pg 125
> · Stamp Pad set – Cozy -- Z1600 pg 125
> · Marker set – Antique -- Z1554 pg 124
> · Marker set – Timeless -- Z1559 pg 124
> · Marker set – Harmony -- Z1550 pg 125
> · Marker set – Blossom -- Z1571 pg 125
> · Marker set – Carnival -- Z1572 pg 125
> · Marker set – Celebration -- Z1575 pg 125
> · Marker set – Harvest -- Z1552 pg 125
> · Marker set – Garden -- Z1557 pg 125
> · Marker set – Classic -- Z1553 pg 125
> · Marker set – Cozy -- Z1610 pg 125
> · Textured Cardstock – White Daisy -- X5671 pg 124

Feels good to be back to Blogging and getting settled...I will be getting back into the saddle again and look forward to catching up with my blogging friends and readers!

Chat soon!

Jennifer

loving these Cute BOXES!

2011-05-24T21:35:00.000-04:00

Howdy friends!
My days are dwindling down in my preschool! My class graduates on Thursday morning- yes please send Tissues STAT! So many mixed emotions and the biggest one that seems to be surfacing....it is getting close to saying goodbye to so MANY wonderful people here! (I just wish they would all come with me!)

My director upline, The fabulous Tina Sutton, had this cute box on her blogpost a week or so ago and I just had to make one! Well now I cannot stop! They are so easy and make a HUGE impact! You have got to try! I used Close to My Heart Papers and Stamps to create them- all retired papers. It is so fun using your stash to create FUN projects. And I have to agree with Tina these will be perfect for Christmas too!

But if you are anything like me- the end of the year is quickly approaching and you are frantic to make gifts, etc! This project will jazz up that gift card and make your gift extra special! I hope you will give it a try!

And here are the others I created tonight watching American Idol and can I be honest about Idol tonight....yawn! Okay I think Lauren is darling and Scotty is a cutie but seriously tonights show would have ROCKED if James and Hailey were in the top 2. Just saying.....

Have fun creating!!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

Love IT!!

2011-04-05T21:11:00.003-04:00

Okay friends....
You already know how much I love, LOVE, love studio j! But here is a great new feature....online video tutorials!!!! It is like I am there with you to help you with your choices! Check it out and start playing with your studio j account- you will be hooked in no time flat! (promise!).

And for those that are local to me I am always available for a Studio J one on one or group session Studio J Boot Camp Class! Just email me and we will get the date set up ASAP!

Have fun creating with just drop and click! :-)

look closely!

2011-03-31T20:21:00.002-04:00

Hi Blogging Friends,
Yes I am still alive and sorry that my blog has taken a backseat but that is the way things are these days. We found out where we are moving officially and it has inspired us to start the house hunting process....tick- tick as I wait Patiently(or not so patienly) for Spring Break.

Drumrolll...........we are headed to Tampa, FL!!!!! trading my closed toed shoes in for some super cute FLIP FLOPS! :-) We are excited for our adventure but this military mamma and wife has lots to plan! And for those that know me- I am not a fly by the seat of your pants kind of girl. Lots of planning, information gathering and then making sure all the basics and necessities do not get overlooked. It is one SERIOUS logistical mess! :-) and at times gives me a big headache!

But thankfully my dear hubby is the roll with the punches- take it easy- it will all fall into place type of person when it comes to moving and reminds me this constantly plus reminds me to breathe! :-)

April is a great sale special if you LOVE Level One Kits and I SURE DO! They are great for fast scrapbooking or think outside the box and make some cute cards or even take it further and use it to help alter a craft project with our mycreations binder or mycreations albums- possibilities are endless!!! I am sad to let you know that these great kits are going to be discontinued soon and no longer apart of the CTMH lineup. :( So if you love them like me....make sure to stock up before they are gone and you are really sorry!!!!!

take a look closely.....that is my Ireland in the layout with Patrick playing at the beach!

I was BEYOND thrilled when I saw this layout....never would have thought of our beautiful Veranda papers for a beach layout- just perfect!

Here is the scoop on the special:

Sale runs April 1- April 30th, 2011

When you place an order of $100 US / $115 CAN or more on a MyCTMH® website during April, you can choose one free My Reflections® Level 1 kit from a selection of great kits.

Passages Level 1 Kit (X7126A)

Perfect Day Level 1 Kit (X7100A)
Splendor Level 1 Kit (X7124A)
Sweet Home Level 1 Kit (X7116A)
Topstitch Level 1 Kit (X7120A)
Veranda Level 1 Kit (X7119A)
Zippidee Level 1 Kit (X7125A)

I am here to help assist you in your purchase or crafting projects- just give me a hollar!

:-)

Jennifer

Fluttering when it is Icy...

2011-01-18T16:57:00.000-05:00

It is a snow day here in Virgina or should I say an Ice Day. We had freezing rain last night which caused a big slippery mess this morning so the children had off from school and so did I- YIPPEEE! What to do...what to do?

Create of course!

and here is what I Created today....

I had some serious fun with Close To My Heart's new Spray Pen- I wanted to spray everything! Adds a fun dimension to your artwork and it is so easy. I also played with the new Wing Papers and January Stamp of the Month...I am actually ready for our Scrap n Play Club date this Friday! YEAH ME!

I shared my cards on my facebook page today when I was done and a dear friend of mine that I have know for 10+ years commented that I should post them on the Flutter by Wednesday page. Really?!? Wow- that is high praise coming from my friend Siobhan!(gotta check out her serious crafty skills too) and so here it goes my first attempt at posting my artwork to another blog. Wish me luck....

Hope you are having a good day and find time for your creative energies!

~Jennifer :-)

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-27T12:07:00.000-05:00

Wishing all my blogging readers and friends a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

We had a quiet/peaceful Christmas this year. I love this time of year with my family- reflecting and thanking God for all that he has brought into our lives and the journey that we have taken. Our time in DC has been of challenges for Josh and myself as we often times feel like fish out of water in a big city. We are very thankful for all the friends we have made and the wonderful schools my children are apart of- there will be a lot we will miss when our time is up here and of course there will be quite a bit we are happy to wave good bye to. Isn't that so bittersweet?!?

So as I take this time to think about all I have learned and grown from in 2010- I wanted to wish all my creative, crafty friends a blessed Holiday Season. 2011 is looking to be an adventure for us- cannot say much but when I can share I will! Let's just say Air Force life = MOVING and that seems to be approaching and I am doing my best(and if you know me it is the part I struggle with the most) being PATIENT!

So as I have joked with family and friends the one thing I can control is my Hair and if you noticed it is now short! HA! I have never had short in my life- NEVER, EVER! And I thought it was time for a change and little teasing of my hubby. He says it has grown on him but I am pretty sure his New Year's Resolution for me would be to grow it out!

So as Life hands you Lemons try your Best to Make Lemonade! The Bohnarts have spent the 2 1/2 years making the best Lemonade they know how and I hope I have shown my children to always hold your head up, ask God for strength and good things will come through trying times and there are Angels amongst us that touch our lives daily- and those Angels near and far I am VERY grateful for!

May God continue to bless each one of you and wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year!

~Jennifer :-)

ps- hopefully soon I can share some news....but until then PRAY for my patience! I know Josh would be grateful too!

Feeling the Crunch?

2010-12-03T19:36:00.001-05:00

Seems the calendar this year is on JET SPEED!!! I am sure you feel like me trying to find the way to balance everything and manage to fit in some creative time and catch up on scrapbooking! I am thankful for Close To My Heart's Studio J- helps me create scrapbook pages in a flash PLUS I can print as many copies as I would like!!!! I have always wanted to create Scrpabooks for extended family BUT keeping up with my own family has been challenging enough.

NOW...

I can create Scrapbook pages and print one set for my family album and another or 2 or 3 to give as gifts. And that is just what I am doing for gifts this year! Each year we do a family trip with the Bohnart side and I can FINALLY make these memories into albums for my inlaws! And can you think of a better gift than that?!?

Here are some of the Layouts I have created...

Have you tried Studio J yet??? Create Real Scrapbooks in Real Time- just with a click!!! LOVE IT!!! and it looks so nicely with your other pages...quick glance some will think you have created it all by hand!

Want to TRY? It is FREE!!!! GOTTA TRY IT!!!!

Click HERE to begin your adventure!

Feel free to email me with any questions!(craftingdivas@cox.net)

~Jennifer :-)

Peek a Boo!

2010-11-14T17:35:00.001-05:00

I see you! :-) Okay so I could bore you to death why another month has gone bye and I have not blogged but I will spare you the details and just sum up by saying
BUSY!!!!(craziness!). :-)

On Friday(the 12th) we had our monthly Scrap n Play session- we had so much fun! I love sharing and playing with the girls! I think we all laughed so hard- it was a fun night full with lots of belly laughs! I think the one thing we all agree with is somehow we all have no control over lots of things in our lives but we love making time for creating and sharing our love of preserving memories- it makes us HAPPY, Happy, HAPPY!!!!!

Today one of my club members came over and we had a fun afternoon of scrapping and chatting. And bonus our dear friend Kara, who lives in Spain now :( , Skyped with us and it was just like old times- love my friends!!!!
It was so fun to catch up with her- she is one BUSY lady and here I thought I was busy- I have got nothing compared to that crazy Dinamo!(yep that is cute Kara on the right)

So getting on to the cute cards I made today( yep I sure think they are cute and hope you do too!).... I made 8 of these cuties...

I used the Hooligans Level Two Paper Pack, our 4 1/2" Circle Cards(love them), the Wishes book(has fabulous design ideas plus Circle cards!!!! YIPPPEEEE), Glitz Glue(easey peasy application), B1312 Make a Wish Stamp Set, C1257 Happy Birthday Stamp Set.

I am looking forward to Thursday night when I get together with some ladies to swap! I am so excited to meet these new crafty girls! A friend of mine invited me to join them and how could I resist???

Here is hoping you are finding a little time to enjoy your love of paper crafting! It sure lifts my spirits whenever I can create and even better when I can share that time with FRIENDS!!!!

Hugs!
~Jennifer :-)

seriously....

2010-09-30T19:40:00.000-04:00

It seems another Month has clipped along and I have been pretty quiet on the blogging. I have good reasons as I am running a Non-Stop Circus these days! :-) Between teaching preschool and holding monthly scrap classes plus taking my kiddos to their after school activities, my sister got married on the 25th of September!!! Just seems we are on a whirlwind of memories lately...we are loving every minute of it and I am sorry I have been quiet. I am going to LOVE scrapbooking all these memories!!!!

It has just been hard to find the time to fit everything in and the old saying "Something Has To Give" turns out to be true- technology has been taking a back seat lately. So here is to a semi-quiet October and hopes that I will share some of the creations I have been making.

Thanks for dropping bye and I hope to make it artistically interesting soon! :-)

~Jennifer :-)

Yep I am still here...Promise!

2010-09-10T20:41:00.001-04:00

Okay seriously where did August go?????? Yikes! I blinked and the summer disappeared! I love summertime for a lot of reasons but my big reason is no schedules!!!! I love carefree easy days with my kids and waking up saying "What do you want to do today?" Want is a huge word! Especially when you feel sometimes like you are pulled in a million directions all of them good in their own right BUT it is refreshing to just be still and take our time- I cherish that! So I blinked and the bliss of summer is OVER!

We started school this week and so did I! My kiddos are getting so big- again how did that happen?? Is there a way to make it stop? Or just freeze time? I am loving this age and stage of our family and children minus the whole Pentagon thing but we are rolling with it. But seriously I just love it and I am thankful beyond measure for our gifts.

Our monthly Scrap N Play club date is coming and I cannot wait to scrap with my peeps! We will meet on Friday September 17, 2010 at 7:30pm. You are welcome to join us- we would love to have you. Simply email me at craftingdivas@cox.net and set you up with all the right info! :-)

Now that we are home and settling into a routine, I am hoping to get some crafting done. We are going to be having a pretty busy year between after school activities, my sister's wedding, and some much needed family r&r. I will always be doing what I love- being with my family, sharing my love of scrapbooking and all things paper, and trying to keep everything balanced on the home front. Plus I am super excited to be teaching again. My first day teaching is next week and I cannot wait to get and give HUGS! Life is good!

Hope you are well too! :-)

~ Jennifer

Dimension

2010-08-26T21:20:00.000-04:00

Makes a big difference in your layouts!   When I picked it up to journal on- I noticed that it just seemed too flat to me. So I got out some fun tools to jazz it up.

   *Dimesnional Alphabet
   *Sponge Dauber
   *Desert Sand Ink

*Finishing Files

I Loved the way it turned out and love that it was something simple and easy to just jazz it up!

Here is the layout completed with journaling and the dimension:

Jennifer :-)

Zippiddee....

2010-08-13T15:16:00.002-04:00

It's a Zippidee do da DAY!!!!! I am looking forward to Scrap N Play tonight! I love seeing my scrapping friends!!! We are playing with the Zippidee papers- so fun!!!! It is a great versatile paper pack- gender neutral and full of lots of fun or tone it down using the bamboo colors if you like more subdued tones!

Here is my version of the first layout we are making tonight. It worked great with this set of pictures from our last trip to Disney in '08. Josh was selected to be the "Stunt" guy in the Pearl Harbor Movie Set. I don't think they prepared him enough for how wet he was going to get! :-) I modified my title a little from the directions in the kit and I added a flip flap so I could add one more picture and a journaling spot! Love these little buggers!

Enjoy and hope you have a Zippidee Do Da Day TOO!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

Gotta have!

2010-08-10T20:27:00.003-04:00

Oh you are going to LOVE these pages...I just have a feeling! A year ago this product was featured in Creating Keepsakes Magazine as a must have for scrappers- they simply ROCK!!! What am I talking about???

Our Photo Storage Pages! They come in two styles but soon THREE!!! Right now we have the horizontal storage pages and the 4 pocket storage pages(which have 2 vertical and 2 horizontal). Coming September 1st, Close To My Heart will add a Vertical Storage Page!!!!

Why do I love these you ask? Lots of reasons but I will give you my top two!

~great for just placing your photos in these sleeves to protect, organize and store until you are ready to scrap them!

~but my most favorite....say you have a ton of photos from a trip or important event. In my case the Mediterranean Cruise of 2008 with Close to My Heart. I want to scrap them all but some of them you don't want to trim down, alter or loose in a fun page. So here is what I have done and it has worked so well!!!! So I scrap the photos that tell the story of the day and then use the photo storage pages to add the other photos that are still important and meaningful to our trip and want to see. It creates a fun way to see our memories and has a HUGE impact! (click on any photo to see it bigger).

Order a pack or two- you are going to LOVE THEM!!!!!! These make great gifts to go in our albums for your friends that take tons of pictures! :-)

and here is another I did with a Layout for our day in Nice. This layout was created by a fellow CTMH Consultant- Mary Thompson.

do you see how the pages are double sided? so cool! they hold 4x6 photos and you will notice in some I cut cardstock to the 4x6 size to put in places so I can journal and other fun embellishments! The ideas are just endless with these.

I hope you will try them and I would love to hear how you LOVE them just like me!!!

Do you?

2010-08-09T23:02:00.000-04:00

Know how to use your camera in the Manual mode? I will be the first to say Nope- had no clue!
I love my new camera that I received for my birthday recently and after reading all the reviews and talking with my tech savy brother(waving hi- I knew it was perfect for me. I love all my friends SLR cameras and the great pics they take but to be honest that is WAY to BIG a camera for me to lug around. So I wanted something with that capability but in a more compact size- so I ended up getting the Canon G11 and I have been THRILLED with it! It has so many great modes and settings and I am just loving the pictures it takes! BUT I have wondered about learning more.....

So a FUN perk to my FUN job is that each year I have the ability to be "treated" to a fabulous VIP night with other CTMH ladies on the Scattered Hearts Team. I was so EXCITED for this years VIP night because it was a DC Photo Safari at Night- woo-hoo!!!! (thanks TINA) We put our cameras on Manual mode, learned a lot of fun tricks and just sat taking shot after shot. Biggest thing I learned- HAVE FUN and just keep TRYING! It is digital, don't get a good shot, keep on going! Our instructor was awesome- cheers to you Mr. David for handling all of us crazy paper gals- yes we can be a handful! :-) If you live in the area and have been thinking about pushing or testing the waters- GO FOR IT!!! I want to take another class- anyone want to join me?!?

So here are some of my favorite shots and I can proudly say I did not use the Auto button or any of the fancy preset features- it was all Manual baby!!!

~Jennifer :-)

$2, $4, $6- 8 Days to Appreciate YOU!!!!

2010-08-04T09:18:00.000-04:00

Sale starts at 10 Central, 11 Eastern, 9 Mountain or 8 Pacific
Shop early for best selection!

$2, $4, $6... for 8 (Days only!) Appreciation Sale!
We want to show how much we appreciate you so, here is a sale with SUPER deals to you for 8 days only.

From on August 4 at 9 am (MDT) through August 11, while supplies last, you can purchase selected My Stickease® assortments for only $2, My Reflections® Level 1 kits for only $4, and My Reflections® Level 2 paper packets for only $6 on www.jenniferbohnart.myctmh.com.

The deals are amazing and in order to bring them to you we will not be able to sell any of the item numbers from these items on Gathering, Individual, or EZ Invite® orders during the campaign. These items will also be unavailable for sale beginning August 2, at 12:01 am (MDT) in order to prepare for the sale.

Dates: August 4 at 9 am (MDT)-August 11, 2010; while supplies last! SHOP EARLY FOR BIG DISCOUNTS!

Would you like to make your list? I have a picture list for you...just email me and I will send you a copy! My email addy is craftingdivas@cox.net

Ahhh... armchair shopping at it's best!
Oh, and it is WHILE SUPPLIES LAST ONLY!

If you are unable to place your order in the morning, email me what you would like and where to ship the order. Then call me anytime after 8 a.m., central time tomorrow with your payment information. 850-217-7034

Happy Shopping! Deals like this do not come around often... Happy SHOPPING!!!!!!

whirlwind....

2010-08-02T17:04:00.000-04:00

Where did July go?? Good heavens we have been busy and the crazy train is keeping on here at the Bohnart house! I love summer and spending time with the kids and just letting them play, create messes, and just enjoying each other's company- yes there are days I am ready for a break or school to start but overall I really do enjoy the no schedule fun of summer!!!!!

Ireland and I just got back in town from North Carolina where we had fun giving my sister her Bridal Shower!!! Only 7 weeks until the day and we are beaming with excitement and anticipation!!! It was a wonderful time but it went bye too quickly!!!! I just love that we are so close in distance now and I can hop in the car and drive down to see her- I will sure miss that when our time in DC comes to an end! :(

Now I am home and I have a MILLION and One things to do- do you feel that way too???? So I avoided laundry and other chores to play with paper and glue today! Always puts me in a happy mood! By now you know I love our Level One kits and I just love creating fun gifts with them! I created two My Creation Binders today using two different Level One Kits. My Brother and his Wife had their first child a week ago so I had to make Joseph his very own first year memory book. I also had a customer have her 2nd child last month- so she needed something special too!

They go together in a flash! If you are a CTMH Consultant search the bulletin boards for the instructions they are there but if you are a customer or avid reader and would love to make a book of your own here is what I offer for you....

*Schedule your Own Workshop with Me at your house or mine...invite your friends and we will have a blast learning how to put these books together plus you will earn Free Product. How cool is that?!? Each person will pay $20.00 for their kits.

*Or purchase your own Workshop to Go from me. I will include all you need to make your very own album and the instructions so you can keep on creating. Just email me and I will be more than happy to order and ship your kit to you. Cost for this Workshop to Go is $22.00- your kit will include the level one paper of your choice, The My Creations Binder, and color instructions.

Here is the other one I made today using a Retired Level One Kit- the inside is just simply the pattern paper. I did not make it a 12 month memory book- I left it flexible for the Mom to create and embellish. :-)

10 is a BIG Deal!

2010-07-20T22:47:00.000-04:00

10 years come and past- how can that be true?? Today was my daugther's 10th birthday- holy cow is all I can say. It just cannot be! First of all- I cannot be getting older(can't we just freeze time for everyone's sake????) Second of all- I just cannot fathom it. But it is the truth and it has been a beautiful, joyous journey with her- what a special treasure she is!!! As I sit here reflecting on it I realize I am so thankful I scrapbook and we can look back on those memories together. Life for us is really about all the small, special moments and trying to slow things down a bit. We did that today with a fun family day and canoe ride threw the Tompsin Basin Watershed- so fun!

But also as I reflect on the number 10 and how much I have to be thankful for and how Close To My Heart has enriched my life so much I thought it would be fun to revisit my Top 10 List of Why I LOVE MY FUN JOB!!!!!! and I have a feeling you will love these reasons too and I would love to share this opportunity with you!

#10. I get a discount everytime I shop!
~never pay full price ☺

#9. Low Quarterly Minimums-
~only $300 in retail sales(get a discount off of that) compared to $500 from our competitors.

#8. Freedom to be ME!!!
~Work the hours I want, create what I want, share when I want and no Pressure ( only what I put on myself tee-hee!).

#7. Fabulous Art Inspiration
~Being a CTMH consultant has opened great doors to me Artistically and I love our Corporate Bulletin Boards where fellow CTMH consultants share their artwork and fab creations. I am never in a dry spell! We truly are the let me show you how company! ☺

#6. I get paid to PLAY!!!!
~I love scrapbooking, making cards, and paper crafts! It is so fun to share this with other and earn a paycheck at the same time! Woo-Hoo! I GET TO WORK FROM HOME AND BE THERE FOR MY KIDDOS!

#5. No Boundaries-
~my job moves with me! ☺ When I move I don’t have to worry about looking for a new place to work and going through that process over and over. I just take it with me wherever I go and I work with my team from whatever state I live in!

#4. Incredible Training
~Just want to be a hobbyist that is okay but ready to take the steps in working this as a business??? -CTMH has an incredible training academy that will give you the tools you need to succeed! PLUS I work with my team members making sure you achieve what you desire!

#3. You can Earn All Expense Paid Trips!
~WOWSA!!!! All from sharing my love of paper and stamps I earned an All expenses paid cruise to the Mediterranean!!!! Oh I love my fun job!

#2. AMAZING FRIENDSHIPS!
~This is a HUGE blessing in my life with the amount I move and have to reconnect. I have a great group of CTMH sisters and my amazing team- LOVE IT!

#1. Seriously this is the best decision I have made!
~After almost 5 years I am more in love with Close to My Heart and keep finding myself asking- how did they do it again??? They just keep getting better and better! AND JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE NEW IDEA BOOK!!!!!
I cannot wait to see where it takes me next! Won’t you join me on this great adventure????

I am truly blessed and thankful for my wonderful family, friends, and CLOSE TO MY HEART! I would love for you to find your spot in this wonderful company too- there truly is a place for us all! You can click here to join and learn more, email me at craftingdivas@cox.net with questions or heck I love to chat....850-217-7034.

~Jennifer :)

Techniques Anyone???

2010-07-15T16:06:00.001-04:00

For convention the Scattered Hearts Team had an 9x9 Page Swap. We were to create a layout in the 9x9 size using the You Rock Paper Collection. We were broken into groups and made 13 layouts each. 12 of them we would swap amongst our group and the 13th was collected to give to Jeanette Lynton as a gift.

I love creating and sharing as you learn so much from others work. Plus the BONUS is I will have 12 double layouts all set and ready for me to add photos from my time at Convention- Woo-HOO!!!

I had fun using a couple of techniques to make these pages. For the white 9x9 cardstock I took our Texture Tools and used the Black Stubble Tool to create the swirled circles. It is really simple- just load the black stubble tool in the ink color of your choice(I used pansy purple) and then with a forceful circular motion twist the color on your paper. SO FUN!

Next I used the Puddle Pad Technique to create the tye-died look with the stamp images. Have you tried this yet? I love the great tutorial we have on Art and Soul TV. If you are not checking these episodes out you really should add them to your must see tv! The technique training and product knowledge ROCK! Click here to watch this great episode and then try it for yourself! YOU WILL LOVE it- promise!

And then I had to add some shimmer and sparkle to my pages and our new Glitz Stardust Glitter Glue was PERFECT! In just one step I simply squeezed and applied the glue where I wanted, set it aside to dry(it does take a bit) and then enjoyed the fun sparkle and embellishment it created! Easy Peasy!

and here is some sad news....The 9x9 format offered by Close To My Heart will be retiring. So if you are like me and LOVE scrapping in this format be sure to stock up on page protectors and albums before they are gone! The simply snapshots will be retiring as well and are discounted so snag those while you can! I was secretly hoping that they would announce something at Convention to replace the Simply Snapshots but they let us know that the 9x9 and 6x6 sizes are retiring. :-( So here is your enabler telling you- gotta get them while you can!!! I know I will be making an order ASAP!

~Jennifer

My bag Runneth over!!!!

2010-07-13T14:26:00.004-04:00

So besides all the great classes and reconnecting with my peeps(which is a true highlight), we come home with SO many NEW goodies!!!!! AHHH I love my Fun Job!!!

Sneak Peak at the NEW Fall/Winter Catalog- LOVE IT!!!

This Catalog will go live to all my fabulous customers September 1, 2010! Be sure to reserve your copy today! Email me at craftingdivas@cox.net or better yet you know you are going to love it all- let's get your Party on the calendar today!!!! :-)

Plus we received a ton of NEW product from the new catty! Look at all these goodies!!!

Then we get to take fabulous art classes and they supply all the cut pieces to create those- I will be sharing my finished products soon! Promise! Truth be told I got a little overwhelmed and decided to finish up some of the projects at home.

Then they announced they were updating some of our Summer Palette colors and we received all 8 NEW colors. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

The Summer Carnival Palette is now Gypsy, Holiday Red, Pacifica, Sunny Yellow, Sunset, Topiary. The Summer Celebration Palette is now Cotton Candy, Dutch Blue, Lagoon, Pear, Sky, Smoothie.

This means the colors being retired are: Hydrangea, Ocean, Orange, Star Spangled Blue, Clover Meadow, Watermelon, Bubblegum, Citrus Leaf. Stock up on supplies now for any of these items you want to keep for your own personal stash. I recommend having a reinker for any of these colors that you now own- that way you will always have it!

PLUS there are random drawings for even more FUN prizes and my name was one of the lucky ones drawn. I received all the product to create artwork out of one of the pages in the new Idea Book.

Then I was SPOILED by my crafty friends with some very creative gifts- THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you- Kelly Shea, Dee Dee Griffin, Cherie Lynn Hagan, Tina Sutton, Tonya Sheridan, Beth Naumann, Elizabeth Chu, Marie Butler, Hanna Ahn, Christine Healy and Sherri Owens. WOWSA!

So My house is getting back in order BUT my Creation Station is a disaster and now I need to find homes for all these fabuous new goodies!!!! Cannot stop saying it BUT Life is GOOD!!!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

Magical Moments!

2010-07-12T14:11:00.000-04:00

So many of my team members pour their hearts into their creations and business and I take great pride in watching them soar. This year my friend and fellow Downline, Kara Hileman, had amazing successes with her start but the one thing that stands out to me and so many is Kara's electric personality that easily draws people in. They want to be apart of the fun and love hanging out with Kara as she makes each person feel special- she is such a treasure! I was so touched and moved that Close To My Heart chose to honor Kara with one of the 3 Rising Star Awards. The look of surprise and amazement on her face and sharing that momemt with her is something I will never forget!

I am so happy CTMH put the announcement on Youtube as it was hard to concentrate on everything in the moment! Click here if you would like to see!

Speaking of moving mountains- she moved and conquered them to come back to DC for Convention. Kara talked with me about how important this was for her and how she did not want to miss out on all the fun and the FREE goodies we would be getting! I am still blown away at how she has made it all work. Most of us would have easily given up when you take in the fact that she would need to travel back to the states by herself with her 2 boys( think of the struggle of that emotionally and financially); then she would need to find someone willing to stay with her and take care of the boys so she could attend the convention. Plus convince her husband that this event was worth it and what she needed! Kara did it all and worked it all out so she could come share with all of us and learn and grow plus fill her spirit. I am moved beyond words by the love and devotion of Kara's mother that was willing to fly from Kansas to DC to stay and watch the boys so she could do this plus to her husband for realizing this makes her happy and gives her a purpose and sense of joy that as military wives we sometimes struggle with from time to time. I am honored to call Kara my friend and touched by her presence in my life. A huge thanks to Close to My Heart for honoring her with this award- Kara is truly deserving and I know she has been touched beyond words!

What a whirlwind Convention was for us all! I am so energized to read many messages from friends and team members that are jazzed and renewed just like me! We are going to set our goals and hit them- and we support each other all the way! I love you all and miss my crafty friends already BUT you know I am one email away, call away or facebook post away- just reach out and I am there for you.

For my friends and customers that have been thinking about joining- I can think of no better time than now. We are such a fabulous community and sisterhood and my life is so full because of it! Would you like to chat more about it- give me a call or let's set a date to chat in person. I am always here no matter what you need!

Sadly I am back in Planet Reality which means I am working the Domestic Diva duty today- how is it that your house can explode in just a few days without Momma?!? But don't you worry I will be creating and planning lots of fun events VERY soon!!!!

Here are some fun pics of me with the gals! It was so FUN!

~Jennifer :-)

2 Much FUN!!!!!

2010-07-11T19:22:00.000-04:00

oHhhhhh My what a whirlwind the past 4 1/2 days have been for me! I just LOVE having the best job on earth- being a Mom and sharing Close To My Heart with all my crafty friends- LIFE IS GOOD! Warning you are going to get a big post from me today! :-)

Pictured to the left are 6 of the 7 Crafting Divas that attended Convention(Hannah missed our team meeting that night but enjoyed the Convention with us). It was so great to meet some of them for the 1st time in person, although I felt like I already knew them for our frequent emails and training phone calls, and share this incredible time together. I hope their spirits are as renewed and energized as mine is after such an incredible event filled with announcements of new product(yes I said NEW), new business tools to make my life even easier, and amazing artwork and technique training. To say my head is spinning and full is a MAJOR understatement!!!

I had so much fun giving gifts to my hardworking team members( see previous blog for more details) and I love the tradition of showering your roomies with gifts. I have been on a level one kick for a little bit lately and I had fun taking 3 different level one kits to make my Roomie Gifts! I made two My Creations Display Albums and One My Creations Binder- they are really so simple to create. A few cuts and voila you have a fun altered item! The great thing about Level One kits are the fun MyStickease that are included in the package- makes embellishing quick! (remember you can always click on a picture to see it bigger...

Seeing all my Close to My Heart Friends over the past 4 days has truly been uplifting and motivating. I love these special gals dearly and wish we could see each other more but there is no doubt we more than make up for it when we all get together!!!!

I also wanted to thank my special friends who gave me little "happy's" from out of the blue! Your generosity and gifts mean the world to me- it truly touched my heart! Here are a few of the special happy's I received!

As you can tell I am just bubbling with excitement and lots to share!!!! I better close before I just ramble on forever!

It was truly a blast and I hope more will join me next year in Annaheim, CA for more CTMH Magic and FUN!!!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

team gifts!

2010-07-06T12:31:00.000-04:00

Like I mentioned last night so SUPER Pumped that 6 of my Crafting Diva Team Members are coming to convention! I have had fun thinking of team gifts and putting some cute things together! I will be seeing my gals tomorrow night at 8:15pm and cannot wait to give each one a BIG HUG!!!!!!!

I have fun things to share that I have made- roomie gifts and team gifts but I have to keep it under wraps to keep the surprise. I am so bad with keeping surprises- so hard!!! So here is a sneak peak- I made some cute monogrammed bag tags for my girls! I hope they like them! My daughter came in and saw what I was working on this morning and screamed- I WANT ONE TOO!!!!!!!! So I think they pass the test!

Let the countdown begin!!!!!!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

Convention Here I come!

2010-07-05T21:03:00.001-04:00

I am counting down the hours until I get to see my Close To My Heart Sisters!!!! I cannot believe Convention time is here and I FINALLY get to go!!!! I have always wanted to attend the BIG show but the timing and the military life always seemed to get in the way but with it coming to DC there was no way I was going to miss it!!!!! Even if we had to juggle some care for a couple of days(long story there) but I was going to be there and wanted my team to join me too. I am so happy- 6 Crafting Divas are joining me in DC for the major event traveling from Florida, Virginia, and all the way from SPAIN! Kara YOU ROCK!!!!!!

So much to look forward to- the new Fall Idea Book(yep we get the first peak), awesome art classes, inspiring business classes, spending time with my Girlfriends, and sharing our Passion of all things crafty and paper!!!!! LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!

and you can be sure I will have lots to share with you soon!!!!!!

mmm...Strawberry....

2010-07-03T15:42:00.000-04:00

Pie. I love to make fresh strawberry pie during the summer! This recipe comes from a friend of mine- Shirley Bailey(she is an amazing cook and has her own cookbook-YUM!).

Her recipe is simple and hits the spot!

5 C. strawberries, cleaned and hulled
3 T cornstarch
1 C sugar
2 T lemon juice
1 baked 9inch pie shell
1 c whipping cream
2 T. confectioner's sugar

Divide the strawberries into 2 piles. Slice in half the berries in one pile and set aside. Crush the remaining berries with a fork. Put the crushed strawberries in a heavy saucepan and stir in the cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture looks clear or translucent and is thickened. Remove from heat and cool. Gently stir in the sliced strawberries. Put the strawberry mixture into the baked crust and place in refrigerator until serving. Just before serving, whip the cream with the sugar(or be like me and use Cool Whip) and spread over the pie. Refrigerate any leftover pie.

YUMMY!!!!!!!!!

ENJOY and wishing you all a very happy and blessed 4th of July!!!!!!

JUNE 30= LAST DEAL and it is AWESOME!!!!!

2010-06-30T14:36:00.002-04:00

It is the last deal to be given away during this amazing month of great giveaways and goody boxes from Close To My Heart! Today's deal- HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to end the month with a BANG!

You will get a Goody Box worth of $300 in Close To My Heart product for only $125!!!! HUGE DEAL!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!

Are you ready to order yours before they sell out??????? Simply CLICK HERE and order your box with a few clicks!

2 for 1

2010-06-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

Today I have two things for you- one this fun My Creations Binder I created this morning and two- JACKPOT JUNE DEAL!!!!!

The Jackpot June Deal today is ANOTHER Goody box filled with new and retired goodies worth $200 for only $80 plus you will receive reduce shipping on this item. Click here to order your Goody Box today! It will only last today!

And now for the FUN creative project! I had a friend ask me to help with an Anniversary Gift/Card for the local Metropolitian Fine Arts Center. I was honored to be asked and thought of to help with her project. Their are 50 company members that she needed to sign a card and my head started spinning- what to make, how big to make it, etc. Then it hit me- a My Creations Memory Binder decorated up would be perfect!

I thought this would be a fun way to have the company sign the "card" and they could include some photos on the pages plus I am including the fun Flip Flaps for them to layer some photos on a spot if they choose to do so. A great way to reflect and remember their 10 years in this community!

Here are the supplies I used to create this album and it only took me an hour and half to crank out! Love simple, easy projects that have a BIG effect. All supplies are from Close To My Heart:

*My Creations 3 Ring Binder Z1141

*Notebook Level 1 Kit X7102

*Organdy Ribbon Z209

*Black Exclusive Ink and Foam Tools Z1090

Have a great rest of your Monday!

~Jennifer :-)

Hot Diggity...

2010-06-18T13:45:00.000-04:00

How cute is this little frog?!? He makes me so happy! I love this Hot Diggity Stamp set and it works perfect with my favorite Happy Birthday Stamp set too!

Today is my fun Scrap N Play Club date with my great friends. We are playing with the new Splendor collection paper- the color palette is so vibrant and works great for both girls and boys. Each month we play with a great kit that includes an exlusive stamp set and fun embellishment. Plus there are other fun add-on options that you can play with too. Each month there is a fun technique or trick we explore and I love seeing what my customers have to share as well. For the splendor kit we are playing with the fun Irresistibles Pizzazz Chipboard Die Cuts. These white die cuts have an resist embossed look to each one. So all you do is sponge on the color of your choice and watch the fun details emerge. They add that perfect effect to your pages.

I always like showing my customers how to maximize their paper kits and keep creating. So this month I made the 2 layots and 6 cards PLUS I created my own layout. The Splendor paper pack colors worked great with Build A Bear pictures I need to scrap and I am so happy with the results. I also played with the big feature matte in the layout and used 2 pictures in there. Now I feel a great sense of accomplishment having a layout scrapped!

I am looking forward to seeing the rest of my creative peeps tonight and emailing the Fun extra directions to my Club to Go customers. I have great options for you to create near or far. And starting very soon I will be offering a fun once a month Crop till you Drop option! I am looking forward to filling you in on the scoop soon!

~Jennifer :-)

ps- Jackpot June Deals still happening each day!!! Click here to check out today's great deal!!!!!! Rumor has it that it is an awesome goody box $80 worth of goodies for just $40!!!!!!!!!

creating backgrounds...

2010-06-16T20:26:00.000-04:00

I love the June Stamp of the Month! The argyle stamp is so FUN to create your own background and texture paper with- easy peasy!

I used Dutch Blue Ink and Chocolate ink to create the stamped images. I also used our textured cardstock in chocolate and sweet leaf- love sanding this paper!

This stamp set is a must have and definitely a great addition to my collection as I feel I have a lot of "girly" stamp images!

During the month of June you can earn it for 25%, 50% or 75% off with a qualifying purchase or spend just $100 and get this set for FREE!!!! Everyone loves a deal and Jackpot June Deals each day are a great thing to check out. Today is a great goody box full of wonderful goodies!!!! Want to check it out? Click here

~Jennifer :-)

paper!!!!

2010-06-14T13:19:00.000-04:00

Close To My Heart Paper is one of the BIGGEST things I love!!!! I love the patterns, colors- makes my pages ROCK!!! So today is your day- you can stock up and Save BIG TIME!!!

Got paper? Hit the Jackpot today with $10 My Reflections kits! 5 of our most popular My Reflections kits are being offered today only at $10 each. Order the Mystery Jackpot item and get a FREE package of White Daisy Grosgrain Ribbon ($6.95 value).

And I just love the white daisy grosgrain ribbon- I go through this stuff like crazy!!!

You can pick from the following papers- Emporium, Majestic Blue, Perfect Day, Sasparilla and Abundance. All these level two kits are just $10 each!!!! Click here to start stocking up!!!

Perfect Day and Emporium are two of my favorites and here are some layouts I have done with this paper!

~Jennifer :-)

Happy Mail~

2010-06-10T10:09:00.001-04:00

I just love when I get unexpected Happy Mail!!!!!! Last week I had a fun package delivered to my door and I was so excited to open it because it made so much noise- the box rattled and shook and even the kids were like "What is in there?!?" When I heard the shake I had a feeling and then I opened the box and I was blown away!!!!!!! SHELLS!!!!!! YAHOO!!!!!!!!

So let me back up for a minute- do you remember how I worked the NJ Expo and could not wait plus I got to have fun with my CTMH sisters! So one of my fun sistas- Jen Cox- worked the Expo with us and we had a BLAST!!! Lots of hard work and fun work and then a crazy NJ creepo that I talked down(think I SHOCKED everyone) but that is a Military Man's wife for you! Anyways we had a blast and lots of stories to share for years to come- aren't those trips the best!?! So I saw Jen was giving these amazing shells to a friend of ours and yes I will admit I had a pout fest over them but it was more because I MISS going shelling! Ireland and I would take long walks on our beloved NW Florida coast and find all sorts of fun treasures and of course this breaks my heart now as I think of our beloved beaches fighting such a nasty mess! So at any rate I saw the shells- pouted- and took the ladies on memory lane. Jen promised she would bring me some when we saw each other at convention- which I thought was the SWEETEST! I told her I would bring some of my favorites- I have my prized shells and baskets with them.

So when this box came I was BLOWN AWAY!!!!!! They are beautiful! I love the colors, shapes, and textures! I cannot wait to find a special home for them and when I look at them I will always think of my special friend- JEN! LOVE YA! My life is so enriched with all the amazing women I have met over the years and it is all because we share a love of paper creating and CTMH- how awesome is that?!?

Jen- the kids and I are pulling a special collection for you of our NW Florida Gulf treasures- hope you will enjoy them! and I cannot wait to PARTY in DC and see all the amazing things CTMH has enstore for us!!!!!!

Thinking of specials and amazing things.....click here to check out the jackpot deal for today!

Have a great day!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

and PS- doesn't Jen's card ROCK?!? She used the new Passages Paper Set X7126B and the new stamp set Live Inspired C1408. this stamp set is a MUST HAVE!

Life is a Bowl full of Cherries!

2010-06-08T14:59:00.000-04:00

Love our cherry paper- so stinkin cute and FUN! I have been making the bridal shower invitations for my sister's upcoming shower- OH SO EXCITED- so I thought I would share the final product with you! Hope you like them!

We are doing a fun cooking/recipe theme for her shower. I enclosed a brand new color coordinated Recipe Card( love our new My Originals Sugar and Spice Card Kit) with each invite so they can share their favorite family recipe or tradition with Michelle and David. I am going to love seeing all the great recipes that pour in- hmmm thinking that might help us too with our cooking dilemma's we have from time to time!

Well off to do the school shuffle---we still have 2 weeks to go! We are all ready for a FUN break!

oh and RUMOR has it there is a GOODY Box as today's Jackpot June Special! Over $120 worth of goodies for just $60!!! Click here to order yourself an amazing deal!

~Jennifer :-)

Jackpot June for Sunday June 6th...

2010-06-06T11:56:00.000-04:00

The 5 discounted items for today are the following Simply Snapshot pages: Sweet Pea, Everlasting, Floral Tapestry, Boom Di Ada, and You Rock! I love these 9x9 pages- quick and easy to put an album together. They are great for family vacation, children memory albums and grandparent brag albums as well.

When you order all 5 you automatically will earn the Free Jackpot item for today- Hodge Podge Color Ready Alphabet! or try your luck and and see if you can pick which Simply Snapshot will earn you the Hodge Podge Alphabet for free!

Ready to check out the deals?? Simply click here!

Have a great Sunday!! We are off to a Washington Nationals Game- LOVE BASEBALL!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

Saturday June 5th Jackpot Deal is....

2010-06-05T14:34:00.002-04:00

Woo-hoo here is what you can score today for a discount and if you purchase any or all you will win the Jackpot item which is a FREE 3x3 Kraft Album!

The five deals are Sassy Strands(in Summer Carnival, Spring Blossom and White Daisy), Color Ready Alphabets Bold and the Fancy Cuts Borders- all these items are just $3.00 each! What a DeaL!!!! LOVE IT!

The Sassy strands add that fun extra texture to your page while you can create great easy titles in any color with the Color Ready Alphabets, and lastly add that fun dimension to your cards or pages with the fancy cut borders! Are you ready to go check it out and order??? simply click here to enter my website. :-)

Happy SATURDAY!!!!

~Jennifer

party time....

2010-05-25T14:30:00.000-04:00

Getting excited and ready for a FUN Card/Scrapbook Class on Sunday afternoon!!!!! I am so excited to meet new friends that share a love of paper crafts and show them all that Close To My Heart has to offer.

For this class each person is getting a Topstitch Level One Kit to play with and they can choose either to create 4 scrapbook pages or follow a few simple cutting directions to create 15 cards to embellish with a few stamps and accessories! We are going to have a Rockin' Good Time!

Is this something that would interest you and your friends? I would love to help you have a FUN creative day with you and your friends PLUS help you earn Free CTMH Goodies!!! Please feel free to email or call me to book your personalized workshop(craftingdivas@cox.net).

Enjoy!

~Jennifer :-)

checking my list....

2010-05-18T22:04:00.000-04:00

   I am so excited I am off to New Jersey tomorrow to work the Scrapbook Expo with my fabulous Senior Executive Director Tina Sutton and fellow teammates- WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

   I have been super busy prepping my cute make n take layout to teach, plus packing all essentials and a few extra of course and the usual Mommy to do list each day. This is going to be an awesome trip to share our love of Close To My Heart and have a FUN time with my friends! Ahh I love my girlfriends- fun perks of my FUN JOB!

   I also have some FUN other news- I am heading back into the classroom to teach this Fall. I taught 2nd grade before Ireland was born and once that darling came into the world I went on the 24/7 Mommy journey and have loved every minute of it! I always knew at some point I would head back but I have been waiting for the right time. You could say all the ducks lined up and the door was opened recently. I am going to be teaching a PreK-4 class 4 days a week and I think it is going to be so much fun! My kids are excited too- they cannot wait to help me this summer set up the classroom.

And don't worry this Crafting Diva will still be working and teaching her magic with classes and parties- could never give that up!

Have a great rest of your week and I cannot wait to share with you all the FUN we had in Jersey Baby!

~Jennifer :-)

Pinwheels!!!!

2010-05-14T17:49:00.000-04:00

I had fun last night using the left over paper from our Cherry-O kit to create some cards plus use the AWESOME Stamp of the Month Set this month- LOVE IT!! If you have not ordered yours yet you have gotta get one! And what is even better is you can get it 25%, 50%, 75% off or even FREE! Yes you heard me FREE!!!! You are not going to want to miss this awesome set!
I had so much fun playing and enjoying that I decided to create some cute pinwheel flowers! They are pretty easy to create- just need some cute/colorful paper and start folding!!
The colonial white designer brads worked perfect in this first one to finish the flower off- love these new fun brads!!!

So are you curious how to make these??? Okay so excuse my crazy pics but hopefully you will get the idea and I cannot wait to hear how much fun you are having with them!

I started with a 4x4 piece- it is a great size to practice with. The pieces in the card started out as a 2x2 piece and I layered 8 of them together.

fold in half

fold in half again- this will give you a center line for your two next folds- open it up

now fold down using the crease as your guide for the middle...

fold down flaps to form 2 small triangles

turn over- and take the triangle on the right and bring it over and fatten sideways...

after you have folded all your pieces now you can layer them on each other making sure the points stay close together.

and here is another I created too last night!

Hope you have fun!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

cherries make me HAPPY!

2010-05-13T16:40:00.000-04:00

So love the new Cherry-O paper pack- it just puts a smile on your face! Tomorrow is Scrap N Play day and we are making these adorable layouts and cards- so super fun! I changed up some of the directions a bit to maximize paper and also for personal preferrence- love the flexiblity! I will be sharing with my ladies tomorrow at 10am and 7:30pm plus my Club to Go ladies will get all the scoop on the fun things we changed and modified!

Would you like to get some pages done and have an enjoyable "Girl Time"??? We would love for you to join us!

I hope these pages put a smile to your face and a spring in your step- they sure pick me right up!

and remember you can always click on a picture to see it larger too. :-)

Okay I am off to do the fun afternoon piano, school and homework shuffle! I am looking forward to next week when I get to go TDY and Daddy becomes SUPER DAD! More on that soon! If you are in the New Jersey area next weekend, I would love for you to come and say HI! I will be working the Scrapbook Expo in Somerset, NJ.

Have a great day!
~Jennifer :-)

My Joy!

2010-05-06T19:43:00.000-04:00

So stinkin' excited to share this with you....these are my kiddos and they are part of the artwork for the new Level One Splendor Kits! SO fun and they are truly MY JOY!!!! I LOVE level one kits for the ease and beauty of quickly putting some pages together. They are a HUGE value for only $9.95 plus s/h you can create 4 pages in a FLASH! Not only that you can think beyond Scrapbook pages with these- I have created fun flip flap albums, my creation binder albums and even made CUTE cards out them!

Speaking of Cards....I have just finished a class sample that I am DYING to share with you on taking a level one kit and making cute cards with it. Darn battery charger!(and my dear knight in shinning military armor did order me a new one- he rocks!).

Thanks for letting me scream with delight at Ireland's and Patrick's time in the spotlight! It is a true JOY!

and have I told you lately- I LOVE MY FUN JOB!!!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

missing....

2010-05-04T17:39:00.000-04:00

Do you have those "safe spots" that you put things in and somehow although you thought it would be safe you cannot remember exactly where that magical place is?!? So I have 2 things missing- my new favorite watch(not a big deal but would like to see it again) and the other my battery charger for my camera! BIG AGH!!!!!! I am turning this place upside down and trying to rack my brain about the last time I used it- cannot remember! Seriously thinking I need a supplement of some kind to help as I feel very forgetful somedays!

So in my quest to find my items a friend reminded me on Facebook today to seek Saint Anthony- patron saint of all lost things. So here is my prayer to St. Anthony and hoping to have patience too as I await the return of my camera charger. I have a feeling a knight in shinning military glory will be purchasing me a new one which will come with a lot of grief but I will be very grateful to him and promise to keep it in a SAFE SPOT(maybe he should pick it!)!!!!

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.
O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God
and Charity for His creatures made you worthy, when on
earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on
your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in
trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore
of you to obtain for me MY CAMERA CHARGER. The answer to my prayer
may require a miracle. Even so, you are the saint of
Miracles.
O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full
of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the
Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and
the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.
Amen.

Until I am fully charged and ready....I will not be able to post any new pics of artwork or new creations. :( Oh that makes me sad- hopefully it will be found soon!

~Jennifer :-)

where to start?

2010-05-01T20:52:00.000-04:00

So Flag Football season is back! So far Patrick's team 'The Patriots' are 3-0! WOO-HOO! Their team has really pulled together from a rocky start. One of the outcomes of the rocky beginning is that Mr. B is now the head coach and I think he is enjoying it! :-) He was afraid to step up as he thought he would be better suited for older kiddos but he is doing awesome!!!! The kids love him and respond to his quiet, fun yet stern personality plus he runs the drills with them! It was so fun to see them running the cones this morning together. They looked like that Centipede Game from the Atari system way back when- remember? Anyways- they had a great day. Patrick was in his zone on defense-pulling flags, breaking up plays and almost had an interception!!! BUT it turned bloody with about 5 minutes left to the game...

When Patrick came walking over to me with a massive bloody nose! It was crazy. I had ONE tissue in my pocket and scrambled to find something- came up with our reusable grocery bag. But thankfully some fellow Moms came with an ice pack and then 2 diapers- YES Diapers and they did the trick! There was a time that 2 of us were looking at each other and wondering if we needed to make a visit to the ER but thankfully it FINALLY stopped bleeding! So now I am thinking I need to have some better supplies ready for Game Day- who knew Flag Football would cause such a commotion!

My kids have their last day of Church School Tomorrow morning- so I needed to come up with some thank you gifts for their awesome teachers! The kids have had a fun year and we are so grateful to their teachers for their time and dedication! I made an Event Calendar for Patrick's teacher and then Ireland's Mother/Daughter team I put together 6 personalized cards for each. I used the Silhouette Paper Pack, some fun retired ribbon I have, the Boutique Stamp set for one and then the Treasure Life Stamp Set for the other plus the fun Just Blooms Spring Blossom Paper Flowers. I sure hope they enjoy them!

I am looking forward to tomorrow as well! I am heading over to my friend Barb's house for a fun joint Team Meeting with her team and mine. We are going to have a blast! I always love getting together with my team and I know we all love being inspired by each other and just enjoying a fabulous afternoon to reflect on how much we love CTMH!!!

Hope you have a great rest of your weekend!

~Jennifer :-)

come on over!!!

2010-04-28T18:07:00.001-04:00

I have spent the past few days prepping catalogs to mail(they go out tomorrow), putting fun make n takes together for Friday(I have 5 for you to do!), and putting some cute little goodie bags and prizes together! I just love having my crafty friends come over and play- makes me Happy, Happy, HAPPY! I even have some new friends that are joining us on Friday and I cannot wait to meet them! I would love to have you and if you are reading this- seriously give me a call(850-217-7034) and let's set a date to create!!!

So here is one of the Fun Make n Take cards I will have you do on Friday! It uses the fun new puddle technique as shown on Art and Soul TV- check out my website!

I look forward to seeing you Friday and I just know you are going to flip over Studio J too! Have you check it out yet??? hint...hint...you gotta go try it! Wonder if there will be a prize or fun something for someone who has already played around??? hint..hint! :-) if you are picking up on the hints and need to try...just click here! and added bonus if you have an account too! :-)

Looking forward to seeing you on FRIDAY!!!! and my long distance customers- I will have some fun waiting for you in your inbox this week via my newsletter!!!

~Jennifer :-)

Party!!!!!

2010-04-25T17:41:00.002-04:00

LOVE when the new Idea Books come out!!!

The brand spanking new Summer Idea Book is available May 1, 2010!!!

My long distance customers- I am prepping them as I type this and will mail them out to you this week!! SO MUCH FUN!!!

Okay I already bragged on how cute Ireland is on page 47 of the book but guess what?!?

One of the new paper kits called- Splendor- my children are in the artwork shown for the level 1 kits! Turn over the cute MyStickease and you will find my TURKEYS!! How super fun and COOL is that?!?! I swear it is the little things in life!!!

So are you local to me and want to come play???? I have the date set!!!

April 30, 2010 - TWO TIMES to choose from. 10:00am or 7:30pm!

***come get your hands on the BEAUTIFUL new Idea Book, have some fun making some Make N Takes and participate in an Interactive Studio J session- wondering how it works and how easy it is??? I will show you and I have some completed layouts for you to see the AMAZING quality- there is no comparison!! I found the best use for my hubby's TV- it will be our monitor to play with Studio J! I knew there was a reason we needed that big thing! HA!

Are you ready to try out Studio J now?????

okay hold onto your seats- it is available...drumroll please...............

TUESDAY APRIL 27, 2010 at 8am MT( so 10am for those East Coasters out there!). I highly encourage you click on my website- there will be a Studio J icon to access the site through there and start tinkering around playing! IT IS FREE TO CREATE, NO kit to purchase or software...FREE!!!(only costs when you order a layout- 2 pages).Then come on over on Friday and help me create some super cute layouts together and see how it just BLOWS all the other Digital things out of the Water!!! And are you dying to see what it looks like in person??? I have 10 layouts all done and printed! SUPER AMAZINGLY COOL!!!!!!!!!

Please RSVP that you are attending so I can prep for you....and feel free to bring a friend(oh and you know I always have prizes for peeps that bring friends, RSVP, and for attending!).....

email: craftingdivas@cox.net
cell: 850-217-7034

SEE YOU SOON!!!!!!!

busy..BUSY!

2010-04-24T20:01:00.001-04:00

Wow! The Bohnart family has been BUSY! It is all good but I just realized I have not update my blog in awhile.

Today I had a great time teaching a fun Card Workshop to some new and old peeps! They all enjoyed putting their creative caps on and diving on in for some serious FUN! It was so fun to see them take the basic card designs and mix it up and make it their OWN! I love sharing and playing together- you always learn and grow more in numbers! Do you have a few friends that like to play with paper too? I would love to set up a fun card making date for you and your friends or even a fun Scrappin time- just email me and we will get it rolling! :-)

The rest of the week was spent being the fun Full Time Mom that I am and busy military wife. We happily received a letter from Patrick's school stating that he had earned an Oustanding Academic Achievement Award in Reading Comprehension. The awards ceremony was yesterday and I was crossing my fingers that Daddy could work a half day and be there for Patrick. Well he did better than that- he surprised us by taking a day off!!!! A huge thanks to the General for letting him be home- we all enjoyed it! I think I really enjoyed having a fun day to share with him, no stresses and just a fun carefree day! Isn't it amazing how the smallest things in life make the biggest impact?!? We had a lovely lunch picnic along the Potomac River---ahh!!!

Then it was on to the school to watch our little bugger get an award! We are so stinkin proud of him but more than anything watching his growth over this year has been a true JOY! He is one funny kid and will forever keep Josh and I on our toes. Just ask me about the DS and school- now there is a story and I am sure many more to come!!!

Here is hoping your week was full of all the things you love too!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

Flamingos

2010-04-17T09:16:00.000-04:00

Ah this was too good not to share with you! On Thursday morning we woke up and were greated by a flock of flamingos in our yard! Yes Flamingos and yes the crazy, tacky Plastic type! What a hoot and how much fun they brought to our small patch of earth!

Are you asking yourself- why oh why were their flamingos in our yard and who on earth would have planted them there! Turns out it is a Fund Raiser for the local Senior Class' Lock-In after Prom! So fun! They ask for a simple $25 donation and then you get to pick where the birds fly next. :-) So sadly Thursday night they came and took them away and delivered them to a friend to make her yard nice and happy for a day!

Now my yard looks sad- maybe I should get a just one to place in the yard- what do you think?!?

Hope you have a brightly colored FUN day!

~Jennifer :-)

ps- yes Patrick was not thrilled with the Paparrazi on this day.

oh yeah!

2010-04-15T21:00:00.000-04:00

Getting Geared up to Scrap with my Friends on FRIDAY!!!!! I love Scrap n Play Friday!!! We are making FUN layouts using the Caboodle paper and I am so excited and ready! I just love sharing with them and seeing the great things they come back to club with completed!

Just so you know I turned the first page of this layout to accomodate horizontal photos- so keep that in mind when putting yours together- sometimes you can flip them to make it work for you!

When I started putting the finishing touches on the first layout I posted- I thought about using our great Color Ready Alphabets Oxford. These are great to use- they are only $3.95 and with a ink pad and a sponge- they can become whatever color or colors you need!

I look forward to seeing my happy, smiling club members for a great evening of crafting fun! I would love for you to join us!

~Jennifer :-)

ps- just a reminder...you can click on any photo to see it larger

Miracles?????

2010-04-15T09:03:00.000-04:00

Do you believe in Miracles? I sure do and I love Close to My Heart's Miracle to celebrate National Scrapbook Month!!!!!

From now and until May 31, 2010 or while supplies last you can earn this darling kit FREE, Discounted or purchase it! You will love the colors and beautiful artwork focus of this exclusive kit to celebrate National Scrapbooking Month in May!

You DON"T WANT TO MISS IT!

How can you snag one you ask???

· Purchase the kit outright for $19.95* (CC1009).
· Place a minimum order of $40 and purchase the kit for only
$10* (CC1009A).
· Place a minimum order of $60 and purchase the kit for only
$5* (CC1009B).
· Sign up as a new Consultant between May 1-31 and receive
a kit FREE!
· Host a Home Gathering between April 15-May 31 with minimum
sales of $300 and receive a kit FREE!

I received mine in the mail the other day and I LOVE IT!!!!!! SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Hurry and contact me today to get you exclusive kit!!!!

Ready to shop??? click here!

~Jennifer :-)

prepping for a ROCKIN' FUN

2010-04-14T09:03:00.001-04:00

Scrap N Play FRIDAY!!!!! I just know you all are going to flip for the Caboodle Paper and no it is not the hair accessory thing- it is the SUPER CUTE and Seriously FUN Papers for this Months Club. This paper works great for beach photos, pool photos, outside, boy or girl- it is seriously verstatile and the colors just make you HAPPY!!!!

So as I was prepping for club I was in my Scrapping mood- and gasp- I added photos to all 3 Layouts! And as I was digging for photos I realized I need to order some pictures!!!! Woo-HOO I have made a dent without even realizing it- LOVE IT!!

Okay so back to my fun day of playing with paper- I was just in a Scrappin' Mood so no cards were made this month by me(so sorry) but this paper is too cute that I have to use it for PAGES!!!! Which leads to my 3rd layout that I created and will share the directions to my Scrap N Play and CLub to Go Members- hope you like it!

What I liked about the layout was using the Irresistibles (z 1261)- have you played with this FUN letters yet? I simply colored them with my marker in the ink I want and VOILA super cute dotted letters! They definitely need to be put on your Wishlist! And speaking of Wishlist- is yours growing??? Then you need to do either one of two things- A. Book a FUN Workshop/Party with Me or B. Join my Team!!!!

So here is my 3rd Layout for this month's club....hope you like it and I look forward to seeing you in class on FRIDAY!!!!
want to be a part of Scrap N Play- shoot me an email and I will get you all set up...there is a Club to Go option too for Long Distance customers. :-)

~Jennifer :-)

(and yes I promise I will journal tomorrow on my page!)

Must have....

2010-04-13T09:38:00.000-04:00

Do you love a deal? Who doesn't- right?!? Well our A size stamp sets are a MAJOR Deal and super cute to boot!

I had some leftover card supplies from a card class I taught back in February and I wanted to try out the the FUN new A size stamp sets we have! I played around with the A1103 A Love and it was so fun and easy. Plus I love that these stamp sets are only $7.95(plus shipping and tax). Huge DEAL!!!!!! So as you look at the catalog and are looking for a great deal- check out the great A size stamp sets- you are sure to find something you LOVE!!!!

~Jennifer :-)

one with nature....

2010-04-07T20:30:00.000-04:00

So we have been outside A LOT lately and the kids are loving it( me too except I have not been able to play in awhile and my list is a mile long- we will get to that in a minute). Patrick got a Basketball for his birthday and that kids is OBSESSED! He is bouncing it everywhere and constantly asking- "Mom, can I go to the courts and shoot?" I of course LOVE this and love that wears him out! I also was not sure how long this would last as the hoops out back are 10 feet tall- he is still a little tyke. Most kids I would think would get a defeatest mentality but not my Patrick- he is determined! And when he makes a hoop- OH YEAH!!!!
So I emailed Josh at work the other day and said we need to get this kid an adjustable hoop he can practice with and keep encouraging him. So Daddy ran to the store and picked up a hoop and Mr. P is using his birthday money to pay for- LOVE IT! But the assembly of said hoop was no picnic! Why oh WHY do projects like that cause sheer craziness/meltdowns in my house and I am talking the older 35 year old man kind!?!

Patrick came home from school today with a zeal to go outside. I said sure and then I had an epiphany- I could create out back on the deck and keep an eye on him! So that is what I did! Don't you just love when you figure out how to balance something(and let me tell you I have not felt very balanced lately!).

So here is my view of Patrick...off and running....FREEDOM!!!!!

And Here is the workstation I made outside....

So I was able to knock off on my creation list today- Thank You Cards for Patrick. I made 8 of these and used my good old trusty Originals companion! LIFE SAVER!!!!

Hope you enjoy my cards that I created outside today.....

Wishing a fun, creative day wherever it may find you.....

~Jennifer :-)

new craft!

2010-04-05T15:53:00.001-04:00

We had a fabulous Spring Break trip to my sister's in North Carolina! It was so nice to get away plus spend time with Auntie!!! My sister taught both kids a new craft that she has picked up- Japanese Temari Balls. They were hooked!

It was so fun to watch them pick their colors and work each day on their special craft. I was seriously impressed with my sister and the SUPER CUTE Temari Eggs she cranked out! She even used the the plastic egg shapes as her base- amazing to watch her in action! Ireland is seriously hooked and wants supplies from Auntie for her birthday!

Ireland and Patrick's Ball-

Patrick opted to keep his simple and then Ireland was ready to kick it up a notch!

Check out this website if you are interested in learning more.

I told Michelle she could make her own super cute mobile for a baby (hint...hint). :-) I guess they need to get married first! HA!

Speaking of the wedding we had fun finding Dresses for Ireland and Myself. Ireland is all girl and just wanted to keep trying on eventhough the first dress was the one! Of course the hunt for me was a little more challenging but we managed to find a great dress and if Josh has a military ball again I will be all set to go(he may grumble a little).

I hope my bloggin' friends had a great Easter weekend. We have been spoiled by great weather here and have enjoyed our time outside as well with dear friends and family! I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new Close to My Heart Summer Idea Books!!!!! I love having a month preview to drool over the new goodies. I have looked online and there is a TON to love plus my girl made the catalog again- such a HUGE TRILL!!!!! I will give you a few hints....there are some great new stamp sets, paper, and card kit that will help with my Bridal Shower for my sister(think Kitchen Theme with a cherry on top!). Would you like to start drooling with me and making a wishlist....then come join my team and have FUN getting a discount on what you LOVE and always being in the loop! I just love my FUN job!!!

So much to do- I best get to work.....

~Jennifer :)

why I scrap...

2010-03-27T19:12:00.001-04:00

I started scrapping during college and while my skills have improved with time the reasons why I scrap have not- to preserve my memories. I love getting out the books and remembering all the fun times and reflecting on our lives and the journey. It is so much fun to share this with my children- THEY LOVE looking at the scrapbooks! We got out Patrick's scrapbook today since it is his birthday. I love seeing the twinkle in their eyes as they flip the pages- PRICELESS!!!

These moments make it all worth the time! I know one day they will have fun showing their children (YIKES!).

So as we went down memory road today I thought I would take you along....and also to show you as with any craft or art form the more you play your style evolves over time. :-) so no teasing...OKAY!?!

And yes- my oh my have we aged...hopefully well but nevertheless we are getting older. Poor Josh has a ton of gray hair now which he attributes to the children! And our sweet Ireland is no longer blonde- she is a lovely brunette. Amazing to see our journey.....

The kids are now on Spring Break and we are headed for a little vaca with my sister and future brother in law- gotta knock out some upcoming wedding stuff- YIPPPEEE!!!!

I will share one last photo....so I showed Patrick and me then....here is Patrick and me as of yesterday...

I think he is one of the cutest 7 year olds I know- yes I am biased but seriously how can you not eat that face up!?!

Life is good!!!

~Jennifer :)

fun things in small packages!

2010-03-26T11:27:00.000-04:00

Oh this basket is so darn cute and easy to make! My friend Barb shared with me the directions from Splitcoast Stampers and I just had to try it!

I am going up to school today to celebrate Patrick's 7 birthday with his friends- SERIOUSLY how is my sweet boy 7??? His real bday is tomorrow but he insisted we make chocolate chip cookies together and handout to his friends for snack- he loves playing with that Kitchenaid mixer turning it on and off- all about the power tools that one is! :-)

After dropping the kids off this morning I thought about making this basket as a little gift for his teacher- and of course fill it with some goodies! The kids start Spring Break this weekend so today is the day I had to get it all pulled together!

So here are the directions for you to make one or a dozen too! They would be super cute to put as placecard holders on your Easter Table- great neighbor gift..oh the list goes on and on!

Here is the overview of what you are going to do:
*One 4 3/4" x 7 3/4" piece of cardstock for basket base
*One 1" x 11" piece of cardstock for basket handle
*One 1 1/2" x 15" piece of patterned paper to decorate basket base
*One 3/4" x 11" piece of patterned paper to decorate basket handle
*Scoring Tool
*Scissors
*Adhesive
*Stamps, Ink and additional cardstock to decorate the basket

Step One:
Adhere the patterned paper strip on the center of your cardstock strip. and then
Score your 4 3/4" x 7 3/4" piece of cardstock at 1 1/2" on each side.

Step Two:
Cut the cardstock at the two scored lines on either side of the long length of cardstock.
(if you like you can add two pieces of background and texture paper. I glued one to the inside of the basket and the other to the outside of the basket. I glued the pieces and then rescored and cut the slits- up to you....here is the paper I used

Step Four:
On the square ends that fold in to make the basket- place your adhesive and press the basket firmly together

Step Five:
Now you can decorate your Basket!

As a side note I wanted to share with you that I used 2 stamp sets to create this tag and I actually CUT a phrase Apart! WHAT?!? Yes you heard me I cut the image apart! I love to do this with our clear stamps- gives me more control and if you don't have room for a phrase lengthwise- I want to be able to stack it up!

I used one of my favorite stamp sets- Happy Birthday and that is the one I cut up. Then I paired it with this month's Stamp of the Month- A Little Everything- another MUST HAVE item and you don't want to miss out on earning this one for FREE or discounted....March 31st is the last day you can snag this awesome set!

Hope you have fun trying out this adorable basket! I am off to get ready to go give this sweet boy a big Happy Birthday Hug!!!!!

Prepping...

2010-03-23T10:07:00.003-04:00

I am prepping for an upcoming Card Class this Thursday at 10:00am. I love this group of active adults- super fun!!

Do you have some friends that would like to get together once a month to create cards? I would love to develop a workshop for you and your friends- I am here to help. Just let me know!

I am busy getting ready for the kids upcoming Springbreak and Patrick's 7th Birthday. WOW! Time is flying bye.....

Close To My Heart Products Used to Make these Cards:

*Wishes- card design book
*Colonial White Card Bases and Envelopes
*Veranda Paper Pack
*Friendship Blessings Stamp Set
*Bronze Brads
*Cocoa and Creme Brulee' Ink Pads

~Jennifer :)

rockin' my thing...

2010-03-17T13:51:00.004-04:00

Here is the other layout I created for Scrap n Play this month...counting down the days to see my local PEEPS! Club to Go! Members I emailed you the extra directions today PLUS my extras since I have been having fun creating- love sharing with my Peeps!

Yes I know I don't have pictures and the layout complete but once I figure out the perfect photos for this layout I will be good to go and have so much fun adding the finishing touches!

Speaking of finishing touches- I cannot wait to see what my Scrap N Play members did with their layouts from last month and the extra goodies leftover. Cannot wait for show n tell club style!

We have a lot of fun together and I would love for you to join us...simply email me(craftingdivas@cox.net) and I will get you all set up!

and Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!!

doing my own thing!

2010-03-15T11:45:00.003-04:00

So if you read yesterday's post I hinted that with the paper pack for this month's Scrap N Play I was inspired to do my own thing! I had so much fun playing with the papers and colors in this kit- love how they reverse to a whole different color palette- the choice is yours!

For this layout I used the Imagine book- love, love, love it! It felt so good to get the layout books out and sit with the leftover paper and create something uniqe and different! I will have the instructions for my Scrap N Play Members as well as my Club to Go gals too! For my club members please keep in mind that I created the first layout in the guide and the first set of 6 cards but I have used up all the extra papers to create this layout and one other one. :-)

The technique for this month is scissor distressing. I love the look of this since our paper is white core- just gives a subtle extra edge of dimension. It is even fun to do on your photos- don't be scared it is a COOL thing! And speaking of photos...I need to have this one photo enlarged to 5x7 and then the layout will be complete! I am so impressed with myself that I did my journaling! LOOK OUT...I am on a roll! :-)

I am looking forward to seeing my peeps and seeing what fun things they have created since our meeting last month! Remember to bring your artwork/completed pages and/or cards to share and get a "happy" from me! It just feels so good to share!!!!!

~Jennifer :)

Be you!

2010-03-14T14:41:00.003-04:00

I am looking forward to Scrap N Play this Friday with my peeps! We are playing with the You Rock Paper collection. This first layout was PERFECT for Patrick's 4th Birthday pictures!

Are you interested in having layouts completed each month? Scrap N Play or Club to Go are perfect for you! You will get 2 12x12 double layouts created each month with paper to make more or you can make 6-12 cards with instructions I provide each month with club! If you are local we meet the 3rd Friday of each month- 10:00am or 7:30pm! Or you can play with me via Club To Go- your kit is delivered right to your door each month! Simply email(craftingdivas@cox.net) me for more information or to be added to my newsletter so you can keep up with all the fun that we do!

And stay tuned for my next layout- I am mixing it up and created a SUPER FUN layout for you to choose beyond the two set choices!

~Jennifer :)

ps- just a reminder you can click on the pics to see them larger. :)

Sweat Shop!

2010-03-12T16:49:00.007-05:00

That is what my hubby has been calling me for a week and half as I crank out 100 thank you cards! I was hired by a local elementary school's PTA to do Thank You Cards for their big basketball tournament/fundraiser event. I had fun making these cute little buggers and even more fun showing my friend how EASY it is to stamp! I had her stamp the thank you line on each one- easy peasy! Then we met up to punch a hole in each corner, place ribbon through the hole and wrap around a water bottle- we did that 100 times! We had quite the assembly line going and had so much fun chatting together- made the time go bye quickly. So that is what I was up to at the beginning of the week. Today I got my newsletter all done and sent to my fabulous customers! And I had every intention of cleaning the basement up and organizing my Creative Space but nope that idea came and went quickly it seems. There is always tomorrow- right?!? Because I need to get ready for my Scrap N Play date which is quickly approaching on March 19th- cannot wait to see my creative buddies!

To make the Thank You Cards Here is what I did:
*White Daisy Cardstock cut 4x8 folded in half to make 4x4 card
*Juniper Cardstock cut 4x4 and then distressed with distressing inks- have you used these? LOVE THEM!!! they are a MUST HAVE!!!!
*Autumn Terracotta Cardstock cut 2 3/4 x 3 3/4 (distressed too)
*White Daisy Cardstock cut 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 (distressed too)

D1279 Shootin Hoops Stamp Set(retired) and D1361 Thank You Stamp Set( ONE OF MY FAVS)
with black and orange terracotta ink pads.

~Jennifer

Balance....

2010-03-09T14:32:00.005-05:00

Balance is something that I think I try to strive for each day- don't we all struggle with this is some way? One of the things that I constantly give up when I fill like my scales are being tipped to one side too much is exercise. I know this is not the right choice but it seems like when push comes to shove it is the one thing that I axe easily without thinking. I will confess I do not enjoy it- it adds more to my day it seems. The mere fact that I have to come home and get dressed again and try to attempt to have a decent look for the day- ugh- by the time that is complete is like almost noon and I feel this HUGE sense of seriously what have I gotten done in my day. I know on so many levels that exercise is good and that it is needed and all the things that I whine and make excuses for are just trivial BUT this has been my mantra since the kids have been born- TOO HARD TO FIT IN!

Well....I am working on changing this. I read some where that if you make something a routine for 40 days it becomes apart of you- well we are going to give this a try. Which might mean that I don't blog as much as I use to, or have a clean house all the time, or get as much "play time" in as I want. But I will be doing something for me that I hope transcends in my life in a lot of positive ways. I would like to have at least 2 days a week that I do Yoga at the studio- I so enjoy it and I come home feeling so much better. The past two weeks have been great and even my instructor is happy to see I am TRYING to change my bad habit. I am looking forward to the weather improving and all the salt and sand from the storms disappearing so I can go ride my bike- I LOVE MY BIKE and love taking bike rides with the kids!

Today I received the layouts that I did on Studio J! I had lunch with a girlfriend and she is seriously hooked and chomping at the bit to be able to play! I promise you- the release date for all customers is coming SOON!!!!!! I am so hooked on this and again NEVER EVER thought I would!!! I think this way to create will help with my BALANCE issue in life and I know it will help SO MANY more and get SO MANY others hooked on creating special keepsake albums for their families! Another thing that I discovered that I love about Studio J- it FORCES me to Journal!!!!! When I create my own layouts- a lot of the times I will say oh I will come back and journal...well I have pages and pages that STILL need to be completed!

So enjoy these pictures and I know you will be amazed that yes this was created and printed out!!! CRAZY COOL!!!!

~Jennifer :)

More Fun...

2010-02-27T12:46:00.004-05:00

More Fun with Studio J! I have to say this new program is addictive! I am just loving it and I never thought I would love to create on a computer BUT this simply ROCKS!!!! I received my layouts from the last time I played and I was just blown away with the quality, vivid colors, and dimensional look- I will post those tomorrow! I love being able to create layouts this way and get caught up plus this helps with my number one big problem- never having the photos developed that I need or in the sizes I need! Gotta love the one stop shop!

Are you ready to play too? What are you waiting for? If you are a consultant already- I highly encourage you to play around and create- you will not be disappointed! If you are itching to play- just simply join my team for only $99! You will get well over $300 worth of product plus you will get a discount and the store ships right to you! I love CTMH because you can do as little as you want, we call that a Hobbyist, or as much as you want- make it work for you! I would love to share more with you about this great opportunity! After 4 years of being with CTMH, I have absolutely no regrets- it has enriched my life beyond measure!!!

And what is even better....during the Month of March when you Dare to Dream and join my team you will receive all the Stamp of the Months for the new Summer Catalog(May-August) for FREE in addition to all those great products you will get for just $99! what a deal!!!!!! That is over $400 worth of goodies for just $99- doesn't get any sweeter than that!

I am here to assist you near or far. My Crafting Divas are all over the states and stationed at military bases across the globe! I offer team trainig via email and phone calls- you are never alone.

okay I am off to play in my Creation Station.....

~Jennifer :)

Spring Cleaning...

2010-02-26T14:37:00.006-05:00

I have been cleaning out and organzing closets since I have been spending a lot of time inside! I thought I would share on my blog before I posted on Ebay. Please email me at craftingdivas@cox.net if you are interested in any items.

Patchwork Skirt- $8.00- size 5/6
Flower Dress- $10.00- size 5/6
Headband to match both- $3.00

Red/Blue Plaid(halter style) Dress- $10.00- size 5/6

Chocolate/White Floral(halter style) Dress $10.00- size 5/6
Matching big bow $2.00
Chocolate/White Seersucker Capri Pant $6.00- size 5/6
Matching Chocolate Swing Tie Top $5.00- size 5/6
Chocolate Cotton Capri Pant $5.00- size 5/6
Chocolate/White Seersucker Swing Top $6.00- size 5/6
matching small bow $1.50

Blue/White Stripe Seersucker with red anchors Skirt $6.00- this is a size 7/8

Ralph Lauren Lime Green Skort $5.00- size 8
Ralph Lauren White Denim Dress with belt $6.00- size 6X

Gymboree Royal Blue Halter Top with Flip Flop embroidery- $2.00- size 8
Gymboree Top with Ribbon detail- $2.00- size 8

OshKosh Denim Skirt with embroidery $5.00- size 8- worn a few times
OshKosh Pink Skirt with embroider $7.00- size 8- new with tags still on

Cherokee Denim Jacket- size 7/8- $4.50
Cherokee Pink Top- size Medium- $1.00
Cherokee Aqua Top- size Medium- $1.00

~Jennifer :)

WOWSA!!!!!!!!

2010-02-24T15:48:00.004-05:00

I am speechless, simply speechless! I went to my mailbox today and there was "happy mail" for me today- you know how much I love happy mail! What was even better was when I opened the envelope and out popped this AMAZING piece of artwork! As I sit here typing I am still in awe. This card was created by a fellow consultant and she is an inspiration to me both professionally and personally- Karen Pedersen. Karen knows I just love her to pieces and I post on her blog that she is amazingly talented but she is also a woman to respect and admire. Thank you so much for always being such a source of great inspiration!!!

and I had to share another WOWSA piece of artwork I received this week- my Valentine from my daughter. She created this at school and since they were out FOREVER...it came home a little late but no worries because it was so worth the wait!!!! This is another gal that just oozes talent and warmth from her heart....she makes me so proud to be a Mommy! Just wonder what her path and journey will be but until then I am enjoying every minute of her spirit here( but let me tell you there are days that her spirit needs to hang out in her room and calm down a bit!)

Thanks to all who posted on my blog with title suggestions- LOVE THEM!!!! It was so fun to read and I cannot wait to share some fun with my blog friends! Sheila if you could email me your addy I have something fun to send your way....craftingdivas@cox.net

~Jennifer :)

***and please let the winter angels guide this next storm a little bit north of us....seriously this town cannot handle anymore not to mention my kids need a Summer Break and I need to escape when I can!

Blog Candy for Grabs!

2010-02-19T15:55:00.004-05:00

So as I mentioned in yesterday's post, I need some help with Titles for my pages(see yesterday's post for artwork). I am going to reward my fellow blog readers with the chance for some Blog Candy. This is my first time to award some candy and I am super excited! One of the things I love about the scrapbook pages is the pop the Sparkles give the page. I think everyone needs a bit of bling in their life! So the winning title will receive a FREE set of Sparkles from me as my thank you!

I cannot wait to see what you come up with!

And, I want to post how proud I am of one of my downline- Elissa Stong- she stepped out of her comfort zone and entered a FUN contest with Close To My Heart! I just love my team( you have heard me rave about how much fun it is- and it truly is!) and I would love to have you join our fun Crafting Divas Team! Back to the contest...so CTMH challenged us to create a you tube video that could only be 3 minutes long and explain to people why our stamps are Clearly the Best. Elissa took this challenge head on and I am so pumped for her! The consultant with the most views on you tube will win a grand prize from CTMH and I am cheering Elissa on!!! I would love if you would help support her in her quest....just click HERE

Remember to post your Title suggestions in my Comments block and I look forward to awarding some fun BLING!

~Jennifer :)

bring on some Clubbin FUN!

2010-02-18T19:53:00.002-05:00

I am so ready to see my Scrap N Play friends tomorrow!!!! (if you are looking for pictures...keep reading there are TONS on this post...just scroll on down...) I know we all are looking forward to creating together and sharing our fun blizzard stories! I am also excited to see any artwork they created over our snowed-in time. :)

I LOVE the layouts for this month and guess what?!? I actually put pictures on both but I need titles for each of them- can you help a girl out?!? I would love to have some ideas for these layouts- so please comment with any fun titles, the title winner will receive some blog candy for me as a thank you!!!! Background on these layouts: the photos are from Bush Gardens Williamsburg. We went in August 2008 and had so much fun!!! Turns out Patrick is our thrill seeker as he LOVED the Big Bad Wolf Roller Coaster.

Here are the photos of the layouts for this months Scrap N Play! Would you like to play but are not local, no problem! I do Club to Go and you can have these kits shipped right to your house! So easy and fun!!!! Just email or call me for more details- craftingdivas@cox.net

feel free to click on any picture to see it larger...

I changed the first layout from the directions- if you notice I actually rotated the 2nd page to fit horizontal photos instead of the vertical photo slots. Another feature I LOVE- our layouts are so easy to alter and work in any direction!

Don't you LOVE how this Topstitch paper works so well for either gender! It is a perfect balance!

~Jennifer :)

Comfort Food!

2010-02-15T16:19:00.006-05:00

Yes my friends it is snowing AGAIN!!!! oh my golly!!!! Today is Snow Day ELEVEN of missed school days due to snow---YIKES! They are scheduled to start tomorrow with a 2 hour delay and I am just keeping my fingers crossed!

I made it to the Grocery store today- HOORAY! And I could not believe there was a line waiting for it to open! I know I will not forget this stretch of winter EVER! It is one of those stories for the ages! When your area beats a historic record of Winter Snowfall dating back to the 1800s you know you are experiencing something eventful first hand for sure!

I have my monthly book club meeting tomorrow(again Fingers crossed!). We read Time of my Life by Allison Winn Scotch. It was a quick read. I read it back during the first 2 feet of snow we received(funny how I can just refer to that period of time). I will be interested to see what my fellow book club members say about the book. I will say that the heroin character was not my type of gal. She is a person that wonders about the past and if she had made other choices how would her life have turned out. I get that she was disillusioned with motherhood, had a troubled childhood and is trying to find her path but I don't like to see or reflect on life the way she did in the book. I found myself getting frustrated with her like you would a child. I wanted to yell at her and say GROW UP! I am a realist and not a dreamer- there would be the big difference between us. I am also a person that thrives on having my life experience help shape and grow me- I would not be me without them. I also believe in OWNERSHIP...own your feelings, your dreams, failures etc....don't try to dismiss things, you will never be happy in life.

Like I said tomorrow...will be interesting( and don't get me started on the two men she has to choose from in the book! why did she even think there was something to go back for?????).

We are having a Soup Potluck luncheon for our book club! The list of food sounds tremendous- perfect for Fat Tuesday! My contribution is Pasta E Fagioli! I love Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli and years ago I stumbled upon a recipe to recreate it and it has been a Keeper ever since! So I thought I would share with you too!

1 pound Ground Beef
1 small onion diced (1cup)
1 large carrot julienned (1cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 14.5 diced tomatoes
1 15 oz Kidney beans with liquid
1 15 oz Northern beans with liquid
1 15 oz Tomato Sauce
2 12 oz V-8 juice
1 can Beef Consumme
1 T White Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 pepper
1/2 tsp

1/2 pound Ditali Pasta( half of the box)

Brown Ground Beef in large Saucepan over med heat. drain fat

Add onion, carrot and garlic- saute for 10 minutes

Add remaining ingredients except for Pasta, simmer for 1 hour

50 minutes into simmer time, cook pasta, cook 10 min- al dente, then drain

Add pasta to large pot of soup simmer 5-10 minutes... it is ready to serve! sprinkle some parmesean cheese on top!

- ENJOY!!!!! my house smells super yummy!!!!

~Jennifer :)

what to do when you are Snowbound???

2010-02-10T14:17:00.005-05:00

Oh blogging friends I am going nutty! We have been stuck in our house for 6 days and counting! My kiddos have been off from school(yes please feel for me) and even my hubby is stuck at home- totally unheard of! I will just tell you the Man needs two things- work and exercise and he is doing without both-ack! And what weighs most on my mind is I do not see an end in sight!

So to help break up the craziness for all I invited some friends of my daughter's over to make Valentine's! 2 of her friends that live nearbye came over and one of the friends has an older sister and she invited her friends too. I had 6 fun girls from grades 3rd through 9th over for some crafty fun! I brought out all my scraps, cardstock and pattern papers plus fun stamps, inks and punches I have on hand. They let their creative juices flow and it was so fun to see them get into it!! This definitely helped us all break up the gloom and doom of being trapped!

These are Ireland's finished Valentine Cards for her classmates!!

~Jennifer :)

Snowmageddon!!!!!

2010-02-06T14:00:00.005-05:00

Yes we are still here but I think we will be stuck in our townhouse for a few days!!! As of 1:00pm today, we have 2 feet of snow and it is still SNOWING!!!! Unlike the December Blizzard this snow is the HEAVY, Wet stuff! My poor hubby only shoveled half of the driveway and half of our deck and he roughly calculated that he shoveled about 2 Tons of the white stuff!!!!!!

So what to do when it is snowing??? I am fighting the hibernating urge big time!!! I wish I could say I am cranking out pages and fun things like crazy but I just don't have the motivation. so sad! I did get a burst of energy and whipped out some cute "happies" to give my ladies at my upcoming workshop in Bethesda(see yesterday's post)- and serious fingers crossed that the snow will eventually stop and this town will dig out!

So here are the cute happies I made and filled them with some yummy chocolate hearts- I had to sample a few too!

The small boxes and pillowboxes are old items that Close To My Heart use to sell. I love these little guys- so fun to embellish. And this year I am in the use what I have mode- I think a lot of this are in this groove. My dear friend, Cherie Lynn, said it the best "Our products are not like eggs- they never spoil or get old!"

Current CTMH products I used- The February Stamp of the Month- D1407 A Piece of Cake, B1297 Heartfelt, X7107B That's Amore Paper Collection
and Chocolate and Tulip Exclusive Inks.

Here is hoping your weather is better than ours and if you are in the same boat as me- hopefully you are enjoying the downtime and peace that comes with being snowed-in!

~Jennifer :)

another peak...

2010-02-05T10:11:00.003-05:00

The days are counting down to my card making party where I will teach a fun group of ladies how to make 8 cards using the concept from Basic to WOW! I am super excited for this class and cannot wait to meet all the wonderful ladies that are attending.

The class will be held in Bethesda, MD on February 13, 2010 at the Davis Community Library Small Meeting Room. We will start creating at 1pm and finish up by 4:30pm. If you would like to join us please email me at craftingdivas@cox.net and I will make sure I have a kit prepped for you to create! This workshop is free for those attending- which is a special treat as I usually charge $12+ for a workshop.

As I sit here blogging away...I have my lovely monsters home from school. They are projecting another HUGE snowstorm for this area starting this afternoon. But the crazy thing is that the schools were too nervous to have the kids go to school so they called the day off! They have had 5 snow days already this school year. This is a crazy winter for Northern Virginia and although the snow is pretty and fun to behold I am getting very antsy for Spring to show itself! :)

~Jennifer :)

Happy Birthday....

2010-02-02T17:38:00.007-05:00

Seems I am always in the need for a Birthday Card and I just cannot send a store bought one- go figure! Today was one of those days when I looked at the calendar and went OH NO!!! I need to get a card in the mail ASAP! My sister in laws birthday is in a few days and whipping together a card became top priority this afternoon!

I was so jazzed that I would be able to feature the February Stamp of the Month too with this card- this stamp set is PERFECT for all those fabulous birthdays that pop up!

I used this exclusive Stamp Set which you can earn for FREE or discounted based on the sales of your order! So easy peasy! I also used the That's Amore Paper Collection, Choocolate Ribbon, inks- chocolate, tulip and creme brulee and PRSIMA Glitter! Everything looks better with a bit of bling, don't ya think?!?

If you need a super fun stamp set to create some super CUTE birthday cards- be sure not to miss this one!

~Jennifer :)

stock up and HELP at the same time!!!

2010-02-01T11:07:00.004-05:00

Hearts for Haiti!

Our hearts go out to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and like so many of you, we’re eager to help.

From February 1-28, 2010, our 12” x 12” textured cardstock combo packs are buy one, get one FREE—and with every offer purchased, Close To My Heart will donate $2 US to Operation Smile’s Haiti relief efforts.

Operation Smile is always a fantastic charitable partner—offering free facial reconstruction surgeries to needy children throughout the world. They’ve currently marshaled their medical teams and resources to provide emergency relief in Haiti, and the donations given as part of Hearts for Haiti will be used exclusively for Operation Smile’s efforts in Haiti. For more information on their on-the-ground response, you can visit www.operationsmile.org/haiti.

I love our textued cardstock and I think you will agree with me this is a great way to do something for others...

~Jennifer :)

teaser today...

2010-01-29T15:02:00.005-05:00

I am getting excited for my upcoming 8 Card workshop that will be held on February 13th. I promised to tease you with photos of each card that we will make. Here is the 2nd card- simple and elegant. I think those are the words you can use to describe this upcoming Card workshop. I am going to show you how you can go from basic to wow! with just a few steps. And the great thing is even if you don't think you can do it....I promise you....YOU CAN! If you can follow a recipe then you can create!

Close to My Heart Product Used: Veranda Level 2 Paper Pack, Colonial White Bulk Cards, Cocoa Ink, and Friendship Blessing Stamp Set.

So easy to shop- email me or shop online!

I have a busy weekend ahead of me. The kids are home for 4 days as they have teacher inservice day today and Monday. So we will have loads of fun playing and hanging out together over the 4 day weekend and I am sure when Tuesday morning comes I will be so happy to open the door and send them on their way to school! :)

~Jennifer :)

from Spain...

2010-01-28T18:59:00.004-05:00

I got happy Mail the other day and it blew me away!!!! I had no idea that my friend and downline Kara had popped something in the mail for me- so sweet!!!!! When I opened the box to discover what was inside I was just blown away that she took the time to send a belated Christmas and Birthday gift- seriously her life is so crazy, busy over in Spain and I just was overwhelmed with her thoughtfulness! We met through another friend a few months after I moved here and we instantly hit it off- she is like a long lost sister!! We share a love for all things crafty, family oriented and of course we bleed Air Force Blue together! It was so hard to learn that her husband was given orders to Rota, Spain; but she was the type of friend I knew that would keep in touch and our connection would continue! Gotta LOVE technology- magic jack and skype!!!!

THANK YOU>>>THANK YOU>>>THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

I love the the Spanish pottery tiles that spell our name- cannot wait to have a forever house to hang it in! And the bracelet and scarf are SUPER cute! LOVE THEM!!!! And my stylish Ireland had so much fun trying them on last night and telling me, "Mom, you know scarves are in right now- they are very stylish!"
Um okay when did I become unstylish??? Help! I am being reminded by my 9 1/2 year old daughter! YIKES!!!!

I am so thankful for my fabulous team and dear friends that I have with my business- puts a happy face on me everyday!!! I cannot wait to see so many of them in July at Convention!!! And I am just so tickled that Kara is flying back to the States to attend Convention- she is going to LOVE IT!!!!!! Look out the Divas are going to ROCK DC for SURE!

~Jennifer :)

Studio Layouts....

2010-01-27T18:52:00.006-05:00

Are you like me? Do you have photos you need to print and everytime you think about ordering you are not sure which photos you want and if you want them in a bigger size??? I have been having so much fun playing and creating Studio designed layouts that I had to share!

(and just a reminder to my team members if you have a Tier II website...go explore the FUN! and let me know what you think!)

So here is the deal- I LOVE IT! I cannot wait to get my layouts back from the Studio Printers! I have seen some printed examples and the professional quality is fabulous! I was not sure if I would be converted but I love the way CTMH has put their Studio Scrapbooking together because it uses their Faster, Simpler, Easier system that I love. And I am excited too that when my layouts come in if I want to add some dimension to them I can and the colors will match 100% because of CTMH's stedfast commitment to our 60 color palette and everything dye lot to match! No guess work. No wondering if that is the right shade of red or if it has too much orange in it!
feel free to click on a picture to see it bigger...

And here is another fun trick...you can use this awesome site to design your Scrapbook layouts. So you know exactly what pictures you need to print and what size and what paper packs you would like to use. AHHH.....life made easier!

Want more info...visit my website and www.studioj.com

Studio J will be released some time in the Spring but if you want to be a part of the fun and use it now while it is in Beta Testing- I would love to have you join my team and I will get you hooked!

~Jennifer :)

feeling winter blues....

2010-01-27T10:03:00.005-05:00

So here is the deal, I am a Colorado girl at heart- think open spaces and BLUE Skies! Colorado is the state I lived in the longest in my life, 8th grade through college-9 years. Crazy to think that is the LONGEST I have lived anywhere! YIKES. The state of Florida comes in 2nd- with 5 years. We lived in Clearwater, FL for a year and then Navarre, FL for 4 years. What do these two states have in common I ask you??? SUNSHINE!!!!!

I am thankful that as I sit here writing this little blurb that the sun is shining but I have not seen much of it this winter and that has seriously made me a little nutty! The sun gives me my pep and helps to keep my drive going....grey skies make me want to curl up, snuggle and read(oh eat too!). I know I am not alone in this crazy seasonal depression thing but seriously it BITES!

I am hoping that Spring is on its way soon! The white fluffy stuff is pretty and fun but I think I am over it already! :)

So yesterday I dived into my craft room to work on an upcoming little project...pick up on a tease here...and I made 8 cards to teach in February. After taking the pictures this morning, I can tell how much I am longing for April Showers to Bring May flowers! I love the colors and ease that they work together- hope you do too!

Used the Wishes Card Making Book- inside you will find some great card workshops- take some sheets of paper, cut and you have a bunch of cards ready to go in no time flat!
Papers: Veranda Paper Pack
Ink: Creme Brulee and Cocoa
Stamp Sets: Friendship Blessings and For Every Occasion
Embelishments: Copper Brads, Just Blooms Spring Blossoms
All are Close To My Heart Products and you can shop right from your seat by clicking here.

Here is hoping that this touch of Spring brought a smile to your face like it did mine....and stay tuned for the 7 other cards that go along with this class!

Happy Mail Day!!!!

2010-01-21T16:07:00.003-05:00

Oh what a Happy, Happy Day!!! I received another unexpected goodie in the mail the other day! I received this beautiful card from one of my downline- Marie- thank you Marie!!!! I just love the simple beauty and elegance- don't you??? Then I was blown away when I discovered a small clear envelope inside holding some cut out pieces. I had no idea what they were until I spread them out and realized that it makes a word or words....

SCRAP N PLAY!!! It hit me and I was instantly touched as Marie read one of my team emails and fixed a problem for me! I had shared my big display board photos with my team and just raved about how much I LOVE this big size and it works perfectly for us. I admitted to them and now I will to you- hold onto your seats- I do not own a Cricut. I have often thought about it but just have yet to make that investment yet. So I said I was wishing I had a Cricut so I could print out the letters for Scrap N Play and put them on my board. Little did I know I had an Angel working away with her machine for me and
VOILA!!!!!!

SO CUTE!!!! and it will look Perfect on my Scrap N Play Board!!!! A million thank yous!!!!! I am so touched!

Here is hoping you find something special in your mailbox and it puts a spring in your step!

~Jennifer :)

loving Veranda...

2010-01-18T18:53:00.007-05:00

Club was so fun on friday and I was so happy that everyone loved the layouts! There was quite a bit of stamping and cutting out but the look is incredible and so worth it! Here are the photos of the layouts we did and I did create a fun extra layout with some leftover papers and a piece of Juniper and Vanilla Cream CS.

Enjoy....

My Extra Layout inspired from our great layout book- Imagine!

Okay now I need to get pictures on all these fabulous layouts!!!

~Jennifer :)

Reminder to RSVP for Creative Time...

2010-01-17T12:30:00.003-05:00

This month we will be meeting on Tuesday January 26, 2010 at 9:30am or 7:30pm and then on Friday January 29, 2010 at 7:30pm. The project for January is an Event Calendar. The cost for the class is $12.00 per calendar- you decide how many you would like to make. Please RSVP to craftingdivas@cox.net no later than January 17, 2010 to hold your spot(payment is due at time of registration).

I hope you will join us! These calendars make great gifts and are so easy to learn! I will have all the supplies precut. All you need to do is glue and stamp!

~Jennifer:)

ready for some CLUB FUN!!!!

2010-01-14T23:10:00.003-05:00

I am bubbling with excitement and anticipation for my Scrap n Play Date with my customers! Plus they are getting some added extra fun. In the spirit of my new motto for this year- Work Smarter Not Harder- I thought it would be fun to combine my Scrap n Play Date with my Idea Book Launch!!!

So my Scrappin friends can come work on their layouts for club, get their hands on the fabulous new book, make some fun Make N Takes and shop in my store. And my regular customers get to drop bye to say hi, grab their books, make some super CUTE make n takes and see how much FUN we have in CLUB! Sounds like a win-win to me! And here is a sneak peak at a cute happy they will each get from me- they are filled with some yummy homemade treats! :)

I will be posting more pics on the Scrap N Play layouts for this month and the cards- OH MY GOODNESS THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!!! LOVE IT! I also made an extra layout tonight to share with my club members. So stay tuned for that artwork but in the mean time here is a picture to wet your whistle on how fabulous the Veranda Kit is for this Month!!!

You are welcome to join us if you are local to Northern Virginia Area or you can join my Club To Go and get the fabulous kit delivered right to your door each month. Would you like more information....simply email me at craftingdivas@cox.net and I would LOVE to fill you in!