Studio J Saturday -- calling all pet lovers!

It's been awhile since I have posted a Studio J Saturday but I promise that is one of my New Year resolutions (a bit early!) is to remember on Sat. to post complete Studio J awesomeness!

Tonight I wanted to share a project that I did for our local SPCA.  My team, my clients and I held a fundraising crop for our SPCA in September and we asked what was something that we could do using our talents that would help them out most.  We collaborated and learned that they could truly use a few albums to showcase their alumni who had found forever homes.  With this month's special of Studio J $5 layouts, it was the perfect time to create them.  The majority of the photo wells are for 4" x 6" photos which they said are the most common sizes they receive although there are a few others for off size photos.  When they receive the album they will be able to just add pictures!  

This would be a great idea to do for yourself or a gift for a special occasion-create the layouts ahead of time and then just add pictures!  Simple and easy!

We are printing the pages at 12" x 12" but these layouts could easily be printed for a mini book at 6" x 6"  and if so 4 layouts would fit on one $5 spread!  A great idea for the pet lovers on your list!  If you would like to order any of the pages for yourself, simply send me an e-mail to: inallsassiness@gmail.com.  They are $5 each until 11PM tomorrow (11/30) night and after that $6.95 each.  I will certainly post the pictures of the mini book when they come in!

To see a larger view of the layouts, click the layout and it will open in a larger window.

Desk Calendars created with Studio J

Studio J, Close To My Heart's on-line scrapbooking program has been pushed to the limits the past month, with consultant's and customer's alike, creating layouts and projects "out of the box" and the results have been absolutely amazing!

A colleague, and sister consultant, Sherri Bage Ballantyne created the idea to create 4" x 6" calendars in Studio J that could then be cut and placed in a desk frame!  She was generous enough to share her calendars grids that she created (i Publisher I think) with us.  I loaded her calendar into Studio J, and then added my own background, embellishments and photographs right into the wells.  Because my photos were taken across the span of 12 months, I opted to change them to black and white for continuity--this of course could be optional.  I chose to use Snowhaven for the paper collection.  And what is better, during the month of November, Studio J layouts are just $5 for a two page spread so my entire calendar cost me $5.00 plus shipping and tax!  These make a great gift for grandparents, moms, dads, and truly any loved one.  

If you would like to make your own calendar, e-mail me at: inallsassiness@gmail.com and I would love to help you get started!

Celebrate your family with Designed Decor Frames!

Have you seen Close To My Heart's new Designed Decor Frames??  Oh my goodness!!!!  If not, once you do, you will be in love!  My mind cannot stop the creative ideas from over flowing!  My favorite currently is the Black Shadow Box Frame - "which is made up of a wooden frame with hinged back that opens easily for loading.  Magnetic closure.  Sawtooth hangers on back.  Interior dimensions: 12" x 12".  Tray depth:  1/2".  Total depth with frame closed:  1 1/4"." These are fantastic for showing off your most recent layouts, for gifts and so much more.  In the coming days, I will be posting several here on my blog to showcase their complete awesomeness, but for today I wanted to share a scrabble tile frame that I created for my brother and sister in law.  

To preface, BEFORE children, my husband and I used to spend hours playing Scrabble.  We absolutely loved it!  When my sister in law joined our family I learned that we had a common thread - she too was a Scrab-ble-ahoic!  Then at a recent Scrapbooking Expo I found Scrabble Tiles for sale and my mind started thinking--how fun would it be for me to create a piece of Scrabble art for Laura and Chad for their home?  So I did.  Each letter is adhered to the frame with mini-glue dots so that as their continues to grow, they can move the pieces to add their new additions.  I fell in love with the finished product and can't wait to make one for my family!

With Black Friday upon us, often the classic games like Scrabble can be found at deep discounts--what better time to create your own Scrabble art?  CTMH's Designed Decor Black Shadow Boxes  retail for $28.95, plus shipping and tax, and can be ordered by clicking here.

Celebrating the iconic Coca Cola Polar Bears!

So, as most of my followers know, my 8 year old son is passionate (which is really an understatement) about Polar Bears!  He has been studying, watching and loving polar bears since about 9 months old and has stayed very true to his passion.  For several years, Gabriel has asked to dress up as a polar bear and this year we were lucky enough to actually find a costume.  He has almost worn the costume out in just a few short weeks!  When he saw the Coca Cola bears earlier this week on a commercial, he joked that he was a Coca Cola bear.  Then the forecast came in.  And it was to be a "big" snowfall for this early in the season-- and I couldn't resist getting him a few bottles of Coca Cola and letting him have his own little photo shoot!  Gabriel was one happy little polar bear and Mommy, who likes to help the children follow their passions and dreams, could't help but smile!

Studio J inspiration!

Complete inspiration!  As most know, I am incredibly passionate about Studio J - Close To My Heart's on-line digital scrapbooking program!  I use it all the time and in non-traditional ways as well!  This month, Studio J layouts are on special for just $5 for a two page spread.  That being said, our Chief Operating Officer, Brian Holman, shared one of his personal stories on the Close To My Heart Blog today.  I found it inspiring and HAD to share it with all of my customers who might have missed it.  You can read Brian's story here by clicking here:  Brian Holman's Studio J story.

Ready to get started?  You can use this link to set up an account - Start now!  And of course, if you have any questions along the way, send me an e-mail and I will try to help you out!

Hugs!
Tonya

Heartwarming...

I am not a beer drinker, never have been, but this commercial touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes. It was too good not to share.  I love when companies look beyond  pushing to gain the all-mighty dollar in their commercials and create a message that speaks to our heart.  The latter earns my business and my respect.



 

NEW! Snowflake Weekend Crop!

What is included in the crop cost?

At Sassy Crops, lots of pampering, your own 6 foot table, entries into prize drawings, an exclusive challenge for the weekend, snacks, chocolate, scrapbooking "happies", a creative project, group photo and lunch.  And did I mention fellowship and fun?  Those are included in every Sassy Crops event!

Shopping:  My Close To Heart store will be available in site for your shopping convenience.

By participating in this event, you will help raise funds for Relay For Life.  There will be activities throughout the crop that will provide additional opportunities to raise funds for our cause.

Hotel rates:  A discounted rate of $85.99 per night plus taxes is available on hotel rooms should you want to stay the weekend.  The Holiday Inn-Harrisonburg provides a great get-away for the weekend.

Lunch is included with the crop, however dinner is on your own.  So you can grab a quick bite at one of Harrisonburg's fast food restaurants or sneak away for a longer meal as well-the choice is yours.

Early Bird Special:  Those participants who register before December 6th will receive a free gift valued at $15.00 at the crop.

To register:  e-mail Tonya Sheridan at: inallsassiness@gmail.com.  Payments may be made by check and mailed to: Tonya Sheridan  130 Stuart Court  Luray, VA 22835, made by PayPal to: musicmanf7@gmail.com or by requesting an invoice which then may be paid by major credit or debit card.  All of the details of the crop can be found at: www.sassycrops.com.

Studio J - Using it beyond layouts!

My fabulously fantastic friend Rebecca Brown put together this list of the many ways you can use Studio J!!  All month long, Studio J 2-page spreads are available for just $5 and with so many ways to use Studio J you can certainly save quite a lot!

Ways to use Studio J

Scrapbooking:     

• 12x12 custom layouts with 130 paper kits and 100 2-page layout patterns
• Quick 12x12 layouts using the Express Collection
• Photo printing (any size up to 12x12) – use either Express Collection/Photo Collections or Custom Layouts/No Limits and add you own photo wells.
• Pages for a mini album
• Print digital pages made in other software
• Custom Picture My Life Cards
Making multiple copies of the same page (for example all your children’s books, family members, attendees at a party, etc.)
Pictures or journaling to put in flip flaps and add to completed pages.
Titles, tags or journaling to add to traditional layouts or cards
Back up your scrapbook pages by saving the jpgs in a safe location

Other:

• Base & Bling (1" images to put in the pendants)
• Christmas cards (with photos or not)
• Announcements
• Calendar
• Recipe cards
• Business cards
• Name Tags
• Flyers
• Posters
• Place cards for a meal
• Name tents to label food on a buffet
• Personalized gift tags

November marks the five-year anniversary of Studio J^®, and that means it’s your lucky month, with five amazing ways to win through Studio J and Close To My Heart social media!

First, throughout the month of November, all layouts purchased in Studio J are $5! That is a savings of over 25% off of retail! Your second chance to win big must come by sheer luck: every fifth order placed in Studio J during November receives a FREE surprise Close To My Heart accessory in its shipping box! The accessory has a retail value of $5 or more.

If luck doesn’t smile on you in that way, you might stumble upon it by finding a little extra something in your Studio J box. Five “golden tickets” will be sent out during the month of November with randomly selected Studio J print orders! This “golden ticket” is redeemable for one of Close To My Heart’s new D-ring albums* loaded with 10 Top Load Memory Protectors™.

For a fourth way to win, simply create new, gorgeous layouts in Studio J, select your favorites, and then post pictures of them on Close To My Heart’s Facebook page using the hashtag #ctmhlucky5. After November 30, five lucky winners will be selected from the entries based on their artistry and creativity and each of these winners will receive their own D-ring album loaded with 10 Top Load Memory Protectors!

And there is one last way to win: take your new Studio J artwork and post a picture of it on Instagram using the hashtag #ctmhlucky5. Just as it is with Facebook, after November 30, five lucky winners will be selected from the entries to receive their own D-ring album loaded with 10 Top Load Memory Protectors!

And to make things even more exciting, starting November 1, five brand new kits from the Annual Inspirations idea book will be made available in Studio J, so you can create new artwork using the latest papers and embellishments from Close To My Heart. With so many ways to win, five may be your new lucky number! Log in to Studio J and start creating today.

*Offer valid November 1–30, 2014. Pattern and color of new D-ring album to be given to winners will be at Close To My Heart’s discretion based upon availability. New kits available in Studio J^® on November 1 include Confetti Wishes, Snowhaven, Seaside, Pathfinding, and Scaredy Cat. No tax or shipping will be charged on the free item(s). Studio J layouts ship in a protected box that can hold 4 to 50 two-page layouts. For additional information about shipping/handling, please visit StudioJ.com > Products and Pricing > Shipping Options.