Design Team News

I'm excited to tell you I made it on to the H2H Design Team.

This will run for a 6 month term and there will be lots of wonderful and creative challenges the new team will display.

I've listed all of the Design Team members on the right, as well as, the challenge blog for you to check out.

So please join us each week, for something new!

Here is a sneak peak at my first challenge!

Studio J and Track

This is the final of my FREE 5 Studio J layouts provided by CTMH as part of my convention package.

I thought I would focus on my youngest daughter and her track achievements for 2012. She competed in the 100 metres and the 4 x 100 metres with her team. She came in first in her flight of the 100 metres....yeah Lexy! Her team placed third in the 4 x 100 metre relay.


The "City Wide" track meet,  was held at the University of Victoria track. It rained most of the day and the kids had to run in some pretty terrible conditions. The parents supporting their children and schools, were lucky to sit under cover for the day.


I picked Good Times paper, because it matched the Doncaster School colours, perfectly. The layout is one exclusive to Studio J members, called Photo Moment. 


It is 10 days until I leave for Close To My Heart's convention in Dallas, to pick up these 5 printed layouts.


All layouts done in Studio J by Close To My Heart.

Dancing Queen!

Well, this is my 4th of 5 Studio J layouts, compliments of Close To My Heart. I could not resist a layout with some of my dance pictures.

I danced for many different kinds of dance, for 11 years. My Mom made most every costume I had to wear. I still laugh at them and it must also be why I love to watch Dance Moms! The large photo is my one and only tap solo. If I remember correctly, I came home with the mumps that weekend, but was thankful I was able to dance.


I used a Studio J Member exclusive paper pack and layout. I will add the names of both when I can access the online system.


All supplies provided by Studio J and Close To My Heart.

When I was little.......

Okay, so when I was little, my Dad constantly have a camera shoved in everyone's face! I suppose it didn't hurt that I was his only girl and the baby of the family.

This layout was a bit more challenging for me, because it was about "ME"! So, I did the lazy thing and just put the year for journaling. Unfortunately, both of my parents have passed, so I can't even ask when these pictures were taken.


I used the Members Only paper kit, Love Bird and the layout is called, "Photoholic".


I can tell you the photos on the bottom were the biggest challenge. My Mom had taken each of us kids for studio photographs. In those days the only way you got prints was paying for them. So a number was written on each proof...these are the proofs. I tried to creatively cover up the numbers and we'll see how that really turned out when I get the prints.


I can tell you a wee bit of information about the large photo and the 3 smaller ones with just me in them. I was over the age of 2 years because from birth until I was two, I was casted from the armpits to my toes. I was born with congenital hip and didn't learn to walk until I was two. We have some amazing home videos of me crawling in this cast, as well as, my brothers putting me in this spinning  chair we had and spinning me endlessly. The other picture is probably in the seventies with my four brothers.


Ha, one last thing to point out....if you go back to the layout of my Dad and compare his face to mine in the large photo of me.......I'm the spitting image. I wish I had a picture of my Grandmother, my Dad's Mom, because everyone would say, "Oh, this must be Pearl's Granddaughter!" So, clearly the "Ball" bloodline was very prevalent in my looks.


All supplies are Studio J by Close To My Heart.

My Mom and Studio J

My second Studio J layout. This layout is another Member's Only, called Performance. The paper is the gorgeous, retired Floral Tapestry.

This was the second layout I did in Studio J. My Mom loved flowers and she also sewed so many of my clothes and all of my dance outfits growing up, I had to go crazy on the stitching on this layout. 


For me to place all of the stitches took a bit of time. Once I got going, I learned how they would line up and how to make them fit easily. I had fun adding the stitching shapes around the buttons, too.


All supplies are Close To My Heart, designed in Studio J.

A scrapbook layout......?

......And now for something completely different........

With my upcoming trip to Dallas, for Close To My Heart's annual convention, we each received the opportunity to create 5 layouts with our online scrapbooking software, Studio J. This is my first layout.

This was my first time creating an online layout. I LOVE the tactile paper layouts, but I realized this might be a great way to get my thousands of pictures in layouts, then I could embellish them when they were printed and at my door.


My first layout is in memory of my Dad. He had such a zest for life and was a big kid at heart. I think you'll see the pictures I used in my layouts are not such great pictures.....but they hold so many memories, I didn't care if they were out of focus. They still hold the same meaning to me....so I hope you can still apprecaite them with me.


I chose a "Members Only" layout, Snapshot and Majestic Blue papers. I had some challenges and a steep learning curve for this first layout. Thankfully, my Dad would have like a simple layout and the metal embellishments I added. I should have added more metal, as he was a sheet metal guy and gas fitter, but I didn't want to go crazy. The crazy came in my other layouts.


All supplies are Close To My Heart, created with Studio J software.

More Dotty For You

Whose got time for more Dotty For You....I do, I do! This is undoubtedly my most favourite paper pack from Jan-Jun 2012! I still have a few packs horded, so you'll be seeing more for a while yet!

I was cutting tiny butterflies for my Scrapbook Hostess club a few months ago and saved what was left of the cardstock. I used this as a stencil on Blush cardstock with Blush ink. The sentiment is from Say It In Style and stamped on Colonial White cardstock in Black ink.The flourish is from, You and Me, and stamped in Black ink. I've added some Grey Wool cardstock on the first layer and the rest is Black except for the Blush butterfly on the bottom. 

All supplies are Close To My Heart.

Stamps: Say It In Style; You and Me

Paper: Dotty For You

Cardstock: Colonial White; Black; Grey Wool

Ink: Blush; Black

Embellishments: Stardust Glitz

Tools: Corner Rounder/Scallop maker; Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

Florentine flutters by.

I have finally used the scrumptious patterns from my Florentine paper pack, for some cards.

I finished creating cards for my Hostess club and had to use this gorgeous corner of patterned paper in an other way. It is just so beautiful by itself, I only sponged some Desert Sand ink to the edges, then stuck it down to a Colonial White base.


I cut 2 butterflies with Art Philosophy, one from Twilight cardstock and the other from another patterned paper from the Florentine pack. They got stuck together and I added a wee bit of Stardust Glitz to the middle. I stamped the sentiment from Say It In Style in Cocoa ink on Colonial White cardstock, matted with some Olive cardstock. Viola.....finished!


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Florentine
Stamp: Say It In Style
Cardstock: Colonial White; Twilight; Olive
Ink: Cocoa; Desert Sand
Embellishments: Stardust Glitz
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

Father's Day Wishes

Happy Father's Day!

This is a recent picture of my AMAZING husband, Randy and our three children, along with my dear Aunt Marion!

This is a picture of my Dad and Mom from the 50's. I think it is my Mom's high school graduation. I cherish these old photos, as both my parents have gone on to heavenly lives.

I hope all of the Fathers out in blog land have a wonderful day!

Another Father's Day card

Here is another Father's Day card using Florentine paper.

I cut a border from the scrumptious sheet of borders on the reverse side of the patterned Twilight coloured sheet. I cut my favourite shape from Kraft cardstock, with Art Philosophy. I stamped the sentiment with Cocoa and Pacifica ink. I finished it off with a wooden button tied up with hemp.


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Florentine
Stamps: A Little Everything
Cardstock: Colonial White; Kraft; Cocoa
Ink: Cocoa and Pacifica
Embellishments: Wooden button; Natural Hemp
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

More Father's Day

Here is another simple Father's Day card.

I started with Pacifica cardstock then added some patterned paper from a retired package. I added Black hemp and a star from Milepost Shapes. The tab was cut with Art Philosophy and I stamped the sentiment from A Little Everything.


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: A Little Everything
Paper: Retired
Embellishments: Black hemp Milepost Shapes
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

Father's Day...this Sunday!

I'm sorry to have been away from my blog for so long. I am busy creating things for my Tweeker Sisters I will spend a week with in Dallas, at Close To My Heart's annual convention. I also have been working on lots of other stuff!

I realized I had better put together some Father's Day cards to take to sell at the Caffe. I started with Florentine patterned paper in the background and the script border. I stamped the tab background with an image from the Florentine Workshop On The Go Kit stamp set in second generation Garden green.


The sentiment is from A Little Everything stamped in Garden Green and Pacifica. I finished up this simple card with some Colonial White buttons.


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Florentine WOTG; A Little Everything
Paper: Florentine
Cardstock: Colonial White; Kraft; Cocoa
Ink: Garden Green; Pacifica
Embellishments: Colonial White buttons
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge