I love the launch of a new CTMH Idea Book!

Seriously, every single new paper kit and lots of the new embellishments are available to play with on Studio J right now!  I've only ordered 1/6th of what I want from this new Idea Book (I try to pace myself!), but I feel like I have the whole thing as a result of Studio J.  Check out this quick tip video and let me know what you think.

Read more...

Ready for Some Craft Time

If you haven't checked out my new blog yet, be sure to read my "A Big Thank You & Celebration" post! You'll also get a look at the new CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Collection.  Mine will be here soon; I can't wait!

I'm really ready to start scrapbooking my Hawaii photos and to finish some pages I'm donating to a friend who recently started chemo for bone cancer.  Her son asked her to create a scrapbook for him, so my goal is to help her make his wish come true.  Sharing our stories with the ones we love is so important!  I don't have kids, so I think I lose sight of that sometimes.  Yet, I'm the only one who is qualified to tell my story!  I'll share the layouts that I make for her here.  I'm working on the Technique Tuesday "Live in the Moment" kit by Ali Edwards right now.  The inks that came with the kit are so nice; they are so chalky and smooth and look absolutely beautiful.

Read more...

Nikki Sivils CHA Release

CHA is around the corner and that means a look at all the new products coming out!  Nikki Sivils released her new line early on this blog post.  She is also giving away the entire line to one lucky winner, so be sure to repost the link on your own blog!  I'm a huge fan of My Lil' Monster (thinking LOs about my cats) and You're a Hoot (want to use some of those stickers on my Harry Potter LOs)!

Read more...

Creative Weekend!

I completed a layout while cropping with a friend last night and another one today on Studio J!  I love weekends like this.  Only 1 1/2 weeks left of school and then I hope to spend my summer in many such creative endeavors.  Be sure to check out the video on my new blog, Studio Scrapping!  I'll post my other layout after I talk to my sister and iron out the journalling for it.  :-)

Read more...

Visit my new blog--Studio Scrapping!

I'm so excited about my new blog, Studio Scrapping, which focuses on all things Studio J!  I spent the last month setting up my new blog and coordinating my Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts with it.  It is a one-stop-shop for everything you want to know about Studio J.  Now that I'm "done" creating the site, I can get back to creating tutorials.  I have a ton of ideas that I want to share with you, so I hope you will follow me at my new site!

Close To My Heart is offering an amazing special this month...create a Studio J layout and receive a FREE JPG of it--no purchase required!  Seriously, how awesome is that?!

It gets better!  Both Close To My Heart and Studio Scrapping are holding contests this month.  Upload your free JPG to our Facebook pages, get your friends and family to "Like" your layout, and win big!

• Studio Scrapping Contest
• Close To My Heart Contest

Read more...

Studio J Boot Camp 2011

I'm sitting in the hotel lobby waiting for day two of the Studio J Boot Camp to begin.  Yesterday was a fantastic day!  I learned a couple of fun new techniques that I can't wait to share with all you Studio Scrappers!  We will get our layouts today, plus I'm downloading the JPGs right now.  Can't wait to share all 10 layouts with you!

They're here!  I'll share a few that I want my mom and sister to see right away and then the rest later since our meeting starts in 15 minutes!

This is the layout that I taught!

Read more...

Studio J Video Tutorials

Yikes...I haven't updated my blog in ages.  I have several new Studio J video tutorials up on my YouTube page, so be sure to check them out!

Read more...

More Studio J Tutorials

I'm really excited about the Studio J tutorials I've made over the past couple of weeks.  Studio J is so quick and easy, so it is perfect for beginners.  Yet, it is also ideal for those of us with some digital scrapbooking experience and Photoshop skills.  I'm going to start making tutorials to help advanced users get the most out of their Studio J membership, as well.  Until then, here are the last three videos I created.  Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel, createwithamy, and leave me a comment!

Read more...

Creating & Embellishing Journaling Strips in Studio J

I had a great New Year's Eve with my husband and friends last night.  We always share our goals for the new year, but this time we are finding inspiration from the one little word post by Ali Edwards.  My guiding words for the year are balance and write.  I want to find balance in my life so that I have more time to write!

I created this layout using the new Wings kit that was uploaded to Studio J today.  This paper is so beautiful.  I have the classic paper kit, too, but haven't cut into it yet.  Here is a video showing how I created the journaling strips and embellished them using staples and thread from buttons.

Read more...

Face lift courtesy of Studio J's wrinkle tool!

I'm so excited about sharing this video with you today.  The photo editing tools in Studio J are awesome...especially if you don't have Photoshop or another editing program on your computer.  I demonstrate how I can remove an unsightly wrinkle with one of the editing tools built into Studio J...cheapest face lift ever!!!! I'm also happy to report that this video didn't take me very long to produce and I'm far more relaxed.  That makes a big difference in my ability to find my words.  :-)



Comments and suggestions for future topics are appreciated!

Read more...