$5 Stamp Set in November!



I'm very excited about this special offer in November! When you make a qualifying purchase of at least $25 in My Acrylix stamp sets from November 1 - 30, 2011, you can purchase the Holiday Wishes stamp set for just $5! You can get one Holiday Wishes stamp set for every $25 in stamp sets purchased, so if you spend $50 - 74.99, you can purchase two Holiday Wishes sets. How cool is that?

Note: Stamp of the Month, K-size customized name stamps, Cricut^® Art Philosophy collection, and Workshops on the Go™ kits do not count toward a qualifying purchase.

You may order directly from my website, or you can contact me to place your order (309-826-6705 or clearlyfromtheheart@gmail.com).

Elemental Layout - Bookworms in Love

This layout just makes me go {ahhhh}. My daughter - my firstborn - engaged. They are every bit as happy as they look, and we're very blessed to be gaining an awesome son-in-law. One of many things they have in common is a love of reading, so the public library was a logical choice for the engagement photo shoot. The picture of them peeking over the book edges? Books about marriage and weddings. Love it! The large photo is one of my favorites. I adore the look on Kristin's face! It was really easy to achieve this. I enlarged the photo to about 200% and dragged it into each photo well. I could then arrange each photo to fit by lining up the "ghost" image in the adjoining photo well. I'll use this technique again and again in Studio J.

Kit: Elemental
Pattern: Sidebar - Original/Sampler - Photo Checkerboard
Kit Mix: 5

Mischief Layout - War Eagle!

My husband had a milestone birthday this summer. That's right. The Big 5 - 0. He had company, though - his twin brother, oddly enough, turned 50 as well! To celebrate, the Miller boys met in Alabama (where they grew up) for a few days of fun. Auburn fans through and through, part of the fun included a visit to the campus (War Eagle!). They had a great time (although their dad probably would have skipped the Auburn visit - he's a 'Bama fan. If you're from Alabama, you get it.) and took some great pictures. I plan to order multiple copies of this layout so they can each have one. Thanks, Studio J, for making it easy to make duplicate layouts!

Kit: Mischief
Pattern: Front and Center - In the Middle/Sidebar - Main Frame
Kit Mix: 1

Do you like the argyle pattern at the bottom? It's super simple. Make a text box and clear the journaling. Size it into a square and change the background to Sunset. Turn the box 45 degrees then add the stitching. Select the text box and each line of stitching by holding down the shift key and clicking on each; copy and paste as many times as needed to fill the area.

Wonderland Layout - Sweet Baby

This sweet li'l pumpkin is also the beautiful bride-to-be in a previous layout! Don't the years fly by too quickly? I looked forward to being a mom for years before actually becoming one. It has been such a great journey, and I'm glad I took lots and lots of pictures. Babies change so fast, and before you know it - they're all grown up. I love looking back as I scrapbook ~ almost as much as I love looking at the finished scrapbooks! Studio J is really helping me complete the scrapbooks.

Kit: Wonderland
Pattern: Monologue
Kit Mix: 2

I changed the striped B&T to Grey Flannel, and the polka dot B&T to Baby Pink. The Stickease are layered and even dragged across two pages. Pretty sweet! One of my favorite techniques is with the ribbon. Do you see how it looks pleated? It's a super easy effect to achieve. Just add a ribbon, then layer a series of ribbon tabs right next to each other. To make them look more authentic, don't make them too perfect. I like to adjust them a little up or down (alternating).

Typeset Layout - Mission Accomplished!

A year and a half ago, I achieved a dream - I graduated from college. The big day came 28 years after high school graduation and 25 years after the last semester of my junior year in college - and my marriage! It was a proud day for all of us - me, my husband, my parents, and my children. My husband, parents, and I traveled from Illinois to Virginia so I could walk in the commencement ceremony. It was such a great day!

Kit: Typeset
Pattern: Up the Tempo
Kit Mix: 4

Did you know that when you purchase a Studio J layout, you also receive free JPGs so you can share your work? I'm planning to load the large layouts (single pages) onto a digital photo frame so I can enjoy the layouts at work. It would make a great gift, too!

Love Your Layout - Episode 6

Here's another source of inspiration for you - how to make a beautiful layout in Studio J!

Sonoma Layout - Forever Love

Between working full-time, planning a wedding, and running a household, there is limited time left over for crafting. I turn to Studio J more and more often to make progress on my scrapbooking. Still love playing with paper, but this is a great alternative!

The featured layout showcases my daughter's engagement pictures. She and her fiance' love to read, so many of their pictures are centered around books.

To make the layout, I used the Sonoma kit; pattern: Abstract; and kit mix 6. Some fun things that were added are the stitching (found under "Embellishments"), layered stickease, and changing the colors of the cardstock. It's so easy - just drag the new color onto the one you want to replace. Are you interested in trying out Studio J? Just click {here} to try out the free software!

Add on for free!

Almost 9 years ago, I made a decision that ranks in the top ten best decisions I ever made by becoming a Close To My Heart consultant. I have made amazing friends, expanded my creativity, and learned valuable business skills along the way.

If you join me in the CTMH journey during October, you will receive a gorgeous New Consultant Kit for the regular price of $99 (packed with business essentials and new products valued at over $280), plus you will receive one of the three optional add-on collections FREE to enhance your kit! The add-ons regularly cost $40 and have a retail value of up to $130. You can also add on one or both of the remaining two add-on collections for $40 each. Talk about a great value!

Here is what you receive in the New Consultant Kit:

The Add-On Collections:

It's so easy to sign up: just visit my website {click here} and complete the enrollment form. Then wait for the big white CTMH box to be delivered to your door! If you have questions, please feel free to contact me:

309-826-6705

clearlyfromtheheart@gmail.com





Celebrate Blogtoberfest!

Got your attention, didn't I! Join me this month as I celebrate the fun of blogging. I'm taking the challenge put out by Fabulously Artsy Tresa Black to make my blog better and more fun. I hope you enjoy the more frequent posts and the artwork ideas I'll be sharing with you. Check in often to see what's new!