Celebrate Your Creativity

Last month, a brand new feature of Close To My Heart (CTMH) was born. The monthly newsletter, titled Celebrate Your Creativity! was sent to almost everyone on my personal email list. If you received one and would like to be removed from the list, please let me know. If you didn't get one and would like to be added, just send me your email address and we'll make it happen. It looks like this, but with a different masthead color each month. It will be sweet apricot in May. The email will announce the sender as "Staci Kendrick Jones" but the Subject will be whatever topic CTMH highlights for the month. The April newsletter subject was "Dotty for You."

The newsletter is produced by CTMH and allows me a whopping 300 characters for a personal message. That's why I hope you enjoy my blog as well. I have total control over the Suite Romance Memory Journals blog input and it shows my calendar of events (scroll down the left column on this site to see the calendar) as well as giving you access to the full current catalog of products we all love for paper crafting. I try to add personal projects and some instructional videos each month. I'd love to hear from you if you have any suggestions for future blog content....and please do subscribe to future blog posts! You can subscribe by scrolling to the very bottom left and click on "join this site." BTW, I also have a blog for Suite Romance Travel at http://SuiteRomanceTravel.blogspot.com that you might enjoy. Traveling offers so many opportunities for photographing romantic places, memorable experiences, and even delicious food! I love to document the places Calvin and I share as we travel around the world together and with family and friends. The act of scrapbooking back at home lets me re-live those special times over and over.
  
Celebrate Your Creativity! also includes videos you might find interesting and educational for scrapbooking with {studio j}, using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge for paper projects, cute handmade greeting card designs and more. Even if you have never been a paper crafter before, these newsletters, blogs, and videos offer a lovely blast of color to your day.  Thanks for taking the time to check out my favorite hobby! I hope you find joy in whatever you choose as your hobby. {{{hugs}}}

Demonstration Saturday

This Saturday, April 21, Suite Romance Travel Agency and Memory Journals (that's me!) will be demonstrating {studio j} at the Scrap Again event at the Hampton Inn, 800 Mason St, Vacaville between 11:00-5:00. We will also be doing traditional make-n-take scrapbook layouts and have 2013 Princess Cruise brochures on hand. Do drop in!

Pop Up Maverick

Close To My Heart has these great pop-up adhesive springs to give your paper craft projects some extra zing. I made this birthday card for my son, using an adhesive spring to make a drawing of his English Bull Dog, Maverick, into a 'bobble head' dog. The front of the card (shown at bottom) folds back and tucks behind a paper stand to create a standing display. The papers are from the "Sonoma" packet with coordinating "olive" ink for distressing the edges of the solid paper. The 3/4" diameter springs come six to pack for only $2.95. They are easy to work with an add so much fun to your cards and artwork. I can't wait to use them on my scrapbook pages, too!

Love Your Layout, "Pemberley" Style

Pemberley is the name of this Close to My Heart Duos (double-sided) Paper pack that is also available online {studio j} backgrounds and matting designs. Don't you just love the spring colors of blue sky and butter yellow florals? There are six different patterns of paper shown here along with embellishments and Stickease to coordinate with your {studio j} or traditional layout. The papers are also great for card making and other paper crafts. Please give me a call (447-2457), message, email (iristaci@yahoo.com), or holler to set up a {studio j} demonstration in your home or mine. Include your friends for a fun afternoon or evening.

Cool Photo Editing Tools in Studio J

Studio J has several tools to improve your photos during the online scrapbooking process. Blemishes, wrinkles, red eyes, and more can be easily remedied. There is even a toothbrush to whiten teeth! Here's a video that demonstrates how to use these tools to make your memories in pictures even more wonderful.

Babe's Pop-up Card

My first Springer Spaniel, Babe, inspired this pop-up card that I made back in 2000, just a month before he succumbed to bladder cancer at age 12. I still miss Babe, and keep this card open on a shelf in my office. A simple paper structure, the pieces are torn to represent Babe's soft coat, and the curls on his chest are made of the edges of spiral-bound watercolor paper.

Put a Little Spring in your Art

Normally, I post about {studio j} online scrapbooking, but I love this little spring gizmo so much, I just had to show you. When I was a little kid, I loved pop-up birthday cards so much, it became a big part of my childhood memory. Anything to do with paper, folded paper, spinning paper wheels, flip books, paper mosaic, and scrapbooks with photos and paper report cards - well I was really into that! In high school (two different high schools, in fact) I managed to get on the yearbook staff. In a college art class called "Collage and Mixed Media," I made a pop-up card to memorialize my dear English Springer Spaniel. (I'll post a photo soon) Now, Close To My Heart has these cool little springs to add another dimension to paper art. How fun! I'm putting in an order for some springs of my own soon. I'd be delighted to have a CTMH home gathering to play with these. Several Tuesday nights are open, or I can do a Saturday afternoon if that suits your schedule. Give me a jingle and we'll get spring-y!