Scrappin' away with Studio J!

I just have to say that the current special for Studio J has got me scrapping like a madwoman!  So far this month I've already created and ordered 21 layouts and I have more waiting in the wings.  How can you resist when a two page layout is only $5?!?  Obviously, I can't.  Here are just a few that I've done. If you'd like to give it a try, just go to www.studioj.com and give it a shot.  It's totally free to play.  And the special lasts through March 15th.  If you need some guidance, give me a call!

You can find a paper pack to match any photos!  This layout had extra embellishments that I didn't want so I just clicked a button and they disappeared.  Awesome!

This is one of the Express Collection layouts.  It was fully designed and all I had to do was drop in my photos and add some journaling.

I love being able to add embellishments the way I want - every Disney layout I do has a Mickey head somewhere on it.  This one's easy to find!

I never thought a layout with mostly black paper would pop as well as this one did.  Just a bit of experimenting and I had a winner!

Smiles, Caron

Paper Quilting

I saw this technique on Pinterest and had to give it a try.  Once I had all my quilt squares glued down to the base cardstock, I ran the entire piece through my Cuttlebug.  You can see the detail a bit better if you click on the picture.  This is the Christmas paper from the last idea book but you'd never know it the way it's used here!  A couple of Cricut hearts with matching stamps and a simple piece of ribbon and your card is done.  So simple and an excellent way of using up scraps.

Smiles, Caron

Lazy Days

It's been awhile since my last post and I have no excuse.  I've been lazy about keeping up.  But I'm here today to show you a couple of things I've been creating.

This is a slight variation of a card in the latest idea book.  I like to use that and things I find on Pinterest to give me a jumping off point whenever I'm feeling creatively challenged.  I don't always have the same stamps or papers but it's the general idea or color combo that sparks my interest and I take it from there.  This darling bird was done with colored pencils for a nice soft look.

And here's a color combo that I really like - chocolate and blue.  The random stamping was done with some extra accents that came with an alphabet stamp set.  You never know where you're going to find just the right image.  That wonderful scrolly frame tag is from the Cricut Artiste cartridge.  It was designed to be a card but changing the size made it perfect for this sentiment!  It just goes to show that you don't need to have tons of supplies to create a stunning card.

Smiles, Caron

The party's over...

Well, my birthday is officially over.  I celebrated for a week!  The family took me out to dinner at an Irish restaurant where I dined on Drunken Chicken and Irish bread pudding.  Yum!  Then we had a cake at home where I received these two presents:

 I think the candy dispenser is the perfect toy for my office and I'm thrilled to have a KitchenAid mixer - something I thought I'd never own.  Now I can feel like a professional baker when I make my cupcakes!

At work I had a nice celebration with the ladies in my office only to be shocked later on to have a surprise party with everyone else in the department.  How they managed to sneak into the main office and stay quiet until it was time is a mystery to me!  They are not known for indoor voices LOL!

The rest of the week was fun as well since I decided the birthday girl shouldn't have to cook.  I ate out several times.  Then my sister and I went to see Les Miserables.  It was a great ending to a great week!  And now it's back to the usual daily grind but that's okay.  All that celebrating did nothing for the numbers on my scale.  Gotta get back on the treadmill!

I'll be posting pictures of the cards we made for our January classes this month so stay tuned!

Smiles, Caron

It's just another New Year's eve...

...another night like all the rest.  It's just another New Year's eve, let's make it the best.  This is one of my favorite Barry Manilow songs because it wraps up all that I feel every year at this time.  I'll be spending my evening with Adam as we watch movies and snack on all sorts of appetizers.  We'll wait for the ball to drop, give each other a kiss and then go to bed.  We are such party animals!

I took quite the hiatus from my biz since my last posting in November.  Part of me relished the freedom I felt not having to design or cut anything but another part of me felt incomplete.  I guess I'm not truly happy unless I'm creating something - whether it's out of paper, yarn, fabric or cupcake batter!  That being said, I'm gearing up for more classes and projects so stay tuned!

Happy New Year everyone!  Yes, let's make it the best!

Smiles, Caron

Gettin' crafty

I love all the cute ideas there are for holiday crafting!  I just wish I had time to try all of them.  Here are three that I recently did.  Super simple, super quick and super fun!

These adorable snowman are made from Rolos!  It was much cheaper to buy a bag of individual candies and glue dot them together (I used six).  The hats are made out of a pair of gloves I found in the dollar bin at Joann's.  Just cut the fingers off and roll the bottoms up!

The ever popular sock cupcakes.  I made these a couple years ago and had to create my own cupcake liners.  Now that Close To My Heart has the Artiste cartridge for the Cricut, I can make them so much faster and in any size I need!

I used acrylic 5x7 frames that I got at Walmart for 97 cents apiece.  I love making these paper flowers!

Smiles, Caron

Grateful!

My annual holiday workshop was a huge success!  I just love all the ladies that come out to create with me and am so thankful that they are a part of my life.  Here are some pics from the day:

Smiles, Caron