The Perfect Mothers Day gift. . .

  Every Mom knows that you can never have to many pictures of your kids.  They are just so darn cute!!! I know I can look at pictures of my kids for hours. One thing I have become even more and more aware of as I flip through my kids and the family scrapbook album is how few pictures there are of my kids with ME! I am the photographer in the family and so find myself behind the camera during almost all photographed events.  Even my own 30th surprise birthday party there is only 1 photo of me. Ok now let me be clear. I don't actually like to have my photo taken. I am most critical of how I look and what few pictures that are taken of me even fewer of them actually make it into the album. That said I would be really sad if my kids didn't have any pictures of the two of us together.  I don't want my kids to look back on their childhood and ask themselves "Where was Mom?" Documenting our relationship is important enough to overcome any photographic insecurities.
  On Easter Sunday I took the opportunity to have individual pictures taken with each of my kids. I warned them all before church that there would be a mandatory photo session after church. I had bought coordinating Sunday outfits for the girls and matching ties for the boys and the weather was gorgeous. I don't think I have ever edited so many pictures with me in them. Do I love how I look in every photo? No, but I love the relationship that every photo captures. It makes them priceless. I also took individual photos of each of my kids with their Dad. As an added bonus I had my son take some pictures of Jason and I as well. How often do you take pictures of you and your spouse?
  What is the perfect Mother's day gift?  How about scheduling a photo session for your Mom. Get everyone together and lets take pictures of the most important women in your life. I guarantee that she will be SHOCKED that you willingly arranged a photo session and that she will cherish the photos long after the chocolate is consumed and the flowers are wilted. Give me a call and lets schedule your session asap! (435.764.3598)

Same Paper, Same Layout, 2 Looks!

 A little Studio J love to share with you today.  I created these layouts using the new Studio J exclusive paper packet "Love Bird." First I created the layout above for my girls' albums.  I loved the birds, flowers and spring look of the stickease and paper. Perfect for my Easter pictures.
  But, all that pink would just not work for my son. No problem. Using the SAME paper packet I created the layout below for his album.  I picked different paper from the "Love Bird" collection, used different stickease and took the very feminine layout from above and made it completely masculine. Same layout, same paper, same pictures whole new look! Gotta love Studio J!!

  Would you like to create you own layouts with this super easy, user friendly, free, online program? Just head on over to my website, create your free account and start playing. You only pay to have your layouts printed.
  Do you want the best pricing and access to all of the layout patterns and kits? Become a member. Here are the details: There are two membership options available to choose from: a monthly membership that you pay for the first 3-month up front ($30) and then monthly thereafter ($10/month) or a 1-year membership for $99 - best value.

Membership benifits include: 

• Free shipping on one order per month (between 4 and 20 2-page layouts)! That's a $7.95 value! 
• Member's pricing on layouts is only $6.50 which is half price. 
• Memberships give you access to "Members Only" layout patterns and paper kits. WOO HOO!
• Members only promotions.

You can purchase a membership either right from your Studio J account or by contacting me (435.787.0125 ~ iotamaker@gmail.com). 

Front and Center: Project Inspiration Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book

We have so many great stamp sets in our Spring/Summer 2012 Close To My Heart idea book! The set featured in this short video, crafted with love,  is just one of the many that make creating a quick card or gift so easy and personal. Check out the Crafted with Love stamp set in the video below and then head on over to my website to order it. Also don't forget the April stamp of the month and the Dotty For Your promotion that started Tuesday. Both the stamp set and paper packet are a must have!

 

2012 National Scrapbooking Month: Dotty for You

I am so very excited about the National Scrapbooking Month promotional paper packet. It is just bursting with bright colors and and fun. Here is a quick little video showing the paper, potential project ideas as well as the information on how you can get your hands on this dotty paper!

 

You can order online from my newly designed website or contact me directly. If you order online be sure to check out April's stamp of the month as well as the while supplies last section. Newly discounted items have been added.  I can't wait to hear from you!

B_Radel Newborn Photography

I have been taking a ton of newborn photos lately. This little guy is just adorable. Don't you just LOVE his hair? It was so soft and he was just so sweet. He was awake most of the session so we have lots of pictures with his eyes open which made Mom very happy.  If you are in the cache valley area, expecting a little one and would like newborn photos taken give me a call and lets schedule a session. It is best to take the newborn photos within two weeks of arrival. These sweet babies change so fast and usually that 2 week time frame is before the baby acne shows up. Enjoy!

April Workshop Florentine

Oh how I love you Florentine - your colors, your patterns I just can't get enough! Don't tell me you have never felt that way about a paper packet before?! Well before I totally creep you out check out the layouts we are creating this month at my workshop class. Careful. You might also fall in love with this paper too! ;)

 I love this idea from Annette Green. Sometimes the design fills the whole page rather than a repeating pattern that you can easily cut and use anywhere. So for my pages, rather than cut a 4 x 12 from one of the other papers displayed in the WOTG, I used this piece above and cut two pieces at 2 x 12 of the left and right edge of the paper then put them together. 

 I also LOVE the Florentine My Stickease assortment that coordinate with this paper I added the stickease to all three layouts as the titles, accessories and I even used the stickease to add dimension to the paper.
  Another one of my favorite accessories that I always keep on hand is the Mocha Opaques adhesive gems. The warmth of the mocha gems coordinates perfectly with the warm colors of the Florentine paper. They were perfect little accessories for the center of the flowers.

  I had to use the new Timeless Charms that coordinated perfectly with the Florentine paper packet. They added the perfect touch of bling. Oh and do you see that multi colored ribbon.  That would be Close To my Heart's new color-ready seam binding ribbon.  I used my sponge daubers to color the ribbon 3 different coordinating colors - Garden Green, Twilight and Goldrush.  Love it! And I think you can see why!
  All the items used to complete these layouts can be purchased on my newly designed website. Below is a complete shopping list. If you would like to come create these layouts with me then come to the workshops held the 3rd Tuesday and Thursday of the month. Space is limited so contact me asap to rsvp.

April Workshop “Florentine” Shopping List

BASICKit G1038                                                                       Page

¡       X7153B      Florentine Level 2 Paper Pack                     52                  9.95

¡       Exclusive   Florentine Workshop stamp set                   55                13.95

¡       Z1732        Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribon               124                 6.95

¡       No #           2 sheets of  Colonial White  cardstock         8                    .80

¡       No #           Workshop Guide                                                                1.00

                                                                                                            $32.65 You Pay $29.95!!

BETTER (Basic Kit + More Accessories)

¡       G1038        Basic Kit                                                          55              29.95

¡       Z1689        Timeless Charms                                          128                5.95

¡       X7153C      Florentine My Stickease Assortment             52                5.95

¡       Z1333        **Mocha Opaques Adhesive Gems             126                2.95

¡       Z1410        **Antiqued Copper Designer Brads             126                3.95

                                                                                                                        48.75

Add ons:

S1203              April SOM: You Are                                    141                 17.95 or 5.00

Z726               Sponge Daubers                                         132                   3.95

Z1380             Spray Pen                                                    132                   3.95

*Stamp pad colors used Twilight, Garden Green, Goldrush & Cocoa

You will need 2 extra sheets of Brown Bag Cardstock

**You may have this item from a previous workshop class

You Are. . .

AMAZING! Original! FUN! COOL! The list is endless and with the new April stamp of the month you can share how you really feel with all these great sentiments! Here is a fun bright card (above) my upline Karen Pedersen sent me in the mail featuring the April stamp of the month. This set is perfect for creating patterns on your cards or layouts.  Don't you just love the line stamps on this set? I also love that this set can be totally masculine.

How do you pick up this set? Easy peasy lemon squeeze. You can order it through my newly designed website or you can order it directly through me. (drop me an email or give me a call) If you order it online be sure to check out the while supplies last section. There are some new added discounted products available.

Last Chance for March Promotions

  Oh what a month. I have been meaning to post these cards but have had some unexpected family needs.  Jason decided to make this month eventful.  He woke up in severe pain a few weeks ago that resulted in a trip to the er which led to the discovery that Jason was the proud father of 3 medium size (about 1/2" each) gallstones. It was decided that Jason and his gallbladder would be parting ways. Jason survived and things are getting back to normal. Hopefully this will be the end of our organ removal events because frankly Jason is running out of expendable organs.




  So I whipped these cards together for my card swap group while playing nurse. I have to admit that the March stamp of the month, Potential, was not my favorite when I first saw it in the Spring/Summer idea book but after seeing all the beautiful artwork I realized I had majorly underestimated its POTENTIAL! (did you like that play on words?) These cards are totally scraplifted from Vicki Wizniuk, a fellow and extremely talented CTMH consultant in British Columbia, Canada. Thank goodness for the spirit of sharing among fellow consultants.  Saturday is the last day you can order the March Stamp of the Month, Potential.  You can order it online from my new website or by contacting me.

  Don't forget the other amazing promotion going on this month. If you would like to join my CTMH team now is the time. When you sign up to be a Close To My Heart Consultant in March, you get the $99 Art Philosophy Close To My Heart/Cricut Collection FREE 

Yes, you read that correctly. The Cricut Art Philosophy collection for FREE!

This collection includes:

• 1-Cartridge (over 700 images: font, shapes and 3-D items. A cartridge this quality would normally retail for about $60)
• 3 - My Acrylix D-size Stamp Sets (all of which coordinate with the shapes on the cartrdige!  This is about a $55 value.)
• 3 - 9" x 12" Dimensional Elements (3 sheets of different shapes that all coordinate with the shapes on the cartridge!  This is over a $15 value.)

No kidding!  That's over $130 in value for only a $99 retail price, and even BETTER, it can be yours in March FREE when you sign up to be a CTMH Consultant like me.  FYI: If you already have the Art Philosophy Collection, no worries. You'll get $100 in product credit instead!  This just keeps getting better and better.

So are you asking yourself "Where do I sign?" I would be too if I wasn't already a consultant. 

Well here are some step by step instructions.

1. Go to my website at www.ctmh.com/iotamaker and click on "Your Opportunities" and go from there.
2. You will need to purchase the basic "New Consultant" kit for $99 (which is about a $300 value).  The website will walk you through this step-by-step
3. After you sign up, I'll contact you and help you get going.

Here is a photo of what is included in the New Consultant Kit: 

There are also some add-on kits you can choose to purchase to help you get started if you wish, but they are not required.  Yep, that's the truth. For only $99 you can become a Close To My Heart Consultant in March and get over $450 in product back. 

Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE what I do? I have been a CTMH Consultant for almost 7 years.  I have loved every minute of it. When I signed up if was to fund my hobby but it has become so much more. I have made life long friends with my customers and fellow consultants.  I have loved the new products including our how to books, studio J and our amazing line of accessories.  I'd love to tell you more about it and answer any questions you might have.  Feel free to contact me (435.787.0125, iotamaker@gmail.com).

Studio J is so easy my 10 year old can do it!

  Brock needed to create a scrapbook page about an art project to pass off a Webelos cub scout project. So I thought to myself, what would make this fun for Brock? Well anything on the computer of course so why not have Brock create the layout in Studio J. When I mentioned it to Brock he was excited. So we sat down tonight and got busy. He picked out his layout, paper packet and kit mix. Then I showed him how to drag and drop a photo and he went to work adding pictures. Next he added mats to the photos, colored the toggle accessories and I helped him add a few stickease. He added journaling but we ended up switching it out for the journaling from my family blog that was more complete. Brock switched the paper around a little bit until he had it just how he wanted. I did create the title using the technique Amy Ulen posted on her blog. Thanks Amy!  I added a few more tags with the names of those in the pictures and we were done.
  If you would like to try out Studio J then head on over to my website, click on the product tab across the top and select Studio J Online Scrapbooking and start playing for FREE! Get started this weekend and in no time you will have handful of layouts ready to order.
  Do you want the best pricing and access to all of the layout patterns and kits? Become a member. Here are the details: There are two membership options available to choose from: a monthly membership that you pay for the first 3-month up front ($30) and then monthly thereafter ($10/month) or a 1-year membership for $99 - best value.

Membership benifits include: 

• Free shipping on one order per month (between 4 and 20 2-page layouts)! That's a $7.95 value! 
• Member's pricing on layouts is only 6.50 with is half price. 
• Memberships give you access to "Members Only" layout patterns and paper kits. WOO HOO!
• Members only promotions like this month's Perfect 10 Promotion!

You can purchase a membership either right from your Studio J account or by contacting me (435.787.0125 ~ iotamaker@gmail.com). 

Nifty Neighbor Gifts Project Inspiration Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book

Here are some fun gift ideas for teachers, neighbors, friends really anyone. Also check out another project using that crazy awesome Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge. Don't forget you can pick up that cartridge as well as the rest of the Art Philosophy Collection for free when you join my team and become a Close To My Heart consultant. Contact me to hear all the details. (435.787.0125 ~ iotamaker@gmail.com) Promotion ends March 31st.