Studio J from Close To My Heart

Studio J™ Saves You Time!

Scrapbooking with Studio J™ is quick! You simply upload your photos and begin creating. Cutting papers and adding accents is as quick as a click of the mouse. There's also no cleanup—no papers, scissors, and glues to put away when you’re done.

You’ve taken the photos—now keep the memories. With Studio J™ online design software from Close To My Heart, you can create designer scrapbook layouts in minutes, ready to be custom printed for your cherished album. The fun begins spring 2010; the excitement starts now.

Playing around with the Studio J Online Software, from Close To My Heart and figuring it out playing with all the options and seeing what should go where and what color, very easy and fun.

~ Frequently Asked Questions about Studio J™ ~

Studio J™ is free online design software brought to you by Close To My Heart, a leader in the scrapbooking and stamping industry. To learn more about Studio J, read the frequently asked questions below. To receive updates regarding Studio J, enter your email address at the top of the page. We promise not to use your email for anything other than Studio J updates. Happy reading!

• What is Studio J™ Design Software?
  Studio J™ is free online scrapbooking design software brought to you by Close To My Heart. Studio J helps you easily create custom-printed two-page layouts using our foundational scrapbook patterns, exclusive color palette, and themed designs all delivered in 12" × 12" custom prints ready for your albums. It’s a snap!
• Is Studio J easy to use?
  Studio J software is extremely intuitive and easy to use. The program walks you through five steps that include:
1. uploading your photos;
2. choosing your desired themed kit;
3. selecting an exclusive layout pattern;
4. adding photos, embellishments, titles, and journaling;
5. and purchasing custom-printed layouts ready for a cherished album.

It’s super simple and extremely fun to use!

• I love Close To My Heart products. Will Studio J use the same great papers, patterns, colors, and embellishments?
  Of course! If you love Close To My Heart’s scrapbooking philosophy, then you will love Studio J. Learn more about Close To My Heart’s scrapbooking philosophy and products.
• Do I need to download any software to my computer to use Studio J?
  Not at all! You only need an Internet connection, and then you simply log in to your Consultant’s MyCTMH website or visit http://www.studioj.com/ to get started. Feel free to design to your heart’s content—you are not required to buy anything or provide any personal information to get started!
• Can I save what I am working on and come back to it later?
  You bet! You can create a customer profile that allows you to save and return to a project in progress at a later time. Your active projects will be saved for up to 90 days, giving you plenty of time to work on them. You extend that timeline for your active projects by 90 days each time you make a purchase, and your purchased projects will remain archived for one full year after purchase.

• Do I need a printer that can print 12" × 12" pages to use Studio J?
  No. Your Studio J layouts are not available for you to print from a home computer. In fact, we take care of the printing for you. When you purchase your designed layouts, we print and ship them quickly and directly to you using only top quality printing technology and archival-quality papers.
• What is the price?
  You are not charged a thing until you order your custom prints. The price per printed two-page layout is $12.95 US / $14.95 CAN. We also offer some fantastic rewards for larger orders. You can receive FREE Memory Protectors® to protect your layouts in your albums, and FREE shipping/handling based on the number of layout prints you purchase in a single order as follows:
• For 5–9 layout purchases: You’ll receive a pack of 5 Memory Protectors FREE!
• For 10–20 layout purchases: You’ll receive FREE shipping/handling PLUS a FREE pack of 5 Memory Protectors for every 5 layouts in your single order.
• When can I begin creating with Studio J?
  You will be able to start creating layouts with Studio J in early 2010. Check with your Close To My Heart Consultant for updates or provide us with your email address at the top of this screen. We promise to only use your email address to send you what you want—updates about Studio J!
• How do I find a Close To My Heart Consultant?
  To learn more about Close To My Heart, find a Consultant near you.

With Sympathy Cards

It's never a fun, creative time when you need to make a sympathy card, but you want the recipient to know that you share in their sorrow and want them to know you care deeply for them and their family. So I have cards like this on hand I made a few.

Used the Wild Card Cart for the last two cards and the envelope, cut at 3.75in for the cards and to cut the envelope cutout on a 12x12 mat.added frame and branch as well, all using the first card on the cartridge.

Valentine Treats - Auto Fill - Cricut

So my Daughter and I had finally decided on what to make for her Valentine`s Day Party treats, got the cute lil treat bags, got the candy to fill them, now it`s time to play.

Using 8.5x11in cardstock sheets in pink and green, placed paper in bottom left corner and hit SET PAPER SIZE for every sheet placed on mat (decided to shadow, layer and look oh so cute) set the dial size to 1.75in selected AUTO FILL button and pushed the OK button for conformation of how many hearts would fit on a sheet... 16 would fit, great. So we cut out 1 sheet regular hearts in pink and green then cut out the shadow layers in same colors, 32 layered hearts altogether, top layer green for boys and pink of girls. Glued together I wrote the kid`s names on them, Dakota wanted more hearts so we cut out 20 red hearts so she could write her name on them.

The treat bags were 4inches across the top so we cut out the ``Top Note Die`` from Accent Essentials Cart at 4in. to go on top of the bags, scored, stamped, folded, hole punched and fastened altogether.

Attached the name hearts to the front and back and called it a nite. 

Had a bit of candy left over so Dakota got treats for the next few days.

Just "Breathe" - Vinyl Decor - Design Studio

At the Scrapbooking Day I was also asked to make up another Inspiration Message. This one being a little easier to plan out, just had to fiddle around with the placement on the mat.

Using the 12x24in mat was great just had to remember to change the mat size on the Cricut and away we go, but the funny part was when I forgot to turn it back to 12x12 and was going to cut an evelope out for another project and it said I could cut it at 5.5in (which is how tall the card would have been) so I thought great thats fine. Pushed cut and it started cutting at the edge of the mat and wanted to keep right on cutting (ended up spitting out the mat out the back). So a little oops on my part but everything was fine in the end, changed the mat size to 12x12 and had my daughter ``help`` me make a card and envelope (she loves to push all the buttons, shes four and likes to help mom play)

Creative Memories - Vinyl Decor - Cricut Deisign Studio

At a Scrapbooking Day at a local Library I was invited as a Close To My Heart Consultant I also brought my Cricut Expression.  I didn't do much scrapbooking I got to finish up one page, I was playing with some vellum pieces and ribbon.

I ended up chatting most of the day away with a group of wonderfull ladies about the Expession also the Design Studio and CuttleBug. A lady from Creative Memories asked my if I could cut out some vinyl letters for her Craft Room / Studio and I said absolutly.  With the vinyl I had on hand and using Design Studio we came up with something very simular to the "Creative Memories" Logo font, and also their Inspirational Message. 
Creative Memories  -  your life. your story. your way.

CTMH - Delightful Things, Veranda B&T Paper Collection

I realy like how simple but fun this card is, and so easy to mass produce and will be using this card in the Class or Homegathering that I do next.

So diving right in, the base is CTMH White Daisy card stock that measures 4.5in x 9in scored at 4.5in. First layer is the B&T paper cut at 4inches square in the CTMH colors Garden Green and Juniper and using the corner stamp from the Delightful Things My Acrylix Set, I inked the stamp in CTMH Cocoa Ink and stamped off once onto scratch paper then stamped the image onto the B&T Paper, continuing the faded/lighter look and sponged the edges with Cocoa Ink.

Second layer is the B&T paper in CTMH Creme Brulee measuring 2.5in x 2.5in and stamped sentiment in CTMH Juniper Ink and sponged edges in CTMH Cocoa Ink.  Then placing a strip of B&T paper in CTMH Cocoa measuring 0.5in x 4in. Assembled the card and sponged the base in CTMH Creme Brulee Ink.

Knotted some ribbon to make little bow and attached with Glue Dot..

Photos of my just started Scrapbook Album of our daughter Dakota will be posted shortly and hopefully a video or two of how I decided to embelish pages with CTMH products and Layout Recipes from Close To My Heart.

And of course what I got to use and play with using my new Cricut Expression (after oohing and aahing at all the Cricut videos on YouTube *for about 8 months* I decided I just had to have one)


UPDATE : Have made a Slide Show of the first few pages in progress!

Easier and Faster than Center Point, with CDS

This is how I made up most of the Christmas Cards I gave out this year.

Having just got the Cricut Design Studio and playing around with all of the tools in it. Also read and watched a bunch of videos with CDS. I devised a plan with the 40 pictures of my daughter that I'm putting onto Christmas cards this year to hand out at the big family Gathering (just over 70 people).

In making the pictures an Element on the front of the card I didn't want it to be plain straight edges, so Scallop Squares it is, using Accent Esentials Cartridge. By making the Scallop Square 3.75inches and centering that image within the 6x6 sections of the 12x12 mat. As in the above pic.

Than placing the pictures on the mat with center of each picture lining up with center of the Scallop Squares I was able to cut out 4 at a time, so much easier than trying to find center point of each individual picture, with 2 mats going at the same time I was cutting then removing, and replacing so much faster.

So I got exactly what I wanted in a fraction of the time, it's amazing what I can do and figure out with the Cricut and the Design Studio.

Not having any larger Alphabet Stamps, I wanted to create a Stencil, so using Plantin School Book Cartridge I cut out Happy Holidays using the Ends Caps function (these are the letters that can be cut out while all of the middle pieces stay in tact and don`t get removed). I used Clear Craft Plastic Acetate that came in a pack of 25 they are very thick and works awesome as a stencil.

Easy to pounce with a large sponge dauber well inked and adds a large message. I will be using the acetate idea again if I don`t have what I want in Stamps.

So the finished cards ended up very simple design and layout, may still add a few more Embelishments.