Twice the Gifts In Half the Time!

Do you love to share your photos with family at the holidays?  Do you struggle with the amount of time it takes to make gifts with those photos?  If so, then Studio J could be the answer! 

For my day-to-day scrapbooking, I am a hands-on kind of girl; digital is not really my thing.  However, after trying out the new Express Collections, I know that these are perfect for holiday gifts!  Need duplicate albums for grandparents, siblings, etc.?  Do the work just once and have multiple prints made!  And the Express Collections make it faster than ever before (which was a big hurdle to digital for me).  Choose the entire Collection of 11 2-page layouts (including intro and end pages) for a theme album, or choose just the layouts you want.  There's even a great "Year in Review" collection, which I think would be great for grandparent gifts!

Oh, and did I mention that the software is completely free? You have to create an account before you start, but there is no obligation - you don't pay for anything unless you decide to purchase your project.  Let me show you the 5 layouts I recently completed. (I think it took me about 3.5 hours for all 5; not bad for my first time!)

This layout is direct from the School Days collection.  I just dropped in my photos, addte "first day of" to the title, and added my journaling details.  It was super fast, and it was easy to crop my pictures in place.

This layout is from the Year in Review collection.  I dropped in my photos, changed the duplicates to black & white, added my journaling details, and changed the "this year in" to "first day of" in the title.  I love that even though I had fewer pictures than the layout called for, it's easy to use it anyway.  The filmstrip-style row of pictures gave me the idea to duplicate a single picture on each side and only leave the one on the end in color.  The software makes it easy to switch to black & white by just clicking a box.

This one started with a Custom Layout.  That means that I first chose the paper pack I wanted to use, then found the layout pattern.  This is the Avonlea paper pack and the Backstage pattern.  This particular layout was for a class for the CTMH Regional Celebration that I attended, so they had specific directions for us to follow for many of the steps.   You can change the color and/or intensity of any paper in the layout, add embellishments, change colors of things like fonts and buttons, and more.  Feel free to play around and change anything and everything. You can always undo anything you don't like.

This layout began with the True Friend paper pack and the Honeycomb pattern.  What do I love?  This is one of many paper pack available only on Studio J, including many of those paper packs that used to be available in "real" paper that have been discontinued.  I also love the trendy hexagon shapes on this pattern - lots of fun, and you pick the exact paper patterns you want to use!

Finally, this layout uses the Class Act paper pack and the Glimpses pattern.  I based my colors and patterns on my daughter's clothes (and her favorite color).  So I used the Kit Mix 3 and change the multicolor numbers paper to Twilight and the white background to Twilight.  I added heavy black distressing to define the edges and add interest.  I also changed colors on the embellishments.

I love how fast these all were to make - I really think it would have taken me a lot less time except that I just couldn't resist playing around with everything to see what the different changes would do!

I invite you to go create an account and try out Studio J - I think you'll be hooked too!

Free-For-All in June

Have you tried StudioJ online scrapbooking yet?  I equate it to "digital scrapping for dummies", lol, because I was actually able to figure it out pretty easily!  During June, everyone can try StudioJ and receive a JPEG file of their layout for free.  This digital version can be printed (if you don't order a print directly from StudioJ) or shared online or via email.

Here's the free layout I created:

Once you create your free layout and "purchase" it, you will receive an email with a link to download your file.  Then, if you're on FaceBook, you can head over to Close To My Heart on FB and enter their StudioJ Free-for-All contest.  Grand prize winner receives the following:

• Credit for 10 two-page, custom-printed scrapbook layouts.
• 10 Memory Protectors® to slip their layouts into.
• Free shipping and handling, so their custom-designed layouts will come straight to their door, ready for their cherished album!

I'd love to hear what you think of StudioJ - try it out and leave me a comment or send me an email and give me your opinion!  Please let me know when you contact me if you are a traditional scrapper, digital, or somewhere in between.  I'll be sure to pass on a list of opions, comments, and critiques, to the powers-that-be at CTMH.

A New Way To Play!

I recently discovered "Studio" scrapbooking.  Now, this has been out for a while, but I thought it was not for me as I'm not really into the digi thing.  BUT (and it's a big but) I discovered I was really wrong!  First, everything is done online, so there's no software to download (or pay for!).  The only downside is if you still have dial-up it's very slow.  But even on my "standard" DSL it's pretty fast - and since hubby's looking into the next higher level for full video streaming capability, I can't wait to see how quickly it goes.  Also, this is so much SIMPLER than regular digital scrapbooking.  To me, these are more like the photo books that you can make at Walgreen's or wherever - they are GREAT for the non-scrapper to make!  And they are much sturdier than those books, because they go in a regular scrapbook with PROTECTORS.  No more dirty little fingers leaving marks on the pages or paper tearing because it was handled roughly.

My goal for this post is to show you how fast & easy this new product is.  I certainly don't see myself using it for everything; I am a die-hard hands-on scrapper and I like to get my fingers inky.  But I see great possibilities for grandparent gifts, times when I need more than one copy of the same layout, and when I'm trying to play "catch-up".  Hey, I have three kids, and even though I try to scrap stuff for all of them, I still have a lot of baby pictures of all 3 that haven't made it into a scrapbook yet.   Of course, I can't use my old film photos in Studio scrapbooking, but I can use any of my digital photos, which gives me time to scrap the prints the classic way.

OK, so let me say that this software will allow you to play for FREE.  You can upload & create all you want and not have to pay unless you choose to print.  So follow along step-by-step, and try it out!

First, you need to create an account.  Don't worry, there's no funny stuff going on; there just has to be a way to save your photos and layouts for you to come back to.   Click here to create an account, and try out Studio J!  There's not much needed to create an account.  Here's a shot of the form:

Once you save your account, you can enter Studio J and get started!  You will want to start by creating a new project.  It's very simple from there; there are only 5 steps needed to complete a layout:

1. Upload photos. 
2. Choose the desired themed kit. 
3. Select an exclusive layout pattern.
4. Add photos, embellishments, title, and journaling. 
5. Purchase custom-printed layouts ready for a cherished album. 

The hardest part for me is always step 1 - well, actually step 0.  I always have to decide which group of pictures to use, make sure they're all rotated and edited, and then decide which make the cut to be included.  Nice thing is I can upload whatever I want (up to 20 at a time) and I don't have to use all of them.  For this layout, I have chosen 12 pictures from my son's preschool graduation this Spring.  The more you upload at once, the longer it takes, of course. (The size of the files also affects the time.)

Once the photos are uploaded, you click the Continue button.  There are several kits to choose from.  There are some kits that are only for those people who purchase a membership.  (I will discuss memberships later, as they are NOT required.)  I am choosing "Rough n Tumble" for it's bright colors and fun designs.  Once your kit is chosen, you again click the Continue button. 

This takes you to the available patterns.  You can choose from all available patterns (again, there are some only for members), or you can decrease the number of patterns by choosing how many pictures you want to use.  You may also want to check out the patterns for one or two fewer or more photos than you have, as you are able to change things around some; feel free to play as you can always back up and change things later.  I'm choosing the pattern available for 12 photos, called Conclusion Combo.  Here's an example of the thumbnail sketch for this pattern:

Choose your pattern by clicking on it, then click the Continue button.  This takes you to a pop-up screen where you choose a paper mix for your kit.  You WILL be able to change the colors in a later step if you desite, so just concentrate on the B&T (pattern) paper sections.  Click on your selection and again click on the Continue button.  Here's what my selected pattern and paper mix looks like:

I will be changing at least one paper color to better match my photos, but this is the stock option.  At this point, you can rotate or swap the pages, add your photos, and add color to or remove the suggested embellishments on the layout.  After that, you can add titles, journaling, MyStickease elements, and distressing techniques by using the menu on the left side of the page.  The first time you click on a heading, it will take a moment for the items in that section to load.

There are a ton of options you can use (or not use), like adding distressing, extra embellishments, journaling, etc. so I won't walk through them step-by-step.  The best thing to do is play with the options yourself, and you can always call or email me if you have questions.  Both phone # and email are available on my website.  OK, I've played around a little, and here is my final layout:

It took me about 45 minutes, with a couple of interruptions from phone calls, and I've only made a couple of these layouts before today.  It will get faster every time as I get to know the system better, but it's already much faster than the classic way I usually work.

Now, to touch on the memberships I mentioned.  If you become a member (monthly or annually), you get some added benefits.  Members get additional choices for paper kits and layout patterns.  Members also get their first ten layouts each month for half-price: that's $6.50 for each 2-page layout.  In addition, members receive free Memory Protectors with their layouts, free shipping, JPG files of each layout free with purchase or purchase separately, and special deals and promotions.  For more information on Studio J, including some Frequently Asked Questions, just click here.  You are also welcome to call or email me with any questions you might have, and if I don't know the answer I will get it for you!

If you like it as much as I do, I would LOVE to have your business!  I truly appreciate every customer I have.  And don't forget to share this terrific product with your non-scrappy friends!  I think they'll like it too.

p.s. Coming October 1st are Online Gatherings - now you can host a party without the work, all online.  There are no hands-on projects, but there are plenty of ideas on my website and here on my blog.  Reap the rewards without the work!  And the best news is that Studio J memberships and layout 5-packs DO count toward sales totals for Hostess Rewards.  Contact me for full details!