Football Camp 2011

Ahhh, summer! There is nothing like it. And finally it seems to have arrived to the NW. With summer means the end of school, camps, vacations and LOTS of pictures. I'm not sure what I would do without Studio J for my scrapbooking. I honestly don't have time for classic scrapbooking of all my pictures.
Studio J to the rescue!! You may wonder what I like best. Honestly I think it's the ease & convenience of not having to have my pictures printed. Also that Studio J will resize my pics for me. I can zoom in, focus on a particular part of the pic, or put it in a big photo well and 'viola' it's big. No having to order different size prints, wait for them to arrive then sit down, pulling out all my "stuff" and then create a fabulous layout.
Nope, I sit in the family room with my laptop while the family watches TV and play! I love it!
Every summer the football team heads off to a week of camp to bond as a team, practice, learn plays and have fun. This year was no different.
My son is an upcoming senior this year so this will be the last camp for him. It's amazing to see these young men lose their inhibitions and just have fun. No need to be all macho. They were just being themselves...which is the best way to be!
Enjoy the day!

Creativity with Trees & Things stamp set

                       
Close To My Heart is doing wonderful videos showing techniques & ideas. This new video is using the Trees & Things stamp set that I love! We used this stamp set earlier in the month at my monthly card workshop. Watch the video & if you are interested in ordering this set, go to my shopping cart and have fun!
Enjoy the day!

Recipe Boxes Using Miracle or Lucky

                                                 These Recipe Boxes are so easy to use.
I doing a workshop for a wonderful group of gals tomorrow who asked if I would use the Recipe Boxes that Close To My Heart offers in the Spring/Sumner Idea Book. We picked the Miracle and Lucky Paper packets, which they have a choice of using.
I'm happy with the Lucky box but not sure about the Miracle box.
I think I'll step away for a bit and look with fresh eyes in awhile.
What do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know!
Enjoy the weekend!

New Ride

The newest biker to hit the road...my son, Dalton! You may think I'm crazy to let him get a motorcyle, and you would be correct. I will tell you that when I meet his Dad, 30+ years ago, he too rode a motorcycle. So Dalton comes by his desire to ride naturally.

My mother-in-law is saying "Now you know how we felt". Boy, do I!

Tomorrow he goes to take the test for his permit. Then it's to a safety class.

Nervous? You bet!

Football Treat Bags

My son & husband have been up at football camp all week, and while I love not cooking, I'm ready for them to come home tomorrow.
My partner-in-crime Lisa and myself are the Team Mom's for this wonderful bunch of guys ranging in age from incoming 9th graders to upcoming seniors. My son will be a senior next year so this will be the last football camp for him. We love to spoil "our" boys after a tough week of camp. So tonight we will fill these bags with goodies and leave them on their bunks.
I used small white paper lunch sacks and stamped the images in Paciifica & Brown Bag.
Now off to the store to buy the goodies for inside!

Love Your Layout

                       
Play along with Kristen from Close To My Heart as she teaches you how to create a fast, fun layout using the Lucky paper packet. So pick a few photos of someone you love and create with Studio J.
Remember, when you are done you can get a FREE .jpg of your layout but only until the end of June then this offer while be gone.

Most Valuable Defensive Player Layout with Free .JPG

We top a perfect lacrosse season (18-0) with a party for the team at Cottage Lake. The day was beautiful, the lake was gorgeous and the boys had a blast. As Coach Moliter started handing out awards I was shocked that Dalton was named Most Valuable Defensive Player!! You may wonder why I was surprised that my son, whom I brag about alot on this blog, was named MVP.
You need to understand that Goalies are a rare breed. They stand in a cage with a stick that looks like a fishing net and try to stop balls that are being rocketed at them. They then have seconds to get that ball off to one of their teammates or be slammed by the opponent.
Dalton loves this! He thrives on it and is pretty good at it too. I guess the Coach sees this too.
This month Close To My Heart is offering everyone, even consultants, a FREE .jpg of one layout created in Studio J. Have you gotten yours yet? Go to my website http://lisacombs.mycmth.com/ and play with Studio J, create a layout and get your free .jpg Then post a comment with a pic of your layout here and show us all.

Boot Camp with Close To My Heart

So I went to Boot Camp for Studio J the first part of May. I was traveling "light" so I didn't pack a camera...dumb, huh?! Thankfully some of my roommates were smarter than me and sent me some of the pics that they took.
I learned soooo much from the wonderful staff from CTMH. They took a gal who didn't know there was a plug in on the side of her laptop for internet connection ( I have wireless at my house, thank you!) and taught her amazing things to do within Studio J.
Last night 6 friends joined me at my first Studio J 101 class. Whew! It went well...I think! I hooked my laptop up to my TV and showed them how to create an account, load photos, pick a paper packet, a pattern and off we went creating a layout.
I was so excited to show them all the cool stuff you can do that maybe I went into things from a SJ102 class but I think that everyone was impressed by what SJ can do. I will definitely do this class and future ones again. And the clean up was a breeze, just unhook my computer!
Today I celebrate 28 years of marriage with the love of my life, Duke. We are off to celebrate today the gift of marriage that God has given us and the love that continues to grow with each passing year.
Blessings to you!
Lisa

Studio J Perfect Placement

                         

I thought you might like to watch this video from Close To My Heart before coming to my Studio J 101 Class tomorrow night or Saturday morning. I love the CTMH puts these videos together to show all that you can do with Studio J. I hope that my 101 classes will expand your knowledge and be FUN!! If you can't make this class please schedule a free 1/2 demonstration with me at your convenience, your place or mine!

See you & your laptop tomorrow....

Houseboats

Every year our church, Overlake Christian Church, has summer camp for our high schoolers on houseboats. They load the kids up on a Monday morning onto school buses and they drive for 9 hrs to Canada. Once there they divide the kids onto 3 to 4 houseboats with girls on one, boys on another then usually the seniors on the last one. They spend the whole week enjoying the hot (sometimes) weather, the beautiful lake & studying God's word in the beauty of His creation. Now, they didn't have camp like that when I was a kid but I wish they had!! The kids have a blast! They pull up to shore in the evening and last year they had a game of "capture the flag" in the woods, in the dark and with full contact take downs. When Dalton was describing it I was glad that I wasn't playing...he LOVED it!!
These pics that I used at Boot Camp with CTMH were ones I tagged off Facebook. The large pic was blurring when I grabbed it but I love it too much not to use it. One the opposite page I turned a photo well into a journaling box.
Do you sometimes not want to use a picture because it's blurry? My friend, Amy, told me that she encourages people to use these pics because "that's real life"...I totally agree!!
Enjoy the day!

Fanfare & June Stamp of the Month Cards

Can you believe that it's almost summer? 4th of July? Today, finally, the weather is making me think summer...than why am I in my office making cards? Because I am a procratinator!! Big Time! I tell people I work better under pressure but the truth is I'm horrible at managing my time. That's the way I'm made but God is working on me & I'm trying to make better use of my time.
That said, here are a few more cards for tonight...yes, tonight! procrastinator, remember? Anyway, I have used the Fanfare Workshop on the Go paper & stamp set, June Stamp of the Month. I have case'd 2 of the cards from Melissa C & Liz. Close To My Heart is such a sharing company that all the consultants share ideas and as long as you give credit, they don't mind you re-creating their cards, etc. So thank you to the wonderful ladies who help this procratinator finish in time.
Next month I am going to try to participate in a blog hop so you can see all the ways that the Stamp of the Month can be used...that is if I get something created in time!!

Enjoy the sun!

Trees & Things

                                 The Tab slides behind the image to secure the flap shut.

                                           

                                                        Inspired by Big Red Scraps

I love this stamp set, Trees & Things. It has so many wonderful images. I've wanted to use this set in a workshop for awhile now, and now I am. This month at my card workshops I'm using this set with the Creative Basics paper packet to show how versatile this set can be. While I have used NE Ivy, Sweet Leaf  and Juniper for the tree topper, can you just image using fall colors or leaving it bare with Glitz Glitter or Fun Flock on the branches like snow? Want to join us? Can't make it? Let me know & we can do these cards at your own private workshop......

Studio J: Focus on the Photos

Another great video from Close To My Heart using Studio J. This video will give you tips & tricks for all Studio J users.