Kit: Perfect Day
Pattern: Card Trick™

When you think gifts, think Studio J^®! With Valentine's Day just around the corner, make an unexpected and very appreciated gift for Dad. Create a special layout for Daddy spotlighting an especially fun time Dad had with your kids. It would be fun to create a separate layout of each of your kids with their father, and let your kids help write the journaling and choose the accents and colors of their layout. Your kids could journal about what they like most about Dad, about their favorite times with him, or ways they and Dad are the same or different.

Another V-day gift idea is to create a layout for Dad that features some of his favorite things: his car, his favorite TV show, his hobbies, the t-shirt he loves to wear, his favorite food.

A "10 Things" layout is always a fun gift: 10 things I love about my dad, 10 things my dad loves, 10 places we've been together, 10 memories of Dad, 10 things Dad always says, etc.

A special keepsake layout for Dad is something he will always cherish! Get started now so you can order your layouts in time for Valentine's Day.

Kit: Wonderland
Pattern:Monologue™

Talk about versatility! Studio J^® offers you lots of way to turn your favorite kit and pattern into lots of different looks with a few clicks of a mouse. This "Snowy Days" layout created by Brenda Rose from East Bethel, Minnesota, uses the Wonderland kit and the Monologue™ pattern and features still scenes of winter. It portrays an elegant, graceful feeling.

Kit: Wonderland
Pattern:Monologue™

Contrast the "Snowy Days" layout with this "Sweet Baby" layout by Corina Mitchell of Chula Vista, California. Using the same kit and pattern as Brenda, Corina created a layout with a completely different look and feel: sweet, cuddly, tender, soft. When you compare the layouts more closely, you'll discover several differences between the two, besides the subjects.

Brenda chose to use more grey-toned papers in her layout, whereas Corina went with more White Daisy and Crystal Blue. The baby blue color is perfect for showing off your infant boy, and the grey tones really impart a sense of cold winter day. You can change out your papers, both cardstock and B&T, simply by dragging a new paper from the Paper toolset on the left. To change the color of your papers, click on the paper and select a new color from the pop-up box.

Another big difference-maker is color saturation. Notice the striped and large snowflake B&T papers on the left pages—they're the same on both layouts, but certainly look different! Corina has decreased the color saturation in the papers by using the intensity slider in the color pop-up box. Makes a big difference, doesn't it?

Another factor in achieving unique looks is how you treat your photos. Corina choose to go with black and white photos, giving a softer, very uniform feel. Brenda's snow pictures are in full color, allowing them to really draw the eye on a fairly monotone color scheme.

And, of course, your title and journaling fonts, whether on a My Stickease^® image or typed, lend a certain feel, too. The "Snowy Days" font is sophisticated and pretty; the "Sweet Baby" font is adorable and charming. And notice how Corina added a journaling area to talk about her baby, whereas Brenda chose to let the "sounds of silence"—no journaling—reinforce her quiet, wintery scenes.

When you find a kit you love or a pattern you relish, you can use it for lots of different memories and photos using a few subtle Studio J techniques to make them truly unique. Peruse this blog and visit the Studio J art gallery for even more inspiration.

Pattern: Defining Moments™
Kit: Splash Zone

Wanna really make your Studio J layouts shine? Do as Close To My Heart Consultant Krista Ritskes from Oshawa, Ontario, has done: create an embellished studio layout by adding Liquid Glass. Krista's "Good Water" layout was perfect for creating a hybrid Studio J layout with this super shiny, clear embellishment.

Krista dressed up her title by painting over the title words with Liquid Glass. It adds dimension and texture to the flat page plus the real look of water, which perfectly reinforces her theme.

And look how fun these water droplets are—each made from Liquid Glass! This technique would be great on layouts featuring any water theme: ocean, beach, river, lake, water fight, rainy day, etc. You can also use Liquid Glass to create dew droplets on flowers, or add it anywhere you want to draw the eye with a bit of shine. Just be sure to give your Liquid Glass plenty of time to dry.

Try creating a hybrid, or embellished, studio layout—produced on the computer but dressed up with real accessories. It combines the best of both the online and classic scrapbooking worlds and gives your layouts added dimension and pop!

In only minutes you can capture some of your happiest memories with this simple, yet beautiful, layout using Studio J^®! Just watch our latest Love Your Layout episode to get the step-by-step instructions from start to finish. You’ll even master a few techniques along the way. Learn how to swap and colorize papers, cluster My Stickease^® accents, and improvise on your journaling! Watch this episode of Love Your Layout, then log in to Studio J and create your own layout today!

Pattern: Understudy^™
Kit: Perfect Day

Back in the "old days," we stuffed our printed photographs in shoe boxes, with the negatives in envelopes at the back of the box, and then prayed our house wouldn't burn down or flood, thus losing our precious memories.

Today, with digital photography so widespread, you may not realize it, but we face the same concern—losing our precious photographs. Why? Computer hard drives crash, memory sticks go bad, we accidentally hit "delete," camera memory cards fill up (really?), and, yes, house fires melt hard drives. To protect your digital photographs, follow these recommendations.

Always have two (or more) copies of your digital photographs. This means copying your pictures onto your computer, a memory stick, an external hard drive, an offsite web storage, or a CD/DVD soon after taking the pictures. This gives you two copies of your pics in case one goes bad—one copy on your camera memory card and one on your storage device of choice.

Eventually you'll want to erase your camera memory card to make room for new pictures, so the best way to preserve your photos is to save them on at least two different storage devices, and then put one of those in a bank safety deposit box or give it to a neighbor or friend for safe-keeping.

Probably the best method for keeping important photos safe is to make three copies of your pictures, as follows:

1. Originals. Save one copy on a storage device of your choice in a file folder designated for "originals" only. This file will act as your "negatives" that you don't ever overwrite. You could call this file folder "Digital Photo Originals" and then have sub-folders inside it by year.
2. Editable copy. Save a second copy on your computer in a file folder designated as "My Photos." These photos can be edited and overwritten. You can have "topic" folders in your "My Photos" folder with the name and date of your events, such as "2010-01-16 Jed & Brooke Wedding" or "2009-07-13 Drew's Scout Camp." Naming your folders with the year, month, and day first will mean your folders will automtically be arranged in chronological order. For consolidation purposes, you may want to create year folders you put your topic folders inside. For example, My Photos > 2010 > 2010-01-16 Jed & Brooke Wedding, or My Photos > 2009 > 2009-07-13 Drew's Scout Camp.
3. Offsite backup. Save a third copy of your photos in a storage device that's stored away from your house to protect them from fire, flood, or a thief-in-the-night (heaven forbid!).

Once you're done editing your photographs, you can easily upload them to Studio J^®, where you can create gorgeous scrapbook layouts in a jiffy! You'll also want to save the JPG files of your layouts (available to Studio J members only) on a storage device away from your home for safe-keeping.

Decide today what your storage devices will be, create some file folders, and start copying—so you can then start scrapbooking in Studio J!

Pattern: Card Trick™
Kit: Elemental

Score a perfect 10 in January! If you’re a Studio J ^® member, you can take advantage of this great opportunity to fill up your scrapbook—get your holiday photos in albums right away! For every 9 custom-printed Studio J layouts you buy, you’ll receive the 10th layout free. To receive the discount, just add 10 or more layouts to your cart. You’ll see a discount reflected in your order total. And you can totally take advantage of this promotion by ordering in multiples of 10. Buy 9, get 1 free. Buy 18, get 2 free. Buy 27, get 3 free. And so on! To receive the discount, just add 10 or more layouts to your cart. You'll see a discount reflected in your order total.

If you’re not a member yet, now’s a great time to join! Members save more, do more, and get more with benefits like these:

• Exclusive patterns
• 50% off layouts
• Free JPG files
• Free monthly shipment
• Members-only promotions like this one!

Read more about the benefits of Studio J membership.

The fine print for the Perfect 10 promotion: Shipping/handling may apply. Offer valid for Studio J members January 1–31, 2012. Offer valid for custom prints only; purchases of JPG files are not eligible for this promotion.

Start creating your layouts!

Pattern: Magic: Performance™
Kit: Wonderland

There are the “milestones,” like birthdays and graduations and holidays, that garner as many photographs as the royal wedding. And then there are the bits of everyday life—the favorite seat at a neighborhood coffee shop, the scribbled “I love you” on a sticky note, the groceries organized in the pantry—that tend to slip by unnoticed.

This year, resolve to capture those everyday moments by participating in a photography or scrapbooking challenge. Pick one of these, or make up your own:

• Project 365 (a.k.a. Photo-a-Day): Take one photo or capture one story a day for a year.
• Project 52: Create one scrapbook layout a week for a year.
• 12-12-12-2012: Scrapbook 12 photos taken on the 12th day of each month for the 12 months of 2012.

Here are some tips to make sure you succeed at your goal.

1. Write it down. Commit yourself to your goal by writing it down in a journal, on a note you’ll see each day, or on your blog.
2. Create a habit. Incorporate your photo challenge into your routine, schedule time on your calendar, and set reminders on your phone to ensure that you never forget about your goal.
3. Record your progress. Create a chart, cross days off on a calendar, or use a phone app like Project 365 to track your success.
4. If you skip a beat, don’t give up! Forgot to take a pic yesterday? Take two today! Miss the 12th? The 13th works too. Whatever happens, keep on going—you’ll be glad you did.

And while you’re at it, here’s a fifth and final tip:

5. Make it easy on yourself. Resolve to use Studio J® to record those everyday memories—it’s so fast and simple you’ll be sure to stay caught up all year long.

As we kick off 2012, here’s to you and your new year’s resolutions: may you find success and joy in reaching all your goals!

Pattern: Powerful Trio™
Kit: Manmade

There’s nothing better than capturing special moments in the lives of those you love. But it’s also helpful to remember that you, too, are a loved one to many—and memories of you are and will be treasures to others now and in the future. It’s easier than you think—and more important than you know.

Think of the men and women of your past: your parents, grandparents, and beyond. Wouldn’t you love to have a list of their favorite songs in high school, or their reactions to a world event you would learn about years later in history class? You’d want to know about the good times and happy times, and also the challenges they faced, and also those little details and quirks that are as unique as they are. And—guarantee it!—your descendants will want to know the same things about you.

So how do you incorporate a little more of you into your scrapbooks? Here are some tips to get your creative juices flowing:

• Arrange for a photo shoot—spotlighting you! Even if you’re getting family portraits taken, be sure to get a few shots featuring you alone.
• Make a list. Or better, make a bunch of lists. What are your favorite restaurants? Your least favorite chores? The contents of your purse or pockets? Things that make you laugh? Lists are an easy way to record lots of info.
• Find out what others think. Remember The Newlywed Game, where couples were quizzed about each other? Create your own questionnaire to find out if your friends, your spouse, or your kids know the nitty-gritty details about you. Be sure to record their answers—and your own!
• Tell about your everyday life. Describe your morning ritual, your nervous habits, the things you see on your way to work, or the tasks you complete every day.

Oh, and wondering about the journaling in the layout above? It reads:

Reasons I Smile

• I married my very best friend
• Craft projects and peanut butter M&Ms
• I am a daughter of God
• Pickles, dill...I love them!
• I am a mother and a teacher
• Every day I get to watch my son grow

My Favorites

• Blue skies and cool weather
• Zumba classes
• Chocolate and Mexican food
• My iPad and my Nikon
• Scrapbooking and photography
• The smell of freshly baked bread

Someday I Will

• Spend Christmas in Paris
• Visit all 50 states
• Finish my family history
• Take my son to a game at Yankee Stadium
• Take ballet
• Enter a cooking contest, and WIN!

Pattern: Performance™
Kit: Mistletoe

Ready to create this adorable Christmas-themed scrapbook layout? Follow the step-by-step instructions below to find out how to scrapbook this layout yourself using Studio J®! Have any questions? Check out the Studio J help tool, where you can find answers using the search tool, browse a step-by-step version using the contents view, or discover the meanings of Studio J-specific terms in the glossary.

12" x 12" Naughty or Nice Layout

Kit: Mistletoe
Pattern: Performance™
Photos: 3 vertical
Colors: Bamboo, Colonial White, Cranberry, Garden Green, New England Ivy
Techniques:

• Creating embellishment clusters
• Layering and cropping My Stickease® images

PREPARATION

1. Create a new project or a new layout within an existing project. Upload photos now if desired (photos can be uploaded at any stage in the process).
2. Select Mistletoe kit.
3. Select Performance™ pattern.
4. Select kit mix 3.

PUTTING THE LAYOUT TOGETHER

1. Drop photos into photo wells.
2. Add 1/16" New England Ivy photo mats to each photo well.
3. Delete title well and create title using quick-title tool.
4. Add journaling to journaling well in Handmade font, vellum background, Cocoa text, center-aligned.
5. Turn off toggle accents by unchecking the box in the embellishments toolset.
6. Edge distress the following with the direct tool in Cocoa:
   • Colonial White base cardstock
   • Bamboo cardstock
   • striped background and texture (B&T) paper

FINISHING TOUCHES—LEFT PAGE

1. Add the following New England Ivy buttons and Garden Green button threads:
   
   • 7/8" at 75%
   • 5/16" at 100%
   • 1/2" at 100%
   • 5/8" at 100%
   • 1/2" at 100%
2. Add the following My Stickease® images, rotating and cropping as desired. Right-click to bring layers forward or send backward as needed. 
   
   • two cream-colored borders (Borders) at 50%
   • flourish (Medium Accents) at 100%
   • two Joy badges (Quotes) at 80% and 50%
   • red swirl snowflake (Small Accents) at 105%
   • red pointed snowflake (Small Accents) at 65%
   • pine cone (Medium Accents) at 80%)
3. Add four New England Ivy medium brads at 100% and one at 65%.

FINISHING TOUCHES—RIGHT PAGE

1. Add the following New England Ivy buttons and Garden Green button threads:
   • 5/8" at 100%
   • 1/2" at 100%
   • 3/4" at 100%
   • 5/8" at 100%
2. Select the Joy badge/swirl snowflake My Stickease pairing. Copy and paste on right page. Crop to size.
3. Add the following My Stickease® images to the right page, rotating and cropping as desired. Right-click to bring layers forward or send backward as needed.
   • horse and sleigh (Large Accents) at 100%
   • three cream-colored borders (Borders) at 50%
   • holly sprig (Medium Accents) at 100%flourish (Medium Accents) at 100%
4. Add four New England Ivy medium brads at 100%.

The Crafting Chicks are doing a Studio J giveaway this weekend. Get up to five chances to win a Studio J 5-pack and beautiful faux-leather album to display your layouts—you'll find the details on the Crafting Chicks blog. The giveaway will end Sunday, December 18, with the winner announced on Monday on the Crafting Chicks Facebook page.