June Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Lisa Newding our June contest winner! I've seen her layout Poker Face in the gallery several times and I always have to stop and laugh. That photo is hilarious and the title is a classic. Thanks for sharing your fun layout and sense of humor with us Lisa! Email me at doris.sander@gmail.com and I'll get your prize in the mail!

Customer Spotlight

So Sorry! This was supposed to go up yesterday. All this vacationing and lack of a real schedule is getting to me. Let's pretend for just a moment that it's still Wednesday, shall we?

Wednesday is now customer appreciation day! On Wednesdays we'll be sharing gallery favorites, hosting our monthly mercantile contest (don't forget to post you June entries HERE! contest ends this Friday!), interviewing YOU, and even having a drive-by now and then. Our very first customer interview will go up on 7/22. We'll be looking here and in the gallery for someone to spotlight. It could be your time to shine!

So today we're sharing some gallery favorites. As always, there was some great stuff in there. I decided to focus on the adorable animal layouts this month.

The Hitchhiker by Amy A was created using the JBS Mercantile June Kit. Darling photos, great layering, and I especially love the journaling in the sun.

Puppy Prozac by Cupcake features the JBS Apothecary stickers. So clever and delightful, and such perfect details.

I just love Gus by Jaylynn. That little face is just irresistible (and it totally gives me the giggles that my brother's name is Gus). Totally awesome hand-cutting of the birdie patterned paper.

As always, thanks for sharing your gorgeous work with us! I look forward to checking for more soon!

Jenni July!

Jenni got this layout loaded to her July gallery a few days ago and I wanted to make sure you all knew it was there. I would hate for anyone to miss out on a Jenni original! You can read what she had to say about it here.

Designer Inspiration - Ranjini Malhotra

Monday's are now Designer Inspiration. We want to share a little of what inspires us as designers. Today's thoughts are from Ranjini . . .
I have been a collector of objects for as long as I can remember. It started early, with Charlie's Angels and Star Wars trading cards and Cracker Jack prizes. By the time I was an adult, I had graduated to objects with a bit more grown up taste, but just as fun. Some of my current obsessions are vintage trophy cups and old photos. The photos I buy usually speak to me in some way or another. I bought this one long before I had my first child, while I grappled with infertility. It comforted me to see the love between the young mother in this photo and her sweet baby, and gave me something to wish for and hope for during my struggle.

The trophy cups are something I collect purely because I love their faded appearance, the tarnished silver and their elegant shapes. I also have been picking up flower frogs which are great for display. I try to group items in a similar color palette within a collection together. I have a bookshelf that is filled with objects in tones of tarnished silver, ivory, cream, sepia and espresso.

I often look to my collections for color inspiration and the palette inspires me in my work, such as in this palette card that was inspired by the neutral tones of collections on my bookshelf. I simply traced a paint palette from my collection of tools onto chipboard, cut it out and covered it in JBS papers and added one of Jenni's crepe trims around the edge, along with some silver trim and a rubon. It doesn't matter what you collect, as long as it is something that holds meaning or beauty for you personally. I'd love to hear what you collect, and how you use your collections to inspire you.

Butterfly Mobile

This mobile is very quick and easy and would make a perfect addition any any room in your home.

The supplies you will need are as follows: Chipboard shapes* I used the JBS chipboard butterflies for my mobile, JBS patterned paper, sewing thread, small hole punch or awl, buttons of various sizes, any other embellishments you would like to use.

To start off, decide how long you want your mobile to hang down. I used three JBS chipboard butterflies for mine. Decorate them as you wish. Take your hole punch or awl and punch small holes at the TOP and the BOTTOM of the chipboard shapes. Your sewing thread will be going through this.

Next, put the sewing thread through the top hole in the piece of chipboard that will hang at the top of your mobile and tape the thread into place on the back.

After the string is attached to the first piece of chipboard, thread some buttons onto the string. Doesn't matter what size or color, just choose to your liking! After threading your number of choice of buttons, thread on the next piece of chipboard to be hanging in the mobile, and continue in the same process adding buttons and chipboard.

When you come to the end of the string, you can just tie on another button or embellishment of your choice and you have just created your very own mobile.

Today's Inspiration Brought to You by Dina!

Happy July!

Ok, so not only did the blog get a facelift, it's getting a content lift as well! We want to bring you even more fresh new inspiration each week, so we've come up with a plan to do just that. Mondays will be Designer Inspiration - this is where you'll find out what inspires us. Tuesdays will be devoted to JBS Mercantile - more about our great kits. Wednesdays will be customer inspiration day - check back next Wednesday to find out how you can be a part of this. Thursdays will focus on JBS product - and stay tuned because we're going to have to start posting summer CHA sneaks soon! Fridays will be tips and tutorials - wowzas!

The July gallery is fully loaded! Did you have a question about one of the layouts? Did you want to know a little more about how it was done or the inspiration or story behind it? Post your questions here and I'll track down the answers.

I also wanted to mention that our ultra-talented Dina Wakley is currently teaching an art journaling class based on the work of the masters. There's still time to register and get involved. It's truly not to be missed!