Customer Spotlight: Chikotto

Introducing a new monthly feature . . . Customer Spotlight! Each month on the 5th we'll be spotlighting one of YOU! We will be cruising the customer gallery in search of our next winner, so get your layouts loaded!

This month our winner is Chikotto! Be sure to check out her JBS gallery to see all her pretties. Chikotto, please email me at doris.sander@gmail.com with your mailing address and we'll send you a JBS prize package worth $20. :)

P.S. We can't stop creating with the July kit! Check out Jenni and Becky's windows in the design team gallery for more inspiration!

Say Hello to Family Tree!

We are so excited to introduce you to the newest line for Jenni Bowlin Studio. Say hello to Family Tree! It is oh so versatile. It's perfect for back to school, fall, Christmas . . . just about anything. We hope you love it as much as we do. :)

Something Old, Something New by Cheryl Ametewee

One of the things that makes an art company really great in my mind is the ability to not only design and distribute amazing product, but to stay true to themselves and build on the product they already have. And in my opinion, Jenni has truly mastered this in her designs. Whenever I get a new box of her stuff, it not only inspires me to create using that product, but to dig out all my other JBS supplies and create with ALL of them together. And I'm never let down by the results...there is just something about her papers and embellishments that allows them to flatter each other in all their vintage glory...even if they originated from completely different lines. So today I'm bringing to you some art that features both old and new Jenni...and since today is my first wedding anniversary it's all about the love between me and my husband.

First, I created this layout featuring one of my favorite wedding photos...and I love how the colors from all the different designs just blend together seamlessly on new sandable cardstock.

Next up is the anniversary card that I created using old and new...new rubons, old patterned papers, old rubons, new butterfly stickers and so on...

And finally...for his gift, a little JBS patterned paper wrapping jobs using the new yellow word paper tied together using the crepe paper ribbon and the older pharmacy journaling sticker topped with a couple new red butterflies...

So how about the next time you get some new Jenni you dig out some of those older supplies and let the magic flow between them...I promise you won't be disappointed! :)

xoxo, Cheryl

Awesome! Thanks for the inspiration Cheryl!

And be sure to check her gallery for more of her gorgeous creations!

July Gallery Updates!

Keisha has 7 layouts in her gallery . . .

Emeline Seet, our July guest has 3 layouts and a mini-album in her gallery . . .

Wilna has 3 layouts in her gallery . . .

Lisa has another layout in her gallery . . .

Doris has another layout and another mini-album in her gallery . . .

Michelle has 2 more layouts in her gallery . . . enjoy!

The July kits sold out in a day. Wow! We are so sorry there are none available at this time. We are adding a few to our totals for August, but the easiest way to ensure you get one is to have a membership. Also, we apologize for the slight oddness to our gallery . . . we are working on a few updates.

Summer Wreath by Michelle McCord

I love how the colors of the JBS Homespun papers remind me of summer, so I decided to make a little wreath for display. You could also use this as a table centerpiece.

Starting the wreath I used a flower foam as a base for my wreath and wrapped the foam in some neutral white fabric to cover up the green. I then started with two strips of 2inch by 12 inch paper, and just accordian folded both strips. I hot glued two of the ends together and layed it down on the circle form of my wreath. Making sure it is the correct length (cut any excess off) I then hot glued the accordian folded paper to the wreath.

To make an accordian fold flower, I cut a strip of paper 1 inch by 12 inches and accordian folded the entire strip.

After folding the entire strip, hot glue the two ends of the strip of paper together forming the circle. Then push the inside of the circle together and hot glue the back so the middle stays. I have posted a video on YouTube awhile back that will show you how to do this if my directions seem confusing to you... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QG5QsTQRlA

I used some JBS papers and butterfly stickers to give the wreath some more dimension.

What a great idea! Thanks for the inspiration Michelle!

Going Vintage with Becky Novacek

One of the main reasons I think Jenni's products are so easy for me to use, is their vintage flair. I absolutely love that as you cut it up and distress it, it looks just as good or better. As I was putting this layout together, it is also apparent that the collections really work well together, so you can continue to incorporate the mainstay papers and embellishments with the new pieces. It's also easy to use actual vintage pieces with JBS product. That's my challenge to you today: to incorporate something vintage with JBS on your projects. As always, I would love to see what you come up with, so don't be shy, feel free to leave a link with your comment. I used a bit of an old cutter quilt and love how it ties in seamlessly.

So lovely. Thanks for the inspiration Becky!

Designer's Workshop Challenge with Lisa Dickinson

One of my favorite design tricks in my book, Designer's Workshop is to use directional lines to convey a feeling on your page. A horizontal line represents a feelingof rest or relaxation (like a sunset on a horizon) while a vertical line denotesstrength, growth, and even action.

My layout, New Lawn Boy, has predominately horizontal lines because of the borders I created with rows of circles from the embossed brown cardstock and the Target Practice patterned paper. I also used a piece of green grid from the Homespun Paper Pack and a strip of royal blue ribbon to complete the background that worked with the colors in my photos. I love the instant stability you get with horizontal lines - they always make a page feel balanced!

And while the strong horizontal lines definitely work here, I didn't want the page to look too restful or relaxed, as that doesn't work with the action photos. So I slightly tilted my photos to add diagonal lines into the mix (these lines almost always indicate movement!) and used a big, bold title treatment with the Mini Die Cut Label in red and the Black Ledger Alpha Stickers which I colored in with a green Sharpie. These details break up the horizontal lines and add a bit of motion and color into the layout.

The final embellishment was a pair of embellished butterflies in brown. I carefully removed the rhinestones on them and replaced them with vintage yellow buttons laced with twine. This Helmar adhesive is perfect for adorning anything with buttons and it dries quick and strong!

So now I'd like to issue a challenge to you: use lines (vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or all three!) to create a page with your favorite JBS products. And be sure to share what you create with a link here in the blog comments or in the Mercantile Gallery!

Thanks for the inspiration (and the challenge) Lisa!