Time to Say Goodbye to this Blog

I can't believe that we are into the middle of July already. As I promised I am starting a new blog JLH Designs Inc and today is the start of a new day.
Closing Scrap N Stamp was one of the hardest things I've ever done, and this blog is the last remnant of the store.
My new blog will have the same great project ideas and inspirations, along with blog candy, that I will be offering every month.
Hop on over to the new and improved JLH Designs and don't forget to leave a comment or become a follower in order to be entered into the drawing.
Take care everyone and I hope to see you over there!

Just A Reminder...

Good afternoon everyone,
I can't believe that we are half way through July (well almost...). I wanted to remind everyone that I'm going to be starting a new blog,
JLH Designs Inc. The site will have its first blog posting on July 15th and to commemorate the event I will be giving away some great blog candy.
So if you are a follower here please switch over to the new blog. I hope to see you all there and maybe some new faces as well
Have a great afternoon
Jodie

Fourth of July Weekend

Good morning everyone,
The nice thing about being a Canadian living in the United States is that I get to celebrate the independence of 2 countries! LOL I hope everyone had a great weekend. I know for some of you, the lucky ones, you have the day off today, but for some of us, we still have to work today! :-(
But to help brighten your day, I created a card using the traditional red, white and blue colors...

The image is a digital stamp from 2 Cute RubberStamps. Heidi is releasing the stamp on Tuesday, July 6th, but you, my lucky followers are some of the first to see this wonderful owl. I colored him in with my Copic markers, then added glitter to the image with the AtYou Spica Glitter Pens, from Copic. I also added jewels to the front along with a ribbon bow.

Then for the inside I stamped a saying using the JustRite stamps, along with more paper to the inside to continue the theme. Please enjoy and have a great Monday!

I'm Moving...

Good afternoon everyone,
Well I'm moving my blog at least! LOL I've decided to try my hand at card making, at least on a somewhat professional level. I've got an etsy store, JLH Designs. Here I'll be selling the cards you see on my blog, and then at the end of every month I'll be donating 10% of my monthly sales to the Jacksonville Humane Society.
I'll be moving my blog to jlhdesigns.blogspot.com as of July 15th. Here is the first card that I've got listed in my store, which by the way has free shipping. When you go to www.etsy.com, look for the title Mermaid of the Sea, that should bring up my card...

She was made with a new stamp that I received from .Queen Kat Designs, a great company that carries a wide variety of stamped images. Here is a close up of the card, which I colored in with my Distress Inks...

and then of course the inside had to be done LOL...

Hope you enjoy the card and have a great afternoon - Jodie

2 Cute RubberStamps Monday

I can't believe that it's been so long since my last post. Even though I've posted on other blogs, I have to remember to update my own...

Since Father's Day was yesterday, I was inspired to do a masculine themed card.
This cutie is from the company 2 Cute RubberStamps. I actually tried a new techniques, at least new for me, coloring with my Distress Inks. I've come across various blogs where the stampers have colored in their images with Distress Inks and the results were amazing. This first try came out ok, but some experimentation is still needed. Next time I'm going to try stamping onto watercolor paper and see what happens.
For added interest I went around the flowers with a gold pen...

...then I used the AirBrush System from Copic on the tag. I cut the tag out using a Shapeability from Spellbinders, then before I popped the tag out, I used the AirBrush on it...

I hope you enjoy the card and have a great Monday - Jodie

2 CuteRubberStamps

I may have mentioned that I am on the Design Team for 2 CuteRubberStamps. They not only offer unmounted stamps, but digital stamps as well. The stamps are supercute and work well for use with your Copic Markers. Here is my Monday post...

I colored in the HulaHoop Hamster with my Copic makers, but added the shading with colored pencils and a blender pencil. Don't use Gamsol with your Copics or a mess will insue!!! I used a Martha Stewart corner punch for the photo corners, then used the matching border punch for the layered strip.
Finally I added Flower Soft for that added depth and voila!...Don't forget to visit their blog where you can also link up to the etsy store. Happy Monday everyone, take care!

Happy Memorial Day!

Hi everybody, I hope you are all having a great Memorial Day. Sadly I'm off to work, at o'dark early I might add - LOL, but thought I'd get a post or two in so that you'll be able to enjoy my card with your morning coffee.
This will be my last post as the Guest Designer for Critter Sketch Challenge and it's been a blast. The ladies are great and uber talented. Here is my latest creation for the "purple" challenge...

For this card I wanted to go old school, meaning I took out my Tombow pens, used watercolor paper and did a watercolor technique. The image is from Me and Carrie Lou and I used a gold sparkle embossing powder. I also used my Coluzzle to cut out the saying and punched a few butterflies for added depth.
Please enjoy and thank you for stopping by, take care!

Critter Sketch Entry - Challenge #15

Happy Monday everyone! It's been a crazy morning, life just didn't knock on the door, it busted the door down! Everything that could have gone wrong did, computer died, work called me in unexpectedly (always happens when I'm in my PJs) and the gas tank was empty. Needless to say I'm back home and life has quieted down! LOL
Here is my latest entry for the Critter Stetch Challenge Blog.

This little guy is done using Dustin Pike's digi stamps, colored in with Prismacolored pencils and Gamsol, plus I used some of the new FlowerSoft, that is in a finer texture than the original. This stuff is amazing!
Please enjoy the card and feel free to leave comments! Take care!

Critter Sketch Challenge Entry

Hi everyone, hope you are all having a great day. As some of you may remember, I am the Guest Designer for Critter Sketch Challenge Blog, for the month of May. The sponsor is artist Dustin Pike and he's got some adorable digital images, here is my entry...

This firey guy was colored in with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol (or otherwise known as Odorless Mineral Spirits). The paper is from Coredinations and Glitz Design.
Please enjoy and don't forget to check out the blog for great card & layout ideas!

Guest Design Team Member for May

Good morning everybody,
As some of you may know I was asked to be a Guest Designer at Critter Sketch Challenge Blog. This blog is a great source of creative inspiration, whether you do cards or scrapbooking. Here is my entry for the latest challenge, #12...

I colored in the image with my Copic markers and the image is a digital stamp from artist Dustin Pike. The paper is from BoBunny, Bazzill and of course Washi paper.
Please enjoy and thanks for looking!

Scrapbooking Retreat in Perry, GA

Hi everyone,
The weekend has been fabulous so far. I was lucky enough to attend a scrapbooking retreat this weekend hosted by Create N Crop. The event has been well run and we received a ton of great stuff. My table mates, Evanda, Brenda & June have been friendly and fun. Here are some pics of the New Perry Hotel...

The Hotel has a great history and the grounds are wonderful. Here is a picture of part of the garden area...

So, not only have I met amazing ladies, I've actually gotten some work done. LOL! I was asked on Friday to join the Design Team for 2 Cute Rubber Stamps and that my first posting was this Monday! Needless to say I've been creating a bunch of cards using their digi images, which are adorable by the way. All I can say is life is good!
Tune back in tomorrow when I'll post my card and post a link to this new stamp company plus they also sell rubber stamps for those not familir with digital stamps! Have a great weekend everybody!

Bombshell April Blog Hop

It was EXTREMELY early, this Wednesday, April 28th, but since I couldn't sleep, I thought I'd post my entry for the Bombshell Stamps Blog Hop. Well apparently my internet had other ideas. So after getting Rob up and realizing he wouldn't have time to fix it before heading off to his job, here I am in Panera's using their WIFI system to add my image. Of course I'm also enjoying a leisurely breakfast and coffee so my incredible frustration with the internet is subsiding! LOL
The theme of the hop is Pink, so here is my entry...

I colored her in with my Copic markers and added her dress with the new digital stamps that Bombshell is offering. I printed them on print paper and paper pieced her together. Here are the other ladies in the hop so be sure and pay them all a visit.
Thanks for stopping and please don't hesitate to leave a message!

Kas
Patti
Meredith
Katie
QueenBScraps
Steph
Erika
Sy
Angie
BoHoRose
Kelli
Stempelientje
Cheryl
Kathi
jheuser
Alison
Shaz
PerkyNihilist
Danielle

Critter Sketch Challenge Blog - #10

Good morning everyone,
I have been lucky enough to be asked to be a Guest Designer for Critter Sketch Challenge Blog. This blog has wonderful challenges every Monday, and their Design Team has done some incredible work. Here is my entry for the latest challenge, where we had to use 10 things on a card...

The 10 items that I used are 1-image, 1-image mat, 1-card mat, 1-piece of ribbon, 1-print cardstock trim, 1-cardstock trim, 1-saying and 3-dew drops. I colored in the image with my Copic markers and AtYou Spica Glitter Pens. The stamps are from Outlines Rubber Stamps and the paper is from BoBunny and Coredinatins!
Please enjoy the card and soon I will have an Etsy store running, where most of the cards can be purchased along with my previous class and store samples.
Have a great day!

Upcoming Classes

Good morning everyone - Well I am now on the Hobby Lobby teaching schedule. My first class is a stamping class and starts Apr. 27th at 10am. The four cards are definitely "feminine" themed, great for Mother's Day or for that special someone in your life...

My next class is a scrapbooking class, a 2 page, 12x12 layout, again with a feminine tone, which can be used for Mother's Day, for a grandmother, your little treasure, the possibilities are endless...

OK, so here is the final class that I'm teaching at Hobby Lobby. This is a Copic marker class, geared towards crafters who have these great coloring tools, but aren't getting the maximum amount of benefits out of them. This is a technique driven class, you will have ample opportunity to practice, plus you will be leaving with a detailed handout, a blank color chart so that you can keep track of your markers, plus we will be finishing one card for you to take with you...

All of the samples can be seen up close and personal at the Hobby Lobby at Regency.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Jessica Lyn Original...

Good morning again, I've been up for awhile and am heading back to bed after this. But as crafters, you all know, when the creative door knocks, we HAVE to answer!LOL
So I was reading the comments from previous posts and came across a very complemtary one from a lady named Jessica Lynn. She owns a stamp company, Jessica Lynn Original so of course I had to check it out. I downloaded her free digital stamp, just to try it out, and here is my card...

I printed the image onto copy paper a bunch of times, took it to my local Office Max with my cardstock and had them print it onto that. Unfortunately I can't print directly from my printer then start coloring because the ink runs if I use any kind of wet medium, and Copic markers definitely qualify for that! I colored in the images with RV09, RV91 for blending, then G28 for the leaves. I pop dotted up the various layers, to give depth, then added my saying & embellishments. I really like these images, and can't wait to get more. The saying is from Impression Obsession, one of their clear sets. Please enjoy and thanks Jessica for the inspiration!

The Sad News...

As I'm sure many of you have heard by now, the Crop Shoppe has announced that they are closing their doors. Having been a business owner, I'm sure that this decision was not an easy one for Courtney.
This economy has hit small businesses hard, making it almost impossible for them to keep their doors open. I cannot stress enough how important it is for Jacksonville, as a community, to support our local scrapbook and rubberstamp stores.
Don't get me wrong, the larger chain stores do have their place and serve a purpose, but if you want outstanding customer service, all the latest products in this industry and knowledgeable staff, the small "mom & pop" stores are second to none.
Think about it this way, when you walk into a local, privately owned store, you can rest assured that the staff working are there knowledgeable about ALL their products. Ask any questions and you will get an answer. How many times have you walked into a big box store, not been able to find anyone to help you and on the off chance you do find someone, they have no idea what you are talking about or how to help you?
The Crop Shoppe will be missed...

Blog is Under Construction & Upcoming Classes

Good morning everybody! I'm sure you've noticed that my blog is undergoing some changes. I'm in the process of updating and personalizing the look and feel of the blog, so please bear with me. I'm hoping to have everything finalized by the end of the weekend.
But onto another Outlines project...

This card is clean and simple, compared to a few of my other projects, but the Outlines stamps work perfectly for that look. I stamped the image a number of times on different colors of cardstock and paper pieced the candles.

I then pop dotted up the piece to give dimension to the card and added a bow at the top.
Also, in other news, I have scheduled a few classes at Hobby Lobby. I will be teaching stamping, scrapbooking and Copic markers. Here is the direct link for the class schedule,
Hobby Lobby classes. Mine begins on Tues. April 27th, then if you click on the "NEXT" icon at the bottom right, you will see my other classes in May. I will be posting class samples later on in the week.
I hope everyone has a wonderful day, and please feel free to leave a comment or two.

Outlines Rubber Stamps - Project One

As some of you may know, Outlines Rubber Stamps has graciously chosen me to be on their 2010 Design Team. Well about a month ago, I received a wonderful package in the mail, filled to the brim with amazing rubber stamps!
Over the next little while I will be showing my projects, we had to complete 8, that I made with just a few of these wonderful images. Here is the first one...

This line of stamps lends itself beautifully to paper piecing and paper layering. With the cake I colored in parts of the image with my Copic markers and colored pencils.

Then for added depth, I pop dotted up the cake with puzzle pieces, and finished it all off with 3D pearls from Hero Arts. Hope you enjoy the card and that you have a wonderful day!

I'm Glad to be Back - & Mojo 133

Well, it has been a rough number of weeks. Thank you to everyone for all your words of wisdom and condolances. It has meant more to me than you'll ever know.
Scrap N Stamp had been such a HUGE part of my life for the past 6 years, that it was hard to face the truth that I would no longer be going to my second home, any longer. It was so tough in fact that I had even lost my will to craft!
But I'm working part time at Hobby Lobby and am finding my way trying to balance out work, family and my passion, crafting. I am glad for all those who have chosen to stick with me, I promise we will enjoy our crafting adventure together, discovering great techniques and inspirations along the way, so with no further ado...my first card, created in my new craft room.

You may recongnize the style of this image, it's from Pink Cat Studio, their digital store. I've been a fan of their stamp line for a number of years now ( and the fact that they are Canadian has in no way influenced my opinion!). I have a few of their stamp lines and was thrilled to see them come out with wonderful digital stamps, or "digis" and they are called.

To color in the image I used a combination of my Ciao and Sketch Copic markers B32,G07,R37,RV06,RV14,Y17,YG23 and YR16. Then, of course, to add depth I used some puzzle pieces and for some final pizazz, I added a touch of glitter. The small circular metal pieces, were cut out from the Spellbinders Impressabilities. I have found these to be more useful as embellishments than as actual embossing templates.
Hope you enjoy and the card have a wonderful evening!

MMSC40 - "Bombs" Away

I hope everyone had a happy and romantic Valentine's Day. Rob surprised me with a CD of wonderful Motown love songs, a dozen long stem roses and a beautiful card. After 12 and 1/2 years of marriage the man still has got "it"!LOL
But now onto my latest crafting project... As some of you may know I've been a card marking fiend as of late. Not only trying to get onto various design teams, but also to participate in as many challenges as I can. It helps me, not only with getting those creative juices flowing, but I send a lot of ATC trades out and am always in the need of handmade cards. Here is my latest creation using Bombshell Stamps...

I just adore these images, they have spunk, character and pizazz (hopefully that's spelled right!LOL) I colored her in with Copic markers, along with the shells in the corner. I then went over her with Twinkling H2Os and the shells I went over with Shimmerz Paints, love both of those mediums by the way! Hopefully you enjoy the card.
On a personal note, as many of you are aware the store is closing in 2 weeks. I didn't realize how much product I actually have, and some of it I'm ashamed to say has never been opened.
Well, starting next week, I'm going to be offering blog candy once a week, my loss is going to be your gain! Stay tuned for more details and I hope you all have a wonderful night!

Busy, busy, busy - MOJO125

Well, it's only 2 more weeks and the shop will be closing its doors. It still seems surreal, and part of me still can't accept it, but enough of that for now...
Here is my latest creation. I've been pretty busy, still trying out for design teams, but this latest card is simply to participate in a challenge.

The stamp is from a company called Whimsy Stamps. I have a few of their animal images, which are quirky, fun and cute!
I colored in the little guy with my copic markers, then added glitter for some extra punch.
The construction of the card was from a card sketch challenge at MoJo Monday. This blog has weekly card sketches, just the thing to get those creative juices flowing.
Then as a final note, I do have a new job... at Hobby Lobby. I know, the big box store, but I've been a customer of Hobby Lobby since they moved to Jacksonville and I believe in their philosophies. I will be teaching at the Regency store and I will let folks know the schedule.
Unfortunately Rob and I weren't blessed with independant wealth, LOL, so I do have to work and at least working at Hobby Lobby will allow me to continue to work in a field that I have grown to love, and to let me still see all my crafting friends on a regular basis!

Latest Creation

I can't believe it's been 10 days since my last post. Well it's been confirmed, I am part of the Design Team for Outlines Rubber Stamps. They are the company that does the ornament toppers along with a ton more.
Also I've been trying to get more cards made, and here is my latest. This is for a friend of mine who's birthday it was on the 9th and yes she loves lime green.

Hopefully she won't see this post until I get the card to her!LOL The stamp is from a company called Rubber Romance Stamps. The link is to the owner's blog, while on the right side of the page is her Etsy store.
The stamps are great unmounted with deep etchings. I colored her in with Copic markers and added a little bit of Shimmerz Paints for added WOW factor.
Please enjoy and don't hesitate to leave me a comment!

When one Door Closes...

Hi everyone,
I hope you all had a great weekend. It's been rough but each day gets a little easier. I just wanted to thank all of you for your thoughts, prayers and praise for me, it's been overwhelming. I'm going to miss all of you, but never fear, I will still be teaching, just am trying to finalize some locations!
But as always life does go on and I do have some exciting news... I have been asked to be a guest designer for a relatively new company, 2 Cute Rubber Stamps.I will be their guest designer for the month of October 2010. This works out perfectly since the fall and Halloween are some of my favourite times in the year!LOL
I'll be creating some card samples using these adorable stamps later on in the week, so be sure and check out their site, along with my samples.
Finally, I'm just going to be giving you a little teaser, but I'll be having more news later on in the week, that will be featuring myself and another large stamp company...that's all I can say at the moment.
I hope everyone has a great day.

The News is Out...

Well, I'd like to wish everyone a good morning but I'm afraid that I'm just not feeling it today. As I'm sure most of you probably know by now, we have decided to close the store.
It was not an easy decision to make, but it was a necessary one. I loved being a store owner, not only did it afford me the luxury of going to work almost everyday and loving what I did, but it allowed me to meet amazing people who also share my love of crafting.
As store owners we have been able to travel, to see the latest products before they hit the shelves, and of course to meet celebrities in our industry, and yes I mean Tim Holtz!LOL
I just want everyone to know that this is not the end, and that you haven't heard the last from Jodie Heuser. I will still be posting regularly on my blog, plus I'm looking into starting up some personal ventures so you will want to stay tuned for that.
Thank you everyone for your well wishes and support and I will post again on Monday. I hope everyone has a blessed weekend.

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge

Good morning folks,
Boy am I tired at the moment. Not only did I work a crop on Friday night, but also another private crop last night and I'm heading off to work within the next half hour. Needless to say I'm feeling a little droopy at the moment!LOL
But even though fatigue is setting in, that didn't stop me from making some cards. Here is a card I created using the sketches from Priscilla Styles home of the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge. If you want some inspirations you definitely want to swing by this site. Not only do they have weekly sketches, but you can win blog candy as well.
Now onto my card...

This little lady was made with stamps from Artful Stamper and from a set by My Favorite Things. I created the mat for the image from copper metal and I used the Nestabilities Pendant.

I colored her in with my Copic Markers then added Flower Soft in her hair and used the AtYou Spica Glitter pens for added punch.
Please enjoy!

Whiff of Joy Guest Design Team Entry

Good evening everyone,
I hope that you are all have a great weekend so far. The cooler weather is leaving Florida, unfortunately.
Whiff of Joy is having a Guest Design Team call, you can click here for the details. I left this until late, so the call ends tonight, so here is my entry...

I colored Charlotte in with my copic markers and simply followed the sketch. I used only scraps believe it or not for this card, so it did come together pretty quickly.
Hope you enjoy it!

Impression Obsession Challenge - Odd Shaped Card

Hello everyone, I hope you all are enjoying your weekend, and some of you even have a 3 day weekend. Here is a little creative inspiration to hopefully get those juices flowing.
This is a card I submitted for another Impression Obsession Challenge. The funny thing is that I thought the deadline was tonight at midnight. Turns out the deadline isn't until next Saturday, Jan. 23rd. I made myself have time management through a mistake, can't beat that!LOL

The card base was done with a pre-made base that we have at the shop in a variety of colors. Then to get the various mats, I used my Nestabilities along with my Cuttlebug.
The stamp set is "Smell the Coffee" and of course I colored in the image with my Copic markers.
Please enjoy and have a great night!

Splitcoaststampers Challenge - Card Sketch 262 and Mojo Monday 120 Challenge

Good afternoon everyone,
I'm a little tired today, was out late celebrating with friends for my birthday. I've been surfing the web trying to get done all sorts of challenges, well here is another submission,

The card is one which I am doing in my technique class on Jan. 20th, so I won't go into too much detail, however...
The coloring was done with chalks and a dove blender, that's all I'm saying!LOL The fish stamp is one from our stamp wall in the crop room.
Now as if that's not enough...
Here is another challenge from the blog Mojo Monday

This card is being submitted not only for the blog challenge but also for my monthly stamping get together, Java with Jodie.
The stamps are from Inkadinkado and of course coffee is the theme. Don't forget if you wish to make these cards for yourself, check out the store's class calendar and sign up when you can.
Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!

Impression Obsession Challenge - Spring

Hi everyone,
Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. Today is my birthday, YEA ME! lol and so far it's been wonderful. My husband got me great gifts, and we're heading out this evening to celebrate some more with friends. Now on to the crafting...
This is the latest entry for my
Impression Obsession Challenge.

The card was created with Leigh Hannan's stamp titled F2290-Flower Pitchers. The image was colored in with Copic markers and the paper is from Little Yellow Bicycle.
If you haven't ever done a challenge, I strongly urge you to give them a try. They help stimulate those creative juices, plus challenges help you use that product that all of us have sitting in our crafting realms, gathering dust!LOL
Have a great Saturday!

I'm Baaaaccckkkk!

I can't believe it's been about 3 weeks since my last post. I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season.
Here is my latest creation and it's posted for a challenge on Splitcoaststampers.

The challenge was to create a card using limited supplies, a card that could be created in 15 mins. or less. To be honest I made this one in about 18 mins. but in my defense the extra 3 minutes were trying to decide which Copic marker to use and to blend with!LOL
To look at the card close up, on the white section I stamped a rose background with Versamark, then embossed it with clear powder, just to give the background a subtle look,

I also used the Cuttlebug to emboss the solid red paper, then cut out the images and mats using a Nestabilities.
Hope you have a great evening!