And the winners are. . .

Nicole Boyles

Sara Garza

Robin Stedem

We did a "musical mouse" game to pick them instead of numbers. Noah turned around, I rolled the mouse, and he told me when to stop! Please send us a note at jennibowlin@gmail.com ladies with your address and the stamps will be on the way! I need to do this more often as I so enjoyed reading all of the posts!

And. . . here is a peek at the new paper line for the May kit called "Spring Picnic":

Thanks for the hints on adding more photos to the blog. I am so impatient!!

Weekend Re-Cap, A Great Cause, A Preview and A Giveaway!!!

God blessed us with a BEAUTIFUL weekend here. Sunny skies and 70+ degrees for 3 days. After the yard sale on Saturday, we headed out to a friend's house with stocked ponds so the boys could fish. Here is the one catch of the day (yes, the "1" catch). . .

On Sunday we drove 2 hours East to Fall Creek Falls with the Mannella's. Again - it was beautiful and we had a great time (all of us trying to keep up with Jared. It was nice to have some company on the back of the trail). Here is a photo I snapped of Rich and his and Ruth's eldest. A little blurry but I still thought it was sweet:

And. . . for those of you waiting for a May preview here is a little one:

This is the new JBS rubber stamp in the May kit!!! You know I have to incorporate journaling somehow so I took my favorite bird image from the new rub-ons and added the banner. I'm so excited to play with this one!

I also wanted to tell you about a local event going on this coming weekend in the Carthage area. I was looking for an opportunity to donate tons of great product I had been given over the year for book projects, etc. I connected with Jane at my yard sale and found out she was putting on a "Crop and Shop for a Cause" to benefit Habitat for Humanity (one of my very favorite charities). So, she is coming by today to pick up two large boxes from me of brand new products (companies have been so generous to me, but even over the course of a year, I can't use everything!!! AND, many times I buy it because I'm impatient and then find it in the mail the next day!! ). It is at the Carthage United Methodist Church this Fri. April 27 and Sat. April 28. You can contact Jane at turner4062@bellsouth.net for more info.

And, because I am in a generous mood, I have 3 boxes of several new or gently used rubber stamps going to random posts here. I will check the blog on Friday morn. and have Noah help me choose three winners. So post away!! (I would add a photo here but apparently blogger only lets you post 3 pics in one post)!

Yard Sale Queens

That is me and Ruth. And we are last minute girls. Both of us get so tired of the clutter that we can't handle it anymore and we MUST purge today, you know?

So. . . Ruth and I are having a Yard Sale on Friday and Saturday (April 20th and 21st). 8:00 on. Tons of new scrapbook stuff and display stuff (from me- not Ruth. Still haven't gotten her to do a page)!

If you are local and want directions just send Ruth a note at jennibowlin@gmail.com.

Now back to the attic. . .

(and P.S. - for my stores, the wholesale newsletter should go out tonight and new items should be available by Friday. You can sign up for this newsletter if you are a store by using the link that says "retailers" on the bottom of the home page at the site)!!

A few more kits found and a quick preview!

I swear at least once a day I come up with something profound to blog about it. I really do. Do any of you do that out there? I always have good intentions and big ideas but I never seem to find the time. I really would like to use this for more than just a "newsletter" but time has not been on my side lately. . .

So. . .on to the "news"!

Tomorrow at 8:00pm central time I will put the Papercrafting Kits for April back up for sale. I had a few materialize after we finalized billing.

And, here is a little preview of whats to come! This is one of 6 of the new rub-ons styles from JBS (each style is also available in antique cream). There will be one in each kit next month (this style will be in the Add-On kit) and they will also be available for sale at the site beginning in May. Wholesale information will go out on them this week if you are a store on that list.

Just in case you missed it. . .

Here is the layout I had in the April newsletter made with this month's kit and the Add-On kit. This is my favorite picture of my mother as a little girl:

I will most likely have a few more of this month's Papercrafting Kit once I get through this next week and some final billing. I will post here if I do and will give a day and time when I will put them back up for sale. I went ahead and put a few more of the Project Kits from this month back for sale at the site. There are also still a few more of these add-on kits.

The gallery will be up by the end of the day on Thursday as usual. My guest designer this month is the wonderful Cathy Blackstone. Don't you think this kit has her written all over it??

I will share some hints on the May kit soon but it is 95% new JBS product!!! Can you believe that! Paper, rub-ons, journaling cards, chipboard, scalloped notecards, flower felt and a new rubber stamp! The new collection is called "Spring Picnic". Think pinks, blues and deep red.

Look for a little green coming this summer to JBS too!

New Music

When I am anticipating alot of time in front of the computer I usually make a run to Best Buy for new music! I have to get the wholesale site images loaded tonight and tomorrow (lots of photoshop sizing) so I made a quick run yesterday. I was motivated also in part because the new Alison Krause CD was released yesterday and I new I had to have that. There are some songs previously released (mostly from the Cold Mountain soundtrack which I also have), but I believe there are 5 new ones. This one is worth every penny. I also picked up Robin Thicke (I can't explain his sound - but you will grove to this!) and Paolo Nutini. I picked up Ben Harper's newest from late last year as well, but haven't put it in yet. This is the first time I have bought a round of CD's in a long time where I enjoyed every track.

Maroon 5's new one comes out on the 17th and I am pumped about that! I always say I just like good music, not matter the genre. You can look at my playlist and tell that for sure.

So there's my reviews for now. I'm avoiding photoshop but I must get back at it! I just ran to Cold Stone Creamery for a little double dark chocolate with almonds to get me through the night. So much for the bathing suit this year. Maybe I'll get one of those with the little skirts!

New Products!! - Midnight tonight, central time zone

Tonight at midnight the new kits for April will be for sale as well as the following items found in the JBS exclusive product area:

Black Line Paper Packs

Red and Black Line Mini Paper Packs

Red and Black Die Cut Label Paper

Scroll Label Rubber Stamp (from the March Kit)

Black Journaling Cards

Journaling Stars Printed Tickets

Who, Where, When Printed Tickets

Red, Black, Blue and Pink Label Stickers (FYI that the red label stickers are in this month's kit and the pink label stickers will be in next month's kit)

Remember to choose the combine option at checkout if you are currently a member and would like for your cart items to ship with you monthly kit(s). You have this option every month until the 5th.

Also remember that the Add-On kit is shown under "Limited Edition Kits". This month it includes the sweetest German Scrap children, more than 50 years old! Here is a photo:

It's a long one. . .

but it should be after almost 2 weeks, right?

We had a great time at Disney. It was not a planned vacation really. Just decided to go a couple of weeks earlier. I HAD to get away and spend some time with the boys one on one. From a business perspective I had no business doing this right now. From the "mom" perspective, I couldn't not. They have been so neglected - by both of us really. So, I spent 6 days taking Dramine and walking until my feet and legs ached (with a half million other people always on your trail)! It was crowded, but it was honestly manageable. I bought these shirts at Target for them the day we left in preparation for the Magic Kingdom:

We headed right for Pirates of the Caribbean when we got there to see Jack Sparrow. I can't believe how realistic it was -so amazing. The boys rode everything they were able to ride. Christian got on Space Mountain (barely made it in) and put his hands up right away - I couldn't believe it. Here we are afterwards:

This was his expression the entire trip -every picture.

After this, they were ready to tackle Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom (our favorite Disney park)! They just opened this last year and it is very, very cool. An amazing end- but I will leave that surprise to those who will be going soon! Christian rode it 4 times, Noah 6. He even stood in line and rode by himself one of those times. He is officially hooked on Roller Coasters. He did his first "upside down" one at MGM Studios with the Rock and Roller Coaster. And he rode Tower of Terror twice. Unbelievable for the kid who yelled "go bye bye" everyday we entered the parks on his first trip 5 years ago!

For those who stuck it through my boring vacation play-by-play, here is a little preview. A little birdie told me JBS is introducing felt shapes and these are the 3 you will be getting in the March Kit! Ready for stiching and sequins (or whatever else the creative mind will come up with for embellishment)!

(for my stores reading this, you be getting the information on the felt, rub-ons and scalloped notecards in the next week to 10 days. If you still have not signed up for wholesale information please do so using the "retailer" link at the website. We will be launching the wholesale site in about a week)!

Way too long. . .

So sorry for the long hiatus. I had a weekend teaching event in Birmingham the 15th - 17th (thanks Scrap Etc. - it was a WONDERFUL event!) and came home just in time to board a plane for Disneyworld!

I have updates and yes, sneak peaks for you. It will be tomorrow or Thursday for sure. I am so far behind and just trying to play catch up now!

Substitution Kits. . .

will go back on sale at 4:00 this afternoon (central time). I have quite a few again so I don't expect them to sell out right away. This is the best I can do with my timing here as I am headed to Scrap Etc. for the event there this evening (looking forward to seeing all of you)!

PLEASE NOTE (and this will be shown when you purchase) - if your order includes the substitution kit, we will not begin shipping these until Tuesday, March 27th. The rubber stamps are due in by the end of next week and we are unable to ship until then. I just want to make sure anyone that purchases this is aware of that. Again, it will also be posted in the product description at the site.

I am going crazy- decided that is just how life is going to be for a little while. Looking forward to a calm down soon!!!

More Substitution Kits (!) and other news. . .

My sweet friends at Stampotique are able to get me a few more stamps, so I am going to put the substitution kits back up for sale in a couple of days. I will let you know the exact day and time here. Another reason to be a blog reader!

You can find the hangers from the Project Kit online at http://www.characterconstructions.com/cgi-bin/itsmy/go.exe?page=11&domain=1&webdir=catherinemoore

Some of the star tickets will be included in the April kit tin for those that wondered. They will also be for sale at the site sometime in April and available at a store near you hopefully!

The March Gallery will be live by tomorrow evening. Here is something to tide you over. I photographed it a little crooked but you get the idea:

Check these out!!

Aren't they cute?? Something that has been in my head for a long time. They come in 2 styles, 3 colors each. They will be bundled together, 6 of each color (18 total tickets) per style.

The two styles are "Journaling Stars" and "Who, Where, When":

The wholesale newsletter will go out by the end of the weekend for those that signed up on the Retailers link at the site. We do not officially "launch" until April, but we are going to go ahead and offer the bulk of the line at this time!

I have some more fun things to tease soon, including felt shapes and rub-ons!!

So, so busy- I know I don't pop in here very often. I am really hoping for some more time soon! (Oh- and here is some more booty from a week or so ago. I am sitting on the barkcloth pillow now and I must say it is quite comfy)!

Lightbulb moment. . . !

Hubby and I put our heads together and came up with an idea!! Tomorrow at 11:00am, (central time zone) I will put a substitution kit for sale under "Limited Edition Kits". This will basically include all of the JBS exclusive products - 12 x 12's, minis, die cut label cardstock, label stickers, star chipboard frame, journaling cards and the rubber stamp. I will even throw in a little sprinkle of the blue butterfly sequins. This kit will be $18.50 and it will only be available this way for this month (or until they are sold out, but I will have quite a few). The pieces will not be offered individually until next month.

So, if you are interested or know someone who might be you can let them know!

I'm hoping to get a decent photo of it to post in the morning. We are under tornado warnings at the moment - no sun all day!

Sorry to disappoint. . .

I wish I could tell you that the whole inventory thing is an exact science, but it never seems to work out that way! I'm so sorry we sold out so fast and disappointed some of you. I do have a suggestion though!!

Most of the product from this kit, more than half, was exclusive JBS product. The pattern paper, tiny papers, label stickers, die cut label cardstock, journaling cards and the rubber stamp - these are all things that will be available for individual sale. So, the good news is, you can purchase the majority of the kit that way!! We normally do not put the new product up until the 1st of the following month, but I will try to get all of these things on the site individually in the next 2 weeks or so - a little early at least. I am still waiting on my full shipments of some things. And, if you wanted to add a little to this, you could always purchase the Add-On kit now, knowing that you are interested in purchasing these items? Just a thought. . .

Many of you are asking me about the hangers for the Project Kit - I will post a source here on the blog for you in the next couple of days, okay?

Project Kit

I promised the chatters at Scrap -a -Faire that I would post a peak at this month's Project Kit. Here you go! 5 x7 collages that clip right onto these sweet hangers (I can see these all over my house)!

Available beginning tonight after midnight!

Just a couple quick reminders - if you aren't sure if you have a membership or not for either kit, please check your account before purchasing an additional membership. If you signed up using the reservation link this month, you are all set to be automatically billed on the 6th (and the month's thereafter) for the Papercrafting Kit.

Also - combined shipping for members is only available the 1st through the 5th by checking the box at checkout. You pay full shipping up front and then pay little or no shipping when your membership is billed.

And - the add on kit each month can be viewed under the "Limited Edition Kit" section under "shop".

And - (you thought I was done!), the Red Journaling Cards will be restocked tonight (and the rubber stamps will be back in stock very soon)!

Short but very sweet. . .

So I know I have been absent for a while (has it really been a week?) but I have tons of stuff up my sleeve. . .

Here is a quick preview of March. The next set of JBS papers!

And did I mention that there is also a new Journaling Card set to match, a new die cut cardstock weight paper shaped like a label, the sweetest 4 x4 papers AND new label stickers??? All new from JBS. . . (not to mention the new stamp shown in the last post). Mix this with new Luxe designs rub-ons, some Heidi Swapp goodies and the sweetest butterfly sequins in the palest of blues and you have the March Papercrafting Kit!

Check out my booty!!!

I feel like all I have done is work lately, morning until night. Not that I am complaining, but my "soul" really needed some inspiration. I ran out a little each day, Wednesday and Thursday and came up with these goodies, mostly from Scarlett Scales. The bust is a male, yes I know. I decided he is going to just have to get in touch with his feminine side. I plan to make collage necklaces and hang them on him (and of course, a star). I need to come up with a name for him- any suggestions? Maybe it could be a contest, hmmm. . .

The plates are for my dining room. The butterflies are old candy molds (I love these- wish I picked up the rest) and the big pin is holding old steel cut buckles, most likely from shoes.

And while I can't share these things with you, here is something I can:

The new JBS stamp for the March kit - it made my heart jump when I opened the box. So many ideas for how to use this one. Can't wait to play!!

I am HOPING to get my studio cleaned up and rearranged tomorrow (to get these new goodies in). I found a new piece I want to work in as well - keep trying to convince hubby this is part of the creative process for me! I will take some photos if I ever finish!!

Jan. PCK's, New Class Packs and Sale!

I have a few little bits of info for everyone that may be of interest so read on!

If you missed the Jan Papercrafting Kit and were bummed about it, you may still have a chance to get one. Melissa (my great paper packer!) found 8 kits from Jan. when she was packing things up for Feb. They are missing the gold foil trim, but otherwise, they are complete. If you would like one, they are $26 (factoring in the missing trim). You must send a note to Ruth at jennibowlin@gmail.com and we can bill your account. First come first serve (so blog readers will benefit)!

If you are a teacher or store owner who would be interested in coordinated materials (in sets of 25 usually) to use for classes or crops, please send a note to Ruth as well with your contact info. Many times I end up with overages of certain products for various reasons and have decided to group these items into "class packs" that teachers could easily develop a class around. They will be sold a little below wholesale so it is a great deal for those who can't normally purchase this way for their classes. I will send out an e-mail to those on this list when I get them together, with photos, and they will be sold first come first serve as well.

Also- don't forget our sale on past kits! I am down to 1 - 7 kits left on 4 of the months, so if you were thinking about this, you may want to grab them up before they are gone! The sale ends when they are gone, or the last day of the month, whichever comes first!

And finally, we have enhanced the "Share" area of the site. You can now search by month! This will give you the opportunity to see all of the layouts that apply to any given month's kit. You will now be prompted at upload to submit that info. AND. . . you can now see the username when you view the layouts (most recent, etc.) and it will take you to that person's gallery directly to see more. We will continue to enhance this area as we grow!

Oh- and the February gallery is live. Emily's stuff is amazing! Here was my favorite. . .

P.S. - for those of you who have Sonic in your area, you must try the Sweetheart blast! It tastes like a chocolate covered cherry - just divine!

Pour a cup of coffee. . .

this is a long one! So much to talk about. "Blog" has been on my "to do" list for a couple of days now. I finally got my photos downloaded and my thoughts together (and a moment when something else wasn't needing my attention)!

CHA was so much fun. I truly LOVE it. The shows are the only time of the year I get to see so many of my friends so it is always one big reunion! I think what I loved the most this time around was getting to meet some of our members. People are always surprised that I recognize their names. I really have been involved in the day to day operation of everything since the beginning. Some of you have made it through the entire year with us!

Saturday night I taught at the Scrapbook Oasis in Irvine for Wendy and Karen. I LOVE this place- I'm not sure if I have ever taught a better group of women (it's why I keep coming back)! I was even able to meet some of my friends from Singapore and Japan. Very, very fun night! Here is a little photo Wendy took after the class (kind of a tradition for the husbands and wives who come to visit)!

Show was so inspiring! I think this was the best as far as new product goes in a while. Some of my favorites? Anna Griffin paper (the summer line had papers that screamed beach- they also have some great new accessories), Scenic Route (I told them to just send me a case of the new background papers), Melissa Frances (a very sweet new glitter chipboard color), Fontwerks (besides the stamps of course, great new journaling cards), Autumn Leaves (Foofala had papers like Vintage wallpaper), Luxe Designs (Pam Lambie is so talented. Picked up one of the rub-ons for the March kit), Li'l Davis (loved the extensions to the plain chipboard line) and of course 7gypsies and Heidi Swapp. I did the most damage in both of these booths! Here is a photo of the mirrored wall at HS:

This was done with the new masks. I picked one up for the March Add-On kit (as well as the rest of the booth I think)! And here are some photos from 7gypsies. I asked Donna if I could take this mannequin with me: (Okay, I have tried 10 times to upload this photo and more below and it is just not happening tonight. I will try again in the next post).

I also had the pleasure of finally meeting Monique from Scrap Etc. in Alabama. I am SO excited to be a part of this event. It is March 15th - 18th in Birmingham. Monique has such a cool vision for the event - one of those where you are so inspired that you can't sleep at night. You can sign up here and find out more information. My local girls went last year and loved it (had NO complaints which is a great accomplishment for a first year event)! Listening to Stacy Julian speak is worth the money right there! I will continue to post updates about it here.

I am working on a ton of "surprises"! I will share the next round of JBS papers with you next week - they will be the base of the March kit.

Have a great night!

So sorry. . .

we sold out so fast on the Papercrafting Kit! HOWEVER, if you missed it and would like to start a membership with March (and also possibly still get this month's kit) please send a note to jennibowlin@gmail.com and Ruth will let you know how to get set up. We always have a few more kits that become available after billing, so she will let the people on this list know first if we do indeed have more Feb. kits.

Still promise to post about CHA. I actually took my camera this time (what a novel idea). I just need to find a moment to download the photos onto the computer. I need one more day to catch up! If you knew of all of the new products I had in store you would forgive me for it surely!!!