I was in junior high when I discovered a hobby that would end up changing my life.
It happened at the county fair. My sister and I stopped to watch a rubber stamping and heat embossing demonstration. My parents bought us a starter kit, and that was it. We were hooked!
Soon we were spending our babysitting money on stamps, we converted a spare bedroom into a stamping room, and we began attending monthly D.O.T.S. (Dozens of Terrific Stamps) parties with friends.
Back then, I was a pretty quiet, shy girl who simply loved making things. I never would have imagined that someday I’d be teaching classes, making YouTube videos, and connecting with crafters all over the world.
But that’s exactly what happened. And it all started with a few rubber stamps.
But I’m getting ahead of myself…
Hi, I’m Jayma!
Whether you’ve been following me for years or you’re new around here, I thought it would be fun to reintroduce myself!
I’m a scrapbooker at heart, but I also love cardmaking, stamping, die-cutting, and just about anything that involves playing with paper. I’m a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, leader of the Paper Divas team, and part of the Creative Design Team.
I’m also wife to my best friend, mom to two wonderful kids, and dog mom to our husky. By day, I work in digital marketing, and after living in several states over the years, my family and I are happy to call the Denver, Colorado, area home.
How a Hobby Became So Much More
As I got older, school and life took priority, and crafting took a back seat for a while. But years later, a coworker and I discovered we’d both attended D.O.T.S. parties growing up. We got curious about whether the company was still around, and we discovered that D.O.T.S. had become Close to My Heart!
I hosted a party, made a card, and immediately wanted ALL THE THINGS. So naturally, I signed up to become a consultant in August 2008!
What started as a hobby became something much bigger. Over the next 16 years, I discovered a passion for teaching and sharing my creativity. I slowly built a business, earned incentive trips*, and met incredible people.
When Close to My Heart announced its closure in 2024, I was heartbroken. But that ending also opened the door to a new chapter with Stampin’ Up!, where I’ve been able to continue doing what I love.
Want to Join the Fun?
And speaking of Stampin’ Up!, if you’ve ever thought about joining, October is a great time to do it! New demonstrators get an extra $50 in Stampin’ Rewards when they join this month. And you don’t have to teach classes or build a business to join. Plenty of people sign up simply to enjoy the discount on their favorite crafting supplies!
I’d love to welcome you to my Paper Divas team, where we share ideas, inspiration, and lots of crafty fun! Read FAQs and learn more about joining my team here.
But one of the greatest gifts of this journey is that it’s helped a once quiet, shy girl find her voice. I never imagined I’d be teaching classes, making YouTube videos, or connecting with crafters all over the world!
Want to hear more about my creative journey? In this video, I share how scrapbooking became so much more than a hobby and some of the unexpected ways it’s changed my life! You can also watch my creative journey on YouTube.
Helping You Confidently Create Layouts You Love
I started posting regularly on YouTube in 2018, and it’s become one of my favorite ways to share my love of scrapbooking.
One thing you’ll notice about my videos is that I don’t just show you a finished project. I like to bring you along for the entire creative process, including the decisions, changes of direction, and mistakes!
I especially love explaining the why behind my design decisions. Why did I choose that patterned paper? Why did I arrange the photos that way? Does this layout really need another embellishment?
My hope is that you’ll take those ideas, make them your own, and feel more confident creating layouts you love.
Because scrapbooking should be fun, not complicated!
You can find lots of scrapbooking process videos, cardmaking tutorials, and other creative inspiration on my YouTube channel.
More Than Just Paper and Stamps
As much as I love creating, the friendships I’ve made through this hobby are what make it truly special.
I’m so fortunate to be part of the Creative Design Team, where we share scrapbooking and cardmaking classes, sketchbooks, events, and creative inspiration with crafters around the world.
And through my Paper Divas team, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with even more wonderful people who share my love of paper crafting.
Some of my dearest friends are people I never would have met if it weren’t for this hobby. How amazing is that?!
A Little Blog Revival!
If you’ve been around for a while, you may remember that I used to blog much more regularly. I started this blog back in 2018, but as my YouTube channel grew, most of my creative sharing stayed over there.
Well, I’m bringing the blog back!
My goal is to share my YouTube projects here too, along with photos, supplies, helpful tips, and other creative inspiration. I know not everyone has time to sit down and watch a video, so I hope having everything here on the blog will make it easier to find ideas when you need them.
And since this blog is connected to my email list, you’ll be hearing from me when I publish new posts!
I’m So Glad You’re Here!
Whether you’ve been crafting with me since my Close to My Heart days or just discovered me recently, been scrapbooking for years or just started…thank you for being here.
I hope this little corner of the internet inspires you to pull out your supplies, try something new, and enjoy the creative process.
And if you’d like to hear more of my story, including photos of the very first scrapbook I made for my dad when I was 15, you can read my full About Me page here.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments! How did you first discover me, and how long have you been scrapbooking or cardmaking?
Happy crafting!
Jayma
*Mandatory disclaimer: fewer than 1% of Stampin’ Up demonstrators earn incentive trips.
This page may contain affiliate links. By clicking on those links and making a purchase, you are helping to support my small business at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
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