How lovely ... welcome to Discovery Drive! In December, I often find myself in penetrating nostalgic thought - pondering of moments past and memories of childhood. Come, meet our newest Discovery, Jennifer Cassista. See, Jennifer's style caught my eye this time.

So often caught up with current trends, styles, colors and products, I think sometimes we as scrapbookers abandon the possibility of timelessness on a page. I'm not saying scrapbooking has to be timeless, I'm all for new releases and the things "they" come up with at the craft shows. However, I've also been a heritage scrapper (part of the 'moments of past'- it has been a while!). However, when heritage scrapping, I often found myself striving for timelessness.

I see Jennifer's style and color, tones and dimension, and I imagine my Mema's old, faded, yellowed, cracked photos feeling right at home on Jennifer's style of a page. Timelessness.

Take a look below. Jennifer's layouts look as if they came right out of an old newspaper, yet somehow she maintains a current feel to each of them. Mentally remove her photos and insert a heritage photo of yore. See how they work so perfectly? I can pretty much put any decade into her layouts and it would work. Timelessness.

Don't forget to mentally put Jennifer's photographs back in, for they wouldn't be her layouts without her memories. How lovely all that depth and dimension and the look of those flowers - as if she dried and preserved them herself!

Congratulations, Jennifer, on being discovered. I wish you all the success and timelessness your books can handle.

Oh The Places You Will Go by Jennifer Cassista

Supplies: Papers: Graphic 45, Cardstock: Die Cuts With a View, Rub-Ons: Making Memories, Tag: Rebecca Sower, Ephemera: EK Success, Specialty Ink: Tattered Angels, Ink: Ranger, Other: tassel.

Design Notes: I decided to make a die cut out of the patterned paper, ink the edges and pop it up on pop dots for dimension, but I kept the rest of the patterned paper piece as the background. Glimmer mist adds a subtle sheen to the page adding to the aged and distressed look of the layout. I think it's important to have some journaling done by hand on my layouts. I enjoy seeing my Grandmother's penmanship and I hope someone will be happy to see mine someday.

Journaling: You're future is bright and we couldn't be more proud.

Young Love by Jennifer Cassista

Supplies: Papers: Graphic 45, Cardstock: Core'dinations, Specialty Ink, Lace: Prima Marketing, Tool: Distresser (Tim Holtz), Other: pins, button, metal filigree, fibers.

Editor's Notes: Jennifer creatively reinvented the neckline on the dress with the "unzippered" look of her papers. Try mirroring a pattern or shape on your next layout.

Design Notes: I altered the photo to appear old, then I distressed it with the Tim Holtz distressor. I am a big fan of using stick pins on my layouts - I love the subtle feel they give.

Best Friends by Jennifer Cassista

Supplies: Paper: Inque Boutique, Flowers, Butterfly: Prima Marketing, Pearls: Stampin' Up!, Ranger, Pin: created from Stampin Up! products, Buttons, Flowers: Walmart, Fabric: Fabricland, Bling: Kaisercraft, Tool: Template (Crafter's Workshop), Other: metal filigree, metallic fibers.

Design Notes: I like to recycle items that would normally be destined for the garbage. I use a spray of flowers and tear off the green plastic veins and use them in my layouts to add dimension and interest. On this layout, the multiple layers of patterned papers have been shaped with border punches and a Crafter's Workshop template.

Editor's Note: Layering and stacking your elements on a frame-like background can create a dimensional layout without a lot of height. On this layout, Jennifer also uses the angling in her photograph to contribute to that height.

Hi! My name is Jennifer Cassista and I live in Rockwood, ON, Canada. I am married to the love of my life, Gary, and we have 2 amazing children; Jessica and Ryan. The kids are the subjects of most of my layouts and they usually run for cover when I get my camera out. I am a full time labour and delivery nurse. I couldn't have picked a better profession. It satisfies my technical side and my scrapping satisfies my creative side. You will often find me creating after I get home from working a 12 hour night shift. I create the best when I am tired, it seems. You can check out my blog for more of my work!