Come with me, my love...

to the sea, the "Sea of Love!" I want to tell you.... how much.... I love you........ AND how much you are going to LOVE the latest release from A Muse- yes!- SEA OF LOVE! First, a huge wish for a Blessed New Year to All! and what better way to ring in 2010 than with the first amuse bouche of the new decade. I am totally enamored with the images of this latest release. The marine life theme lends to fun, whimsical creative goodness! We are kicking off our sneak peaks with Valentines for kids. Since my daughters both love to receive cards that "do something" I decided it was a perfect time to bring out the hair gel and pair it up with this adorable Jellyfish image for an undersea, bubbly effect! You can find an awesome Gel Card tutorial on SCS, I simply modified the measurements a bit to fit the A Muse Robin's Egg 4-bar note cards. The sentiment bubbles are Chiffon pink. Be sure to check out A Muse News, as well as, The Lounge for links to more a muse bouche fun! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse supplies: stamps- Jellyfish, Stuck on you notecards: Robin's Egg, Pink Chiffon

Quarterly Copic Marker Club Coming to OUAS

If you live in or around the Huntsville area and LOVE Copic markers, you will definitely want to read about THIS awesome opportunity at Once Upon a Scrapbook!

Think Simple...

Christmas is only 16 days away (this blogger takes a minute for a small moment of panic) and although I have been steadily plodding along in my preparation, I still feel that I have far to go! In the past, I am ashamed to say, that Christmas cards were often neglected because I simply did not have time to make them. BUT that was before I embraced the whole "Think Simple Think A Muse" creative mentality. Now "simple" does not mean "easy." Often it takes me quite a while to come up with my "simple" designs because I am uber picky about details. What IS wonderful about "simple" is the ability to reproduce those designs quickly and in mass! I taught this snowflake design this past July during A Muse a palooza at Once Upon a Scrapbook- it was a huge hit and has many "favorites" on mine- favorite color combo, glitter, ribbon, A Muse note cards, A Muse Twinkle stickers, Simple Stick powder.... and best of all, takes just a few minutes to reproduce! So it's not to late to get started on those Christmas cards- just "Think Simple, Think A Muse!" And since you are going to be saving so much time on your Christmas card prep- you'll have plenty of time to head over to the A Muse News blog to see all the beautiful Christmas goodies the A Muse Creative Team has to share with you! It's ALWAYs a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Supplies- stamps- Floral snowflake, winter wishes hand; note card- sky blue band; sheer swiss red ribbon; simple stick powder, clear twinkle stickers. Non- A Muse supplies Colorbox pigment ink in Robin's egg, crystal glitter

Rachel is Turning 6!

It is so hard for me to believe that my baby will be turning 6 in a little over a week! She is so excited about the fact she will be 6-years-old and equally excited about her Build-a-Bear party. Yes, that is where she had it last year but she wanted to go again- they are only 6 once! We found some really cute mermaid paper products in the dollar section of Target back in the summer that she really liked, so I decided to make the invitations to match using one of my current favorite A Muse stamps, Mandy's World Mermaid Girl! These little Mandy's World images are all super cute and oh, so versatile. Since they are open, line images you get to use all those fun coloring techniques but they are not so over detailed that they cannot be massed produced for party favors, stationary sets, you name it! The inspiration for the design of this invitation came from a card by Joyce Wheeler. If you don't know Joyce or her completely inspiring 13-year-0ld daughter, Kayla, please stop by her blog for and incredible story (and some awesome eye candy)!

After coloring the little Mermaid Girl image with my Copic markers and punching it out with a circle punch, I mounted it on a scalloped punch piece of vellum. In maintaining the under-the-sea, fairy tale theme, I added a bit of crystal glitter to the scallops for an ethereal effect. The belly band in punched with EK Success Dotted Swiss border bunch- I love the way it gives a bubbly effect. The sentiment is not A Muse (gasp)! but this one from PTI did the job just fine (had to convince myself that I would be the only bothered by the fact that the font on the outside did not exactly match the font on the inside)! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and that you are moving steadily along with your Christmas preparations (don 't forget those hand made cards)! It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Fast & Fabulous Holiday Cards

Today begins a new series of posts on the A Muse News blog- Fast & Fabulous Holiday cards. I'm excited to say that I, along with the ever talented Tisha have cards featured today. Christmas is certainly just around the corner and the hustle and bustle of the season is just getting started. If you are like me and have not started to to make your Christmas cards then "fast & fabulous" is just what the doctor ordered. Two of my favorite things to use when I need to create a card fast are used in this design. First, A Muse notecards- they are truly da bomb. It is as simple as opening a package and pulling out a pre-cut, pre-scored little treasure! The white core allows for the inside sentiment and personal note to show up perfectly- no more making card fronts then cutting another white card and adhering the front to it! And, bonus of all bonus, the 4-bar size mails without any additional postage!!!! Another good reason to "think simple, think A Muse" so that the layers and embellishments don't cost you extra! Another item that really makes a great quick card is a punch! Yes, I have a huge collection of beautiful dies and I love them as much as the next crafter, BUT when time if of the essence and you want to mass produce, nothing is quicker than our handy punches. Be sure to check out the A Muse blog each day this week for some more Fast and Fabulous Holiday Card ideas! It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse products used: Stamps- Evergreen branch, Monogram Frames clear set, Peace and Cheer clear set; White 4-bar notecards, Micro Dot Twinkle Stickers
Other- Memento Cottage Ivy ink, Crystal Glitter, Sakura Quickie Glue pen

Christmas in Cullman

Please join me from 1:00- 3:00 tomorrow at Scrapin' Kats for Christmas in Cullman. We will be making free make-n-takes which you make choose to keep for yourself or donate them to Operation Write Home.

Go Pink Popsicles

With the end of October came the end of Y6 Girls Soccer. This year due to the fuchsia jerseys, the girls named themselves the "Pink Popsicles"- super cute! Although score is not officially kept at this age level, these little gals were on fire this year, not only in scoring goals but supporting their team and showing awesome sportsmanship! I give credit for this to our head coach, Susan, who, also, happens to be one of my bffs! Not only did Susan coach our team BUT she coached her daughters team AND her twin sons team while homeschooling and remaining very active in her church- a truly incredible gal! To show our appreciation to her, the parents took a collection for a gift card which I put in this card I made. The one thing that stood out about the card was that the little stick figure did a fair job at representing each team member. While it did take me a bit of patience lining up all the arms, legs, bodies and heads from this SU stamp set, it was definitely a labor of love for my good friend! The alpha stamps are, of course, A Muse- my favorite-little Polka dot lower case small and the sparkly Popsicle is a Quickutz die.

Here is a photo of a very proud Rachel receiving her trophy for this year from Coach Susan! Remember it's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Sneaking in a Little Fall/Halloween Goodies

Without a lot of boring (and whiny) details October was a rough month- flu, computer crash, the usual soccer, scouts, & dance AND a wonderful trip to Seattle to meet up with all my A Muse Gals! Needless to say, it got me way behind on blogging. I was super busy crafting so although late, I thought I would share a bit with you hear and there. This first peek I made for of Rachel's "extra" teachers- special Ed, librarian- you get the picture. These ladies do so much to help my little girl and I wanted to show my appreciation. They are definitely "the pick of the patch!"

One thing that I really like about this image selection is the versatility! It can truly take you all the way through Fall and be completely appropriate for Thanksgiving treats! With the current trend in coloring open images, it is easy to forget all the solid images have to offer. For one thing, the ease of use makes them perfect for mass production! Keep this in mind when making those 50 or even 100 Christmas cards!

Next, there are lots of fun techniques to really give them a unique look. Here I used 2 different techniques with the Solid Pumpkin. To give it a bit of depth and texture, I used the "rock-n-roll" technique. This involves inking up with a lighter color (in this case Memento Cantaloupe) then rolling the edges with a darker color (Memento Tangelo.) I even add some Bamboo Leaves to the stem. After stamp the image, I masked it off and stamped the Vine border to add foliage to the scene. Truly a quick and easy look! Remember it's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse products used: Solid pumpkin, Vine border, Pick of the patch stamps, 8 1/2 x 11 Petite Gingham paper in Grass, Natural White notecards, Orange polka dot ribbon

A White Christmas in Alabama?????

Crazy talk, I know! But not to fret, everyone attending my Winter Wonderland classes in Alabama will learn 4 different techniques to add a bit of "faux snow" to their holiday cards and projects! Just wanted to share a little sneak peek of the one of the cards we will be making in this class. With my 2 daughters, all images "little girl" of course, appeal to me so I had to use the adorable A Muse image Girl with sled! Too cute! The Slate color colored notecards remind me of a warm gray flannel and I thought the red petite gingham paper and swiss red stitched grosgrain were awesome accents. The silver holly embelli is hand made with quickutz and double sided adhesive chipboard (also, by quickutz.) I added some MS silver glitter and red Twinkle stickers and had coordinating bling from supplies already at hand (love when a plan comes together)! Sending out a wave to Cheryl who reminded me that I had neglected my little blog lately! It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

It's been way too long...

So I thought I'd share a little sneak peek of fun to come in October. This first card is one of 4 that I will be teaching in my Too Cute to Spook class (please see my Class Blog for times and locations.) In this class we will be masking, using the rock-n-roll technique, heat embossing, and learning a cute new way to add a ruffled frame to a stamped image (and of course, having lots of Alabama A Muse Addict Fun)!
This card is 1 of 3 that will be making in my World Card Making Day class, Asian Pearls. In this 1 1/2 hour class, you will learn 3 different techniques using Pearl Ex for a bit of an elegant A Muse twist. There are still a few spaces left in both classes but space is limited to sign up ASAP! Hope to see you there!!!!

On another note, it is the time of year again for the A Muse calendar project! There are several awesome styles this year and, as usual, proceeds go to an wonderful cause! For details regarding this fun and very worthwhile event, be sure to check out this A Muse News post AND watch my Class Blog for an announcement for a super fun calendar class! It's ALWAYs a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Party Like It's A Muse Release Day

How fun is this image! Having pre-teen daughter and a younger daughter who likes Hannah Montana, I wall thrilled to see Rockin' Girl with this Back-to-school release! I have tons of different ideas for this rocker and I'm sure the rest of the Muses have awesome samples for their a muse-bouche today. For this possible party invitation, I used a glue pad and some fushia glitter to create the background with Tin plate. It reminded me of a state background. The rocker is "glittered-up" with Stickles and a bit of Glossy Accents (for a time saver, the Glossy Accents could be replaced with a Clear Spica pen.) The finishing touch, the new sentiment "party like a rockstar" with a star twinkle sticker to accent the exclamation point. Truly a simple, fun card! Be sure to check out you lss to purchase these, as well as, all of the other new BTS & Mandy's World stamps. Don't have a lss that carries A Muse- well, ask them "why not" or check out the A Muse website. It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Are you full yet?

I certainly hope not! Are you enjoying all the samples of these new A Muse goodies? Today, I've made a card featuring the new Football player and Cheerleader images. The Way to Go sentiment comes from a brand new acrylic set called "Sports Clear set." Truly it will take care of all of your sport sentiment needs! Be sure to check out what the rest of the A Muse Creative Team has designed with these fun stamps! Well, one more day of previews. How long is YOUR wish list- teeheehee! It's ALWAYs a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Stamps:Football player, Cheerleader, Sports Clear set, Fancy Borders set
Notecards: Palm, Papaya
Copic markers, Uniball Signo White Gel pen, black brad from AC

Delusions of Grandeur...

I had every intension of making 2 cards for today- 1 for the A muse-bouche and one for the August A Muse Lounge Challenge- Ink it Up- "to create something using any of your A Muse stamps that you have never used before." Well, there were plenty of un-inked stamps from this latest release and I was just itching for a chance to use this little Mandy Mermaid! Needless to say, I gave in to temptation and made my August challenge card first. One thing lead to another and I did not have time for an A muse-bouche card (feature some different images of the cutie, Mandy.) Never fear, though, I do have cards for the next 2 days of sneaks, so be sure to check back!

So...there are actually 4 stamps on this card that I had never inked- Mermaid girl, fin-tastic day, Treasure chest and the little fishy from the Oval frame set. Something else different for me on this card- No Copics! Another Muse (my stamping/instructing idol, no less) shared with us that she had left her coloring materials (Copics included) at home while on her way to a weekend stamping gathering. It made me think about what I would do if I didn't have my Copics. I always loved my colored pencils. They are an awesome tool that have been sadly neglected since I started "collecting" my beloved markers. So I decided to give them a turn and am so glad that I did. Not better results just different and it there was something very satisfying coloring this cute little gal! Although it is difficult to see in the photo, the little mermaid's tail and hair are super sparkle-y thanks to my favorite Star Dust Stickles.

Be sure to check out the 4th Day of a muse-bouches shared with the other Muses today. Mandy is definitely a gal worth blog hopping. Also, be sure to check out the A Muse blog today to find out about the wonderful artist of these darling images. It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Would you like another serving?

I've most certainly said this before but one of my favorite things about A Muse images are their versatility! One of my favorite stamps from the Back-t0-school release is Solid Apple for that very reason. I have had such fun playing with this image. Not only can it be used for a school theme but most certainly autumn cards, recipe projects, you name it. Besides that apples can be red, yellow, green, even a metallic gold for the holidays. Fun, creative stuff! The background for this apple was made by weaving ribbons and adhering them behind a cut out square on this beautiful Papaya notecard. I used both A Muse's stitched grosgrain and sheer black ribbons. There is, also, a little piece or 2 of May Arts black gingham to add interest. This card came together super quickly- just perfect to put together the night before school. Be sure to check the other blogs listed here for more A muse-bouche. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Stamps: solid apple, you make a difference
Notecard: Papaya
Ribbon: black sheer, black stitched grosgrain, May Arts black gingham

Introducing.....

MANDY!!!! How cute is she! Created by our own Amanda at A Muse headquarters! These little gals are so fun to stamp and color and go with many of the existing stamps to make little scenes such as this one. Be sure to check the blogs of the other participating Muses to see other sides of Mandy!

Edited: I just noticed that I didn't mention the wonderful new sentiment that I used on this card- "may your day be filled with sparkles & sunshine"- just love this!

Stamps: Bubble girl, sparkles & sunshine, grass,sun, flower doodles
Notecards: Palm, Papaya, Kitchen orange
ribbon- Popsicle pink stitched grosgrain
Copic markers
Stardust stickles

A muse-bouche Day 1

Welcome, welcome to the Back-t0-school A muse-bouche. It is hard to believe that summer break is over and my girls will back to the books August 10th. Having a sister and friends that are teachers, I know that this is an especially hectic time for them and I always like to show my appreciation right up front (it may just numb the sting of meeting Rachel for the first time.) This new image of "crayons" and the sentiment "you color my world" would be just the ticket to say "thank you" for that special educator or (or crafter for that matter :) )! You will want to check out the other participating blogs for more sneak peaks. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good time. Take care!

Stamps: crayons, world, you color my world
notecards: white, papaya,blueberry,swiss red, and palm
ribbon: black stitched grosgrain
colored: Copics
Martha Steward Drippy Goo punch

It's that time again....

First, of all, I want to apologize to all my friends and faithful readers for my long absence from blog world. Summertime became increasingly busy and I had to put my little mutters on the wayside for a bit. But I'm back and just in time for one of my favorite Internet events. Yes, tomorrow begins a new A muse-bouche and let me promise, you will thrilled with these new images! Be sure to stop by the A Muse lounge for a list of all the Muses participating on that particular day. Hmmm, you might even see some from this blog slacker!

Also, I would like to send a heartfelt "thanks" to all the local ladies that attending the A muse a palooza activities at Once Upon a Scrapbook this month. You truly made this a successful event for all of us. Hope to see you at fun, future classes! It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Amuse bouche

Hi, All! Yes, I am still here. I want bore you with the details of my chaotic life that has taken me away from my little piece of blogdom but I will mention that for 12, yes 12, horrid days I was without computer. To make it worse, because of this techno tragedy, I was unable to order my Summer release from A Muse in time to participate with the first of Amuse bouche! You definitely want to check out the blogs from the A Muse Creative Team 'cause these little peaks are smokin'! I'm hoping to get my goodies in time to play towards the end but with the Memorial Day long weekend, I'm not sure if my package will arrive in time! I do have a few things that I can share soon so be sure to check back in the next couple of days! Wishing everyone a Happy and Safe Memorial Day weekend and hoping you have a chance to get your fingers inky! Take care!

Newly Hatched Release and a Contest!!

Hello all of you A Muse fans! Just wanted to let you know that the latest release, Newly Hatched is up and running on the website. You will want to be sure to check out the A Muse news blog, also. Can we say "fun contest!"

Need instant gratification- be sure to check you lss to see if they already have the Newly Hatched stamps. If not, see if they are willing to put together an order. I like to do this because first, it supports a local brick and mortar store and secondly, it saves me money on shipping!

Wishing you fun Time and inky fingers! Take care!

Another Tidbit

Trying to play catch up after being gone this weekend but I had 1 more pre-prepared sample for the Newly Hatched amuse bouche! Aren't this images and sentiments fun. One thing that I {{{{{love}}}}} about A Muse images is how versatile they are! One example of this is how I used this adorable Baby Line stamp that I was already part of my collection with the brand new Spit happens sentiment. For being so little, babies sure can produce a lot of dirty laundry. Of course, I am so thankful for my washer and dryer- I would have hated to think about hanging clothes out to dry at the rate my little ones went through clothes! Hats off to any of you that had clothes lines when your kids were little!

Notecards by A Muse- Robin's egg blue, Yellow Chiffon, A Muse ribbon- Surf stitched grosgrain, and micro Twinkle stickers. Die cuts- Nestabilities, colors- Copic markers

Second helpings...

So were yesterday's peaks yummy or what? I had such fun perusing the list of Creative Team members blogs and finding so much creative inspiration for future cards and classes! Pure fun!
Today I am sharing a card I made using 2 new images from the Newly Hatched release. I am not typically a distresser but I am a huge fan of vintage baby memorabilia- baby books, baby cards, florist planters- I love them all. The adorable Plaid Bassinet reminded me of this look. After stamping it in a sepia dye-based ink (Marvy Uchida, I believe) I took a watercolor brush and drew out a bit of the sepia ink before adding some watercolored pink and blue via the direct from ink pad method (Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue dye based inks.) I felt the bassinet looked empty and since I absolutely adored the Star is Born sentiment I decided to use this little Falling Star image was just the thing. You often would find bits of glitter bling (love vintage glitter looks, too) so I added a touch to the little falling star. All paper edges were sponged with the sepia ink and a tiny bow of Cabana Blue stitched grosgrain topped it off. This was so fun to make! Stay tuned for more samples from this sweet collection! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers this weekend! Take care!

Notecards by A Muse- Chiffon pink, Sky Blue, Vintage brown; ribbon by A Muse- Cabana Blue stitched grosgrain; glitter Art Glitter Stardust

Amuse bouche?

Oui, oui, oui! While most of us are still reeling and squealing with delight over the Love Blooms release, the creative, talented and just plain ole hardworking gals at A Muse have done it again- a new release of MUST HAVE images! To tantalize your rubber appetites, the Creative Team is beginning today with a small smackeral of stamping yumminess! Be sure to check out the links to the left to see even more wonderful newness!

So... how many new images do can you find on this card? The answer- THREE! I have masked the super cute Kokeshi doll to place the Bamboo (stamped twice) as a background- perfect for an Asian theme. The 3rd new image is the Sakura flower- cut out and enhanced with glittering goodness! I really think this sentiment adds to the Asian theme and what better way to assure "good luck"- a happy little "cricket"- aka grasshopper colored in browns.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a second helping of Amuse bouche! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Notecards: Madeira green, French Roast, Popsicle pink (a muse); ink- Memento Tuxedo Black, Rose Bud; ribbon- sheer palm (a muse); Copic markers

With Sympathy

I don't know if most of you know it but like so many stampers, I began my stamping passion with SU. Tonight I found out that my sister stamper and SU up-line, Beckie and her six children, lost their husband and father to a sudden illness. If you would like, I would welcome you in joining me to send thoughts and prayers to Beckie and her family during this difficult time.

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

Spring has definitely sprung here in Alabama (and my families allergies can prove it) so Easter is right around the corner. So what better time for an Easter Challenge by the DT at Jacksonbelle Embellishments. We would be so pleased to have you play along so fell free to upload your Easter cards to SCS (remember to use JBE047 in the keycode) or attach a link to the comments to this JBE Blog post. For some awesome Easter card inspiration, be sure to check out the designs of these JBE rockstars:

• AJ Otto
• Heather Lee-Reppen
• Jennifer Buck
• Jill Dunn
• Kim O'Rosky
• Kisa Peters
• Lynda Benden
• Lindsey Botkins
  
• Maren Benedict
• Melissa Bove
• Michelle Woerner
• Shannon Teubner
• Taylor Usry

For my challenge card I paired up 2 of my favorite goodies carried at Jacksonbelle Embellishment- Inkadinkado stamps and Cosmo Cricket! I have had this cute little bunny image since last year and this is the first time the little fella has seen ink (shameful, I know.) They are out of them on the website but if contact Lindsey, I'm sure she will see if she can get one for you! THIS cute little egg is still available and actually was part of the line that went along with the bun. For shadowing and accenting this image I used Pink Shimmerz and a paint brush. I really like the way this turned out- much more shimmery in person! I traced the image with a pencil using a Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie Blackboard Shapes egg. After cutting it out, I adhered it the actually chipboard piece. The remaining 2 eggs are from a sheet of Cosmo Cricket die cuts. I added a bit of Stardust Stickles, again using my handy paintbrush, to add some special sparkle to the eggs. This was a fun, mostly scrappy card! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

It's Time, It's Time!!!!

The latest release from A Muse, Love Blooms, is up and running on the website. I am sure you are going to love these beautiful new images as much as the Creative Team!

A Little Thank You

Ready for another morsel to tantalize you stamping appetite? It was love at first sight with this sweet little floral branch! Best of all, it comes with a little surprise! You don't see it here but it may just show up in another peek this next week! I love kraft paper AND better yet, I love to color on kraft paper with my Spica glitter pens. It gives such a nice gossamer effect. I added this A Muse "thank you" sentiment- I felt this was such a simple card it would be great for mass production of thank you notes for a large event OR to put together in a set for a thoughtful gift. The pearls are my little bit of "unexpected" to add just a touch of texture. Be sure to check out the rest of the A Muse Creative Team and be ready to be inspired. Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers. Take care!

Seconds, Anyone?

A happy Saturday to all! I hope you have time to be creative this weekend and to "feed" your inspiration be sure to check out Day 2 of "amuse-bouche." If asked, which is your favorite image of the Love Blooms release, I would be hard pressed to limit is to one- totally impossible-BUT I can definitely say that this wonderful "Modern Poppy" would be on my short list of favs! I mean "poppy" even the name sounds fun & fresh and that would definitely describe this floral image! The "thank you for your hospitality" sentiment was sitting on my work space and it made me think about this cute little caterpillar "visiting" this bright red poppy and viola this card just came together. The new Latte 4-bar note cards just went so nicely with the Kitchen Red accents and I added some green May Arts rickrack for a "grassy" touch! Wishing you fun Times & inky fingers! Take care!

amuse- bouche?

Can I interest you in an amuse- bouche? No, I'm not offering you stuffed potato skins or fried cheese sticks. What I am offering is just a little tantalizing tidbit of what's to come with the next big release from A Muse- Love Blooms! And right in time for June weddings and pre-wedding showers! So what do you see new on this little card? I'll give you a hint "3" things. First, I am so.... excited to share with you the beautiful new Damask image. To highlight it here I have heat embossed it with white EP onto, yet another newbie, a Sky Blue 4-bar note card. This was a super quick background to make and you actually get 2 for each 1/2 of note card that you use- change the sentiment and this could become a mass-production friendly "thank you" note. Speaking of sentiment, the elegant "Mr. & Mrs. is the 3rd new feature of this note card. Top it all off with some A Muse sheer white ribbon and a little Wilton's intertwined heart charm from Michael's and it will certainly wet your appetite to make more! Be sure to check out the other A Muse Creative Team blogs to see what they have created with this yet, another, wonderful release from A Muse. Wishing you fun Times & inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday!!!!!!!!

Well, I'm BACK!!!!! After a month long of illnesses, a funeral, 2 major Girl Scout activities, not to mention prepping for and teaching for several A Muse classes, I think I've finally got things under control (yeah, right) and I actually got to sit down and stamp for this week's Jacksonbelle Design Team Challenge. The challenge this week was to pick one of the stunning cards from DT member Kisa Peters blog and CASE it. I actually started perusing the choices on Sunday and it took until last night to narrow it down. Kisa has so much talent and creativity and her cards are just loaded with detail! On top of this Kisa is the QUEEN of Shimmers so be sure to check out the rockin' tutorial she has prepared to share over on the Jacksonbelle Blog! We would love to have you play along so if you do, please either leave the link to your card in the comments section on THIS post of the Jacksonbelle Blog OR if you upload to a SCS gallery please use JBE044 in the keywords. For some awesome inspiration be sure to check out the other DT members CASEs of Kisa's awesome creations:

• AJ Otto
• Heather Lee-Reppen
• Jennifer Buck
• Jill Dunn
• Kim O'Rosky
• Kisa Peters
• Lindsey Botkins
  
• Lynda Benden
• Maren Benedict
• Melissa Bove
• Michelle Woerner
• Shannon Teubner
• Taylor Usry

Now on to my card... Like I said the hard part of this challenge was to narrow down the choices to 1 card. One thing I love about Kisa is all of the different techniques and ideas she incorporates in to her design. My final chose was this card. I loved the clean look and the buttons along the scalloped edge - genius! I decided to make a little under the sea scene by using the mermaid for Lizzie Anne Designs By the Sea. For a watery background, I ran a piece of aqua cs through my Cuttlebug using the Swirl embossing folder. Next, I painted the swirls with Pixie Dust Shimmerz Blingz. For my scalloped layer I used Bazzill Blingz paper and my trusty SU corner rounder to make the scallop- yes, I have several scalloped border punches but none made a big enough scallop to work with the buttons. The mermaid is colored with Copic markers and her shell top and stars are Copic's Spica Glitter pen. To give the effect of bubbles I added some clear Dew Drop baubles using mat effects.

Be sure to check out the Jacksonbelle Embellishments store site! Lindsey has some brand new Shimmerz colors and ALL Shimmerz are on SALE! If you have been wondering about this wonderful paints now would be a perfect time to try them!!!!! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

I'm Not Lost

So sorry for neglecting my poor little blog. Things have been crazy busy! I do have a few crafty things to share and I hope to get them photographed and posted within the next few days. Thanks to all for their patience! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

A Newsworthy Friday

Hi, All! I'm still behind on my photo taking so I don't have any eye candy for you but what I have is even better!

First, THERE IS A SALE AT JACKSONBELLE! Yes, this is the mother of all mother enabler alerts. Lindsey has lots of new goodies on the from CHA, so to make room she has EVERYTHING in the store reduced 30%! That includes brand new releases from Cosmo Cricket, the stamps and patterned paper from the Memory Box Sugar Drop line, the latest Lizzie Anne Designs release, Basic Gray Bittersweet- YES! All of it 30% off! So you know you want some and at these prices you need some- think of all the money you are saving! Be sure to use coupon code Feb30 to receive this awesome discount!

Next, today starts the Sneak Peeks for the Spring It On release by A Muse. My goodies are still in transits but be sure to check the A Muse News blog and some of the other gals on my blog list to your left! All I can is this new release is incredible! Some awesome new images and sentiments that as ALWAYS go so well with so many existing ones- one the things I love about A Muse! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

Agh! I can't believe how long it has been since I lasted posted! I'd like to say something mysterious like I've been working on secret projects or something exciting like I've been traveling on vacation but the truth of the matter is day to day life has been extra busy AND to top it off my camera has been missing for about a week. Yesterday, I finally MADE myself go through the play room and low and behold, there is was. My little Rachel is quite the photo bug and has sticky fingers when it comes to my camera. Fortunately, it is not the greatest camera. But I will have to be more diligent with her when we finally get a new one. So for today's challenge, the Jacksonbelle DT was to CASE a card from the blog or gallery of our own Michelle Woerner! Wowsers, there was a plethora of gorgeousness from which to choose. I decided I had to CASE the LO of this beautiful card. I love the 3 panel background and the flowers in the corner! Instead of Primas, I die cut my own flowers using Sprout PP by Memory Box and this new Cookie Cutter die from Quickutz! I these dies in my Cuttlebug with a Spellbinder magnetic pad to keep everything and place and they worked wonderfully! After die cutting, I inked the edges with pink chalk ink then painted them with Angel Dust Shimmerz. The center are Glitter Dots by Jesse James- one of my most favorite forms of bling! My stamp is Duet by Inkadinkado, sentiment is A Muse, and ribbon is May Arts. I really enjoyed making those flowers and see this die set getting much use in the future. Be sure to stop over at the Jackonsbelle Embellishment blog for a cameo of Michelle and another look at her Shimmerz tutorial (perfect if you are wondering what to do with those little pots of glitter goodness.) Also, be sure to check out the rest of the DT blogs for some rockin' inspiration!

• AJ Otto
• Heather Lee-Reppen
• Jennifer Buck
• Jill Dunn
• Kim O'Rosky
• Kisa Peters
• Lynda Benden
• Lindsey Botkins
  
• Maren Benedict
• Melissa Bove
• Michelle Woerner
• Rachel Hope
• Shannon Teubner
• Taylor Usry

We would love to have you play along and if you do, please, either link your card to a comment on the Jacksonbelle Blog OR use JBE038 in the keywords to your SCS gallery- we want to see your beautiful creations! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Heather's Share Your Spark Challenge

Each Friday, Heather Meeson, Designer/Instructor/Photographer extraordinaire of the A Muse Creative Team, posts a Share Your Spark Friday Challenge on her blog, one little spark. These are some awesome and creative challenges and I look in at them every Friday. Unfortunately, stamping time has been limited to "must dos" lately and I have not been able to play along. One of my Goals this year, was to try to stick to purchasing items that I can use on DT projects or in my A Muse classes. Now don't think me too noble, I can really manipulate and justify plenty of purchases. I did have a moment of weakness when I enter my lss, Once Upon a Scrapbook, and saw this new to me line of stamps, Great Impressions! This sweet little flourish and oh so cute owl image were just too much for me to resist (not to mention the flourish was the "stamp of the month" and an additional 40% off)! I have mentioned before that my very most favorite technique of all times was paper piecing- and guess what Heathers Share Your Spark was last Friday- to create something using an image or sentiment that you have cut out!!!! This was too good to resist and I MADE time for fun stamping! I teamed my new stamps with my new Bittersweet PP from Basic Gray and another favorite kraft CS. The kraft cs was stamped using Boudoir Blush Palette ink. Next I stamped the flourish image on 2 different design of the PP and cut and glued some random little hearts. Finally, I went over a couple of the flourishes with my Sakura glue pen and added some Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I added a strip of Bittersweet PP to a Regal Rose mat and tied a piece of bright pink May Arts ribbon. For the focal image, I stamped the owl outline on a piece of the PP but only colored in the hearts. I then stamped the owl again and colored with Copic markers. I then cut the owl out and adhered him to the outline owl with foam dimensionals. Isn't he cute! Be sure to check out Heather's blog this Friday for another super Share Your Spark Friday challenge. Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

It is Tuesday once again and time for the Jacksonbelle Embellishments Design Team challenge. This week's challenge was to use products from October Afternoon. OA has quickly found its place on my favorites list. The fun, whimsical designs are just right for me! As always, it just thrills us to have others play along with our challenges. If you do, please use JBE036 in the keywords when uploading to your SCS gallery OR link it to a comment in the JBE Store Blog. To get the mojo going, feel free to stop by the other DT blogs for some inspiration 'belle style!

• AJ Otto
• Heather Lee-Reppen
• Jennifer Buck
• Jill Dunn
• Kim O'Rosky
• Kisa Peters
• Lynda Benden
• Maren Benedict
• Melissa Bove
• Michelle Woerner
• Rachel Hope
• Shannon Teubner
• Taylor Usry

My challenge card today is more of a scrappy card. The only stamping is the little words in the background- "smile" and "just having fun" from the Detours clear stamp set. I so... wanted to use these cute little monsties from the Night Light line but did not have the stamps. So I got out my trusty Cutter Bees and sniped these 3 little guys from a piece of the "Louie" PP ("Louie Louie, oh no Me gotta go Aye-yi-yi-yi- yep now THAT is going through my head)! To give them a bit of a slimy look, I painted them with coordinating Shimmerz. After painting, I put the little guys to the side to make the rest of my card. To make the little scales, I simply punched out several ovals, then cut them in half. Next, I inked the edges and finally, added a bit of Peeled Paint Distress Stickles to the tips. I layered them onto my card base (Jack PP), stamped my words using Palette inks and foam popped this cute little trio to the front of the card. Since this will probably go to a little guy, I opted for no ribbon (it was hard, let me tell you) and used a few MM green glitter brads. With 2 DD, I don't need boy cards often but next time I do I'll be ready! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

I'm on the run this morning so this will have to be a short post! Today's Jacksonbelle Challenge was to use any of our new products that we had received from Jacksonbelle. I am just in love with the new Imaginisce line "Twitterpated" and was so excited to receive the paper pack! Just adorable. I teamed it up with this little Inka bird for a Valentine's day card. The sparkly flowers- no other than white Primas painted with Shimmerz. Be sure to check out the rest of the DT blogs to see what else Lindsey has "in store" at Jacksonbelle (sorry for the pun)!

• AJ Otto
• Heather Lee-Reppen
• Jennifer Buck
• Jill Dunn
• Kim O'Rosky
• Kisa Peters
• Lindsey Botkins
  
• Lynda Benden
• Maren Benedict
• Melissa Bove
• Michelle Woerner
• Rachel Hope
• Shannon Teubner
• Taylor Usry

We would love to have you play along! If you upload to your SCS gallery, please be sure to use JBE035 in the keywords so we can see your beautiful work! Also, Lindsey is having super clearance sale so you will want to go by and see all of her specials! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

Whahoo! It's the first Jacksonbelle Embellishment DT challenge of the new year! Lynda really started us off right with this awesome sketch:We would love to have you play along! If you do please either link your card in the comments to this post on the Jacksonbelle Embellishments Blog or if you add to you gallery on SCS, please, use JBE034 in your keywords. That way we can all see your beautiful cards! Need some super inspiration? Be sure to check out the blogs of the rest of the DT:

• AJ Otto
• Heather Lee-Reppen
• Jennifer Buck
• Jill Dunn
• Kim O'Rosky
• Kisa Peters
• Lindsey Botkins
  
• Lynda Benden
• Maren Benedict
• Melissa Bove
• Michelle Woerner
• Rachel Hope
• Shannon Teubner
• Taylor Usry

My card today features stamps and PP from October Afternoon. I absolutely adore OA- super cute images, acrylic stamps that leave a crisp image, coordinating papers, beautiful colors- IMHO it has it all! Both the tree and the paper pieced house are from the Home Sweet Home acrylic stamp set (I believe Lindsey is out of this set right now but I'm sure you could e-mail her to see what the status is of this cute set.) The paper is all from the Weathervane collection. All ink is by Memento if Rich Cocoa and Pear Tart. I ran the yellow panel through the Cuttlebug using the Paisley embossing folder to add some texture. Sentiment is by A Muse. This was truly a super fun card to make!

Don't forget, tomorrow is Release Day for the latest A Muse images! Be sure to check with you LSS to see if they have these cute stamps in stock. If not, the A Muse website will be able to hook you up! Wishing everyone fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Tickled to Share Another Sneak Peek!

As I mentioned, yesterday's Featured Stamper on SCS was no other than Her Royal Rubberness herself, Julie Ebersole! I have the honor of having Julie as the Creative Team Director for A Muse and besides her creativity and artistic talent, this gal is "good people." The tough thing about this particular challenge was selecting only 1 card as an inspiration piece. All of Julie's cards are filled with such wonderfully, simple detail (yes, that should be a contradiction in terms but this gal is talented enough to pull it off) that I could spend days perusing her beautiful gallery. But since I didn't have that kind of time to piddle away on the computer, I selected an image I wanted to showcase and went from there. I wanted to share this fun little lingerie shop that will be released by A Muse on January 7th, along with the awesome french lamppost and sentiment that are, also, included. With that in mind, I chose this card from Julie's gallery. What inspired me about this particular creation was the backdrop panel and matting the little boutique on black cs to really make it shine. I began my backdrop with a piece of a black argyle band notecard. After adding the French Lampposts, I air brushed a Warm Gray 2 Copic marker to give it a dusky look, added some yellow Copic around the light source, then painted the light source with Candlelight Shimmerz. A little yellow twinkle sticker was placed on the candle for a finishing touch. The Lingerie shop was colored with Copics. Once again, Candlelight Shimmerz was added to the "windows" for a glowing affect. Both panels were adhered to one of my new favorites- Chiffon Pink 4-bar notecards. If you get a chance be sure to check out Julie's Gallery. It is truly worth every minute (err, hour) spent! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

New Shimmerz Colors Exclusively at Jacksonbelle

What exciting news! 4 brand new Shimmerz Blingz colors- Flashee Fushia, HiHo Silver, Hottie Pink, and Pixie Dust- are available right now only at Jacksonbelle Embellishments. These little bottles of sparkly goodness go fast so be sure to check them out right away. Not sure what to do with them? Well, Michelle Woerner is sharing an awesome tutorial over on the Jacksonbelle Blog site. This is definitely something you will want to check out!
Stay tuned tomorrow for another A Muse sneak peek- release day is right around the corner on January 7th! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

A Krafty Little Peek

How cute is THIS little gumball machine!!!!! I apologize for the poor lighting of the photo. Our days have been cloud and rain filled (not complaining since we've been at a drought level all summer) and I have needed to use artificial lighting for my pics. Some cards do okay with my set up and others do not! This is a "not." In the center of all the juicy round gumballs is a little heart that I enhanced with a heart shaped Twinkle sticker (love those little goodies)! The background in a kraft card stamped randomly with Tiny Heart in Memento Ladybug. I really like how this color combo came together!

Today is filled with super exciting news. First, did you check out this week's Featured Stamper on SCS? It is no other than Her Royal Rubberness, the fa-bu-lous Julie Ebersole!!! If you would like a refreshing stamping experience, then you will definitely want to CASE something from this awesome lady's gallery! Next, I was so excited to find out that Rhonda Maynard was the Guest Designer on A Muse News! Not only is she a super sweet and pretty gal but her cards are gorgeous and oh so inspiring. Be sure to stop by, check out her talent, and leave a comment for a prize drawing. I have one other piece of excitement to share BUT I'm going to save it for it's own post a little this evening. I'll leave you with a bit of a tease- it is super sparkly and can ONLY be found at Jacksonbelle Embellishments! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers. Take care!

Stamps: gumball machine, hvd ma, tiny heart; ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Ladybug; paper- SU kraft, swiss red, chiffon pink; supplies- french roast stitched ribbon, treading water punch, MU heart and scalloped heart punches, Copic markers, twinkle sticker

A Sweet Peek

Well, it's a new year and I would like to send out warm wishes to all for a blessed 2009. I cannot think of many nicer ways than to kick off the new year with some A Muse sneak peeks. The 2009 Valentine's line previews began yesterday and there is some awesome inspiration to be found on the Creative Team blogs! I am a day behind on sharing due to a nasty cold, sick kids, and, most importantly, a de-funct card reader for my computer. They say good things come to those who wait so I'm hoping this is the case in hand- LOL! What do you think about this adorable milkshake image. And, in total A Muse style, the perfect companion sentiment to go with it! The possibilities with this are endless! I've added Frosted Stickles for the whip cream on top and colored my cherries with a red Spica pen. After completing the image, I cut it out and adhered it to a Hero Arts acrylic metal tag. Be sure to check out the rest of the teams sneak peeks, as well as, the big release on January 7th! I'll have another one to share tomorrow, as well! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!