A Stampin' Good Time

WOW!!!

2011-04-05T19:46:00.000-05:00

Each time I look through the A Muse Studio Catalog, I have another "thud" moment and WOW how clever!
Not seen it? You can check it out on my webstore under "our products." Go to the bottom of the page & in a very light gray you will see "Catalog and Inspiration Guide." Click on it and get ready to ENJOY!!!! Caution: please be in the seated position when first looking through the catalog. A Muse Studio and A Stampin' Good Time are not responsible if anyone DFOs. For my non-Southern friends that means "Done Fell Out"- yes, a true description often used in giving information to emergency medical personel. It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Now Open...

2011-04-03T12:14:00.000-05:00

My very own A Muse Creative Consultant website opened officially on Friday, April 1st. By visiting

www.amusestudio.com/beththomas

A Muse Studio fans can shop for all the wonderful goodies in the catalog 24/7 AND your order will come directly to you! Planning to place a big order? Well, if your order is $150.00 or more then please contact me at beththomas@knology.net . This way, if I place your order for you, you can get hostess credit with free and discounted products as discribed in our Hostess Program. (click on my webstore >"host a party" (top right hand quarter.) The webstores are one of the many things that has me head-over-heals with A Muse Studio! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

To Be Creatively Uninhibited...

2011-03-30T12:24:00.000-05:00

I don't know about everyone else but sometimes using a new supply or tool causes me to cringe- it's so new and perfect and brings out the hoarding tendencies in me! Like swimming, though, I have learned that it's just easier to plunge right in and start creating.

My 7-year-old daughter is my "crafty girl." You will find her in my craft room (with or without me) making something and just singing away (one of my favorite sounds)! Pretty much all of my supplies are at her disposal except my A Muse Studio things! I went into my studio this morning and saw that she had been "creating" with some mica powders. The little pots had set in their designated drawer for I don't know how long. I know and have taught several techniques with them over the years but they don't fall into my "comfort zone" of creating. Her little project made me realize that maybe I need to get out of the "comfort zone" and just have the heart felt fun that makes me sing when I craft! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Please Join Me For...

2011-03-27T17:56:00.002-05:00

An Introductory Gala For A Muse Studio

Thursday, March 31, 2011 • 10am-12 or 7-9pm

Hosted by Beth Thomas

256-679-5435

Bishop Farm Subdivision Club House

183 Fowlks Trace

Huntsville, AL 35806

I am so excited to share with you the 2011 A Muse Studio catalog! Please join me for free make-n-take, door prizes, specials, and refreshments as we explore a complete creative solution in the special A Muse style- with a new twist! Can't make it, please contact me and we can book a date for me to share A Muse Studio with you and your friends

And the winner is....

2011-03-02T16:11:00.000-06:00

Rose Ann!!!!!!!

Congratulations! You win a copy of the brand spankin' new Amuse Studio catalog, as well as, a sampling of some of our brand new embellies! If you will please e-mail me with your mailing address, I will get those to you ASAP!

So what does everybody think about the exciting Amuse news! So would anybody like to SASS things up a notch? Then join Team SASS (Southern Amuse Studio Stampers.) Pst, a little hint, you don't have to live in the south to join our team, but if you would prefer to sign up for a team closer to your geographical location, I can send you in the right direction. There are NO orphans in our stamping family!

Right now, Amuse Studio is offering an incredible deal when you sign up as a consultant. The Standard Starter kit (a 385.00 value) normal is 175.00 but if you sign up NOW, you can get it for the crazy low price of 99.00!!!! Before I continue, the Standard Starter kit (along with some awesome tutorials from Her Royal Rubberness, Julie Ebersol) is truly all you need to present a workshop that will make you proud. But as all of you know, as stampers we always want more, more, more! So Amuse Studio also offers a Deluxe Starter kit (valued at around 550.00.) Normally, you would pay 225.00 for the Deluxe Starter kit- a remarkable deal in itself, but sign up right away and receive the Deluxe kit for 149.00!!!!!!! Want to see all the goodies you get with the starter kits, well, just come on over to my house and we'll have some stampin' fun. Wait, you live a gazillion miles away from Alabama, well, check out THIS link for a run down on all the remarkable products you get!

Can you tell that I am bubbling over with excitement about my new venture. Regardless of the size of space you have for crafting, anyone can have their own "studio" with Amuse Studio! Take care!

Our story continues...

2011-02-18T15:39:00.000-06:00

The suspense mounts with Phase 2 of Michelle's super sluething while the rest of the girls at Headquarters are "out to lunch." She shares with you 39 reasons to "like" A Muse Studio. Be sure to check out the A Muse Studio facebook page!

Also, be sure to leave your comments on THIS post for a surprise drawing on March 1st. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care and have an awesome weekend!

Who loves a great mysterious mission?

2011-02-16T14:12:00.000-06:00

Hello, All! If you love to watch a truly terrific mystery unfold you will definitely want to "like" this page on Facebook!

A Muse Studio!!!!!!!!!

Leave a comment on this blog saying you have "liked" the new A Muse Studio page and you will be put in a drawing for some awesome secret goodies on March 1. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse-eum

2011-01-28T07:45:00.000-06:00

So... just because I haven't been posting does not mean my crafty space has been lonely. Most of my cards, though, are a fall, Halloween, or Christmas theme. So instead of re-living all of that I thought I reached back into my archives aka A Muse eum, and brought back my very first A Muse card! It was love at first site with Seattle Girl with her cute little slicker, galoshes and umbrella. Her "walk" looks so determined. Like she is going to make it regardless of what life has to offer! This was right about the time that I had just started "collecting" Copic Markers (Summer of '07) and apparently didn't have ones to go with this SEI paper and used waterbased markers instead. I used a Sakura Clear Stardust pen to add the shimmer produced by the rain. Fun stuff! Creating just for the sake of creating!

Wait for it...

2011-01-13T14:41:00.000-06:00

Whahoo! I'm back and so excited to be here! I can't even begin to describe the numerous happenings in my life that have made me neglectful of my little piece of blogdom but let's just say I am coming back with a BANG!!!! Stay tuned, Monday, January 17th I have a HUGE announcement regarding the paper crafting world and cannot wait to share this with you!

Mother's Day Roses

2010-05-05T07:48:00.000-05:00

The Everything's Rosy release could not have been more timely. These beautiful blooms have been perfect for Mother's Day designs. I'm not sure when a stamp release has given me such creative satisfaction. Not only are they so very pretty and oh, so versatile but the quality is such that I'm stamping perfect images time and time again. Let's hear for deeply etched red rubber! I made this particular card for my daughter to send her grandmother. I started by stamping off Wild Rose Branch with Memento Cottage Ivy ink onto Poison Ivy shimmer cardstock. Next, I added Wild Rose using Grape Jelly Memento Ink. One of the rose centers was cut out for interest and placed on with a foam adhesive and then a bit of yellow glitter was added to the center of each rose with a Sakura Quickie Glue pen. The Happy Mother's Day script sentiment was cut out with a Nestability and attached with some very old SU ribbon (knew I had a reason to save that.) The panel was then adhered to a Blackberry Shimmer Couture card. This truly came together in less than 30 minutes! Be sure to check out the Everything's Rosy release now available for purchase on the A Muse website! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Teacher Appreciation Week

2010-05-03T13:21:00.001-05:00

Note click HERE to see today's post for Amuse-bouche!

As many of us with school-aged children know, this week is dedicated to the wonderful women and men that educate our children. Rachel's school has activities planned all week but she wanted to show her teacher, Mrs. Stover, more personal appreciation. We have little tokens of thanks planned for everyday this week except Tuesday (that is the day Rachel has an MRI.) So stay tuned for some more goodies.

Last summer, I got 3 of these cute SLAH (Southern Living at Home) terra cotta pots as a gift with a purchase. I put them aside in my gift-stash knowing they would come in handy. Mrs. Stover has already received 2 of these little decorated pots- one for fall with a little mum and some tiny decorative cabbages and one at Christmas with a poinsettia. So now at the end of the year, she has 3 little pots to use for whatever she wants. I had made little picks for each occasion and tied a cute sentiment around each pot. I thought the Swiss Red and Red Petite Polka dots worked well for our cute little geranium (I actually did all of the paper crafting last week- thank goodness after the sick week and weekend here at our house)! Here are some close up shots of the pick, tie around and card:

I was inspired to distress this set by our own, most awesome Jenn Shurkus. I thought it went right along with the old-fashioned sweetness of the geranium. Be sure to thank all the awesome educators in your life this week. It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse supplies- stamps- mushroom trio, ladybird, grasshopper, thank you for everything, make a difference. paper- swiss red, petite gingham in red, kraft (SU); other- red polka dot ribbon.

One More Morsel

2010-05-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the final helping of the Everything's Rosy Amuse-bouche and it's Designer's Choice. I had picked up these little resin (I think?) frames at M's for 1.00 a while back with the idea that they would be just right for A Muse projects- simple, quick and fun! I started with a square of Robin's Egg cardstock then stamped Daisy Duet a couple of times in the corner. After heat embossing with Seafoam EP, I added a bit of Yellow Stickles to the center. Gossamer wings silhouetted in black above the Daisies and I'm finished with my insert. The outside banner uses the brand new "dreams take flight" sentiment. If I could have changed anything it would have been to have some Papaya Polka Dot ribbon in the place of the Onyx (guess what is waiting in my cart.) A sweet little gift to go along with a gift card for a grad or even a little Teacher's Appreciation memento! Which by the way, I stay tuned tomorrow to see what I made for Rachel's teacher in tomorrow's post! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Amuse-bouche Takes Flight

2010-05-02T11:43:00.000-05:00

One thing about the Everything's Rosy release is the big, bold images are perfect for playing with your favorite stamping technique. Here I inked up this awesome Flutterby Flock image in Memento Cantaloupe then "kissed" it with Tiny Flower inked up with Memento Rosebud ink. I really think this made for a fun effect! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Stamps: A Muse- long grass, dreams take flight, flutterby flock, tiny flower Paper: A Muse- Apricot, Watermelon, Sage Inks: Memento- Cantaloupe, Rosebud, Bamboo Leaves Supplies: A Muse Orange Twinkle stickers, Fern Polka Dot Ribbon Fiskars Scallop Border punch

Everything's Rosy!!!!

2010-04-30T23:05:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post today. My entire family has a nasty stomach virus so not much up for being my usual chatty self. I have had the most fun with these 2 images- wilde rose and wilde rose branch. I've made a couple of really neat Mother's Day cards that I hope to share soon! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care.

A Muse supplies: wilde rose, wild rose branch, hello fl; paper- robin's egg, sage; polka dot ribbon in eucalyptus. Other- yellow stickles, foam white EP, colorbox pigment ink- frost and apricot

Another Helping of Beautiful Botanicals

2010-04-29T23:05:00.003-05:00

THIS may be my favorite addition to the A Muse image family- bare branch with leaves. Like blossom branch with bird and wreath with berries, fabulous minds at A Muse have placed the leaf stamp on the end of the branch stamp- genius! After I stamped the branch with Memento Rich Cocoa, I stamped and stamped off random leaves on the branch to add dimension and the look of a fuller branch- much like the trees around here right now- I love spring! The little flowers are actually made from the MS hydrangea trio punch but I thought when punched from yummy Watermelon paper, they had the look of Dogwoods- something that were everywhere growing up in Knoxville. Little Chocolate pretty pearls and foam adhesives were the finishing accents for my dogwood look. You will definitely want to check out the rest of the Muses blogs to see even more beautiful botanicals. Also, be sure to stop by A Muse News at least daily for fun and prizes, yes, and these prizes aren't slacking! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Yummy Botanicals

2010-04-28T23:05:00.007-05:00

Welcome to Day 3 of the A Muse Birthday Bash! It is the first day that we will be sharing from the brand new Everything's Rosy release of wood mounted stamps! There are tons of wonderful samples on A Muse News and the Creative Team blogs so you will want to be sure to check out those. One thing I love about checking out all of the blogs- it demonstrates how versatile these images are! Certainly a lot of stamping bang for your buck when you can use the same image in so many different ways!

So what do you think about the 2 new stamps I used here- Bursting Blooms and Flowers Whisper? What a gorgeous floral silhouette those bloom make in the Memento Tangelo ink. After stamping each of the images, I stamped off to give a bit of soft dimension to the design. A very simple card that I embellished a bit with a punched butterfly (MS) enhanced with Latte pretty pearls. Tomorrow may just be my most favorite of the cards that I made for this release, so be sure drop by in... It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse Supplies: stamps- bursting blooms, flowers whisper; paper- apricot, latte; other- sheer french roast ribbon, latte pretty pearls.
Other supplies- MS butterfly punch, EK Success 1' circle punch, Memento Rich Cocoa & Tangelo ink

HAPPY Birthday A Muse!

2010-04-27T23:00:00.002-05:00

My biggest problem with using today's Happy Everything clear stamp set? I had too many fun ideas running through my head and I only had time to use one! The best description for this new set is versatility, versatility, versatility! My new "go to" color is this yummy Watermelon 8 1/2 x 11 paper. It seems to be showing up in so many of my designs. Here I paired it up with some black petite gingham scallops for a fun contrast. The ink I used for "Happy" is Palette's Boudoir Blush. The color goes great with the paper and I love Palette inks for clear stamps! And since you can't have a birthday without a cake, I punched a portion of a 1" circle from the bottom of the card and stamped Cupcake in the punched out space. When you open the card you see this:

Is this set "fontabulous" or what? You will find more awesome ideas on A Muse News, as well as, the Creative Team blogs! Stay tuned, this is only day 3 of our 9 day celebration! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Vintage Amuse-bouche!

2010-04-26T23:05:00.002-05:00

Welcome to day 1 of a fun little feature that we like to call "amuse-bouche"- a little preview of wonderous things to come with A Muse's latest release! So ready to wet your rubbah appetite? The first 2 days will feature 2 special clear sets released especially for the Birthday Bash celebrating 9 awesome A Muse years!

For day one, we have some old but dear friends returning to our collections in the form of this new Vintage clear set! Be sure to check out A Muse News and the other Creative Team members' blogs to see what other "oldies but goodies" have returned! So... how about this cute little kite and "what's up" sentiment! I absolutely loved this and since a kite should fly, I paired it up with one of my favorite images- clouds! Some quick paper piercing gives this kites traveling through the wind! Whahoo! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse is Turning 9!

2010-04-25T23:00:00.001-05:00

Be sure to check out A Muse News for deets for exciting Birthday Bash fun beginning today and lasting through May 4th! Yes! 9 days of fun for celebrating 9 wonderful A Muse filled years! Tomorrow the Creative Team will begin with a little amuse-bouche so I will have some eye candy to share! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Masculine Birthday

2010-04-25T10:06:00.001-05:00

I never seem to have any masculine cards on hand and when I need one I need it right away. A Muse sentiments are perfect inspiration for clever cards! They truly increase the versatility of my images! The design for this card was insprired by a card in Dave Brethauer's Card Design. I love this book! It showcases Dave's clean and simple style while giving tutorial for using colored pencils and water colors. Fun stuff! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse supplies: stamps- tin plate, recliner, ready set recline, mini oval: paper- chiffon green, brown petite gingham, fern; other supplies- nestabilities, memento bamboo leaves ink

A Girl Scout Thank You

2010-04-13T10:35:00.000-05:00

Wahoo! A quick minute for a post! This accordian card project has been made as a farewell "thank you" for our SU Manager. Each girl from my Cadette troop created a card and then I connected them accordian style. Here is a pic of the inside:

A Muse products used: Stamps- mushroom trio, frond, ladybird, tiny bird,fancy alphabet, paper- red petitte gingham, woodgrain, ribbon- swiss red polka dot.

It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Build-a-Bear Birthday

2010-04-02T07:45:00.004-05:00

Happy birthday, Madison! I made this card for my best friend's daughter's birthday party last Sunday. Today is the actual birthday so I just wanted to send a quick shout out to her. The party was at Build-a-Bear and, as always, Rachel has a great time! We have had so many Build-a-Bear events that when I saw this set in the SU mini catalog I knew I had to get it! I colored the cute little girl bear with Copic markers and cut her and her A Muse Sage mat with Nestabilities. The background paper is Doodlebug, as well, as the cute brads. The Vintage frame punch is McGill and the Cupcake punch is Martha Stewart. I finished it off with some May Arts ribbon and Stardust Stickles. I was so excited that the A Muse sentiment went well with the confectionery theme of the card! Hope everyone has a super weekend. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Simply Scent-sational

2010-04-01T08:20:00.004-05:00

Ah, the fourth and final day for the Woodland Critter feature over at A Muse News but these little creatures are not going away. Stay tuned next week to Split Coast Stampers and 2 Peas in a Bucket. The Creative Team has been challenged to upload as many projects featuring the Woodland Critters from April 5th - 9th to those to community sites. I would love to have you join us so I am working on a contest right here at A Stampin' Good Time. Be sure to check back on Sunday evening for the details and of course, prizes!
Now onto my card. One of the things that I love about 8 1/2 x 11 paper (beside the fact that is now comes in this yummy watermelon shade) is you can make so many different sizes of cards. My Quickutz flower was too big for a cute little 4-bar, so today I decide to go with the traditional 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card. I loved the way the little skunk looks like he is springing through the flowers. If you look closely you will see that I actually used tiny Easter Egg for my flower blossom and the stems are a partial stamping of seedlings in Memento Bamboo Leaves. The rest of the grass is a MS border punch! I mounted the flower on to Petite Gingham paper in black then attached that to a Watermelon card and added a bit of Black Polka Dot ribbon. It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Stamps: A Muse- Skunk, seedlings, Tiny Egg, scallop dot border, spring is in the air
Ink: A Muse Black Dye ink, Memento Bamboo Leaves, Colorbox Pigment Coral
Paper: A Muse- Watermelon, Black Petite Gingham, Juliette sage
Supplies- Quickutz flower, MS grass border punch, A Muse Black Polka Dot ribbon, A Muse pretty pearls in black

Spring is in the Air

2010-03-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

So.... what do you think... I am head-over-heals for the new A Muse Clouds paper. It comes in
8 1/2 x 11 sheets so the sky's the limit for creative fun (sorry for the pun)! And what better
"silver lining" than a rainbow shooting from the Clouds. Of course, to get a rainbow, you must have the Sun and this one is sparkling bright with a bit of Yellow Stickles. I had the most fun making this cheerful card and hope to brighten some one's day with it soon! Be sure to check out the rest of the A Muse Creative Team for Day 3 of our Woodland Critter feature, and of course, A Muse News for even more crafty ideas! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Stamps: A Muse- Clouds, Sun, Tiny Butterfly, Tiny Bird, Silver Lining
Ink: A Muse Black Dye ink
Paper: A Muse 8 1/2 x 11- Clouds, 4-bar notecards- Swiss red, Paprika, Papaya, Lime Peel, Blueberry and Blackberry
Supplies: A Muse Polka dot Swiss red ribbon, Nestabilities, Quickutz,Yellow Stickles, Copic markers, Spica Glitter pen, Foam adhesives

Woodland Friends

2010-03-30T00:01:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Day 2 of the A Muse Woodland Critters feature! I just love the cute little Squirrel image! A little masking, and viola, there he is perched upon the Tree Stump! To make things a bit easier, I only cut a mask to cover his bottom half- no need to cut his curly, swirly tail! In keeping to squirrl-y theme, I stamped Acorn in Tangelo ink on to a background of, yes, did you notice, Apricot paper. This yummy NE W color comes in 8 1/2 x 11" and offers so much versatility for sizes and styles of paper crafting! Now look carefully, can you find a 2nd new paper, hmmmmm, you guessed a NEW woodgrain, Birch wood, also in 8 1/2 x 11! Be sure to check out A Muse News and all the individual Creative Team blogs for further commune with nature. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care.

Stamps: A Muse- Squirrel, Acorn, Nuts about you

Ink: A Muse black dye ink, Memento Tangelo

Paper: A Muse 8 1/2 x 11 Apricot, Birch wood, 4-bar notecard- Paprika

Supplies: A Muse Grosgrain Stich ribbon in sky blue, Nestabilities, Copics, McGill Vintage label punch, Sakura white gel pen, foam adhesives

Crawling Critters

2010-03-29T08:13:00.004-05:00

Hello! Hello! I'm so excited to get a chance to blog this morning and share some eye candy with you! From today, March 29th until Thursday, April 1st (I just can't believe it is already April) the A Muse Creative Team will be featuring a cute category of stamps that have been deemed "Woodland Creatures!" While the images are not brand spakin' new be sure to watch closely because you are definitely going to see some new goodies each day! You will definitely want to check out A Muse News for new and exciting ideas, as well as, the Creative Teams individual blogs for some Woodland goodness!

So.... do you notice anything new on my card featuring the caterpillar, snail, and dandelion images? It may be a bit hard to see in my less than adequate natural lighting but, yes, indeed that is a new 8 1/2 x 11 paper color. I am beyond pleased to introduce Watermelon!!!! It truly is completely yummy and possibly my new favorite color. It is a gorgeous vivid pink with just a splash of coral- my mouth just waters thinking about it! This design, also, features a fun tool by Martha Stewart- Shredding Scissors- don't they make some cute, quirky grass! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Stamps: A Muse- caterpillar, snail, dandelion, just sittin' here
Ink: A Muse Black Dye Ink, Memento London Fog, Bamboo Leaves
Paper: A Muse- 8 1/2 x 11- Woodgrain, Watermelon, Petite Gingham in Grass, notecard- Chiffon Blue
Supplies- A Muse Stitched Grosgrain in Papaya, Copic markers, MS Shredding Scissors, scallop oval punch- Marvy Uchida, white flocking, Sakura Quickie glue pen

A Quick Birthday Card

2010-01-22T21:13:00.003-06:00

My daughter is attending a birthday party this evening for one of her friends so I made this quick little birthday card to hold the gift card she is giving. This gal is after my own heart- she loves squirrels! I have several squirrel images but my daughter choose this little group of "friend" squirrels from The Greeting Farm set, Forest Friends. Truthfully, this set had never seen ink so I was pleased to put it to good use. After coloring the image with Copic markers and stamping and cutting the acorn to add some dimension, I teamed it up with some DSP from SU. The little flower layer was embossed with my Swiss Dot embossing folder from Cuttlebug and the cute little yellow gingham is cut by the Top Notch die from SU. I added a layer of Regal Rose ribbon and added my Nestabilities cut oval image. I thought I was finished but Mary Elizabeth wanted me to make it look like a birthday party. I had the little balloon from the Build-a-Bear stamp set already cut and colored, just laying on my workspace so that was an easy add on. She wanted me to add a candle to the acorn so I found one in A Muse's Cupcake Builder set and added a tear drop Twinkle sticker that I colored yellow with a Copic for a flame. M.E. was very pleased with this and I hope her friend is, as well! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Hoppy Baby Shower

2010-01-16T11:36:00.002-06:00

I'm heading to a baby shower later this afternoon for my scrappy friend Sunny and her baby boy on-the-way! Her nursery theme is "frogs" so I had to make her a froggy greeting to go with her gift! It had been a long time since I had played with my Artful Inkable stamps which is a shame because they truly are beautiful stamps- deeply etched red rubber goodness! This cute little frog from the Daring Duo set fit the bill for my shower card so I was on my way! I inked up the little frog and then the sign with cattails in the background. Next, I masked the frog and added some A muse Long Grass in the background and Waves down front in the water. I knew from the start that A muse's "boy oh boy" sentiment was a must so I thought the cute little Quickutz dragonflies would definitely make our froggy friend make that exclamation! It has been a long time since I "mixed it up" with images from different companies onto one card and quite frankly I'm pleased with the results. It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Supplies: Stamps- Daring Duo by Artful Inkables, A Muse images- long grass, waves, & boy oh boy.
A Muse Paper- Petite Gingham Grass Green, Woodgrain, Shimmer solid grass, and then vellum from stash
Other: Copic markers, Spica Glitter pens, Quickutz, eucalyptus Stickles

Keepin' Warm with a CAS Challenge

2010-01-11T00:04:00.003-06:00

It has been ages since I've participated in a challenge at SCS and since my last challenge they have added a Clean and Simple challenge on Mondays. Perfect for my "Think Simple, Think A Muse" cards! This week's CAS49 challenge is to "Cut it out!" I was so... excited because I lovie me some scissors! Cutting out images has almost a therapeutic effect on me- yes, I'm strange, but that isn't new to anyone, is it?

In keeping with my "Warm Blast" theme, I decided to make this quick little card using Mandy's World Hawaiian Girl. The Mandy's World stamps are some of my favorites, not only are they super cute images but they are pure coloring fun. Here I have used Copic markers but I have had just as good results when using colored pencils. My cutting aspect is the little palm tree accent hopefully, offering Mandy some much needed shade in from the warm tropical sun! I finished if off with the "what's shakin'? sentiment peeping out of a punched word window. A super simple way to highlight a sentiment! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse Supplies: Stamps- MW Hawaiian Girl, What's shakin'?, Open palm tree, Skinny Oval Small; Cardstock- Petite Gingham Chocolate, Cranberry Red

A Warm Blast from the Past...

2010-01-10T12:19:00.004-06:00

With the Artic Blast that has besot most of the country, I decided I wanted to warm things on my blog up a bit by featuring a few past projects that had a warm or tropical theme! SCS was the easiest way to go through my past designs so I spent a bit of time perusing my gallery. I found it very interesting to see how my crafting had evolved over time. It seems I went from simple designs to much more elaborate designs (probably due to the fact that I had acquired more tools and supplies to use. as I blush) and now back to more simple but more sound designs. The A Muse key phrase is "Think Simple, Think A Muse" but I think people often get the words "simple" and "easy" mixed up. Simple is not synonymous with easy by any means and often my simple designs have much more of a thought process behind them than past more elaborate ones. That being said, this little tropical project went to my daughter's favorite preschool teacher for her birthday. The teacher absolutely loved this little tin set which I filled with coconut macaroons in keeping with the theme. The stamp set is from Artful Inkables and you can find the rest of the deets at THIS blog entry. Hoping everyone is staying warm and sending prayers out to those whose circumstances make this difficult! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

It's Good Weather for Penguins

2010-01-07T11:58:00.002-06:00

Nothing crafty to show today so I thought I would share a cute photo of my 6-year-old daughter Rachel and a penguin friend from our local Santa's Village taken this past December. It was a fun evening complete with a snow machine for a bit of a white Christmas in Alabama. Today we don't need a machine, we are getting some flurries as I type and the kids are all hopeful for a bit of accumulation so they can play! Schools were called at a half day so they are all waiting and watching! I know many parts of the country are being hit with ugly winter storms so it is my wish for everyone to stay safe and warm and remember It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Coming Up For Air

2010-01-05T23:00:00.003-06:00

I hope that you have had as much fun with the Sea of Love Amuse-bouche as I have! Remember to check out you lss to see if carry this new release. They are now available on-line as well! Don't get me wrong, I love the Christmas and New Years holidays but after the hustle and bustle is over, I am definitely ready to have A Stampin' Good Time! I hit the ground running in 2010 with Amuse-bouche and making January class samples. Figuring that I'm on a roll, I decided to look around a get a different idea for Rachel's class Valentine's. I, actually did a little blog hopping- something that I have not had time to do in months, and realized what a valuable part of this craft it is! Not only did it feel good to re-connect socially with many blog friends BUT it reminded of me of the proliferate nature of this industry. I may not "need" every new thing out there (as she looks around her craft room sheepishly) but it is good to be "in the know." With that said, I am going to try to set aside a few minutes of each day to catch up on my blog list. Won't make to all of them each day but hopefully, I'll be able to stop by every couple of weeks!

But back to Rachel's Valentines, I must surely have been living under a rock because I had not "discovered" the wonderful U-tube videos from Stamping with Dawn. What a treasure chest of ideas she has! This is where the idea for this cute little "Valentine Candy Holder" can be found. I did modify the measurements just a tiny bit, reducing the height of the project to 4 1/4- that way I can make 2 with 1 sheet of the 8 1/2 x 11 Pink Petite Gingham paper (I like to be thrifty when mass producing.) Also, since A Muse has the lovely white one side card stock, I had to pay extra attention to the punching and folding. I thought the Moby image and the "true, blue friend" sentiment were cute for a Kindergarten Valentine and tied it all together with Popsicle Pink Polka Dot ribbon (say that 3 times fast)! The inside (below) will house a little foil covered chocolate heart (Dawn suggested the Nestle Crunch ones, yum) in the little scalloped circle. The inside sentiment is the brand new "Happy Valentine's Day" from A Muse.

Well, I only have 16 of these cuties to do and Rachel will be ready for Valentine's Day! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse Supplies: Stamps- Moby, True Blue Friend, Happy Valentine's Day, 8 1/2 x 11 Card stock in Pink Petite Gingham and Popsicle pink, Ribbon- Popsicle Pink Polka Dot

Colored- Copics, Scallop punch- SU, Oval and Oval Scallop punch- Marvy Uchida

Amuse-bouche Day 5- Valentine's Treats and Packaging

2010-01-04T23:00:00.002-06:00

It's the 5th and final day of the Sea of Love pre-release peeks- what does that mean- tomorrow all of these wonderful goodies will be on-line and available for sell. If your lss carries A Muse check with them- they just might already have these lovelys already on their shelves ready for the inkin'! Today's little bonbon box just yelled out for a cute and chubby little creature to adorn it! It was a quick and simple little container to make and very easy to personalize to your own particular design. Here I added some a wave border trimmed in Star Dust Stickles. I love the shade of blue in the new Ocean 8 1/2 x 11 paper plus the white reverse side was perfect for capping waves! A bit of bling was added in tear drop Twinkle stickers as Moby is really kicking up a splash! An easy peasy project to share with friends, classmates, you name it! Be sure to check out The Lounge for other ideas from the A Muse Creative Team, as well as, the Designers contributions on A Muse News! Some goodliness for sure! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time. Take care!

A Muse Supplies: Stamps- Moby, True Blue Friend; 8 1/2 x 11 paper- Ocean, Popsicle Pink, & Blue Petite Gingham; Popsicle Pink Polka Dot ribbon, Clear Twinkle Stickers

An Elegant Amuse-bouche

2010-01-03T23:00:00.002-06:00

I'm back again today to serve up the next tantalizing tidbits from the latest A Muse release- "Sea of Love!" Today's theme is Elegant Sea-themed greetings. For some reason, I am fascinated by coral. It's fragile beauty in the form of hard coral reefs comes in so many shapes and colors and is home to so much marine wildlife, makes me wish for my scuba diving days once again! When I saw this wonderful Coral image, I knew it was a "must have" and I've been looking forward to this particular amuse-bouche day for quite some time!

I started by stamping the Coral image in, yes, Colorbox Coral pigment ink onto a Sky Blue note card. What a lovely color contrast this made! Next, I sprinkled some of my favorite A Muse Simple Stick powder onto the image and heat set it 'til sticky. After applying some yummy coral glitter, I heat set it again and Voila, a very pretty piece of coral, indeed!

I would like to make a quick plug about Simple Stick powder- it is truly the BESTEST powder adhesive I have ever used! If you have been turned off by adhesive powder in the past, do yourself a favor and give this a try. It will open up a whole new world for adding glitter and flocking to your crafty creations!

I added an little oval of "sand" and then popped this cute little sand dollar image beside it for a mini ocean scene. The sentiment is actually a single line, so once again, I used the scotch tape masking technique to give "truly madly deeply" a new twist. Be sure to check out A Muse News and all the team posted on The Lounge for more elegant A Muse ideas! And tomorrow is the last day of Amuse-bouche and you know what THAT means, the BIG release is just around the corner. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

A Muse supplies used: stamps: Coral, Sand dollar, Truly madly deeply, micro oval; notecard- Sky blue, Latte; Pretty Pearls- Chocolate; Simple Stick Powder

Ink- Colorbox Pigment- Coral, Memento- Rich Cocoa, Dessert Sand; Glitter-Art Institute.

2010-01-02T20:17:00.004-06:00

As coincidence might have it, I did not order any of the stamps for today's amuse-bouche. I have 2 or more from other days just none listed for a "general greetings with a sea/ocean theme" card today. After checking out all of the other Creative Team members that are participating today, all I can say is "WOW!"- you definitely don't want to miss any of them! So be sure to check out A Muse News and the Lounge to see some truly incredible creativity!

Also, for all A Muse addicts in the northeast Alabama area, be sure to check out my class blog for descriptions and dates of my January classes! We will definitely be using the latest A Muse release in these classes!

So I'll be back with Day 4 and 5 of Amuse-bouche! Hope to see you then! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Amuse-bouche- Let's Sass it Up a Notch

2010-01-01T23:00:00.002-06:00

The first time I saw this new Anchor image from the A Muse "Sea of Love" release, I thought, "I've got to turn that into a tattoo!" Now personally, I have no tats (I have nothing against them, they simply are not "me") but I guess I took care of enough WWII Naval Veterans during my days in the ER to associate an anchor with ink! Initially, I had it in my mind to make a muscular arm shaped card BUT since today's sneaks were to be "Love Expressions to our Men," I thought that the man in my life would much rather see a card with a little va va voom! This brings me to the second new product I used- Chiffon Pink 8 1/2 x 11 card stock! Yes, be on the look out for new solid colors of A Muse card stock . Still the same wonderful color on one side, white on the other BUT now you can use them to make different sized cards and crafts such as this cute bra and pantie template (yes, if you can't wait to see the backside of this card scroll on down)! I had such a fun time decorating the Robin's Egg Damask undies with Robin's Egg Pearls and this adorable Ocean polka dot ribbon. Truly a fun card!

Before I reveal the backside of my card, I'd like to point out the new sentiment "you are my ANCHOR." It is a single lined sentiment but by masking each line individually with scotch tape, I was able to have it frame the anchor image. This is a technique that I love and demonstrate often in my A Muse classes! For me, this is a perfect sentiment because my husband is truly my anchor of life. Would not want to imagine my life without him!

So without further ado, this amuse-bouche will leave the building- teeheehee! Remember to stop by A Muse News and The Lounge for more sensational sea faring ideas by the Creative Team! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Come with me, my love...

2009-12-31T23:00:00.000-06:00

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

2009-12-30T19:09:00.002-06:00

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...

2009-12-09T08:33:00.004-06:00

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!

2009-11-29T08:54:00.004-06:00

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

2009-11-16T08:01:00.001-06:00

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

2009-11-13T08:38:00.003-06:00

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

2009-11-10T08:04:00.005-06:00

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

2009-11-06T08:10:00.005-06:00

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?????

2009-11-03T15:14:00.004-06:00

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...

2009-09-27T07:45:00.005-05:00

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

2009-08-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

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?

2009-08-03T23:00:00.001-05:00

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...

2009-08-03T15:40:00.002-05:00

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?

2009-08-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

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.....

2009-08-01T00:01:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-31T00:01:00.003-05:00

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....

2009-07-30T09:48:00.002-05:00

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

2009-05-24T07:25:00.002-05:00

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!!

2009-04-22T06:53:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-20T16:38:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-04-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

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?

2009-04-17T01:09:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-07T00:07:00.004-05:00

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

2009-03-31T09:14:00.004-05:00

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:

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!!!!

2009-03-25T01:18:00.003-05:00

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

2009-03-22T00:55:00.005-05:00

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?

2009-03-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-03-20T16:20:00.004-05:00

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!!!!!!!!

2009-03-17T10:29:00.003-05:00

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:

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

2009-02-15T01:53:00.002-06:00

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

2009-02-06T12:53:00.002-06:00

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

2009-02-03T11:22:00.003-06:00

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!

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

2009-01-21T12:47:00.004-06:00

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

2009-01-19T21:49:00.004-06:00

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!

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

2009-01-13T08:55:00.004-06:00

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)!

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

2009-01-06T08:14:00.007-06:00

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:

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!

2009-01-05T10:46:00.003-06:00

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

2009-01-04T23:33:00.007-06:00

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

2009-01-04T11:40:00.004-06:00

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

2009-01-03T11:35:00.005-06:00

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!

A Merry Christmas to All

2008-12-25T17:55:00.006-06:00

A very Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful visitors! If you have been following the Advent box count down over at A Muse news, you may have been wondering what goodies were in the cute little projects. Well, the anticipation is over. I'm getting ready to share the goodie I placed in my box and if you would like a peak at all the others just check out this AMN post for days 1-12 and this post for days 13-24 ! So what did my cute little Annabelle share for Christmas:
Chocolate, of course! These little Lindt Milk Chocolate candies are a "bribe" I use on my DD for cooperation in Michael's. You can always find them at the check out counter and for .39 they are a lot of bang for the peaceful shopping buck!

So what goodies did Santa bring you for Christmas? He was super good to me! I received the new pink Bind-it-all- something I had been wanting for quite a while! Can't wait to play with it and have projects to share on my blog! I, also, received the Giga Scallop Heart punch and the Mega Classic Heart punch by Marvy (just in time for Valentine's A Muse projects) and some Copic markers to add to my ever growing collection. The girls got a Wii to share so the entire family had enjoyed that today! Truly a blessed day! Wishing you a new year of fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Embellishments DT Announcement and Blog Prize Winner

2008-12-21T12:36:00.004-06:00

Yes, I have been a bad blogger lately! Between Christmas activities and having one very sick little Rachel at my house, by necessity my beloved crafts and blogging have had to take a back seat. Today I had such exciting news that I just had to peep in for a minute and share. So without further ado, I would like to announce the new (and returning) members of the Jacksonbelle Embellishment DT:

What an awesome group of talented ladies, huh! I cannot wait to begin our weekly challenges and all the inspiration this group will bring!!! We will be kicking it off with an awesome New Year's Eve party so be sure to keep an eye out for the fun details!

On another fun, note I am pleased to announce that the winner of my blog candy is #7- Tinla! Tinla is a very talented stamper and huge A Muse fan so this prize is right up her alley! Congratulations, Tinla! If you will please send me your postal info. I will get those out to you ASAP! Also, don't forget to be checking out the daily Advent box count down on A Muse News! Wishing everyone fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Holy Cow!

2008-12-13T22:21:00.000-06:00

It has been too long since I last posted! Life is crazy busy but I do think that there is some relief in sight! I am working on a couple of projects and hope to be able to post one of them tomorrow. In the meantime, today was my day to shine on the A Muse blog! I had day 13 on the Advent calendar and I would love for you to go and check it out! Since I am getting closer and closer to my 30,000 hits marker, why don't we make this a game and have a prize opportunity. Just take a look at the A Muse blog, and tell me the name of the cute little girl on my advent box in a comment on this post. On Friday, December 19th, I will choose one winner via random drawing to win a little sampler pack of 10 A Muse notecards that I will put together, along with some yummy A Muse ribbon. Easy Peasy. While you are there be sure to check out days 1-12 of the calendar. These little boxes are adorable! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

December 1st

2008-12-01T14:37:00.002-06:00

One of the fun things that I remember as a child was counting down the days of Christmas on an Advent Calendar. The tradition has continued with my children and they love it as much as my sisters and I did! To celebrate the holiday seasons the members of the A Muse Creative Team have each made a cute little box to be posted on A Muse News each day from now until Christmas Eve. Please be sure to check these sweet little boxes. Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

A Jacksonbelle Sell!!!!

2008-11-26T09:30:00.001-06:00

Hello, All! I know that everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving Day. Whether you are starting to cook or preparing for travels, this is a busy, busy time. Just want to mention some really super exciting news. Lindsey is having a huge sell over at Jacksonbelle Embellishments. From today (Wednesday) - Monday everything in the store is 20% off!!!!! Be sure to use coupon code THANK08 to receive this awesome discount! So while you are waiting for that turkey to bake OR if you just need a few minutes to yourself- be sure to sneak off to the computer and check this out! Hope you have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

2008-11-25T00:00:00.003-06:00

The week of Thanksgiving is always exciting for me! In my mind it is the beginning of the Holiday season and my favorite time of the year! With all the fun and fellowship, comes a lot of hustle and bustle. Each year I vow not to get too stressed. So far, I have not been overly successful but I am slowly learning to take the "little" things in stride and focus on the true meaning of the season. Keeping that in mind, I was faced with 2 "tasks" (although fun) yesterday evening. Since today is the last school day before Thanksgiving, I had to get Rachel's birthday party invitations ready to take to preschool. Also, it is Tuesday and time for a Jacksonbelle Embellishments Design Team challenge. This week we are to use our favorite Jacksonbelle supplies when making a card (narrowing my favs down is a daunting task)! To kill two birds, so to speak, I decided to make a card that would do double duty. Two of my favorite products from JBE are Inkadinkado stamps and Shimmerz. I, also, love the adorable Imaginisce line "Fairest of Them All" and find it perfect for all the little girl projects that I make! Keeping in mind that the card had to be mass produced and that it might be "examined" by curious preschoolers, I decided to be selective with my embellishments. The class has children from 3-5 years of age and I am always careful about including any hard embellishments on projects for the children. When Rachel saw the completed invitation, the look happy look on her face made my night. Of course, she wanted to know if today is her birthday party- it is going to be a long 2 weeks!! Be sure to check out what the other DT Gals have selected as some of their favorite Jacksonbelle Goodies:

I hope to be back before Thanksgiving but if not please have a enjoyable and safe one! And just a little hint: you might want to check in at Jacksonbelle Embellishments over the weekend- you never know what Lindsey might have up her sleeve in the way of a sale. Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers. Take care!

Invite deets: Stamps: Beautiful Fairy- Inkadinkado, Sentiment- PTI
Paper: PP- Imaginisce- Fairest of Them All, CS- PTI
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Supplies: Shimmerz, ribbon- PTI, Cuttlebug, Swirl Embossing Folder,
MS scallop border punch.

Cozy Winter Wishes

2008-11-19T14:49:00.001-06:00

The last 2 mornings have certainly shown us that there are colder days just around the corner. I actually sent Rachel to school wearing a coat instead of a light jacket. Now in true North Alabama fashion, we may very well wish we had on shorts on Thanksgiving Day but you never can tell! To mark the change in the seasons, I decided to post a card that I made with one of the latest releases from the Artful Inkables set, Frosty Mug Mates. I stamped the little snow fellow, then masked the image to place the tree "behind" him. After coloring the images with Copic markers, I added Liquid Appliqué and heat set it for a fluffy snow look. The little yellow stars and the snowflake embellishments were made by running a sheet of red sticky tape through my Cuttlebug with a snowflake die. After adhering the stars to the card (and the snowflakes to a die cut cs version,) I covered the other adhesive side with Art Glitter. PP is Paper Salon's last year wintry print and ribbon is PTI. Wishing everyone fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday & A Design Team Call!!!

2008-11-18T08:54:00.001-06:00

Whohoo! Yes, you read that right! This is not just any ole Jacksonbelle Tuesday! Today Lindsey is announcing a search for 5 new Design Team members! Believe me, if you are interested in becoming a designer this is a great team! With the Yahoo group, I have come to know some really awesome gals that encourage, support and make you laugh sometimes all at once! Be sure to check out the details at the

Jacksonbelle Embellishments Store Blog.

So on to the challenge which was to incorporate a Christmas or a snowflake theme. I am working on Christmas cards right now so this was perfect for me! We would love to have you play along and link you card to a comment on this blog so I can see your awesome Christmas creations!
For some super inspiring ideas, be sure to check out the blogs of the following DT members:

I have a ton of things to catch up on this morning so I will just leave you with the card deets.
All stamps are Inkadinkado (bird ornament, sentiment, holly flourish); PP is Basic Gray Wassail; ribbon is May Arts- all from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. The scallop and tag were cut with Nestabilities dies; Ink is SU Always Artichoke and Versamark; Clear and Gold EP are Ranger; CS-Bravo Burgundy, Always Artichoke, & Mellow Moss; pearls are from Ellen Hutson. Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Wishful Thinking...

2008-11-16T12:39:00.001-06:00

Yes, these little snowmen from the latest Artful Inkables release are probably about as close to snow as this southern gal with get. These fellows can be found in Frosty Mug Mates, along with a super selection of other snow friends! Not much time for a long post today. I have an extremely busy week ahead with 3 A Muse classes, Girl Scouts, Dr.'s appointments, hopefully lunch with another local A Muse addict, Vickie Cooper (Hiya, Vicky) and then the usual- taxi to dance lessons, horseback riding lessons, Upward cheer leading practice, and oh yeah, homeschooling in the middle of all of that. Time is definitely more precious than money. Anyway, today's goal is to get the house cleaned and laundry for the week done. Doesn't allow for much blogging or crafting time. I will be back later this week with my Jacksonbelle Tuesday challenge, and at least one more card from Frosty Mug Mates, and how about a look see at the A Muse cards that I will be teaching on Monday at Once Upon a Scrapbook. I know I have promised an account of the fabulous Seattle trip but I really want to wait until I can give it the time it deserves. So I'm going to leave you with the down and dirty deets of this card and Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Card deets: Stamps- Frost Mug Mates, paper- Real red, white cs, MME, ink- Memento Black, supplies- Top Note die from SU, Cuttlebug, Copic markers, Liquid Appliqué , paper snowflake- Imaginisce, rhinestone brad-MM, snowflake brad and ribbon from stash.

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

2008-11-11T22:46:00.001-06:00

First, a heartfelt Thank-You to all the great men and women of this countries military, both present and past, who have stood up for the freedom that we are so very fortunate to have! A Happy Veteran's Day to you!

I'm very squeaking in this Tuesday's card for the Jacksonbelle Embellishment challenge. After my weekend away in Seattle, I have needed to spend some time with the family I love! We have all missed each other and I truly felt the need to slow down the pace of things for a couple of days and enjoy my wonderful husband and sweet daughters!

This is NOT to say that the trip to Seattle was not totally incredible. Truly an experience that I will remember for a lifetime. My trip did end up having a rocky beginning. My fellow travelers and I were all buckled in ready for take off of the flight out of Huntsville headed to Dallas/Ft Worth when the starter on the plane would not work. So... I ended up leaving on Friday morning (after an extra night in my own comfy bed) and thus did not arrive in Seattle in time for the Copic Certification class. The gals that attended the class said it was great BUT that they felt a lot of it did not pertain to coloring the stamped images that we use. Luckily, Marianne from Copic did a mini inservice as part of our Saturday itinerary, and I at least learned that my technique was correct- of course, I still think I need to continue practicing because I see myself feeling more and more confident at time goes by. Tomorrow I plan on sharing more details about my incredible trip and the AWESOME company A Muse!

Today, Jacksonbelle Embellishments DT members were challenged to make a card using this sketchThis is such a fun sketch and we would love to have you play along! If you should make a card using this sketch, be sure to link a card to a comment for this post! I would love to see you beautiful cards. For some more ideas, using this sketch be sure to check out the participating DT members blogs:

My card today features: Stamps from Inkadinkado, Wassail paper from BG, brads from Imaginisce, and paper ornament from Prima- all available from Jacksonbelle Embellishments,
ink (Always Artichoke), scallop punch and ribbon- SU, scallop rectangle punch- Marvy

Tomorrow I will be back with more deets about Seattle. Until then, wishing you fun Times and inky fingers. Take care!

Hello from Seattle

2008-11-07T05:00:00.001-06:00

If all went well with my scheduled post, it is Friday and I am in Seattle taking the Copic Certification class! I cannot wait to get home and share with you, my friends, about my trip! Until then I have another card to share. These pretty little snowflakes from the Artful Inkables brand new release "Paper Snowflakes" are very likely about as close as I am going to get to any of the cold, wet stuff this year! So I better enjoy them any way I can! And who wouldn't have a good time playing with this beautiful set? It comes with 4 unique snowflakes and 2 sentiments for either a Christmas card or winter well wishes. Here is a look at the rest of the images of the set:

I made this card during the wee hours of the morning and shot my photo right away. The lighting was particularly poor for this pic and you cannot see all the sparkle and texture on this card. The light blue base layer is actually a piece of velvet paper that I ran through my Cuttlebug using the Snowflake embossing folder. The wonderful snowflakes are covered with Dazzling Diamonds after being traced with a Sakura Quickie Glue pen. Be sure to check out the samples created by Pam and Terri using the beautiful set. I guarantee these gals will inspire you! Also, remember to use this coupon code for savings on your order.

Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Card deets: Stamps- Artful Inkables Paper Snowflakes, paper- KI velvet paper, Lovely Lilac, Whisper white CS, Ink- Lovely Lilac, Supplies- Cuttlebug, Snowflake Embossing Folder, circle punches, Silver Cord- SU, small oval punch, ribbon- May Arts, Dazzling Diamond, Sakura Quickie Glue pen, Stampin' Dimensionals

A Cup of Tea...

2008-11-05T13:30:00.001-06:00

Hiya, Friends! Just a quick post in the midst of getting ready for my trip to Seattle. I am so excited and a bit anxious because flying is not my favorite thing! Anyway, I have quite a bit to do between now and take off and one important and FUN thing is to share this card that I made with the darling "Warm Drinks for Cold Days" by Artful Inkables. This is yet another of the 5 new really released sets! Although it uses "cold days" in the title of this delicious, it definitely can be used year round for any coffee or tea fan! Here are the rest of the images of this awesome set:
Today I teamed up the cute little tea pot and cup with Urban Prairie by Basic Grey. Now I love BG but this may be my favorite line yet! I love the eclectic color mix and all the little "nature themed" surprises you will find in this pretty paper! The image is colored with Copic markers and the "tea" is Bees Wax Shimmerz. I cut a little folksie flower from the PP and added a stem with a black Copic to give the tea pot personality. Buttons are from my stash and the terrific ribbon is A Muse. Be sure to check out DT members Jenn and Julia's blogs for some more ideas of using this cute set. Also, remember to include coupon code save10BT for your 10% discount on all of your AI purchases! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Whohoo! Some New AI in the House!

2008-11-05T01:14:00.001-06:00

Yes, yes, yes! It is time, once again, for another incredible new release from Artful Inkables. Kristin has been super busy creating FIVE beautiful new sets! I am so impressed by the versatility she has given to her designs. While several of the sets have images that would make wonderful Christmas and winter holiday cards, you will find that they will be appropriate throughout the year! For example, here are the images of this first set, "Peaceful Wishes."

Right away, I'm a huge fan because of the sweet little pine cone image! Definitely a must for a nature lover card anytime of the year! The gorgeous deer images would work great on the front of a Christmas or for a masculine birthday card. Another neat feature about this set- both the pine cone square and the poinsettia square fit perfectly in a 1" square punch- instant Inchies. That was the first thing that inspired me when I first saw this set. I knew I had to make a card with a trio of pine cone inchies. I had some Cosmo Cricket Wonderland paper left over from last year (absolutely a favorite of all time holiday paper) and thought this pine cone print would make a great background. The beautiful shimmer ribbon is May Arts and a brand new product for Artful Inkables! Be sure to check out my sister DT members Julia and Jenn's blogs for some more samples using "Peaceful Wishes!" And don't forget use this coupon code for 10% off your order!

I will be back later today with a fun sample from another AI new release "Warm Drinks for Cold Days" yummmmm!

Card deets- Stamps- Peaceful Wishes, Ink- Adirondack Espresso, Encore Gold, Paper- Cosmo Cricket Wonderland, Chocolate Chip, Poison Ivy, Supplies- ribbon May Arts, 7/8", 1" 1 -1/4" square punches, Stampin' Dimensionals, button from stash, Gold Cord- SU

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

2008-11-04T07:57:00.001-06:00

Finally, a Jacksonbelle Tuesday challenge! After not being able to play last week due to my sick little Rachel, I was so ready to for today! Lindsey carries all my favorite products so these challenges are truly my time to get to create for fun! My post right now will be extra short because I am getting ready to take Rachel to preschool and then go to VOTE. Today's challenge is to CASE a card from the awesome collection of sister Design Team member Kisa Peters. The hard part about this was choosing only 1 card from this super talented gal's inspiring collection! This cute little Prima Panda stamped card pretty much follows the sketch to a tee with the addition of some Shimmerz painted Primas- a truly Kisa touch. Be sure to check out the other DT members blogs to see how they were inspired by this very creative gal.

If you would like to play along we would love to have you join us. Just link up your card to a comment on this post! Enabler alert: Jacksonbelle Embellishments has added some awesome new goodies to the store- Memory Box, the new Shimmerz "Blingz," new May Arts and more!
Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Two Scoops of Fun

2008-11-03T16:06:00.000-06:00

Wahoo! Can you believe that it is November already? With all the wonderful things that are associated with the years end, I am excited to announce that pre-sale orders are being taken for the delightful stamps of Two Scoops Rice Designs, as well! If you haven't checked out these adorable stamps you are truly missing the cherry on the top of your sundae. Just click on the above logo and it will take you right to the blog/site to pre-order yours today. Design Team members will be getting their sets soon, so be sure to check back for some samples.

Things have been beyond crazy around here! My youngest DD missed preschool all last week due to bronchitis and asthma- antibiotics, steroids, breathing treatments- the whole shebang. Then hubby came down with it (guess who was tougher through the ordeal- teeheehee.) My oldest daughter changed her mind about her Halloween costume at the last minute and so I was sewing a Little Red Ridinghood costume on Thursday night and Halloween Day- BTW other than cards, I had never sewn. It was an interesting experience. Youngest DD had her final soccer game on Saturday morning and then I started coming down with the crud. I'm feeling better, as far as, that goes but had to have an epidural for my back today (still kinda loopy from the meds.) I think Little Red Ridinghood and our last SU Stamp Camp did me in as far as that goes. I have several DT assignments due this week (can't wait to show them to you) and get ready for my trip to Seattle to meet all the awesome ladies from A Muse! Whew! Except for being sick, I LOVE it all! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Pick of the Patch

2008-10-30T09:19:00.001-05:00

Hello! Hello! Just taking a quick minute to poke my head in and share another card from my first A Muse class. Rachel has been sick this week with respiratory gunk and keeping us busy with breathing treatments. I'm also in the process of making Mary Elizabeth a Little Red Ridinghood Halloween costume so not much time to stamp this week. I have a growing list of "got to do's" which include some peaks at the AWESOME new releases from Artful Inkables of 5, yes, 5 brand new sets. Once again, Kristin has her outdone herself with these beautiful stamps!

So... if I don't get a chance to blog before the weekend I want to wish everyone a fun and SAFE Halloween! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Card deets: All stamped images, notecards, and ribbon by A Muse.
Other: Marvy Uchida punches, Copics, Stardust Stickles, Zig white paint pen, fine tip black pen

Fall for A Muse- Another Peak

2008-10-26T11:17:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share another card that I will be teaching Tuesday at Once Upon a Scrapbook. I taught my first A Muse class at Wisescrappers a couple of weeks ago and I really think it was a huge success. I had some very newbie stampers who had primarily scrapbooked and they were thrilled with the results of their cards. It was the most wonderful feeling to see folks so proud of what they had accomplished and knowing that you had help them to get there! One lady said it was the most informative paper crafting class that she had ever attended and the owners said they had received very positive reviews. It was great to share my hobby/passion/obsession with others!

I am still very much a "newbie" when it comes to the wonderful company of A Muse and I cannot wait to travel to Seattle next month and meet this incredibly talented Creative Team. Already, I have gained so much knowledge and inspiration by visiting their blogs and I invite you to check these out too for some awesome projects. Definitely a different style than my usual many layered, embellished cards but with the same elements of design. As I have said before, simple does not mean easy but it is so fun! "Think Simply, Think A Muse" is a wonderful way to think! Wishing you fun Times and ink fingers! Take care!

Some Bunny Loves You

2008-10-22T09:03:00.001-05:00

This week SCS is recognizing National Breast Cancer Awareness month by incorporating pink in all of the challenges. Yesterday's color challenge was too good to pass up- Pirouette Pink, Kiwi Kiss, and Chocolate Chip. I did not have Pirouette Pink but I thought this cute PP from Imaginisce Fairest of Them All collection certainly fit the bill. Also, since I was running short on Kiwi Kiss, I exchanged it for Old Olive. I had not stamped with this cute little thumping bunny image from Artful Inkables Deer Friends yet and thought it would be perfect for the soft colors. The image is colored with Prismacolor pencils and then blended with Gamsol. I feel the softer look of the pencils works well with these cute forest creatures. See the largest flower in the cluster? Well, the center was made using lace from Fancy Pants Designs. Fun stuff! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Card deets:

Stamps: Artful Inkables- Deer Friend

Paper: Old Olive, white CS, PP- Imaginisce Fairest of Them All

Ink: Memento Creamy Cocoa, Ranger Distress Ink Tattered Rose

Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Prima Flowers, Imaginisce brads, Fancy Pants lace & velvet ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

2008-10-21T11:51:00.001-05:00

Baby, It's cold outside- NOT! Yes, we are still basking in the mid to upper 70's on the coolest days. Granted a light jacket feels good in the mornings and evenings but not anything I would call a cold snap. So... I guess I must live vicariously through my bloggin' buddies and turn the thermostat down a notch or two to really get in the spirit of making cards like the one for today's Jacksonbelle Embellishment DT Challenge- to make a Christmas card using items from JBE. Easy peasy! There are so many awesome Holiday goodies at Lindsey's store that the only hard part is narrowing it down on what to use! You will want to be sure to check out the cards by the rest of the team. They are as different and inspiring as the gals themselves!

We would love to have you play along! If you would like to but don't have any specific products from JBE, then just have fun with a Christmas card! Regardless of the temperature, it is NEVER to early to get started on your Holiday greetings! If you would like, please, leave a link with your comment so that I can see you beautiful card!

Card deets: Jacksonbelle products: Inkadinkado Cute Penguin stamp, Fancy Pants- Happy Holidays 8 x 8 pad, sheer May Arts ribbon, Magenta Shimmerz
Sentiment- The Cats Pajamas
CS- SU
felt trim-Creative Imaginations
Black Sparkle EP from stash

Fun Stuff: This past weekend (in all the chaos), I had the pleasure of meeting Cheryl of Engineered Expressions! I have been a big fan of Cheryl's creativity and blog for some time and she and I will comment back and forth. She is a super sweet and talented gal! Anyway, she and her husband flew from Wisconsin to Huntsville to attend a wedding this weekend and my family met them at the Space & Rocket Center for a wonderful visit. I didn't have my camera (duh) but Cheryl said she would forward the pics to me! I can't wait to share those with you!

On another note, I am excited to add another Design Team to my resume! A brand new company, Two Scoops Rice Designs, has graciously added me to there team roster! The images set to be released for Pre-Order the 1st of November, are super, super cute and I cannot wait to ink them up!

I keep waiting on life to slow down a bit. We have 2 more Saturday soccer games, my in-laws visit this weekend, a Stamp Camp this Friday, an A Muse class on the 28th, Halloween and a visit from my dad that weekend and following that I am heading to Seattle for A Muse Instructor Team Training (whahoo)! The day before the A Muse IT training begins, there will be a Copic Certification class which I have signed up to take- Good Stuff! Keeping my fingers crossed for a weekend of NOTHING before the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I'd love to hear what is going on in your busy lives, cause I know they are!!! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers. Take care!

I'm Still Here....

2008-10-19T21:21:00.000-05:00

Just stopped by to check on a few things and was totally appalled that I have not posted since last Tuesday! I do have a couple of cards to share, as well as, some news and a fun story! I will try to post on those things tomorrow so that my Jacksonbelle Tuesday post does not become a novel! Hope everyone had a super weekend! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

2008-10-14T19:45:00.002-05:00

Here is the card that I made for the Jacksonbelle Embellishment DT Tuesday Challenge. I made this card last night and then with the chaos of the day, totally forgot to post it!!! So now, in the darkness, I am unable to get a good photo so I apologize for that right away. I will try to get a better photo up in the a.m.! Today's challenge was to make a card using 4 layers or less. Definitely good practice and a lot of fun to make! I will be back with the deets after I get the kids to bed. Until then, be sure to check out the awesome inspiration of the rest of the DT:

Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

TGIF

2008-10-10T09:17:00.001-05:00

Is anyone else looking forward to the weekend? I know I am! My hubby is off work on Monday for Columbus Day and he took yesterday and today off to make it a long weekend. The kids are off of school this week for Fall Break so little Rachel has not been at preschool- both a blessing and a trial. It will be much easier on me now that Dan and I outnumber her- teeheehee! Thursday is Mary Elizabeth's riding lessons and since Rachel usually has dance at about the same time she has been going with a friend. Dance was canceled this week for the break so we are all able to enjoy watching her ride yesterday. We got to experience a couple of firsts with her. It was her first day of jumps and it was her first time to fall off the horse. She was not hurt, in fact she got up smiling and climbed right back on his back. She is definitely a horse loving girl!

My card for today didn't start out as a "get well" card but while I was making it, I discovered that a friend was having a rough time health-wise and decided to make this for her. The cute little raccoon is from none other than the new Artful Inkables set, Critter Country. I started by stamping the little guy on gray CS with a glue pad then added black Fun Flock. After I cut him out I decided to add Petal Pink Liquid Pearls to the inside of his ears and Pewter LP to his nose. I had previous stamped and colored the stump and "weeds" on to white CS and colored them with Copic markers. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to fix the raccoon on to the stump. The PP is from BG's Mellow line and I used So Saffron CS to accent. I inserted 2 SU jumbo eyelets in the corner and added yellow gingham ribbon from my stash. The tag is cut from the gray CS with a Cuttlebug tag die and the sentiment is from AIs Basic Sentiments. I fixed the tag to the card with hardward from WRMK. The little button in the corner is SEI with a tiny knot of the gingham ribbon. Hope everyone has some super plans for the weekend (even if those plans just have to do with getting some rest-lol)! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Sonoma Critter Country

2008-10-08T12:58:00.002-05:00

Be sure to leave a comment HERE for a chance for some awesome Jacksonbelle Embellishment Blog Candy
AND
Be sure to check out the Artful Inkables' website for an awesome grab bag offer!

Today is Wednesday and that means a Sketch Challenge on SCS (SK197). I purchased this beautiful PP- Sonoma by Scenic Route- at my lss and had been waiting for just the time to use it. Each and every design from this line of paper is gorgeous (and of course, I had to have it ALL)! This adorable little fox image is from the latest Artful Inkables release and it is found in an awesome set called Critter Country- completely cute critters with great accessory stamps to make wonderful little scenes. After stamping the image in Memento Rich Cocoa, I realized I still had my Prismacolor and Gamsol supplies handy so decided to use them once again. To give the little guy depth, I added white Liquid Appliqué to the tip of his tail and chest area. Finally, I cut him out and popped him up on this little grassy scene panel. The yellow polka dot panel is embossed using the Cuttlebug branch folder. Ribbon is May Arts and hardware is HHH by SU. A cute, happy card! Be sure to check out the Artful Inkables site to learn about Kristin's Grab Bag speciall! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

2008-10-07T19:43:00.002-05:00

Click here to sign up for a Jacksonbelle Blog Candy Giveaway!

It's Tuesday (already) and time for the weekly Jacksonbelle Embellishments Design Team Challenge. I'm barely sneaking this one in on Tuesday because I have been under the weather since Saturday afternoon- virus type symptoms: fever, headache, generalized pains- you get the picture. This simple card and short post has taken me ALL day to complete! I was determined to participate today because our challenge was to CASE a card from the beautiful collection of our own DT member, Broni Holcombe. Broni's work is awesome- her coloring is beautiful and her design is wonderful! The hard part was limiting myself to 1 card and if I had been up to it, I might have made more! Be sure to check out the challenge cards made by the rest of the Design Team!!!

For my CASE I chose this card:See what I mean about her beautiful coloring and design! I loved the clean lines of this card AND how the brads anchored that cute focal image! I used my new Inkadinkado clear set- Beautiful Fairies and teamed it up with BG Euphoria (perfect for this fantastical character.) The fairy is stamped with Palette Noir ink then colored with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol. I enhanced her wings with my favorite Stickles- Stardust. The solid CS is SU Purely Pomegranate, as well as, the satin ribbon (both retired.) The Primas are brand new to Jacksonbelle and the centers are Euphoria glazed brads. A simple, clean card with just enough whimsy to make it fun! Stay tuned tomorrow for a card from the latest Artful Inkables release. And be sure to check out the Grab Bag Special that Kristin if offering at AI!!!! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!