Clean & Simple - Stampin' Up!

A couple years ago when I learned how to heat emboss it was one of my most favorite techniques!! Here lately it seems like a lot of mess and trouble (apparently I've grown lazy). A couple months back I dug out my heat gun to make a set of 8 simple embossed thank-you's for a friend. I couldn't decide whether to emboss my Fifth Avenue Floral card with white or clear and then decided on both- I really like how this card turned out - all three flowers stand out on their own with this technique.

My four favorites -

C&S Embossing - A little more labor intensive than just C&S stamping but well worth the effort!!

I "Heart" Punches

Never thought I'd get this posted!! The computer has been acting more than a little wonky lately and when it wasn't wonky the boys were attached to it this weekend - Finally shoo'ed them all away to be able to post these pics of the ladies getting "punchy" on Wednesday!

Sneak Peek - I "Heart" Punches - Part 2

Here is another sneak peek of a card we will be making on Wednesday - This butterfly is made from the purple Giga Flower punch - I'll show you how you can turn a flower into a butterfly in mere seconds!!
Stamps - A Muse 2-4133E Open Zinnia, 8-8306B Come Play
Paper - A Muse 4b notecard in Chiffon Pink, red gingham paper
Ink - Momento Ink in Angel Pink and Ladybug
Accessories - Pearls, red fine-tip Sharpie

My first tutorial - Using the BIA in altering a notebook

On Fridays we will be featuring projects with the New Papercrafting Kit from Serendipity - I worked up a little tutorial with my project - Here is the stuff I used to alter a notebook to have tabs in it. (I purchased several of these notebooks at Michael's this year - they were actually monogrammed notebooks but since the coils were black and the margins were kraft paper I gathered up all I could regardless of the monogram knowing I could cover it up and none would be the wiser.) After cutting and stamping a tab (make sure you make your tabs long enough to extend past the pages in your notebook - I added 3/8" to the width of the notebook's paper) put it in your BIA, center and punch.

Use your scissors to cut little slivers of paper out so you can put the tabs in the book (and even move them later, if you wish).

Isn't this a fun idea - quick and easy - Just the way I like it! The A Muse Personal Stationery clear acrylic set is just perfect for this type of project!

Simple decorating on the cover and it is finished! I'm really into the vintage glass glitter Kim has included in this kit - it has such sparkle to it.

BONUS project - I made 4 cards with paper scraps. Since this paper is double sided all you need to do is stack your 4 favorite patterns (4" x 5 1/4") and cut them randomly into a pleasing geometric pattern. Then comes the fun part - Half the pieces I flipped over and then I played jigsaw puzzle until I found the combos that I liked best - I layered them onto either kraft or black cardstock and then onto an ivory cardbase -

Check out the inside - You know when you get a pack of paper and the front shows a sample of all the different patterns? I used that sample piece to make the strips of paper on the inside of my cards -all that was left was to use my favorite A Muse sentiments - I really like how these cards turned out PLUS I had fun with the glitter again - use scor-tape and your glitter is on for good!!

Blog Banner

Hey - I've been learning Photoshop Elements - Check out my new blog banner!! I'm so excited that I did it all by myself!!

Sneak Peek - I "Heart" Punches

Next week (8/19 at 11am and 8/21 at 6pm) I'll be teaching a super fun punch class - thought I'd tempt you with a quick peek at one of my favorite cards in the bunch.
This little girl stamp is one of my favorite A Muse images - she is just so sweet - I colored her dress with Copic markers and then used a gel pen to make her polka dots white instead of black. One of the new EK Success Edger punches that Kim has at the store made all the fun circles. Look at my favorite part - the girl comes off and becomes - A BOOKMARK!!!

Even after the bookmark is removed the card looks complete - I used a small Basic Grey magnet to hold the bookmark together (it folds over the top of the page). If you want to make one of these fun cards (a 4 more to go with it!) just give Kim a call to register - See ya then!

Stamps - A Muse 2-6054C Flower Girl, 3-4105E Gerber Daisy, 8-8570C Sunsational Day

Ink - Momento Dye in Tuxedo Black and Sweet Plum

Paper - White, Kraft, PTI Plum Pudding

Accessories - White gel pen, EK Success Edger Punch - Swiss Cheese, Small Basic Grey magnets, Copic Markers

Serendipity - Papercrafting Kit!!!

Did you get the e-mail where Kim mentioned a special announcement??!! Every other month Serendipity will have available for sale an amazing papercrafting kit! August and September feature the kit pictured above. This kit is packed with some of the BEST papers/accessories around. There is a entire paper pack from My Mind's Eye - Andrea Victoria (9 sheets double-sided printed paper plus accessory sheet). Included also are 4 sheets of Bazzill Dotted Swiss 12x12 papers, 3 sheets of 8 1/2 x11 cardstock PLUS the really fun stuff - 5 yards of yummy ribbon, cream buttons, Kaisercraft Black Pearls, a Prima Bonnet Blossom, Prima brown baubles and Silver vintage German glass glitter!!! All this for a mere $25!!! Here is one of the fun things I made -

Not sure what to call this thing - I wanted to feature as many of the design elements as possible so I purchased a black framed mirror from Wal-Mart (a whopping $6 investment - they are available in white too) and put a sheet of Rope Swing Bazzill Dotted Swiss paper as my base and went from there. The only things I used outside of the kit were the mirror, Glimmer Mist, the Bow-Easy and Ranger Distress Ink in Old Paper -all available for purchase at Serendipity, of course!! ;-)

I really love how this turned out - Just a fun/graphic/linear way to mix some really kind of modern elements with some classic ones as well.
There is lots of dimension and layering going on -

I realize that this look isn't for everyone though - I asked my 12-year old son, Connor, what he thought of it and he said, "The frame is nice, Mom." SIGH - can't please them all, huh?

This kit is only available at Serendipity for a limited time! If I were you I'd hop over to see about getting one while they last.

PLUS - how about some blog-hopping fun -

Hop to Roni's blog for more inspiration with this super fun kit!! Stay posted for more fun ideas -

A Muse Bouche- Mandy's World!!

As a mom of 2 boys there are not a lot of "girly" things in my world. Good thing that I stamp - aren't the Mandy's World stamps the cutest?! I LOVE argyle so Balloon Girl jumped right out at me - I date back to the "preppy" days when we would wear button down collar shirts with a sweater tied around the shoulders, wool skirts, argyle socks and penny loafers. SIGH - I miss that look!
This card is a "tent topper" card (mishmash invented those some time back) and I cut my layers with my Nesties. I had quite a lot of boring green space so I filled it some with some scoring (courtesy of my trusty Scor-Pal). Adds some interesting texture and kinda reflects the embossing on the edge of the main image. Finished off with some clear Spica pen.
Stamps - 1-6135J Balloon Girl, 9-8588B Get better soon
Paper - A Muse Fern square notecard, 4b Robin's Egg and Papaya
Ink - Momento Ink in Black Tuxedo
Accessories - Copic markers, Spica clear marker, Scor-pal, Nestabilities - Labels Four

Amuse Bouche!!

It is that time again!! A Muse Bouche - Usually I am rushing to finish teacher gifts at the end of the school year - not this time!! This year I am going to get in good with Caleb's teacher at the beginning of the year. I've gathered a lot of things from her wish list and I'm going to give them to her along with this card.
The front actually is a window with the apple stamped on the inside - I used white pigment ink for the sentiment to look "chalkboard-y". The inside is cute too. I've been noticing that lately a lot of visual interest is put on the inside of cards too - not just the outside.

If Ms. Olssen decides she loves me this year I'll have to give part of the credit to A Muse!!

Stamps - 3-4159C Solid Apple, 9-8596B Thanks for all you do, 9-SCHLSM Clear set - School Time

Ink - Momento in Tuxedo Black and Ladybug

Paper - A Muse Woodgrain 8.5" x 11" paper, papaya 4b and

Accessories - A Muse Swiss red polka dot ribbon, scallop edge punch