OLW60 - Quick Layers of Ink

It is One Layer Wednesday time - and the challenge is to use quick layers of ink to make a card.  The Just Because stamp set from a muse|studio is a favorite of mine and it layers perfectly over the harlequin stamp from Swanky Backgrounds.  I call it the "mini me" harlequin stamp - har har!!

I always subscribe to the theory that if one is good than more must be better - hence three cards!  I finished them off with a tiny jewel and a bitty bow tied with Divine Twine.  Funny how the tiniest bit of decoration makes such a difference.  If I continue to make tiny bows like that I will have enough Divine Twine to last a millenium!!  I'm also linking these cards to the Moxie Fab Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge.

Jill Grace - Defending "The Beast"

My super cool A Muse buddy Jill is busy, busy, busy working on her thesis not to mention teaching school full time and mentoring a student teacher. Can we say "super woman"? I'm sending her a bit of encouragement today in card form - do you see the aquarium of fish? Jill is a big lover of all things aquatic but I bet she feels a bit trapped with all her responsibilities right now - kind of like fish in a tank! Get it?? You can do it, Jill - all the stress and work will be worth it in the end!
Today is the day that Jill defends her 147 page thesis which she lovingly calls "The Beast" - You will do great, Jill!!

I'm also linking this card to the Moxie Fab Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge.

All supplies available through my

online a muse|studio shop.

CAS125 - Moxie Fab Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge

Today's card is for the Splitcoaststamper's CAS125 - Red, Black and White plus the Moxie Fab Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge to create a card in which stamping is the predominant element.  While you can get quite complicated in a background, it is also fun to keep it clean and simple by stamping one element (Clever Girls stamp set) repeatedly.

Adding pearls to the centers of the flowers adds just a bit of "fancy" to this quick and easy card.  The added bonus is that I've used my crimper twice in a week!!  Sometimes I go months without remembering that tool -

All supplies used in this card are available in my

online a muse|studio shop!

Embellish Rainbow Challenge, CFC8, LIM21 - Miss You

This fun, colorful card is based on three current challenges - the CAS-ual Friday's Getting Edgy Challenge utilizes the largest of the new a muse|studio Scallop Border Set.  The sketch is from the Less Is More blog.

 The colorful rainbow inspiration comes from the Embellish Magazine Color Trends - Rainbow Challenge.

The stamp set is On The Wing - I think it looks as if the birds are kinda chatting on an awning outside a candy store.  The color paper is Cherry Polka Dot, Orange Gingham, Buttercup, Grass Gingham, Blueberry Polka Dot and Blackberry.

All inks, paper, stamps and accessories are available through 

my online a muse|studio shop.

PDCC87 - Moxie Fab World Challenge: Beautiful Borders

This card is my entry to the current Moxie Fab World Challenge - Beautiful Borders and uses the colors from the Play Date Cafe Challenge 87.

When is the last time you had a "if I don't purchase _________, I will turn purple, swell up and DIE!!  When I first started stamping I had those moments pretty often - things were constantly catching my eye.  But now that several years have passed, my collection of things has grown and my budget has had to be restricted, I've managed to keep that feeling under wraps for the most part UNTIL -

I laid eyes on this Trellis cutting die from Lifestyle Crafts!!  Truly - I thought I'd turn purple, swell up and die if it weren't mine.  I had some money in my Paypal account so "technically" it only cost me around $5 for it to come live at my house!

One pass of the die isn't enough to cover the front of an entire card so two strips were quickly cut from
a muse|studio Eucalyptus cardstock.  Lifestyle Crafts has other cool dies but I LOVE this one because the pattern is "never ending" - you can match one piece to another and have a seamless look.

Admittedly, it can seem to be a challenge to adhere but some spray adhesive applied to the back does the trick and then a quick couple passes with a brayer makes sure the adhesive is really sticking to your paper.

Trimmed off the sticky ends with my Cutter Bee teflon scissors so no sticking - WHOO HOO - Now that is the way to start off a card!!  SO COOL!!

Tim Holtz Tattered Flower die cut out my flower and my crimper scrunched it up a bit.  Some glass beads finish off the flower and the sentiment is an old one from SU!

Look what I got when my doorbell rang on Friday!!  My good friend, Roni, made me this card and gave me the new Medallion stamp set from PTI just cause she felt like it!!  Doncha just LOVE a friend like that??!!  Plus she knows me so well - look at all the lovely green and brown!!  THANK YOU, RONI!!! You made my whole day!!

OLW59 - Pinterest Inspiration

This week's One Layer Wednesday Challenge is to be inspired by the Pinterest picture below - There are lots of ways to interpret this photo but when I saw these cards by Shari Carroll I knew exactly what I wanted to do -

I did a little kissing to get the texture (inked the Mesh Background or Swanky Background and then "kissed" it with a clean circle from Lots of Dots to pick up the ink to stamp onto the cardfront) and then added a button and paper flower.

Love the impression of movement on such a simple card - All supplies, paper, ink and accessories are available in my online a muse|studio shop.

FS228, SCS Featured Stamper - Tami Mayberry

This week's SCS Featured Stamper is Tami Mayberry. Not only is she a fabulous stamper but she is also a stamp designer AND she was also named Stamping Royalty in 2010 (which makes me cool since my name is forever linked with hers now whether she likes it or not). I decided to CASE this card - I changed out the color, the pearls and the stamp set.

I really dig the black against the gingham cardstock - such a striking contrast. All papers, inks and accessories are available through my a muse|studio online shop.

Have you downloaded the new Paper Crafts Embossing E-book yet? My first two cards to be published by Paper Crafts are in it - WHOO HOO!

Less is More - Week 20 - Monogram

This week's Less is More Challenge is - Monogram!!  I love monograms - The letter M is featured throughout our house - Our last name is Mathey but my boys say that I have all the M's for me (Michelle) - I won't argue it - I did have lots of monogrammed things even before I was married.  What's not to love about an "M"??  Did you notice that even my watermark features my monogram prominently?

Case in point - here's a cabinet in our kitchen.  While it is truly a hodgepodge of every tchotchke (yup - I spelled that word correctly without spellcheck - one of my many useless talents) that seems to cross my path it also features several M's.  There is at least one "m" in every room in our house.  My favorites are the hidden m's though - lots of those too.  Occasionally, my one brother sneaks from room to room turning all my m's into w's.  Cracks me up - 

Anyway, I can't let my love of the letter M go unmentioned in my monogram card.  If one "m" is good then lots of "m"'s are better (too true - ever hear of m&m's???)  I featured the a muse|studio Classic Alphabet Clear Stamp Set (on sale right now!!) embossed onto kraft cardstock with some Washi tape, Flax Paper Flower, Bermuda Button and a snippet of Sugar Organdy Ribbon.  

FTL145 - A Muse|Studio June Spotlight

You know people ask me all the time -

PEOPLE - "Michelle, how do you consistently make such fabulous CAS cards?!!"

ME - "Why, it is simple when you use the right products - a muse|studio cardstock, stamps, inks. Did you realize that from now through July 15th you can take advantage of the a muse|studio spotlight and you can save 10% on the following stamp sets: Classic Alphabet, Sea Shells, Keep Swimmin’, Life’s a Breeze, and Mad for Plaids!! And, for a limited time, order the special Seaglass cardstock assortment pack (4 sheets each of Bermuda, Sky, Sage, Lichen and Latte)."

These cards were made with the FTL145 sketch from the Clean and Simple Stamping blog.

Don't you love all the soft, gorgeous colors in the Seaglass collection? So very pretty - Another a muse|studio favorite of mine is their kraft paper. Nice and thick with a beautiful neutral color - I'm pretty picky about my kraft paper and this is a winner - I just ordered a new pack of it last night in my own personal order.

After embossing and cutting out my elements (Sea Shells stamp set), choosing a sentiment from the Life's a Breeze stamp set all that was left was to make a pleasing layout with some pieces of the Seaglass paper.

Now in reality, people aren't really asking me about my fabulous cardmaking skills but if they did - I'd be ready for them!! Seriously, you never know when the cardmaking paparazzi might show up on my front porch!!

All supplies used in today's cards are available in

my online a muse|studio shop!!

OLW58, CFC7, Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger - Rainbow Bright

Three Challenges - One Card (kinda like taking out three birds with one stone) - efficient and very CAS! The One Layer Wednesday Challenge for this week is to use Yellow, Orange and Aqua; the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger also inspired this layout - that little strip of tan ink along the bottom is reminiscent of the wood on the spools of bright thread.

The CAS-ual Fridays challenge is to Color Block. Blocks of color are easily added to a card's front with the ink pads applied directly to the paper. A strong vibrant look to a one-layer card.

All stamps and ink are available from

my online a muse|studio shop!

CARDS Blog - Paper Weaving

This week has passed by in a blur - I made this card on Monday and I am just now posting it on Thursday night!!  The CARDS blog had a challenge to make cards featuring paper weaving so I decided to give it a whirl.  I cut a sheet of cardstock into 1/2" strips.  I taped several together across the top and then had fun weaving it together.  To attach it to the front of the card I used spray adhesive and then used scissors to cut off the excess.

Layering dies is a fun way to make a focal point on the front of your card.  I LOVE the Vintage Labels dies/stamps!!  The sentiment is from the Hospitality House set and the flowers are from Clever Girls.

All supplies available through

 my online a muse|studio shop.

A Muse | Studio - June Spotlight!!

 It is time for a new a muse|studio feature, the. . .

For one month, you can save 10% on the following stamp sets: Classic Alphabet, Sea Shells, Keep Swimmin’, Life’s a Breeze, and Mad for Plaids!!  And, for a limited time, order the special Seaglass cardstock assortment pack (4 sheets each of Bermuda, Sky, Sage, Lichen and Latte).

Pictured here are just two of the fabulous ideas featured in this month's spotlight!!

Just click on the a muse|studio Spotlight logo on this page to see more great ideas!!  Don't forget - these sale prices are good now through midnight on July 15th!

Less is More - Week 19 - In the Frame

This week's Less is More Challenge is to make a one layer card that incorporates a frame.  This week's challenge also came with a gentle reminder to keep it CAS with minimal layers (actually only one layer this week).  I'll admit, I was one of the offenders last week so, Chrissie and Mandi, hope you will forgive me!!

I made my card base from kraft cardstock and loosely painted a square with Gesso.  I made my frame with a ruler and Sharpie and used the a muse|studio Life's a Breeze stamp set.  In no time flat we have a one layer masculine card with plenty of "white space" that makes me think of the beach/ocean.

Stamps and ink are available in

my a muse|studio online shop.