Happy 1st of May! We are excited to present to you our newest products right here. Remember, you can add products to your 'cart' from all of the A Muse shopping pages (and Elzybells NA & Saltbox Studio too) for combined shipping. Have fun checking out all of our new products, and some of my favorite things too!
A Muse Essentials
{-Shopping-}
Clear stamp DT
A Muse Instructors
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Guest Designer Dawn McVey
Today it's my pleasure to introduce our newest Guest Designer: Dawn McVey
Many of you may know her from the beautifully happy and clean designs she showcases at her blog, My Favorite Things
Dawn shared her biography with us, so we could get to know her even better:
My name is Dawn McVey and I have been stamping for about 4 years now, however my love of all things paper, was pretty fully developed by the time I was about TWO! Ha! I’ve been making my own cards for years, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I was introduced to Stampin’ Up! and it was about a year later that I became SU! demo myself. One of the things I love about stamping is being able to use my stamps to make high quality paper-crafted items that almost look store bought! I love being able to get the same image every time I stamp it and in any color I want it! Heehee! You can’t ‘run out’ of a stamped image! It’s yours to use over and over again!
I also enjoy scrapbooking, although I haven’t been doing much of that lately, as I’ve been busy pursuing my dreams of getting my cards published. My first cards were published in March 2008. You can find my work in Cards Magazine and later this year in Paper Crafts, Paper Crafts Card Creations 6 & Paper Trends! I have close to 30 cards scheduled to be published in magazines this year and I’m just SO excited!
Bart and I have been happily married for 7 years now. He always encourages me to go after my dreams. I couldn’t ask for a hubby more perfect for me! Bart and I LOVE to travel and have been blessed to go on some amazing trips together. Riley is our 60 lb. ‘baby’ – he’s a golden lab/shar-pei mix. :) I also love photography, reading, singing & blog-hopping.
I have been so amazed at the blessings God has brought to my life. Creativity is a tremendous blessing (wouldn’t you agree, especially during those moments when you feel like your mojo is complete toast! Haha!). I’m so grateful to have such a wonderful hobby that is so rewarding! I’ve made so many friends thru paper crafting and I’ve been given some awesome opportunities – working with A Muse, being one of them. What an honor!
Before I share this installment of Dawn's A Muse designs, I wanted to invite you to leave a comment (1 only per article, please!) on any of the articles in her Guest Designer series with us cuz she's picked out her A Muse favorites for us to give away to readers! WOO HOOOOO!!!
Eiffel Tower stamp
Pink Kitchen Collection 4 Bar Note Cards
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
You're a hoot!
How fun is this?! I loved how Dawn created a branch from the A Muse Twinkle Stickers for the darling owls in our Nature Set to perch upon!
The beautiful shades of cyan and moss green look wonderful against the dark green Kitchen Note.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Sending Sunshine
I don't know what says sunshine or summer more than the fabled ice cream truck--Dawn's design here brought back plenty of great memories of my childhood when we'd all race to the change jar and slam out the front door when we heard the tell-tale tunes wafting up the street!
I love how she covered the truck with one of the Clear Scallop Square Stickers and then punched a hole and knotted some ribbon through it to create a fun charm for this design.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Meet me . . . under the chandelier!
LOL! The mood is very "light" (hah--pun intended!) on this design, with the suggestion of a clandestine meeting under the glimmer of our elegant chandelier!
The Fancy Frame is a fabulous way to showcase it and creates a wonderful ornamental effect.
I thought it was very clever to layer the Kitchen Papers in this way to tie in all the colors used!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Ooh la la!!!
Ooh la la is right! This is probably one of the most clever uses of our Clear Stickers that I have seen in quite some time!
The scallop circle sticker was layered over a punched out circle of Kitchen Dark Brown Paper, and then affixed atop a larger scallop circle of vanilla paper.
By trimming out and layering the Eiffel Tower over the top, it creates a whole new depth and dimension for the finished embellishment on the design-- I'm pretty keen on this and can't wait to try it myself!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Thanks so much for poppin' in our newest Guest Designer, Dawn McVey--I have no doubt you've gotten some marvelous inspiration for your next creations! Be sure to leave a comment on this article so your name can be entered into Dawn's give away of the Eiffel Tower and Pink Kitchen Collection Notes--Dawn wants ya' to win!
--Julie See you again next week for more of Dawn's faboo designs!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
You are NOT going to believe this!
We were FLOODED again today!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
If you've been keeping a tally, we've now been flooded FIVE times in two years. Not good. Today's problem was because the Mexican restaurant a few units down has been dumping their grease into the drains and it was blocked over 100 feet in the main line.
I owe a HUGE thanks to my DH, Heidi, Cindy, Heather and Amanda for their heroic efforts in keeping the flooding from damaging too much stuff in our unit.
Our slum-lord actually had the gaul to yell at my husband and Heidi and tell us it was our fault. Ummmm... hello? Despite the fact that the plumber explained to her (and drew a diagram for her) exactly what the problem was, she insists somehow that we are to pay for it. Yeah, sure!
Apparently there is no agency within the City that governs commercial tenant rights. I'm really suprised about this. Thank goodness we will be moving soon!
Tomorrow will be better. Right? Actually I know it will because we have an awesome treat for you... some fabulous new ideas from our next Guest Designer!!!
Hang tight!
San Diego classes!
I'm thrilled to be heading back to SUNNY San Diego later this month for the Grand Opening of Paper Tales! I saw the store twice before it opened but it was vacant. I'm excited to see it all dolled up!
I've got three classes scheduled so if you live in Southern California, I hope you are able to fit in one (or more!) of my classes. We may also have a surprise visit from an A Muse designer so it's sure to be lots of fun!
Here's the schedule:
Friday, May 30th, 6-8pm
Creative Clear Stamping (6 cards) - $35
We'll use A Muse's clear stamp and alphabets to create 6 fun cards! Learn great tips for acheiving the best results with clear stamps.
Saturday, May 31st, 10a-12p
Linda's Favorites (6 cards) - $35
We'll make 6 cards using my Favorites...favorite stamps, punches, inks, ribbons, markers and more!
Saturday, May 31st, 1-3pm
Think Simple. Think A Muse. (8 cards) - $35
In this class we will make *8* cards! Learn tips and tricks on how to make your simple cards POP!
Call Michelle today to reserve your spot!
619-222-2510
And, before I bid you adieu, here is a fun and easy card that I whipped up. I love the BIG eyes on this owl from our Nature clear stamp set. The branch is from our Stitched Garden clear stamp set.
Have a creative day!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
For the boys
A long while ago, Emily created a card with the A Muse Penguin Pals sitting on our Many Thanks stamp. I've always wanted to try this out with some of our other images. Of course, we have lots of images that would work with this idea so it was hard to choose. Imagine how fun the Duck family would look marching along on top of the word 'many' - so cute!
I decided to use our new Scout image. He is part of our new May release and is one of Nina's favorite designs. Of course, I only have girls so I don't really know the current Boy Scout colors. A loooong time ago, I was chosen to represent the Girl Guides of Canada at an international camp in Zimbabwe. What an amazing experience that was! Zimbabwe had just gained their independence two years earlier (1980) so naturally my parents were a *little* worried about me for the six weeks I was away. The Zimbabwe Boy Scouts uniform at that time was all khaki colored. In fact, I still have a shirt, scarf & hat from one of the boys (no funny business involved, let me assure you!) and it lives in our dress up box.
I like that the letters can be colored in to coordinate with the rest of my card.
Have a great day!
Monday, May 05, 2008
Carved crayons
This is amazing!
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Vote for us!
If you've visited our A Muse shop in Seattle and enjoyed your visit, we'd like to ask for your vote over at The Seattle Times NW Source People's Picks.
http://www.nwsource.com/peoplespicks/2008/
Please vote for A Muse Artstamps in the Knitting, Sewing or Craft Shop category. The voting period is May 1- June 1, 2008 so please vote today. And, you can vote daily through June 1st! How fun!
We'll keep you posted if we win!
Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo! We celebrated tonight with some yummy margaritas. I hope your day is a festive one!
Have a beautiful day!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Anatomy of a rubber stamp
I am often asked how we make the sample cards that are on display in our retail shop. Many people assume they are printed because the images are so crisp. They are shocked and amazed when we tell them that they are all hand-stamped!
Are your stamped images as sharp as you'd like them to be? There are a few factors that will determine your stamped results:
- quality of the stamp
- type of ink
- type of paper
- amount of pressure applied to stamp
- steady hand
- amount of ink
Quality
As for quality, you should look for deeply-etched red rubber stamps. From my experience, these give the best stamped impression. However, you can achieve quality impressions from other materials as well... keep reading. :)
Type of ink
Every stamper should own at least ONE good black ink pad. It is fun to have colors too but a good black inkpad is essential. One of my personal favorites is VersaFine Onyx Black (pigment). This ink gives a crisp impression every time. I also like it because it is a workhorse! I have been using the same pad now for almost THREE years and it's still going strong!
Another ink that I really like is a new dye-based ink called Memento. The Tuxedo black is a sharp black and gives a nice crisp impression. If you are working with alcohol-based markers such as COPICs, you will LOVE this ink because it doesn't bleed.
Ink & Paper
Some inks will "feather" and make your stamped impression look like you've pressed too hard. This will also happen if your paper isn't super smooth. Try stamping on a paper grocery bag and you'll see what I mean. This can be a fun effect, however, if you are aiming for a crisp impression, the smoother the cardstock - the better!
Easy does it!
The amount of pressure you apply to the stamp will also affect your stamping results. I have found the every stamp requires a unique amount of pressure and you should always practice on a piece of scrap paper to determine the right amount of pressure you will need.
Hold it steady!
It goes without saying that you need to hold your hand steady when you are stamping. And, remember to go straight down and straight up! If you have ever stamped with children, you'll know exactly what I mean. My girls concentrate very hard to get a good stamp but they mess up when they lift the stamp off the paper. Straight down - straight up.
Are you still here? This is getting long, isn't it? While all of the above is important and you've likely figured out much of it on your own... this is the SECRET information you've been wanting to know about! It will improve your stamped results dramatically!
This is the anatomy of a rubber stamp:
This is a 'virgin' stamp - never been stamped before. If you look closely you will see some manufacturing residue on the stamp. The first thing you should do with a new stamp is to clean it - a quick wipe with a baby wipe will do. You can also just moisten your finger and wipe it over the stamp. You can feel the bits of residue and just wipe them away. I have read other blogs where people recommend that you "condition" your stamps with an eraser or worse sandpaper. Eeeeek! No, no, no!
When inking your stamp you should only ink the stamping surface. You do NOT want to get ink on the shoulder, the floor, the cushion (the grey foam stuff) or the wood - just the stamping surface. The best way to ink only the stamping surface, is to hold your ink pad in one hand and your stamp in the other hand. Lightly tap, tap, tap your stamp into the ink pad. Look at the stamp. Is the entire stamping surface covered? If not, tap the stamp lightly into the ink some more.
Here is what a properly inked stamp should look like:
And here's a close up. as you can see, there is no ink on the shoulder of the stamp.
If you are getting ink on the shoulder of your stamp and then you apply strong or uneven pressure, your stamped results will not be super crisp. And, If you get ink on the floor of the stamp and you have a large open area (think of an open circle) you will more than likely get a blush mark in the center of your stamped image. This happens because as you press down on the stamp, it creates a vaccuum and sucks the paper up and it touches the floor of your stamp to create a blush mark.
Getting great impressions every time will take practice. However, I assure you if you follow the tips in this post and play around with your stamps, you can do it!Here's a fun card that I made with the ink on this stamp. It's one of those cards that is *just for fun!*
So, let me know how your next stamping project goes!!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
WINNERS of Stephanie's Guest Designer Give-away!
Thanks to all of you that stopped by to comment on both of my articles on Guest Designer Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee!
The winners of this Guest Designer Give-away are:
Elizabeth Glass Apr 8, 2008 1:51 PM
and
Jo Ann F. Apr 18, 2008 6:42 AM
If you lucky ladies will email --> Julie <-- She'll have the Crew at A Muse ship your Gerbera Daisy stamp and Light Blue Kitchen Collection Notes out to you spit spot!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sneak Peek - Catchin' up!
I'm a little behind on showing you some sneak peeks of our new images that will be released May 1st. My allergies have been making it difficult for me to spend any time on the computer because my eyes are so terribly swollen! Ick!
I have THREE little peaks for you today. One of my all-time favorite stamps is the A Muse Tiny bird. I am so happy that he will have a new friend to play with - our new Song bird! Song bird is featured in all three of my cards today.
This first card, features Song bird and Egg Nest. Both stamps are part of our May release. I colored the stamped images on this card with my Koh-I-Noor colored pencils. They are so smooooooooooth!
The branch is from the Sushi clear set and the corner bracket is from the Circle Frames clear set which was released in April.
My second card features Song bird and our new Bird house stamp. This card was a snap to make using my handy dandy stamp positioner. The middle birdhouse is cut from white cardstock and foam mounted over top of a birdhouse stamped beneath. This is a fun way to create visual interest on a simple card.
To create the sentiment, I used the A Muse Home Sweet Home stamp and masked off the 's' in the word sweet. I then cleaned my stamp, inked only the t and stamped it in place with the help of my stamp positioner. (I really do *love* this stamp positioner! LOL!)
And, my last Sneak Peek card for today features Song bird and our new Bird bath stamp. I added a bit of clear glitter glue to the water to make it really sparkle. Yes, our song bird has something to sing about!
We will also be introducing a collection of solid 4-bar notecards with our May release. We call it the Chiffon collection and it includes 6 colors. The colors are so soft and sweet... we almost called in the meringue collection! mmmmm! The cards above use the green, blue and yellow Chiffon notes, respectively.
Have a beautiful day!
Monday, April 28, 2008
A Brief Note - explained
Hooray for Nina! She was the first to guess my thinking behind my Bull and Matador card for the VMAA Black & White challenge.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
No doubt she understood my meaning because we spend a lot of time together! I do like the other explanations too. And, for those of you who said you didn't "get" it - no worries, it's my silly sense of humor!
I wanted to let you know that I added a few things to Linda's favorite Things over the weekend {new Memento Inks} and I will have a few more to add this week so stay tuned! This week I also plan to post articles on:
- The anatomy of a rubber stamp (riveting information, I assure you!)
- My favorite stamp positioner (and how to use it!)
- Fun with Circles (and a great new tool!)
We will also post the winner of Stephanie's Guest Designer Prize. Did you post a comment to win? If not, go do it NOW before Julie picks a winner (or two!). It's easy to find all of Stephanie's posts. Just look over in the Categories in the right column and click on Guest Designers. This will bring you to all posts from our featured Guest Designers. To enter your name for Stephanie's prize, post a comment on one or more of her GD posts (just one comment per post, please!)
a brief note because he's about to be....well, let's just say it's his last note!