A Muse News

The Old Switcheroo!

What could possibly happen if two designers, from two different companies, swapped stamps?  Well, a whole lotta stampy goodness, I tell ya'!

My buddy Lisa Spangler and I thought we'd have ourselves some fun with a little switcheroo, and hope you get as much a kick out it as we have!

 

 

Lisa Spangler

Hiya!  I had a blast stamping these cards using A Muse stamps – ideas
kept popping in my head faster than I could stamp them.  I still have a
bunch of sketches planned out, can't wait to  give them a go!

Here's a little bit about me:  I started stamping 14 years ago while in
graduate school, not to make cards, but to decorate envelopes. 
Eventually it dawned on me that I could make cards with stamps too –
and I've been doing that ever since!

In 2005 I was invited to create card samples for the Hero Arts catalog.
The next year I left my job as a software engineer to work for Hero
Arts full time as a Designer and Senior Web Engineer.    I also get to
teach classes and help with product development.  It's my dream job!

I live in Austin, Texas with Jason, my husband of over 11 years and
our two goldfish, Smiley and Woodfin.  When I'm not stamping, I'm
either hiking, riding my road or mountain bicycle, taking pictures of
wildflowers, or tromping around a prairie. 

One of my favorite foods is sushi, and when Julie asked what stamps I'd
like to use for the samples for our swap, that one was at the top of my list.
YUM.

Julie, it's been so much fun working with you on this “designer swap”
-- you are truly amazing.  Many thanks to you and A Muse!

Right back at ya', girlfriend!  Thanks so much to Lisa and to Hero Arts for this FUN Designer Swap! 

And, now, I'm tickled to share the fab cards that Lisa whipped up with ya'all!

Happy, HAPPY Birthday!

Lisa does a lot of her coloring work with colored pencils, and I think the shading she does is terrific!

In this design, she actually stamped with a nice dark brown ink, which sets a softer tone to the finished piece, and really brings out the warmth of the colors she chose to use.

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Flower Filled

Lisa used our Oval Frames set in conjunction with the Marvy Scallop Oval Punch to frame our little flower-filled wheel barrow, and sponged the edges to really make the focal image POP!

Look carefully, and you'll see how the tiny blossoms have been blinged with Micro Dot Twinkle Stickers.

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Just a note

Lisa's a tremendous nature buff--check out her blog, Sideoats & Scribbles to see her stunning photography of the beautiful prairie flowers she films. You will fall off your chair!

             

I had no idea the Texas prairies were so beautiful, until I saw Lisa's photography.

I loved how she made the little hill by pinking the Madeira Green paper--I am SO trying this!  Such a simple touch but, with great impact.

Did you catch the "love" note made with the heart shaped Twinkle Sticker?

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Ice Cream Note

I love out-of-the-box ideas, and this one is no exception--I love how Lisa used an image from the Fancy Borders set to create the "ice cream scoops"!

So stinkin' CLEVER!

The glitter makes 'em all the more delicious, and each one is topped with a little Twinkle Heart "cherry" sticker!  SWEET!

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Arigato

This is just so sweet, to have the flowery Party Lantern dangling from yet another image from the Fancy Borders set.

If you look carefully at the detail photo, you'll see how Lisa used the Clear Twinkle Stickers to create little hanging "crystals". 

And check out how she embellished the paper flower in the center with the pink Mini and Micro Dots!

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Flower Fan

I literally blurted out "SHUT UP!" over this.

I see fans.  Lisa sees fans.  And, Lisa sees a FLOWER!!!

Genius.

...................... 

Lisa used the fan from our Sushi set to create  a flower, centered by a clear disc and a button.

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OK, so she sees fans, flowers, AND BUTTERFLIES!!!

Are ya' shaking your head like I was?  Same fan, from the same set!

Fantastic cleverness!  GET OUT!!!

 

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Thank you

I started cracking up over this because Lisa and I are *so* much alike--we BOTH SAVE OUR PLASTIC SUSHI GRASS for cards!

ROTFLMBO! 

I love how she cut out and 3D mounted the little Tatami sandals from the Sushi Set on this!  Just so darn SWEET!  And, see how she used the Heart Twinkle Stickers to embellish them? 

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Sushi Spinner

            

I know!!! (--Monica, TV series "Friends")

Check out how she curved the sentiment, along the edge of the sushi circle element!

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Now you're wheely rollin'!

Wheely Girl is Lisa's all-time favorite A Muse stamp, and she smartly used the solid stitched image from the Fancy Borders set to create a hill for her to cycle up!

Did you notice what she used to create the windy "trail" behind her?

The STEAM from the Coffee Break Set!

               

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Lisa, your creations always inspire and delight--thank you for making this Designer Swap such a blast, my friend!

We'd love to share the fun with you, our readers, by havin' a "Lisa's Favorite A Muse Stamp Give-Away":

Wheely Girl
+ Madeira Blue 4 Bar Note Cards

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment right here on this article!

And, be sure to pop over to the Hero Arts Blog HERE and check out the cards I made!   I hear there's a give-away goin' on over there, too! 

--Julie   

Guest Designer Dawn McVey's final designs

We sure hope you've enjoyed this series on Guest Designer Dawn McVey!  Have you found yourself trying some of her fun design ideas?   

Today, I have the last of her fabulous designs to share, and just wanted to remind you to leave a comment, to enter the drawing for her Guest Designer prize!
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Butterflies Flutter By

Dawn used a Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch and studded each of then with Clear Twinkle Stickers for added glam.

Their wings were gently folded upwards for added dimension--I really love the effect!

The cream and black butterflies have quite a dramatic effect against the light blue polka dot pattern of the Kitchen Note--she actually cut one in half and used it as a layer on a cream base card for this design.

                     

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Ooh la la!

Die cut letters have been covered in rich purple glitter--very dazzling sophistication on this Paris design, don't you agree?

<--not *that* Paris!  THIS Paris! --->

I thought having the Eiffel Tower there angled to the right was a fabulous touch!
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Sending Sunshine

On this design, Dawn chose to stamp the Spiral Daisy repeatedly, in a tightly clustered pattern.

She then colored only the center portion, accenting each with Clear Twinkle Micro Dot Sticker!  It gives the Spiral Daisy a very different effect!

 

                      
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Sushi Without Wasabi

Dawn has mentioned her love of sushi, so I saved this one for last!

I loved the green and brown tones she used together on this, and, if you look down by the sentiment in the lower right, you'll see she meticulously cut out the little Lotus blossom and 3D mounted it--great touch!

                
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Thank you so much for joining each week for this series on Dawn's artwork with A Muse Artstamps--it's been so much fun showcasing these simple, yet wonderful projects with all of you!

Leave a comment, and who knows--you may be the lucky winner of Dawn's prize of the Eiffel Tower and the Kitchen Pink 4 Bar Note Cards--Dawn's FAVORITES!

--Julie   

So much fun!

We are hard at work on so many fun things! Stay tuned for:

1. Our last Guest Designer post from Dawn McVey (don't forget to enter your name for a chance to win Dawn's special gift - it's easy, just leave a comment on one or more of her Guest Designer posts to enter. To find all of Dawn's Guest Designer posts, simply click on the Guest Designer category over on the right.)

2. A really GREAT surprise on Friday (and another chance to win!)

3. A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog party begins next Monday - June 2nd.  There are many fun activities planned. Be sure to register so that you can participate and qualify to win prizes.

Thanks for all the comments on my Casino card. There were a lot of questions about how to make a pocket card... I will write something up for you next week as I'm off to San Diego tomorrow for the Grand Opening of Paper Tales.

Hailey and I just got back from the dress rehearsal for PNB's All Robbins ballet that opens tomorrow night. There are three great works featured in this performance. Our favorite was The Concert.  Johnathan Poretta (in the red hat & vest) and Noelani Pantastico were fantastic as always!  This piece had the audience laughing out loud.  If you live in Seattle, you should definitely try to catch one of the performances. 

(Photo from PNB website - (c) Angela Stirling)

I must go pack.  Be sure to check back here tomorrow and Friday for lots of GOOD stuff!

Paper Tales - New Class added

I will be teaching a NEW class on Friday Night - THIS FRIDAY - at Paper Tales.  Please join me (and my mom!) for some stamping fun!  Bring a friend, save some $ and have dinner too!  Who could ask for anything more?!

Between Friends - Cost $35
{Sign up with a friend and you will each save $5 on class fees!}
Friday, May 30th
6 to 8 pm
We’ll make 6 adorable cards using fun friendship images by A Muse.

Hope to see you there!

Casino Party!

As a fund-raiser for our school auction, a group of friends are hosting a Casino Party.  My job was to create the invitations.  This was harder than I originally anticipated.  A Muse doesn't have any "casino" type stamps so I went searching.  I was disappointed in the quality of the stamps available for this theme (hmmm... opportunity?) and could not bring myself to buy one.  My husband was incredulous!  Men just don't get it ,do they?  There was NO WAY I was going to buy a crummy stamp just for these invites. 

While shopping for toothpaste the next day, I walked down the office supply aisle of our drugstore ('cause this is my favorite aisle to visit!) and I found THE SOLUTION!  Mini playing cards!  I did a happy dance right there in the store.  The cards are so cute and are the perfect size for my project. Serendipity!

I love to make "pocket" cards for invitations.  A while back, I created templates in MS Publisher for A Muse 4-bar and square notecards so all I do is change the event details and presto! 

Making a pocket card from one of our 4-bar notes makes for a tight fit.  I punched a half circle at the top of the back panel to make it easier to get the invitation in and out.

One silly problem I encountered was that the adhesive would not lay down on the cards because of the plastic coating.  I simply applied the adhesive to the black cardstock.  I was hesitant to use my new scallop border punch (would it be too girly?) but I think it added the perfect finishing touch! 

Unfortunately, I won't be here for the actual party as I'll be visiting with Michelle for the Grand Opening of her store, Paper Tales in San Diego. 

Have a beautiful day!

Guest Designer Dawn McVey, episode 3!

I have more fun card inspirations by Dawn to show off today, but, before I do, here's the 2nd half of her answers to our word association questionnaire:

• Biggest challenge – Not having enough hours in the day to get all the things done that I’d like to and still having time to REST.
• First stamp – I could not WAIT to get my hands on Stampin’ Up!’s ‘Paris in the Spring’, but I'm not sure if this was my first set.  I just remember loving this one THE most!
• Can’t live without – God & my husband….oh, and Sunday afternoon naps!  LOL!
• Favorite product – Wow.  This is a hard one.  I’m not sure if I have "a favorite" product.  I suppose I'd have to go with paper.  I’ve loved paper ever since I was a little girl!  (Just ask my mom!)
• Climate – Waaaaarm
• Last purchase -  Ack!  I can’t remember!
• Proudest moment – Hmmm…my wedding day and the day I got word that I was going to have cards published in a magazine for the first time.
• Passion - Designing
• Food – See ‘perfect day’!  Haha!!  But really, I love pizza, Mexican, Italian, sushi, seafood….hmm, I guess I’m not super picky!
• The future – So many possibilities!  Can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Dawn would make a most excellent dinner companion--she likes EVERYTHING I do, and, since I'm all about the food, we'd get along splendidly!  *chuckle*

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In the pink!

Dawn gave this design a little bit of chic shabby, with distressed edges on the pink layer, which was machine stitched to the base card.

I love seeing the Clear Twinkle stickers in each corner--it's a no fuss way to get the effect of rhinestone brads, but, without the prongs!  Clever!

 

                         
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Daisy Discs

In this design, Dawn used various sized circle punches to create this fun polka dot effect with our papers, and highlighted the spiral daisy by overlaying our Clear Circle Stickers right over the top.

Some of the circles are mounted flush to the card front, and others elevated with foam mounting adhesive to create a fantastic dimensional effect.

 

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Whoo's your friend?

Here's a fabulous way to "spotlight" an image--a scalloped circle FRAME, with a bit of bling on each scallop.  Dawn elevated the frame with tiny bits of foam mounting adhesive all around the edge.

I love the way the branch and blossoms extend beyond the edge and she trimmed out the owl for an almost "shadow box" effect.

I'm very keen on this idea for dressing up a plain white card and making the focal image really draw center-stage attention!

 

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My brain is whirling with all the little details that Dawn has incorporated into these cards and I'm excited to try them out myself  during my next play session in the studio--how about you?

Thank you for stopping by, and be sure to leave a comment on this article--Dawn would love for you to win the drawing, and I love her choice of stamp and note cards for the lucky readers whose names will be drawn at the end of this series!

Have a wondermous day, and pop on in next week for the last of Dawn's inspiring designs!

--Julie

CLOSED on Memorial Day

Please note that our Distribution Center and Retail Shop will be closed on Monday, May 26th for Memorial Day.  We'll be open as usual on Tuesday.  Have a safe and fun weekend!

Thank you!!

Thank you ever so much for all of your kind words.  It has certainly been a very FUN anniversary for us.  We had a girls lunch down at the shop today with yummy Chocolate Mocha Mousse to celebrate.  The gals were all very touched by your kind comments! 

I am pleased to announce the SEVEN winners selected randomly from all the comments submitted to my Happy Anniversary post. 

1. Claudi Piegdon - 5/22 @ 1:38pm
2. Michelle G - 5/22 @ 9:43ampm
3. Julie Miller - 5/21 @ 12:52am
4. Laura - 5/22 @ 9:29am
5. Stefanie Rico- 5/22 @ 9:44am
6. Jennifer N. - 5/22 @ 11:10am
7. Jennifer Seifried - 5/21 @ 11:14pm

I have sent an email to the winners.  So, if you are one of the lucky gals, please be sure to let me know your choices as soon as possible.

We have lots of exciting things to share, beginning with more fabulous designs from Dawn McVey, our Guest Designer for May 2008. 

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend to all our American readers.  We will be closed (both our distribution center and retail shop) on Monday, May 26th for Memorial Day.

Happy Anniversary to A Muse!

Today marks the *official* SEVENth Anniversary of A Muse!  It has been an amazing journey thus far... here are a few of my fondest memories:

1. Our first catalog mailing to stores... my daughter, Hailey, who was then 3 years old, helped me stuff the envelopes. 
2. Our first order - from Sandy at Monkey Love Rubber Stamps in Seattle - a fabulous shop in downtown Seattle!
3. Getting bin boxes to organize our stamps - Hallelujah! Boy did this change our lives!
4. Seeing our stamps in a local store for the first time - I almost cried!
5. Being the FIRST contracted advertisers with Splitcoast Stampers - A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2006 Ads
6. Our first Instructor training session back in November 2005 - good times! (See Jennifer's blog for a group photo)
7. Moving into our present distribution center and thinking that it was sooooo big (now we can hardly move and are looking forward to moving later in the summer)

I am GRATEFUL for:

1. An incredibly supportive husband and family - without them this would not be possible!
2. My mother who single-handedly mass produces all of the sample cards that we send to stores - she is truly amazing!
3. The wonderful stores that have supported us over the years with regular orders.
4. Our incredible team of designers and instructors for sharing their creative uses of our products
5. The fabulous A Muse Crew that provides the BEST customer service each and every day - 99% of our orders ship same day!
6. Our immensely talented illustrators - Nina, Beth, Margarete, Missy - they ROCK!
7. YOU!  Our customers.  Your support, suggestions and enthusiasm for our products keeps us in business and makes it the best JOB in the world!

THANK YOU!!!

Our Creative Team has created some very special cards in honor of our anniversary.  I am only sharing a snippit of their cards but if you click on the individual photos, you can pop on over to their blogs.  Be sure to come back though because I have a FUN anniversary contest for you below.

   

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FUN Contest

Let's CELEBRATE!!  Please share your comment for the A Muse CREW (including Designers, Illustrators, Instructors and the gals at our distribution center) here on this post and you may be one of SEVEN lucky winners.  Each winner will get to choose their prize:

1. A Muse wood-mounted stamp
2. A package of A Muse notes
3. 4 yards of A Muse ribbon (one color/style)
4. A package of A Muse Twinkle stickers
5. A package of A Muse Clear stickers
6. A package of A Muse assorted 8.5" x 11" papers
7. A jar of A Muse Simple Stick powder

You may post a comment through May 22nd at midnight.  I will post the names of the winners on Friday May 23rd.  Thank you for sharing this special time with us!

 

It's Ballet Recital time!

My youngest ballerina, Makenna, had her Petite Finale at the Pacific Northwest Ballet school last weekend.    Their dance was called Swan Lake and it was adorable!  At one point each of the girls was supposed to do a little twirl but one little girl wouldn't do her twirl.  All the other ballerinas waited and waited for her to twirl and at last, she did it (and the audience went wild!)  Yay! 

Here's Makenna with her teacher after the recital.

This beautiful card was designed by Jennifer and it is ingenius! It is PERFECT to give to a ballet teacher at the end of the year.   I *love* how Jen created a mirror for the ballerina.  I will definitely be making some of these cards for the girls' ballet teachers.  All stamps, papers & twinkle stickers by A Muse.

Hailey's end of year Ballet Performance will take place on June 17th at McCaw Hall.  It is so fun that these girls get to dance on a professional stage for their School Performance.  Tickets are availalbe to the general public at the PNB Ticket Office and is a great inspiration for budding ballerinas.

There are a few more PNB shows remaining in the 2007-2008 Season.  The next Rep is All Robbins and includes three ballets by Jerome Robbins.  We can't wait to see The Concert again.  We saw this at the Opening Gala in September and LOVED it.   The Dress Rehearsal for this Rep is on Wednesday, May 28th at 7pm.  Tickets are only $20!  Such a deal!!

The last performance of the season is 8 Encores.  It features EIGHT ballets from the 07-08 Season.  The line-up looks amazing and it's like seeing the whole season in one night.  It will also be the last PNB Performance for one of our absolute favorite PNB dancers - Noelani Pantastico.  She will be joining Les Ballets de Monte Carlo in the fall. 

So, if you are in Seattle, be sure to get your tickets soon!

A Muse Round up!

I just *love* to see what our customers do with our stamps!  I thought you might enjoy some of my favorites from this week.  Click on the photos to see the whole card and card designer's post.

Here are some inspiring ideas in PINK...

   

Rhonda, Katie, Amanda, Melissa

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And, here are some in GREEN and BLUE...

Kim, Aileen, Lee Anne, Tracy 

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And YELLOW, RED, PURPLE and PINK!

Lara, Joyce, Nancy & Lisa.

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Thanks ladies for sharing your creativity with A Muse products! 

Please leave them a little love on their posts - I know they would appreciate it!

ETA: If you would like to have one of your creations considered for a future A Muse Round-up, simply email me a link to your blog or gallery and I will be sure to check it out.  Please email me and be sure to include round-up {spelled as written for my email rules :) } in the subject line of your email. :)

Have a great weekend!

Guest Designer Dawn McVey has more to share!

We always invite our guest designers to share a little about themselves with a fun word-association questionnaire and it's always a kick to see what unknown little tidbits we just might share in common!  Check out Dawn's responses:

• Name – Dawn McVey
• Stamping – Every chance I get!
• Style – Clean, simple
• Inspiration – I’m extremely inspired by color!  Maybe that's why I love Target so much!
• Color – Fuchsia….it just makes me happy!
• Work space – My studio…..actually, it’s an extra bedroom in our house that we’ve turned into my work space.  But really, doesn’t “studio” just sound so much more fun to play in than “stamp room”???  Heehee!!
• Perfect day – Ahhh……well, traveling around Europe would be ideal!  LOL!  But if I’m home, then an entire day with no prior commitments!  Sleep in a bit, spend some time in the studio & spend the rest of the day with my hubby!  (Oh, and throw in some yummo sushi for lunch and a nice dinner out in the evening!)
• First job - babysitting
• Wildest dream – Designing for a living……in my HUGE home studio with built-in everything and tons of windows.  Heehee!
• Ink – Stampin’ Up! or Palette
• Family – Hubby & doggy; also oldest of 5 & recently, I’ve become a new auntie!
• Beverage – Mocha latte….mmmmm.

AHA!  Dawn is a fellow bean worshipper!

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Just A Note

At first glance, this design appears fairly straightforward, but, Dawn added a bit of dimension and interest by trimming out and 3D mounting a few of the cherry blossoms on the branch from the Sushi set!

The Micro Dot Twinkle Stickers add the perfect amount of dazzle to the centers.

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Zoom, zoom, zoom!

There she goes, cruisin' by on her glamorous pink Vespa!  Seems like a fun way to spend one's birthday, eh?!

This classic combination of pink and brown features a kraft card base, enriched by a dark chocolate grosgrain ribbon.

Notice how the scallop edging along the pink polka dot layer is echoed by the scallops of the oval punch out!

Simple and stylish--exactly what I often need in a birthday card!

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You're a hoot

I loved seeing the owl from the Nature set stamped directly onto patterned paper and then showcased with the Open Daisy as a backdrop!         

An additional element of interest is created by layering our Ric Rac Pretty Little Paper directly beneath the wide ribbon.

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Once again, some fabulously simple and charming card designs!  Thanks for stopping by again this week, and be sure to leave a comment (one only per article, please!) on each article featuring Dawn's wonderful cards to enter your name into the drawing!  Dawn would be thrilled for you to win!

--Julie  See ya' next time!    

A Muse opening

We have an immediate part-time opening in the A Muse Retail Shop located in Seattle.  Must be 18 years or older and able to work Saturdays.  Please contact Heidi for details.

Field Trip

Yesterday, I accompanied Hailey's class on a field trip to the Washington State Museum of History, in Tacoma.  It is a great museum.  The kids were so well-behaved that I was proud to be a chaperone!  We learned a lot about the history of Washington (at least I did!). 

I made this quick card for Hailey's teacher to thank him for organizing the field trip.  You see, our school is somewhat anti-field trips because of the liability issues that go along with transporting students.  I'm sure he had to overcome a lot of hurdles to make it happen and I want him to know that we appreciate it!

While driving to the museum, I spotted a cafe that appeared to be from the 40s. I loved the colors of the building and it was the inspiration for this card.  It's hard to see from the photo but the border around the stamped image is our Kona brown.  It's a red-brown color, very 'organic' and one of my faves!  There was no room for chaperones to ride the bus.  Let me assure you that IF I had been on the bus there would have been singing! 

 

Stay tuned tomorrow for another installment of creative goodness from Dawn McVey, our Guest Designer for May!

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2008

I am excited to let you know that the Registration is now open for A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2008!  Click on over to the A-MUSE-PALOOZA website (www.amuseapalooza.com) and you will find a link on the home page.  You must be registered to win prizes and participate in our online party. :) 

This year's A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA store events will begin July 7th and run through July 13th. There are 56 stores participating including locations in Australia and the Netherlands too!  Hopefully there is a store near you.

The countdown to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA will begin on the AP blog (www.amuseapalooza.typepad.com) on June 2nd.  Join us for stamping challenges, silly contests, fun games and more!  The party will continue on the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog through July 20th.  This will give you a chance to play with your stamps and have more opportunities to win prizes after the store events are all completed.  For those of you that are not located near a store event, we have something special planned just for you!  It all happens over at the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog so be sure to check in there beginning June 2nd!

I would like to thank all of our wonderful sponsors for supporting this event.  It wouldn't be nearly as much fun without them!  Please be sure to let them know you appreciate their support!

• My Creative Classroom
• Scor-Pal
• SplitCoast Stampers
• Copic
• ClearSnap

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

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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!

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!

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

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!

Carved crayons

This is amazing!

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!

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 exac