A Muse News

Shop News - 9/29/09

Classes
Space is filling up quickly for Julie's classes this weekend! At 10:30am she will be teaching how to add interest to your cards in her Fantastic Folds class and at 1:30 pm you can make some fun Halloween projects in her Totally Wicked class. Each class is $27 or you can sign up for both for only $47 and a yummy pizza lunch will also be included! You can register on-line here or call the shop at (206-783-4882). Sign up soon so you don't miss out on all the creativity!

Also, make sure to check out the rest of the upcoming classes we'll be having here at the Shop right here!

Make & Take
This Wednesday and Saturday between 11:30am and 1:30pm we will be making this adorable treat holder celebrating Fall!

Also remember that when you participate in the Make & Take you will receive 10% off the items we used in the project. Hope to see you there!

Anniversary Sale
This Saturday is our 3rd Anniversary for our retail shop! There will be a free Make & Take, treats, and TONS of clearance! You do NOT want to miss it!!

See you soon!

~Amanda

Around Town - October Classes

The A Muse Instructor Team has some fabulous October classes coming up! Instructors who are teaching in October are noted by an orange marker on this map.  Just click on the marker to see the instructor who is teaching in your area along with a link to their class schedule.   Click and drag the map to reposition it as desired or use the arrow buttons.  To see all the instructors in your area, you will need to ZOOM in for a closer look!  Use the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in or out. 

View as a larger map

Instructors not teaching in October have grey markers, but keep an eye on them for classes in future months!  Please note that this map is not intended to provide directions. The markers denote only the state and general area where each instructor typically teaches.  Click on "View as a larger map" to view it larger in it's own window and to see a list of instructors. 

Seattle Classes with Julie!

We are THRILLED to have Julie Ebersole, the Queen of Stamping!, teach two fabulous classes on the day of our Anniversary Sale (October 3rd) at the A Muse retail store in Seattle.  And, we've scheduled the classes so you will have plenty of time to shop our bargains *before* the classes begin!

Classes are $27 each or register for both classes for only $47 and we'll provide a yummy pizza lunch!  Call the shop to register (206-783-4882) or sign-up online here.

10:30am - Fun-tastic Folds ($27)
Julie Shares quick and easy folding ideas that will add movement and interest to your cards -- you'll want to make these designs over and over again!

1:30pm - Totally Wicked ($27)
These Happy Howl-o-ween projects feature some of Julie's favorite spooky A Muse images, papers, and special touches, making them perfect greetings for all your "ghoulfriends"...!

Hope to see you on the 3rd!

~Linda

Stamping Tip

Custom Twinkle Stickers
by Glenda

"So we all love the A Muse twinkle stickers, right?  I'm addicted to them just like I am to ribbon and hardware.  Sometimes you are searching for twinkle colour that A Muse doesn't have (yet ;) ).  What do you do?  Grab a clear twinkle sticker and colour it with the Copic marker which suits your needs.  Cool!  The Spanish Olive Copic (YG97) worked perfectly for the olive on my Retro Martini."

A Muse Calendar information

Details on the A Muse 2010 downloadable calendar for charity are here.

Shop News - 9/22/09

Make & Take
Join us this Wednesday or Saturday between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm for a FREE Make & Take. We'll be making this fun tea bag holder! What's your brew?

Classes
We have a bunch of fun classes coming up this Fall season! This Saturday from 4 to 6 pm Rhiannon will be teaching how to make 4 fun treat holders great for Halloween and simple to make! Sign up online right here or call the shop to register (206-783-4882). You won't want to miss it!

Here's just a sampling of what you will make in this class:

Also, TGIF Stampin' kicks of this Friday! Come in 12-1pm and make this super cool Halloween Banner for only $15!! Sign up here! It will be SPOOK-tacular!

See you soon!

~Amanda

Calendar Inspiration - Anna Wight

As the finale to our fun week of calendar ideas, Anna Wight brings you not one, but two designs!  Anna used the calendars in a slightly different way - she used the A1 (4-bar) version as a gift tag, and the square version on a card!

Below you can see a closeup of the gift tag.  Anna stamped a circle around December 25th using white craft ink.

And here is a fun Halloween card Anna created using the square calendar.  She used the tiny cat to mark Halloween!  Special thanks to Anna for sharing her designs, her time and her talent with us!  Be sure to visit her blog to see more of Anna's work. 

It has been such fun sharing these fabulous calendar ideas with you!   We hope you have enjoyed them and that they have inspired you!  If you haven't downloaded your calendar yet, be sure to check out our announcement post for full details on the various sizes available and you can learn about Water 1st - who will receive the proceeds from the sale of the calendar.   Remember that we are only able to process calendar orders during regular business hours.  So if you order after hours or on the weekend, you won't have access to the download until the next business day.  Thank you!

Calendar Inspiration - Laurie Schmidlin

Our next amazing calendar project comes to you from another of our stamping friends - Laurie Schmidlin!  Laurie created a beautiful calendar book gift using the A1 (4-bar) version of the calendar!

Laurie plans to make calendar gifts this year and several of her family members like to put their calendar pages on their fridge, so she didn't want the binding permanent.  So inside the book is a pocket page for each month's calendar!  The inside pages of the book are six 3 5/8" x 11 pieces of Ivory cardstock that are folded and adhered together.  Then she created the pockets by sewing on pieces of patterned paper! 

Here you can see the book open.  Each calendar has a ribbon at the top to make it easy to slip the calendar page out of it's pocket and replace it as needed.  

Below you can see a close-up of December.  Laurie decorated the whole book with a Christmas theme, but the calendar pages themselves are non-Holiday specific.  She stamped a beautiful border design at the top of each calendar page - to coordinate with the patterned papers.  You can also see some of Laurie's details - the scallop edge, stitching, and button.   Be sure to visit Laurie's blog for more details!  Thank you Laurie for sharing your beautiful work, your time and your talent with us!    

We have inspiration from one more stamping friend to share with you tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Calendar Inspiration - Jenn Balcer

Our next calendar was designed by Jenn Balcer!  Jenn used the new full-size version of the calendar - which prints one month per 8.5" x 11" page.  Jenn created a fun clipboard to hold the current month - which makes for easy hanging and easy swapping with each new page!

One of the cool things about the full-size calendar is that there is plenty of room to make note of appointments, birthdays, etc!  Here you can take a peek at Jenn's September schedule - *grin*!  I love that she marked certain days with stamps - notice the fan that she used for the Dirty Dozen "fan club" reveal day on the 15th - very clever!

And below you can see a closeup of some of Jenn's details - the fabulous flower and dotted ribbon.  And you can see that she carefully trimmed each letter and mounted them individually on Petite Gingham paper!  Be sure to visit Jenn's blog for more details and to see more of her work!  A special thank you to Jenn for sharing her fabulous project and her time and talent with us!  Thank you Jenn! 

To see another inspiring full-size calendar, check out Joyce's Reading calendar!  I'll be back tomorrow with more from our stamping friends!  Hope you are having a great weekend!

Calendar Inspiration - Jody Morrow

Today's calendar comes to you from one of our stamping friends - Jody Morrow!  Jody used the A2 version of the calendar to create this *amazing* wall-hanging!

Jody printed the calendar in black ink on white cardstock.  The butterfly is stamped in Versamark and clear embossed.  Then she sponged over it with orange ink!  The calendar is on a chipboard base and if you look closely at the photo below, you can see that the clips are attached with brads.   

The photo below shows a closeup of Jody's beautiful work and attention to detail including stitching, brads, and twinkle stickers!  Be sure to visit her blog for more details.  A huge thanks to Jody for sharing her time and talent with us!
  


We have more inspiring calendar ideas to share from our stamping friends, so stay tuned! 

Calendar Inspiration - Erika Hall

Today I am sharing a cool hanging calendar idea from Erika Hall using the A2 version of the calendar which is available --> here!   (As we are coming up on the weekend, remember that we are *only* able to process calendar orders during regular business hours.  So if you order after hours or on the weekend, you won't have access to the download until the next business day.)         

Erika covered a metal board with our Petite Gingham paper.  Then hiding below the scallop oval is a magnetic clip which holds the current month's page!

Here are a few of the other months - Erika used a tree theme!  The magnetic clip makes it super easy to swap pages at the start of a new month!  I love the clean look and contrast of the black mat layer with the yellow and green on the board - really makes the tree colors stand out too!

We have more fabulous ideas coming your way featuring the work of some of our stamping friends, so stay tuned!

 

Calendar Inspiration - Tisha Welch

Our next featured calendar was designed by Tisha Welch!  She made a gift for a friend (who is expecting a baby in March) using the square version of the calendar.  See below for a note from Tisha about her project! 

"For this years calendar project, I decided to think "outside the box" and make something other than a full year's calendar!  I love the thought of making something to mark a special day, and using it in your home!  This wall-hanging was made for a friend who is expecting her first baby in March of 2010!  I only used the March section of the square format A Muse Calendar (I told my printer to only print that page to save paper!), and marked my friend's due date using the A Muse small daisy stamp!  I needed a bit of dimension, so after punching out the flowers using my Marvy punches, I balled them up in my hands and crinkled the heck out of them!"

So fun - and I love Tisha's chosen color combo of orange, pink, green, and blue!  I hope you are enjoying our calendar series.  I'll be back with another calendar design for you tomorrow!

 

Calendar Inspiration - Lexi Daly

You are in for a treat!  Over the next week, I'll be sharing inspiring ideas for our new 2009-2010 calendars from a few of our designers and also some stamping friends!  If you missed the announcement about the calendars yesterday, be sure to take a peek here for the scoop!  This year there are four calendars available.  Today I am sharing a fun idea from Lexi using the 4-bar (A1) version - which is available --> here!  (Remember that we are *only* able to process calendar orders during regular business hours.  So if you order after hours or on the weekend, you won't have access to the download until the next business day.)     

Lexi created this fabulous school year at a glance wall calendar!  All versions of the calendar include 16 months (September 2009 - December 2010), but since Lexi's calendar covers the school year, she used only September to June.  Lexi printed the 4-bar version of the calendar and then trimmed them and mounted them to our Petite Gingham cardstock and got stamping!  So fun to see all these images together!

Lexi will be sharing more information about her project on her blog today.  But in case you are curious, the dates with apples over them are beginning and end of school and conference days, the days with yellow stars are vacations and days off, and those with blue stars are fun school events or parties that are already on the school calendar.

 

Here is a photo of the whole calendar hanging on the wall!  I love that she tied them together with polka dot ribbon!

 

Such a fun and useful idea - I might have to make one myself!  Stay tuned for more inspiration tomorrow!

 

Shop News - 9/15/09

Make & Take
Come in tomorrow or this Saturday for a FREE Make & Take from 11:30am to 1:30pm. We'll be making fun Halloween Bubbles! What a great idea for a Halloween treat for someone lacking a sweet tooth.

and here's the fun top!

Hope to see you soon!

~Amanda

A Muse 2010 Calendar now available!

A few years ago, I designed a calendar project for my daughters.  It was a fun project and we thought others might enjoy it too.  We decided to use the calendar project to help raise awareness and funds for Scleroderma Research, in honor of my mother who suffers from this autoimmune disease.  We raised over $1600!

Last year, we released three versions of the A Muse Calendar and raised over $5,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of Victoria Nelson, an A Muse customer who had recently been diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease (now in remission - yay!)

It is my pleasure to let you know that the A Muse 2009 - 2010 Calendar is now available for purchase and download.  The proceeds from this year's calendar will go to Water 1st. 

Water 1st's mission is to serve families in the poorest communities in the world as they implement community-managed projects that integrate water supply, sanitation, and health education.  Safe water saves lives. I encourage you to visit the Water1st website {www.waterfirst.org} to learn more about how this wonderful organization is saving and changing lives! 

The Calendars

All versions of the 2009-2010 Calendar include 16 months (September 2009 - December 2010). The minimum donation amount for each calendar is $4.  You may also donate $10 or $20 for each calendar.  Once you purchase the calendar, you may make as many copies for personal use as you'd like.  Electronic sharing of the A Muse Calendar is prohibited, we ask that you encourage your friends to donate to this worthy cause!

Please note: The A Muse Calendars are a download product only.  Nothing will be shipped to you.  Calendar orders are only processed during regular business hours {monday to friday 8a to 5p}. Once your order has been processed, you will have unlimited access to the file(s) you have purchased.

This year, there are four different A Muse calendar versions available.

A1 (4-bar) Version:

The A1 (4-bar) version is sized to fit an A Muse 4-bar notecard (5"w x 3.5"h).  This version also includes a perpetual calendar that is great to remember birthdays and anniversaries.  This is a nice size to keep in your purse. Click here to purchase.

A2 version

The A2 version is sized to fit an A2 card (4.25"w x 5.5"H).  This calendar format can be printed on an 8.5" x 11" page and cut into 4 equal parts.  This version also includes the perpetual calendar for birthdays and anniversaries.  This size fits nicely in a CD Calendar case. Click here to purchase.

Square version

The square version is sized to fit a 4.25" square.  There are faint gray cutting lines to ensure accuracy when cutting.  The square version also includes the perpetual calendar and fits nicely on A Muse square notecards (which are on presently on sale). Click here to purchase.

Full size version

The full size version is NEW this year.  It fills an 11"w x 8.5"h page.  I created this calendar because I needed a calendar that I could use to keep track of our family activities.  And, I love that I can add easily add family photos to the back-side of each calendar page for a one-of-a-kind family calendar.  This will make a great gift for family and friends.  This calendar version does not include a perpetual calendar. Click here to purchase.

We have many inspiring ideas to share with you in the coming week featuring different versions of the A Muse calendar. Please help us spread the word about this fun paper-crafting project. 

For your viewing pleasure and inspiration, our creative team has made some fun calendar projects.  Please click on the following links to view their wonderful creations!

Heather (A2 version)
Cheiron (A2 version)
Michelle (A1/4-bar version)
Jennie (square version)
Glenda (square version)
Geeta (full size version)
and
Emily (A2 version)

We have LOTS more inspiring calendar ideas to share so please stay tuned!

~Linda

A Muse Shop News 09/13

I hope you all had a GREAT weekend.  We had a big crowd for the make & take at the shop on Saturday... must be the candy! LOL!

You may now register for our fall line-up of classes online (or give us a call at the shop 206-783-4882)    Click here to view the complete list.

There are a couple of fun classes this week that you won't want to miss...

This Friday, September 18th, we will have our first TGIF Stampin' Class.  These fun lunch-hour classes will spark your creativity.  Please join us on Friday from 12 to 1pm to make three THANK YOU cards.  You can never have enough of these on hand! This class is a bargain at only $10! Click here to register.

On Saturday, September 19th, Rhiannon will be teaching a class on making adorable (and spooky!) Halloween treats.  This class is from 4 to 6 pm and costs $24. Click here to register.

Stay tuned for more shop news from Amanda on Tuesday.

Save the Date!! It's Another A Muse Pajama Party!

We are SO excited to announce that we will be hosting another online Pajama Party, A Muse style on the Lounge!! That's right, another virtual stamp night full of fun challenges, hosted right in the A Muse Lounge! :) Our first Pajama Party in July was so much fun, we are doing it again! :)

What: An online Pajama Party and virtual stamp night

When: Saturday, September 19th from 6pm - 8pm Pacific time

Where: The A Muse Lounge

Who: Anyone and everyone that loves A Muse

How: Be sure to get all of the info over on the Lounge!

There will be lots of fun challenges, prizes, chatting, and of course, stamping!! So grab your stamps, get your jammies on, get comfy, and let's party!! :) 

What: An online Pajama Party and virtual stamp night

When: Saturday, September 19th from 6pm - 8pm Pacific time

Where: The A Muse Lounge

Who: Anyone and everyone that loves A Muse

How: Be sure to get all of the info over on the Lounge!

There will be lots of fun challenges, prizes, chatting, and of course, stamping!! So grab your stamps, get your jammies on, get comfy, and let's party!! :) 

Ink It Up Challenge Round Up!!

It's time for another Challenge Round Up! Each month, we host a challenge on our A Muse Lounge, and this month's challenge was Ink It Up, and the challenge was to ink up those A Muse stamps that you have never used!! All the submissions were so creative and so much fun!! Thanks to everyone who played along!  We selected 12 designs from all the participants to highlight here in our Ink It Up Challenge Round Up! Just click on each image to hop over the designer's blog or gallery to see their full card!

  

  

 

We also drew a winner randomly from ALL the participants!  The winner will receive a fabulous A Muse prize package... congratulations to... sung1203!! 

We hope you enjoyed these wonderful creations! :) The new Lounge challenge for September has been posted so be sure to check it out!! The challenge is called *The No Coloring Zone* and the challenge is to make a card without using coloring tools like markers, pencils and pens. We hope you will join in the fun! :)

Shop News - 9/8/09

The girls worked hard this weekend on making a fun new Halloween display in the retail shop! Come check out the fun new goodies and also take a gander at the Martha Stewart Halloween punches! Get them while they last!

FREE Make & Take
Every Wednesday and Saturday between 11:30am and 1:30pm we have a free Make & Take. This week we'll be making this fun treat holder perfect to give to a special someone for Halloween!
   

Fall Class Schedule
Classes for September through November are all set! Come to the A Muse retail shop to check out the schedule. Classes will be available to purchase on-line later this week!

TGIF Stampin'
Starting September 18th we will have a weekly lunch-hour class from 12-1pm at the retail shop. Come learn more about stamping, card-making, and all the tools we use! Each class is $10 and pre-registration is required! Come on in and sign up!

Don't Forget!
October 3rd is our Anniversary Sale celebrating our 3rd year of the retail shop being open! You don't want to miss it! There will be TONS of items on sale and lot's of fun!

See you soon!

~Amanda

Vote for A Muse!

 

Hi friends!   A Muse has been nominated in the King 5 Best Of Western Washington for "Best Arts & Craft Store" and we would LOVE your vote.  It just takes a minute to register and vote. 

Click here to vote.

Thanks for your time--it really helps us continue to bring you the best!

~Linda

P.S. Voting closes October 11th

Retail Shop News - 9/2/09

The A Muse retail store and distribution center will be closed this Monday, September 7th for Labor Day!

Coloring Contest Winner

Congratulations to Bella Anderson! You have won a $10 gift certificate to use at the A Muse retail store!

 

Click the following link to download the new coloring page for the month of September. All entries must be submitted in person at the A Muse retail store on or before September 30th for entry into this month's contest!

Download A Muse Coloring Page September 2009

FREE Make & Take

Please join us this Wednesday and Saturday between 11:30am and 1:30pm to make this fun bookmark!

Fall Class Schedule

Our new fall class schedule will be available next week.  Stay tuned...

Mark your Calendars!
Please join us for two special events this fall. 

On October 3rd, we will celebrate the third Anniversary of our retail store with a free make & take, special discounts, LOTS of clearance items and yummy treats!

Please join us on Saturday, November 7th for our Holiday Open House.  We will share exciting ideas to get you in the mood for this festive holiday season!

Hope to see you soon!

~Amanda