A Muse News

More Creative Fun With Guest Designer Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee

Well, I hope you are ready for some more fanstampmagorical paper creations by Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee!   

I have to share a little more about her from our word association interview:

• Biggest challenge – Getting my samples complete.  We make 6 card samples for each class, so I’m burning the midnight oil a few times a week.
• First stamp – It was a row of animals from I think PSX stamps.
• Can’t live without – White cardstock.  You need it for everything!
• Favorite product – A Muse Pretty Little Papers, I love that you don’t even really need to cut it up!  I save even the tiniest scraps!
• Climate – 75-degrees.
• Last purchase – All of the new A Muse women stamps
• Proudest moment -  Giving birth to my son Miles.
• Passion – making invitations
• Food – SUSHI!
• The future – I hope to have more children and keep the store doors open!
• Time of day – 6pm, it’s time to go home!

She likes sushi, too!!!     (not just the A Muse Sushi STAMPS!  *chuckle*)

Don't forget to leave a comment on my previous Stephanie article, if you haven't yet, and one on this article, to be entered into the drawing for Stephanie's favorite stamp:  Gerbera Daisy, and the Light Blue Kitchen Collection 4 Bar Note Cards!

And, guess what?  Stephanie graciously sent me the directions to the popular and adorable paper fortune cookie showcased in the last article, and I'll be sharing the tutorial for that soon!  WOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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Mini ViewMasters

ViewMasters, as I've said before, are among my favorite interactive cards, but, I do declare it has never occurred to me to do them in a miniature size, like these little gems!  Aren't they to die for?

She used the largest Marvy Scallop Circle Punch to create the top layer.

I just love them!
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Mini Mags

Mini MAGNETS that is!  Each of these images is centered on a 1" square of patterned paper, which has been affixed to an additional 1" square of mat board, to give them extra substance and sturdiness. 

A little magnet on the back and secured to a card stock panel with temporary adhesive, they make for a delightful and easy gift!  I love how she slipped them in clear envelopes so you could see them, and secured coordinating tags at the top with a blingy brad!
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The Sweetest Little Pea On Earth!

I don't know about you, but every now and then I'm caught panicking because I need a last-minute baby gift.  But, what can you give that is thoughtful, charming, AND, can be done in about 10 minutes max?

I know!!!  She's a GENIUS!  I fell in love with this little onesie--suitable for a baby girl or boy and simply too, TOO easy!

Pre-wash the shirt, don't use fabric softener.  When dry, insert a piece of cardboard to avoid any bleed through, and stamp your image with VersaCraft (formerly Fabrico) ink, which is a pigment ink designed not only for paper, but fabric and other beyond-paper surfaces! 
Heat set the ink when completely dry by tossing into the dryer, or with an iron and pressing cloth, and you're good to go!

Once again, a clear cellophane bag makes for a beautiful yet simple gift presentation.
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Teeny Tiny Gift Box

I saved my personal favorite of Stephanie's creations for last.  I have seen many origami boxes with lids, but, this teeny tiny one, just the right size for a life-saver, is probably the most unique I've come across!

I love the ribbon loop knotted through a hole punched in the center of the lid, making a handle for you to pull to remove it.

And, she punched a scallop square to line the inside with, and embellished it with a Heart Twinkle Sticker!

Long after the sweet treat is gone, the little box can be used to keep-sake another tiny treasure!

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Thanks so much for peeking in and letting me share Stephanie's paper cleverness--I'm just so taken with her simple yet WOW style and how charming her creations are!

I'll be back soon with Stephanie's tutorial for the sweet, no-calorie fortune cookie we're all mad for!  Yippeeee!!!

---Julie

P.S.  Check out Tracy's pics at her blog!  She shared about her fun taking Linda's classes at Stephanie's shop in Sacramento--isn't it just heavenly???!!!

Guest Designer Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee

I was lucky enough to meet Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee, owner of The Paper Garden Boutique, at CHA this last February!

She's got a smile that totally lights up the room the minute she walks in--there is such a warmth, friendliness, and sense of fun about her!  It makes me envy the good times folks must have in the classes she teaches at her shop.  Lucky ducks all!

Stephanie is a 3D paper fun-addict and loves to "make things"!   She was kinda shy and hesitant about being a guest designer for us, but, I finally woo'd her into doing it with my charms !  Hah!  When I received her box of creations, I fell off my chair--I can't wait to share these darling treasures with ya'!

But, first, let me tell you a little more about Stephanie:

She's a former television journalist (I know-- I blurted "GET OUT!" when I learned that!), who decided after her son, Miles, was born, that she had had enough of working 12 hours shifts, and reporting dismal news.  It was time to find something new, and, with the support of her husband Ken, since she loved paper and happy colors, she opened up The Paper Garden Boutique!  Filled with all of Stephanie's most favorite things, it quickly became, and is,  "the happy place" for many stampers and paper crafters in the Sacremento, CA area. 

We asked Stephanie to share a little bit more about herself with this fun little word-association questionnaire:

• Name -   Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee
• Stamping -  I don’t know how to draw, so I was so happy to discover stamping!
• Style -  Simple and glittery!
• Inspiration -  I feel I’m a freak sometimes, I get inspired while looking at the graphics or colors on someone’s t-shirt or purse, I think hmmmmmm…. I can use those colors and flourishes and birds and use them on a card design.  I wonder about myself sometimes. 
• Color -  Robin’s egg blue and Milk glass green are my favorite colors
• Work space – I have a bar area at my store that will seat 12 people comfortably.  The table top is  a giant black granite slab that I work on and I can spread out all of my supplies.  I don’t stamp at home anymore. 
• Perfect day – Everyday is a perfect day now, the dream to own my own business is now a reality!
• First job – I filed golf receipts at my parents’ best friends' golf course in Fremont, California
• Ink – Colorbox Fluid Chalk ink pads and Versafine black
• Family -  I have *the* best husband in the world (I’m not just saying that).  Ken comes to work in the store every weekend without complaints and he is a much better sales person than I am.  My 2.5 year old adorable son, Miles, who loves only choo choo and truck stamps.  I also have my two cousins Laurie and Kelley working at the store and are the best worker bees--I am the luckiest entrepreneur!
• Beverage – uhhhhh . . .  Diet Red Bull . . . or water . . .

I'll share a little more about Stephanie in the next installment of this  series, but, for now, I wanted to let you know that Stephanie has selected her prize for our Guest Designer Drawing!  If you leave a comment, one only per article, please, your name will be entered into a drawing for the Gerbera Daisy (Yesssss!!! One of my all-tine faves, too!) and the 4 Bar Light Blue Kitchen Collection Notes!  And, we'll probably slip in some of our faboo ribbon, too! *wink*

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This cheery party ensemble really knocked my socks off--I loved the bright ink colors she used with the yellow Kitchen Notes!

Look at how she combined these great floral images together, by clustering them in the corner! I cannot want to try this myself--I think the effect is fantastic, and I loved the extra bit of dazzle she added with the bright yellow Stickles not only in the center of some of the flowers, but along the scallop edge of the pocket--she loves glitter, that girl!

Matching tags, and place-cards don't get much easier than this!  And, did you notice how she "edged" each of the white layers by simply tapping the edge of the ink pad against the edge of the paper?  This is a great finishing touch that gives more contrast, but without adding the bulk of additional layering!
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Stephanie used the new Nature and Sushi sets to create this adorable desk set--office supplies don't have to be boring and run-of-the mill!

The "just a note" notepad papers are clamped together by a heavy duty office magnet/clip --easy to find on your file cabinet.  And, she cleverly made a "custom" tape dispenser by using the original paper insert as a pattern.

A matching pen and and steno pad complete the ensemble, and make for wonderful gift!
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By punching a scallop shape out, just beyond the fold line, Stephanie was able to create a fold-over bookmark.  Small magnets on the inside make it so easy to mark your page!  I loved how she used the Clear Twinkle Stickers for the window shade pulls on our little Book Store image!

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Yup.  It's a fortune cookie.  Made from paper!  It actually also serves as a place-card--on the opposite end of the little "fortune", it indicates what table you are seated at.

Wouldn't they be fun to have at an event?  They are just too SWEET!!! Ooooh, and totally no-cal, as well!  LOL!
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Aren't these all fun?  I wish you could have heard me as I was opening the box and pulling out each of these.  I was pretty much squealing, "Shut up!!!" over everything! *chuckle*

Be sure to leave a comment, to enter the drawing, and I'll have another article next week to share with you featuring more of Stephanie's super-cute creations!

--Julie

WOO-HOOOOO!!! WINNERS for Guest Designer Nicole Miller's Give-Away!

Happy Friday!

These three lucky ladies were the winners of the Nicole Miller Guest Designer Give-Away!

Cathy Meyers
Tara Griesbach
Stefanie Rico

Ladies, if you would please email me directly HERE, and I will have the fabulous folks at A Muse hook ya' up with your prize:  Elyse, and the 4 Bar Kitchen Collection RED Note cards, and I'm sure the A Muse Crew will tuck in some fun A Muse ribbon, too!  *wink*

Thank you all for taking the time to comment on Nicole's wondermous designs--we knew they'd knock yer socks off, cuz she sure did blow us away!

--Julie

Nicole Miller, Guest Designer Week 4

The last of the lovelies . . .

Over the past four weeks we've been sharing the wondermous creations of Nicole Miller, and this is our final article.  We hope you've enjoyed them and been inspired by them as much as we certainly have here at A Muse!

Don't forget to leave a comment on this, and any of our previous Nicole Miller articles (one comment per article, please), so you'll be entered for her Guest Designer Drawing, featuring:

Elyse
Kitchen Collection 4 Bar Notes in Red

Bears In The Box!

I went ga-ga over this adorable thing--I mean how could anyone possibly resist this???  It is just too TOO CUTE!!!

I loved how she glittered the gift box and framed the image with scalloped Paper Frills--she even mitered the edges, by golly!

These sweet bears remind her of those favorite plushies little ones receive and hugs so dearly.

She also created a notch closure for this card there on the lower right, and embellished it with a fun shaped brad.
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Da' Bomb!

This design features a "time bomb" and the bomb actually rotates around!   Fun and different, Nicole used the Star Twinkle Stickers to embellish the sparks on the fuse and the exclamation point on the sentiment!

Her shading with light and dark grey tones really gives the bomb great dimension and depth!

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Pedestal of Love

Yup.  This design pretty much confirms what we already know:  Nicole is an AMAZING out of the box thinker!

I know what you're thinking . . . "Hey, A Muse doesn't have a pedestal!  Where'd she get that???!!!"  I got two words:  SWIRLY BRACKET!

She created this by stamping Swirly Bracket in full, and then to create the base legs, she only inked up half the image and stamped those into position at the bottom.  ..................THUD!!!

Then, she piled up the tiny hearts, with Tiny Bird on top, sprinkled in a few little Primas, and Twinkle Stickers, and well, dang if it isn't just the prettiest little Valentine!

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BIG Bloom

As you can see, Elyse is no doubt one of Nicole's favorites--In this sweet, soft scene, she is gazing up at a blossom made of scalloped heart punch outs, and, if you'll notice, the flowers blooming next to Elyse are all "hearty" ones!

I have never in my life seen more ingenious uses for heart shape punches than all the designs Nicole has done, hand down!

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No bull!

Hah!  I love that!  And, in a clever pun Nicole used the bow and arrow (one of my all time favorite Valentine images) and made the most ingenious TARGET out of, yes, once again, a HEART and various circle punches! .............get outta' town!!!

How does she do it???!!!

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Inkin' Under The Sea

Now, I must confess--I loved all of Nicole's designs, but, if I had to pick one as a favorite, after a lot of hemming and hawing, for me I'd say it's this one.

I just adore the wavy, glittery frame, and how she added a tiny hand-drawn paint brush to Octopus, so it looks like he's inking the Heart(retired) onto a canvas, created by the Retro Rectangle.

She repeated the wave edges on the blue paper to give a watery feel and you can see Seaweed sprouted there in the background.  Then, she tied the whole thing together with three eyelets in matching colors.  Absolutely brilliant!
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We'd like to thank Nicole for letting us share these very creative and FUN card designs--I know every time I look at them I wanna run over to look at all my stamps to see if I can find interesting, new ways to use them beyond what they were originally designed for.

Thanks for stopping by each week!  Nicole can't wait for you to enjoy the prize she has chosen, so please be sure to sure to leave a comment by February 7th!

Winners will be drawn and announced here at the A Muse News blog, so check back to see if you are a lucky winner!

--Julie

Guest Designer Nicole Miller, Week 3!

It has been thrilling to see how Nicole's creations are inspiring so many of you--thank you for taking a moment to pop in, and comment each week as we share her fabulous cards!

Today, we'll share the rest of Nicole's word association fun, and then, we've got PLENTY more of Nicole's designs to dish about!

Nicole says that her:

• Biggest challenge – mastering life balance, something’s always off!  Everything in moderation, even moderation, right?
• First stamp – no other stamps matter.  My first A Muse stamp was Hula girl!
• Can’t live without – my toothbrush (um, that’s the first thing that came to mind, I know, it’s the wrong answer!).  The serious answer is family, friends.  The stampy answer is my weekly therapeutic trips to the A Muse retail store to pick up Card of the Week products.
• Favorite product – Spica Glitter Pens and Twinkle Stickers at the moment… subtle pop & pizzazz, bay-bee!
• Climate – Sunny and 79 but then I’d never stamp so Seattle rain suits me fine!
• Last purchase – Spica Glitter Pens and Copics:  Mint Green, Lavender, Shadow Pink
• Proudest moment – As a mother of 2 young ones, for me, the infant stage was tough.  You live for their smile but when you get the first “I love you, mommy” as a toddler, it is a proud and rewarding moment!  A lifetime milestone for both mother and daughter that I will treasure always!
• Passion – My family and my health (keeping active), toss in some stamps and we’re good.
• Food – I eat a little throughout the day which ends up being a lot.  Most anything but my taste buds can’t get enough of homestyle Japanese cooking (Shabu-shabu, gindara, gyoza, nabeyaki udon) and I need my daily greens!
• The future – I think about it all the time…..
• Time of day – midnight!  All is calm.
• Music – Listening to "Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah" lately to get inspiration….

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Cuckoo for you!

Nicole's actually smitten over the cuckoo clock!

She created a very unique closure on this design--Tiny Bird is springing out of the clock, as it goes haywire, and if you untwist the elastic threads, which are wound around some teeny tiny gemstone brads, the card will open to reveal the written text inside!

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Hey, Cupcake!

This fun window card, featuring the new cupcakes, also has some fun elements that Nicole incorporated--note the scalloped border in black with the white asterisks!  It's nicely echoed by the ric rac ribbon layered over the striped pattern paper.

It's hard to tell in the photo, but, she actually trimmed out the center of the oval frame for our sweeties to peek out!
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i {heart} ice cream!

Nicole claims that sweet friends are as good as a heart-shaped chocolate chip ice cream cone!

She used the new A Muse Twinkle stickers to create the melting effect, dripping down onto the sentiment, "to a sweet friend".

After stamping the tinplate background image onto brown paper, it was trimmed out in a triangle, creating a cone shape.
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Latté Love

Are you a java junkie?  I am!  This card would be so fun to give a friend who shares the same love of coffee!

I loved how the little birdie is balancing a cuppa atop his little head over there above the "e".

Too clever and too CUTE!

I also thought it was a fabulous idea to substitute the polka dotted coffee cup for the "o" in the word "love".

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My Cup of Tea

This is another delightful variation on the same closure Nicole used on the cuckoo clock design!

In this instance, the card opens like a gate-fold (from the sides, as opposed to up and down).

She created a tiny tea bag from vellum, and it is filled with teensy weensy hearts!

Love the glittery placemat she created, using the scallop oval punch, and covering it with lots and lots of glittaaaaah!!!

Here's a view of the card  when it is still closed . . .

Yeah, I 'bout fell outta' my chair over this one, too . . . *chuckle*
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Love Monster

Sometimes, the best Valentine's are the blank ones--so you so you have plenty of room to write all your deep, gushy, lovey thoughts!

This fun pocket was created by punching out some scallop shapes and by securing them to the back panel of the card, Nicole was able to fold them around, to join at the front.

I thought the folded down corner, anchored by the little flower and heart shaped brad in the center was such a darling little touch!
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To The Moon & Back!

I just absolutely fell in love with this--it is such an AWESOME variation of what most of us know as a "ViewMaster" card!

Instead of creating a window, Nicole chose to layer a cloud, made from a scallop oval punch, and a sun, made by punching circles, on the front of the card.  By positioning them as she did, they conceal the little brad that enables the wheel to spin!

As it turns, you see the rocket ship appear, and then Robot Boy rotates out.

If you've ever been at a loss for fun card for a young man, I think this one would most definitely draw a smile--and, who doesn't love interactive cards???!!!

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I'm sure you are shaking your head in wonder over Nicole's stampy goodness--we're so tickled to be able to share them here with you all!

Don't forget to leave a comment, so your name will be entered into Nicole's Guest Designer Drawing at the end of our 4 week series!

--Julie

Guest Designer Nicole Miller: Take Two!

So, I'll bet you're all ready for Week 2 of Nicole Miller's fabby designs, eh?!  Oh, yeah!

AAAAAAND!!! Don't forget to leave a comment (1 only, per weekly Nicole post) to enter Nicole's Guest Designer Drawing!

Before I begin, here are some fun word associations that Nicole shared with us:

• Name – Nicole Miller.  Sorry, I’m not THE fashion designer.  But I get asked that all the time…  the only difference between her and I is that I’m Asian and she’s not.  Minor thing… 
• Stamping – is life!  Ok, not really, but, almost?   
• Style – Vintage yet contemporary.  Colors must completely match or completely contrast.  You’ve got to craft for the occasion!
• Inspiration – is found in every day living.  It’s those “Wow” moments when I see striking designs from window shopping or perusing pop art in museums or books.  People.
• Color – I’m not a pink person.  I know, what’s wrong with me!?  Please, please forgive me.  I love just about everything green.  Does that count for something?
• Work space – What was formerly known as the “man room” is now my crafting space.  It’s a dive!  Once upon a time it was tidy and beautiful but that gave me ZERO inspiration.  The day I dumped my box of A Muse stamps on the pool table is the day I started taking off! 
• Perfect day – Lately… includes a long run, espresso, teaching my kids to make a difference in this world by everything they say and do, pedi with a friend, dinner with Dave and stamping 'til the break of dawn!
• First job – Dishwasher at a Café when I was 15.  I walked over a mile to work everyday starting at  4am, worked LONG hours and climbed a bear of a hill back home!  I made $5.10/hr and still have the stub of my first paycheck!!  And no, that is not my Grandpa’s story….
• Wildest dream – Travel the world.  Complete my list of “50 things I want to do before I die”!
• Ink -  Brilliance Graphite Black
• Family –  consists of Dave, Primary Director of House Operations and lover of all things recreational.  Makena Natsumi named after the beach on Maui (where we married)!  And Marina Satori who wakes up every morning in search of adventure.  Oh and our dog Koa, 140lb Swissy.
• Beverage – Mojito with a splash of Cranberry.

I could go for that . . .Mojito with a spash of Cranberry.  Uh huh!  I could!

My Purple Hero:

Inspired by the Purple Heart, which is awarded to military personnel for valor, Nicole thought it a fitting tribute to send this card to anyone who has been a hero in your life!

The picture really doesn't do this design justice--the glamorous glitter treatment is incredibly sparkly and the layering of the different sized hearts, and the paper ribbon, gives a great emphasis to the overall medallion effect.

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Hoo loves you:

Hoo, hoo?  Hoo, hoo? (you know, the theme song to CSI Las Vegas, sung by The Who, of course!)

In lieu of a traditional circle, Nicole used a heart to create the shimmery moon behind the owls!  She also decided that owls don't *always* hafta be brown, so why not color 'em red and orange, against a brown background, just for a different spin!

I agree--they look charming in these colors!

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The Wings of Love:

This little songbird rests atop a pink heart that has wings made from 6 smaller punched out hearts!

Who would see wings from a heart punch?  Nicole!

Love literally is "in the air" on this fun card!

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Just a LOVE Note:

OK.  This design is unconventionally creative, don't you agree?!

A ginormous love note, made from:  HEARTS!

I loved how she also attached the tagged sentiment with a heart shaped eyelet, and echoed the theme of the design through such a small, but noticeable detail!
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Nuts About You:

I'd hafta say that I'm as nuts about the cleverness of this as Nicole is about the new Squirrel!

Yup.  She did it again!  The acorn body is created from a heart punch, and the acorn topper from an oval shape that was trimmed to cap it off.  When stamped with the Tinplate background stamp, it resembles the pattern  we associate with the top of acorns.

Genius!

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Musical Chairs:

What can I say?  The girl is an outta' the box thinker!  I think I can also safely say that I never would have imagined pairing the musical chairs with this sentiment, and yet, there it is:  a perfect match!

She did a fabulous job of mixing the bold stripes of the base card with the smaller stripes of the patterned paper, layered behind the focal.

A few Mini Dot Twinkle Stickers and some Red Stickles on the chair give it a hint of sparkle.  Did you notice the shape of the chair she decided to highlight?

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The Bee's Knees:

This is probably one the cutest renditions of an expression that has been around for so long that I have ever seen!  I loved the bee "trail" echoing the punched out heart, and how Nicole mixed up the colors and patterns in such a complimentary way.

The tiny bees are all glitterfied, of course, and I loved the snippet of black gingham knotted into the green!

Suh-WEEEEEET!!!

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I know, I know!!!  Hearts will never look the same again, will they?!  *chuckle*

Be sure to leave a comment--Nicole wants ya' to win!

See you next week!

--Julie

Presenting Guest Designer Nicole Miller, January 08

Meet Nicole Miller!

I must admit that I had serious pangs of envy when I first met Nicole.  She is a tiny little bundle of style all herself!  So, it's no wonder that her card designs exude that same flair and savvy!  But, before I dish on her designs, I'd like to share her bio with you:

My name is Nicole Miller and first of all, I am SO not worthy! (this is a lie; when you see her designs you are gonna PIYP!)

I am a Washington native, born in Seattle and raised in the burbs.  I have a husband who loves to make fun of my stamping addiction, but, is also very supportive.  I have two young daughters that keep me on my toes and are future stampers in the making.  As a family, we enjoy the outdoors and take weekend trips in our ’78 VW orbit orange bus.  We love to travel, read books, beach comb and play games.  I am also an avid runner and am always up for a triathlon.  I have a career in the IT industry as a Program Manager but with all of this I can always find time to stamp.

I can clearly recall my first stamping experience when I was 7.  My mother had some rubber and wood laying around, she never used them but I did!  For years I took a hiatus from stamping and was reintroduced to the craft when a girlfriend invited me to a Stamping Up Party in 2001, I wasn’t able to go but put in an order just for “kicks n’ giggles”.  I never did use those stamps but shortly after I happened upon a local stamp store and began perusing images…. I came across one immediately that caught my eye and stood out from all the rest, “Hula girl”.  She was easy to work with and just the right size for my project.   I continued to visit my LSS to make cards for holidays and special occasions.  Each and every time I found a stamp I loved, lo’and behold it was made by A Muse! 

Taking things a little further I found their website and was added to their newsletter distribution.  Then, came Amuseapalooza and I read something about “add to your blog”.  I thought “hasa wah??” blog?  I searched online and found I could get a free blogspot, cool!    Easy cheesy….  Well, then I saw everyone else’s blog (you know, the ones that put mine to shame) and the world of online stamping was before me!! 

Today, I still enjoy taking A Muse classes whenever I can.   And I am so fortunate now to make frequent trips to the A Muse retail store each week where I get to pick up a little piece of heaven!

So, now that you know a little about Nicole, get ready to enjoy her amazing card creations!

Love is for the birds:

I thought it was exceedingly clever of Nicole to select 3 different sets of birds to pull together this design, delivering quite literally on the sentiment that inspired it!

I love that she added a trio of Red Twinkle Stickers to each pair of birds--so CUTE!

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Tons of Love:

Strong Man has held up many things, but, I don't think bench-pressing these two-ton hearts has ever been done yet!  LOVE all the sparkly glitter she used on the punched out hearts and the way she created the cross bar with a strip of metallic card stock.  Of course, she had to give him a tatoo, with a Heart Twinkle Sticker, to finish off this manly design!

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Lover's Tic Tac Toe:

Everyone wins in this game of love, especially when there are hugs and kisses in the free space!

I loved how Nicole made such great use of the Popsicle Pink Mod Dot pattern for this design, and the hip pink, black and white color combo!  Lots of dazzle on the free space with Prisma glitter, too, which she popped up with foam adhesive.

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U-Pick, Honey!

I literally busted out laffin' over this hanky-panky design--I love, love, LOVE cards that have humor!

I'm guessing any hubby would also fall down laffin', when presented with such a steamy proposition, eh?!

Naughty or Nice was actually retired, but, I thought this was the most clever use for the sentiment I have ever seen!

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The Love Bandit Strikes Again!

I think my jaw fell down and hit the floor on this one.  I mean, who would ever have thought to create this "dollar bill" design???  I wouldn't!  Pure genius! Bandit is completely decked out in coordinating glitter, with a Twinkle Heart in his hand, but, don't look now!  As he is making off with the love loot, he's leavin' a trail of little gold coins, which Nicole used the Micro Dot Twinkle Stickers to create!

SHUT UP!!!
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Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates!

I think Nicole's right about that.  The great thing about this box of truffles?  No calories!!!  Chocolatey glitter embellishes the little truffle cups, and isn't it smart how she used the heart punches to create the effect of a candy box?  I liked how she echoed the scallops again on the border along the bottom of the card, and the velvet ribbon gives just the right touch of "plush" to this sweet greeting.

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As part of our Guest Designer program, we ask each designer to choose a stamp and a pack of note cards to share with one (sometimes more!) lucky winner! 

How can you win?  It's super easy!  All you need to do is leave a comment on one or more posts featuring Nicole's work and you could win. You are welcome to leave comments on each post but only one comment per post, please.

One of Nicole's favorite new images is Elyse, so she has chosen the following for her Guest Designer Prize: 

Elyse
Kitchen Collection Red  4 Bar Notes

She would love for you to win, so please leave a comment!

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Now, if you were a past Guest Designer Drawing winner (Lexi's Guest Designer Series), you may not have received your prize or a response to the email you sent to verify your winning entry, and mailing info.

This is because Julie, who is in charge of this, had some technical issues  with the email address she had originally posted for the winners to email her.    OK, true confessions:  they were user errors.  Julie's user errors.    Cuz Julie is not the most technically savvy chick.  OK, she's a moron.  She is also mortified over what happened.

Thank you so much for your patience as I work to find those original emails you had sent, and get ya' hooked up with your prize--I appreciate it more than I can say.  THANK YOU!!!

Julie

Winners of Guest Designer Jill Kiah-Saslav's Drawing!

Thank you so much for stopping by to comment on Guest Designer Jill Kiah-Saslav's creations, featured during November and into December!  The following lucky names were drawn to win Jill's prize, featuring the A Muse Branch, and the Brown Madeira 4 Bar Note Cards! 

mamichelle, Thursday, Novemver 15, 2007, 08:57 AM
Julie (Joypup on SCS), Friday, November 30th, 2007, 07:16 PM
Armie P Cuaresma, Monday, December 17th, 2007 at 11:01 AM

If you three lucky individuals will kindly email Julie with your names, and mailing addresses, we'll get your prize packaged and shipped out to you!

Thank you so much for playing!

--Julie

 

Jill Kiah-Saslav, Guest Designer: The Last, But Certainly Not the Least . . .

So, I told you I had something "big" that Jill had done, that I was saving for last.  It is *BIG*.

Before I do, I just wanted to remind you that you can leave a comment here on this last article on Jill's creations, and on the previous three (one  comment per post only, please!), so your name will be entered into Jill's Guest Designer Prize Drawing, featuring the A Muse Branch image, and the brown Madeira 4 Bar Notes!

First-off, a few more delightful card designs by Jill, and then . . . well . . . you'll see . . . heh, heh, heh!

Cups Runneth Over:

This made me giggle again, as it's another take on the concept of cups running over! 

This is a great example of "echoing" a design element.  In this case, it's circles/polka dots.  The Mod Dot design of the note card is reflected in the polka dots on the mug.

It's hard to see in the photo, but, IRL, the mug dots are tinted yellow--blue and yellow together always make such a cheerful combo.  Imagine how quickly you could make this card--so easy!

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Blossom Wedding Cake:

Isn't this gorgeous?!  I think I gasped out loud over this.

Jill used the hydrangea image to create the cascading floral topper, and once again, the dotted scallop border to simulate the decorative icing.

So delicate, and lovely--I don't know anyone that wouldn't be charmed by such sweet congratulations!

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Heaven On Earth:

OK, how can this not make you bust out laffin'?  I mean seriously--this would indeed be heaven.  It *must* be heaven!

J'est a strollin' down the sidewalk, and store, after store, after store, filled with rubber stampin' galore!

That's my kinda street, in my kinda town. *chuckle*

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Jill's Stamp Log:

Jill's stamp log is the epitomé of organization--and when I say the epitomé, I am not exaggerating!

This is an entirely custom made project, with a clear cover, spiral binding, and designed by Jill to catalog her growing stamp collection.

Whenever she goes shopping, she can take the book along, to double check whether or not she already owns a particular stamp or paper and save herself from purchasing duplicates.

Inside you can see she has very cleverly used tiny glassine envelopes to stamp images and tuck them inside the pockets.  If she can easily swap out the image out, and rearrange the organization of her collection without having to re-do/replace the entire page!  INGENIOUS!

Noticed how she punched out various card stock circles to create the tabs for each section . . .

Jill also trimmed down pieces of paper from the A Muse note cards so she'd have an idea of all the patterns and color families in each collection.

I thought it was pretty clever, too, how she used the lamp and the polka dot alphabet to re-create the A Muse logo for this very special book.  These were heat-embossed in black.

See?  I done told ya' it would blow your mind!

Fun to make, but such a great organizational tool, too!

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A little more word play from Jill:

• Time of day – 11:30 pm.  I am a night owl, especially while my husband is deployed.  Plus, the only light in the office right now is from the computer – I cannot be distracted (or disgusted) by the overwhelming disorder and chaos in this room right now!
• Passion – My family and friends.
• Food – I love all things sweet – especially chocolate.  I am a very lucky wife with a husband who loves to cook – and cooks very, very well!  And I am sucker for good, homemade bread – especially hot out of the oven.  No butter or topping, just plain bread…yum!
• The future – A family and a career – and maybe a larger craft area.  And, way, way into the future - a nice home on the coast of Maine with two rocking chairs out on the front porch to take in the view of the amazing sunrise each morning (and a Starbuck’s just down the street to keep me going since I was up at 5:00 am to watch the sunrise).

This concludes our series on Guest Designer Jill Kiah-Saslav!  It has truly been a wonderful experience for me to examine her work up close and personal and to learn some fun ideas and tricks to apply in my own creative adventures.  I hope you have enjoyed it as well, and derived great inspiration from the things Jill has shared with us.

Make sure to leave a comment by December 20th to enter your name in Jill's Giveaway!!!

--Julie

More Guest Designer Dish with Jill Kiah-Saslav

Thanksgiving may be over, but, I'm thankful still to have more of Jill's designs to share with you this week!  Don't let that tiny stature fool you-- this girl has such a fun-loving sense of humor . . . *chuckle*

My Cups Runneth Over:

This is such a quick and fun card to send a girlfriend--humorous cards are among my faves, and Jill's use of the above computer generated sentiment had me rolling!  I have a number of friends I could send this to, that would just love it!

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Wedding Cake Topper:

This is another version of Jill's ingenius snow globe design, translated into a wedding card!  It's so light and airy, and the dotted border image makes the perfect wedding cake icing.

It's hard to imagine an easier, yet more charming wedding card design than this!

Again, she kept the printed side of the paper inside, and folded it for the white to appear on the outside--I rarely ever think to do this, so I'm anxious to try it on future designs.

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Cocktail Collection:

I'm sure you can see by now how savvy Jill is at combining computer generated text with her designs to really customize her creations!

You'd never find text printed paper that would so perfectly compliment this particular collection of cocktail inspired designs, so she did it herself!  Clever girl!

I took them apart so you could see them, but, the ensemble was tied together with some neutral hemp, and a darling oval tag (see it under the margarita?), making an awesome gift set!
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Frog Prince?:

No doubt you've got to kiss a LOTTA frogs to find your prince!  *chuckle*

This would make a darling Valentine, and you could actually send it to a girlfriend, on the quest, for laughs!

I might actually send this to my hubby, Dave, to let him know that among all the frogs in the pond, he really was THE one for me!  *poof*
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Do Not Open Until Christmas!

This is actually an interactive card design!  Not only is it shaped like a holiday gift package, it features a "pivoting" tag, which is attached underneath the grosgrain ribbon bow.

When you swing the tag aside, it enables you to open the front panel.  I think this would be an awesome way to present a gift card or gift certificate, don't you?

Card and gift in one?  Can't beat that!

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I was rather tickled to read some striking similarities between Jill's personality and my own, as I continued reading about her--I'm an "11th hour" girl myself, and happy as a clam when it comes to our Pacific Northwest climate, for the very reasons she described . . . *wink*

• Biggest challenge – Procrastinating.  I find way too many distractions when I up against a deadline.  I always waited ‘til the night before a paper was due to start it back in college.  I even find something to keep me busy when I should be cleaning the house for company – picking up flowers, making curtains, etc.  And my next biggest challenge is knowing when to stop – when we have a party or picking out the perfect gift, I don’t know when enough is enough.  I will keep crafting or buying until the eleventh hour.
• First stamp – I wish I could remember.  I ordered at least five or six sets at my first SU party since it was during the Sell-a-bration event.  My first A Muse stamp was the Expecting Mother – I used it for a baby shower card.  It is still one of my favorite A Muse stamps.
• Favorite product - A Muse and Linda have also turned me on to Copic markers and Marvy punches.
• Climate – The great Northwest, baby!  The winters are rather dark, wet and dreary (perfect stamping weather) – but the summer months make all that rain and drizzle worth it! 
• Last purchase – Vellum adhesive and a acrylic block from Martha Stewart’s craft line at Michael’s.
• Proudest moment – It’s not really a proudest moment, but the moment or day I am most proud of is April 5th of each year since 2001 – my dad’s cancer-free anniversary.

Be sure to leave a comment on this blog entry to enter your name into Jill's Guest Designer Drawing--if you don't have that branch and those Madeira 4 Bar Notes yet, trust me:  they would be a most excellent addition to your A Muse collection!  *grin*

And, check back for the last article on Jill's designs--just wait until you see what I've been saving for last to share with you all--it's gonna BLOW YOUR MIND!!!

         --Julie

More fun designs by Guest Designer Jill Kiah-Saslav

Hey, there!  We're back again with more fun artwork by Jill!  But, before I get started dishin', doncha' wanna know what she has chosen for the Guest Designer Prize???  Hmmmmmm . . .

OK, alright already!  I won't tease you any longer!  Heck, I started bouncin' when she told me, 'cuz they are among my all-time faves, too!

The Branch, and the Brown Madeira Note Cards!!!

So, be sure to comment one time on each of our posts about Jill's fabby designs, so your name can be entered to win!

Peek-a-boo Cow!

OK, this design is simply moooooore fun than a cow has a right to have! *wink*

I love how Jill stamped the fence, and then trimmed a square opening, but, also trimmed along the top of the fence line for added detail.

Cow is then peekin' over the fence line from out there in the pasture!  A terrific window card!

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The Road To a Friend's House

This is a completely different take on the sentiment stamp!  Jill created an accordian card by stamping one word alone, from the sentiment, on each of the panels, to accompany the house.  It feels like you're walking through a neighborhood from your house, at the beginning of the card, to your friend's at the end!

So clever!

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Picnic Slider Invitation

This is such a cute way to do a slider card!

Jill created the outer pocket by folding the Kitchen Red 4 Bar Note so the pattern was on the INSIDE, as opposed to the outside!   This gave her the perfect blank canvas for stamping the trail of ants!!!  She folded down the front side to show off the pattern, and punched a whole at each side--but, wait!  There's more!!!

The sliding panel!  She trimmed a strip of card stock away from each long side of the sliding panel, stopping about 1/2" from the bottom.  After placing the panel inside the pocket, and then knotting ribbon through the holes, the ribbon serves as a stop gap , and prevents the panel from sliding completely out.

Did you notice how she continued the trail of ants?!
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Fall Shaker

This delightful shaker card features the Birch Trees, and tiny punched out leaves in pretty fall colors!

I really liked the contrast of the tiny white dots on the brown strip running across the mid-section of the 4 bar card, against the pretty green of the Madeira pattern.

As you can see, Jill creatively used her computer to generate the sentiment she wanted for this design!

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Holiday House Snow Globe

This is another instance of Jill's ingenuity in creating a very clever snow globe effect, using transparency, and folding the card so the pattern is on the inside, as opposed to the outside.

She created a very simple globe and base pattern, and then on the acetate portion, stamped snowflakes with a white opaque ink.  Staz-On Cotton White or Brilliance Moonlight white are excellent for this!  After stamping the house inside and coloring it, she stamped again on white card stock, trimming out the roof and snowy ground, layering them over the original stamped images so they would appear truly snow-white against the blue background.

A banner made by scoring and pleating a strip of red card stock, on which the greeting is stamped, makes the perfect accent!
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We had to play a little word fun with Jill, and asked her to give us some thoughts on the following, so we could get to know her even more:

• Name – Jill Kiah-Saslav, also known as jkiah on Splitcoast Stampers.   I hyphenated when I got married because everyone referred to me by my first and last name – it just didn’t seem right to get rid of it completely.  I also said that I would keep my last name until I officially paid off my student loans – my husband had no idea what he married into!
• Stamping – my first Stampin’ Up party back in 2002 got me hooked…I now need a bumper sticker that says “I’d rather be stamping!”
• Style – I like things simple with a little humor thrown in for good measure.  I think that’s why I am so attracted to A Muse.  I am also spatially challenged – everything has to be symmetrical or else I go crazy. 
• Inspiration – The internet is my go-to for just about everything.  But, I find inspiration all around.  That long commute to work with the radio blasting has me daydreaming about cards and fun sentiments.  And my large collection of magazines gives me lots of color combos and inspiration.   And shopping – it’s one my favorite things to do when I visit with my mum.  I find lots of things and items that inspire me while I am spending money.  Clothes, seasonal décor and even the store window displays offer creative stimulation and color palette.
• Color – I think you will see a pattern in my cards…I love blue and green with a splash of yellow for good measure.  One of my good friend’s daughter, Deirdre, will tell you that all things blue are my favorite!  It’s hard to get out of this comfort zone but the release of the Kitchen and Madeira paper collections kicked me in the pants a bit.  Plus, all the colors associated with the upcoming holidays have me reaching for my pumpkin orange and bright red!   My niece, Kayleigh, is also a big influence on my color choices – her favorite color is pink and since she is the subject of most of my albums I tend to find it more attractive each day.
• Work space – My original space in Georgia was the attic space.  I loved it – big and open with lots of room – and bright, sunny yellow walls.  Here in Washington, I share my craft area with my husband in our office.  I had to paint the walls that same yellow to make it feel more like my old space.  There isn’t quite as much room but it’s still the happiest place on earth!  And my husband has managed not to step on my paper trimmer or trip over Marvy punches – it’s a bit of a gauntlet during these busy crafting days.
• Perfect day – I love sitting on my back deck, rummaging through a Real Simple or Blueprint magazine, soaking my toes in the kiddie pool. 
• First job - My first job after college was working at a surfboard manufacturer as a marketing and administrative assistant in Oahu.  It didn’t use my American Studies or Museum Studies degrees, but I loved seeing all the creativity and talent put into each original surfboard.  And my husband got a free surfboard out of it, too!
• Wildest dream – To be Linda Carnell!  Can you imagine stocking your very own shop with the things you love?  And to have all those A Muse stamps at your fingertips?
• Ink - Versafine Onyx is my good ol’ standby.  I love that it gives you crisp, clean images every time.  I need to find another good black ink to use with my alcohol markers – any suggestions?  Most of my color ink is from SU – I like that it coordinates perfectly with the paper and markers.
• Family – Just me, my husband, Andy, and our cat, Nathaniel (or Nat-the-Cat).
• Beverage – I am absolutely, positively addicted to Diet Coke.  And now that I live in Washington, home of Starbucks, I am a non-fat Vanilla latte with one sweet n’ low-aholic.  And, my favorite time of year is just ‘round the corner – eggnog lattes are coming!!!

AHA! She's a fellow Starbucks eggnog latté lover!!! Heh, heh, heh!

Thank you for stopping by, and I'm sure you've found some GREAT inspiration in Jill's designs featured this week!

--Don't forget that Jill wants you to win, so be sure to leave a comment!

Guest Designer - Jill Kiah-Saslav, November 07

I recently had the pleasure of meeting our latest Guest Designer in person, while teaching classes at the A Muse shop in Seattle.

Jill is a petite little bundle of energy, so full of smiles and giggles.  I'm tickled to be able to share her creations with you over the next few weeks!

As part of our Guest Designer program, we ask each designer to choose a stamp and a pack of notecards to share with one (sometimes more!) lucky winner! In next week's installment, I'll let you know what she has chosen . . . *wink*

How can you win?  It's super easy.  All you need to do is leave a comment on one or more posts featuring Jill's work and you could win. You are welcome to leave comments on each post but only one comment per post, please.

Without further delay, I will let Jill tell you a little more about herself:

Hello everyone!  My name is Jill Kiah-Saslav.  I cannot begin to tell you what an honor it is to be a Guest Designer for A Muse!

I started stamping back in 2002 – one of my neighbors at Fort Benning, Georgia, hosted a Stampin’ Up party.  I was hooked immediately!  My first order was well over $250.00 (don’t tell my hubby!).  I continued to attend monthly make n’ takes with my favorite demonstrator, Lynette, while living in Georgia.  I soon realized my Rubbermaid container was too small to store my growing collection of stamps and card making supplies.  I took over the attic a few months later and things are still out of control!

My favorite demonstrator also got me hooked on a little website called Splitcoast Stampers.  What an inspirational place!  I became a SCS junkie – and found myself attracted to one of its stars very early one.  JulieHRR had this simple and elegant style with a playfulness thrown in for good measure.  And her instructions were fantastic!  But most of all, I was impressed with her collection of stamps and sentiments – where could I find that cute park bench stamp?  Who carried that fabulous martini glass?  After some searching on the internet, I found my answer – A Muse!  There was no going back!  Luckily, I moved to Washington just before this discovery – it was such a wonderful surprise to learn that A Muse was just up the street (well, if I-5 is considered a street and “just up” equals about 60 miles or so).  I was able to attend the opening of the A Muse store and take some classes with my own American Idol – Ms. Julie Ebersole – JulieHRR herself! 

What I love most about stamping and card making is the outlet to be creative while making someone’s day a little brighter with a homemade birthday card or thank-you.  I also love that it is a creative distraction while my husband is away.  Andy is currently a company commander in the U.S. Army and the present day conflicts have him away from home often – either training or deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.  Stamping keeps me busy and away from worrying and glued to CNN; it gives me something to do when I have that bout of sleepless nights; and, it gives me a community to reach out to when I am feeling a little down.  Finally, it gives me a chance to make some really creative “missing you” cards for my husband while he is overseas.

After finding A Muse, I became a blog addict!  Linda’s postings had me riveted at all the exciting stuff happening at the shop and the new releases.  And I loved the idea that fellow addicts could share their creations with the Reader’s Gallery contests.  After the Mother’s Day Reader’s Gallery contest, Linda emailed me to see if I was interested in becoming a guest designer for November.  Six months later and I am still picking myself off the floor from excitement!  I also figured I had six months to sort out what to make and to find inspiration.  Now, if you know me, I am a bit of a procrastinator – I like to call it working well under pressure.  I started off with lots of gusto and then found it difficult to create cards for fall and winter when it was 85 degrees outside and sunny.  So, this last month was a busy one – making cards and finishing up projects has turned my craft area into creative chaos.  But, my inspiration came from all the wonderful stamps released during A-Muse-A-Palooza and the weather turning a bit colder and damp (a sign that winter is coming in the Northwest).
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A Friend's House

In this design, Jill used a very clever trick to create the effect of a road leading right up to the front steps of this charming house!

After stamping the house on a white panel, she carefully trimmed curving lines from the lower right corners up to the steps, and then matted this to black card stock.

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Flower Pots:

This quick and easy design features a happy little stack of flower pots matted with a scallop oval punch out.  The yellow of the mat layer pick picks up the center of the little daisy, creating a lovely border of contrast against A Muse's new Madeira 4 Bar note in green.

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Garden Journal:

This incredible garden journal is as delightful a labor of love as Jill's garden must be!

The grass along the front bottom cover was trimmed out meticulously, and laid over a circle window.  Jill enjoys computer generating text on many of her designs, and she kerned the title to follow the shape of the circe window, which features an acetate lining.

Inside the cover page, you can see the additional scene she created on the opening page.  It features bed of daisies running along a picket fence line and she created the effect of sky by lightly sponging blue ink.

As you can see, the tiny bees "float" on the acetate window, which creates a wonderful 3D effect.

Every page of the journal features a pocket, made by trimming off the top flaps of A Muse's square envelopes.  Jill tucks garden markers into these pockets to help her keep track of the various plants out in her garden.

What's truly remarkable about this journal, is how each page showcases a photo from her garden, and is accented with stamped images that echo her photography!

Her journaling is computer generated and titles each page.  The book has been spiral bound, to make it easy to flip through the pages.

You could do this with a RubiCoil, if you have one, or stop by your local Kinko's and they can easily perform this service for you.

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The Sharpest Tool:

Jill computer generated the sentiment, "Not the sharpest tool in the shed" to accompany the row of garden tools and gloves!

I loved how such a simple design literally made me laugh out loud when I read it, and the band of multi-colored ribbon picks up the pretty green of the Kitchen Collection Note card.

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The Four Seasons:

This depiction of the Four Seasons literally stopped me in my tracks--the branch is one of my favorite A Muse images, and I thought this was just the coolest way to showcase that stamp!

The White Liquid Appliqué on the Winter tag makes perfect snow, and she trimmed and 3D mounted the hydrangea blossoms, which give the effect of cherry blossoms in the Spring time!

Tiny bird is peeking out from the leaves of Summer, and an apple ripe for the pickin' awaits harvesting in the Fall.

The brown Madeira 4 Bar note card makes a sensational back-drop to this beautiful card.

It's always so fun to have such terrific eye candy to inspire us!  Have a fabulous day, and be sure to leave a comment on this post, so you can be entered into the drawing to win Jill's chosen stamp and note cards and be sure to stop by next week so you can find out what she picked! *grin*

The Last of Lexi's Luscious Designs . . .

This last batch of Lexi's designs exude all the fun and cheerfulness of A Muse Art Stamps, and, Lexi's knack for simple, yet delightful sense of style!

With this post comes an opportunity to leave a comment on Lexi's Guest Designer Series (one comment per post, please!), and win the Rock Star and Mango Tin Plate Note Cards!  Don't miss out!

Let's Get Together: So many folks enjoy being members of book clubs, so this invitation to gather for coffee and great discussion over the latest in print is just perfect!

Notice how Lexi quickly created the illusion of a wooden desk that the stack of books sits on, with some hand-drawn lines and then coloring it in with markers.

Aligning this focal image, then, with the band running across the note card, gives it even more prominence and draws the eye right into it quite easily.

Two Holiday Cocktails:  While this image features 3 holiday cocktails all in a row, each of them standing straight, Lexi chose to ink and stamp them separately, at different angles, to simulate two glasses raised in a toast! *clink*

She chose a wonderful combination of colors that really set this design off well--the softness of the pink asterisks, the Swiss Red, Cabana Blue, and hint of Kiwi Tin Plate all work together very effectively!

The glasses were highlighted with a Sakura Clear Glaze Pen, and then Micro Dot Twinkle Stickers for a bit o' bling!

Hey, Cupcake!:    Home-baked goodies are always a tradition of the Christmas season, and you tell me what Holiday Baker wouldn't get a total kick outta' this???

Altho you cannot tell this in the photo, the cupcakes in the background have actually been "iced" with Pink Sakura Stardust, and topped with red, glossy, maraschino cherries (Sakura Glaze)--even the holiday apron has a bit of twinkle to it with a red Micro Dot!

Lexi also added some extra fun by wrapping A Muse's pink AND red piped ribbon.

Christmas Magic: Inside this cozy little cottage, there's obviously awarm fire ablaze, and it is all decked out with a full string of lights, a wreath be-decked door, and a tree in the window!

Lexi stamped the image on a piece of Cabana Blue card stock, punched it out with the Marvy Giga Scallop Square Punch, and very smartly achieved the white snowfall effect by coloring in with the Sakura White Glaze pen! Fantastic!

To further the idea that the house is surrounded in snow, she 3D mounted the house panel to the front of a Cabana Blue Band Note card, which was turned so that the blue represents the skyline, and the white is the snowy yard.  She then ran a line of Red Mini Dot Twinkle Stickers on each side--which reminds me of the way my husband decks the fence line that runs the perimeter of our property, every Christmas!  Waaay cool!

So many stamps . . . :    So true, is it not?

And, Isn't this just the  sweetest color combo?  Reminds me of a candy shop--rubber stamps are like candy, aren't they?  'Cept they have no calories!  LOL!

Once again, Lexi creates interest and texture by layering several different patterns together, incorporating a scalloped edge, and some ruffly ribbon that echoes the brown colors in the stamp shop.  I especially like how she "edged" the focal panel with a darker brown ink, keeping it very clean, but, still giving it definition and presence as the top-most layer on the card.

I couldn't help but reserve this card for last, because it IS so true, at least for me!

It just makes me think of all the fun times I've had down at the A Muse shop with Linda and the A Muse Crew, and some of the best times I've had on "field trips" with some of my stamping buddies, where, after a fan-STAMP-ulous time picking up all sorts of new goodies, we go find a restaurant with BIG tables, and spread out our treasures for show & tell . . . *happy sigh* . . . Good times, and more good times to come!

We sure have enjoyed this opportunity to share Lexi's AWESOME designs and a little more about her, and hope you've enjoyed it as well!   Thank you, Lexi, for sharing *YOU* and your great designs with us all! 

Lexi would *love* for you to win, so please be sure to join in the fun by leaving a comment here, so your name will be entered in the drawing!

More Lexi-licious designs!

Yea!  I have more fun designs to share by Guest Designer Lexi!  Oh, and don't forget to comment on any and each of Lexi's Guest Designer posts (one comment per post, please) for an opportunity to win the Rock Star and Mango Tin Plate Notes!

Check these darling designs out:

ROCKIN' HOLIDAY:  As you may know by now, the Rock Star is one of Lexi's favorites--and with good reason!  Who can resist this handsome li'l guy?  Lexi decorated his stage with the holiday garland, and gave his guitar electric glam with Stickles!  Instant Jingle Bell rock!

Once again, Lexi cleverly uses the Personal Stationary Clear Stamp Set to add interest and pattern to the background.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING:  Lexi colored in the holiday purse here with some shimmery Stardust pens, and then covered it with a Clear Creative Scallop Square Sticker.  But, that wasn't the end of the dazzle--she took it one step further by dipping it into ultrafine Prisma Glitter, which stuck to the remaining sticky edges.  The fun thing about Prisma Glitter, is that it is transparent, and reflects the color of the paper beneath it.

This would be a fun card to tuck a gift card into!

   

SANTA BIRD:  In this sample, Lexi suspended the birdcage from the holiday garland, by hand drawing some extra details--just tiny little circles all in a row--so simple, yet it creates the illusion of a chain for the cage to hang from!

I really like how she used a piece of  Cottage Green Argyle band paper, to give contrast to the focal piece, and accentuated this with the ribbon along the top of that pattern.

CHRISTMAS MAGIC:   A Muse's little Elf Girl is all a-sparkle and ready for a magical Christmas--she's been detailed with a Sakura Stardust Pen, and Lexi accented the corners of the scallop square punch out by adding Mini Twinkle Stickers.

And, what's that pretty bauble she's holding?  The A Muse Tiny Ornie!  Perfect!

HOLIDAY COCKTAILS:   One of the great things about Lexi's work is the way she mixes just the right amount of layered patterns, as shown here in this design.  The Cottage Red argyle looks fabulous layered over the Kiwi Tin Plate paper.  She also wrapped a band of ribbon around the top layer, and cut the edge along the kiwi bottom with a gently scalloped decorative blade.

The Holiday Cocktails have been colored in softly matching hues, and coated with a Sakura Clear Glaze.  The Twinkle Stickers make the perfect finishing touch--see how the Micro Red Dots serve as the perfect holly berries?!

What a fast and fabulous holiday invitation!

These fun designs sure make the anticipation of the holiday season all the more exciting, don't you think?!

On our last posting, I shared a great list of words that gave us more insights about Lexi as a person, and I thought I'd share the rest of it today!

Biggest challenge - My biggest challenge is finishing everything on my to do list, especially the “want to do” list.  There’s just never enough time in the day, even though I stay up half the night sometimes, too!
First stamp - My first stamp was a gift from a good friend, “fish lips” by All Night <edia--that was before I even found stamping!  My first purchase was “Cuddles & Tickles” by SU!, to create birth announcements for my now 8 year old, and my first A muse stamps were four--3 Shops and the Shopper--before I “discovered” A Muse!
Can’t live without - Stamps & ink, white cardstock, monoadhesive and foam tape--I love bells & whistles, but the basics are essential!  I also can’t live without my computer.
Favorite product - I’ve been reaching for my glitter and glaze pens a lot lately, but I love it all!  I’m a sucker for the latest and greatest and what’s hot now, but I also love to go back and revisit my old treasures.  Because .  . . let’s face it:  I’m a hoarder, too!
Climate – New Orleans is hot and sticky and the “cool” months are never long enough!
Last purchase - A printer, in an extreme hurry!
Proudest moment - My proudest moments revolve around my girls--I love watching each of their many accomplishments.
Passion - Paper arts and throwing parties are my passion and I’m lucky enough to have built a little career around them, which I hope I can take even further.
Food - yes, I love food!  And, whatever David feels like cooking (that’s one of his hobbies!)--local faves like fried shrimp Po-Boys or boiled crawfish.  For dessert?  Anything chocolate!
The future - Stamping, stamping and more stamping!  I’d love to continue designing with stamps I love and have those designs published.
Time of day – Now?  Noon.  When can you usually find me stamping or posting?  Midnight CST, give or take a couple hours!

We're so glad you all are enjoying Lexi's designs, and we have yet another batch to share so stay tuned!  And, don't forget: Lexi wants you to win!  *grin*

Win a Lexi Guest Designer Prize!

As part of our Guest Designer program, we ask each designer to choose a stamp and a pack of notecards to share with one (sometimes more!) lucky winner! 

Lexi's choice for you is her personal favorite--the Rock Star and a package of our brand new Mango Tin Plate notecards  We will also include some of our BRAND new A Muse ribbon which Lexi has been using so effectively on her designs!  WOO HOOOOO!!!

How can you win?  It's super easy.  All you need to do is leave a comment on one or more posts featuring Lexi's work and you could win.  You are welcome to leave comments on each post but only one comment per post, please.

We will choose the winner(s) in late October! Thanks for playing! *grin*

We gave Lexi a list of words and asked her to share what sprang to mind, so we could all get to know her better.  Here's a portion of that list!

• Name - Alexis, Lexi, Lex--most people call me Lexi--and I'm “lexanddave” on Splitcoast.
• Stamping - My cousin introduced me to stamping a little over eight years ago and I can’t imagine life without it!
• Style - My style is simple and clean, sometimes contemporary, sometimes cute.
• Inspiration - I get inspiration from so many places--magazines, clothes, colors in nature, surfing the ‘net and sometimes just staring at the supplies around my desk!
• Color - I love color! my “favorite color” has been yellow for as long as I can remember. My studio is yellow. But, I wear (and stamp) a lot of pink and black and have red shoes for every season!
• Work space - My studio is a sun room, bright and cheery, but small and packed with supplies! As we look for a new house, I just know this room will be so hard to duplicate.
• Perfect day - A perfect day is one with no demands and happy kids, spent paper crafting, reading a good book or just hanging out together.
• First job - My first job after finishing college with a degree in advertising was teaching Pre-K--I loved it, so it was back to grad school for me.
• Wildest dream - I’d love to win the lottery and stamp around the world!
• Ink - I have two favorite black inks right now--Palette Noir and Versafine Onyx. I’ve heard there’s another I should try, since I like coloring with copics, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet!. For color stamping, I usually reach for my SU! dye inks, since they’re quick and I know the colors so well. I also have a small collection of chalk inks, too--I love that soft look.
• Family - My little family of four includes my husband David and our two daughters, Mignon (8) and Colleen (6). we're very happy in our girly-ness!
• Beverage - Pretty much anything with caffeine--lots of Diet Coke, yummy iced mochas and an occasional Tab from the Coke machine at school. For nights out on the town, I’ll have a margarita please!

I have more of that list to share another day, but, now I'm anxious to share more of her work!

Thank you:

So, how are observant are you?  Did you spy the little trick Lexi applied to this design?  The original image features a teacup atop the stack of books.  So, by golly, how did Lexi get that apple up there?

She actually inked the image everywhere but where the teacup is, stamped, stamped the apple, and then quickly drew in the missing details to finish the uppermost book.

Clever girl, that Lexi, eh?!

A row of red Micro Twinkle Stickers finishes off the design, and you've got a quick thank you that would charm any teacher!

 

Best Witches:

This little "composition" is something that has never occurred to me to try--I really like how Lexi "stacked" these images together, and I'm definitely going to be trying this in the future.

To build the stack, she stamped the broom, then the sentiment, and there was a perfect spot to put the hat, resulting in a great composition of images that are well-balanced and have a strong visual appeal.

Stamping the open circles from the Personal Stationary Set down the center of the white strips on the note card helped integrate the orange and black on the finished piece.

Ghoulish Greetings:

Lexie uncorked the bottle, and now all the ghosts are escaping!  This design reminds of the story of the Genie in the Lamp--but, instead of 3 wishes, we end up with 3 spooks!

The ghosts were colored in with a clear Sakura Stardust Pen, and the bottle has clear glaze over the top of it.  A snippet of the moss organdy ribbon, tucked into the black, and some star Twinkle Stickers help pull the whole look together.

Costume Shop:

Using the Personal Stationary Set, Lexi created the effect of "faux ribbon", dotting the center of each open circle with the Stardust Pens. 

The very keen thing about this design, which is difficult to show in a photo, is the dimension she created with the shop image itself.  The shop was stamped onto the scallop square panel and colored in, then stamped a second time onto a separate scrap of paper.

After coloring, the inside area of the window was trimmed out with an X-acto knife, and then the rest of the image completely trimmed out. A small piece of acetate was secured from behind, and then the entire shop front was 3D mounted over the original with very thin strips of foam mounting tape.

The result is truly charming, and it's this attention to detail that makes this entire design so adorable!

I hope you'll join me again, cuz there are plenty more cute cards by Lexi to share with you!

And, don't forget:  Lexi wants you to win!  *grin*

As part of our Guest Designer program, we ask each designer to choose a stamp and a pack of notecards to share with one (sometimes more!) lucky winner! 

Lexi's choice for you is her personal favorite--the Rock Star and a package of our brand new Mango Tin Plate notecards  We will also include some of our BRAND new A Muse ribbon which Lexi has been using so effectively on her designs!  WOO HOOOOO!!!

How can you win?  It's super easy.  All you need to do is leave a comment on one or more posts featuring Lexi's work and you could win.  You are welcome to leave comments on each post but only one comment per post, please.

We will choose the winner(s) in late October! Thanks for playing! *grin*

Guest Designer - September 2007

by Julie Ebersole

When Linda invited me to write about the newest A Muse Guest Designer, I was so tickled--I love having a chance to look at others' clever A Muse creations up close and personal.  And, so, I am rather excited to be introducing you to Lexi Daly!  Lexi and her family live in New Orleans!  Over the last 8 years Lexi has operated a small business herself, from home, designing custom hand-stamped or digital stationary and greeting cards!  She is also a super party planner--you've just got to spend some time in the "theme parties" gallery at her blog: Confetti! The spa CAKE will blow your mind!

Hi! My name is Lexi Daly.  I'm beyond excited to be the A Muse guest designer this month!  I've been stamping for about 8 years, but only recently found A Muse.  I got hooked on blogging through Paper-Trufflez.com and Stamping Scoops and fell in love with everything A Muse thanks to Julie's and Emily's wonderful creations.  From there, I found Linda's blog and those of the rest of the design team and I was even more hooked.  But, it was the A *Muse*A*Palooza blog challenges that truly turned me into a junkie!  When I saw Linda's post a while back about being guest designer, I responded immediately--actually I had to respond twice because I hit send too fast!  It was late and I was about to go to bed, when my new email "pop'd"  with a response--needless to say, I had trouble getting to sleep that night despite the time and the exhaustion I'd felt only minutes before!

Choosing my stamps was tough, but, getting the box of goodies was a lot like Christmas. It was also a little like Halloween--scary!  I had to just lay it all out and stare at it at first.  How to begin?  Would my designs measure up?  I'm not an insecure stamper--I like my work.  But everyone likes something different and I'm following behind some really great stampers here. And there are more out there sharing their work, too.  Finally, jumping in seemed to be the best route and things just took off from there.  Having newly released stamps and two of my favorite holidays to focus on made my job much easier!  To conserve my A Muse mojo while working on my cards, I held back from posting A Muse designs on my blog, surfing  and commenting on Splitcoaststampers.com and playing the challenges on the new "amuseaddicts" yahoo group, but you can bet I'll be getting back to all of that soon!  I hope you find something in my work that inspires you, cause that's what it's all about.  Thank you so much, Linda, for this wonderful opportunity to share!

Now Halloween is comin' up fast, and Lexi's designs for this holiday are just delightful.

Best Witches:  Check out owl, here, just hangin' out on his broom, waitin' for some Spooky Boo Day action!  It may be difficult to tell in the photo here, but orange, black & purple are the three colors primarily used in this sample.  I love how she tied these three colors from the paper and coloring altogether with the ribbons she used to embellish the card.  The buckle/band on the hat and the broom have been detailed with sparkly Stardust pens, and if you look closely, you can see that Lexi used the "Out of the box" technique--take a look at the tip of the hat!  Instead of trimming completely square all around the focal, she dropped the top cutting line a bit, to allow the hat to extend beyond the edge, making it just a little more fun and interesting!

Pumpkin Tree:  This is one of those fast & easy designs that everybody should have in their stash!  Need a card in 5 minutes?  This is POIFECT!  I liked the effect of stamping the oval in a dark grey tone, but the tree in deep black--it gives a nice contrast.  She only needed one marker to color the pumpkins in, and then went over those with a clear glaze pen so they gleam when you tilt the card in the light.  And, SHAZAM!!!  That's it!!!  Gotta love it!

Hey, You . . . : I couldn't help but LOL over this card!  "Hey, you guys, there'll be no spookin' me tonight--I can SEE you hiding in the trees!!!"  I liked how she used the border image from the Clear Personal Stationary set to accent and define the different areas on the card, separating the greeting.  And, to make the trees more conducive to the ghostly effect, she colored them in with black ink.  By doing this, she didn't have to mask the trees, to make the ghosts appear to be hiding behind them! CLEVER GIRL!

Haunted House:  I'm just guessing, but, doesn't the black stitched ribbon on this make you think of a street in front of the Haunted House?  Did she intend it?  I dunno, but I love the illusion it lends to this card--spooky house, spooky trees, on a spooky street! ooOOoooOOOooo!  LOL!  She accented the pumpkins, and the eaves of the house with Glaze Pens, so they have a nice shiny gleam to them, but, what I found most enchanting about this design was that she stamped the house twice, trimming out the 2nd one and 3D mounting it!  Fantastic!

I have many more of Lexi's designs to share, so stay tuned.  And, just wait 'til you see what she did with the Costume Shop!!!

--Julie, HRR

Novell - the finale

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post the last of Novell's cards.  It's a long story - I won't bore you with the details.

This last grouping of cards features a variety of different themes and truly shows the breadth of Novell's talents.  There is inspiration for baby, boys, birthday and more!

Since this is the last week of summer, I will start with this fun summer card.  I really like the colors that Novell chose for this card.  There are lots of fun details too - glitter on the sandcastle, the tiny crab on the Happy Summer tag and the subtle use of our Even Dot bl on the card.  There are *six* stamps used on this card but it doesn't look busy at all.

A Muse products:
7-7131E Sandcastle
3-5011D Skinny oval bl
3-5040G Even dot bl
2-4096A Tiny crab
7-6042D Flippers
Happy Summer CAPS (disc.)
Notes - Orange Crush solid

This birth announcement is absolutely darling!  The announcement part fits inside an easy-to-make pocket.  Simply score and fold an A Muse notecard 1" from one edge of the card and secure the sides of the "pocket" with double-stick tape.  You can embellish the fold-over with patterned paper, or cut the edge with shape scissors for added pizazz.  I like to secure pocket cards with either brads or ribbon, as Novell did.  The birth announcement insert measures 3 1/4" wide and fits neatly insde the pocket.  The A Muse birth announcement stamp does not include lines - Novell added these with a fine-tip black marker and a ruler.  This sweet announcement fits into an A2 size envelope. (Click on the image for a larger view).

A Muse products used:
2-6098E Announcer
9-8420B Ahhh-nouncing
3-5012C Skinny oval bl sm
2-3095D Lion
2-3094B Tiger
9-8191E Baby announcement
NS202 Cabana blue notes
PLP200-HA Pretty Little Papers Harlequin

It's cowboy time!  This card is such a fun "boy" card.  I've made a stash for my friends' boys. 

A Muse supplies used:
7-7041D Fence
3-5011D Skinny oval bl
2-7108C Tractor
2-6058C Billy the kid
Howdy (retired)
N601SB Notes Irish Green Bold Stripe

Our Santa's Coat stamp is one of my all-time favorites.  Novell added a bit of white Liquid Applique to the collar, cuffs and hem and it looks so fluffy and fun!  Simple touches like the scallop square punch, the scallop edge on the striped tag and gorgeous grosgrain ribbon make this card special!

   

A Muse products used:
2-2048F Santa's coat
9-8146B Ho! Ho! Ho!
NS401 Fern
PLP600-ES Pretty Little Papers Even Stripe

You may remember that I began Novell's series with a fun elephant card.  I thought we'd finish up with one more elephant card.  This birthday card would certainly bring a smile to it's recipient.  The tiny party hat and tiny gifts flying around behind Ellie are so festive!   

A Muse products used:
2-3061C Ellie
3-2411A Tiny hat
2-2406A Tiny gift
2-2412B Balloon
9-8224B Funnest birthday
N200-BA - Notes Orange Crush Band

It has been so much fun to share Novell's designs with you.  From your comments, you have enjoyed her work as much as I have! This post gives you one more chance to win Novell's gift.  Post a comment here and we will draw for a winner this Friday (August 31st).

And, believe it or not, we will be featuring the work of another Guest Designer beginning next week!  Hmmm... I wonder who that could be?!! 

Novell - Scallops & Polka Dots

As part of our Guest Designer series, I like to share with you more about the Designers to help you get to know them better and also see what influences their designs.

Here's what Novell has to say about her style:

"I don't really know what to call my 'style' or if I even have one.  I definitely gravitate toward 'cutesy' stuff rather than 'artsy' stuff.  Anything girly is a must and that includes scallops & polka dots."

The following cards illustrate Novell's love of all things girly!

This first card is so darling and uses one of our most popular stamps - Seattle girl. Notice Novell's effective use of scallops & polka dots on this card.  I love how she created the rain with a marker and glitter.  I also like how she softened the red scallop square by lightly inking the edge with white.  So sweet!
A Muse stamps:
Seattle girl (2-6064D)
Spring is here! (discontinued)

This Sweet Shop card is super yummy!  I like how Novell created the awning for this card using our Scallop line stamp.  I tend to make awnings the other way but now I'm eager to try one like this!
A Muse stamps
Scallop line (7-5042F)
Sundaes (2-7022D)
You make life sweet (9-8259B)

This cupcake card is one of my favorites.  Who doesn't like yummy cupcakes - even on paper?! Our new frosted cupcake stamp includes the saying 'hey cupcake'. Novell inked only the cupcake for the central image of the card and then stamped the sentiment on a teeny tiny tag hanging from the ribbon.  Positively delicious!

A Muse stamps:
Frosted cupcake (9-7105C)
Little something (9-8159B)

The last card for today's post includes even more scallops & polka dots.  I like how Novell added emphasis to the black scallop oval by doodling an outline around the edge with a white gel pen.  Simple, yet effective!  I also like how she outlined the Eifel tower with a soft blue marker to give the tower dimension.  It pops right off the card!
A Muse stamps
Eiffel Tower (2-7026E)
Skinny oval bl sm (3-5012C)

Have you ever climbed to the top of the Eiffel tower?  I try to do it every time I go to Paris.  It's a good workout and the view from the top makes it worth the effort.  If you are heading to Paris for the first time, you simply MUST visit the tower first thing!  It will give you a great orientation of the city and then the street maps will make much more sense. No worries - there are also elevators!

Remember, leave a comment here on Novell's cards for your chance to win her special gift.  If you haven't posted comments on Novell's other cards, be sure to do so to increase your chances. 

P.S.  It is super-easy to find all of the posts with Novell's cards.  Simply click on the Guest Designer category under Categories over on the left.

I still have more of Novell's fabulous cards to show you.  Stay tuned for one last post and one more chance to win!

Have a beautiful day!  It's finally a decent day here in Seattle! High of 75.  Woohoo!

Novell - My favorites!

Novell – My favourites!

Our Guest Designer program is such a special treat for me! I always get excited to see what the designers have created with our stamps to share with you. 

While I enjoy all of the cards the Guest Designers create, there are always a few that standout from all the rest.  These are my favorite cards from Novell.  Every time I look at them, they make me smile.  I hope they do the same for you.

This first card is so softly spoken.  I love the choice of colors, the addition of the scallop ovals to one of our Mod Dot notecards and the clever use of the A Muse Slippers stamp!  What a perfect way to say thank you to a friend for their hospitality!

I think this may be one of my all-time favorite cards.  When Nina originally drew “Sniffer” the dog, he was carrying a newspaper in his mouth.  I decided to remove the newspaper to see how he would look without it and LOVED the results.  I like how Novell has him sniffing the Flower doodles – he looks so happy!  Novell is a master of using the A Muse Skinny Oval stamps.  Do you see how she has Sniffer “grounded” with an oval beneath him?  This really adds to the scene.  With the added sentiment “I’ll love you fur-ever” who could resist this card? 

 

The A Muse lifeguard chair is one of my favorite stamps.  It reminds me of the old lifeguard chairs on the beaches of the

Lake

Ontario

.  I taught sailing on

Lake

Ontario

for a summer and would spend my lunch breaks down at the beach. 

Again, Novell has used a great combination of colors for this card and it would be perfect for a guy or gal. 

This last card takes top honors for creativity!  I love how Novell made the card itself look like a baseball!  To make a circular card you could try the following:

• * Use a compass to create a circle one a regular notecard and trim with scissors. 
• * Use a Coluzzle template (circles, of course!)
• * Use a circle die-cut (your local scrapbook store should have a die-cutting machine that you can use for a small fee)
• * Use a Marvy Giga circle punch (for a 3” circle shape)
• * Or, if you are in the "sticks" with no tools whatsoever, you can always trace around a round plate!

Novell used the plain stitched line from the A Muse Stitched Numbers clear stamp set to create the “baseball” effect on the circle.  A Muse Clear Stamps are flexible which allows you to create curvy shapes.  To line them up, simply draw the shape you desire on a piece of paper, place your clear block on top and then align the clear stamp over the line you drew.  So fun and easy!

Novell used Snap Stamps (Karen Foster) to create the Yahoo sentiment.

Remember, Novell wants you to WIN!  Leave a comment below and you might win Novell's special gift!  See here for more deets.

I have more cards from Novell to post so I will be extending her Guest Designer feature for a few more days.  My internet access has been limited due to waterskiing, swimming, sailing, painting, etc.  Stay tuned for more fabulous cards and more chances to win!

Linda

Novell - Bonus cards!

If you avidly followed along with all the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenges, you may have already seen a few of these fun cards that Novell designed.  In case you missed them, I thought I would add them here as a fun little *bonus*!

It’s been a while since I made a card with the A Muse Flower shop stamp.  This card makes me want to dig it out to play with it again!  I love all the scallops and her clever addition of our Tiny Flowers Pretty Little Papers.  Good girly fun!

This next card is a fun one for summer!  I like how she used her wavy edged scissors for the edge around the surfer.  Great colors on this card! 

Driving into town for supplies a few days ago, we came across a field that had 12 scarecrows!  I wish I had my camera.  While I typically think of scarecrows as a fall image, this one is right at home for our vegetable growing friends right now!  I like how Novell added the hand-drawn pole to support the Scarecrow.  And, I really like how she stamped the big round sun behind him. 

This fast and easy card would be a great way to welcome a new neighbor.  I like how Novell repeated the A Muse Brownstone stamp three times and colored in only one of the stamped images.  The A Muse band note-cards make it easy to make simple scenes.  If you don’t have any, you can always recreate something with some scraps of patterned paper.

Novell made this card for our Mother’s Day Reader Inspiration Gallery contest.  I just love it and wanted to share it here with you again in case you missed it in May!  This is a simple variation that makes an “average” card into a *super-special* one!  This card is actually like a little purse.  Open the front flap and there is a “pocket” inside to stash a note, gift card, photos, tickets, or other goodies!  The front flap is held in place with a small Velcro dot.

I have a few more "bonus" cards to share with you over the next week so stay tuned!

Remember, Novell wants you to WIN.  So, post a comment here. J

Novell - Simply Summer!

You can just tell that Birthday’s at Novell’s house are pretty special!  Just look at these fun birthday cards she has created!

This first card makes clever use of our Scallop line stamp to create an awning from an A Muse Bold Stripe notecard.  I love how she has the gymnast on the top juggling the Tiny gift!  It certainly would be the funnest birthday ever!  This card would be perfect for just about anyone.

Here is another take on the same juggling idea.  This one might be more suitable for an older recipient that might be put off by the grammatical incorrectness of the “funnest birthday” word stamp. J  I really like the colors that Novell has chosen for this card.

This next card also makes clever use of our scallop line stamp.  Do you see it?  She has used it to give the effect that our new Grasshopper is bouncing along the card to wish the recipient a “Hoppy birthday”.

This is the last birthday card for this post.  It shows more of the scallop line stamp in action.  Novell used one of our lime peel band notecards for the grassy base for the Grasshopper – this is one of my favorite things to do!  It’s a great way to salvage any “mess up” cards (c’mon, we all make a few *bad* card!) 

If you don’t have any of our Lime Peel Band notecards, you can easily achieve a similar effect by masking off the top portion of a white oval with a sticky note and then directly applying green ink to the bottom half of the oval (Clearsnap Colorbox Lime Pastel would be a great choice!) Using the sticky note to cover the top half will ensure that you have a nice straight line. 

Remember; if you post a comment here for Novell, you will automatically be entered into our drawing (see the post Novell wants you to win for more details.)

Hope your day is f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s!

Novell - Simply Summer!

I thought that I would start off Novell’s Guest Designer series with some cards to get you into the summer spirit!  I hope that wherever you are (in the Northern Hemisphere!) that summer weather is finally well under way and that you are enjoying all that the good weather has to offer.

This first card reminds me that I forgot to pack our hammock for our trip to the cottage (again!) this summer.  I think that I might have to get creative though and concoct something because this card looks way too inviting.

I have seen a few different variations of this card design but I really like Novell’s version.  Do you see how she stamped the “island” over on the left side of the card?  This makes our Hammock in the tree seem well balanced and very tropical. 

I also really like how she added the tiny Crab stamp to the island… it gives one the sense that if you were swinging on that hammock that it would be just you and the little beach critters.  So relaxing! 

The other great thing about this card is that it has unilateral appeal – good for gals & guys. 

This next card also features the A Muse Hammock stamp.  This time, she inked only the hammock portion of the stamp (this can be done by either coloring just the hammock with makers,  by “masking” off the rest of the stamp or careful inking with a Clearsnap cateye inkpad) and stamped it between our Leafy tree.  I’m sure this took a few tries to figure out how far apart to stamp the trees. J 

I like the "shadow" she created under the hammock using an oval stamp.  As part of our new holiday release, we have TWO brand new ovals available (micro oval & mini oval). 

I love to play around with designs like this.  Once I get the design worked out, I make at least half a dozen cards with the design so that I haven’t invested all my time figuring things out for just one card! LOL!

This is the last card that I will share with you today.  This card uses five A Muse stamps and a punch but Novell’s execution makes it look so sweet and simple!  In fact, it is really easy to create simple scenes with A Muse stamps. 

One trick that Novell introduced to me is using our skinny ovals multiple times to create “mounds” or different landscapes.  I *love* this trick!  If you look carefully, you will see how Novell stamped our large skinny oval (masking the blue band on the card) once and then stamped our smaller skinny oval (again masking the blue band) to the right.  This gives the landscape so much detail and depth.  What a great trick! 

BTW, I have been told that the little fishy punch by EK Success is no longer available so if you have one to sell or trade, go dig it out and make someone’s day! 

The next post will feature Novell's birthday cards - these are super fun so be sure to check back again soon!

Guest Designer - July 2007

It's July so you know what that means?  Yup!  We are going to feature the work of a new Guest Designer all month long right here at the A Muse News blog.

It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to our Guest Designer for July 2007 - Novell Eckstrom!  Novell is our first "local" Guest Designer. 

I met Novell earlier this year at our retail store, in Seattle.  She was busy organizing a shoebox swap for WA/OR stampers which she invited A Muse to participate in.  Well we got to know each other a little better over the next few months and then one day, she brought in some of her card creations she had made using our stamps.  My jaw just about hit the floor!  Yes - they are that good!  On the spot, I asked her if she would be interested in being a Guest Designer for A Muse and I was so happy she accepted.

You are in for a real treat because not only is Novell a great stamper, she is prolific!  This means lots & lots of samples for your viewing pleasure! 

Here is a brief intro from Novell.  We have even more personal scoop to share in the days ahead!

"My name is Novell Eckstrom and I honestly can't believe I'm a Guest Designer. I have the priviledge of living near the A Muse store (well, within about 15miles or so) so I've had the opportunity to make myself a regular customer in their one and only retail store. It has also allowed me to take part in extra events like the A Muse Grand Opening where I got to meet other A Muse Design Team members.

I've been a stamper for many, many years but have only become an addict in the last few years. I remember the old days where I used my toaster as my heat tool for embossing! LOL.

My favorite thing about A Muse is their customer service. Every person that works for this company is absolutely fabulous! They are fabulousy talented and fabulously generous. Linda and her crew were a tremendous help as donors for a large shoebox swap I helped coordinate a few months ago.

The next best thing about A Muse is their motto "Think simple, think A Muse." Their designs all work so well with each other and honestly, the simpler the cards, the better they look! Putting their motto to work truly enables anyone to become a rubber stamper and put out a great end product.

The hardest part about becoming a Guest Designer, though, was picking out my materials! Too many good stamps to chose from! I actually already had quite a substantial amount of A Muse stamps (thereby making me a true fan) so I selected stamps that would work with stamps I already had. I have actually made myself a book of my A Muse images so I don't duplicate my purchases (which I'd already managed to do on occassion). Working as a guest designer has been so much fun and I so appreciate having had the opportunity to participate in the program."

I will leave you with one of my favorite cards that Novell created for you.  This kinda sums up summer, doesn't it... fun colors and a "refreshing" idea!

All stamps & papers by A Muse.

Have a happy 4th of July!

Amy - The finale!

This post showcases the final cards that our lovely and talented Guest Designer, Amy Rysavy, created for your viewing pleasure.

One of the reasons that I selected Amy to be a Guest Designer is because she knows just how to add the perfect finishing touches to her cards that give them a polished, "high street" quality.  I won't over-editorialize on these cards as their simplicity speaks volumes. 

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."     da Vinci

 

Don't forget about Amy's fun prize.  Read about it in the post below.

Have a beautiful day!  It is sunny and in the 80s here in Seattle - woohoo!

Big day today... my daughter, Hailey, is in a PNB ballet production (Stravinsky 125) that opens tonight!  She is dancing along with 47 other little girls in a dance called the Circus Polka.  It's only 5 minutes long but it is so fun! 

Amy - Friendship cards

This week, we will have 2 installments of Amy Rysavy's Guest Designer cards for your viewing pleasure.

Before we do that, Amy has a special surpise for you!  She has chosen a few goodies that will be heading to the home of one lucky winner later this week. J How can you enter to win?  It's easy... just post a comment on one or more of the posts that showcase Amy's work and you will automatically be entered.  The deadline to have your comments included in the drawing is May 31, 2007 midnight Pacific time.

Here's what you could win:

• Flower Drinks stamp
• Splendiferous day stamp
• Popsicle Pink Tiny Dot Notes

This first card is such a happy card.  I like how Amy worked with just two main colors (pink & blue) - simplicity at its best!  I don't know if you can see it in the photo - she added a clear laquer (I like Diamond Glaze by Judikins) to the liquid part of the drinks... makes me thirsty! 

My girls love it when I put fun flowery straws in their glasses - they feel so grown up!  We like to mix a lot of different juices or Gatorade into one and make up a funny name for our concoction.  This weekend they created "Rainbow Rush"!

Amy's next card design uses one of my favorite stamps... the Chair Line.  The little chairs have so many fun uses - I like to stamp them all together and also one at a time. 

This card appears to be so simple but there are a few finishing touches that tie it all together and make it "work".  Imagine how different this card would look without the tiny bit of black polka dot ribbon?  Did you notice that Amy added white polka dots to the armchair (2nd from the right)?  Picture how different this card would look if she had added another color...  Simplicity is sometimes not so simple!

Stay tuned for the last installment of Amy's Guest Designer Card series tomorrow.

Amy - Farm Series

It's funny how both Elena (our first Guest Designer) and Amy, have created a few farm-themed cards.  I have dubbed these the "Farm Series".

These cards remind me of the summer in Quebec and bringing in the hay on my uncle's farm.  I've never been to the Canadian prairies, where Amy lives.  I would imagine that these farm scenes are fairly common.  I have had friends cycle across Canada and tell me that they spent endless days on the prairies watching the wheat fields s-l-o-w-l-y pass by as they rode on.

This first card is a cheery scene with our friendly Cow stamp.  I love how she added the tiny daisy to the grassy stems.  The cow looks like she is enjoying herself immensely in this field of flowers. Amy used a white gel pen on the color the cow so she stands out more on the green band card.  I must try that!

This next card is so bright and fun.  I really like her choice of colors - looks like August to me! I like how she paired the Marvy mega & giga scallop oval punches. 

This last card in Amy's farm series shows what a careful stamper she is.  The hay wagon and the tractor are actually two separate stamps but you would never know by her expert stamping.  I love how she stamped them on one of our papaya ric rag tags... the road is gold (paved in golden wheat, of course!) 

Amy is busy choosing a prize for one lucky person that comments here at the A Muse News blog on her card creations.  I can't wait to see what she chooses.  To qualify, you may post comments on any post that includes one or more of Amy's cards.

Make hay, everyone!

Amy - the Bee series

Amy is the bee's knees!

This fun phrase, whose origin dates to the 1920s, is a term for excellence - of the highest quality.  This phrase very aptly desribes the first series of cards by Amy Rysavy, our Guest Designer for May 2007

On this first card, Amy uses a very clever technique to acheive a *perfect* scallop border. It is quite brilliant and it's the first time I've seen it.  To achieve the perfect scallop rectangle, Amy punched two Giga Scallop squares and then just layered them to make a rectangle.  She tied the ribbon over the "seam" where the two squares meet.  Brilliant, yes? 

I love the black polka dot ribbon combined with our black tiny dot notecards.  So playful!

This next card is so cheery!  I like how she used the A Muse Gerber daisy stamp for the sun. She colored the wings of the tiny bee with a white gel pen and it makes them just pop. Sending you sunshine, indeed!

This next card is such a happy card.  The tiny bees look like they are having such a fun time fluttering around together.  I like how she created movement with the dotted lines (made with a black fine-tip marker).  The black gingham ribbon is the perfect finishing touch!

As with our first Guest Designer showcase, Amy will choose a fun prize for one lucky person that comments on her Guest Designer series here at the A Muse News blog.  You may comment on one or all of the posts  with Amy's creations.  The more comments, the more chances to win!

Have a bee-utiful day! <sorry, couldn't resist!>

Guest Designer - May 2007

Please welcome our Guest Designer for May 2007...             

Amy is a very talented designer and we are excited to share her A Muse designs with you as part of our Guest Designer series.

Here is a brief introduction from Amy:

My name is Amy Rysavy and I am SO excited to be the May Guest Designer for A Muse!

I was first introduced to stamping almost 3 years ago by my mother-in-law and soon fell in love with A Muse images. I started searching online to find out where I could get them because while living in a small prairie town can have it's perks - there are literally NO stamping resources!! I found out from Julie Ebersole that I could order directly from the A Muse store in

Seattle

. I started with a few "staple" A Muse images - the small and large skinny ovals, the grass, a couple of sentiments and the small polka-dot alphabet. Needless to say I have ordered a couple more times since then!

I decided to contact Linda a few months ago to ask if there was a position open on the Design Team (even though I was pretty sure there wasn't - I wasn't even expecting a reply!). Imagine my surprise when Linda e-mailed me back the same day and said that even though the Team was full, I could be a Guest Designer! Of course I said yes and getting my box of stamps, papers and the A Muse t-shirt was like Christmas! I had a blast making my cards, and am now hooked on A Muse for life. Designing with their images is SO easy and so much fun! I loved every second of it!

=====================================

This first card that I will share with you today is one that literally jumped out at me when I opened Amy's package.  I love the colors and the fun way she stamped the doodle daisy in a not-so-perfect way.

Please stay tuned as we share more of Amy's inspiring A Muse designs.  You may also visit her blog to see more of her work.

Fun fact about Amy:  She is a fellow Canadian!

Elena has a blog!

It's true! You can see more of her fantastic work here.  Yay, Elena!!!

Message from Elena

As some of you clever readers have guessed, we are going to do a fun little giveaway for the kind folks that have left comments for Elena's work.  Don't fret, there's still time. 

To enter, simply post a comment to any of the posts on the A Muse News blog that include Elena's work (including this post).  A winner will be selected on Thursday night so that gives you a bit of time. 
** Please note, you can increase your chances to win by commenting to more than one post, however, please limit yourself to one comment per post.  ta!**

I asked Elena to choose a little something for the winner and she has determined how the winner will be selected (don't go pestering her now!).  Bonne chance!

Here's a note to you from Elena:

"I want to thank the readers of the A Muse News blog for their kind comments on my cards. Since I don't have a blog myself, nor an on-line gallery anywhere, I rarely get feedback on my creations. The nuns at St. Michael's taught me that pride is a cardinal sin, but I do feel a *little* bit of pride.

I would also like to thank Linda and the A Muse staff who are truly wonderful people. It has been so much fun doing "design work" for A Muse, something I would never have imagined doing. Thanks, ladies!!" 
Elena Shacochis
A Muse Guest Designer
March 2007

I will leave you with a few more of Elena's fabulous cards.  These were cards she submitted to our Reader Gallery contests.  Enjoy!

Guest Designer - March 2007

I am thrilled to announce our very first A Muse Guest Designer!  Please say hello to Elena Shacochis!

Elena's work first came to my attention last year when we ran our Reader Gallery contests.  I really liked her simple, yet clever designs.

Elena is not only a super stamper, she is the busy mom of four wee ones - her youngest is just 5 months old.  I'm amazed that she finds time to stamp!!

I sent Elena a list of words and asked her to expand her thoughts on them so that we could all get to know her a bit better.  Here is what she has to say...

Stamping – I started stamping when I was a young girl because that was my mom’s craft and stamps were around the house.

Style -  I like fast and simple for most cards.   

Inspiration – I find inspiration in many places: magazines, clothing colors, children’s books and stamping blogs/galleries.

Favorite color(s) – Yellow is my favorite color, but for stamping and paper crafts I like blues and greens.

Work space – My husband calls it “The Hole” because it is a 3’ x 7’ converted cedar closet.   

Perfect day –  Any day that I can just be silly with my kids and not have to tend to all of the little responsibilities that come with being a mom of four (i.e. LAUNDRY!) would be perfect for me.

Wildest dream – At one time I really wanted to be helicopter pilot, but I’m realistic and thought I’d be better suited teaching, which is exactly what I did prior to having children.

Fondest memory – Aside from our wedding and the birth of our children, I would say March 26, 2006: the day my alma mater,

George

Mason

University

, beat the

University

of

Connecticut

in the NCAA basketball tournement.  I was there and it was just amazing.

Family – I have been married for ten years to David and have four children, ages 7, 5, 1 ½ and 5 months.

Biggest challenge -  My biggest challenge is not wasting any minute of the day.  There is always something needing my attention during the day, but I reward myself at night by reading or being crafty.

First stamp -  I don’t remember my first stamp because I was introduced to stamping at a young age – perhaps a koala from my mom.  My first A Muse stamp was “from me” and I use it ALL the time.

Favorite product – I love adding ribbons to my projects.  I am always on the look out for ribbon that will add that special something to a card.

Passion – I am a big college basketball fan, especially of

George

Mason

University

; I have been since I was a junior in high school.

Food – I love ice cream and I have some in the house almost all the time.

The future - In my future I see many days filled with homework help!  I hope that there will also always be lots of time for stamping.

Elena has created some wonderful cards that I am pleased to share with you over the next few days.  Here are a couple of my favorites to share with you tonight.  Please post a comment for Elena to show your appreciation of her work! 

I just love this Pink Rock star card that Elena created.  The colors are really fun and it's very "arty".

The second card (the blue one) is really striking in real life.  She used our Twinkle Stickers to make the jewels in the Treasure Chest pop and it looks fabulous! 

All Images & paper products by A Muse.