A Muse News

New pencil crayons

I have never been a huge pencil crayon lover.  I prefer markers.  However, I recently found a new type of pencil crayon (new to me anyways!) and I really like them.

They are called Pitt Pastels by Faber-Castell.  I picked up a few colors to try them out. 

The reasons I like them:

• even coloring
• chalk-like finish
• can be smoothed with finger-tip or blender

I'm sure there are lots more tricks with these wonder-pencils!  I will post some pics soon to show you a few of the things I've come up with.

Post a comment here if you've worked with these pencils and have any tricks to share!!

Have a great weekend!

Smiley cat!

Smiley cat is one of my favorite new stamps.  It reminds me of vintage Hallowe'en crafts. And also of Phoebe's "smelly cat" song from Friends.  LOL!

I whipped up this card in less than two minutes.  Gotta love that.  For a finishing touch - I couldn't resist using my new pinking machine! 

A Muse products used:
3-6028D Striped tote
7-2639B Smiley cat
9-8156B Tricks & treats
NS200 Notes Orange Crush - solid

Punches used:
Marvy Super oval
Marvy Mega scallop oval

Have a great day!

I'm in love!

I have been lusting after hand-crank pinking machines on Ebay for over a year now.  I'd place a bid every so often but the prices were OUTRAGEOUS!  Sometimes over $150!!

Well, a few weeks ago I managed to snag one for quite a reasonable price! ($36)  It arrived in the mail a few days ago and the girls and I have been pinking everything in sight!

It works great on both fabric & paper.  I am busy making some flags for the store and it works like a charm.  Just look at this beautiful edge!

I tell ya, I'm in love! xoxoxo

Heat wave!

It's not very often we have a heat wave in Seattle but we have been having GORGEOUS weather since Saturday.  Today by 8:30 a.m. we had broken a high temp record.  Yippee! (Had to put my mittens away! <smile!>)

This morning, I ran with Hailey while she rode her bike to school.  We had such fun that I whipped up this card for her. 

I stamped the wheely girl twice because I also wanted to make a card for one of Hailey's friends who just learned to ride her bike without training wheels.  Of course, inside I wrote that she should *always* wear a helmet - not like our fashion-conscious wheely girl!

All stamps & papers by A Muse, naturally!

Circus polka photos

Many of you have asked to see photos from Hailey's ballet debut with the PNB.  Unfortunately we are not allowed to take photos at McCaw hall, in the ballet school or of the girls in their costumes.  Sadness.

Here are a few photos that I took the day of their dress rehearsal. 

In front of McCaw Hall.

In front of the stage door entrance - flashing their backstage passes!

A photo of Hailey & me after the show!

The girls managed to get a few photos backstage.  Hopefully there is one there of their costumes!  If yes, I will post.

Precious Memories

If you live in the Greater Vancouver area, please join me this weekend at Precious Memories to make a fun key chain like this one!  I will be there from 11:00 - 4:00.

If you live in the Seattle area and are planning to come to our Grand Opening, we will be making these as well.

Post a comment here if you'd like me to email you the directions!

Have a beautiful day!

Time for mittens!

I always seem to have cold hands. I don't know when it happened.

As a kid, I was always HOT - even growing up in Quebec.  Must have happened somewhere over the continental divide when I moved to Seattle!

I love mittens!  Gloves won't do - too cold.

In Seattle, I can personally use this card design starting in September straight through May. 

Yay for cute mittens!!

Linda

Card of the week delay

It is taking AGES for the A Muse Card of the Week mailing to send.  We are only 20% complete and it started on Friday.  We are trying to understand why it is taking soooo long.  Hopefully it will arrive in your inbox soon!  Stay tuned!

Oh darn!

I missed "Talk Like a Pirate" day!!! <pout!>

If you missed it too you should check out Heather's blog to see her cutie cupcake toppers card & pirate photos!

Overwhelmed!

Thank you to everyone that has supported Team A Muse by donating to Scleroderma Research.  We quickly reached our goal of $200 and A Muse will match that with another $200.  So far we have raised $440.  Yippee!

Stamping goody bags have been mailed out to those that have sent me mailing addresses.  If you haven't set me your address, please email me.

There is still time to make a donation.  Please visit our fundraising page.

Gettin' into the Hallowe'en Spirit!!

I really like these two elements:
1) The eyes - this is a trick that Juliehrr came up with.  To make the eyes, simply ink around the eyes (don't forget the eyeballs!) on our eye bl stamp (3-2612E) with a brush marker (like a Marvy Le Plume) and stamp.
2) The red micro dot twinkle stickers (TW101) on the eyes in the middle

I'm not 100% thrilled with the end result for some reason.  And here's another that isn't 100% yet...

I like the "tag" (which is made from one of our clear scallop circle stickers) but couldn't find a good way to use it.  At the time, I thought the trees made sense but now I don't! LOL! 

Back to the stamping workshop for me!!

PNB Opening Gala Update
What a fabulous night!!!  The girls in the Circus Polka did a FABULOUS job.  When they came on stage with their big bright smiles, the audience went crazy with applause.  They were thrilled.  Thank you to everyone for the good luck wishes for Hailey!

Seattle events

PNB Opening Gala - Saturday September 16th

If you live in the Seattle area, you don't want to miss the PNB Season Opening Gala this Saturday night.  You will see the PNBs finest dancers performing excerpts from Swan Lake, La Sonnambula and more.  You will also get to see my eldest daughter, Hailey, dancing the Circus Polka along with 47 other litte girls!

They have been rehearsing like crazy for the past two weeks.  Today is dress rehearsal at McCaw Hall.  Yesterday they received their BACKSTAGE passes!!  Can you imagine?  They will be dancing with a full orchestra in front of thousands of people tomorrow night!  Wowie wow wow!

This is such a thrill for all the children participating.We are grateful to the PNB for creating performance opportunities for the children. 

Photographs are not permitted at the PNB school (so sad!)  This is a photo of my ballerina from a few years ago... she looks soooo young!

Scleroderma Fundraising Walk - September 24th

As a family and as a business, we support Scleroderma Research. 

On Saturday, September 24th, there is a 5K fundraising walk at Seward Park to raise $$ for Scleroderma Research.  This is a seriously underfunded cause and would gratefully welcome any support.  Team A Muse is trying to raise $200 for this walk.  Whatever monies are raised, A Muse will match dollar for dollar! If you are interested in supporting us, please visit our fundraising page.

For any stampers wishing to donate, A Muse will send a fun box of stamping goodies for any size donation.  Post here once you have made a donation and I'll make arrangements to send your goodies!

What is Scleroderma? 

"Scleroderma, in its severe form, is a life-threatening disease that affects multiple organs in the body and causes them to shut down. It is a chronic and degenerative disorder with no known cause or way to stop its progression. The National Institutes of Health estimates more than 300,000 people in the U.S. alone are living with some form of the disease. This is as large a population as patients with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis.

Scleroderma primarily affects women between the ages of 30 and 50."

This information is from the www.srfcure.org website.

Have a beautiful day!

Linda

Gala VIP registration

We have finalized the class schedule for our A Muse Gala.  As you will see, there are LOTS of fun classes planned with our fabulous instructors (Julie Ebersole, Jennifer Pebbles, Mary Bieber & Leah Corneto).  I will be present at most classes too!

A Muse Gala VIP Registration Info:

We have both morning and afternoon sessions scheduled.  Each session will give you the chance to participate in THREE classes total (there are lots of classes to choose from). 

Step 1: Review the class schedule. 

Step 2: Determine if you would like to attend the morning or afternoon session. 

Step 3: Select your 1st & 2nd choices for each time slot. (Each session includes three 1-hour classes). 

Step 4: Call Cindy toll free (1-877-783-4882) with your payment & class choices

We are expecting spaces to fill up quickly so please register early.

The cost to participate is $36.00. 

Please note: If you have completed our registration form on the A Muse website, we will be emailing you the above information tomorrow along with a class schedule.  However, if you are reading this blog please check out the class schedule asap and  call us with your class choices & payment information so we can finalize your registration. 

Please email us if you have any questions... info@amuseartstamps.com

Have a great day!

Visitors

Last week we had some fun out-of-town visitors at our new shop in North Seattle.  One of the best parts of owning A Muse is having the chance to meet our customers (and their families).

Our first visitors were three girlfriends (Dona, Melissa & Doreen) that flew in from three different states (NV, OH & AL) to spend a few days together, share their love of stamping and visit Seattle.  How fun is that?!!  I am grateful to Melissa for emailing me this photo of their visit.

Our next visitors were in town to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary!  Their daughter, Paige, asked if they had time if they could stop by our shop to pick up a few things and visit with us.  Paige's mom is not even a stamper!!  What great parents!!  I had such fun chatting with them and giving them a few tourist tips for their stay.  I hope they were able to catch the Underground tour... one of my favorite things to do in Seattle.

 

So, if you are planning a trip to Seattle, please do stop by to see us.  If possible, please email me in advance so I plan to be at the shop.

Have a beautiful day!

Linda

A Muse Gala

To celebrate the opening of our first ever retail shop, we are throwing a party. 

You're invited!!

Party date:
Saturday
october 7th
9am - 5pm

Party location:
A Muse Shop
8544 Greenwood Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103

***parking***
free 90-minute parking in back
free parking on street in front

festivities include:

• goody bags & door prizes
• special discounts
• free make & takes
• meet our designers
• refreshments & more!

You can learn more about this fun event at:
www.amuseartstamps.com/gala

Space for our VIP event is very limited so please register early!

Hope to see you there!

Adventures in Plain, WA

deserted log cabin

friendly donkey

ginormous dandelions!

...more blogging soon, promise!

prismacolor markers

I am so excited!  Prismacolor has added some new colors to their already gorgeous palette of markers!

I picked up these new colors last night:

• cold stone
• avocado
• sky blue light
• cinnamon toast
• muted turquoise

I love these markers for coloring in our stamped images.  The colors are great.  They leave NO "lines". And, they do not pull the ink from my stamped image into the area that I am coloring (CB Fluid Chalk, Brilliance & Versafine inks anyways).

I'm guessing they are not "acid-free" but I don't really care.  I don't expect that my card creations are going to be around for 20 years!  <smile>

These markers have two tips, I only ever use the skinny tip.  They have recently changed the tips and the new skinny tip is much fatter than the old ones.  It drives my mom crazy but I don't seem to mind.

I will post soon about my other favorite brand of markers.

Have a great LONG weekend!