A Muse News

Where's Eddie?

Everyone's favorite vampire, Eddie, has left the overcast skies of Washington state behind in search of adventure!  But you know how popular those vampire boys are these days ... everyone's on the lookout for 'em!  Which means his adoring fans are snapping photos wherever he goes!  One of those fans shared this shot with us and written on the back was this ...

 

"In the Pacific Northwest, majestic and tall, I spotted the vampire near this waterfall!"

Do YOU know where Eddie is?

For your chance to win, simply enter your guess by leaving a comment on this post (one entry per person per game post please).  Each day this week we'll show you another photo from one of Eddie's fans and one winner will be chosen at random from all correct guesses on Saturday July 4th!

But wait ... are YOU one of the lucky fans to have spotted him?!  Share your Eddie sightings with us by uploading them to your blog or public gallery (like Splitcoast Stampers or Two Peas in a Bucket), taking care to include the keyword AP09EDDIE and then leaving us a link in a comment!  For sharing your photos with us, you'll receive an extra entry in the prize drawing!

Where's Eddie?

Everyone's favorite vampire, Eddie, has left the overcast skies of Washington state behind in search of adventure!  But you know how popular those vampire boys are these days ... everyone's on the lookout for 'em!  Which means his adoring fans are snapping photos wherever he goes!  One of those fans shared this shot with us and written on the back was this ...

 

"From my first destination, it's just a small leap to this circle of stones surrounded by sheep."

Do YOU know where Eddie is?

For your chance to win, simply enter your guess by leaving a comment on this post (one entry per person per game post please).  Each day this week we'll show you another photo from one of Eddie's fans and one winner will be chosen at random from all correct guesses on Saturday July 4th!

But wait ... are YOU one of the lucky fans to have spotted him?!  Share your Eddie sightings with us by uploading them to your blog or public gallery (like Splitcoast Stampers or Two Peas in a Bucket), taking care to include the keyword AP09EDDIE and then leaving us a link in a comment!  For sharing your photos with us, you'll receive an extra entry in the prize drawing!

AP Challenge #2 Round Up!

Today we are featuring some of the entries from our second A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA countdown challenge, RIBBON!  There were so many fun and creative cards made! Thanks to everyone who played along! We selected nine designs from all the participants to highlight here in our challenge roundup!  Just click on each image to hop over to the designer's blog or gallery to see their full card!

We hope you enjoyed all of the RIBBON creations! If you didn't get to play along, be sure to check out this week's TWILIGHT challenge! And do you know where Eddie is?? :)  

Where's Eddie?

Everyone's favorite vampire, Eddie, has left the overcast skies of Washington state behind in search of adventure!  But you know how popular those vampire boys are these days ... everyone's on the lookout for 'em!  Which means his adoring fans are snapping photos wherever he goes!  One of those fans shared this shot with us and written on the back was this ...

 

"Seeing the sights in this city without peer, Eddie looked happy listening to the singing gondolier!"

Do YOU know where Eddie is?

For your chance to win, simply enter your guess by leaving a comment on this post (one entry per person per game post please).  Each day this week we'll show you another photo from one of Eddie's fans and one winner will be chosen at random from all correct guesses on Saturday July 4th!

But wait ... are YOU one of the lucky fans to have spotted him?!  Share your Eddie sightings with us by uploading them to your blog or public gallery (like Splitcoast Stampers or Two Peas in a Bucket), taking care to include the keyword AP09EDDIE and then leaving us a link in a comment!  For sharing your photos with us, you'll receive an extra entry in the prize drawing!

AP Challenge #3: Twilight!

Hi there! Welcome to the third A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenge! WOW!! The cards for last week's RIBBON challenge were just fabulous!! Thanks so much to everyone that played along! You can see all of the submissions for last week's challenge on this post. We have also selected some of the cards created for the RIBBON challenge to be showcased right here on Wednesday, so be sure to check back for that! And now I've got yet another challenge for you...are you ready?? This is going to be a fun one!! And at the end of this week, we will draw a random winner from all the entries on this challenge post for an awesome PRIZE!! :)      

The challenge for this week is TWILIGHT, and here is how you can play along: 

• Create a card using TWILIGHT as your inspiration. Yes, TWILIGHT!! As with the other 2 challenges, this challenge is *very* open to interpretation, so get creative! :)
• The card must feature at least one (1) A Muse stamp image.
• Upload your card to your blog or to a public gallery such as twopeasinabucket.com or Splitcoaststampers.com. If you upload to a public gallery, be sure to include the keyword AP09TWILIGHT in the photo description or keyword box.
• When you're finished, copy the url/link of your upload and post it in the comments area of this post by midnight Sunday, July 5th.

You may submit more than one entry for this challenge.  The more you create, the more chances you have to win!

Here is the TWILIGHT card I created for this challenge! :) I am a big fan of the Twilight book series so I had to go in that direction! :)

   

I can't wait to see your TWILIGHT cards!! Go get stamping!!!

Challenge #2 - Winner!

It's time to announce the winner of our RIBBON A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenge...the winner will receive the fabulous prize shown here!

     

Congratulations to...

Kerry who posted on June 25th at 2:09pm

Kerry, if you would kindly email me your mailing address and we'll send out your goodies! 

Thanks so much to everyone who played along!  Stay tuned... our next stamping challenge starts today!

 

And the winner is ...

It's time to reveal how many yards of ribbon were packed into Vi's suitcase!  Are you ready?  *drum roll please* 650 yards! A few people hit the nail right on the head and a winner was chosen randomly between all those who guessed correctly! And the winner is ... Rachel! (who posted the correct guess on June 23rd at 9:05 PM)

Congratulations, Rachel! Please email me your mailing address so we can get your new A Muse goodies out to you! Thank you to EVERYONE who entered a guess! And don't forget!  There's still time to participate in the second stamping challenge for yet another chance to win! You'll have even more chances to win as the countdown to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA  continues!

Around Town - July Classes

The A Muse Instructor Team has some fun July classes coming up.  Many of our instructors will be teaching during A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA, so please click on their names to hop over to their class schedules for more information on the events offered in your area.  

Alabama
Beth Thomas

Arizona
Lori Barnett

British Columbia
Glenda Wyatt

California
Emily Montenaro
Jill Grace
Julie Ebersole
Tracy Falco

Connecticut
Jenn Shurkus

Georgia
Michelle Clark

Kentucky
Michelle Mathey

Massachusetts
Jenn Shurkus
Liz Ballard

Maryland
Melinda Matzen

Minnesota
Lyndsay Breid

New Hampshire
Jen Daloisio

New Jersey
Cheiron Brandon
Heather Meeson

New York
Cheiron Brandon
Jenn Shurkus
Sherry Czarnecki

Oregon
Katie Stilwater

Rhode Island
Jenn Shurkus

Texas
Geeta Suggs

Virginia
June Gibbons
Melinda Matzen

Wisconsin
Dawn Stein
Kamila Younkman

Featured Sponsor: Scor-Pal

 

by Heather Meeson: A Muse Designer

Scor-Pal is a versatile scoring tool that simplifies folding for both scrapbooking and card making ... or for any paper craft at all!  This extraordinarily useful tool was invented by Diana Crick, an avid scrapbooker and card maker in her own right.  The Scor-Pal is a blend of her desire to teach others and her experience as a tool design expert in the polymer clay field.

The Scor-Pal consists of two pieces: a slightly-textured scoring surface, and a scoring tool.  The 12"x12" scoring surface is grooved in 1/2" and 1" intervals, but also has grooves for making gate fold cards, A2 cards, and brochures -- and the raised edges of the scoring surface mean no more crooked folds!  The scoring tool combines with the surface to provide crisp, quick fold lines, and mulitple folds can be scored without having to move the paper. 

Here at A Muse, the Scor-Pal is frequently used by our designers and instructors.  In fact, here are a few photos of our very own Julie Ebersole using the Scor-Pal in one of her classes during A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2008!

 

We’re pleased to have Scor-Pal as an A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Sponsor again this year!

AP Challenge 1 Roundup!

Today we are featuring some of the entries from our first A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA countdown challenge!  It was fun to see all the different uses of squares!  Thanks to everyone who played along!  We selected nine designs from all the participants to highlight here in our challenge roundup!  Just click on each image to hop over to the designer's blog or gallery to see their full card!

We hope you enjoyed their creations!  If you didn't get a chance to play along this time, be sure to check out our ribbon challenge!  And be sure to enter your guess for our suitcase game for a chance to win!

How Many Yards of Ribbon?

 

This week we've got another fun guessing contest for you!  Linda's mother, Vi, has filled this suitcase with spool after spool of yummy A Muse ribbon!  How many yards of ribbon do YOU think are in the suitcase?  (And remember, there are at least two layers of ribbon spools, which means they're underneath too!)

Simply leave a comment on this post with your guess!  It's just that easy!  But make that guess a good one because while the contest is open until midnight this Friday, June 26th, it's one entry per person!

The correct answer will be chosen, at random, from all correct guesses!   And if no one guesses the correct answer, the person with the closest guess wins!  We'll reveal the winner AND the prize this Saturday, June 27th!

Good luck! 

AP Challenge #2: Ribbon!

Hi there! Welcome to the second A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenge! Did you see all of the wonderful cards made for the first challenge? They were just amazing! You can see all of the submissions for last week's challenge on this post. We have also selected some of the cards created for the SQUARE challenge to be showcased right here on Wednesday, so be sure to check back for that! And today I've got another fun challenge for you!! Are you ready to get stamping and win some PRIZES?  At the end of this week, we will draw a random winner from all the entries on this challenge post.      

The challenge for this week is RIBBON, and here is how you can play along: 

• Create a card using RIBBON as your inspiration. This challenge is very open to interpretation, so get creative! 
• The card must feature at least one (1) A Muse stamp image.
• Upload your card to your blog or to a public gallery such as twopeasinabucket.com or Splitcoaststampers.com. If you upload to a public gallery, be sure to include the keyword AP09RIBBON in the photo description or keyword box.
• When you're finished, copy the url/link of your upload and post it in the comments area of this post by midnight Sunday, June 28th.

You may submit more than one entry for this challenge.  The more you create, the more chances you have to win!

Here is a card I made for this challenge. :)

     

I hope you all have fun with this challenge and I am *so* looking forward to seeing your creations!! :)

Challenge 1 - Winner!

It's time to announce the winner of our square A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenge - who wins the A Muse goodies shown here! 

Congratulations...

*Armie who posted on June 20 at 12:31am*

Armie, if you would kindly email me your mailing address and we'll send out your goodies! 

Thanks so much to everyone who played along!  Stay tuned... our next stamping challenge starts today!

Secret Squares winner!

It's time to reveal the answer, prize, and winner of our Secret Squares game! 

 

*Liz* was our A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA instructor who was holding the secret prize!  And here is the prize she was holding:

  

And now for the winner - drawn randomly from all correct guesses:

*Debby W. who posted on Tuesday June 16 at 4:05pm*

Congratulations Debby, please email me your mailing address and we'll send out your goodies!  

Thank you to everyone for playing!  There is still time to participate in our first stamping challenge.  And there are lots more prizes still to be won in our countdown to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA!  Next week we have another challenge and fun game, so stay tuned! 

 

Secret Squares - Round 4!

 

It's the final round of our Secret Squares game!  A few more photos have been removed and one of our remaining A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA instructors is holding a secret prize.  Who do you think has the prize?  We'll reveal the final answer on Saturday and draw a random winner from all correct guesses.  The winner will then receive the prize revealed at the end of game!!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your guess (one entry per person per round) before this round of the game ends tonight (Friday June 19th) at midnight Pacific time.  Then check back tomorrow to find out who is holding the prize and see if you are the winner!

 

Secret Squares - Round 3!

 

We're on to Round 3 of our Secret Squares game!  A few more photos have been removed and one of our remaining A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA instructors is holding a secret prize.  Who do you think has the prize?  Tomorrow we'll remove a few more photos from the board and you'll get to guess one more time.  We'll reveal the final answer on Saturday and draw a random winner from all correct guesses.  The winner will then receive the prize revealed at the end of game!!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your guess (one entry per person per round) before this round of the game ends tonight (Thursday June 18th) at midnight Pacific time.  Then check back on Friday to play our final round!

 

Secret Squares - Round 2!

We're on to Round 2 of our Secret Squares game!  As you can see, we removed a few photos today to help you choose.  One of our remaining A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA instructors is holding a secret prize.  Who do you think has the prize?  Each day this week, we'll remove a few more photos from the board and you'll get to guess again.  We'll reveal the final answer on Saturday and draw a random winner from all correct guesses.  The winner will then receive the prize revealed at the end of game!!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your guess (one entry per person per round) before this round of the game ends tonight (Wednesday June 17th) at midnight Pacific time.  Then check back on Thursday to play round three!

 

Secret Squares Game!

 

Hollywood Squares – A Muse Style!   We’ve chosen one of our A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA instructors to hold a secret prize.  Who do you think has the prize?  Each day this week, we'll remove a few names from the board and you'll get to guess again.  We'll reveal the final answer on Saturday and draw a random winner from all correct guesses.  The winner will then receive the prize revealed at the end of game!!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your guess (one entry per person per round) before this round of the game ends tonight (Tuesday June 16th) at midnight Pacific time.  Then check back on Wednesday to play round two!

Good Luck!

AP Countdown Fun!

Check out the fun things happening today in our countdown to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA!

Secret Squares Game - starts Tuesday!

Challenge 1 - Square

Badge Contest 

T-shirt winners

AP Challenge #1: Square!

Welcome to our first A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenge of 2009!! My name is Jennie and I will be your AP challenge hostess! There will be a new challenge for you each Monday right here as we countdown to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA!  So grab your stamps and get ready to play because there are some fun PRIZES!  At the end of each week, we'll draw a random winner from all the entries on the challenge post.  Let's get started!!    

The challenge for this week is SQUARE, and here is how you can play along: 

• Create a card using the word SQUARE as your inspiration. This challenge is very open to interpretation, so get creative! 
• The card must feature at least one (1) A Muse stamp image.
• Upload your card to your blog or to a public gallery such as twopeasinabucket.com or Splitcoaststampers.com. If you upload to a public gallery, be sure to include the keyword AP09SQUARE in the photo description or keyword box.
• When you're finished, copy the url/link of your upload and post it in the comments area of this post by midnight Sunday, June 21st.

You may submit more than one entry for this challenge.  The more you create, the more chances you have to win!

Here is a card I made for this challenge. I went with a square notecard and a square panel in the center of the card. 

 

I hope you enjoy this challenge and I can't wait to see what you create! Get stamping!! :)

   

PS:  Don't miss our badge contest and winner announcement post below! 

 

Party Time!

Welcome to the 2009 countdown to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA!  We have so much fun planned for the next few weeks, you won't want to miss a single day!  It all starts now with our Badge Contest below and we already have some winners to announce!  Then check back a little later for our first stamping challenge and Tuesday starts our Secret Squares game!  And if you aren't already on our weekly newsletter email list, be sure to sign-up!   

 

Badge Contest

It's always fun to have new bling for your blog, so we have an A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2009 blinkie badge for you below!  To enter our contest, simply add it to your blog sidebar and link to our website www.amuseartstamps.com, then leave a comment on this post with a link to your blog.  We'll announce a random winner during A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA week in July!  For tips on adding it to your Blogger or Typepad blog, see our lounge post *here*.

 

 

T-shirt winners!

We have three A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2009 t-shirt winners to announce from our kickoff post last week.  Congratulations....

 

Sonja who posted on June 12 at 2:51am

Judy Nash who posted on June 11 at 10:03am

Dana Klinkner who posted on June 10 at 2:23pm

 

If you lucky ladies would kindly email me your mailing address and shirt size, then we'll send them out to you!  Up next, our first stamping challenge!  

  

Welcome to the 2009 countdown to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA!  We have so much fun planned for the next few weeks, you won't want to miss a single day!  It all starts now with our Badge Contest below and we already have some winners to announce!  Then check back a little later for our first stamping challenge and Tuesday starts our Secret Squares game!  And if you aren't already on our weekly newsletter email list, be sure to sign-up!   

 

Badge Contest

It's always fun to have new bling for your blog, so we have an A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2009 blinkie badge for you below!  To enter our contest, simply add it to your blog sidebar and link to our website www.amuseartstamps.com, then leave a comment on this post with a link to your blog.  We'll announce a random winner during A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA week in July!  For tips on adding it to your Blogger or Typepad blog, see our lounge post *here*.

 

 

T-shirt winners!

We have three A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2009 t-shirt winners to announce from our kickoff post last week.  Congratulations....

 

Sonja who posted on June 12 at 2:51am

Judy Nash who posted on June 11 at 10:03am

Dana Klinkner who posted on June 10 at 2:23pm

 

If you lucky ladies would kindly email me your mailing address and shirt size, then we'll send them out to you!  Up next, our first stamping challenge!  

  

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2009!

 

 

It is my pleasure to announce the 4th annual A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA.  This year's festivities will take place  July 10th - 19th at the finest stamp stores in the USA, Canada and Australia! 

 

What is A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA?
A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA is a week-long paper crafting celebration featuring the newest products from A Muse at your local stamp store. A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA store events may include make & takes, classes, door prizes and lots of fun topped off with a grand-prize at each participating store! 

We are thrilled to have 50 stores participating with us this year!  Please see below for a complete list.  Some events require pre-registration so contact your store today!!

A big part of the fun will happen right here as we countdown the days to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA, beginning this Monday June 15th!  There will be challenges, fun games, silly contests and, of course, fabulous PRIZES!!

  

Let's get this party started!!
To kick things off, I have a fun contest for you.  The prize?  A limited edition A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2009 T-shirt for THREE lucky winners!!  How can you play?  Post a comment here telling us something about A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA (which store is closest to you, your favorite A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA memory, is this your FIRST A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA, etc.)  Anything goes!  This contest will be open through Saturday, June 13th a midnight PST.

2009 A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Stores
 (this list will be posted in the sidebar as well for future reference!)

Abeille (MA)
Angela's Happy Stamper (VA)   
Beautiful Impressions (CT)
Cat's Meow (CA)   
Colorful Creations (MA) 
Cool Scrapbook Stuff (CA)   
Crafty Capers (BC)  
Create it Crafts (MD)
Eclectica Scrapbooks & Stamps (TN) 
Enchanted Cottage (NC) 
I'm Impressed (BC)
Ink About It! (MA) 
La Carta Bella (NC)
Lasting Impression Stamps (BC)  
Memory Depot (TX)   
Monkey Love (WA)  
Now and Then Scrapbooking (IL)
Once Upon a Scrapbook (AL) 
One Little Spark (NJ)   
Paper Garden Boutique (CA)   
Paper Tales (CA)   
Photo Scraps (MD) 
Picture This (WI)   
Precious Memories (BC)   
Queen's Ink (MD)  
Right at Home Scrapbooking (MA)   
Rubber Stamp Fantasy (GA) 
Scattered Pictures (OR) 
Scrapbook Cupboard (MA)
Scrapbook Friend'z (IL)  
Scrapbook Superstore (WI)
Scrapbookers Inc (MI)
Scrappers' Anonymous (BC)
Scraptasia (NJ)  
Simply Scrapbooks (OH)
Stamp Antonio Arts (TX)  
Stamp Art Studio (Australia) 
Stamp on Over (CA)   
Stamp Shack (FL) 
Stamp Works (AZ)  
Stampassion (NY)   
Stampin' and Scrappin' Time (NY)  
Stampin EJ (CA) 
The Cottage Stamper (IL)   
The Ink Pad (NYC)  
The Paper Tree (NH)   
The Paperie (NL)
The Stamp Addict (CA)   
The Stamp Shoppe (WI)

The A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA coutdown festivities begin next Monday, June 15th so be sure to stop by daily for fun, inspiration and great prizes!!

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA is here!

Woohoo! A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA has officially begun!

I had a GREAT time in Fort Lauderdale, FL teaching classes at the Stamp Shack. Lynn, the owner of Stamp Shack, is just the BEST! Her store is crammed full of fun products and so many great customers. We did 6 classes in two days and a few make & takes too. Fun, fun, fun!

I have a few photos to post from my visit but I'm at Newark airport right now and have just a few minutes between flights.

I do hope you are enjoying the sneak peeks from our Designers & Instructors. Their talent never ceases to amaze me and they have some fabulous inspiration for you all week!

I also hope you will join Julie Ebersole, A Muse Creative Team Director, (and all-round Stamping goddess!) for a fun online class next week as the final segment of our A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA fun. There is a special kit that you should purchase ASAP over on the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog (www.amuseapalooza.typepad.com) which will give you access to a FREE class with Julie that begins next Tuesday, July 15th.

Please note: I will not have access to email for the next MONTH as I will be at my cottage in Quebec with no electricity, phone or road access. So, if you need any assistance, please contact our customer service department at [email protected].

Have a fabulous day!
Linda

Holy Tomato!

The past few weeks at A Muse HQ in Seattle have been super busy!  We have soooo much product for A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA in our midst that we can barely move.  There are little pathways to get to vital destinations such as the bathroom, the fridge, the shop and, of course, the exits! 

The A Muse Crew was busy packing and shipping stamps and assorted goodies to participating A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2008 stores.  There are so many components to this stamping extravaganza that keeps our entire crew busy for several months.

I thought you might enjoy a quick peek at the A Muse Crew in action today.  When I pulled out my camera there were many groans... but I assured them that you would all enjoy these photos so they put on a happy face and let me snap a few photos to share.

This first picture shows my niece, Lisa, packing up a box for one of the participating stores.  Lisa is an A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA veteran and we are so glad that she is finished with school and able to help us during this critical time.  Sadly, Lisa will be leaving us at the end of this week as she prepares to enjoy her last summer of freedom before heading off to university in the fall.  She will be greatly missed! 

Next we have Amanda.  She is busy packaging up a Make & Take Kit for the stores (sorry- no sneak peeks of the stamps or cards here!)  Amanda is the most phenomenal picker packer and organizer!!  And she's a lot of fun too!

Here is Heidi - aka wonderwoman!  She is busy closing out orders.  Heidi is the gal that makes it ALL happen. As you can see from this photo, we are a little short on space at the moment. 

 

Here's Heather closing up an order.  Heather is in charge of order processing and can juggle a million things at once! This box is headed to Canada... we have three stores in British Columbia participating in A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2008.  Yay!

Cindy and Joyce were also busy helping get product out the door. Cindy would *kill* me if I posted the photo I took of her today - there's a nice orange glow from a lamp behind her head!  I somehow missed taking a photo of Joyce today. 

Lastly, I will leave you with a peek of our FABULOUS Grand Prize packages that are being shipped to each store.  This year, each store will receive an A Muse Grand Prize, valued at over $100 and comes in an adorable LIMITED EDITION red & white A Muse tote!!  These are seriously fun prize packages so be sure to visit a participating store near you to enter to win!

We have reserved one of the Grand Prize packages for our online A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA event that will take place the week of July 14th - July 20th for those of you that do not live close to a participating store.  Be sure to check out the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog for all sorts of fun!  There is a FUN ribbon contest going on right now.

We have WINNAAAAAAHHHS!!!

  Gee, announcing winners on Monday morning is *really* FUN!  I'm so tickled to announce the following individuals won Guest Designer Dawn McVey's give-away of the Eiffel Tower and Kitchen Pink 4 Bar Note Cards:

sharonw05  May 8, 2008 2:28 PM "{{{hugs}}}, Dawn!  I am sooo excited for you!  These are over the top, fabulous cards, and I can't seem to choose a favorite!  I gotta get me some of those awesome clear stickers!"

Riza Almanza May 16, 2008 9:40 AM, "Such clean and uncluttered design on these cards!  These are really great design.  I hope I can achieve these type of designs someday. :) 
Thanks for sharing your ideas!"

Berenice  May 31, 2008 8:51 AM,  "I am new to card making and have fallen in love with amuse stamps. I love Dawns creations especially this Paris card... i just have to make!"

••••••••••••••••

And the following are winners of our recent "Designer Swap" with Hero Arts Designer Lisa Spangler, give- away featuring Wheely Girl and the Madeira Blue 4 Bar Note Cards:

Kim Lenhart June 1, 2008 1:21 PM, "awesome designs...massive creativity!! I love them all!"

Paula May 30, 2008 3:22 PM, "this was a really good idea; switching off.  A lot of inspiration and fresh ideas."

Michelle Sampson   May 30, 2008 6:23 AM, "Wow.  She has some incredible creativity.  This is a great idea, and I know both of you had a blast with it!"

I love announcing winnahs--always feels like Christmas--Christmas in June!  Hah!

Winners, if you will kindly email me HERE, with mailing information, I can get your prizes distributed out to ya', and you'll be able to hold these goodies in your hot little hands and get busy lettin' the ink fly!  Don't be surprised if the chicks in fulfillment slip in a little extra A Muse goody, too, eh?! *wink*

Now, you know what else happens today, right?  That's right!  We're countin' down to:

 

We're so jazzed, and have all kinds of fun shenanigans, like A Muse Feud (!!!) beginning over at the A Muse-a-Palooza Blog, so be sure to spend a bit of time over there today, make sure you are REGISTERED (click HERE, to register), and get in on the action!

Becaaauuuuse . .  Julie sezzzzz: 

Moderation in all things.  Except FUN.

Excessive fun is *always* GOOD.

  --Julie

Re-Cap, Last Call, and What's Around the Corner!

My goodness, things have been a hoppin', eh?!

Just thought I'd issue a last call for our current giveaways, because, come Monday, the A Muse-a-Palooza countdown and more FUN begins on the A Muse-a-Palooza blog!  Be sure to REGISTER, so you can get in on all the FUN!

Be sure to enter the drawings of Guest Designer Dawn McVey --we showcased her work in 4 (four!) articles here on the blog and will be closing comments on Monday, to draw winners!  If you haven't yet, leave a comment (one only per article, please!) at each of our Dawn McVey articles, so you can be entered into the drawing for her favorite:  Eiffel Tower & Kitchen Pink 4 Bar Note Cards

Also, be sure to leave a comment on our fun Friday "Designer Swap" article, featuring Lisa Spangler of Hero Arts!  We'll be drawing winners of Lisa's A Muse Favorites, Wheely Girl and the Madiera Blue 4 Bar Note Cards, on Monday, too!

Monday!  Monday, June 2nd, marks the beginning of our A Muse-a-Palooza Countdown!  It's FUN!  It's FABULOUS!  We've been tinkering, planning, and scheming lots of FUN for ya'all, with silly contests, weekly drawings, challenges, and more! 

 

I'm ROTFLMBO because there's a LOT to look forward to this coming Monday morning-- Look out!  Julie's startin' to bounce!!! *chortling gleefully and rubbing hands together*

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2008

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

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

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

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

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

A very special delivery...

I know that many of you have been sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for us to announce the winner of the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Grand Prize - a year's worth of new products from A Muse! 

When the winning ticket was chosen, we were delighted to discover that the winner was located in the San Diego area. One of our instructors, the lovely & talented Michelle White, lives there.  It turns out that Michelle is good friends with the winner and was willing to hand-deliver the Grand Prize Package to her. 

Please join me in congratulating

Helle Greer!!!!

Helle is a super-talented artist and her blog is full of inspiration.  She has promised to share some of her creations with her Grand Prize winnings on her blog so be sure to pop in and see what she is cooking up!

Doesn't she look cute in her new tiara?!!

Thank you to everyone that participated in A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2007.  We appreciate your enthusiasm for A Muse and hope that you had fun! 

Grand Prize Winner - update

The A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Grand Prize Winner certificate is on it's way to the lucky recipient *right now*!

To refresh your memory, the lucky winner will receive one each of every new A Muse product for an entire YEAR!  To enter the drawing, you must have attended one of the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2007 store events and completed an entry form there.

Now, what color was *your* entry form?  Was it PINK?

Stay tuned, we hope to have photos to share with you soon of the lucky winner receiving her Winner's Certificate and other A Muse treats! This is so fun... I feel a bit like Ed McMahon! Much prettier, of course. LOL!

The *PINK* ticket!

A lucky *pink* ticket is way better than the Golden ticket!  Why, you ask?  Well...   the lucky owner of a *pink* ticket is the winner of the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Grand Prize Drawing! 

Now, let's see... who remembers what the owner of this pink ticket wins...

A) *pink* cadillac
B) tour of the Wonka chocolate factory
C) golden snitch

Hmmm.  What could be?!!

Stay tuned, we'll post the winner's name and her prize soon!

Just poppin' in!

I am out of the country at the moment enjoying fun times with my family at our cottage on Bark Lake.  We don't have electricity, or a phone and we can only get to our cottage by boat so it's a little rustic!  To me it is home!

I just wanted to pop in and thank everyone for playing along with A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA.  Our ten week countdown just whizzed by!  Phew!  We had so much fun and hope that you did too!  I was fortunate enough to participate in one of the store events in Sacramento, CA - The Paper Garden Boutique.  It was so fun to see Stefanie, the owner, again and meet her family and fabulous customers!  We had fun stamping, chatting, eating pizza, chocolate and LOTS & LOTS of Noah's bagels!

I would like to extend a very special thank you to all of the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Ambassador competitors.  We had over 70 stampers register for this competition! Everyone did a fabulous job and I understand from Emily that it was a very tight race for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place!  Congratulations to Amy, Taylor and Geeta!  Well done, Ladies!  Enjoy your prizes!!

We just learned that one of our competitors has copied our entire promotion (at least the store component) so it makes me very sad & frustrated.  The funny thing is that they are billing it as "The One and Only" - LOL.  I am glad to be miles from everything so I can reflect on this. 

Every few days I have access to the internet and plan to jump online and post more of Novell's fabulous creations for our Guest Designer feature for July 2007.  Stay tuned... Novell's creations are not to be missed!

Just so you know, I cannot access my email account (the one linked from my blog - [email protected]) while I'm on the road so please be patient if you have emailed me! 

Here are a few of the fun things that The Paper Garden has in her store, in addition to gobs & gobs of stamps!  She has lots & lots of fun gifty things and I had a ball picking out the perfect gifts for my girls.  Check out her cute stuffed toys (the panda bear is handmade by Missy Ballance in Sacramento), the Dragon is a European import. 

ETA:  Here is a link to Missy's awesome blog.  You NEED to check it out!

Stefanie made these gorgeous flowers!  She has them hanging throughout the store. 

A bientot!

Paper Garden Visit

Woohoo!  I am sitting here blogging from the Paper Garden Boutique in Sacramento California.  What a beautiful store.  Owner, Stephanie Nishikawa, tells me she fills it with her favorite things.  She and I must like the same things because I am in heaven!!  I have accumulated quite a stash of little goodies that I will be purchasing.

We are busy setting up for the VIP customer event Stephanie is hosting at her store for A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA.  I will be doing two make & takes and Stephanie has created some awesome make & takes as well using our new stamps & papers.  Just a few more hours before we get down to some serious stamping!

Have you been playing along with the silly contests we're having over at the AP blog?  Today you need to post a comment and time it right so that it has a '1' in the time your comment is posted.  Why does it need to have a '1' in it, you ask?  Well, because there is only 1 more sleep until the big event!!

I am so grateful to my wonderful team that has made this event possible!  Our behind the scenes team (Heidi, Cindy, Brittany & Lisa) did an amazing job shipping product, prizes & goodies out to the stores.  The A Muse Design Team worked their magic (as usual!) creating gorgeous samples using our new stamps.  My mom stamper her heart out making all of the sample cards that you will see at the AP events.  Jennifer designed our fabulous logo and banner ads over at Splitcoast Stampers.  Beth designed and managed the main AP website. Jenn jumped right in and brought on the wonderful sponsors on board. And, Emily has done an awesome job managing the AP blog and our A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Ambassador competition.  Thank you gals for your dedication and hard work.  You're the best!

Allright - gotta run!

I'll be back later with pictures!

Linda

It's here!

Woooohooo!  It's July 9th... and you *KNOW* what that means!  It's the start of A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA! 

We are so excited to bring this fun event to stampers around the world - both at the store events and through the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog. 

It is very exciting for me to see this idea that came to me while out for one of my morning runs come to life.  I hope you have enjoyed our 10-week countdown at the blog and will have a chance to visit a participating store this week.  We'd love to hear your comments about your experiences so please feel free to share them here or over at the AP blog.

Happy stamping!!

Linda & the entire A Muse crew

So much fun!

Have you seen how much fun we are having over at the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog?  It's hard to believe we are over half way to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA!!

Emily posted this week's challenge and I hope that everyone will play along.  It is great to see so many creative projects each week!  I will have to rev up my heat tool and make a few cards to post for this challenge.  I like to heat emboss but it does take a bit of extra time so I usually skip this step.

If you were one of the successful "guessers" in Round 1 of A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Secret Squares then you move on to Round 2.  You must hurry to post because this next round closes tomorrow night!  Hurry!

I noticed that Emily also posted about another Sneak Peak.  What am I going to do with that girl?!  Sheesh!  Better stay tuned to the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog.

Did I mention there is even more fun to come?  A Scavenger hunt and more silly contests too. 

I WILL post cards soon... promise!

Special congrats to Jennifer Pebbles!  Go check out her blog to see why!  While you are there, be sure to oogle all the fabby cards she has posted! 

Awesome blogs!

Have you checked out all of the fabulous blogs linked at the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog?!!  There are some fabulous creations and LOTS of inspiring ideas.  You will find the links on the upper right part of the screen over at the AP blog. 

These are the blogs or online design galleries of the folks that have entered our A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Ambassador Competition.  (Note: if you have entered this competition and would like to have your blog or gallery listed, please email [email protected])

There are so many fun things happening with this year's AP event!  I am super excited to see how many people have been participating in the weekly challenges. These challenges are open to all stampers (even if you don't have any A Muse stamps!)  A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA is a celebration of stamping so get out your stamps & play!

Have you entered your guess yet for our Secret Squares contest?  This silly contest is easy to play BUT you must enter by Monday, June 4th to participate!  To enter your guess, simply post a comment on the Secret Squares post over at the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog and your guess will be entered.  {PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS BLOG} For more info on this fun contest - you can read the details over on the AP blog.  I am the *only* person that knows what the prize is and who has it.    Tee hee!

Thank you to everyone that participated in our birthday sale!  We are still busy packing up orders but should get them all out today or Monday. 

Have a great weekend!

What's your guess?

Check out the fun "Suitcase contest" we have going on over at the A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA blog.  That's a LOT of stamps Jen has in her cool-looking suitcase. 

If you are the first person to correctly guess how many stamps there are you will win a $100 A Muse gift certificate!  Visit the AP blog for the link to enter your guess.

If there is no winner, we will add this prize to our next silly A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA contest.

Poor Jen, it took her over 5 hours to put all of her stamps away!

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Challenge 1

My girls and I stamped up a few cards for the 1st A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenge.  Of course, we won't be entering for prizes.  This was just a fun project we did this afternoon and using "Black ink" only made it stress free for me!

I created this Margarita card because it's Cinco de Mayo today and we celebrated with a nice yummy one with dinner.  My husband even made kids' margaritas for the girls and they loved them!  So, happy Cinco de Mayo to you!

The next card gives you a sneak peak at 4 of our NEW Summer 2007 stamps.  I just love all of these new stamps.  (Our new summer stamps will be posted on the A Muse website on May 11th.) The tent with the feet sticking out just cracks me up.  Did you notice the little toe sticking out of the sock? 

Nina and I were chatting yesterday about how big the racoons are in our neighborhood.  They are not missing any meals that is for sure!  Whenever I go camping, I always imagine that the racoons have a grand ol' time eating all the crumbs leftover from dinner while we are sleeping.  That was the inspiration for this card!

Here are the cards that my girls came up with for the 1st A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA challenge. (Annabelle's yellow card gives you another sneak peak at some of our new summer images.) The girls received no input from me on their cards and are eager to hear what you think of them.

I hope you are having a great weekend! 

If you have not registered for A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA, you should!  The earlier you register, the more chances you have to win prizes.  Each week we will have fabulous prizes to give away to folks that have registered. 

We're live!

We have been hard at work the past few months to bring you the 2nd annual A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA event. The past few days have been spent putting the finishing touches on the website. There is so much fun stuff - you will just have to go there and check it out for yourself!

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2007

Having fun in MA

It's been a busy few days since I left Seattle.  I'm just catching up on a little rest here in my hotel room and downloaded some pics from this weekend's events.

On Friday morning I taught a fun class for the wonderful staff at Ink About It in Westford on Friday morning.  What a fun store.  I was lucky to have a personalized tour of the store by Mary (who is a layout designer for Junkitz).  She showed me all kinds of nifty paper-crafting products that I have never seen before and now must try! I am constantly amazed by the massive number of cool and innovative products in this industry.  The lovely and talented Karen gave me a wonderful idea for a crafty project to do for Hailey's birthday party.  I can't wait to get home a play with my new toys!

In the early evening, I taught a class for Jo Jennings, the A-muse-a-palooza Grand Prize Winner.  Johanna, her mom and friends were such a delight!  We ate pizza, made some cards and I really enjoyed hearing about the stamping projects they are working on.

   

Saturday was a very busy day!  Two classes and a make & take all in 6 hours!  We had fun and I think we all learned some new tricks!  The thing that I most enjoy about teaching classes is that not only am I able to teach but I also learn a ton! 

Linda & Lori, the owners of Ink About It are the best!  They have built a great store with a wonderful selection of products.  If you are ever near Westford, MA, you *must* stop by to see them!

Next on the agenda was a trip to the cape to visit Colorful Creations in Hyannis.  Almost all of the driving that I have done since I arrived has been at night.  Next time, I will have to allow more time so I can drive in daylight to see more of the scenery! 

I was a little anxious about my classes at Colorful Creations as there were 22 people/class!  Yikes!  I spent the whole time driving to Hyannis thinking about different things I could do to simplify the process of teaching such a large group.  I came up with some good ideas that I am excited to work on more when I get back to Seattle.

Colorful Creations has the BEST classroom I've ever taught in.  The classroom is spacious, well lit, with a wide aisle right down the center.  It's an instructor's dream!  The classes ran very smoothly and it was so nice to meet so many A Muse fans.  Jenn has done such a great job for A Muse and has these stampers well "trained".  What a fun day!  I hope that everyone remembers my rhyme for tying knots.

As promised, Jenn took me out for a LOBSTER dinner - simply divine!  If you visit Hyannis, a trip to the Paddock is in order.  Be sure to ask for Donna as your server!

Stampers & Scrapbookers in MA are so lucky to have such great stores to take care of their paper-crafting needs. 

Happy stamping!

Heading East!

That's right!  This weekend I will be heading to MA where I will be teaching a private stamping class for our A-muse-a-palooza Grand Prize Winner, Jo Jennings, and her girlfriends at Ink About It.  I can't wait to meet Jo and her friends.

I will also be teaching classes at Ink About It on Saturday.  Both classes are sold out.  However, I will be doing a free make & take (holiday gift tags) from 12:30 to 1:30.  Please stop by if you can! 

On Sunday, I will be teaching at Colorful Creations in Hyannis.  I believe there is still room in the Monogram Madness class that starts at 10 am.  Call the store to reserve your spot (508-790-7676).  I will also be doing a free make & take from 12:30 to 1:30 so come on by!  Later, Jenn (our fab East Coast A Muse instructor) promised me a Lobsta (that's her spelling! LOL!) dinner.  Yummmm! 

I'm off to finish packing!

Shipping out!

Can you guess what is in these boxes?
BTW, that's Kent Kato, best UPS driver in the world!