*cutie patootie*

I can't seem to part with any of my A Muse stamps... even the retired ones. I was rummaging through my bin of discontinued images the other day and ran across this sweet little baby dress. I hate to tempt you with stamps you can't buy anymore, but I just couldn't resist inking it up!

And while we're on the topic of A Muse... sneak peeks for the next release start January 2nd. So be sure to stop back for a peek of the fun new images!
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Pink chiffon notecard, natural cardstock, image and sentiment by A Muse. Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder. Stampin' Up pink gingham ribbon; rose red, regal rose, and cameo coral markers; blender pen; watercolor paper; and sanding block. Stazon timber brown ink.

I made this card for my mom who surprised me last week with a new pair of boots, a scarf, and matching gloves. She has such a big heart, which is just one of the things I love about her. She is fun to make cards for because even though she isn't a paper crafter herself, she loves my handmade cards and saves every one of them in the drawer of her nightstand. Isn't that sweet?

Last Friday, my son, Ben, came down with the flu, and slowly but surely it made it around to each one of us. UGH! I was the last to catch it, and now poor Ben has it AGAIN! He's feeling better this morning, and I'm hoping that the run of sickness is about over for us. I hope you and yours are doing well. Thanks for stopping by!
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"Eloise Greengrass" image by Stamping Bella. Patterned papers by A Muse, Lasting Impressions, and Stampin' Up. Stazon black ink. CTMH markers and blender pen. Martha Stewart fence punch. Stampin' Up sentiment, gingham ribbon, dimensionals, and sanding block. Copic spica glitter pens.

*i treasure your friendship*

I was searching through some of my stamp sets the other day looking for some fun images to watercolor, and I remembered this cow by Anna Wight. Isn't she darling? She's part of a set called Bundle of Joy, and this would make a sweet baby card simply by changing out the sentiment.

The kids are home enjoying a snow day. My oldest woke up with the flu, which is a major bummer. He's been lounging around watching Patch Adams, and he's finally starting to feel better. Livi talked me into playing outside in the snow for a while this morning. We stomped around the yard breaking up big chunks of snow and ice and made them into a fort. Man was I starving by the time we came in! Good thing I made that big batch of chocolate chips cookies!
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Cow by Whipper Snapper Designs. Sentiment and black dye ink by A Muse. Stampin' Up very vanilla and kiwi kiss cardstock, blender pens, chocolate chip and riding hood red classic inks, pink gingham ribbon, Bella Rose designer papers, scalloped border punch, and dimensionals. CTMH desert sand and pink carnation markers. Bo Bunny polka dotted paper (red). Lasting Impressions polka dotted paper (blue). Prima flowers. The Robin's Nest poinsetta dew drops. Martha Stewart punch (for flower stems).

*thank you*

Today I thought I'd try watercoloring. I'm not very good at it, but I figure that if I keep practicing I'm bound to get better. I've tried aqua pens, and for some reason, I just can't seem to make them work. So I used a blender pen, and I found that it was much easier to control. It amazes me how many different shades of color you can get with a single color of ink. With my riding hood red ink pad I was able to get a wide range of colors from the very palest pink on her tights to the deeper reds on the cherries in her basket. Pretty cool, eh?

It's only 9 degrees here today, so I thought that maybe if I cranked up the heat and escaped into my stamping nook to create a *springy* card design, I might just forget about the ice and snow and freezing cold temperatures! It was a good plan that might have worked if I could have stayed home all day!
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Bluebell Bittybloom by Stamping Bella. Sentiment by A Muse. Stampin' Up cardstock (very vanilla, kiwi kiss), Bella Rose designer paper, scalloped border punch, blender pen, classic inks (riding hood red, kiwi kiss, basic brown), and blossom definition. Stazon ink (black). Clear and red spica glitter pens. Copic black multiliner pen. Avacado Prismacolor marker. Bo Bunny porcelain dot cardstock. Prima flowers. The Robin's Nest poinsetta dew drops.

*snail mail*

Yesterday I received my first order from Stamping Bella. I'm completely smitten by their Huggabug Collection, snaily huggabug being my favorite. She's just so cute perched up on top of that snail with her little bag of letters to deliver.

I've been hoarding a 6x6 pad of Basic Grey's Urban Prairie papers for some time now, and after digging through my mountain of patterned papers, I found a sheet of pink polka dot cardstock by Bo Bunny that matched it perfectly! I love mixing colors and patterns for an eclectic and whimsical look, and I'm always delighted to incorporate a polka dot... or two!
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Snaily Huggabug and sentiment by Stamping Bella. Heart envelope by studio g. Very vanilla cardstock, rose ribbon, sanding block, and dimensionals by Stampin' Up. Nestablities classic scallop rectangle die. A Muse black dye ink. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen.

*let it snow*

Here's a fun card I made yesterday in hopes of getting myself excited about winter. Well, it didn't work. At least I got to try out my new Martha Stewart snowflake punch. ;)
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A Muse notecard, papers, black pigment ink, ribbon, images, and sentiment. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Stampin' Up sanding block, classic inks (riding hood red, kiwi kiss, tangerine tango, and baja breeze), blender pen, and dimensionals. Sicilian blue Fresh Ink. Martha Stewart 2008 collectors snowflake punch. Robin's Nest poinsetta dew drops.

*special delivery*

My stamping mojo took a vacation, so while its finding its way back home, I'm sharing a super simple card I made using my new Martha Stewart balloon punch. I punched the balloons out of A Muse's pretty little papers and colored them in with copic markers. I drew in the strings with a black multiliner pen and then traced over them with a clear spica glitter pen. Then I attached the balloons to the strings with pop dots.

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend! Thanks for stopping by!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, sentiment, and black dye ink. Martha Stewart balloon punch. Copic markers, black multiliner pen, and clear spica glitter pen. Stampin' Up sanding block and dimensionals.

*i'd pick you!*

I was playing around with my Cupcake Builder set again today, and it turns out that the polka dot cupcake bottom is not the only cupcake bottom to make a super cute flower pot! I whipped up three flower pots so that I could play along with Glenda's Random Amusing Challenge #2.

Speaking of challenges... I'm hoping to find the time to play along with a few more challenges. They're fun, and they're good for getting my creative juices flowing. They help me to try new things, and it's good to get out of my "comfort zone" once in a while.

I'm also trying to find fun new ways to use my stamps. It makes me feel better about all those stamps I've bought on a whim and rarely ever use!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, black dye ink, images, and sentiment. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. Copic markers and spica glitter pens. Pop dots.

*love blooms*

I was playing around with my Cupcake Builder set this morning and discovered that the polka dot cupcake bottom makes an awfully cute flower pot... and the fluffy top makes a perfect cloud. You gotta love A Muse stamps! So many fun possibilities!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, black dye ink, images and sentiment. Stampin' Up sanding block and dimensionals. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen.

*baby*

Today I found some time to play along with Heather's Share Your Spark Fridays Challenge. Last week's challenge was to design a card using letters. I pulled out my tiny flower alphabet set to stamp the word baby and then added some more flowers using the sweet little blooms and leaves from the cupcake clear set. I layered it on a piece of pink chiffon notecard, added a pretty pink satin bow, and attached it to a green kitchen note. Easy scheemsy... and oh so sweet!
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Notecard, papers, tiny flower alphabet, and cupcake clear set by A Muse. Memento rhubarb stalk dye ink. VersaMagic tea leaves chalk ink. Heidi Swapp edge distressor. Copic clear spica glitter pen. Stampin' Up sanding block. Satin ribbon from stash.

*sending you sunshine*

I set aside a little time this morning to make this card for a friend who could use some cheering up. I hope it brings a smile to her face. I dug out a clear set that I've had for quite some time called Fresh New Day by Penny Black. The sheep and sun are from that set. I paired them up with some of my A Muse favorites to create a happy little scene.

The sad truth is that I have tons of stamps that have never seen ink, and I'm on a mission to stop storing and start using! So many stamps... so little time!
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Notecard, papers, black dye ink, tree, bird, fence, grass, and sentiment by A Muse. Sheep and sun by Penny Black. May Arts ribbon. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. Copic markers and spica glitter pens. Sanding block by Stampin' Up.

*think snow*

It's been a while since I've inked up my Saltbox Studio stamps, so when I sat down to sneak in a little stamping this morning, I reached for my Winter Wonders set. This oh-so-sweet snowgirl is one of my favorite Saltbox images, and she's positively precious paired up with A Muse's chubby bird! (Try saying that three times fast!)

My friend and fellow A Muse designer, Novell, hooked me up with a boatload of the new Martha Stewart punches. I've had them for several weeks now, and I finally had the chance to use the picket fence one today. It's one of my favorites, and it's perfect for a vintage flair! Speaking of Novell... did you see her vintage snowman card? Her coloring is amazing, and I swear that snowman looks like it could walk right off the page!

It's starting to look a lot like winter here in Iowa, and before long my kids will be outside throwing snowballs and making snowmen. It makes me cold just thinking about it. A nice warm cup of coffee sounds pretty good right now. ;)
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A Muse notecard, chubby bird, and think snow sentiment. Saltbox Studio Winter Wonders clear stamp set. Stampin' Up sanding block, linen thread, kraft cardstock, white craft ink, and creamy carmel classic ink. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Prismacolor white colored pencil. Martha Stewart picket fence punch. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. Gingham ribbon by Bobbin Ribbon. Button unknown.

*a get well card*

I can't believe it's been over a week since my last post. Some weeks just seem to fly by! We had parent/teacher conferences, and the kids had a day off from school, so my stamping time has been a bit limited. The stamping I was able to sneak in I can't share just yet...but that's a good thing because it means that sneak peeks are just around the corner!

Here's a card I made for a friend who recently underwent knee surgery. I used A Muse's "feel better soon" sentiment on the inside since I couldn't seem to find a spot to sqeeze it in on the front. I had a few purple scraps left over from the anniversary card in my last post, so I decided to put them to good use. (Either that or Geeta's love of purple is starting to rub off on me!)
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Image by Sara Kay. Perfect plum cardstock, Boho Blooms background stamp, white craft ink, and sanding block by Stampin' Up. A Muse purple chiffon and ivory cardstocks, and black dye ink. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Cuttlebug perfectly paisley embossing folder. Yellow satin ribbon (source unknown).

*happy anniversary*

I love sending anniversary cards. A good marriage is such a marvelous thing to celebrate, don't you think? This card is going to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. They just celebrated their 9th anniversary, and it looks like I'm going to be late again this year! Better late than never, I always say!
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A Muse notecard, papers, and black ink. Say Something Mice stamp set and sanding block by Stampin' Up. Sentiment by Melissa Frances. Cuttlebug swiss dot and floral fantasy embossing folders. Copic markers. Ribbon by RibbonTrends.

*you're the sprinkles on my cupcake!* - SNEAK PEEK!!!

How's this for the *ultimate* cupcake?... The cupcake that's so big you have to haul it around in a wagon! Now that's my kind of cupcake! The new Cupcake Builder and Baking clear sets will be available tomorrow! You're gonna want 'em both!
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A Muse images, sentiment, notecard, papers, and black pigment ink. Copic markers, black multiliner pen, and clear spica glitter pen. Stickles. Stampin' Up crystal effects and sanding block. Heidi Swapp edge distressor. May Arts ribbon.

*what's cookin'?* - SNEAK PEEK!!!

I'm a little late with today's sneak peek... but better late than never, I always say! This cute little apron is my favorite image in the new Baking Set. Does it remind you of anyone? Maybe it's just me, but I thought of Cinderella the moment I laid eyes on it. I attempted to re-create the scene where those sweet little birds are bringing Cinderella her apron. What do ya think?
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A Muse images, sentiment, notecard, papers, ribbon, and black pigment ink. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Stampin' Up sanding block and dimensionals. Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder.

*you're sweet!* - SNEAK PEEK!!!

How about some no-bake cupcakes! You can create your very own scrumptious cupcakes without ever stepping foot in the kitchen! A Muse has designed the Cupcake Builder clear stamp set, and you can "build" a cupcake to your liking by choosing from 4 different bottoms and 4 different tops. You can even add sprinkles, if you like! It's a fun set with endless possibilities, and it will be available on the A Muse website November 3rd.
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Images, sentiment, notecard, papers, ribbon, and black ink by A Muse. French Lavendar Fresh Ink. Copic markers, black multiliner pen, and clear spica glitter pen. Heidi Swapp edge distressor. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. Stampin' Up sanding block.

*nutty about you*

I resisted this stamp set for quite some time, but in a moment of weakness I broke down and bought it! These little guys just crack me up! I had a few scraps laying on my desk from the color challenge I did earlier this week, so I put them to good use.

I spent a little time last week reorganizing my stamping area. This week I need to get some outside work done before winter hits. So if the weather cooperates, I'll be heading out to cut back all my perennials. Last year I was attacked by a not-so-friendly bunch of yellow jackets, so I'm not especially looking forward to this. I'd rather be stamping!
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Just Nutty stamp set by Clear Dollar Stamps. Cardstock, white craft ink, and dimensionals by Stampin' Up. Black ink by A Muse. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Punches by Marvy. Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder.

*thanks a latte*

Yesterday's color challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers was to use pink pirouette, kiwi kiss, and chocolate chip. This is a gorgeous color combination, and I just had to play along! I cheated a bit and added a tiny little layer of regal rose.

It's been a while since I've dug out my coffee stamps. I chose this fabulous row of steaming coffee cups from A Muse along with a sentiment and a few other images from the Coffee Break set. The background, which might be hard to see unless you click on the photo, is from a stamp cube I bought ages ago. It's a bunch of coffee words with little coffee cups in between. I think I'll be sending this to my mom. She's a coffee drinker, and I know she'll love it!
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Cardstock, white craft ink, creamy carmel classic ink, and linen thread by Stampin' Up. Background stamp (Coffee Block) by Embossing Arts Company. All other images, sentiment, and black ink by A Muse. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. VersaMark ink. Swiss Dot Cuttlebug embossing folder. 1/8" handheld circle punch. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. Scalloped circle punch by PaperSource. Pink ribbon by RibbonFX.

*a little bird told me...*

I'm always delighted to discover new color combinations. I often find myself in the rut of choosing the same ones over and over again, but a fresh new mix of colors can really jazz things up and give a whole new look to your project. And so can a fun little frame! If you haven't tried any of A Muse's clear sets yet, let me suggest the Rectangle Frames set. It contains this super cute frame along with three others, and at $7.75 it's a steal!

For more fun card ideas, be sure to check out October's Inspiring Ideas Album over at the A Muse News Blog!

*it's a boy!*

I'm back today to share the card I made using the Baby Boy set by Inkadinkado. It's the same layout that I used for the baby girl card. I just swapped out the colors and added this cute little puppy from the Dogs set.

We're enjoying some beautiful fall weather here in Iowa. There was rain in the forecast, but the sun is shining, and it turned out to be the perfect day! My little girl, Livi, went on her very first field trip today, and it couldn't have been better weather.

Well, I'm off to bake cookies. Tomorrow is Livi's treat day at school, and I promised to make chocolate chip cookies. I can't wait to eat some of the cookie dough! YUM!
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Baby Boy and Dogs clear stamp sets by Inkadinkado. Dimensionals, kiwi kiss and very vanilla cardstock by Stampin' Up. DCWV blue textured cardstock. Tea leaves VersaMagic chalk ink. Yellow citrus and creamy brown ColorBox fluid chalk ink. Freesia (blue) Fresh Ink. Swiss dot Cuttlebug embossing folder. Grass decorative scissors. Best Value organdy ribbon (purchased at JoAnn's).

*it's a girl!*

I have a soft spot for baby stamps, and I just couldn't resist this darling set by Inkadinkado. That sweet little dress on the clothes line was the clincher! There is just something about that dress!

I couldn't resist the baby boy set either, so be sure to stop back to see what I created with it!
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Baby Girl clear set by Inkadinkado. Dimensionals, pink pirouette, kiwi kiss, and riding hood red cardstock by Stampin' Up. Rhubarb stalk and angel pink momento inks. Tea leaves VersaMagic chalk ink. Creamy brown ColorBox fluid chalk ink. Swiss dot Cuttlebug embossing folder. Grass decorative scissors. Best Value organdy ribbon (purchased at JoAnn's).

*cute chick with nice hare*

Here's a fun card I made for my little niece, Jazi. She gave my daughter, Livi, the cutest pink t-shirt. It had a chick and a bunny on it, and beneath them it said "cute chick with nice hare". It was the perfect shirt for Livi! She has tons of beautiful, long hair. Her cousin, Jazi, is cute as a button... a little towhead with baby fine hair. She just loves Livi's hair, so when she spotted the shirt and was told what it said, she insisted on getting it for Livi. How sweet! I love making kids' cards, and it was fun to create this one to match Livi's new shirt.

I was on the demo side of the Stampin' Up website the other morning, and I watched a short video that showed a fun technique. The demonstrator stamped a flower onto vellum and then flipped it over to the backside and dry-embossed it. It gave me the idea to try something similar on cardstock. I knew that if I colored my images with copic markers it would bleed through to the back and I would be able to see where I had colored the images. I embossed the balloons, the bow, the bunny's eyes, and the bunny's tail. I think I pushed a bit too hard, but with a little practice I think it would be a cool effect.

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A Muse notecard, papers, MB little bird, and balloon. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers, black multiliner pen, and clear spica glitter pen. Karen Foster snap stamps. Penny Black Fresh New Day clear set. Stampin' Up sanding block. Heidi Swapp edge distressor.

*share your harvest*

The Saltbox Studio just released *NINE* new stamps sets on Monday. Kids Table is a super cute mini set that includes the ear of corn and "share your harvest" sentiment you see in today's card. Marabelle thinks that Farmer McDonald needs a gentle reminder to be a bit more generous with his bumper corn crop! ;)

Hurry on over to the A Muse News blog for *two* chances to win a free stamp from the new release!
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Images and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. Notecard and papers by A Muse. Marvy punches. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Stampin' Up sanding block.

*snowmouse's mittens* - SNEAK PEEK!

I'm back today with a fun winter scene I created using one of The Saltbox Studio's original sets called Winter Wonders and a new mini set called Brrr. It looks as though little mouse remembered the buttons and the scarf for his snowmouse, but he forgot the mittens. And everyone knows that a snowmouse needs a cozy pair of mittens... so little mouse is scurrying home to fetch them! This set and EIGHT others will be available for purchase Monday on the A Muse website. Be sure to check the A Muse blog for more inspiring ideas!

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A Muse cardstock. Kraft paper for pocket insert. Images and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Sicilian Blue Fresh Ink. Copic markers and black multiliner pen. Stampin' Up linen thread, white craft ink, and sanding block. Heidi Swapp edge distressor. Button and ribbon source unknown.

*vintage baby* - SNEAK PEEK!!!

On October 6th, The Saltbox Studio will be releasing *NINE* new fall and winter sets! If you look "outside the box", you just might find some clever ways of using these seasonal sets beyond the seasons. For today's sneak peek, I thought I'd give you an example to get your creative juices flowing. This darling little sheep comes from the new Church Mice Christmas Pageant set, but I colored him blue, drew him a wagon, and turned him into a vintage pull toy... perfect for a baby boy card! And you could easily turn "him" into "her" with a little bit of pink!

My little Livi has been home from school for the past couple of days with a fever and a miserable cold, so I'm not sure if I'll have another sneak peek for you before release day. But the rest of the team has been hard at work with some ideas that are sure to *WOW* you! Be sure to check out their fabulous creations! You won't be disappointed!
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Images and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. Papers by A Muse. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers. Punches by Marvy. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. MayArts ribbon. Stampin' Up creamy carmel ink and sanding block.