*cutie patootie*

I couldn't resist making a baby card with this cute little rocking horse by A Muse. This adorable little guy can be found in one of several new clear sets designed by the talented Missy Ballance. I opted for non-traditional colors on this design, mostly because I prefer non-traditional colors to the expected pink and blue... but also because I was dying to try out my new copic markers! I was tickled to find a snippet of yellow gingham ribbon that matched my new golden yellow marker perfectly! I love using lots of patterns, and Cuttlebug embossing folders are a fun way to add both pattern and texture. The pattern stands out even more when it's lightly sanded, like you see here.
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A Muse notecard, papers, image, and sentiment. Cuttlebug perfect paisley embossing folder. Stampin' Up scalloped circle punch, 1 1/2 inch circle punch, scalloped border punch, sanding block, and kiwi kiss classic ink. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers and black multi-liner pen. MayArts yellow gingham ribbon.

*you're such a ham*

The Saltbox Studio released 5 new sets yesterday, and if you haven't seen them yet (((gasp))), you can view them here. I *heart* this pig from the new Farm Friends set, and I really like A Muse's brown vintage paper and matching sheer ribbon paired up with a blue tinplate notecard. I will definitely be using this combination again!

There's a contest going on over at The Saltbox Sampler, so be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win the new Summer Banner set! And while you're at it, be sure to check out the new look at A Muse News!
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A Muse notecard, papers, and ribbon. Image and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers and black multi-liner pen. Stampin' Up sanding block. Heidi Swapp edge distressor.

*howdy* - another sneak peek!

I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and I'm tickled that I was actually able to translate it onto paper! The new Farm Friends set is quickly becoming my favorite, and I love these cute farm animals stacked on top of one another! I like to use lots of patterns, and for this design I mixed one of A Muse's new vintage notecards with a piece of red madiera cardstock, and I love the combination! I used my copic markers to create some additional patterns. I started out with garnet polka dots, which was a great finishing touch to the sentiment, but I went a few steps further on the right edge of the card and used a black multi-liner pen to draw a circle around the garnet polka dot. Then I finished it off by outlining the black circle in olive.

The next Saltbox Studio release is scheduled for Monday, July 28th, and I can't wait for you to see all the sets! They are darling... and you're gonna want 'em all!
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A Muse notecard, patterned paper, and ribbon. Images and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. Stampin' Up black cardstock, circle punch, sanding block, and classic inks. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers, clear spica glitter pen, and black multi-liner pen. Scalloped punch by PaperSource. Pop Dots.

*live simply* - sneak peek!!!

It's Day 3 of *sneak peeks*, and today I'm sharing some of the new primitive/folk art images that will be released on Monday. I'm excited that a saltbox is finally available, and for those of you who have been waiting for a truly primitive set, you're gonna love Saltbox Greetings! I mixed things up a bit on this one and pulled images from a few different sets, plus the dotted oval background stamp made by A Muse. The willow tree and saltbox can be found in the Saltbox Greetings set; the folk star is in the new Barn Banner set; and the "live simply" sentiment is from the Deck the House Companion set, a past release. Once again, I've used one of A Muse's new vintage notecards. I can't seem to get enough of them! I just *love* the pattern and the yummy colors!

Beth will be sharing one of my cards over at The Saltbox Sampler today, so be sure to stop by for a peek! The other girls on the Saltbox team have been busy sharing peeks on their blogs too, and you don't want to miss 'em!
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A Muse notecard, papers, and dotted oval background. Saltbox, folk star, willow, and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. VersaMagic tea leaves chalk ink. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Marvy scalloped oval punch. White sharpie poster paint pen. Pop Dots.

*simplify* - sneak peek!!!

Today I'm givin' you a peek at two new Saltbox Studio sets... Saltbox Greetings and Simplicity. Both sets are primitive in style, and the images and sentiments are incredible! I love the new willow tree. It can be used to create a primitive scene, or it can stand easily on it's own like I've used it here.

This is one of my favorite color combinations ever, and I was tickled to discover that Baja Breeze (one of Stampin' Up's new "in colors") matches perfectly with A Muse's new blue vintage notecards! I just slid the edges across the inkpad, and it really made the vintage layer stand out. This is a super simple layout, which is exactly what I was going for... especially since the sentiment is "simplify".

Beth has another sneak peek up over at The Saltbox Sampler, so be sure to check it out!
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A Muse notecard and papers. Image and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. VersaMagic tea leaves chalk ink. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers. Stampin' Up circle punch, scalloped circle punch, scalloped border punch, sanding block, crystal effects, and baja breeze classic ink. Making Memories brads.

*welcome* - sneak peek!

I couldn't bear the thought of not having a sneak peek for you today, so even though I've been out of town for a few days, I managed to squeeze in a little stamping time so I'd have some eye candy to share! This card showcases two new sets by The Saltbox Studio... Farm Friends and Saltbox Greetings. I'm a bit partial to Mr. Rooster. I have a thing for roosters, and I think he's adorable, especially his checkered tummy! I also love the "welcome" sentiment and that you can color it in to match your card. A Muse's new vintage notecards are fabulous! I used one on this card to create a farmhouse country feel. Be sure to stop by The Saltbox Sampler for another fun sneak peek!

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A Muse kitchen notecard, red vintage paper, and black sheer ribbon. Image and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers, black multi-liner pen, and clear spica glitter pen. Stampin' Up scalloped circlepunch, 1 1/2" circle punch, sanding block, black cardstock, and riding hood red classic ink. Pop dots.

*ice cream, anyone?*

It's typical July weather here in Iowa, and what could be better on a hot day than ice cream? A Muse doesn't have an ice cream cart, so I modified the flower cart image by masking off the flowers. Then I made an ice cream sign using my Karen Foster snap stamps. I used a red twinkle sticker for the cherry on top of the sundae and some crystal effects on the ice cream. Any kid would love getting an ice cream card... especially if you tucked a gift certificate from Coldstone Creamery or Baskin Robbins inside!

The Saltbox Studio is about to release 5 new stamp sets! Be sure to check back next week for some fun sneak peeks!

Have a great weekend... and a nice big bowl of ice cream!
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A Muse notecard, paper, twinkle sticker, images, and sentiment. Karen Foster snap stamps. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers and multi-liner pen. Stampin' Up crystal effects. Pop Dots.

*you mean the world to me* - AP Kid's Challenge

If you haven't had a chance to play along with any of the A*Muse*A*Palooza challenges so far, you've got one more chance to join in the fun! Emily is hosting the final challenge, and there are two ways to play. You can either let your kids stamp a card OR you can send the kids to the pool and enjoy the quiet time making a kids' themed card. I opted for the latter. Kids love anything with spiders and bugs, and I thought it would be fun to stamp Charlotte, A Muse's ever-so-sweet spider, floating down from the sky on some balloon strings.


I'd love to see YOUR kids' cards, so be sure to play along! You might even win some fabulous A Muse goodies!
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A Muse notecard, papers, images and sentiment. MayArts pink gingham ribbon. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers. Stampin' Up crystal effects, sanding block, and dimensionals. Heidi Swapp edge distressor.

*to a sweet friend* - another AP sneak peek!!!

Today's sneak peek features the ever-so-cute *hippy snowchick*, and she couldn't be sweeter! I didn't realize until now, but this card also works for this week's A*Muse*A*Palooza Clear Sticker Challenge! Cool, eh?

I hope you're lucky enough to have an A*Muse*A*Palooza participating store near you! Then you can see all the new stamps and the fabulous new vintage notecards for yourself. You're gonna want it all!
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A Muse notecard, papers, clear sticker, ribbon, images, and sentiment. Stampin' Up sanding block and linen thread. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers. EK Success circle punch. Pink Lemonade and Harvest (yellow) Fresh Ink.

*how about another peek?*

Is this fawn cute or what?... and she's absolutely darling paired up with her "deer friend", tiny bird. She's just another one of the fabulous images scheduled for release during A*Muse*A*Palooza. The A Muse team is sharing tons of sneak peeks this week, so be sure to check out their blogs! How long is your wish list?
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, images, and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers. Stampin' Up sanding block. Heidi Swapp edge distressor. Pop dots.

*smiles* - AP Creative Candy Clear Sticker Challenge

Jennie Moczan is hosting this week's A*Muse*A*Palooza Creative Candy Clear Sticker Challenge. You probably know her from the A Muse Addicts site. She hosts a fun, new challenge over there every week! You could call her the *queen* of challenges... and I'm thrilled that she's hosting a challenge for A*Muse*A*Palooza!

I think a bit of Geeta's love of purple rubbed off on me this week, and I went way girlie on this one! I would *love* to see a real life flower shoppe painted like this one!

Have you seen Boris? He seems to be everywhere these days, and I hope you can help track him down! Be sure to play along with the *Where in the World is Boris* game... and if you spot him, don't forget to take a picture!
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A Muse notecard, papers, creative candy clear sticker, images, and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers, spica glitter pens, and black multi-liner pen. VersaMagic pretty petunia chalk ink. Marvy oval punch. Prima flower. Making Memories brad. Stampin' Up sanding block. MayArts yellow gingham ribbon.

*think snow* - A*Muse*A*Palooza sneak peek!!!

It's Day 2 of A*Muse*A*Palooza... and that means it's another day of sneak peeks! Here's a glimpse of the brand new 4 bar notecards! I love the vintage pattern, and they come in the most wonderful, vintage-y colors! This card features the new *chubby bird* image. Isn't he cute perched up on that branch? If you look closely at the sentiment, you'll see a tiny little snowflake inside the letter O. How fun is that?

There's a fun new game and a brand new challenge going on over at the A*Muse*A*Palooza blog. Be sure to check them out!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, image and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers, spica glitter pens, and black multi-liner pen. Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing floder. Stampin' Up sanding block.

*dashing through the snow* - A*Muse*A*Palooza sneak peek!!!

A*Muse*A*Palooza is finally here, and if you're looking for a sneak peek of the new goodies... you've come to the right place! The sleigh is one of my favorite new images. I grew up around horses, and one year my dad bought an old sleigh. He worked hard to fix it up, and when he was done, it was beautiful! We had a huge bear skin blanket to keep us warm, and every winter we looked forward to taking it out on the town. Our mares, Beauty and Candy, have both passed away, so we don't get to take it out anymore, but once in a while a downtown business owner will ask to display it in their shoppe window, and it makes me smile to know that dad's beautiful, old sleigh is getting some well-deserved attention.

I've got more sneak peeks to share with you this week, so be sure to visit often! And don't forget all the fun going on over at the A*Muse*A*Palooza blog!
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A Muse notecard, cream and pink papers, ribbon, images and sentiment. Stampin' Up sanding block and black cardstock. Pink Lemonade Fresh Ink. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers. Scalloped scissors. White sharpie poster paint pen.

*i love you to the moon and back* - AP Mystery Hostess Color Challenge

This week's Mystery Hostess is Helle Greer. She's the lucky girl who won the Grand Prize A*Muse*A*Palooza drawing last year! She's doing a color challenge... black and white with a splash of pink and a bit of bling. I'm all for playing by the rules, but I got a little carried away and my "splash of pink" is more like a whole lot of pink. Oops!

On another note... this morning, as I was visiting some of my favorite blogs, I was tickled pink to find that my happy summer card is featured on the ElzybellsNA blog banner! How cool is that?

Well, it's Wednesday, and I really should be cleaning. I managed to put it off long enough to make a card for Helle's challenge, but I really do need to get to work. It's times like this that I wish my house was self-cleaning!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, images, and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers, clear spica glitter pen, and black multi-liner pen. Pink Lemonade Fresh Ink. EK Success 1" circle punch (to create the moon). Stampin' Up sanding block and Crystal Effects. Pop Dots.

*baby congrats* - AP Polka Dot Challenge

If you visit here often or even if this is your very first time here, it probably won't take you long to notice how much I love polka dots! They are charmingly sweet... and you'll find them on almost every card I make! I'm more than a little excited about this week's A*Muse*A*Palooza challenge. It's hosted by the oh-so-talented Michelle Clark, and it's all about polka dots... glorious polka dots! You just can't have too many polka dots, and this challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to incorporate all of them I possibly could.

I'm crazy about A Muse's kitchen notes. They come in the yummiest colors... and they're overflowing with wonderful polka dots! I used a yellow kitchen note for the base of my card and a snippet of green to create a strip of grass for Ducky. Did you notice the polka dots on the awning of the bebe shop? How cute is that? I wanted even more, so I went to work adding a few of my own. You'll see pink polka dots on the oh baby background as well as around the scallops and up the sides of the layer that contains the congratulations sentiment. I definitely got my polka dot *fix* for the day! ;)

It's not too late to join in all the A*Muse*A*Palooza fun! This week's Mystery Hostess is yet to be announced... and they're on day 2 of the A Muse Magic Keyword Game. Don't miss out! You could even win some fun A Muse prizes!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, images, and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Scalloped scissors. Pop Dots.