*a whimsical touch*

I'm the only stamper in the family (besides my five year old daughter), so when my sister came over last night and asked me to help her make a card, I jumped at the chance! She has an incredible eye for color, and she picked out these beauties from a random stack of papers I had piled up next to my desk. We thought a whimsical feel would be fun, and this darling stick girl from American Art Stamps paired up with the *love* sentiment by Stampin' Up made for a charmingly quaint design, don't you think?

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Stick girl image by American Art Stamps. Sentiment, very vanilla cardstock, chocolate chip cardstock, pumpkin pie marker, and sanding block by Stampin' Up. Patterned papers by October Afternoon, 7Gypsies, and Making Memories. Scalloped scissors. Button by Tres Jolie. Island Blue organdy ribbon by Wrights.

*happily ever after*

Here's a wedding card I made for a friend who's getting married in a couple of weeks. I haven't made a wedding card in ages, so it was fun digging out a few A Muse stamps that I haven't used in a while. A Muse makes several different bride and groom images, but this one's my favorite! I made a little personalized tag using Karen Foster's snap stamps and created my own background paper with the Pocket Silhouettes set by Stampin' Up.

The new release is available over at the brand spankin' new A Muse website, so be sure to check it out!
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A Muse papers, sheer ribbon, frame, bride & groom, and sentiment. Flower stamps, creamy carmel ink, linen thread, and sanding block by Stampin' Up. Marvy scalloped rectangle punch. Scalloped scissors from Hobby Lobby. Prima flowers. Flower punch from Target $1 bin. Making memories brad. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers.

*something to crow about*

This is one of my favorite designs for the new A Muse release. One of the things I *love* about A Muse is the versatility of their stamps, and black crow, naked tree, and this fun sentiment are perfect for any time of the year! These images are scheduled for release TOMORROW, so be sure to visit the new A Muse website where you can order A Muse's amazing products all in one place!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, images, and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers. Marvy scalloped circle punch. Heidi Swapp edge distressor.

*wishing you happiness always*

A friend of mine is getting married in a few short weeks, and I'll be giving this to her at her bridal shower. I can't seem to get enough of the new black kitchen notes by A Muse. They lend themselves to such a classy, elegant look... a perfect backdrop for this beautiful bride silhouette by Stampin' Up. The flower you see stamped on the heart is by Inque Boutique. I bought a few of their sets a while back and was thrilled to finally use them. I added a snippet of A Muse's vintage paper, stamped one of their fabulous sentiments on top, and finished with a touch of their shimmery sheer ribbon. It's not all that often that I get to give a card to someone who truly appreciates the work and heart that went into it ... but this card is going to someone who is crafty herself and who will appreciate every little detail!
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A Muse notecard, papers, sentiment, and ribbon. Silhouette and sanding block by Stampin' Up. Flower stamp by Inque Boutique. VersaFine onyx black ink. VersaMagic tea leaves chalk ink. Cuttlebug embossing folder. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors.

*happy summer* - SNEAK PEEK!!!

I'm back today with yet another card featuring A Muse's new naked tree image, and this time I've used it to create a glorious summer tree that reminds me of the big old oak tree that grew out back behind my grandma's house. This stamp is one of my favorites (can you tell?), and in just a few simple steps you can create so many different looks with it! Gotta love that! I stamped the tree in a nice chocolate brown ink; added leaves with my pale olive copic marker (59 of them... I counted.); and then I made my tree nice and full with A Muse's super dot stamp. In three easy steps my tree went from naked to fully dressed! I stamped the "happy summer" sentiment on top of my finished tree, and added some sweet little fluttering butterflies for a splash of color.

There's lots of sneak peeks out there, so fill up your coffee cup and enjoy the eye candy! You don't want to miss any of them!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, images, and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers, multi-liner black pen, and clear spica glitter pen. Stampin' Up basic brown classic ink and sanding block. VersaMagic tea leaves chalk ink. Heidi Swapp edge distressor.

*thank you* - SNEAK PEEK!!!

I couldn't resist using the naked tree and solid bird images again to show you how they can be used to create something with an elegant and sophisticated feel. This time I chose a frame from the Bracket Frames clear set. Quite classy, isn't it? I dressed up the tree with pink blossoms and gave them a bit of sparkle with some fruit punch stickles. A Muse's sheer black ribbon is so elegant, and it was just the finishing touch I was looking for.

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see naked tree dressed for summer!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, images, and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers, multi-liner pen, and clear spica glitter pen. Fruit punch stickles. Stampin' Up sanding block.

*a little bird told me* - SNEAK PEEK!!!

Another A Muse release is just around the corner, and I'm thrilled to be able to share a few *sneaks* of what's coming! Yep, that's a brand spankin' new black kitchen note you're seeing! Isn't it splendiferous? And don't ya just love it paired with A Muse's black vintage paper? There's also plenty of new stamps that you'll want to add to your collection. I adore the little bird silhouette. I used it twice on this design. Did you notice the one perched high up in the tree? Well, that's actually a naked tree (sounds scandalous, doesn't it?)... and it's a perfect example of the versatility and genius of A Muse. Leave the tree naked to create an eery feel or a fall scene. Give it lots of leaves for summer. Add some snow to it's branches, and it's just what you need for a winter-themed card. Dress it up in sweet pink blossoms for spring or for a delightful little scene like the one I've created here.

There are more sneak peeks to come, so be sure to check back! I've got lots of ideas for that naked tree... and I can't wait to share them with you!
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A Muse notecard, papers, images, and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers, black multi-liner pen, and clear spica glitter pen. Stampin' Up sanding block. Heidi Swapp edge distressor. EK Success circle punches. Pop dots.

*a lemonade kind of day*

You might recall seeing this card featured in the Oldies but Goodies section of the A Muse Newsletter a while back. The *oldie but goodie* is the lemonade stand. I love this image! It reminds me of the countless times my sister and I set up a stand with high hopes of making a little extra spending money. Well, we never made much money...but we sure had a lot of fun!

You won't find the Oldies but Goodies section in the newsletter anymore, as it is now a weekly feature over at the A Muse blog. In fact, the latest Oldies but Goodies were just posted this morning. Be sure to head on over to check them out!
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A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, images, and sentiment. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers. Stampin' Up sanding block.

*moooving*

I can't believe it's Friday already. We've been busy with back-to-school shopping, so I haven't had much time for stamping. Here's a card you might have seen over at The Saltbox Sampler earlier this week.

I've got a busy day ahead of me... lots of housework to get caught up on and yardwork that needs to be done. I'm afraid I won't be stamping again today. Maybe tomorrow.
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A Muse notecard, papers, and ribbon. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers. Marvy scalloped oval punches.

*a single sunflower*

Here's a cheery little number I made this morning just for Beth. She happened to mention on her blog last week that she'd like to see a card with a single sunflower. Her amazing new Simplicity set contains three different sunflower images, and it was hard picking just one... but I somehow managed and came up with this simple yet sweet design.
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A Muse notecard and papers. Image and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Martha Stewart border punch. May Arts red gingham ribbon.

*homespun*

The Saltbox Studio has just released some of the cutest primitive/country images, and I picked out a few of my favorites for this card. I love the new sunflowers. They're so bright and cheery, and they're Miss Daisy's favorite flower. (Miss Daisy is the cow... that's what I call her anyway.) The "homespun" sentiment is from a launch set called Deck the House Companion. I love the font, and I'm hoping to see it used for more sentiments in upcoming releases.

There are some exciting things going on behind the scenes at A Muse. The newly remodeled blog went live July 27th, and today you'll see the newly designed A Muse Newsletter. It's going to be a surprise for me as well, and I can't wait to see it! If you aren't a subscriber, you can sign up here.
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A Muse notecard and papers. Images and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. Brilliance graphite black pigment ink. Copic markers and clear spica glitter pen. Stampin' Up linen thread, sanding block, hole punch, and basic brown classic ink.