*homespun*

If you frequently visit A Muse News, you probably know that every Thursday is Saltbox Studio's day in the spotlight. This week, my *homespun mittens* card was featured. I love these mittens almost as much as I love all the Saltbox snow people. And best of all, they're versatile and can be used for almost any occasion. Gotta love that! It's a beatiful, sunny, 40 degree day here in Iowa! Hope it's warm and cozy in your neck of the woods!

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Notecard, papers, and ribbon by A Muse. Images and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio. EK Success circle punch. Scalloped punch by Paper Source. Copic markers.

*BABY*

Yesterday, my mom mentioned that she needed a baby card. I couldn't stand the thought of her buying one, not when I could easily make one. I bought this clear set at Michaels a few weeks ago when all their Martha Stewart was 30% off. I love the set. It's classic "Martha". The images are sweet, and they stamp nicely, but you have to pull the stamps apart. I found out the hard way that they rip easily. Luckily, I was able to salvage the torn stamp and still make it work.

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Baja breeze and very vanilla cardstock; and dimensionals by Stampin' Up. Martha Stewart New Baby clear stamp set. Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder. Wrights island blue organdy wired ribbon. ColorBox chestnut roan fluid chalk ink. Heidi Swapp edge distressor.

*baby boy double pocket card*

A friend of mine is expecting a baby boy any day now, so I thought I'd better get busy and make her a card. I needed a little inspiration, so I browsed through the baby cards over at Splitcoast Stampers and ran across this amazingly sweet double pocket card by ChristineCreations. Oh my, is that girl talented! I love the Bella Rose papers she used, but they were a bit too girly for a baby boy card, so I switched things up a bit while keeping the same overall design. I have a mountainous (is that a word?) stack of paper I've been trying to use, and I was happy to find these cuties from a Nana's Nursery stack I bought a while back at JoAnn's. They were just the boyish colors I needed. I also pulled out some stamps I haven't inked up yet and some ribbon I've been "collecting" (yes "collecting"... not "hoarding").
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Solid colored cardstock by CTMH. Patterned papers by DCWV. Stampin' Up scalloped border punch, scalloped circle punch, sanding block, linen thread, and "sweet one" stamp. "Sweet pea" and "little baby" stamps by Heidi Grace. "It's a boy" and whale by Martha Stewart. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. Ribbon Trends orange gingham ribbon. American Crafts blue ribbon. JoAnn's Craft Essentials yellow striped ribbon. VersaMagic tea leaves chalk ink. Harvest (yellow) and Island (blue) Fresh Ink. Brads unknown.

While I still had my Winter Wonders set out, I couldn't resist inking up this cute snowman. He's another one of my favorites from the set. Have you tried watercoloring with chalk inks and a blender pen? This is my first time, and I love the results! I'm a huge chalk ink fan anyway, and now I have another reason to use them.
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A Muse notecard, papers, sentiment, and snowflake image. Snowman (from Winter Wonders set) by Saltbox Studio. Stampin' Up blender pen, only orange marker, sanding block, chocolate ribbon, and sanding block. Chestnut roan ColorBox fluid chalk ink. Island (blue) Fresh Ink. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors.

*thanks snow much*

Here's a simple thank you card I made this morning for one of my daughters teachers. She's been helping Livi the past few months with her reading skills, and Livi has made such a big improvement that she graduated yesterday from her program! Livi is so proud of her accomplishment, but her little heart is broken because now she doesn't get to go to Mrs. Allison's room anymore. I wanted to make sure Mrs. Allison knows how much we appreciate all she has done for Livi and how special of a teacher she is.

I haven't used my favorite Saltbox Studio set, Winter Wonders, in a while. I absolutely adore this sweet little snow girl, and I think she's even sweeter dressed in orange and pink! (((wink)))

Earlier this week, I stepped down from my position on the Saltbox Studio Design Team. I will definitely miss it and the incredibly talented women that I had the privilege of working with. You'll still be seeing my Saltbox creations from time to time, and you can bet I'll be keeping up with their new releases!
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Notecard, papers, snowflake image, and sentiment by A Muse. Snow girl by Saltbox Studio (WInter Wonders set). Timber brown stazon ink. Stampin' Up markers, blender pen, pink pirouette classic ink, sanding block, and dimensionals. Chestnut Roan ColorBox fluid chalk ink. Ribbon unknown.

*inkin' of you*

Have you visited the Design Studio over at the A Muse Lounge yet? You're in for a real treat! You'll find loads of inspiration there! I ran across this card by the Stampin' Queen herself, Miss Julie, and it inspired me to dig out my sadly neglected octopus stamp. I bought this cute submarine stamp from Just Johanna's Odd Bird Planet months ago and just HAD to color it orange and pink! {wink} I was also able to use one of my new Martha Stewart punches to create some funky multi-colored seaweed. And as an added bonus... it just so happens that my card qualifies for Heather's Share Your Spark Fridays challenge to create something using an image or sentiment you've cut out!

I'm beginning to feel like I'm living on an iceberg. We haven't seen above zero temperatures here in Iowa for days, and the kids are on their third consecutive *snow day*! Of course, they're lovin' it, but I'm nearly frozen half to death and can't wait for a bit milder weather! If you're hearing a strange noise, just ignore it. It's probably just my teeth chattering.
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Submarine by Just Johanna's Odd Bird Planet. Notecard, papers, sentiment, octopus, and bird by A Muse. Stazon timber brown ink. Stampin' Up sanding block, markers, blender pen, and pop dots. Decorative scissors (Michaels). Pink gingham ribbon (Walmart).

*friends like you...*

I picked up a few retired Stampin' Up sets recently, and this set is one of them. I love these sweet little mice, and I love the sentiment! I'm still on my orange and pink kick, which you probably noticed if you read my last post, and I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of this yummy combination!
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Stampin' Up very vanilla and pink pirouette cardstock; watercolor paper; blender pen; markers; glitter; paper piercing kit; and dimensionals. Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder. Copic multi-liner black pen. Stazon timber brown ink. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. Karen Foster snap stamps. Ribbon from stash (source unknown).

*love birds*

My favorite color combination right now is orange and pink... and it's all because of a batch of sugar cookies I made over the weekend. I frosted them with the prettiest pale pink frosting and then dipped them in orange gourmet sugar, the kind that's coarse and almost chunky looking. (I ate way too many, but that's beside the point.) Those cookies were so pretty, I just sat and stared at 'em. And then I kept thinking about how fun it would be to use orange and pink on a card. So, that's why the love birds on my card are orange and pink and why the door on the love shack is colored the same. Isn't it funny where we find inspiration?
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A Muse notecard, papers, images, sentiment, and ribbon. Stampin' Up markers, sanding block, and blender pen. Stazon timber brown ink. Decorative scissors from Michaels. Cuttlebug swiss dot and floral fantasy embossing folders.

*you're sweet!*

The new Sweet Shop release has officially launched, so be sure to head on over to the A Muse website to check it out! And while you're there be sure to visit the brand spankin' new Design Studio and Lounge!
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A Muse notecard, papers, images, sentiment, and ribbon. Stazon timber brown ink. Stampin' Up markers, blender pen, watercolor paper, scalloped circle punch, and scalloped border punch. EK Success 1 1/2" circle punch. Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder. Spica glitter pens.

*i ruff u*

I ran across this fun brass stencil the other day on the clearance rack at my favorite stamping store. It's a candy shop, and it makes a perfect backdrop for this sweet puppy love scene. A Muse cardstock is great for dry embossing. It has a white or natural core, so you can lightly sand over the embossing to really make it pop. These two dogs are so cute! He's even brought her a bouquet of balloons. She may have preferred a bone, but it's the thought that counts, right?
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Images, sentiment, and pink chiffon cardstock by A Muse. Chocolate chip, very vanilla, and kiwi kiss cardstock; white craft ink; blender pen; markers; dimensionals; and sanding block by Stampin' Up. Stazon timber brown ink. Creamy brown ColorBox Fluid Chalk ink. Spica glitter pens. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. Lasting Impressions Candy Shop stencil. Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder. Ribbon unknown.

*climbin' the cupcake*

How about another sneak peek of the new A Muse release? I had lots of fun making this one. I love this cute little ox! He's one of my favorite new images. He climbed all the way up the cupcake to put the cherry on top! I'm also lovin' this new sentiment. See the little cherry for the "o" in top? How cute is that?

The A Muse Family grew in 2008. There were lots of new instructors added to the team, and that means more sneak peeks for all of you! Be sure to check them out... and be sure to stop back again tomorrow!
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A Muse notecard, papers, black dye ink, images and sentiment. Copic markers, black multiliner pen, and spica glitter pens. American Crafts ribbon. Stampin' Up dimensionals and sanding block.

*love birds*

I'm glad you came back for a sneak peek of the new *Sweet Shop* release by A Muse. There are so many fun new images and sentiments that it was hard deciding which to show you first... but I finally decided on the lovebirds, and they're sharing a milkshake. Aren't they sweet? I have some friends who are celebrating their 16th wedding anniversary this month, and this will be the perfect card for them!

Be sure to stop back again over the next few days. I've got more to show you!
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Notecard, papers, images, sentiment, ribbon, and black dye ink by A Muse. Copic markers and spica glitter pens. Stampin' Up scalloped border punch and sanding block.