*thanks {so much}*

My kids got a surprise card from Funny Grandma & Grandpa last week. They sent each of the kids a check. (Go figure. How is it that the kids get all the money?) Anyhoo, it was awfully sweet of them, and the least I could do was whip them up a thank you card.

I tend to be the one to send out thank you's. I love to make cards, so it's really no big deal, but I got to thinking that since the kids got the gift, they should be the ones to send the card. So today they're getting a lesson on how to write a thank you. I'm sure they'll love it. It will likely be one of those things they will thank me for... later.

We got hit by the big blizzard that swept through the midwest. I haven't seen this much snow since I was a kid. We got at least a foot of it, if not more. The kids are excited. Today's a snow day! Snow days are the best, especially when you get to spend part of it learning to write thank you's.

Hope you're having a beautiful day! Thanks for stopping by!

*love birds*

I'm back today with another card very similar to the last ones I made, just in a different color scheme. I forgot that I needed to make an anniversary card for some friends of ours, and since I hadn't gotten around to putting any of my stamps away yet, I reached for them again along with a few fun patterned papers that I had stacked up near my desk. I almost forgot how much I love patterned papers. I cut a few strips, sanded the edges, and wadded them up in my hand. Doesn't that sound funny? It's the easiest way to get a shabby look, plus it's a good way to release some frustration. :)

If you're anything like me, making the card is the easy part. It's coming up with what to write on the inside of the card that's much more difficult. I envy people who have a way with words.

Well, I'm off to pick up the kids from school. Hope you're having a beautiful day! Thanks for stopping by!

*birdie banner thank you's*

Yesterday I sat down to make a few thank you cards that I needed to get out in the mail. Since I get bored making the same card over and over again, but I'm too lazy to come up with completely different designs using completely different stamps, I thought I would try varying the design just a bit but keeping it simple by using the same color scheme and the same stamps. I think all the designs turned out pretty cute, but the top one is probably my favorite. It's kind of hard to tell by the photo, but it's stamped onto vellum. I haven't used vellum much lately, so it was a fun change.

It's been a while since I've had to time to stamp for myself. It was nice digging through my goodies, finding a few things I had forgotten I had. That doesn't say much for my organizational skills, does it?

Which one's your favorite? Leave me a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

*there's nothing like a fresh coat of paint!*

I thought you might like to see a few pictures of my completed project. It started mid-July, and I just finished up this week! I had begun to wonder if I was ever going to get done! I chose all new colors, and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. Now my house is all pretty again... and I can get back to making cards!

Here's a picture of the garage. I wasn't sure I could get it painted this year. I had resigned myself to the fact that I might have to finish it up in the spring. But the weather cooperated, and my sister put in some long days to help me get it done. Hopefully I'll be back soon with a card or two to share. Thanks for stopping by!

*taste the snowflakes*

Here's a card you might recognize from last week's A Muse News. Sorry I don't have anything new to share. It's been a crazy summer for me. I spent a number of weeks helping my sister get her house ready to rent. Then I took on a decorating project at my house which involved re-painting my living room and dining room. It took me three tries to get the right color, which was a bit frustrating, but nothing was more frustrating than saving and saving to have my couch, ottoman, and love seat reupholstered only to get the couch back and realize that she upholstered it INSIDE OUT!!! It has been quite a fiasco, to say the least, and it's not over yet. Now I'm painting the outside of my house. It's been 10 years since it's been painted, and I've quickly discovered 3 things. 1.) Scraping is a horrible job. 2.) If primer sticks to the siding half as well as it sticks to my fingers, I should never have to paint this house again! 3.) I've gotten myself into a lot of work! But once you start a project of this magnitude, there's no turning back. Working out in the heat all day pretty much zaps my creativity, so I'm afraid that until this project is over, I won't have much to share.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Muse U: Finding Inspiration

It's time for another session of A Muse U! This time it's all about finding inspiration.

Whenever I'm running low on inspiration, I sit down with a cup of coffee and browse a few of my favorite blogs or thumb through the pages of the latest issue of Paper Crafts, and in no time I'm inspired to create. Blogs, online galleries, and stamping magazines are full of great ideas that can help get your creative juices flowing. But sometimes it's fun to find inspiration in the not-so-obvious places.

I found this quilt in an advertisement from Younkers.

I was immediately drawn to it's colors, probably because they were such beautiful, muted shades with a vintage look to them. They weren't really colors I would have thought of putting together, but their combination was beautiful. I couldn't resist. I caved and bought the quilt. After it was on my bed, I kept looking at the colors. I started wondering if I had inks in similar colors. Wouldn't that make a beautiful card? Sages, browns, golds, rosy pinks, and a deep, almost eggplant purple. Why not stick with florals and use my Everything's Rosy stamps? And out of nowhere, I found myself inspired to create this card.

I found inspiration for the next card after watching my little girl, Livi, play with her tea set. I love polka dots, and those sweet little tea cups were all it took to inspire me to dig out my neglected cup and saucer stamp. I loved the colors of the tea cups and used similar colors on my card.

Inspiration comes when something catches your eye, even when that something is quite simple or just a tiny part of what caught your eye in the first place. It's all about what inspires YOU! Is it the colors? the style? Maybe it's a shape or the way something is put together.

You never know when inspiration will strike, so keep your eyes open. Who knows... you might find a fresh and fun new color combination, an idea for mixing up patterns, a new way of using an old stamp, or inspiration to dig out something you almost forgot you had!

A Muse U: Combining Patterns

Welcome to A Muse U! Today is all about combining patterns... one of my favorite things about card-making!


I love patterns, and it's no secret that POLKA DOTS are my favorite! But there are lots of fabulous patterns to choose from, and learning a few simple tricks about how to mix and match those patterns is sure to take your card designs to an all new level.

Combining patterns is all about spotting what looks good together. Too many patterns, even if they match, can be busy and distracting. Not enough patterns can make your design a bit blah. If you like a lot of patterns, it can be a challenge to find a happy medium. Sometimes you might need to weed out a few. Other times you have to be daring enough to try a mix that you may not initially think will work. The results may surprise you.

The patterns you choose will likely be influence by your own personal style. An eclectic and whimsical style generally lends itself to a freer choice of patterns and might even include a few choices that seem somewhat mismatched. A shabby style lends itself to softer, muted tones and patterns. A simple style lends itself to fewer, well-chosen patterns that aren't too distracting.

You'll also want to think about the type of card you're making. A calmer mix of patterns is usually better for sympathy or encouragement cards, whereas you can be more liberal with your choice of patterns when you're making a kids' card or other cards with a more light-hearted tone.

More often than not, the first thing to come to mind when you think of patterns is paper, and there's no shortage of fabulous patterned papers to choose from. One advantage stampers have is that we can create our own patterned papers using background stamps or a random mix of coordinating images. Embossing folders are another great way to create patterns. This is an especially fun technique when you're using white core paper. By lightly sanding the embossed image, you reveal the white layer hidden underneath, and it really makes the embossed image pop.

There are lots of fun patterns to be found on this oh-so-sweet friendship card. Notice how I added a few extra polka dots by paper piecing the umbrella.

Here I mixed paisleys, polka dots, and gingham. Even the stitching on the ribbon creates a subtle pattern.

Patterns aren't only found on paper. They can also be found on ribbons, brads, buttons, paper flowers, and all sorts of embellishments. So why not get creative? Add lots of fun patterns to your next creation, and you'll be amazed at the outcome!

Be sure to stop by and see Krystie and Heather for more fun tips and A Muse U projects!