Top Ten Must Haves from a•muse | studio

Oh wow! We're having a sale! A•Muse has a top ten must haves list at an extra 20% off until December 15. The three stamp sets have been on my wish list for a while and I can't resist a good deal! And, I go through a lot of Kraft card stock, so I'm stocking up now...

See anything you can't live without? You can order all of these items here. And now I'm off to the table to continue to prepare for Christmas Stamp Camp. There are 17 fun ladies on their way to my house on Saturday to make a bunch of Christmas cards! It's going to be so much fun!

Enjoy the last day of November all!

Devon

November a•muse | studio Spotlight!

Ooooohhhh!!! I am so jazzed about the deals in the November Spotlight! I've already ordered Winter Wishes and Candy Cake Wishes. Holiday Tags and Polka Dot patterns were already part of my collection. Those felt coasters? SO going to make them! You don't even have to be able to sew! Die cut the felt and stick it together with heat and bond! Yee-haw!!! I feel a project coming on! And yes... 3 packs of the Gingerbread paper pack are on their way to my house.

I've got some great cards using these products coming up at Christmas Stamp Camp on December 3rd. Let me know if you'd like to come get crafty and inky with friends. It's going to be fun! If you are interesting in ordering from this spotlight, you can click right here. 

Have a great night!

Devon

Celebrate the Season

I have a little problem with paper... and ink... and ribbon... and buttons. So much stuff to play with! And I've also found several other like minded people with my kind of problems online. One of my favorite blog people is Kristina Werner. She makes great cards that are fun to do and don't take hours upon hours, and layers upon layers. I have been following her for years.

Every year she does a Holiday Card series of videos and I watch every single one. This year she made her sketches available as PDFs through her Virtual Card Club and I knew I had to have them. The inspiration for today's card came right from sketch Number 8 in her series. I love being able to adapt her creative sketches to make cards with my supplies.

This is for my friend Kristine. She has stars in her eyes for heat embossing. I'm going to completely enable her at Stamp Camp on December 3rd!  I scored and sanded the cranberry cardstock, cut some candy cane stripe and wasabi paper, got out the scallop punch and added it all to a kraft base. Then I stamped the sentiment using Versamark and embossed it too! Cute, simple, and easy to mail.

Recipe: All a•muse | studio products

Paper: kraft, cranberry, wasabi, cocoa, and candy cane stripe

Ink: Versamark

Stamp: Celebrate The Season

Other: White Signo Uniball pen, white embossing powder, fern polka dot organdy ribbon

All products for this card are available here.

How are you getting ready for the holidays? I need to choose a card and start the production line! I want to have them all finished by Thanksgiving weekend. Then it will be time to start making caramel sauce! 

Have a great night!

Devon

A Reindeer and his Scarf

You know how people look at something someone has made by hand and they say "I could do that..." My comment is always "Yes... but do you?" I'm one of those people that likes to look at how someone has done something and then go off and see if I can do it. I've done it with cakes and desserts for a long time, and now I'm doing it with paper.

I saw a great card using the Nordic Noel stamp set from a•muse | studio that I coincidentally had received in the mail last week. It was the greatest reindeer wearing a scarf. I couldn't figure out exactly how to do the card and thought on it for a few days. Tonight my brain kicked in and I worked it out. I love it when all the brain cells finally decide to talk to each other!!!

Can you figure out how I did it? I have no idea if I did it the same way as the original designer, but it looks the same and I'm in LOVE with this card. I've made several Christmas cards in the last few weeks and this one could be a contender for the DeGarmo Family Christmas Card this year.

Recipe: All supplies from a•muse | studio

Cardstock: cranberry, candy stripe, wasabi, and sugar

Stamps: reindeer from Nordic Noel, sentiment from Essential Sentiments

Ink: cranberry and french roast

Embellishments: holiday washi tape and lime stitched grosgrain ribbon

All supplies from this card are available here. 

Thanks for stopping by to check out my little moment of being proud of myself! If you would like to make this card at a workshop or camp stamp, let me know!

Have a great week!

Devon

Baby It's Cold Outside!

So appropriate for all of our fresh new snow. When we were leaving school last night, there was quite a bit of snow gently falling from the sky and Max very sweetly said "oh... it's so beautiful!" Right now, we love it... ask us again when it is still snowing in April.

Anyway... I got the snowman die and some felt in my last order. The die cut the felt like butter! and I thought he could be quite a charmer on the front of a winter card. I didn't have any black twinkle stickers, so I took some pearls and colored them black with my Copic marker. Ta-da! Buttons and eyes! (Copics come in so stinking handy sometimes!)

I cut a tiny little nose out of some Papaya paper and a hat out of black felt and I just love it! I'm just having too much fun I tell ya'...

Recipe: All a•muse | studio products

Paper: Sky, Sugar, Onyx

Stamps: Chill of Winter

Ink: Sky, Memento Tuxedo black

Felt: Sugar, Onyx

Embellishments: pearl stickers in vanilla, altered with a black Copic marker

All of the supplies for this card (and so much more) can be found here.

Happy Stamping!

Devon

Snow Friends

Oooohhh!!! I've been playing and prepping for my very first workshop! I have a thing for snowmen. Love 'em! Every year I beg the boys to come out and make a snowman with me from the first snow we get. Soon it will be so cold that the snow won't actually stick together. If you make a snowman early in the winter, they can be out in your yard for most of the winter.

So I'm just loving playing with a few different a•muse studio snowmen. Here's a card I made using the Chill of Winter set and some Copic markers...

I like the combination of the Sky paper and the little pops of Cherry. Of course, I had to add some glittery snow in the background. Diamond glitter makes me happy! And the fun technique that I've been using quite a bit? Masking - so I can layer stamped images on top of each other. And I've finally gotten smart and I'm storing my masking images in the DVD case where the stamp set is. Then I can make the card several times if need be and I don't have to cut out the mask again. I just love a good, time saving idea. How do you save time in stamping?

Recipe: All a•muse | studio products

Paper: Sugar, Sky, Sky gingham

Stamps: Chill of Winter

Ink: Sky, Tuxedo Black

Ribbon: Cherry stitched grograin

Misc: Diamond glitter and Copic Markers

All of the supplies for this card can be found here.

Well... off to clean up the house and finish prepping for tomorrow! I'm excited!

Happy weekend all!

Devon

Gift Card Holder - Photo Tutorial

Oh boy! I have never even considered doing a photo tutorial, but I discovered that I get a ton of hits on my blog about the Christmas gift card holders that I've made in the past. I had found a link on how to make one and they're super easy. I thought I'd give this tutorial thing a go...

Step 1: Cut a piece of cardstock at 4 1/4" x ll. I used 'twas the night before christmas from a•muse studio (of course). Optional step: If you use a plain piece of cardstock instead of patterned paper, you could choose to stamp a background on both sides of the paper at this point.

Step Two: Turn the paper landscape and score at 3", 5 1/2", & 8".

Step Three: When you score the paper you want to fold it slightly so it resembles an "M".

Step Four: On the second panel from the left, put adhesive in a C shape from the top, down the left side, and across the bottom. It's hard to see in the phone. I used 1/4" adhesive from my ATG gun. It's good strong adhesive that will hold well.

Step Five: Fold the paper over so that you get an inside pocket. If you've used patterned paper, the patter will be on the outside, and your pocket for the gift card will be on the inside.

Step Six: Trim off 1/2" from the section that becomes the pocket. This is where you will be sliding the gift card inside.

I slide one of my business cards inside to demonstrate and make a contact at the same time! 

Step Seven: Get ready to decorate the outside of your gift card holder. I used a piece of cranberry and sugar cardstock from a•muse studio cut at 3 1/4" x 2 1/4" for the cranberry and 3" x 2" for the sugar.

Step Eight: Assemble your outside image. I used Holiday Tags, some Christmas washi tape, and white flocking to dress up Santa's suit.

Step Nine: Stamp a quick To: and From: inside. Leave space for a message!

Step Ten: Cut a length of ribbon and adhere it to the card around the middle. Then adhere your focal image over the ribbon.

Ta-da!!! An adorable gift card holder that the recipient will appreciate almost as much as the gift card it holds! You can do these either in landscape or portrait, depending on the stamps you want to use. I chose landscape for this one because I wanted the image to be in line with the text.

Here is an example of another one I did in the portrait orientation. 

I hope I did a good job with the tutorial and that it makes sense! Let me know what you think? Would you be interested in making these yourself? I'd be happy to help get you going at a workshop. Get in touch: paperismypassion@gmail.com All of the supplies for the gift card holders can be found here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Devon

Not a Card!

Cards are great, and I do still scrapbook, but when I find something I can do with paper that is not a card or a layout, it's such fun! This cute little bag would be the perfect way to give someone a pair of earrings, or any little treat. And, you can make it with just 1/2 a sheet of paper! I love it when I can make 2 of something and have an extra on hand for those last minute gifts.

Recipe: All a•muse | studio products

Paper: Bermuda for bag, Sugar for sentiment

Stamps: Lots of Dots, Brief Notes sentiment

Ink: Ocean

Ribbon: Ocean stitched grograin

All supplies for this project can be found here.

Have a wonderful day!

Devon

I just got the Fresh Foliage set and the Autumn Harvest paper pack in the mail. Such yummy paper! I think I'm going to have to go all fancy this Thanksgiving and make the place cards. And even though the snow is going to fly any second, I'm going to make some cute cards for my friends who are still experiencing fall. Those Autumn Leaves are calling me too.... Good thing these sets are 10% off right now. 

If you are interested in ordering any of the specials in the October Spotlight, just click this Spotlight link to visit my a•muse | studio web store.

I'm having my first Workshop at my house on November 5th and 6th from 2 - 4! I'm so excited to share all these fun stamps that I'm just loving. If you'd like to attend, just drop me an email at paperismypassion@gmail.com. 

And now I'm off to the table to have some inky fun!

Happy Saturday!
Devon

With Sympathy

It's never easy to lose someone. We lost my dad almost 13 years ago this coming Christmas. One of the things that got me and my mom through the whole thing was hearing stories people told about Dad and what an amazing man he was. Making a sympathy card can be a daunting task. I think sympathy cards should be understated and simple. Remember, it's the message that you send inside that comforts the receiver.

This card, made with supplies from my consultant kit, was originally designed as a birthday card. It didn't seem bright and cheery enough for that, so I thought it would make a lovely sympathy card.

I made a few changes, including doing a little heat embossing with clear embossing power. I love heat embossing! It gives such texture to your work and looks so professional. Plus... it's just fun to watch that stuff melt!

Recipe: All A•Muse Studio Products

Paper: French Roast, Fern, Bermuda, Sugar

Ribbon: French Roast stitched grograin

Ink: Versamark and French Roast

Other: Clear embossing powder

Can it really be Friday already? My weeks seem to be flying by... Christmas will be here before I know it. I'm going to start getting prepared now. I'm going to hit the Book Fair at school to send gifts to the kiddos in our lives. I've already got some cute ones picked out for a couple of sweet little girls in Seattle! 

Have a great day!

Devon

A Quick Thank You

Who doesn't need thank you cards? I keep them in my desk at school to make sure I send them as quickly as possible. Being a 2nd grade teacher, we often get little treats or gifts from our students and their families. I think it's a great way to show your gratitude by giving a handmade card.

This thank you card has a special element. The white paper flower was colored with Copic markers. You can use Copics to add color to more than just regular paper. I added the color to the middle of the flower and then blended it out toward the petals with the colorless blender pen. I love that I can customize embellishments with Copics to suit the colors in my project.

Recipe: All a•muse | studio products

Paper: Sugar, Papaya, Orange, Sky

Stamps: Sentiment from Friend to Friend, Polka Dots from Polka Dot Patterns

Embellishments: Flower from Meadow Mix, Clear Twinkle Sticker

You can find all of the supplies for this card here.

I'm super excited! I'm making my first consultant order today. As a new consultant, I'll be getting an extra 10% off my first order. I'm finding it so hard to reign myself in and not order absolutely everything right now. There are just so many stamp sets and fun things that I want to play with!

What are your most favorite crafty/stamping items to play with? What are your must haves? 

I'm excited for the weekend to come. We're heading out to a reindeer farm on Saturday with the boys and their Tae Kwon Do team. It should be a fun outside activity before the snow starts to fly. I also want to come up with some card sketches for my Christmas card and start planning what kind of cookies to make for the November 5th and 6th workshop at my house. And of course I want to make some cards! 

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Devon

Elegant

When I think a•muse, I mostly think cute! They have got some of the most fun and whimsical stamps ever. But their floral stamps and many of their sentiments are just so elegant. I love the combination of the sky blue and french roast paper on this card. And the little twinkles just bring it all together! I can see using this card for all different kinds of reasons... thank  you's, sympathy, missing you... many different possibilities!

I also got to try something I haven't done much of with stamping. I used a little finger tip sponge dauber to color the flower and the stem. I know this is something I'm going to try with many other stamps. I also read a great tip in the A Muse lounge. When you're stamping an image like this, place a clean, un-inked stamp on each side of the stem. It will help to stabilize the stamp and keep you from applying to much pressure resulting in the "smooshed" effect. Yep... smooshed. It's a technical stamper's word, dontcha' know?

I hope you like what I'm showing! If you see anything you just can't live without, stop by my open house on November 5th and 6th from 2:00 - 4:00 for some Christmas cards and cookies. Or, click on the a•muse | studio business card at the top of my blog to visit my online a•muse store!

Recipe: All a•muse | studio products

Paper: Sky, Sugar, French Roast

Ink: French Roast and Sky

Stamps: Beautiful Botanicals, Essential Sentiments

Embellishments: Clear twinkle stickers

Happy Stamping!

Devon

Coloring With Copics!!!

I am a super dork and I totally own it! Yes! I love to color! There... it's out. Maybe that's why I'm a 2nd grade teacher. As an adult, you feel kind of silly coloring... unless you have the world's greatest markers to color with. I found Copic markers (that's a long o, not a short o) a few years ago and have been busily collecting them and using them in my card making. When I am playing with them, I feel like a total artist. I'm not, but that's neither here, nor there...

Here is a card I made using the cute hedge hog that came in my starter kit:

Because Copics are an alcohol based ink, you can blend them, and shade with them, and make your stamping really pop! The really fun thing about Copics are that you can also use them to alter the colors of other embellishments. The next cards I post will show how I used Copics to alter a paper flower and some pretty pearls. Don't have the color you need? Doesn't matter! Pull out your Copics and make it exactly the way you want it.

One of the things I'm working on doing is setting up a monthly Copic Coloring Club. The way a monthly Copic club works is that we have 8-10 members of the club who commit to ordering 3-4 Copic markers each month. This will help you build your stash and begin using these awesome markers. 

We will do some sort of card or project that will help you learn how to use your markers. We will decide how many markers we need to buy based on how many members we have. We will want our monthly meeting total to reach $150 so that month's hostess can earn $25 in free product from A Muse Studio.

If you are local and interested, let me know and I'll make sure you get on the schedule and come to the meetings at my house. If you are interested, but not local, you can still be part of the club. You will let me know which Copics you want and will be signed up to be one of the hostesses via email. 

Recipe: All a•muse | studio supplies

Paper: Sugar

Stamps: Woodland Friends, Friends Fur-Ever, and Ovalicious

Ribbon: Sky organdy polka dots

Ink: Grass and Tuxedo Black

You can find all of the supplies for this card here.

Have a wonderful day!

Devon

Gift Card Holder

I give a lot of gift cards! Teachers love to get them. My friends who are readers usually get Barnes and Noble cards, or Amazon cards for their Kindles. My kids always think they've been given a "credit card" and can't wait to go shopping and pick out exactly what they want.  I just think gift cards are great!

But what can make a gift card more personal? How about making the gift card holder? I LOVE this quick and easy gift card holder that I made with a few stamps, a little bit of paper, and some cute ribbon! Copic markers make the coffee cup pop with a little dimension too!

What I really love about this gift card holder is that after you untie the ribbon, you use the ribbon to pull out the gift card that is inside. It just helps it slide right out! Wouldn't this one be just perfect with a Starbucks card inside?

As soon as I receive my next A Muse order, I will be making a bunch of these with a Christmas theme! They would make a fun workshop, so let me know if you want to get some of your friends together to make a few!

Recipe: All supplies from A Muse Studio

Cardstock: French Roast, Sugar, Sky

Ink: French Roast

Stamps: The Perfect Blend set

Ribbon: Sky organdy polka dots

Have a wonderful day!

Devon

What Got Me Going?

I have always loved A Muse stamps. I wasn't crazy about stamps mounted on wood blocks because of a lack of storage, but I simply could not resist the cute images and the adorable cards I could make with their awesome rubber! One day, I could no longer buy A Muse in a brick and mortar store here in Alaska. They had changed their business model and switched to the home party concept.

I didn't know if anyone was selling A Muse in Alaska until one day I received a post card in the mail from a gal named Donna. She was the only A Muse consultant in Alaska and she would have to be my source for the crafty goodness I love so much! A few weeks ago, I attended an A-Muse-A-Palooza workshop at Donna's house and we made a few Christmas tags and an adorable Halloween treat holder and I was instantly hooked!

I looked at the catalogs, ooh'd and ahh'd over all her sample cards and decided I wasn't going to head into Anchorage every time I wanted to play with the A Muse products I love. You know what they say, if you can't beat them... JOIN them! And I did!

My super fab deluxe starter kit has finally arrived and I have been very busy organizing everything in my studio/office and I've begun to make sample cards with the supplies from the box of goodies I received. I am so happy with the new cling mounted stamps! All of the wonderfulness of the red rubber I love, combined with the ease of storage and the use of acrylic blocks that makes sense to me. 

Over the next few days I'll be sharing all of the samples I've made from the starter kit. Thankfully the amazing support you get from A Muse Studio includes ideas and templates for cards to make. (Report cards are due for my 2nd graders this week and that can suck the creativity right out of a gal!) But I have been able to take several work breaks and sit at my table cutting up pretty paper and getting inky!

I'm also planning my first workshop! On Saturday, November 5th and Sunday, November 6th from 2:00 to 4:00, swing by our place if you're in the area for Christmas Cards & Cookies! We'll do a few fun cards and some Christmas tags and munch a few of my favorite Christmas cookies. Email me at paperismypassion@gmail.com for directions!

And, because I can't wait to share at least one of the things I made on my own this weekend, here is one of the cards I made with the starter kit. It's the sweetest little 3x3 card and I'm going to make several of them. They would be so fun to slip into the boys backpacks or lunches, or to put in one of my co-workers mailboxes to let them know I'm thinking of them. We are a bucket filling school and try to do little things as often as possible to spread the bucket filling around our community. (If you haven't heard about how to fill somone's bucket, I really recommend you check it out here. Makes life quite nice!)

Have a happy week! Remember to do something to fill someone's bucket, and your own in the process!

Devon

A Muse Studio October/November Spotlight

There are some really fun projects to make using the A|S October/November spotlight products. 

See all the products and project ideas here!

From now until November 14, save 10% on the stamp sets used to make these projects.

I'm excited to get my hands on some of these stamp sets and host some workshops! Let me know if you are interested in hosting a workshop and earning some free stamps for yourself.