Busy Busy Busy

Here is one thing that I really LOVE about The Saltbox Studio stamps - the unique sentiments! There are so many that I haven't even used yet, but I have lots of ideas. This card features a multi-purpose saying, one that I know I could use over and over again!

I think that my husband should give me this card! Just kidding :) But, I do spend a lot of time on my family/motherly duties and sometimes it would be nice to be acknowledged for the time I give (he does do this, by the way! I guess that my KIDS should be giving this to me, not my husband). I know I am not the only parent out there that thinks that way either. So this card is for all of you who take TIME to come and visit my little blog. It is just one more thing on your list of things to do, but I really appreciate those who take a gander at my cards and projects, and I really appreciate the comments and feedback that you give me, too.

basket image and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio, oval image and notecard by A Muse, ribbon by Martha Stewart, Prismacolor markers - sepia, cinnamon toast, sky blue light, lime peel, mocha light, Signo silver pen.

Return to Stamping

Hi stampers! I am back from a visit with my sister and ready to get back to stamping. I have been blessed by a wonderful husband and in-laws who kept my kids fed, watered and clothed, as well as happy, while I was gone. However, I have been busy the last two nights getting back into the routine and catching up on, what else? LAUNDRY!
This is a card I made a few days before I left for my son's friend who was celebrating his seventh birthday. He is a big Steelers fan, so my son and I decided on making the Steelers logo on the card and The Dude's shirt. It was a hit!
I have lots of ideas after being away, so I hope to get back to sharing some more things soon with you. Enjoy your day!

***I forgot! While I was away, Beth posted another Egg Basket card that I made on The Saltbox Studio blog. You can see it here, if you haven't already seen it. This was my husband's favorite Egg Basket card.***

card info: images and sentiment by A Muse, cardstock/scraps from my supply, Prismacolor markers - jet black, sunburst yellow, walnut, Copic markers - pinkinsh white, sand, crimson, manganese blue.

Spring Treats

After giving you sneak peeks of the new A Muse stamps, notecards and ribbon (what did you get?), I thought I should give some attention to the spring stamps that The Saltbox Studio has out, too. I had just kinda left those images alone so I could make cards for this season, but now I am ready for spring and decorated eggs. I have lots of ideas for this basket of eggs, so keep your eyes peeled for more!

In other news, an A Muse Addict (and I do not use that term lightly!) named Amanda, tagged me. I just saw it last night, so I thought I'd play this time. (I am so bad at tag...)

stamping style - S I M P L E!!!!! Gets my vote 99% of the time.

inspiration - I actually get lots of ideas from the gazillions of children's books that I read. I love the illustrations in books and I find myself looking through books for little details all the time.

color - I, like Amanda, love yellow. However, I don't use it all that much in stamping. For stamping, I like blues and greens best.

work space - My work space is lovingly called the Craft Hole (it is a converted cedar closet). It became mine after our third child was born and I got kicked out of the extra bedroom.

perfect day - Hmmm, good question. I'd love to have a day that doesn't require too much of my spare time, where I can do things at a slow pace, and I can relax a little bit, too.

first job - Besides babysitting, I worked in the kitchen of a nursing home one summer. I made lots of pureed muffins and fruit plates.

wildest dream - I don't have wild dreams....I'm too busy!

ink - Versa Fine onyx black is my tried and true.

family - a fantastic and generous husband, and four mini-me's

beverage - I am a water drinker, but when it is cold I love to have hot chocolate, too!

biggest challenge - Making sure that I get the mom and wife stuff done, so I can do Elena stuff at the end of the day.

Ok, well, I will not be posting to my blog for a few days because I will be out of town. I hope everyone finds time to stamp and play!

card info: images and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio, notecard by A Muse, triplus markers, Prismacolor markers - lime peel, sunburst yellow, cold stone, warm grey 40%, deco pink, Copic markers - honey, new leaf, robin's egg blue, lavender, lemon yellow.

Quick One Layer *Sneak Peek*

I wanted to share an easy card, one layer, simple coloring for those out there who like that kind of card. This card is really no frills, but shows off four stamps! This way you can feel good about those stamp purchases you make, because, heck, you are using all the stamps this way, right?
This new sentiment is just so great, too. I just love it for all little bunny images!

Tomorrow is February 19, so make sure to check out the A Muse News blog for the images and notecards and ribbon tomorrow. Head over there today to see a sneak peek by *me*, too (yay!).

card info: images, sentiment, notecard by A Muse, Prismacolor markers - pumpkin orange, walnut, sand, Copic markers - shadow pink, honey, blush, new leaf, robin's egg blue.

Better Late Than Never

I meant to post this earlier, but the morning caught up with me and it just didn't happen. I haven't seen this image yet (although, I haven't looked today) on any of the *sneak peeks* so I thought I'd share it. This little birdie is ready to kick up her heels and party! I chose to use the old school colors and notecards for this card so I could add my own pattern with the tiny gift. You can't tell in the photo, but the purple part is cut just short of flush with the back of the notecard, so when it is closed, you see the white inside of the card. It may be too much visual interest, but I was using a scrap piece of paper and it didn't reach all the way to 4.25".

I hope you've enjoyed the images you've seen so far. Remember all of these images will be revealed on Tuesday, however, I have heard that some stamp stores already have their new stamps and notecards! Check with your local store if you just can't wait!

card info: notecard, papers, images and sentiment by A Muse, brads and ribbon notch tool by Making Memories, watercolor pencils, stickles.

A Basket of *Sneak Peeks*

Here is another image that will be available on Tuesday, Feb. 19, from A Muse. This card also shows a beautiful chocolate brown notecard and more new ribbon. These are such lovely and essential colors. I know that the chocolate brown is going to be used frequently! And, I really like the Easter basket full of yummy treats: chocolate bunnies, Marshmallow Peeps, dyed eggs. What could be better? We usually just do the plastic eggs full of candy in my famliy, though. I'm not a big peeps fan, but I'd like them even more if there were bows on the heads of peeps - very cute! I hope you have lots of time to search for more sneak peeks today. I will have more to share tomorrow; hope you'll stop by again.

card info: image, sentiment, notecard, paper and ribbon by A Muse, Copic markers - sepia, new leaf, sand, lemon yellow, shadow pink.

Valentine's Day Cards

I completely forgot to upload some of the fun things I made for Valentine's Day! The card I gave my husband can be seen here. The card I gave to my son can be seen here - he loved it! The baby didn't get a card because, frankly, she'd just try to eat it. The older two girls got this card:

card info: image by ElzybellsNA, sentiment and twinkle stickers by A Muse, stickles, Sakura glaze pen, Bazzill cardstock, patterned paper by The Paper Studio, Copic markers - pinkish white, tender pink, dark pink, sand, honey, canary yellow.

My kids needed cards for their teachers, too. I looked at the Splitcoast Stampers Card Sketch challenge for an idea and found sketch 163, tweaked it a bit and made this:

card info: image and sentiment by A Muse, cardstock by Bazzill, patterned paper by The Paper Studio, brads by making Memories, Copic markers - sepia, tender pink, dark pink, colorless blender.

Finally, for my husband, I got him some little chocolates. Now, I know that the Hershey's Nuggets wrapped in labels are all the rage and the little tins you can find are very cute. But, honestly, I am not such a big fan of those Nuggets. I think my husband will enjoy the little Dove Chocolate hearts I put in this paper mache box more, anyway!

info: paper mache box from Recollections (now out of business), sentiment by A Muse, ribbon by Stampin' Up!, heart punch by Martha Stewart, red acrylic paint.

That's it, really, just a few photos to share for now. But I will have another *peek* for you tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that...

A *Sneak Peek* for My Peeps

Good morning everyone! Here is another peek at one of the newest images from the A Muse spring release. This little chickie cracks me up (bad pun, sorry). I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone has actually tried this for "Stupid Pet Tricks." Would you? This one is way too cute, though!
Anyway, a super simple card, not much to explain. This only took more than 10 minutes because I painted the metal charm and had to wait for it to dry. Hope you find more peeks today. Be sure to look for the newest in A Muse Clear stamps, too. B E A U T I F U L stuff, I tell ya! Have a great day!

card info: images, sentiment, notecard and ribbon by A Muse, metal charm by Making Memories, glitter by Stampendous, stickles, Copic markers - canary yellow, tender pink, new leaf, honey.

A *Sneak Peek* Treat for You

Isn't this little boy bunny cute? I just love his bow tie and buttons. He is part of the newest release from A Muse, which will be available starting Feb. 19. BUT, there will be more than just stamps this time. If you look closely at the picture, you will notice some other new things. Did you notice the lovely color of the new notecard? I love yellow, especially when it is a soft tone like this. It is perfect for spring. Have you figured out the last new product? You have to look closely to see it. RIBBON! Everyone loves ribbon, right? There will be so many colors of this stitched grosgrain available for you. Maybe you stampers need to ask your Valentines to take back the chocolates so you can have the money for stamps, ribbon and notecards! I'll be back later to share more. If you need more peeks, check out the rest of the A Muse Crew, linked on the right. Everyone has lots to share!

card info: notecard, images, sentiment, creative candy and ribbon by A Muse, glitter by Making Memories, Copic markers - podwer blue, tender pink, new leaf, sand.

Simple Sentiment

I find it difficult to make cards that can be used for serious situations. I much prefer making someone smile or laugh with one of my cards. I hope I am not alone. Of course, I don't have many sentiment stamps that would work for a serious card, either. The Saltbox Studio, though, has this sentiment and it is perfect! I decided to keep this very simple and used some cardstock and ribbon scraps that I had. I love the A Muse Maderia notecards (I think the green is my favorite) because the pattern is very elegant. While I am not 100% satisfied with this card, I do like it. I need to keep trying.

Tomorrow is the big day ... A Muse *sneak peek* time! The spring release is so much fun and there is a lot of it, too! Be sure to check back here tomorrow.

card info: sentiment by The Saltbox Studio, patterned notecard by A Muse, cardstock and ribbon from my supply (Bazzill), metal tag by Making Memories, pop dots.

Quiet Before the Storm

This weekend we spent a lot of quiet time with each other, getting things done around the house and relaxing some, too. It was so nice to just not have to do too much running around. Next weekend will be different because we will have visitors and an extra day off. We are thinking about going to D.C. for the morning of Presidents' Day before dental appointments and swim lessons dominate the afternoon. On top of that, I am going to be able to get away to see my sister in MA, without kids. I am really looking forward to spending time with her and her family. I get to be a sister and "Tia" which should be lots of fun.



So, on to the card for today. I made this a few days ago, but didn't get around to sharing it over the weekend (I was too happy enjoying some down time). I am always in need of baby cards. I know two families that are expecting babies here in the next two months. One will be the youngest of four, the other the youngest of EIGHT! Since neither family knows the gender, I thought that this card could go to anyone. I will probably make up a different one, again gender-neutral, maybe tonight if I can.

Later this week, SWEETIES (hint, hint), I will have some sneak peeks from A Muse.

card info: image and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio, patterned notecard by A Muse, cardstock from my supply, ribbon recycled from Baby Gap, Copic markers-powder blue and warm gray no. 2, pop dots.

Some Things That Make Me Happy

Today I have mostly photos to share with you.



I have more decor for Valentine's Day this year than I have before, but some of it is so simple. I found these lovely apothecary jars on clearance in the grocery store of all places.



This is a bigger jar and I put a bunch of pink and red ribbons inside. My daughter loves this!



My first grader has to have a Valentine's Mailbox for school next week. I found a photo album box, added a chipboard flap on the front, and then embellished away. I think I like the glittery letters best.




This is a litte treat bag that I made from a 4.25" square A Muse notecard. It would hold little candies for your sweeties perfectly!



This treat bag is made from a 4-bar notecard from A Muse. Slightly different from the above box, but still holds a good amount of treats.



This bag is made from a 4.25" square card, too. I love using the mod dots cards this way because you can focus on three tiny images. So simple and so easy! For this you just score lines along the dots (two on the front flap, one line of dots is the bottom of the bag). And the ribbon came from an online stamping friend, Tracy, as a thanks for participating in a swap she hosted (hiya Tracy!).

For info on the first two bags, the A Muse Newsletter will have templates this week. If you do not subscribe yet to the newsletter, what are you waiting for? Every week there are featured card designs and stamping tips. You can sign up here.

Um, Yeah, It's Winter

Yesterday we had a temperature-record breaking day. It was around 70 degrees before the end of the day. I took a long walk with my girls in the neighborhood instead of going to the gym - just shorts and a t-shirt! Today, it has cooled off and the wind has picked up, but it still is not like winter at all. With that in mind, I think about my poor flowers that get fooled by the strange winter weather. I have so many different wildflowers planted and I love when the plants start to shoot up from the ground. One flower I love to see is the daisy. Mine can get leggy, but my girls love to run through the hillside and pick flowers for me. So, I thought it would be a great day to share a summer greeting with you!



I love this basket. It reminds me of my mom's garden of flowers and the baskets she would carry out to fill with cut flowers for the house. My parents have such a beautiful garden, too. I love being there in the spring, walking around with my dad, who loves to show off the newest blooms. My kids love it, too, everything is just so pretty. The Saltbox Studio basket images are just so great and so easliy become something special to you! I've seen Lexi use one for Mardi Gras and Becky has a flair for making a rustic or primative image feel shabby!

Well, I hope that you have a wonderful day today. Big things in the craft world are happening soon with CHA starting this weekend. Lots of NEW things coming to a stamp store near you SOON! Happy day and hi to my cuz, Donna, a new stamper!!!

card info: image and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio, notecard and papers by A Muse, Copic markers- sepia, powder blue, sand, stickles, brads by Making Memories.

Everyone Needs One of These

Who doesn't need a thank you card? I find myself always in need of this type of card, so, when I find time, I try to make a set of four. I only made one of this, but the supplies are still out on my table so I can make a few more. This is a completley different look for me. I don't usually use the distressing inks I found at a craft store that was closing 13 months ago. For this card, though, I not only used the ink to sponge the edges, but I also applied some ink to a Q-tip and rubbed it carefully on the sheep's face and body. I think I like the outcome, but I am still thinking about it. I stamped and photographed a bunch of cards last night and today, but some I have to keep underwraps for a little bit longer. Keep checking back!
card info: image and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio, cardstock and raffia from my supply, Ranger distressing inks, brads by Making Memories, colored pencil.

Two Quick Valentines

I just wanted to share a couple of Valentine's this morning that I made a couple of weeks ago. I had some sick kids and my husband was travelling, so I was up late at night (and then, I got sick!), but I completely forgot to share these cards. Ooops! I made these while my eldest daughter watched me. She likes to pull out images and then have me make her a card with the stamps. We are going to be making her class Valentine's this weekend, as well as getting some cards put in the mail to friends and family. It is always good to have lots of sweetheart cards around, you don't need those just for February 14, right?






I've got to find some time to do a little fun stamping here today, so I may have more to share soon. Have a wonderful day!

card info:patterned cardstock, images and sentiment by A Muse, ribbon by Martha Stewart, cardstock from my supply, pop dots, stickles, Copic lipstick red.

Final in Gift Card Series and Newsletter News

Here is the last set of 3" x 3" cards I made with leftover supplies. These, obviously, are not gift cards, but place cards that one could use for a bake sale. It is so nice to have this sentiment in a set of stamps for those of us who may be called upon for such duties. Had I had this back in December when I helped with an event at school, I would have offered to make up some of these for the bake sale table. Again, here is another versatile set, especially the sentiments, because it is all around fun!

card info: image and sentiment by The Saltbox Studio, papers from my scrap supply, black pen, Prismacolor markers - cool grey 20%, cold stone, deco pink, raspberry, cinnamon toast, walnut.

Friday in the A Muse News, I had a featured card. Yipeee!



Here is where you can find more details and directions (.jpg or .pdf forms) for the card.

It is always fun to be able to share things that were submitted for DT assignments with you. I've been busy working on lots of that lately, so I hope sometime to share more...stay tuned!

Gift Card Series Part 3

I've got one more set today and the last set of cards will be shared tomorrow. These are great multi-purpose birthday gift cards. I am constantly needing birthday cards, for friends, nieces, nephews, neighbors, family, etc. These are great to have on hand and fit perfectly on any size gift. This little mousie is so cute, too. I was thinking that he would be great for baby shower gifts, too. What do you think? Again, I used lots of items that I found when purging.

I have had so much fun creating cards with these great images from The Saltbox Studio. There is such a great variety of images! What has caught your fancy? Beth, the amazing artist behind the images, has such a wealth of information to share with you and so generously is doing so on The Saltbox Sampler. She combines markers and colored pencils to get amazing results! I hope you've had time to look at her tutorials.

I hope to get lots of stamping and crafting done tonight. I've finally finished some DT assignments, so I have some fun stuff waiting for me to do. I just got a Bind-It-All, and I cannot wait to try out some things.

card info:images and sentiment from The Saltbox Studio, cardstock, patterned paper, buttons and flowers from my scrap supply, brad from Making Memories, Prismacolor markers-raspberry, cinnamon toast, cold stone, deco peach, warm grey 40%.

Gift Card Series Part 2

Here are two lunchbox tuck-in cards for today. My kids actually have a delayed opening due to icy roads, so I thought these would be good for sharing today. We actually get more ice/sleet than snow most winters, so I made one of the little mice with a glossy, icy snowball using Diamond Glaze. When I was a youngster, we'd make snowballs and just continuously smooth over each one until it was a packed-solid-ice ball. Boy, did one of those things HURT! Ahh, I can feel the lumps and bruises like it happened yesterday... Snow Much Fun, indeed.

I have two more sets of cards to share, so come back soon! Also, hop on over to The Saltbox Studio Sampler to participate in the last contest for this release today.

card info: image and sentiment from The Saltbox Studio, papers from my scrap supply, ribbon from Strano Designs, liquid applique, Diamond Glaze, Prismacolor markers - warm grey 20%, cold stone, ballet pink, pumpkin orange, grayed lavendar.