Pinata Bash

A quick card and even quicker post for you today. We are headed north for a wicked good time this morning!

My mom's birthday was on Sunday (as well as my husband's). I usually have my kids make her a card, but this year they made Dad's cards. So, for my mom pulled out the pinata stamp. When I was 9, I had this beautiful white burro pinata for my party. It was split perfectly in half, so I hung the head on my wall. I always think of that when I see burro pinatas. SO I decided to "break" open this one and show the candy spilling out. I really like how it turned out, too, except for my un-inventive candy drawings. I'll have to keep working on it.

I hope to be able to post a little while I am gone, but it will be iffy. Have a great week!

card info: notecard, paper, images and sentiment by A Muse, pop dots, Triplus fineliner, Copic markers - honey, lemon yellow, lipstick red, salad green, Tahitian blue.

A Color Challenge - My First

Recently, Geeta and Michelle have participated in color challenges by Kristina Werner. She has a very beautiful and simple style and combines stampy and scrappy very well. She posts a color challenge every week that she finds in advertisements and matches the colors to the Stampin' Up! color palette. I don't have SU! papers, so I've not done one before. But this week, the challenge was inspired by felt baby booties and the colors were subtle and warm. Here is a picture from her inspiration:



I found similar A Muse colors - tinplate blue raspberry and kitchen green and natural cardstock. I decided to make a card with just a hint of orange, so I used Copic Honey for that. Here is my card:



I love that little songbird - such a happy birdie! I hope that you have a wonderful weekend! We are celebrating three family birthdays this evening and we're going to a pre-chemo party for a dear college friend who just found out that she has Hodgkin's lymphoma. So, I have got a bunch of cards to make for some very special people. Hope to share those with you soon.

card info: notecard, papers, sentiment and image by A Muse, Copic markers-cool shadow and honey, Paper Frills by Doodlebug, pop dots.

Modern Country

This is my ode to modern country. *I know that this is not what you might expect, but sometimes I feel the need to break out of my typical self.*

I needed a bunch of thank you notes to send to my kin folk who were kind enough to feed and house us during our stay in Arkansas. If I had a stamp that had a big old table piled high with food, I'd have used that. But, these images really reflect things we saw. My second daughter could not get enough of the tractors (or the dirt!). My first daughter loved seeing my uncle's hens. My farming cousins told my son that he could come back next summer and help them farm. And we went by my cousin's house, where my grandparents lived, and saw the old barn, which is slowly falling apart. But, at one time, it was a beautiful structure that I've always loved.

I have been working on some other things to share, hopefully tomorrow. And, *new* images from The Saltbox Studio are coming soon!!!! I cannot wait for those - more country, farm images that remind me of my home away from home.

card info: images by The Saltbox Studio and A Muse, ribbon, papers and sentiment by A Muse, kraft and black cardstock.

Another from A*MUSE*A*PALOOZA

Hi everyone! I've been bogged down with summer madness lately - leaky roof, kids going in lots of directions and planning for another trip. I've also got some DT stuff going on that requires attention before we head to Massachusetts!

I want to thank EVERYONE who chimed in on the last post with music tips and suggestions. It is always nice getting to know all of you a little bit more. If you haven't looked, check the comment section. My brother and my husband listed a whole boatload of songs that have "greeting" or "card" or some other connection to cards in the titles. I told my husband he'll have to make a special playlist for me with those songs.




Ok, so the card...that is why you are here, right? This card uses two of the new AP images. I used the Maderia image as corner adornments, which, I have to say, I just *love*. I smudged it a bit, but, was a little too lazy to start over. It must have been L A T E! I am really looking forward to seeing what any of you make with your new goodies. Please share, if you get a chance. I am going to be participating in Julie's online class that was part of the AP at Home kit. I am looking forward to using some of those new sentiments! I'm going to pop in on her live chat tonight, so I better get the dishes done.

card info: all products by A Muse!

This Is It! Another *sneak peek*

This was one of the cards I designed especially for A*MUSE*A*PALOOZA a couple of months ago. It was shared today as the AP blog sneak peek. The two kids are just so much fun! And this card could not be any easier, let me tell you! I know that coloring with alcohol based markers means bleed through on the back of the cardstock, but with this one, I didn't have to measure or cut paper, which means, there is no waste! I love it when I can keep my card making "green." Plus, it also means it is FAST and oh-so-easy to mass produce. And who doesn't love easy?

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I am hoping to get some much needed thank you notes done this weekend, so I've got my iPod ready to rock with me. Does anyone else listen to music when they stamp? Just curious. I'd love to hear from any of you who'd like to share some music that they enjoy! I listen to all types of music, except the heavy metal sort, so please let me know.

card info: notecard, images, sentiment and ribbon by A Muse, Copic markers - lipstick red, blush, pinkish white, manganese blue, sand, sepia, new leaf.

A Late Day *sneak peek*

I originally thought that I'd skip today and give you a sneak peek tomorrow, but then I'd feel really, really guilty for not sharing, so here it is!

I know that this image was showcased elsewhere, but I thought I'd give you another sample. The tinplate background is such an awesome "snowy" background. I've used it before and I really think it gives the proper wintry feel.

Tonight I am hoping to get to Angela's and pop in on Melinda's class. I've seen here beautiful sparkly cards and they are BEAUTIFUL! If you are near Reston, VA, call the store to see if her classes on Saturday are full. She'd love to see you!

card info: all products by A Muse, black cardstock, pop dots, Copic markers - warm grays no. 2 and 4, raw silk, lipstick red, sepia.

Clear Sticker Challenge with a *sneak peek*

I had a different card set to share today, but then I remembered that the clear sticker challenge was going on, so I sat down last night to make a card using a clear sticker.

I love using the clear sticker to highlight a sentiment or image, but what I did here was make it into a button. Have any of you ever tried it? I've done it before and I really like it! The A Muse kitchen papers (polka dots) are wonderful for this. But I decided to use one of the new vintage papers here (aren't those beautiful?) for a change. The image and sentiment (on a clear set of sentiments) are also new.





Here is a better look at the button:



I am sure there will be lots of sneak peeks out there today, so that's all for now!

card info: notecard, ribbon, image, sentiment, clear sticker and papers by A Muse, black cardstock, Copic markers - pinkish white, blush, dark pink, shadow pink, pale olive, grass green, lipstick red, Prismacolor marker - jet black, pop dots.

A*MUSE*A*PALOOZA sneak peek #2

Good morning! I've got another fun stamp to share with you today. This pretty scallop tree is another one of my new favorites. It can be so simple or you can adorn it with lots of sparkle! It also will be a great image to add to stamped "scenes."

I know many of you are off to find more sneak peeks, so I'll keep this short. Make sure you check out the A*MUSE*A*PALOOZA blog for more fun and games - it isn't over yet! And if you are near a participating store, you'll be able to see all of the newest goods today!

card info: notecard, papers, ribbon, image, sentiment and twinkle sticker by A Muse, glue dots.

A*MUSE*A*PALOOZA sneak peek #1

Good morning! I know I had a late post last night, but I didn't want to wait to share this for later in the day.

I love this city scene. When I first saw it, I immediately thought of the New Year's celebration and the ball drop in NYC. I used the eraser end of a pencil to stamp the "ball" then added some Spica glitter to emphasize the bright lights. There are so many ways to use this stamp. I haven't had time to do more with it yet, but I've jotted down a couple of ideas already.

Come back tomorrow for another sneak peek. If you just can't wait to see what else is coming out, check the rest of the A Muse Creative Team!

card info: everything is by A Muse except for Spica glitter pens and pop dots.

A Quick Fix

Hi everyone! Sorry to have been M.I.A. last week. My family went to Arkansas for a long overdue visit with family (hi to all my kin). I have not forgotten about A*MUSE*A*PALOOZA, though. I can start sharing sneak peeks tomorrow!!!! I cannot wait to share some of the new winter holiday images with you, so please stop by tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and... well, you get the idea.

I just love these chicks follow their mama, reminds me of the country :) ** this card was inspired by a design by Lexi **

card info: images by The Saltbox Studio, notecard, papers and ribbon by A Muse, pop dots.