Paper Trufflez

Happy 7th!

 

Images, Papers, Stitched Grosgrain, Twinkle Stickers all by A Muse Artstamps

Well, this is a pretty big day!  A Muse is celebrating 7 (seven) years!  WOW!  Be sure to check out the A Muse News blog today, because Linda has such a fun post, and something fun for 7 lucky winners that leave comments on that post!

I feel pretty blessed to have been a part of that growth, in one form or another for the last 5 years, and for Linda to have become such a dear and important friend in my life throughout that time.  She is one very special lady!

In honor of the 7th anniversary, I thought I'd list 7 of my personal favorite A Muse focal images!

1. Spiral Daisy
2. Tiny Bird
3. Chair & Lamp
4. Super Hero
5. Classic Window
6. Tree
7. Owl Buddies

, , ,  that was a warm-up!   

7 of my favorite A Muse background stamps:

1. Dotted Lines
2. Big Dot bl
3. Big bl
4. Retro Rectangle
5. Skinny Oval bl sm
6. Stitched Pinwheel bl
7. Canvas block

And, here are 7 of my favorite A Muse sentiment stamps:

1. You're da' BOMB!*
2. Friends make life blossom
3. To one of my favorite peeps*
4. Knit happens!*
5. Sending you sunshine
6. When life gives you limes, make margaritas*
7. Just sittin' here, thinking of you*

*I told Linda I wished I had these in stamps, and she made my wish come true!

Here are my 7 favorite A Muse papers :

1. Madeira Green
2. Kitchen Green
3. Palm Solid
4. Chiffon Green Solid
5. Kiwi Tinplate
6. Moss Solid
7. Cottage Green Pinwheel

Here are 7 favorite A Muse card designs I've done over the years:

Pardon my lack of Photoshop skills, but, this was the best I could do, since I don't have a copy of Photoshop for Dummies on hand to guide me!

Happy 7th, A Muse! 

WE'RE LIVE!

                      Link: amuseapalooza.com.      

We had so much fun with last year's A Muse-a-Palooza and this year promises to be even bigger and better!  It's been a wee bit crazy behind the scenes, as we gear up for this major event!

We have so much planned, including some fabulous online activities and prizes at the A Muse-a-Palooza blog, so make sure to get registered HERE because all that fun begins June 2nd and you don't wanna miss a thing!  

I'll be teaching a whopping 6 classes (am I crazy?!  I must be crazy, but it'll be FUUUUUUUUN!!!) at The Paper Garden Boutique in Sacramento, on the eve and first day of A Muse-a-Palooza!  Please see Stephanie's blog for pricing and further details!  Call the store at 916-487-2737 if you are interested in signing up! 

Here are class descriptions, dates and times:

Sunday, July 6th, 2008

Simply Sensational, 10am-12pm
Learn some of Julie's favorites--favorite A Muse stamps, favorite techniques and tips--for producing simple, yet sensational designs while making these 6 darling cards!

Happy Mail, 1pm-3pm
Everybody loves happy mail!  Combine A Muse's whimsical images and colorful papers to create 6 clever cards for friends and family!

Simply Sensational, 4pm-6pm
Learn some of Julie's favorites--favorite A Muse stamps, favorite techniques and tips--for producing simple, yet sensational designs while making these 6 darling cards!

Monday -- July 7th, 2008--A MUSE-A-PALOOZA BEGINS!

Make it Merry Part 1, 10am-12pm
Make 6 cards featuring the newest holiday stamps from the A Muse-a-Palooza 2008 Release!

Make it Merry Part 2, 1pm-3pm
Make 6 more cards using the newest holiday stamps from the A Muse-a-Palooza 2008 Release!

Make it Merry Part 3, 6pm-8pm
Take this class for 6 more fresh and fun holiday A Muse designs, and you'll have the cutest collection of Holiday cards this side of the rubbah planet!

Note:  These classes are all different, so take 'em all, and you'll walk out the door with 18 fabulous holiday card ideas!

I can hardly wait to see Stephanie's store, which everyone tells me is rockin' AWESOME,  and see her once again--she's rockin AWESOME herself--and Missy Balance, one of our A Muse illustrators, has promised she'll pop in so I can meet her in person for the first time!

I've never been to Sacramento before, so I'm MUY jazzed!

GOOD TIMES!!! 

People's Picks 2008 | NWsource

Link: People's Picks 2008 | NWsource.

HEY!!!  This is COOL!  Do you know Seattle?  Have you been to the A Muse shop?  I always feel a sense of bliss when I get a chance to go down to the shop--Nina's window displays are so awesome! 

You can actually vote for them (once each day [!], from now through June 1st) for the People's Pick 2008 favorite places to eat/shop/play in Seattle!  Just click on the knitting, sewing, crafting places to shop link to cast your vote.

Cool!

So, where's the best place in Seattle for sushi?  I love Blue C sushi in Lynnwood, but, I suppose that doesn't count, cuz it's actually in Lynnwood . . .

I also voted for Queen Mary's under the dessert places--if you EVER get a chance to go with a girlfriend, it's DIVINE!

The Weekly Inkling Celebrates 2nd Birthday!

Link: Splitcoaststampers News.

You're a subscriber, right?  Well, you lucky, lucky duck!  Not only do you receive an awesome stampin' newsletter every single week, but, today?  Today YOU could be one of the lucky 275 names drawn from a muy big sombrero (hat) to win a great prize from over 40 splendiferous  paper-crafting companies--including A Muse!

Keep yer eyes peeled and your ears a-tuned for that "You've got mail" dinger in your email box!  LOL!

Happy Birthday, Weekly Inkling!     <----that'd be sexy virtual Julie *snarf!* 

Love this blog! L*O*V*E IT!

Link: Confessions of a Pioneer Woman.

I'm sure I'm the last person on the planet to have finally made her way to it . . . Not only do I live ON a rock, I apparently also live under it. *snarf!*

Ooooh, CALIFORNIANS! If you can go, you'd love it!

Link: Let your creativity grow!: Linda's Classes --Guest instructor.

I had a chance to meet the owner of The Paper Garden Boutique, Stephanie, and she is such a l•o•v•e•l•y person!

If you live near the Sacramento area, and have any chance at all, sign up for Linda's classes!  She's the bee's knees!   You will so enjoy meeting her, have such an absolute BLAST!!!

Nature & Sushi ROCK THE RUBBAH WORLD!!!

Link: A Muse News: * Clear Stamps *.

I'm teaching a class online right now, featuring A Muse's new Nature & Sushi Clear Stamp sets, released at CHA Winter in Anaheim.

They are so flippin' CUTE!  I've had so much fun, I may hafta do whole 'nother class with 'em, just cuz they're so hard to put down!  Yikes!

The new Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon is also absolutely divine.  Lovely weight that knots beautifully . . . *sigh* . . . and, ACK!!! I just went to pet my ribbon, and to my horror, discovered I had NO PINKS!!!

How in the world did I do this???  How could I have oversighted the pinks when last down at the shop???   Pinks are *essential* for Spring!  Criminy! *gob-smackin' self*

So, I mentioned previously that I had some *tidbits* to dish . . .

I discovered something muy cool at CHA.  Memento Ink + Copic Markers.  It's a beautiful thing.

If you are looking for a fast-drying dye ink, with no feathering when coloring with Copics, I think Memento is gonna be your new love in the world of inks.

We stamped.  We colored. We PIMPd! --wait a sec, lemme rephrase that.  Yes, Scoopy and I were testing;  I should say we POP'd.

OK, now that I've cleared that one up (ppppfffffftttttttt!!!  *insert rolling eyeballs*), looky!!!  One of the kind ladies from Tsukineko stopped by the A Muse booth at CHA, and gave us some Memento ink to mess around with.

Well, by golly, it may have been completely accidental on THEIR part, but, I believe Memento is the winning dye ink for working with Copics!

The true test, as Emily murmured to me, is whether or not YELLOW will smear or feather the black ink.

I stamped, and began coloring within a few seconds, like I normally would.  No feathering,  Not even when I came close to the lines.  Now, with every other dye ink I've tried, some feathering, albeit slight, would occur when I got close to the lines.

IF I aggressively colored OVER the lines, yes, feathering did occur, but not to the extent that I've had with other dye inks, including Palette and Adirondack, just when I get close to the lines.

Now, let me say:   Brilliance Graphite Black (pigment), heat set, is STILL my preferred stamping ink for coloring in with Copics.  BUT, I am pretty stamp-happy to have had the results I did with Memento!  I'm not sure when it'll be available in stores--I think they said either March or May . . . but,  you don't hafta take my word for it, of course . . . snag a Dew Drops when they hit store shelves and see what you think!

I'm sure this is old news by now.  But, a *tidbit* is a tidbit, eh?!

I'm feeling better--probably would be 100% by now, if I hadn't been up until 5:30 am the night before last, with some last minute alterations I made to one of my online classes.  Man, I have not pulled an all-nighter like that in YEARS!  Yikes--DECADES! Crikey!!!  I'm gettin' waaaaaay too old for that . . .

Anyway, I'm gonna do some research on that Umca/Umka stuff . . . I hafta laff, cuz I recall mentioning the "Nyquil Coma" to a lady at one time, and she looked at me completely aghast, and said, "Honey, why don't you just have a good brandy before bed???"  Hmmmmmmmm.  That might not be such a bad idea . . . *chuckle*

Survey Says! *wink*

Link: Splitcoaststampers News.

If you're a member of www.Splitcoaststampers.com and are interested in providing some helpful feedback, Daven has posted a survey!  Just click on the link above to get started, and thank you for your time!

Well, I did it!

Link: Julie Ebersole.

Woody Allen says, "Eighty percent of success is showing up."

I just hope I don't show up all by m' onesie!  Hah! 

............................................

A Muse News: 2008 Calendar

Link: A Muse News: 2008 Calendar.

One of the things I love most about my work with A Muse are the truly great people behind the company.  There is one individual in particular, who works diligently behind the scenes, and many do not know just what she does.

It is Linda's mother, Vi.  Vi single-handedly produces ALL the sample cards, literally thousands of them, that you see on display in retail stores that carry A Muse.  She is an amazing individual, with such a warm and charming personality.  She has an impeccable eye for detail, and every single sample card she stamps, is done with an obvious attention to quality and precision.

Vi suffers from Localized Scleroderma.  I'll let the link explain more:  The two major types of Scleroderma

In addition to the stamps Linda's daughter Hailey has designed for A Muse, this calendar is another opportunity A Muse has found to help support research for a cure to this life-threatening disease that affects 300,000 Americans

For more information, please visit the Scleroderma Research Foundation.

Thank you for helping to raise awareness for Scleroderma, and for your support in the quest to find a cure!