a•muse studio independent consultant

Amusing Challenge – Sketch

Posted on May 12, 2013 | 3 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Amusing Challenges – we’re back with a really neat sketch! I hope this one inspires you to play along! Throughout the month I’ll have different sorts of challenges…”use it”, themes, sketch, etc. I will have a Weekly Winner and at the end of the month, those 4-5 winners will go into a prize drawing for one lucky Grand Prize winner. The May prize is a package of twinkle stickers (gems) your color/size choice from the A Muse Studio catalog from me.

Sketch 11

Wow, Juliet was really inspired this week! She wrote me…”I decided to make some paper today by smashing the wilting azalea blooms I could gather between two sheets of cardstock in my Big Shot.” What a wonderful result of homemade designer paper! I love it. Juliet used the set, All For Love, from A Muse Studio.

Cyndi had some great colors and texture going on her card…wow! I wouldn’t have thought of the pink and orange and they look great together. Cyndi used Make A Difference from A Muse Studio…it’s a set I don’t have yet.

My card is the marriage of two different inspirations…one card I saw onPinterest this week that had 3 tags which were mini collages. The other card I saw online from fellow A Muse Studio consultant, Lyn Bernatovich, where she created a mini collage on the “stub” from our ticket punch die. I used a lot of different supplies from A Muse Studio and I think the new color Mermaid goes beautifully with Toffee and Vanilla. Yum!

card supplies:

You’re Too Kind, Friend to Friend, Sunny Side of Life, Just Because rubber stamp sets, ticket die, Bermuda/Toffee ink and cardstock – A Muse Studio

PS. Don’t forget, you have until midnight Sunday to play along with the “Mother’s Day” Amusing Challenge found here.

It’s super easy to play along with Amusing Challenges, and just as a reminder: 2 entry limit and no digis please!

■Link your creation to your paper crafts blog, gallery (SCS, twopeas or Flickr, to name a few) before midnight of the following Sunday.

■Use any product but please follow the challenge criteria.

■Double your chances to win by using A Muse Studio products (just leave me a reminder in the comments please)

~ Chris

a muse studio Shop a•muse studio anytime!

Order your 2013 a•muse studio catalog

Interested in building your Copic marker inventory? Join my Copic Marker Hostess Club & get 4 markers for free!

Free set during May only! Ask me how to get it!

May only: Pick out a free stamp set!

Join my team! Email me to get the conversation started!

Now that Google Reader is going away, what reader will you use? I’m debating between bloglovin’ and feedly!

Please help me share my love for card stamping, click to share this post!

In case you missed it:

CAS Thursday

Two different looks...

→ 3 Comments

Posted in a muse studio, All for Love, Amusing Challenges, Friend to Friend, Just Because, Make a Difference, Sunny Side of Life, You're Too Kind

Mother’s Day is coming!

Posted on May 10, 2013 | Leave a comment

It’s been raining here in Northern VA so much that Cyndi had a hard time getting a good picture that captured these lovely colors. I love her Mother’s Day card – those stamped layers are wonderful! Are you ready for Mother’s Day? My card is in the mail but I’m sure it’ll get there late – something my Mom won’t be surprised about, sigh…

If you have a card done, how about playing along with our Amusing Challenges this week? It’s all about Mother’s Day!!

Don’t forget that in May you can also get this great stamp set, EAT CAKE, for FREE from A Muse Studio… Cyndi really wanted the set and is the second person to set up a long-distance workshop with me. She’s spread the word via her Yahoo Groups, Facebook and email – if you are curious on how you can earn this limited edition set get in touch with me!

~ Chris

a muse studio Shop a•muse studio anytime!

Order your 2013 a•muse studio catalog

Interested in building your Copic marker inventory? Join my Copic Marker Hostess Club & get 4 markers for free!

Free set during May only! Ask me how to get it!

May only: Pick out a free stamp set!

Join my team! Email me to get the conversation started!

Please help me share my love for card stamping, click to share this post!

In case you missed it:

Kraft tag and Twill

April Spotlight Special

→ Leave a comment

Posted in a muse studio

Inspired Paper Piecing

Posted on May 9, 2013 | 12 Comments

card supplies:

Marvelous Marigolds, Aren’t You Kind rubber stamps, Buttercup/Petite Polka dot cardstock, Versamagic Onyx ink – all supplies from A Muse Studio

All week I’ve been hoping to get a chance to play with the sketch over at CAS on Sunday. I had a couple of ideas floating around in my head (and they’re still there so don’t be surprised to see this layout again down the road!) but about midweek I was inspired by Melissa Phillips’ paper piecing of a Gerbera Daisy. It was amazing and I immediately started looking through my stamps to see what I could do and spotted Marvelous Marigolds. I stamped it first on white cardstock and then again on three different papers/cardstocks and then proceeded to cut. You really have to pay attention since many petals look very, very similiar! It was almost too plain when I laid it out and I decided to mat the focal panel with a little torn book page…I hope that still is CAS enough!

At about the same time I spotted on Moxie Fab a gift tag challenge and I thought this flower would look super neat on a shipping tag! I love it! (and don’t be shocked, more sponging!)

Some other challenges I am entering today:

Addicted to Stamps and More – CAS
Crafting for all Seasons – Monochromatic
Divas by Design – Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays – paper piecing

~ Chris

a muse studio Shop a•muse studio anytime!

Order your 2013 a•muse studio catalog

Interested in building your Copic marker inventory? Join my Copic Marker Hostess Club & get 4 markers for free!

Free set during May only! Ask me how to get it!

May only: Pick out a free stamp set!

Join my team! Email me to get the conversation started!

Please help me share my love for card stamping, click to share this post!

In case you missed it:

Floral Duets - Spotlight Special

Shabby Chic Mother's Day

→ 12 Comments

Posted in a muse studio, Marvelous Marigolds, You're Too Kind

Shabby Chic Mother’s Day

Posted on May 8, 2013 | 18 Comments

card supplies:

All For Love, Essential Sentiment, Script Background, Clever Girls rubber stamp sets, Cocoa ink, Shell/Kraft/Vanilla cardstock, Butterfly trio die set, Scalloped border die set – all supplies from A Muse Studio

I just love how this card turned out and yes, it’s heavily inspired (in fact, it’s just a simpler version) by a card I saw on Pinterest by Coro’s Kaartjes. I am NOT by nature an “edge inker”, but this card definately needed it and who knows? I may just do a little more sponging in the future! I added the Script Background to the upper right corner after the card was assembled – I just used some sticky notes to mask off the areas I wanted to stamp – the same with the little pink butterfly! I was holding my breath when I stamped that one! :)

I think my mom will love this handmade Mother’s Day card!

Here are some challenges I’d like to enter it into:

Celebrate the Occasion – Happy Mother’s Day
Scrap-Creations – Mother’s Day
Party Time Tuesday – Mother’s Day
Tuesday Throwdown – My Mother, My Friend (love it put this way!)
Created With Love – Mother’s Day
Kreative Stempelfreunde – Mother’s Day
Kaboodle Doodles - For the ladies
Love to Create – Mother’s Day
Make My Monday - anything that flies
Tammy’s Scrapin Corner – Mother’s Day
Flutterby Wednesdays – open (but must fly!)

~ Chris

a muse studio Shop a•muse studio anytime!

Order your 2013 a•muse studio catalog

Interested in building your Copic marker inventory? Join my Copic Marker Hostess Club & get 4 markers for free!

Free set during May only! Ask me how to get it!

May only: Pick out a free stamp set!

Join my team! Email me to get the conversation started!

Please help me share my love for card stamping, click to share this post!

In case you missed it:

Are you crafty?

CAS Thursday

→ 18 Comments

Posted in a muse studio, All for Love, Clever Girls, Essential Sentiments, Script Background

Happy Birthday Chalkboard Style

Posted on May 7, 2013 | 14 Comments

card supplies:

Eat Cake (limited edition – FREE set for hostesses during May), Itty Bitty Birthday, Cupcake Toppers die set, white embossing powder, onyx baker’s twine, cardstock: buttercup, blueberry, petitie polka dot and onyx, white pencil – all items from A Muse Studio

This card was so fun to make!! My son’s birthday (15th! yikes…) is later this month and I think it’s the perfect tween card. Well, I think it’s perfect for any age and either gender! I did the chalkboard technique and you can see a close up of the details here…doesn’t the Itty Bitty Birthday go perfectly with this sentiment?! I used the banner dies from Cupcake Toppers and just trimmed them down a bit to fit.

If you’d like to find out how you can get this EAT CAKE stamp set for FREE, send me an email! I’ve just scheduled one long distance workshop and I know it can work for you too! The nice thing is that your guests that spend $35 or more will also get a free package of Onyx Notecards. It’s a win-win deal!

Challenges I am entering: