100 Cards in 100 Days

A week or so ago, I found a post by fellow A Muse Consultant Mindy where she challenged herself to make 100 cards in 100 days using only things she had in her stash.  This called to me on many levels:

1.   I could probably make many more than 100 cards without buying another thing

2.  I could use a little motivation to create more consistently to help with #1

3.  I could step up my contributions to Operation Write Home. 

4.  I could get a head start on Christmas cards - let's not discuss the chaos that was last Christmas and the guilt I felt about buying cards (see # 1 again)

5.  If  I use up some of my stuff, I can justify buying more stuff.

So I'm in.  100 cards in 100 days.  June 1 through September 8th - that's all summer long, people!  If you'd like to join in the fun, check out this thread on SCS and let's see how far we get! 

Smile :)

This seemed like a perfect card to lift the spirits as we sit here all dull and dreary, firmly stuck  under Tropical Depression Beryl.  I'm not actually sure if she is a still a storm or what, but depression seems like the perfect description.  I know we needed the rain here but jeez.... there is a certain irony in draining your pool into the lake at the back of the house while the water level of said lake keeps creeping up and the rain keeps raining down!    I could do with a bit of smiling and maybe a pink bird of happiness (yes, I know it's the blue bird of happiness, but the one on my card is pink and sparkly...)
And with the exception of that pink sparkly bird the card uses all A Muse supplies.

 

Let's Get Sentimental

Time for another A Muse Studio Challenge. This week we have been challenged to use a sentiment as the focus of the card. I have two favorite sentiment sets from A Muse; "essential sentiments", which has a sentiment for every holiday and every occasion and "hand scripted" which is my favorite favorite and the set I've used here. I also used the heart die and our woodgrain impression plate and a few tinkles. Easy peasy - why not pop on over and join in the challenge with a sentimental card of your own?

Operation Write Home Sketch Bloghop

It's time for the 2012 OWH Memorial Day Bloghop!   This year we were asked to choose from the vast library of sketches available for inspiration.  I chose Sketch #28 because it reminded me (kinda, sorta, maybe?) of the flag and I thought it made the perfect back ground for the stamp set I knew I wanted to use.
I support OWH because my own DH is a 20 year veteran and I know first hand how hard it is to be separated from your spouse and what a difference getting a card from them can make to your day.
So if you're here because you already support OWH, thank you!  And if you just happened upon the celebration go check out them out here:

Amuse Studio Challenge - Color My World!

Lori is our hostess for the latest A Muse Studio Challenge  Color My World!!  I love to color and Copic markers really make me feel like an artist.    I started out with one grey marker "just to make shadows and outlines....." and then I added another, and another until now I have a collection of more than I am going to admit.  So imagine my delight when I joined A Muse and found we carried 102 different colors and refills.  If Copics aren't your thing, we also carry Tombow markers, as well as watercolor pencils, koh-i-noor pencils and shimmer chalks - something for everyone really...

Since it it is an A Muse challenge, my card  uses all A Muse products, all of which can be found in my online store.  The image is from the  "Quick & Cute Valentines" set.  (Not just for Valentine's Day, people!)   A very cute collection of images just  begging to be colored with one of the above products. And, of course, polka dots.  I really am addicted to the polka dot paper - it adds just the perfect pop of happiness to everything.  Polka dot paper and the scallop die = happy cardmaker.

Why not pop on over to check out the challenge and add a little color to the week by joining us?

A Muse Studio - May Spotlight

Another quick project from this month's project - bold colors, softened for a pretty little place card.  Adorable!

a|s supplies:
marvelous marigolds stamp set
wild rose stamp set
sugar cardstock (3.5" x 4", scored on long side at 2")
vellum paper (cut and scored the same as sugar cardstock)
navy ink
burano ink
bellini ink
papaya ink


Don't forget, our ink pads are on sale this month too.  

Mothers Day again

I'm originally from Scotland, now living happily in Florida (hence Tartan Magnolia)  When I moved to the US, I left my family there in the same town I grew up in.  And in Scotland, Mother's Day has been and gone.   Before I became a card maker,  I could never send my mum a card on the "right" day, because I couldn't buy one at the right time.  I'd like to say that since I became a card maker she has always had one to proudly display on the mantelpiece on the day that the rest of the UK celebrates Mothering Sunday, but that wouldn't be true.  Because moving to the US did not cure me of my habit of procrastination......  her card isn't even the one I'm showing you.  Her card is on my desk, waiting to be mailed.  This is one I made for Operation Write Home so it was done back in March, I think.
I'd seen all the silhouette cards out there in blogland and remembered this old Stampin' Up set I had squirreled away.  I am sure it is long since retired, but it worked perfectly for what I had in mind.  I couldn't find  didn't have a Mother's Day stamp, so the sentiment is computer generated. The paper is Basic Grey and I'm sure that particular collection is also long gone.  I'm trying to use stuff up right now so I can buy more stuff.  None of you can relate, right?

May Spotlight - Garden Party

Here's one of the fabulous projects from the May Spotlight .  Each month, select stamps sets will share the Amuse Studio Spotlight with a gorgeous color palette to create projects that showcase the versatility of paper crafting.  And during their time in the spotlight, you can save on the stamp sets used to create the showcased projects.

This is so easy - flower seed packets fit perfectly in our medium glassine envelope for a cute Mother's Day gift!

a|s supplies:
venetian background stamp set
versamark embossing ink
burano cardstock
watermelon cardstock
papaya cardstock
bellini cardstock
navy cardstock
white embossing powder
cosmos paper flower
toffee twine
glue dots (to attach flower to die cut and button to paper flower)
flower from cupcake companion die set
medium glassine bags
1" square punch (to make banner)
static magic 
spellbinders classic scallop circles (largest circle in small set)

Click on the flyer on the right hand side to see the all the details.  Click right here to place an order :)