CraftyEngineer

Oldies but goodies: Santa Silhoutte

For this week's oldie but goodie over on the A Muse News Blog, we featured the Santa Silhoutte stamp. Oh how I love this stamps. LOVE IT. It means more to me than just santa's sleigh in the sky... there is something very innocent about it that just captures the wonderment in the air this time of year. The discussions around my house are quite interesting this year about ol' Saint Nick. Disbelief tried to enter here once earlier this summer when a nephew of mine tried to stir the proverbial pot... ah well, his mind was changed when Santa's coworker from across the way, Ms. Tooth Fairy paid him a visit. HA! Fun times! And geez, I should look into loosing teeth these days... the Tooth Fairy is MUCH MORE generous then she was when I was a kid. MUCH!

Okay, anyway, so I have a card to talk about. I wanted to tell you a bit about the card just in case you couldn't tell from the photo. 

I used a "trick" that Julie uses a lot, which is to put the pattern side in on the A Muse Note cards. Then I stamped the city scape image a couple of times on the natural side and cut it loosely out on the top of the image with my Fiskars Fingertip Control Knife. So, does that make sense? The buildings are on the "front" of the card and folds down to show the tinplate pattern inside.

I found out a gift card can sit nicely in here and stick ever-so-slightly out of the building tops!

So.. how is all of your holiday stuff coming along?

Oldies but goodies: Big Block Background

Last week, the A Muse News Blog featured the big block stamp as the Oldies but Goodies image of the week. I actually picked that stamp to showcase because I do think it's one of those really versatile stamps. You can do so many things with it. You can use it to reverse an image (ink up your image, stamp it on the big block and then stamp the big block down on your paper). You can give the focal image some dimension by using this in the background. You can create multi-colored backgrounds. That's the way I used it for the sample I made up. Here it is.
I took two colors of memento inks: summer sky and bamboo leaves and one at a time covered parts of my big block. Once I had both inks on there, I stamped my image creating a faux sky/grass combo. Crafty, eh? And then I could center my birch trees perfectly.

I finished this card up for this assignment and took it outside to film while waiting for the bus to bring home DS#1 from school. And my neighbor snatched it up... she needed a sympathy type card. I didn't know it wasn't coming back into my house! LOL!

All images and notes by A Muse Artstamps: big block background, you are in my thoughts, birch trees, french blue notes, french roast notes; copper brads, memento inks

Project #2 coming up in the morning.

Another look at Boris

Last week, Boris was featured for the Oldie but Goodies on the AMN blog. If you've been around here for a while, you know the story of how Boris and I met. And how he is the one that opened the door so that A Muse stamps could come live with me! Thanks Boris!

When I made this card, I was thinking of how things used to explode and catch fire and stuff in my laboratory days as an engineer-in-training. I had do take a lot of science classes, as you can imagine. I was always fond of the Physics stuff and not so much the Chemistry ones. I, of course, loved the electrical ones. But the Physics labs were just cool...  Anyway, this seemed somewhat appropriate for good ole' Boris.

The technique I used on here is called starburst and I learned it many years ago from the Technique Junkies newsletter. Do you get that? SUCH a great newsletter. I have been a subscriber for many years and just love it when I get that glossy, colorful newsletter in my mail! Anyway, I taught this technique a few years ago to my SU! clubs and it was a big hit. I just love the results. Check out the newsletter if you're interested in learning it!

A Muse Stamps:
Boris
Brewing up some fun!

A Muse Notes:
French Blue note cards

Have a great Tuesday!

Oldies but Goodies: Music Player

Gosh! I'm behind in posting about the Oldies but Goodies this month and I'm the "hostess". A few weeks back, the A Muse Music Player was my pick for the Oldies but Goodies stamp. The music player is one of my favorite stamps. It is! It probably is one of my favs because of the clean line design. I find that it's very versatile too - can be used for both men and women and for any age!

I wanted to do something a bit different with this image. And so I looked at all of my sentiments and this one popped out at me. This whole card reminds me of how I've been getting "pink" things for myself lately. I live in a house of boys. And while I don't like pink very much, the choices out there for women in the "electronics" world - ipod, cell phone, etc. are white, black, red, and PINK. So, pink it is. Pink screams NOT boy. And no one else dare touch my PINK stuff in my house. Yes, my card is red. But it's the same philosophy...see the scallops.. ;)  I think my friend Michelle has a red cell phone. I don't know what color her ipod is...

Have a wonderful day!

All A Muse:
stamps: music player, one of a kind
paper: kitchen red 4 bar notecard, french blue notecard
embellishments: red dots twinkle stickers
Copics: W2 warm grey, R29 lipstick red, BG10 cool shadow

Other:
Stampin' Up! Scallop border punch
White embossing powder
SU! white craft ink

Oldies but Goodies: Spiral Daisy!!!

It's my most favorite A Muse image, by far. Not sure why exactly but it makes me smile every time. I think I have fond memories of using it during A*Muse*A*Palooza 2007 and I must have used it a bunch in all my card makings then!

Spiral Daisy is one of those versatile images ... can be used for a more serious card or for the fun, whimsical type, too!

I decided to try to make a simple (Think Simple, Think A Muse!) but elegant card. This is one you could mass produce. I think Julie calls these type 5 minute quickies!

I used the A Muse 4 bar yellow chiffon notes. I even broke out my square nestabilties!

Simple. Simple. I love it. What do you think?

Supplies: spiral daisy, just because. chiffon 4bar notecard, Twinkle stickers clear, Copic Original Marker: Lemon Yellow; Memento Tuxedo Black, Spellbinders Square Nestabilities

Oldies but Goodies: Swimmer!

Another feature of the A Muse newsletter is the Oldies but Goodies section. Jen  Pebbles is the hostess this month for this feature and her first pick is the "Swimmer" image. My family is doing A LOT of swimming this week... the temperatures have been in the high 90s to low 100s these days. ICK! Only relief in sight is SWIMMING...

 

All images by A Muse Artstamps: Solid Stitched Daisy, Swimmer, Life's Simple Pleasures.
All note cards by A Muse Artstamps: Popsicle Pink and Cabana Blue Band

The bottom is a piece of Kraft card stock that I colored with a Copic Sand (E33) marker to give it more dimension (it does have more dimension in real life!). I rubbed the edge of the Kraft (the torn part) with the Memento Rich Cocoa ink pad. The waves and some of the sand have glitter on them to add a little more dimension. And her swimsuit is sparkly thanks to my pink Spica pen.

Hope you are enjoying the new A Muse News blog, the heat (maybe it's not so hot where you are!), and maybe you can even go for a little swim! Have a great day!

 

Gift Card Holder

I have a few cards showcased in this week's A Muse newsletter. Do you get it? You can sign-up here to get it weekly in your inbox!

This particular card is going to come in handy here very soon. Not only did I make this card for Tisha's pick of the Oldie but Goodie stamp "stack of books", but also to actually give it away. My next door neighbor takes my oldest to school every morning because even though the bus stops right on my driveway and  the school is only 3 mins away, it comes at 6:45 AM. There's no way we are ready by then nor do I want him to hang out at school so long before he goes into the classroom. Anyway, for Christmas we gave her a spa gift certificate to get a pedicure and manicure. But I think this time we'll give her a bookstore gift card and some movie tickets. She's a mom of three very active kids (sports, etc) so she needs some DOWN TIME.
This card holder is one of my most favorite designs for gift cards. It's just so EASY. I need easy in my life this time of year. I took an A Muse 4 bar Kitchen Note card and scored one end at about 1" to make the fold down part. Then I used red-line tape on the edges to make a pocket.  On the fold I used the Scallop Punch that Linda carries at the shop. I lined the inside part that shows out of the pocket with some green Kitchen notes scraps. Finally, I had a piece of white card stock that I used my nestabilities on to emboss the edge. I used this piece for my focal image... stack of books.

So, now that is done, I NEED to get the gift card! *Um, that's my membership card in there ;).

Speed up trick: I don't keep my Cuttlebug out on my desk. So, when I get it out, I emboss (that is the main reason I use the CB) a bunch of stuff and keep a stack of that on my workspace. So, when I need to make something, like this, I just grab a pre-embossed shape and size that will work for me!

Happy Saturday of a 3-day weekend (to all of you Americans!)! Thanks for coming by!

You Mean the World to Me!

I'm a bit behind on posting my cards that were in recent A Muse Weekly newsletters so I'm going to try to catch up! If you haven't signed up for the TOTALLY free e-newsletter that is full of A Muse ideas, you should. To sign-up, go here.

A couple of weeks ago, Becky asked us to do a masculine card that said "just because I love you " for the special man in your life. Well, I sat and stared at my stamps for a while. And then it came to me.... "You mean the world to me". That is a fairly new stamp in my life and it just says so much. Doesn't it? I thought this would be perfect for my DH!

And you gals know how much I *love* doing interactive cards... I didn't really know this about me. Hmm. Well, I decided that this card needed to be a suspension card. Over on Splitcoasterstampers.com, there is whole section devoted to tutorials. That's where I found this a long time ago.

Here is my card:

Images and notes by A Muse
Adirondack Pitch Black
Copics
Nylon Thread
Copic Multiliner
1 1/2" circle and 1 3/8" circle punches

Thanks for looking!

Just Mom!

Oh my goodness! Have you seen this week's A Muse newsletter? Such GREAT ideas in there. I'm sure to CASE some of those! Haven't signed up yet? It's easy - sign up is free, then once a week an email comes right to your inbox with the Card of the Week, the NEW Oldies but Goodies section, the ideas for Masculine cards, the featured stamps, classes around town, and even a stamping tip! ALL FOR FREE!!! Go signup today - treat yourself... you'll be glad you did.

Well, I am so excited and honored to have two cards in the newsletter this week. The first is for the Oldies but Goodies section. This month the Oldies but Goodies section is hosted by my friend and fellow instructor, Michelle Clark. She picks out what stamp we are to use and then we go forth and make something! This week she picked SUPER WOMAN! That is certainly a must-have stamp. She's so useful! In fact, we used to at my A Muse class this morning. I'll share that card later next week! But for today, I wanted to show you my card from the newsletter.

I was trying to think of something "unique" to do with her and this popped into my head. As you know, I'm a SAHM of two smallish boys ... and my other SAHM friends and I always talk about how we get so much done in short spurts of time, etc. That alone got me thinking about how moms are SO busy all the time. It's because we do so many jobs and play so many roles... That's where the inspiration came from.... and the A Muse stamps fit in so well for this idea...

All images and notecards by A Muse Artstamps; Copics; Spicas in pink and Melon; Copic Black Multiliner; Foam tape

Just for fun I thought I'd list the images that mom can be:
Superwoman
Dr. Blackwell
Flower Girl
Shopper
Elyse
Little Girl
Runner
Kissing Couple
Rainy Day Lisa
Florence
(and then the "just because" stamp with only the "just" inked up)

I hope you like this card. It was certainly fun to make it!

Labels: A Muse Artwork, Oldies but Goodies

A Muse Newsletter?

Are you signed up to get it? No, why not? Oh my goodness, it's CHALK full of ideas and tips and such. Go here and sign up... it's free! And you know what else? The newsletter comes out weekly and Linda posted this on her blog the other day... did you see that? Subscribers get exclusive access to sales!! WOHOO... who doesn't love that? Go... now... sign up.

So this week's newsletter has two new features it in. I am excited to share with you one of the cards I did for the Oldies but Goodies section. My good friend and fellow instructor, Michelle Clark, picked Seattle Girl as a stamp we were to design with. Oh boy was this fun! :D

I wanted to showcase Seattle Girl doing something more than walking in the rain. So, I made her jump in the puddles. "oh what fun!"

It's hard to see in the picture but her umbrella and raincoat have diamond glaze on them to make them shiny! And the new clear twinkle stickers in the tear drop shape are perfect for the splash that I wanted to show.

I hope you get a chance to see this week's newsletter. There are lots of great ideas in there.

Labels: A Muse Artwork, Oldies but Goodies