one little spark ...

share your spark fridays ...

Happy 4th of July!  And welcome to this special holiday edition of share your spark fridays!

Before I tell you what I have in store for you this week, I want to thank everyone who shared their spark last week by creating something in red, white, and blue!  And ... a big welcome to those participating for the first time!  Thank you all!

Gina
Holly
Tracy
Geeta
Pat
Christine
Emily
Michele
Jen
Dawn
Rachel (who submitted two!)

Every week there's such fun stuff and lots of inspiration.  Be sure to check 'em out!

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Now on to this week's spark!

Create something using patterned paper!

There are SO many fun options for this one!  Here's what I made ...

In addition to using patterned paper on the bottom of the orange notecard, I also used a scrap to paper piece the cushions on the chairs.

Now it's your turn!  I'm looking forward to seeing what you create this week using patterned paper!  And don't forget to share your spark by leaving a comment on this post with a link to your creations!  Happy Stamping!

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a*muse stamps used ...
chair line
just because

paper ...
a*muse orange notecard
basic grey

embeliishment ...
a*muse black stitched grosgrain ribbon

ink ...
real black versacraft pigment ink

 

 

share your spark fridays ...

Happy Friday, all!  And welcome to another installment of share your spark fridays!

Before I get to this week's spark, I want to thank everyone who shared their spark last week by making a card using only a sentiment!

Sheila
Pat
Tracy
Gina
Holly
Tisha

Be sure to check out the links and leave 'em a little blog love!  *smile*

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Now on to this week's spark!  This time of year I get really excited about summer and July's patriotic holiday fun.  So this week's spark is to ...

Create something using a red, white, and blue color palette!

It could be 4th of July, summer ... anything red, white, and blue!

The starry background I used here is one of my all-time favorite A Muse stamps.  I use it for tons of different occassions and with lots of different stamps!

As you can see a little better here, Lady Liberty is cut out and slightly overlaps the night sky.   The larger stars also have a wee bit of glitter (added with a glue pen).  The final touch is a bit of bling on her torch!

Now it's your turn!  I'm looking forward to seeing your red, white, and blue masterpieces!  And don't forget to share your spark by leaving a comment on this post with a link to your creations!  Happy Stamping!

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a*muse stamps used ...
lady liberty
starry night
"thank you" ma

paper ...
a*muse swiss red notecard
a*muse white cardstock
a scrap of black from my stash

embellishment ...
a*muse creative candy twinkle sticker
glitter

ink ...
real black versacraft pigment ink
paris dusk memento dye ink

share your spark fridays ...

Hello again!  Share your spark fridays took an unexpected hiatus while I was away (the posts I'd scheduled before leaving didn't go off as planned).  I know I'm not the only one about to pull their hair out over Typepad's ongoing issues, so let's get on with the fun stuff!

Before I get to this week's spark, I want to thank everyone who shared their spark for the last challenge by creating cards with a circular element!

Hev
Holly
Jen
Kim
Tracy
Sheila
Pat
Lee Anne
Kathy

Be sure to check out their designs!  Lots of fun stuff!

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Now on to this week's spark!  Which is ...

Design a card where the only stamping done is a sentiment!

Here's what I came up with ...

Easy peasy!  Now it's your turn!  I can't wait to see what you create this week!  Don't forget to share your spark by leaving a comment on this post with a link to your creations!

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a*muse stamps used ...
"a little note" from stitched garden set

paper ...
a*muse orange crush notecard
a*muse pink kitchen collection notecard (scrap)
a*muse papaya notecard (scrap)

embellishments ...
a*muse lime peel grosgrain stitched ribbon

ink ...
real black versacraft pigment ink

share your spark fridays ...

Happy Friday, all!  And welcome to another installment of share your spark fridays!

Before I get to this week's spark, I want to thank everyone who shared their spark last week by making a card with at least 7 elements!

Pat
Amanda
Lee Anne
Sheila
Becky
Tracy
Dawn
Kim
Lyndsay

Be sure to check out their creations and leave 'em a little blog love!

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Now on to this week's spark!  If you saw yesterday's post you'll have noticed my focal image was stamped inside a circle (and layered on another circle).   That got me thinking about all the fun ways you could use a circle element in your paper crafting!  Which means this week's spark is to ...

Use a circular element on a card!

You could stamp circles, punch them, draw them, layer them, use circular Creative Candy,  even make your card base a circle ... wherever your imagination leads!  
 

Here's another example of a card I made using circular elements: the layers and the circular Twinkle Sticker.  The layered circles, like yesterday's, were cut with the Martha Stewart circle cutter.

And here are a few more examples ...
wishing you luck
you light up my life
frightful and delightful

So now it's your turn to take this spark of inspiration and create your own masterpiece!  I'm looking forward to seeing what you make this week!  And don't forget to share your spark by leaving a comment on this post with a link to your creation!

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a*muse stamps used ...
graduation cap from simple celebrations set
congratulations ma

paper ...
a*muse french blue notecard
a*muse wihite cardstock
black cardstock

embellishments ...
a*muse mini dot twinkle sticker

ink ...
real black versacraft pigment ink

share your spark fridays ...

Happy Friday, everyone!  Welcome to another installment of share your spark fridays! 

Before I get to this week's spark, I want to thank everyone who shared their spark last week! 

Tracy
Sheila
Pat
Kim
Teresa

Check out their creations and leave them a little blog love!  *wink*

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Now on to this week's spark!  As you read in my last post, A Muse is celebrating it's 7th anniversary this week!  And in honor of this celebratory occassion, I've got what I think is a really fun challenge to spark your creativity this week!

Make a card using at least 7 things!

Now, I know what you're thinking - 7 things?!  That's crazy!  Trust me, it's not that tough when you start thinking about it!  Look at my example below and you'll see what I mean!

Let's count ... 4 stamps and 3 card layers to start!  See!? I used 7 items before using any embellishments at all!  Easy peasy!  (I could also count Stickles and Copics as well for a total of 9 items used!)

I created this graduation card for last week's A Muse newsletter. (See the link under the A Muse essentials list up there on the left if you're not already signed up.)  I was pretty happy with it.  *laugh*  The party banner has always been one of my favorite stamps, and one of my favorite things to do with it is add a bit of color and go over it with coordinating Stickles!   (You could easily tailor it to a graduate's school colors too!)  I really love the look of the colored banners with the Stickles! 

So now it's your turn!  Take this spark and run with it!  There are SO many possibilities and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you create this week!  And don't forget to share your spark by leaving a comment on this post with a link to your creations!

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a*muse stamps used ...                                       embellishments ...
party flags                                                            stickles in lime and crystal
graduate
congratulations ma
oval from essential ovals set 

papers ...                                                             ink ...
a*muse notecard in palm                                        staz-on in black
a*muse white cardstock                                         stampin' up classic ink in old olive
black cardstock

copic original markers used ...
BG10 cool shadow
Y26 mustard
110 special black
E37 sepia
E21 baby skin pink
YG23 new leaf
 
                                                            

 

share your spark fridays ...

Happy Friday, everyone!  And welcome to another installment of Share Your Spark Fridays!

The a*muse*a*palooza website went live yesterday ... getting another exciting summer of A Muse goodness underway.  If you've been reading the A Muse News Blog (or blogs of the A Muse Creative Team) you'll know that there's a lot of fun coming you way (not to mention lots of new A Muse goodies)!

Thinking about a*muse*a*palooza this year, made me start thinking about  a*muse*a*palooza LAST year!  So I've pulled out a card I made with one of last year's a*muse*a*palooza releases!  And that brings me to this week's spark!

Make a card using a stamp you've had for a LONG time!

Maybe it's s stamp you've not touched in ages and maybe it's one you use all the time!  Either way, ink it up and share your spark!  *smile*

This cool cauldron was released last year and was a quick favorite of mine!  But it's been ages since I've inked it up! 

It's a simple, straigtforward design, with a bit of green glitter on the cauldron bubbles!

Now it's your turn!  And don't forget to share your spark by leaving a link to your creations in a comment on this post!   I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with this week!

Notecard, images; A Muse.  Ink: Staz-On Black, Versamark embossing ink. 

share your spark fridays ...

Happy Friday, everyone!  And welcome to another installment of Share your Spark Fridays! 

Yesterday I shared a card I'd made using a punch to add a fun element!  And that brings me to this week's challenge:

Make a card using a punch or punches!  Any kind, shape, or size you like!

Punches come in so many shapes and sizes these days that the possibilities are nearly endless!  There are SO many ways to use them and I can't wait to see what you create and share!

Here's what I did!

When Emily and I were hanging out in my craft room the other day she was working on cards inspired by a design she'd seen in a Martha Stewart magazine: the design included a wave.  I'm not sure how the card in the Martha mag achieved it's wave, but this one was done with a three-quarter-inch circle punch!

I drew a line along the edge of the cardstock to the depth I wanted to punch, inserted the paper into the punch until the top rounded part of the circle punch was on the line I drew, then punched!  The next punch is made the same way, eye-balling the punch's position next to the last to achieve the peak of the wave.  I did this all along the blue kitchen notecard scrap, then repeated it on white and layered them (slightly off-center of one another).  The card base is the green shade from the just-released Chiffon Collection of notecards.

I stamped fishy three times on white cardstock, colored them in with shades of blue Copic Original Markers, and added pretty, superfine glitter to some of the fins with a quickie glue pen.

Now it's YOUR turn!  And don't forget to share your spark by leaving a link to your punched creations in a comment on this post!   I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with this week!

Notecard, patterned paper, images, sentiment; A Muse.  Copics Original Markers used; B41, and BG10.  Ink; Palette Hybrid Black. 

share your spark fridays ...

Wow!  I can't believe how FAST this week went by!  This time last week I was posting from my hotel in Seattle and this week I'm playing in my crafty space with my Mom (who's visiting for the week)!   Time is FLYING by!  But you know what Friday means around here: another installment of Share Your Spark Fridays!

This week I experienced a first: my first EVER cup of coffee!  I know, everyone I've told has been shocked!  *laugh*  But, alas, it's true.  I've never been a coffee drinker.   However, I wasn't about to leave Seattle without at least TRYING a cup.  Which I did.  At the first-ever Starbucks' in Pike Place Market (a caramel macchiato - and I liked it)!  In honor of THAT momentus *wink* occassion I made the card for this week's spark.  And used a cute little green brad on the cup as the "logo."

And that is this week's spark: use a brad (or brads) in a fun creative way!

The coffee cup is one of the brand-spanking-new images just released yesterday and the sentiment is from the Coffee Break set.  (You can check out the new goodies here.)   

Now it's YOUR turn!  And don't forget to share your spark by leaving a link to your cool creations with brads in a comment on this post! Thanks to everyone who shared a spark last week!  I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with this week!

Notecard, image, sentiment, chocolate 4 bar kitchen notecard, french roast stitched grosgrain ribbon; A Muse.  Ink; Staz-On Timber Brown.  Brad; Queen & Co.

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I finally figured out my photo album uploading issues and have addded an A Muse Shop album over on the left.  It has a few photos of the shop and a few shots from VMAA*two. 

And for anyone wanting to check out photos from the trip ... shots from the first day are up here.  With more to come just as soon as Mom and I are doing less running around!  *wink*

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Speaking of Mom ... we're having a blast!  We spend the first full day in my crafty space playing and today we did a little shopping and sightseeing in town.  It's good to have her here!

share your spark fridays ...

Happy Friday!  And welcome to a special installment of share your spark fridays, coming to you on the road from Seattle!

After the worst flight I've ever been on (WAY too bouncy for my liking), Dave and I made it in to Seattle about 10pm last night, found our hotel, grabbed a late dinner, and then I did a little stamping in the hotel for today's spark.

So In honor of my first-ever-visit to Seattle, today's spark is to share something you've made that has a "wet" look!

(You gotta' forgive my photography today.  The photos below was taken about 1am in my hotel room.  *laugh*)

In my case, I used a glossy glaze to give the vase on my image a wet, glossy look!  But you can do anything (or use anything) that makes you think "wet" or "water"!

I colored the "water" with a Copic and went over that with a blue Spica before adding the glaze.  (The flower is also colored with a Copic.) 

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Stamping on the road is a challenge, but I thought you might enjoy a glimpse of my workspace last night! *smile*

Now it's YOUR turn!  And don't forget to share your spark by leaving a link to your wet or water inspired creations in a comment on this post!  Thanks to everyone who shared a spark last week!  I'm looking forward to seeing your sparks!

Notecard, ribbon, images, sentiment; A Muse.  Ink; Staz-On Black.  Glossy Accents: Ranger Ink

share your spark fridays ...

I am sooo happy it's Friday!  How about you guys?!  Friday also means it's time for another installment of share your spark fridays!

I think I must have scared you guys off last week with the photo challenge!  Where'd everyone go?  *laugh*  But let's talk about THIS week!  Yesterday I told you that I had had a bit of a struggle to make a card using colors I don't normally tend to work with.  But today's spark isn't gonna' be to make something with colors I find tough ... just the opposite! 

This week's spark is to make something using my favorite color combination: orange and blue!

That's right ... anything you want to make that combines these two colors!  Easy peasy!

I made this using a 4 bar kitchen notecard and orange pretty little paper from A Muse, trimmed to fit the notecard.  The cool frame around the drum set is from the Bracket Frames clear set.  And the image is colored with a combination of Copic Original Markers and a silver Spica.

Now it's your turn!  And don't forget to share your spark by leaving a link to your orange and blue creations in a comment on this post! I'm looking forward to seeing your sparks!

Notecard, images, sentiment, Pretty Little Papers; A Muse.  Ink; Staz-On Black, Cat's Eye Chalk Ink in French Blue.  Copics used; YR16 Apricot, E21 baby Skin Pink.