Tag! You're it!

Christmas is probably my very favorite holiday.  I love the music.  I love the family time.  I love the decorations.  And let's face it, I love the presents.  A couple years ago I started making my own gift tags, which was an "a-ha" moment.  I mean, duh, if you're a card maker, you probably have everything (and more) that you need to whip out some gift tags.  Plus, your creations are about 1000 times cuter than those self-adhesive sheets you buy at the store.  I also started selling my little beauties at $0.25 and $0.50 each at local craft fairs.  The response has been quite good and even though I'm not raking it in, I really enjoy the process of making the tags.

I foolishly stocked up on Christmas stamps a couple years ago when A Muse offered some on sale.  Now, they're still in my inventory.  It's good and bad.  At least I have a few "cash and carry" items to bring to shows.  Now that most of the sets are retired, it might make them more saleable...we'll see.  If you are interested in purchasing any of the sets you see here, please contact me.  I have them on a GREAT SALE (about 40-50% off) right now.  For any sets featured, I've listed their sale price below.

Here are a few designs I made up for my fair last weekend.

Supplies:

Cardstock - Vanilla and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Ink - Cherry and Tuxedo Black Memento

Ribbon - Cherry Chevron and Onyx/White Baker's Twine

Stamp Sets - Making Spirits Bright ($10) and Christmas Joy ($8)

Other - 9mm Jingle Bell

The Making Spirits Bright set has a variety of old fashioned Santa's on it.  Very cute in my opinion.  Plus, it's nice that you don't have to color things in so it makes a quick and cute addition to any card or tag.  Don't you just love the jingle bell?  These guys are back in the Holiday Catalog and are very reasonably priced - you can get a 12 pack for $2.25.  Super fun for tags and gift packaging!

Supplies:

Cardstock - Sugar

Ink - Cherry, Wasabi, and Tuxedo Black Memento

Ribbon - Onyx Chevron and Cherry Baker's Cording

Stamp Sets - Nordic Noel ($10), Mini Holiday Messages ($8), and 

No Peeking ($6 - available with Nov. sale on website only)

Other - Cranberry Pearls, Classic Tag dies ($15)

Supplies:

Cardstock - Sugar

Ink - Tuxedo Black Memento

Ribbon - Cherry Baker's Cording

Stamp Sets - Santa Claus is Coming to Town ($10)

Other - COPIC markers

Have I mentioned how therapeutic coloring in the stamped images is?  The COPIC markers go on so smoothly and effortlessly - I just find the whole process very relaxing.  A good "quiet time" activity for us as adults.  This set is perfect because it features two different Santas and a couple different present options - all are perfect for coloring.

Hopefully I'll inspire you to try your hand at making some tags this holiday season?  And don't get too upset when the recipient just rips them off and throws them away.  It happens!  Don't forget to visit my A Muse website for TOTALLY AMAZING deals with our 2468 Sale - all items $2-$8!  This sale runs until all items sell out or the end of November, whichever comes first!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  TGIF!  Happy crafting!

Winter is Coming...

If you live in the Midwest, winter is NOT coming - it's already here.  Yuck!  Snow and cold temps have officially made it wintertime here in Wisconsin.  The only good thing is that it's put me in the Christmas state-of-mind.  And who doesn't love Christmas?  I attended a small vendor fair in a nearby community last Sunday and decided to do a holiday theme.  I made lots of cute little gift tags and even some Christmas cards to sell. It wasn't an overly successful event, but I did have a great time preparing for it and actually spending some much needed time in my craft room.  I thought I'd share some of my favorite creations.

The chalkboard look is so "in" right now so I decided to use it on some of the cards.  This particular stamp set is one of my favorites from A Muse Studio, but is unfortunately retired and no longer available.  Sad.  There is a cute set in this year's Holiday catalog that I think would work well though, called "Wishing you the Merriest".

Anyway, this look is actually pretty darn easy to do.  All you need is a Versamark ink pad (or other suitable ink pad for heat embossing), white embossing powder, a heat gun, and some dark gray or black spray mist.  Oh, an a piece of paper to stamp on.

I used all A Muse Studio products:

• Sugar cardstock
• Versamark Ink Pad 
• White Embossing Powder
• Slate Splash! 

1. Make sure your cardstock is clean and dry.  Stamp your image using the Versamark ink.  It will be hard to see since this pad is a watermark pad.  I love the stickiness of the ink, though, and it works perfectly for heat embossing.
2. Put a scrap sheet underneath your stamped piece and pour your powder over the stamped image.  Lift up the piece and shake excess powder off onto scrap sheet.  Sometimes I even tap or flick the paper from the back to loosen stubborn stuck on powder (from where it's not supposed to be).  
3. Funnel excess powder back into container, don't waste it!  
4. Applying even heat, use embossing gun to heat up powder over stamped image.  The color of the image will change and appear glossy once the powder has melted.  Let it dry and cool down for a minute or two.  
5. Lay something down to protect your work surface.  I actually put a folded piece of my A Muse Studio grid paper in the garbage can and spray into it.  Similarly, you could use a cardboard box and spray into that.  
6. In any event, spray the stamped and embossed paper evenly with the Splash! ink.  Take a baby wipe and wipe off the embossed surface - the embossing will resist the Splash! so all you need to do is clean up the surface.  
7. Now, just let it dry for 10 minutes or so.  Done!

Other Supplies Used:

Cardstock - Wasabi, Mermaid, and Apple

Patterned - 6x6 Paper Pad (Christmas Sweater)

Ribbon - Onyx Chevron

Other Supplies Used:

Cardstock - Slate, Onyx, Cherry, and Vanilla

Sequins - Cherry, Pink, Silver, Lime, Bermuda

Diecut - AS Star Trio

Other Supplies Used:

Cardstock - Cherry and Vanilla

Patterned - Candy Cane Stripe

Pearls - Vanilla

Diecut - AS Snowflake Trio 

I hope you enjoyed my holiday preview.  Stay warm and happy crafting!

Don't forget, you can purchase any A Muse Studio products online 24/7 from my website!  

Or host a qualifying catalog or in-home party to earn FREE and DISCOUNTED product!

Oh Yes It's Ladies Night....and I Feel Alright!

Ok, so Ladies Night was actually almost two months ago.  I actually thought I had posted these cards, but much to my surprise, I hadn't.  Ooopsy.  Anyway, now that I'm a married woman again I thought it would be fun to have a monthly Ladies Night to get together and do girly stuff.  I was the host of the first event and decided to share my card making talents with the group.  Most of the ladies are crafty, either involved in cardmaking or scrapbooking, but others were strictly quilters, painters, etc.

To make things easy as pie, I cut all the pieces so that all we had to do was stamp, trim, and glue to complete the cards.  It was a super fun time!  Of course, lots of yummy snacks, a couple bottles of wine, and great conversation helped too!  Here's the low-down on the cards....

Card #1

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this donut set?!  Seriously, too adorable.  And the sayings?  Fabulous!

Anyway, for this card, we kept it simple but had fun coloring.  Seriously, coloring with Copics is super relaxing.  I did my Christmas cards two years ago with Santas that I hand-colored.  I thought it would be exhausting and boring.  Not so much.  It was kind of like going back in time to Kindergarten and using markers in a coloring book. Loved it!  Anyway, I showed them how to create subtle shading.  Everyone was impressed at how "professional" the coloring looked.  Copics are 'da bomb'!

Card #2

This one was probably the fan favorite.  I had this one all done actually.  (SCORE!)  It was supposed to be one of the cards for my class at the 2014 Stampede, but I got the stomach flu (um, gross) the morning off the event and couldn't teach my class or man my booth.  It was a sad day.  I did have all the kits made up though.  This card is so neat because you can cater it to any supplies you have on hand or to the favorite colors of the recipient.  I chose black, white and silver with the thought that it would be a great card for a guy or an over-the-hill party.  The stripe-y background is just various washi tapes placed over a white piece of cardstock.  You can wrap the excess tape around the back or cut it off carefully as you go.  The candles are a paper straw cut into pieces.  It's roughly one straw trimmed into thirds.  To create the flames, I used a leaf diecut, but you could easily freehand these.

Card #3

There are THREE, count them, THREE awesome coffee stamps in this year's A Muse Studio Catalog.  NO WAY!  I am a collector of all things coffee...and I drink it, religiously.

Do you see that saying?  I like big cups and I cannot lie.  How awesome is that!?!?  It was very difficult choosing which set to use, but I knew I wanted a cozy coffee card.  I decided on the big cup set, "Perk Up".  I have the matching dies (yes, dies that PERFECTLY cut the stamped image!) and I thought cutting the sleeve for the coffee cup in the limited edition cherry felt.  Then I tied a piece of twine around it for an added touch of cuteness.  To stamp the dotted circle, I used the "kiss" technique.  It's actually pretty easy.  You just need a patterned stamp and a solid stamp.  Here, I used a block stamp with big polka dots and a smaller solid circle stamp.  You ink up the patterned stamp then "kiss" the dry solid stamp against it, being careful not to smudge/slide the stamps against one another.  Take the solid stamp away and you will have transferred the pattern.  Huff to re-wet the ink and stamp away.  To make this card a little more fun, I used the gift card holder die so that this would make the ideal Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts card!

 Note: This die will work in many of the standard die-cut machines...Big Shot, Sizzix, Cuttlebug, or Grand Calibur.  It fits inside a Bar 4 size card and larger.

Card #4

I really can't take much credit on this one.  I say the design idea on Pinterest and knew it would make a great CASE (copy and share everything) card.  Mine is a little different, but not much.  I just liked the stamp set and thought it would make a super cute and quick card.  Another fun saying in the set, "You Rock" fits equally well in the space utilized on the front for the salutation.  

I hope you enjoyed seeing our creations.  Thanks for stopping!   Happy crafting!

And don't forget, if you LOVE the products used, you can buy anytime at my website...www.amusestudio.com/lauraleland.  Thanks!

Card Swap

As an A Muse Studio consultant, I participate in swaps occasionally with my upline and her team.  Unfortunately I was under the weather when the swap was due and it took me some serious time to get caught up.  Oops!  Better late than never though!  I got this card out to the swap participants this week and am expecting my bundle of swaps from others in the mail soon.  Yay!

I wanted to use one of the new stamp sets in the 2014-2015 Catalog and I decided on the "Hipster Icons" set.  I actually got my inspiration from Pinterest...

I love the sequin-shiny look and the deer head image...in the words of Mugatu, they're "so hot right now"!  My original idea was to use gold glitter.  Hmmm...but how to make it stick.  Too much thinking on that one.  Decided to go with gold embossing powder instead.  Still shiny and gold and much easier to use!  For a bit of juxtaposition, I thought I'd incorporate a little floral patterned paper. You know, kind of outdoor chic.  :-)  I really like how it turned out.

Supply List (all A Muse Studio)

• Stamps - Deer Head (Hipster Icons) and Hello (Essential Sentiments Too)
• Inks - Versamark (for deer) and Navy (for saying)
• Gold Embossing Powder
• Paper - Blush (background), Navy (stripe), Floral (from Everything's Rosy 6x6), Grapefruit Petite Polka Dot (stripe), Navy Chevron (circle), and Berry (scallop circle)

Note: I used the small standard circles and small classic scallop circles Nestabilities set for die-cuts.

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I'm also super excited because I've finally got the motivation to clean up my scrapbook/stamping room.  I moved into my newest residence in late June.  The room has been functional (in a loose translation of the word) for a few months, but still hard to move around in and even harder to find what I need.  Yesterday I did quite the overhaul and it's looking much better!  I even have room now to leave my laptop and Silhouette machine out all the time.  Awesome!  I have to pat myself on the back for finally being able to let some items go that just weren't working.  One of these items was a storage spinner I got from Michaels.  I already have a holder for pens, scissors, etc. but I still thought I needed it.  (Story of my life.)  If anyone local is looking for one, I'd part with it for a good price - $15 (regularly $44.99).

Anyway, with it I purchased the cheap version of the "Clip-it-up" storage system.  And, yes, it functions like the cheap version too.  I almost threw it out.  I just didn't need it to hang sticker packs or supplies as the function suggested.  But then I realized that it would make a wonderful card display rack.  Sometimes I go to local craft shows to sell A Muse product along with handmade cards.  What a perfect way to display them!  And I could even organize them by theme too.  So last night I started stringing up my sample cards and I think it works fabulously.  

Thanks for taking a peek at my blog today!  Have a wonderful weekend and happy stamping!

Another Scrap Weekend

You'll probably notice that even though I have a craft room at home, I tend to get more done when I'm gone at a retreat for the weekend.  Yep, that's when I POWER SCRAPBOOK!  I was super excited this time because I actually had time to do "kits".  My kits save me a TON of design time (and frustration) at the retreat, plus I can pack WAY WAY less stuff...a bonus when it comes time to load and unload.  First, I go through my inspiration books or Pinterest and find a layout that works with the pictures I have. Next, I pack up the kit; contents include any patterned paper, cardstock, and embellishments I plan to use.  I usually over-stock the kit to ensure I have enough variety and choice (and in case I change direction once I start the page later).  I'll even pack up any tools or at least make a "do not forget to bring" list for inks, stamps, punches, etc.  I have some oversized 12x12 baggies I ordered from ClearBags that I pack up everything in and then stash my kits in some Iris storage boxes to make sure the contents stay secure and edges won't get bent.

If you live in the Midwest and want to visit a cozy scrapbook retreat, I'd recommend the place we stayed at, White's Wildwood Retreat.  They have two different retreat buildings set in Chippewa apple orchard country.  It's downright gorgeous in the fall!  The rates are reasonable too!

I got 14 pages (including some double page spreads...I can count each as TWO, right?!) done during the weekend.  Some ladies cranked out 20-30 pages, but I was pretty proud of the 14.  I tend to include a lot more detail than most so it takes me a bit longer.  Some of my pictures didn't turn out so hot, but you'll get the idea.  I'll try to take some better pictures when the sun cooperates...

One thing I was really proud of is that I finally used up some "old" products that I've had forever!  You know, those things you bought but never actually used.  I have too many of those!

"Ella Bean" by Laura Nesvacil

Inspired by Lisa Dickinson

"Eat" by Laura Nesvacil

Inspired by DesignerDigitals

"Squeaks" by Laura Nesvacil

Inspired by Diane Paine

"Ella bean" by Laura Nesvacil

Inspired by Gillian Nelson

"Chowder" by Laura Nesvacil

Inspired by Jennifer de Castro

"@ the movies" by Laura Nesvacil

Inspired by lifelovepaper

"Badgers" by Laura Nesvacil

Inspired by Jen Chapin

P.S. I designed the overlay background on the left side and then shrunk it down to fit inside a 4x4 square in my project life page protector on the right.  It's a Silhouette Studio design and I think it's pretty nifty!  If you're a Chippewa Valley resident and would like an overlay of your own, I'll sell one to you - $2.00 for the 12x12 sheet, just add your own pattern paper or cardstock behind.  

"enjoy Duluth MN" by Laura Nesvacil

Inspired by gluestickgirl (left side) and 

Ali Edwards (right side)

There were four other pages I finished, but didn't include here.  The photographs were just too blurry and didn't do the pages justice.  Watch for them to come later.

I'd love to hear what you think about my creations!  Is there something you love?  A product or technique you want to learn more about? Comment on the post or email me.  I'd love to hear from you!  As always, thanks for stopping and happy crafting!

Hi! I'm back.

Yes, I am fully aware I have left all my fans desperately alone.  (Both of you. Wink.)  Sorry about that.  I had an immensely busy summer and while that's no excuse for not crafting, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Busy with what, you may ask...  Moving.  Preparing for a wedding.  Looking for a job.   Getting married.  Continuing to look for a job.  (Desperate for a job.  Seriously.)  But, no matter.  I will be creating again soon.  My craft room is finally getting organized.  Sort of.  In the meantime, I wanted to share some pages I did this past Mother's Day.  A friend, Patti, is the former owner of a local scrapbook retreat and we have a holiday tradition of going on Mother's Day weekend.  This year I had pages to do for her (she paid me to create them for display at the retreat), so that's what I worked on.  Below are what I got done other the course of the weekend - Friday afternoon until Sunday morning.  Plus one...unfortunately an iPhone doesn't have the best camera so one was just too blurry.

For your viewing pleasure (and for inquiring minds), I've included links to all of my inspirations for the layouts.  You can see how some designs take on a life of their own and some stay pretty true to their inspiration.

'Happy Birthday" page by Laura

Inspired by Paige Evans

"Evie" page by Laura

Okay, no outright inspiration on this one.  I just have done the border-thing before and it always looks darling.  Throw in some cute embellies and DONE.

"Family" by Laura

Inspired by ddobson

P.S. I've actually done this very same layout before.  Yep, copied it twice!  Different look each time.  

"Love You" by Laura

Here's my other "lift", a prior posting.

"Christmas Word Tree" by Laura

Inspired by Ali Edwards (my HERO!)

I didn't copy so much on this one, but I did like the "vibe" on her page and that's what I went for.

"Together" by Laura

Inspired by andreakuenzel 

"Adventure with Daddy" by Laura

Inspired by bluestardesign

"Hello Sunshine" by Laura

Inspired by Katie Rose

"Make me Happy" by Laura

Inspired by Kelly Purkey

Okay, so I basically COPIED this one.  But it was so cute!

"Life is Good" by Laura

Inspired by Marnel

"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Laura

Let me also say that very few of these are original designs.  I'm pretty sure only the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" one, actually.  I'm what most would refer to as a master Scraplifter.  I'm kind of like one of those art forgers - good enough to me mistaken for an original, but sadly not creative enough to come up with designs on my own.  It's okay though.  That's why I simply LOVE Pinterest!  Seriously, follow my Scraplists board - it's pretty fabulous!  So, that's it for now.  Hope to be back soon with some more fun things.  Happy crafting!

Oldies but Goodies!

These designs are probably new to you, but are old to me.  It's okay though, 'cause I still think they look pretty great!  And, better yet, all products are still available!

This first one was created as a Make N Take for the 2013 Chippewa Falls Stampede.  It was quite a big hit at the event.  I love that the design is perfect for teenagers....girls OR boys.  What's better?  The card only takes about 3 minutes to create!

*All products used are A Muse Studio.

Stamps: Sunset Beach and Itty Bitty Birthday

Other Products Used: Splash! spray ink, Memento dye ink, signature pigment ink, Baker's Twine, and cardstock.

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This was one of my very FIRST A Muse Studio Creations.  I got my starter kit in the mail and wanted to play right away!  Needless to say, I discovered the signature inks are totally fabulous and stamp like a dream!  Bright and vibrant, but have a bit of a chalky finish - love it.  This design is also simple and perfect for a teen, especially a teen boy.

*All products used are A Muse Studio.

Stamps: Rock Star

Other Products Used: signature pigment ink, Memento dye ink, cardstock

Hope you enjoyed my oldies but goodies.  Have a great weekend and, as always, thanks for stopping!

One Stamp, Two Ways

I love showing the versatility of stamp sets.  Unlike paper and embellishments, stamps can be used virtually an infinite amount of times; this fact makes them pretty cost effective!  In the spirit of thriftiness then, I am showcasing one stamp, two ways.

Option 1:
This version is bright and fun.  It's perfect for a thank you, special occasion, birthday, or just because.  I used one of my favorite techniques, emboss resist, to create the honeycomb strip.

*All products used are A Muse Studio.

Stamps: Hexagon Background, Charming Gardeners, and Essential Sentiments

Other Products Used: Embossing Powder, Splash! spray ink, Memento dye ink, Copic markers, Twinkle stickers, Cardstock, and Patterned Cardstock.

Option 2:
This version is more subtle and perfect for a sympathy or get well card.  As you'll notice, I used similar techniques and products, but the end result is completely different!

*All products used are A Muse Studio.

Stamps: Hexagon Background, Charming Gardeners, and Friend to Friend

Other Products Used: Signature Pigment inks, Copic markers, Twinkle stickers, Cardstock, Baker's Cording, and Nestabilities die cut (with Grand Calibur machine).

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Spring is Here!

Spring is finally here...or maybe I should say WAS here.  At least that's the case for us up here in Western Wisconsin.  50's over the weekend and a spring snow storm in the forecast for Friday.  Figures.  Regardless, the warm temperatures have got us in the mood for being outdoors!  And around here, spring means getting your bike out of storage and going on a ride.  I created this card with that feeling in mind.

I absolutely love playing with Splash! products.  As you've seen, the emboss resist technique is one of my favorite and I used it here.  

To create the card, I first cut a card base from Pistachio cardstock and a layering base from Sugar cardstock.  Then, using the "Chevrons" stamp set, I added two images in Versamark ink.  I coated the images with Sugar embossing powder, removed excess, and heat embossed.  The next step is the FUN part - Splash! time.  I picked out a few colors I thought would be fun together....these colors are so trendy right now: pistachio, lemon whip, and grapefruit.  There's no good way to describe how I achieved the effect, except that you spray from about 5-6 inches away and aim at the paper - I did these randomly with all three colors, leaving a little white showing at the top.  The ink will not adhere to the embossed portions, so I used a baby wipe to remove it.  It's best to wait until the ink has settled and dried on the paper a bit so as not to smudge the "sprayed" effect.  I love gold with these colors so I used it as my other ink color.  I stamped the sentiment from the "Birthday Greetings" set in Versamark and embossed with gold powder; this was done directly on the layer base.  Next, I stamped the bike image from "Enjoy the Ride" on vellum cardstock using the same ink and powder.  I handcut the image and adhered it to the base using a dot runner.  Finally, I stamped a saying from the "Enjoy the Ride" set on an extra piece of Sugar cardstock and trimmed the edges to create a banner effect, placing it just below the main sentiment at an angle.  

Voila.  Cute, don't you think?!  Thanks for stopping!

Mini Card Madness

I'm a total sucker for all things miniature - cards being no exception.  There is just something completely adorable about a 2x2 or 3x3 card.  Plus, if you like instant gratification, cranking out a number of cards that size means you'll have a lot to show for yourself in very little time.  A Muse Studio offers a variety of sets that lend themselves to creating matching cards and so I took the opportunity to create a set of world traveler mini cards using only cardstock, washi tape, stamps, copic markers and black ink.

I think these cards turned out pretty darn cute, don't you?  Plus, I like the idea that their smallness means you can give them as small token for multiple occasions.  Who's day wouldn't be brighter by receiving a mini card?  Mine sure would!

Remember, all these products can be purchased anytime from my A Muse Studio website.  Or if these cards spark your creativity, consider hosting a party and earn FREE* stuff!  Thanks for visiting!

*Free product with qualifying $150+ party - see website for details

Back in Business!

After an extended hiatus (sorry about that) I'm back with some new card ideas.  All these cards feature the amazingly awesome new word dies from A Muse Studio.  Yes, adorable.  And only $5.99 each!  What?!  Click here to buy one or all of them NOW!

My favorite technique is to cut them, stamp them with Versamark ink and then emboss with silver or gold powder.  They look fab!

Okay, I'm so into heat embossing right now.  Old technique - brand new look.  BTW, aren't these colors awesome?  Who'd have thought that orange and light blue would look this great?!

I'm loving the new 6x6 paper available from A Muse Studio too. Such fun patterns in coordinating colors so matching is easy.  Gotta love that!

Do you know how OBSESSED I am with mint right now?!  Totally.  And mint with gold - that's a match made in heaven.  Plus, who doesn't love polka dots...big. fat. gold ones.

Can't get enough chevron!  And here's another one of my favorite techniques - embossing then Splash! ink over the top.  Teal fabulousness.

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Don't forget, I send out a monthly A Muse Studio newsletter so if you'd like to get added to the list and receive notice of sales and specials, email me at laura.leland@gmail.com with your name and contact information.  As always, feel free to contact me with questions or comments.  I love to hear from you!  Thanks for stopping.