Wedding Invitations.

As you may know, my husband's nephew is getting married in May. I've been playing wedding planner and helping my so-to-be niece with some of the stuff. Including designing, creating, all paper items for the wedding. So, wedding invitations. I worked on this design for a while before committing to it. I really like it but it had to be feasible. I needed really long paper. I've told you about my friend, Edye, who owns LMNOPeople. She found me this Stardust card stock from Papersource but at wholesale prices! WOHOO… it's 22×26" – Perfect. It's a shimmery ivory heavyweight card stock and it has matching envelopes (BEAUTIFUL)!

So, pressing on… I made the invitations I wanted to. I needed long paper to make an envelopment type structure to hold all the inserts (rsvp card, info card, map, and work-parties invite). I used my cuttlebug to dry emboss the outside flap. This cardstock took to dry embossing very well.

I'm so happy with them. I'm SO happy they are done. WHEW.

Love Blooms

The Love Blooms release is now available at A Muse.

As you may have seen, this release is elegant flowers and bridal images. There are also new 8.5×11 papers called Juliette – oh so pretty and 4 new 4-bar solid colors that I am truly in love with – latte, blush, sky blue, and sage. Ooh la la!

I love making quick, elegant cards. Just love them. This release is all about elegant. I *love* the damask solid image. I used versamagic chalk ink in jumbo java to get a rich brown color. That paired with any of the new sentiments, make for an elegant card. I love the font of our new sentiments – very grown up and elegant. Here I used the new Thank You RM.

And these blush notecards will be used a lot in my future. I think the sky blue is my favorite and then the latte and blush are tied for 2nd!

What's your favorite image from this release?

all images, notes, ribbon, by A Muse Artstamps

One more amuse-bouche and an anniversary – sorta…

The online release of Love Blooms happens tonight at midnight EST at A Muse Artstamps. Be sure to check with your local stamp/scrap store to see if they have the stamps in stock already!

Today's card was one I stamped very quickly (VERY!). Today is my anniversary… no, not my wedding anniversary… the anniversary of our first date. You keep track of that, don't you? I dunno why I do… I'm a "date" person… remember all sorts of dates of things I should and mostly ones I shouldn't but that's me.

Anyway, TWENTY years ago today, my DH and I had our first date. YIKES, 20 years! I was talking to him about it and he said, "Wow, the Disney stars are younger than that!" So, you have to realize that a lot of our television watching these days includes the Disney Channel and somehow the actors on there are part of our "world". It's weird to think that they are SO MUCH younger than us… most weren't even born or ideas of being born yet in 1989. Gasp. Funny, how I don't feel that old ;). Must be the having kids thing… they keep you young at heart, right? Get to relive life through their eyes… yadda, yadda, yadda…

So, the card. This is the card I made for my DH today, um, for today <blush>. 

Both images are from this new release, Love Blooms, as well as the notecard – a new color called Sky Blue. LOVE IT. One of my favorites of all the A Muse notes! (and yes, it is not purple. ;))

To celebrate our "anniversary", we're going to Chuy's for dinner. That's where our first date was and is still one of our favorite restaurants and now there is one close to my house! I'm just THRILLED I don't have to cook! That's the best present of all!

amuse-bouche – hungry for some more?

I, seriously, am now waist-deep in wedding invitation (my nephew's wedding is in May) preparation … so close but still a bit more work to do! But they will be done this week and then I'll show them off!

Since I've been thinking/doing that so much, that inspired me to make this card for this sneak… the card base is this shimmery, pearlscent card stock that I'm actually using on the invitations. It comes in 22"x26" sheets and I needed that size for the type of invites I'm making. Anyway, I had a scrap left over (or two or three…) and cut it to 4bar size.

I used my cuttlebug swirl folder (using that on the invitations, too!) for the background. The dress is actually covered with Liquid Pearls and before it dried, I made a swirly pattern in it. The corners are adorned with Twinkle Stickers (look like diamonds!).

That's it! First day back to school around here. Tough to get up and back in the swing of things. My boys seem to be a great age now where the older one can take care of the younger one and make him breakfast and stuff on those days that we don't have school, which means I get to sleep more! So, um, today I was back on duty! Ouch.

Oh, thank you all for so many nice comments about my sneaks this week. Several of you have asked about the cuttlebug folder I used in the baby shower card. It is called "Welcome Baby" and it's one of those combo sets – A2 folder and some other stuff. Hope this helps!

Another amuse-bouche serving…

This leafy vine stamp has been screaming at me (yes, screaming!). For some reason, I hear it saying "Asian", which to me can mean 2 different things – Indian Asian – lots of bright colors and gold or East Asian – red, black, etc.  So, I went with the picture in my head.

I chose not to color in the image in order to capture a different look. I really wanted to stay with just the 3 colors.

Anyway, are you enjoying the new images? Be sure to check out the Creative Team… lots of great cards out there!

Have a great Sunday! Last day of Spring Break around here (wah!) and the weather is gorgeous!

amuse-bouche… part deux

Here's my 2nd appetizer for you… part of A Muse's love blooms release. This release is so beautiful. Check your LSS – they might have them in stock already!

I love this umbrella – it could be used for bridal shower invitations, baby shower invitations, or just plain ol' get well kinda cards. A Muse has a variety of sentiments this image would work well with: You're invited, A shower, Under the weather?, etc. etc.

Don't you love the new notecards? This one is called blush. It is a soft pink. Lovely.

Have a great Saturday!

amuse-bouche…

What is it, you ask? "An amuse-bouche is a single, bite-sized appetizer." It's the perfect name for an A Muse sneak peek from the "Love Blooms" release.

More to come soon!

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I had a great time driving up to Dallas yesterday with my girlfriends. We were on a crafty-shopping trip. We left here at 6:15am and got back at 10:30pm last night. Among the stores we visited, I got to meet Tara at Personal Scrapbook in Allen, Texas. The space in her store is unbelievable and she is super sweet! I'll be up there in May teaching 5 A Muse classes … hope you get a chance to check them out!

Gotta run… Happy Friday!

Happy St. Patrick’s “night”!

Ho hum. I had this idea for a St. Pat's Day card and didn't get to make it until later today and then I only had 5 minutes! So, Happy St. Patrick's NIGHT. "Wishing you luck and good fortune."

All images my A Muse Artstamps: clouds, wishing you luck, pot o gold; Palm Notes by A Muse; Copics; Uniball Gold pen; Fine tip black pen; Foam Tape; EK Success 2" Oval punch

One of the clouds is popped up: 

Boys are home for Spring Break this week. We don't have many "plans" except hanging out and visiting the grandparents. I'm trying to work on these wedding invitations and class samples – the weather turned nice again here yesterday so it's hard to stay indoors…oh and I saw my first bluebonnets of the season today. YIPPEE!

Wanna vote for a super cute cat?

My fellow A Muse instructor and friend, Jenn, has this super cute pic of her cat, Harley. His picture is part of a contest… go vote for him (have to register first but it only takes a second…) and vote everyday!

VOTE HERE.

A Muse classes in Dallas!

I'm going to Dallas!!! WOHOO! I'll be teaching 5 A Muse classes at Personal Scrapbook in Allen, Texas in May. I hope to see you there.

There is a Splitcoaststampers Texas gathering shoebox swap happening up there in the DFW area on May 30th. I'll be teaching 2 classes on Friday, May 29th and 3 classes on Saturday May 30th (for those of you not going to the swap!). I hope to meet some of you that I've only chatted with online! And of course, am excited to see some familiar faces!

Call Tara at Personal Scrapbook to reserve your seat today! Here is my schedule:

May 29th, 2009 12pm-2pm, Blossoms and Buds, Personal Scrapbook, Allen, TX(972) 351-8717
May 29th, 2009 3pm-5pm, Let's Hear it for the Boys, Personal Scrapbook, Allen, TX (972) 351-8717
May 30th, 2009 10am-12pm, Think Simple. Think A Muse., Personal Scrapbook, Allen, TX (972) 351-8717
May 30th, 2009 1pm-3pm, Blossoms and Buds, Personal Scrapbook, Allen, TX(972) 351-8717
May 30th, 2009 3:30pm-5:30pm, Let's Hear it for the Boys, Personal Scrapbook, Allen, TX (972) 351-8717

For class descriptions and such, please visit the store's website! If you have any questions, send me an email!

It's spring break around here… and I'm hoping to stamp some (more) this weekend! Have a great Saturday!