Washi Paper Quilting

Have you seen Hero Arts designer Sally Traidman's washi paper quilting video yet? We restocked the shelves with all the materials needed to do paper quilting...the washi paper, quilting kits and patterns. If you missed Angela's demo or simply need a refresher, enjoy this video by the folks at Hero Arts.

Also, don't forget that Saturday is our 6th anniversary open house. We hope to see you there!

Something Fishy?

Marilynn enjoyed taking Fred Mullett's classes so much, she couldn't wait to share her knowledge with you! In Thursday's FREE make-and-take card, you'll enjoy the look of Adirondack Color Washes and the vibrant colors of the fish (I'm not actually sure what she used, so we'll all have to stop in and find out)! See you there!

And it looks good under the microscope!

This Tuesday's Learn at Lunch features Microscope wearable art! Jean will show you a couple of techniques for creating unique necklaces and pendants: using copper tape and using the Ranger frames. One of the fun things about the frames is that you can change your designs with very little fuss! Plus, learn to take advantage of the different sizes and kinds of slides (frosted and clear). So much variety and so very easy! These make wonderful gifts! Join us from 12-2 - as always, no registration is required and the event is free!

Open House and Community Outreach

How about another sneak peek of one of the projects during the Holiday Open House make-and-take sessions? Melinda will be making this absolutely adorable candy container during the morning session. Isn't it wonderful? There are only a couple of spots left for the make-and-takes on Aug 1, so if you are interested, be sure to sign up soon. Each make and take session costs $18 and allows you to make four projects.

The Open House is always such a fun time at the store. There are prizes, lots of food, and it is always great to reunite with our stamping community. However, there is also a more serious side to the Open House. We hope you join us on August 1st for some fun, but we also encourage you to participate in our community outreach project as well. This year we chose to support Facets, which is a local non-profit dedicated to providing help and services to the homeless in Fairfax County. They are particularly involved in helping homeless families. I am including a link to Facets so that you can read more about the organization. I am also including a link to the items we are collecting. It can be found here. You will receive extra door prize tickets for bringing donations, but it will also help out a great cause.

Friends in bloom!

There is something very pleasing about this week's FREE make-and-take. I don't know if it's the complementary color scheme or the fact that it's so bright and cheerful, but it's definitely something that would make me smile if I found it in an envelope addressed to me! (That wasn't a hint....but if you wanted to send me a card, I'd be OK with it). Come in any time Thursday and make one for yourself!

Nesting Stickers

When you see them in the packaging, it's hard to visualize the many, many ways you can use these nesting stickers. Jean has used them as design elements, as frames and as actual nesting shapes. I love products that are so versatile! Take a look at all the things you can do - perhaps share some new ideas as well - at the FREE demo on Tuesday from 12-2.

Let the Games Begin

How cute is this? It's a game, it's a card, it's a HOOT! We'll be making this card during the afternoon make-and-take sessions at our 6th Anniversary Open House! If you want to join us for the make-and-takes, you do need to make your reservations soon. Otherwise, stop in for shopping, stamp swapping, door prizes, refreshments and more! Saturday, August 1 is the date to remember. Visit our web site for all the details including a list of supplies we are collecting as part of our Community Outreach.

Got Snow?

Our second a muse a palooza make and take features more of the new winter release from A Muse. The designers at A Muse designed this card...I never remember to use red with my snowflakes, but I've seen it in a few different places already this year, so it might be the new trend! Come in and get trendy and get snow! The make and take is free and is available all day Thursday!

Run for the Border

Poor Jean! Our Learn at Lunch free demo tomorrow is "all things border". Perhaps that was too "wide open" for Jean. She's made tons and tons of samples featuring border stickers, stamps, punches, ribbons, chipboard borders...she's been a border making machine. I particularly love the baby card pictured here. She used two different borders: one with holes at the top which she wove ribbon through and accented with buttons and a solid border at the bottom where she carried the button motif through. Adorable! If you've been stuck in a rut, then you definitely need to make a run for the border tomorrow from 12-2. No reservations are necessary!

Fun new storage

Guest blogger Laura here. Do you guys get as excited about new storage containers as I do? I was thrilled when the new dauber organizer came in because at the moment, I have sponge daubers all over the place! Sponge daubers fit on your fingertips and are the perfect applicators for adding chalks or inks to your cards. The storage case itself has plenty of room for your daubers of every color and even comes with a blank dauber to get you started. How great is that?

6th Anniversary Open House

We hope you are making plans to join us at our 6th Anniversary Open House on Saturday, August 1. We have lots going on all day, including two sessions of make and takes. The morning session runs from 10:30 - 12:30 and includes 4 projects for $18.00, including this amazing metal dog tag necklace. Learn how to create unique metal pieces with very little effort. You'll want to make tons of them for gifts, and your friends will be amazed! In this project, you can choose the color of your metal, so the pieces will reflect your style and personality. Sign up soon by visiting our web site or calling the shop. These spaces fill quickly!

Ahoy Matey!

Something about this card reminds me of television shows when I was a kid. I can't tell you why. It makes me happy to look at it, though. In our Thursday FREE make-and-take, we'll be creating this card using stamps from Prima, Hero Arts and A Muse as well as a border punch by Fiskars. Too, too cute! And a perfect summer greeting!

Wild about Ribbon

Jean LOVES embellishments, so it's no wonder that she has thought of literally hundreds of ways to use ribbon on her cards. Weave it, tie it, color it (with Copic markers), stamp on it...the list goes on and on. I don't know how many techniques Jean can share in only a two hour demo, but it will be worth finding out. The Learn at Lunch demo is Tuesday from 12-2 and is FREE. No registration is required.

A time to give thanks

So....you know how you really need to send a thank you note, but time keeps getting away from you? Eventually, you reach the tipping point where you either have to just admit that you're not going to send one, or you have to make something so fantastic that it looks like you were working on it the whole time. That's where I found myself today. And, since the shop is closed, I thought maybe I could work on something fantastic. So, I pulled out my Outlines stamps to see what I could come up with. My friend loves to sew, so I thought something sort of "patchwork" might be nice. I added a little bit of bling with light blue gems by Memory Box. All in all, I thought it was a respectable bit of gratitude. Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Simple Elegance

One of my favorite things about the Memory Box line of stamps is there is a stamp for every mood. There are silly stamps and there are elegant stamps and everything in between. Tomorrow's make and take card features one of the new clear stamp sets. This card can truly be used for any occasion, and I think it could be sent to a man or woman. Stop in Thursday any time between 10 and 8 and make one for yourself. The hard part will be deciding who to send it to!