Star Spangled Day!

Celebrate the 1st of July by stopping by the shop on Thursday for our FREE make-and-take card. This card features new patriotic papers from Adorn It. We received a wonderful selection of papers, stickers, ribbons and embellishments just perfect for the 4th of July and beyond. I have always loved Red, White and Blue color combinations, and these papers are simply stunning. We made use of our Accu-Cut Star for a card that's quick, easy and festive. Change the words, and this card becomes a wonderful "congratulations" card for your "star" or a thank you card for a member of the military. I think it's even great for July birthdays, and we have a TON of them in my family. So, exercise your FREEDOM to stop by and make a free card!

Here's a quick peek at all of the other patriotic papers and embellishments. Come and get 'em. And remember, we will be CLOSED on Sunday, July 4th. Happy Independence Day, everyone!

A Sticky Situation

In Tuesday's Learn at Lunch demo, Jenn will be sharing tips and techniques for using the Glue Pad by Tsukineko. Previous versions of glue pads (by other brands) were difficult to work with and required heat activation, but this Glue Pad is a breeze! Simply apply the adhesive directly to your stamp (solid images work best in my opinion), stamp and then add your favorite "topping". The adhesive will hold flocking, glitter, gold leaf and probably some other fun options I haven't even thought of!

Unlike television, we aren't showing "re-runs" this summer! Lots of new products are being released in the next month in conjunction with the big summer CHA trade show. If you want to play with the newest product, you'll definitely want to join us on Tuesdays between 12-2 all summer long. Visit our web site for a list of demos for July!

Kick off your shoes!

It's officially summer, so let the relaxing begin (or the staying indoors and stamping because it's too hot to go outside)! This little card is perfect for so many occasions. The flip flops by Art Impressions are much more versatile than you might think at first. Why not use them for a "Thank you for your hospitality" card. Or, "Happy Retirement". Or, "Bon Voyage." Stop in Thursday and make one for yourself. I'm sure you'll find the perfect reason to send it!

Let the Battle Begin

This card has lots of layers - which means lots of gluing or taping. But which adhesive is the strongest and/or best value? In Tuesday's Learn at Lunch, Jenn will be comparing the large ATG dispenser with the Glue Glider Pro. Each has its own distinct advantages. Find out more, give them each a try and decide for yourself which one you like the best!

Butterfly Collage

This is another stunning stamp from Memory Box where the work is practically done for you. The number of cards you are going to make determines the method for achieving this look. If you're only going to make one, you'll stamp the image twice, color the wing, cut and adhere. But if you're going to make multiple cards, the easiest thing to do is create a reverse mask and color directly onto the image. Regardless of the method you choose, the outcome is beautiful, right? Join us Thursday between 10-8 and make one for yourself!

Perfect Placement!

As clear stamps become more popular, new and better ways are being invented to work with them. We played earlier in the year with the Marvy water-based markers that are ideal for inking clear stamps (which can sometimes resist other inks). Tuesday, we're going to play with the Fiskars Stamp Press. It works with all clear and cling stamps. It has a large surface, so it's ideal for working with bigger stamps or for creating scenes with multiple images. Use the embedded grid for perfect alignment, then stamp over and over and over - perfect placement every time! Join us any time between 12-2 on Tuesday and give it a try yourself!

Make it a Purrfect day!

Our FREE Thursday make-and-take card this week features a stamp from Penny Black that has so many possibilities! You could use flocking on the cat. You could bling up the collar. You could color the cat. Make changes depending on how many cards you have to make - add more detail for fewer cards, or if you are making mass quantities, go simple. Enjoy!

What's your position?

Clear stamps are wonderful because you can see exactly where you're going to be stamping them. But most images are not available in clear. So, if you want to position something exactly, overstamp a "boo-boo" or restamp something after you've colored it to return the crispness of the image, how do you do it? Let Jenn unravel that mystery for you in her Learn at Lunch demo on Tuesday from 12-2. You'll be introduced to the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig stamp positioner, which allows you to do all those things I mentioned above. It's a must-have for your tool collection!

Oh, Sweeeeeet!

My son, Luke, says "Oh sweet" a lot. Particularly if he's getting to stay up later than usual. But it's also the perfect phrase to describe our 7th Anniversary Open House, taking place Saturday, August 7. We discovered that the 7th business anniversary is symbolized by chocolate, and we are indulging our sweet tooth all day. In addition, we have goodie bags for everyone who stops by (1 per family, please), door prizes every 20 minutes, stamp swaps, a community outreach project, two new companies for your shopping pleasure and 8 fabulous make-and-take projects. Isn't the snow globe adorable? You can use it as a picture frame or as a gift card holder (it's the perfect size)! It's one of the afternoon make-and-take projects. The make-and-takes are the only portion of the day where registration is required, and spaces are limited. Hopefully you can join us for a day of fun and chocolate!

Pretty Poppies!

This card features a stamp and paper from the new Enchanted Garden collection from Memory Box. Like all Memory Box cards, this one is simple yet elegant! I love how the color of the poppies pulls out the little flecks of color in the strip of Cherry Picnic paper. Pretty! Stop in and make one for yourself between 10-8 on Thursday. There's no fee and registration is not required.