Fun with Creatables!

The hottest dies to hit the US right now are from Europe! Marianne Designs has a wonderful collection of dies made to work with your Cuttlebug (and other machines as well) that are perfect for cutting, embossing and even stenciling your papers. Join Jenn this Tuesday from 12-2 and learn how to use these dies to do all three techniques!

Soft and pretty

I love the pretty flowers and warm colors of this card! For Thursday's FREE make-and-take, Marilynn used a direct-t0-paper technique over a white embossed flower (to create a soft resist effect). She could have embossed in black, and that would have given a completely different (although equally nice) feel to the card. In fact, it would be a fun way to create a set of cards for someone as a gift. Simply change the embossing color or the card color or both and make a quick set of cards for someone special (or to have on hand when you need a card quick)!

Mmmmm, shiny!

Some of my friends and family have accused me of being part-magpie because I am so easily distracted by shiny things. So, it's no wonder I was so taken with the Marvy Metallic pens that we used on the bamboo tiles in the Open House. I thought, "if a little bit of metallic shine is good, how much better would a LOT of metallic shine be?" I think this card speaks for itself! Join Jenn on Tuesday from 12-2 as she shows you the versatility of these pens - I think she used them on the ribbon, too. Fun! (and did I mention "shiny"?)

Bound to be bright!

Wouldn't you love to receive this card in the mail? Just looking at it makes me happy! This card features Hero Arts stamps and a direct-t0-rubber technique that makes the image pop off the paper. And the polka dot ribbon is the perfect finishing touch! Stop in Thursday and make one for yourself. While you're here, check out the HUGE selection of brand new Hero Arts wood-mount stamps, clings and clear sets we received for fall and winter in anticipation of Jennifer McGuire's classes at the end of the month. It's a sight to behold!

Community Outreach update

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog post (about the Learn at Lunch demo, which is posted just below) to share the results of our collection efforts last week for Alpha's Glory. As you can see, the director of the pregnancy crisis center was delighted - and she's standing next to only a fraction of what you all so generously donated! Paula reported that the volunteers were literally ripping open the diaper packages as they were brought in and handing them out to their clients. Their shelves were that bare! So, a great big thank you once again for joining our little community to reach out to the bigger community. We appreciate you!

Embossing "Wow"der!

Tomorrow's Learn at Lunch demo features the highly metallic embossing powders called Zing! They come in a huge variety of colors, and look great on any color cardstock - especially dark! With fall and Christmas on the horizon, why not use a dark rust or red card stock and add "pop" with these embossing powders? Yum! Jenn designed this card with a lot of thought. She not only emphasized the way the embossing powder looks on black, but she used inchies, inchies + and twinchies together (what a cute idea)! She also used the same stamps to create a black & white background so the focal images really popped. This technique is called spotlighting. This simple card is full of great ideas! Come play with these embossing powders and see what great ideas you can generate - available Tuesday from 12-2, and as always, FREE!

Beat the Heat!

This NoVa weather certainly doesn't pass for a tropical paradise (and don't get me started on the traffic), so why not beat the heat and take a little mini-vacation. Thursday's make-and-take card will put you in an island state of mind! Stamp over a brayered background, then add "light" to your scene with the Signo Opaque White pen. Yum - I can almost taste the coconuts!

Think again!

Embossed stickers are a wonderful way to complete a card. But have you really thought about all the ways you can use them? Join Jenn Tuesday between 12-2 for some new ways of thinking about stickers! Jenn will show you how to color them with Copic markers so they will match any card or page. You can also use them as stencils or masks to create fabulous resist projects. Stop in and see for yourself!

Sweet!

This Thursday's FREE make-and-take is a little bit different - it's a postcard instead of a card! We're using the scalloped postcards from Memory Box and stamps from their cupcake collection to create this adorable, "any occasion" card. You could easily send it as a birthday card, but I think it would make an excellent thank you note as well. Stop in and cure your craving for card making!

Chalk it up!

Perhaps you've played with chalk in the past, but Pebbles Creamy chalks are probably NOT what you've experienced! You will get soft, creamy color without a lot of "residue". I love the applicators that come with each set of 30 coordinating colors - pom poms and alligator clips. The pom poms vary in size, making application over any size area a breeze. Plus, you can use a different pom pom for each color family. Easy! Stop in Tuesday between 12-2 and give them a try.