New Memory Box for Spring!

The calendar says it's spring, so let's go with that! To help get us in the mood, Memory Box has released a new series of stamps featuring flowers and butterflies and spring sentiments. Join us Thursday to make this bright, sunshiny card using the latest collection of images and papers. It may not improve the weather, but I'm pretty sure it will improve your mood :-)

Happy spring and happy stamping!

It's a Man's World???

As you may have guessed, men are greatly outnumbered in this industry, and they were certainly outnumbered at the trade show this past weekend. We started the show Friday morning with a "product lightening round" where each vendor had about 1 minute to tell us the latest and greatest products they would be featuring at this show. So, imagine that you are outnumbered to begin with, and then you have to stand up and say you are representing "Bo Bunny". Great company - but wow! Matthew greatly increased his "street cred" however by finishing his presentation with a rap. As it turns out, lots of things rhyme with Bo Bunny. What a great start to a great show! Stay tuned for more stories and pictures, and Marilynn and I will be posting some new classes soon as well!

Perfect Pearls!

Perfect Pearls (by Ranger) has released some fabulous new colors! If you haven't worked with these powdered pigments before, you are in for a treat! Brush over stamped images or create a spray - either way you will love the metallic sheen! These powders contain a built-in resin, so you don't need to apply fixative when you're finished. And, they look equally fabulous on light or dark colored cardstocks. Join Jenn this Tuesday from 12-2 and give it a try for yourself (metallics never photograph well).

Trade Show and Bargains!

Marilynn and I are at a trade show this weekend - taking workshops and shopping! Watch the sidebar of the blog (to the right) for my latest tweets. I'll be checking in a lot with the latest and greatest!

Meanwhile, feast your eyes on these cling rubber stamps sets from The Paper Company! Cute designs and only $10. That's right - rub your eyes and pinch yourself - these rubber stamp sets are really only $10! Snag some today!

Hooray for Spring!

The Stickles made this card difficult to photograph, but it is stunning! Come try your hand at dry embossing and create this touch of spring! After embossing, we'll scruff the raised surfaces to really show off the image. This only works on white core paper, so be sure to stock up when you're in. I love all the little details in this card, yet it's quick and easy to reproduce! See you Thursday for this FREE make-and-take - any time between 10 - 8!

New Distress Stains!

Join Jenn this Tuesday from 12-2 as we play with the new Distress Stains from Ranger. Distress Stains are fluid water-based dyes that can be used on papers and any other porous surfaces. Their spring-loaded dabber top makes it easy to create backgrounds and to cover a large surface area. You can also use them to ink your stamps! And, they're versatile (you know how much I love that)! You can mist them with water to achieve a mottled effect or try layering them for a more vibrant look! There are 12 colors that coordinate with the rest of the Distress line of products. We hope you can join us and try them for yourself. However, if you can't get here, see what Tim Holtz has been doing with them! A "virtual" demo, if you will. Enjoy!

What's New This Week?

The boxes are finally starting to roll in at a quick clip with new product introduced at CHA (at the end of January!). Here's a sampling of what has arrived in the last week. Marianne Walker, the product specialist for Copic Markers, has written a new book called Shadows and Shading, and created a line of stamps for Our Craft Lounge that are perfect for coloring. We have them both (see photo)! We also received the brand new spring collection from Outlines! They are stunning, but very different from what Outlines has done in the past! You need to check these out! Also, we finally received the two new collections from Basic Grey - Hello Luscious and Life of the Party - that coordinate with the new Hero Arts stamps. And, Ranger has shipped the remainder of the brand new Distress Stains - so we now have all 12 colors! Fun!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

For this week's free make-and-take card, we are featuring a resist technique using all Hero Arts images. I love the way Marilynn used the fern stamp as an accent rather than as the focal point of the card. This card is perfect for any occasion, and great for a guy or a gal! Well done, Marilynn!

Don't forget - wear something green on Thursday, and take 40% off one item. This offer is not good on classes, items already on hold or special orders. Thursday really is your lucky day - free card and nice discount. Be sure you wear your green!

Stuck on you!

One of the questions we get asked frequenty is, "What kind of ink should I use for stamping on vellum?" The answer is Brilliance, but it still requires a little bit of practice to get a nice crisp image. An easier solution is to use stickers from SRM. These stickers are so clear that you virtually cannot see their edges when you use them on vellum or transparencies. Plus, you can use them on other surfaces that are hard to stamp on like candles, felt and more! Stop in Tuesday and let Jenn show you the benefits of playing with stickers. You'll be surprised!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I LOVE these open images - you can do so much with them! For our FREE make-and-take card, Marilynn used a paper piecing technique to add interest to the stamp. But I was thinking it would be perfect for Zentangling as well. Wouldn't it be cool to create a pattern that was sort of Celtic? Fun! Stop in this Thursday to make one of these cards to share. I'm sure it will bring you the luck of the Irish!

I Predict a Bright Future!

Our friends at Flower Soft released a new collection of NEON colors. Given that I so closely associate Flower Soft with "nature", I wasn't sure I was excited about all of these Neon colors....until I saw them in person. They are so vibrant, they are just the ticket after a gray, rainy day like we had yesterday! And, I love how Jenn used them to accent this tag! You can apply Flower Soft with their specially formulated glue, or you can use red-line tape to create a more geometric effect. Love it! Join Jenn Tuesday between 12 and 2 and play with the new Neon Flower Soft. I guarantee you it will perk up your day!

Delicious Details

The Hero Arts CHA release included lots of new products to go with their Hero Hues line. The line previously included matching notecards, layering papers, ribbon, paper flowers and inkpads. They've added buttons, dots and designer papers that feature some of their stamp designs to make your projects coordinate beautifully. Use the designer papers as backgrounds, or stamp on them to create a unique paper-pieced look. Fun! Stop in Thursday to create this fabulous thank you card and get an opportunity to play with some of the great new products just starting to arrive from CHA!