New Idea Boards!

The Christmas board from Northwoods arrived in early September and was wildly popular. We've already restocked the images from that collection once! This new board promises to be every bit as exciting! I love the vibrant cardinal images against the snowy backdrops! Bring your camera and take pictures of your favorites. We have all the stamps available to recreate these fantastic cards.

Also new is the Christmas collection from Inky Antics. I LOVE these stamps - they are so unusual! How often do you think about the Christmas Elephant, Ostrich, Hippo or Camel? If you want to send some unique cards this year, then this is the collection for you! Stop in and see how cute these images are in person. I guarantee they will make you smile!

Metallic Magic

We have a pretty large selection of metallic papers that add sparkle and shimmer to your projects. Sometimes people ask us for suggestions on how to use them. Stamping on them can be a bit tricky (unless you use StazOn and great care), and layering with them can be boring (and expensive). But with all of the fabulous dies from Hero Arts, Memory Box, Sizzix and others, the metallic paper can become the focal point of your card! This Thursday's FREE make-and-take features glasses cut from metallic paper using our Accu-Cut machine. The stamp from Verses makes this the perfect wedding or congratulations card! Be sure when you're in the shop to ask us to show you a couple of card samples we created running the metallic paper through embossing folders. It's spectacular! You're sure to come away inspired to use metallic paper in a whole new way!

New from Hero Arts!

I think one of Jenn's favorite things about leading our Technique Tag Tuesdays is that she gets first dibs on all the newest product. She was standing next to me when we opened the box of brand new Hero sets featuring coordinating dies from Sizzix. Stamp/die combos are so popular now, you can almost forget about all that time you spent cutting things out. Wow! If you've never tried lining the dies up before, you need to stop in Tuesday between 12 and 2 and let Jenn show you how easy it is. And, like all of our demos, you won't leave without giving it a try yourself! See you then!

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

I just got home from back-to-school night for my 5th grader, and I'm fairly confident I'm not :-) Wow! These teachers are incredible, so I was excited to see this Thursday's FREE make-and-take card. It will be perfect to send to her and show her a little "love". This card features two sets from the Oxford collection of stamps from Hero Arts (you probably know by now that Hero Arts has teamed up with Basic Grey to create stamps that coordinate beautifully with their paper collections). These stamps would work perfectly for school scrapbooks, too! Basic Grey is not the only company Hero Arts has teamed up with either. They have just released stamps and coordinating embossing folders and dies in partnership with Sizzix. And guess what? We got them in the shop TODAY! Jenn will be demoing the dies on Tuesday, so stay tuned for more info on that as well!

Chalk rules!

Perhaps you've created fabulous pastel looks with chalk before. But have you played with chalk on black cardstock? The Pebbles chalks are extra creamy, and they look fantastic on dark colored cardstock as well! Stop in Tuesday between 12 and 2 and let Jenn show you several tips and tricks for creating soft pastels and dynamic backgrounds. You don't need to pre-register, and the event is absolutely FREE! Hope to see you there.

It's a Breeze!

This week's card will "blow you away". You will have some fun playing with the new Fiskars border punch featuring the fence motif. This punch lends itself to all kinds of projects! The stamps are from the Snag 'em collection by Imaginisce which means they are only $1 each. They stamp beautifully! You'll also get to play with the Faber-Castell Big Brush Markers. These markers are different from Copics (which are alcohol inks) and Memento/Tombo markers (which are water-based) in that they are India Ink markers. They are a very wet ink that dries permanently, but they don't bleed through to the back of your card stock. Therefore, this card doesn't require any layering pieces - hooray! Finally, we'll add just a hint of shimmer with the orange Spica glitter pens. Stop by Thursday between 10 - 8 and make one for yourself!

Tuesday's Demo and Open House Fun!

Tomorrow's Technique Tag Tuesday features a brand new product from Stampendous! These fabulous Mica Flakes add dimension and elegance to any project! You can adhere them in several ways - use red line tape to create precise borders or melt them into embossing powder for a more "free-style" look. This is something entirely new, so come and play. It's fun to try new things! Jenn will be "sharing her toys" on Tuesday between 12 and 2, and you don't have to pre-register to play!


Thanks to everyone who joined us for our 8th Anniversary Open House on Saturday! We had a blast! As you know, we like to introduce you to new companies, and this year was no exception. We had a huge selection of stamps from Vippies! This company designs whimsical stamps for every occasion! If you like Rosie's Roadshow, you'll like Vippies, too! We also brought in virtually every clear stamp set that Flourishes makes. Their designs are more elegant, and they are great for coloring! If you didn't make it in for the Open House, stop in and check it out. We have a few things left to tempt you with!


Open House feels a little bit like a family reunion. It's so great to catch up with friends we've made over the past 8 years! And, because the staff works such different shifts, it's nice for all of us to be together as well. Fun and friendship!

The Make-and-Takes are always a big hit! And, of course, there's "one in every crowd".

I take it back - there are obviously "two in every crowd". Haha! Thanks everyone for coming out and making our day truly special! We look forward to seeing you in the coming year!

A Fresh Perspective

Update: Due to flooding on Sunset Hills Road, we will be closing at 5:30 PM on Thursday, September 8. Please call the store to confirm we are open before making a trip out. Stay safe! 703-435-0051.

One of my favorite ways to completely change the way a stamped image looks is to stamp it on decorative paper. It "grounds" the image so that it doesn't appear to be just floating in space. It makes for a quick card because you don't have to worry about background shading, and it's also a great way to make use of your scraps of decorative paper. Join us Thursday for our FREE card make-and-take. We'll color in this Memory Box stamp with the fabulous Faber-Castell watercolor pencils. If you've never tried them before, you're in for a treat! Hope to see you anytime between 10-8!

No Cause for Distress

If you missed Jenn's fabulous demo when Distress Stains were first introduced, then here's your chance to give them a try (and get to play with the new colors as well). These stains are so easy to use - they're premixed and come in a convenient dauber top bottle to make color washes a breeze! And, of course, they come in the coordinating colors of the Distressed line of products. Now, you may be thinking - why can't I just use the direct-to-paper technique with my Distress Ink Pads and achieve the same look. The answer is: it's impossible with an ink pad. You, no matter how hard you try, will always get little streak marks where you have rubbed the pad across the paper. Not so with Distress Stains. They go on smoothly across a multitude of surfaces. If you are the competitive sort, consider that a challenge...and stop in and give them a try. Jenn will be sharing tips and techniques tomorrow (Tuesday) between 12 & 2. No reservation required!