Stunning Silhouette

I love the look of the solid Silhouette stamps by Sweet N Sassy.  But sometimes I struggle thinking of how to "ground them" on my card.  Marilynn is a genius once again!!!  She simply flipped the acrylic block over (so you know it's the perfect size for your stamp, since the stamp is on the other side!!!) and inked the acrylic block with Memento dye ink pads.  The acrylic is a hard surface, so you'll see some "distressed imperfections", but that adds to the texture and interest of the card.  I think this is simply brilliant.  Stop in this Thursday between 10 and 8 and make one for yourself. 

Getting Ready for the Party

 Our Winter Open House is fast approaching, and we couldn't be more excited.  We hope that you can join us this Saturday, Feb 1 from 10am-5pm for demos, games, prizes, and more.  For more information, check out our website.

One of the demos we will be doing from 10:30am-12:30pm features the brand new Gift Bag Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers.  In this picture, you can see the boards (which are compact and portable) as well as two sizes of bags you can make.  Be sure to stop by and see how to use this versatile tool!

During our Open Houses, we also coordinate with a local charity.  This time our community outreach is with Bright Spaces in Vienna.  Here is a bit more information about this group:

Bright Spaces are cheerful play areas created in homeless shelters or other community agencies serving children, youth, and families in crisis. Along with being an inviting, safe, fun, educational environment for play, the Bright Space is also a portal to support the agency's services to the children and their families in their care.


Donation Items Requested
Individual Art Kits (example: sock puppet kit; beading kit)
Stamps of all shapes and sizes (letters, numbers, shapes, etc)
Card Stock or other heavy paper (but not construction paper)
Clay
Clay Tools
Decoupage
Collage Materials
Wood Scraps
Recycled Cardboard tubes of all sizes
Cotton Balls
Q-tips
Disposable Cups
Marbles (just a few for marble art)
Googlie Eyes
Pipe Cleaners (regular and fuzzy)
Popsicle Sticks
Print Making Rollers
Soap, Sponges, Paper towels
Smocks/Aprons - sizes toddlers to adult
Cookie Cutters
Stickers
Books on Artists

Please consider bringing some of these items with you.  They support a wonderful cause, and you will even earn extra door prize tickets!

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Bleach Job!

 Believe it or not, it's sometimes quicker to remove color than to add it.  And, bleaching is a fabulous way to do just that!  Join Angela this Tuesday, January 28, between 12 & 2 to find out more.  We'll talk about what paper works best, how to change the color you get simply by changing the strength of the bleach, and lots of other do's and do not's.  You do not want to miss this demo, and you'll get a chance to play yourself.  But keep in mind - this is actual bleach, so dress accordingly or plan to be careful.  Remember, there is no registration required, so just come on in!!!!

So Cute!

 

Two new boards arrived at the store, and they will get you ready for Spring!  Although, really, who isn't ready for Spring to be here?!

Our first board is from Darcie's and features three new stamp sets (Eggstra Special, Happy Place, and Ears to You).  Each stamp set is available in cling or clear and each has a coordinating tinpin set for extra embellishment.

Our second board is from Stampendous and has super-cute images from House Mouse.  They are perfect for coloring and embellishing and are a nice break from the winter blues.

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New From Impression Obsession!

We received a HUGE shipment from Impression Obsession featuring the latest CHA releases. There is too much to show you everything, but here is a sample of what arrived:

First, there are new Cover a Card backgrounds! These are probably some of the most practical stamps you can own. Simply change the ink color you use, and you end up with a wide array of stamped backgrounds for every occasion. Use the stamps individually or combine backgrounds to create complex "papers."

Next, there are new sizes of textures/backgrounds that add interest to your projects:

This is a card sample Laura did using one of the new textures:

Are you a fan of Zentangle?  Then, you are going to love the new "Zenspirations" line of stamps!  Lots of fun doodle elements that you can stamp or add your own patterns to:

Are you a fan of Asian-themed images?  We have loads of those too:

 

Here is a card Laura did with some of the new Asian stamps:

Want to try a new designer?  Impression Obsession now has images from Tara Caldwell that are perfect for people who love to color.  The images are large enough that they can cover the front of a card:

Here is a sample Laura made with one of the new images from Tara Caldwell:

Finally, we have a new "local" stamp for those of you who went to UVA or want to make a graduation card for a new grad.  Yep, we have a stamp featuring the Rotunda.  Wahoowah!

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Reverse Dies you'll "LOVE"

Have you been in the shop and seen these really intricate dies and thought to yourself, "Good Grief!  You don't expect me to glue all those little pieces back into the proper place, do you?????"  If so, you are not alone.  But that's not the intention of these dies.  They are a "reverse die", and they make wonderfully intricate windows into the inside of the card.  However, you can save the little cut-outs and make small embellishments to use elsewhere on the card (which is exactly what we did).  Join us this Thursday any time between 10 & 8 to make this stinkin' cute Valentine for that someone special.  The card is FREE and you don't need to register.  Fun!

Winter Open House demos!

Samples are starting to roll in for our annual Winter Open House.  Join us Saturday, February 1 for 4 FREE demonstrations between 10:30 and 12:30.  One of those demos features stamps and coordinating dies from WPlus9.  When you see the sets, it can be hard to imagine the finished product.  Come let Deb show you how incredibly versatile these sets really are.  You'll be amazed and inspired!!!!

What's in a Name?

Don't you just love all the new die cuts from Memory Box and Impression Obsession?  I can't get enough of them!  But sometimes the names of the dies can be a little limiting to my creativity.  For example, Marilynn created this stunning winter card.  These dies (and the stencil she used to create the clouds) really capture the feel of the season.  Yet, the "grass die" is called "bamboo", and the bunny is called "chocolate bunny" (for Easter).  I would never have thought to combine an "Asian-themed" image with an Easter image, but WOW - it totally works!  Stop in this Thursday between 10 - 8 and make one for yourself.  And be inspired to "escape the label"!!!! 

A Look at What's Coming

As many of you know, stamp companies released tons of new products at the Craft and Hobby Association convention (CHA). We ordered tons of new products including the new line of products from Tim Holtz and Ranger. The video above is a sneak peek of the new sizes of Distress inks, a new style of blending tool, and new colors of Distress Paint. We are expecting everything once it starts to ship, so let us know if we need to hold something aside for you. If you would like a direct link to the YouTube video, you can find it here.

Chalk it up!

The faux chalkboard look is all the rage right now!  I must confess that I get a teeny bit jealous when I see the cool chalkboards in Starbucks.  I wish I could draw/write like that.  Not having that ability is what attracted me to stamping in the first place.  I can be artistic without "drawing" skills.  So, imagine how thrilled I am with these fabulous stamps that create that "Starbucks" feel with no muss or fuss!!!

Join me for the Learn at Lunch demo on Tuesday, January 14 between 12-2 and we'll play with lots of different ways to create the faux chalkboard effect, including using the Chalkboard sticker paper, new stamps from Hero Arts, Wink of Stella pens and so much more!  The demo is absolutely free!

A Year of Gratitude!

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to be better about thanking the people who have been so kind and generous to me this year!  And, an occupational hazard is that my thank you notes need to be handmade :-)  So, I am thrilled about this week's FREE make-and-take project!  This card features the new pastel daubers from Hero Arts.  They are great for stamping with, but you can also use them to create fabulous backgrounds.  Stop in Thursday between 10 and 8 and make one for yourself.  Maybe thank you notes will be your New Year's Resolution as well.

Brrrr...it's colder than the bottom of the sea!

Goodness!  The Farmer's Almanac said this would be a rough winter, and so far it's proven right!  Tuesday is supposed to be cold, but we'll have the heat cranked, so come over and enjoy some warm company!  For Tuesday's FREE Learn at Lunch demo, I will be sharing tips for working with HoneyPop.  One of the things I love about the HoneyPop sets is that you can use the stamps without the HoneyPop paper to make a quick card.  You know I'm all about getting a lot of bang for the buck!

But, I especially LOVE the extra pizzazz you get when you use HoneyPop on the inside of the card!  It looks so hard, and yet it isn't!  That's my second most favorite crafting thing :-)  Inky Antics has added a new feature to their sets.  Each one now comes with a HoneyPop image that allows you to create borders too.  So it can be used on the front of the cards as well.  Wahoo!

Join me between 12 and 2 tomorrow to find out more!  And, while you're here, spend $25 in merchandise or classes and pick up your 2014 Coupon Card.  You can save lots of money!  Yay!