Catch a Wave!

What a great use of zig-zag paper!  When paired with this stamp and sentiment, it totally captures the feel of "waves".  And I love the color scheme!  It doesn't have to be blue!

This makes a great summertime card, but I think it could also be used for any "life changing" event as well - a move to a new home, a job change, a retirement, a graduation.

Stop in Thursday between 10 & 8 and create one for yourself!  Remember, we will be closed on Friday, July 4, but will reopen Saturday at 10 and resume normal business hours the remainder of the weekend.

Shades of Blue

"Ombre" is a fancy French word for color that is shaded or graduated in tone.  You see ombre in fashion, art and even hair color!  I love the look, and the Adirondack Inkpads make it easy to achieve!  These monochromatic dye inks shade beautifully, and the colors are meant to blend into one another.  Simply pick the family of color that you like, and then get the "Light", "Bright" and "Earthtone" in that family.  A little sponge action and you've achieved ombre :-)  I like the look "solid", and I also love using it with stencils.  Stop in Tuesday between 12 & 2 and give it a try for yourself! 

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!!!!

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!

We're back! With a new make-and-take!

Welcome to 2014!  We will be open Wednesday, January 1 from 12-5.  Stop in and see the new Great Impressions board, with fun cards that could be used for Valentine's Day or any occasion!  Remember, the stamp of the month is available at 50% off during January.  And then, join us for our FREE Thursday make-and-take project.  This card features stamps from Inky Antics and Penny Black and makes great use of Ranger's Liquid Pearls for a whipped embellishment.  We finished the card with a quick swipe of colored pencils.  Fun and great for anyone!  Hope to see you often in 2014!

Let your Light Shine!

Each month, we receive a fabulous idea board from Inky Antics.  This month's cards offer great inspiration for your holiday cards.  It was hard for Marilynn to choose, but she selected the street lamp - which on the board is a stunning shaker card.  She wanted to show a simpler way to use these stamps (in case you need to make A LOT of cards).  Stop in Thursday and make this lovely Christmas card - using Copic markers and layered papers that mimic the Street Lamp motif (Marilynn is a very clever girl!).  Be sure to check out the Shaker card sample using the same stamps - very, very cool!  Our Thursday make-and-takes are always free and are available any time between 10 - 8.

Trick or Treat

This Thursday's FREE make-and-take card is adorable, but it's also full of techniques you can use on your other card projects.  In this card, you'll work with the very opaque Prismacolor Pencils, which makes coloring the candy corn so simple!  You'll also play with webbed ribbon and Frantage Black glitter for additional texture.  There's nothing spooky about it!!!  In fact, it's quite sweet :-)  Stop in and make one for yourself anytime Thursday between 10 - 8.

Autumn Blessings

Fall is my favorite time of year!  I love the rich colors and the little bit of chill in the air at night!  Launch into fall with this Thursday's FREE make-and-take card.  We are using a stamp from the new Inky Antics board. We will be adding color by layering Prismacolor Pencils. We will also be using some gold Perfect Pearls to enhance the image. I love how it picks up the sheen of the metallic gold paper we will also be using on the card. We have an abundant supply of many wonderful colors of metallic papers so come see how easy it is to incorporate it into your projects.  The FREE make-and-take is available from 10-8, and you don't need to make a reservation!

 

Pan Pastels!

This week's make-and-take gives you the opportunity to play with Pan Pastels!  These soft, creamy chalks create an almost watercolor appearance and are so easy to use and blend!  You will be hooked!  The ribbon is an elegant touch, and we have this design available in several different colors for your shopping pleasure!  Stop in Thursday and play - any time between 10 - 8.

Christmas in June!

Since we haven't had nearly as many days of unbearable heat so far this summer, maybe it won't be as hard to start thinking about Christmas cards and projects! We've got a bit of a head start! We just received this adorable sample board (all the cards are interactive - so so cute) and all the stamps needed to recreate them. We also received the new collection of Christmas themed paper from Kaiser Craft called Holly Bright. It features traditional colors and images with some foil accents in the handy 6x6 collection packs as well as 12x12 sheets.

To keep you motivated, check back at the shop often for more Christmas goodies. We know that Memory Box is planning to ship their HUGE Christmas and Halloween release on July 1, so it will be arriving soon as well.

Need a little early Christmas present for yourself? How about the brand new Level 4 Copic book?

Topics covered in the book include contrast, light sources, shadows, highlights, textures, mixing custom colors, using multiliners, creating backgrounds, and watercoloring with Copics. There are tons of samples and the book even includes a free cd so that you can have extra images to practice all of the techniques!

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What a Scene!

This card is ADORABLE!  I love how Marilynn has made use of the fence card Accu-cut to create a spring scene!  She added texture with some ribbon weaving (look closely - it's very clever) and then colored the stamped image (Inky Antics) with Copics.  There is nothing like a little coloring to perk up your day - so stop in and do some on Thursday anytime between 10 - 8.  Absolutely FREE! 

August Boards from Inky Antics

 Inky Antics got carried away this month and created 2 fabulous sample boards to inspire you!  I'm totally ready for the fall colors and themes - I've had all I want of HOT!  Bring your camera and check out these lovely cards - we have all the stamps needed to recreate them! 

This board is hard to photograph, because the Honeypop surprise is inside.  So, again, be sure to stop in and see the new stamps and designs of honeypop - you'll be amazed at how easy it is to create the 3-D surprise!

You Make Me Smile

Do you love the interaction of pop ups, but hate the extra effort? Boy, are you going to love this new product from Action Wobble! It is a double-sided adhesive spring that compresses completely flat inside cards or envelopes, and springs to life when released! Join us for our FREE make-and-take this Thursday, and try one for yourself. It's guaranteed to make you smile! For this card, we're also using stamps by Inky Antics and Rosie's Roadshow and some Flower Soft for extra dimension in the flower. What fun!

National Craft Month

Creating is such an important part of people's lives that we get an entire month to celebrate - not simply a day!!! For the month of March, my goal is to post something to inspire you each day - either here or on our Facebook page. This is kind of a lofty goal, so some days it may only be a word or two. If you're on Facebook, feel free to help me out with posts of your own. We love seeing (and being inspired by) the things you're creating! Today's post features a new slider card from Inky Antics. This is part of their new March sample board (so there are even more ideas to see). Stop in the store to pull the ribbons and see the card in action. Also, ask at the counter for a copy of the instructions - FREE! Then, go forth and create!

HoneyPop Demo

Each Tuesday, we have a FREE demo from 12 to 2 PM that we like to call Technique Tag Tuesday. As you might imagine, you'll make a tag using the latest new products or techniques. It's a lot of fun, and you learn a lot too, for such a tiny canvas.

But this Tuesday's demo just couldn't be contained on one tag. Join Jenn to learn more about the latest stamping craze - HoneyPop cards! These cards are easy to make and have a lot of bang for the buck. Open them up to reveal a wonderful 3-D surprise!

There are lots of colors of papers to choose from and lots of stamp designs to fit every occasion! But let me warn you, they are addictive! And the person who receives these cards will be completely amazed that you made it yourself! Trust me!

Get Inspired!

The November Board of the Month from Inky Antics features several inspirational clear stamp sets (make sure you bring your camera as the card samples are incredible)! We are using one of the sets to create this wonderful all-occasion card. We're also using the new embossed card stock from Bazzill. This paper is printed on white core card stock, so you can scruff off the embossed images to really make them stand out! Come see the different colors and embossed designs! This card is available for you to make FREE between 10 and 8 on Thursday. See you then!

Christmas Joy!

It's November! Which means Christmas isn't far away. YIKES! Join us Thursday for our FREE make-and-take Christmas card featuring whimsical stamps from Inky Antics. In this card, we'll play with Copic markers, Stardust pens and Flocking! The flocking adds just the right amount of fuzzy texture to the Santa jacket which makes this card extra fun! Stop in any time between 10 and 8 to make one for yourself!

Inspiration for November

Each month, we wait with anticipation to see the newest Inky Antics idea board. Their cards usually feature whimsical animals and critters, so we were quite surprised and delighted with November's change of pace. Each of these cards features a scripture and a lovely image to compliment it. All of the stamps needed to recreate these cards are available in economical clear sets, paired up with images and scriptures. Easy! Stop in and see them up close, They really are stunning cards!

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!

Enough already with the snow!

Happy Sunday! Here's an update from the North Pole (I mean, from North Reston). The management is usually pretty good about clearing the parking lot, and given how much snow we got, that was no easy feat. The problem, of course, is what to do with all of that snow. So, while the parking lot was clear, all of the doors in the development were blocked.

I must say that with practice comes expertise, so I'm practically a professional snow shoveler at this point! I managed to clear a very respectable path and to get the door open. My fear (although really, how bad could this be) was that while I was inside they would come and plow snow back in front of the door and I would be trapped....trapped in a stamp store. Bummer!?!?

Our dear Paula was scheduled to work both Saturday and Sunday. She lives north of Baltimore, so I suggested she just stay home. But she is one dedicated Happy Stamper, so she came down Friday night and took a hotel room. She stopped by the shop first to pick up some emergency stamping supplies. Check out the fruits of her labor! These adorable stamps are from Inky Antics.

This is new paper and one of the Snag 'em stamps from Imaginisce (Snag 'em stamps are only $1). She actually spelled out the word "Wish" with self-adhesive gems. When I asked how long that took, she replied "I wasn't going anywhere". True, true!



This card also features new paper and a Snag 'em stamp from Imaginisce. The words are from a Hero Arts set. All of these things are available in the shop right now, so if you want us to hold something, send me an email. I'm happy to help you with your shopping even if you can't get out of your house yet! Hope you all are staying warm and busy!