Artsy Tartsy

I'm busy-busy this week working on many class prep to-do's before heading to sunny San Diego for a week. Just wanted to pop in to share some happy news ... check it out!

I've added Artsy Tartsy to my upcoming class list on the left side of my blog.

If you're visiting my blog from the Artsy Tartsy blog, hello and welcome! I can't wait to meet you. :)

Easter Greetings!

Happy Friday!

Thanks to the lovely ladies who came out to Smudges last night. We had lots of fun making some sweet Easter cards. Join us next Thursday for my Egg-celent Easter class!

Here's a peep ... I mean ... peek! :) We made this cutie last night. Love these colors together!

Upcoming Classes

All classes below will be at Smudges Rubber Stamps in Chanhassen, MN. Please don't forget to call the store (952-974-9885) to sign up ahead of time so we know you're coming! :)


Egg-celent Easter (Thursday, April 2 – 6:30-8:30 pm)
We'll make 5 egg-celent cards for Easter using new images and note cards from A Muse.

Fabulous Florals (Thursday, April 16 – 6:30-8:30 pm)
We’ll make 5 sweet cards with new floral images from A Muse. Using great color combos and some bling, and they’ll be fabulous!

Simple Celebrations (Saturday, April 25 – 9:30-11:30 am)
This class will get you ready for the celebrations that come with the spring and summer months. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Bridal, Baby, and Graduation – you’ll be covered!

Flower Power (Thursday, May 7 – 6:30-8:30 pm)
These cards will cure your spring fever! We’ll make 5 cards using fresh color combos and floral images from A Muse.

Just for Friends (Saturday, May 16 – 9:30-11:30 am)
$22 per person or $36 total for 2 people

We'll make 5 adorable cards using fun friendship images from A Muse. Bring a friend and you both save $4 on your class fee!

Birthday Bonanza (Thursday, May 21 – 6:30-8:30 pm)
We’re going to have a blast making birthday cards in this class. We’ll be using a variety of A Muse products to create 5 cards perfect to have on hand for any birthday.

Summer Sparkles (Thursday, June 4 – 6:30-8:30 pm)
We'll use glitter, Twinkle Stickers and new images from A Muse to make 5 fun summer themed cards that sparkle and shimmer!

Cupcake & Coffee Break (Saturday, June 13 – 9:30-11:30 am)
This class will feature two of my favorite things – cupcakes and coffee! We’ll use the Cupcake Builder and Coffee Break clear sets from A Muse. You’ll love the versatility of both sets!

Summer Sweetness (Thursday, June 18 – 6:30-8:30 pm)
We’ll make 5 happy cards using sunny colors and summer images from A Muse.

Snazzy Scor-Pal Creations!

Thanks to the lovelies who joined me for some Scor-Pal fun last weekend! We made some cutie-patootie little treat containers and a very cool card. :)

As promised, here are some instructions for the projects. What I love about these creations is that you could easily change them up for whatever season/holiday/celebration/party is coming your way. Baby or Wedding Shower favors using the Tent Wrap! Mini Matchbook Treats for class Valentines! So many creative uses for these quick & easy projects. Enjoy!

Ghiardelli Box - template here

This easy little box holds 3 Ghiardelli chocolate squares ... so cute!

Tent Wrap - template in this thread

We put two Hershey's Nuggets inside. You could use Kisses, a roll of Life Savers, or a tube of LIP GLOSS (thanks Theresa for that fab idea!). I mean, how cute would this be for a girl's birthday party with a tube of Lip Smackers inside? Adorable!

Mini Matchbook Treats - template in this thread

Seriously ... how CUTE are these little things? They are tiny, so we made 4 as one project. I could have made them all day long - so quick, easy and did I mention CUTE? :) The best thing about these is that you can make 4 from one single 4-Bar Note. The only thing I changed from the original template is that I used a 1/16" hole punch and a brad in place of the staple. Great way to use up random brads you might have stashed away! We used the individually wrapped Life Savers inside - Tropical and Original - so they are brightly colored. :)

Box in a Bag - template here

We filled the box in a bag with crinkle shred, and it makes the cutest little gift packaging!

Stairstep Card

Julie had us make a fabulous version of this card at our Instructor Weekend in Seattle last fall. She used the 8.5x11 Cardstock, but I changed the dimensions and scoring marks a bit so we could use one 4-Bar Note.

Using a 4-Bar note (3.5" x 10"), score at these measurements:

1", 2", 3.5", 5" (this is the pre-scored line), 7.5"

It's true what they say ...

... deaths come in three's.

Sorry for the absence lately. To be blunt, we've now had 3 deaths in the past month. My cousin Aaron was killed in a tragic hit and run in Oregon about a month ago, which has left us all with good and bad days. It's been very hard to deal with, mostly due to the tragic nature of the death and being so far away from it all. Closure is such an important thing with the death of loved ones, and it's difficult when you don't get that. Also, my great-aunt Norma passed away this past Wednesday, and my mom's neighbor Don passed away yesterday. There will be two funerals this weekend, in the midst of birthday celebrations for Lily. My sweet girl is turning 9 today, so I'm a proud mama even with all the sadness surrounding us.

Just wanted to let you know I'm still around and busy crafting. I have two blog posts (almost) ready for you. One will showcase photos and instructions/template links for the goodies we made in my Snazzy Scor-Pal Creations class last weekend. The other will be my list of new classes booked for April-June. Bear with me ... will try to post those tonight or tomorrow. They will be worth the wait ... thank you for your patience.

In the meantime, check out the other A Muse Creative Team member blogs. There are lots of goodies out there today ... it's amuse bouche time!

Catching up ...

sorry for the wonky formatting ... blogger is such a pain that way!

I know, I know. It's been awhile! I'll make up for it by sharing a few cards today. There are reminders on my calendar to post blog entries more often, so bear with me. :)

First, a reminder about my class this week - join us!

Spring Bling

Thursday, March 5 - 6:30-8:30pm

Smudges Rubber Stamps (please call 952-974-9885 to sign up!)

Here are a few cards we've made in recent classes ...

Valentine Sparkle

Clearly All Occasion

(Look at my new Fiskars punch! It's called Upper Crest, and it was a treat to myself. I love it!)

I know we're *so done* with Valentine's Day, but I really want to share this card. I needed a quick card to put inside a Valentine themed care package for a friend serving in the war. This is the perfect example of a "5MQ" (5 Minute Quickie, says The Queen herself!) - made from scraps and stamps that were sitting on my desk! I totally love how it turned out.

And just for fun ... how cute are Karen & Dawn? They showed up at class on Saturday, ready for Spring! Love these ladies. :)