Video Tutorial: Glitter Tips

Welcome to the first regular installment of my weekly video tutorial featuring A Muse Studio! You will find a new video posted here on my blog, and over at my YouTube channel every Sunday.

This week's video features a birthday card from start to finish. It also includes some easy tips for working with glitter, and a fool-proof way to tie ribbon that comes out perfectly every time!

Watch video below, or watch on YouTube.

All materials from A Muse Studio, and available at my webstore:
- solid cardstock in Orange, Sky, and Sugar
- pigment ink in Orange
- Memento Tuxedo Black ink
- cake stamp from "A Very Merry Un-Birthday"
- birthday wishes stamp from "Contemporary Greetings"
- polka dot border stamp from "Polka Dot Patterns"
- Copic Markers in Y11, B00, Y17, YR16, E40 (Note: E40 not available from A Muse Studio)
- stitched grosgrain ribbon in Sky
- Tombow Adhesive Dots Tape Runner
- Sakura Quickie Glue Pen
- Diamond Glitter
- 3D foam adhesive

P.S. I want you to know I do realize how long my first two videos have been, and I promise to work on this. Filming this video went by so fast I really thought it would be way shorter! The whole thing - believe it or not! - was close to 25 minutes! I will work on restricting my yammering and try to apply my tape runner faster :)

Hope your weekend was marvelous! Is it Spring yet where you are?

Creative Consultants Blog Hop

It's Saturday! Yay!

If you're hopping here from Sherri Thacker's blog - Welcome! Are you having fun? :) If you found me another way, make sure you head over to Samantha's blog to start the hop so you don't miss out on any of the great A Muse Studio inspiration.

I love these images! They're so pretty and so versatile! The flower I used as my focal image is from Beautiful Botanicals, and the leaf image is from Beautiful Botanicals 2. I used one of my favorite stamping techniques with the leaf image: custom "patterned paper." Just stamp the image over and over in a random pattern all over your cardstock. And be sure to orient the stamp in all different directions and stamp off the edges so it looks like you cut up a "real" sheet of patterned paper. :)

For my focal image, I used another of my all-time favorite stamping techniques. But, I'm going to keep you guessing for now how I did it, because I'll be featuring this technique in an upcoming video tutorial. ;-)

Now head on over to Gena Krutsinger's blog. Can't wait to see what she's got for us!

Supplies used in this card:
- A Muse Studio cardstock in French Roast, Ocean, Sugar, and Sage
- A Muse Studio pigment ink in French Roast, and Grass
- A Muse Studio 1/4" grosgrain stitch ribbon in Sky
- flower stamp from "Beautiful Botanicals" by A Muse Studio
- leaf stamp from "Beautiful Botanicals 2" by A Muse Studio
- sentiment stamp from "Friend to Friend" by A Muse Studio
- Memento markers in Summer Sky, Bahama Blue, Danube Blue, and Bamboo Leaves (These are pretty much exactly like the Tombow Dual-Brush Markers that are available through A Muse Studio. A basic water-based ink marker.)

Thanks for checking in today! Have a great weekend!

Happy A Muse Studio Day!

Happy April First! It's an exciting day around here, with two very special announcements. First of all, today is the day my very own personal A Muse Studio webstore goes LIVE! Hooray! You can now officially check out all the awesome A Muse Studio products, as well as shop online* or book a party (locals only, sorry), all day, every day. Check it out: https://www.amusestudio.com/annakeyes (And don't forget the extra E in KeyEs!)

AND, to celebrate my webstore and the official "kick-off" of the all new A Muse Studio, I'm launching a brand-spankin'-new Video Tutorial Series! This is something I'm very excited about, and very proud of. I will be featuring weekly videos (or, at least approximately weekly!) showcasing product introductions/reviews/demos, stamping tutorials, start-to-finish cards, and other fun projects for home decor, gift giving, and holidays. So, without any further ado, let me introduce my very first video tutorial project!

*insert fanfare here* :)

Pencil Flag Cards!

I absolutely love these and I have to say I'm so proud of this idea! These are little flag shaped cards that you tuck a pencil into - Perfection for any birthday or party favor! AND, they make super cute party decorations before you give them all away! Gotta love the double-duty! :) I also think these would be an adorable whole-class treat for your kids' friends. (Got one of those evil teachers who insists on a sugar-free Valentine's Day? Nobody will even notice with a treat this fun!) AND, if that wasn't enough, there's plenty of room on the inside to write a special message.

Here's a close-up of the green flag.

And here's the video! 



Materials used in this video:
- A Muse Studio cardstock in and Orange, Buttercup, and Sugar
- A Muse Studio pigment ink in Orange
- Memento Tuxedo Black ink
- heart stamp from "Hearts A Plenty" by A Muse Studio
- sentiment stamp from "Brief Notes" by A Muse Studio
- Tombow Permanent Adhesive Dots tape runner
-  Pencil Flag Template (click to download pdf)
- pencils (The ones I used in the video are from Curly Girl Design. I got them at my favorite local gift store. Check at a Hallmark, or similar store. Or get super cheap personalized pencils from Miles Kimball!)
- foam dimensional adhesive
- acrylic blocks by A Muse Studio (Get these! Best blocks I've ever used!)
- small, sharp scissors
- scoring board (mine's from Martha Stewart Crafts) and scoring tool

Thanks for stopping by! And be sure to come back tomorrow for the First Ever A Muse Studio Creative Consultants Blog Hop :) There's sure to be some great inspiration, and there may just be goodies to win! ;)





* A word about online ordering: If you're going to order more than $150 worth of yummies, then be sure to contact me first, because you'll be eligible for Hostess Benefits, but you can only get them if I place the order for you!

playing catch-up + some exciting {news!}

Hey everybody!

I'm trying to keep the words to a minimum on this post, but please **be sure to read all the way to the bottom for some exciting news!!**

I've got a handful of projects to share with you tonight - things that have just been sitting on my shelf waiting to be photographed and posted :)

First up...

So, it's a week late, but this is my attempt at Tiffany Johnson's Sketchy Sunday TG012. This was a hard sketch for me! It was adorable in my head, but I can't decide how I feel about the actual card.

This one was made with Cosmo Cricket's new Upcycle line and a super adorable Whiff of Joy stamp. And the sentiment (I forget where it's from) is so cute - it says "You'll always be my friend... you know too much!" Love it!

And last but not least...

I made this one using some of the new Papertrey Ink yummies from the last release. A dear friend of mine is in graduate school right now studying to be a nurse practitioner. It's been really stressful and a lot of work for her. We don't talk or see each other as much as I'd like, but I've been thinking a lot about her lately and wanted to send her a cheery treat for her to find in her mailbox. Hence the bright colors. I also made some of her fave yo-yo flowers out of some fabric another friend brought back from Africa and glued them onto a barrette.

I used the PTI button card die stamped with Hero Arts' Friends Definition stamp for the backing. The barrette itself is very curved - much more than any other barrette I've seen! - so it warps the card quite a bit, but it's still a cute and easy packaging option.

So that's what I've been up to lately. Now, are you ready for the exciting news?!?!! I'm sure many of you are familiar with a company called A Muse Art Stamps. Well, they've renamed their company and are joining the direct home sales market. They are now A Muse Studio, and their stamps are just as adorable as ever, but now you can only order them from a Creative Consultant. And guess what? I am one! :) I'm so excited to be starting on this journey with an amazing company. And I've got grand things planned for my blog, including a video tutorial series! (I'm so excited about all the awesome ideas going through my head... my sleep schedule is really suffering! LOL) The A Muse Studio button at the top of my sidebar will take you directly to my webstore, where you can order stamps, cardstocks, inks, and more, or book a party 24/7! Webstores won't be available until April 1st, though, so in the meantime, I hope you'll click on the picture of the awesome Catalog and Inspiration Guide and take a look at everything they have to offer! I'll be back on the first with a super-cute celebratory video tutorial. And then be sure to check out my new friend Samantha Kania's blog on April 2nd (that's this Saturday) - She'll be kicking off a blog hop with lots of ideas from Creative Consultants all over the country!

So, friends, I hope you had a great weekend! I look forward to sharing A Muse Studio with you!

Luau Invitations

Hello and Happy Friday!

Just a quick post tonight to share the invitations I made for my former boss's daughter's 5th birthday party. It's a Hawaiian theme - so cute! :)

I used almost exclusively Papertrey Ink products on these. This was a great excuse to *finally* purchase Dawn McVey's fantastic Aloha stamp set. I used Hawaiian Shores cardstock and ribbon, Orange Zest and Hibiscus Burst ribbons, and the closest coordinating Copics in my stash. My hubby helped me print the details on the cards. You can't really see it in the photo, but I also used Hero Arts's amazing Envelope Background stamp on the fronts of the cards.

Have a great weekend, folks! :)

{little one}

Lawn Fawn's new Plus One stamp set has to be my favorite new stamp set in a long time. I have loved random things with cute little smiley faces ever since elementary school classrooms decorated in Carson-Dellosa products! :) The images are so clever and I love how all the sentiments are separate and can be combined into so many different options.

(Sorry about the weird angles here. I got the light just right on my bookshelf and I didn't notice how weird the angle looked!)

I litterally cannot get over how much I love this image! I mean, come on! It's a bun in an oven! Seriously! The instant I saw this stamp, I knew I wanted to color the oven 1950s retro turquoise, and now I'm not sure I'll ever color it any other way! :) Plus, I really like unexpected color combos for baby cards (cutesy works well when combined with sophisticated), and I just happened to have Copic markers that matched this My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose papers. (That doesn't happen very often!)

This one's a little more "traditional" for a baby card, and very simple. I love how the button looks, but it's super dimensional and not really mail-friendly. Love the ribbon from a recent Studio Calico kit - totally inspired the gender-neutral yellow theme.

Funny coincidence: I've gotten really into making rag quilts recently (via this amazingly simple tutorial) - I call it cheating because it's so not quilting. I made one using pre-cut, pre-coordinated Minkee fabric (feels like an expensive stuffed animal!) and then I made another one (turned out way bigger than I expected!) out of flannel my mom had been saving from when she made my jammies when I was little. This technique lends itself so well to baby quilts (crib quilts or "tummy time" mats), and now I've got the cards to go with... Now if only I knew someone who was having a baby! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

with a heavy {heart}

I'm posting today to share a project every card maker dreads: a sympathy card with an intended recipient. On Monday, a wonderful family and a close-knit community lost a loved one. John Stewart was my 8th grade "Central Subject" teacher at Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School (CS is basically social studies - history, geography, politics, a little language arts, etc.) He died suddenly of a heart attack on Monday morning. He was truly an amazing teacher, and a wonderful person - one of those people who helps shape who each of his students will become. Middle school is a tough time, and middle schoolers can be tough kids to work with. The thing that was so incredible about Mr. Stewart was his ability to relate to and connect with his students on their level, and on his. He held everyone to a high standard of academics, critical thinking, and living life. He approached every interaction with respect, valued our 14-year-old opinions (and taught us to back them up!), and helped us to always respect each other. And he had a superior funny bone.

So I hope you won't think me tasteless for sharing the card I made for the Stewart family. I know how much we all struggle with these cards, and it's cardmaker solidarity that made me want to share.

Thank you for visiting.

Make It Monday #3

This week's challenge: Using Scor-Tape to adhere glitter.

When I first saw the post this morning, I thought, 'Darn! I don't have any glitter!' But then I remembered some Martha Stewart glitter from a Christmas card kit stuck in the back of a drawer. Also, I got my box of new Papertrey goodies earlier this afternoon, so I decided to play with some new stamps! I had this whole plan in my mind, and, well... let's just say it was one of those projects where nothing went according to plan. I had decided to use Dawn McVey's new Delightful Doilies stamp set that I was so excited to receive. I can tell they put a lot of thought into this set to make it as user-friendly as possible, but there's definitely still a learning curve :) And you really need to be able to see clearly what you're doing when you use this set. I have a very small selection of colored inks, and most of them are chalk inks that stain clear stamps. So let's just say I made a lot  of mistakes before I was finally happy with my stamping! The card still isn't what I was planning, but I actually kind of like it. :)

 Supplies: Stamps - Delightful Doilies, Think Big Favorites #1 (Papertrey Ink); Cardstock - Lavender Moon (Papertrey Ink), Crumb Cake (Stampin' Up!), grey (Bazzill); Inks - London Fog (Memento), Versamark; Misc. - Super Tape (Therm-O-Web), glitter (Martha Stewart), clear embossing powder, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

Make It Monday #2

Happy Saturday, friends! I bet a lot of you have heard about the new Make It Monday weekly challenges going on over at Papertrey Ink. I've been thinking about this one all week, but just got around to making a card today. Actually, I was waiting, because UPS said I'd have my PTI February Release order in my hot little hands today. But they accidentally routed it to Western Mass or somewhere not near here, so they've updated the expected delivery to Monday. As I've said in the past, I don't have a ton of PTI products, but I was super inspired by the American Crafts Confetti goodies that arrived yesterday, so I decided to roll with the birthday theme for the 2nd Make It Monday challenge: Vellum sentiment strips.

American Crafts has adopted our favorite detail from Sassafras and started printing on the b-side of the barcode strip at the bottom of their paper! SO awesome! That's where that little line of cupcakes is from - and I love how it looks layered under the vellum.

Thanks for stopping by! Do you have Monday off? :)

new love meets first love

This fall I decided I wanted to try candle making. In December I ordered a bunch of supplies, but I just started getting into it recently. And when I say I'm into it... well, I'm kind of obsessed! :) It is SO much fun! I feel like a mad scientist melting, and mixing, and pouring away in my kitchen. I can't get enough! To save money, and keep things simple, I've been using tins to make 100% soy candles - glass jars are too expensive, and molds are just too fussy. But of course, plain tins are just that... plain. So, enter my first love: papercrafting. To make them look a little more "boutique," I'm using patterned papers and hand stamping to decorate my candles. This is one I made yesterday for my friend's birthday - and it's pink frosted cupcake scented! :) YUMMY!