Spring is in the air!

We have had some beautiful sunny weather here in the the Pacific NW and I'm getting Spring fever. It's still cold outside but the sunshine sure feels good! I'm feeling the urge to get out in the yard. It's too soon to plant anything but there's plenty of weeding and pruning to be done. I've been having sinus trouble all week though so I didn't do anything too strenuous but I did manage to get some stamping in. This cute bunny gardener, cloud and spring sentiment are from the newest A Muse release, aren't they cute? I'm teaching a Stamping 101 class next week at the A Muse shop, please call them or click the link on my sidebar to sign up.


My friend, Cathy Lynne, orders cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Unfortunately, there isn't one near me but I was really inspired by their presentation. I haven't made a bundt cake in years, in fact I couldn't even find my bundt pan so I ran out and bought one just so I could make one and put a pretty flower on top. These Gerber daisies were on sale at Michael's and they definitely make me think of Springtime. My family are not big cake eaters but the kids love anything lemon flavored so I doctored up a vanilla cake mix with some lemon pudding (and a few other things) and added a simple lemon glaze. Now I want to find some pretty boxes and make cakes to give away! I am also on the lookout for smaller bundts (Nothing Bundt Cakes calls them "bundlets", LOL!) and some fun recipes to try. I think some fresh blossoms would be awesome on top too. Wouldn't these be fabulous for a cakewalk or bake sale?

Happy Valentine's Day!

We were busy all week making Valentines for school. My kids are in multi-age classrooms so we always have LOTS to do. Sam's class has 72 kids! (We didn't make them all from scratch). I also taught a Scor-Pal class this week at the A Muse shop and we made some fun Valentine treats.

Here is what we made for the teachers and helpers at school. I also made some for the girls in the A Muse shop. I found these yummy dark chocolate batons at Trader Joes. I love that they were a fun shape so I made a box with my Scor Pal for them to fit into. These boxes would be fun to hold pencils, stickers, pixie sticks or anything long & skinny and are super easy to make.

I hope you are enjoying your day with loved ones and eating lots of chocolate!

Sam is 9!

Where does the time go? How did my "baby" get to be 9 years old? The bigger question is, how did I get to be this old?

This year Sam wanted a skating party and asked for a skateboard for his birthday. He loves stick figures so we bought this cute skateboarder when we were out shopping one day. He decided that's what he wanted to use for his party invitation and had lots of opinions on the design of this card. The "you're invited" and inside stamp are both from A Muse and work for any party! Sign up for my party class at the A Muse shop next month for more fun ideas. Anyway, I thought the invite turned out cute and boyish (and was simple to boot!)


After a fun day of skating with his pals, we went out to dinner with some family members. Sam *loves* sushi so we went to a buffet and he was in heaven. He especially loved the sushi rolls, crab and the cute little desserts. I think he had 4 plates of food and one of dessert. Happy birthday little man!

Happy February!

Last weekend I went to New Mexico to visit my Aunt and cousins. They are actually my husband's Aunt and cousins but that's one of the great benefits of marriage, getting to expand your family!

Auntie and I took the new Rail Runner Train into Santa Fe for some lunch and shopping. It was a great way to see some sites without worrying about the stress of driving (although there's no traffic to speak of in NM). We ate lunch at the historical La Fonda Hotel. We were disappointed that the main dining room was closed for renovation but the food was fabulous! We even had dessert. Shopping was fun and I found some gifts for the kids and a stamp store . It's a tradition in NM to have chili ristras hanging near the front door of homes and businesses. They are a sign of welcome and warmth and are said to bring good luck. I love them and want to have one at my house but Auntie says it will just mold in our climate so I bought a stamp instead. I also figured it would be perfect for making a thank you card for my Aunt and what better sentiment, than this one from A Muse (they have THE BEST sentiments).




I took craft supplies with me and got to spend some time crafting with my littlest cousins (almost 3 & 5). They loved stamping Valentines cards. Auntie and I made some Bind It All journals and I worked on rejuvenating her stamping habit. It was a quick trip but lots of fun. When I left NM it was 60 degrees, sunny and dry and I came home to 33 degrees and snowing........talk about a reality check!

Friday I taught my first Copic Marker class. All the girls that came were familiar faces from the A Muse Retail shop so we had a lot fun. I've had several people say they were unable to make this class for various reasons (life happens) but fear not because I'm teaching it again at the end of March! Please see my side bar for my class schedule.

I can't believe how quickly January went by. Today would've been my Gram's 84th birthday. Last year on her birthday, she was the happiest I've ever seen her....surrounded by her family in celebration. She passed away 2 months later and I miss her dearly. Happy Birthday Gram.

"Something New"

I made this card for the A Muse Challenge: "Something New". The challenge was to use a "new to you" A Muse or Saltbox Studio stamp. I finally got the A Muse couch and Lamp (can't believe I didn't already own these!) so I decided to have some fun with them. I'm not really a girly-girl and can't imagine having a pink couch but my daughter sure could! I flocked the pink pillow to make it look fluffy and used a black Spica pen on the other one for the some sparkle. I also used a clear Spica pen on the lamp and dangles. My daughter would love to have this in her room! The challenge is good for the entire month so head over to the A Muse Lounge and check it out.

On a personal note, my family was the victim of a hit & run on friday night. My hubby and kids were on their way home from ski/snowboard lessons when they got a flat tire. They were pulled off to the side of the road to change it when someone side-swiped them and drove off! Luckily nobody was hurt but they were pretty shaken up! Someone called in the license plate of the car but we haven't heard whether anyone has been arrested or not. I just cannot imagine how that person could sleep at night not knowing if anyone was hurt, not to mention the damage to our vehicle. I am so thankful my family was in a big 4x4 truck! The insurance company is coming to look at the damage tomorrow and I'm scared to find out how much it's going to be. Besides the deductible I guess we're going to need some new tires......*sigh*

Sweet News!

Have you seen the news? A Muse has a SWEET new release! The new images are perfect for Valentine's Day but so versatile that you can use them all year long. They also have a new Design Studio and Lounge for us addicts to hang out in, share resources/ideas and get inspiration. The best part is that you can access it all right from the A Muse Artstamps Website (SWEET!) Don't forget to bookmark that site so you can get to everything fast and easy.

Be sure to check out the winter class schedule at the A Muse Retail Shop too because, guess who's teaching some classes? ME! (along with some other FABULOUS and TALENTED instructors). There are links on my sidebar to register or you can call the shop for more details.

I had to share this funny card with you. I have made the bra version of this template from Stamp Owl but never the panties until I saw this sentiment from the new A Muse release and knew I had to do it! I hand drew the heart and colored it in with a red Spica pen.

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's 2009!! We had a pretty mellow New Year's Eve, just our family watching the Space Needle display on TV and doing some noisemakers outside at midnight.

Today I am serving up a good luck meal. Many countries have traditions about foods that you should eat on New Year's Day to bring you luck in the coming year. In the USA, it's usually a southern meal of pork, greens, black eyed peas and cornbread with each food symbolizing something. You can find information about this on many websites but this site has some good, basic information So, I put a ham in the crock pot the morning, made Hoppin' John, chard and cornbread to bring in 2009 because we can all use a little good luck! (Please note that this is NOT the "New Year's resolution to getting back on your diet" meal but what's one more day?)

Are you making resolutions this year? I usually don't but I do use the transition to a new year as a time for reflection. This year I REALLY want to get more organized which will mean some serious cleaning and purging. I started by taking a load of stuff to charity on New Year's Eve (tax deadline for donations, you know). I cleaned my small appliance cabinet and Kayla's fish tank (yuck). My craft room is what needs a serious over haul and I'm determined to get it done this year. I know it will make my crafting time so much more enjoyable (and I might find some things that I forgot I had).

What traditions do you have to bring in the New Year? Are you making resolutions and if so, what are they?