Retiring A Muse Studio Sets?!?

What???  Retiring already???  It can't BE!  (OK, OK, just check out the list, and make your own list of must-haves before they're gone, girls!)

A Muse Holiday Sale!

OK, I know it's been forever since I posted, but between my job, and church, and my family...my business and my stamping have definitely taken a back seat!  I wanted to let you know, however, that A Muse has some fantastic items on sale this month.  Check them out here:  TOP TEN a muse|studio Holiday Must-Haves!   It's a great time to stock up on baker's twine or kraft cardstock, or to try out the washi tape.  Just contact me if you need any supplies!


Oh, and while I'm at it, I thought I'd post a few pics of the cards we did at my last card making night...super fun!

My First Etsy Sale

Dear Friends and Family

I’m excited to announce my first SALE at Branch and Sky!  I’ve just posted a whole slew of Christmas cards on my Etsy shop to help you get ready for the holidays.  In an effort to encourage procrastination avoidance (ha - I’m the best of the best!), I’m offering the following:

Order your cards by October 24th - receive a 20% discount 

(use coupon code "christmas20")

Order by October 31st - receive a 15% discount

Order by November 6th - receive a 10% discount

Order by November 13th - receive a 5% discount

In ADDITION, I’m also offering volume discounts.  Card sets are not all priced the same, but exceptional savings are available for volume ordering - for instance:

A single card might be $4.75 per card (plus shipping).  

The volume discount could look something like this (PLUS, of course you save on shipping when all cards ship together):

$3.75 per card for 10 cards ($37.50)

$3.50 per card for 25 cards ($87.50)

$3.25 per card for 50 cards ($162.50)

So please take a look...the FIRST DEADLINE and most significant savings are to be had THIS WEEK (by the 24th).  

http://www.etsy.com/shop/branchandsky

Thank you so much for all your support - and thanks for looking!

Kristen

Studio Stampers October Blog Hop

Welcome to the Studio Stampers October Blog Hop!  If you are joining us in the hop you should have come here from Lisa's blog; if not, why not start at the beginning with Karen and hop on down until you get back to me?

I usually try to use all A Muse Studio products when I post on our blog hops, but I wanted to show how incredibly versatile A Muse products are and how easily they can be used with other stamps and products.  Check out my creations:

Cardstock - A Muse Studio lichen, sky, and latte

Scrapbook paper - AC

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Bicycle stamp - Stampin' Up!

Shadow stamp - A Muse Studio

Copics used to color the bike

Cardstock - A Muse Studio bermuda, ivory, slate, and onyx

Scrapbook paper - AC

Ink - A Muse Studio slate, and Memento tuxedo black

Stamps - Stampin' Up!

Cardstock - A Muse Studio sugar, Stampin' Up! Kraft & Eggplant Envy

Stamps - hat: A Muse, sentiment: Savvy, background stamps: ??? not sure, they are unmounted ones I've had for a long time and pulled them out to play with!

Onyx baker's twine: A Muse Studio

Purple bling - Paper studio

I haven't gotten any of the A Muse Studio felt just yet (although I've heard a-MAZ-ing things about it!), but I wanted to see how well the A Muse Studio mitten die cut through some felt I happened to have...it worked perfectly!

Mitten die - A Muse Studio

Labels 8 Nestabilities Die

Cardstock - A Muse Studio ivory, Stampin' Up! Real Red & Kraft

Ink - A Muse Studio wasabi and cherry

Stamps - A Muse Studio polka dot patterns, sentiment - A Muse

Next on the hop is Veronica!  If you get lost, or if there is a problem with the link here is the complete list:

Karen Crisp

www.papernstamps.blogspot.com

Angela Schellenberg

www.gypsypaperie.blogspot.com

Kathy Hatzke

www.kathatstamps.blogspot.com

Lisa Chapman

www.piesafepapergoods.blogspot.com

Kristen Watson                                <-----------you are HERE

http://branchandsky.blogspot.com/

Veronica Zalis

http://lk2thestarz.blogspot.com/

Happy Hopping!

September Spotlight Is Here...

and it's OH so delicious!  Check it out here:  https://www.amusestudio.com/studio-spotlight-september.asp  Remember, you get 10% off the spotlight sets, and there's always a special multi-pack of paper that goes with the spotlight theme!  Enjoy...

September Stamp Camp Details

Hello stampers!


Just wanted to post the details for the Stamp Camps I'll be holding this month.  

Beginner Camp - Friday night, September 16th - 7 to 9:30pm

Intermediate Camp - Friday night, September 23rd - 7 to 9:30pm

Cost is $10.  However, if you place a $50 order or more, your camp cost is only $5.  

Remember, it's A-Muse-A-Palooza, so there are TONS of specials and new products available right now!  We'll work on 3 projects (that you'll complete and take home), a new September Spotlight will be available, and each camper will have a chance to win exclusive door prizes.  PLUS, I'm putting together a little something as a thank you for each camper to take home (no hints, but you're gonna' love it!).  

Our new Holiday Catalog is available NOW for getting everything you need to make gorgeous Christmas cards this year.  I am going to try to have a Christmas card making night sometime the very beginning of November, before all the holiday craziness begins, so now's a great time to order those supplies you'll need to make your cards...we'll talk more about it at the camp.

I sure hope you can make it (and tell your friends - if you sign up with a friend not on my invite list, you get yet another fun take-home)!  

Happy Stamping!

September Blog Hop

Welcome to the Studio Stampers September Blog Hop!  You should have arrived here from: Krystie Hersch's blog: Clean and Simple Cards 

My first card is one I'm planning to teach at my next Stamp Camp.  Don't you just LOVE Halloween stamps???  I've used a Nestabilities circle die to cut out a template - then sponged the moon in A Muse Studio papaya ink with a sponge dauber.  Next, I used the circle die cut itself to mask the moon and sponged slate ink for the sky.  I then created a "hill" using slate card stock (freehand), stamped the tree in Memento black and the jack-o-lantern in orange from the "Spooky Boo Day" stamp set , die cut the bats and glued them on along with the hill, and the finishing touch was the sentiment (also from "Spooky Boo Day" set) in pebble ink. 

My second card for this hop is for my sister-in-law.  She is wonderful about making specific requests when she orders a card (or bunch of cards) from me...so this is what I came up with for her when she asked for "elegant" and "classy."  

Like most of my cards, it's simple, but I loved the finished look.  All stamps are A Muse Studio (see p. 29 in the catalog: friend to friend stamp set).  The celery satin ribbon is something I've had in my collection for awhile, but it matches PERFECTLY to the A Muse Studio "lichen" ink pad.  I used "slate" ink for the sentiment.  

Copics (RV19, RV14, R43 and #02) were used in the flower (stamped in Memento black die ink), and of course Nestabilities Labels 8 were used to die cut the slate-framed flower.  

Next on the hop: Kathy's blog - enjoy!

Studio Stampers Blog http://www.studiostampers.com

Krystie Hersch http://www.cleanandsimplecards.com

Kristen Watson http://branchandsky.blogspot.com <----- you are here

Kathy Hatzke http://www.kathatstamps.blogspot.com

 Karen Crisp     http://www.papernstamps.blogspot.com/  

Kari Bell http://karikards.blogspot.com

Lisa Wakabayashi http://dragonfliesandcats.blogspot.com/

Veronica Zalis http://lk2thestarz.blogspot.com/

Lisa Chapman http://www.piesafepapergoods.blogspot.com

Lianna Vigilhttp://llamatales.blogspot.com/

 Angie Schellenberg www.gypsypaperie.blogspot.com

Halloween Already???

I don't know why I get so excited about it, but I LOVE Halloween stamps and cards.  Every year I make Halloween cards and then neglect to send a single one.  I plan to remedy that this year, but in the mean time, you can see my creations here, at World Blend (the coffee shop that's selling my cards here in Keller), and at my Etsy shop.  Used both Savvy Stamps and A Muse stamps in these, added a little bling to the witch's hat (how much do you LOVE that hat???) and just can't seem to get enough baker's twine in my cards these days!  

I did send two other cards today...a birthday card to my uncle back in Massachusetts (Stampin' Up pennant punch, A Muse Studio sentiment, and leftover denim & bandana paper from little man's 2nd birthday invitations - yes, I keep scraps THAT long!):

And a sympathy card to my dear friend Deb, who lost her mother this week.  Sending her love and shared tears and hugs from Texas.  Sure wish I could be there in person to tell her how sorry I am.  

August Spotlight Available TODAY

through September 15th...check out the details here:  A Muse | Studio August Spotlight.  'Got my order in today!

Fun with my new stuff...and some old stuff too!

I read a post recently that poked a little fun at stampers - our temptation to buy new goodies when we find "the perfect stamp/ribbon/cardstock..." when we already have so much with which to create.  Well, I recently gave in to my temptation and bought these wonderful punches from my friend Annette, who sells Stampin' Up!  I'd been looking at so many designs with pennants in them, and been drawn to them, wanting to make my own.  I also had received a card awhile back that utilized the ticket corner punch and loved the effect, so when I saw that she had those as well, I ordered one of each.


So, here's my first attempt, using both...I love how they came out!  I used A Muse stamps (polka dot patterns, p. 75 and friend to friend, p. 29).  And of course, I popped on some Twinery Twine to finish out the look.  What do you think?

I was also asked by a local coffee shop if I'd be interested in selling my cards in their shop (a fellow Etsy craftsperson found me and sent me a message).  I've met with her a couple of times now, and just dropped off my first shipment of cards to be sold.  Check out some of the fun designs I made for them!  It's been so much fun to see the reaction of people interested in my work.  I'm loving it!

Appropriate for a coffee shop, eh?  This is from A Muse Studio's "The Perfect Blend" stamp set.  Adorable, huh?  

I'm the Studio Stampers Spotlight this week!

Check out my A Muse team's blog at Studio Stampers and try out my challenge for the week (well, 2 weeks technically)! I just attended a Copic marker certification class a couple of weekends ago and am all fired up about using my Copics.  They are professional artist grade markers and if you haven't ever used them, you MUST try them.  The shading, technique, and detail you can achieve is incredible.  I'm still a beginner at this point, but I'm having loads of fun playing with them.  A Muse Studio has a wonderful selection of colors to choose from, so let me know if you're interested in picking up a few!


In fact, if you join the fun and participate in the challenge, you could win some blog candy!  Winning isn't everything, but it sure is fun, isn't it???

July A Muse Studio Spotlight

You're going to love this month's super summer colors and stamp sets on sale.  Check out the A Muse Studio Spotlight (when you get there, click on the picture you see above for details about which colors and stamps are on sale) and start your wish list now!  If we get a stamp club together by the end of the month, we can submit our order and get some of these great sets on sale.  Let me know if you're interested in being part of a stamp club...I've got 3 interested so far and need at least 2 more!

Um, HOW cute is THIS???  I don't have an event where I need one of these, but I think I need to create one!

Check Out the Studio Stampers Challenge!

My A Muse Studio team, the Studio Stampers, is doing a monthly stamping challenge starting this month.  Check out Ronnie's incredible card here at our Studio Stamper's blog.  Her challenge is to use this image to inspire your card making mojo!

Post a comment and link your creation to our blog and earn a chance to win a fabulous prize from Ronnie!  Enjoy the challenge and let me know if you join the fun.

  

July Blog Hop

Welcome to my A Muse team's July Blog Hop! You should have arrived here from Lama Tales Don't you just love what Lianna did with her shell card?

My card this time around is a baby girl card - I realized that I had all these baby boy cards ready for the next baby boy born in my circle, but no girl cards! Maybe it's the fact that I have two boys myself, I don't know, but it was fun to put together something super girlie and feminine (um, totally me!).

All products used in this card are from A Muse Studio...even the ribbon this time around. (: I chose a mod color combination, with the pink and orange, and kept it simple with the sweet pink crib and sentiment, "welcome, little one."

bin

My blog is last on the hop, but feel free to start again at the beginning at Kathy's blog: Bits and Pieces...the soft, subtle colors she used for her coastal themed card are just gorgeous!