Creative Grace

Class schedule updated

Check out my class schedule page (click here) for upcoming Copic and card classes in Southern California.

Finding time for friends

Hi everyone!  Just a sweet little card to share with you tonight.  I've made it my goal to make more cards for friends.  Seems like lately I just haven't had the time and all the cards I've been making are for classes and things.  When I think about it, the joy in card making for me is sending them to people!  So, this is the first of a few cards I managed to make for my friends this weekend.  

I know the photo isn't the best, but I figured it was better than waiting a few days until I had time to photograph during the daytime.  I hope this finds you all well and sharing some love with your friends!

Stamps: Tree from Tree's 1 set, leaves from Cupcake set, tiny bird, and A Warm Hello by A Muse

Paper:  A Muse french roast and sky blue 4-bar note card, yellow petite gingham by A Muse, white card stock

ink: Memento rich cocoa

Ribbon: papaya polka dot sheer by A Muse

Copics: E37, E29, B41, Y15, Y38

Happy Halloween!

Wishing you all a perfectly delectable Halloween!

All stamps, papers, and twinkle stickers by A Muse.  Tiny bats punch by EK, glow-in-the-dark glitter (on frosting) by Martha Stewart.  

Quick update

Just an update...

Things have been rather, um, crazy lately.  October has come and almost gone in a blur!  My day job is never really done but at least the kids are getting into their groove now so I'm breathing a bit easier.  School has been a new kind of challenge as now I'm hanging with the "big boys and girls" (aka biology graduate students).  I've also done quite a bit of traveling lately.  

I got to see New York for the very first time! (This is the window at the Anthropologie flagship store)

I taught some SUPER fun classes at the adorable shop, One Little Spark in New Jersey with my friend and fellow muse, Heather (the witch).  We even got to play with Cherion (pirate chick) and Dawn (cute kitten) who are also on the A Muse team.

This past weekend I got to go to A Muse in Seattle!!!

 

It was our Instructor Training weekend where I got to play with all the other girls I love so much and learn fun new crafty tricks!  

(Cheiron, Glenda, me, and Sherri)

(Donna and I)

(Julie teaching us inky things!)

(Heather teaching us some special effects)

For a special treat, Nina Seven (A Muse's main artist) stopped by to autograph copies of the adorable children's book, "Theodore the Tree".  This is her first children's book that she's illustrated!

For the grand finale I got to meet up with my friend Adelina for cupcakes!!! Yummy!

So, as you can imagine, I'm pretty pooped, but also grateful for the fun experiences this month!  Now... if I could just find some time to make cards! LOL!

Amuse-bouche Harvest Feast

Wow!  I'm so excited to share a card today featuring some gorgeous new stamps and papers from A Muse.  

I had to photograph it at a wonky angle so you can see how shimmery the new paper is!  It's unbelievably gorgeous.  I also love this new sentiment and image of dill.  Whenever I think of dill I think of butterflies - they love it!  

Be sure to visit the blogs of the other members of the A Muse creative team to see more fabulous cards featuring this new line.

Stamps: dill, thanks large, and tiny butterfly,  by A Muse

Paper: A Muse apple and mango shimmer coture solids, A Muse bark 4-bar note card, and white card stock

ink: Memento and color box

Ribbon: swiss red sheer by A Muse

Other: cranberry pretty pearls by A Muse

Celebrate World Card Making Day!

Join me at Stampin EJ's @ Debrah's Cottage in Costa Mesa this Saturday!  I'll be hosting a fun make-n-take with two different projects from 10:30 - 12 and teaching a fabulously fun fall card class at 1:00.  Here's a sneak!

Click here for more information.  I hope to see you there!

Pajama Party, part 4! AMLPJFALL04

Here's my fourth card for the A Muse Pajama Party over on the lounge tonight!  The challenge was to make a thank you card.  Perfect for me since I have lots of those I need to make!

I love the open zinnia stamp and the blue-brown-orange combo!  

This was a great night and MUCH NEEDED creative relief for me.  Especially the chatting on Yahoo and Sherry in her blond wig!  LOL!

(Can you see her on the left?  I think she was laughing about the pole!)

Thanks for a fun night girls!

Pajama Party, part 3! AMLPJFALL03

This is my third card for the A Muse Pajama Party.  This challenge was to make a card based on my favorite TV show returning in the Fall.  Took me a little while, but I finally came up with this:

Do you get it?  LOL!  It's for the TV show, "Big Bang Theory".  I was thinking of the relationship between two of the characters, Penny and Leonard.  

They've been hinting at a little romance in the future!  

I love this show.  It's the only one that makes me laugh out loud!  Maybe it's the scientist in me, or the fact that I know people just like these characters, but I can't get enough of it.  That, and I also love the BNL!

Now, I had to use a non-A Muse stamp (since they don't make an atom model stamp) but everything else is all A Muse.  

Pajama Party, part deux! AMLPJFALL02

Here's my post for the second A Muse Pajama Party challenge: "create a card inspired by fall colors".  That's an easy one for me as I *heart* fall colors!  

I'll be back for challenge #3!

Pajama Party on the Lounge! AMLPJFALL01

Tonight is a pajama party on the A Muse Lounge (you can link to the lounge by clicking here).  The first challenge of the night is to make a card based on your favorite Halloween candy.  

This is an easy one for me as the only candy I buy for myself for Halloween is either candy corn or reeces peanut butter cups (love the fall foils!)  So I'll admit I'm cheating here just a teeny bit.  I've been pretty busy all day so I thought I'd show a sneak of a card coming up in my "Falling Out of the Box" card class at Stampin Ej's on October 3rd, giving me a chance to finish my last chore and hopefully play the rest of the night!

Gotta run so I can participate in the other challenges!  Hope you are having a great night and get to play too!

Need more Copic practice?

So sorry for being such a terrible blogger lately... the start of the school year has been a lot for me to handle this year.  There's always the additional rush of clerical work on top of the teaching in the first month, and, in addition to that, I'm trying to get a handle on the 32 special education students taking my 7th grade science class... with out a doubt, the largest group I've ever had.  On top of it all I'm taking my very first graduate level biology classes (the masters program I'm in, MS of Science Education, requires me take 9 units of graduate level science courses).  I'm trying to hide the fact that it's been about 10 years since I had my last science class!  It's an adjustment period and I'm just trying to keep up.

On a happier note, I get to take a break from everything and teach a fun class at Paper Tales on Sunday!  The class is "A Copic Christmas" and focuses on blending and shading techniques using Copic Markers.  

Here's a peek at one of the cards we will make:

This is the perfect class for anyone interested in Copic markers and especially those hoping to learn a little more and get some practice in.  And trust me, I need a break, so we will have FUN! :)  For more information, check out my class schedule here!

Hope to see you there!