gold embossed Christmas dove

I love this sweet little card!  So fun and easy to do!  Emboss your dove, fussy cut it out (I love to do this.  It's so relaxing.  If you haven't learned to love the fussy cut--just cutting out around a stamped image--try sitting back and doing a small stack of images all at once.  Put your feet up and enjoy it! Or maybe it's just me?)

A felt leaf (love those dies) and a paper flower with a pearl center...we've given it a little glitter to make it shine!  The faux bois background (that's fancy french for fake woodgrain) and a little bit of twine ties it all together.

Fun, festive, different, simple and sweet...this is my kind of card!

Make a stack and give them as gifts.  Use them for your Christmas card...or really anytime of year.  Most versatile card ever!

Hope you found this inspiring.....

If you are looking for supplies try HERE.

LONDON!

I've always loved England.  I've always been captivated by the stories, history, and art.  And well, the accent.  Living, as I do, in the area that calls itself "the birthplace of the Revolution" I occasionally get a funny look.  But this year all the world loves London. The Olympics are almost here!  I'm counting the moments!

And while I'm waiting, I'm making this cute memory game.  How fun is this? Too cute and it gets the gold medal from my kid testers!  Using the small maple tags, some of my favorite stamp sets and lots of red, white, and blue it stamps up fast and is ready to play!

Don't you just love to step out of card making and find a fun new way to use your paper-crafting smarts and supplies?  I do!

Enjoy the Olympics!  GO TEAM!

...the Grand ol' Flag

In my family we often have parades. When ever there is something to celebrate like someone's birthday or good news of any kind really it's time for a parade.  I remember a lot of parades during potty training!  You did it!! WooHoo for you!  Let's have a parade!  It's just us being goofy and marching around the house, clapping, singing (loudly and often out of tune), and laughing as we celebrate in a big and spontaneous way the little everyday moments in life.  One of the songs we often sing is "Grand Ol' Flag!"   It's got the upbeat, marching kind of tempo just right for a spontaneous parade!

I couldn't help but think of all of that as I made this card.  It is a grand ol' flag!  It makes me smile.  It makes me proud.  And I am thankful for the many things it stands for.  So today, on Flag Day, I have this to share with you.

It was super fun to make! The Sheet Music background stamp is so fun to use and I liked putting this spin on it.  I used daubers to ink up the specific areas of the stamp in order to give it the look of a flag. Stamped the background, added the sentiment, mounted it on a cherry cardstock base, a little navy ribbon and voila!

Wherever there is a grain of loyalty,

there is a glimpse of freedom.

-Algernon Charles Swinburne

Happy Flag Day!

Card Recipe  All the crafty goodness you see is from A Muse Studio

Stamps: Sheet Music Background, Let Freedom Ring (both on sale this month!)

Ink: Cherry, Navy

Cardstock: Sugar, Cherry

Embellishments:  daubers, Navy satin ribbon

To pick up any or all of this crafty goodness go to:  www.amusestudio.com/lara

...fast & fabulous Gifties!

It's that time of year. School is just about over and I've got teacher gifts on my mind. Here's a super fun and fast gift idea for ya. Who wouldn't love this pretty bouquet of pens?!

They are easy-peasey to make. Just die cut flowers from cardstock and punch a hole in the center. Then add a glue dot to secure it to the pen when you slip the flower onto the pen top. The grass green cardstock, papaya polka dot ribbon and stamped sentent finish it off beautifully.

Everything you see is A Muse Studio crafty goodness. Leave a comment if you'd like more info on how to make these pen bouquets or want to order supplies.

Happy crafting!

To make the sentiment tag I used the lined paper stamp from the School Days set, stamped it in bermuda ink, and then cut it out and tacked it down with a glue dot (love those things so handy!)>

Here's a close up of the pens.  I bent the petals a little so they weren't so flat.

The all just tucked in the cone so nicely that I didn't need to do anything else. Just arranged them nicely. 

All supplies are by A Muse Studio.

Stamps: School Days

Ink: bermuda, onyx

Cardstock:  grass, grapefruit, burano, bellinin, papaya, sugar

Embellishments:  papaya polkadot ribbon, crop-a-dile, a|s exclusive flower die #1, and pens of your choice.

Crafty goodness!

...lido!!!

I am so in *love* with this color!  It sings of spring.  I was inspired by the color that is blooming all around. Isn't it lovely to see more than just grey and white?!  And this yellow is so cheerful. 

        

lido is part of the A Muse Studio Venetian color palette.  If you are looking for a pop of color, look no further. The Venetian pallette is sassy (burano), bold (lido), bright (bellini) and a little bit moody (rialto and titian).  They play well together and they work wonders with the classic A Muse Studio palettes.  

Not only are these colors some of the hottest, on trend colors of the spring (they are everywhere!!!)  but this little cutie of a card uses one of my favorite techniques and a huge trend right now bold, white embossing!  Embossing has stepped out of the 1990s and has a bold fresh look especially when combined with vivid colors!  

If you want to have some fun with embossing and all of the latest and greatest A Muse Studio bold images leave me a comment!  I do workshops throughout New England and in the NJ tristate area.

Card Recipe:  Stamp Set-floral duet; Ink- lido, versamark; Cardstock- slate, sugar; Accessories- white embossing powder, static magic and heat tool, lido satin ribbon, 3D tape and detail scissors.  All products by A Muse Studio.  Contact me or visit my webstore at www.amusestudio.com/larakalapacs.

Easter Sunday

This is a fast & fabulous card that I was inspired to make for Easter. I had made some small crosses with palms from Palm Sunday. With a grunged sunray background behind it and a hand written sentiment it took no time at all to make this pretty card.

Card Recipe:  Stamp Set - grunged sunray; Ink - blush;  Cardstock- sugar; Accessories- glue dot, copic multi liner, palm leaf.  All products are by A Muse Studio.  Contact me for more info or visit my website at www.amusestudio.com/larakalapacs.

I <3 ROBOTS

I love this new set and just couldn't help making this card in two different color palettes! Some washi and some twinkles finish it off with just the right amount if bling. Love it!

Don't  you just love a fun, easy card that makes you smile?!  I think a mini scrapbook NEEDS to be made!  

Card Recipe

All Products by A Muse Studio

Stamp set: love machine

Ink: grass, bermuda, orange, ocean, blush, papaya, bubblegum, Versafine-black

Cardstock:  sugar, lime, bubblegum

Embellishments:  washi tape, assorted twinkles