...Hostess Bonus Days.

Can you say A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA?! Details coming soon!

...a lovey card.

Every now and again that lovey-dovey inspiration hits me. I love these little birds and the sentiment. Sometimes it's just best to keep it clean and simple and let the stamps do all the work.

All products are A Muse Studio.

Card Recipe: Stamp Sets-on the wing; Ink- onyx, bermuda, blush; Cardstock-sugar, blueberry gingham; Scallop die

...playing with plaid!

I have a new favorite stamp set! (I say that every other day, I know, but this is my fav for the moment anyway) The set is called Mad for Plaid and it is just so versatile! Wanna see what I did with it?

I love making patterns and playing with color. It is so simple! Just pick a few ink colors. And stamp away. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy! I will tell you that I used removable sticky notes to cover the part of the card that I wanted to leave "un-patterned." And I also chose one color for each stamp in the examples you see above.

If you are interested in getting a Mad For Plaid stamp set be sure to let me know. This set is on sale now BUT time is running out. You have until July 15th! You can order this set and any other a muse goodies HERE. I'm happy to help you place your order and answer any questions that you may have. You can leave a comment or email me at laralovek@gmail.com.

Have an a*musing day playing with plaid!

All Products by A Muse Studio

Card Recipe:

"Happy Heart"- Stamp Sets-Mad for Plaid, Hand Scripted; Cardstock-shell; Ink- blush, shell, lichen, grass; Heart Twinkle Sticker.

"Hello" - Stamp Sets-Mad for Plaid, Graphic Sunflower; Cardstock- vanilla; Ink-latte, toffee, french roast, eucalyptus.

...a Yankee Doodle Dandy BBQ!

Celebrating with friends today and had so much fun making this yummy dessert to bring along.

I couldn't help but decorate it after looking at all of the inspiring Patriotic Party pics

from the A Muse Studio designers.

My Red, White & Blue Trifle is simple, dee-lish, and easy to whip up. Here's what you need:

1 white cake (or pound cake or angel food cake)

strawberries

blueberries

vanilla pudding

whipped cream

Layer cake, pudding, fruit. Cover top with whipped cream and cover with fruit.

My wishes to you for a very Happy 4th of July!

Decorations Recipe: wooden skewers; cherry twine; Cardstock-sugar, cherry, blueberry, Gingham in cherry, blueberry and bermuda, Polka dot in cherry and blueberry; Vintage in cherry and blueberry.

...4 Ideas for the 4th!

I could not get the half circle idea out of my head. So I started playing with some card layouts.

Idea #4:

And another version:

I love to play with patterned paper. I love the simplicity. I love the sparkle. And it goes together so fast. Cut a strip of paper, punch some circles, cut them in half, stamp, glitter and you're done!

All products by A Muse Studio.

Card Recipe: Stamp Set-birthday builder; mad for plaid; Cardstock-Sugar, blueberry, Gingham in bermuda, cherry and blueberry, Polka dot in cherry and blueberry; Ink-cranberry; Glitter-cranberry; Twine-cherry; Buttons-cranberry; pearl stickers.

...4 Ideas for the 4th!

In my neighborhood the 4th of July is celebrated for days! Maybe because you can buy and set off fireworks here and it's fun. Or maybe because they take their state motto very seriously: "Live free or die!" Or maybe New England is just a very patriotic place. Whatever the reason, at the moment in sounds as if the War of Independence is raging around me. There are fireworks and firecrackers and well, just a heck of a lot of noise. I like it! There's something about it that is so celebratory. So this idea to make firecrackers out of lifesaver rolls was pretty easy to come by being that the inspiration is quite literally surrounding me. Idea #3:

All products by A Muse Studio.

Card Recipe: Live Savers; Stamp sets-polka dot patterns, birthday builder, woodgrain background; Cardstock-blueberry, cherry, sky, sugar, ocean; Ink-blueberry, cherry, sugar; Accessories-sugar organdy ribbon

...4 Ideas for the 4th!

When it comes to the 4th of July I start thinking STARS. So when I went to make a card I realized that I didn't have any stars. And then I remembered the starfish in my seashells set.

So here is Idea #2:

As a girl who grew up on the shore this is a card that makes me think of the 4th of July! It's super simple, patriotic, and beachy. Makes me want to go down to the beach to see the fireworks....

Oh, and I really should mention that both of these stamp sets are on SALE right now! But only until the 14th of July. If you are interested or would like to see more of the current a|s Spotlight sale you can email me at www.laralovek@gmail.com. Or you can see it here at www.amusestudio.com/larakalapacs.

All products by A Muse Studio

Card Recipe: Stamp Sets-seashells, mad for plaid; Cardstock-blueberry, sugar; Ink-cranberry, sugar; Accessories-white embossing powder.

...4 Ideas for the 4th!

Are you getting ready for some fun 4th of July celebrating? I am! I was trying to think of some fun ideas for getting crafty and this is just one of my favorites!

Idea #1:

This idea came from the creative minds at A Muse Studio. They are some crafty chickies over there! I love the idea of making this cute, bunting-like, mini garland! And putting it around the tops of jars and using them as candle holders. I love the dressed up-casual look of this for a BBQ. Now I just have to decide how I want to use it.

...chickens.

I really do love chickens. They make me laugh. I have a lot of friends who raise chickens so I am lucky enough to get some very tasty farm fresh eggs every now and again. More than actual, walking, laying, crossing the road type chickens, I love these stamped chickens.

I stamped them on sugar paper and then used my 1-inch square punch to cut out the 4 squares. It was fun to play with the angles and the amount of image that got included. If you've never made a card this way, give it a try. You'll start looking at your stamps in a whole new light.

Happy Inchie Making!

Why did the lollipop cross the road? Because it was stuck to the chicken! :)

All Products used are by A Muse Studio. You can get them here!

Card Recipe: Stamp Set-Farm Fun; Cardstock-onyx polka dot, sugar, cherry; Ink-Memento Black; Accessories- 1"-punch, Copics-BG10, R27, Y38, E00

...a pretty party (that's on SALE)!

I am so excited to share this with you! Here is a quick look at all of the ever so pretty things that the creative muses at A Muse Studio have made with the stamp sets and paper that are on Sale right now!

Does it get any prettier than this?

Want a closer look at some of the projects you see here? Use this link to get a little closer!

Some of these ideas are so simple but have such a beautiful sophisticated look and

I can help YOU make them!

It is the perfect time to Host a Workshop!

Book a workshop and spend a couple of hours getting crafty with your friends. My workshops always include 2 total hands on projects that are easy enough for beginners and have something new to offer to stampers with ink in their veins!

I will be showing some of these super cute ideas and you and your friends can get the supplies that you need to make your own at a great price. This sale is going on until July 14th so be sure to book a workshop with me soon and don't miss out on these versatile stamps sets and gorgeous color palette!

Have an a*musing day!

...a wedding.

Who doesn't love a good wedding? Love. Happiness. Promise. Beauty. And a celebration! I love to celebrate and look to do so any chance I get. A close family friend got married recently, and of course I made a card for her.

There was a subtle wedding theme of starfish and I had a lot of fun creating this card with the Sea Shells stamp set. The watermelon paper and ink matched her colors perfectly.

Love you guys!

...her Dad.

Just a little something I made for my dad to say Happy Father's Day. He has the heart of a lion and I love him.

All Products by A Muse Studio

Card Recipe: Stamp Sets-the Mighty Jungle, Essential Sentiments; Cardstock-Grass, Onyx, Sugar; Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black; Copics

...quiche.

So when I'm not being crafty, I am often cookin' something up in the kitchen. Here is my fav recipe for quiche...it's so good!

And today I just love quiche. Especially when it bakes up so nice and fluffy.

Roasted Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, & Kalamata Olive Quiche

pie crust of choice

7 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup cream

dash of salt & pepper

goat cheese, as much as you like

roasted red peppers, chopped, as much as you like

kalamata olives, pitted, sliced, as much as you like (LOTS!)

goat cheese, crumbled, as much as you like

whip eggs and cream together, add spices. Pour into prepared pie crust. sprinkle other ingredients in. bake at 350 til golden and just firm. Cool for 10 min. before serving

More crafty things on the way soon. But for the moment...I'm in the kitchen.

...to save the best for last.

You've been very patient with me as I have shared post after post of tic-tacs. I hope you have enjoyed it. Sometimes it's fun to take an idea and play it out multiple ways. This last one (for now anyway) is my favorite!

I love this little chicken! I loved creating a background with my copics! But do you know what I love most of all? I love how the white tic-tacs look like eggs! It makes me so happy! I can't help it I just love it!

Here's a close up of the copics. I used BG10 to create a sky and a little E00 to highlight the chicken's white feathers. YG 20 gave me a nice green field and YG23 added the blades of grass.

And just for some added fun I couldn't help but add this egg and sentiment to the back.

The egg is stamped and then die cut with the egg die. I added a little shadow with my E00.

I have to say that one of the things that I have learned from playing out this idea multiple times and in multiple ways is the idea of a front and a back. It's got me thinking about the inside of my card. From a design standpoint I'm wondering what needs to be on the front of the card and what I can add to the inside. This exercise has me thinking about how to continue the design, the fun, the "joke" from the front of the card into the inside of the card. I'm guessing that my card fronts will be more simplified and those elements that don't quite make the cut just may find themselves a home on the inside.

All products are A Muse Studio

Card Recipe: Stamp Sets- farm fun, egg-stravganza; Cardstock- sugar, cherry gingham (for that farm-y feel!); Ink- Memento black; Copics; egg die; white tic-tacs.

...a whale of a tic-tac gift-y.

So a few days ago I was playing with my copics and was having fun coloring this little whale. Then the tic-tac madness took over and I simply had to put the two together. So here it is.

I thought it needed a little sparkle so I used my handy-dandy copic multiliner and drew in a little blow hole so I could then draw in the glittery spray.

On the back I continued the spray and glitter. The scalloped edge was made with one of my favorite dies and my Big Shot. The die adds a lovely scalloped edge and if you flip it around it makes perfect little ocean waves.

All Products are A Muse Studio

Card Recipe: Stamp Sets-keep swimmin'; Cardstock-sky gingham; Ink-Memento Black; Copics; Quickie Glue Pen; Diamond Glitter; Tic-Tacs.

...tic-tacs on the go.

Another take on the tic-tac fun! Wouldn't this be cute left in someone you love's car? Just a little minty love note!

...a little encouragement.

Sometimes someone just needs a little lift, and that is what I had in mind when I made this card. I love to be able to send a little encouragement to someone. I love blue and orange together. I love how cheery it is. I don't know if you can see it so well in this picture but I added a little glitter to the striped border.

Another quick and easy card....sure to brighten someone's day.

All products are A Muse Studio

Card Recipe: Stamp Sets-Love Conquers All, Mad About Plaid; Cardstock- Blueberry, Sky, Sugar, Clouds, Orange Polkadot; Ink- Orange, Bermuda, Blueberry; Diamond Glitter; 3D tape.

...kissing.

Shocking, I know! But really who doesn't love a good smackaroo.

Only, what I was actually talking about in this particular case was kissing stamps. To do this you ink one stamp and then use it as your ink pad for another stamp. Following me? It's lots of fun! I love to get more milage out of the stamps I have. Here's a card I made...with kissing.

All products are A Muse Studio

Card Recipe: Stamp Sets- Lots of Dots, Birthday Greetings, Mesh Background; Cardstock- Lime, Sugar, Onyx, Ink-Ocean, Bermuda, Grass, Papaya, Onyx; Accessories- Scallop border die.

more tic-tacs

Another version of the quick & cute gift-y! I kept this one SUPER simple and then dressed it up just a bit with a pink twinkle sticker for the flower center.

And sometimes the message can be just as simple and straight forward.

All products are A Muse Studio

Card Recipe: Stamp Set-graphic sunflower; Cardstock-sky, sky gingham; Ink-Memento Black, watermelon; pink twinkle sticker; tic-tacs

...inspiration that just keeps coming!

I had so much fun making the fish-y gift-y that I made the other day that I made another one and then another one and then, well, you get the idea. So here is tic-tac gift #2. A little fun and a little sassy and quick and cute just as before.

The back is super simple with that little dash of sass that makes it fun..."you & moi? ooh la la!" on a gift of breath mints...hee hee!

So as I said I got kind of carried away with the idea of making these. The possibilities are endless really. So I'm going to be posting some of the others that I made. My favorite one is yet to come! If you have been inspired to make one I'd love to see it. Leave a link to your pics in the comments.