CraftyEngineer

A contest with prize!

Did you know that I'm hosting a contest over on the new A Muse lounge? To get there, go here and then click on the A Muse Lounge tab, then go to the Challenges section.

The contest is running right now... it's such an important cause to me. As you may remember, A Muse released this awesome clear set called Hero Mail. You can get the stamp set or you can get a kit. Anyway, the contest is running until February  23rd with a postmark date to mail me of no later than Feb. 24th. The person that makes the MOST cards for our service men and women and mails them to me, wins a great prize from A Muse. We all love to make cards anyway, right? SO get together with your friends and have a stamp party for a GREAT CAUSE. These cards actually go to OUR military to show our love and support for the job they do FOR US. So, be sure to sign the inside with something like "THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY" or "HOPING FOR YOUR SAFE RETURN HOME SOON!". And send them to me with UNSEALED envelopes. I, in turn, will send them to Operation Troop Aid, our partners in this effort to get as many cards in the hands of deployed military as possible.

I strongly encourage you do play along. Think outside of you and get your kid's school to make some, or get your friends together, etc. It's a good cause and each and every card will go to someone that is out there fighting for our freedom somewhere far away from home. If you don't have the set, order it today... A Muse is speedy on their shipping and you will still have plenty of time to play along!

I hope you'll play along with me and others today. Come on, there is a PRIZE to win! Where's your competitive spirit?

Please email me with any questions you might have! Thanks so much!

Did you hear the news?

A Muse has released the 2009 Valentine's images. You can see them here! SUH-WEET!!!

In addition to the release, A Muse has launched a brand-new Design Studio. What's the Design Studio, you ask? It is inspiration MECCA to me... it is card samples designed by the A Muse Design Team. WOHOO.

If that isn't enough, there is a new lounge to come hang out in. There is lots of fun going on over there including swaps, BRAKS, challenges and much more. The Creative Team is all there and we want you to come hang out with all of us.

Now, all of this is in ONE PLACE... go to amuseartstamps.com and check out the menu at the top...links to the design studio, the lounge, and even The A Muse News Blog are all there.

THINK SIMPLE. THINK A MUSE.

A Muse News: Advent Box - A look inside!

Last week, my advent box was featured on the A Muse News Blog as part of the Advent of Christmas series. I posed the questions to y'all to see if you could guess what I put in it. Here was my clue:

I also have something in the box that would scream ME if all the contents of all the advent boxes were laid out on the table together.

M&M's got 2 votes and purple got the other. So, if M&Ms were laid out on a table together with the rest of the team's box contents, I hope that you wouldn't think those were mine!!! :) Purple... well, yeah, maybe. I found out in Seattle there are a few more purple lovers on the team! YIPPEE!

But no, that's not what is in my box. My box... is 100% PURE TEXAS! and screams ME. If you know me from Splitcoast, my SCS name is "TexasLonghorns".

So, here's what I put in it:

And I do bleed orange as they say.

Go HORNS! Beat Ohio State!

 

A Muse has a NEW website!!!

WOHOO! It's up! It's up!

The changes have to filter throughout the world wide web so you might see the new site right away, while it may take up to 24 hours for others. For more information about the new site, read Linda's post on the A Muse News Blog. Go check it out!!!

Silly, I know...

So, I stayed up WAY later than I usually stay up. And most of you know I don't sleep much but um, the sleep I do get needs to happen. But last night, we had the "Austin A Muse Addicts Gathering Shoebox Swap with Lexi in town thing". And I'm exhausted. Had so much fun from it all. We all had a great time! The problem is I drank caffeine too late at the thing. And then we got home late and I couldn't sleep. Oh well. TGIF. RIght?

Because I have a million other things to do and post and stamp and clean ... yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah... I came up with this poem....LOL

FIRST, you must check this wikipedia out... I can NOT believe there is an entry for it and more so, I can't believe the last part I read there...

So, you all know the

Jack and Jill sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G poem, right?

Well, here's my "LAME" version but it made me laugh....

Boris and Bernice sitting in a tree E-X-P-E-R-I-M-E-N-T-I-N-G

First comes INGREDIENTS

Then comes RATS

Then comes explosions followed by lots of splats.

Yeah, yeah, I know... don't quit my day job.... Funny. :P

WANNA VOTE FOR A MUSE??

Wanna VOTE for A Muse for Creating Keepsakes Readers’ Choice Awards????

The ballot has 50 categories, but there are FOUR that apply to A Muse, I think. Here is how I voted:

• Question 30 – Paper, Specialty: A Muse Kitchen Collection
• Question 38 – Ribbon: A Muse 
• Question 46 – Stamps: A Muse
• Question 47 – Stickers: A Muse Twinkle stickers

** Question #46, I think is the most important one

WANNA JOIN ME in helping A MUSE win?

http://www.iboutique.com/cgi-bin/myers/start.cgi/iboutique/orderform/ReadersChoice/ballot.html

Thanks!

Seven Years Ago...

Seven years ago, the amazing Linda Carnell started A Muse Artstamps. Today is the actual day that she launched this fabulous company. Happy Anniversary, Linda!

I'm so very proud and honored to be part of this group. I would have never guessed that my passion for stamping had a family to call home.

In honor of today's milestone, the A Muse Creative Team (check out everyone's blogs - links on my sidebar!), are listing something to do with seven...

Seven things I've learned during my short time with A Muse:

1. As Linda has said before, "do something creative everyday". I think Jenn Shurkus has that on her blog too. Some people do crossword puzzles, some read, some watch tv, me... I stamp or try to every night before I go to sleep. Some days, it doesn't happen but I just walk into my studio and look around. It's a calming, great feeling to be in there.
2. To break out of the "have to put one more thing" on my creation mode. Lots of stuff on your card does not necessarily make it beautiful. Think Simple, Think A Muse.
3. Techniques do not have to be hard. From my past experiences and teachings, I used to think that people wanted to know how to do the "in depth" techniques. Nah. That takes a lot of time, which most of us don't have these days. There are clever and simple techniques out there!
4. That it is possible to be part of a close-knit family that I've NEVER met in real life. Those gals are near and dear to my heart and yet, I have no idea how tall any of them are ;). I have made some great friendships with my fellow team members. And I do not doubt for a moment that anyone of them would be there for me in a pinch. How totally cool is that?
5. How to express my opinions and ideas and actually be heard. This one is directed toward JulieHRR. When I started with A Muse last August, I was a bit intimidated to work with her. Come on, it's THE Julie. You guys know what I'm talking about. But she's been so helpful, honest, and overwhelmingly responsive to ideas, techniques, and just about anything. I thank my lucky stars that I've had the chance to work with her.
6. Linda is the most amazing woman I know. Again, never met her in real life. But I just can't believe how many things she does. She's a wife, a mom, a daughter, a business owner, a teacher, a designer, a volunteer, a mom-taxi, a runner, a humanitarian, and I'm sure there are a 1000 more things on her list. She is still the one that picks up her girls from school. She takes them to after school stuff, etc. But you know what else? She RUNS A COMPANY. Yes, she has an AWESOME team to help her. But still. I admire all that she is. She always has plans for doing good things and I'm talking about long-term plans. I joked with her once... and said Linda, you're amazing... do you know how to fly too? I think she's secretly working on that...  :) I think she's such a great role model for the young girls in our lives.
7. Learned how to smile. I asked my DH for input for my 7th thing. And his first response was this. I said "really?" And then I thought about it some more. He's absolutely right (shhh, don't tell him I said so!). I have had so much fun this past year since I've found A Muse. Remember A*Muse*A*Palooza 2007? Oh my goodness... that was an adventure. AND from that, not only did I get on the A Muse Creative Team but I met the most FUN, good natured, sweet, happy A MUSE ADDICTS along the way. It's so fun to belong to a group that loves something as much as I do. So, he's right. I have learned to smile. And I smile often because of A Muse.

Happy SEVEN years to Linda and all of those gals that make it happen! What an accomplishment!