Once again too much time has lapsed between blog posts.  This fall I was recovering from some minor health concerns (I”m fine) and then the holidays arrived and along with them, an extremely busy time at work and blink and it’s now January 12, 2012.  So, I wanted to say a big  THANK YOU for stopping by to check out my blog  and especially those of you who subscribe/follow my blog for hanging in there.  

Let me first share some exciting a muse studio news and updates. 

The 2011 catalogs for a muse studio (both the main and holiday ones)  are only good through January 31, 2012 and our new 2012 a muse studio catalog becomes available on February 1, 2012.  If you would like one, please contact me.  There is a list of 2011 retiring stamp sets that once they are gone, are gone.  Please check out my a muse studio web site  for more information.  

Please check out the January 2012 Sweet Treats Spotlight from a muse studio.  Fun, cute ideas in time for Valentine’s Day and save 10% on five select stamps sets along with the Rock Candy assorted paper packet in complimentary colors.  Special pricing good through January 31, 2012. 

There will be lots of exciting things coming in 2012.  A new blog is in the works for sometime later this year.  New workshops are coming (if you want to book a custom/private one – contact me).  Look for the launch of my new winter/spring monthly Stamping and Sweets Workshops, with the first one coming in February 2012.  I promise to share lots of creative inspiration as well as sharing inspiration I find through Pinterest or other blogs. 

It’s my desire and hope to blog more often this year, so once again, thanks for sticking in there with me and for following my blog, and checking back (or click subscribe).  Please “Like” my Facebook page  – A Passion For Creativity – Mary Sara Pipia – for 2012, as I post more often there.

Here’s hoping you have a wonderful, creative, inspirational and peaceful 2012. 

Mary Sara

I love this time of the year.  Pumpkins, wonderful fall colors, jeans and sweaters, my favorite out of work outfit along with yummy pumpkin bread and caramel apples.  There’s a local candy store  that sells caramel apples now with all sorts of fun flavors.  One of my favorites is the toffee caramel apple as I love all things both toffee and caramel.  Yummy.  One thing I don’t like is that the days are getting shorter and it’s getting dark out earlier and earlier.  So, what do you do to celebrate fall? 

Enjoy this fall day and wherever you are I hope you find something that sparks your creativity or gives you inspiration today.  Thanks for stopping by.

So even though it’s October 10 and Columbus Day weekend, we’re in the middle of warm weather here in New England.  Yesterday, I couldn’t believe it was 85 degrees and short weather.  However, as any true New Englander knows, just wait and it will change.  It’s supposed to be more fall like by the middle of the week.

So, what have you been doing lately to express your creativity? The 2011 a muse| studio Holiday and Inspiration Catalog is good through January 31, 2012.  I am working on some holiday classes/workshops and more information will be posted on my Facebook page as well as a future post here.  If you haven’t “Liked” my page, what are you waiting for?  When I reach 77 fans, I will be giving away an A Muse Studio goodie.

World Card Making Day was Saturday, October 1, 2011 and I did a workshop with these two cards. 

If you click on the picture you’ll see it in more detail.  I used the Spooky Boo Day stamp set for the sentiment and the images came from the Too Cute To Spook set, which has a lot of fun images to play with.  I glittered the ghost and then thought afterwards about glittering the cat with the new onyx black glitter.  Everything was stamped with Memento black ink and the witch’s hat was stamped with Blackberry ink.  I used orange and blackberry papers and cut out the 1 1/2″ and 1 3/4″ squares or you could use a square punch.  Sugar cardstock was used for the A2 card base.

The next card I did is for fall and could be used around Thanksgiving.   I used the Bounty of Season stamp set for the image and sentiment.  I used a 4-bar card size in sugar cardstock and heather cardstock as the layer color along with our fine twill french roast ribbon.  I stamped the wheat stalk in french roast ink on a scrap of sugar cardstock and cut it out, leaving a little white around the edge.  I tied a little bit of our french roast/white baker’s twine around the stalk and then used foam tape to pop it up to give it some depth.

All supplies used in these cards are from A Muse Studio  and can be found on my web site or drop me a note if you want more information.

I hope that you remember to do something creative today.  Thanks for stopping by.

Welcome to the September/October Spotlight, An Elegant Halloween Bash from a muse studio.  From now (started September 15) until the end of the day, October 14, 2011, we are offering a variety of products at a special discount.

This month we are offering the following stamp sets at a 10% discount off the retail price:  Web Background, Victorian Charm, Foiled Again!, If You Dare, Celebrate In Style.  You can also pick up the paper assortment “Jack-O-Lantern,” four sheets of five different colors (Apricot, Onyx, Pumpkin, Squash, and Toffee) for just $7.65.  A great way to get a selection of colors at a serious discount.  You can check out this link for some fun, creative inspiration. 

Feel free to download the A Muse Studio Spotlight September 2011 with all the details and contact me with any questions or visit my web site to order.  Remember, all orders over $150 qualify for hostess benefits, but you need to order directly with me to receive them.   Hope you are inspired to get a start on your Halloween crafting and remember to do something creative today.

I am hosting a workshop along with Jeanne Blanney, a Creative Memories consultant on Sunday, September 25, 2011.  Learn how to combine stamping and scrapbooking in new creative ways.  There will be a make and take, door prizes and special discounts during the Open House.   The details are here on my Facebook page.  Drop me a note for more information.  Feel free to stop by and bring a friend.  Hope to see you there.

In the midst of Autumn, comes Halloween and you can’t have Halloween without a witch.  For today’s card, I used goodies from the 2011 a muse| studio Holiday and Inspiration Catalog.  I just love this witch from the a•muse | studio creepy hollow exclusive stamp set and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her.  I stamped the witch onto Sleepy Hollow paper using Memento black ink and then used my quickie glue pen and covered her with our new onyx glitter.  I let that dry for a few minutes and then I fussy cut her out and popped her up using foam tape.  I love glitter and always say, you can never have too much glitter.

My card base and the moon is our pumpkin card stock.  I also love our new Sleepy Hollow paper and cut a piece of that slightly smaller than my card base, 4″ by 5 1/4″ and flat adhered it on top of my pumpkin card base.  I used a 1″ circle punch for the moo.  Did you know that a full orange moon is considered a Harvest moon.  Have you ever looked up in the sky at night during the fall/winter and saw a full moon that looks orange?  I used our orange and currant inks and inked them on the outside of the moon to give it some depth.  I adhered it to the card and then stamped the bats, from our to cute to spook stamp set, off the moon.  I cut a one inch by four inch  strip of our new slate wood grain paper and tied our onyx baker’s twine a couple of times around and tied it in a knot and left a tail.  I used a mini pop dot behind to hold the knot onto the card.  If you use a little pop dot behind the ribbon it helps hold it.  Thanks for that tip, Liz.  I then flat adhered it to the sleepy hollow paper. 

You can find all the products I used on this card and others, on my web site.  This concludes our Autumnal Splendor Inky Finger’s first team blog hop.  Thanks for stopping by and hope that you enjoyed it and got some inspiration.  Remember, do something creative today. 

All products used were from a•muse | studio unless otherwise noted:  Pumpkin, Sleepy Hollow and Slate Woodgrain paper,  creepy hollow and too cute to spook stamp sets, black Memento ink, currant and orange pigment inks, onyx glitter, onyx baker’s  twine, quickie glue stick, glue dots, foam squares

I can hear you asking, what was I doing in Phoenix in August with temperatures of 115 degrees and a cool 90 degrees at 9 p.m. at night?  Several months ago, two of my friends from my monthly crop group and I decided to go to Creative Escapes 2011, since this was going to be the last one.  I couldn’t believe it was in Phoenix in August, where it averaged 100+ a day that month, but we were so excited to go.  I will be sharing some of the inspiration that I got at the workshop in future posts. 

Before heading to Phoenix though, I went to California to visit my father.  It had been several years since I’ve been back to Pasadena and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.  Gave me pause, to think.  Hmm, cold, freezing winters with piles of snow and hot, humid summers or the warm, sunny skies of California.  Food for thought, if I was ever to decide to leave New England (given I’ve been here for 25 years, it’s not likely I will).   I was only there for a couple of days and wished I could have stayed a little longer, but it was nice to visit with my dad and a chance to catch up.  I also went to lunch one day with my mother’s really good friend and her daughter. 

While in Pasadena, I was able to have brunch with two of my high school classmates that I had reconnected via Facebook over the last year or two.  It was so much fun to see them and catch up on the last 20 plus years of our lives.  We had brunch at Green Street Restaurant in Pasadena and then did a little shopping in Old Town Pasadena.  I was staying with my dad, and he made dinner that night, a nice way to end a Sunday. 

While there, I stopped by and saw the house were my family lived for over 10 years and it had changed or maybe I had changed?  I think it was a bit of both.  I drove by my old high school, which ironically, is around the corner from where my father lives now.  It too had changed from when I went there years ago.  So, when was the last time you went on a vacation or trip and gone down memory lane?  Are things the way you remember them or not?  I think that as we get older, memories mellow and you feel a bit more nostalgic, don’t you agree?

Okay, so that’s part one of my vacation.  Stay tuned for part two this week. 

Fun stuff going on with A Muse Studio right now as well.  A Muse A Palooza is in full swing right now through the end of September.  More fun, inspiration on that later this week and please come back on Saturday when I’ll be participating in an inspiring Inky Fingers team a muse | studio fall blog hop with lots of fall inspiration.  In the meantime, please feel free to visit my A Muse Studio web site  for inspiration and to order.  Feel free to contact me with any questions or information.

Remember, do something creative this week.

During A*MUSE*A*PALOOZA (8/22-9/30), I can not only offer you fun projects using a|s’s beautiful new products, BUT ALSO increased, even more awesome hostess benefits!  If you’ve been toying with the idea of hosting an a•muse | studio workshop… let’s talk and get a date on the calendar!

I am also holding several fun A*MUSE*A*PALOOZA events in my home.  If you’re a Facebook user, you can fan my page, A Passion for Creativity – Mary Sara Pipia, and get all my event details that way!  I’ll also post here too.

While A*MUSE*A*PALOOZA ends September 30th, please know that you will be able to order from the 2011 holiday catalog through January 31, 2012.  The “even more awesome hostess benefits” are only available through September 30th.