So our staff may enjoy the Labor Day Holiday today, Art 'n Soul is closed. Art 'n Soul will be open at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday to resume our regular schedule.

Those of you taking advantage of the outstanding bargains during Recycled Rubber at Art 'n Soul this weekend probably noticed how well organized the stamps were. Lori is the person in charge of putting out and putting away everything "Recycled Rubber" every month. This was a one-time effort stemming from an idea Lori had and the customers loved what she had done. It's a lot more work than Lori thought it would be, and the school year start means she's back to work this coming week. October's Recycled Rubber may not be quite as organized. We more than appreciate Lori's love of handling our Recycled Rubber event for our customers.


The other night during the Seahawks football game, I finished a Hasty Lace design that I'll want to incorporate into a card design. Like I've said earlier, I am wanting to "Hasty Lace" quite often and will find any excuse to pick it up . . . my "Hasty Lace" bag is always ready to travel and use.

work-in-progress by Debbie Gaetz
Hasty Lace BD4 Bird Template

With the advent of the football season, it's the perfect project to work on during any televised game the family wants to watch. If you want to purchase a Hasty Lace template, please stop in at Art 'n Soul.

The Penny Black blog directs us to Alexandra's blog. She is doing a comparison test between the Distress Markers and the Zig's Kuretake Clean Color Real Brush Markers. I think it's worthwhile to take a look at what she has to say.

by Alexandra Sirugue-Macleod

Click on this link for her informative posting:

http://www.artscrapandmore.com/2015/09/alexandras-sunday-scrapbooking-zig-vs.html

Magenta's September challenge is whatever project you'd like to work on using a "fall" theme and using a Magenta product(s) in your work. Like they say . . . a card, an art journal page, scrapbook page layout, altered art, etc. The Magenta Design Team was tasked to make a sample for the challenge announcement, and here is Dianne's beautiful card.

by Dianne Johnson, Design Team Magenta

Click on this link for the details on Dianne's blog:

http://backporchatolympia.blogspot.ca/2015/09/magenta-september-challenge.html

From the IMAGINE Crafts' blog, this is a very nice project using the one-inch art board squares from Inchie Arts. This technique is very similar to the cards you'll make in Lisa Lee's Inchie class at Art 'n Soul next Saturday.

by Roni Johnson
Artist-in-Residence for IMAGINE Crafts

Click on this link for the detailed project sheet:

https://www.imaginecrafts.com/project-details/521/0.0

If  you haven't signed up for Lisa's class, you might want to give the store a call (360.357.6820) or stop in. There are so many artful ways of working Inchie mosaics.


Carole Dion has made a card that is perfect for the guys in your life that I saw on Magenta's Facebook page.

by Carole Dion, Design Team Magenta

• Nuance Magenta Jade / Magenta Nuance Jade MNU004
• Pochoir Bulles / Bubbles Stencil TM65
• Pochoir Grille / Grid TM86
• Étampe Écriture / Script stamp 07.916.O
• Étampe Alphabet / Alphabet stamp 07.223.D
• Texte / Text 07.896

I like the reasoning about zentangling™ versus doodling. Sandy Hunter, CZT, has posted an excellent commentary on her blog, Tanglebucket. Click on this link for the posting:

http://tanglebucket.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-post-with-no-pictures.html

That's all for now. Thanks so much for stopping by.

This Saturday, Marj is leading Art 'n Soul's Play Day featuring Embossing Pastes from Dreamweaver Stencils and Creative Medium from IMAGINE Crafts. Marj will be at the store from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

I made a stencil from a die with the
Matte Stencil Film, and then used
it with the Creative Medium.

There will be a variety of pastes, stencils and supplies for sale at Play Day, and read below for items that will be helpful for you to bring. You don’t have to have everything, and Marj will share a bit, but please bring what you have on the list. The Art ‘n Soul PlayDays are a wonderful way to explore new products, re-fresh your memory on products you already have, and learn a lot......for free!

Please bring a few of the items you have on this SUPPLY LIST: Creative Medium,

Dreamweaver Pastes, palette knives or paste spreaders, removable scotch tape, Elizabeth Craft glitters, baby wipes, a few metal or plastic stencils, card stock and/or watercolor card stock, and any additional art supplies you’d like to use (maybe a few ink daubers, inks, and stamps to add images, etc.). You may want your Basic Kit also.  It’s fun to participate in the PlayDay, or just stop by to watch what’s going on.

Marj has extensive experience and skill in using embossing pastes with stencils; she has stepped in as an instructor and demonstrator for Dreamweaver Stencils in years past. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from Marj because she has plenty of tips and techniques to share with you!

On the Memory Box blog, there are great inspirations for cards using their new dies in different ways.

by Deborah Nolan for Memory Box

Click on this link for the details:

http://davebrethauer.typepad.com/outsidethebox/2015/08/watercolored-inlaid-roses-.html

by Anne Thompson for Memory Box

by Anne Thompson for Memory Box

by Anne Thompson for Memory Box

Click on this link for the details:

http://davebrethauer.typepad.com/outsidethebox/2015/08/gatefold-cards.html

I've resumed my Hasty Lace fun. While waiting at the vet clinic for Hannah's tests the other day, I finished what I had started the night before and completed another one. Both use 2 different design templates. The one shown in 2 photos was an 'innie and outie' design, i.e., the frame design was one side of the vellum sheet, and the other photo is the same one from the reverse side that emphasizes the snowflake inside the frame.

This is the design I started and finished at the vet's waiting room. I didn't do an 'innie and outie' because I forgot to turn the paper over before starting on the second template. Duh! I still think it's a keeper.

Have a few minutes and you need to relax and unwind? I highly recommend getting out your Hasty Lace templates and get started! Short on templates or supplies? Stop in at Art 'n Soul for both!



Along with other ANS customers, I belong to the RubberMoon Mail Club. It is quite fun and you're part of a very caring and artsy group. This is my "Moon Mail" swap for last month . . . it's made with watercolor card stock, Nuance from Magenta, a little zendoodling (for the hair), StazOn ink, Studio Glaze, embellishments and RubberMoon stamps. They wanted to use an ATC-sized card and all I had was this Stampboard.

Go to this link if you're interested in joining the RubberMoon Mail Club . . . www.rubbermoon.com and click on the appropriate link from the website.

On the Penny Black blog, Peet Roeven continues to amaze me. I just love this holiday card that is featured.

by Peet Roeven for Penny Black

Click on this link to go to Peet's blog and the details:

http://scrapalbum.blogspot.com/2015/08/especially-for-you-2015.html

In case you're curious, Peet has used glitter paper for the die cuts and background panel.



On the Magenta blog, Sherry Jackson is having fun with Magenta's Nuance.

by Sherry Jackson, Design Team Magenta

Click on this link for Sherry's posting and the details:

http://www.magentastyle.com/2015/08/create-creativite.html

While playing with Magenta's Nuance, Helene has made a couple of swatch pages in her color journal that might be very helpful to you.

You might want to make a color journal of your own. Click on this link to see how Helene made these swatches and why she thought they were important:

http://www.magentastyle.com/2015/08/nuance-test-de-couleur-nuance-colour.html

That's all for now. Thanks for understanding why I wasn't able to post before tonight . . . my head doesn't seem to always understand my work schedule and is totally disagreeable.

I tried to get to the doctor's appointment this morning but a
major accident on I-5 northbound caused a 3-hour commute into
downtown Seattle; thus, I had to turn around and reschedule.
While driving across an old bridge over the Puyallup River, a
very popular fishing river, I quickly took this snapshot to show
the abundance of fishermen. All of those little dots at the top
of the photo represent fishermen in a line waiting to snap the
prize fish of the day. While driving along the river, I even passed a
young lad, about 10 years old, who was dressed in his chest-high
waders with a fishing pole in hand riding his bicycle to his fishing spot.

And wouldn't we love to see this sunset in person  . . . 

Art 'n Soul's Inspiration Station from July continues into August until our new 'inspiration' is introduced on the 15th. We're still featuring Magenta's new Nuance, a watercolor powder that offers beautiful colors. We just sold out today but more will be in next week at Art 'n Soul.

by Pam Nelson

• Dreamweaver Stencil (LI 849)
• Memory Box Butterfly Delights Stencil (98310)
• Memory Box Stitched Square Layers (30038)
• Magenta Sentiment Stamp (07.614.D)
• Magenta Nuance Powdered Watercolors:  Orange, Grass Green, Royal Blue, Jade
• Paper:
• Watercolor card stock -- 140 lb. cold press
• So Silk in Fair Blue
• Mister filled with water and Perfect Pearls

Place stencil over smooth side of watercolor card stock. Sprinkle colors as desired. Spray with water until the desired effect is reached. Wick away some color with a paper towel if necessary. Lift the stencil and allow the watercolor to dry. Sprinkle orange and yellow Nuance on a separate piece of scrap watercolor card stock and spritz with water; allow it to dry or heat set with a heat gun to dry. Repeat the same process on the reverse side. Stamp the sentiment and then die cut with the smallest square of stitched squares (30038). Die cut the butterflies. Assemble card.

Come on in and take a look at these beautiful 'inspiration' cards because it's hard to photograph just how lovely they are!



Delivered to Art 'n Soul today are the Penny Black 6x6 paper pads we've been waiting months for. The designs were shown at the CHA Show back in January and this is the first time we were able to actually have some shipped to us.

More of the 8x10 sheets of Strathmore watercolor card stock in 140 lb. cold press were also delivered to the store.

More Bella Carta deliveries have come in and will be showing up at Art 'n Soul by this weekend.

It's really bad when your "to-do" list is longer than the tablet it's written on. It's even worse in the guilt section, when you can do nothing but think about Hasty Lace. It's all I can think about . . . I do "Hasty Lace" while watching television with my husband; it's my mental exercise before giving it up for the day, and any other time I can squeak in.

Believe it or not, this was completed in a
couple of hours last night. The thistle and
leaves are part of a much larger template; I just
chose what I wanted to use. On the opposite side,
I added the "innie and outie" template design to
fill in the open space.

this is one of the class projects that I
finally finished; however, I see where I made
some goofs and didn't really center the inside template.
So I will leave this in the sample box for future reference.

This is another much larger template that I used only certain
pieces of the design, and then used the innie and outie on the reverse side.

This is an older template design from Hasty Lace
that I then filled in from the oppose site with the new innie
and outie template designs (2 of them). The color wash
is because of the lighting in the room.

Ever since Sandy Jackson introduced the "innie and outie" technique, I was loving Hasty Lace even more. These are just works-in-progress and I have yet to think how I am going to incorporate these into a card or something else. It is so much fun to take bits and pieces from various template designs and see how they work together. As if I didn't have enough template designs, I'm now re-thinking designs I had not purchased before. Oh, dear!



On the Magenta blog, Bianca has made a lovely card using the new Leaf Flower stamp.

by Bianca van Noort, Design Team Magenta

Click on this link for the details:

http://www.magentastyle.com/2015/08/leaf-flower-fleur-de-feuilles.html

And Helene is back at it with Magenta templates and stamps to make a Happy Place card. The colors are so vivid; she has used the Tombow markers and some water. Just looking at the card makes me happy . . . how about you?

by Helene Metivier of Magenta

Click on this link for Helene's posting:

http://www.magentastyle.com/2015/08/trouver-son-bonheur-find-your-happy.html

The "Heat is On" over on the PoppyStamps' blog. They've challenged folks to make a card that goes with the theme. One of their Design Team members has made this card . . . I really like how she's showing the house but lets the flower die overpower the house.

by Michele Henderson for PoppyStamps

Click on this link for the detailed how-to:

https://crimsonowlcreations.wordpress.com/2015/08/01/poppystamps-challenge-the-heat-is-on/

On the Penny Black blog, guest designer Torico has created a beautiful Christmas card featuring their new holiday stamps.

by Torico for Penny Black

Here's the link to the detailed project sheet:

https://pennyblackinc.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/7_31_15-project-guide1.pdf

Elizabeth Allan and Jill Foster have been "coloring" lots of fun as they challenge themselves with different color combinations on their blog, Studio Sessions, for Penny Black.

by Jill Foster for Penny Black

Click on this link for the details:

https://pennyblackinc.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/7_31_15-project-guide1.pdf

by Elizabeth Allan for Penny Black

Click on this link for the details:

http://www.studiosessionsart.blogspot.com/2015/07/color-combo-10-of-10-elizabeth.html

Those of you who like 3-D and/or mixed media projects, these mini books made from matchbook boxes are perfect. And I love the colors on the canvas in the second project. I found these on the IMAGINE Crafts' blog . . . 

by Heike Linnek
Artist-in-Residence for IMAGINE Crafts

Click on this link for the project sheet:

https://www.imaginecrafts.com/project-details/497/0.0

This is a canvas from Isha Gupta who is always quite creative and loves color! The butterflies, die-cut from Vertigo film, are very subtle against all of the beautiful colors. This certainly inspires me to think of how to use a similar technique for a cheery card or tag.

by Isha Gupta
Artist-in-Residence for IMAGINE Crafts

Click on this link for the project sheet:

https://www.imaginecrafts.com/project-details/506

Dina Wakley has made a card using "ugly art" that she has transformed. Check this out . . . we've all had those experiments that didn't exactly work out as planned -- or we've had oopsies occur that we didn't expect. Just proves that you should never throw something out just because you don't like it . . . throw it into an "oops" box to be used for something different on a different day!

by Dina Wakley

Click on this link for Dina's project sheet:

http://rangerink.com/?ranger_project=from-my-heart-card-by-dina-wakley

That's all for now. I have a Hasty Lace project awaiting before I call it a day. What's your favorite "to do" before calling it a day?

Another fabulous weekend of creativity at Art 'n Soul. Pics will be found later in this posting.

Art 'n Soul's Inspiration Station features Magenta's new watercolor powders, Nuance. You can spend hours playing with it!

Today's Inspiration Station comes from Carolyn Gough. This is the perfect card for the guys!

by Carolyn Gough

• Spray watercolor paper with water. Spread dry Perfect Pearls in Blue with a large brush.
• Sprinkle Nuance in Cerulean Blue and Royal Blue. After it has dissolved, sprinkle more Nuance if you desire.
• Allow to dry or use a heat tool to dry,
• Stamp the Antique Car (Art Impressions T-2233) onto vellum with StazOn ink. Once dry, cut out the car image.
• Stamp the sentiment (Impression Obsession CL43) onto acetate with StazOn ink; once dry, cut out as shown on sample card.
• Layer the pieces . . . cut-outs onto the watercolored background panel; layer the watercolor panel onto black card stock as a 'matting frame'; then adhere to card base.

I love that old car!

The Hasty Lace class students created lovely designs that even the teacher was amazed at! Sandy Jackson, creator of Some-Assembly-Required's Hasty Lace, marveled at how much she learns from students while teaching a class.

by Carol Stallard

by Carol Stallard

by Sharon Wolvin

by Sharon Wolvin

by Deb Kuttel

by Dianne Johnson

by Dianne Johnson

by Susie Tracy

by Jerry Aldrich

by Margaret Piephoff

by Jerry Aldrich

Bianca has used some of the new Nuance colors and new stamps from Magenta for this delightful card.

by Bianca van Noort, Design Team Magenta

Click on this link for the posting:

http://www.magentastyle.com/2015/07/art-art.html

I love this little collage made by a friend of Lisa Lee's (Inchie Arts). What's nice about her blog posting are the step-by-step directions.

by Kim Andersen

Click on this link to Kim's blog, "Art in Red Wagons" . . .

http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/2015/07/i-love-me-some-sharpie.html?m=1

Linda Presley posted a photo promoting her Rosie's Roadshow class at Art 'n Soul on August 8 . . . are you signed up?

by Linda Presley, Rosie's Roadshow, for class at Art 'n Soul

Please call the store (360.357.6820) or stop in to sign up. I'm loving that I finally am able to attend a Rosie's Roadshow class! How about you?

On Sandy Allnock's blog, she has made a 'comic strip' template that you can download; it comes in two sizes. These templates are perfect to use with the new Tim Holtz Crazy "Talk", "Thoughts" and "Things" stamp sets and Crazy "Bird" die set that we've been absolutely CRAZY about at Art 'n Soul.

Click on this link for the template:  http://salln.net/1Ktwo7q

Click on this link for Sandy's blog posting that includes a video tutorial on using the template for a Comic Strip card:  

http://sandyallnock.com/comic-strip-card-bird-crazy/

Thanks for stopping by!