New Magenta Collection Sneak Peek

I've been saying for a while that the new Magenta collection is coming, and it is coming very soon!  I'm super excited about these new images, and I know you all are going to love them as much as I do.    Helene Metivier of Magenta has kindly allowed me to put a sneak peek of some of the new images on my blog.  If you are on Facebook, you can also see these, plus one of the new templates on the Magenta page.  Be sure to "Like!"  Keep checking back here for the announcement that the new collection is out.  For my local readers, the Magenta catalog is open at Art 'n Soul, and as soon as the new collection is out, be sure to get your orders in for your favorites.  You are going to love these new images and templates!

Cards by Valerie Dumais

Magenta Retailer of the Year!

In case you all missed this on the Magenta blog, please check out the link here.

Dianne Johnson and Susie Tracy

Art 'n Soul received an award for the Magenta Retailer of the Year, for the fourth year in a row, and I was pleased to be asked to present the award to Susie Tracy, our shop owner.  We were so happy and honored to get this award again.  This means that for the year 2013, we bought more Magenta products than any other store in the U.S (actually, for the years 2010 through 2013).  There's a reason that we buy a lot of Magenta products, and that is because we simply believe that they are one of the best stamp companies around.  Our customers agree with us and come to us to purchase these classy and elegant stamps.  I'll leave you with a picture of a card that I made for a class that I co-taught with Marj Marion, (mentor and teacher extraordinaire), on making your own washi tape.

Magenta sentiment stamp:  Circle of Friends 2  07.673.I

Sorry the picture quality is not that good, but the sentiment is wonderful.  I'm so glad you all are in MY circle of friends!

Zen Birthday Wishes

Sorry I have been so absent from the blog in the last month!  Those of you who know me know I have a lot going on in my life right now - good things!  One thing that I'm excited about is that Magenta will have a new collection coming out very soon, so watch these pages or their blog for that announcement.  I have been seeing some sneak peeks and it will be fabulous!!

I recently took a little time and made a birthday card for a friend.  I didn't take a picture of the outside, but here is the inside of the card, opened up.  You can see I left a little space to write a Happy Birthday greeting.

I masked a space off with a heart shape that I die cut out of masking paper.  This gave me a clear space to stamp a message.  The tangles were done with a brown Micron 01 pen on Kraft card stock, and the stamping was done with Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink.  The tangle at the top is Por Fin - a new one that I recently learned. I prefer drawing it on a curve, rather than straight.

I like the effect of masking a space for stamping and then drawing all around it; I will definitely use this technique more!  I'm also liking the brown Micron on the Kraft.