Happy Birthday

There are A LOT of summer birthdays in my family.  I really need to just create a large supply of birthday cards for the summer.  It seems that every time I need one, I have to make it or I use a card with a general sentiment that will work.  :)  This card uses the Sky's the Limit set and Coordinating Dies from Taylored Expressions.  I started with this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch for the layout of the card. 

I stamped the balloons and then die cut just the "balloon" part out of patterned paper and adhered the die cut part over the stamped part.  The patterned paper is from the Happy Day Collection from Simple Stories.  I used a partial die cut of the Take Note Frame 3 Die for the sentiment. 

The "flower" was created using one of the dies from the Fancy Buckles Set.   The red scalloped piece behind the buckle was die cut using a die from the Bugbee Flowers Die Set.  I finished the card with some stitching and some Doodle Twine. 

Thanks for stopping by today and have a great day! 

You're My Hero

There's a Giving Tree Sale at Taylored Expressions!  TE is offering several of their popular TE Giving Tree stamp sets at 25% off! The TE Giving Tree is a program designed to raise funds for charities through the sale of stamp sets. Each stamp set in the program supports a designated charity with the donation of partial proceeds for the first three months after it is released. To date there have been 12 stamp sets in the TE Giving Tree Program!

In the past, the Giving Tree sets have been sold un-trimmed as a solid sheet of rubber on EZ Mount cling cushion, which was done to save on manufacturing costs, allowing TE to donate more to charity. However, they've decided to make the switch so that even the rubber for the Giving Tree stamps will be trimmed like all other TE sets. So here's where the sale comes in! There are limited quantities remaining of the following un-trimmed Giving Tree sets available at 25% off while supplies last. (Cozy Cottages, Welcome Little One, Make a Wish, You're My Hero, Discover Your Wings, The Places You'll Go, Beary Special, Beary Special Accessories and Branching Out).  You can find them all in the What's the Deal Category in the TE store.  When the last of the un-trimmed sets are sold, they will be re-stocked with pre-trimmed rubber and the sale price will disappear.

For my card today, I used the You're My Hero set along with some papers from the Life of the Party Collection from My Mind's Eye.  I also used Karen's latest Sweet Sunday Sketch!  I used the Star Border Die as well as the From the Heart Frame Die and the Bracket Frame Die.  I used some of the stars left over from diecutting the star strip to embellish the sentiment panel.  I added some messy stitching and distressed the bottom edge of the card to add some interest. 
 

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great day!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- You're My Hero (Taylored Expressions); Ink- VersaMagic Malted Mauve, Aloe Vera, Sea Breeze; Paper- Life of the Party Collection (My Mind's Eye); Accessories- bling (Zva Creative), From the Heart Frame Die, Bracket Frame Die, Star Border Die (Taylored Expressions);  Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"

 

Take Time For Fun

This past week I had some time to play with last week's Sweet Sunday Sketch, but I'm just getting around to posting it today.  I used the Life Is a Circus set from Taylored Expressions along with papers from the Happy Go Lucky Collection from American Crafts. 

I stamped, colored and cut out the seal.  I die cut a piece of pink cardstock using the Take Note 3 Die and embossed it using the Clouds Impression Plate.  I added some faux stitching around the border and buttons to finish the card. 

Thanks for stopping by today and have a great day!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Life Is a Circus (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Paper- Happy Go Lucky Collection (American Crafts), Bazzill; Accessories- Take Note 3 Die, Clouds Impression Plate (Taylored Expressions), buttons, Copic markers;  Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"

Only As High

It's Sunday and I was able to play along with Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch!  That makes for a great Sunday for me!  :)  Can you believe it's Karen's 100th sketch?!  How awesome is that?  Congratulations, Karen!   For my card, I used the New Beginnings set from Taylored Expressions.  I just LOVE the quote from this set.  It is so inspiring!  I also used the coordinating Frame It Up 1 Die.  The paper is from the Restoration Collection from Crate Paper. 

I used the Scalloped Eyelet Border Die for the scalloped border across the bottom.  The ribbon and doily transparency came from the Key Ingredients Kit in which I got the Restoration Collection.  If you don't know about the Key Ingredients Subscription, you can find all of the information HERE.  I also used a Heart Pin to add a little something to the bow.  The rose image from the set was stamped three times and cut and layered for dimension.  Then, I added glitter to make it nice and sparkly! 

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- New Beginnings (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Fresh Snow (PTI), Bamboo Leaves (Memento); Paper- Restoration Collection (Crate Paper); Accessories- Scalloped Eyelet Border Die, Frame It Up Die 1, ribbon, Heart Pin (Taylored Expressions);  Finished card measures 4.25" square

Sweet Sunday Dream It

Today I was able to participate in my sweet friend Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch!  Sundays are usually pretty busy at our house, so it's not often that I get to play.  I used the New Beginnings set that was just released at Taylored Expressions!   This sentiment has always been a favorite of mine. 

I used the Valentine Project Pantry for the papers and embellishments.  I also used quite of few of the Taylored Dies!  For the frame, I used the Frame It Up 1 Die.  I used the Butterflies Die for the butterfly, the Heart Border Die for the strip going across the card, as well as the Small and Medium Scallop Borders. 

To finish it off I added some Taylor's Tiny Twinkles to the butterfly and some pierced holes along the left side of the card.  Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday!  Thanks for stopping by!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- New Beginnings (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine), Ocean Depth (VersaMagic); Paper- Valentine Project Pantry (TE); Accessories- ribbon, stick pin from Valentine Project Pantry, Small and Medium Scallop Border dies, Heart Border die, Butterflies die, Frame It Up 1 die (Taylored Expressions);  Finished card measures 4.25"x5.5"

Sweet Sunday Cheerful Friend

It's a great Sunday morning when I have time to stamp a little. :)  It's a rainy day here right now, soon to turn into snow, so I thought I'd stamp a little sunshine using my sweet friend Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch!  I used the Text Objects set from Verve.  I used some dies from Taylored Expressions as well.  The Take Note Die 2 and the Medium Scallop Border die. 

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope your Sunday is wonderful!  SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Text Objects (Verve Stamps); Ink- Espresso, Crushed Curry (SU); Paper- Kitchen Spice Collection (Bo Bunny Press);  Accessories- rhinestones (Zva Creative), Take Note Die 2, Medium Scallop Border die (Taylored Expressions);  Finished card measures 4.25"x5.5"

Let It Snow

I can't believe we're here at the week of Thanksgiving!  Where does the time go?  December is right around the corner and so is snow.  It's not that I don't like snow.  I think snow is beautiful!  I just don't like to drive in it.  If I can watch it from inside my warm and cozy house, I'm great!  ;) 

Today's card uses the Winter Wonderland set from Taylored Expressions along with Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch.  I used the Snow Day Project Pantry Kit and the Winter Wonderland Snowflakes Dies.  I stamped the snowflakes and die cut them, then added some bling.  They were mounted onto the circle piece with foam adhesive.  I thought it would look neat to use the snowflake patterned paper as a background for these snowflakes.  It makes the die cut snowflakes look like they're coming right off the patterned paper, don't you think? :)

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope your week is off to a great start!  Hopefully it's not too busy for you just yet! 

Sweet Sunday Love

I was able to play along with my sweet friend Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch today.  This card uses the newly released What's Cookin' from Taylored Expressions.  I also used the Kitchen Accessories coordinating dies.  I just LOVE that I don't have to cut out these pieces!  :)  The patterned paper is the Doodlebug Bon Appetit Collection. 

I added some faux stitching with a black pen and paper pieced the apron.  A happy, bright card for a beautiful, sunny day! 

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- What's Cookin' (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineo); Paper- Bon Appetit Collection (Doodlebug), cardstock (Bazzill); Accessories- Kitchen Accessories and Apron & Pocket dies (Taylored Expressions), circle punch, horizontal slot punch (SU), Copic markers; Finished card measures 4.25" square

Sweet Sunny Sunday

Happy Easter!  Hope you're having a beautiful day full of sunshine!  We're spending time with family today, so that's sunshine in itself for me.  :)  I was able to stamp a quick card using Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch.  I just LOVE it when a card comes together quickly!  I used the Sunshiney Day Pure Innocence from My Favorite Things.  Such a cute stamp! 

Have a wonderful day today whatever you do!  Thanks for stopping by!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Sunshiney Day (MFT); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Paper- Butterflies & Blossoms (DCWV), Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise (PTI); Accessories- Plain Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Copic markers, Stardust Stickles;  Finished card measures 4.25" square

Sweet Sunday Sunshine

I just love having some time on Sundays to participate in Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch. I love it because Sunday's usually a more laid back day for us, and Karen's sketches are always great for a clean and simple card!

For today's sketch, I used the sun from the Let It Shine set and the sentiment from Feel the Sun, both from Verve Stamps. The paper is from the Garden Variety Cosmo Cricket Collection. They are all such, happy, fun patterned papers. . .perfect for a sunshine card! I also used my new Big Scalloped Rectangles to matte the polka dot paper. Finally, I added some faux stitching around the card and some Stardust Stickles to the sun.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you're having a Super Sweet Sunday! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Feel the Sun, Let It Shine (Verve Stamps); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine), Summer Sunrise (PTI); Paper- Prism Papers, Garden Variety Collection (Cosmo Cricket); Accessories- Big Scalloped Rectangles, Plain and Scallop Circles (Spellbinders), Stardust Stickles, Real Red grosgrain (SU), paper piercer; Finished card measures 4.25" square

Sweet Sunday Spring

It's a BEAUTIFUL, sunny Sunday here in Pittsburgh and I was able to participate in two challenges today! That makes for a wonderful day all around! :)

I created this card using Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch and Nichole's color palette for her Spring Is in the Air Challenge. I used the Green Thumb stamp set from Papertrey Ink along with Melon Berry, Summer Sunrise, Lemon Tart, Polka Dot Parade and Spring Moss paper and ink. This was one of the first Papertrey sets I bought and I STILL love it! I stamped the flowers in Melon Berry, Summer Sunrise and Lemon Tart in, then added the stems and leaves in Spring Moss. I used the Martha Stewart Fringe scissors to cut the "grass" and added clear Dew Drops to the centers of the flowers. I added some faux stitching with a white gel pen for a finishing touch to this happy, Spring card!

Hope you're having a sunny day! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Green Thumb (PTI); Ink- Melon Berry, Lemon Tart, Spring Moss, Summer Sunrise (PTI), Onyx Black (Versafine); Paper- Melon Berry, Lemon Tart, Spring Moss, Summer Sunrise, Polka Dot Parade (PTI); Accessories- paper piercer, white gel pen, Lemon Tart ribbon (PTI), Dew Drops (The Robin's Nest), fringe scissors (Martha Stewart); Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"

You Rock

I got a chance to play in Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch today! I'm so happy because I try week after week to play along, but I never get the chance. This morning, the baby took an unexpected nap so I took advantage of that! :)

I used the You Rock set from Verve Stamps. I used the November Key Ingredients Kit as well. If you haven't tried the Key Ingredients Kits at Taylored Expressions, you must! Not only are they wonderfully coordinated sets, but they make putting together a quick card SO EASY! Today's card with the Key Ingredients AND a sketch to follow took me no time! All I had to do was decide on a stamp set!

I also wanted to let you know that there are new releases coming up this week for Taylored Expressions AND Verve Stamps. . .and you won't want to miss either one! TE starts peeks on Wednesday, March 3rd! You can join the Verve Spring Fling on Friday, March 5th from 1pm until 10pm! Lots of new and exciting things this week, so please stay tuned! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- You Rock (Verve Stamps); Ink- Burnt Umber (Palette); Paper- November 20th Key Ingredients (Taylored Expressions); Accessories- star punch (SU), Fleur de lis punch (EK Success), paper piercer, Choc. Chip marker (SU); Finished card measures 3.25"x6.5"