Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek - Day 1

It's time for another release from Taylored Expressions! Today I have projects to share with you that use the newest stamp set in the TE Giving Tree program, You're My Hero. The TE Giving Tree donates partial proceeds from sales of a special stamp set to a different charity each quarter. This quarter, $7 from the sale of each You're My Hero stamp set goes to CureSearch. CureSearch unites the world's largest childhood cancer organization, The Children's Oncology Group, and the National Childhood Cancer Foundation through their mission to cure childhood cancer. You can read more about this and why Taylor chose this charity on her blog.

The You're My Hero set is perfect for teens, tweens and the "rockstar" in all of us! ;) When I was creating this set, my six year old kept asking who I was making that "Hannah Montana" set for! LOL The Rockstar Key Ingredients are PERFECT for this stamp set! For my project today, I created a card and little coordinating "purse". On the card, I stamped the silhouette image once full strength and then stamped it off three or four times to add to the feel the patterned paper already had. I embossed the sentiment in two different colors of metallic embossing powder to fit the color scheme. To help the main image to stand out of bit more, I faux stitched around the image and then sponged ink around the outside of the image. The final touch was the gathered ribbon being the focal panel.

For the purse, I cut a box using my Silhouette and then decorated it with patterned paper from the Rockstar Key Ingredients. Again, I used two different colors of metallic embossing powder for the sentiment. I also added some of the funky, glittery brads from the key ingredients and the gold ribbon for a handle.

You will LOVE this set. It is A LOT of fun! It's a totally different thing for me, but I just love it! It's great for when you need something for kids that have outgrown your "cute" stamps! LOL This set will be available in the TE store on Friday, March 5th at 8am PST!

Be sure to stop and see what the rest of the Baker's Dozen has cooked up for you!

Alex Maldonado, Carolina Buchting, Donna Baker, Jackie Pedro, Jeanie Witmer, Jodi Collins, Karen Giron, Karen Motz, Melissa Sauls, Nancy McKinney, Sankari Wegman and Taylor VanBruggen.

Thanks for stopping by and have a GREAT day!

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Today I have a card to share with you using the latest Our Craft Lounge Design Team Sketch. I was flattered to find that my sweet friend and fellow DT member, Heather, chose one of my cards as inspiration for this sketch! So, I guess I'm kind of CASEing myself! LOL My original card using this sketch actually came from one of the elements I wanted to use on the card. . .a Cuttlebug frame.

Since I wanted to use that frame, this is how the layout had to be. It was interesting to create a card using the same sketch, but not having to work around the frame!

I used the New Digs set from Our Craft Lounge. This set is adorable because it has separate elements that you can add. . .like the fence and grass. So cute! For this card, I chose my paper and tried to color a neat and funky house to match. The paper is from a Fall Stack from Die Cut With a View. The image was colored using Copic markers. Hope you get a chance to participate in the sketch challenge! You could win a free stamp set! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- New Digs (Our Craft Lounge); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Ripe Avocado (PTI); Paper- Orange Zest (PTI), The Fall Stack (DCWV); Accessories- paper piercer, Copic markers; Finished card measures 4.25"x5.5"

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"

Embellish Borders Color Challenge

Today's Embellish Magazine challenge is sponsored by Verve Stamps. This week's challenge is a color challenge with borders. For my card, I used the Beautiful Kindness set with a Martha Stewart border punch. The butterfly is embossed in peach on vellum, cut out, colored a bit and placed on the card. The patterned paper is from the Morning Meadow Collection from SEI.

Head on over to the Embellish Magazine blog to view the rules, see some inspiration from their design team and submit your entry for a chance to win!

Some of the Verve Divas will be posting their takes on this challenge as well, so you might want to take a peek at their blogs!

Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful day!SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Beautiful Kindness (Verve Stamps); Ink- Pink Grapefruit, Niagara Mist (VersaMagic); Paper- Morning Meadow Collection (SEI), Prism Papers; Accessories- embossing powder, ribbon, paper piercer, white gel pen; Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"

Bundle of Joy

Here's a cute little card I made using the elephant and onesie templates from the Rock-a-Bye Baby Collection from Papertrey Ink. I actually used my Silhouette to cute both the onesie and that tiny little elephant! I was experiementing to see just how small I could get it to cut and still recognize what it was. This was the smallest I tried. I thought the elephant made a nice little emblem for the front of a onesie. Note: the templates aren't available in digital cutter formats yet, but my sweet friend and fellow team member Jennifer Holmes was able to convert these so that they could be used in the Silhouette. I also used the Baby Button Bits stamp set for the sentiment. I just love how the little elephant turned out though! LOL Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Baby Button Bits (PTI); Ink- Aqua Mist (PTI); Paper- Aqua Mist, Lemon Tart (PTI); Accessories- button, Rock a Bye Baby Click Simple template (PTI), paper piercer, white gel pen; Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"

Hoppy Easter

I have another card for you today using the Hippity Hoppity set from Our Craft Lounge. This card also uses the sketch from the OCL Design Team Sketch Challenge. I just LOVE sketches. If you do too, head on over and check out the sketch and play along! You could win a stamp set!

I colored the "bunny frog" using Copic markers. The patterned papers are from my scrap bin. They may be a little bit crazy, huh? I thought maybe it would go with the Easter egg theme. . .what do you think? LOL

On another note, I don't know if you noticed my new watermark? I LOVE it! My sweet friend Karen Giron made it for me! I knew she sold watermarks, but I didn't know if she made custom watermarks. . .and I SO wanted one with a ladybug! It turns out she does and she's SUPER fast and wonderful to work with! So, if you're in need of a watermark, I highly recommend Karen!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Hippity Hoppity (Our Craft Lounge); Paper- Crushed Curry, Basic Black (SU), Spring Stack (DCWV); Accessories- oval and scallop oval punches (SU), Copic markers, brads; Finished card measures 4.25"x5.5"

Eggspecially For You

I have a cute little box to share with you today. I used the Hippity Hoppity set from Our Craft Lounge along with the Shaker Box Sizzix XL die. I colored the image in using Copic markers and filled the box with my FAVORITE Easter candy. . .Cadbury chocolate eggs! This makes such a cute little treat for any occasion really. I know my kids couldn't wait to get their hands on this little box! LOL After cutting the box out of Regal Rose cardstock, I added a piece of window sheet over the window on the inside and filled the box with the eggs. To finish it off, I tied the box with some ribbon. Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you're having a great week! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Hippity Hoppity (Our Craft Lounge); Paper- Spring Stack (DCWV), Regal Rose, Basic Black (SU); Accessories- Shaker Box XL die (Sizzix), circle and scallop circle punches (Marvy-Uchida), ribbon (Darice);

Big Birthday Wishes

Here are a few cards using the Big Birthday Wishes set from Our Craft Lounge. This set is great for cards or projects where the sentiment is the focal point. There are a couple of images that come in the set, but it is primarily a sentiment set.

For this first card, I used some patterned paper from the Butterflies and Blossoms Stack along with some die cut butterflies to frame the sentiment.

In my second card, I made more of a masculine birthday card. The paper along with some distressing and a little hemp helped to make this card have a more masculine feel.

The last project I have using this set is perfect for a kid's birthday. I created a little box that inserted a gift card inside the box. The sentiment is placed on the outside of the box with some of the balloon images from the set decorating the outside. I cut out the balloon images, added glue and then dunked them in glitter. I used some embroidery floss for the balloon strings.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you're having a fabulous weekend! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Big Birthday Wishes (Our Craft Lounge); Paper- Butterflies & Blossoms Stack (DCWV); Pacific Point (SU), Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate (PTI); Accessories- chunky glitter (SU), paper piercer, butterfly die, star punch (SU), ribbon (PTI), box from Silhouette online store, hemp; Finished cards measure 4.25"x5.5"

Bellarific Friday

This week I had a chance to play in the Bellarific Friday Challenge! This week's challenge was a color challenge. I just LOVED the colors and was able to put together this card. I used the Bedbugg Huggabugg from Stamping Bella. I created the sentiment using Karen Foster Snap Stamps and a partial sentiment from the Lovey Huggabugg. I colored the little bug in using Copic markers. I also added some sparkle to her using Stardust Stickles. The paper is from the Morning Meadow Paper Pack from SEI.

Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Bedbugg Huggabugg, Lovey Huggabugg (Stamping Bella); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Paper- Morning Meadow Collection (SEI); Accessories- Labels 9 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), circle punch, paper piercer, white gel pen, twill, Copic markers, Stardust Stickles; Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"

Big Love

I have a card for you today using the Whales in Love stamp from Taylored Expressions. The sentiment is from the Animal Love Sentiments set. I stamped the image onto white cardstock, colored with Copic markers and then cut it out using the Labels 9 Nestabilities. For the border piece, I used the Fiskars Upper Crest border punch. As a finishing touch, I added a couple of Dew Drops in the bottom left corner. I used to use Dew Drops all the time, but I haven't used them for a while. I decided to get them out again. I just LOVE them! They are especially great for cards having to do with water or bubbles!

I can't believe it Friday! This week has been so long with the snow delays and school. Today is the first day there hasn't been a snow delay. Maybe my schedule will feel back to normal today! Hope you have a wonderful day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Whales in Love, Animal Love Sentiments (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Tuxedo Black, Bamboo Leaves (Tsukineko); Paper- Soft Sky, Basic Black (SU), Rough and Tough Allstar (Fancy Pants Designs); Accessories- Upper Crest border punch (Fiskars), Dew Drops (The Robin's Nest), Labels 9 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Copic markers; Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"