The March Key Ingredients

Hey everyone! Myself and some of the Baker's Dozen are with you today to share our March Key Ingredient Challenge projects. The monthly Key Ingredients is a monthly kit club, that delivers to you, the latest coordinating products for your papercrafting needs. And let me tell you, the kit for this month DELIVERS!! This month's is probably my most favorite yet! You see, Taylor hand picks the hottest paper packs out there and then selects cardstocks AND embellishments to match...taking out all the hard work (and shopping) for you! AND it's delivered right to your door each month! You can read more about the Subscription details HERE. Oh! And if you subscribe, there are MANY perks (discounts, challenges, storage) solely for subscribers.

So this month, Taylor has challenged us and you subscribers to create a card or project that includes texture inspired by the outdoors. And this is why I love this month's kit sooo much...



Gorgeous butterflies!! I love these butterflies so much! They are just gorgeous and the earth toned double-sided paper is just luscious too! And you know what? These papers and embellishments are EXCLUSIVE to subscribers ONLY!! Want to know something else really cool that I love about the kit....?? I can make at least 16 cards with it!

Here is the full card.




I was overly inspired by the outdoors (because the weather here has just been gorgeous), so I brought the outdoors to my card! I wanted to mimic the flowers that are emerging from the trees around here and the butterflies leisurely flying by. :) I picked up a twig straight from my backyard Oak tree and added a little color with some olive pigment ink. I then punched out some small flowers with a piece of the patterned paper from the kit and created clusters of flowers. The centers were embellished with Platinum Stickles (another MUST HAVE in your arsenal of embellies) :) My sentiment fit perfectly from the set, Favorite Peeps...my current go-to set! And for a bit more texture, I added some burlap and sewed my patterned paper right to it...worked perfectly!

And now I'm super anxious to see what the rest of us have come up with. Come and join me in checking out these blogs....

Karen
Jodi
Charmaine
Taylor

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!

Another Friday evening project

Me again!! Here I go with another piece of jewelry to wear...and this one's a BIG ONE! I actually wear quite a bit of black over brown (what can I say....it's a thinning color and I need all the help I can get!) so I wanted something to wear matchy matchy. Here's what 3 hours of work netted me..



Hard to imagine what it looks like on, so this is a picture directly from the instructions I followed :)

Their photography is much better! Plus, I think it's pretty convenient to have a dress form with a neck...which I don't happen to have lying around, imagine that! :)

Anyway, I wouldn't recommend making this necklace...it could have probably been finished in about 1.5 hours, but it was 3 hours of almost an entire headache! The glass beads had to be attached with flat head pins and every time I would turn the pin, the glass would break! UGGH!! AND THEN...attaching each chain to that large enhancer gave me HUGE problems. Ok, I'll just stop there...probably too much information!

Gorgeous necklace...yes. Will I ever do one like this again....?? NO! haha! Have a great weekend!

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge 104

Happy Friday, yay!!! Here goes another Friday and another sketch challenge for you. I do hope you will play along. :) Here's what we've got....



Now, it took a lot to not make that center piece a Texas flag, LOL! That was the first thing I thought of when I saw it...being a Texan and all. :) Anywho, I broke free from that urge and came up with this instead!



Something spring and fun! I do hope you like it. :) I wanted to use Favorite Peeps again and make a "spring" card from it instead of Easter. I love those cute little flowers. I stamped them and colored them in with my Copics, cut them out and popped up those little petals. That gorgeous paper is from the Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety mini deck...which Taylor has in the store! Fun sketch, eeeeh?? Please leave me a comment if you play along! I'd love to see what you created. :)

Now let's check out what the rest of the Sketch Crew has to share!

• Alice Wertz
• Jami Sibley
• Lisa Hjulberg
• Lynn Mercurio
• Monika Davis
• Rachel Sztonyk
• Lori Craig
  
• Taylor VanBruggen

PS. I received a lot of questions (and compliments!) regarding the necklace I made last week. The instructions and supply list can be found on the Michael's site HERE. Enjoy ladies!! I'm thinking I may make another one tonight myself. :)

You're One Sweet Chick

I just think that sentiment is the cutest ever! And these little chicks are just as sweet as can be. I haven't done a Splitcoast challenge in forever and now is as good a time as any! My card layout is based off the latest Splitcoast Sketch Challenge #271 and I used the set from Taylor's latest release, Favorite Peeps. Such a cute and VERSATILE set! I really love the ability to use a set beyond a specific holiday, don't you? :) All the papers and embellishments are from the Easter key Ingredients...which includes that new Basic Grey Kioshi collection....YUM!

My little chicks were colored in with Copics using YG0000, Y15, and Y35. I airbrushed some Bg10 for the sky.

Yesterday, the hubby and I celebrated our 9th anniversary of marriage together. I still look at him with so much adoration. I'm such a lucky girl! This weekend we will really celebrate by having a date night together...so looking forward to that!

Be back tomorrow with the TE Friday sketch! Have a great day friends! :)

The Girls Paperie and THE Canvas Album

Hey everyone! I hope you had a fabulous weekend! I'm in the midst of fighting a cold and I'm bound and determined to win. I've been in such a great mood though....road tripping it to Waco with my buds AND attending Lisa Pace's class was just BEYOND AWESOME! I don't think I've wiped the smile off my face yet...sometimes quality girl time is just what the body and mind need. :) Needless to say, all this positive energy is keeping me well, energetic, and driving a huge force to create! Let me first say that I've just been dying to get my hands on the new line of papers/stamps/embellishments by Margie and the Girls' Paperie. Ever since I saw the sneak of it at CHA I've been waiting and waiting.....and waiting. I actually have a nice laundry list of things I am STILL waiting for...but that's another story. :) Anywho, the scrapbook store in Waco (which I now ADORE) had her line!!! ACK!! I scooped up the last Paper Girl stamp set on the shelf...OH YES I DID, and grabbed every piece of paper I could get my hands on! There were QUITE a few things that my friends and I grabbed the last of....that makes me smile, LOL! Some Maya Road, Jenni Bowlin, Melissa Frances and other goodies somehow made their way into my bag...HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?! So I got to creating...lookie


My color inspiration came from Melissa Phillip's blog HERE and the sketch layout I was inspired by is the latest Sketch For You to Try with Jen. I am just in LOVE with this Paper Girl stamp set. I grabbed the sentiment from the Verve set Thankful Hearts. The paper on the right (which nearly made me shed a tear to cut) is from the Girls' Paperie and the one on the left is from the Crafty Secrets paper pad. LOL, do you ever do that? You just love a piece of paper or embellishment so much you don't want to use it! There should be a 12-step hoarder's anonymous program. :)

So back to Saturday....such a memorable day. The ladies at our table were so enjoyable to create with...I hope to run into them again maybe at another class. :) Lisa Pace is absolutely AMAZING. I mean, I was already enamored by her gorgeous work, but wow...what an amazing lady. So kind, patient, generous...and did I mention how gorgeous her work is? LOL! She signed my book...I look at it for inspiration all the time!

Anyway, I didn't finish my book in class, but I did finish it on Sunday afternoon. Here's the cover

I changed it up just a little bit from what she designed, but it's still pretty much the same. We also got to embellish the 2 canvas envelopes inside.



I apologize for the long post, but I guess I'm just chatty Cathy with all this excitement. :) Not to mention there are MANY more events coming up that I am tentatively planning on going to...classes, conventions, retreats....all in the Texas area. Interested in going?? I would love to meet you! Email me and I'll send you a list of all the events I'm planning on attending....all through to the month of September!

Ok, I guess I'll wrap it up for now. :) Thanks so much for hanging in there with me. OH! And thank you all for your comments about my first jewelry endeavor!! I'm so excited you guys have liked it too! I bought materials to make a NEW necklace. :) Look for that soonish....

She makes jewelry

I can say that now!! My Friday night project was to make a necklace....I've been seeing all these gorgeous vintage and repurposed necklaces, that I've been dying to make one. I've been especially fond of the ones that incorporate fabric and flowers! I hunkered down and made this in about 1.5 hours. Oh, and let me just say...I've never made a piece of jewelry before... EVER!


I can't take too much credit...I did follow directions from the Michael's website. :) I figure, I've got to learn somehow!

I am definitely in love with it and I can't wait to wear it...probably today. :) I'm looking forward to my next necklace project...definitely more fabric...and more...bling!


What do you think? Is this something you would wear? I'd love to hear your feedback!

(Sorry this post isn't stamping related, but I figure all you crafty folk still appreciate something handmade! :) )

Off to class in Waco!

Happy Anniversary Whimsical Wishes!

The Taylored Expressions store is now open with the new sets for March, but there's just one more surprise in store for you!! Today marks the one year anniversary that Nancy joined our team with her GORGEOUS artwork in Whimsical Wishes! In celebration of this wonderfully momentous occasion, Taylored Expressions is GIVING AWAY 4 beautiful digital stamp images to anyone who places an order during the Anniversary weekend. How cool is that?! I love free! Check it....

Never worked with digital images before?? Well, let me tell you, I was in the same boat as you until I got this, LOL! I was a bit intimidated when I found out that we would be showcasing these for you today but it was sooo easy! I printed onto cardstock and went to work right away. I used my Prismacolors and odorless minerals to color and there was no bleeding at all...WOOO! I chose a fall image and here is what I came up with.


If I can do it, YOU can certainly do it too!! :)

Want another good reason to order during this Anniversary weekend? Well let me just list off some good ones for ya!
1. New Nestabilities in the store!! Nested eggs, Labels 10, 11, 12, and 13, and the new big scalloped dies
2. New Basic Grey Kioshi and Green at Heart papers AND embellishments
3. ANNIVERSARY SALE!! The first two sets released in the Whimsical Wishes line last year were Branching Out and Branching Out Coordinates. Each of these 2 sets will be on sale for 25% off only through Monday, March 8th. (Since these were a part of the Giving Tree program, these will need to be trimmed when you receive them)

And even more good reasons...with links!
Stamp sets: Easter Blessings, Favorite Peeps, You're my Hero
Key Ingredients: Easter Key Ingredients, Rock Star Key Ingredients
Copic kits: Easter Copic kit, Rock Star Copic kit
Extras: Spring Sampler

Be sure and check out the rest of the Baker's Dozens creations with the different digital images....I know they will be FABULOUS! And if you get a chance, give Nancy some quick lovin' for sharing her gorgeous artwork with us!


* Alex Maldonado
* Carolina Buchting
* Charmaine Ikach
* Donna Baker
* Jackie Pedro
* Jeanie Witmer
* Jodi Collins
* Karen Giron
* Karen Motz
* Sankari Wegman
* Taylor VanBruggen
* Amy Sheffer <------Guest Designer exttraordinaire!!
* Nancy McKinney <--------Illustrator extraordinaire!!