Welcome Back to School

Is it too early to be ready for everyone to be back in school?  Probably!!!  I know the teachers are at least feeling this way. :)  I created this card using the Mojo Monday challenge to make a round or square card.  I always like creating little round ones...it's a nice change from the norm! 

I created this using one of the latest TE Petite stamps, Apple Wreath.  I didn't get a chance to stamp with this at the latest release so I couldn't wait to create something with it when I had a chance!  I love the apples on the wreath, just like I love the strawberries on the Strawberry Wreath...something about those red fruits I guess!  I stamped my wreath image in Memento Tuxedo Black and then colored in with my favorite Copics. 

This card is for my son's teacher, who has been out the past few months for maternity leave.  I'm sooo excited to have her back and I hope she likes this card welcoming her back to class.  I know she missed the kids while being out, but I'm sure she is going to miss her sweet baby while she's back in class.  At least she will know that we are sooo happy to have her back, right? :)

Ok, I have to head off and spend the rest of the day at the gym now.  Have you been as gluttonous as me over the holidays?  lol!

Thanks for stopping by!

No layer CAS Christmas

Hey everyone!  I'm sneaking in with a very quick post with a couple of CAS style cards I made using one of my  oldie, but goodie, favorite Taylored Expressions sets, Winter Wonderland. 

I started with a very simple design using some Kraft cardstock and Alabaster chalk ink.  I then stamped my greeting with Warm Red.  To add a little more bling, I used the varied sizes from Taylor's Crystal Twinkles.  I like how very quickly this card came together...GREAT for mass production at this very last minute, right?!

And since I tend to get bored stamping the same colors, I changed it up a bit...

Here, I stamped on some shimmering white cardstock with French Blue chalk ink and greeting in Silver ink.  Quite stunning in person!  I also used different snowflakes from the very same set.  Easy peasy!

Thanks for looking and have a great rest of the weekend!

Maya Road Holiday Gift Mitten

Hello everyone!!  I can officially tell you that my Anatomy class is DONE!  WOOOHOO!!  I'm totally celebrating here.  It's been a grueling past few months but I think it's definitely going to be worth it all in the end....one step closer to doing, what I think, is my true calling.

Anyway!  My poor blog has been pretty neglected.  I've still been creating every spare chance I can, and here is a project I shared on the Maya Road blog.

I created this cute little burlap sac using their Acrylic mitten album as a template.  I was thrilled that it made the perfect sized little gift sac and it was SUPER easy to put together!

With a handful of Maya Road embellishments, I was really able to dress it up too...I just love it!  Perfect teacher gift, imo!  Be sure to check out my post for some instructions and a link to all the products I used HERE!

Thanks for hanging out with me while my posting has been so spotty...and lacking!  I promise to visit more this month....and hopefully next month too!  Until Physiology class starts next mid-January, LOL!

Have a great rest of the week!

Taylored Expressions December Release!

TE Release Day!

• All of the new products are now available for purchase! Check out the Fresh Out of the Oven Department to see everything in one place!
• More projects from the Baker's Dozen to inspire you.  Just follow the link list below.
• PETITE-A-PALOOZA SPECIAL:  Purchase any 6 Petite Stamp Sets (new or old) through Friday December 9th and receive a Petite Storage Case absolutely FREE!

Yay!!!  It's release day and as you read this, everything you have seen (plus what you see today!) is now available for purchase!!  Today the Bakers and I are showing two last projects, so I'm going to just get started now!

This has to be one of my most favorite projects from the release!  I positively adore this new Strawberry Wreath, another Petite set in the Seasonal Wreath series illustrated by the super talented Nancy McKinney for her Whimsical Wishes line of stamps.  Whew!  That was a mouthful. :)  And remember how I said you would be seeing more projects using the October Afternoon Taylored Card Kit from yesterday?  Welp!  Here it is!!  All the papers and accessories are straight from the kit!  The only thing I added was my Copics for coloring. :)  And this set also coordinates with one of my all time favorites, Berries & Cherries.  You like?!

Ok, how about another?

You know I have to have at least one Clean and Simple project per release and this is that one!  This new Petite is called Sky's The Limit, and this set was illustrated by Emily Burger for her Embracing Grace line of stamps.  This Petite actually has 3 coordinating dies, so I couldn't resist using this set for my last project! I love the whimsical balloons, and I actually stamped using all 3!   Once again, same October Afternoon Taylored Card Kit used here. ;)  See how much mileage one kit can give ya?!

So I hope you have loved all you have seen so far.  Plenty of great Petite sets for gift giving so get right to it!

Don't forget to hop around and see what else we have in store for ya! ;)

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jami Sibley
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Lori Craig
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek - Day 2

December Release At a Glance

• It's Petite-a-Palooza as we introduce A DOZEN new Petite stamp sets, plus one new A la Carte, from every stamp collection available at Taylored Expressions.
• Tuesday is Calendar Day as we showcase FOUR new TE calendar products - all perfect for gift giving!
• Wednesday is Card Kit Day as we introduce FOUR new Taylored Card Kits available just in time for the holidays!
• All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, December 1st at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.

• Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.

Hey everyone, and welcome back to Day 2 of sneaks for the big release tomorrow morning!!!

Have you been a little overwhelmed with all of the new Petites that will be available?  Well, be prepared to be even more overwhelmed today!!!  The Bakers Dozen have many more to share today, so I hope you grabbed a cuppa jo and have some time to hop around.  And let me just real quickly add, these Petites are a great way to try out Taylored Expressions stamps if you are new to them.  They ALSO make great gifts at the affordable price of only $7.95 a piece!  AND, this release also features the brand new Petite Storage Case!!  They work exactly like the regular sized storage cases, but they will comfortably hold SIX Petite sets! And I know that you could use the cases for other projects if you get only a little bit creative. ;)

Moving right along....here is my sneak for today!

I got to play with the new Petite set, Simply Magical.  This adorable set was illustrated by Jessie Olsen for her Stamp a Sweet Impression line of stamps, and it features Cuppie and his magical friend.  I was so excited to use this set!!!  My little girl Catie has been on such a unicorn kick... 

And so she thinks this set is just the cat's meow. ;)  Perfect gift for little girls, my friends!!

I used papers from the new Taylored Card Kits that are also being released tomorrow!!!  There are FOUR to choose from and I used the October Afternoon Taylored Card Kit.  I am in LOVE with this card kit!!!  Oh, you will be seeing more projects with it later, trust me!  The kit comes fully loaded with 10 solid colored cardstock card bases,10 neutral cardstock image panels, envelopes, patterned paper, ribbon, KaiserCraft rhinestones or pearls - all packaged in a Petite Storage Case.  Kits are $14.95 each.

Remember, there are 3 others to choose from, so you should find something perfect for your taste and stamping needs!

Ready to check out the rest of the projects and kits??  Be sure and stop by the following blogs:

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Lori Craig
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek - Day 1

December Release At a Glance

• It's Petite-a-Palooza as we introduce A DOZEN new Petite stamp sets, plus one new A la Carte, from every stamp collection available at Taylored Expressions.
• Tuesday is Calendar Day as we showcase FOUR new TE calendar products - all perfect for gift giving!
• Wednesday is Card Kit Day as we introduce FOUR new Taylored Card Kits available just in time for the holidays!
• All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, December 1st at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.

• Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.

Hey everyone!  The time has snuck up on us again and that means it's time for the December sneak peeks!  This release is jam-packed with many many goodies, so I'm going to just dive in and get started.

Today the Bakers Dozen and myself are showing off new Calendar Products!!!  A lot of us are sharing different kinds of calendar products as well as new Petite sets that coordinate, so be sure and hop around as you will be seeing something different from everyone!

My calendar product today is the:
Mini Tear off Calendar plus Magnetic Acrylic Base or Desk Acrylic Base - Create one year-round art piece or a different insert for every month of the year.  Taylored Expressions has created our own exclusive mini tear off calendar (2.25" x 3") that can be adhered to either acrylic base choice (sold separately) as well as being used on card and scrapbooking projects.  The possibilities are endless.  These will make awesome gifts!
Mini Tear Off Calendars 30 cents each or 10 for $2.50
Magnetic Acrylic Base or Desk Acrylic Base - $2.25 each

I started my calendar with a decoration for January, to start the year right!  I used the new Snowflake Wreath, one of many new in the wreath series being sneak peeked for you today!  This is a petite set of 7 images for only $7.95 from Nancy McKinney's Whimsical Wishes line of stamps.  As always, it still coordinates with the matching Seasonal Wreath Die. I also paired it with the Take Note 3 Die so that my Wreath could really shine. :)  I love the idea of using this for my calendar because I can simply redecorate a small page and slide out the previous month with the new month's appropriate decor!  


Now you just HAVE to go and check out everyone else's posts for today!  Lots of fabulous calendar ideas and LOTS of new petites to see!!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Lori Craig
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Now that Thanksgiving is over...

It's time to move ahead full force with Christmas!    I created this little number in the hopes, that if I make something using an easy template, I would be able to mass produce some cards.  I think this one fits the bill!

I added the bows and flowers for extra "flavor" but you could definitely omit those two and it still comes out as a nice looking card, imo!  I used one of my most FAVORITE Taylored Expressions Christmas sets from last year, Sparkle & Cheer.  I used papers and accessories from the Holiday Wonder Project Pantry and everything just fell perfectly together from that.  :)  I LOVE this Project Pantry kit...get it while you still have a chance!  I stamped the gorgeous sleigh on a piece of patterned paper from the kit and used the snowflakes from the same set to make a border.  The negative snowflake on the sleigh has Diamond Stickles, which just can't capture the pretty sparkle.  Oh well, just imagine little specks of pretty diamonds...we all like diamonds, right?

Well, that is all for me today.  November is starting to wrap up and that means it's time to start sneaking the December release soon...see you VERY soon!! ;)

Thankful Thoughts

Hey everyone!  I'm back again and this time I'm playing along in last Friday's Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge.  I used one of the new sets that I didn't get to play with that was just released at the beginning of this month, Thankful.  The beginning of this month...can you believe it's already halfway through the month?  I'm just boggled at where all the time has gone.  Time flies when you're having fun!

Ok, so here's the sketch...

And my take...perfect for the upcoming holiday!

I used the trio of pumpkins image from Thankful as well as the sentiment, that I stamped separately.  Papers are from My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Sunshine and I colored my pumpkins with Copics...of course!  I think I did a pretty good job sticking with the sketch...for once! ;)

Alrighty, that's my quick little contribution for today, time to take the girl off to swim school!

Have a great day and thank you so much for your visit!

Taylored Expressions November Release!

TE Release Day!

• All of the new products are now available for purchase! Check out the Fresh Out of the Oven Department to see everything in one place!
• More projects from the Baker's Dozen to inspire you.  Just follow the link list below.
• Did you win one of the Mystery Baker's Dozen Blog Giveaways? Find the list of winners on Taylor's Blog.

Woohoo!!  It's release day!  My favorite day of every month!  All of the stamps, accessories, and all those pretty papers you've been seeing all week long are available RIGHT NOW!!  But real quick, we all have one last round of fun samples to show you, I hope you will hop around to see them all...PLUS, our newest Guest Designer, Lori Craig is joining us today!!!!

Oy, I just ADORE this image!  This is from the set Love Grows Here from TE's new illustrator, Emily Burger.  You know I always have to include at least one CAS card...a card that is easily mass producible and minimally embellished, and here it is!  There are no layers to this card...just the card itself.  I stamped the "heart tree" image with Memento Tuxedo Black onto TE's Choice Snow White and then colored with Copics.  And let me just tell you, I colored with my Copics pretty heavily and there wasn't even any bleed-through to back enclosure of the card!  I love me my Choice Snow White cardstock, I swear, it IS the best! 

Also, if you are new to Taylored Expressions, all of her stamps are pre-trimmed images on deeply etched rubber in a cute shade of pink!  You will receive them on a full-colored very sturdy panel (with holes already punched for storage!) 

Now, I'm sure you are ready to get to shopping, so here are the list of players for today.  Happy shopping!!!! :)

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jami Sibley
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Lori Craig <-------- Guest Designer!!!
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek - Day 3

November Release At a Glance

• We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday.  All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, November 3rd at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.
• Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.
• Mystery Baker's Dozen Blog Giveaway: Each day, one lucky blog commenter will be chosen by random draw to win a $10 TE Gift Certificate.  Winners will be chosen from a different Baker's Dozen blog each day and will be announced on Taylor's blog on Release Day!  Be sure to hop around to see all the sneak peeks and leave comments on each and every blog for more chances to win. Limit one comment per blog per day, please.  Comments close Wednesday 11/2 at 7pm PST for the drawings.

Hey everyone!!  It's the day before the big release tomorrow!  Have you been loving what you've seen so far?  Well there it still more to see!!  Today we are sneaking THREE new sets, Thankful, Thanks a la Carte, and Sunflower Wreath.  We are all sharing a sample of a different set, so you are definitely going to want to hop around to see what you may find!

Today, my sneak is....are you ready?  You love them!  It's the next series in the seasonal wreath set! Ok, aside from the Christmas holiday wreath, this just may be my next favorite!  I LOVE the way these sunflowers look on the wreath and the feel of Autumn that they emit.  Ahhhh...changing colors and crisp, cool weather...BRING IT ON!!!
I used some Kraft for my card base and some patterned paper from October Afternoon Campfire Collection and the new Mini Leaves Taylored Die set that was snuck to you on Monday. :)  I simply die cut some of the fall leaves with felt and added them as a fun embellishment.  If you are new to this set, it was originally concepted by Jami Sibley (our very own Baker's Dozen Coordinator) and illustrated by the uber talented, Nancy McKinney for her Whimsical Wishes line of stamps.  Of course, there is a matching die, the Seasonal Wreath Taylored Die, which you won't want to be without for this cutie!

And that wraps it up for me today.  But there is still tomorrow..release day, and one last set of samples to whet your appetite!  See you back here tomorrow! ;)

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jami Sibley
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek - Day 2

November Release At a Glance

• We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday.  All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, November 3rd at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.
• Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.
• Mystery Baker's Dozen Blog Giveaway: Each day, one lucky blog commenter will be chosen by random draw to win a $10 TE Gift Certificate.  Winners will be chosen from a different Baker's Dozen blog each day and will be announced on Taylor's blog on Release Day!  Be sure to hop around to see all the sneak peeks and leave comments on each and every blog for more chances to win. Limit one comment per blog per day, please.  Comments close Wednesday 11/2 at 7pm PST for the drawings.

Hello again and Happy November!!  I hope you had a fun Halloween yesterday and maybe are coming back down from that sugar high, am I right?!  lol!  Even more fun....did you enjoy the sneaks that you saw yesterday with the latest Labels of Love II set?  Well, there is much more to see today!!  Today the Baker's, along with some lovely guests, are featuring 4 new adorable sets and I just can't wait to see all the samples for this one!!

The first set is a special one, in that it is from a NEW ILLUSTRATOR!!  This release, we have the pleasure of introducing a new illustrator, Emily Burger along with her line of Embracing Grace stamps.  She has designed a set, Love Grows Here, which features 7 tree vignettes for year-round fun and versatility!

Ack!  How cute is that?  I used the "tree in bird" vignette...isn't it just adorable?!  And let me just tell you, not all of the trees look alike! ;)  I wanted to do something fun and quirky, just like the image, so I used papers from the MME Everyday Flair 6x6 paper pack.  I also think that the Picket Fence Border Die makes such a cute touch!

But there's more today!!  While some of the others are sneaking a Moka Katie and Life is a Dance, I am getting to sneak with for you the other Moka...Moka Morgana!!

Ack!  Another tooo cutey image!  This is actually an unfinished wood frame that I "dolled" up for my little princess Catie. :)  I took a 2.5" x 2.5" wood frame, exactly like the one shown here:

(picture from the Craft Critique blog post HERE)

Anyone else buy a basketful of these frames when they came out a while ago?  Yep, I still have quite a stash!!  Anyway, I decorated it with papers from Authentique's Uncommon 6x6 papers and then added the adorable Moka Morgana and perfect sentiment to my frame.  I just love it!!!  Moka Morgana is illustrated by the super talented, Nancy McKinney for her Moka Collection.  Her daughter actually inspired this Petite set of 5, and is also named after her!  Then I finished my frame with a Felt Pearl Blossom in Pink from Maya Road. 

And that's it for me today!!!  I hope you can take some time to see what everyone has in store for you...I can't wait to see myself!!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jami Sibley
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Nancy McKinney
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek - Day 1

November Release At a Glance

• We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday.  All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, November 3rd at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.
• Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.
• Mystery Baker's Dozen Blog Giveaway: Each day, one lucky blog commenter will be chosen by random draw to win a $10 TE Gift Certificate.  Winners will be chosen from a different Baker's Dozen blog each day and will be announced on Taylor's blog on Release Day!  Be sure to hop around to see all the sneak peeks and leave comments on each and every blog for more chances to win. Limit one comment per blog per day, please.  Comments close Wednesday 11/2 at 7pm PST for the drawings.

Hello everyone and Happy Halloween!!  Can you believe this is the very last day of October and tomorrow  will be the first day to the second to last month of the year??  That was a mouthful!  Well, I always look forward to the beginning of a new month because it bring a new set of gorgeous stamps to create with each month, and hopefully inspire you!

Today, we are sharing with you a special set in a series of sets that are part of the Taylored Expressions Giving Tree. 
The TE Giving Tree is a program designed to raise funds for a different charity each quarter.  For the months of November, December and January, Taylored Expressions will donate $5 from the sale of each Labels of Love II stamp set to the Union Rescue Mission.
In part the URM's Mission Statement reads:
We embrace people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ – giving hope and healing for a changed life – helping them find their way home.

By Embrace we mean to welcome, to encircle with our arms.
By Compassion we mean to love and touch others, as Christ loved us.
By Hope we mean providing encouragement and resources for a new start.
By Healing we mean being restored in body, mind, and spirit through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
By Changed Life we mean going in a new direction and to realize our God-given purpose.
By Home we mean having the opportunity to earn a living, secure housing, and be a healthy family again.
The Union Rescue Mission (URM) was founded in 1891 and is one of the largest missions of its kind in America--bringing help and hope to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in Downtown Los Angeles. Taylor's husband, Jon, served at the Union Rescue Mission when they lived in California and saw first hand the impact it had on the lives of the homeless.  Visit the Union Rescue Mission website at http://urm.org/

And the special set for the month is Labels of Love II!!  You may recognize the shape of the image, as this is a follow-up set to the first Labels of Love set that was designed to coordinate with the Ribbon Tags Trio Die.  This set features all new designed frames and sentiments that are perfect to cover almost every holiday of the year!  What a great Christmas gift to to send out too, right? :)
As always, this set is a full set of deeply etched rubber mounted on EZ mount, ready for your acrylic blocks!  There are 27 images and sentiments, and don't forget, it coordinates with the original Labels of Love set AND the Ribbon Tags Trio Die.  Also, our very own, Taylor, designed these sets for her TE line of stamps.
For my sample, I used some pretty paper from the TE store, the MME Lost & Found Blush coupled with some yummy Carnation Pink Silk Ribbon.  I used two dies, the Ribbon Tags Trio (of course!) and the Medium Scalloped Border Die. 

Now, I hope that you can hop around and visit the rest of the Baker's Dozen to see what they've done with this adorable set!  AND!!  We also have a new Baker, Jen Shults, has joined us, so please give her a nice warm welcome!!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

May your holidays sparkle

Hey everyone!  Yep, I'm still alive here...and squeezing in a quick challenge (or two!) into a card for fun times.  Check it out...

Yesterday the latest Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge was revealed and I couldn't wait to play along!  The gorgeous samples they had shown actually combined a challenge with Jami's Hope You Can Cling To challenge and I wanted to participate in that as well.  The challenge is to create a holiday card incorporating pink....are you kidding me?  Pink?  Count me in!!!  So up there is my card. :)  I used a lot of pink!  I pulled out a snowflake set released last year that I still adore, Winter Wonderland and the coordinating Winter Wonderland Snowflake dies.  The papers come from Webster's and I used some Taylor's Tiny Twinkles for added sparkle!  Finally, my last must-have ingredient for cards...ribbon!  That luscious ribbon is the Carnation Pink Silk ribbon and, I swear, it makes some seriously gorgeous bows with little efforts!  I need to order more. ;)

Alrighty, that's all for me (for now!)  Off to dinner with the fam, and hopefully, more creating!

Thanks for visiting!

It's about that time!

Even though Halloween hasn't even come and gone yet, I've been saying a lot of Christmas projects starting to sprout up in various places.  And well...I love it!!  I decided to join in on the party and make myself a little shabby number, just because, I miss it!  I kid you not, I have been studying feverishly since Anatomy class started on  August 22nd, and my time to craft has been sooo limited.  I feel like I'm never a step ahead and just barely treading water to stay afloat!  I'm happy to say, however, I've made A's on my first two exams and I've actually really enjoyed the dissections!  I'm currently studying the heck out of the brain...for us not knowing much about it, there sure is a LOT already known...and to be memorized!

Anyway, enough of me sharing about my class!  I think my friends get a little tired of me talking anatomically now too, LOL!

I didn't get to play with the layered part of the Trim the Tree die for the release, so I got that sucker right back out and got to playing. :)  I, also, still had elements from my release projects laying across my desk, so I just used what was out...for the most part!  The patterned paper is from Crate Paper's Peppermint 6x6 pad that I had purchased from the TE store.   I embossed my card base front with the Musical Swirls Impression plate and then added some distress ink so it would really stand out.  I also used the Small Scallop Border Die that you can see peeking out from the texted patterned paper.    Finally, the stamp set is from the new Banner Holidays, and of course, paired with the It's a Banner Day 3 stamp set and Banner Day 3 die!

And that just about sums up this number!  I love it!  Right up my alley and the most pleasant break from all the studying!!  I'm hoping to squeeze some more time soon to just do a nice little marathon of crafting.  I have another exam next week, and of course, I'm already preparing for that one....the stress begins a full week before it happens!

Thanks for the visit!!

Taylored Expression October Release!

TE Release Day!

• All of the new products are now available for purchase! Check out the Fresh Out of the Oven Department to see everything in one place!
• More projects from the Baker's Dozen to inspire you.  Just follow the link list below.
• Did you win one of the Mystery Baker's Dozen Blog Giveaways? Find the list of winners on Taylor's Blog.
• October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - you can help support the Susan G. Komen Foundation through the purchase of Moka Hope (insert direct link to stamp set). Plus you can donate cards to the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center through Hope You Can Cling to at SCS.

Woohoo!! It's Thursday, and it is now official!  All of the stamps and accessories you have been seeing the past few days are now available for purchase!!!  But before you set off to shop, we have some final projects to share with you.

Remember that Peaceful Poinsettia set that hard the coordinating dies that I used a couple of days ago? :) Well, I am making good on my promise to revisit that gorgeous set again, and this time, instead of using the open line stamps, stamp boldly with the solid images!  What do you think?  Another quick and easy CAS card, easy to put together for mass production and straight stamping!!  I did use some patterned paper, and you can see it peeking through the background.  It's from the Holiday Wonder Project Pantry...you won't be disappointed by this kit..LOVE IT!  I also added some "snow flakes" on my poinsettias for some sparkly fun...it really looks so dashing in person!  :)

So have you gotten some good inspiration this week?  I hope so!!  There is still more to see.  Please stop by the following blogs for even more eye candy!!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jami Sibley
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Karen Motz
• Melody Rupple
• Nancy McKinney
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Thanks for the visit!!

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek - Day 3

October Release At a Glance

• We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday.  All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, October 6th at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.
• Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.
• Mystery Baker's Dozen Blog Giveaway: Each day, one lucky blog commenter will be chosen by random draw to win a $10 TE Gift Certificate.  Winners will be chosen from a different Baker's Dozen blog each day and will be announced on Taylor's blog on Release Day!  Be sure to hop around to see all the sneak peeks and leave comments on each and every blog for more chances to win. Limit one comment per blog per day, please.  Comments close Wednesday 10/5 at 7pm PST for the drawings.

Hello again everyone and welcome to the last day of sneak peeks before the big release tomorrow morning!!!  I'm excited to share my contribution to the last grouping of sneaks, and I think this is a set that you have been anxiously awaiting!  Remember the Seasonal Wreath sets for all of the various seasons/holidays?  Well, the holiday/Christmas one is finally here!!!  I made a couple of very Clean and Simple easily mass producible cards...check it out!

The wreath is from the new set, Wreaths of Joy, and normally, there would be one wreath to the set, but they couldn't stop there this time!!  The holiday wreaths are just too cute, and so they added another!

Ack!!  Isn't that too cute?!?  You can go with fun and whimsical with the ornament wreath, and/or elegant and classy with the holly and berries wreath.  This was illustrated by Nancy McKinney for her Whimsical Wishes line of stamps and features 13 images and sentiments on a sturdy panel for $12.95.  And of course, it coordinates with the Seasonal Wreath and Basic Bow die.  Now, even though my card is pretty clean and simple, I paired it with a couple of dies, the Seasonal Wreath and the It's a Banner Day 1 die on my first card, and It's a Banner Day 3 on my ornament wreath card.  The sentiments are also from a new set... the Banner Holiday set. This set has the perfect holiday sentiments that coordinate with all three It's a Banner day dies...1, 2 and 3!!  Banner Holiday was designed by our very own, Taylor VanBruggen, and features 15 holiday sentiments on a sturdy square CD sized color panel for $12.95.

Finally, to take things a step further with my plain white background, I used the Musical Swirls Texture Plate on both of my cards.  Now, I just used the swirls pattern on my cards, but I used them in two different ways on my cards...

Can you see where my first card has the impression deep into my card while the 2nd one has the impression raised?  I love how you can use two totally different effects for your cards!

Ok, that is it for me today!  I will be back tomorrow to celebrate the big release in the morning and share one last project for ya!  :)  I hope to see you back here, and don't forget to take a look at what the rest of the ladies have to share with you.

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jami Sibley
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Karen Motz
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek - Day 2

October Release At a Glance

• We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday.  All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, October 6th at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.
• Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.
• Mystery Baker's Dozen Blog Giveaway: Each day, one lucky blog commenter will be chosen by random draw to win a $10 TE Gift Certificate.  Winners will be chosen from a different Baker's Dozen blog each day and will be announced on Taylor's blog on Release Day!  Be sure to hop around to see all the sneak peeks and leave comments on each and every blog for more chances to win. Limit one comment per blog per day, please.  Comments close Wednesday 10/5 at 7pm PST for the drawings.

 Hey everyone, and welcome back to Day 2 of sneaks for the big release in just TWO days!!!  I'm very excited about the sneaks today as we are featuring some of my favorite sets from this holiday release!  Half of us will be doing projects with some adorable tags, while myself and the other half will be featuring projects with the very lovely set called, Peaceful Poinsettia. This is another set illustrated by the equally lovely, Nancy McKinney for her Whimsical Wishes line of stamps.  Peaceful Poinsettia gives you options for either open line and/or solid stamping.  And of course, they look beautiful layered..just like a real poinsettia!  The coordinating Poinsettia Taylored Die makes that soooo easy to achieve!  I created a project using the open line stamps and then colored with Copics and then die cut out for layering.

Now, I went with a card that is very easy to mass produce here!  There are two holiday Project Pantries, and yesterday I used one, and today, this is the other. 

When you want to bake up a yummy dessert you head to your pantry for the ingredients.  When you want to create a sweet papercrafting project, you can head to our Project Pantry for all the coordinating elements.  We've found that some of the best cake and cookie recipes are the ones based around a basic batter or dough recipe with lots of options to spice it up according to your tastes.  Taylored Expressions is offering our Basic Recipe Kit along with optional Spice It Up Ingredients that you can pick and choose from to build the kit just the way you want it.

Holiday Wonder Project Pantry - Basic Recipe Kit and Spice it Up Optional Ingredients

The Holiday Wonder Project Pantry Basic Recipe Kit is $11.95 and includes:
Authentique Wonder 6x6 pad
10 sheets of 8.5" x 11" cardstock in coordinating colors
6 yards of ribbon (2 yards each of 3 different styles)

Optional Spice it Up Ingredients (choose any or all) are:

• Decorative Brad Mix
• Red/Green Paper Roses
• Christmas Glitter Assortment
• Red Pearls
• Coordinating Copic Markers
• Additional Cardstock Pack
• Additional Ribbon Bundle

 I also paired a couple more dies to showcase my holiday sentiment, Frame It Up 1 Taylored Die and the Take Note 2 Taylored Die.    I love how the dies can pack such a punch and make card making for mass production so easy!

Now, be sure to check out what other projects we have in store for you today, and don't forget to come back by tomorrow and visit for MORE sneaks!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jami Sibley
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Karen Motz
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek - Day 1

October Release At a Glance

• We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday.  All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, October 6th at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.
• Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.
• Mystery Baker's Dozen Blog Giveaway: Each day, one lucky blog commenter will be chosen by random draw to win a $10 TE Gift Certificate.  Winners will be chosen from a different Baker's Dozen blog each day and will be announced on Taylor's blog on Release Day!  Be sure to hop around to see all the sneak peeks and leave comments on each and every blog for more chances to win. Limit one comment per blog per day, please.  Comments close Wednesday 10/5 at 7pm PST for the drawings.

Hello everyone!  So glad you are joining me for the beginning of October (YAY!!) and also, the first day of sneaks for the Taylored Expressions big release this coming Thursday!  This month is all about Christmas and boy have I gotten myself into the spirit!

To start, all of the team and I are featuring projects with the cutest little winter and holiday set, Woodland Winter.  This set features the cutest little critters to make an adorable holiday/winter scene!  This set was illustrated by Doug Applegate for his line of stamps, Apple Doodle Ink.  It is a set of 21 images and sentiments on a sturdy  5.75" x 8.5" sturdy panel, and of course, features that lovely deeply etched pre-trimmed rubber on ez-mount ready for to stamp with your acrylic block!  And of course, there is an ADORABLE die to match...the Trim the Tree Taylored Die set.  Check it out!

I actually didn't create a critter scene (today!), but I did use the tree (with die!!) and the Christmas gifts under to make myself a sweet little Christmas card.  The papers and accessories came straight from one of TWO new holiday themed Project Pantry kits called the 12 Days Project Pantry.

When you want to bake up a yummy dessert you head to your pantry for the ingredients.  When you want to create a sweet papercrafting project, you can head to our Project Pantry for all the coordinating elements.  We've found that some of the best cake and cookie recipes are the ones based around a basic batter or dough recipe with lots of options to spice it up according to your tastes.  Taylored Expressions is offering our Basic Recipe Kit along with optional Spice It Up Ingredients that you can pick and choose from to build the kit just the way you want it.

Here is some info on the kit I used above...and in my next project!


12 Days Project Pantry - Basic Recipe Kit and Spice it Up Optional Ingredients

The 12 Days Project Pantry Basic Recipe Kit is $11.95 and includes:
My Mind's Eye 12 Days of Christmas 6x6 pad
12 sheets of 8.5" x 11" cardstock in coordinating colors
6 yards of ribbon (2 yards each of 3 different styles)

Optional Spice it Up Ingredients (choose any or all) are:

• Christmas Button Mix
• Doodlebug Holiday Brads
• Rockin' Pink Sparkly Fluff
• Rhinestones (Red, Split Pea, Island Lagoon)
• Coordinating Copic Markers
• Additional Cardstock Pack
• Additional Ribbon Bundle

But the projects don't just stop there!  I get to sneak a new MOKA!!!  This Moka is called Moka Betty and she was illustrated by Nancy McKinney for her Whimsical Wishes line of stamps.  This is a Petite set an features 6 images and sentiments for $7.95.  Did I mention that this set is perfect for all your Betty Crocker and Betty Crocker wannabe's out there??  Check it out...

How cute is she?!?!  This is my "invitation" for a holiday cookie swap!!  There is even a sentiment on the stamp set that says the like of that. ;)  I bought a whole bin of 25 Christmas Cookie Cutters at Hobby Lobby on sale for $3.75, and that's 25 cute little accessories for my Christmas Cookie bake swap invitations!  Yeah!!!  Wanna come?? :)

And finally, there is another Moka being shown this month called, Moka Hope.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Taylored Expressions is donating $1 from the sale of each Moka Hope set to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  You can see the adorable stamp set in full and more details on THIS post on Taylored Expressions blog.  This little set is perfect for all types of encouragement cards and while it was designed with breast cancer in mind, her ribbon can be customized to any color for any cause or disease.

And that wraps up the sneaks for me today! Don't forget to come back right here tomorrow for more sneaks for the big release on Thursday. And also, don't forget to visit the rest of the Baker's and friends today to see what they have in store for you!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jami Sibley
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Karen Motz
• Melissa Sauls
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess