Mother's Little Helper

Taylored Expressions - May Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Happy Tuesday, friends!  Or as Carter calls it "Last day of school!"  Or as I call it "Last day of my sanity!" I would have vehemently argued against year-round-schooling in the years prior to 1987 (when I graduated from high school - Go Aztecs!), but now?  I'm a fervent supporter of the idea.  Kids need structure, and structure is not my strong suit.  In fact, I think my strong suit got lost at the cleaners or is at the bottom of a hamper somewhere...

No matter!  I have some super cuteness to share with you today - as do many members of Taylored Expressions' Baker's Dozen and the Key Ingredients team - in the form of the May Stamp of the Month kit.  Truly, it's darling.  Take a look at the SOTM stamps and dies:

I needed a thank you note for Carter's sainted 2nd grade teacher this year (I'll miss you, Miss H!), so this is what I came up with using the May SOTM/KI kit:

A fun, sparkly card, fresh as a May flower.  Check out the cool pop-up banner die - it's sure to become a personal favorite of yours truly:

Now, skeedaddle on over to my crafty friends' blogs to see what they've created using this month's funtabulous SOTM:

• Amy Crockett
• Cassie Trask
• Charmaine Ikach
• Debbie Carriere
• Jami Sibley
• Kerri Michaud
• Monika Davis
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Shelly Mercado
• Stephanie Kraft
• Tammie Edgerton
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tracy Clemente

Thanks for stopping by to see me. :)

Taylored Expressions May Spotlight: Lifetime of Love

Hey gang!  Back with another fun & festive new set from Taylored Expressions' May release.  It's another cute 'on the road' scene from TE's Apple Doodle Ink line, and this time, it's a bride and groom leaving for their future, complete with tin cans attached to the rear bumper.  It's called LIFETIME OF LOVE.  I created a little wooden gift tag in the hopes that not only would it decorate a wedding present, but that it might end up on the recipient couple's Christmas tree, as well.  (I did that with a few wooden baby tags I received when the boys were born, and they are some of our most treasured ornaments.)  Take a look:

The wooden tag is from Hobby Lobby, and measures 3.25" by 4.5".  I drilled a hole in it and gave it a quick coat of white craft paint.  After that, it was a cinch to put this together.  Here's the backside:

A little patterned paper (from Simple Stories' Vintage Bliss 6"x6" pad) and space to write a personal message, die cut from TE's Label Stacklets 3 dies.

Let's go see what the rest of the Baker's Dozen is spotlighting today, shall we?

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Kerri Michaud

Lynnette Kauffman

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Tammie Edgerton

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Taylored Expressions May Release Day: Birch Tree Cutting Plate

Not only is today Release Day for all of Taylored Expressions' May products, it's also TO DIE FOR!  What do I mean?  That I'm going to go all Nicole-Kidman-as-Suzanne-Stone-and-persuade-some-thuggie-teenagers-to-kill-my-husband?¹  No, silly.  TO DIE FOR means all of us in the Baker's Dozen (and our fabby guest designer, Joan Ervin) are featuring a particular die being released this month, and showing you two different ways to use it.  Fun-fun-fun!

I'm thrilled to be able to show you a couple of things I made with the new BIRCH TREE CUTTING PLATE.  I believe I've made mention of the fact that I ADORE TE's cutting plates, and that's not mere DT puffery on my part.  They are just so dang cool and EASY to work with; instant elegance with the crank of your insert name of your particular die cutting machine or a push of the ol' Vagabond button.  The BIRCH TREE CUTTING PLATE (BTCP) is no exception, except for the fact that it's exceptionally beautiful.²

Here's one way to use the BTCP, as a woodsy background for a masculine card:

I chopped up all of the sentiments from the new GRAPHIC GREETINGS DAD stamp, popped them up on foam boosters, and spread them out, ransom-note-style, all over the card front.  I added a little rustic twine for visual interest.  Easy-peasy!

Now, for a different look, I created a little winter scene using the BTCP:

Using white cardstock for the BTCP layer automatically made me think of snow.  I added a trio of cool blues for my other card elements (including an owl, bird, and the deer from the BIRCH TREE ACCESSORIES die set, and a panel from the BAND IT dies for the sentiment), then took a white colored pencil to add snowflakes.³  The sentiment is from the From My Window set.

And lookie: nice and flat for easy mailing!  Love when that happens.

Shall we visit the rest of the Baker's Dozen to see their TO DIE FOR projects?  Let's go!

Charmaine Ikach

Jami Sibley

Jen Shults

Joan Ervin

Kerri Michaud

Lynnette Kauffman

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Tammie Edgerton

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

 

Footnotes:

1.  Have you ever seen To Die For?  It is SUCH a great movie - by far and away my favorite Nicole Kidman performance.  She won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for it, you know.  It's loosely based on the Pamela Smart case, and is a dark comedy (my favorite kind of movie).

  

2.  See how I did that?  Used some form of 'except' three times within the course of one fairly short sentence.  Why one would want to do that, I don't know, but it amuses me.  I'm easy!  Like Sunday morning. (Now, you know I have to do this, but you don't have to watch it unless you want to...)

 

3.  Hmmm... I got a little heavy-handed with the snowflakes; would probably look better with fewer.  Oh well - wabi sabi!  Let's just pretend it's a blizzard scene...

Taylored Expressions May Sneak Peek: Greeting For Him

Hola!  How are you, this Siete de Mayo?  Me?  Well, we're getting a new roof put on our house this week, which means there's a constant bang-bang-bang going on above me, and the dogs are both figuratively and literally barking mad.  Good times!

Speaking of good times, Taylored Expressions' May release is all about celebrating the special men and couples in our lives.  Father's Day, wedding season, and our August anniversary (DH and I will be celebrating 20 years of wedded bliss) = covered!  Thanks, TE! :)

For this first Sneak Peek, I'm showing off the new GREETINGS FOR HIM stamp set.  It comes with all sorts of words and phrases for the dudes.  See what I mean?

I decided to pair up a few sentiments to make a Father's Day card for my father-in-law, whom my boys call "GrandDad."  Here's what I came up with:

I LOVE the new BIRCH TREE BORDER die, as well as the BIRCH TREE ACCESSORIES die set (which is where the deer came from) -- they make coming up with masculine cards a snap.  And, considering the fact that my husband and his large extended family were all born and raised in Antlers, Oklahoma (self-proclaimed deer capital of the world, where they let out school for a week when deer hunting season begins; seriously!), I think I'll be getting a lot of use dies!

As you know, I am centuries old and very wise, so pay attention whilst I give thee a little stamping insight.  When you're making cards for the guys, think TEXTURE.  I used cork for the birch trees, felt for the deer, a rustic twine to embellish, as well as brown mini-brads to set off the sentiment.  All of those different textures give the card a much more masculine look and feel than layered paper.

Here's a close up of the sentiment, which was stamped onto a panel cut from the new BAND IT die:

This is the second panel I made; the first had to go in the circular file as setting those tiny brads tore up the lightweight patterned paper (from October Afternoon's Campfire 8x8 pad).  I really wanted to use the pattern, though, to tie the sentiment together with the ground.  What to do?  I glued a bit of card stock behind the area where the brads would be and it was much easier to line them up and getting thme looking right.  Success!

Ready for more?  Then go visit my Baker's Dozen buddies (and our fabulous guest designer, Joan Ervin) to see more stunning creations with the May TE release...

Carole Burrage

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Joan Ervin - Guest Designer

Kerri Michaud

Lynnette Kauffman

Nancy McKinney

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Tammie Edgerton

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

 

Supplies used:

Stamps: Greetings for Him (Taylored Expressions)

Dies: Birch Tree Border, Birch Tree Accessories, Band It Die (Taylored Expressions)

Ink: Adirondack Earthtones Denim

Paper: Choice Buttercream (TE), Creamy Caramel (SU), Campfire 8x8 pad (October Afternoon)

Accessories: cork, felt, twine, mini-brads (Queen & Co.), foam boosters (JSSS)

 

Reverse Confetti Sneak Peek!

Howdy, peeples!  I'm so excited to post for you today and share the dream of a very dear friend of mine.  If you've been in stamping circles for any length of time, you know that Jen del Muro of i {heart} 2 stamp is a designer extraordinaire and nothing short of the BOMB.  What you may or may not be aware of, however, is that this stamping superstar is now an offical stamp company owner!!!!  Jen is not only making good things happen on paper, she's also enabling and creating the means for the rest of us to do so, as well.  Bravo, my friend!  Unlike lil ol' me, you have the guts and fortitude to put your money where your mouth is!!  I LOVE that in a gal, don' t you?

And, since Jen is my buddy, I have the good fortune of being able to share with you one of her first sets.  It's called DREAM IN COLOR, and when I first saw it, I literally squealed.  Don't tell Jen, because it would possibly (a) make me seem cocky and (b) embarrass her, but I think I might have been the muse for this set... I swear, this is a set I would create if I had it in me to do so!  See why:

You know me: I'm all about the COLORFUL!  And thus, I couldn't resist utilizing my good friend, ROY G. BIV, when I went about creating this sweet and sorta simple 3"x 6" long note.  You know I love a little hand-stitching, so I had to add a rainbow of cross-stitches to the borders, like so:

There are so many other fun sentiment combinations you can create with this awesome set - COLOR ME HAPPY!  (as you'll see in the set graphic, below...)

What do you think?  Am I correct in thinkin' Jen has her fingers on the pulse of the stamping zeitgeist and knows what we're looking for?  Something cute, on trend, and not too terribly color intensive?  Yep, that's all about where I'm at these days!  Woot-woot to my woman, JdM!!!

Wanna see some funtabulous creations using this and other brand-new Reverse Confetti stamp sets?  Then head on over to the Reverse Confetti blog for a list of links.  And some other great news (especially for yours truly): this release from Reverse Confetti can be bought not only on the RC website on May 8th, it can also be purchased via my oh-so-favorite one-stop-stamping-&-papercrafting-shop, i {heart} papers!   Holla at your girls, friendlies!

 

National Scrapbook Day!

Heidi-ho, homies!  It's National Scrapbook Day - a day for us all to actually print out and ponder all those pics we take and say we'll get to, "someday."  Well, guess what?  Someday is TODAY!!!

I'm definitely going to be putting together several VERY simple Life-ish-Project-ish (<--- no copyright infringement there, do you think?) pages today to document the many wonderous family moments and times I'm oh-so-grateful for.  As I mentioned in my last post, last month was a personal hum-dinger (and not in a good way), for me.  But still, even when I'm feeling my age and kinda ruined, when I give it a hard, close look, I happen to have a beautiful family, marriage, home, health, and life.  In spite of dark days, I have several fabulous photos that I (or others) took last month that I can look upon and be grateful for.  So, that's what I intend to do.  

That, and maybe just a little retail therapy...

Of course, you know my favorite all-purpose stamping store to shop, and guess what?  They're having a big sale to help get you in the mood for National Scrapbook Day, too:

To help you celebrate all weekend long, i {heart} papers is offering a 10% off coupon, valid on all orders $40 or more. It may be stamps, Copics, papers or whatever you'd like! And, as always, free shipping on your $70 US order.

Be sure to check out the new section of the store for the latest and greatest goodies including the newest lines from My Mind's Eye!  (And ooftie - those new Lilybee Designs 6x6 pads are totally calling my name...)

I'll come back tomorrow and share what I made today.  Hope you have a great NSD, friends!

 

Graduating Clouds

Well, well.  It's been a while, hasn't it?  As America sings, "I've been one poor correspondent and I've been too, too hard to find.  But it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind."

I could go into detail, but I won't.  Suffice it to say that if 1992 was Queen Elizabeth II's annus horribilis, then April of 2013 has been my personal mensis horribilis.  Not that some good (and eventually, I predict, great) things haven't come out of this hard time, but, man.  I have been through the wringer, and that is putting it mildly.  Still, I believe Nietzche was on to something with his whole "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" line of thinking.  Resilience is my third middle name (behind my original "Anne" <--- obviously Mom dug 'e's at the end of names -- and my legal middle name, "Tillman," which is also my maiden name, Carter's middle name, and our dogs' middle names, according to Carter).

Onward and upward!  (Someone needs to make that into a stamp sentiment, don't you think?)

I'm back with a few more graduation cards, today.  Surprise, surprise!  Here's a look-see:

  I made a trio of matching cards using Taylored Expressions' Grad a la Carte stamp and the cute new Grad Cap Taylored Die.  Here's a closer look at a single card:

I hand drew a cloud template, then with a pencil, traced around it on to Copic X-Press Blending card stock.  Next, I stamped out the image, colored it in with Copics, glued the mortar board on a puff at a jaunty angle, and popped it up on foam circles on top of an airbrushed sky background.  And, just to complicate matters (because that's how I roll - why make one simple card when you can hand-stitch around three cards with four different colors of floss?), I created a rainbow border of backstitching on a black layer of cardstock.  Like so:

Festive!  If you're wondering what sort of school these clouds are graduating from, you're thinking too hard.  Let it go!  No good can come from that; trust me, I know!

Alrighty, peeps.  Here's to May flowers!

 

Taylored Expressions April Studio Challenge

It's time for the Baker's Dozen Studio Challenge.  This is a monthly opportunity for the Taylored Expressions team to share what makes our stamping studios hum.  Each month we  have a fun, crafty question so we can share our favorites, some tips and tricks, stamping advice and more.

The theme for April is:

Mix & Match!  TE stamp sets are designed with plenty of images and sentiments so they are "self-contained" for lots of creativity, but sometimes it's fun to mix and match several different sets for even more possibilities.

Your challenge is to create a project using three or more TE stamp sets.

Well, I may have mentioned this to you one or a hundred times lately, but at this time of year, I'm always in desperate need for graduation cards.  Thus, I endeavored to make a graduation card for this month's Studio Challenge.  Here's what I came up with:

I started off with the adorable new MOKA SKYLAR image as my foreground image.  Here she is, in her graduation finery:

I needed a sentiment/background image that would lend itself to a graduation-themed card, and the Dr. Seuss quote with the road & mountain scene from THE PLACES YOU'LL GO stamp set did both for me:

After adhering Skylar to the left hand side of the background layer, there sure seemed to be a lot of empty airbrushed sky in the upper right section of the background.  I decided to punch out the trendy chevron circle and 'congrats' sentiment from the current/April Stamp of the Month kit to add a festive embellishment and cover up some of that empty skyline.

Want to try mixing and matching stamp sets to challenge yourself, and/or get more use out of your favorite sets?  Then, in summation, my advice is:

• pick out a foreground image to build your card around,
• find an image from a different set to create a background, of some sort, that is in keeping with your foreground set,
• select an appropriate sentiment from another set, and
  
• find another set you can use to make an embellishment.

Ready to see what the rest of the oh-so-talented Baker's Dozen (and our fabulous Mar-April Guest Designer) have made to fulfill this month's Studio Challenge?  Then head on over to visit these lovely ladies' blogs:

Broni Holcombe

Carole Burrage

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Kerri Mchaud

Lynnette Kauffman

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Tammie Edgerton

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

There She Goes: Shiver Me Timbers & Ship Happens Blog Hop Challenge

It took a little begging, but we finally got Torico to illustrate a pirate set for us!! If you “need a little ‘aye’ candy”, well then “X marks the spot”.

Shiver Me Timbers is a 6x8 set that includes a total of 24 stamps and will sell for $24.00. The new stamps will be available on Saturday, April 27th at 11pm.  Here's what I made with this new favorite o' mine:

I’m sure it comes as NO surprise to all you loyal There She Goes fans, but we couldn’t go without creating a companion set to go along with this SUPER fun set!! Leave it to the Trendsetters to come up with so many FUNNY and AWESOME sentiments that one set just couldn’t hold them all.
Ship Happens is a  3x4 set that includes a total of 9 stamps and will sell for $9.00. The new stamps will be available on Saturday, April 27th at 11pm.  Naturally, I found the the 'having rum' sentiment from Ship Happens most appealing.  

Here's a close-up of my little rum runner (please note gin/rum blossom on his nose):

Would you like to win this new stamp set? Here is what you need to do- visit the Trendsetter’s blogs that are participating in each of the blog hop challenges below and comment on their creations as you go. One of the Trendsetter’s blogs (from each hop day) will be randomly chosen as the ‘it’ blog and a winner will be picked using a random number generator from the comments left on that Trendsetter’s Blog Hop Challenge post.

You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning new stamps! The Blog Hop Challenges will be open until 5 PM Eastern Time Saturday, April 27th with the winner being announced during the release party chat.

 

Authentique/Taylored Expressions Project Inspiration Blog Hop

Wass-up, peep-a-dees?  I'm being purposely discordant at the moment.  Why, you say?  Well, because when you see the label, "Authentique" I'm assuming you're like me and thinking "Elegant!  Classy!"  But then, when I greet you with my homemade hip-hop lingo, I presume you think "Say what?!"  Discordant!  Word to your mother!  And so on.

Alright. Enough of my jibber-jabbering nonsense.  You're tired of it, I'm tired of it, and quite frankly, I don't have the energy to keep it going.  You think this stream of consciousness blabber is easy, but no siree.  It takes a lot out of this old gray mare who ain't what she used to be.  So let me get to the point, already.  A few lucky-ducky members of Taylored Expressions Baker's Dozen were sent some GOR-JUSS papers from Authentique to do what they will with them and I happened to be one of them-there-few.  Today and tomorrow, we'll be participating in blog hops to show you how beautifully Authentique and TE stamps and dies combine to make papercrafting perfection.  This is the first day of the hop, and I'm second in line after the awesomeness you'll find at Authentique Paper.  After me, you'll want to head to the able and alluring Audrey Pettit's blog.

So, as I said before, Authentique Papers are instant elegance, to me.  I feel the same way about TE's cutting plates: they are an easy and immediate avenue for adding panache to any papercrafting project.  (Applause for alliteration!)  Put 'em together, and you have a quick-and-dirty duo that declare dignity at the get-go, like so:

Nothing terribly complicated - just several lovely Authentique patterned papers from the new 'Strong' 8x8 Bundle (all but the Cranberry Crisp background card stock), the Quatrefoil Cutting Plate from TE, a frame and sentiment from TE's Valentine Doodles set, a bit of ribbon and a pin, and wa-la!  A love-note to go!

Here's a close-up of the sentiment, taken from a lyric from Elton John's lovely "Your Song."

A million thanks to Authentique for providing this Okie with a paper makeover!  Now, head on over to Audrey's blog to see what's coming up next.  And, if free stuff is your thing (it's definitely my thing, but perhaps there are Puritans out there who believe it's wrong to participate in blog candy), Taylored Expressions and Authentique is giving away a prize package consisting of a mix of Authentique products and Taylored Expressions Dies.  Woot!  The winner will be randomly selected from all of the people who leave comments on all of the Blog Hop posts - so git-r-done, friends! 

Now, you'll want to head on over to Audrey's blog.  But in case you get lost, here's the full list of blog hop participants to make your viewing transition easy as pie:

Day 1- April 11th

Authentique Paper- http://blog.authentiquepaper.com

Carole Burrage- http://motherslittlehelper.typepad.com/

Audrey Pettit- http://audreypettit.wordpress.com/

Charmaine Ikach- http://oodabugalley.blogspot.com/

Emily Lanham- http://www.createserendipity.net

Kerri Michaud- http://cardsbykerri.blogspot.com/

Angie Blom- http://angieblomdesigns.blogspot.com/  

Taylored Expressions- http://tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/

 

Day 2- April 12th

Taylored Expressions- http://tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/

Shannon White- http://enchantedladybugcreations.blogspot.com/

Shellye McDaniel- http://paperedcottage.blogspot.com/

Wanda Guess- http://www.ablogcalledwanda.com/

Stephanie Kraft- http://handkraftedbystephanie.blogspot.com/

Kay Fatula- http://www.kayskreativekorner.blogspot.com/

Sankari Wegman- http://sunnysankari.blogspot.com/

Authentique Paper- http://blog.authentiquepaper.com

BUY THE WAY:  Taylored Expressions is offering a coupon code for dies during the hop! It is good for 10% off ALL dies in the TE store: TENOFFDIES

The offer is good from April 11, 2013 until 11:59pm CST on April 19, 2013.

Please note that the code is case sensitive and not available to wholesalers.

April Stamp of the Month!

Last month, Taylored Expressions debuted the Stamp of the Month Kit.  I know you're used to my puffery when it comes to TE, but here's the deal: everything TE comes out with is done with such class and attention to detail - working with TE is honestly a little slice of heaven.  And since I'm SUCH an angel, it's a perfect fit!

 

Anyway, the sophmore SOTM kit continues the tradition of excellence you've long associated with Taylored Expressions.  Take a look:

Just awesome for throwing together a quick and easy card to let someone know you care.  (And as I'm always telling the rest of the Baker's Dozen gals, you can't spell 'Carole' without C-A-R-E! For some reason, they giggle when I say this.  It's actually starting to offend me... ;) )  As I've confessed, I am a S-L-O-W stamper, but this particular number (using last week's Mojo Monday sketch) only took me about 30 minutes, from start to finish, thanks to the perfect pairings of papers and embellishments in the Key Ingredients kit. 

Here's a little more information about the SOTM and other subscription options available from TE (taken from Taylor's blog).

The Key Ingredients Kit Club

 Includes a 6x6 paper pad, 12 sheets of coordinating 8.5" x 11" cardstock, and 5 yards of ribbon all packaged together in a clear storage case. The Key Ingredients is exclusive to subscribers and can be purchased for a monthly charge of $24 (U.S.), $28 (Canada), $35 (other countries), which includes shipping. 

Stamp of the Month Club

 A new stamp set shipped directly to you each month. The stamps are made from pre-trimmed, deeply etched, red rubber and come on a sturdy 4" x 6" storage panel. The Stamp of the Month is exclusive to subscribers and can be purchased for a monthly charge of $20 (U.S.), $22 (Canada), $24 (other countries), which includes shipping.

Deluxe Key Ingredients

Perhaps you've noticed that our Stamp of the Month and Key Ingredients coordinating perfectly making the two a match made in heaven! As a Deluxe subscriber you'll receive both the Stamp of the Month and the Key Ingredients kit for a reduced price! This option can be purchased for a monthly charge of $39 (U.S.), $45 (Canada), $53 (other countries), which includes shipping. In addition our Deluxe subscribers will also receive an exclusive coupon code for a 10% discount in the TE Store all month long!

Hop along to the rest of these gals blogs for more eye candy using the brand new SOTM!

• Jen Shults
• Charmaine Ikach
• Carole Burrage
• Stephanie Kraft
• Shannon White
• Tammie Edgerton
• Kerri Michaud
• Shelly Mercado
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Amy Crockett
• Cassie Trask
• Monika Davis
• Tracy Clemente

Taylored Release April Spotlights: Shady Tree Cutting Plate

So what do you think?  Hasn't this April release from Taylored Expressions done blown your mind?  I KNOW!!! 

 

Today each member of the Baker's Dozen is creating a Mother's Day themed project with new products from this release.  As longtime readers may recall, my Mom died a year and a half ago, in October of 2011.  Last year was the first Mother's Day I had without her.  Mom, this one's for you:

I used the SHADY TREE CUTTING plate to create my favorite sign of spring - the redbud tree! - and tied a yellow ribbon around it (even though this version isn't an oak tree, I've been wanting to do that since I laid eyes on this cutting die).  The tree is die cut out of actual wood paper, and the grass was created using TE's Chevron Border dies.  I used the Clouds Impression Plate with watercolor paper to emboss the background layer, then colored/waterpenned with Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils.  The sentiment is from the From My Window set.

For more marvelous Mother's Day projects featuring a shower of April release products, please visit these magnificent mademoiselles:

Broni Holcombe

Carole Burrage

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Kerri Mchaud

Lynnette Kauffman

Nancy McKinney

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Tammie Edgerton

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Thanks for stopping by today, sweet friends.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Supplies used - Stamps: From My Window (TE, for sentiment); Taylored Dies: Shady Tree Cutting Plate, Banner Stacklets 1, Chevron Borders, Clouds Impression Plate; Paper: Cherry Satin Wooden paper, Bristol 90 lb Watercolor paper, Orchid Oppulence (SU!), Choice Buttercream (TE), Certainly Celery (SU!), Gumdrop Green (MFT), Doodlebug Designs Flower Box 6x6 pad; Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black; Accessories: yellow ric rac, Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils, waterpen.

Taylored Expressions April Sneak Peek: Lifetime of Happiness and Happy Heart

Hello, hello!  I've got another day of fabulous fun peeks of the April release from Taylored Expressions!  Yay!

Taylor and several of us on the Baker's Dozen got together for dinner one evening during the January CHA.  Taylor asked if there any sorts of sets we were wanting/needing, and I immediately shouted out (interrupting whomever else might have been speaking and ignoring all rules of social propriety because that's the way I roll): "GRADUATION!!!"  I don't know about you, but it seems I cannot get enough graduation stamp sets or make enough graduation cards.  Maybe it's the age we're at: everyone we know seems to have one kid or another who is graduating.  I bet I send out 10 graduation cards/gifts per year. 

Thus, I am SUPER excited about this month's release as there are several graduation goodies in store.  It's also nice to know that -- despite my lack of manners and overall uncouthness -- Taylor finds a muse in me.  Truth be told, she probably has a mad girl crush on me.  *Sigh*  It's a cross I frequently have to bear...

 

Anyway.  Enough about me and my problems.  Want to see the first graduation set?  Yes, you do!  I know it!

This stamp set is called LIFETIME OF HAPPINESS - isn't it fun?  It comes with this large image, and several terrific graduation sentiments.  I used map paper (from October Afternoon's Border Crossing 8x8 pad) to tie in with the image and this particular sentiment, and I paper-pieced just about everything except for the car and driver. Note the new RIC RAC BORDERS peeking out from under the sentiment and image. I also used the Banner Stacklets 2 dies to make the sentiment panel and for the red grounding panel.

I'm not sure who this card is going to go to, but I've figured something out when making such cards that comes in handy.  When I'm not sure of the recipient, and the image isn't terrible detailed with respect to hair, I just go ahead and color the hair blonde.  If I want to personalize it later, I can always add more color to change the hair to brunette, red, or black, but I can't easily lighten the hair if you've already colored it a darker color.  Pretty nifty, huh?  Consider that little tip my gift to you today.  Don't say I never gave you anything!

Here's a sideview, so you can see how the car is popped up for depth & dimension:

Next up is a sweet graphic sentiment set that's perfect-o for creating quick and easy cards utilizing the chalkboard trend that's all the rage these days.

It's a mini set called HAPPY HEART and it comes with four sentiments.  When I saw this particular sentiment, I thought it would be a perfect time to pull out my Hearts Cutting Plate.  I selected patterned papers from the happiest paper company (Doodlebug!) in the happiest colors I could think of - yellow, turquoise, and hot pink.  Once I ran the cutting plate through and had all those little hearts in my hands, I decided to make the most of them and create a trio of cards.  I made a tag focal point using the new TAG STACKLETS 1 dies.  Here's a close-up:

I couldn't resist hand-drawing a little happy face on the heart die cut (created via the Cupid's Arrows die set).  Other Taylored dies used include the Medium Scallop Border and the Curly Border dies.

Ready to see what the rest of the Baker's Dozen and a couple of VERY SPECIAL BD Alumni have made for your viewing pleasure?  Then go visit 'em!

Carole Burrage

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Kerri Mchaud

Lynnette Kauffman

Nancy McKinney

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Tammie Edgerton

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Plus special guest posts by Baker's Dozen Alumni:

Danielle Lounds

Jodi Collins

Thanks for coming to visit me, and I'll be back tomorrow with more graduation goodness!

Taylored Expressions April Sneak Peek: Made In the Shade and A Glimpse Inside

I swear, I'm so excited about this month's Taylored Expressions release, I could rival the 'Ermahgerd!' chick in a geek-off. 

Just put my head on her body, and replace the Goosebumps books with a fan of new TE stamps and dies.  That's me right now!  Want to see why?  Of course you do...

First, however, I need to tell you a cautionary tale.  I decided I wanted to showcase the SHADE TREE CUTTING PLATE with the MADE IN THE SHADE stamp set by creating a silhouette/sunset scene.  So, naturally, I got out a piece of glossy cardstock and went to work inking a sunset-y background.  Like so:

Next, I adhered the Shady Tree die cut, and then I set about stamping the tire swing from Made In the Shade.  But guess what I forgot?  When working with glossy card stock, you should heat set the ink because takes a lot longer to dry than regular card stock.

Grrr... Can't really figure out how I did that, looking back.  But - whatever.  I had to ink another background, then cut out and adhere another die cut.  This time, I decided to heat emboss the tire swing and the sentiment.  But you know what?  Heat embossing is kinda messy under ideal conditions.  Heat embossing on glossy cardstock?  A gloppy mess. 

I took a deep breath, and made my THIRD sunset background, my THIRD Shady Tree die cut, and tried one more time.  Finally, I was pleased with the result...

Don't you love that tree?  It's CRAZY versatile, as you'll find when you visit the rest of the Baker's Dozen gang to see what they made with it. 

The next card I have to show you, I had oh-so-much fun making.  I used the A GLIMPSE INSIDE stamp set with the new PICTURE WINDOW DIE and the shutters from the WINDOW ACCESSORIES DIES:

I made it to look a bit like my house; we have black shutters on the windows and white window panes.  Though the first floor of our home is brick, the top level of it is a khaki-colored siding.  I even went outside with my color swatch book (because I'm a dork) to make sure I was picking the closest card stock match that I had (Bamboo by CTMH).  I paper pleated the siding, btw. 

I don't know about you, but I LOVE taking walks at night or early in the morning, and being able to see what's going on through the windows in other people's homes.  Just from the road/sidewalk, mind you - not in a peeping-Tom-in-the-bushes/nose-pressed-against-the-glass kind of way.  I like to wonder what's going on in there and see how other people live, don't you?  This is probably also why I pull my shades closed at sundown each evening; to thwart people like me.  Anyway, here's a closer look inside the window:

Note the paper-pieced wingback chair and the Claremore Zebra rug (red, black & white are our colors).  I decided it was looking a little bare above the mantle, so I cut a tiny picture out of a magazine for a little art.  There's a little vellum window treatment, too.  I tell you, making these little scenes (yes, I am using the word 'little' too much, but try not to notice) is almost as much fun as playing Barbies (which I did, on the sly, until 6th grade.  I knew I was too old, but I loved playing Barbies so much).  Playing with these stamps and dies also fulfills that part of me that occasionally wants to start creating and decorating doll houses/miniatures.  One of my FAVORITE places in the whole wide world is the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Chicago Institute of Art -- talk about ermahgerd!  Anyway, these stamp sets and dies are a godsend because I need another hobby like I need a hole in my head...

Ready to see what fantastic stuff the rest of the Baker's Dozen has put together to entice and delight you?  Then please visit these loverly ladies blogs:

Broni Holcombe

Charmaine Ikach

Jami Sibley

Jen Shults

Kerri Mchaud

Lynnette Kauffman

Nancy McKinney

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Tammie Edgerton

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Just In Time...

Happy Easter evening, friends!  Carter informed me earlier today that I'd better change the calendar in my craft room, but there was a wee little problem: I didn't have anything made yet for April.  That was quickly remedied, though...

I still had Doodlebug's Fruitstand Essentials easily accessible, and happily this springy plaid (it's called 'Fruit Punch Plaid') contained the color I wanted to use - purple.  You know I like my colors bold and bright, and to not use purple in 12 months of calendar pages would just be wrong.  The only months that really say "purple" are April and October, don't you agree?  And seeing as October also has orange and black to choose from (no other month besides October says "black," but November could say "orange"), I thought I'd let April claim purple for itself. 

We've had a lot of rain this weekend, but wow!  When the sun came out today, I could see that lots of trees and bushes are ready to burst into bloom, including my beloved redbuds.  Thus, I selected this flowering tree from Taylored Expressions' Love Grows Here set to adorn April.  Here's a close-up:

So, I'm very excited for the redbuds to bloom, but you want to know what I'm even more excited about?  The season 3 premiere of GAME OF THRONES tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love love love that show, and I have a mad crush on Peter Dinklage (who plays Tyrion Lannister). I've been wearing GOT tee-shirts all this weekend in honor of this auspicious occasion. Can't wait to see what's been going on in Westeros and how big Daenerys's dragons have become since we saw them last (which was June 3, 2012 - not that I'm obsessive or anything). 

If any of you happen to be reading this before the premiere tonight, my next-door-neighbor/BFF/ basically brother Brad and I will be watching together and playing the following game.  You're welcome to join us!

Supplies used and available at Taylored Expressions:

• Love Grows Here stamp set
• A Year of Sweet Sentiments stamp set
• Banner Stacklets 1
• Momento Tuxedo Black ink
• Copic Markers
• 2013 6x6 dated calendar download
• Frame Your Imagination vertical stand