Mother's Little Helper

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

Taylored Expressions January Sneak Peek: Oh What a Holiday & Cupid's Arrows

Yay!  So excited to be bringing you my first Sneak Peek as a member of Taylored Expression's Baker's Dozen!  I posted a calendar for January when I was announced as a design team member last week, and as I took a look at the brand-new OH WHAT A HOLIDAY set, I had to keep going.  See what I mean:

Cute-cute-CUTE, huh?  Had time permitted, I could have kept on going for several more months as OH WHAT A HOLIDAY has images and sentiments for spring/Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas.  I'll get to those months soon enough, but first, I want to show you a Sneak Peek of yet another new set: CUPID'S ARROW!

This card is definitely going to my honey/hubby for Valentine's Day.  I don't have a good picture of it yet, but wait until I show you what he gave me for Christmas!  The dude knows me well, and nothing makes a gal quiver and feel appreciated more than a well-thought-out gift, no?  As for the card above, I used not only the CUPID'S ARROWS stamp set, but also CUPID'S ARROWS TAYLORED DIES (see cute arrows tied with baker's twine at the left bottom).  The sentiment was stamped on some of TE's divine Choice Buttercream cardstock that had been cut using the brand-new BANNER STACKLETS 1 dies.  The card stock and patterned paper is from this month's Valentine Project Pantry kit, featuring BoBunny's Love Letters Collection.  So much yummy goodness is coming in this month's release - you're going to want it ALL!

Luckily, tomorrow is RELEASE DAY so you won't have to wait too much longer to satisfy your TE sweet tooth.  I'll be back mañana with another Sneak Peek.  In the meantime, though, I know you'll want to check out the rest of the delightful stamps and dies TE has coming out this month, so go visit my fellow members of the Baker's Dozen and our FABULOUS Jan. & Feb. Guest Designer (I'm going to make you look down the list for her name - when you see it, I guarantee you'll *bock*bock*bock*!):

• Charmaine Ikach
• Jen Shults
• Kerri Michaud
• Lynnette Kauffman
• Sankari Wegman
• Shannon White
• Shelly Mercado
• Stephanie Kraft
• Tammie Edgerton
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Wanda Guess
• Anna Wight (Guest Designer)

 

New Year, New NEWS!

Happy 2013, muchacha/chos!  Are you ready for a little New Year's News?  Well, first, lemme show you a little paper-crafty-somethin'-somethin' to get you in the mood:

See that?  It's what we in Oklahoma refer to as a 'calendar.' As in, it tells you the days of the week and what-not.  And see that shiny, happy image?  That particular stamp is the "Happy New Year" a la carte from one of the sweetest companies in stamping, TAYLORED EXPRESSIONS. 

Here's a close-up, so you can see how bright and shiny it is - much like the New Year, itself - thanks to a coat of Glossy Accents:

Don't you love?  I do.  I'm a long-time fan of Taylor VanBruggen (the gal behind the company - she was one of my first 'stamping idols' when I discovered Splitcoaststampers, way back in 2006) and her namesake company, and I think I might even be one of TE's very first customers, way back in the day. 

So, imagine my immense thrill - nay, shock! - when Taylor invited me to join her fabulous design team!  I was verklempt, speechless, rendered assunder, and practically paralyzed with glee; in short, I was HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY (as Phil on Duck Dynasty would say)!  As Taylor is announcing on her blog today, I am one of the newest members of the Baker's Dozens; the other new members of the Dozen include Kerri Michaud, Tammie Edgerton, and Lynnette Kauffman.  I'm giddy to be in the company of such talented gals (both new and 'old'), and I'm honored to represent a company that I've been a customer of and have admired for so long.  I sincerely hope to do TE proud.

On that note, I've been working my large knuckles¹ to the bone of late to have LOTS to show you next week for Taylored Expressions' January Release.  It's explosive, dynamic, and extraordinary, to put it in the mildest of terms. 

 

I'll be back soon, with all the cute/sweet/elegant/fun goodness that TE has in store to whet your paper-crafting whistle!  In the meantime, why not create your own (say it with me, now) CAL-EN-DAR with these products you can find in the TE webstore:

• Happy New Year a la carte stamp
• 2013 6"x6" Dated Calendar Download
• Frame Your Imagination Vertical Stand
• Copic Markers
• Inkssential Glossy Accents

Footnote:

1.  Years ago - November of 2001, to be precise - Sean and I were traveling in Ireland with another couple, Peter and Amy.  I really wanted a claddagh ring from Ireland, so Amy and I went into this jewelery store in Dublin to look.  I started trying on rings with the the help of a sales lady, but all the ones she showed me were too small.  I'm what I would consider a medium-sized gal: 5'7"-ish, and back then, I probably weighed about 125 lbs. (oh, how I wish I still weighed that... New Year's Resolutions, right?) Anyway, in her lovely Irish brogue, the saleslady informed me, "You have such very large knuckles!"  Needless to say, I did NOT buy a ring from her!  Or from anyone else, for that matter.  Instead I found a claddagh charm to put on my charm bracelet (which in no way would draw attention to my FREAKISHLY large knuckles...). I've been a little sensitive about my digits ever since.