Mother's Little Helper

Taylored Expressions March Sneak Peek: Oh Snap!

As I promised yesterday, today's Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek was created with a very special stamping friend in mind.  I don't know about you, but when I first entered the world of online paper crafting, I thought it was tiny bit crazy and even a little embarrassing to have 'online friends.'  That was about seven years or so ago, and now, thanks to various Splitcoast events and biannual Craft & Hobby Association shows, I've met many of my online friends in person, and those relationships have been 'legitimized' into what the uninitiated would consider actual, genuine friendships.  I'm still the only person I know among my family and those friends I see on a regular basis who has the kind of online community I've found in the stamping and papercrafting world. But thanks to the wellspring of support and camaraderie I've found via my internet connection and a shared crafty passion, it no longer gives me embarrassment goosebumps to admit that I have real friends whom I've never met in person. 

Of all my yet-to-meet-in-person friends, the person I'm DYING to get together with most is the fabulous LIBBY HICKSON.  We share so much in common in addition to stamping: sons named Carter, far too much knowledge about Thomas the Tank Engine, identical political perspectives, similar tastes in literature, and warped senses of humor.  We both love bright colors and funky images, to boot.  But I think the thing that elevates our relationship from merely friends to switched-at-birth material is our teenaged devotion to and lifelong nostalgia for... DURAN DURAN!  And specifically, bass player John Taylor.

Libby has created and sent me two of my most favorite cards that I've ever received in my life, and they are on prominent and permanent display in my craft room.  Here they are (images stolen from Libby's blog):

and...

Aren't those AMAZING? 

So, that's the backstory on my relationship with Libby.  Fast forward to a couple of months ago when, for some reason, I got into an ebay trading card buying binge (I know, I know - I'm weird; as I age I'm less defensive about that fact.  I yam what I yam).  I bought several sets of Charlie's Angels trading cards and got a great deal on 1,000 Duran Duran trading cards/stickers - I was sure I could figure out a way to craft with them, plus I like surrounding myself with goofy/kitschy things from my youth.

Little did I know at the time, but only 33 DD trading were ever created (in 1985 - circa the 'Arena' live album, Duranies will note similarity in the cards' and album's graphics) (<--- perhaps the geekiest thing I've ever typed), which means I have roughly 30 sets of NOT new-in-package Duran Duran trading cards taking up space in my craft room. *sigh*

(I know this is long, but bear with me now - I'm getting to the new stuff...)

Lo and behold, out comes Taylored Expressions with the new OH SNAP! stamp set, OH SNAP CAMERA DIES, and INSTANT PHOTO FRAME DIES!  I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them when I got them in my nail-bitten, always-cold hands.

Libby, this one's for you...

And here's a close up of that super cute camera, complete with authentic, Polaroid rainbow-stripe detailing:

You can see from the above photo that I fussy cut the stamped image on Choice Snow White cardstock then glued it on a kraft die cut made with the corresponding Oh Snap Camera die.  I then stamped the flash, lens, and photo-slot-thingy at the bottom, colored them with Copics, and mounted them with foam mounting tape for depth.  Stardust Stickles highlights the flash and viewfinder, and the sentiment is glued to look like a picture being spit out from the camera.  See:

This will soon be on its way to Libby, along with 10 or so sets of Duran Duran cards.  Let's see what she can make with them, shall we?

(By the way, this also qualifies for the Moxie Fab World Camera Craze Challenge - you know I love a twofer! :) )

Speaking of what other talented stampers are making, be sure to visit my Baker's Dozen teammates and our fabulous Guest Designer to see what they're sneaky peeking for your inspiration today.  I've seen a bunch of their projects already, and believe me when I tell you they are BREATHTAKING (even if they don't feature John Taylor)!

Broni Holcombe

Carole Burrage

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Kerri Mchaud

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Tammie Edgerton

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

See you tomorrow, when I'll be back with something equally snappy for TE Release Day!

 

Tuesday Trigger: Sweet Dreams

Did I happen to mention that I met Cath Edvalson, Herself, at CHA?  You know, PaperCrafts Magazine's Trends Editor and of Moxie Fab World fame?  ('scuse me for a second while I pick up that name I just dropped...) What's that?  You don't believe me?! Well, here's proof:

(From left to right: me, PC Go-To Gal Kim Kesti, Cath Edvalson, Kim Hughes and Karolyn Loncon.  Don't we Paper Smooches gals look sweet in our aprons?  Kim Kesti made those - ain't she somethin'? ;)  By the way, let this also serve as my BEFORE picture.  Jenny Craig update: I lost 2.8 lbs my first week!  Woo-hoo!  Only 33.2 left to go...)

My buddy Karolyn is always telling me how much fun she has playing in Cath's Moxie Fab challenges, and heaven knows I could stand to get a little Moxie-Fabber in 2013.  Thus, today I created my first Tuesday Trigger challenge entry. Here's some flair, to break up all my chatter:

For those of you who are similarly Moxie Fab-less, the Tuesday Trigger is an inspiration challenge.  Here's the current inspiration photo, which I puffy-heart:

Oh, how I wish my bedroom was this clean and bright!  Not sure I'd like an exterior door right there next to where I sleep, but as a teenager, wouldn't that have been super-handy for sneaking out?  Anyway, here's my attempt at Moxie Fab-ulousness:

It's cloudy early-evening here, so I had to use my lightbox to take the photo.  It's hard to tell, but the bottom 'love' actually is a pretty good match for the pomegranate-colored rug in the photo.  I wanted to keep the white, light, and bright feel of the room, so I embossed white glossy cardstock with a quatrafoil embossing folder from Paper Studio (Hobby Lobby).  Glossy cardstock is nice and shiny, much like I imagine the high-gloss painted woodwork is in the trigger photo.  The 'love' die is from Taylored Expressions' new Love Tree die set, and I die cut several of those from various Lilybee Designs patterned papers and some SU! Purely Pomegranate cardstock. 

The stamps for the 'you forever' sentiment are from one of my stamping besties - Carolyn King's - newest stamp set from Gina K. Designs, Stamp It BIG!  I like the contrast of the sans-serif font with the cursive of the die cut.  The sentiment was stamped out in Taken With Teal ink (SU!).

Okay, gang.  That's it for me getting out of my comfort zone today.  Thanks for stopping by to visit me, and I'll see you bright and early on Monday morning with a new Mojo Monday sketch.  Have a happy weekend! :)