Freshly Made Sketches: Joy

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Karren.

There's only 13 days until Christmas and sadly, I still need to make 23 cards - all for local friends and co-workers - I got my mailing out last week. Even sadder, I probably have that many new stamp sets and dies to use (at least once).  I wish I were exaggerating.  (In fairness to myself, I buy almost no stamping supplies for spring and summer - but do go a little bit crazy in fall and winter.)  This is a set that I just got.  It's actually a Happy New Year set but as soon as I saw it, I envisioned them looking in the sky at joyful Christmas sentiments.


I think those little guys worked perfectly on the sketch!  The sentiment not so much - this is actually "joyful" trimmed down to fit.  (The die set also includes the word "rejoice" which was what I had planned when I ordered these sets, but it just did not fit on the sketch.)  With the same order, I got the snowflakes, so made sure to use those also.  I spritzed them with a shimmer spray to make them stand out.   The gems are for the recipient.  This is going to be for one of my young nieces.  When they spent a weekend playing in my craft room recently, they got a little carried away adhering gems to absolutely everything (30 gems on the very masculine birthday card they made for their father!) - so I couldn't make a card for them without gems.
I hope to see you playing along with us this week - and don't forget - there's a DT call!!!  Check out the details on the FMS blog.

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Stamps: Hello Bluebird North Star

Dies: Hello Bluebird North Star, Christmas Words Die #2 and Frosty Flakes, Taylored Expressions Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Champagne Glitter, Taylored Expressions Blue Corn

Taylored Expressions Release Day: Love is In the Air

It's the big day!  All of the Taylored Expressions products that you've seen through sneak peek week are now available - and I have a few more to show you. Be sure to head over to the Taylored Expressions blog for a few more peeks - and to see if you've won a prize!

If you are lucky enough to have guys in your life who appreciate fancy-schmancy cards, count your blessings.  My guys stand over my desk, watch me put three little sequins on, and proclaim "too much bling".  If you know my cards, I am not heavy on the bling!!  (Thank goodness for my new house with a craft room with a door that closes!)  So I do struggle creating cards for my guys that are very simple yet still unique and interesting.  I love the Caps Lock series of products for this - with Caps Lock - Love being the newest.


You'll notice that I still stuck three little sequins on this card!!  Although I'm sure my guys will notice, the sky really just needed some sparkle.  The Caps Lock dies are a nice simple font and are perfect for eclipse cards - but also for other clean-lined looks.  When I saw the Caps Lock Companion - Love sentiment stamp set included "is in the air" - I envisioned the letters floating on the clouds.  Luckily, Taylored Expressions has Build a Scene - Rolling Clouds and Build a Scene paper pack to help me accomplish that!

And now I have one of those difficult masculine Valentine's cards done!!
Here's the supply list for this card and keep reading because there's one more sneak peek.

SUPPLY LIST


Continuing on the masculine theme - there's a new addition to the Cutting Edge series.  It's Cutting Edge - Hearts.  At first glance, I didn't think it could be masculine because of all of the frills and details.  But then I realized two things.  (1) I had not yet shown you two of the new colors - Gumball and Mushroom (which is lovely with Sea Salt - be still my heart!) and (2) my goal for my guys is unique and interesting and the idea of dozens of hearts "bursting with love" doesn't get much better.

I heat embossed and cut three of the border dies in the masculine colors, then layered them up.  I wanted a bit more blue, so there's a single heart too that I added at the top.

No more chatter from me - the TE store is open!
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Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day 3: Smiles and Sweetness

It's day 3 of sneak peeks for the December release from Taylored Expressions and today it's smiles and sweet love (and some very bright colors!)! Everything you see this week will be available on Thursday, December 6th. Be sure to check out each of the creative team members' blogs for all of the sneak peeks - starting with the Taylored Expressions blog.

There are two new stencils in this release.  I showed you the Subway Tile Stencil but I always wanted a peek at the Lots of Love Stencil.  I went very, VERY bright on this one!!


I love this technique!  It took me a number of tries to decide on colors.  I knew I wanted to use the brand new Fruit Punch and I wanted a rainbow of color.  I tried to incorporate a new blue but decided it just didn't give it the brightness I was looking for (so I have a card with the new blue and a new gray tomorrow.)

I taped the stencil down and brushed on the hearts in the various colors fairly darkly.  Then I took the stencil off and applied the same colors, but lighter over the top.


I knew it needed a dramatic sentiment, so I pulled out the previously released Loved Script and How Sweet It Is stamp set and a little bow from Little Bits - Bows.

Here's the supply list for this card.  Keep reading because I have another sneak peek and a chance to win prizes!

SUPPLY LIST


Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with a a giveaway during each day of sneak peeks! Visit the TE blog to answer Taylor's Question of the Day for a chance to win one of the latest products before you can buy it!

This card isn't quite as bright as the first one, but it's bright for me!  I think it would looked even brighter if I hadn't stuck with an all-white background.  As it is, it's actually clean and simple - but bright!!


This is the new Bubble Greetings - Smile and I used it exactly as shown on the packaging.  The flowers are actually a separate stamp so you could do it with or without - or line it up a different way.

The Bubble Greetings series of stamp is fun in that they fit perfectly in the pre-printed {boxed in} cards, but also new this release is the Petite Scalloped Square Stacklets so I decided that it was a great look for the sentiment.


A simple patterned strip from the Hello Sunshine Paper Pack and a little bow (the same bow that I used in the first card, even though it's from a previous release - funny, I didn't remember that I had used it on both the cards - I must like it!!)

This big sentiment makes this such a quick card - and it will definitely bring a smile to the recipient.

Thanks for dropping by - tomorrow is release day!  And I have a couple of masculine Valentine's to show you!  Be sure to check out the rest of the inspiration on the TE blog.

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Freshly Made Sketches: Good News

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Cécile.

Be sure to pop over and check out the challenge because there's something extra going on this week.  It's a design team call!!  And everybody can play along!

I finally sat down this past week and figured out where I stood with Christmas cards.  I'm not as in as great a shape as I had hoped.  I did have enough to mail out already to extended friends and families because it occurred to me that there are a whole lot of people who have no idea we have a new address!  Now I have to focus on those nearby - many of whom are church friends - so I need to have a Christian focus (which is really the point anyway, isn't it??!)  Today's is actually going to be for one of my little nieces.  They are definitely being raised to recognize the true meaning of the season!


This is a new Neat & Tangled set in the last few months and I purchased it knowing it would be perfect for my two nieces.  This little angel is charming.

I pulled out some of my most brilliant yellows to do the background.  I used a stencil for the rays.  First I created a mask with just the center rectangle open.  Then I sponged the rays with a brighter yellow in the center fading out to a lighter yellow.  I removed the stencil, but left the rectangle mask in place - and lightly sponged the same yellows around the darker rays. 
SUPPLY LIST Stamps: Neat & Tangled Angel Wings Dies: Neat & Tangled Angel Wings Stencil: Taylored Expressions Here Comes the Sun Ink: My Favorite Things Pineapple (a wonderful brilliant yellow) and Lemon Drop Gems: Pretty Pink Posh Buttercream

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day 2: Shenanigans and Punniness

It's day 2 of sneak peeks for the December release from Taylored Expressions and today it's fun and shenanigans! Everything you see this week will be available on Thursday, December 6th. Be sure to check out each of the creative team members' blogs for all of the sneak peeks - starting with the Taylored Expressions blog.

Taylored Expressions products are an amazing mix of styles including gorgeous, sweet, Christian and...extreme sarcasm!!  The new set Shenanigans falls squarely in the sarcasm category.  Check out this sentiment.


That sentiment started out so sweet - and ended so surprisingly funny!  There are eight sentiments in the set and each of them will make you chuckle, laugh out loud, or snort in surprise!!  Your friends and loved ones won't know what hit them if you give them these cards.  (Can you tell I love them all?!)

I decided to use the previously released Sarcasti-chick Stamp and Die Combo mostly because she's cute but also because the release added her Winter Closet and I couldn't resist that hat!  I also gave her a bottle of wine from the original set.


Given it's the release of "love", I decided to put her on On the Right Track - Heart so she could actually do a flip! I do have to tell you that she's fairly heavy for the track series of dies.  It works - I promise - I'm still flipping her and giggling as I write this.  But you need to make very certain that the track discs are exactly in the middle of her to balance her. I did not realize that when I put this actual card together and the discs are near her bottom so she's nicely lined up with the sentiment. But left to her own devices, she'd hang upside down because she's top heavy!!

Here's the supply list for this card.  (Check out the TE blog for a bigger picture of Shenanigans so you can see what I'm talking about!)   Keep reading because I have another sneak peek and a chance to win prizes!

SUPPLY LIST

Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with a a giveaway during each day of sneak peeks! Visit the TE blog to answer Taylor's Question of the Day for a chance to win one of the latest products before you can buy it!

The fun set for today is Punny Notes.  It isn't sarcastic but it is sweet and fun.  There are 8 images with a punny sentiment for each.  I used them on little bracket notecards.  I'm going to show them to my little nieces because I'm sure they will hang out one weekend in my craft room to make all of their Valentines and these are a fabulous option.


Did you notice the envelopes?  They are little 3x3's and then to go with the mail series of stamps, we now have mini-mail!!  I used four different stamps to show you the variety.  Here are each of the cards and envelopes.


 
 

Taylored Expressions has a variety of options if you want to make mini cards.  I used the Bracket Notecard with the coordinating Stitched Bracket Stacklet.  Also available is a Scalloped Notecard and the Tuck & Close Notecard.  (Of course, it would also work as a little scene on a full-size card!) I also used a few products from the new die set Notecard Accessories in my backgrounds.  This set includes a frame, and options for the ground, along with branches, leaves and clouds.  Of course, given my passion for little scenes created from dies - I also used a wide variety of previously-released dies from the Little Bits series - they are all linked below.


Tomorrow is seriously bright and colorful, and it's still all about love.  And definitely head over to the TE blog to see all of the rest of the inspiration and to answer the question for a chance at prizes.

SUPPLY LIST

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day 1: Daisies and Love

It's day 1 of sneak peeks for the December release from Taylored Expressions and it's all about love (with a little fun and shenanigans thrown in!)  You'll see an amazing variety over the next few days.  Everything you see this week will be available on Thursday, December 6th. Be sure to check out each of the creative team members' blogs for all of the sneak peeks - starting with the Taylored Expressions blog.  (There are some amazing new designers on the creative team - be sure to give them a big welcome)

There is a great new group of products with this release - framed sentiments with a cutting plate that they can fit into and also coordinating flowers.  I love the flexibility you have with products that work together but also can stand alone.  (To see them together, keep scrolling down to see the Crafty Points bundle.)

I used the "love" script without the cutting plate, because there's also a new stencil that I had to play with - the Subway Tile Stencil.


I added a a tiny flower and leaf from the new Bloomers 9 set.  There are three sizes and, as part of the entire group of products, they match the cutting plate (see below).


It's hard to see because I used white, but the bloomers have coordinating backers so you could add two colors (see the graphic below) or go with the top and back in the same color for a dimensional look!  Also FYI, I used a translucent embossing paste on the Subway Tile stencil to give it the shine.

Isn't this a wonderfully flexible group of products. And there's a great deal on the bundle of all of these coordinating products.  Check out the TE blog for all of the details.

Here's the supply list for this card.  Keep reading because I have another sneak peek and a chance to win prizes!

SUPPLY LIST


Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with a a giveaway during each day of sneak peeks! Visit the TE blog to answer Taylor's Question of the Day for a chance to win one of the latest products before you can buy it!

In the first card, I used a cute little bloomers flower.  This card uses a realistic, detailed flower - Layer It - Daisy.


I adore the look of this daisy.  The top layer gives it dimension and shadow.  I used two of the bottom layers to give it fullness.  I love how realistic it is.


Most of this release is about love - I went in a different direction for "love" and used an encouraging sentiment from the previously released In & Out - Get Well.  The flower was so sweet and cheerful, I felt like it would make a lovely card for a cheerful "I'm here for you". I had pulled out a bright yellow  to use for the daisy - Lemon Meringue - but then I decided I wanted a little softer look and went with Pineapple (which I also realized is amazing with Toffee!)  A little Sea Salt cardstock makes the perfect top layer.

Today was love and encouragement.  Tomorrow is entirely different - shenanigans and puns - but still all about love!  Head over to the TE blog for more sneak peeks, then be sure to come back tomorrow.

SUPPLY LIST

Taylored Expressions Buffalo Plaid Flap Tags

Hand-crafted tags are a fabulous way to dress up a gift.  I have a fairly large stash of simple kraft-colored bags that get decorated with a big bow and a fun/beautiful/rustic tag.  I've found that the tags often get more attention than the gift!

So I'm thrilled with the variety of products by Taylored Expressions that can be used for my tags.  I fell in love with the recently released Buffalo Plaid Background stamp.  And I've always loved the Flap Stacks dies that add a surprise opening to the tag.  With those items as my starting point, I created two rustic tags.

 
The outside sentiment is from From the North Pole.  I kept it rustic using just a corner of the Pine Bough Background behind the sentiment.  (The opening is cut with Flap Stacks - Rectangle.  It cuts a flap right into the tag, but I wanted to use Toffee for the sentiment, so I cut another "flap" from a scrap piece of toffee and then cut it off on the flap side.  Then after stamping on it, I adhered it to the flap cut into the tag.)
There's a surprise on the inside that I didn't want anyone to miss - so I added little banners with sentiments from the From the North Pole set.  I fit them in between the toffee layer and the flap cut on the tag.


My insides use "to/froms" also from From the North Pole.  The little dies come from Sitting Pretty Holiday Accessories - which are meant as part of the Sitting Pretty series of items that can sit on a die-cut shelf - but also work just perfectly for little scenes.
FYI - I used the Pine Bough Background on the outside, but I just wanted a single Pine Bough on the inside so I used one from Simply Stamped - Pinecones.  It would have worked just fine to stamp that single bough multiple times on the outside - it just seemed easier to use a background stamp that was already "arranged"!

I totally love this look.  I am thrilled with the Buffalo Plaid and the beautiful pines and the fun little dies to use for my Christmas scenes.  I can't tell you these were easy, but they are being used for some very special boys/men in my life so I wanted them to be extra special.  

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