Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek 3: Calendar Critters

It's day 3 of sneak peeks for the October release from Taylored Expressions!!  Today I get to show you a fun new set of charming little critters that you can use to create calendars.

Be sure to check all of the other designers starting on the Taylored Expressions blog because there is too much for one designer to show off in just a few days.

All the products that I have used are linked at the bottom, but remember that new products aren't live until Thursday, November 5, 7 a.m. PST.

Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with some fabulous giveaways! Visit the TE Blog each Sneak Peek Day this week for details on how you can enter to win.

Calendar Critters is a great set of cute little critters that can decorate each month of a calendar.  And in a moment of total brilliance, Taylored Expressions has come out with coordinating set of stamps called Critter Correspondence which gives you card sentiments to use with these critters.  Calendars and cards!!  

If you are making calendars, there is also a new set of dies called Build a Scene - Calendar that allows you to frame and "ground" these critters (e.g. grass, fence, snow/sand, etc.). 

I created a 4x6 series of calendar pages.  I adhered the Mini Tear-Off Calendar to the front of a frame so that I have access to it and can circle important dates. I found a 4x6 frame at IKEA - the Tolsby frame (I've also seen it on sale at Amazon but for quite a bit more) that allows me to easily drop in each calendar page as the months go by.  I'm sure there are thousands of other options out there - an acrylic sign holder would also work well.  Here's my sample for November 2016.

Because I was doing 12 different months, I decided to keep the layout simple.  The patterned paper is cut to 2 1/2" x 3 1/4".  A coordinating cardstock is used to cut a second piece of that size to go behind the calendar and to cut the frame. I also decided to standardly use white behind each little scene and I wanted to accent each with a die cut.  (FYI - the Build a Scene - Calendar set comes with a sun, moon and cloud - so you could easily use those for accents, but my favorite thing is creating little scenes with dies, so I got a little carried away!)

Here they all are!

The frame that I chose was very basic (and very white!) so I decided to make little bows for each month using the Mini Mix-and-Match Bow Set.  I adhered a piece of velcro to the frame and the opposite piece to each of the bows. 

It's quite a bit of work, but it's absolutely charming when it's all done. I'm thinking these could be meaningful holiday gifts.

Be sure to check out the TE Blog for more peeks of the new release that will be available tomorrow!

SUPPLY LIST

All of the links to the products can be found below - but I also wanted to detail the products by month.

On all calendars:

• Calendar Critters
• Calendar Critters Dies
• Build a Scene - Calendar
• 2016 Mini Tear-Off Calendar
• Mini Mix-and-Match Bows die
• Toffee Premium Cardstock
• Sugar Cube Premium Cardstock

Important note: For their own patterned papers, Taylored Expressions sells 6x6 Paper Packs of just the patterned paper, or Matched Kits that include the patterned paper and coordinating cardstock. 

• The links at the bottom go to the paper pack, but if you don't have any cardstock you might want to get the matched kit. I did not link each color of cardstock, but they are listed below.
• The written list that follows lists the color of the cardstock that I used which generally are included in the matched kit. Any exceptions are noted.

January:

• Build a Scene - Christmas
• Cardstock: Sprinkles (The Matched Kit includes a lighter blue. In this case, I think it's important to have the darker Sprinkles in order to stand out from the patterned paper.)
• Dies: Make a Snowflake
• Copics: T5, T7, V15, V17, W1, YR12

February:

• Double the Joy Paper Pack
• Cardstock: Lavender Glaze, Potato Chip
• Dies: Cupid's Arrows
• Copics: E42, E43, E44, Y13, Y15, R83, RV52

March:

• Double the Joy Paper Pack
• Cardstock: Salt Water Taffy, Candy Corn, Potato Chip, Toffee, Peapod (The Matched Kit includes a slighter darker green, Granny Smith, which would work just fine.)
• Dies: Build a Scene - Trees, Little Bits - Flowers & Stems
• Copics: N0, N1, N3, W0, W1, T7

April:

• For Peep's Sake Paper Pack
• Cardstock: Sprinkles, Potato Chip, Peapod (The Matched Kit includes a slighter darker green, Granny Smith, which would work just fine.)
• Dies: The sun comes from the basic Build a Scene - Calendar set. The set also comes with a cloud (which would work just fine), but I wanted a slightly larger cloud since it's for a rainy day. I used the smallest cloud from Cloud Stacklets.)
• Copics: RV52, R85, E11, Y13, Y15, BG11, RV66, YG03

May:

• Hello Happiness Paper Pack
• Cardstock: Mint Julep, Pink Champagne, Lollipop
• Dies: Mini Bloomers
• Copics: W1, W3, W5, RV52, RV17, BG13, G12

June:

• Build a Scene Paper Pack
• Cardstock: Candy Corn, Lemon Meringue, Toffee
• Dies: Build a Scene - Underwater (the shells), Little Bits - Sun & Clouds (The basic Build a Scene - Calendar comes with a sun. It's slightly smaller than the one that I used, but really would work just fine.)
• Copics: Y13, Y15, YR12, BG11, BG13

July:

• Rainbow Brights Paper Pack
• Cardstock: Jelly Donut, Granny Smith, Toffee
• Dies:  If I had it in my collection, I would have used Little Bits - Popsicles so I have linked that below. Since I don't have that die, I used the smallest popsicle from the Popsicle Stacklets
• Copics: R81, R83, V15, YR12, N1, W3

August:

• Build a Scene Paper Pack
• Cardstock: Poppy Seed, Sweet Basil (The dark grey Poppy Seed is not in the Matched Kit.)
• Dies: Build a Scene - Winter Trees
• Copics: R05, R08, E42, E44, E47, T3, T5

September:

• Carta Bella Fall Blessings 6x6 pad (Although not a Taylored Expressions product, this paper is currently available in the TE store.)
• Cardstock: Pumpkin, Toffee, the leaf is a scrap that matched the patterned paper
• Dies: If I had it in my collection, I would have used a leaf from the Mini Leaves die set because it has the embossed veins so I have linked that below. Since I don't have that set (soon to be remedied!), I used a leaf from the coordinating dies to Falling for You stamp set.
• Copics: E31, E33, E34, T7, YR23, E08, G21

October:

• Build a Scene - Halloween Paper Pack
• Cardstock: Plum Punch, Lemon Meringue, Earl Grey, Poppy Seed (the Matched Kit does not include the darker Poppy Seed which I used on the bats, but you could easily use Earl Grey or the Oreo (black) which is in the kit)
• Dies: Little Bits - Halloween Confetti (the bats), the moon and clouds come from the basic Build a Scene - Calendar set.
• Copics: T3, T5, YR12, YR14, Y08, YG03, RV66

November:

• Carta Bella Fall Blessings 6x6 pad (Although not a Taylored Expressions product, this paper is currently available in the TE store.)
• Cardstock: various scraps to match the paper
• Dies: Bloomers Greenery
• Copics: E55, E57, E31, Y23, Y26, T3, T5, BG49, YR12, YR14

December: 

• Build a Scene - Christmas Paper Pack
• Cardstock: Cherry Pop, Peapod (The Matched Kit includes a slighter darker green, Granny Smith, which would work just fine.)
• Dies: Build a Scene - Winter Trees
• Copics: E42, E43, E44, RV52, R89, W1

Calendar Critters	Calendar Critters Dies	Build a Scene - Calendar	2016 Mini Tear-Off Calendar (set of 10)
Mini Mix & Match Bows	Premium Cardstock - Toffee	Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Build a Scene Christmas
TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Double the Joy	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - For Peep's Sake	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Hello Happiness	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Build a Scene
TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Rainbow Brights	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Build a Scene Halloween	Carta Bella 6x6 Pad - Fall Blessings	Make a Snowflake
Cupid's Arrows Dies	Build a Scene - Trees	Little Bits - Flowers & Stems	Cloud Stacklets
Mini Bloomers	Build a Scene - Underwater	Little Bits - Sun & Clouds	Little Bits - Popsicles
Build a Scene - Winter Trees	Mini Leaves	Little Bits - Halloween Confetti	Bloomers Greenery

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