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.  

SUPPLY LIST

TE Release Day: Food and Doodles

It's the big day! All the Taylored Expressions products 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!

Another new set for Valentines is Matchy Matchy - Foodie Friends.  It's full of cute images and "punny" little sentiments.  Two of the sentiments include an in and an out sentiment so I got the idea of a tag using the previously released Flap Stacks.  Here's the outside of the tags.


The tag is an independent die called Tag Stacklets 3.  You can use it alone or cut the flap with the Flap Stacks - Half Circle.

For the cheesy tag with the grater, I added a few slices of American and Swiss cheese using Little Bits - Mac & Cheese.  It opens to say this...


For the corny tag with the popcorn, I added some popcorn using Little Bits - Movie Night.  The inside sentiment for this one is vertical so I just cut the flap sideways.  It opens to say this...

I LOVE these!  There are five other foods in the set and a number of sentiments. (Next time I want to use the taco and "let's give 'em something to taco 'bout"!!)
Here's the supply list but keep scrolling down because there's another peek.
SUPPLY LIST

I kept looking at the new single stamp Doodle Expressions - Valentine thinking that my little nieces would love to color it and how was I going to give them one to color.  Then I realized a tri-fold card would work.  Here's the front that I colored.


There are three other peeks on this card.  The background is the new Luv-a-Doodle Background that I embossed in white.  It's a great background because while it does have hearts so it works for Valentines, it also has images like bees so can be used at any time of the year.  Also notice the envelope.  This a new addition to the line of stamps to decorate envelopes - it has a number of heart images, and I love the long "love mail" sentiment.  Finally the Inside Scallop Oval Stacklet is a new addition to that line of dies along with a new square set and the previously released circles and rectangles.
Back to this card...I cut two horizontal card bases scored to open sideways.  Then I adhered the backsides together so it opens like this.  (I scalloped one edge so it was totally clear there was one other flap.)

I created the sentiment on my computer sized to fit the Double-Ended Flag Stacklet.  Then I used removable adhesive for the image and its pink frame.
The sentiment is on the third part.  This is from the new Simply Said - Valentine.

I hope you enjoyed this week of sneak peeks.  The store is now open!!

SUPPLY LIST

Catered Crop: Small Size Matters

The current challenge at Catered Crop is that (small) size matters!!  Make some mini cards - they can be tags or gift card holders or anything teeny tiny.

The challenge came at the time when my kids were making hot chocolate mix for their teachers.  We've done this for a number of years and I have a template in Word that prints off tags in just the right size for one of my tag dies.  I just change up the teachers name's and it's ready to go.  However, the mini card challenge got me thinking of how easy this makes it for my kids - too easy (other than the fact that they measure out the hot chocolate mix).  A card would require them to write something on the inside - and think a little bit about each teacher as they put the gifts together.

I just got the Holiday Treats set and dies from Verve Stamps and with its mini cups, I knew it would be perfect for my mini cards!


Here's a close-up.

It's a very nice hot-chocolate mix - rich chocolate with a dash of peppermint.

The layers are:
1 cup powdered milk 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy It all fits in a 1-quart jar and makes 12 servings









On the inside flap of each card, I did pre-print instructions and added my favorite stamps from the set "Have a cup of cheer". 

The jars aren't actually done yet - I made one so that I could write this post.  So, after my kids and the entire high school marching band perform in today's Christmas parade - we'll come back and the powder will start flying and the sound of crushing peppermints will echo!!

• Stamps: Verve Holiday Treats
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake
• Ink: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Certainly Celery, Crumb Cake, Memento Cottage Ivy, WPlus9 White
• Accessories: Verve Cup of Cheer die set, Hemptique Twine, Pretty Pink Posh sequins