Freshly Made Sketches: Slow Clap

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

In the midst of all of my moving talk over the last few weeks (BTW - it's tomorrow!!!), there's another huge event coming in my family.  My youngest will graduate from Lutheran High School!!  I feel just a little bad about overshadowing his last month in high school with this move, but he might just be more excited than I am.  His room is bigger and in the basement away from us,  his commute for his last few weeks at school is an easy 3 miles, and he has also thought he was more urban that rural.  (Although we've tried to tell him "rural" is an exaggeration.  We do currently live on 5 acres on the prairie, however, it's only 3 minutes to the town's cultural events center and a big library, and it's 5 minutes to Costco plus any number of fast food options.  It's hard to say we're rural.  However, we are moving to a charming little neighborhood which is actually further from all of those things, but we have next door neighbors!)

Besides my son's graduation, a number of his lacrosse teammates will graduate.  Since my husband has coached them for years, I am always called upon to do quite a few cards in school colors.


I love our hobby because it is extra special that I can create something specific for the kids.  Purple, black, silver/gray - and they know it's for them!

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches!

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Stamps: Simon Says Stamp (SSS) Yay
Dies: SSS Yay, Lil Inkers Dual Dotted Rectangles
Cardstock: Taylored Expressions (TE) Jelly Donut, Oreo, Silver Foil
Ink: Versamark with TE Black Fine Detail Embossing Powder
Embossing Folder: TE Diagonal Stripes
Other: Doodlebug Graduation Assortment Sprinkles

Freshly Made Sketches: Butterfly Celebration

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

A very quick and simple card for today!  I never seem to have any middle ground - either I struggle for hours on a card (even the fresh and clean ones) or else it comes together in 5 minutes.  Luckily, I love the hobby so even a struggle is enjoyable (but maybe not quite as enjoyable as this five minute card that I actually like!)


The speed of this card might have been due to the fact that I only have the supplies around my desk to work with.  Not the overflow supplies in the laundry room closet nor the even-more-overflow supplies in the basement.  They are all packed up....because...eight days until the big move!!  I am exhausted and excited and overwhelmed and absolutely thrilled.  FYI - I'm not sure I'd recommend to anybody moving after 27 years in a house.  The accumulation is shocking - and it's not even all my crafting stuff!  It's camping gear and sports gear and kitchen tools that I didn't remember that I had and about a million pieces of paper and documents that just might be important.  Ugh!  And it's the fact that I'd rather craft that renovate and decorate and in my current house show that. So in the midst of all of the moving, my current house has handymen crawling all over it trying to make it a showplace.  Actually - truth be told, it's not a showcase.  It's a 1960's split-level.  So I'll be happy with neat and clean!

Next week's FMS card is already pre-made because I'll be a little busy.  But the week after that - it will be made in my very own craft room!!

Hope to see you playing along.  I will still definitely be looking at the gallery - that's one of my great joys each week.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Stampin' Up Butterfly Thinlits and Bold Butterfly Thinlits, Simon Say Stamp Frames
Miscellaneous: Stampin' Up Expressions Natural Elements and Glitter Enamel Dots

Freshly Made Sketches: Celebrate

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

My need this week was for a birthday card for a guy at the office.  I wanted it to be very cheerful so I picked bright green and blue, but then grounded it with some deep brown.


I know my circle is bigger than that on the sketch, but as soon as I thought "circle" and "birthday", I knew exactly what die set I would use.  Then I had to find a sentiment that was unique enough to stand alone on the banner.  I thought the font on this one was particularly good because it's fun, yet not frilly. (Sometimes I think I spend more time picking the sentiment with the right font and the right saying than I do on the rest of the card!)

The countdown is on for the big move to our new home (with my new craft room).  Moving is scheduled 15 days from today!  You wouldn't believe my current house - with packing and remodeling, about the only functional space right now is my craft corner, two bedrooms and one bathroom.  The kitchen is technically available but the island is gone and we have zero counter space; however, we're trying really hard to cook anyway to clear out the pantry, freezer and fridge but each meal takes twice as long as it should!  This is all reminding me why I have lived in my current house for 27 years!!

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Taylored Expressions: Reach for the Stars

Every other month, we get to meet one of the dedicated staff at Taylored Expressions. The staff member picks a theme and the entire creative team gives them ideas.  This month we met Leslie who is the Director of Customer Experience.  Away from Taylored Expressions, she’s mom to three girls, the oldest of which is graduating from high school this spring. In preparation for the onslaught of the grad parties, Leslie would love to have some ideas for graduation gifts. 

I also have a graduating senior this year so I can relate. I need to create for my son and all of this friends.  Plus my husband coaches the high school lacrosse team, so he always has another dozen or so gift needs.

To meet Leslie's needs and my own, I put together a quick and easy gift card idea.  I wanted it to be a step up from a gift card in an envelope (although I'm sure the recipients really wouldn't care how they got the gift card!)  I purchased some cheerful journals, added a Tag Pocket out of which I cut stars using the Shining Star Cutting Plate and then backed the stars using colors from the journal.


Cutting the stars took a bit of ingenuity with my die-cutting machine.  I cut the tag pocket and before putting it together, lined it up with only the front part on the cutting plate.  (The back hangs off so it doesn't get cut.)  Then I lined up the cutting plate with the center toward the lower left (where I put the sentiment.)  Cutting the backing colors is really easy with the coordinating Ray of Sunshine Cutting Plate.  I added the rays of color and trimmed them before folding up the Tag Pocket.

Here's the full effect!


To get to know Leslie even better and to see all of the inspiration, check out all of the posts on the Taylored Expressions blog.   Here's Day 1 - take a peek and then go forward from there. 

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Taylored Expressions: Blooming Beautiful and Triangle Tetris

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.

Yesterday I showed you "Dad" from the Caps Lock series of stamps and dies making an eclipse card.  I thought I should show you a Mom card today but I just used the die cut letters.  Plus, I've been practically giddy all week over the new stencils so here's Blooming Beautiful.


So far this week, I used the new stencils by sponging on color, I glimmered them, and I used embossing paste.  Today I dry embossed the stencil which gives a soft dimensional look, then I lightly brushed it with the same color.


The new dies Bloomers 8 perfectly coordinate with the stencil so I added a flower and a few sprigs of greenery using the previously released Flower Box Sprigs & Flowers.  I added a few metallic sequins simply because I love the look of silver/gray and pink!

Here's the supply list for this card but keep scrolling down because there's another peek.

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As a final peek before you go shopping, I had to show you a new fabulous background Triangle Tetris.


Check out the fun details in this background.  Did you notice that not every area is filled with triangles?  It gives it such a unique look.  There is so much you can do with this.  I started with the idea of loose watercoloring in each triangle.  But as I was pulling out supplies, my husband wandered by my desk and casually (and cluelessly) mentioned that he would need 12 graduation cards for kids on the lacrosse team he coaches and 6 for the kids he taught years ago in Confirmation.  (The average man does not appreciate the time and attention to each and every card.)   Even so, it made me look seriously this background and realize what amazing detail it would give to a quick and easy card.


It also gave me a chance to show you one more of the embossing powders, Fine Detail Gold.  These new embossing powder melt beautifully!  The word is the previously released Congrats Script cut using Gold Foil Cardstock which I placed on vellum to separate it from the gold triangles.  A few black stars from Oreo Enamel Shapes and I'm done.  You could easily add school colors into this card for each graduate.

Remember...for a limited time, earn DOUBLE CRAFTY POINTS when you purchase our Stencil Bundle which includes all 6 of our new stencil designs! If you're not a Crafty Points member, it's free and easy to join. Just create an account at the TE webstore and you're automatically enrolled to begin earning crafty points with every purchase. You'll earn 84 Crafty Points on the purchase of our Stencil bundle! Offer valid on qualifying purchases made between 9am CDT on Thursday, April 5, 2018 and 11:59 pm CDT on Sunday, April 8, 2018 and only while supplies last. Crafty Points are only available on purchases made via our retail site: TE webstore.

That's enough chatter for today because I"m sure you'd like to be shopping.  The store's open!

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Taylored Expressions: Hooray and the Best Dad

It's the third day of sneak peeks for the April release from Taylored Expressions. Today I'm focusing on two brand new concepts. You'll love them!  Everything you see today will be available tomorrow - Thursday, April 5th, 2018. Be sure to check out each of the creative team members' blogs for all of the sneak peeks - starting with the Taylored Expressions blog.

The first new concept is the Cutting Edge series.  Let me show you, then I'll explain!


The die to cut the balloons cuts just the edge of the balloons so is appropriately called Cutting Edge - Balloons!!  For my card, I put the "cutting edge" at the top and simply filled in behind it with the new Confetti Cake cardstock embossed with the Sprinkles Embossing folder!  In this case, be SURE to check out the rest of the design team - there are so many fun and creative uses for this set and the other two new Cutting Edge sets (stars and flowers). They would also work really well with the second new concept that you'll see below..

There are multiple sentiments with this set and a couple of extra balloons.  I kept my card very simple and it totally works because of the fun and creative concept.


Here's the supply list for this card. Be sure to keep scrolling down for a chance at a prize and for another sneak peek.

SUPPLY LIST


Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with 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 second new concept is the Caps Lock series.


The dies are large words and they are all contained on one die making the eclipse trend very easy to accomplish - LOVE them!!  AND there's a coordinating stamp set with the extra words to go with them.  Also brand new in this series is "MOM" and "GRAD".  (Can't you just see them tucked behind the cutting edge dies I showed above?!)


I stamped and colored the previously released Big Delivery Stamp & Die Combo. Then figured out where I wanted Dad to cut (which is very easy given the word comes on one big die).  I cut it and popped each of the letters with multiple layers of "DAD" cut on extra cardstock.  The sentiment comes from the coordinating stamp set Caps Lock Companion - Mom/Dad.

Wasn't today fun???  When I first saw these concepts, my head started spinning with ideas - so I'm sure you'll see many more cards from me (in fact, there might might another Caps Lock card tomorrow!)  Be sure to check out the inspiration on the TE blog and then come back tomorrow.

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Freshly Made Sketches: Rain or Shine

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

To make the stripes, I used Post-It tape and masked each one off - then used Clarity Stencil Brushes to add ink letting it fade off at the ends.  After trying multiple times and smudging, or getting it too dark, or having the Post-It tape lift up - I finally got a good one and then realized my stripes were reversed from the sketch.  Oops.  But I decided to keep it that way because it kept the blue stripe and the "rain drops" above the umbrella.


I went with bright colors and cheerful patterns for the umbrella to match the idea of the sentiment.  I ended up really liking this idea.  By the time I was done with this one I was a pro in creating the stripes so I created multiple extra backgrounds. I think this will be a great card for the church card racks.

I hope to see you playing along this week!!

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