Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek 1: Under the Sea

It's day 1 of sneak peeks for the June release from Taylored Expressions!!  The entire release is about summer fun and today I am "under the sea"!  Be sure to check all of the other designers starting on the Taylored Expressions blog because there is just 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, June 4th, 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.

The stamp set is Under the Sea which was a previous release - but guess what's available with this release?  Coordinating dies to cut out all of the charming sea creatures!


The inside, which you see in just a minute, says "I was a little crabby".  I think anybody would be forgiven for a crabby day with this cute little guy on  a card!  The tag is one of the Luggage Tags dies without the center cut out.

My water is the new Rainbow Scallop Border.  I cut it three times in various blues to get the general look of water.  There's also a Rainbow Scallop Cutting Plate to cover the entire front of a card - it's gorgeous!

I don't generally decorate the inside of my cards.  I absolutely love that people do - it adds so much to the card! But I'm worn out by the time I finish the outside.  Because the inside sentiment was so necessary to this card, I added a peek at the crab on the inside too.

I also headed under the sea in a submarine for this release!

This card combines old and new.  The Little Bits - Submarine is new and is cut out of the previously released paper pack Build a Scene with windows using Doodlebug Bumblebee Sprinkles The sky is from the paper pack Rainbow Brights with the Build a Scene - Sunshine die and a sentiment from Sky High Sentiments.  Everything else on this card is new with this release: Build a Scene - Rolling Waves (there's three different waves in this die set so lots of options!), Bubbles Embossing Folder, and Build a Scene - Underwater for the plant life.  

This would most definitely be an adventure.
I hope to see you back tomorrow - there's a lot more summer fun with this release!  And don't forget to head to the TE Blog to leave a comment for a chance to win and to start checking out all of the other newly release items and design team cards.
SUPPLY LIST
Feeling a Little Crabby

Under the Sea	Under the Sea Dies	Luggage Tags	Rainbow Scallop Border
Premium Cardstock - Cookie Monster	Premium Cardstock - Sprinkles	Premium Cardstock - Salt Water Taffy	Hemp Cord - White (68 yards)
TE Sequins - Build a Scene

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TE carries Copics!

Adventure Awaits

Little Bits - Submarine	Sky High Sentiments	Build a Scene - Rolling Waves	Build a Scene - Underwater
Build a Scene - Sunshine	Embossing Folder - Bubbles	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Rainbow Brights	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Build a Scene
Premium Cardstock - Sprinkles	Premium Cardstock - Candy Corn	Premium Cardstock - Lemon Meringue	Doodlebug Glitter Sprinkles - Bumblebee

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Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Beach Balls

It's time for a new challenge at the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Beach Balls!

photo source: www.studiodiy.com

Although my card is not about beach balls, I was inspired by the circles and by the color scheme - red, yellow and blue on a lot of clean white.


I love the look of cards with random geometric shapes and images, but it is not something I am particularly good at.  I think the right-side of my brain takes over and tries to keep things lined up and organized!  The Ring Frame Wafer Die from Simon Says Stamp is perfect for someone like me!!  I can fill in a few circles and it does the "random" part for me!
I hope to see you playing along with the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge this week!
SUPPLY LIST
The red paper is retired Poppy Parade from Stampin' Up.

SSS Tag Sayings	SSS Ring Frame Wafer Die	SSS Slate Gray Ink	SU Pacific Point CS
MFT Lemon Drop Buttons	Doodlebug Red White and Blue Glitter Sprinkles	Doodlebug Bumblebee Glitter Sprinkles	Hemp Cord - white

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Freshly Made Sketches: Hello

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

Karren says we can use any number of elements along the bottom of the small panel so I went for a swag made of my favorite floral set - Petals 'n Posies by Reverse Confetti.  I also pulled out some softer colors which aren't my typical go-to-colors, but it's been such a cold and dreary spring - I needed some springlike colors on my desk!


This is such a great sketch that can be used in so many ways - I look forward to seeing what everybody does with it!
SUPPLY LIST

RC Petals 'n Posies	RC Petals %u2018n Posies Dies	TE Fancy Words Dies	Lil' Inkers Stitched Mats: Squares
SU Strawberry Slush CS	SU Strawberry Slush Ink	SU Crisp Cantaloupe CS	SU Crisp Cantaloupe Ink
SU Pistachio Pudding Ink	TE Dotted Lattice Embossing Folder	Hemp Cord - Natural

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Taylored Expressions: Teacher Blessings

I have been volunteering as an accountant in our church preschool for the last six months.  The last few weeks are in my brain and may never go away as the kids have been practicing for graduation and I hear the same songs over and over for all eight classrooms!!  But I've also had a chance to watch preschool teachers up close and personal - and my respect level has shot through the ceiling.  I am in awe of what they deal with day after day and they do it calmly and with a big smile.

The cake and ice cream after graduation takes place in our fellowship hall which also houses our card racks - so I realized a few weeks back that I needed to stock the racks with teacher thank you cards!  I actually made this card a few weeks back and it is long gone.

I am in love with the die selection at Taylored Expressions.  (I love the stamps too - who wouldn't love a big polka dot "thanks")  But in terms of dies, there is something for every single occasion. For this card, I had the numbers - so I ordered the little schoolhouse.


Then it seemed a little bland so I browsed my dies and found the sun.  I'm not sure whether it is setting on the preschool or whether it is rising for a new phase in the education of these little ones - but either way - it's a nice pop of color!

Those cute little preschoolers do eventually grow up as evidenced by the last week in my house.

This is my son, Andrew, graduating from Lutheran High School.  He will be heading to Valparaiso University in the fall.  At 6'4" and well over 200 pounds, it's hard to remember my preschooler.  

SUPPLY LIST

In & Out Thanks	Whimsy #'s	Little Bits - Schoolhouse	Little Bits - Sun & Clouds
TE Sequins - Build a Scene	Premium Cardstock - Oreo	Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube	Premium Cardstock - Cookie Monster
Premium Cardstock - Watermelon	Premium Cardstock - Lemon Meringue	Premium Cardstock - Candy Corn

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Something Incredible on Graduation Day

It's the big day for my oldest son - it's high school graduation day!  (But I think you've read enough about it given I've been posting about it for a few weeks!)

I posted my actual graduation card for him here.  But on Wednesday, the Christian high school that he attended had a Blessings ceremony.  It was a fabulous ceremony of prayers, scholastic awards and Christian character awards.

Last weekend I found the stamp set that I had to have to make him a card for this event.  I ordered it over the weekend with my fingers crossed that priority mail would get it here in two days, then was crushed to see USPS tracking say it would be here on Thursday, a day late.  I was out and about on Wednesday afternoon finalizing some shopping and plans, got home about 1/2 an hour before we needed to head out to dinner, and guess what was in the mail??!!  Thank you to Jen del Muro of Reverse Confetti for being totally on top of shipping, and to the post office for being ahead of schedule!


I so love that saying.  It's from Reverse Confetti's Shine from Within.  It is especially relevant to my son who is definitely heading into the world of science and who has been inspired by his astrophysics course this year, so Carl Sagan was the perfect choice. I can't tell you how many deep space videos and photos Andrew has shown us and explained in depth.  I love that the sentiment is meaningful, but its font keeps it just perfect for my teenage son's card. The inside uses a sentiment from the same set - Always Dream Big.
Realize that I had half an hour from the time the stamp set arrived and when I needed to leave (not to mention I had to dress up and apply make-up), but I knew that the sentiment could have stood on its own with very little embellishment.  I happened to have the brick paper out from this card, and I had the cardstock out from his graduation card.  The star garland die came in the same order as the stamp set, so a few banners in his school colors (and a little glitter paper for interest) - and I'm as happy with this card as one I spent hours slaving over.
SUPPLY LIST

Reverse Confetti Shine From Within	Reverse Confetti Star Garland	MFT Blueprints 24	MFT Grape Jelly CS
PTI Smokey Shadow CS	Hero Arts White Embossing Powder	Versamark

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