Freshly Made Sketches: Sing Alleluia!

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Jen Timko and be sure to check out her stunning card!!

My entire card was driven by the little banner on the sketch.   I just purchased Tiny Words Faith by Simon Says Stamp.  Those little sentiments are perfect for the banner!  Plus, when I went through my Easter stash - I realized I was one card short.  Perfect!!


Also new to me on this card are the flowers.  I recently placed an order at Ink Blot Shop. These flowers were not part of the reason I was in their shop but you know how it is.  I'm already dropping things in my shopping cart; I'm already paying postage.  Of course 1 or 2 (or 3 or 4) other stamp sets just jumped in the cart!!  I do love this set.  It's Botanical Borders - four borders that work throughout the seasons.  They are clean and easy to color - which made this card a breeze to put together.


I pulled out my favorite Easter cross - Old Rugged Cross by Taylored Expressions.  There are three sizes, plus the perfect cloth to drape over them. While I was adhering the vellum, I got a messy blob - which then drove me to pull out these bitty Dancing Butterflies by Memory Box.  It covered my blob and then I let them flutter around the sentiment.  Then just a bit of sparkle from Pretty Pink Posh - Sea Glass jewels.

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

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Stamps: Ink Blot Shop Botanical Borders, Simon Says Stamp Tiny Words Faith
Dies: Taylored Expressions Old Rugged Cross, Memory Box Dancing Butterflies

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek 2: Inky Notepaper

It's day 2 of sneak peeks for the April release from Taylored Expressions and today I have inky fingers and some all purpose notepaper!  Everything you see this week will be available on Thursday, April  4th. Be sure to check out each of the creative team members' blogs for all of the sneak peeks - starting with the Taylored Expressions blog.  

This release comes with a new addition to the "inky" line of stamps - Inky Fingers - Flowers.  They are so much fun to work with!  Smoosh your finger into the ink and plop it in the center of the flower.

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This card would be fabulous to do with kids - can you imagine a grandma or auntie getting a card with the kids' fingerprints?!  As an adult making and eventually sending this card, I still wanted the texture from my finger but I want it a little more clean.  So I made three little masks - one for the circular flowers, one for the tulip shape and one for the leaves.  Then I could ink up, roll my finger across the opening in the mask and I have cute little flower.  I did use coordinating Copics to just slightly darken their smiles.


I wanted to mirror the texture in the flowers on the borders.  So I cut a piece of paper at 5 1/2" and then I just swiped little ink pads across it.  I cut it down the center long-wise and I had two coordinating borders.


The sentiments in the set will take you through many different occasions.  I picked a friendship sentiment, but there is also birthday, mother's day, love and smiles.


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

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Remember that the new links won't work until Thursday.

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!

Another very versatile addition is the Notepaper Background and the Notepaper Border.  It can go so many different directions.  I think the contrast between soft flowers and a scripty sentiment on the notepaper would be fabulous.  But I am already starting to sweat a little over graduation.  My husband coaches high school lacrosse and mentors church teens.  He loves to come to me just days before graduation and ask for 20 cards.  Ugh.  So I've learned to plan ahead.  A graduation card is a traditional use of the notepaper - but I loaded on a big "congrats" and lots of stars!


All the stars come from the previously released Stroke of Genius - Stars.  Then I used a sentiment from another new set in this release - Color My World.  I used  the regular Stroke of Genius set to add a swoosh of color over the sentiment.  The Congrats is from Simply Said - Grad.  The paper clips is from Office Depot!!


I was thrilled that the die for the edge made it through two pieces of paper because I folded the card and then cut the edge.  It looks so much like sheets from a notebook!

Today we had flowers and graduation.  Tomorrow starts after that - weddings, babies and anniversaries.   Head over to the TE blog for more sneak peeks, then I hope you come back tomorrow.

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Remember that the new links won't work until Thursday.

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek 1: Folksy Flowers

It's day 1 of sneak peeks for the April release from Taylored Expressions and it is such a fun week with products for weddings, anniversaries, babies, graduation and more. You'll see an amazing variety over the next few days.  Everything you see this week will be available on Thursday, April  4th. Be sure to check out each of the creative team members' blogs for all of the sneak peeks - starting with the Taylored Expressions blog.  

I am pretty giddy over these first two products.  I love the Scandinavian/Nordic look - it's my heritage.  Grandma taught me lefse, krumkake, rosettes - although I refused to get near lutefisk.  For years, her hobby was rosemåling.  I even have decorated some rooms in IKEA-style!  Not because it's cheap, but because I just plain like the look!

The Folksy Flowers Cutting Plate gives me that look - although you don't have to be Nordic to love it!  I went with a deeply colored background which is very traditional - but can't you just see it cut in white with softer colors?!


There are lots of ways to add the colors.  I went quick and easy.  I "embossed" the cutting plate onto Sugar Cube (by using a rubber mat instead of the usual cutting plates)  The I used those lines to scribble on my color.  You don't have to stay in the lines - because the cutting plate will only show the main parts.  So very easy!!


There's also a new sentiment set that fits perfectly within the open space.   It's called Drop a Note.  There are ten different sentiments for a variety of occasions and all fit just perfect in the open space.

I had planned this card for my Grandma's birthday but she passed just a few weeks ago - at 100 years and 11 months old!  Thanks for all of the lessons Grandma - I'll carry on the traditions!!

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!

Today I had a fabulous cutting plate and sentiment set that gives you wonderful detail - but the cards are still quick and easy!!   Head over to the TE blog for more sneak peeks, then I hope you come back tomorrow. 

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Remember that the new links won't work until Thursday.

Freshly Made Sketches: Sew Happy

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

There is so much wonderful open space in this sketch.  It seemed like a great time to use a Concord & 9th Turnabout set that is still in my not-yet-used pile!


This is the Stitched Turnabout.  It has that lovely medallion, but you can also build a large frame around it.  I offset the medallion and since I wanted a classic look, I went for a muted color combination.  Then I found a scrap of gingham paper that matched.  SO easy - but mainly because the Turnabout stamps do all of the work!
This is one of the sketches that you have to be sure to check out the rest of the design team at Freshly Made Sketches.  Not that you shouldn't always look, but it is often totally amazing how many completely different looks you can get in one sketch and this is definitely one of those amazing times.  Bright flowers and painted circles and an 18th birthday!  That's what makes it so fun!!
Hope to see you playing along!

52Christmas Card Throwdown: Gingerbread

I actually put a note in my calendar to start Christmas cards a month ago - but I didn't do it.  Then I saw the Gingerbread challenge at 52Christmas Card Throwdown and remembered that I have a really fun die set in my stash to cut large gingerbread men and a second set to dress them up - male and female!!  So I just made my first Christmas card of the year!!


There are a lot of pieces in the dress up die set.  I relied on this post from Melody from last Christmas season to give me ideas - just scroll down to see an entire garland of gingerbread men!!  There are so many options! I kept mine super simple - I thought the card looked so fresh with the bit of blue that I didn't want him to be too decorated.  But I have to admit that I put the die set back in my to-use stash because I want to use him (and her!) again with a few more decorations!


Here's the challenge!  It closes today so I just squeaked it in.  I'm hoping that I stay inspired to focus on Christmas.  This one was fun so I may just have to keep them coming!

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Freshly Made Sketches: Lucky Stars

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

The timing was particularly good on this sketch.  My youngest is headed to college in just a few short months.  When my oldest went, I had made a huge number of cards to have on hand for him - cards if he succeeded, cards if he failed, cards if he got stressed or worried - or just goofy "mom misses you cards"!  But I have nothing prepared for my youngest so it's been in my head that I need to get a start on these.  When I saw the sketch - it clicked that I have a set that has 9 stars on a stamp laid out in that pattern so I don't even have to line them up!!


Guess what's extra fun about this card - it's his new school colors!!  Fun story - he's going to Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois.  Guess where I graduated from many, many decades ago?  Augustana College but not in Rock Island - my Augustana College (now University) is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  Both of them use blue and gold and both are Vikings.  So I have throwback stuff from my school that I can wear for his school!  We didn't plan it - in fact, he's somewhat horrified that I walk around bragging that I went to the real Augustana College.  
He was heavily recruited as a lacrosse goalie.  Augie has a good Division III program which is a perfect fit for him - competitive but not insane.  I love that it's a small Christian school. He loves that it's in the Quad Cities which has about a half million people - and it's just a few hours from Chicago so he can experience true city living while living on a small, protected campus.
The border is inset.  I cut the center out with a stitched rectangle, the trimmed off the stitched part leaving a bit of a gap between the two.

Here's hoping I need many, many more of this type of card! 
FYI - this is a Taylored Expressions set and if you haven't started on Easter cards - they have a jelly bean set with the same layout (and there are others!)   I had it out to use, but I only have one more Easter card to make and jelly beans just aren't right for this one.
I hope to see you playing along with us this week.
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Taylored Expressions: A Hawaiian-Themed Wedding

I have a very interesting event coming up - and I love that I can create a custom card for it that's just right.  A wonderful guy at work - a bit older - is getting married for the first time. He and his fiancee dated in college and connected again recently.  They are doing this wedding their way - a Hawaiian theme in a Colorado mountain park with a group hike afterwards and the Hangry Ohana Hawaiian Barbeque food truck for refreshments!!  LOVE IT!!

So I needed a card for them that wasn't particularly frilly but still celebrated a wedding - with a bit of Hawaiian added in.  Luckily I have the Taylored Expressions products to do it!!


I put the bright colors in the background. The great part of putting the color behind the cutting plate is that there is still so much fresh white that it is clearly for a wedding!  The color in the background doesn't need to be done carefully either.  I literally sponged on blobs - then I did a quick sprinkle of black watercolor for the texture.

To formalize it just a wee bit - I painted the "congrats" with shimmer watercolor.  I also added three little sequins - but in a bright purple!!  The sequins come from a Halloween set (linked below) that I have multiple bottles of just for these purple sequins.  I also added quite a bit of dimension - it is a very thick card but I like the substantial look of it.

I'm ready with the card.  Now I just have to figure out what to wear to a Hawaiian wedding in the Colorado Rockies that matches my hiking boots!!
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