MFTeasers-à la modes Day 1!

This month's new à la mode girls from MFT are super cute and I know you're going to love them as much as I do.

I Need Some Face Time is perfect for the techy in me (not that I'm really that technically savvy...I just like gadgets!). There's nothing better than a good face to face chat with a friend, but when you live hundreds of miles apart, the internet comes in handy!

I coloured her with copics and added just a little sparkle with my orange Spica glitter pen. I'm addicted to cutting these girls out so I didn't fight it, and I layered her onto fun patterned paper from my Basic Grey June Bug pad. I tucked a white border, cut out with my double scallop border die-namic, under the main image and added a rhinestone flourish. It started as clear rhinestones but I used my YR18 copic marker to colour each of the stones. I had to be careful not to get the adhesive strip between the rhinestones but it really only took me a couple of minutes.

The rolled daisy die-namic seemed like a perfect embellishment so I cut mine out of orange cardstock to make it pop. I curled the petals back then finished it with a simple white button.

You'll be able to pick up your very own à la mode - I Need Some Face Time in the MFT Boutique tomorrow night at 10pm Eastern.

In the past, we've released our à la modes images in cling rubber, however, this month, we're releasing both of our à la modes in clear photopolymer, just like the rest of our stamps.  This means that we can bring them to you a slightly lower price point than usual - $9.00 each!  How fabulous is that?!  Since our clear stamps are made in the USA, they are of the highest quality, so you'll have the same great image quality that you're accustomed to with any of our other clear stamps!  Sweet deal right?

Be sure to hop over to Kim's blog for a list of all the designers sharing samples of this high-tech a la mode.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Sweet Sunday Happy News

It's time for this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, SSSC117.

Today I reached for a set from the new Moka line at Taylored Expressions. Meet Jenn...isn't she adorable with her little baby bump!!

The image is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Buttercream and coloured with copics. I paper pieced her shirt then cut out the image with my petite oval Nestabilities.

This is a tall, skinny card measuring 3 1/4" by 6 1/2". The patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye Stella Rose Hazel collection and I added in some blush red light, suede brown dark, and baja breeze. I used my small scallop border die for the scallop strip and added a polka dot bow.

I hope you'll play along with this week's sketch and link your creation on Karen's blog. Now it's time to hop around and see what the rest of the Sweet Sunday Stampers came up with.
Dana White
Jen Tapler
Lynn Put
Sarah-Jane Kale'
Vicki Burdick
and Karen Giron

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

My Type of Chick {MFTWSC19}

It's that time of the week again...time to get sketchy with the MFT Wednesday Stamp Club and sketch #19.

I have to admit, I was slightly afraid of this one, but as soon as I dove in everything started falling into place. I just love this stamp set, Own Your Story and the Four Point Frame die-namic. It's a fabulous scrappy style...something out of my comfort zone. I stamped the background text with Memento Desert Sand, the leafy flourish with Colorbox Ice Jade and the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black. I added plenty of bling and threaded some satin ribbon through the lace trim. I used my banner strip die-namic along the bottom and anchored it with two paper roses.

I kept the inside nice and simple. Just the friend definition (which is awesome!!!), the leafy flourish and a patterned butterfly cut out with my butterfly die-namics. The patterned papers are all from the Crate Paper Portrait collection.

Here are all the sketchy details:

There's a prize each week for one participant, chosen at random. You may use any stamps and supplies that you wish. Each week a keyword is assigned to the sketch, and this week's keyword is MFTWSC19. All you need to do to enter is upload your card to the gallery at Splitcoast and enter the given keyword in the keyword box during the upload process. After the deadline (noon Eastern on Tuesday) we randomly choose a winner from that week's entries and the winner will receive a $15 gift voucher. If the winning card uses MFT stamps, the participant will earn a $5 bonus, for a total of a $20 gift voucher!

Be sure to head over to Kim's Blog to view the entire list of design team participants...there's plenty of inspiration for you with today’s sketch!

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Sweet Sunday Dragonfly

It's time for this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, SSSC116.

There are so many possibilities with this sketch, from cards to scrapbook pages, it's a fabulous layout. Since today is Mother's Day I decided to make a card for my Mom.

Really Karen? A bug? Is that the best representation of how you feel about your Mom??? I know you're probably thinking all this BUT it totally makes sense. See, my mom looooooooves dragonflies. She has several dragonfly brooches and sometimes wears one on her shoulder so it looks like it just landed there. Every summer at the cottage we're lucky enough to watch the dragonfly nymphs transform into beautiful helicopters (that's what we affectionately call them) and they'll sit on your finger while they wait for their wings to dry out before they fly away. So does the card make sense now? LOL!!!

The dragonfly image is from Discover Your Wings and the sentiment is from Fresh Flowers, both part of the Whimsical Wishes line from Taylored Expressions. I stamped the dragonfly with Memento Tuxedo Black then cut him out and adhered him with foam tape to the cream panel, which I cut with my wonky rectangle Nestabilities. The patterned papers are from the Lily Bee Stationery collection. I used my large scallop border die on the purple polka dot paper and added some texture to the solid purple layer with my hearts impression plate.

I hope you'll play along this week and link your creation on Karen's blog. Now it's time to hop around and see what the rest of the Sweet Sunday Stampers created.
Dana White
Jen Tapler
Lynn Put
Sarah-Jane Kale'
Vicki Burdick
and Karen Giron

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Taylored Expressions Release Day!!!

It's time!!! All the new products we've been peeking over the past three days are now available at Taylored Expressions. You'll find them all in one place in the Fresh out of the Oven tab. But before you rush off to fill your cart, the Baker's Dozen has a recap of all the new products with more inspiration to share.

Today I worked with Welcome Little One again, and the coordinating Bracket Frame Die. The layout is Mojo188.

I kept this very girly with shades of pink and white, and a hint of kraft. The polka dot paper is from the Lily Bee Stationary collection. The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto choice snow white and coloured with copics. The bracket frame was stamped with regal rose and cut out with the coordinating Bracket Frame die. After stamping the sentiment on the solid pink layer I ran it through my Big Shot using the Hearts impression plate to give it some texture. I cut the white scallop border with my medium scallop border die and added some clear rhinestones  because every little girl deserves a little bling! LOL!!!

Have fun hopping around and getting even more inspiration from the Baker's Dozen!!!

• Amber Hight - Guest designer for May & June
• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jackie Pedro
• Jodi Collins
• Jami Sibley
• Karen Giron
• Melissa Sauls
• Nancy McKinney
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peeks Day 3

We have another day jam packed with sweet new products!! As you hop around the Baker's Dozen blogs you'll see samples created with It's in the Bag stamp set, Mini Shopping Bag and Labels die, Summer Wreath petite stamp set, and the brand new MOKA Collection - MOKA Jenn and MOKA Olivia. All the new products will be available at Taylored Expressions tomorrow, May 5th, from 8am PST. 

I created a fun gift bag set using It's in the Bag, the Mini Shopping Bag and Labels die, and MOKA Olivia.

Let's start with the card, shall we? It's in the Bag was designed and illustrated by Nancy McKinney for the Whimsical Wishes line. The coordinating Mini Shopping Bag and Labels die is just soooooo sweet!!! I used it as the main focal point on my card. This stamp set has 27 images and sentiments which makes it super versatile. And can I just say it's FUN too!!!

Check out the dimension from the Mini Shopping Bag and Labels die!!! I stamped the tiny damask pattern with Memento Paris Dusk before folding up the bag. I used papers from the My Mind's Eye Stella Rose Hattie collection. I used my circles impression plate for texture on the base layer and the small scallop border die cut a perfect little accent to separate the patterned papers from the solid blue. I added three blue Twinkles in the top left corner for just a little bling.

Next up is the gift bag with that gorgeous tag. Please meet MOKA Olivia...Olivia, please meet my wonderful blog readers! I hope they'll love you as much as I do!! The MOKA Collection is another fabulous concept and design by Nancy McKinney. These are petite stamp sets that come on a sturdy 3" x 5.5" full colour storage panel and they're made from deeply etched rubber on EZ mount cling foam, all trimmed and ready to use.

Olivia is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto choice buttercream and coloured with copics. I paper pieced her little swingy top though. I used my small scallop border again on the tag, just to tie the two project together, but I used my scalloped eyelet border die for the accent on the bag. A few more Twinkles and some ribbon from my stash was all this little tag needed.

Now you're off to see what the rest of the Baker's Dozen cooked up with all these fun new stamps and dies.

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jackie Pedro
• Jodi Collins
• Jami Sibley
• Karen Giron
• Melissa Sauls
• Nancy McKinney
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• Wanda Guess

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Above the Fog {MFTWSC18}

It's time for another super fun sketch for the MFT Wednesday Stamp Club. Here it is...sketch #18.

I used the brand new Up, Up and Away set and paired it with some patterned papers from my Lilly Bee Designs Happily Lost pad (I thought the name was appropriate for the stamps I chose!).

I love the stippled look of these images and they make for quick cards with no colouring needed. The clouds coordinate with the flat bottom cloud die-namics...sweet! For the cloud, first I cut it out from patterned paper with the die, next I stamped it with versamark then embossed it with vanilla powder. The balloon was stamped with Rose Bud Memento ink.

The decorative doily die-namic cut a perfect cream backdrop for the balloon and I tucked a pomegranate strip cut with my scallop ribbon die-namic under the main panel. I just LOVE this new scallop ribbon die-namic...it's SO versatile!!

On the inside I created a little scene that plays on the sentiment "Above the fog, the sun shines". The 'clouds' were cut with my simply scallops medium die-namic and my sunshine die-namic was a given for the sun.  :-)

Here are all the sketchy details:

There's a prize each week for one participant, chosen at random. You may use any stamps and supplies that you wish. Each week a keyword is assigned to the sketch, and this week's keyword is MFTWSC18. All you need to do to enter is upload your card to the gallery at Splitcoast and enter the given keyword in the keyword box during the upload process. After the deadline (noon Eastern on Tuesday) we randomly choose a winner from that week's entries and the winner will receive a $15 gift voucher. If the winning card uses MFT stamps, the participant will earn a $5 bonus, for a total of a $20 gift voucher!

Be sure to head over to Kim's Blog to view the entire list of design team participants...there's plenty of inspiration for you with today’s sketch!

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen