Sweet Spring Sneak Peek

It's day two of the Taylored Expressions sneak peeks. Only one day left til the new sets are available for purchase in the TE store, at 8am PST on Thursday, March 5th...yippeee!

Today I'm excited to share a peek at the brand new Cuppie set, Sweet Spring, and the Easter Key Ingredients. You will LOVE the images in this adorable set...isn't the bunny cupcake simple delicious! 

The image is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured with copics. I paper pieced the cupcake liner with one of the patterned papers from the Easter Key Ingredients. Can I just say, the Easter Key Ingredients are phenomenal! Love, love, LOVE them! Everything I used for this card is from the Easter Key Ingredients, including the pretty felt flower and leaves, the brads, ribbon, solid and patterned papers...it really IS an amazing value and everything coordinates beautifully. 

I added some magenta Stickles to the cherry for some sparkle. I think I must be longing for spring so I can see some grass, cause I drew it in again with my fine black marker. It doesn't show in the photo, but the green brads are all sparkly and shimmery...so pretty! The solid Prism cardstock is also included in the Easter key Ingredients. I chose to use Frosted Teal, Razzleberry Medium and Birchtone Medium on my sample. My card layout is from Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. 

Come join us to celebrate Taylor's newest release!!!

When: 7-8am PST on Thursday, March 5th, just before the sets are available in the TE store (it's a morning party to start your day right!).

Where: Join us at Paper Craft Planet in the Taylored Expressions Group

*Taylor will have a special colour challenge that will be posted at the party - create a card using the colour challenge and you will be eligible to receive the Key Ingredients Birthday Boy!!! (winner will be drawn by Randon.org). Please upload your creations to Paper Craft Planet with the key word: tecolorchallenge (all one word, lowercase). You must have your cards uploaded by Monday, March 9th at 8am PST to be eligible for the Key Ingredients prize.

**There will also be some fun trivia and prizes for the winning guesses!!! 

So come on and join the fun as we celebrate Taylored Expressions Branching Out! 

Be sure to pop onto the other Baker's Dozen blogs for more fabulous sneak peeks!

Taylor Vanbruggen

Ana Wolhfahrt

Charmaine Ikach

Dawn Easton

Denise Marzec

Donna Baker

Jen del Muro

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Laura Fredrickson

Laurie Schmidlin

Sankari Wegman

I'll have another sample for you tomorrow, using the Branching Out sets, with a completely different look than this card. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

An MFT Blog Hop with My Peeps!

Yippeeeee...It's release day at MFT!!! How was all that eye candy on the MFT blog hop? If you just happened upon my blog, you'll want to start at the beginning, Kim's blog (the MFT lady), so you don't miss a thing. 

Hey wait...what am I doing on the MFT blog hop?!? Well, I was lucky enough to be chosen as My Favourite Stamper for March...what an honour! And I didn't have to do a thing except use my MFT stamps and upload to the MFT gallery on Splitcoast!!!  So give your MFT stamps some lovin' and you could be the next My Favourite Stamper. 

My Favorite Things is having a New Release Cocktail Party on Wednesday, March 4th from 9-10pm EASTERN. This month there are 5 new sets being released...five sets...woo hoo...including a Who's That Girl who is hanging with her peeps!

Head over to the MFT Forum on Splitcoast to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. Hope to see you at the party on Wednesday night! 

The sample I have for you today is my "out of the box" version of the WTG Hanging With My Peeps. I combined the little chick images with the branch from An Owl For All Seasons and the awning from Meet Me at the Cafe for a 'chicks in the window display' look. I have to tell you, as soon as I saw this set I had a flashback to middle school. In grade seven we actually raised little chicks as a class project. We got the eggs from a local farm, had an incubator in the class, and we tracked the progress until the exciting day when our chicks hatched! We nurtured them for a little bit, watched them grow, then gave them back to the farm. I still have pictures of myself with little yellow chicks on my desk...TOO cute! Hey, maybe that's when my bird obsession began! LOL!

Sorry...back to the card...The image is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured with copics. I used the Summer Collection 6x6 paper pack pack to paper piece the awning and for the striped piece, along with the red ribbon from the Summer Collection ribbon pack. LOVE how it coordinates so nicely! I wanted to draw attention to the sentiment and what better way to do that than with some bling from Summer Collection Swarovski Crystals. Can you tell I'm ready for summer?!?

Since, this is the end of the hop and I have the pleasure of giving away one of the brand new sets being released tonight! Leave a comment on this post before 9PM EASTERN and you'll be entered into the drawing for the adorable Hooga Booga stamp set by Stephanie Fizer. The winner will be announced during the new release cocktail party tonight, so I'll see you there!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Whimsical Wishes Sneak Peek....

Taylored Expressions is Branching Out in more ways than one! First, with a brand new line of stamps called Whimsical Wishes. Second, with Branching Out and Branching Out Coordinates, two adorable new sets to kick off the new Whimsical Wishes Line. Third, with the Taylored Expressions Giving Tree. Taylored Expressions will be donating the proceeds from sales of these two new sets to a wonderful charity - Eden Projects. There will be new stamp sets introduced quarterly for this on-going charitable program. Yay TE!!!

I'm super excited to share this sneak peek with you today. This fabulous new line for Taylored Expressions is designed by my friend Nancy (you know...the one who did my fabulous blog banner!), and I'm really happy to share her work with you. I know you'll love these sets as much as I do...there are so many images to choose from!

One thing I'd like to mention...If you don't already know, Taylored Expressions sets arrive to you already die cut so they're ready to use. However, in order to keep costs as low as possible so more money can be donated to charity, these new sets will need to be trimmed when you get them. Trust me though...it only takes a few minutes and you'll be stamping before you know it!

Have I held off long enough??? Are you ready to see it??? Drumroll please.........

I've used images from both the Branching Out set and the Branching Out Coordinates. You just HAD to know that if there were birds in the set, I'd use them first! LOL! And how awesome is that swing! Everything is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Snow White cardstock and coloured with copics. The Choice Snow White cardstock is amazing with copics and it's a sturdy 100lb weight. I drew in some grass with my fine black marker to ground the scene.

The flowers and birds are cut out and popped for dimension. I added some Tiny Twinkles to the center of the flowers and a row of them under the sentiment on the banner...they add just the right amount of bling. You'll be amazed too at the variety of sentiments in these two sets. 

The patterned paper I used is from The Paper Loft Spring Fling collection and I finished off the last detail with a purple Prima. I love how this whimsical set can also look sophisticated and elegant. 

When I was done stamping I packed up the sets in my fabulous Mini Binder Box. The full size sets come on a storage panel that's ready to pop into your Binder Box and the mini set will either fit into a cd case or you can store it in the same Mini Binder Box. I love that the stamps are contained within the box so there's no chance of misplacing any. 

So that's my peek for today. Be sure to stop by the rest of the Baker's Dozen blogs for lots more eye candy.

Taylor Vanbruggen

Ana Wolhfahrt

Charmaine Ikach

Dawn Easton

Denise Marzec

Donna Baker

Jen del Muro

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Laura Fredrickson

Laurie Schmidlin

Sankari Wegman

I'll have another sneak peek for you tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Before I forget to tell you, this is my second exciting post of the day so scroll down for more eye candy!

I'm practically running around the house shouting from the roof-top...I'm so excited to share this news with you. I'm now part of the Baker's Dozen Design Team for Taylored Expressions!!! SQUEAL!!!!! oh my gosh...oh my gosh...oh my gosh...breathe Karen.   :)

Can you imagine my reaction when Taylor emailed to ask if I'd join the Baker's Dozen?!? Surprised, honoured, flabergasted, nervous, excited...a true roller coaster of emotions, but it only took me a second to reply with a big 'ole YES! You simply MUST pop over to Taylored Expressions to find out the rest of the Baker's Dozen talent, and the other wonderful news Taylor has to share about a new stamp line. I'm soooooo excited!!! (have I already mentioned that???)

Starting tomorrow I'll have sneak peeks of the new release sets that will be available on Thursday. Yippeeee! Oh my goodness this is soooooo much fun!

For today, in honour of my Baker's Dozen announcement, I decided to create my Christmas card of the week using the Season's Sweetings set from Taylored Expressions. I really had no trouble getting the the Christmas mood for this card...we went from zero snow on the ground to nine inches overnight, with more on the way this afternoon, so it's looking like Christmas outside right now! 

The cuppie image is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Snow White cardstock (such an appropriate name considering the weather today!) and coloured with copics. Taylor's Choice Snow White is wonderful with copics...the markers blend beautifully and it's a nice thick weight too. I added some shimmer to the cherry on his head with my red Atyou Spica pen and made the lights look shiny with a layer of crystal effects.

The patterned papers are from Imaginisce, the Snowy Jo line. I added lots of bling to the card with some Zva rhinestones in green, and a larger blue one in the center of the ghost snowflake. The layout for this card is from Jen's Sketch For You To Try. 

I'm really proud of myself for keeping up with my "one Christmas card a week" rule...so far so good (but really, it's only been a few weeks!). I'll see what happens when the weather turns warmer though! 

So don't forget to hop onto Taylored Expressions for all the big news, and come back for sneak peeks over the next few days. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

 

What's Chirping Sneak Peek

Or should I call it a sneak 'peep'? LOL! Isn't this just the most darling image! Wait, what's this image you say??? Why it's the brand spankin' new Who's That Girl set from My Favorite Things...a set that will be released on March 4th. Could it be any better...a who's that girl and birds...two of my favourite things together in one set! Hold the presses...why am I showing you a sneak peek of a brand new set??? Because I have the distinct pleasure of being My Favorite Stamper for March...how lucky am I!?! You know what the best part is? I didn't have to do a thing to be chosen, except use my MFT stamps and upload my creations to the MFT gallery on Splitcoast. How cool! I can't wait to see all the sneak peeks over the next few days, so be sure to pop onto the MFT blog and the design team blogs for more eye candy. 

Now on to the card. The image is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured with copics. Her jacket is paper pieced and I drew in some lines on the sidewalk. I don't have the copic air brush system {yet} so I had to make do with little blue swirls for my background sky look. 

The patterned papers are from October Afternoon. See, I told you I had more left and you'd see it again. LOL! I layered everything onto black so it would really pop. The background is sewn with a combo stitch of straight and zig zags. The sentiment (just one of the great phrases in this set) was cut out with my SU Lots of Tags sizzlet die. The button {isn't it just absolutely perfect with this paper!} is from my newest pack of Artsylicious buttons and bling...I'm addicted to them, they're so pretty!

I have a busy blogging week so be sure to check back. I'll have another post later this morning with some exciting news. I'm just bursting with all I have to share.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Miss You

My friend Janet has started a new blog that's all about challenges. I love challenges so of course I jumped at the chance to participate and share my creation on her very first official weekly challenge. It was a sketch challenge this time, so be sure to pop over to Corrosive Challenges to see the sketch and play along. She'll be posting a new challenge every Sunday...can't wait to see what's next!

Here's the card I came up with for her layout. I decided to use my Nice View image from Stamping Bella...it's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I paper pieced the curtains then coloured the rest with copics. I used the turquoise and yellow Atyou Spica glitter pens on the heart and the flower pot, for just a little bling.  The sentiment is from this fabulous little set of Mini Words, actually it's not so little...I just counted and there are 29 sentiments for under ten dollars! I thought the window image and 'miss you' were a good combination. 

The image is cut out with Labels Two nestabilities and layered onto night of navy. The patterned papers are from October Afternoon. Seems like I have a never ending supply...but I'm actually trying to use it up...this card was done with scraps, but I do have some larger pieces left so you'll probably see it again. I added a row of small and large Blue Jean Bella Glitter Dots down the left side...I just love how they catch the light and shimmer. I finished off with lots of paper piercing. 

There are quite a few people that came to mind when I was making this card...I seem to be missing friends and family right now. Lucky for me I'll be getting a good dose of both over the next several weeks.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Hello There!

If you know me, then it comes as no surprise that Cheep Talk was one of the first sets I purchased from the new SU catalogue...it's got birds! I'm all about birds. LOL! I decided to get it inky for Taylor's Cupcake Challenge #57. 

It was about 9:30 last night when I sat down to stamp this and I wanted an image I didn't have to colour. The leaves and wing are cut out and popped for a little dimension. At first I tied the ribbon into a bow but it was overwhelming the panel, so then I switched it to this tailored half-bow thingy. The end of the ribbon reminds me of the beak on the other bird...his mouth is open and he's chirping away. Oh, and one more thing I noticed while I was cutting out the leaves...if you look at the two leaves closest to the bird, they look like a moustache. So if you want to add a moustache to anything you can use these leaves. Sigh...Sometimes even I wonder about my imagination! LOL!

Aside from a little sewing with my Janome and the nesties, this is an all SU card. The new buttons and brads are just wonderful...thanks SU!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Calling STELLA and an award

S-T-E-L-L-AAAAAAAAA, as my BFF loves to call her, is who I chose to work with for this week's Bellarific Friday challenge (click the link to see the inspiration piece) on the Stamping Bella blog. If you didn't have a chance to play along this week, don't worry...Em will have another challenge for us on Monday. And, you could win Bella Bucks just for playing along. Be sure to pop over to Bloggabella to see the submissions from the Bellarific Babes and all the Bella Sistahs...there's soooooo much fabulous eye candy!

I stamped Gossipy Stella with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured most of her with copics, but her dress is paper pieced. Isn't the little mouse holding the phone just absolutely adorable!!! I love him! I showed the finished card to my hubby (he's actually my art critic) and he said "that's really cute!". 

The image is cut out with rectangle nestabilities and layered onto a scallop rectangle of Basic Grey. The patterned background paper is so saffron and certainly celery designer papers. I layered them onto some basic grey then stitched a zig zag with my Janome Sew Mini. 

The flower embellishment is two Prima hydrangeas which I layered with some emBELLAshments: a Smokey Grey Glitter Donut and a 5mm solid Pistachio dot. The layout is actually from Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch #6...except I didn't realize the sketch had embellishments in the top left and bottom right corners til after my card was all done. Oh well...sketches are for inspiration, right?!?

I really love how this card turned out. The inspiration piece was so pretty but I wasn't sure about the colours...don't really know why I was concerned.  :)

Now on to the award.

The lovely Ruby McGuire has given me this fabulous blog award, and she's said some wonderful things about my blog. Thank you so much Ruby, I'm truly honoured! You must go check out her blog, Ruby 2 Shoes. Isn't that just the greatest name...I love it! I'll follow Ruby's lead and pass this award along to another fabulous blogger, and she's also my BFF. I LOVE her work so Dana White of Dana's House of Cards, come on down! You're the next recipient of the Friends Blogger Award! LOL!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Karen

Eye Chart Card

My dad's birthday is coming up in March, and he's an optometrist (so are two of my brothers) so when the set, Off the Chart, from SU came out a few years ago I just had to have it...it's so appropriate for my family. I decided to use it this year for my dad's card.

The layout is from sketch challenge #216 on Splitcoast. The entire card came together quite quickly because there wasn't anything to colour in. The image is inked with chocolate chip and ruby red inks (I used my marker for the red part) and stamped onto kraft cardstock. It's cut out with nesties and layered onto chocolate chip. 

The card base is always artichoke. I chose papers from the Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy line. I pierced on the strip then again around the focal image. I added some chocolate brads and tucked a little circle of artichoke under them, for a little contrast. 

That's it! Super quick and easy. I know I'm safe posting this cause my dad doesn't read my blog...heck...he doesn't even own a computer, and I wonder how I could ever live without one. LOL!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Bella goes Boarding

Woo Hoo Winter!!! If you don't embrace it, it can really beat you down. That's why I'm super happy to hit the slopes whenever I can. Plus, I'm Canadian from Northern Ontario...winter is long and cold where I come from so knowing how to make the best of it is practically in my blood. I'm posting this card today because this has been me for the past three days...well, with skis instead of a snowboard and a helmet instead of a hat, but I do have a bright pink jacket. {{{grin!}}} Hey, maybe we need a SkibunnyaBELLA...Em??? Hint hint hint! Hubby and I have been enjoying a little ski getaway in Vermont. 

The layout for this card is from Jen's Sketch For You To Try (she's a Bella Babe too!). I chose to flip the sketch though. I stamped Daisyboardabella, a Stamping Bella image of course, with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her with copics. The blue on her hat and the snowboard seem really bright in the photo but they're not so "in your face" in real life. I just couldn't get a better photo...sorry. 

The image is cut out with oval Nestabilities and layered onto pink pirouette then chocolate chip. I added some liquid applique to her hat and boots...fun, fun, fun! The striped paper is from the My Mind's Eye Christmas line and I pulled the colours for the image right from the paper.

For the background I ran a piece of baja blue through my Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder. I layered the striped piece onto some chocolate then stitched around the edge with my Janome Sew Mini. 

I did a very loose interpretation of the straight line piece on Jen's sketch. Everything I tried seemed to be to rigid with the straight lines, so I decided to line up some kiwi kiss circles instead of using one straight piece...I like it! Then I added a Heidi Swapp ghost snowflake with a Martha Stewart punched snowflake on top. The pink accents are from Stamping Bella: two large and one small solid Strawberry Parfait dots and a sparkly Pink Orchid Glitter donut. Isn't it brilliant how the donut fits perfectly around the small dot! Ooooh...so many possibilities.

Hey, I think this card qualifies as my Christmas card of the week too. Yay me!

Of course I couldn't resist taking the camera onto the slopes with us. The scenery is spectacular and yesterday was a beautiful sunny day. Hubby snapped this pic of me near the summit on our fave run. It's snow much fun! And see, I really do have a pink jacket! I'm super squinty though...it was really bright when I took my goggles off for the picture...but I had too, otherwise I look like a beetle beetle bug.   :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen