Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day 2-Sparkle and Cheer

The Baker's Dozen has two more brand new Christmas sets to share with you today. All the new products will be available for purchase at Taylored Expressions starting Thursday, October 7th.

As you hop along you'll see samples using Sparkle and Cheer and Winter Wonderland. We're also showcasing two new Project Pantry kits so keep your eyes peeled for those.

I used Sparkle and Cheer and paired it with the Snow Day Project Pantry. I really really REALLY love non-traditional colours for Christmas cards so this kit is right up my alley. You'll notice that Sparkle and Cheer is a solid image stamp set, which makes for super quick card-making. Taylor knows Christmas is a busy time for card-makers so included with each of the two project pantry kits this month, you'll be able to download FREE inspiration/instruction sheets to re-create the cards that the Baker's Dozen are showcasing today.

I inked the tree with Memento Bamboo Leaves and Memento Rich Cocoa then stamped it onto the Choice Snow White included in the Snow Day Project Pantry. I cut out the tree and added some blue rhinestones (also from the Snow Day Project Pantry).

I used my Take Note Die 3 to cut out one of the patterned papers then ran it through an embossing folder and adhered the tree with foam tape. I layered some of the solid and patterned papers, along with the tree border sticker from the Snow Day Project Pantry and stitched around the edges. The star is stamped with Versamark onto the purple part for a little interest. Finally I pleated some purple ribbon and attached the focal panel. The sentiment is stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa and in hindsight, I probably should have used Tuxedo black to make it stand out a little more...oh well!

I can't wait to see what the rest of the Baker's Dozen has created using these two new sets and the project pantries, so let's get hopping!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Donna Baker
• Jackie Pedro
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Melissa Sauls
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild

and Nancy McKinney our Whimsical Wishes designer

I'll see you back here tomorrow for sneak peeks of another new set!!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Framed Art

Today I'm lucky to be the featured artist on Scrapbook News and Review!!! How cool is that!!! I put together a photo tutorial on creating a faux mitered patchwork frame. I hope you'll click here to see what it's all about.

But here's a picture of the finished project...

A few months ago I had a lot of fun putting this owl scene together and the frame was half the fun, so I recreated it for the airplane scene.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day 1-Merry Little Cocktail

We have LOTS of new sets to share with you this week at Taylored Expressions. Everything will be available for purchase in the TE store on Thursday, October 7th.

Today as you hop along the Baker's Dozen blogs you'll see sneak peeks of four new sets, Gobble Gobble, Penguin Pals, Merry Little Cocktail, and Hangin' Out at the North Pole. I worked with Merry Little Cocktail for my card today and I used the images in a bit of a less conventional way.

I stamped the peppermint several times with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Buttercream and coloured it with copics. Then I punched it out with my 7/8" circle punch. I stamped the holly leaves six times, coloured them and cut them out too. Then I arranged all the peppermints in the shape of a wreath and popped the top ones on foam tape for a little dimension. I added red Tiny Twinkles to the centers for a little sparkle and highlighted the berries with my red Spica glitter pen. The layout is TESC127. The patterned papers are from my Basic Grey Jovial 6x6 pad and I paired them with suede brown medium herbal garden medium. A little stitching and some brown glitter candy dots were all the details the card needed.

I know you're going to see lots of fabulous samples as you hop along, so get going!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Donna Baker
• Jackie Pedro
• Jami Sibley
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Melissa Sauls
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• and Nancy McKinney, our fabulous Whimsical Wishes Illustrator

I'll see you back here tomorrow for another day of sneak peeks.
Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Sweet Sunday Innocence

It's time for this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, SSSC87. You'll find the sketch on Karen Giron's blog The Sweetest Thing.

For today's card I reached for my beloved Pure Innocence girls from MFT. This set is called Being Cute is What I Do, and really, have you seen anything cuter than this! My heart just melts for these little darlings!!!

I stamped her with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Buttercream and coloured her with copics. Her top is paper pieced and I worked with Cosmo Cricket's Pixie-licious mini deck for this card. I added some sparkle to the flower on her shirt and the elastics in her hair with my purple Spica glitter pen. I used the open scallop die-namic border on a strip of blue to help tie in her jeans. The burlap flower is by Prima and I added a purple Bella glitter dot to the center.

I hope you'll play along with this week's sketch and link your creation on Karen's blog. Now let's hop over to the rest of the Sweet Sunday Stampers to see what they put together.
Jen Tapler
Joanne Basile
Laura Fredrickson
Lynn Put
Sarah-Jane Kale'
Vicki Burdick
and Karen Giron

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

A Little Scrappy...

Well, it's the last day of September, and a rainy, wet one at that here in New England. I don't have a stampy project for you but I thought I'd share a few more of the layouts I made for the Scrappy Sunday Challenge over on Papercraft Planet. I'm already looking forward to the October templates, designed by Jen Tapler. She does a wonderful job with the layouts each month! Thanks Jen!!!

I used Sept Scrappy Sunday template d for this layout of the TE girls at CHA this past July. Fun times!!  All the papers and supplies are from the Colour me Crazy kit by Melissa Bennett for Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Next I made a layout to celebrate my very first solo flight in my journey to get my private pilot's licence. I used Sept Scrappy Sunday template c for the layout. Alphabet from Stud Muffin kit by Shawna Clingerman for Sweet Shoppe Designs. Other papers and elements from Flight of Fancy kit by Elise Hansen for The Digi Chick.

Then I started scrapping our vacation from this past May...I used a Scrappy Sunday template from August for the layout and all papers and elements are from the Delightful kit by Krisin Cronin-Barrow and Traci Reed for Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Here's the left side of my double layout for Riding the Cable Car. The layout is Sept Scrappy Sunday template b and all papers and elements are from the My Everything kit by Kristin Cronin-Barrow for Sweet Shoppe Designs.

For the right side I used a Scrappy Sunday template from June. All papers and elements from the My Everything kit by Kristin Cronin-Barrow for Sweet Shoppe Designs. Stitched line from Border Basics-Lines by Libby Weifenbach for Sweet Shoppe Designs.

That's all for today! My parents are here visiting for a few weeks and Mom and I are off to the mall for a little retail therapy. :)


Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Happy Birthday To You

I wanted to make another card with the adorable Belated Birthday Birds from the A La Carte images at Taylored Expressions. But I put a little twist on them and used the sentiment from Make a Wish so it's a regular birthday card instead of a belated birthday card.  :)

The layout is Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge from last Friday, TESC129. I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Buttercream and coloured it with copic markers. I used my circle Nestabilities to cut it out and didn't worry too much that I cut off the stamped balloon because I knew I'd be using the smallest Balloon Die on some teal felt from the Winterfresh Trio in place of the stamped image. The patterned paper is Cosmo Cricket Pixie-licious...the colours are amazing! I paired it with intense teal, frosted kiwi, blush red light and classic purple. I used my Scalloped Eyelet Border die on the teal piece the finished the card with some clear Kaisercraft Rhinestones that I coloured with my BG49 copic marker. I really love how cheery this card is!

It's already time to sign up for the October 22nd Blast from the Past customer blog hop, so I hope you'll join in the fun. You'll find all the details on this page.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Sweet Sunday Favourite

It's time for this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge but we're doing things a little differently this week. Karen has challenged us to go back through the sketches and choose our favourite, then create a new project with that sketch. Here's a link to all the sketches on Karen's blog...you have to scroll a little to find them, but they're all there.

I love to work with circles so I went looking for a sketch with a circle as the main panel, and I found SSSC69. I love the simplicity of this layout with those three strips of paper. As soon as I saw it I asked myself why I don't do layouts like this more often. So I knew it was "the one" for me.  :)

I pulled out my Hangin' Out set from Taylored Expressions. I need a baby girl card and I pictured the clothes line going across the circle. I stamped the images with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Snow White and onto some MME Quite Contrary papers. I wanted a white border around each of the images so I  cut out the patterned pieces right along the black outline, but I left some white space when I cut out the white pieces. The teddy is coloured with copics and if you look closely you can see that I added some faint gingham strips to his tummy with my colourless blender. A little sewing and some Crystal Twinkles finished off the details perfectly! I really really love how this turned out, and the kraft paper matching teddy so well was complete coincidence. I hadn't thought about using kraft until after teddy was coloured and I was looking for another layer colour. Love it when things come together like that!

I hope you'll play along with this week's challenge and link your creation on Karen's blog. Now let's go see what sketches the rest of the Sweet Sunday Stampers chose to work with!
Jen Tapler
Joanne Basile
Laura Fredrickson
Lynn Put
Sarah-Jane Kale'
Vicki Burdick
and Karen Giron

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Wicked Halloween

Happy Wednesday everyone! Only two more days til the weekend...woo hoo!!! Today I have a slightly spooky halloween card to share using Hangin' Out-Wicked Wardrobe from Taylored Expressions. This is such a fun set!!!

I started with Mercy's Tuesday sketch, MTSC92, and pulled out my Fright Night Project Pantry for all the papers and embellishments. I stamped the witch's dress twice with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Snow White and again onto the star patterned paper. I coloured the hem, cuffs and bodice with my orange Spica glitter pen then cut out the patterned dress to reveal those parts. I backed the green oval with a black layer cut out using my big scallop oval Nestabilities. I added lots of texture with two different embossing folders and stitched around the outside edge of the card base. The ribbon, moon brads and bat button from the Fright Night Project Pantry add the perfect finishing touches!

Be sure to check out all the stunning samples using Hangin' Out-Wicked Wardrobe in the TE Gallery.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Sweet Sunday Elves

It's time for this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, SSSC86. You'll find the sketch on Karen Giron's blog The Sweetest Thing.

This is the last sketch in the "bar napkin" series that Nancy McKinney created for us back in July at CHA, and she'll be playing along again with us this week. Thanks for all the fun sketches Nancy!

I went the Christmas route for my card today and pulled out the sweet Give a Little set from The Cat's Pajamas. Isnt' this penguin just darling!?! I stuck with reds for the colouring but jazzed them up by using my red Spica glitter pen on the ornament and my clear glaze pen on the light bulbs. I also used some white liquid appliquee on his hat. The patterned papers are from Cosmo Cricket's Mitten Weather mini deck, paired with blush red dark and island mist light solids. The sentiment panel separated from the circular accent looked too bizarre to me so I connected them...I know...I cheated a little, but that's ok, right?

I hope you'll play along with this week's sketch and link your creation on Karen's blog. Now let's go see what the rest of the Sweet Sunday Stampers came up with.
Jen Tapler
Joanne Basile
Laura Fredrickson
Lynn Put
Nancy McKinney
Sarah-Jane Kale'
Vicki Burdick
and Karen Giron

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

More birthday...

Yes, I have another birthday card to share with you today, using the fabulous new Make a Wish set from Taylored Expressions. This is the current charitable set for the TE Giving Tree so $7 from the sale of each set will be donated to a national charity that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

I used Mercy's Tuesday sketch from a few weeks ago, MTSC87, for the layout. All the supplies on this card are from the Make a Wish Project Pantry, including that delicious Espresso Dimensional Pearls I used as icing! LOVE it!!! The image is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured with copic markers. I cut out the image with circle Nestabilities and backed it with a big scallop circle Nestability. In addition to the images from Make a Wish, I also used the Bubbles Big Background stamp on the orange panel. I stamped it with Memento Rich Cocoa then pierced around the inside of the larger circles to add a little more definition.

Have you signed up for the September Blast from the Past Blog Hop with Taylored Expressions? Well you'd better hurry because today is the last day to sign up for the Sep 21st hop. Click the link at the top of my sidebar for all the details.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen