Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek | Day 1

Hello!  It's release week over at Taylored Expressions and we've got so much to show you that we added an extra day of peeks!  I can't even tell you how thrilled I am with today's set - it's SO cute and I couldn't put it down last night.  Today the Baker's Dozen is showcasing Make a Wish, Borderlicious, and Bubble Big Background all designed by the fabulous Nancy McKinney and will be available for purchase Friday, September 3rd at 8 AM Pacific - let the countdown begin!

Make a Wish is the newest Giving Tree set and during the months of September, October, and November, TE will donate $7.00 to a national children's charity that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.  This set does not come pre-cut, so you will need to trim the stamps when it arrives.  The reason Taylored Expressions does not die cut the Giving Tree sets is so we can keep the overall cost of the set at a minium in order to give more to various charities.  So, not only are you getting a fabulous stamp set, you are also giving back too!  I chose to use the topsy-turvy layered cake along with balloons on my card today and did you notice the balloon die cuts?  TE is releasing more Taylored Dies this month, and Make a Wish has coordinating balloon dies that make cutting out those shapes super fast and easy.  This set is loaded with fabulous birthday sentiments and images that will be perfect for any birthday - girl, boy, young, old, as well as those in denial about getting older, haha! 

Also available this month is the Make a Wish Project Pantry Project Kit, which has the most amazing patterned papers, ribbon, baker's twine, AND get this....  Espresso Dimensional Pearls!!!  You know you have wanted to get your hands on that amazing chocolate frosting in bottle, right?  Here is a little look-see at said frosting...

Ooohhhh, so delish! I also used the new set, Borderlicious, to create that really fun stitching border around the edge of my card.  Since I don't have a sewing machine, I LOVE this border!  There is also a Make a Wish Copic set, which I've used in my card here.  Love the colors!  The layout is Mercy's MTSC88.

Thanks for hanging in there with me - there is just so much to see and show you this week, you won't be disappointed in the least!  Hop on over to see what the rest of the Baker's Dozen have created for you this morning...

• Charmaine Ikach
• Danielle Lounds
• Jackie Pedro
• Jami Sibley
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Motz
• Melissa Sauls
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tori Wild
• and super fab designer, Nancy McKinney

See you back tomorrow for another fantastic sneak peek!
Karen

recipe -

Stamps: Borderlicious, Make a Wish (Taylored Expressions)

Paper: Make a Wish Project Pantry Kit

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Warm Red Liquid Chalk (ColorBox)

Accessories: Red Baker's Twine, peach satin ribbon, Espresso Dimensional Pearls (all included in the Make a Wish Project Pantry Kit), Copic Markers (Make a Wish Copic set)

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 83

Good morning - It's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! Here is the deal: make a card with this layout and use the InLinkz button down at the very end of this post to enter your card. The links will close on Friday at 10 PM (Mountain Time), and I'll randomly select one card to feature on my blog on Saturday. So, as long as your card is linked by 10 PM Friday, your card will be in the drawing. Be sure to link directly to the blog post or gallery image which features your card. You may post a picture of the sketch on your blog, but please save the image to your computer first. Use the keyword SSSC83 if you plan to post your card in an online gallery.

I'm so excited to show you this week's sketch because it's designed by the wonderfully fabulous Nancy McKinney.  Yep, that's right, THE Nancy McKinney - Illustrator extraordinaire for Taylored Expressions. You may be asking why Nancy is designing our sketch this week and that story starts at CHA.   The TE team totally bonded at our nightly gathering in the hotel "Invisibility Lounge" - now why you would name a bar the Invisibility Lounge is beyond me, but we sure laughed it up every night.  {Please don't think we were completely out of our mind though - only one of us got on the table to dance....}  *In my very best Craig Ferguson voice* - I KNOW!!!  I'm totally kidding....   Anyway, as our evenings progressed Nancy went off the deep end and started drawing sketches on the bar napkins - and yes, I grabbed them, wrapped them up and stuffed them in my purse for safe keeping!  These might be worth something someday!  Cherished pieces of art!!  hahahaha!  Some people value phone numbers on bar napkins - but at CHA, it's those sketches that are priceless...

  The Sweet Sunday Stampers have amazing sketch samples to show you today, so stop on by to see:

• Jennifer Tapler
• Joanne Basile
• Karen Motz
• Laura Fredrickson is on vacation this week {lucky girl!}
• Lynn Put
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick
• AND special guest Nancy McKinney 

Nancy Riley is taking some time off, but I know she'd love for you to stop by and say hello.

Thanks for taking on the challenge this week! 
Karen

recipe -

stamps: signature greetings  (papertrey ink)

paper: not quite navy, choice buttercream, thrift shop & report card (october afternoon)

ink: memento rich cocoa

accessories: scallop edge & flower dies (my favorite things), red grosgrain ribbon, linen thread, clear rhinestone brads, latte buttons, beautiful wings embosslits (sizzix), circle nestabilities (spellbinders)

Sweet Sunday Sketch Winner

Hello and happy Saturday!!  It's time to announce this week's winner..................................

#69 ---- Smilyn' Stef!

Love, LOVE the vintage colors and papers in Stefanie's card!  The pop of red is brilliant and the fabric, well, it's just delish!  Stop on over to Stefanie's blog, Ingenious Inkling and give her some love :)

See you back soon for a new sketch -
Karen

Center of Attention Product Spotlight - Frame Your Imagination Stand

Good morning and welcome to the Taylored Expressions Center of Attention Product Spotlight!  Today, half of the Baker's Dozen design team is showcasing an exclusive item to TE, the Frame Your Imagination Stand.  The stand uses 2 metal binder rings to hang 6x6 page protectors, which can easily hold scrapbook pages, recipes, special photographs, and calendar pages.  I'm using the 6x6 Dated Calendar Download (2011) in my frame and decorated the top margin of each month with something special - September is the start of school (well, the first full month anyway) and so I added the cute little alphabet border from Extra Credit along with the school house from Make the Grade.   The Frame Your Imagination Stand comes *naked* and ready for a fresh coat of paint or wood stain - I love that you can customize the color scheme any way you'd like.  Please note that the digital download and page protectors are sold separately.

For my frame, I painted the entire stand in Kaisercraft eggshell white and then painted the bottom portion in Sea Breeze, to match my daughter's room.  She gets to keep this in her room, lucky girl!  The polka dot ribbon was wrapped around each side and then I used the Bow Easy to tie the bows.

For a limited time, the Frame Your Imagination Stand will be 15% off {August 26-29}, so now is the time to get a jump start on those gifts for the holidays!  There are so many possibilities to be creative with this frame, so stop on by the rest of the Baker's Dozen participants for a little peek of more you can do:

• Charmaine Ikach
• Donna Baker
• Jodi Collins
• Melissa Sauls
• Taylor VanBruggen

Have a wonderful day -
Karen

recipe:

stamps: extra credit, making the grade

paper: real red, choice snow white cardstock

ink: memento tuxedo black

accessories: frame your imagination stand, red/white polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, 6x6 page protectors, kaisercraft acrylic paint {sea breeze, eggshell}

Taylored Expressions Blast From the Past Blog Hop

I'm so excited to be hopping along with so many talented stampers for the Blast From the Past blog hop from Taylored Expressions!  With all the Halloween sets and projects hitting the stores, I was inspired to make a card using Spooky Expressions - I love the images in this set and I'm so excited it's creeping up on Halloween again so I can get them all inky all over again!  I started by stamping the web in Memento Tuxedo Black and the sponged the circle with Pumpkin Spice Colorbox Liquid Chalk - heavier on the outside and lightening up toward the center.  The spider is stamped in Tuxedo Black and then I added a little red to the center to make that spider all sorts of creepy.

I added a little sparkle to the web with a Stardust Gelly Roll pen - lots of sparkle, no mess.  The layout is from the fabulously talented Sankari Wegman.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

recipe -

Stamps: Spooky Expressions

Paper: Choice Snow White, Frosted Kiwi, Intense Kiwi, Wizard Medium, Black Prism card stock, Eerie by Basic Grey

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Pumpkin Spice Liquid Chalk (Colorbox)

Accessories: Circle and Scallop Circle Nestabilites (Spellbinders), black sparkle ribbon, 1" circle punch, scallop edge punch, Stardust Gelly Roll pen

In the clouds

Good morning!  Maybe I should use an exclamation point there since it is a Monday morning after all.  Sorry gang.  Wake up!  hahaha!  I've been itching to get this cute little plane all inky since the day I picked it up at CHA.  It's a set from Papertrey called Fly Away - how cute is this?  It's the start of the school year, which means I'll be getting a whole new round of party invites, so I thought I'd get a jump start on some little boy cards.  I downloaded another cut file for the Sihouette so can make cute fluffy clouds and I just love the shapes of these.  Here I am with another minimal layered card - I'm on a roll!  I do think I'd like to make quick and easy cards for preschoolers since the card be all mangled up the minute it is opened.  But I try not to think about that and pretend that this will be preserved in someone's scrapbook for eternity.  :D

The layout is Taylor's TESC125 and the color combo is inspired by Curtain Call 44, which uses new In Colors from Stampin' Up! that I don't have, so I had to bend the rules a bit :D   

Have a wonderful day!
Karen

recipe -

stamps: fly away (papertrey ink)

paper: tempting turquoise, so saffron, choice snow white cardstock, fly a kite (october afternoon)

ink: real red, memento tuxedo black

accessories: silhouette clouds cut file, white embroidery floss, bits of bling (creative impressions), rectangle/scallop nestabilities (spellbinders)

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 82

Good morning - It's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! Here is the deal: make a card with this layout and use the InLinkz button down at the very end of this post to enter your card. The links will close on Friday at 10 PM (Mountain Time), and I'll randomly select one card to feature on my blog on Saturday. So, as long as your card is linked by 10 PM Friday, your card will be in the drawing. Be sure to link directly to the blog post or gallery image which features your card. You may post a picture of the sketch on your blog, but please save the image to your computer first. Use the keyword SSSC82 if you plan to post your card in an online gallery.

I really wanted to keep my card clean and so I didn't add any layers of cardstock underneath the Fly a Kite papers - GASP!  I don't think I've ever done this.  I feel so naked!  So to make up for the lack of cardstock, I added lots and lots of Latte and Chocolate pearls along with another satin bow made from my Bow Easy.  I went to one of my favorite sets, Tweet Hearts from Taylored Expressions and used those beloved Colorbox Liquid Chalk inks again.  I love the way this one turned out - it's just sweet, or should I say tweet?  I know, groan!!!  haha!

Edited:  Many of you have asked about how I tied the bow and so I thought I'd add this tutorial by Jerri Jimenez.  

The Sweet Sunday Stampers have amazing sketch samples to show you today, so stop on by to see:

• Jennifer Tapler
• Joanne Basile
• Karen Motz
• Laura Fredrickson
• Lynn Put
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick

Nancy Riley is taking some time off, but I know she'd love for you to stop by and say hello.

Thanks for taking on the challenge this week! 
Karen

recipe - 

stamps: tweet hearts (taylored expressions)

paper: kraft, chocolate chip, choice buttercream cardstock, fly a kite (october afternoon)

ink: colorbox liquid chalk - yellow ochre, dark brown, aquamarine; memento rich cocoa

accessories: ivory satin ribbon, latte & chocolate pearls (kaisercraft), large corner rounder, circle nestabilities (spellbinders)

Sweet Sunday Sketch Winner

Hey gang!  It's time to announce this week's winner.  Are you ready?  Our random selection is.....

#2 - Chupa!!

Look at this amazing card!  I love the colors in the background with the splash of black in the ribbon!  Super cute!  Congrats Chupa!  You can see more of her wonderful cards at her blog, Random Acts of Creativity - stop on by and give some love.

See you back soon for a new sketch -
Karen

Pretty Princess

Good morning!  I have finally finished Katie's birthday invitations and I'm thinking they no longer look like Pepto Bismol - aren't they darling!??  In all my attempts at making party invites, these were absolutely the easiest to make.  Of course it has everything to do with using a Silhouette cut file and not actually needing to cut them out by hand.  Woohoo!  I picked up some pink bling from Michael's and as luck would have it, all the packets were 40% off - so that was a stroke of luck, yay!  The cardstock is Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose (both Stampin' Up!), and Choice Snow White (Taylored Expressions) and I recently (and finally!) ordered a Bow Easy and look at the fun little bow it made - all cute and perfect. 

Have a fabulous Friday!
Karen

Just Rite Week at Stamper's Dream | Day 4

I'm back for the last day of Stamper's Dream along with Michelle, Leslie, Christina, and Cammie. I have another fabulous Christmas/Winter set for you this morning - Whimsical Christmas, and you are going to love this one.  The snowflake and sentiment is stamped in Night of Navy ink on Neenah Solar White and Bashful Blue cardstock.  I wanted to give the snowflake a little more of an accent, so I added some little blue rhinestones to the points.  Fun, no?  The fabulous layout is Mercy's MTSC87 - love it!

Just Rite week comes to an end today, but just in case you missed a day, here is the complete schedule from the Dream Team:

Monday
Michelle , Cindy , Denise , Laurie , and Amy

Tuesday
Denise , Cindy , Amy , Tosh , and Cammie

Wednesday
Laurie , Leslie , Karen , Christina and Tosh

Thursday
Michelle , Leslie , Christina , Karen and Cammie

Just Rite Week at Stamper's Dream | Day 3

It's Just Rite week at Stamper's Dream!  Today, along with Laurie, Leslie, Christina and Tosh, I get to play with the new sets that are simply amazing!  I chose this gorgeous ornament from Christmas Ornaments (Borders & Centers)
 

The image is stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa on Neenah Solar White cardstock and colored in with Copic markers.  To add a little Christmas sparkle, I added some glitter on some of the accents with a Stardust Glitter Pen.  LOVE that extra little sparkle without all the mess!  I tried to get a good photo of all the sparkle and you can see it a little bit in the close up (click on the photo for a larger image).  The patterned paper is Jolly By Golly from Cosmo Cricket - super yum, and I puckered up some ivory satin ribbon for a little texture.


Just Rite week continues tomorrow too, and just in case you missed a day, here is the complete schedule from the Dream Team:

Monday
Michelle , Cindy , Denise , Laurie , and Amy

Tuesday
Denise , Cindy , Amy , Tosh , and Cammie

Wednesday
Laurie , Leslie , Karen , Christina and Tosh

Thursday
Michelle , Leslie , Christina , Karen and Cammie

Sweet Sunday Sketch Winner

Hello and Happy Monday!  Can there be such a thing as a happy Monday?  Well maybe when I get to post such fabulous cards from our SSSC's!  This week's random winner is.....

#68!  Erica Cerwin!

Every time I see this yummy striped ribbon I want to order it all and then I forget!  GAH!!  I really like Erica's take on the sketch, showing off that glorious patterned paper a super cute stamps.  Love it!  Congrats Erica!  You can see more of Erica's cards on her blog, Pink Buckaroo Designs.

See you back soon!
Karen

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 81

Good morning - It's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! Here is the deal: make a card with this layout and use the InLinkz button down at the very end of this post to enter your card. The links will close on Friday at 10 PM (Mountain Time), and I'll randomly select one card to feature on my blog on Saturday. So, as long as your card is linked by 10 PM Friday, your card will be in the drawing. Be sure to link directly to the blog post or gallery image which features your card. You may post a picture of the sketch on your blog, but please save the image to your computer first. Use the keyword SSSC81 if you plan to post your card in an online gallery.

I used a couple new things on this card today - one is the sentiment; it is from PTI's Signature Greetings and I've been pining over this set forever!  The other?  Scallop roses - cute, eh?  This is my first time rolling them up and I think you can tell - they are SO tight!  I'm not even entirely sure I made them right, but I sure like them!  I used my Silhouette to make them - the spiral rose is a download you can purchase.  I added a little ivory pearl to the centers to hide all the crinkly cardstock mistakes, bwhaha! 

The Sweet Sunday Stampers have amazing sketch samples to show you today, so stop on by to see:

• Jennifer Tapler
• Joanne Basile
• Karen Motz
• Laura Fredrickson
• Lynn Put
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick

Nancy Riley is taking some time off, but I know she'd love for you to stop by and say hello.

Thanks for taking on the challenge this week! 
Karen

recipe -

stamps: signature greeting (papertrey ink), saycheeseabella (stamping bella)

paper: kraft, not quite navy, choice buttercream cardstock, report card paper pack (october afternoon)

ink: memento tuxedo black

accessories: copic markers, latte pearls (kaisercraft), spiral flower download  (silhouette), rectangle/oval nestabilities (spellbinders)

'ay matey!

Last night, my daughter grabbed this little Pirate Boy set and asked me to make her a book mark and somehow her bookmark ended up morphing into a card.  Hmmm, how did that happen?  She'll never know!  haha!  I'll just tell her it's a huge bookmark that hangs over the top of her page, yeah, that's it!

I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black on Neenah Solar White cardstock and colored it with Copic markers.  The patterned paper is part of the Old World paper pack from Kaisercraft - yum!  The sketch is MOJO151.

Well, I'm off to a weekend in the mountains!  Since I'll be without internet when SSSC80 closes tonight, I'll post the winner when I return Sunday night - if I forget, remind me!  :)

Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen

Pink-a-licious!

Just a little sneak of something I'm working on - and I must say, working with all of this pink makes me think of Pepto Bismol.  Is anyone with me?

Stay tuned!

You're So Tweet!

Hello and happy Monday afternoon!  I've been trying to upload this card all day, but my computer is freaking out!  I hope I don't see the blue screen of death anytime soon - that would really put a damper on things.  I think most of it is all okay now, except I don't have any sound!  I needs me my sound!!!  Breathe....

I have a fun card for you now, finally - it was so much fun to make, very therapeutic while cutting out all the leaves.  This card started out with The Sweet Stop's SSS68 and I the new TE set, Tweet Hearts.  I was stalking my mailbox this morning because I had just ordered a bunch of the Colorbox Liquid Chalk inks and they arrived today - I used Deep Lagoon (yum), Yellow Ochre (more yum), Lime Pastel (double yum!), and Dark Brown (GASP!!!).  Yep - addicted.  I stamped the leaves around the branch first and then again on Choice Buttercream cardstock and cut them out.  I love the dimension all the layers create, so cute!  I added some finishing touches with my favorite Yellow Pearls and some satin ribbon.  Delish!

Well, I'm off to figure out how to get my sound back without losing anything else on my laptop.  Please come check on me later - haha!

Have a wonderful evening!
Karen

recipe - 

stamps: tweet hearts

paper: bazzill lava & jade textured cardstock, choice buttercream cardstock, early bird by cosmo cricket

ink: deep lagoon, yellow ochre, lime pastel, dark brown colorbox liquid chalks

accessories: square & oval nestabilities, green satin ribbon, yellow pearls (kaisercraft)

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 80

Good morning - It's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! Here is the deal: make a card with this layout and use the InLinkz button down at the very end of this post to enter your card. The links will close on Friday at 10 PM (Mountain Time), and I'll randomly select one card to feature on my blog on Saturday. So, as long as your card is linked by 10 PM Friday, your card will be in the drawing. Be sure to link directly to the blog post or gallery image which features your card. You may post a picture of the sketch on your blog, but please save the image to your computer first. Use the keyword SSSC80 if you plan to post your card in an online gallery.

I think I have found my stamping groove again, thank goodness!  I picked up this little cutie Snow Day Pure Innocence girl from the My Favorite Things booth at CHA - I wish I could have brought them all home with me.  I know they wanted to come with me, haha!  She's been around for a while, but I just love her!  And look at that - I'm back to coloring brown hair.  See, old habits.  The paper is an old retired pack from Stampin' Up! that I can't remember the name of and I added a little Sparkly Fluff to her pom-poms and hat.  Every girl needs a Sparkly Fluff hat, don't you think?

One Christmas card down - 59 more to go!  I'm ahead of the game!!  Bwahaha!

The Sweet Sunday Stampers have amazing sketch samples to show you today, so stop on by to see:

• Jennifer Tapler
• Joanne Basile
• Karen Motz
• Laura Fredrickson
• Lynn Put
• Nancy Riley - Nancy is taking some time away from stamping in order to be with her daughter while she recovers from her recent car accident.  Please stop by Nancy's blog and offer her your love and support during this incredibly difficult time.  I know she'll appreciate each one of you! 
  
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick 

Thanks for taking on the challenge this week! 
Karen

recipe -

stamps: snow day (my favorite things)

paper: bashful blue, basic black, choice snow white cardstock, retired holiday paper from stampin' up!

ink: memento tuxedo black

accessories: sugar sparkly fluff, copic markers, blue satin ribbon, white embroidery floss

Taylored Expressions Release Party

Happy Friday!!  It's even happier because today is THE day to get your hands on all of the new Taylored Dies and stamp sets from Taylored Expressions!  I'm combining stamp sets today and using more than one of the new Taylored Dies for this card.  I just can't help myself!  The label from Take Note is stamped in Tangerine liquid chalk ink and cut out using the Take Note Frame 3 Taylored die - I added the little bird bath and sweet bird inside the frame while popping up the bowl of the bird bath with pop up dots.  And of course, I had to bling-ify the flowers on the images too *wink*.   I added the sentiment over the top of the flower stamp, punched it out with a 1" circle and layered it on the bloom from Garden Party Set 1 die set.  It fits perfectly!  The patterned papers are October Afternoon's The Thrift Shop and the layout is from The Sweet Stop SSS67. 


There is much more eye candy on the way!  Stop on by to see:

• Alex Maldonado
• Carolina Buchting
• Charmaine Ikach
• Donna Baker
• Jackie Pedro
• Jami Sibley 
• Jeanie Witmer
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Motz
• Melissa Sauls
• Nancy McKinney - our fabulous set designer
• Sankari Wegman
• Stacey Schafer - guest designer extraordinaire
• Taylor VanBruggen

Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen

recipe -

stamps: take note, tweet hearts

paper: kraft, chocolate chip, choice buttercream cardstock, the thrift shop (october afternoon)

ink: tangerine liquid chalk (colorbox), memento rich cocoa, cool caribbean  (stampin' up!)

accessories: apron lace punch, garden party set 1 & take note frame 3 taylored dies, clear rhinestones (kaisercraft)

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day 2

Welcome back!  It's sneak peek week at Taylored Expressions and today the Baker's Dozen is showcasing a new set, Tweet Hearts.  I am a gigantic sucker for anything with birds and tree limbs, and this set is completely adorable and perfect for building your own images.  The inspiration for this card started with Taylor's TESC117, although I didn't follow it exactly - guess I'm sort of my own drummer this morning.  I adore sets that allow you to layer your images together to make a little card scene and I did just that on this image panel created with the Labels 8 Nestabilities.  I started by stamping the branch first in Memento Rich Cocoa (It's my "go-to" ink, you know) and then layered on the different leaves in Olive Pastel Colorbox liquid chalk ink.  I love the swirly branches!  The bird is stamped in Tangerine liquid chalk and the hearts in Regal Rose ink.  I made the background on the kraft cardstock by stamping the paisley image in Versamark ink in random patterns along the edges.  I rubbed a white craft ink pad along the edges of the cardstock, giving it a soft look and then repeated the sponged edges along the  main image panel in Ice Blue liquid chalk.

The paper blossom is made from the bloom die in Garden Party Set 1 (Taylored Dies) - I made 5 die cut blooms and layered them on top of one another and attached them together with a brad.  Then, one layer at a time, I crinkled the blooms up toward the center and tried to distress them as much as I could.  Once all the layers were nice and crinkly, I loosened up the papers and added a brown button in the center with a pop up dot.  Then I simply made any adjustments to the bloom so it looked even, but distressed at the same time.  The Taylored Dies are so versatile - you can cut fabric, felt, cork, thin metal sheets, and of course, cardstock.  I have to get me some felt because the little felt flowers Taylor made in her introduction video are SO cute!!!

That's all I have for you today, but come on back tomorrow for the big release party!  Everything you have seen previewed this week will be available tomorrow morning at 8 AM PDT!

The Baker's Dozen has more for you to peek at too:

• Alex Maldonado
• Carolina Buchting
• Charmaine Ikach
• Donna Baker
• Jackie Pedro
• Jami Sibley 
• Jeanie Witmer
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Motz
• Melissa Sauls
• Nancy McKinney - set designer
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen

Have a wonderful day!
Karen

recipe -

stamps: tweet hearts

paper: kraft, choice snow white cardstock, Paisley Parade by KI Memories

ink: ice blue, olive pastel, tangerine colorbox liquid chalk, memento rich cocoa, regal rose (stampin' up!)

accessories: savanah buttons, tangerine satin ribbon, latte pearls (kaisercraft), labels 8 nestabilities (spellbinders), taylored die set garden party 1

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day 1

It's an exciting day over at Taylored Expressions - Why, you ask?  Well, we are launching a brand spanking new product!  If you visited the TE booth at CHA last week, then you were most likely introduced to Taylored Dies - TE's new line of die-cut templates that coordinate perfectly with a new set, Take Note as well as a past release set, Garden Party Blooms.  These dies as well as the new release sets will be available on Friday, August 6th.

Taylor challenged the team to make a notebook or journal for one of our projects this morning and I chose to make a fun little sketch book to keep track of my favorite Sweet Sundays - I picked up a dollar photo album and replaced the front and back cover images with some sweet Treehouse Collection papers with a label made from the new set Take Note as well as the coordinating Take Note Frame 2 die cut template.   Please stop by Taylor's blog to see how the die cuts work with the cling mount rubber stamps.  For the title panel, I used the coordinating frame from the set, Take Note.  This new set includes 3 frames along with different words so you can make up different journals for exercising, spirituality, travel, food, and more - plus you can create cute little books for grocery and 'to do' lists as well. 

I also made a card using Take Note Frame 1 as a background scallop and layered the stem and flower from the Garden Party Set 2 dies (a set of 3).  I started with Mercy's MTSC85 along with the Summertime Project Pantry Kit.  I just can't resist those cheery papers! I stamped the flower stem on patterned paper with Olive Pastel ColorBox fluid chalk ink and the bloom in Tangerine - then ran them through the Big Shot with the dies. You can use the Cuttlebug as well.  These dies are really amazing - they cut with clean lines and look as if you just peeled them right off of a cardstock sticker sheet.  I added the sentiment along the side in Memento Rich Cocoa ink and added a few of my favorite Yellow Pearls along the bottom.

There is much more to see!  The Baker's Dozen have created some super fun projects for you to see:

• Alex Maldonado
• Carolina Buchting
• Charmaine Ikach
• Donna Baker
• Jackie Pedro
• Jami Sibley
• Jeanie Witmer
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Motz
• Melissa Sauls
• Sankari Wegman
• Taylor VanBruggen

See you back tomorrow morning for another round of sneak peeks!
Karen

recipe - sketch book

stamps: take note

paper: pear bazzill cardstock, treehouse collection (pebbles)

ink: memento rich cocoa, olive pastel

accessories: taylored dies - take note frame 2, yellow pearls (kaisercraft), daisy chain punch, red ric-rac

recipe - card

stamps: garden party blooms

paper: summer project pantry kit

ink: memento rich cocoa, olive pastel & tangerine colorbox liquid chalk

accessories: taylored dies - take note frame 1, garden party set 2, yellow pearls (kaisercraft), daisy chain punch

Happy Birthday

Hello!  I'm getting back into the swing of things after being away for a week at CHA in Chicago - seems like it takes me twice as long to get back into the mommy routine than it does to pack up to leave.  Life doesn't slow down to wait for me to get my act together, so I jumped right on the crazy treadmill of life and I only fell down once, haha!  To get back into stamping mode, I used MOJO150 for the layout and grabbed some Fly a Kite paper from October Afternoon.  Since the sketch required a round image, I wanted to use my new Decorative Round Wide Borders from Just Rite and paired it with a sentiment from Birthday Centers.  I embossed the border in clear embossing powder and then cut it out with 2 circle nestabilities.  The twill ribbon is puckered and taped to the card with sticky strip - to pucker the twill, pull on one of the threads that run along the length of the ribbon and you'll see it start to gather.  You can tie the ends when you get the right length, or simple cut the ends after adhering it to your card.  So easy! 

See you back soon!
Karen

recipe -

stamps: decorative round wide borders, birthday centers (just rite stamps)

paper: kraft, vanilla cardstock, fly a kite (october afternoon)

ink: memento rich cocoa, versamark

accessories: clear embossing powder, lightweight twill ribbon, nestabilities, kaisercraft pearls, large corner rounder, embossing scallop edge punch

Sweet Sunday Sketch

Good morning! I'm so sorry I don't have a new sketch for you today. I had intended to have a marvelous card displayed, nice and pretty, but alas, I'm a HUGE slacker. I've canceled the sketch this week and I'll post the winner of last week's sketch when I get home this afternoon.

Karen