Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

 Well, the Valentines are all made and taken to school, ready to be passed out!  It is nice to finally have that project completed!!  I thought I'd share with you the Valentines my kids made.  First up is my son, Isaac.  I pretty much created the whole thing.  He just signed his name on the insides.  :)  In preschool, they don't want you to address each Valentine because it just slows down the whole process of the children passing them out!  :)  I went with the chalkboard technique for my Isaac's Valentines.  I thought it would be simple.  I used the dinosaur from the Tremendous Treats:  Valentine set from Papertrey Ink.  I found these little valentine bubbles at Target, so I created a little card that would hold the bubbles inside.

All I did was cut two slits in the crease of the card.

Then I opened the card and reversed the portion between the two cuts to fold inside the card and then inserted the bubbles.  Simple!

My two daughters, however, wanted to do their own Valentines.  They were fine with mom making the actual card and stamping, but they wanted to color and assemble.  :)

Arwen created her cards using two of the monsters from the Love Monsters set from Taylored Expressions.  After she colored her monsters, we added one googly eye to go with the sentiment.  ;)  I love how the one monster ended up looking like he was giving a big wink.  lol

 In 1st grade, they bring home their class list and are expected to address each Valentine.  So, Arwen signed her name on the inside and addressed them on the back.

Savannah used the same set Arwen did, but she wanted to use different monsters and one different sentiment.  She chose the I {heart} U sentiment for the girls and "I only have eye for you" for the boys.  As you can see from her coloring, she added hair, bling and all sorts of extras!  :)

I hope you have a special Valentine's Day!  Thanks for stopping by!!

TE October 2012 KI Release

Welcome to the TE's October Key Ingredients hop!!  I know you've heard me talk about the Key Ingredients Subscription before.  I absolutely LOVE it.  I have been a subscriber for a LONG time and I still love receiving different "in" patterned papers each month with coordinating cardstock and embellishments.  There are enough supplies in each kit to create at least 16 cards, and there's no thinking involved!  Everything is right there for you!  If you don't like digging through your "stash" looking for the right paper, embellishment or ribbon for a project, then you will LOVE the Key Ingredients Subscription. 

This month is even more special.  There is a subscriber exclusive!  TE is offering an adorable stamp set, Falling For You, and its coordinating die set to Key Ingredients Subscribers only!  What's more is that you can purchase the stamp set at 50% OFF only through 11/10/12.  On 11/11/12 the price will return to regular retail of $23.95.  The Falling for You Stamp Set and dies will be available throughout 2012. 

For my project today, I created a little treat using a Little Bitty Bag.  I stamped, paper pieced and die cut the apple from the Falling For You set using patterned papers from the October KI Kit.  I stamped the sentiment and made it into a banner and adhered it across the apple.  The belly band was created using a banner-like piece of the patterned paper from the kit.  I colored in the outside rim of the apple to give a little dimension and frayed a piece of the burlap from the kit to create the little bow on the apple. 

Key Ingredients Info and Inspiration – October 10-15 - learn all about this fantastic kit club and see samples from the Key Ingredients Design Team and the Baker's Dozen! Click here for all the info.

October Key Ingredients featuring Simple Stories Harvest Lane 6x6 papers begins shipping October 15th. Enroll now!

Exclusive Falling for You Stamp Set & Coordinating Dies- find out how you can get your crafty little hands on the adorable new stamp set at 50% off for a limited time! Click here!

Please hop around to see what the rest of the team has created with this month's Key Ingredients Kit!!

Debbie Carriere

Jen Shults

Monika Davis

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Tracy Clemente

Crafty Friends Challenge #7

The latest Crafty Friends Challenge is hosted by Beate and it's anything Halloween!!  I decided to go with a little treat package for my project.  I used the Boo To You and Bountiful Harvest sets from Verve for my little box. 

I stamped the images and colored them with Copic markers.  After stamping and embossing the sentiment directly on the box, I cut out the colored images and adhered them to the box using foam tape.  I added some green filler and there you have it. . .it's ready for a little treat!

We'd LOVE for you to play along in our challenge.  You can head over to the Crafty Friends Challenge Blog for the details of playing along and to see my Crafty Friends' take on the challenge!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Sunday!!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Boo To You, Bountiful Harvest (Verve Stamps); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Paper- True Black (PTI), white (Georgia-Pacific); Accessories- Favor Box 3 Die (Papertrey Ink), Copic markers, Stardust Stickles

Notes

During one of my browsing sessions on Pinterest, I came across this AWESOME teacher gift set by Kim O'Connell.  I fell IN LOVE with it!  What a gorgeous set Kim made!  I stored it on one of my pin boards with the intention of making something like it.  Well, Savannah's teacher's birthday is tomorrow, so this was the perfect time for this project!  I loved Kim's card so much that I CASED it.  I just changed the card base color (to make it more manly) and wanted to use my Edgers #5 Dies from Papertrey Ink to make little "file folder" cards.  I even added the little score lines on the left edge to make them more authentic!  LOL  The set used for this was Teacher's Apple along with the Mat Stack 3 Die. 

I printed out of sheet with my computer generated sentiment and then cut them into strips, matted them with Pure Poppy cardstock and mounted them to the Mat Stack 3 piece that was die cut out of True Black.  I stamped the apples in Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado and Dark Chocolate onto white cardstock and punched them out with a 1 3/4" circle punch. 

Once I had all the cards made, I started thinking about the packaging.  I decided it would neat to create an "expanding file folder" to hold the file folder notecards.  After trial and error on sizing, I finally created this box.  I used a Goody headband as the elastic to go around the box.  I punched a hole in the center of the lid flap, threaded the headband through and tied it in a knot on the other side.  The sentiment on the box is from the Take Note set.  The cards look like files in the box!  Hopefully Mr. D will like his birthday card set! 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Teacher's Apple, Take Note (PTI); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine), Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate (PTI); Paper- Kraft, True Black, Pure Poppy (PTI);  Accessories- Edger's #5 Dies, Mat Stack 3 Die (PTI), 1 3/4" circle punch (SU), corner rounder, headband

More Packaged Gifts

It has been REALLY busy around here, so I haven't been able to post anything new.  I did have these projects that I created for teacher gifts and class treats.

Remember that Homemade Peppermint Bark we made?  Well, I packaged more of it up in these ADORABLE little Santa Boxes!  The Santa Box was created using the Cover-All Template from My Time Made Easy.  I packaged up the Peppermint Bark in cello bags and tied it with a ribbon.  Then, I put some filler in the box and then the cello bag.  I used the Wonderful Words:  Holiday Die Collection from Papertrey Ink for the "Merry".  These packages were a big hit. . .and really not that hard to put together!

The second project I have to show you are just little treats bags I created for my daughters' classes.  It was just a piece of cardstock folded over the little bag of Holiday Skittles, stapled and a snowflake embellishment added.  I punch circles using a 2 1/2" circle punch and then die cut them using the Let It Snowflake Dienamic from My Favorite Things.  I used the "negative" cut from the die and added glue to the center with some glitter.  The sentiment is from the Sending You a Little Christmas Pure Innocence stamp set. 

Thanks for stopping by today and if you don't hear from me over the weekend. . .have a safe and Happy New Year! 

Gift Packaging

One of my favorite things to do for those little, last minute gifts at this time of year is package up cards that I've made throughout the year.  I do use cards I've made to send through the mail, but unfortunately I don't send out as many cards as I make.  Although, I guess the people who receive a set of cards might not think that's so unfortunate!  LOL  (at least I hope so)  A great way for me to use up my "stash" is to package them up as gifts for teachers, friends or even family members that I don't buy for, but want them to know I'm thinking of them. 

There are many different ways to package up a card set, but one of my favorites is with a clear acrylic box.  When I don't have time to stamp or embellish a cardstock box of some sort, I find that these acrylic boxes are PERFECT!  The card on the inside provides the "decorating".  Adding a ribbon and tag makes it complete.  For this package, I used the Holiday Button Bits set from Papertrey Ink to create my tag and along with the Mat Stack 3 Die.  Being able to add buttons really helps to embellish the package even more.  Thanks for stopping by today and have a great day! 

Sweet Delight

This week, I decided to do something a little different for teacher gifts.  Every year, I usually send in a card set or some similar homemade crafty item for teacher gifts.  This year, after my one sister gave me the simplest recipe EVER, I decide to make some homemade Peppermint Bark and package that up! 

I started with what to package it in.  I used the Clear Top Hinged Tin that you can find at Taylored Expressions.  It holds a nice amount of the bark, and enables you to "see" it through the lid, so I thought it would work perfectly.  I packaged the bark in a cello bag and sealed it, then placed it in the tin. 

I used the Season's Sweetings set along with papers from the Holly Jolly Collection from Echo Park.  The image was colored with Copic markers.  I used the Medium Scallop Border Die and a strip of patterned paper to create the belly band.  The focal piece was created using the Totally Tags Dies, and the sentiment panel was created using the Fly Your Flag 2 Die.  I scored the ends of the "banner" to give it some dimension and the look of it flowing. 

This project was really very simple and the kids LOVED helping to make it!  Now I've got some packaged gifts to give away!  For those of you wondering about this SIMPLE recipe, here it is:


Homemade Peppermint Bark
3 - 4oz. bars bittersweet or milk chocolate bars
3 - 4oz. white chocolate bars
Toppings of choice

Line a 17x12 inch cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Break each bar into squares or rectangles.  Arrange in a checkerboard pattern on pan.  Pieces will touch.

Bake at 225 degrees for 5 minutes or just until chocolate is melted.  Remove pan to a wire rack.  Swirl chocolate into a marble pattern using a toothpick.  Sprinkle with crushed pretzels and candy canes.

Chill 1 hour or until firm.  Break into pieces.
Hope you've enjoyed today's project and I hope you enjoy the bark even more!  :)

 

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peeks - Day 2

October Release At a Glance

• We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday. All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, October 6th at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.
• Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.
• Mystery Baker's Dozen Blog Giveaway: Each day, one lucky blog commenter will be chosen by random draw to win a $10 TE Gift Certificate. Winners will be chosen from a different Baker's Dozen blog each day and will be announced on Taylor's blog on Release Day! Be sure to hop around to see all the sneak peeks and leave comments on each and every blog for more chances to win. Limit one comment per blog per day, please. Comments close Wednesday 10/5 at 7pm PST for the drawings.

Today we're introducing two new sets and the one I have a project with is Totally Tags Holiday!  Totally Tags Holiday is a full-sized set containing 9 tag images.  It was illustrated by Nancy McKinney for the Whimsical Wishes line.  To coordinate with Totally Tags Holiday is the Totally Tags Taylored Die Set, a set of 3 tag dies!  These make super cute tags that you can tie on your packages or even create a set of tags to give to someone for their packages! 

I created a box for my set of tags using a Tea Tin.  I decorated the tin with papers from the 12 Days Project Pantry.  Then I stamped, colored and die cut the tags and matted them onto patterned papers from the 12 Days Project Pantry and tied hemp through each of them so they're ready to be tied onto a gift! 

Be sure to visit the rest of the Baker's Dozen to see more of this set and to see the other set that's being introduced today!  Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again tomorrow!

Danielle Lounds

Jami Sibley

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Karen Motz

Melissa Sauls

Melody Rupple

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Taylor VanBruggen

Tori Wild

Wanda Guess