Altered Date Stand by Sankari

Good Morning Everyone,

I am so excited to share a little project with you that I created for a special friend of mine who will be celebrating her birthday soon :) I have been eyeing this awesome alterable date stand that is in the Taylored Expressions store and couldn't wait to decorate it up!! I thought that it would make the perfect birthday gift for my friend - she is a busy girl these days trying to get some special projects done and I wanted to give her something inspiring that she could look at on her desk.

This little date stand comes packaged with two cubes of numbers so that you can always know what the date is and also with three longer rectangles with the names of the months.I gave the blocks of numbers and names a light wash of gold paint and then went ahead with painting the date stand red (with some acrylic paint from the craft section).

After painting the blocks - I went over it with a glaze black gel pen and attached faux stitching (I know that stitching on wooden blocks is impossible but I had to add some because I am totally addicted to dots!! LOL!) . I wanted the front panel to have an inspiring quote to start the day - and since she is working on something very special - I wanted her to have faith in her project and to know that it will happen - and so I used the very beautiful sentiment that says : "Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark -Tagore" which is from the Lasting Impressions stamp line: Faith & Hope.

I cut this out with Fancy Tags Label from Spellbinders and then sponged the edges with Memento Ink: (Rich Cocoa) before adhering it to the date stand. On either side, I stamped the tree branch image from the Branching Out stamp set on Choice Buttercream cardstock and then used the Chipboard birds from Maya Road (that comes with the October 20th Key Ingredients Kit). And you know me and liquid pearls- those are my FAVORITE embellishments!!! - I used these Adirondack dimensional pearls (these two colors are Lettuce and Bottle) for some fun accents on the altered date stand:

I wanted her to have notepaper handy that had an inspirational sentiment at the top - and so, I cut out some different colors with the Long Scalloped Rectangles (Large) Spellbinders and then stamped these three sentiments onto the different colors: Along with the Tagore sentiment - I also added the sentiments: "And will you succeed, Yes, Indeed, Yes, Indeed" and the sentiment: "Congratulations, today is your today, You're Off to Great Places - You're off and away"...( both of which are from the Places You will Go stamp set).

I tied some Double Edged Polka Dot Ribbon onto the pens and as the last touch - I added some Dimensional Pearls from Adirondack onto the sides of the date stand and also to the leaves... (they make it soooooo easy to create leaves - just a few dots is all you need and voila: leaves!

I hope that she enjoys using this date stand and that she feels inspired every day as she works on her projects :) I had so much fun altering this date stand - and can't wait to get some more to make some Christmas presents. This whole project took about an hour and a half (drying time included) and I was thinking, that if I got a few more, I could just crank it out in an assembly style fashion :)

Hope you enjoyed this little birthday present!

And hope you are having a wonderful day!!!

Big hugs!

Sankari :)

Webby Treat Bag by Sharon Harnist

Hi everyone -- I have Halloween treat bag to share with you today! With Halloween just a little over a week away, you still have time to package up some treats with this sweet bag and maybe give them to co-workers, neighbors, teachers, or your children’s classmates!


When I first saw this spider web in the Spooky Expressions stamp set, I knew I wanted to try sewing it! To accomplish a realistic look, I stamped the web with white ink onto vellum cardstock (I have a piece of black cardstock underneath the vellum so the web will show up for you).



Then I carefully stitched along the white lines with white thread. I found it easiest to stitch around the curved outer lines, working my way inward, saving the straight lines for last. Next, I die cut my bag (a variety package of 3 bright colors found at Target in the gift bag section) with Spellbinders Classic Inverted Scalloped Circle Nestabilities. The bag measures 3.5” x 6.5” – the perfect size for this web, I think!

To make the cut, just slip the die into the bag while it’s still folded, cutting edge up – position it low into the bag, about 1-inch from the bottom:



Apply adhesive either on the inside of the bag, near the die opening or if it is too difficult to get your hand and adhesive on the inside of the bag, apply adhesive to the front side of the vellum web cardstock and then slip it into the bag, pressing the vellum web in place. While the bag is still folded, stamp the spider.

I topped the bag with some Basic Grey Eerie patterned paper (from the Halloween ‘09 Key Ingredients Kit) that was punched with Martha Stewart’s Picket Fence edge punch. I stamped and colored the cute witch legs and die cut the image with the same Classic Inverted Scalloped Circle Nestabilities. It is popped up on foam tape.

To finish the bag, I added orange chipboard letters (from the Halloween ‘09 Bundle) to the bottom of the bag and filled it with candy corn. I think this bag will definitely make a smile on Halloween! Thanks for visiting today!


Supplies --
Stamps: Spooky Expressions Paper: Basic Grey Eerie (from TE Halloween Key Ingredients ‘09 Kit), TE Choice Snow White, black, vellum cardstock Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Palette New Canvas; Copic markers V15, YG23, YR12 Accessories: Orange sparkly chipboard letters (from TE Halloween ‘09 Bundle), Spellbinders Classic Inverted Scalloped Circle-Sm Nestabilities dies, foam tape, Target treat bag (3.5” x 6.5”), sewing machine & white thread

~Sharon

Make It Yourself Gift

Did you ever need a gift for someone who's crafty and likes to create things themselves? When I'm thinking about gifts for someone who makes cards themselves or likes to do crafts, I feel like a pre-made card set is boring. I'm sure they'd appreciate it anyway, but I like to change things up a bit.

The project I have to share with you today has all the pieces for the recipient to put together their own card set! I've started off with one of the Perfect Package Card Boxes from Taylored Expressions. These make the packaging so easy! All I did was add some patterned paper to the top and sides of the box and wrap it with a BIG bow!

The inside of the box contains all of the pieces for someone to put together their own cards. There are:

-six 4.25" square card bases

- six 4 1/8"x 2 1/8" pieces of cardstock and patterned paper for a layer

- six image/sentiment pieces

- six scallop circles to matte the image/sentiment pieces

- foam dimensional adhesive

-Tombow adhesive

-six envelopes.

Here's what a finished card looks like. Of course, the recipient can make it "their" way and even add things (like ribbon or other embellishments) that weren't included in the package. If not, the cards are simple and cute as is.

The envelopes didn't fit in the bottom of the box because of the little "divider" I created, so I made a little pocket on the lid to hold them!

For the divider, I took an 8"x 4 1/2" piece of white cardstock and scored the 8" side at 4 1/2", 5 5/8" and 6 7/8". "Mountain and valley" the folds and add some adhesive to the inside of the "mountain" to make the divider and insert into the box.

For the envelope pocket I took a 10 3/4" x 3" piece of cardstock and scored the 10 3/4" side at 2" and 2 1/2" from each end, then score one end of the 3" side at 1/2". Fold on all score lines, cut tabs and remove end squares from 1/2" section and adhere pocket to lid.

Insert all of the pieces into the box and affix ribbon and tag and you've got a gift that anyone would love! I hope you've enjoyed my project today! Thanks for stopping to see it! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Berries & Cherries (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Paper- Berries & Cherries Key Ingredients (Taylored Expressions); Accessories- Copic markers, Perfect Package Card Box (Taylored Expressions), circle and scallop circle punches (Marvy Uchida), Ticket Corner punch (SU)

Girls Night Out

Are you ready for a girls night out? Well if you're not, maybe this little project will get you there! How about a night in Margaritaville?

I knew when I saw the little circle from the Berries and Cherries set, it would be the perfect size to shrink for little wine charms, and that is where this little set got it's start. For each charm, I stamped the circle in Stazon Jet Black, then the lime image from Chillax inside the circle on clear shrink plastic. Then I turned the shrink plastic over, and coloured the limes with Sharpie markers, giving myself a little latitude in the colours of citrus fruits. I used the 1 3/4" circle punch to punch them out of the shrink plastic and a 1/4" hole punch to make the hole for the jump ring. I wanted them all to be fun bright colours, and easily identifyable so no one could lose their drink! The rings are earring hoops and the coordinating beads are from my vast stash.

I had in mind a fun ensemble, something to really get a party started, and since we'll all be drinking margaritas, a little salt (and lime!) was in order. I had an tin that had once held a stamp set, but I took the stamps out since I couldn't see them through the tin. I created a label with nestabilities and a belly band to tie it all together. I used the same images as in the charms, and coloured it with Copics. I added some stickles around the edge and on the cut lime slice. Inside is the salt for the rim of the margarita glass, and being a circle tin, it's just perfect for the job!

Finally I finished up with a little gift bag that makes this kind of a party in a bag ensemble! I covered the bag with Pink Passion and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, adding some designer paper from Basic Grey's "Lime Rickey" paper. Those little birds remind me of the little bobbing birds that used to be a popular decoration when I was younger. You don't see them much now, but I was fascinated by them as a kid! I stamped the margarita sentiment and images from Chillax in Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured them with Copic markers. Again, I added some stickles to the cut lime and along the edge of the margarita glass. The ribbon is the gorgeous Glimmer Twill from Taylored Expressions, and I added a few gems to finish it off!

Now how fun is that? I love these sets and the possibilities for projects is endless! I hope you have one in mind right now as we head toward the weekend! Make sure you take the time to Chillax and enjoy the last days of summer!

Recipe: Stamps: Chillax, Berries and Cherries (Taylored Expressions) Paper: Choice Snow White, Pink Passion, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Grey's "Lime Rickey" DP Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Accessories: Glimmer Twill ribbon, Patina and Crystal Stickles (Ranger), Scallop border punch (SU!), 1 3/4" circle punch, pop dots, Shrink Plastic (Judikins), Sharpie markers, Copic markers, earring hoops, beads

Perfect Package Halloween Set

Hi everyone! Today I want to show you a set of Halloween cards that I made for my Mom using the Frightful Night set and a Perfect Package Card Box. If you haven't seen Taylor's video tutorial yet on how EASY these boxes fold together, check it out here.

The DP and Cobalt Prism paper is from last year's Key Ingredients kit...I soooo love these colors! The tree, bats and sentiments were all stamped in black craft ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. The large frame on the front of the box was cut with my Spellbinders Polka Dot Frame that I got from Taylor. Can you see the dry embossed polka dots? Here's a close-up:



The cards measure 4" square. I made a total of six, three cobalt and three pumpkin. The tree panels on the cards were cut with deckled rectangle Nestabilities. The sentiments on the cards were cut with the smallest deckled mega rectangle die. The black polka dot ribbon is also from Taylor's store. Here's a picture of just the cards:



SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: Taylored Expressions Frightful Night
Paper: Prism Vibrant Cobalt, PTI True Black, PTI Select White, SU Pumpkin Pie, Doodlebug DP
Ink: Black Craft
Accessories: Black Polka Dot Ribbon, Bow Easy, Spellbinders Polka Dot Frame, Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles, Spellbinders Deckled Mega Rectangles, Clear Embossing Powder, Perfect Package Card Box
Technique: Heat Embossing, Dry Embossing
Card Size: 4" Square

Don't forget...If you haven't yet signed up for the Taylored Expressions newsletter, stop by the homepage and add yourself to the list.

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day!

Denise

A Beary Special Gift Set

Hi Everyone,

My good friend just had a wee little baby last week and we are going over to see the new baby and her big sister tomorrow. I have a little  present ready for the baby - but I wanted to make something special for her big sister who is still young and is transitioning from being an only child to the role of a big sister. So when we give our gift to the baby, I wanted to make something special just for her to open also :)

I saw this little footstool over at Target the other day and couldn't wait to transform it into something "beary special" ;) using Taylor's sweet Beary Special Stamps and Beary Special Accessories stamp set. I love using these stamps because they were created to be part of Taylor's Charitable Giving Tree and a portion of both of these stamps will go to benefit the Hospital for Sick Kids - you can Check out Taylor's Blog Post for more information about the Charitable Giving Tree and this beautiful cause. 

Steps for the Foot stool:

1.  I cut out a shape from my Spellbinders and taped that onto the stool and then I painted the whole foot stool with some patio paint furniture (any paint that can go on wood is fine). I also cut out a scalloped edge that I taped on the stool before painting and on the sides I did the same thing by punching out a circle (1 3/4") taping it on the stool and then painting over it in a lighter shade of pink. After masking and painting the stool - I took the masked shapes out to reveal the shape in white on the stool.

2. With my stamp-a-ma-jig, I aligned the bear and stamped with Staz-On Black. I did the same kind of alignment with the flower stamp so that it could be stamped as if the little bear was holding it and also stamped the sentiment "You are Beary Special" in the same way using the Stamp-a-ma-jig. 

3. I painted the bear and flower with the patio paint with a small paintbrush 

4. Stamped the sides with the heart stamp from this stamp set and then painted it. 

5. I used my stamp-a-ma-jig again to stamp the images with the Staz-On Black ink again so that if any of the outline got covered up in the painting process, it would appear again.

5. Outlined the spellbinders shape, scalloped edge and the circle on the side of the stool with liquid pearls.

6. I took the pictures while still wet :) so I didn't have a chance to paint a clear finishing glaze over the whole stool, which will not only protect it, but also will not allow the stamped images or colors to fade.

I also made a matching card for the gift using the June 20th Key Ingredients paper. The bear and flower were paper pieced from these sweet papers. I used the same motif of outlining with the liquid pearls and finished off the flower with the candy dots that are part of the June Key Ingredients pack.

Card Ingredients:

Paper: June 20th Key Ingredients and the Bluish Dark Red cardstock Taylored Expressions

Ink: Chocolate Chip from SU!

Stamps: Beary Special stamp set and Beary Special Accessories stamp set 

Accessories: Spellbinders Die, Candy dots and Ribbon are part of the June 20th Key Ingredients kit, EK success border punch, embossing folder

I had a lot of fun making this project and using these sweet stamps. I can't wait to see the baby - and to give her big sister this little ensemble so that she will also feel beary special!! :)

Don't forget that if you aren't already signed up for the SASI newsletter - you can click the button on the right sidebar!

Thanks so much for dropping by :)!

Sankari :)

Faith Bookmark

As soon as I saw the new Faith & Hope set, I knew I wanted to make my daughter a bookmark for her Bible. I paired the sentiment from the Faith & Hope set with the branch and bird from Branching Out as well as some of Taylor's gorgeous Ivory Satin Ribbon.

The main panel was stamped in black craft ink and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. You can also get the Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles and the Prism Herbal Garden Medium CS in the TE Store.

Here's a close-up:



The bow was tied separately and then added to the front of the strip of ribbon with a glue dot. I made a loop with the extra strip of ribbon above the bow and tucked it underneath. Here's the back view so you can see the loop:



SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: Branching Out, Faith & Hope
Paper: Watercolor Paper, Prism Herbal Green Light, Prism Herbal Green Medium
Ink: Black Craft, Soft Sky, Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi, Basic Brown
Accessories: Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles, 1" Ivory Satin Ribbon, Glue Dots, Clear Embossing Powder
Technique: Watercoloring, Heat Embossing, Dry Embossing

Thanks for stopping by!
Denise

A Little Sunshine

When I was thinking about what to create for today's blog post, I thought it would be nice to make something simple and inexpensive, but that could be HUGE for the recipient. Back when the Target $1 spot had these little planters, I bought a bunch of the Sunflower pots because that is my favorite flower. When Taylored Expressions came out with the Faith & Hope set, I immediately fell in love with this particular sentiment. I thought it would be perfect for a little gift of encouragement or just to say "I'm thinking about you!" It was especially perfect for this little sunflower pot. I used the Flowers Cuttlebug die to create the sunflower embellishment and covered it with Sunshine Yellow Flower Soft. The ribbon and papers are all from the Beach Bum Key Ingredients. Perfectly packaged in a small cello bag, this little gift is ready to bring some sunshine to somebody special! Thanks for dropping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Faith & Hope (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Dark Brown Chalk Ink (Colorbox), Burnt Umber (Palette); Paper- Beach Bum Key Ingredients (Taylored Expressions); Accessories- cello bag (Darice), Plain and Scallop Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Flower Cuttlebug die (Provocraft), ribbon from Beach Bum Key Ingredients (Taylored Expressions), Sunshine Yellow Flower Soft (Flower Soft)

For My Little Man

Let me start by saying that I do not sew! LOL I have always wanted to try embroidering a stamped image on a shirt. When I saw the Boys Will Be Boys set, I knew it would be perfect for this! I used the golf image and the ties from the set. I stamped them on the tshirts in light blue ink so that I would have a "pattern" to follow. I have to admit, I didn't think it would be as difficult as it was, so I have a new respect for those of you who can REALLY embroider! Let's just say, I'll stick to stamping! :)



Since I wanted to make these for my son, Isaac, who is almost 18 months old, I added my own sentiments to fit the images. I just handwrote them and stitched over the handwriting. The golf shirt says "putt putt" (meant in more ways than one LOL), and the ties shirt says "little man", which is what I call Isaac all the time, "my little man." I think they'll be cute on him. . .kind of playful.

After I finished all of the stitching, I decided I wanted to package them so I used a template I had purchased previously. The paper is from the Father's Day Key Ingredients, as well as the ribbon and button. I used a partial sentiment from the Boys Will Be Boys set for the tag. I created an acetate sleeve to slide the box into so the shirts would be nice and secure.


Hope you enjoyed my project! Make sure you hop on over to Taylored Expressions today for the release of the new stamps, the Father's Day Key Ingredients and the Boys Will Be Boys Bundle!! They are available NOW! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Boys Will Be Boys (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Ocean Tides (PTI); Paper- acetate, Father's Day Key Ingredients (Taylored Expressions); Accessories- embroidery thread, Desk Top Organizer Template (PTI), ribbon, button from Father's Day Key Ingredients (Taylored Expressions), oval and scallop oval punches (SU)

Fresh Flowers Gift Basket

The last time I was cruising Target, there was some really fun "gardening" themed items that caught my eye in the Dollar Spot and I just had to stop and check them out! Within a matter of seconds, I had everything I needed to put together a sweet little gardening gift basket (galvanized bucket, set of three plant markers, wildflower seed mix, pink gardening gloves, & three flower seed packets)...all for under $5! Sadly, I don't garden (not even a hint of a green thumb)...but I SO envy those that do :-). I may not grow flowers, but I love to stamp them - and I knew I could dress these garden gift items up in no time with the Fresh Flowers set!

I customized the contents of the gift basket by adding some stamped flowers to the Plant markers, a floral bouquet tag to the wildflower mix, & some matching flower ribbon (from April's Key Ingredient Subscription Kit) around the cute little galvanized bucket.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you all have a very "Sweet" day! :-) ~Laurie

Jelly Bean Treat Bags

Hi everyone! Today I want to show you some party favors I made for my daughter's preschool Easter party. I bought some Smartie-flavored jelly beans at Giant and paired them up with this cute jelly-bean-lovin' cupcake from the Sweet Spring set. All three prism CS colors and the white grosgrain ribbon are from the Easter Key Ingredients pack.



These bags are really easy to make. Here's a quick tutorial:

- Cut a piece of colored Prism CS to 3-5/8" and score it at 1"


- Along the 1" scored end, use any edge punch (I used the Martha Stewart Doily Punch)


- Fill a 3" x 4" cellophane bag with candy and tape the top of the cellophane bag to your CS (under the punched edge)


- Add a white panel with your stamped image over the cellophane bag and under the punched edge. My stamped panel is cut to 2.25" x 3". Then just fold over the punched edge, punch a circle with a cropodile, and add your ribbon....that's it!

SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: SASI Sweet Spring
Paper: Prism CS from Easter Key Ingredients (Frosted Teal, Frosted Kiwi, Razzleberry Light), Choice Snow White CS
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics (E33, V91, RV21, Y11, BG10, YG03)
Accessories: White Grosgrain Ribbon from Easter Key Ingredients, Martha Stewart Doily Punch, Cropodile, 3" x 4" Cellophane Bags, Jelly Beans

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day!

Teacher Gift

When I was thinking about a project to create for today's post, I thought a teacher's gift would be a cute idea and something that I'll be needing soon! This is a card and a box containing some supplies for a teacher. I used the A Year of Sweets 3 and A Year of Sweet Sentiments sets. The box I used is the Window Box that you can find at Taylored Expressions. I used the Distressed Stripes Cuttlebug folder on the lid before assembling the box, and then I added a little frame around the window with Plain and Scallop Oval Nestabilities and some acetate behind the window. Here's a view of the inside of the box.

I put a sticky note pad, paperclips and push pins in the box. If you notice, I created a little divider to separate the paperclips and push pins. I cut a 4 1/2"x 1 13/16" piece of green cardstock and scored it at 1 1/2", 2" and 2 1/2".

Glue the "mountain" fold together and attach inside the box and add sticky notes, push pins and paperclips.

As far as the frame around the window in the box, I used two Plain Oval Nestabilites for the outside part of the frame and Scallop Oval and Plain Oval Nestabilities on foam dimensionals for the inner part of the frame. If you've never made a frame using your Nestabilities, it's really very simple. Just take two different sized dies that nest (along with the paper and cutting pads) and run it through your die cutting machine according to the instructions for your particular machine. Here is a picture of how the dies should look before going through the machine.

I use a Cuttlebug, so the dies would actually be ridge side up. (They're pictured ridge side down so that you can see how they are nested). For the Cuttlebug, your sandwich for cutting would be Plate A, Plate C, Spellbinders dies ridge side up, paper/cardstock, Plate B.

And there you have your teacher gift set! If you haven't tried the favor boxes available at Taylored Expressions. . .trust me, you will LOVE them! They make an adorable little project quick and simple!

SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- A Year of Sweet 3, A Year of Sweet Sentiments (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Tuxedo Black, Versamark (Tsukineko); Paper- Prism, Dark Chocolate (PTI); Accessories- Copic markers, double stitched grosgrain in Wild Wasabi (SU), Distressed Strips Cuttlebug folder (Provocraft), Plain Oval and Scallop Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Valentine Cookie Jar

Hi everyone! Today I have a mini cookie jar to show you.

I bought a set of these Ball brand jars at the grocery store (Giant)...four jars for $4.29. Hey, that's just a little over $1 a jar!! I decorated all four of them so my youngest daughter can give them out. The stamp is from the SASI Love is Sweet set. The Enchanting DP and gingham ribbon are also from Taylored Expressions. The jars are filled with heart-shaped sugar cookies.



I cut a piece of 1.5" x 12" textured red CS, wrapped it around the jar, and taped the edges down with sticky tape. The edges didn't quite meet so I punched out a scallop circle from the DP and layered that over the red CS. Next, I wrapped some of the red gingham ribbon around the entire jar. The last step was to add the stamped candy box from the Love is Sweet set, which is popped up on Dimensionals.

For the top o f the jar, I cut out a circle in the DP with one of my circle Spellbinders dies and then added a second candy box. This candy box is also up on Dimensionals.



I made the jar to go with a card I made last month. Here's the set.



Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day!