Sankari's Sunshine Corner: October 2012

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

October Studio Challenge

Hi Everyone,

It's time for the Taylored Expressions Baker's Dozen Studio Challenge. Each month there is a different challenge that allows us to create different projects around the the same theme and this month: the theme is:

Good things come in small packages! The holiday season is upon us and between Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukah, and Christmas there are a ton of opportunities to create and give little treats, gifts, and party favors. Please show us something you'll be giving this year.

I used this challenge to create a little treat bag for my son's teacher. She is truly awesome - I feel very blessed to see how much my son has grown under her love and nourishment. I always enjoy seeing his face when he describes what he learned in school that day - what a gift it is to have a wonderful teacher. I had some pumpkin chocolate popcorn (SO good!) that I bought at the pumpkin patch from our field trip there this week and created a little treat bag using the Love Grows Here stamp set and the Large Kraft Bakery . I love that these bags come in a set of 10 - so its easy to create a bunch at the same time, or have some on hand when you want to create a special treat for someone:

Here is a closer look at the coordinating card that I created using the October Key Ingredients : I colored the sweet little leaves with fall leaves color and then popped it up on the card base with some chipbaord, bling and twine. I added some grass with some Split Pea Taylored Expressions felt using the Grass Border die with a little adhesive on the back:

Card Ingredients:

Paper: October Key Ingredients from Taylored Expressions

Stamps: Love Grows Here stamp set from Taylored Expressions

Ink: Teal Zeal, Memento Tuxedo Black inks

Accessories: Split Pea Taylored Expressions felt , Grass Border die , corner chomper, dimensionals, bling, copics, Taylored Expressions felt, Grass border and cloud chipboard

I love making little treats my loved ones! And making this little treatbag for my son's teacher was such a happy crafting moment. Here is a picture of my son with his teacher - isn't she just the cutest thing! I love his smile when he is with her! Teachers have all my respect - they nourish and nurture the very tender strings of a child's heart - what an amazing profession!

Can't wait to see all the lovely treats that the amazing artists on the team have created for this month's challenge:

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Big hugs,
Sankari

PS - Here is the Grass Border Die from Taylored Expressions that I created:

Monday, October 15, 2012

Love you to the "Core" :)

Hi Everyone,

Hope you had a great weekend! Mine just flew by - can't believe its Monday already! Today, I have a card that I made using the Taylored Expressions October Key Ingredients Kit - I LOVE this kit - I have been using it non-stop - will have to share some more projects with it - but first - here is my card that I made using this sentiment: "love you to the Core":

I cut the apple in red and green felt and then stamped the inside of the apple and lightly colored it with copics and then added a glaze to it. I added a little pennant border on the side with some twine and then rounded the corners to the card base.

This kit features the Simple Stories: Harvest Lane paper pad collection which has so many nice sentiment panels and I stamped part of the sentiment to the panel in green and the word "core" I stamped on another sheet and tried to create a "core-ish" look by trimming the edges. Along with this kit - you receive coordinating cardstock, ribbon, a burlap trim and embellishments!).

Its a great time to become a Key Ingredients subscriber if you aren't already one, because Taylor has a great deal going on right now - The new Falling for You stamp set designed by Nancy McKinney, is available to all KI subscribers (great deal on it right now!) and it comes with a coordinating set of dies!!! You can check out more information on the kit, the new stamp set and the dies HERE.

And check out the pictures of all of these ingredients that are available this month: !!

This is such a great way to create some quick cards - and this stamp set is just adorable!
Can't wait to share some more projects from this set soon!
Hope your week is off to a great start! Thank you so much for stopping by today!
Big hugs,
Sankari :)

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Taylored Expressions October 2012 KI Release

Hi Everyone!

Today I created a little project using the October Key Ingredients kit from Taylored Expressions!

Card Ingredients:
Stamps: Falling For You from Taylored Expressions
Papers: Simple Stories: Harvest Lane from the October Key Ingredients Kit includes ribbon and cardstock as well.
Accessories: Shopping Bag & Labels die, Take a Note Frame 3 from Taylored Expressions, copics, Falling for You dies from TE, glaze, liquid pearls, EK success scallop punch, corner chomper and dimensionals

I used the new coordinating dies called Falling For You (available only to Key Ingredient kit subscribers) to create this card using the papers, ribbon and cardstock from the October KI kit! I love these beautiful fall papers - just in time to get all your fall/thanksgiving cards, scrapbook pages and more done! I cut out the cute little squirrel (stamped with two shades of ink) and the nuts (which I colored with copics) and created a mat for them with the dies and then added a glaze to them. I used the Shopping Bag & Labels die from TE to create the bag over the Take Note Frame 3 die. I used the sentiment: 100% Totally Crazy Nuts about You from the papers as a Label for the bag and tied some twine to the ends of the bag. I love all the ribbons that comes with this kit - especially this blue ribbon with the brown edging - SO cute!!

I am so loving these kits - it comes designer paper with coordinating card stock and ribbon and embellishments and it is filled with enough supplies to make so many cards (up to 16!), tags and special projects! The dies that I used on this project have a coordinating stamp set called Falling for You and it is SOO cute!! Ack! The cuteness is just too much!! I love this little squirrel - and those cute little nuts! I can't wait to use every single stamp set - esp. that sweet tree and those flowers and the fall wreath (ok, pretty much every single stamp!! LOL!)

This new stamp set and the coordinating dies will be available to KI Subscribers ONLY and so If you aren't a subscriber to the KI kit - now is a great time to join!! This stamp set will be 50% off through November 11th and joining as a KI member will also give you access to past exclusive stamp sets! Now that is some awesomness!!! Check out all the things that you can receive as a subscriber of the KI kits! (isn't that the cutest little stamp set!!)

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!
I can't wait to see what all of these lovely designers have created using all of these ingredients!! Hop on over with me and check them out!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I appreciate your visit!
Have a wonderful day!
Big hugs,
Sankari :)

PS - Here are the Shopping Bag & Labels die and the Take Note Frame 3 die that I also used in my project today:

Saturday, October 6, 2012

World Card Making Day with Taylored Expressions

Hi Everyone!

Happy World Card Making Day! All of the new Taylored Expressions products from the October release are SO cute and are in the TE store – and even though release week is over, the crafty fun keeps going! In honor of World Card Making Day – We created some fun TE card, and for me – I HAD to use the super cute Peppermint Place stamp set with the Merry and Bright Project Pantry - love these bright and colorful papers! This stamp set is such a must have for everything winter wonderland because it features THE cutest gingerbread house – makes me want to make some hot chocolate and eat some gingerbread!!!

I wanted to keep the layout really simple and so I didn’t have a sentiment on the outside – only on the inside. I colored in the gingerbread house with some copics and then colored in the outside with some bright and fun copics. I stamped some pennants from the Christmas Countdown stamp set and paper pieced them with some cute DP and then added it to the side of the image.

Card Ingredients;

Stamps: Peppermint Place and Christmas Countdown stamp set (for the pennants on the side) from Taylored Expressions

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black and Bahama blue

Papers: All cardstock, ribbon and designer paper are from the Merry & Bright Project Pantry

Accessories: corner chomper, tacky tape, dimensionals, pearls, Make a Snowflake die, embossing folder, liquid pearls, copics

The Merry and Bright Project Pantry kit is such a great one to have for your holiday cards - AND in honor of World Card Making Day - today there is a SPECIAL where you can receive 15% off on card kits and project pantry kits . Just go to the Current Specials Page at the TE store and ender this coupon code! Such a great way to celebrate World Card Making Day!

the inside I added this super sweet sentiment – and then added some candy canes on the bottom – sigh!! Such a cute little house – glad that I don’t live in a gingerbread house though because I could never leave – I would just be sitting there the whole day eating gingerbread walls! HA! They would have to roll me out of the house by breaking down the door lol!

Well, I can’t wait to see what all the lovely creations are from all of these amazing designers - please hop along with me and check them out!!

Thank you so much for stopping by today!
Big hugs,
Sankari

Verve Diva Inspiration Hop: World Card Making Day Edition!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to the World Card Making Day edition of the Verve Diva Inspirations Hop! Along the hop this month we're debuting FIVE brand new plain janes that just hit the store today, so grab a drink and hop along to see a fresh mix of old and new Verve and maybe even win a prize! You can find out all the prize details and see the full reveal of the new plain janes over on the Verve Blog today. If you are coming over from the amazingly lovely Julee's blog - then you are in the right place and if you just arrived here and want to start in the beginning - you can start with the beautiful Betty's blog!

For my project today, I used the new PJs So Sweet and the Loopy Ribbon stamp set to create a little giftset. I found these two tins in a garage sale (2 for a $1, Score!). They are such a nice size - big and flat and perfect for chocolate bars (that was the first thing that came to mind!! LOL!). I kept the layouts the same for both the card and the tins and layered the sentiment onto a circle punch, EK success punch, Verve dies (Classy Label die, Vintage Oval die, Ribbon Banner Die), Spellbinders and circle punches and then added some embellishments around the sentiment.

Here is a closer look at the card - the vertical one standing up is how the tin looked like before alteration - and then on the after, I adhered some paper from MME that matched the sides of the tin and then applied a layer of Mod Podge over it so that it could seal the papers onto the tin.

I wrapped the burlap ribbon over the tin and with some red line tacky tape. There are these delicious little chocolate bars that fit perfectly into the tin container (I love it when things fit in perfectly!) and I wrapped them inside the tin with some tissue paper.

The card layout was kind of the same as the tin. I stamped the Loopy Ribbon stamp set and colored in the ribbons and cut out the smaller circle and adhered it to a butterfly punch with a brad. I also added a little circle of liquid pearls and some a prima flower to the side and popped up the whole thing with some dimensionals:

Project Ingredients:
Stamps: So Sweet PJ, Loopy Ribbon PJ from Verve Stamps
Papers: My Mind's Eye
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: copics, dimensionals, Large and small butterfly punches from MS, prima rose, Spellbinders, twine, burlap ribbon, EK success small scallop border punch, brad, liquid pearls and circle punch
A Cut Above Dies from Verve: Classy Label die, Vintage Oval die,, Ribbon Banner Die

It was so much fun making this set – and I can’t wait to see what all the lovely ladies have created with all the Verve sets in da house! Next up on the hop is the sweet and talented stylings of the wonderful Sony!! And don't forget to leave a little love on everyone's blog as you hop because your lucky comment might just win some Verve!!

	1. Betty	9. Andrea
	2. Jen T.	10. Charmaine
	3. Julee	11. Janelle
	4. Sankari	12. Laurie
	5. Sony	13. Maureen
	6. Susan	14. Teresa
	7. Amber	15. Tosha
	8. Amy

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Big hugs,
Sankari :)

Friday, October 5, 2012

Taylored Expressions October Release Spotlight Day

Hi Everyone,

Today is Release Day over at Taylored Expressions and its a HUGE one! SO many new stamps, new dies and Project Pantries for your crafting pleasure - you can check them out at the tab: Fresh Out of the Oven Department. While you are there - you can also check out the TE Current Specials page!

Hi Everyone,

Have you seen all the new goodies at the TE store – this month’s release from Taylored Expressions is off da hook amazing! And today, the design team is ready to hop with creations from all the new products for today’s inspiration hop! I am so excited to share my project today!! I created a little Advent Calendar using the Library Pocket die from Taylored Expressions and the Christmas Countdown stamp set from Taylored Expressions. Originally I was going to string them on a frame -but the frame I had was a bit too small and when I hung them they kind of drooped to much when the pockets were full - so I went on an adventure to find a bigger frame. And it truly was a lucky day when I saw this frame - it was so lovely and with just a bit of chicken wire on the back (with a staple gun) it was perfect for hanging the pockets with some mini clothespins! I painted it a metallic rose red and had so much fun hanging the pockets, making a little peppermint garland and adding some ornaments as well - I can't wait to hang this out and see the kids reactions!! :)

I started off by die cutting 24 Library Pockets in 4 different colors from Taylored Expressions. When I was assembling them together - I added a thin strip of dimensionals so that the pocket so that I could add a little ornament as a present that we could include for that day. When thinking about little presents to put into the advent calendar – I thought to mix it up a little: somedays there would be a little ornament that we can add to the three, on somedays there would be some coins that they can add to their coin collection and on other days there would be a tag with an activity that was a present (like having a little tea party, going out to the movies, making cookies and suprising our neighbors with them, etc.)

I decorated each of the library pockets differently using 2 paper pads: Aunthentique’s Collection: Festive and My Mind’s Eye’s WinterWonderland collection. The Festive Collection pad has so many lovely designs, on one of them there was a sheet with numbers through 25 – and so for some of the numbers I cut out the numbers from the sheet, for other numbers I die cut letters spelling them using the Poster Alpha Dies, and for other numbers I used alpha stickers or stamped them from the Christmas Countdown stamp set. Here are some pictures of the pockets:

Here are some tips that I found helpful in make this project:

- - for quick Advent Calendars - keep the layout the same and use simple die cuts that make mass production easy. If you have more time - its fun to mix and match papers and layouts - also it makes it easy to use paper pads that already have die cut shapes or christmas sentiments etc.

- - If you want to insert a small ornament or gift to the Library Pocket Die Advent Calendar use a thin strip of dimensionals on the sides when assembling the pocket – this will give you a bit more space to add a little present to your pocket

- - Add a magnet to the back of the die so that it can stick to a magnetic board, you can punch a hole at the top so that you can string it, or take a clothespin to pin it onto something like a wire or twine.

I I can't wait to see what everyone has created for today's hop! Please join me and check them out!!!

Charmaine Ikach

Jami Sibley - DT Coordinator

Nancy McKinney - Illustrator

And if you have a chance please stop by tomorrow for our celebration of World Card Making Day :)

Thanks so much for hopping over today!

Big hugs,

Sankari :)

PS - here are all the dies I used to create this project:

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Taylored Expressions October Release Day

Hi Everyone,

Today is Release Day over at Taylored Expressions and its a HUGE one! SO many new stamps, new dies and Project Pantries for your crafting pleasure - you can check them out at the tab: Fresh Out of the Oven Department. While you are there - you can also check out the TE Current Specials page!

For one of my projects today, I used the super cute Petite stamp set: Cozy Cabin designed by the talented Doug Applegate for the Apple Doodle Ink collection at Taylored Expressions. This cute little cabin is so perfect for not just Christmas cards, but friendship cards and the ever difficult masculine cards!

I loved making this card because my husband's parents have a cabin up north that we go to every summer. Going to the cabin is such a special experience - being out in nature, by the lake, in a little cabin tucked away in the woods is always one of our highlights that we look forward to.

I used papers from the Handmade Holiday Project Pantry for this card (includes, DP, coordinating ribbon and card stock)- love the rustic and earthy feel of these papers. I created a little frame using the papers and then tucked the cabin under the DP frame. It was fun to color in the cabin with copics and then I cut out the tree and popped it out over the DP frame by the cabin:

Here is a closer peek at the cabin coloring - I took a clear gel marker and went over the lines of the roof and stones in the chimney for a muted glaze look:

Card Ingredients:
Stamps: Cozy Cabin from Taylored Expression
Papers and Ribbon: Handmade Holiday Project Pantry

Accessories: dimensionals, spellbinders, corner chomper, copics

For my second project I used the super super cute Joyful Stripes Shadowbox Kit that Taylor will be offering - this is an absolute darling way to send a special Christmas card to your dear ones - or to create a little piece to display in your house. The shadowbox comes with all the pieces that you can assemble together and leaves space for stamping your sentiments or images of choice. I chose the one of the beautiful sentiments from the Rejoice Stamp set for the front of this card and cut it out with the larger Label Stacklets die that I paired with a large testability. I also added some holly that I cut out with felt using the Very Merry Outlines dies the and made a mat with the scallop holly die from the Very Merry Scallop dies:

When you open the card - on either side are little windows to which I added some felt holly and sentiments from the Many Minis Holiday stamp set and a little bit of twine. To the center image, I added some buttons around the edges - Its such a lovely way to create a lovely keepsake card - I can't wait to give this to my husbands parents this year for Christmas:

Card Ingredients:
Paper: Joyful Stripes Shadow Box from Taylored Expressions
Stamps: Rejoice and Many Minis Holiday stamp set
Inks: Love Letter from Memento
Accessories: Label Stacklets, ribbon, glitter stickers from stash, dimensionals, tacky tape

I can't wait to check out all the creations from the Baker's Dozen - these ladies are amazing!!! Please hop along with me:

Carolyn King - Guest Designer