Baker's Dozen Studio Challenge - July

Hi Everyone,

Today I am excited to be part of a new challenge from Taylored Expressions called the Baker's Dozen Studio Challenge!!! This will be an opportunity for us to share what makes our stamping studios hum.  Each month we will have a fun, crafty question so we can share our favorites, some tips and tricks, stamping advice and more. The question for July is:

You are stranded on a desert island. The good news is that you find a fabulous stamping hut well-stocked with papers, inks and other stamping supplies, however you only have the 5 stamp sets you brought with you in the luggage you managed to salvage. So tell us, what stamps sets did you bring and why?

Well, first of all - what a great way to be stranded on a desert island: with my crafting goodies! I love that my hut is well stocked with all kinds of goodies - but its hard to only choose 5 of my favorite Taylored Expressions stamp set!! So in choosing a set, I thought back to what set is the most fun one to stamp with for me - and that set for me is Hangin' Out - I just love this stamp set because it works for both baby themed cards, friendship cards, congratulations cards, anniversary/lovey cards and has so many options with all the ways it can be used! One of my favorite stamps in this set is the dress - it is open so that you can color it or you can paper piece it - I paper pieced it with papers from the MME - Lost and Found (Rosy) collection that I used on the rest of the card. I had so much fun creating this card using the Hangin' Out stamp set for my Studio challenge today: there is something about this dress gently billowing in the wind that makes me so happy :)

 I rounded the bottom corners and created a little scallop frame to the top and added a little sun to the top left corner and adhered a little button from my stash to the middle. The hills were handcut out (alternating the stripes into vertical and horizontal patterns) and then I added a little grass to the edges of the hills. The clouds were made using the Cloud Border die and then sponging with ink and I finished it off with a wee bit of liquid pearls and some bling on the clothesline:

I also used the Small Scallops die, sponged the clouds using the Cloud Border die and made the sun using the Garden Party Blooms Die Set 2  from Taylored Expressions for the top portion of the card. Here are the dies I used:

 

You can also check out all the cards created from this stamp set in the TE gallery

that the DT have created since the Hangin' Out stamp set was released!! Also you can check out all of the other Hangin' Out sets from Taylored Expressions HERE!

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So what are the other four that I picked? Well, let me tell you it was hard because I love every stamp set - seriously - they are all so perfect and so much fun - it really was hard to choose and narrow it down to only 5! So here are 4 more of my favorite stamp sets that i would love to have with me on a desert island in no particular order :) 

TweetHearts:

I still remember when this stamp set came out - I was so excited at the ease in which you could create really simple and quick cards because all of the images stamp solid - so all you have to do is ink it and stamp - adda sentiment and boom - instant card and all the sentiments were so cute and beauti-font-iful! here is a look at this stamp set and one of my favorite cards from this set (check out all the creations from the Tweethearts stamp set in the TE gallery from the DT here:

Build a Treat Stamp Set

You can't be on a desert island without have some desserts right?? LOL! The other favorite stamp set is all about cupcakes and is called Build a Treat Stamp set and like its name, I love that there are countless possibilities in how you build your own cupcake! Here are one of my favorite cards using this set and you can check out all the creations using the Build a Treat stamp set in the TE Gallery right here!

Branching Out

One of my most favorite stamp sets to be releasers was the Branching Out set (which has a Petite coordinate) but works so well with every single stamp set! I love these stamps because of how they look - so much fun whimsy!! I love that you can create a card with just the branches or paper piece the tree like I did in this card or color it in - or use another different tree! So many options! Check out all the creations using the Branches Out stamp set in the TE gallery!

The Places You'll Go

This is one of my favorite cards that I made using one of my favorite stamp sets: The Places You'll Go (Based on the awesome Dr.Seuss's wonderful book!) that promotes the joy of reading! I LOVED making this card, which was inspired by the movie UP (where the house flies assisted by a zillion balloons!). I especially love this sentiment from this set and used stamp images from 4 other TE sets to create this card: 

• The house is from the Frightful Night stamp set
• The clouds are from the Branching Out Coordinates stamp set
• The birds are from the Wings of Joy stamp set
• The balloons are from the Beary Special Accessories stamp set
• The sentiment is from the Places You'll Go stamp set

It is so much fun to create cards by mixing and matching the different sentiments and images together and I love how all of Taylor's stamp sets do exactly that!!!

Please check out with me how the rest of the Baker's Dozen DT answered the July Studio challenge and I can't wait to see what their favorite 5 stamp sets are!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Jen Shults
• Jodi Collins
• Karen Giron
• Melody Rupple
• Regina Mangum
• Sankari Wegman
• Shannon White
• Shelly Mercado
• Stephanie Kraft
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Wanda Guess

Thanks so much for stopping by today! 

Big hugs,

Sankari :) 

Be Happy!

Hi Everyone,

Is it just me or is the summer flying by so fast! I can't even believe how quickly time is flying by! One of my goals for the summer was just to be with family - once the kids are in school, I feel like I am chauffeuring everyone from school to soccer to gymnastics, etc etc... and so over the summer its been so nice to take a break from everything and just be with the kids and try to have an adventure everyday with them! 

I made this quick card using the Sky's the Limit Petite stamp set from Taylored Expressions which has the cutest little hot air balloon and I love the sentiment: Be Happy - cause that is what life is all about - just the enjoying and being happy with the simple pleasures of life! 

Card Ingredients:

Paper: scraps of DP, kraft card stock, Choice, Buttercream cardstock from Taylored Expressions

Stamps: Sky's the Limit stamp set (petite from Taylored Expressions)

Ink: Rose Red and Tuxedo black from Memento Inks

Accessories: liquid pearls, grass edge punch from MS, dimensionals, glue dots, ribbon from stash, small circle punch, sponger and corner chomped

I had some scrap pieces of paper and created a little scene for the hot air balloon and used some scraps to paper piece it and create a little banner on the corner. I stamped the sentiment and then rounded out the corners and added some liquid pearls to the center of the sun. I cut out some wavy hills out of different shades of green card stock and added some grass edging and liquid pearls to the hilltops :)

I absolutely loved making this card it was so much fun - and it is a reminder to always be happy - everyday!

Wishing you all a happy day!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Big hugs,

Sankari :)

Taylored Expressions Calendar Challenge - July

Hi Everyone,

Its the monthly calendar challenge over at Taylored Expressions where the Baker's Dozen DT are showing all the different ways that you can use all the awesome calendar products in the Taylored Expressions store! You can also win a HUGE prize by playing along with us (please check Taylor's blog for all of the details!!) For my project this month - I used the Perpetual Occasions Calendar with the 4th of July wreath with the coordinating Seasonal Wreath die: 

I also used the flag from the Yankee Doodle Homestead stamp set that I cut out and colored and adhered at the bottom of the page. I stamped some gold stars on the page and added a little bit of bling to the wreath. I love how this page turned out and I love making a page for each month - such a great way to keep track of birthdays and anniversaries!!! 

Please check out all the amazing creations using the Calendar Products at the Taylored Expressions store and we hope you will play along with us!

• Charmaine Ikach
• Jodi Collins
• Melody Rupple
• Sankari Wegman
• Shannon White
• Stephanie Kraft
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Wanda Guess

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Big hugs,

Sankari :)

July Diva Inspirations HOP

HI Everyone!!

Today is our Monthly Verve Diva Hop where we all create a project using some of our Favorite previously released Verve Stamps!!! If you are coming from the amazingly talented and super sweet Julee - then you are in the right place! One of my favorite Verve stamp sets is Beautiful You (okay - you are right, they are all my favorite!!) But this set has so many beautiful sentiments, I especially love the sentiment: "What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly." So beautiful!

I wanted to create a simple happy card with this sentiment - so I tried to keep it CAS and  used one of Julee's beautiful previous Mojo Monday sketches (MojoMonday Sketch # 244)  for my card. I embossed the back and used some scrap pieces of MME paper and added a little bling and a line of liquid pearls to finish it off.

Card Ingredients: Paper: DP from stash (MME) and gold paper from PTI Stamps: Beautiful You stamp set from Verve Stamps Inks: Memento Rich Cocoa mixed with Tuxedo Black Accessories: embossing folder (TH), bling, ribbon from American crafts, circle nesties, dimensionals and liquid pearls. I loved making this card - it was so nice to keep it simple and such a beautiful sentiment to use - please check out all the gorgeous sentiments from the Beautiful You stamp set! Also while you are there please check out the huge SALE that is happening at Verve Stamps!!!

There is also a hidden prize on today's blog hop - so leave a little love as you hop along!! Next on the hop is the sweet and amazingly creative SONY!! Thanks so much for stopping by today! Big hugs, Sankari :)

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TE July Release Party Continues!

Hi Everyone!

Today is the final day of peeks from the already in the stores July Release from Taylored Expressions!!! Come join the party!  You'll find tasty little morsels of inspiration presented by the Baker's Dozen featuring everything that is Fresh Out of the Oven from Taylored Expressions! All of the stamps are made of high quality red rubber which allows for perfect stamping each time! If you need a way to store all of your new TE stamps - don't forget to pick up a Mini Binderbox from the store - my tiny tiny craft corner is so much more organized because of these little binders :)

My project today uses the absolutely adorable underwater creations illustrated by the awesome Nancy McKinney and is called Under the Sea and is FULL (I mean full!) of super cute sentiments, punny sentiments and adorable combinations of the two along with all the sets and dies that were released this week are perfect for every occasion all year long!!!

I wanted to create something with this cute little whale - isn't she so happy looking (my daughter decided it was a she :) Since she was a "she", I decided to paper piece her with some fun papers from Paradise Beach paper collection (6x6 paper pads) from Echo Park. I created some waves for her to frolic in (added some chunky glitter to them so they could glisten in the sun). I die cut some clouds (Cloud Duo die) and used the Keeping Tabs Die to add a little ribbon at the top.

Using the Clouds Border die I created some sunny clouds with some sponging and punched out a little sun along with three little vellum hearts coming out of the whale: Here is a closer look at the three hearts (its a bit hard to see in the first picture). I also added a little glaze to the whale along with some glitter to the cloud:

Card Ingredients:

Paper:  Paradise Beach paper collection (6x6 paper pads) from Echo Park

Stamps: Under the Sea by Taylored Expressions

Inks: Memento Bahama Blue, Dandelion yellow, Rich Coco, Memento Black, LadyBug Red

Dies: Cloud Duo die, Clouds Border die, Wave Border Die, Keeping Tabs Die  from Taylored Expressions

Accessories: glaze, chunky glitter, sponger, dimensionals, glue dots, liquid pearls, EK success border punch, ribbon from stash, eyelet, crop-a-dile

I created some waves for her to frolic in (added some chunky glitter to them so they could glisten in the sun). I die cut some clouds and added some glitter to them as well - I love this sentiment: Have a Whale of a Time :) and cannot wait to ink up every single cutie stamp in this set!!!  Please hop around and check out all the amazing creations from the Baker's Dozen DT and friends - these ladies blow my socks off with their creativity!!!

Charmaine Ikach

Courtney Kelley - Guest Designer

Jami Sibley - DT Coordinator

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Melody Rupple

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Thank you for stopping by!

Big hugs,

Sankari :)

PS - here are the dies that I used for today's project:

TE July Release Party!

HI Everyone,

This week, Taylor released a ton of super cute stamp sets that are SO perfect for summer and all year long along along with new impression plates and dies! Today, the Baker's Dozen and friends are continuing to show samples from all the samples that are already at the store available for purchase!! Come join the party!  You'll find tasty little morsels of inspiration presented by the Baker's Dozen featuring everything that is Fresh Out of the Oven from Taylored Expressions!

Today, I am using the super cute stamp set: Coconut Cove illustrated by Doug Applegate for the Apple Doodle Ink line and I can't even tell you how these sentiments are SO perfect for every vacation, stay-cation, gonna-make-this-day-feel-like-a-vacation :) and creating that vacay feel all year round! I just love this super cute little house by the beach. 

This stamp set makes me so happy that I had to make some yellow happy clouds with the Cloud Border Die as my mask and then I paper pieced the beach with some cork (err. rather, I cork-pieced the beach ..haha :) and add some waves from the Wave Border Die on the bottom with the sentiment: "Summertime and the livin' is easy" with a little coconut that I stamped and popped up on a dimensional next to the sentiment. I cut the coconut tree leaves and placed them over the stamped and colored trees and added a little bling in the center of the tree. I had to add a little sun to this happy sweet stamp set and created the rays using the Small Layering Doily die from Taylored Expressions that I had to cover with tiny little happy liquid pearls ;)

Card Ingredients:
Paper; Echo Park Paradise 6x6 collection
Stamps: Coconut Cove from Taylored Expressions
Inks: Memento Bahama Blue, Dandelion yellow and Tuxedo Black
Dies: Cloud Border die, Wave Border Die, Layering Doily Small from Taylored Expressions
Accessories: dimensionals, liquid pearls, EK success scallop border punch, 


I hope that your summertime liven' is going easy! Can't wait to take a peek at all the fun summer fun projects that the Baker's Dozen has created today - please check them out with me here:

Charmaine Ikach
Jen Shults
Jodi Collins
Karen Giron
Melody Rupple
Regina Mangum
Sankari Wegman
Shannon White
Shelly Mercado
Stephanie Kraft
Taylor VanBruggen
Wanda Guess

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


PS - here are the dies that I used in today's projects:

Taylored Expressions July Release Day

Hi Everyone!!!

All of the new Taylored Expressions products are now available in the Fresh Out of the Oven Department!!! Woo-HOo!! Now you can get all of these lovely stamps and more asap! Trust me - its going to make summer crafting even more fun - I absolutely LOVE all the stamp sets - and have a special place in my heart for the stamp sets I am peeking today!!

The first one is called Bon Voyage and is illustrated by Emily Burger for the Embracing Grace Collection from Taylored Expressions and is filled with every kind of boat and sentiments that make celebrating every occasion even more fun and sweet! It was hard to decide which one to stamp - I almost picked the cruise boat, but then I fell in love with this sweet rowboat - especially because "Row, Row, Row your boat" is one of my daughter's favorite nursery rhymes. I love that part where we both sing merrily merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream... partly because she can't quite say the letter "r" yet - so that word merrily sounds even more cute!!! 

The sentiment:" Life is just a dream " - made me want to make a whimsy kind of card - so I thought of an image where one would be in the park lazily enjoying a weekend picnic and there would be a rowboat drifting by. I can't quite express HOW much fun it was to make this card - I was in crafting heaven because I just love these images and it was so much fun to create this scene in my head onto paper!

I stamped and cut out one of the trees from the Love Grows Here stamp set (also illustrated by Emily) and then created some hills for it to sit on. The waves were stamped and cut using the wave stamp from this Bon Voyage set and then I set the rowboat in between the waves. For the clouds, I used the brand new Waves and Bubbles Impression Plate from Taylored Expressions to emboss some wavy clouds into the sky. I quilled a cloud (adding a little bling to the center) and then added my sentiment from the cloud with little dimensionals. I finished by rounding the corners and adding a little bit of liquid pearls to the edges and some ribbon on the side. I love this stamp set and loved making this card!!!

Card Ingredients:

Paper:June Key Ingredients from Taylored Expressions

Stamps: Bon Voyage and Love Grows Here by Taylored Expressions

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black and Rose Red

Dies/plate: Waves and Bubbles Impression Plate from Taylored Expressions

Accessories: corner chomped, MS Grass punch, buttons from stash, twine, glue dots, dimensionals, copies and bling

For my next project, I used the new super cutest little Moka girl in town: Moka Peal - who just swam up to say a little hello :) Isn't she so cute?! She reminded me of Ariel - so I tried to do a little red headed mermaid while coloring her with copics. I created the cloud background with the Cloud Border Die and  then paper pieced the rock using papers from the Echo Park Sweet Day Paper collection. I thought the words on the rock which included: "friendship, bliss, happiness, kindness, sunshine" -  went with the beautiful sentiment: "Friends are like pearls, Precious and Rare." 

Card Ingredients:

Paper: Echo Park: Sweet Day 6x6 paper collection

Stamps: Moka Pearl by Taylored Expressions

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Bahama Blue and Chalk Inks Aquamarine

Dies: Wave Border and Cloud Border die from Taylored Expressions

Accessories: circle nesties, liquid pearls, ribbon: Turquoise with White dots, sponger, dimensionals, glue dot, corner rounder, turquoise pearls.

You can really see it in the card, but both the rock and Moka Pearl are popped up a little bit and then I added some wave layers using the Wave Border die that I folded around the rock. I added some ribbon (Turquoise with White dots) and some pearls on the edge and a little half sun under the beautiful sentiment. 

This sentiment rings so deep in my heart - it is so true! I truly value the sincere and honest friendships in my life - those friends of mine who I know would do anything for me as I would do anything for them - such a friend who is honest, caring, loving and sees you without judgement and inspires you to be your best self, is so Rare! I just love this sentiment and love sweet little Moka Pearl :)

I can't wait to see all the fun creations that the Baker's Dozen Team has created with these awesome sets that are in store available for purchase!!! Please hop around with me and check out these amazing creations from all of these super talented ladies - and a huge welcome to our July/August Guest Designer: Courtney Kelley!

Charmaine Ikach

Courtney Kelley - Guest Designer

Jami Sibley - DT Coordinator

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Melody Rupple

Nancy McKinney - Illustrator

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Thanks so much for stopping by - 

I will be back tomorrow with more peeks so please hop by tomorrow also!

Big hugs,

Sankari :)

PS - Here are all the dies/impression plates that I used in my projects today: