Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Taylored Expression Studio Challenge

Hi Everyone,

Today over at Taylored Expressions, the Design Team is showing projects from from this month's Baker's Dozen Studio Challenge studio challenge, where each month there is a different question that we answer and a fun way to get our craftiness on!!! This month's theme is Project Runway!

PROJECT RUNWAY!  Do you watch this show?  It's perfect for creative types like us!  On PR, the designers are given crazy challenges each week and asked to maintain their own personal style or point of view in their creation.

So, what's your stamping style or point of view?  Would you consider your style to be CAS (Clean and Simple), Cutesy, Graphic, Vintage, Elegant, Layers & More Layers, or what?  Describe it any way you like, it's
your style after all!  Today's challenge is to show us a couple of different projects using the same supplies.  Show us one CAS card and one Fancy Fold card while still retaining your own personal style as much as possible.
 
When I was thinking about my stamping style, I was trying to figure out a description - but I think I tend to fall into the category of "more is more" :) Its really hard for me to do a very simple card because I always want keep adding things - so this was a difficult challenge because it also included doing a CAS card! That takes me hours because it always feels like something is missing :) For my CAS card - I used the Build A Treat Borders stamp set for the image and the Build A Treat stamp set for my sentiment (I LOVE this sentiment! Makes me want to eat a cupcake right now!) I tried to keep the layers simple and matched the colors to the DP from the Cosmo Cricket's UpCycle: I love these cute cupcakes - and the fork in the sentiment :)

 Using the same supplies and the same stamp set, I created a trifold card that opens to the side. I cut 1/4 of the card from two of the sides so that you can see the back layer onto which I put the sentiment: For my Favorite Lil' Cupcake :)

 And then when the card is opened, there is another row of cupcakes revealed. I love how this turned out. This was such a great challenge, because usually I made A2 cards, and it was fun to be challenged to create a different way to open and close a card!

I can't wait to see what the rest of the Baker's Dozen has created! Each of these ladies have such amazing styles - can't wait to see what their take on the Project Runway Challenge is - please hop along with me:
Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Big hugs,
Sankari :)

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

My little Bookworm :)

Hi Everyone,

One of my favorite stamp sets from the August Taylored Expressions release is the Doodle Notes stamp set  - such a great set for both wee ones and older ones :) I couldn't wait to make a special project for a very special wee one: my godson!! One of my best friends in the world had the cutest little baby boy in May and I was so lucky to be there when he was born - he is truly so special and so amazing! He has the cutest cheeks and the sweetest little smile and I love holding him and smelling his sweet little baby smell! I stamped the "my little bookworm" sentiment onto a onesie with some Clearly Better black ink (that works on clothes) and then colored it in with some fabric markers. 

The onesie was heat set with a heat gun and then ironed to set the image before washing it. I love making special little presents for my dear ones and this one is especially dear to me :) Will post a picture of my little godson wearing this! Can't wait :) Check out all the sentiments in the Doodle Notes stamp set at the Taylored Expressions store!

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




Wednesday, August 15, 2012

A Big Announcement :)

Hi Everyone!

I have been holding in a some big news and am so excited that today I get to share it:

I am an official DIRTY GIRL!!!
(I am typing this with a huge smile of disbelief!!)

Joining the Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen design team is such an honor and I am still in shock and slight disbelief to be joining these amazing women! I don't at all feel worthy of this honor and I feel very grateful to be here! I have no words to convey how thankful I am to be joining these amazing women! And I can't stop using exclamation points!! A huge thank you to Lydia for asking me and to all my fellow teammates for making me feel so welcome (you guys are so sweet!!). My fellow partner who is also getting dirty this month is the awesomely talented Mindy Backes of Bada Bing! Paper Crafting! woo-hoo!!!! I am so speechless and excited and nervous and happy and frozen in shock and feeling all kinds of joy! Yippeeee!!!

Thank you for reading through that - and I apologize for its lack of proper sentence structure - I am just too giddy to think quite properly :) 

I do have a quick and simple project today also - in creating these fun bookmarks using the Mark Your Spot stamp set from the August Release from Taylored Expressions. The kids are excited to head back to school and I thought I would make some bookmarks for them and for their teachers as well:

 I used the new Mark Your Spot Bookmark die form Taylored Expressions to make these bookmarks :

I stamped some of these beautiful sentiments with different colored inks and added some paper piecing to the hills along with some copic coloring as well. Here is a picture with some of the bookmarks individually:


I had so much fun making these bookmarks and so much fun typing up this post!
Can't wait to give these to my kiddos and to their teachers! Let another fun school year begin!
And I can't wait for this exciting ride with the Dirty Dozen!!! Woo-hoo!!

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

Friday, August 10, 2012

Taylored Expressions: August Release Spotlight hops!


Hi Everyone!
This week has been release week over at Taylored Expressions and there are a ton of new products - check out all the deals and steals in the Fresh Out of the Oven section at the TE store and check out all the Current Specials section! I have been lovin' this release and for my project today, I created a simple CASish card using the Chevron Big Background stamp set with the sunshine rainbow from the Doodle This stamp set. I stamped the Chevron Big Background image onto some Choice Snow White card stock and then colored a rainbow with my copies. Taylor also has come out with a Chevron Border Dies that fit perfectly with the stamp! 

I die cut some yellow felt with my Chevron Border die and then placed it over the yellow row in the rainbow and then added a row of liquid pearls over the felt. I stamped the rainbow and clouds and cut it out with some circle nesties and then popped a cloud out and stamped the sentiment that I added some corner interest and then sponged with some brown ink. 


Card Ingredients:
Stamps: Doodle This and Chevron Big Background stamp set from Taylored Expressions
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black ink and Bahama Blue and copies
Accessories: Yellow felt, liquid pearls, Chevron Border dies, Circle Nestabilities, purple bling, yellow ribbon and dimensionals

I loved how quick it was to make this card - it was also fun to color it in with a rainbow motif :) Please check out all the awesome creations on the Release Spotlight hop that these amazing ladies have created!!


Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope you have an amazing weekend!
Big hugs,
Sankari :)

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Taylored Expressions Release Day!


HI Everyone!
Its release day over at Taylored Expressions and today all the gorgeous stamps and dies are available for purchase at the TE store! I absolutely love these stamps and completely enjoyed making some projects with the dies and stamps and have a couple of projects to share with you today using the Doodle Notes stamp set (concepted by the super talented Jen Shults and illustrated by the amazing Nancy McKinney) and the Mark Your Spot stamp set (illustrated by Nancy and created in collaboration with Taylor).

Doodle Notes stamp set
I love all the doodles in this stamp set and all of the encouraging sentiments - perfect for creating little lunchbox notes of encouragement for little kids (and big kids too ;). One of our friends were coming to visit from New Zealand with their little baby and I thought it would be fun to create a couple of personalized onesies for their wee one. I stamped the doodle image and the sentiment: "You're a Star" using some Clearly Better ink (stamps well on fabric with a little heat treatment afterwards) and then colored it in with some fabric markers. I love these fun doodles:

Here is another one that I created using the same stamps, different colors for when she gets a bit bigger:

And a closer peek at the sentiment and stamped image:


After stamping I waited for a day and heated the image with a heat gun and then washed it so that the little baby could wear it right away :)

Mark your Spot stamp set:
I absolutely love the beautiful sentiments that encourage reading from the Mark Your Spot stamp set - the images are so much fun and I wanted to create little personalized library tote bags for my kids using the stamps. We have been having so much fun going to the library and picking out fun books in the summer (and the amazing feat is returning all the library books on time and not losing any in the process!) and I wanted to the kids to have their very own library totes :) I stamped the images onto a canvas tote bag and then colored in the stamped images with some little acrylic paint and then created a border by tracing some dies over the stamped images:

I am sorry that the sentiments are hard to read from my pictures - on the bag with the red border the sentiment reads: "The more you read, the more things you will know, the more you learn, the more places you will go." - Dr. Seuss and on the bag with the blue border, the sentiment reads: "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free" - Fredrick Douglas. I loved loved loved painting and creating this totes - but I think my favorite part was giving them to my children - they absolutely loved their very own totes! Here they are with their totes and their books from the library:

I love seeing them carrying their totes around and I love that they love it :) I couldn't put these stamps down and created one more project with both of these sets and also the dies that are being released today :

Lunchbox Note Holder:
It has been so special to see my son learn to write and read this past school year and the best part is when he writes a note to me (usually asking if he can get a Lego :) I thought it would be fun to create bunch of notes that I could send him during the school year and also have it be a place to store his notes that he writes to me. I had a mini lunchbox in my craft corner that I got more than a few years ago and I altered it with some DP from the 9 to 5 paper collection from October Afternoon: I used the Library Pocket Die to create the little pocket out in front and added a pinwheel using the Pinwheel Parade dies:

Inside the lunchbox, I created some magnets that can be put on the fridge and used the Library Pocket dies to create little note holders that I could slip in his lunch bag:

Here is a closer look at the magnets that I created using the images from both the Doodle This stamp set and the Mark Your Spot stamp set:

Here is a closer peek at the different notecard holders that I decorated using the DP or created some DP using the Hexagon Big Background stamp set and the Chevron Big Background stamp set and then added a bit of twine and a button from my stash:
I created the notes using the newly released: Gird Paper stamp set, the Library Card stamp set and the Notebook Paper stamp set and using the Notepaper Clipboard Die :

Here is a picture  of the Library Card holders:

I absolutely enjoyed making all of these projects using all of the dies and stamp sets and it was soooo much fun to create special projects for my kids and friends! I love this release and can't wait to see all the fun projects that the Design Team has made using all of these fun projects:


Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Please stop by tomorrow for our Spotlight hop!
Big hugs,
Sanakri :)

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Taylored Expressions August Release Day 2


Hi Everyone,
Today is the second day of sneak peeks from Taylored Expressions and I am excited to sneak peek two awesome stamp sets that will be released tomorrow! All of the new products will be available for purchase starting tomorrow at 8am PST in the Fresh Out of the Oven Department! But first, 10 lucky ladies on our Facebook page will have a chance to win one of our new releases! All you have to do to be one of those 10 lucky ladies is tune in for our Preview Party on Facebook starting tonight at 6pm PST! One is the big Hexagon Big Background and the second is the awesome Happy Trails stamp set concepted by the awesome Jami Sibley and designed by Doug Applegate. I stamped the big background Hexagon stamp in versa mark and then embossed it with white detailing powder and had this as my background and then created a foreground of mountains from the Happy Trail Stamp set. I love that you can make a background that is big enough for a regular size A2 card with the Big Hexagon background.

I added some water from DP that was ripped into waves and then some twine on the bottom - I love the sentiments and love that you can mix and match sentiments together. I can't wait to see what the rest of the Design Team has created with these gorgeous stamps and dies, please hop along with me:




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

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Taylored Expressions: August Release Sneak Peek Day 1


Hi Everyone!
This week, the Baker's Dozen DT are showing peeks from this month's newest release from Taylored Expressions and can I just say that I LOVE this release - for real! It has been soooo much fun to create projects with all of the stamps and all of these amazing dies! For today's project, I am sneaking a peek from the newest Moka on the block: please welcome Moka Gwen: who is the cutest little school girl! I made a little 8x8 scrapbook page for my little schoolgirl who is starting kindergarten in the fall (wasn't she just in a baby carrier yesterday? how did my little girl get so big?). I also used the brand new Tall and Skinny #'s dies that coordinates with the Tall and Skinny Alphabet dies to create the lettering and created 4 little panels of 3x3 boxes:


Here is a closer peek a the scrapbook page and the Pennant border die  along with the new Notepaper die that I used to cut the DP from the MME On the Bright Side papers.



Here is a closer peek at the lettering and at cute little Moka Gwen - I love her little skirt and book bag -sooo cute!!


I can't wait to see what all the girls have made using all of the different dies and stamp images - this is such an amazing group of stampers and an amazing set of dies and stamps!! Join me and hop around and huge welcome to the Courtney Kelley - our guest designer!
Thanks for stopping by today!
Big hugs,
Sankari :)

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Verve Diva Inspiration Hop: August

Hi Everyone,
Today we are having a totally fun Verve Diva Inspiration hop with some special guests joining in and you don't want to miss all the fun creations that everyone has made today! If you are coming here from Julee's amazingly gorgeous blog you are at the right place! I had so much fun making this birthday card using the sweet stamp set: Birthday Bash from Verve Stamps:

Card Ingredients:
Stamps: Birthday Bash from Verve Satmps
Paper; Love Me from MME and brown card stock from Bazzil
Inks: Memento Rich Cocoa and Tuxedo Black ink
Accessories: EK success border punch, corner chomper, heart punch, cropadile, circle nestabilties, silk ribbon from May Arts, twine and dimensionals. 

I created a frame for the birthday cake in this set that I first paper pieced and then covered with glitter sprinkles. I added a little border punch bottom half and then cut out a banner from the Love Me DP from MME and then added the sentiments from pieces of twine that was wrapped around a silk ribbon. I can't wait to see all the fun creations that everyone has made today - please join me and hop around to see all the Verve gorgeousness by continuing the hop over to Sony's gorgeous blog or you can start the blog hop over at Betty's beautiful blog!

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

PS: Verve's Anni-VERVE-Saary is coming up and check out how you can enjoy some Vervey goodness as we celebrate 5 years of Verve stamps!!! woo-hooooo!!!! :

With a new month comes a new sale, and this month we're celebrating FIVE wonderful years of VerveSo in proper celebratory style, we've made some fantastic discounts on some wonderful product! Through August 31, save 10 - 50% off select stamps and dies. Everything is on sale while supplies last, so go ahead and treat yourself to one or two, or even FIVE stampy pleasures! {grin}