Blast From the Past Blog Hop #16: Happy Halloween!

Hi Everyone!


Every month Taylored Expressions hosts a customer based blog hop called "Blast from the Past" - where all TE fans can play along with previously released stamp sets - and this month we have the option of a double challenge - to use both the given sketch and/or use the theme of Trick or Sweet! I decided for today's project to try to use both challenges -  but I hang my head in shame for not following my own sketch - LOL!

I used one of my favorite stamp sets: Frightful Night and stamped the tree and sponged around it and cut it out with the oval die - and then popped up the house on top of the scene and then added some green glitter to the beaded oval die and cut out a little moon to the top of trees. I used some papers from the Spooky Project Pantry from Taylored Expressions for the card base and to cut out some spooky pennants using the Pennant Border die from Taylored Expressions for the top of the card - I finished it off with a ribbon on the side and a small line of liquid pearls on the top edge:

Card Ingredients:
Paper: Echo Park - Apothecary Emporium and cardstock from the Spooky Project Pnatry
Stamps: Frightful Night from Taylored Expressions along with the sentiment from: Trick or Sweet from Taylored Expressions
Inks: Memento Inks: Black Tuxedo, Cantaloupe and copics
Accessories: Oval/Beaded Oval nesties and flag label from Spellbinders, Pennant Border from Taylored Expressions, green glittter from Martha Stewart and corner chomper

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Please check out all of these wonderful designers who are hopping along today - and check out more details on Taylor's Blog for how you can join in the fun on the next hop (one random hopper who joins in on the fun will receive a free Taylored Expressions stamp set of their choice and another hopper's card will be featured in the monthly newsletter!) !

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

Cinema Saturday #74 - UP!!

Every Saturday, over at the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge blog, we feature a different movie from which we create a card, layout etc. inspired by some element in the movie. This week we are featuring the 2 time Oscar winning and "UPlifting" 2009 Pixar movie called UP. This movie also won 38 other awards (check out all of the wins and nominations here)!!! The beauty of this movie is that its not just for children, but really in a way - its for everyone. Children love this movie and the adults really embrace the heartfelt themes of life and love that are beautifully brought out in this movie! If you haven't seen it yet - you must - the animation, humor and sweetness will touch your hearts! This week's challenge requirement is to use balloons in a way that was inspired by the movie.

When I was making the challenge banner for this movie - my son was sitting next to me and was so excited as to what card I was going to make - so I made this card for him - in the spirit of adventure. I used Taylor's Friday Sketch challenge #108 to make this card, which I absolutely had so much fun creating! One of my favorite parts of the movie is when the house takes off - WOW! How beautifully they animated that part and the music to that part is just perfect! It gives me a thrill every time I watch it! My other favorite part is when Mr. Fredrickson puts the special pin on Russell at the end - what a sweet moment (and can I just say, that Russell is one of the CUTEST little boys! I LOVE his spirit of adventure and his sweetness! and his slight lisp :)))
I used 5 different stamps from Taylored Expressions 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 was so much fun combining all of these stamp sets to create this card:

Here is a close up of the sentiment. I love this sentiment by Dr. Seus! It has so much spiriti of adventure in it!

And I loved making this card with all the ballooons carrying the house, just like he wanted :) I attached some embroidery floss to the balloons and attached them to the house.Here is a close up of the balloons and string:
I wanted to give some whimsy to the card (because a house being carried off by balloons wasn't whimsy enough :) lol!!) So I added some birdies to the mix, here is a close up of a birdie flying by :)

I LOVE how this card came out - I added a little glaze and some stickles to the card and called it a late late night...errr.. day :) Hop on over to the Taylored Expressions blog to see more details of this beautiful sketch and also hop on over to the Cinema Saturday Blog - we have three wonderful guest designers joining us this week, and you can see their gorgeous and inspiring samples and play along with us!!!

I promise it will be fun to play along - putting balloons on anything makes it fun!

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

Center of Attention Product Spotlight - Smooch

Good Morning Everyone,

Today I am pscyhed to be part of the Baker's Dozen's first debut of the Center of Attention Product Spotlight - where this month Taylor is featuring the awesome product Smooch.

This is my first time using the Smooch Product and I love how quickly it gives the image an awesome sheen and texture and it. Its way different than Stickles or anything like that because the color almost blends in with the image and makes it look all shiny, pearly and sheeny - almost like its part of the image and not glitter added on. Its so simple and easy to use and dries so quick and I love the fine tipped brush that's able to get in the nooks and crannies :)

I used it on three different projects today - the first one that I used it on was on the image of this house for a thinking of you card. I love this cute little house from the Frightful Night stamp set from Taylored Expressions and cut out the clouds from the Year of Sweets I . The sentiment is from a Year of Sweet Sentiments I colored the house with some copics and then applied the Smooch product over it for some sheeny yumminess :) I didn't have a chance to take a before and after picture for this one - but I hope you can see the pearlyness of the smooch:

Card Details:

Paper: Prisma Color Cardstock from Taylored Expressions

Stamps: Frightful Night for the House and Year of Sweets I for the Clouds fromTaylored Expressions and sentiment is from: Year of Sweet Sentiments

Ink: Ruby Red

Accessories: Scallop Punch from SU!, Circle punch from CM, copics , corner rounder, liquid pearls, dimensionals and Smooch in the color: Pool.

I love this blue Smooch called POOL and immediately thought of putting it on water - and used the Places You Will Go Stamp Set for this card using the SCS sketch for this week: SC246. I loved using the Smooch for this product - it was just the perfect little touch:

This is a before and after picture of the water with and without the SMooch:

and here is a picture of the whole card:

Card Details:

Paper: Patterned Paper from Taylored Expressions

Stamps: The Places you Will Go stamp set from Taylored Expressions

Ink: Bravo Burgandy from SU

Accessories: Spellbinders, copics , corner rounder, liquid pearls, dimensionals, ribbon from TE and Smooch in the color: Pool

The last card that I made uses the same stamp set and uses Taylor's awesome sketch from last week: Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #82 and this time use the Smooch product with a mask for an edging for the paper. This was a really fun way to create an edge with the same layer.

This a before and after picture of the Smooch on the Balloon:

And here is a picture of the whole card:

Card Details:

Paper: Patterned Paper from Taylored Expressions

Stamps: The Places you Will Go stamp set from Taylored Expressions and the cloud is from the Branching Out stamp set from Taylored Expressions. Check out all the stamps here.

Ink: Old Olive

Accessories: Spellbinders, copics, corner rounder, liquid pearls, dimensionals, buttons from TE and Smooch in the color: Pool

The one tip that I would have when using this product is to just put a thin layer first and let it dry and then put on a second layer - this way it dries faster. i can't wait to use it more and am excited to use it on some scrapbook pages. The only thing that I wish they could add to this product is a coordinating nail polish color so that you can match your Smooch as you craft :)

Hope you had fun getting "Smooched" today - and make sure that you check out all the smooch-a-licious projects from the Baker's Dozen:

Taylor VanBruggen
Dawn Easton

Denise Marzec
Karen Motz

Jackie Pedro
Laurie Schmidlin

And guess what - for a limited time - All Smooch products will be on sale with a 15% discount on our I Want It All New Smooch item - you cah check out all the details here!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog!!!

Big hugs and smooches!

Sankari :)