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!!

• 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

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

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:

• 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

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

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:

• Charmaine Ikach
• 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

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

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!

• 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

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

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 Verve! So 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}

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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