More is More

Today is release day at Taylored Expressions and all the products you’ve been seeing this week are now available.  Whatever your Christmas style might be, I think there’s something for just about everyone.

I have two more cards to share with you today. The first one just speaks to my heart.

This one features the new stamp set Handlettered Holiday along with the Little Bits Manger die set and the Petite Scallop Circle Stacklets dies.

The card base is silver as is the scallop circle.  The sentiment is heat embossed in silver also.  I wanted to keep the design simple, so I just added some texture tot he Red Chili panel with the Kaleidoscope Embossing Folder.

And the sentiment inside from Inside Scoop – Christmas Blessing:

This just brings home what Christmas is truly about!

And now for something a little non-traditional and simply cute.

I have always loved pink and mint green for Christmas, so I decided to go that direction on this card featuring Cutting Edge Trees stamp and die combo along with the new Build-a-Scene Snow Drifts die set.  I edged the snow drifts in some Nuvo Glimmer Paste and popped them up on foam tape.  The trees were colored with Copics.

In the sky, I added the On Dasher, On Dancer die for a little extra whimsy.  The background paper is from the TE 6×6 paper pack Playful Patterns – Holiday.

And the sentiment inside – again from Inside Scoop – Christmas Blessings:

I adore the sentiment set Inside Scoop – Christmas Blessings!  I’ve been able to find a sentiment to use for every style of Christmas card I’ve made with this release.  I really think it’s a must-have!

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Please be sure to get all the links to designers with goodies to share today from the Taylored Expressions blog!  I can honestly say this is one of my all-time-favorite TE releases!

October Sneak Peeks are in full swing at Taylored Expressions, with all the new products being released tomorrow morning, Thursday, October 4th!  This is the TE Christmas release and I haven’t had so much fun stamping in years!  Seriously!  I LOVE this release!

TE has FOUR new background stamps this month and I adore them all.  Today I’m sharing cards made with three of them, including an easy-peasy set for mass production.  But first, one of my favorite cards.

This card features several new products including the Buffalo Plaid Background (stamped with Oreo ink on to Red Pepper cardstock), The Scallop Oval Stacklets, Woodland Silhouettes 1 (die set), Little Bits Holiday Bloomers (die set), and the sentiment is from the Cutting Edge Trees stamp set (embossed in white.)  The really funny thing is that, when this release was in development, I really couldn’t picture myself using these animal silhouettes much, but when everything came I couldn’t wait to make this card and it turned out to be one of my favorites!

Now for a set of cards that is super simple to mass produce.  I don’t know about you, but mass production is not my favorite way to stamp.  That being said, when I send Christmas cards, I usually try to make  3 or 4 designs and make 25-30 of each design.  This Scandinavian Christmas Background along with the Simply Said Christmas stamp set makes that really easy!

For these three cards, I’ve stamped the background in three different colors – Cherry Pop, and the new TE colors Blueberry and Cilantro and mounted them onto matching cardstock bases.  If I were mass producing 25-30, honestly I would have just done them all the same color, but I wanted to see how this would look in varying colors. This card just couldn’t be more simple, but the detailed background still makes it striking.

Next I decided to do one simple step-up by adding some black (one of my all-time favorite tricks.)

It might be a little hard to see in the photo, but for each card, I added a layer of black cardstock which makes the design pop a bit more.  I also switched out the scallop border from matching colored cardstock to black.

Then I decided to try one more step-up.

So easy!  I just added black silhouettes die cut from Woodland Silhouettes 1 and Woodland Silhouettes 2 and the previously released Eventful Night Before Christmas dies.

And now the card I created with the Pine Bough Background.  This one is cool because it’s not a full background, but rather covers about a third of the card.  It could be stamped twice – top and bottom to create a frame, or there is a companion die to cut it out and pop it up.  I took the simple approach on this one.

I used TE Watercolor cardstock for this one along with Ranger Distress ink cubes in several shades of green.  I started by spritzing the cardstock with water so it would be just damp.  Then I dabbed the ink cubes onto the stamp creating a variation in color and stamped onto the damp watercolor paper.  Once it was dry, I sponged the edges with ink.  I used the Merry Backer die to cut through the watercolor paper and then backed that panel with TE Basil cardstock.  Then the Merry Script die was cut from Basil cardstock 4 times and layered with the top layer being gold cardstock.  To finish off this card I went old-school with some green Kaisercraft rhinestones.

I’m telling you, these new backgrounds are AMAZING!  And not just for Christmas.  The buffalo plaid will make a great gingham in the spring and the Twiggy Background can really work year round.  Think about using the Pine Bough Background on camping related cards and scrapbook pages!

For a limited time, you can earn DOUBLE CRAFTY POINTS on the Big Background Bundle! Just create an account at the TE webstore and you’re automatically enrolled to begin earning crafty points with every purchase. You’ll receive 120 Crafty Points when you purchase our Holiday Big Background bundle! Offer valid on qualifying purchases made between 9am CDT on Thursday, October 4, 2018 and 11:59 pm CDT on Sunday, October 7, 2018. Crafty Points are only available on purchases made at www.tayloredexpressions.com.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  If you didn’t arrive from the TE Blog, please be sure to head over there for links to all the designers sharing projects today!  I feel so blessed to be included!

Today closes out the week-long Mega Celebration for the 10th Birthday of Taylored Expressions and I’m happy to play along with the TE Creative Team with one more card.  This is my very-first-ever eclipse card.

If I’m being totally honest, I didn’t really get the big deal about eclipse cards until I made one!  They are so cool in person! AND so fun to create using TE Caps Locks dies!  This is the new Caps Lock – Happy along with the Caps Lock Companion Happy Occasions stamp set.   I’m in love and will need more Caps Lock dies!  But first I need to make a bunch more cards with this one!  Taylor has a great short video showing you how to create an eclipse card.  In her video she uses multiple layers of cardstock, but for my card, I just used foam tape – either way works.

To create the background I used the Set the Scene Cloud Stencil Strips first and then the Here Comes the Sun stencil.  At the bottom I used the Set the Scene – Wave Stencil Strips.  This was just a ton of inky fun!  The beach/pool scene die is the previously released Eventful-Pool Party.  One thing I love about TE scenery dies like this one is that they are always carefully designed to fit a horizontal card at 5.5 AND also easily trimmed to fit a vertical card at 4.25″ without having to cut one of the elements awkwardly in half!

For the inside of the card I used the new sentiment stamp set The Inside Scoop – Birthday.  Earlier int he week, I used The Inside Scoop – Belated Birthday.  With these two sets on hand, I now have an arsenal of perfect sentiments for the inside of just about any birthday card!

Hop over to the TE blog for the hop list for today and check out the September release available now in the TE webstore!  Thanks for celebrating with us this week!

10 Years!  Wow!  Taylored Expressions is celebration 10 years this week since the very first release!  I am so proud of Taylor and everything she has accomplished.  I so clearly remember heading to house in Pasadena CA to help pack orders out of her garage after the first couple of releases.  I have been honored to be along for the journey working in lots of different capacities behind the scenes over the years, from participating in the original Bakers’ Dozen Design Team to now working in product development.  Taylor’s friendship is very special to me!

Today I’m especially excited to have helped coordinate a reunion of over 40 designers who have been a part of TE.  We’ve had fun catching up and stamping up a storm.  I hope you’ll hop around and see all the super fun cards everyone has created!  Everything starts at the TE blog where the links for the hop list are.

For my card, I really wanted to feature the new stamp set The Inside Scoop – Belated Birthday.  I don’t know about you, but I totally suck at mailing birthday cards and gifts.  I almost never forget a birthday, I just can’t get stuff mailed.  I hate that “sorry I forgot your birthday” sentiment in most belated cards.  I DIDN’T FORGET!   LOL!

So, here I paired the new sentiment set with the My Super Hero Stamp  Die Combo set.  I inadvertently used a retired die for the cityscape (because I am apparently incapable of following my own directions), however you could achieve a very similar look with the Downtown Border Die.

The background panels for both the front and the inside of the card were created using the Smoosh technique with TE liquid watercolors.

Here’s a look at the whole stamp set which was released just last night.  The entire TE September Mini Release is now available in the TE webstore.

I am also very excited about the new Share Joy campaign that TE launched just last week!

At the heart of Taylored Expressions is a mission to share joy through the gift of handmade cards. As part of their 10th birthday TE is continuing that mission with the launch of a special Share Joy campaign focused on providing birthday cards to those in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities across the U.S. To make as deep an impact as possible TE is inviting card makers everywhere to join the campaign. Will you join us? Find out how to participate by viewing their Share Joy page here: https://tayloredexpressions.com/share-joy

As some of you know, my 96 year old uncle broke his hip last year and was in assisted living for a few months.  We were fortunate that he was in a truly wonderful facility and I’m so happy that they will be receiving some of the cards from this campaign!  I do hope you’ll read the details and send in some cards!

Happy Birthday and Congratulations, Taylored Expressions!!!  I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years brings!  Now be sure to head over to the TE blog to continue the hop!

Happy Tuesday!  I’m here today to share a project for the Taylored Expressions November Sneak Peeks.  All new products will be available for purchase Thursday morning, November 2nd.  This release focuses on gift items you can create for holiday giving – especially calendars and notecard sets.  Anyone who has followed me for any length of time knows that I love to create sets of cards.  I’m not sure why, but I find it so satisfying.  For today’s project, I combined four different Big Bloom stamp images –  the new Hydrangea and Cabbage Rose,  and the previously released Daisy and Sunflower) along with the new sentiment set Friendly Phrases and two new dies – the Scallop Envelope Liner and the Double Ended Flag Stacklets.  I also used the new TE 6×6 paper pack Playful Patterns Bold.  Wanna see?

Taylor and I are actually showing very similar sets today.  When we are working on developing products, we often discuss ideas of how the products might be used, as we try to think of how they will work together and try to be sure we are not missing any elements we would want for projects.  One of the things we discussed as we were planning this release was these sets of notecards.  I had such a clear picture in my mind, that it was the first thing I needed to do when my box arrived! My set features the Bold colors with black and hers uses the Savory colors with kraft.

These cards really couldn’t be more simple – just heat embossed with white ink and white powder on Oreo cardstock and then attached to cardbases made from TE Bold cardstock assorted pack (chosen to match the the envelope liners cut from the Playful Patterns – Bold 6×6 papers.)  Various sentiments from Friendly Phrases were stamped and die cut with the new Double Ended Flag Stacklets dies.  This is so simple, that I actually created these while on a recent RV vacation!

These Blooms are GORGEOUS colored-in with Copics or watercolors, but there was no way I was going to make multiple card sets with coloring.  I just don’t have the time and plus, in all honesty, I’m really not all that great at coloring.  LOL!  I can do a decent job, but it’s just not my forte.  So, I really love how impactful these Blooms are in just black and white!

The addition of the patterned envelope liners really gives a special touch to a set of simple cards to be given as a gift.  And I also used a little bit of the same paper – left over from die cutting the liner – along with various dies to add some inside interest.

How about you?  Will you create some notecard sets for Christmas gifts?  They are fun and easy and everyone loves to receive them!

If you didn’t start at the Taylored Expressions blog, be sure to go there for links to all the Creative Team members who have projects to share today!  Thanks for stopping by!

The Taylored Expressions October Release is now available!  Before you head over to shop the Creative Team has some more inspiration for you!

When I opened my TE box of October goodies, the very first thing I grabbed to play with were If Snowmen Could Talk and the Snowed in Background!

I just had to make it a shaker!!  I stamped the new Snowed in Background in Sugar Cube and embossed with white powder.  Then I sponged on several colors of ink.  The background stamp has a circle in the design – perfect place to put a sentiment.  I die cut it out to make the shaker.  It was fun choosing a face for the Snowman – so many cute choices!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and Happy Shopping!

Happy Tuesday.  I’m jumping in to play along with the TE creative Team today to show some sneak peeks of the upcoming release of brand new Christmas products from Taylored Expressions coming your way Thursday morning.  I have such a hard time resisting pretty Christmas items!  Today I have samples featuring two of my favorites from this release.  Both of these products will be great for quick and simple Christmas cards that are still really special!

My first card features the new Nativity Cutting Plate.  I prefer to send Christmas cards that focus on the true meaning of the season.  It just doesn’t get any easier or prettier than this!

I used the new silver cardstock TE will have available on Thursday to die cut the Nativity Cutting Plate. Behind the nativity I stamped Oreo Cardstock with the Twinkle Twinkle Background stamp in Versamark and embossed with Kaleidoscope embossing powder.  It is amazingly sparkly in real life.  That was attached to a red card base.  So super simple!!!

My next sample features the new Little Bits – Dove.  I paired it up with an image from the previously released Laurels and a sentiment from the new Sleigh Bouquet.

This is a 4″ square card.  Stamping was done in Sugar Cube Ink and then heat embossed with the same Kaleidoscope powder I used on the first card (it’s my favorite embossing powder!) I also covered the white dove with Versamark and heat embossed it with the same sparkly powder.  The red panel was die cut with the Stitched Square Stacklets.  Again, super simple!

Can’t wait to see what the rest of the team has to share today.  Thank you so much for stopping by today!