home SWEET home...Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day 1...

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Oh my goodness, 2011 is already in its second month and the year is off to a busy start. Today is the first of three sneaky peeks for Release Week at Taylored Expressions and I have a really fun project to share today. The TE Store will be carrying these darling acrylic die-cut frames, and I used one to showcase the soon-to-be released set, Cozy Cottages. This set is part of the TE Giving Tree program, with a portion of each sale of this set going to a favorite charity of mine, Habitat for Humanity! For the months of February, March and April, TE will donate $7 to Habitat for Humanity for each Cozy Cottages stamp set sold. Please note that the Giving Tree sets are the only TE sets that come in sheet form and will require trimming -- this makes for a larger amount to be donated to charity. Visit http://www.habitat.org/ for more information on this incredible organization.

the acrylic frame creates a "shadowbox" effect, allowing for multiple layers

a view without the acrylic frame

I was actually in need of a hostess gift for my mom-in-law, who just had us to stay for a visit. Her house always feels like "home" to us, so I created this little scene. Do you see the picket fence, the clouds, and the whimsical tree? -- ALL three are new Taylored Dies! It was hard to choose from among all the adorable houses in the set, but I finally settled on this pretty little farmhouse cottage, which I put on a bluff overlooking the sea. My mom-in-law loves birdhouses, so I included it, too, complete with sweet songbird. I applied some green flock to the hillside and some gravel that I had saved from our old backyard in Minnesota. All the elements were paper-pieced, and I think the sentiment was the perfect touch. The acrylic frame is wonderful, because it protects all the delicate pieces inside a crystal clear frame.

BEAN NOTES

• Stamps: Cozy Cottages (Taylored Expressions)
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko); Soft Suede Classic Dye (Stampin' Up!)
• Patterned Paper: Peek-a-Boo (October Afternoon)
• Cardstock: Textured (American Crafts); Soft Suede (SU!)
• Coloring Medium: Sketch Markers (Copic)
• Fibers: Hawaiian Shores Saddle Stitch (PTI)
• Tools: Dotted Wave Border Punch (EK Success)
• Alterable: Acrylic Shadowbox House Large Frame (Darcie's)

HAPPY BEANS

• Dies: Picket Fence, Whimsy Tree, and Cloud Duo Taylored Dies (TE)
• Other: Gravel (my old backyard!)

Last month, Taylor debuted the Tiny Chefs line of items that are perfect for the kiddos. This month, she has a terrifically fun coloring book, which my little rugrat got to play with. He is three, and agreed to let me photograph him in exchange for a chocolate bribe! He had fun getting to to color in the "shoe house" and this is a great way to let the wee ones in on all the creative fun. The images match the adorable ones found on TE stamps, and we both had a great time. Here are a few shots of my guy in action:

I hope enjoyed my project today. Don't forget to check out the rest of the Baker's Dozen for more sneaks into the new products debuting this week from Taylored Expressions! Hope you have a cozy day.

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  Taylor VanBruggen

  Charmaine Ikach
  Danielle Lounds
  Donna Baker
  Jackie Pedro
  Jodi Collins
  Karen Giron
  Karen Motz
  Melissa Sauls
  Nancy McKinney (our wonderful illustrator)
  Regina Mangum
  Sankari Wegman
  Tori Wild