Treats & Sweets: October Studio Challenge!

It's time for the Baker's Dozen Studio Challenge. Each month we have a fun, crafty question so we can share our favorites, some tips and tricks, stamping advice and more. 

The theme for October is:

Good things come in small packages!  The holiday season is upon us and between Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukah, and Christmas there are a ton of opportunities to create and give little treats, gifts, and party favors.  Please show us something you'll be giving this year.

And here is how I'll be treating some friends during this holiday season...

I am a fan of gift cards. Who doesn't like to get one? But, they can be a little impersonal, so why not dress them up right! I decided to create a little coordinating gift tin and card for a good friend of ours using these fun alterable hinged tins from Taylored Expressions!

By using the coordinating Gift Card Frame Die, I could very easily add some festive patterned paper to the tin, along with some cute twine. 

Isn't that die-cut candy cane sweet? And, it's shiny, too -- scroll down for some tips on how to use a die and glitter tape to get some perfectly perfect stripes!

I filled this tin with a gift card to a favorite local eatery. Yum!

I like to make matching cards when I give a treat and so I used the same patterned paper on this one as I did on the tin. I also added the same twine, but this time, I die-cut some holly leaves and punched out some berries. 

To create the perfectly striped candy cane, I used some fabulous glitter tape from American Crafts. I simply measured out some pieces and adhered them to a piece of printer paper (Bean Tip: if using wafer-thin dies like TE's, you will get a clean cut the first pass through if you use a thin backing paper like printer paper.) Then, I just zipped it through and voila! A happy cane!

BEAN NOTES

Stamps: Winter Wonderland (Taylored Expressions); Patterned Paper: North Pole (Doodlebug); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Fibers: Ladybug Twine (Doodlebug); Tools: Hole Punch (EK Success); Dies: Very Merry Outlines, Gift Card Frame (Taylored Expressions); Alterable: Hinged Tin (Taylored Expressions); Accents: White and Red Glitter Tape (American Crafts)

I hope you enjoyed my project today. What treats will you be making for the holidays? If you need more inspiration, be sure to check out the rest of the Baker's Dozen and see how they answered this month's Studio Challenge!

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Melody Rupple

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Cammie King (Guest Designer)

Share-A-Card: Holidays!

My Imaginisce teammates and I have been lucky enough to participate on a very wonderful project through the organization, Share-A-Card. We are creating holiday cards for this terrific organization that tries to brighten the holidays of the seriously ill. 

We recently moved back to California after a few very cold winters and this project got me thinking of all my friends who will be shivering through the holidays. I thought I'd create a card for someone who could use some warm winter wishes.

I combined the Makin' Waves and Christmas Cheer collections to make a fun, whimsical surfing Santa card. I love the darling canvas stickers and put them together for a jolly old elf who really knows how to 'hang ten!'

I do hope that you check out Share-A-Card -- if you have any cards hanging around looking for homes, it's a very worthy place to send them to.

BEAN NOTES

Patterned Paper: Makin' Waves and Christmas Cheer (Imaginisce); Stickers: Makin' Waves and Christmas Cheer Canvas (Imaginisce); Dies: Make a Snowflake Die (Taylored Expressions); Accents: button (generic); Stickles (Ranger); Cardstock: red (Bazzill); Fibers: red satin (generic)

The Cool Crowd...Taylored Expressions Spotlight Day!

This week has been so much fun with the new release from Taylored Expressions! Today is Spotlight Day and I was lucky enough to get to play with the new set, The Cool Crowd, which features a happy bunch of adorable snow people! 

I thought I would create a set of coordinating thank you cards -- after all, I always need a bunch on hand for all the wonderful gifts that our family receives during the holidays. I made them using the new Merry & Bright Project Pantry and I just love the bright, fun colors!

I used these picture perfect Make a Snowflake Dies. So sweet!

I paper-pieced just certain parts of the snow people, which made these quick and easy. I also accented each card with some liquid dimensionals -- Bean Tip: if you use varying pressure, you can get a pretty pattern, as I did here.

BEAN NOTES

Stamps: The Cool Crowd (Illustrated by Emily Burger for Taylored Expressions); Accents: White Liquid Pearls (Ranger), buttons (generic); Dies: Make a Snowflake Dies (Taylored Expressions); all patterned paper, card stock, and ribbon from Merry & Bright Project Pantry Kit

And the spotlight fun continues with more projects from the Baker's Dozen!

Charmaine Ikach

Jami Sibley - DT Coordinator

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Melody Rupple

Nancy McKinney - Illustrator

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Peppermint Place...Taylored Expressions Release Day!

Yay! It's Release Day at Taylored Expressions! It's been so much fun creating with these new products and today I get to show off the most darling little gingerbread house. It's called Peppermint Place and is part of the Adorable Abodes line and this is my new fave.

I made this one for my little guy, who has just as big a sweet tooth as his daddy. I colored with Copics before adding some sparkly glitter.

Aren't the wee gingerbread people cute? I cut them out, along with some candy canes and popped them up with dimensional squares.

I added this cute tag using one of the perfect little sentiments from the new set, Many Minis Holidays, which fit just right inside the Mini Tag dies. This one looked just like an ornament to me and I attched it to one of the ribbons included in the Handmade Holidays Project Pantry Kit.

All of the new Taylored Expressions products are now available in the Fresh Out of the Oven Department. Plus, there are some cool specials going on, too. Be sure to check the TE Current Specials page!

BEAN NOTES

Stamps: Peppermint Place and Many Minis Holidays (Illustrated by Doug Applegate and by Nancy McKinney for Taylored Expressions); Accents: Stickles (Ranger); Dies: Mini Tag Dies (Taylored Expressions); all patterned paper, cardstock and ribbon from Handmade Holidays Project Pantry Kit.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Release Day fun with the rest of the Baker's Dozen!

Carolyn King - Guest Designer

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Melody Rupple

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Merry & Bright...Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day Two!

Hey friends! It's the second day of sneak peeks for this month's Taylored Expressions Release and I have something fun and bright to share with you.

I love happy Christmas cards that use colors that aren't necessarily traditional. I used the new Very Merry stamp set, which has tons of darling images. It was kind of nice taking a break from coloring and the solid stamps were very easy to cut out with the coordinating dies! There is also a very cute "Merry" die that I used with the patterned paper in the Merry & Bright Project Pantry Kit.

Check out the scalloped dies that coordinate with the images in this set...fun, yes?

The new products will be available starting tomorrow,  Thursday, October 4th at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.

BEAN NOTES

Stamps: Very Merry (Taylored Expressions); Ink: Pear Pizazz, Pool Party, Pretty in Pink, Real Red, (Stampin' Up!); Accents: Stickles (Ranger); Dies: Very Merry Scallops and Very Merry Outlines Dies (Taylored Expressions); all cardstock and patterned paper from Merry & Bright Project Pantry Kit

In the meantime, be sure to check out the Baker's Dozen's creations today!

Carolyn King - Guest Designer

Charmaine Ikach

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Melody Rupple

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Wishful Thanks...Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day 1!

Happy Tuesday! It's day one of sneak peeks for Taylored Expressions and I have two projects to share with you today. 

The first one is a Christmas card I made with my mom-in-law in mind. I gave her one of these very cool Shadowbox Card kits for Mother's Day and I got to create one for this week's Release!

The inside of the kit is so lovely because of the depth and dimension. I used one of the beautiful sentiments in the new Rejoice! stamp set. 

Here is the outside of the assembled card. I used the new Label Stacklets 1 and another sentiment from Rejoice! 

The opened card is very striking -- the green holly and the cream holly are cut from the gorgeous new Holly Cutting Plate. I added some red Stickle holly berries and it really pops!

I just know that my mom-in-love will love this at the holidays!

Next up is a card I created with a really fun new set, Best Nests. 

This set is full of darling birdhouses and I used the sweet autumn house. Isn't it sweet? I created this card with my parents in mind. Thanksgiving is the most important holiday of the year to our family -- we always try to spend it together. I colored in the image with Copics and I cut it out using the Labels Stacklets one from the papers included in the new Handmade Holiday Project Pantry Kit.

Come back tomorrow for another sneaky peekie! Today, be sure to go check out the rest of the Baker's Dozen's creations. All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, October 4th at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.

BEAN NOTES

Merry Christmas Shadow Box Card

Stamps: Rejoice! (Taylored Expressions); Kit: Christmas Shadow Box Card Kit; Ink: Lady Bug Memento (Tsukineko); Accents: Stickles (Ranger); Dies: Labels Stacklets 1, Holly Cutting Plate (Taylored Expressions)

Grateful For You Card

Stamps: Best Nests (Nancy McKinney for Taylored Expressions); Patterned Papers, Ribbon and Cardstock: Handmade Holiday Project Pantry Kit (Taylored Expressions); Labels Stacklets 1 (Taylored Expressions); Coloring Medium: Sketch Markers (Copic)

Carolyn King - Guest Designer

Charmaine Ikach

Jami Sibley - DT Coordinator

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Melody Rupple

Nancy McKinney - Illustrator

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Holiday Charm

Happy, happy Monday! My fellow design team members have been spotlighting the super cute Snag 'Em Stamps by Imaginisce and today is my day! 

With the holidays coming up and all the entertaining that goes with it, I thought it would be nice to make a set of wineglass charms. These would also make a sweet hostess gift if you are the party-hopping type!

I adore these darling holiday images from the Christmas Cheer collection. I colored them and popped them up on some of the coordinating patterned paper.

I added some sparkly gems with my i-Rock tool to each gingerbread person...the perfect little touch!

I know it's only September, but those holidays will creep up on you before you know it!

Have a happy beany day!

BEAN NOTES

Imaginisce patterned papers : Candy Cane Forest, Be Jolly, Happy Winter), Snag 'em Stamps (Gingerbread Boy,Gingerbread Girl, Reindeer), I-Rock Tool, I-Rock Glam Rocks; Fibers: ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Punch: Snowflake (Martha Stewart Crafts); Accents: Pearl Brads (generic)