Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek Day: New Home

It's the first day of Release Week at Taylored Expressions and I am so lucky to get to play along with the talented Baker's Dozen! Today, I'm sharing a card I created with Welcome Home, Build a House and Neighborhood Border. Plus, keep reading on how you can enter to win some really cool prizes!

The new stamp set, Welcome Home, is so fun because you can create some really darling houses in different styles of architecture. Its companion die set, Build a House, made it very easy to "construct" my very own little dream house. (And how cute is that street lamp?!) With the Neighborhood Border, I created a clean, crisp background in white so that my little house really stood out from the crowd.

BEAN NOTES

Stamps: Welcome Home (Taylored Expressions); Dies: Neighborhood Border, Build a House (Taylored Expressions) ~ all available on Thursday, March 6, 2014

Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with some fabulous giveaways! Visit the TE Blog each Sneak Peek Day this week for details on how you can enter to win. 

You won't want to miss more projects from the Baker's Dozen:

Charmaine Ikach

Courtney Kelley

Jami Sibley

Jen Shults

Joan Ervin

Kendra Wietstock

Kerri Michaud

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Welcome Gnome...Taylored Expressions Release Day!

It's Release Day at Taylored Expressions! I have a really fun project to share with you using the new set, Welcome Gnome. 

The images in this set are so adorable that I thought I'd make a pop-up card to show off several of them in one card!

The front of the card features two of gnomes welcoming you "gnome." I also used the new Labels Stacklets 2.

When the card is opened, it reveals a whimsical pop-up scene, complete with a garden gnome peeking out of a pot, a mushroom house, and various other gnomish happiness.

The sign this little guy holds is from the new set, Many Minis - Occasions. Cute, huh?

Here's a shot of the pop-up mechanism. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I'll be using Signature Style on the back of my projects this week. Here is the darling frog -- what a great way to finish off any card!

BEAN NOTES

Stamps: Welcome Gnome, Many Minis - Occasions (Illustrated by Doug Applegate, Nancy McKinney for Taylored Expressions); Patterned Paper: Gnome Sweet Gnome (My Mind's Eye); Cardstock: Marina Mist, Pear Pizazz (Stampin' Up!), Solar Mist (Neenah); Fibers: red twill (generic); Dies: Labels Stacklets 2 (Taylored Expressions)

All of the new Taylored Expressions products are now available in the Fresh Out of the Oven Department.

Be sure to check the TE Current Specials page to find out how you can get the Crafty Expressions stamp set for FREE!

Charmaine Ikach

Jami Sibley (DT Coordinator)

Jen Shults

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Kerri Michaud (Guest Designer)

Melody Rupple

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Wanda Guess

Nancy McKinney (Illustrator)

Congrats On Your New Digs...

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My lovely sister-in-law just moved into a beautiful new condo and I thought I would send her a card to help welcome her home. I broke out my Cozy Cottages set from Taylored Expressions and chose the pretty old-fashioned farmhouse and colored it in with Copics. I paired it with the beautiful sentiment and some elegant patterned paper, finishing off with a fun stitched ribbon. I wish her all the best in her cozy new home!

BEAN NOTES

• Stamps: Cozy Cottages (Taylored Expressions)
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Lady Bug (Tsukineko)
• Cardstock: Choice Buttercream (TE); Riding Hood Red (Stampin' Up!)
• Patterned Paper: Kitsch (Girls' Paperie)
• Fibers: Stitched Grograin (generic)
• Accents: Flamingo Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

Dream Big & Treasure Life...TE Sneak Peek Day One!

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Today I have a two for Tuesday sneaky peeky for Release Week at Taylored Expressions, and it's all about dreaming and the future. This week, Taylor is releasing these two wonderful full-sized sets, Dream Big and Treasure Life, and both are perfect for marking some very special milestones in our lives.

It's hard to believe that June is just around the corner, and with it comes graduation! Dream Big is a terrific set that has many images that are just perfect for those big school moments, for your little one just finishing pre-school and beyond. For my card today, I wanted to create something for an older graduate, something sophisticated and elegant. To create it, I stamped and double-stamped two of the mortar board images to emulate the fun "tossing of the boards" event at the end of graduation -- my hubby would have loved this card, especially as he went all the way with school (he's the resident nerd in our family!)

If you love to collect beautiful things, you will have noticed that apothecary jars are fast becoming a special way to protect and display those items. The new set, Treasure Life, taps into that beauty and I created a card welcoming someone into their new home. Moving always means a fresh start, and I love the lemons that come with the set and placed them inside one of the many jars to choose from. Though I hand-trimmed this particular jar, there are coordinating dies to help speed you along your way!

BEAN NOTES
Hats Off to You Card

• Stamps: Dream Big (Taylored Expressions)
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Riding Hood Red Classic Dye (Stampin' Up!)
• Cardstock: Maraschino Textured (Bazzil); Basic Black (SU!); Solar White (Neenah)

Enjoy Your New Home Card

• Stamps: Treasure Life (Taylored Expressions)
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, London Fog (Tsukineko)
• Cardstock: Maraschino, Glow Textured (Bazzil)
• Patterned Paper: Stella Rose - Gertie (My Mind's Eye)
• Accents: Pearls (Kaisercraft)
• Dies: Lacey Squares Nestabilities (Spellbinders)
• Tools: Wide Oval Punch (SU!)
• Coloring Medium: Copie Sketch Markers

Be sure to stop by the rest of the Baker's Dozen for more sneak peeks of two sets that will be releasing this Thursday, as well as a very cool Apothecary Shelf and a new Impression Plate! I hope you enjoyed today's projects and come back tomorrow for some Mom's Day and more Grad Day fun.

• Charmaine Ikach
  Danielle Lounds
  Jackie Pedro
  Jami Sibley
  Jodi Collins
  Karen Giron
  Karen Motz
  Melissa Sauls
  Regina Mangum
  Sankari Wegman
  Taylor VanBruggen
  Tori Wild
  and illustrator, Nancy McKinney

Scrumptious Wishes...

to view the image up-close, please click on the photo

Our cousin, Katy, has a birthday in March and is also celebrating her husband's new job that will take their little family to Missouri. I thought I'd combine some good wishes for them with a card, and what better way than with a cupcake house from the Cozy Cottages set from Taylored Expressions? After stamping and coloring in the sweet abode, I was all ready to assemble my card and I thought it was missing something. Lucky for me, this week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge was to use scallops -- a scalloped circle was exactly what I was looking for and I had a cute card to send to our on-the-move cousins!

BEAN NOTES
Stamps: Cozy Cottages and sentiment from It's a Banner Day-1 (Taylored Expressions)
Cardstock: Parakeet (Bazzill) ; Textured from January Key Ingredients Kit (TE)
Patterned Paper: Cupcake Love (Little Yellow Bicycle)
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)
Coloring Medium: Sketch Markers (Copic)
Tools: 2" Scallop Circle Punch (EK Success)
Accents: Glossy Accents (Ranger); Diamond Stickles (Ranger)
Fibers: Ribbon from January Key Ingredients (TE)

Welcome Home...

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It has been so nice getting a chance to make cards again (though I am feeling more than a bit guilty that I am neglecting the old scrapbook!) This week, Moxie Fab is hosting a Stamping with Markers Challenge, and I thought I would try my hand. I wanted to see if I could use the same markers on the same image stamped several times and see if I could make them look different. I chose to use the cute townhouse from the Cozy Cottages set from Taylored Expressions, keeping the rest of the card very simple to really focus on the colored images.

I used the colorless blender from Copic to create three different rooftops, lighting up the middle house's windows and lamps to suggest a cozy home full of warmth and good cheer. I used a slightly darker gray on the facade of the townhouses to suggest some added texture and simply dotted along the sides. With some shading on the awnings, I tried to create a sense of roundness. A simple, fitting sentiment, and I had a card that brought back the pleasures of coloring!

BEAN NOTES

• Stamps: Cozy Cottages (Taylored Expressions)
• Cardstock: Solar White (Neenah)
• Coloring Medium: Sketch Markers (Copic)
• Dies: Labels 17 Nestabilities (Spellbinders)
• Tools: Grand Calibur (Spellbinders)

The Year Ahead...Taylored Expressions Release Day...

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It's Release Day at Taylored Expressions! As this is the first release of a brand new year, I thought it might be fitting to kick it off with a calendar, and when I saw this verse from the new set, Rest & Renewal, I knew it would make a lovely way to begin afresh. The 2011 Mini Calendar is from the TE Download store, and can be found here. For this calendar, I reduced the size of the calendar by 50%, which is easy to do in your pdf reader.

I stamped the verse onto a piece of vellum and framed it with the beautiful blooms in the new set, New Beginnings. To make this project more than just a calendar, I framed it within a nice wooden frame. Now I know that if I should ever feel like this year isn't going exactly as I planned, I can just look to this calendar for a reminder of what the future can hold.

BEAN NOTES

• Stamps: Rest & Renewaland New Beginnings (Taylored Expressions)
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Tempting Turquoise (Stampin' Up!)
• Cardstock: Choice Snow (TE); Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise (SU!)
• Specialty Paper: Vellum (generic)
• Fibers: Hawaiian Shores Saddle Stitch Ribbon (PTI)
• Templates: 2011 Mini Dated Calendar Download (TE)
• Alterables: Wooden Frame (Pottery Barn)

I hope you enjoyed this week of sneak peeks and Release Week projects. For more inspiration, please be sure to visit the rest of the Baker's Dozen, as well as this month's Guest Designer, Lea Lawson. The TE Store is now open! Enabler Alert: Taylor is offering a pretty sweet Valentine's Bundle that includes a free stamp set, which you can check out here! Happy New Year!

• Charmaine Ikach

  Danielle Lounds

  Donna Baker

  Jackie Pedro

  Jodi Collins

  Karen Giron

  Karen Motz

  Melissa Sauls

  Regina Mangum

  Sankari Wegman

  Taylor VanBruggen

  Tori Wild

A New Hive...

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My very lovely and talented sister-in-law, Lizz, has taken a big plunge. Having lived all her life in the same town, she has just moved into a new apartment in the heart of San Francisco. My sissy has so much style, flaire, and gorgeous good looks that she is sure to set the city all a dither. I wanted to make her a special card to help her celebrate the big move. 

I personally detest the act of moving, but I was inspired by this week's Scrappy Saturday Challenge to dig out some patterned paper from my massive stash. I also used the very cool sketch from the Everything But the Kitchen Sink Challenge, which I thought was a perfect way to show off the paper. The little bee has discarded its plain old hive for a new "upscale" and stylish abode, just like my fabulous sister. Good luck, sweet Lizz, on your new adventure!

SPILLING THE BEANS

1. Make card from cardstock.
2. Punch squares from cardstock and patterned paper. Adhere with glue.
3. Trim cardstock. Stamp sentiment and dotted pattern. Tie ribbon. Mat with cardstock and adhere.
4. Stamp bee and hive. Color and fussy cut. Adhere with foam tape.
5. Stamp hive on patterned paper. Fussy cut and adhere with foam tape.

BEAN NOTES

• Stamps: Garden Party Critters and A Year of Sweet Sentiments (Taylored Expressions)
• Cardstock: Basic Gray (Stampin' Up!); Choice Buttercream (TE)
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)
• Coloring Medium: Sketch Markers (Copic)
• Fibers: Ivory Satin Ribbon (Kate's Paperie)
• Tools: 3/4" Square Punch (EK Success)

HAPPY BEANS

• Patterned Paper: Togetherness (Cosmo Cricket)

New Digs...

to view the image up-close, please click on the photo

If you are looking for this week's 2S4Y sketch and card, please click HERE.

My lovely friend, Heather, and her darling family have finally moved into their new digs. I am so happy for them and I wanted to send them a little housewarming gift to help celebrate. To go along with it, I created a card inspired by this week's Mojo Monday sketch and the fun Scrappy Saturday "Celebrate Good Times" Challenge.

SPILLING THE BEANS

1. Make card from cardstock.
2. Trim yellow cardstock and adhere.
3. Trim light blue cardstock and adhere.
4. Trim light green cardstock, border punch, and adhere.
5. Trim green cardstock, border punch, emboss. Adhere.
6. Adhere light green cardstock strip. 
7. Stamp house on cardstock. Fussy cut and adhere. Paper piece roof.
8. Tie ribbon and adhere bow. Attach button with embroidery floss.
9. Die-cut cloud. Stamp sentiment and adhere with foam tape.

BEAN NOTES

• Stamps: Wonderfully Whimsical and Fillable Frames #3 (Papertrey Ink)
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko); Peach Parfait Classic Dye (Stampin' Up!)(
• Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Crushed Curry, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Pear Pizazz, and Whisper White (SU!)
• Tools: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder (Provo Craft)
• Fibers: Crushed Curry Grosgrain Ribbon(SU!); White Embroidery Floss (generic)
• Accents: Orange Button (Basic Grey)

HAPPY BEANS

• Dies: Clouds (PTI)