It’s time for another fun Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge (TESC92).  I realize that many of you have never played a sketch challenge of any kind before and I really hope you’ll give it a try.  Just use the sketch as your jumping off point.  It really makes stamping so much easier and sketches are always fun to play with!  If you upload your creation to your blog or SCS gallery, you can link it to Taylor’s sketch post anytime during the week.  Click here to go to Taylor’s blog for all the info. You might even get chosen to be featured in her Top Crops.

For my card today I wanted to use the TE November 20th Key Ingredients being released today.  This KI features some rich and beautiful Basic Grey papers and I’ve been dying to use them with Celebrate Life (released at TE earlier this month.)

All the paper, cardstock, ribbon, rhinestones are from the November 20th KI.  The image was stamped in white craft ink and embossed with white powder.  I added some Frosted Lace Stickles for sparkle and dimension.

So let’s see what the rest of the Sketch Crew has cooked up today:

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a fantastic weekend ahead!

Before these boxes came along I was struggling with various methods of storing unmounted stamps - both clear and rubber.  I just wasn’t completely happy with any of the methods I had tried.  For me, the Mini Binder Box was the BEST universal solution for my unmounted stamps.  Of course the TE stamps come on a full color panel ready to just slip into the box, but I was so happy that Taylor also has the plain panels available for purchase so I could easily store my other unmounted rubber AND my clear sets.   I find that I can get 4 panels in a box storing rubber on thick EZ foam and 6 panels in a box storing clear stamps.

BUT WAIT - THERE’S MORE!  The Mini Binder Box and plain storage panels are perfect for storing all shapes and sizes of Spellbinder’s dies!  Above you see my MBB customized for my Spellbinders and below you can see a close up of one of the panels with strips of adhesive magnets (available in rolls at Michael’s) to hold the dies..  I know how difficult it is to get the full concept of these boxes just through photos, so my hubby helped me make my very first video.  *GRIN* I hope you find it helpful.  Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think about the video and feel free to ask any questions you might have about the Mini Binder Boxes.

 ETA: And in honor of our Center of Attention product spotlight, the Mini Binder Box is an additional 15% off today and tomorrow (November 16-17) so don’t delay and pick yours up for just $8.46 each!

And now let’s check out what the rest of the girls have to say about the Mini Binder Box today:

And I want to wish a very Happy Birthday to Nancy McKinney!  Huge HUGS to you, my UBER talented friend!!!

And Happy Monday to everyone!  Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Friday!  Time for another Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge - TESC91.  I have to say that I think Wings of Joy is my current favorite stamp set.  I seem to want to pick it up almost every chance I get!  And I’m loving the color combo of sage, coco and real red…it’s just so yummy!

Today’s card actually came after a project I designed for my classes this week.  I haven’t had a chance to photgraph it yet, but it’s a gift card holder and my sample today coordinates with it.  I came across this retired SU sage dp in my stash and it was my jumping off point.

The cocoa panel was run through my Cuttlebug with the snowflake embossing folder and then sponged with white craft ink.  The birdhouse was stamped and colored twice with copics.  The 2nd image was cut out and popped up on foam tape.  The snow was covered with Dazzling Diamonds glitter adhered with my trusty Sakura Quickie Glue pen.  I used circle nesties and the white circle was sponged with cocoa ink.  The sentiment “from our house to yours” was stamped in Brilliance Chocolate ink for a little shimmer and the card was finished off with some KaierCraft chocolate pearls and a big red grosgrain bow.

I continued the decoration to the inside a la Denise/peanutbee.  I’m addicted to finishing off the insides of cards now and I’m sad when I run out of time before I get that part done!

Now it’s time to check out what the rest of the Sketch Crew has cooked up today:

My class yesterday afternoon was sooooo much fun!  I’m really looking forward to the second session tonight!  I just love to see people learning about stamping and having those little *aha moments* as they explore their creative side!  Thanks for stopping by!

Here’s a set of cute and simple Christmas tags in a box made with the Big Shot matchbox die.  To go along with the tag set we’ll also make a little 3×3 card with envelope.  Fun, huh?  That matchbox is seriously tiny which is oh-so-fun!  This is my first time using it - so many possibilities. 

I still have a couple of spots open for Friday night - if you want to come I need to know by tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. I’d love to have you!

I really have to run, thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day!

My November Stampin’ Classes are this week, so I wanted to give you a little preview of one of the three projects we’ll be creating.  I’ve been wanting to do skinny notepads for a really long time.  I’ve always loved the ones Michelle Wooderson creates and I finally got motivated for this class.  I have two versions and since I’m holding two sessions of class, we’ll do one at each session.

Aren’t they cute?  They would make a great little party favor or gift for co-workers, neighbors, etc…or just for yourself to keep in your car or purse during the busy holiday season.

I was tempted to order the new notepads from PTI, but honestly just didn’t get around to it.  I went to Staples and bought a 12 pack of Jr. Legal pads and had their copy department cut the whole stack in half.  When all was said and done including tax and the cutting fee, the skinny pads cost me about .44 each for a total of 24 and they are double the thickness of the ones PTI sells…so I’m happy.

In class we’ll be making 3 projects and I’ll share another one of them tomorrow. 

Registration for class is just $12.

Thursday November 12 at 12:30 in the afternoon - this class is sold out, but let me know if you want in as I might have one spot open up this afternoon.

-OR-

Friday evening November 13 at 7:00 pm  - I have a few spots still open for this session and will take registration through Wednesday morning at 10 am when I will begin cutting and prepping.

Please call or e-mail me if you’d like to come.  I’d love to have you!

All of the cardstock, designer paper and ribbon are from the Spa Key Ingredients.  The stamped frame and flowers are from Luxurious Labels and the sentiment is from Celebrate Life (I just LOVE that font!)  Circle was cut with a nestie and scallop border was punched with my SU punch.  I shadow stamped the sentiment using a stamp-a-majig to stamp it a 2nd time slightky off with gray ink for the drop shadow effect.  I added some KaiserCraft dark pink rhinestones and some faux stitching to finish it off.  Yes - I’m probably the last stamper on earth not using a sewing machine yet on my cards…the Janome Sew Mini is officially on my Christmas list (uh…Honey?  or Mom?  you guys reading?)

I have to say that working with a Key Ingredients kit always shortens the time it takes to make a card.  With all the coordinated products right there things go so smoothly.  And with this particular KI, I was so surprised at how many really different looks you can achieve with the same kit.  I really noticed that as I checked out all the samples created by the Baker’s Dozen girls this week.

Now let’s see what the rest of the Sketch Crew has cooked up today:

and of course hop over to see Taylor and get the sketch and play along!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fantastic weekend!

I’m excited to share a couple of samples from the new set Celebrate Life.  This stamp set by Nancy McKinney is really unlike any previous TE set and it’s GORGEOUS.  It’s so fun to watch TE grow!  

My first card is based on Karen Giron’s Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #42.  I love making mini tall cards and this sketch seemed perfect for a simple card with a little punch.  My late night photo just doesn’t do this card justice.  The big dandelion image was inked with Really Rust ink and then dabbed with Champagne Frost shimmer paint using a sponge before stamping it onto Poison Ivory cs…so it has a beautiful shimmer in real life which is what really *makes* this card.  Card base is Really Rust and the Parisian border punched (EK Success) accent is More Mustard.  Some KaiserCraft rhinestones add a little bling.

This card is 3.25″ x 6.5″ (made from a 6.5″ square) so it fits into a small open ended envie.  I stamped the corner of the envie so it will be ready to go when I want to mail this card.

My next card features one of the open line images in this set - the pumpkin.  I just love the little curly-q vines on this bold pumpkin.  Once again I stamped on Poion Ivory cs - this time with Memento Rich Cocoa ink.  I watercolored the pumpkin with ink from my SU markers scribbled onto a CD, picking up the ink with an aquapainter.  The image was die cut with a Spellbinders Label 1 die and Mustard ink was sponged with the die still in place.  I added some green Tiny Twinkles to the vine.

Card base is More Mustard, layered with Old Olive.  The dp is Really Rust from a SU hostess pack of 6×6 dp.  The placement of the sentiment was all about saving my watercolored pumpkin after a little mishap with my stamp-a-majig.  I never recommend stamping a sentiment on an already colored and die cut panel, but sometimes I just have to live dangerously.  This time being in a hurry did not pay off!  But I was not willing to trash my focal image and start over so you see my attempt to cover my mistake.  I’m actually pretty happy with the final result - even if the sentiment isn’t in the exact spot I would have liked.  LOL!

Taylor an dthe Baker’s Dozen are all featuring Celebrate Life on their blogs today - let’s check it out!

If you want to see all the new offering at Taylored Expressions today just head over to the Fresh Out of the Oven Department where you can see it all in one place!  Thanks for stopping by today.

Yep  - she’s a hot dog!

She’s really been a good sport about having her costume put on her whenever we’ve had friends over the last couple of weeks, but I think she got a little tired of the whole thing during our photo session this morning.  LOL!  I’m actually getting ready to put it on her one more time to take her over to visit Curt at our friends’ scary house.

R.B was begging to have his photo taken when I was working with Tessa this morning (he kept saying “HI!” and blowing kisses) so, although he and Beaker don’t have costumes, I snapped a couple of quick pics of them to share with you as well….

R.B. (short for Red Bird) our Green Wing Macaw

and

Beaker our Red Fronted Macaw

(he plucks some so he’s partially nekkid, but I still think he’s beautiful!)

So that’s our whole flock…yes we consider Tessa part of *the flock* since the birds were here loooong before her!  OK - I’m off to take her trick or treating.  LOL!

 

Happy Friday!  Boy oh boy has this been a busy week and it’s not over yet!  I was excited to sit down and get creative for the TESC this week!  I even managed two very different Christmas samples, before I remembered that I had wanted to make a Halloween card for today’s sketch.  D’oh!  I even knew which stamps I was going to use.  After spending time to make these 2 cards, there was none left to go back and start over on Halloween.  Oh well!  Maybe tomorrow morning - we’ll see.  Either way you’ll need to come back to see Tessa in her Halloween costume!

The first card I have to share is a fun 4.25″ square card featuring an Anna Wight Whipper Snapper stamp set (try saying that 10 times fast!) called Cozy Critters.  I love Anna’s whimsical style - especially her drawings of all sorts of animals.

*Christmas Fishes*

I took my color scheme from the retired SU designer paper.  Card base is Certainly Celery layered with Basic Black and then Purely Pomegranate.  The fish were stamped on TE Choice Snow White cs and colored with Copic markers and the scarves were highlighted with a Spica glitter pen.  That entire panel was covered with Crystal Effects.  I used a small brush to spread it in streaks to look more like moving water and I added 3 clear Taylor Tots as bubbles.  Mr Penguin was also colored with Copics, his scarf glittered with Dazzling Diamonds, and he was cut out and popped up with foam tape.  The sentiment was stamped repeatedly on Bashful Blue.  Three blue Tots finish off the corners of this silly happy card.

*Peace on Earth*

As I looked at the sketch, it occurred to me that the nativity scene from TE Christmas Blessings would work wonderfully for the main image, so I created this 5″ square card with Sahara Sand, Taken with Teal and Basic Black.  The stamp was inked up with Taken with Teal Classic ink and then dabbed with Frost White ShimmerPaint before stamping onto the Sahara Sand cs.  This gave a subtle shimmery look that doesn’t really show up in the photo.  I used my old Fiskars deckle edge scissors to trim around the image.  Originally I thought of using a CB embossing folder on the teal panel, but it’s a little too big.  Then I saw my Medallion stamp sitting out and realized it would make the perfect background stamped off the top corner in Teal ink.  The dp is from the SU 6×6 hostess pack.  Final touch are some black Kaiser Craft pearls.  This would be very “do-able” to mass produce for Christmas cards and could be done in a number of different color schemes.

After I was finished, I realized that I had used black on both of these cards to provide the contrast or *pop* I needed.  Goes back to my old adage of Fall Back on Black - whenever a card seems to just *need something*, try some black cardstock!

So now it’s time to see if I’m the only one who didn’t make a Hallowen card for today’s challenge…let’s check out what the rest of the Sketch Crew has cooked up -

I’m off to work.  Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Friday!  It’s been a busy busy week and I was so happy to carve out a little time to create a card for Taylor’s sketch today -TESC88.  And I’m so excited to welcome the four new members of the Sketch Crew - Lisa, Melissa, Alice and Rachel. 

Earlier this week I was inspired by a gorgeous card I saw on Tosh’s blog.  I couldn’t get it out of my mind and just had to create something with an embossed frame.  I can’t believe I’ve never used my nesties to make a frame before - it’s so cool.  I have to say though that I think I may have ruined my favorite CB embossing folder by putting the frame in it with the dies still on it - uh oh.  I need to run over to eclectic Paperie and see if they still have this folder!  This is one of those cards that is just so much prettier in person, that I almost hate to even post this photo.

I used three types of cardstock for this card.  The base and all of the ivory pieces are Posion Ivory Shimmer - so elegant!  The reddish/burgundy panel is also a shimmer cardstock - I don’t remember what it’s called, but I got it at Paper Zone on a Portland trip 2 years ago.  There is also a tiny bit of Handsome Hunter cardstock - just the one layer panel peeking out.  I cut an ivory panel with a circle nestie and then embossed it with an SU embossing folder.  Then I sponged Champagne Mist shimmer paint (SU Holiday Mini) on that circle - it’s supah sparkly!  The frame was cut using 2 of the label 1 nesties and a magnetic mat.  (I bought that magnetic mat a long time ago and this is the very first time I’ve used it.)  The frame is popped up on Taylor’s foam tape.  The dove from TE Christmas Blessings was inked with SU markers and then sponged with the Champagne Mist paint before stamping it on to Poison Ivory cs.  I cut it out and popped it up on Taylor’s double thick foam tape.  I punched some holes and threaded some burgundy organdy ribbon for the 3 square elements on the sketch.  The bow was attached with mini glue dots.  This was such a fun card to work on!  Hope you like it!

Now it’s time to see what the rest of the Sketch Crew has cooked up:

Be sure to check your e-mail today for the latest newsletter (written by yours truly) from Taylored Expressions for all the TE scoop!  One thing you’ll want to note for sure is the sale today through Sunday on all Halloween sets and the Halloween KI - 20% OFF!  Also TE has a new Storage Solution available today - see it here - I’ve already been using these for a little while and am so excited to see them available to everyone in the store.  Trust me - you need some of these!  And they are offered at an Introductory Sale Price just through Sunday.

Hope you have a great day and an awesome weekend.  Thanks for stopping by!