Easter is On It's Way

Easter is practically here but can I admit that I am not happy when it lands in March? I can never seem to get prepared for it and this time is no exception. We've just been so busy with the house, a granddaughter's March birthday, church activities that it has been hard finding time to create. I usually do simple Easter baskets for my two granddaughters and goody bags for grand nieces and nephews for our Easter egg hunt at my aunt's farmhouse. Plus I like to color real eggs although I do have some plastic ones for back up. So far I have none of that done!

I also haven't completed the normal amount of Easter cards so I whipped up two simple ones yesterday.

First up, is a more masculine one. It's hard to see in my photograph but the cross was cut from gold mirrored cardstock. I just didn't take the time to get the camera in the right angle to see the metallic before I popped it in the mail. The cross was cut using a die from the Simon Says Crosses set and was attached to a white textured cardstock circle and topped with a Prima sticker from my stash. The circle was attached to a patterned paper wonky stitched rectangle with a layer of craft foam. The sentiment from the Simon Says Rejoice set was stamped directly onto the patterned paper using chocolate brown ink.

Products: Simon Says stamp and die, PTI dp and cs, Bazzill and Michael's cs, Prima sticker,  MFT dies and ink

I managed to capture some of the gold of the cross with this one. This time I used a die from the Paper Smooches Crosses set, placed on a wonky stitched circle using foam tape. The background was cut from textured cardstock and I embossed a larger wonky stitched circle and then added a strip of patterned paper. The sentiment from the Taylored Expressions He is Risen set was stamped directly onto the cardstock background. The cross/circle was attached with a layer of craft foam for more dimension.

Products: Taylored Expressions stamp, Bazzill, Michael's and PTI cs, MFT and Paper Smooches dies, Simon Says ink

I usually do the bunnies and chicks designs for the little ones but I like to make the more meaningful ones for the adults on my mailing list.

He Has Risen

I wanted to cap off holy week with this card.

I stamped the sentiment from the Taylored Expressions He is Risen set using Simon Says Dark Chocolate ink directly onto the card base. I cut the patterned panel on the diagonal along with the mat, wrapping Hemptique twine around it with a button before securing to the to the card. I die cut the cross and shroud from two different wood grain patterned papers using the Old Rugged Cross die set, then attached to the panel with dimensional tape.

Products: Taylored Expressions stamps and dies, Simple Stories and My Mind's Eye dp, PTI cs and button, Hemptique twine, Simon Says ink

I hope you have a blessed Easter.

Christ is Risen

I have another faith based Easter card for you today.

I started out by cutting the patterned paper background from a very subtle print and then cutting a circle out using a Lil Inker Designs Stitched die. I then used the largest cross from the Taylored Expressions Old Rugged Cross die set to create a cutout across the left side of the circle. I used it again to cut from patterned paper and then inserted in the cutout for an inlaid look and wrapped silver cord around the center. I used the cut piece to gauge where to stamp the sentiment from the Taylored Expressions He is Risen set directly onto the card base using Simon Says black ink. The image piece was attached to the stamped based with dimensional tape and I added a trio of enamel dots for embellishments.

Products: Taylored Expressions stamps and dies, Simple Stories dp, PTI cs, Paper Source cord, Doodlebug enamel dots, Simon Says ink

Thanks for stopping by!



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At the Cross

Today's card is a faith based one for Easter.

I used the Taylored Expression At the Cross 2 die to cut the cross from textured cardstock and then layered Berrylicious and Harvest Gold cardstock underneath it. It was then attached to a patterned paper rectangle cut with  a Lil Inker Designs Stitched die using dimensional tape. The image rectangle was then attached to the background mats also with dimensional tape. A stitched scallop piece was slipped underneath the rectangle and the cross was topped with a pearl for a clean and simple card.

Products: Taylored Expressions die, American Crafts dp, Bazzill and PTI cs, Kaisercraft pearl, MFT cs and dies

I also have a Bible Journaling page today. See how I got started on this post.

I am still just finding my way with this process. I have the luxury of not being in a hurry so I am going slowly. Today's page highlights Proverbs 16:9. Again I brushed the front and back of the pages with Liquitex Mat Gel Medium to help bleed through. I can't honestly tell if this is helping or not because I still have bleeding to the back but I suspect it would be worse if I didn't use it. After it dried I stamped the clock image (it's been in my stash for years) on the edge of the page using Ranger Archival Veridian ink.  I stamped the scripture over the clock with Hero Arts Wet Cement Shadow ink using the Proverbs 16:9 verse from the Verve Scripture Medley 3 set. I added some clock hands that I cut from charcoal cardstock with the Papertrey Ink Hands of Time dies. I rewrote the scripture using the New Living Translation. I really want my handwriting in my bible even though it's messy and not that legible.

I hope you enjoy what is left of the weekend.


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The Old Rugged Cross

I am interrupting TCP Sneak Peeks with today's card which is the first of several Easter cards I hope to get completed. My plans are to do both faith based and Easter bunny type cards. I am combining this with the current Color Throwdown Challenge (ctd333).

I started out by using the Taylored Expressions Stained Glass Cross Cutting Plate to cut the front from white cardstock and then matted it onto a green cardstock piece. I used the cutting plate two more times in order to cut the "stained glass" pieces, once from lilac and then the same green cardstock as the mat. I assembled the various stained glass pieces and then glued then down when I was satisfied with the arrangement of colors. This was in intensive process but  I was happy with the results. I used the largest cross die from the Old Rugged Cross die set to cut another cross from textured white cardstock and then centered it over the cross on the cover plate diecut, attaching with dimensional dots. I cut the draped cloth from the same die set from dark purple cardstock and attached to the cross.

I decorated the inside using a sentiment from the He is Risen set stamped onto a circle cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities.  I used one of the smaller crosses from the Old Rugged Cross die set to cut an insert on the circle as well as one from lilac cardstock. I layered the crosses and then attached the circle to a rectangle cut with purple cardstock.

Products: Taylored Expressions Stamp and Dies, Bazzill, PTI and Stampin' Up cs, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Simon Says ink

Have a great rest of the weekend!

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Miss You

I had this card ready to photograph and post for yesterday afternoon but frankly after I saw what happened in Boston, I could just not motivate myself to get it done. I just kept thinking. Not again. Not again. Please not again. My heart and my prayers go out to the people of Boston, especially to those people who have injured or lost loved ones. And a huge thank you to the first responders who did such a magnificent job of saving lives while risking their own.

So anyway, my card today features a stamp from the Taylored Expressions Let's Chat set. I really wanted a clean and graphic look, combining paper from the Fancy Pants The Good Life pad with  a chipboard arrow that I covered with patterned paper and an old school metal rim tag for the sentiment. 

Products: Taylored Expressions stamps, Fancy Pants dp, Maya Road chipboard, Kaisercraft pearls, My Favorite Things Die-namics, Copic Markers
Copics: R22, R24, R27, G0000, G000, G00, N1, N3, N7; Y11, Y15, Y35, W00, E81, W1, W2

At times like these I can't help but wonder that crafts and cards are too trivial to share. Yet I also know that allowing terrorists (whoever they are) to interrupt our way of life and take away the small pleasures gives them a win that we can't allow them to own. 


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Come Sail Away with Me

I confess to a serious nautical phase right now, assisted by the fab Fancy Pants Down by the Shore paper and the Taylored Expressions Bon Voyage stamp set.

I stamped the sailboat image onto Copics X-Press It cardstock, cut out with Spellbinders Nestabilities and then colored with Copic markers. I cut the cloud using The Cat's Pajamas Cloud Border CutUps and then stamped the sentiment on it. The waves were cut with the Taylored Expressions Wave Die and I wrapped bamboo twine around them and secured with a button. The red and white chipboard button is a coordinating piece from the Down by the Shore collection. 

Products: Taylored Expressions stamp and Die, Fancy Pants dp and chipboard button, PTI button, Basic Grey jewels, The Cat's Pajamas CutUps, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers
Copics: Sailboat-R22, R24, R29, W00, E81, B000, B01, B04, Y0000, Y13, Y15, Y35; Shadows-B0000, B000

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Just Cruisin' By

I have a quick post as I'm busy trying to get Easter preparations completed for a family gathering tomorrow. I have another card today using papers from my new Bazzill Basics Lucy's Crab Shack pad. I'm using the more nautical themed papers as opposed to the tropical colors and patterns from yesterday's post. I combined them with an image from the Taylored Expressions Bon Voyage set. I cut the waves using the Taylored Expressions Wave Border die and then wrapped them with hemp cord for a bit of texture. Very simple.

Products: Taylored Expressions stamp and die, Bazzill Basics dp, My Favorite Things Die-namics, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers
Copics: Ship-C00, C1, YR30, YR31, B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, R22, R24, R27; Shadows-B0000, B0000

I hope you are having a fabulous Easter weekend.

All That Scraps previews start tomorrow!

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Christmas Mini Cards X 3

Have you been participating in the Member Company Love Fest challenges going on over at Splitcoaststampers? You still have time as projects do not have to be completed until Feb 28th. Lots of fun prizes to be had!

I really haven't had much time to participate but the Taylored Expressions challenge to make a set of 3x3 or smaller cards really caught my attention as I had so much fun making this set for the All That Scraps blog a couple of weeks ago. It was hard to decide what direction to go since I have several TE stamp sets but I finally decided to make some Christmas gift card enclosures using the Taylored Expressions Wings of Joy set. It also helps me with my goal to create at least one Christmas card/project every month. I started out by stamping, coloring and fussy cutting out the images. I then cut the card bases using the Spellbinders Nestabilities Lacey Squares set then the mats and background papers to fit. I assembled the cards adding a snowflake cut with the Taylored Expressions Make a Snowflake dies for each, some bling, a sentiment stamped with Fresh Ink (Strawberry) and some shiny highlights with Ranger Glossy Accents. All the paper came from the Carta Bella Merry and Bright 6x6 pad.

Products: Taylored Expressions stamps and dies, Carta Bella Blvd dp, Oriental Trading Co jewels, Ranger Glossy Accents, My Favorite Things Die-namics, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers
Copics: W00, E81, YR30, YR31, BG70, BG0000, BG10, BG11, YG0000. YG21, YG23, G40, G43, G46, RV00, R81, R83, RV32, RV35, R37, R20, R22, R24

 Have a great rest of the weekend.

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Bonjour Couture

Hi everyone. Today's card is for the very last Sketch for You to Try as Jen has decided to take a break. I think this sketch is closed already but I really wanted to participate anyway in honor of all Jen's great sketches over the years. 

The sketch gave me the perfect opportunity to use one of my new stamp and die sets from Taylored Expressions, Bonjour Couture. I stamped and cut out the three dressforms, positioning them on the main image circle, using dimensional dots on the center one. The paper is all from the Pebbles Seen and Noted pad which is a real favorite of mine. 

Products: Taylored Expressions stamp and die set, Pebbles dp, C.C. Designs sentiment, PTI twill ribbon, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Spellbinders Nestabilities

I hope to see you back here on December 31 for the start of the C.C. Designs and Sweet November previews for All That Scraps.

On the Eighth and Ninth Day of Christmas.....

Good morning. It's time for the gifts 8 and 9 of my 12 Days of Christmas series.

12 Days of Christmas: My step-granddaughters in North Carolina at age 8 and 10 are right on the cusp of no longer believing in Santa Claus. Twelve days of small packages arriving in the mail will {I hope} help keep Christmas a magical time for just a little longer. It's purely for fun and not really about the gifts.

I originally wanted to end my 12 days series with these two gifts since they are the only ones with any real monetary value but due to some travel plans on the recipients end and time constraints on mine, I had to rearrange things. I also decided to combine these in the same package since they go together. So first up is a gift 8,  fun and girlie Christmas socks. I decided to make paper sock cuffs very much like how you see them in the store except I jazzed them up a bit of course. I cut a piece of sturdy patterned paper 2.75 x 9 inches, then scored it at 3, 3.5, 6.5 and 7 inch marks. After decorating the front with a rosette cut with The Cat's Pajamas Easy Rosettes and a small stamped pieced I then wrapped them around the top of each sock set and secured with staples.

Products: Taylored Expressions stamps, The Cat's Pajamas CutUps, Basic Grey and Authentique dp, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Copics: YG01, YG23, YG25, R22, R27

Gift 9 is matching Christmas pajamas. I just simply wrapped various ribbons and trims around each set and then attached a paper snowflake cut with The Cat's Pajamas Snowflake CutUps.  

Products: The Cat's Pajamas CutUps, Ribbon, Authentique dp 

Can you believe Christmas is a week away?

Vintage Style

Good morning. I hope you are enjoying your weekend. It's a beautiful spring day here. It actually got a little too warm yesterday. I really thought we might have to turn on the air conditioning at one point. We're trying to postpone that as long as we can though since the long hot summer days of it running practically 24 hours a day will be here soon enough.

I am double dipping on challenges with today's card. I followed the Mojo Monday Sketch(182) and also submitting it for the new Taylored Expressions Grand Opening Gallery Challenge on Split Coast Stampers. I stamped the spools of thread image from the Taylored Expressions Sew Happy set onto a small circular piece of Copic X-Press It blending card and then colored with Copic markers. I stamped the TE dressform image onto patterned paper and cut it out. I then stamped the button card image from the PTI Button Boutique stamp set onto Copic X-Press It blending card. I "aged" both image panels with Tim Holtz Fine Linen distress ink to give it more of a vintage look.  

Products: Taylored Expressions stamps, Papertrey Ink stamps, cs,dies, buttons and doily die, My Mind's Eye dp, Memrie Marie seam binding ribbon, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Copics: BG70, BG72, BG75, Y21, Y23, Y26, E40, E41, E42, W00, W1

I hope you have a great Sunday. See you back here soon.

Family

I'm still on a campaign to use my un-inked stamps and this Taylored Expressions Sew Happy Petites set is one of them. I stamped the spools of thread and tape measure onto Bazzill Simply Smooth cardstock and colored with Copic Markers. After coloring the images I cut out with a Nestie lightly inking around the edges, then placed a Crate Paper rub-on in the corner. I stamped the dressform onto patterned paper, cut out and then adhered to the image panel with pop dots.

Products: Taylored Expressions stamps, Crate Paper dp, cs diecut and rubon, PTI buttons and cs, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers


Copics: Tape measure-Y21, Y23, Y26; Thread-R35, R37, R39, B000, BG72, BG75; Spool Tops/Shadows-W00, W1, W2

Have a great weekend.

There's a Show for That

Happy Valentine's Day! Although I have to say I am Valentined out at least as a cardmaking category. I started making them in December for an early January deadline for donation so I am more than ready to move on to some other event. Which is why you are not seeing one from me today.

I've had these petite stamps from Taylored Expressions for a while now and thought it was time to get them inked up. Now when I say petite, I mean really really little. As in the button jar alone is only 1 1/2 inches tall. It makes for some detail coloring. I combined two of the images within this set - my favorite hoarding type crafty products, buttons and ribbon. After stamping, I cut with a Spellbinders Nestie with a bit of out of the box action with the ribbon. I colored with Copic markers and then placed the circle back into the die and sponged around the top portion with ink. I followed February's Sketch for You to Try for the basic design of the card. And of course I had just had to use the accompanying sentiment "There is a show for hoarders!". Speaking of hoarders, do you ever watch that show? It totally grosses me out but at least after watching it, I usually get in the mood to clean and declutter. 

Products: Taylored Expressions stamps, Crate paper dp and twill, My Favorite Things Die-namics, PTI cs and buttons, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic markers

Copics: Buttons/Ribbon-BG0000, BG10, BG11, BG13, YG0000, YG11, YG13, R30, R32, R35; Ribbon spools-E51, E53, E55; Jar and Shadows-W00, W1, W2; Jar lid-C1, C3, C5





I hope you are off to a great start this week. Thanks for stopping by.

Hangin' Out at the North Pole

I finally got my hands on my The Girl's Paperie Tinsel and Twig patterned paper. I violated my no new Christmas paper policy because of it but it was just too beautiful to pass up. I combined it with the fun Taylored Expressions Hangin' Out at the North Pole set. I colored all my images with Copic Markers and then cut them out.  I strung the red jute across the two poles for my clothes line and "hung" the clothing pieces with some tiny photo anchors acting as clothespins.

(Click to enlarge)

Products: Taylored Expressions stamps, The Girl's Paperie dp, My Favorite Things Die-namics, Kaisecraft pearls, May Arts ribbon and jute, PTI felt, Flower Soft, Rangers Stickles, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Copic Markers


Copics: R22, R27, R29, G20, G21, G24, Y11, Y21, Y23, B0000, E50, E51

I do feel better than I did a few days ago but I've learned from past experience that I have to be patient and rest. Otherwise my common cold gets way out of control and I wind up sick and exhausted all during the holidays.

Ho Ho Ho

I am off to a late start this Monday morning but I do have another Christmas card to show you today. All the paper used on this project is older Carolee's Adornit and Heidi Grace but the stamps are new. When I started making my Christmas cards back in July I discovered that I really didn't have that many holiday stamps - at least not the ones I could use with my Copics. So what stamp budget I have has been spent on rectifying that. The stamps used today are from the Taylored Expressions Hangin' Out at the North Pole set. I generally followed this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch for the basic layout. I think I need to practice working with reds more beccause Santa's suit looks like the day after Christmas deliveries. I used a combo of Flower Soft and Stickles for the fluffly trim.

Products: Tarylored Expressions stamps, Carolee's Adornit and Heidi Grace dp, Doodlebug stickers, May Arts ribbon, Flower Soft, Rangers Stickles, Copic Markers

Copics: N1, N5,N7, N9, R27, R29, R46, YR23, 0

That's it for today.  I hope your Monday has started out more productive than mine.

O Christmas Tree Crate Paper Style

Do you remember right after my Christmas in July month when I said I was going to do a Christmas card each week until I had all my cards all done for this year?  I haven't.  Do you also remember when I said I would not buy any new holiday paper this year because I had so much already?  I have.  Although not as much as I have in the past. I just really couldn't resist the new Crate Paper Snow Day so I purchased the 6x6 pad along with the matching chipboard. Love that the paper is double-sided so you really get great value from that little pad! Plus there are so many patterns which can be used for non-holiday themed cards. However, unlike other 6x6 pads, the patterns have not been scaled in size; they are simple 12x12 sheets cut into 4 pieces.  Most of the designs are small anyway though so it really didn't effect the design process for me. 

To make up for the fact that I've been a real slacker on the Christmas card front, I have 4 to share with you today with even more coming later on in the week.  Today's set feature a tree theme.

First up is a card I made for the current Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge; however, I did flip the sketch to make a portrait style card rather than landscape. I stamped the Christmas tree image from the Taylored Expressions Wings of Joy set with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Bazzill Simply Smooth cardstock, then colored with Copic Markers. I trimmed around the image and mounted it onto a matted circle created with Spellbinders Nestabilities.   

All the rest of the cards were created using the matching Snow Day chipboard as the centerpiece.

Products: Taylored Expressions stamp, Crate Paper dp and chipboard, PTI cs and buttons, Kaisercraft jewels, May Arts ribbon, , Bazzill Basics embossing folder, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Copics: YG23, YG25, YG17, R32, R35, R37, BG10, BG11, BG13, Y21, Y23, YR23, YR04

Have a great week!  Later!