Sweet Summer

Watermelon is a quintessential summer food, and boy do I love it. I usually add salt to my watermelon, but know that not everyone does.  Is that just a Southern thing?

I used the super cute girl with a watermelon slice stamp from the Pure Innocence Sweet Summertime stamp set (retired) from My Favorite Things as the focal point.  After coloring the girls with Copic markers, I used the coordinating dies to cut them out.

I then used some random patterned paper and cardstock to layer into a watermelon inspired background. To complete the watermelon look for the background, I used the raindrops from the Taylored Expressions Falling Rain die (retired) as seeds. 

To finish off the cards, I used the punny sentiments from the stamp set on fishtail flags that I found on my desk.

Have a good day.

Kayla

Pool Party - Oh Bouy!

My youngest nephew turned 5 earlier this month. For his first 4 birthdays, he had a pool party, so I thought the Pool Party stamp by Taylored Expressions set was perfect for his card this year. And the little boy looks so much like my nephew, so it seemed like fate. Ironically, he decided he wanted a bounce house party this year instead of a pool party...so that means that he received a pool party for his ONLY non-pool party birthday.

Since I was making one Pool Party card, I decided to make a second card with the little girl as well. I started by selecting Mint Julep and Jelly Donut as the color scheme.  I then stamped the images and colored them with Copic markers, based on the color scheme. I used Mint Julep and Jelly Donut inks to blend from the bottom of 2 card fronts and faded them to white about 1/3 to 1/2 way up, and then used the Rays Pierce and Cut Plate to finish off the backgrounds.

I used some water patterned paper from my stash to cut a Stitched Oval Stacklets die to use as the focal point of each card.  After gluing the images to the water, I added an the beach ball to the water and punny sentiment from the stamp set.  I finished off the card with some Rainbow Enamel dots and other colors from my stash.

I finished off the second card with a similar layout, but used the pool ladder as the accessory item to balance the card.

Have a good day.

Kayla

Happy Birthday Gnomie!

As of late, my younger sister loves gnomes.  I wanted to make her a card for her birthday this week, and thought that the Taylored Expressions Like Gnome Other stamp set would be perfect! 

I started by stamping this cute little gnomie and and coloring her with Copic markers.  I then used the Frame in Frame 3 Cutting Plate (June Gift with Purchase) to cut out 3 of the largest frames (to stack for some depth) and one of the 3rd largest frame from Sugar Cube cardstock.  I lightly blended some Cookie Monster ink onto the center piece of the 3rd largest frame to act as our focal point.  I stamped the sentiment directly onto the focal point piece and added some die cut Layer It - Toadstools cut from Guava, Watermelon, and Blue Raspberry cardstock. I used the Pierced Circles Cutting Plate on Guava cardstock to add a pop of color to the background. To finish off the card, I added some Rainbow Enamel Dots from Taylored Expressions and some from my stash.

Have a good day.
Kayla

The Bees Knees - Part 2

I just wasn't done with The Bee's Knees Cardmaking Kit from Taylored Expressions! While I was on my drive home from work yesterday, I had an idea for a card using the extra pieces from my all day crafting session over the weekend.

This card started with blending some Lemon Meringue ink from the bottom left corner towards the top right corner, leaving a lot of white space. I stamped the 'just bee-cause' sentiment from the kit directly on the background, and added a black honeycomb die cut, partially filled with the hexagons cut from Lemon Meringue cardstock. I added 3 of the stenciled and die cut bees, 1 large and 2 small. Finally, I framed the background with a Petite Scalloped Rectangle of Oreo cardstock before gluing the entire thing down to a card base.

Maybe now the bees will stop buzzing in my head and let me create with some other products!

Have a good day.
Kayla

The Bee's Knees Kit - Taylored Expressions Cardmaking Kit June 2022

When Taylored Expressions sent the first sneak peek for the The Bee's Knees Cardmaking Kit, I knew immediately that I absolutely HAD to have it.  I was able to purchase one of these highly popular kits on the day it released, and thankfully so because it sold out within hours!  

Immediately, the ideas were flowing, so I jumped right in.  I started with the main product which consists of a stamp and stencil combo.  I completed a few sets of bees, two with normal yellow and black coloring, one with yellow and black and one pink and black bee, and one set of rainbow bees.  I cut out the bees from one of the normal coloring backgrounds, and also die cut several colors of the honeycomb die that came in the kit. With the base pieces done, I started laying out the cards.  I also stamped and heat embossed some sentiments from the kit.  The puns are just too cute - 'bee you' and 'just bee-cause.'

My first layout was a case of a card I made several years ago, and was actually the first card that I ever sold.  I used the elements from the kit plus a frame from the Frame in Frame 3 die, which was a "free-bee" from Taylored Expressions in June for each order over $100.  What a generous "free-bee"!!

My second card was similar, with a black frame from the Frame in Frame die set.  I used a sentiment from the One in a Buzzillion stamp set (retired) that carried on the bee puns.  'You're one in a buzzillion' is just too perfect for this background with one pink bee.

For my third card, I wanted to keep the focus on the rainbow bees.  I used a simple black rectangle die cut around a sentiment from the Be a Unicorn stamp set (retired).

For my fourth card, I wanted a cluster in the lower right hand corner for the focal point.  I layered one of the honeycomb die cuts with a die cut bee, sentiment, and a vellum hexagon cut from the Mini Slim Trifold Template + Dies - Hexagon set.

I believe my final card is my favorite.  I always need birthday cards, and 'Happy Bee Day' was just perfect! Bees love flowers, so I used the In Bloom cling and clear combo to stamp a simple black and white background. I used the honeycomb die from the kit and stenciled through it to get the Honey colored background for the focal piece. The sentiment included a die cut bee, the Caps Lock Happy die (retired) and the Get the Word Out - Mother's Day stamp and die.  After heat embossing the 'Happy Mother's Day,' I cut around the word 'Day' so that it could be paired with the bee.

This kid is sold out, but Taylored Expressions releases a new kit on the last Tuesday of the month.  You can sign up for email notifications at the Taylored Expressions website or TE blog.

Have a good day.
Kayla