Life of the Party

Oh hi there!  I am a fan of Taylored Expressions (TE) products, so I logically, joined the Fans of Taylored Expressions Facebook group.  TE is active in the group and has a monthly challenge called the TE Maker Challenge.  One of my goals this year is to participate in this challenge each month of 2024.  I barely made it for the January TE Maker Challenge, which was to create a shaped card.

As I was thinking of a shape to use as the card base, I landed on using a large balloon die.  I make cards for my coworkers, so I always need birthday cards, and can you think of a better birthday card than a giant balloon shaped one?  I sure can't!

For the balloon shape, I used the largest die from the Simon Says Stamp Balloons die set. I found some happy birthday themed paper from my stash, and decided to use the TE Life of the Party stamp set (retired) as the image.  Since I was coloring one image, I decided to color several of the the animals with Copic markers. 

To add a focal point, I added a pop of red with the TE Focal Frame die (retired).  The sentiment is a combination of the 'Happy' die from the Happy Summer Banner die set (retired) and a birthday from the On Repeat Birthday stamp (retired) and On Repeat dies (retired). To balance the card, I added some enamel dots from my stash.

Since I had extra colored animals and need many birthday cards this year, I made a second card with the 2 other animals that I stamped and colored.  I used the TE Starry Night Cutting Plate (retired) as a background, and finished off the card with a simple sentiment from the TE Simple Strips Birthday stamp and Simple Strips die.

I still had 3 stamped and colored animals on my desk and found that they fit perfectly in the larger openings of the TE Fun Frames Cutting Plate.  I used some coordinating paper and another sentiment from the Simple Strips Birthday stamp.

I added googly eyes to the elephants and monkeys on all 3 cards and it was the perfect way to finish off these fun birthday cards! 

Have a good day.
Kayla

You'll Do Valentine

Oh hi there!  We are coming up on Valentine's Day, and I wanted to share a set of cards that I made with the Taylored Expressions Love from Max & Millie stamp set (retired).

I would like to preface my first card with a disclaimer that I have been married to my best friend for 20+ years and we share a snarky sense of humor. The 'I guess you'll do' sentiment ties in perfectly with the very unimpressed cat, colored with Copic markers.  I used the TE Easy Strips 1/4', and TE Easy Strips 1/4' Patterns to cut cardstock strips and TE Easy Strips Maps to guide the placement of the strips. The cardstock colors used are Dragon Fruit, Bubblegum, Sprinkles, Earl Gray, and Sugar Cube.

I also made Valentine's Day cards for a couple of friends that I made at Stamp Joy, Sara and Katryna.  These girls made my first in-person Stamp Joy so much fun, and I look forward to seeing them again later this year!

The cards are a little more traditional with a 'Happy Valentine's Day' sentiment and a sweet little mouse hanging onto heart balloons, again colored with Copic markers. The sentiment was made with the TE Mini Strips Valentine stamp set and cut with the TE Mini Strips Flags. The background panel is embossed with the TE Clouds embossing folder (retired).

These cards were inspired by the TE Maker Challenge for February, which is a color challenge to use Bubblegum and Dragon Fruit. I wish you all the happiest of Valentine's Days!

Have a good day.
Kayla

Stamp Joy Bees

I was so excited to attend Stamp Joy 2023 this year!  Stamp Joy is a 3 day card making event presented by Taylored Expressions in Des Moines, Iowa.  This was my first year attending an in person stamping event and it has been amazing!

On Friday night, we had a optional card swap event. Everyone that participates brings 25+ cards to exchange in a wonderfully chaotic bubble of craft kindness.  For my card swap card, I created 30 cards with a pair of cute bees from the Taylored Expressions The Birds & The Bees stamp set and dies (retired).

I am excited with the cards that I received in the exchange and can't wait to go through them more thoroughly for inspiration in the coming months!

To create the cards, I used many Taylored Expressions products:

• The Birds & the Bees stamps and dies (retired)
• What’s the Buzz stamp set
• Honeycomb Cluster die
• Stitched Banner Stacklets
• Stitched Rectangle Stacklets
• Petite Scallop Rectangle Stacklets
• Sugar Cube, Earl Grey, and Lemon Meringue card stock
• Salt Water Taffy ink
• TE Fine Detail Embossing Powder - Clear

To finish the cards, I used a couple of non-TE products:

• Versafine ink
• Y11, Y13, T2, T4, BG0000, BG000 Copic markers

Have a good day!

Kayla

Summer Grumplings

Boy howdy, it has been a hot summer and we just had a couple of the hottest days of the year this past week.  I know the crafty world has moved on to Fall themed products, but I just can't focus on the cool weather, falling leaves, and sweaters just yet.  If I do, I will end up curled into a ball, crying in misery of the things yet to come this year!

I think the Taylored Expressions Summer Grumplings stamp set (retired) represents my mood about these upper 90 degree days!

I started this card by stamping the TE Summer Grumplings (retired) with and coloring with Copic markers.  After coloring, I cut out with the images with the matching dies (also retired).

I created the background using the TE Here Comes the Sun stencil with TE Honey, Pineapple, and Lemon Meringue inks.  I cut it out with the TE Stitched Rectangle Stacklets and matted that with TE Blue Raspberry paper, die cut with the TE Petite Scallop Rectangle Stacklets.

To give the Grumplings somewhere to site, I cut TE Stitched Banner Stacklets using TE Guava cardstock and heat embossed a sentiment from the stamp set.

To finish off the card, I added miscellaneous enamel dots from my stash.

Have a good (hopefully cool) day!
Kayla

Planting Happiness

I was recently scrolling through Instagram and a photo of a card by Elin (@elinheve) struck me with it's simplicity and beauty.  Seriously take a look...it is gorgeous!  It inspired my first card today.  For both cards, I used the Taylored Expressions Planting Happiness stamps and dies, colored with Copic markers. 

I cut the majority of a TE Circle Stacklet from the lower left side of a TE Sugar Cube cardstock layering panel and blended TE Sprinkles ink lightly in the circle area.  I added the colored flower to the center of the circle with foam tape. I popped up the layering panel with the extra think TE Foam Tape to provide extra dimension.

I had a leftover TE Hexagon Stacklet cut from TE Woodgrain Cardstock - Kraft on my desk and accidently laid the second flower on top of it.  I thought they looked nice together so started a second card.  I lightly blended TE Pineapple ink through the TE Hot Spots stencil on the background of the card. 

To finish off the cards, I added a sentiment to each card form the Mini Strips - Floral stamp set. 

Have a good day.

Kayla