Here Comes the Sun...Again

I wasn't quite done with the Taylored Expressions Here Comes the Sun kit. The design team inspiration using Kraft cardstock was completely stuck in my head, and I wasn't going to be able to move on to any other products until I let this idea play out.

For all of the cards, I used sun die cuts and sentiments from the kit, as well as sentiments from the Watt's Up Mini Strips for the sub-sentiment.

I started the first card by using the TE Rotating Cloud stencil with Versamark ink to heat emboss the TE Fine Detail Embossing Powder in Puffy White.  It makes the clouds a little raised and well, puffy!

For the second card, I first used TE Sugar Cube ink through the stencil and then applied Blue Corn ink on top to give a brighter end result to the clouds.

For the last card, I applied the Blue Corn ink directly to the cardstock through the stencil, which resulted in darker clouds.

To finish the cards, I used vellum Cloud Stacklets and frames (Blue Corn A2 Thin Frame Cutting Plate and a black frame from my stash) to ground the cluster and give a cohesive look to the focal point.

Have a {sunshiny} good day!

Kayla

Here Comes the Sun

Occasionally there comes along a card kit that is just perfection!  For me, the Taylored Expressions April Card Kit of the Month was one of those.  From the first sneak peek of this sunny card kit, I knew that I absolutely had to have it!

The April kit was titled 'Here Comes the Sun' and it was full of sunshine.  The add on options were full of clouds, and together, they were just waiting to make the cutest cards.

Of course, I stalked my mailbox while I waited, and got started crafting right away when it arrived.  My first card was inspired by an idea from a member of the Fans of Taylored Expressions Facebook group to use sparkle white paper for the clouds.  I did this by using the largest die from the Cloud Stacklets to create a shaped card and placing a sparkly white paper cloud on the front to cover it.  Before gluing the edges down, I stamped the face on a sun die cut to have it peek out from behind the cloud.  I die cut a few more sizes of the Cloud Stacklets and stamped the Hello Sunshine sentiment on one to finish off the card.

When I go to bed, I usually watch a YouTube video or two to help me unwind from the day.  That night, I watched a Jennifer McGuire video titled 'Use Up Your Glitter!' and was inspired to use the technique with the new Radiant Cutting Plate.  I ink blended the background with TE yellow inks and then applied a layer of double sided tape, after the ink dried of course.  I adhered the Radiant die cut and then sprinkled warm toned glitter on the exposed tape.  After burnishing it, I added a vellum cloud and heat embossed sentiment to complete the card.  How perfect is warm sparkles for a sun card!

After finishing the sun card, I remembered that TE previously released the Rainbow Cutting Plate and it would be perfect for this technique as well.  To have the background colored in rainbow colors, I die cut the cutting plate and traced it onto a piece of white cardstock with the appropriate Copic markers, and then followed the same steps to complete the card.  Unfortunately, I grabbed the wrong glitter from my drawer and used a more opaque white glitter which didn't show the colors as well as I imagined.  The card was cute, but didn't have the wow factor I was looking for.

So I repeated the process, using the correct glitter this time, and simply adored the end result!  I mean, what is better than a sparkly rainbow? 

For my final card, I wanted to create a shaker.  I found a cute piece of cloud patterned paper and cut the a Cloud Stacklet from the middle, filling the shaker with seed beads and sequins from my stash.  To finish off the card, I added a sun die cut, vellum cloud, white clouds, and a sentiment from the Mini Strips Watt's Up stamp set.

I hope you enjoyed my 5 cards 1 kit post for the 'Here Comes the Sun' card kit!

Have a {sunshiny} good day!
Kayla

Pretty Much the Best

My sister's favorite flowers are daisies, so when I saw the Taylored Expressions Daisy Dreams stamps set, I knew I had to have it.

After stamping the sprig of flowers, I colored them with Copic markers.

Using white on white for the background allowed the flowers to stand out and shine! The Pierced Lattice Cutting Plate was a perfect compliment to the sweet flowers.

To provide a focal area, I used the Taylored Expressions Arched Stacklets to cut an arch from an A2 sized card blank.  I used the positive die on one of the cards and the negative frame to the second card.

For the first card, I used the 'You're pretty much the Best' sentiment from Daisy Dreams stamp set.  For the second card, I used a 'Merci' sentiment from The Greeting Farm Anya in France and a sentiment strip from the Taylored Expressions Simple Strips - Friendship stamp set.  I finished off the second card with a few iridescent sequins from my stash.

I will use the first card as a Mother's Day card for my sister and the second card as a thank you card for a friend from France.

Have an (awesomely) good day.

Kayla

 

Mama & Me

I recently found the Taylored Expressions Mama & Me stamp set (retired) and absolutely melted!  These mama animals and their babies are so stinkin' cute and perfect for Mother's Day or new baby cards!  I couldn't wait to ink them up for just that purpose.

I started all four cards by coloring the images with Copic markers.  
 

I added some light ink blending with TE Cilantro and Sprinkles inks on a TE Stitched Rectangle die cut to use as the focal point.

I die cut the images and centered them on the ink blended rectangles, so that I could stamp the sentiments with Versafine ink.  I used 2 sentiments from the Mama & Me stamp set and the 'Happy Mother's Day' stamp from the Sweet Sentiments clear stamp set (retired).

For each of the cards, I found coordinating TE embossing folders to use as the background, Braided, Bubbles, Cloudy Days, and Leafy Vine (all retired).

Now I have a start for this year's Mother's Day cards and 2 baby cards to for my stash!

You a good day.
Kayla

Nobunny Like You

Happy Easter!  I am playing along with the TE Maker April Sketch Challenge from the Fans of Taylored Expressions Facebook group

I whipped up this Easter card last night because the stained glass idea hit me like a ton of bricks.  It doesn't convey in photos very well, but the background circles are a layer of vellum colored with Copics (in rainbow order, of course) between two die cuts of the Taylored Expressions Big Circles Cutting Plate. The back layer is the card base, so I just made sure to not the cut the top line only of the die when using it on the card base.

I stamped the chick and bunny friends from the Taylored Expressions Eggstra Sweet stamp set, colored them with Copics, and die cut them with the matching Taylored Expressions Eggstra Sweet dies.

Our little friends need a resting place, so I die cut 2 colors of TE green cardstock with the TE Wispy Grass Border die.

To finish off the card, I added a sentiment strip from the TE Mini Strips - Easter stamp set.

Remember, there's nobunny like you!

Have a hoppin' good day!
Kayla