Cards 4 Moms/Special Ladies (from the kids)

Happy April!  I am so looking forward to Spring!  With the new month there is a new challenge from SAS 4 Kids - For the Ladies.  They are looking for Cards 4 Moms/Special Ladies (from the kids).  Here is mine:

Taylored Expressions has a series of layered stencils called Create in Quads.  The stars are made from one of the Hooray! set.  The sentiment is from Scrapbook & Cards Today.  Link up your card For the Ladies at the SAS4Kids challenge blog!

Celebrate Everything!

The Paper Craft Crew has a fun challenge this round. 

I’m not a big Valentines person, so the banners and colors were my inspiration. 

I used the Taylored Expressions Hooray quad for the background, and Honey Bee Stamps sentiment. There is a lot of great inspiration on the Paper Craft blog, be sure to check it out!

Shine Bright Like a Diamond

The Shopping Our Stash challenge this time is to Shine Bright Like a Diamond, use lots of bling or use something that shines light like a sun, lamp, candle, etc.  I used the Taylored Expressions Holly Holiday layering stencil, and replaced the berries with rhinestones (on the left) and sequins (on the right).  The sentiments are from the Taylored Expressions Simple Strips.   

The layering stencil creates 3 card fronts at once, and Simple Strips stamps and cuts 18 sentiments at once.  Makes mass production so easy!

The Little Details

I generally emboss my envelope flaps, but never remember to embellish otherwise.  Just Us Girls (JUGS) has a challenge to make a matching envelope - good reminder!

Falling For You layered stencils from Taylored Expressions.  Love how there are coordinating stamps to add the veins on the leaves.  Echo Park sentiment.  

So Happy We Are Family

 I am loving the Taylored Expressions Falling For You layering stencils for mini slimline cards.  Four different stencils layered together to make 3 cards at once.  

Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Antique Linen, Weathered Wood, and Hickory Smoke Distress Oxides.  I layered a few of the colors together to get the right shades, especially for the grey acorns.  The sentiment is from my stash, not sure of the brand.  Sharing with the Color Throwdown:

Make the Cards Challenge #67 - Thankful

This week's challenge over at Make the Cards is Thankful.  I am so thankful that I was able to participate in the Scrapbook and Cards Today Crop and Create virtual event this fall.  The Taylored Expressions project was a layering stencil that makes 3 mini slimline cards at one time.   I changed up the colors a bit and came up with these:

Oxide inks finished off with Distress Glaze.  Colors I used:  Broken China, Aged Mahogany, Walnut Stain, Frayer Burlap, Fossilized Amber.  

Layered Stencils

 I participated in the Crop and Create online event last March, and was introduced to layering stencils by Taylored Expressions.  So easy, and I love how detailed they are!

This one is called In My Garden.  The stencil makes 3 mini slimline cards at a time, all of them different.  After I finished stenciling, I used markers and a white gel pen to add some highlights to the flowers.  

I love stacking multiple cuts of word dies.  Vicki Boutin used puffy foam to achieve the dimension.  Genius!  Much cleaner than trying to perfectly glue together a bunch of layers, and the foam I had on hand already had adhesive on one side.  

Sharing this with The Color Throwdown challenge #708:

The current challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids is Fall Fun.  Join us!

Busy Summer!

I can't believe I haven't posted in 3 weeks!!!  Summer is always busy, and this year is no different.  Paper crafting shop hop, dog park outings, backyard cookouts, a great professional golf tournament with family members, celebrating 28 years of marriage.  So much goodness!!  Back to a more predictable schedule and more crafting!!  Back at it, starting with a Paper Craft Crew Challenge sketch challenge:  

Super old SU paper, Taylored Expressions Simple Strips sentiment, and Memory Box Peonies die cut.  Simple, but I love the sketch!

Rainbow Leaves

 The Freshly Made Sketch this week seemed perfect for a simple sympathy card:

Paper Pumpkin sentiment, Spellbinders die cuts, Taylored Expressions Lollipop, Pumpkin Pie, Pineapple, Cookie Monster, Blue Corn inks.  The rainbow leaves were inspired by a Cathy Zielski project, and the layout by Freshly Made Sketches:

Blending In

 Shopping Our Stash has a fun Blending In challenge - use ink blending on the project.

Reverse stenciling technique using Taylored Expressions Jelly Donut, Cookie Monster, and Blue Corn in, with Chantilly stencil and black ink.  The effect is so pretty, it can stand on its own with little embellishment.  Added the heat embossed sentiment, a few coordinating layers, done!

Green Thumb

The only way I have a green thumb is on paper!  This week The Paper Players have a theme challenge "Green Thumb":

Daisies for Days background stamp and centers from Taylored Expressions.  I die cut the "hello", scanned it into the Brother Scan and Cut, cut a vellum shadow layer to set off the sentiment just a bit.  Added Crushed Curry ribbon and base layer to complete the project.  This is as close to flowers I will have around my house lol!

Fancy Fold Vellum Card

I participated in the Crop and Create Delivered card making event last March, and Libby Hickson taught a great fun fold card class using vellum.  Here is my take:

I'm sharing this with Make The Cards Challenge, make a fancy fold card.  

I used Taylored Expressions Squeeze The Day stamp and stencil set to create the lemons (Pineapple for lemons), leaves (Peapod), and sentiment.  I also attached a white panel to the back for additional writing space.  Love this!!

Shaker Card - Celebrate!

 I am still having fun with all of the products I received in the kit for the March Crop and Create.  

I used the Taylored Expressions Create in Quad stencil for the base with Mint Macaron, Pineapple Punch, Blueberry Bushel, and Rose Red inks.  The sentiment was cut with a Honey Bee die.  I cut the frame with my Waffle Flower dies, used a variety of jewels and sequins from my stash, and layered it all together with a piece of acetate.  I am sharing this with The Color Throwdown:

Stencil Fun

 Taylored Expressions has unique stencils that create 4 card panels at one time.  

Pretty cool concept!  Here is one of them:

I love this color combination!!  Make the Cards has a challenge to create an inked background.

Fly Away

Shopping Our Stash has a fun Spread Your Wings challenge this week  - Anything With Wings.  

I am not normally a Michael's paper fan, but the Gilded Ink pad has so many possibilities!  The gorgeous purple, blue, and gold made me think of butterflies.  These beauties are from Brutus Monroe.  Sentiment strip from Taylored Expressions.  The gorgeous paper is from Michael's Recollections - Gilded Ink.  I'm not normally a fan of their paper, but I couldn't resist!

Fun Color Challenge

The Paper Players have a challenge to use So Saffron, Bermuda Bay, and Mint Macaron.  Perfect colors to try the circle technique.  

I love this!  Cut the circles (it took me a few tries to get the right sizes), die cut some layers using Waffle Flower Layers dies, and added a Taylored Expressions sentiment strip.  Love!!

JUGS Trend Week - Make a Stencil

The Just Us Girls challenge is to make a stencil from dies.  I saw a super cute card by Cathy Zielski, and had to make some heart stencils for my own version:

I cut the Spellbinder hearts from acetate, and started inking from the outside in.  Before I inked the smallest one, I made sure the the oxide inks were completely dry.  I heat embossed SU Iridescent Ice powder on the smallest heart, and added a Taylored Expressions Simple Sentiment strip for the sentiment.  Love this!!!  I have been cutting my own stencils from dies and on my Scan and Cut.  Really expands my options!

Missing You Like Crazy

I treated myself to the Taylored Expressions Simple Strips bundle for Christmas, and I love how easy it is to get straight, even cuts for narrow sentiments.  

I used a Recollections embossing folder, various die cut hearts, and a preprinted Simple Strips sentiment.  I inked the edges of some of the hearts to keep them from blending into the background.  Sharing this one with Shopping Our Stash My Heart BEETS for You challenge, use a heart or vegetables.  Check out the design team inspiration, very clever!

Gratitude

I know that hand written thank you notes are a bit out of fashion, but I still make and send them.  How can decent manners be out of fashion?  :)

Love this.  One of my hoarded papers.  What's not to love about shades of purple, gray, and blue snowflakes and berries?!?  The darkest berries are highlighted with glossy accents.  "Thanks" is cut with a Taylored Expressions die that was in my goodie bag at Simon Says Create, and nested in a circle cut with a Spellbinders die. 

I am linking this up with the following:  Shopping Our Stash Thanks and Cuttlebug Mania Thank You.  Lots of time to play along with us at the Words 2 Scrap By Movember challenge for men's health!!