Make a Difference

Weekend Sketch time. Loved this one because it was the perfect opportunity to use my Letters to Santa paper from the Christmas Past collection from Graphic 45.  I see endless possibilities with this pattern..tags, decor, card accents.

I used a Christmas sentiment from Taylored Expressions’ Holiday Wonder on a tag accented with a clear Spica Glitter pen to finish off this quick and easy design. You could make 18 cards with this layout from one sheet of this patterned paper. So, in this case, easy also means easy on the budget. <wink>

It’s been a long week here in the midwest…in addition to my trip to Oregon (click here from my current Copic giveaway), my laptop officially died and was replaced. No sales tax Oregon was my friend this week, but it’s definitely come with a little extra work - new software, new files…I’m ready for the weekend.

Before you start your weekend, be sure to check out Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Laurie, Mary Jo and Sharon for sketch-spiration. You’ll be glad you did.

Happy Friday!

It’s that time - or maybe it’s really past that time. At any rate, I’ve started working on a few holiday things, and I used today’s Weekend Sketch Challenge to make a few ‘flat’ cards that are easy to mail for Christmas.  I’m using Christmas Blessings from Taylored Expressions today.  We Three Kings is one of my favorite Christmas Carols, probably because it’s one of my dad’s favorite Christmas carols.  Never a sentiment more true, ‘wise men still seek Him‘. The pretty patterned paper is Holiday’s & Winter’s Wings from Webster’s Pages.  It’s all stamped with Brilliance Chocolate Pearlescent ink, so it just shimmers and shines.  Sentiment is cut from Spellbinders’ Labels Nine, and it’s shaded with a little mist from my Copic airbrush.

We’re gearing up for a big weekend here in Missouri. I’m off to Science Olympiad with my youngest this morning and then a swim meet with my oldest this afternoon. We’ve got a lot to do in the next 2 days, but it will have to work around sleeping in tomorrow. I’m still playing catch up from being under the weather last week, and while I feel much better, I can’t seem to get enough sleep or OJ.

For other takes on the sketch today, visit Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Mary Jo and Sharon. Better yet, play along and create your own.

Have a wonderful weekend!

So Beate asked me to add a video to my Embossed Nestabilities Tutorial at Splitcoast as part of the Spellbinders Product Focus that was published today featuring Spellbinders Seasonal Die Templates. Video????

I now have about 12-15 of these easy-peasy Christmas cards almost ready to go. It’s only a 3 minute video, for goodness sakes! I had 2 different telephone lines ring and a internet chat request ding during ‘the shoot’ - not to mention my stuttering and stammering. Anyway, I felt like Fancy Nancy telling folks I was in the middle of  ‘a shoot’ yesterday.  Good times!

Anyway…if you want to check out the great review from the Splitcoast Product Focus Review Team, you can see that here: Spellbinders Seasonal Die Templates.  The info is great and includes fabulous samples from the team in the Review Gallery.

Hope you have a great day.

• Stamps: Christmas Blessings - Taylored Expressions 
• Cardstock: Kraft 
• Ink: White Pigment - Ranger 
• Accs: ribbon - May Arts, glitter, Stocking Die Template - Spellbinders, twine, button 

I don’t know a mom in this generation who hasn’t read this book once or 300 times. From the classic of our time, Guess How Much I Love You, this quote is amazing in expressing a parent’s unmeasurable love. My daughter and I go back and forth every night at bedtime, a challenge to say can have the final, “I LOVE YOU, MORE”. I don’t think she knows it, nor will til she’s a mother herself one day, but I always win. This card is for her.

I had a totally different project in mind when I ordered these bubble packs from Taylor’s store, but again it took on a life of it’s own… happen-stance…by chance…serendipity. I love it.

The image, from Taylored Expressions Birthday Bash release today, is colored with Copics, accented with clear diamond glitter and put in the bubble pack with chunky diamond dust glass. I sealed the edges of the bubble pack with regular card adhesive (ATG Tape). I used Circle Nestabilities to cut my image and the circle in my patterened paper. It did require the large and small sets to get the holes just the right size. All of that is layered between Prism paper and the whole thing stitched together with my sewing machine.

About the set ~ The image is from The Places You’ll Go, the 3rd stamp set in the Taylored Expressions Giving Tree Program designed to donate proceeds to a different charity each quarter. For each The Places You’ll Go stamp set sold during September, October, November, Taylored Expressions will donate $7.00 to the Books for Kids Foundation. Note: This set is the same deeply etched rubber you have come to love! However, in order to cut down on manufacturing costs and donate more to charity, The Places You’ll Go set will need to be trimmed when the customer receives it.

You can see other fabulous projects using this from stampers extraordinaire:

Bonnie Sharp, Cambria Turnbow, Carolina Buchting, Debbie Olson, Sherrie Siemens, Joy Kennedy and the one and only, Jenn Balcer

Enjoy your weekend!

Share with God’s people who are in need, practice hospitality. ~ Romans 12:13

Several years ago, I purchased a starter kit for Southern Living at Home because I loved their decor items. The woman who was my ‘upline’  in my oh-so-brief career would send regular emails, and her signature contained this scripture…. ‘Practice hospitality‘. It touched me, not because it was free reign to go wild on home decor, but because practicing hospitality, no matter how small the gesture is a spiritual discipline. I’ve often thought the verse would make a beautiful ‘thank you’ card sentiment, and I melted when I saw Julee Tilman’s beautiful offering in Verve Stamps latest release.

The sentiment on a circular element worked perfectly with Taylor’s Cupcake Sketch for today.  Taylor was so sweet to ask me to be the TECC Cupcake Sampler. I’m always up for cupcake sampling. <wink> I paired my sentiment with shimmery ivory  cardstock and a piece of Bloom & Grow from My Mind’s Eye. Because I used the shimmery ivory cardstock, I wanted a ribbon with a soft, romantic feel, but there wasn’t really room for a full bow off to the left. I was pleased with the single loop and dangled tails of the ribbon, anchored with a pink button.  I think I’m going to head back to the stamp table while my supplies are tossed about and make a few more of these thank yous.

Speaking of Taylor, here is one of many favorite photos from CHA last month.  This is Taylor and her mom, Linda. Mrs. Linda helps Taylor a lot with the store, and when you order, there is a good chance that she has cut and packaged your ribbons or embellishments or possibly even prepped your package for shipping. We got to hang out on this trip, and that was so fun. Taylor and I have been friends for several years, and I just knew that she had a wonderful family, but hanging out with  her mom solidified the thought: Taylor had ‘good home training’.   Two beautiful women, inside and out…love you, girls.

Have a wonderful weekend!

• Stamps: Romans 12:13 & Bountiful Backgrounds from Verve Stamps  
• Cardstock: Poison Ivory (shimmery ivory) - www.cutcardstock.com, Turquoise Prism, Bloom & Grow patterned paper - My Mind’s Eye 
• Ink: Stream - Ranger 
• Accs: Wide silk ribbon, buttons, nestabilities 

Now that I have your attention. Here’s a peek at my card for Taylor’s Sketch today. Two sketches one day. I know! Call me crazy. Hey it was either stamp or eat chocolate. It’s just been that kind of week!

Stamping was probably much better for my metabolism. Here’s a quick one with some more October Afternoon. The ‘Story Hour‘ Pattern was just perfect to match up with my cuppie from  Love is Sweet.  I think this is my favorite cuppie image because you can make her say whatever you want. I cut an extra flower from the patterned paper and added liquid chocolate pearls. The chocolate cardstock, fittingly comes from ‘the Chocolate Box‘ from Core’dinations. Yummy!

• Stamps: Love is Sweet - Taylored Expressions 
• Cardstock:  the Chocolate Box - Core’dinations, Report Card - October Afternoon & Farm Fresh - October Afternoon 
• Ink: Black Memento 
• Accs: Chocolate Liquid Pearls - Ranger, rikrak - Taylored Expressions, Copic Markers (R20, E57), Spica Glitter Pen Clear

It’s weekend sketch time, and I had to get inky this morning with this darling ‘bowl of cherries’ from Taylored Expressions. From last week’s card to this week’s card to the sneak peeks I’ve been seeing for another beautiful fruit set - I’ve been channeling cherries lately.  We do have a cherry tree in our yard. My husband makes the most aweome cherry pies from scratch each summer. Front porch swing, cherry pie, Mayberry, America…that’s the life.

Except for the rhinestones, my card is made with the Taylored Expressions key ingredient kit this morning. Taylor coordinates all the papers and ribbons and accessories. Everything works together. It’s so easy. My cherries and bowl are colored with Copics (R20, R35, BG72, BG75, YG23 and a blender). I used a Spica Glitter pen to accent the ‘life’ and ‘cherries’ on the sentiment.  After I stamped and colored my cherry image on white cardstock, I trimmed it out and mounted it to kraft cardstock.

I’m off to check out the other sketch samples: Beate, Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, Laurie, MaryJo and sweet Sharon.  I think the full house is posting today, and it’s been since spring that that happened. Woo-Hoo! Should be a great day of sketch-spiration.Have a great day!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Cherries & Berries - Taylored Expressions 
• Cardstock: Cherries & Berries - Key Ingredient Kit 
• Ink: Black Memento & Watermelon Adirondack 
• Accs: Copic Markers, Spica Clear Glitter Pen & Kaiser Rhinestones  - all from Taylored Expressions

“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wonderous ways. The dry seasons do not last. The Spring rain will come again.” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnatch

I used to make cards in mass production all the time. Somewhere along the way, I got a way from that. I need to get back to it.

I used Faith and Hope to finish up 10 cards last night. I felt oh-so-productive.  I stamped the sentiments on Gina K’s Pure Luxury White (layering weight). That weight is wonderful for the Wizard and other thin dies. Then I used the Pure Luxury White (heavyweight) for the card base.  I used some pretty patterned paper from Basic Grey and a simple embellishment to dress them up.

Maybe I’ll really be wild and crazy today and actually send a few of these out. Thanks for looking.

•  Stamps: Faith & Hope - Taylored Expressions 
• Cardstock: Pure Luxury White - layering and heavy weights, Wisteria Basic Grey patterned paper & Wizard Dark Prism
  
• Ink: New Grape Memento - Tsukineko 
• Accs: ribbon - May Arts, Label die - Nestabilities, hydrangea - Prima, button - foo-fa-la, Marvy Paper Trimming Buddy (scalloped blade) 

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Of course I’m wishing Taylor a wonderful birthday today!

I used the TECC72 that you can find here and all the parts of my Sweet Ingredients Kit that arrived in the mail this week: Doodlebug Paper, Maya Road Chipboard Cupcakes, Doodlebug Brads, Prism Paper - hmm so sweet and all from the Taylored Expressions store. The large circle eyelets are from Stampin’ Up! and the glittered brads in the center are Making Memories. No stamps here.

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Taylor asked me if I’d like to play around with her new ‘For the Love of Cupcakes‘ stamp set for the sketch today. This is just one of 4 cute sets being released today at Taylored Expressions. Sweet!

I colored my cake plate and cupcake with Copic Markers. Then I used some Glassy Accents to give the cake plate an enamel look. There is some glitter sprinkled into the cherry. This makes me happy.

The paper is all Sassafrass Lass. We found these darling 6×6 paper pads of the stuff at the scrapbook show yesterday for $1.99.  Good times! It all coordinates with the Intense Pink Prism cardstock base.

I’m headed home from Dallas today, and my oldest daughter has a big swim meet this weekend.  I had to miss a swim meet last night that was scheduled after I planned this trip. My sweet little girl called me last night giving me a hard time, wanting to know why I entered her in the 100 meter individual medley, something she’s never swam before. Evidently, her coach decided to give her a push because I had nothing to do with that.  I was getting really nervous that she wouldn’t want to swim this  weekend because she is entered in two 100 meter events tomorrow. After she kept razzing me,  she finally broke down (I could hear her grinning in the phone!) and said - ‘Well, I took FIRST PLACE!’ Little stinker! I’m so proud of her!  Swimming is such a great sport, and we’ve had several incredible, life teaching moments with our 8 year old in the last 3 years. This weekend, I’m looking forward to watching her fly thru the water, spending time with friends and my family and sitting in a lawn chair in the sun. This makes me happy.

Have a great day!