It is nearing the end of the school year and it's time to put together some gifts for my kids' teachers.  Isaac graduates preschool tomorrow and I needed a card to accompany his teacher's gift.  This week's Mojo Monday Sketch was perfect!  I used a sentiment from the Teachers Count set from Verve. 

The papers are from the Sweet Girl Collection from Echo Park.  I stamped and embossed the sentiment in white and die cut the panel with the Classy Label Die.  I added some seam binding from the Truly, Madly, Deeply Collection along with some adhesive pearls.  The scalloped panel was created using a Stampin' Up border punch.  For a touch of sparkle, I put some Cotton Candy Stickles inside the heart.

If you're looking for a sketch that brings a card together quickly, head on over to the Mojo Monday Blog!!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

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It's time for the Baker's Dozen Studio Challenge.  This is a monthly opportunity for the Taylored Expressions team to share what makes our stamping studios hum.  Each month we  have a fun, crafty question so we can share our favorites, some tips and tricks, stamping advice and more.


The question for May is:
What is your favorite time of the year?  Some of us love the sunshine and heat and summer, while some of us long for the crisp cool air of fall.  Do spring flowers make your heart sing or is it snow and the smell of pine needles that makes you jolly?  Tell us about your favorite month or season and also tell us about your favorite time of year to stamp.

My favorite season is definitely summer!!  I would rather sweat than freeze ANY day!  LOL  I am not a sunbather by any means, but I just LOVE enjoying a warm summer day in the shade of a tree, umbrella or porch.  Summer is a simpler time of year for us.  I don't have to get the kids up early and rush to get ready and out the door for school.  My husband, being a college professor, is around a lot more in the summer.  Since we have more free time, we're able to spend more time with extended family which we love to do.
Out of the summer, my favorite month would be July.  Aside from the 4th of July being my favorite holiday, July is my birthday month!  :)  My birthday is July 5th and that probably has a lot to do with why the 4th of July is my favorite holiday.  Growing up, we always hosted the BIG family 4th of July party and my birthday was always part of that celebration.  When I was very young, I thought "the world" celebrated my birthday along with us, setting off fireworks in honor of my birthday!  LOL  When I was old enough to realize that the fireworks weren't for my birthday, it didn't matter because that's what I always associated with my birthday celebration.  :)  For today's challenge, I created two different calendar pages for the month of July.  The first uses the Frame Your Imagination Vertical Stand, 6x6 Page Protectors, the 6x6 Dated Calendar Download and the Yankee Doodle Homestead set. 


In order to fit the page in the protector, since the house peeks above the page, I cut a slit in the page protector and stuck the housetop through it.  I stamped and embossed the sentiment in silver.  I used the Reach for the Stars Border Die for the border.  

My second page uses the Acrylic Desktop Case and Mini Tear Off Calendar along with the God Bless the USA A la Carte.  This page also uses the Reach for the Stars Border Die as well as the Stars Impression Plate and the Label Stacklets 2. 

You can find these and other calendar products in the Calendar Products Department of the TE Store.

The rest of the Bakers Dozen has calendar pages for their favorite time of year to show you too!!  Thanks for stopping by today and have a great day!

Jen Shults
Kerri Michaud
Sankari Wegman
Shannon White
Shelly Mercado
Stephanie Kraft
Tammie Edgerton
Taylor VanBruggen
Wanda Guess

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In addition to graduations this year, we seem to have a lot of weddings happening.  I love when I can have simple but elegant cards on hand to use for the occasion!  This card was very simple.  I used the new Happily Ever After set from Taylored Expressions along with the new Damask Flourishes Die set.  I started by stamping and embossing the "Mr & Mrs" onto a white piece of cardstock.  Next, I placed the dies on either side of the stamped sentiment to "frame" it.  I taped them in place with removable tape and ran it through my Big Shot. 

To give the card some pizazz, I dipped the edges in glue and then dipped them in this antique-looking glitter I found in the Target dollar bin.  Next, I cut a black piece of cardstock slightly bigger than my focal piece.  I mounted the die cut piece onto the black piece with foam tape.  Even though the sentiment and the flourishes look the same, the flourishes are actually the negative die cut with the black cardstock showing from behind, while the sentiment is shiny because it was stamped and embossed in black.  I mounted the whole piece onto an A2 size card to complete the card.  Super simple, but elegant! 

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you're having a wonderful weekend! 

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It's Friday, which means a new Viva la Verve Challenge is up!  This week I'm hosting and I'd LOVE to see what you create!  I used the new Teachers Count set from Verve.  The papers are from the Fresh Goods Collection from Pebbles.  I stamped the sentiment in Frost White ink and embossed it in white on the patterned paper.  I die cut the apple using the coordinating Apples Die Set. 

I stamped the apple outline in black ink and then used the "filler" stamps from the set to stamp the apple and leaf.  I finished the card with some black seam binding from the Black Beauty Ribbon Collection. 

Thanks for stopping by today!  I look forward to seeing what you create with the sketch!!

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Hi there!  I hope you're having a great week!  Today I have a new Stamp of the Month to share with you from Taylored Expressions!  TE has re-designed the Key Ingredients Kit Club and added two new options, the Stamp of the Month club and the Deluxe Subscription! Today the Baker's Dozen design team and the Key Ingredients design team are joining together to feature the May Stamp of the Month paired with coordinating supplies from the May Key Ingredients kit.

This month's Stamp of the Month is called Cutie Pie and it's pretty darn adorable!!  :)  For my card I stamped and paper pieced the dress image from the set.  There is also a coordinating die set called Branches Banner & Bloom that you can purchase separately!  The banner was die cut using the die set, as well as the leaves and the flower.  I LOVE that the banner has creases in the ends that you fold to create dimension!  The adorable flower is another image from the set.  I stamped "thanks so much" onto the banner and then embossed "Sweetie" on the patterned paper.  I love that you can add the bigger sentiments from the set with the smaller sentiments to personalize the card a little more. 

Here's more information about all of the subscriptions available at TE: