Taylored Expressions Holiday Hoopla!

Taylored Expressions is hosting a Holiday Hoopla today and I'm excited to be a part of it! You should have arrived here from Jen's blog.  If you didn't (or if you get lost along the way) you can head back to the beginning at Taylor's blog for the full list of participants. There are 22 designers showcasing Christmas/Winter/Holiday stamps sets from TE with samples that include all sorts of projects from cards to gifts and beyond!  We want to inspire you to get your holiday crafting and card making into high gear!  Be sure to stick with me all the way to the end of the post to get a coupon code for 25% off holiday stamp sets at Taylored Expressions!  

The set I'm showcasing first is Hangin' Out At The North Pole and I love it because you can create wonderful scenes with Santa's clothes hanging from a clothesline (which I LOVE!) or simple cards, like the one I've made featuring the happy snowman image from this set. Plus, I love the various greetings!

My card is 4 1/2" square with a base of kraft cardstock and patterned papers from the Echo Park Season's Greetings 6 x 6 pad. I added some stitching around the edges, and then some White Liquid Applique to better define the snowbank. After stamping and coloring the snowman, I cut him out and mounted him with Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares. I colored the snowman with Copic markers R27, YG95, W7, YR18, and BG10.

I didn't stop there! I'm having a holiday party this year, so I created the invitation I'll use featuring another favorite set Merry Little Cocktail! 

I LOVE the images and greetings in this stamp set! Look how fun and versatile it is! It's super easy to whip up fun cards and invitations for Christmas and New Year's celebrations!

My card is very simple... I layered kraft, red and green cardstock with images stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copic markers R27 and YG25. The card is finished off with a bit of Doodlebug Christmas twine.

Creating for this hop caused to me to go back and look at some of my previous creations and I wanted to share one of those with you today, too.  It's the one that won me a spot on the Sketch Crew!!!

 This card features Holiday Wonder. You can find my original post with the deets HERE.

Are you getting in the mood to stamp?  Be sure to check out Taylor's 12 Days of A Handmade Christmas Video Series for lots of easy gift ideas!

Now, who loves a SALE?  Use Coupon Code HOOPLA2011 to get 25% off the following holiday stamp sets (released in 2009 and 2010) at Taylored Expressions now through November 2:

Christmas Blessings, Enjoy!, From the Heart, Hangin' Out -  At the North Pole, Holiday Wonder, Home Sweet Home, Keeping Tabs, Merry Little Cocktail, Penguin Pals, Season's Sweetings, Sparkle & Cheer, Tag Treats , Tag You're It, Take Note - Holidays , Wings of Joy, Winter Wonderland.

The coupon code is case sensitive. Follow these instructions to apply the discount to your order:

1. Add the desired stamp sets from the above list to your shopping cart.
2. Insert the coupon code into the Promotional Code box.
3. Click the Update Cart button.  Your discount should now be applied.
4. Proceed to checkout to finalize and submit your order.

There's lots more to see! Your next stop is my dear friend Rachel's blog. Enjoy!

You're The Man!

Hey y'all! I'm popping in today with a card I made for the brand new sketch challenge at Lily Pad Cards, one of my FAVORITE blogs ever!!! And it's even more special because it's being sponsored by Nina B Designs. Nina, of course, designs for The Craft's Meow :) She's giving away FOUR stamp sets to one lucky player in the sketch challenge. I'd run, not walk, if I were you!

My card features Fun{tache}tic, a fabulous Nina B Designs stamp set! I paired the greeting and image with patterned paper from the Stella & Rose Hazel collection by My Mind's Eye and a Maya Road kraft envelope.

By the way, there's a HUGE clearance sale going on over at The Craft's Meow!!! 

 

Maya Road - 15% off

Pink Paislee and My Mind's Eye - 25% off

Fly Free and Soiree Card Kits - 35% off

Crate Paper, Echo Park and Graphic 45 - 40% off

Maya Road Shadowbox Kit - 50% off

Some Embossing Items - 25 - 50% off

 

Shop early for the best selection! 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!

A Pair of Pears

A blessed Sunday to you! This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Our hostess this week at Stampin' Sisters in Christ is the very dear Miesje Flach. She chose as her inspiration scripture Matthew 11: 28-30 "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Her challenge is to use 2 of everything in your card/project; i.e., 2 designer papers, 2 flowers, 2 stamps...whatever you use must be doubled.

My card features images from Fruity for You by Nina B Designs for The Craft's Meow.  I used two patterned papers from the Lost & Found Two Rosy collection by My Mind's Eye, two stamped pears and two stamped leaves. I wrapped the twine around the card twice (I hope that counts!).

I urge you to click over to the Stampin' Sisters in Christ blog to read Miesje's devotional and to see the cards created by the rest of our wonderful design team. You will be blessed! And I believe you will be inspired to play along with us this week. ;) Our challenge sponsor is Designed2Delight!

God's peace.

Hope Rekindled

Happy Friday! It's time for another fabulous Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge!!! You can find us over at Splitcoaststampers in the Taylored Expressions Forum. In fact, all you need to do is pop over to the TESC Sketch Challenge #148 Forum Thread for all the deets on this week's challenge, to grab the sketch and find out how you can win a $10 Gift Certificate to spend at TE by playing along with us... or a $20 GC if you use TE stamps!

You may know that Splitcoaststampers is currently hosting a card drive called Hope You Can Cling To for breast cancer awareness month. Taylored Expressions is a proud sponsor of the event for the month of October. Starting October 1st, SCS will have a new challenge every day to create cards for patients at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. So we're showing our support for the card drive with our sketch cards during the month of October. Taylor issued the additional challenge to the Sketch Crew to make a card of encouragement with the predominant color pink (although you certainly do not need to do that).

Here's the specific info from SCS about the HYCCT Challenges.  Your TESC sketch cards can be combined with any one posted HYYCT Challenge.

1. All Hope You Can Cling To Challenge Entries must be uploaded to the Hope You Can Cling To Gallery, with the specific challenge keyword, no later than November 7th, 2010 at 12:00 Noon Central time to be eligible for our fabulous prizes! Post a link to your entry in this thread.
2. You may not combine HYCC challenges, but you are welcome to create multiple cards for each challenge.
3. Please remember to put in the correct keyword when uploading your image. Copying and pasting the challenge keyword is recommended to avoid typos.
4. Please package all challenge entries with an envelope, protected with a clear plastic bag and mail them to our partner at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center to benefit patients being treated for breast cancer and their families (address below). SCS would like for them to receive cards throughout the month of October, but understand if you'd like to mail all your cards at once.
5. Since these cards will be used by visitors for patients, most should be blank inside, but feel free to send cards with messages of hope for the patients in addition to your challenge cards!

The Department of Volunteer Services – Unit 115
Attn: Maggi Suttles
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, TX 77030

(Please note - because MD Anderson is part of the State of Texas, they ask that no religious sentiments be used on cards sent to the Cancer Center.)

Unfortunately, I did not read the "fine print" directly above before making my card, so I guess I can't send it in since it mentions prayers. In fact, the full sentiment (which is a bit hard to read in the photo) is "Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons do not last. The spring rain will come again." -Sarah Ban-Breathnach.
  
As a Christian, I find it sad that they won't accept cards with religious sentiments. To me, the only HOPE is through Jesus Christ our Lord. But I still think it's nice to send cards of encouragement for those facing this awful trial... and I believe many of those who pick up the cards to write messages to patients will include scriptures and religious sentiments!

The sentiment and flourish are from the Faith & Hope stamp set by Taylored Expressions, paired with patterned paper and embellishment from the Sidewalk collection by October Afternoon.
For lots of great inspiration, check out what the rest of the Sketch Crew has created!

• Cassie Trask
• Lori Craig
• Margie Cortina
  
• Monika Davis
• Rachel Sztonyk 
• Taylor VanBruggen
  
• Tracy Clemente

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Celebrate Autumn!

A blessed Sunday to you! This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

You might have noticed that I took a bit of a break from Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenges... three months to be exact. I didn't really mean to be gone that long. It was just a crazy summer for me. But I'm back now, and I'm glad to be back!!!

Our challenge hostess this week is Kris Breach and she chose as her inspiration scripture Galatians 5:22-23a "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Her challenge is to include FRUIT in your creation (be it a stamp, digi image, paper, charms, etc.). *By definition, a pumpkin is a fruit, and so are other “harvest” produce such as gourds.* I encourage you to visit the SSIC blog to read Kris's devotional and see the rest of the design team cards. You will be blessed!

I hope an acorn is considered a fruit... okay, maybe that's stretching it, but I had a specific reason for wanting to use this particular digi image called Fall Frolic Betty, and I couldn't figure out how to work fruit into the design. My friend Betty of Simply Betty Stamps has lowered prices on various stamps and digis in her store to help raise funds to cover medical expenses for her 17-year old son who was just diagnosed with Stage 1 throat cancer. I want to help spread the word... for both sales and PRAYERS for Christian. Cancer is a very scary thing, especially for a mother and her young son, even though the prognosis is good.

I paired Fall Frolic Betty (colored with Copic markers) with patterned paper from the Farmhouse collection by Crate Paper, greeting by SRM, and acorn embellishment by Jolee's (tied with a bit of twine).

When I reflect on today's inspiration scripture I think about how hard it can be to stick with the promises of the Lord when times are tough, especially when they seem to be unrelenting, and our faith is sorely tested. But that's when it's the most important time to seek and praise God in all things. It is only by doing this that we will feel love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control even in the darkest of times. Seek first the kingdom of God and these things will come to you.

God's blessings to you!

The Craft's Meow October Release and Blog Hop

Happy World Card Making Day! I hope you're having fun making cards, maybe getting together with friends to chat and craft. That's definitely one of my favorite things to do!

If you have a bit of time for a break, why not hop over to The Craft's Meow store blog for the October release festivities and a chance to win all FIVE stamp sets?! You will LOVE what you see!

Plus, in recognition of World Card Making Day, all of our card kits... and our Maya Road shadowbox kit...are on sale for 35% off!!! That's right!!! No coupon is necessary... the prices shown in the store are the discounted prices. There are VERY limited quantities and they will not be re-stocked, so be sure to order quickly! You will LOVE creating cards in the style of Sarah Martina Parker, Jessica Fick and Alice Wertz!

I'll see you there!