Taylored Expressions Moka Aidan

Happy Sunday!  My kids have been at a church camp all weekend long, and I am MISSING them for sure!  A whole weekend is just too long for this momma, so it makes me wonder how I'm going to do when they start leaving for longer periods!  Enough of my sorrows ;p, I have a card to show you today because today we have a couple of birthdays in our extended families.  This image is a new set from the August release over at Taylored Expressions.  This is Moka Aidan.  They are just SO fun to color!  Aidan was colored with Copics, and the banner was airbrushed with Copics as well.  He's been popped up on TE's Label Stacklets 2 die.

Stamps:  Moka Aidan

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:  yellow & green cardstock, Choice Buttercream, EP dp

Accessories:  Copics & airbrush, TE Label Stacklets 2 die, foam tape, green Spica pen

Thanks for stopping in today!

Taylored Expressions: Pencil Topper die

It's football Saturday as most of you know, so I'm sure a lot of you are watching games with friends or celebrating in your own way.  We are keeping it low key, but we do like to watch the Nebraska Husker games with friends from time to time.  I made these super easy food labels for a hotdog bar we plan to have for a future game.  I used some new dies from Taylored Expressions that were released here in August:  Pencil Topper die, Little Bits Picnic Basket die, and (a previously released die) Branches, Banner, & Bloom die.  

Instead of using pencils, I used straws so that I could put these babies right in the condiments.  I think they turned out pretty simple and cute, and it certainly got my wheels turning for future parties!

Thanks for stopping in, and enjoy your Football Saturday!

The Documented Life Week 34: Numbers

I told you I've been dabbling in the art of Mixed Media, and I just recently made a Art Journal/Planner that posted about the other day.  I'm sure I won't be brave enough to share all of my pages, but this is the first one I did from a Documented Life Project challenge.  We were to fill our page with numbers that related to our week.  I was actually able to go in numerical order with mine.  I didn't go too crazy with the Mixed Media bit obviously, but hey, I'm just starting out here.  I did, however, use my Distress Inks to create this fun background on my watercolor paper.  I used some stickers from my stash and doodled around just a bit.

I'm truly using this planner as a way to keep track of my week, but also as a journal, which has proven to be so fun.  I took it to church and wrote down the sermon notes.  For me, I tend to pay more attention when I'm doodling for whatever reason.  I don't get mad at my kids anymore when I see them doing it, because I know they get it from me.  I'm not the best doodler, because I suppressed it for so long. . .good students don't doodle, they pay attention.  Being a homeschool mom for going on 8 years has taught me that doing things outside of the norm is absolutely okay, especially if it gives you great results.

Ink:  Ripe Persimmon, Wild Honey, & Mustard Seed Distress Inks

Paper:  90 lb watercolor paper

Accessories:  Pilot pen, water mister, Kelly Purvey Alphabet stickers

Thanks for dropping in and indulging me ;)

Back to School

I think that most of our friends are all back to school now, which leaves some moms with a little more quiet in the house and maybe even a little more free time.  We started school last week, and are figuring it all out and establishing a decent routine.  We are full swing now!

I have a new card to show you using a new set from Taylored Expressions called Back to School from the Mischief Maker line.  That little cutie was super fun to color with my Copic markers.  I paired her up with the Echo Park Summer Bliss paper and couple of dies from TE:  Seeing Stars die & Notepaper Border die.

She is just such a cutie!  She would be great on some teacher gifts or fun little notes for lunches.  I really enjoyed decorating the inside of the card with a couple of stars and the backpack stamp from the set.

Stamps:  Mischief Maker Back to School

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Bermuda Bay, SU Lucky Limeade, SU Crushed Curry, SU Regal Rose, SU Real Red

Paper:  Choice White, EP Summer Bliss

Accessories:  Copics, TE Seeing Stars die, TE Notepaper Border die, foam tape

Thanks for stopping in!

Plan.Journal.Play - a Planner made for Art Journaling

Hey there!  Did you have a productive weekend?  I feel like we really did.  We were finally able to empty the last of the boxes, and my craft studio is pretty much how I want it.  It could use some better organization of some of my stash, but at least it's all out of boxes and within arms reach.  Now to find what I need when I need it ;)

I also had an opportunity to work on a project that I've been excited about for quite a while.  I've been dabbling in Mixed Media for a little bit now; building up my stash, and working with and playing with it.  It's a fun thing to do, and a thing that will take lots of time to master.  I've watched lots of videos and played quite a bit.  Lots of things I've made I hate and a few things I love.  This planner goes in the 'things I love' category.  

I love reading Patter's blog, which is where I originally learned about the planner.  I took Lorraine Bell's Plan.Journal.Play class, and am so excited by what I feel I learned.  I definitely have a lot to learn, and and certainly used a lot of her techniques, but the more I play, the more I will learn and develop my own style.

 I really love how my tabs turned out.  I used some canvas paper along with an old labeler.  The planner is a Moleskine, and I used an old stamp from one of my past favorite companies (Clear Dollar Stamps).

The back is even pretty cool.  More than anything, I had fun making it.  So much so, that I want to make more, hehe.  The inside is just as cool, and I'll show a page in the next couple of days.

Stamps:  John 3:16 (CDS)

Ink:  Stazon

Accessories:  Moleskine planner, various acrylic paints, brick stencil from TCP, dots stencil from Tim Holtz, gesso, various pens, various ink misters

Thanks for stopping in!

You are Pretty Amazing!

Good morning everyone!  It feels slightly like Fall out there this morning, which saddens me just a bit.  After having lived in Georgia for so long, the idea that I had to wear socks to bed last night is a bit disheartening.  Can you tell that I am really not looking forward to the super cold weather that we are going to get eventually?

I have a card to share with you this morning that I made for last week's Dare to Get Dirty Challenges over at Splitcoaststampers.  Since they are finished, I can tell you that this card was made for a 'no DP' challenge.  I used a couple of sets from Papertey Ink:  Watercolor Wonder & Simply You.  I really love how the paint strokes embossed in the various colors turned out on that black cardstock.

Stamps:  Watercolor Wonder & Simply You
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark Ink

Paper:  Choice White, black cardstock

Accessories:  rouge, butter, leaf, aqua, & bubble gum embossing powders

Thanks for stopping in!

A Book Journal for the First Day of School

Happy Monday, everyone!  It is a super windy day here in Kansas, and today marks our first official day of the new school year.  I'm the mother of an 8th and 9th grader!  Because we homeschool, I didn't wan to embarrass my kids with a first day of school picture.  My kids tend to start the day in pajamas, and to be honest. . .so do I!  They were both up early prepping for the day, and my oldest even went running with his dad at 6:30 a.m.  

Since it was our first official day, I thought it would be fitting to show off a couple of fun new projects I made with a new set from Taylored Expressions.  The set is called In Other Words - Read, and I love it!  It goes perfectly with the Mark Your Spot Bookmark Die, so I had to make a bookmark.  Not only that, I thought it would be fun to make a Book Journal.  I plan to use this book journal as a place to write about the books that I read.  This sort of thing is perfect for my forgetful self.  I end up reading a lot of books for the kids' school year, so there won't be too many books for pleasure in here.  However, I think this will be helpful in being able to recommend specific books for curriculum.  Not only that, but the bookmark will definitely be put to good use in this house ;)

The set comes with a couple of different 'read' stamps, so I took the liberty of stamping them all over my kraft paper to make my own background.  I stamped the books onto Choice Buttercream CS and colored them with Copics.  The book itself was made by folding in half about 10 sheets of graph paper, and punching holes for the twine to go through.

Stamps:  In Other Words - Read

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Crumb Cake, craft white

Paper:  kraft, Choice Buttercream, SU Bravo Burgundy

Accessories:  Copics, TE Mark Your Spot Bookmark, blue ribbon, twine, foam tape, graph paper

Thanks for stopping in!

Taylored Expressions August Release Day!

Hey Crafty Peeps!  Did you know that today is Release Day for the August goodies over at Taylored Expressions?!  That's great news for you, because there are a ton of amazing products being released!  I'm showing you the new set called Every Which Way and it's matching die.  It has some darling little images and several sentiments.

I stamped my images onto Choice White cardstock and colored them with Copic markers.  I used the matching die for my arrows and fussy cut the word 'Lead' for the sentiment.  The patterned paper comes from the We R Memory - Jet Set paper pad.

Stamps:  Every Which Way

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Baja Breeze

Paper:  Choice White, blue distress cs, We R Memory - Jet Set dp

Accessories:  Copics, TE Every Which Way die, distresser, stapler, foam tape

Be sure to head to the rest of the teams pages for more inspiration and to check out the rest of the new products being released today!

Amy Crockett

Cassie Trask (me)

Charmaine Ikach

Courtney Kelley

Danielle Lounds

Jami Sibley

Jeanne Streiff

Jen Shults

Joan Ervin

Kendra Wietstock

Kerri Michaud

Melyssa Connolly - Guest Designer

Monika Davis

Regina Mangum

Sankari Wegman

Shannon White

Shelly Mercado

Stephanie Kraft

Taylor VanBruggen

Tracy Clemente

More Dare to Get Dirty

Hey friends!  I had planned to have a post ready yesterday, but yesterday was pure craziness!  We visited the orthodontist for both kids and were hit with sticker shock.  It's a good thing my husband's car will be paid off in a couple of days!  Plus, we helped a neighbor pack and load a truck for a cross country move.  There was a lot going on.

I do, however, have a card to show you today for the challenge that I am hostessing on Dare to Get Dirty!  My challenge started on Saturday, but there is still PLENTY of time for you to play if you're a Fan Club member.  If you're not, you should really think about it.  While there is a ton of free stuff for everyone on Splitcoaststampers, there are some great perks to being a Fan Club member, and it's really cheap to be one!

My card uses a stamp from Taylored Expressions called Notable Blooms along with the matching die for the set.  I used watercolor paper for my background and the main images.  The background was make with Pine Green Distress Ink, and my images were stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink and embossed with black embossing powder.  Then they were watercolored with ink pads and an aquapainter.

Stamps:  Notable Blooms

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Pine Green Distress, SU Melon Mambo, SU Rich Razzleberry, SU Crushed Curry

Paper:  watercolor, Choice White

Accessories:  TE Notable Blooms die, black embossing powder, aquapainter, Peacock Liquid Pearls, foam tape

Thanks for stopping in today!

A New Day and a New Set of Dare to Get Dirty Challenges

Did you get a chance to stop by and check out what it takes to be a Fan Club Member over at Splitcoaststampers?  It costs next to nothing and has some amazing benefits.  One of those benefits is a week of challenges (with prizes) for Fan Club Members during Dare to Get Dirty week (DTGD).  I've been working on all 50 challenges, and I'm hopeful, but also trying to be realistic.  I've done it in the past. . .completed all of the challenges, but this year may or may not happen.

This card was made for Dina's challenge.  I used a set from Papertrey Ink called Scent-imentals.  I used an archived sketch for some mojo, and voila!

Stamps:  Scent-imentals

Ink:  SU Regal Rose, SU Lucky Limeade, Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:  green cs, Choice White, Carta Bella Sew Lovely dp

Accessories:  sponge, foam tape

Thanks for stopping in!

Dare to Get Dirty -- It's Time!!!

Hey there everyone!  Most of the house is completely put together, so now I've been focussing on my craft space, which has been so much fun!  Even my cat, Nik, seems to enjoy the space!

He's my bud, and while my craft place isn't glamorous, it's still bigger than any space I've had before.  I'm so excited about it!  I've been super busy working on release projects and Dare to Get Dirty projects.  If you aren't familiar with DTGD or Splitcoaststampers, then you need to get over there.  Most of the content over at Splitcoaststampers is free, but there is a ton of great stuff just for Fan Club Members.  DTGD is just one way that Splitcoaststampers says 'thanks' to the Fan Club members.  It's one of my favorite weeks of the year, and there are 50 challenges in this one week!

I'll have cards to show all week, and I'm even hosting a challenge!  This card was made for Lydia's challenge, and I really like how it turned out.

Stamps:  Absolutely Delightful (Simon Says Stamp)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Real Red, SU Regal Rose

Paper:  Choice White, Webster's New Year New You dp

Accessories:  doily, light blue Viva Pearl Pen, acetate sheet

Be sure to check out the Fan Club so you can join in the fun!