Friday, August 22, 2014

Every Which Way!

Hi Everyone!

Hope you have had an amazing summer - ours just has ended as the little ones have started school and now i am trying to get back into the whole swing of homework schedules, making lunch and taking kids to after school activities! I have to say that it does feel good to have a schedule again - summer living is fabulous but there is something about an organized schedule and post it notes and phone trees that makes me very happy :)

Speaking of happy, I was so excited to be able to get back to my craft nook after some time away to craft a fun little card using the super awesome Pockets & Pages 3x4 Circle Showcase die to create a scene within from the using the stamp set: Every Which Way from Taylored Expressions:


The  Pockets & Pages 3x4 Circle Showcase die is perfect for both scrapbooking or cardmaking - I popped up the compass in the circle part of the die from the stamp set and then created a little scene with the Grass Border die and some clouds using the Build a House dies. On the inside of the card I stamped this lovely sentiment:

Card Ingredients:
Stamps: Every Which Way stamp set from Taylored Expressions
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black and Teal Zeal (and copics)
Taylored dies: Pockets & Pages 3x4 Circle Showcase dies, Build a House dies, Grass Border die, Every which Way dies
Papers: MME (On the Bright Side), gray and green cardstock 
Accessories: corner chomp, white gel pen, yellow satin ribbon, copics, foam dimensionals

I had so much fun playing in my craft corner and can't wait to get back to crafting!  
Thank you so much for stopping by today! Hope you are having a lovely day!
hugs,
Sankari :)


Thursday, August 7, 2014

Taylored Expressions Release Day

Hi Everyone!

Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with some fabulous giveaways! Visit the TE blog each Sneak Peek Day this week for details on how you can enter to win!! 

For Release Day fun today, I am showing a project I made using the Smarty Pants stamp set using this super cute little power napper - isn't he just the cutest little thing!!


Here is a little close up of him - I stamped, colored and then cut him out using the coordinating dies and popped him up with some foam dimensionals - I added a few dots to the whiskers and some white gel pen faux stitching:

I can't wait to see what everyone has created for release day - please hop along with me and check them out here!!
Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Hugs, 

Sankari :)

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Taylored Expressions August Sneak Peeks: Made in the Shade 2 and In Other Words: Travel Stamp set

Hi Everyone!
Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with some fabulous giveaways! Visit the TE blog each Sneak Peek Day this week for details on how you can enter to win!! 

Today, I am excited to share two sneak peeks - the first being a stamp set that perfectly coordinates with the Shade Tree Cutting Plate that was previously released. This stamp set has such cute images and I loved the one of this cute little puppy dog at a picnic with a kite all ready to go! I stamped the image, colored it and then added the Shade Tree from the Cutting Plate over it and voila - instant scene! Here is another look at the card:


I cut a cardstock to 5" by 3 x 3/4"and cloud sponged the cardstock with the Cloud Border die - making sure not to sponge too many clouds close to the bottom. To this I stamped the image to the bottom side by measuring where a the shade tree would go and then where the grass would go. After stamping the image and coloring it with copics. I die cut the shade tree twice, once with brown and another with green. The green side was adhered down first and then the brown cardstock (I trimmed out the brown leaves so that when it was laid downwards, it would cover the leaves). I added a strip of green grass using the Grass Border die and a sentiment and loved the way it turned out!!! Such a simple way to create a complex layered card!



Card Ingredients:
Stamps: Made in the Shade 2 (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Choice Snow White (TE), green and brown card stock from (Bazzill)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black 
Taylored Dies: Shade Tree Cutting Plate, Cloud Border and Grass Border Die
Accessories: Copic markers and foam dimensionals

For my second project, I used the stamp set: In Other Words - Travel from TE, to create this card. I think this is one of my absolutely favorite cards ever! I love these fun suitcases - and stamped and colored them in with copics and then added a little glaze to them for a slightly weathered look. 

Here is another closer peek at this card: the corners are rounded, both from the card and sentiment - and the different areas of the card are popped up for a little bit more fun and play :) I added a small amount of faux stitching around the edges for a bit of finishing: 

Card Ingredients:
Stamps: In Other Words: Travel from Taylored Expressions
Inks: Memento Ladybug Red and Teal Zeal and Tuxedo Black
Papers: DP from MME and Choice Snow White card stock from TE
Accessories: corner chomper, circle nestabilities, colics, dimensionals, satin ribbon and glaze

I had a lot of fun making these projects and hope that you have a chance to stop by and check out all these amazing designers and their creative creations!




Verve Divas Inspiration Hop - August 2014

Welcome to Verve's August Diva Inspirations Hop. If you are coming over from Karen's amazing blog then you are in the right place - you can also start at the top of the blog roll over at Julee's if you are starting here! It's the 5th of the month and that means it's time for the Divas to serve up some fresh inspiration with their Verve stamps! Leave some comment love along the hop spots for a chance to win a prize, then grab some stamps and play along with our August inspiration challenge for another chance to win!
Our August challenge is Sequined Stunner:

Sequins are the perfect embellishment - sparkly, affordable and with lots of texture. Add some sequins to your project this month to make it a sequined stunner! Feel free to use the graphic as inspiration or not. 

For my project, I chose to keep the layout very simple and keep the focus on this wonderful sentiment: "It's a Wonderful Life" - I simply love that sentiment and love this stamp set called Remember This (I seriously do love this stamp set - the banners and sentiment are perfect for every occasion!!) - if you are ever wondering what a good stamp set to purchase is either for you or your crafty one - I totally recommend this one!




I kept the colors and layout simple and sprinkled a few sprinkles on the top to match the dots on the bottom - usually my cards are so layered, but for this one I decided to go the quick and easy layout road and the sprinkles were such a fun touch - I love these challenges that make me use the stuff in my craft room that I purchased years ago!!

Need a little inspiration? Check out the blogs linked below to see what the other Divas did with the challenge! It's sure to be a treat, and speaking of treats, we've got a prize for one lucky commenter along the hop! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines!
1. Julee7. Sarah
2. Amy8. Sony
3. Anya9. Maureen
4. Betty10. Stacey
5. Karen11. Chaitali
6. Sankari

Anni-VERVE-sary Sale
This month we're celebrating 7 wonderful years of Verve with a storewide sale!

During our Anni-VERVE-sary sale,
all of our in stock stamps, dies, ribbons and sequins are 20% off
(excluding our new releases, which are 10% off).
 

Stop by and see Sarah's amazing work next on the Blog Hop!! Thanks so much for stopping by! 
Hugs,
Sankari

Monday, August 4, 2014

Taylored Expressions August Sneak Peeks: In Other Words: Read - Bookmark Giftset

Hi Everyone!

Taylored Expressions is celebrating Release Week with some fabulous giveaways! Visit the TE blog each Sneak Peek Day this week for details on how you can enter to win!! Release weeks at TE always blow me away not only because of the sheer amazingness (yes, that's my new word :) of the stamp sets but also the way things coordinate together and for the sheer creativity in each stamp set!

My project today sneak peeks the new stamp set: In Other Words - Read which also coordinates with the previously released Mark Your Spot Bookmark Die from Taylored Expressions. This stamp set is just awesome - I LOVE the sentiments and the size of the different words in the sentiments - so so cool!

I love that you can make boomarks with this stamp set - this image of the pile of books stacked up fits perfectly on the bookmark and then I created a coordinating card that matches the bookmark - I thought it would be a perfect giftset along with book all packaged together :) Here is a pic of the giftset:




I stamped the image of the books twice with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored them about the same with copics and then cut them out. I cut out some yellow DP with the Mark Your Spot bookmark die and the Banner Stacklets 2 dies and then popped the stack of books onto them. I then stamped the sentiments and put the sentiment under the books in bookmark and to the side on the card:

Here is pic of the bookmark - I added some twine to the bookmark and then used a white gel pen to go around the edges of the bookmark and card for a little faux stitching. 
Card Ingredients:
Stamp set: In Other Words- Read stamp set by Taylored Expressions
Inks: Memento Black
Paper: DP from MME
Accessories: pearls, dimensionals, copics, twine, cropodile, Mark Your Spot Bookmark Die and Banner Stacklets 2


I want to make a ton of these for the holidays - I think they would make such a great Christmas present along with a good book! Have you guys been reading some good books this summer? I have been trying to catch up - these are the summer books on my reading list that I have been enjoying:

Eva Luna by Isabelle Allende
Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges
Mama Day by Gloria Naylor
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Ramana Maharishi by Shamsa Aithala

What's on your reading list - please share what is on your summer reading list and what books you would recommend!!
I can't wait to see all the wonderful projects that have been created today! Please hop over and check out all these amazing designers:


Thanks so much for stopping by today!!
Please stop by for more sneak peeks!
Big hugs,
Sankari :)