Taylored Expressions

TE @ CHA Craft SuperShow!

2009-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yep...that's right! I have an exciting announcement today! Taylored Expressions will be exhibiting at the CHA Craft SuperShow in Anaheim! We're busy making arrangements for an amazing booth and we hope to see many of you at the event!

You've probably heard of CHA before... the manufacturer trade show where new products are revealed and retail stores have an opportunity to place their initial orders. Well, the Craft SuperShow is a little different and it's JUST FOR YOU!

What is the CHA Craft SuperShow?
January 22-23, 2010

The CHA Craft SuperShow is open to the public and will be filled with shopping and hands-on educational experiences with many craft mediums represented (stamping, scrapbooking, beading, knitting, etc). Booths at this show are designed for educational opportunities through make & takes and shopping experiences. Whether you are a beginner or interested in learning advanced techniques, this is the show for you! It'll be open from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

This is where Taylored Expressions will be exhibiting! We have lots of fun stuff planned for the show including:

An opportunity to shop the TE Store We'll be selling our stamps and many of the coordinating products that we currently offer only through our online store.
Make & Takes all day at the TE booth We'll have a different make and take each day and you won't want to miss either one!
SplitcoastStampers Make & Take We're sponsoring a Make & Take at the SplitcoastStampers booth on Friday. Make sure you stop by for a special deal!
Meet some of your favorite members of the Baker's Dozen We'll be accompanied at the show by some true stamping royalty...stop by to see Jodi Collins, Jackie Pedro, Jami Sibley, Sankari Wegman, Karen Motz, Karen Giron, Donna Baker, Sharon Harnist, and Dawn Easton! Of course, I'll be there too!

For more information on the event, click here! Discounted tickets are available for all Taylored Expressions customers and friends! Just click on the image to the left to purchase your tickets and be sure to enter the promo code CRAFT15 to receive the discount!

Hope to see you at the show! You won't want to miss it!

Reminder: Last Chance CYBER MONDAY Sale!

Today is the last day to receive 15% off the entire TE Store with promotional code TEBlackFriday!

And the best news....our popular Perfect Package Card Box will be arriving back in stock on Wednesday, December 2nd. We've added additional stock to the website so that you're able to purchase these amazing boxes with the Black Friday discount. And you won't have to wait long before they ship...orders including the Perfect Package Card Box will ship on Thursday!

Taylored Expressions Shipping Policy

2009-11-28T07:39:00.000-08:00

As many of you are doing your Christmas shopping this weekend, I know shipping costs are an important consideration in your online purchasing decisions.

If you haven't previously ordered from Taylored Expressions you may not be aware of our shipping policy so now seems like the perfect time to make another announcement.

In an effort to get our products in your hands as quickly as possible we use USPS Priority Mail for all domestic orders.

The shipping you are charged upon checkout is an estimate based on the weight and size of the products you ordered. Because we can't predict what combinations of items you will purchase, we've found the estimated shipping to be the best option. However, we always want to provide you with fair shipping costs and we will refund any shipping differential once your order is packaged and weighed for shipping.* The refund will come to you by the same method you used to pay for your order (i.e. If you paid using PayPal, your refund will return to your PayPal account).

*Because of associated fees with your transaction, we do not refund shipping differences under $1.00.

Black Friday Blog Hop & SALE!

2009-11-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Black Friday! Today is the biggest shopping day of the year! Are you an "in store" shopper or a "pajama" shopper? I'm more of a pajama shopper myself, but I know a lot of people who will be banging down the doors of the mall at 3am! Yes....3AM!

For those of you who are "pajama" shoppers, we've got a bunch of great deals at the TE Store starting today as well as a Black Friday Blog Hop with many of our talented friends! But if you're one of those people who was banging down the doors of the mall this morning, don't worry because our sale goes through Monday, November 3oth! Of course, the earlier you shop, the better the selection!

Before we get to the sale, I want to tell you about our Black Friday Blog Hop! I'm so excited to be doing a blog hop with such an amazing group of talent! Today several TE friends are showcasing projects using the Perfect Package Card Box. The Perfect Package is an exclusive TE product designed specifically to fit a set of A2 cards and envelopes. In addition to storing a set of cards, these make great gift boxes, storage for small embellishments, ink pads, and much more! They're made from sturdy covered chipboard with a white matte finish. The box has a magnetic closure and it easily folds flat for storage with a tug on the ribbon tab. You can check out my how-to video on the Perfect Package HERE. I challenged all of the blog hop participants to decorate the Perfect Package to hold a set of cards or use it to wrap a holiday gift. I used my Perfect Package as gift wrap for something I'll be giving this year...one of the new TE shirts! I love these shirts and I know lots of friends and family who will be excited to receive one. And there's nothing I love more than unique wrapping. The Perfect Package was quick and easy to decorate with Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses patterned paper and some stitched ribbon. You can see the folded shirt fits perfectly inside. I also decorated the inside of the box with the same Basic Grey patterned paper, a Making Memories rubon and metal embellishment. And you can see in the closeup picture that I added red Tiny Twinkles to the berries in the paper and on the metal square. For the tag on the front of the package I used a sentiment from the Tag Treats set and then masked the words and stamped the snowman from Holiday Wonder onto the tag. I used some DMC Memory thread to tie the tag onto the package with a small silver bow. I can hardly wait to start hopping around to see what the rest of these amazing ladies have come up with! I know you won't want to miss one of them!

Alex Maldonado, Amy Rohl, Beate Johns, Bev Gerard, Charmaine Ikach, Cindy Haffner, Debbie Olson, Donna Baker, Jami Sibley, Jen del Muro, Jen Tapler, Jenn Balcer, Jennifer Buck, Jessica Diedrich, Joan Ervin, Joanne Basile, Linda Duke, Lori Craig, Rose Anne Reynolds, Sankari Wegman, Sharon Harnist, Sherry Cheever

And now for the Black Friday sale details!

EVERYTHING at the TE Store is 15% off through Monday, November 30th with coupon code TEBlackFriday!

It's the perfect time to start your Christmas shopping or treat yourself with a little pre-Christmas present just for you! Let me tell you more about what you'll find when you head to the store:

1. JustRite Stampers Blowout: 50% off all JustRite products!

2. Tiny Twinkle Deal: Buy 2 Get 1 Free!

3. Patterned Paper Grab Bag only $1.00

4. Great Christmas Gifts: TE Apparel, Gift Certificates, Chenille Gel Neck Wrap, KI Subscription

5. New Products: October Afternoon 8x8 Pads, Prism Swatchbook, Tim Holtz Design Ruler, Fingertip Swivel Knife, Fingertip Tweezers, Stampendous Mini & Short Pails, and more in the Fresh Out of the Oven category!

6. Back in Stock: Chillax, Doctor's Orders, Clear Circle Party Favors

TE Apparel... NEW @ Taylored Expressions!

2009-11-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

We have an exciting announcement just in time for your Christmas shopping! The Taylored Expressions mascot of sweetness, our beloved Cuppie, is making his latest appearance on several new TE Apparel items!

The Brown Sleeve TE-shirt is a super soft 3/4 length sleeve crewneck shirt with brown stitching on all seams. The shirt is 100% cotton (not pre-shrunk). Machine wash cold, inside out. Line dry or tumble dry low.

The Brown Sleeve Shirt is available only in Junior sizing and you can find the size measurements here.

Retail Price: $24.95

The Pink Sleeve TE-shirt is a 3/4 length sleeve crewneck shirt. The shirt is 100% pre-shrunk cotton. Machine wash cold, inside out.

The Pink Sleeve Shirt is available in Women's Sizing and you can find the size measurements here.

Retail Price: $22.95

The White Sleeve TE-shirt is a short sleeve crewneck shirt. The shirt is 100% pre-shrunk cotton. Machine wash cold, inside out.

The White Sleeve Shirt is available in Women's Sizing and you can find the size measurements here.

Retail Price: $19.95

And last, but certainly not least, the adorable TE Apron! This sweet apron was hand-made just for you! Whether whipping up a yummy batch of cupcakes or a sweet batch of cupcake cards, you'll do it in style wearing this apron!

The apron straps tie around the waist and neck making this a one size fits all apron. You can find the measurements here.

Retail Price: $32.95

*Enabler Alert*: Make sure you're signed up to receive the TE newsletter! It will be going out tonight and filled to the brim with new product news and Black Friday sales & events!

Click here to join our mailing list (in the left sidebar)!

TESC91 Top Crops

2009-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I made a trip to the grocery store yesterday to prepare for Thanksgiving and I could barely get my cart through the baking aisle! Lots and lots of people doing lots and lots of baking this time of year! I can hardly wait for our family favorites on Thursday...scalloped corn, sweet potato pie, turkey, stuffing, pecan pie....YUM!

But before that, it's time for the TESC91 Top Crops! There were so many amazing entries using this sketch! I'm having a harder time each week making the Top Crop selections!

Just click on each individual picture below and you'll be taken to the blog of the talented gal who created the card. A picture of the full card along with all of the card details will be posted there! Don't forget to give 'em a big congrats on being featured in the Top Crops!

There's still time to participate in this week's TESC92 Sketch Challenge and maybe you'll find your card among the next Top Crops!

FYI: The Sketch Crew will be on Thanksgiving Break this Friday, but you'll definitely still want to tune in here for all the details on the Black Friday sale at the Taylored Expressions store!

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #92

2009-11-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Good morning! It has been a busy week at Taylored Expressions! If you missed out on anything, make sure you scroll down to see the Baker's Dozen Binder Box product focus, the release of our four Fabulous Fall key ingredients kits, as well as our November Kit of the Month release today! And now we're ringing in the weekend with the TESC! Here's your sketch for the weekend:

Just create a card using the above sketch as inspiration! Link your creation using Mr. Linky below by Friday, November 27th at 8am PST. I'll be choosing the most clever and creative cards to be included in the TESC Top Crops on my blog! And you definitely don't want to miss the Sketch Crew inspiration below...you can click on any of these cards to read more about the details of these creations!

Created by Taylor VanBruggen: Taylored Expressions

Created by Rachel Sztonyk: The Gingerbread Gallery

Created by Sherrie Siemens: Card Creme

Created by Melissa Sauls: In Stamping Mode

Created by Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity

Created by Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper

Created by Jami Sibley: More is More

Created by Alice Wertz: Alice's Little Wonderland

Created by Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow

Created by Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge

November Key Ingredients Now Available!

2009-11-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

I've been looking forward to the release of the November Key Ingredients for a long time! I love the rich colors and designs in the Basic Grey Indian Summer collection and we had lots of fun pairing embellishments with this kit! If you’re one of our Key Ingredients subscribers then you’ve probably already received your kit…just one of the benefits of becoming a subscriber! I issued a challenge to the Baker's Dozen girls and today we're sharing our creations using the November 20th Key Ingredients kit, available at the TE Store today! Once you receive your Key Ingredients kit, we'd love to have you play right along with us so here's the challenge:

Focus: With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we'd love to see your Thanksgiving themed creations. Do you have a favorite recipe or tradition? Do you plan to create a special setting for your Thanksgiving table? Do you send cards to friends and family to let them know you're thankful?

Required Element: Skeleton Leaves...these leaves are super cool, but you may not be familiar with them. So here's your challenge to get them out and use them!

This year we're sharing Thanksgiving with lots of family! We'll have the Cook's (my parents & 2 sisters), the VanBruggen's (Jon & I), the Sheffield's (my mom's sister, husband, 2 kids), and the Brett's (another of my mom's sisters and her husband). So we're trying out something new this year. Each family was challenged to create a "Blessing Bowl"...a place where family members could write what they're thankful for and drop it in the bowl to be read around the dinner table on Thanksgiving. So today I'm sharing the Blessing Bowl that I made for Jon and I to use. I used an acrylic paint can along with Mod Podge to cover it with skeleton leaves. The Mod Podge dries clear so it was perfect for this project! I stamped the word Blessings onto a Spellbinders tag and tied it around the pail to finish it off. I also made a matching card to give to Jon on Thanksgiving. I'm always telling him how thankful I am for him, but there's just something to be said about receiving a hand-written note with those words inside! I used a cloud template and So Saffron ink to create the background and then I stamped the silhouette image from Celebrate Life over the top. I wanted to use today's TESC92 sketch for the card so I cut the stamped panel into three parts and adhered them onto the Birchtone layer.

And here’s a picture of all of the contents included in the November 20th Key Ingredients Kit! We’re excited to offer the Basic Grey Indian Summer collection of patterned paper along with coordinating cardstock, ribbon, Kaisercraft rhinestones, and an assortment of skeleton leaves! If you’re not currently one of our kit subscribers, this kit is available for purchase today for $16.95. But you might want to consider joining our hundreds of satisfied subscribers by purchasing a 3 month or 6 month subscription. As a subscriber you'll receive a ton of great benefits in addition to your monthly kit shipment! You can read all about the subscriber benefits HERE. And the best part is that your credit card will be charged each month instead of paying for the entire subscription upfront. We're making it easy to get crafty on a budget!

º Key Ingredients savings
- 3 Month Subscription price = $15.95 per kit + shipping ($22.95 charged to your credit card on the 14th of each month for 3 months)
- 6 Month Subscription best value price = $14.95 per kit + shipping ($21.95 charged to your credit card on the 14th of each month for 6 months).

If you haven’t enrolled in our Key Ingredients Subscription Service, you can do so at any time! If you purchase your subscription on or before November 25th, you'll receive the November 20th Key Ingredients kit featured today as the first KI in your series. If you purchase your subscription after the 25th your first shipment will be for the December 20th KI.

Don't forget to check out the November 2oth Key Ingredients inspiration from the Baker's Dozen: Laura Fredrickson, Sharon Harnist, Charmaine Ikach, Karen Giron, Jodi Collins, Donna Baker

Fabulous Fall Event & Blog Hop

2009-11-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Many of you may remember our Spring Spectacular event earlier this year! Well, this special Key Ingredients release was so popular that we decided to bring you more of what you love with our FABULOUS FALL EVENT! Available today at the TE Store are four NEW limited edition Key Ingredients kits each at the spectacularly discounted price of $12.95 . The four Fabulous Fall kits are Penelope's Potpourri, Winnie's Walls, Morning Meadow, and Petals & Paisley. Whether you're brand new to our Key Ingredients Kits or already love them, this is a fantastic opportunity to feed your creative sweet tooth and get an awesome deal at the same time! Each of the Fabulous Fall kits features a different line of SEI patterned papers (20 sheets of 6x6 patterned paper...4 each of 5 different patterns) as well as coordinating rub-ons or stickers, 5 yards of ribbon, and 12 sheets of coordinating solid cardstock (2 sheets each of 5 colors plus a coordinating neutral). You'll also receive a full-color inspiration sheet with samples created by the Baker's Dozen! We have limited quantities of each kit and these will not be re-stocked when we run out, so get 'em while you can! Today my cards feature Penelope's Potpourri Key Ingredients. I decided to challenge myself to see how many cards I could make using all of the rub-ons in the kit. I picked out three of my favorites (such a tough choice since I really like all of them!) to share here today. But if you purchase Penelope's Potpourri Key Ingredients I'll send you instructions to download my free inspiration sheet with all 10 of the cards I created using elements from this kit! The best part is that there are still plenty of supplies to make more cards if I pair the pretty patterns with stamps already in my collection. As you can see, these cards came together really quickly with the help of the KI kit. All of the rub-ons, cardstock, patterned paper, and ribbon were hand-selected to coordinate and make your crafting easy! All I had to do was pick out an image and lay out the design. Some of the ladies from the Baker's Dozen are also showcasing the Fabulous Fall Key Ingredients kits today! Check out what they've created using each of these four kits:

Penelope's Potpourri: Karen Giron

Morning Meadow: Denise Marzec, Charmaine Ikach

Winnie's Walls: Karen Motz, Jodi Collins

Petals & Paisley: Sankari Wegman, Donna Baker

Click here to purchase all of the new Fabulous Fall Key Ingredients! Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

TESC90 Top Crops

2009-11-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

It's time for the TESC90 Top Crops! It's so fun to see all the different takes on the sketches each week! I hope you're all having fun participating!

Just click on each individual picture below and you'll be taken to the blog of the talented gal who created the card. A picture of the full card along with all of the card details will be posted there! Don't forget to give 'em a big congrats on being featured in the Top Crops!

There's still time to participate in this week's TESC91 Sketch Challenge and maybe you'll find your card among the next Top Crops!

Center of Attention Product Spotlight - Mini Binder Box

2009-11-16T07:54:00.000-08:00

Today the Baker's Dozen and I have a very exciting Center of Attention Product Spotlight! If you've been a fan of Taylored Expressions during the past year, then you probably already know about our Mini Binder Box. It's the perfect storage solution for your TE stamps, but I bet you didn't know about all of the other uses for this amazing box!

This month I've challenged the Baker's Dozen to share about the Mini Binder Box... how it works, what they love, and the versatility that makes it a must-have for any stamper! But first, I have a few announcements that I think you'll be very excited about! We're always looking for ways to enhance the value of our products and we're now excited to offer three options for our Binder Box cover & spine! Previously, when you purchased a Mini Binder Box it came with a Cuppie cover and spine insert. In an effort to accomodate our new collections we've designed three downloadable options for the cover and spine of your Binder Box! Now you can purchase each download only once and print it as many times as you want! And better yet, now that you'll be printing your own inserts, we've lowered the price of our Mini Binder Box to just $9.95!

You can find all three of our new downloads along with our Mini Binder Box storage HERE. And in honor of our Center of Attention product spotlight, the Mini Binder Box is an additional 15% off today and tomorrow (November 16-17) so don't delay and pick yours up for just $8.46 each!

You know what? I'm a sucker for just about anything that will help keep me organized! My craft room is overflowing and each little organizational project I finish is another victory! So today I'm celebrating a victory and I'm so excited to share my project with you! As Taylored Expressions introduces new stamp sets each month I found myself becoming more and more disorganized. I'd often come across an image or sentiment that I didn't remember having! So I decided to create a Binder Box specifically for storing all of my TE images and sentiments. I started by creating my own panels from Choice Snow White cardstock (sized 5.5" x 8.5"). I rounded the corners of each insert using my Corner Chomper which was really quick because it can round up to 5 sheets of cardstock with one easy grip of the handle. Then I stamped all of the images from each of the stamp sets onto separate panels. Since I was starting from scratch this was quite an undertaking, but the end result was so worth it! If this is something you decide to do with your stamps, I have a few tips:

1. Use a juicy ink pad so you don't wear out your hand pressing ink onto your stamps.

2. Keep baby wipes close by to quickly wipe off the stamp before the ink dries.

3. Use a large acrylic block and arrange several images on the same block so you only have to stamp it once.

After stamping out all of the sets onto separate cardstock panels I used the Binder Box Cover & Spine downloads along with matching patterned paper to create the tab for each collection.

And last but not least, I created a punch page to keep inside the front of the binder. Now when I want to know if an image or sentiment fits inside a certain punch I can just take out the punch page and flip through all of the images in my binder. Now I couldn't leave the front undecorated so I used some MME patterned paper and a bit of brown double-edge polka dot ribbon.

That's all I've got for today, but I know you'll want to check out the rest of the Binder Box inspiration from the Baker's Dozen: Dawn Easton, Laurie Schmidlin, Jackie Pedro, Karen Motz, Denise Marzec, Sankari Wegman, Jami Sibley

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #91

2009-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Good morning! It's been a busy week here so my blog has been pretty quiet, but now it's time to ring in the weekend with another TESC! Here's this week's sketch:

Just create a card using the above sketch as inspiration! Link your creation using Mr. Linky below by Friday, November 20th at 8am PST. I'll be choosing the most clever and creative cards to be included in the TESC Top Crops on my blog! And you definitely don't want to miss the Sketch Crew inspiration below...you can click on any of these cards to read more about the details of these creations!

Created By Alice Wertz: Alice's Little Wonderland

Created By Jami Sibley: More is More

Created By Taylor VanBruggen: Taylored Expressions

Created By Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity

Created By Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow

Created By Melissa Sauls: In Stamping Mode

Created By Rachel Sztonyk: The Gingerbread Gallery

Created By Sherrie Siemens: Card Creme

Created By Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper

Created By Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge

TESC91 - Let It Snow

2009-11-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I decided it was time to prepare myself for the inevitable snow by making a snowy sketch card today! After living in Southern California for the last four years, I think we're in for a rude awakening when that first snow arrives...not to mention the first time we actually have to get out and scoop the driveway! :)If I'm looking on the bright side, my card is a *pink* snow card so it can't be that bad! I used the adorable Parka Penguins set from Our Craft Lounge for my card. I stamped the images in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored them with Copic markers. Then I added some Clear Spica Glitter pen to Ms. Penguin and some Glossy Accents to the ice. The patterned paper is from the Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly 6x6 paper pad and I added a few black snowflakes with a stamp from the same Parka Penguin set. The image needed something more to set it apart so I spritzed a chipboard snowflake with Cherry Metallic Maya Mist, cut it in half, and created a frame for the image. The sentiment is a rub-on from Making Memories. Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

TESC89 Top Crops

2009-11-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Usually I post the TESC Top Crops on Monday but I hosted two classes yesterday so I wasn't able to fit in time for a blog post. But I have the fabulous Top Crops to share with you today! Once again you all blow me away with your creativity and I had such a hard time choosing the winnners!

Just click on each individual picture and you'll be taken to the fabulous blog of the person who created the card. A picture of the full card along with all of the card details will be posted there! Don't forget to give 'em a big congrats on being featured in the Top Crops!

There's still time to participate in this week's TESC90 Sketch Challenge below and maybe you'll find your card among the next Top Crops!

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #90

2009-11-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's time for another TESC to jump start your card-making this weekend! Here's this week's sketch:

Just create a card using the above sketch as inspiration! Link your creation using Mr. Linky below by Friday, November 13th at 8am PST. I'll be choosing the most clever and creative cards to be included in the TESC Top Crops on my blog! And you definitely don't want to miss the Sketch Crew inspiration below...you can click on any of these cards to read more about the details of these creations!

Created By Alice Wertz - Alice's Little Wonderland

Created By Melissa Sauls - In Stamping Mode

Created By Rachel Sztonyk - The Gingerbread Gallery

Created By Sherrie Siemens - Card Creme

Created By Monika Davis - M.A.D. Stamper

Created By Lisa Hjulberg - The Craft's Meow

Created By Taylor VanBruggen - Taylored Expressions

Created By Jami Sibley: More is More

Created By Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge

TESC90 - Autumn Blessings

2009-11-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! It has been a busy week around Taylored Expressions with our latest stamp set release that took place yesterday! I'm ready for the weekend! We really don't have much planned which is nice for a change. And the weather is actually supposed to be quite warm so I'm thinking of heading to one of the beautiful parks around here and capturing some of the colorful fall leaves in photographs. Or maybe I'll just end up sitting on my butt watching football all weekend. *grin* Either way I'll be a happy camper! For today's TESC90 I immediately grabbed for the new Celebrate Life set and paired it with my new Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg patterned paper. I used the Spellbinders Polka Dot Frame for the background of the card (instead of the rectangle from the sketch). The image was stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa ink, colored with Copic Markers, and covered in Glossy Accents. Then I added a brown crystal flourish and a few single rhinestones to my image to finish it off. This card came together so quickly (literally 10 minutes!) which is what I love about the Celebrate Life set... simple, yet versatile!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Taylored Expressions Release Day!

2009-11-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

The day has finally arrived...Happy Release Day! The Baker's Dozen has been tempting you with sweetness over the last two days and now all of our new stamp sets and coordinating embellishments are available for purchase at the TE Store! Here's a rundown of what we have for you this month:

Luxurious Labels, designed by the fabulous Nancy McKinney, was created to coordinate with our Potion Bottles. This set is perfect for your Bath & Body gift-giving needs. Why give something from Bath & Body Works when you can create something even more fabulous yourself!?

You can see all of the Baker's Dozen inspiration using this stamp set in the Luxurious Labels Gallery!

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Sweet Indulgence, illustrated by the amazing Cakespy Jessie Oleson, features Cuppie at the Spa! This sweet set coordinates with our Luxurious Labels or stands alone as a perfect pick-me-up for friends and family!

Both Sweet Indulgence and Luxurious Labels coordinate with our Spa Key Ingredients! This KI kit includes cardstock, patterned paper, ribbon, an assortment of sheer & felt flowers, and several lipstick and blowdryer brads! In addition, I've selected a group of Copic markers to match with the cardstock and My Mind's Eye Whirlybird patterned paper in this kit. You can find the Spa Copic Kit here!

And don't forget to check out all of the Baker's Dozen inspiration using this stamp set in the Sweet Indulgence Gallery!

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We're also proud to offer, Celebrate Life, another gorgeous set illustrated by Nancy McKinney! This collection of bold silhouettes and thick line art is truly unique! Today the Baker's Dozen and I are sharing our last sneak peeks using this wonderful set! I decided to create a Thanksgiving table setting using the leaf image for the focal point of each element. I colored all of the leaves with Copic markers, cut them out, and covered them with Crackle Accents for a crackled glossy effect. My favorite piece of the table setting is the favor box. I used our Box with Lid and cut a hole in the front with a classic circle Spellbinders template. I covered the hole with acetate and filled the box with harvest goodies. This Blessing Mix sentiment is on the back of the box:

The Bugles are a symbol of the cornucopia, a horn of plenty.

The Pretzels represent arms folded in thanks and prayer.

The Candy Corn reminds us that during the first winter the pilgrims were allowed only five kernels of corn per day because food was so scarce.

The Fruit is a reminder that Thanksgiving is the celebration of the harvest.

The Peanuts represent seeds, the potential of the bounteous harvest for the next season if they are planted and well tended.

Check out the rest of the Baker's Dozen Celebrate Life sneak peeks on their blogs: Charmaine Ikach, Denise Marzec, Donna Baker, Jackie Pedro, Jami Sibley, Jodi Collins, Karen Giron, Karen Motz, Laura Fredrickson, Laurie Schmidlin, Sankari Wegman, Sharon Harnist

Or in the Celebrate Life Gallery!
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Do you like what you see!? Well, if you WANT IT ALL then we have two bundle deals for you to choose from! The Sweet Spa Bundle includes the following items (pictured below):

Luxurious Labels Stamp Set
Spa Key Ingredients
Potion Bottles (set of 3)
Sticker Paper (10 Sheets)
Chenille Gel Neck Wrap

All of this is yours for the discounted price of just $45.95! Or, if you want all three of the new stamp sets in addition to the spa-themed coordinating products then you'll want the Super Size It Bundle (over $100 value for just $85.95)!

All of our bundle deals are available in limited quantities so don't delay...get yours today!

Thanks for stopping by for our sneak peeks this week! We hope you love these new stamps as much as we do!

Happy Shopping!

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peeks Day 2

2009-11-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Day 2 of Sneak Peeks at Taylored Expressions! In keeping with the Spa theme, the Baker's Dozen and I are excited to showcase our creation using the stamp set, Sweet Indulgence, featuring Cuppie at the Spa! All of our new stamp sets will be available for purchase at the TE Store tomorrow at 8am PST!

Some of you may remember this blog post where I mentioned that my youngest sister graduated from high school this past May. She moved back to Iowa with my family this summer and was accepted into the Aveda School of Beauty. I'm so proud of her! I've been to several hair stylists over the years, but I still remember the one who sent me a thank you card after visiting her for the first time. It was so completely unexpected and appreciated! So I got another head start on Christmas gifts and set out to make a group of Thank You cards for Hannah to send to her clients! Shhh...don't tell her! I wanted the cards to be simple with no dimension so they'd be easy to mail. I stamped 20 of the images in Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Choice Buttercream cardstock and colored them with the Spa Copic Kit. This set of 5 Copic markers was selected to coordinate with our Spa Key Ingredients, which includes patterned paper from the My Mind's Eye Whirlybird collection. I cut out the images with three different Spellbinders dies (Labels 9, Large Scalloped Octagon, Large Classic Circle). Each of my layouts needed a little something special and I didn't want to add any dimension with ribbon or rhinestones so I pulled out my trusty Doodlebug Sew Easy rub-ons. I've been enjoying these so much myself that I decided to add them to the store! After coloring the images, I designed, cut pieces, and put together 20 of these cards in less than an hour...gotta love that! My sweet set of cards was in need of a storage solution so the Perfect Package Card Box came to the rescue. I decorated it with elements from the Spa Key Ingredients and added some real sewing machine stitching and a pop of black ribbon on the sentiment. The mirror is covered with Glossy Accents and I added Crystal Tiny Twinkles around the outside and a red pearl atop Cuppie. The box is filled to the brim with 20 cards and envelopes. And when those 20 cards are gone I'll just replenish the box with more!

I have one more exciting offer to tell you about today...the Sweet Spa Bundle! Tomorrow at 8am PST we'll be releasing the Sweet Spa Bundle chock full of fabulous spa themed products including:

Luxurious Labels (the stamp set from yesterday's sneak peeks!)
Spa Key Ingredients (featured on today's cards)
3 Potion Bottles
10 sheets of Sticker Paper
Chenille Gel Neck Wrap

What's a Chenille Gel Neck Wrap? Well, we know you'll be working hard on your spa cards and gifts so why not treat yourself with this luxurious hot/cold neck wrap made from soft dotted chenille fabric in a sweet shade of caribbean blue! Or if you can resist using it for yourself, it will make a great gift for someone on your list this Christmas! All of the products included in the bundle are pictured and listed below. When you purchase the bundle you'll receive all of these items at a 15% discount!

And last, but certainly not least, you don't want to miss the Sweet Indulgence creations from the rest of the Baker's Dozen: Charmaine Ikach, Dawn Easton, Denise Marzec, Donna Baker, Jackie Pedro, Jodi Collins, Karen Giron, Karen Motz, Laura Fredrickson, Laurie Schmidlin, Sankari Wegman, Sharon Harnist

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peeks Day 1

2009-11-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Good morning! Welcome to Day 1 of Taylored Expressions Sneak Peeks! Let me tell you I am SO stoked about this month's new stamp sets! I hope you'll tune in over the next three days for some fabulous creations from the Baker's Dozen. Today we're showcasing sneak peeks using our soon-to-be-released Luxurious Labels stamp set! All of our new stamps will be available for purchase starting Thursday, November 5th at 8am PST!

I don't know about you, but I love to give handmade Christmas gifts. It's something I grew up with and I enjoy carrying on that tradition. Looking back on Christmas as a child, I can't remember the coolest toy I received but I can remember the special gifts that my mom made for us each year. Now think about your gift giving over the past few years... how many times have you given lotion, body wash, or another spa product to friends and family? It's smells good, it makes us feel good, and everyone uses it....the perfect gift! And so our Luxurious Labels stamp set was born! These labels, images, and words were designed to coordinate with our Potion Bottles making them the perfect pair for your bath and body gift-giving this Christmas! I started by creating a batch of bath salts from scratch...much easier than it sounds with this recipe. Then I purchased some scented body wash and body lotion to match the bath salts. After filling the potion bottles I started on the labels. I stamped the scalloped label onto sticker paper in Colorbox Lime Pastel chalk ink. I created a mask for the outside of the label and stamped the dandelion silhouettes inside the label along with the coordinating salt, lotion, and wash words. Keeping the mask in place, I sponged Yellow Ochre chalk ink over my images. Then I cut out the scalloped label and stuck it to the bottle. Super quick and easy! I purchased a basket at Michael's and added a matching candle, washcloth, and loofah to finish off my gift. I plan to wrap it up in cellophane and I think it will make a very professional looking gift! And then to finish it all off I created a simple card to match. I stamped the silhouettes in Memento Rich Cocoa ink and used the bracketed frame to create a highlight for the sentiment. The cardstock colors are Suede Brown Dark, Frosted Teal, and Choice Buttercream. And I finished it off with Brown Organdy Swirl ribbon. Thanks for stopping by on our first day of sneak peeks. Make sure you check out the rest of the Baker's Dozen sneak peeks using Luxurious Labels:

Charmaine Ikach, Denise Marzec, Donna Baker, Jackie Pedro, Jodi Collins, Karen Giron, Karen Motz, Laura Fredrickson, Laurie Schmidlin, Sankari Wegman, Sharon Harnist

Attention Des Moines Area Stampers!

2009-11-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

Taylored Expressions is now proud to call Ankeny, IA home and I'm excited to invite you to our first Iowa card class! We'll be getting a head start on Christmas cards by creating the 5 cards you see pictured here using our Wings of Joy stamp set. Here are more details on the class:

When: 2 sessions (pick one or attend both!)

Monday, November 9th – 10am - Noon
Monday, November 9th – 7pm – 9pm

Cost: $20.00 per session

What to Bring: Scissors, your choice of adhesive

RSVP: tayloredexpressions@gmail.com

When you RSVP, I will respond with a confirmation along with an address and directions to the location of the class in Ankeny. Please RSVP by Saturday, November 7th. Feel free to invite your friends! However, everyone must RSVP as all of the project pieces will be pre-cut for your reserved spot. Hope to see you there!

I also have this week's TESC88 Top Crops to share with you today! There were so many fabulously creative cards using this sketch so you definitely don't want to miss these Top Crops! Just click on the mini pics below to see all the details on these beautiful creations. And leave a little love for these talented ladies while you're at their blog! And you still have time to participate in TESC89 and maybe you'll see your card on next week's Top Crops!

Halloween with the VanBruggens

2009-10-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Last night was jam-packed with trick-or-treaters even though the weather ended up being uncooperative. It was cold, rainy, and windy, but that certainly didn't stop Mario and Luigi, several ghosts, a myriad of superheros, and even a grape juice box from stopping by our house. Hope you enjoy these pictures from our Halloween:

Jon and I dressed up as pirates. My costume was called Radiant Ruby...Jewel of the Seven Seas. LOL! I walked around all night saying "I am Radiant Ruby, Jewel of the Seven Seas....Arrrrr!" *grin*

Skitters was supposed to be a pumpkin, but as you can see he wasn't much for his costume. I got one picture of him and then he ran off to conquer the pumpkin. After he wrestled it off of himself he stood next to it for several minutes, paced around it, and sniffed it like it might jump back onto him at any moment!

Morris started off the evening as a bumble bee! He's my sweet kitty who will happily wear anything I put on him! I think he actually enjoyed prancing around the house in his bumble bee costume (he even wore the antennae around his head!). When Skitters refused to wear his costume I decided to put it on Morris so it wouldn't be a complete waste. So which do you like better? Bumble Bee or Pumpkin?

I hope you all have a Happy Halloween! I'd love to see pics of your little ones in costume... kiddos, feline, or canine! Leave me a link here if you have pictures posted on your blog!

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #89

2009-10-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I hope you're ready for another sketch challenge! I'm already looking forward to seeing what you come up with this week! So....here it is!

Just create a card using the above sketch as inspiration! Link your creation using Mr. Linky below by Friday, November 6th at 8am PST. I'll be choosing the most clever and creative cards to be included in the TESC Top Crops on my blog! And you definitely don't want to miss the Sketch Crew inspiration below...you can click on any of these cards to read more about the details of these creations!

Created By: Taylor VanBruggen - Taylored Expressions

Created By: Alice Wertz - Alice's Little Wonderland

Created By: Lynn Mercurio - Stamperosity

Created By: Jami Sibley - More is More

Created By: Rachel Sztonyk - Gingerbread Gallery

Created By: Melissa Sauls - In Stamping Mode

Created By: Sherrie Siemens - Card Creme

Created By: Monika Davis - M.A.D. Stamper

Created By: Lisa Hjulberg - The Craft's Meow

Created By: Jackie Pedro - The Scalloped Edge

Cupcake Birthday Wishes - TESC89

2009-10-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Happy *almost* Halloween! We found out that in our area trick or treating takes place tonight, the night before Halloween. That's about the strangest thing I've ever heard, but we don't get much say in the matter so we're going with it! Jon and I are dressing up as pirates and yes, we have costumes for our cats too! You'll have to wait 'til tomorrow so see the pictures! *grin* We also have a 9 ft. tall blow up spider that we're putting over our walkway so everyone has to walk underneath it on their way to our door. I can hardly wait! I'm just hoping the rain holds off! Today I needed a birthday card so I grabbed my sweet Penny Black cupcake girl. She's stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copics. I added a Doodlebug Sew Easy rub-on to the bottom of the image and used a sentiment from Papertrey's Mixed Messages set. The patterned paper is from the My Mind's Eye Be Loved collection and I finished the whole thing off with a Caribbean satin bow and some Crystal Stickles. Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!

Making Memories Giggle Kids Cards

2009-10-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so much for your comforting words regarding Muffin's passing. She was a special part of our family and I'm happy to have so many wonderful memories of her! I have a couple cards to share today that I created when my friend Amy came to visit earlier this month. We took a trip to Archiver's while she was here so I was feeling inspired to create something with the new goodies I picked up. I fell in love with this Making Memories Giggle Kids patterned paper so naturally I had to have all the cutie coordinating embellishments too! I picked up the patterned paper, puff stickers, and mini clothespins to match. I used one of Amy's Sassafras clear stamps for the flower stems, and that's the only stamping I did on this card! I cut the flowers from the patterned paper and used the puff stickers for the flower centers. The butterfly and sentiment are a rub-on from an old SU Love & Happiness pack. And I used a Doodlebug Sew Easy rub-on to dot the flower stems. When we moved this summer my Janome Sew Mini had to be taken apart in order to pack it up. And then I never figured out how to thread the needle again and all that stuff. I know it's not hard... it was just a matter of doing it! So when Amy was here she got my sewing machine all set up again so you're likely to see much more stitching on my cards now... it's addicting!

I used the same Making Memories patterned paper on the second card along with the puff stickers and a mega rhinestone for the flower centers. Oh...and the little birdie is a puff sticker too! The 'hello' sentiment is from a Heidi Grace clear stamp set. The cardstock colors for both of these cards are Classic Red and Vibrant Teal. The ribbon is 5/8" black polka dot and I used the same Martha Stewart border punch on each of these cards. I'm seriously addicted to this punch! Amy brought it along with her and I think I used it on every card I made while she was here! She took the punch home with her (I know...the nerve! *wink*) so I've been scouring Michael's and Archiver's for my own punch like this, but I haven't had any luck finding it. But it won't be able to elude me much longer the way I'm going with this obsession! *grin* Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

TESC87 Top Crops

2009-10-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

Good morning! I had fun checking out all the creations from last week's TESC87 sketch challenge and now you can check out the Top Crops below! Just click on any of the crops and you'll be taken to see the full card and all the details on the creator's blog. And there's still time to participate in TESC88 and maybe you'll see your card on next week's Top Crops!

I have some cards I could share today, but I'd rather share a few family things from our busy weekend. Our nephew, Tyson, turns two this week so we celebrated his birthday on Saturday. I'd say this little Cars couch was among his favorite gifts although about anything that made a noise or was train themed got his attention! And the day couldn't have ended better than it did with a win for the Hawkeyes! Go Hawks!

On a more solemn note, our family cat Muffin was laid to rest today. I'm such a softy and just typing those words brings more tears to my eyes. We picked Muffin out at the Humane Society when she was about 2 years old and she's been with our family for the last 18 years. When we were kids we used to drag Muffin everywhere we went! It's a miracle she endured "swimming lessons" and rides through the neighborhood in the baby buggy. She made the trip out to California with the family and back to Iowa when we all moved again this summer. Now she's old and tired and her body is failing her. Yesterday was Muffin's farewell party and I snapped one last picture of her. My heart is heavy today...we'll miss you, Muffin!

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #88

2009-10-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for another Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge! I'm especially excited to welcome four fresh faces to the Sketch Crew for their first week! Here's the sketch inspiration this week:

Just create a card using the above sketch as inspiration! Link your creation using Mr. Linky below by Friday, October 30th at 8am PST. I'll be choosing the most clever and creative cards to be included in the TESC Top Crops on my blog! We're starting another little something new this week by including all of the sketch inspiration in one place! You can click on any of these cards to read more about the details of these fabulous Sketch Crew creations!

Created by: Alice Wertz - Alice's Little Wonderland