REEL | Taylored Expressions | Best Mix Ever Cardmaking Kit: The Christmas Version

The Best Mix Ever Cardmaking Kit is still available in limited quantities and, YES, you can use it to make Christmas cards and more! I'm already thinking ahead to Valentine's in pinks and reds. ;) I used just the Mixed Tape Dies here but combined them with several existing Taylored Expressions products.

First, I started by using the Diagonal Stitch Mini Slim Stacklets on Mini Slim Top-Fold Cards in both Oreo and Sugar Cube. I created the same double-frame pattern on one of each colour but used the remaining two dies to create different patterns on the other two cards.

Using Watermelon, Mulled Wine, Granny Smith, Peapod, Cilantro, Sea Salt and gold glitter cardstock, I created eight cassette tapes with slight variations. I love these so much! 

I created labels for the cassette tapes using the Just Saying - Christmas stamp set and die cut them using the original Mini Strips Die. The larger sentiments from Merriest Christmas were heat embossed with gold tinsel embossing powder.

The cute snowman is from St. Nick Background Cling & Clear Combo and the stars are from the Gathered Stars Die, one of my well-used favourites!

On the backs of these cards, I used my new custom Handmade for the Holidays stamp and I love that I can now heat emboss with these on dark cardstock. I think it looks amazing in gold and white on black!

To see these sparkly cards in motion, please visit THIS reel on my Instagram feed. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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REEL | Marching Band Christmas Cards

It's almost Christmas Eve but everyone is pretty much hunkered down, trying to hide from the storm that's engulfed the city. I hope you're all staying cozy and finishing all your prep for Christmas Day! Schools were closed today which means these cards and gifts won't get to the teachers 'til after the holidays.

When this Simon Says Stamp and Wplus Stamptember Exclusive Band Camp was released in 2015, I snapped it up right away. My son was only seven then but he was already musical and I had a hunch this set would come in handy eventually. I'm pleased to say he's now in a high school Marching Band!

I stamped the images with Gina K Amalgam ink, coloured the images with Copic markers listed in the supply links below and added highlights with a Sakura white gel pen.

To create all the backgrounds, I heat foiled the Crossed Lines Glimmer Cardfront with Speckled Prism Hot Foil and Sparkle Silver Hot Foil on Midnight Green cardstock, as well as Opal Hot Foil and Speckled Prism Hot Foil on Fog cardstock.

For the sentiments, I heat foiled the Glimmer Wishes with Matte Silver Hot Foil and Sparkle Silver Hot Foil on white cardstock and Pitch Black cardstock. I attached all of the panels to white linen card bases. The embellishments consist of music note and star die cuts from silver glitter cardstock, metallic silver pearls and silver star sequins.

Since this adorable set is no longer available, there are two other band stamp sets that I highly recommend: Marching Band by Paislee Press and Merry Measure by Paper Person, which you can purchase as a clear stamp set in a kit or as digital files.

To see these sparkly cards in motion, please visit THIS reel on my Instagram feed. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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VIDEO | Taylored Expressions | Introducing the Best Mix Ever Cardmaking Kit

I don't think I've ever been this excited about a Taylored Expressions cardmaking kit! The Best Mix Ever Cardmaking Kit is a throwback to mixed tape days. If you're a music fan or a new fan of records and turntables, you'll be sure to love this versatile kit.

This kit is jam-packed with sentiments for so many occasions but the Mix Tape Dies are the star of the show! I followed the colour-theme of the kit itself but you can use whatever colours you want. Your tapes can be as simple or colourful as you like.

This first card features the Mini Strips - Mix Tape sentiments as labels, stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne on Sugar Cube cardstock and die cut with the coordinating Mini Strips Die.

I created a textured frame on the Sugar Cube card base using two of the Diagonal Stitch Rectangle Stacklets, which are probably the most-used dies in my stash. I love them so much!

To finish, I added three gold glitter hearts using the little embellishment dies which come with the Mix Tape Dies and I use different shapes on each of my three cards.

This second card features the Mix Master Background Stamp, which is so much fun and can be used in so many ways for other occasions such as birthday and congratulations. I stamped it in Versafine Clair Nocturne on Toffee cardstock for a bold look.

Since the colours are on this card are darker, I added white shadows behind both the cassette tapes and the sentiments, which were stamped from the Best Mix Ever Sentiment Set. The coordinating Best Mix Ever Dies for the large sentiments can be purchased as an add-on.

To finish, I added five gold glitter lightning bolts using the little embellishment dies which come with the Mix Tape Dies and I think they're so cute inside the letter Os in the sentiment!

My third and last card features one each of the two cassette tape designs featured above. This time, I missed the sentiments from both Best Mix Ever with coordinating Best Mix Ever Dies and Mini Strips - Mix Tape with coordinating Mini Strips Die.

I added extra shadows to the sentiment in Lollipop and gold glitter, which I also used for the little music notes. The secondary sentiment is also from the Best Mix Ever Stamp Set and I love the mix of three different fonts in that set.

The colours featured on these three cards are Lollipop, Candy Corn, Tropical Punch, Plum Punch, Dried Fig, Sugar Cube, Toffee, Mushroom and Oreo.

Grab this kit before it's gone! Thanks so much for watching!

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VIDEO | Taylored Expressions | Pass the Pie Embossing Bundle

The Pass the Pie Embossing Bundle is the second of Taylored Expressions' Black Friday deals and it's a great one! This bundle is packed with amazing essentials including the new Party Vibes Background, Treat Yo'Self stamp set and coordinating dies, plus new embossing powders in Jelly Donut Sparkle, Lollipop Sparkle and more!

Normally, I steer clear of pink and purple but these new embossing powders really inspired me and I came up with two ombre designs that make me want to break out all my pinks and purples.

This first card features the Party Vibes Background on a panel cut from three sections of Lavender Glaze, Jelly Donut and Eggplant cardstock. I stamped the background with Versamark watermark ink before heat embossing it with Jelly Donut Sparkle embossing powder.

I cut the background using the Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate, stacking the frame on a second layer to pop it up ever so slightly. I attached the background to a Sugar Cube card base before stamping the sentiments.

I used Lavender Glaze, Jelly Donut and Eggplant mini ink pads to create an ombre stamping of the sentiments from Treat Yo'Self before die cutting them and stacking them three-high and glueing them to the card.

For my second card, I created a similar ombre background from panels of Cupcake, Strawberry Milkshake and Lollipop cardstock. Then I used the coordinating inks and the Balloon Party Stencil & Clear Combo to create cascading ombre balloons.

I head embossed the confetti at the base of the balloons using the Lollipop Sparkle embossing powder. I stamped the sentiment from Treat Yo'Self using Lollipop ink and stamped it again with Versamark watermark ink before heat embossing it with Lollipop Sparkle for added shine.

After trimming 1/8" off the sides, I added the finished panel and sentiment to the card base and called it a day. 

If you weren't able to get your hands on this great bundle, many of the components (or suitable substitutes) are available for purchase in the supply links below. You can definitely use any background stamp set, sentiments with coordinating dies and any layering stencil set with the designs I shared.

Thanks so much for watching!

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VIDEO | Taylored Expressions | Good Gravy Stamping Bundle

The Good Gravy Stamping Bundle is the first of Taylored Expressions' Black Friday deals and it's a great one! This bundle is packed with amazing essentials including the Teal MISTI, Rooting for You Clear Stamp, MISTI Clear Alignment Panels, MISTI Grid Paper, Just Press Tool and Pick up Stickers.

I started by selecting my colours for this clean and simple card design - Rose Water, Watermelon, Raspberry Sorbet and Mulled Wine. The stalks were stamped with Mulled Wine and the flowers were stamped with Rose Water and Watermelon. The stamen for the first flower was stamped with Raspberry Sorbet, as was the soil.

I stamped the sentiment with Versamark watermark ink and heat embossed it with copper embossing powder. After all of the stamping was finished, I used the largest of the Stitched Rectangle Stacklets to trim the panel. I cut two pieces of Mulled Wine and Watermelon cardstock, taped them together, then die cut it using the largest of the Petite Scallop Rectangle Stacklets.

To finish, I trimmed the A2 card base from Rose Water cardstock, then used a tape runner to attach both the scalloped and stitched layers to the card base.

If you weren't able to get your hands on this great bundle, all of the components are available for purchase in the supply links below, save for the layering stamp set. You can definitely use any layering stamp set with the design I shared.

Thanks so much for watching!

Supplies: 

VIDEO | Taylored Expressions | Introducing the Friendly Filigree Cardmaking Kit + Add-Ons

Taylored Expressions has a new cardmaking kit which makes gift-giving so quick and easy! The holidays will soon be here and everyone loves customizable cards. The new Friendly Filigree Cardmaking Kit makes absolutely stunning cards in a pinch, which is just what we all need!

This kit includes an incredible Friendly Filigree Background Stamp which looks just as beautiful stamped or heat embossed, as it does using the Foil It - Friendly Filigree panels in Tropical Punch, Blue Corn and Mulled Wine, as I've shown here.

I created a set of gold foiled panels with choose-your-own Foil It - All Together Occasions sentiments on Toffee card bases. After foiling the sentiment panels and die cutting them with the coordinating All Together - Occasions Coordinating Die from the kit, I used liquid glue to attach them to gold mirror shadows for an extra pop of gold.

I also removed the centres from the foiled panels using the Friendly Filigree Frame Die, also included in the kit. This exposes the Toffee card base behind each sentiment, which backed with double-sided tape so the giver can choose and attach the desired sentiment.

I also created a set of silver foiled cards on Sugar Cube card bases. The choice of gold and silver is such a personal choice so I thought a gift set that included both would be idea. I originally thought I'd like the gold set better but the silver really won me over!

With both the gold and silver foiled cards combined, there are six cards with a choice of 12 sentiments in two different styles. For the second set of sentiments, I once again used the Friendly Filigree Frame Die to cut them out and used liquid glue to stiffen them with a second layer of cardstock, which adds a touch  of dimension and quality.

To create the box, I used the Clear Card Box included in the kit (additional boxes are available for purchase) and die cut the Gift It Belly Band (sold separately) from Toffee cardstock. I wrapped the band with burlap twine and attached one of the extra gold foiled sentiments from Foil It - All Together Occasions using foam tape.

Thanks so much for watching!

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