Category: die cuts

Taylored Expressions February Release Sneak Peeks Day 1

Welcome to Day 1 of the Taylored Expressions February Sneak Peeks! It’s time to get crafty with Easter- and spring-themed projects! The February products will be released Thursday, February 4 @ 7 AM PST!

My first card says “hello” to spring with the cute critters in the Bunny Tails & Happy Trails stamp set with coordinating dies.

Taylored Expressions February Release

I stamped the critters, colored them with Copic markers and cut them with their corresponding dies, adding them to the card front with foam adhesive. I used the Build a Scene – On the Road die set to create the roads. I heat-embossed the sentiment onto the card front.

Taylored Expressions February Release

My second card, featuring the Wishes on a Wire – St. Paddy’s Day stamp set, celebrates St. Patrick’s Day!

Taylored Expressions February Release

I stamped and Copic-colored the scene – isn’t that rabbit cute?! I cut the colored scene with a rectangle from the Stitched Rectangle Stacklets set. I used patterned paper from TE 6×6 Paper Pack – For Peep’s Sake for a mat behind the rectangle. I added a grass border, which I Copic-colored to get the right shade, cut with the Wispy Grass Border die. To finish, I added flowers cut with the Little Bits – Flowers & Stems set.

Taylored Expressions February Release

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. 

Taylored Expressions Release

Thanks for visiting! If you’d like to see more projects and new product information, please head over to the TE Blog for a complete list of our participating designers!

Products in BOLD will be available in the TE store 2/4/16 @ 7 AM PST!

Supplies for Hello Spring card:

Supplies for Lucky card:

AEI♥U Challenge #33 – Friendship

It’s time for a new AEI♥U Challenge!! This month’s theme is friendship – a perfect theme given that Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away!

Avery Elle Challenge 33

Here’s my take on the challenge theme:

Jean Manis Avery Elle Challenge #33

I couldn’t resist pairing the whales in the Whale Hello set. At some point, when my sons were much younger, we had several whale books, and I could identify one from another. But I’ve forgotten a lot of that stuff (along with all of the different dinosaurs)! I do know that in the PNW, there are a lot of Orca whales, which we occasionally see traveling in their pods.

I created the card background using the smooshing technique with a variety of Distress Inks. I watercolored the whales using watercolor pencils, Distress Inks, and once dry, I added more shading with colored pencils.

There’s no limit to how you can interpret this challenge! Check out the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team over on the AEI♥U Challenge Blog!  You’ll also find the InLinkz tool to link up YOUR take on the challenge – we’d love to see your beautiful work in our gallery! There are two $25 Avery Elle Gift Certificates up for grabs for the two best entries!  You have until  February 24, 2016 to link up your take on the challenge!

Supplies: Avery Elle Pinked Elle-ments

Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #20

Today, I’m playing along with the Share Joy Challenge #20 at Taylored Expressions.Share Joy Challenge #20

I used the sketch and kept it Clean & Simple, creating a “Hello” card with die cut flowers and sentiment:

TE Share Joy Challenge #20

After a week of rain here in the Pacific Northwest, these bright flowers make me happy! I did a bit of pruning on the Leafy Branch, before tucking it behind the flowers.

TE Share Joy Challenge #20

Supplies:

Penny Black Simplicity CAS Valentine

Today, I’m sharing a CAS Valentine’s Day card created with Penny Black stamps and dies.

CAS Valentine

To begin, I cut the window using the Penny Black 51-135 ironwork window die inside a cardstock rectangle. (The side edges of the window do not get cut, providing lots of flexibility on how to use the die.) I heat-embossed a sentiment from the 30-269 so very much set on the bottom of the panel with silver embossing powder.

I backed the panel with yellow cardstock and attached hearts to the front of the window. The hearts were cut with the 51-100 tree of love die from watercolor paper, which I had colored with Ranger Barn Door Distress Spray.

To finish, I attached the frame to a dry-embossed panel.

Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #19

Today, I’m playing along with the Share Joy Challenge #19 at Taylored Expressions.

SJC19Jan21

I used the sketch to create a Valentine’s Day card created with die cuts:

Jean Manis Taylored Expressions SJC19

I used the Little Bits penguin die to create a boy and a girl penguin. I sized down the skating pond so that it would fit on the stitched heart. I cut it once, and then re-positioned the die on one end and cut again. Then I re-positioned the die on the other end and cut again.

Jean Manis Taylored Expressions SJC19

I used the stitched rectangle die to create the Sugar Cube stitched piece joining the patterned papers by cutting once with the die and then again, leaving the stitched center.

Be sure to head over to the Share Joy Challenge Blog to see more inspiration and to link up your entry!