Taylored Expressions - Right as Rain

Brewing Up Halloween

Hello! Since Halloween is such a short cardmaking season, I’m trying to be mindful about buying products I’ll only use for a few weeks. I purchased nothing this year to make this card.

I pulled out a set of stacking teacup dies from Taylored Expressions that I’ve had for almost a decade and gave it a Halloween makeover with seasonal colors. I added the steam from a Penny Black die set. Once assembled, I added the teacups to a dry-embossed panel with a bat motif (TE Fright Night Flight) and framed it. I used two Taylored Expressions die sets (a rectangle set and an Inside Out Scallop set) to create the frame. I went through my extensive patterned paper collection for a spider-patterned background. I did not purchase any additional Halloween-themed patterned paper this year. I created the sentiment on my computer and cut it with a banner die.

Because I recently reorganized my embossing folders, I could easily locate the Halloween-themed one I used on this card.

It’s a good reminder to look at what you already own and think about how you can change it up for the season. A little creative mixing and matching can give older supplies a whole new life!

Halloween Trunk or Treat Scene

Hello! One thing I am currently enjoying is putting together my own “kit” from supplies I already own. For this Trunk or Treat card, I pulled dies from several different sets and mixed and matched the pieces to create the scene. If you don’t know, Trunk or Treat is a Halloween tradition where families gather in a parking lot, and children go from decorated car to decorated car to collect treats instead of going door to door. The decorated trunks can be surprisingly creative, and I had fun translating that idea into a card by combining dies from several different sets to build the scene.

I used the Spellbinders Truckin’ Through the Seasons die set to create the vehicle for my Trunk or Treat scene, where the Halloween decorations are displayed in the truck bed.

After making this card, I discovered another die set (Envelope of Wonder Halloween) that would be perfect for creating a Trunk or Treat scene, especially the candy pieces! I used that set on a card for the Spellbinders blog HERE.

Taylored Expressions dies: Skinny Mini Halloween Borders, Little Bits – Ghosts, Little Bits – Halloween Confetti, The Witch Is In

Spellbinders dies: Truckin’ Through the Seasons (October 2018 Large Die of the Month), Boo Crew, Open House Boo!, Open House Halloween, Spooky Boo

Taylored Expressions cardstock: Candy Corn, Poppy Seed, Jelly Donut, Black Licorice

Spellbinders cardstock: Waterfall, Rainforest, Brushed Metallic Silver, Black Glitter foam

Taylored Expressions Brick embossing folder

Halloween Cardmaking with Dies I Already Own

Hello! This Halloween card combines Taylored Expressions dies and a spooky tree background stamp. For the buildings, I used Halloween-themed dies, the Ghost Town Border and the Haunted Cutting Plate, creatively cutting them apart rather than using them as intended. The exercise stretched my design skills and encouraged me to revisit supplies in my collection. Often, themed products offer less play value than more versatile ones. For example, the Build-A-House die set I used HERE can be used for a variety of occasions and seasons.

I began my design process by creating a look book of my previous Halloween cards. Having a visual reference gives me a helpful starting point. I search my blog using keywords (for example, “Taylored Expressions Halloween”), then copy each card photo and its URL into a Word document. I include the URL so I can easily refer back to the original post and identify the products I used.

I enjoy the challenge of using what I own and finding new possibilities in supplies already in my collection.

Taylored Expressions Dies: Haunted Cutting Plate, Ghost Town Border, BOO, Little Bits – Ghost

Taylored Expressions Stamps: Bare Trees Background
Taylored Expressions Cardstock: Eggplant, Jelly Donut, Candy Corn, Black Licorice, Poppy Seed, Sweet Potato Pie, Pineapple
My Favorite Things Frame die

Fall Scene Card

Hello! This fall-themed card came together using a variety of die sets from my collection. Most were from Lawn Fawn, along with a fence die from Taylored Expressions. The house, fence, grassy foreground, and falling leaves create a little seasonal vignette that is an ode to fall.

I enjoyed looking through my collection of scene-building dies. They are an important part of my supplies and have great play value. Combining pieces from different sets lets you create new scenes. You do not need to buy anything specifically for the project. I also used the process as a chance to organize my cardstock better and pay attention to which cardstock I enjoy working with most. For me, projects like this are as much about exploring what I already have as they are about making the finished card.

With October here, I’m thinking about creating a mix of Halloween and fall cards.

Lawn Fawn Dies: Build-A-House, Build-A-House Beach Add-On, Build-A-House Spring Add-On, Leafy Tree Backdrop, Stitched Cloud Backdrop; Penny Black 51-657 Wildwood die set (birds); Taylored Expressions Picket Fence Border die; Sunny Studio Stamps Picket Fence Border die set (grass die)

Fall Door Die-cut Scene

Hello! A decorated front door is a sign of the change in season. A wreath, a few pumpkins, and scattered leaves can turn an everyday entrance into a welcoming fall display. For this card, I recreated that feeling in a die-cut scene with the now-retired Taylored Expressions Door to Door Collection. The dies in the collection, along with several other TE sets, make it easy to build an entry with fall colors.

When I purchase cardmaking supplies, I’m beginning to look at them through the lens of play value, a term often used when talking about children’s toys. A toy with high play value can be used in many different ways and continues to offer possibilities over time. Given the cost of many cardmaking products, I think it’s worth considering how many different ways a die or stamp set can be used. A door die set with accessory sets can have high play value. The door can be decorated for fall in addition to Halloween, Christmas, spring/Easter, and summer/Fourth of July (to name a few) with additional die sets. In this case, I received the Taylored Expressions Door to Door Collection for design team assignments, so cost wasn’t a consideration. Going forward, looking at supplies through the play value lens can help me decide whether a purchase offers enough creative possibilities to make it worthwhile.

Supply List

Taylored Expressions Dies: Door to Door 2, Door to Door -Molding, Door to Door Summer Décor, Door to Door – Fall, Little Bits – Leaves, Little Bits – Halloween Scene, Little Bits – Fall Harvest

Honey Bee Burlap embossing folder

Taylored Expressions Cardstock: Sweet Basil, Pineapple, Toffee, Poppy Seed, Sweet Potato Pie, Pumpkin, Sugar Cube

Bazzill Candy Buttons cardstock