Penny Black Simplicity – Snowflakes

There are some lovely snowflake stamps, included in a number of Penny Black stamp sets, that I’m putting to use, along with an apt sentiment on a CAS winter-themed friendship card. I’m attempting to embrace winter this year rather than pretending it doesn’t exist!

Jean Manis Penny Black Simplicity Snowflakes

I first stamped the sentiment from #30-307 holiday snippets and then added the snowflakes (one on the same set and the other two from #30-316 season’s gifts). I finished off the left-hand side of the card base with a strip of patterned paper in coordinating colors (just my luck!) from the #80-012 wintertime paper pad set. I’m drawn towards shades of blue and purple at this time of year.

Taylored Expressions – Negative Die Cutting Technique

Today, I’m sharing a CAS card created with Taylored Expressions stamps and dies featuring the negative die-cutting technique.

Taylored Expressions Negative Die-Cutting Technique

To begin, I cut a frame with the Pockets & Pages – 3×4 Photo Frame die and stamped it with a sentiment from the Free Spirit set. I cut a panel of Cookie Monster cardstock three times with the Silhouette Stems 4 die, staggering the height for some design interest. I colored a piece of Sugar Cube cardstock with Distress Inks and adhered the die cut panel to the top, revealing the colors through the die cut. There were a few small pieces of that I had to glue on.

I added the frame to the top (which covered up the area where the stem bases were staggered) and adhered the scene to a card base which was dry-embossed (technically debossed) with the Paisley folder.

Taylored Expressions Negative Die-Cutting Technique

Tips for the negative die-cutting technique:

  • look for dies with solid images that have few small pieces and are easily recognizable;
  • die-cut frames or tags make assembly easy and provide a finished feel to the card.

Warmest Wishes

Today, I’m sharing a winter-themed friendship card in which I followed the Copic coloring by Debbie Olson using the Cool Day stamp set from My Favorite Things.

WarmestWishes-PolarBear

I colored the polar bear using most of the same Copic marker colors shown on Debbie’s card (I don’t own all of the ones she does, so made a few substitutions). I took the clues from the coloring of the scarf for the rest of the card. For the background, I dry-embossed a panel of cardstock cut with the largest stitched die in the Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangle Stackables set. Keeping with the winter theme, I used the Taylored Expressions Cable Knit embossing folder. I heat-embossed a sentiment from the MFT Stamps Warmest Wishes and cut it with the smallest die in the Lawn Fawn Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables set. I used the rounded-rectangle die in the Stitched Journaling Card set to cut a background sky as well as cut two snowbanks, which I’d already cut with dies in the Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Border set. I finished off the background with a few snowflakes cut with the Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes set.

Supplies: MFT Stamps Warmest Wishes (sentiment)

Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #17

Today, I’m playing along with the Share Joy Challenge #17 at Taylored Expressions.

TEChallenge17

I used the sketch to create a cheery friendship / hello card featuring one of the chickens from the just-released Happy Hens Stamp & Die Combo released this week.

Jean Manis Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #17

I stamped, Copic-colored and cut the chicken placing him (her?) on a scalloped rectangle on which I’d heat-embossed the punny sentiment. I used Doodlebug Design patterned paper for the top tag and dry-embossed the tag in the back. I finished the card with red-and-white twine.

Jean Manis Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #17

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

Supplies:

Taylored Expressions January Release Day

Hello! Welcome to the Taylored Expressions January 2016 Release! All products that we have been peeking this week are now available in the TE store, HERE! Before you head off to shop, I have one more project to show you featuring the Monkey Business Stamp & Die Combo.

Jean Manis Taylored Expressions January 2016 Release

I stamped, cut and colored the monkeys with Copic markers. I heat-embossed one of the sentiments to include in the center cutout of the Peek-A-Boo Circles panel, adding the monkeys to the other two windows. I used another sentiment from the Monkey Business set on a tab cut with the Tab Edger die. For contrast, I added accent strips cut with the Postage Stamp Edger die to either side of the Peek-A-Boo Circles panel. The card base was dry-embossed with the Corrugated folder.

Jean Manis Taylored Expressions January 2016 Release

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you’d like to see more projects and new product information, head over to the TE Blog for a complete blog roll of our participating designers!