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 Quilt-Inspired Card

Hello! I’m really enjoying letting the season guide my cardmaking right now. For this card, I chose a palette of orange, navy, warm yellow, and off-white. To begin, I used the Taylored Expressions Quilted cutting plate die (now retired) to create a quilt frame from Lawn Fawn Speckled Eggshell cardstock. I love quilts, but I don’t quilt, except with paper!

- I heat-embossed the Penny Black 30-863 Autumn is Calling sentiment on Taylored Expressions Blue Corn cardstock, trimmed it to fit in the center square, and glued it to the back of the frame. I backed the frame with an A2-size panel of the Blue Corn cardstock and added the assembly to a card base.
- Next, I added texture to four cardstock panels (TE Blue Corn, TE Sweet Potato Pie, TE Pineapple, and Lawn Fawn Speckled Eggshell) with the Spellbinders Starshine Background cutting plate.
- Finally, I cut each pierced panel with the quilt die and inlaid the pieces into the frame.
- I finished the card with a die-cut needle and thread (TE Little Bits – Needle & Thread). It seemed like the perfect little detail for the quilt theme.

This is the kind of seasonal crafting I’m enjoying: choosing a few colors that feel like fall, working with the themes of the season, and finding new ways to use the supplies already in my collection. It’s satisfying to shop my craft room and discover that I already have everything I need.

Taylored Expressions | Fall Farm Scene

There’s something especially satisfying about building a little scene on a card. For this farm-themed design, I pulled out older Taylored Expressions supplies (from 2016). I combined them to create a cozy farm scene with a pickup truck, pumpkins, a barn, a tractor, and a windmill. An embossing folder adds texture to the foreground, suggesting a hayfield. I used an Elizabeth Craft Designs sentiment stamped on a cloud. This card came together with supplies I already had, and I enjoyed creating a seasonal card.

Supply List
Taylored Expressions dies: On the Road – Truck, Cloud Duo, Build a Scene – Rolling Hills, Little Bits – Halloween Scene, Little Bits – Fall Harvest, Build a Scene – Farm Fence, Little Bits – Barn, Little Bits – Tractor, Little Bits – Windmill
Taylored Expressions Weathered embossing folder
Taylored Expressions cardstock: Cherry Pop, Candy Corn, Sweet Potato Pie, Pineapple, Sweet Basil, Blueberry, Earl Gray, Sugar Cube, Black Licorice
Elizabeth Craft Designs Autumn Words sentiment set