Make a Difference

It’s Kit of the Month week at Taylored Expressions, and it’s a sweet, Sweet Stack this month with an available interactive die cut that makes quick work of pop-up cards. No fussy measuring, cutting, or scoring! This is my kind of die! Easy-peasy.

Just a pop of fun when you open the card to create the sweetest stack of cake. I love the debossed dot frame. This is part of the Pop Up Party interactive die that is available as a June kit add-on. The entire interior of the card is one pass on my 6″x9″ Spellbinders Platinum platform, and you are rewarded with fun pop up feature!

I stamped a gaggle of ocean critters with Oreo ink and colored with OLO Marker and ran with an under the sea theme for birthday card for my daughter. I find I’m reaching for a lot of the new 96 colors when I’m at my desk – gorgeous blue-greens, greens and purples.

There are accompanying stencils to create whispy layers of icing on the cake stack and a fantastic collection of candle dies in a variety of sizes. You can create a towering inferno no matter how many years you are acknowledging in the celebration!

I started with a Sugar Cube panel cut with the All Planned Out dies and the Nothing But Net background stamp – stamped in Confetti Cake ink. Then I grabbed a variety of ocean-themed critters from a variety of sets:

• Fin-tastic Fun
• Under the Sea
• Turtle-y Awesome
• Assorted Critter Crew friends from the monthly freebie collection

All are awesome images with great lineweight for coloring with OLO Marker. This was a great evening of color-therapy, and I had a lot of relaxing fun in my studio.

I’m not normally an interactive card creator, but the pop-up die makes it so easy, and I had a lot of fun with this. I’m giving it to my daughter this week.

I made a second card with the kit, and I went the wedding direction with this one! I used the coordinating stencils and cake die to create a tiered, floral ensemble. When your daughters are in their 20s, you need a lot of wedding cards. LOL

I started with the In the Meadow embossing folder and Sugar Cube cardstock for the scallop base, and had fun creating a tower of flowers and shiny icing. The cake was cute from Rosewater Cardstock and blended with the Sweet Stack kit stencils. I cut the icing layers with the coordinating dies and the allowed a thin layer of Nuvo Crystal Glaze to dry on the cut Sugar Cube pieces.

This super fun, all-inclusive Sweet Stack kit makes it easy to craft interactive birthday cards featuring a delightful pop-up surprise. Choose between building a festive four-tier birthday cake or a cheerful stack of presents, then customize your colors to create a card that’s perfectly suited for every birthday on your list. The dimensional pop-up design is sure to wow family and friends—and may even earn a special place on the mantel long after the candles have been blown out.

For a limited time, save 15% on the Party Pop Up Die when you purchase the Sweet Stack Cardmaking Kit, giving you even more ways to create interactive birthday cards they’ll love.

It’s a birthday week! My friend Taylor celebrated a big birthday this weekend, and I’m sharing a ton of fun cards, tags and treat packages to celebrate! (All of my supplies are linked below.)

Birthdays are one of the most common occasions we create for, and handmade cards have a unique way of making someone feel seen, valued, and celebrated. This release is filled with products that make it easy to customize cards for family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and everyone else on your birthday card list.

For this card, I started with the Shoutout Birthday Embossing Folder to create a base. Then I started layering elements from Hooray Hat dies, Birthday Girl, and Bold Birthday Greetings. The Bold Birthday Greetings Foil Its were foiled in my Minc Machine with Jelly Donut and Pink Foils for extra shimmer.

I also created a series of tags with the Simple Tags Birthday stencils. I love this color combo:

• Lollipop
• Strawberry Milkshake
• Popsicle
• Plum Punch
• Sugar Cube

Doesn’t that sound like a party? LOL The Simple Tags Birthday stencil and coordinating die, Simple Tags, makes it easy to have a variety of tags ready at the whistle for last minute gifts and treats.

And, what’s a birthday party without favors? I used the Treat Tub die and the Party Doodles background stamp with Lollipop cardstock to make a cute little favor bucket. You simple cut two identical pieces with the die cut and adhere them together. I use high-tack adhesive. So fun and festive!

Stop by Taylored Expressions for the birthday party this week! You’ll receive a gift!

To celebrate Taylor’s birthday, customers will receive a FREE Bitty Strips Stamp Set – Birthday Wishes when they spend $44 or more from Taylor’s Birthday Collection. This versatile sentiment set is packed with birthday greetings that pair perfectly with the new release and will quickly become a staple in any birthday cardmaking collection.

I hope you have an amazing day! thanks for stopping by!

Summertime, and the living is easy with the sweetest, tropical blooms from Taylored Expressions. I had a lot of fun putting different elements together to create this series of birthday cards.

I started with the Gallery Wall Background stamp in Oat Milk ink on Sugar Cube cardstock. I had a relaxing afternoon building the florals from bright Taylored Expressions colors – Lollipop, Strawberry Milkshake, Candy Corn, Mango, Peapod, and Kiwi cardstocks.

I embossed the have a bright birthday from the Endless Summer sentiment set. I love the font pairings on this set. I used crisp Versafine Claire ink and clear embossing powder and then added a few black rhinestones. Everything nestles on to the All Planned Out background die.

I created a second style with the new Coastal Vibes, Sketcy Stripes Background Stamp, and the Beach Bound dies. These arrived to me just as my daughter’s friends were planning a fun Italian-themed Ciao Bella bachelorette. It’s on trend right now, but her married name is Gianino, so it’s on trend and on brand for our bride.

I started with the Sketchy Stripes background in Banana Cream Pie on Banana Cream Pie cardstock, and then embossed the Coastal Vibe elements with clear embossing powder over Blueberry TE ink and VersaMark. Using the MISTI for perfect image placement, stamp the Blueberry ink first, and then without shifting the paper, overstamp with VersaFine, then proceed with embossing powder. Finally, I created a little awning for my cards with Sugar Cube cardstock and Easy Edger dies.

The new Sunkissed Summer Collection from Taylored Expressions is designed to help crafters create meaningful cards for the people who matter most. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, sending a thoughtful thank-you, checking in on a friend, or simply sharing a little encouragement, this release makes it easy to stay connected through handmade cards.

The collection features two curated bundles filled with coastal-inspired creativity. The Coastal Collage Bundle combines coordinating stamps, dies, and sentiments that make creating charming seaside-inspired cards effortless, while the Beach Bound Bundle offers endless opportunities for scene building with tropical foliage, beach accessories, flowers, and playful summer details.

As a special release-week promotion, customers who purchase any Sunkissed Summer Bundle will receive the new Sketchy Stripes 6×6 Background Stamp FREE. This versatile background adds texture, movement, and interest to a wide variety of projects and pairs beautifully with the coastal and summer themes found throughout the collection.

The free gift is available with the purchase of any Sunkissed Summer Bundle from June 9 at 9 AM CT through June 16 at 9 AM CT, online and in-store while supplies last. Limit one free gift per customer.

Something fun to share today for friends across America! Send personalized crafty-love to friends in all 50 states! New from Taylored Expressions – Across America collection with stamp and die combinations for all of the United States.

I couldn’t resist pulling in other Kansas elements, like the sunflower from the Seeds and Such collection. The background Across the Miles map of the United States is a perfect backdrop for anyone. I loved making this card, and I have plans to bring in other elements of Kansas for more fun soon. The products I’ve used are linked below for reference.

I also pulled out the Around Town Stencils to create some road map alliterations between states. Even though Kansas and Missouri sit next to each other on the map, even a half mile can be long between two hearts. Let’s stay connected to the ones we love!

In addition to 50 new state stamp and die combos, there is plenty of fun at the checkout for TE fans this week, as well. Crafty Rewards Members earn Double Points on all individual Across America Die & Clear Stamp Combos. Plus, enjoy 20% off the Across America Bundle. All promotions valid online now through 9 AM CT Tuesday, June 9 (6/9). 

FIRST-CLASS FUN! Is anyone else ready for a vacation? We’ve had the most incredible winter and spring that have kept me hopping from one event to the next for months, and I’m really ready for some downtime. The Taylored Expressions Adventure Awaits Monthly Kit is perfect for planning or celebrating others who have big, big plans!

Adventure Awaits Kit Contents:

• Adventure Awaits Layering Stencil 
• Adventure Awaits Coordinating Dies
• All Together Adventure Icons Stamp & Die Combo
• The Insiders – Adventure Awaits

I used the kit to create the large suitcase and taxi cab with the smaller icon focal images for my cards and then added them to the Road Map 6×6 background. I love a good background stamp, and this one is perfect for people who are going places!

For a big POP, I embossed the Going Places stamped sentiments in black embossing powder and created frame with Postage Stacklets (Mini Slim) and Outgoing Frames stencils. The Air Mail stamp set has some fun accents, like the postage cancellation stamps.

All of the products I’ve used are linked below!

For my third card, I created a little encouragement card. I used the kit stencil to create the camera, the Road Map background stamp, and one of the Adventure Awaits Insider Panels to create a card front with the monthly freebie – Critter Crew and the polaroid die.

Copper Foil on the Insider panels makes the sentiment POP! It’s an easy addition with the Mini Minc applicator and the Taylored Expressions Magic Shim.

Taylored Expressions’ Adventure Awaits Collection is a travel-inspired release designed to help cardmakers celebrate life’s meaningful moments through handmade cards filled with heart and connection. ✈️🌍

Whether you’re sending smiles across the miles, celebrating a special trip, wishing someone well on a new adventure, or reminding loved ones they’re never far away, the Adventure Awaits Cardmaking Kit makes it easy to create thoughtful cards that help people feel remembered and loved.

Shop the full Adventure Awaits Collection now at Taylored Expressions and find all the supplies used in today’s projects linked below!

It’s time for another great Taylored Expressions kit, and you’ll love this one to pieces! Talking in Circles was a fabulous previous kit concept that’s being brought back with fun, new additions.

Today, I’m sharing a card that was created with the new TE Talking in Circles 2 – page maps and the Inverted Circle Diamond Dies. The products I’ve created with for today’s post are linked below.

This one came together in a flash – I used the Palette Playbook for Papaya as a jump off and added some of my own colors to create a retro rainbow palette for the inverted diamonds. Everything landed on a piece of Sugar Cube cardstock – cut with A2 Layer Stacklet and the Quilted Cutting Plate. I finished it off with LOVE from the Sew Essential sentiments and the “you to pieces” from the Bitty Strips Sew Essential sets. Little Bits Needle & Thread dies finish off the design, and the A2 Large Scallop stacklets give it all a place to land.

What a fast and fun card! I love the creative basics and the helpful tips – like Palette Playbooks – that Taylored Expressions is constantly introducing to inspire creative and quick crafting!

I loved this Taylored Expressions release, and I immediately dug into these new glitter cardstocks – and I’ve been anxiously awaiting this morning so I could order more! LOL Bleu Cheese and Blueberry join the glitter cardstock category, and how gorgeous are these blues? I paired the Firecracker Shaker Die with Star Spangled Sentiments – Red, White and BOOM! You also get an upclose look at the Stars & Stripes Embossing Folder! So cute! I created the little awning at the top with the Americana Split 6×6 Background – embossing the stripes in white on Cherry Pop cardstock and then trimming the lower edge with the More Easy Edgers scalloped scallop die. (All of the products I’m using today are linked below!)

Red, white, and BOOM! I can’t wait for the 4th of July! I purchased all my fun decor in April! LOL Did we need sparkly 18″ stars to decorate the front and back of our side-by-side for the neighborhood parade? Why, yes! We did! And, did I need fun new stamps and dies for Patriotic crafting? Also YES!

Continuing the glittler theme, I created this card using the new Cityscape Die set – one die cuts the building silhouette front complete with windows and the second piece cuts the cooresponding backer that allows you to color in the lit up or darker windows. The Cityscape is cut from Champagne glitter cardstock.

I added an explosion of color with the Dazzling Display stamp set, and the glitter embossing powders were the punch we needed to light up the sky with a, well, Dazzling Display! We watch our fireworks over the water at our lake, and it’s the perfect way to cap off an amazing day! My cardstock layers are Sugar Cube and Blueberry – the base was cut with Postage Stacklet and A2 Rectangle Stacklet dies. (I use the A2 Stacklets on almost every card I make.)

And, for my third card, I had to give a nod to classic Americana with a wagon load of letters. Creating this card reminded me of growing up in little Stewartville, Minnesota and our city-wide 4th of July parade. We usually watched from lawnchairs in front of the Coast-to-Coast hardware store and capped the night with fireworks at our little town park, Lake Florence. Such good memories!

For this card, I used the Postmarked: American and On the Road Wagon die set. Let Freedom Ring is from the Star Spangled Sentiments set. I created the Toffee layers with the Postmarked Americana embossing folder and the A2 Stacklet dies, but I added a little tilt so you could peep more of the Stars & Stripes embossing folder in the background.

So FUN! I loved creating these cards, and they have me all excited again for the upcoming patriotic holidays. As soon as I get more of the glittery cardstock, I’m going to make some more fireworks to tuck into some of my home-decor displays. And, then it will be time to hit the lake! Do you have special plans to celebrate this spectacular 4th of July?

Smokin’ cute stamps for the men in your life today at Taylored Expressions! I love this year’s collection of stamp For Him. I’m married to a meat scientist, so the Grill Master collection is PERFECT for him. LOL

So many cute options FOR HIM in today’s release! I’m sharing the grilling and golf products, but there are some GREAT cheers & beers on tap, too. See all of the bundles and new products HERE. The products I’m using today are all linked below.

One of my favorite ways to use a background stamp is in a light tone-on-tone – in this case Oat Milk and Sugar cube – as a backdrop. I always cut my large rectangle layers with A2 Stacklets and Additional A2 Stacklets for perfect cuts. I think this is key on a clean design. Next, I add pops of color with the Apron Strings and Hot off the Grill dies. Finally, add a sentiment that ties everything together. You can repeat this design over-and-over for any occassion or person.

I was a golfer in my early life. I lettered all four years in high school and loved playing with my dad. Aside from a random scramble every few years, I haven’t played in over 25 years. I still loved this new collection called Par for the Course with a course layout stencil and cutting plate and then the cutest golf cart die. My golf course was blended with the stenil in Confetti Cake, Cookie Monster, Kiwi, PeaPod and Toffee, then I cut a Granny Smith layer to go over the top for dimension.

We have a golf cart that we use to haul coolers down to our boat dock and nightly “dates” through our neighborhood. So fun to zip around. It’s Cherry Pop red, just like this one!

I think you’ll love the For Him products that make it super fast and easy to create some of the more difficult cards that I tend to make – and you can do it with a minimal number of products. For your convenience, I’ve listed all of the supplies used in my crafty session below:

It’s the sweetest time of the month with Taylored Expressions, and there is a new monthly kit to love! Let’s JAM is packed with the sweetest jelly jars and accessories. I had so much fun pairing the jelly jars with Fresh Squeezed and Tisket Tasket Basket for the cutest picnic spread. Everything I’ve used today is linked below for your convenience.

My mom still makes jams and jellies for our extended family Christmas, and I love it! I can’t wait to send her a few of these cards sporadically through the year! I think the Papaya and Dragon Fruit jellies pop against one of my all-time-favorite TE colors, Confetti Cake. The jam jars are a stamp and stencil combo. I’ve stamped my jars in Oat Milk and then blending ink over the top with blender brushes.

Here, I’ve paired the kit jars and label dies with the Quilted Cutting Plate and the Pixie Petals Background stamp along with the All Planned Out 4 die set. Peep the little kit add-on spoon? So cute.

The monthly kit includes:

• Let’s Jam Stamp & Stencil Combo (2 stencils)
• Let’s Jam Die (1 die)
• Let’s Jam Accessories Die Set (13 dies)
• Fruit Flavors Clear Stamp Set (12 stamps)
• The Insiders – Let’s Jam (12 panels)
• Taylored Tutorial
• Pinterest Gallery Insert

But, as always, there are some fun extras, like the Foil It Insiders: Let’s Jam. I used them to make a full cardfront with the Toast to my Jam dies and All Planned Out 2 dies. The Toast to my Jam dies are a cute little plate, toast with jam, and knife combo. I added some ‘toile’ print to my china plate using the In the Meadow background stamp. I also added glossy accents over my toast for a full-jam experience! While you could chose a wide variety of color combos here, Dragon Fruit seems like a perfect bright raspberry color to me.

The extras an be found ala carte at Taylored Expressions or as part of the Full Spread Bundle:

• Let’s Jam Cardmaking Kit
  • Let’s Jam Stamp & Stencil Combo (2 stencils)
  • Let’s Jam Die (1 die)
  • Let’s Jam Accessories Die Set (13 dies)
  • Fruit Flavors Clear Stamp Set (12 stamps)
  • The Insiders – Let’s Jam (12 panels)
• Spread the Love Stamp Set (8 stamps)
• Spread the Love Dies (8 dies)
• Toast to My Jam Die Set (5 dies)
• Let’s Jam Envelope Seals (10 seals)
• Sticker to It – Let’s Jam Labels (1 sheet)

What’s your favorite? Are you ready for seasonal gardening, canning and jamming? I know I sure am!