Confessions of a Paperholic

Happy Saturday Taylored Expression Fans,

Okay, where did the month go? Can it really be the end of the month, with June knocking on the door? Tomorrow is the last day to pick up May's Kit of the Month. I have enjoyed creating with Bloom and Grow, and its coordinating die set, Hello Blooms. This is a very versatile set. I created this card using May's kit along with the stamp, Love Monsters, and the die set, Instant Photo Frames. To add dimension, I used whipped spackle and a dot stencil by Heidi Swapp.

Good Morning Fellow Crafters and Scrappers,

This week we are celebrating service members in honor of Memorial Day. We honor the men and women who gave their lives in defense of democracy. Please join us in creating a card, project or layout using any colors to celebrate those who defend freedom.

My husband is a service member, and I love creating special cards for him to let him know how much he is missed when we are apart. I came across this stamp "Life if a Journey" from Unity Stamp Co. and just knew it was perfect for us.

Thank you for stopping by, and for more inspiration don't forget to visit the Just A Scrappin' blog.

Smiles,

Keia

I am also entering this card in Unity's weekly Friends With Flair challenge.

Happy Thursday Fellow Crafters and Scrappers,

Welcome to Just A Scrappin's weekly challenge. This week we are challenging you to use your beloved scraps. You know, those lovely bits of pattern paper we cannot bear to part with. I made a birthday card earlier this week and thought this was an excellent opportunity to use the scraps to make another card.

For more inspiration, do not forget to stop by the Just A Scrappin blog. Thank you for stopping by.

Smiles,

Keia

Good Morning Fellow Crafters and Scrappers,

I hope your week is going well. This week at Just A Scrappin' we are delving into our crafting toolbox and playing with chalks. The challenge is to create a card, project or layout using any colored chalks and theme. Don't have chalks? No worries. Still join us for some creative fun as we play with different mediums. You can try gelatos, watercolors, or any other medium of your choosing.

I tried playing with chalks for this card, and just could not get the right effect I was trying to achieve. I then switched to gelatos and was able to achieve a vibrant, yet soft background. To complete the card, I die cut two air balloons and a few clouds with a lovely sentiment. I hope this inspires you to try a new medium.

Do not forget to stop by the Just A Scrappin' blog for more inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by,

Keia

Happy Tuesday Taylored Expressions Fans,

Welcome. Are you enjoying the Blog Hop so far? Hopefully, the Taylored Expressions Design Teams have whetted your creative appetite for May's Stamp of the Month. This month's stamp is not only perfect for spring and summer cards and projects, but also for trying out a variety of crafting techniques. Lately, I have been trying to improve my watercoloring skills (with limited success). Then the lovely Bloom & Grow stamp set, with its coordinating dies Hello Blooms, came along and it was a match made in crafting heaven. I immediately brought out my Tim Holtz distress inks pads, watercolor paper and palette and went to work. I had a blast with the creative process and seeing what worked and didn't. I love the finished card and I hope it inspires you to expand your crafting repertoire.

Happy Monday Taylored Expressions Fans,

Happy Thursday Fellow Crafters and Scrappers,

Welcome to Just A Scrappin's weekly challenge. This week we are celebrating MOMs. With Mother's Day just a few short days away, it is time to head into the craft room and create something special for mom. We are hoping to help by providing creative inspiration (use any colors you like for your card, layout or project).

This week I created a card showcasing a beautiful bouquet of flowers (and the best kind too, a bouquet that last longer than one week).  I wanted to make the flower arrangement the focal point of the card so I maintained a clean background with a complementing pattern paper for the card base. I cannot express enough how difficult that was for me. I almost pulled out my watercolor palette to add a few splatters. I used Tim Holtz distress ink pad (peeled paint) to create the watercolor effect on the flower stems. Finally, I added a few brads, twine and a sentiment banner and the card was complete.

Happy Monday Taylored Expressions Fans,

I am so excited to bring you this month's Key Ingredients Kit. It is the perfect kit for all your spring projects, cards and layouts. The fun, beautiful colors in Pebbles' Garden Party 6x6 paper pad is a perfect match for Taylored Expressions' Stamp of the Month, Bloom & Grow, and the coordinating die Hello Blooms.

I love the sentiment stamp in this collection and just had to showcase it. I created the bouquet and then die cut the watering can to shower the flowers with lots of LOVE. I even added a little fishing wire to imitate water pouring from the watering can.

Happy Thursday,

I cannot believe how quickly the this week is passing by. We have another great challenge over at Just A Scrappin'. This week, we are breaking out another fabulous tool in our crafting toolbox--the sewing machine. Join us in creating a card, project or layout using stitching. You can use any colors and theme.

I love using my sewing machine to add that little something extra to my projects. For this card, I decided to use a collage design. I added a bit of stitching to one of my layers for added interest and texture. I finished the card with a few simple embellishments and enamel dots. Don't forget to stop by the Just A Scrappin' blog to view the projects of my fellow design team members.