Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Taylored Expressions October Previews Day 2!


Hello! Happy Wednesday! Welcome to Day 2 of Taylored Expressions October Previews! Today we are previewing ALL of the new stamps that will be released tomorrow, October 4th @ 8:00 AM PST in the TE Store!

We will be having a Preview Party tonight at 6:00 PM PST. This will be your chance to see full sets and there will be a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY. The party is always fun and fast-paced! Be sure to join along HERE!

Today I am featuring the new set, Christmas Countdown. This set was designed by Taylor VanBruggen and is part of her *te* collection. It is a full size set of 34 sentiments and images, designed for advent calendar projects of all types. I think this would be great to use on a December Daily project as well! I've wanted to create an advent calendar for Sabrina for awhile now, so that's exactly what I made. Warning: LOTS of photos ahead!

Edited to add: I bought the magnetic board on Amazon, HERE.


I am not exaggerating when I say that this project has consumed my thoughts (during the day and waking at night) for the past few weeks! The finished result is something that I had pictured in my head (which doesn't always happen like that!). My red base is a 14" x 24" magnetic board. I originally started with 24 small metal hinged tins. I attached metal magnet strips to the back of each one, then I spent quite awhile arranging them on my magnet board before I even started decorating each tin. Unfortunately, the magnet board was a little too small for what I wanted to do (arrange the tins in the shape of a Christmas tree). No matter how I arranged them, I could only get 16 tins arranged the way I liked. I contemplated using a few tins for more than one day, but I really didn't like that option. Despite losing sleep (NOT kidding!) over this, I decided to get started on decorating my tins and hoped that I'd have a bright idea soon.

I didn't take photos of my creative process, but I can walk you through how I initially decorated each tin. I used the Gift Card Frame Die to cover the front of each tin. This made the process quicker as it is a perfect fit! I used patterned paper from the Handmade Holiday Project Pantry (featuring the Simple Stories Handmade Holiday collection), distressed the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, then I used my large Xyron to make them into stickers. I also used 3/8" ribbon from the Project Pantry (and supplemented more from my stash) to adhere ribbon around each tin. You can see a bit of the ribbon in the side shot of my completed project below.


In order to spell out December, I started by using the Poster Graphic Alpha Dies to cut out each letter out of some yummy new Taylored Felt (I used Grass Green, Red HotSplit Pea and Toffee). Next I die cut 8 tags (one for each letter) out of Toffee felt using the Totally Tags Die. I stitched each letter onto the felt, then I die cut a tag for each out of a magnet sheet, then I added them to the top of my board. While I was still deciding what to do about each tin, I showed my DH, Dan, and told him about my dilemma. He suggested that I use mini Altoid tins under each letter tag. He dug out a mini tin, and I was elated to find out that the tags fit perfectly on top of each tin and all the tins fit on the magnet board! I ran out and bought more Altoid tins, and am really happy with the results (and now our entire family will have minty fresh breath for awhile... LOL!).


I used the small circular numbers from the Simple Stories Handmade Holiday Christmas Countdown Cardstock Stickers and added them on top of a larger circle die cut out of chipboard (distressing the edges of everything), then I hot glued the numbers to the top of each tag.

Day 9 begins the top of my tree. The number 9 is a Studio Calico wood veneer number. I embellished the top of my tree with a large pinwheel (using the largest Pinwheel Parade Die) and cut out of Red Hot felt. The smaller star is cut out of Split Pea felt and I added a rustic star brad to hold it all together.


Day 10 was created by stamping the "10" and the circular dotted frame from Christmas Countdown. I matted it with a green cardstock circle and the Layering Doily Die - Small in Kraft. I used the new Make a Snowflake to die cut a snowflake out of Antique White Felt. For Day 11, I stamped the number from Christmas Countdown, cut it out in a square, added a square rhinestone frame and a scalloped square mat. The heart resin to the left is from Melissa Frances.


For Day 12 (and Day 14) I used pennant stickers from the Simple Stories Handmade Holiday Christmas Countdown Cardstock Stickers. On Day 12, I added another felt snowflake and a Maya Road wooden button tied with olive twine. For Day 13, I stamped the 13 (from Christmas Countdown) onto an ornament (using the new Very Merry Outlines) and hung it up with some Divine Twine and added a bow to the top. Day 14 features several sentiment stickers from the Simple Stories Handmade Holiday Expression Stickers. Underneath the sentiments, I added a wood veneer heart and shiny silver pearl. Day 15 was also stamped, and I added a rhinestone snowflake underneath.

Day 16 was stamped, framed with a rhinestone circle and matted with a felt scalloped circle. I added holly (red buttons) and felt leaves (die cut from the new Very Merry Outlines). The 17 is from the Simple Stories Handmade Holiday Expression Stickers and Merry was die cut out of felt using the new Merry Die (which is sold with the new Very Merry stamp set and is the same font as the Poster Graphic Alpha used to spell out December). I stamped the 18 onto the smallest Label Stacklets 1 and cut it in half. I also added a smaller felt pinwheel with a pearl brad to complete Day 18.


For Day 19, I stamped both the number and the dotted circle frame. I hung a red felt stocking from a clothes pin. The stocking is from the new Very Merry Outlines. I stamped "20" directly onto the patterned paper and added a mulberry Christmas tree and layered poinsettia (Making Memories). Day 21 is another pennant sticker and I added a layered felt snowflake die cut from the Make a Snowflake dies. "22" is cut out of felt using the Tall & Skinny #s dies. I also added a metal frame (says Happy Holidays around it) and tied a ribbon through it to hang it as an ornament. I stamped 23 and used the Hexagon Stacklets to mat it. I added another clothespin to hang a couple of felt mittens (die cut from Very Merry Outlines).


I kept Day 24 fairly simple, using the Simple Stories cardstock stickers for the numbers and the "Christmas Eve". Finally, I added 3 silver pearls onto the snowman.


As I was photographing my project, Sabrina popped in and wanted her photo taken with the calendar (which she is VERY excited about). She will be sharing with Dad, who insists that each tin be filled with enough chocolate for BOTH of them AND that we use it for October as a trial run... HAH!

These are the Taylored Dies that I used today:











Please visit the rest of the Baker's Dozen to see what they have cooked up for you today!
Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll be back tomorrow for release day!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Christmas Countdown (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Handmade Holiday Project Pantry (Taylored Expressions)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Toffee Crunch (Tsukineko); Vintage Photo Distress (Ranger)
Accessories: Taylored Dies: Poster Graphic Alpha, Gift Card Frame, Totally Tags, Pinwheel Parade, Layering Doily Die – Small, Tall & Skinny #s, Very Merry Outlines, Make a Snowflake, Label Stacklets 1, Merry Die (sold with Very Merry stamp set), Hexagon Stacklets; Taylored Felt: Antique White, Grass Green, Red Hot, Split Pea, Toffee (Taylored Expressions); Standard Circle Nestabilities – SM, LG, Scalloped Circle Nestabilities, Scalloped Square Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Circle Punches (EK Success), Christmas CountdownCardstock Stickers, Expression Cardstock Stickers (Simple Stories); Wooden buttons (Maya Road), Red buttons, Star and pearl brads, Ribbon (Handmade Holiday Project Pantry + stash), Wood veneer number 9 & heart (Studio Calico), Shiny silver pearls, Olive twine (May Arts), Christmas Divine Twine (Whisker Graphics), Rhinestone snowflake, Poinsettia flowers, Metal frame (Making Memories); Rhinestone Circles and Squares (CTMH), Heart resin (Melissa Frances), Mini clothespins, Small hinged tins, Mini altoid tins, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.
Other: 14” x 24” Metal Board, magnet strips, Hot glue gun, Xyron sticker maker.