Exciting New Year's News!!

Happy Monday, my friends!  I hope that your venture into 2011 has been an awesome one so far!  Josh had New Year's Day off from work {miracle} this year, so we actually went out with friends on New Year's Eve and rang in the new year.  It was a lot of fun!

Well, I have some fun news to share with you today!  I have been asked to be the January/February guest design team member for Taylored Expressions!!  I was so excited when I first got the email from Taylor, and it initially happened to be for November/December...which just didn't work due to my trip to Kenya.  Taylor was gracious enough to push my months back, and I have just been dying ever since.  I love TE stamps...they are so fun and whimsical and just right up my alley.  The announcement is up at the Taylored Expressions Blog as well, so be sure to check it out!

I did a card celebrating my announcement today with one of my favorite past Taylored Expression stamp sets.  I also used the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #98 from Karen Giron's blog as inspiration.  It is an awesome sketch, so be sure to check it out and participate!!  It also fits the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #41 to use snowflakes or snow!  Without further ado, here is my card!

"Sparkle & Cheer...This Happy New Year!" supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Company (cream) & Bazzill Basics (peach)

Paper: My Mind's Eye (So Sophie "Family Ties" consistent ledger, "Pure Bliss" true stripe, & "Birds of a Feather" reliable)

Stamps: Taylored Expressions (Sparkle & Cheer set) 

Ink: Clearsnap (Chalk: ice jade, rose coral) 

Letter Stickers: Making Memories

Pearls: Kaiser Craft

Puff Balls: Darice Inc. 

Felt/Scalloped Die/Eyelet Lace Die: Papertrey Ink

Diecut Machines: Cricut Expression & Cuttlebug by Provo Craft

Diecut Cartridge: Plantin Schoolbook (circles) & Winter Woodland (figure skater) by Provo Craft

Instructions:  Fold cardstock in half to make card base.  Diecut a scalloped edge to striped paper, and adhere to the left side of a pink dotted paper block.  Adhere the entire block to the right side of the card.  Diecut an eyelet lace border from felt, and adhere over top of the seam.  Cut circles at 4.5" & 4.75" using the Cricut Expression and Plantin Schoolbook cartridge, and layer them together.  Cut the figure skater and layers at 4.5" using the Winter Woodland cartridge.  Layer the cuts together, and accent with pearls and puff balls.  Adhere the figure skater to the left side of the circle cut.  Stamp the top sentiment and snowflakes to the circle, and accent with pearls.  Finish the sentiment with teeny alpha stickers in the bottom portion of the circle.  Adhere the entire circle to the right side of the card, and trim the portion that hangs off the right edge.  Accent the visible circles left in the felt border with pink pearls.  

This stamp set is so elegant and pretty, and I felt like it fit the figure skater cut just perfectly!  That cut is still one of my very favorites, and I love figuring out ways to use it {no pun intended}...tee hee!  I also loved how well the non-themed MME papers went with a wintry New Year's themed card- I just love the colors! 

Be on the look out at the end of this week, when I post a project for Taylored Expression's release day!  I am pretty certain that I will be featuring something new! ;)  Tee hee!  Also, I have some more news to share...so be sure to stop back by tomorrow!  ♥♥♥ 

Until later,

~Lea L.