Celebrating a Year of Cupcake Challenges!

Happy Friday and Happy Cupcake Day! Today is a very special day here at Taylored Expressions! We're celebrating a year of cupcake challenges! I set out to make this the yummiest day in blogland with the help of the Cupcake Crew and my past Featured Cupcake Samplers! I've asked each of the ladies on the weekly Cupcake Crew to design a sketch challenge for the occasion. And all of the past featured cupcake samplers have made a card using one of their sketches! Even with 9 fun sketches and lots of yummy eye candy, it wouldn't be a party without you! For each sketch you participate in you'll be entered into a drawing to win a $10 gift certificate to the Taylored Expressions store! If you're a big party girl and you participate in ALL 9 sketch challenges you'll be entered into the Grand Prize drawing for your choice of the 5 January stamp set releases or a $75 gift certificate to the Taylored Expressions store! All of your entries must be posted to Splitcoast using the appropriate keyword. You'll find the keywords on each hostesses' blog. If you upload a creation for all 9 sketches, send me an email at tayloredexpressions@gmail.com and I'll enter you in the Grand Prize drawing! Since there are so many fun sketches to play this week we're giving you some extra time. Your entries must be uploaded by the evening of Thursday, January 29th. Each of the hostesses will be doing their gift certificate drawings that evening as well as the grand prize drawing. I'll announce all of the winners on my blog next Friday!

Now that you have all the yummy details, here's my sketch challenge! I created this card using the February calendar image from A Year of Sweets 1 (now back in stock at the TE Store). I colored it with Copic markers and added Taylor's Tiny Twinkles to the cherry on each of the cuppies and in each of the scallops layering the image. Yes, you read that right... Taylor's Tiny Twinkles are back! You'll have to stay tuned until the end of this message to read more about how you can get your hands on these little sprinkles of goodness! I embossed the background with the Swiss Dots embossing folder and chalked the raised dots with white ink. The red felt buttons and the red polka dot ribbon are also from the TE store. I punched the scalloped border with my Fiskars threading water punch. I'm so excited to introduce you to the Featured Cupcake Sampler this week! Not only did Christine impress me with her adorable creations last week, but she was so clever in telling a little tale of cuppie. And she's wowed me with another cute cupcake creation this week! I love those yummy colors and the cute paper pieced cupcake linings! You can check out all the details of this card and more of Christine's beautiful work on her blog: Christine Creations. Thanks for sampling the sketch this week, Christine! Now it's your turn to to try the sketch! I'll choose the most clever, creative, and cute creation from the submissions this weekend to be the Featured Cupcake Sampler next week. Your design and blog will be featured on my blog during Cupcake Friday. I'll also choose one random winner from among all the participants in my challenge to receive a $10 gift certificate to the Taylored Expressions store. You're not required to use cupcakes for the challenge, but if you got 'em why not use 'em!? You must upload your creation to Splitcoaststampers using keyword TECC52TV to be eligible for the prizes. Leave a comment below using the Mr. Linky service I can check it out! You must have your cards uploaded by Thursday, January 29th at 8pm PST to be eligible for the featured cupcake sampler. You'll find more inspiration using this sketch on these past featured cupcake sampler blogs: Mary Fish, Terri Dodd, Laura Fredrickson, and Mary Jo Albright!

Make sure you check out the hostesses of the other 8 Sketch Challenges we have for you this weekend!

Jami Sibley

Ana Wohlfahrt

Vicki Chrisman

Donna Baker

Jackie Pedro

Sherrie Siemens

Stephanie Hargis

Monika Davis

Just a few more things to share today so hang in there! While we're away at CHA scoping out all the newest products in the world of papercrafting we want to celebrate the spirit of INSPIRATION and CREATIVITY that CHA represents by offering you two CHA Specials. These specials are valid for all orders placed in the Taylored Expressions Store Friday, January 23 through Wednesday, January 28th.

Special #1 - Buy 2 packages of Taylor's Tiny Twinkles and Get 1 FREE! No coupon code is needed for this offer. For every 2 packages on your order, you will receive 3. It's that simple! Over 1200 rhinestones for just $7.98. There is no limit on this offer - just make sure you order in multiples of 2.

Special #2 - FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $40. Simply use coupon code FREESHIP0109 (all caps, no spaces) upon checkout. Now is the perfect time to peruse all the different departments at TE to see everything we offer as well as pick up those items you've been eyeing for awhile! Please feel free to share this coupon code with your friends! Orders will continue to ship during CHA.

And last, but certainly not least... thank you all for your sweet comments on my new blog design! Are you wondering who won their very own blog design from Nancy? The lucky winner is.... Kristie Larsen from The Kristie Sessions! Kristie, send me an email at tayloredexpressions@gmail.com and I'll put you in touch with the fabulous Nancy!