Taylored Expressions Last Card Standing - Top 5!

Well this is it! This is when the rubber meets the paper! The Top 5 have been announced for the TE Last Card Standing contest. As you can see I DID NOT make the final cut. But it is  still time for YOU to go and vote for your favorite to win LAST CARD STANDING!

I am a little sad that I did not make the top 5. On the other hand, five super talented ladies DID make it and I wish them all the best. I have voted for my favorite!

Now, here is what I made for the last part of the competition.

The assignment was to use the same stamp to make both a masculine and a feminine card. It was tough! I don't have very many Taylored Expressions stamps! I finally decided to use Apple Wreath. I felt I could make a school-themed card for a boy and a girl.

I am really happy with the girl version (with the bow). But the boy version is a bit too "white" for me. My son, who is 12, said he LOVED them both and he would be happy to receive the "boy version." That is high praise as he often does NOT like my cards!

I stamped the image and colored it with Copics. I decided NOT to use the matching Seasonal Wreath Die as I felt the "fussy" shape was too much for these cards.

I love me a Scrabble tile! I used a Sharpie to add the "+" to my A. Every boy deserves an A+, right?!

I don't use many primary colored papers in my work, but it was fun to play with them for these projects.

I had some fun buttons in my stash and added this little boy button to some die cut stars. Very cutie patootie.

Here is the inside.

Then I did the girl version. I was more comfortable with this one, as I knew I could add all the papers and ribbons I wanted!

I stamped the image again and colored the apples in three colors: red, hot pink, and green. I mirrored the colors with ribbon. I made a big ole bow, topped with an apple-shaped button.

Then I promptly covered most of the image up with this school house button!

I seem to have a huge stash of these shaped buttons. It was fun to use some of them!

I added more ribbon to the inside of the card.

Well, there you have it. The end of the Taylored Expressions Last Card Standing...we will soon see who has the "rubber" to make it all the way! Sadly not moi, but it was fun while it lasted.

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Whisper White, Copic Xpress It Blender Card White, American Crafts Black, Brown
Designer paper: My Mind's Eye Six By Six School Daze; Echo Park This and That Graceful, Season's Greetings; Pink Paislee Hometown Summer
Stamps: Taylored Expressions Apple Wreath
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa; Ranger Distress Old Paper, Spun Sugar; Copic Markers; Black Sharpie Marker
Buttons: Buttons Galore and More
Ribbon and Twine: Really Reasonable Ribbon
Die cuts: Spellbinders Standard Circles Large and Small, Stars Five; My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Stax
Border punch: Fiskars brackets and scallops
Other: Scrabble tile
 Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape runner; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Beacon Fabri-tac