Good morning! It’s the day before sneak peeks officially begin for our March 5th release, but I have so many announcements to share with you I just couldn’t hold it in any longer!

First – the hard part – the end of the term for the original Baker’s Dozen Design Team. Words cannot adequately express how much I appreciate each and every one of them – Ana, Carol, Charmaine, Denise, Donna, Jami, Jen, Laurie, Monika, Sharon, Stephanie, and Terri. I could not have launched and grown the Stamp a Sweet Impression line without them and it has been pure joy to bask in their creativity and enjoy their friendships. Thank you ladies!

As a new Bakers Dozen takes shape some of the original faces will remain…there’s more on that below! And now I’m so excited to finally be able to share with you a new direction for Taylored Expressions! But not to worry cupcake fans, we will continue to bring you the sweet cupcakes you crave! We’re simply expanding our horizons and branching out. So it’s with great pleasure that I get to introduce you to our talented new stamp designer, Nancy McKinney!

You’ll recognize Nancy as the designer who gave my blog a makeover a few months ago. I discovered Nancy by following a link from another blog and I’m convinced that her involvement with Taylored Expressions was meant to be. Nancy takes the ideas right out of my head and turns them into the most perfect stamp set. We’ve been working together to create fresh, fun, and practical designs and I’m confident you will love them! Keep your eyes peeled for Nancy’s new line of stamps called Whimsical Wishes!

I’m also thrilled to announce that we’re seating six new members on the Baker’s Dozen Design Team! I know you’ll recognize these names and you won’t want to miss a thing as they begin showcasing sneak peeks with the new rubber tomorrow! Meet the new Baker’s Dozen:

One of the things I love most about Jodi Collins is her bright, fun style! Her images are always beautifully colored and showcased on fabulous layouts. All of her creations match the big, bright smile on her face! Check out all of the yummy creations on her blog: Stamping A Latte.

Laura Fredrickson, the “Sketch Set” queen, brings her wonderful talent to the Baker’s Dozen Design Team! Laura can do it all from sweet ‘n sassy to stunning elegance. You’ll see exactly what I mean when you visit her blog: Scrapnextras.

Karen Giron has a gift for creating simply stunning projects! Her creations often leave me wondering… “Why didn’t I think of that?” You won’t want to miss the clean lines and fresh color combinations on her blog: The Sweetest Thing.

Dawn Easton caught my eye with her cuppie creations when she bought her first Taylored Expressions stamps last year. Her fresh and fun designs are always finished off with the perfect little touch. See what I mean on her blog: Treasure Oiler Designz.

If I was given one word to describe Sankari Wegman’s creations it would be clever. Her creative mind works in unexpected ways and her projects are always pulled together with the most intricate details! Check out all the beautiful creations on her blog: Sankari’s Sunshine Corner.

I first discovered Karen Motz’ work when she began participating in the Cupcake Friday Sketch Challenges. She impressed me with her beautiful coloring and impeccable design! See what I mean on her blog: Paper Playhouse.

In addition to these six fresh faces, we’re also welcoming back six familiar faces to the Baker’s Dozen. These women have shared their creative gifts with us for the past six months and I’m so excited to see what else they have in store for us! They’ll also begin sharing sneak peeks tomorrow so make sure you stop by their blogs and give them some love:

Denise Marzec
Donna Baker
Charmaine Ikach
Jen del Muro
Laurie Schmidlin
Ana Wohlfahrt

We are also happy to be celebrating our 1st birthday here at Taylored Expressions! Bring on the cupcakes! *grin* As I reflect on the past year I realize how blessed I have been to be surrounded by such wonderful people on this adventure. I thought now would be the perfect time to introduce you to the people who work so hard behind the scenes to help me make all of this possible:

Jami Sibley has served on the Baker’s Dozen design team for the past six months in addition to writing the TE Newsletter, coordinating our promotions, and fielding my phone calls and emails for help! She has recently stepped down from the Baker’s Dozen in order to take on more “behind the scenes” duties and I’m lucky to have her! She’ll continue writing the newsletter and keeping you updated on the SASI Blog as our Marketing and Promotions Coordinator.

You might recognize these faces from pictures I’ve posted in the past. This is my wonderful mom, Linda, and my supportive husband, Jon. All of your orders are carefully packaged by our Shipping Manager, Jon. He takes his position very seriously and he’s the reason all of your orders are shipped out so quickly! My mom has always been my creative encouragement and often the catalyst of my creative endeavors. Although I don’t have a job title for her, she is the reason we’re able to offer so many different products at the Store. Each two yard cut of ribbon is rolled and packaged by her loving hands. She also assembles our Key Ingredients kits… separating the cardstock, packaging the ribbons, pouring the glitter, and counting the brads!

Ultimately, I have you to thank for the continued success of Taylored Expressions! I appreciate your business and we’re excited for what’s in store during the next year! Stay tuned tomorrow as we all begin sharing sneak peeks from the upcoming release on Thursday, March 5th!