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Greetings!
Happy New Year! 2018 is off to an incredible start and we are so thrilled to begin another year filled with creative joy. In September, we will mark our 10th anniversary and have we got a ton of new products, surprises, and more coming in the months leading up to our big birthday bash! With a new year comes fresh starts and we'd love for you to take a moment for a message from Creative Director Taylor VanBruggen with some important announcements. Enjoy!
CHOOSE KIND
We know many of you are thinking about resolutions for the coming year. Maybe you've decided to be more creative, or perhaps you're determined to shed a few pesky pounds and get healthy. You may be thinking of organizing your craft space, trying a new technique, or resolve to send out more cards. Whatever your plans, we hope that among them you'll do one simple thing: Choose Kind. Whether it's in your own life or encouraging others, put kindness at the top of your resolutions list!

Above, Taylor VanBruggen created a beautiful card with our Dotted Lattice Embossing Folder , Plot Twist stamp set and Fresh Florals stamps and coordinating dies. The lovely sentiment is a terrific inspiration for 2018!
Create a daily reminder to be kind with our Display Easel and 3x4 Watercolor Panels - Inspire as designer Gayatri Murali did on these watercolored beauties, above. Or, send a card to a friend or loved one embarking on a new adventure with a gentle reminder like on the card below by Keia Shipp-Smith. The sentiment from our Wonderful World stamp set pairs perfectly with our Whole Wide World die. And the TE Enamel Shapes heart is just the right finish!
DON'T FORGET Y-O-U
As you plan out your year's endeavors, don't forget to include your own self in your check-list of hopes. Sometimes, when you are doing so much for everyone else, you can lose sense of your own well-being. In the project above, designer Charmaine Ikach crafted a book mark with our Plot Twist stamp set and Build a Bookmark die set. Try creating one for you, and one for a friend!
Dream big in 2018 -- and have the courage to pursue those dreams! Above, Taylor VanBruggen used one of our all-time favorite quotes (also from Plot Twist ) on this gorgeous display piece. Below, Gayatri Murali crafted this stunning card with our Watercolor Panels - Inspire with simple watercoloring and gold embossed edging and it's a sweet reminder of beautiful YOU.
THERE MAY BE BUMPS ALONG THE WAY
With any big plan or big dream, there are sure to be a few hiccups. Encourage friends and family to keep smiling and forge ahead with a handmade card. Above, Creative Team alum Kerri Michaud used rich, bold colors on her Watercolor Panels - Inspire card. It's sure to strike just the right note to get someone over a bump in the road.
When things go wrong, remember it's just a twist in the plot of your life and move on! Our Plot Twist sentiments were designed to fit perfectly inside our Build a Bookmark dies, as in the project above by Jean Manis. Create a bookmark for someone who may need an extra boost (or your favorite bookworm who has put War & Peace on their reading goal list!)
2018 is sure to throw you a curveball or two...or three. Just remember to take things "one load at a time," like on this darling card by Gayatri Murali. She used our Spin Cycle Sentiments along with our coordinating dies, Little Bits - Laundry Basket, and Laundry Confetti to make this unique shaker card.
Get FIT(ish)
Getting healthy is always a great idea, and a new year is the perfect time to change your lifestyle for the better. It isn't an easy thing to do, but with a little humor, it's possible to reach your goals. Or do you have a friend struggling to get motivated? Our popular Grumplings line of products might just be what you need to help tip the scales in the right direction!

Above, Gayatri Murali crafted this hilarious card using our fan favorite Exercise Grumplings with the tongue-in-cheek sentiment from the same set stamped inside our Let's Talk Edger 3 die. Though, the addition of our Little Bits - Donut , Hamburger , and French Fries might end up a culinary temptation!
While jogging or pilates may not be your favorite thing, crafting IS, so why not craft some giggles for your fitness-seeking friend like on this funny card from Kim Singdahlsen? Kim stamped up our Exercise Grumplings , though the addition of the couch-potato Clocked Out Grumpling is what makes this card worth a giggle!
They say you don't win friends with salad, but your dieting friend will certainly appreciate a card like the one above by Melody Rupple. The funny Exercise Grumplings sentiment is well-framed with our Inside Scallop Rectangle Stacklets.

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BONUS on the BLOG
It's been all about New Year's Resolutions on the TE Blog this week and here are a few projects you may have missed. Check them out for more inspiration!
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