Elle's Studio + Giveaway

I am excited to announce that I am a part of the 2017 Elle's Studio design team! I have adored Elle's Studio products for years, even going back to Elle's etsy days. I loved guest designing in October (and will be sharing my final December spinner project soon). I am thrilled to be designing with such fabulous product on a regular basis this year, especially with such an amazing team:

I am grateful for the opportunity to move into a new circle of creative friends, many of which I have not had the chance to work with before. I know I'm going to be inspired and that I'll learn so much. Check out their talents here:

Alissa Fast: http://alissafast.typepad.com/

Allie Stewart: http://www.magicalmesses.com/

Andrea Gray: https://retrohipmama.wordpress.com/

Candace Perkins: https://findingeverydayperfection.com/ 
Daniela Dobson: http://danieladobson.blogspot.com/ 
Jamie Leija: http://www.jamieleija.com/

Jennifer Chapin: http://jenchapin.blogspot.com/

Jen Schow: http://www.craftyjenschow.com/

Jill Sprott: http://wordplaywordwork.blogspot.com/

Kay Rogers: http://rogerskk.typepad.com/ 
Laura Hager: www.laurelandfern.com

Maggie Massey: http://www.midwesterngirldiy.com/

Meghann Andrew: http://www.meghannandrew.com/

Melissa Mann: http://melissamann.typepad.com/

Michelle Wedertz: http://michellewedertz.blogspot.com

Nancy Damiano: http://thepaperorchard.blogspot.com/

Neela Nalam: http://memorablescraps.blogspot.com/ 

To celebrate, I'm doing a giveaway! I was sent these absolutely fabulous stamps in my design team box, but I turned around and bought another set just for you!

To enter to win, tell me how you would use these stamps. Make sure to leave an email address so that I can contact you if you win. I'll draw a name one week from today, Monday the 9th, and post the winner here. International friends (outside of the US), I have to ask you to chip in for shipping, but you're welcome to enter, too. And if you can't wait (or don't win), you can find the date stamps here.

For a chance to win another fabulous Elle's Studio stamp set, see my Instagram here. Completely separate giveaway there, so feel free to enter in both places! Good luck!

If you don't already, follow Elle's Studio here:

Shop: http://www.shopellesstudio.com/
Blog: http://www.shopellesstudio.com/blog/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellesstudio/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShopEllesStudio

Tessa

Designer Friday - Elise and Sunday Best

Design team member Elise has been playing with the Sunday Best Sampler...

...and she has come up with some fabulous gift ideas! First up, a mint tin perfect for holding a gift card:

I love how Elise made a little bow from the tulle and one of the fabric twist flowers in the sampler. It's so cute I might be more excited about the tin that what's inside if I were on the receiving end of this gift!

And how adorable are these altered notebooks? The fabric lollipop flower and the yo-yo flower make perfect focal points. Again, I love what Elise did with the tulle and sheer ribbons - so lovely!

Thank you, Elise, for all the inspiration! If you would like to get your hands on the Sunday Best collection, you can find it here. And as a thank you for stopping by today, please use this coupon code for 15% off of your order, this weekend only: SUNDAYBEST15. Anything in your cart, Sunday Best or otherwise, qualifies.

Have a great weekend, everyone! Tessa

Designer Friday

Happy Friday! If you are looking for the The Twinery/Epiphany Crafts blog hop, you can find that post here. Before I get started with Designer Friday I wanted to say hello and welcome to all of my new followers :). I'm glad you're here. For those of you new to me, every Friday I share the work of my design team. They play with products from my Etsy shop, Precocious Paper, and I get to share their amazing projects with you in the Designer Friday posts. Enjoy!

Today I am sharing work by the lovely Amanda Jones. Amanda was sent the Peachy Keen Sampler, filled with handmade flower embellishments, ribbons and mulberry paper flowers.

Amanda created this layout using two of the twist flowers, two leaves, and several of the mulberry paper flowers. What a cool event to be a part of! The map paper is perfect (Pink Paislee - Butterfly Garden) and the colors work so well with Peachy Keen.

This next layout was created with Crate Paper's Pretty Party line and a ruffle blossom from Peachy Keen.

I love how Amanda knotted the ribbon for the center of the ruffle blossom and layered a bit of tulle under the photos :). And how adorable is this kitty?!

With plenty of embellishments left, Amanda also made a trio of cards. Using the yo-yo flower...

Using a fabric and felt flower and the orange sheer ribbon...

Using another fabric and felt flower...

And can you believe it, there are still flowers to be played with from this sampler! If you would like to pick one up for yourself, you can find the Peachy Keen line here. All Peachy Keen products are in stock and ready to ship, so you could be creating with these very flowers very soon!

Thank you, Amanda! Beautiful work, as always. Have a fabulous day, everyone! Tessa

Designer Friday - Ruffle Blossoms

Happy Friday! Since releasing the latest batch of Ruffle Blossoms, hundreds of these pretty fabric flowers have gone out to hair bow makers, scrapbookers, and wedding planners the world over. I've got a new callous on my sewing hand :). But I am thrilled to see these flowers be so well-received and I am even more thrilled to see what my design team is doing with them. Suzy was sent the Grapefruit Floral Ruffle Blossoms and she created this beautiful altered frame:

The recipe for this project is simple: paint a wooden frame, add a title, add a Ruffle Blossom with a special center and finish with bling. Easy-peasy and so pretty!

The Ruffle Blossoms come without centers so that you can add your own embellishment. Suzy found her flower center at Hobby Lobby here. Isn't it gorgeous?

And speaking of Ruffle Blossoms, I have a layout in the June issue of Scrap365 magazine (a UK publication) that features two Ruffle Blossoms:

You can find the teal and red pindot Ruffle Blossoms in the shop now :). And thanks to Katy at Scrap365 magazine for including me! This issue is absolutely gorgeous. It makes me want to close up shop, ignore my household chores and skip the dance studio today just to scrapbook - but I will wait ;).

For those of you celebrating the Memorial Day holiday this weekend, have a fun and safe time! The boys will be participating in a special flag ceremony with the cub scouts and we are planning on some fairly quiet family time. Whatever you are doing, enjoy your weekend! Tessa

Designer Friday: Cassandra Cyr

Happy Friday! I am so excited to share with you more projects from the talented Cassandra Cyr. I sent Cassie Sweet Spots and Buttercup Yellow Felt Roses from the Peachy Keen line, and boy did she create some beautiful things. First up, this fabulous layout:

I love the instax photos, the thread, and the strips of patterned paper. I especially love how she matted the Sweet Spots with die-cuts for even more dimension and color. Those little accents are definitely versatile!

When Cassie needed a Mother's Day card, a felt rose was the perfect accent. Isn't this card beautiful?

I just love that whole embellishment cluster!

If you would like to get your hands on the Peachy Keen line, you can find it here. Through this weekend, use code PEACHYKEEN during checkout and you will receive 10% off of your entire order (Peachy Keen line or otherwise!).

And an extra little shout out.... Have you seen the June issue of Create: Mini Albums yet? Cassie has a beautiful family-themed mini in there (and it even features a few Precocious Paper pieces!). Thank you for your fabulous work, Cassie! Have a great day, everyone! Tessa

Design Team Blog Hop

Hello and Happy Friday! As part of Precocious Paper's Etsy-versary celebration, the design team is sharing their favorite products and projects at their blogs today! Head on out, visit these talented ladies. Follow their inspiring blogs and leave them some comment love. When you're all done, come back here and let me know how it went :). I will draw one random comment from my blog to win the March Sampler (to be released Monday!).

Ready, set, hop!

Mindy - http://prettylittlepaperlove.blogspot.com/
Elise - http://lovelisy.blogspot.com/
Suzy - http://scrapwithsuzy.blogspot.com/
Cassie - http://gluemeetspaper.blogspot.com/
Amanda - http://blog.amandajonesdesigns.com/
Tessa - http://precociouspaper.blogspot.com/

Have fun and thanks for celebrating with me this week! Tessa

P.S. - Yesterday's winner is...Me-Ma Kim! Please email me with your address and I'll get your prize off to you. Congrats!

Please welcome...

...the Precocious Paper Design Team for January-June of 2012!

Suzanne Spokus
Cassandra Cyr
Melinda Gallagher
Elise Lyndsey
Amanda Jones (Alumni Designer)

I will be introducing these lovely ladies to you more formally once the holidays are over, but please feel free to visit their blogs and leave them some love. Also, please let the wonderful Mandy Koeppen know how much you appreciated her and her amazing work! She's going to be missed around here.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, and I'll be back next week with more crafty pursuits to share :). Merry Christmas! Tessa

Designer Friday!

Amanda Jones has been playing with the Very Merry line and I love the cards and tags she has come up with. Let's take a look:

First, I love the long shape of this card - perfect for embellishing with some white space to spare. Amanda used three of the Very Merry Sweet Spots and hung them like ornaments. So pretty!

For this card, Amanda used a Very Merry Butterfly Doily. These doilies have glittered paper for just enough sparkle and shine.

Amanda topped a pretty kraft package with a Silver Metallic Cupcake Poppy and a pair of Felt Roses. I love how they look all nestled on the large doily.

And last, but not least, a delightful tag. Amanda layered a Cupcake Poppy from the Sampler onto a doily and topped the tag with a Sweet Spot. Thank you, Amanda, for all of the inspiration! You can find the Very Merry line in the shop here.

This is post #2 for me today :). If you'd like to see what I've been up to at SRM Stickers and Miss Art's, be sure to read the next post down. Have a wonderful day! Tessa

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 18, Designer Friday!

Happy Friday! Today I am grateful for my Precocious Paper design team - Amanda Jones and Mandy Koeppen. My chin literally hits the keyboard every time they post a project to our DT blog. I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming when I think of my talented team :). Their creativity, enthusiasm for Precocious Paper products, and willingness to share my little etsy shop are a true blessing and I am so very grateful for them! Thank you, ladies!

Speaking of Amanda, she's been playing with the Very Merry line and I can't wait to show you what she has created:

Isn't this gift box gorgeous?! The felt and glitter tulle poinsettia flower comes in the Very Merry sampler (and there's two of them!).

Amanda used the glittered snowflake as the focal point in this gorgeous altered frame. The flower, leaves, ribbon and snowflake all come in the Very Merry sampler.

This grapevine wreath is so pretty :). I love the whitewash, snowy look - I'm going to have to try that. Amanda embellished with fabric flowers and ribbons from the Very Merry sampler. The felt rose is from the Very Merry set of felt roses and leaves. I love how she added the pins from the ribbon clothespins to the fabric lollipop flower.

Amanda's home must be a very cheerful place at Christmastime! I want you to see all the details, so be sure to head over to the Precocious Paper facebook page and check out the Very Merry photo gallery. You can find the Very Merry line in my etsy shop here.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'll be back Monday with an exciting announcement :). See you then! Tessa

Attitude of Gratitude: Day 11, Designer Friday

Today I am grateful for the veterans who have served our country, for the sacrifices that they and their families have made, and for the blessings that those sacrifices allow me to enjoy. I'm grateful that my brother-in-law has made it home safe this week from a tour in Iraq. I'm grateful for a day of remembrance today, and I'm grateful for all of the tributes to our soldiers that I am seeing everywhere. 

One such place is Operation Write Home. If you aren't familiar with this organization, you really should read up on them. They collect handmade cards and ship them to our servicemen and women, who then use those cards to write home to their loved ones. They are holding an amazing blog hop today, and SRM Stickers is a part of it, as well as many other fabulous manufacturers. If you have a chance, please join in. There are prizes to be had, inspiration galore, and you can learn more about OWH. I hope to get another batch of cards made really soon :).

It's also Designer Friday, and I am thrilled to be bringing you projects by Mandy Koeppen with the Vintage Poinsettia line! This line is pink, coral, dark green, white and gold - a little nontraditional, but still very festive. Mandy has created a layout and two gorgeous cards (with tons of product left for more - stay tuned!).

Using the green snowflake from the sampler...

Using the pink poinsettia fabric flower and coral tulle from the sampler...

Using a felt rose and wired leaf...

I just love everything :). Thank you so much, Mandy! You can find the Vintage Poinsettia line here. Next Friday Amanda Jones is sharing what she did with the Very Merry line, and early next month we will be seeing even more holiday projects from these talented ladies. 

Happy Veterans Day and have a wonderful weekend! Tessa

Designer Friday!

Before I share with you a gorgeous layout by design team member Amanda Jones, I want to thank you for the great response to last week's Fan Friday :). Thanks to Emily Hammann, as well, for sharing her work with us. If you would like to be featured, please send me an email at precociouspaper (at) yahoo (dot) com. And now for Amanda's layout:

How fun is this?! Definitely not something you see in my part of the world :). I bet this fabulous page came together pretty quickly, too. A cardstock base, a photo, a few felt roses and leaves, a butterfly doily and a sweet spot, a title and handwritten journaling. Seems like the perfect recipe for a great, but easy, page.

Thank you, Amanda! I love it! All of the embellishments can be found in my shop here.

Thank you for spending a few minutes of your Friday with me. Before you go, you may want to read yesterday's post for a chance to win a September Kit from Scrapbook Circle. Tomorrow I will be sharing a Marilyn Monroe inspired layout, and Sunday is reveal day for the October Samplers - yes, I said samplerS.  See you soon! Tessa

Designer Friday - September Sneak Peek

Hello! I'm so sorry for my absence this week. After taking care of a sick husband all weekend, I caught what he had :(. Despite the sniffles and sore throat, I am excited to be sharing a sneak peek of my September Sampler with you, courtesy of Mandy.

First, Mandy created a birthday display for her daughter. How cute is this? The butterfly and large flower are from the sampler. Mandy used one of the included ribbons to create another flower.

Next, Mandy made this beautiful necklace. Using a chain from GCD Studios and a pendant made with Epiphany Crafts items, Mandy attached four flowers from the sampler: the large ginger-colored satin flower, two silk flowers in rust and mustard, and a woodgrain mustard yo-yo flower.

You will have to wait to see more with the September Sampler. I've asked Mandy to share another project during the Birthday Blog Hop. I hope you are planning on attending :). The designers I have lined up are all fabulous and I just know they are creating amazing things to share.

I'm off to finish orders and hopefully wrap up some projects before heading off to dance. I love my Fridays, but being sick is going to make 5 hours of dance class interesting :). Have a wonderful weekend! Tessa

Designer Friday - Mandy and New Items

Happy Friday! I'm excited to share a couple of projects by the talented Mandy Koeppen today, projects she created with one of several new items in a line I'm calling Raspberry Orange.  Mandy played with the Butterfly Doilies:

First, Mandy created a notebook.  From scratch.  This girl is so good at mini albums and the like :).  If you'd like to make one, too, look out for the instructions on her blog.

Next, Mandy created this beautiful card.  She used kraft cardstock as her base to match the cardboard in the Butterfly Doily.  I love the green patterned paper and that gorgeous embossing!

Thank you, Mandy :). Inspiring projects, as always! If you'd like to see close-ups, please visit the Precocious Paper Facebook page. The Butterfly Doilies were created to match the Raspberry Orange Mini Sampler, available now:

...as well as the Raspberry Orange Sweet Spots:

...and Raspberry Orange Felt Roses and Leaves:

You can find all these goodies (and more!) in my shop here.  I hope your weekend is a wonderful one! It's my last weekend free before starting up a new dance year.  I'm going to be teaching Fridays and Saturdays so that I can be with my boys as much as possible during the week.  I can't wait - I've been itching to dance and teach :).  Enjoy your day! Tessa

Designer Friday - August Sampler Sneak

Hello! Ready for a sneak peek of the August Sampler, "Summer Twilight"? Amanda has been working her magic with the kit and I just know you're going to love it!

Think navy/denim blue, fuchsia, and chartreuse with a splash of bright white...

I was sure to include a fabric lollipop flower again - they are an often-requested item :).

Embellishments from the sampler and simple cardstock punches - pure awesomeness :).

Aren't Amanda's fur babies the cutest? For more photos, including close-ups, please see the Precocious Paper Facebook gallery (you don't have to be a member to view it). "Summer Twilight" goes on sale Monday, July 25th.  I can't wait to pair it up with Crate Paper's new Random collection.  I created the sampler back in early June, and when I saw the new CHA releases from CP, I squealed over the perfect match! Have a fabulous weekend! Tessa