Nikki and Amanda

I am SO excited to share with you some amazing projects created by design team members Nikki and Amanda.  Both of these talented ladies played with the DIY Sewing Pattern Petals kit, available here in the shop, and each one created the most beautiful things! Click on the photos to see them larger. You'll want to :).

Nikki - Mixed Media Altered Canvas:

Amanda - Layouts:

As you can see, Nikki and Amanda layered different materials with their Sewing Pattern Petals - including canvas, cardstock, patterned paper, and tulle - all for a beautiful effect.  The possibilities are endless.  And you just may be seeing more possibilities soon, too...hint, hint, wink, wink ;).

Nikki, thank you so much for sharing your talents with us this past six months, and good luck with all your crafty endeavors!  Amanda, I'm so glad you'll be back with us :).  Happy Tuesday everyone - enjoy your day! Tessa

P.S. - I'm sharing more work from Nikki on Facebook today, so be sure to stop by!

A Card and a DT Call

I've been very excited to share with you a card that design team member Nikki created:

Gorgeous, huh?!  Nikki has combined a fabric and felt flower, a lace and felt flower, and a Sewing Pattern Petal to create a cluster of blooms that makes this card a work of art!  Oh, how I love this :).

How would you like to be in Nikki's shoes? Would YOU like the opportunity to receive Precocious Paper product in exchange for sharing your creations and talent with us?  I am now accepting applications for the April - September 2011 design team.  I am looking for designers that are happy to create a range of projects - layouts, cards, altered items, hair accessories, etc. If you are interested, please email me with the following information:

1. Your name and contact information.

2. A little bit about yourself.

3. Links to your blog and gallery.

4. Your scrappy/crafty resume, including current responsibilities (past DT experience is not necessary).

And I'd love to know your answers to these questions:

1. What is it that draws you to Precocious Paper products? 

2. How would your contribution to the Precocious Paper design team be special?

Every other month you will receive the monthly Sampler and be required to create at least three projects with it.  During the other months you will receive a smaller batch of product and be required to create at least one project with it.  You will also receive a discount code for additional product and a "thank you" package of goodies to get started with.  Compensation will be offered for print publication of projects naming Precocious Paper in the materials list.

I'm excited to see fresh faces and I welcome applications from past guest designers and current DT members.  The call will remain open through March 18th and all applicants will be contacted that weekend.  I look forward to receiving your application! Tessa

precociouspaper (at) yahoo (dot) com

Designer Friday!

Let's start today with Amanda and January's sampler, "Sunshine in My Soul."  Isn't this card beautiful?  Ribbon, fabric flower, and leaves are from the sampler.

If you know me, I love to scrap in grids from time to time.  This layout made my heart flutter :).  The lace lollipop flower is exclusive to the kit.  What do you think - should I list those in the shop?  Also in the sampler, the felt spiral flower, ribbon and the leaf.

Nikki worked with February's sampler, "Sweet on You".  She pulled the pink flowers from the sampler for this gorgeous layout, and paired it with my Chocolate Brown Rolled Fabric Flowers.  I just adore those delicate flower stems!

Nikki then used the white elements from the sampler for this sweet, sweet layout:

I've added must see, close-up photos of these amazing projects to the Precocious Paper Facebook page.  Amanda and Nikki, thank you so much!  I only have a few left of each sampler, so if you haven't ordered yours yet, do so soon!  Here's an incentive for you: If you purchase both January and February together, I will ship your order for free - US and international :).  Convo me for a reserved listing or complete your purchase and I'll issue a refund.  Have a wonderful weekend! Tessa

February Sampler Reveal - Sweet on You

There's a new sampler on the Precocious Paper shelves today:).  Please welcome "Sweet on You", the February Sampler!

This yummy, Valentine's Day themed sampler includes:

♥ 1 Fabric and Felt Flower (3 inches)
♥ 1 Cupcake Poppy in Red Polka Dot (2.75 inches)
♥ 1 Bridal Satin Blossom in Mint (exclusive to sampler, about 3 inches)
♥ 1 Glitter Tulle Flower in Pink (2.75 inches)
♥ 1 Sewing Pattern Petal (exclusive to sampler, 3 inches)
♥ 1 Set of Frayed Rosettes in Mint, Pink, and Red (exclusive to the sampler, ranging in size from 1.5 to 2 inches)
♥ 1 Set of Spiral Felt Flowers in White, Pink, and Red (exclusive to sampler, ranging in size from 1 - 1.5 inches)
♥ 3 Leaves (about 1.5 inches long)
♥ 3 Ribbon Clothespins with a Decorative Stick Pin (set exclusive to sampler, 3 total yards of ribbon)

Design team member Nikki played with "Sweet on You" to create this gorgeous card:

You'll see more from Nikki on Friday :).  Remember these layouts by Heidi?

Gorgeous, huh?!  I'd love to send one of these kits to YOU.  You can find the February Sampler here.  Happy shopping! Tessa

Designer Friday!

Happy Christmas Eve!  Anticipation is building here at the Buys' home and it will be just about all I can do to keep the boys from going nuts :).  Speaking of my boys, my oldest just brought breakfast to me.  Can we say last-minute brownie points?  No, he's really just a great kid, no matter what day tomorrow is :).

I have two fabulous projects to share with you today.  First, these really cute Christmas baubles from Nikki:

Using Fabric and Felt Flowers from both the Country Christmas and Christmas Bliss Bouquets, Nikki embellished simple wooden ornaments.  These decorations would be perfect hung on the tree or strung on pretty wire - I'm adding this idea to next year's list of Christmas things to do.

Rebekah created a gorgeous layout about decorating her tree, and my favorite part is the color.  Rebekah says, "I love purple as a Christmas colour and everything in my house is usually colour coordinated with that in mind. My tree, the Christmas table, the wrapping paper and you get the idea. So Tessa's gorgeous rich purple flowers really did the business on this Christmas LO."  Rebekah used the Purple Rolled Fabric Flowers.  So pretty!

Thank you, Rebekah and Nikki!  What a wonderful pair of projects for our last Designer Friday in 2010.  My Valentine's Day lines and a special new product release are coming very soon.  In the meantime, enjoy this coupon for some end of the year stash-building:  DESIGNERFRIDAY4.  10% off your merchandise total, through Sunday.

Have a wonderful, happy, and safe Christmas Eve!  Tessa

Designer Friday (on Saturday)

Yes, I know, I'm a day late :).  I have layouts from Rebekah and Nikki today that I can't wait any longer to share, including one with a new design from Precocious Paper.

Nikki created two very sweet layouts with Cupcake Poppies, this first one with Orange Polka Dot Cupcake Poppies...

...and this one with Pink Gingham Cupcake Poppies.  I love how Nikki fashioned the blooms by adding stitched leaves and pretty stems.  So very cute!

I sent Rebekah a new design in my Super Stars line - Grunge Super Stars.  This particular set is called "Gunmetal Grunge" and made of charcoal-colored shimmery cardstock, recycled cardboard distressed with black ink, black felt, and gunmetal-colored brads.  I absolutely love how they look on this page:

I'm so grateful for such a talented design team!  Nikki and Rebekah, thank you!  If you'd like to try out any of these embellishments, now is the perfect time!  Today is the last day of my Black Friday sale.  Use this coupon code during checkout for 10% off of your order: BLACKFRIDAY2010.  Also, since this is the last Designer Friday post of the month, leave a comment about a project that inspired you and you could win a prize package from Precocious Paper!

Nikki joined in on the Attitude of Gratitude challenge today with these beautiful thoughts: "There are soooo very many things I am grateful for in my life.  At the top of my list....Stef and my three cherubs, whom I thank God for on a daily basis.  They fill my world with love and laughter and  bring out the best in me.  They are a constant source of all that is important in my life and teach me something new each day!"  I love that last sentence - what blessings our families are :).  Today, I'm grateful for my mom.  We are headed to JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts before the sun rises to snag some crafty deals.

Have a great weekend everyone!  Tessa

P.S. - Heather at {embellish*ology} is also having a sale (use coupon code turkey10), and Scrapbook Circle has some fantastic deals available, too!

Designer Friday - Giveaway Day

Let's meet the rest of the Precocious Paper design team, Rebekah and Nikki!

Rebekah Brumby: I'm a proud Mum of one and part time secondary school science teacher. I've been scrapping prolifically since Connor was born in 2006 and can't get enough of it usually :) I would describe my style as layered texture because I love lots of embelilshments and layer them up to give depth and texture to my layouts. Since I joined a couple of design teams and was invited to teach some classes, I've been doing more altered items and home decor pieces but my heart belongs to layouts really. I'm really excited to be joining the Precocious Paper design team and working with Tessa's lovely products and I hope that you'll enjoy looking at my layouts too.

Rebekah created this beautiful fall layout using a bloom from the Friendly Forest Bouquet (to be listed soon!).  I love how she picked up colors from the fabric in her patterned paper choices, and isn't that puppy the cutest thing ever?

Nikki Antonello: I live in the gorgeous North East of Victoria, Australia, have been married to my beautiful husband Stef for almost 13 years and we have 3 cherubs…..Noah 7 , Isabelle 5 and Joshua 3 . I came to scrapbooking about 6 years ago after the birth of my first son. Noah was born with Down Syndrome and has since also been diagnosed with Mild Autism. In the early days of my scrapping it was a wonderful way to come to terms with lots of things that were going on in our lives and to celebrate some very long awaited milestones….some five years and two extra children later, this beautiful craft has well and truly become the most lovely celebration of all of our lives and an outlet I could not do without!  Before scrapbooking I have always dabbled in some sort of lovely crafty pursuit…painting, folk art, cross-stitch and paper-tole….all of which appear still, in some form on my layouts and projects. My creations usually include some dimension and texture in busy little clusters of embellishments, but I generally enjoy a clean and simple style. I love the gorgeous vibrant colour and images for the boys pages, but am so fortunate to be able to indulge in flowers and all things feminine for Isabelle’s pages.  I am very honored to be a part of this gorgeous team and look forward to sharing my work with you all.

Nikki created three cards using a new set of Sewing Pattern Petals (to be listed soon!).  The blooms are very versatile, as Nikki demonstrates with a birthday card, a best wishes card, and a Christmas card.  And don't you love how the sewing pattern paper looks with kraft cardstock?

 

Now that you've met all of my talented designers, let's do a giveaway.  Take a look back at the October Designer Fridays and leave a comment on this post about your favorite project or a favorite product that was featured.  I'll draw a name on Monday, November 1st, and that person will receive a little package of Precocious Paper goodies.  And be sure to check the shop this weekend - inbetween Halloween festivities new product will be going up!

Thank you, Nikki and Rebekah!  Have a great day! Tessa