Scrap That Poetry Farewell

Designing for Scrap That Poetry has been a wonderful experience, but after a year of doing so, it's time to say goodbye.  Well, not really goodbye as I'll still pop in for the challenges when I can :).  I'm grateful to Jennifer for giving me the opportunity and to the design team for sharing their talents with me.

A new inspiration poem just went live, called "New Year".   I decided to focus on the words "new year" and the color white, mentioned in the first stanza.  I remembered my notebook that I hope to fill with journaling over the course of 2011.  I snapped a photo of the open pages and one of my favorite pens and created this layout, comparing the new year to a blank notebook, full of possiblity.

As I sat down to scrap, I knew I wanted to play with orange.  I was going to pair the orange with turquoise or aqua, but it morphed into a very green teal.  And I love that.  The little orange flowers are handmade from vintage seam binding.  I sewed them together, dyed them with Glimmer Mist, pressed them (with a heavy punch that was handy on my scrap table), and finished them with little pearl centers.  The big teal flower is by Prima, also dyed with Glimmer Mists.

I've been having a lot of fun with mist lately, haven't I?  I hope you'll join us for this challenge and enjoy playing with Scrap That Poetry in the future, too.  Enjoy your weekend! Tessa

My Boys, the Photographers and Sketchy Thursdays

We were walking to church one beautiful Sunday and I pulled out my camera to get some shots of the boys and the leaves.  Then I passed the camera off to Colten and Carson and they took pictures of Josh and I, walking hand in hand.  They turned out pretty great and I had to make this page with them:

My journaling comes from the latest poem at Scrap That Poetry, "The Tables Turned."  The design team did a fantastic job interpreting different parts of the poem and creating a variety of layouts.  I kept mine fairly simple with some paint and buttons. Come check out the blog and play along.  We'd love to have you :).

Today is Thursday, so I have a Sketchy Thursdays layout to share, too.  I loved the trio of photos in the sketch and decided to create a layout using photos from the firestation field trip I went on with Colten's class.  I was only going to use kraft, red and black, but then I opted for those Cosmo Cricket letters.  That "D" had a blue center, so I just had to slip into my favorite color combo - again :).

Here's the sketch:

And here are some details:

I know December can be a crazy month, but what better way to de-stress by giving yourself a little scrappy time?  I hope you can find a few minutes to join in on a challenge or two soon.  Have a great day! Tessa

Gratitude

We have a new poem up at Scrap That Poetry, and it goes right along with my Attitude of Gratitude challenge!  The poem is "Prayer for the Great Family," a Mohawk prayer that offers thanks for nature, the earth, and all the blessings that come from it.  I thought about making a layout, but then I realized that I wanted something that I could display, a visual reminder to be grateful.  So, I created this:

I painted, distressed, and inked a four inch by four inch canvas.  I added book paper (Scrap Rat) that I had misted in a few colors and then layered on butterfly stickers and fussy-cut roses.  Butterflies and roses may not be mentioned in the poem, but they are from nature and very symbolic of my journey lately to grow and change.

The large butterfly has stick pin antennae.  I doodled around the edge and handwrote a subtitle on the side.  The title is made with October Afternoon alphas.  This piece now sits in my entry way and I see it whenever I walk in the front door.

Yesterday was an amazing day.  Here we are, halfway through Attitude of Gratitude, and I can see the differences in me, in the way I look at things, in my overall happiness.  At church yesterday we had a testimony meeting, which is when members of the congregation are able to address the church members with whatever they feel prompted to say.  Almost every person spoke about gratitude, and even those who didn't speak on that topic expressed gratitude for something.  I was recently given the opportunity to serve the young women, ages 12-17.  The lesson we had yesterday was about gratitude, and I was inspired by their thoughts and feelings.  As if that weren't enough, last night we had a special meeting for all the youth (and as a leader I was able to go), and the topic was again gratitude.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have been present at all these meetings, to be able to take part in those messages.  So today, I'm grateful for this challenge and for all of you participating in one way or another.  I'm grateful for this emphasis on gratitude in my life right now, with inspiration seemingly coming from everywhere.

I hope you can find a little bit of time to create something about gratitude and submit it at Scrap That Poetry.  We would be so happy to have you play along.  Have a wonderful Monday! Tessa

STP, Scrap Rat, and A of G Day Two

Sorry, it's early and a catchy title is elusive :).  I am excited to share two projects with you today, the first of which is my layout for the new challenge over at Scrap That Poetry.

The poem is "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns.  I have red roses blooming in my front yard right now and thought about documenting them, but then I remembered my great-grandmother, Rose Soto.  I called my mom, got some photos, and this layout was made.  This is my great-grandparents on their honeymoon in 1932.

I used gorgeous papers by Graphic 45, Prima butterflies, doilies cut from the Prima packaging, and vintage postage stamps and lace from Scrap Rat.  Because the photo is black and white, I loved finding vibrant colors in a vintage style to work with.

Speaking of Scrap Rat, did you see my collage frame on their blog a little bit ago?  If you know me, when I go monochromatic, it's usually yellow :).  And so I did with this:

The book pages turned into accordian flowers, the book page with the yellow flowers, the stamps, the lace trim, the tea card, and the bingo card all came from Scrap Rat.  I LOVE the vintage Bingo card, and Amanda has them in several colors!

Again, I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to see everyone playing along with my Attitude of Gratitude challenge.  And now that November has begun, I see several other people and blogs doing something similar.  I love it!  Today, I'm grateful for random acts of kindness.  Yesterday I had to run to the fabric store because an order I placed hadn't come and I was in desperate need of some lace.  While standing in line at the cut counter, the sweet lady next to me asked if I had a coupon.  I told her that I had forgotten mine and she handed me hers.  I ended up saving a good bit of money and was so touched by her kindness.  She asked me to pay it forward and I definitely will!

What are you grateful for today?  Have a good one! Tessa

Uplift

Scrap That Poetry has a new challenge up, based on the poem "There is Another Sky" by Emily Dickinson.  The poem's beautiful imagery gave me several layout ideas, but the one word that stood out most to me was "sky".  I remembered taking this photo at a balloon rally this past summer and thought it would be perfect for this poem.

Of course, it just happened to be my favorite color combination :).  See those fabric flowers in the corner?  Yes, they are Precocious Paper!  They are my Geranium Dot Fabric and Felt Flowers, which I paired with little paper roses.  I love how easily the fabric flowers can mix with other manufacturers for a lot of texture and interest.

I hope you'll take the time to read the current poem and work it in to one of your layouts soon.  I can honestly say that some of my favorite layout titles and journaling prompts are based on Jennifer's poems at STP, and maybe this one is just the inspiration you need.

Have a great Monday! Tessa

Finally online!

I've had real, live internet service at my home for about 24 hours now and I feel much better already :).  City permits were a huge delay, but now we're all hooked up!  I think getting online was the last thing on our list of to-do's that will make life feel normal and routine again.  ***big sigh***

Now back to my regularly scheduled scrapping and sharing...

On October 1st, Scrap That Poetry celebrated its first anniversary.  Congratulations to Jennifer and STP!  To make the latest challenge even more special, Heidi created a sketch that I LOVED working with.
 

The challenge poem, "The Rock Cries Out to Us Today" by Maya Angelou, is full of possibilities for layout inspiration.  I decided to focus on the lines "Each new hour holds new chances/For new beginnings," instantly thinking of my youngest, Jaxon.

And on October 3rd The Studio had a new challenge go up, this one about your home.  I'm really into making yarn wreaths now, and I made one for fall that is now hanging on my front door.  It will soon be replaced with the Halloween wreath (inspired by "The Raven") I made - I'll post a picture of that one soon.

The green fabric and felt flower comes from the Festive Fall Bouquet in my shop.  If you haven't stopped by lately, there are more Halloween and autumn embellishments available.

I've missed you all and hope that you are having a wonderful day! Tessa

Hello from California!

Hello all!  We made it safe and sound, and although we are still looking for a house, we are so happy to be here :).  All of my scrapbook supplies are in a storage unit, so although I am itching to scrapbook, I can't.  Why do I want to play with paper and glue so badly?  Because The Studio just had an amazing Summer Cyber Crop yesterday! 

I have a class called "Fantabulous Fabric" to play along with, and there are many more wonderful and creative classes and challenges to participate in.  The crop will take entries for prizes through September 4th, so you have plenty of time to join in.  The direct link to my class is here, and these are the layouts that are featured.  By playing along with my class, you can win a Precocious Paper gift certificate :).

Also, today is a new Sunday challenge at The Studio, and it's an ugly one!  Amanda has challenged us to use two ugly papers to create a layout.  Here's my take:

And I just realized that I didn't post last week's The Studio challenge - to use 5 patterned papers on one layout.  Here's my take, using Cosmo Cricket Delovely and some trims from Diana's etsy shop:

Although I intended to, I missed posting about the most recent challenge at Scrap That Poetry.  I made a mini album to commemorate coming "home" to California, and I plan to fill the book with photos of moving in to the new place and getting together with all of our family and friends here.

Have a great Sunday! Tessa

Happy August!

Today I have two challenges to share with you.  First, The Studio has a new Sunday challenge up: Masking! Find something creative from around your home to use as a mask for misting, inking or painting on your layout. 

I have a self-adhesive set of circle masks by Heidi Swapp that I love, but for this challenge I looked for a homemade circle substitute.  What did I find?  A CD!  Just cover the hole with a bit of tape and you're set to go.  The CD weighs enough that the spray won't blow it off the page, and it's easy to clean.

Also, Scrap That Poetry has a new challenge poem up today (and a scavenger hunt!).  I LOVE Edgar Allen Poe - he speaks to my dark side :).  So when I saw that "Annabelle Lee" was the poem for today, I was excited.  However, I need all the sunshine and happiness I can get right now, so I decided to focus on the line "And we loved with a love that was more than love" for a happy take on Poe. 

My dear friend, Anna, has just opened an adorable little store!  She has created unique, beautiful kits full of bits and pieces of scrappy goodness.  Please visit her - she's doing a giveaway :).

My 3000 sales special continues through August 2nd!  All completed purchases will be entered into a drawing to win a $30.00 Precocious Paper gift certificate!  I'm working hard on getting my new designs ready for listing, but if I don't get them up before August 2nd, no worries - I've got another promotion up my sleeve.

Have a wonderful day! Tessa

Dreams

Harriet Tubman said, "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."  These words remind me that achieving dreams is an active process, not just something that happens while I sleep :).  And as a mother, I hope I can teach my kiddos that strength, patience, and passion are the ingredients to successful dreaming.  Even when their dreams are crazy, wonderful, silly adventures.  Do you ever wonder what your kids dream about?  I do.  I love to watch them sleep with their little eyelids dancing.

"Dreams" is the new poem over at Scrap That Poetry today.  I made two layouts for the challenge this time, as I couldn't decide which photo I wanted to scrap more - the one of Jaxon I shared with you in my last post, or the one of Carson I'm sharing today.  What is it with sleeping babies that makes me melt in wonder and amazement?

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope your week is going well and that you will have a chance to join us for this challenge at STP!  I'd love to see your "dreamy" layouts :).  Enjoy your day! Tessa

Face

We have a new prompt for you at Scrap That Poetry!  The poem is "First Love" by John Clare.  I thought of several different directions I could take on this one, but as I was browsing through photos I found this picture of Carson.  Instantly, the line "I never saw so sweet a face" stood out to me and became my subtitle and title.

Carson has a talent for making faces, and this is my favorite one.  I've used my June Scrapbook Circle kit and some embellies from my stash.  I love those velvet flowers.  I bought them here on Etsy before Maya Road began manufacturing them. 

Not only did I choose the red-white-blue color scheme because it matches my photo and is one of my favorite combos, but also because I was inspired by the second World Cup Challenge at The Studio - scrap using your country's flag's colors.  I know we're out of the tournament now, but go USA!

Don't forget about my giveaway!  I'm excited to be meeting new people and to be hearing from people who stop by often but don't always leave comments.  I'll be back later today with a fun Fourth of July decoration to share :).  Happy Thursday! Tessa

He Carries Me

Hello!  Before I share my latest Scrap That Poetry layout, I have a gripe.  I live in central Wyoming (aka middle of nowhere).  Our mail generally goes through Denver before coming to us.  We recently moved across town and I forgot to send my new address to the fabulous Lisa at Scrapbook Circle (the kit club).  She was great when I panicked that my box was going to the wrong address - thanks for your help, Lisa!  Anyway, it was too late to send it straight to me, so I waited patiently for my box to be forwarded.  After a week and a half, I finally called the post office.  My box came to Riverton, had to go back to Denver for forwarding processing, and then had to come back to Riverton.  How is that efficient?  It took almost two weeks to get my goodies!  But I was thrilled that the box finally arrived the day I was making my STP layout and I had a great time digging into the kit to make this:

Our new challenge poem is "Footprints in the Sand".  I'm one of those people who tries to take on too much by myself, and I often don't rely on the help of others when I should.  This poem has always been a great reminder to me that I have my Savior to depend on, as well as others He sends in His place. I wanted my layout to be a simple statement of testimony, so I used a single photo, subdued colors, minimal embellishments, and a simple title. 

Speaking of the title, I've been meaning to stitch one for a long time, and this was the perfect layout to try the technique on!  I simply put alpha stickers down, lightly traced them, removed them, then stitched on my pencil lines.  I love the look! 

I also stitched the center of my flowers and the banner.  I used the clocks from the Scrapbook Circle kit, cut in half, to make the bunting.  They represent how He is there for me at all times.  Oh my goodness, and I LOVED the tape in the kit!  That houndstooth strip is Pink Paislee artisan tape - I want more!

We would love to see you play along with us!  Whether you scrap beach photos or something very personal like many of the design team members did, there is a take on this poem for everyone.  Have a wonderful day! Tessa

Hopes and Dreams

There's a new challenge up at The Studio!  Because today is the 13th of June, Amanda is challenging us to use the number 13 somehow.  The design team created layouts based on superstitions and even using 13 photos.  I made a mini album about 13 of my hopes and dreams (inspired by the prompt at Who's That Girl) using vintage game pieces.

I made the album base out of canvas and will be offering these soon in my shop.  My husband's nana gave us a whole bunch of old board games, which was great until we realized how many pieces were missing.  Since playing wasn't possible, I salvaged what I could, including these Rummikub tiles.  I have a full set of numbers 1 - 13 in black, red, and blue to add to the shop, as well as some other unique game pieces.  I'll let you know when they're up :).

Speaking of listings, I had the grandest of plans to have all sorts of new listings up Friday, but fate would not have it - between sick kids and now a sick Tessa, it just didn't happen.  The listings will go up this week, though :).  Thank you for your patience!

The blog is nearing 100 followers, and the Facebook page is getting close to 200 "likes".  Remember what that means?  Giveaways!  Also, there is still time to play along at Scrap That Poetry to win a gift certificate to Precocious Paper (see this post).  And please join us at The Studio in June for another chance at a gift certificate.

Thanks for stopping by!  Tessa

The Giving Tree

A new challenge is up at Scrap That Poetry today!  One of my all-time favorite poems is being featured - "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. 

Carson and I took this picture one day while walking home from dropping Colten off at school.  He always liked to stop and play at this tree, and this particular day I had brought my camera along and snapped a photo.  I wanted the title to be a sweet reminder to him that if he is a giving person, he will find happiness.  After showing him the layout, he has decided that one of the books we pick up at the library will be "The Giving Tree".

I was inspired by a card on the cover of Paper Crafts magazine that used an actual branch and punched leaves to create a little tree.  I headed out to the yard, and since Spring is always windy here it was easy to find a twiggy little branch.  I punched about two dozen little leaves using the Martha Stewart rose leaf punch and glued them all down.  I layered felt flowers and buttons, then hand-stitched the petals to make my embellishments.

And speaking of giving, Precocious Paper is sponsoring this challenge!  The winner will receive a $15.00 gift certificate to the shop, as well as free shipping!   How would you like two chances at winning some goodies?  I will give a sweet little prize to someone who 1) plays along at STP, 2) follows this blog, and 3) leaves a comment here linking their entry.  Play once, two chances to win!

Wow, there is so much going on in the scrappy blog world today.  I'm off to do some reading!  Happy Tuesday, Tessa

Bridesmaids and Sisters

Unfortunately, I just didn't have the time this week to devote to the Spring Challenge Blog Hop that I wanted to.  I did manage to complete one challenge (besides the one for STP that I already had done as a DT member) for Sketchy Thursdays.

Materials Used: cardstock - Best Occasions; paint - Plaid; mist - Tattered Angels; papers, thickers, and fabric paper - American Crafts; buttons - Buttons Galore; thread - DMC; pen - Micron.

I loved the sketch and hope to find time to use it again soon!  I used Dear Lizzy goodies that I got from the Scrapbook Circle April Kit.  FYI - You'll see some other yummy Dear Lizzy in the upcoming Scrapbook Chicks kit, too :).  The flowers are made from the fabric paper - I just removed the adhesive backing and it creased beautifully.  You can find a tutorial for this kind of flower by my friend, Anna, here.

I also used paint and a new glimmer mist, Star Fish, to create my background (check off another embellishment challenge at Scrapfreak).  I took the swirly line motif from the Dear Lizzy "puddle play" paper and stitched it to frame out my photo space.

If you have some Dear Lizzy that you're looking to use, join in on the challenge at the American Crafts blog.  Use at least two items from the line on a layout or card, and you could win a big selection of Dear Lizzy yumminess!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend!  Tessa