Train Concert - SEI

About a month ago, Josh and I went to the Train concert here in Sacramento. We went with my sisters (one of whom was 8 months preggo at the time) and my brother and their significant others. It was so much fun! Not only had I finally started to be "over" the constant morning sickness, but a date night was long overdue.

Anyway, I only had this one good shot of the two of us before the concert started, and I wanted a great paper to pair it with for a layout. While looking through my SEI papers, I found this one in the Blossoms and Blooms line - perfection!

I embellished with stitching...

...and cut pieces of patterned papers from various other SEI lines to add some flair to some of the diagonals.

For more details, you can see my post at SEI today. Thanks for stopping by :). Tessa

Nature - SEI

I was playing with a filter on my Camera+ app when I took a photo of a rose in my front yard. I loved the way the colors flared, and when I had the photo printed, I realized it matched the Diane collection by SEI perfectly!

I pulled a few of my favorite patterns from the 6x6 pad to back the photo. I created the background by using mists like watercolors on watercolor paper. The warping of the watercolor paper made the layout hard to photograph - other than that, I love it!

The gold washi tape and gold glitter dots are from SEI's Holiday Traditions line - I love using up that Christmas stash on everyday layouts :). The airmail washi is from my own stash.

I used gold foil cardstock by DCWV to cut out my title and the leaves with my Silhouette Cameo.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my page. Enjoy your day! Tessa

"Mother" Altered Book - SEI

Our library always has free books in the lobby, books that are too old to keep on the shelves for borrowing. I sift through them every time we go in, looking for beautiful colors, covers with vintage patina, and pages with pretty text or pictures. I recently found a small, yellow book that I decided to alter.

I used my favorite papers by SEI, gold leaf stickers and metallic gold paint by Martha Stewart, washi tape, mist, vellum, and even antiqued paper from an old fashioned mercantile store that I picked up on a field trip a few weeks ago.

I decided on the theme of "motherhood" because Mother's Day was approaching as I made the book. I typed up several of my favorite quotations about mothers in my favorite font - Traveling Typewriter. I also used my Silhouette to cut the words "mother" and "mom" several times. I love that font, too - Grand Hotel. While looking around the Silhouette store for some flower files, I came across several that SEI made. I downloaded them at once and you can find them all throughout this book.

I edited about 50 photos of this book and just couldn't narrow down my favorites for this post. So, I made a slideshow:

You can find more details about the book at the SEI blog today, here. Also, I'm adding all the photos of the book to my flickr photostream, here. I hope your Mother's Day was lovely :). Have a good one! Tessa

Peachy Spring Wreath - SEI

I've really been into home decor projects lately, and one of my latest assignments for SEI is no exception. As a house-warming gift for my sister I made this grapevine wreath:

I made the large, lacy flowers from papers in the Diane collection. Did you know that SEI has fabric papers (and other fancy papers with all kinds of different textures and patterns)? I think it's my favorite part of their product line. They are so fun to work with and easy to die-cut.

I made the garland by cutting circles in two sizes with my Cameo. I would have used a paper punch, but I didn't have one petite enough ;). These are pretty small.

If you are looking for a peachy Spring palette for your next project, be sure to check out SEI's Diane collection. There really isn't anything on the market quite like it. And be sure to see my post at SEI's lifestyle blog for more details and other great projects.

Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

Lunch Date - SEI

While we lived in Wyoming, my husband was able to come home for lunch almost everyday. I loved that time of the day to spend with him. Since being back in California, lunch dates are few and far between. On special days, like birthdays and anniversaries, I'll make the trip to him. It doesn't happen often, though. I took this instagram photo of us on a lunch date last year:

I have wanted to scrapbook this photo for a long time, but because it is so washed out, I never found quite the right papers to use. Then SEI released the Mia Bella line. It includes a patterned paper called "gallery walk" that features paint drips and splatters in beautiful colors. I knew it would make the perfect backdrop for my instagram shot.

You can read all about the details of this page on the SEI lifestyle blog here. I had a lot of fun working with this gorgeous new collection and will definitely be putting it to use more in the future.

You can see the Mia Bella line here. Online photos do not do it justice. It's truly a very pretty collection. I hope your weekend is off to a great start! Thanks for spending some of it here :). Tessa

Mr. Wonderful - SEI

Last week, over at the SEI lifestyle blog, I shared a layout about Colten:

I love this photo for several reasons. One, he cooperated for the camera. Two, those eyes. And three, those freckles! He's my only child with freckles and I love them :). Anyway, the pink background of the photo (old theater doors in old town Roseville) matched perfectly with the pink in SEI's Think of Me line.

I pulled all the pinks and reds from the line, then balanced out the lovey-dovey factor with the large polka dot. A lot of the die cuts and papers in this line include gold foil accents, so I pulled some of the gold embellishments from SEI's Christmas line to match. I love being able to stretch holiday supplies!

Wow, two layouts about Colten in one week! I'd better get to scrapping my other two before I create a little sibling rivalry ;).

Before I go, I wanted to let you know of a fun announcement coming up. I am celebrating five years on Etsy next week with five days of giveaways and a sale! I'll be sharing all the details here on the blog tomorrow, as well as giving you a sneak peek of the prizes.

See you then! Tessa

Valentine's Day Cards - SEI

I had the pleasure of working with SEI's Thinking of You line and fell in love. My first project with the line was to create three Valentines for a few special girlfriends:

You can read more about my "recipe" process at the SEI blog today. Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

SEI Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who visited and left such sweet comments about my latest SEI projects. It was really fun to see some new faces, meet new followers, and to read that I'm not the only one who needs a little help organizing those printed recipes :). Random.org has selected a winning comment. Is it you?

Congratulations, Cheryl! Please email me at precociouspaper (at) yahoo (dot) com with your shipping information and I will pass that on to SEI. 

I have a Precocious Paper giveaway starting tomorrow, so be sure to stop by. If you love flowers and you love Valentine's Day, you'll definitely want to enter :). Have a great Friday! Tessa

SEI & a Giveaway

Hello! I hope you are enjoying the holidays :). I sure am! Today I have two SEI projects to share with you - one to contain your holiday photos and one to get you organized for the new year. Oh, and an awesome SEI giveaway, too! First, a Christmas mini album:

I pulled the white and gold papers and accents from the Holiday Traditions collection to create this little book of 2011 memories. The pages are simply patterned paper glued back-to-back. The papers in this line feature gloss and glitter - so pretty for holiday projects!

I used my sewing machine to create the ruffle from the crepe paper trim in the collection. So pretty!

I wanted rings to hold my book together, but I was having a hard time finding gold book rings. So, I went to the jewelry aisle at the craft store and found gold rings there. I love that they are petite in comparison to book rings, which makes them a perfect size for this little book.

You can find more photos of this album here. I also had the pleasure of working with the Club SEI January paper crafting kit. Oh my goodness, this kit is filled with all sorts of great ideas for organizing. I chose to work with this plaid portfolio:

A few months ago I clicked through a recipe I had pinned on Pinterest only to find that the link was no longer good. I couldn't find the recipe again! I vowed at that moment to print right away the recipes that I would like to try. However, that led to random pieces of paper stuck to my fridge, poking out of cookbooks, and jumbled on my microwave. This portfolio has been a lifesaver!

The inside of the portfolio is filled with page protectors, which I divided up by adding the kraft inserts from the kit. To make the kraft inserts turn like pages better, I scored them where they would rest against the spine of the portfolio. Each section is for a different kind of recipe: main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. I'll add more sections later if I feel the need to.

To fancy up the inserts, I used patterned paper from the kit. I loved the pink patterned paper most and fussy-cut birds to add as accents. The doilies and alpha stickers came from my own stash, as well as the washi tape. I used my Silhouette Cameo to make the section titles.

Now, I print the recipe and clip it to or tuck it in to the divider. Once tested and family-approved, I will move it to a page protector. So far, this system is working wonderfully, and the portfolio looks so cute with all my cook books in the kitchen.

How would you like to win one yourself? I have one of these paper crafting kits to giveaway! There's much more inside - see?

To enter to win, simply leave a comment here by January 3rd. I'll announce a randomly selected winner on January 4th. Say hi, let me know what you think of my new mini album or portfolio, or share how you might be getting more organized for the new year.

Thanks for stopping by today and good luck! Tessa

Velvet Bow Bracelet - SEI

As part of the 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas at SEI, I created an easy, but oh-so-cute bracelet:

You can find the entire tutorial at the SEI blog, but long story short, I basically turned a long oval of SEI's gorgeous velvet paper into a bow and added snaps:

This red color is perfect for the holidays, but SEI offers velvet paper in almost two dozen beautiful colors. There's a color that each of your girlfriends will love, I'm sure! For the tutorial and step-by-step photos, click here. Be sure to check out all the other fabulous gift ideas from the DT, too.

Have a wonderful Friday and great weekend! Tessa

Cousins in Pajamas - SEI

Hello! How is December treating you? So far, so good here :). On Thursday, the SEI blog featured a recent holiday layout of mine:

It just so happened that all of the cousins on my side ended up at Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas morning wearing zip-up, fleece pajamas. They all looked so cute together that we had to attempt a few photos.

The Berry Melody line from SEI is so cute, perfect for whimsical holiday photos. I used the metallic silver ribbon to create bows, making the photos look like little presents.

The foil and glitter accents in this line are beautiful and a great touch of holiday sparkle.

I'll be sharing more SEI holiday goodness throughout the month, including my most favorite holiday project of the year :). I can't wait to show you! In the meantime, be sure to stop by the SEI blog for our 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas, and be on the lookout for the many giveaways this fabulous company does.

Thanks for stopping by today! Tessa

Fall Boots - SEI

Hello :). I'm sorry for being quiet the past couple of days. I thought I was dodging it, but now I think it's just slowly taking me over. Yep, I caught a bug. Hopefully it won't last long and I can get back to my routine with full energy soon. One bright spot for today, though, is my first post up on the SEI blog:

I used the Mirelle collection to create this layout about my new favorite shoes. I have been living in these boots this season. I love, love, love them! So comfy and warm :).

I think the foiled papers in this line are beautiful, so I used a couple of my favorites to create my title and the background piece. The velvet leaves are really great, too. I love the texture they add to the page.

You can find the post at SEI here. I hope you have a fabulous day, and really great weekend. I plan to sit down on Sunday and catch up on documenting my Attitude of Gratitude thoughts. I'm just a bit cloudy today and I think it deserves a more clear head :). Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

Happy News :)

Some fabulous opportunities have come along and I'm excited about them! First, SEI has asked me to join their 2013 design team :).

You can read the announcement here. I'm excited to be working with a group of ladies that I haven't worked with yet! That's one of my favorite parts of this scrapbooking thing - the people :).

Angi Barrs: http://cokiepopaper.blogspot.com/

Emily Branch: http://branchoutdesigns.blogspot.com/

Nattarida Smith: http://tinynatt.blogspot.com/

Pearl Lui: http://kraftypearl.blogspot.com/

Sarah Webb: http://scropping.blogspot.com/

Epiphany Crafts has announced their new design team. I was asked to extend my term with them by another six months and couldn't be happier about it. I have loved working with the people there and am looking forward to "meeting" the new members.

Well, that's my happy news for the day :). I'll be back tomorrow with a new challenge from The Studio. I can't wait to share - my layout is numbered in my favorites ;). Have a great day! Tessa