Please Vote for Me!

*Shameless plea...*

I would love to have your vote for the Most Creative Mom on Michaels Facebook page!  If you have a Facebook account and a moment, please go here to vote.  It would make my day week month YEAR to win!

Thank you! Tessa

A Family is Forever

I believe this with every ounce of my being - a family is forever.  In March 2008, our little family visited the Sacramento LDS Temple.  The sun was setting and I was able to capture these images of our shadows cast on the temple walls.  Our family has added one more shadow since then, so I hope to return soon and take a similar photo of all of us.

I based this layout on another fantastic Sketchy Thursdays sketch, and added the trim for a challenge over at Scrapfreak.  I wanted to play with a technique I read about a few weeks ago, so I got a little messy attaching a piece of a sewing pattern as my background.  A little watered-down glue and a paintbrush was all it took, and I really like the result.

I've got a couple of really busy days ahead, so if you don't hear from me soon, don't worry!  I'm just being a typical mom and Etsy shop owner :).  Have a great day! Tessa

So excited!

I woke up this morning to an email from Becky Fleck of PageMaps fame.  And what did she have to tell me?  I won the PageMaps Couture Cardstock contest!!!!   Eeek!  So excited!!!  This is the layout that I submitted:

I struggled with this layout - no, battled with this layout.  I was getting really frustrated with the things I had chosen to work with, and just about gave up.  I'm so glad I didn't!  Now I get to choose 50 sheets of cardstock from Couture Cardstock.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Where do I begin???  Any suggestions?

Happy Tuesday!  Tessa

My Baby is ONE!

A year ago this moment, Jaxon and I were cuddling in our hospital room, resting after a long night, and oh-so-happy to finally meet each other.  Later, family would come to visit - a lot of family - so for then we were enjoying quiet, peaceful moments.  I can't believe it has already been a year.  Happy birthday, Jaxon.

The next day we would go home, and a few days after that we would move to Wyoming.  We never intended things to go this way - they just did.  Hard as it was, it all worked out in the end.  I had a difficult time balancing my recovery, supervising the move, and tending to my new little one.  Needless to say, I didn't take any photos during this time.  Which brings me to a new challenge at The Studio!

The challenge is to scrap an event you have no photos for.  I chose to go photo-less and to focus on the journaling.  Inside the misted/stitched flowers are details and facts about the move, and the main journaling space records my feelings about it all.  I decided to use flowers to symbolize how our life in one place was ending but blooming in our new home.

By the way, The Studio is undergoing some exciting changes!  The challenge blog will now be hosted on Blogger, here.  Hopefully you will find that easier and be able to join us more often.

Last night as I was pondering Jaxon's first birthday, I decided to do a scrapbook layout about him.  I chose these photos from this past winter and followed a PageMaps sketch.  And, of course, I had to use my favorite color palette.  Oh, how I love this boy :). 

Well, off to tidy up the house and get ready for church.  We're having some friends over for a birthday dinner, the same friends who helped us move in the day we arrived in Riverton, Wyoming.  I think I have too many blessings to count :).

Have a wonderful Sunday! Tessa

Earth Day Special

Happy Earth Day!  To celebrate, my boys and I are going to plant flowers together after school.  We are all really excited about that :).  And to celebrate at Precocious Paper, my eco-friendly, Dyed Cardboard Flowers are on sale.  Purchase two sets and you will receive a third set of your choice for free.  Just note during checkout which set you would like.

Made from recycled cardboard, I dye each layer of the flower with a shimmery mist, then attach the layers together with a unique, sparkly brad.  They come in several colors: Juneberry Wine, Denim, Kiwi Lime Pie, Olive Vine, Daffodil, Candy Apple Red, Pink Bubblegum, Caramel and Suede.  Jazz Blue (pictured below) and Dazzling Diamonds will be back in stock soon.  I'm introducing two new colors, today, too: Lilac and Tattered Leather.  I also have multi-colored flowers, like Twilight.  Different variety mixes are available and I am happy to make custom blooms in the colors you need.

Green Craft Magazine published my little blooms in their debut issue, August 2009.  I loved their idea of using them as gift toppers - don't they look great with the kraft wrapping paper?

The sale will go through Sunday.  Enjoy celebrating Earth Day, and let's see if we can all make our crafting a little greener :).  Have a great day! Tessa

5 Things, Right Now

This is a new record for me - four challenges wrapped up in one layout!  I had three sick little boys this last weekend and yesterday, so when the hubby gave me a little time last night to play, I did my best to combine challenges that I wanted to accomplish.

First, this layout is based on the current sketch at Sketchy Thursdays.  I can see myself using this one again and again :).  Next, I based my journaling on the prompt from Who's That Girl.  I hope it's okay that I wasn't super specific with my answers.  Next week I am planning on doing Ali Edward's a Week in the Life project, so I figure I'll get really detailed in that (and yes, I know that's going on this week, but my camera got left at my brother's house and it just wasn't going to work out).

Third, Scrapping the Music found its way into my layout.  I was designing my layout with the lyrics to the current song nearby, and one particular line caught my attention - "living ever after, happily."  I knew that had to be my #5.  Fourth, I used Prima flowers for one of the April embellishment challenges over at Scrapfreak.

Phew!  I really like it, even though it is a departure from my usual scrapping.  I hope your week is off to a great start.  I'm soaking up sunshine today (rain is in the forecast).  I hope you get to enjoy some, too :).  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