Create! Magazine - Fancy Pants Designs

Hello and happy Monday! I'm excited to share that I have a humble, small little part in this new magazine produced by Scrapbook Generation - Create!

The Fancy Pants Designs team was invited to contribute, and I created a layout based on a fabulous sketch...

...as well as a tag based on another great sketch, both with the Timbergrove collection:

The publication is free, beautiful, and full of practical, great information for creating everything from cards to layouts to tags and altered items. You will love it! Find it here.

Thanks to Fancy Pants Designs and Scrapbook Generation for the opportunity! And thank you for stopping by. Have a good one!

Tessa

PS - No baby girl yet ;). 2.5 weeks to go!

How Wonderful Life is - Scrapbook Circle

Hello! I posted a new challenge on the Scrapbook Circle blog today :). Inspired by the mix tape patterned paper in the January kit, the challenge is to channel a love song for a layout. Here is my page:

Lately I've been finding quite a bit of my music inspiration from tv and movies. While on bed rest several weeks ago, I Netflix-binged on the show Haven. At the end of one episode, "Your Song" comes on, but it's being sung by someone new and it's hauntingly pretty. So, I googled to discover that Ellie Goulding was the artist and I went to iTunes right away and downloaded it. I love it!

When I saw the "life" card in the kit, I knew I would use the line from "Your Song" that says, "how wonderful life is now you're in the world." I can't imagine my world without my hubby :).

I loved the aged masking tape that is part of the design of the mix tape patterned paper. To play with that look, I used some vintage paper and tissue paper to back my photos.

And this exclusive to Scrapbook Circle tag was my absolute favorite from the kit this month!

If you'd like to play along with the challenge, visit the blog here. Anyone can play - subscriber or not - and a $15.00 credit to the Scrapbook Circle store is up for grabs. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day! Tessa

Hearts and Triangles - Fancy Pants Designs Sneak Peek

I'm up on the Fancy Pants Designs blog today :). My assignment - the trendy heart. I decided to take it a bit further and combine hearts and trendy triangles. Here's a little peek:

Find the rest of the layout at the blog here. And if you're looking for Valentines ideas, check out the card I made with a similar technique :).

Enjoy your day! Tessa

PS - Because this is now a daily question from so many friends and family...no baby yet. Three weeks until she's due. Follow me on instagram to see how her nursery is coming along :).

New Year, New Word, New Room

Hello twenty fourteen! I am really looking forward to what this year will bring. I can finally say I'm having a baby this year! In fact, this month! Adding a little girl to our family is sure to bring quite a few firsts for the Buys'. Besides Adlyn joining us, there are some other changes on the horizon - the nature of Josh's job is changing; Colten will start middle school; Jaxon will start Kindergarten. So many good and exciting adventures!

While I'm looking forward, I'm also remembering the difficulties of 2013. From the miscarriage at the beginning of the year, to this difficult pregnancy, 2013 taught me much about trial, challenges, and enduring to the end. In October of 2013, our church held General Conference during which President Monson gave this talk: "I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Foresake Thee". As I listened, I was deeply touched. As he spoke about the loss of his precious wife, I couldn't help but relate to the loss I had suffered. I felt as though he were talking to me specifically, and I took his words to heart. It's from his talk that I found my One Little Word for 2014 - finish.

One of the ways I will act on this word is to finish more projects. This past year has left me with many, many unfinished projects that were interrupted by my health or other distractions. I plan to make 2014 a year that ends with an empty "unfinished projects shelf" in my craft space. One of the first projects to finish - and finish soon! - is Adlyn's nursery:

Inspired by this Pinterest pin (original source here). I am so thrilled with the way this turned out!

A work in progress - the two short walls flanking the window will display various embroidery hoop projects. Most of them are filled with fabric, but several will be altered. I'll share again when they are all complete.

A Christmas present from my parents. I'm still trying to figure out what I'll clip to the dress frame, but in the meantime, it's holding garland that I'm making for the ceiling and my cute new tote bag from Scrapbook Circle.

Happy New Year! I hope 2014 is everything you wish for :). Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

Scripture Advent Calendar - DCWV First Noel Stack

Inspired by DCWV's First Noel stack, I created this scripture-based advent calendar for our family to enjoy during the Christmas season:

Materials Used:
* mini brown paper sacks (available at Michaels in the gift wrap section, sold in packs of 24)
* the First Noel Stack by DCWV (released last year, 2012)

* embellishments like jingle bells, twine, sequins, wood veneer, washi tape, doilies
* gold glitter and gold foil cardstock (by DCWV, available in various stacks)
* thick ribbons (for clipping the bags to and hanging the frame)
* a large frame
* clothespins (I used mini ones and decorated some with gold glitter and others with washi tape)

Directions:
Choose several designs from the First Noel Stack. Trim rectangles to fit the fronts of the paper bags. Distress the edges of the papers with gold metallic ink, then adhere to bags.

Using a die-cut machine (I used my Silhouette Cameo), cut numbers 1 through 24 out of the gold cardstocks. Adhere numbers and embellishments to the bags. Use dimensional adhesive for some of the numbers.

Cut ribbons to stretch across your frame. Because these bags are very light, I simply taped my ribbons to the back of my frame with strong packing tape. However, you might want to staple or glue your ribbons in place.

Place a scripture reference (or complete verse) in each bag. We chose scriptures about our Savior - from the Christmas story, moments from his ministry, and other testimony of Him from throughout the scriptures. Clip the bags in order to the ribbons. Hang with an additional ribbon.

Each night, after we read a story from our Christmas Storybook advent, we pull out our scriptures and look up the verse for the day. We've discovered that it's a great way to keep our Christmas celebration Christ-centered, in a simple, daily manner.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are enjoying your holiday season :). Merry Christmas! Tessa

Chickaniddy Crafts

Hello! Just popping in today to share some happy news. My friend, Heidi Sonboul, has a new scrapbook company making its debut soon! Chickaniddy Crafts' website will launch December 16th:

In the meantime, you can like the Facebook page here. As soon as the website launches, the first collection will be revealed...

...followed by the second collection:

If you're headed to CHA this January, be sure to stop by the Chickaniddy Crafts booth. I'm excited to have some work in the booth, and I'm sure you'll love the debut lines as much as me.

Have a good one! Tessa

Winner: Fancy Pants Designs Merry Christmas Goodies

Hello! Thank you to everyone who visited during the Scrapbook Circle All is Bright blog hop! You'll find my kit winner on the Scrapbook Circle blog today. As for the winner of the Fancy Pants Designs goodies I am giving away personally, drum roll please....

Accro-bat, please email me at precociouspaper (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll get that out to you as soon as I can.

Have a great day, all! Tessa