Feeling...

...happy to have created a little something last night - two cards and a layout with the September Scrapbook Circle kit.  You can see the cards on their blog today :).

...a little overwhelmed with the amount of boxes I have yet to unpack.  I really want to find a book that I'd love to use for my musical theater class tomorrow, but I have no idea where to start looking.

...a bit tired since Jaxon refuses to sleep in his crib and now has a cold - poor guy :(.

...like I'm catching his cold :(.

...excited to be on the DT for Sketchy Thursdays once again :).

...blessed to be a part of some wonderful, secret projects to be revealed soon.

...like I might have a mental breakdown trying to choose the Precocious Paper design team members.  So much talent flooded my inbox that this decision is agonizing!

...the need for a nap :).

Have a great Friday, everyone!  Tessa

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1.03.01

A little update...

Hello all!  I thought I would write a little update of what we're up to.  We will finally get to move into our house Tuesday (after being here in California for almost three weeks!).  I crave the routine and comfort that being in our own place with our own things will bring.  I'm also very excited to get my craft room up and going - I can't wait to surround myself with my papers, glue, mists, etc. and get to scrapping!  The kids are doing great at school, Josh's job is going well, and I start teaching on the 11th.  We are blessed :).

Even without my usual arsenal of supplies, I have managed to get a couple of layouts done with the September Scrapbook Circle kit.  The fact that I created anything is a true testament to how wonderful Lisa's kits are.  I had to buy a glue stick and borrow a little bit of paint and a few buttons, but the kit supplied EVERYTHING else I needed.  I also got the Chalkboard Mist add-on in black, white, and teal :).  Do you see the Precocious Paper mini Bridal Satin Blossom?

Have you heard about The Paper Variety?  It's a new challenge blog with weekly challenges, fantastic prizes, and a wonderful group of people.  The first challenge will be going live soon, so stop by and click follow.  And if you visit today, you may see a familiar face being introduced as a member of their new design team ;).

As soon as my craft room is functional, I'll be relisting all of my dyed cardboard flowers, bridal satin blossoms, sewing pattern petals, super stars, ribbons and embellishment sets, cards, etc.  All of my fabric and lace flowers are available right now.  Halloween, fall, and Christmas designs are just around the corner :).

And real quick, thank you to everyone applying for the Precocious Paper design team!  I'm excited to see all the applications filling up my inbox.  It's going to be a VERY difficult decision, there is so much talent!  If you are interested, see THIS post.  I'm looking for crafters of all kinds, not just scrapbookers, so don't hesitate to apply :).

Have a very happy weekend! Tessa

DESIGN TEAM CALL!

How would you like a package of Precocious Paper goodies to arrive in your mailbox once a month - for free?  All I ask is that you create one project each month that would be shared here on the blog and in my shop.  Sound interesting?  Then you might be a good fit for the debut Precocious Paper Design Team!

The call begins now and will go through September 15th.  Applicants will be notified of the results by the 18th and the new team will be announced here on the 19th.  For all the details, including how to apply, please see THIS.  And feel free to email me with any questions you may have :).

Good luck! 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

Busy at The Studio

First, some happy-yet-bittersweet news:  We are moving back to California!  We've loved living here in Wyoming, but we are too far from both sides of our families.  So, when my husband was offered his old job back at a much higher pay rate, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to be with our families once again.  In between getting ready to start school, my Etsy shop, my position at church, and my design team assignments, I am packing a house.  So, if you don't see me around the blog much in the coming few weeks, just know I'm happily busy and I will be back soon!

Now for some scrappy chit-chat!  There is a new Sunday Challenge up at The Studio: Alter or create from scratch a pretty storage item for your craft space.

We were sponsored by Cosmo Cricket and I used this Blackboard Box with the Delovely collection to create a little storage space for my favorite sketches.  I had too many print outs and pieces of paper with drawn sketches on them littering my scrapbook room, so this was the perfect solution for me.  Now I just print the sketch onto the card (or draw it), note the source, and pop it into my little box.

Also at The Studio, I have a Wednesday Extra tutorial for you.  After getting requests from several people to teach them how I made this yarn wreath...

...I created a tutorial featuring this yarn wreath:

You can find the tutorial here.  And one more bit of The Studio news for you - the big Summer Cyber Crop is coming up on August 21st.  Here is a little sneak peek of my class:

Have a great day! Tessa

Happy Birthday, Honey!

To celebrate your birthday, Josh, the boys and I interviewed each other about what we love most about you and decided to write this blog post :).

Jaxon: Since he can't speak yet, we're going to say he loves snuggling to sleep with Daddy at night, wrestling, and hiding his pacifier from you.

Carson: "He's good at getting money. I love that he fixes cars. I love him so much."

Colten: "I love that he plays computer games with me and sometimes helps me.  He makes good paper airplanes and paper boats."

Me: "I love that he is a regular, down-to-earth, loving, goofy, guy.  I love that he works hard for our family, teaches his children the gospel, honors the priesthood, and loves us more than anything else in the world."

Happy birthday, honey! WE LOVE YOU!

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