Week 2

Hello! Week 2 in my Doctrine and Covenants study edition.... Find week 1 here.

I continued the rainbow highlighting into week 2, but pulled a few colors from the markings into the margins in the shape of washi tape and paint. Acrylic paint gives washi tape a surface that is easily written over with a ball point pen, which makes me very happy because I love my 0.38 ball point pen.

I didn't feel the need to "fill" the margins and have quite a bit of space left for future notes (or just to let your eyes rest).

I went with a whole different color palette for the next page, still pulling colors from the "kit" I put together for myself. I imagine I'll use every possible combination of colors at some point.

I'll share week three soon and update with a link here then. Thanks for stopping by!

Week 1

Last summer I discovered the enneagram. I bought a couple of books, took a few tests, and then got a little frustrated when I couldn't settle on what I was. Recently, I got interested again. This time I took it more seriously and really dove in. After reading through my results, despite a tie for the top result, I declared myself a 4w5. I started a Pinterest board and everything. However, not all of the memes I was pinning fit as nicely as I thought they could. When I read through the most common misinterpretations of the test results, I discovered that my tie deserved more attention. I was most likely a 1.

After much more reading, I'm certain I am a 1w2. It fits really well, even though I resisted--hard--at first. If you aren't familiar, a 1 can be a perfectionist. I've realized this about myself before, but I hadn't realized how much I had let it override me lately until I was studying the enneagram again. I also realized that other than not having the time to create content, this perfectionism was preventing me from sharing here. Have you heard of imposter syndrome? I'm a poster child. So, in an effort to be more authentic and to grow toward a 7, I'm sharing week one of the Doctrine and Covenants/Come, Follow Me study in my Line Upon Line study edition.

I wish there were empty pages like this more often throughout the book, but I know I can always add in my own if I feel the need. This "hearken" page set off a rainbow theme for week one. I used all the colors that I gathered when I coordinated my supplies, which is a little bright for me, but fun.

This was also an experiment in how I wanted to highlight, make notes, etc., including which kinds of pens to use. My oneness prefers a method, a recipe that I always follow. However, my fourness demands at least some creative license. I didn't figure it all out in week one, and the following pages still make me want to buy a whole new book just to re-do two pages. I won't, though ;). I've decided not to use my microns for writing and stick with my ball point pen for notes and my brush pen for statements.

Another expression of my oneness is that I do not color code my scriptures. I tried...once. There were too many passages that I wanted to highlight in multiple colors, and since I couldn't decide which color was the "right" one, I settled for always using the same color. A couple years ago I started using multiple colors with no rhyme or reason and that made my creative heart much happier. I have so much admiration for people who color code. I suspect that I'll try again one day, maybe selecting just a few themes and going for it. Maybe when I'm not so 1 and a little more 7.

I love a typewritten sticky note in my scriptures. They are perfect for longer quotes or pages without much space in the margins. However, this page went sideways when I decided to use paint to tie in the color of the sticky note, but then ended up losing the rainbow effect in the margins. However, I learned that I prefer to stick to two or three colors per page spread, and you'll see that I continue that idea in week 2. Lesson learned. This 1 is moving forward ;).

Have you studied the enneagram? Have you found it useful? It's a rabbit hole, that's for sure. Thanks for stopping by!

Doctrine and Covenants Title Page

For Christmas I bought myself the Line Upon Line study edition of the Doctrine and Covenants (sunrise version). I plan to do my reading/note-taking in this one, as well as weekly scripture journaling. Once I get going and find my rhythm, I'll share all my go-to supplies.

You can see the color palette I've decided to go with for the year. For me, it works best when I limit my supplies and use the same "kit" for the year. If I get bored of the colors or want to use another kit, I've got a scripture journal and a Line Upon Line journaling edition that I can play in.

Since I posted this page in my IG stories, I've had several people ask where I found this quote. It's from an address to CES educators, June 20, 1992. I subscribe to The Red Headed Hostess' kits and LOVE her study guides. Her marking guide is great (I don't copy it, but we tend to mark the same things most of the time), but the extra material is my favorite part. She includes a lot of quotations from leaders that just seem to really resonate with me. I thought this one was perfect for the title page.

I also follow Don't Miss This and have their journal (bought the PDF and printed/bound it myself). I also follow #comefollowme on IG and really insightful posts manage to pop up in my feed just when I need them.

What resources are you using to study scriptures this year? Thanks for stopping by :). Tessa

Cross Stitch Peg Board

Once upon a time I started an Etsy shop. I filled it with handmade cards and scrapbooks, then branched out to handmade embellishments. The fabric and paper flowers were a hit and I spent years making thousands of flowers for lovely people the world over. They were even published in magazines (except Bride--they requested samples but didn't go with my flowers for their article). 

Inspired by a vintage tablecloth my grandmother gave me, I designed my shop/blog branding around those flowers in red, yellow, aqua and accents of black and white. My craft room (and eventually Addie's nursery) took on the color palette. However, the shop has long since closed and I am ready for a fresh, calm environment. You can see my Pinterest board inspiration for the space here.

Years ago I pinned a peg board that had been painted with a cross stitch floral pattern. That winter, at CHA (or Creativation or whatever it was called that year), the 3Birds Design booth walls were covered in yarn cross-stitched flowers. I just knew I had to give it a go. The past few years I have enjoyed a bright red rose on my wall. This past weekend, I changed things up. I used the same pattern (even though I looked at dozens of new ones) and changed the colors to reflect my new palette.

First, I marked out the design on graph paper. Next, after cutting out all the old stitches, I marked the colors of each cross stitch with pencil (in the center so my stitches would cover it without having to erase it).

When I first made this peg board, I purchased two pieces of peg board from Home Depot and trimmed them down to fit the square-ish wall space I have. I painted the boards white and they are framed from behind on 2x4's that go around the edges and down and across the center. When I stitched, I removed all the 2x4's. Some stitches go across where the two boards join, so I attached the edge pieces to hold the boards together, stitched, then attached the center pieces.

I used a large bobby pin to thread the yarn two strands at a time. I finished The Crown and a few episodes of Cosmos while I worked with the boards propped up on dining room chairs like sawhorses. I'm not a cross-stitcher, so it isn't perfect and the back isn't pretty, but I love it so much.

I'll share how it comes together with the baskets, hooks and shelves I use to store things later. I'm not in love with my current ones, but I haven't found anything else yet.

TIPS: For those of you with Ikea peg boards, I'm not sure how well a cross stitch pattern would translate because the holes are more like slots. Perhaps paint would be the better method? I also briefly considered cutting a ton of X's out of vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo, but I LOVE the texture and dimension of the yarn. I don't need the whole board for storage, so even though hooks can carefully go through the stitching, I don't really cover any of it up. Vinyl or painted cross stitches are much easier to place hooks and baskets over.

Thanks for stopping by :). Tessa

Bloom - Bella Blvd.

I'm sharing a new layout on the Bella Blvd. blog today. The theme this week is Spring and Easter. My absolute favorite part of Spring is flowers. The California poppies that grow along side the roads, the daffodils, the blossoms on the trees. I love it all! So, I had to create a layout just full of pretty blossoms featuring a photo of my little girl last year:

You can read about my mixed-media approach on the Bella Blvd. blog here.

These layered circle flowers are a bit of a throw-back in the scrapbooking world, but I had a ton of fun making them and adding them to this page.

The Bella Blvd. Make Your Mark collection was perfect for this layout. So bright, paint-y and fun! Soon I'll be sharing projects made with their new lines. Can't wait!

Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

20 Minute Layout - Bella Blvd.

Hello, friends! I was a little ambitious with my most recent project for Bella Blvd.

I know this doesn't look very ambitious, but can you believe it took 1/5 the time I usually spend on a layout? We were challenged to create a project in 20 minutes and I decided to go for a 12x12 layout. Crazy? Pretty much, considering I usually take at least an hour. Not counting sketching and gathering materials, I made it with less than a second to spare.

See the post at Bella Blvd. here.

See my process on my YouTube channel here.

Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

Brave - Bella Blvd.

Hello, hello! I'm sharing this colorful layout on the Bella Blvd. blog today and thought it would be nice to share the story behind it here.

A few months ago Addie went to her first professional audition. Four years old and she was auditioning for a part in a Broadway show! This would be the first time she would go into a studio without her mama as the teacher. I was so nervous for her!

We did a little photo shoot so that we had a decent headshot. There was no time to book a photographer for a professional headshot, and really, this isn't something we do often (like, not at all) and I hoped my photography skills would be good enough. I got some amazing pictures -- this girl is a hoot to photograph! So many looks! The one on this layout is one of my favorites.

I remember wondering what she was thinking. Was she nervous about the audition? Scared? As it turns out, yes, but she was also BRAVE! I was so proud of my little girl! She was the fourth one to go in, and parents were not allowed. She went into the next room, did her thing, then came back grinning. I was so proud of her!

She didn't end up getting the part, and that was quite the life lesson to learn at four years old, but now I have an experience to remind her of when she's having a hard time. I can say, "Remember that audition? You were so brave! You can do hard things!"

For all the scrapbooking details, see the Bella Blvd. blog here.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! Tessa