Honored...

...to be guest designing for the Make and Create Shop! 

I just received my kit in the mail yesterday and I cannot wait to carve out some time this weekend to create.  The colors, textures, variety of materials and seemingly endless supply of goodies is amazing!  Fall is my favorite season, so Anna couldn't have asked me to design during a better month.  Thank you for the opportunity, Anna!  I'll let you all know when my projects are ready to share :).

Oh! And guess what?!  I get internet service tomorrow!!!! I cannot tell you how relieved I am.  Finally, I'll be able to get back to my normal online, organized self.  What did I ever do before the world wide web?

Have a great day! Tessa

Scrap Rat and The Studio

Growing up I was often referred to as a studio rat, which is a dancer who practically lives at the dance studio with all her classes and rehearsals.  I loved every minute of it!  Now I'm blessed to be a different kind of rat - a Scrap Rat.  What is a scrap rat, you ask?  One of Amanda's designers, of course!

Scrap Rat is Amanda Jones' new online store and Etsy shop.  You will not believe the incredible treasure trove it is - vintage playing cards, papers, school work, typewriter words, canvas tags, vintage stamps, match boxes, book covers and pages, buttons....  The package that arrived on my doorstep practically blew me away and I comb through its contents almost every time I go into my scrap room, just to imagine and be inspired.  Amanda is having an opening sale, so please take a look.  You will NOT be disappointed.

I will be posting projects I create with Scrap Rat products both here and on the Scrap Rat blog.  You will also want to follow fellow designer Lisa's blog, as well as Amanda's.

Speaking of Amanda , The Studio is her lovely challenge site and the sponsor for September is Scrap Rat!  I am so happy to be unpacked enough to start playing along again because today's challenge is a GREAT one: Fairy tale challenge! This week I challenge you to scrapbook a perfect day... that hasn't happened yet! If you could spend a day doing anything, what would it be? 

I had fun with my scrap drawer, cut and glittered free-hand clouds, and wrote stream-of-consciousness journaling :).  I made the yellow ombre flower out of wired ribbon - so easy and I love the effect!

So please join Amanda at The Studio and Scrap Rat.  We would love to see you in both places! Have a wonderful Sunday! 

Introducing the Precocious Paper Design Team...

Amanda Jones

Rebekah Brumby

Anna White-Sharman

Nikki Antonello

Mandie Wade

Suzy Spokus

Heidi Meyers

and Windy Robinson

Someday soon (you know, when I have internet access from the comfort of my home once again!), I will have a page here on the blog devoted to these wonderful designers, where you can read about them and follow links to their niches on the web.  Beginning in October, two designers each week will have a project showcased here on the blog.  I also have a fantastic guest design team lined up for the next several months and will be posting that fabulous list soon.

Congratulations to the new team, and thank you again to all the AMAZING people who applied.  I feel truly blessed to have such great online friends, supporters, and customers.  Have a great day!

The Paper Variety

We still don't have regular internet access (shopping around and getting an appointment for installation has been a pain!), but I hope to be back to the online world soon!  I wanted to stop by today and share with you my first layout for The Paper Variety.

The challenge this week is a recipe: A - Autumn colors, B - Borders, and C - Cinema (movie titles or quotations).  I focused on the borders and made a background of border strips from my scrap drawer.  I added little punched border pieces, too, as well as strips of trim.  I bordered my entire page with hand-doodled words. I used mainly fall colors - red, orange, yellow, and brown, and threw in the blue to enhance my photo.  My title comes from the movie "It's a Wonderful Life."

There is a fantastic prize up for grabs.  Head on over for all the details, and if you haven't visited yet, please do!  The site was hoppin' this past week for the debut challenge, and week #2 looks busy already :).

I will be revealing the Precocious Paper Design Team later today - so stay tuned!  Have a great day!

Announcement Delay...

The design team announcement is going to be delayed :(.  Since moving, we still don't have regular internet access and I don't feel like I am ready to make a decision without taking the time to thoroughly go through each wonderful application.  I hope to contact all applicants by tomorrow afternoon.  Thank you for understanding!

Have a great Sunday! Tessa

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