100th Day

Today is the 100th day of school for my boys :).  The first graders are celebrating by bringing in collections of 100. I just got in a big shipment of buttons, so he chose to count out 100 buttons.  I thought storing them in a plastic baggie would be kind of lame, so I pulled out a really fun product from SRM Stickers that I get to play with all the time now - the tube!

Carson counted out his buttons and got them all to fit nicely inside the tube.  I made the tag to match the button colors he chose, using the Live Life - School Days sheet of stickers.  I cut up the title sticker and mixed in some other alphas to create my new title.  Carson is super excited to show his teacher and had to put it in his backpack as soon as I took photos :).

I'll have another tube project to share soon on the SRM Stickers blog.  It also has something to do with school, but I'm not telling you anything else :).  Have you seen SRM's new take on the tube?  Just released this past weekend at CHA - the wand!  Eeeek, the dance teacher in me is in love :).

Have a great Monday! Tessa

Playing with SRM Stickers

I am still pinching myself about the wonderful opportunity I've been blessed with to design for SRM Stickers.  Before I started in on my assignments, I decided to play a little bit with some of their products.  First, this layout for The Studio challenge this week:

Amanda supplied us with a fabulous sketch to work from and challenged us to use a handmade embellishment.  I opted for layered stars. 

The "sweet" SRM sticker is from a sheet featuring chocolate dipped strawberries and sweet sayings.  In my household of boys, the word "sweet" usually refers to something cool, so that is how I used it for my title.  I love how the sticker easily adhered to my misted cardstock and just seemed to blend in.

I also used some SRM goodness for a birthday card for my sister.  I made Elizabeth a necklace and a head band out of handmade fabric flowers, so thought the card deserved some handmade flowers, too.

Both the cupcake and the sentiment are by SRM.  Elizabeth's favorite color is lime green, so that cupcake wrapper is just perfect :).

I have one more SRM project to share with you tomorrow, but then I'll be working on DT assignments and won't be able to share quite yet.  Be sure to check out the new challenge at The Studio for the great sketch and to say farewell to some of the design team not returning for a new term in February.  I hope your weekend was wonderful! Tessa

Designer Friday!

Let's start today with Amanda and January's sampler, "Sunshine in My Soul."  Isn't this card beautiful?  Ribbon, fabric flower, and leaves are from the sampler.

If you know me, I love to scrap in grids from time to time.  This layout made my heart flutter :).  The lace lollipop flower is exclusive to the kit.  What do you think - should I list those in the shop?  Also in the sampler, the felt spiral flower, ribbon and the leaf.

Nikki worked with February's sampler, "Sweet on You".  She pulled the pink flowers from the sampler for this gorgeous layout, and paired it with my Chocolate Brown Rolled Fabric Flowers.  I just adore those delicate flower stems!

Nikki then used the white elements from the sampler for this sweet, sweet layout:

I've added must see, close-up photos of these amazing projects to the Precocious Paper Facebook page.  Amanda and Nikki, thank you so much!  I only have a few left of each sampler, so if you haven't ordered yours yet, do so soon!  Here's an incentive for you: If you purchase both January and February together, I will ship your order for free - US and international :).  Convo me for a reserved listing or complete your purchase and I'll issue a refund.  Have a wonderful weekend! Tessa

Eighteen

My baby sister is eighteen.  Crazy!  We (our sister Caitlin, our future sister-in-law???? Sarah, Elizabeth and I) celebrated her birthday by going out to dinner at her favorite sushi place, Blue Nami.  When I saw the new Sketchy Thursdays sketch, I knew I had to use photos from that night.

Highlights from dinner included:
♥ annoying the other patrons by taking photos
♥ being teased that if Liz is 18, that means I'm almost 30
♥ my yummy Honeydew roll
♥ and of course, laughing really hard

Here's the sketch:

I have to share fellow DT member, Julie's layout.  Note the Precocious Paper lace flowers!

Be sure to stop by the blog for all the details and to see the fabulous layouts by the rest of the DT.  There's a kit up for grabs, so get to scrapping!  Have a good one, Tessa

Friends, The Paper Variety

Happy Wednesday!  I'm getting the boys ready for school and then I'm off to teach the 2nd graders some hip hop dance!  Before I go, though, I have a new challenge to share with you from The Paper Variety.

My layout was inspired by this quotation:

I got to thinking about friends we don't see very often, and my husband's cousin came to mind.  She has three fantastic kiddos that my boys (and I) just adore.  This photo is of my oldest two and her oldest.  When they got together over the summer after not seeing each other for a couple of years it was like making a new friend.

I had a lot of fun with masking (using a border punch) and circles.  I love being able to go to my scrap drawer and use up all that pretty paper :).

The prize this week is amazing!

So what are you waiting for?  Let's see your friendship inspired paper project!  Link us up here.  Have a great day! Tessa

February Sampler Reveal - Sweet on You

There's a new sampler on the Precocious Paper shelves today:).  Please welcome "Sweet on You", the February Sampler!

This yummy, Valentine's Day themed sampler includes:

♥ 1 Fabric and Felt Flower (3 inches)
♥ 1 Cupcake Poppy in Red Polka Dot (2.75 inches)
♥ 1 Bridal Satin Blossom in Mint (exclusive to sampler, about 3 inches)
♥ 1 Glitter Tulle Flower in Pink (2.75 inches)
♥ 1 Sewing Pattern Petal (exclusive to sampler, 3 inches)
♥ 1 Set of Frayed Rosettes in Mint, Pink, and Red (exclusive to the sampler, ranging in size from 1.5 to 2 inches)
♥ 1 Set of Spiral Felt Flowers in White, Pink, and Red (exclusive to sampler, ranging in size from 1 - 1.5 inches)
♥ 3 Leaves (about 1.5 inches long)
♥ 3 Ribbon Clothespins with a Decorative Stick Pin (set exclusive to sampler, 3 total yards of ribbon)

Design team member Nikki played with "Sweet on You" to create this gorgeous card:

You'll see more from Nikki on Friday :).  Remember these layouts by Heidi?

Gorgeous, huh?!  I'd love to send one of these kits to YOU.  You can find the February Sampler here.  Happy shopping! Tessa

January's Wreath

Happy Monday!

I think I have finally realized that the weekend is NOT for catching up.  I keep imagining a weekend that allows me to check things off of my to-do list, catch up on chores and projects, and still spend all that wonderful quality time with my family.  I'm not sure what it is, but I always end up with a longer list on Monday.  However, I hurt my back (an old dance injury - one I started seeing a chiropractor for in junior high), and while forced to rest Saturday night I finished my latest wreath.

I had planned a "snowy" wreath to fill the time between Christmas and Valentine's Day, but after a few weeks of dreary, gray January I knew I needed to brighten up my color palette.  The yellow, cream, and gray seem to remind me that I should enjoy the glimpses of sunshine that occasionally grace us with their presence in this cloudy, blah, northern California winter.

And enjoy I did this past weekend.  The temperatures (over 70 degrees) were heavenly!  And there are blue skies today, so I'm going to count this blessing and go get happily to work on that to-do list.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow! I'm releasing the February Sampler - you won't want to miss it!  Tessa

Someday...

Today's challenge at The Studio will have you thinking ahead: With the new year upon us, a lot of people have been focusing on their resolutions for 2011. With that in mind, we'd like to hear about a LONG TERM goal of yours. Do you have a big ambition? Let's create a layout reflecting on these goals as a reminder of what we one day hope to achieve.

I have wanted to be a school teacher for a long time. I made the decision in high school and entered college fully intending to earn my degree and become a credentialed teacher. However, life had other plans for me and I became a wife and mother before I could finish school. I don't regret the path my life has taken one bit, but I do still dream of becoming a teacher. I will, someday, make that dream a reality. In the meantime, I teach dance, I teach my boys, I volunteer in their classrooms, and I teach at church.

I was in a "pretty" mood when I sat down to create this layout.  Can you believe it?  There's barely any mist here :).  But I did use some Hambly transparencies that I've had in my stash for years and managaed to add only a smidge of my favorite houndstooth tape.

I'd love to see what your long-term goals are.  Please join us at The Studio here for all the details.  Enjoy your day! Tessa

Designer Friday!

Did you get your January Sampler, "Sunshine in My Soul" yet?  There are only a few left!  If you haven't quite decided yet, please allow Amanda's layout convince you:

Gorgeous, isn't it!  Amanda said, "I love this photo of my son paddling in the sea, taken a few years ago. I'm sure he was a fish in a previous life, water is like a magnet to him! Flowers from the sampler were a perfect addition to an otherwise simple page :) Who said you can't put boys and flowers together?"

You met my "Neapolitan" Sweet Spots last Friday.  Today, meet "Hello Cupcake".  Light pink, black and white is the palette for this set, and Anna knocked it out of the park!

Speaking of scrapping our boys, Anna reminded me that even though I thought I couldn't scrap my boys with pink, it can be done!  Anna said, "I took this photo of my little nephew having cuddles with his Nanny.  I turned the photo black and white to keep it from clashing with the colours of the Sweet Spots and used Black Magic cardstock, sanded down so the light pink shows through." 

See the little stitches and extras throughout the Sweet Spots?  I just LOVE this :).

Thank you, Amanda and Anna, for fantastic inspiration today!  If you've been inspired to pick up the January Sampler or some Sweet Spots, or anything really :), enjoy this coupon for 10% off your merchandise total at Precocious Paper: DESIGNERFRIDAY05.  The offer is good through January 24th.  And don't forget - the February Sampler will be available January 25th!  Have a great day! Tessa

Please smile for the darn Photo!

When we did Elzea family photos in December, trying to get a decent one of my little family was worse than pulling teeth.  It was cold.  Carson had to go to the bathroom.  The boys were grumpy.  Jaxon wanted to run around.  Ahhhhh! I wanted to just give up!  When I saw this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch, I knew it would be perfect for several of the out takes.

I really like mixing the alphas in my titles.  I'm going to cry when I run out of those October Afternoon stickers ("darn").  And I love that I can get a stamped look by using SRM Stickers ("smile").  Because they're clear, they are so easy to use, and I don't have to get out all of my stamping supplies :).

And here's the sketch:

Be sure to stop by the blog for the design team's samples, the sponsor and the awesome prize!  I'm off to cuddle another boy today - sore throat, headache, etc.  Just when I thought we were all healthy!  Have a good one!  Tessa

Gorgeous Layouts by Irini

I have two more fabulous layouts to share from January's guest designer, Irini Liolia.  This first page just goes to show that pink does work on a boy layout!

Isn't he handsome?!  Irini used the two lips flowers from the Valentine's Day Bouquet.  I love how the photo sits tucked into the beautiful tags and embellishments :).

I absolutely LOVE what Irini did with this next layout:

Gorgeous! Irini used Strawberry Milkshake Lollipop Lace Flowers and Red Rolled Fabric Flowers.  I love that she swapped the buttons on the lollipop flowers for jeweled brads.  And even though she said the fanfold flowers drove her crazy, they are just perfection, especially layered under the fabric rosette.

Irini, it's been an absolute pleasure having you as guest designer this month!  Thank you for all the beautiful inspiration.

And thank you for stopping by today! Tessa

Hair Clippie by Mandie

Need a sweet hair accessory for Valentine's Day?  Design team member Mandie has an adorable project to share with us today:

Product: Sweet Dots Fabric and Felt Flower

Mandie says, "I simply covered a clip with some cute red ribbon, then ran a line of hot glue and stuck my flower into it! But I also wanted a fun way to present them as a gift...."

"I created this card with my Hello Kitty Greeting Cricut Cartridge and instead of cutting out the flower that goes on her head I just skipped that step and clipped on the flower clip that I made instead! Now I have a beautiful gift to give to a special little girl :)."  Super cute, Mandie!  I love the idea of using a hair clippie as a, well, hair clippie on a papercrafting project :).

Not only do the Fabric and Felt Flowers make great hair clips, but also the Lace and Felt Flowers and the Rolled Fabric Flowers (when backed with felt).  Thanks for stopping by today!  I'll be sharing two fabulous layouts from my January guest designer, Irini, tomorrow, and then it's back to sharing my own layouts on Thursday.  And I have to say THANK YOU for your wonderful response to yesterday's post.  I am really busy in the shop now!  Have a great day! Tessa

Precocious Paper Update

Hello!  I wanted to let you know about all the new things going up in the shop lately.

NEW Sewing Pattern Petals:

NEW Valentine's Day goodies:

♥ Neapolitan Bouquet
♥ Neapolitan Sweet Spots
♥ Neapolitan Ribbons on Clothespins

♥ Cupid Sweet Spots
♥ Valentine's Day Ribbon on Clothespins
♥ Valentine's Day Bouquet

♥ Hello Cupcake Sweet Spots
♥ Hello Cupcake Ribbons on Clothespins
♥ Love Notes Fabric and Felt Flowers

NEW Bouquets:

♥ Bliss Bouquet
♥ Pink and Lagoon Paisley Bouquet
♥ Rose Garden Bouquet
♥ Pink and Charcoal Bouquet

And this is just about half of what's new in the shop!  I hope you'll browse soon and that I'll be sending a package of Precocious Paper goodness to you in the very near future :).  Just for stopping by today, enjoy this coupon code for 15% off your entire merchandise total, good through Thursday: PPUPDATE1.

Enjoy your day! Tessa