Short and Sweet and SRM

Hello! How are you? I have lots to share today :).  It's Thursday, which means I have a Sketchy Thursdays layout to share:

I got the itch to cut my hair and my sister/stylist obliged :).  We took out the blond highlights I added in late Spring and went dark.  I love the color, but I miss the length.  She took off five inches!

I used some bits and pieces from various manufacturers, including a polka dot Cupcake Poppy from my Etsy shop, Precocious Paper.  I just restocked this color, too :).

I chose to do the left side of the double-page sketch, flipped to suit my photos:

I'm definitely going to save this sketch for a future two-pager :).  If you'd like to play along this week, you can find all the details here, along with fantastic samples by the design team.

My dance studio's annual showcase was a couple of weeks ago. In years past I've taught 20-30 classes every week, and making something special for each student wasn't an option.  However, since I only had three classes this year, I took the opportunity to spoil them with treats :).  SRM stickers, tubes and wands were my inspiration and here is what I created:

You can see detailed shots on the SRM blog today, as well as more pictures in my flickr photostream.

Thank you again for all your kind thoughts and prayers for Jaxon.  After we did all we could do, he just wouldn't cooperate at the dentist's yesterday.  We are going to try another pediatric dentist who works more often with really young, stubborn kiddos like Jaxon before we go the oral surgeon route.  He isn't in any pain, so other than a weird smile, he's doing okay.  Your well wishes have been heartwarming and comforting.  Have a fabulous day! Tessa

My Latest Love

...is this striped ribbon from My Mind's Eye.  Seriously, I'm in love, and after the two projects I have to share with you today, I'm also out :(.  I'm going to have to find it in bulk, I think.  Anyway, on to the projects! First up, I have a project on The Studio blog today:

I have had an altered embroidery hoop on my list of must-try crafty things for quite awhile, and I'm so happy I finally gave it a go.  I really like the way it turned out and am excited to try some more.  You can see additional photos at The Studio and in my flickr photostream.

This layout is also graced with the presence of my beloved ribbon.

Kind of bittersweet, this is my last design team project for The Paper Variety.  I've had such a wonderful time there and am looking forward to staying in touch by playing along as often as I can.  If you'd like to play along this week, the challenge is a sketch, provided by PageMaps:

I love the romantic, old-time feel the shops have in Old Sacramento, and this candy barrel shop is our favorite.  We each leave with a bag full of salt water taffy and licorice every time we go.

The prize this week is the July kit from Artful Delight!

I have been so fortunate to work with Artful Delight the past few months via my Etsy shop, Precocious Paper. I designed the "Super Stars", hand-stitched felt embellishments, to coordinate with this fantastic kit. I can't wait to get mine and get scrapping! You can check out The Paper Variety challenge at their blog.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has sent me kind words for Jaxon.  As you read this, we are likely at the dentist having his shattered tooth removed.  It's a scary procedure for a two year old, and I am grateful for your prayers and good thoughts.  We've been preparing by "playing nose" - laying down with a hot pink, bubblegum scented breathing apparatus over his nose that the dentist's office gave us.  Sometimes he's patient and other times it ends up as a puppet on his big toe, but I think he is ready. I'm ready for a tooth fairy visit tonight :).  Have a great day, everyone! Tessa

More June Sampler Inspiration

Hello! Fabi, my Precocious Paper guest designer for June, has been working with her June Sampler again :).  Fabi wanted to create something special to remember her grandmother by.

She began with a plain wooden frame (like the kind you can pick up at Michaels for $1.00), then painted and distressed it with acrylic paint and stamping.  She added a stamped chandelier to the edge, embossing it with Zing powder in a bright aqua shade.

Fabi painted one of the cardboard frames that comes in the sampler and added it directly to the photo, highlighting her beloved grandmother, who appears to be looking at the fabric and felt flower (also in the sampler) that Fabi perched on the corner of the frame.  Fabi colored the white paper ribbon that also comes in the sampler and tied it around the frame.  Lastly, she added a few vintage buttons and a bookplate.

I never envisioned this sampler being used for such a shabby chic vintage-inspired piece, but Fabi certainly illustrated here how versatile this sampler really is.  I still have a few samplers left, if you'd like to purchase one.  You can find the sampler here, on sale for just $10.00.  Have a great day! Tessa

July Sampler Reveal!

It's official - the July Sampler, "Pink Limeade", has hit the Precocious Paper shelves! Click on the photos to be taken to that item's listing in the shop.

Here is what you will receive:

♥ 1 Apple Green Polka Dot Fabric and Felt Flower
♥ 1 Pink Damask Fabric and Felt Flower
♥ 1 Pink and Green Floral Fabric and Felt Flower
♥ 1 Designer Tissue Paper, Lime Green Polka Dot Lollipop Flower
♥ 1 Lime Green Glitter Tulle and Felt Flower
♥ 1 Pink Gingham Cupcake Poppy with Rhinestones
♥ 3 Spiral Felt Flowers in Apple, Shocking Pink and White
♥ 3 Leaves
♥ 3 Ribbons on Clothespins

With such a fun color palette, I couldn't stop there! I have several coordinating options for you, too, including a mini sampler! My favorite part of the mini sampler is the flower made from Cosmo Cricket Delovely fabric :).

Also available, Pink Limeade Sweet Spots:

And Pink Limeade Butterfly Doilies:

Specials:
♥ If you purchased the June Sampler, you receive free shipping on your purchase of the July Sampler (as well as anything else you add to your cart in that same transaction).
♥ Your purchase of a July Sampler qualifies you for free shipping of the August Sampler.
♥ If you purchase the June Sampler and July Sampler in the same transaction, the discount is still good - just convo me beforehand for a coupon code or wait for a refund after the sale.
♥ The June Sampler, "Summertime", is on sale right now for only $10.00.

Happy shopping! Tessa

Designer Friday!

Happy Friday, all!  I'm excited to share with you a new item in the shop, as well as Amanda's beautiful take on it.  First, meet the newest mini sampler at Precocious Paper, Vintage Inspired in Blue:

And here is the stunning piece Amanda created:

Amanda said, "I adore the colours in this mini sampler! I decided to make a framed home decor project with this sampler. I love the soft colours and mix of textures! I altered my frame with a few light coats of gesso and a spritz of glimmer mist. I used cardstock as my background and covered it with a thick coat of gesso, and used an old credit card and a piece of fabric to imprint some texture into the background. I spritzed a little mist onto that also, and then removed some of the colour with a baby wipe. I wanted the mist to rest in the 'grooves' of the background to add a shadowed, distressed effect without giving too much colour to it. 

I then spent a little while playing around with the pieces from the mini sampler. They work so beautifully together, it didn't take long to find an arrangement I was happy with. Then I simply hot-glued it all in place."  I absolutely love this idea.  If you are looking for an inexpensive hostess, house-warming, or really any other kind of gift, this would be lovely! Thank you for the inspiration Amanda :). 

If you would like to pick up the Vintage Inspired in Blue Mini Sampler, you can find it here.  There is also a pink version available, but in very small quantities.  And stay tuned - tomorrow the July Sampler will be revealed and made available in the shop!

Have a great day! Tessa


PS - If you love hair accessories and need something for the upcoming 4th of July holiday, be sure to enter this giveaway going on at Whippy Cake this weekend!

List Love

Hello :). This week's Sketchy Thursday sketch is now live and I love it!  You have to go see what the design team did.  Ah-mazing layouts!  I have been short on time lately between chiropractor visits for me and dentist visits for Jaxon, so I adpoted the sketch for quick work on my Summer Smash Book.

While cleaning out my purse a few days ago, I realized I had several shopping lists that were kinda neat reminders of the errands I had been running.  I thought I would like to include some in my Smash Book, so I used the sketch to lay out my pages:

I made the photo spaces into pockets (I love these little brown bags!) and now I am ready to tuck away my lists.  Unfortunately, I accidentally threw away the lists I had made before, so I'm going to have to start fresh :). More shopping? Oh darn ;). I kept the page pretty simple because I am sure it will fill up as summer goes on.

I am a big list maker, but I'm also a big list-loser.  To keep better track of materials I need to pick up for my shop, I put this little notebook together the other night.  I bought the notebook at Target and spruced it up with some alpha stickers, SRM Stickers (life is good) and some twine.  Now it's too cute to overlook or lose.

If you haven't already, hop on over to Sketchy Thursdays to play along :). I hope your Thursday is a fabulous one! Tessa

Precocious Paper Guest Designer - Fabi Ormerod

I am excited to introduce you to the June Guest Designer for Precocious Paper, Fabi Ormerod!  I originally "met" Fabi at The Studio, and this summer we will meet in real life as she travels from Brazil to my neck of the woods on business.  Let's take a look at how she worked her magic with the June Sampler, Summertime!

One of my favorite things about Fabi is that she has a knack for pulling things together from different sources for a fabulous, eclectic feel.  Here she has paired a rolled fabric flower from the sampler with a flower cabachon from her stash - so cute!

Isn't this card darling? The moon, a star, and a sweet girl perched on ribbon.  Adorable!

Fabi told me she has even more projects in the works, so stay tuned! In the meantime, if you would like to play with the June Sampler, I have a special for you!

All of the remaining June Samplers are now only $10.00! The discount has already been applied, so there is no need for a coupon code. Shop here and enjoy!

Thanks, Fabi, and have a great day everyone!

4th of July Wand and Tutorial

My favorite holiday is just around the corner - the 4th of July! We are celebrating Independence Day (and other summer fun) on the SRM blog today.  I am sharing these wands, perfect for waving at a parade or enjoying before the fireworks show begins:

Would you like to see how I made them?  Here goes :).  Gather your materials: wands, glue dots, E6000 glue, scissors, necklaces or garland, and a pom pom.

1. Begin by trimming down your pom pom for the wand topper. You will want a fairly large, flat end for gluing the pom pom to the wand's lid.

2. Remove the lid from your wand. Add a generous dab of E6000 glue to the lid and place the pom pom firmly in the center.  Lay aside to dry. Tip: Don't play with the glue!  It won't seem very sticky at first, but if you let it dry without fussing over it, you'll get a secure attachment.

3. Cut your necklace into a strand. Add a glue dot to the back of a star and adhere to your wand, leaving enough room for the lid.

4. Fill with candy and replace the lid (once dry!).  Tip: I used Red Hots and York Peppermint Patty Pieces for my red, white and blue candies.

Continue adding glue dots to the stars as you wind the strand around the wand.  When you've reached the end, simply snip off the remaining necklace.

If you are interested in making wands or tubes, and your local scrapbook store isn't carrying them, you can order some directly from SRM Stickers here.  I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Let me know if you have any questions :).  Have a great day! Tessa

PS - My class at Miss Art's Papercrafting School starts today! If your journaling is in need of jazzing up, be sure to take a look here :).

Jazzy Journaling

I'm getting excited for the June 20th launch of my class at Miss Art's Papercrafting School!  Here are all the details....

Do not-so jovial journaling spots have your layouts signing the blues? Are tame titles making your memories blanch? Join Tessa Buys as she jazzes up journaling in her easy to follow 3 video 101 class. Designed for the artistic scrapper who dreads picking up her diarist pen, “Jazzy Journaling” shares tips and techniques on how to translate your easily accessible artistic talent into exciting journaling. By highlighting words with masking and misting, using sticker alphas and making your own alphabets Tessa teaches you to incorporate titles into journaling spaces and shape your journaling into an artistic element onto itself. “Jazzy Journaling” opens for registration on June 20th.

I hope you'll join me :). I'm grateful to Miss Art's for the opportunity to create this class and am pretty proud of my video debut :).  You can register here.  Have a wonderful weekend! Tessa

Designer Friday - July Sampler Sneak

Happy Friday, all!  I am excited to share with you a sneak peek of the Precocious Paper July Sampler.  Design team member Mandy has created some fabulous things that I just know you're going to love :). First up, brooches!

Mandy said, "I made these thinking of my granny but the girls love them so I guess they are keeping them. I replaced the middle buttons with Epiphany Crafts Vintage settings with the epoxy photo middles. Simple and fun!" I LOVE this idea and am going to have to pick up some of those photo settings :).

I love this next project, a layout featuring a tissue paper flower:

Mandy's last project is just genius.  With the aid of her sewing machine, this mini made from felt and baseball card page protectors houses wallet-sized photos perfect for a purse.  The large flower on the front and the ribbon tied on the side come in the sampler :).

Thank you for your inspiring work, Mandy!  For more photos of Mandy's projects, please see the Precocious Paper Facebook page.  The July Sampler will go on sale June 25th.  In other Precocious Paper news, sale #4600 is quickly approaching and whoever that may be will find a free mini sampler in their package :).  I like doing these little giveaways every 100 sales :).  You can shop here.  

On a personal note, thank you for all your well-wishes for Jaxon.  He's doing great and at the moment has the cheesiest grin with a funny tooth.  I still feel a bit like I'm being asked to run an obstacle course this month, but in the end, all is well :).  Have a fabulous weekend! Tessa

Roses, Balloons, Broken Teeth...Oh My!

First, roses :).  The new sketch at Sketchy Thursdays is a beautiful one!  I was inspired to create an 8.5 x 11 layout this time, which is something I want to do more often.

These are the roses blooming right now in my front yard.  I wish I had yellow ones, too, but these pink and fuchsia ones are gorgeous!

Here's the sketch, full of possibilities.  You can see I opted for embellies instead of squares, but kept the circle and four photos.

Be sure to stop by Sketchy Thursdays for more inspiration and all the details on playing along.  And if you're up for one more challenge, join me at Scrapbook Circle (enter balloons).

A new challenge starts up today called "Set the Scene".  Create a layout with "scenery" like my clouds and hills and you could win a fabulous kit from SBC.  You don't have to be a subscriber to play, so I hope you'll join in on the fun :).

And, finally, broken teeth. You know that phrase, "When it rains, it pours"? Hehe, I think that is summing up my June.  Jaxon lost a tooth yesterday.  Sort of.  Mind you, he's only two.  He tripped into the library steps.  I didn't actually see the fall (yeah, I'm totally expecting the Mom of the Year award), but after a quick inspection I only found a bloody chin and a few tears.  Four hours later I happened to look at his smile and discover that one of his top front teeth is shattered.  Literally shattered.  Because he is so little and doesn't do well at the doctor's, we are scrambling to find a good pediatric dentist.  Luckily, besides not being able to do a sippy cup and needing to chew on the side of his mouth, he's pretty much fine.  He's so cute - while eating he points at his cheek and says "side."  Oh, the joys of motherhood.  Here's hoping for a calm, uneventful day :).  Thanks for stopping by! Tessa