Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Maya Road and Epiphany Crafts

We recently had the wonderful opportunity at Epiphany Crafts to partner with Maya Road. I received a really fun 3-ring binder mini album along with some embellishments. For my project, I decided to create a mini for my upcoming birthday/anniversary trip to Tahoe.


The album came with the binder cover, four chipboard pages, and four kraft pages. I have left the kraft pages out for the moment, but will include them once I start adding photos.


I used the Studio Calico Heyday line for my papers and die-cuts. I love how the Epiphany Crafts vintage settings match that collection so well.


One of my favorite parts of the album is the first page. Maya Road's chipboard is of a really high quality, so when I use their album pages I know they aren't going to flex or be flimsy. With that in mind, I made a free-hanging banner using the Epiphany Crafts banner tool. Even though the pennants are going to swing freely, I know the sturdy page will keep them in line :). For a tutorial on how to make the banner, see the Epiphany Crafts blog here.


I am going to wait to post more photos of the album until I have added our trip photos and the additional pages. You shouldn't have to wait too long :). Thanks for stopping by today! With my approaching birthday also comes the need to renew my driver's license. Whoo hoo, I'm off to the DMV :(. Have a good one!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Weave and Win

Hello! I woke up to a gorgeous Monday - cool temperatures, bright sunlight, and no smoke in the air (thank you wind!). Weather like this is the perfect push to tackle my to-do list. I am working hard on assignments and orders today, but I wanted to share with you two layouts that I created for GCD Studios this month. If you read the GCD Studios magazine The Paper Cut, you probably already saw them. But, just in case you didn't, take a peek here and then read the mag for the how-to.


I contributed two articles to the weaving feature. First, I used bright colors to weave an entire background for my layout.


For weaving tips, see the mag :).


I was challenged to use weaving to alter something. Still in the mood to make a layout, I decided to alter my photo.


This was a tricky task, but I loved the result. You can read more about my process in the mag :).


Thanks for stopping by today! If you have another minute, be sure to comment to win my Golden Birthday Bash prize :). I hope to get a photo of it all up soon, but I promise - there's some yummy things in this prize package! Have a great day :). Tessa

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Hello there....

Hello there :). It's been a while since I posted last. The past two weeks have been a challenge for our family, but they've also been sprinkled with blessings.

Jaxon's namesake, Great Grandpa Buys, left this world for the next, incidentally on my husband's birthday. We gathered as family and told stories. Listening to my husband's aunts and uncles reminisce about their father was a precious experience. The service itself was beautiful - simple, heartfelt, full of love - just like Grandpa Buys. The weekend following the service, a meteor shower was at its climax and we gathered together again as family and gazed into the stars while eating popcorn - a Sunday tradition for Grandpa (and Grandma) Buys. I saw twenty-two shooting stars that night, and couldn't help but look into the heavens and know - just know - that a Heavenly Father who created such an amazing place for us to live in now also has an amazing home for us after we die. That families are forever. That the bonds we have here can carry over to the next life. That family is oh so very important.

The following week brought an awful stomach virus to our home. My oldest came to me in tears complaining of pain, so off to the doctor's we went, fearing that it might be appendicitis. The verdict was a virus (thank heavens!), and as Colten got better, Jaxon and I got worse. But it's over now and everyone was healthy enough to start school today.

Josh and I also celebrated our 10th Anniversary :). I can't believe I have been married for a decade. Wow. We have a getaway trip planned and I'm excited to spend some one on one, quality, extended time with him.

I have been creating - the etsy shop has been buzzing, I've been doing a lot of design team work, and I've even managed to get a head start on my sister's wedding. Here are a couple of recent projects for Epiphany Crafts. First, we teamed up with Little Yellow Bicycle to feature EC and the Splash line. Please click on the photos for better views. For some reason things are looking blurry until you do...


This summer, my boys finally learned to love the water. This mini album is about their pool adventures at soon-to-be-uncle Karl's house.



I've got more photos of this album in my flickr photostream here. Also for EC, I created this card for my husband. I plan to give it to him before we leave on our trip:


The challenge was to use the circle and square tool. I thought that paired together, they make a great hot air balloon.


Well, I'm off to entertain the lone 3 year old. Poor guy lost his playmates to their first day of school. I can tell he really misses them :(. I hope the past two weeks have treated you well and that you are having an awesome day :). Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Collage Couture

Hello! I'm back at The Studio, and there's a new challenge for you :). It's all about using a new technique. I came across the work of an online friend who was on a collage kick. She was inspired by this book: Collage Couture. When I read the details for this challenge, I knew I wanted to try collage as my technique. I ordered the book and set to work:



The first part of the book talks about drawing the figures. The author/artist offers several examples and talks about the basics. I don't have a lot of confidence in my drawing skills, so I decided to simply trace one of the figures in the book. With practice, I think I could draw them on my own eventually. I did draw my own clothing, though :). The next part was transferring my drawing to patterned papers, fussy-cutting, then gluing her together.


The book also goes into detail discussing backgrounds and mixed media techniques. I didn't go into that for this layout, but I hope to soon. I just added my collaged girl to the page as an embellishment.


If you're in the market for a book on collage, with specific attention paid to girls/women and clothes, this is a great book. I keep going through it over and over again. The examples are plentiful and I like the artist's approach - not too fussy and technical, but enough information to get you going and inspired. To go with the necklace/clothes theme, I embellished with buttons and thread:


If you're interested in playing along at The Studio, you can find the details here. There is a Teresa Collins stamp prize up for grabs :). And you must see what the other gals chose as their new techniques. It's a really inspiring post! Thanks for stopping by today :). Tessa

Thursday, August 2, 2012

August 31

There's a new challenge up at Scrapbook Circle today! The challenge is to use beach-themed products (like the AC Shoreline papers included in the True Stories kit) to create a non-beach layout. I love that Scrapbook Circle kits are great for holidays and seasons, but perfect for everyday-type layouts, too. It wasn't very hard to come up with this page:


The navy paper with colorful splashes was what inspired me to choose these iPhone self-portraits. I did a little tweaking at picmonkey.com to add some blue tones to everything, then paired it up with shocking pink and a neutral gray for the rest of the page. I fussy-cut the circles from more Shoreline paper and added the MME brads to the center.


The Elle's Studio cutouts were perfect for my title, which directed my journaling.


If you'd like to play along, you can find all the details here. And if you haven't picked up a kit yet, you really want this one! It's full of fabulous stuff, whether you're scrapping summer beach memories or not :).

Thanks for stopping by today! Tessa

P.S. - Don't forget my GOLDEN BIRTHDAY BASH.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The Studio - Happy Anniversary!

August 1st means so many things, but at the top of my list is a happy anniversary to The Studio! In 2009 I found Amanda Jones Robinson's site by way of working with her at Sketchy Thursdays. When she held a design team call in late 2009, I scrambled to get my application in before we left Wyoming for a California Christmas. In January 2010, I was ecstatic to receive the email that welcomed me to the team. What I loved most about designing there was the opportunity to work with scrapbookers from around the world. Their varying styles pushed me to try new things and Amanda's challenges were always great at making me think! I took a little break the past six months, but I am back with The Studio and today is their 3 year anniversary! So, in honor of those three years, here are my top three favorite projects that were inspired by The Studio:

#3 - Crafty Girl, fabric layout:


#2 - Fly, altered embroidery hoop:


#1 - Your Story, inspired by a challenge about books:


Thank you, Amanda, for the opportunities I've had at The Studio. I feel blessed to continue to be a part of The Studio family :). The new design team term begins this coming Sunday, so be sure to stop by for a new challenge!

Also in the news today....


My Golden Birthday Bash starts today! Click here for a 31% off coupon in the shop (wow! people are already shopping!) and a chance to win a prize package filled with 31 of my favorite scrappy things.

The Paper Cut has a new issue out! I was asked to contribute two layouts to the paper weaving article. Come take a peek at what I made :).


Scrapbook Circle has a new kit available! Check out True Stories. Why yes, that is a Lemon Yellow Precocious Paper Ruffle Blossom in the kit. And you're right, there's a Navy Blue one in the add-on, too! Wow, was I busy sewing for awhile there :). I love seeing what the design team is doing with those flowers. I hope you'll consider picking up a kit, too!

Thanks for stopping by today, and Happy August! Tessa