Easy-peasy Mini Glittery Garland - Love My Tapes

At this moment, we are experiencing the worst storm we've seen in six years. Winds are supposed to reach 70 miles per hour, and right now, they are knocking over my backyard fence. We've got sand bags around the house's low spots, the trampoline is upside down, and we're bracing for several inches of water. Winter in California :).

Since the only errands I need to run today are school runs (yes, school is still in session), I'm getting ready to settle in with some wrapping and crafting. I have an easy gift wrap idea and tutorial up on the Love My Tapes blog:

Using Love My Tapes' Glitter Paper, I punched an even number of pinked circles (from the prize ribbon punch by Jenni Bowlin). The paper is adhesive backed, so I simply peeled off the backing and sandwiched the twine between two shapes. Easy-peasy:

This box is from DCWV. If you have a local JoAnn store, go check out the boxes. They have several sizes in several colors. They also have nesting boxes. I'm using them like crazy this holiday season for gifts. The quality is awesome and the price is great, too.

Thanks for stopping by today! Stay warm and dry :). Tessa

Holiday Headband - Pretty Little Studio

Hello there! Today I am sharing a quick and easy holiday bow that I made for Addie. Using Pretty Little Studio flair, I whipped up this darling headband in about ten minutes:

I made a simple red felt bow, and then instead of wrapping the center of the bow with more felt, I glued a piece of flair. I love the red bird flair from Pretty Little Studio. You'll be seeing more of it in my December album.

I attached the bow to gold glitter elastic that I measured for Addie's head. She was too under-the-weather to pose for pictures wearing it, but I assure you that she looked adorable. Even with a runny nose and glassy eyes ;).

I think the flair would look darling on a paper bow on a card or scrapbook page, too. You can see my post at Pretty Little Studio here. Thanks for stopping by today! Tessa

PS - Here is a sneak peek of an upcoming Pretty Little Studio line, You & Me. I can't wait, it is SO darling!

My Story - The Studio Challenges

When people remark about my kids' blond hair, they are usually surprised when I tell them that I was born blond (my husband, too!). My hair is much darker now, but here's proof that once upon a time, I had blond locks like my kiddos:

Aren't those pigtails adorable? I can't wait until Addie's hair is long enough for pigtails! The latest challenge at The Studio is to create a page about a childhood memory. I recently stumbled upon this photo of myself (3 years old maybe?) and decided to make my layout about my early memories of frilly, pretty dresses.

I used Maggie Holmes' Open Book collection. I thought it was the perfect compliment to my theme. The Open Book bobby pins are adorable, and they even work well in Addie's hair, but they are awfully bulky on a layout. A mini album cover would be fine, but I had to alter this pin for my page. I snapped the back of the pin off and used hot glue to adhere it to the tag. For all you knew, that cute little deer was pinned to that tag, huh?!

I have fond  memories of twirling in dresses and I'm sure those early years are the reason I look for vintage dresses for Adlyn. I wish my mom had saved mine.

If you'd like to play along at The Studio Challenges, you can find the challenge post here. Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

Front Door Friday - Santa Wreath - Pretty Little Studio

Hello! I'm excited to share with you a new wreath, made with Pretty Little Studio paper ribbons:

I started by wrapping a wreath base with plain white yarn. Once completely covered, I wrapped fuzzy yarn every half inch or so around the wreath. Last, I crisscross wrapped a sparkly white yarn around the wreath. The effect is soft and the sparkle and texture are subtle.

The big impact comes from the red and white striped ribbon. I used this same ribbon for another project that I'll share later this month. It's my favorite at the moment :). It was a wired ribbon that I picked up on Black Friday for just a couple of dollars. I didn't need the wire, so I simply cut the ribbon to the length I wanted and then gently pulled the wires out. Pretty easy with a grosgrain ribbon like this.

The paper ribbons by Pretty Little Studio come from the Santa Claus line. That line, as well as all of Melissa's other holiday lines, are absolutely adorable! I'm making my December album with a mix of the collections and I can't wait to share.

You can find this project, as well as the photo that inspired it, at the Pretty Little Studio blog here.

Thanks for stopping by today and happy Friday! Tessa

Festive - DCWV

K. Young Photography - original image - pin

Hello! I cannot believe it's December 1st. Where has 2014 gone?! Spending a year watching a newborn turn into a toddler has the same effect as a fast forward button. To slow down time a little bit, I printed photos from last December for the latest sketch challenge at DCWV:

I'll let the journaling fill you in on the backstory:

Here's the sketch that inspired the page, created by my friend Valerie Mangan for The Studio Challenges:

I turned the sketch sideways and simplified a few of the details, focusing on the stars and the layers of patterned paper.

I used the Christmas Basics 6x6 Stack, the White Embossed 6x6 Stack, DCWV cardstock and DCWV glitter paper. The alphas are American Crafts, and the tiny alpha stickers are from the dollar spot at Target. I bought a few of these sheets because I love them so much :).

As always, there is a card sketch, too. Inspired by the layout sketch, I created this design:

My week was a little crazy with the holiday and some family under the weather, so I didn't get a sample card made - yet :(. You can see what the design team did with the sketch, though. Check out the challenge post here.

I hope your December is beautiful and filled with the happiest of moments :). Thanks for stopping by! Tessa