GCD Studios and a Special Blog Hop

Happy Wednesday! I am anxiously awaiting a call from my husband, who is setting up an emergency chiropractor appointment for me. I wrenched my back again, the same place I've been dealing with for several months now. I guess when your almost 3 year old is 30-something pounds, it's time to stop picking him up so much :). Anyway, I'm sucking it up to sit at the computer and blog a bit.

I had a layout go up on the GCD Studios blog last week. This one is all about Spring, using the new Splendor collection. I took this instagram photo while on a walk with my boys. The petals in the photo reminded me of the pattern in some of the Splendor papers.

I wanted a very delicate-feeling page, so I stuck with lots of white space and some tone-on-tone embellishing. It's one of my favorite pages this year, I think.

My favorite pages always used to be Sketchy Thursdays pages. Diana and Heidi's sketches were always the best source of inspiration. But don't get all misty-eyed as you remember those good ol' days. Diana is celebrating her blog anniversary this weekend with a blog hop and one of her famous sketches!

I was honored that she would ask me to join in on the line-up. The girls are all so excited and I just can't wait to share. There will be prizes along the way, as well as a prize from Precocious Paper here at my stop. I hope to see you then!

Well, I'm going to go lay down for a few minutes before I tackle some Etsy shipping. I hope your day is pain-free and a good one! Thanks for stopping by :). Tessa

My New Necklace, Miss Art's

Hello! It's been awhile. I've been going through blogging withdrawals :). Spring Break and other challenges have left me with little time to sit down and write, but I am making the time this morning!

Today on the Epiphany Crafts blog I am sharing my project as part of our partnership with Die Cuts With a View. I used their papers with Epiphany Crafts tools and accessories, as well as Blue Moon Beads (a DCWV brand) to create this necklace:

For close-ups and a video tutorial that I made for creating your own, see the post here.

Also, I am really excited about my new class at Miss Art's, which is starting this week! Here's all the fun details about Pinspired Possibilities:

We all love things that inspire us. And why not? Every crafter has moments where a little boost of creativity is welcomed, and needed. All around the World Wide Web there are things to see. Photos, pictures, and even advertising can inspire that next great layout. But how do you turn that lovely image into your new favorite layout? In Pinspired Possibilities, Miss Art’s teacher Tessa Buys walks you through the world of online inspiration, showing you how to take the images you love and turn them into your next project idea. From colors, to sketches, to themed ideas, come follow Tessa as she guides you on this inspired journey beginning on April 20, 2012.

Thanks for stopping by today! I promise to do some serious catching up in the next few days. Have a good one! Tessa

Smash Sunday

Happy Easter! We have had a very full weekend - family, fun, and lots of quality time :). It has been great and the fun just keeps going! I didn't want to skip a Smash Sunday post, though, so here is a page I am working on:

I just need to add a journaling card to the library pocket and this side will be complete. I'm not sure what the left side will be yet.

The black and white photo is of my great-grandparents on their honeymoon. I decided to add it to my red, Everyday-themed book because we were recently talking as a family about the loved ones that aren't with us anymore and it made me think of them. I remember going for a walk once with my great-grandpa, and I remember my great-grandmother's smile. They passed away several years ago, but I know one day that I will see them again.

I used a lot of rose stickers because my great-grandmother's name is Rose. I tried to keep the rest of the details either love- or vintage-themed.

I was once asked how I knew that I would see my deceased relatives again one day. My response was this: I have faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ, and because of his atoning sacrifice and resurrection, I will one day live with Him and my family again. On this Easter Sunday, I have a heart filled with gratitude and love for my Savior. This message has touched my heart so very deeply and I invite you to watch, if you'd like.

Thank you for stopping by today and Happy Easter!

Vintage Giveaway Winner

Thank you so much for your sweet comments on all of my vintage projects for Amanda Jones' Vintage Series. It was so much fun to be a part of! Random.org helped me choose a winner of this giveaway...

...and that lucky person is: WENDIPOOH13!

Congratulations! Please send me an email at precociouspaper (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll get your goodies off to you :).

Be sure to check out today's Designer Friday post here. Suzy and Cassie from the design team have been playing with the Ruffle Blossoms :). Have a great day! Tessa

Designer Friday - Ruffle Blossoms

Happy Friday! In celebration of the new Ruffle Blossoms listed in the shop this week, I thought I'd share with you what the design team is doing with them. First up, Cassie played with the Vintage Pink and Cream Ruffle Blossoms to create this adorable wall hanging:

So sweet! The ruffle blossoms are designed with centers that are perfect for adding your own special touch - a brad, a button, a cameo, a rhinestone, etc. I love that Cassie added a die-cut heart to her flower center.

Suzy is one of the first to get to play with the Ruffle Blossoms in a solid color. Over the weekend, 30+ colors will be added to the shop! Here is how Suzy put one of the pink shades to use:

Suzy + Precocious Paper + Authentique = amazing! Such a pretty layout!

What a gorgeous button center, too! You can find the Ruffle Blossoms in the shop here. The solids will be listed over the weekend, but several patterns are available now. I already sold out of a few designs, and some quantities are very limited - act fast! 

Thank you for the inspiration, Cassie and Suzy! Enjoy your weekend :). Tessa

Highlighter Hues

I just set a new challenge at the Scrapbook Circle blog, and it's all about NEON! From what I hear, most people either love or hate this trend. As a Lisa Frank fan from back in the day, I have a sentimental fondness for the day-glo colors. You probably won't catch me wearing much neon now, but you can bet you'll see it pop up in a scrapbook page or two like this one:

To read more about my layout, see close-ups, and to get challenge details, visit this post. And if you haven't seen the latest Scrapbook Circle kit, you must! It's filled with new Heidi Swapp and Amy Tangerine and I'm in love :).

Have a bright day, everyone! Tessa

Sweet Bunny Ears

Hello! With Easter just around the corner, Epiphany Crafts is posting oodles of gorgeous Easter and Spring accessory ideas on their blog this week, and my project is up today :).

This is Emmy, my little niece. Using a headband that I found in the dollar spot at Target, I made her the ultimate Easter accessory - Bunny Ears! I made a flower hair clip and simply clipped it to one ear. After Easter she can wear the clip by itself. Can you tell she wasn't too happy during this photo shoot? The poor thing was getting over a fever :(.

I used the button tool for the first time to create this custom flower center. I am IN LOVE! The options are endless! This button is backed with a bit of patterned paper from Echo Park.

To see more Epiphany Crafts Easter and Spring ideas, visit this post. And if you like the ruffle blossom that I used for the clip, you can purchase your own in my Etsy shop! I've added this light green design, as well as a several others:

The last sets of ruffle blossoms sold out quickly, so you might want to pick these up soon if you are interested. Have a fabulous day! Tessa