Crafty Girl Designs

Another Bicycle Card

2012-01-26T08:09:00.000-05:00

Good Morning!

I hope you are off to a great start to your day! It's Thursday which is always nice- almost the weekend!

I have another bicycle card to share today... I really do love that little stamp! This time I paired it with lots of little scraps of patterned paper I had in my scrap bin. Take a look:

I love adding just a little color with my Stampin' Up! markers. It's so easy and looks great! I also love the little flags from October Afternoon- aren't they fun!

Have you been peeking at all the goodies debuting this weekend at CHA? I am most excited about what Pink Paislee will be releasing. The sneaks look so perfect for spring! I am curious to see the October Afternoon lines, too- I love most of what they put out but some of their themes are a little kooky this time around!

Well, I hope you have a great day! Thanks for stopping by for a look!

-tessa

Favorite Photos of 2011 Mini Book Class

2012-01-18T22:27:00.001-05:00

Hello!

How is your week going? Mine is going fast- I guess because of the 3-day weekend. I also joined the gym this week and have been spending my free time there. That's a big step for me! I don't think I've set foot in a gym for over 10 years. It feels great!

I wanted to pop on tonight and share some pictures of my next class project. I'll be teaching this little mini book at Scrapdoodles in Fredericksburg, VA on Saturday, January 28th.

I used Teresa Collins Designs Notations line to create this book. I wanted to use it to showcase my favorite family photos from 2011 but really, the Notations line is perfect for just about any theme.

You can see that each page is a little different. Little tags, tabs, and envelopes make this book a lot of fun!

I've added lots of little details here and there. I added color with a few of my favorite mists as well.

The kit comes with plenty of diecuts and letter stickers to decorate each page any way you'd like to.

I had lots of fun putting this little book together. I hope you can join me for class!

Here are the class details:

Notations Mini Album with Tessa
Saturday, January 28th, 2012 at 1:30pm
$25.00

Please bring your basic tool kit as well as your favorite edge punches and any mists you would like to use in your book.

If you are interested in joining me for class, please call down to Scrapdoodles at (540) 548-3788 to sign up.

Well, hope you are enjoying your evening! Thanks for stopping by to see what I'm up to!

-tessa

Friendly Bike Card

2012-01-13T17:05:00.000-05:00

Hello!

Hope you are having a great day! I had a little time before dinner so I thought I'd pop on and blog for a bit! Today was my day off and it has been so nice and relaxing- I had a coffee date with my hubby, dropped off some goodies at the post office, and got caught up on all my favorite guilty pleasure shows! I missed the first hour of Downton Abbey on Sunday and wanted to watch it before it was on again. I also watched last week's Project Runway Allstars- I chose to watch Greys Anatomy instead but this week PRA won out! They have made some incredible things so far- very inspiring!

I'm sure most of you don't come for the chit chat so here is the card I wanted to share- it uses a favorite new stamp of mine from Hero Arts:

Goodies:

Stamp: Hero Arts
Markers: Stampin' Up!
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! and Bazzill Basics
Patterned Paper: October Afternoon Sidewalks 8x8 pad
Crochet Ribbon: Stampin' Up!
Rhinestones: Stampin' Up!
Letter Stickers: October Afternoon

I have been reaching for this Sidewalks 8x8 pad alot lately. I love the spring feel and the color scheme it has. The bike stamp is also new and has gotten a lot of love lately, too! It is so easy to color and really, you could leave it as is and it would look just as cute! I wish I had a bike with a basket full of flowers! Hee!

Well, I hope you have a great weekend! I am looking forward to some fun with my friends and my sweet niece's birthday party on Sunday- I can't wait!

Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Nana and Baby Natalie

2012-01-11T11:24:00.000-05:00

Hello!

Hope your week is going well! Mine is going by fast so far- I can't believe it's already Wednesday! Wednesday has turned in to my favorite day because I get a whole 3 hours all to myself. I know some of you other stay-at-home moms can relate! Hee! I love my time with my family but it's also nice to have a little break! :)

Anyways, I have a page to share today- I made it to showcase one of my favorite pictures of my mother-in-law with my sweet Natalie just after she was born:

I used the Vintage Vogue line from Pink Paislee for this page because it worked so well with the colors in the picture. I really love this line and also made a couple of cards with it. Hopefully I can share those this week, too.

Here is a closer look at the cluster details around the title:

Another little detail:

I had fun putting this page together. Thanks for stopping by to take a peek at it today!

-tessa

Floral Thanks Card

2012-01-04T21:54:00.000-05:00

Hello!

How's your first week in 2012 going? We're having a great week here- the girls started back to school and I'm back to work this morning- the little guy I baby sit i here to play all day! After so long off, I hope I can keep up with him all day! :)

I have a card to share- another with some new goodies from Stampin' Up! The DSP is from the Sale-a-bration catalog and it is sooo pretty! I love the fresh color scheme:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

It was fun playing with all the new goodies! I definitely have a wish list for the new mini and Sale-a-bration catalogs!

I'm going to keep this short today- little Quincy is already into trouble! Hee! Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Tissue Paper Flowers

2011-12-29T09:47:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I thought I'd share another card I made with goodies from the upcoming Stampin' Up! Occasions mini and Sale-a-bration catalog with you today! There are some really cute offerings and this set is sure to get lots of use! It's called Fresh Vintage and this one is the Sale-a-bration catty:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Fresh Vintage, Good Grid
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Sahara Sand, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black
Paper: Sahara Sand, Twitterpated DSP, white tissue paper
Accessories: Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon, Antique brads, Scallop Circle punch

Stamped a few of the images from the Vintage Fresh set over the grid background. I love the layered look it created and how it lets the hand made tissue flower stand out. Here is a closer look at the flower:

I found it easiest to punch my scallops first. The tissue paper is thin so you need to do many layers at the same time to get them to punch. I used about 8 scallops for one flower. Once I had them all punched out, I stamped them with black ink and and the large floral image from the Fresh Vintage set. I let them dry for a minute and then stacked them up and added a brad to the center. Then you just fluff your tissue around the brad to create the full ruffled look.

You can see I really enjoyed playing with these goodies! My demo friend Kiesha just got another order of Occasions/ Sale-a-bration stuff so hopefully she'll let me play again soon!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Peek-a-boo Butterflies Card

2011-12-28T07:14:00.000-05:00

Hello!

Hope your day is starting off well! We are still in vacation mode here- I love having the girls home from school and we've been pretty lazy so far this week! I don't have much planned except for some play time with thier friends. It's been so nice and very relaxing!

I took some time to craft yesterday and was inspired by Lifestyle Crafts I Made This contest. I would LOVE to win that grand prize- could you imagine?? How fun!

I used my Tag It Kit die set to create this card with pretty peek-a-boo butterflies:

Goodies:

Stamps: A Note of Thanks set by Stampin' Up!
Dies: Tag It Kit set by Lifestyle Crafts
Paper: cardstock by Bazzill and Stampin' Up!
Ink: Black Versafine ink
Rhinestones: Basic Rhinestones by Stampin' Up! colored with Copic marker

I die cut the butterflies first and then added the colored cardstock behind it. I love how the colors peek out from behind the butterflies. I also like the 3-d effect the butterflies give.

I am hoping to make a few more cards using my dies- you can enter the contest by uploading up to 20 projects into thier community gallery. There are lots of great projects up there already, too!

Well, hope you are enjoying the last week of the year! Thanks for stopping by to take a peek today!

-tessa

Playing....

2011-12-26T22:51:00.000-05:00

Just playing around on my new laptop! I am so excited to be blogging from my comfy couch! Hee! We had a great Christmas at our house- a low key one with nothing planned except for meals, games, and visiting some friends. It was perfect! Santa brought just what we all asked for- new bikes for the girls and laptops for me and my hubby! Just in time, too- I think our old desktop has had just enough of our trying to push it to do things!

Now that most of my gifts have been given, I can share some more of the homemade items I made. One, that was a big hit, was this great sugar scrub that I made:

I found the idea on Pinterest- which linked me to this recipe. There are only two ingrediants in this recipe and they were easy for me to find at Wegmans where I do my grocery shopping. I found the unrefined coconut oil in the beauty area in the natural/organic section of the grocery store. Later, I also found it in the baking area but it was almost double the price. I think I paid around $8.00 for my container.

I made myself a little pot as well and it's been great! It smells SO good- like an Almond Joy! And, I can already tell it's been helping with my dry hands and feet.

Anyways, just thought I'd pop on and blog cause I could! Hee! Hope you all had a great holiday! Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Making Cash More Fun to Give...

2011-12-20T13:15:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I hope you are all enjoying the last few days leading up to Christmas! We still have two more days of school and work to get through until our vacation starts but boy are we ready for it!

I wanted to share what I made for my nephews this year. They are older boys so every Christmas I send them money that they can take to the store and buy what they really want with. And, every year I try to come up with a different, fun way to give it to them. I mean, really, how much fun is it to open an envelope? Hee! I think I was pretty clever this year- I came up with this:

Fun, right? I hid the money inside the soap! I love that they'll have to use it to get their money out. Hee! Knowing my nephews though, I'm sure one will figure out a quicker way.

I bought some soap making supplies at Michaels- clear glycerin soap, green dye, and the mold. It was so easy to make- you melt the soap in the microwave, add your dye and stir. Then fill your molds half way and drop in your rolled up money. Let it set for 10 minutes and then fill the rest of the mold over the money. To keep the money safe, I rolled it tightly and put it into a tiny treat baggie and rolled it around the bills. I used a little scotch tape to hold it together but I wish it wasn't so obvious.

To decorate my little money soaps, I picked out these great whistling Santas from this years Cosmo Cricket holiday line- aren't they just perfect for this project? That is where I came up with the name, too- he just looked like he was hiding something! Hee! I punched them out and paired them with the my favorite red patterned paper from Bazzill Basics. I added the cherry cobbler baker's twine and a little tag stamped with holly and each boys' initial; all from Stampin' Up!

These were so fun to make and I hope that my nephews get as much joy out of them as I did! Now to think of something clever for next year...

Have a great day and thank you for visiting my blog!

-tessa

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Card

2011-12-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

My Stampin' Up! demo friend came by last week with her preorder goodies from the new Occasions Mini Catalog. So many cute things! She let me play with some of the great new products. There are wafer thin dies and embossing folders that match along with some great new stamp sets. I love them! Here is what I made:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: P.S. I Love You set
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Naturals Ivory, Pink Pirouette cardstock; Real Red textured cardstock; First Edition DSP, Subtles DSP
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Early Espresso Baker's Twine, Crystal Effects, Labels Collection Framelits Dies, Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies, Adorning Accents Embossing Folders

The P.S. I Love You set is packed with so many great stamps! And what do you think of the new dies and embossing folders? I love them! They have a great design and I love the added texture that the embossing brings. If you end up with these, make sure you die cut the edge first and emboss second. It is easier to line up and won't squish your embossing.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my peek of this set! The Occasions Mini is out in January so keep an eye out for it!

-tessa

Fun Ruffled Flowers Card

2011-12-13T11:01:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I've got a pretty card to share today- one with some fun, 3-D flowers! And, they are easy to make, too! Here is my card:

Goodies:

Kindness Matters stamp set, Basic Black ink, Sahara Sand cardstock, Scallop Edge punch, Circle punches, Scallop Circle punch and Wisteria Wonder ribbon by Stampin' Up!
Vintage Vogue Collection patterned papers, Spool Buttons, Ephemera, and Ribbon Trims; Nantucket Collection Clear Stamps by Pink Paislee
Vintage Rose Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels

The flowers are so easy to make. To make the purple one, just take about half a yard of your favorite crochet trim and run a stitch through the bottom edge. Tie the ends of your string together to gather your trim into a flower. It will look great every time!

The scalloped paper flower is one of my all time favorite flowers to create. Just punch 4 scallop circles out of your favorite paper. Scrunch them each tightly into a ball with your hands- use a spritz of water if the paper is extra thick and tough to crinkle. Uncrinkle them and pile them on top of each other with your pattern facing up. Pierce a hole into the center, going through all of the scalloped circles. Add a brad to hold them together and then scrunch each layer around the brad until it is to your liking.

Not too hard, right? And they add so much texture to any project.

I'm going to be heading out the door shortly for an outing to Ikea! I love that store- so much inspiration and pretty things to buy! There is one in my town that I can go to when ever I want and I still get excited to visit. My girls have already put an order in for Swedish meatballs for dinner so I guess I'll be picking some of those up, too!

Hope you enjoy your day! Thanks for stopping by to take a peek!

-tessa

Happy Birthday Card

2011-12-12T11:30:00.001-05:00

Hello!

Today is my mom's birthday! Happy Birthday Mom! Of course, I've made her a card- want to see? Here it is:

Goodies:

Grandma's Feather Bed patterns and cardstock by Bazzill Basics
Celebrate pattern by Teresa Collins Designs
Tag It die set by Lifestyle Crafts
twine by The Twinery
Create a Cupcake stamp set, Basic Black ink, and rhinestones by Stampin' Up!
Scallop Edge punch by Fiskars
Large Black Eyelets by We are Memory Keepers

I was inspired by my new Tag It die set by Lifestyle Crafts that I picked up recently- there are so many cute tags and little pop up shapes in the set. I am hoping to pull it out again soon to experiment with it some more. If I have time that is- my days have been going by so quickly lately and I haven't had much time to craft!

I'm glad I found a minute to post today! Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

A Big Heart Card

2011-11-28T10:50:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I'm having a very happy Monday today! My girls are in school and I have a day off from my babysitting job so I'm home alone for a few hours! Oh heaven! I loved having a wonderful long weekend with my family but I've got to say that a little bit of quiet is just what I need right now. I may even get a little crafty after I'm done typing this up! Hee!

Today I'm sharing a card I made just for fun using one of my favorite new stamp sets and some pretty papers from Stampin' Up! Here it is:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Array of Sunshine set, Tiny Tags set
Ink: Pear Pizazz, Calypso Coral,Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Confetti White, Poppy Parade cardtock; Pink Pirouette textured cardstock; 2010-2012 In Colors DSP; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Linen Thread, Jewelry Tag punch, Basic Rhinestones

The heart really stands out on this card. I cut it out freehand and then sanded the edges to give it a little more texture. The stamped flowers are so pretty! I love how versatile they are- great for backgrounds and for focal images.

Anyways, going to keep this short and sweet today- hope you have a great one!

-tessa

Country Girl Page

2011-11-27T10:05:00.001-05:00

Hi there!

I was going through my picture files and found this page I shared on the Scrapdoodles blog but I don't think I shared here...

Goodies:

paper: Country Drive line by Echo Park
wooden frames: Lil' Davis Designs (boy did I stash those a long time!)
letter stickers: Making Memories, Echo Park
cardstock stickers: Echo Park
pearls: Stampin' Up!

The picture is of Zoey when she was two... boy time goes fast! We were visiting my Dad's house in Snoqualmie, WA where I grew up. She loved that we could play outside for hours there. At the time, that was a luxury because we were living in a small apartment in the city.

We are having a great long weekend here! Today we're making plans for December and decorating our house with Christmas lights! We also caught the shopping bug and shopped till we dropped for 3 days straight! I caught lots of deals and saved over $500 by shopping the black Friday sales though- and I'm almost done with my Christmas lists! Yahoo!

Hope you are enjoying the last of your weekend! Thanks for stopping by to take a peek, too!

-tessa

Thankful Card

2011-11-23T22:15:00.001-05:00

Hello!

Hope everyone is well today! I am- I love having short work weeks and long weekends, especially when we get to spend them with family and friends!

I have a card to share today- it was lots of fun to make mostly because I got to use paint and use a technique I hadn't tried before. I saw the technique on the Martha Stewart show- She and Patricia Arquette made these cool t-shirts with feathers printed on them. I thought they looked so cool and had to try the technique on a card! Pretty artsy fartsy, right? Hee! Here is my card:

Goodies:

paper: cardstock by Stampin' Up!; patterned paper by October Afternoon
fabric: Sticky Back Canvas by Claudine Hellmuth Studio
rubons: stitches by Studio Calico
letter stickers: Jenni Bowlin
paint: Adirondack Paint Dauber by Ranger
accessories: hemp twine and feathers- craft supply

Are you wondering how I did it? Here is a link to the Martha Stewart site with directions on how she did her shirts. I just used a piece of sticky back canvas instead of a t-shirt. I also tried it directly onto my card front which also worked out great. You can reuse the same feather a number of times and each print will come out differently. Make sure you have lots of clean scratch paper to press with though- if you use a dirty piece, you will end up pressing the mess right into your card!

Well, I hope you'll try this fun technique! If you do, please let me know- I'd love to see your printed feather projects!

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday as well!

-tessa

Inky Holiday Greetings- an upcoming class

2011-11-03T09:50:00.000-04:00

Hi there!

I'm excited to announce that I am one of three instructors teaching at the upcoming Scrapdoodles Retreat in Glen Allen, VA. Of course I will be teaching a cards class- just in time for the holidays! And these aren't just any holiday cards- these are packed with fun techniques that you will want to try over and over again! Take a look:

Fun, right? I can't wait to show you all these great techniques!

Here are the details:

Inky Holiday Greetings Class

Date: Saturday, November 19th
Time:3:30-5:30pm
Location: The Wyndham Virginia Crossings Hotel & Conference Center
1000 Virginia Center Parkway
Glen Allen, VA, 23059
Cost: $25.00
What to Bring: adhesive, foam adhesive (pop dots), scissors, paper trimmer, pencil, bone folder

My class is open to the public and if you'd like to come, please call Scrapdoodles at 540-548-3788 to sign up today!

Watercolored Pear Card

2011-09-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today I have another fall card for you! I've used the pear image in the Faith in Nature hostess set- a great pick if you ask me! Here is my card:

Goodies:
All products are by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: Faith in Nature set
Ink: Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade, More Mustard, Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake classic inks; Jet Black StazOn
Paper: Sahara Sand, Peach Parfait, Confetti White cardstock; First Edition DSP; patterned paper by Jillibean Soup
Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Linen Thread, Spritzer; button- unknown

I watercolored the pear first and then spritzed and inked the background to make it a little more dingy. I think it would be fun to make a whole set of these cards, each with a different image as the focal point. I think that's what I'll do tonight while watching Greys Anatomy or Project Runway... I haven't decided yet which I want to watch! :)

Hope you have a great day!

-tessa

A Fun Banner Card

2011-09-28T11:13:00.000-04:00

Hello!

I wanted to pop on and post a cute little card I made yesterday- My card mojo disappeared for a little bit and I made myself sit down and make something to urge it to come back! :) Here is what I made:

Goodies:

Stamps: Warmest of Wishes hostess set from Stampin' Up!
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Pink Pirouette, Peach Parfait classic inks by Stampin' Up!
Paper: cardstock by Bazzill; patterns by Jillibean Soup and Stampin' Up!
Accessories: letter stickers by KI Memories; die cut by Jillibean Soup; baker's twine, Dazzling Details, Mini Brad, and Crystal Effects by Stampin' Up!

I've been doing lots of fall cards lately but just felt like something different so I went for a fun, springlike pallet instead. It was just what I needed to kick my mojo up and hopefully now I can focus on my next project, Christmas card classes! I can't believe it's that time of year already!

Anyways, hope you enjoy your day!

-tessa

Haunted Houses

2011-09-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

Hello!

I finished up a fun project over the weekend that I am so excited to share! They turned out really cute:

Fun, right? I don't usually do too much Halloween decorating but I've been wanting to make these houses since summer time. They were inspired by a set of houses the Stampin' Up! convention attendees had a chance to make and I saw them online. I loved them and knew I had to make a Halloween set and hopefully a Christmas set, too! Here are some more detailed pictures:

I used a mix of My Minds Eye's Mischievous line and Echo Park's Apothecary line for the most part with some other bits and bobs thrown it, too. I stained the wood with Ranger's Distress Stains- don't they look cool? I love it!

These were really fun to work on and I decided to teach a class on it down at Scrapdoodles on October 8th. If you are interested in the details, please check out their blog for more information.

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek at my houses today!

-tessa

From our Disney Vacation...

2011-09-19T09:27:00.001-04:00

Good morning!

My day is not starting out as I had planned- I've got both girls home from school (one sick and one for speech screening) and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the house full! I don't think anything on my to do list is going to be done today... I guess there is always tomorrow, right?

Today I am posting another page from our first day at Disney World. We went to Typhoon Lagoon and we loved it! They had a fun area just for little kids and these pictures were taken there on a cute little waterslide they had. The girls would go down and then run back up to the top to go again! Serious fun for these girls! Here is my page:

I used Echo Park's Splash line on this page. I sanded the edges and added a sprinkle of my white Mr. Huey spray just for fun. I also popped up some of my stickers. I know... very simple! I like how it turned out though.

OK! Gonna keep it short so I can go take care of these kiddos!

-tessa

Spicy Stripes for Fall

2011-09-14T11:20:00.001-04:00

A quick post today before I run out the door to pick up Nat from preschool- You know I love the Spice Cake DSP and this card really shows it!

I used the Day of Gratitude set again on this... I am hoping to make some more fun, fall cards, too!

Anyways, hope you are enjoying your day!

-tessa

Wonderful Fabric Rosette Card

2011-09-12T06:30:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Hope you had a great weekend! I did... It ended up being pretty busy but I still found a little time after the girls went to bed to make some new cards. I have a list of cards to make for some deadlines I have coming up and I've been having a hard time working on them... For some reason my mojo disappears when ever I get the products I want to use out. Not that they are bad products but they are winter products and I'm still not quite there yet! I want to have fun in this season just a little while longer! :) Instead of working on my to do list, I procrastinated and pulled out some pretty new goodies from Pink Paislee. Their new Vintage Vogue line has such a fun color scheme- I decided to play with it instead! Here is what I made:

Goodies:

Stamps: Friendly Phrases and Array of Sunshine by Stampin' Up!
Ink: Jet Black Staz On, Black cat eye
Paper: Basic Black cardstock by Stampin' Up!; Vintage Vogue patterns by Pink Paislee (mini pack)
Accessories: Delicate Doilies fabric, Dazzling Details by Stampin' Up!; Vintage Vogue Ephemera by Pink Paislee

The rosette fabric flowers are so fun to make- especially if you use those new glubers from Cosmo Cricket! You just tear a strip of your fabric and stick an end to the center of your gluber. Then you twist your fabric and tack it down as you go round and round... easy, right? I love how it turned out!

I'm hoping I don't procrastinate all week on my to do list... at least it's still only Monday! Hee!

I hope you have a great day!

-tessa

Soft Suede Christmas Card

2011-09-09T08:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!

Well, we have another 3 day weekend here- kids are home from school because of flooding! The rain has been non stop and doesn't look like it's planning to let up any time soon... I guess that means lots of arts and crafts for me and the girls!

I know we still have a ways to go until Christmas but I thought I'd post this card anyways. It was my favorite from my Christmas in July card class I held a few months ago. The design was inspired by Angie Tieman's card... cute, right?

Here it is:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Season of Friendship, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake classic inks; Whisper White craft ink; Jet Black Staz On
Paper: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake cardstock; Vellum cardstock (the heavier one)
Accessories: Aqua Painter, Vanilla Smooch Spritz, Top Note die, Northern Flurry embossing folder, Crumb Cake seam binding, Linen Thread

I die cut the vellum with my Top Note die and then embossed it with the Northern Flurry folder. It tore a little bit but since my card has a vintage feel, I think it looks OK. For the main image, I stamped the girl first. Then I added the snowflakes and watercolored the snow at the bottom. I colored the girl in using Soft Suede to create some shadows. Last, I added the sentiment and inked around all the edges with my Crumb Cake ink. I built my card and spritzed everything with a heavy bit of Vanilla Smooch for a nice, glittery effect. The wrinkles in the seam binding are also easy to create- just tie your knot and then spritz some smooch or water in to your palm. work the ribbon ends around with your wet hand until they are saturated. Then pinch them up real good and they crinkle! Fun, right?

OK! There is my little share of the day... Now I'm off to build forts, practice my perler beading skills, and read books till the cows come home! Hope you have a great weekend!

-tessa

School Girl Page

2011-09-08T06:22:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!
I'm up early so I have time to post! We have lots going on this week so I haven't found much time to sit down at the computer. My girls started school this week- Zoey in 1st grade and Natalie in preschool. I only cried a little- how is it they get big so fast? Zoey loves her teacher and thinks it's cool that she's not the smallest one at school any more. Natalie is so excited that school is fun! She was really nervous about starting (it's her first time at preschool) and came home ready to go back so I think we're off to a good start! Here is a picture of them all ready to go yesterday- silly girls!

Since Back to School is fresh in my mind, I'm going to post a layout I did of Zoey's first day at preschool a few years ago:

I used products from last year's October Afternoon collections. The little Zz sticker is super old- my friend Dawnette gave me- Autumn Leaves maybe? I can't remember who made it... I am so glad I remembered having it though. It works well on this page!

I love how the layering turned out here. It's a perfect way to use up some of those scraps. I hand stitched around the frame- I haven't yet mastered my sewing machine but in this case, I wish I had- hand sewing this took a long time to do with all the layers!

Well, thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Fall Frenzy Page

2011-09-01T12:11:00.000-04:00

Hi!Hope you are all enjoying your week! I am looking forward to the weekend- mine is starting today, even though I am working tomorrow... my job at Scrapdoodles (my local lss) doesn't really count as work cause it's too much fun! :) I haven't had much crafty time this week so I thought I'd share something I made last winter- a scrapbook page:

What I love about this page is the diecut leaves! For some reason, I think they look so cute cut out of plaid papers! I think maybe I'll make a card with some plaid leaves in it next time I craft. :)

I feel like I should also mention that I am planning on resigning from Stampin' Up!. Although I love the company and products, I don't think the at-home-business is for me right now. I gave the business a shot over the summer and was quite successful but putting so much effort into it left other parts of my day to day routine ignored. I've decided to just teach at my lss and hold local events seasonally. That means I have to give up being a demo so that I can post online about my upcoming classes and events. I've been teaching at Scrapdoodles for 3 years now and it feels good to be able to post about my projects again! Just because I won't be a demo doesn't mean I won't be using Stampin' Up!s great products though! They are still my favorite for stamps, inks, and cardstocks... and my downline just found her new best customer!

Thank you for understanding! I hope you have a great weekend!
-tessa

Scrapbooking my Disney Trip...

2011-08-30T07:51:00.004-04:00

Hello!

This summer we were lucky enough to take our first trip to Disney World! We had the best time and of course, I took hundreds of pictures! It will probably take me the rest of this year and some of next to scrap all of them- hee! I started printing pictures a day at a time so I won't get overwhelmed. When I'm done with the first day, I'll print the next one up! I've had so much fun so far but I'm still only on the first day- we spent it at Typhoon Lagoon! :) Here is one of the layouts I've made:

Goodies:

Patterned Papers: Bo Bunny
Letter Stickers: KI Memories (I stashed those years ago!); American Crafts
Scallop Border and Circle Punches: Stampin' Up!

This page is a pretty simple layout infused with lots of bright patterned papers. The only fancy thing I did was build the red and orange flower on the bottom right. I cut and pasted 1/2" strips to the back of the circle to create it. I also sanded the edges so it would blend nicely with the rest of the page.

I've been inspired to scrapbook rather then make cards lately so I hope you don't mind the change of scenery while I share. I think it's good for me to change it up every now and then- I don't want to get burnt out!

So, now you've been warned! Lots of Disney layouts will be coming- lol!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

-tessa

Fun and Funky Fall Cards

2011-08-25T09:10:00.001-04:00

Cropping down at Scrapdoodles on Saturday had one thing going that I can't get stamping at home- shopping! Hee! I didn't buy too much but I was so inspired by the new Amy Tangerine Line by American Crafts- I had to get it! Here are a few cards I made using mostly products from this line as well as those great leaf stamps from Stampin' Up!:

Don't you love the funky color scheme? I added some feathers, created a fabric flower (with the fabric paper) and sanded around the edges of my stickers to add some texture to my cards. I wanted to keep the designs simple though. What a fun line of product to play with!

So, things have been a little weird around here this week. I live in Northern Virginia so we felt the earthquake pretty good- I'm from Seattle and spent a few years in California before moving to the east so I knew what was going on. It was just unexpected and weird! We didn't have any damage so that is good! And, I got to teach Zoey and Natalie a science lesson about what causes earthquakes. Zoey was convinced that it was a giant bunny rabbit coming to get us! LOL! I think she got that from a Strawberry Shortcake movie we have!

We had quite a large aftershock last night, too. It woke me up just after 1am and I couldn't get myself back to sleep for a couple hours... I'll be taking it easy around the house today and adding an extra cup of coffee to the menu! Even now every rumble I hear has me on alert.

To top the week off, we get to watch out for a hurricane, too! I'm thinking we'll get the rain but not the full force of the winds but still... what a week!

Sorry for the rambling today. I blame the lack of sleep! Thanks for stopping by and listening, hee!

-tessa

Vintage Watercolor Card

2011-08-22T09:06:00.004-04:00

Hello There!

Well, It's another Monday morning! :) We still have 2 weeks of summer break here and I am making the most of it! Today we're heading to the girls' favorite... Chuck E. Cheese... yes. I have been saying no to going all summer so today I'm going to surprise them! I can't wait- well, yes I can... you know how Chuck E. Cheese is! lol!

I cropped at my favorite lss over the weekend and had so much fun! I still can't believe i got so many things finished, too! I'm a pretty slow crafter and when I'm chatting all day with everyone, I turn into an super slow crafter! I still got 5 cards and 2 pages done! That is really good for me! :) Thanks to everyone at Scrapdoodles for the great day!

Here is a card I made:

I paired the On the Grow set with some pretty Echo Park papers. I watercolored the image and added crystal effects to the vase so it looks like glass. It's a prettier card in real life- at least I think so!

Well, I hope you enjoy your day! Thanks for popping over to take a peek!

-tessa

Everyday Gratitude Card

2011-08-18T09:12:00.004-04:00

Good Morning!

I've got another quick post of a card I made yesterday using the Day of Gratitude set along with my new favorite, Spice Cake DSP:

Goodies:
All Products by Stampin' Up!

The layout was inspired by a card I saw thumbing through the new Cards magazine... cute, right? There are so many inspiring layouts in their newest issue!

I've distressed everything a little with my Crumb Cake ink and tattered my ribbon a little as well. I love the look of it like that!

Anyways, I've got my hands full today so I'm going to keep this short!

Hope you have a great day!

-tessa

Another Fall Card

2011-08-15T07:51:00.004-04:00

Good morning!

Hope you had a great weekend! I relaxed but my girls were gone for 2 whole days and I didn't know what to do with myself! My hubby and I enjoyed our time together but home was entirely too quiet with out them here.

Here is a card I made using my favorite new goodies from the upcoming Holiday Mini:

All products by Stampin' Up!

What a great color scheme for fall! I just love the touch of Pool Party thrown in to it- so fresh!

The leaf stamps were inked up with color then spritzed very lightly with Smooch spritz to give a little sparkle. I stamped them down and then added the outline over top before I cut them out. They are great stamps!

Is anyone taking the free Big Idea Festival class with Big Picture? It starts today and I'm joining in with the fun. I've never taken a class with Big Picture Classes and wanted to get a feel for some of the teachers there. I figure the best way to become a great teacher is to watch others do it so I'm excited to see what they have to offer!

Well, hope you enjoy your day! Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Fall Inspiration

2011-08-12T15:21:00.003-04:00

I know it's not fall yet- and I'm still fully in summer mode- but when I get new fall stamps and paper in the mail, I just can't help but play! These goodies are sneak peaks of whats inside the new Stampin' Up! holiday mini- take a look:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

The leaves are 2step stamps that give the impression of being watercolored. I love that! I spritzed mine with Shimmer spritz so that the ink would run a little, too. What do you think of that new DSP? It might be a new favorite for me! The colors are just perfect!

Well, I hope you are enjoying your day! Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

A Bright Page and Card to Match!

2011-08-10T08:09:00.006-04:00

Good morning!

I can't believe it's already Wednesday! This week is going fast and it's probably because we've been having so much fun! Today we're heading in to town to visit the National Zoo... one of my favorite places in Washington, DC. I can't wait! We're going to spend some time watching the meerkats play today- my girls have been addicted to watching Meerkat Manor on netflix this summer!

I've been crafting a little this week, too! I made this page and card out of some fun new goodies I got at the LSS I work at. Yes, I work at a scrapbook store- and I love it! I couldn't pass these cute papers by Echo Park up:

My Page:

A Closer Look:

A Card:

I think I bought every collection they've made this year! And that is saying something- I don't usually by collections of anything, just bits and pieces here and there. I seriously have a crush on this company! lol!

The layout was inspired by one from Kelly Purkey's Sketchbook3 class I took in the springtime- isn't it great!

The card uses the Array of Sunshine hostess set and boy does it have some pretty images! This was my first time using it and I can't wait to break it out again! I stamped the flower images with Versamark and embossed them with clear embossing powder. They look so nice and shiny!

Did you see this post on the Moxie Fab World blog yesterday? :) I was a trigger target! Yahoo! Pretty exciting for me!

Alright! Off to make a yummy picnic lunch for later. Hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by to take a peek!

-tessa

A Tall Challenge Card

2011-08-03T22:15:00.007-04:00

Well, I spent some time today crafting with my little girls- we practiced our watercoloring, a technique that my oldest daughter has been asking me to teach her! Hee! She's gonna be able to teach her own classes, soon! :) While they were busy painting their Sock Monkeys (yes, they like him, too!) I found time to play along with a fun challenge at the CAS-ual Fridays blog. The challenge was to create a 4x9 card with a CAS feel to it... well, I don't know if my card ended up being too clean or simple but the challenge still inspired me to try a different size! Hee! Here is what I made:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Simply Soft, Tiny Tags, En Francais
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Pear Pizazz, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede cardstock; Wisteria Wonder, Pear Pizazz textured cardstock, watercolor paper, First Edition DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Linen Thread, Jewelry Tag punch, Dazzling Diamonds, Aqua Painter, Color Spritzer

See? I think it's too distressed to be CAS... oh well! I love how it looks anyways and I don't think I would have attempted a card this size with out the challenge so thank you CAS-ual Fridays!

Want to see my cute girls in stampin' action? Here are a couple of pictures from our craft time together:

Awe! I love that they like to stamp as much as I do!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Pretty Banner Card

2011-08-03T09:38:00.003-04:00

Hello!

Hope your day is off to a great start! I'm planning a crafting day with my two little girls- they LOVE to stamp and my oldest who is 6 has been asking me to teach her a few new techniques- lol! She'll be mastering all my favorites before the day is over, I'm sure!

I thought I'd pop on and share a pretty card I made featuring my favorite punch- the banner!

I love that this card is vintage and distressed but still nice and bright! I think you need four tools to create the perfect distressed look- a sanding block- I've used it to sand the edges of my DSP here; a poofer (or spritzer) to use to speckle your marker ink all artsy like; the Decor Elements applicator tool- I think it works even better then the tonic distressing tool; and your hands- just wad your paper up, roll it around and voila! Instant distress!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Inspired by the Moxie Fab World

2011-08-01T21:26:00.003-04:00

Hi There! I'm posting a little late tonight- we had a busy day playing at the waterpark, eating ice cream, and shopping at Toys'R'Us with my sister and her little ones. You just can't beat that! :) I'm finally winding down and finding some time to play on the computer for a little while.

I created a bunch of cards over the weekend and thought I'd pop on and share one with you real quick. It was inspired by last week's Tuesday Trigger at the Moxie Fab World Blog. Thanks to Cath and this great image, I found my mojo again! I think I lost it after that last round of Paper Crafts Magazine Gallery Idol Contest. It was a doozie and unfortunately, I didn't make it through to the finals. Thanks for all your votes though! Your support means so much to me!

Here is my card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Thank You Kindly
Ink: Wild Wisteria, Pear Pizazz, Pink Pirouette, Pool Party, and Basic Black classic inks
Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White, Basic Black cardstock; Basic Grey textured cardstock; 2011-2013 In Color patterns DSP, 2010-2012 In Color patterns DSP
Accessories: Subtles Buttons, Whisper White Baker's Twine, 1" Circle Punch, Scallop Edge Punch

The focal point is made with squares of my DSP. I rounded to corners on each square and built a sort of modern flower out of them. I used pop dots to pop the top layers up a little and curled the edges using my bone folder.

Anyways, bedtime is calling so I better keep this short and sweet! Thanks for taking a peek!

-tessa

BFF Newsprint Purse

2011-07-28T07:52:00.003-04:00

Hi There!

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite projects that I made for the convention boards. It's a paper purse I made using the Bag-a-lope idea and adding handles. I featured the Best Friends Forever set as well!

Here's the purse:

And a closup of the tag:

And a closeup of the flower:

The flower is made using the heart image in the set. Isn't that cool? There are so many things you can build with just a simple heart stamp!

I love how the colors turned out in this project- brights against the newsprint is so fun and fresh! I also love my tag- all the little details put together to create it- it was lots of fun!

I hope you've been enjoying all my Stampin' Up! convention board samples I've been posting! I had so much fun working on them- it truly was a treat!

Thanks for stopping by! And if it's still Thursday morning when you read this, please pop over and vote for me in the Paper Crafts Magazine's gallery idol contest!

-tessa

-tessa

Best Friends Forever Cards

2011-07-27T12:11:00.002-04:00

Hi There!

Hope you are enjoying your day! I've got some more samples using the Best Friends Forever set to show you today:

Earth Tones Card:

Newsprint Card:

Four Square Card:

The images in this set are great for background stamping. I tried to show them off in different ways in each card I made for the sample boards. It's been a long time since I went for my darker colors, too so it was fun getting them out again!

If you have a minute, please vote for me in the Paper Crafts Magazine Gallery Idol Contest- voting for this round ends on Thursday at noon, mountain time. I'd LOVE to make it to the final round so please, pop over and vote today!

Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Easy Events are Easy to Use!

2011-07-26T09:38:00.004-04:00

Good Morning!

Today I thought I'd share more samples from the Stampin' Up! convention display boards using the Easy Events set. This set has a little something for everyone in it- especially if you like to color! Here are a few more samples I made...

An Elegant Christmas Card:

A Fun Clock Card:

A Sparkly Birthday Card:

A Beautiful Trio of Boxes:

I think these types of sets are so easy to use- I love that each image comes with a sentiment built in.

Well, I've got a house full of kids today so I'm going to cut this short- hope you have a great day!

-tessa

Pretty Smocked Doilies Card

2011-07-25T17:20:00.005-04:00

Hi There! Hope you all had a great weekend! I am wishing mine was a little longer... hee!

I thought I'd pop on and share my card for this week's Paper Crafts Magazine's Gallery Idol contest- the challenge was to use fabric in a creative way. Here is what I made:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Friendly Phrases, Delicate Doilies
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo classic inks
Paper: Pink Pirouette cardstock; Melon Mambo, Peach Parfait textured cardstock
Accessories: Whisper White Baker's Twine, Flirtatious Fabric

This challenge was tricky! I can think of a bunch of great ways to use fabric on my cards but none of them were working for me this weekend... my mojo has been working in overtime so I guess it was time for a sputter out... I do like what I ended up with but boy oh boy was I stressed out over it! I ended up using smocking as my technique and it was fun to give something different a try. If you want to know how I did it, here is the tutorial I found online. Hers is much more elegant and beautiful but hey- it's probably not her first time, either! :)

If you'd like to vote for my card this week (which I would really appreciate!) just visit the Paper Crafts Magazine Gallery Idol page. Did I mention that the top prize is a cruise with Paper Crafts??? I've never been on a cruise before... :)

OK! Hope your day is going well! Thanks for all your support during this contest- I've loved getting emails, reading your comments here and at the contest page. It means a lot that you guys care enough to take some time to listen to all my ramblings and so on... Thanks!

-tessa

Scrapbook Pages of the Month

2011-07-22T08:32:00.005-04:00

Good Morning!

I'm off to a great start- I've made it through to the top 10 in the Paper Crafts Magazine Gallery Idol contest! Thank you to everyone who voted- I'm so excited about the next round, too! Our challenge is fabric so I'll let that stew around in my brain for a few days and see what I can come up with!

I also am excited because I am heading out soon for a fun shopping trip with my sister! My sister is one of my favorite people on the planet so you know we are gonna have a great day together!

I have a class this weekend called Pages of the Month. I decided to add it to my lineup so that I could scrap more- I love to scrap but having a reason will make me get at least two pages a month more done in my scrapbook, right? Hee! This months theme is friendship and here is one of the pages we will create:

I was thinking about me and my sister when I made this scrapbook page featuring my little girls- I hope they have the same type of friendship we have when they grow up- it really is the best!

Well, hope you have a great Friday! Thanks again for voting for me in the Paper Crafts contest- this has been such a fun experience for me!

-tessa

More Raining Flowers

2011-07-19T07:42:00.004-04:00

Good Morning! I was just thinking my week was going so fast! Then I remembered that it was only Tuesday! Hee! I think I need a little more coffee this morning!

Today I'm sharing a few more samples from the convention displays I did. These are all using the Raining Flowers set:

First, a pretty box:

I made it all white except for the bottom of the inside- I put a piece of Inky Indigo in there to darken up what you see through the vellum and really let those stamps pop.

A Sympathy Card:

This was a color combo I wouldn't usually use but I love how these colors look together. I think purples are growing on me!

Another card:

This card was prettier in my imagination when I was thinking about layering vellum over the stamped flowers. I wanted it to be a little more distressed looking but in the end, left it clean and crisp. I still like it but one of these days I'll have to try it again with the distress kit handy!

Well, since today is Tuesday, I've got a full house of kids to entertain! I see the park, riding bikes, and picnicking in the back yard in my future!

Also, if you have a minute, can you vote for my card in the PaperCrafts Magazine Gallery Idol contest? I've made the top 15 and would love to go through to the next round!

I hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Diecut Collage Background

2011-07-18T14:06:00.001-04:00

Hello!

Well, since I made it to the next round of PaperCrafts Magazine's Gallery Idol contest, I've got another submission for you to see! This week, we were challenged to use die cuts in a innovative way. I know a lot of the girls are going to be using their electronic machines to cut out very intricate designs but I wanted to stay simple. I used my trusty Big Shot and a few of my favorite floral dies to cut out a bunch of flowers. Then I used them to create a neat, monochromatic collage background. I also built up a few flowers to serve as a focal point. Here is my card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Friendly Phrases, Raining Flowers
Ink: Calypso Coral, Basic Black
Paper: Calypso Coral, Chocolate Chip, Blushing Bride cardstock; Calypso Coral textured cardstock
Accessories: Fun Flowers die, Leaves #2 die, Floral Fusion die, Sweet Buttons die, Scallop edge punch, linen thread

So what do you think of this idea? I love the idea of a collage background and I'm going to try it again soon with more colors and prints. It would look great on a scrapbook page, too!

This round of PaperCraft's Gallery Idol contest will run until Thursday at noon. Please pop over and vote for my card! I'd love to make it through with the top 10 designers!

I hope I've inspired you with this innovative yet easy way to use your die cuts! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Best Friends Forever Samples

2011-07-18T06:51:00.001-04:00

Good Morning!

Hope you had a great weekend! I had two great classes- and lots of fun! Thank you ladies for joining me in making cards this weekend!

Today I'm sharing a few more cards from the convention sample boards... did you see them there? Hee! Here are some featuring the Best Friends Forever set:

An elegant card:

A sweet card:

And a petal cone:

This set has quite a few useful stamps. Great ones for backgrounds, especially! I love the swirly one and the simple dots...

Hope you enjoy your day! Look for a second post from me around noon with information on the next round of Gallery Idol, too!

-tessa

Easy Events Samples

2011-07-15T08:10:00.004-04:00

Good Morning!

Friday morning, too- aren't those always the best? And I have another fun weekend planned- two fun card classes, a birthday party, and maybe (if I can sneak it in) seeing the last Harry Potter movie as well! Sounds pretty good to me!

Before I share my cards, I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me in round one of PaperCrafts magazine's Gallery Idol contest- I made it through to the next round!! I'll post my card featuring diecuts on Monday! Hee! add that to the list above of what I'm doing this weekend! lol!

OK... on to the samples! Easy Events was another set that the corporate office sent me to make samples with. It's very cute and I found it easy to work with. Here are my samples:

Tree Card:

Duckies Card:

Flowers Mini Milk Carton:

What do you think? Seem like a set you'd use a lot?

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you enjoy your weekend and I'll be back on Monday with more samples from the convention boards as well as my diecut card for the Gallery Idol contest!

-tessa

Convention Board Samples- Raining Flowers

2011-07-14T08:05:00.005-04:00

Good morning!

Today is Thursday which means the Stampin' Up! convention should be in full swing! I'll start sharing some of the samples I created for the boards there. I have quite a few so I'll be sharing a couple every day or so. This first bunch features the Raining Flowers set:

To My Friend Card:

Purple and Red Flowers Card:

Raining Flowers Garland:

I really enjoyed working with this set! I know everyone at convention is receiving it so we should see quite a few samples popping up when the get home. I can't wait!

Also, today is the last day to vote in round 1 of PaperCrafts Magazine's Gallery Idol contest. If you have a minute, please pop over and vote for my card- I'd love to go on the the next round!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

-tessa

Delicate Doilies Thank You- Anyone want to swap?

2011-07-12T08:14:00.005-04:00

Good Morning!

Last Saturday I held my first event as a business demo! I had a kickoff party at my house to introduce all my friends to the new catalog and some of my new classes. I've never held an event like this so I didn't really know what to expect but lots of my friends showed up, ate snacks, talked about the catalog, and participated in my make-n-take. I had a great time and I think everyone else did, too! Thank you to everyone who was able to make it!

For the make-n-take, I used the pretty new Delicate Doilies set. Here it is:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Just Believe
Ink: Pool Party, Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral, Sahara Sand classic inks; Jet Black Staz On
Paper: Sahara Sand, Poppy Parade, Whisper White cardstock; Pool Party textured cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Linen Thread, Victoria crochet trim

I wanted them to be detailed but simple for people to do. Everyone's turned out great so I think I succeeded!

I'm not going to convention this year. I went last year and had a great time! One of my favorite parts was swapping cards with everyone I met! Since I've got some extra cut from my party I thought I'd ask if anyone would like to swap through snail mail instead? I'll send you a card and you can send one of yours to me! I am open to swapping with anyone but I'd appreciate it if the card is made using SU! products so I can show it during my classes and such. Let me know if you're interested- tessamwise at gmail. com

Hope your day is off to a great start! Thanks for popping by!

-tessa

Handmade Elephant Card

2011-07-11T16:47:00.001-04:00

After a busy weekend (I'll fill you in on that tomorrow!), I sat down last night to create a card for the PaperCrafts magazine Gallery Idol contest! Our challenge was to create our own handmade embellishment and use it on a card. I have made plenty of my own embellishments over the years but wanted to create something I had never done before. I chose this elephant mainly because of a silly conversation me and my friend Sarah Z had a long time ago- we were talking about a cute elephant stamp we saw in the store we work at and decided it needed to be colored purple cause all cute elephants are purple! lol! Can you guess what was on my desk that made me think of that conversation? The pretty purple fabric from the Flirtatious line! Hee! So yes, purple fabric must make me think of elephants, even if it's covered with doilies! lol! Thanks Sarah! Here is my card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Friendly Phrases
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Paper: Confetti White, Peach Parfait, Soft Suede cardstock
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Hemp Twine, paper piercer, Flirtatious fabric; brown embroidery thread

This little ellie was so fun to make! I freehanded my design onto the back of my fabric and cut it out. I frayed his edges to create a little texture. Next, I sewed him onto some cardstock- I stuffed him with cotton balls before I was all the way done- and then cut it out. I added his details last- his tail, french knot eye, and his ear. It was fun making something so different from my usual stuff!

If you'd like to vote for my card in the contest, please head on over to the PaperCrafts Gallery Idol page! Check out all of the awesome card everyone submitted- what a talented group of ladies!

Hope your week is off to a great start and thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Congratulations Banner Card

2011-07-08T08:53:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!

I'm super excited to post today because of THIS post on the Papercraft Connection blog! Yes, you have to scroll through every single beautiful entry but there at the end is this card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Pennant Parade, Friendly Phrases
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Basic Black classic inks; Whisper White craft ink
Paper: Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla, Island Indigo, Sahara Sand cardstock; Calypso Coral textured paper, Brights DSP, First Edition DSP
Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Boarder punch, White bakers twine; yellow bakers twine by Pink Paislee

Yahooo! I've made Papercrafts Gallery Idol 2011 top 20!

I scrolled through the list saying to myself "oh... there is no way I would have been picked- these are SO gorgeous and way out of my league... and there's a banner card so there you go." And then lol! There it was! Hee! I am so excited to be picked among this great group of artists! Now, I hope I can keep up with them!

This is my second year playing along- I made it all the way to the final week in 2009 and had SO much fun! I can't wait to see what the challenges will be!

I made the card last weekend and it has been a favorite color scheme for me this week. I made a real banner and a scrapbook page to match! I'll share them soon- I have my open house tomorrow and I want to let my friends coming see them first! If you are near Woodbridge, VA, please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to come!

Off to do the happy dance one more time! :)

Thanks for reading and have a great Friday!

-tessa

Scooting Through Summer...

2011-07-07T01:24:00.001-04:00

Hello there! I thought I'd pop on and share a card real quick! It's nap time for the little guy I spend days with and my girls are busy watching their favorite Barbi movie- just a few moments of peace to myself today! Maybe if I can post real fast, I can sneak down and make a card, too! Hee!

Today's card features that cute scooter from the On the Grow set. I have always wanted a cute scooter! Especially one with a fun little basket on the back! It's not very practical for me but boy are they cute! Here is my card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: On the Grow, Friendly Words wheel
Ink: Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi, Wisteria Wonder, Cajun Craze, and Calypso Coral
Paper: Crumb Cake, Confetti White cardstock; Wisteria Wonder textured cardstock; Soft Subtles DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer, 3/4" circle punch, Cherry Cobbler baker's twine, Aqua Painter, Glossy Accents

This has to be my favorite stamp from the summer mini- it's got plenty of character and it gives me a chance to watercolor!

OK! Gonna keep it short so hope you have a great day! Thanks for peeking!

-tessa

Raining Flowers Card

2011-07-06T07:02:00.001-04:00

Good Morning!

I have a pretty little card for you today using a great new stamp set- Raining Flowers! It is a larger set full of pretty flowers and their outlines. Since flowers are my favorite to use when I stamp, I was thrilled to find this set in my convention stampers box! Here is my card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Raining Flowers
Ink: Poppy Parade, Pear Pizazz, Sahara Sand classic inks
Paper: Sahara Sand, Pool Party, Whisper White cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Chantilly crochet trim, Basic Pearls, paper piercer, White Signo gel pen

I love how this card turned out! The color scheme really allows the red blossoms to pop! I used one of the outline stamps on the card base to add a subtle design to the background.

I've created quite a few samples with this set- 8 for the convention boards and also a few for upcoming classes- and I still find myself reaching for it. It's easy to use and I think you'll really like it!

Also, I've been getting so many nice comments and emails lately- I just wanted to say thank you! It is so nice to hear from people every now and then and your messages bring a smile to my face every time I read one! I really do appreciate them and all of you who stop by each day to see what I've created.

Hope you are off to a good day and thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Fun in the Sun Card

2011-07-05T07:05:00.001-04:00

I am in full on summertime mode! I love it- warm, carefree days that hopefully won't go by too fast this year! I have a list of fun things to do with the girls this week and hanging out at the local water park is one of them. I was thinking about it while I was making this fun card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Sunny Fun, Confetti, A to Z
Ink: Whisper White craft ink; Basic Black, Pacific Point, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Peach Parfait, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Blush Blossom classic inks; Jet Black Staz On
Paper: Pacific Point, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White cardstock; Brights, In Color DSP packs
Accessories: Blender Pens

This little image was so fun to color! When there are people in images I always imagine they are people I know- this ones got my girls, the little guy I babysit, and one of my nephews in it! Hee!
I used my blender pen so I could easily maneuver the tiny details. I like how they softened the coloring a little.

Hope you are off to a fabulous (short) week and that you all enjoyed your Fourth of July weekend! Thanks for popping by today!

-tessa

A great day for a new catalog!

2011-07-01T21:26:00.006-04:00

Hello! I'm just winding down my busy day and thought I'd pop on and share a few exciting things Stampin' Up! has going on today! First, the new catalog is live and ready to shop from!!!

Check it out online when you get a chance- there are so many pretty things in it and the artwork is great! The samples are so inspiring this time around- I think they get better every year!

If you are wanting everything from the new catalog, then this next news is for you! Stampin' Up! is offering a limited time $99.00 Starter kit! It is full of great new products as well as all the perks of being a demonstrator- extra money, free stamps, demo discount! :)

It also comes with a free mini Christmas kit that looks so cute- lots of great stuff from the next Holiday mini are included, too!

If this sounds like something you're interested in, please don't hesitate to comment, email, or call for more information! I've linked my website with a better list of what's included to the picture above as well.

Hope you have a great weekend! I'll be spending it making samples for all of my July classes- I'm SO excited! Getting crafty is my favorite thing! Hopefully I'll have lots to share in the coming weeks!

Thanks for the visit today!

-tessa

Little Doily Card

2011-06-29T09:41:00.001-04:00

Today I'm sharing a little mini card I made featuring some great new products:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Tiny Tags
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Very Vanilla cardstock; Island Indigo, Pumpkin Pie textured cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Scallop Polka-dot ribbon, Linen Thread, White embossing powder, Subtle buttons, Jewelery punch

So, what do you think of this base color? It's called Island Indigo. I love it! I see myself using it a lot in the fall... it reminds me of an updated Taken with Teal- one color that I really missed from the update last year! I'm glad to see this in the mix- for a couple years anyways! This card is miniature- a 3x3. I wanted to show off that great new doily stamp so I thought this would be perfect! I really like how it turned out and think I might have to make a whole set of these in different colors. Also, see the scalloped, polka-dotted ribbon? It's a new style that will be available in lots of pretty colors.

Hope you're having a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Pretty flowers in a row...

2011-06-23T08:40:00.000-04:00

I have some more sneak peaks for you today and a look at one of my favorite new color combinations! Here is my card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Day of Gratitude, Tiny Tags, Woodgrain
Ink: Pear Pizazz, Peach Parfait, Soft Suede, Pool Party classic inks
Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Pear Pizazz cardstock; Peach Parfait, Pool Party textured cardstock
Accessories: Lace Ribbon boarder punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch, Jewelry Tag punch, Linen Thread

Don't these colors look great together? Calm and serene but still bright enough to be interesting, right? I love it!

I'm so happy that Day of Gratitude came back to join the big catalog this year- it truly was a stand out from the last holiday mini- I am glad to be stamping with it again!

OK! Off to do something fun now! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Doilies and Bookprint

2011-06-20T10:10:00.001-04:00

Good Morning! Two of my favorite papercrafting trends are working together in today's card-

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Thank You Kindly
Ink: Basic Black classic ink; Versamark
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Basic Black cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Basic Black narrow grosgrain ribbon, Linen Thread, Filigree Designer brads, White embossing powder

So, you can really see the doily stamps in detail on this card- aren't they great! I love them embossed in white over a darker color. They just pop! And then the bookprint... I normally don't stamp over patterned paper but I am loving this look! Definitely going to try that again!

Well I hope you are enjoying your Monday- we are spending this hot day by the pool!

As always, thanks for looking!

-tessa

A Birthday Card from Keisha

2011-06-15T09:27:00.003-04:00

Good Morning! I thought I'd pop on today and share a pretty card that my downline and good friend Keisha made for me. My birthday was yesterday and she stopped by with this pretty thing as well as a gift card for Starbucks- my favorite!

Goodies:
All products are Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Best Dad Ever set
Ink: Tangerine Tango
Paper: Tangerine Tango, Whisper White cardstock; Beyond the Garden DSP
Accessories: Daffodil Delight wide grosgrain ribbon, Flower Garden embossing folder

Keisha was so thoughtful- she used my favorite color- Tangerine Tango for the card- oranges make me think happy thoughts! She also used a bunch of fun stuff from the Summer mini! See that great embossing? I think I may need to add the Flower Garden folder to my next order- hee! She has bunches of inspiration on her stamping blog, Simply Alon- stop by if you have a minute!

I had a great birthday yesterday! I spent it with my family and friends and ate lots of yummy things- for some reason my birthday always revolves around food- and yes, we had donuts! :) My hubby spoiled me rotten with gifts this year, too- I got to pick out a new fancy Coach handbag- my first! I love it! It's my other favorite color, Baja Breeze! He also took a week off of work so we could hang out- it's been so nice having him home!

Anyways, hope you are having a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by again!

-tessa

A Purse and Card to Match

2011-06-13T17:03:00.004-04:00

Thank you all for your nice comments on the last set of cards I made! It's so fun to get emails here and there full of nice things- they really make my day! Today I'm sharing the little purse I made to hold the set as well as a little card I made to go along with it:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Awash with Flowers, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: So Saffron, Basic Black
Paper: Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Fun Flowers Die, Antique Brads; tulle (not SU!)

I really had a lot of fun with this project! I don't do many 3-D items so it was a fun change of pace for me. Also, I think I'm addicted to the First Edition DSP pack... I seriously could use it on everything I make! The purse is just your basic bag-a-lope that I made large enough to fit my cards. I added handles to make it more pursey... hee!

Thanks for stopping by today to take a peek at what I made!

-tessa

A new beginning...

2011-06-06T09:13:00.011-04:00

Who's excited about the new Stampin' Up! catalog coming out! I am! I am! This year is an extra special launch for me because I am also launching myself into full business mode. I've been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for over three years now but always thought of myself as a hobby demo. I love the products and I also love to teach so this year, I'm going to! I've been so inspired by other demonstrators who have earned free vacations and products- I want to be one of them!

I'll be adding classes, clubs, and workshops to my schedule so if you'd like to book one, just let me know! I'm also planning a great Kick Off party at my house on July 9th- make 'n' takes, demonstrations of some of my favorite new products, and of course, the new catalog! I'll be giving it away to anyone who books a workshop, signs up for a class, joins one of my new monthly stamp clubs, or makes a $50.00 order that night. If you'd like to join us, please don't hesitate to send me an email!

Also, if you are looking to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator, please think of me- I have a small downline now and would love for it to grow!

I'm really looking forward to this new business venture! Really, I can't wait! I'll leave you today with two of the many samples I've been creating lately- these are the types of cards I'll be teaching at my upcoming classes. They are also sneak peaks from the new catalog! :)

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Tiny Tags
Ink: Versamark; Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Basic Black classic inks
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink textured cardstock; Flirtatious DSP
Accessories: Flirtatious Fabric, Antique brads, Clear embossing powder, Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer

I don't know if you can see the stamping well in this picture but I've stamped and embossed in clear on the background of this card. You can see a few of the new designs in the Flirtatious DSP in the diagonal strips- aren't they cute! I've had lots of fun with this so far- and the fabric, too! They match and it's so fun to add just a little texture to your cards with fabric. Here, I tore a strip and made it into a quick flower. Also, did you notice that pretty new purple color? It's called Wisteria Wonder and it's one of the new Incolors joining the pallet this year! It's a wonderful greyed-out lavender that pairs great with so many of our other colors.

Here's a clean and simple one showcasing my favorite new punch:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Pennant Parade, Thank You Kindly, Friendly Words Wheel
Ink: Basic Black, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Grey, and Lucky Limeade cardstock; Very Vanilla textured cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Petite Pennants Punch, Floral Fusion die, Whisper White bakers twine, Clear round rhinestone brads

So, I love this color scheme! Rich Razzleberry is an old favorite of mine and it looks great with the new Incolor Lucky Limeade! Here, I grunged it up a little so you can't see it's true color but I feel like it's a little Old Olive with a splash of Kiwi Kiss... if you love greens, you'll love this one! What do you think about this new punch? I LOVE it! I felt like with the whole pennant craze, I'm surprised we didn't see one sooner- I have been on the lookout for this for over a year now! And, I've only used half of it here- it's a builder punch and has a coordinating scallop to go with it! I'll be sure to show you that soon.

OK! That's enough from me today! I'll be updating my calenders today and if you'd like to join me for any of my upcoming events or book your own, please don't hesitate to email or call!

Thanks for stopping by today! Like I said, I really can't wait for July!

-tessa

-tessa

Awash With Flowers Set

2011-05-17T23:02:00.006-04:00

Well hello there! I thought I'd pop on tonight and share a set of cards I made last week- my hubby was in need of a little gift to give one of the ladies he works with who is retiring soon. I hope she likes them! There are 5 altogether and I think they turned out pretty cute! Here they are:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up! (except tulle)

Stamps: Awash with Flowers, Tiny Tags, Upsy Daisy
Ink: Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizazz, Peach Parfait, Perfect Plum, Cherry Cobbler
Paper: Very Vanilla, Peach Parfait, Cherry Cobbler, Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze, Basic Black, Blushing Bride cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Jewelry Tag punch, basic pearls, linen thread, black tulle

So, I wanted the designs to be elegant yet whimsical and I hope I pulled that off! I had fun stamping out each flower and placing them on their panels. I learned with this set that the Awash with Flowers set works better with the Stampin' Markers then with the classic ink pads- you see every detail with the stamps and the markers make them look soft and smooth. I love the look! The one thing I wish I had in my stash was the Basic Black wide striped grosgrain ribbon... I think that would have really finished these off nicely! I made do with the tulle but I'm still imagining how those stripes would have popped off of the book print. :)

Hopefully this week I can make a cute little box to put these in and it'll be ready to send off to work with my hubby!

Thanks for popping in to look today!

-tessa

Sponged Thank You Card

2011-05-05T08:55:00.001-04:00

Good Morning!
Today I have another Thank You card to share- this one features the Just Believe set. I think this is the prettiest set out of the entire catalog... I just love it! Unfortunately, I always lose my mojo the minute it gets pulled out! So this time, I searched the Stampin' Up! galleries at Splitcoast for a little inspiration. What I found was this card by Amy that inspired me to make this:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Just Believe
Ink: Versamark; Poppy Parade, Pear Pizazz, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight classic inks
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Pear Pizazz seam binding, Black embossing powder

I loved how the image just popped using the black. I rarely use black but it is so elegant, don't you agree? Thanks Amy for the inspiration!

For the seam binding, I crinkled it up using just a bit of water in my hand and scrunching it for a second. It stays all crinkly like that when it's dry! So cool! It's another product that I'm hoping will be in the next SU! catty!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Blue Skies on a Cloudy Day...

2011-05-04T09:26:00.003-04:00

I woke up to icky weather today... it's rainy and cold- no fun after a week of sunshine! At least it's the perfect weather to stay inside, drink tea, and stamp!

Since it's yucky outside, I thought I'd share a card that is all blue skies and happiness... hee!

Goodies:
Products by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted...

Stamps: Party Hearty, Thank You Kindly
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz, Peach Parfait, Blushing Bride classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White cardstock; patterned paper by Jillibean Soup
Accessories: White Baker's Twine, Sanding Block

Out of the entire Stampin' Up! Summer Mini, the Baker's Twine was my favorite thing. I love twine and I am SO excited to see it in Stampin' Up! colors! Of course, I bought all 3 they are offering right now. How cool would it be if there was even more in the 2011-2012 catalog! I can wish, right? Speaking of the new catalog, I am desperately waiting for it! After working with the current stuff all year, I need something new! Especially paper... the mini's aren't cutting it for me! Anyone else super excited about the preorder in a month???

Anyways, this card is pretty straight forward... I stamped the hats from the set and cut them out to use as a banner. I popped them up and added the twine. I'm making Thank You's this week to give to my daughter's teachers. I already have another one to share with you tomorrow! :) Until then, I hope you have a great day and hopefully it isn't raining where you are!

-tessa

A Couple of Birthday Cards

2011-04-18T18:54:00.004-04:00

Hello! I'm still on a mission to get some birthday cards done! I have two to share today that I got done on Saturday night. They have sort of a vintage feel to them:

Goodies:
All supplies by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Bliss set, Well Scripted set, A Slice of Life set
Ink: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip, Early Espresso, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Baja Breeze, Daffodil Delight classic inks; Jet Black Staz On
Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso cardstock; Marina Mist textured cardstock; patterned paper by Jillibean Soup
Accessories: Basic Pearls, Linen Thread, Victoria Crochet Trim, Scallop Edge punch, Decorative Label punch, Large Circle and Scallop Circle punch; Aqua painter

Doesn't the patterned paper remind you of an old calico print? I thought it was fun!

I made these down at my friend Dawnette's house where I hang out almost every Saturday night. You should see what she made with Stampin' Up!s Love Letter's DSP- Such a pretty layout! Pop on over to her blog to take a peek.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you are enjoying your evening- mine is quiet since my hubby is out of town... I'll be watching DWTS in my craft room tonight! :)

-tessa

Cozy Layout

2011-04-15T11:02:00.005-04:00

Hello there!

I've got another layout to share today... it's inspired by Kelly again and her great Sketchbook 3 course! This is day four's sketch:

Goodies:
cardstock by Stampin' Up!; patterned paper by American Crafts, Studio Calico, and My Minds Eye; Letters by Jillibean Soup, Making Memories, and Pink Paisley; Mini Stapler by Ranger; Boarder punch and circle punches by Stampin' Up!; Stitching done with the help of the Sew Easy by We R Memory Keepers

I don't scrapbook too much with circles but I love the way it looks! The sewing was a little time consuming but I love the end result. The scallop pattern is so cute! I wanted some simple embellishments and my circle punches did just the trick!

Thanks for popping by to take a peek! I've been working on cards lately, too and I promise I'll post some of those creations in the next couple days!

Have a great weekend!

-tessa

Delight Scrapbook Page

2011-04-12T07:27:00.004-04:00

Good morning! My girls are still asleep and the little guy I watch during the day isn't here yet so I thought I'd pop on and share another page real quick! It's another Kelly Purkey Sketchbook inspired layout- day 3 if you are wondering...

Goodies:

cardstock by Stampin' Up!; patterned paper and stickers by Echo Park; stamps- Artistic Etchings set by Stampin' Up!; linen thread by Stampin' Up!; Chipboard letter stickers by Basic Grey; button by Jenni Bowlin

The flower is hand made- a technique I learned in a Jenni Bowlin class last year and just finally "got" ha ha! Here is a closer look:

I used an old patterned for my material- they are very easy to work with because they're so thin!

You can see my subtle stamped scallop in the picture, too- I used Soft Suede ink but stamped off so that it was hardly noticeable on the Crumb Cake cardstock. Speaking of cardstock, I am so happy that Stampin' Up! started making textured Kraft cardstock! I wanna say they are the only company doing it right now... it really is nice!

The picture is one of my favorites from when Natalie was tiny. It was taken by my friend Amy who has since started her own photography company in the Alexandria, VA area.

Anyways, better get breakfast going before everyone is awake and hungry! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by to take a peek!

-tessa

Sketchbook3 Day 2 Layout and Card...

2011-04-11T12:48:00.004-04:00

Hi There!

I have a card and a layout to share today! Both were inspired by Kelly Purkey's Sketchbook3 course. I'm really enjoying this and I am shocked at how many pages I've gotten done over the last week! Hopefully I'll have time to share them all on my blog.

Anyways, here is the layout I created using Kelly's Day 2 sketch:

Goodies:
cardstock by Bazzil; patterned papers by October Afternoon, Jillibean Soup, Sassafrass, and Chatterbox; punches by Fiskars; letter stickers by October Afternoon and Doodlebug Designs

I've used a lot of patterned paper on this layout and I'm afraid it's a little busy... I think I might have to try this sketch again in a simpler way.

And, here is the card inspired by the same sketch:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Petal Pizazz, A Word for You sets
Ink: Baja Breeze, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight, Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Confetti White, Blushing Bride, Cherry Cobbler cardstock; First Edition DSP
Accessories: Linen Thread, Basic Rhinestones, 1/2 back pearls (from Pretties Kit) 1" Circle Punch

This card was fun to make- I forgot how much I like the Petal Pizazz set! The thing that is bothering me is the background paper... does anyone else read what the words say? Hee! Random info on kangaroos!

Anyways, hope you are enjoying your Monday! I'm off to run errands and hit the grocery store... oh yes! An exciting life I lead! :)

-tessa

Colorful Happy Birthday Card

2011-04-06T13:27:00.003-04:00

Hello!

Today I have a card to share with you- I'm in need of a few birthday cards (I'm actually behind on sending them- like January behind!) so I'll be making some more this week! I challenged myself to use Kelly's sketch from Day 1 of her Sketchbook 3 Course to make this... I don't know how well you can see the sketch in my card but I can definitely say that it inspired me!

Goodies:
Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, Create a Cupcake by Stampin' Up!
Ink: StazOn, Basic Grey, Going Grey, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Rose Red, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink, and Daffodil Delight all by Stampin' Up!
Paper: Crumb Cake, Dafodil Delight, watercolor paper, and First Edition DSP by Stampin' Up!; other patterned papers and cardstock by Bazzill
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds, Decorative Label Punch, Photo Corner punch, Melon Mambo polkadot grosgrain ribbon, Subtles buttons, Linen Tread, Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer and Crystal Effects all by Stampin' Up!

My little cupcakes are watercolored and then topped with lots of Dazzling Diamonds for some sparkle. I love all the colors in this one!

I hope you are all enjoying your week! It's a busy one for me but luckily I'm finding a little down time here and there to create- it makes even the busiest days a little less stressful.

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

SB3 Day One Layout: Silverwood

2011-04-04T17:19:00.004-04:00

Hi!

I know it's been awhile since I've posted... you know how it goes... life gets busy and there is no time to blog! I haven't been making cards recently either. Instead, I've been scrapbooking! It's where I started so many years ago and I forgot how much I like the larger space to fill. I've been having a lot of fun with it!

I don't usually take classes but one of my favorite scrappy girls, Kelly Purkey has put together a great online course focusing on sketches. I'm a sucker for sketches and I love the idea of a new one arriving in my inbox 3 times a week for the next month. Hopefully I can find the time to do all of them!

I was so inspired by today's sketch, I decided to do a two page layout so I could add some more pictures... I have tons from last summer's trip to Silverwood!

Goodies:

cardstock- Stampin' Up!, Bazzill
patterned paper- Imaginisce, Bo Bunny, Jilly Bean Soup
punches- Stampin' Up!, Fiskars
Lettering- Cricut (Opposites Attract cartridge)

It felt good to use up some old supplies on this... I don't think I've used my Cricut for about a year now! I also mixed some older paper lines with some new ones- I think they work well together!

Is anyone else taking the Sketchbook 3 class? I would love to see your layouts if you are! It is so fun to see how different people interpret the designs, don't you think?

OK! I better get going- we are making homemade pizza for dinner and everyone is getting hungry... :)

Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Punch Bunch Cards

2011-02-18T12:01:00.004-05:00

Hi! I thought I'd pop on and share a couple cards I created with the Punch Bunch set (from Sale-a-bration) and scraps of my favorite Playdate DSP:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Woodgrain, Punch Bunch
Ink: Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise cardstock; Real Red, So Saffron textured cardstock; Playdate DSP
Accessories: Old Olive satin ribbon, Linen Thread, Circle Punch, Circle Scissors

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Punch Bunch, So Happy For You
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip cardstock; Real Red textured cardstock; Playdate DSP
Accessories: Scallop Square punch, Large Scallop Circle Punch, Large Circle punch, White Embossing powder, Corner Rounder, Daffodil Delight taffeta ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer

I think the little owl stamp is my favorite from this set... what about you?

Hope you have a great, long weekend!

-tessa

Pretty Bliss Pins

2011-02-16T16:40:00.005-05:00

Hi!

Today I'm sharing some of my pretty pins... Really they're just decorated clothes pins but they were a big hit for me over the Christmas season- I sold over 50 of them at some local craft shows! I also gave a few away as gifts- they would be great for displaying cards around your stamping room or even on your refrigerator (with a magnet added to the back). I also use them as chip clips- they are so cute! :)

So, here are a few pretty clips I made for the SU! leadership display boards using the Bliss Sale-a-bration set:

Another way to display them:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Bliss
Ink: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake
Paper: Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red cardstock; Love Letter DSP
Accessories: Scallop Circle punch, Curly Label punch, Basic Black 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Basic Rhinestones, Antique Brads, Silver Brads, Mini Vintage Tags, Circle punches, Silver Glass Glitter, Linen Thread

As you can see, I added a lot of little details to these guys! The ones I sold during the holidays only had the flowers on them so these were extra special. I may have to remake a set for myself!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

A Valentine Card

2011-02-11T13:03:00.003-05:00

Hello! Hope you are all getting ready for a great weekend! I'm planning a very crafty weekend... cropping with friends on Saturday and a fun class on Sunday! I can't wait!

Today's card is a quick one- and ended up being the only valentine I made this year! I hope you like it:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: what! no stamps? :)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Basic Grey, Pink Pirouette, Real Red cardstock; Playdate DSP
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Curly Label punch, Scallop Edge punch, Linen Thread, paper piercer, Love Impressions rub-ons

So, this card features some of Stampin' Up!s great rub-ons. They are very high quality rub-ons that work like a charm. I was able to layer them with no problems and the white stood out even on darker cardstocks. It really is hard to find good quality rub-ons and I've tried a lot... I think Stampin' Up! may be my favorites!

Anyways, hope you all enjoy your weekend!

-tessa

Crazy for Cupcakes Class

2011-02-07T13:35:00.006-05:00

Next weekend I'm teaching a fun class using the Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set. Here is what we're making:

I've packed a ton of fun techniques into these cards and can't wait to show everyone how easy these really are!

My friend Kristen and I have been trying to put this class together for almost an entire year! Isn't it weird how time flies by so quickly!

We will be making 2 of each of these designs for a total of 10 cards...

And, everyone who comes also gets to take the stamp set home with them as well!

This is one of my favorite stamp sets for birthday cards... I hope everyone else likes it, too! :)

Thanks for peeking at my cards for this class! Hope you are having a fantastic day!

-tessa

Handmade Fabric Flowers

2011-02-03T10:30:00.006-05:00

I love the textures fabric can bring to our crafts- especially when it's ripped or ruffled! Here are a couple of examples of quick, fabric flowers I made recently...

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

So have you tried your hand at fun, fabric flowers?

Hope you are enjoying your day! I've been spending time with my mom who's in town- we're heading out for a fun day of shopping to start our weekend off right! :)

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Blue Bliss Card

2011-01-19T08:48:00.004-05:00

Good Morning!

I have another Bliss card to share with you today! This one also uses a pretty unique color pallet- Blue, Orange, Pink, and Cream:

And, a closer look:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Bliss
Ink: Whisper White craft ink; Early Espresso, Peach Parfait, Tangerine Tango classic inks
Paper: Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Blushing Bride cardstock; Very Vanilla textured cardstock
Accessories: Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Tangerine Tango pom-pom trim, Basic Pearls

I love how the Tangerine Tango looks paired up with the Marina Mist! It's definitely a color combo I'll be trying again!

Hope you all have a great day! Thank you for stopping by to take a peek at what I made...

-tessa

Happy Stars Card

2011-01-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

Good Morning!

Today I'm sharing a clean and simple card using the So Happy for You set from the Sale-a-bration catalog. Here it is:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: So Happy for You set, A to Z background stamp
Ink: Peach Parfait, Pear Pizazz, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Basic Black classic inks
Paper: Sahara Sand, Marina Mist, Whisper White, Bashful Blue cardstock; Peach Parfait textured cardstock
Accessories: Linen Thread, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Dotted Scallop Ribbon boarder punch

I love these colors together! I was going for a little boy look and think these colors work perfectly for that. Do you have color schemes you go to when you think of little boys or girls?

I also want to give a shout out to Kristin! She awarded me with the Stylish Blogger Award a couple weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to posting about it... I'm so bad with blog awards! I've gotten a couple in the past and usually forget about them before I can post and I told myself last time that I wouldn't do it again. So, Thanks Kristin for the award! Hee! If she knew me in real life, she might not think I'm so stylish! :)

The other part of the award is that I have to list 8 random things you may not know about me... oh boy!

1. My last name is Wise so I love owls... I just bought a new purse with owls all over it! I don't have the owl punch though- can you believe it?
2. I love nail polish! The funkier the color, the sparklier the glitter, the better! :) It's the only other thing I collect other then my craftin' stuff.
3. My favorite drink of the moment is Teavana's Earl Grey Creme tea... I recently bought a pound of it and make it all the time! It is so good!
4. I'm a candy nut- I eat candy every day and right now, I have 9 different packages of candy sitting on the top of my refrigerator in case I want some- you never know what kind of mood you'll be in so I like to have a little of everything, just in case!
5. I'm a SAHM but I have 4 jobs that I do from home... sometimes it's a little overwhelming but staying home with my girls makes it totally worth it!
6. I have two college degrees... one in History and another in Anthropology...
7. I'm making baked potatoes tonight for dinner- it's the first time ever I've made these myself! I cook alot so I don't know why it's taken me so long to figure them out!
8. My husband thinks I'm awesome! It must be true! Ha Ha!:)

Thanks again for the award Kristin!

-tessa

Bliss Card

2011-01-17T09:03:00.003-05:00

My favorite set from our up coming Sale-a-bration freebies is the Bliss set. It is so pretty and I love that butterfly! Here is a card I created with it:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Bliss
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso classic inks
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White cardstock; Rose Red textured cardstock; Playdate DSP, Newsprint DSP
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Scallop Edge punch, Sweet Stitches designer fabric

I love how this card turned out! It has a bright and cheerful color pallet with just a hint of shabby chic goodness! :) I've torn the fabric strip and then gathered it by pulling a string from the center to create the pretty ruffle.

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

A Cupcake Birthday Card

2011-01-10T13:28:00.003-05:00

Hello!

I have a fun little birthday card to share with you using some of my new favorites from the Occasions Mini:

Goodies:

Stamps: Create a Cupcake set
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Whisper White cardstock; Tempting Turquoise textured cardstock; Love Letter DSP; Play Date DSP
Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede Classic Inks
Accessories: Play Date Quick Accent Stickers, Scallop Edge Punch, Build a Cupcake punch, 2-3/8" Scallop Circle punch, 1-3/4" Circle punch, Linen Thread, Basic Rhinestones, Dimensionals, Paper Piercer, Vanilla Shimmer Smooth Spritz; Felt ribbon- not SU!

So, already, I love the new cupcake punch! I can't wait to try out some more ideas I have for it... it's just fun! :) For this card, I punched part of my cupcake from DSP and used a stamp for the bottom but you could do so many other things with it!

I just couldn't help throwing that cute loopy ribbon on- I've been hoarding it for awhile now and it was begging to be on this card! Hee! It really does work though, doesn't it?

Hope you are all enjoying your day!

-tessa

Vintage White Card

2011-01-06T14:41:00.005-05:00

Hi! I thought with the new year already past, I should probably post something on my poor blog! I've been neglecting it again but boy have I been having fun in real life! My girls are 3 and 5 and they had the best time during the holidays- everything was magical! I loved every minute of it! They are still singing songs about Santa and can't wait until next year... silly girls!

For Christmas, I picked out a whole order of new Stampin' goodies for myself and they arrived just a few days ago! It's amazing what new stamps do for my mojo! I have a few cards up my sleeve with goodies from the new Occasions mini and have plenty of Sale-a-bration inspirations to share with you once Leadership has started- I got to make lots of samples for the boards this year!

Today I'm sharing the first card I've made with a new, sweet little set called Easter Blossoms:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Easter Blossoms set
Ink: Crumb Cake Classic ink; Versamark
Paper: Very Vanilla, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, White Embossing powder, Victoria Crochet trim, Neutrals buttons, Linen Thread, Basic Pearls

I heat embossed the cherry blossom images in the background using white embossing powder. Next, I added Crumb Cake ink with a sponge to make each piece look nice and vintagey. I love the look of white on white but I think this is the first card I've made with it!

Well, hope your year is off to a nice start! Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Winter Cards

2010-11-19T13:11:00.003-05:00

It's amazing how fast time flies this time of year! I thought I'd better post a few of the holiday cards I've done so far before Christmas gets here! :)

I was inspired by the colors in the Candy Cane Christmas papers... they are so pretty together! I also made another cute penguin guy...hee!

I'm going to keep it short so if you have any questions, please ask...
Hope you are enjoying the last few days before the holiday season really starts going fast! Thanks for stopping by to peek!

-tessa

Christmas Treats- Penguin Style!

2010-11-08T11:05:00.003-05:00

I loved the design of Allison's treats and have been wanting to CASE them for some time now. Here is my version of her great idea:

Stamps: Christmas Greetings
Ink: Basic Black
Paper: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie cardstock
Accessories: Top Note die, Owl Punch, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Real Red polka-dot grosgrain ribbon.

Aren't they fun? Hee! I've seen these darling penguins popping up on Splitcoast and on other blogs I read lately and had to make some of my own! It's my first try at punch art and they were super easy to do- they only extra cut you have to make is to trim the owl's ears off- everything else is the punch as is!

Hope you enjoy your day!

-tessa

Sweet Little Boo Card

2010-10-27T20:22:00.003-04:00

Hi! I thought I'd pop on really quick and post a fun little card that includes a gift I made yesterday:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up! (except for the felt)

Stamps: Tiny Tags, Woodgrain
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake cardstock; Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie textured cardstock; In Colors DSP
Accessories: Sanding Block, Jewelery Tag punch, Linen Thread; white felt and black DMC thread

While perusing through my blog reader yesterday I found this write up about a fun book called Witch Craft. I thought the little ghostie pin was too cute so I decided to give it a try! And of course, when I was done with it, I had to put it on a card! :) Hee! It has a pin, too so that when I give it away, the recipient can wear it.

I love it when I'm inspired to try something new! How about you? Have you ventured into new crafts on a whim lately?

Hope you are enjoying your day!

-tessa

A Fun Felt Flower

2010-10-20T16:02:00.005-04:00

Hi!

Today is rainy and gloomy outside so my girls and I are getting our craft on! Nat and Zoey have been busy creating play-doh treats and boy is it keeping them busy- they've been at it all afternoon! Since they were having so much fun, I sat down and made a fun card to play along with the latest Embellish Magazine Challenge. Here is what I made:

All Supplies by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, A Word for You
Ink: Early Espresso classic ink; Versamark
Paper: Very Vanilla cardstock; Pink Pirouette textured cardstock; Playdate DSP
Accessories: Subtles designer buttons, Clear embossing powder, paper piercer; baker's twine and felt- craft supply

I created the flower by hand. I started by cutting five ovals out of the felt. I folded each of them in half and ran a running stitch through the folded side. When they were all finished, I knotted the ends of thread together tightly to create the flower shape. It didn't take too much time and I think it turned out pretty cute!

I wanted to keep the design simple so that the flower would really stand out. I added a few swirls using the Baroque Motifs set to the background and heat embossed them with clear powder.

OK! I better get dinner started- I'm going to make curry so I have lots of fresh veggies to chop. Hee! It's all worth it though- curry is my favorite! Hope you are enjoying your day! Thanks for popping in to check out my card.

-tessa

A Christmas Swap

2010-10-19T09:08:00.000-04:00

Hi!

One fun thing about winning the Artisan Award has been swapping with the other winners! They are so talented and it is such a treat to receive such great cards from them all! Our swap this season was for winter or Christmas cards using a Clean and Simple design. Here is what I came up with:

All products are by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Cute Christmas set; Four the Holidays set
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Perfect Pear, Real Red, Basic Black classic inks
Paper: Real Red, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi cardstock; Candy Cane Christmas DSP
Accessories: Linen Thread, Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds

I tried to keep it Clean and Simple but added a little envelope on the front for a picture, money, or a little love note.

I had lots of fun playing along! Hopefully the other girls and Richard will post their cards soon because they are beautiful! I've got links to all of their blogs over ----> on my sidebar.

Hope you enjoy your day! Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

A Sympathy Card

2010-10-17T06:47:00.000-04:00

A friend called and asked me to make a sympathy card for her. I don't know the person it's going to but I wanted to create a pretty and soothing card for them. I automatically thought of the Just Believe set and the watercolor technique that was used in the SU! convention make and takes. Here is what I came up with:

All products are Stampin' Up!

Goodies:
Stamps: Just Believe set, Thoughts and Prayers set
Ink: Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Rich Razzleberry cardstock; Soft Suede textured cardstock; watercolor paper; Parisian Breeze DSP
Accessories: Color Spritzer, Scallop Edge punch, Decorative Label punch, Linen Thread, Paper Piercer

I hope this card lets the recipient know that her friend is thinking of her!

Thanks for stopping by,

-tessa

Autumn Thank You Card

2010-10-15T06:31:00.006-04:00

Hello!

Hope you've had a great week! I'm up early today so I thought I'd pop on and update while my girls are still asleep! I've been busy creating lately so I have lots of cards to share- I've been very busy with life, too, so getting on the computer has been a little tricky! Hopefully I can add them all in the coming days.

Anyways, today I thought I'd share this simple card I made last week:

All products by Stampin' Up (except for the thread :))

Goodies:

Stamps: Day of Gratitude set; I {Heart} Hearts set
Ink: Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake classic inks
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White cardstock; Play Date DSP
Accessories: Build-a-brad, Paper Piercer, Play Date Quick Accents, DMC Thread

My daughter had a shirt on that totally inspired the layout of this card. I loved the stitching intermixed with the patterns and am very happy with how it turned out.

Are you ever inspired by things you see on clothing?

Have a great weekend!

-tessa

Christmas Swaps for Regional!

2010-09-30T21:09:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow morning I'm on my way to the Stampin' Up! regionals in Baltimore, MD! I'm excited to spend the day with lots of people who are just as excited about stamping as I am! Hee! Of course, with all those stampers gathering, we bring lots of swaps! Here is what I created for mine:

All products by Stampin' Up!

I did the faux letterpress design on the background piece by brayering Whisper White craft ink onto one side of my Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and then running it through my machine with Crumb Cake cardstock. It is really pretty and adds a whole new dimension to the texture.

Well, hope you are enjoying your evening! I'm off to gather all my goodies together for tomorrow...

-tessa

First Christmas Card of the Season...

2010-09-28T16:42:00.005-04:00

I decided to break out the Christmas goodies finally... I've been looking at them for months now, and even though it's a hot 70 something degrees outside, I felt like making something for the holidays. I seriously think fall is going to skip us this year!

My inspiration for this card comes from the most recent Just Add Ink sketch challenge. Isn't it a great one? Here is the card I made:

All products by Stampin' Up!

I realized with this card that I don't have any nice sized snowflake stamps. I've added them to my wishlist- it would have been nice to have a few different sized flakes going on with this card.

OK! Off to make something yummy for dinner! Hope you are having a great day!

-tessa

Simple Apple Blossom Card

2010-09-23T09:42:00.005-04:00

Hello!

Today I'm sharing another card using the Apple Blossom hostess set. I just love it! It has become my favorite go-to stamp set of the moment and it's easy to see why! Pretty focal point stamps; great background stamps; and heartfelt sentiments, too! What more could a girl want out of a stamp set. :)

All Products by Stampin' Up!

I opted for a simple look with this card and only added the patterned paper at the bottom when I stamped my first attempt at a sentiment lopsided... hee! Thank goodness for happy mistakes, right?

I hope you are enjoying your day!

-tessa

A Fall Card

2010-09-22T10:59:00.003-04:00

Hi! I made this card awhile ago but thought I'd share it today- I was waiting for more fall like weather but where I live it's still 90 degrees outside! Now, I'm not complaining... I'm not looking forward to winter being here yet but it does seem a little weird being so nice outside!

Anyways, here is my nice, fall-like card:

All products by Stampin' Up!

This one was a lot of fun to make! I stamped the leaves onto Crumb Cake cardstock and heat embossed them with white powder. Next, I watercolored the entire background with my favorite fall colors. I love how it looks!

Well, I hope you are all enjoying Autumn wherever you live! Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Little Witch Card

2010-09-09T09:32:00.005-04:00

Good Morning!

Today is Zoey's 3rd day of kindergarten and she is loving it! I am still getting used to the new routine... and Natalie is still getting used to not having her big sister around all the time! Hopefully by next week it will be a little easier for us. :)

With school starting, I've been thinking about fall (ha! the weather here is a little behind- it's been in the 90s still!) and Halloween, too! I made this cute card over the weekend:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Tiny Tags, Paisley Party Wheel
Ink: Pear Pizazz, Rich Razzleberry, Peach Parfait, Soft Suede, So Saffron, Basic Black, Basic Grey, Blush Blossom, Blushing Bride classic inks; Jet Black Staz On
Paper: Confetti White, Rich Razzleberry, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizazz, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake cardstock; Blushing Bride textured cardstock
Accessories: Decor Elements Applicator tool, Scallop Edge punch, Jewelery Punch, Linen Thread, Aqua Painter, Blender pens

This little cutie is painted using my Blender pens and residual inks from my ink pads. I tried to use my aqua painter first and some spots were so tiny, it was much easier for me to just use the pens. I traded for my painter though in some of the larger areas.

Also, I want to point out that if you haven't used your Decor Elements Applicator tool in your card making, try it! I used it on this card to curl up the edges of my background strips. I love how soft it makes them! You could probably use your bone folder to get the same effect as well!

Well, I hope your week is going well! I am thankful mine is going by fast and that the weekend is almost here! I've got some stamping planned for Saturday night and I can't wait!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Cowboy Card

2010-09-03T08:36:00.004-04:00

Good morning! I am so excited that today is Friday! My hubby has an extra-long long weekend, too so I can't wait to relax!

Today's card was inspired by the cross country trip we took over the summer- Wyoming and South Dakota, in particular... These were two of my favorite states that we visited. The scenery was amazing- painted deserts, beautiful mountains, prairies... and in some spots, it still felt like the wild west. The archeologist/ historian in me would love to live there but, being married to a guy who loves the city, I know it will never happen! Hee! So, when I got home and put in my giant SU! order, I had to add this cowboy to my list:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Out West, Style Beautiful
Ink: Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Going Grey classic inks; Jet Black Staz On; Versamark
Paper: Dusty Durango, Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Confetti White cardstock; Newsprint DSP
Accessories: Clear embossing powder, Hemp Twine, Aqua Painter

I used one of the stamps from the Style Beautiful set in the background- they kind of remind me of the west, too... maybe a belt buckle or something? I watercolored the main image using residual ink from my stamp pads and an aqua painter. I also pulled apart the strip of Early Espresso to give it that soft suedey look- have you tried that yet? Such a fun way to make texture for your card!

I love the simplicity of this card and now, I can't wait to make more using this set! I may have to order the In Wilderness set next... I found a new love for buffalo, too while driving through Yellowstone!

Thanks for visiting today!

-tessa,

New Glittery Paper!

2010-09-02T06:20:00.000-04:00

I always love Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Mini Catalog... and this years is the best yet! I seriously want everything inside it! Hee! One of my favorite things is the variety of patterned paper they are offering. I couldn't resist and ordered two of them already! Today's cards are made with the Candy Cane Christmas DSP pack- it is a specialty DSP so there is beautiful red glitter added to some of the designs! Here are my cards so you can take a peek:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Sock Monkey
Ink: Crumb Cake, Real Red classic inks; Jet Black Staz On
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Baja Breeze cardstock; Garden Green textured cardstock; Candy Cane Christmas DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer, Candy Cane big designer buttons, DMC thread

Can you tell I'm not in a Christmas mood yet? I thought these papers could work for a variety of occasions- not just Christmas! I love the look of this paper pieced little monkey! Also, can you tell how big those buttons are?? They are big and hearty!

The next card is a mini card using a new set out of the mini- Paisley Prints:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Paisley Prints
Ink: Blushing Bride classic ink; Versamark
Paper: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Wild Wasabi cardstock; Garden Green textured cardstock; Candy Cane Christmas DSP
Accessories: Clear Circle Rhinestone brads, Clear embossing powder, Scallop Edge punch, Decorative Label punch

I had lots of fun playing with these new goodies! I think the buttons and the new Decorative Label punch are going to be my favorites this season...

If you haven't taken a peek yet, sneak over to the Stampin' Up! website to check out this years holiday mini! I'm sure you'll love everything in it just as much as I did!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

A Trio of Projects

2010-08-30T08:25:00.008-04:00

Hello there!

Well, I made it across country for the second time this summer and I'm finally home and getting back into the swing of things! Today I thought I'd share a few little projects I've been working on this week.

My mojo is still on vacation so this first one is a CASE of Twila Mooningham's card- I think her designs are so clever and cute! Here is my card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake
Paper: Chocolate Chip textured cardstock; Whisper White, Crumb Cake cardstock; Greenhouse Gala DSP
Accessories: Certainly Celery satin ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, Curly Label punch, Basic Pearls

Since I liked how that one turned out, I decided to keep the color scheme and make a few other things with it! Next up is a hand sanitizer holder- my sweet friend Kiesha brought me these last year and I loved the idea! I think she got the tutorial here, from Natasha Zandbergen- isn't it a great idea! I think it will be the perfect little gift for Zoey's teacher on her first day of school!

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Apple Blossoms
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizazz
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White cardstock; Greenhouse Gala DSP
Accessories: Whisper White 1/2" taffeta ribbon, Decorative Label punch, Basic Pearls
Other: Foaming hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works

I was tickled with how that one turned out!

I've been wanting to scrapbook lately, too so I thought I'd have a go at a page using this color scheme, too! Here it is:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, I {Heart} Hearts, Lovely Letters Alphabet
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizazz
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip cardstock; Greenhouse Gala DSP; Newpsrint DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Top Note die, paper piercer, White Signo gel pen, Chocolate Chip satin ribbon, Decorative Label punch

I love this picture of my dad and his brother and sisters when they were young! I wonder what was making them laugh? I was picturing my Grandpa Herman standing off to the side doing something silly... hee!

For the title and journaling, I printed the text first and then stamped in the 'young' part... I had to make a few test prints to get it how I wanted it but I love how it turned out!

Well, I hope your week is off to a great start! I'm expecting a HUGE package from UPS today so I'll hopefully have lots to share this week!

Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Play Scrapbook Page

2010-08-13T09:55:00.001-04:00

Here is my last entry for the Artisan Award Contest! It is a scrapbook page of my daughter Zoey. She was playing at the park when I took this photo so that is where the inspiration for my title came from. Here it is:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts
Ink: Ruby Red classic ink; Versamark
Paper: Whisper White cardstock; Chocolate Chip textured cardstock; Sweet Pea DSP, The Write Stuff DSP, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP
Accessories: Dimensionals, Photo Corner punch, On Board chipboard alphabet, Crystal Effects

I wanted to piece together the panel at the bottom sort of crazy like a quilt. I loved putting all of the patterns from my left over DSP together to create the look. I left the chipboard letters in thier original color but added a little Crystal Effects to each one to make them glossy. I also originally didn't put any stamping on the page and then had a second thought about adding some- I mean really- the contest is for a stamping company after all! Hee! I love how it turned out though!

Don't forget to stop by the other Artisan's blogs as well:

Heather Van Duker
Elizabeth Price
Renee Ballard
Angela Timms
Jodie Olver
Becky Cowley
Andrea Munro
Richard Garay
Tessa Wise (you are here)

Thanks for hopping with us for the last two weeks! I've had so much fun and it's really kept me on my toes with blog posts!

-tessa

A Recycled Cereal Box

2010-08-12T09:55:00.001-04:00

Who knew an old cereal box could turn into something so cute! Hee! I created this magazine holder with a recycled cereal box for my last 3-d project for the Artisan Awards contest. Here it is:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Vintage Vogue, Always, Hope Happens
Ink: Versamark; Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Pale Plum classic ink
Paper: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Whisper White cardstock; Rich Razzleberry textured cardstock
Accessories: Soft Suede polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, Clear circle rhinestones, Hemp Twine, Circle Punch, Dimensionals

It's pretty easy to make at home- I just used a marker and a ruler to draw the lines where I wanted to cut the box and then cut it out. Then, just decorate and you've got a fun, cute place to put all your Stampin' Success magazines! I think I might make another one of these for my studio area... I did a lot of hand cutting for the front of the box. I wanted to add a pretty detail that framed the quote. I love how pretty the branch flowers from the Always set turned out.

Don't forget to checkout the other Artisan Award winner's blogs! We've got a few more days on our blog hop!

Heather Van Duker
Elizabeth Price
Renee Ballard
Angela Timms
Jodie Olver
Becky Cowley
Andrea Munro
Richard Garay
Tessa Wise (you are here)

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Birthday Wishes Card

2010-08-11T09:46:00.001-04:00

Here is the last card I made for the Artisan Awards contest. I love the bright colors with the Soft Suede and Crumb Cake... don't they just pop? Here is the card:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: A Little Birthday Cheer, Crazy for Cupcakes
Ink: Soft Suede, Basic Black classic ink
Paper: Soft Suede, Real Red, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Crumb Cake cardstock
Accessories: Polka-dot Impressions folder, Bermuda Bay Polka-dot Grosgrain ribbon, Crystal Effects, Scallop Edge punch, Dimensionals, Hemp Twine

This one was fun to do- I actually made it for someone's birthday but since I was down to the wire for the Artisan Award deadline, I decided to send it in instead. Hee! The shiny balloons are my favorite!

Here are the links to the rest of the Artisan Award winners who are participating in the blog hop:

Heather Van Duker
Elizabeth Price
Renee Ballard
Angela Timms
Jodie Olver
Becky Cowley
Andrea Munro
Richard Garay
Tessa Wise (you are here)

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Grow Scrapbook Page

2010-08-10T09:45:00.001-04:00

Today's post is a scrapbook page of my daughter Zoey. I wanted to create a bright, graphic type of page that showed off the picture more then anything. Since the picture was of Zoey in the fall, I grabbed Season of Friendship yet again for a fun fall tree:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Season of Friendship
Ink: Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry classic ink
Paper: Very Vanilla cardstock; Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie textured cardstock; Razzleberry Lemonade DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, chipboard letters, dimensionals

I'm loving this color scheme! I'll have to make some fall cards when I get home...

Here are the links to the rest of the Artisan Award winners who are participating in the blog hop:

Heather Van Duker
Elizabeth Price
Renee Ballard
Angela Timms
Jodie Olver
Becky Cowley
Andrea Munro
Richard Garay
Tessa Wise (you are here)

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Simple Birds Card

2010-08-09T09:48:00.001-04:00

Hi!

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend! I've got a full day of driving ahead of me- we should be in Bismark, ND for dinner tonight. My mother in law and I are heading to the Mall of America for a couple of days and then down to my house in Virginia... I can't wait to be home! Hee!

I'm participating in the Artisan Award blog hop again this week. Today's card is probably the simplest one I did but I loved how it turned out! Here it is:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: The More the Merrier, Woodgrain
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie classic ink;, Versamark; Jet Black StazOn ink
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink cardstock; Not Quite Navy, Melon Mambo textured cardstock
Accessories: Corner Rounder punch, Scallop Edge punch, Latte' button assortment, Hemp Twine, Aqua Painter, Dazzling Diamonds glitter

The birds are watercolored and I added a little glitter to thier hearts for some sparkle but really, that is it! Really simple!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Artisans who are hopping with me this week!

Heather Van Duker
Elizabeth Price
Renee Ballard
Angela Timms
Jodie Olver
Becky Cowley
Andrea Munro
Richard Garay
Tessa Wise (you are here)

Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Little Dress Forms Card

2010-08-06T09:41:00.001-04:00

Good Morning!

We had a great time in Forks yesterday. The drive was so pretty and there was more to see there then I remember as a kid. It was fun!

Today's card is another Artisan Award winner. Here it is:

I am a little busy today and the computer I'm borrowing doesn't seem to like me so I'm going to keep this short and leave out the details for now.

Here is the list of the Artisan Award winners participating in the blog hop:

Heather Van Duker
Elizabeth Price
Renee Ballard
Angela Timms
Jodie Olver
Becky Cowley
Andrea Munro
Richard Garay
Tessa Wise (you are here)

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Spring Birds Banner

2010-08-05T09:55:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Today I thought I'd share one of my 3-d items from the Artisan Awards... I think it was my best project. It turned out just as I was hoping. But before I show you it, I have to brag a little... I'm vacationing on the coast in Washington State and I know a few of you will be jealous... I'm heading to Forks tomorrow! Hee! I know... dork! I'm so team Edward! My mom and I are taking the long way home just so we can get a peak at Forks high school and Bella's house. We are hoping to see just a few crazy fans who visit dressed up in thier vampire finest. Hee! OK... here is my banner:

And some closer shots of the pieces:

Most of these supplies are retired so I'm not going to list them all. If you have questions, just ask.

The idea for this came from a project I made for a crop I attended in January- I made giant lollipop flowers for a display and thought "wow! wouldn't these make a great banner?" The lollipops are easy enough to create- I cut various widths of 12" strips and accordion folded them at 1/2". After they were folded, I glued the ends together and flattened them out. I used a lot of chipboard for the embellishments. I covered them with ink, paper, glossy accents, and glitter. It was a lot of fun to make!

Anyways, if you haven't been to the other Artisan Award winner's blogs today, check them out. I'm sure you'll be inspired by each and every one of them!

Heather Van Duker
Elizabeth Price
Renee Ballard
Angela Timms
Jodie Olver
Becky Cowley
Andrea Munro
Richard Garay
Tessa Wise (you are here)

Hope you have a great day! I'll try to report back tomorrow about Forks and all the vampires we see... hee!

Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Distressed Dream Card

2010-08-04T09:49:00.001-04:00

Good Morning!

I'm back today with another one of my Artisan Award entries. Today's card was the last piece that I made to send in. It was done pretty late on the night before it was due and I just kept adding to it until it looked right. I used more of my favorite stamp sets and one of my favorite color combinations, too! Here it is:

Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Medallion, En Francais, Dreams Du Jour
Ink: Soft Suede, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red classic inks; Whisper White craft ink
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Soft Suede cardstock; Pumpkin Pie textured cardstock; Thoroughly Modern DSP
Accessories: Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, Hemp Twine, Pretties kit, Aqua Painter, Signo White gel pen, paper piercer, Scallop Edge punch

This card feels like there is a lot going on, doesn't it? You can't even see where I used the En Francais stamp in the background but it could just be the picture. I distressed the whole thing with lots of Soft Suede classic ink.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Artisan Award winners projects:

Heather Van Duker
Elizabeth Price
Renee Ballard
Angela Timms
Jodie Olver
Becky Cowley
Andrea Munro
Richard Garay
Tessa Wise (you are here)

Hope you are enjoying our little blog hop! Isn't everyone's work amazing!!

Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for stopping by my little blog!

-tessa