Play Scrapbook Page

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

Peek-a-boo Scrapbook Page

Good Morning!

Today I'm sharing another one of my Artisan Award projects. It's a scrapbook page featuring my daughter oldest daughter Zoey:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Circle Circus, Vintage Vogue
Ink: Rose Red, Old Olive, Soft Suede classic inks
Paper: Rose Red, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla cardstock; Very Vanilla textured cardstock; The Write Stuff DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Sweet Pea felt flowers, Hemp Twine, paper piercer, White Signo Gel pen, On Board chipboard pieces (alphabets)

I used the faux suede technique on the letters and on the banner. They all look soft and fuzzy in real life! I was trying to create different textures and not make it too busy. This is probably my favorite of all my projects, only because it's one of my favorite memories of Zoey- we brought Natalie home from the hospital the day before these were taken. She was playing peek-a-boo with her Nana.

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)

OK! Hope you enjoy the rest of your day! I'll be back again tomorrow with another project.


-tessa

Fairytale Romance Card

Yesterday was me and hubby's 9th wedding anniversary... kind of hard to believe we've been together 10 years now! We celebrated by doing one of our favorite things- getting gelati at Rita's.



Mmmm! Yummy Italian ice mixed with some of the best frozen custard. We even won a free quart of Cotton Candy ice- one of my favorites!

I must have been in a romantic mood when I was cardmaking, because here is what I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Full of Life
Ink: Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Cameo Coral, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White cardstock; Newsprint DSP, Greenhouse Gala DSP, The Write Stuff DSP
Accessories: Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, Modern Label Punch

The colors and use of a label came from the most recent Embellish Magazine challenge. I love yellow and coral together and I think Cameo Coral is one of the retiring SU! colors that I will miss most. Isn't it pretty with the new Daffodil Delight?

I created my own patterned paper using a stamp from the Artistic Etchings set and Early Espresso ink- stamping onto the Cameo Coral cardstock using my Stamp-a-ma-jig to guide me. I think there is a pattern like this in the new color family DSPs...

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day! I'm gearing up for a weekend crop at my favorite local store, Scrapdoodles! I've got a list of things to work on including swaps for convention! Hee!

Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

More Vintage Awash with Flowers Cards

I had so much fun making the last bunch of cards with the Awash with Flowers set, I pulled it out again to create a couple more with the same vintagy feeling...




Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Awash with Flowers, Vintage Vogue, Warm Words, Well Scripted sets
Ink: Soft Suede, Pink Pirouette, Perfect Plum, Old Olive, So Saffron, Rose Red, and Basic Black Classic Inks; Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Confetti White, Rose Red cardstock; The Write Stuff DSP
Accessories: Hemp Twine, Scallop Edge Punch, Pretty in Pink 1/2" satin ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds, Paper Piercer, Stampin' Dimensionals

After I made these two, I was checking out what other people have done with this set online and figured out that I've been using the largest flower backwards... oh well! I think it adds a little whimsy this way! Hee!

Enjoy your week!

-tessa

Awash with Vintage

Hi! Sorry it's been so long since my last post... isn't it funny how time flies? I've been having fun with my family and we've had a few visitors over the last month or so... I love playing tourist around here and had a great time showing my cousins and mom around DC. I even went on my first adventure to NYC! LOVED the shopping there!

I've been crafting a lot lately too, but most of my work went into the Artisan Awards competition for SU! demos... the dates were a little confusing though and I ended up having to finish 3 cards, 2 scrapbook pages, and both 3-d projects in 3 days! I got it done and in but I think it will be a miracle if I get chosen...

Today I'm sharing a few cards I made over the weekend. I was inspired by the most recent Just Add Ink challenge to create something with a vintage feel. I had so much fun with my new Awash with Flowers set, I made three! Hee! Here they are:





Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Awash with Flowers, Vintage Vogue, Warm Words sets
Ink: Soft Suede, Pink Pirouette, Perfect Plum, Old Olive, So Saffron, Rose Red, and Basic Black Classic Inks; Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Confetti White, Rose Red cardstock; The Write Stuff DSP
Accessories: Hemp Twine, Scallop Edge Punch, Pretty in Pink 1/2" satin ribbon, Top Note Die, Dazzling Diamonds, Paper Piercer, Stampin' Dimensionals

My go to items when creating something with a vintage feel are Kraft and Confetti cardstock and my Soft Suede ink- I love to ink around everything with it using a sponge. I love the soft dingy look it creates! Hee! I wonder what people who aren't card makers think of this? I wonder if they get the vintage feel vibe or if they think it just looks dirty? Hmmm...

The Awash with Flowers set is great- easy to work with and so much fun! The new rubber makes me eager for our new SU! catalog (not out till July). I've already switched over to the new color families and have all my old cardstock ready for an upcoming yardsale. I've kept a few of my old favorites- Ruby Red, Summer Sun, Pale Plum, as well as the retiring In Colors just incase I need them but for the most part, I'm glad about the new changes! Once I rearranged the colors into their new families I saw their beauty and it was like a breath of fresh air for my creativity! I can't wait to see what everyone makes of the new colors!

Well, I better get going! It feels good to be blogging again!

-tessa

A Spring Day Card

The stamps in the A Kind Word set are just perfect for what I'm feeling right now... like spring should be here and I should be outside swinging and playing with baby kitties! Hee! Unfortunately, for us over on the east coast, winter is still here and we may even get some more snow tonight! Yuck! Here is my pretty spring card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: A Kind Word set
Ink: Jet Black StazOn; Pretty in Pink, Ruby Red, Dusty Durango, Creamy Caramel, Sage Shadow, Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Blush Blossom, Bashful Blue Classic inks
Paper: Sage Shadow, Kraft, Soft Suede, Pretty in Pink cardstock; Watercolor paper; The Write Stuff DSP, Sweet Pea DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Aqua Painter, Signo White gel pen, paper piercer, Corner Rounder punch, Hemp twine, Perfect Polka-dots embossing folder, Dimensionals

I had fun coloring and piecing this little girl together. I decided to cut around her toes to give her a little more dimension and movement. Here is a closer look:



Well, I better cut it short today- we have a furniture delivery and I'm afraid they'll be here before I'm dressed if I don't pop in the shower soon! Enjoy your day!

-tessa

I Love You, Friend...

Today I'm sharing another card I made over our snowy weekend... it is still going on, too, just in case you were wondering... 10-20 more inches starting at noon today! Luckily we've had our power on the entire time and we were able to stock up on lots of yummy goodies yesterday to get us through this next leg of the winter storm...

My friend Andrea posted a challenge on her blog, Twilight Sparrow last week to use this painting by Emily Martin from the Black Apple Shoppe as inspiration for a card or paper craft.



Of course, I made a card. It was a little tricky since I didn't have a hedgie stamp, an airplane stamp, or cute little kids stamps... I just took the colors in the painting and the theme of love and friends. Here it is:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Vintage Vogue set, Picture This set
Ink: Basic Black, Close to Cocoa, So Saffron classic ink; Versamark
Paper: Going Gray, Real Red, Crushed Curry, Old Olive cardstock; Baja Breeze textured cardstock; The Write Stuff DSP
Accessories: Basic Gray Satin ribbon, Crystal Effects, half back pearl(Pretties Kit), Close to Cocoa corduroy buttons, Hemp twine, Clear embossing powder

I wanted to go for a simple look to make the flowers stand out and added some softness by inking around the edges of the background pieces. It is a little different then most cards I make but I like it!

Thanks Andrea for the challenge! I wish I had a cute hedgie stamp to play with! Hee!

Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Ready For Spring...

Being cooped up in the house for four days because of the snow makes you yearn for spring... sunshine, flowers, and blossoming trees! That is what I was thinking about this afternoon when I made this card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Season of Friendship set, Cute and Curly set; Sprinkles
Ink: Old Olive, Rose Red, Soft Suede Classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Kraft, Rose Red, Crushed Curry, Whisper White cardstock; The Write Stuff DSP
Accessories: Curly Label Punch, Hemp Twine, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Latte Button Assortment

The sketch for this design was inspired by Just Add Ink's latest challenge:



I thought it was a great sketch- simple looking but the circle makes it interesting... and a little tricky! Hee! If you have time, give it a whirl!

Hope you are enjoying your afternoon!

-tessa

Vintage Kraftiness

With the new year comes inspiration to organize my craft area and purge out the older stuff I don't use any more. It also unearths old favorites, like the Chic Boutique set that I haven't used in ages! I also found a lonely little Sizzix flower die that hasn't gotten to play in awhile- poor guy! I think I only used it once! I paired these up with some pretty polka-dotted DSP and lots of Kraft cardstock to make this:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Chic Boutique set, Sprinkles set
Ink: Versamark; Soft Suede, Going Gray, Basic Black classic inks
Paper: Kraft, Soft Suede, Rose Red, Crushed Curry, Old Olive cardstock; The Write Stuff DSP; Thoroughly Modern DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Paper Piercing Tool, White Signo gel pen, Circle Rhinestone Brad (Pretties Kit), Sponges, SU! Floral Fusion die, Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, dimensionals

I wanted to create a soft, vintage feel with some bright colors and I love how it turned out! I used the flower stamp from the Sprinkles to create a soft background and used my favorite Soft Suede ink to sponge around the edges. I think the textures of the felt and the torn edges also help with the vintage feel.

OK! I hope you are enjoying your day and if you have time, check out your old stash and pull out some of those favorites that haven't been used in a while!

Thanks for stopping by!

-tessa

Tote-ally Tess Stamp Art

Good morning!

I've had a heck of a week trying to get back into the swing of our normal routine! Funny how that goes, isn't it? Hopefully by next week we'll be waking up on time and getting everything checked off the list each day...

I've been spending a little more time in my craft room lately making fun things like this:



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

Stamps: Tote-ally Tess set
Ink: Basic Black, Soft Suede classic inks, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic Markers
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Crushed Curry, Certainly Celery, Kraft, Whisper White cardstock; The Write Stuff DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer, aqua painter; ribbon by May Arts


I was quite excited when I saw this set in the new mini catty... hello! Her name is Tess! Hee! I had to have her... my mom bought one, too, just because her name was Tess... I made this little frame for my craft room- I also want to create a little framed piece with the Stampin' Up! statement of the heart on it to go along side this. Hopefully it will help me to be more business minded with my Stampin' Up! stuff this year.

Hope you are all enjoing the week! I am going to try to play along with some of my favorite color challenges this week. Thanks for stopping by for a little peek!

-tessa

Snowy days mean time to play along...

Hi! Hope you enjoyed your weekend! We had a snow storm here in DC and I had such a good weekend just being snowed in! I forgot how much fun that can be... cocoa... video games... and card making for me! Love it! I played along with the most recent Embellish Magazine challenge...



Here is what I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: My Matryoshka set, Christmas Greetings set, Patterned Pines set
Ink: Crushed Curry, Bermudda Bay, Soft Suede, Ruby Red, Old Olive classic inks; Whisper White craft ink; Jet Black StazOn
Paper: Kraft, Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Confetti cardstock
Accessories: The Write Stuff DSP (diecut), Crushed Curry polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer, Signo White gel pen, Aqua Painter, Blender pens, Icicle Rubons, Stamp-a-ma-jig

I created my stamped background using the snowflake from the Patterned Pines set. I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line it up and just stamped it over and over again! I forgot how pretty white looks on kraft...

The little dolls were colored with a mix of the blender pens and the aqua painter- I love the look of watercolor but some of those spots are so darn tiny!

I made a couple other cards with the same color scheme... I really liked these colors together! Here they are:



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

Stamps: Wings of Friendship set, Patterned Pines set
Ink: Chocolate Chip classic ink; Whisper White craft ink; Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White,Chocolate Chip cardstock; yellow and lighter turquoise paper by Bazzill
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Heat and Stick powder, Clear embossing powder, Crushed Curry polka-dot ribbon, paper piercer, signo White gel pen

I loved how the background turned out on this card but I am not entirely pleased with the card over all... something about the snowflakes with the flowers just doesn't go...

Here is the last one I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Medalion, Thank You Kindly set
Ink: Crushed Curry, Creamy Caramel classic inks; Versamark
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Kraft,
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon, half-back pearls (Prettys Kit), White embossing powder, paper piercer, White Signo Gel pen

I speckled the card a little by using some Creamy Caramel reinker and a toothbrush- it was just too clean with out it, hee!

I hope you are enjoying your Monday! It helps that it is the Monday before Christmas, doesn't it? Hee! I'll be finishing up my shopping and hopefully getting some presents wrapped.

Thanks for peeking!

-tessa

Merry Christmas Love Card

Oh! How I love new stamps! I listened for the UPS man all morning and finally he delivered me a box of goodies! Yahoo!! The items I got are all from the upcoming mini catalog- out January 5th! The first set I inked up was the I {Heart} Hearts set. I worked it into a Christmas card because I'm just not ready for Valentine's yet! Hee! Here is my card:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts set, Four the Seasons set, Christmas Classics set
Ink: Soft Suede, Ruby Red, Certainly Celery classic inks
Paper: Ruby Red, Whisper White, Kraft, Certainly Celery cardstock; The Write Stuff DSP
Accessories: Soft Suede polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, Crystal Effects, paper piercer, dimensionals

Pretty much, I kept this one simple! I added a little Crystal Effects to let my holly berries pop a bit but that is the only fancy thing! Hee!

Hopefully I'll be spending some time in my stamp room tonight so I can have lots to share next time I blog!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-tessa

Fall Love Card

A while ago, my friend Andrea and I decided that we would challenge each other back and forth with an inspirational something that we found... she challenged me with this book cover and now it's my turn to challenge her! While shopping online for my girls, I ran across these cute boots from Gymboree:



Great color pallet, right? My card idea was already brewing... Here is what I made:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Love You Much set; Sprinkles set
Ink: Basic Black, Soft Suede, Ruby Red, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Kiwi Kiss classic inks
Paper: Whisper White, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty DSP
Accessories: Kraft taffeta ribbon, paper piercer, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Dimensionals

The base is stamped with the hearts from Sprinkles. I inked around the edges before adhering the patterned and torn pieces. Next, I stamped out the Love you Much image and watercolored it. I matted it, added piercings, and adhered the flower with dimensionals. Last, I added the Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds.

I can't wait to see what Andrea comes up with!! Also, if you would like to play along, I'd love to see what you create, too! Just link your finished project in the comments...

Thanks for stopping by and have a great fall day! I think it will be a beautiful one here...

-tessa

Make Merry Card

Today was a good day! I got to play in my craft area for quite some time and whipped up a bunch of cute cards! Tonight I'm just posting one- it's for a challenge with a deadline! Caardvarks is hosting a sketch marathon this week!! I haven't gotten to play along with any of their challenges yet so I am really excited to find the time today! Here is my card:



I used the new Berry Christmas set from Stampin' Up's mini catalog. I think it is such a versatile set but I hate the greeting that comes with it! Make Merry?? It sounds so bossy... oh well, I used it anyways! Hee!

For this card, everything is pretty straight forward... I added some Crystal Effects to the wreath sort of randomly for a little sparkle and dimension. I also inked around the edges of most of the cardstock pieces to soften it a bit. The stitching is faux, too!

Anyways, I'm in the middle of the House premier so I better get back! It started out pretty interesting!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great evening!!

-tessa

My Friend the Sock Monkey...

Yes, I like the sock monkey set! Hee! I know a lot of people are against him (I've even had a customer draw red creepy eyes on him in class) but I love him... or her on my card today! Here it is:



Goodies:
All products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Sock Monkey set, Full of Life set
Ink: Basic Black Classic ink; Close To Cocoa and Pretty in Pink markers
Paper: Kraft, Bashful Blue, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty DSP, Thoroughly Modern DSP
Accessories: Soft Suede polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Crystal Effects, Whisper White Jumbo Grommet, Dimensionals

I had fun paper piecing this gal together! The little polka-dot print from the Thoroughly Modern DSP pack is perfect for these types of jobs.

Thanks for looking today!

-tessa

Hoppin' Frog Card and My Stampin' Space!

Good Monday morning to you all! I hope you had a great weekend... I sure did! Relaxing and fun... who could ask for more!

Today I'm sharing a card I made this weekend. These little frogs from the Hoppy For You set always make me smile and I love their funny pun sayings! Hee!

Here is my card:



Goodies:
All Products by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Hoppy For You set
Ink: Basic Black Classic ink
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, Close to Cocoa, Kraft cardstock; Dusty Durango textured cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty DSP
Accessories: Soft Suede polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

This card included a lot of cutting out but I love the way it turned out in the end! The die cuts from The Write Stuff Specialty DSP are really usable and I love how they look on cards!!

Since we moved in to our new house, I tried my best to get my crafting area set up and I think I am finally done! My area is in a corner of our walk out basement and family room. I was going to put it upstairs in our extra bedroom but since I work a lot in my craft area during the day and my girls are still so young, I thought this set up would work a little better... I can still watch them play in the yard and in the family room while I am busy making things! I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of it while it is still clean- I tend to work in a mess so it won't be like this for long! Hee!


The full view- I like to shop at Ikea!



My main storage unit- lots of paper!



Stamps and other goodies:



Thanks for taking the time to pop by today! Hope you have a wonderful week! I am still playing catchup with things around the house and for my crafting jobs!! I am excited to get a great big shipment of SU goodies this week, too! That is always the best!

-tessa