Lots of new goodies to share!

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine was busy per usual, but on Saturday we enjoyed spending the day with my parents playing Wii and singining a bit of karaoke....yeah, we are a bunch of adult children..lol.

I had some fun colorful things to share, so I thought I'd give a little update!

I was interviewed this week at A Bit Of Color and The BeeHive. It was so cool to be asked and I really did enjoy answering there questions. They had such nice things to say about my shop and I felt so proud..hehe :)

Here are the links to their sites if you want to read my interviews:

• The BeeHive Store
  
• A Bit Of Color

You may have also noticed a super cute blinking ad for Modish Princess to the right of this post. For the last few months I have been working with the creative director at Modish Princess to create buttons and appliques for her children's clothing line. Shana, the creative genius behind Modish Princess has also opened a shop on Etsy in addition to her website! Look for Modish Princess in the very near future as a feature.

In closing, here are some custom orders as well as NEW buttons that I created to add to the shop!

I completed this very spring-like custom order for a wonderful customer of mine. I've been working with her since I started Etsy creating her custom pieces. Here is a sneak peek of that order! Enjoy............

New to the shop, a new collection I call, "Retro Brights" There is a matching felt Euro Bird to match! Gotta love a good collection :)

These buttons are new to my shop also. Shabby-chic and perfectly feminine decked out in pearls and a light white washing.

I was inspired last week to try making some vintage-antique looking buttons. Here is what I came up with!

New in the shop :)

Well, I am off to get ready to have dinner with my family! I hope all is well with everyone :)

Tessa Ann

Whew!

Thank you for all who subscribed for our Buttons Of The Month Club. Your MARCH buttons have shipped out this week! ! We are now SOLD OUT of subscriptions for the Buttons Of The Month Club. If you wanted to sign up, but missed this time, please leave your email address here or contact me at mine (tessaannwatte@gmail.com) and I'll add you to our waiting list.

What a whirl-wind the last month has been for me. My once slow, lax pace in the morning sipping coffee browsing favorite online sites, slowly rolling into the shower and getting ready for the day has turned into jumping straight out of bed, wiping the sleep from my eyes as I pour through my inbox trying to coherently answer any questions and print out orders that came in during the night. It's a new pace...one that has taken some getting used to, but I am living my dream :)

And......If you know me, you know I like things very neat and tidy. Well, with this new found pace in life taking time out to completely tidy my studio each day has taken a back seat totally. This is what my desk looks like each day.Piles of handcut felt pieces ready to stitch, little colorful balls of clay ready to be made into beautiful buttons, coffee, stacks of pens, papers, packaging and reserve stock. I am really enjoying all the wonderful space my new desk provides though!

This last Saturday was such a pretty day outside and I had a ton of buttons and felties to make. Steve suggested we bring the kitchen table out on the back deck and sit and work outside! Genius! I even put him to work cutting out some felties and buttons :) We lasted out there for a few hours before the clouds covered us. It was really refreshing until it got sooo cold we had to move it all back indoors :)


Well, I better get back to work. I will post next with the winner of the March Buttons Of The Month. If you have not left a comment to be entered, please do below!


Have a wonderful day :)
Tessa Ann

Welcome Cindy Tobey, our March Guest Designer! And...win a set of your own March Buttons!

Good Monday Morning, Friends!

March is here! The MARCH Buttons of the Month kit is available here and in my shop. To all of my subscribers, your March buttons are all shipping this week!

Would you or someone you know love to win a set of our March Buttons Of The Month? Come out of lurkedom and leave a comment or story and a winner will be chosen March 15th. Tell your friends!


Without further ado, let me introduce you to our March Guest Designer........ Cindy Tobey!

Cindy's colorful, intricate style has amazed me since I first discovered her work years ago at Scrapbook.com. I was not surprised when she was inducted into Creating Keepsakes' Hall Of Fame Contest last year. You can see her lovely art gracing the pages of Memory Makers, Scrapbook Trends, BH&G Scrapbooks Etc, Paper Crafts and more! She has designed beautiful work for Fancy Pants, Prima, We R Memory Keepers and Trace Industries, as well as her involvement as a "Dream Team" member for Creating Keepsakes Magazine. Yes, she is very talented and I am thrilled to share her with you ALL here!

Cindy was sent the March Buttons Of The Month, as well as my newest Bird design that compliments the BTOM, "Garden Whimsy." I love the layout and card she created using the March "Garden Whimsy" collection. Isn't this sweet, isn't she lovely? Beautiful work, Cindy....thank you!

I love how Cindy used the pink and black flower button as the center of the "O" in her card's title, "LOVE" and "YOU". Combine that with the fun apple green flower, the machine stitching and fun chunky chipboard alphas and VIOLA you get perfection in my book............... (oh, wow that was a run on sentence if I've ever seen one myself...lol!)

Today she shares with US her creative thoughts and processes in the interview below!

1.) Tell us a little about YOU and how you are involved in the scrapbooking industry........
I have been all about making art ever since elementary school. I went to college for Graphic Design and worked in that field until I had my daughter, and decided to be a stay-at-home-mom. I enjoy many forms of art: painting, drawing, photography, quilting, knitting, and of course scrapbooking. I've been on various manufacturer design teams since 2006. Right now I'm on the Fancy Pants Designs team and the Creating Keepsakes 2009 Dream Team.

2.) What led you to scrapbooking? Do you remember that *first* time you sat down to create a page?
I went to a Creative Memories party with a friend about 13 years ago. That was the first time I created a scrapbook page. I was hooked and I haven't looked back since.

3.) When you sit down to create, what are the essential items in your environment that you need to feel in the "mood" to be creative?
Upbeat music or a sitcom playing in the background. A story, and or photo that I just can't wait to get onto paper. Inspiring scrapbook products.

4.) I feel most creative when........
The sun is shining and I'm well rested...or (since the former rarely happens) when I have a steaming cup of coffee.

5.) How do you decide what you are going to journal about... and what is your favorite way to document journaling?
Sometimes my journaling drives the layout, it's my starting point. I have a story that I need to tell and I add photos to support it. Other times I start with the photos and I'll look at them and think about the story behind them or how they make me feel when I look at them. I usually type up my journaling and add it to my layout. Once in a while I handwrite my journaling, but most times I just use the computer. It is much quicker for me and I love how clean a font looks as well as how much easier it is to read. I do try to include a bit of my handwriting on most layouts by adding the date by hand.

6.) Share with us your most favorite layout and why this layout is your most favorite.....
Wow. Tough one. Its too hard to pick a "most" favorite, but I'll share one of my favorites. I love "Limbo" (published in Creating Keepsakes, August 2008) because it captures my son in an everyday type summer moment. He's playing and laughing in the backyard...just having fun! I love using bright colors and I had fun with the felt tree branch and leaves on this layout. When I look at it I think of warm sunshine and happy giggles. It makes me smile.

I have to agree that is one heck of a layout! That tree is FABULOUS.

Have a wonderful afternoon!

Be sure to say hi if yotu would like to win a set of your own March buttons!

Ciao Friends!

*tessa ann*

Weight Loss, New Dog, My New Desk and NEW Buttons!

Hello friends!

It's been really long since I did a post just about random life stuff.

I've been doing REALLY awesome. I have been so blessed to be so busy with my Etsy shop. I love waking up each morning to an inbox filled with orders and special requests. I love stretching my bounds with my creativity and seeing what else I can come up with!

I am still exercising a lot and have dropped a total of 45 lbs as of today! My clothes are ALL waaaay too big and I am seeing a big change in my face and middle section. I still have a lot more to go, but the difference is MAJOR!

We have had a bit of sadness and heartbreak around our family this month. Steve's most adorable and loved grandfather passed away after losing a long battle with cancer. Steve was with him right up until the moment he passed. His grandfather was such a loving, thoughtful man. Steve and his grandfather were extremely close throughout his life. I see a lot of him in Steve with his personality. The most heartbreaking of it all was seeing Grandma so heartbroken. Nothing I said or could do would have soothed her breaking heart. I hated that. He will be greatly missed by all of us.

Well, we did get to take a part of grandpa with us......we inherited his old guy, Duffy :) Grandpa rescued Duffy from being put to sleep after his owner was put into a retirement home. Grandpa loved that dog the short while he had him. We have been getting used to having a dog around the house.....yeah, we're cat people...lol. The cats have adjusted very well and simply ignore Duffy as he follows them around with his nose up their behinds (oy). Having a dog has meant going out for walks NO matter what the weather gives. Rain, sleet, snow or blazing heat this dog HAS to be walked. Thus.......the extra 5 lbs lost. I am really enjoying our multiple walks per day. It's good for the both of us. Duffy is a white poodle.....possibly a Bichon/Poodle, but definitely a poodle. And...being a little dog and especially being a poodle, he had to get a fancy rhinestone color and a new doggie wardrobe. Finding little sweaters and hoodies has been a fun new thing for me. Yes, he's already spoiled. Here is some pics the day he came home with us before his grooming!

Yeah. You see it. I decked out his color with ribbon, one of my felt stars complete with a handmade button from my "Sweet Talk" Collection. We've received tons of compliments on our walks already....lol (go ahead and say it like Steve does....."Oh, brother!")

My dad built me the most fabulous desk for my studio! For the last several years I have been working with a table that was hanging on barley........sagging deeply in the middle and covered in doodles, paint, scratches and glaze. I have always dreamed of having a gorgeous desk for my studio. Like many, I loooooved the Pottery Barn Craft Table but I wasn't going to spend that much for a table that will be heavy used. I showed the PB table to my dad and we made some sketches and tossed around some ideas. A few weeks later I had my desk. Ah, to put my Xacto knife down and not have it roll to the center of the table is so nice..lol. I chose a black stain for the wood and a granite top in blacks, tans and silvers. It's gorgeous. I tried to take some pics of it, but with the window in front of my desk, it was hard, but you get the gist!!

I love how much storage it allows! All of my button making supplies are in one cubby, my felt making supplies in the next and even an empty on on the bottom left side. The right side I store all of my packing supplies, envelopes, custom forms, tape, packing slip lables. The height of my new desk is just high enough that I can either sit OR stand while working. It has made my days creating much more delightful! He is available to create these desks for my scrappy friends if anyone is interested! Just email me :)


Thank you Dad! You are truly the best!!!!!!!

Well, in closing I would love to share my recent Etsy button sets, as well as a few custom orders I created this week.

The first set is a custom order of baseball/softball buttons. I had never made baseball buttons before, but I really loved how they turned out. I love this set so much I will be adding it to my shop soon :)



This is a brand-new listing to my shop today. It is titled, "Understated Elegance" Black and white swirls amoungst Swarovski crystals make this set of buttons a new favorite of mine!

A new popular seller in my shop is this set of buttons called, "Raspberry Chocolate Ganache". Layers of raspberry, chocolate and ganache richly make up this delicious set of buttons.

Anoter fun pink and brown combo to my shop. This set called, "Spring Scene" combines a bird and tree abstract-art-styled button with other matching buttons all in a set.

"Belle Fleur" Beautiful flower.............black, pink, swarovski crystals make this set of handmade buttons almost look like little edible truffles.

I hope everyone has an AWESOME week!! See you next week!

Tessa Ann

March Buttons Of The Month and our March GUEST Designer!

I have to start this post by saying THANK YOU to everyone who signed up for our Buttons Of The Month club! The outpour of positive and encouraging responses of my little button idea has been so amazing. I thank you all so very much :) Today I have the reveal of the March Buttons Of The Month! I didn't think I could get any more excited with last month's BTOM, but this one equally delights me!

Swarovski crystals, apple green, candy pink, whimsy stripes and garden florals were the inspiration for our March BTOM, "Garden Whimsy"

With the reveal of our March BTOM, I am honored to have as our Featured MARCH Guest Designer......... the amazingly creative Cindy Tobey!

Cindy's colorful, intricate style has amazed me since I first discovered her work years ago at Scrapbook.com. I was not surprised when she was inducted into Creating Keepsakes' Hall Of Fame Contest last year. You can see her lovely art gracing the pages of Memory Makers, Scrapbook Trends, BH&G Scrapbooks Etc, Paper Crafts and more! She designs beautiful work for Fancy Pants, Prima, We R Memory Keepers and Trace Industries, as well as her involvement as a "Dream Team" member for Creating Keepsakes Magazine. Yes, she is very talented and I am thrilled to share her with you ALL here!

Be sure to check back the 1st week of March to see Cindy's work using the March BTOM!

Have a wonderful week!
Tessa Ann

1.) Our 1st Guest Designer, Stephanie Howell! 2.) Buttons of the Month Subscription is READY to SHIP! 3.) Cupcakes and Hearts

I've been so excited for February to come! Our First Guest Designer and the launch of our Buttons Of The Month subscription club have kept me buzzing around with excitement! Today is finally the day!

So..........
Without further ado, I present to you our First Guest Designer......the talented and super sweet, Stephanie Howell!

Here is what Stephanie had to say!

1.) Tell us about the first time you sat down to scrapbook?
-It was at my dining room table in WA about 3 1/2 years ago. My friend Cathy was a close to my heart consultant and she introduced me to scrapbooking. I remember just staring and staring at my photos and meager pile of supplies and having NO idea where to begin. Oh, if I only would have known where that first page would lead. Heee!

2.) When you sit down to create, what are the essential items in your environment that you need to feel in the "mood" to be creative-
-Photos that make me want to create. Usually of my sweet baby girls. I also need product I'm excited to use, doesn't matter if it's new or old. Also, I need silence. I know, I'm weird...but I like it to be quiet when I scrap.

3.) How do you start your creative process?
-I really don't have a process. I don't sketch or plan my layout. I don't plan or practice my journaling. I kind of just make it up as I go!!

4.) The colors I tend to lean toward are.......
-Pink, tiffany blue, teal, leaf green...i'm a bold, bright, happy colors type of girl.

5.) How do you decide what you are going to journal about and what is your favorite way to document journaling?
-I am a flow of consciousness journaler. I just write whatever is on my heart and on my mind. Like I said before I don't plan it or really think about it until I start writing. My photos stir emotions in me in one way or another. I just write how and what they make me feel.

6.) Tell us just a little bit about you Stephanie.
Anything at all. We all adore you anyway ;)
- um, could you be any sweeter?? I don't know...I'm tall (5'8", six feet with heels) and gangly. I think people are taken aback by how spazzy and talkative I am. I am NOT shy. I'm pretty much your classic extrovert. Hee!!


Of course, as a part of being our Guest Designer this month, Stephanie was sent some of my Etsy goodies to create with! Here is her most sweet page of her precious daughter, Sadie..........

I love how she mixes a variety of our Button of the Month Kit with other sets of our buttons to create centers for her Prima flowers. I love how they are perfectly surrounding the "Whimsy Frame" create a strong focal point for her layout. Sweet, don't ya think?!

Speaking of our Buttons Of the Month Kit Club! It's ready and up for purchase in my Etsy shop AND here on this website to the right of this post! With your 3 month subscription, you will receive the 1st week of each month, an assortment of 15 one-of-a-kind buttons that are perfect for all of your crafting needs. Spruce up a scrapbook page, mini book, card OR use these for your sewing needs! Each button has been completely sealed on both sides, and tested for durability when being washed!












I finally made some goodies for MYSELF..lol :) I was itching to make some cuties showcasing some new embellishments for my Shop.

For this layout titled, "Sweetheart" I used a "Whimsy Frame" from my shop as well as buttons from the "Sweetheart" button collection

I strung the buttons through tulle to create a pretty border across the bottom of the photo and frame.

I just adore this one little button from my February Buttons Of The Month Club Kit....lol. Yes, this little button is my verrry favorite :) Here is a layout showcasing that button!

Layers of bubblegum pink clay with white and black....then hand painted details were added as well as some rhinestone accents. Check my shop later this week, I will be introducing a collection with beautiful Swarovski crystals.
The "Love Cakes" set of feltie cupcake in my shop has been VERY popular. I have been making up a lot of these for everyone and thought I needed to make one for ME! Here is a quick Valentines Day card using that super cute felt cupcake!

Well, that's all for today folks! Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions AT ALL regarding the Buttons Of The Month Club. (TESSAANNWATTE@GMAIL.COM)

Have a wonderful, creative day!
:) Tessa Ann

Get your BUTTONS OF THE MONTH CLUB subscription right here!

Thanks to PayPal and it's wonderful assortment of features, I am able to offer my Button Of the Month subscription directly from here!

Simply, click on the "Add to Cart" and it will take you to your PayPal account! Easy peasy :-)

See the post below for all the details about this fun NEW Buttons Of The Month club!

As always.................if you have any questions AT ALL about the BTOM club, please don't hesitate to contact me via email.

tessaannwatte@gmail.com.


Well, just a quick post today to share that little bit of info! Back later with lots of new eye candy!

*Tessa Ann*

SNEAK PEEK! Introducing My Buttons of the Month Subscription

So many new exciting things coming up for my shop next month! As you excitedly await the reveal of our first guest designer on 2/2/09, I would also like to reveal TODAY a sneak peek of our upcoming 1st "Buttons of the month" kit subscription. Our 1st guest designer has these buttons now and I am thrilled to see her work with them!

The "Buttons of the month" subscription will be available to purchase in my shop on 2/2/09. This kit will consist of an assortment of 15 one-of-a-kind decorative button embellishments. Each button has been hand designed and hand painted, created with top quality product, making these a fun, new addition to your crafting projects!

I will also offer the set in my shop with out the subscription for those who would like to check them out before committing to a 3 month subscription.


For those of you who select the 3 month subscription, your "Buttons of the Month" will be shipping out the 1st week of each month, all other orders will be processed in the normal 1-2 business days.

Pricing:

3 Month Subscription- $24.99+$4.95 for shipping

You essentially get 45 Limited Edition Buttons for $8.00 per month with a 1 time shipping fee.

Well, that's the scoop there!

I hope you are having a great day! Please don't hesitate to contact me through my email (tessaannwatte@gmail.com) if you should have any questions at all regarding our new "Button of the Month" subscription!

Ciao!
Tessa Ann

My 1st Surprise Guest Designer, February and more low calorie eye candy.......

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! Thanks for your comments on my last blog posts. It means a lot to me to see your sweet faces and kind words. It always puts a big smile on my face for the day. Thank you.

I've been so inspired this week with different ideas for buttons and embellishments that I just can't stop..lol. I spent literally from 7 am yesterday until 8 pm (when The Biggest Loser came on..lol) creating new goodies for my Etsy shop. It's a madness, I think. The ideas keep flowing and I just have to make them, as I am afraid I'll forget..lol. Yes, I do keep a sketch book of ideas and that itself is brimming with hundreds more ideas.

But...being at this place in life where I am able to spend uncontrolled amounts of time creating makes me feel so content and blessed to be able to do so......I am very thankful.

This brings me to my blog post topic. Due to me creating the goods (lol) all the time, I barely have time to create pages that demonstrate how well my buttons and embellishments work on scrapbooking projects. These goods BEG you to use them!

Starting February 2nd, 2009, I will be selecting a Guest Designer each month to feature here using my Tessa Ann Originals line of embellishments. You will get to see his/her awe inspiring work using my products and an informal interview right her on this blog!

Awesome, right?! I think so :)

I have selected my 1st Surprise Guest Designer for February. I am BEYOND honored she accepted this small role in February.
It's likely you have came across her and her work, and you would agree with me when I say.......... Her delightful talent is boundless, as is her completely sweet and thoughtful personality. I am excited to share her amazing inspiration with all of you. So, check back on Monday, February 2nd to see the feature and my 1st Guest Designer!



To end this post, I would love to share my latest creations!


I created this "Sweet Heart" button set to compliment my red polka dot whimsy frame, the kit and many other fun goodies in my shop. You get a set of 12 here in small and large sizes. All hand made, baked and little hand painted details were added for fun. They are completely glazed and safe to even wash.
I've had quite a few buyers using my buttons on clothing, caps, handbags and the pics I have gotten back when them are wonderful. I need to do another blog post and share all of that!
I've been wanting to make these "Love Cakes" felties for a while now. It was another one of those sketches in my idea book..lol.

These follow the same design concept as my cupcake embellishments, but felt and sparkly!


<---This one was my favorite from the set. See the glittery frosting. Yum, without all the calories..lol! Wouldn't these be the cutest on a mini book, layout or card. OR....even sewn onto a childs hoodie or sweat shirt?

So many uses...so little time....;)



Here is the duo of "Love Cakes."
As you can see I used glitter, rhinestones and some fun hand stitching to create the "sprinkles" on the pink frosting.

These were totally fun to make!


I also hand made these "Sweet Heart" felites. As you can see there are layers of pink,red, hot pink, white and black fabric and felt mixed rhinestones, hand stitching and light glitter around the edges of the hearts. So perfectly sweet. They are about 2" in size.

A perfect little corner accent for a lovey-dovey page.... ;)















That's it for today! Be sure to check back on Feb 2nd and each month after for inspiration and a fabulous Guest Designer!


Happy Hump, Hump Day!
:) Tessa Ann

"Sex In The City" Inspired Buttons and a Christmas Layout using my Tessa Ann Etsy Line

Today I had the itch to sit down and create a scrapbook page. I had such a wonderful time on Christmas and got quite a few good pics that I was inspired to make something.

I ended up using mostly goodies from my Etsy shop. As you can see the frame surrounding the 3 photos is my "whimsy" frame, as well as the peppermint candy embellishment and the snowflake embellishments. I've been spending so much time making these little embellishments that I have not sat down and actually played with my own goodies. So today I did it.

I am really loving using texture on my pages. I used a lot of 3D dots, along with white ink to distress the black scallops. As you can see I doubled the scallops and the top layer is adhered to the bottom layer with a 3-D dot. The background paper is something I've had in my stash for years. It is a champagne foil that is embossed. I used some light grade sandpaper and sanded all around the background to create a softer feel.

I have this frame and these embellishments available in my shop if you would like to give them a whirl!

I also played a bit today with my clay to try out some new button designs. I've had this idea of doing a city-scape/Sex In The City style button with sky rise buildings and martini glasses. Well, here is what I came up with. I am in absolute love with them. It's going to be hard to part with them. I'm working on some other really cool unique designs that I'll post next blog post. Think shoes....and cute ones.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!
Tessa Ann