And the winner is.........

Brianna Soloski !

Thank you for your comment! You have won a $10.00 Gift Card to The Button Shop! To redeem your gift card, simply visit The Button Shop and pick what you would like to use your gift card for. Email me at shoptessaann@yahoo.com with your selections. {If you go over, no problem! I'll simply invoice you for the difference. You will also receive FREE shipping! }

Thank you everyone who left comments in the last couple of posts and especially those who shared their favorite ways to use buttons on projects :)

The Button Shop has been busy creating new buttons. I will be doing shop updates likely today and tomorrow with fresh new designs. I have a beautiful set of Cherry Blossom buttons that I can't wait to share with all of you. We have lots of new designs up our sleeves EVEN new sizes! JUMBO sizes!

In closing, I would like to leave you with some inspiration from an amazing site called, http://www.weheartit.com/

All things......pink, pink and MORE pink!

There will be more giveaways coming very soon! I am also going to be doing a feature on "Customer Creations" that I will discuss more in the next post. I am also toying with the idea of putting together a *small* design team. So many thoughts for the upcoming year.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tessa Ann*

December Featured Artist Rachel Mason -leave a comment to win a $10.00 Gift Card to The Button Shop!

I am proud to introduce the beautiful work of Rachel Mason for the month of December. Rachel worked with my "Snowbird" collection, as well as my "Snowflake" button collections to create these amazingly detailed projects below. Enjoy and be inspired by what Rachel has created for us! Grab a cup of warm coffee, tea or cocoa and sit back read Rachel's interview and see her amazing projects!

.:Win A $10.00 GIFTCARD to The Button shop:.
Leave a comment below about what you ♥ about using buttons on your crafting projects or a compliment to Rachel's work today and you will be entered into a drawing for a $10.00 Gift Card to The Button Shop! (GC details will be posted along with winner's name on Friday 12/11/09 NOON PST.)

.:The interview:.

1.) 1.) Tell us a little about YOU and how you are involved in the scrapbooking industry?

Hi! My name is Rachel. I am wife to a handsome and supportive railroader and mom to 2 crazy boston terriers, 1 neurotic jack russell terrier, and 1 needy cat. We currently live in an adorable old home in Kansas City, Missouri. Because of my husband's career with the railroad, we live an exciting life, moving every couple of years. While this lifestyle can occasionally be difficult, it does provide lots of scrapbooking inspiration! I began "officially" scrapbooking in 1996, while still in college, after a friend introduced me to Creative Memories. I have continued to evolve my style over the past 13 years, working for a local scrapbook store and designing pages for other people. I have also been blogging since 2006 (www.rachiesplace.com) and just opened an Etsy shop that offers vintage love and crafting supplies (www.rachiesplace.etsy.com).

2.) What led you to scrapbooking? Do you remember that *first* time you sat down to create a page?

For as long as I can remember, I have collected memorabilia and photos...scrapbooking was just the logical solution to a "storage" issue!

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?

I am a super picky scrapbooker so setting the creative mood can sometimes present a challenge. My essentials are a clean studio, my iMac and Canon printer, and a happy movie playing in the background (current favorites are The Wizard of Oz, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc.).

4.) I feel most creative when.........

I feel most creative a night when the house is quiet, the pets are sleeping, and my husband is napping on the couch or watching tv...if the family is content, then I am content and feel creative.

5.) How do you decide what you are going to journal about... and what is your favorite way to document journaling?

For me, journaling is more than just the basic facts of the photo (who, what, when, where), it is documenting how I felt or where I was at that time in my life. It is also often a personal reminder to slow down...to enjoy the ordinary and don't sweat the small stuff. My favorite way to journal is similar to my overall scrapbooking style...messy and scattered.

6.) What did you enjoy most about working with my buttons. How were they a good fit for your project?

I LOVE Tessa's buttons. I prefer to scrapbook with lots of loose elements...this gives me the freedom to mix other embellishments together for that "eclectic" look that I love. The buttons Tessa sent me to work with were beautiful in cool colors with a sparkly touch...perfect for coordinating with my snowy photos.

7.) Share with us your most favorite crafty creation! What are you most proud of creating?

My favorite project? Hmmm...I have lots and lots (each new project is my favorite). My most RECENT favorite though is a yarn wreath that I made per a tutorial from the Constant Gatherer (www.theconstantgatherer.blogspot.com).

Thank you for sharing your amazing creativity, Rachel!!!

Sneak Peek! December Featured Artist

Coming this Monday, we have a very talented Featured Artist for the month of December! Rachel Mason of RachiesPlace! You will definitely be inspired by what she has created for us!

Visit Monday 12/7/09 for the full reveal of Rachels amazing projects, as well as get to know Rachel in a fun candid interview. In the mean time, check out Rachel's awesome vintage finds shop at Etsy! www.rachiesplace.etsy.com and her blog at www.rachiesplace.com

Leave a comment on Monday's post telling me what you ♥ about using buttons on your crafting projects. I will draw one name to win a $10.00 Gift Certificate for The Button Shop!

♥ See you there!
Tessa Ann*

Blog Button Giveaway Winner was.....

This readers post really touched my heart. Thank you everyone for sharing! I loved reading your answers :)

*******Amy has left a new comment on your post "Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!":************

Belated Thanksgiving but we went out of town to be with family. It was close to 40 people there (aunts, cousins, uncles) and it was Awesome!!! I'm very thankful for my wonderful husband and three kids. We didn't know if we would ever be parents due to infertility issues but we are!! Best gift ever. :-)

Amy please contact me at SHOPTESSAANN@YAHOO.COM, so I can send you out your buttons!

Leaving you all with some beautiful inspiration.

Sigh. I just adore the tiffany blue room in the photo below. The frames are beautiful against the blue color, and just a dash of pink. So beautiful.



These colors are delicious. Tiffany-blue with tangerine, red and pink and a touch of yellow.


Have a great week!
Tessa Ann*

♥ cozy ♥

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

It was just Steve and I this year, so I cooked up a storm all day creating a wonderful, scrumptious meal for just the 2 of us.

We all ended our day looking pretty much like Duffy below. Cozy on the couch. ♥

Every since I've set out my Holiday Bear, Duffy has found his new BFF. He loves cuddling with this bear each night. Yeah, it's pretty cute.

He was sound asleep when I was snapping these photos. He didn't even budge.

Cozy ♥

I mentioned in a previous post, that I had purchased a mini pink tree at Michael's for The Button Shop. It stands about 2 feet tall and came pre-lit.

It's hard to see from the photos, but I used buttons and some red and white bakers twine to create a button garland. It came together pretty easily and I was able to use up some of my button remnants.

Another detail that is a bit hard to see in the photos is the tulle. I stuffed clusters of tulle throughout the tree, kind of giving a soft effect against the white lights. I tied a bow around the top of the tree, as I didn't have a topper. But, I have some ideas brewing for that. So, it's a still work in progress :) I'll show the complete tree when it's finished!

Well, with the holiday season, The Button Shop has been extra busy. I've been spending umpteen amounts of hours each day creating buttons being sold in the shop and several really cute custom orders.

I received a request to create buttons that complimented the awesome Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg line. My customer was creating an album using this line and wanted some unique embellishments for it. I created these for her :) I custom-mixed all of the colors in this set to create colors to compliment the papers she was working with. I loved working with this color combination.

Inspired by my buttons in the shop called, Oh, Snap!, a customer requested multi-colored cameras in these colors. This was so fun and totally reminds me of an Andy Warhol art image. I am still trying to master a good vintage Polaroid and other vintage cameras. That and a big book of other things I am wanting to try on buttons :)





In lieu of Black Friday, I am having a little gift with purchase (a set of buttons) sale over at The Button shop. Sign up to be a fan of mine on Facebook, and you will receive free shipping. Click on this link to sign up! *CLICK HERE*

Also! The post below is a giveaway of a set of my frosty beautiful, Snowflake Buttons. See 1 post below for details!

Have a wonderful week!

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving!

There is so much that I am grateful for this time of year and so many blessings to look back upon. Steve and I are going to be solo this year, but I have a nice dinner spread planned for us. I'm looking forward to spending the day cooking delicious food for my guy and I.

What do you have planned for this year? Staying in or going out of town?

What are you Thankful for?

Leave a comment answering one of those questions and I'll select a winner for a set of buttons from The Button Shop!



I will post the winner on Monday 11/30/09. Please leave your email address in your comment so I can get in touch with you!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

November 16 is BUTTON DAY!

Happy Button Day! While on Facebook this morning, I was told that TODAY was BUTTON DAY! Susan Opel kindly shared this link with me:

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/November/buttonday.htm

So.......... Happy Button Day!

I am offering FREE shipping today in The Button Shop!

Here is a sampling of what's hot in The Button Shop right now!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Okay, so I couldn't wait any longer. I usually wait until the day after Thanksgiving, but this year, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I had to DECORATE! Hehe!

Steve had the day off Wednesday, so he got the tree out and we decorated. I always love getting out the box of ornaments each year. It's like finding new treasures each year as I remember where I got a particular ornament. Steve and I have collected a lot of pretty ones over the year. '

I found the cutest pink cashmire mini Christmas tree at Michaels the other day. I am making button ornaments for it and will share some pics of it all decorated. I just had to have Christmas spread into where I work. Plus it matches the button shop perfecty :)


Happy Holidays everyone!

Tessa Ann*

A fun new site to share with you!

Hey there! I just wanted to share a fun site I came across online! It is chocked full of inspiration with featured artists and my favorite sketches by my dear friend, Pam Callaghan. Last year, Creating Keepsakes Magazine featured many of her amazing page ideas and now she has opened a blog to share them, as well as new ones with us on a weekly basis. I know I'll be heading there when I am stuck or want a direction for my layout.

There is also a great giveaway going on at http://www.ideasforscrapbookers.blogspot.com/ for the chance to win $50 in GCD products. I recently picked up a few sheets of their patterned paper at Michael's and LOVED it. The texture of the paper is so different from what I've ever used before. It's really beautiful.

So head on over there and see what I mean. It's full of ideas and fun inspiration!

Holiday Ornaments!

Wow, today really feels like Monday. Steve had a nice 4 day weekend scheduled off from work, and even though I did work quite a bit, having him home was super distracting ;) All in a good way though! It made me want to get out. I wanted to go out and play and find fun things to do around town. And we did just that! There is always plenty of fun things to do around here with town events, great pubs and music, lovely places to walk and site see. Window shopping is so inspiring down town. I just love getting a hot cup of coffee and walking hand in hand with my guy downtown and peeking into the store fronts.... seeing all of the creativity put into the window dressings. There is a lot of great style down town Bend. It really is inspiring.
One of the evenings we did just chill at home. I decided to put an idea I've had, for some time, to use! I've been thinking of these ornaments for quite some time. These ornaments were my first try. I will likely list a few more, as I have a few other ideas brewing for making these cute super sized buttons (almost 2.5 inches!) even more fun and creative.

Winter was obviously my inspiration for my new designs this weekend :) I love shades of soft blue, cranberry, silver, pearl, white combined together for winter. My ornament "Winter Cabin" was inspired by the beautiful cabin we stay at during Christmas. I also pulled designs from some of my button designs to re-create them for ornaments. I will be creating several of these custom for my tree! The white buttons were an experiment with new textures that turned out GORGEOUS, the color is so soft and has a light pearl sheen.

Simple and lovely, perfect for a little cardigan sweater or even a beautiful accent on a scrapbook layout or card :)

:D As I type this, I just received notification from Etsy and most of these just sold :) Off to re-list a few of them. How funny :) Love that!

Have a great afternoon! Do any of you have snow where you are yet? DO tell!
Tessa Ann*

Brrr...

My face and toes are still slightly numb from my walk this morning. The ground was covered in a thin glaze of ice and I could see my breath as I walked. There is nothing like freezing cold air to wake you up out of the morning fog.


I am looking forward to the snow arriving here in Bend. Yes, after 5 years I still love the snow. It definitely beats the cold, windy and rainy winters I grew up with.

I've been working like a crazy women to get custom buttons out for my customers who are using them on their own projects for Holiday Bazaars and such. I created a super cute set for one of Steve's coworkers. Apparently her little one is in to "Old MacDonald," so a farm theme was the request.

Oh, this was SO fun. Here is what I created for her. I hope she likes it :)

This was another special custom request. Pinks, blue, raspberry, lime green with lots of flowers and a little felt bird to match.

There is a new challenge at the http://www.cardalicious.blogspot.com/. This week's challenge was to create a card using: Hand stitching, felt and buttons. I used one of my felt tea cup appliques from my shop. Cozy and cute, don't ya think?

Well, I better get focused. I have about 35 sets of buttons to create this week, as well as about 8 large custom design orders. I suspect late nights, early mornings, coffee and good music will be in the works for the remainder of the week!

Hope you are all having a wonderful week. Don't forget to check out our Artist Feature: Kristina Proffitt below, if you have not already :)

If you have not visited my fan page, you don't know, but we have some more great Featured Artists lined up for the rest of the year! I'll make an announcement in the next blog post!

Stay tuned, friends :)
Have a great week!

This is going to be a long one (Layouts, cards, pictures oh, my!)

What a busy couple of weeks it has been. I've been out of town for the last couple weekends with only a couple days at home before I had to take off again. 2 weekends ago, my parents treated us to a fun weekend in Portland.

My parents are a hoot. And they know how to have a wonderful time and they definitely showed us a wonderful time. Our hotel caught on fire the 1st night. Yes, seriously. It did. We walked back to our hotel after we all had endulged in a few too many drinks only to come up on a building surrounded with fire trucks and loud alarms. So instead of crashing in our comfy tempurpedic beds upstairs we were all corralled in the lobby.

It was hilarious.

It was around 1 am and *most* hotel guests (ehem, not us) were already in bed...so the lobby was filled with grey haired men and women in black robes----and with some, they had nothing under their robs. I could only imagine their panic. Sound asleep and rudely awakened by the sound of ear peircing alarms and a voice coming on the speakers and telling you to leave your room. Imagine the scramble. Oy. That was a fun night :)

The following night we were treated to the most lovely, to-die-for room at "The Nines" My mom is the queen of getting great deals on super fancy hotels. This one was SO me. Ah, so pretty.

The Nines is a lovely boutique hotel that conveniently sits on the 8th floor above Macy's down town Portland. This hotel is posh, stylish and my beloved color everwhere..."Tiffany box blue" The decor was stunning. Did I say how much I loved it here? LOL!

This was our room (photo courtesy of the website, because I forgot the memory card to my camera. I always do this.lol)





Okay, so I am a dork. The 2nd night we decided to all turn in a bit earlier than we had the night before. Steve of course, crashes out at 10:30 and I was still awake. I sat on that little stool in the bathroom and played with my make up. It was silly, yes. But TOTALLY fun :)

I had a great time hanging out in Portland. {Thanks Mom and Dad for showing us a great time! We needed this.}

The following weekend, I attended a scrapbooking crop with my sister. I packed up my supplies and headed over the mountian to meet up with Heidi. We arrived at the crop in Yahatz, Oregon that evening SO excited! The house was cozy and cute. We had a wonderful time scrapbooking til late in the night and Maggie's amazing food each day. I really had fun playing with my paper and glue again :) If you are ever in the area during one of her crops you should definitely register. I guess they fill up fast. We have had our reservations for over a year. http://www.scrappychicks.net/

This was the house we stayed in. It has a great distant view of the ocean from the cropping room.

Heidi and I had to get out and get some fresh salt water air. The only thing I miss about living on the coast is ocean.

There was TONS of cropping space per guest. We each had our own 6 foot table and they even provided OTT lamps. --> My sis hugging her beloved stash of patterned paper. She created an album that one the "best project" for the retreat :)


This was our room. We had to share with other guests and share beds. Not my favorite part, but it was my sis and I didn't really mind. It just reminded me of being kids again ;)








Here are the layouts and projects I made while I was there. It was so fun to play again!

Well, it's back to the "real world" now and I'm busy catching up on orders and other fun stuff! Have a great weekend!