I'm still here :-)

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a very nice weekend ahead!

It has been too long since I've updated this blog. I have had such a simple few weeks that I just felt I didn't have much to say...lol

But, I've had fun playing lately working on layouts and even some altered items. The second layout is using Crop Addicts April Mid-Month kit which features Fancy Pants papers and other delish goodies :) I captured this pic of Mozart hanging out in my scrap room. Since we moved, he has adopted this chair to be "his spot". I love seeing him snooze peacefully while I scrap, so I had to scrap it!

The first photo is of an altered "Piggy Tales" mini-clipboard that I purchased at an office supply store. I white-washed the chipboard color using FiberScraps "White" Tintz. I just have to say how cool these inks are. Truly. I've been using them for the last couple of years and I am still hooked. The handy "bingo" dauber-like bottles make application so-so easy. This season Fiber Scraps came out with white and black inks amongst a more vivid green color than their lime color and a nice sky blue color. Love these!

So, as you can see...... I white washed the clipboard and sort-of went crazy decorating it. I tried to be neat with red puffy paint , but of course ended up smudging it all over. So......I just had to "make it work!" (LOL!)

The next 2 layouts are just fun layouts that I felt inspired to create. I just cannot stay way from these colors lately. Lime green, hot pink, teal combined with a touch of red or orange. YUM! Really. I think I have color issues...lol.

I hope you all have a very wonderful weekend!

Tessa

Mini, mini album and other random odd stuff :-)

I hope you have had a very wonderful week! Isn't it great that tomorrow is Friday! And...best yet! Spring is sooo close :) I'm really looking forward to some warmer weather. I'm happy I can stay up late to create.... I have tomorrow off, so I am pretty excited to have some extra scrapping time! Yahoo :)

Well, I've had a great week filled with a few fun new opportunities that I'm thrilled to share. A couple of days ago I found out that I will have 2 paper covered candles using Tinkering Ink's Westminster line in Paper Crafts "Home-to-home" issue. This is my first time being published with this magazine and to think....this was the most simple project I've created to date...lol, but that's what they liked, the simplicity of it. So, that was exciting! I will also be the May Guest Designer for Pencil Lines. Junkitz is the May sponsor there, so I'm excited to be a part of it!! Pencil Lines is a fun site that is filled with cool sketches and so much inspiration! I've seen sketches there by scrappers such as Ali E, Elsie and Lu Braxton from Hamby and many great UK scrappers. So.... this is quite a honor to be a part of.
Aside from that, I've had some time to spend creating and I've mostly played. I know that is bad, but sometime you just have to simply relax and play. It really helps with getting the flow back when you have projects that need to be done :) So far it's working great for me.
Below...(I think the image will be below...haha, I apologize my post are always so wonk) Any way....... So as you see here, I've altered a mini-tin by Maya Road. I've had this little tin sitting on my desk for a while trying to figure a way to use and and came up with this idea. I've created a tiny-tiny mini accordion album by simply tracing around the tin to get my shape, and cutting approx. 1 inch x 6 inches strip of lime green cardstock..which was then folded into an accordion shape. Pretty easy. It was fun to embellish such a tiny little book with such small details and photos. I went with a "W" theme throughout the book for our initial :) So, as you can tell, I really enjoyed creating this little album.

Aside from scrappy stuff, I've been having a lot of fun decorating our new home. My recent favorite purchase is the gorgeous ottoman you see pictured, somewhere on this page...lol. I am in LOVE with black and white schemes lately and have decided to decorate my closet (yes, I know I am silly for decorating my closet, but it's the biggest walk-in I've had, so I couldn't resist, lol) So, when I came across this gorgeous piece of furniture for only $41.99, (reg. $120.00) I had to have it! And.....it totally reminds me of Tinkering Ink's Nior Blanc line. Man, I cannot wait to work with these papers! I think I may have to buy some...just to put it frames....yes, I like it a lot ..lol :)

And....lastly, I used the collage pic I posted last time for a layout of my new room. It was such a quick and easy layout to create and I love the funky feel of it. Someone commented on this layout and asked if I liked Betsy Johnson clothing...lol. IT totally made me laugh, because that fits me so well right now, scrap-style wise. I always have a difficult time defining my style and I think she's right...the crazy color combos, the polka dots the mesh....on and on. Yup. that fits me..lol.

Well, I just want to wish EVERYONE a wonderful weekend! Whew.....sorry, that was a long post. If you made this far, have a great night!
And a belated congrats to all of the 2007 HOF and HM winners!!! I cannot wait to see your fabulous work ladies and gents!
Enjoy!!
XXOO--Tessa Ann Watte`

From start to finish

Yesterday I spent a few hours just playing
in my studio.

Simply....playing. It felt great!

I gathered a an assortment of goodies that I wanted to play with an made a big mess across my table.....as you can see here..lol. Complete with my cup-o-coffee and candles....I was ready to see what I could come up with :)
The layout I created is about my sweet Dad.
I captured this shot of him using my new 300 mm lense...which I am still figuring out obviously..lol. I was pretty far away and he had no idea I was taking his picture....
Anyway.... I love those types of shots!

So, this is a page about his love of taking photos. I think we all share this love...actually our entire family loves
taking photos at any given moment. We all
usually have our camera in hand at each gathering. It makes for some fun photos.


So............here is the finished result.
I used A LOT of Hambly Screen Prints on this layout, combined with their patterned papers. I did use some Autumn Leaves papers and Fontwerks stamps. So, as you can see I didn't end up using everything I layed out, but it was fun to try creating in a different way than I usually do. {The background is actually a lime green color, but for some reason scanned yellow?}



I figured out a fun collage option on Picasa,
so I collaged a bunch of shots of my
favorite areas in my new studio.
Well, I'm off to rest..... I'm home sick today with a nasty stomach bug either that or I ate something that DID not agree with me. Ick. Lots of peppermint tea for me today :)

Enjoy your day!
XXOO-Tessa Ann Watte`

Feeling inspired in my new scrapbook studio.....

I finally have my new scrapbooking studio together..... And I had the chance to PLAY!!

Today, Steve and I went to Pier 1 Imports and purchased a lime green "papa chair" The base is a cherry wood color and the cushion is a micro-suede and the same color of green as in this layout. I stopped by "Hancock Fabrics" this afternoon so I could find a cute black/white polka-dot fabric to make some throw pillows for our new chair. I found some beautiful silk blk/wht polka-dot fabric to create my little pillows.

I wanted this chair for Steve. He loves to sit in my scrapbooking studio when I create and watch TV....so I knew this would be the perfect place for him to chill and relax comfortably :-)

<----I created this layout last night with inspiration to create an all black and white layout. I pulled all of my black and white products out and layed them across my table......making quite the mess...lol :) By the end I decided I wanted to cover my white background with my new pretty green "Hambly Screen Print" Transparency. To balance out the green background I used a couple of 7 Gypsies' Lime Green Tags.....I love those tags ;-)

For my journaling area.....lol...listen to me..."For my journaling area....haha" Okay..for real... lol.

I cut a large frame from black cardstock and used that to handwrite in white pen my journaling. I was inspired to create this layout from a moment last week that left both Steve and I smiling.......... Steve and I met for lunch last Thursday at a favorite seafood restaurant called, "High Tides" ......the owner approached us as we chatted and asked if we were newlyweds....this made us laugh and we told her... "No, actually we will be celebrating our 8th anniversary this August. I know in my heart that our love is real, but it is neat to have an outsider witness what makes us......us.

Sorry to be all mushy again...lol. It is just sort of that way for me lately...lol. I guess I am happy and at peace.

And....Isn't that a good thing?!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!! I'll be back to post more pics of my scrapbook studio embellished ;-)

XXOO--Tessa Ann Watte`

A work in progress........

I'm thrilled so share our new home. I know we have a lot to finish up, but I love how it is coming along so far.

The first picture is of my new scrapping-studio.
I've kind of kept it simple for the moment, as I have a lot of closet space in this room, so my ugly plastic storage carts are fitting perfectly in there, not messing with the "chi" of my room...lol.

As you can see here, I've gone with a mocha colored paint, paired with light pink and green.

So far, this space has been very inspiring and I'm really enjoying adding items to my shelves and getting everything just right :-)



I'm also sharing a pic of our new living and kitchen area. I love how the kitchen is open to the great room providing a GREAT entertaining space. {Yes, that's Steve in the pic holding his glass of wine. }

He is so sweet and when I arrived home from work tonight he had dinner on the grill outside, along with 2 glasses of wine on the bar area just waiting for me to come and relax with.
I really love the deck area off the dining room, the hickory hardwood flooring and curvy lines.
In the last 8 years we've lived in a loft type home where the outside was not accessable.
I love being able to open the slider and sit outside enjoying the fresh air. Ahhhh.... Or should I say....to drink the air....lol.

We plan on adding some nice patio furnature and a wall fountain for ambiance :-) Gotta have good ambiance...right?!?

I'm so happy to finally be in a place that I feel is home.

Home for good.

We are even talking more about starting our family here since we have the extra room and the space is so perfect.
I know both of our families would agree that it's time....lol.
We've been married this year 8 years. Little ones are definitely next in our lives. Now that I feel I have a home that I'm firmly planted in.......I can actually think about that. Scary as it is, I cannot wait to become a mommy.

Have a wonderful week and I'll be back to post some projects I'm working on.
XXOO---Tessa Ann Watte`

We moved into our first "real" home this week!!! So excited and a bit giddy :-)

I just wanted to take a second to explain where I've been lately..lol.

Just so you will now know how spontaneous Steve and I are, we decided last weekend to start looking at homes....well we found one that we adored and scheduled an appointment to see it last Monday night. Well by Friday it was ours and being as excited as we were, we rented a moving truck Friday afternoon and by 1am Friday we were in our new home.... Yup...we're a bit crazy.
It is just that when we both decide on something, we tend to move very quickly, or we just might change our minds. I am still amazed how perfectly everything came together and how fast it came together. It is like it was meant to be....or something like that ;-)

Well the house is beautiful. It is everything I could have ever possibly asked for. I still feel like it is too good to be true. Yes....I'm still in my corny mode...lol! And even more so now.... haha

My new scrapbooking room is large and has great lighting. Right now all of my pretty supplies are sitting on the floor in boxes waiting for me to put them in their space. I am taking a bit of time to figure out my new space....I want it to be perfect and of course...pretty ;o-)

I am seriously having creative with drawls though...lol! I'm finding myself doodling on post-it notes at work when I take messages. Yes, I seriously have a problem.

And...my Internet won't be hooked up until Friday afternoon, so I apologize that I don't have any pretties to show.

I will take some pics of the house and post them over the weekend.

Have a GREAT week, and I promise to update VERY soon!!
XXOO----Tessa

Relaxing and playing around

Like I said in my previous post.........CHA was such a blast, but of course I had to bring home a nasty bug and ended up with strep throat...YUCKY....but, go figure.haha. I finally feel SO much better today and you know what...........it feels good. I've been soooo sick of being sick that I almost felt giddy dancing around this afternoon to my favorite beats. I love that I am getting better. Yup... I'm a big baby when it comes to Tessa being sick........
I wanted to share a couple layouts I created recently that were JUST FOR FUN. The first layout titled, "Still Growing." represents how I feel right now in my journey of life. I have recently started reading very inspirational and thought provoking books that have really made me evaluate who and where I am at this point in my life. I appreciate knowing that it is okay to still work on my inner being, to grow is to learn..... and to learn is to grow......okay...I'm a little corney and mushy tonight. So, this layout represents the stage I am currently in my life. I am happy, but I realize I need to grow in my spirituality, metality, and emotions. The biggest lesson I am trusting is......... to just simply love me for me....flaws and all. So that's it, just a deeper side of my self than the rosey glasses I proudly wear each day. I realize that there is a lot to be learned in my life. I will gladly learn and grow as needed be :-)














On another note...............................
At times, I have papers that I just HAVE to create with. Maybe that is called "being inspired"?!? So, that is what this layout is.....Karen Russell combined with 7 Gypsies and a staple in my scrapbooking........Heidi Swapp. I think I could re-create pages of our wedding over and over. It was truly a memorable day and I still remember it like it was yesterday........and I love him even more today than the day I married him.................okay.....you remember me saying earlier that I felt a bit corney.........haha :)

Well, that is enough of my mushy mood.................off to create something fun and exciting.......hopefully.LOL!

Have a VERY wonderful week!
XXOO----- Tessa Ann Watte`

I had so much fun!!

I just love these people! My Tinkering Ink Family to the right.........>they were SUCH a blast to hang out with and I was so proud to be part of this team. It was so exciting to see the buzz around the show about the products we were showing. I loved talking with everyone, sharing our "latest and greatest" product. At times I felt a bit giddy when the editors of big magazines were hanging out at our booth talking up our wonderful new lines. It was truly nothing I've experienced before. I am trulygrateful for the opportunity they gave me to come and work the show.

It was SO neat to meet other scrappers and designers I've chatted with online in person. It was fun to chat with them and see that they were "actual" walking, talking people..haha. and just as sweet in person too!

I also treasured the part of getting to know the team I work with. I was the last DT member to arrive on Saturday, so I was a bit nervous to meet everyone. But, I shouldn't have been nervous.........they were the most warm and welcoming people I've met. I instantly felt comfortable with them and shared MANY laughs throughout the week.


We attended the Martha reception together on Sunday night and the 2 Peas Ice Cream Social. It was fun to see all of the garden girls in person. The part I enjoyed most was seeing their work in person. Scanned versions of their work just doesn't do them justice. The details and creativity of each layout was mind blowing.....and SO-SO inspiring. They were so down to earth too.


As you can see from the pics we had a lot of
"Silly" moments. But, to me that was fun. It was fun to have these moments to reflect on and
I look forward to seeing them again!


 

Leaving on a jet plane...............

Okay, so I'm a just "little bit" excited..lol Tomorrow is finally here! I have been looking forward for this day :-) I will be leaving on a jet plane around 11:30 am on my way to CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) to accompany Tinkering Ink. I'm really excited to hang with the Tinkering Ink family and help out at the booth all week. I look forward to getting to know these wonderfully creative people that I have had the honor of working with.

I think I'm all ready to go?!? Yikes! Will I forget something? I hope not.

And..... I'm always a last minute ,packer. I can never decide what to bring until the 11th hour..lol.

Well, right now it is Friday night 5:25 pm.
My suit case is sprawled out across my bed, being filled to the brim as I think of something else I am "sure" I "cannot" live without...(haha) Ehem..... It would save a lot of room if I wasn't bring my own pillow and blanket (it's only a small throw..lol). I've gotta have at least some of my home comforts :-) I have a great book for the flight called, "Living What You Love". I've started reading through a few pages and man-o-man it's so inspiring and thought provoking. So that will make some great reading material in route. Of course, I'll have to catch up on my favorite scrapbooking mags too!

All-in-all I am thrilled to hit the sky tomorrow.........and I know I will have lots to post about when I get back.

Have a VERY wonderful week!!!
XXXOOO-Tessa
PS: The layout below is another Tinkering Ink layut featuring the Covenant Garden Line. So pretty :-)
:-)

More new Tinkering Ink products

I'm thrilled to share a couple more of Tinkering Ink's new lines. These lines will be making their debut this month at CHA in Anehiem. Again, with these 2 lines, I love the rich mix of colors and beautiful patterns.


The first layout, "US" was inspired by the photo I captured of my husband and his family during a visit. I loved the way it captured the fun mood of the day.


Curiosity was created using papers from the "Gibson" line. I know it's pretty simple, but with that fun wavy pattern combined with the bright pic and colors, simple was my best option :)





















"Say it's your birthday!" was inspired by my younger days. My parents had friends that were in bands and I remember that was the song they sang to me on my birthday and scared the heck out of me due to the loudness..haha. But, anyway that is what inspired the title. The pic is one I took of my sis-in-law on her 21st birthday. I used the Westminster line for this layout.



Well, CHA is just around the corner, and I am excited to be accompanying Tinkering Ink to help out. I am beyond excited! I can't wait to see all of the fun new products and maybe see some friendly faces.


I also have some sneak peaks up on my Junkitz blog. Sorry, as I'm not sure how to get the link to work directly or I would link you right up....so visit there if ya want ;) I am in love with their new products too. The Extreme Boy line that Teresa Collins has designed is uber cool! I love the hip designs with the sculls and cross bones. Perfect to fit boys these days. Janna Wilson has done it again with creating a elegant line of pretty flowers and gorgeous colors. So, you get the idea. Lots of cool new stuff. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the cool glittery chipboard and felt flowers. Fun stuff.

Enough teasing :) Have a wonderful week!

Tessa

Tinkering Ink is here-whoohoo!

I'm excited to finally share a sneak peek of the gorgeous Tinkering Ink "Perfectly Posh" and "Westminster" lines! The colors are fresh, vibrant and begged to mixed up! Next Tuesday check back to see a sneak peek of 2 more of Tinkering Inks lines!

Enjoy your day!!!


 

Happy New Year!

What a fun and productive last couple of weeks It has been! I have been creating away making all kinds of layouts, cards, altered items, mini books. I think I have pretty much covered the entire spectrum creatively this week..haha :-) Below I am sharing a few of my creations using kits from Crop Addict and Creating Inspirations.
I have also had a great time exploring writing again. A couple months ago, I was given the opportunity by Legacy magazine to write an article about my style and techniques with scrapbooking. I was thrilled to have this opportunity and my mind filled with many possibilities of what I could cover in the article. As a kid, I loved writing. My mom still has notebooks-and-notebooks filled with stories and illustrations. I recently sat down and explored these books and laughed as I read how creative my mind was at such a young age. When I entered high school I continued writing and enjoyed working with our campus magazine. I had to remember why I stopped writing. I remember my sophmore English teacher really giving me a hard time with everything I turned in, so it stopped being fun. So I stopped writing. Sad, huh? So it is really nice to remember how much I love writing and be able to dabble in it again :)