We escaped........

Life has been crazy-wonderful busy... and the weeks have been just passing by too quickly.

Yesterday on a whim, I decided we needed to get away... It's been too long.

Even if that meant somewhere close. Just for the night. Somewhere quaint, cozy with a touch of rustic elegance and luxury.

Here I sit in our room at Sunriver Resort sipping on Pinot Noir, nibbling cheese and grapes... blogging...lol :)

(the resort at dusk)

(Our Room)

This is the "Owl's Nest" which is perfectly named, as you can see the breathtaking views of the cascades in the background. Tonight we will sit and enjoy a dinner and wine and listen to a local band!

Well, I better get off the computer and enjoy the beauty that surrounds me...and pour another glass of Pinot Noir.

Have a lovely weekend!! I'll be back Monday with the sneak peek of our May Buttons Of The Month, "Celebrate!"

--Tessa Ann*

Updates....

Well, the button factory is busy, busy already this morning.....60 sets of Buttons are baking in the oven to sweet perfection, as I type this update!

* Subscribers-- Your April Buttons Of The Month were all shipped out on Monday! You will be receiving your pretty packages soon!

* For the month of May we have a very special guest designer....MODISH PRINCESS! You may have noticed in my side bar, I have been working with a very talented children's clothing designer to create custom buttons and appliques for her lines. I will be showcasing her designs starting the 1st week of May and throughout the Month. Modish Princess will be hosting a giveaway here as well! Stop by the 2nd week of May to see what you could win for your little princess! Be sure to share with your friends. This is going to be an awesome giveaway!

Well, this is totally off topic.......a cute, but rather *pathetic* pic of Duffy..... He was shivering madly this morning after his bath. I did my best to dry him with my hair dryer..hehe....but the poor guy continued to shiver.

Yes. You see it. I broke out the heating pad and goosedown blanket. AND. his hoodie..

Alas...he was warm. I told you it was a cute/pathetic kind of photo ;)

Have a wonderful day!

:) ---Tessa Ann*

Inspiration all the way from France!

It is such a wonderful compliment when my customers take the time out of their busy day to share with me what they have created using my buttons and embellishments. Since I spend all of my time creating these little goodies, my time to create with them has been pretty limited.

So..... Today I thought it would be fun to share some amazing scrapbooking art from Emeline! I love her beautiful, eclectic style and how she incorporates my embellishments in to her work so effortlessly. As you look at her work you will see tiny little surprises and fun details that are so unique and make her scrapbooking truly *art* in my eyes.

So...sit back and enjoy the beautiful artwork of the very talented, Emeline.

Emeline used one of the pretty buttons from the March Buttons Of The Month as an accent piece in her "Happy Easter Card." Just look at all of the details, the eggs nestled in a bed of pink grass and the green trim around the scalloped paper. Just lovely.....

Those eggs are just too sweet!
I love how Emeline layered all the pieces beneath the button!

Curly ribbon.....so lovely and the die cut egg is delish!

Isn't this layout sweet! Perfectly titled, "Life Is Sweet," I love how Emeline put her beautiful pen work to use to create her title.

I created this Strawberry embellishment *just* for Emeline and she couldn't have put it to use any better than she did here! So pretty :)

Love the lace and pen work!

I just love how Emeline used our cupcake embellishment to create a beautiful tag for her vintage cupboard.

I carried these cupcakes in my shop a few months back. I think I'll be adding more soon!


Another beautiful scrapbooking layout ! I love how well our buttons work with Prima's flowers and Emeline shows just that with this layout. I created the adorable pineapple embellishments as a custom order for Emeline. I love how they are peeking out from behind a layer of paper. She also used the Jaune Noir buttons to center her flowers. Emeline captured this photo while in Capri, Italy. Ah....I've been there and seeing this photo brings up so many memories of the day I spent there. Capri is such a lovely place.


Well, I hope this post leaves you feeling inspired. I know I am!

Have a lovely day!

Tessa Ann*

Available TODAY only while supplies last!

The button factory has been in full swing since bright and early this morning! Today I have a special set to share that will be available ONLY today in the shop as a limited edition set.


This set is filled with fabulousness............draped in cranberry red, robin's egg blue and pearls...this is set is truly a stunner!

Here are some matching felties I created that are available special request only. Email me at tessaannwatte@gmail.com if you would like some of these felties to match!

*Cupcake Feltie 2.5"x3" in diameter, this fun little cupcake has handstitched pearls as sprinkles! Perfect for adorning scrapbook pages, cards, mixed media projects, children's clothing, hair bows, gift bags and MORE!

A beautiful felt flower, handstitched and adorned with tulle, felt and a pearl stitched to the center of the heart. Other than embellishing your scrapbook pages and projects with this felt flower, would this be divine on as a brooch?

Isn't this bird the sweetest?

Well, I am off to Michaels for a quick supply run and then back to work making buttons and felties! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

April Buttons Of The Month "Timeless Treasures"

I am so thrilled to share these pretties with you all! These by far are my favorite from the Buttons Of The Month we've done so far. Inspired by Tiffany's blue, Jadeite green, pearls and silver distressing...these buttons are so eloquent and beg to be put to use! I could see these stitched to a lovely sweater, a little girl's dress pocket, a hair bow, a lovely scarf, a scrapbook page or a handmade doll. I will be posting my handmade creations in the next few days using these buttons!

For those of you whose subscription is ending this month and you would still like to receive your buttons of the Month, you will receive a renewal reminder in your April buttons with the instructions, or *simply* email me at tessaannwatte@gmail.com. We are still currently SOLD OUT of our subscriptions, but we have a waiting list in place. Email me if you would like to be included. It is filling up pretty quickly!

April Buttons Of The Month

{Timeless Treasures}

Well back to finishing up all the sets to mail out next week! Enjoy your night :)

-Tessa Ann

Wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here is a special set of buttons to celebrate today :)

A few sets of these will be available in the shop today!

Okay....back to work! I have a pile of buttons and birds on my desk ready to be packaged up! I hope everyone has a wonderful day :D

*Tessa Ann*

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