Heart Shaped

 Thursday, January 30, 2025

Today's card came together fairly quickly with the Marbled Elegance DSP all over my studio and the Hearts of Elegance dies also all over.

I used the challenge sketch from my upline's FB stampers group, KnT Designs Stampers Group Social. 

I used the sentiment from the Heart Shaped stamp set which is a Sale-a-bration set or bundle with the dies. 

This week is going pretty well. The weather is still fabulous...hoping for snow when we come out of this cold spell. ❄ Time will tell!

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

A Treat Bag

 Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Hello, Crafty Friends! Today's project is a treat bag. I am making multiples of for my crafting friends who meet once a month. I am also making them for my Bible Study besties. I am still in the process of making them but thought I'd share one with you today.

I completely CASE'd the measurements for this from the Paper Pixie here.   I was looking for a box/bag that used a half sheet of DSP as I continue my quest to use up my DSP! I used the Marbled Elegance DSP and the Hearts of Elegance die for mine. I embellished with a few Heart sequins. These little bags hold a whole lot of goodies!!!

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

Lots of Love

 Tuesday, January 28, 2025

I got a little time in the studio yesterday!!! I'm responsible for the make-n-take this Saturday at our monthly crafting day. This is the card I'm going to share:

I used the Hearts of Elegance bundle and the Marbled Elegance DSP. My card base is Melon Mambo and I embossed the white layer with the Plaster Painting EF. I added a few heart sequins and a bow using the gold thread. I stamped the sentiment using Melon Mambo ink and fussy cut around it. Some of the hearts are popped up with dimensionals. It's really however you want to place those hearts on the card front. 

We have had beautiful weather here! Blue skies! It's cold but so manageable and such a nice break from our typical rainy winter!

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

Birthday Wishes

 Monday, January 27, 2025

Happy Monday! Last week completely derailed me from the studio and creating content for my blog.  I ended up watching  a sick  Autumn Wednesday and Thursday. I was completely exhausted and spent the next few days catching up and recovering. 

My birthday was also last week (Wednesday) and I wanted to share the cards I received from my lovely crafty friends!  

 Arlene...I love those dies. I'm not sure what they are called though.

Gretchen...that embossing folder is so pretty.

Karen...love that pretty peach DSP.

Laura...the pink, shimmery gondola is so cute against that shiny DSP.

LeAnne...I love the Perennial Lavender DSP and that sweet little butterfly!

Sharon...those flowers are so pretty!

Teresa, my upline and BCFF (Best Crafting Friend Forever) went over the top with this fancy fold pop up card! 

My 6-year anniversary with Stampin' Up! was also this month. I can't believe it has been six year.  Teresa made me this card. No, the stamp set is not from SU! 😅 Because Crafty Girls can do what they want and this is what she wanted to use! I love it!

Happpy Stamping! 

Tracy

Kindess

 Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Today's card:

I love these tulips from the Mixed Florals bundle. I just wasn't sure how to do the sentiment...I used the Mixed Media bundle for it. I plan to make more cards using these tulips so I'll have other opportunities to work on the sentiment. I'm entering this over at Can You Handle the Pressure where they are looking for 3D embossing folders. I used SU!'s Plaster Painting 3D EF! It's amazing! Lots of texture.

So, the weekend derailed me again. Our son, Taylor, and his family came over Sunday after church for lunch. We kept Autumn overnight and all day Monday. And now I'll be watching her again tomorrow because she is sick! 😞

She was good when we had her! She's a three baby girl. She has to have three baby dolls! 😂 Who knows! Maybe triplets are in her future!

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

Happy Birthday

Friday, January 17, 2025

It's Fri-yay, Crafty Friends! Today's card features a few ducks from the Lily Pond Lane DSP. 

 This bundle is a bit challenging for me but I'm making some progress with it.  I cut these images out of the DSP with the dies from the Charming Duck Pond. 

Anyways, our glamping trip is over. We are heading back to the farm today. It's been a nice week of R & R. We experienced a few new sights and sounds, and a new campground. It's been good.

Happy Stamping and have a good weekend!

Tracy

Happy Birthday

 Thursday, January 16, 2025

Well, I'm keeping it real this week with today's card. Uber simple.

I brought the Charming Duck Pond bundle with me on this glamping trip. I ended up just cutting the Lily Pond Lane DSP that coordinates with the bundle for this card. I used this week's Freshly Made Sketches design.

It's been foggy and cold (in the 30's) on this glamp trip. Yesterday we explored a couple nearby lakes and dams, walked around a campground we're interested in staying at sometime and drove into the sunshine!!!

Here's one of the dams! Can you see it!? LOL! It was a bit foggy. 

This is a lake. The water level is super low. It is all part of  “drawdown” — turning a reservoir into a river for a temporary period each year. It’s part of a wider strategy to keep dams in place for flood control while reopening habitat blocked for decades to endangered salmon and steelhead teetering on the brink of extinction. (Statesmen Journal 01.11.2025)

And here is the sunshine and blue sky we found! We just had to go up a little higher but it was there!

Happy Stamping wherever you are!

Tracy

Hope & Faith

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Today's cards are from a One Sheet Wonder (OSW) I worked on yesterday. So fun! I was inspired by Mary Knabe from Stampin' Peace. 

I used a sheet of Regal Winter DSP and went to work creating! It's fun to personalize and jazz up the cards with a OSW. 

We're off to explore and hike in a new area today! 

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

YOU

 Tuesday, January 14, 2025

I made another card last night with some scraps from yesterday's card.

I used the sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #612.

 A big thank you to AHSC!  I made the TOP 3 for Sketch #610! You can see that card here.

I stayed up way to late last night! I guess this is a week of R & R so I can take a nap whenever!

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

Thanks

Monday, January 13, 2025

It's late but it's still Monday as I am typing up this blog post. The weekend derailed me a bit and we are 'glamping' (in the RV) this week. I have limited supplies and space and the photography is bad but here is today's card:

I have sticky notes with measurements and sketches on them all over the place! Yes, I have a notebook intended for such things but it is never handy when I need to take notes. LOL! This layout was on a sticky note and I finally got around to using it. I am using the  color challenge at The Paper Players this week.

I used SU!'s Pretty in Pink, Peach Pie and Shy Shamrock. My sentiment is from Regal Flora cut with the Stylish Shapes dies. The butterfly is from Spotlight on Nature. I had to use black for my butterfly because nothing else looked right. I finished it off with a few '24-'26 In Color Shimmer Gems.

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

You Are Awesome!

 Friday, January 11, 2025

It's  Fri-yay! I hope you all have grand plans for the weekend! Tomorrow is my monthly crafting day with my crafty friends! It's sure to be a grand day!

I'm finishing up the week with a sweet and simple card I made using some items that were laying around my desk.

I had a couple small square of the Favored Flowers DSP that I cut in half and used for the corners of my Basic White piece.  I colored those pretty flowers from the Memorable Blooms stamp set with Melon Mambo and Granny Apple Green Blends and cut them out with the coordinating die. I added an extra sprig of foliage and a few splashes of spotty dots to the background. The sentiment is from the same stamp set and cut with a die from the Unbounded Love set.

That's it for me this week. Full weekend ahead!

Happy Stamping! You are AWESOME!

Tracy

For A Great Friend

Thursday, January 9, 2025

Today's card features the Mixed Media Florals DSP from Stampin' Up!

So, this was a first. I made the card and then I saw the Stampin' Up! Only Challenge #367. Ummmm, yes. I believe it mimics the sketch fairly well just flipped and maybe elongated a bit. 😉

Card Details:

• A2 card base in Mossy Meadow cardstock
• 3-1/8" x  5-3/8" Lemon Lolly 
• 3"  x 5-1/8" Mixed Media Florals DSP
• 2" x  2-3/4" Flirty Flamingo for Mixed Labels die
• 1-1/4" x  2-1/4" Basic White for sentiment from Mixed Labels stamp set; die from Mixed Labels dies
• Basic White scrap; stamp little flowers from Mixed Florals stamp set; color with Boho Blue Blends
• Flirty Flamingo Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)
• Glossy Dots in Daffodil Delight

We watched Paisley yesterday and had a fabulous day! Yea! After last week I thought I might have to turn in my title of Gigi...but all was right with the world again.

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

THANKS

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

I made today's card using the fun new Mixed Florals bundle from SU!

I used the Exposed Brick EF and added some Peach Pie ink with a blending brush. The sentiment and label are from Wonderful Thoughts.

I'm playing along with the color challenge at Color My Heart Color Dare #633

I used SU!'s Lost Lagoon, Mango Melody and Real Red which I thought covered the middle colors of each group. 

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

Celebrate!

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

One of my ongoing goals is to use up all those pretty papers I have. LOL! I figure there are two things I can do to encourage that. 1) Dont' buy anymore pretty papers and 2) Use a One Sheet Wonder (OSW) with the pretty papers to make cards! I'm opting for more of #2! Here are today's cards:

I recently bought the Favored Flowers DSP. 😂 It was on sale. 😂😂 And really I bought it because I wanted to make some cards for my cousin using it.  I think it is so her! 

Card details:

• A2 card base in Purple Posy (hey! I used up what I had left of that color!)
• 4"x 5-1/4" Blackberry Bliss
• 1" x 5" and 2-3/4" x 5" DSP (I just used the reverse side. Makes it easy!)
• Fresh Freesia seam binding ribbon (SAB item starting 1.7.25) I love it!
• I used the Tasteful Labels and Stitched So Sweetly dies for the sentiments.  I can't remember which stamp set or sets I used for the sentiments...
• The foliage is a die from Memorable Blooms (mini catalog starting 1.7.25)

I'm going to post this over at Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge!

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

You're Not Alone

 Monday, January 6, 2025

Happy Monday! Today's card was easy to make but difficult to leave well enough alone. 

I wanted to add color!!! I challenged myself to stick with the Color Throwdown Challenge #824.

My card base is Basic Black. I used the SU! Birch Wood embossing folder on a piece of Gray Granite. I really like that EF! I adhere it to a Basic White mat. I used the duo of birds from Winterly Treetops and colored them with Gray Granite Blends. My sentiment is from Comforting Thoughts. 

I'm also entering this in a few other challenges.

• Can You Handle The Pressure 
• Just Us Girls Challenge#756 where they are looking for dies.
• Triple B where Birds, Blooms and Butterflies are always wanted.

Happy Stamping!

Tracy

Monthly Wanderings

 Sunday, January 5, 2025

December was a blur. 

It started with our grandson arriving three weeks early via Cesarean section on December 7. I won't explain all the details but he was breech. He was wedged in his momma's womb in such a way that he had no more room to grow and wasn't growing enough. So many tests on him and his momma. So much stress. So, out he came. We were hoping he would be 5 pounds. God is gracious. He was 5 lbs. 9 oz. The smallest baby I have ever held. He is beautiful. His name is Weston Ray. Weston. Not Wes. Not West. Weston. He joins his big sister, Paisley, who is 2-1/2 years old.

 

Poppy and Gigi (my husband and I) are amazed.

The rest of December included various appointments, events and of course, we celebrated Christmas!

This past week it was our turn to watch Paisley while her momma is still recovering from childbirth via Cesarean. We had both Paisley and her cousin, Autumn, one day. Just one day.  Oh, I thought it would be fun. They could have a playdate. We'll do this and that...NOT. It was the most stressful day. I was in tears. Autumn was crying. Paisley was mad. It was NOT good.  Complete failure as a Gigi. It reminded me of those days as a parent...when at the end of the day I felt like a complete failure. It was then that I had to remind myself that no one got hurt, I fed them, they took a nap at the same time, we read books. Everything is okay. So, we have to work on some relational issues with a 2-1/2 year old and an almost 2 year old. I think that is normal or so I hope! 

Paisley...

Autumn...

This weekend has been all about recharging. Being in my studio crafting has definitely helped recharge my batteries!

Happy New Year and Happy Stamping!

Tracy

Sunshine & Smiles

 Friday, January 3, 2025

Today's card was a fun one to make on a very rainy day here on the farm.

I have a friend who is struggling with some health issues so I thought this might cheer her up.

My card base is Granny Apple Green and I am using that fun Fruit Salad DSP that I've used on the other cards I posted this week. My sentiment is from Enjoying Little Things.

I'm using the sketch from CASE-ing Tuesday #493 which is on Facebook.

Happy Stamping, my friends, and have a wonderful weekend!

Tracy

Thank you #2

 Thursday, January 2, 2025

Today's card is another thank you card I needed. I made it for our oldest son and his family. 

I love that as the creator we can customize our cards! We have an apple tree in our front yard that our granddaughters have helped pick up the "old" apples that we then feed to the goats, sheep, llama and cow on our walk when they are here. Sooooo, I made sure the apple panel was larger and included a bird because we are always looking for the birds and watching them when they come around. 

For my card I used another panel of the Fruit Salad DSP (coming to SU! Jan. 7 as a SAB item). The sentiment and bird are from Winterly Tree Tops and the neat die is from the Mixed Labels dies (coming Jan. 7 as an Online Exclusives item).

I am playing along with the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Sketch #610

Here's a pic of Paisley feeding the goats the apples.

And a pic of the animals!

And a pic of the recipients of the card! Our oldest son, Steven, and his family. They just had a baby boy four weeks ago! More about that in another post.

Happy Stamping!

Tracy