2015...a wonderful new year

I hope everyone's year has started off well. Personally I'm super excited about 2015. I haven't been so excited about a new year and the possibilities since well last year lol. But this year has already started very well for the family. First off no one is sick. Thank goodness because if we get sick again I might just loose it. We had a horrible run of the ...um yucky stomach and it was bad because it also included both ends. I hate to talk about it but I had to bleach down my whole house from the front door to the patio. I kid you not I took half a day off from work to handle that issue. And since then we have all been 100% better.

But on a great and positive note, my employer (who had been pushing me to work from home) is happy because I work from home all the time now. I was fighting it because I love my family but working from home was hard but it has been a great so far. It's only been three weeks and I had to go in and pack up my work desk and get decorations and bring them home. Originally I had been planning on giving away all the decorations to others at the office but when the hubs found out he was like nope you should bring that stuff home. It is very feminine and cute and it should be added to our home so that your space is more your style instead of the gender neutral style it has been. So I packed up that little corner, and moved it basically to our home. It looks like this...

It is a little different from the photo now like I have moved the chickenwire frame over so it isn't straight lined up with the computer. I decluttered the drawers so that I could actually add office/work supplies. And it feels much more perfect. Not that the office wasn't perfect before but the flowers on the desk and lamp and even the frame seemed to make it more cozy. And that is why I have been working more hours I think.  But I'm going to have to try to cut back on work and get to using my scrapbooking desk again. It is missing me dearly. I keep looking at it while on hold and I keep thinking about all those amazing supplies that I need to play with.

On another note, I am not using the 2015 planner that I just had to have and started making. I guess what I didn't realize  until I purchased it is that the Simple Stories binders have 2 rings, which make it hard to insert smaller items. I don't love that at all. The other thing that is somewhat an adjustment is that the planners rings are on the right flap. I never thought this would be an issue but when I'm laying in bed trying to write down my thoughts there is a long flap on the other side that I often poke the hubs with. Sorry hubby. And the planner has been sitting on my scrapbooking desk now for almost a week. I really think I'm going to start using my FC planner again.  The one I got at the Goodwill is so flexible and I can actually fold over the cover so that it's bent like a notebook and it won't damage it at all. That makes for wonderful planning while in bed. I will just have to position my pages correctly in order to cut them down. And that is the only reason why I haven't done it just yet. And it's hard not having weekly planner pages to write on. I've been using my old diary to write in and I just miss writing in a planner. I need to have a place to write out ideas and goals.

 But anyways look what I bought me for Christmas...I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Seriously. This thing is amazing. I love being able to make healthy smoothies. The hubs and I are going to do smoothies for breakfast for a month in hopes to jumpstart our 90 day goal of starting to be healthier. Wish me luck. Honestly I have never ever ever done any form of dieting. Ever so this will be interesting.
         

 

 

 

I'll be back soon. Smiles, Tracy

Just a quick post until I get some projects done. I am working on my cards for the card class that I will be teaching at Anchor Paper Express in St.Paul, MN. I am planning on the first or second Tuesday of the month, just in case anyone is looking to sign up for a fun card making class (or in case any of my old card making friends want to know where I am at). The class will be 2 hours long because that gives you enough time to learn several of the techniques that I will be doing (including making your own crinkled ribbon). So be prepared to have fun and make a mess all at the same time. LOL

But I will be uploading pictures of the cards later this week. Well after I get my display done. Oh one of the cards is actually a birthday pocket that holds candy and you can add a gift card. I made these years ago and thought since library pockets are popping up again that I could make some of the pockets that I made then, just better! So for now no pictures but stay tuned... smiles, Tracy

Ain't no sunshine...

I have had the most fun making some cards last night. I have been wanting to get the perfect quote for a card that I have had in my mind for weeks. But none of the saying that I could find seemed to fit the card that I wanted to make. And it just came to me as I began to make the card. It was an old song that I remember hearing growing up....ain't no sunshine....since you've been gonna way. I honestly have no idea who sings it, but I plan on googling it and purchasing it to play while I make the kits that I am planning on making.

The papers on the card are all Webster's pages and MME/Fancy pants. The greeting was created on the computer and then cut using my spellbinders die. The clouds are from a Hero Arts set and the umbrella/parasol was cut using my Big shot and the QK parasol die. The seam binding type ribbon is from my local scrapbook store and I hand dyed it using Crushed olive and perfect pearls. And then I burned the ends using my heat gun. The button is from my stash and the twine is from Martha Stewart.

I don't do vintage but feel that this is my attempt to use a vintage color palette but in a fresh way.

Each kit will have (3)6x6 Webster's pages pp, (1) 6x6 Fancy Pants/MME pp, (2) 6x6 white cardstocks, (1) A2 peach-ish colored card base, (2) greeting printed on the same peach-ish colored cardstock and 1yard of hand dyed seam binding, plus 2 buttons and some twine. I am thinking that these kits would be about $7.00 plus 2.00 shipping and handling.

So the cost would be under $10 and you'd have enough supplies to make this card twice. If you are interested in the kit please leave a comment or peamail on twopeasinabucket.com.

Hi everyone! I haven't been on the internet the last five days because our modem died. I really am trying to wait patiently to receive the new one in the mail but it is hard not to be on the internet when you have several other things going on that require you to be on the computer. So I am not going to be on the computer for too long because dial up keeps the phone busy.

But I wanted to share the store display that I made for Anchor paper. I love how it turned out and I hope that some of the employees make some summer cards or layouts as well to add to the display. But here is what the display is starting with....

The large/small firecrackers are made using a tissue and papertowel roll (the chipboard piece after the roll has been used).

And here is a close up of the card from the display as well.

Catching up on some photo uploads

I wanted to share these items with you all for the last couple of days but just never got around to resizing and uploading until this morning. But first I have to say this. I don't like this Japanese art paper. It is nothing wrong with it other than it so isn't my taste but I was asked to make a display and so that is what I did. And honestly I like how it turned out although I was really worried about the end result. I am a simple scrapbooker (most of the time...lol) but I used tons of products all from the same line and a lot of the embellishments from that line as well. Which seemed too much while I was creating it but in the end seemed to balance it out. It doesn't make sense I know but it did somehow work.

So here is the wall display, I did change one thing after this picture instead of the ribbon used to hang the chipboard display, I changed it out for some 16 gauge wire. Which looked much better and then I tied the burgundy/red toole around the top left corner of the wire.

Oh the flower actually has the organza sack material that the ribbon came in behind it. It was the best way for me to really make the product work and a think a creative way to use the sack although I didn't have to. But it was truly the only embellishment that really matched the papers. The lettering is American Crafts thickers, the gold mesh is Magic Mesh and I used my Big Shot to cut the swirls and the nesting label Quickutz dies and the ruffle along the bottom of the frame is actually 3 of the bag tops cut off. And the frame itself is actually a Teresa Collins chipboard album cover and I used my Bigbite to cut the holes for the wire.

Now onto some family pictures...I love these pictures that I recently took of the girls playing together in the front yard.

Well this is the one that I am going to share and the others I plan on scrapbooking. I have learnt that since I have been truly blogging more that I tend to think that I have scrapbooked pages of events sometimes when I use certain pictures on my blog so the ones that I want to scrapbook you will see those when I actually upload the pictures of the pages. I used to have a better system of writing things down on lists, but that changed with bedrest last year. Somehow I lost the previous list and now I don't want to make a new one because that would mean that I need to do some serious looking through albums and pics from last year and that whole process takes a long time. Time that I could be using scrapbooking. Well I had two other photos to add but for some reason blogger won't let me upload those two?

This morning it is raining which is ok because it is supposed to rain and then pass on. I think that is what I heard on the news last night? But that matters because I have gotta spray paint my ATG. In case you don't know what that it is; it's an Adhesive Transfer Gun. Or that is what they called it when I bought it. It's not a hot glue gun (for the family that doesn't scrapbook) it is a glue tape gun that is used in picture framing mostly but it is an awesome product for scrapbookers because it is affordable and it works so great. I loved my Kokuyo products and mentioned them all the time but now that I can't get anything wholesale anymore, I had to go with something that was affordable, and also something that I could easily get online or IRL. And Anchor Paper Express sells the refills for it for like $2.76. It is great to be able to pick up what I need (acid free and regular) when I need some right away. But the dispenser is a really ugly red color. And so I want it to be purple. I know it seems like something silly, but when you use glue for every project it's nice to have what you want. And I want a purple dispenser. And since it is refillable I will have it forever (or until they discontinue the product!!!)

I will stop for now because my post is really long. And although I have a page to share, I will just add it to the flickr photo stream and my two peas gallery. So check those out if you wanna see my picnic for 6 layout. Have an awesome day!

Happy Father's Day!!

We are still celebrating it right now but I wanted to stop in really quick while we are waiting for our dessert to cool down. Here is the card that I made for Vele...he loved it. It actually was a diecut envelope die that I cut from chipboard and used as a card by cutting off the remaining flaps. And than I put his ticket/gift certificate for free golf lessons in there. He was so excited to get them.

And here is the cards that I made recently for the store.

The USA card letters was cut from my Quickutz diesel grand letters. I put magic mesh on the top of white cardstock and then cut the letters out. It looks so cute!

Also used magic mesh for this card too. The store owner asked me to use magic mesh in the several ways so that she could have something to show the customers that it was used on. She loved the examples.

Some quick updates and information

I just wanted to stop in really quick and answer a couple questions that I have gotten from two separate sites and also from emails.

The first question was if the family memories kit has some directions.

The answer is yes, I have typed up some basic instructions, a supply list, and also included colored print outs of the actual pages that I have created. Along with colored prints of the cards that I made using the kit remains. The information is very basic but it gives you a general idea of how the kit pages are put together. I do give directions on creating the tire tracks.

The second question was about the link to my etsy store. I have now gotten that corrected. My store is located at www.etsy.com/shop/tracyross98 I am planning to add the permanent link to my store to my blog as soon as possible, but because I want to change a few things around it might take me a little while to get it all complete.

I also have put my Mothers are the stitches...card on my etsy shop as well. And if there are any questions please feel free to email me at tracyross98@yahoo.com or leave a comment and I will respond here. Tracy

Mini album kit

Just as I promised...the mini album kit is all put together and listed on my etsy shop at http//www.etsy.com/listing/46047917/family-memories-mini-album-kit

I am so excited to be making kits again and plan on getting more examples of what I made with the kit on my blog. Here is the mini album that I made using the kit and I have a bunch of product left. I am planning on making Mother's Day cards and a couple of kid's birthday cards as well. I didn't even use half of the embellishments in the kit as well because I wanted to make the album not so bulky. I bound mine with the bind-it-all but your chipboard album is completely raw and has no holes at all so that you can have a choice of whatever binding you want.

There are no stamps or letter stickers included in the set but you get tons of paper so that you can diecut letters and use the supplies that you have already. The mini album I did is just an example.

Some of the papers used are WRMK- 72& Sunny Dots & Rainbow, Kaiser Craft- What a hoot, October Afternoon- Gazebo, Basic Grey- Urban Prairie Hayloft, Kioshi- Ran & Water Lily, Bo Bunny-Gypsy Henna, Kitchen Spice Sesame, 7 Gypsies- Terrassa, Fancy Pants- Sweet Spring Anni & Selby, On A Whimsy catch a wave, Cosmo Cricket- Early Bird Brunch, MME- Be loved hearts. There is actually a total of 32 patterned papers (2 of each design). That is shown below along with the embellishments from the kit which include 6 feet of paper tape (2 of three designs).

Airplane embellishments are now available.

I had several emails (or peamails on twopeasinabucket) about my airplane felt embellishments and if had any plans on selling them. Well now they are available at my etsy shop. Check it out here http://www.etsy.com/listing/45882227/felt-handmade-airplane-embellishments



And if you want to see them used here is the original post....http://http://scrapalongwithtracy.blogspot.com/2010/03/i-had-to-check-in-to-show-my-work-so.html

They will be slightly different because I am using the supplies that I have on hand so if you are interested please email me or leave a comment or convo me on my etsy shop. Thanks Tracy

The offer for the Tim Holtz inks/re-inkers are all done for this round of customers who got their order in before Wednesday, April 21st. I just wanted to let you all know that I am hoping that the stamps/re-inkers will be shipped out to me the early part of next week and I will my very best to get your orders out within 24 hours. Unfortunetly if you live outside of the US then I won't be able to provide any shipping information (other than a customs #) and for those who are US customers I will be providing a confirmation/tracking #.

Well today I got some amazing stamps in the mail and I looovvveee them. And they are going to be the first thing I grab this week/weekend to make a card for my nephew who is graduating from highschool. I am so excited about making him a card since his colors are maroon and gold. I am still trying to find the right color of maroon but hopefully I'll be able to find it once I get the mini albums done and in the mail.

I do have to say that I wanted to share a card that I made for my Aunt Betty but I just realized that I haven't mailed it yet and she actually reads my blog. So I don't have anything to share today but I have plans of sharing some cards when I make them this weekend.

Tim Holz distress inks

I just got an email stating that I can get a set of 12 Tim Holtz ink pads for $42 and the reinkers for $36. The 12 ink pads would be all the new colors that were released at CHA winter2010. Here is a link to the actual colors. http://www.timholtz.com/ink.htm

The colors in the sets are
- barn door
- bundled sage
- chipped sapphire
- crushed olive
- forest moss
- pumice stone
- rusty hinge
- spun sugar
- stormy sky
- tumbled glass
- victorian velvet
- wild honey

I will be charging actual shipping for these and this offer is limited to 10 sets of the reinkers but there is no limit on the # of ink pads that I can purchase.

This deal is amazing and I have sold these 2 other times on twopeasinabucket.com on their for sale board. You can check her for the feedback http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2973336#26929506

or you can check this thread as well http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2972524#26923809

I take paypal payment only and I want to have the order placed on Wednesday April 10,2010. You will be paying actual shipping for these ink pads/re-inkers and I am will to offer a discount on shipping if you are getting both sets.

It takes 5 business days to get the shipment returned to me once it is paid for so I am hoping to have it by the following Wednesday and mailed out to everyone within 2 business days. I don't have the actual cost for shipping so you will have to contact me with your zipcode so that I can check usps and get that information for you. This is for brand new items that you are pre-paying for. Thanks Tracy

Images edited to remove photos.

Hello everyone. I just had to come and post the pages of Daniel's album that I have competed today...making a total of 12 pages for his mom's album. I love these pages and had to share them.

Page one...Celebrate Daniel's coming home.

I was hoping to make several other pages for this mini album using the remaining pictures. I was hoping to add a page of photos of the Dad with his son, a page with the older cousin and Daniel and even a page using the mother's favorite picture of Daniel. But we will see what happens.

I am gonna go and relax with the family since we didn't get out today. Goodnight everyone (smile), Tracy

(all photos have been removed for customer)

I am back to post the pictures of baby Daniel's album just as promised. I am hoping to get some pages done today also. I am just working out the details because I have to decide what to include in the album at this point so that I am right at the page limit requested.

This one is for his mom's album. These are his little prints.

This one is of his first visitors at the hospital. This is a one-page layout but it has an album insert. This insert is from an album that I already had, but the other type (single photo sleeves) are something that I actually went and bought just for this project.

And his first bath at birth photo.

Hello everyone. I have some pictures that I can share of my current projects with you all. I have been working on the little boy memory album today. But first I have to share that I made my own photo sleeves simular to the CTMH flip flaps that I had been wanting to order.

Well actually I had plans on ordering them and then that changed because I couldn't get in touch with my CTMH rep. And so I came home and sat down and tried to figure something out. And the results were awesome! I like these better than the flip flaps because they can stay flat on the page and not move. Although the picture ...darn it something happened to the photos (I deleted them in error...oops!)

Well here are some pictures of the kids instead...lol lol I don't have any other pictures to share. I can't believe that I deleted them after emailing them to the customer! And they are deleted from my memory card also.

Oh I had to add if you are in MN and you are planning to head to Crafts Direct, you have got to pick up some of those Darico (might not be the name?) adhesive that they have for .98! I grabbed a couple because I needed something that wasn't too expensive (I do have the ATG and it isn't expensive, I just needed something a little more cheaper!) to use on albums that I am making plus I wanted it to be photo safe and strong. Well that stuff works awesomely. I couldn't even get it off the page with an adhesive eraser (seriously I ripped the paper). So I ended up only getting 6 but now I am thinking that I might have to plan another trip out there to get more will they are marked down so low.

I had to check-in to show my work so far on the mini albums that I am working on. I really didn't realize until tonight how long it takes to upload a pic to yahoo and email it. It has never taken that long before to upload anything but hopefully it won't take that long in the future.

I have paint everywhere. It is on my chair (at my desk), on my hands, under my nails...seriously it is everywhere. I am so glad that I make sure to work in my apron and house clothes so that I don't mess up some really nice clothes.

Well here is what the cover looks like with the photo in it. And the second pic is the cover page. And I actually used the felt airplane that I made on the page....

Also there have been many people asking about the TH distress ink pad sets. I am considering purchasing some the following week after this class is done, and I have sent out other orders but that won' t be until next week sometime. And I will post on 2 peas and here when I am going to get the sets. Leave a comment if you are interested in being contacted when I order sets or you can peamail me.

I really wanted to have a chance to blog today and show pics of several things that I have going on but I have been on the computer already way too long today. I have been creating math drill sheets, spelling sheets, and printing off projects for us (really LaTrele) to do. Plus I have to find the time to relax my hair, wash some clothes, prepare burger patties (because I will be at my son's history day program for hours) for Vele to grill after work, and comb LeiLani's hair! And all this needs to be done before 2:45pm when the history day program starts. I am hoping that my poor camera batteries will have charged by then because my car battery charger isn't working at all! But anyways here is some of the things that I have been working on.

Airplane embellishments for the mini albums, these are hand cut and stitched. They took me about 2hrs to make a few different ones. I don't know if I love them, but they are really cute!

And this is the canvas pocket that I made from a piece of canvas that I have been holding onto for something special forever. My thought was since the album needed a pocket for the cards, that I needed it to be durable and sturdy. And since there aren't any sheet protectors this worked out great. Well I gotta get to work! Have a great day everyone!

A calendar /journal/scrapbook

I finally finished the undated monthly calendar/scrapbook/journal. I used a creative cafe 12 tabbed journal and rebound the journal using 1 1/4 o'wires. I also added stamped sheet protectors and a blank monthly calendar so that you can record events and appointments or you can use it as a yearly scrapbook. There are a total of 48 pages (96 front and back), 12 tabbed sections (1 for each month) and 3 sheets of lined paper for each month (36 pgs total).

I used stamps, diecuts, metal charms and lots more to create this unique book. Please check out my flickr to get a closer look at all the pages that I did.

http://http//www.flickr.com/photos/tracyross98/sets/72157622762657944/

Summer mini album (under construction)!!

I wish I had an under construction banner or some type of clipart that said that because that is how my desk looks right now. It is a mess! I have tons of things out because I have started making this super cute summer mini album that I plan on selling on ebay. I am also thinking about making some kits of the album as well. I love the colors and the embellishments and even the diecuts that I have been making. I would take a photo but someone would surely think I kept a messy house if I took a photo of that space! lol lol lol

I am going to start showing pics of the album later this week. I don't want to give the entire book away before I completely finish it (like I do with so many other projects). But I could share some of the names of the products that I am using on it...so far I have used Basic Grey's lime rickey papers and buttons, Chatterbox, Fancy Pants, Making Memories, Cosmo Cricket (the kitchen line...love it!), WRMK, and Creative Cafe. And tons of Quickutz, Bosskut, Spellbinders and Sizzix dies which I backed most of them with chipboard.

But I am hoping to finish it up by Wednesday and have it listed on Thursday. But if you have been following my work, I always seem to find a way to make products that I am creating just to list more complicated. I never can walk away from it when I say that it is done. This isn' t an issue when creating custom work for a specific customer because I have pictures or themes set, but that isn't the case for this mini album. It takes more time to make something that anyone could use instead of something specifically for a person. So far I have been working on this mini album for about 17hours (or a period of 2.5days) and I am a little over half way done.

But be on the look out for pictures of the mini album...I am off to get some dinner!

What a beautiful day...Well in my mind! LOL

Today was amazing! I got a huge order done, mailed and out of the way. I also had to deal with an issue that I saw arising...have you ever started a project on the wrong foot and then regretted or felt like you needed to start over because you might be getting taken advantage of? I did...I had taken an order and designed two cards and worked hard on the designs all before getting any payment (my fault!) and then after being told I love this card!! I bought some of the supplies because the retail store stated that they couldn't hold it for me. Now I didn't go out and purchase hundreds of $$ worth of product but I surely spent my own $$.

So I wasn't too bothered by a request to show another design of a card when I thought things were set in stone...nope that didn't bother me as much as being told by the customer that she wouldn't pay for something that she hadn't seen! Huh...I was working on something and hadn't gotten one single cent!...I had been communicating all the details, supplied photos of my work and then on top of that worked my tush off to get this order started all while not taking other orders and don't forget I didn't get $$ for my time! And all I stated to her was that I could email her an example of cards that I had done previously that were similar to what she was asking for.

So I attempted to communicate that I am a business and I was going to have to get payment before I moved forward with any more work...The same as any business that is making customized cards. They have an example, you see what you like and order yours and then you pay and receive a proof after that. I am not upset by this although I do now have 25 yards of gold ribbon and some other gold items that I can' t see myself using at all in the near future...but I have learned a lesson. One that I had learned before but now I'm going to follow 100%...non-customized examples, and at least a down payment before work is started! But the good part is that is just as this order began to go south, I got a call from a person I have made cards for tons of times and she wants me to do cards for her daughter's wedding, the save the dates, the invitations, shower and thank you cards. I am talking about a nice little piece of $$! I made sure to discuss payment/receive a down payment and set up dates to meet to go over proofs. I like when business is conducted this way! It just makes me feel better but then again this order was from a returning customer and she has always been pretty amazing to work with.

I can't wait until tomorrow...ok later on this morning because it is 3am! I am going to a local scrapbook store for a few hours to do a make and take. I have no plans on sending any $$ because I have an order of products on it's way from ebay. Some items that have been on wishlist now for over a year and finally I am going to get them. It's not that I didn't have the money for it, I just couldn't get them for a reasonable price including shipping so I waited. I tend to do that a lot. Especially if it is something scrapbook related.

I have also planned to start looking for a 2 seat stroller. I have been thinking about it but then realized that maybe I need to start actually looking for one. I might have to have my hubby start checking garage sales.

Here is a quick pic of one of the two gold cards that I created. It is very traditional in it's feel but that is what she was looking for.

Cards for Easter

Well I have been busy in my space for a few hours today. And while in there I decided that I really needed to get started on making Easter cards (so of course those layouts I needed to get done were put on hold yet again).

I wanted to use some of the stash that I had plus some of the newer items that I had gotten too. And these are the fun cards that I came up with...I really love them. And in case anyone wants to know the pp is Making Memories Chloe's closet line that is (or at least I believe it is) exclusive to Michaels' stores. I would have loved to get the matching trim that actually went with the paper but I have tried forever to find it and still haven't had any luck! So of course, I made do.

Oh and you can click on photos to see an enlarged card.

And of course now that I have been working on Spring cards, I can't help but get excited! I can' t wait until we actually start getting spring weather!