Week In Review(March 31st-April 6th)

What is Week In Review (WIR)?- WIR is where we showcase cards made by the Trendsetters and myself throughout the week. Not only to you get to see gorgeous projects made using TSG stamps, but you also have a chance to WIN one of these cards! Leave a comment on this post and next WIR I will choose a winner using a random number generator. That person will then get to pick out their favorite card and the Trendsetter that created it will send it to them :)

Last week's Winner is: macmomma

Here are your random numbers:

13

Timestamp: 2013-04-07 06:33:32 UTC

Be sure to email Jessi96@yahoo.com to claim your card!!

Karin Åkesdotter (Get well wishes)

Vera Yates (My Little Friend, Poultry in Motion)

Kim O'Connell (When I Grow Up)

Sandra (Zoopendous)

Torico (Giddy Up)

Tangii Crain (Loads of Fun)

Wendy P (Giddy Up)

Jenny (Nutmeg)

Jenny (Phyllis)

Jenny (Lucky Duck and Hooked On Quack)

Stampbook Saturday

Good morning. It's Tracy here on this fabulous Saturday. Yay for the weekend. I have been looking forward to this day since Sunday! ;-)  Helps that my husband will be back from his little working vacation today. So it's stampbook saturday today. I started out in this little addiction of mine scrapbooking about 13 or 14 years ago now. However, I have not even touched or thought about scrapbooking in about 5 years now...maybe longer. I think longer. All I know is I have a half finished baby album for my youngest. Typing that makes me feel like a bad mama.

So I am not going to lie I kinda freaked out with the idea of doing a scrapbooking page today.  I actually just took the plunge recently and bought a Project Life kit. I haven't done anything with it yet, but it sure does look pretty sitting on my desk. I hear it as I walk by begging me to start. Maybe this weekend....maybe.

I will say after making this page it kind of has me wanting to do another. How could I not want to showcase my little munchkins, right?

I used Blossom by Blossom. It's a 4x8 set designed by the talented Torico!  There is a HUGE 22 stamps in this set and it sells for $18.00.

Close up of the coloring. I used copic markers for the coloring.  The paper is an old My Minds Eye set, Bloom and Grow.  Yes, I had to dig out the scrapbooking papers!! I did have kind of current papers only because I still bought like crazy even when I wasn't "scrapbooking"! HA!

Thanks for coming by today and have a wonderful Saturday!!

 

Hugs,

Tracy Valure

 

Smarty Pants Notepad

Good morning, Tracy here today for ABC Friday!  Years ago my friends and I would have what we call a "Craft-a-thon".  There were about 8 of us consistently and at first we would have crops and there was always somebody that would show up and not have any mojo. They would sit and chat or just get frustrated that they didn't have any mojo.  So then my friend and I had the idea for each of us to create a project and bring enough for everybody to make it and "teach" them the project.  It was a hit, we continued to do this for about 5 years quarterly. There were all different levels of talent and some would make cards while others came up with some other type of crafty project like candle making. We had a blast.

The point of that story is because one of those crafty dates inspired today's post. A uber talented friend of mine, Samantha, showed us how to make these cute little notepad holders.

 

I used the Smarty Pants Stamp set.

 

Samantha also gave us some extra note pads. I can't remember where they came from, however, I do know I have seen long note pads/grocery list in the dollar areas of some of the local craft stores. They might work, you may just have to tweak the dimensions to fit your particular pad.

 

I colored all of it with Copic Markers. The paper is some old scrapbook paper that I had in my stash.  I added a button and twine to finish it off.

 

Thanks for stopping by today.

 

Tracy Valure

 

Trendsetting Spotlight-Tara Caldwell

This week's Trendsetting Spotlight has fallen on Tara Caldwell, known in crafty circles as Craftilicious. 

I recently saw her creation using Ninja Skillz and Birthdaybot  for the Green on Green chalelnge, and decided to go take a little peek of her blog!! Here are some of the other creations of hers that caught my eye!

This card using Scent-sational is SO stinking cute! I love the quilted pattern, and the embossing. So much fuN!

Her card for last week's sketch challenge is just TWO fun...look at that ADORABLE paper, her fantastic coloring on the cow image from Oh Crop, and the little cut out milk bottles from Poultry in Motion...love them!!

For her card here, she used Egg-stra Special, and I LOVE the blingy frame!

Well, that is it for me for now!! Be sure to swing past Tara's blog and say hi while checking out her work!

Wednesday Trend: Copic Clouds

Hey everybody, Tracy here today!   I am excited to be here to give you my very first Trend post for TSG! I started to panic coming up with a trend. A couple of thoughts came to mind but I went with creating clouds with copics mostly because I have had numerous people ask..."How do you do that" so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give a tutorial on a growing "Trend".

I know myself and alot of other people would create a "cloud mask" and stipple some ink down to create clouds. I love that effect..it's simple and easy! Recently I have seen alot of clouds created with copic markers in blogland. It took me a little while to get onboard to the idea. It looked way to difficult and I am all about easy!! A couple of weeks ago I was hanging out with some amazing and talented ladies and I was too embarrassed to pull out the ol' mask because I had so many stamping rockstars around me. So I made my own clouds with copics and guess what....it was easy!!

So rather than tell you how, I thought I would show you how. Now bare with me, this is literally my 2nd video EVER! I am still learning, but I think you will get the idea of how to do it. As time goes on, I do hope to improve my video skills. I hear iMovie on a Mac is the best and easiest. I haven't convinced my husband that I NEED to buy one yet. He is deadset against it!! sniff, sniff.  So windows movie maker it is....



Here is the finished card. I  used this for the current masculine challenge. You still have time to get your cards in for this weeks challenge.

Hope you enjoyed the video and learned something from it. Can't wait to see your projects using copic clouds!

Hugs,
Tracy Valure
 

Trendsetter Tuesday-Tracy Valure

This week's Trendsetter of the Week is one of our FANTABULOUS new girls, Tracy Valure. Jess and I actually had the awesome luck to get to meet this SUPER sweet and AMAZINGLY fun lady on our recent trip to Florida, and let me just say...she fits in PERFECTLY! Not only does she have a wicked sense of humor, she is so TALENTED!! I mean, WOW! 

Here is a little about Tracy!

Now, let's take a look at some of her work....be still my heart!!

Here first card using Jungle Out There was for our recent green on green challenge. I love her coloring, and the different papers and textures she has used. It pulls together this SUPER cute creation so well! And, would you LOOK at that grass...so talented!

Her second card I have seen in person, and WOAH...her coloring is INSANE on this one....would you look at her pink hair?? She's used the new Nutmeg stamp set from Megan Suarez and never before has pink hair looked SO good! LOVE this!!

Her final card uses the SUPER cute set On the Move set, and again, her coloring and paper choices are amazing. I love the border she added, too...how awesome!!

Well, that is it for me for today! Be sure to head to Tracy's blog to check out all her gorgeous work!!

TSG201 - Masculine

This week our challenge is brought to us by our Trendsetter of the week, Tracy Valure! She is challenging YOU to make a card or project for the man/boy/son/etc. in your life. Masculine cards can be so challenging in a world full of embellishments and colors, so use this challenge to add to your stockpile of cards for the boys! Here's Tracy's adorable card: 

To be eligible for the giveaway, create a NEW card or project using the inspiration photo and then come back to the TSG Blog to add your name and a link to your project in the InLinkz that is located at the bottom of this challenge post. This challenge is open until the winner has been announced on the following Monday (April 8th). The winner will get a $5 gift certificate to use in the TSG Web store!

By participating in this challenge, you may also find yourself in the Trendsetting Spotlight that shines on the TSG Blog every Thursday. We will be on the lookout to find challenge cards that stand out and show Trendsetting qualities. TSG stamps are not required to participate in the challenges but are appreciated :)

You do not need to have a blog to be able to participate in the TSG Challenges! You can simply add the URL link from your project after it has been uploaded to your online craft gallery. If you upload your card to an online craft gallery, please use the keyword TSG201 so we can check out your beautiful work!

The winner of last week's challenge is: Mimi 

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2013-04-01 06:08:37 UT

Need some inspiration to help you get started? Check out these great cards made by the following Trendsetters!!

~ Kim 
~Tracy M.
~ Karin Åkesdotter
~Torico
~ Vera Yates
~Tracy Valure
~Wendy P
~Sandra