Good morning. Tracy here today  for Tips and Tricks Tuesday. I would like to show you a quick video on how I clean my Copic Markers. It’s important to protect your investment and keeping them clean will definitely help with that.

Click on the following link to view the video.

http://vimeo.com/62073717

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Hugs,
Tracy

Good morning! Tracy here today. So glad that friday has rolled around. I will be heading to Tampa to see Kenny Chesney! Can. Not. Wait!  But first, I want to share with you a Stamping Bella card I created. My goal for this year is to make more Birthday cards. That’s is what I tend to use the most of and I am always searching for them!

The stamp that was used is Ava Loves to Celebrate from the Stamping Bella Uptown Girls Collection.  The Biance Loves Her Big Cake stamp would also work perfectly for a birthday card.  I love the whimsical cuteness that the Uptown Girls have!! I used an MFT scallopped border die and tab die for the sentiment. The paper is once again my favorite Tangerine collection from My Minds Eye.  I colored it all up with my Copic Markers.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Tracy Valure

Good morning. Tracy here!  Today I am sharing a tag with you I made. I hand cut the tag. It’s just a simple 3×5 tag that you can add to a gift!

I used Princess Party Tilda by Magnolia paired with Echo Parks So Happy Together paper pad. The sentiment is from Bold Birthdays by S&P Stamp Company. I added some stitching with my sew mini. Finished it off with some ribbon and twine.

Copic colors used are:

Dress: R81, R83, R85, R89
Skin: E000, E00, E21, E11, R20
Hair: E51, E53, E33
Crown: Y11, Y15, E33

Thanks for stopping by!

Tracy Valure

Good morning! Tracy here today. It’s get to know the DT week.  My husband just turned 40. He has been adament for years that he didn’t want a big party for his 40th. He wanted to do something, go somewhere…. He was actually panicking thinking I was going to throw him a big party. He likes to go to other peoples parties, but he didn’t want one in his honor, he is my opposite and is a tad bit shy!!

I thought about taking him to Vegas, but we have been there so many times that it just didn’t feel “special”.  It was January and I started to panic because I hadn’t planned anything yet.  I was having lunch with my friend and an idea popped in my head. MARDI GRAS!  It was perfect! It had been on his bucket list for years.  So I checked to see the dates because it changes depending on Easter/Lent. It fell on the Tuesday before his bday, close enough for me.

I talked to some friends and my brother. They were all game to go too. We kept it a secret, which was SO HARD, for over a month. It slipped a couple of times but luckily my hubs was oblivious to it! I spoke to his work and got the time off for him. That day I told him we were going shopping. I already had the car packed. (oblivious…!!) I drove over to a friends house, picked them up….and then we got on the road and started driving. He said NOTHING! It was funny.  Finally after HOURS of driving we kept asking him what he thought we were doing. He couldn’t figure it out and said we threw him off when we started driving north. He really thought I had planned to go to Key West or South Beach Miami.  We stopped for lunch and my friend and I quickly decorated the INSIDE of the car with Mardi Gras beads, hats, boas and what not. He opened the door and was totally surprised and a little shocked.

He has said it numerous times now… Best. Birthday. Ever!

We really enjoyed our time in New Orleans. What a great city. It was a tad bit dirty….ok I can’t lie. It was disgusting…but beautiful too! LOL  I loved looking at the houses and buildings in the French Quarter.  I could have done with out the dirty-ness. Alot had to do with it being Mardi Gras though. There were Beads everywhere!! Along with alot of trash. I think the BEST department in that city has got to be the sanitation dept!! They worked until the wee hours of the morning getting it cleaned up only to be trashed again!

Here are couple of photos of our time in New Orleans……the first couple are of the buildings and homes in the french quarter.

The next photos are all taken on Bourbon Street in the midst of the Mardi Gras festivities!!

Last but not least… Me and the Birthday boy! 😉

Thanks for stopping by!

Tracy Valure