Tracy Weinzapfel Studios

Helmar Winner!

Sorry for the delay in selecting the random winner of the Helmar products.  I absolutely loved reading each and every comment!

The Winner is........JESS B!

yes music is the key to history I n our lives. My littlest one (almost 2) can roll her tongue and make rr in spanish. She like to sing in her own way. Lol. This journal is perfect. Jess of Kinder stampO loves Helmar. So what better way to start using, but by winning. TFS

Posted by: jess b | Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 09:20 AM

Jess, please email your shipping address to [email protected] to claim your prize!  I love sharing just some my favorite Helmar products:

 

Thank you all for the wonderful comments on my blog POST!  What a great time I am having with this gratitude journal and don't want to finish it!  I think I will have to make another one and keep it going!  I call it "Gluing with Gratitude" and thank Helmar USA, Inc. for the support!

 

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou 

Share Your Story (3/27/11 Entry)

Photography is another art that I adore with a passion.  Since the day of those flash cubed cameras & negatives when I was a kid I always seemed to have a camera in my hand.  As I got older the camera got more advanced and I took workshops and classes to learn all I could....then the passion stalled for awhile.  I learned about composition, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, brightness and all the fun I had for my passion kind of went out the door.  It was no longer about capturing the moment but the catch lights and pinks in the skintones.  The more I learned, the more numbers I exposed I lost my love for the process itself.  Last year that was so apparent as I hesitated to even post process a picture (there was a day when I did not even have to crop or post-process a photo!). 

I no longer was doing what I loved to do with my photos and that was to tell a story.  My stories were stalled as I compared my photos to other photographers.  That is the worst thing you can do in art.  I was not out to capture the perfect photos.........I was out to tell my story, my families stories, my friends stories.  How could I lose that. 

Slowly I have realized that no one has a story just like mine, therefore comparing my photos to that of others is silly.  I own my off skintones, my white balance, the slight blur of the photo......I own that moment.  It is my moment, my story and I am grateful for Photos once again.........

  MATERIALS LIST:

• Helmar:  Premium Craft Glue & Liquid Scrap Dots
• Acrylic Paints:  Decoart
• Rubber Stamps - Inkadinkado
• Indian Ink
• Rub Ons - Creative Imaginations
• Distress Inks - Marvy
• Pen - Uniball White Signo

 
I continue to learn and reach for that "perfect" photo but realize capturing the moment, the art is what I am about.  I no longer can be my biggest critique and enjoy the process once again. 

That leads me to another Gratitude Journal someone shared with me and I asked her if I could "out" her publically..........Thank you Suzanne for putting yourself out there!

"...alrighty ms tracy....because I too am VERY guarded about my creative "stuff".....i will share a glimpse or two outta my journal ....dont know why (probably helps that others have shown you as well), but what you said was totally me...ive never posted my pages anywhere and have only shown one other person...both are more on the scrappy side ..but this journal is a total vent for me...i have three kiddos 4 yrs and under.  nuff said..my son really pushed limits this day and i got this page....hmm, and my daughter ..the same (limit pushers they are!  i see quite the pattern!) Thanks for sharing your work Tracy! inspiration at the root!" ~ Suzanne

 
 
Suzanne, thanks for letting me share!  Glad I can inspire you! as you have inspired me!

I LOVE all the emails and stories I am getting from everyone about this Gratitude Journal....more like a journey. 

Doris wrote to me.........

Bright Blessings! ........You truly are an amazing person! I've been amazed by your obvious joy and enthusiasm each time I've seen one of your Helmar videos. You're such a positive, creative and energetic person it's infectious. :-D You motivate me, inspire me and help me learn new things (which I LOVE). Thank you so much for being YOU! ~Doris

Oh Doris, thank you but I wish you knew how sharing makes me sweat and video cameras make me nervous and how I had no idea how much fun sharing my passion and art would be with everyone!  Really?  I want to frame these emails!  I LOVE it when you all share with me!  That is what make me feel enthused and creative plus I love the work I do and the art it creates! 

But seriously I have invested in a very good deodarant!  So drop me an EMAIL any time!  How cool is that you all inspire me so and have brought me back to telling my story even if it is not always a pretty story to share!

What is your story?

 

  “The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” — Alan Alda 

Perspective (3/25/11 Entry)

The emails of inspiration continue to come in and I am so humbled!

"Tracy, you are an inspiration! I love the whole concept behind the gratitude journal and hope to be starting mine in April. Love love love your artistry and love that you share so much of yourself with us everyday. Hope you feel better soon! {hugs}" ~ dlwidder

I have to say that last week I got an email that bummed me out.  It was the notice that my local Borders was going out of town.  In these times stores go out of business all the time which is sad but this store is different for me.  I have lots of great memories at this bookstore starting when I was I was kid.  As was typical of dads my dad worked and it was special when he took a day off and my parents would take us to Borders in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  It was an original one in an old brick building and was multiple floors...not the big superstore it is today.  Then we would have lunch.  I loved it.

I carried that tradition on with my kids and it has always been a little getaway for us where we could all find something that interested us.  I loved sipping a cup of tea, perusing a good book or magazine and spending an afternoon there. There is something about walking in and opening a crisp new book, reading the back cover and finding something you never expected.  It is sad to see those days are gone as my local store is closing. 

 
I took the time this week to make a visit and check out the liquidation sale.  I picked up my favorite journals and found this little treasure (all 40% off!):

 

That is the the Workbook to "Living Life as a Thank You" that I am loving so much!  Might be some great ideas to include in my art.

As I checked out there was a man next to me paying and he was rather mad that they had to take a black pen and wiped through the UPC barcodes on the backs of the books (policy as sales are final).  He proceeded to throw a fit and was berating the checker and loudly asked for a manager that they "ruined the books".  I rolled my eyes to my checker as he carried on and made them cancel the whole transaction.  I leaned over to my checker and said "how sad that he does not realize that you are all losing your jobs".  She smiled and said "I have been here for 15 years and love this place...thank you".  I was sad for him because he was missing the big picture.  The words were still in those books while we were losing a great store and people were losing their jobs.

It gave me my entry in my Gratitude Journal...  

  MATERIALS LIST:

• Helmar: Decoupage, Crackle (Step 1 and 2), 450 Quick Dry
• Acrylic Paints - DecoArt & Golden
• Indian Ink
• Button
• Charcoal Pencil
• Punch:  Marvy
• Inks:  Marvy

Seriously, if you have not tried Helmar's Decoupage & Crackle Medium they are so much fun to play with!  I loved playing with book pages for my background....

 
I don't know if that guy could have been having a bad day, week, year but having that perspective that others have it worse is important.  It it hard sometimes to look outside ourselves but oh so important, an important lesson. 

Thanks Borders for years of memories and Perspective.

 

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” — Mary Lou Cook

Thankful for Being...(3/23/11 Entry)

I am back...after a few days of being very sick.  Oh so glad to be back among the living!  What a cruddy few days that has been but still managed to hit the choir concerts, work and think about my gratitude journal.   

The emails continue to come in on those sharing their journals and I want so share the Gratitude Journals that Debbie Craine shared with me. 

"Hey Tracy: Had our High school friends dinner last night and I gave away some of the journals I had made here is a link to a photo collage I made featuring the journals and The friends that received them. http://craftywizard.blogspot.com/2011/03/finished-grateful-journals.html Debbie"

How awesome that people are sharing this with me!  Thank you Debbie........

 

Please EMAIL me if you wish to share your Gratitude Journal with me!  In April I will be having another Ustream Class where hopefully I will be sharing my completed journal! 

Here is my entry from last week...For me it is about some of the names/titles I am proud to have in my life. 

 

MATERIALS LIST:

• Helmar:  Premium Craft Glue & Crackle Medium (Step 1 & 2)
• Acrylic Paints - DecoArt & Golden
• Indian Ink - Windor Newton
• Distress Inks - Marvy & Tim Holtz
• Stamps - Unity
• Charcoal Pencil

 
I had a lot of fun with this page and LOVE the effect of the Helmar Crackle (such a fun medium!) on the heart:

I may not always be the best mom, daughter, sister, friend or artist but I do the best I can every day.  I sometimes wish there was a "How-To" manual on each of these jobs and not a learn by your victories and mistakes method.  And there are days when I hear the word "Mom" twelve too many times and I want to tell the kids to just call me Tracy but there will be a day when this house is not filled with the sound of them yelling from the other room about their missing soccer sock. 

What I do know is I value those Title and hope I live up to being the best of those that I can be....What Titles Are you Proud of in your Life?

 

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." ~ Judy Garland

It's Not About "The Things" (3/22/11 Entry)

Do you ever notice that when you sit down to think about what your are grateful for it is not usually the "Things".  I mean I am thankful for my house but it is the people in it who make it a home.  I am thankful for my studio but truth be told I could glue in a cardboard box (so thankful I don't have to!) and that room was built out of love with my dad.  When I sit down each day to think about what I am thankful for it is usally an experience, something I saw, heard, felt or shared. 

Trust me, I am thankful for "The Things".  I am thankful for my home, my car, the books on my nightstand.....(which are piled up!)

 the clothes on my back, the pretty owl necklace I bought because it made me smile, but it is not about "The Things".  It is about the photo my Aunt sent of my 96 year old grandma blowing out her birthday candles (Love you Gram!),

 
watching the twins sing in the choir concert this week

 
sharing things with my kids, my parents for their un-ending love and support, challenging myself every day in my career to share my passion (I ♥ glue) and surrounding myself with the most creative people! 

But I am thankful for "The Things" and what they mean to me....like my polka dotted tea set that I got in Australia......not for the "thing" it is but the joy it brings when I make a special pot of tea and serve myself with something that makes me smile.  

 
and yep all those books and my journal piled up on my nightstand (even though OCD me hates to see that pile)......I am grateful for those.  So today and everyday it is not about "The Things" but the experience from them. 

  MATERIALS LIST:

• Helmar Adhesives: Gemstone Glue & 450 Quick Dry
• Acrylic Paints - Making Memories & Golden
• Glitter - Martha Stewart
• Indian Ink - Windsor Newton
• Inks - Marvy
• Stamps - Unity
• Watercolor Crayons
• Charcoal Pencil

What things bring you joy?

And if anyone is listening I would love to own...those expensive pan pastels.  If I get those, I know they will bring me great joy.  Hey, just putting it out there! 

 

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has" ~ Epictetus

Music (3/21/11 Entry) and a GIVEAWAY!

Today's entry is all about music.  I love it.  Can't be without and I have a wide range of music that I love.  From Eminem, Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker, Pink, Country, Rock, 80's to Phantom of the Opera and everything in between.  The sound of a great base guitar is music to my ears.  When I am in my studio I will put on Pandora and click on whatever suits the need.  I workout with my iPod and without it would not be able to stand the humdrum of the treadmill.  I also work to it, used to do homework to it and drive to it.  

And hearing the twins sing in the choir, nothing beats it...(more to come on that, proud Mommy moment!)

 

So today, I am grateful for..........

 MATERIALS LIST:    

• Adhesives: Helmar Decoupage & 450 Quick Dry
• Ribbon
• Acrylic Paint - DecoArt
• Ink - Marvy
• Diecuts & Rubons - Diecuts with A View

I am also thankful to Helmar which is making this Gratitude Journal so fun.  I just love to take every medium we make and play with it.  Try to figure out new uses and introduce it to everyone!  I can talk glue!  So my motto is "Glue your Gratitude" I want to share with you all and have a giveway on my blog of just some of my favorite Helmar products!

 
All you need to do is leave a comment on this Post and I will pick a random winner on Monday, March 28th!  And, If you are not a Helmar Facebook Fan you are missing out.  All you  have to do is click here: http://www.facebook.com/HelmarUSA and "Like" Helmar! 

I do "Glue my Gratitude" every day and I hope you do too!

 

Music is what feelings sound like.  ~Author Unknown

Spring (3/20/11 Entry)

Sunday was the first day of Spring but you could not tell in San Diego.  It was cold, cloudy and a winter storm blew in.  But I felt no need to be grateful for that and instead think of warmer weather that lies ahead. This is one of those pages you have to see and touch for the glitter & dimension (Thank you Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots!)

 MATERIALS LIST:

• Helmar Adhesives - 450 Quick Dry, Liquid Scrap Dots, Gemstone Glue
• Acrylic Paint - DecoArt
• Indian Ink - Daler Rowney
• Glitter - Martha Stewart
• Charcoal Pencil
• Stamps - Unity
• Ink - Marvy
• Button

I want to thank all who have emailed me their journals and are joining me on this Gratitude Journey......Thank you to Karla Ivonne Guijarro who shared this beautiful Gratitude Journal and shared it with me!

 

Isn't that beautiful and I feel so great that Karla is joining me!  So I invite you to share your Gratitude Creations with me!  Just drop me an EMAIL with your story and photos of your work!  I feel so lucky to share in the amazing stories that have been shared with me!  True things to be grateful for!

 

"Your unique creative talents and abilities are flowing through you and are being expressed in deeply satisfying ways. Your creativity is always in demand." ~ Louise Hay

Being Grateful Every Day (3/19/11 Entry)

There are days that it takes everything in me to come up with what I am thankful for.  Days when things just go wrong, health scares in your family, rough day with kids  and you shrug off those reasons to be grateful.  Of course there are always the obvious ones....my kids, my family, health, freedom, etc. which are important.  For me this gratitude journal is about digging deep and truly being grateful.  And face it, there are those times when things are rough, challenges arise, and you have to dig deep to find what you truly are thankful for.   

I dedicate today's entry to those kind of days when breathing, a pretty flower, or a walk is something to be thankful for.  There are days when really listening and learning something about yourself that you may have not wanted to face is something.  I dedicate today's page to facing your fears, who you are ......learning and hope.

 

MATERIALS LIST:

• Helmar Adhesives - Premium Craft Glue & Gemstone Glue
• Acrylic Paints - Golden & DecoArt
• Airbursh Paints - Golden
• Inks - Marvy
• Stamps - Unity
• Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angel
• White Embossing Powder
• Gems

On those rough days there is always something to be thankful for.....even if it is just accepting that we are a work in progress.

I want to say Happy 96th Birthday to my Grandma who I love and adore! and.....healing hugs to my Uncle who is recovering from heart surgery.  Sure wish I was closer to be with everyone!

 

"when diverstiy hits our lives, sometimes we feel like we have been thrown into a hurricane, spun around, shaken up and spit back out in the world, stripped of what was before, confused, lost, and afraid about what lies ahead...giving back in gratitude is more important than ever". ~ Nina Lessowitz

Kids (3/12/11 Gratitude Entry)

Today and every day I am thankful for my kids (ok, there are some days I wish they had a better parenting manual but for the most part).  It is rare we have a Saturday free but last weekend was one of those days and we tackled the much needed landscaping.  Living in the "country" has it's pluses and minuses and one of those minuses is a lot of grass to cut.  The kids got up early with me today (some threats involved) and we each had our own jobs and knocked it out by noon.  Most times I have to direct them and prod them but for some reason today they all chipped in and we got it done. 

Then it was in the house to straighten things up while Tyler made lunch.  This lunch was delicious....chicken tacos!  By 2 pm we had a clean house, cut lawn and full tummies.  We were all thankful for a laid back kind of day before the sports start today........and the weather is beautiful!

So I sat down to knock out my gratitude journal because it is all about the simple and the first thing that came to mind was........my kids.

 

MATERIALS LIST:

• Helmar Adhesive - 450 Quick Dry and Premium Craft Glue
• Metal Letters - unknown (old ones from the stash)
• Stamps - Unity Stamps
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (Peach Delights)
• Water Color Crayon
• Distress Inks (Marvy)
• Indian Ink

For those asking for a Furball up-date.  After eating 1 whole sick of butter and (2) pillows this week, it is a miracle she still resides here.  How can I love something so much that eats my interior decorations and jumps on the counter...she just defies gravity!  Here is her new perch in my studio:

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Thank you to those who have emailed me photos of your gratitude journals.  I will be sharing this week!

 

Take time each day to make sure your family knows you love them "bigger than the world".  Say if as often as you can. ~ Cat Cora 

Art, Create, Inspire (3/11/11 Entry)

Have you ever been worried about throwing a party that no one will come to?  Or making a dinner that no one wants to eat?  Or putting hours into decorating a parade float where no crowds are lining the street? (ok, maybe not that one but you get the picture)......I always have those doubts!  Those doubts are just hurdles.  So I have my blog where I love to write it as it is a reflection of me.  It originally was to share pictures of the kids with my family so I was just thrilled to know that my two uncles are regular readers. Who wants to read about my kids day after day but people were reading it.

And then there was my Art.  It was private and I had those doubts about sharing.  Whether it was scrapbooking, painting or photography I was guarded about it.  Then I started putting myself out there like writing the blog and sharing my work.  Then I went LIVE on the internet.  What was I thinking?  Who is this Tracy Weinzapfel (catchy name though that no one can pronounce) and why would anyone watch her.  So here I was putting out the invites and hoping two people joined me (other than my mom & dad). And I started teaching and it was easy because I love what I do and I love my job (but it still meant sharing that artistic side of me). 

And my Gratitude Journey......I thought if ONE person joined me I would be so thrilled.  Then I started getting emails and photos of journals people are working on (I will be sharing!) and I am honored!

"If you Build it, they will come!"

So today's Gratitude entry is about Art.......it gave me the ability to jump those hurdles (no matter how big or small).  Put myself out there (just for who I am) and be me (the bloopers and all).  My art may never hang in The Louvre next to the Mona Lisa (can you imagine LOL!) but it hangs in my heart daily.  It lets me be me and put it all out there. 

MATERIALS LIST:

• Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots
• Acrylic Paint - Decoart
• Rub ons - Creative Imaginations
• Pen - White Uniball Signo

 

I believe that some of my color inspiration came from my daughter's outfit today...gotta love her sense of fashion!  I think we can all learn from her statement........

 

Jumping those hurdles and meeting the greatest people in the process.  The other day I told someone "You have to take chances, share your art and remember if you don’t try you won’t have those successes.........You will win some and you will lose some (but if you don’t try….All missed opportunities)."  Time to follow my own words and jump some more hurdles (no matter how uncoordinated I am as I found out trying Zumba yesterday).

 

"You hold the keys to your own kingdom.  Be fearlessly committed to your desires, your beliefs, your soul and your true self" ~ Kristin Gibbs