Bewitched Crafts with Tracy Miller

Do you love Fall?  Let's explore how to capture the cozy, creative energy it brings. From the back-to-school excitement of September to the inspiration sparked by seasonal colors and everyday ordinary magic, I want capture that feeling of Fall with my photos and scrapbook pages. Whether you’re documenting your favorite memories or diving into new creative goals, this episode will motivate you to embrace Autumn with joy and purpose. ✨ Key Takeaways Fall offers a natural surge of creative energy—use it to start or revive your craft projects. Scrapbooking is a powerful way to capture the feelings and moments that make this season special. Don’t let fear or perfectionism hold you back—your creativity deserves space to flourish.  Try new things with your phone camera.  Create collage, junk journal pages, or scrapbook layouts. Everyday Fall experiences like changing leaves, cozy evenings, seasonal foods deserve to be savored.  The magic is in the little things! Want to keep your creative momentum going? Join my mailing list for weekly inspiration! Each email includes step-by-step instructions to create a handmade card—and new subscribers receive a free card tutorial as a welcome gift. 👉 Sign up here to get your free card tutorial

🌟 Episode Summary What happens after Eigth Grade Summer?  Inspired by the Happier With Gretchen Rubin podcast, my summer theme brought joy, fun, and relaxation — and now I want to carry that intentional energy into Fall. This season’s theme centers on growth, definition, and creative renewal, encouraging listeners to get clear, savor the moment, and craft unique projects. 🗝️ Key Takeaways Seasonal themes as life anchors: Choosing a theme helps guide priorities and keep energy focused throughout the season. “Eighth Grade Summer” mindset: Reconnecting with childhood joys—like biking, swimming, and pizza nights—can help combat burnout and restore balance. Transition to Fall: It's time craft a more mindful, creative autumn as a Woman In Total Control of Herself! The power of reflection: A simple theme can remind you to make intentional choices and celebrate small wins.   ✨ Bonus  I'm sharing about new projects including my Fall Art Journal, exclusive content over on Instagram @bewitchedcrafts, and Pastry School.

I've got an update on my home office (don't miss the picture of my gorgeous new desk over on Facebook) and I am planning the three things I'll do for myself in October.  These three things will likely become my  favorite scrapbook layouts for the month.  They are the craft festivals and artist dates that fill my cup, ramp up my creative energy, and leave me feeling refreshed.  I hope you'll play along and take photos!

What if making cards and scrapbook layouts is more than just your hobby?  In my case, I value connection, communication and creativity so paper crafting is part of living my values.  Being a stamper, a card maker, and a scrapbooker is part of my identity.

Once upon a time, in the days of the LSS (local scrapbook store) there were large communities of paper crafters working together in a sort of quilting bee style.  Before that online communities were spaces to share techniques and organize themed swaps.  Let's bring back the best elements of those communities!  Share your projects and feedback at www.facebook.com/bewitchedcrafts

It turns out I am not alone in experiencing the magic of back to school energy as an adult.  Have you seen the new trend of creating a personal curriculum?  Traditionally, it's designed to include research and satisfy your curiosity, but in this episode, I'm putting a crafty twist on it.  Let's look at ideas for ramping up creative energy, mastering paper crafting tools, and completing holiday cards.

Setting a theme for my summer brought me an easy way to focus on giving myself the experience I wanted most.  8th Grade Summer was a huge success!  I wanted a fun break and I gave myself all of my favorite elements of summer break.  I rode my bike, enjoyed long floats in the pool, played a few video games, and even took a summer reading challenge.  How will I ever top that for Fall?

I took the 52 Book Club's Connection Challenge this summer and documented it all in a summer reading journal.  This episode is for the readers and book girlies!  This challenge had me reading a variety of genres and helped me clear more than a dozen books from my TBR.  Don't forget to share your favorite read of the summer with me.

Let's talk about the little things that delight us.  I'm sharing childhood memories of pinwheels and play doh.  Seventeen magazine and cassette tapes were the special treats of my teenage years.  These days I go for fancy coffee and massages.  How do you treat yourself?

Kids in my area went back to school today.  The end of summer vacation always signaled the end of summer itself when I was a kid.  Of course we went back to classes after Labor Day, but still...old habits.  Anyway, i found myself saying I'm not ready!  I'm stil savoring a few weeks of the season and I'm using them in a deliberate way to set myself up for a terrific Autumn.

With back to school season fast approaching, now is the time to make the most of summer days.  Immerse yourself in your favorite seasonal experiences.  I am reliving my 8th grade summer complete with bike rides, swimming, and video games but with one significant difference.  Listen in to learn more.

It's not exactly the Mid Year Book Freak Out tag, but it's definitely inspired by it!  Let's talk great reads, surprises, and a few disappointments.  Where do your hobbies lead you and how will you document it?

I don't watch much tv and I rarely talk about shows, but today I'm sharing four recommendations for streaming.  I'm planning to capture a little about each of them in my album as part of my endeavor to document the everyday, ordinary things about my life.

Author Gretchen Rubin tells us novelty and challenge have a lot to do with our happiness.   Once you see things through this lense, you'll find it explains the thrill of everything from travel to baking an elaborate cake.  How do we find the right balance to apply it to our favorite hobbies?

I've been away a lot since this Spring.  Comng home with fresh eyes, I am noticing lots of changes.  Somethings seem to have popped up overnight and others took more time.  I'm ready to capture change in a new way in my scrapbook and I hope you'll give it a try.

June was a month filled with joy and special moments, including my friends' wedding in Vegas.  The photos and the memories fill me with happiness.  I'm selecting the best of the bunch for a collage as a month end wrap up.  Listen to learn more.

Need a simple solution to get your creative juices flowing?  A short time away from our normal routines can give us a new perspective.  Have you ever taken a weekend off and found yourself unusually energized, refreshed, and filled with inspiration?  Little things like riding a bike, relaxing in a pool, or changing the scenery can have a big impact.

I've got a challenge for you!  Tonight I am crafting a card to encourage a friend dealing with a difficult work situation. Everyone goes through hard times and I love the idea of reminding my loved ones that I believe better days are ahead.  Listen in and craft a message of support with me.

It turns out I really struggle to resist a dare.  Challenge me to do something and I have the urge to prove myself.  It shows up in everything from reading challenges (check out the cool connections challenge I'm doing this summer) and even my Toastmasters journey.  It's like a game and it brings momentum.  It's a way to think outside the box and get stuff done.  My weekly newsletter includes a crafty challenge to motivate you!  Sign up now to give it a try https://bewitchedcrafts.convertri.com/congratscard

I'm toying with the idea of selecting a theme for my summer, a sort of guiding principle or clear priority for the next three months.  I love the idea of this kind of clarity and I love how well it translates into a scrapbook.  Now if only I could narrow it down...summer reading, adventure, connection?