Hi Reader!

Every December growing up in the '80s, I made our holiday decorations. Big silk flower arrangements. Gilded berries that sparkled under the lights. Oversized holiday florals bundled together and tucked into the branches of the Christmas tree.

The photos are tucked away in albums at my parents' house, but I still remember how it felt to make them. Picking out every sprig and choosing the color palette was one of my favorite holiday memories.

Years later, in college, I worked in visual merchandising at Macy's. I was in charge of the holiday window displays and decorations throughout the store, and we made extravagant floral bundles and big ribbons that wrapped the entire department store in the season.

Same instinct, much bigger stage. Gathering color, layering texture, making a space feel like the holidays.

All of that came rushing back this fall while I was brainstorming and going through past #tracibautistaCOLOR collections, looking for the thread for my ninth holiday release.

That thread became HOLIDAY 2026, and today you get a first peek. ✨

Two collections this year

• Gilded PETALS HOLIDAY Box: a gathering of winter blooms. Pomegranate petals, faded pink silk, evergreen branches, and the soft gleam of worn gold.

• Rosewood & Starlight Winter Botanicals Set: a winter garden after dusk. Dusty rose petals, cranberry-stained velvet, weathered wood, and smoky blue-green foliage catching little traces of light.

Something new: Mineral Pigment BLENDS

If you've joined me on a YouTube Live lately, you've seen me swatching these. They arrive as dry color, ready to become whatever you mix them with:

• Watercolor or ink with gum arabic

• Acrylic paint and tinted grounds with acrylic medium

• Custom colors blended into your wax mediums and PIGMENT BARS

• Oil paint with linseed oil

Change the binder and the same color shifts from matte to satin, sheer to opaque, smooth to textured. Every mix opens a new possibility.

Tomorrow, I'll show you one Mineral Pigment BLEND becoming a watercolor, an ink, and an acrylic wash.

HOLIDAY 2026 opens to you on Tuesday, October 27. I'm making a very limited number of boxes this year, and both collections ship in early December.

Before Tuesday, a quick favor

If you haven't filled out my creative studio survey yet, I'd still love to hear from you.

Your responses are already helping me shape what I create next, especially the kinds of materials you want to experiment with, how I can better support your creative practice, and ways to help you use more of what you already have in your studio.

Help me shape what's next…

Share your feedback for a chance to get a $20 gift card to my shop!

P.S. Keep an eye on your inbox Tuesday morning. That's when HOLIDAY 2026 opens. ✨

With creativity and color...

Artfully, xo Traci Bautista 💞 Founder, #tracibautistaCOLOR

If you have any questions reach out to customer care using the chat box at tracibautistacolor.com

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