Top 10 of 2010

I just went over my scrapbook.com gallery and got a real look at my scrap progression through 2010. There's a definite style change- from frills and flowers to grids and stitches. Also- I stink at taking photos of my pages... I wonder what 2011 will bring?

I do have very definite scrap goals:
1. Use more spritz, paint and transparencies in my pages
2. Deepen my Photoshop skills.
3. Learn how to use my Leica in MANUAL so I can get exactly the shot in my brain.
4. Get published.
5. Get on a DT for a shop so I can get FREE monthly SWAG!

In no particular order (because really- I just can't commit) here are my Top 10 of 2010. Thanks to fave bloggers Alia, Lucy and Margrethe for this idea!! Please go by their blogs- these women are AMAZING!!!!

November- Date Night: Love that it sparkles. Love the mini pix.

October- Defy Expectations: Negative space- I held
back for  once.

April- 6 Months: frills, flowers and fabulousness.

August- Engaged! Lety & Berto: spritz madness

December- He Said/She Said: The photo is of the
bathrooms at IKEA- love the randomness of this page.

September- Out of a jar sprung Hope: This was a page
celebrating my daughter's birth. I got crazy with
the stitching and I LOVE IT.

November- 80's Child: Glad I used these photos- SO rad.

December- Feliz Navidad: After all the struggle with
 Christmas projects I was glad to make
 1 really nice project.

August- Precious: I combined some of my most favorite
elements,Maya Road Kraft envelopes, lace die cut
paper, flowers and spritz into 1 page.

August- Happy 2nd Anniversary!: Dave and I have been
together for 12 years- married for 2- it's been awesome.

I want to wish all me readers a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!! May your 2011 be filled with peace, hope, beauty and love. Thank you for taking some time for this blog- I deeply DEEPLY appreciate it!!!

AMOR, SALUD Y DINERO!!! (love, health and money)!
M.

Nephews are AWESOME!

HOW did I make it to December 30th 2010 without doing making page about my precious, amazing, incredibly gorgeous nephews? Did I really work busily away for an entire YEAR without making one measly page on my babies?
Aaah the inhumanity... the self centered belly button gazing of it all!
I needed to right this injustice with the quickness!!!!

Unfortunately I didn't have good recent photos of them. Luckily my brother, Guarionex- AKA Pito, AKA Pete- for those who can't pronounce Pito- visited us on Thanksgiving.

Looks like they had tons of fun right?

On Black Friday they literally "did" Manhattan like tourist pros; Central Park's Children's Zoo, a Puppet show, The Apple Store, Toys R US on Times Square then the King Tut Exhibit. I didn't go- Lola would NOT have stood for it. My bro had his trusty iPhone and took these shots.

iPhone shots cropped to square size- love how grainy and
funkily colored they are!

CUTE!!!!

I'm seriously considering getting an iPhone just for the photo apps. I wouldn't bother with the phone service as I don't want to pay an 10 extra dollars for the same AWFUL AT&T service I get now. Ooooo! BURN AT&T!!!
This page is also for the Studio Calico weekly page challenge.

Materials: 

• Fiskars Star punches, medium & XL.
• Studio Calico Home Front "Odds & Ends" 
• Studio Calico Elementary "Atmosphere" 
• Basic Grey Kraft Basics "Tally"
• Cosmo Cricket "Ginger" 
• Sassafras Lass Dress Pattern Alphas
• Making Memories Sienne Reverie Alphas- Paper Reverie Collection
• Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type in yellow and clear/brown 
• American Crafts textured Foil Paper in turquoise
• New York City map (small paper strips)
• American Crafts chestnut paper
• Maya Road Banners chipboard (tiny heart)
• Brown star bling from Michael's
• Tasmanian Devil Band Aids from Lola's last doctor's office visit (I know- SICK).

This particular shot deserves it's own page- it's SO RAD!!!!

 WHAT is up with that painted seagull looking like it's about to dive bomb my bro? AWESOME!!!!
MuChOs SmOoChEs!!
M.

Thing Love- Kit clubs

Paper is a fascinating thing. You can read from it, write on it, clean with it- throw it away. You can build with it, buy with it and hoard it like a squirrel.

Many times I've found I practically worship it... or rather what others create with it.
MoMA Prints & Illustrated Books
My first paper love was paper dolls- Strawberry Shortcake, Barbie and Rainbow Bright.
Then came the public library. Origami.
Then it was magazines. Ranger Rick, Bop and Sassy. Later Glamour, rock music rags, Aperture and Photo Forum.
I cut thousands of photos out and pasted them on special notebooks.
Then came comic books- specifically Alex Ross and Batman.
Then there was Studio Calico.

Studio Calico FANgirl.

Lesson learned this week: NEVER say never. I was NEVER going to subscribe to a kit club. Kits are too expensive. The editorial choices never fit my taste fully. I don't like matchy-matchy kits, kits featuring just one brand, frilly kits, traditional kits, "dark" kits,  trend/themed kits or kits with mostly holiday products. Kits seemed like a great way to waste precious scrap budget.

Studio Calico changed my mind. I love the exclusive stamps, the modern prints, the off-beat colors and the uniqueness of the items. I like that the papers aren't cute or feminine or too specific. I can make a page about Miss Lola, my nephews or graffiti using the same paper. And it's MODERN- and COOL. I'm not particularly cool so I have to borrow it from where ever I can.

So I finally joined a club- mostly out of self defense- it hurt too much to see the words "sold out" over and over next to items I loved.

Materials:
Studio Calico Anthology Fabric rips
Studio Calico Penmanship paper
Studio Calico packaging that came with the kit
Fiskars medium star punch
Crafter's Workshop 12x12 hearts template
Mister Huey in Applejack and Schoolhouse

SO effing RAD!!!!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!!
M.

Post-Christmas Page

Maybe I should send this out via email instead of staring at my DIY cards all day and wondering what the heck to do with them, right? This is for a Studio Calico challenge. It's heart break AGAIN!! I was waiting for the January kit to come out so I could place 1 order- now it's sold out.
WAAAH!

Christmas 2010

Materials: 
-Plastic Merry Christmas from store bought cheese cake
-Fiskars Extra Large and Medium Star punches
-Martha Stewart Deep edge Gifts punch
-Martha Stewart white dots on red tape
-Red Magic Mesh
-Green dots paper from Studio Calico
-Scallop tag from Maya Road
-Hearts strip from Sassafras Lass
-Silhouetted Santa is from a card I cut up

It's been BANANAS here in NYC with 20 inches of snow. I thought this would be no big deal but apparently budget cuts have meant that people got stuck in unheated subway trains or buses for hours- as did the snowplows. I'm just glad we stocked up on milk and baby food. Dave did not have to work which is seriously the best Christmas present EVER as I had time to think about pages.

Lola's first walk in snow- she HATED it.
She's just like MOMMY!

Here are some tags I did for our extended family Secret Santa...

Tree tag

Snowman tag

Inside of Snowman- poem

The poems I wrote to get people to guess who the gifts belonged to did NOT go over well. So much for starting that tradition stateside- it's imported from The Netherlands.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
M.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! From the Martinez-Hernandez Family!

Here is my second to last Christmas project. My cards are still sitting on my desk but you bet they WILL be sent! AND they will say Merry Christmas 2010- by golly!!!!

Natural light on white wall

I've been feeling mighty guilty about all the garbage leaving this house from day to day. Here's one upcycle idea- I used up 8 EIGHT shopping bags for this wreath! Great way to get rid of those paper bags collected during your Christmas shopping spree...

With flash on orange wall
Huge difference no?

I got this wreath idea  from a craft blog late one night. I thought I had saved the address- nope! That wreath was done with canvas, brown bags and jute. I don't own a fancy cutting machine so bags and a 2 inch EK Success slim punch were used.



It took 3 days of punching and hot gluing the rolled up circles to the wreath base- WAY too much work but I love how it's different from traditional Christmas wreaths.  The peace dove comes from a random card. Probably needs more bling on the other side right? Maybe next year...

 I got the Poinsettias at Michael's for 17 cents each- wish I had gotten more! I used up all the ones I bought- how did I resist getting bagsfuls????  Miss Lola had me distracted- she kept grabbing them and trying to stab her eye out with the stick end.

Today I will spend the day wrapping gifts and trying to get my new star and cloud punches from 123stitch.com outta hock (the post office) wish me luck- the post men are ANGRY this time of year.

Miss Lola in leopard spots- rowr! 

Merry Christmas everybody!
Happy New Year!
M.

Wish List- Studio Calico

This is me trolling for free stuff- again. I am now in love with Studio Calico- like huge fanboy love- the kind of love I used to have for Batman comics back in college- that love died hard- they switched writers on me one too many times. But I still have my old Batman comics- a few have been ripped up by Miss Thing but I taped them up kept them anyway.

Here's my Studio Calico wish list- go on their blog, post a link to yours and maybe you'll win something on 1/1/11.

1. 4x6 Wood Grain stamp- nowhere does it say "limited edition" yet I can't find it anywhere!
2. Star rubons- WANT WANT WAAANT! Sold Out!
3. Star wood veneer stickers
4. Window Seat paper- that graph print has me salivating!!!
5. Atmospere print paper- LOVE that weird little globe thing!
6. Lunch Tray mist
7. Mini bird stamp
8. Documentary Fabric Rips (such an awesome idea!)

That's it for now... I managed to buy everything else. :)

I hope everyone got their gift shopping done. Tomorrow I'll have my last Christmas project posted- a wreath. I made myself finish it since I bought all the materials but dilly dallied on it for 3 weeks. Michael's was selling glitter poinsettias at 17 cents a flower today so I bought a few and added them on- now I wish I had done my usual thing and bought 40 because I love them that much- oh well.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
M

New obsession- 2 sided stitched pages!!!

Ever noticed how when you do something by mistake it's like the best thing ever? That just happened to me about a week ago. I was busily sewing away and listening to "This American Life" when I turned my page over and was like- duuuude- I like this MORE!!!!!"

Goals 2011. Double sided layout. (front) stitching here is usually hidden in the back of a page.

Then I though- double sided pages! with stitching! BINGO BANGO that's new!!! Right? Weeeell, maybe not- there's got to be other people who though of it first and did it better. 

ANYways here's side 2:

Goal 1- Family Time (back of project)

WADDAYA think? I incorporated some current obsessions of mine- postage stamps, grid pattern papers, paper tape and circles.

Materials- variagated floss, Tim Holtz paper tape, Pink Paisley paper tape, 7 Gypsies paper tape, Martha Stewart Christmas tape, Red polka dot Thickers (so awesooooome!!!), K & Co Handmade packaging (not going to let up till it' gone), smiley face from We R Memory Keepers "Funfetti" collection. Clock rub on from Michael's dollar section, Deja Views "Kiss Grid" paper from Sweet Romance collection.

Here are some close ups but really these photos are COOLER than the actual layout which means I'll have to do like maybe 50 more of these....

   LoTsA BeSos!!!

   M.

Holy Canoli!!! 28 followers! THANK YOU!!!

I want to thank all of you who have dropped by and left tracks- it's awesome to have such supportive and talented eyes looking at my over-cooked "creations". I get inspired by your blogs and TRY really hard to keep up. :)
Here's something I've been ruminating:

The back of  my project's page. AWESOME!!!!!

I find the backs of my stitched projects fascinating- they look so abstract! There's a prolonged project in this- I FEEL it!

Someone recently asked me where I got my ideas from. I couldn't answer. I know I work in spurts and then I need "rest" which used to mean reread some of my Terry Pratchett novels but I had to give them away to make room for my scrap boxes- now you know how much I love this hobby.

Ideas & Inspirations notes

If I complete a page I move right onto another while I'm still "buzzing". This drives my husband mad as he can't really talk to me. I tend to ignore everything when I'm "working". So I write ideas down- sometimes it takes me months because new ideas tend to get made first. 

Mostly I've been shopping the sales this week:

@Home Goods- AC paper pads for 7 bucks!! Flat stickers
for 4 bucks- 490 sticks per package!

@Michael's- 40% off everything- Sassy paper pads for 6 bucks! AC glitter paper 90
cents per page. T!m Holtz on sale!!!

It's amazing what you find as soon as you LEAVE NYC. Home Goods is my fave place to find DCWV & American Crafts cardstock and Martha Stewart brand products for 60 to 75 % off sticker price. But you have to be lucky and travels miles to Yonkers, Long Island- or YIKES- Jersey.

Last plug- Claudia over at Die Cuts R US has a great store name change SALE going on. I don't know Claudia- I just like that she is selling Tim Holtz paper tape for $3.50 so I wanted to tell ya'll- cause I LIKE you!!!! January 1st the store will become Claudia & Co so go now and pick up some QEEUUUUTE stuff for CHEAP.

HUGS AND SMOOOOOCHES mis amigas!!!
M.

My big Announcement

I wanted to post news of a fun development in my scrapbook life-  I made another DT for a great scraplift challenge blog.  YAY! But my name and the names of fellow new DT members are not online yet so I want to hold back just in case.
This for an upcoming challenge on that site but it doesn't hit all the parameters so THIS page is nixed :

And another page which will be on hold till the website XOXO GIRLS (Hee hee hee hee HEE! and much delighted wrangling of the hands) goes live with the news.

He Said/ She Said

Materials: Cosmo Cricket 1934 grid paper, Shabby Chic Crafts word bubbles, Maya Road Acrylic people (digi altered), Sassafras Lass Monstrosity paper, Martha Stewart multi butterfly punch, K and Co mini embossed alphas, Smooch spritz in black, Prima vine (digi altered), Ranger Acrylic paint dabber in black.

This page is about the inevitable arguments couples have. Specifically how Dave and I always argue about 3 things:
1. He thinks I spend too much time online shopping and reading blogs. (He wins)
2. I think he's bananas with a generous side of nuts for buying electrical gadgets. His latest is an electric skateboard imported (much to our dismay as it arrived- broken- 3 months late) from the UK. (I win)
3. I think he should wear his wedding band at all times. This is a draw as get this- HE LOST HIS WEDDING BAND IN THE BATHROOM AT WORK!!!!!! Yes you read that right!!!! He left it on the wash stand!!! But I'm no better. I just lost a diamond off mine because I literally NEVER take it off- not even for  the yearly REQUIRED upkeep. DARN!!!

But we both agree on one thing- Miss Lola is the Beez Kneez.



MuChOs SmOoChEs!
M.

Importance of friends

It can be lonely sport to be a scrap chick in Brooklyn. You are quite uncool by local standards. Everyone KNOWS a true Brooklyn hipster knits or makes ironic cards/t-shirts.

Follow Your Bliss mi gente!!!!

I am short on irony these days- Lola keeps me on a hope tip. Yet I suffer from frequent self doubt- doubts about my talent, my personality, my readerless blog that my family and non scrap friends rarely visit. Hint, hint, HIIIIIINT!!! (That'll go nowhere- they don't read!)
Whatevs!!!!

Surprise! It's a Thank You card!

I have one thing that keeps me going when all else fails- scrap friend MOJO DAWN! The awesomest scrap chica EVER!!!! Miss Thing is super busy, she has an 8 year old, a restaurant, it's Christmas AND football season-  capital letter BUSY.
But she takes the time to send me a highly inspirational and encouraging card when I send along one of my neurotic hyper-ventilating emails. Dawny you are the WOMAN!

Detail shots of it's TRANSFORMING capability- the card can flip open. NEW for moi!

So it also gets posted in a future challenge for the PAPER ISSUES BLOG which you should check out right now! They have so many amazing Christmas projects even the most hardened Martha will stop to take a long happy look.

This ornament lost it's tail for art's sake.

Materials: Studio Calico paper, Cosmo Cricket Boyfriend paper, Maya Road black doily, 7 gypsies paper tape, K & Co black mini alphas, Glitz red mini alphas. I also stitched on this a bit but it isn't very visible.

Smooches mi gente!
M.

2 for Tuesday!

Now that I'm finally done with the holiday theme I feel free as a bird. Looking at the 4 pieces together I see improvement with each piece. In my desperation I was pulling major paper maromas- (stunts).
Now I just have to think about Christmas cards. Home made or store bought? It's late but I could send out "3 King's Day" cards to insert some Latin Flava on this mo fo. Ahem... Told ya I was feeling FREE.

Anyway I titled this post 2 for tuesday because I managed to put together 2 pages! 

I know, right??!!!

I'm also keeping a third page under wraps for a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT on wednesday the 15th so please tune in then.

Here's today's First page:

Street Art, Meatpacking District- NYC. 10/10/10

This is for this week's challenge over at the studio Calico blog. SC is my new FAVE brand. I just love their hipster vibe- it's so Willieburg, BK! I saw this "distressed" poster on a wall on our way to Highline Park and I took a million shots. It just screams Feminine Mystique. Someone call Betty Friedan! We have her re-release cover! The SC challenge called for 1 or 2 elements not including card stock. Did I cheat by using 2 photos? Didn't want to mess things up with some pseudo feminist tripe (my writing)- let the art speak for itself I say!

Second page:

Brooklyn Bagel under the Brooklyn Bridge- We got MAD BROOKLYN, YO!

Materials used: Basic Grey- Basics Tally paper, Smooch spritz- red, Tattered Angels Mist- Suede, Sassafrass Lass alphas, Large Hessian print buttons from The Chip Chop Shop, bagel die cut from PapaDesign, Maya Road clear doily, and a cut up Shop Williamsburg post card. 

Making this page was SO MUCH FUN!!!! Taking Lola for her first trip to DUMBO was just as awesome- we can't wait for summer!! There's an amazing new playground there AND a bike path that takes you past lower Manhattan, past The Statue of Liberty and into Red Hook where you can shop Ikea and eat authentic Pupusas at Red Hook Park. I can't say this enough- I MISS SUMMER!!!!

Mash up! 80's  Olivia Newton John
and Christmas Elf.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!!

M.

THE PERFECT PRESENT- A journey

Just when you think- that's IT- I'm done- DONE I TELL YOU!!! You realize oh NOOOO I have 3 more people left on my list. And that present I got for person number 4 STINKS.... and person 5 is not a MAN!! What was I THINKING????
ARRRGH!

Home made present I want to keep for myself.

Lists, last minute shopping, crowds, MUZAK. Christmas is tough but I keep my eyes to the prize- Christmas DAY. I look forward to the opening of presents for weeks- not my presents- the ones I give to others. It's so great when you get a present right. Last year I made my secret santa giftee cry- YIKES!!!- not what I expected. But I was assured those were tears of happiness. Uhhmmm- ok.

All I had done was print out 5 photos and put them in a frame from Target- 25 bucks and 1 hour's worth of effort, shopping included. I gave him the frame because I had NO IDEA what else to do. I felt like I was being cheap and taking the "easy way out". Yet I had photographed memories he never thought had been captured- reading a book to his first son, giving his baby daughter a bath- he is a very good father. I had given "THE PERFECT PRESENT". Wow. The family STILL talks about that present and that reaction today.

My elf present!

Naturally I only feel MORE pressure to "get it right" this year. What is the "PERFECT PRESENT"? How do you find it? How long should it take?

For me THE PERFECT PRESENT is something that touches the receiver's heart, that seems effortless and original, something that encapsulates the relationship you have with the receiver. So easy to put those down in to a blog entry and SO HARD to get them right when shopping in NEW YORK CITY for 2 hours and 20 people on your list.

So I absolve myself. I probably won't  get that "perfect present" moment again. I must settle for the good feeling I get from giving and spending time with family. But there's always next year...

Little Italy date night

This was super easy to make! All I did was wind some threaded wool from Anthropologie on a wreath form and hot glue it to a paper backing.

I used American Craft Thickers, Basic Grey paper, flower and branch punches from The Punch Bunch. Mini flowers are attached with dress maker pins- which is why there's a paper backing- the pins stick out. The scallop circle is from Dusty Attic.

Oh and the pearl flowers were hand made with the scallop circle punch cut into a swirl and wound on a pencil technique- first time I try to make a flower myself. :)


MuChOs SmOoChEs!

M.