Friday Inspiration- Photo App Discovery!

Hello!

Thank you to my Scrap FX teamie Sparkling Gnome for letting me in on the coolest app yet- Lenslight.

I've had a week to play around with PicTapGo (another photo app) and have decided it rocks!
It's so easy to lighten or brighten photos on this app!

Michelle's top five all time favorite Apps:

1. Hipstamatic- for it's "Jane" lens and it's "Big Up" film that has yellow, pink or black borders.
All the photos below were originally taken with Hipstamatic and processed in another app.

2. Instagram- for sharing (I actually don't like IG filters at all- most are too dark)
I took this image during that magical time when the evening light turns gold.
The photo was enhanced using my new fave app- Lenslight.

3. PicTapGo- for fast and easy (and controllable) image editing.
This photo used to have bright pink borders from my Hipstamatic app.
The "Montecito" filter made it all dreamy and over exposed.

4. Lenslight- for funky light effects you can fade or change color.
I've been looking for a way to add "rainbow" washes on my photos for a while now.
There are "Bokeh" effects in many different shapes- they can be shifted around the screen and the color can be changed- pretty versatile- it has one major problem though-
the filters all degrade your already pretty low smart phone photos. Use sparingly.

5. PicFX for Bokeh you can layer.
This filter REALLY degrades imagine quality.
Keep that in mind when using it especially if you are
thinking of submitting your project for publication.
Magazines like to see clean and very crisp images.

My scrap space organization project is still under way.
I've been buying mists for 4 years now.
I used to keep items in different spots so it was easy to lose track of how much crap I have.
Then I ran out of space.
Ikea Rikka picture ledges to the rescue!

Estimated count: 28 bottles a shelf- 3 shelves= 84 bottles!!

Shock and awe!!! Many of these are still new and unused!!!
I had them in the bottom of an organizer and forgot they were there.
Hoard much?
Yet there is an explanation.
New colors come out every 6 months.
Simply buying each new color from 3 different manufacturers- Studio Calico, Tattered Angels and Ranger gets you these many bottles in 2 years.
I haven't bought any of the Tattered Angels chalk colors I want.
And now I CAN'T.
Because it's very clear- I bought too much already and need to use it.

New York City Manholes!!!
I've taken over 30 images of these the last couple of days.
I love their awesome radial patterns!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Project 30 bags in 30 Days and some December Daily love

Hello!

I'm making some headway into my 2013 resolution to clean up and simplify my home.

I've joined a low key project called 30 bags in 30 days where you organize and throw out at least 1 bag a day for 30 days.

Almost everything in this box got donated to Materials For The Arts.
Only the Basic Grey prints made the cut and I'm using those for a Valentine's Day
project coming soon to a blog near you.

Scrapper and Photographer Becky Novacek has many beautifully organized space photos posted on Instagram and her blog Becky Novacek Photography, head on over for inspiration.

Several friends on Facebook have already expressed interest in joining along.

If you'd like to join us- there isn't an official group or web page-
just use the hashtag #30bags30days on Instagram or Twitter or post photos on your blog and let me know through Facebook and I will swing by your blog and cheer you on.

The art wall behind my computer got a thorough dusting.
I also threw out all the computer related ephemera that had snuck onto my "inspiration shelf."
I'd like to switch out some of the objects but that is a later project- first clean the mess I've made on the floor.

I haven't taken photos of my seven bags so far.
Mostly because I'm so distraught about the mess I'm making while cleaning that I forget to shoot the bag or the room.
I think it's going to take more than 30 bags to rid me of the mess I have in this very small space.
But I'm trying anyway.

Here are my latest December Daily pages.

Red, silver and white are SO awesome! Can't help throwing in some black to ground things.
The rock star badge is From A Flair For Buttons on Etsy.

Crafter's Workshop snowflake stencil and Crate Paper vellum number. Washi tape 
and "Love" wood veneer arrow from Freckled Fawn.

I later added kraft as a color since I love how it looks when paired with silver.
Scrap FX mini chipboard shapes and new arrows are the perfect
 addition to this project. Silver glitter embossing powder from Paper Source
is now an all time favorite product.

Last year I made a page a day but I was home all day so it was easier.

This year I decided to make the album larger using 6 by 8 flat cards from Paper Source as my base.
Last year's "cute" loose ring binding failed- it exposes interior pages too much and I've had too many pages fall off.
This year I will bind the album using traditional book binding tape- a tutorial on that coming soon!!

Now get going, you! Life is awaiting!
Michelle

Scrapper Block!

Untitled Coney Island Page 2/14/2011
MATERIALS: Core'Dinations paper- mustard, London Tierney buttons- Etsy, punchinella, seahorse and twine from  Gauche Alchemy on artfire.com, Claudine Hellmuth Studio Classic Teal acrylic paint, My Mind's Eye scallop ribbon

We've all been through it once- the awful feeling- you want to scrap or you have an assignment due for a team or manufacturer but you have ZERO ideas- zero motivation- zero MOJO. OOOOOHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Detail 1- pop dot fish. Can't figure out why
photos are so out of focus- LOOK MA- no facial details!

Glued twine- hard to do but FUN

I'm battling a nasty case of Mojo No Go right now. I never get writer's block as there's always something to complain about or ruminate- just look at the world news report! But this time I'm having problems with everything from design, to titles, to putting some danged products together. I'm blaming the crapola weather and my scrap space "organization".

What do YOU do when you want to scrap but you hate everything before you?

The kitchen table- cleanest it's been in MONTHS!

Here's what I did in exact order:

• Complain to husband who volunteered I should probably clean the kitchen (AKA scrap) table
• Eat sushi- take out revenge for being told to clean
• Write to scrap bestie and complain (but she's going through the SAME THING!)
• Surf the scrap blogs for ideas
• First FREAK OUT- general freakyness
• Buy more paper and Hambly Studio trannies
• Sit down and MAKE MYSELF put a page together (result: lots of cut up paper)
• Visit favorite artist blogs and wallow in envy and self pity
• Second FREAK OUT! Why can't I whip something together like all these other fabulous women?
• Eat ice cream
• Organize supplies:

Everything in it's own place- now where did I leave my BRAIN????

• Third FREAK OUT- organizing actually made the situation worst. Now I have to remember where I put everything!
• Visit my gallery and reminisce about when I used to have ideas.
• Go to local art journal exhibit and check out some FUNKY journal projects
• Watch TV 
• Sit down and force myself to add whatever onto a page- actual page results.

Total time spent: 72 hours

Notice I never said take care of Miss Thing- that happens the entire time naturally.

I CAN HELP! I CAN HELP!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

M.