Cocoa Daisy Kit Club and me? We're like this! (besties!!)

So there you have it- the news I've been trying to hold back for weeks
I'm the September Cocoa Daisy Guest Designer!
Woo hoo!!!

FOR REALZ!!! Cocoa Daisy kit madness was the most fun I've had in weeks. Visiting
the Zoo with a toddler in 90 degree weather is NOT fun- no really- it's not.

When I got the email from Emily Pitts a few weeks ago let's just say I was... surprised.
With equal parts ecstatic and scared.
I actually questioned whether they had the right Michelle.
After all- THIS Michelle is known for her blabbering, bumbling and being completely overwhelmed.

GRINNING!

Well not THIS month!
I scheduled everything down to the last minute.
Zoo visit? Done! 3 hours!
Work? I handed in a list of all the days I needed off for the entire month of August.
Family? They were warned NO UNPLANNED VISITS!
I got all my work for other DTs done early.
I said "no" to anything that would interfere- family movie night? NO!
Mall visit? NOOOO!
But I said yes to Lola's walks because nothing hurts more than looking back and thinking I should have said yes to this face.

GAH! Look at the CHEEKS! And the SWEET LITTLE NOSE!
Who can say no?

And then I got my kit.

GOTCHA! Can't show the kit- sorry! Tune in the 28th. Cocoa Daisy Kits.

I locked myself up in my scrap room for 2 entire days.
I was gonna kill my first kit!

I'm usually really freaked out by patterns but this October Afternoon
Woodland Park prints was BEGGING to be mixed with the Echo Park bracket print.
And the May Arts diagonal stripe ribbon? Who would have thought I would love green so much?
That's the great thing about this kit- the unexpected details.

And I'm very happy to say I did it!
4 pages and 1 great card I gave to my husband for our anniversary.
Woo hooo!
I've been part of several kit clubs and received many"color co-ordinated" kits.
My first move was always to pick the kits apart and use only the embellishments.
But not this time.
I would have never thought the serene blues and greens of this kit would fit my style so well- they really really do.
I also got the "His" add on as well- you're gonna love these combos PROMISE!

These Pink Paislee alphas- I've passed them up several times as "too large".
WRONG AGAIN! They are AWESOME!

Needless to say I think you should swing by and check out the kit.
I particularly like this month's kit stamp- it's freaking awesome.

See? So simple! INGENIUS!!!

To those of you who told the folks at Cocoa Daisy to swing by this lonely corner of the scrapiverse- thank you!!!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Scrapping with unusual colors and funnies from the blogging front

I'm Googling like a mad woman trying to figure out why some of my teamies over at Scrap FX have new blog formats they can't "follow" people on.
Do you know what I mean?
Have you updated your Blogger blog lately and found your "follow" button now reads "share"?
What's THAT all about???
If you know, share please!
Google is NO HELP.
I can't  find articles no matter how many search terms I put into the search bar.
Which made me wonder- what search terms are landing people here?
These:

• 3 people found me by using: "fly story with stencil": That. Right there. Is awesome! FLY story? YES PLEASE! I luuurv me some FLY stories! 
• 3 with: "Puerto Rican Pride":  Ok. I got the pride. I have a digi Puerto Rican Flag permanently flying in my Pinterest account and it only gets pinned by other Puerto Ricans. Abrazos a todos! This is a scrapbook blog- if you can roll with that, we are main buds. Hey, do you mind sharing your flan recipe? Please?
• 3 with: "Scrap FX": WHAT? ONLY 3? MUST correct that! ASAP!
• 3 with: "stencil of Puerto Rican flag for": FOR WHAT? Guys, you've totally left me hanging! For baking? For rinsing beets with? What already?
• 2 with: "Billy drinking pop + red fern"- HUH? How are Billy's pop drinking habits connected to scrapbooking? RAAAANDOM! Red Fern? That's a book. I know from my searching Ebay for live ferns to buy. Yes I used to buy ferns, ON EBAY.
• 2 with "EK Success punches with settings": So cool! Now what are these settings you are looking for? You KNOW I'm going to be looking that up! I'll be finding myself next!

DOH!!!
I never posted my May True Xoxo Scrapbooking challenge page!!!
Swing by and play along!
Here it is:

I used Gauche Alchemy's limited edition Neon color kit to make this page.
You'll also spot some embossed lines I made with a score board and bone folder-
thanks to Melissa Mann for that idea. The chipboard alphas and flourish are from Scrap FX.
I used gel pens and neon pastel crayons to finish them.

And this? Apparently, I forgot I submitted a page a month in advance

Cosmo Cricket Heart in The Dark alphas and blackboard chippies, bling from Kaiser Kraft
Crafter's Workshop basket weave stencil, Tattered Angels Mermaid Glimmer glam, Smash tape and
some AWESOME EK Success stamps.

So swing by True Xoxo Girls are get to scraplifting!
I fully give you permission to STEAL THESE PAGES!
(Can I get a small mention though? Come on- you love me! Admit it!!!! )

Well hello there, gorgeous! (summer 2010)

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
And a digi PR flag waving! I'm a PROUD Boricua!

Some Odd Girl Stamps Guest Spot! FUUUN!

HAPPY MONDAY MI GENTE!

I was over the moon when I got an invitation from Kristy creator and head innovator over at Some Odd Girl Stamps to help celebrate her birthday by guest-writing a post on her blog. YAAAY! Naturally I chose to write about my all time favorite topic- iPod camera apps.

Now before you say AGAIN? This time I talk about 4 different applications so perhaps you may want to head on over to check it out. Click here: SOME ODD GIRL 

For this post I want to talk about a card project that did not make it to my SOG post because my writing hit 1000 words and even I know that's too darned long.

I LOVE Kristie's beautiful Japanese animation looking designs and while I haven't been very good at experimenting with digital design, I went ahead and took the plunge.

Here is my first project:

I tried so many new things with this card project! Most impressive to me? I got this card to stick
to my crazy windy and rusty fire escape with some super strength Pop Up Glue Dots.
My fandom for this amazing product has been renewed!

This "How To" moment brought to you by: SOME ODD GIRL:

Instagr.am's Lomo-Fi filter is my all time favorite right now- LOVE those uneven black borders

I t seemed like a lot of work but the final result was worth it.
Hipstamatic's  Ina's 1969 film combined with the Chunky lens. 

1. Print "Love" sentiment stamp from Some Odd Girl onto Computer Grafix computer printable  transparent plastic sheets which also has adhesive backing so you effectively get stickers.  NOTE:  The ink never dries if you use regular tranny film- it has to computer printable film.
2. Cut the heart stamp out leaving adhesive backing on.
3. Print love stamp onto regular paper and cut out the individual letters to make templates.
4. Use your letter templates on patterned scrapbook paper and cut letters out making sure the edges are a bit smaller so they don't stick out over the Love stamp's black borders.
5. Peal off adhesive backing on Love sticker and apply the scrapbook paper letter making sure borders align (hardest part of this process).

Voila! You have a custom sticker!
I made two.

For the card I used Sassafras paper, lots of bits left over on my desk including some clothing pattern tissue paper, half a burlap flower, corrugated board and a handmade mini doily.

I stuck them onto the card using Modge Podge and used a couple of stitches here and there to attach the Love sticker in front. I wouldn't say this is the easiest way to make a card but it was incredibly fun and educational. Most importantly, I really love the final result.

The second project was a crazy character made with Kristi's Techie light bulb stamp design.

My post over at Some Odd Girl will discuss all the filters used here in a little more detail but
from the Hipstamatic app I used Inna's 1969 film to get that inner white border and the warm color tone.
I then opened the image up on Instagr.am and used the Lomo-fi filter to give it major contrast and
that cool black border.

Ain’t she PURTY?  To make Luz I :

1. Resized her in photoshop so she took up most of an 8 by 10 piece of watercolor paper and printed her right up.
2. Colored her using Reese Oil Pastel crayons and “blended” the color using my fingers as I am Copic disabled.
3. ALMOST ruined her by sticking yellow tissue paper everywhere for “texture”. Luckily Instamatic filters are wonderfully low rez and forgiving of mistakes- the texture is invisible in most pics.
4. Two wooden lollipop stems became her “legs” and out Luz went on a bike ride.

Sometimes a girl CAN have too much fun.
Hipstamatic's Buckhorst H1 lens and Ina's 1969 film filters

"Luz" as I like to call her- went on several weekend bike rides with me and finally bit the bucket today when Lola mauled her during a particularly vulnerable moment. But you can see her adventures over at my post for Some Odd Girl.  And yes I am aware that I've already plugged it 5 times- why haven't you gone to check it out yet?

BRAND NEW (to me)! Diptic lets you post several photos from any other camera app in your ipod
as well as Facebook or Flickr- no other app can do that right now so go get some of that action people!

MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle
Some Odd Girl