Travelin' Fool- Mixing it up with silver and kraft paper

This page is one of those that just turns left mid process and totally surprises me with how great it turned out.
I wanted to try silver embossing powder from Paper Source and this heavy weight kraft paper I found on sale from 2 dollars for  pack of 25 at Joann's.
The combination seemed really strange to me but I love I love the contrast it provides.

Materials: Prima Travel themes masks, Studio Calico Atmosphere mist, Viva Las Vegas chicken wire stamp,   Wood Veneer stars from Studio Calico, silver glitter Thickers from American Crafts. Silver paint stick from Farber-Castell

I REALLY wish I had bought all the packs because it turns out The Paper Company brand kraft paper is AMAZING- thicker, darker and more flecked than the more refined kraft paper from Bazzill or American Crafts (which I also love but it's nice to have the variety).

Some detail shots:

Playing with semi transparency-I love common gift wrap tape in layers!
I love these water droplet embellishments from Sticko for the same reason I love vellum-
lots of  detail but not the crowding you get when using color embellishments.

The Viva Las Vegas chicken wire stamp is amazing!.
The edges aren't squared up so you can layer it more organically.
You can also order it mounted on wood, unmounted or
foam mounted  so it can be attached to an acrylic block. 

Ok I'm off to try to make a new project- this is my only day off this week so I have to make it count.
Tomorrow I teach my first class ever!!!
I'll be leading a "Girl's Night" over at the Paper Source on 75th street and Columbus. We'll be using the Zutter Bind it All to make a birthday card organization book.

I must admit I'm a little scared- 4 students means it should be fairly easy going but I have been reviewing videos and practicing proper binding technique just in case.

GRATUITOUS TODDLER SHOT!

Check out the new "Jane" lens on the Hipstamatic.
No strange effects, just the ability to shoot square photos and mix them up with other Hipsta films.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Mama don't take no mess! A 4x6 post card exchange

So I'm loving the whole 4x6 postcard swap thing.
It started with one I made for the Brooklyn based Art House Co-Op.
I love that I bring a tiny bit of scrappy joy to someone I admire and that I get to do it with paper.

MATERIALS: Stencils and stamps from Retro Cafe Art, Viva pearl pen,
Tattered Angels Mist in gold and Glimmer Glam in Mermaid, Tim Holtz Grunge
embossing powder, Studio Calico text stamp

This project wrought all kinds of drama.
I won't bore with the details since frankly exactly NO ONE cares but let's just say right up front
THIS girl doesn't take to scolding or "humbling" of any kind.
If you need to trip all over yourself to "put me in my place" PLEASE

Check yourself

Before you wreck yourself.

Lyrics from a master of tough guy talk.
They never made more sense than now.
I'm not here to hurt anyone or ruin their day.
I just want to be happy and share my FUN times with you.
I want to listen to your personal stories and cheer you on.
I want to help you raise your circus tent and be awesome(r).
But I won't play along with power trips.
It's incredibly wasteful.
Wasteful of general goodwill.
Wasteful of time.

SURPRISE!!!! The back is in on the fun as well.
I had to send this along in an envelope. Can't wait to get mine!
Making Memories stencil foam stamp, Grunge backdrop
paper from Paper Source.

And I just don't have any time to waste.
I. don't. have. time.
Writing this sentence took 4 seconds.
Time I no longer have and needed to work on something else.
So if I can't spare time to write a six word sentence WHAT makes you think I have time to explain my schedule, methods or thinking to someone who's busy drawing lines in the sand?

BING!
This turkey is DONE.
I've been setting limits on foolishness lately and this was just one more chance to practice.
Believe it or not,
I'm happier now!
Sometimes you have to fight you own neediness, feelings of guilt and comfort in group think.
And before this becomes much more melodramatic
(Can you HEAR the sweeping music? This is the HERO of the story speaking "truth" here! Here is THE VICTIM. Feel for her story! Go along with everything said!)
NOT!

Let me assure you,
I am perfectly aware
many times the things we find most vexatious in others,
are things we see and despise about ourselves.

Funny how things work out. I now have more time to notice when this face laughs.
I was around to take the picture.
Winning!

MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Truly beautiful things are wild and free- a watercolor page

Somewhere in Greenpoint, Brooklyn a storefront bears that title across it's window
I will seek out find this store.
I will stand in front of this window and take an ironically posed photo.
I love the poetry of it.

It's freaking 100 degrees out here- hold on- it's been 100 degrees across most of the US this week!  l
Let's all take a collective chill pill.
chillin,' chillin', chilliiiiiin'

I want to go to the newly opened McCarren pool but apparently there was a huge brawl between a bunch of teenagers and the entire lifeguard staff? Like ALL of the life guards.
So yeah, a pass on THAT idea.

A quick page:

Loving those Studio AE stamps. I also used Gauche Alchemy washi tape and rectangle grid punchinella here.
The polka dot border is unnecessary- I was trying to distract you from the uneven borders caused by warping.
I really need to find a way to use water color without having the page that looks like a wet rag!
Plus I love this page. A lot. One of the few I can say that with ZERO caveats.

Some detail shots:

Those Pink Paislee celebration banners are finally used.
I was having a hard time incorporating them- hello- random!
I would like 4 more of the sunburst pieces please- they are so cute!

Awesome handwriting- wish I had it. Apparently copying a page out my
favorite book over and over again will help me develop it.

GRATUITOUS TODDLER SHOT!!!

On the way to the park- new walls went up on Wythe and North 3rd- if you are into street art
I would suggest you take the L train and check it out. Lemme know so we can meet up at my
fave Thai restaurant and chat- I promise I am SO NOT an internet killer.

MuChOS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Neon Love- the color dipping trend and scrapbooking

Happy Fourth of July!
Today I want to buck the trending topic and share a page I made for Scrap FX featuring a design element I have seen all over the place lately- dye color dipping.
"What is 'dye dipping', crazy lady?" You might say.

It's literally dipping the legs, arms or other part of an object in neon or metallic paint (or dye) for some added color without the blinding rays a whole neon green couch would let off.

So this woodgrain embossed paper- I must find bulk packs of it because it's my favorite stash item right now.
I found the 8 by 11 size at my LSS but SC has it 12 by 12. GET SOME- it's freaking GORG!
MATERIALS: vellum, Fiskars XL star squeeze punch, Scrap FX telegraph wire chipboard, Hambly trannys, MT washi tape, Maya Road ledger trannys, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type alphas, American Crafts mini glitter brads, Staedtler water color paint

Check out Etsy to see what I mean (don't want to use photos here without permission):
Dipped neon
I thought I would give it a whirl in a scrapbook page.
Here's the thing- I'm kinda nuts about wasting my expensive magenta water color paint so I didn't just fill up a bowl and dip away.

I painted the paper and tried my best to make it look "dipped".
This was hella fun!
I suggest you run out to Benjamin Moore and get one of their 4 dollar "sample" paints and try "dipping" your own house wares- you just might LOVE IT!

lovely delicate layers- vellum is DA BOMB!

I'm coveting a set of neon pink hand thrown porcelain bowls- they are so SO pretty but Lola would use them for floor target practice so I will just stare at the photos and dream.

Scrap Fx telegraph poles- delightfully RANDOM-
who needs matchy-matchy themey pages? "Not I!" said the cat!

Have a SAFE 4th of July holiday folks!
PLEASE don't get your drink on and take to the wheel!
And PLEASE don't dare each other to hold the fireworks.
Your local ER staff would appreciate one less client and I like my readers to be happy and whole.

GRATUITOUS FLAG RELATED PHOTO!!!!

MuChOS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

No time! NO time! A True Xoxo Girls 1 hour scrap CHALLENGE!

It's SUMMER TIIIIME!
Free concerts in the park!
The pools are open!
The beach (and the latest tawdry best seller) are calling!
You have football matches, the US Open- the OLYMPICS to watch!
Who has time to scrap?

We do! We do!
True Xoxo has the challenge for you!
You have one full hour to make a page.

Here's mine:

I took 1 hour and 17 minutes to finish this page. I blame the Studio Calico stars- the package always manages to walk away while I am mid design. I had no plan and luckily I won the "Take Note" collection in Echo Park's last blog hop so all I had to decide was WHERE to put all this stuff? My only regret? That I put in that journaling card- it distracts from the design. The photo and sticker speak for themselves.

Close Ups:

A Flair for Buttons Here & Now flair pack.

I hear the the SC veneer stars are incredibly hard to come by?
 I got mine on pre-order from Stop and Scrap and it took them 4 months to send them over.
I'm currently waiting for the summer release- let's just say I'm on pins and needles.

Go on- steal away for an hour and join the challenge. You have until July 31st!

TRUE XOXO GIRLS 

Challenge 31- I don't have time for this!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle