Fall colors, beautiful light

Ok I can dig this Fall season- 78 degree weather and rain at night? It's perfect! We went into tree country last weekend to pick apples but the fall colors are not showing fully yet so I decided to get warmly cheerful in my current Punky Scraps layout:

Be
MATERIALS: Gauche Alchemy woodgrain punchinella (that's right WOODGRAIN) and Lady Marmelade orange mixed media color kit, Dusty Attic chipboard, Hambly Studio tranny, Studio Calico paper and tag, Mister Huey Hot Dog, Making Memories metal letters, Basic Grey brads, Mesh origami paper (!!!) and black acrylic paint.

The prompts were many and diverse for this "Get Picky" challenge so I procrastinated LOVELY the entire week. Finally, last night, after 2 bottles of Pacifico beer and a bag of Blue Cheese Kettle Chips I was ready- who cares if it was 1am?

The Mighty List:

Tamara - Hessian/Mesh

Kat - A Tag

Cheryl - steam punk imagery

Kerry - your own handwriting

Marie - black mist

Jolanda - a picture of your eye(s). what do they say/mean to you?

Celina - lace of any kind

Ashley - Doodling

Misty - metal

I was supposed to go deep with my journaling but what I really needed was a page I could hang on the wall and use as a touchstone while I worked- it reads: Do what you want- people will decide they don't like you anyway.
Not to sound like Michael Jackson who I thought spent entirely too much time being defensive (and dangling babies off hotel balconies) instead of concentrating on HIS WORK.

Thank you Shelley J for the beautiful Studio Calico paper!

I took a photo of an image I had opened on my computer desktop using the Hipstamatic app on my iTouch and my favorite lens filter- Watts. 

I then changed the contrast, color and added a round blur using Instagr.am. 

The paint splatters were made by watering down some acrylic paint and using a mascara brush to sprinkle tiny dots all over the page- I don't trust the spray nozzle on those bottles one bit.

                                                               *************************

'I also wanted to repost these tags that I linked over at Flashback Fridays. Amy sent me a nice email reminding me I'm not supposed to backlink an older post since the whole point is to show how much you have improved- yikes- sorry about that. I love these so I'm glad to have a chance to show them off again.

I made these for a tag swap over at Kreatorville Krafts using some old office folders, some scraps of
favorite prints from Sassafras Lass and Girl's Paperie, Making Memories metal tag rims and some buttons-
it took over a week because I kept over thinking the process but I loved the final product.

You can check out the original post here: Going Tag Crazy

Please swing by Punky Scraps and join the challenge- there are 2 prize packs available this month and only 1 person in the running for both- does that sound fair to you? Go up in there and give her some competition!

This year she actually rode the pony AND I managed to get an
eating apples shot where she didn't look like a zombie.
I can't believe that beanie still fits- It's 2 years old!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Welcome to the Xoxo Blog Hop!

Hiya!!!

True Xoxo is a great team- welcome to our blog hop!!
It was ALL I COULD DO to keep this under wraps for this long!
Lisa Murphy Watson (a wonderful scrapper if I may say so) threw the challenge down LOVELY!
My challenge? Channel master scrapper Ingvild Bolme. WOOOOHAA!
And here it is:

Wonder Wheel- New Year's Day 2011
MATERIALS: American Crafts white cardstock, Tattered Angeles Mermaid Glimmer Glam and Patina Mist, buttons fro m Basic Grey and My Mind's Eye, Chipboard from Dusty Attic, metal gear brads from Oriental Trading

This page is very different from what I normally do and I proved to myself that I can still rock the shabby chic/romantic vibe without getting overly prettified. Still, when I saw Lisa's challenge I WIGGED OUT.
Ingvild's design style is incredibly complex and uses lots of advanced technique.
Click here to check out her blog. But come back here ok? please? :)

Ingvild's a perfect choice for this challenge. She's got a very distinctive style that isn't easily imitated but can be used as a "jumping off point" for your own ideas and style.

First I made a list of themes I loved about her work.

• White background paper- negative space
• Turquoise paint- splatters and swishes
• Transparencies and sewn details
• Lots of texture with gesso, netting and edge distressing
• Black and white photos with blown out highlights
• Flowers, lace and other Prima products

I tried random swishes of a paint across the page but HATED IT!
I dabbed the page with the brush but hated that too.
Then, instead of throwing the page out, I stuck it to the wall and dabbed it more "confidently"with dripping paint- that's how I got that "tree" look.

My only problem with this photo is that it appears to be out of focus.

The photo looks fine in real life but when I take a picture of it WHAM!- no faces!

I then misted it with Tattered angels "Patina" and used my heat gun to dry it off- this lessened the warp I got from using Glimmer Glam.
The Dusty Attic gears were too thick to allow for direct to the page sewing so I referenced the effect by winding some floss around them.

The big blue rose actually started out pink but some misting and glimmer glamming whipped it into shape. I also tried to stay away from edge distressing which can get really ugly in the hands of the inexperienced.

Ingvild's stark white portraits are an inspiration but I decided to take it easy on myself. Rather than start a whole new shoot, I used images from the Polar Bear Club New Year's Dip my husband and I participated in January this year. He jumped in the freezing water and I got my boots wet trying to take photos- it was a truly fantabulous day.

So cozy in the 2 feet of snow...

Did you enjoy the hop? I sure hope so- thank you so much for joining us! Your next stop is back at Xoxo headquarters- thank you for commenting and following each blog- we really appreciate it and remember- it's the best way to win the grand prize- a True Xoxo Guest Designer spot!
But WAIT there's MORE!!!!!
I have a little give away of my own for new followers (and old ones as well- just leave a comment with your email or blog addy)

These lovely flowers are all yours- just swing back to this blog to find out
 who won October 20th!

CLICK HERE for your next stop- the Xoxo home page!

My pant cuffs and feet were completely soaked here- so is the sacrifice I make for me "art".

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

Aussie chipboard ROOOOCKS!

Ok so you know when you try to design by the seat of your pants (that's me- ALWAYS) and the page totally turns on you? That's what happened here. I kept trying to drive but my lizard-like hind brain insisted on taking the wheel. It said: "MUST do an 80's looking page! DOOOO EEEET!"

What it didn't supply was key ideas like:
use black and white checker board!
imitate the Miami Vice font!
USE THE ACTUAL STUFF2SCRAP CHIPBOARD YOU JUST BOUGHT DUMMY!!!!
Those only occured to me AFTER I saw the finished page and realized- This is like totally 80's dude!! RAAAD!

Indulge
MATERIALS: Such Sweet Tierney on Etsy buttons,  American Crafts Sunrise alphas (FAAAVES!), Glitz Teeny block alphas (FAAAVES!!!), American Crafts card stock, Crate stickers, DCWV rub on stitches, SMASH polka dot tape. OMG I'm SO SORRY I forgot to include my Stuff 2 Scrap chippies!!! It just accured to me NOW- like right NOW!

This is for the Stuff 2 Scrap challenge. Thanks for urging me on Chantal!!
Let me just tell you I LOVE Australian scrapbook design. What is UP with all the fantastic chipboard from down under??? And WHY hasn't any major American outlet picked up on how FABULOUS they are and started importing it?

Here are some of my faves:

• Stuff 2 Scrap- incredibly innovative and unique designs. HUGE plus? Stuff by artist Leeann Pearce.
• Dusty Attic- fabulous romantic and shabby chic styles used by some of my most favorite designers Natasha Naranjo Aguirre, Jolaine Frias, Finnabair (Anna Dabrowska) and Mandy Harrel- a fellow Punky Scraper who (THIS IS KEY) sells many designs on her ETSY SHOP.
• Scrap FX- cooooool modern designs.
• Buzz and Bloom (now out of business- I could cry!)

Go ahead and SALIVATE!!! All of these brands are hard to get. Mostly because shipping charges are so expensive but if you are a paper freak like me you SUCK IT UP and get the stuff through Ebay, Etsy or directly from the website- shipping prices BE DAMNED!

I wouldn't wait for Dusty Attic to get back to you. I'm still waiting for a reply to an email I sent LAST SUMMER regarding a large order I wanted to place. Oh well.

Stuff2Scrap, Mandy or Leann (she's got an Etsy shop as well) love you so go to them and buy, Buy, BUY! hee hee hee.

Because being my daughter is just not embarrassing enough... I must PUSH THE ENVELOPE!!!
Yes that is reading material in her hand. LOOOOL!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Studio Calico multiple pattern challenge

It's Dave's birthday so I don't have too much time but I wanted to share a quick layout I made for the Studio Calico 4th Anniversary challenge involving using multiple patterns.

21 Months
Materials- Studio Calico "Mind The Gap" kit exclusive papers, American Crafts card stock, Studio Calico and Basic Grey alphas, Red Lead Paperworks Honey Comb statement rubber stamp,  Dusty Attic chicken wire chipboard, Martha Stewart Punch All Over The Page punch" Pinking circle", Studio Calico heart veneers, Tiny Attacher, SC Mister Huey in Calico White, Tattered Angels in Suede (favorite color ever!), SMASH date stamp

I love the paper patterns in SC kits but I am often intimidated by them- the paper is so gorgeous and complex I want to try to do it justice and end up with "scrapper block".

Here I loosened up a bit, let the page keep the mistakes I made (the cut out footprint, the brown paint drips) and finally "finished". I was trying to incorporate Lola's footprint using tissue paper for the Punky Scraps tissue paper challenge but my mixed media art skills are so basic I kept creating scary mottled cloud things that looked like mold growing on the page so I gave up on the tissue paper- for now.

The chicken wire mask is actually a piece of Dusty Attic chipboard I've wanted for months and have FINALLY been able to acquire through Paper Candy Crafts. I really wanted to use an SC stamp but their hexagon border stamp sold out so quickly I go whiplash. LOVE the honey comb stamp from Red Lead. I misted tattered Angels "Suede" on it and used it just on the edges.  Yes I know it's super messy and deconstructed- this is on purpose I promise.

Hope you are having a great weekend. I'm off to finally see Transformers 3- hope I am not as annoyed by this one as I was by the last.

Fooling around with what we believe is ad for an art show...

MuChOS SmoOcHeS!
Michelle

Christmas Felt MADness

I love me some holiday felt! Felt ornaments, felt stockings, felt holiday banners with reindeer, Santa and candy canes, felt wreaths and lately felt Pinecones which I'm simply going GAGA for.

Here's my first FELT MADNESS page:

Whaddaya think?

Rockerfeller Christmas 2010

My first 3D felt project. AND I learned a new stitch to do it. "Learning a new stitch" is totally easy (I found) if I use a patient teacher- YOUTUBE. Gulf Coast Cottage has super simple videos that are short so even the simple minded (ME) can view them 50 times in order to learn.
Here's a link:
Blanket Stitch tutorial


Normally I wouldn't go to Rockerfeller Center because the crowds make using a stroller safely impossible but we needed a family photo with holiday flavor. Luckily "Real Simple" Magazine had pro shooters set up in key areas around the tree. Our guy was so over it by 4pm that all the photos were fuzzy. I made him redo our shot (it cost 21 dollars for 1 stinking print!) but Lola refused to look at the camera so this unfocused shot is the best of the bunch.

Close up- stitches and awesome tag I got FOR FREE

Michelle WHY did you cut up the background paper? Because I'm crazy. I thought weaving the paper would look cute. What I didn't consider was that the paper was so busy it would compete with anything you put in front of it (and look horrible). But I loved the paper so I used it cut up and attached it using mini heart brads.

Items used: Making Memories mistletoe paper, Celebrate It! glitter pine cone garland from Michael's, scallop circle from Dusty Attic painted gold by Making Memories acrylic paint, Making Memories circle flowers and a couple of dollar store doilies I painted gold with a Color Box Cat's Eye pad and Tattered Angels Mist in "Sand" and "Iridescent Gold". The beautiful tag came with an Etsy order a while ago- wish I could remember the maker so I could link them up...

Tim Holtz tape makes the back interesting

That's it- I've edited this page a bunch of times already.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

M.