What I "re"learned this week! Project Life is FUN!

Good Monday Morning folks,

Over the weekend I had several amazing conversations with people I deeply admire.
I spent so much time talking I didn't really have time to scrap.

Now it looks like I'm about to embark in one of the most exciting periods of my life.
Some friends and I have formed a group called

"The Mariposa Creative Collective"

Basically a monthly meeting where we hold each other accountable for our creative goals- whatever they may be.

• If you are a New York City scrapper or creative type send me a PM via Facebook and will add you to the group. I plan to post thought provoking articles and our meeting notes there for everyone to discuss in between face to face meetings. 
• If you have a small business you are trying to get off the ground send me a PM and we can consider you as a guest speaker. Any entrepreneurial activity is fine. Creativity is boundless.

We meet once a month and discuss our goals for the month.
We hear a speaker and have a hen session about what's current and creative ways people have found to make money- it's a GREAT way to get inspired and get CRACK-A-LACKING!

It's exiting because, for once, I feel like I have feedback on this crazy journey I'm on.
It will help me focus and perhaps stop all the internalized negativity creating alone can encourage.

I did manage to finish my first 2 Project Life spreads for 2013 this week.

I have sneaks because the pages will be going up over at the Scrap FX blog tomorrow and I want them to get full "splash" effect.

Need a quick finish option for naked chipboard?
WASHI TAPE, BABY! Just trim the edges after you stick it onto the design.

Scrap FX has a whole new design team.
I'd love for you to swing by and check out what they bring to the table.

Scrap FX newsprint frame finished with Prima chalk ink in "Attic Dust" grey.
Prima chalk inks quickly cover chipboard- primer isn't needed.

What I learned:

• The most important thing a creative person needs, other than supplies, is SUPPORT. 

I can't say this enough! Put the love out there first. Really. Love and compassion first.

Judgement and anger have their place but you only get what you put out.

• Punching the corners out of your PL inserts is a drama all on it's own.

DON'T use this punch. Are you laughing at the photo?
Switching from large to small corners in one
 punch is a great idea! But this design lacks a "window" so you
 can see where your corner end up before punching- BIG problem.
 That shape isn't consistent either- you can't "mess up" on PURPOSE.
Fiskars has a GREAT customer service department but they can't fix
bad product design. Consider me schooled.
PS- I still love Fiskars and buy all their other products.
Me and this punch? Enemies!

• From a fellow "Lifer" came the thunder striking idea to just take my journaling cards with me wherever I go. Write down what I feel when I feel it. The photos can stand on their own.

It's totally out of focus but I love my genuine smile.. and my hair.
LOL!

Thanks for your continued support of this blog!
I love that you swung by!
Michelle

Spotlight on: Elle's Studio

I want to share a quick page I made using a few Elle Studio journaling tags from their beautiful "Handmade Layers" line.

First of all- how AMAZING is that new October Afternoon 5 & Dime line? Naturally I turned it around and used the more sedate polka dot side. I punched some of those pretty 1.5 inch details and saved them for a later project.

Lovable U
Materials: Elle Studio "Handmade Layers" date strips and journaling tags, October Afternoon 5 & Dime paper, Crate Paper Restoration and Portrait line papers, Sassafras Lass stickers (all the mini hearts I could find!), Studio Calico Alphas, Fiskars Large squeeze circle punch- I am LOVING those right now!, Martha Stewart die cut doily tags, Uni Ball white gel pen

For the photo window I used (gasp!) a craft knife. I'm finally getting the hang of it! The secret is to go sloooow and to turn the paper as much as possible for tight curves.

Turning the paper on a self healing mat can be quite difficult. It takes a few practice runs but it's possible.  Sharp corners were sanded down a bit with fine grain sand paper to even the circle's edge.
I also cut out the middle from that Martha Stewart doily- I'm seeing those everywhere lately!

Photos from Elle's Studio Blog

What I like the most about this line is the edge distressing that doesn't get dingy and dreary- you get the perfect amount of detail. The calendar tag is my favorite- I kept wanting to include it in every page I made recently.

I LOVE photos of Lola walking away from me.
I still can't get over how early she started to walk- 10 months! 

Have a great Thursday- if you are in NYC go out NOW- while the sun is still shinning. :)

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

When in doubt- REDO!

It is quite declasse to redo your scrapbook pages in certain circles. I never understood why- it's your work and you are improving with every page so why not?
I redo my pages ALL THE TIME! I find that I get better design perspective on a piece over time- perhaps that second patterned paper doesn't need to be there or maybe that photo can get printed at a larger size.
Here's an example: BEFORE Page (like it)

Camping Fun!
Materials: October Afternoon grid paper (circles are punched out and flipped over from the other side),
Cosmo Cricket Boyfriend alphas, American Crafts Meadow Thickers, DCWV Hittin' The Books stack- deer card, Fiskars cloud and medium circle squeeze punches, Jillibean Soup corrugated frame,  Maya Road leaf pins, ColorBok  tree and animal elements, Hoot pin from scrappy friend Amy (Thanks Amy!!) 

You'll have to excuse the faceless folk in these pages- the photos were taken from my cousin's facebook page and she used one of those little throw away cameras so the photos themselves have very little facial detail...
AFTER Page: (LOOOOVES IT!)

Camping Fun- 12 by 12
Materials: October Afternoon grid paper, Fiskars circle and cloud punches, American Crafts Meadow Thickers, Pink Paislee Soiree stamps (Banners and itty bitty stars) Hambly Studio blue woodgrain Washi tape, Uniball gel pen- black, Studio Calico Mister Huey in Sunshine, Maya Road wood button

I had to improvise since I'm a non driving city girl so I've never bought camping theme papers but YOU don't have to. Paper Issues has a drop dead gorgeous camping theme October Afternoon kit ready and waiting for you to make a mini book or a million scrap pages:

See? FUN! Go on and check out Paper Issues on Etsy!

Soiree stamps also available at Paper Issues shop!
They are SOOOOO WORTH IT!

Reasons you should feel free to REDO THOSE old pages you no longer like:

1. Your craft skills have improved! 

2. New scrappy goodies you bought (or MADE- WORK those SKILLZ gurrl!) match perfectly.

3. You reprinted the photos at a different size you like better.

4. "Someone" swiped your page (YAAAY!) and you want one for yourself

5. You feel like it!!! Why not!??? Just keep that old page so you can see how awesome you are right now.

Hope this was a fun read and got you to reopen those old scrap books. YOU are the master of your work- just don't go Bananas a la George Lucas on Star Wars- he should have left that first movie alone!!!

Gratuitous cutie patootie shot- are YOU ready for Father's Day?

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

Michelle

Design DON'Ts- When projects fall flat

Ahh the vicissitudes of crafty life! Just when you think you're really jamming you find perhaps the work needed more think time and less "stuff". How do other designers do it? How do they come up with so many awesome details month after month? No really- I need a step by step please!

Here are 2 additional pages made for Studio Calico NSD challenges. Has this ever happened to you? You come up with the concept, the layout and choose the elements thinking "OO this page a winner!!" only to have the actual final piece fall flat? That's what happened to both of these.

This is a piece where I thought the Orange/Turquoise color combo, funny kid photos and

use of silver AC ZING would make for a smashing page- but it looks crowded- how disappointing!  Plus the circle punch thing has been done (better) a zillion times. Plus- what's my HAIR doing there?? ARGH! This piece may look better when I shoot it in full sunlight- if  Brooklyn EVER sees the sun again that is!

Materials: Pebbles paper  and flag, American Crafts Zing in silver and yellow card stock, FiskarsCircle Squeeze punch Xl and Large, Crate Paper Portraits collection paper, Studio Calico exclusive stamps, Remember This Moment, Doily edge and Woodgrain background Uniball gel pen- white, Zakura gel pen- silver

This was a page the "Outside Inspiration" challenge by Waleska Nerris. I wanted to use that 

great Basic Grey Wander paper to signify the urban nature of this sunday antiquing run but

 the final result is dark, dreary and overwhelms the photos. Needless to say- not a winner.

Materials:  Making Memories Ledger print, Basic Grey Metropolitan paper, Ki Memories 

Weekdays black scribbles, Pebbles flag, K and Co wood flower- handmade collection 

I hope my latest crafty face plant gives you some ideas on what NOT to do.  I have started a notebook of scrap don'ts just for this kind of situation- without the funds to take a few graphic design classes I have to muddle through on my own by making mistakes but hey that's the fun part right?

In related news: I went to the Museum of Natural History and The Museum of American Crafts this week in search of inspiration and new ideas. I got a mighty SCREAM from Lola when she finally understood the dinosaur bones were a giant creature with great big jaws and a good talking to from a guard in the Crafts Museum worried Lola was about to pull down a quilt- did you know it's the year of the quilt? I didn't! I love quilts!
Random!!!

Toltec stone face at Museum of Natural History. Wow!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Scrap FUN!! and food for thought

Blogger was down for so long I concentrated on work and actually cleaned the apartment! I know- UNBELIEVABLE!
Studio Calico had some amazing challenges up for NSD! I wanted to get to Celine's wood challenge and the Painting and Typography ones but I just ran out of time. Between my job search and Lola needing more Mommy time it's been tough to eek out scrap time- my hubby is complaining about his scrap widow status.

SC Fab rips and washi tape challenge.

MATERIALS: SC Fab Rips, Hambly Studio washi tape, Crate Paper Toy Box paper,

Making Memories corrugated alphas, American Crafts Hardcover

alphas (HUGE faves- love that modern font!) Pebbles Happy Go Lucky paper, Fiskars circle

squeeze punches in medium and extra large (newest FAVE!)

Studio Calico color challenge (Turquoise, Green, Kraft and Orange) also Scrap Recipe challenge
Materials: American Crafts Vanilla and Ocean card stock, Crate Paper  Bouquet, Pebbles New Arrivals paper and glitter flower brad, Ki Memories calendar page, Fiskars cloud squeeze punch XL and Large,  Fancy Pants Spring Fever (cannot get enough of that script print!)

I also hung out with Miss Stacey who gave me career related food for thought just when I needed it. Stacey believes you must visualize precisely the type of job you want right down to the very last detail. Don't pass up an opportunity but don't waste time trying to fit into every job description that comes along either- which is what I've been doing lately.  Stacey started out as an assistant in a major Wall Street firm and now runs their corporate website- currently from home as she waits for her baby to arrive. (DREAM JOB!!!) She is exactly the type of flexible, self starting, intelligent and creative person I need to be.

SO ready to be a Mom!

Stacey thought I had started craft store after visiting my blog. It's not the first time I get asked "Why do you get so product specific? Do they pay you to flog their products?" NOPE! I'm lucky if 2 people read an entry here.  Are you able to combine your scrap love with your bank account? How's that going for you?

I wish I remembered where those bird brads are from...

Need a better photo to represent the hole
punches in these photos...

I just love the materials I use and think maybe a reader will happen along and wonder- hey where did that come from? If you don't know who makes it how can you go buy it right? Yeah.. it's a conundrum...