My Analog Life: Mini Book

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There will be new eyes reading here so let me introduce myself.

I'm a former Brooklynite with a love of chipboard, modern design and vellum.

I don't usually scrap themed pages so this post is a welcome change for me.

I made this page in anticipation of my daughter Lola entering pre-school in September.

Scrap FX / Ruby Rock It blog hop. Back to school page.

I used Scrap FX arrow boxes, funky stars and black tags in this project.
I LOVED working with Bella embossed with stickers!
I tend to think stickers are "for kids" but clustering, cutting apart
or layering rids them of their totally random design reputation.

The two black instant film frames on the top right are misfires from my Fuji Instax camera.

I plan to photograph the classroom and Lola with her teacher and place the photos there.

I had so much fun I made a second page on the same day (unheard of for me):

I used Scrap FX hexagon buttons and light bulb chipboard designs on this page.
HELLO AWESOME RED ALPHABET PAPER!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Since this is actually a page about a future event I used an old photo. When I get a good shot of Lola in her new classroom, I'll switch it out.

But wait!

There's more! (Lol)

I also made a camping mini book with the collection.

I had a hard time finding a good photo collage app for this project.
If you have one you like using please let me know int the comments!
I used Scrap FX Manilla book accessory pages,
Let the good times roll wordlet,
scribble circles, diamond buttons and mini trees chipboard.
The Bella Fundamentals camping collection also has great embossed stickers and
fun patterns. I was able to cut and assemble into this small book.

Thanks for stopping by.

Next stop on the hop is: Linda Auclair

Have a GREAT week!

Michelle

Monday, January 21, 2013

December Daily Album- Hanging with Louise Nelson and talking crafts and art.

Hello happy people!

I had THE BEST SUNDAY EVER.
I got to meet my art/craft/scrap HERO.
Louise Nelson.
EEEEEEE!!!!
I can't EVEN begin to tell you how nervous I was.
First of all I made her wait at the station for EVER because I didn't plan an exact pick up location
YIKES!!
Then I talked her ear off.
It's what I tend to do when I'm nervous.
I then walked her around with no visible aim.
Thankfully she sees things and was able to take photos and do a bit of shopping all the while listening to my ever present chatter.

It was great to meet a serious artist face to face.
I'm not gonna front.
Most scrappers have a problem with the word "artist'".
Their thoughts or words:
"Give me a break! IT'S JUST PAPER.
Your work isn't original, you are using other people's designs.
You do this for FUN. You do this for a HOBBY.
Calling it art is pretentious."

Blah blah Blah. Whatever.
The first step to making life truly yours is to take yourself and what you do SERIOUSLY.
Who set the rules for what is art?
Why should there be ules fro creativity and self expression?
As Sara Bareilles so aptly puts it:

Who cares if you disagree?

You are not me

Who made you king of anything?

Rule breakers have ALL THE FUN.
They get stuff done.
They sometimes fall off cliffs and get arms stuck in collapsed caves (I saw that movie!) but mostly they are happy.
They are living life on their terms.

For many reasons this concept of positive of self definition and vision is threatening to some people.
It's been my experience that the loudest negative voice is usually the unhappiest, the most fearful and the least productive.
So who are you going to be?
The troll deciding who is or isn't an artist/good person/fill in the blank?
Or the cool chick who travels the world, gets things done and kicks life's butt?
I know who I want to be!!!!
Thank you Louise for great conversation and some major food for thought.

Onto my December Daily Album:

I found these OLD Making Memories polka dot circle stickers
while destashing! WOO HOO!

Took a risk with Heidy Swapp mists after watching Janna Werner's
Creative Jumpstart video. You should join- it's a GREAT series and it's FREE.

Made this page after watching Louise's Creative Jumpstart video then I got
her invite via email to have coffee and PINCHED MYSELF!!!!!!
DREAM COME TRUE!!! Not EVEN joking!

OOPS! Skipped a page! WIll upload later.

Scrap FX chipboard with glitter embossing powder- LOVE!

My favorite Studio Calico Mask.

I switched color halfway through my book. Because I can.
I really like Kraft and silver.
On December 16th I went to a Sandyhook Memorial at McCarren Park here in
Brooklyn and I really needed to reflectthis in my mini.
When my daughter asks why she has to go through metal detectors at school I will tell her.
It is reality, one she must comes to terms with now.
That very thought is a tragedy all on it's own.

As I near number 25 the pages are getting simpler.
Sorry for the fuzzy photos- something happens when Blogger compresses files
I don't know how to fix it.

Another page inspired by a video I saw at Nat Kalbach's
Creative Jumpstart Summit- swing by and join!

I also want to wish President Obama the best of luck in his next 4 year term.

I voted for him twice because I believe in his vision and I stand by his plans for the next 4 years.

I will also keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first and foremost today.

His words.

His call to action.

His passion for truth and fairness for all.

He represented the best of the American dream because he helped expand that dream.

I am but one.

A small ant in a giant world.

Dr. King helped me realize I have purpose

I am but one yet I have power

I am but one yet I have dreams that deserve to be pursued and treated with respect and honor.

And sometimes I get to bask in the presence of greatness.
Life is good.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Thursday, December 6, 2012

A story well told. A Flair For Buttons Post

Happy thursday folks!
I've been running around all week trying to get good photos for my December Daily so I've been too tired to actually scrap.

I found THE PERFECT cover embellishment for my album!
I tried working with it last night- nothing doing- I just shuffled layers around for a while and then went to bed frustrated.

Flat dime store glitter deer! How lucky am I? The pin is a freebie from
JC Penney. The striped Recollections divider is perfect.
Deciding what fabric and paper I want for layering is taking a while.

This is the starting point. I will be using the kraft chipboard I saved from a package. I put it there so you could see I will be using a transparent binder divider and realized it was awesome.

QUESTION: Can you put gesso on plastic without it sliding off when it dries? I will be experimenting with later today.

I took Lola to visit Santa at Macy's for the first time. She was not amused.
This was as close as we ever got to the dude.

I also wanted to share a quick page I made for A Flair For Buttons last week.
I had a couple of hours and Pebbles "Seen and Noted" to work with- I love the bright colors in that collection!
Here's the page:

I encourage you to swing by the Flair For Buttons blog to read the story behind the photo in this page.

It's the central story of my scrapbook life- the reason I started scrapping and one of the proudest moments of my life.

Smash Flair set from A Flair For Buttons

I used one of my favorite Scrap FX chippies on this page.

I used Prima's Brick Wall chalk ink pad to color the tree in.
It's the perfect shade of red for the darker tones of chipboard.

Sorry for the disjointed post!
I'm off to the 14th street Christmas Market before work. Gonna try to score another Amirugumi squid for my tree.

I really need to learn to knit! I love these cuties!

Chelle's out!
Have a great week!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

What I learned: A travel themed mini book

Hello everyone!
I've been holding this project back for over 3 months but I decided it was time to share it and get your feedback.

I've made mini books before- my December Daily project from 2011 is an all time favorite of mine.
But this mini about our family road trip from New York to Salt Lake City was a challenge.

Here's a look:

I found you CAN spray Hambly transparencies!
Just let them dry out over night.
Materials: Hambly Screen print cover, Maya Road Tangerine mist, washi tape from Target,
American Crafts layered embellishments and Ormolu journaling spots.

I wanted try out two things with this new book:
1. A transparent Hambly Screenprints cover with a machine stitched spine
2. Border sewn and gessoed interior pages for an art journal look.

I used brittle vintage travel magazine pages for the inside of my book so
I covered most of them with gesso to guard against breaking.
The resulting pages are a joy to turn!

The sewn spine became a challenge when I tried to run the finished pages through my sewing machine.
As I quickly found out, hand sewing a couple of stitches to keep the pages together BEFORE you run the whole thing through your machine is a very good idea- especially when working with slippery transparency material.

The mini quickly became an art journal project. Here I'm using a chipboard stencil from Retro Cafe Art.
I also tried to make a confetti page with a glassine envelope but the resulting look was down right ugly so I ripped half the envelope off and just left one side.

I made three false starts and punched holes all over the place before I got anything resembling a straight line.
Washi tape now covers the holes.
Unlike fabric, paper does not recover from a missed seam.

The gesso also provided plenty of journaling space for my travel memories. I really wish Hambly hadn't gone out of business- I love their products so much! A left over piece of their "Uncharted" design holds two of my favorite photos from our family vacation.

Stitching the gessoed page edges together made them sturdy and gave them the flexibility of fabric.
I no longer worried they would crumble apart and HUGE bonus- it feels great to touch and turn the pages.

Also, Hambly transparencies don't bend very well.
I used my Martha Stewart Score Board to make the spine but the material is so thick it resists permanent bending and doesn't close properly.
I used a piece of washi tape to hold the book shut this time but next time I plan to make a little fabric button hook for the closure.

Jenni Bowlin Studio kraft tags and Studio Calico car veneers-some of my favorite CHA summer 2012 items. The quote snippets from from a Glitz print from 2011- I wish I had gotten an extra sheet because the quotes are amazing.

Photographing the book was a dilemma as well.

Since it doesn't lie flat I had to hold it while shooting.

Next time, I will use a knife to score a line on the transparency which should get it to lie flat for photos (and reading!)

The mini has very few actual embellishments. I used a pack of October Afternoon die cuts, Hambly camera rub-ons and an arrow from A Flair for Buttons. The compass stencil on the right-hand page is from Prima. Stamps are from Studio Calico, Studio AE and Viva Last Vegas Stamps (which is awesome- check out their website)

Here is the back cover- I loved the texture from the stenciled gesso so much I left it mostly blank.

The Greek coffee cup was such a New York City corner deli thing!
It's not really available anymore so this stamp from Viva Las Vegas has major nostalgia factor.
The bubbles stencil from Studio Calico is AMAZING- I just reminded myself I wanted to try it again on another vintage paper project- the writing shows through the borders and looks really beautiful.

So what do you think?
Any tips?

Lots of tape used in this mini. Most of it came from Target and the Recollection's
brand sold in Michael's but I also used American Crafts Amy Tangerine tape and
Tim Holtz NYC subway tape (FAVE!!!!)

I'm very glad I pushed my technical limits with this project.

I loved working with gesso even if I had to wait 48 hours for it to dry evenly.

And the final take away? Never be afraid to make mistakes while making what is essentially a "memory" project.

You can always go back and fix those mistakes.

Or you can decide- like I did- that the mistakes are part of your process.

The next book will be better but only because I took so many "risks" with this one.

Halloween cards made with Paper Source die cuts and stamps.
(Someone's been having fun at work!)

MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Learning, playing- working? YES! It's possible!!!

One of the reasons you don't see me around as much lately (sorry!) is that I got a paying gig!

I'm now working at Paper Source!
Can I hear a "WOOT! Woot!"?

Paper Source isn't your typical crafty shop- I am amazed by the depth of their crafting collection.
Sure they sell paper (gorgeous artisanal paper) but they also sell all kinds of paper crafts tools and materials I haven't gotten around to discovering yet.

I wanted to share just a few of the projects I get to make during my rigorous training- seriously guys- it's like crafty boot camp (without all the shouting and dropping to do 250 push ups).

Like a fish needs a bicycle notebook
Materials: Paper Source Nautical and Bicycle wrapping papers, Zutter Bind It All (I got to use it for the
first time ever. I MUST have it!!!!), Paper Source card stock in Pool, Uni Ball silver gel pen,
Fiskars 1 inch circle punch and hole puncher- brand unknown.

Wedding Invitation Suite.
I had an hour and 20 minutes to come up with a design and incorporate it into an Invite with envelope, RSVP card, table tent, place card and favor box- it was bananas! I tried to keep it as simple as possible. I didn't include the favor box as Lola promptly destroyed it thinking there were chocolates inside.
Materials: Paper Source Luxe card stock for the A7 envelope, pocket folder enclosure invite, 4 bar folded card and envelope as well as table tent. I also used a cherry blossom stamp, Ranger Queen's Gold embossing powder and Mums Gold on Cream Lokta fine paper.

I learned to bind my own book! I also want to learn how to sew the actual interior pages
together but this is a start- best of al it was easy to do this with the Paper Source kit-
everything is measured and cut out- all you need to do is put on your brave "I can handle wet
glue" face. Italian coast map print paper! SWOON!

Best 2 hours I've ever spent at "work"! I learned 3 new stamping techniques and so much about inks and
embossing it was embarrassing. Did I think I was an experienced scrapbooker? HA!
I definitely recommend you swing by your local Paper Source branch and take this class!

So can you believe I just learned to wrap a gift properly? Yup! I failed at wrapping before
but now I WIN. I also learned to make perfect bows which solved a life long dilemma and MAJOR
pet peeve! LOVE IT!

On my shopping list right now:

Faux Bois wrapping paper
Zutter Bind It All Machine and 1 inch black wire
Color Box Pigment ink (slow drying so perfect for embossing effects)
Versamark embossing pen (love!)
Cherry Blossom stamp
Lokta grid and batik papers
Super tacky double sided tape in 1/8 and 1/4 sizes so I can add some glitter stripes to everything I make
Goldfish stamp (ZOMG!!! TOO CUTE!!)
Sakura Souffle pens- Puffy NEON color pens?? MUST HAVE!!!!
Savoy 100% cotton 8 by 11 cover weight pack (a MUST HAVE for water color and embossing projects)
Extra fine embossing powder in clear and black
Paper Source mixed color cardstock pack (loved playing with different color combos- everything goes together)

So enough salivating for now. THANK YOU Shanti for recommending me- you have a loyal friend for EVER! :)
ALSO... (OOOPS!!!)
Happy Father's Day everyone.

GRATUITOUS CUTE FATHER/DAUGHTER SHOT!

Bokeh effect!! FINALLY! PicFX app.

MuChOS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

When your mojo goes on vacation- shoot photos!!!

The wall- I've hit it.
All my former "no mojo" fixes are out the window.
I'm supposed to be working on a page for Punky Scraps that is due by thursday- so I will TRY to eek something out tonight- it might be hideous.
I'm determined to work through this dry spell!!
Here is an attempt to stamp my way out:

Foiled AGAIN by the ipod's low resolution camera!

THANK YOU to Adele H. for recommending I check out Nat Kalbach's Creative Jump Start. I joined up today and was rewarded with a GREAT video from fave artist Louise Nelson (YAAYYY!)
If you guys are also hitting a wall, I suggest you swing by and check it out- it's free. (best price ever!)
Today I took photos at a place I have ALWAYS wanted to visit-

Keith Haring's "Crack Is Whack" mural in East Harlem. This is a DREAM COME TRUE! I've been wanting to go for YEARS. It's right next to the FDR so it's hard to get there via public transport but we managed it.

The 80's in the Bronx were like the wild west- with zombies. Burned out apartment buildings, crack vials littering the playground, junkies with half closed eyes walking in circles on the sidewalk. Our neighborhood is actually one of the better ones in the area and my parents did their very best to shield my siblings and I but we still saw a lot. So this mural has a lot of meaning for me. And it's freaking AWESOME. Can't you just HEAR "White Lines" by Grandmaster Flash playing softly in the distance?

I have to keep reminding myself that there are many ways to stay creative. There's no need to panic. Creativity ebbs and flows- the ebb part sucks.
I also finished my December Daily! YAY!!!

12/24/11 My brother treated us all to the Christmas Ever performance of
The Nutcracker Suite at Lincoln Center- AWESOME!

BY this point the pages had stopped matching- I just grabbed the prints I liked best.

My FAVORITE image from this year's holiday take. I didn't have space inside
so I added it to the back cover.

There's 4 more pages but these are the best bits. Years from now I will look through it and laugh at the first pages being so beautifully detailed and the last so obviously slapped on quickly. I did make sure to take time to journal. I really enjoyed the process of making a holiday mini book. I see many more in my future- if for nothing else- to have a reason to buy KEUUTE holiday themed stash.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Monday, December 5, 2011

December Daily- Central Park and FAO Schwartz

So after all my whining in yesterday's post about the crowds over at the Christmas Market in Union Square guess where I'm going to day?
Well you don't have to guess- you saw the title.

Day 1 with journaling.
Materials: Crate Paper peppermint collection journaling square from Paper Issues on Etsy, Jillibean Soup corrugated flower and summer journaling spot. December pin from Ormolu

I love Christmas- yes, really!
I love the smell of special holiday food cooking.
I love that I get to see my sister Leticia and her hubby Robby Rob.
I love my crazy Aunts coming over from Pennsylvania.
I love that you finally see RED clothes in stores- my fave color- although this year it seems everyone is crazy about BORING silver and beige palettes.

Random unfinished page and Day 3.
Materials: American Crafts paper from Paper Issues, Cosmo Cricket market collection paper, stickers from Cosmo and Crate. Ki Memories snowflake from one of their lace papers.

I bought Lola's holiday outfit yesterday at a local high end thrift shop called The Flying Squirrel. It's great place to find boutique kid items super cheap. I would consider a visit if you are in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, love "brands" and have kiddos. I just really wanted to find something red and made from good fabric- dressing Lola in beige or black for Christmas is so NOT my bag. And WHAT is up with all the awful cheap fabric clothing in stores lately????

I have my photo for today!

Day 5- Christmas outfit found!
Satin Polka Dot Dress for 10 bucks and real cotton sweater 4 dollars, The Flying Squirrel. Leather shoes from TJ Maxx.
Where did the camera hating kid go? I couldn't get her off the floor! It's nice to see her be positive about photos. She looks like a 30's gangster with that lollipop in her mouth. Where she found it is a mystery as I did not give it to her.

Inside cover materials: Basic Grey Luscious paper, Fancy Pants filter paper, Studio Calico and Maya Road mists,
Martha Stewart gifts punch. alphas from Girl's Paperie and Cosmo Cricket

I am packing for today's photo expedition-
Juice boxes? CHECK!
Extra carriage blanket? Check!
Tranquilizer gun for frustrated tourists who try to sit on Lola? CHECK!

There's this really cool elevated doorway on the same street as Flying Squirrel.
No need to crouch to get face level shots! I will be using it again.
Materials: Crate Peppermint Collection paper and stickers from Paper Issues on Etsy, red corrugated alphas from Little Yellow Bicycle, Corrugated flower from Little Yellow Bicycle, glitter paper from American Crafts, Arrow flower punch from EK Success.

We decided to hold off until after the morning rush hour. We believe FAO Schwartz might be passable and their large windows mean lots of wonderful natural light inside the store. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've noticed that my iTouch takes really fussy blown out high light photos compared to the new iPhone 4- can't be helped as I refuse to buy a 500 dollar phone I will only use as a camera.

The story behind this photo. I spotted this GORGEOUS gold light bouncing off the Empire State Building right before this shot- by the time I got here with Lola in tow it was almost gone. And by the time I reached the empty park table in the photo the sky was dark. Difference in time? 1 minute! Great photography is half technical prowess, half waiting for the right light moment.

Where there's a will- there's a way!
MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

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Saturday, August 17, 2013

Scrap FX / Ruby Rock It scrap mash up blog hop!