Where in the world has Michelle been? Fun news!! Also? Shooting scrapbook pages in the dark of NYC apartments

HALLO HALLO!

I've been working on a big project and it required lots of my brain power just to keep calm.

What's the big news?

Tomorrow I will be featured over at Shimelle.com!!
WOOOOT!

My post will be called:

 5 ways to finish chipboard by Michelle Hernandez (or something in that vein.)

When I got a peamail from Shimelle three weeks ago I was completely gobsmacked (lol!- sister who lives in the UK- can you tell?).

I have ZERO idea who's looking at my work half the time so when ANYONE contacts me I'm all
"Wait... You sure you mean Michelle Hernandez?"

I suspect I have a very enthusiastic suporter out there- thank you!

While perusing Shimelle's blog I spotted a favorite scrapper of mine.

Please check out Ashley Oliver's (SoaphouseMama) Shimelle.com post:

5 ways other than journaling to incorporate pen work in your scrapbooking by Ashli Oliver.

I've never really talked about how I shoot my projects.

If you read regularly you know I live in what most people would call a closet- a square space about 400 square feet.

There are windows here but they face another building- this is New York- Apartment sunlight is for the rich and famous.

How do I usually shoot my photos?

This is very rare. I tend to shoot my projects in the fire escape because people WILL stare
when they see me hanging scrapbook pages up on waterfront concrete. I wanted a pretty city
scene for my Shimelle feature which required I shoot horizontal oriented staged project photos.
I love staging my projects but staging requires SUNLIGHT. I had to go outside-
and it was windy- so I dropped my original plan to shoot on an easel and went with this instead.

I was looking through my photos when I spotted this, the only photo where you see the
scrapbook page before the wind blew the easel down.
I credit ZipDry for keeping everything in place even as the page fell off the table 30 times.
Needless to say shooting 5 projects when they insist on FLIGHT is not optimal conditions for sanity.

Wait! I DID blog about this before!
Here is a card I shot in my fire escape (the ominous bars) using Crate Paper as a "floor"
since the fire escape bottom is also bars.
Major problem with this? You can TOTALLY have your project blown into the river from here.
I usually shoot everything in a box.

Have a great weekend.Nationa Scrapbooking Day is coming up!

Also? MOTHER'S DAY!
SO gonna SCORE (at Joann's)!!!!

Michelle

Livin' in The City

I love New York- more than ever.
MATERIALS: American Crafts Travel kit and Patchwork alphas. Hipstamatic photos

Here is a second page for the Moxie Cityscapes Are On The Rise Challenge. Tomorrow April 28th, 2011 is the deadline. I'm LOVING the projects I'm seeing there! The stamps entrants are using are making me DROOL! I bought a beautiful rolling one over at ScarletLime I haven't used yet but it got me doodling which is something I'm usually TERRIFIED of but I told myself to wing it, have fun and I really love the results! 

Doodled and cut out buildings- this was TOO MUCH FUN!

This is actually a title line taken from a wall mural painted on September 11th, 2001.
 With all the awful international news these days
 I wanted to do a serious page that didn't get too specific.

I wish the Hipstamatic app allowed for high resolution images-
2 inches square is as large as you can make them without getting pixelation-
this shot mesmerized me and FORCED me to do a second page.

I hope they allow for multiple entries. I have been obsessed with making a good cityscape page for a while. Living in New York, I constantly take photos of the skyline, the bridges, the graffiti, the lights at night but very few turn out as intended. I haven't been able to get that one beautiful shot or design a city page I'm truly happy with but I keep trying.

This is my latest attempt. Moxie Fab world is a great blog for ideas and inspiration- stop by and check it out.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

Michelle- willieburgscrapper