Scrap Fx April Favorites Mini Hop!

Welcome to the Scrap Fx design team mini hop for April!

This month's mini hop theme is:

Favorite things!

Every month different members of the Scrap FX design team will be getting together to show you different ways to use chipboard in your paper crafts.

Favorites? Ombre. Yellow. cameras. Sunrays.
Summer. Sassafras Lass. Stitching. Misting.

The blog line up is:

Adrienne- Coloring My World

Cindy- Creative People (Don't Play By The Rules)

Elisabeth- Skrap-plassen

Michelle- My Analog Life- you are here- HIYA!

Scrap FX Blog

For my project I featured some of my personal favorites:

• Favorite paper brand: Sassafras Lass paper in a black and white stripe pattern. I love black and white stripes so much I have a divider just for them in my paper cubby. 
• Favorite color: yellow- it's cheerful and screams, "SUMMER!" my favorite season
• Favorite trend: sunray patterns and stitching
• Favorite technique: ombre effect using a gesso base and mist paints.
• Favorite page theme: my daughter Lola in an everyday photo- I don't scrap holidays often
• Favorite Scrap FX wordlet chipboard: The Words of Love piece because the words are still attached to their frame. I can snip the words out and use them individually in my Project Life album or as one piece for major impact on a page.

I started with some scraps from a Studio Calico print and pushed them around the page for quite a while.
Then I realized the scraps should resemble a sunray pattern. I painted the chipboard in an ombre pattern- something I've been meaning to do for months now. ONLY after I realized I was out of yellow Amy Tangerine floss did I think to use orange jute cord to stitch the sun. I LOVE the result! It's organic design process took three days to accomplish but I felt none of the stress/pressure I usually feel when making a page.

I used the following Scrap Fx chipboard items here:

• On tour/itinerary/sighseeing pack model number 2010180
• Words of love model number 2013050

So this journaling makes me laugh- did I really just journal about sweat???
My thinking was "The photos are pretty abstract here- let me add some meaning."
This was the result. I tried getting the traditional smily toddler shot, promise!
Lola rarely co-operates with my camera antics .
I got tired of yelling HI! OO LOOKY HERE! HEY PRETTY PRETTY GIRL!! SMILE!
 This type of photo is more interesting anyway. I hope she feels the same way.
If anything I can blame her for not looking up ever EVER when I was trying to get a cute shot.

Now hop along to the Scrap FX Blog and...

Have a GREAT weekend!!
Michelle

Favorite Project of 2011!

I love these posts!!! I like reading other people's posts and I like trying to choose just 10 projects for mine. This year I went for 12- 1 for each month.

This made me feel so much better about my "talent". My love of graph prints is in full effect and obviously I will NEVER be a clean and simple scrapper- even though I strive to be so.

And so, in no particular order:

Sketchy Thursdays January  GDT application page- I was so sad to see I had missed the deadline to vote!
Voting challenges are hard for me because I hate asking people to vote- it seems so conceited- not that I
mind voting for my friends when asked which is kinda two faced right? ;)

This page came outta NOWHERE and firmly established Sunshine Broadcast as my favorite collection
ever- how I'll miss Sassy! It got picked up by several websites- it's time for me to start submitting for pub calls- if I can keep the due dates straight!

This is also from a Sketchy Thursdays sketch- love the radioactive quality the colors took on when
I shot the page in blue tinged shadow.

From a sketch provided by a website I no longer remember- this was so FUN and I really love that
I finally used my apple picking shots from 2010.

This was made way back in January of 2010- it's messy and much more genuine than some of the forced stuff I do now.

Favorite photo of my Mom- she looks so beautiful here. I'm excited about her next step- her upcoming retirement- wish I could buy her a trip to Australia as a present.

Studio Calico winner for second week of June- Vee left a comment and I almost died-
she's one of my FAVE artists ever along with Emily Pitts and Sasha Farina. FANGIRL!

This was for my DT application for Elle Studio- naturally I got nowhere as it's a little naive but
I love the girlie colors and the photo- my Lola was so vulnerable at this point.

I made this for this year's Paper Issues Blog hop- it's about the culling of Canada Geese in NYC parks- something I deeply disagree with. I made this page in 30 minutes!!!! I STILL can't believe it.
By the way- there's a great Numbers challenge up this week- swing by and check it out: http://paperissues.blogspot.com/2011/12/weve-got-your-number.html

A page for the True Xoxo Girls November challenge- love the clean design of this and Ormolu is SO AWESOME! When they have a DT call I am SO applying! Check us out! http://truexoxogirls.blogspot.com/

This was a page for Punky Scraps- I used a roller to get the mist to spread evenly- this was the first time I actually made a PUNKY page for them. Swing by and check out this month's latest challenge: http://punkyscraps.blogspot.com

This is my first Gauche Alchemy project. I write for their website so I no longer have much scrapping time but I love their funky products check out the BLOG and ARTFIRE STORE.

Before I forget- Carmina of PasigMom fame has asked that I tell you 10 THINGS ABOUT ME.
Here goes:
1. I used to be eat cherries by the pound but I'm now allergic to whatever they put in them to keep the bugs away- WAAAH!
2. I like writing this blog as much as I like actual crafting.
3. No white hair yet but I see the frown lines and wish I had the moolah to pull a Nicole Kidman.
4. I love Terry Pratchett, zombie novels and Batman comic books.
5. I can be annoying. I am aware of the problem and work on it constantly.
6. I love the colors red and pink together.
7. I'm a paper hoarder- wish I could say I wasn't- really.
8. I use scrapbooking as a way to develop my photo skills and technological knowledge.
9. I've made more friends and had more fun doing this than any other hobby I have ever taken up.
10. I like plants. (smiling)


MuChOs SmOoChEs!

Paper Issues Blog Hop WELCOME!

Hiya!
I put on my big girl pants for this. No more DT rejection self pity! It's time to get happy and have FUN!
This is my first mini book. I have decided- I LOVE mini books! I felt no pressure, the format is so small it limits my "Is it finished NOW?" dithering. I took the same amount of time making this that I usually take making a page, 4 days.

I also got to whip out every single trick pony I own for this- stitching- check!, color blocking- check!, ribbon- check!... texture, paper piecing, 3 D effects- it's all there! Now that I think about it- I could have done some dry embossing and some glitter effects but a girl can only do so much in 4 days.
ENOUGH blathering! Here are some PIX!

Cover- LOVE that Pink Paislee herringbone tape!

Redid this page and LOVE this version- it's a take on Crate Paper's weather collection die cut paper with the cloud border. All clouds have a silver lining in my book!

How much do I love K & Co's "Que Sera Sera" line and Maya Road's pleated ribbon? As much as I love my Mexican tin art collection.

I love living in Williamsburg Bk because the amount of guerilla poster art and graffiti here is BANANAS. Don't stand still too long- you'll get a poster on yer chest.

I LUVS me some sea salt and vinegar chips with half raw steak and beer.  October Afternoon paper and an Obscure line die cut from Basic Grey.

Why do I love grid prints so much? Because I don't have to measure or pencil in cut lines- I just follow the grid!
Magic Mesh- mana from heaven for scrappers if you ask me.

Now that I have Miss Lola I don't ride as much but there's nothing like a 6 hour long bike ride through NYC's river side bike paths- simply GLORIOUS! LOVELY Hambly Studio paper!

Lola likes to steal apples- here's she's heisting a neighbor's lunch- no joke! I love that munchkin. Sassy paper and K&CO alphas.

When I finished this page I did a little dance- it's PERFECT! These are all scraps from other projects- the red ribbon was wrapped around an ETSY order and I kept it because that color is so lusciously RED- it's like a punch in the kisser.

I bought the Anna Griffin paper pad for  this pattern only- it's bamboo and it's FABULOUS! Studio Calico wood veneer heart, Hambly alpha sticks on post it note paper and mini scrabble tile- I LOVE those too!

FUUUUN! Getting on a plane scares the bejesus outta me but once I land it's MILLER TIME- ok maybe not- it's museum and botanical garden time! The cloud punches were unintended but PERFECT- I love it when a project comes together!

I love NY- more than ever.

Most favorite of all- my family.

Close up- pop out cloud, stringy sun and cut up grass- fave details! New fave brand MLS.

I have a give away as well! Here's what you can win if you follow or leave a comment (doing 1 of each gets you 2 entries):

Week 1 (March 19th to the 26th) mini book prize pack
Webster's Pages 6x6 papers, Petaloo flowers, SEI die cuts, Dusty Attic Decorative Gate,  K & Co Que Sera Sera mini papers, Basic Grey small details, white ruffle ribbon and 3 home made die cut shape packs.

Week Two (March 27th to April 2nd) mini altered project pack
Webster's page's Die cut 6x6 papers, Little Yellow Bicycle doilies, Dusty Attic flourishes, Prima and Petaloo flowers,  Korean sticky lace (CANNOT find this in the USA) K & Co handmade specialty papers, Ruby Rocket felt oval frame

Ok onto the next fabulous gal fave scrap buddy extraordinaire: DAWN PERKINS of MOJO MAYHEM fame!!!!
If you just moseyed on by and don't know what I'm talking about please take a gander at the blog hop intro page on PAPER ISSUES and make sure to follow, link up a project or friend us on Facebook to enter in the drawing for the FANTASTIC Crate Paper prize kit.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
M.

On Perseverance. Onward!

Mini book- had a lot of fun doing this- will be making many many more.

So I have applied to 5 DTs in the last month and have been turned down for all of them. The last rejection  hurt the most because I worked really hard on that application. I really felt like I would not only be an asset to the team but also bring some diversity in terms of project themes and general view point to the work. I mean I grew up in the Bronx, I live in Brooklyn- who the heck expects someone like me to be conversant in the idiom of this uber polite and family values centered hobby? Shouldn't I be like, painting murals or knitting floppy hats for Johnny Depp or something?

I suppose the truth is I just started out so I have to "pay dues". I've always found that expression incredibly obnoxious. I also have no idea where my style is going- half the time I have no idea where my PAGES are going. I just let the whim take me places. Most of the time I am just as surprised as my viewer when a project is done. So I can see why a manufacturer or a retailer would be wary- I'm an unknown quantity. And maybe I cuss too much? Who KNOWS??? They never bother to tell you why you are passed by!
So I start to question: Why do I do this? Why not keep the projects in the scrapbook like when I first started? Why write a blog where I tell unseen people very personal things and possibly irk or offend them? Why keep applying for teams when it makes me feel awful to get rejected? Why do I spend so much time and effort on these projects?
All great questions. As a type A personality I tend to get really into something when I like it. So what started as cutting up a few pages on a sunday has turned into reading blogs, making pages just for possible publication or for DT applications, joining groups to get noticed, leaving comments hoping people will return the favor- it just gets to be too much. Too much work and no pay- not even in compliments.
So I'm done.
No more DT applications. No more competitions.
No more posting links to my blog everywhere- that just annoys people anyway.
No more reading blogs and leaving comments in forums just to get new followers.

Back to what I liked about this in the first place, making truthful art or beautiful craft objects and making them my way.
Writing this blog is my favorite thing next to actually making a new page so I'll stick to that. I'll keep surfing blogs for inspiration but I won't freak out over making sure there are comments everywhere. And if I get noticed- great- if not- that's fine too. After all- that's what this is about isn't it? Making something for that pure sense of accomplishment? If I keep seeking validation from the outside aren't I doomed to constant discontent? Somethings to ponder.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
M