Inspiration Elevator- Facing Your Greatest Life Challenge

Hello!

So I've blogged plenty about my greatest life challenge.
It wasn't moving to Utah.
Now that it's getting closer to spring I could ALMOST like it here.

My greatest life challenge was seeing my little girl look like this:

Lola was born 6 weeks early with a condition called Chylothorax where
liquid normally recycled though the heart and out the body drained into her lung
cavities. Luckily her actual lungs had developed just enough to allow normal breathing so
she spent three weeks in the NICU with tubes inserted into her sides to drain the liquid.
She was in constant pain and I couldn't hold her for the first 4 days for fear of dislodging the tubes.

Miss Lola- hyper active, able walk at 10 months old, curly headed and sleepy eyed, currently refusing to eat anything for breakfast- is perfectly fine these days.

In 2009 I found out I was having a baby and lost my job job all in the same day.
To say I was shocked and awed doesn't explain the half of it.
And life has been crazy ever since.

Jobs we thought stable are now gone.
Neighborhoods that were affordable suddenly became the center of the cooliverse and filled with grocery stores selling exotic fruit vinegar for 20 dollars a bottle.
Moved to find new opportunities but found our backgrounds were still lacking.

 "Starting over" isn't fun- it's excruciating.
The hardest part is letting go of your expectations and your past.

So this is my page for the month:

For my page I chose to add the story to several tags behind the photo for a cleaner layout. 
I recently showed Lola the hospital photos because she asked about the small holes under each arm.
I told her those marks make her very special as only 1 in 10,000 children are afflicted and survive birth.
I used Jenni Bowlin stamps, Basic Grey alphas. The wood alphas are from Recollections
and the little wood hearts from Cocoa Daisy's January kit.

Here is the group challenge:

You may recall that the purpose of this challenge group is to take our scrapbooking to the next level, to stretch our creative process and to grow as artists by embracing challenges that make us think, work and extend ourselves. 
You can view all of the challenges our Inspiration Elevator Blog, here. 

We are thrilled to welcome back Audrey Yeager this month as a guest designer. Audrey recently came into ownership of My Scraps & More online store, and has graciously offered a prize this month! Read on to find out how you could win!

Our challenge this month comes from the very talented Michelle Hernandez. Here's how she expressed this month's challenge:

"Inspiration Elevator Challenge February- Phoenix Rising.
I'm going through one of the toughest times of my life right now. Huge changes, dashed expectations, embarrassing set backs- it's all overwhelming, all the time. I have the love and support of my family and my health- so it could be worst but still - it sucks.
My challenge for February:
Tell a story visually or through your journaling that speaks to your greatest challenge and most importantly how you dug yourself out. This should be a celebration of your faith, personal resilience and/or creativity. A story you'd like to tell your kids, grandkids or yourself when things get rough. "

Michelle Hernandez

Ann Jobes 

Laura Whitaker 

Lisa Moen 

Cathy Harper 

Lisa Spiegel 

 Joanne Burton

Jodi Wilton 

Guest designer: Audrey Yeager 

We would LOVE to see you take up the challenge this month, so if you do, please share it at our linkup on the Inspiration Elevator blog. 

Extra incentive? There is a great RAK this month!

So, how do you win Audrey's prize? It's simple - leave a comment! 
Audrey will choose one random comment from one random blog to win the $15 gift certificate to My Scraps & More. 
Thanks so much, Audrey!

Swing by their blogs and check out how they met and beat their greatest monster.

Princess hair flipping lessons. 2/14/14

Have a great weekend- even in 2 feet of snow NYC. (LOL- it's 60 degrees and sunny here in SLC- how's THAT for silver lining?)


Michelle

Fun with neon washi tape!

I was perusing Pinterest yesterday and a bunch of JBS Design Team pages jumped out at me.

Apparently the March Papercrafting kit includes a B side print that looks like it was covered in yellowing masking tape.

Then I saw this page by Amanda Jones and immediately ran to my scrap desk.
This was the result.

I used the sun from the Scrap FX  travel embellishment pack model #2012190
and the urban stencil model # 2012348

This didn't require a lot of my prized, out-of-production MT neon pink washi tape.
I mixed in a few of my other pink tapes to give the page a little texture.

I got this materials photo idea from Yvonne Yam who also has a
GREAT tutorial over on her blog Do More With Less.
I used the following apps for this: Hipstamatic, PicTapGo for the dreamy
 exposure, Camera+ for the border and Phonto for the words.

I also used a tiny bit of Zing! neon yellow embossing powder.
I still have their old version which is more mustard than neon and I rarely use it.
This new one is bright and very pretty.

Funny thing about neon- it's really hard to photograph.
The scanner couldn't handle this page at all- it made everything almost white.

A few weeks ago I was asked to participate in Noelle Hyman's Paperclipping Roundtable.

My nervousness got the best of me and I spent more time telling rambling stories than discussing the subject at hand- challenges in everyday scrapbooking.

I now have an answer for Noelle's very perplexing question-
How to scrap everyday moments if your routine stays the same or if your family spends a lot of time in front of a computer?

Used with permission- sort of.  ;)

One of my answers clearly should have been: "follow" your family members and take a screen shot when they post something funny, cute or memorable.

Thanks for swinging by!
Michelle

It's ON! The Scrap Fx chipboard techniques Blog Hop

Hello! Hello!

I am SO EXCITED to share my chipboard techniques with you today!

You've already visited the following blogs:

Michelle Logan

Agnieszka/ Bellaidea

Kristine 

Make sure to visit these gals next:

Misty

Rachelle 

Scarlett   

Your last stop will be the Scrap FX blog- http://www.scrapfx.com.au/blog/

To be entered to the drawing for the final prize please answer the following question in the comments section:
What chipboard designs do you want to see more of and what theme or motif do you think has "jumped the shark" (been done to death, is played out, over exposed and boring- you get the idea- LOLZ!)
Personally, I am over bicycles, chevron and cameras.
I am SO in love with stars, triangles, butterflies and delicate swirly script titles.

FEAST YOUR EYES!!!
Check out the "Unforgettable" wordlet!! SWOOOON!!!
Also included the mini cogs (perfect for decorating photo edges), the wonderfully articulated
feather and clear butterflies you can use as stencils or color with alcohol inks.
You KNOW you want them!!! Just answer the question above in the comments section. 

Ok onto the show!!
Today I want to talk to you about layering.

I love to use my chippies totally naked- their neutral brown color goes so well with most of the modernist inspired designs I tend to make.

Scrap FX items: Flutterby J rose model #2013013,
Paper butterfly A model # 2013025,
Paper Butterfly c model #2013027,
Unforgettable wordlet model #2013037

The first element I chose for this page was the spray painted banner strip.
I loved the yellow color and that it made windows on the paper.

Depending on your scrap style, layering is either super easy or incredibly difficult.
It took me quite a while to figure out what I liked to do most.

This page has very few actual elements but each adds a bit of visual interest.
A special eye was kept on the proportions.
I wanted a 60/40 negative space versus embellishment ratio.
MATH MUMBO JUMBO! you say. After looking over many of my past projects,
I found I tend to take over the page and leave very little room for the eye to "rest".
I designed the page so that all "lines" led to the relatively small photo.
I then added extra emphasis with the butterfly embellishments.

MICHELLE'S LAYERING TIPS 

(or- what I've discovered while messing around with paper)

• Always throw in a couple of clear elements to make windows into your layers. Printed transparency material, vellum, frame die cuts or paper you have cut shapes into all work.
• "Layer" with your adhesives. Try using staples, tape AND stickers to attach a main element to the page. Washi tape is semi transparent so it's especially good for this treatment.
• Keep an eye to proportion and edge shape- you can start small and move up to large elements but many times the smallest edge showing between larger items has bigger impact. 
• Alternate the edge shapes. Many of my favorite scrappers rip or distress their edges. I love that look but ripping requires lots of practice- it can be unpredictable. I tend to use punches to change the shapes of my layering items.
• Keep color and texture foremost in mind when choosing items. The most interesting layers include unexpected touches of fabric, plastic or metal. Throw in some string. Experiment.
• Make your embellishments first then design a page around them. Choose your color palette and your patterns then start building your embellishments. The photos can come last.

This title is so unbelievably beautiful. I love the script font. I have ruined many a beautiful scrip wordlet with chunky embossing so I decided to leave well enough alone.  I simply painted the points of the word using Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Sweet Cherry and added some texture by stitching the wordlet to the page using American Crafts jute twine.

In case you haven't heard- there is a DESIGN TEAM CALL. (Find all details in the link)

Email submissions are due March 1st.

I really encourage you to submit your work!!!

To be entered to the drawing for the final prize please answer the following question in the comments section:

What chipboard designs do you want to see more of and what theme or motif do you think has "jumped the shark" (been done to death, is played out, over exposed and boring- you get the idea- LOLZ!)

Onto the next blog!

Misty- My Scrap Therapy (Perfectly Imperfect)

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Loving the NEON! (again)

Good sunday morning!
I've been scrapbooking like crazy lately but it's all under publishing embargo so no posts lately.
EEK!
Here's one page I can show you since it's on the Die Scrapperin Magazine promo link HERE and up for public online consumption:

Materials: American Crafts Amy Tangerine paper, Thickers and fabric stickers, Scrap FX dingbat chipboard, Maya Road wood veneer butterflies, Prima roses, Hambly transparency banners, American Crafts glitter brads, doilies from Etsy. Fancy Pants pinked edge coffee filter.

It took me 45 minutes to make this page and I FORCED myself to use those GORGEOUS neon colored doiles.

Some detail shots:

Lola and I chased lady bugs this summer- it was awesome.
Tiny Scrap FX ding bat and the AWESOME
Maya Road veneer butterflies- love them both!

I wish this stamp was part of the American Crafts
Amy Tangerine set- it's so PRETTY!

Happy Sunday!
Good luck to all of you who applied to the Jenni Bowlin Ambassador DT.
The opportunity was too exciting to pass up.
 I love Jenni Bowlin products to distraction so I looked at the requirements and double checked my schedule and thought:
Yes I can DO THAT!
Keeping my fingers crossed!

Detail from one of the pages I submitted for consideration.

Good luck everyone!

Smooches! Many! Lots!
Michelle