Can you feel it? It's SPRING!

Hello Spring!
Materials: My Little Shoebox papers & alphas, Bazzill swiss dotted paper- Fuschia, K & Co pink netting,
Liquid Pearls in pink

OMG NYC just had the most beautiful springlike day and I didn't know what to do with myself! I ran up, I ran down, I ran all around- Lola was happy but soon realized I had gone bananas and put me ON POINT in the middle of the park with a huge SHRIEK so we went home and watched Elmo for a while. I feel a HUGE weight lifting- GOOD BYE WINTER! Little dance little dance...

How much do I love the orange glitter alphas? MUCH dude MUCH!

Here's a new My Little Shoebox page. I got my prize package from 2 Peas with papers, stamps and alphas stickers from Farmer's Market and Home Tweet Home lines. I also bought some Green papers because I really wanted that woodgrain pattern- it's so mod! I feel so free with these papers! They are so colorful and playful that it just dissapates all the obnoxious angst I usually go through when thinking up a page. OFFICIAL MLS fan!!!!
Here are some close ups:

Luscious flowers! Bend up the petals and WHAM! instant texture.

Had "fun" cutting those itty bitty scallops- will need to practice.

Started with red pen but it disappeared into the orange paper so I had to go over it with red marker.

Now about this machine stitching technique:

Left to right: Yellow zig zag stitch- front of stitch followed by Yellow/pink zig zag stitch- back of stitch usually never seen since it's on the inside of your clothes.

Here's what I did:
1. Roughly traced circle and scallop border onto onion skin paper to give general idea of their location.
2. Glued template to the back of the scallop die cut paper
3. Put pink thread in bobbin at bottom of machine and canary yellow in spool on top of machine to get two-tone effect.
4. Using the rough sketch on the onion paper as a guide, I stitched a swirl shape onto the MLS die cut paper using a zig zag stitch so that the BACK of the zig zag stitch (usually hidden in the interior of your clothing) showed on the FRONT of the paper BINGO - instant 2 tone effect!
5. Turned paper over and giggled hysterically at the COOLIO effect.
7. Switched bottom bobbin to canary yellow string.
8. Swirled the FRONT of the zig zag stitch onto the spaces left by previous swirl.

Hope that makes sense- it's just a fun little tweak on the usual.
*Thank you Mary from the Scrapbook.com forum for helping me with proper sewing terminology for this itty bitty tute!

Here's the page again in larger format (and away from all my blogger template madness):

Required Miss Lola shot:

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
M.

My Little Shoebox Goodies!!!

Kaine says NUM NUM NUUUUM!

Materials: My Little Shoebox paper and alphas, Magic Mesh- blue, red/white twine, Maya Road heart pins,

SC Mister Huey mist- sunshine, cream, Ranger's Glossy Accents, Pop dots.
February 2 Peas MLS Challenge winner!

Pencil Lines sketch 225 by Anthea Peterson

Being part of the Paper Issues design team is SO AMAZING! I have wonderful friends I can share my scrap madness with (since my husband's eyes start to roll into his head the second I utter "scrap"). I learn new things every day and once in a while someone on the team has scrap goodies they are willing to share.
I was lucky to receive a huge box of My Little Shoebox papers, alphas and journaling squares from Gretchen who's website you need to visit and follow immediately as girlfriend is fabulous.

That Smile. This wass my first good photo of Lola's smile- I LOVE this photo!!
Materials: MLS alphas, papers, magic mesh, Glossy Accents & Martha Stewart fancy loops punch

Pencil Lines sketch 226 by Lexi Bridges

Gretchen selflessly offered up some free stash when she found out I had not heard of this brand before.  I now realize that claim was blatantly FALSE! I obsessively buy their mini alpha stickers as they come in fabulously bright colors and actually stick to the paper.  I also have some of their paper I just don't use it because I am "saving it for a better project idea" which never comes!

Frankly I like the first project more- it seems more my style. I think I didn't get creative enough with the second page and relied on the paper to shine- great but when you get a gander at what others are creating (click here) PENCIL LINES you'll see why I'm conflicted!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle