Scrap FUN!! and food for thought

Blogger was down for so long I concentrated on work and actually cleaned the apartment! I know- UNBELIEVABLE!
Studio Calico had some amazing challenges up for NSD! I wanted to get to Celine's wood challenge and the Painting and Typography ones but I just ran out of time. Between my job search and Lola needing more Mommy time it's been tough to eek out scrap time- my hubby is complaining about his scrap widow status.

SC Fab rips and washi tape challenge.

MATERIALS: SC Fab Rips, Hambly Studio washi tape, Crate Paper Toy Box paper,

Making Memories corrugated alphas, American Crafts Hardcover

alphas (HUGE faves- love that modern font!) Pebbles Happy Go Lucky paper, Fiskars circle

squeeze punches in medium and extra large (newest FAVE!)

Studio Calico color challenge (Turquoise, Green, Kraft and Orange) also Scrap Recipe challenge
Materials: American Crafts Vanilla and Ocean card stock, Crate Paper  Bouquet, Pebbles New Arrivals paper and glitter flower brad, Ki Memories calendar page, Fiskars cloud squeeze punch XL and Large,  Fancy Pants Spring Fever (cannot get enough of that script print!)

I also hung out with Miss Stacey who gave me career related food for thought just when I needed it. Stacey believes you must visualize precisely the type of job you want right down to the very last detail. Don't pass up an opportunity but don't waste time trying to fit into every job description that comes along either- which is what I've been doing lately.  Stacey started out as an assistant in a major Wall Street firm and now runs their corporate website- currently from home as she waits for her baby to arrive. (DREAM JOB!!!) She is exactly the type of flexible, self starting, intelligent and creative person I need to be.

SO ready to be a Mom!

Stacey thought I had started craft store after visiting my blog. It's not the first time I get asked "Why do you get so product specific? Do they pay you to flog their products?" NOPE! I'm lucky if 2 people read an entry here.  Are you able to combine your scrap love with your bank account? How's that going for you?

I wish I remembered where those bird brads are from...

Need a better photo to represent the hole
punches in these photos...

I just love the materials I use and think maybe a reader will happen along and wonder- hey where did that come from? If you don't know who makes it how can you go buy it right? Yeah.. it's a conundrum...

Mini give-away WINNERS!!!! SNR FEATURE!

Lots of stuff happening all at once in my life right now- most gratifying is my Featured Artist piece for Scrapbook News and Reviews this week. Please swing by and check it out when you have a moment.

Without further delay- there was a 3 way TIE in my Xoxo Girls give away! TeenaBugg, CurlyMosaics AND Lisa F all got 5 guesses correct!!!

Here was the list:

Black and white stripes, border punch, pearls, stitching, nature theme, green, ribbon, flowers

lace, Masking Tape, Transparency, animal that IS NOT a butterfly OR a bird (they GOT me on that one!)

Eiffel Tower (raaandom!!! I didn't even know owned an Eiffel Tower sticker!)

Winners- please email your addys and fave scrappy item to: hernandm1 at sign yahoo dotcom   and I will send a lil something your way. THANK YOU for reading! I love writing this silly blog and I deeply appreciate every single one of you- I know how busy you are! (insert lots of eager punctuation here)

But WAIT- there's MORE!

Materials: Crate Paper Snow Day collection- Flakes, American Crafts Hello Sunshine
Blithe paper, K & Company Anna Griffin Sierra paper, Glitz woodgrain alphas

These are 2 pages of a pretentious triptych I was going to submit to Scrapbook News and Reviews where I am featured starting today. (WOO HOO!!) Luckily I was SAVED from scrap folly by best friends Gia and Dawn who agreed these were.... empty. Thank you guys- sometimes a girl can get too ambitious for her own talent. I still like the idea I tried to scrap so here are the 2 pieces I did not submit. For the third (and best looking) piece please check out SNR:

Materials: Scenic Route waves paper, American Crafts Zing in Rouge and Black,
American Crafts Boutonniere stamps, Glitz alphas, DCWV tatami print paper

Waddaya think? Like it? Think it lacks that certain something (talent/content/insight)? Don't worry I will not get offended. I must learn and you all are helping!!!! Please swing by SNR and check out my article on the iPod app Hipstamatic- unlike pages the above, it's chock fulla content.

HUGS and MUAH MUAH MUUUAH mi gente!

Michelle

Happy Scrappin'!!!

How did I manage to squeeze some time to write this? Well I barely slept last night! Funny how Mother's Day is not a day off but a day ON- everyone wants to see you and you still have to change the baby and wash the dishes so National Scrapbooking Day will be short for me. Needless to say I was SUPPOSED to be working on some cards- Hallmark it is- again. Sorry Mom.

BUT NO! I have edited this now to say that CHERYL has inspired me to MAKE my cards!! I will stay up again! I WILL participate in the Studio Calico challenges- oo FUN! Thanks Cheryl! Ya'll visit her blog please! http://craft-thing.blogspot.com

Here is my NSD page:

In this page I harken back to my scrappy beginnings where I bought Prima flowers by the pound, threw half pearls at a page as if they were free and collected vintage lace trims. I missed the romantic shabby chicness of it all. This was a fun and fast page. I finally broke out my Tim Holtz "Lost and Found" paper pad and finished of the package of handmade flowers by Precocious Paper- a great Etsy store.

Precocious Paper on Etsy- be there or be square!

Pink Paislee wood alphas- best EVER!

Lola's profile and the shinning sun- poetic.

Cheryl, if you are reading this, I need your addy so I can send some scrappy goodies your way. Just because you rock and because it's National Scrapbook Day- and yes the Fascinator is HUUUUGE- but my sister insists it will look fabulous and she's got better taste than I do. :) Readers!! Keep the items I had to use guesses coming on THIS page- a scrappy winner will be chosen on May 10th!

Happy Scrappin'!
MUUAH to all you mommies too!
Michelle

Spring Awakening and fun GIVEAWAY

Only fellow team mate Cheryl replied to my Xoxo Girls page items challenge. Where are you dear readers? Am I abandoned? Is my clever writing going unseen and unnoticed? Oh the inhumanity!!! 

It's Ok, I know ya'll are busy. I will extend the reply date to May 10th so you have all weekend to give this page the beady once over and try to guess the 10 things I had to include. The winner with the most correct guesses will get something from my huge tottering stash that best matches their fave scrappy thing.

Here's the May Xoxo Girls challenge page:

Materials: Crate Paper Portrait collection Honeymoon paper and chipboard flowers,  Crate Emma's Shoppe
Buttons,  Cosmo Cricket Boyfriend alphas, Prima tulips,  canvas flower from Precocious Paper on Etsy
Hambly Studios lace rub-ons and washi tape, Studio Calico wood veneer heart,  Robin's Nest Dew Drops
pearls, Ek Success bubbles border punch, Punch Bunch extra large branch punch

The Martinez-Hernandez clan is having a hard week. We all have a most persistent cold that just makes us sniffly, whinny and tired. Still to do: Mother's Day cards! It will be too late to load them up to the Paper Issues Mother's Day link party but you can check out our current Cinco De Mayo theme which is all about parties and having fun check it out here.

My sister's wedding date is getting closer! I can't believe I'll be spending 2 weeks in Italy. Traveling there has been a dream of mine for years! Inspired by the recent royal wedding. my sister and I decided I should wear a "Fascinator" to her wedding. Here it is!!

Isn't it amazing??? LOOOVES IT!!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

Michelle

Xoxo Girls sneak and GIVEAWAY- general updates

Just a few fun sneaks for the May 2011 Xoxo Girls Challenge going live on the 6th. I always have fun putting my pages together for this challenge site because we are given a list of sometime really random things we have to try to fit into the page. Looking at these photos can you guess what items I tried to include in my page?

The commenter who gets the most guesses right gets a PRIZE!!! Something fun and scrappy- just let me know your fave scrappy thing and I'll see if I have something that fits the bill in my stash! And don't forget to tune on the 6th so see what the other wonderful DT members came up with for this month.

Before I forget- I got some AWESOME mail this week! The winner for my Paper Issues prize, Jacque, sent me this recycled Thank You post card!!! Not only was this unexpected but it was WONDERFUL! I really miss getting fun mail- right now it's just Oriental Trading Catalogues and bills from our health insurer. Here's a quick scan:

It's a cereal box! In the back is a very thoughtfiul message.

This was so thoughtful and so COOL I've decided to send out 10 random recycled post cards to friends and fam this week. It's just FUN plus I have a lot of boxes that need productive uses- Thanks Jacque! Go to her site http://jacque4u2c.blogspot.com and leave some love- she rocks!

Kreatorville May 2011 sketch By Keandra of Kreatorville Krafts.
Try it!!! You'll love it!

One final note- my absolute FAVORITE scrap artist of all time Keandra of Kreatorville Kraft is getting back into the swing of things. I LOVE LOOOOVE everything she makes. I love her website. I love her kits (although I haven't been able to buy one this month- I'm one BROKE chick!). I try very hard NOT to snatch her ideas on the regular- she's that amazing. Swing by Kreatorville Krafts and see what she's up to. I'm participating in her tag swap this month and lemme tell you it's a CHALLENGE. Photos to come soon :)

"...Yeah and then my stocks TANKED... it was horrible!

Smoooches!

Michelle