Arrividerchi Nueva York!

We are off to the airport! I set up remote blogging but can't figure it out so talk to ya in two weeks!

OOO let me just say this- last night we saw Harry Potter in 3D- TOTALLY AMAZING!

Oh and I went by Strand Bookstore on Broadway to pick up a long book to read- got "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett which I already can't put down and "Game of Thrones" which comes highly recommended by almost every gaming and fantasy geek I know. This is gonna be a GREAT trip! Plus I must admit I got a whole slew of FANTASTIC Cavallini "office supplies" their sticky notes are drop dead gorgeous! (PS I did not go bananas and get all these- the photos are all linked on their website)

The travel postcard set (not the other 2)

New York notebook for Letty

To Do stickies

Office stickies

And this:

Micheal Roger Decomposition Notebook- Topographical map- grid paper inside!!!

 I think I have a new "thing"- notbooks!
WOOOOOT!

PS- Any robbers who may consider visiting the apartment while we are gone... Its not empty. Dave's very large and angry brothers are home- one is hanging' out all day so PICK SOMEWHERE ELSE.
Just sayin'! (smiiirk!)

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

It's TRAVEL TIME! (and a winning page- woot!)

A page of mine won the 7/3/11 Sunday Sketch Challenge over at Studio Calico. I love how I'm all questioning my ability and then I win something and I'm convinced I can take on the scrap universe.
Whatevs- here it is:

Summer Lovin'- Studio Calico Sunday Sketch 7/3/11 (winner)
Materials: Studio Calico Floorplan paper, Hambly washi tape, Sassafras Lass Turkish Blooms,  Studio Calico Countryside tag and photo matt, Fancy pants filter paper, Mister Huey in Sunshine, Tattered Angels in Patina

OMG- we fly out to Italy on saturday! I'm not packed! I have no idea how Lola will take an 8 hour flight followed by a 4 hour one. What do Italians feed their babies? Do they have Pampers???? It's not MARS Michelle! Get a hold of yourself woman!!!
I HATE traveling! I love seeing news things and meeting new people but the actual flying makes me a nervous wreck. My poor sister! She's going to deal with all my worries the entire time we are there. I'll back off during the actual wedding day but it's full on freak out mode till then.

Here's the crafty packing list:
-Black Smashbook
-2  washi tapes
-Instax camera and film (3 packs)
-My iTouch
-My Leica (hope we can recharge batteries- I don't think our generic European plug works)
-K & Co travel die cuts (and probably some SC ones too)
-20 random 6 by 6 papers that I will most likely choose from my Studio Calico stash
-Uni Ball pen black and white
-Watercolor pencil set (I can wet the pencil and get the look without the mess)
-Paper clips and a few brads (or maybe not - don't need a crazed TSA agent on my tail)
-American Crafts double sided tape
-Ribbon, Needle and embroidery floss
Am I missing anything??? Any suggestions?

What stays
-Scissors- I will rip shiz up or use hotel set
-Stamps, mists and ink- maybe I'll stamp stuff up before I leave and use those as die cuts
-fancy stickers or dimensional stuff- I will add those when I return home.
-Tiny Attacher- Aaack! I use it on EVERY page!
-My computer and internet connection- holy heck this is gonna be HARD!

So my sister gets married on the Amalfi Coast to a wonderful supportive man. We get to go to the beach everyday ('cause it's free) and ignore that we are seriously and pathetically broke for a little while (that's what planning ahead gets us!!). And everyone's happy. I'm telling you, it's a charmed life.

MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Wordless Wednesday

Let that sun SHINE!

This a page for the Studio Calico 4th Anniversary song lyrics challenge. I felt it was time to pull out my newborn Lola photos again as I do every year around this time.


Have you ever (this should be a regular column!) gotten a random print "just because" or maybe it was a gift or part of a kit- anyway- you didn't recognize it's TRUE BEAUTY and HIGH ART POTENTIAL till months later when it's no longer available because everyone else was like "WHAAA? That print is AWESOME! MINE times 50 please!" 

You are my sunshine- Studio Calico Lyrics challenge
MATERIALS: Sassafras Lass Starters- ABC, Maya Road kraft die cut doily and kraft doily die cuts (black),  Studio Calico wood grain butterfly run ons , Fancy Pants Filter paper in pinked edge, American Crafts Polka dot alphas, Mister Huey in Calico Cream and Sunshine yellow, Studio Calico yellow script alphas stickers, Kaiser Craft mini alphas in kraft, Jillibean Soup Watermelon Gazpacho circle journaling tag, Martha Stewart Punch all over the page pinking circle, SC exclusive journaling tag and heart wood veneers. Epiphany Crafts Vintae surrounds, American Crafts Zing in Mustard .

Like the body builder in that annoying commercial for Planet Fitness, I picked up and put down Sassafras Lass' Starters ABC print dozens of times but I had seen it in so many fantastic pages I just didn't feel up to the challenge. Ah the heck with it- it's JUST PAPER Michelle! SHEESH! 
Lo and behold- it's the PERFECT shade of warm beige and now I'm in LOOOOVE. Naturally it's sold out everywhere but that's ok as I'm broke anyway.

Ok back to story behind the page:

Love how I can't control my "new" Smith Corona typewriter.

I was seriously freaked out by the lyrics to the song "You Are My Sunshine" during the first few weeks of Lola's life. The song is so eerie for a family in our situation. I just could not get the words out without choking back fearful tears. So I changed them.

You are my sunshine
My lovely sunshine
You make me happy when days are grey
I'll always love you and take good care of you
When you come home I'll hug you every day

Miss Lola was diagnosed with a 9mm Cystic Hygroma at 19 weeks (she was barely double that size herself!) and was given very small odds to survive. I was told she would most likely be severely disabled but no one could tell me for sure- everything was a set of odds like I was gambling in Las Vegas. So Dave and I stuck it out. We ignored all the scary genetic probabilities. She was born 6 weeks early and stayed in the intensive care unit for 2 months. I did not get to actually hold my baby for 2 weeks and my breast milk made her fluid retention condition much much worst. Yet Miss Lola is completely fine today. 

I post about this at least twice a year to encourage parents whose baby has been diagnosed with Cystic Hygroma or Fetal Hydrops to try to stick it through and give the baby a chance. Lola was given a 1 in 10 chance of survival. Well she survived and she's STRONG- no genetic, developmental or health defects. 


The numbers are scary and the genetic counselors have to focus on the scary news in order to protect their practices from lawsuits but no one can give you a real yes or no answer on whether the baby will survive, be severely disabled or not- we simply do no know enough yet. All we have is probability. Yes the chances were small and the risks were great but I ask myself what if I had given in to my fear of the unknown? Ahh it's too awful to contemplate.

Here's last year's page:

I worked on the stitching for DAYS. I wouldn't pile so many small details into a page now but I still really like this page. I wonder what next year's version will look like? :)

I love that photo and scrap it repeatedly because of Lola's expression- intelligent life- brave life- that's my kid. This photo makes me want to FIGHT to make sure Miss Thing gets every chance to survive and thrive. This is my NEVER FORGET photo.

Window were I shoot most of my pages- the light is sporadic and weak but it's Brooklyn, I should feel lucky I don't face a brick wall. Lola approves of the page- she says OOOO OOO. :)

MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Studio Calico multiple pattern challenge

It's Dave's birthday so I don't have too much time but I wanted to share a quick layout I made for the Studio Calico 4th Anniversary challenge involving using multiple patterns.

21 Months
Materials- Studio Calico "Mind The Gap" kit exclusive papers, American Crafts card stock, Studio Calico and Basic Grey alphas, Red Lead Paperworks Honey Comb statement rubber stamp,  Dusty Attic chicken wire chipboard, Martha Stewart Punch All Over The Page punch" Pinking circle", Studio Calico heart veneers, Tiny Attacher, SC Mister Huey in Calico White, Tattered Angels in Suede (favorite color ever!), SMASH date stamp

I love the paper patterns in SC kits but I am often intimidated by them- the paper is so gorgeous and complex I want to try to do it justice and end up with "scrapper block".

Here I loosened up a bit, let the page keep the mistakes I made (the cut out footprint, the brown paint drips) and finally "finished". I was trying to incorporate Lola's footprint using tissue paper for the Punky Scraps tissue paper challenge but my mixed media art skills are so basic I kept creating scary mottled cloud things that looked like mold growing on the page so I gave up on the tissue paper- for now.

The chicken wire mask is actually a piece of Dusty Attic chipboard I've wanted for months and have FINALLY been able to acquire through Paper Candy Crafts. I really wanted to use an SC stamp but their hexagon border stamp sold out so quickly I go whiplash. LOVE the honey comb stamp from Red Lead. I misted tattered Angels "Suede" on it and used it just on the edges.  Yes I know it's super messy and deconstructed- this is on purpose I promise.

Hope you are having a great weekend. I'm off to finally see Transformers 3- hope I am not as annoyed by this one as I was by the last.

Fooling around with what we believe is ad for an art show...

MuChOS SmoOcHeS!
Michelle