Ch ch ch CHANGES!

My head is spinning. American Crafts acquires a favorite brand- again. This time it's Crate Paper.

Just when I started liking them. 

Acquisition or as I like to call it- the big chomp chomp chomp. You know what comes after right?

The inevitable indigestion and rapid expulsion of all acquired materials.

This tag project for a Kreatorville Krafts swap is now up and you can link up your own "first tags I ever made" http://flashbackfridaychallenge.blogspot.com/

If you have a specific brand affinity (or as I like to call it- fanlove) I suggest you disconnect from that and start focusing on your work, family and spiritual life (you pick the order of course)- the next few months are gonna be SCARY.

Uhm Michelle..

When, exactly, did this become a business news blog?

Just reacting- thinking and learning.

Heidi Swapp has a wonderful take on this... issue? Situation? Problem? Reality?

Here's the link- http://heidigracekress.com/2011/09/big-big-news/

I want to thank all of you who stood by me this week and also those who unfollowed this blog because of the things I say. I'm learning a huge lesson- some people will not like what you say and leave, some will agree and stay and some will disagree but stick around to tell you why- and all groups have value and importance but that last group is the one I need to hear from most because they challenge and prod and keep me accountable.

Above all we need to keep the lines of communication open people- across political or philosophical lines, across religious and racial lines, across socio-economic and cultural divides- make it your duty to keep talking and thinking and learning- only then will we find our way out of the Minotaur's Maze. Unfazed.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

Michelle

Sunny Sunday! WOO HOOO!

So imagine my great surprise when I get a private message from a very nice member over at Studio Calico willing to send me their 7/11 patterned paper.
YOWZA! That was NOT expected!
No seriously- not expected!
No really- REALLY!
I had no idea you could even send messages via the SC boards!
I am throughly humbled by the kindness and generosity of this gesture.
It's not that I am offered something material- it's that someone is willing to go through the trouble! For me- an open mouthed mama jama!

Miss friendly- I hope you know I will use that return addy on the package to send something awesome right back at you!
I will skulk your SC member profile to see what your fave items are and return something I hope you will like.

I don't take anything I said back but I must acknowledge that scrappers as a rule- are a great bunch of people- generous, kind and open- minded. I'm glad to be part of your world.

Today I will share this:

LAUGH
MATERIALS: Studio Calico exclusive paper, Sassafras Lass flowers, sticker and paper, Prime quilted word, Pink Paislee green banner

A fun simple page I made because I love the series of photos it shows. Also- That's my favorite print  EVER! It's an SC print. Oh the IRONY of it all!!!!

When we were in Salt Lake City we went to the Olympic Pool and had one of the best days ever. I wish NYC had such amazing facilities for kids!!!
Lola was terrified of the water but was willing to give it a go as long as DADDY held her.
I was jealous.
But I got over it.
I'm glad I photographed this because those smiles are the coolest thing I'd seen in a while. Miss Thang rarely smiles at the camera right now- she's utterly annoyed by my need to shoot everything she does.
I guess I'd be irked too.. but it's so FUN!
Being part of this family is one of the best things that's ever happened to me.

The word for today is: GRATITUDE.

O! What's this? I'm working on my SOME ODD GIRL FEATURE on October 17th!
Having fun with some of Kristi's amazing digi stamps, matte medium and the Instagr.am app.

MuChOS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Cliques suck- a rant

When I was in High School I was not popular. I was an invisible. This was sad because the school had maybe 300 people in it- it was a Science and Arts start up and I was in the third graduating class. The odds shoulda been for me but alas... alak... it was not meant to be.

In my junior year I became a summer program counselor for the incoming freshman class. I though this would mitigate some of my nobody status since I could make friends in the summer before everyone hit  school walls and spied me over at the "nerd table".

Only the nerds were too cool for me as well. They read comic books and talked computer games but I read different books and my family was too poor to own a PC.

I was at the Michelle table. Alone. Reading. Listening to Def Leopard and wishing Ralph Macchio would come take me away like the chick in the Calgon ad.

So as soon as school started I became invisible to the frosh kids too. Everyone was struggling to be in The Group and quickly noted who was "in" and who was merely eating lunch.
Anyway that is my psycho-babble reason for having a very strong anti-clique streak. And an even stronger contrarian one.

I CANNOT STAND when people exclude others to make themselves feel better. The only thing worst is when it's done for financial profit.
Yuck!

I've been quiet for months because I didn't want to make any waves. I do not want to annoy anyone- especially YOU dear reader.

And I don't especially want to get a big scarlet B for BEOTCH on my forehead forever and ever or get blocked from DTs in the distant future when I'm actually good at this scrap and art thing.

I am going to say this and get spanked- I KNOW IT.
Or maybe it'll be like high school again and go totally unnoticed.

Studio Calico is a clique.
And I'm over it.
I love their products. I love their DT. I love the pages made by their members and the fun contests they run.
But I cannot abide the exclusive mentality.
In the past exclusive meant colored folk had to drink from the other fountain.
WHAT? OH NO SHE DI'NT!
Did Michelle really just "pull the race card"?
Not quite.
I'm not saying I've been excluded because of my race or that Studio Calico is racist in any shape or form.
I'm saying "exclusivity" or the seeking of said status is highly problematic for me, a woman of color who values fairness and openness to everyone equally.
Exclusivity reminds me of segregation- financial and status segregation- the cool ones go here and everyone else over there.
Is that crazy?

Michelle it's just PAPER!! DAAAAAAUUUUM!
Yes and No.
It's just paper. I get it.
I have enough paper already to last a lifetime.
It's also a business and a brand with a certain set of values I'm buying into and thusly agreeing with. Increasingly the Studio Calico brand is one that gets more expensive with time while the actual amount product you buy is dwindling.
Not to mention the uncreative choices being made. Basic Grey brads- AGAIN? I fully expect the Basic Grey "partnership" announcement coming- or is it just a back door thing?

Studio Calico is a brand that uses the threat of product "sell out" to make you stay up till midnight or tune in at noon and HOPE to get the item you want. And I happen to know this is standard marketing 101 so please don't deny it.
If you want the aura of exclusivity you can't have kits hanging around for months and going on sale all the time- that would make you boringly normal.
But I was ok with that because I have the time and I sincerely LOVE the items.
What I could not understand was WHY an item I bought at the set time was suddenly "sold out" when I got my order and some crap product I would never buy was sent in it's place.  Yes you gave me a refund- you HAD TO- it's not a GIFT- it's money to pay for a product you didn't have- you ain't doing me no FAVORS.
What I wanted was THE ITEM. Why else would I stay up till midnight? HELLO? Anyone in there?
And why not just give me a percentage off my next order since it was Studio Calico's inventory mistake? A mistake made 3 times in the last 7 months- including the very first kit I ordered!
Oh- is that unreasonable?
Guess what? That bait and switch "product sold out" practice ain't gonna cut it anymore. Studio Calico you have too many competitors. And lots of discount retain lines I can buy everywhere.

Studio Calico is also a business with a very loyal following who will NOT let you air critique openly (and politely) without slapping you back into place- whatever place they deem that to be.
Well let me say this- this scrappy Latina does not have a place you can assign.
And NO ONE shuts me up.

Have we become so enamored of the cool glow we get from that box of paper that we can't listen to dissident voices? Not angry, cursing voices- voices of people who have genuine concerns or disagreements? This is a problem. A problem with the "exclusivity" mystique.
And I'm done.
Thanks!

I'll go get Midnight Rooster, Noel Mignon, Cocoa Daisy, Scarlett Lime, JBS Mercantile or Kreatorville Kraft sub. Actually- there are many kit clubs that are amazing. And many Etsy stores too. And even more Artfire stores.

My Cocoa Daisy stamp subscription is in! WOO HOO!

Chells OUT!

GOT COLLAGE SKILLZ?

My goal for today is to make you laugh. That would be the only reason to share the two hideous projects I made before I finally got to my Punky Scraps collage project for this week's challenge.

First is the final design which I like a lot and will be trying again as the resulting color is really exciting:

Failure is key
MATERIALS: WRMK card stock, tissue paper from Natalie Malik on Etsy, Alphas from Cosmo Cricket, coffee stain stamp from Cocoa Daisy, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher and paint from Kaiser Craft.

Thank you so much Natalie Malik! I recently won her grand prize give-away which totally came at the right time.
Mostly because I got this:

Hand made "How To" zine from Natalie that totally saved my life last night.
Buy it if you'd like some great tips on collage with tissue paper.
Photo courtesy Natalie Malik.

A great handmade "zine" that taught me how to actually glue tissue paper without ruining my project. I also won two beautiful hand made bookmarks and a great pack of ephemera that included the tissue paper I used above.

If you want to see someone make modern and lovely collages with real technical mastery please visit Natalie's blog Awkward and Beautiful.

This is the first time I ever try collage. I avoid anything truly artsy- not because I don't like artsy stuff (I LOVE artsy) but because it requires a level of knowledge and control over technique I have not reached yet.

Before you think this is me beating myself up again please wait till you see what I did before Natalie saved my scrappy butt.

And NOW... The FIASCOS.

AAAAA! This is me trying to use some scraps left over from a cool previous project and having "fun" with textures and shapes. I like the colors and the repeated straight lines but this is a HOT summer mess.
Ok now for the real hum-digger.
Please block your children from seeing this.

This horribly BIOLOGICAL piece sprung from two thoughts:
Though number 1: I want to make a commentary on the images of women in fashion- I will sew the outlines, fill in the photos with paint and write "Not me, not now, not ever.. and that's ok" on it.

Before I could fully execute thought number 1- this happened:
Though number 2: OOO this glue would make for great texture!

EEEEEEEEWWW! Never should the two meet! I'm embarrassed to share it except this is supposed to be a real deal blog right? Hideous craft failures and all.

I would like to point out I'm not a complete hack. I recognize when something is too awful to show- except as entertainment here in this blog.

Now that I've either shocked you into silence or made you laugh derisively please head on over to Punky Scraps and join the October challenges. This week's is all about collage. I'm hoping you will learn as much as I did.

Current Favorite Toy- this is a family blog after all.

MuChOS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Ta DAAA! A Halloween page

So I finally managed to make a Halloween page that doesn't stink. I've said this a zillion times but I don't like holiday theme projects. The items needed are so specific they can't be used for anything else and I tend to get so distracted during family events my photos never look good. But really it's my lack of skill that bothers me- so I promised I would practice, practice,  practice till I got something I liked.
Here's one:

First Halloween (redo)
MATERIALS: Martha Stewart Halloween paper, Crate Paper and Basic Grey buttons, American Crafts Thickers, Sassafras stickers, Stuff 2 Scrap mini word and frame chipboard, ghost sticker and spider/bat brads from EK Success
PS- this is an example of early morning light- it's super orange- may have to reshoot this but I like the golden glow.

Last Halloween we had about 30 minutes of really pretty light when we went to Central Park and I got lots of great images- it was freezing but Lola was so glad to be outside she cried when we left.
This year we will try to get some shots in the park again but her witch costume isn't remotely insulated so unless I get her a witch themed coat it will have to be taken inside. Fingers crossed.

Stuff 2 Scrap chipboard- they just don't make them this cool here in the US! 

The title from my last project was so cool I cut it out and reused it. LOVE those spider brads!
So glad they are getting used- finally.

Paper Issues has a great Halloween themed link party happening right now- swing by and add your project to the mix. There's also brand new Pink Paislee Christmas themed paper in the store- with seriosuly beautiful colors- check it out: Pink Paislee Snow Day Collection

New hat!! I love bunny ear hats!

MuChoS SmOoChEs!

Michelle