Friday, May 17, 2013

Yay Its A Blog Hop!!



We are off on our Blog Hop and I am the first Stop!
To get to know us all a little better we have decided to answer a few fun questions whilst showing a LO or 2 that is typical of our individual style using the "fab" (showing my age there) Scrap FX Chippies and stencils. I do have a tendency to "prattle on" so apologies in advance. I shall try to keep my wordage (is that even a word) down to a minimum but will show some details of my LOs in between questions to relieve the boredom and keep you interested!!!
 So lets get to it shall we?

What is your scrapbook "Kryptonite"? (what style/colour/etc will people never see on your creations because you cannot deal with it???)
Ok, most people that are familiar with me & my style, would probably predict my answer to this question straight away....... no surprises here........ pink, purple and flowers! These totally kill my "Mojo". That is not to say I do not admire others that seem to effortlessly throw flowers on a page, scatter some pinky, purpleness and totally rock the whole pretty thing!!! I love the gorgeousness of it all, but I have to be content just gazing longingly!

What do you listen to or watch while your scrap and WHY?
I love music when I scrap, and listen to a wide variety of artists. However, too many times I have been guilty of missing school pick ups or training ETC ETC because I have been totally absorbed in my little girl cave! So to try and combat that, I have had to make a compromise, so I now listen to the radio instead, so that at regular intervals a strangers' voice will yell the time at me at get me moving!


Do you snack or drink while scrapping? What?
I have been known to completely forget to eat whilst I am on a roll..... yes I do loose myself to the creativity constantly ( or is it that I am very slow at what I do??)!!!
I have been known to keep a sugar stash (Choc covered licorice, any chocolate treat, starburst jelly babies or sour straps) in my room, but do not tell the kids that! The rest of my family (or is it a boy/man thing) seem to go into my room and become disorientated with all the stuff and cannot distinguish edible from craft!! Oh and you will always find a coffee cup and a bottle of water on my desk!!

How do you jump start your creativity when you find that it is missing?
I usually play around with paint/ink or stamps on a few tags/cards or do a page in my art journal, to wake the creative beast within!!

What is your favorite technique(s) to use right now and why?
At the moment I love making my own original backgrounds using all sorts of mediums, inks and paint, not really a technique as such but it is so much fun to splash stuff around to see what happens! The 2 pages I am showing you today are examples of the mess I have been making!




What are some tried and true techniques you love to use?
I would have to say apart from using chipboard, every one of my pages will have stamps and or stencils used on them somewhere. It seems no creation is complete without them!

At what time of day are you most creative, or do you prefer to create?
I am a day time creator! I love natural light and seem to struggle if I need to turn a light on. That is not to say that I do not get anything done at night though as I often have a lightning bolt moment at anytime and have to act on it before I forget it! I have been known to be pleasantly surprised at my nocturnal creations when I revisit them the next morning!!!



What makes your heart race?
Now this is a curly question !!..... made me stop and think........ I am going to have to go with a totally mushy answer and say my Hubby! Even after knowing each other for so long (we met when we were 16) he still rocks my world, do not know what kind of a life it would be without him in it! Yes I am one of the lucky ones who found my soul mate! Yep I here you, Blah Blah Blah!!
Get on with it!


If you were to describe one emotion while scrapbooking, what would it be?
Complete and utter contentment.......scrapping always puts me in my happy place, unless of coarse I am battling with my Mojo then it is the most frustrating place in the world!!!! Growls will be emanating from my girl cave then my family will know to steer clear!



What are you afraid of?
I am going to be terribly truthful here. I have been battling with my confidence for most of my life in everything I do( I am sure I am not the only one). My number one fear is the feeling that I am not "good"enough! This year I have made concrete efforts to combat those feelings and by doing that I have come to realize just how crippling those feelings can be! With my creativeness, I know my "work" is not to everyones' taste nor do I try to compete to be "the Best"! I do my stuff to make me happy and record family moments. I share in the hope of inspiring others and motivate them to do the same! If that means I put myself out there on a limb, however fragile, so be it!!

If you could choose a talent/gift what would it be?
Ok this time I am going with a not so serious "super power" because the last question freaked me out a little with its seriousness! I would choose........ the ability to fly, to soar like an Eagle, to feel that sense of freedom would be amazing!!


So that is the quick quiz done, hope you have enjoyed a little insight!
Now for my latest pages using Scrap FX goodies:
These are the latest school photos of my boys. 
Usually, I stay well away from the school photo thing, but I really liked this lot, and they went with the latest release of chippies so it was meant to be!
I used the graphic circle frame in both pages and combined it with other bits and pieces, 
I hope you like!!


My eldest Kodey, growing up too quick!!! A year 10 fella'!
 And now another page featuring that awesome circle frame:

My youngest Bayley, this is his first year in high school! He loves it, perhaps a little too much?
Now, before you go why not leave a little love to show you have been here? I have a little something to give away to one of my lucky commenters/followers so please let me know you have been! Sorry, no photos yet as the weather has been just too bleak ... not a well lit spot to be had anywhere. If the sun ever shines again I will get a shot together and put my little prize up here. I promise it is a good package.... trust me!!

As I wave you all goodbye be sure you head on back to the Scrap FX Blog blog at the end to leave a little love or head to the Facebook page Scrap FX Australia and like us, or do both to cover all bases!!!! Then you are in the running to win the awesome major prize below!!


You are now headed for the lovely Adrienne where I am sure you will be amazed with her incredible style ( yes I may have a scrap crush!!).

In case you get lost here is the complete list of awesomeness!!



Thanks for dropping by, now run along and have some fun!!

36 comments:

  1. Wow Michelle, such an awesome LO, a girl after my own heart. I don't use flowers much and dislike flowers used on a male page.
    Your school Lo is amazing and love the colours ..
    Love Liz
    http://myworldofscrap-hippychic.blogspot.com.au/

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  2. Love these layouts- I have some school photos to scrap and now you have inspired me! Great answers too, you cracked me up with your comment about the inability to distinguish between edible and craft. Coffee is also my beverage of choice when scrapping :) Great to learn a little bit more about you.

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  3. Wow Michelle I have not been to your blog before & you work is fabulous...just what I like! I love creating backgrounds too...but gee yours are wonderful!
    Fab work with the ScrapFX chippies & glorious colours.
    As we age we find we may as well be happy with who we are & what we think - cosue that is all we have!
    Keep on doing your stuff, cos it is inspiring.

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  4. what an amazing layout Michelle...jus love it, I have 5 boys so sometimes I get a bit bored on doing the same theme layout...thanks for the inspiration

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  5. Oh, its so refreshing to see another Mum of boys and how you create your pages! Its not all pink, flowers and fussy cutting!Yah! Love the inspiration

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  6. Oh wow...I so love you pages and the backgrounds are just awesome! I just became a new follower!

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  7. Your layouts are just amazing. Love the way you incorporate the backgrounds with the chipboard pieces using colour and texture. I am always looking for ideas for boys pages and I just adore these.

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  8. love this post-your sense of humor is almost like mine even though I can do some purple (but no pink either)...and def not too much flowers. The young gents are absolutely handsome and I'm digging all the backgrounds & the way the chip looks metallic and rusty :)

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  9. Great layouts, love your style

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  10. OH Michelle, I like to read your answers! And I know that feeling, to be not good enough!
    I just want so say, that I LOVE your style! Absolutly! And I wish I could scrapp like you! xo maria

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  11. michelle, those are terrific layouts of the boys. The treatment of the background page is wonderful. I think the school pic's don't even look like school pic's anymore. I will be adding this to the bucket list and love the chippies.

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  12. Fantastic! I love your masculine grunge pages! So cool.

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  13. thanks for the inspiration Michelle :)
    ciao dall'Italia
    p.s: I hope to be lucky :)

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  14. I have two grandsons so I totally get the no flowers thing. I wrestle with myself as to whether I should or shouldn't use them for male only layouts. Your layouts give me much inspiration. Thanks Liz Waters
    http://scrappingmadness.blogspot.com/

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  15. Thank you Michelle, for being so candid with your answers! I am new around here and it is so intimidating to show people things I have created, in fear of not being as good as others. I can't imagine how you would feel that way as you are so talented!! Both layouts are just stunning!

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  16. Oh Michelle we have alot in common, coffee, sugar fixes and confidence issues! I love your work it's gorgeous I have become a follower of your blog and hope you will come and visit me! :)TFS
    http://mybeaner.blogspot.ca/

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  17. I wish I could keep sweets around the room- it's an incentive for exploration so I've learned to hide them in the kitchen where they are unexpected. :)
    I love your pages! I think I know how you feel regarding the official school photos but I agree- those are fantastic!!
    I was going to answer that purple and flowers are also kryptonite for me but I realized that's not necessarily true- the pages are rarely traditionally girly even with the pink and the flowers so maybe it's a compromise.

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  18. I love your school photo pages but then again I've loved your work for years now. TFS your answers to the questions, you sound like you have a great time in your little girl cave. I'm loving the idea of the choc coated licorice.

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  19. Great layouts Michelle! I love how you've coloured the chipboard, and that large frame is gorgeous surrounding your sons' good looking heads!

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  20. okay, your background on these are magical and I Love your chipppies :)

    You are too funny! I love that! hehe!
    I do a lot of the same stuff as you.

    Your boys are so handsome Michelle! :)

    Hugs!

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  21. I just loved getting to know you better. Your masculine lay-out is truly amazing!

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  22. Thank you so much for being candid in your interview...I find transparency very refreshing and rare! Your work is amazingly detailed and mesmerizing! I admit, I am of the pink and purple flower crowd, but I am honing my skillset to reflect a richer, deeper outcome on my projects, hopefully like yours someday...thank you for the inspiration!!!

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  23. I have loved learning a bit more about you Michelle, no wonder we groove so well! I feel you on the flower front - thus the reason I can't seem to get a hold on shabby chic though I'd love to have some pages like that for my girl someday... I also feel you on the confidence front, so much in my life has caused that struggle, but like you this year I'm choosing very much to overcome it - my story will be told because its one of beauty and worthy of sharing - or so the other Michelle tells me - haha, but I do think so too. Now on to your rockin' projects which I always, always adore. You have such a knack for scrapping the boys and to knock it out of the park with school photos?? Wow. I'm inspired. My son always takes wonderful ones and there they sit in the envelope they came home in most of the time. Now perhaps I'll get them out and do something wonderful with them. Your backgrounds just get better and better and you rock the chippie treatments. I love your unique style!! xx

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  24. Love it, Michelle! Your work is so amazingly detailed, and I can look for it for so long!

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  25. Fabulous layouts, great masculine designs! And I had a little chuckle reading your comments :). Thanks for sharing!

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  26. Fabulous layouts, great masculine designs! And I had a little chuckle reading your comments :). Thanks for sharing!

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  27. Hi Michelle, doing the blog hop :) Your layouts are fabulous, love the treatment to the chippy to make look like rust, I am not fussed on scrapping school photos either , but gee you have done a awesome job.I don't like scrapping purple either, and can relate about the confidence, but loved your wise words on that, and so have to have music whilst one scraps
    Cheers
    Mary

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  28. Fantastic pages Michelle, great to see boy pages, thanks for sharing

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  30. Hi Michelle. As Mother of boys and grandsons, I hear you about the flowers, pink and purple. Your art is creative and inspirational, I especially like the backgrounds and stencil work. :)

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  31. Hi. Hopping by. :-) i love your way of writing, you keep it interesting and entertaining.
    Your style is awesome.. I bet your boys are happy youre not so much of the pink-crafter. :-)

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  32. Love these layouts too! So brutal and so many details!))

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  33. Beautiful colors and amazing layout!

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  34. Love your work. With two boys it's great to get some masculine inspiration :-)

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  35. Wow Michelle, thanks for sharing. You certainly inspire me when I come for a "visit" :D

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  36. you and I actually share the same fear...I just went with heights for mine. Sometimes the thought of just putting yourself out there can be dibilitating! Love the layout, and it really is a great photo!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know you were here!