Life is colourful

Supplies: Patterned paper: Sassafras, Cardstock: Bazzill, Flowers: Prima, Stickers: Doodlebug, Adorn It, Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp, Others: Ribbon, google eyes, brad, white pen, black pen and 3D foam.

Please click on picture to see the details

I love this picture of my adorable nephew S (I used Poladroid, have you tried it yet?). I created this LO with some words of advice for him using Sassafras papers. I cut out some of the strips and replaced them with cardstock (red & orange) so that it looks brighter. I also added the trim from another Sassafras paper. Then I embellished away...(thanks to the prompt at Scrapping out loud)..adding die-cut elements, flowers, stickers and lots of faux stitching...Such a fun LO to do!

Thanks

Supplies: Patterned paper: October Afternoon, Scenic Route, Cardstock: Bazzill, Brads: Basic Grey, Puffy floral sticker: Love, Elsie, Letter Stickers: Doodlebug, Others: Ribbon, black pen, white pen.

To my blog readers, I would like to say "thanks" for stopping by and leaving me such lovely comments. This card is for you!

Inspired by Card Patterns Sketch 17.

Free to be me

Supplies: Patterned paper: Scenic Route (flowers) & Heidi Grace (flocked words background), Cardstock: Bazzill, Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp, Stickers: Provocraft, Doodlebug, Toga, Renoir, Butterfly rub-on: Jenni Bowlin, Felt: Queen & Co, Others: White pen & black pen.

This week's challenge at Scrapping the Music is the song, "Free to be me". What a great song! I finally broke into my Heidi Grace flocked paper because it is just perfect for this layout. I outlined some of the words of the flocked paper with a white pen, then added stickers to the words to form meaningful phrases that describe me (or what I want to be :) - like "cry out loud", "be silly", "be thankful", "squeal in delight", "laugh loudly", "seek peace and happiness" and "be wonderful and sweet". The flowers were cut out, then outlined with a white pen (faux stitching) and black pen. The chipboard letters were painted black, then outlined with a white pen. I added journaling at the base of the layout (which was cut off in the scan).

A love letter to my body

Dear

1. Feet: Thank you so much for carrying me so far through life, bearing the weight of my physical body and the weight of the emotional luggage I insist on carrying around everyday. I am sorry that I've put you through hell when I chose fashion over practicality and tire you out unnecessarily by wearing skyscraper heels and oh-too-small shoes. I promise to love you more by wearing pretty but comfortable shoes and giving you a good massage every evening. Please know that I appreciate and love you.

2. Calves: I know I have a tendency to complain about you because you are a little on the chunky side but that's just me being self-critical. I love that you respond quickly to strengthening exercises and that it is because of you that I am able to run, jump and pedal so effortlessly.

3. Thighs: I love that you are strong and constantly strive to be stronger as I test you in the various yoga poses and leg strengthening exercises. I know that you like me to eat more fruits and vegetables so that you will look smooth and cellulite-free. I know that you like to be pampered with moisturizer and I will continue to do so every night.

4. Butt: I admit that there are times when I wish you were smaller so that I can wear a pleated skirt and not look like I've gained 15 pounds. But the truth is that I love how well-rounded you are. You are comfortable to sit on and you sure make me look hot in a tight skirt..:)

5. Stomach: You are the greatest.

6. Breasts: Thank you for appearing when you did so that I didn't have to go through life as a skinny, flat-chested teenager. I love that you are perky and firm and make me look great in a form-fitting top...:)

7. Arms/hands: Arms, I admire your strength in enabling me to lift and carry stuff. I especially love it when your muscles are defined after a weight-lifting exercise. I know that I have a tendency to focus on the biceps but I promise to work on my triceps too so that you will look good at every angle. Hands, I appreciate the work you do every single day. I'm sorry I haven't dolled you up in a while. I promise to give you a little treatment this weekend and paint your nails a bright red - I know that you'll like that.

8. Back/shoulders: I know you suffer when I don't maintain a good posture or when I lug so many bags around all day long. I promise to keep those bad habits to a minimum and stretch you when I can.

9. Organs: I appreciate that all of you work so hard every day to make sure that I am okay. I will eat healthily, exercise regularly and supplement you when the need arises so that you don't have to work so hard to sustain my well-being. I know you like that I work out every day because it really helps to make your jobs a little easier.

10. Face: Eyes, I do love that you sparkle when you have enough rest and you look mesmerizing when I doll you up. Nose, you are small and sharp and look great even with a pimple on your bridge. Mouth, you are perfectly proportioned and look great in red. Ears, you are such a great listener.

11. Teeth: You are stressed constantly by the food I put into my mouth. Thank you for enduring the torture of braces and a retainer and many years of non-flossing. I promise to keep you sparkling clean and healthy. Because of you, I have a really nice smile.

12. Skin: I promise to hydrate you and love you everyday. Please know that I appreciate how healthy you look. I will try my best to give you the rest that you need in order for you to glow....yes, no late hours and less alcohol.

13. Hair: I appreciate how you flow and make me look good. I know that sometimes you like to doll up and look different but often, I'm too lazy and simply just wash you and let you air-dry. I promise to try harder. I've stopped coloring you because I know you hate all the chemicals and you might have noticed that I've switched to an organic shampoo so that you feel cleaner and lighter.


Love,
me.

This post was inspired by Creativity Prompt and Thursday 13.

Reflections of an aunt

Supplies: Patterned paper: Basic Grey, Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp (black) & K & Co (large R), Stickers: Toga (Black) & Adorn It, Others: Ribbon, felt, twill, black pen, clear button, thread, recycled folder.

I love being an aunt. My nephews come over once a week and we have a glorious time together. Kids are really easy to entertain and they basically like to do the same thing over and over again. They are easily excited by the free toys that come with a meal or cereal box and would find fun in anything as long as you engage in the activity with them. I always learn something new from them through our interactions. :)

I made this from an old folder which I covered with Basic Grey paper (the boys love dinosaurs!) and used felt for the spine (paper tends to crumple). Added some ribbon scraps & managed to spell the word "reflections" by mixing chipboard letters. If you look closely, you can tell that I ran out of the letter "e" and improvised somehow (with "c"). The letters were outlined with a white pen and then topped with glossy accents.

This post was inspired by the prompt at One Little Word.

I love giraffes

Aren't these the cutest giraffes?

This picture post was inspired by Ruby Tuesday.

Today is what you make of it

Supplies: Tree stamp: Luxe Designs, Puffy Stickers: American Crafts, Letter stickers: Adorn It, Others: paint, animal stickers.

Today is what you make of it.

Today I was a painter and painted this piece on canvas...of course I had help...I stamped the trees first, then painted in the colours as suggested by the talented ladies over at this new challenge blog called The Next Step...apparently every one of us can be a mixed media artist..lol.. I had a lot of fun painting the canvas though...my Van Gogh moment...note my impressionist brush strokes..lol..I added the animal and letter stickers for some added dimension. The picture is of my older brother who has loads of baby pics (so jealous ;) in black and white (mine are all in colour...faded of course)...the benefit of being the first born to overzealous parents...

I love the completed piece and feel like an artist.... Painting has such a therapeutic effect, don't you think?

Alter ego

Supplies: Patterned paper: Amy Butler, Cardstock: DCWV, Puffy Stickers: American Crafts, Stickers: Toga, American Crafts, Provo Craft, Distress Ink: Black soot, Others: Ribbon, black pen.

Are you a "yes please" person or a "no thanks" person?

I am a people pleaser. I worry when people don't like me and often wonder why. I am a genuinely nice person with kind intentions. Sometimes, even when I don't feel like doing something, I say "yes" because I know that it would make the other person happy. I wish I could say "no thanks" when I'm over-extended. But more often than not, I say "yes". I know that I don't like every single person I meet so likewise, not every single person is going to like me. But I still worry that when I say "no", others may not ask me again and I might miss out on something really good. Not to mention the extreme guilt I feel about "rejecting" someone. Do you ever say "yes" just to please someone else but not yourself? Do you worry when someone doesn't like you?

This post was inspired by the prompts at Sunday Scribblings and Inspired by Amelie.

Music lover

Supplies: Patterned paper: Scenic Route, Chipboard letters: Bella, Unity Stamp packaging embossed with Cutttlebug embossing folder, Distress ink: Black soot, Others: Sharpie pen, Micron pen & Ribbon.

Never got round to scrapping these photos because I took them with my cellphone and they were less than perfect. But it was one of the 2 occasions that I brought my nephew for his music class so it was definitely worth scrapbooking about...:)

Love Unity Stamp packaging - I embossed, then inked it for some texture. I used kraft paper from Scenic Route that had a beautiful flourish design ( so that I didn't have to stamp!).

Thanks to the team at Scrapping out loud for inspiring me to scrap some imperfect photos!

My perfect day

My perfect day

1. To be awakened by a wonderful dream with solutions to all my problems.
2. My favourite song is playing on the radio when I turn it on.
3. My entourage waiting to greet me...(just my two shit-zus excited about their morning walk)
3. An invigorating morning workout.
4. A relaxing shower.
5. The smell of roasted coffee beans.
6. A hearty breakfast.
7. A meaningful blog comment in my mailbox.
8. An inspiring movie.
9. Surprise snail mail from a friend living in another country.
10. A text message on my cellphone from a loved one telling me that I'm going to have a beautiful day.
11. Ice-cream.
12. Freshly ironed and clean bedsheets.
13. Knowing that tomorrow might just be another perfect day.

This post was inspired by Thursday 13. Hope you are having YOUR perfect day.

Cheeky cheeky monkey

Supplies: Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket, Ink: Distress Ink in Black Soot & Stazon in black, Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp, Stickers: Toga, Others: Kaiser Clock kit, ribbon, chain, wood piece, black pen, clear acrylic & glossy accents.

The prompt at The Creative Type finally gave me the push to complete this 12 x 12 clock layout of my nephew S...Got to use up my chipboard numbers! Yay!

My uncle

Supplies: Patterned paper: Sassafras, Cardstock: Bazzill, Puffy stickers: American Crafts, Letter stickers: Adorn It, Others: Sakura Micron pen

This is my favourite uncle. The one who taught me all the DIY stuff - how to unclog the toilet, change a light bulb, paint walls & use power tools. He's the sort who'd rather teach me how to do something than do it for me...unless I plead and act cute...lol... I am blessed and lucky to have him in my life. Thanks to him, I can do some of the stuff that are normally reserved for the "man of the house"....which makes me pretty handy to have around...:)

This layout was inspired by this week's challenge at Scrapping the Music. I used the words "blessed and lucky" in my journaling (from the song "These are the days"). I wanted a full-length shot of us but made do with what I had...I drew it in..lol...Love the Sassafras frames. Just added some letter stickers to them.

*Edited* I won this week's challenge at Scrapping the Music and this layout is now hanging in Hall of Fame...:)

Playtime

Supplies:Patterned paper: Scenic Route & Basic Grey (birdcage), Cardstock: Bazzill, Chipboard tag: K & Co, Others: Buttons, ink & lace.

This card was inspired by CPS 116.

Thinking of you today baby

Supplies: Patterned paper: Scenic Route, Cardstock: Bazzill, Ink: Denim, Postmark stamp: Inkadinkado, Others: Lace, ribbon, button, puzzle letters

This card was inspired by sketch #15 at Card Patterns.

Giraffes

Supplies: Patterned paper: Sassafras, Cardstock: Bazzill, Transparency: Hambly, Puffy stickers: American Crafts, Others: Animal stickers, thread & white pen.

I've always been fascinated by giraffes. I love their long, graceful neck and their cute faces. No zoo visit is ever complete without seeing the giraffes! Needless to say, I have a lot of giraffe memorabilia...:)

A lot of handstitching on this piece...around the trees (if you look carefully, I even stitched the name of the zoo!) and the lines for journaling.

This piece was inspired by the prompt at A True Friend.

You are my dear

Supplies: Patterned paper: Sassafras, Cardstock: DCWV (magenta) & Bazzill (blue & white), Brads: Making Memories (hearts) & EK Success (letters), Others: Fiskars border punch, ribbon, heart-shaped sticker & thread.

This is the card I made for sketch # 32 at Crafts 4 eternity.

Sashimi

Supplies: Patterned paper: Basic Grey & Sassafras (frame), Cardstock: Coredinations (base) & Bazzill (photo mat), Puffy stickers: American Crafts, Stickers: Toga, Others: ribbon, white pen

The prompt at Category Stories is "What's cooking?"...Apparently, nothing. I like my food raw...:) Salads, fruits and sashimi of course...with fresh wasabi and soy sauce with radish...yum..An acquired taste most definitely...the first time I tried it, I gagged and told myself never to try it again...well, never say "never"...:)

Disconnected

I have experienced some days when nothing on my computer works. The modem appears to work but I can't get connected to the internet. I reboot and try again. It still doesn't work. I try to edit my photos with Photoshop and the computer tells me I don't have enough memory to run the program. I clear some files. I reboot and try again. Still no luck. I try to open a Word document and it can't start the program either. NOTHING works. Argh! Technology twilight zone! I power off and go do something else.

The next day: I turn on the computer and EVERYTHING works. Guess the computer just needs a day of total disconnection. Do you have such an experience?

This post was inspired by Sunday Scribblings.

Cousins at a wedding

Supplies: Patterned paper: Webster's Pages (base), Sassafras (birdcage) & Creative Imaginations (photo mat), Stickers: Toga, Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp, Paper flowers: Prima, Others: Bling

One of my cousins, M, got married late last month and so I got a chance to catch up with my extended family. These are my girl cousins whom I grew up with but now, we meet only once a year or maybe a few times more if there are weddings (or funerals)....a fact of life...:(Still, it was great to catch up, giggle like kids, get all dolled up & of course, take lots of photos! It would be great to be closer to these gals but we'll always have great memories of childhood. Also, who knows what might happen down the road? I am hopeful.:)

This layout was in part inspired by the challenge at The Story Matters which is to showcase the women in your life and also by the challenge at Butterfly Crafts which is to use your favourite colour (black & white is allowed). Pink is my current favourite colour...:) Interestingly, I never liked the colour as a kid...lol...

Dearest Jeremy

Supplies: Patterned paper: Creative Imaginations (base paper), Basic Grey (bird cages) & Sassafras (clouds & journaling frame), Cardstock: Bazzill, Others: ribbon, paint, white pen, blue pen & butterfly accents.

Last month, my sister-in-law gave birth to this little cutie - my third nephew! :) I'm so excited to scrap baby photos! This layout was inspired by the prompt at The Creative Type which is to use your handwriting. The title was hand-drawn, painted and outlined with a white pen. I also used the blue paint for the border, then hand-wrote the word "baby" repeatedly with a white pen. The journaling was also handwritten.

Two pairs of feet

Supplies: Patterned paper: Basic Grey, Cardstock: Bazzill, Felt: Fancy Pants, Brads: Basic Grey, Stickers: American Crafts (green & blue), Renoir (black) & Toga (black & white), Photo turns: Daisy Bucket (white) & American Crafts (black), Others: Transparency, black ink, black pen, white paint & clear acrylic.

Last weekend, when my two nephews were watching Horton, I realized that their feet were almost the same size! Even though O is younger than S by almost two years! Evidently a scrapbook moment...lol..

This is my layout for the challenge over at One Little Word. They are TWO this May! I only discovered the site this year when I started blogging. But I've enjoyed all the challenges so far...:) Who knew one little word could be so impactful?

Be

Supplies: Patterned paper: Basic Grey, Cardstock: Bazzill, Felt & chipboard tag: Fancy Pants, Stamp: Unity, Chipboard letters: American Crafts, Brad: Imaginisce, Others: ribbon, white pen, ink, glimmer mist, paint.

The challenge over at Caardvarks is to create a card with a verse or quote. I used my Basic Grey scraps and finally got to use my new Unity stamp!

Fly

"He who loves, flies, runs and rejoices;

He is free, and nothing holds him back."

Henry Matisse

Supplies: Cardstock, doiley, stickers, embossing folder, ink, border punch & "fairy" stamps.

Ever wish you had wings and could fly?

Sometimes I do. When I'm stuck in traffic. Or when I'm feeling overwhelmed. I think it would be fantastic to soar in the sky and see the world from up above.

I have not been feeling very inspired this week...that generally means organizing my craft supplies in the hopes of getting creative again...found these fairy stamps and decided that they would be perfect for Card Patterns sketch 14. This is another large card...somehow I have a lot to write in a card..lol... The design team at Card Patterns did a fabulous job with this sketch. Guest designer Peter van Tilburg's made a fantastic card..Sonya once again impressed with her interpretation...Ingrid's card is just so sweet...and Fiona's card is simple and elegant.

Love my mum

Supplies: Patterned paper: American Crafts (brown background flourishes), Paper Salon (white, brown & blue), Sassafras (deer), Cut-out flourishes (brand unknown), Cardstock: Bazzill (blue & brown) & DCWV (copper), Brads: American Crafts (gold), Stickers: Toga (brown) and American Crafts (blue), Flowers: Prima, Overlay: Hambly, Ink: Brilliance (gold on embossed cardstock), Distress (vintage photo & walnut stain), Others: Ribbon, lace, ice-cream sticks (for titling), sanding block (for photo).

This week's song at Scrapping the music is "Secret Valentine" and the challenge over at Scrapping out loud is to be inspired by this Chinese proverb -" Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand."

This is a page dedicated to my mum. Without her, I wouldn't have learnt how to cook, sew, clean, read, garden...and so much more. Of course, when I had to do those chores as a kid, I wasn't very happy about it...but now I really appreciate the "training" I went through because it has made me the independent and compassionate person that I am today . Thanks mum!


I may have gone overboard with the flourishes on this piece..lol.. just wanted to use up all the scraps from my previous projects..a 12 x 12 sheet of paper can take you really far if you use it well..:)...I even took out my Cuttlebug to emboss a piece of cardstock for this layout [I'm one of those who don't use a product when I don't see it, are you?]. I like the effect of gold ink on embossed paper - grand! I've kept this piece of Hambly for a long time...just couldn't bear to use it..I'm crazy about bracket shapes (are you?). I have one traced out from a Jenni Bowlin paper and recently purchased Heidi Swapp's bracket masks. And Prima flowers are just so beautiful..:) I really like the Magnum ice-cream sticks too (my once-a-week indulgence..yum...the dark chocolate has antioxidants and milk has calcium for strong bones...)..just ink the edges and they look great...


The journaling on this piece is hidden..;)

BTW, my friend Aimee made some cool Mother's Day IOU coupons that you can download and print for free. They're so cute and would look great on a layout too. Go check them out here. You can also check how other crafters are paying tribute to their mothers here.

A Blast From The Past!

Supplies: Patterned paper: Making memories (background), Sassafras (photo border), Scenic Route (handcut flowers), Cardstock: Bazzill (brown), Stickers: Adorn it, Mask: Tim Holtz, Ink: Ranger Distress (vintage photo, marmalade, brushed corduroy, walnut stain), Chipboard: American Crafts, Brads: American Crafts, Vintage keyhole: Anna Griffith, Die-cut paper clip: Daisy Bucket, Others: red thread, button

My mother's past, that is...;)

May's challenge over at ScrapInspireCreate is up! This month's challenge is A Blast From the Past. You have to scrap an old photo with some vintage elements. The deadline is midnight, 31 May 2009 (+8GMT).

I was psyched to have found this old photo of my mother with her colleagues back in the 70s before I was born. Many have said that I'm a replica of my mother. Can you spot her in the photo?

Card Patterns Sketch 13 Enjoy card

Supplies: Patterned paper: Basic Grey & Teresa Collins (text), Cardstock: DCWV (black) & Coredinations (cranberry), Chipboard pieces: Fancy Pants, Flowers: Prima, Pearls: Kaiser, Stamps: Heidi Swapp ("enjoy") & Luxe (leaf), Others: Paint (leaf chipboard), glimmer mist, stickles, black pen, ribbon.

I decided to make a tall card for the challenge at Card Patterns. I used my pretty Basic Grey scraps and my latest obsession - Prima flowers...lol..A little painting, glimmer misting and some paper cutting...a lot of fun. Don't forget to check out the awesome design team inspirations here. I really love Sonya & Michelle's cards...

Have a beautiful day!