Believe

When I started gardening a few years ago, I didn't plant any flowering plants, just some leafy ones. I love flowers but didn't like how they bloomed for such a short while, then withered and died ugly. It reflected my life too. I was contented but uninspired. Then I got a flowering plant and I got a taste of how fulfilling it was to tend to a flowering plant and watch it bloom. When the flowers withered and all that was left were the leaves, I continued to nurture the plant with the hope that it would bloom again. In the process, I have killed many plants by overdoing everything...too much water, too much sunlight, too much fertilizer. I learned to let go a little but still held on to the belief that they would bloom. Eventually they did, over and over again, providing many repeated moments of self fulfillment. :) Happiness is like a blooming flower. You must believe that you deserve it. And you must work hard for it. You won't always enjoy it but it's worth the effort. Now I go around planting flowering seeds. Are you doing the same?

Inspired by Inch by Inch Art.

Birds eating papayas

One of my favourite fruits is the papaya. Red, sweet and juicy and packed with loads of antioxidants. My bestie thinks it's bird food. This is a picture of some birds eating papayas at the bird park. Can you see them? And what's left of the papayas? :)

Inspired by Ruby Tuesday.

Hi Poser

Supplies: Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket, Cardstock: Bazzill, DCWV, Chipboard: Heidi Swapp, Flower stickers: Sticko, Others: bird stickers, ribbon, glossy accents, stickles, white pen, black pen

I'm so proud of this little poser! He's well-trained and always ready to pose for a photo. I've been sticking a camera in front of his face every Saturday (or whenever my brother brings him over) since he was 2 years old (he'll be 5 in November) and it clearly shows! He's always ready to smile or make funny faces at the camera...My sweet nephew...:)

Inspired by Mix it up & Scrapping the Music.

Macaws

A pair of macaws enjoying the shade...:)

Happy Monday!

Inspired by Mellow Yellow Monday.

We are pals

Supplies: Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket, Cardstock: Bazzill, Stickers:Renoir & Doodlebug Designs, Others: Ribbon, glossy accents, white pen, buttons

I watched the movie "I love you, man" with my bestie last Friday. We laughed so hard. Have you seen it?

So, this post is dedicated to my bestie, A. I'm so glad that we are pals. :)

Inspired by Card Patterns & Pile it on.

* Edited* I made the top 3 scoops at Pile it On! Sweet! :)

Flamingos

Flamingos at my local bird park.

Inspired by Shadow Shot Sunday. Have a beautiful Sunday!

Dreamer

Please click on photo for larger image.

Supplies: Patterned paper: Collage Press, Cardstock: Bazzill, Swirl felt: Queen & Co, Chipboard: Fancy Pants, Stamps: Autumn leaves, Others: Ribbon, transparency (photo), pearl strand, ric rac, thread, lace, crackle paint, ink, brads, cuttlebug embossing folder, blind material (textured background).

This is the layout I created for the challenge over at Let's get Shabby. I used a ton of scraps on this...yay! :) The textured background (vertical lines) was repurposed from old blind material and mounted on white cardstock. The cluster of ribbon flowers were from an old tissue holder which has seen better days :(. All the ribbon, lace and ric racs were small remnant pieces from previous projects. Some stitching was done on the patterned paper and to secure the pearls to the layout. A small piece of cardstock was embossed with swirls to match the felt swirls used in the layout. The brown inks used were distressed inks in vintage photo, brushed corduroy and tea dye. I stamped some round stamps on vellum paper with brilliance ink, cut them out then attached them to the patterned paper like "round" flowers. Not my usual style so the whole process took a long time. What do you think? Can I pull off th shabby chic look?

B'coz of you

Supplies: Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket, Cardstock: Bazzill, Chipboard flower: Fancy Pants, Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp, Stickers: Doodlebug Designs, Distress Inks: Scattered Straw & Tea Dye, Others: Ribbon, glossy accents, white pen, brown pen, felt flowers.

My first 2 page layout this year! This was inspired by this week's song at Scrapping the Music - Because of you. There are 13 photos on this layout. I was trying to get my nephew O, to smile at the camera but failed miserably...lol...He just refused to look my way...check out his expressions in the pictures...

Waterfall

There's something about a waterfall that is very appealing...is it the rapid flow of water or is it the luscious greenery that usually surrounds it? This is the image I conjure up when I have to endure the heat on the sunny island I live on. How do you stay cool?

Inspired by Watery Wednesday.

You smell so good

Supplies: Patterned paper: Basic Grey, Cardstock: Bazzill, Word stamp (baby): Heidi Swapp, Stickers: Doodlebug Designs, Chipboard: Fancy Pants, Others: Ribbon, white pen, photo corner punch, black ink, embossing powder

I love babies. I love how tiny their hands and feet are. I especially LOVE how they smell.

This layout features my littlest nephew, J. ( I have 3 nephews!) At two months, he startled me when he laughed out loud along with me when I was watching a sitcom - gums showing and all...awww...so cute! By the time I whipped out my camera, it was too late. I tried to fake laughing out loud but there's no tricking this little fella. Since I see him just once a week, I'll just have to wait for another opportunity to capture that elusive shot. Right now, I'll just have to be contented with this shot.

Another quick layout...I stamped the word baby all over the baby with distress ink in black soot, heat embossed, then smeared ink all over. Added the patterned paper, ribbon and then faux stitching with a white pen along the edges. I inked the chipboard with distress ink, then outlined with a white pen. The title for this piece was inspired by One Little Word.

Be brave

This post is dedicated to my friend Aimee who celebrates her birthday today. She, like many of us, has endured some tough emotional times and yet she remains upbeat.

Be brave Aimee. The best is yet to be. Happy birthday!

Inspired by this week's theme: Courage at Inch by Inch art.

Red phone booth

I was really excited to see this red phone booth...my two nephews? Not so apparently...:)

Inspired by Ruby Tuesday.

Lories

I love the colours on these lories! They are so bright and cheery!

Inspired by Mellow Yellow Monday.

Happy day

Supplies: Patterned paper: October Afternoon, Cardstock: Bazzill, Letter brad: EK Success, Stickers: Toga, Felt leaves: Queen & Co, Wood letter: Kaiser Craft, Others: Red paint, white pen.

I believe in the power of visualization and affirmation. Do you?

We see things we want to see. Even when others don't see the same things. It is good if we can visualize the happy things that we want in life. It is bad if we dwell too much on the unhappy past. There's nothing we can do about the past but our future is certainly in our hands. I choose to have a happy day. Everyday. I hope you do too. :)

Inspired by Sunday Scribblings & Card Patterns.

Ducks

I love ducks! Do you?

A bird enjoying a dip

A bird enjoying a dip...:)

Inspired by Shadow Shot Sunday. Happy Sunday! :)

Keep it tight

Supplies: Patterned paper: Imaginisce, Cardstock: Bazzill, Scallop chipboard: Fancy Pants, Brads: Basic Grey, Border punch: Fiskars, Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp, Gromlet: We r memory keepers, Letter stickers: Toga & Doodlebug designs, Others: Sharpie pen (blue), white pen, black pen, ribbon, ink & white paint

This layout features my Aunt G, my grandma and my mum at my cousin P's wedding last year. I wish I was closer to my extended family but we really only meet at such occasions - new year, weddings and funerals...So, the words on the background "keep it tight" alludes to my wish to keep the family bond with my extended family tight. These words were inspired by this week's challenge at Scrapping the Music.

Additionally I was really inspired by the tutorial that Bethany Kartchner at The Next Step gave on how to alter patterned paper. I used Imaginisce paper with grid lines on it (yellow) and wrote the words "keep it tight" all over with a blue Sharpie pen, then outlined with a white pen. I then inked the edges with distress ink in Denim. This was then matted on red cardstock....then my favourite faux stitching...

Incidentally , this layout met the criteria for this month's scene challenge over at Scrap the girls.

View from the amphitheatre

View from the amphitheatre at my local bird park.

Inspired by Skywatch Friday. Are you watching the sky?

Play with water

[Please click on image to enlarge]

Supplies: Patterned paper: Paper Salon & October Afternoon, Cardstock: Bazzill, Stamp: Technque Tuesday, Ink: Versa Fine (Majestic Blue) & Distress Inks (Walnut Stain, Vintage photo, Denim), Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp, Others: Cork paper, Ribbon, buttons, glossy accents, brown pen.

Do you like to play with water? I LOVE it. I love the feeling of water coming down on me in the shower or a relaxing soak in the bath tub. I LOVE to swim in the pool. I used to live in an apartment that had a patio that opened out to the pool...I swam every day I could...ahhh...miss those days...:) ...the only part I don't enjoy is the part when my skin gets all wrinkly..:(

This layout features my nephew S, enjoying his moment in the tub at Grandma's. My brother doesn't have a tub at home so bathtime in the tub is always a treat for the boys. And the aunt with the camera...:)

Except for the base sheet of cardstock, the rest of the layout was made from scraps..:) and inspired by the challenge at Scrapping Out Loud this week...to use blue, brown and cream & the word "PLAY". There's still time to play along!

Who knew?

Supplies: Patterned paper: Fancy Pants, Sassafras & Kaisercraft, Cardstock: DCWV(silver) & Bazzill (blue & red), Stamp: Prima, Ink: Brilliance & Distress Inks, Others: Ribbon, buttons, Tim Holtz mask, stickers.

Who knew a pencil box could make a boy so happy? I bought my nephew a pencil box...the kind with a lot of compartments and buttons...which I had as a kid...did you? He loved it. And had a fun time playing with it and posing for pictures with his new "toy".

Some masking and inking. The background is silver cardstock (which is so hard to photograph!). And my favourite these days - faux stitching with a silver pen.

This layout was inspired by Ad This.

Love to travel

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill, Stamps: Technique Tuesday & Maya Road, Stickers: Doodlebug Designs & Toga, Ink: Brilliance Graphic Black, Others: Embossing powder.

I love to travel. Do you? I try to go away for a few days every year. Just to experience the smells and sights of a world different from my own. I always try to send a postcard home...of course, it often arrives after I've returned home... but it's nice to relive that travel experience from a postcard I've sent myself.

This piece was inspired by Inch by Inch Art. Please join in the fun!

The scent of a woman

The scent of a woman. In a gloriously designed bottle.

I love this uplifting scent from Moschino. I feel empowered when I wear this scent. I don't wear it everyday (because I have way too many bottles of perfume) but I wear it every time I feel like I need a lift. This is my go-to scent. What's yours?

Inspired by Ruby Tuesday.

Be happy

Supplies: Patterned paper: Sassafras, Cardstock: Bazzill, Stickers: Doodlebug, Gromlet: We R Memory Keepers, Others: Cork paper, ribbon, white pen, fabric leaves & felt embellishment.

I watched Night in Rodanthe last night and cried. A lot. Should have known that it would be a tearjerker since it's from the author of The Notebook. It just reminded me how fleeting happy moments in life are. So live in the moment. Be happy.

This card was made entirely from scraps...:) and inspired by Card Patterns Sketch 19.

Goodbye RAV 4

Supplies: Patterned paper: Scenic Route & Teresa Collins, Cardstock: Bazzill, Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp, Stickers: Toga & Doodlebug, Star stamp: Autumn Leaves, Star chipboard: Fancy Pants, Star brad: American Crafts, Others: round wood chip, cork paper, white paint, sandpaper, white pen & black pen.

Back in February, we said goodbye to our family car of 6 years..:( These were some of the pictures we took...

I was inspired by the challenge over at Mix It Up to use at least 5 stars on your LO and they must all be made of different materials. Can you spot the stars in mine?

My giraffe nail clipper

I've had this since I was a kid. It makes me happy. And it works well too. My nephews love it when I use it to trim their nails. What do you have from your childhood that still makes you happy today?

Have a beautiful Monday!

Inspired by Mellow Yellow Monday.

Do good guys finish last?

The other day, my 80 year old grandma said something that I found absurd. At least initially. She said that there is no need to be overly nice because good people don't always triumph in life. Her observation stems from watching drama serials on television where the "good" guys "die off" in the early episodes while the "bad" guy remains "smug and arrogant" till the very last episode. Sometimes, the "bad" guy gets punished, at other times, the ending is open-ended. I told her that it only happens in "reel" life. But it really got me thinking - do good guys really finish last?

Inspired by this week's prompt at Sunday Scribblings.

My journals

Supplies: Patterned paper: Sassafras & Cosmo Cricket, Chipboard key: Delish, Chipboard letters: Pressed petals, Stickers: Doodlebug, ProvoCraft, Others: Glimmer mist (burnt red), black pen, Stazon, stamp, cork paper

Please click on picture to see the details on the layout.

This week's challenge over at Scrapping Out Loud really got me thinking...if there was a fire and you've already saved your family (pets included), your photos and your scrapbooks...but there's still time to go back for something...what would you go back to save?

I chose my journals...they represent parts of me at different points in time. They contain my dreams, my achievements, my favourite quotes, my to-do lists and my random thoughts.

What would you save?

Start the day

Supplies: Patterned paper: Rouge de Garance (base), Scenic Route & Sassafras. Jaggered chipboard (painted blue): Fancy Pants, Chipboard tags: K & Co,Letter chipboard: Heidi Swapp & Cosmo Cricket, Brad: Basic Grey, Others: Ribbon, black pen, white pen, stickles, paint.

Start the day with playtime! In the tub! I had to scrapbook this funny picture of my nephew O when he was playing in the tub. He was having so much fun ...Check out his expression...lol.. I used Poladroid for the photo. I altered the patterned paper and chipboard tags by outlining/colouring with a black pen and then added stickles. The title for the LO was inspired by this week's challenge at Scrapping the Music.

Driving

Do you like to drive? I do. I know a lot of people drive just to get to places. I love the driving experience. Especially when I'm alone. Just cruising and singing along to the music on the stereo. I suppose that it does help that I live on a small island and it takes probably an hour to drive from one end to the other. Along with the joys of driving, there are some things I don't like about driving... Can you relate?

1. Meeting drivers on the road who overtake you, then proceed to drive very very SLOWLY. I'm not a speed demon nor a road hog and honestly can't understand why any driver would want to do this. Totally unnecessary and extremely irritating.

2. Meeting pedestrians who cross the street 5 metres away from the pedestrian crossing, then give you the EVIL eye when you honk to warn them that you are approaching.

3. Wondering why there is a jam on the highway I'm on when the accident that just occurred is in the opposite direction.

4. Meeting drivers who drive exceedingly SLOW in the fast lane.

5. Meeting drivers who drive with their signal lights blinking for a really LONG time. This really drives me crazy somehow.

6. Meeting drivers who swerve in and out of traffic like they are Formula One drivers.

7. Meeting drivers who constantly step on their brakes when it's apparent that there is no obvious obstacle ahead.

8. Meeting pedestrians who cross the road extremely SLOWLY when the green man is blinking (This excludes old folks and people with children) and I'm trying to make a turn.

9. Meeting drivers who don't turn on their headlights when driving at night.

10. Tailgating.

11. Cyclists who want to be both MOTORISTS and PEDESTRIANS. All rules are in their favor.

12. Meeting drivers who cut into your lane without signaling their intentions thus forcing you to jam your brakes.

13. Pedestrians who cross behind a car when it is REVERSING.

Inspired by Thursday 13.

Scissors

How many pairs of scissors does one really need?

The other day, my sister came into my room and remarked, "Why do you need so many pairs of scissors?"

Good question. I have one pair of scissors strictly for cutting fabric, I have another pair just for cutting labels and tags. One for stickers. One for real precision cutting. One for cutting plastic stuff. One for general stuff. One for really thick stuff. One for paper. One for threads. One I have had since I was a kid. One came free in a stationery set. Is that too many?

How many pairs do you have?

Inspired by Ruby Tuesday.

Yum!

Such a hot day. Perfect for a dessert like this.

This post was inspired by Mellow Yellow Monday.

These boys are amazing

Supplies: Patterned paper: Sassafras, October Afternoon, Scenic Route, Fancy Pants, Carstock: Bazzill, Brads: Making Memories, Chipboard letters: Heidi Swapp, Stickers: American Crafts, Doodlebug, Ink: Fired Brick, Others: Wood chip, white pen.

The June challenge at Scrap Inspire Create is up! This month's challenge is to scrap about "Parenthood". My layout celebrates the joys of "aunthood" . Perhaps it's because I see these boys only once a week but I really enjoy the fun that we have together. A chance for my brother & his wife to spend time away from the kids (mostly in the living room playing mahjong with my parents) and my chance to play the role of a parent (without the stretch marks)...:) We engage in numerous activities including role-playing, reading, drawing, painting, watching cartoons, napping... I don't spend enough time with them to be bored by them..lol...And everything I make gets the thumbs up from them (especially if it features pics of them)...my own fan club!

I used only scraps for this LO...tied them together using faux stitching. You can tell by my last few LOs that I'm very into using a white pen these days...lol...it's an economical and time-saving way to create dimension. You must give it a try! These pinwheels are really fun to make...great way to make use of paper scraps. Just cut 3 x 3 inch squares, cut them diagonally and fold them in. Works really well for double-sided papers.

Remember to join in the fun!

Soul Mates

Do you believe in soul mates?

I do. There are some people that I naturally gravitate to. I may not even have anything in common with them. It just feels nice and comfortable to be in their company. My paternal grandfather made me feel that way. When he was alive, I would visit him weekly. We would chat about the most trivial of things like the weather or what we had for lunch. Yet, there was this warm comfortable feeling that can't be described in words. When he passed on, it was like a piece of me just died along with him.

Then there have been people I have met just once and there is this intense chemistry. Our chi just agrees with each other's. I've always believe that attraction is instant and I always trust my instincts. Some of my closest friendships have been based on this. These may not be friends I meet frequently but when we do meet, it's like we've never been apart, we just pick off from where we left off.

I believe that we can have many soul mates in life. And we must be open to that possibility.

This post was inspired by Sunday Scribblings.

Yes

pSupplies: Patterned paper: American Crafts & Paper Salon, Cardstock: Bazzill, Chipboard: Heidi Swapp, Stickers: Doodlebug, Others: Ribbon, white pen, cork paper, stickles.

I've always wanted to design and make really cool and functional furniture. I love hidden spaces and drawers. This "kai" table by Japanese designer Hirakoso is really something I could envision doing. Look at all the hidden spaces to store stuff! I could totally store all my scrap stuff! :) Yes. This is what I want to do - design really cool and functional furniture. What's your dream job?

This layout was inspired by the prompts at One Little Word and Category Stories.

Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunset

This post was inspired by Scenic Sunday.

You seriously crack me up

Supplies: Patterned paper: Sassafras, Kraft paper, Bazzill cardstock, Rub-ons: Kaiser (giggles) & American Crafts (seriously), Chipboard: Cosmo Cricket, Foam stamp: Making Memories, Stickers: Toga, Others: White pen, thread, glimmer mist, white paint, walnut ink.

Just a fun layout to share. My oldest nephew S, seriously cracks me up with his antics. He's always entertaining me with his poses...you can tell that he's totally not camera shy...lol..

The challenge over at Scrapping Out Loud is to use rubons on your photo. I don't buy rub-ons very often because they don't last very long in my climate...they flake off or just rub onto the protective sheet they come in. (Anyone has a solution to this problem?). Managed to find some for this LO though. The chipboard was sprayed with glimmer mist to match the patterned paper, then outlined with a white pen. I stamped the background with a foam stamp and white paint, then sprayed glimmer mist (to match the chipboard). Then I sprayed walnut ink in random spots. I used a white pen to extend the design of the patterned paper and used them as journaling spots.

Do join in the fun!

You are so beautiful

Supplies: Patterned paper: Sassafras, Kraft paper, Chipboard letters: Cosmo Cricker(small) & K & Co(large), Distress inks: Black soot, vintage photo, walnut stain, fired brick, weathered wood, old paper. Stamp: Plaid Media, Stickers: Doodlebug designs, Others: Glossy Accents, paint, white pen, thread, paper piercer, gesso, 3D dots

My second nephew O. This little guy is really beautiful. Not a word one would usually use to describe a boy but he really is. He is definitely a looker. Friends and relatives always comment on how good looking he is. He has a quiet charm about him and speaks in the sweetest voice. He enjoys being in the water and playing with the rubber duckies. He can entertain himself and play alone. He is affectionate and always willing to share his food. He eats vegetables willingly...yes, he's only 2.

I mixed up my chipboard fonts to create the title. I painted them with gesso first, then brown paint. After that, I added a layer of Crackle paint (Dried Marigold) in varying degrees of thickness. When the cracks appeared, I added Distress Inks. After which, I used a white pen for some faux stitching. The background of the kraft paper was stamped with distress ink (black soot), then heat embossed with distressed embossing powder (vintage photo). After the chipboard letters were adhered to the background, I used glossy accents randomly on the remainder of the stamped background to create additional texture.


Initially, I planned to do some stitching along the outlines of this lovely Sassafras paper. I started with the bird (alternating orange and green threads) and realized that it would be too much work so I resorted to faux stitching with a white pen instead...:)

The title of this layout was inspired by this week's prompt at Scrapping the Music. The chipboard letters were inspired by the prompt at The Creative Type.

*Edited* I won the challenge at The Creative Type! Sweet! :)

Words & photos

Supplies: Patterned paper: Basic Grey (flourishes), Bampop (speech bubble) & October Afternoon (polka dots), Cardstock: Bazzill (pink) & Coredinations (red) Puffy stickers: American Crafts, Letter brads: EK Success, Distress Inks: Vintage photo, walnut stain, black soot, brushed coduroy, Letter stickers: Toga, Brads: Making Memories, Others: Envelop (from junk mail), paint, apple stickers, leather pieces from old shoes (eyes of owl).

I have great news to share! The lovely ladies from Scrapping Out Loud have selected me to be on their design team from July - December 2009. Thanks Jessica, Denise and Melissa! :) They have also started a forum which you can check out here. You can also check out the blogs of my fellow design team members - Frances Sylvia, Aphra Bolver, Louise Collins, Krista Hanna and Maria Delo.

The layout was what I submitted for the DT Call, incorporating scraps from previous projects & things around the house that have seen better days. My layout - which features a large owl as the design element (a total accident) - was assembled from scraps from bracket shaped layouts (which I couldn't bear to throw away), a large envelop (from junk mail - torn for a little effect) to which I added a flap (I tried out bracket masking for a previous project but didn't like the effect so the piece became a scrap), index photos (which came free whenever I print photos at the store) and leather pieces which formed the eyes of the owl (from an old pair of shoes whose rubber soles have given way). So don't throw away your scraps - find some ways to use them on another project - stretch your supplies and save the earth!