4 must-have supplies....a giveaway!

Hello friends! Today I would like to share with you 4 of my must-have craft supplies....things that make my heart sing....:)

1. Tombow multi-purpose adhesive

Best liquid adhesive ever! Seriously. I use it on almost everything. I was hysterical when I couldn't find it in my stationery store. Turns out they were just out of stock for a couple of days. *LOL*

2. Maya mist

This is hands-down my fave brand for mists. The mists dry almost instantaneously on paper. Since they were designed to coat Maya Road chipboard, the colours are intense and a little goes a long way! I have yet to finish a single bottle [and I don't have that many colours..14...*winks*]. I use it primarily for misting on paper and use a brush to paint it on chipboard instead of misting [less wastage].

3. Ranger Stickles

I love the look of glitter but not the mess it leaves behind. Ranger Stickles is easy to apply, cover up a multitude of crafting sins and adds a lovely sparkle to any project. I love to dab a little behind clear embellishments...it adds that bit of glitter and serves as glue too! :)

4. Sakura Pigma Micron pen

Acid-free and archival. Fade-proof, bleed-proof and water-proof. It's my go-to pen for writing. I love the fact that it's waterproof because I spill water a lot...*LOL* [fortunately water is my fave drink so ants don't get to join the party! ] I love 08 because the thick nip makes my handwriting fat and round and cute! :)

There you have it. 4 of my must-have craft supplies. What are yours?

I'm thinking I should share my 4 must-have supplies with at least one of you, right? *winks*
Leave a comment telling me about your must-have craft supplies and I'll pick a winner in a week or so! :)

P/s:  Happy weekend friends! Come play along with my guest Miae Rowe's masking tape challenge and LESSology Challenge #15: The Bookend Challenge! :)

How to repurpose without creating unnecessary clutter.

As consumers, we wind up with lots of bottles, boxes and other typically discarded items. It's hard to save EVERYTHING to repurpose without creating unnecessary clutter OR fire hazards in our homes though. Contrary to popular belief *winks*, I do not "save" everything....*LOL* Here are 3 ways to help you repurpose without creating unnecessary clutter. :)

*New* This was a project I did over the weekend. :)

1. Bring home LESS stuff.

Be practical in your stuff selection. Unless you have unlimited space and time, it's hard to achieve zero waste. I try not to bring home unnecessary boxes. I like to upcycle things that I can stack like tins and boxes. Or small bits that I can slip into little projects. Or something I want to work on immediately. After a while, you will be able to pinpoint the stuff that works well for you and do your part for Mother Earth. I am very selective about the stuff I bring home. 

How to turn a board book into a frame.

2. Organize your stuff.

I have a dedicated storage space for things I intend to upcycle/repurpose [aka keep-it-for-rainy-day stash]. Because the space is limited, I have to edit [read: use] constantly.

A glittered up castle.

3. Set a deadline for using [oversized] stuff.

The recycling truck comes by every fortnight. If I can't get started on a project, I put it in the recycling bin. Having oversized stuff around for too long overwhelms me and affects my chi. If I can make it a temporary storage unit or have thrown some paint on it, it gets to stay for a bit longer. :) [Okay sometimes I conveniently "forget" the pick-up date to sneakily buy myself more time...separation anxiety *LOL*]

There you have it. 3 ways you can repurpose without creating unnecessary clutter. What other ideas do you have?

When time stood still...

I love this beautiful photo of my cousin and her husband...sharing a passionate kiss right after the vows...when time stood still. :)

I decided against cropping the background scene out because I think it aids in telling the story of this magical moment...when time stood still. [plus both the bride and groom's mothers were clapping happily in the background.:)]

Playing along with the vintage challenge at The Studio and the sketch challenge at C'est Magnifique.

Supplies: Carta Bella patterned papers, Crafter's Workshop stencil, Maya mist, Jenni Bowlin button, Prima canvas letters and swirls, trim.

P/s: Come play along with my guest Miae Rowe's masking tape challenge and LESSology Challenge #15: The Bookend Challenge! :)

*Edited* This layout made Top 5 at C'est Magnifique.

The art of clustering....5 ways!

One of the best things about crafting is the embellishing part.... Agree? :) I love creating clusters of cool embellishments along with some found stuff of course. But I'm not big on unnecessary layering...I use scraps as mats, fit small odd-sized pieces under something and try to create the illusion of layers....[better for mother nature and my pocket! *winks*]. Here are my 5 tips on the art of clustering...[okay in my case...it's to tuck my upcycled item inconspicuously somewhere..*LOL*]...

1.  Think tactile.

Incorporate different textures to create interest.
Here I used texture paste, punchinella, stickers, twine, chipboard and buttons.

2. Group similar themed elements together.

Similar themed elements like flowers and butterflies convey a sense of harmony when they are placed in close proximity to each other.




3. Add an unexpected element to create a focal point.

The broken toy fishing net served as a focal point for me to build the rest of the cluster around with chipboard, photo turns, brads, stickers and old envelope.

4. Play with sizes.

Varying the sizes of elements help to guide the eye around the surrounding areas.

5. Mix textures within a single colour family.

Here I went with a natural colour palette....and mixed burlap, corrugated board, beads, charm and canvas in s similar hue.


There you have it. 5 tips on the art of clustering. What do you think?

What do you like to reminisce about when looking at scrapbook pages?

What do you like to reminisce about when looking at scrapbook pages?
For me, I like to laugh at funny moments captured in snapshots that tell a story..... like these pictures of my cousins. The larger picture shows the bride, about to toss her bridal bouquet...you can see her sister in the foreground...No prizes for guessing who caught the bouquet... *winks*

Playing along with the challenges at Scrapbook365 and City Crafter Challenge.

Supplies: Luxe patterned papers, Cuttlebug embossing folder, EK success punches, SRM sticker, trim, brad, black button, butterfly embellishments.

Polaroid fun! :)

Haven't done one of these in ages - a 2-pager! :) Love these polaroid shots we took at the "photo booth" at my cousin's wedding...super fun!

Yes, I'm into the really girly stuff these days: doilies and pink blooms! :)

Love that my parents were game to pose for lame photos...*LOL*

Playing along with the polaroid challenge at ScrapFIT.

Supplies: Authentique patterned papers, Maya mist, SRM stickers, 7 Gypsies metal tab, Ranger stickles, Cosmo Cricket chipboard letters. brads, buttons, ribbon, trim, black pen.

P/s: Happy weekend friends! Come play along with my guest Miae Rowe's masking tape challenge and LESSology Challenge #15: The Bookend Challenge! :)

Time to celebrate me...an altered CD tin! :)

So I thought it was about time to celebrate me! *winks* Thanks to Julie E who suggested I should crop my brother out of all my childhood photos...[insert evil laughter...]

 Found this CD tin in my "keep it for a rainy day  stash".....

Added some Crate Paper goodness...trim and seam binding ribbon..

Went a little overboard with the bling!  :)

Supplies: CD tin, Crate Paper patterned papers and chipboard, Ranger Crackle Paint, pearls, trim, bling, buttons, wood embellishment, white paint, old locket and necklace, lace, ribbon, paper blooms.

P/s: Come play along with my guest Miae Rowe's masking tape challenge! :)

Watch & learn...

So after half a day of playing with his new toy [while it was still in the box !], littlest nephew J finally asked for help to assemble his new toy...while his sister, S, patiently watched on...

The moment J got tired of playing with his toy [some 2 hours later], she started doing what she learned from her brother while watching him play...[that's why girls should rule the world! *High fives all around*]

I was inspired by the sketch challenge at Challenge Me Happy.

Supplies: Creative Imaginations mask, Maya Road mists, American Crafts thickers, SRM stickers, Fiskars patterned papers, Prima blooms, black pen, brads.

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge #82

Hello friends! Just wanted to share my card for Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Challenge #82 [I'm guest designer this month].

The challenge is open to all players and a random winner will be chosen to win s SCRS rubber stamp. In order to qualify for a prize, you must use a Sparkle Creations image on your creation. Come play along! :)

I paper-pieced parts of Beach Chloe and coloured her with Copics. I have been trying to use up my paper scraps....the glittered cardstock was a scrap from my cousin's wedding projects...I added some striped vellum paper and some fussy-cut elements.

Supplies: American Crafts patterned papers and cardstock, Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps/Beach Chloe, Copics.

The new toy

Littlest nephew J loves getting new toys. Interestingly though, he loves to admire the new toy in its glorious packaging...for at least half a day [no kidding!]...before he asks for help in opening the box.

Here he is...happily posing with his new toy [still in the box!]...*LOL*

Supplies: Echo Park patterned papers and stickers, SRM stickers, American Crafts thickers, buttons, brads, photo turns, black pen, white pen, twine.

Playing along with the "happy" challenge at Challenge Me Happy.

Ice-cream cake for breakfast!

The nephews stayed over last week and got to celebrate their grandpa's birthday with him. You can tell how happy the grandpa was eh? *LOL*

Okay, I had to wake the older two nephews up just to cut the cake...[only little J is a morning person...*LOL*] But it's not everyday that one gets to have ice-cream cake for breakfast....so all was good once they started eating! *winks*

Supplies: Sassafras and Pebbles patterned papers, SRM stickers, American Crafts thickers, twine, black pen, ribbon, broken toy, various embellishments.

Playing along with the stitching challenge at Frosted Designs. [Mine is faux....love stickers!]

Have you noticed that I always use a "found" object on my projects?

Have you noticed that I always use a "found" object on my projects? *winks* I love my "keep-it-for-a-rainy-day" stash! :) This time I used this brown paper bag [I tried my best to cover up the really beaten-up parts *LOL*].

Added a little texture with crackle paint in rock candy. :)

And of late, I really like creating fun shapes with twine....

Supplies: Crate Paper patterned papers, TH embossing folder, Ranger crackle paint, SRM sticker, twine, trim.

P/s: Have you checked out the awesome masking tape tutorial by my guest Miae Rowe? I would really love for you to play along! :)