Somebody really likes to make cards...

Now that the Gangster Gang [aka 3 nephews + 1 niece] is into digital media [games on the tablet], I see a lot less of them on Saturdays. I mean, I still hear them when they are arguing over whose turn it is, but I don't really spend time with them until they get bored and ask to watch something on Netflix. Or when they turn into "zombies" and I have to bring them out to the playground to get "unzombified". *LOL*

The first one to get bored is usually the niece. She would come to my room and just stare at me. Apparently, I'm a mind reader. *winks*

"What do you want?" I would ask her.

" I don't know." She would reply.

"You want me to tickle you?" 

"Noooooooooo....."

"You want to sit on my lap?"

"Yes."

Of course, having a child sit on your lap when you are drawing/painting/scrapbooking is not exactly the most ideal of situations. Especially when the child asks a lot of questions. And there's also the weight situation. I draw the line when I can't feel my legs anymore.

"Would you like to make cards?"

"YES!!!!!"

And that was how I got somebody interested in making cards....

Just look at her happy face...somebody really likes to make cards...;)

These days I'm challenging myself to really mix it up when it comes to patterns. Tucking in little bits and pieces here and there...

And then trying to pull the whole thing together with embellishments.

It takes a lot longer on each layout but there's a great sense of satisfaction when the little bits and bobs get used up. :)

Playing along with My Creative Sketches.

Using my paper scraps on my traveller's notebook...:)

So I'm finally getting round to scrapping my travel photos now that I have a few thousand photos on my mobile phone! [I only delete them from my phone when I have them scrapbooked...my phone serves as my backup photo storage unit....that's normal right? *winks*] 

I covered my Midori Traveller's Notebook with map paper [Yes, I've decided that I will NOT hoard my map papers anymore...wish me luck!] and then dug into my paper scrap pile for some fussy-cut elements.

Yes...I found more Basic Grey birds in my scrap pile! Seriously. They are breeding in my stash. All from a single sheet of 12x12 patterned paper. I really can't wait to get to the end and showcase all my projects incorporating the Basic Grey birds [around 40+ projects I think...*LOL*]

I am enjoying mixing up random patterns and getting them to work together. Somehow.

Happy week ahead friends! :)

The one that involved a die-cutting machine...

Yes, this week's card using my scraps involved my die-cutting machine (which you know comes out to play just a few times a year because it resides so far away...in another room) and some child labour too. *winks*

I was die-cutting and the niece wanted to help so she took the diecuts out from the dies. Saved me a ton of time...child labour rocks! *LOL*

Playing along with Just Add Ink. I went with washi tape and flowers.

P/s: Happy weekend friends! :)

My workspace

So it's been a while since I last shared my workspace...:)

As you can clearly see, the stash has grown quite a bit in the last 2 years. *winks*

Here's a closeup so you don't have to zoom in to check out my art supplies. *LOL*

And yes, my Raskog cart is "overloaded" too! Of course, these are just the stash I use more frequently. The rest are in storage somewhere else in the house. *dramatic music plays in the background*


P/s: Can I see your workspace? Leave a link in the comments and I'll check it out. :)

Back together again...

Nephew #2 had chicken pox and was in quarantine for 2 weeks. So we had to take photos when the Gangster Gang got back together again. 

Okay, a bribe in the form of cute personalized self-inking name stamps for each of them was used to elicit cooperation. AKA fake smiles. *LOL*

Of course, I can't get ALL 4 to cooperate of course [that would be like striking the lottery!Haha!]. Nephew #2 insisted on being "away" from the rest of his siblings. *winks*

Still working through the scrap pile...love it when the little bits and pieces can be tucked under here and there to create texture and interest without bulk.

Playing along with The Studio Challenges.

9 ideas for multi-photo layouts

I love using multi-photos to visually tell the story in my layouts...especially since my family tends to "ham it up" for the camera. Oh yes, flip-throughs of the scrapbook albums always elicit laughter. *LOL* Here are 9 ideas for multi-photo layouts taken from my 2012 archives. Enjoy! *winks*

A whimsical scene

1. Vary the shapes and sizes of your photos.

Guest designer at Imaginarium Designs

2. Have fun with a mirrored (sort of) effect.

The convenience factor

3. Mix it up with black/white and coloured photos.

Can you travel light?

4. Punch out your photos.

Single photo or multi-photo layouts?

5. Go with a grid.

I am a sucker for cute stuff

6. Use a corner rounder.

Nobody needs to be traumatised by horrible photos, right?

7.  Incorporate consecutive action silhouette photos.

The sweetest bookworm princess

8. Try a magazine-style layout - one main photo with many smaller photos.

Guess who was trying to tickle himself?

9. Use your photos to answer a question related to your story.

There you have it...9 ideas for multi-photo layouts. I've had fun pulling out these layouts from my 2012 archives...what do you think? Has my style changed?

Let's take a stroll...

"Let's take a stroll around the neighbourhood..." I said to my niece on Saturday.

"Yay!" she beamed excitedly.

Yep. It is really easy to get a 6 year old excited about a stroll, with the possibility of stopping at a playground when she's been watching her brothers play on the tablets all day long. *winks*

She paid attention as I named the plants we saw along the way and was proud of herself for identifying them correctly. And of course, she was happy to pose for photos. :)

I was really pleased with the amount of paper scraps on this layout....even though it has hardly made a noticeable dent in the scrap pile. *LOL*

I love adding dimensional elements on my layouts but keep them relatively flat for easy storage.

 Playing along with Stuck?! Sketches.

P/s: How are you doing with reducing your scrap pile???

Messy backgrounds in my art journal...:)

I like to use my art journal to experiment with my art supplies....try a little of this, layer with a little of that...and then let it all dry naturally overnight. 

Sometimes I wake up in the morning to a lovely surprise as the different supplies dry at different rates and create really really awesome textures...and sometimes I wake up to a terrible muddy mess. *winks*

Which may not be such a bad thing since I can start adding more layers to counter the "ugliness" and make another messy background. *LOL*

My art journal is the catch-all for leftover paint, drippy inks and residual mists.

I use my art journal to "clean" my stencils, test out the nozzles on my mists and experiment with outrageous colour combinations.

It's a great way to use your art supplies in a fun and unencumbered way. Just play!

What about you? Do you have messy backgrounds in your art journal?