Mixed Media Monday - a baby portrait and signing off for the year

 

Hello friends! I'm sharing mixed media baby portrait today....which I started painting in watercolour back in September but never completed because I was obsessed with watercolour florals. *winks*

It was bugging me so I decided to just finish off the piece with some coloured pencils (they have been neglected for months too).  I think he looks cute...a little startled but cute. *LOL*

A big "thank you" to you for supporting this little blog in 2021. I did try to post on all week days with a few missed days because I was just to tired to post at the end of a long day (yep all posts were in real-time this year instead of scheduling weeks ahead like I used to do..because I was mostly at home). This was a challenging year in terms of time management but I survived! :)

I'll be baking for the rest of the week till Christmas...and then just chillaxing till we bid adieu to 2021. Happy holidays friends! Stay safe! See you in 2022! :)

This week's decorated Christmas paperbag project

 

Well it's the last weekend before Christmas friends! Are you ready?

I'm not. I haven't started baking yet. *dramatic music plays in the background* Yep. Not even a cookie. Seriously, I don't know how this week just flew by.

Did manage to whip up this decorated Christmas paperboy project to store my currently non-existent baked Christmas goodies though. I still have a couple of days left to bake...let's be hopeful. *LOL*

 Using patterned paper bits and stickers...:)

Happy weekend friends! :)

Thursday's Workspace - attempting some flowers in a mug

 

Happy Thursday friends! On my desk today - some flowers in a mug. The mug was a little challenging since it was my first attempt at painting it. And of course, I basically eyeballed it instead of doing a proper sketch first. *LOL*

I think it looks decent if you squint a little. *hahaha*

The one about siblings bonding

 

Okay friends, roughly two months ago, I mentioned that I've had a major schedule adjustment because something happened at home. 

Well, my mum suffered a minor stroke to the left side of her brain. She has no physical immobility/impairments, just problems with her language centre which affects her ability to converse in full sentences. She's much better now but of course, is on a host of medications and there are many doctor appointments - for her heart, her brain and also speech therapy.

Her cognitive decline wasn't sudden...she would forget some words here and there. But when she had a big bruise on her arm and didn't know if she fell or hit something, we brought her to the doctor's and he suggested that we send her to the hospital for all the necessary scans/tests. She stayed in hospital for 5 days and no visitors were allowed (because of COVID)...and of course lost a ton of weight.

The upside of this health scare is that two of her siblings now come regularly to reminisce about good old times and "brag" about their grandchildren. *LOL*

Another upside is that mum is finally willing to let go of some of her stuff (she was quite a hoarder)...and my aunt was the happy recipient of her stuff. 

Of course I made my auntie take a photo with her loot for the family scrapbook album. Hehehe...:)

I had lots of fun putting together this layout because I hadn't scrapbooked in ages! :)

Playing along with Stick It Down.

Monday's abstract florals

 

I haven't been painting for quite a while. Today I attempted some abstract florals and the struggle was real.  *LOL* But it was fun and I did pick up a new watercolour paper pad last week so I have no more excuses not to practise. 

Happy week ahead friends! :)

Friday's walk down memory lane - 2020's Christmas projects featuring Santa!

Hello friends! Just wanted to take you on a walk down memory lane - to last year's Christmas projects featuring Santa! :) If you got some happy mail from mail, can you spot which bits you got? *winks*

I had a blast last year incorporating that Santa face on my Christmas projects. And truth be told, I was tempted to buy a patterned paper that I could fussy-cut out and use on this year's projects...but I decided to just use up all the Christmas bits I already own instead. I think that stretched my creativity in a different way. :)

Happy weekend friends! 

A simple Christmas giftwrap

 

I usually like to put my Christmas pressies in decorated gift boxes or decorated gift bags. Unless the pressie is too big to fit. Like this one.

Then I just use Christmas wrapping paper (this was free wrapping paper from a retailer) and decorate the giftwrap. :)

Still just using stuff from my existing stash. (Santa, please note that I've been good. *winks*)

How are your Christmas preparations coming along? I think I'm ready to start the festive baking! Mainly because I want to use my Christmas cookie cutters. *LOL*

This week's decorated Christmas paper bag

 

This week's decorated Christmas paper bag was put together with paper scraps and stickers. :)

Yep...still just pulling stuff from my Christmas scrap pile.

Kept everything flat for easy storage and transport.

In case you were wondering, I throw in paper scraps that are green and red into my Christmas stash. *winks*

And Santa makes a comeback on a reworked piece

 

So the original paper bag that I decorated last year fell apart before I could use it..so I "saved" the design for a reworked piece.

I started with this plain black envelope that was the packaging for skincare samples. You can see that the sticker seal took off some of the paper.

So I just went in with a piece of white paper doily to create a "new" flap, incorporated the original design, added a ribbon tab (that has somewhat become a signature style of mine to use up the yards of ribbon I own..hehehe), some stickers and finished with Christmas washi tape. :)

Hope you are having a great week so far my friends!:)

Make Stuff Monday - a Christmas wreath

 

Can't believe it's almost Christmas! While it looks like I got my act together, I haven't. I still need to mail out packages. *dramatic music plays in the background* 

Which need to be wrapped first. *all late packages will be attributed to the Omicron variant causing global postal delays....let's all stick to the same story...hehehe*

But first, let me show you this week's Make Stuff Monday - a Christmas wreath.  :)

This was a DIY wreath box that I got from Sephora last year (after Christmas) so it had been sitting in the cupboard for 11 months or so. It was one of those minimalist wreaths with natural elements like pinecones and berries. Of course, I had to jazz it up with stuff from my stash...and the usual cutesy elements plus lights of course. :)

I didn't add the pinecones because they were really too big for the rest of my elements. *LOL*

P/s: It's the start of a whole week of Christmas-themed projects! :)

How about a quick Christmas card?

 

Happy Friday friends! How about a quick Christmas card?

I've been really good. And bought nothing new for all my Christmas projects. Just trying to use up my stash.

How are your Christmas preparations coming along? 

Another week, another decorated Christmas notebook

 

Another week, another decorated Christmas notebook to share. It's a great way to use up your Christmas patterned paper bits. :)

Yep...just patterned paper, stickers and washi tape. 

Happy Thursday friends! ;)