A quick mixed media card

These days I've been favouring quick mixed media cards. Like this one. 

A little hard modeling paste with The Crafter's Workshop stencil, some Faber Castell gelatos and water for a watercolour finish for the background. Some blooms, pearls and bling embellishments. And I actually heat embossed the sentiment [yay, go me! *winks*]

Playing along with Cardabilities.

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20 ideas for scrapbooking photos of children....

Ahhh...childhood. Fun times. Where play is work. And every new experience is magical. :) Why not capture those magical moments in your scrapbooks. Here are 20 ideas for scrapbooking photos of children.... [the children featured in the layouts are my niece and nephews.]

On a bus adventure

1. First experiences.

For kids, anything that is new to them is an adventure. Like this short trip on the bus with me to collect a parcel at the post office on a Saturday morning.

Learning to love my sewing machine

2. Snapshots on a morning walk.

Nobody wants to be cooped up at home. Kids are happy when they are out basking in the sunlight and looking at pretty things.

The story about my niece in my wig

3. "Dress-up" moments.

Nothing like cute kids in "costumes" or other "dressed-up" moments. I particularly enjoy dressing up my niece because she thinks everything I own is beautiful...[yes, she has discerning taste at age 3! *winks*].

Saturday photo love

4. Consecutive shots.

The kids don't really like me to point the camera and ask them to pose. So I keep photo sessions short and take quick shots in succession...and hope for the best..*winks*

This is real life

5. Scrapbook about them doing something.

The kids were all colouring here and I called out their names for an impromptu shot.

Meet the master of disguise

6. Don't forget about those cute facial expressions.

Little kids aren't very good at articulating how they feel about things but they will show them in micro facial expressions....check out my niece's face in a span of 30 seconds!

Great outdoors

7. Make regular activities more "exciting".

We brought their toy rats out for a "walk" and got really fabulous photos.

Never a dull moment

8. Sweet moments between siblings.

This was a period when littlest nephew and niece were really close and did everything together. He was very protective of her. [Now he just finds her a little irritating...*LOL*]

Happy little miss sunshine

9. Capture stories about them with their toys.

Kids can be so cute playing with their toys. Especially when they role-play and "talk" to their toys.

Finally a decent photo of the nephews

10. Scrapbook the Before and After pics.

Always reward kids with "free play" photos....so that you will always get some good shots...while the "free play" shots really show the kids' personalities.

Do you have a whinery at home?

11. Scrapbook photos of them wearing their school uniforms.

I think it would be nice for them to flip through their scrapbook albums and have fond memories of school days. :)

We are family

12. Scrapbook candid moments...especially when they are having fun.

Here the two of them were just having a little fun before going down for an afternoon nap.

Bandage buddies

13. Scrapbook about the boo boos.

Here the two were "attacked" by mosquitos and we didn't want them to scratch at the bites so they were bandaged up...err...everywhere! *LOL*

Their eyeballs pop out

14. Document the presents they love.

The nephews really LOVED the Angry Birds watches I got them from a trip to Kuala Lumpur. They loved that a squeeze of the bird would make the eyes bulge out....and it entertained them tremendously. Those are some really happy smiles on their faces.

The watches didn't last very long [they are boys after all] but I love that this moment was documented. :)

15. Scrapbook about their "modes of transport".

Little kids on bikes and cars are just too adorable not to document. So do it. Because they tend to "outgrow" them rather quickly. My niece used to love playing on her "vehicle" for hours. Now it's like 5 minutes and she's bored. *LOL*

A whimsical scene

16. Scrapbook about a little "outdoor" adventure.

Or somewhere you bring them to occasionally as a treat. For me, it's the fish farm. Which we go to only if I need to buy fishes for my tank. The boys LOVE helping me choose fishes. And just watching the different fishes swim in the tanks.

A crazy Saturday

17. The fun "wefie" moments deserve a page in the family album.

Use the mirror function on your mobile and take some fun shots. This entertained them for a good hour! :)

The real photoshoot

18. Scrapbook about them at their fave playground.

I always always always take pics of the Gangster Gang at the playground because running around makes them happy and I get GREAT photos!

The story about the cable car ride

19. Document a whole day's adventure in a collage.

My sister and I brought the Gangster Gang on their first cable car ride and it was really fun to see how the kids behaved in front of Aunt E whom they are afraid of...[oh yes, they just love me, not my sister...hehe].

Grandma's barber shop

20. Scrapbook about regular activities with grandparents. 

The nephews get rewarded with $1 after a visit to grandma's barber shop. Who wouldn't want to get paid for a haircut right? *winks*

There you have it. 20 ideas for scrapbooking photos of children! What do you think?

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Grandma's boy

Nephew #1 is grandma's boy of course. She's the first person he runs to when he comes over for a visit. And she beams when he greets her, "Hello grandma! "

The two of them in their "bright" outfits pretty much dictated the colours on this layout...*LOL* I used black to help "tone" the colours down.

I've been having fun with these SRM diecuts...and my sewing machine. :)

Not sure if anyone wastes as much thread as using the sewing machine...but I just added the leftover thread as part of the design element.

Playing along with My Creative Sketches.

*Edited* This was a featured layout in My Creative Sketches.

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A purple mixed media box for Made With Love...a short tutorial

So I had a purple kind of weekend...and made 3 projects this weekend featuring purple.  Like this mixed media box for Made With Love. ;)

I started with a Graphic 45 mixed media box. As usual, I had a project in mind and got the cream coloured box but changed my mind and painted it black...*LOL* 

I applied some light modelling paste with The Crafter's Workshop stencil.

Then I applied Tattered Angels mist in a soft lilac shade....adding more mist for a more intense colour in certain spots.

I used the same mist to colour some gauze and then embellished with Petaloo blooms, leaves, pearls and bling.

I added some DCWV patterned papers to the Prima frames and embellished around them. A piece of vellum was added to the box window.

The rest of the box of the box was also covered with DCWV patterned paper. The "sexy" sentiment was taken from an old wrist band. [And yes, this was the found object that inspired this project..*winks*]

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The reworked canvas...

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."                                                                                                                    Albert Einstein

I wish art was visualizing a design in your mind's eye and then just executing it to perfection... the first time round. Now, wouldn't that be awesome? *winks*

I have to confess: my canvas was reworked on 3 times. And I mean, reworked from start to finish. 3 times!!!

Before this layer of Liquitex ceramic stucco was applied with The Crafter's Workshop stencil, there was another layer of Liquitex resin sand applied with another The Crafter's Workshop stencil. That idea didn't quite pan out so I went over it with two coats of gesso, then a layer of blue paint.

So, don't be discouraged if you make mistakes on your projects. Tweak the initial idea a little and try again. 

This mixed media canvas was created for LESSology Challenge #41: Beautiful scenery. Come play along!:)

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A little star obsessed....

I love stars. A little obsessed with stars. Must be those shiny gold stickers teachers in school gave out for good work...I LOVED to collect those. Somehow, buying a pack of those at the stationery store and giving them to oneself just didn't feel the same...*LOL*

My star stencils from The Crafter's Workshop are the most well-used stencils in my stash. :)

Just a quick layout using leftover Pebbles patterned papers and residual mists to document nephew #2's recent birthday.

Playing along with Let's Get Sketchy.

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