little steps

As of my previous post, I tried to be creative yet again inspiration is lacking in my system and as a result, procrastination looms even more. So just to kickstart, I attended a workshop in one of the LSS here, however after completing the project, I still feel the same.  I feel guilty every time I see my unopened die-cuts, stamps, embellishments, as well as untouched inking mediums only collecting dust.  

So to those scrappers out there having the same dilemma, browsing scrapbooking magazines could help--from where I found some good articles suggesting the following:

1. create a to-do list for your scrapbooking activity (a good start to prioritize and set an objective at least)
2. create your own small embellishments (ie. stamp & copic-colored figure as shown below)
3. have a card and/or gift to-do list which can be sorted by due date (cards are smaller compared to scrapbook layout and album, therefore this is the best way to start a project)
4. create journal storing sketches, words and more project ideas
5. challenge yourself like crafting through time-trial, product-based / techniques usage to create a stylish design
Hope this helps.


here's a sample birthday card

before

after

inside the card (as money pocket)

Supplies:

plain card/envelope, cardstock stickers (Doodlebug Design); letter sticker (Cosmo Cricket); heavyweight paper (Daler Rowney); colored markers (Copics); stamp (Hero Arts #CL381); party hat accents (K&Company); tape glue (American Crafts)

I'm back...

Been silent for quite sooo long as my 'mojo' to scrap has been missing for sometime...

Anyways, after being in the 'busy' world for a short while, I'm back again and will try to be productive to keep me sane while being a SAHW.

Now, first stop, clean up my scrap table--need space to work on!!! c",)

see you on my next post... c",)

not so long ago...

when i was still in the workforce and looking forward with our get-together--celebrating an occasion or just even a simple chitchat with my colleagues and friends

gosh, i really missed them...

well that's life, some may come and go, whether we are far from each other it doesn't matter, what matter the most is that we have formed that "bond".

we have memories to treasure and that someday, we may meet again and share a good laugh c",)

thanks to another MWL challenge, i've been able to do a multi-photo layout using these treasured photos of my colleagues.

Supplies:

cardstock (Bazzill Basics Paper); patterned paper (Dreamstreet papers, Sassafras); stickers (AC Remarks, Sassafras, AC Thickers, K&Company); tag, paints (Making Memories); crackle paint (Ranger Industries); dye ink (Tsukineko); thread (DMC); alphas (AC Thickers, Jenni Bowlin, Cosmo Cricket, Basic Grey, KI memories); stamp (Hero Arts); marker (Copic); others: chipboard, pop-up dots, glue tape, glossy accent, copic paper

using glossy accents to also emphasize the "LOVE" word from the sticker cardstock

more sticker words for journaling

crackle paint to add texture on those cutie snails cut from a patterned paper and for the stamp-Copic colored butterflies then painted & glittered the plain chipboard

stitches and sticker cardstock for borders

and just to share some other photos of my dearest friends from my previous company--

using a mini graphic album from Piradee's class that I have once attended at MWL.

thanks for dropping by!

Smile

I can't think of what kind of album should I create for our trip. Photos have been in my scrap table for 6 months now! So better yet, use this 1 photo at least to have 1 layout down (40+ more to go, goodluck to me!). Good thing there's an ongoing challenge in my lss - MWL to start the mojo running.

My hubby is fond of Avril Lavigne, and since I like the chorus of her 'Smile' song, the excerpt of the lyrics was used as journaling.

Supplies:

cardstock: American Crafts ; patterned paper, lace: Graphic45, Creative Imaginations ; pebbles, handmade paper, letter sticker: Prima Marketing ; circle lace stamp: Hero Arts ; distress ink, perfect pearls, embossing ink: Ranger Industries ; paint: Making Memories ; mini ephemera: 7Gypsies ; dew drops: Robin's nest ; others: trims, tape glue, glue lines, craft glue, pen, foam dots, tags, plain chipboards, watercolor paper

painted the plain chipboards

inked edges of the journal strips for a vintage look

circle lace stamped on a watercolor paper using embossing ink then colored with perfect pearls

Thanks for dropping by! c",)

Mickey + Purple = My SIS

I've created a layout from another challenge that matched this recent inspiration board from Color Combos Galore.

My sis loves purple and so this layout was made for her.

This is a very simple 2-page layout that consists mostly of pattern papers. Used mainly to add texture and color, then to mat the photos.

I also made the banner out of a trim and of course with the patterned papers, creating Mickey's iconic head (as my sis loves Mickey Mouse).

Supplies:

cardstocks, letter stickers: American Crafts ; patterned papers: 3Bugs in a Rug, GCD studios ; punches: EK success, Fiskars, Carl ; circle cutter: Martha Stewart ; letter stickers: Cosmo cricket, Doodlebug design ; others: trims, tape glue, glue lines, glossy accents

Thanks for dropping by.... c",)

my first time...

.... to get published!!! and i'm sooo very happy as soon as i received the email confirming that 2 of my layouts were considered for their May 2011 issue (vol#4 issue#5).

may this not be the last and hoping for more projects to share with you... c",)

Just for you Mom

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Moms!

Even though I was up all night until the wee hours of Sunday, good thing that I was still able to call back home and greet my dearest Mommy and be able to make something special for her.

Since I'm miles away from my Mom, in honor of her, I have created a layout dedicated for her.

Fortunately enough, I was able to enter this also in the recent creative crop that I have attended.

sharing my layout for mommy dear...

supplies:

kraft cardstock; patterned paper (Websters); vellum; alpha sticker (AC); pearls, mask (Prima); dimensional sticker, acrylic ink (Making Memories); punches (Martha Stewart); ribbons; glimmer mist (Tattered Angels); distress ink, word stick (Ranger); embroidery thread (DMC)

btw, NEY, thanks for covering my hh chores just so that I can attend the crop. mwaaah!

Believe

Another layout for Color Combos Galore challenge #184.

I'm a 'pink' person so I've created this layout for me with a note that would motivates me.

supplies:

cardstock, blush ribbon, alphas : American Crafts ; patterned papers : Doodlebug Design, Autumn leaves, Websters Pages ; mists : Tattered Angels ; sculpture flowers, pearls : Prima ; yellow ribbon : Pebbles ; stamp : Unity, GlitzItNow ; kraft envelope : Maya Road ; chalk ink : Tsukineko ; pigment ink : Ranger Industries ; punches : Martha Stewart ; foam squares : Scrapbook adhesives ; glue lines, dots : Glue Dots ; vellum

sentiment:

trust in your potential, enjoy the process, try something new, explore possibilities, but most of all--Believe.

an envelope to put my "note-to-self"....

by the way, since i don't want to resize my pic, the envelope flap is intended to cover the lower left part of my photo (because of the visible construction site).. the pearls as well in the lower right, so as to hide whatever it is on the sofa.. c",)

Together, Everyday

My take for the Color Combos Galore challenge #183

The color combinations required for the challenge get me inspired to create this layout. It really took me some time to think about how to combine the rich color of orange with teal. This is just a simple layout but it took me almost 4hours to complete because I can't seem to find the 'right' embellishments which covers all the 4 colors needed.

But I'm so happy to say that through this challenge, I learned that sometimes you just have to trust your instinct. c",)

I missed them soooo much.. so what better way to see them always by having this layout to display here at home..

Supplies:

cardstock, letters, tape glue: American Crafts ; patterned paper: Chatterbox ; punches: Martha Stewart ; trims: Webster's pages ; ink: Ranger Industries, Tsukineko ; pearls, flowers : Prima ; pen: Kuretake ; glue, tape glue, foam squares: Beacon's, Scrapbook adhesives, Glossy Accents

journal reads as:

Dad, Mom, what a wonderful sight to see you grow old in love -- Together, Everyday

photo frame and some of the flowers (base) made of trims, then for other flower petals I put some ink

Look what I found...

I am clearing my harddisk when I found these never-been-posted layouts. Let me just share them here...

The very first LO I've done for my sister is so simple that I only used cardstocks which I believed represents the color of Mickey Mouse (my sis is such a fanatic of MM...) and to embellish it, I only used stickers which are all MM-themed! =)

Then my youngest brother was so jealous upon finding out that her 'Ate' (sister) had this for her room. During his vacation here, he then requested me to create a layout for his own room also.

My style is more on the girly-type or feminine-feel since I'm also fond of flowers and anything pink or pastel in colors.. Good thing I have Tim Holtz' alteration dies (gadget gear) to start with the 'Boy' themed LO. And here's my take for my brother's room--

aside from the 'gears', I used blue patterned paper, G45's proper gentleman themed borders, and jute twine for a more manly-look

a closer look on some of the details--

crackle paint for the borders

after embossing the grunge paper and cardboard with gold, I distressed the gears a bit just by using a pair of scissors, then for the pps, I inked the edges

supplies:

Kraft cardstock ; patterned papers: G45, Creative Imaginations, BellaBlvd ; gadget gears, hanging sign: Sizzix ; lace chain, grunge paper: Tim Holtz idea-ology ; embossing powder, ink, distress powder, crackle paint: Ranger Industries ; alpha: Thickers ; others: jute twine, cardboard ; adhesive: Beacon's, Kokuyo tape glue, 3d dots

Bday album

Lately, I've been trying my best to keep up with all my 'stash' from the previous projects I've done. So what better way to clear them (as in fast!) than to use them asap and create an ALBUM...

Here's a simple album I made for my 30th bday using mostly-- my stash.

TFL!

a canvas-misted background

binded cardboard thru Zutter

white cardstocks for the inside pages which are also misted to create the same background as the covers

shown below are the rest of the pages...

supplies:

stash: cardboard, corrugated paper, foam, canvas pad, HBD stickers, lace cardstock, paper string, patterned papers (MLS, CI); alphas

white cardstocks: AC ; glimmer mist: Tattered Angels ; mask: Prima ; alpha: Thickers, Cosmo Cricket, Doodlebug design ; paints, ink: Ranger Industries ; sticker: Sassafras, KI memories ; crochet flowers: AC ; markers, illustration paper: Copic ; stamps: Hero Arts ; binder, wire: Zutter ; pen: Kuretake Zig ; adhesive: Beacon's, Scrapbook Adhesive, Kokuyo

Heart's day 2011

hello!

it's been 'ages' since my last post.. a lot of things happened..

anyhoo, this Vday is so memorable for me since it's my first time to prepare something for my 'bebe' -- a homemade dinner and handmade minibook (inspired by TIM HOLTZ) with love coupons.

hope you had a great day as well... c",)

supplies:

patterned paper: Sassafras ; rub-ons, stickers, love note tickets: Making Memories ; Alpha sticker: Jenni Bowlin ; heart sticker: Heidi Grace ; mini-key: 7-Gypsies ; adage and journaling ticket: Tim Holtz' idea-logy ; stamp: Tim Holtz' Stamper Anonymous ; glimmer mist: Tattered Angels ; ink: Ranger Industries ; canvas pad: Phoenix Arts ; pen: Uniball signo ; foam dots: EK ; adhesive: Beacon's

altered project 1 - door hanger

"welcome"

supplies:

door hanger: Creative Imaginations; patterned paper: TPC studio; cardstock: Bazzill and Coredinations;

alpha ('Cherish'), #655903 (bird, baby), #656630 (keyhole), #656642 (styled label), #655368 (decorative accent), #656259 (swirly vines with heart): Sizzix;

grunge paper, glossy accents, distress inks, stickles, crackle paint: Ranger Industries; flowers, pearls, blings: Prima;

adhesives: Glue dots and Beacon's; ribbon

for the closer look...