Altered Owls

These are some altered owls that I was playing with yesterday using Momoyo products - e.g. the fabric brads and ribbons.  One thing that I have learnt this week - I am beginning to love bright colours.  What a revelation....

Materials used:

MR chipboard owls,  Momoyo Fabric Brads and ribbons,  scrap paper.

Team Hoyts - I can only imagine

Today - its a "I can only imagine" day.  I was shown this video in 2006.  I cry most of the time when I watch it.  Whenever I get complacent, I always get humbled when I watch this video.  I really get a reality check when I watch this video.  Here is the link if you wish to view it:

I can Only Imagine - Team Hoyts

Have I done enough?  HAve I tried enough?  There are so many REAL problems in this world and yet the solution seems so SIMPLE - its just tolerance,  patience and love.  

Layout - I can only Imagine

MAde this layout for Sean especially.  He was playing with the table cloth when Sarah snapped this photo.  He had a vivid imagination when he was younger and still has now.  Recently,  I have discovered a mom's nightmare - Sean may have a disorder.  I have yet to confirm this with a doctor as Developmental Peadiatrician is a rare thing in KL.  I would need to send him to a doctor in Singapore.

Anyhow - I hope what I suspect is not true but anyway - those 3 sentences is what I feel right now.

Materials used:

Little Yellow bicycle,  Bazzill black cs,  Chatterbox embellishments (from Jessy) thanks.  

Sneak Peek - SK March Challenge

This is what is in store for March in the SK challenge. Hope you join us here for the full reveal.

Lantern - Sean

My internet connection is really lousy these few weeks.  I get so frustrated as I am constantly cut off and the connection is erratic.  I couldn't even get online yesterday.  

Anyway - Jessy ran a rocking lantern tutorial at the SK forum and we all had a blast.  This is what I have made - I haven't taken photos of Clarissa's lantern yet but - its the same.  For more beautiful lanterns,  please head off to here.

Materials used:

Kraft Corrugated Cardboard, Prima Dude pp,  Eyelet,  Ribbon from American Craft,  Thickers foam alphas and 3d pop up dots.

Sneak Peek - SK Tutorial

I am so excited.  Jessy is sharing a very beautiful tutorial with us tomorrow at the SK forum.  Here is a sneak peek of what is in store at the tutorial.  Its a beautiful project and in future, there will be more tutorials coming up at the SK forum.  Do join us there...

Cards - A new Beginning

Here is my attempt to get over my not being able to make cards phase.  My friends at Momoyo wanted me to design some cards using brads and here are my attempts at it. I know they look elementary but hey - you always need to start somewhere.

Materials used:

Crate pp,  red,  white, blue and brown cardstock,  prima flowers,  thickers foam alphas stickers,  MM friendship rubon,   gingham ribbon from MM,  velvet ribbon from local haberdashery and most importantly brads from Momoyo.

Valentine Day Card

I am a bit "card challenged".  What does that mean?  I do not enjoy making cards and I have to say my cards are not spectacular etc.  My co-DT at the SK forum came up with this challenge idea to make cards with only 10% red in them.  An interesting challenge indeed since Valentine's colours predominantly revolves around reds.

Here is my take to just join in the fun.

Materials used:

Regular white cardstock,  Theresa Collins pp,  "Amore" Stamp from Little Yellow Bicycle,  Scallops - Nestabilities,  Cuttlebug Heart and Embossing swirls,  black stazon ink,  pom pom from Laines  and 3d pop up foam.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine Day everyone! 

Crackle Paint + Glossy Card = Mistake

Hee hee ... That's right.  I made a mistake of adding crackle paint to the glossy card.  Thought it would look cool but by the time the crackle paint dried,  it started to fall off by its crackles.  A bit un-nerved - I added some Helmar Acid free glue but - it helped to bind it a little but some bits still fell off. 

If you look carefully at the sides of the ATCs,  you will see sections of the crackle paint missing... Ooopsss...

Materials used:

Glossy Card,  Chipboard,  Distress Inks in various colours,  Stamps from Prima and Oxford Impressions,  Making Memories brads,  Crackle Paint,  Helmar Acid Free Glue,  Beads from Thailand,  ATC wordings from Scraptivate,  Stazon ink and Black Bazzill Cardstock.

Layout - The Story of Us

I have been going through my old stash.  The number of old things that I have is appalling.  I am so ashamed.  I plan to scrap more {I hope} and try to reduce the amount of paper in my house.  Sigh... Another simple layout as so many things have been happening in school.  I am too tired and bummed out to talk about them.  I just feel so down and overwhelmed by it all...

Materials used:

Urban Lily pp,  Creative Imaginations Transparency,  Rubons,  Alphas Thickers,  Red DMC thread and bazzill paper.

Layout - Precious {Clarissa}

Ahhh.... The month of feruary is definitely making me feel more and more mushy...  With Valentine's Day around the corner,  I feel the LOVE...  Hee hee... Another layout for Clarissa's A-Z album.  This tim P is for Precious.  My precious little girl is no longer a little girl but an awkward tweenager and one that is growing up into a young lady.

Materials used:

Little Yello Bicycle Scalloped pp,  Hambly Clear Acrylic Sheet,  BG Bittersweet pp,  Bazzill cs,  Jenny Bowlin pp,  Jenny Bowlin tag,  Thickers foam alphas,  Trim from Prima,  DMC embriodery thread,  Ribbons - can't remember cos my stash is too old,  blings from local shops and Zig pen.  

Altered Chinese New Year Biscuit Container

Ooops,  I nearly forgot to upload this.  I did some baking this year and made 40 of these.  It was relatively easy - just cut out with my scalloped nestabilities and then emboss the chinese word with gold UTEE.  The tassels were taught by Aida - thanks.  

Materials used:

Biscuit container,  doilies,  Far East pp,  pink Bazzill cs and ribbons from local haberdashery.

Layout - Little Miss {Clarissa}

I just struck me recently that Clarissa is turning into a lady in no time at all. She is currently wearing a size 5 shoes and guess what?  I am a size 6! How time flies.  

I have decided to have fun with a Hambly Screen Transparency and some Urban Lily pp.  I love the circle part which I have cut out and replaced with the transparency.  For added colour,  I applied some green acrylic paint to contrast the orange from the transparency.

I am not very happy with this lo but I guess it will do.  

Materials used:

Hambly transparency,  Urban Lily pp,  Rubon saying from DCWV,  Thickers foam alphas,  Versamagic chalk inks,  Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers,  We are memory keepers pop up stickers, bling stickers form local shops and 3d pop up dots.

The Poor Wardrobe Door and Exam Fever

What does the wardrobe door and exams have in common?  Trust Clarissa to come up with a solution.  I walked in on her studying in this manner.  Armed with a non-permanent marker (phew) she she wrote all her notes on her wardrobe door.  Sigh... Just look at that.

Me - I have always been a simple person - just pass me some jump ring,  cue cards and highlighter and I am set for my exams.  Apparently,  the kids nowadays are more creative with their studying.  When asked why she is studying this way,  she answered with conviction that this way is much better and she can absorb more facts this way.

Well my answer to that would be :  What ever works for you baby,  whatever works ...  Is fine with me...

Quote of the Day and a minor Rant

What you dislike in another take care to correct in yourself. 

Thomas Sprat

A very important quote to remember.  Its been crazy around here.  It's finally the last day of Chinese New Year - where did all that 2 weeks go?  It just flew by.  I was away in the for a week,  came back - it was back to school.  Clarissa's teacher dropped a bombshell on thursday that all the prefects had to make cards for Valentine's Day. The cards are to be sold at RM0.50???  Ok... Plus they are taking orders from each class.  The results were an eye-popping 50 over cards per class.  How many classes?  12 classes - how many prefects - 27 to make around 700 over cards???  Wait for the grand finale - the prefects have to stay back tuesday - tomorrow to make them and guess what?  We start our exams on thursday.  So what gives?

To lessen the load on the kids - I have been making cards with a frenzy.  Coupled with CNY engagements e.g. open houses, lunch, picking up kids,  going back to Johore etc - I managed to make 220 very simple cards.  I just didn't want the kids slaving over these cards which I was told that they don't even know where the money is going to go to???  Sigh... Sometimes I just wonder why the teacher and principal decide to do it last minute.  But no worries - I have got it under control and issue is over.  Up next - every mom's nightmare - EXAM FEVER!!! That would be another blog post.

 

Layout - Headband Mania

Clarissa was quite a bald baby till she turned 3 - which by then she managed to have a short bob.  I used to cover her "baldness" with headbands and she had a "love-hate" relationship with them.  I guess I was quite tired to telling people that she was a girl (yes,  even when she was wearing a dress,  they insisted that she was a he - sigh).

It is with much regret that I have lost all her baby photos when we moved.  I managed to find some here and decided to scrap them.  She is barely 6 months here and loved to whiz around in her walker.  She would roam the house after me and just gurgling away in her baby talk. I loved the way she pulled the headband away in frustration and the next minute - she leaves it on. Funny baby.

This layout will be the first first layout for her A-Z album.  This of course will be the letter "H". Would like to thank Wati for the push to get an A-Z album done.  Thanks Wati.

Materials used:

Pink Bazzill paper,  Green pp - sorry can't remember,  Making Memories Kraft paper,  Doily from local shops,  Flowers from Prima,  Making Memories Glitter Butterflies,  Fabric Brads from Momoyo,  Autumn Leaves Buttons,  Versamagic Chalk inks,  Technique Tuesday Chipboard Circle,  Adirondack Dimensional Pearls in Butterscotch,  DMC Thread, Ribbon from American Crafts and Zig Pen.

ATCs with Faces using melted UTEE

Made another batch of ATCs.  Loved the results.  This time I have dusted off the dust in my melting - hee hee - the poor melting pot must have thought that it has been in exile!  

Took out some of my moulds and decided to melt some leftover greyish UTEE together with some gold UTEE and made some UTEE-d faces as embellishments to my ATCs.  Think that they go pretty well together. GLEE...

Materials used:

Thin Chipboard, Jo Sonja  Paints,  German Scraps,  Miyuki Beads,  Gold UTEE,  Leftover UTEE  (greyish in colour),  Black Bazzill cardstock,  Black,  silver plastic bead stickers,  Sayings from Scrappingville - sorry (can't remember the brand) and  Mahogany Crackle Paint.

ATCs with crackle paint, wires and beads

I went to Scraptivate when I was in Perth.  I must say that I was blown away by the talent I saw in that one shop.  Feeling inspired,  I came up with these ATCs.

I did the background before I left by using chipboard and Jo Sonja paint.  I then added crackle paint by using bubble wrap.  How? Just apply the crackle paint thickly onto the bubble wrap and stamp onto the chipboard - easy.

Then I wrapped 28 gauge wires around the ATC card and where the wires met - I added some beads here and there.  Loved the effect after I added some German Scraps (which is the green scalloped foil)  which is available locally at Scrappingville or you may buy online at Scraptivate.

Lastly I added a butterfly each from the local haberdashery and some Making Memories alphas to complete them.  I had fun making the ATCs and would like to thank the ladies at Scraptivate for their hospitality and inspiration.

Lift It - at the SK Forum

One of the new activities to hit the SK forum,  is the "LIFT IT" thread.  Every month,  one of the DTs will be scouring around in the member's gallery and pick a layout there to be lifted.  

In recognising the previous SK's RD (Resident Designer)  - I have chosen Jasmin Brahim's elegant layout to scraplift.  Here is Jasmin's layout:  

And here is my take on her layout...

Materials used:

Theresa Collins pp,  Black bazzill,  Prima and Blueyezedine flowers,  Pearls,  Trim from Hong Kong,  Thicker foam alphas both in pink and black and a pink ribbon from local haberdashery.