Notes from the Scrapbooking Table

This is cracking me up!

2012-01-26T11:45:00.000+08:00

My post for the Christmas Colours swap held on 9 Dec.

Over at this blog.

My layout at MWL for 17 Jan, which I later posted here.

Over at this blog.

Don't hold your breath for my next BIG idea ...

MWL Layout for Jan

2012-01-26T06:22:00.001+08:00

I forgot I have yet to post this layout for Made With Love more than a week ago.

Layout assembled on a Hambly, which explains the background visible through the transparent page.

Sizzix dies used:
657362 (Flower #2 with bonus embossing folder) and 657492 (Tattered pinecone)

I just love using a die in different ways. The tattered pinecone die makes a great rose if you "wind" the cardstock tightly.

Gifts

2012-01-03T07:00:00.001+08:00

Now that the gifts have all gone out, I'm here to post the handmade albums.

Packed inside these little brown bags,

are pinecones pinched, rolled and stickled

onto "belly bands"

wrapped around a mini album waiting for your photos.

Hope you like them.

2011-12-31T23:38:00.002+08:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T17:47:00.000+08:00

We had a lovely family dinner at my in-laws last night.

Today, after Christmas Service, we caught up with some old friends and their family.

Then on to our favourite pastime: reading over a cuppa. The little one's engaged in her favourite pastime too - napping.

Our books and brews of choice:

Hope you have a wonderful rest of the week!

Miss Spoken is right

2011-12-22T23:15:00.000+08:00

E: Hey Mom, I love you more.
Me: More than what?
E: More than my toys.

O Christmas Tree!

2011-12-12T19:03:00.000+08:00

This Christmas tree I made for our regular swap generated some interest on fellow swapper's Facebook post. So I thought I'd post a quick tutorial on how I made it.

The idea started months ago, while I was making this layout:

Seeing how the rosettes stacked so beautifully, I experimented with making each die-cut strip into fans, and folding one segment to the back to get more contact area.

A dab of glue and a bit of pinching later:

The base of the tree is formed from half a die-cut strip. Three segments lay flat while the rest are accordion folded and stuck on.

The base and three fan shapes layered on to an embossed ATC card base, topped with a gold brad on a vellum circle:

All done!

2011-12-12T06:56:00.000+08:00

Latest layout featuring Sizzix, for Made With Love.

With the kiddo at home and lots of year-end errands to run, time for scrapping is considerably reduced. So it's really a time-saver to use large embellishments to finish the layout faster. The 657390 Daisy Blast, at a whopping 4 3/4", has lots of "real estate" for dressing it up.

For this layout, I simply wound twine around the petals:

and through the holes in the centre:

Hope you have a blast making quick layouts too!

Miss Spoken

2011-11-27T17:18:00.002+08:00

E: Yiyi went holiday
Me: Yes. She's gone to Taiwan
W: After that she goes to Tai-Two?

Miss Spoken

2011-11-24T21:56:00.000+08:00

"Eryn, be careful!"
"Ok Mom, I'm be-carefulling!"

Miss Spoken continued

2011-11-15T06:18:00.002+08:00

So this four year-old cannot think of herself in 3rd person.
E: Mommy where is the little girl asking questions?
Me: She still awake. Her name is E-r-y-n.
E: Same as me?

Miss Spoken

2011-11-14T23:08:00.001+08:00

Me: There is a little girl who's asking Mommy a lot of questions.
E: Who?
Me: She's supposed to be sleeping but she's asking so many questions!
E: Daddy do you know who is the girl asking Mommy so many questions?

2011-11-01T09:32:00.002+08:00

Layout for Made With Love. This is my nephew and his many antics, gotta love this boy!

I paired the Sizzix Flourish die with Stamper's Anonymous Flourish stamp and played with all sorts of white medium.

Transparent Rock Candy crackle paint, shiny stickles in Frosted Lace and opaque gesso applied through the die negatives while the positives weigh down the bottom of the page.

Stamped flourishes in white pigment ink edge the photo.

If you are not aware, MWL is having its 8th anniversary this month. Truly when I think of MWL, it's more than just a store, it's almost like home!! Congratulations, and here's to many more good years!!

2011-10-29T14:23:00.000+08:00

It's the end of the year and also concert season. I see many preschoolers prepping for concerts by way of costumes and rehearsals. E has been enthusiastic about rehearsals, and keeping the suspense - she refused any sneaks for the grandparents!!

Meantime, J has a few more papers to go for the O's. Instead of gearing for the post-exam prom or graduation night, she is prepping for two mission trips and a leaders advance. She is also picking up the language. I'm so proud of her for setting her priorities.

New Mini Books Class

2011-10-25T15:45:00.001+08:00

I have a new series of books for November at Made With Love - three books, in fact. These are accordion-styled books but with a twist to each of them. I totally enjoyed making the prototypes and samples, especially since the ecclectic papers in the Crate Paper Random Collection are so gorgeous to work with. I'll let the pictures tell it all. Hope to see you at the workshops.

Twist 1: Double Accordion

Twist 2: Winged Accordion, and I don't just mean the covers.

Twist 3: Star Accordion

Shout for Joy

2011-09-29T14:09:00.000+08:00

You've laughed over the misspoken words of E. Here are the words from J, may you grow to know her through the thoughtful and few words she speaks.

Mulling over post-secondary options:
Here's why it's better not to go poly: you can't go on
mission trips because holidays are different. Besides I don't want everyday to be a fashion show.

Morning Has Broken

2011-09-27T08:25:00.000+08:00

I count it a blessing to be greeted by this magnificent sunrise every morning from my front door. With this beauty to start the day, I just know the rest of the day cannot be too bad.

While thinking of a way to frame this photo, I came across a geometric pattern that looks like spiralling rectangles.

After cranking some black cardstock strips through the Sizzix and the On the Edge Postage die, I went to town with Dimensional Pearls, Liquid Pearls and Glimmer Glam, getting my fingers all shiny in the process.

The white foam Thickers were not spared the bling treatment: Glimmer Glaze in Blue, Red and Yellow blended and flowed together to create customised colours for the title.

Hope your day is great!

2011-09-20T08:30:00.001+08:00

It's my turn to host a challenge at Made With Love!

I was thinking how some people would flip a coin to make a decision and thought of trying the scrapbooking equivalent. I picked some random objects lying around - five rubber bands and a thick piece of string - and tossed them on a sheet of white cardstock to get my random placement guide:

Do you see a possible "heart" in there?

The layout -

The photos are set on the mesh background with eyelets and the Thicker letters for the title are sewn down with a variety of stitches using twine.

Love the fuzzy blue yarn - but at the rate I'm touching it, it will lose its fuzziness very soon!

Head on to MWL's gallery to read details about the challenge - looking forward to your participation.

Miss Spoken

2011-09-03T11:34:00.001+08:00

E: What is this?
Me: A calculator.
E: What is it for?
Me: It's to add really big numbers that you cannot add in your head. (Seeding an early idea not to over-rely on calculators).
E: But these numbers (buttons on the calculator) are not so big!

2011-09-02T09:24:00.002+08:00

Did September just sneaked in without me realising August is over?

In August, we had

Birthdays, national and E's:

An accident, and the family rallying together with the aid of technology:

Makes you wish this exist so we can speed through the tough levels:

Always therapeutic to immerse in craftiness:

A new class at MWL - five little books and lots of techniques and tips to share:

Goodie bags - keeping it simple with 12x12 paper and 8 scored lines:

And this smile every day to keep me going:

July 24, 2011

2011-08-09T16:09:00.005+08:00

E: Thank you Jesus for the milk. Amen.
Me: Do you know how to give thanks in Chinese?
E: Yes. Thank you Jesus for the 牛奶. Amen.
...

July 11, 2011

2011-08-09T16:09:00.004+08:00

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." ~ Hans Christian Anderson

A Sizzix layout for Made With Love inspired by butterflies and a white flower. I used a familiar favourite that is probably found in every scrapper's shelf - the Tattered Flower die. Just trim away one or two petals and add some blings.

Cutting them out of vellum and mesh ribbons gives these flutterby an ethereal feel. In fact some of them are almost ready to takeoff! Don't be surprised to see some butterflies fluttering in the wind when you next visit the store.

Happy National Day

2011-08-09T15:40:00.001+08:00

Our nation's 46th birthday. A day to be thankful for how far we've come and how much more we need to go.

I have a wish for my homeland: to be a peaceful place for my girls to grow up in and a haven for my loved ones.

Miss Spoken

2011-07-04T21:18:00.001+08:00

Daddy's phone rings.
E: Who's calling you Dad?
D: It's grandpa.
E: Why grandpa call you?
D: To tell me something.
E: What grandpa to tell you what grandpa what grandpa to tell you something …
Me: What did grandpa tell you?
E: Not me - Daddy!
Laughter all round.
E: What's so funny?

2011-06-11T09:55:00.001+08:00

Just posted a poll on my blog.

Kraft Goes With Everything

2011-06-05T21:29:00.000+08:00

I mean kraft paper, not the cheese.

For Made With Love, which by the way just celebrated its grand opening in Jakarta this weekend!

Maya Road kraft doilies made into flowers by stacking with red cardstock and gauze.

I cut the cardstock and gauze with Sizzix Wrapped Flower (657116) and added rhinestones and paper twine at the centres.

Behind the photo is a Decorative Swirl border (656215) that just begs for more blings to be added.

I also hung a trio of charms on the right to lend some movement.

So, kraft with turquoise, red and white - quite a pleasing combination. Can't say the same about my lunch of curry with cheese!

2011-06-05T20:16:00.001+08:00

Last week I was here:

Followed by:

Not sure if I have recovered!

Little Books Club

2011-05-31T20:53:00.000+08:00

I'll be teaching two book classes at Made with Love in June. One is a mini+miniature album class I previously blogged about here. The other is a repeat class, the Little Books Club, but revamped with a new paper collection. This time, it's a loud, eye-catching set of colours from the Basic Grey Life of the Party collection.

Watch for the new workshop schedule for June and come down to the store to see the samples. Hope to see you in a class soon!

2011-05-17T08:34:00.000+08:00

A new Sizzix layout for Made With Love:

By the way, were you there for their National Scrapbooking Day celebrations? Fantastic deals, lots of squealing as people won amazing prizes. Thanks to all the regulars and passers-by who dropped by to try their hand at the make-and-take. Each came away happy with a lovely creation designed by Kelly.

That's Carol and I having as much, if not more, fun as the "make-and-take"-ers!

Thanks Aida for the photo!

E wasn't too pleased because she wanted another make-and-take for jie-jie!

Back to my layout. I wanted to experiment with creating faux textures - specifically cork. One texture-fades embossing folder, some painting and inking and sizzix-ing later, my chipboard letters look like they were cut from corkboard!

I used Adirondack Butterscotch and Maya Road Lemon Metallic Mist on Maya Road chipboard words. When these are dry, ran them through the Alterations Cracked embossing folder which I have inked with Walnut Stain.

If you hate rubbing the embossing folder with tissue and getting all the crumbs and fluff from the tissue disintegrating, here's how I clean mine. Spritz water or stamp cleaner on the folder, place a couple of layers of tissue and run it through as though you are embossing the tissue. The tissue gets into all the cracks and nooks and soaks up all the ink so the embossing folder is spanking new again!

And stacking the new medium and mini rosettes with the original size. The newer die comes with 2 sizes of rosettes, but if you cut a few folders off each of the 3 sizes, you can create more sizes for stacking ... more about this in a later post.

It's a public holiday today and I plan to take the day slow, after working 14 hours yesterday while nursing a migraine. Yay for doing nothing together as a family LOL!

Multiplying the Love

2011-05-06T12:52:00.001+08:00

Have you seen the latest news that has gotten me all tingling with excitement?

Yes, Made With Love is opening a store in Jarkarta come June.

Can't wait for the sneaks!

After The Littles come The Minis and Miniatures

2011-05-04T07:12:00.001+08:00

I spent the long weekend with two feverish girls. One had a fever that required round-the-clock medication. The other was, and still is, battling exam fever. Still I found time to craft, thanks to hubby.
These are for a new installment of Little Books at Made With Love.

A mini stacked sky-high … well almost, it's at least 2.5"!

And a miniature smaller than your palm.

Unfortunately you'll have to wait till June cos MWL's May schedule is jam-packed with 24 amazing classes already.

As for the first installment of Little Book Club, I'm doing the last run on 15th and 22nd May. So if you have travel photos galore that you want to memorialize, grab this last chance with the Wander LBC.

The next run will be using a totally different set of papers and we're going to Parrtaaayyy!
Watch for sneaks soon!

Miss Spoken Tells a Bedtime Story

2011-04-18T22:14:00.001+08:00

Me: Goldilocks tried Baby Bear's porridge and it was just right. So she ate it all up.
E: Then she took the bowl to the sink!

Miss Spoken Goes Out

2011-04-16T12:08:00.000+08:00

So I went shopping with E along Arab Street and two steps into a bead shop, she dragged me out. "You have so many things in your room already!"

Next time, she's staying home.

Miss Spoken Strikes Again

2011-04-11T21:10:00.001+08:00

Ooh! A max of botches!

Miss Spoken Speaks Up

2011-04-09T16:40:00.001+08:00

Me: What colour do you want to colour the dog?
E: Err, blue!
Me: Okay … but have you ever seen a blue dog?
E: Yes!
Me: A real dog?
E: No …
Me: So do you still want to colour this blue?
E: But this isn't a real dog!

Mommy bring me to school

2011-04-08T11:07:00.002+08:00

E: Don't take bus.
Me: Shall we walk? Use our legs?
E: Don't use legs. Use backside.
Me: Why? How?
E: Put on the chair.
Me: What chair?
E: My chair, in your car, behind your seat.

Spurious precision.

Current Read

2011-04-08T07:17:00.000+08:00

An interesting read, thanks to hubby for spotting it. My thoughts:

Then:
You put in time and effort and use company resources, materials and know-how to make products which, after the company sells them, bring in revenue used to compensate for your time and effort. And maybe the company might throw in some employment benefits for good measure.

Now:
You transform your skills, know-how and connection into services and products using company imposed infrastructure and resources which are not necessarily built with your interest in mind. In fact these may be some cumbersome that you have to expend resourcefulness and skills to work around them.

Conclusion:
How can work give you the ROI for your assets without undermining your productivity through useless rules, tools and fools?

Pro Scrappers' League with the Lollipops

2011-04-04T12:58:00.000+08:00

Seven weeks of challenges. Between 2 to 26 pages a weeks. 83 layouts in all.

Now to wait for summer camp!

Love This Girl

2011-03-07T07:51:00.000+08:00

A Sizzix layout for Made With Love.

Distress inks don't have to be grungy. Spiced Marmalade, Dried Marigold, Broken China and Barn Door are some cheerful colours that can add a pop to Basic Grey's basics b/w patterned paper.

Sizzix dies used:
654904 Decorative Accent #4
Three of these behind the photo.

657104 Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die - Lace Scallop

Selectively cut the border strip from a piece of cardstock so that only the scallop edge is cut, leaving a wider space to partially mat the photo.

Flat Adventure

2011-03-07T07:50:00.001+08:00

Last October, DianeLynn hosted Flat Esther at Club Scrap's annual retreat. I packed a flat suitcase and sent Flat Me off, passport and all, along with only a single change of clothes.

Here is Flat E getting ready to board.

There! At CSHQ! I'm so excited my popsicle knees are shaking.

Flat Me may be small enough to fit in a teacup but that's no reason not to have fun!

A view of the projects.

Shopping time! Except I can barely lift a bottle of reinker!

Flat Me is looking for another adventure again. Any one willing to host?

Miss Spoken

2011-03-05T19:38:00.001+08:00

Me: What have you got in your bag?
E: A magnet.
Me: What do you need a magnet for?
E: To read.
Me: (Peeps into bag) Oh it's a mag-azine!

2011-02-19T12:36:00.001+08:00

E: Daddy's hair is short.
Me: Yes, he cut his hair.
E: No! Someone cut his hair!

2011-02-13T22:30:00.001+08:00

E is telling an impromptu story involving a bear, a black lamb and Tigger tiger eating a yellow ball.

Full animation and sound effects including different voices for the three characters.

2011-02-04T21:57:00.001+08:00

J: There's a spider in my bathroom!
E: Okay, I'll help you.
Dad: I've flushed it away.
E: No, I want to collect it!

2011-02-03T09:04:00.001+08:00

祝大家
新年快乐
万事如意

A Sister is the Closest Friend

2011-01-24T13:04:00.004+08:00

A new layout for Made With Love:

I know Tim Holtz' range of Sizzix dies is associated with grunge and distress but I wanted to create something light and flighty/flirty using the TH dies Caged Birds and Fanciful Flight. But knowing me, I used one of the die in a totally different way.

It's this bird cage, which got transform into a gigantic flower. Seven bird cages became petals of a flower to frame the single photo. I like the shadows formed by the lines from the curled petals.

As for the butterfly, I decided to make it look diametrically opposite to the featured photo on its packaging.

I cut the wings out of vellum. Then, using Maya Mists, I swirled and mixed and blotted until I liked the final colours. To attach the overlay on the solid wings I applied a generous coat of Glimmer Glaze between the two. This added a touch of shine without the bulk of typical liquid adhesive.

A close-up of the butterfly nestling in a cluster of flowers

Thanks for looking! Hope your week is great!!

Who loves you?

2011-01-23T06:30:00.000+08:00

Peek-a-Boo Valentines mini album with Sizzix dies Lace Heart Frame 655693 and Scallop Heart 655919. For Made With Love.

Photo descriptions
Cover : Sizzix dies used : leaving a hinge for the lace doily : photos inside the peek-a-boo doilies : Hambly pages : pages sewn though glitter cardstock : twisted stitching and ribbon/Velcro binding

Each page features a question and a corresponding photo hidden behind the doily:

Who feeds you prata for breakfast and takes you for walks in the park?

Who reads you stories at bedtime while you lie on her stomach?

Who teaches you how to fist-bump and say "yeah man", "cool"?

Who cares for you and takes you weekly to the pool?

Who play with you and tease you, all in loving fun?

Your family, grandparents, cousins - in short, everyone!

Miss Spoken

2011-01-18T20:46:00.001+08:00

E: 爸爸有胡须，妈妈有"恐龙"。
Me: I think it should be "口红"!

Crafting to end 2010 and to usher in 2011

2011-01-09T18:03:00.001+08:00

Christmas gifts to my in-laws:
One in a black holder:

And the other in white:

Some close-ups:

Swap pieces for 2011 calendar:

24 coasters stamped with 24 name of the month and adhered to 24 misted cardstock. 24 butterflies atop 48 vellum, 24 glossy and 24 metallic flowers. 96 blings coloured and heat set. 1224 numerals stamped inside 24 grids.

144 lines scored on 24 cardstock strips folded into waterfall mechanism.

Eight (whew!) doilies cut into thirds.

Super "siong", extremely exhausting, relentless during construction, rewarding at the finish.
My finished pieces:

What I received:

The wonderfully talented girls:

We survived! And crazy as we are, we have already started planning the next swap.

Sneak peeks for my maiden class

2010-12-31T14:16:00.000+08:00

These have been under wraps for so long but finally they are scheduled: my first class at Made With Love. It's called the Little Book Club and it's a two-part workshop so you get to totally immerse in making these little books from scratch.

After scoring and cutting and gluing and tying, we'll end up with four adorable mini books.

Look at all these pages waiting to be filled with photos or memorabilia or art journalling.

I'm hooked on mini books. I hope you'll join my addiction ; )

In 2010 I have been …

2010-12-31T08:19:00.000+08:00

Scrapping more: Participated in and initiated swaps to exchange ideas and cultivate friendship. Scrapped more assembly-line layouts. Gave the gift of scrapbooks and memories to family members. Joined the Sizzix design team at MWL - the best!

Learning more: Took more photos, - good and bad ones - especially after enrolling in photography classes and participating in photo outings.

Working hard: Returned to a five-day work week after two years of part-time work. Enough said.

Loving more: There's always so much going on with a teen and a toddler in the house.

And today is special not just because it marks the end of another year. It's hubby's birthday. Happy birthday dear!

Have a happy new year and wishing you abundant blessings in the year ahead.

2010-12-27T20:27:00.000+08:00

Me: What did you do at 婆婆's house today?
E: I watch Dora. Then Daddy fetch me. Then I go home. Then I take the lift. Then I say hello Mommy. Then ...

2010-12-27T08:14:00.002+08:00

"This is 姐姐's friend. My friend is Sarabelle. Mommy's friend is Auntie Aida".
E after an afternoon out with the 50mm photo group and while sending J's friend home.

2010-12-24T14:44:00.000+08:00

The gifts are made and wrapped. The girls are dressed in their pretties. We're setting off to the family dinner.

Wishing one and all a Blessed Christmas!

Miss Spoken

2010-12-17T21:33:00.000+08:00

E: Where is the moon? I cannot see the moon in the sky!
(Holds a box to her ear)
E: Helloooo!
Me: Who are you calling?
E: I'm calling the moon. Uh-huh. Okay. Bye.
Me: What did the moon say?
E: It's coming out soon.

Our holiday

2010-12-10T10:14:00.000+08:00

We boarded this:

We went here:

We saw these:

We did these:

We played this:

And somebody won:

We ate these:

Caught a couple of rainbows:

And came back home:

{He}Art Pieces from Friends

2010-11-20T09:30:00.002+08:00

We just concluded our 3rd Friendship Swap and here are the collection of masterpieces:

Mine is in the foreground:

Here's one of them:

Still waiting on one from Australia:

Assembled onto a two-page spread:

What Can We Learn from a Cactus?

2010-11-17T10:15:00.002+08:00

I made a mini album to house a poem and some photos of cacti. Certainly an unusual theme to scrap but I find the poem very meaningful and I want to remember the lesson the cactus teaches us. First, here's the poem by Ramendra Kumar

Of all the plants I know 
Cactus is the best 
It can pass easily 
Even the toughest test.

It has neither fragrance 
And very rarely a pretty flower 
Of several sharp thorns 
It wears a prickly cover.  

In the arid desert sands 
Where no flower can bloom 
The cactus grows in glory 
And dispels the traveler’s gloom.  

A braver creation of Mother Nature 
One can hardly ever find 
The cactus teaches us a lesson 
We should forever keep in mind.  

When life is easy and smooth 
Almost anyone can succeed
But surviving when the going is bumpy 
Is a great feat indeed!  

Let us try to be like the cactus 
Battling every adversity 
And with courage turn every calamity 
Into a glorious opportunity.

I used the following from Sizzix:
Frame Back Ornate #2 656577 and Flower Vine Border 656509.

The ornate frame was too big for the mini album so I printed the poem on shrink plastic and shrank it to a perfect size. You can stamp, print or colour on the rough side of the shrunk plastic. If you want the smooth side to face up, you'll need to print the text mirrored (you can find this printing option in most word processors).

I also inked the edges with Stazon and added blings to the top and bottom of each frame.
The pages are papered in white on one side and painted gold on the other. I embossed the white cardstock with the Flower Vine border, staggering the position so that each page does not look repetitive. The embossed vines are then painted gold and the flowers given bling centres.

Each letter of the title is on a different page. I coated the letters with Rock Candy crackle paint and painted different shades of brown when dried.

The twine around the letters and pages are dyed with distress ink in Forest Moss. By diluting the ink into different strengths I achieved different shades using the same ink colour.

Camera filter apps are all the rage among iPhone users. I created a similar effect using black Stazon on photos printed 4-up on my photo printer.

I had fun making the album. The embossed edges make light work of decorating the pages and the die-cut blinged-up frames unify the inside pages and lend a touch of luxury to contrast with photos of the rugged cactus.

Here's the finished album:

I hope you now see the prickly cactus in a different light. Now go make a mini for a quote or a poem to encourage yourself or someone else!

My Beautiful Grandma

2010-11-16T09:00:00.003+08:00

Being the oldest grandchild, I have a special bond with my grandma. I remember staying with her during school holidays and going around in a trishaw to the market or to visit her many friends. Looking at this photo made me realize how much she has aged - she still holds her poise and glows with an inner calm and elegance. However her memory is failing and she can hardly tell me apart from my sister.

I chose to make a layout about my grandma to honor her and her influence on me. I used a muted colour palette of browns and cream so as not to overpower her photo.

I used the following Sizzix dies:
Flourish #2 656554 and Tattered Flowers 656640.

The flowers are cut from coloured vellum using the Tattered Flower die. Vellum has a crisp texture that curls and holds its shape, just run the edge of a metal ruler under each petal as if curling ribbons when gift wrapping.

Alternate the curls upwards and downwards and add a prima flower in the centre of the bloom. I clustered several blooms and flourishes cut from rust cardstock and placed a foiled butterfly and bird in the midst.

For this flower, I splattered mist on pearlescent paper and layered a prima flower which I have edged with the same mist colour. The doily below is from Maya Road and I coloured parts of the design with Glimmet Glam on the reverse. This means I don't have to colour within the lines and it still looks neat!

The title lettering is cream which I found to be too pale so I inked the edges in brown. I used distress crackle paint to texturize it and inked the base of each letter a rusty colour. This adds visual weight to the letters so they don't appear to be floating on the page.

This layout is my first assignment for MWL. By the way, the month-long birthday celebration is still going on, so do head down for some bargains and great discounts!

There is so much I want to talk to my grandma about, so many stories I want her to tell. The fact is many stories have already faded in her memory. If you have an elderly parent or grandparent, don't procrastinate preserving memories about them. Our own memory will one day fade too!

Tomorrow is a public holiday and I plan to spend some time outdoor with my family. Wishing all Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya Haji and to everyone else a restful midweek break.

Quick Tip

2010-11-07T08:00:00.000+08:00

Ever gotten frustrated inking intricate edges?

The Zig split calligraphy pen to the rescue.

You can get different widths by changing the angle of the nib.

I'm Baaaack!

2010-11-05T17:51:00.000+08:00

October is the busiest time of the year work-wise, which translates to very little time for other pursuits. Unfortunately, blogging got bumped off the list of priorities. Now I'm posting a long post to catch up.

The best event for October took place 18 years ago.

J has been busy with school and, even though examinations are over, lessons are still ongoing, thanks to the dedication of the S3 teachers.

E has progressed tremendously, picking up letters and numbers rapidly.

Learning new skills such as painting:

Scribbling:

Building with blocks:

Being helpful:

Mimicking her teachers:

Being silly:

All of which are exhausting:

On the crafting front, more swaps with local as well as US scrappers:

Send "Flat Esther" off to a scrapbooking retreat:

While waiting for the Retreat in a Box to come to me:

Making another card for my parents' singing class:

And the final big news for October:

Thanks MWL for the opportunity. First assignment due soon; do watch this space for it.

Miss Spoken

2010-09-28T18:28:00.001+08:00

When I got home, E went to her school bag, unzipped it and rummaged a little. Then she returned empty-handed and, with a doleful look on her face, declared: My teacher didn't give me homework.

Remind me to resurface this entry when she is eight years old!

Miss (Out)Spoken

2010-09-22T10:03:00.000+08:00

Prefaces her sentenced with "I think ..."
Answers similar questions patiently until the final straw to which she will retort "I told you 'No!'"
Tactfully defers requests to bathe, put on shoes, keep toys, etc with "I'm busy."
Has an opinion about everything - I want to wear long sleeve shirt. That dress is nice. I like this book. This show is funny.
Remembers places and faces.
Recalls events and can give a blow-by-blow account (if she is in the mood).

2010-09-20T20:07:00.000+08:00

Don't underestimate the power of built-in applications; you don't need high-browed and costly software to get from

to

2010-09-18T11:29:00.000+08:00

My day was peppered with sms-es, wall-posts and emails, brightening the rainy day. The evening was spent with family over a simple but delicious dinner.

I feel so blessed to have family, friends, a roof over my head and time to pursue interests.
The gift and well-wishes started a week ago, with this from P:

E immediately laid claim on the older version.

She has been practising singing English and Mandarin versions of Happy Birthday, making us enact the entire process from sitting in the prime seat, to lighting the candles, blowing them out, cutting the cake and serving it on serviettes. As a result, the finale was perfect and she knows exactly what to do:

Candles in candle holders and onto the cake.

I'm "fifteen" because we put out every single candle there is.

E cued us in for the song

Candles out in one breath.

Taking a photo of me, with guidance from J.

And this is the photo she took.

Enjoying the cake.

2010-09-17T13:19:00.001+08:00

I'd better be a better blogger to make this more deserving:
www. thisaquarium.com

Miss Spoken

2010-09-09T23:34:00.000+08:00

E: Thank you Mommy.
Me: For what?
E: Thank you Mommy for loving me!

Baby No More

2010-08-31T08:03:00.051+08:00

One of our first glimpse of her, a long awaited gift.

She completed our family.

At one, she was a bolt of energy.

At two a parcel of joy.

But now she's no longer a baby:

She's three!

And there's something magical about being three - a young girl emerges.

Determined, outspoken, intense. Charming, adorable, loved.

Happy birthday sweetie!

Ribbon Storage

2010-08-22T21:40:00.000+08:00

Exactly a year ago, I made these to store my ribbons. Worked wonderfully to display what I have by colour themes but the ribbons have a tendency to tangle and to slip off when they are too short.

In another light-bulb moment, I made a bunch of trinket boxes which worked so well and took up less space. Each box is made of two strips of cardstock and/or transparency. I made most of them 2" by 2" by 0.5" but the following instructions are so easy to adapt the measurements to other sizes.

A strip of cardstock, two inches wide and a strip of transparency, just a tad narrower than two inches.

Score at 0.5", 2", 0.5", 2", 0.5".

Glue the narrow sections together to form a sleeve.

Slide the transparent sleeve into the cardstock sleeve.

2"x2"x1", 3"x3"x0.5", totally customisable!

Sleeves in colours to match the ribbons.

2010-08-09T22:04:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday Singapore!

We watched the parade on tv and caught glimpses of the flypast and fireworks.

E didn't manage to keep awake for the finale. She fell asleep while waiting on Daddy's shoulder.

2010-07-30T20:15:00.000+08:00

The moment I stepped into the house E declared "Mommy I got homework inside my bag." I think she's been wanting to say something like this for a long time.
True enough the playgroup teacher returned the week's assignments including those she didn't complete because she was absent. Guess she has to catch up on these before she can enjoy the weekend.

2010-07-30T08:30:00.002+08:00

Sorry for the absence. Yet to fully recover.

High Fever, Strange Advice and Sha

2010-07-20T08:01:00.000+08:00

First E, then I. High fever, cough, sore throat. After battling E's fever and keeping nightly vigil sponging her, I succumbed as well and paid a visit to the doctor on Saturday.

The doctor who was covering duty meticulously noted all my symptoms and checked me carefully. Then, after prescribing the medication, she dispensed some advice, rattling off a long list of food I should avoid. Then she asked "So what can you eat?" Totally caught off-guard, I volunteered a couple of "safe" food. Instead of confirming if I was correct, she asked again "Did I mention those just now?" "Er... no..." "Yes, so of course you can eat them. Now what else can you eat?" "Porridge?" "Yes! Porridge and rice. Not just plain porridge, add meat and vegetable and boil for 3 hours." Indeed, what will become of porridge boiled for 3 hours?

She went on to teach me how to record the time I drank water so that I will remember to drink one cup of water every hour. And how to count to six hours between each dose of medicine. Hmm I really learnt a lot from just one doctor visit!

On Monday I visited the doctor again because my condition didn't improve and fortunately was treated by the regular doctor. Anxious because of the many types of tablets I have to take, I gulped my first tablet with a swig of water ... and ... c_h_o_k_e_d! I spewed water all the way to the kitchen, not able to swallow anything. My mum thumped my back, I tickled my throat. To no avail. I whimpered that I could breathe, so that my mum would not panic, and indicated for her to whack me some more!

It was a good thing we had a visitor in the house who knows a thing or two about folk medicine. She stroked my throat firmly and managed to soothe the tablet down the right passageway eventually. She has previously treated my mum for gastric discomfort using "guasha" and suggested I let her scrape my back to relieve my fever. Yes, scrape!

As a child, I have seen my grandmother's friends given this treatment for chronic headaches and other discomfort. In the days when money is scarce and medicine is too western, folk remedies such as these were common. But I have never had it done to me. No harm trying.

Here's the "damage" on the second day.

I must say I did feel better after the scraping session.

Friendship Swap

2010-07-02T14:57:00.000+08:00

Okay, the last sneak wasn't too great. How about another one?

Miss Spoken

2010-07-01T23:52:00.000+08:00

E: Mommy spin around.
Me: You want me to turn around?
E: Yes. Take away your bolster. Now I hug you. Okay, finish hug. Take your bolster.

Friendship Swap

2010-06-30T22:28:00.001+08:00

Final touches on the friendship swap pages. Here's a sneak:

Okay, it's not very revealing, but then, it's not supposed to be!

Miss Spoken

2010-06-27T17:08:00.000+08:00

Mommy, you fetching school to 姐姐?

Daddy the battery got phone?

What's for dinner?

2010-06-26T21:10:00.000+08:00

Me: What is this?

E: Elephant! Er ... chicken.

Tidying My Room

2010-06-19T13:11:00.001+08:00

I've had enough of this room and especially my craft table.

It served me well in the previous flat

but here, it takes up too much space in the middle of the room and everybody barely have room to move around. Even E complains she gets stuck while moving among the mess.

I bit the bullet and packed everything into IKEA boxes.

photo from IKEA catalogue

These were a steal when they were offered at a special price last week. I got a dozen of them and in addition to those I already owned, managed to corral all the scrapping stash.

You know the saying that it must get worse before it gets better. That really applied for this room. Doesn't it look like a hurricane hit it? Or the recent storm?

I boxed and tagged the supplies and cleared the desktop. Finally, I emerged victorious over the mess with this room!

Meanwhile, P found this forgotten pot cover holder and I converted it into a tool holder.

The large guillotine cutter does not fit into the shelves and has been a pain to store. Now my sizzix platform and cutting mats have a home.

I found a stash of flair badges from Club Scrap and decided to put them on the curtain so they can cheer me up when I look up.

Okie doke. I have some swap pages to do tonight and an online chat to attend tomorrow. I also need to plan permanent homes for the remaining supplies still in boxes. You know where to find me if you need me!

2010-06-16T20:58:00.001+08:00

There are actually a lot of interesting greenery where I work.

Because this is a mature estate, some of the trees are probably more than thirty years old.

I spotted some lovely shadows yesterday and planned to bring my camera to take better photos.

But that didn't happen because of the overcast sky this evening. Looks like I need to stay late at work a few days later to catch the right moment again.

2010-06-16T08:17:00.000+08:00

Ever encountered a kid who insists he's not tired only to fall asleep mid-sentence? It happened to me last night. I was lying down with my phone planning which photo to upload to One Photo A Day and I fell asleep. A ten-hour block of sleep interrupted only by E's crying after a bad dream (of not being able to watch tv). I had a strange dream too. I dreamed that two fellow scrappers and I were fixing vine wreaths with scrapping supplies. I think I need to make that into reality, just like my other colour-scheme dream. I need to find purple flowers and extra-wide ribbons and try to recall what else was on my wreath.

Will update my photo from yesterday later tonight.

It's the middle of the week, typically known as "hump day", and all I can say is, all things pick up speed when going downhill. Race you there!!

Layouts for Me

2010-06-11T14:13:00.000+08:00

It's been a looooong time since I scrapped. Finally did some layouts and both are about ME, inspired by a couple of colourful dreams. The first colour scheme comprises white, turquoise and red:

Misting, blings, lace, swirly stamp, transparency - my favourite products!

The next layout is inspired by a colour scheme involving blue-greys and yellows. I really liked how this turned out after adding some reds into the mix.

Lots of texture from accordion folds, lace and velvet.

Thanks for looking. Looking forward to the weekend already.

Sisterly Conversation

2010-06-04T21:26:00.000+08:00

E: 姐姐, you going to school today?
J: Yes.
E: You going to study?
J: Yes.
E: I going to Baby School.
Me: (oh really?)
E: I going to study my name.

2010-05-24T20:58:00.001+08:00

E: 姐姐 can I go inside your room.
J: ...
E: I asked you a "cashen"!
J: Yes.
E:You go in first ...
Me: Can I go in too?
E: No, you go to your own room.

Driver in training

2010-05-22T21:26:00.000+08:00

After being crowned Princess,

Or is she a knight

Or Wonder Girl

E decided she needs a set of wheels.

So Mommy whipped up a "Flintstone" styled vehicle and she decided to "drive" to 婆婆's house.

A little wobbly initially.

And quite a hassle to embark and disembark.

Several modifications later resulted in Mach 2:

Spare key included.

2010-05-05T21:17:00.001+08:00

E: I want to read books. Bubbles is opposites.

2010-05-04T21:44:00.001+08:00

Me: Pray for Mommy.
E: Ok. You got headache? Got cough? Got itchy? Got nose?

2010-04-28T21:30:00.000+08:00

These will go out as Mother's Day gifts to my mom, sis and aunts.

Each is made with 2 contrasting sheets of paper for the covers and part of a third for the spine.

They open up to reveal a box constructed from book boards which house ...

a 6 by 6 mini album...

bound with metal rings and prettied up with lots of ribbons.

The album is rather thick but the box is very forgiving. If the album is removed, the box can also house other memorablia.

Sitting pretty, but not for long...

I've already wrapped them up:

E-Quote

2010-04-28T18:42:00.001+08:00

E: Daddy fetch the school to 姐姐.

2010-04-25T18:11:00.000+08:00

Made these from scratch.

More details to come.

E-Quote

2010-04-24T18:06:00.001+08:00

E: Mommy I want to bathtub in the bathe.

2010-04-23T18:31:00.001+08:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2010-04-23T07:31:00.001+08:00

The task ahead, putting all PSL pages into page protectors and organising into albums.

The final tally: 484 pages from PSL comprising 248 12x12 pages, 116 6x6 pages and 120 4x4.5 swap pages.

Not shown here are 20 pages sent out for the swap.

2010-04-21T21:24:00.001+08:00

E: Daddy put the cup in the Milo.

2-4-6-8 ALSB is just great!

2010-04-21T07:31:00.001+08:00

2 days, 4 albums, 6x6 pages:

Selecting the Spreading out the Direct to paper

background papers matted photos adhesive tape, the

applicator is too slow!

Setting up the tools

Cutting and gluing

The stack of completed pages

All 29 pages:

2010-04-19T07:18:00.003+08:00

I made these pages for three different swaps for our team. I can't wait to receive the swapped pages from the hostesses.

2010-04-15T07:11:00.012+08:00

After working on cardstock layouts for so long, I can't wait to get my hands into projects, mini albums and maybe, just maybe working with patterned papers.

2010-04-13T07:01:00.014+08:00

I am almost caught up with my current photos after PSL. Of course I still have a backlog of photos from last millennium!

2010-04-11T07:57:00.000+08:00

The previous photo mosaics were created using the online tool from BigHugeLabs. It is great for selecting photos from online sources. But it doesn't do a good job with photos which are not squares because it either squishes or crops off the image. I found another tool called Shape Collage. Here's the next installment of photos made with Shape Collage:

2010-04-10T07:19:00.001+08:00

Did you notice the pages using the gorgeous Christmas 09 kit at the top of yesterday's post? It's the Ornamental collection.

I have a wood mounted rubberstamp from that kit to give away. It is whopping 2" by 6". Leave me a comment on the blog and I'll pick an owner for this beauty at the end of April. For Singapore addresses only please.