April 28, 2009

Tama ba naman yun na 2 months ang update ko at wala pa ako masabi?
Anyway, our bags are packed once again and me and my super housemates will be moving to the Purple Line. It's a much smaller place than where we are living now but it's quaint and quiet and easy to maintain (as far as cleaning is concerned). There was a little bit of drama about this moving thing but we are leaving all the malas together with this flat. Sayang lang coz here in Tampines we are near the malls (I will miss Uniqlo but it's going to be a one bus trip going here once we move so - yay still!).
Ugh... I have too much stuff... And my scrap stuff has been neatly tucked away.
Even if I haven't updated this blog it doesn't mean that I have stopped scrapping. I made several layouts and projects which I will soon share once I've unloaded all my stuff once again.
So May 2 (I think) is Scrapbooking Day. I'm seriously thinking of getting a Slice machine but it will depend on what MWL will have in store for next month. I hope I can get a good deal, though.
Come back again soon :)

PS. I am currently in bed resting. I have a back strain. Pain is really bad - I cannot make sudden or fast movements. I was prescribed 3 kinds of pain killers which makes me feel really drowsy.
March 4, 2009


Eyelove...


0.25 lbs of Botanical Mix Wildflowers

They do not disappoint..

February 18, 2009

I opened my email this morning to see an email from Basic Grey telling me that my January Facets layout has been chosen in the gallery:




See it here

Of dates...

11:02 PM | 0 Comments

February 17, 2009 - it's my parents' 32nd anniversary

Which can only mean that come December I will be 32... yaiks!

I can't seem to add the date of entry in my blog so, til I figure it out I may have to type it out myself...

Hmm... My prowess is being tested...
Thank you Irene for choosing my layout as LOTW 15 for Made With Love. I'm am honored.





Materials - Patterned Papers , Alpha Chipboard & Stamps: Basic Grey Porcelain; Cardstock: Bazzill; Alpha Stickers: Making Memories; Stamping Ink: Versafine; Rhinestone: Prima; Others: Water-color pencils, UTEE, Glossy Accents, Lace and Embroidery Floss



See it here as well.

2009

1:18 AM | 0 Comments

I am currently updating and tweaking my blog. Since it's 2009 - a new year - I figured I'd have a new look.
Thanks for visiting. Please add me up in your RSS feed to get updates from me.
Cheers :)

Tomorrow

9:42 PM | 0 Comments



A year older I am turning..

And I will be coming home. I am so excited to see my family and friends again. This trip is actually an advance birthday gift from my parents who also promised to take me to this waterfall in Amadeo, Cavite that they have discovered (I smell photo op!). It's also very timely since it's my nephew Justin's 4th birthday celebration on the weekend that I will be home. It's also my favorite boss and very good friend Vivian's birthday who promised to treat me to a scrumptious meal at Contis (never been... I know...).
As I have mentioned on my previous post, I had a very hard September both personally and professionally. I thank God that I was able to come past the obstacles that came my way, but I did have a few meltdowns in the confines of my office space that worried my manager and officemates (I know they thought I was going to lose it any second now). My crying spells were so bad that my mom was already begging me to pack my things and go home for good. While that prospect at that time seemed irresistable, I knew that it was the easy way out. Obstacles are there for a reason and I knew that I had to face it head-on. I had to be strong for the sake of my parents, I know that they worry so much for my well being especially in this situation where I am far away from home standing by myself with nobody to turn to if things get ugly. I've leaned so many lessons in this experience and most of it painful, but you know the old adage 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' surely is true. I am a fighter now.

So I've moved to another place (yet again). I like it here - from my window I can see the park, it's sunny, accessible to places, and my housemates are really cool. In my case, I have to be wary of people I meet especially a fellow countryman/woman. My last housemates - to put it mildly - are arrogant, self-absorbed, greedy people, spawns of the devil who have no real decency in their bone. And although I want to rid myself of any hatred as it can only give you wrinkles, I just boil everytime I think of them. They are robbers of money and spirit. I know someday that what they did to me will come back to them tenfold. I know that it is very un-Christian to think of evil things to these three people, forgive me I am only human and my imagination can go up to the hills most of the time. So let's not discuss them any further.

I want to fill my life with love and music and flowers and chocolates... I am so crushing on him right now:

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII



Go see The Tudors and you'll get what I mean (and Henry Cavill is hot-hot as well). If these kind of men do not turn you on, at least watch the show for the entertainment value (not as historically accurate as I would have hoped compared to the book The Wives of Henry VIII - yep! that's the nerd in me..).

And I will not let this post pass without sharing anything about scrapbooking. Here are some layouts I made:

boys



boys



Materials: May Studio Calico Kit



so i wonder

so i wonder


Materials: Cardstock: Bazill; Patterned Papers: American Crafts; Chipboard: American Crafts, Maya Road; Overlay: Hambly; Sticker: 7gypsies; Paint: Making Memories; Others: American Crafts Pen, UTEE, Glossy Accents, Perfect Pearls

I am currently finishing a BAB for the Prima Contest. Imagine winning USD600 worth of flowers? Sweet!

Til next time!
I have much explaining to do for my long absence.
I'm currently packing up and moving to another apartment because my housemates from hell have been so unbearable that I've decided to leave this hell hole.. All I can say is that they don't know who they're messing with and I hope for their sake that they'll continuously watch their backs for safety from now on. Karma's a bitch you guys.
I'm itching to cut and paste but I've already packed most of my stuff and they were the first to be transferred - all packed and sealed. So I can't wait til October 1 to be reunited with them again.
Visit me again soon :)

The next thing you know we'll be hearing Christmas carols again!

Last week out of boredom, I went to this place that I read in Leena's blog where she had a pictorial with her husband. I figured I'd go to this place and have a pictorial myself (alone - my friends were too busy doing i-don't-know what..) so I google-d the place and went there myself. Except for a couple of pedestrians and motorists, the place was quite deserted (nevermind that I was taking photos of myself - they may have thought that I was crazy or whatever). Still practicing with my photography and I'm still using my 50mm lens.

There are more pictures from where this came from (haha) so it'll keep me busy for a couple of weeks.


me today

me today



All materials are from the Scarlet Lime July kit (gotta love SEI's Poppy Line).




there's gotta be more to life

there's gotta be more to life



Materials: Patterned papers, stickers and glitter: Making Memories; Cardstock: Bazzil; Chipboards: Cosmo Cricket & American Crafts; Alpha Stickers: American Crafts; Transparency: Hambly; Damask Stamp: Heidi Swapp; Others: This and That from June Scarlet Lime, UTEE, DMC, Glossy Accents


I was also able to finish the journal from the Studio Calico add on from May. I've enjoyed doing this journal that when I was finished, I have no idea what I was going to use it for (probably secret spending for my scraps... haha).



Journal (Studio Calico May add-on)

Material from the Studio Calico May add-on

Thanks for looking and have a blessed week ahead!

This is something I made for the Label Tulip anniversary challenge. I paid homage to Leena Loh because I really love her work..

reasons to smile


Materials - Patterned papers: My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey, Autumn Leaves; Chipboard alpha: Chatterbox; Stamp: Autumn Leaves; Stamping Ink: Versafine & Tim Holtz; Flourish and glitter: Doodlebug Designs; Mirror: Heidi Swapp; Paint: Making Memories; Die cut felt: Prima; Others: Stickles and American Crafts pen

I am loving Heather Bailey so much! Love the vibrant print and color. The new stamps of Autumn Leaves are just as gorgeous. I'm churning more layouts using these products.

I also started a couple of layouts using the SEI Poppy line... Love those as well - the reds and the blues and silvers.. And they have a paper named Pearl! How very cool is that? :)

I feel that there is quite an improvement on my scrapping time lately. I can actually finish layouts over the weekend. I've always enjoyed the luxury of time when it comes to scrapbooking - I am a la-di-dah kind-of scrapper, no pressures just taking my sweet time.

I am subscribed to Label Tulip and I've so far received the May and June kits. I love the LT kits! I feel like it's so easy to work with it. I feel guilty (sometimes...) because it takes me a while to finally open the kits and play with it. I try to at least make 2 layouts out of the kits that I am currently subscribed to, and I know that I have to maximize these kits since I've cut my LSS visits to just twice a month (a whole lot of restraining since some CHA summer goodies are already available for picking - ugh! Will I be able to refuse the Heather Bailey paper and stamps?)

This layout is actually my slow scrapping - took me two days to finish..

look here

look here

Material: June LT kit; Others material - Stamps: Fontwerks; Stamping Inks: Tim Holtz and Staz-On; Rhinestones: Prima; Felt Shapes: KI Memories; Button: Daisy Ds; Epoxy Sticker: Sei; Paint: Making Memories; Pen: American Crafts; Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket; Ribbons and staple wire

My fast scrapping is a record - even for me. I finished this layout in 3 hours! It turned out quite freestyle - I love the simplicity and whimsy of this layout.

all you wanted

all you wanted


Materials: May LT kit; Others - Buttons: Autumn Leaves; Ribbon: May Arts; Alpha Sticker: Doodlebug Designs; Pen: American Crafts; Stickles

Have a great week!

Was my first thought when I wanted a really clever name for the bookmark I was going to make. But I will be saving that for a future project (I actually stumbled upon a website about a bookmark saying just that, but age got the best of me and I forgot where in cyberspace I saw that).

Bookmark

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill; Alpha Stickers: Doodlebug Design and Making Memories; Sheer flowers: Maya Road; Felt Flower: KI Memories; Stamp: Purple Onion Designs; Stamping Ink: Tsukineko; Brad: Making Memories; Ribbon: May Arts
* finally got to use the Fiskars puncher

Sure there are ready made bookmarks for purchase anywhere, why not buy? I just wanted to do my own (what with a ton of scraps laying around).

Notice I've now watermark-ed my pic.. It's just protection if in case somebody was insane enough to grab photos of stuff that I have made. We can never be too safe now - what with the technology and transparency we have on the internet. Most - if not all - of us are sharing our work in good faith but some of us can fall prey to predators and leechers (it's sick and unacceptable but it does happen). So my friends, watermark before you become a victim.


So I've finally picked up a book again. A few posts ago, I mentioned about 'Dreams from my father' by Barack Obama and I finally snagged a copy from my friendly Harris bookstore. I did go a li'l wild and picked up these as well:

An excerpt from 'Me talk pretty one day'


'The Italian was attempting to answer the teacher's latest question when the Moroccan student interrupted, shouting, "Excuse me, but what's an Easter?" The teacher called upon the rest of us to explain. "It is a party for the little boy of God who call his self Jesus. He die one day and then he go above of my head to live with your father. He weared of himself the long hair and after he die, the first day he come back here for to say hello to the peoples. He nice, the Jesus."

Hilarity... I almost guffawed in the bookstore when I read this..

On other scrappy news, our June SC Kit was short-shipped! Our add-ons were not shipped together with the main kit and we may have to wait for a few weeks for it to arrive. The May kit was short shipped as well and since we went crazy with the July add-ons, we are crossing our finger that this won't happen again.

Have a great week ahead!

Here's another layout that I was able to finish last weekend..


the middle child

Justin is the second born son of my brother. He is three years old and had just started nursery school this year. We've noticed that since Terrence was born, he is always clamoring for the attention of the adults, which most of the time turns into a screaming fit with the parents, grandma, yaya and even from Kuya Wacky. Nevertheless, even with the crazy antics he sometimes pull-off, he is a really sweet kid..

the middle child

I did the hidden journaling in a playing card..

the middle child - hidden journaling

Materials - Patterned papers: Creative Imaginations, Cosmo Cricket, Basic Grey; Die cuts, epoxy tag & paint: Making memories; Gel blossom: Heidi Swapp; Velvet Alpha: American Crafts; Small alpha: Carolee's; Rub-on: Cosmo Cricket; Brads: JoAnn's; Rhinestones: Prima; Stamp: Purple Onion; Stamping Ink: Versafine; Others: Slick Writer, floss, metal butterfly, playing card and fabric from Qtea Kits

Our bunso Terrence is at the stage where it is so easy to make him giggle...
Making rosettes is one of the things I've recently discovered. Google-it and find out how to make one, it makes your work a step more 'hand-made'.
I also used the Doodlebug Crushed Velvet Flock, still needs a little work though on how to make it more polished..

Once of a kind

Materials used - Patterned Papers: Creative Imaginations & Cosmo Cricket; Die Cut Paper: KI Memories; Transparency: Hambly; Buttons: Autumn Leaves; Epoxy Stickers: SEI; Rub-on: My Mind's Eye; Gel Heart: Heidi Swapp; Alpha Stickers: Carolee's; Stamp: Cat's Life Press; Stamping Ink: Versafine: Chipboard: Magistical Memories; Flock: Doodlebug Designs; Wood Flourish: Kaiser Crafts; Mirror Bird: Heidi Swapp; Others: Stickles, Zig Pen, floss and glittered tulle.
Going to Universal Studios in LA and meeting Shrek..

Ogre-Luv

* from my earlier scrapbook pages *

I hope he's doing fine after the fire that hit the theme park a few weeks back. I have some really fond memories there - wandering alone, queuing (?) to get into the Backdraft studios, drinking a liter of Coke from my Spongebob sipper, the crazy cool Mummy ride..
I heard and read that the studio lot where those sets that replicated the streets of New York, sets of Back to the Future, the semi-scary Jaws were badly damaged by the fire. I wonder if the set of Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives and the crashed plane from War of the Worlds were counted as casualties. Sayang naman...
I'm really grateful that I was able to go to this place.. I really hope to someday go back - and hopefully Universal Studios will be as glorious and magical as ever.
Thanks Tin!

Here are the tagging rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Post these rules on your blog
3. Share six (6) unimportant things about yourself
4. Tag six (6) people at the end of your entry

Unimportant Facts about Me!

1 I use the Lush 'KARMA" soap as air freshener in my room (I hang it in the aircon and moisten it once a week to revive the smell)
2 I always wear my eternity ring in my left middle finger and feel restless when I'm without it
3 My mom and dad still calls me 'Baby'
4 I love PhoBac's Chicken Pho and spring rolls - and I have to have those at least once a week..
5 I miss driving in BF Paranaque (where I usually hang anytime of the week with my friends to eat dinner, drink coffee and buy 'DIBIDI')
6 I no longer wear shoes with heels (because of the minimum 1 hour walk/stand I have to endure on most days)

To those who have read this post, consider yourselves TAGGED! :)

Since my last post, I have actually finished a couple of layouts..

i am

I've been practicing taking my own pictures in front of a mirror, I still have to master focusing and looking at the camera. This is my current avatar on forums and PM.


i am


May Scarlet Lime Kit
Others material used are - Sheer die cut: Maya Road; Stamping Ink:Tsukineko; Pen: American Crafts


silly


This was taken on my last vacation in Manila. I have been pestering my brother to take me to Bonifacio High Street since I've never been there. It was supposed to be my and Hem's bonding time (naks!) but his middle child Justin, who was kicking and screaming, wanted to tag along. Armed with my camera, I used father and son as my subjects and needless to say Justin was more camera-hungry than his Dada. He is obviously a ham in front of the lens!

Silly

May Studio Calico Kit
Other material used are - Die Cut: Jenni Bowlin; Alpha Stickers: Making Memories; Misc lace ribbon


a new passion

More self portrait. I have to learn how to take my own pictures since I am alone most of the time when I go out (only because my friends Joy and Marian live in another 'kampong').

a new passion

Materials: Patterned papers: Making Memories, American Crafts, Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Die cuts: Making Memories; Alpha Stickers: American Crafts; Stamps: Purple Onion Designs, Fontwerks; Chipboard: Cosmo Cricket; Rhinestones: Kaiser Crafts; Stamping Ink: Tim Holtz's Distress Ink and Tsukineko; Ribbons: Creative Imaginations, Making Memories; Pen: American Crafts; Floss

oh boy

This is my Scrap-N-Crop entry for the April Design Team Challenge. All my nephews had this habit of sucking three of their fingers when they were babies. This picture of Jaden is so cute - see how round his cheeks are!
oh boy

Materials: Patterned papers: Creative Imaginations, Cherry Arte, Tinkering Ink, Kaiser Crafts, Basic Grey; Alpha: American Crafts; Chipboard: Bazzill; Stamp: BasicGrey; Stamping Ink: Versafine; Glitter: Doodlebug Designs; Pen: American Crafts; Floss


Treats

1:21 PM | 0 Comments

Yipee...I now have my own..Thanks parkavenueprincess for selling and holding it for me..


Here in SIN we are still feeling the aftershock that is CHA Winter 08. The new wares are just pouring in week after week (see here and here). The kits that I am subscribed to right now pretty much covers what I need (and more),but sometimes if the new products are too hard to resist, goodness help me but I ain't gonna deprive myself for a li'l some-n-some. Last week on a Wednesday I met CK at LP to get my SC kits. A supposedly short meeting turned into an hour of conversation about scrapbooking (and little trinkets of life and travel). Since it was a Wednesday night, we had the chance to see the new products that were going to be sold the next day. I picked these up:



because (a) it was the last piece on display ; (b) I thought the packaging . I also got this:


The colors are so alive and I like that it's sort of 'androgynous'. And I think the combination of yellow and black is fantastic!

Note: I got 10 stamps for my VIP card because of the total purchase. Okay,before you guys say HOARD, CK was generous enough give me her share of the stamps, and LP was still in NS month spirit so for a minimum total purchaseof $**#!, you get 20% off the total receipt and double stamps! How's that for fastracking my membership?

The next day to unwind after an over-the-top crazy day in the office, I wentto MWL because I saw that the new HS mirrors were already available. I got to MWL so late (around quarter to 9pm, they were already about to close shop) that this is the only mirror left on the display rack:


I am sort of clueless sometimes when it comes to birds, but I thought I can use it on some Jaden layouts. And the coolest thing is there are so many things you can do to the mirrors, like masking, adding rubons, and gasp! -use a flourish stamp on a glue pad and pour some of that really nice crushed velvet flock for texture! But leaving the mirror be is just as cool, I think.

I read how a DT member of Art Declassified loves the new Adirondack Pigment Inks. Since I got 2 stamps from Stampers Anonymous (the Tim Holtz designs are really good):



I might as well pick two pads to try out. The ink pad is really wet so a little dab on the stamp was actually enough to cover an area. Although I am admittedly not an expert at stamping, I am loving the Adirondak pigment inks.



Note: How do you store your inkpads? I read a very, very long time ago that in order for the stamp pads not to dry up easily they should be stored upside down. Dunno if this is true but I do have stamp pads from 2 years ago that I store that way and they are still pretty much use-able. But would you guys know also if there is a shelf life for ink pads? Just curious...

I have too much paper...But ledger, notebook and graph prints as the base for my layouts I always find charming (hey, that's just me..). So I bought a few from Luxe, Sandylion and Creative Cafe.

Something to look forward to...T minus 20 days... It was on a special price and I didn't want to lose sleep thinking of what might have been (been there and it's not fun).


To say that work is busy is an understatement...

And I am in a state of emotional wreck of deciding whether being here in SIN is for me or not (yes after a year this still bugs me big time).. I've just come back from from my vacation in MNL and believe me when I say that I would not let go from my mommy's arms (I know, I am such a big baby). I am really praying hard that things work out for the best whatever it is that I've decided...

I will be updating my blog as soon as I can. I have finished a couple of layouts that I want to share but in the meantime, some of it is posted at Scrappin' Moms so please do check them out there and give our Filipino scrapping community some love by joining and participating in the forum.

On a scrappy note, this is the mess that I left in my room:





It's a tranny mess lemme tell ya...

On a happy note... yippie! I am getting this tomorrow! But I am so not visiting any LSS this month since I blew all my lunch money for this and this and this and this..

Later...