Blessed Christmas!

Did some 'shaker box' christmas cards to be given away to Adah's and Asher's school teachers. I used the stamps from one of my favourite and cutest Unity Stamp sets for it.


I love the christmasy feel the cards carry with the red and green color combination...and I was just playing around with the doily papers before I was inspired to try out this design. A lot of cutting work here cos you got to cut out the circle from the center of the doily paper and then piece the foam tapes to form the elevated border. I also had to cut out the plastic sheets for the shaker box.

Just to share, Christmas hold a significant meaning for Christians like me. It's to mark the birth of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ. And the children and I were all baptised together during the christmas service last year. I always feel that christmas is a season of joy and giving, not only due to the present giving and all the commercial hype pre- christmas but we were given a Saviour too and that itself is cause for joy. It is not difficult to get christmas decor around here, but sadly...I can't find any relating to the nativity scene... ...

Lil Princess for Moments Recorded Challenge #2

This layout is done for Moments Recorded challenge- Firsts. That was Adah's first time as a flower girl, and its for my brother's (her favourite Jiu Jiu) wedding. We flew back to Singapore 2 days before the wedding. The church rehearsal was over by then. The little page boy, Justus (again Adah's playmate in church), had to walk down the aisle alone then for the practice. We only had sufficient time to get Adah fitted for her flower girl dress the day after we arrived and the following day was the WEDDING!

Adah was sooo excited because she had helped to pick out her dress and was so impressed that it looked like a 'princess' one exactly like the bride's. Adah has no concept of weddings but she had always been awed by the beauty of brides in their gowns since young and she always call them 'pretty like a princess'. Whenever she looks at our wedding pictures display, she will reprimand Papa and Mummy for getting married without her! LOL! Cos she has to be a princess like Mummy too!

Came the moment to march-in, Adah had only the chance to practise walking down the aisle with Justus for 1 or 2 rounds before the actual wedding ceremony. Our little girl was all cool, smiley, looking pretty, not a sign of nervousness, looking around at everyone and just soaking in the attention and smiles. I remembered there was a lump in my throat then. I choked up as I saw how grown up and confident my little girl has became. Such a vast difference from that clingy baby who would reject anyone's carry and stick to mummy only!

Back to the challenge, we had to use 4 different patterned papers (check), 3 or more photos (check, and I am beginning to feel that I have been doing too many multiple-photos layouts), buttons (check), and stamps (check, and yay!I love stamping!)I used stamps from my favourite Unity Stamp and Stampin' Up to complete the layout. I actually tilted the quote to have the top end more elevated for a 'pop-up' feel, but dun think it's that obvious from the pics. And I love the cute buttons from Scrap O Them, check out those cute teensy weensy buttons that's even smaller than my last fingernail! And that little white dress came from a sticker shop right here in SH!!!

Am beginning to feel that my blog entries are a little too lengthy, I must try to shorten them but I always get carried away talking about my creations!!!

Coke for The Story Matters 'Indulge' Challenge and Dreamgirls Challenge #17

This layout is for The Story Matters 'Indulge' Challenge and Dreamgirls Challenge #17 on 'What can't you live without?'

Actually don't we all have our weakness for something? To be honest, I have so many sinful habits that I just cave into, snacking on chocolates, chips, pastry, spicy foods, buying SB stuff online (stamps, inks and papers are my biggest weakness), buying clothes for the two young monsters. It's almost uncountable.

Finally I thought about where I had to struggle the most and its definitely COKE! How can you not call it a BIG indulgence when you are trying to lose those post natal pounds from almost 2 years ago and yet caving into temptation to guzz down that cool fizzy drink everyday? A can of coke has almost 7 teaspoons of sugar if I remember it correctly from Home Economics lessons and I have to work out for 45 mins at the gym everyday since september to only lose 3 kg. But since coming to Shanghai, both hubby and me find ourselves craving for some coke almost after every meal, Our conclusion, it must be the chinese cooking style here. Yet in Singapore, we did not need coke to gush down the aftertaste of chinese meals. Anyway, that is the biggest indulgence of mine now (other than SB buys) and to keep those pounds away, Coke Zero is definitely the choice.


Back to my layout, I have decided to adopt a black, red and white theme to match the Coke Zero can picture I have taken and also to have little circles to represent the bubbles in the soft drink. A simple layout but i like the feel of it, and I completed in one night. So efficient, of course with that can of coke zero nearby... ...

By the way, just a little mention about the stamps I have been using in the two recent layouts. They are from Unity Stamp and I have been subscribing to their monthly kit since july. Gorgeous unmounted rubber stamps and because I am in Shanghai, I always have to wait (and drool) till I go back to Singapore to collect them from Felicia or have someone send them over...Sigh...too bad there's no SB club here. Maybe I should try to start one soon...

Run for Groovie Java Scraps Cafe Inspiration Challenge

This is done for Groovie Java Scraps Cafe Inspiration Challenge. The theme is on Crazy about Covers and the CD cover below was showcased.

Sophia came out with such a fantastic interpretation of this challenge. The frame was so impressive that I had to stop myself from creating a layout that is inspired by her work than the CD cover.

I like flowers and butterflies but I never like too much of them in my layouts, so this is not an easy challenge for me. Also I wanted a vintage look but I dun think I have mastered the distressed look well enough yet...I really like the gold butterflies. Its the first time I tried embossing with my stamps. I can't bear the cost of a heat gun(yet) so I ended up trying the heat tongs I got for my hair and hair dryer. And I think the end results were quite good.

Then at the same time, I was blog hopping and came to Creative Scrappers' latest challenge which also had a floral theme, so I was quite inspired to combine the sketch design with the CD cover look and so here goes... ...the end results.

The journaling marks what I want to tell Adah for her future: Run along with what you have, Be contented, be grateful and be happy. I hope she will make the best of whatever she has in her hands to run her life, her future, her endeavours and be thankful for her lot in life. Most importantly, learn to be happy because it can be the most difficult thing to do.

Shanghai Days Diary Part 1

I decided to do up a diary to remember our Shanghai days by. One page for every month that we are here. Time really flies! Its one album completed, so that means we have been here 12 months, a year already. So much experiences, some not worth mentioning (being pickpocketed, taken for long rides, cheated), some unforgettable (typhoons, monsoons, SNOW, hot summer days!), new friends made and settling as a cozy family of four finally without 'unnecessary external' influences from people around us.


That said, I think Singapore is still the best! We miss Singapore, at least I am quite sure Adah and I miss a lot! We are Singapore, we are Singapore, Singaporeans!!!

Oh Boy!

Did I ever mention that I got to know this talented lady Claudia who takes fantastic pictures as well? Maybe I am just so lousy at photography, she just impresses me with all the angles and interesting subjects/ poses she and her husband can take with that camera of theirs with the long lens and all...

Anyway, these were pictures taken of Asher at Lily's house during the mooncake festival gathering we had here before Claudia packed up for Beijing. I didn't even know that there was a shot of me hugging Asher and kissing him so tight!!! I had cropped away my fat arms! Ha ha ha! And I love all the pictures of Asher that they took that I wanted to scrap everything. Asher was in a good mood cos' he had his nap before Papa brought him over. He's usually an afternoon boy, not the morning type anyway.

So I had everything squeezed in, ran out of ideas for embellishments, decided to cut up my Fancy Pants paper and layer those cutsie pictures. And I found that rub on quote that just ties in with my 'Frog Prince' theme! It reads: A boy is truth with dirt on his face, beauty with a cut on its finger, wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and hope of the future with a frog in its pocket. Alan Marshall Beck.

Pink Sketches Sketch #14

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This layout was inspired by Pink Sketeches Sketch #14. I love this sketch cos' it so simple to piece together, yet looks elaborate and incorporates flourishes as a a key embellishment. (My favourite currently, a pity I can't get any chipboard type flourishes from here.)

Anyway, one of the challenges that I face in scrapping is stamping and embellishing gone wrong. Given the limited supplies I have here, I have to be really innovative about pieceing together stuff for challenge sketches. I wanted to use flourishes chipboard but I ended up using my stamps to create the look. Then I couldn't find a suitable ink color. (And the new ones I have ordered were still not here, thanks to an over zealous receptionist here which is another long story). Anyway, I ended up using the crystals and faux pearls to cover up the stamping mistake and the end result turned out so 'bling'.

Also, the little blue owl at the bottom, was a decorative piece for Adah's croc shoes which got pried out of its attachment by Asher. Love the ribbons that I have used, my best buys from the ribbon market here and there was no place for more journalling, so I had hidden journalling behind the pictures that I have attached on with a brad.

Weekly Sketch Challenge #26 for Creative Scrappers & Scrappin Kids Challenge #14

I came up with this for Creative SCrappers Weekly Sketch Challenge #26. When I first started, I wanted to follow closely to the sketch design. I had a floral concept, butterflies, layering and all. But I found these running pictures of the two monsters, and I really want to scrap them. I still tried to stick to the original theme that I had in mind, but maybe use more browns, blues and greens since these colors are more neutral.

Well, in the end, as I played around with ideas, the layout turned out the way it is. No flowers, no fluttering butterflies, no flourishes...Probably will try again my floral theme with some other pictures. I really like this sketch design for multiple pictures.

These are my favourite pictures of the two monsters at play. I dun have a 'professional' type of camera, just a regular digital camera- Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX07 that hubby bought for me as a gift before we flew over to Shanghai. (Lookign back, it must be a bribe!) Given its speed, I was so happy when I managed to get these 3 pictures in the midst of pacifying Adah and then telling Asher off. I was trying to get them to pose lovingly for the camera when the jostling started over a bowl of apples.


Anyway, I decided to submit this layout for Scrappin Kids Challenge #14 as well, cos this layout is really just about what these two monsters are about most times. Loving and 'killing' each other! I had journalled on both sides of the strips of paper but attached Asher's facing up. They read as follows:

Asher's:
1) Eye that Apple
2) Push Adah away.
3) She's down but still no apple!

Adah's (on the back)
1) I have an apple, not Didi
2) Didi wants my apple, RESIST!
3) I'm down but I still have my apple. Ha ha ha!

Mini Album- A Teacher's Diary

Adah was blessed to have a very wonderful English teacher in K1. I have not met such a dedicated, patient and loving teacher and I am quite sure the other parents who knows her will think so too. Unfortunately, she only taught Adah for one month before health reasons and personal issues led to her resignation.


I put together this mini album for her. I was so touched when she made cards for each and every child in her class. She made sure she had photos taken with all of them and they all had a copy to keep to. I had named it ' A teacher's diary' and left some pages empty so that she could put in her own memorable photos. With no photos, it can be really difficult to create something out of nothing.

Lily's Birthday Gift- Altered Handbag Album

This is the gift that I made for Lily for her 3 year old birthday. Lily is Adah's best friend. The two girls were almost inseperable when they were in the same class. There are times when they just can't get enough of each other, begging to go to each other's house to play after school. But within spilt seconds, they start quarrelling. Before the mothers can gather themselves to seperate the girls, they start chirping and giggling away again!


Honestly, as expats, people come and go in our lives. At one stage, I was sending off 3 friends in a month! I really wanted something for Lily to remember her little best friend years down the road. She's such a girly girl and I found this Maya Road handbag chipboard album for her.


And I am sure with today's means of communication, Facebook, e-mail, MSN, etc, the girls will still be in touch, even years later... ...