Goodbye 2010! Hello 2011!!!

Happy New Year!!! We are just minutes away from a new year...2010 just flew by for me..there were so many changes and adjustments and challenges that I found myself screaming for more time all the time. It's so strange. When I was a young kid studying, the years seem to drag by, and I never seem to graduate. But once I graduated from uni and started working, time seemed to be moving at a faster pace. After I became a mum, time accelerates at such a fearful speed that I have to sprint along with the days (and I am not as fit as before now, so...sighs...)

Anyway, I wanted to share some of the projects I have been up to in the past weeks. Yummlicious Websters goodness. Is it any surprise that I am a fan of anything Websters? Well, I altered a flat canvas board into a hanging home display piece using lots of Websters stuff on it. The papers, the netting and the trim. I love how this display turned out after I added the birdcage stand to it with prima flowers twined around it! It was meant as a gift for someone but I couldn't bear to let it go after that, so I think I will make another similar one for her soon!

This is another layout using Websters- Wonderfall collection. Adah really loves the swing, so this is another one of her on the swing in school on her 6th birthday. There is just something about swings, isn't it? The rush as it takes you up in the air and the adrenalin as you come falling back again, just like the challenges and pits you face in life! I have to confess that I love swings too, just that these days I am too busy shooting the kids or pushing them to be on it myself!Lol.

I actually made those flowers by cutting up the vintage netting from Websters into small squares and heating them over a flame. The sides just curl up and gives the flowers a nice dimension. I cut out squares but you can try with circles or ovals for a different look. And dun worry about the size, you can piece the pieces together and try to curl the sides with your fingers into your desired shape. Use a little spray starch if you wanna keep the shape.


Well, that's all for today. Once again, a very Happy New year!

A Little Mention

Well...I have been a little busy doing up some projects which can't be shared yet cos' they are christmas presents meant for others and the recipents have not seen them yet so I dun wanna spoil the surprise! I just wanna drop in and say 'BLESSED CHRISTMAS'! You can tell christmas is my favourite time of the year! Lol.

Just a little nice news to share, I was mentioned over at Prima's blog here for my take on Prima's BAP November Challenge. It's my first attempt at their monthly challenge and I am glad that even though I did not win, my layout was highlighted on their blog!

As I get older, I find that the years just fly by, especially 2010. There were big changes for me, on the family front and scrapping front too. The move back from Shanghai, settling in, preparing Adah for Primary 1 (Yucks, I hate the thought of her growing up!), coping with a helper, then without a helper, getting back into scrapping and joining MWL as their design team member. It has not been an easy year but by God's grace and mercy, I made it through and I really have a lot of blessings along the way to be thankful for. I will be spending some time thinking through my goals for 2011 as we enter the last days of 2010. In the meantime, MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

'Memories of You' Canvas for Made With Love's DT Assignment

For this week's assignment at Made With Love, we had to use mediums on our work. I decided to do up a canvas instead. It was a comfortable size that I found at the bookstore in our neighbourhood, 10 x 10 inches and I thought I'll give it a try and I love, love, love the end look of it!

I stamped butterfly swirls from Inkadinkado's clear stamps all around the edge of the canvas. I used gesso for this as I wanted the stamped images to 'resist' the alcohol inks that I had planned to use. You may have to stamp in more gesso in order for the images to show up against a darker colored background. It was really experimental for me as it was my first attempt with these inks on canvas, so I dripped some drops of 'Pink Sherbet' alcohol ink onto a dabber and tried to rub it into/ onto the canvas. The ink turned out so red on the canvas that the stamped images hardly showed up, so I used the alcohol blending solution and dripped onto the canvas directly and then used a sponge to rub it outwards. I somehow got the hang of it and ended up dripping lightly spots of alcohol ink directly onto the canvas and blended it out instead!

A close-up so that you can see the stamped swirls...


I then sprayed the rest of the canvas lightly with yellow Maya Mist and then splattered some blue and red spots on the canvas using Tattered Angels Mists. After the canvas was dried (it didn't really take long), it was the embellishing bit with laces, felt leaves, flowers, crystals, blings and ribbons all from Prima! I also used a stamp from Basic Grey to stamp in the title, 'Memories of You' and embossed it with dark brown embossing powder! I added some punched-out butterflies and rubbed on some gold stickles onto the little rosettes for the finishing touches.

By the way, the journaling reads,' Swing Me, Upon the broken tire...'. It's a lyric from 'Kiss Me' by Sixpence None The Richer...I used it cos Adah was swinging in the pics though much of the swing has been cropped out. And finally, a picture of the mediums used...

Lil Big Boy using Pencil Lines Sketch #216

I managed to finish this layout last night as I was staying up to monitor Adah's temperature. The poor girl woke up lively and active as usual, did some painting and exercises in the morning but she started to complain of a sore throat after her nap. She said she was alright to go swimming but she threw up after that and in the evening, she developed a temperature and it stayed around 38.5 despite the fever medicine. I wanted to be sure she was alright and her temperature does not spike up again in the night, so I stayed up a little later than usual and had this layout done in the meantime!

I used Asher's pictures from our holiday again. He was sitting on a log in a village called Sassafras after our train ride and was sill excited over sitting in 'the Thomas train'. I used the sketch #216 from Pencil Lines here and the guest designer this week happens to be none other than my fellow DT member from Made with Love, Piradee! Pencil Lines has the most versatile sketches and I like the layers here (very my style, isn't it? Lol!).

I used the latest collection from Basic Grey- Curio. Its my favourite line this year, together with Crate Paper's Restoration line. I like the deep browns and reds in this range and it is so 'use-able' on both boys' n girls' layouts! I cut out and trimmed away part of the lace cardstock for the bottom part of the layout before layering the embellishments over. I also added a floral ribbon from Tim Holtz and spritzed it with sprays from Tattered Angels and Studio Calico to get the browns on it. The vine was from Prima and was trimmed down too and the key from Tattered Angels just complete the whole look!

Some close-ups as usual:


(P.S. Love the pair of birds, seem like they are talking to each other, like Asher n Me! Hahaha...)

RAK and a new blog page!

Yes, I have been busy lately. Tis the season to be jolly and I love Christmas! Actually, I enjoy the preparations of Christmas, looking at those decor, shopping for gifts, SALES and preparing gifts! I have received a couple of hand made customised gift orders, so I thought I shall start up a Customised Gift Ideas page (the link is right at the top of my blog) to showcase some of the orders I have done...

Hmmm...and with all the buying, I think it will be very soon before I put on my own garage sale page too! Lol!

Anyway, Madscrapper, you were the winner of my previous RAK but I have not yet heard from you. If you still have not contacted my by 24th December, then I will post up the RAK for another drawing.

In the meantime, I shall be doing another RAK to celebrate my completion of the new blog page/shop! Please leave your comments for me and I will post up pictures of my RAK soon. My dear brother has borrowed my lens so I got to wait till this weekend when he is back to take photos and post! Also do check back next week as my assignment for Made With Love is due and I will be sharing a canvas that I have made!

I will be back soon, bringing the kids to see the Christmas lights along Orchard Road tonight and for some bit of shopping! Enjoy and brisk in the Christmas season!

My Princess

I am so sorry that I had been missing in action for so long! I had been busy, busy and busy chauffeuring Adah for her graduation concert rehearsals, attending primary 1 orientation, getting her stuff ready for school and dealing with all the changes in schedules while handling another sleep deprived, attention seeking little boy who claims to be Buzz Lightyear now! On top of that, I had been getting some orders from family and friends for some customised gifts, so there was hardly any time left for my own personal scrapping. No complaints, I like being busy ;-)

I used one of the sketches from Pagemap's November sketches. You can check it up under the archives if you want to look for older sketches. These photos of Adah were taken during her graduation concert at Jubilee Hall. I was hiding behind my DSLR and gulping away to stop my tears from flowing everytime I see her on stage. My little baby all grown up! And she is still singing the songs after the performance and Asher knows the songs by heart too. Asher must be Adah's biggest fan! He was so excited during the concert and we had to stop him from calling out to his sister all the time!

I combined two lines from Imaginisce for this layout, one from the previous 'A Fairytale Collection' line and another from the new 'Enchanted' line. The blooms were from Websters Pages and I thought it matched the greens in this line very well. The butterfly was cut out from a Sizzix die on the Big Shot machine and I used foam for it (thanks to Wendy's recommendation!)

Some close-ups of the layering...I just love how sweet this collection is and my girlfriend also bought a paper stack to start on some layotus for her baby girl due next March!




Thanks for coming by to visit my humble blog! I appreciate your visits and please do leave me a comment so that I can visit yours too! Have a good week ahead...I love December cos I can smell Christmas in the air!!!