Randomness

Have not been up to any layouts last week. I attended Irene Tan's class at my local LSS last sunday. It was definitely exciting and fun! I was looking forward to the me-time away from chores and kids and learning some new techniques and the session definitely did not fail me. However, I must say that my actions and movements feel like the oldest in class even though I am sure I am one of the youngest! Sighs....Need to attend more of these classes to brush up my skills...Anyhow, I have managed to complete the album and here's how it looked like. I love it! Thanks to Irene for her teaching and sharing.

Also am in the midst of doing an album just on the kids alone. It's not yet completed but here's the front cover of it, and I'll share the inner pages once its completed...

I ran into Leena at the course last Sunday. She is so encouraging and so I am inspired to just take random shots and practice my photography...So here goes, the stack of clothes I have to iron and fold daily! LOLs! See u around again soon...Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

Backdated works

I have not been idle...just that I hardly have time to be on the PC. ALso, I make a conscious effort now to switch on the PC only when I need it and not leave it on or in idle mode when not in use. It does make a difference now that we are back to paying for electricity and water on our own. And I dun remember Singapore being so hot previously, so we have decided to make a consious effort to conserve energy.

Some layouts I have been up to. Siblings inspired for MWL's challenge in April hosted by Leena. She is one talented lady with an eye for beauty and is an extremely creative scrapper and photographer. Speaking of which, she has just started her own photoblog too. Hop over for a look...this lady inspires!

And I dunno wats with the photo editing software on my laptop but the colors came out all weird and bright. Guess I will have to re-learn how to adjust them...can someone help me on this? Anyhow, back to the layout, its one of my favourites among those I have completed recently and its now framed up on the wall.

Another one on the kiddos, using my favourite papers from Websters. I really love my DSLR and finally I get a chance to dabble with photography, another one of my underlying wishes since college days. So I do try to take more photos of the kids to practise, but am still stuck with playing around the basics! Sighs...wish there's 48 hours in a day.

I made the banner for this which bore the tittle of my layout, Love. I likey! So bright and cheerful and a change from the cutting and romantic, vintagey chic look on my layouts, using my leftover papers from MME.


Goodbye Shanghai, Hello Singapore! A layout to remember the big day when we are finally heading back home. Looking back, I do have mixed feelings about this country which we have lived in for 3 years. The lifestyle is more relaxed and being away from family and friends, we have less interference in our lives too. I get really stressed when people start asking me where do we plan to send Adah to for primary school, whether she is ready, etc etc...Sometimes, I wish the kids will be stuck at this adorable age and not grow up!

Signficant- to mark Adah's 1 year old. She was such a diffcult and persistent baby that sometimes I wonder how I survived her infant days. But day after day, she grew and she finally turned one and seriously, no matter how diffcult your child is, a mother's love is still unconditional. (Even though, sometimes I think the kids dun think so when their mum is always screaming her head off at them!)

The first time you called mama. Again, another one of Adah's milestones. So I am finally catching up on Adah's first year album...That leaves Asher's to be done and considering the amount of photos I took of them...there are so much to be scrapped. Sometimes I look at the video clips we took of them back then and regret not taking more, as I really have forgotten how they were like back then already...

Hip hip Hooray!

I was chosen as the featured designer over at Your Scrapbook Stash in the month of April. Every month the design team will vote from the contributors to their gallery and choose one to be the featured designer! Woo hoo!!! I am elated that my works are appreciated by such a talented team of girls, given that I haven't had much time to scrap recently.

Some days, I am so exhasuted and in the little bit of free time I have, I whip out my stash and I stare at them, mojo-less and sometimes disheartened at why I spend so much for a hobby that now I find no meaning in. Then on a good day when I can finally complete a layout, I feel so happy looking at the completed work and can't help feeling de-stressed and comforted that I have another piece to add to the scrapbook albums I intend to leave behind for the kids! Thus is the love-hate relationship I have with this hobby! LOL! And I know I have been so behind in my blogging that the few who do opo by are probably not here now! Nonetheless, I am going to pick myself up and re-start my scrapping and blogging. After an outburst at the kids, which left me guilty and the kids nonchalant, I have decided that I do need that small amount of time to myself, so hope to have more to share soon!

Flowers

Flowers...flowers and more flowers...

The best part of coming back to Singapore is the local scrapbook store is so accessible now! That spells bad news for my wallet though ;-) So I have been to the LSS like 3 out of 5 weeks that I have been back and loaded up on lots of new Prima goodness.

It's also more difficult to find time to scrap now. I have to constantly remind myself that the kids and family are my biggest priority now, so I'd rather spend my free time with the kids while they are awake and around. Adah spends a full day at childcare because the lessons for K2 have been spread over the day, so there are no half days for K2 and I hardly get to spend time with her...

Anyhow, I managed to squeeze out these 2 layouts using my new buys! Primas, Websters, G45 papers and GCD studios...very vintage and they just go so well together...

This is Adah and the layout was inspired by Emeline's challenge over at MWL forum. She is getting tp be such a big girl now! And will be attending primary school next year! I totally adore this die-cut from Websters and I love how the orangy tones match Adah's top. The chipboard bird is from GCD studios and I had painted it over with cackle paint for a more textured look. And the butterflies from GCD are totally gorgeous and realistic too...

That's my boy, Asher...Lots of prima goodness on this layout too. I specially picked up some flowers in greens and blues for boys' layout. I thought butterflies were too girlish so I replaced them with birds instead! Used up my G45 papers from last year. I had to resist buying the new papers launched at CHA so that I can clear my existing stash and be more environmental friendly!

This layout was inspired by the sketch over at Pencillines. I now go for ready sketches to speed up my scrapping...hopefully we can settle in to our new routines soon and I can find some time if I am not too exhausted chasing after the kids and doing housework!

So we are back...

Yes....we are back in Singapore and I'm blogging this from the comfort of my own home finally. It has been crazy trying to get the kids adjusted back to Singapore's weather and environment, moving into our house, unpacking 112 boxes delivered from Shanghai, etc etc...Sadly, Adah is dropping her cute accent of American English/ Singlish and Asher is refusing to speak chinese now!

Anyhows, just to share some layouts that I managed to get done in our last days in Shanghai. I managed to do another few since moving back but they hardly impressed me. I am feeling totally hot and bothered and mojo-less these days...

1) A Boy's Life (trying out some techniques learnt at Lee Nah's class, totally cool! She is one talented photographer and scrapper!)

2) Explore (Vintagy/ Retro attempt, I like trying different looks...yet to determine what is really my style but I like changes so I think I will change once I get too comfortable with one)

3) Diva and Shine (Adah's final christmas concert with Fortune Kindergarten. How cute she looked in that black ballet costume)






4) Three ( Again full of Prima's and Websters Goodness'. I have stocked up so much of Websters Pages that I got to quickly use them up before new stuff is out again!)

Goodbye Shanghai

Well, we received news of a job posting for the hubster back in Singapore around christmas. At first, I disbelieved that it was really happening but it was true and the packers came by to pack and ship away all the stuff yesterday. I am really thankful to God for His providence and its amazing how He never fails to be there when we most needed him. So we are moving back to Singapore in abotu 2 weeks' time and I am sure I will be a regular at the local SB stores now!

This layout is for Made with Love- Sketch Challenge #2. I actually won Sketch Challenge #1 for my layout 'Making Waves'...WOO HOO!!! I was really delighted how scrappin has worked out for me. There were several DT calls that I was interested in but I resisted. With the move back to Singapore, I foresee I will be busy before with packing, after with unpacking and settling into a new lifestyle without a helper and fitting the two monsters in too. Scrapping is my hobby, something that belongs to me, helps me to de-stress and makes me happy, but as a wife and mum, I have other more important priorities and I must always remember that.

I managed to capture this shot with my new toy! A Canon 500D which the hubster bought for me for my birthday!!! So that was a moment of tenderness and warmth captured on eternity, and scrapped using Websters Pages...



And this is my 'Making Waves' layout which won me Sketch Challenge #1. My little boy has grown up so much now. I have been doing so many layouts for Adah that I feel so bad about not adding to Asher's album. I actually completed this in a night and am really over the moon that the DT members picked mine as the winning layout! There were so many talented entries too.

Scrap Inspire Create January/ February Challenges

I am sorry that it has been a long time since I shared any of my works here. I have some news that I will sharing in my next post. But for those who still come by, I am still around, alive and kicking!!! I used to hate it when bloggers I regularly stalk do not update their blogs. I would think it irresposible that they have readers and do not bother to update on a regular basis, and now I have been missing in action for almost 2 months! My apologies again and now I do understand that life's circumstances can take us away from these tasks...

Back to the SIC challenges. For January, we were asked to draw inspiration from a magazine cover, and this is my take on it. I had to stare at the mag cover for a long time before inspo struck but once it did, the ideas definitely came flowing. Now I keep reminding myself to keep my eyes and mind open to things around me for inspiration.

A layout of me and hubby at some beach off Tanah Merah. The title is 'Man. Wife' and I actually use a bible verse, Genesis 2: 24 for my journalling and built it around the title. Love this to bits! Papers were all from Scarlet Lime kit from last year!


For February, I set the challenge for it and will be sponsoring a RAK! The challenge is to scrap a moment that touches you most and you must use either one of the following color combinations:
1) Blue and Brown
2) Pink and Brown
3) Black and Red
4) Blue and Silver



That is my little boy at 19 months old. He never fails to tug at my heartsrings with his gentle ways and the words he say. He is getting really cheeky these days but he still has that sensitivity beyond his years. He just has the ability to melt many aunties' and teachers' hearts and so I titled the layout- Such a Ladies' Charmer.