Snippets & Scraps

Innocence

2011-02-20T13:08:00.001+08:00

I wanted to work with muted colors for a change. It's been a long while since I did a 12x12. Couldn't help but feel that I've lost touch. It used to be that picking out color coordinated embellishments took up a lot of time. Now, layouts take twice as long as well. Have to keep scrapping to revive that magic touch. And have to do it fast! The disruptions in the recent months has caused a lot of inconvenience. Even when I wanted to scrap... somehow something keeps stopping me. So baby steps for now.

Came across this lovely, candid photo taken in Phuket, 2010. Wanted to capture her innocence at the age of 9.

Using My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey, My Little Yellow Bicycle, American Craft.

Some recent projects

2011-02-20T12:59:00.002+08:00

Have been neglecting this page for a long time. Pictures of some of the recent mini projects I've embarked on.

Valentine's Day cards for loved ones. Trying to kinda standardized everything to a certain extend. Hearts and pink stuff aren't exactly my style. Had to run out to get some last minute supplies from Martha Stewart. Using also My Little Yellow Bicycle, American Craft, Prima, Sassafrass, 7 Gypsies and Maya Road.

My 2nd mini album for a sweet girl who's leaving for Brisbane. It took quite a lot of time... I think minis aren't my cuppa. I always feel constrained by the space and the constant thought "Is this enough?".

Using Bo Bunny, Maya Road, Hambly, and Prima.

Prima's CHA Winter 2011 Sneak Peak

2011-01-10T12:04:00.001+08:00

Such pretty colors from Prima! Great for photos of Spring. :)

Click on photo to view more!

The Holiday Season

2011-01-03T15:12:00.001+08:00

Here are some snap shots of the good things in life I got to enjoy over the holiday season. Little treats along the way to keep the spirits up. :)

Huge roses

Shepherd's Pie and Champagne for post-X'mas celebration.

And finally, my X'mas treats.

All the way from Finland...

A blue-box virgin no more! :)

How was your holiday?

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T23:03:00.000+08:00

The hobby has taken a hiatus the past couple of months. It feels good to be back on the wagon again. A little something for dear friends of mine.

Georgetown 30 July 2010

2010-07-31T09:01:00.004+08:00

Some sights of Georgetown.

Georgetown University

The infamous staircase in The Exorcist. The writer of the book was a student from Georgetown Uni.

The Old Stone House

See how people in the 17th century live

D.C 28 July 10

2010-07-31T08:30:00.002+08:00

Ventured into D.C. on my own. Took the double deckeer bus to get my bearings... $$ well spent. Some pictures of the day.

Washington Monument from the Reflecting Pool.

Union Station. The gold bits you see are actually 24k leaf gold... no kidding.

The Lincoln Memorial

US Capittol Bulding

Jefferson Memorial

Washing D.C ~1 (21/7- 26/7)

2010-07-27T21:47:00.003+08:00

Finally, last week marked the decease of my MacBook Air. I think the first and last Skype session took its toll and the screen went white. So now I'm using a ASUS PC laptop which keyboard is the size of my palm... Very difficult to type! But it does the work, plus it's brand new. On loan. Aunt's.

I'm in D.C now, cleaning up a storm for my beloved Aunt, and making furry enemies in the house. Seems like I've have taken away the owner's attention away from these cats, and their hiding place a.k.a living room, since I sleep there. One of them even peed on the carpet where my head lies on the far end of the sofa... Sheash... talk about hostility. Oh... and near my suitcase too...

This was the shuttle bus from the airport... looks like 2 posicles sticking out of a bus... But the camera can only capture 1 popsicle coz it was parked too near.

Old Town over the weekend during dinner. View of Potomac River.

A quaint little town called Occoquan. Very kitschy antique stores which I wanna cart one of them back. I found many pieces of period furniture that I want so badly too!

Pictures of one of the stores.

I'm trying to get my energy level up so that I can chase the enemies and corner them to get a shot. Wish me luck! Tomorrow, Washington, here I come!

Friends Swap

2010-07-17T14:05:00.001+08:00

LOOK!!! LOOK!!! LOOK AGAIN!!!

This album contains pages done by different members of a scrapbooking group I joined recently. A namesake planned and shared how this album was made. All within 2 hours, she patiently explained and demonstrated the steps. Seems complicated and daunting at first but not really. Such a great idea making an accordion album.

Initially, I was really nervous about this swap, having started scrapping barely a year ago. Didn't quite know what to expect. Turns out, I had a ball. Lots of laughter, lots of WAHHHHHHH!!! SO NICE!!!, lots of new friends. :) Never did think that scrapbooking would allow me to meet so many new faces and talented ones too.

Here's my page.

Some random pages by members from the group.

I'm happy to have met such a talented bunch who really inspired me to push boundaries even more. Challenging me to get out of my comfort zone and do something different each time!

This will probably be my last post before jetting off. So much to do!!!

Having A Laugh

2010-07-11T14:59:00.002+08:00

Here is a layout for MWL Scrap Dares #1.

For a close friend, who is always there, always ready to lend an ear and shoulder to cry on, always there when I needed her.

J, this is for ya!

Using Bazzill, Webster's Pages, DCWV. Embellishments from K & Co, Sassafras, Prima and Bo Bunny.

The little wooden crest is actually from an old earring that had broken off. :) The envelope is self-made.

A quick one today as there are tons to do before "Sayonara Singapore and Hulloooo D.C. & Big Apple City". :D

My Very First Mini Album!

2010-07-09T12:59:00.001+08:00

This is my first attempt in making a mini album. Took weeks to complete, didn't like the initial look and ripped everything out couple of times. It got so bad at one stage when every time I start to work on the album, I simply went , "Urgh...". I've somewhat come to the conclusion that mini albums are not for me due to the constraint of space. Yet I like them sooo much. There are often many nice samples in store or in the online galleries. Somehow, the magic touch just elude me.

Am I being too hard on myself???

I refuse to give up, there's no turning back coz I bought quite a few of those chipboard albums... So I persevere. Here's a sneak!

The weekend is here! Yay! What are your plans?

Disco Diva goes to Party!

2010-06-20T12:26:00.009+08:00

This. I'm extremely proud of! It's something that I started a fortnight ago. Inspiration derived from the great Christine Middlecamp. Instead of doing a 12 x 12, this is a smaller version of 9 x 9. I think this is the most elaborate piece of work I've ever done! :)

A closer look.

It's a birthday gift for one of my dearest, closest gal friend / godsister of more than 10 years! Wow! 10 years... a decade. I never had a friend this long. We've gone through thick and thin, saw each other mature into a young woman. Probably spent the best part of my life with her and another dearie. Although I don't get to see her often these days, she's not far from my thoughts. I mean it's kinda difficult not to think about her, since we're on MSN and though we are too busy to private message each other, she's there! :) And that is comforting.

I can't get enough of this!

I didn't think I was going to make this pressie in time for her party. But I'm immensely proud of myself that I did! After countless late nights. I almost didn't wanna hand it to her haha! It's too precious. And then I realize. Disaster will descend the day where all my friends will say, "Stop making me anymore stuff... I'm running out of space!" Oh oh. It then dawned on me, I hardly keep any of the things I make. Who needs 5 frames when I'm a nomad in my own country. Having moved 6 times in the last 10 years... nomad! And no, I'm a Singapore citizen. I just happened to be one of those few who don't live with the parents and rent my own.

I have this problem with "stuff". I don't like things that collect dust. As much as I like to display photo frames, artwork, paintings, boxes, etc. It's a nightmare when dusting and moving home! I have 1 canvas frame made by a friend when we first met. 1. It's very pretty, and I love it very much coz it's my first canvas. But there is this imminent fear that after a few years, it will get dusty blah blah blah. So I keep it in a box. And display it when I have guests. So can you imagine if I have photo frames, I'll be so busy the night before my guests arrive! So Sometimes I find the layouts I do kinda redundant after a while. I wonder what will happen 2/3 years down the road when I've a shelf full of layouts... Haha. I'm most motivated when making gifts for friends. Somehow, I don't like the stuff I kept for myself much. What an irony.

Just for laughs! :) Disco Diva at the Parrrtyyy!

It's been a while

2010-06-13T21:39:00.002+08:00

This layout was done with a color scheme in mind. My first 12x12 layout after many months. Love the yellow!

Using papers from Making Memories, Hambly, Daisy Bucket Design on Kraft cardstock. Embellishments from K & Co, Maya Road, Graphic 45, 7 Gypsies, Tattered Angels. Bling from My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey.

And I found this wonderful tool from Fiskars during the GSS! Something that I have been eyeing for months. Usually it would cost around $40++, not something that I'll have the heart to spend on. Now, it's at 40% off! Cost less than $20, isn't that a great buy?!

Have a great week ahead!

Peek-a-boo!

2010-06-13T00:11:00.001+08:00

Want a sneak peak of what I've been up to? More photos tomorrow.

What are you up to this weekend?

2010-06-10T23:19:00.006+08:00

Wow! Wow! Wow! It's been almost 2 months since I've created anything. Time flies! I missed the hobby terribly at some point, yet was a lil bit reluctant to get started. Not too sure why. It was a mixture of lack of time, resentment that I've kinda lost the momentum and what not.

Thus, I got started with cards. This one is for a very very dear friend of mine. More photos of the party to follow in the next few entries.

I was kinda nervous about this card. 1. It's for a guy. Can't go too girly and I haven't made many "manly" things before. 2. It's the first piece of work since the long scrapping break. 3. It's the first time I used metal embellies! I have this unexplainable fear of things rusting... and therefore destroying the art piece.

Did a few others 2 weeks later.

Let's hope I'll keep up the momentum. :) If you're still following my blog despite the long silence, thanks for dropping by!

Absence...

2010-05-04T11:09:00.004+08:00

Scrapbooking has taken a hiatus the past... Let's see... 1 month (already?!) becoz of the on and off flu bug.

I've been adding bits and pieces to my mini album. That's hardly scrapbooking right? It's just pasting things onto a page... haha. What I did drastically before I fell really sick was to rip 80% out and redo the whole thing. Had to ask Aida for tips coz the more I look at what I did, the more I hated it. So now... the mini album is about 80% done... sans cover. And my aching body and pounding doesn't allow me to sit for ages. Looks like it's gonna take a while again.

I feel very deprived. Currently, I don't like making mini albums much. I still enjoy the 12x12 or 12x10. The constraint of space is a big headache for me. And I have yet to master the knack of "less is more". What I'm constantly conscious of is, "Don't make it look like a 10-year-old's mini album". And the silly thing is, I have to FORCE myself to LIKE doing mini albums becoz I BOUGHT SO MANY OF THEM!!! Silly right... sigh...

I like this picture. It's my happy picture. Kinda reminds me, my shoe rack is still not up, the kitchen needs a cabinet, my scraproom needs and overhead shelf... the storeroom door needs painting... Hmm... ok... still happy picture.

Flu bug go away!!! I am so looking forward to TEARS FOR FEARS at Resorts World... please make me better.

Birthday 2010

2010-04-28T21:49:00.002+08:00

This is a long overdue entry. Was supposed to blog this the night after the dinner and I kept putting it off and conveniently forgotten. Dinner with 2 of my favorite gals @ Chilis. It's the 1 restaurant I've been wanting to go since they close down in the 80s.

The initial plan of sharing 2 main courses went kaput coz there were so many things we wanted. Take a look!

Colors of the photos are as such coz of the lighting of the place. I learnt that chili soup isn't all that spicy. Mexican rice is not very nice... dry. Cheese sticks can be very filling.

This is the first time ever, the 3 of us got together for a meal without the boys since June 2009! Can you believe it?!

There were lots of meet-and-dash over the past few months, even once or twice in Shuf's house. But this was the one meal where we were out for a solid 3 hours. Just eating. Taking lots of pix and laughing. Ms Tan learnt how to use my Nikon D40! This is the 2nd year running that I have a chocolate lava cake as birthday cake. Oh happy meal!

Forever Friends

2010-04-25T00:03:00.001+08:00

Today was the first time in a looong time where I made 2 spontaneous decisions to meet/hang out with my friends in a matter of seconds. One was meeting an ex-colleague / aisle neighbor / neighborhood neighbor for dinner tonight. And the other to have a very creative friend over for a crop tomorrow afternoon. Yay!

I used to remember the younger days where spontaneous decisions like these were made on a daily if not weekly basis. Go here. OK. Meet there. OK. Those were the carefree days. Most of my friends were also carefree back then. No family to take care of, no boyfriends, just lots of hanging around and possibly, wasting time together. Haha. We didn't have a lot of dough to spend, what we had was time. Lots of time!

These days, plans for dinner / tea / even a mere window shopping trip has to be strategized (can't / don't want to meet when it's too crowded), pre-planned (make sure the maid / husband / boyfriend is occupied) and most importantly, booked in advance (everybody is free? on the same day?). I think I've not had any plans made without at least a week's notice for the longest time ever. I miss saying OK just like this! Or simply the element of surprise, like last week when I met Aida when she suggested dinner after class. Totally spontaneous.

Is this what happens when one gets older and has got more responsibilities? Or there's too much hee-ing an haw-ing when it comes to decision making as time gets too precious and there are priorities?

I felt alive saying "OK!" just like that! No hesitation. No pondering. :) I felt young and carefree today.

Itsy Bitsy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini...

2010-04-21T23:57:00.004+08:00

I received an email from Lori who is the designer for Little Yellow Bicycle's Fresh Print Clothesline range!!!

"Hi Esther,
I just wanted you to know that I really appreciated seeing your beautiful layout using the clothesline product.
The girls in the layout are gorgeous as well.
I am the designer for Clothesline...and it really blesses me back to see such inspired work!
I peeked through many of your layouts. You really have a fun eclectic style.

Thanks so much for sharing.

Lori
Little Yellow Bicycle-Product Designer. Creative Director."

Gasps, it made my day! Do they do that? They must receive tons of layouts everyday, no? Wow. I still can't believe it! Don't you just love the colors of this range of papers? Read about how an where she got her inspiration here. I still have 2 pieces of patterned paper for each design... too precious to used. I'll save them for a mini album - famous last words. LYB stuff seems to fly off the shelves each time the stock arrives... I was pretty lucky to lay my hands on them.

This bag of RAK is gonna fly to France. :)

I hope she likes it! I'm hoping to do some serious scrapping this weekend as my mini project is way overdue...

Look What I Found!

2010-04-18T17:40:00.008+08:00

I turn another year older today. To be honest, after the big 3-0, things aren't so exciting anymore. Maybe 35, 40?

This year, seems like greetings from overseas streamed in first! Besides a message from my cousin 2 days earlier, I got a call from Aunt in the States, a dear friend from Germany was the one who at 12 midnight FB messaged me. I knew this year was going to be a quiet one.

Of coz, that didn't happened. A very serious letter came last night, which kinda dampened my spirits.

Morning...

4 shelves worth, about 700 albums?! I searched for my present. Artists, album titles... Nothing. David Gilmour, Destination Bali, Benjamin Button Soundtrack, I'm grasping at straws here. I spent 12 minutes going down the rows, opening and closing the jewel cases. NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING. Was about to start from the top and open every single casing when...

Fed up. Checked my message again.

Then I saw the word "DVD". Smacks head.

Another 10minutes, maybe another 500 titles? Urgh never had to work so hard for a present before!!! My heart started racing, I could feel the pounding, really. Do I really have to go through EVERYTHING!? Phew. Nothing. WHERE ARE YOU?!? At this point, I actually stamped my feet a few times.

Then I started getting desperate... Hungry without breakfast. I want my present!!! 8 minutes. Heart still pounding, I changed tact. Maybe it's in one of those films set in London or one of Guy Ritchie's films, Lock Stock, Full Monty, Layer Cake, Inglorious Bastards. NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING. Then, as I randomly pulled out the next one, thinking, can't be in here... and... THERE IT WAS!!!

In his neat handwriting, there was a small orange envelope. Haha. Never in the world had it cross my mind this movie would be chosen coz it's a girlie film. But when I saw the movie the present was in, I cried and cried. Drama queen, I know. I think most women would, if not, be extremely touched. So here it is!

In plain sight.

And the parting shot, shot for a new friend. I know she will enjoy looking at the last picture.

This is written in detailed coz I wanna remember every second of it. I'm a goldfish when it comes to things like that. Seems like I suffer from lack of short term memory syndrome. Somehow, events don't get converted into long term memories... If we had a CCTV at home, I think my actions this morning will be hilarious. Especially the feet stamping bit... something I haven't done in a long time. Adults don't usually stamp their feet, do they?! Haha.

Am going to meet mum for dinner. Oh Happy Day! Claps.

Cake or Scrap

2010-04-11T23:43:00.004+08:00

I got to know someone new tonight! What supposed to be a browse-and-check-it-out turned into a 1.5hour conversation with this new friend about the local scrapbooking community, how competitive it was, sustaining a business, funny stories about customers, life, friends, etc. It was a very frank and no-holds-barred session and I really enjoyed her company. All I could think of is on the way back was, WE DIDN'T EXCHANGE NUMBERS!!!" Haha, but I know I'll see her soon. And to think that I was beginning to have the impression that one doesn't make meaningful friendships as one gets older, I'm proven wrong yet again. A wise lady once said, "Have no expectations, you never know what it could lead you to." Very true indeed.

This was done at the Made With Love Make-and-Take, featuring the new Tim Holtz dies.

I like his range of dies, especially the film strip but I'm not exactly sure if they fit into "my style" if I do have any... Still having reservations about them. Although I must say, I was very tempted to get the filmstrip sizzlit and the hardware findings dies.

A little treat for myself.

Chocolate of a Thousand Leaves from Coffeebean!

And lastly, color palette of my latest project. I'm pretty excited about this as it's the first time I'm trying out creating something besides my usual 12 x 12 layouts, plaques and tags.

Aftermath

2010-04-10T18:06:00.003+08:00

A quick post before I head for class and errands. This is the result of the Barking Dogs fiasco this morning.

This is rather different from my usual style. The main focus wasn't centralized. I tried doodling (although not much). At first, I wanted to stitch a border around the Hambly but it was really tough! The material was too thick. I kept the layering to a minimal and challenged myself to use my scraps. Initially, the first layer without the Hambly looked rather messy. Somehow, something just wasn't gelling. The overlay kinda kept things a little tidier. :)

Look what the postlady brought this morning!

Can't wait to use them in the next layouts.

Have a great weekend!

Witch Hunt

2010-04-10T07:58:00.003+08:00

I'm not proud of it, but this is something that has to be done. Since moving to the new home in October, we'll get woken up by dogs barking in the middle on the night. This happens 2 to 3 times a week, usually around 5am. The barking doesn't stop till daylight. Mind you, this is HDB, public housing flats we are talking about, not private. Under the HDB & AVA ruling, "HDB only allows 1 dog of an approved small breed per residential unit. Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to $4000 upon conviction." I wasn't exactly sure if this was the rule until some research done after 2 failed attempts. I mean what do you do at 5am in the morning when you can't get back to sleep right?

So, after many nights of tossing and turning, pulling the covers over the head, shutting of windows, this morning, I went on another one of my "Witch Hunts" for the irresponsible owner. Previous attempts were unsuccessful as it seems that I've "moved in" too slowly. Barking had ceased by the time I hit my door. Today I was lucky. Not only did I find out which family it was, I confronted the owner.

After 5 minutes of persistent knocking, and of coz, creating even MORE barking from behind the doors, I knew I've hit jackpot. A disheveled lady opened the door. I presented the case, she gave a nonchalant, "Oh they bark whenever people wake up... " So you can sleep through all this din?! And be so inconsiderate to wake the others?! When asked how many dogs there were, she ran off to hush the dogs. A little boy crept up behind the door, he signaled "3". I was horrified! How can someone who doesn't train her dogs own not 1, but 3 dogs?!?

With that, all forms of civility went out the window. There's nothing more annoying than irresponsible pet owners. Haven't you heard of dog schools? If you can't train 1, then don't have 3! I gave her a piece of my mind and left. On the way upstairs to my unit, I thought I could have ranted and raved even more, and be touted as the "Raving Lunatic Who Knocked On My Door At 5am" of the block. I was actually pretty surprised by how controlled I was. Although I was harsh, but it could have been worse. Hmmm.... Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?

Hope your weekend will start off in a more peaceful way. :)

Scrapping Up A Storm

2010-04-04T15:18:00.012+08:00

The 3 layouts I've completed over this long weekend. Whoohoo! What a great sense of achievement.

A closer look.

Materials used:

Papers from My Little Yellow Bicycle, My Mind's Eye, Anna Griffin, Basic Grey & Bazzill. Ephemeras from K & Co, Hambly & Webster's Pages.

Flowers & Bling from Prima. Rub ons from October Afternoon.

The second layout.

Materials used:

Papers from G.C.D Studio & Bazzill. Title from Making Memories. Other materials include K & Co, Creative Imagination & Tattered Angels.

Flowers and Bling from Prima. Border punch from Martha Stewart.

Lastly, a gift for a colleague. I wanna kidnap her cat...

Materials used:

Papers from Basic Grey, My Little Yellow Bicycle, My Mind's Eye, Hambly & Bazzill. Alphas from American Craft & Making Memories. Flower & Bling from Prima. Chipboard from Bsaic Grey & Tattered Angels.

I realized I've neglected my stamps and embossing powders lately... And my layouts seem to have taken a certain style of its own and I'm not

evolving. Am I being too critical of myself? What do you do to getideas?

Hope you've had a productive weekend too!

New phone

2010-04-01T00:58:00.006+08:00

Something I did over the weekend.

Using papers from Pebbles Inc, Bazzill & Hambly. Frame from Sizzix. Others include Shabby Chic Crafts, Prima, K & Co, American Craft and KI Memories.

Photo courtesy of www.myhphone.com

This is the new kid on my block. My Samsung Soul U990 gave up on me last week, a replacement was needed. I was pretty reluctant to switch phones coz I love each of my gadget very much. No doubt the new ones will always be better, faster, more sophisticated, I still like the old. Sentimental, I know.

Little gifts

2010-03-28T18:05:00.002+08:00

Haven't had much chance to scrap lately due to severe back inflammation. The doctor gave strict orders not to use a laptop nor computer for a couple of days. Sitting at the desk "working" isn't recommended either. Total bed rest. So, instead of making 12x12 layouts... I snuck out little items to make when on the sofa or bed as I was really bored.

The above were inspiration from Aida's work.

And when I got bored with the cards... I came up with these as gifts for birthdays.

So. 2 posts in a day. Blogging with a vengeance. Nah, those smiley pills are beckoning. Time to rest. Have a good weekend, or whatever is left of it.

I see stars?

2010-03-24T23:28:00.004+08:00

This is for you Shuf!

So who are they??

Hong Kong March 2010 (updated)

2010-03-24T11:48:00.026+08:00

It's been a year since I did any traveling together so last weekend, I decided to have a quick getaway in Hong Kong. Aida suggested visiting Sai Kung.

Took a half day trip and saw a side of Hong Kong unfamiliar to many. The journey took less than 45minutes, thanks to the clear directions from Aida. Upon alighting from the mini bus, it's actually the first time I'm on one in HK, I saw these.

There was this very interesting sundries shop at a corner that sells
almost everything under the sky! Shops like these fascinates me.

Then there's the alley ways.

Note the interesting textures?

Since Sai Kung is at the bay, the waters and mountains made a very
picturesque sight.

And Sai Kung is well known for...

We saw film crew shooting a movie/tv series.

And this is my favorite find of the day! I'm not sure what it says but...

It's a traditional fruit stall!

Ordering food was a real challenge and hilarious feat. The waiter will look at me expectantly and when I failed to deliver in fluent Cantonese, gave me a scornful look. Words such as "soya sauce", "beef", "how to", "can you" totally eluded me. The inability to speak Cantonese was a handicap, however that did not deter me from insisting on eating at the local diners. And because at the local diners, the menus were all in Chinese characters, U-N-S-I-M-P-L-I-F-I-E-D! It was frustrating because I know how "chicken", "rice" characters looked like, however, I do not know how they were cook! LOL! The only time where things went smoothly, and without fuss was at Mac Donald's. Once. Mealtimes in Hong Kong were always exciting and hilarious altogether. Oh did I mentioned I went overdose on egg tarts?!

Leaving you with some parting shots.

Made With Love's Layout Of The Week

2010-03-15T21:33:00.004+08:00

What a thrill!!! This is certainly a great encouragement for new scrappers like myself. I hope my Aunty in Virginia gets to see this.

It made me very very happy today! :)

You Lift Me!

2010-03-14T12:09:00.007+08:00

This is for Made With Love's Lift Me Challenge #1. I didn't think I would be able to meet the deadline for this challenge. I think it was the longest I've ever taken to complete a layout. Bits and pieces were added throughout the last 5 days to get the right look.

Papers: DCWV, Bazzill & Hambly
Alphas: American Crafts & Adorn It.
Ephemeras: K & Co, 7 Gypsies
Stamps: Kodomo & Prima.
Paint & Embossing Powder: Making Memories & Tim Holtz

I folded the little circles using a tip from Christine Middlecamp's layout.

The flower you see is handmade by me!

When I had finished and proudly showed it to Graham, he went, "There's no indication of the photo being taken at the Grand Prix. I can hardly see the track. Put something that's car related into the layout. You must have something, don't you?" I still find it strangely odd yet comforting after all these months of scrapbooking, that my boyfriend would continue to actively provide feedback for such a girly hobby. And he never fails to amaze me how he would actually scrutinize my pieces, touch, poke, and sometimes ask questions when I show him my work. Most of the time anyway. And I adore him for that. I know many husbands or boyfriends who would just go, "Ah." Graham doesn't, and I love him for that.

Coming from a graphic designer background, he was very supportive and encouraging when I first picked up this hobby 9 months ago. And still is. I still remember back then, when I came across pretty patterned papers and showed them to him, he actually took an interest. "It's all graphics related, isn't it?" when I asked bewilderedly, "You're actually interested in the papers?" Then there were the Hambly screen prints when I first discovered them and how they were manufactured. I was so excited to show them to him as he had previously worked in a silkscreen printing company before. So that was 9 months ago. These days, I still show him some of my rare finds from time to time. But my stash has grown exponentially that I don't think he would be that interested if I were to show him every interesting Prima or stamp I've come across.

So for that little request, how can I resist adding this.

A pleasant surprise

2010-03-14T02:06:00.007+08:00

This was how the winning prize for Made With Love's Sketch Challenge # 2 was packaged. Inside contains the vouchers.

What made it more special was that the name wasn't handwritten but stamped. How cool is that!

And with this, I bought this Making Memories album!

Friends

2010-03-14T01:44:00.008+08:00

Had lunch with Aida on Friday and a very interesting topic came up which kept me pondering.

What do you do when you see a familiar face from your childhood or teenage years approaching? Do you greet them with a smile, look right past them or duck?

Ever since university days, I've always been living in the central or western areas of Singapore. Grange Road, Holland Village, Dover, Bukit Batok, Hillview, (yes I'm a nomad in my own country) etc. It's only recently that I find myself an unwilling cast in many episodes of "Blast From The Past" since moving back to the northern bit of this tiny island. I realized I'm adamant not to have anything to do with these people. People whom I've never really knew well enough to mean something to me. I know it sounds mean. But, I simply can't help it. I'm not looking forward to reminisce nor swap the missing years. I'm not interested to make small talk or even pretend for that 5 minutes that I'm interested in what's happening or had happened in your life. Could it be because I was embarrassed by my geeky, gawky teenage years? Could it be because I didn't want to be reminded of certain events in the past? Could it be because I was afraid of QUESTIONS, where are you working now, what do you do, etc.

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't a recluse. I had many "friends" back then, but I guess these "friendships" never did stand the test of time. These people were there during a certain phase in my life and we've all moved on. All I can say is that, they were people from my past, and I've packed all the memories into neat, little boxes and stored them away.

However, I do notice I make a conscious effort in keeping the friendships I've made in my adulthood. My oldest friendship of 12 years started back when we were at university. That's pretty long isn't it? Could it be because we can tell who our real friends are as we get older? Could it be because we are more selective with whom we give our time to? Whatever it is, I know I'm blessed with fantastic friends who will come to my aid when needed. Friends who accept me for who I am, quirks and all. And I'm really thankful for them.

So these few friends of mine met up over dinner tonight. Rosti, satay, chicken wings, salad and some Bah Kut Teh were on the menu. All painstakingly cooked by my very dear friend Shuf.

HTML Idiot

2010-03-10T15:40:00.001+08:00

I take twice the time others would probably take to post up blogs, let alone getting acquainted with HTML codes... this is getting frustrating...

More updates soon.

My Favorite Aunt - Back from Virginia, US

2010-02-28T17:46:00.027+08:00

This blog has been neglected. Amidst work, friends and family, there was hardly time left for the hobby. When I thought I could catch up on scrapping during the Chines New Year period, I was so wrong. Kind of. Time was mostly spent with family (unlike previous years) as my favorite aunt came back from the States. The last time I saw her was 16 years ago! Instead of doing the usual 12x12 layout, I did this for her. It's now sitting at her home in snowy Virginia! I guess that's as far as my creation would travel, for now.

Materials used: My Mind's Eye, SEI, Prima, Tim Holtz, Maya Road and Hambly.

And because time was spent mostly with long lost relatives. It's tradition not to visit a relative's or friend's home empty-handed. I made this as well, for an uncle's very palatial home.

Materials used: GCD Studio, DCWV, Hambly, K & Co, Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, Prima, and American Craft.

I was really thrilled when my creation blended in perfectly with the decor of his house. I was so afraid that it would stick out like a sore thumb. It's comforting to know that some things don't change after a decade. :)

I WON!!!

2010-02-08T23:01:00.017+08:00

I went into the office and did my usual this morning. First 20 minutes of the day is always, without fail, dedicated to Facebook and my RSS. Then I saw this!

Here are some of the details.

I let out a, "WHOOP!" and clasped my hands in front of my mouth! That's how surprised I was. I don't think I've won anything my entire life ever... So this was a BIG thing. H.U.G.E. Of coz, it served as a motivation to push myself further.

Thanks to the MWL Design Team for making this happen! Yipee!!!

Ready-Get-Set-Go!

2010-02-02T00:24:00.003+08:00

Thought I would give blogging another chance. Here's the inception entry. Perhaps this blog will have more concise thoughts rather than the ramblings and musings of a 20-something. As far as possible, I would like this blog to have a theme centered around scrap booking, as far as possible. :) We know we all can't help penning our thoughts down on the everyday stuff from time to time. So, enjoy the ride with me and see where this takes us!