Photos To Share

we attended a costume birthday party last weekend and here are some of the photos...My daughter Isabella wore a flower over-all costume and Francie was "Mulan".. although she told us that she wasn't mulan but MIDLAT (lightning)..you know the joke i hope..hehe..

I've been tagged by Alby

Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

7 random facts about me:

1. i am addicted to iced coffee or anything coffee flavored
2. i am an organizational freak
3. i am a procastinator
5. i am scared of the dentist
6. i have 2 daughters,francine and isabella and a step-daughter,nicoleen duci
7. i love wearing a skirt or a dress

A - Age: 31
B - Band Listening To Right Now: nada
C - Career: used to be an office girl,now full time SAHM
D - Drink or Smoke: Drink but very,very,very,very rarely
E - Easiest Friends To Talk To: Donna! and a few friends from here
G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: Gummy worms
H - Have a Boyfriend: i have a husband
I - In love: and in bliss...
J - Junk Food You Like: tostitos with dip
K - Kids: 2
L - Longest Ride Ever: Manila to New York
N - Names For Your Future Kids: Gabriel (for a boy),
O - One Wish You Have Now: to have the photo printer i saw this weekend.
P - Phobias: nothing...
Q - Favorite Quote: Life is too short,live it well!
R - Reasons To Smile: my kids,my family and my scrapping stuff!!! heehee..
S - Sleeping Hours: 2am-9 or 10am
T - Time You Woke Up: 8am (my 2 kids decided to get up earlier than usual)
U - Unknown Fact About You: i once drove 110mph...
V - Vegetable You Hate: i love vegetables so the answer is nothing...
W - Worst Habit: staying up so late AND going to the LSS a few times a week
X - X-rays You’ve Had: Chest..does MRI count?had one (orbital area)
Y - Yummy Foods: shrimp and calamari crunchy roll,pastillas
Z - Zodiac Sign: cancer

Now i am tagging: DONNA, AIREES, ROXEE, CATHY, LEE, COOKIE, JENN

I Fell in-love!!!

I went with SIL at bestbuy this afternoon and while they were finalizing their purchase, i saw this sleek,shiny thing...the HP-photosmart compact photo printer( model A627)...i tested the printing quality and it was excellent..i had to stop myself from impulsively reaching for a box and buy it...but, i can't stop thinking about it,i keep on looking at the website again and again...oh well,not sure how long i can resist its charm..

These Eyes (entry to pinoyscrapbookers Kaya6 Challenge

Backgrounder: Supper Donna made sure we are stranded on an island with nothing to do but scrap using only cardstocks washed ashore with us...and to make matters worse,she said there is a tidal wave coming and if we want to be rescued like the rest we must also come up with a layout...

Materials: bazzill cs AND glue

Process:
Cut equal sizes of cream cs then thin strips of pink cs were glued on each white cs.. Made two rows leaving a bit of brown cs showing…cut a wide strip of lighter pink cs and two half moon (this was done by drawing a line using a cs then after a few tries, was able to make a half moon which was traced to make two pieces) to give the impression of a circle in the middle..outlined with short strips of green cs.. I drew a big and small flower then again traced to make the other flowers..a thin strip of pink cs was glued on each petals of the brown ones..smaller green flowers are then glued on to give dimension then doodled on..

(this was inspired by a layout which I forgot the name of the artist…I tried looking for the lo again but couldn’t.. my bad!)

my sister Monet..

(this layout became featured layout of the day at creatingkeepsakes.com on October 24, 2007)


i have one younger sister and one younger brother..my brother is in canada with his family,and my sister is in qatar working for Qatar Airways... I saved this photo from her multiply account and after buying the tres jolie paper,i realized that it is perfect for this one...it is hard to read what's in the bottom right corner so here it is: I smile,because you are my SISTER...then i LAUGH co'z there's nothing you CAN do about it...i could not take a clear image of this lo...i tried going outdoor,using the flash,turning off the flash..still blurry...
thanks for looking!!!

materials used:
tres jolie (background paper)
tres jolie (buttons)
mm ribbon (note)worthy-hillary collection
primas
k&co brads(flower center)
american crafts rub-ons
mm rub-on
prima flower
k@co tag
dcwv cs for the mat
zots
zig glue
zig pen

First Cards..

after seeing all these hand-made cards, i decided to join the card-making bandwagon two nights ago...and i just love it let me tell you...the first one (for the love...) is what i am planning to give to dh on sweetest day (october 20)...it took me sometime to finish this..then after finishing the first one,the second one which is a thank you card was done in 10 minutes...i am planning to make more in the coming days..

Thinking outside the box...

If you look at my layouts,you will notice that i do not use light colors...i find it easier to work with rich and neutral colors. This morning, i suddenly felt the urge to do something outside my comfort zone..At first,i was at lost on what to do...But after i found the right paper,everything came smoothly..

Materials used: Fancy pants paper (sweet pea), fancy pants chipboard(frames),american crafts ribbon, felt flowers(forgot the brand),mm paint, paper studio letter tiles,mm ribbon glue,mm metal glue,dcwv colored rub-ons,bling stickers..

I AM FAB! (according to Donna that is..)

Donna tagged me with my first ever tag..and here is what she has to say about me:

MARJ VELARDE-for me, her layouts aren't just the one that is fab but her personality as well. She's very down-to-earth and straight forward at the same time. I love how we "clicked" it's as if we've know each other for a very long time already! SO Marj my girl, you are one fab girl to me!
Thank you girl! Is it ok if don't tag anyone yet? na-tag n yata lahat ng kilala ko.hahaha..we are all fab ladies!

because of you..class 5, (unity)

for this class i chose balance to have unity in my page...the symmetrical balance (formal balance) was achieved by positioning the elements in the center..if u make an imaginary vertical line in the center, you will find all the embellishments in the left side match those in the right..even the letters are positioned in a way so that you will have an equal number of letters on each side...i also used color to further empasize unity..i chose green and purple which are both cool colors..a touch of orange was added to break the monotony..orange is a complementary color for green...i handstitched the circle with purple floss to give it texture...

Ina Girl (Class 4-badgirls: white space)

what i found out about this class was how difficult it was to use white space without making your lo too boring(like what teacher Ania mentioned in her lecture)...i wanted to have enough eye candy to make the viewer interested longer...
i had a funny talk with my daugther last night after finishing the lo..i said,oh thank goodness,i am done. she said."mommy,not yet!" i said,"why?"..and she replied,";you haven't put anything in here yet!"(her hand was pointing at all the white space...i guess i still have to teach her about white space.lol!!!

the image is not that clear coz this was taken by my phone camera (almost 2 years ago). i wanted to use photos that are in my "to scrap" box to keep me on schedule.lol!

journaling (located at the side anchored by the chantilly charm):
francine,they call you ina girl,and i like it. i got that nickname from my mother "wilhelmina" who looks exactly like you..

materials used:
bazzill
imaginisce chantilly charms
dcwv
mm mini brad
primas
bling (misc.)
american crafts rub-on
lace
basicgrey for tags
mm photo anchors
amrican crafts ribbon

imagine (class 3,elements of design-badgirls challenge)

wow...this class really made me place my embellishments with careful consideration of the elements of design...i have this 8x10 photo of my dd which would qualify automatically for the size element. but i did not focus on that element and instead,use the size of the photo as the starting point for the path or direction that i want the eyes to follow..to achieve this,i use most of the elements in making this lo.i want to focus on direction because most of the time,i find it hard to look at everything on a lo..so,i tried to make something that would make the eyes not miss a thing, without jumping from one part of the page to another.

the first thing you will look at,is the big photo(size element)..i use a black mat around the photo and decided to use a gray 12x12 paper(value element) so that the next object you will look at are the flowers..i used the rich red,purple and green(color element),to attract the eyes to move from my daughter's eyes towards the left lower side of the lo.the vertical arrangement of the flowers helps to move from the first flower to the bottom part of the photo where the title is placed. the lace(texture) with beads on top(dimension) placed on a horizontal line(another element) from left to right provides stability to the whole lo. the gold flower is positioned in an angle so that your eyes will go back to the photo. and so the cycle repeats..lol!

thanks for looking!!!

materials used:
basicgrey pp
bazzill cs
paper salon chipboards
mm chipboard letters
pp crystals
mm shimmer brads
greenhouse felt flowers

greenhouse felt

Enjoy Life (Kaya?5 Challenge)

challenge: layering using a minimum of 6 patterned papers (cs not included) with a maximum of 2 strips..

I found this picture that was taken about 10 years ago…and when I looked at myself, I was amazed how 10 years had passed in a blur.. So many things I would rather forget, but a lot more memories will never be forgotten.. I was thinking of not submitting any lo for this month’s challenge because I felt I was not into layering.. But after looking at this picture and my papers, I felt the inspiration and almost automatically cut and layered the papers..

Journal:
growing old is nothing more than mind over matter.. If you don’t mind, then it doesn’t matter.

Technique:
I did not do a lot of techniques here.. I just let the layers make the page.

Materials:

Foof-a-la pp (5 pp), the mat around the photo is also a pp (the paper studio), mm mini brads, primas, bling, zots, we r memory keepers precious metals (silver), alpha brads (paper studio), vellum sayings (dcwv/expressions),

class 2: texture and dimension (badgirls challenge)

for texture: i used a corrugated cs to frame the photo,instead of putting the photo on top of the cs,i cut a window inside the cs to give it more dimension..i also used a burlap for texture as well as heat embossed the swirls...

for dimension: i used metal letters and foam tapes to give them height..the flowers were put on top of each other and attached with a crystal brad..chipboard flourishes were used to also add dimension...

materials used:

basicgrey papers(infuse,scarlett letters)
the paper company corrugated cs
making memories metal words
making memories metal round letters
making memories mini brads
making memories flowers
vellum (dcwv)
making memories paint
fancy pants chipboard
paper studio chipboard tag
heidi grace's clear stamp
we r memory keepers(precious metal collection)metal hardware set(silver)
tim holtz powder
ranger liquid ink

Desiderata for Scrapbookers(with my sincerest apologies to Max Ehrmann)

Go placidly amid the aisles of Michael’s and Archivers,
and remember what peace there may be in knowing that
you do not have to have everything.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all scrapbooking salespersons
and store owners. (That 10% discount is your reward.)

Speak your comments on LOs quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the newbies;
they too have something to share.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
(Somehow, all that comes to mind are Au and Nita.
And the exact opposite is true. They are loud
and spirited, but hardly annoying.)

If you compare your layouts with others’ layouts,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser layouts than yours.

Enjoy your finished layouts as well as the process.

Keep interested in your own stories, however humble;
they are real possessions that should be scrapped in time.

Exercise caution in buying scrapping supplies;
for the world is full of trends.
But let this not blind you to what a good sale is;
many stores strive for 49% discounts;
and everywhere the web is full of online stores with free shipping.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign scrapbooking styles.
Neither be cynical about your layout;
for in the face of losing at challenges
your acid-free materials are as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of other more experienced scrapbookers
but do not gracefully surrender the things that make you, you.

Nurture kindred scrapbooking spirits to crop with.
But do not distress yourself with trying to “keep up”.
Many fears are born of fatigue and wanting.
Beyond EBs and crop parties,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a scrapbooker of the universe,
no less than the Memory Makers Masters and the CK Scrapbookers of the Year;
you have a right to scrap.
And whether or not it is as clear as a Hambly transparency to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding like an accordion album.

Therefore be at peace with your partners,
whatever s/he may think of your scrapbooking,
and whether in Scrapfests or Scrapmeets,
in the noisy confusion of shopping keep peace with your wallet.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Scrap it.
Strive to be real.

waiting for papa...

this lo is my assignment for color theory...the scrolls, flowers and titles were traced on a chipboard and handcut then painted/distressed.

this photo was taken one rainy summer afternoon by my phone camera(hence the quality wasn't that good)...my daughter was going back and forth,looking out the window,waiting for her papa because she was so worried that her papa would be wet when he gets out of the car..to distract her,i suggested to pretend we are having a photoshoot! (she loves pretend photoshoots btw)...this is the first shot and i could still see in her eyes the love and care she has for her father...hence the color scheme i chose..brown: evokes warmth whenever i think how she loves (color red) her papa...eventhough we do not have a lot of material things,we have our love to treasure(color gold)...i tinted the red acrylic with just a bit of brown to subdue the brightness of the red,so that it wouldn't overpower the photo

hidden journal reads:

francine,
we are so touched that at a very young age, you are already showering mommy and papa with so much love that we know,even out-of-sight, our love will always be there no matter what..

basic grey gallery

i tried submitting my lo based on miss valerie salmon's sketch #26 last night..this morning, i got an email from basicgrey that they are going to include my lo in their online gallery...i consider it as an accomplishment for someone who just got into scrapbooking..check here

miss valerie salmon's sketch #26

i was blog hopping last week and spent sometime with miss valerie salmon's gotsketch blog..looking at the sketches,i felt inspired and out of nowhere,decided to email miss val my online gallery and see if she would invite me to do a lo based on one of her sketch..she emailed me back and invited me to do lo for her sketch #26..i received the sketch sunday and submitted it tuesday(i think)..i was nervous coz including the kaya?4 challenge,this is my 2nd time submitting a lo for some sort of judging..i was telling myself all week not to expect anything..then i checked the blog tonight and my mouth went dry when i saw my daugter's picture!

confidence builder...kaya challenges...

besides being a super mom(or trying to be one),i like to do things for myself..my own stuff.cake decorating and scrapbooking...lately,i've been glued in front of my pc that i wasn't getting any lo done at all..my last lo was my entry to the kaya?4 challenge..i was surprised with the result..i was hoping to get a few votes but not more than 130 votes..magaling cguro campaign manager ko!hahaha..i placed second and boy,that was a big confidence builder! i am so grateful for the members of pinoyscrapbookers for making me feel so welcome..special mention to my girl donna!basta,ikaw ang mentor ko!whether u like or not..hehehe..

I've been a lurker to some blogs of my fellow scrapbookers and how i love to have blogs like theirs...I'm not sure if i can do it considering the time and effort involve in maintaining one. But,no harm in trying...

With a 3 year old(almost 4) and a five month old baby,i spend my day attending to the the kids,surfing the net,chatting,cooking,scrapbooking,household chores,talking on the phone(this i do while doing something else..oh,so that is multi-tasking eh?)..and now,this..so,welcome to my blog!