Tagged

by Donna and Cosette

Guidelines:Link back to the person that tagged you.Post these rules in your blog.Share six unimportant things about yourself.Tag six (6) people at the end of your entry.

* i have a diverse taste in music (fergie, rihanna, jlo, eagles, eminem, etc..)
* i love caramel
* i need to eat breakfast right away or else i get cranky
* i do not wear nail polish
* i take naps in the afternoon
* i am TERRIFIED of rats
* i cry when i watch a sad movie

A New Beginning

It is exactly a year since the first time I learned about acid and lignin free stuff..the first time i found out that there is another world that is scrapbooking. When i started, i felt relaxed while cutting up pp or figuring out what colors i want to use. I didn't realize that it was starting to take over my life. Most of my time were spent scrapping and if i wasn't scrapping, i was thinking of ideas for my next page. While giving my kids a bath, my mind was on what photo to use. Stressing about challenges and how to organize my stuff which took over our bedroom wasn't my vision when i started this hobby. I guess it was my fault.. I joined a lot of challenges and it literally burned me out. I had to scrap a few pages a week just to meet deadlines and it was too much for me. It became the center of my days and nights too.

My stuff are now in a closet, out of sight. But it was hard to forget the lovely flowers, chipboards and the smell of a package of pp hiding inside the linen closet. I couldn't resist it, so a few days later, i peeked and felt the familiar tingling whenever i look at them..And i realized that i should scrap again but this time, i will be in control...I made 1 measly layout that night, or rather started on it... it took me 1 whole week to finish the page..ugggh! here it is:

It felt good to do it again. When i found out about the "the gauntlet" contest at scrapperie, i knew i needed it to bring back my mojo. But this time, i am trying to be careful not to stress myself about it..Before, if i join a contest, i wanted to win. Who doesn't right? This time, i joined to have fun and enjoy the process. Win or loose, it's ok baby!

FIRST WEEK: scrap something about us. Our thoughts, what makes us sad, happy, or complete. Anything about us as long as it is not about being a mother or a spouse. Journaling is a must in all of the entries throughout the competition.

SECOND WEEK: make a card that is not a square, rectangle or circle.

THIRD WEEK: use a photo of a non-living thing in our pages.

And most important of all, I AM SORRY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO ALL OF YOU WHO SENT ME EMAILS, MESSAGES AND I DIDN'T REPLY. THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR THAT. I KNOW I LOST A FRIEND OR TWO BECAUSE OF IT. AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES.

SWTS (Scrapping With The Stars)

i already posted my first 2 layouts here...and for the succeeding round, i did 2 layouts based on Elsie Flannigan's and Mimi Schramm's (of the dt member at cc) style.

Mimi's style is classic with minimal embellishment. Her journaling is handwritten usually done on one of the background or layered paper.

Elsie Flannigan: ribbons, stitiching, paint, buttons, doodling, handwritten journaling..i decided to challenge myself further by making my own background paper with elsie's style in mind...with a punched out 1 inch in diameter circle taped to a bottle, i stamped the images using paint. then i made small circles around it using a sharpie pen paint.

ROUND 3:

Tim Holtz and Jen Dubbs

When i found out the stars for that round, i immediately tried looking for tim holtz's layout but couldnt..i only found 3 and i noticed that his pages are simple compared to his projects. i tried to incorporate his projects on my layout so i made a tag..i applied crackle paint then embossed with clear utee to protect the cracks...did a lot of inking and used metal embellishments, vintage image and an embossed key.

Jen Dubbs: like some of the previous stars, her style is also a simple one. she layers pp in a classic and linear way. always with handwritten journaling..i tried to imitate the colors in some of her layouts too..

* there were i think more or less 30 participants at the beginning..not sure though..i made it to top 6, but wasn't able to move on to the final round...

I Am Still Alive (i think)...

After weeks of hibernating away from by blog, it's time to take care of it again.This is winter holds the record on the most number of times we got sick...my youngest daughter, Isabella got sick so bad that she lost weight and is still recovering from it...I was still able to do a few layouts during that time but just couldn't get the energy to post and update.. here are some of the layouts i made...

(These are my parents when they got married..i made this for the february issue of scrapbytes)

Cards with flowers that are not plastic and plastic that is not a flower.the top of the dress looks blue but it is a satiny purple.

no photo layout (again).i will be putting a photo of oliver here.

Won't be listing the materials here..still too much for me...just sharing..tfl!

What Did I Get Myself Into...

Besides taking care of the children the last few days, i was so busy working on layouts and other stuff for a few contests i joined...


I already posted my entry for Coordinates Collections' Scrapping With The Stars...From 20 participants in round 1, they chose 10 ladies to go on to round 2...Still have to work on my layouts for the second round though...2 layouts are due every round.


The Survivor challenge at Making Memories For You also started and for round 1, i made 3 cards using flowers that are not plastic and plastic that are not flowers. We still cannot post our entries anywhere so...We, (cookie, christine and pia) are able to move to round 2...The callenge is to do a layout without photo..Challenges are posted every 3 days with the entries due 2-3 days after challenges were posted...2-3 layouts or projects due every week.


So You Think You Can Scrap? no, it's not a question for you but it is the name of the challenge at Ittybittyscrapshack. They held an audition last week and was supposed to choose 20 participants to move on to round 1..But they decided to let everyone join the first round and do the elimination before round 2...For the first round, the challenge is to use the following on our layouts: 1 piece of cs, 2 pcs of pp, buttons, alphabet letters..no ink, paint, stamps, etc...We were given about 5 days to submit..I asked them if we can post our entries here and they said it's ok.. So here it is:


materials used: american crafts pp (play and the goods collection), bazzill bling cs, buttons, adornit carolee's creations foam alphas, the paper studio alphabet stickers, zig, cuttlebug, sizzix die, fiskars 1 inch squeeze punch, fiskars punch(very small circles), uhu

Lookie Here!

I miss blogging but the last few days was spent taking care of the kids esp when we all got sick (*again*)!!! Sorry i wasn't able to reply to all the messages in my cbox, emails, and ym's...Having to meet a few deadlines doesn't help either...will be posting about it later..

I can't wait for spring so we can go out and play in the park...Anyway, last week my husband came in with the mail and when i saw he was holding a box and a large envelope, i held my breath until he handed them to me! Yup! I've been waiting for these: my prize from winning FesTeE december challenge at scrappinkids..Wati, one of the dt member chose my daughter's photo and made a layout for her and made a 6x6 for Isabella too..Francine couldn't believe that there was something for her too! I didn't tell her about it coz i am sure that she would be bugging me about it.

THANK YOU SCRAPPINKIDS!

I bought 2 packs of chipboard thickers (giftbox) at my lss a few months ago..I used them first week of december and i was so upset because i had to use glue to make them stick!...i called american crafts and told them about it...they got my add and told me they will send a replacement pack..Not really expecting something, more than a month after i called, i received these! I was surprised coz i was expecting only a pack..thank you American Crafts!

Scrapping With The Stars

Coordinates Collections'version of Dancing With the Stars...Every round, we will be given two stars and do a layout based on their styles...One layout for each star...last week, our stars were Ali Edwards and Mahlin Anderson (DT member of the kit club)...Their style is sooo different from mine that i had to think carefully what to do even while doing household chores ...We need to show our versatility and come up with something original and creative.

(1)I noticed that Ali Edwards' style is a classic and simple one. She does multi-pic layout without matting them and positioning them with the photos touching...She loves handwriting journaling but she also does a lot of computer generated ones on her background paper...Very graphic, using minimal embellishments..She loves using circles and strips of paper too..Her color choices are more on the subdued side...

(materials used: crate paper pp, crate paper die-cut, k@co pp,the paper studio chipboard letters, chalk, metal rim tags (joann), thickers, zig pen, bazzil cs, rub-on(creative imaginations), dmc floss, computer font)

(2)Mahlin's style is the exact opposite of Ali's...She positions the elements on an angle and uses fun and vibrant colors...She also love ric rac ribbons and buttons. She outlines her titles and uses a simple font for them. Most of her layouts are 8x11's so i did one in that size for the first time.


(materials used: the paper studi cs, mme buttons, thickers, narratives, rhonna farrer journaling tag, heidi swapp bling, mme pp, zig, queen@co felt, ric rac ribbon(joann), the paper studio chipboard letters, paint, mm clear overlays)

A Night Of Scrapping

Well, supossedly...Sahrie invited a few ladies for a card-making party at her place... Miss Ivy was our teacher that night and she was so patient with all the giggling going on while she was teaching us (card-challenged ladies) how to do some of her awesome cards! Sahrie, the perfect hostess prepared (well, ordered..hi sahrie!lol!) dinner and provided all the materials for our crop...Thanks to Sahrie, the supplies were over flowing! hehehe...And i am so honored to be able to meet the talented Joy Uzarraga...She is so friendly and down-to-earth! She was making a lyout for Sahrie when i left... I was planning on staying until 12 midnight but mommy duties called...i left before 11pm...*sigh*...We decided to do this a montly thing so our next crop will be on March...

Acot's CT Spotlight

I received an email from Cathy (thanks girl!) congratulating me about the ACOT's monthly spotlight...and i replied very intriqued, curious and excited all at the same time. While waiting for her reply, i browsed ACOT's website and i found out i have a pm from Melissa asking me to keep an eye for it because one of my layouts was chosen. I did this for their focal photo challenge for this month. You can view all the layouts that are chosen for the month of January here.

My daughter Francine when she asked me to put the silk rose behind her ear and asked me to taker a photo of her..I didn't even ask her how to pose, she just tilted her head to one side and smiled...She's just being herself, her love for photo shoots!

materials used:all papers used are from cosmo cricket:background pp (hey sugar), borders (hey sugar), flowers are made from cosmo cricket(gretel), swirl was traced on paper then cut(halfway cafe), the title "BEING" (gretel), photo anchor (jitterbug), journaling tag(wonderland)fabric paint, the paper studio alphabet stickersbuttons

More Projects

The following are my first altered cd's and mini-book...I made the mini-book for my SIL's birthday. Using alcohol ink is sooooo easy...literally, just squirt and dab. then i just cut strip of pp and plain cardstock. inked the edges of the pp then adhered the end together.


(materials used: cd tin, alcohol ink,basicgrey pp, cs, ribbon, belt buckle)

ACCORDION MINI-ALBUM

I've never made a mini-album before although i really like them. I was thinking what to give my SIL and realized she would appreciate this more. The album came with the cd so i decided to use alcohol ink again.

after finishing my "nine months" layout, i felt my scrapping mojo and was able to finish another layout last night...

materials used: mm love story ribbon and noteworthy paper, plain alpha grunge board, ranger crackle paint (fired brick), primas, the paper studio alphabet beads and letters, bazzill cs, rub-ons, inque botique stamp, stasz on

FIRST LAYOUT OF THE YEAR...

I usually make at least one layout a week...Lately, i couldn't find the insipiration to do it...Maybe because of the holidays...I don't know...I was able to finish 1 last night. A very simple page but i really like it. .

materials used: two scoops chipboard shapes, prima, basicgrey wilma chipboard, diamond glaze, chalk, basicgrey journal, ribbon and trim (misc..), mm eyelets and crystal brad

Pen Holders

I got these for a dollar each from Michael's...They are made of wood, like a plywood..I made these for my cousins as a belated xmas gifts.. i thought of their personalities while making them. they are college students btw...

materials used: wooden purse, the paper studio pp, dcwv far east stack, dcwv all dressed up ribbon,ki memories ribbon, the paper studio chipboard flower and letters, k@co chipboard, buttons,prima, mm paint, fabric paint, uhu glue, mod podge, adhesive spray..

THREE Reasons To Be Happy

1. Winner - Scrapperie's Eight-Weeks Challenge
2. Winner - Scrappinkids FesTeE December Challenge
3. Francine's photo was chose by Wati at scrappinkids

It was funny how i discovered how i won. I thought that the winner for scrapperie was to be announced January 1, 2008. Last night, i visited the site and i saw a new topic titled: And the winner is.. not really paying attention, i clicked the thread and i screamed when i saw my name in big bold letters..it was an 8 weeks challenge and every week, the participants will send in their top 3 votes (we cannot vote for ourselves) and the design team members will also give us scores depending on the week's challenge..I wasn't really expecting to win thinking i have no luck when it comes to something like this..And a huge congratulations to Cookie and Christine who are runners-up!

Then i received an instant message from Cookie congratulating me..And i was like, oh yeah,i am so excited. And i congratulated her too..She then said, oh your daughter's photo was "also" chosen! and i was like, wait, are talking about scrappinkids? I asked her if the winner was already announced! Then she said, "Yes, and YOU are the winner! What a funny way to find out! And she didn't even know that the winners at scrapperie were also announced already. The forum thread at scrapperie crashed last night and i was thankful i found out who won before it did..lol!

I thank you ladies who never fail to motivate me. You know who you are. This is my first win and it is so rewarding. What a great way to welcome the New Year! or maybe what a great way to end 2007..

8th and LAST LAYOUT (scrapperie's eight weeks challenge)

I thought i wasn't going to finish this after doing so much stuff the whole week. For our final challenge, we have to use green,red and gold in our layout..we can use other colors but those three colors should stand out when you look at the layout. I used black as may background to emphasize the reds,greens and golds.

This photo was taken December 25 at my Uncle's place. For Francine,this is her best christmas ever coz she got a visit from santa, got her favorite toys and was able to meet new friends.

Growing Old (scrapperie's 7th week challenge)

For this week, we cannot use any photo on our layout..We can use ephemera, or include our thoughts, expectations, etc..


materials used: bazzill cs, daisy d's pp, petaloo, mm letters, the paper studio twill stickers, rub-on, pearl paint, cat's eye chalk, pearl utee, mambi bling, buttons, paper doily, wrmk hardware, ribbon, basicgrey fiber,brads, tulle

Who Is This Girl?

A few days ago, my daughter francine wanted to find out how sharp my cutterbee scissors are...But instead on a piece of paper, she tried it on HER HAIR! I didn't even noticed until i saw a pile of hair near my desk...She cut about 8 inches of hair and it looked like she has bangs..Since she was born,she had only 1 haircut coz we both like long hair for her..This afternoon, i took her to super cuts to repair what she did then i decided to have the rest of her hair shorter..I kept on staring at her, on how younger she looks now...I think i will try to maintain this length for her. Oliver was so happy when he saw Francine, he's been nagging me about it for a long time..I was sad when i saw her hair falling on the floor, i thought of the time spent brushing those. Then I also remember how Francine cried because it hurt when there were so many tangles..I asked her after the haircut if she likes it, and she said YES! I will miss my long-haired daughter but i think i like the short one better..

Dance With My Father

(this was chosen as layout of the day at Scrapperie for December 15, 2007)

When i found out that this week's challenge at scrapperie is to make a layout that includes at least two lines of a song with a photo of the person that reminds you of the said song...No second thoughts, i immediately knew that i would be making one layout of my father again...The lyrics are 99% accurate regarding my thoughts, my prayers and my sadness...

Dance With My Father (Luther Vandross)

Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence

My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me

And then spin me around 'til I fell asleep

Then up the stairs he would carry me

And I knew for sure I was loved

If I could get another chance, another walk,

another dance with him

I'd play a song that would never, ever end

How I'd love, love, love

To dance with my father again

When I and my mother would disagree

To get my way, I would run from her to him

He'd make me laugh just to comfort me

Then finally make me do just what my mama said

Later that night when I was asleep

He left a dollar under my sheet

Never dreamed that he would be gone from me

If I could steal one final glance, one final step, one final dance with him

I'd play a song that would never, ever end

'Cause I'd love, love, love

To dance with my father again

Sometimes I'd listen outside her door

And I'd hear how my mother cried for him

I pray for her even more than me

I pray for her even more than me

I know I'm praying for much too much

But could you send back the only man she loved

I know you don't do it usually

But dear Lord she's dying

To dance with my father again

very night I fall asleep and this is all I ever dream

Move With The Wind

I made this last week for scrapperie's challenge...We had to scrap a photo that shows movement and to use dimensional embellishments...We needed to make our own 3d stuff too...I made the frame using chipboard then covered with brown yarn...I almost didn't submit anything for last week because of a lot of stuff going on...A few hours before the deadline, i sat down and tried working on it...