Happy Memorial Day!

It's Memorial Day weekend already!  This means summer is here!  I declare it, lol.  The kids are just days away from summer vacation and I wish I could join them, lol. 

Last summer Second Child finally got used to the outdoor water sprinkler toy and wasn't afraid of it any more.  She was still ahead of her sister who had trouble with water on her face for the longest time! 

I used the Fancy Pants Summer Soul collection for this layout. The four photos were actually collaged using Picasa and printed as a 4x6 print.  I really love that Picasa feature to fit more photos onto a page like this. 

Here is a close-up photo of stamping onto a scallop border I cut out using my Cameo.  The stamp is a sunburst which I echoed with the glitter sunburst to the lower left corner of the layout. 

I also made a card using Fancy Pants' Be You collection.  I figured that it can be multi-purpose especially in this season of many graduations and birthdays in the the family. 

This is going to be a busy weekend for us.  My parents-in-law is moving to their new home and the whole family will be out and about helping them.  We are very pleased that this move has come to fruition so nicely for them.  In this housing environment, they were able to sell their place in one week is just fantastic!  Now they are one short mile away from us. The kids can bike through a park to get to them (when they are older), rejoice!  Perhaps we should get them a bunk bed as a house warming gift and attach two little girls onto the beds while we are at it! LOL. 

Have a wonderful Sunday and happy Memorial Day!

Sew Artsy Layouts

It's only been two days since the beloved immigrant workers have returned and the household is once again adjusting to its new normal.  The kids were beyond giddy to have their grandparents back, but that comes at a price as usual.  Nabu "had" to go to swimming lesson with us otherwise Second Child wasn't going to stop crying.  Without reading the labels in Chinese, they gave some chocolates containing cashew to First Born who is allergic to tree nuts.  Fun times all around!! 

Time to take my mind off the chaos all around!  Check out the Sew Artsy kit by Front Porch Kits? It is jammed packed full of goodies as usual! Check it out!  There are some really unique items in the kit: vintage buttons and trims, vintage patterns for clothes making! What a great mix of products!

I didn't quite realize this until I put both layouts into this post, but it's a tale of two hairdos!  The photos in the first layout were taken the day after her hair donation. She really was too cute for words.  I used the pattern for clothes and its packaging on this layout. 

As a huge fan of rubons, the stitching rubon sheet included in the kit is fabulous and fun to use! I even rubbed on a few pieces onto the title.


Now these photos are older and from last summer.  Look at those gorgeous braids!  sigh... She was adorable then too!  Alas, combing through it every day was no peach.  Of course my mother accused me of impatience.  She apparently forgot that they kept my hair short when I was growing up to not deal with the hassle of hair! 

Before I go, a big announcement from the Color Room: its first ever Design Team call!  Come one, come all!!! 

On Mother's Day

Last night, I got myself the best Mother's Day present: a subscription to Silhouette's online store!  I have been waiting for a sale since the day I bought my Cameo.  I saw the coupon code on 2peas and rushed over almost breathlessly to click the buy button!  In case you are interested, the coupon code is "MOTHER" and you get 25% off all subscription prices.

Do I ever not know what to do with myself since finishing reading A Song of Ice and Fire series, but I'm back at scrapbooking for leisure again, lol.  I made this layout only yesterday and I can post it right away!  What fun! :) 

These photos are from last fall.  I don't remember if I tackled her onto the grass or what happened.  No matter, she decided to lie there and make cute and silly faces, so I took a few pictures.  She is very comical to me and how she makes me laugh!  And now that her long hair is gone, I look at that bow and reminisce the bad old days of having to comb through the tangled mess :)

Here's another sneak peek of the Sew Artsy kit by Front Porch Kits.  This time, I'm only posting a smaller corner like I was supposed to do! :)

I'm off to celebrate my day!  First BodyPump class and then we are eating the leftover ice cream cake from Second Child's birthday last month.  Oh yes, we are hardcore celebrants!  LOL.  Have a wonderful day! 

Front Porch Kits Sew Artsy Sneak

It's Saturday morning and the whole weekend is ahead of us!!  I am getting ready to go to cardio kickboxing!  Before I go, here is a sneak peak of the upcoming Front Porch Kits, named Sew Artsy.

Here is a sneak picture of a card that will be most appropriate for tomorrow, hee hee.  I am not very sneaky, am I? :)  Be sure to stop by Front Porch Kits blog and check out all the action and other sneaks peeks!!

Fancy Pants Summer Soul Chipboard Banners

I get to share a couple of layouts that were posted on Miss Fancy Pants a couple of weeks ago. The assignment was to use the Summer Soul Chipboard Banners in a couple of ways.

Banners continue to be all the rage in the scrapbooking world. Fancy Pants Designs answers this market demand with their Chipboard Banners! In one package, we get several different shapes of small banners that match the paper collection perfectly. The most obvious way of using these chipboard banners are indeed to use them as banner pieces. However, there are other ways to put this versatile product to use.

In this first layout, I created a scalloped border at the bottom of the page with the semi-circle banner pieces in the Summer Soul: Chipboard Banners.

I also added medium sized Fancy Pants Designs buttons to enhance dimension with another layer. Additional chipboard circles also accent the title of the layout. This will serve as a cover page of a vacation album.  Oh it's exciting to have gotten started with scrapping our Mexico trip already.  I usually wait months if not years waiting for goodness knows what and why!

In the second layout for the same Mexico album, I used the pendant chipboard pieces and used them as puzzle pieces. I cut one light blue piece into halves with exacto knife and altogether the six pieces create an interesting visual rectangle. Again, I accent the chipboard pieces with Fancy Pants Designs buttons. Me thinketh the buttons and chipboard pieces should live happily ever after! :)

Here you can see a close-up of the puzzle pieces using the chipboard banners.  I must say that how perfect the Summer Soul collection is for a tropical vacation album, especially for a mother with two girls! I hope you have found a couple of new ways to use the chipboard banner pieces, they are super fun and uber versatile!

My Life Back!

Let it be said that when I do something, I do it wholeheartedly...  For the last eight weeks, I have been buried under the five books of the ongoing epic series of A Song of Ice and Fire.  Plowing through 4,500 pages in eight weeks have reduced me to a shadow of a scrapbooker emerging to create only when a deadline is looming!  I am both happy and sad to say that the quest has come to an end finally tonight.  I shall have free time again!  Maybe I will finally clean the bathroom or something!  The sad part is that now the long wait begins for the author to pen the next two books in the series.  I think I will scrapbook while waiting the next few years for him to write, lol.

Meanwhile, I squeezed in making this card this past weekend.  Gosh Doodlebug is just too cute to describe!!  I used the "hello spring" collection.  I also broke into the new Doodlebug stamps and ink pads!!  Those stamped balloons are so colorful and matches perfectly with the cardstock border sticker! 

I should mention that I actually had the balloons cut using my Cameo.  I had purchased the Make the Cut software a long time ago so I could trace an image and import it to cut.  I did that with these balloons, while they are not perfect, it sure beats having to hand cut them!  I hid the biggest imperfections behind the jewels I added :)

I have a few more close-up photos, tips and tricks that are on the Doodlebug's blog.  Now it's time for me to head to the sack, without a book in hand :)

Exquisite Embellishments Blog Hop

Welcome to the Exquisite Embellishments Blog Hop! I am so honored to be included among the amazing team of designers and to have contributed a few projects to the book!  I still remember getting that email from Keri Lee asking me if I would like to participate in her brand new book project!  I still can't thank her enough for this wonderful and amazing opportunity! 

First thing first, here is where you can get a copy of this beautiful book at Annie's Attic Site - Exquisite Embellishments for Paper Crafts.

You have a chance to win this book if you leave a comment and your email on each designer's blog.  Keri Lee will draw three random winners from the comments left between Friday - Monday.  The winners will be drawn and notified on Tuesday.

Here is the list of  the designers who were able to participate in the book and take part in the blog hop today too!  Have fun hopping!

Keri Lee
Linda
Sherry

Lori

Heidi

Kandis

Nina

Sharon

Melissa

Jessica

Tami

Teresa

Jing Jing

Here is one of my cards in the book. Say Hello to the Basic Grey Luscious. And I do love that felt flower created using a die from My Favorite Things.  Of course, I used a trusted SRM Stickers sentiment as usual :)

That's it from me.  Thank you for stopping by and have a lovely weekend everyone!