12 Tags of 2012 - August

I have been lagging on this month's Tim Holtz tag. Finally got it done tonight. This is an interesting one as I decided not to get the texture fade embossing folder and of course, Tim does a tag with it. No worries though. As always, improvise.

This is Tim's tag

This is mine.

I didn't have the pinecone die, so I used the flower die and used rugged-edge scissors to create the rough edges on the petals. Instead of using the fade embossing folder, I stamped and cut out the top note/silhouette image and stuck it down to the tag. I didn't have any twig/branch die, so I did without. 

I think it turned out alright despite the lack of materials that Tim used. Hope you like it.

Tropical Colours to the Front

Miss C started back at school this week. It's been VERY early mornings, trying to get myself and then her out of bed. The summer really played havoc with our sleeping patterns and you could find me nodding off halfway through the day. I'm such a night owl to begin with, so having to adjust and be in bed before 11pm is actually quite difficult.  Miss C adjusted much better than I did, thank goodness, but it's getting better; I don't feel like I've changed time zones so much now.

Oh, and she's in Year 2 now. I can't believe how fast the time has flown. It seems like only a year ago she was playing with toys in playgroup, and now she's such an independent, decision making little person.

So, here's another layout from the holiday. I just love this outfit Miss C is wearing. Combined with the lighting, this photo turned out stunningly. The paper collections are from two years ago, but are just so eye catching, I had to use them.

I love the bright sherbet colours of the papers that bring out the colours in Miss C's dress. I distressed the edges of everything but didn't ink them so the white core would show.

Cutest little turtle chippies and the beach accents with the swirly frame pull your eye into the photo.

The rough texture of the large orange letters make it feel like sand. The "princess" was cut from my new eClips die-cutting machine. I cut three of the same words from cardstock and layered them up to give it more of a chipboard feel.

I felt the layout was missing a little something to tie it together, so I added splatters give the layout an extra dimension.

Products Used
Papers, paper accents, chipboard accents and flowers all from Fancy Pants Designs Beach Babe and Fancy Pants Designs Beach Bum collections 2010
Cardstock from Bazzill Basics Paper
Sapphire Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels
Letters (unknown)
Bling for flowers from stash

A Little Art Journaling

What a lovely night last night. We went out with friends to celebrate my birthday. Got lots of wonderful presents and hubby was wonderful to take Miss C home to bed while I got to stay out with the girlfriends for a few drinks in town. It's been a while since I did that and it was really nice. Thanks, girls.

My lovely birthday cake. Gorgeous vanilla slice Napoleon from Agnes b.

Yesterday afternoon though, I spent time finishing off the cover of my art journal project. I think I 'll make this my September class. It's a tissue paper covered mini album with a concertina-folded interior. The pretty girl is actually a stamp by Suzi Blu. I attended one of her workshops during the Winter CHA 2012. Very eccentric free spirited artist. I love her drawings and she does online workshops teaching you how to draw her girls. It was in her workshop that I was introduced on how to create art journaling. I'd heard of it but not really done any and her class gave me the confidence boost needed to try it.

You know what? This is what art journaling is about. Feelings. Art therapy. Putting down your thoughts in imagery and colour. Doesn't matter if you're an advanced artist or someone like me who can't even draw circles properly. Just express yourself.

Now, I've only done the front and back covers and assembled the inside of this mini album and I will be filling it soon with lots more journaling. I'll do another post once I finish the inside.

Free Spirit

From bright summery colours to something decidedly more muted. Lots of fussy cutting (love it) and layering. Aren't these papers just beautiful? I love this side profile shot of Miss C so much, I had to triplicate it. Ha.

Love fairies. Just so magical and these vintage fairies need black and white photos to complement them. I sprayed the whole layout (minus the photos) with Glimmer Mist to heighten the magic.

Prima really know their flowers. Really love the mini letters as well.

I used an exacto knife to cut diamond shapes out of the paper and layered it on the bottom with a different paper. I distress up the chipboard  and added glitter glue to all the butterfly and fairy wings.

Adding some ribbon to the top secures a butterfly charm.

Products Used
All papers, chipboard, note papers, wood tickets, vintage trinkets, lace/crystal border, flowers and mini letters from Prima Marketing Fairy Belle collection
Distress Inks from Tim Holtz by Ranger Inks
Cream ribbon and pearls unbranded

My Little Ray of Sunshine

Miss C starts back at school on Monday and that means summer is over for us, even if the weather doesn't think so; it's still hot as sin here. I've loved having her at home with me all summer but I think she's chomping at the bit to be getting back into a daily routine; seeing her friends again and filling her little mind with lots of new information.

I'm still trying to get out more holiday pages, so I get to hold onto summer for a little longer. There seems like an endless amount of photos to be scrapped.  Here's one with such gorgeous summer colours. Again, from one of my favourite paper companies. Where's my deck chair and lemonade?

Stunning sunshine colours brighten up any layout.

Are these elements not the cutest? I love the little bird and flower tree.

Flowers pretty enough to pick. Loving the white and yellow crochet flowers.

Products Used
Papers, chipboard, stickers and brads from Echo Park Hello Summer collection
Crochet flowers and red buttons from Bella Blvd
Distress Inks from Tim Holtz by Ranger Inks

Sweet Sweet Girl

Today's an odd day for me. It's my birthday and I seem to be going through a funny state. I've never been a huge fan of birthdays (mine) and this one brings it home on how old I am now. Not going to tell you how old, but you can probably guess if I say it's a year past a milestone and I'm allowed to feel a little nostalgic if I want to. Hurrumph...

But! You know, I then thought: Why should I be sad? I have everything I want. A loving hubby, a wonderful daughter, comfortable house, my health and I'm lucky enough to be able to do what I love. There is nothing more important that I need or want. I have it all. To top it all, I have a great bunch of friends who will be celebrating with me tomorrow evening.

Anyway, back to some layouts. I did this one before we went on holiday and had it hanging around as it wasn't quite finished. I finally added a couple more flowers to one corner and so here it is. The photos are the same from the princess canvas mini album that I did previously.

Such girly papers. Since these were professional photos, I wanted to have a sort of "framed" layout with all the square paper. I distressed the edges of all the paper accents as well as the photos.

Love these pretty flowers, especially the big, plush, felty one.

I added tiny thumbnail photos to the top right corner to balance off the page.

Products Used
Papers, stickers, bling strips, lollipop flowers, title stickers from Webster's Pages Girl Land collection
Topnote chipboard from Leaky Shed Studio, LLC
Large felt flower and paper roses from Prima Marketing, Inc
Liquid Pearls in Baby Blue and White Opal from Ranger Inks

Bombs Away

My August kit from MCS arrived yesterday and I thought the papers from their mini/creative kit were perfect for my water bomb pics. One of my friends was very good to take some great action shots, complete with water splashes.

I wanted to do a "literal translation" of the photos for my layout, emulating water and splashes in the background. I then staggered the photos downwards to look like action frames.

I overlayed two different Thickers fonts to create the title. I love the cursive font which you can "join"up. I also used Glimmer Glaze to make splodges on the white background paper.

I cut slivers of paper to simulate waves. The kit also came with a large scalloped circle which I cut up and layered around smaller circles instead.

Products Used
Papers, stickers, flowers and chipboard from Little Yellow Bicycle Splash Collection
Thickers from American Crafts
Glimmer Glaze in All That Jazz from Tattered Angels
White cardstock from Bazzill Basics
Distress Inks from Tim Holtz for Ranger Inks

Let Your Dreams Fly High

Another of my favourite paper companies that have consistently hit it out of the ballpark (no pun intended) is Echo Park Paper. Wonderful people there and they haven't disappointed me yet with their collections. The pictures were taken on the beach just outside of the villa we stayed in. You just have to love the action mode on your camera.

Backed onto kraft coloured cardstock, I sprayed a little white paint before adding my papers and elements.

Love all the ready made labels and alphabet letters. Makes it so easy to put a layout together.

I love hot air balloons. There is something so romantic about them, especially when you see dozens of them up in the air at the same time. I would love to go up in one some time, however I'm not great with heights.

Products Used
Kraft cardstock from Bazzill
Patterned papers, embellishments, stickers and alphabets from Echo Park Paper Everyday Eclectic Collection

White spray ink from Mister Huey's Color Mists Opaque White from Studio Calico
Baker's twine from Hemptique

Slurp!

Hot on the tail of my last post, here is another one using the same My Mind's Eye paper line. The other elements I saved for this layout was all about ice creams and ice lollies and I had to dig out the daddy/daughter photo from two years ago to scrap. Aren't my two precious people the cutest with their ice lollies?

Yup, makes me want to get the lollies out from the freezer.

Is that ice cream van not the cutest? Wish there were more Mr Whippy's around now.

What was your favourite lolly? I still love lifesavers. You know, the rainbow lollies.

Products Used
All paper, embellishments, stickers, die cuts, chipboard and brads from My Mind's Eye On the Sunny Side 2012
Title alpha from American Crafts

Summer Lovin'

Alright, enough of wallowing about for the week. I finally hunkered down and got out a few layouts and the beginnings of my September class project. I had two kit club layouts to do for HKMC, but won't be revealing those until September.

Here is the first of three other layouts I did. The papers were from my MCS July kit and I just love all the little embellishments. Can you guess which company this paper is from? They do such amazing collections and I just love all their lines.  The photos were taken during our Bali trip.

Gorgeous summer colours. Makes you want to jump in the pool right now, no?

Such adorable elements. I love the pinwheels.

Lots of little layered elements. That watermelon is making my mouth water.

Products Used
All paper, embellishments, stickers, die cuts, chipboard and brads from My Mind's Eye On the Sunny Side 2012
Large yellow flower unbranded

Quick word to say HI

Hey all, it's been a while since I've been posting. We were away on the best holiday and just got back last night. Almost two weeks away soaking in the sun and surf in Bali, Indonesia and eating ourselves silly in Singapore. Just a little depressed we have to be back home already but hubby had to go back to work.

We were incredibly lucky to have amazing weather in both places and it only rained just as we were pulling into each airport to leave. What timing. We traveled with three other close couple friends and had a blast. We went snorkeling and saw some amazing tropical reefs. I did a Balinese cooking class with my friend, Joanne, after which we got to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Most of all, as we had rented a villa for the week, we sat in front of the pool, "just chillin'".

Wonderful craft market in Ubud, Bali.

Floral offerings which the Balinese set out every day.

Bubur - a popular Balinese breakfast of congee and savoury condiments.

Stunning sunset from the beach in front of the villa we stayed in.

After seven days in Bali, we all flew back to Singapore for three days. I especially love Singaporean and Malaysian food, so I was in heaven, although I am now paying the price and will have to subsist on salad greens for the next few months. We also got to enjoy a day in Universal Studios, where  Miss C wanted to go on the kiddies' roller coaster again and again.

We're back home with a bang now. Hubby's at work, and I had to go stock up on groceries. While we were away, a massive typhoon hit Hong Kong, bringing down trees and signposts all over the city. The clean up is still happening and it was sad to see several of my favourite shade trees lose their grip on the earth and end up with their roots in the air.

With over a thousand holiday pictures, I will have enough to scrapbook for a while. Better get started on that soon.

See you in the next post.