Dance

It's been some time since I blogged. I've been busy with work and organizing Christmas parties here and there!

Here is my entry for Scrapperie's November/December Challenge # 5. The challenge is to create a LO using 3D embellishments and a photo or photos that show/s movement.



Title: Dance to the Music of your Soul
Materials used: Black, red and white cardstock, buttons (red, used for the title and red with white dots for flower center), DMC thread, flowers (from Rekindled Moments, DCWV alphabet stickers, dome stickers, Uni-ball Signo pen (white), photo corners and "laced window".

So sad I was not able to make a LO for Scrapperie's Challenge # 6 but I'll try my best to complete their Challenge # 7. I just hope to find the time...

Khei tagged me

I got tagged by Khei.

The rule:
When you get tagged, you have to add your name next to the person who tagged you and by doing so you are letting the list grow.

Limadang.com
RamblingMoo.com
blogginginmypyjamas
StylewithPassion
Chinneeq
Dora-zooropazoo
Babyshern
HiPnCooLMoMMa
Rachel’s Soulful Thoughts
When Silence Speaks
Dancing in Midlife Tune
Underneath it All
My Charmed Life
Blueberry Cheesecake
Underneath it All
I am Dzoi
Alpha’s Blog
A Handful of Surprises
Digitally Diane
Click, Crop and Scrap my Life
My Journey to the World of Scrapbooking

I am tagging Issa, Helga, Liezl, Rita and Cors.

She is Turning Japanese

Scrapperie's Nov-Dec Challenge is in its fourth week. For this challenge, it is all about the number 4 - four photos, four embellishments, four colors, four-word title. Here is my take on this challenge:



Materials used: Papers: Piggy Tales Humpty Dumpty patterned papers, DCWV cardstock, Provo Craft plain paper; embellishments: ribbons, buttons, transparent stickers (WHAT A MEAL!) blings; Title: DCWV letter stickers and brown acrylic paint; Colors used: brown, blue, peach and green

Journaling reads: Dannah simply loves Japanese food. I don't know where she got her fondness for Japanese food since her Daddy and I are not fond of this kind of cuisine.
I was surprised to learn that she already knew how to eat with chopsticks as nobody taught her to do so.

Around the Block LO's

Here are two LO's that I did for Scrapbookshawaii Around the Block Challenge:



Title: At 21
Materials used: Patterned papers: Hope, Remember, Pure, Character is Power
Cardstock: Bazzill
Metal brads: Around the Block
Coaster alphabets: Imagination Project Gin X (title)
Others: ribbons, glitter glue, metal grommets, bling, DMC thread,
metallic floss

Journaling: Things I learned before I turned 21...

The joys and pains of first love
The true meaning of brotherhood and sisterhood
The hospitality of Filipinos
The magic of first kiss
The real essence of friendship
That families are not perfect
The real situation in the countrysides
That love always finds a way
That I'm not always the best
October 1991




Title: You are Missed
Materials used: Patterned papers: Around the Block - You are Missed, Hope; We R
Memory Keepers
Plain paper: Provo Craft
Cardstock: Bazzill
Letter Stickers: DCWV
Others: flowers, metal photo corners, DMC thread, bling, metal
flowers, glitter glue, cut shapes

Journaling: I miss everything about you, the complete honesty of your nature, the magic of your presence, your, youthful outlook on life, the sensitivity of your heart, the spiritual goodness of your soul, the sweetness of your whole existence. Danny, Saudi Arabia 1999

Winner - RAK Time

I have already drawn the winner of my RAK! Sorry for the delay, it was supposed to be last Saturday (November 24) but I wanted someone to witness the drawing of the winner and of course I also wanted a souvenir photo or two. Thanks to Issa for witnessing the draw and taking my photos. There are 21 who responded to my Personality Test - Alby, Nita, Khei, Sheryl, Candy, Florence, Ella, Jennifer, Gaye, Tetchie, Yvette, Issa, Jengkie, Chay, Sunshine, Helga, Cookie, Marj, Lee, Arnie and Liezl. Thanks, ladies for joining.








And the winner is...




YVETTE PLANAS.Congratulations, Yvette!

Last December 3, Yvette received her prize. And we had this photo op courtesy of Issa. Here are some of our photos:

Rekindled Moments Cherry Arte Challenge

Here is my take on Rekindled Moments's November 2007 Cherry Arte Challenge using Morocco, Poolside or Princess lines. I did two LO's for this challenge. For the first one I used Cherry Arte's Morocco line. Here is my LO:




Title: Be my Friend
Materials used: Cherry Arte pp - Morocco (Mirror Ball, Aniseed and Saffron) and Princess (Sheri), Cherry Arte chipboard - Morocco (clock and 2 stars),Provo Craft plain paper, DCWV cardstock (title), Colorbox Fluid Chalk (Autumn Pastels), DMC thread (golden yellow),Metallic thread, Buttons (orange), Metal photo corners, Dong-a, Gel pen, Glitter glue

Journaling reads:

Time, how fast you slip away. It seems just like yestreday when I hold Jigs in my arms, so tiny, helpless and totally dependent on me on just about everything. gone are the days when Jigs insisted to watch his favorite Disney cartoons with me, what else but Tarzan, Hercules and Jungle Book. gone are the days of collecting Happy Meal, kiddie, Meal and Chuckie Meal. Good for me though! Gone are the days when Jigs make kulit to buy Pokemon figures, Marvel, X-men and Justice League action figures which he collected with much enthusiasm. Gone are those days! But now, I'm beginning to miss those days of yesteryears when Jigs was still small and would willingly pose for a photo. So time, please be my friend, don't fly to fast for I don't want my only boy to be a man. Not yet.

Here is my second entry wherein I used Cherry Arte's Princess line:



Title: I am Grateful for You
Materials used: Cherry Arte pp - Princess (Heather, Sheri, Corrine),Cherry Arte rub-ons (Princess), Cherry Arte chipboard (Morocco), DCWV cardstock, DCWV alphabet stickers, Glitter glue, DMC thread, Buttons, Ribbon, Ricrac, Uni-ball Signo pen (white),Fabriano cardstock, Colorbox Fluid chalk ink

Journaling reads:

Dannah, many say that we look alike, appearance-wise. But there's more to our looks for we are alike in so many ways...and I'm very grateful for that! Grateful to see myself in you. At your young age, I see an immense talent in public speaking. I see much potential in your ability to be an outstanding leader. But more importantly, I am grateful for the wonderful person you are becoming- responsible, loving, selfless, compassionate and thoughtful. Finally, all my GRATITUDE go to the ONE who gave you to me to love, nurture and chesish - our Lord God. Love, Mama

This is True Beauty

Here is my LO for Scrapperie's November/December Challenge # 4. The challenge is to crates a LO with the title, This is true Beauty. Of course, the first person that came to my mind was my daughter, Dannah.

Here is my LO:



Materials used: DCWV cardstock, lace, Hambly transparency, flowers by Prima and Petaloo, eyelets, brads, 3 BIAR Chitchat stickers, Fancy Pants stamps, Stazon ink, DMC thread, transparency, Colorbox Fluid Ink, metallic foil mesh, Uni-ball Signo pen (white)

Journaling: You are beautiful inside and out, in my eyes and in the eyes of others...Dannah, 2006

RAK Time Goodies

Today is the last day of my RAK Time - Take the Personality Test. I asked Issa to take pictures of the goodies that I'll be giving away. Thanks Issa for being the official photgrapher of my LO's, prizes, etc.

Here it is:

It pays to be on time

Lasting Impression had a Piggy Tales Challenge last September. The original deadline set for submission of entries was September 30. Being a good girl (hehe...), I uploaded my 2 entries to Lasting Impression's Gallery in time for the deadline. Unfortunately, only two made it to the deadline (Gaye and myself). Ms. Vivian announced several days after that the challenge was extended to give way to others who might still want to join. The rules were also modified. Originally, it was to use 2 patterned papers, at least tag or chipboard letter, at least 2 different shapes, the word fairy, tale, piggy or a line or phrase from a fairy tale or nursery rhyme in your title. Gaye and I, being the early birds followed those rules to the letter. For being good girls, both of us earned a special gift pack from Ms.Vivian which I claimed during the Grand Reopening of her store last Saturday (Nov. 17). Here is what I got:

My prize -Piggy Tales (Humpty Dumpty) papers and taglets. Thanks, Ms. Vivian!

Here is my first entry:



Materials used: Patterned papers- Piggy Tales Little Red Riding Hood Grandmother, The Basket, The Forest and Red Cape; Piggy Tales Taglets (circle and square); silk flowers (red and cream); brads, DCWV alpha stickers (Tale of the Lady in); diecut alphabet (RED), buttons, lace, DMC thread, glitter glue
Shapes used: circle and octagon

The journaling is hidden beneath the photos and it reads:

Once upon a time, there was a lady named Timi who hated the color red. Anything red she disliked – red clothes, red shoes, red bags, anything red! She vowed that she would never wear anything that was red. She found this color too loud for her personality, too glaring and too flashy. For a time, she was into browns and dark blues.
One day, when she was shopping for clothes, she noticed this red blouse, as if inviting her to try it on. She tried it on and it fitted her just right. To her surprise, it looked beautiful on her. With that red blouse on, her face glowed. It put the sweetest smile on her lips like never before. That was the first red blouse she bought and wore. From then on, whenever she shopped for clothes she would always consider red, a color she used to hate but learned to love. And now if you look at her closet you will find more of reds than any other color!

And my second entry:



Materials used: Patterned papers: Piggy Tales Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Broken Chair, Goldilocks, Great Big Bear); Piggy Tales taglets and pieces (circle, flower, tab); brad, ribbon, fiber, ricrac, button, DMC thread, DCWV alphabet stickers, glitter glue, metal charms (cat and boy); Shapes used: circle, rectangle and triangle (photo corners)

Journaling reads (hidden beneath the photos):

This tale is about a boy and his cat…
Once upon a time, there was a boy named James who didn’t have any responsibility at home. You just couldn’t depend on him to do any given household chores. All he did was play, play and play or watch television in between. He was a very studious boy, though.
One day, James found a lost kitten. It was very tiny, hungry and feeling cold. At that instant, he decided to give the tiny kitten a home to stay and gave him a name, too. He gave the kitten a royal name, Prinsipe. He patiently fed Prinsipe with milk until the time when it was ready for solid food. He always saw to it that Prinsipe was kept warm. He had a special basket lined with old clothes which became Prinsipe’s home for a while. Because of Prinsipe, he came to take responsibility and tried his best to learn some household chores especially those that concerned his favorite pet.

Think Green

Here is my entry to Scrapperie's Challenge #2 - Do a Monochromatic LO. Although green is not my number 1 favorite color, I used it in my LO. The LO is entitled THINK GREEN (not to mean "green-mindedness" but being a nature-lover.) Yes, I am a nature-lover though I don't talk about it often. I love nature and I hope I can help preserving it in my own little ways.

Here is my LO:



Details of my LO:



Materials used: Provo Craft patterned and plain paper, DCWV cardstock, Fabriano cardstock, brads, silk flowers, ribbons, DMC thread, fiber, DCWV letter stickers, Around the block charm, Uni-ball Signo pen
Journaling reads:
Though I do not talk about it often, I consider myself a nature lover. The place where this photo was taken doesn't fail to unleash the nature lover in me. I have been to this place several times and everything in here is just perfect if you want to commune with nature. This place gives me the opportunity to be one with nature and a time to reflect on the more important things in life. Nature brings me serenity and peace of mind and heart.

Renewed Passion

In the early part of this year, I was into a scrapbooking slump. I just stopped creating LO's and attending events related to scrapbooking. This happened when my husband came home for good. We have so much catching up to do since he was away for a very long time. We relocated to our new home and there were tons of work to do. Plus the fact that my husband was already complaining about the tons of scrapbooking stuff I have accumulated all these years. So I finally decided to just take a break from my craft. I don't know what came into me that time. I just felt my passion for scrapbooking was gone. But I was wrong because after my so called scrapbooking slump, I just woke one day up realizing that I should not be depriving myself with the thing I am most passionate about.

I created a LO about this phase in my journey to the world of scrapbooking. I originally entered the LO to Scrapwords Word of the Week Contest - PASSION. Luckily, it won.

Here are some photos of my LO:



I included a mini-album where photos of the LO's I have created after my passion's been renewed.

The cover of the mini album

For this LO, I used Provocraft patterned and plain papers and of course my favorite embellishment, whatelse but Prima flowers!

My journaling was handwritten for a personal touch. Here is my journaling:

Was there ever a time in your life when you felt your passion is dying down? I have experienced this several times in my life, at work (my passion for teaching), in my relationships (my passion to give my entire self), in my craft (my passion to create). Just recently, I was into this phase. I decided to stop donig the thing I am most passionate about, what else but SCRAPBOOKING? All of a sudden, I stopped creating LO's, attending scrapbook-related events, joining contests, buying scrapbook stuff, seeing my scrappin' friends. This lasted for almost three months (March to June 2007). I missed a lot of things - new supplies and trends. I missed a whole lot of people - the LB Scrapaholics and my scrappin' friends! I missed being published in E-zines and newsletters where I was supposed to write an article. I was totally left out. It was my coice, no one to blame but me. But one day in the month of June, I woke up telling myself that I can't live without scrapbooking. I was glad that phase was over. I began scrapping again, this time with a renewed passion to create and share my creations with the world as I started posting in international galleries and blogs. It's good to be back.

Just last week, I received my prize from Leslie Ackman, Scrapwords owner. She sent the prize to my cousin, Guada who was in California. Guada just went home from California after almost eight months last November 4. I got the prize last Thursday (November 15). Here is my prize, three sets Around the Block big metal brads:



I also entered this LO to Creative Scrap Shack's DTLOTD for September and it was chosen DTLOTD for September 26. Here's what Jenelle, DT of CSC has to say about my LO:

"What struck me the most about Timi's LO was her journaling. It's just so real and honest. TFS with us! Congrats your LO has been chosen as DTLOTD September 26th. Come over to the MB and see what the members are saying!"

Issa tagged me

Thanks Issa for tagging me! I'm passing this award to some superscrappers whom I know - Cookie, Marj, Maybs and Lee. Now pass it on to your the superstars in your life!

My "3 Bugs in a Rug" LO's - Part 2

As promised, here are three more 3 BIAR LO's that I created. These are also found in the Idea Gallery of 3 Bugs in a Rug.

The first one is entitled DREAM. For this LO I used their Spicy Collection:



Here's the next one entitled Princess. For this LO, I used their Coco Collection and followed the sketch for their June/July Contest.



The last one is entitled Once Upon a Time. I used their Blossom Collection:

Take the Personality Test for a Chance to win a RAK!

It's RAK time at my blog. This is open to all Philippine-based scrappers. All you have to do is take the personality test (it is in the description of the LO below), post your answer(letter of choice) at the comments section under this entry. See if your choice really matches your own personality. This will run starting today until November 23, 2007. I will put all the names of those who responded to the personality test in a "basket" and draw one winner. The announcement of the winner will be made the following day. The prize? Ribbons, fibers, buttons and flowers from my stash. Enjoy!!!

Most of the the time, my LO's are serious, with heartfelt journaling. I am capable of doing fun LO's, too. I'm sharing with you this fun LO I made. Here it is...



For this layout entitled TAKE THE PERSONALITY TEST, I used the following materials: Imagination Project, Gin-X (Who Wears Pink), Imagination Project Gin-X coasters (letters F,D and J painted green using water color),cardstock, DMC thread, Prima flowers, brads, K & Company tags to go, ribbons, colored staple wires, transparency, buttons and rickrack.

This LO is about the different personalities my two kids and I possess. I thought of using sort of a personality test to present our different personalities such that it becomes interactive or it involves the one who will look at this LO. So why not take this test yourself? All you have to do is to choose from F (FATIMA, that's me), D(DANNAH, my daughter) and J( JIGS, my son). Who knows your choice will be reflective of your own personality. Journaling is hidden beneath the photos and is written on tags. The journaling is an interpretation of your letter of your choice. Here goes:



If you choose the letter F, you are mostly like Fatima. You are passionate, artistically-inclined and tend to put your whole heart and mind to anything that tickles your fancy. You have simple dreams and seek happiness in life's simple pleasures. Sometimes, you tend to be out of focus. If you choose the letter D, you are mostly like Dannah. You are sweet, thoughtful, friendly and family-oriented. You tend to be too generous that sometimes you are taken advantage of. If you choose the letter J, you are mostly like Jigs. You are shy and have a tendency to be obsessive-compulsive as you like things to be in their proper place at all times. You are smart and popular with your friends. That's it.

SUPERNANAY

This LO is my entry for Scrapperie's 8-week November/December Monthly Challenge. Challenge # 1 is to make a LO about the SUPERHERO in your life.

Here is my LO:



Materials used: Basic Grey pp (Lucky), DCWV cardstock, buttons, flowers, glitter glue, Imagination Project coaster letters (super), Basic Grey letter, stickers, brads, vellum, stamp on transparency, metal photo corners, DMC thread, gold thread

Journaling reads: If there's one person whom I consider as my real-life SUPERHERO, it would be no other than my mother, ELNORA MANGAHIS OVEJERA, my SUPERNANAY. I owe her part of my existence, she who carried me for nine months in her womb, giving her bell's palsy, which she endured for many years.
She is my hero because all throughout my 37 years of existence, she never left my side. Up to this day, she's still a hands-on mom to me, doing things I should be doing, I myself being a mother. She is more of a mom to my kids - preparing their of every meal, taking care of some of their school needs from projects to costumes to uniforms.
She taught me many valuable life's lessons I never learned from school. Through her example, she taught me to be compassionate, to forgive and to love unconditionally. She also instilled in me the real essence of CHARITY and SELFLESSNESS.
I am sure that she is not only a SUPERHERO to me but to countless others - to my siblings, to TATAY, to my own kids, to her students, to her co-workers, to those to whom she offered her help and those whose lives she touched.

Cookie tagged me

Thanks Cookie for tagging me!

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'm a college professor for more than 14 years now.
2. i am maried to a former OFW for 12 years now.
3. i'm an LB Srapaholic
4. my favorite scrapbook embellishments are ribbons, fibers, flowers and buttons.
5. i used to hate the color red but i love it now.
6. i have two wonderful kids.
7. i love to write.

A - Age: just turned 37
B - Band Listening To Right Now: none
C - Career: College Professor at UPLB
D - Drink or Smoke: I don't drink nor smoke
E - Easiest Friends To Talk To: Issa and the rest of the LB Scrapaholics
G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: Gummy bears
H - Have a Boyfriend: I'm married
I - In love: with my craft and kids
J- Junk Food You Like: pringles
K- kids: Jigs (12) and Dannah (10)
L - Longest Ride Ever: Iloilo to Cuyo Palawan (15 hours by boat)
N - Names For Your Future Kids: Michaela Francesca
O - One Wish You Have Now: To be a DT of any scrapbook club/store
P - Phobias: blood
Q - Favorite Quote: dare to dream
R - Reasons To Smile: when I'm adding something to my collection of scrapbook goodies
S - Sleeping Hours: 11 pm - 6 am
T - Time You Woke Up: 6 am if my kids have school and 9 am on weekends
U - Unknown Fact About You: I was a cellphone addict
V - Vegetable You Hate: none, I can eat any veggies
W - Worst Habit: being late
X - X-rays You’ve Had: chest
Y - Yummy Foods: pesto (Cookie, that's my favorite) and anything with chocolate
Z - Zodiac Sign: Libra

I'm tagging April, Liza and Maybs.

My "3 Bugs in a Rug" LO's - Part 1

I love 3 Bugs in a Rug! Aside from the colorful papers they have, the big prints on their papers allowed me to try my hand at doing some cut-works which is one of my pet peeves. I have to admit, I'm not so good at it! My first international submission on an online gallery was in 3bugsinarug.com. This opened the door to more galleries/challenge blogs to which I submit my work to. Let me share my 3bugsinarug LOs. They are also found in the idea gallery of 3bugsinarug.com.

Here's the first one:



For this LO, I used their Tickled Pink collection. There's not much journaling so that means I stepped out of my comfort zone. You know the feeling that there's something lacking in your LO? I always feel that way when the LOs I create lack "my long heartfelt journaling" . Anyway, you can clearly see what makes me happy - FAMILY, SCRAPBOOKS, FRIENDS, TRAVELS and LOVE.

My second LO:

Again I used the Tickled Pink collection. This LO saw some "firsts" in my journey to the world of scrapbooking - my first LO using 3bugsinarug and my first time to do "extreme cutting job" because I cut all the floral desings on the paper and made a wreath out of them in my LO. The photo was taken last New Year's Day. We were all in red for the ocassion (not the first time though, done that thrice). It has been a family tradition basically because red looks good in my LOs and nothing more(LOL) . My husband Danny came home for good last December 27, 2006 from his stint in Saudi Arabia that is why the LO's title is REUNITED AT LAST!



Jounaling reads:

Jigs (11) and Dannah (9) are growing up so fast. In a few years time, both of them will be kids no more. This is the reason why after his 10-year stint in Saudi Arabia as an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker), Danny decided to be back home for good!

I know there's a lot of adjusting to do for the four of us since Jigs, Dannah and myself were apart from Danny most of the time since 1997 except for 1 ½ to 2 month- vacation he was entitled to every year. With the four of us together this time around, I'm sure we will be able to surpass the challenges that lie ahead. We've done it when we were apart, what more now when we are reunited at last!

This is third one:

This LO is one where I cut the circle and floral designs of their Rhapsody paper line. Again, I felt there's something lacking in my page. What else but my "long, hearetfelt journaling". The LO is about the three coffees in my life: Danny -my original coffee, James -my extra stong coffee and Dannah, my sweet coffee. The photos were taken two years ago in a coffee shop in Los Banos, the Bean Hub. We're not really fond of coffee and it was the first time for James and Dannah to try frappe. Unfortunately, they didn't like it as it was too strong for their taste. The LO's title is "MY COFFEE TRIO". Just like coffee, the three of them always keep me awake and gets me through the day... I should have written this somewhere in my LO. Maybe I'll try to add some more journaling on this page.



There are three more LO's to share. I'll be posting them some other time. Thanks for looking!

I am an Addict

Here is a LO that I intend to add in my Book of Me Album. It's about some addictions that I have. Positive addictions, I suppose.



Materials used: Doodlebug Designs pp, black, white and red cardstock, buttons, lace, ribbons, ricrac, eyelets, brads, metal embellishment, DMC thread, Uni-ball Signo pen in white.

Journaling reads:
I am an Addict I am an addict...addicted to my familly. They are the three most important persons I can't live without. They complete me!
I am an addict...addicted to taking photos as a way of capturing memories of the people dear to me as well as important life's events and everyday moments.
I can't live without it! I am an addict...addicted to scrapbooking, a hobby turned into a passion. It gives me a natural high, relaxes me after a hard day's work and makes me stay until the wee hours of the morning.
I am an addict...addicted to joining scrapbooking contests and challenges, on-the-spot and on-line. Who wouldn't be when you won a trip to Hongkong because of it?
I am an addict...addicted to the LB Scrapaholics. It's good to know that there are others who share the same addiction as yours

My Collection

Here is a LO showing my latest collection of ribbons, flowers, buttons and fibers. It is entitled My Collection. Here it is:



Materials used: K and Company Dollhouse Collection pp, DCWV cardstocks, ribbons, lace, fibers, buttons, Prima flowers, foam alphabet stickers, K and Company stickers to go, brads, Sakura Aqualip pen, sequins, bling, DMC floss (used to thread the buttons), swirl clear stamps by Autumn Leaves

Journaling reads:

I love collecting things - one of my favorite hobbies in this world. From stationereis and stickers to pencils when I was younger and sunflower items and beaded accessories when I was older,collecting anything that suits my fancy is here to stay. My current collection of RIBBONS, FIBERS, FLOWERS and BUTTONs which I love using in my scrapbook pages now top my list!

This LO was originally submitted to A Peek Into Yesterday "My Collection" Contest. Luckily, this LO won, my second one in an international on-line page layout contest. For my price, I got $25 gift certificate to be spent at their store and a chance for my winning LO to be featured in their homepage for a week.

I also uploaded this LO at Scrapbook Playgroud where it was chosen Layout of the Day last September 25, 2007. Lucky LO!!!

Incorporating Letters in your LOs

I love to write letters. I can write 16 pages or more in just one sitting. I have done that when my husband was still working overseas and the only form of communication we have was through letter-writing. But when the cellphone craze came, my letter-writing became less frequent. But just the same you can count on me as a far as letter-writing is concerned. I tried to incorporate letters in some of my LOs, just like in these two:



In this LO (which is my entry in Pinoyscrapbookers Kaya 2 Challenge), I wrote a letter to Dannah as she turned 10 years old. Here's my letter (hidden beneath the title, on tag):

Dearest Dannah,

How fast time flies! I can still remember the day you were born, 10 years ago. You were a very special baby girl being born prematurely (35 weeks). You stayed in the incubator for 12 days due to infection. Then there was this problem in your digestive system. Thank God you were not operated on. That would have given me so much pain.

Look at you today at 10...who would say that you had encountered those difficulties when you were still a baby? You grew up to be a smart, healthy, talented, generous and kind-hearted girl! Carry on with these traits. For sure these will help you achieve your goals in life. A reminder though, do not be too generous as you may be taken advantage of by not so good people around. I can see that you have a tendency to give everything you have even if it means nothing is left for you. A word of advice... keep a little something for yourself. It always pays when you do some things in moderation. It will bring me much pain when I see you get hurt.

Always remember that I love you so much. Big girl as you are today, I will always remember you as my sweet little baby, a survivor till the end.

Love, Mama

Here's another one (my entry in Lasting Impression's Scenic Route Challenge):



In this LO, the letter was not original. It was adapted from a song by one of my favorite local singers, Kuh Ledesma entitled For Isabella who is her daughter. My letter goes:

Jigs and Dannah,

I never felt so happy in my life now that I have the both of you by my side. I never want this feeling to end, this special moment I will cherish for a long time. And through the years I'll always be with you, MY INSPIRATION in everything I do. And when you smile it eases my mind, one look at you and everything will be alright. The two of you are the best thing that came into my life.

Mama -adapted from Kuh Ledesma's song, For Isabella

Original or not, what counts is the message that you want to convey...

Interpreting Sketches

I'm sure there are times when you run out of ideas when trying to do your layouts. And you find inspiration in sketches done by scrapbook artists. A friend gave me a copy of Page Maps she downloaded from the internet. It has been useful to me especially when I can't think of an original LO. Just recently, My Little Attic had a contest entitled Sketch and Scrap. Participants had to follow Valerie Salmon's (also a Filipina scrapper who is based in the US) sketch. Let me share with you two LO's I created for this contest plus of course Valerie's sketch.


1st LO - Not Just my Ordinary Girl. This is my daughter, Dannah. She's 10 years old.
Journaling reads:
From the day you were born, I already know that you are not just an ordinary baby girl. You were so tiny and weak, having been born prematurely at 35 weeks. But you fought and survived.

At a very young age you already understood why your Daddy has to be away from us to earn a living in a far away place like Saudi Arabia. That again proved that you are not just an ordinary girl.

You are not just an ordinary girl for so many reasons. You are generous, caring, determined and kind-hearted. Young as you are you have already shown your utmost concern to family members, schoolmates and friends or even to strangers.

And most importantly, you are not just an ordinary girl because YOU ARE MY GIRL.



2nd LO- IF I WERE A SCRAPBOOK. Can you see me wearing a scrapbook costume? The photo was taken last October 2006 during the Scrappin Club Halloween Party I attended. The LO was about my journey to the world of scrapbooking, the contests that participated in as well as workshops and scrapfests I attended, scrapbooking classes I taught, etc... In the other photo I was happily holding my winning LO in a scrapbooking event, Scrap for a Cause (for children with cancer). My LO won Third Place. Look at the metal embellishment (scissors). Isn't it cute? I loved it the first time I saw it.

Jounaling reads:

If I were a scrapbook I would...

... preserve wonderful memories of my scrapbooker and the persons important to her

...tell beautiful stories of the places she's been to and important life events as well as everyday moments

...inspire others and touch people's lives

...make a difference in the life of my scrapbooker as well as those who will flip through my pages

...be a legacy to my scrapbooker's future generations

...draw ooohhhs, aaahhhs and woooowws from those who will look at my pages

...evoke a myriad of emotionsBoth LO used Fancy Pants patterned papers.

Here's Valerie Salmon's sketch from where I based my two LO's. Maybe you can try it too, in case you run out of original ideas...

A LO on Letting Go

This LO is my entry in Working Moms'Page Layout Contest sometime in July. I decided to create a LO for my son, Jigs entitled Letting Go...Letting Love. As parents we are faced with the reality that when our kids grow up, they will have a life of their own. So this early, when our kids are stillin our care, we must learn to let go of the very little things that there may be like their first camping trip, first retreat or sleep over. This will surely help us accept the bigger letting go's to come Here's my layout...hope you like it.



my journaling revealed after the photo is lifted up



For this LO, I used the following materials: Chatterbox PPS, Fabriano cardstock, Gin-X Chipboard, Doodlebug Designs Party Mix Rub ons, ribbons and lace, metal flowers, rhinestones, silk flower, fibers and brads.

My journaling reads:

Late last year, my husband Danny decided to end his 10-year stint as an OFW in Saudi Arabia. Along with this decision came changes in some aspects of our family life. One of my concerns was what Jigs' reaction would be knowing that his Daddy's homecoming would mean that he could not sleep with me anymore. For the past 10 years, Jigs and I slept together except when his Daddy was home for his yearly vacations.

When Jigs was smaller I had to put him to sleep with his favorite lullabies but as he grew older, our nights were filled with conversations on anything and everything under the sun - his favorite Disney cartoons, toys that he wanted me to buy for him, his school escapades, places that he wished to go to... Some nights, it was play time like when he wanted me to name as many Pokemon characters that I knew. Some nights, it was serious talk. I still could recall a conversation we had two years ago. Our topic? Past life, a not so conventional topic to be shared by a mother to his then 10-year old son. I didn't know what came into me that night when I told him that probably we had a past life encounter. But young as he was, he seemed to be interested, he seemed to have understood.

It's been more than 5 months now since our "separation" and I'm still finding it hard to let go. There are times when I ask myself, "How is he coping with our "separation"? He seems to be okey with his Lola Baby as his new bedmate. Maybe he is quite adjusted already.

I know sooner or later, I have to let go as there are more letting go's to come between the two of us so it's better to resolve this one now. Yes, there are more letting go's to come like his first camp-out or retreat or his first out-of-town trip, the day he'll introduce his girlfriend or the day he'll go to college and be on his own, the day he'll get married and many more... These are realizations that every mother needs to face and the best way to deal with them is by letting go. Because letting go means letting love.

LO's for my Son

It was only recently that I made 12x12 LOs for my son Jigs. I finished his two scrapbooks (8 x 11.5) last year and I decided that his next album will be 12x12. It was only mid this year that 12x12 papers and albums became popular in the Philippines. Most of the supplies still come from the US except for some local suppliers. I'd like to share two of the LOs I made for him.




I used Cherry Arte patterned papers for this LO which is my entry in Scrapbytes' monthly Challenge (Man of the Hour). Journaling on a tag is hidden beneath the photo. I rarely use black and white for my LOs but I tried it for this one.

Journaling reads:

Sometimes I ask myself why you are too shy to express yourself. Is it a trait you inherited from your Daddy? Until now, I never get tired of saying, "I love you, my baby boy!" to you which you of course disagree of being a Big Boy at 12. I don't know what prevents you from expressing your emotions especially when I ask you if you love your Mama. More often than not, this question remains unanswered. But in one of our before-going-to-bed conversations two years ago you responded in different manner. When I asked you if you love your Mama, you did not answer at once but kept silent for a while and later uttered "ITLOG, ITLOG!". What in the world is "ITLOG, ITLOG!", I asked. You answered me with a question, "What is the shape of an egg?". Oh, I see, you do love me. "ITLOG, ITLOG!" is "OO". It is the YES I have long been waiting for. That night, my heart shouted for joy. At last, you were able to express yourself in a funny but creative way. I believe deep in your heart, it's true.June 21, 2007 (ITLOG is EGG in Filipino)


For this LO, I used 3 Bugs in a RUG paper. I sew the buttons on my page. I love buttons. I have a collection of buttons contained in clear bottles. My button collection inspires me. My journaling is again hidden beneath the photo. It tells of the bond I share with him, that even if he grows up to be a man, he'll always be my boy...This LO was also accepted to appear in 3BIAR Idea Gallery.

My Secret Belief

I have a secret belief and I created a LO about it. This is my entry to All About Eve Challenge #9.

Materials used: Basic Grey (Infuse) and Daisy D's patterned papers, Bazzill cardstock (green andbrown), felt letters (SECRET), DCWV alphabet stickers (my and belief), tag, library pocket, ribbons and fiber, K and Company tags-to-go, lace, bling, flowers by Petaloo, button, metal embellishment (flower grommets and brad), twill (measuring tape), glitter glue, DMC thread, Uniball Signo pen (white) and Bic Skater pen (black).

Journaling reads: (on tag inside the library pocket):

At 37, I should have already known the purpose of my existence, what I want from life and what I can possibly give to life. I have been a CATHOLIC all my life, being baptized in a Catholic Churh and educated in Catholic schools. At this point in time, having been exposed to a wide range of ideas on spirituality, I have been considering attending lecture sessions and seminars by Brahma Kumaris or even by renowned psychic, Jaime T. Licauco. It's not that I am shunning away from my Catolic faith but these days I have been fascinated by the teachings of Buddhism- karma, past life, reincarnation, soulmate, meditation. These are the areas that I really like to explore and not many people know about this...

Here is my LO:

My Word of the Week (PLAY) Entry for Scrapwords

(This LO won in Scrap Words Word of the Week Contest (sometime in July 2007), my first ever win in an online page layout competition)

Here's entry for Scrapwords Word of the Week (PLAY) Contest entitled Take Time to Play. The photos I used in my layout were taken in April 2005 (summertime in the Philippines). I love these photos. The first time I learned about the Word Contest and its theme PLAY, these photos came to my mind. I love seeing my two kids, Jigs and Dannah play like this. Since they have different interests, they seldom play with each other as they have their own circle of playmates. So when I saw them enjoying the water, I grabbed my camera and took these shots.

For my layout, I used four patterned papers from K and Company and Imagination Project. I also used ribbons, Prima flowers, K and Company tags to go, brads, alphabet stickers (for my title), photo turns, button. I handwrote my journaling using Sakura Aqualip pen for a personal touch. I did some stitching using DMC thread.

I hope you will like this LO. Your comments are very much welcome.


Journaling reads: Jigs and Dannah, I love seeing you like this. So when you weren't looking, I took these photos of you enjoying the water, beating the summer heat...PLAYING with one another like you never did before. April 2005

The LO that Started It All

I'm not really fond of computers but since I wanted to share with you the scrapbook pages I have been doing for the past 4 years (actually 7 years but it was only in the year 2003 when I got hooked with this craft), I'll give blogging a try. I'm still learning the ropes, edit here, edit there but I know one day this will be easy for me. Let me share with you my first LO using acid free materials entitled Walk with Me . It was my Challenge entry (on-the-spot competition) in the first ever SCRAPFEST in MANILA (Philippines) held last May 2006. Before that, I was not concious of the supplies I used in my pages. Luckily, this LO landed Second Place. I used Chatterbox papers, ribbons, alphabet stickers (DCWV) for my title, and foam shapes from one of the suppliers. The one in the photo is my daughter Dannah.


Journaling reads:
Walk with me my darling daughter Dannah and I'll take you to places you have never been to. Together let us dream. Let me teach you the value of life's simple pleasures. I'd like you to find happiness in them. These are the very things that will make you happy time and again especiallyt during rough times. We may not be able to achieve the grandest of things in this lifetime but if we value simple things, that alone can make us the richest people in terms of experience. I love you