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: