Hurray ~ "Giant duck" layout is being featured!

I woke up early this morning and saw the notifications showing a few inbox message sitting on my Gmail account.

Since the Gmail inbox is only used for receiving messages related to my blog so I guess something should have been happened about my posts.

Oh yes, it's about my recent participation in the My Creative Sketches June sketch challenge.... My "Giant duck" layout is being featured!

Hurry! It is absolutely a great recognition of my work. Thank you very much for picking my artwork.

It has been almost an year since my last layout being featured by MCS. I love playing along with MCS which gives me a monthly brainstorm of scrapbooking ideas. 

I have been participating in their monthly contest since July 2012 but unfortunately missed 2 months in April and May due to my super busy schedule.

I hope I will continue with this and try my very best to get more layouts done, and add in more new elements.

Thank you again - Happy scrapbooking and crafting!

Giant Duck

It has been 2 months for not participating in the MY CREATIVE SKETCHES' MONTHLY CONTEST due to house-move, holiday and business trips. Once everything was settled down last month, I urge myself to create a layout and get it done fore the deadline on 14th July.

This is the MCS June/July sketch which is actually quite familiar.... 

The theme of this layout is Giant Duck - For those who are in Hong Kong, we have been desperate for visiting this 32-meter tall duck which has been sitting on the Victoria harbour for a month. The duck is an art piece created by a Dutch artist 

I took my girls to take a closer look at the giant duck on its last day in Hong Kong, i.e. 9th June.

To create a background highlighting sea waves, I applied some LIGHT MOLDING PASTE over a STENCIL of wave pattern. I sprayed a thin layer of Shimmer blue colour mist over the mold. 

I cut out the Giant duck from the photo, and outlined it.

I created two CHIPBOARD frames for two pictures of my lovely daughters

On the top left hand corner, I made the SUN by cutting out a small circle from an embossed swirl pattern paper, I added a few small pieces of ribbon. And yes it was a sunny day when we went to visit the duck.

There is a big circle on the background of the layout, I cut a circle out using Martha Stewart circle cutter, I hand-wrote some notes on it.

I added a die-cut chipboard of Sizzix bigz die - Picture wheel

Last month I went for an holiday in Los Angeles and I found this pair of cutie yellow duck buttons from JoAnn Store, which are very suitable for this layout.

I stamped some rainbow arrows over the background using the ARROW ROLLING STAMP.... I actually tried to stamp it neatly on the page, however it failed. So I just rolling back and forth and created this messy stamping pattern, which is quite good for the layout

This layout turns out nicely and gives some feeling of mixed media. Thanks for MCS for their sketch idea!

The kissing sisters

This is supposed to be a last-minute submission for the March/April contest of My Creative Sketches. However, I was extremely busy on the day and finally missed the submission deadline. At the time I could do the upload, it is closed!

It's okay, and am still pleased to share what I've done on this LO.

This month's sketch is quite simple to follow, but, that's make it difficult for me to brainstorm what exactly I should do. Behind the scene, I've really tried different series of paper stock and couldn't find one that I'm really happy with.

Until one day, I saw a picture drawn by my 4.5 years old daughter, which has a rainbow on it, I thought that I should prepare a rainbow background myself, instead of using a pattern paper.

Therefore I used a stencil and inked some distressed ink over the background, layer by layer and the rainbow pattern appeared - and I got inky fingers too!

The picture I've chosen to feature on this layout is my most favourite shot of this month. I, just on my own, took my two babies one day during Easter, to Stanley in Hong Kong and spent 2-hours at the seafront. The girls were so lovely chit-chating with each others, looking at dogs, etc and they were very cooperative in posing for my photos.

They kisses and I captured the sweetest moment! How sweet is it?

The decorations on the layout were from everything, such as fabric roses, layered flowers but I dye them with colour spray; as well as some tiny accessories (i.e. the little birdies) I bought from a Japanese zakka store in Hong Kong; as well as the punches butterflies.

I really like the final layout and I am very happy with the background particularly - which was made ALL BY MYSELF!

Happy Scrapbooking!

Irene

3rd project in a week ~ Many Many Bubbles

Further to the recent kids photography class that Daddy attended, he took many lovely pictures of Anson, which has stimulated my ideas on scrapbooking layout design.

And, it's the first-ever that I've made 3 layouts in the same week.

I've use different paper series, mix and match, I've sprayed some Lime colour over the background, as I thought it was too pink. Behind the pictures I added a few punched pattern paper to decorate.

All of my pictures were printed from a digital compact photo printer, which is excellent for scrapbooking as you can print whatever picture(s) for your crafting project, sized from 2R to 4R and in different layout. Fyi, my current one is running out of paper soon and it's hard to buy the photo papers as the manufacturer has stopped producing the printer. I've therefore switched to Canon Selphy CP-900, which can print pictures sent via Wi-Fi, e.g. from your mobile phone. I will try it soon and hopefully it's good.

Last week I bought a new set of SIZZIX DIE die from HK MEMORY CHEST, it cut out a group of lovely birdies. I dyed them with watercolour and they look great.

I have been thinking for a while about what phrase I should put on this layout, as I want to tell about Anson was blowing bubbles and want to thank Daddy for taking these gorgeous pictures. Finally I've themed it as "Many Many Bubbles".

 

I bough a printable masking tape machine and tapes from Tokyo earlier this year, I used that to quote, " Daddy's 1st shots..."

I am very pleased with this layout overall!

Mini Art Journal ~ Suzi Blu

Back in August, I browsed on Grace Wong's blog, , I fell in love with her recent project – A mini Art Journal. In particular, I love the girl on the cover. 

 

After some research, I found the girl was designed by a well-known designer, SUZI BLU, and I immediately ordered 2 clear stamps from a UK online store and got them shipped to my colleague in the London office and then on my hands last month.

However I’ve not made anything with those stamps yet but have been waiting for the class conducted by Grace Wong, at HK Memory Chest and finally it happened on this Tuesday 25^th Sept – Part I.

(Photo Courtesy by HK Memory Chest)

Nearly all faces of the classmates are familiar, there are all of our design.  

(Photo Courtesy by HK Memory Chest)

I was surprised to see that there were lots of techniques involved for making this little art journal. Now I know why Grace decided to split the class into part I (covers) & II (inner pages).

(Photo Courtesy by HK Memory Chest.Thanks for taking this photo.)

I learned a lot from that and especially I love learning about how to dye paper, and colour the doll with Tim Holtz distress Ink markers! Yeah!!

I love this soooooo much and I look forward to the 2^nd part of the class!

ENJOY OUR EVERYDAY!!!!

Handmade Recipe books for 2 Super Moms

There are two super moms in my office – Little C9 Fi Fi 及 MamaCafe Christina,who are both very talented in cooking and bakery.

Both of their bakes are pretty and yummy and I'm really lucky always for having the priority to taste their new innovation including, tarts, cupcakes, mooncakes, bread, macarons. As a token of thanks, I decided to make them a RECIPE BOOK / COOKBOOK.

Actually, I've simply turned over a notebook into RECIPE BOOK / COOKBOOK by adding some decorations.

Hand-stamped with PENNYBLACK's Baking Mimi stamp

My handmade, hand-cut paper apron

I've added their names on the aprons as well as the book. The printed masking tape was made by a small electronic masking tape printer that I bought from Tokyo earlier this year... which is a very amazing product!

Making these are really not difficult at all, but I'm quite sure that it should be useful for them to save their recipe in the book for future easy reference.

I hope you two will love them.

Handmade album for Wong's Family, from Wong's Family

Back to 10 years ago, I joined the Choir of the Catholic Cathedral in Hong Kong, I met the Wong's family, their members include Catherine, Jimmy, and their two daughters.

The Wong's family is definitely a great model, the parents are gently, loves and care their children; the children loves and care their parents and behave in a perfect manner.

Particularly, their little girl, Adaline, who is a very confident and independent girl, even when she was just 3 years old when I met her. I love her so much since then and have invited her to be my flower girl on our big day. Few years ago, I was delighted to be invited to be her godmother.

My elder daughter Anson was born in 2008 and I let her baptised when she was 5 months old, on Christmas day.

Without any serious thought I invited Catherine to be Anson's godmother, as I am sure that she is the ideal person to give spiritual and religious supports to my kids, not only we live very close to each other. She has also become Hannah's godmother since she was baptised 3 months ago.

Wong's family has been given us lots of supports and helps throughout the years, I just got no idea how to give my thanks in a proper way.

Until recently I have addicted to Scrapbooking and I've decided to make an album, adding many pictures of us, send that as a gift to our dearest godmother, Catherine, and her lovely family.

All made with love, I hope they love it too. May God bless this lovely family forever and ever!

Really...my layout was featured?

Remember about 10 days ago, I posted my first ever 12x12 scrapbooking layout here, themed my two lovely daughters, Anson & Hannah.

I made that layout corresponding to the July contest of My Creative Sketches. Not just for the chance to win the prize, but to share my first piece of layout with other artists from around the world.

Finally, the result was announced ....I really can't believe my eyes that my layout was featured - http://mycreativesketches.blogspot.hk/2012/08/we-have-winner.html!!!!

I feel so proud and excited!!!!

I injured my neck yesterday and got serious pain till now. I read the result last night when I was on bed, I then struggled to stand up and show to my husband about the result. He was also shocked that my layout was featured : )

Thanks again everyone and My Creative Sketches for this big recognition and appreciation. I will definitely make scrapbooking becoming one of the important things in my life and will work harder to get more better projects done.

Vintage expandable photo box

While I was in the Mixed Media Canvas class at HK MEMORY CHEST (HKMC) few weeks ago, I saw a very nicely wrapped photo box and Erika told me there will be a workshop making that on 7th August.

I registered myself for the class immediately, and the same tutor Grace Wong will be teaching

Later on I found that my friend Stephanie has also enrolled herself to the same class... Wow, can't wait for that!

Finally... it's the day!

By making this photo box, we also learn some technique on book-binding. So I had to pay extra attention :P

The inner pockets of the photo was actually made of a few brown envelopes, cut in halves and made them as a accordion style, i.e. expandable. The material of the brown envelopes is durable so it's perfect for storing photos and for long-term use.

The paper stock that was being used at the class was beautiful. Recently I fell in love with butterflies, my classmates are very nice to have reserved me a piece of butterfly pattern paper.

We also used the "Gear" die-cut from TIM HOLTZ. The gears are the major decoration of the photo box, so we spent quite some time to colour each of them, by ink, crackle paint, embossing powder, etc.

Grace taught us through the steps of binding and wrapping, I found it is actually quite difficult to bind and wrap perfectly without wrinkles and bubbles. However we still made it!

I think it's very pretty and I am loving it!

I know there will be another photo box making class on next Tuesday 14th August, further info is available at the website of HKMC's WEBSITE  or call +852 25590175 (Hong Kong)