My little cutie - Entry for MCS July contest

Finally, right before the submission deadline, I finished this layout for the July sketch contest.

The typhoon signal No. 8 was hoisted in Hong Kong yesterday and most of us gained a half-day holiday. Therefore I spared a couple of hours to work on this layout.

I picked a photo of my 2-year-old daughter, Hannah, when she was making a funny face during a lunch recently.

She's indeed my little monster and little cutie, a very active, naughty but smart girl.

This is a relatively simple and quick layout and I hand-cut our some flowers from various scrap pattern paper and match them with some fabric flowers and Prima flowers.

I punched a few butterflies using the MS Butterfly punch;

then used the left over paper pieces as "stencils" and spray over on the background.

Therefore you can see the shaded butterflies on the background of this layout.

Thanks for visiting!

Irene

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

Love my School Life ~ October Contest

This month I've been extremely busy. Not only busy at work, but also on many different projects, e.g. wedding card, wedding gift, farewell album and cards, etc. However I don't want to lose the momentum to participate in the October sketch contest organised by My Creative Sketches and here is my last-minute entry!

October's Sketch...by Kim Keane

This is my 4th LO for MCK monthly contest and I simply enjoy the participation and learning from other participants.... of course, for a chance to win or being featured!

I've been thinking of doing a "School" related layout for Anson. Anson loves everything at her school and she enjoys her school life so far. She has been expecting to return to school after the 2-month Summer vacation since 1st July. Finally she was back to school on 1st September.... Wow! Look at her face and you can see her dream did come true : )





Seeing the October sketch contest, I've decided to do. However I've been struggling how to get relevant materials.

Thanks Pinterest for letting me have the opportunity to download some school-related printables. I printed them by a laser printer and the quality is superb! 

I simply cut them and punched them in scallops.

At the same time, when I shopped at HK Memory Chest in Hong Kong last week, I saw there were good source of "back-to-school" related papers and adhesive; I bought a set of embellishments, which I can use them on this layout! 
*Product used ~ Little Yellow Bicycle Back to school Collection!

There is an envelopes, inserted with 5 cards where you can write something on. I've done an interview with Anson and she told me the top 5 "likes" at School. I wrote them down for her and I wish she will be amazed by what she said when she grows up.







































As for the background, I used light molding paste plus an "alphabet" stencils to add a bit of texture.



























 

I love this layout overall and surely it is a great memory how Anson is enjoying her school life.

Thanks very much.

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!!!!

August layout ~ 1.2.3. Smile

Being a new comer to scrapbooking, the quickest to get a great layout idea is referring to sketches.

Since my first layout was featured by My Creative Sketches July Contest, I'm encouraged to submit another layout for their August contest.

Again, not just for getting the prize but to motivate myself to do more nice layout!

1.2.3. SMILE.....!

This time I used a picture of my elder daughter, Anson, the picture was taken last year when I was still on maternity leave. She just woke up from bed, sucking with her thumb, but smiled to my camera.  I immediately pressed the shutter from the opposite direction, that's why the picture is up-side down, however, very adorable!

What a coincide! the concept match perfectly with my new, small, acrylic stamp set - Camera & the word "Smile"; I ordered this as well as various crafting tools from Joann.com earlier this month as my lovely colleague was visiting her brother in the States, she is so kind to help me to bring them back. 

I followed the Sketch of MCS' August contest, which comprises of 3 square-shaped in the background. However I did not put 3 paper square but creates those squares with different elements and textures.

One square was simply a paper square, I put it right behind the photo; 

the 2nd square on the top right hand corner was actually made of light molding paste, I applied the paste with the bricks stencils, so it gave an effect of 3D bricks background; 

the 3rd square was made of layers of lowers which I hand-cut from a nice pattern paper and it became a "Sea of Flower".   

I bought some nice decorating embellishments from Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, where many crafting materials are being sold; I used a few pieces of sunflowers on this layout, as well as the wooden piece of die and leaves

This is from the 2 pieces stamp set - Camera & "Smile"

I love this so far and particularly I like the orange colour tone on this layout. 

Wish me luck for being the winner of the contest and thanks again My Creative Sketches to give me such a great idea to continue my momentum on doing scrapbooking. I think it's time now for me to work on another projects, SEE YOU!!

http://www.joann.com/

My first Mixed Media Canvas

I can't believe that I could really make this!

I'm never an Art person, and I always feel my drawing or painting is really bad; I always feel tired in creativity or imagination.

While I am a typical Virgo, i.e. a perfectionist, may be that's why I'm not happy with my works so far, I think they are not good.

Recommended by my new friend Stephanie, I went to a scrapbooking workshop based here - HK Memory Chest, which is not very far from my office.

Erika knew that was my first visit and was really nice to introduce me their products, works, kit club as well as classes.

I saw a very pretty canvas displaying there; Erika told me that is a sample of Mixed Media Canvas and she told me that there is a class to be held in that evening... WOW... so tempting!

(Photo Courtesy by Grace Wong, the tutor)

I had been thinking and thinking and 5 minutes later I made decision to enroll in the class and asked Erika to sign me up for the class; and I had been so excited and went directly after work.

Tutor of the Canvas Mixed Media class is Grace Wong, a very experienced scrapbooking, and also a mother.

Grace talked us through the steps and introduced various materials and how to use them. But she said the layout and design of the canva had to be created by ourselves.... "OMG!!"

(Photo Courtesy by Grace Wong, the tutor)

Grace also asked us to create the image by "free-hand", i.e. try not to sketch... oh wow... !!! How???

I spent about 1 minute to think about the design and I knew that I must draw a rainbow as my daughter, Anson, loves it...

Oh. why don't I draw or cut "happy birds" as they can represent our family.... YEAH!!!

Thanks for one of the classmates to have printed some clip arts for our reference, so I could easily cut out a "bird" shapes!!

(Photo Courtesy by Grace Wong, the tutor)

We have been trying different types of media, such as rub-on, acrylic paint, patterned papers, stickers, stamps, stencils, etc and finally I've done mine in about 1-2 hours.

Hurray I could really make it!!!

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Here is the blog of Christy Tomlinson, the expert in doing Canvas Mixed Media, our tutor Grace Wong was also inspired by her