Studio Azul's June GDT!

I'm so honored to be asked by Tin Yao of Studio Azul to be the June GDT! I got this June Kit package that was soooo YUMMY, I had to start on it as soon as I had time.

Please check out the GDT feature here and the LOs here. Watch out for the project. It'll be out soon.

Something's a-brewing!

I've been busy working on several LOs and a project. I'm done with the 2 LOs, and finally finished the basics of the project. It just needs embellishment. Watch out for this last one because I'm extremely proud of the work I was able to do.

Oh, and I'm in the middle of several things too. Will update with recent news soon.

My ADS Tutorial is out!

I just found out that my tutorial is finally out. I made a tutorial for the mailboxes shown above. If you'd like to see how it's done, please head on to this site.

I'm so glad that the DTs did get to make their own version since everyone came up with such overwhelmingly GORGEOUS takes! Do check out their versions by scrolling down here. I swear, their takes really show the abundance of talent in the group. I'm hoping that others, esp. fellow Filipino scrappers, do take the chance and apply for DTs. Actually, I'm toying with reapplying but I'm just not sure if I have the time yet. I still have the next few days to think about it and to come up with a project to submit.

Sneak Peek: My Artz de Scrap June Tutorial

Yup, I've been given the task of making the June Tutorial for Artz de Scrap. It's quite an honor, considering that this is the last month I'll be DT for the site. I was told to make a tutorial of anything that would be easy enough to follow. If it is too difficult, not too many people would attempt to make their own version. I'm hoping Artz de Scrap afficionados will try it out.

Here's a sneak peek of the project.
I purposedly made sure that the tutorial, to be revealed soon in the Artz de Scrap site, is easy to follow. I had made photos of every step and had to cut down on it so that it wouldn't be overwhelming. I ended up doing 2 of the same project, since Galo, my son, wanted one himself!

Artz de Scrap Altered Envelopes

This time, we were challenged to alter envelopes. I used 2 different sized envelopes which I altered using stamps, stamp inks and different colored UTEE.

After opening the envelope at the seams and hand-tearing its edges, I rubbed ink all over, with tattered rose in the middle and black at the edges. Then I used 2 stamps, a Fancy Pants From the Garden flower vine stamp and a Prima Dreamer ledger stamp. By repeating the pattern, it started to look more and more like a hankie. I embossed the flower stamp in black and rose quartz. Then I rubbed Versamark, then sprinkled black and silver UTEE and embossed them in place. This gave the envelope-wrapper lots of texture.

The smaller envelope was made into a picture frame using similar techniques but different colors. I wrapped the picture frame with the bigger peach envelope and tied it with a ribbon. I loved playing with embossing powder and UTEE so much, I can hardly believe myself that the envelopes are not made of cloth! Really fun to do. This really means that I should get more UTEE to play with!

Do check out the Artz de Scrap blog here for more inspiration from the talented DTs and RDs.

Materials: 2 different sized white envelopes (smaller one should fit inside the bigger one), Versamark, StazOn black, Color Box mini peacock, Distress Ink weathered wood, tattered rose and black soot, PA Embossing Powder black, Ranger Antiquities Embossing Powder Rose Quartz, Whispers Embossing Powder blue, UTEE black, clear and platinum, Simple Joys mocha ribbon.

Techniques: stamping, hand-tearing, smudging stamp ink, embossing.

Artz de Scrap Sneak Peak

Here's a sneak peak of one of the projects in Artz de Scrap. I played with different colors of UTEE, stamps and ink to make this. I am now a certified UTEE addict!

Mother's Day Card

I know, I know. I forgot to upload my Mother's Day Card. I am not a card maker really. Hence, when we recently had a scrapping session with friends here, a friend of ours, Alby, challenged us to make one. It gave me an excuse to make a card for my mom for the first time in what, 20-30 years?!!! Of course, the effort was well worth it because my mom was very surprised to find out that it was handmade by me.

I decided to use a number of stamps for both the card and the envelope. I wanted to use one of my "virgin" stamps, a BG Grow-a-Garden clear stamps of branches. By combining it with the leaves of the Stampin' Up Wild Rose, plus the En Francaise script, I was able to make a scene that turned out very feminine especially with the colors I used.

Materials: misc. card + envelope, miscellaneous paper flowers & leaves, Ancient Page Plum Wine, Color Box Moss Green, StazOn Olive Green, StazOn Brown. Stamps used: BG Grow-a-Garden, Stampin' Up Wild Rose, Stampin' Up En Francaise.

Techniques Used: Stamping, blending, dry embossing.

Artz de Scrap Altered Birdhouse

These are the photos of my Artz de Scrap Birdhouse, inspired by Bree Tetz's tutorial. Hope you'd all try making one because it really is fun!

Sneak Peak Artz de Scrap Altered Birdhouse

I've always wanted to alter this birdhouse decor someone gave me last Christmas. It's not that the wooden birdhouse is ugly. It's just too brightly colored in yellow and green so I decided to make it look more vintage. Co-DT Bree's tutorial for Artz de Scrap gave me the perfect opportunity to finally get it done.

Since I'm currently into making eggs, I decided to make empty quail egg shells as part of the decor, with a chipboard bird in front of the birdhouse. To make the egg shells sparkle, I glued clear glitter all over the egg. A chipboard bird and branch, plus real branches complete the look.

Do check out Bree's tutorial in the Artz de Scrap blog here, as well as the other DT's take, including mine. I hope many will get challenged to make their own birdhouse as a decorative accent in the home.

Later, I'll reveal all the close-up photos of the birdhouse.

Materials: Basis Grey Aged&Confused Phresh&Phunky Phlordilee, Basic Grey Wassail French Hens, Daisy d's Moda, Maya Road chipboards, sunflower, branch and bird, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Deep Plum, Carolina's flowers and leaves, Carolina's lace, mm Scrapbook Colors chocolate, Gelly Gems, Leeho clear glitter, miscellaneous bleached branches, quail egg shells, black felt for bottom of base.

Techniques: Painting; masking bird and branch chipboard on the birdhouse walls; adhering sunflower chipboard around the hole as a frame; punching holes on the sunflower chipboard petals; using glitter on quail eggs; using bleached branches to make a nest for the eggs.

Artz de Scrap Clear Mini-album "Party Girls"

For May, Artz de Scrap asked its DTs to come up with clear mini-albums using the acetates given to us. The acetates were shaped in brackets so I decided to accentuate the shape with layers of red, brown and white StazOn ink all around. Aside from the photos, pps and flowers, I used a lot of rub-ons.

I decided to use the PS-SE Madhatter's Costume Party for the album. This is so apt since I used the Confetti "Party Girls" Clear Tag as a title. I managed to cut the tag into the bracket shape to conform to the side of the album.

I also cut 2 pieces of the album shape of the Hambly Screen Print. I wanted to have a cover to the album without using any of the acetate in order to protect the photos and pages inside.
Materials: Artz de Scrap Kit: misc. acetate sheets in bracket design, Cratepaper Blue Collection Sky, DejaViews Teal, Bohemia "Love of My Life" 12" Acrylic Borders, Hambly Screen Print "Squiggle," Confetti "Party Girls" Clear Tag, Fashion Angels Bracelet beads; mm Sky brads,mm Springtime brads, DCWV matchmakers mini-brads, Creative Imaginations Allison Connors metal flower brads, Carolina's various ribbons, Hot Off the Press Chocolate Flowers, StazOn (olive green, red, brown, white). Stamp used: Stampin' Up's En Francais. Techniques used: stamping, inking edges of acetate in several layers of colors, masking using flower on acetate, layering, beading, cutting acrylic borders and tags into shape.

Post-Easter Altered Eggs

I recently altered some real egg shells. I wanted to make my own Faberge' Eggs ever since I've seen one on tv when I was a child. By taking out the yolk and albumin, and using only the complete egg shell, I made my own egg art. Friends who saw these eggs, all of them scrappers, have been encouraging me to send them to a magazine for publishing. (Because I'm going to submit it for publication, I can't have the photos up yet. My apologies!) A few have asked me to make a demonstration as well. I'm hoping that the eggs do get accepted for publishing because they really are too pretty not to be shared. If possible, I'd like to write a "How To..." article even. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Artz de Scrap Happy Easter Banner

I've had these wonderful Grungeboard alphas which I haven't even used once! When the time came for us to come up with a banner, I just had to use the alphas. I used both the original and the textured stripe. To color it, I rubbed 3 different colored Colorbox stamp pads in Peacock, Peony and Moss Green, then stamped Inque Boutique See-D's Savoir Faire majestic Flight scroll with StazOn Black.

I cut egg-shapes out of tracing paper, rubbed Glimmer Mist Merlot at the sides using a cottonball. This gave the paper eggs more definition, making them look more 3-D. I also stamped the same scroll using Ancient Page Plum Wine stamp ink this time. to give the paper eggs some character. I also sprinkled clear glitter on it to give it some sparkle. After adhering the alphas, I punched 2 sides of each egg paper and attached mm Sky eyelets. To connect each egg, I used miscellaneous cloth flowers in purple and blue found in Kamuning. Each flower is attached to a wire which made it perfect as a decorative accent and as a connector to each paper egg. Pebbles ribbons in purple and light blue complete the look

To see the wonderful creations of the other DT and RD members of Artz de Scrap, please visit this site here.

Materials: Tim Holtz' Idea-ology Grungeboard Alphas (plain & stripe), Elit Tracing Paper, Tatttered Angels Glimmer Mist Merlot, StazOn Black, Ancient Page Plum Wine, mm Sky eyelets, Leeho glitter, Pebbles striped ribbons in purple and light blue, miscellaneous cloth flowers with wires. Stamp used: Inque Boutique See-D's Savoir Faire Majestic Flight scroll.

Techniques: Stamping, rubbing edges with Glimmer Mist, rubbing alphas with stamp ink, spreading glitter across stamped images.

Artz de Scrap Teaser

Here's a teaser for my Artz de Scrap tutorial take. Do head on to the Artz de Scrap blog http://artzdescrap.blogspot.com/. It will come out soon.

Bored Waiting, ScrapJam LO & RAK

ScrapJam immediately followed our return trip from HK (literally the night before!) so I barely had time to have photos made and get ready for scrapping. Of course, I thought I was pretty well-equipped for the event, only to find out I didn't bring my cutting mat, my blade, photo tape, sander, Maya scrolls, flowers, ribbons, etc. I had to borrow from my scrap buddies just to make it through!

Hence, when judging for the LO came, I didn't expect to win, nor even place as a runner-up at all! With great scrappers, Lee, Bjay and Donna, in my table blowing our minds with their skills, plus the talents of Cabbie, Mia, Nita, Au, Alby, Jeanie, Gracie, and so many others present, I just didn't have a chance. Still, I just went for my target of making 1 finished LO given everything stacked against me.

We were required to use the 3 papers given to us, plus Thickers bought on the spot, and also to use any stamp. Good thing, I had my Studio Azul Kit with me so I was able to use the boy stamp and the tag provided therein. The tag was great as a hidden journal, and fortunately, Scrapbooks-Hawaii sold ribbons of the exact color as the papers I got!

I decided to put the 3 papers one on top of the other, making some kind of stairs. I made the kraft paper as the first base, with the brown, then the red pp on top. In order to fit the 12x12 size, I had to recut these papers so that the total will still fit my albums. I also hand-tore some of the edges.

Journal: April 3, 2009. Hongkong International Airport. You were hungry, thirsty, tired & bored, waiting for our return trip to Manila. You're a real trooper.

Techniques used: Stamping, layering of papers, hand-tearing and rolling of edges for distressing, folding of papers and photos plus sanding to make white lines across everything, crackle painting the undressed Thickers in 2 colors, rubbing 2 Glimmer Mists on the edges of the kraft paper (without shaking the bottles to lessen the glimmer part), handwritten journal.

Materials used: Basic Grey pps, SR pp, misc. kraft paper, Thickers Shoebox, Prima Accents Cavalier Collection Brads, Studio Azul Kit tag, mm Love 2 ribbons, 7 Gypsies Gaffer Tape, Ranger Distress Crackle Paints (Tattered Rose, Shabby Shutters, Aged Mahogany, Brushed Pewter), StazOn Black & White Stamp Inks. Stamps used: Studio Azul Kit Boy & Girl Stamp, Prima My Rose Ledger & Postage Stamps.

Here's the RAK I luckily won! Thanks, Marisa of Scrapbooks-Hawaii, Yoyin and the ScrapJam Team! Love the RAK!

Artz de Scrap Altered Notebook

Remember those angel telephone directories we used to make in the Philippines eons ago? Well, it so happened, Artz de Scrap asked us to alter notebooks for this month's project. Unfortunately, I was out of the country and didn't have a notebook to alter with me. I ended up using 5 HK Disneyland coupon booklets instead which I've attached together.

After folding each page, I painted the edges with blue acrylic, then used glitter glue to draw stars on them. I placed a photo of my son inside a glass christmas ball, stuck a popsicle stick inside and inserted it on top of the coupon booklet body. To top it, I placed a Mickey Mouse Magician's Hat. Just something to remember our recent trip. Also, it was a good excuse for me to fold all those pages while waiting for our flight!

To see and be inspired by the wonderful altered notebook creations of the Artz de Scrap Team, please visit this site: http://artzdescrap.blogspot.com/