New Prima/Couture Give-away!

Prima/Couture Give-away!

Included in the Prima/Couture Give-Away is:

• One full pack of Red Carpet Glimmer Cardstock Collection
• Say It In Pearls Centers-brown/pink 530716
• Pearl Panache Pink Flowers-538460
• Cancan Large Flowers-539467
• Andorra Pink Butterfly and Flower-538040
• SIIP Swirl Purple-530570
• SIIP Swirl Cream-530617
• SIIP Centers Assorted 530891
• Felt DeVines 537029

To check out the rules behind the give-away, go to http://prima.typepad.com/

Prima Product Pick of March is here!

Aren't these gorgeous?! Leaves and flowers, all from Prima, are now to be given away for March! Only Prima can make such luscious and realistic leaves with such great detail. Many companies concentrate on flowers, but I've always felt that it's the leaves that make the flowers come out really well. I have to have leaves everywhere because as far as I'm concerned, without the leaves, flowers just aren't complete.

Now, when Prima makes flowers, it is always beyond comparison. No other company makes flowers as well as Prima. Need I say more? I'm Prima's no.1 fan, no doubt about that.

Prima's Big Secret!

Prima is about to reveal something big! They have this mysterious purple curtain that opens to reveal something. To see what's behind the curtain, go to http://prima.typepad.com/ I wonder what gorgeous products will come out of Prima this time!

Prima Beauties!

Look at all of these gorgeous Prima baubles!!! Prima is one of two sites I am totally addicted to (the other being Tim Holtz' website). I can't resist salivating over their gorgeous flowers, laces, papers, swirls, and now canvas aprons, camera totes and more! Until I got hooked on Prima, I didn't even realize that I'm a hopeless romantic, albiet a vintage one. Even when I'm quite busy, I still need to take a short peek.

Just now, I saw that Prima is inviting everyone to post their new products on their respective blogs. Of course, because of my weakness for all things Prima, I just have to give a go at it. It's definitely a long shot with so many Prima admirers, but what do I have to lose? I think I have everything to gain. If I don't win, well...I'll just have to wait until my fav LSS gets me these baubles. It may cost me, but not having these baubles will cost my soul more.

Earring Carousel Tutorial

I'd like to invite everyone to try making a carousel using my tutorial. It is currently posted in the Artz de Scrap website. Do visit the site to see what the Design Team (Felicia, Cabbi, Cathy, Kim and Emily) came up with as well for inspiration. A few months ago, friends were asking me how I did a carousel with ceramic horses. The tutorial is for an earring carousel, but the carousel can be modified and horses can also be used.

Title: Earring Carousel
Materials:
- illustration board or any stiff board (approx. 30cm x 60 cm or 1ft x 2ft)
- 7 pcs. disposable bamboo chopsticks (or barbecue sticks)
- empty ribbon spool with hole in the middle (piece of styrofoam with a hole in the middle)
- old cd (to be used to stiffen and add weight to the base)
- patterned papers
- ribbons/laces
- cord/ crochet thread for sewing, plus a hairpin instead of a needle
- glue
- hanging earrings (those with a hook attachments only)
- optional: metal trimmings used for fancy jewelry

1. Cut a big circle with a diameter of 20 cm. using the stiff board. Cover with pp. Make a 1/8 pie cut.. Cut a small circle with a diameter of 11 cm. Cover with pp. Cut another small circle of 11 cm or smaller. The latter is a back-up circle to be used to stiffen the base if needed. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel1.jpg)2. Punch holes along the left side of the big circle. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel2.jpg). Move the punched side towards the right side by at least 1''.3. Trace the holes made, then punch them as well. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel3.jpg) 4.Sew the two edges together. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel4.jpg)
5. Trace finished cone on another stiff board and cut. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel5.jpg)
6. Cover with patterned paper then punch a hole on the the traced circle. Push the chopstick through the hole. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel6.jpg)
7. Put glue on the sides of the circle on the stick, then stick this to the edge of the cone.. This will look like an umbrella cone. Push the stick through the previously cut circle with hole at the other end of the stick. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel7.jpg)8. Insert the open end of the stick through the empty ribbon spool. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel8.jpg) This is the framework of the carousel. Set aside.9. Measure 6 panels of 4cm width x 13 cm height on a stiff board. Add 1.5 cm to the height on top and at the bottom. Add another 1.5 on the width of the panel to serve as overlapping flap for gluing.. Cut and score all lines. Cover other side with patterned paper. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel9.jpg)10. Cut the edges to make triangles. Also punch 2 or 4 holes on each of the 6 panels. These is where the earrings will hang. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel10.jpg)
11. Fold the scored lines inward. This will make a hexagonal shape. Glue remaining flap behind one of the panels. For a more finished look, the patterned paper can be longer than the 6 panels and flap. When gluing, this extension goes on top of one of the panels. Punch holes where the previous holes are. Fold the triangles inside. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel11.jpg)12. Tape opposite triangles together. Do this to the bottom as well. This will hold the hexagonal shape together. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel12.jpg)13. Punch a hole where the tapes meet on both ends using the pointed end of the scissors. Take out the stick from the cone and circle base, then insert through the taped top and bottom. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel13.jpg)
14. Insert top end through the cone and bottom end through the bottom circle. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel14a.jpeg) Then stick the remaining end of the stick into the empty ribbon spool. DO NOT GLUE onto the ribbon spool. Make the whole carousel stand on a flat surface. The ribbon spool acts as a stand and as pivoting point. You can now turn the carousel. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel14b.jpg) NOTE: If the bottom circle on stop of the ribbon spool is not stiff enough, you can glue an old cd underneath or another cardboard circle with a hole in the middle to make the bottom thicker and stiff.

15. Cut 6 pieces of bamboo chopsticks into 13 cm lengths. Wrap with ribbon/-s. Glue ends to prevent unravelling. Optional decorative metal can be attached at the ends of the sticks for interest. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel15a.jpg) Glue top and bottom ends of the sticks to the carousel near the corners of the hexagonal prism. (See photo ADS Earring Carousel15b.jpg)16. Embellish the carousel, then hang the earrings through the holes. You're done!
(See photo ADS Earring Carousel Done1.jpg)NOTE: Ceramic horses with holes for carousels can also be used on the bamboo sticks.
(See photo ADS Earring Carousel Done2.jpg)IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT GLUE the stick through the empty ribbon spool as this will prevent the carousel from turning.

Do tell me if you've tried it. I'm sure there's a little girl in all of us that wants one. This is a perfect gift for a girl who has everything.

Sneak Peek Artz de Scrap November Tutorial

Here is goes, ladies! I'm sponsoring the November Tutorial this month of November. I think just with the sneak peak, you'd be able to guess what it is. I've been asked before to make a tutorial of this one. I tweaked it a little but I hope you'd try it out. Do wait for the reveal in the Artz de Scrap blog here. This would be a perfect gift for Christmas! Do check it out and I challenge all creative ladies to give it a try!

ADS Postcards of Thanks

For our next challenge, we were tasked to use postcards for an album for Thanksgiving. I decided to get postcards of famous Philippine sites. I decided that I need to travel the Philippines more than any other country.

I used Maya Road chipboard coasters for Transportation (airplane, car and truck). I traced these shapes and pasted them onto the postcards. I painted the edges with white acrylic paint, stamped Prima My Baubles text on top of it, then used mm tiny alphas to label each site. I also embellished each page with K&Co postal stamp stickers. Finally, I covered each page with mm Travel Clear acetates and trimmed off the excess.

I hope that this mini-album will be a reminder to give thanks for what we have in this country and that I still have several places to visit in my list. Do visit the Artz de Scrap site for the other team members' takes here. Also, do take a look into the Sneak Peak for the November Tutorial there.

ADS TicTacToe Revised!

A new Artz de Scrap Challenge is to make a TicTacToe. Instead of the typical game of 3x3 box grid, I made mine 4x4x4 by adding a 3rd dimension. Hence, this game is a very challenging one.
To make the boards, I used the plastic containers of the SeeD's stamps. I used 4 of the covers and I stamped a Prima My Rose window stamp 4 times using StazOn white to make a 4x4 grid. I decorated each side of the grid with AC black rubons, then colored the sides with cranberry alcohol inks. To make the TicTacToe grid stand, I used magnets underneath the bottom of the 4th cover. On top of the cover, I used magnetic sticks (Magnetic Stix & Balls) which I colored with black alcohol ink. On top of the magnetic sticks on each of the 4 corners, I placed another SeeD's plastic cover. Again, magnetic sticks and a cover were placed one on top of the other until a 4th cover is in place. This is the playing board.On one of the bottom covers of the SeeD's Stamps, I collected several Rhonna Farrer buttons. These would be the playing pieces. Because the game itself is already complicated because of the 4 layers, I decided not to decorate the buttons to avoid further confusion. In truth, I am not a button person when it comes to scrapping and I've had these buttons for so long, I decided this game is the best way to use them instead.
In general, the game is played with 2 players, playing TicTacToe. To win, you can make 4 in a row, in a column, or in a diagonal either on one level or in multiple levels. This makes this quite challenging. Also, it is possible to also have a 3rd player using different colored buttons.

Do check out the our Artz de Scrap Team's takes here.

LOST Contacts!

Has this ever happened to you? Lost your blog links with just an inadvertent press of a button? Well, this happened to me at least thrice already. And each time, it's a pain to re-establish it. So friends, please send me your blog links. I'd like to visit your site too.

Artz de Scrap Altered Tin Can + Rubber pads

For this month's challenge, we were asked to alter tin cans. I chose to use the Van Houten Chocolate Almond tin can because of its unique shape. I made it into a small purse!

To cover the tin, I got a few of my extra See D's rubber padding for stamps. I don't know about you but I just have SOOOOO many of them and they're occupying too much space in my craft area. Anyway, the half-size rubber pads were perfect for covering almost half of the tin, so I was able to use 2 1/2 pads. I did a free-cut design of a spider's web, intending to make the bag more like one Elvira would use in Halloween. Since the pads were naturally black, the design was perfect just as is!

I adhered these rubber pieces one-by-one on the outer tin using a quick-drying epoxy glue. Then I sewed Prima velvet leaves into a flower, added some silver beads for accent as well as for a handle, and got myself a bag! The bag came out pretty well, no one would ever think its just a chocolate tin can.

To check out the Artz de Scrap Teams' work, visit the website here.

Metal Embossing, anyone?

I found this book at 40% off at the National Bookstore Sale in MegaMall last week. Since then, I've been obsessing on the art of metal embossing.

I haven't tried doing this yet, although I've dabbled in paper embossing. I was so intrigued by the idea of manipulating sheets of metal to decorate practically anything! I am so partial to silver and pewter in decor because I feel it lends to an atmosphere of vintage, elegant lifestyle. After going through the first few pages of the book, I said to myself, "I can do this!"

Yesterday, I was able to purchase beginning tools and materials on-line. I am one step closer to playing with this artform. I am so excited, my brain is working overtime in planning projects involving metal embossing!

Cloud's Silver Lining in Scor-It

If you're read my Scrappin' Moms Idol3 post, I said I was very disappointed with how I tackled the Idol Finals Challenge (scroll down for the reasons behind it). Still, I was happy with the LO I was able to make in that grueling 4 hours.

This same LO entitled "(If I Were a Boy) We Wouldn't Be 5 Girls" (a mouthful!) is going to be displayed in the Scor-It website and newsletter at http://www.scorit.com/ next week! Tim Hammonds loved the idea of using the Mini Scor-It board to scor horizontal and diagonal lines on both the cardstock and the main photo! In fact, he asked me to do a Project of the Month for December and I've accepted! WOW! WOW! WOW! Just shows, every cloud does have a silver lining!

I decided to get the Mini Scor-It because I wanted something that was small enough to bring around if I wanted to use it on crop-meets. Truth is, I wasn't disappointed at all! It was a no-brainer to use and it really looked very sturdy. I'm just beginning to realize the many possibilities this tool can actually do.

What are you waiting for, ladies? Get your own Scor-It now!

Artz de Scrap Altered Lantern

The latest challenge at Artz de Scrap is to alter a lantern. I bought this copper candle lantern a year ago and I thought that with a little alteration, it could be used to showcase photos of my son. I took off the colored glass from their arched panes from the inside and inserted the photos. I also used Perfect Pearls Aged Patina (blue) on the lantern to match the flowers and lace. This is a perfect way to reuse lanterns and make them part of the living room decor.

To see the other DT's lanterns, do visit the Artz de Scrap website here.

Scrappin' Moms Idol Finals LO

Here's my take on the Finals of the Scrappin' Moms Idol3 last Saturday, Aug.29. The challenge itself was quite difficult, with 5 required patterned papers, 2 required cloths, required pins, clear buttons and flowers. There were also several items included in the challenge packet like card stock, etc. The theme was based on a song by Beyonce called "If I Were a Boy."

I'm quite proud of what I was able to make for the challenge. We were given 4 hours to make the LO and by the 2nd hour, I was starting to hate my LO. It's because it turned out quite dull. I didn't think I could pull it off and make it presentable. I decided that instead of giving up, I'll see it through. Wonder of wonders, it came out pretty well, something very "me."

Unfortunately, I didn't make top 3. That honor goes to my dear friends Lee, Diane and last but not the least, Bjay, who won as the Scrappin' Moms Idol this year. I actually was 4th in the top 10. And as soon as I got eliminated in the top 3, I knew why--- I didn't follow the rules.

The rules were not really listed down. It was just mentioned to us a few minutes before we started. Since there were many rules and materials to take note of, I actually forgot that one of the rules is that a big percentage of the score is based on the amount of patterned papers used. That meant we had to use quite a lot of it on the LO. My mistake is that I used the accompanying grey cardstock in the kit, not required in the challenge, as my base and used the pps for matting the photos, instead of them being center stage. I completely forgot that patterned paper percentage rule.

The patterned papers themselves were really very difficult to use. There was a light yellow, a golden yellow, a black & white, a purple and a seagreen patterned paper. Together, they didn't really blend quite well. The LO became really a very big challenge when it was coupled with the black & white patterned cloth and the black gabardine cloth (Yup, the one used for men's tailored pants!). I think I pulled off the papers and cloth well in the LO. But since I used the grey card stock inside the kit, I basically sealed my doom.

I didn't know it at the time I was working on the LO. In fact, I was quite happy to have the new Mini-Scor It to play with. I scored my main photo, making it appear to have raised bumps and scratches all around, and I scored one side of the grey card stock with uneven parallel lines as well as diagonal lines. When I sprayed 2 colors of Glimmer Mist, then rubbed walnut ink all around the LO, and later added white crackle paint, the scoring on the card stock popped out. I was so proud of that! I really thought during the first 2 hours that I wouldn't be able to pull it off but with a little perseverance, it paid off!

Finishing in the top 5 however, was a big thing. Last year, I couldn't even finish the LO properly because I got cold feet in making the Christmas LO given patterned papers. I really don't know but I think I might be patterned paper-challenged. Namimili ako ng papel! I often would use card stock instead of patterned papers in most of my LOs. My thinking is that, I can do more with card stock than with patterned papers. And since the Finals was about the patterned papers, I just couldn't make myself use them well.

Still, after the Scrapfest ended, I couldn't help but kick myself mentally on the butt. I could have used the golden yellow paper as the basic paper instead of the card stock, just painted grey or white on the side I wanted to score and the LO just might have been good enough to reach top 3. I really could have. But when I look back, I actually said to myself, "But I'm not a yellow type of person!" Hence, it wasn't automatic for me to use the yellow patterned paper. In fact, in the few times I did use yellow, I would use a patterned paper that looked like an artist's canvas that had splotches of paint for texture, not patterns of flowers or scrolls even.

That's when I realized, maybe I really am not meant for the Idol thing. I'm picky with my papers. I pick my papers to suit my personality. Although I didn't win, in the end, I realized that the only person to whom I'm answerable to is myself. As an artist, I owe myself only that, never mind the world. I did this for myself. That's why I'm happy with the LO I made. It is worthy of going into my albums.

To the Finalists of Scrappin' Moms Idol3, congratulations! Making that LO was really extremely difficult to do and we all deserve a pat on the back for even completing it. To Diane and Lee, you proved your mettle in the challenge and I deeply feel you deserve the accolades. And to Idol Bjay, you have always been one of my idols and I'm really happy your immense talents are now recognized. I am truly honored to be a friend and a co-scrapper. Bow ako sa iyo, Idol Bjay!

Title: If I were a boy, we wouldn't be 5 Girls.

Photos show the latest photo of us 5 Bonoan Girls, plus individual photos.
Journal: As the eldest, had I been a boy, we wouldn't be 5 girls. In the end, my parents got their wish. We are all strong-willed and independent --- like boys. And, we can be just as dirty.

Techniques used: Using Mini-Scor It on the photo and on the left side of the card stock; using crackle paint for texture and to highlight the scored side; rubbing walnut ink on the sides of the LO; hand-tearing the sides of the LO and inserting the patterned cloth on some torn sides; stamping on the clear buttons; spraying Suede (brown) and Dew Drop (bluish silver) Glimmer Mist on the sides of the LO for highlights; masking lace using Deep Plum Glimmer Mist; distressing edges of the photo matting using a blade cutter.

Scrappin' Moms Idol3 Challenge4-6

I confess. I haven't been good at updating my blog in the last month or so. I've been busy with the Idol and with schoolwork, I've neglected posting my projects in Scrappin'Moms Idol 3. So, I'm just going to lump them all together here.Challenge 4's theme was Let's Play. We were supposed to play with the papers, as well as use any combination of teal, orange, and yellow. Since the colors were not eye-catching enough, I added maroon to it. I literally played with the papers by cutting the papers and arranging them in a fan-fold to make it appear more than they really are. I also made a paper flower as the main embellishment. Photos I used were of me playing with the paper.
Challenge 5's theme was a Mini-album based on a favorite book. I chose mine to be Berenstain Bears, a favorite children's series that my son and I read almost every night. I basically used chipboards to cut them into shapes and layered them to make the album appear like a scene. We were required to use at least 2 ATCs and these had to be incorporated into the album. I used 2 to make one vegetable and one flower patch, 2 ATCs to make the garage doors, and 1 stamped with text about Imagination. Each of the photos I used were based on one of the series titles of the Berenstain Bears. Hence, I also placed the titles of the book on each photograph (Too Much Junk Food, In the Dark, The Trouble with Pets, Too Much Vacation). I guess, I just had too much fun making the shaped album!Challenge 6 was the Disney Princess theme. I couldn't relate to the theme because I've never seen myself as a princess. Although I grew up in a relatively well-off family, we were never spoiled nor taught to take money for granted. I guess because my dad worked hard to make his fortune. Hence, I centered the LO on my being Reluctant as a princess. Over the years, my friends would jibe me, saying, "May pera si Papa!" It meant, I could spend much if I wanted to. They didn't know that my father is very careful with his money, because he was a banker, an investment banker at that. I guess that rubbed off on me as well. I tried my best to be as simple as possible, learning to take public transportation rides (often incurring the ire of the dad quite a lot!), dressing down, buying wisely, by getting cheaper versions of the "in" things. I sort of felt guilty having much, esp. when I see others struggle with money just for the basic necessities in life. I became detached from money and I learned to live my life as simple as I could. In the end, I realized that money isn't everything. I'd rather be who I want to be, than someone's idea of a spoiled little rich girl.
For this LO, I played with the Ranger Melting Pot. I dipped the flowers in melted beeswax, then into Barbara Trombley's Vintage Glass Glitter (Diamond), before attaching them into the LO. It made the flowers look sugary in appearance. I also did emboss resist, hence the stamped lace design on the bottom. I also painted white all over, then poured melted beeswax and sprinkled Beadazzles and vintage glass. I also tore the paper several times to reveal the Prima Journals I attached from the back.

All in all, I was proud of what I was able to finish in the Scrappin' Moms Idol3 Challenges. I won the 1st Week's Pick of the Week on Paper Piecing. I think I've also matured in my style from last year. I now know what I want and who I am in my LOs.