Gift

Gift shows my son. It took me a while to get pregnant. And when I finally did, I went through a difficult pregnancy. My husband and I were so happy that we named our son, Gonzalo which means "saved from battle." His nickname, Galo, is also short for "regalo" or gift. There are times however, that I forget that things can happen for such a precious gift to be lost. Good thing that God really meant this gift to be ours.

For this LO, I printed Galo's photo in B&W on a 81/2" x 11" transparency and stuck that to the 12x12 journaling paper. Hence, the designs of the journaling paper showed through the transparency and created very interesting designs, as if rubons were placed at random!

Journal reads: Mother’s Day, 2007. I almost lost you that day! You cried that morning because daddy left without you and you wanted to ride your kart beside him. After a few minutes, you stopped crying. I left you alone, thinking you’re all right. You followed me upstairs after 5 minutes. When daddy returned home, he saw your kart outside the open gate! Apparently, you brought your kart out with the intention of following daddy! I cried that morning, in both fear and gratitude. I cried in fear because I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if something happened to you. And I cried in gratitude to the guardian angel who stopped you that day. That miracle is the best gift I’ve ever received on Mother’s Day.

Materials: Plain chipboard for backing, Creative Imaginations Narratives Journaling Panels by Karen Russell, Transparency of photo in B&W, Creative Imaginations Narratives Chipboard Alphas, mm Attachments Sky photo turns & brads, Bo Bunny bella Journee lace, Kotex Thread silver, Fancy Pants Dapper Rub-Ons, Autumn Leaves Epiphany Rub-On Flourishes, Rhonna Farrer Keyword Rub-Ons, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Merlot, Tsukineko Walnut Ink. Font used: Mistral 12pts. Adhesives: UHU Bastel Kleber, 3M Spray Mount.

Techniques used: Using 12x12 journaling sheet (with 6 journal-design) as background paper; Printing a B&W photo on transparency to go on top of journaling paper; Inking sides of LO with walnut ink, then with glimmer mist spray; Painting alphas with glimmer mist spray; Hand blade cutting on background paper to insert photo; Sewing sides for interest; Using rub-ons on alphas & transparency.

The Scent of Violets

The Scent of Violets features one of remaining photos of my great-grandmother, Lola Bachang. I never met her, yet I'd like to think that since I knew her daughter, I might know a little of her too.

Journal: When I smell violets, I imagine you. I only know of you because of your daughter, my grandmother, Lola Chiching.
I imagine you to be strong because my lola was strong. I wonder how you survived the Spanish-Filipino War, being half-Spanish and half-Filipino. Oh, the tales you could tell, if your photograph could speak!

I imagine you to be a great beauty because my lola was beautiful. I wonder how you must have turned down many admirers, and I wonder too about your own love story.

I imagine you to be very interesting to talk to because my lola was easy to talk to. I wonder what your childhood was like. Did you have brothers and sisters?

I imagine you to be intelligent because my lola was intelligent. She remembers details in history like it just happened yesterday. I imagine you to be like that too. I'm sure you can tell me many things about your parents, as well as grandparents!

I imagine you to smell like violents because it reminds me of the old world, of the life of nobility and gentility, of a life beyond mine, ---just like the scent I find in my lola's wooden closet. That scent and this photograph are all I have of you.

Materials: chipboard for backing, Bo Bunny Marakesh, BG Periphery Bordeaux, IOD Coquette Collection Vanity, Anna Griffin violets AG030, tracing paper, Maya Road Fresh Scrolls chipboard, Heidi Swapp SHe Raw alpha, Thickers Alpha, Autumn leaves Frech Twist RubOns, mm Colors eggplant, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Merlot, Carolina's lace & ribbon, Carolina's sequinned flowers, Fancy Pants French Market RubOns, VersaCraft 15 Pine, Colorbox Chalk warm violet, Uniball Signo white pen. Adhesives: Ms. Elizabeth's double-sided roller tape, UHU Bastel Kleber, UBL double-sided mounting tape, Glue Dots vellum.

Techniques used: Spraying of Glimmer Mist, doodling, inking lace and leaves with chalk and stamp ink, painting, hand-cutting pps + free-hand cutting of leaves, layering, gluing patterned paper over the chipboard scroll for emphasis.

Sisters Act

Sisters Act is based on a photo of myself at 3 years old, Pie at 2 and Honey at 1. Because we were all closely spaced together, we grew up helping my mom in her chores.

Journal reads: Acting as a sister means hard work. At ages 3, 2 and 1, we helped mommy take care of us. We knew how to push baby carriages, then later, grocery carts. This act prepared us to be there for each other for life.

Materials: Heidi Swapp carefree Sky School Stripe, Fancy Pants About a Boy Expression, Daisy d’s Capri, Hot Off the Press Chocolate Flowers, Creative Imaginations Marah Johnson brads, MME Tres Jolie Mademoiselle Sisters die cut, Crate Paper Crateboard Wildflower alphas, Cherry Arte Chipboard corner,mm Noteworthy Spiral notebook paper, Rhonna Farrer Keywords Rub-Ons, Carolina’s lace and mini-ricrac cord, Tsukineko Walnut Ink, Colorbox Chalk Chestnut Roan, Brilliance Moonlight White, Whispers Dual Tip Brush Markers Vintage colors, Leeho Glitter Powder, mm Specialty Glaze, Sakura Gelly Roll pen. Adhesives: UHU Bastel Kleber, Tombow Mono Aqua, Ms. Elizabeth’s double-sided tape roller. Stamps used: Prima Build-a-Frame II, Fancy Pants From the Garden, Stampin’ Up En Francais.

Techniques used: stamping - background words with 2 inks (for dimension), alphas + glazing, hand blade cutting to “lift” scrolls from background paper & insert the photo, free-hand cutting of leaves (no templates), doodling, mounting with foam adhesives, using glitter for emphasis, handwritten journal, inking sides of leaves, journal, alphas with stamp ink, inking sides of LO, die-cut with walnut ink for aged-look (* Inking with walnut ink erases part of the brown, stamped words to reveal the white stamped words.)

Food for the Soul

Food for the Soul talks about my life-long love for the piano. I am no concert pianist and never aspired to be one. When I was growing up, I danced, sang, played the piano and drew. Dancing ballet was my childhood dream. Hence, playing the piano took a backseat, despite very early progress in this field. Also, I wanted to play music I liked. I didn't like to practice. I just liked to play music. Even until now, every once in a while, I sit down on the bench and play to my heart's content.

Journal reads: Each time I play the piano, it feels like I've come home. I am transported into a world of my creation. I feel the joy, the pain, the passion for life. It is food for my soul.

Materials: 12x12 scrap chipboard (from packaging), white Bazzill cs, transparency, QuickStripz Manhattan, Barbara Trombley's Vintage Glass Glitter 610 Onyx fine, Rhonna Farrer Phrase RubOns, BG Wholly Cow RubOns, Luxe There's the Rub, Chip Chatter Alpha Essentials, Prima flowers, Hot Off the Press chocolate brad pack, Karen Foster Nickel Heirloom, mm black ink. Adhesives: All About Scrapbooking rubber foam sheets. Stamp: Fancy Pants From the Garden. Diecut: Quickutz Sophisticate. Adhesives: Ms Elizabeth's double-sided roller tape, Polar Bear Photo Memory Mounting Tape, UHU Bastel Kleber, UBL foam adhesive, Tombow Mono Aqua, 3M Spray Mount.

Techniques used: no background paper except for chipboard, using transparency of the negative of my favorite sheet music for background and the positive of the sheet music to make the paper for the flowers, raising piano keys with foam sheets to show dimension of piano keys, pasting of cut hands to appear like the fingers are on top of the raised keys, stamping, using vintage glass, handwritten journal, hand blade cutting to shape grand piano pocket for journal, handmade flower and swirls.

MMM'09 Entries- What Matters Most in Kindergarten

This is a photo of the original LO I sent to MMM'09. The main photograph is me in kindergarten, right before I performed in the title role of a school play. I was about 5 years old then. I also included a small photograph of the current me. I had fun making the flower of the hidden journal because I used glitter to make a mosaic of the big flower.

Journal reads: In Kindergarten, I learned many things about myself. I learned how to make friends. I learned I was good at art, music and dance. I learned I thought differently from others. I could empathize with and feel what others feel. I saw what others didn't. I became self-aware. I became an individual unique in every way. I became an artist, always strugling to know herself through her work.

Materials: Bo Bunny Paris Garland, Bazzill cs brown, DCWV cs old rose, Colorbox Caribbean, ProvoCraft Eco Africa Plant Paper & Wire Frame, Diasyd's Cardstock Diecuts Remember Journalling Tags, StazOn timber brown, Prima Postage Stamp Alphas, BG Sultry RubOns, mm Springtime brads, misc. ribbons & lace, Elit Tracing Paper, Doodlebug Sugar Coating Glitter, Tsukineko Walnut Ink. Stamp: See-d's Majestic Flight Stamp. Adhesives: UHU Bastel Kleber, Glue Dots vellum, UBL foam tape, Tombow Mono aqua.

Techniques used: stamping, handpaper tearing, precision blade cutting, distressingt, inking with walnut ink, sewing lace on 2 layers of ribbons, glitter mosaic.

Done

Since May, I've been busy not just preparing for the opening of classes, but I've also been contemplating on whether or not to join the Memory Makers Masters 2009 Contest. On my own, I've already had doubts on my abilities to even qualify. Why would I when there are extremely great Filipino scrappers in PinoyScrapbookers and in Scrapbooks-Exchange? Sometime in April, Joanne Yap, one of our recognized scrapping motivators, egged me to give it a try. She said that my style, which I acknowledge now to be vintage, is different. And according to her, being different might just help give my LOs some notice by the judges.

I admit, as a certified scrapaholic who just loves the idea of prizes and scrapbook freebies, the idea is extremely enticing. Plus, it didn't seem too hard when I read the rules: 1 actual original LO + 4 copies of different original LOs. Then I got stumped. What should I make? What should I do? I sat on these thoughts for about a month before I finally decided to just go with what I felt.

I came up with the requisite 5 LOs for submission: 1 original, 4 colored copies. Of course, since this was the first time I joined any major contest, I was always second-guessing myself. Truth is, I made 2 extra originals and I reworked 2 as well. Didn't realize it was going to be that difficult.

What made it very hard to choose which ones to submit is the fact that there were practically no rules--- no number of photos, no required papers, no sketch to follow. So basically, they want to see one's style. Also, after making an initial 5 and sharing it with a couple of friends, I realized that opinions really differ. What dawned on me is that although all of my work basically reflects my style, I also saw which ribbons, alphas, basic LO design I almost always use. Not that that's bad. It's just that things can be redundant.

Of course, even if I told myself that I should be done by the end of June so I can just mail it in July, I made last-minute changes, last-minute LOs, last-minute photo releases, last-minute supply lists and last-minute Fuji-YKL 12x12 photo copies. Hence, I mailed the final 5 only last Saturday, July 26. Deadline is July 31 postmark. Of course, it came out expensive. I wanted to insure them, but all 5 LOs (that is 1 actual and 4 photo copies) already costs P1102 for mailing that would take approximately 7-10 days. Also, the colored photo copies that were done in 12x12 (actually 12x18 that was just cut) each cost P81. I had to make my own box and line it up inside with an envelope with bubble wrap. When I paid for that, I realized that just applying is really costly. Some pay a huge amount in FEDEX that go into the thousands for mailing. And still, there is no guarantee that these will be accepted. I suppose that is why they only ask for 1 actual LO which will not be returned. Everything else are just colored copies. Once accepted, I suppose, MMM will ask for the originals.

The mailing cost is certainly an issue. When I mailed the WWII Love Letters original LO, it already cost me P611 (including the bubble wrap envelope inside) for regular mail. And yet, there was no guarantee that it will be accepted. It made me realize that applying for publishing is costly and is not really affordable by everyone, all because of mailing costs. Otherwise, there should be a deluge of applications from this little country called the Philippines in all magazines. Bottom line, you have to have some money to even just apply for publication.

Of course, it would really be nice to be one of those who win in the MMM'09. I do understand that with the hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants all over the world, there is very little to no chance of that. I've accepted that fact. Judges will vary in their opinions as to what constitutes a great LO and what is just mediocre. And, as Nita Ang reminded me, scrapbooking should be done to please one's self, not others. That is so true.

Now if they can just hurry up in the judging so I can post my LOs in my blog, that would be enough.