In My Secret Garden (and Webster's Pages)

I am so in love with Webster's Pages! The first time I saw such papers was sometime in Oct.-Nov. when I first saw them on-line in Lasting Impressions. I knew I just had to have those lovely papers so I bought them immediately. Since then, I regularly visited the Webster's Pages site. It's the only site I actually visit all the time!

For Lasting Impressions' Webster's Challenge, I made 2 LOs. This was the first. I was so excited to use the papers, I was the first to even submit a LO! Talk about eager-beaver!

Lately, I have become obsessed with painting. Although I have been painting for years on canvas, I've never done so on an LO. After seeing Studio Azul's "paintables" last Christmas and seeing Luminarte's pots of paint, I knew I just had to start taking up the palette again.

My wedding photo captured a spontaneous look back at my friends and well-wishers while my dad gave me away to hubby at the altar.

Hidden Journal: In my secret garden, I am forever beautiful. I feel the bountiful blessings of life, the sweet serenity of youth, and the tranquility of love. As the years pass, this image will be locked in the secret garden of my mind.

Water Fountain

I had a difficult time making this LO based on Au Lim's sketch for Studio Azul because it needed 4 photos. I loved the photo of the water fountain so much, I decided to make it as part of the foreground papers by printing it on a transparency. Since the background is a water paper pattern, the pattern just showed through the transparency. The photos of Galo playing and having fun with the squirting water in Market!Market! were really worth capturing.

Matriarch

I made Matriarch for the Pillar of Strength Challenge of A Peek into Yesterday. It didn't win, but my friend, Lee, won for I Know Her Heart about her mother. Matriarch is about my Lola Chiching, a favorite subject of mine. She was quite strong for a female with 5 rambunctious sons.

Hidden Journal: She single-handedly raised my dad and his 4 brothers during WW2, while her husband was a soldier, fighting the Japanese. When Japan bombed Manila, she ingeniously tied each boy’s belt loop to one rope. When the bombs started falling, she would pull the rope to bring everyone to safety. When the Japanese were hunting them, she made each child be quiet while hiding in the dark cellar. And when her husband died, she took over her husband’s construction business. She is my grandmother, the pillar of strength of our whole clan. Had it not been for her, none of her children would be here. I would not be here.

My cd altered album

This is a project I demonstrated for MLA-Scrapbooks Hawaii's EB last Saturday. I used the remaining cut-up cds (the shiny part which I set aside last year because I only used the purplish see-through side for the altered cd challenge last Christmas), cut them into squares, then pasted them with glue on both sides. Then I adhered a 12x12 transparency which I cut into 4 squares. I used two of those to cover the front and the back. For the spine, I glued ribbon. I also trimmed the sides with rick-rack. It was fun and easy to do. Thanks, Nette and Marissa, for trusting me with a demo.

Philippine P5.00 Stamp

This is my entry to Scrapbukan's Noteworthy Challenge. I decided to make my own stamp using the papers. For embellishment, I used a notebook paper to make a date stamp on the stamp (no pun intended). It was quite fun doing this project since it's the first time I used hinges to attach the journal to the LO.
Hidden Journal: If I could design a stamp, it would have my husband and my son in it. It's face value would be P5.00 just like common stamps, but its real value is priceless. it will be rare and a collector's item. This stamp will commemorate the many occasions of fun, laughter, tenderness and love I have with them. This stamp will last forever in my heart.

Me and My Dog

A LO for Scrapbooks Hawaii AL Stamps challenge, Me and My Dog is about my son wanting to have a dog. But because of fear of poss. asthma, he settled for the next best thing, a balloon dog. He got this while we were at Bonifacio High Street. He was so happy that he ran around with his dog right there and then. It was a sight to see him have fun!
Hidden Journal reads: I saw you at the store. It was love at first sight! I knew I had to have you. We ran outside, you almost flew away. You floated, but you obediently went with me wherever I went. I love playing with you. You are my dog, and you make me happy.

Once Upon a Time Beautiful Belles

I really like this photo and Scenic Route LO. The photo of my family when I was about 18 years old is one of those few we have where we're complete. Taken in Disneyland, it was a rare opportunity for us to wear costumes and pose for a B&W photograph southern style. The corn attached to the journal is something I really had fun making. As soon as I saw the patterned paper, I knew it had to be made into a corn. Actually, it was this corn idea that prompted me to use the photograph which I've longed to scrap for the longest time. Hidden Journal reads:
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a man with his wife and 5 daughters visited this enchanted kingdom called Disneyland. It was their first trip to this wonderful land so they sampled all the rides and all its shops. In one shop, they saw a man making old photographs. This man was a wizard. He dressed them all up in old clothes and instantly transformed them into gentle ladies of the south. Everyone felt beautiful. Although the old clothes were sent back, and everyone returned to their normal selves, he captured that one enchanting moment. The wizard created a picture that would last a lifetime, once upon a time.

That Man I Married

This LO is my first of my hubby. This past January, I was working so much on wedding LOs for Scrapbukan, that I got inspired to make a mini-wedding album, which is still unfinished, and this LO of Arn.

Em Magpoc's beautiful sketch for Scrapbytes (Feb. 2008) is what I used to make this lay-out. I am so glad because hubby's wedding photo was just perfect for it.

I had a hard time making the journal, but I found a perfect poem to show the sentiments I feel for this man. It reads:

You are my earth and all that earth implies:
The gravity that ballasts me in space,
The air I breathe, the land that stills my cries
For food and shelter against devouring days.
You are the earth whose orbit marks my way
And sets my north and south, my east and west,
You are the final elemental clay
The driven heart must turn to for its rest.

Excerpt from Angela Manalang Gloria’s “To the Man I Married,” an early 20th century Filipino poet.

My Scrap Attack ( and I'm stuck)

After a month of frenetic scrapping and coming up with 8 LOs and 1 altered project (and 1 unfinished mini-wedding album), I seemed to have gotten tired or uninspired. My last project was finished last weekend, and for the life of me, I can't seem to work on the Studio Azul Challenge, nor make another Webster's Page entry, nor finish the mini-wedding album. It's like I'm just waiting for the month to end. And end it will today.

I'm posting my Love Elsie Zoe Collection LO on my Scrapbook Plan entry for Visual Creations here.Although this isn't my typical style, I did have fun painting on the white background of the Zoe paper, but that took a while to do. I wanted to experiment with simple and visually-arresting LOs. I was happy with it at first, but now, I'm not too sure.

Mia, a scrapping friend, pointed out that my style is vintage. When she said that, I actually said "yes" inside, agreeing with her wholeheartedly. I suppose, I am an old soul, looking for a creative outlet in things that look, appear or feel old. No wonder.

Mock Birthday Scowl

Galo turned 4, so of course, we had to take pictures in his birthday celebration in school. But instead of a happy face, we caught a scowl. The photo just screamed to be made into a LO. I used BG Mellow papers for this, and painted over the corner of the picture to cover my sleeve which was accidentally caught on the photo.

Hidden Journal: During his 4th birthday in school, Galo ate his cake like everyone else, while his dad took pictures of him and his classmates. When Galo noticed his dad focusing on him, he suddenly made a "mock scowl" to show displeasure for being photographed. It was a "mock" scowl because in the next second, he was smiling. It seemed like he just wanted to have that look for the photograph. I suppose, for him, "SMILE" is not something he likes to do in front of the camera. he'd rather SCOWL on his birthday.

KAYA Challenge- W3 ( 3 Wishes)

For the PinoyScrapbooker's January KAYA Challenge, we were asked to make 3 doable wishes of ours for the year. I decided to make my LO simple but bold using only the colors black, white and red. At first, I didn't want to make this LO because it had to have a current solo picture. With the help of Photoshop Elements, I was able to make it look better, I think.
Hidden Journal: I wish: 1) to get back to pre-pregnancy size so I can wear clothes I like; 2) to get rid of my flabl and to physically take care of my body; 3) to submit more LOs and projects locally and internationally.

Productive Start of the Year

I don't know what came over me but apparently, this January 2008 has so far produced a number of LOs and projects I never thought I'd be able to accomplish. My only goal, since I never had one before for scrapbooking, was to come up with 4 LOs at least. As of my last count, I now have 7 LOs done, 1 altered project done, and still working on the 2nd altered project. I also foresee doing 1 more for Lasting Impression, and possible 1 more other challenge or just for fun. Just this weekend, I finished 3 LOs. This is quite surprising for me. Obviously, I'm starting the year well. The question is, can I sustain this pace? Most likely not. When March rolls in, I'll be so busy with end-of-the-year school activities, scrapbooking will have to take a backseat.

Will post all of these LOs and projects when I'm able to later.

Mini-Tin Can Time Line 2

Here are the individual LOs for each year of Galo's life in his Mini-tin can Time Line (see previous post for overall appearance of the project), from birth to age 4. Journal:
Age 0 - Name: Gonzalo Agustin Bonoan Lagazon
Date of Birth: January 8, 2004
Important Facts: Born prematurely at 3 lbs.
Arrived after 8 years of waiting.

Age 1 - Galo is a happy child.
He enjoys exploring and loves listening to his favorite books and to music.

Age 2 - Very much a "BOY," he loves cars, likes audio speakers and tries to work on the computer when he thinks no one is watching.

Age 3 - He started going to school before he was 2 1/2 years old. His teacher says he's very playful and creative. he seems to like pretend play, often using materials "to set up speakers" like his daddy.

Age 4 - Very sociable, funny, cute, creative, curious, intelligent.
"Oh, the places you'll go...." - Dr. Seuss

Mini-tin can Time Line: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

My little boy is growing up, fast. Today, he turned 4. To celebrate, we had a party last Sunday with just the immediate family on both sides. On our way to the venue, Galo insisted on having games. Since there were only 5 kids with an average age of 3, I didn't think of preparing any. I suppose I felt quite guilty because I suddenly had to make a detour to Dom's Balloons in Kamuning, just to get "games" stuff. Hence, we ended up with a modified hunt-easter-egg style, the palabunutan and the pabitin. Since the kids couldn't read nos. and it was such a hassle opening each no. ticket, we just let them line up, pick a prize, then line up again. For the pabitin, each kid got to get 1 hanging toy each time the "balag" went down. My brother-in-law said that this was the first time that he attended a party where the guest went home with a big bag of goodies!

Since today is his birthday, Galo is also celebrating the day with his classmates. He chose his choco mouse cake which we'll serve together with BTIC choco walnut frozen yogurt. As if that wasn't enough, I modified some store-bought invitations, then made 37 lootbags, and to top it all, made Galo's Time Line.

His school requires parents to prepare pictures of the celebrant for every year since birth on a long strip of paper. This helps children visually see the passage of time. I made a time line last year on kraft paper, which of course eventually got misplaced and destroyed. This year, I decided to make a mini-tin can time line, one where I can just add a yearly mini-LO to until he reaches 12.

Arn had this LEVI's wallet packaging made of tin can which I saw would work beautifully for the project. I used alcohol inks on the outside, embellished it with All About Scrapbooking Chipboard, Bella Journee scroll, American Crafts ribbon, Karen Foster Metal Alpha Slides and UBL Crystal Dome Stickers (from Japan Homes). Inside, I used Old World Stack of various mottled prints to make the pages and embellished it with scrolls, hidden journals, various scrap papers from Rusty Pickle, Scenic Route, Creative Imaginations, Bazzill cardstock and Crateboard alpha chipboard.

Truth is, this was finished as of Saturday evening. On Sunday however, I felt that using the foam stickers and ready-made embellishments just wasn't what I had in mind. Sure, it was pretty, but it just didn't seem right. So, despite all the work previously done, I reworked each page last night. What resulted was better, I think. This time, I was able to plan each page so that it always had some handwritten journal, most of the time either hidden or partially-hidden. This, I feel, would keep for the next 8 years. Hopefully, for life.

How do I love thee, Galo? A thousand and one ways... and counting.

Scrapbukan GDT LOs are done!

I'm finally finished with the LOs Sahrie of Scrapbukan asked me to do as Guest Design Team Member for January. She only asked me for 3 LOs or 2 LOs and 1 altered project. When I saw the kit with wedding rubons, I was so inspired, I ended up making 4 wedding LOs plus a 6 x 6 standing calendar kraft book that I am making into a mini-wedding album during the Christmas Break. I'm still not finished with the album, but I'm happy with the 4 LOs. Will post my LOs here a week after Scrapbukan features my work.

Now, if I could just finish my mini-wedding album by next week, then perhaps I can finally finish My Little Child's Ancestry Book.