The Ikea Experience

We are in the midst of furnishing our new house so we thought a trip down to KL's Ikea would be a great idea.
We were prepared...or so we thought. We'd pored over the catalogue, ear-marked the pieces we liked, measured out the rooms...it was going to be a breeze. I had visions of finally getting the house together before the new year...
What an experience! The store was huge, and because the furniture is built in modular units ( those of you familiar with Ikea will know what I mean), there are endless possible ways of putting them together. We discovered that there was much much more available in the store than was featured in the catalogue, and many more inventive and practical ways of making the most out of small spaces!
We spent about 5 hours in the store ( with a break for lunch). The girls tried out every sofa, Andrew tried out a few beds, we made copious notes, took many photos, but in the end... we walked out empty handed. It was just too bewildering, and we realised that we had a lot more planning to do before we could make any purchases.
So... our house is still not furnished, we have another trip to make in the near future, but it was a great eye-opening experience, and I have photos that are worthy of at least a couple of pages in my scrapbook, which is always good.

My Card Organiser/Planner

I like to make cards with the scraps left over from a scrapbook project, but I hadn't found a way to organise them...they just ended up in a folder. Until now, that is.
I dug out a 'Lunch Pail' Album from Basic Grey which I've had for ages, but hadn't found the perfect use for yet, and set to work.
I covered the tabbed index cards with paper scraps, and labeled them by occasions. This means that I can now pull out a card appropriate for any occasion without having to rummage through the entire pile!
I also created mini month planners, one for each month, and filled the dates with important events to remember, like birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc. I can now refer to the relevant planner at the beginning of each month and make sure I don't forget anyone's birthday!
I then covered the tin with pretty patterned paper and ribbon, and made a label with Ki's Alphabet Soup ( I just love the alphabet soup, the colours are really yummy!)
The girls love it too, and it's easy for them to fill in their friends' birthdays into the planners, and they can dig into the tin for cards or tags when the need arises.

The Tree We Nearly Didn't Have

This year we very nearly didn't have a Christmas tree...
After much thought, we decided that putting up our 6 foot tree would be just inviting disaster. It would be too much to expect Andrew not to pull at the tinsel, lights, and other baubles. I already spend every waking moment trying to keep him from touching and eating things he shouldn't, that the thought of keeping him away from a tree covered in sparkly, shiny objects was just too daunting!
But amidst cries of horror from the girls ( they had never NOT had a tree, and were too young to be destructive on their first Christmases), we caved in and decided to get a small tree that would sit on the table, well out of Andrew's reach.
Sooo...here it is, our little tree. Safely perched on a table, just large enough for presents to go under, and best of all...it only took us half an hour to put it up AND decorate it! ( Taking it down will be a BREEZE!)

Grandma's Brag Book

My mum lives mostly in Singapore, and has lots of friends there who have not seen Andrew. They've been asking her to bring some recent photos of him the next time she goes back, so I finally got my act together and printed some for her.
I went one step further and decided to make her a mini album...a 'brag book' of Andrew that she can whip out of her handbag and show off to her friends.
I wanted a size that could fit into her handbag easily, yet wasn't so small that everyone had to peer at the photos to make him out, so I settled for a 6x6 album, which meant I had minimal cropping to do, and I could keep the pages really simple.
She loves it, and now wants one for each of her other grandchildren. Well, at least I know what to get her for Christmas!

Making Gift Boxes

Christmas is just round the corner, and being in a particularly crafty mood this week, I thought I'd have a go at making my own gift boxes. Here are some of my creations, complete with matching tags to boot!
It wasn't as difficult as I had initially thought, and all I needed was some Christmas-themed paper I'd been hoarding (which is great cos I now have space for new papers!), some super cute stamps, and bits of ribbon. After a couple of botched attempts, I managed to make 2 different puffy boxes, and 2 styles of cube boxes. Not bad for a first-timer, don't you think?
The girls loved them so much, they want to make boxes for all their gifts this year. Well, we already make our cards ourselves, why not gift boxes as well? Now all we need is just another 30...

Blue Braces

Emily finally got her braces put in last weekend after waiting a year for all her milk teeth to fall out.
She has been very brave about the pain...well, after I gave her some paracetamol, that is. Her teeth are sore, though, and she's been finding it really difficult to chew, so she's resorted to eating mushy food like baby Andrew! She loves it so much that I even caught her sneaking off with a bottle of his apple puree.
The greatest thing is that she is not in the least bit self-conscious about them at all. She's happily showing off her teeth to her friends, and is it any surprise with the range of colours the bands come in nowadays??? She chose blue bands...actually blue and green...both her favourite colours ( they didn't have black ). Well, she's got to live with them for a couple of years, might as well enjoy them!

Storing Embellishments

I always find myself digging at the bottom of a box or drawer for that particular packet of brads/buttons/eyelets to go with a layout. It's particularly annoying as I'm fairly obsessive about being organised, and I hadn't yet found a way to keep track of all my small embellishments.
I was pondering whether it was time to send my growing collection of baby food jars to the recycling bin when it occurred to me that I could use them for storing my bits and pieces. The labels came off easily with a bit of soaking, and I was ready to get organised!
The jars are the perfect size for small bits like brads and buttons, and the clear glass means that I can spot what I want quickly. They are so colourful that I couldn't bear to be put them away in a cupboard, so they now have pride of place on my desk where they are within easy reach too!

Still Mummy's Little Girl

My 9 year old went on a 4 day school trip to Cameron Highlands this last week.
She was worried initially about lots of things...not being able to sleep without cuddles from mummy...missing home ( her baby brother most of all, I think)...sharing a room with 2 girls she didn't really know that well...and whatever else 9 year olds worry about.
That didn't stop her from being organised ( yes, she is obsessive about organisation, like me). Her bag was packed 2 weeks before the trip. She had a still-to-pack list for her day bag which she dutifully ticked off the day before the trip. She asked for a photograph of the family which she could look at whenever she felt homesick, and she even laid out her clothes the night before.
The only sign of her anxiety was that she crawled into my bed for cuddles every night for the week before they went.
How did it all go? She had a wonderful time! Their days were packed with activity, she had no trouble getting on with her room-mates, and even though she did feel homesick by the last night, she was a trouper and just held on to her photograph to keep her going.
So yes, she dealt with all her fears and showed a maturity beyond her years. But you know what? When we picked her up, there was just a hint of redness to her eyes when she got off the bus and ran to us, and the hug I received was the longest and tightest I've had from her in a long time...

Peace and Quiet

A typical day for me is : drop-off at school, errands to run, meetings to go to, pickup from school...and interspersed with that is the frequent feeding, occasional nappy change, and constant amusement of an energetic and inquisitive baby. As you can imagine, this leaves little time for anything else!
I look forward to any time where I can just sit down and take 5. This doesn't happen very often, so when it does, it is much appreciated.
Yesterday was such a day and it was definitely worth documenting!

Andrew was so worn out, what with fighting the 'flu' and resisting sleep for the last 3 hours, that he napped for a whole hour!
Emily was holed up in her room doing her homework...she managed to do it all without needing any help from me.
Sarah was found on my laptop, busy with making up a script for a play she and a few friends were planning to perform during their trip to Cameron Highlands.

BLISS! No "mummy!", no arguing, no TV blaring. I managed to get a cup of tea, put up my feet, check my emails (and reply them at the same time, for a change), even get started on a scrapbook layout...and all before midnight, which is really unusual.

Peace and quiet...I've learned to make the most of it cos it doesn't last for long in this family!

Journey towards Wellness

What a coincidence! After my last post I received a link to Big Picture Scrapbooking where scrapbooking teacher Lisa Cohen, who is a personal trainer, a nutrition counselor, a wellness and lifestyle advisor, and scrapbooker ALL wrapped into ONE. The class will document the journey towards wellness in a mini-album, over the course of 8 weeks. Sounds fantastic!
I am truly inspired by the great scrapbookers out there who share their experiences and are committed to teaching us about scrapping true LIFE moments!
Check it out if you want to take your health and wellbeing into your own hands, and document your journey in an inspirational way.

Hospitals...from the other side

This has been an eventful year for our family as far as health is concerned. It seems to me that I've spent the main part of this year in hospital waiting rooms, wards, clinics, and car parks.
Now that I no longer work in a hospital, it is awful, draining even, to have to wait around in one,for results of tests, hoping our loved ones can be discharged soon.
These last few days waitiing outside intensive care, while not so long ago I was working in one, has brought home the importance of looking after our own health. We owe it to ourselves, and to our loved ones, to stay fit, stay healthy.
I guess I'm guilty of neglecting my health too... I haven't had a full 8 hours of sleep for 7 months, (and I know someone else who never gets enough rest either), I always forget to take my vitamins, I haven't exercised in months ( but I guess carrying a 9kg baby around can be counted as exercise), and some days I run on caffeine and sugar alone.
So here's my resolution starting today...eat properly and healthily, fit in a walk everyday ( carrying baby counts as weight lifting), get some sleep!( naps cos there's no chance of a full nights' sleep yet) and carve out some 'me' time everyday for my own sanity.
Make your health a priority today...don't put it off for another day...another day may be a long time coming.

Scrappers Block

I have had a pretty good week as far as creativity was concerned. I had completed my daughter's mini album, made 3 layouts, and even got started on a couple of ideas I had for classes...and then it hit me...a mental block, and I came to an absolute standstill!
I sifted through what seemed like my entire collection of papers, photos and embellishments, but just couldn't come up with anything close to resembling a half decent start for a layout.
Block...barrier...halt...stop...obstacle...all words which described what I felt very aptly.
After a frustrating couple of hours, I left everything as it was on my desk and went to bed (no pic to show you the state of my desk...way too embarassing).
The next morning, to my disappointment, little fairies (or was it elves) hadn't cleaned up the mess, nor did a layout magically appear out of the chaos. Still bereft of ideas, I decided to just put everything away.
I spent the rest of the day doing other things...playing with the kids, working on my painting, making props with the girls for their upcoming concert 'Scheherazade'...and last night when I finally sat down to look at my photos again, the glimmerings of an idea begn to emerge.
Lesson for me...walk away and stretch my creative muscles with something completely different.
How do you cope when you get a creative block???

Purple and Brown

I recently wrote a piece on how colour trends in scrapbooking follow those of the fashion world closely. The colour combination that I wrote about was Purple and Brown...yuk some of you might think...but think again! I saw these exact colours on Sarah yesterday ( she chooses her own clothes now, and I had forgotten that I had bought these. Or at least, I hadn't bought them at the same time) and thought I just had to capture it to prove I'm not completely colour blind.
Fashion trend setter? Maybe.
For a look at the full article, just go to the Smidapaper link, and look under Tuesday's 3T's.

Surprise!

We had a surprise birthday party for Emily on Saturday. I had invited 8 of her friends, and they were fantastic at keeping the secret...Emily didn't have a clue at all. I didn't even tell Sarah ( I think she was a little miffed that I didn't trust her to keep the secret).
That evening, the girls met me at the restaurant, and we waited for Emily and Sarah to arrive. Emily's face was priceless when she walked in the door and was greeted by a huge shout of "SURPRISE!". It was great, and to top it off, we went to Haagen-Daz for ice-cream and cake after.
To help her remember this special day ( and also cos I'm all out of ideas for a gift), I had all her friends write a little note to Emily, and I took loads of pics of her and her friends, and I'm putting them all together into a tiny 4"x4" album for her...B'Day Book, I'm calling it. Naturally, as an avid scrapbooker, I keep giving everyone 'scrappy' types of presents, my children included! They have long given up hope that they'll be getting a playstation, but it doesn't stop them from putting it on their wish list every year...

A Week in Our Lives

What a week it's been!
We've all had the flu, and a house full of cranky kids is not a lot of fun.
Grandparents visiting from out of town - presents all round including an early birthday gift for Emily ( a scrapbooking kit from Memory Makers!).
I've been working on Christmas cards ( in September? Yup, if we are thinking of making 200 of them) and experimenting with Ranger Distress Inks and Embossing Powders ( not my usual style, so it was quite challenging).
Emily was all nervous about her prefect interview ( the kids filled in an application form for the position of prefect and had an interview) and found out today that she had been selected! Hooray!
Both girls received star badges this week (a badge given out to selected kids each week for good work, good behaviour etc), so both have been beaming from ear to ear. A great start to the year!
Sarah is learning to play hockey, but realised that she had to give up cooking if she wanted to play soccer as well (a few tears there).
We had 9 girls at our house today for the scrapping farewell party...what a mess...all had fun...some very creative pages! Finished with pizza and a movie...a perfect evening.
I'm ready for a quiet weekend, but knowing this household, it's not going to happen, but one can live in hope...

The Gift of Scrapbooking

One of the girls from my daughter's class is leaving Penang to go home to Australia in a week's time, and her friends all want to do something memorable for her. Of course in true scrapbooking form, I suggested that a group of them put together a scrapbook album for her, documenting their friendship, and the great time they have had together in school.
They all thought it was a great idea, and will be meeting up at our house soon to get some serious scrapping done!
It's sad they are leaving, but it's brought home to me again that scrapbooking is a wonderful art form, a way of keeping friends and family closer in spite of the actual miles between them. Sure, we can still keep in touch with emails and phonecalls, but there's something special about turning the pages of an album, and savouring the messages others have left for you, that just can't compare with the sterility of modern technology.
I am impressed that these 9 year old girls already appreciate scrapbooking, and how much joy scrapbooks can bring, to both their creators and recipients alike!
I will be sure to take photos of the completed pages, so that each child will be able to have a digital copy to treasure as well!

Art Forms

Serenity, originally uploaded by esgeh.

I love scrapbooking, and I love making art. One and the same? I think so. Painting, scrapbooking, journalling, ...just different art forms.
After much deliberation, I'm going to take the plunge and put some of my art on public display!
My dream? To one day be good enough to hold a show...

Scrapbooking Is Meant to be FUN!

How easy is it to forget that we scrapbook because it's fun? (Oh yes, also because we want to remember that trip/event/day etc)
All too easy...especially when I'm chasing a deadline, racking my brains for ideas for a class, trying to get inspiration for a layout that's different...you get the picture.
Some days I look at my constantly growing collection of photos that I have been meaning to scrap, and despair of ever getting them done. The list keeps growing... Andrew's album, FOBISSEA Seoul trip, Emily's exploding box (it's been 6 months since I promised her one), the girls' album (I must be about 5 years behind)...Yikes!
Today I was struck by the revelation that the list will never get any shorter...there will always be something else to scrap, some other important event to document, another photo that is just perfect for a page...and the only way for me to deal with it without getting overwhelmed, was to tackle each project one page at a time, baby step by baby step. It's funny but this was exactly how I learnt to cope with each shift when I was working in Accident and Emergency (another life it seems)...the list of patients was never going to end...sick or injured people were always going to keep coming in...and the only way to cope was to deal with each case one at a time.
And you know what? Once I stopped sweating over the details of WHEN I would finish the project, and concentrated on the HOW for each page... laid the photos out on my desk, picked the papers, played with the layout, tried out different embellishments...it was kinda fun again, and certainly felt more like play than work. And the more I let myself play, the more creative the result, which IS the aim after all.

Join the club!

I've just come back from Singapore and I have to say that I was amazed at how popular scrapbooking has become there. The scrapbooking stores are buzzing with activity, classes are fully booked, and what struck me in particular was that the clientele ranged from teenagers to older age groups, men and women, locals and foreigners alike!
I still remember when scrapbooking was unheard of in Singapore, as recently as 4-5 years ago. What a difference today!
Right now, scrapbooking is still relatively new to Malaysians, but I strongly believe that it will take this country by storm too, as it has in Singapore. Scrapbooking really is something EVERYONE can enjoy, and the potential for the scrapbooking community to grow is HUGE.
I count myself very lucky to be able to participate in helping this growth, and it is fantastic to be able to meet like-minded people...who enjoy creating, and sharing their ideas with each other...who constantly remind me that creating is supposed to be fun, not yet another task to be ticked off on my 'to do' list...who challenge me to try new ideas and techniques.
If you're reading this, you probably already are a scrapbooker, but if you're not, why not give it a go? Scrapbooking really isn't some elite members only club, ANYONE can do it, even if you think you haven't got a single creative bone in your body. Who knows, you might surprise yourself and find that you got bitten by the scrapbooking bug...I know I did!

Daily Dose of Creativity

So...one week later and have I kept to my resolution of making more time for creativity?
Definitely! I'm making it a point to do something creative every day, whether it is scrapping a page, making a card, painting...anything that comes to mind.

This week I've managed to stay on track. I've completed a few layouts for our scrapbooking store - Smidapaper's website ( see www.smidapaper.com for some of them) and have been very excited to be able to try out some of the new products at Smidapaper, especially the Making Memories 'Funky Vintage' line of papers and embellishments!

A friend and I have also started an 'Art Club' - not an art appreciation club, though we do love art, but a club where we meet every week to have coffee, cake, and of course...paint! We've found that it's a great way to make sure we actually put brush to canvas at least once a week, and we are making some progress...Who knows, we might have enough good paintings to be able to put on an amateur show in the future!

Scrapping Supermum

Every scrapper's wish is MORE time for scrapbooking! I am no exception, and being a mum of 3, even a daily dose of scrapbooking is often not possible....or so I thought.
I was browsing online late the other night (the only 'me' time I get nowadays), and was intrigued, and humbled to find a scrapbooking project on Big Picture Scrapbooking by Talia Audenart. Not only is she a mum of 2, she also writes projects and classes for Big Picture Scrapbooking, has her layouts published in major scrapbooking magazines like Creating Keepsakes, has a blog of her own and many other activities!
I was so impressed that I signed up and paid for the class- Baby's First Year, a project I'll be embarking on soon!
What a supermum! I'm inspired...to make an effort to carve out more creative time, to stop procrastinating and just get on with it!