Scrapmum

Happy New Year

2009-01-09T13:01:00.002+08:00

A very Happy New Year to everyone!

In true Malaysian style, New Year's Day was spent relaxing with family and friends, and of course plenty of food...We were in the mood for crab...so we had a crab party!

We had hoped to work up an appetite by playing volleyball and outdoor twister ( if you haven't tried this game, you really should...it's a real laugh!), but it poured all afternoon and most of the evening...Still, that didn't dampen our spirits much!

Christmas is here!

2008-12-10T13:45:00.004+08:00

Finally! Our tree is out and decorated! Our first Christmas in the new house.

Our tree looked tiny ( the ceiling is much higher here compared to the old apartment) so it's now sitting on a low stool. Maybe we'll get a larger one next year...

It is almost mid-December and we are just getting into the spirit of Christmas! Things have just been crazy busy in this household, and we haven't had the time to think about Christmas until now.

I am put to shame, especially by those friends who are making their December album ( you know who you are). I wouldn't know where to start!

Let's see...we've had:

Sarah's swimming gala,

Been to KL for Sarah's ISAKL swim meet,

Had a farewell party for a friend who's headed back to Australia with her family,

Sarah's school had a visit from Santa today...who arrived in style in a fire truck! Pressies for all, even Andrew!

Emily had a band concert last night where she made her debut performance on the trombone,

I've started on our summer holiday album ( 5 months late, but at least it's getting done)...and feeling a bit out of depth with it. What started out as a mini album is morphing and looks like it will become a book!

Andrew's presents are wrapped and under the tree already...

The girls will each write their wish list on a tag which we'll hang on the tree...a new tradition we started last year...

Maybe I'll make an album of 'The best of 2008'...I'll just have to go through the 1000+ photos we have taken this year and pick out the most memorable!

Book of Words

2008-11-05T11:49:00.003+08:00

I used Sheila's idea from the Smidapaper site and made a minibook called 'Book of Words' for Emily.

It's filled with words of encouragement, little snippets of advice, some photos, and is meant to be a guide of sorts, as she embarks on this awkward journey of becoming a teenager: finding herself, gaining the confidence to be the person she wants to be...all part of growing up!

I hope she will read it over and over again, whenever she hits hurdles, or just needs a little confidence boost, and that she will gain fresh insights into herself each time she does.

Lady of Leisure

2008-10-31T22:56:00.001+08:00

I used to work 10 hour days, sometimes longer, with a couple of 24 hour shifts thrown in for good measure.

I've since swapped that for 24 hour days, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I wear many hats, running the gamut from chauffeur to cook to teacher to babysitter, all under the guise of 'Mum'.

So it's a source of great amusement when people assume that I'm a lady of leisure, now that I no longer have a 'proper' job.

One of the things I ended up doing recently was help paint the backdrop for a concert

at school. This was a photo a friend, and fellow 'lady of leisure', snapped one day :

So...proof at last that being a stay-at-home mum isn't all lunches and beauty salons...it's more doing whatever it takes for your kids, even if it means painting one handed and looking a total mess!

Who are your Friends?

2008-10-31T22:06:00.001+08:00

I recently made a minibook dedicated to friends for a class at Smidapaper to be held in November.

It is a tribute to some of my closest friends...the ones who accept me for who I am, the ones I can talk to about anything, the ones who I can truly be frank and open with.

Some of them I've known just a short while, some practically forever! I am lucky to be able to call these wonderful people friends, and to show, in a small way, how much I value their friendship.

This is even more significant as my soon to be teenage daughter has been having a rocky time with some of her friends. A common enough problem amongst teenagers, I know, but to one whose loyalties are being tested, or is experiencing firsthand how fickle some friendships can be...it can be a very painful time.

I hope I have been able to impress on her the importance of believing in herself, the importance of choosing her friends wisely... those who love her for who she is, not what she can do for them, who are a positive influence on her, and whose friendship she will treasure, perhaps for a lifetime.

A Room With a View

2008-09-22T12:01:00.000+08:00

Retreat - noun : a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax

This is my retreat - the room at the top floor of

our new place, fitted out with floor-to-ceiling cupboards, all in white, accented with blue curtains for a splash of colour. There IS a view of the sea, but it is gradually getting obscured...pretty soon the view will be of a high rise...sigh.

This is where all my 'stuff' is. This is my office...scrapping room...art studio...library...even a place to nap ( I have put in a day bed which so far has seen occasional use by Andrew)

This is where I creep up to at night when the little one is asleep, the only time I get to scrap nowadays, it seems.

This is where Sarah and I hide out when she has a project that requires that special touch of extra creativity. Usually, this means raiding my scrapbooking or art supply stash ( a current favourite is glimmer mist).

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to spend quite as much time up here as I imagined...in a typical day, I don't often get to sit down for a cup of tea, let alone bring it up to the top floor...and I'm usually accompanied by at least one of the children drawing on the floor, or working at the desk. But that's the beauty of this room, we can all be up there, each doing our own thing, and it still feels restful.

Those Shades

2008-08-17T13:39:00.000+08:00

Looking through our holiday photos, trying to decide which ones to print, it struck me that our not so little girl is truly becoming a young lady.

For a couple of years now, she's been shooting up, and is almost as tall as I am now, but up until this summer, she was still very much a kid. One that enjoyed going to theme parks, zoos, playgrounds, and was happiest lounging around in her oldest tee and comfy shorts. A kid that always used to run away from the camera cos she was too shy to have her photo taken!

This summer, Emily metamorphosed into a glamorous young lady, helped along in part, by a certain pair of shades that she found in a little store in Stratford-upon-Avon. She wouldn't be parted from them, wearing them in rain or shine; and was frequently caught posing for the camera!

Suddenly, it seemed, going to parks was just too uncool, preferring shopping as a pastime.

Sigh...I guess this is just the start of things to come...I can see makeup and boyfriends looming in the not too distant future...

Old Friends

2008-08-04T00:28:00.000+08:00

The last month has just flown by! Since our return from Manila we've had the usual busy run up to end of term for the kids, moved house ( took us 3 weeks to pack all our stuff...just how much junk can be accummulated in 4 years is unbelievable!), and taken a 2 week trip to England.

The pace has been hectic, so it was really nice to be able to take a break ( we left 3 days after moving in...piles of boxes still unpacked, faulty plumbing and all) and just enjoy having time to ourselves as a family.

The highlight of our trip was meeting up with old friends and just catching up ( with some sightseeing and shopping thrown in, of course).

My roommate from boarding school had invited us to her wedding and it was fantastic to be able to catch with her, and our group of friends from 20 years ago! The girls were mortified when photos were passed around - th

ey couldn't believe how weird mum and her friends looked at 18 years old!

I also managed to catch up with a couple of my closest friends from University, so it was a trip full of reminiscing about old times, as well as catching up with all we have done.

We have all moved on, to different parts of the world, added spouses and for some, children, and a few extra pounds...but just for a few hours, it felt like nothing had changed, and the 15 to 20 years since we last saw each other just melted away.

No doubt we will try to stay in touch, but sometimes life just gets in the way...we have our families, routines, jobs...everything that keeps us so busy. But that's ok, cos I know that these lovely people will always be friends of mine, and maybe we'll get to meet up again in the not too distant future.

So Proud

2008-06-12T20:42:00.000+08:00

Well, we're back home after the most exciting 3 days of sports!

Our little girl did us proud...

We were a bit worried about her in the beginning...2 days before the team set off to Manila, she had been hit on the head with a T-Ball bat, and had needed stitches...she was bruised and her confidence a little shaken...

But when it came down to actually participating in the Games, she gave it all she got! She ran, jumped, batted, swam, kicked...and was rewarded with 1 silver medal and 4 bronze medals!

We cheered until we were hoarse, and took loads of photos and videos! Now comes the hard part...sifting through all the photos and putting them all in an album...I'm hoping it won't take me another year to get it all done this time.

FOBISSEA Games Again!

2008-06-08T06:36:00.000+08:00

So here we are in Manila, eagerly awaiting the start of this year's Games...

Last year we were in Seoul, we took lots of pictures and they were sitting around...yet another project that never got started...until I realised a few

weeks ago that it was now 1 year later, and we were about to set off on the next trip for the Games! That motivated me to get going on the FOBISSEA album, and I finally finished it a few days ago...just in time, cos I'm sure we'll be taking a whole bunch of photos this year too!

Back to my (art) Roots

2008-05-23T22:33:00.000+08:00

Before I started scrapping, I was making cards...and before I started making cards, I was painting...not in a professional capacity, mind you, just something I have always loved, right from when I was a kid.
Sure, I've kept on painting even after Andrew was born ( though maybe not as often as I'd have liked), but the last few months I've really not picked up a brush at all ( except for a foam brush, for a scrapping project or two). Not because my passion for scrapping has replaced my love for painting...rather it has been a case of logistics.
I scrap and make cards in my office ( read bedroom) after the children go to bed, and I'm within easy reach whenever Andrew wakes for a feed. My art studio ( aka little corner, together with a few giant swim floats, a pushchair, and a stack of spare chairs) is downstairs, and just too crowded now ( when did all this stuff take over my art space, anyway???)
This month, I've been determined to make painting a priority again, and reclaimed my art space (well kind of...I banned the swim floats from my space and it's really made a difference!
I've started on not one, but two paintings! Ambitious? Well, I've never been known to do things by halves!

Scrapping Gal

2008-05-05T07:02:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was an exciting day for scrappers at Smidapaper...we had a special guest teacher, Kah-mei Smith from Fontwerks, who taught 2 very inspiring and creative classes! The participants made 1 lovely minibook in each class, and there were a couple of hardy scrappers who attended both classes, so they were scrapping all day long!

I had signed Sarah up for the easier of the 2 classes as a birthday gift to her as she is such a keen scrapper, but I must say I had my doubts as to whether she would be able to cope in what was essentially an adult's scrapping class. I have attended such classes before, and I know the pace can be fast and furious...a challenge to even the most seasoned scrapper!

I must say I was very proud of Sarah ...
She had the photo list earlier in the week, picked out the photos she needed, made sure I got them printed in the correct sizes;
She went through the tool list as well, helping me pack all the tools she would need, and labelled them.

Yesterday morning she was up bright and early, raring to go!
At the class she set out all her tools neatly and waited patiently for class to start ( normally she's a little jumping bean in the mornings, but I think she was restraining herself).

Sarah coped really well...she kept up with the pace, did almost everything herself ( just needed a little help with the more difficult techniques) and ended up with a beautiful minibook dedicated to her little brother, Andrew ( 'the best and cutest little brother on the world').
I am proud of you Sarah, you are definitely a great scrapping gal!

In Control...sort of...

2008-04-21T02:50:00.000+08:00

This has been a month of frantic creativity for me...layouts and projects for next month's classes, samples for the new store, finally completing my 'I Scrapbook because...' layout, even teaching a class this month ( not something I've had a chance to do much in the last few months once Andrew stopped wanting to sit quietly in his bouncer).
Amidst all this, I felt myself losing my grip...not literally, but with respect to the ideas swimming around in my head. I hated losing track of a thought for a project, or a great idea I had just 10 minutes ago...cos I was running around with the kids, doing the millions of things they HAD to do RIGHT NOW, MUM! I was starting to dream about layouts cos I was thinking about them just before I fell asleep!
I finally solved the problem ( I think), by keeping a notebook by my bedside which I then carried around with me. I've since gone through 3 already! Not fancy expensive notebooks, mind you, just old ones the kids had lying around unused ( I admit to even using a 'Strawberry Shortcake' notebook...I have no shame).
All I had to do when a great idea struck me was to whip out the book, and scribble the idea down. It could be a layout design sketch, journaling prompts, colour scheme, paper choices...anything really. When I found myself without a notebook once, I ended up typing it straight into my laptop ( which luckily, I happened to have on hand that day).
When I finally sat down to work on a project, I could then look through my notes and pick out ideas that I particularly liked, or try different designs out to see what worked.
So far this has helped keep my brain ( and my desk) relatively clutter free, and I'm better able to get started on creating, instead of wasting time shuffling papers and embellishments around. I also spend less time looking for tools as I can gather everything I think I'll need around me, before even starting.
Am I in control now? Mostly...though some days no amount of planning seems to help, whatsoever! On these days, I still just wing it.

Coffee Bean Anyone?

2008-04-15T23:34:00.000+08:00

I am a self-confessed coffee addict. I'm not addicted to the caffeine, mind you ( most of the time I drink decaf since I'm still nursing), I just love the taste and aroma of coffee.

But I didn't realise quite how often I'm at Coffee Bean ( a stone's throw from where I live, which makes it impossible NOT to be a frequent customer) until I saw Andrew with his favourite treat from Coffee Bean - NO NOT coffee, of course - a Vanilla ice-blend! He absolutely loves it, and often will fight his sisters for a taste of theirs!

Definitely a photo worth scrapping...

I Love Scrapbooking Because...

2008-04-01T18:17:00.000+08:00

I finally found some photos I liked for my 'reasons I love scrapbooking layout! I chose some pics of previous layouts, and one of pages in progress.

It was hard to combine so many very different photos together, but after much deliberation, I decided to go for a black background, and the fun , funky colours of Ki's Pop Culture. Just LOVE the die cut paper!

Of course, once I put everything together, there was very little room left for journalling ( the most essential bit), so I layered it over my photos!

Andrew's First Year - The Complete Story!

2008-03-18T20:47:00.000+08:00

About 4 months ago, I embarked on a project...a mini album titled Andrew's First Year.

As he was only 8 months old at the time, I had to pre-assemble the layouts for the remaining 4 months, so that I could just insert the photos at every month.

It was the first time I had attempted a prospective project,

so I didn't want to make it too complicated.

I used matching products for the entire album and a template for

the pages, which meant that it was quick and extremely 'doable' to complete all 12 months worth of pages in a few hours.

Well...Andrew is now 1 year old, and I've put in the last photos!

I've also added quite a bit of journaling...not the usual milestones type of information...I figure I'll be putting that into my 12x12 album...but more anecdotal type of journaling.

I really wanted this album to be a personal memoir of his relationship with his sisters, as well as the little quirks in his character and behaviour which make him the lovable, and much loved, little boy that he is.

Oh yes, he is starting to be less of a baby, and more of a little boy already...and a really cheeky, mischievous boy at that!

5 Reasons to Love Scrapbooking

2008-03-02T21:35:00.000+08:00

If you've been visiting the Smidapaper website, you'll know that we recently put out a 'Love x 5' layout challenge.

For those that haven't already seen it, I chose to make a page documenting the 5 types of Mac computers we love right now. Pretty geeky huh? It was different though, to make a page about things we like, rather than what we are like, but interesting too.

I initially wanted to make a layout about the '5 reasons I Love Scrapbooking', but couldn't find photos that I liked enough to use on the page. I'm going to have to put this page idea on hold until I find/take the photos I want. But in the meantime, here are my 5 reasons anyway:

1. I love that I'm giving my family a tangible piece of our lives, not just memories which might fade.

2. I love that by putting heartfelt journaling on my pages, my family are able to share a part of me that may not otherwise be apparent.

3. I love that scrapbbooking gives me the freedom to explore my creativity...after all, there are no judges, and the toughest critic is myself. The family seem to love them all, even those that include what they feel are 'embarrassing photos of them!

4. I love that I can turn to scrapbooking as therapy in my crazy, hectic life...to ground me, and more often than not, help put things into perspective.

5. Last, but not least, I love the fact that my enthusiasm for scrapbooking has led to my meeting and becoming friends with a fantastic group of people ( you all know who you are)!

So even if you don't participate in our challenge, or even if you don't scrap, why not see if you can come up with 5 reasons why you love something/ someone, or 5 things that you love right now.

What? No Posts?

2008-02-29T17:05:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since my last post and I know it sounds lame, but I just haven't felt that I've done anything momentous in this time. Not that nothing has been happening in our lives...on the contrary, it's been busier than ever at the Tan household.

We've had :

~ Trials for the school's sports teams- jubilation when one got selected, acceptance ( or was it feigned indifference) by the other when she didn't

~ Trials for the school swim squad - tears when one didn't get selected, and matter of fact acceptance (again) by the other that did

~ Emily's school residential trip to Sabah

~ Chinese New Year came and went in a flurry of activity, mixed with a good dose of drama ( I've always maintained that there's nothing like a festive holiday like this to create stress and cause generally civilised people to become emotional wrecks!)

~ Andrew celebrated his first birthday just this week ( no big 'do' like the girls wanted, just a casual, cosy family gathering)

~ We've travelled to KL 2 consecutive weekends to support Sarah in Athletics and Soccer

etc etc

BUT

I've done precious little scrapping...which I feel kinda guilty about cos there's so much going on, but so little recording of it, partly because there's not been any photos of some of these events, (and too many to choose from at others!) and partly cos I just haven't been able to make the time to sit down and create.

Somehow, blogging for me goes hand in hand with scrapping...what goes into my pages ends up on this blog, and vice versa...and since I've not been churning out the pages as quickly as events have been occurring, there's been a lull in the blogging!

I think I've got to get used to blogging as a separate entity, more like a diary?!

Christmas Pages

2008-01-29T21:23:00.000+08:00

I've finally completed my Christmas pages! Even though I haven't used all the photos we took ( not by a looong shot), I've created pages about the festive season just past that I really want to treasure.
One of these is the number of 'firsts' that occurred the of Christmas 2007 - the first christmas in a new apartment, Andrew's first christmas, the first time for the girls to have wish lists... I felt these were all important thing to be documented, and important for us to be able to look back upon...

I wanted to include all 3 photos, which didn't leave much room for journaling (the essence of this page), so I created a little booklet and hid it behind one of the photos.

Another is a page which I've been meaning to create for a while now. It documents the way my family traditionally celebrate Christmas, and how these traditions have changed over the years.

I started off intending to make a mini book for my journaling and photos, but it evolved and became almost an album in it's own right! I can only just fit the page into my album!

I feel Iike I've really achieved something with these pages...being able to pass on a small part of our history on to the children. Hopefully they'll read the journaling and be able to remember Christmas as it was spent in 2007.

Pictureless Scrapbooking?

2008-01-22T17:23:00.000+08:00

I have no photos!
Well that's not entirely true. I have tons of photos. But recently, they're all of Andrew. He must be the most photographed baby in town.
Admittedly he is way cuter than the rest of us, and he actually likes posing for the camera! The girls run away as soon as I whip out my camera, and can't be persuaded to be photographed in spite of my threats that there will be no pages of them if there are no nice photos.
The only photos I have of them are of the back of their heads, or a blurry profile as they are turning away.
I may have to resort to documenting this time of their lives without photos, or at least without photos of them, just the things that are important to them at this age.
Getting a photo of Jon is no less difficult. He hates having his photo taken, and much prefers to be behind the camera. Me? Let's just say I can count the nice photos of myself on one hand...With Valentine's Day looming on the horizon, I've been looking through my store of photos on the computer for some nice pics of the two of us to put into a mini-book/album. It came as no surprise to find that I could count the number of photos of just the two of us taken in the last 3 years on the fingers of 1 hand!
Sigh... scrapbooking this family is definitely way more difficult than most, and is certainly putting my journaling skills to the test!

Things To Do

2008-01-19T00:57:00.000+08:00

These are the piles of photos I have been meaning to scrap. There are more in my photo library I haven't even gotten round to printing.
These are the books and magazines I have been meaning to read.
My desk is a mess of papers, adhesives, the beginnings of projects ( no pic...too embarrassing...looks like a hurricane hit my desk...you get the idea).
It used to be that I was the super organised one. My to-do list usually never had items pending for more than a couple of days...I used to devour books and magazines as quickly as I bought them...my desk was cleared as soon a project was completed. And I did complete projects. Methodically, systematically, one at a time.
Now it seems I never have enough time in the day (or night) for all these things that I want to do.

I am learning some strategies for maximising my scrapbooking time:
1. Scraplifting - let someone else do the work of coming up with a layout design, and make it my own by tweaking the design a little, using different papers and embellishments;
2. Making double-page layouts - I can get more photos on 2 pages;
3. Using coordinating papers and embellishments/kits - takes all the guesswork out of putting together a page!

But making a dent in my stack of reading material? Cleaning my desk? That's another story (or 2) altogether...

Take Time To Journal

2008-01-04T04:26:00.000+08:00

" Without pictures, our words will still be valued by our descendants a hundred years from now, but without words, the pictures will be meaningless."

This is a quote from a magazine that caught my eye immediately! It's so true...without journaling, a scrapbook is just a photo album. Without heartfelt journaling, our pictures may not mean very much.

All too often, it's just easier to evade the task of journaling and make do with a catchy title and a few scribbled lines. Sure, it can make the story behind the pictures clearer, but it doesn't reveal what's truly important...what made us take that picture in the first place?,,,why was it important enough to scrap?...all the little things about that particular time or place, no matter how trivial it may seem now, that will be treasured by our descendants, because it will give them insight as to who we are, what is dear to our hearts...and for the subjects of our pages, it will be THEIR story...a token of our love for them...an invaluable source of knowledge about their lives.

Most people hesitate to journal because they don't like their handwriting. I haven't got the best handwriting in the world either, but it's mine, and it's unique!

I urge you all to take the time to journal...on your scrapbook pages, in a diary, whatever works for you. For those of you who truly hate your writing...there's always the computer!

So here's my new year's resolution - to journal more...to journal meaningfully, fearlessly, from the heart.

The Ikea Experience

2007-12-30T23:40:00.000+08:00

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

2007-12-12T22:38:00.000+08:00

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

2007-12-05T20:40:00.000+08:00

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

2007-11-24T22:28:00.000+08:00

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

2007-11-23T23:58:00.000+08:00

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

2007-11-19T22:11:00.000+08:00

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

2007-11-12T23:50:00.000+08:00

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

2007-11-04T20:02:00.000+08:00

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

2007-10-25T09:33:00.000+08:00

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

2007-10-10T11:01:00.000+08:00

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

2007-10-07T16:00:00.000+08:00

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

2007-10-01T09:00:00.000+08:00

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

2007-09-23T23:07:00.000+08:00

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!

2007-09-23T22:45:00.000+08:00

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

2007-09-15T03:25:00.000+08:00

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

2007-09-07T23:16:00.000+08:00

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

2007-09-02T17:25:00.001+08:00

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!

2007-08-26T00:31:00.000+08:00

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!

2007-08-25T01:10:00.000+08:00

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

2007-08-12T10:50:00.000+08:00

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

2007-08-06T03:18:00.000+08:00

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!