for the record

and here's the 2nd layout featured last month at scrapbook news and review. this is for their feature on layouts with 3-5 photos.

one of my fave layouts from last year! this documented my college barkada's get together when our friend ella was in town  from new york. it's been 16 years since we've been almost complete like this.

it was a happy occasion for chitchat and catching up on life. oh, and i was on my 7th month of pregnancy that time. hope we can have another get together like this soon.

adore

last month, i had the privilege of having two of my scrapbook layouts featured at scrapbook news and review magazine. this is one of the layouts that came out and was even shown in their table of contents.

this was for their "keep it simple sweetheart" feature. this was a layout i created last year during studio azul's scrapbook laureat. that's one of my fave photos of nikko with my mom. don't they look adorable together!

cute baby

contrary to popular belief, i do scrap... before! lol! 

there was a time when i would spend hours inside my scraproom just snipping, cutting and misting my papers away. but as you may have noticed, that all changed when my little boy arrived.

not that i'm complaining. i can give up scrapping just to spend hours with him.

but, i do miss my scrapping... a lot...

anyway, with my little boy about to turn 1 yr. old in barely 2weeks, i'd like to share with you the first layout i ever created for him.

he was 4weeks old here. he looked way different now. but he is still cute as ever!

he still smiles that way and i just adore him to pieces!

 materials used:  cardstock- dcwv; patterned paper- sasafrass, daisy bucket, collage press, october afternoon; chipboard- american crafts; stickers - doodlebug design, october afternoon, jenni bowlin; die-cut- doodlebug design; mist- tattered angels; punchers- fiskars; buttons- autumn leaves, others; brads - making memories

for my title work, i created a cluster of cut patterns and mixed it with a homemade pin wheel. i think the cluster helped add "drama" to the cheesy grin of my little boy.

you & me (tag mini book)

i can't believe it! it will be december in a few days and i still have a lot to prepare for the christmas season.  i better start preparing my shopping list already.  oh my! so little time to prepare.

talk about presents, clariz had a post birthday treat for the ac barkada last saturday at tourne at the fort.  it was a fun lunch over good food and good company.  time spent with my college friends are almost always never enough. imagine non-stop chitchat and laughter for almost 4 hours!  

anyways, here's the gift i gave to clariz. this is a tag mini book which is one of my favorite creations. i like creating this minis as gifts for friends. the mini was predominantly orange, her fave color. i'm glad she loved it!

everyday with you (mini album)

one of the things that i love to do are mini books or mini albums. i don't often use it but i just like the idea of being able to create something new out of "scraps."  also, i often create these as gifts to friends.  i can customize the theme and it has a personal touch once given as a gift.

here's one that i created a few months back for a friend of mine. she loves the color orange and she has a baby girl. a perfect combination for a mini album.

this is a 6x6 mini album and i used a lot of scenic route papers on this.  scenic route is one of my fave paper manufacturers. too bad they closed for business already. i used a ring binder to hold the album, placed papers flowers on top of each other for dimension and i added felt butterfly cut-outs as well.  love it!

materials used:  chipboard; patterned paper - scenic route; punch - fiskars; flowers - prima, aas; stickers - making memories, provo craft; others - fiber, metal charms, ring binder

behind the lens

one of the things i love about my hubby is that he supports my scrap addiction. he knows it takes time for me to create those pages but he understands and he knows it makes me happy.

and of course, there'll be no scrap addiction if i didn't have the photos to accompany it. which is why i also love that he's into photography.  we're amateurs but we love taking photographs, perfect shot or not. 

this layout is sort of a tribute to him and (one of) the reason why he's into photography. this photo was taken at the tail-end of our photo workshop with gunther deichmann last year.

this layout also perfectly matched the call at scrapfit for their ww#15. it was all about circles and i have loads of that on my layout. most of my patterns are circles and i even had a circle cut-out as an accent.  even my embellishments are circles

journal:  you were once asked why you're taking photography classes and you said 'coz someone has to take my photos.  it was funny, you saying that.  but i know it's true.  having a scrapbooker wife requires that you are able to capture moments as well. demanding of me right?!  but know that i appreciate you being behind that lens.  your eye for detail is different.  and above all, it's because you love photography, plain & simple!

materials used:  cardstock - dcwv; patterned paper - prima, cosmo cricket, october afternoon, sassafras; chipboard - maya road, american crafts; stickers - jenni bowlin, 7gypsies; puncher - fiskars; ink - brilliance; mist - maya road, tattered angels; others - buttons, rikrak

adobo girls

i'm happy to find out that this layout i created using mostly echo park paper (life is good collection kit) was among the reader submission finalist at aussie scrap source. they had a call recently for a gdt spot with echo park paper and i submitted a few layouts.

today, i saw that they have already posted the chosen gdt and they also featured the layouts they liked. surprise! i see this layout among the chosen few. some of my friends' layouts were also there.

this was a photo shoot with the adobo girls earlier this year (and i was still on my 2nd trimester then). such fun times!  just a whole day of photo ops, chitchat and some scrappping on the side. love these girls!

materials used: cardstock - american crafts; patterned paper - echo park paper, october afternoon; stickers - echo park paper, october afternoon; puncher - fiskars, marvy uchida; mist - tattered angels, memories mist; die-cut - coluzzle; stamp - glitz design; ink - versa magic

batgirl

it's already october and by the end of the month, the kids will go on their trick or treat adventure.

now that we have nikko, i'm thinking if we will join one or not. he'll be almost 5months by then. it will be exciting to see him in a costume though. we'll see. we still have a week or two to decide on that.

in the meantime, let me share with you a layout i created for my niece christabel.  this was her costume 2years ago when she went for a trick or treat adventure.  i scraplifted this idea from a layout i saw in a ck magazine.  i like how she seemed to have run off-page in the photo.

materials used:  patterned paper - scenic route, october afternoon, cosmo cricket, my little shoebox; sticker - jenni bowlin; chipboard - provo craft; felt - fancy pants; others - brads, resin buttons, floss

life's adventure (tag mini book)

a client friend of ours is set to celebrate her birthday weekend.  i've always wanted to give her one of my scrapbook creations but never got a chance to do before.  but during my pre-maternity leave, with lots of time on hand while waiting for the baby (then) to arrive, i was finally able to create a little something for her.

this is a tag mini book which i made using the sizzix super scallop tag die for the base.  i also used the tim holtz birdcage die for the cover. i used an assortment of paper "scraps" for this project and never once used any new papers.

it also helped that i had a lot of paper punches, stamps and the coluzzle cutting system. i was able to create interesting details for this mini book with these tools.

i had a lot of fun creating the mini book given the little space i had to work around.  it is always a challenge to do these little projects but seeing the final item makes it all worthwhile.

 

long time fans

when we were younger, i remember my mom and dad would always listen to this radio station where they played old songs. they aired songs by frank sinatra, paul anka, tom jones and the like.  and my parents' favorite... songs by engelbert humperdinck!

and when he came over to perform in a concert, it was such a joy that my parents were able to watch him!

it was like i was the parent the day of the concert. i picked them up from the house and brought them to the concert venue. i had to tell them where nelo and i will be waiting for them. we passed the time waiting for them by watching toy story 3.  i  knew they were excited for the concert and i didn't mind waiting at all! it is these moments that i love to scrapbook!  

journal:  

for years, i have heard them listen to his songs, sometimes even singing with him. they've even thought of naming one of their kids after him. thankfully, they did not.  

and so when engelbert humperdinck had a concert at the araneta coliseum, i had to secure them tickets, compliments of clariz. best decision ever! 

they had one of their best nights together and it was priceless! 

materials used:  patterned paper - 7gypsies, october afternoon; stickers - cosmo cricket, pink paislee; die-cuts - making memories, dream street; punch - fiskars; others - ribbons

positively blessed

i know, i know! i haven't blogged in a while and i definitely missed blogging!

with the arrival of our newborn, family has to take priority and nothing else.  i even had to temporarily give up on scrapping since i had to focus more on taking care of nikko.  it's taking me a while to adjust but i'm coping.  just seeing how my baby has grown in the past 3 months only affirms that it was all worth it.

but like i said, i miss blogging and my hands are itching to post something. 

here's a layout that i was able to finish before i gave birth.  this will be the first page for my pregnancy album.  uhm, that is if i ever get to finish any pregnancy-related scrapbook pages soon. lol!

 

 materials used:  cardstock - dcwv;  lace cardstock - ki memories; patterned papers - k&co, scenic route, ki memories, fancy pants; chipboard - scenic route; stickers - american crafts, making memories, 7gypsies; die cutting machines - sizzix; label - chatterbox; flowers - prima; brads - making memories; paper ribbon - daisy bucket; ribbon

sundae fun day

this is my second layout featured at scrapbook news and review last june 2011.

nelo and i treated our niece aly to jollibee one sunday afternoon.  she's an ice cream fanatic and capping off the day at jollibee wouldn't be complete without having a choco sundae.  as you can see, aly enjoyed the afternoon and i love the her reaction as she was enjoying that sundae with nelo.

materials used:  cardstock - canson, dcwv; patterned paper - cosmo cricket; vellum - american crafts; alpha - doodlebug designs, provo craft, making memories; stickers - october afternoon, sassfars; stamp - scarlet lime; buttons - autumn leaves; mist - maya road; others - ribbon

i want your pizza!

last month (june 2011), two of my layouts were featured in the online magazine, scrapbook news and review.

 the call was for "everyday fun" and luckily, i was able to submit - and was accepted, for online publication.

this is one of the layouts featured which showed bel and carina.  i was laughing at this photo when my sil shared it with us. my niece carina seemed to be trying to pull her sister to get that pizza bel was eating. both girls were recently here for a visit and they are so cute!

materials used:  cardstock - dcwv; patterned paper - daisy bucket; punch - martha stewart, buttons - autumn leaves; die-cuts - sizzix; stickers - october afternoon, american crafts; glimmer mist - tattered angels, memories; others - twine, googly eyes

seven years of marriage and loving it!

it just seemed like yesterday when i walked down the aisle of st. john bosco church. the man i committed myself to was waiting at the end of the altar waiting for me with a big smile on his face. it was an overwhelming feeling at the time. i was about to start with a new chapter in my life and i can't wait to say my vows and commit a lifetime with the man who has loved me for who i am, flaws and all.

our wedding was truly special knowing that it was also shared with our families and friends. it was a magical day that i can relive over and over. 

from then till now, nelo and i have been through a lot already, both good and bad, happy and sad. still we emerged victorious through it all in our relationship and it has even made us stronger. life truly has its unexpected twists and turns and you just have to learn to swing it and move with the flow. 

and now, in a few days, we will be welcoming a new addition to out family and we just can't wait.  we thank god for all the guidance and blessings he has showered upon us. 

to remember our special day once more, seven years ago, here's a layout i created with some of our wedding photos.

materials used:  patterned papers - sassafras, making memories; chipboard - prima, making memories; die cuts - chatterbox; stickers - making memories; stamp - technique tuesday; punch - martha stewart;  others - doily, ribbon, blooms and lace

oh happy day

i've been scrapping as much as i can this past week. i'm sure by the time the baby arrives, there will be less time or should i say, no time for me to create any scrapbooks anytime soon.

let me share with you a layout i've finished using sketch #119 from the scrappiest. 

i've used mostly my old stash for this layout so i can't properly name the papers i used here.  still, this was a good way to de-stash and my niece carina is just oh so cute on these photos.

dad @ 64

this is my dad during father's day last year. he was 64 then and we got to treat him out for lunch.

unfortunately, my youngest brother was not able to join us then 'coz he had work.

this year, he'll be real grandfather soon and i'm sure, like most of us, life will be different for him soon.

he was the one who said my baby will be a boy at the onset of the pregnancy and he never wavered about it.

well, his wish was granted and i'm sure he can't wait to meet our baby in a few weeks.

so for now, this is a tribute page to you dad! soon to be daddy-lo!

journal:  it isn't often that we go out and celebrate father's day, but this time we did. and it was a great decision. we had lunch as a family, although pau cannot join us. you enjoyed every moment of it. you deserve this special treat dad!

incidentally, i am submitting this layout also for the scrapfit workout #44 challenge.

materials used: patterned paper - scenic route, cosmo cricket, sassafras; chipboard - american crafts, imagination project; punchers - fiskars, martha stewart; mist - tattered angels; buttons - autumn leaves; ink - tim holtz

election 2010

i can't believe it's been a year already since our country made history in the 2010 elections.

it was the first automated election and the fastest election count we've ever had.

and of course, finally electing a new president after almost 10 years in tenure of the previous one.

there's still much to expect from the current administration and work still continues.

for me, the best way to remember that historic day is to document our experience in a scrapbook layout.

we all got to vote, except for my mom whose records, unfortunately, were used by a "flying voter."

materials used: cardstock - canson; patterned paper - scenic route, echo park; puncher - martha stewart, ek success; ink - versa magic; chipboard - provo craft; sticker - pink paislee; font - veteran typewriter; others - buttons

little boy at heart

it's been a while... again!

since the pregnancy, i've been such a lazy daisy when it comes to blogging so no more excuses!

i've been able to do a few simple layouts since my last post though.

still lots to share but so little time.

i've already shared this layout over at facebook during nelo's birthday.

and i'd still like to share it here.

i love his expression on the photos! these shots were taken by our friend meng lim during a "pictorial."

it really brought out the kid in him.

and the "little boy" collection from echo park paper was perfect for this layout!

journal:

that is what i love about you!despite the serious side, you have that boyish flair that can drive me crazy and happy at the same time. your free spirited nature endear you even more to me each day!

materials used: cardstock - bazzill, dcwv; patterned paper - echo park paper; stickers - echo park paper, jenni bowlin;  glimmer mist - tattered angels; brads

hidden talent?

it's been a few weeks since my last post. february was a productive month for me on the scrapbooking front. but i seem to have lagged behind once more this march. mr. mojo has left the building! we'll see if he comes back on saturday when i meet up with the adobo girls for a day of scrappy fun!

still, i'd like to share with you a layout i finished last month. i have lots of photos of my nieces and that's what i've been scrapping more of these days. this is aly, and she can be so silly and yet she's such a sweetie.

old stash alert! had these with me for a long time. was finally able to use it!

materials used: patterned paper - rusty pickle; felt - fancy pants; buttons - autumn leaves; alphas - american crafts, october afternoon; others - resin buttons

by the way, just to update you on my post below...

texas ranger

i really like using sketches to jumpstart my scrappy mojo.  it's the fastest way for me to scrap since i still have lots of photos i need to scrap.

this one here was inspired by the february sketch challenge at sweet peach crop shop. the design was just right for these photos of christabel, my niece who lives in texas.  i fixed the photo using various actions in photoshop. it helped set the mood for the theme.

and, the best part of creating this layout -- using up my old stash! these papers have been with me for ages! i do love the result!

materials used: patterned paper - basic grey, cosmo cricket, crate paper; felt - maya road; chipboard - american crafts; sticker - jenni bowlin; wood banner - jolee's; die cut - tim holtz; others - buttons, brads, twine