Mother's day greeting cards

This was what i completed last night. A couple of 'Mothers Day' cards - materials from from mish-mash of freebies from british scrapbook inspirations magazine and bits of patterned wrapping paper cut out to fit cards.

Pink flower bits (freebie) was coupled with various kinds of sequins from my small sequin collection - stuff i bought out of whim (from sewing shop) just because i thought ' i could use them' - (sure enough!) or just 'fancied the look of it ...'. They come in rather inexpensive small packets - enough to last one a while!

The greenish/blue-ish egg-shaped sequin became the 'leaves and the tiny round pink sequins (used two) for the center of the pink flower. Topped flower off with bright yellow tiny bead - all strung together with fine wire and taped to the back of patterned paper.

The first card is always the hardest. Struggled to string 'flower together' and had to figure out how to gingerly fasten flowers to back of paper (that wasn't exactly the thickest of papers nor the sturdiest!).

Edged the card with pink ric-rac and 'flower pot' sticker was made out of fancy paper punchers stuck together with double sided tape, topped with a green bow.

Finally...!

The completed pages of the nephew's discovery of how fun a place the beach can be!

Admitted, the project took a while to complete. Pages were homecut in 8'x8' card stock alike. Design papers were largely from inexpensive wrapping papers. Photos printed of the rather cranky HP printer, and embellishments were made out of buttons (some sewn, most glued on), ribbons, home-made tags, chipboard alphabets, rub-on distressed alphabets, digital print-outs that were cut out into home made stickers, brads and eyelets.

By the time, i thought i completed the basic range of pages - 10 in all, i was exhausted. I guess working from scratch makes it all the more time consuming as oppose to having those rather handy scrapbook kits where papers and embellishments are styled, matched and complemented for you.

But am not complaining. Its absorbing enjoyable work. Time just zips pass and one forgets all present the cares and stresses and just focus on the present.

It took a while to decide on what to write. Some days, I'd stare at the pages quite blankly, other days - undecided; when there's too many ideas swirling about in the head! The pages laid about idle for a while until I decided yesterday that i've let them ideas stew long enough its time to complete the scrap pages.

I was expecting more indecision but amazingly, when that creative juices flow. It just does! I found myself improving on some pages and improvising on some - adding on to the 10 pages I've done earlier.

Took the opportunity to use my newly acquired stamps too! My first few attempts were rather 'clumsy' though ... thought I had ruined the pages but then that 'distressed' look only lent a rustic feel to those pages.

I guess, that's the beauty of creativity - no attempt, how good or clumsy is bad. It just adds a unique-ness to the end process.

Next step. The cover page. I've decided to incorporate the use of acetate (transparencies) - an inspiration i got off those british scrapbook magazines i've been reading. However, i've yet to settle on the design ... ;)

Glue Dots

Described as fairly tiny circles of sticky dots meant to stick photos or paper embellishments.

Its suppose to do away with the tedious and messy work of having to glue harder to reach pieces or fragile material together (like lace and vellum(??))

Just that ... the glue dots i got locally are just a little too dainty and 'frail' to unglue off the wax paper they originally come in. I either end up stretching them from circles to strips of unsightly sticky bits (usually rendering them unusuable) or they stick anyway and everywhere (esp. the fingers) except the spots you want them to stick on!

So. What do you do? Use tweezers? I tried, they ended up sticking to tweezers? Or maybe you're simply not suppose to unglue the dots from the waxy paper? One dots and strips off the waxy bits just like how one sticks double sided tape ...

At the rate am going am probably going to ruin my entire limited supply of dots without even ever using them properly!

Does anyone knows how to use glue dots?

Of Inkpads and Stamps!

These came in the mail this week.

I finally acquired some fancy acrylic stamps and ink pads that i have been wanting for a while. The stamps came from Taiwan and inkpads from Scotland - all possible via Ebay! (At the rate am getting me stuff off that site and raving about it on this blog they should consider paying me to advertise for them!) :)

Am now considering whether i should buy more acrylic blocks of various sizes to mount the stamps - which would then lead to the issue of storage ... or leave them the way they are - in flat sheet, so easy to store, so easy to lose 'em too - with all the bits of paper and embellishments lying about!

Reckon before i embark on more scrap tools acquisitions, i ought to learn how to really use me stamps. So far, without the mounts, stamping quality isn't exactly satsifactory. Its a little blurred, or unclear in certain parts. Maybe am not applying enough EVEN pressure on stamps ... or maybe my technique of stamping is just wrong.

I've got a self inking initial stamp and even that doesn't quite come out nicely! :P

Must ask an expert ... or at least read up on techniques of stamping.

They (stamps manufacturers) also promised that stamps can be easily cleaned - either by wiping residue off with tissue of washing stamps out ... that's not exactly true either. I've got one red inkpad that ink seems to stick like glue on stamps no matter how much i wash them out!

There's yet alot to be learnt with stamps and inkpads!

Freebies with references!

Today, I got myself a couple of copies of UK printed 'Paper Craft inspirations' magazines. Though not the latest issues but discovered the magazine - in addtion to the free card embellishments that was packaged with the magazine, 'Paper Craft Inspirations' also included templates and free patterned papers that can be used for making cards or scrap pages and (this is the best part) can be downloaded (and printed out as many copies your heart's desires!) for FREE from their allocated webiste.

I thought the free downloads were pretty ...

Check out:-
http://www.papercraftinspirationsmagazine.co.uk/page/papercraft?catname=/FREE%20papers

That's the difference between the American Scrapbook magazines and the UK versions. The British tend to focus more on not only the beautiful 'end products' but also the 'how to ...' - giving readers a step by step pictorial account on achieving such effects.

Admittedly, the British scrap pages that are featured in magazines tend to be a little less flamboyant and fancy compared to the American versions. But for beginners like me who is in want for lots of instructions and education ( on the different tools, accents, effects) that is unfortunately non-existent in my part of the world, these magazines (and of course reference books) are God-sent!

Also there's scrapbookscrapbook.com (that was emailed to me from Jasmine) where you can get quite a few things to download for FREE!

Check out my Slide Show!

This features that one can pick off the internet and add to one's blog is very nifty tool! (love tools, have soft spot for them!). Thanks for giving me the idea Jasmine!

These are a collage of some of my works (some posted earlier, some not). I've to admit I only just started taking pictures of them (when i started this blog!). Usually, i'd just make 'em and be too embarassed to show them off ...

But these days i don't quite give a toss. Am rather proud of my work - clumsily amaturish or not! Some works i like, some i think 'Oh yuck!!'

See, there's always room for improvements - wot! ;) Experimenting with different styles and accents and learning through trial and error is the fun-est part of it all!

Welcoming Grace

My godsons, Daniel and Luke are now proud brothers to their baby sister, Grace.

Made a card today to welcome her and congratulating her beaming parents and brothers. :)

Card was made out of of glossy photo paper (that I discovered its thickness will only clog my printer!!) with torn out pink mulberry paper accented with felt embellishments, butterfly buttons, pink ric-racs, ribbons and floral lace, and a little tinkly bell tied together with silver string.

All put together (glued on with both UHU glue and taped down with double sided tape) in mere minutes! I tend to be rather spontaneous with my creative designs ... skipping the long drawn brain storming comtemplative drawing board process!

Next step is getting Grace a welcome gift - Finally! I have a reason to go girly pink!! All those pretty dresses and accessories ... thank heaven for little girls!

Of shades and hues

Am glad I finally done something about the photos I took nearly a year ago now of one rare 'reunion' of old friends, who've known each other since their college days.

Incidently (and most fortunately), my present stash of designer scrapbook papers matched the photos beautifully! The hues and shades were simply perfect.

Speaking of which, its a pity that although we don't lack papers in Kuching, its the rich arrays of hues and colour shades that comes short. For some reason local manufacturers either colour their papers too bright (think blinding neons enough to stop traffic) or pastel them too light everything becomes rather insipid and bland. :P

I reckon we don't take our colour research seriously ... I don't think we even give much thought to shades and hues. (I suppose in my part of the world such issues are what the chinese would say one indulges in when one has too much to eat!) Its no wonder on many occassions and events the choice of colours used makes one wonder whether the person in charge was colour blind or out of cost consideration - was forced to pick the cheapest and most horrible colours available or simply had to use up whatever paint they had left - not even pausing to consider the effects of colours used.

Tell a sales person in a materials/apparels shop here you're looking for a turquoise shade or a fruschia piece and they'll look at you rather blankly ... So naturally, when one starts ranting on about the specific hues and shade of secondary and tertiary colours i.e. azure blue, lime green or teal (ok, ok am getting a little carried away here!) most encounters would not only draw a blank but additionally, one's given the 'evil eye' (i.e. ' Not another eccentric customer!!').

Now you understand why i usually end up rummaging through the shops from top to bottom ... Its a good thing I enjoy the entire process of rummaging alone. Else, would have given up scrapbooking a long time ago for want of materials! That's part of the scrapbook fun - sourcing for alternative materials ... its like opening a treasure chest - slowly picking out bits that one could use!

Pages and more ...

As mentioned earlier, have been working on Jared's beach album. Its slowly coming along ... have completed about 12 pages. The pages are not exactly completed - there's still the journally aspects add in. But I'd quite happy at the moment with the 12 pages I've made so far. Reckon that makes a fairly decent home bound mini scrap book album.

However, as i write - there's a part of me that's churning out more ideas for additional pages - mentally adding more photos to the portfolio ... I don't think one ever does complete an album until one runs out of decent photos to display!

The pages of 8.5x8.5inches (home sized and cut) are made out of fawn/tan card stock-like paper sheets and blue manila card that are easily found at any decent stationary stores. These 'alternatives' - ranging from RM0.90 to RM1.50 for a 24x24 inches piece these cardstock-like papers are relatively inexpensive compared to what one pays for those beautiful 12x12 Bazzill card stock ( that's selling between the range of RM3.50-RM5.00 per piece!)

Chose blue and fawn mainly because i wanted to depict the beach-like ambience of clear blue skies and soft sandy beaches - plus the fact the colours complemented J's swim outfit.

Matched these card-stocklike base with my collection of wrapping/present paper - that's been cut out to one's designs. Depending on type and textures of coloured wrapping paper - these various papers are about RM1.50 to RM4.50 for approximately 22x24inches per piece.

Page embellishments are made out of various elements :-
a) Coloured buttons. Some sewn. Some glued. These buttons can be found cheaply and abundantly from materials, flowers (!) and sewing shops that seem to be rather popular in the city
b) Paper flowers recently acquired from 'Pick and Pack' the local nearly 'scrap booking' shop
c) Brads and Eyelets (that came in the mail last week)
d) Home made tags - cut out from the scraps of papers leftover from photo pages.
e) Ribbons
f) Fonts from Queen & co.
f) A smatter of mix and match of textured papers - from corrugated to complementary hues and shades of selected 'wrapping papers'
g) Home made 'stickers'

I daresay, not having readily access to all those beautiful designer papers and tools that i constantly admire and dream about (but dare not order for exhorbitant shipping charges) from the shops online is really a 'blessing in diguise'. In a way, knowing my tendency to splurge (i have a soft spot for nifty looking stationary gadgets!), not having access to them just saves me alot of unnecessary (but oh so delightful) shopping and spending!

Bouts of Scrapbook Block ...

Whenever a bout of scrapbook block hits, I pause for a moment and switch to reading my present (and ever growing) stash of scrapbook magazines and books (am actually amazed i could find them in the bookstores here!).

As i write, after ten pages of scrapping nephew's beach photos feel an running out of ideas - in terms of layout and embellishments. Have kept a general theme about the pages - blue and tan (depicting the clear blue skies and the sandy beaches). Have made conscious effort of making pages bright and cheery - using bright yellows, blues, greens ...

But mind you i do have my doubts. At the back of my mind i do wonder if my choice of colour palate is a little too garish, too gaudy, too giddy-ingly LOUD (the sort that would stop a herd of stampeding wilderbeast in a beat or worst send them fleeing off the edge of some cliff in blinding horror! :p).

I guess we're always our worst critic ... i know i am my own!

I complained previously about photo quality and scrapbuddy says there's nothing wrong with portrait pictures i took. I guess its just we want things to be 'better'. Thing is, am so bent on wanting to be 'better' i forget to appreciate what I am 'now'.

Am missing the entire point of creating, am I?

Work in Progress

I have to admit, am not exactly the neatest person while working on scrap pages!





As depicted in photos, am presently working on compiling an album of nephew - his first beach adventure! He's growing so rapidly as i scrap (admittedly, i have been taking my time) Am determined to get it done before he turns three and doesn't recognize his little one year old self any longer! ;)

With the wealth of resouces that came through the mail last week, have made good use of the new brads and Queen & Co. chipboard fonts. Also been reading up on how to add in journalling in smaller albums (this one is 8x8") by tucking in written tags behind pockets of photos (that idea i have incorporate in this project as seen in the page where nephew is digging in the sand). Consciously trying to make pages brighter ... i've been stuck in neutral browns and greens for almost forever! The fact that we don't have a vast collection of paper shades and hues in this city makes it harder to break out of that mould ...

Will take more photos once work is completed.

Doggy tales ...

Dogs. They are my pet pick for scrap books - mainly because i have tonnes of photos of them by honing my photography skills on them - only to discover i have naturally shaky hands (good thing am not a surgeon!) and my subjects of interest are sometimes not the most cooperative (like children).

These are the pages i made from the compilation of photos i have of them. I titled the first 'Snoopy' - journally in brief how the wee puppy rambled into life. The title fonts 'SNOOPY' are from digital scrapbook file - downloaded, printed, cut out and pasted.



The second page is titled 'Tuffy's guide to Training the Boss' for 'Playtime' (Lesson 1), 'Dinnertime' (Lesson 3) and 'Bedtime' (Lesson 3). Printed off own printer this page details a humourous real life account of Tuffy's antics - what he would do to get you to cooperate!



The third (and hopefully more would follow later) page is titled 'Snoopy's Strategies to getting Doggy Treats ...' - more humourous accounts of what dog would do to get you to give her treats.



Layout is fairly simple. I sort of ran out of ideas on how to marry detailed journally with assortment of doggy pictures - (layouts are somewhat similar, colour scheme too!). Papers were of the usual coloured 80gsm A4 papers (that you can get in almost any stationary shop) where journal accounts were printed on and then pasted on white inexpensive manila card paper home-cut into 12 x 12 size (you literally have to do everything yourself in my part of the world!). Embellishments were made out of ribbons (my colour sense is still at its infancy stages!), brads and eyelets (my very first set!) and stickers - some given by me best scrapbuddy Jasmine, and some home-made of my collection of fancy paper punchers.

Since we don't have 12x12 scrapbook albums in Kuching nor do we have 12x12 page holders, i made do without the plastic paper holders and looked into the alternative of making my own 'album' - idea sparked off by Jasmine (i remember her briefly telling me that you can hold pages together with rings). It was all rather run - the rummaging through stationary section of a popular bookstore in the city and piecing together the different parts and making it all come together and work! Its not exactly the finest of albums - but i would do for me. :)

There's always something most satisfying about home-made stuff - esp. when its fruits of one's own labour!

Pick & Pack

I happily would like to report that we can now find some fancy scrapbooking papers, Bazzill cardstock (!) some coloured flower brads, stamps and die-cutters (Sizzix!) in Catcity. Also there are some nifty embellishments, ranging from fancy 3D-stickers to felt, plastic and paper flowers.

Admittedly, the selection isn't exactly HUGE but it is thrilling nevertheless to finally be able to find some scrapbook items in Kuching. Its like a dream come true to finally be able to peruse scrapbook supplies a mere 10 minutes drive away from home (as oppose to at least one and a half hour of air travel!)

Am rather concerned whether this one of a kind 'gift shop' would continue bringing in and stocking up on scrapbook items. I noticed (in that one hour of being there) I was just about the ONLY one browsing through the shop's fancy papers and scrapbook embellishments supplies and buying what I thought i could use. Don't get me wrong, the shop didn't lack customers, its just they were more keen on cuddly toys, cute knick-knacks and fanciful what-nots.

Must seriously consider infecting others with scrapbooking interests.

Thing is, there is the important costs consideration to weigh. I doubt many people in my part of the world would spend RM5 (which can actually buy a complete meal and drink!) on a 12X12 inch cardstock when they can buy a 30x25inch card-like paper for half the price (or maybe even less)!

The last shop (more of a specialised stationary shop) that stocked all manner of paints, writing instruments and paper tools happened to also stock fancy paper cutters and card stock like texturd papers. Its sadly closed down due to lack of business - which leaves us paper enthusiasts and artists out in the cold ...

So here's to Pick and Pack! May your business thrive and flourish - especially in the scrapbooking department!

Hybrid Pages ...

A couple of experimental hybrid scrap pages of photos of nephew taken over this Chinese New Year in KL. Page(s) was enabled by digital scrapbooking files downloaded off website and embellished with traditional embellishments (ribbons, mounting, eyelets).

Since I couldn't print pages in the usual 12x12 inches (couldn't find paper of that size, nor can my basic printer accomodate paper of such width), i had pages printed out on glossy A4 paper, cut out and assembled with some fancy papers and card stock papers (in the first brown page).

Love the fonts though ... so pleased now that can print out as many alphabets or words, cut, paste and assemble i.e. cut, paste in the traditional manner. No longer have to rely on fuzzy, wobbly handwriting ... which i think just spoils the entire card or page (i could be a little harsh on self). Fonts on second page was mounted on cardboard pieces i save off cardboard box packaging (we're really talking about SCRAPS here!).

... with a touch of sympathy ...

I made a couple of condolences card last week since the gifts/cards shops here tend to stock cards for more happier occassions. I guess we all don't like to be reminded that we will soon 'shuffle off our mortal coils ...' and therefore everything esp. gifts must be bright and (not that kind of)gay.






I personally think, colour-wise, black and white designs are attractive. They have always been a stunning combination.

Also think cards could double off as rather elegant invites for a nice dinner party of sorts - assuming the invited group has no reservations about the colours white and black.

Fontastics!

These arrived in the mail today (Yay!) They were from Queen & Co. - more stuff purchased off Ebay.

I have a thing for fonts (in addition to ribbons) ... can't seem to get enough of them.

I dare say my writing is quite decent and I could always write things out freehand on cards and scrapbook projects. Thing is, am prone to nervousness ...that's when hands get shaky and writing don't quite turn out the way it ought to - e.g.'a's looks like 'e's, 's' that turn out like 'r's and vice versa - the possibilities of what could actually turn out is frightfully endless!

In addition to that, there's the spelling errors. Mind you, i can spell - as you can read ... Its just when I know I only have ONE shot at getting it right, i get nervous and everything just goes slightly awry - even if i had practiced on another piece of paper!

But ... with Fontastics, ah ... Fantastic-Fontastics ... i can now aspire (i never stopped actually) to be closer to PERFECTION!

Then again, i could still absentmindedly miss out a letter in my spelling, nor can i be truly assured that font colours match design layout ... oh well ...

Main thing is, i still got 'em FONTASTICS! :)

Digital scrapbooking

Digital scrapbooking :- I read about it, i reviewed reviewers review, browsed the various sites, pondered about it - mainly whether its a solution to the fact that my physical access to scrapbook materials is very much limited.

Even after reading up, I was still somewhat vague on how digital scrapbooking is done. Do one need dedicated speciality software? Or could one just use the familiar ol' MSWord? They mentioned Photoshop alot ... and that turned me off since the only thing i know about Photoshop is how to open and close JPG files! Ask me to edit and i end up corrupting any file set before me ... :P

Though am usually satisfied with the locally sourced alternatives and pleased with what i can conjure up with them, I do on occassions wished i had easy access to all that fantastical whimsical world of paper art and embellishments.

... until i couldn't take it anymore. I wanted Whimsical! Fanciful! And all that wonderous elemental designs to be incorporated into my scrapbooking reportoire! (admiring other scrapbook enthusiasts' works does make one to only WANT for more ...!)

So, I took the gamble. Figured, a USD1.20 (about RM4.20 - depending on the rates of the day) per file loss is bearable (compared to what i had already spent on acquiring paper tools and supplies!). Efforts may also be for nought - if i didn't have the right software or technical know-how... but at least i tried!

A good site to start is www.scrapbooks.com where there's an array of digital scrapbooking files to chose from.

You would eventually discover in the payment process that our country isn't listed!(how sad is that!) But fret not! The most important thing is to click on the manner of which the files are to be sent i.e. 'DOWNLOADABLE FILES'. Once payment is completed, your files can be instantly downloaded.)

I have since discovered that digital scrapbooking is alot easier than thought out to be. You can indeed use friendly ol' MSWord - since files are mainly JPG. Its as easy as inserting clipart! You just got to add on little more technical know-how on how to layer those files.

Ever since, my work has turned 'Hybrid' i.e. a combination of digital scrapbooking and tradtional scrapbooking. I can't say that's better than having access to specialty craftshops nearby but its good enough for me!

and a home made story book ...

With my load of dog photos, i decided to spin a little tale out of one of them - the naughtiest of the lot! Its a start ... at least it gives the pictures more meaningful relevance rather than mere show case of photographic skills (which for me am afraid, are non existent ...)






Since my favourite bedtime tale as a child was a home-spun story by my very own father about a mischevious little pup, i thought i'd write along similar lines. The 8'x 8' book has 6 pages - made out of brown card stock - that i doubt is acid or lignin free (but that doesn't really bother me really ...).



Had the photos selected and printed on very own HP officejet printer on 190gsm glossy paper. Must add photo print outs aren't exactly top notched ... (really need advice here ...). Wrote story out on MS Word, had it printed out on coloured paper (80-90gsm), cut and pasted.

What am most pleased about (although there will ALWAYS be someone else who's better - musn't be envious ...) its all done D-I-Y. I didn't make the materials of course, but the binding, the cutting out of paper size, all that was done here - in my little scrapbooking corner. :)

Paper Chase ...

The quest for papers is like embarking on a paper chase. You know with the effort put in you'd be richly rewarded in the end. A treasure hunt. A bargain search ... whatever you call it, its possibly one of the most thrilling experience for a scrapbook enthusiast!

Since specialty scrapbook shops do not exist in my part of the world, I find myself walking into one shop - only to discover another that amazingly stocks what I could actually use in this paper obsession of mine. Its not exactly 'A' grade stuff that you get in the American shops but it will do for me.

A good start would be that of a stationary shop preferably one that is managed by the owners themselves (since they themselves have sound knowledge of their stocks and products), only to get clues or directions on where to go to next if shop is found not to have such items in stock.

Fortunately, its usually a short stroll from one shop to another. Usually each hunt for paper embellishments and such unveils an even greater discovery of shops carrying paper bits that I would not have discovered had I not been given such directions.

Once I actually stumbled upon a gift shop on the upper level of shophouses - one that would normally be overlooked. What piqued my curiousity was the huge plastic like ribbon the proprietor so creatively pasted on the windows of the shop. I found during that pleasant visit (with more fancy ribbons and papers to add to my present stash), that the owner was actually bringing in brads and eyelets and perhaps even scrapbook kits! I had to stop myself from hugging the owner in delight (for many brads are the run of the mill embellishment, where i come from its non existent!) she might think me I had a little too much to drink (and so early in the day too!) People in my part of the world aren't exactly big on public display of affection ...

Talk about the thrill of the week! Hug or no hug, I shall consider her my newest best friend!

Woo hoo! *do a little jig in glee!*

Just like Christmas ...

Christmas is a time for gift giving. Although it may be a little too early (or late depending on which point of view you’re coming from) to expound upon the festivities of such season, it felt like Christmas today – at least for me.

Today, I received a small padded package in the mail -sent all the way from the States. I knew the instant I picked it up (from the gentle rattling the package made when I shook it) my brads from the States have arrived! Scuttled all the way to my room to admire my new found treasures – in private.

As you are now well aware, I am forced to shop online for items I simply cannot get in my little part of the world I call home. With the internet, there’s a wealth of online scrapshops to choose and shop from but what puts me off (since I live in possibly one of the remotest part of the world … ) is the killer shipping fees is enough to make one blanch. More often than not, what they charge me for shipping is a lot more than the items I have designs on! :(

But … the allure of acquiring more for my collection have not deterred me – blanched or not.

I’ve since discovered EBAY! Type scrapbooking in the ‘Search’ column and you get a dizzying array of vendors to choose from. And prices are rather reasonable too – if you pick right. Perhaps even cheaper from what you’d get from the craft shops in KL – plus shipping!

Admittedly am rather proud of my (bargain) finds – even if I have to wait for weeks before I can actually get my hands on them or risk them being ‘lost in the mail’ - though the chances of local postmen nicking them is slim. (When I had to describe in detail what brads are to various local stationary and gift shop owners only to have give me queer looks like 'which planet is she from?!', its safe to assume that the local postmen wouldn't have any use for brads!!).

For a paper enthusiast as deprived as I am – so long as it arrives, its Christmas!

Check out my beauties ... :)



If you're interested, I'd be happy to share with you the addresses of reasonable ebay scrapbook vendors. :)

Expenses and Space ...

Unlike the specialised craftshops in KL and Singapore, am glad that the basic papers here don't cost all that much ... until i go overboard and buy them by the reems!

Honestly, I don't really need that much but its usually my succumbing to that hoarder's instincts of 'the more the merrier!' ... until i get my credit card bill at the end of the month that is. :(

But usually, most purchases are on cash basis (- those mom and pop craft shops in my part of the world have yet to acquire credit facilities). To date, I've not exactly tallied how much i've spent on papers and embellishments, but judging from the ever growing stash i have in the corner of my room - its burgeoning at a rather alarming rate!

When i first started, I used to be able to keep all my papers and tools in a box a little larger than two shoe boxes. Its 'overflowed' since ... and am forced, in addition to that passionate acquiring of papers and other what-nots, shop for decent storage - so things won't be in such an mess.

Although i've done my part of tediously clean up and vacuuming after every card/page making project, I can't say that scrap corner of my room is exactly spiffily tidy! I'd like to think of it as a constructive mess, where there is a certain subtle order in that chaos you see (like real ...!).

and a drawer full of ribbons ...

My stash of ribbons are in want of proper storage!

It was only this year that i started with the ribbons collection to embellish cards and scrap pages. Since its just about the only readily available scrapbooking embellishment in the heart of Borneo, i bought just about any colour, design and textures that I could get my hands on from various shops around town. As you can see, i've amass quite a collection!

I also happily report that am no longer ignorant of the term 'textured ribbons'. I can now detail my ribbons somewhat specifically - from ric-rac to gingham design cloth ribbons of 1/8 ... sadly though, the shop owners (usually sewing/florist shops) who's lingua franca is mainly in chinese dialect of Hockkien haven't a clue what am going on about! :p

Due to force of circumstances, am now trying very hard to remember terms for such ribbons in Hockkien dialect. Can't say am doing very well in that sector ... i've already forgotten the Hockkien term for ric-racs !

Having said that, sign language always works. If that fails, I'd just tell them I'll go and help myself and am usually more than happy to rummage through their shop until i find what i want! Whilst shop owner is equally happy to let befuddling customer who speaks funny look for what she wants!

Usually, by going through their shop from the front all the way to the dusty little corners at the back, gives me an idea of what local craft shops have in stock thus, helping me build up my mental inventory of what bits and pieces i can gather locally. Almost always - I'd stumble upon some other treasures that i could use!

Like those paper flowers i found ...

of many names and textures ...

I thought paper was mere paper until I discovered scrapbooking.

I knew about paper weight and thickness - mainly because i had to deal alot with cranky photo copiers and laser printers who'd kick up a fuss unless papers were of a certain weight and thickness.

But when a friend of mine who happen to be an avid scrapbooker (and a real good one at that! check out http://scrapaholicunited.blogspot.com/) brought me to a proper scrapbooking craft shop it was like a whole new world opened up before me. There were Bazzill cardstock papers of every shade and textures ... there were beautiful papers of designs and hues i've not seen except perhaps in the materials shop where my mother would go.

The difference was, in materials shop its only occassional that something would catch my eye - this wee little craft shop literally took my breath away! Mind you, the shop wasn't very big either and the stuff they had there were not exactly plenty. But EVERYTHING was dizzyingly tempting! I dare say i went quite mad ... had it not been sheer will power and practicality (i.e. would i use that? what's my budget?) I would have bought everything in sight and suffer the dire consequences of breaking the bank!

I must admit there is still alot to be learnt from the nature of different papers and their names. For a longest time i didn't know what 'cardstock' was (thick paper), vellum (thin tissue like paper) was. I just knew i wanted thick paper and thin paper and normal coloured paper. :P When that friend of mine (who took me to my first craft shop) raved about the wonders of 'Bazzill' paper, i thought she was speaking in a foreign language until i saw for myself what it was ...

That's what its like for someone who come from a place that doesn't have a specific scrapbooking craft haven. Am either forced to a) take a plane to the nearest city with craft shops or b) order online and pay a bomb for shipping charges!

Now, armed with good scrapbook references - i daresay am a little more informed though i can't claim that i have mastered the basics of Paper101 just yet!

... Put together

... and you have Cards!

Previewing the Easter cards made over the week before Easter.

They are what i would term as 'Hybrid cards' - a combination of digital images that were downloaded from a certain scrapbook website and traditional 'mini' scrapbooking (think small!).

Printed images on glossy paper of about 150gsm (discovered that too thick a paper would only jam the printers!). Cut and pasted.

Kept designs relatively simple and tried best to complement colours with whatever bits of papers i have in stock. Added ripped mulberry paper ( not exactly sure what the name of paper is - but its thin and tissue like in texture) and ribbons, for added effects.

It was fun creating cards and seeing concepts come to fruition! :)