Finally ....!!!

My computer - on its last legs - coughed and grasped its final breath last month. They weren't joking when they allude that blue screen to one of 'death' ...

Hence the silence.

I thought i could resuscitate the laptop -more out of sentimental reasons (the machine's been with me through thick and thin for at least four years!) than anything else.... That's how much of files (and junk) that's been stored in its hard drive. And finally, when the tech guy could finally slot in the time to deal with yours truly's broken down pathetic machine (he probably thought it was more worth its while to to bin the machine), for hours he tried every trick up his sleeve, but alas to no avail.

The machine was truly dead.

Kaput.

That's when i finally realised that holding out hope for a revived laptop was one in vain and spent the weekend browsing through the computer shops and studying laptop brochures. Trying to figure out what the specifications that suits my needs and my budget. It was all quite fun - these days, one can get a whole lot more for much less! For a bargain hunter, that's really encouraging!

So here it is. My spankingly new HP laptop. I've got one with a dedicated graphics card - so can work better and faster with graphics - rather than push integrated graphic cards to the limit only having computer to frustratingly stall on me.

That's all in theory though. This new machine has yet to prove itself. Until the laptop proves how much it can do with this NVIDIA graphics card, I'll get down to writing reviews. ;)

Missed opportunity ...

Was in KL this week. The plan was when all more important priorites was settled and completed, I'd make a date with SnazzyJazzy (SJ - who got me scrapping in the first place) and we'd go scrapbooking shopping. With all careful planning set in place - where to meet, the time, the logistics ... I had to regretfully cancel.

Alas!! If not for this confounded cold that reduces one to snivelling putty - along with that horrid feelings of feeling ghastly, I would have been spending my Friday evening marvelling over the latest florishes, embellishments and papers in those lovely scrapbooking stores with SJ. Dinner was also part of the plans - but i reckon we'd probably spending less time savouring paper delicacies than the nourishing edible kind! I'd also be a heck lot poorer but alot happier ...

That was all part of my GRAND plan ... *heaves great sigh*

Instead, I had to get concierge get me a bottle of Actifed to stop running nose and Oral B to sooth out sore throat - while I spent my Friday evening in a sort of stoned out stupor, drifting in and out of sleep (thanks to Actifed that stops the nose running but knocks one out!).

Flight was early the following morning so there was no chance of rescheduling scrapbook shopping. Talk about a missed opportunity! Though have not exactly recovered ... (that sore throat has since blossomed into a hacking dry cough and nose is still blocked - gratefully no more uncomfortable sneezing)

I guess the alternative now is to get stuff from the local online scrapbook stores. I was so looking forward to be able to touch, feel and hold florishes, embellishments and papers in hands before deciding to buy 'em ... *SIGH*

Oh well, there's always next time ...

Non descript ramblings ...

I've been busy ... compiling a mini scrap album of trip to KK hence the lack of entry. So far my 8x8 inches album totals 23 page and there are still a few more photos to scrap. Once am down I'd take photos of all the mini pages i've done and the album i've put together (No fancy concertina stuff ... since there are LOTS of pages to compile!)

Apart from putting together album have been taking loads of pictures of nephew's and aodrably little puppies antics. Him and his mom have visited Kuching. As for puppies - its amazing how much they grow in mere weeks! (That should be a potential scrap project in the pipeline)

Which leaves me to my biggest lament - so much ambition, so little time!!

I suppose if I pushed myself to work faster to complete projects I could complete alot more with my given free time. But on the flipside, what use is there to stress oneself out over a pet hobby project? Hobbies are suppose to be fun. Scrapbooking absorbingly therapeutic to say the least. To churn out completed projects under a certain deadline would make scrapbooking more like work and less of an enjoyable hobby.

I really ought not to be complaining. Laying off actual scrapbooking for abit leaves me with opportunities to scan my environment for inspiration. Letting those ideas - stew and swirl for a bit before getting back to that present project of mine of putting together a mini album of trip to Sabah. The idea of album is to tell a tale from a 2.5 year old toddler ... :)

It's kind of like writing a non-ficitional story book ...

Mauve dots of the week ...

Last weekend, I took the opportunity to visit the 'World Craft Bazaar' that was held alongside the Annual Borneo Rainforest Music Festival. Though in reality there were not quite as many stalls as the term 'World Craft Bazaar' suggests, they did have some pretty nifty hand-made bits - from Indonesian handcrafted fine leather handbags (i guess the fur on bag would appeal to some ....), to exquisitely Korean embroideries and knots, tie dyed silk wraps and pashminas from Gujerat, quirkly felt characters from Kazakhstan to baby rattles and baskets made out of Danish weeds that smelled absolutely lovely, to our local craftworks and souveniers.

I got this from one of local budding beading enthusiast - Qacaq. Which is pronounced as 'Ka-cak' which means covers the range of 'lovelies' (from pretty, handsome, beautiful to yummy ...) in Malay.The shimmering beads were of Swaroski crystals ... not exactly local Borneo-an handcraft. But i couldn't resist how YUMMY or 'Kacak' that piece was.

It also so happened too that an old friend's birthday was around the corner and I found myself musing over the idea of incorporating yummy choker into card layout. Mulled all week. And when i wasn't dreaming out design and concocting layout techniques .... I made cards (as seen in previous posts)

And after much trial and error ... and many pieces of paper shredded to bits ... I decided to be less ambitious in terms of layout (my technical know-how is limited to only so much ..) and stick simply to what 'might' work. Card turned out nothing like my initial scribbling designs.

That's what I came up with ... a mauve taupe piece with polka dots that matched the yummy mauve choker. What's most important is that friend liked it! :)

Baby shower

Made this baby shower card out of out of different types of materials - from manila cardstock, baby present paper to blue floral cloth borders and white felt.

The baby boy 'outfits' for first drawn on felt cloth and then cut out and adhered to card with UHU glue. Decided that all white outfits were looking a little plain (though in real life babies look oh so adorable in white!), so added red glitter glue and bits of blue and red grosgrained ribbons and tiny bits of blue ric-racs (for pocket emphasis) Particularly liked how the rompers turned out with the two blue brads for 'buttons'.

From paper napkins to ...

... Cards!

Loved the floral pattern and colours of these fancy paper napkins - decided it would be a waste just to use them as napkins only to have them binned. Its not everyday, one comes across such lovely designs that gives one that 'touch of spring' in Borneo.

Admittedly, I have developed a liking for swirls - reminds me of those lovely green ferns we get in abundance here! Its also something I MUST get from those online scrapbook retailers someday ...

Adhering paper napkin to card is not exactly easy. Its flimsy - making it difficult to cut. The plys tend to separate. The best means of sticking them to cardstock is glue - not just any glue. UHU glue. That's the best i have in stock - in my part of the world, that is. Brads are quite an effective means of sticking napkin to cardstock too - provided napkin doesn't tear.

And so we have it. An experimental mish-mash of various bits of papers put together ... and er, if you're wondering what those swirly bits of beads represent ... its suppose to be a peacock - but it looks more fern like than a bird! :P

And since I still had half the fancy napkin left (waste not want not ...!) and the corrugated cardstock green, I made this ...

Double accordian Album

Got the idea and instructions off Insprational techniques here:- http://insprationaltechniquesandtutorials.blogspot.com/2008/06/double-accordian-album.html

Made my album a little bigger (i.e. 6x6) than the 4x4 double accordian album featured on tutorial page.

Accordian page(s)

Accordian page when folded

D-I-Y Binding

As seen in (my not so well taken pictures) the basic album has been completed. The next stage is the page(s) layout - which is still on going. Its meant to be a gift for a friend - and for once - with subject being a cute little baby girl, I found myself using those lovely complementary girly pinks and greens - without worrying whether pages would be overly girl-ish or sissy ... !

Paper supplies are made out of:-
1. Chipboard backing of drawing block (recycled) to make cover of album
2. 12x12 scrapbook paper by DCWV (?) Premium Stack
3. Green and pink manila card - cut out to size
4. Metal ring binder
5. Ribbons
6. Other bits and pieces of matching present paper from scrap stash