The Foof-a-Life:
When I first saw this book on sale, I knew I had to have it. It's a treasure trove of ideas for those who love pretty, vintagey projects. Imagine - page after page of beautiful projects that are easy and fun to create! It's been a wonderful, inspiring read for me so far, and I've learnt plenty from its pages.
Let's see, I've learnt not to be afraid of working with metal. Previously, I used to avoid working (painting/altering) on metal because I didn't know if the paint/glue would hold. But while experimenting with some easy projects, I found that I do love working on metal - the paint finds its purchase once you sand the metal, and finishing it with a decoupage medium gives it a glossy sheen. Fun!
I've also learnt how to make use of different fabrics in my projects - moving away from using lots of paper, and playing around with stuff like lace, velvet, ric rac and tulle (netting).
I love the result - my projects look pretty and girly. Here's a bit of what I've done so far - I've got a couple more projects which are still Work In Progress, so I won't post the pics up here just yet..
Here are two fridge magnets which I made from a small tin (those tins containing keychains that you commonly receive as wedding favours). I painted the rims of the tins, decoupaged patterned paper, and embellished with prima flowers and sequins, as well as some tulle and ribbon.
You can't see it in this photo, but the sequins I placed around the inner rim of the tin have a lovely and rather unexpected effect - they reflect the light from the surroundings onto the flower in the middle, so the flower seems to shine!
The flower in this magnet isn't glued down - so when you shake the whole thing, the flower jiggles along. The tulle keeps it together.
This next project is a floral cone that I made for a friend whose birthday is coming up. (Eh, if you think you know who the birthday girl is, please help to keep this a surprise - I don't think she reads my blog. Heh.)
The original version of this project in the Foof-a-Life book is more subdued and vintagey, but I decided to go for a bit more glitz and colour. Most of the stuff I used came from Spotlight - my new favourite store! I love this glitter butterfly I found there..
In case you're thinking that this is just a simple buy-and-assemble project, let me reassure you that making the cone itself nearly frustrated me to the point of giving up. I decoupaged the cardboard with different patterned papers, then had to roll and glue it so that it became a cone, and then the cone threatened to fall apart..... but well, I just love the end result. Everything about it - from the tulle and sequins on the painted heart, the blooms and the butterfly, to the lace and velvet on the cone - appeals to me. I like this so much, I want to make another one for our home - except that I always have trouble doing the same project twice. Somehow the mojo disappears after the first one, you know what I mean? It's like I expend all my creativity (for that project) and then it's gone. And if I want to make another similar one, I have no ideas whatsoever.
If you're looking for ideas for projects, I strongly recommend you get the Foof-a-Life. It's a great book. I can't wait to get started on my next project - that's if baby allows it though! (But I think I still have time. Doctor said cervix still closed...)
I get insanely angry when nincompoops from Hunny's workplace call him and engage him in lengthy conversations about work when he's on leave. I mean, the guy's on leave, that's L-E-A-V-E, and he's already told you so, so why don't you just call someone else? Someone who's actually at the office, perhaps?!!! People take leave for a reason, you know. People don't take leave to sit around at home and wait for phone calls from work.
For Hunny's sake, I sincerely hope that mobile phones are prohibited in hospital delivery rooms. Because should he receive a call from work while I'm in labour, I guarantee you that one of two things will happen:
1. I will take the phone from his hands and yell, "He's on leave and I'm his wife and I'm in labour so why don't you get off the phone you *&$#@@@**!" Pardon my french.
2. I will take the phone from his hands and hurl it across the room with a strength born of rage and pain.
But I don't really blame his colleagues, the poor sods. After all, they're merely acting in accordance with a culture that's so ingrained into Hunny's workplace, or should I generalise and say, the whole SAF. It's common knowledge that it's tough being a soldier's wife, isn't it? But perhaps that should change. We military wives have been treated dismally for way, way too long.
I'm sick and tired of all the hours that Hunny spends away from me organising some mess event - an event that I, as his spouse, am not even invited to. Because it's not allowed.
I'm angry at the way his request for 3 weeks' leave (after I deliver) was rejected summarily, with his idiotic superior concluding, "It's not that tough, I'm a father, I've done it before," or some similar-sounding crap. And my husband is the same guy who works so hard he accumulated 20 over days of Off-In-Lieus (he gets one for every night duty he pulls) - that's an entire month's leave on top of his yearly entitlement. And did I mention that Hunny's still got leave accruing to him from last year???
I'm still mad at how he got posted away to Darwin for a whole month just a few short months after we got married.
It's gone on long enough. The Singapore Armed Forces are stupidly short-sighted if they do not improve the state of welfare for soldiers and their families. Think about it - give a soldier something to fight for, and you turn him into a warrior. What do men fight for? Forget the fame, glory, country blah blah blah. Please. Most Singaporean men sign on as regulars because it's a career. But men will fight for their families, their homes and their women. It's been like that throughout the ages. So stop doing things that strain familial ties, stop straining marriages with sucky welfare and lousy work hours, build up those families, and you'll get dedicated soldiers - warriors - in wartime.
It's no wonder that the Armed Forces are facing serious manpower shortages. Why, if things get too bad, I'll simply start putting pressure on my husband to leave the Air Force too. You see, you gotta realise - while our men take and give orders in the rank and file, it's really we - military wives - who call the shots.
As promised - here's a picture of the prize I won in the online challenge I participated in.
It's an album - 8 x 8 inches. Comes with embellishments like ribbon and stickers, and a whole stack of paper, all pre cut to size! It's going to be so fun working on this album - only thing is, what should I scrap??? This album kit is journey-themed: think travel and road trip. But I don't have any road trip photos (because I've never been on a road trip!) and with baby arriving soon, it'll be a while before this family is able to go on vacation....
This always seems to be my problem, eh? Not enough photos!
Here are some pics from our church's carnival (held on Saturday, 23rd June) -
My henna tattoo! Got this done at the carnival for only $3! Hunny is mean - he keeps saying it looks like a snail. It's a swan!
Here are the clipboards that I made for the carnival.. Managed to sell all but 6. :)
Ooh and check out these lovelies which I bought for myself.. Pretty bling!
I enjoyed myself immensely at the carnival - the atmosphere was lively and infectious, and I got caught up in all the noise and excitement. It was great fun selling stuff (our stall sold chilli, lemonade, even plants, among other things). I think next year I want to set up a stall for my crafts - maybe sell some altered tins and boxes, glass jars, even photo mementos done on the spot - bring my camera and my portable printer down so I can take and print photos of people...
Haha! Lots of ideas!
Sorry for the lack of updates here lately.. it's just that I've been so terribly exhausted these past few days. This last bit of pregnancy is really wearing me down - my butt hurts still and I'm tired all the time.
I don't wish to sound weak, but there's really little else I want to do besides sleep and eat.
Maybe it's the old iron deficiency problem again. I went for my (now) weekly checkup at the doc's last Wednesday, and my blood test indicated that my haemoglobin count hadn't gone up at all (from its previously low levels). :( and of course Hunny had to baotoh me to the doctor, telling her that I hadn't been eating my iron pills. *sulkmuttergrumble*
But I'm paying for it now. So so tired. I can't scrap for long because after ten minutes or so, my arms start to ache like I've been lifting heavy weights. I can't walk/stand for long because after a while, my legs start aching like I've just run up a steep hill. My heart races after some slight exertion - and by slight exertion, I mean stuff like turning over to get out of bed.
And the cramps - ever so often my tummy will bunch up and tighten and I'll think, "Practice or for real?" Part of me desperately hopes they are for real, but it's been nothing but rehearsals so far.
It's almost noon now. I woke up at 9.30 this morning, had breakfast and did some scrapping. And now, I'm in bed again, blogging and getting sleepier by the minute. Oh and by the way, I'm hungry again.
A piggy. Yes, that's what I am. Piggy. Piggy carrying a little piggy.
I went for a special scrap class yesterday. It was hosted by MWL like all the other classes I've attended, but this was different because the attendees were all members of a scrapping forum which I joined. It was fun being able to match names/nicks to the different faces, and we had a whale of a time making lots of noise and harassing our poor teacher, whom we affectionately called "Zher".
We didn't manage to complete much in the class (think we dilly-dallied and made too much of a ruckus to be productive!) but I did learn a lot and here's the completed project:
It's a gorgeous transparency album - transparency because the pages (some, not all) are made from Hambly transparency overlays (printed transparencies specially for scrapping). It's really pretty, but not easy to do, because the pages are transparent, so whatever you put behind one page is visible, and a fair bit of layout/placement planning is necessary. You don't want to put something behind your front page that clashes with your title, for example.
I love bling! The shiny, jewelly stuff..
My favourite page in the album! The teacher for the class gave us this design tip - using the Zutter Bind-it-All machine, punch holes and thread ribbon through for a "corsety" effect. Then slip your photo in! The ribbon can also hold charms etc. And I'm so happy I found the perfect photo for this page..
This is also something else we were taught in class. This page holds a three-fold sheet. You can choose to do journalling on the three panels, but I chose to insert photos.
I used magnetic snaps to hold the sheet closed. You can see how it opens up in the pic below:
Another nice page - I really like those new flowers I bought. (Yo sis! If you can't find scrap stuff to buy back for me, buy flowers! I lurve!) The two round metal things on the left of the photo are the magnetic snaps I used for the previous page.
In this next pic, see the flower and shiny bits below the transparent panel on the left? That's what I mean by placement planning - you've got to plan so that you don't see something distracting through the transparency, but it'll look nice if some embellishments (like flowers and shiny bits) show through so they look like decoration for that particular page itself.
The last page of the album! This transparency is tied to the back cover (dark brown cardstock) by the many ribbons you see on the right.
I love this album to bits. Love the concept, love the theme.... I think the class teacher cum creator of this album design is so so talented. I realise I still have a long way to go in terms of being innovative and truly creative, but for now, imitation is the best way to learn!
This album is so seriously pretty I've bought material for another two similar ones - one in black and the other in silver. I'm planning to do up an album for Ad's promotion ceremony and another one for my preggie pictures. Now, all I need are the photos.....!
[My apologies for the many many photos - actually there are more pages to the album, I just didn't post them here. Too many pics! :)]
I was having some problems with the server so I only just found out - yes, I won! I was the second to post my layout online, so I'm one of the two grand prize winners! I'll be getting my prize on Monday - will show you what I've won! An album, I think - can't remember! :)
Baby preparations are complete! Well, almost - being a first-time mom, I'm quite sure there are things I forgot.
But here's a sneak peek -
Our baby's cot:
And her hippo!
It all suddenly seems so real to look at the cot all done up, sitting in the corner of our room. Before long, we'll have a sweet baby lying there in that very cot - it's so hard to imagine what life will be like then. But I do know - I'm looking forward to have member number 3 join our family! Excited!
For the last day of the online scrap challenge that I've been participating in, contestants had to fulfil the following:
Final Challenge :- HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH ???
Sick of the clean and simple look ? Challenge yourself to see how much stuff you can put into your layout. I want you to use your scraps and create a layout using the following stuff : -
2 Techniques ( ie :-inking, stamping, paints, distressing, punching, die-cutting, tearing, corner rounder.)
4 Metal accents
6 Stickers
8 ribbons
10 different pattern papers
12 flowers
14 Brads or Eyelets or Snaps
16 Chipboard pieces ( can be alphas or accents)
18 buttons
20 words of journalling
Crazy eh??
But I did it!
Here's my layout:
Click on the pictures for a larger view - see if you can figure out where everything is!
It looks like I'm one of the two winners of this race (the two grand prize winners are the first two who posted their completed layouts - I'm one of them. However, I might still lose if the judge deems that I've not met the above requirements). Official results of the race will only be up in ten hours... I'll post back to let you know if I've won!
On a side note, heartiest congratulations to my friend and cell leader, Ivy, who's given birth to a bouncing baby boy! I'm a bit stressed now because her due date was calculated to be ten days before mine. So since she's popped now, does it mean it'll be my turn ten days later???????
*frazzled*
RBW - red, black and white.
According to Mead Johnson (makers of Enfa baby formula), "a newborn baby's eyes perceive these high-contrast colours better than any other colour."
Well, I like the RBW combi too. Just scrapped this for the online challenge:
This was a rather tedious layout. Lots of stitching by hand. Got poked by the needle a couple of times. The instructions were to scrap a layout with only black, white and one other colour accent.
Ad really likes this layout. I think it's not too girly, not like what I usually do.
A random thought - I think the photo in the layout looks like it came from some advert. :)
Despite my earlier upset, I still managed to churn this out for the online challenge..
Went for a distressed look, so I sanded the photos and papers, crumpled and inked the papers, hammered the metal.. Ad's conclusion? "Very rugged."
Was really fun doing this - it's therapeutic to just stick stuff wherever you think it looks good and watch the layout evolve as you go along. I like the theme too - I actually printed out these photos quite some time back, but just couldn't figure out what to do with them until today.
If I were guilty of all that you accused me of, why did I
- call you purposely to warn you about the scam
- apologise repeatedly for my uncertainty regarding the translation
- ask you repeatedly to check the address because I wasn't sure
- remind you repeatedly to pass the message along
- repeat important parts of the message like the time to be there
- ask you so many times if you managed to take down the message
- explain to you so many times that I was busy and why
You say I was abrupt. It seems to me that I was pretty damn cheong hei.
If I didn't want to talk to you, would I have called you?
If I were disrespectful would I bother to ask if you got the message ok?
If I were rude would I bother to express concern that you might get cheated?
Eh, I really don't know what you want from me.
Everybody's love comes at a price.
For yours, I really don't know how to pay.
You spoilt my day you know that?
I'm so irritated, so frustrated because of you.
You with your nonsensical fancies.
Grow up! Go out and meet more people. Learn what the real world is like!
People mellow as they age... you never changed.
Learn!
You're not always right!
The world doesn't revolve around you!
Take that plank out of your own eye!
Compare compare - what's there to compare? Grow up!
Please - a bit more stability, a bit more common sense, a bit more reality from you can?
You win ok? You had a lousy day (probably) and now I'm having one too. Thanks a mil.
What have I done to deserve this?
Why do you have to make it so difficult? Complicated.
If I say I wasn't I didn't I hadn't, why won't you believe me?
Are you having a bad day?
Don't just call me and vent to me on the phone. Please. Think first can? Think about the words I spoke. Think about the care, the concern, the worry I felt. All that means nothing is it?
You leave me confused, bewildered.
And with a headache. In addition to the many other pains I have.
Is this what you wanted?
All my life I've been like your punching bag of sorts. Bad mood? Take it out on her. It's ok. Holler at her. Say sorry later. Feeling blue? It's all her fault. Go call her and scold her.
Don't pull your emotional blackmail stunt on me - I'm way too old for that already. Or maybe, that trick is just too old.
I'm tired ok? Right now, at this point in time, I have very little patience to put up with difficult people. If you choose to be upset, then stay upset. I've said what I have to say, you go figure it out yourself. I really don't have the time nor energy to coax you out of your blue funk. Not my style anyway.
I had a mini meltdown today.
I've been sick for so long, coughing and coughing and I can't seem to get any better. I've finished the medication the gynae gave me (a really scary bottle which had the word "Poison" all over its box) and I'm still coughing. And now, it's worse. See, for a while now, every time I cough, my tailbone hurts. I don't know why. Pressure from the baby, maybe? Usually, the pain goes away once I'm done coughing, so I ignore it. Anyway, I coughed so much and so badly yesterday night, my tailbone area hurts so so bad, I can't walk today. Can't sit. Can't lie down. Can't get up from a chair/bed. Can't move, can't cough without pain. (How do you stop yourself from coughing?) And it's not just a little pain. It's excruciating. A sharp shooting kind of pain. I've taken a panadol but it's useless against the pain.
I don't mean to whine, but the pain is just so bad.
I asked Hunny just now if we could talk to the gynae and have baby come out next week. After all, 37 weeks is full term, isn't it? Hunny said no - it's the only sensible reply, really, since I was being ridiculous, but I felt so sorry for myself, I couldn't stop the tears.
I remember once reading a post in a forum for preggies. The post was titled, "Get this baby out of me!" or something like that. The author was full term and looking for natural ways to induce labour. Needless to say, the author got flamed real bad. Lots of other women responded to her post, saying that she should not try to hurry things, but that the baby would come out when he/she was ready.
I tell you - today, I totally understand the author's point of view.
My mood's coming through in my scrapping too. Here's the latest I did. I scrapped this layout for an online challenge. The requirements were: no cardstock to be used, and the layout had to be about myself. It's amazing how what's in your subconscious winds its way into your hands... (and in case you were thinking that this was pain-induced, let me emphasize that this was done prior to the onset of the pain)
It's titled, Remember Me This Way:
A printed transparency overlays the photo and journalling. This flower embellishment acts as a tab/page turner.
I used the Zutter tool to punch holes and threaded ribbon through them to hold the page and transparency together.
The best part? The journalling says it all. Reflects the mood I'm feeling.
if I were to
leave you
never to return
would you
remember me
this way?
loving wife
joyous mother to be
filial daughter
caring sister
passionate child of God
cherished friend
cheerful singer
whimsical scrapper
bringer of
love and
laughter to
those around
me?
Here are my clipboards! 
I didn't expect to be able to progress so quickly. But there's a certain rhythm you get into after a while. These aren't exactly finished though - still have to add ribbon and whatnot. Plus I haven't sealed the backs with mod podge yet.
Ad's going to help me choose funky names for each clipboard. That will be fun! I hope he doesn't come up with names like Blue Flower on Orange Tatami Mat! Hahahah! [Sorry hun, shouldn't laugh at you.]
So, which ones do you like? Let me know so I can gauge which designs are more popular. :)
[Click on the images to see bigger versions. There are just too many for me to take individual shots. :)]
Here are some more clipboards I've been working on:
This one is for Miss Ho - for the fashionista in you! The paper I used is by Imagination Project - their new collection called Fashionista. When I saw it, I just knew it was meant for you. :)
It's not yet done though. I've yet to put on the embellishments.
And this is for my mother (also not completed):
Two rather different styles, eh? One modern and sassy and the other one more vintagey.
Well, I can't seem to stay away from clipboards - they are so fun to alter! The mod podge part gets me all messy (that's not the fun bit) but altering clipboards really challenges me in terms of matching papers and coming up with interesting designs. It's not just sticking pieces of paper down - I plan each design right down to the colour of the ribbon that will end up on the clip.
Now, somehow, through a series of different people talking to me, I've been persuaded to make more clipboards for charity. My church, Trinity Christian Centre, is having a carnival on the 23rd of June. And I'm making more clipboards for sale. I've got a minimum of 15 clipboards to complete and I'm all set to go! I'll try to upload pics as I go along - if you like any you see, do head down to our bazaar and pick them up!
Oh, and on a side note, here's a new machine that I bought yesterday:
It's called the Zutter Bind-it-All. What it does is bind pieces of paper together. This means you'll be seeing a lot more altered notebooks, mini-albums and journals. I'll never have to buy another notebook again! (*ahem* - that's me trying to justify the cost of the machine...)
Hey, Outsider.
Yes, you. All of you who have never gone through pregnancy, you're the Outsiders.
Let me try to explain to you what it is I go through each day.
I'm 12 kg heavier than I used to be. And it shows. Looking in the mirror sometimes can get depressing - but I encourage myself that most of this extra weight is useful to my baby (yes, even the weight I carry around my thickened thighs and arms).
But imagine - being 12 kg heavier, with a large portion of the weight carried in front, makes walking difficult. My centre of gravity gets thrown off. I perpetually feel clumsy. I can no longer squeeze myself through small spaces - unfortunately, I tend to forget this.
And, like my mother so enjoys saying, I no longer walk. I waddle.
Bending to pick something up is a tedious affair. Even putting on a pair of pants is now a difficult task to do standing up. Imagine trying to get your legs into the leg holes while standing up, without being able to bend at the waist properly. Yes, why don't you try it?
I sometimes wish I could strap a belly on you. I don't mean any malice, I just want you to be able to understand at least a small portion of what I go through. You see, pregnancy is like nothing you ever imagined. Nothing. No one prepared me for the clumsiness, the sheer effort it takes to carry this weight, the heaviness you live with day in and day out.
I haven't been complaining so far. I've tried to approach this whole pregnancy as a new experience - something to be relished and cherished, even the not-so-nice parts. And I've also tried to continue doing as much as I normally would. A lot of people have been horrified at my level of "activity". I'm not being unsafe, I just don't feel that I should spend all my time resting just because I'm pregnant. Doesn't give me a free pass to laze around all day.
But maybe all that should change right now. You see, it seems you've forgotten that I'm actually pregnant - 35 weeks pregnant. Maybe it's because I've always gamely tried my best to keep up, even when it takes such a physical toll on me.
Here are some reminders for you:
Pregnancy is a dynamic process. It doesn't stay the same from start to finish. Neither do I. Just because I could do something a few weeks earlier doesn't mean i can still do it now.
Just because I'm able to do a particular task doesn't mean that it's easy for me.
But the best reminder that I can give you is this: no more. I mean, no more activity for me. All that I find the least bit tiring to do, I shall not do anymore. Everyone's been expecting me to take things easy from the start, so I'm really going to go all out to pamper myself now. After all, I only have about 4 weeks to go. If I'm not going to relax now, then when?
If I feel tired, I will say so. Loudly.
If it is hard for me to do something, I will impose on you to do it for me.
If I don't feel like doing something, I will say so.
I think it's time I started behaving in a way corresponding to my condition. Heavily pregnant, that is. Then maybe, you, all you Outsiders, would start treating me as if I were. Maybe you'd now remember my condition and start demanding less from me. Maybe you'd now remember my condition and be a bit more patient with me. Maybe you'd now remember my condition and start treating me with care - care in the way you speak to me, gentleness in the way you handle me. Maybe you'd now remember my condition and ask me to walk less, walk slower, carry less. Maybe offer your hand in support. Or pick things up for me. Fetch things for me instead of me fetching them myself.
If I acted like a princess, would you treat me like one?
Here is the link for the items made during the charity crop:
It's quite exciting really, to have something I made go up for auction. Lots of thoughts go through my mind.
Oh no, what if nobody likes my stuff?
You mean they're willing to pay that much?
Man, I can't afford to buy my own work...
Remember - it's all for charity! 100% of proceeds go to CARE Singapore.
Well, no. It's not actually Christmas. It's just the Great Singapore Sale!!!
It's a dream come true! Here's the Canon Selphy photo printer I wanted..
And a gorgeous scrap tote for me to use when I need to lug my supplies to a class or crop.
It's got plenty of pockets to put stuff in:
And a plastic folder to carry 12'' x 12" cardstock and patterned paper:
Look, it's even got my name on it! (Well, my uni friends call me Mimi.) Now, all I need is a crop/class to go to!
But the best thing bought so far during the GSS:
Now, I can snap beautiful photos, print them speedily and scrap in style!
Sigh.. I'm happy.
