Long Blog Post

Where shall I begin??

In alphabetical order!

(So I wouldn't be biased!)

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DreamGirls Challenge #21 - Clearly Yours

This is one of my favourite challenges! I'm so glad Dolores and Debz and the rest of the awesome DreamGirls Divas went for this one!

As you all know I've been experimenting lots with my Hamblys as a background for some of my layouts. So this challenge was really awesome for me to experiment further!

So this challenge is to use any form of clears as your background - Hamblys, Acrylic backings, K.I Sheers, etc and the twist is to use the word You, Your or Yours anywhere in your title as well as any form of journalling on your photograph!

And so, here is my take:

{You & Me in Love Forever}

What I Used: K.I memories Sheers, Hamblys Raffle Leaf, MME's photo overlay, Basic Grey Chipboard Alphas and WRMK's chipboard words

I love how the photos and everything else go together hand-in-hand!

Frankly speaking, the K.I Sheers I had for quite awhile but never got around to using it. So now it's absolutely perfect for the photos and challenge!

And yes, those photos were from my recent Perth trip! We were swimming in the waters around Rottnest Island.

So, whatcha waiting for?

Come over to DreamGirls and play along with us!

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Groovie Crazy About Covers challenge blog is officially Up!

Woohoo!!

What is Crazy About Covers all about?

Well, we see so many forms of designs all around us in the media (think advertisements), postcards, even funky CD covers of our favourite Artistes and even book covers!

Whatever inspires us from these sources, we could use them as inspiration in our scrapbook pages - placement of photos, overall design or even the colors!

Ed had decided to launch this groovie challenge that's been happening in the Groovie Scraps Cafe and open it up to you groovie scrappers from all around the world! And, we would be putting together a RAK monthly too!

I'll be helping her out as her humble DT blog co-ordinator.

And so...

Here is my layout for what I did for February Cover:

{Love was never promised to be easy}

Wonder what the February Book Cover looks like?

Hop on over to find out!!

And play with us and show us your intepretation

and have Groovie Fun!!

Also, check out what the rest of the Groovie Cover Gals had done!

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Pink Sketches #19

Here's my take on this week's Sketch:

{Soldier Boy}

Description: I mirrored the Sketch this time round. This layout is about my boy donning on a soldier's uniform and was beaming with so much pride, marching around at home and even taking the initiative to put on his cap to "complete" the look. He got so obsessed with soldiers and policemen eversince watching the National Day Parade. I've made a hidden journalling behind the photo with a pull out Maya Road Sheer Journalling Card.

Supplies: DCWV Cardstock, Making Memories paper, Crate Paper, October Afternoon paper, 7-Gypsies ATC sticker, American Crafts Chit Chat Accents Thickers, Creative Imaginations Felt Alphas, October Afternoon Rub-ons and Making Memories Ribbon and Star brads.

Oh yes!

Kelli will be looking for a new designer (maybe designers) to add to the Pink Sketches team!

More news and details can be found over at the Pink Sketches blog!

So stay tuned!

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Some Altered Ikea Jars

Since after getting back from Perth, having getting settled down from being on a lazy vacation, spring cleaning for the Lunar Chinese New Year (it's an annual thing), did up some layouts for DT work. I got caught up altering some belated Christmas gifts for my Secret Groovie GF as well as the wonderful ladies from MemoirActs whom I design projects/classes for.

In fact, before I went on my much needed break, I went to Ikea and bought some lovely items which I had some ideas of altering. And I got inspired by the DreamGirls Challenge #21.

Now they're done and given out. And my Secret Groovie GF had found out that I made her gift, I can now reveal what I did.

Here are some pictures to show:

For my SGG:

For Angie:

For Cheng:

I hope you enjoyed this ultra long blog post!

And of course, I do hope to have inspired you as much as you had inspired me!

In the meantime, chill, relax and enjoy the rest of your Monday as well as the rest of the week.

If I could find the time tonight, I'll start loading up some of my Perth Trip photos!!

Altered gift for my SGGF

SGGF = Secret Groovie Galfriend

This happened over at Groovie Cafe sometime back in June/July this year.

LOL!

My SGGF didn't guess it was me till I asked her if she liked her gift at the crop party at my place recently.

Hahahahahahaha.

I seriously hoped she liked the gift coz I liked it!!!

(Hah! Thick-skinned am I not?!)

Anyway, thought to share that altered work with you since it's been revealed that I'm her SGGF. It was a plain wooden heart-shaped container with handles.

All I'm sharing is a finished work. I didn't think back then to snap photos on a step-by-step basis to show and tell.

But I'll explain along the way what I did so that you could replicate something similar.

Here it goes:

Before I started to mod-podge the patterned papers down - using SEI Winnie's Walls line; I've painted the handles and edges with Making Memories Paint. Used a chocolate brown and a funky vintage color.

This is the front side

Close up of the work. I totally love those American Crafts Glitter Thickers! Makes it look Groovie!

This is the other side. Do not be fooled!! The little square is actually a mini picture frame.

I believe it's 2.5" x 2.5"

I left a little secret note so she could measure the cardstock note against the photo she might wanna put in.

Close-Up

See the word "PURE"?

It's stamped on and then I used Glossy Accents to go over it to give it that embossed look.

Coz this galfriend here ain't got no heat gun and embossing stuff! I gotta improvise!

Once the glossy accents was dried, I love the feel of the glossy bumps of the letterings. Feels like the real thing!!

This is the side view, I couldn't let it look empty!!

So I stamped some florish pattern and again, used Glossy Accents to go over it to give that embossed feel.

My favourite all time embellies!!! Buttons!

Ain't they pretty??

I hope you liked this piece of simple altered piece. I spent a good 3 hours or so completing it. I guess once I've decided on the concept, the color scheme, everything else flowed pretty easily.

Give it a try!

The main thing you will need is Mod-Podge!! it helps stick your paper down and you gotta coat a thin layer over to seal it in, makes it slightly water resistant.

No embossing heat gun? You could use Glossy Accents to "fake" the embossing effect and still turns out beautifully! It's great for when you rarely do any embossing work!

For the frame, you could cut out small strips of chipboard backing (those you find behind your mat stacks of cardstock or a stack pack of pattern papers?), play with the width and length and stick it down. I sticked down the bottom and top piece (horizontal pieces) first as they help to "raise up" the side pieces so that you could slot in the picture/card easily (from sideways that it)

Play around and see what works for you yah?

If you had liked this altered work and explaination and had done something similar, share your work with me!!! I would love to see it! Just link back your project to the comments on this posting.

Can't wait to see what you've come up with!

Cheers!

Sophia