[photo box tutorial]

A little tutorial about the photo box. This will make a great gift for friends or family, or just use it as a way of sorting out your photos!Step 1: Begin by scoring your paper. I used OA papers, but any 2 sided patterned paper will do. Mark and score on 1 side - 4x6" rectangle , then add the thickness of your stack of paper (for mine, it was 1"); Allow at least 3" on all sides after that for the cover. Cut through as shown.
Step 2: Flip the paper around and start to fold them together based on the score marks.
Step 3: Fold in the sides and glue them down.
Step 4: This is what the assembled box looks like.
Step 5: Wrap your stack of photos with a ribbon and insert into the box. It should fit quite snugly, otherwise just use a tissue to wrap up the photos, it will hopefully absorb a 'too loose' fit.

Fold up shut and then embellish with tags.
I used a few layers of patterned paper and then a printed out tag, inked them up and then affixed to the ribbon.
That's it! :) Perfect for gifting...Did this LO this morning, I LOVE these pics of G and V. She really really is a Daddy's Girl. Just the pics tell it all!:)

At G's insistence, we also made some play-date invite cards:

Love the OA papers - sooo cute right!
:)

[free weekend... ]

It's our 1st 'free' -ish weekend in a LONG time! heh... it was good to take a break finally and have that full 8 hour sleep every night (well, except last night, when K insisted on milk every other hour!)
Here's what we've been doing during the week...

We created a little cardboard house using a corrugated cardboard box. :) G loves doodling on the box, she drew in the door, windows and even a doorbell with a person hanging on to it.
V made the "furniture" with her using the lego pieces. There's a TV (with lightning mcqueen show no less!) and some wardrobes
A scooter and a baby car


Here's K roadtesting my MM cutter!A dear friend of mine was visiting from the UK, so i bought this from HERE and "tompang" her freight! :) They make the cutest kits and for all that know london, these are the infamous trellick towers - an architectural gem (something like the pearlbank towers in singapore)
Remember my box tutorial HERE? I made more....
This is a newborn baby giftbox. Papers, rubons are from October afternoon, Hambly and Heidi Swapp.
K sitting and watching the telly...
Getting bored and playing with her playdoh (without the dough, cos mama's too lazy to clean up!) icecream maker
Lastly, i've been making some prototype bags for a convention in July. :)
Yup, up-cycled T-shirt sleeves with some lace and satin ribbons! How's that for earth-day love!

Also, pop by HERE *2peas and Hambly contest* and HERE *lots and lots of OA* for more recent LOs.

Have a GREAT weekend!!!
:)

[videos]

Some videos of the playdate. :) So funny watching their little conversations.

[playdate!]

G had her 1st ever self-arranged (well, with lots of mommy help of course) playdate! It was sooo cute, watching her talk to her best friend from school (also G!) and to arrange to come over to our place over the weekend for a playdate. :) She was SOO excited, counting down the days to the weekend, every morning she will declare - it's .... many sleeps left before G comes over to our place! Haha... according to the other mom, it's the same scenario over at their house!
The girls were at first a bit shy (i guess it's a different environment after all) but after some cookies and juice, the ice was broken and it was 3 and a half hours of solid play before we managed to drag them apart!
It was definately a fun morning for G and she was so upset that it had to end. We left with promises for more playdates and perhaps a different setting of the beach or pool. :)

Here's some pics of what they did:
putting up a puppet show called - "the Bananas Cooking Show!"
Getting all sweaty and warm playing INSIDE *roll eyes* of my walk in wardrobe....
look at how many toys they managed to stuff in there....Eating brownies fresh out of the oven.

Just completed this card - i think it's pretty apt in this post!
Lots of October Afternoon, Heidi Swapp and Hambly rubons :)

[not forgotten!]

Sorry for being not up-to-speed with my blog posts! I've missed putting down my thoughts here....
Life has just stepped up a notch, work got really busy and the little kiddies had lots of playtime with each other over the long weekend. Unfortunately, this means that there are less computer time!
Anyways, been doing lots of crafting, plus 2 more good-mail days, here's some pictures of what has happened!
lots of crafting. This is translated from G's drawings. I LOVE her drawings! She's getting really good at them and i'm constantly amazed at all the little details in them. I'm definately going to embroider her sketches of houses, people and dollies :)
Here's another photo box + Tag = i'll be putting up a tutorial of how to make the box soon (nope, it's not from a diecut)
A fabric / craft swap.... :) Can't wait for mine to arrive!!

PUBBED!! :)
2 projects have been featured in this latest issue :)
happy happy dance - 100% cute.
Wedding box I made some time ago....
Here's the bounty that came with the 2 magazines - soo generous!!! :)
plus, another package came from a spree that i was tempted into joining at HS! :) Imagine, it was sooo cheap that my postage came up to be 3 times the cost of the products! hahaha.....

So, lots of goodies for more giveaways! :) Take note of it... it's coming.. i promise *wink*

[GOOD mail day!!!!]

You should see my face when i received this from the unsuspecting postman! heh heh.... i was ALL huge smiles and dancing about.... especially AFTER opening the package!! look at this!


I know it's a few shipments rolled into 1, but it's enough to make 1 hyperventilate right!!!! So much OA goodness, so much OA love!!! They are a really swell company and i'm 1 lucky girl!!! :)
So much goodness = instant mojo! Heh... here's what i've done.
For some Pub calls.. it's a bit strange doing Xmas projects soo early in the year, but strangely liberating too!



A little pressie for close friends or relatives - this will be great for grandparents who are not tech savvy enough to keep browsing online!

For a swap - i'll post more details of this soon - but these are soo darling right! You know what they are?? Heh.


Okay, so, given that i've been given SO many yummy goodies from OA, i will be definately sharing the love here on my blog. Thanks for the comments at the previous post, i am so happy to hear from my readers and always so humbled and thrilled to see what you like and get inspired by. Thanks so much for commenting!!! :)

Watch out for some OA giveaways coming right up soon!

[personal reflections....]

Inspired by the blog post of fellow OA DT - S, whose blog is so simple and genuine, indulge me while i share some of my personal reflections.

Back to basics, these should be the REAL reasons why:

i blog -
I started this blog when G was about 7months old. Reading back on one of my first posts, i was truly skeptical about jumping onto the whole blogging bandwagon! I was so new to the whole internet community then - there was no Facebook, no Friendster, only a few straggly blogs here and there, but a very active local mom's forum! I was intrigued by the blogs that i started reading, one of the very first few craft blogs that i read was a very personal (but sadly defunct) blog by the super talented Stephanie Congdon barnes. From there, i started branching out into reading lots of other (mostly craft related) blogs. Then i was chosen as the DT for SOMO, which meant reading more and more scrapping related blogs! It was really fun, i popped by daily (and still do) into these blogs -
Jamie,
Kiesha,
Michelle,
Stephanie,
Alexis
I admire these girls sometimes not just because of their scrapping styles (of course that's a big thing to me too!), but also somehow, we've something in common - our kids are the same age, i love their style - personal and scrap wise, they come across as really genuine people. Through reading their blogs, i learn a little bit about their lives, about what makes them tick, about what they are LIKE.

There are also blogs of friends that i read.... they are often the ones i check first - sometimes these are blog friends, some are close friends who have moved overseas, some are friends who i meet occassionally, but blogs are a great way of keeping in touch!

So, my blog has been a platform for me to share the way i think, my interests, my loves, and also to document the lives and times of my 2 little girls. I realise that it is not so private anymore, but i would also like it to remain really personal. So, because there is an audience, it brings me to a related question - why do you read blogs? Do you think there should be anything i should be doing more on my blog?

i scrapbook -
More and more, it's not about the techniques or the products (although shopping is always nice :P ), but it should be really about the MEMORIES, about documenting the moments. I want to be able to look back at the albums and REMEMBER the events that happened, i want to remember the moments when the pictures were taken. I totally don't want to just remember what particular technique was "hip" or which products were in season at that time!
Why do you scrapbook? Are techniques and products important?

i make stuff -

It has been a therapeutic journey for me whenever i start making things. I guess i've always had the inclination towards craft. Even as a young child, i was the one that was into making dresses for my dolls, creating elaborate concoctions out of 3ply tissue paper! i had lots of ongoing crafts growing up (must to the chagrin of my mum who always had the ardous task of packing up and also to complete all the half done projects!) heh, but i can't imagine life without my crafting inner self.
Fellow crafters, what inspires you to craft? What are your favorite things to read about in crafting blogs?

i design -

I truly love my job. I'm truly lucky and blessed that i really enjoy my work.

Heh, gosh, that i think it's the longest blog post ever! :) I do hope you all will comment! :)

So, can't blog without pictures right? here they are:

How many writing positions can one have?
this way?
this way? look at her chubby hands!
Doodles, this one LOVES drawing...
So cute!
A LO done about us, love how the papers match the my dress!
Look at the 2 of them learning together......
G teaching her how to point at the right pictures

Some new fabric albums that i've completed:Okay! Have fun with the rest of the weekend!

[again!]

Hmm.... my macbook has broken down AGAIN! arrrgh.... previously, it was due to a faulty hd, which has since been replaced. This time around, it is probably some sort of software problem, as i've no problems looking at the harddisk from V's comp. In anycase, i'm not back to regular blogging until it is fixed.. sigh.

Owell, I've lots of pics, lots of ongoing sewing for those fabric albums coming up!

AND, i've just started out on this new site - www.emmalinebride.com - do check it out if you (or someone you know) is planning for a wedding! I'm under 'lovenest' category (the price is wrong, but the link is working!) There are some really cool finds there.... :)

check back soon!