Here Comes the ...P.I.G.

Happy Sunday, everyone! This may not look like your typical engagement card, but that's exactly what it is. It is full of hidden meanings which my friend loves to decipher.

I chose this stamp from TGF. Oh, why the pig for an engagement card you ask? Well, I figured that I will be making her a bridal shower card and a wedding card featuring pretty brides. The adorable pig is perfect now! And like I said, my newly-engaged friend is big on symbolism.

P.I.G.s was what we called our group in high school. Not because we were gluttonous by any means, but because we thought pigs were so cute. And P.I.G. stood for something. I don't wanna get into it now but I can tell you the 'I' stood for 'innocent.' Yes...call us dorks :).

There is a Heidi Swapp bling on the pig's left hand to symbolize the ring. There is also a Tiffany blue ribbon towards the bottom :). Then some of the balloons have blings as well to represent her friends who are married. She has asked us for advice. We will gladly support her and 'lift her up' during this fun but sometimes stressful 'journey' of planning a wedding. Not to mention getting hitched and staying hitched.

And this may sound corny but the dandelions in the wind symbolize wishes and dreams. Because through the many hardships that my girlfriend endured during her single years, this fiance has made her so happy throughout their relationship. I mean we can all relate right? It's not always easy to find the ONE.

But before this entry ends up sounding too much like a sappy love story, I better move on. Lastly, the coconut drink and the colorful paper stand for where their wedding will be! Somewhere TROPICAL!!!! I'm so happy for me...*ahem*, I mean my friend! Hee heee!!!

XO,




P.S. Patterned papers are from Cosmo Cricket and American Crafts.

Happy Spring!

Top of the morning to ya, everyone! Yes, if you're asking, I'm part Irish! :)

Or so that's what I say when it's nearing St. Patrick's Day....Buwahahahahah!

Speaking of St. Patrick's, we are less than a month from it and that means we're closer to Springtime!

My card today features the beloved Easter Anya. Now I know why everyone couldn't wait to get her in rubber! She is sooo adorable and so much fun to color!

My creation is also for the Club Anya & Friends' WCW Emboss It!

I used American Crafts for the CS. If you look really closely at the blue PP (Creative Imaginations), the flowers are raised/ embossed. The green PP is from Autumn Leaves - wonder if this company is still around, does anybody know? I know that Creative Imaginations went out of business years ago. Anyway, I had lots of fun with my Martha Stewart Punch. Tie on a ribbon and voila! Springtime galore!!



Ok, time to feed the little one! We will be running errands, having a late lunch with my girlfriends, and shopping for some snow clothes today! (a much needed mini-trip is soon to come!).

Oh, and be sure to visit Prima for a chance to win BIG!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend, and thanks so much for visiting,

Happy Bday!

Happy birthday to my little sister, Kristine! I call her little but she's about 3 inches taller than me :).

My sister is one of my very best friends and favorite people. She has the biggest heart and has such a wonderful eye for fashion and trends.

This Wild Sprouts Gigi is perfect! She has the same short hair as my sis. And Kristine loves wearing headbands / flowers. I just made her turtleneck into a short sleeve and voila! Looks so much like lil sis!

Anyway, my sis is one of the few fans that I have for this blog. But if anyone should have a blog, it's her. She is very artistic herself and specializes & has a college degree in graphic design. She has always helped me when it comes to both big parties and small events alike. You can see from this post all of the decorations she did for my baby shower (and also her artwork). I joke around with her that she should have a side business to plan parties and I'll go in on it! :)

Used lots of roughened edges for an artistic feel. Goodies are from Studio Calico and kol laj and some American Crafts galore! TGIF!!

XOXO,



P.S. Maligayang Bati, Feliz Compleanos, Joyeaux Anniversaire, Hau'oli lā hānau Tin-tin...Ate loves you!! & Mattie loves his Ninang (Godmother)!

Oh Alice! Chapter One.

Happy Thursday to you! Can you believe it's the end of February? And that Christmas was two months ago?...I can't!

Let me talk to you now about today's card. I am just so IN LOVE with Alice in Wonderland. Am giving into the movie hype and am currently obsessed with everything Alice! And so, when the challenge blog Oh Alice! came along, I just knew I had to play! This is for the very first challenge, Chapter One: Down the Rabbit Hole.

The goal was to have this make-up kit as inspiration:


source

It's by Urban Decay, and lemme tell you folks...was I SORRY I deleted my Sephora junk emails! I missed buying it and had to go on Ebay to purchase it at a much more expensive deal! I swore off Ebay when I got burned years ago but that's a-whole-nother story!

Anyway, you can't tell from the small pic but that's Alice in the middle, and those mushrooms are 3-D. It is really a very beautiful collector's piece. And the make-up have names from the story!

So the first thing I wanted to focus on for my card were mushrooms. And I decided to make a little scene. It's also my very first easel card. I just adore this card, loved how it came out!

And as if the morning couldn't get any better, I went to Randi's and Traci's blogs and bought these. And not to worry, because of my stamping diet, I only bought two of the scenes. Besides...I also heard a rumor that TGF is *ahem* having some kind of TEA Party?? :) *big grin*

Have a stellar day!

More Inspiration

Hello, everybody! Today's card features Club Anya & Friends' Sketch 6. Now that I am on a scrapbooking diet, I have to really choose which stamps to buy.

This Travel Anya stamp was bought for a purpose. My mom is having a retirement party in August, and the theme is traveling around the world. I'm trying to persuade my sister (who's in charge of invitations) to put her on the 'passport' invites that she's making. C'mon, Kristine, isn't she cute? :)

Speaking of parties, I've paid the deposit for Mattie's first birthday party. The next step now is deciding on a theme. I've got my mind pretty much set on a Vintage Peter Pan. Although I am also loving this. Too bad the TGF Circus set does not include an Ian Ringmaster.

I am so amazed at the internet. I've found so many helpful sites and links for planning a bday party! There are so many inspirations out there!

And speaking of inspirations...I am utterly in AWE of these:

1. I am so glad she is back and recovering! Her story has touched me and moved me to tears. First, they were of sadness and then now, they're of joy!

2. And oooooh, these always make me smile! Love the new badge, Amy!



3. I CANNOT wait until this movie comes out! I loved Tim Burton's Edward's Scissorhands! Would love to see this dark but artistic version of Alice In Wonderland!




source


Oh, and I'm so excited to play here! What a great idea!

4. And last but not least, I adore the necklace I bought here! Secondsister, you do amazing work!

And on the same note, I absolutely LAUGHED OUT LOUD and SMILED thoughtfully at her post.

Have a great day and thanks for visiting!

Super Woman

Good morning, folks! Today's post is super quick. I have about 7 minutes to do this.

This card is for my good friend, U. She is a superwoman in that she manages being a mom, being a full-time student, excelling at work, and managing real estate!

I took a bunch of random strips of PP from Cosmo Cricket, Studio Calico, MLS to make a collage behind this Amazing Duo cutie from TGF. My friend, U (& her sons) are nature-lovers and deals with lots of documents for work & school. Hence the mixture of flowers and tabs. The little sparkly jewels are from Kaiser Crafts. The ribbon is from Love, Elsie.

Have a great Tuesday!

Picture Perfect

Before Glee came along, my Wednesday night line-up consisted of watching America's Next Top Model. I loved watching the plain girls get transformed into glamourous beings! My hubby would always peek and say, "Why'd they pick her? She's not that pretty." I told him he was wrong and that although the contestant was not conventionally beautiful, she has that special look. I'd tell him to check back in 20 minutes and see the gorgeous photos and photos and look from that same person.

Sparkle Thistleweed reminds me of a fairy model. Created by Amy, she is confident, sassy, and has that special ooomph! That one-of-a-kind *spark*. I colored her with rich and dark tones. She is going out for the night and has on her glittery outfit :). I gave her dark wings to make her stand out even more among all the other fairies.

I used a lot of kol laj products (the PP, the fabric). I wanted the card to have a more of an artsy feel -- Here, Sparkle is a couture model ...he he he...and not the commercial type (for you ANTM fans, you know that Tyra Banks always says this!).

And although models are all about symmetry, this is not the case here. I purposely made sure the fabric pieces didn't match on either side of her. The stickers behind the button do not either. The fabric edges are left rugged and rough (ok, remember that I don't know how to sew, ok? :) LOL).

Afterall, the most beautiful of creatures is not just about the looks. You've got to have to have character, be unique, and hold others' interest. And as corny and cliche'-ish as it may sound, that is the lesson of my sentiment/ card here. :)

Other supplies-
CS- TE's Valentine Key Ingredients
Stickers- Daisy D's
Button- Inkspelled
White pen- Inkssentials
Scrapper's Floss- Karen Foster

Happy Monday!

Sing Out Loud... Like No One is Listening.

One of my BFFs threw me a surprise party for my 14th birthday. There was pizza, boys, and singing! I was shy, but not too shy to perform a rendition of "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid :).

We shared a love for music. She was also in choir and had even frontlined a local band called Two Headed Turtle (yeah *pumps fist*). She is the kind of friend who had enough bravado for the both of us and has always pushed me to smile. So important for those awkward teenage years! I eventually loved showing off my braces & the high cheekbones that hit the bottom of my glasses (yes, I had both, EEEEEK!).

Fast forward to today, and music still plays a HUGE part in our lives. She loves karaoke, & I sing to my baby & patients everyday. Her birthday is coming up and I couldn't wait to use Chelsea for her card.

I have to say that she is my favorite out of Amy's Wild Sprouts creations. Her hair was so much fun to color (I went for the shiny effect here), and I adore that the sweater falls off of one shoulder. M loves the color yellow so it is infused all over. The checkered sticker from Sassafras serves as a 'stage.' The PP is from Basic Grey. The brads are from Cloud 9, and the label is from Martha Stewart. The sentiment is hand-written, and I am not sure where the pretty textured purple CS is from.

I have to admit that I really loved how this card turned out. Sometimes I end up keeping the cards that I really like instead of giving them away. But to my great friend, M, who had 'taught' me how to smile and encouraged me to always sing out loud: this one's for you!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Super Hero!

Put away the frills and flowers...I am in the mood for a BOY card today! And lemme tell you, I am so in awe of the Amazing Duo stamp at TGF!

Super simple card -- the PP is from Fancy Pants Design and stickers are from Love, Elsie. The circle sticker is from Sassafras.

And the size of these stamps are so cute! This l'il character kinda reminds me of my little fella, especially his hair :). How many of you Asians had the "bowl" haircut? I know I did!! Hehe!

Up, up, and away...I'm off to feed my babe!

Stitching

Too bad the sun was being a poopoo head and didn't come out. Sorry for the poor picture. But as you can see..I ACTUALLY stitched!!!

Have been super JEALOUS of Sparkle's stitching. I've always wanted to sew on my scrapbook pages and cards! But, alas, I do not know how to use a sewing machine. And to the dismay of my mother (who used to make us stuffed animals and clothes), I still come to her to hem my pants! *sigh* *sigh* *sigh*

It is quite crooked and unperfect. But as you know, I am not one to critique imperfections. I think it gives the card a more whimsical feel.

I came across this fairy stamp at Gina K when I was buying cardstock. I altered her eyes and wings a bit here. Love her big anime-like eyes! I used PP from Basic Grey & s.e.i. Also used some Japanese masking tape and pearls. The sentiment is from Imagination Project. Besides the stitching, I also LOVE the BG stitched brads! And I've been using lots of Martha Stewart punches.

Anyway, back to the subject of stitching... I'm very much into fashion and wish I could make my own clothes! I love watching Project Runway and see the folks make magic with fabric! And she is my current favorite! Love her feminine creations!

Have a great Friday, everyone! Am so glad for three days off! Work has been super busy and I'm thankful for time to play with my baby, catch up on my shows, and of course, craft!

Toodles,

LOVE Day 2010

Good Tuesday (late) evening to y'all....at least on the West Coast! I've been really busy these past couple of days, and so I thought I'd blog before work tomorrow.

I've got a couple more Valentine's cards to show you. This one was made with C.C. Design's Flower Power stamps.

The supplies I used are not from your typical paper crafting companies... and I thought that was cool. PP is from Jillibean Soup. The tags are from Daisy Bucket Designs. The sentiment is from Imagination Project, and the pearls are from Recollection. Misc are the flower/brad from Heidi Grace Designs, Martha Stewart punch, and copics.

I hope you all had a Happy V-Day. I did! Even if we didn't get to celebrate on the exact date, my DH & I still had fun. We watched Valentine's Day (it was cute enough) & had dinner at Alexander's Steakhouse.



Here's a pic of the flowers that my DH got for me....so sweet!



This was actually at the end of the meal.. each table gets a free cotton candy. So fun!



My hubby holding up his Wagyu beef Certificate of Authenticity.

And below are pics of our yummy food...1) a dollop of pear sherbet to cleanse the palate. 2) King crab galore!!! 3) Truffled french fries. 4) Breakfast in Bed (that was name on the menu!). We were so stuffed!!









Here's my honey reading his card...XOXO.



And of course, here are pics of the l'il one on his first LOVE day :).



Concentrating on some heart beads.



I am a sucker for those eyes! I'm sure those 'chicks' will be too!

And here are some pics of my work's pot-luck! Lots of treats...and do you see Edward in the mix? ;)






Love,

Bunch O' Cards

I've got lots to show you today. But this will be a relatively short post as I am working 48 hours in 5 days....NOT fun at all!!! :)





Just some quick cards made out of my scraps. The first one with the Sarah Kay stamp was even a pre-made one (from last year), and I just added her and some ribbon.

The second card features ATS' Darby & Bumbles, which is designed by Amy. Aren't they cute?! Amy's just so talented!!

The third one was made by altering Birthday Anya's head with the body of New Mommy's. This card is for my sister-in-law's baby shower. Can't wait to meet my new niece in April!

Anyway, I've got to go :(. I hope to catch up on your blogs today. On a last note, I'm soooo in LOVE with Dear Lizzy....hope she gets to design a boy line!

Have a great weekend!

Snowy Days

Good Wednesday morning, everyone!

Today's card is for Week 13 of Basic Grey Challenges. What a fun sketch... mine is sideways.

This card is for my nephew, who loves the movie Happy Feet and whose dad loves fishing. Thought this Chubby Pencil Eskimo Benji stamp from ATS was perfect! My nephew also loves the snow. Living in California, we don't have any but he remembers our trip to Lake Tahoe last October during the first snowfall of the season!

Supplies:
CS- Bazzill
PP- Cosmo Cricket, Japanese paper
Stickers- Daisy D's
Stamp- ATS Chubby Pencil Eskimo Benji
Brad- Basic Grey
Embellishments- pieces from Anthropologie ornament.

Have a fabulous day!

Strength from the Soul

I made this card for a very good friend who recently got her heart broken and had been depressed. Boo on boys that are stupid and selfish! That guy really needs a good butt-whopping!!! But I digress...

When K was telling me the story, she spoke of how she couldn't eat for a few days and that her heart hurt :(. She did not know if she could trust again. I could totally relate. I mean, who hasn't had their heart broken in one form or another. When it hurts all the way to your core? And how you manage to find deep in your soul the strength to get over it?

So I made her this card. I've had that fabric with the word "Soul" for a while now (from kol laj). And I used the Cosmo Cricket PP with dandelions. I love blowing dandelions and making wishes. That is what I hope for my friend -- that she finds the strength to move on and have lovely days full of wishes, hopes, and dreams.

This gorguss stamped image was given to me by Jo. I used Recollections pearls and a Martha Stewart punch for those XOXO's.

Happy Tuesday, everybody~

You Bless My Life

Good Monday morning, everybody! It's still my 'weekend' and so I am in a good mood :).

On Valentine's Day, I mentioned here that I will be working. There's still a chance that I'd get the day off-- but to make working a holiday much more fun, I recommended having a pot-luck to my co-workers. I volunteered to decorate the break room with these homemade cards I made, copied & enlarged years ago. I'll make sure to take pics on Sunday!

I also suggested exchanging those cute V-day cards you buy at the store. You know.. the ones you gave out in elementary school or even junior high? Except mine will be homemade. Pictured above is one of them. Not your typical hearts & cupid card but you know me... sometimes I like to challenge the rules! And I must be channeling the Monday Mania challenge at Club Anya. The goal is not to use red or pink on a V-day card. Too bad I used a stamp that didn't qualify.

I knew I'd use this Wendy stamp from TGF's Peter Pan set. I also wanted to use the sentiment (sticker) and tree PP (bothfrom Cosmo Cricket). The notes PP is Love, Elsie. The polka-dotted flower is Prima and the LOVE one is Heidi Grace designs.

<---------Some random stuff--------->

Anyway, looking at how much my stamping hobby has grown, I realize that I must go on a stamping diet! And what I mean by diet is less shopping for new stamps and papers!! I certainly could and should use a stamp more than a couple of times for my cards, don't ya think?? *sighs* But the new releases at TGF and All That Scraps always call my name!! They are all sooooo cute!! Good thing I still have some funds left over from my gift certificates! And then of course, I see some new Anime-inspired ones from Lysa. LOVE!!!

Which brings me to my next topic...one of my goals this year is to become Copic certified. So I am sooo excited that a certification class may be coming in July! Yipppeeeee!!!

Oh, and I wanted to share with you my new current TV obsession! While I'm waiting for Glee to come back on in April, I love watching My Life as Liz. Totally a revenge of the nerds sort of thing. I almost always root for the underdogs! And Liz is so cute and nerdy and loveable and cool and unique!



Okay, see you manana! *hugs*