Layouts for our Birthday Hero

This week, I did these layouts about our Birthday Boy Zareef. He turns 4 this June, so it is the perfect time to create layouts for my boy (plus without realizing, I have lots of boyish papers and embellishments!). I still can't believe that Zareef is 4 years old already. Time flies so fast, you can barely catch them growing up!!

REACHING FOR THE STARS

Love these pictures of Zareef playing at the park near our house. I finally got the chance to use this very cool Fancy Pants paper, which is perfect for the occasion.

MY BOY

I love these boyish and grunge papers from Kaisercraft, and this picture is perfect for it! This picture was taken by Amru during Qamelia 1st birthday. Love the shot, showed a mischiveous and naughty look of Zareef :)

Bearybox challenge #28 - SWEET

I just could not resist the interesting sketch from Bearybox challenge #28, that I created a layout from it. I finally managed to use the large flowers I have in my stash (just love flowers!). I love this picture (thanks amru for the nice shot!) of Zareef and Soraya's daughter, Qariena. Zareef is very close with Qariena @ Nana. Everytime they meet, they will hold hands and go everywhere together... hehe.. (romeo sungguh!)

Houston 2006 pull mini album

I finally managed to complete one of the mini album I created with Jessy @ Papier. Thanks Jessy for the lesson, a private lesson lagi! I love this self-flip pull album. You can pull the tabs and the pages will flip by itself. Nice one, Jessy! I did an album about my business trip to Houston in 2006, where my hubby and Zareef accompanied me.

Zareef was about 1 year 4 months at that time. We had fun, went to the Aquarium, Houston Zoo, The Children's Museum (Zareef really like this place.. ) and visited friends. It was during Ramadhan (we cant enjoy the 'sponsored' food that much la.. ) but we had fun.. The plane ride was very tiring with a very active Zareef on board. Lucky that I was in business class (poor hubby back at economy) so that Zareef had his 'space' to play around. So, in the other hand, kind of thankful that Zara is not coming to Houston with me next week, as I knew how tiring will that be. But my mother and I are still sad that Zara can't come along for an all-girls outing.. plus very sad that I have to totally wean her off, as I wanted to bf her until she is 2...

Ok.. here are some pictures of the album. For more picture, visit my Scrapperocks! gallery

Scrap-It-Lah challenge

I entered this layout for Scrap-It-Lah May challenge, and guess what? I won! This is my first time winning a challenge, and am very happy about it :) I didnt expect to win, and this layout was done using free papers from Scrapbook Magazine! Thanks Scrap-It-Lah for the lovely challenge.

Also, I am honored to be part of their design team! Thank you for the opportunity, ladies. Although I am new at this, I'll try my best to create lovely layouts for you guys, and at the same time promote Scrapbooking to more people in Malaysia!

Check out Scrap-It-Lah June challenge, which you have to interpret a lovely sketch by Jessy, in addition to making your own flowers from patterned papers and buttons. This is the same challenge we had in the crop party @ Scrappingville, where I did a layout about Zara's heart-melting smiles. We need more submission, especially to new talents to reveal themselves. It is also a great solution if you're having an artist-block.. just follow the challenge's instructions!

So, what are you waiting for, Scrap-It-Lah!

Scrapbook Friends

Today, I met with some scrappies in EM. I didn't know that they are serious scrappers like me and they are in the same department as me! Nadhrah was there too, so we had this sharing session where they showed their masterpieces. I didnt bring mine as I am not aware that they are bringing their work. But what a lovely collection of mini albums and layouts! Shahrul, our mini album diva, stunned us with her beautiful and gorgeous darcy code albums. She is truly a master!!! She needs to give tutorial to us!!

There was also a couple of Aussie ladies, who are Lili's scrapbooking friends. One of them owns a scrapbook store in her home (how cool is that? She is pregnant with her sixth child!). We had fun chatting and looking at the albums and layouts. And of course, shopping! Nadhrah brought some stuffs from her store so I was tempted and bought a sanding block and a couple of journaling pens (I dont have one OK). We had a quick lunch at Convention Center after that.

It was exciting to know a lot of people through scrapbooking. It is really a good way to get-together and become closer to your friends. We want to plan for our own crop party and maybe ask Nadhrah or Shahrul to teach a class! Really excited! Can't wait for tomorrow night, when I can scrap in peace!

For pictures and more stories, visit Nadhrah's blog here. Hope to do more things together with the girls!

Scrapbook crazy!

I googled Scrapbook stores near my hotel, and this is what I found; around 11 stores within 25 miles radius!!!! (And this is not including craft stores like Hobby Lobby). There are 11 stores, 20-45 minutes drive from the hotel!! That is about the drive from my house to Papier to Scrappingville. Which one to go? Which one is the best? And most importantly, what to buy? I am sure they have a giga variety of stuff compared to the stores in Malaysia. I will go scrappercrazy over there!!!

Nadhrah will help me list down 'things to buy', especially what kind/brand of tools to buy. She said to buy stickers, rub-ons, papers, etc.. not really helping dear! :)

Mama, if you're reading this, please make sure I don't go overboard! hehe..

Houston.. here I come!

Crop party @ Scrappingville

I joined Scrap-It-Lah's crop party on Saturday and had lots of fun. It was a small group, but they are all very nice and friendly ladies. I knew most of them through their blogs and am glad to finally meet them. There's Michelle chowchow, Watie Basri, Naddy Scrappingchix, Nilla and May. Jessy couldnt join us as she had another event at her school. Nadhrah Scrapping Glitz was there too, visiting and shopping (nice to finally meet her, after communicating only through emails) :) It's apparent the girls know each other well, they are like the creme of scrapbooking in Malaysia.. heheh..

The crop party was hosted by Michelle and Watie. We did a tag for our neighbour, a flower using only paper, buttons, and cleaning pipes, and finally a layout from a sketch. I was kinda slow and blurred, but I managed to create something nice. The girls were quick and knew what they were doing.. I guess that comes with experience.. hehe..

Here are the tag I did for May and mine as created by May. Both have butterflies!

The lovely paper flowers.. Mine is the far left.

May's layout. Love the picture!

Naddy's layout. Really love these papers from Amy Butler. Gorgeous! Naddy had the most stash, but no suprise as she owns an online store!

Nilla's layout. Loved the flowers, very creative!

Yours Truly.. very simple layout from me.

Me with the girls...May, Naddy, Watie and Michelle. We're missing Nilla, she had to left early.

The girls' power cameras. Nice!

Michelle, who is the co-owner of Scrap-It-Lah invited me to be in their design team. All I need to do is to design one layout per month for them. I am really honored, although I am a newbie that still need to learn more! I will try to do my best, girls.

I had lots of fun, but the best part was meeting all the girls. I really enjoyed their company and hope to meet them in another scrapping event later. (There is a Scrapbooking Showcase @ Scrappingville this Tuesday but unfortunately, I can't join as I have to work).

World's Best Mama

Here is a layout I did for Scrap-It-Lah May challenge. The challenge is to scrap about your mom, or about being a mother. The only condition is to have some form of journaling. So, it can be a layout or a mini album or anything you can think of. I am still experimenting with different techniques, and here I played around with 3D embellishment. I like how the frame turned out.

I am not good with words, so I adapted a poem from www.poemsource.com by Joanna Fuchs as part of the journaling. Here's how the poem goes...

Mama, you're a wonderful mother,
So gentle, yet so strong.
The many ways you care
Always make me feel I belong.
You're a source of comfort;
You're my cushion when I fall.
You help in times of trouble;
You support me whenever I call.

I love you more than you know;
You have my total respect.
If I had my choice of mothers,
You'd be the one I'd select!

Everyday, I try my best to be
A mother like the mom you were to me.

By Joanna Fuchs

Life as your mama...

Here is a layout I did on Mother's Day, capturing the eventful day. I like the paper so much that I made it as the background. I just love the bright colors.

Life as your mama... the journaling says...

"My precious Zareef & Zara, being your mama is the greatest thing in my life. You give me joy and happiness that is beyond words. I learned the true meaning of patience and sacrifice, and most of all, now I understand the feeling of unconditional love"

Mother's Day mini album

I made this accordian mini album for mama.. It is very simple album, but I like how it turned out (although I still need to learn other techniques too!). I managed to put together some childhood pics of my brothers and me, together with some recent pictures. I used lots of flowers, which I know my mother is crazy over them.

Thank you again for everything, mama.. you mean the world to me.. *Hugs*

Mother's Day card

Here is the card I made for my mother-in-law, or as we lovingly call, LOLA. I used my stash paper to create this card, and some free stickers from Scrapbook magazine. I like these stickers by Beatrix Potter, aren't they just lovely? Hope mama likes it.

Scrapperlicious Shahrul

I just found that my scrap 'guru' is giving a tutorial on mini albums! You know who.. it's Shahrul or Kak Own, as most of us who knows her. It is no suprise as her mini albums are really really gorgeous! FYI- she's the one who introduced scrapbooking to me. She made a lovely mini album for Zara and from then on I thought I want to do this too. I will love this hobby. But I told her I would not have the time to do this with two small children to take care of. But she encouraged me to try and here I am!

She will give a tutorial on a gate-fold mini album, like the Pride and Prejudice album she did. Check it out at the Scrapping Glitz site. I will surely want to be one of her students. Her mini album collections are just so beautiful and yummylicious! She is really one talented scrapper... Scrapperlicious Shahrul! So proud of you, Kak Own!

Here is the album she did for Zara...

Beach dudes

Yey! I managed to create one more layout on Sunday, making the total layouts created during the long weekend to 3. I am taking up one of the Scrappin Kids Fiesta challenge, which is a color challenge. I can only use red, yellow, aqua blue, green and kraft. Well, back to basic! :) I have never used these combinations before but don't you think it's nice?

I found these bright and cheerful papers at Papier and remembered this challenge. So, I thought that I would give it a try. It's an odd combinations for me but I think it turned out OK. These pictures are from our recent trip to Awana Kijal. The family was accompanying me for my HUET (helicopter training). :))

For more pictures, please visit my Scrappperocks! Gallery