Bunny Hop with SRM Stickers

Welcome to SRM's Bunny Hop where we are showcasing summer themed projects using SRM Stickers on Bo Bunny papers!

Your task: Begin with SRM Stickers blog, hop to each blog, leave comments, and return to SRM Stickers blog to comment that you’ve completed the hop.

Prize: A random commenter will be chosen from each day’s hop participants to receive a SRM Stickers prize package.
Deadline: The hop closes at midnight on Sunday, May 2nd.

For my project, I got to work with the Bo Bunny Flower Child collection.  It's sunny and bright and totally fabulous! I created this baseball layout with it along with the following SRM Stickers: Have A Ball - Baseball - 47001 and Say It With Stickers - Fun In the Sun - 39052.  Second Child at least has the correct throwing motion.  The same cannot be said of her mother or her sister. 
 
Thanks for visiting! I'm your last stop on this hop! Now please hop back to SRM Stickers to comment that you've completed the hop to be eligible for the SRM Stickers prize package.

The Color Room Palette Four

The new palette is up at the Color Room! I am immediately reminded of fall when I saw these colors, and thought of doing a layout of my purple dinosaur/dragon :)  She grabbed her "head gear" and roared at me looking oh so fierce :)  Here's to hoping the costume would still fit in six months...

Here is a close-up of me trying to learn to use different elements in clusters...  emphasis on learn...
Here is the palette for you to try!

Lastly, what do you think of the fancy schmancy signature Lydell cooked up for me?  Now I just need to figure out how to overlay a monstrosity dude to personalize it for me, hee hee... 

Thank You E.M. Forster

I couldn't come up with a clever title but for my reading from a long time ago.  Last Friday was my first day to post on the my Stamp Box blog, and this was the project I blogged using "Seal It" stamps. Stamping is definitely one of the current rages in the paper crafting world. Look no further than several stamping related calls by Northridge Media to know! I really enjoy incorporating stamping into my scrapbooking pages. I thought the "Seal It" stamps blended in the Mamarazzi papers so extremely well. 

A special thanks to Jason who lent me his photographic skills and took these photos for me. 

Here is a close-up of this page where I stamped the myStampBox stamp.  As my good friend Lydell puts it "details are what make one's stuff jaw dropping..." such wise words to live my scrappy life by...

Exhausted...

Today was a big day for a little girl, and the little girl's mother is exhausted! I don't know why, since the little girl's mother did not have to lift a finger to prepare these delicious foods... You all can blame Virginia for encouraging me to post food photos to, you know, keep it more real, lol. 

Here is Uncle Steve who couldn't wait to sit down before biting in...

We've had such wonderful weather here, all the growing has been moved up by a few weeks!  We saw our first strawberry flower already, and it's only April!!  This is another Mosh Posh layout I did as the GDT,  she does love her berries!

Lastly, here is a very simple and easy birthday card using SRM Stickers sentiment. So cute, hee hee...  Here's to hoping for a productive day on Sunday, lots of projects must be done... happy Sunday to you!

The Color Room Palette Three

Much explanation is needed for this picture... When my childhood friends from Shanghai and I reconnected after I started working, they respectively sent me photos of their weddings.  I was utterly floored by how gorgeous their photos were. Then eight years ago, back in Shanghai, I thought, what the heck, I am gonna have some wedding photos done!  I signed us up with a studio and then called DH to inform him. This was one of the five outfits I wore at my "wedding" shoot.  It was weird hearing "bride" and "groom" for a day, since we had been married for nearly four years by that point. 

No doubt, you are reading and thinking, "Holy Buckets, is this really JJ? I didn't think she was capable of looking this good."  Well, there is a traditional Chinese saying, "Whiteness covers 90% of one's ugliness."  On this day, I was caked with white paste. I was much much whiter than my DH, not even close! This was also the product of scotch-taped open eyelids.  Yeah, you read that right, they taped my eyelids up so my eyes would appear bigger.  Let me not forget to mention the tarantula size eyelashes they put on me in order for them to show on the photos!  LOL. Believe me, when they put those tacky plastic flowers into my "hair," I thought I was going to puke, but obviously they were pros, everything sure looked good in photos! LOL. One last note: they completely positioned me. Believe me, I don't typically look up with my chin down like this, LOL! 

Enough about my photo... Here is the most gorgeous palette #3 in this world from the Color Room, please go check out the DT inspiration, sit down first though!!  Your mind, will be blown! LOL.

More Up the Street

I've been spotted on the Jilibean Soup blog with this layout! How fun eh? I used Up the Street April main kit and first add-on kit to create this layout at my recent scrapbooking retreat. I know... I was pretty productive, 12 some layouts I think... but I was there for 3.5 days!!

I used a very fancy schmancy mask to create the misted background, you can see my mask here. hee hee...

One more layout with the Up the Street kit. I think it's my personal favorite.

Just a couple of fun spritz of Maya Road brown mist, delicious!!

Thanks for checking in!!  xxoo!

Because Pearl Said So...

Recently, Miss Pearl has been scrapping lots of photos that aren't hers. I must have sounded bitter enough in one of my comments that she offered to scrap my photos as well. LOL. Who said passive aggression isn't the answer?  LOL.

I did this layout at my scrappy retreat and once again, I really wanted to use my new 7Gypsies Avignon papers...  I haven't found my groove yet with that line, maybe I should scraps some Avignon photos using Avignon papers...  Maybe then, it would feel right??
Back to this, like I said, I was trying to play with products and hence the cluster of this and that for no good apparent reason.  I used a Glitz birdie rubon too, love their products! 

One thing that I found very difficult to do at a crop is journaling. There is so much chatting (I contributed plenty), it's hard to concentrate and write.  So this page is also sans story.  Good thing these photos have been printed multiple times, I imagine I will fit in the story of her eating chocolates at a cookie baking party at Uncle Steve's...   Now, don't forget to stop by at Pearl's to see her rendition of these photos!!! 

Mosh Posh April

A while back, a little Lamb called Laina turned me onto a guest DT opportunity with Mosh Posh. It is one of the oldest kit clubs in existence: five years and still going strong. Kristen, the owner of Mosh Posh, is also the gal behind Lily Bee Designs, and of course, the April kit featured several sheets of Lily Bee's newest line: Lovely. Here are a couple of the layouts I did with the April kit by Mosh Posh.

DH recently discovered some organic chocolates at a whole foods store and even I think they taste okay :) If I must eat a piece of chocolate, let it be almost completely bitter... lol... The girl below isn't as picky, she'll eat whatever chocolate that is offered up to her!

I tried to create a frame with this layout, I don't know, my horrendous machine stitching ruined it if you ask me...

Thank you for stopping by and always... don't forget to check out the second palette of the Color Room!

The Color Room Palette Two

The Color Room's launch was a smashing success! We are so excited that so many people have joined our challenge site and participated... 184 layouts entered into our first challenge! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Now onto our second week, we are in "His Room" and here is the palette for this week!

I can't say there is any meaning to this layout except that I wanted to use my new 7Gypsies Avignon and BoBunny Mamarazzi. I also used myStampBox stamps on this layout, I think the circles look great with the buttons!!  Did I just say that about my own stuff... hmm... lol.

I hope you will stop by the Color Room, check out the wonderful DT examples, and try out this new palette yourselves!! 

Up the Street

Guess what I worked on this past weekend? Here is a clue! Isn't this packaging totally cute? I am pleased to say that I landed a guest DT spot for Up the Street, a Canadian scrapbooking kit club and store!

 

I took the kit and an add-on to a scrapbooking retreat this past weekend. I hung out with BFF Jessy and her other BFFs.  It was my first scrapbooking retreat and 'beyond stressed' does not begin to describe me and my packing situation! Nevertheless, I had a good time. It did help having Tara's kit because it's all there!  The kit arrived in record time so it took a lot of self-control to not dig in immediately. Here are two layouts I created with the main kit. 

I am totally gaga over these Sassafras papers! And you get the full set of Sassafras alphabets in the main kit, those colorful critters!!  I also only used one of the three trims included in the kit.  I don't think I deserve such gorgeous trims, I do not do them justice!!! 

Anywhoo... two layouts for now, and will have a couple more later!

Anthologies and Winner

The winner of my follower/subscriber giveaway is Nathalie!!!  Leave me a comment with your email please, and we will work the rest out!!

And now it's time to share my last layout using Anthologies Connections April kit which is still available for purchase!!  I really loved the roses in these Prima papers and even though there is that rectangle in the layout, I pat myself on the back on stepping outside of my box on this layout, LOL!!!  That Chinese character is cut with the Pagoda cartridge: "beauty."  It is also the character used for "America." :)  Yeah baby, America is beautiful!

By the way, if you have the Pagoda cartridge, just know that the character for "girl" really means "mother."  Seriously, I have Chinese writing readers, do you think 娘 means "girl?????"  Sure, gu-niang is a girl, but 娘 on its own, that's mother!!! Tell me I'm not crazy!!!  Actually, tell me I'm right **grin**

Here is a close-up of my fabric flower!! Dat right, I made that flower out of a strip of fabric, moi, being crafty!!!  I am very very proud of it :)

That's it for today.  I have so many more layouts to share in the next few days, the past few weeks have been quite exciting, that's for sure!

Irrational!

Are you a fan of this wonderful but irrational number? We are! :) This family celebrated March 14, π (Pi) day with a math experiment :)

I think my heart jumped out of my throat when DH told me his plans to measure the diameter of circles with DD to learn about π and its relationship to a circle. It appeals to me in so many ways. I want to instill a love of math in my children. Mathematics is a wonderful subject, one which I spent seven years studying in college and graduate school. Of course I know there would be awesome photo opportunities, and I was right. Lastly, do I not have all kinds of scrapping supplies that they can use for their experiment? And use them, they did :)

I want to thank you so much for stopping by the Color Room. There is so much excitement in the virtual air! We look forward to revealing the next palettes and more!

Annoucing... The Color Room

How many months ago... I wondered aloud in an email (can one do that? anyway...) to the three Aussie amigos, Janine, Steph, and Lydell, why on earth don't they start their own challenge site? Notice I said "they" and "their!"  Before I know it, that idea was being implemented and I was in the middle of "them!" lol.  Fast forward a few months and much hard work later (mostly not by me :) ) the Color Room is ready for the world!

So what is the Color Room?  We hope that it will be a creative home for everyone all over the world, a place for you to meet new friends, to push your creativity, and to be inspired by each other! 

Each week, we will have a color inspiration palette. This will comprise of an image and four separate colors based on that image.  A sketch will accompany each week's challenge.  There will be technique tutorials in visual and written format. The creative team has been working on video presentations to enhance every viewer's technique skills. (Believe me, this viewer, cough cough, needs all the help she can get on techniquey things, hee hee.) There will be monthly drawings for RAK's donated by our generous sponsors as well as the design team. 

The Color Room WANTS YOUR decorations! Be them mini-albums, layouts, cards, alteration pieces, or other glorious things I can't even name... come and decorate with us!

Please come on into the Color Room, and join the rest of the artists already there: Larissa Albernaz, Iris Babao Uy, Ingvild Bolme, Steph Devlin, Lucy Edson, Sasha Farina, Danielle Flanders, Sasha Holloway, Janine Koczwara, Kathie Link, Jing-Jing Nickel (moi), Leanne Pearce, Lydell Quin, Ronda Palazzari, Emeline Seet, Kim Watson, and Karola Witczak.

I so so look forward to seeing you there! And to kick off our first palette reveal, here is a layout I did for it.  You know what I'm most proud of? I cut into that sheet of Basic Grey Blush paper that I've been saving for three years now!!  I love it when I use stash!

Here is a close-up where you can see the embossed edge the EK success punch creates, very fabulous!

Have I been convincing enough?  Will you be moving on into the Color Room? See you there!

SRM Stickers Spring Break Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the SRM Stickers Spring Break Blog Hop! To start, please visit SRM Stickers' blog for today’s blog order. The hop continues all week so check the SRM blog daily for the day’s blog hop order.  To qualify for a chance to receive an SRM prize package, please do the following:

1. Become a "follower" of my blog.
2. Leave a comment on this post.
3. Hop to the next two stops and return to SRM Stickers to leave a comment to say you've completed the Hop for that day.

To sweeten the pot for you, I am having my own blog giveaway.  Everyone who is or becomes a follower of my blog by midnight Sunday May 11th CST will qualify for my own blog giveaway pictured below!  Everyone is welcome to enter.  

Now onto my project for this blog hop. I was asked to create a project with my favorite SRM sticker sheet. I have many favorites, but I chose these outdoors stickers in the SRM Stickers collection:

#42030 Express Yourself Outdoors
#39045 Say it with Stickers Outdoors
This layout gets to my roots in scrapbooking. I started with this hobby in 1999 because I loved traveling and taking pictures!  Have you ever visited someone who had been on a trip and they sit down and explain every single picture to you?  When I discovered scrapbooking, it was like a huge light bulb went on: I never have to subject anyone to "death by photo explanation!"  They can look through my books and read the journaling if they are interested.
These photos (merged together non-digitally :) ) were taken on the Iceline hike in the Canadian Rockies. 

Here is a close-up where I added a sticker to a chipboard piece.

Thanks for visiting today! Your next stop is Tania’s Blog. Don’t forget to return to SRM to leave a comment that you have finished the hop today. Random winners will be chosen from each day’s comments. You have until the end of the week to hop!

One last postscript, ahem... get ready... something very colorful is coming... :)

If I Can Have Only One Afternoon

It must be October Afternoon!

I don't think I'm alone in my infinite love and patience for October Afternoon. By patience, I simply mean that I will wait onto the ending of this world for OA anything to hit the stores, and I will be there, first in line, bells on, cash in hand, to purchase. 

The two CHA-W lines by OA are now availabe in stores, so I guess it's finally okay to cut into last round's frantic purchases.  I felt Very Merry indeed making this mini.  My parents took the kids swimming, and my "afternoon" was spent crafting this KaiserCraft mini-album.  I also managed to fit in a couple of miles of running, all is well...

One last thing, next week, SRM Stickers is doing a week-long blog hop, be sure to check in and check back!

Don't Mess with the Dress

Three months ago, I saw the Material Girl by Cosmo Cricket. All I could do was to sing:

"Some papers delight me, some papers thrill me, I think they're okay, but if you don't give me proper Cosmo, I just walk away.

Some papers I like, some papers I try. If they don't have ready-set-chips then I have to let them be.

... coz I'm living in a material world, and I'm a material girl! You know that we are living in a material world, and I'm a material girl!"

Ironically enough, after falling so hard for the Material Girl, I could do nothing with this line!  But thank goodness our neighbors lent the girls Barbie and the Three Musketeers.  During a "sword" fight between the girls, Second Child stopped so deliberately and yelled at her sister, "Don't Mess with the Dress!" THANK YOU!  Finally, I've got my material!  ;)

That's right baby, it's Crafting with Cosmo Week on the SRM Stickers blog. Today, two of my layouts are featured alongside of Tobi and Norma.  Wow, the SRM DT is just on fire!

Here is a list of SRM Stickers product I used to create the borders that break up the patterned papers for this layout. 

42020 School

51006 Thinking of You
49007 What's Cooking'
42001 Athlete
48085 Numbers Large
42038 Everyday Life
Please stop by the SRM blog to see the other layout of mine posted and be utterly floored by everyone else's artwork! Hold on to your jaw, otherwise, you'll be looking for it on the floor!

Welcome! Anthologies Connection

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the debut kit of Anthologies Connection, brought to you by Anthologies.

The April kit features the Prima Shabby Chic line, packed with embellishments from American Crafts, Maya Road, trims, ribbons, chipboards, buttons, vintage music sheet, glitter paper and more...

I've had these projects in my "pocket" for quite sometime now, and here are two of them. And Janine, Prima Flower Girl, you promised not to laugh :)

Teal or turquoise is the current trend and all the rage!!  Oh yes, Lolly!  Naturally, this sheet of Bazzill teal was my favorite cardstock and it looks so so so good with this line of paper. And... just because the line is named "shabby chic," it doesn't mean my layout has to be that.  I like this layout for its clean and crisp lines with just a touch of whimsy.  And yes, she is the star... she's always the star...  throwing a fit just because there's mulch in her shoes.  Mama is BUSY! The pictures don't take themselves!

To recap, get your kit at Anthologies Connection and get ready to be wow'ed by the rest of the design team's creations.