IN THE AIR

Hi from up in the sky everyone! Well actually I've already landed, but took this photo while in the air this morning. I'm off and overseas again, this time back to Bangkok.

For my newer readers, I was in Bangkok last year end and had created my own minibook to fill in on the trip. You can read more about it as well as view the album here.

This time around, as the time was tighter, I used one of the original Amy Tangerine Daybooks. And of course I made it my own. Here's a picture of some of the items that I brough along this trip around to make my own minibook for Bangkok. And yes * sheepish grin* I have not yet finished my Hong Kong trip one yet, but move on to what's going on in the present and keep documenting, especially my travels. 

Yes I brought my doily punch along for this trip and the Stepping Stone Add-on Alpha to work with as well as more than just these few rolls of washi.

Here's a close-up of the cover that I have done.

Can you identify any of the items used here? I love the polaroid pattern paper from the latest dear lizzy collection which I used on the cover, and it is available at Scraplicious in Singapore, though I heard it is flying off the shelves. I'm  also itching to put some sequins on the cover.

As for my special project that I mentioned yesterday, some of you got it but not totally correct. And I will reveal more in time to come.

Hope you liked my short little sharing (:

ON THE PLANE

It's going to be a little more quiet than usual here as I am overseas in Hong Kong.

To prepare for documenting during the trip, I did the same thing that I did for Bangkok last year, by preparing a mini-book to be filled along the way while I am on the trip.

And I started working on it on the plane

Those items surrounding my minibook are but a small portion of the things I brought along to scrap along the way... I definitely over-packed scrapping supplies. I'll try to update as my book progresses, but limited light will be an obstacle for sure. So stay tuned to my possible live updates of my progress with the book. I have my trusty pivi mp300 with me, but won't print all the picture with it, just the important ones (:

For those in Singapore who were interested in the sneak that I posted the other day, here's the class schedule from Scraplicious.
The class name that I showed the sneak of is "Pretty in Pink". Here's the sneak again for reference (:

Hope to see you in class and have a good rest of the week!

THE REST OF MY DD

I was going to post my week one of Project Life, but light was really bad this morning. So instead, I'm sharing the rest of my December Daily.

 

 

I completed it towards the start of 2012, so you can see my sewing machine stitching really making an appearence (:

On another note it has been really challenging to take nice bright photos of my layouts at home, a combination due to my working hours and the gloomy weather here in the mornings.

Project Life is going well on track and for that I'm glad. It was not as challenging as I was worried it would be, mostly due to the fact that I'm taking a weekly approach to it, and being flexible to doing it per fortnight or monthly. And it is really fun to think in grids for this. Hope that you have been keeping on track with Project Life and I can't wait to see from all around the World Wide Web the life documentation that is taking place.

CATCHING UP WITH DECEMBER

Here's more of my album to share, though it has been really hard to get good photos as it has been dreary rainy weather here in Singapore and I am often out of the house before sunrise and only back after sunset:

 

                 

I still have more pages to add, but I think so far so good.

A couple of notes about what worked for me and what didn't:
1. Jot down the memory that you have for each day so that decision making is hastened. Less time spent fussing, more time spent crafting.
2. Though it would be ideal to work on it s each day passes, it doesn't work for me and I work better with doing a few days in a row, both printing and creativity wise
3. Snowflakes were cut by my silhouette and helped add a "christmas" atmosphere
4. To use a good mix of typewriter and handwritten notes is just right for me.
5. Label stickers are a go to asset for several reasons: it provides a place for journaling and helps it to pop out when the page/background is exceptionally busy.
6. I realised that I am really really picky when it comes to the fonts that I choose to showcase in a mini album. I only like specific fonts and not much of others and I like consistency and more graphic type designs.
7. I like the glossiness and pop that the tin pins gave. So much so that I have plans for that for 2012 that I will shall when it is ready.
8. Used a photo template for the first time. Will experiment more for sure to use it more often next year especially for event type pages/photos.

I feel more prepared for project life and tackling it next year. My binder, my page protectors and core kit are ready to be exercised. Must remind myself to not stress over filling it but just to document things from my life now. Especially since it seems to be one full of travel at the moment. And I will be posting here, hopefully regularly so check in for my take on project life. *fingers crossed that I keep up with it and take enough photos from life to fill it up nicely*

CHRISTMAS ISN'T CHRISTMAS TILL IT HAPPENS IN YOUR HEART

Christmas week has come and gone, though its remnants are still around (:

I have been busy finishing my "cup-dom" of christmas gifts. Let me explain cup-dom which comprised of a kingdom that spanned more than 100 cups.

So this year I discovered the joy of vinyl and decided to spread it all around, giving vinyl decorated cups. I special ordered chalkboard vinyl and used my silhouette to cut vinyl like a mad woman. Chalk is somewhat a rare commodity nowadays, being somewhat of a novel thing especially for children. This is as schools here now use whiteboards and eraseable markers unlike the yesteryears.

And this was the result (front and back):

The chalk was placed inside the chalk, giving it a tinkling sound as it clanged against the cups.

Giving a hundred of these meant:
- coming back from ikea with 3 big boxes stacked with the cups
- countless repetitive actions of remove the three stickers that were on the cup (though I do not understand why there is a need for THREE stickers), clean with nail polish remover, peel vinyl, center it, and smooth it out with a scraper.

While I have been doing that, I have been keeping up with my DD.



Here it is, looking nice and fat, the rings are about to burst, but I think it makes it look well-loved

Just some pages to share, will be back to share more of it in due time.

Hope that you are having a lovely christmas with all your loved ones.

BANGKOK MINIBOOK PART TWO

I'm back to share the rest of my Bangkok Mini.

See the first part here

A few more things and details:
1. I used washi tape on the name cards as I can remove them easily if I need the other side for future trips. Love the properties of washi tape just for this purposes.
2. The Jenni Bowlin stickers I used are the perfect size and shape for minis
3. I realised that I take way too many food photos

Also I am entered in the American Crafts Facebook contest with this mini. The winner will receive all four of the new books and embellishments from the Amy Tan Daybook release and that means even more minis to make to document my trip.

If you liked my mini in all its brightness and memorabilia, do cast a vote for me here (Click on 'here').

It is much appreciated and thanks in advance. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to answer them too!

BANGKOK MINIBOOK PART ONE

I'm back with a share of the first half of my "Amy Tan" inspired book from Bangkok. Warning: It will be a photoheavy post!

Just a few random notes:
1. Thai Airways was the flight that I took
2. I printed out some of my photos with my pivi, but decided to print majority back at home
3. I use the roll of washi tape I had with me to mark out pages for certain photos I had taken and wanted printed out back at home so I knew how much space I had. I wrote with a ball point pen on the washi, and because of its properties, easily removed it when I got back home and added my journaling.
4. Crazily, it was only the night before I left that I decided to make a minibook to bring along for the vacation. So I was busily handstitching away at 2am with my luggage half-packed.
5. Memorabilia was collected and pasted on the trip. As mentioned I marked out spaces so as to keep the album chronological and completed when I got back.
6. As the album is at bursting point, I used a strip of washi tape to keep it closed, which means that I can open it easily when I want to too.
7. I use a Selphy ES40 at home. Love this printer though it does not print true 4x6 photos.

Will share the other half tomorrow. I'm also kinda addicted to making these books and am making some as presents for friends who I know will use it. Yet all the same, I'm looking forward to the new "daybooks" that American Crafts and Amy Tan have paired up to create.

DECEMBER 7 & 8

What happened to December 1 to 6?

Well I was actually away from home at the start of December, which I'll share more about later, so I decided to dive right in and record the days memories and do catch up later. That seems to be what a couple of people are doing and for me, it just makes better sense. After all even if I don't get back to the front pages, some being recorded is always better than none, right?

DAY SEVEN

Supplies: Crate Paper, American Crafts, The Twinery, Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon, Maya Road, My Mind's Eye, Studio Calico

As DD is not to just document Christmas, as it isn't a big thing at home, I document interesting things I see of everyday life too. As my table is usually in a mess of bits and pieces here and there, I just grab what I have and use it, in addition to already put aside for DD supplies. Thus my supply list is long at time.

This is a Merlion (a national symbol in Singapore) there was made purely out of lego pieces that was in the toy store that I was in. What is gushing out of his mouth is supposed to be water created from lego.

Interesting fact, a Singaporean is one of eight lego certified lego masters in the world today and is commissioned to make many large objects out of lego.

Christmas trees are in every mall everywhere. In Singapore, malls are everywhere, so I'm sure you can imagine how many trees I have seen so far.

DAY EIGHT

Supplies: Crate Paper, Keng, Jenni Bowlin, Silhouette, American Crafts,  October Afternoon, Doodlebug, Maya Road

Love the grey October Afternoon opaque mist to add a little dimension to the mix. Isn't the "EIGHT" paper tape too cute?

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? Shows like that are galore in numbers in Singapore. Growing up, Elmo and Cookie Monster were my favourite characters ever.

So back to being away at the start of the month

This was where I was for work. And I made a minibook "Amy Tan" style to add things about this trip inside. Previously I had used a photo album with pockets to documnet trips overseas, as for the long haul ones, it would include items that I would want to have pictures of both side or want to be able to feel. But for these short ones, a book to stick everything down and have it look cute is good.

Here's the pre-book, as taken on the plane towards Bangkok. PS: I only did the cover when I was on the plane as I had stayed up the night before to create the book and did not have enough time.

Will share the completed book tomorrow, all done within just a day.

It helped that I used my new Fuji x10 as the SOOC shots are generally of very good quality and colour, so minimal, if any, editing is needed. I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about it immediately.