Last Summer Layouts

Oooohhh, methinks I opened a Pandora's box because of my last post. Please let me correct any notion that I am referring to a particular person/s. If you feel alluded to, I'm very, very sorry but I actually just wrote about who else, but.... ME! lol! My previous post is a REAL story! I bought a Cutterpede when I was perfectly happy with the scissors I got from National Bookstore. I was also using a CARL paper trimmer which by the way does an excellent job but I still bought the MM Precision cutter. They did cost an arm & a leg but I've been very happy with them and never regretted making those decisions.

However, after several years of scrapping, I have to admit that I've also made a few uhm, shall we say, wrong "investments". Todate, I think my worst purchase was the Basic Grey Notch & Die Cutting Tool. I think I just used it twice and haven't touched it since! I'm also ashamed to admit that I bought a few Sizzix dies that I don't even touch now. Anybody out there want to share their booboo buys? Please let me know. I'd feel much better knowing that I'm not alone. lol!!!

Speaking of going back to basics, may I just share a very simple layout using Fiskars Textures Plates. It might seem jurassic to some but I thoroughly enjoyed using my stylus and dry embossing the design on the paper. Anyone have these babies buried deep in their scrap drawer? Why don't you take them out and play with them? Made a total lot of difference for me! Oh, I used GCD Studios for this layout. Please check them out at Lasting Impressions.

Here's a closer look. I just glued the string in a wavy pattern, cut out triangle for the ribbon and voila!

If sometimes you find the cost of having pictures developed a bit steep, why not try editing a series of photos and converging them in 4r or 3r sizes. As an example, the series of photos here of my DS putting on this shirt was captured in just two 4r pictures. Think of the big savings you can make by using your photo editing programs!
The above layout used Pink Paislee and Sassafras papers. Please check them out at Lasting Impressions.

Back to Basics

Show me a scrapper and I'll show you a person who's really into gadgets. And maybe trends? When a newbie scrapper dives into the craft of scrapbooking she'll need the essential tools: scissors, adhesives, cutter & ruler, most probably purchased from the neighborhood bookstore. She hurries home in gleeful ecstacy with the precious stash and gets right down to serious business. After delving deep into the creative process as evidenced (hopefully) by a handful of layouts, the newbie then decides that her tools need to be upgraded. And pronto! The perfectly good pair of scissors will be exchanged for one with a pointed tip, non-stick blades, spring action and comfort grip for ergonomic comfort. How else can she precision cut through the intricate design on the patterned paper? Never mind if it costs an arm & a leg. Besides, at the last crop she went to at the LSS everyone was using it!


And don't let me get started on the cutter. When I started scrapping in 2005, everyone brought along the single-bladed portable paper trimmer to crops. Then it quickly evolved: self-sharpening blades, multi-shaped blades, magnetic surfaces, foldable, etc. Now there are guillotine cutters which guaranty to effortlessly cut through wads of paper, including your fingernails & fingers if you're not careful....OUCH! The downside? It's humongous, weighs a ton and takes up all the surface space of your cropping area. Oh well, you'll argue with anyone who dares that it's STILL a good buy and hence takes up a special corner in your already crowded scrapping nook.

Scrappers can't get enough. They continue about their merry way creating art with their new-found tool. Until a new product comes along. They'll curiously look at it, investigate, then maybe try it out. Whoa! This is fantastic!!! I just have to have it!!! Then they'll fret, whine, obsess and justify the latest acquisition. Happiness is getting the new IT product! Well, for some....

In a perfect world (and a recession-free economy) it would be great to be able to continually upgrade one's gadgets and stash as new (and better) ones come along. Besides, it's all for the scrappers' good, right? Some may agree and quite a handful will argue with this. Who needs a new cutter when the old one works perfectly well? And what's the difference between your high-tech scissors from the ones your Mom used for all her crafts? Engaging in a discussion will be endless and arguing about it is pointless. To each his own, I always say.

Scrapbooking is a billion dollar industry and the last few years has seen its rise to stellar heights. Manufacturers and their design teams were falling over each other to offer the latest and the "best". And we, scrappers were only to willing to embrace these trends. But right now everyone feels the pinch and the scrapbooking industry is not exempt. When income is tight, the first to go are leisure & craft activities. And if consumption falls production quickly follows suit. At present, the industry is facing a major shakedown. Some major players have already closed shop or simply merged with other companies for survival. Rationalization is the name of the game. Just recently, one of my favorite magazines, Simple Scrapbooks, closed shop. Making Memories will follow suit by the end of the year. Wonder who's next?

So where to now, scrapper? Are we finally free from the manufacturers' "trends" and go down to the essence of scrapbooking? Don't despair because as long as there are memories, there'll be something to scrap about. One doesn't always need to have the newest product to be able to complete a beautiful layout. To each his own, again I say. And we can always go back to where we started: some talent, a lot of chutzpah and a good pair of scissors from the neighborhood bookstore.

My Daughter Will be Home Tomorrow!!!!

...after an 8-week study tour in Xiamen, China. I really, really miss my baby girl! If you ask me, maybe I deserve a whack in the head for allowing my baby to go but I know that this experience was good for her. She'll be planing in tomorrow at the NAIA 2 terminal. Can't wait. Maybe mine will be the biggest welcome banner. LOL!!!

In honor of my DD, here's a layout I made using American Crafts paper from Lasting Impression.

Meanwhile, it's been too hot to stay in the kitchen so I've been keeping myself busy making some layouts. The next one is about the despedida we gave for my daughter the day before she left for China. Hmmmm... time really flies fast.

I used Little Yellow Bicycle's "Love Letters", the latest available from Lasting Impression for the last 2 layouts in this post. It's a beautiful line of papers perfect for vintage layouts. Here, I have a picture of my parents dancing at a Xmas party way back in 1961. The original photo was small and a little faded. I scanned and edited the photo to recapture its dreamy quality.

I do love old pictures! There's something beautifully magical about it! But what's actually wonderful about old pictures is the story behind it. I had to ask my Mom who's in the States about this picture. She said that she was just newly married then. And how did she remember? She said the dress she was wearing was part of her wedding trosseau! And you know that black patch on my Dad's shirt? Well.... here's the story and it's kinda romantic.

Journaling:

My parents got married on July 4, 1961. Gregorio was 28. Rufina 23. It was sort of a hasty marriage but not for the wrong reasons. You see, my paternal grandmother, Josefa Reyes, died unexpectedly and well-meaning relatives advised my parents to beat the 40-day mourning period and get married. It was that or wait another 2-3 years in accordance with traditional Chinese beliefs. So here are my parents enjoying one of their first dances as a newly-married couple. Just one of the many dances they'll enjoy in the years to come.

Please check out Lasting Impression online store for materials used for the above layouts. Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Slowly but Surely

...am rebuilding my blog. I was so shocked by the disaster I caused (pls see previous post) that I refused to sit in front of the computer! Well, actually I was also away in Baguio for 4 days which was a perfectly good excuse for me to stay away from the computer. The mountain air did all of us good because as soon as I got home, I was raring to scrap! Hmmm.... now I really know the reason for my low scrap output. I spend too much time on my butt blogging & blog-hopping when I should be scrapping and maybe baking.

Baguio was wet, wet, wet but the weather was still fantastic! We were able to go out in the mornings but come lunch hour the grey clouds suddenly descend upon the whole city and everything gets freezing wet. Still, it was a gorgeous vacation! Here's a picture of the kids trying out the strawberry flavored taho. Yum!!!! Try it when you go to Baguio!

The month of April bowed out with almost daily rains and a wet May seems to be upon us. Hmmm.. is summer is really over? Before the rains unusually stay on, here are a few happy, summer layouts that I made for Lasting Impression.

And my choice for a carefree summer layouts? Sassafras! I love the cute and carefree designs of all its lines! Love using it on my DS!

Still using Sassafras papers mixed with Cosmo Cricket, I then made this layout of my DS to commemorate the time he spent a few days in the hospital last year. DS almost freaked out when he saw pink colors on the layout! lol! The Sassafras lines are quite versatile too! I so love the mood that I captured in this layout of my 3 boys (DH & two DS) walking up the trail to Mount Mayi in South Korea.
I was on a roll so I decided to scrap DS' picture at the Everland Theme Park & Resort in Korea. (thanks also to the scrapping session we had last May 1 at Lasting Impression) DS & I were left behind while all our companions went to ride the giant wooden roller coaster with the really crazy loop-the-loop. Even though it was a long wait DS still had loads of fun! I used Cosmo Cricket, Prima & Rusty Pickle papers for this LO. I also had fun using (again! after a long, long time) my MM paints and UTEE on the chipboard.

Please check out the gallery and online shop of Lasting Impression for materials used here.