God never fails me...

Yesterday was not the greatest day of my life. My mobile was stolen from my sling bag while I was shopping yesterday. Granted I got some great deals on clothes, but that was a good phone -- 3 years old but still worth more than I saved on clothes.

I just wish whoever took it (imagine having the gall to unzip my purse!) uses the money for something worthwhile. I'm just thankful that was how it happened because, on hindsight, Luis was with me at the time, and at least he was unaware of what had happened. It could have been worse. It was a female thief, for sure, because I would have noticed if there was a guy searching beside me thru the racks and piles of clothes at Plains n Prints Galleria.

So now with my SIM blocked, my temporary pre-paid number and my old phone, I'm trying to put my phone book together. This one is going to be tougher and will take a while. At least now all hubby needs to decide on is which particular model to get me for my birthday next month!

On to the good news...

I open my Inbox this morning to find an email from Absolument Scrap inviting me to be part of their International DT!

Now, if the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysee aren't enough reasons for me to go to France, this sure is! Absolument Scrap is a French company that started out with rubber stamps, but is now getting into papers and other embellishments. Woo hoo! Time to brush up on my French!

What a great ending to an otherwise depressing week. I was so busy with Luis' exams, Poveda mommy duties, cake decorating and Working Mom projects that I wasn't able to scrap a single page! Have to make-up for it big-time...after I upload the September issue of Scrapbytes, that is.

Tagged By Mia!

Sorry Mia, that I took so long to post this. Don't know who else to tag...what happens if I don't tag anyone???

Create My Own Music

Did this LO last week for a challenge --I didn't win but I still love it, especially because I got to use up some of my stash -- note the now obsolete Karen Foster boot loopy brads!

The photos were taken during one of my photography classes last month. They didn't have a "model" for the portrait session so they asked my to sit under the hot sun and smile for our class of 40+ students.

At least now I have some decent solo pics, so it was worth it, after all!

Materials Used: Love Elsie pps, Colormates cs, Maya Road chipboard scrolls, Tim Holtz Distress Powder, Versamark Ink, Sharpie, Zig and Sakura Souffle pens, Making Memories paint and flower brad, Autumn Leaves stamps, Heidi Swapp & Prima flowers, Queen & Co. alpha brads, photo anchors, word brad and mini brads, Karen Foster lacing brads & floss, misc lace, label holder, ribbon

Journaling: I may not have been blessed with a talent for song and dance, but I have been blessed with everything else. And at almost 38 yrs. old, I've learned to sing and dance to my own music. July 2007

Photos by Errell Nino.

To make the Treble Clef, I trimmed and put-together 2 Maya Road chipboard scrolls, painted and then heat embossed them with pink distress powder.

For the butterfly, I stamped the image 2x, heat embossed and then attached the middle body part. Under the wings I put foam squares for some lift.

Heart of Mine

Basic Grey Infuse at Scrapbukan!

So now I know that doing a transparency LO is harder than it looks...and even harder to photograph...lol! But I had to give it a shot.

Title: Heart of Mine

Journaling: I didn't realize how much I wanted to have a little girl until I had you. You stole my heart the 1st time I say you. Photo May '07.

Materials Used: Basic Grey Infuse patterned papers, die-cuts & fibers; Basic Grey chipboard (heart), Making Memories paint, Fontwerks & Autumn Leaves stamps, Staz-on & Ancient Page inks, Prima flowers, Provo Craft Glitter, Grafix transparency, Jo-ann alpha brads, misc bling.

Maybe next time I'll use a pre-printed transparency because the hardest part was leaving the "white space" alone, so I ended up painting the edges to define them, stamping along the bottom and adding flowers.

MomWorks Layouts

Here are the LOs that Joanne and I made for MomWorks. All photos by Jeff Lopez. Scrapbooking materials sponsored by Scrapbukan. Shot on location at Serendra 2 Sales Pavilion.

MomWorks airs every Friday of August on the Lifestyle Network (Ch 47) at 10pm.

Show Me Your Teeth!

Did this LO of Bianca a few weeks ago. She knows most of her body parts already but my fave thing of all is to ask her to show me her teeth because this face is what she gives me!

Check out her teeth complete with chocolate stains! She's the ultimate chocoholic -- she even tries to bite off the decorative buttons on my shorts thinking they're M&M's!

Journaling: We don't know who taught you to do this, but we all think it is beyond adorable! Bianca, June '07

Materials Used: Basic Grey Fruitcake & Dasher papers, BG undressed alphabets and elements, BG rub-ons, Bazzill cardstock, Autumn Leaves stamp, Making Memories acrylic paint, Versamark & Ancient Page stamping inks, Zig pen, misc ribbon & buttons

I got 5th Place!

For some unknown reason, my Still Life entry in our FPPF class photography contest won 5th place! Looks like I've learned something after all and those 5 Sundays that were spent away from my family weren't for naught.

Sayang nga they didn't specify in any of our previous sessions, that the subject has to be looking at the camera in a Portrait, or I would've entered another photo. Oh well.

I was looking for something to take a photo of when I looked at my scrap table and saw the remaining Jenny Bowlin papers from the "Mommy's Girls" LO. I moved around the furniture in my bedroom to maximize the window light and this is what I got.

Iris got 4th place in the Portrait Contest and Phylline got 10th place in the Still Life Contest. Too bad Jeff & Pia weren't there cos they would've won, for sure! 1st Place for both contests went to our F8 group-mate Jaime.

Let Me In

This is my 1st Collage Press LO for Scrapbukan. The citrus line combines pink with orange making it fun and sweet, at the same time.

This photo of Bianca was taken at Dreamworld in Australia last Oct 2006. There was a huge play area with a lot of balls, but at that time, there were too many big kids inside that we took Bianca out for fear that she might get hurt.

Unlike in Manila where you can send in the nannies to watch the kids inside the playground, only kids are allowed inside here.

Poor Bianca was peeking through the net the whole time wondering why she couldn't join in on the fun.

Title: Let Me In

Journaling: Bianca wanted to play in the ball play area in Dreamworld but there were too many big kids, so she had to watch from outside.

Materials: Collage Press Citrus pps, DCWV black cs, mesh, Making Memories foam stamp and acrylic paints, Autumn Leaves, Leave Memories & Lil Davis stamps, Prima flowers, Jo-ann chipboard & metal phrase, Ancient Page & Versacolor inks, Zig pen, misc bling, rickrack & fibers

August 2007 Scrapbytes

The August 2007 issue of Scrapbytes is finally up! Lots of great articles from our contributors.

Many, many thanks to Nina, Cabbie, Ellen & Sharon, Christine, CH, Mia, Issa, Faith, Addie, Pia, April, Joanne!

Scrappin' Moms also launched the search for our 1st Scrappin Moms Idol! Please register for the Idol Forum for any updates, clarifications and all talk about the contest.

Scenic Route July Challenge

Started up my pc this morning and Iris buzzed me with 2 pieces of good news -- one for her and one for me. Well, it's not for me to say what her piece of good news is (and, should I say, it is every scrapper's dream come true!), but mine is that I won in Scenic Route's July Challenge -- woohoo!

I actually entered Sweet N Sassy in Scenic Route's May Challenge of Arrows but it didn't get chosen that time. Looks like they decided it wasn't so bad after all...yipee!

For my prize, I get to choose between the new Sumner or Ashville collections -- tough decision that one. But since the only time we get the Fall colors over here in the Philippines is during sunset at Manila Bay, I opted for the Sumner collection.

This is one of my fave LOs because I love the happy vibe that the pink-orange combo give out! Plus Nadya has a killer smile, when she's in the mood, so you can't help but smile too, when you see this LO!

Today is going to be another happy day...

Mommy's Girls

I finally got to use my Jenny Bowlin papers which I've had since the Scrapbukan Garage Sale. That seems so long ago, but I had too many things on my plate so I couldn't touch these beauties.

Plus Bud wasn't happy with the amount of time I've been spending in my scrap room so I've had to turn off my pc and close my scrap room door once he gets in from the office.

The only reason I'm here now is because he's out of town for a few days -- perfect timing for the August Scrapbytes upload which should go live by tomorrow.

I had fun doing this LO -- working on it in between breaks while uploading Scrapbytes.

Title: Mommy's Girls

Photo by Jeff Lopez

Materials Used: Provo Craft cs, Jenny Bowlin pps, rub-ons and felt flowers, 7 Gypsies buckle and round photo turns, Sassafras Lass and Hero Art stamps, Distress Embossing Powder, Ancient Page ink, American Crafts Thickers, Sailor pen, Making Memories deco brad, misc ribbon.

I've had these Hero Arts lace stamps for the longest time but wasn't sure how to use them. This time I stamped around the black cs with whit ink to create a border and heat embossed with Distress Powder in Antique Linen.