Stencil Day 3: You Are Loved

After making several of my own stencil using acetate sheet, I realized that I actually have like 4 of The Crafter's Workshop stencil that I won from PC giveaway a few months ago. LOL, seriously, if I don't see it, I am likely to forget about it. Luckily, I was rummaging through my drawer to find some dies and found the stencils buried underneath.

So, I finally get to take the stencil out of its package and play with it. For today, I am doing mixing the embossing paste with iridescent embossing powder. The shimmer is very soft and it's hard to see on the picture, but in person the triangles border has a nice shimmer to it.

Challenge: Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday

And that bird... made it using Mod Podge mold and white glue gun stick. I love this mold. The size of the shape on the mold is perfect for card making. I can't wait for the new molds to be available for purchase. Once the melted glue harden, you simply pop the bird and color it by dabbing it with ink or use your Copic maker. It add such a fun dimension to a project.

On day 4 of the stencil class, it's all about making your own stencil using dies or Silhouette. I guess it becomes kind of backward for me since I make my own stencil using Silhouette since day 1 when I started the class. Kind of proud of myself for being ahead. Hah.... Well, I'll be back tomorrow with more stencil project. 

If you're interested to join the class, it's not too late to sign up. You can sign up any time. Simply go to Online Card Classes. That's it from me. Stay warm, peeps!

Stencil Day 2

Hi peeps... today I am back with my post for i {heart} papers. And, it also double as my homework from Online Card Classes Stenciled Day 2. I can't tell you how much I love this class!

Without further delay, here's my card. Again, I created my own diagonal stencil, which I used to create the sketchy background.

The result is a cute and cheerful card. My kind of card. :) The cute fox as you know it is from Lawn Fawn Into The Woods set and the sentiment is from one of my favorite Technique Tuesday set called Simply You  by Ali Edwards (which is currently on sale at i {heart} papers, if you need an incentive... hah!).

Oh yes... currently I am also addicted to gold accent. I've been adding them to various projects I am working on. You betcha that you'll see more gold popping on my cards.

Now... new stuff! When There She Goes Stamp closed many of us who belong in their DT were feeling blue and missing the naughty-ness that TSG bring through their stamps. I love that they have sets that naughty but cute and fun at the same time. Well, as we're chatting and lamenting the fact that now we don't have naughty stuff anymore.... someone suggested that we should create a Naughty or Nice challenge blog. Just for fun. 

We know card makers are good peeps, but I bet many of us have naught side, too, right? So, this challenge blog would be the place for you to show us either your goody, goody nice side or your who-me-naughty? side. ;) Sounds fun? Stay tune.... First challenge will be up on February 1st!!

That's it from me and tomorrow I''ll share another card from Online Card Classed Stenciled Day 3. Enjoy your day!

Stencil Day 1

Lately, you see more and more project using stencil and just for fun I decided to join Jennifer McGuire's Stenciled Online Classes.

I don't own many stencil, but my Silhouette Cameo solve that problem easily. I simply make my own stencil by cutting background pattern on acetate piece and use it as stencil.

One of the first stencil I made is this triangular background and use it as a mask and use the sponging technique. Well, actually I combined 2 techniques from the lesson from day 1. Sponging and layering and masking.

For the tag I used Mama Elephant dies and the bird is from Papertrey Ink. I am glad I join this class. Because, even though I know many of the techniques, I forgot about it and the class help me remembering them and I've been having a blast rediscovering old techniques.

You can bet that you'll see many more projects from me using stencil. :) Well, that's all from me this weekend. Thank you for stopping by here.

PTI January blog Hop

This month PTI blog hop inspiration pic is so pretty that I just have to play along. Totally love all the pink and gold. Luckily, my order arrive yesterday, so I can play with one of the new sets for this hop.

I know I want the feather set the moment I saw the sneak peek. 

For the dots on top of the feathers, I used gold pearl-ex to create the soft gold accent. Right now, there's tons of feather sets out there, but I have to say that this one is my favorite just because it has the dots clusters that make decorating this feather a snap. 

Well, I know you have lots of blog to hop to, so I am keeping this post short. Can't wait to check everyone else's projects. 

Oh, also, I have some people asking me for the recipe I use to make my on embossing paste (see my previous post), It's very easy. 

Embossing paste recipe:

-Acrylic paint
-Baby powder

- Mod Podge

- Air tight container

You want to mix 1 part acrylic paint, 1 part baby powder and 1/3 part mod podge. Now, I ended up adding a bit more baby powder because I want my paste to be thicker and not so runny. It's better to start with the recipe, then add more powder as needed. Hope this help and let  me know if you do try this recipe and have any question. Thank you so much for swinging by here.

Something New

This week, I am so happy that my joy for card making has returned. For a while there, I kind of lost the joy and my mojo went to hiding. 

Luckily, after giving myself time to not worry about blogging every single day and just enjoy other things, including browsing Pinterest for all kind of stuff, my mojo came back with new energy. :) I've been having lots of fun making projects for submission.

Now, I've been wanting to try playing with the embossing paste. Then, thanks to Pinterest I saw the recipe to make your own embossing paste. So, I decided to give it a try and low and behold it works!! It even has a nice smell because I use Johnson's baby powder as one of the ingredient.

Then, while browsing at Michael's I found this new Mod Podge mold and glue stick that I saw back at CHA2013 and thought it was so darn cool. I am so excited that it finally here. Well, it might have been here for a while, but this was the first time I saw it at the store. 

Let's look at the card, so you know what I am  talking about. 

Most of the  materials come from i {heart} papers. The stripe paper is from Echo Park Bundle of Joy Girl 6x6 paper pad. The sentiment is from Avery Elle Laurels set and the sparkly gold sequins also from i {heart} papers. BTW... a little bit of enabling, there's some sale going on at i {heart} papers. Check it out and replenish your stash.

You see the white flower on  the tag? That's made of the embossing paste. I create my own template by cutting the flower bloom using Silhouette, then swipe the embossing paste over it. Then, the butterfly is made of hot glue gun stick. For this, you have to use the hot temp glue gun. Squeeze the melting glue into the mold, let it dry and then color it.

I love all  the texture and dimension on this card. I only made a small batch of the embossing paste (I used empty embossing powder container as storage) and it goes a long way. This weekend I plan to play more with it.

My heart is definitely happy that my joy in card making has coming back. Hope you have a great Friday and for you in the path of the snow storm, please stay warm and safe. Cheers.... 

You Make Me Smile

Happy Monday! I am so happy that my mojo finally coming back. During the holiday season, I had no mojo whatsoever and was struggling when it times to create. This weekend, finally after hours of browsing on Pinterest, my mind finally start whirling and I spent my Sunday in my craft room. Yay... 

For a while, I was worried that my creativity and passion for card making is fading away. Soooo happy that it's still here. :)

I created a few projects, but they are for submission. So, for today I am sharing an old project that I believe I hasn't share here.

I love this red bird. I used my trusted Silhouette to make this bird from acetate sheet. To color it, I used Tattered Angel glimmer glaze, then stamped with the handwritten background and heat embossed with gold. And, the pretty silk ribbon is from May Arts. They have the best silk ribbon!!

Oh... and today is  my day at CardMaker blog. My first post as their DT member!! So excited. For my first assignment, I get to share my crafty space. Eeekk.... There were some cleaning frenzy going on after that to make everything looks decent. LOL. I am a messy crafter.

You want to see my crafty space? Check it out at CardMaker blog. Do you have pic of your crafty space? Leave the link on the comment below, so I can check them out. :) Have a fabulous week,everyone!!

Monday Mood Board #25

Hi everyone. Yikes... my blog been very quiet. Sorry about that. Hoping from now on it'll be back to regular blogging.

 

Hubby and I took a short vacation to LA and had lots of fun doing some touristy stuff. We also get to go to the live taping of Jay Leno show. Hubby's friend knows one of the writer and he got us a VIP ticket, so we didn't have to wait in line all day long just to get in. The guest that day was Jennifer Lopez & Aaron Eckhart. It was a very cool experience.

 

We were in LA at the same time CHA going on. And, boy... part of me was dying to go. It's hard not to check all the new releases, etc. Hubby was like, this is so much better than going to CHA, right? And, I was like hmm.... do I have to answer that? LOL. No, our vacation was awesome, just the short break that we needed from the daily grind of work. Will try to post some pics later.

 

Anyway, now that I am back at home, I get back to my desk and start playing with paper and stamps again. And, I have the inspiration I needed from Wplus9 Monday Mood Board # 25.

 

Love the elegant color combo and here's what I came up with using the goodies from i {heart} papers.

For the wreath, I used the small leaves from Woodland Wreath set and the sentiment is from Fanciful Feathers set. The bird is from an old Wplus9 set called Spring Post. It's actually part of a postage stamp that I fussy cut and take only the bird part. And, I added some Doodlebug Bumblebee enamel dots for fun.

Well, that's it from me today. I have a pile of works that need to get done. Back to work, back to reality! :) Thank you so much for stopping by here. I appreciate your visit.

Bunny Thanks

I was hoping to go back to blogging regularly, but for now, life happens. :)  Work is crazy busy as our company has a bunch of new constructions starting. So, blog post is kind of spare at the moment. And... we finally about to take our short vacation that was delayed from last September. As usual, the time before (and after) vacation always super hectic as we're trying to make sure everything is done or scheduled.

We're going to LA and no, I won't be attending CHA at all this time, even  though oh, it's so close. Hubby and I will just be enjoying a break from the daily grind of work. We'll just being tourist. And, no worries, I am leaving Eli and Abby on good hands. My in-laws are staying at our place to help us with the puppies.

Can't wait for the beautiful California weather. 

I did get to play with paper a little bit this week. I made this card using the patterned paper from Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic and the super cute bunny Buttercup from Purple Onion Designs. And, the sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp.

I love the whimsical feeling of this card. All sweetness & cuteness. 

Beside this card, I also have a card up on i {heart} papers blog. Please check it out. Thank you so much for stopping by here. Enjoy your day!

Golden Butterfly

Happy first Monday of 2014! I'd like to thank you all that stop by for Season of Giving Blog Hop. And also thank you to those who chose to follow my blog, I really appreciate it. It makes me happy that you want to join me on this little creative journey.

 

Without further delay.... here's the lucky winner from Season of Giving blog hop: JEAN BULLOCK. Congrats, Jean and please email me your mailing information. Again, thank you all for hopping along.

 

And..... I have an announcement to make. Did you see THIS? I am thrilled to finally able to spill the beans. I am joining CardMaker magazine blog team!! When I got the invitation, I was like, really?? They noticed my work? I was pinching myself and still do.

 

 

 

 

New year, new opportunity, new adventure! As always, I don't take things for granted. So, I want to take the time to say thank you to CardMaker people for this opportunity.

 

 

 

 

This is the rare time, where I actually use sticker on my card. The golden butterfly is a 3-D sticker layered with May Arts string and tag stamped with Hero Arts doily.

 

That's it from me and may your first Monday of 2014 be a good one. :)

Happy Birthday, Mom

Today, my mom is celebrating her 72nd birthday. Will you help me and wish my mom a very happy birthday? I think it will make her tickle pink. :)

My mom is definitely the most influential people in my life. Of course, growing up we butt head a lot. What teenager don't butt head with their parents, right? But, I always want to be like her in a sense that she's a strong, confident woman. She doesn't care what people think. She speaks her mind. Yes, she can be too blunt sometimes, but with her what you see is what you get. No pretense. We still butt head now & then, too.

I often wonder if I could be even half as good as she is. I always thought I am the opposite of my mom. I was super shy and struggled with self confidence. Used to always worried of saying the wrong thing, worried about what other people think. Only as I mature, that I can proudly say that I do have quite a bit of her in me.

I am glad that I can say I have her compassion toward others, that in my way I am strong as well (and this in my opinion only because I have her as my rock), we both believe in the attitude of gratitude, and I definitely have her stubbornness. All her 3 kids are very stubborn people.

Yep, all her 3 kids have that attitude when someone say we can't do something, we tend to try our hardest to prove them wrong. There are many other little things that often makes me say, geez, I am truly my mom's daughter.

To this day, she always consider herself just a regular mom and not the amazing mom that her kids say she is. She's not perfect, but she's the best mom I could ask for. I find it rare to find a parent that allow their kids to speak their mind even when it's about the parents. She allow us to criticize her if we think she's wrong, she encourage us to explore, try new things, find ourselves and at the same time let us know that no matter what she'll always there for us. Even when we do things she doesn't agree with. I know that everything she did since we were born were all for us.

So, to my mom, I thank you for being my mom. I love you and no words can express how grateful I am to be raised by you.

Now, personal notes to my mom done, let's move to card. :) I made this card using my most recent and old i {heart} papers goodies.

The fun border is from Mint Motifs Beyond Borders and the sentiment is from Reverse Confetti Count Your Rainbows set. I love the clean look and fresh color of this card. Oh, for a little accent I added a couple enamel dots.

Well, that's it from me today. Wishing you all a blessed Friday and once again.... happy birthday, Mom!!

PSA Essentials New Designs

For Season's Giving Blog Hop please scroll down or click HERE.

Hi everyone. I am excited to let you know that PSA Essentials are releasing 16 new personalized address stamp designs. This is the first personalized stamp design release in over 4 years. All these is now available through PSA retailers.

What do you think of these new designs? My favorite is the Nelsons and the Finnegan ones. :) Which one is your favorite? 

 

Edited to add: You can now order these new designs at The Paper Clique. :)

Season Givings Blog Hop 2014

Happy 1st day of 2014 everyone!! And welcome to Seasons Giving 2nd annual blog hop. The special thing about this hop is the fact that every participant on this hop is giving something away. So, check out all the link and simply leave a comment. Grab your cup of coffee or tea and have fun!

As we start the new year, I look back at 2013 and say a a prayer of thanks for everything that God has brought my way. I am thankful and grateful that this past year went pretty smoothly. I am glad that I am here in 2014 and excited to see what this year will bring. There's always new things to learn, opportunity to seize, and rooms to grow.

For 2014, I plan to see my niece in person, have a vacation with my whole family in Bali and for hubby to finally see my country of birth. I also want to be more involve and do more with dog rescue. To have more fun in crafting. To learn something new (I plan on learning to dive). And to have a healthier life style.

How about you? What's your plan for 2014? I'd love to hear it! So, share away.... Let's cheer one another!

I didn't really get a chance to create new project for this hop, but I do want to share this wall art that I made for my  niece as one of her Christmas present. I think these 5 rules are good rules to live by.

You know what else I am grateful for? YOU! I am grateful for you, my friends and blog followers who takes the time to visit my blog through the year, gives me encouragement and cheering on me. Who keep in touch with me either through blog land of through FB. I appreciate you all very much.

Some of you I get to meet in person and get to know better. And, I love that. This little hobby of mine has bring so many friendships that I treasure very much.

As my way of saying thank you, I'd like to giveaway this crafty goodies.

All you need to do is leave a comment here by midnight, January 5, 2014 and I'll pick a winner on Monday, January , 2014. Don't be surprise if you find some extra goodies on top of this. ;)

Now, there's many blogs for you to hop on, so let me end here. CHEERS TO 2014!

SEASONS GIVING BLOG HOP PARTICIPANTS:

Lawn Fawn

ReverseConfetti

My Favorite Things Stamps

CAS-ualFriday Stamps

Fresh Squeezed Stamps

Julee Tillman: Verve Stamps

Avocado Arts Stamps

A Jillian Vance Design

Latisha Yoast

Amber Hight

Amber Kemp-Gerstel

Alice Wertz

Debbie Corbari

Vera Wirianta Yates * you are here*

Lori McAree

Carolyn King

Sharon Harnist

Amy Tsuruta

Beth Pingry

Angie Blom

Julia Stainton

Sharon Johnson

Michelle Woerner

Cindy Lawrence

Lori Tecler

Daniela Dobson

Savitri Wilder

Theresa Momber 

Giovana Smith

Kimberly Crawford 

Maria Levine

Colleen Schaan

Lydia Fiedler

Kelly Klapstein

Kim Kesti

Laura Williams

Shanna Vineyard

 Jennifer Gallacher

Heather Pulvirenti

Stacey Schafer

Leigh Penner

AJ Otto

Teri Anderson

Julie Overby

Margie Higuchi

Jimmi Mayo

Tenia Nelson

Lee Ann Barrett

Iwona Palamountain

Kim Jackson

Linda Lucas

Sarah Gough

Dina Kowal

Elena Roussakis

Lisa Henke

Jodi Collins

Joanne Basile

Melanie Muenchinger

Darsie Bruno  

Libby Hickson

Dana Joy

Jody Morrow

Heather Campbell

Savannah O'Gwynn

Lee Murphy

Lisa Arana

Jocelyn Olson

Isha Gupta

Piali Biswas

Ashley Harris

Bunny Vance

Anabelle O'Malley

Andrea Murdock

Stephanie Muzzulin

Alyssa Bennett

Christiana Reuling

Laurel Seabrook

Melody Rupple

Emily Branch
Megan Hoeppner