Scrapbukan Na! with Mary Grace Abuzman

Who would have thought that someone like Mary Grace (a celebrity scrapper in the US) would be teaching a class here in the Philippines?! I’m one lucky scrapper to have attended such an event! Yup, Mary Grace Abuzman, a 2 Peas in a Bucket garden girl and designer for Fontwerks, Hambly, Li'l Davis among others.

I have to tell you that Grace happens to be very down to earth despite of the fact that she’s an established scrapper in the US! I have only seen her layouts in the web and in scrapbook magazines but seeing it in flesh was a lot different. I can’t even imagine myself creating layouts as unconventional and out-of the-ordinary as hers.

I got to be with this beautiful person (inside and out) even the day before the classes. I helped the rest of the Scrapbukan team in organizing the kits for the classes! And I have to mention too that even my hubby, Jeff immediately bonded with Grace because they both share the same passion in photography! Yup, yup Grace doesn’t only scrap, she takes beautiful pictures too! After that Saturday, I can already see Jeff frequently visiting Grace’s blog!

Sahrie, Scrapbukan’s owner and my “boss”, brought Grace here for the Filipino scrappers!Thanks thanks Sahrie! And before I forget to mention, Sahrie, is also an angel to me! (Aside me being one of her angels too! Hehehe) She did not only sponsor Diane (a fellow scrapper from Bicol) in this class but me as well! 3 days before the classes, I received a text message from Sahrie informing me that she has chosen me and Diane to be scholars for the classes! How generous she is and how grateful I am to her!

Sahrie and I had been chatting and exchanging e-mails for over a year already. She got me as a DT of her store too but we never really had met yet! Last Jan. 12 (the day before the classes) was the firt time I saw her. She's really wonderful! I’m so glad and proud I’m part of her team!

Have I not attended the classes, I would have not thought of making a layout for and about myself! Since I have lots of backlogs, I thought that creating layouts for oneself is a waste of time. But after listening to what MG has to say about this class, I realized she's right, my son needs to know me when he grows older! Not only my son but my future grandchildren as well! Thanks to Grace for this!

Here are the two layouts I have made for Grace’s Personal Growth class.

Jeff took this snapshot on Christmas eve while everybody's busy with the games. I don't usually have a picture of myself.

Materials used: cardstock, BasicGrey Fusion (Exposure, Spoiled and Flirt), Fontwerks date stamp, Hambly Screen prints transparency, acrylic paint, Making Memories glitter, Colorbox ink, ribbon, Prima flowers, button, Zig Writer pen, Editing Software: Adobe Photoshop CS

I love this picture of Ethan because after he turned two, it has become more difficult to get a good picture of him. We would always rely on his moods. Besides, we will have to run after him every now and then!

I kinda deviated from the layout Grace showed us, instead of using white cardstock as base, I used black and I stamped using metallic ink. I also added the tape measure and highligted the number 2 with the Hambly transparency.

Materials used: Bazill cardstock, sicGrey Color Me Silly - Create (for mounting the photo), 7Gyspsies Notebook Cahier photo corner stickers, Bobbin ribbon (tape measure), Scenic Route chipboard, Making Memories paint, Li'l Davis Glitter glue, Colorbox Chalk and metallic ink, Zig Writer and Sakura white pens, American Crafts letter rub ons, Fontwerks date stamp, Hambly Screen prints transparency, Editing Software: Adobe Photoshop CS

I love all the goodies we got for the first class!!!! I love the Scenic Route chipboard most... hmmm .. I mean the Hambly transparency .... hmmm .... the Fontwerks date stamp ... sige na nga lahat na! I'm not actually a "stamp" person because I hate cleaning up after using the stamps but after attending the classes, I think I will not look at stamps the same way before. And also, Grace let us tried using the Making Memories Glitter ... I love the effect, makes me want to buy it as well! Hay!

For the second class we did a mini album. This is so much fun too! (Aside because of the goodies ... the oh-so-many-scrap-stuff-inside our kits!) It is only then the I realized why we are asked to write our assignments for this class. I still have to finish the album though ; D

After the two classes, I told Grace and Sahrie that I really enjoyed the classes. I have done so many things that I have not tried before. It sure was a day of learning while having fun!

It feels so good to attend a scrapbook class like this. There are so many new faces and wow I saw a male in the morning class scrapping with us (now Jeff's not alone hehehe)! Also, I love love the food - all hearty meals the whole day! Jeff took the photos for the whole event ... yup, he's the official photographer again. And did I mention he did those 2 beautiful streamres for the classes too?

As an added bonus to attending Srapbukan Na!, Grace created a layout!!! Of course I was all eyes while she chose the paper and embellishments she will use. She did a beautiful layout in minutes!!! Something that has never happened to me in my entire scrapping life hahaha! I was in scrapping grove that night so as soon as we were back in Cavite, I scrapped errr scraplifted the layout Grace made.

Hoping for more "Mary Grace" to come here in the Philippines and share their expertise with us!!!

Here's a PICTURE Parade of the Scrapbukan Na! Event. You may click on a picture for a larger view. Enjoy!

Altered Wall Clocks

I'm sure we were all busy during the holiday season - especially trying to figure out what to give our loved ones. Maan, a fellow scrapper, posted the altered wall clocks she made as Christmas presents! I had been wanting to make these clocks but I was afraid I might not be able to put everything back. Maan shared us a link on how to dismantle wall clocks so I finally had the guts to try it, err I mean Jeff did hehehe!

Three days before Christmas, I made these 5 altered clocks and what fun I had!

Here they are:

The first one on top was actually an experiment : ). I tried making one for us.

Materials: American Crafts pps (from Scrapbukan), Bazzill cs (hot pink), AC Donwtown ribbons (from Scrapbukan), silk flowers, button, ink, Making Memories paint, ProvoCraft word rub ons, Sizzix ransom dies, Editing software: Adobe Photoshop CS

This clock is for my in-laws.

Materials: Chatterbox Courtyard (from Scrapbukan), ink, Sizzix Ransom diecuts

This one is for Ethan's great grandmother, Nanay Cora

Materials: Chatterbox pps, ink, Sizzix Ransom diecuts (numbers), Editing software: Adobe Photoshop CS

This is for our Ninang Agnes and her family.

Materials: Chatterbox pps, rickrack, Sizzix Ransom diecuts, ink

The last one is for my dad and mom.

I used Chatterbox pps as well.

Since the clocks are quite small I used most of my scraps to finish these projects! What a way to make use of scraps, right? And since I enjoyed making these, Jeff and I decided to make these clocks as part of our photography packages!

Christmas layouts finished during the Holidays!

As promised to myself, I will create Christmas layouts during the Holidays. That way I will be able to finish our Family Christmas album right after the Holidays! Am I too idealistic? Yup, you're right - we had so many Holiday photos and we were also busy then, what was I thinking?!

Anyway, by January of 2007, I was able to finish 5 more layouts amidst being soo busy! Whew! I still have one unfinished layout ... and some Christmas pics developed but not scrapped and lots of Christmas photos in the hard drive of our PC!

Here are the layouts:

Santa's MVP
Santa's helper in basketball uniform? Why not? My son, Ethan looks so cute with the Santa hat on! He's defintely Santa's MVP (Most Valuable Player)!

Materials: BasicGrey Fruitcake (Deck the Halls & Gingerbread), Dasher and Blitzen (Cranberry and Holly), acrylic brackets, chipboard, Gin X coaster, Making Memories paint, Colorbox Metallic ink, Lil Davis Glitter Glaze, gold ribbon, brads, Zig Writer pen, santa hat, Sizzix dies: Alphaclips, Azure (punctuations), stars and tag Editing software: Adobe Photoshop CS

Xmas Cards '06
I included the greeting cards we received last Christmas. Thanks to Liza for taking this picture of ours, for the other "girls" (dami nyo kasi mga sis) who kept on making Ethan smile/laugh and to Ria for letting us use her house para sa pictorial hehehe

Materials: patterned papers: Ki Memories Holiday Collection 2006 Joyful (Skinny Stripe and Pin Dot); Ki Memories Joyful Alpha Epoxy stickers chipboard: Gin X Coasters (for the wreath); others (not from Scrapbukan): Bazzill cs(as base), DCWV pp (Holly for the wreath), ribbons poinsettia flowers, Christmas stocking 3D sticker: Craft Express Colorbox chalk and metallic ink; Editing Software: Adobe Photoshop CS

Wrapped with Love
Materials: Ki Memories Joyful (Joyful Bulbs Textured cardstock, Sentiment textured cardstock, Skinny Stripe, Multi Stripe and Twinkle), Joyful Shapes epoxy sticker, Bazill cardstock, chipboard, acrylic brackets, photo anchor and brad, ribbon, Colorbox ink, Zig Writer pen and Sizzlits Fruit Smoothie and Azure

Hidden journaling (lift the block, LOVE to reveal): If there's one Christmas tradition I really love and always eager to do ... that would be wrapping presents! I always remember how your Lola Letty would wrap gifts even during the wee hours of the night. She never gets tired of doing those - giving presents and wrapping them by herself. That Christmas tradition was passed on to me too that's why wrapping presents means a lot to me. I see to it that no matter how big or small my gifts are - they were warpped and given with love! This tradition will always remind us that Christmas is truly the season of giving! - Mommy

Maligayang Pasko

This is the first layout I made with a Tagalog title and journaling.

Materials: Ki Memories Joyful (Twinkle, Evergreens textured cardstock, Multi Stripe, Scrolls and Skinny Stripe) Bazill cardstock (for the title), Colorbox ink, Zig Writer pen, chipboard, ribbon and Sizzix Ransom dies, one 4R and 2 wallet size pictures

Hidden Journaling (pull ribbon to reveal): Kahit hindi magarbo ang pagdiriwang natin ng Pasko, kahit wala tayong Christmas tree sa bahay at kahit halos 3 oras na tayong nasa traffic papuntang Maynila noong araw ng Pasko ... maligayang maligaya pa rin ang Pasko natin! Sapat na sa amin na makita ang ngiti sa iyong mga labi habang nagbubukas ka ng mga regalo at masaya kang namamangha habang iyong pinagmamasdan ang mga Christmas lights! Ikaw, Ethan ang pinakamagandang regalo namin ngayong Pasko! Salamat at palagi mo kaming pinasasaya! Mahal ka namin!

Forever

Thanks to our friend Liza for taking this picture of ours! We rarely have our pic taken!

Materials used: BasicGrey Fruitcake (Deck the Halls and Gingerbread), Dasher (Cranberry and Holly), Bazill cs, twill tape, ribbon, Scenic Route letter chipboard, Making Memories paint, glitter and rub-ons, Colorbox metallic ink, Zig Writer pen

Hidden journaling: Dear Mahal, You and I ... ... started our love story on Dec. 17, 1994; exactly on my 17th birthday, ... married on a wonderful day of Dec. 14, 2003, ... spent 12 Christmases together, ... had our first born baptized on Dec. 18, 2004. Don't we just love this chilly, merry and memorable month of December? Love, Pia 01.23.2007.

TFL - pia

We're Back!

Happy New Year everyone! It's been a while since we last made our entries here. Yes, we're still alive and kickin! There are actually tons of things that have happened and lots of stuff to share and upload. But first, I would like to share a photo a photog friend took during the awards night of the Canon Shoot and Run held last December of 2006 (Thanks Regie!). This was actually the only photo I got as a souvenir when I went up the stage. He-he-he.

I am also happy to share another good news. For this month, the Canon EOS club has chosen to feature my photo in the site's homepage!

Here's the link: http://www.canon.com.ph/clubeos/

TFL!

-jeff