Time Capsules

Forever My Baby

2009-10-29T21:42:00.008-05:00

This picture was taken a few days after we took Christina home. I just loved holding and kissing her; watching her sleep and make little baby noises. When she's awake, I loved how she stared back at me, She seemed to be memorizing my face.

I heard somewhere a long time ago that babies are God's messengers... that they were sent to us with a message that God loves us; rhat when they look at us, they are trying to tell us what the message is; that they cry because they get frustrated they can't voice it out and that we do not understand them; that it is unfortunate by the time they can talk, they have forgotten what the message is.

But all was not lost. I felt the love Christina gave back when she looked into my eyes. I thank God for her and for the love.

Supplies used: Butterfly - cutout from K&Co; fonts: Palace Script MT; Pristina; all other items from: Scrapbookflair - Ava & Lilly's Mom: Expecting kit; torn notebook [Craftfairy1]; scraplifted from KellyGoree [thanks for the inspiration!]

Deep In Thought

2009-10-28T20:48:00.033-05:00

I caught Christina staring into space with hands on her chin; something adults would do if they were looking out the window as they lean on the window sill. It looks like she was so deep in thought. I stared at her for a little while before I decided to take this picture. For a moment, just like her, I was also deep in thought. I wondered what on earth babies think about. How they know when to smile, when to cry, and how they get startled. They are such a bunch of little wonders that make us wonder!

Supplies used: graph paper & yellow border [Cays Creations It's Easter Kit]; Love wordart [Digital Scrapbook Memories In the Mood]; all other items from Digital Scrapbook Memories Collection 2 cd; fonts: Chiller and Birch Standard

Purse Card

2009-10-22T21:40:00.000-05:00

My first use of the Crafter's Ultimate Companion! It is soooo AWESOME!!! The best thing I've ever purchased. I've made tons of cards since then. I just have to figure out why I can't upload the pictures without putting them on a background first. Can anyone let me know why?

Inside the card is a folded piece of paper. When the card is opened, the folded piece of paper opens up also. Instructions on how to make this card is included in the CD that came with the Crafter's Ultimate Companion. I believe you might even find it somewhere in You Tube.

Supplies used: Pink Armadillo cardstock, silk rose, dotted brad, and 2 pieces of pink ribbon. I made the green fuzzy flower using green yarn. The pink center of the green flower is something I crocheted. I knew they would come in handy sometime!

TFL.

Beautiful Autumn

2009-10-15T18:00:00.003-05:00

It's Autumn! DH's favorite time of the year - because it is so colorful. I like it too because it looks like it's the time that everything comes out to life, every creature showing their beautiful plumes! The only thing about Autumn that makes me sad is what comes after.... cold, cold, WINTER!!!

But in the mean time, I have to enjoy every moment of Autumn, which is cool, windy, sometimes, cold. I've made 2 layouts using Cay's Beautiful Autumn kit. Just look at the rich, warm colors!

DD and her cousin Stephanie [the birthday celebrant] were both born in Autumn. For years, they've been celebrating their birthdays dressed in Halloween costumes, and of course you can just imagine the eerily cute layouts I've been making. But for the past 4 years, no costume parties...just typical teen parties.

What's special about this picture is that it seems each cousin caught up within the hands of Time. Where one was still a baby and the other still toddling around, 3 were already playing with make-believe make-up and such. Look at them now! They seem to be all of the same age! Why are they in such a hurry to grow up?

Those freezing Autumn nights didn't deter these adoring fans to watch a home game. With Cay's Beautiful Autumn kit layouts can be made with pictures taken indoors and outdoors.

TFL!!

Potted Flowers

2009-08-29T18:04:00.002-05:00

I saw some pretty potted flower cards and decided to make some for 3 friends who were going to have their birthdays. I had everyone in the office sign them and boy! did they love 'em! Everyone wanted one!

I apologize for the blurred pictures. I didn't use any flash because the flash washed out the details. I do not know which is worse - blurred pics or washed out pics ...LOL!

Anyway I used flowers I cut out from various patterned paper, threading water border punch, ribbons, a few beads, stamps and ink. The flowers in the background can be pulled out. They are attached to a tag where everyone signed their best wishes.

TFL..

Alexandra's Garden

2009-08-15T12:30:00.003-05:00

Cay's Alexandra's Garden Kit is fun to play with! I did a lot of layering in this layout! It's good that I found the perfect background picture for it. The picture was taken from the Chicago Botanic Garden last Spring, and DD's picture was taken at the food court in Starved Rock, IL. It was perfect that she was seated on a bench and I replaced it with one of the bench elements that came with the kit!

Below is a preview of Alexandra's Garden. Just look at it! I haven't even used all of the elements for my layouts. There are just so many beautiful flowers it took me a long time to choose which ones to use!

Thank you Cay, for a wonderful design! and TFL.

Sensational Layouts

2009-07-26T21:59:00.007-05:00

Well, Cay has been a very busy bee. She just whips up one kit after another, watches her stores, and had time to prepare to give away freebies. So head on to Cay's and grab those freebies while they are available!

And here the latest LOs I made using Cay's latest Sensation Kit. These pictures were taken during DD's Home Coming. The kit is just perfect for the occassion.

DD's best friends... of course they have to have their pictures taken by their cars. Did they really plan this? Get the dresses that match their car?!

The last LO is a closeup of the BFFs. It so happened that this LO is almost the same as Donna's LO. Great minds think alike, eh Donna?

Hope you enjoyed these as much as I did! TFL!!

Secrets

2009-07-18T00:52:00.001-05:00

I'm back from whatever it was I was busy with these days. I found out that I do enjoy digital scrapbooking so much and that I missed creating! I missed my computer!

Here's anotherLO I made using Cay's Beachin' Fun Kit. Just to prove that the kit isn't solely for beach layouts. I've re-sized and re-colored a few items to match the most of the colors I used. The border is from one of the templates I made using shapes from Photoshop. I also used paper tearing and I hope it really does look like torn paper. I have yet to master this technique!

Also, I can't take credit for the design...I scraplifted this from Yukari.

Thanks for looking.

Beachin' Fun

2009-07-16T22:13:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple of layouts I made using Cay's Beachin' Fun Kit. Hope you like them.

...and here's that fun kit from Cays Creation Designs.

TFL.

The Move

2009-06-10T19:01:00.006-05:00

Well, it's happening! DH couldn't wait to get out of the house. 44 days after we checked out the apartment in the UIC area, which she will be sharing with 2 girl friends, the day has finally come for her to move out.

She's been packing her things by herself, deciding what to bring and what to leave behind.

A few pairs of shoes, some pictures DH framed himself which were

just stored in a corner in the basement...

... boxes of clothes and books...

... and here are the movers....

The new apartment... new roomies... new friends.

I won't say good-bye, Babycakes! I know you will be back soon!

If anyone got really affected by the move, it's not me. Now I can move some of my scrapbooking things into her room ngye-he-he-he-he!

Well, OK. My brother, Nani, who "lives" in the smallest room in the house, which has a window facing the west has mentioned that it's too hot and too bright in his room. He's a nurse and most of the time works in the evenings and is asleep all day. So I moved him to where my kalat room is and I moved my kalat to DD's room, and moved DD's bed and a small dresser into the small room. It worked out fine! With the new arrangement I can easily access everything. Now I just have to memorize where everything is!

So.. here's who got affected by the move. Poor Sarge. He went around sniffing everything wondering where all the kalat came from.

Poor, poor Sarge! He was so depressed the first week DD was gone. He didn't eat. He just laid in a corner in the dining room. He didn't even go upstairs to visit me. Usually he sits by my side when I'm working in my kalat room. He lost weight! I had to hand-feed him but he just refused.

I was so worried that on the 4th day of DD being away, I called her to come home and take Sarge to the vet. DD came home the following day and Sarge perked up a little. He came over to eat his food. He didn't eat much and still didn't visit upstairs for another week. When DD went back to Chicago, at least he was still eating but not his usual appetite.

He was himself again the second weekend DD came home. So now, da cat knows that DD didn't really go away. He hasn't gained his weight back but at least now he's eating!

Whew! Never thought this move would affect da cat so much!

Happy Birthday, Lee

2009-06-04T01:00:00.000-05:00

...and many, many more...

Supplies used: Cay's Ice Diamond; recolored background paper and crown; positioned diamonds on butterfly's body; yellow flowers by CraftFairy.

If All of the Raindrops...

2009-06-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Alright, I'm guilty... guilty of using the diamond elements (from Cay's Designs Ice Diamond kit) again. They just reminded me of rain.

I wanted to make an LO where DD is enjoying a shower of diamonds so I started searching for the perfect picture and I found this!

She wasn't holding an umbrella in this picture but I managed to scrounge around for a picture of an umbrella. I think the umbrella gave the complete story that it's raining diamonds and flowers.

Then I remembered a happy little tune she learned in pre-school, which she taught me. I changed the words a little bit and made that my journaling.

The song is by Aimee Leigh

If all of the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops
Oh, what a rain that would be
I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide
Singing " Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah"
If all of the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops
Oh, what a rain that would be

If all of the sunbeams were jellybeans and ice creams
Oh, what a sun that would be
I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide
Singing "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah"
If all of the sunbeams were jellybeans and ice creams
Oh what a sun that would be

If all of the snowflakes were chocolate bars and milkshakes
Oh what a snow that would be
I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide
Singing "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah"
If all of the snowflakes were chocolate bars and milkshakes
Oh what a snow that would be

If all the mosquitoes were nacho cheese Doritos
Oh what a bug that would be
I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide
Singing "ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah"
If all the mosquitoes were nacho cheese Doritos
Oh, what a bug that would be

If all the tornadoes were French fried potatoes
Oh what a wind that would be
I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide
Singing "ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah"
If all the tornadoes were French fried potatoes
Oh what a wind that would be
Ah, ah, ah, what a world this would be.

And you can listen to the tune here... I tell you, it's a very catchy song...

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/song/showsong.asp?docid=626

TFL.

Ice Diamond

2009-06-01T21:23:00.005-05:00

This is Cay's latest kit showcased in her blog. Visit her blog and see the lovely LOs the other DTs made using this kit! Truly amazing!

There are more than 70 elements in this kit which you can combine any which way you want. I'm sure each layout will be uniquely beautiful!

She even has a freebie from this kit. Thanks, Cay!

I enjoyed making LOs using this kit.

TFL

Best Friends, Like Diamonds, Are Forever

2009-05-31T01:29:00.009-05:00

Best friends since the 7th grade, they hug and squeal every time they see each other, like it's been a thousand years since they last did...when in fact it was just a few hours ago!

Distance did not make their hearts forget. Every opportunity they got (holidays, school breaks, etc.), they have to meet, go to the movies, have a party, sleep over at someone's house and catch up with what ever BFFs talk about. Truth be told, whenever they meet here at home, I don't hear any conversations, just bursts of laughter...like laughter is their own language, and they have mastered it so.

Each is a unique diamond, giving another meaning to they saying "diamond is a girl's best friend". Theirs is a friendship unbreakable and sparkling. Theirs is a bond more precious than anything on this earth.... and may it remain that way.

The kit I used is called Ice Diamond and it's from Cay's Designs. It is so sparklingly delicious! It makes even the simplest layout look elegant and complicated! Of course, I love bling so, from out of the many elements that came with this kit [I think there were more than 70 of them!] I opted to use the diamonds over and over again!

TFL!

Another Spring LO

2009-05-14T20:20:00.001-05:00

Another Spring LO. I have to take advantage making and posting them while it's still Spring. In another 4 weeks it will be Summer. Don't the days go by too fast for you? It seems to me that the do.

There's really nothing new about the digital elements I used here. I just love colorful flowers and I tend to use them over and over again. That's just the beauty of digital supplies - you never run out of them!

This was taken in the backyard of our first home. It was our first Spring. DH and I looked around the yard figuring out what kind of plants and critters lived around us. A pear tree, a yellow apple tree, a red apple tree, a green apple tree, a 2 big maple trees, lots.... I mean 7 cypress trees, 3 really big pine trees, a crab apple tree with pretty flowers, plenty of orange spotted lilies, lilies of the valley [very sweet smelling], green plants with white star-shaped flowers - also fragrant, though the leaves smelled like onions when you break them off; lots of rose bushes... and other shrubs we can't identify. According to one of the friendly neighbors, the previous owner planted everything everywhere!

Supplies used: MyMind'sEye background paper; SF Ava & Lilly's Mommy: Spring is in the Air kit; Fonts: Arial & Alba Matter

TFL!

My [Little] Prince

2009-05-11T19:51:00.012-05:00

These are my layouts using Cay's "My Little Prince Kit".

The first one is of my sister-in-law, Maria Theresa Ibarra, she now bears my maiden name. I still can't get over this... that someone has my name! But I am glad she's the one and not anyone else.

This picture was taken during her son's baptism. I made this layout for her in time for Mother's Day. I used one of Cay's round mat template freebie. I had to cut it in half and separate the two because if I had to change the shape from round to oval, the decorative flower-edge will become distorted. A blue button came with the kit. I extracted the face of the baby and a crown and pasted these on the buttons. I did the same thing with the word art - instead of using it as one single embellishment, I made it look like it's on the button.

If you take a closer look to the bow, I added dimension to the knot so it will look like the safety pin was really hooked through it.

Journaling on the teddy bear reads: Dear Jan Rafael, we don't know you yet. But we love you. You are new beginnings, new life; you are family. The gift of tomorrow belongs to you [quoted from Judy Janish].

The next layout is again, that of Jan. I had to borrow baby boy pictures from my brother as my son's baby pictures are of poor quality. We didn't have digi-cams during the time he was born. Even the negatives were no longer good.

To subdue the white pattern on the background paper I re-colored it green and added red for a splash of color.

And last but not least.... is a layout of my Prince. This is my son, all grown up... 6' tall and still single and available [he'll probably hate me for announcing that he is, hihihi]. His pictures as a young boy are now faded because I stored them in those !!! magnetic albums. Although I've been able to salvage a lot of them through Photoshop, the quality is not as good as digi-cams.

I made it look like I threaded the ribbon through the chains of the heart charms and recolored a few other things. The boy icon and crown is from Photoshop. The template used for the mat is put together by CraftFairy.

Journaling reads: If you can't be a highway, be a trail. If you can't be the sun, be a star. It's not by size that you win or lose, be the best of what you are.

TFL!

The Man on the Moon

2009-05-08T23:58:00.010-05:00

These images were taken by DH using the Nikon D80 connected to his Celestron C5 telescope. The first image was taken on May 5, 2009 at 8:28 pm CST, the second, two nights later at 7:38 pm. DH was not able to take another picture last night as it was cloudy and drizzling.

When I zoomed in these pictures using Photoshop, it's so awesome to see the details we can't see with the naked eye. It's just so amazing that this chunk of cold rock somehow plays a very important role in our survival. It is Earth's faithful companion, pulling and tugging, as if keeping Earth to stay in it's orbit. Thus this gravitational pull between Earth and Moon causes atmospheric and oceanic high and low tides, which in turn, have an effect on climate and weather on Earth. Think of the chain of effects on plant and animal life that depend on cold or hot weather to survive.

Anyway, this is not about a science lesson but to share these pictures. DH sharpened the pictures a little bit. No other revisions were made. As I examined each detail, I found the man on the moon; well... at least, the face of the man on the moon.

It seems there are two different faces. Can you spot them, one on each picture. ....and no, these were not "photoshopped"!

TFL.

You Are So Loved

2009-05-08T21:54:00.004-05:00

I'm still playing with the digital kits Marj gave me. There are 3 CDs with hundreds of supplies to choose from! I can't wait to use them all! I've been making lots of pages with no pictures yet. I usually pick out my picture/s then the supplies. But this time, it's the other way around. I find I scrap faster this way. What slows me down is choosing supplies for my picture and I just can't make up my mind which ones. It seems that, like traditional scrapbooking, I should bring out a few supplies to use and stick to them!

This is DD...again...! It seems like she has been my favorite subject lately. Being a teen and having her own digicam, she produces so many pictures of herself and her friends. It is sometimes so difficult to choose which ones to put on layouts.

For this LO I used supplies from Digital Scrapbooking Memories' In the Mood CD: Funky & Fun kits; Calm alpha from Collection 2; Font: Minstral.

Girl icon template from CS3, modified by CraftFairy; Yes, I've been playing around making my own templates. I'm trying to give my digital layouts a kind of a traditional look. I need more embellishments to do this. I know I've got great ones from digi supplies I've purchased and gotten as freebies somewhere in my vast collection. So vast I can't find what I need right away! Oh, yes, I admit, just like traditional supplies I also hoard digital supplies..shame, shame... but I don't have any other hoarding habits anymore. You should have been present when my family started complaining that our house started to look like a department store! They confined me to one room and one room only, but I am now slowly creeping out into the loft. Complaints start pouring in about my kalat when they expect guests and I couldn't clean my mess as fast as I spread them out!

TFL!

Supermom Layouts

2009-05-02T11:31:00.013-05:00

The digi supplies used here are from Cay's SuperMom Kit. I first made an LO for my sister, Lee, for Mother's Day. She is one of the supermoms I know. Just reading her blog and viewing her pictures make me stare in awe! All the activities her kids do, places they have to go, her stories about being with her husband on business trips...! Then she comes up with beautiful traditional layouts that take more time to make than digital layouts! Where does she find the time to do all that? Has she found a way to "keep time in a bottle"? I need some of that time!

With her LO I erased parts of the blue paper that came with the kit to give it a torn/tattered look. To say the least, I was satisfied with what I did. The design of the paper made it easy. I folded a corner using another piece of paper in the kit. Sadly, I forgot how to do a fold that looks real - you know, one with the shadows and dimensions. I have to bring out my photoshop tutorial book sometime to review techniques I haven't done in a long time.

A few days after, I decided to make an LO of Super Mommy. She is really a supermom. She took care of 8 kids of her own, took care of my siblings' kids also, and I'm sure the grandchildren are being looked after as well.

This picture was taken when she and Dad spent a few years with us in the U.S. Looking at this picture tears me up. It was taken a few days before they left for the Philippines and I have not hugged her since. It also reminds me of what she said.

She was on the sofa crocheting baby blankies [it's her therapy because she had a stroke sometime ago and lost full use of her right arm]. I told her how my kids are growing old and pretty soon we'll be empty nesters; and I blurted out wondering if any of the two kids will take me in and take care of me when I am really, really old. She stopped crocheting, looked me in the eye and said, "if only I would still be alive when you grow old, I will take care of you." I will be hearing echoes of those words for the rest of my life! I love you, Mommy! I miss you!!!

And who says that this kit is just for super mumsies?! Here's a playful one I made for my Babycakes. This is DD when she was 6 years old. I still call her Babycakes. In fact, when I call her on the phone [or when she calls me], as soon as I hear her voice, I have to sing Babycakes [to the tune of Baby Face]. She patiently waits until I'm done. Patiently, I say because I am soooo out of tune!

I discovered some blings in Cay's kit. Yeah... discovered. The kit is huge I can't get to see everything in detail right away! I re-sized and re-colored the bling to fit my purpose. And have you noticed the ribbon I used? that's the very same heart ribbon that came with the kit, except that I replaced the hearts with blings [I hope Cay doesn't mind. I just love to play around with digital supplies!].

Now, I have to post Cay's blinkie so you can find your way to her blog. It goes right here!
where is it? It doesn't seem to work. I will have to try again this PM. Hubby needs help killing the weeds! TFL!

You Keep My Heart Beating

2009-05-01T00:23:00.001-05:00

This picture was taken long ago. Just like the first First of May when I carried your heart in my heart. On this our anniversary, let me say it again, "I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad,in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

Supplies: Kit: Digital Scrapbook Memories Collection 2: Heartbeat Kit and Digital Scrapbook Memories In the Mood: Love kit

An Album for Jaymie

2009-04-29T19:06:00.002-05:00

I am making a wedding album for Jaymie, my husband's grandniece who lives in the Philippines. Here are a few pages I made.

RAK.....!

2009-04-27T19:16:00.005-05:00

I am one of Sarah's fans. I love her layouts and I see how she enjoyed those memories so much! I can see it on the pictures, on the journaling, and on her pages.

So here's Sarah.... organizing her room. In so doing, she is getting rid of some stuff. She is starting off with two RAKS!

To play, you have to…

Leave a comment with your favorite scrapbook brand… and for those of you who do not scrapbook, she is interested to know whether or not you have ever tried to scrapbook.
If you have a blog, post her giveaway on your blog for more players. If you do so, she will add your name in twice… but make sure to let her know that you shared it on your blog.
You have until Saturday (May 2), by 11:59 pm PST to play!

Conga, Conga, Conga...Hey!!

2009-04-27T18:43:00.006-05:00

I'm doing the Conga... right behind me is Lee. So how far can we go?

Instructions are:

when you receive an invitation to join you add the image as a sidebar picture widget [which I didn't do because I don't know how to do it!]
then link the image to the one person who's blog you want to be next in line.

Rules:

You can only join the line if you are invited-
You can only pass it on to one person-

So how long can we go??? Lets make the longest conga line in the world!! I'd like to see go all the way around the world and back [to the person who started it, or perhaps to me?]

Make sure you follow through until the person you invite has added it to their blog otherwise the chain will be broken and it won't work- If you receive an invitation and don't want to be in the line then kindly let the person know who sent it to you so they can invite someone else.

I think this goes also for one who already has received the invitation. Let the person who invited you know you've already been invited so the person can invite someone else? Since it says you can only pass it on to one person... if you are invited twice, would that be considered passing it on to two people??? Any comments on this? Anyone? anyone? anyone?

We are really excited to see where this will end up! I am passing this to.... Sarah de Guzman... come on down!

Into Her Secret Playground

2009-04-25T22:35:00.003-05:00

Meet Hannah... my niece Erika's first born. Isn't she cute? and the collection in this kit from Digital Scrapbook Memories, In the Mood: Playful kit is full of fun things to do. I love colorful supplies such as these. I love to use flowers. There should be more of these of different varieties included in every digital kit out there. These give life to every layout, don't you agree?

Just playing. hmmm... how many traditional LOs have I done so far? Digital LOs are far easier to do, I think. No mess to put away either.

I've been back to digital scrapbooking lately. It's fast and easy. Yes, I can make fast and easy traditional layouts but nothing fast and easy and handy is comparable to digital scrapbooking.

Marj gave me 3 CDs of Digital Scrapbook Memories 2 birthdays ago. I haven't used any of them and I even haven't opened the other two. So the last few evenings I've been completing one or two digi layouts. TFL!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2009-04-16T21:55:00.002-05:00

I saw a message from my niece Erika asking that I make scrapbook pages for her [again]. Said message was somehow lost in a big pile of unread messages. Hadn't I played catch up with reading my emails, deleting unimportant ones and filing the rest in folders, I wouldn't have seen that request.

I found this picture in her Friendster site. I had a perfect kit to use for it. Something about Mom and Me. However, just when I needed it, I couldn't find it!!!

I am happier with this kit I found in Scrapbook Flair. I've been a fan of Scrapbook Flair and it has been a long time since I visited them. The cleaning up of emails reminded me. This kit is called Whimsical Garden by Gigi. [Thanks much for sharing, Gigi!!!]

I thought I'd do an extraction this time to get rid of the "noisy" background. In place of a bee flying around, I used a butterfly which is also included in the kit. The font used for the title is called Pussycat. It came with my CS3ext. I cut the pink border in half and inserted the title in between. So Erika, my dear... how does your garden grow? I see that Hannah is growing beautifully every day!