Tuesday 28 April 2015

Japan was lovely

Hello sweet bloggers,

I sure have been away for the longest time I think. We were on a week's vacation to Tokyo and Kyoto and it was just beautiful. I was struck with the elegance and charm of Kyoto and it's beautiful Buddhist temples more than anything else. I found grace and charm every where I went and indeed it was a transformational trip for me. I even got to sit and meditate in one of the temples so next time I am missing you know where to find me. Just kidding there, lol.

Down below are some snapshots of  the cherry blossoms and the temples we visited in Tokyo and Kyoto.



Close up of a Sakura bloom.



A cherry blossom tree in full bloom.



This a real flower - I couldn't help but take a picture.



A family picture with an elegant Japanese sales lady in a store



A lady dressed up as a Geisha.



Down below is my hand made tissue paper Sakura made while we were waiting for the bus to take us home from a pretty park.



A real stunning golden temple



These two pictures are my doodles in a restaurant on the disposable paper mat - sorry for the picture quality.



The Goddess of Mercy temple below.



This is the entrance to another temple




I promise to come and visit you soon,

Monica 

Thursday 9 April 2015

For a basket ball lover

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is my card to show you which was made for my older one's school friend. He is a basketball player and I was lucky enough to receive these clear stamps from a very kind lady who lives in our block. They just were exactly what I was looking for. I have done faux tacking around the stamped nestie with a metallic pen which gives it more colour. My daughter did not want a sentiment which was just as well for me.




Below is my little one's unedited recipe of a banana cake which I found so cute that I had to share it. As you can see, squishing is all that is required and voila the cake is ready. Lol.



I will try and do some visiting now,

Monica 

Sunday 29 March 2015

This card took us five minutes to make


Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a super quick card that Aleeza and I made for an eight year old's birthday in five minutes just before her bed time on a week day. She chose the image from my stash and we glittered the edges and the flower which is not really visible in the picture. For the flower centre a button came in handy while the sentiment is from my stash. 
My card seems to fit the sketch over at CAS(e) this Sketch or so I hope. Lol.



Wish you a wonderful Sunday,

Monica 

Sunday 22 March 2015

For CAS(e) this sketch and LIM

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is my card for CAS(e) this Sketch  and LIM this week and I do hope you like it. 
The flowers are hand made by me and the Spellbinder leaves (die cut from a cake box) have been sponged with distressed ink. The sentiment is store bought and the background leaves are from my balcony - am trying to get creative with my photography skills. Lol.





Wish you a happy Sunday,

Monica

Thursday 19 March 2015

I am back

Hello sweet bloggers,

I am sorry to be missing for such a long while and I have to say that I missed blogging. We were away to a pretty island called Batam in Indonesia for a night last week as you will see from the pictures. It was just an hour-long boat ride away. Sadly, it was polluted with oil and strong smell yet the scenic beauty was divine.

Here is a card I made a few days ago. I think it is a Penny Black stamp that I bought a few years ago but have used it the very first time on this card. All the embellies here are from my stash.


Below is a picture taken while we were on the boat to the island



This is the view of the ocean from the lobby of the resort we stayed in




The picture down below is that of sunrise from the beach


Sunday 8 March 2015

Life is beautiful

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a card to show to show you today which I stamped like over a year ago and let it be coz' I did not know what to do with it. And last night, I found that this pretty polka dotted ribbon from American Craft matches nicely with it. I think it is an Itty Bitty Unity stamp and I have used a metallic Brilliance stamp pad to stamp it. I could have added liquid pearls or something to liven it up but my older one felt it was fine the way it was, so here it is. By the way, the sentiment was part of the same stamp and that suits me just fine considering my cards are mostly sentiment free. 



Wish you a happy Sunday,

Monica

Wednesday 4 March 2015

This makes me happy

Hello sweet peeps,

Thank you for your kind words on my last post and here is my card to show you today which I actually stamped and coloured while I was at the Botanic Gardens on Saturday afternoon. 

I know I could have done better but can you believe it that I forgot to take the acrylic block with me and had to use the acetate sheet alone to stamp. I took a few Prisma pencils along to colour and came back home and put my simple beauty together. Yes, no ribbon, no bling, no nothing - just a flat, very flat card.
I will enter this card in the challenge hosted by LIM this week which is about 'what makes you happy' and this stamp with poppies (from Hero Arts, I think) sure makes me happy. 




Off to do some commenting now,

Monica 

Monday 2 March 2015

Super bright and cheery

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a card to show you today which I made a few weeks ago. The designer paper was sent to me by Terry and the cupcakes are from my stash. The embossed sentiment is from a set of Sizzix folders.
I have to say that I do love the brightness of this card.


Wish you a happy day,

Monica 

Thursday 26 February 2015

Yaay, I managed to blog again this morning.

Hello sweet bloggers,

Oh, the joy of blogging is far more than words can express. So here I am today with another card to show you. The polka dotted paper was sent to me by Terry while the image is a rub on which was sent by Lynn. Thank you, lovely ladies. The ribbon and sentiment are from my stash and that is it, really.

I will enter my card in CAS(E) this Sketch this week.



Catch you soon,

Monica

Wednesday 25 February 2015

Hello with my seed beads

Hello sweet bloggers,

Thank you for your kind words on my last post which made me so very happy. How I wish for those days when I had time to blog... Never mind, I have much to be grateful for. 

Here is a card I have made with the papers which were sent by Terry and Shirley-Anne. Yes, as you may recall I do know how to preserve things. Lol. The red seed beads are from Indonesia which I found lying in green patches of the lovely school that my kids attended in Indonesia. The embossing folder is from a set by Sizzix I think. 



These awesome flower decorations for Chinese New Year were spotted by yours truly outside one of the classes in school and I believe they have been made from coffee paper.



Found this beautiful tropical flower smiling at me.


I had to share this 100 percent fruit cake picture with you. A mum had the guts to make a non-chocolate cake for her kid's birthday. I salute her. Lol.



See you soon,

Monica 

Monday 16 February 2015

Hello there

Hello sweet bloggers,

I have pictures to share of Aleeza's 7th birthday party to share with you in this post. It was a musical party with lots of song and dance which was indeed an enjoyable affair. I sure was busy for a month before the party but it was all good fun and am so glad that everyone including I had a gret time.  

Here is a card I made for a friend who wanted it for the Chinese New Year. It is a Penny Black rubber stamp and I have covered the flowers with Sakura blooms punched with two shades of paper. For the flower centres, it was pearl dots. 





Aleeza (with face paint) on her party along with another friend 




My older one in the picture below with Aleeza and her friend - look at the united colours of Benetton here ;-)




Below is a picture of the banner and the balloons




Cake time 



Enjoy,

Monica 

Thursday 5 February 2015

Hello!

Hello lovely bloggers,

I know I have been missing for a while now and that is because life has been hectic.

Here is a quick card to show you which I made a while ago. The embossed sentiment is my new purchase from the craft store. The buttons and lace are from my stash and that is it, really.



I am off to do some visiting now,

Monica 

Friday 23 January 2015

Baby girl card

Hello sweet peeps,

Here is a card for the challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch

A short post from me today as dinner is waiting on the table. The image is a store bought one and I have stamped the sentiment and embossed the little rectangular paper.


Thank God it is Friday!

Monica

Thursday 22 January 2015

Hello

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here a card I made couple of days ago with my Hero Arts stamp and home made paper flowers. The stamp had delicate flowers on it but I decided to mask them.  Gosh, it seems forever since I made them. The sentiment is store bought and that is it, really.


I apologise that I am not able to send emails as yet. Thank you so much for the kind comments that you all have been leaving for me. Our home still needs much attention and that keeps me busy.

Happy day,

Monica 

Tuesday 20 January 2015

Pictures from Christmas and our trip to New Delhi

Hello sweet bloggers,

Believe me, it feels good to blog... Here are pictures to share with you. I have many more but these are what were handy on my camera.

The one below is from Aleeza's class party. I love those stockings!!!




This is Aleeza posing


Down below is Aleeza's mum and another mum posing


This is my great aunt visiting New Delhi from the US and on the left is my cousin 


 This is Aleeza doing a funny pose with my cousin's daughter and my mum in the lobby of the club


At a lunch in a pretty restaurant with my daughters, mum and my third cousin (on the left) who is visiting from the US. His mum is of Indian origin while his Dad is American.


Another comical pose with crazy friends in India




I know it was a picture heavy post! Enjoy anyway,

Monica 

Friday 16 January 2015

Happy New Year

Hello sweet bloggers,

I wish you a very happy new year and may it bring good health and cheer alongwith all that you wish for.

I have been missing as we went to New Delhi for ten days and spent New Year's Eve with my mum in the army club where she is a member (my late dad was in the Indian Army). Apart from that we had yummy food, met up with friends and relatives, laughed and generally just chilled out. It was wonderful and a much needed break for me. I will try and post pictures soon.

Here is my card to show you which I made a while back. The embossing has been done on packaging paper and the ribbon, image and gems are from my stash. The tag has been die cut from a natural bark. 



I promise to answer emails and visit your blogs soon.

Happy to be back,

Monica 

Wednesday 24 December 2014

Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is another stampless Christmas card made with cork stickers and a store bought sentiment stuck on a Spellbinder die linked together with red raffia.



Wishing you all a Merry Christmas,

Monica 

Tuesday 16 December 2014

Christmas is so close

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a card to show you today - the snowflakes have been punched from the left overs of wedding paper.
The border at the bottom is actually dull gold but it looks brown in the picture. The gold dots which also appear brown are gold pop up glue. I cannot remember where the sentiment is from.


Wish you a happy Tuesday,

Monica 

Monday 8 December 2014

Hello there!

Hello lovely bloggers,

It is rainy season here in Singapore and it sure is raining cats and dogs. I am quite a lover of rain but this kind of rain is a bit much, you know.

It is Aleeza's assistant teacher's birthday this week so I offered to make a card for her. I cannot remember the stamp as I had this card half ready many months ago. All I did was finish it off last evening.
 I just love this cake and I have coloured it with my Prisma pencils. There are pretty rhine stones on the roses which were Aleeza's recommendation. The rose printed tape at the bottom is my latest buy from a craft store. I have embossed the bottom of the card and the ribbon punch has been woven through a beautiful patch of jacquard wall paper.



Here is a funny picture of Mona Lisa with Indian finery to bring a smile to your face.



Lots of love,

Monica 

Monday 24 November 2014

Making Christmas cards

Hello sweet bloggers,

I hope you had a good weekend. I went to the nursery and bought pretty plants for our balcony which gave me much happiness. Aleeza was sick for over a week (she is back to school now) and I needed something to cheer me up. 

Here is a super quick Christmas card I made with my new cork stickers. The sentiment stamp is a clear one - it may be Kaiser or Penny Black (it is out of it's packaging, so cannot tell).

I will enter this simple beauty in Less is More this week which is all about Christmas.


I wish you a pleasant day ahead,

Monica

Sunday 16 November 2014

Partly recycled

Hello sweet peeps,

Here is a card I made a while ago with natural material. The frog and the grass have been die cut from the same bark I found in the drive way. The eyes of the frog are wooden beads and I have used my Prismas to shade the frog and grass while the brown outline has been done with a Staedler marker. The sentiment is store bought and the printed paper is from my stash.


Wish you a happy Sunday,

Monica 

Thursday 13 November 2014

Hello again with my 'oh so red card'


Hello sweet bloggers,

Here I am back again with another card the very next day. Aleeza is poorly today so while she watches her fave show, I do one of my fave activity - blogging.

This card is made for a friend who wanted a card to give a newly married couple. She wanted lots of red as the couple is Chinese and Asians do love the colour red when it comes to celebrations. So here is my 'oh so red card'.


Thank you for the kind comments on my previous post,

Monica 

Tuesday 11 November 2014

The tag here is from the bark of a tree

Hello sweet bloggers,

Gosh, life has been busy. I went to do a training course for children which was fairly enjoyable and I met nice people there as well. Apart from that, it has been home and children and card making OFCOURSE. How lucky we are to have a passion and get such happiness out of it. 

Here is my card to show you today which fits in the challenge over at CAS(E) this Sketch this week and for Virginia's View challenge which is all things metallic. 
The gold border stickers were sent by Merry to me and the tag has actually been die cut from a bark of a tree and I have gone over the edges with a metallic Sakura pen in copper. Now, how creative and eco-friendly is that. The key charm is from my stash and the sentiment is a wooden one stamped with a metallic Brilliance. I am unable to recall the name of the stamp, though.


I have been missing the land of blogging so yet could do little about it. I hope you all have been well and healthy. Will make my rounds soon.

Lots of love and thank you for not giving up on me,

Monica

Friday 31 October 2014

Happy Halloween

Hello sweet peeps,

Happy Halloween to all those who celebrate it. What a fun day we had in school this morning with the entire school celebrating in all it's glory. I will post pictures another time as I am yet to load them on the computer.
We were away to Hong Kong as we wanted to take Aleeza to Disney World - she is going to be seven next year so we thought let her enjoy these fun places. It was a wonderful experience and since it was fall, it was nice and cool. Singapore is hot and humid all year long so it was a luxury for us to be in pleasant clime.  Zeenya also met up with a friend of hers from her previous school so it was a win-win for everyone.

Here is a card I have made with handmade paper from India. The chipboard images are from my stash as is the sentiment. The blue glitter pop up dots are fabric glue from India. I love their texture.


Happy weekend,

Monica

Sunday 19 October 2014

My new border punch

Hello sweet bloggers,

Yesterday we went to watch a film called, "The Rewrite" which was quite a nice one with dry humour here and there. Hugh Grant was really good. What luxury to enjoy a good film and have a laugh too. And Singapore is more prone to getting English films unlike Jakarta so that is indeed something to be grateful for.
Here is a card to show you made in my new apartment with my new border punch. The sentiment is store made and the black and white chevrons are a ribbon and the bottom is washi tape. 


 I will enter my card in the following challenge:
http://craftingattheweekend.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes

Wish you a happy Sunday,

Monica 

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Hello there!

 Hello sweet peeps,

Thank you for not giving up on me even though I have not been regular with my visits and comments. Here is my card for you today made in my new home. Yes, I actually could manage to make a card and how wonderful is that. That must mean I am getting back to me. Lol.


I will enter this card in the following challenges:
http://partytimetuesdays.blogspot.ca/ - anything goes
http://www.ttcrd.blogspot.sg/ - always anything goes
Hoping to come and see you soon.

Lots of love,

Monica 

Monday 13 October 2014

Lady bugs

Hello sweet bloggers, 

That was a big break of 10 days there. Life is just keeping me so busy and vital issues like school are taking much of my time.

Over the weekend, we took Aleeza to a Hairy Maclary Show and was she happy to see it. She wished it would go on for 'four hours'. Even though it was a bit babyish, she loved it. It is such a blessing to have an almost 15 year old along with an almost seven year old. Oh how nice to have an innocent view of life. She finds happiness in the smallest of things and it makes me marvel at the psyche of a child.

Here is my card to show you today which was made while we were in our temporary accomodation. The stamp is a tiny one and I made a border out of it. I have coloured in the stamp with Aleeza's Faber Castell's and the fabric tape is from Indonesia. The sentiment is store made while the black and while check paper under the sentiment is part of the packaging from the fabric tape. The very tiny button is from my stash.


I would be happy with lots of good energy coming my way.

Happy day,

Monica 

Thursday 2 October 2014

Happy Birthday to Mahatma Gandhi











Hello sweet bloggers,

Today is Gandhi's birthday - yes, the famous Mahatma Gandhi who believed in non-violence. How I wish he could bring peace to this troubled world of today.

Meanwhile on a smaller note, here is my card which brought me lots of peace while I made it. The background is a stencil which has been sponged in with distress ink and a butterfly added to give company to the bamboos.



Here is Aleeza's version

Here is my little artist assembling a decopaged image with my help. The joy she derived from this activity was beyond words. Thank you, dear Sandra for sending these images to us. 


Down below is the final result  which looks far more three dimensional in real life

Thank God tomorrow is Friday,

Monica