It's been a long, long time

Hello sweet bloggers,

Indeed a long time since I posted last. It was summer holidays and I thought of giving my children all the time I could. I know my older one, Zeenya is independent and a twelfth grader if you please. Aleeza is a fourth grader and time flies. We went to India for a few days and then to New York and Boston. It sure was hectic and NY seemed to be more bustling since the last time I visited it in 2007. Boston was far saner and more charming if I may say so. We did the Statue of Liberty and saw a Broadway musical called Aladin which was breathtakingly beautiful. Apart from that we saw Central Park and also the Common in Boston was very pretty.

I made as many as 22 cards in two weeks that we were in the US. Aleeza was a constant source of inspiration to me. I managed to visit Paper Source both in NY and Boston and picked up some pretty stamps and a circles punch from there. 

Down below is one of the cards we made together. I carried my distress inks and coloured the background with them. Thank you is a die cut from a perfume packaging which is shiny, shiny magenta. 

Will catch you later... 

Happy crafting always,

Monica 

For an 80th Birthday

Hello sweet bloggers,

Thank you for your kind words on my previous post. It is summer holidays now so life is calmer in some ways. This card was made for one of my neigbour's who is celebrating her mum's 80th. She paid me $10 Singapore dollars for it which will go toward a home that supports abused women in Malaysia. 

It is a very simple card made primarily with designer paper from my stash and pop up glue. The numbers are from my stash as well and the nesties were die cut from a silver envelope.

These flowers were arranged and taken to a very lovely lady's home for dinner. I added a pink ribbon to make the white vase look dressy.

Happy blogging and happy crafting,

Monica 

Hello from the other side

Hello dear bloggers,

Blogging has been on my mind and most certainly so. It is just that my initiative called United World Sanctuary had two events - one on essential oils and another on Laughter Yoga. Both went really well and how I wish I could laugh like we did in the Laughter Yoga session every day. I have also been selling cards at the events and have been donating them to a shelter in Malaysia called Sinar Sofia.

Now to the cards below - the first card has been made with my new die from Kaiser Craft. I used red paper for the hibiscus flowers and cut out the leaves carefully. Then I die cut the leaves again in cream coloured paper and stuck them under the hibiscus flowers. I also added another die cut to give more body to the leaves. The flowers and leaves were coloured with Prismas. This diecut sure made me think aplenty as the flowers and leaves were part of the same. The designer paper is from my stash and the sentiment has been die cut from a packaging material (incense sticks).

This sweet teddy card was designed and stamped by Aleeza (nine years old) while the labour was done by me. I think it is a Penny Black stamp she has used and the washi tape was bought at the craft store in town.

Aleeza gave this card to her Physical Education teacher who is her fave. I wish I could have taken a better photograph. We had to stick Washi tape inside as we had a goof up while using the paper scourer. 

I will enter my card in the following challenges:

http://craftysentiments.blogspot.sg/ - sentiment

http://highhopesstamps.blogspot.sg/ - anything goes

http://ttcrd.blogspot.sg/ - anything goes

http://craftingfromtheheartchallengeblog.blogspot.sg/ - anything goes

Happy crafting,

Monica 

Partly recycled card and my mum's embroidery

Hello sweet bloggers,

Yes, life has been busy with my initiative called United World Sanctuary, my new self study of essential oils and my fave passion called Meditation. On Monday, I am hosting a workshop on essential oils and a special massage technique with them called Rainbow technique on Monday, 29th at my place. There is a very learned lady here from the US who will be teaching us and I am excited.

Now to my simple card which has pretty much used recycled material. The sweet hippo has been die cut from a yoghurt lid and the blue nestie you see was part of a brochure in it's previous avatar. The grey banner is designer paper given by a dear friend. The blue and grey paper actually shine pretty much in real life. The sentiment on this card is one of my favourites. I did take a permanent black marker and touch up the happy hippo's eyes, ears and smile. 

I thought of sharing this pretty embroidery that my mum did in Home Science which she did a degree in. This was embroidered in the 1960s. She claims the 3D effect is because she used all six veins at the same time. She always tells me that one should create stuff that takes the least amount of time and is pretty at the same time. Well, this proves her theory quite so. Lol.

Happy crafting,

Monica 

Teddy

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a card to show you that Aleeza helped assemble after choosing the paper and die cut and embellies. The teddy seems to be cross eyed here but in real life, seems okay. I did most of the sticking and paid Aleeza two Singapore dollars for it and she was laughing that I did all the hard work and paid her for it. Well, I wanted her to get into card making so it was kind of a bribe. Lol.

Well, she did colour in the nose and mouth.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

http://abitmoretimetocraft.blogspot.sg/ - anything goes
http://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.sg/ - anything goes

Happy crafting,

Monica 

Froggie says hello

Hello lovely bloggers,

Happy first of the month. I remember as kids, we used to say to each other, "A pinch or a punch on the first of month' and how happy we felt at something as small as that.

Here is my card to show you today. I simply love this sentiment and the die cut frog has been made from printer paper that was given batik treatment - a technique which I learned from the art teacher in Zeenya's school and we made it together over 12 years or so. I actually saved this paper all these years. I coloured the frog with yellow colour pencils, stuck googly eyes and layered it on another frog in a different shade of green to give it another layer and some shadow. The washi tape is from my stock and that is that.

To those who are aware of my initiative called United World Sanctuary, we had another great event on April 26th with 9 ladies and we had a very informative talk on essential oils and their benefits. It was much appreciated and I too learned much about the uses of essential oils. 

I have also started conducting meditation sessions for individuals and groups and am getting a good response. 

I will enter this card in https://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.sg

Happy crafting and happy, happy happy,

Monica 

Happy...

Hello bloggers,

Here is my card to show you which has been made with primarily packaging material. The pearls came from Sandra. The second photo shows the inside of the card.

I will enter this card in:

http://abitmoretimetocraft.blogspot.sg/  - anything goes

http://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.sg/ - anything goes

http://conniecancrop.blogspot.sg/ - reuse, reduce, recycle

Happy crafting,

Monica