Hi bloggers,


Hope winter is less extreme... soon it will be March and daffodils will arive... 


That reminds me of the poem , "Daffodils" by William Wordsworth... 


Does anyone recall it? 


I hope I have got the name of the poem and author right?



Here is my latest card for a man really... I cannot believe that I made it this easily!!!

Materials used:

Vanilla card stock


For the distressed effect on the sides I have used Jim Holtz  ranger distress inks - 
                                     wild honey
                                     peeled paint
                                          and
                                     rusty hinge

The squiggly design and happy birthday sentiment stamp are JUMBO stamps from Stampendous impressions.

I used a mixture of wild honey and rusty hinge to stamp the squiggly design.


The happy birthday sentiment was done with a mixture of rusty hinge and walnut stain.


The random pieces of mosaic are from my stash.


I do like how this card turned out... hope you like it, too. 


On second thoughts which I seem to have often, I think I should have used mosaic all over the card. I was being stingy because I love this embellishment and want it to last a loooong time.






I am going to submit it for the following challenge:


www.craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.com/ - anything goes


Hugs,


Monica


                                                                            

My yummy goodies from Singapore

Since one of my very dear blog buddies - Leigh  (Charity Crafter) asked me to show my crafting goodies from Singapore (and some from Jakarta, too) - here they are!

 I am so chuffed - just hope DH does not see this picture because it may hinder his recovery...  hehe!

I love these sentiments - just find them so very witty. I picked it up just to amuse myself...

Read the one about Youth - a bit rude but funny nonetheless!!!

And the one about families being like fudge...

Enjoy!

Aleeza's birthday in school

I thought I must share some pictures of Aleeza's birthday in school. My older one had a holiday so she tried baking a chocolate cake which just refused to get baked! So in desperation we had to order a cake from the restaurant downstairs because we were really running late. It could not be fancy but the quality of chocolate that the pastry chef used was excellent. The kids loved the cake and so did the teacher and her aides.

Aleeza lounging around on the carpet in her class room.

This picture is obviously not good for obvious reasons... I was so touched with the way the teacher stuck her name on the window. They even hung a Happy Birthday banner above - so thoughtful of them.

Aleeza blowing her candle with help from Zeenya and me.We should have taken a better picture of the cake but can you believe that in all the mayhem we forgot... It was a real tasty choco cake called 

Chocolate Devil.

Aleeza eating her snack.

Hugs,

Monica

Aleeza's Birthday card

Hi bloggers,


We just got back from Singapore last night after a whirlwind of activity...


Thanks to all of you for asking after my husband - he is faring much better and on the road to recovery.


I managed to find time to gets lots of crafting goodies for myself - yippeeeeeee!!! 
Singapore for us is like a haven because everything is just so easily available. 


Here, in Jakarta I have to struggle to get craft supplies but in Singapore it is the opposite. 


Still not like the States or the UK but good enough! 


And the food is pretty good, the air is clean, the public train and bus system is a breeze... It is truly the Switzerland of Asia! 


Saw how much I could waffle without even being asked a single question!


I have made this card for Aleeza's birthday today - she turns three and it seems like she was born yesterday!

Material used:

240 gsm cardstock in creamy yellow for the base.


Blue cardstock stamped with Hero Arts flower stamp with Jim Holtz distress ink - broken porcelein.  


Scalloped Martha Stewart border punch used at the bottom of the blue card stock before sticking it on to the base cardstock.


Hero Arts little girl stamp stamped with Stazon permanent ink and coloured in with Darwent water colour pencils.


Blue and off white lace from my stash.


Organza roses in yellow, blue and mauve from my stash, too.


The Happy Birthday sentiment is handwritten with Sakura metallic pens.

I was quite pleased with the way the card turned out even though the picture seems a bit blurry.


Hope you like it - Aleeza did!  : )


I am going to enter this card for the following challenges:


www.littleclairesdesigns.blogspot.com/ - anything goes


www.toptiptuesday.blogspot.com/ - anything girlie ( I love that coz' I always seem to struggle with making men's cards.)


www.mygraficocrafts.blogspot.com/ - anything goes 




I promise I will come and visit you all as soon as I have opened all my bags - luckily there is not much laundry this time as we went only for 3 days.


Hugs,


Monica

Hiya everyone,

It is me again... I am delighted to accept this award from  Monique - www.naturallymecreations.blogspot.com/ 

Thank you so much, Monique! 

I feel honoured and treasured to say the least. I just feel so touched when I receive these awards because they put me on the top of the world... 

Do visit

Monique's 

blog to see her wonderful creations... she is amazingly creative and loves to recycle as well. 

Here are 7 things I would like to share about myself ( I hope I don't struggle - Lol!)

1. I studied Sociology honours in college and wanted to go and do my Masters in Social Work 

INSTEAD

2. Landed myself in a job as a Guest Relations Executive in a 5 star hotel and loved every minute of it. 

3. I have worked in the garment industry and in the hospitality industry. I have to say that I loved working in a hotel because I got to meet people from all over the world... and I realized that people are the same inside even though they all have a different exterior. We all need to be loved and respected no matter which part of the earth we come from. And I am lucky that my life has been touched by so many lovely people as yourselves.

4. My hair started greying at 28!!!

5. I always wanted to study Design in any form but did not - some day I will.

6. I have a dream to write a book - one fine day, it should materialize.

7. I love blog land and could spend hours visiting blogs and making friends. I have come across such nice people through blog land that it has made my life far richer than it ever was.

The second thing that I gotta do is to share this award... 


WELL, I PASS THIS ON TO WHO EVER READS THIS POST... WITH LOVE FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. DO TAKE IT AND POST IT ON YOUR BLOG. 

Monique, I am sorry that I took so long to post this... we are going through a bit of a rough phase at home with my DH having to undergo surgery in Singapore while we are here. Wish I could have been there with him at the time of the operation. We are going to fly to Singapore on Thursday to look him up for 2 days. 

Hugs,

Monica

The first post for February

Hi bloggers,


Can you believe that it is the 1st of February today??? One month gone by so very quickly!


I made this card a while ago and you can see my famous handmade flowers on it... That reminds me that I must start making my flowers again. Remember how I used to make only flowers for the longest time... I guess that was a phase.


Now to this card - I have used a stamp called Tara Reed designs by Stamps Happen, INC  that Zeenya picked up from Hobby Craft in London... I had to pick it up - simply irresistable!


The green distressed effect has actually been stamped with a square stamp from Whispers (docraft). Have colourd the stamp with my Darwent water colour pencils. 


I love the sentiment of this card... The ribbon is from my stash and so is the metallic violet paper (Paper Chase tissue paper). 


Hope you like this card. 


Hugs,


Monica

I am delighted to receive this award from not one but TWO LOVELY LADIES - 

 Leigh -http://www.charitycrafter.blogspot.com/ - a blogger with a heart of gold who makes the most beautiful cards to donate them. And she is so full of love, cheer and humour at all times. She provides me with so much inspiration...

AND

Shirley-Anne - http://www.shirley-anne-stampingforjoy.blogspot.com/ - I admire her talent for making the most effective cards with such grace. More than that I look up to her in ways more than one for her stoic approach to life... She has been through a lot in the past few months and has bounced back with such ease.

The usual number of blogs to receive this award are 3 to 5 

BUT

I will be passing this award to twice the number of blogs since I have received it from 2 ladies. So lucky me and lucky all of you... Lol!

Okay, before I start waffling again here goes my list:

Sandra - www.rosepetalcreations.blogspot.com/  - She uses the most wonderful papers and images for her cards and turns them into even more stunning creations... and to top it all she is such a loving and caring person. Even if she is famous I cannot resist giving her this award for the simple reason that she has brought me so much joy. It is just a tiny way to reciprocate. 

Lynn - http://creativecraftsbylynn.blogspot.com/ - You have to check out her classy and elegant cards... She knows exactly what to do to make her cards stand out. And she provides me with so much inspiration and motivation - NEVER missing to post her lovely comments on my blog... I do know that she is famous already but please I could not overlook her.

Helen - www.helenmade.blogspot.com/ - Such an amazing crafter - makes so many different arts and crafts... and is blessed with incredible amount of patience. Makes flowers, does quilling and a host of other stuff.

Monique - www.naturallymecreations.blogspot.com/  - A lover of recycled stuff and makes much more than cards - all of which is delightfully impressive. I love her weekend linky parties - do check them out...

Andrea - www.andreajbpiecesofmine.blogspot.com/ -  Another gifted crafter - makes such pretty, pretty cards with so much charm and writes the most touching posts.

Fat Monica - www.chasingart.blogspot.com/ - She is into ATCs... and makes real neat ones. An ATC specialist - unusual that!

Shelly - http://shanarunacreativespace.blogspot.com/ - She is into photography, paper crafting, scrapbooking and a host of other lovely things...

Philippa - http://quilliance.blogspot.com/ - She is into quilling and oh-so-gifted... makes the most wonderful quilled creations.

Maria - http://craftycre8tions.blogspot.com/ - Her cards are really stylish... and she has a kind heart to donate them to great causes). 

Marie - http://cardmakingbird.blogspot.com/ - She makes such beautiful cards and I just love reading her posts. A lady with such a positive and kind attitude.

Please do visit them and see for yourself what they do... it would be worth it, I promise you that.

There are a couple of conditions for the award :

The aim of this award is that we bring unknown, good blogs to light, so I would ask you not to blog fellow bloggers that already have 3,000 followers.


You have been TAGGED and want to participate?


Then create a post where you post the 'LOVE BLOG' image.


You should also blog the persons link that gave you the award and inform her/him that you accept the award.


You can then choose 3 - 5 favourite blogs which you also link in your post, then each blogger will inform you that they have been tagged.






As Leigh has put it in such wonderful words, "It is okay if you are too busy to accept this award, I understand".