Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Of Backlogs and Sidelines

I am back!

After 5 months on the road, I stare at my scrapstuff (hindi naman ganun ka-dami) and I feel sad that they all don't look and feel familiar anymore.

I am so excited to start organizing and scrapping again. I am yet to finish my traditional wedding scrapbook (I'm done with the digital) , and then it's going to be hard, hard work for my Up with People album (how can I finish a 5 month-long exhilirating experience album?)

And... I am unemployed right now. More time to scrapbopok and more time to make kutkot. Hopefully I discover a way to have income in the middle of all these kutkots :-)

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Wedding Album -- Finished Product!


I showed you the layouts before ::: http://bananaspin.multiply.com/photos/album/6

Now, let me show you the finished product! Hardbound! Oh I'm so happy it came out nice!


My apologies if the photos of the album are low res -- I only used my phone ...

The FrogFlops Won !


To refresh your memory, here are the FrogFlops :
http://bananascraps.blogspot.com/2007/04/taking-break-from-scrapping-my.html

After worrying whether I made the deadline (because of the suspicious SM saleslady) am so happy that I won! Not the grand prize tho -- just one of the 4 consolation prizes... a P1,000.00 gift cheque from SM :-) Not bad, considering I paid only P150 for the slippers.


Since I posted the FrogFlops online I've made PigFlops, SunFlops, StarFlops. Still in the pipeline are MoonFlops, TigerFlops, CheetahFlops, ElephantFlops! (Pangit ng name -- parang FLOP! haha. Well, I can't help it)

Whew. Text me 0917-5201888 for your orders. I just have to say that orders beyond these bananaspin-Flops will be priced slightly higher than the first ones. (I used my old stash of materials for the first few flip flops, and just learned now that they are priced wayy higher than before :-(( )

The designs are handdrawn and handcut by yours truly.

While supplies last.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Celebrate Her - My Scrapfest SHE Layouts


I had quite an interesting time picking the photos and themes for the "SHE" sayings for the scrapfest 6x6 layouts. I did the Mom and Dad layouts at the Scrapfest. The Solo, Sam and the Stuff layouts I did at home :-) Thanks for looking. Sorry if some of the photos are dark :(

(I also realized just now that I am a happier blogger than a Multiply account keeper!)

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Scrappin' with my Mom (an account of our Scrapfest Experience)


“Memi Scraps” Digital LO Credits
Sarah Batdorf’s Arboretum guide for “circles” paper strip and pink ribbon, Rhonna Farrer’s June free kit for background, flower doodle (twopeasinabucket.com). Danila Peuss Simplicity Kit for the bubble alphas (scrapartist.com). Flower frame (scrapgirls.com)
Journaling reads: "What else can top a whole day of Scrappin' as a Mother's Day treat? I totally enjoyed bringing my mom to the Scrapfest! Now that she's been "exposed" I hope she appreciates my kalat in the house from now on! I love my mom (she's such a lucky charm!). If you were in the Scrapfest, you know what I mean! 'Til next event!"

As early as April, I told my mom if it was okay with her for us to celebrate Mother’s Day a week later. Fine with her, and I was so excited! My mom is a great crafter (she doesn’t need magazines or idea books to come up with something great from scraps or useless things. She was a bit hesitant about modern scrapbooking because she told me she had no idea about a Scrapfest and a bit uncomfortable about people spending a lot of money for “scraps”

Well, I was like that when I first joined the egroups (Pinoyscrapbookers and Scrapbooks Exchange) and that was why I was on lurker mode for a long time! Soon, the artist in me won over my cheapskate personality (hehe, and this is also the reason why I also explored digital scrapbooking) and I decided to plunge right in!

It was fun planning for the Scrapfest. My computer illiterate mom struggling with selecting photos from our PC, and me struggling to explain to her scrap terms like LO, embellishments, blings, vellum, 6x6, 12x12. Oh, you can imagine how many nights I had to explain to her that “the 6x6 layouts are for the altered box so we need to make 5 of those. Mum, that’s small, you can’t fit a lot of photos there. The 12x12 layout is BIG, choose nice, big photos.” Every night she comes up with more photos for the 6x6 and tiny ones for the 12x12. Hehe. Oh well. A day before the Scrapfest I had our pictures printed and told her, “Memi, bahala na bukas!”

This was my first time to attend a scrap event. I was nervous and excited AND overwhelmed. My dad dutifully loaded our scrap stuff in the car (my whole stash can fit in two large tote bags, my mom and I will share). Along the way my mom asked me how much I have been spending for scrapbooking (we had to make a stopover at our Makati apartment to pick up some alpha stamps I left behind). To which I answered, “If papa has golf, I have scrapbooking”. I admire my dad for putting up with two females like us, hehe.

The first sentence that we heard when we stepped in the Makati Parks and Gardens hall was, “Naku, mauubos pera natin dito!” haha, to the delight of my dad who wanted to come with us and “make usyoso” My mom whispered to me that she was really overwhelmed!

We were lucky that we arrived early and was able to sit on the 3rd row (what I can call the winner’s row! Later on, our row was a recipient of raffle prizes and major prizes! Yup, we were in the same row as Hall of Famer Donna!). The thing about the physical arrangement of the place was that it was too crowded and it was hard to move around and to fix your tools to where you can have easy access to them. Worse, when a scrapper in front of us moves her chair back, the chair hits our table and disrupts whatever we are doing! (I ruined a journal because of this huhu) Maybe next time the Scrappin’ Moms can get a bigger venue with sturdier tables! “Form and Function” right? I heard the Scrapfest gets better every year.

For a relatively “newbie” scrapper, the demos were a big help, definitely added to the things that can help prettify my pages. It was also my first time to see Sizzix (amazing!) and first time to try embossing with a heat gun! And I was so proud of my mom who was able to follow all the instructions in the demo (and even got it faster than I did..) Oh, and let me share also that she is my “human Sizzix” I swear she must have been born with a cutter in her hand (that’s not even X-acto!)

Soon, my mom was “serious” about the layouts. She told me how come I left our Modge Podge at home, and even stood up to buy some rub-ons from Craft Express. When the Cherry Arte challenge came, she asked me if I can go get us some “brighter” Cherry Arte papers! It was so fun to see her “in her element” :-)

And we were lucky, lucky, lucky also! As expected, we did not get any of the LO prizes but we did win in the raffles, two times each! For the “Bring a Friend” raffle, we both got a Xyron Sticker Maker Travel Scrapbook Kit (keep posted we might sell/ swap one of them). Then we also won stuff from the regular raffle! A Handcrafted Expressions accordion album for me and a super nice Chatterbox mini album kit for my mom. Luckiest! ;-) our entrance fee was really worth the fun we had and the prizes.

My dad picked us up at the end of the event and I can see that he also enjoyed the short time that he was there. He even bought me the photo cubes from Handcrafted Expressions because they looked nice. He had fun looking at the “kung ano-ano” and commented that it was really tough for the judges to judge the diverse layouts. Each scrapper had a unique style and it was a headache for him to decide which was best. (A suggestion from my dad: the ultimate layout contest for him will be a contest that asks you to scrap a standard, generic photo, standard papers, standard tools.)

I was able to buy some stuff also – my Colorbox black and brown (thanks for the advice ladies!) – some papers: Cherry Arte, Urban Lily, Fancy Pants. On my wish list but way out of budget are chipboard letters (decided not to buy because at P900.00 I cannot even use the obscure letters like X Q Z, etc) , paisley chipboard prints (when I decided I wanted them I can’t find them anywhere na!) , scrapbook paints, heat gun, Alpha stamps, and I also loved the Cuttlebug machine. Sigh.

I am on the lookout right now for the nice tool tote (like Tin’s) which I totally forgot to find during the event.
When we got home, my mom helped me fix all the scrap stuff back to their respective racks and containers. Up to the clean up, it was a bonding moment! We also decided to do a joint project on one of our photo boxes for my foster sister Irene.

Congratulations to the Scrappin’ Moms for a great event! It was stressful but fun! I enjoyed meeting all the other ladies Au, Nita, Lee, April, Ria, Pia, Joanne, Jen, Bjay (yahoo you got the Pig-Flops), Dianne, Mia, Jhoy, naku if I forgot anyone – sorry! It was a very overwhelming event, and packed also! We did not even get to do our “Inking tutorial” – maybe we should just schedule that, eh? Oh, and I'm also sorry for the mix-up at the registration table -- you see, I'm still not used to "Hanna Pacua" -- I still use "Hanna Fernando" :-)


Kudos to everyone! I might not be a mom yet – but I brought a scrappin mom! ‘Til next event!

More photos and our Scrapfest layouts at http://bananaspin.multiply.com/photos/album/17

Thursday, May 10, 2007

May Scrapbytes Challenge -- STRETCH!

The ladies back at scrapbooks-exchange usually churn out fabulous layouts with kids on them. (For sure, one of the reasons siguro that I want kids is for the purpose of scrapping their photos... hehe) -- Nainggit ako sa kida! Since I still don't have kids, and we're a small family with no more kids :-P I scrapped my own baby pic. Please bear with me, hehe.

This month's challenge required at least 10 flower elements on the layout.. a special bonus when you use Craft Express papers. Since I'm a newbie scrapper, I usually purchase materials as I go along. Loved the Craft Express papers, seemed perfect for the photo I chose.



The striped flower can be pulled out to show this ...



Materials used:
Craft express papers (background, striped borders, flower cutouts) , stick on crystals from the Japan Home Center, white Schneider gel pen, Color&Co Acrylic Paint, Stickoppotamus stickers

Oh this is so fun!

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Kayang Kaya Kaya?




This is so fun :-) The first challenge is a 12x12 layout of a thing you love. I guess I found a venue to practice my digital LO skills. Will practice my traditional LO skills naman with Scrappin' Moms... Hmmm - at this rate, I think I'll be able to finish our wedding album by doing challenges! Yehey.


This is my entry to the Pinoy Scrapbookers Challenge Blog :-)
(augh I lost the credits.. cross my fingers and I hope they publish it on the blog so I can copy my credits hehe)


Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Cayla


For my friend and co-military wife, armi. I really think her kid Cayla is sooo cute! These are all digital LOs.



Cayla Notebook

Credits: Torn ribbons and notebook from Scrapgirls, Cayla title paper from twopeasinabucket by Rhonna Farrer (June free kit), Bear by Sheri Johnson, Scrapgirls. Layout using Photoshop CS



Cayla Best Friends

Credits
Papers and rub-ons from twopeasinabucket.com free kit: June by Rhonna Farrer. Pink Ribbon from Sarah Batdorf “Arboretum” sampler and green ribbon and tag from “Do you feel Lucky” by Marie Stones at http://www.freedigitalscrapbooking.com/. Font: Walt Disney. Layout using Photoshop CS.

Sad about the FrogFlops

Does anyone know where I can contact the BannaPeel people?

I was just so pissed off at SM yesterday when I rushed to submit my slippers.. the deadline clearly said May 1, 2007 -- 9:00 PM.

When I went to SM Makati at around 1PM yesterday to submit my entry, the salespeople were clueless about it! The drop box was nowhere in sight and turuan sila ng turuan.

Finally somebody approached me and told me na tapos na daw ang contest kasi. I told her , it says clearly on your guidelines that the deadline is today at 9 PM , bakit wala na?

Then she answered me with, "Kunin ko na din po pero di po namin sure kung makakahabol" -- Sabi ko , "Siguraduhin mo, kasi yun ang nakalagay sa guidelines"

I gave it to her. Well, my mistake was I did not get her name :-( or the brand manager's name :-( , feeling ko wala ako habol sa frog-flops ko :-(

Why such a big deal about the slippers and the contest? Una, it's P150.00 and a good pair of slippers (meaning, nagprofit ang BananaPeel at SM sakin, tapos wala naman ako napala) -- and of course , I just loved the frogs I made and they came out really cute. Huhuhu. I fear that these might just get thrown in an SM Bodega and I can't even claim it after the contest.

I'm thinking of calling BananaPeel head office just to make sure, di bale nang wag masali sa contest, as long as I get my FrogFlops back! waa.

Consumer Rights! Consumer Rights!

Monday, April 30, 2007

Taking a break from scrapping - My "FrogFlops"






Weird fetishes. Bananas. Butterflies. Folders and paper. Frogs.

Yup. I might not like the real things but I love frogs -- to the dismay of college best friend Gladys who absolutely hates frogs (yep even Kermit and Keroppi)

So I took a break from scrapping today and worked on my entry to the Bananapeel flipflop design contest... and designed my flip flops with what else? Frogs!
I actually had trouble thinking about designs -- because the criteria did not specify if the flip flops should be "wearable" -- well I just played it safe and assumed that they should still be wearable! So I limited myself to something simple -- designing using durable and waterproof stuff. (I would have wanted glitter and paper but I hate the idea of flip flops that can't get wet -- totally defeats the purpose of rubber slippers)















Monday, April 23, 2007

Can't figure out why ....

... every time I post here in Blogspot , the post automatically becomes uploaded in my "Sam and Hanna" Multiply site (www.pacua.multiply.com)

Help!

I really can't figure out why. I don't even use same log-ins. I use different email addys for this one and that one. Hay :-( Can't make the content of this one appear in www.bananaspin.multiply.com.

Weird!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

April Scrapbytes Challenge






For the "April takes the Heat Challenge" we had to follow the sketch above.




I don't really know the rules for following sketches but saw from the other examples that the sketches can be modified. So I did my own revision:




After one night of endless leaf-cutting, I came up with this:



Behold, my "April takes the heat" challenge entry at http://www.scrappinmoms.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=53&pos=0
I hope I got it right this time -- hehe. Journaling reads,
"Summer. Sagada. Sam. (What more can I ask for?)
Our first long trip together, and still one of our favorites"
Sagada, Mt Province
April 2005

Materials: Creative memories perfect fit greens paper and journaling plate, CM Zesty Cuts dark green, All about Scrapbooking "Earth Wonders" paper, glitter slick paint, yellow slick paint, handcut yellow corrugated cardboard, plastic leaves appliques from All about Scrapbooking, Carolina's ribbon.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Forever and a Day

This was my first ever challenge entry – for the “Love is in the Air” March 2007 challenge sponsored by scrappinmoms.net. I had a hard time finding the link to the mechanics again so I totally messed up the rules. The first rule said “use three pictures or more” -- bad Hanna. Oh maybe next time I’ll swing it. More practice!

Title: Forever and a Day


Journaling reads:

We decided to personalize our vows the night before the wedding. Armed with crumpled, handwritten “kodigos” , it was a touching surprise o see a teary-eyed and all-choked up Sam during the vows! As I feared, I was in tears (of pure joy!) also!
– hanna


I, Marianna Alfa Guamen Fernando take you, my Sam -- to be my husband, my best friend, my partner in life and my one true love. I thank God for bringing you into my life and for giving me the strength and guidance to start forever with you. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I, Sammy Evangelista Pacua, take you, my Hanna, to be my wife, my constant friend, my bunkmate, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

Materials:
Creative Memories Cherish Power Palette (background) and Perfect Fit Reds (photo matting, flower embellies and letter cutouts), Veco pink tracing paper 112 GSM


Fonts:
handcut "Forever and a day..." Creating Keepsakes FontPak CK Fantasy , journaling (vows) TTF Rage Italic


Who won? Click here. Congratulations Ms Phylinne!!

my Scrap history

I remember that I was in 4th grade when our teacher told us that we should come up with a scrapbook at the end of the school year. I had just come from a great US vacation that previous summer and I was so excited. I submitted mine in the middle of the year.

Those days, we still did not have acid free or lignin free or whatever. I enjoyed cutting and layouting in those stick on magnetic albums or in notebooks or in journals. They're all yellowed and discolored now :(

I still had a hard time accepting modern day scrapbook finds. Acid free and lignin free stuff are so outrageously expensive, and for me -- "buying" scraps is a bit contradictory to "scrapbooking" which basically means using whatever's available to enhance your photos.

Oh but the threat of obsolescence shadowed over me as more and more hard to resist scrapbooking papers sprouted all over the place. When my Tita from the states sent me some Creative Memories stuff, I concluded... goodbye principles -- I have to deviate from my old school ways and embrace new technologies. It's just like saying goodbye beeper and hello celphones.

So, from being a lurker at Pinoyscrapbookers -- an online friend, Dianne Mirabelles convinced me to also join Scrapbooks Exchange and be an active participant. And from these two groups, inspiration runneth over.

This old school scrapper and can't wait to catch up.

Well, I hope my wallet can keep up with me also ;-)

prolific bananaspin -- My Scrap Blog

How many blogs do I own?

I've lost count. From the top of my mind here are the blogs that are still worth visiting. it seems that my creativity these days is bursting to come out. if time permits i'd rather be creating something all day than spending time here in the office (oops, delinquent behavior: blogging in the office!)

www.bananaspin.blogspot.com
the original blog which carries anything under the sun. rants, raves, trends and what have yous. this one is constantly evolving.

www.mmdmyanna.blogspot.com
my development work/ school blog. watchout for updates because i'll be going back to school in june

www.bananaspin.multiply.com
bananaspin's kutkots. stuff I make -- digital layouts, crafts, paintings, etc...

www.pacua.multiply.com
mine and sam's -- things we are able to do together

and now I am creating this one -- and vow to devote it to scrapbooking. I figured it's easier to highlight things through blogspot rather than at multiply which is so scattered.

my blog. my life. my scraps.