Good Stuff | Project Life for Made With Love

Hey there project lifers! Here's a 2-page spread for you! I used these old photos when the two boys were still small and much cuter. I miss them like this but I tell myself to enjoy them NOW. Because soon, I will also miss how they are today. Live in the moment.  And take lots of photos! haha.

I made these pages using a couple of white cardstock and JUST. ONE. PACK. of these Insta Square from Simple Stories. Available at Made With Love. 

It's amazing how much cool stuff this little pack can contain! The square designs are cute and cool at the same time. Perfect for the B&W photos I printed in different sizes. 

When I do project life, I also have these regulars: washi tapes, wood chips, die-cuts, pins, adhesives and my scissors. 

Here are the few simple steps I do when I create project life pages: 

1. Cut the white cardstock according to shapes and size of my page protectors.

2. Arrange my photos and try to distribute these around the page.

3. Fill the rest of the cards with the Insta Squares. I try to have balance when I distribute the colors.

4. Add washi tapes, pins, wood chips, buttons... etc.

5. Write thoughts and sentiments on the cards. 

It's fast and easy because when you use papers and embellishments from one collection, and in this case, from JUST. ONE. PACK... the colors are all coordinated :) Life becomes easy peasy! Because that's what scrapbooking should be. Fun and stress free. Right?

Look how much stuff I still got after finishing the 2-page spread! Maybe I can still make a mini album out of it :)

Project Life: Rujim's 9th Birthday

I remember the last time we threw a party for Rujim (I think he was 6 that time). He did not like it. He stayed in his room most of the time while all the guests enjoyed outside. Can you imagine how I felt? Being so passionate about party-planning, party details, giveaways, balloons, decors and such, it broke my heart. But then again, it's his birthday. Who am I to choose his happiness right? Birthday is about thanking God for our life, for celebrating this life with our loved ones. In any way that makes the celebrator happy :) And so the next parties became much simpler. We would go to the beach or have a simple dinner with a few friends... and this year, we went on a staycation! 

For those of you who don't know, Rujim has autism. I can't believe I can say that now with a smile and joy and peace in my heart. What a beautiful journey it has been. Not easy but beautiful. Autism has brought so much blessings to our family. One of which is benefiting from Kuya's love for hotels and beaches and cozy places haha! This project life spread is about that weekend. When we went to Shangri-La with no plans but to just follow Kuya's lead.  It's as if we did nothing but just enjoy each other's company and nature. 

Now let's talk about how I go about making a PL layout. 

My Made With Love DT kit for this month consists of papers and Bits and Pieces pack from Simple Stories Say Cheese 2 collection. This collection is really perfect for Disneyland photos but I challenged myself that it can also be used for any photo that's available. Besides, the happiest place on earth is anywhere with our loved ones. But I'm not saying I don't wanna go to Disneyland. Who knows.. maybe next year, on Kuya's 10th birthday hahaha! 

Since the papers and die-cuts I would be using are really bright, I printed my photos in black and white. This way, the colors of the embellishments won't clash with the colors in the photo. The colored version of the photos will be reserved for the mini album I'm making :) 

This is how I do it. I created a collage in picasa and edited it at once. Then printed using A4 photo paper. 

Then I cut white card stock paper according to the layout of my page protectors. 

Next, I arranged the photos, trying to distribute it around the pages. 

Here's the fun part. Embellishing the page. It's easier when the embellishments come from the same collection. You won't have to think about color coordination. It'll just look good however you arrange it. But. You can't just stick anything anywhere.. You have to arrange the embellishments according to how you want to tell your story. Use stamps to add more details. Add embellishments like buttons, dewdrops, sequins or wood chips for dimension. Lastly, show your thoughts about the photos with your own handwriting to make your cards special and personalised. Here are some close-ups of my cards... 

For the title, you can use thickers. But if you don't have enough letters (always happens haha) or the availalbe color you have is not the color you want, you can use Sizzix Block Talk like what I did here. 

The joy to see Kuya smile and enjoy his birthday is reason enough for me to be happy even if it means I'm never gonna be a party-planner-mama for him. It's okay, at least I still have Miguel. I still have the chance. Lol!

Products used* 

white cardstock

Bits and Pieces Pack - Simple Stories 

stamps - Heidi Swapp

washi tapes 

Sizzix Bigshot Machine

Sizzix Block Talk

*All availalbe in Made With Love

Project Life - Weeks 23, 24 & 25

• so far I've only done 9 spreads total since I started and I'm still getting the hang of it 
• 11 weeks behind and struggling so badly but have zero plans of quitting. I'm hooked for life (I think haha!)
• catching up means simple pages. no stitching. no medium. just paste. paste. paste. 
• love my 3 weeks worth of PL... keep looking at it. again and again. thankful for the memories I get to keep. My faves among these are the photo of my boys napping during school holidays, their faces when they ate a hot pancake, and our couple run one night :) I may just forget these precious moments had I not documented it. Thank God for PL! 

Do you "project life"? Share with me your spreads please :)

Project Life Week 22 + Staycation Insert

I am officially an iphone photographer (I think). I have been taking photos, editing them, using it for blogging and product updates for the shoppe. This is not by choice. I have no choice (for now). I really suck at using my DSLR (thinking of selling it, as it frustrates me all the time -- no patience at all and lazy haha) Sigh. 

I do hope that one day I will be able to get photos that I really love. Those stuff I see in twopeas, Crate Paper and AC blogs... wish.. wish... 

Here's a PL page that looks better in person actual, I promise you :( 

I still got lots of really good photos taken by hubby during our staycation which I will make into an insert... if my time allows. Right now there's just so much on my plate and enjoying every bit of it. July was awesome and I'm already super excited for what August has in store for me! Thank You God for all the blessings, empowerment, guidance and strength... Amen. 

What HOME means to me ...

I used to dream home as a little white bungalow house, with white picket fence, a huge lawn with a playground for the boys, a garden with lots of vegetables and flowers...  beside that pretty house is my studio where I make and sell pretty stuff and do scrapbooking classes. And this has to be in Bacolod, Philippines. My hometown.

Over time, I want to think that I have grown (maybe just a little bit) into a mature Christian. Because my perpective about all these dreams changed. Radically. 

Right now, home for me is any place God wants me to be, doing the things He wants me to do, being in communion with the people He sends my way (the last one is tough but in His grace, little by little, I will be able to achieve it). I also realised that this world is NOT my permanent home. All these things I can see and hear and touch are temporary. What is essential is invisible to the eye, they say. True right? :)

So now, although part of me still wants that little white house with a garden in Bacolod, I have come to enjoy every bit of what God is giving me... here and now. It's simple. Less complicated. Less disappointments. No more rat race. More time with family and community. More time enjoying the moment. Living each day as if it's my last. More peace. More happiness. Just like home. Just like heaven. Thank You God!

Did this page using Project Life - Midnight kit + Teresa Collins + My Mind's Eye + Paper Market's Singapore kit. Thanks to my friend Nur for counting me in to get the kit! :) 

Project Life | Week 21 : Oh So Yellow!

• Banana Cake. No-brainer baking.
• Kuya won the Stride Rite photo contes
• Miguel's first bulleye.
• Our NC Way community participating in the Street Challenge at the St. Anthony Parish. 
• Cotton Power!
• Family time at the park. 

I made these pages when yellow was my least favorite color of all. Lol. 

No one's pressuring me at all. But I want to challenge me a little bit more and try to do some catching up... so I kept it simple.  Thanks for checking out my blog! I want to visit your blog too so do leave a comment below with your blog link.. See you! :) 

Project Life - Week 19 & 20

Slowly... 

But surely doing it and I have no plans of stopping :) I'm just frustrated with how to take nice and crisp photos of my projects (that's the one thing discouraging me from blogging, to be honest. I badly need to know how to take and edit photos!) Anyway, that's my week 19 & 20! I don't wanna apologise for being late. Because I want to believe, in projec-lifing, there is no deadline. Ha!

... close ups of my very favorite things! Crafting & being with crafty friends. #blessed. 

See you again soon... probably with my 21st week :)

Project Life | Week 18: It's Time!

After years of denial (because I have no time, because it is so tedious, because.. because.. because...)  I finally gave in to Project Life. Please don't make me admit I feel so sorry I started this late! *facepalm* 

I watched Warm Bodies with hubby last Sautrday and one of my fave scenes was  when Julie,  in an abandoned airplane with R, was snapping some polaroid shots and said,  Everything we see, we might be seeing it for the last time. Yes. That's why I scrapbook. I have a very bad short and long term memory. And I have no plans of just forgetting all the simple but precious everyday moments of my kids and family! I need to Project Life! This will be for my sanity when the time comes. My grandchildren and great great grand children will thank me for this! 

I wish my very first spread would say: "Week 1" but then that would mean I have to wait for like 6 more months to  be able to start? No way... I'm starting at "Week 18"whether you like it or not :P 

Thanks to Cassandra and Sam. Looking at their awesome works inspired me to try this.  Having lots of  fun and I think I'm hooked!