Rachel Grieg's Art Retreat

I made sure I went to bed early last night because I know I'll need full concentration today, an all day art retreat, or was it I couldn't wait for it. It was utterly the most exciting class ever.. playing with ink pads, the different colours, techniques I have always wanted to try but never got around trying or finishing, really.

An exciting day, creating all day, is so refreshing, a breakaway from my daily routine. We started at 9am, break for lunch, carried on until 5pm. Not to mention the coffees in between, talking and chatting to others who also loves the same hobby, is indescribable and most fun.

Anyways, here is my take on Rachel's mini album class,

I know hubby loves me because...

6"x9" Mini Album

This time I tried something different.

Montage/Collage + Cropping pictures into shapes.

To start with, the album is 6"x9" Making Memories, ring binded. Papers used are entirely 7Gypsies latest collection Gypsy Market (I grabbed them when it arrived in Scrappingville). Because I took so many pictures for that holiday, I decided to make an entire mini album using as many pictures as I can, in total my album now consist of 22 refills/pages, front and back, making this mini album holding 44, 6"x9" layouts.

I also thought I should try something different with this bunch of photos, honestly because I had alot of similar shots and I want to try to use as many of them, so on many pages, I did a montage/collage.
If you notice I have added fairies from Alpha Collage Sheets, not something I usually use on my layouts. I picked the fairies collage sheets simply because it matches the 7Gypsies papers so well!

The focus of this little mini album is to highlight the things we did during the trip" highlighted in cursive letters (Getty -White) by American Crafts Letter Sticker Books (I must say its value for money, you'll get lowercase + uppercase + numbers in a booklet, so you'll be able to see them on a messy table for the price of RM45ish! 8 pages of stickers!

Word: Walks Journaling: Everybody is usually up early. We would be up as early as 7am and go for our morning walks. We went to the deli just down the road to get sausage roll and our favourite chocolate milk. Mounts Bay has beautiful side walks. Because its in Spring, mornings are nice & cooling for walks.

Word: Coffee

Journaling: Merchant was the place mama & mama ning loves to go hang out and be "seen". When I was there during my university life, we used to go to Merchant in the city, then there was only 1 there, now there's Merchant everywhere. Somethings have changed.. Word: Parks

Journaling:.. and because the weather was so good and cool, we were going to the parks alot. All of you were so easily pleased when I said we were going to the park. Dada and I would sit on the grass. It'll be the only time Dada & I sit on the grass..

Familiar signs..

My favourite photo. The hand photo is left as 4R size, but I cut the kangaroo out and stuck over the hand photo, followed by a fairy collage sheet on left hand corner.

Word: My boys..

Word: Eddy's

Journaling: Fast Eddy's is the one place you can be sure it'll open on public holidays/weekends. Good food, nice place. Opens 24hrs. Have I not mention their burgers are the best!!

Word: Lunch

Journaling: I remembered Fast Eddy's were probably the first few reataurants I ate in when I first arrived in Perth. It sure does bring back memories. Perth always reminded me of a nice sunny day. Everything should be done outdoors. Especially this part of the city, more quiet but now its filled with more cafes, lunch bars, etc.

I should also mention that Fast Eddy's was also a place I went to eat with girlfriends after a late night out. This place is also a place nearest to Northbridge where you find decent yummy fast food. Boy, this place sure do bring back memories..

Word: Together

Journaling: I love how we spent so much together time in Perth. Taking kids out to see the things we saw, things we experienced, really is something. This was taken in Hillary's Boat Harbour. This is where I go, for fish & chips, for a little shop around during the weekends. North of the Swan River, closer to where I was living during my times there as a university student.

Place: Hillary's Boat Harbour

Word: Raya

Journaling: This trip to Perth was especially to spend our Raya Holidays there. Unfortunately, we had only 5days there. Kids raya holidays only a week off school. Mak cooked ofcourse. Make made nasi daging. Yes, ever since your dad and I were dating, I have always noticed the house has a fully equipped kitchen. So, you could cook anything Asian, from making kuih to a special local Malaysian dish.

Word: Scrap Store

Journaling: With every place we visit, I will always make my way to a scrapbook store, if there's one in the area. I happen to stumble into this store on the net and thought why not pay it a visit the next time I'm there. And so I did. It turned out being the best store I've ever visited. I met Maxine, Julie & Audrey. They are absolutely very talented ladies. I was taken by the beautiful things they've made. I couldn't stop oo-ing and aa-ing away. They were really inspiring!

Word: Game On

Journaling: Claremont ShowGrounds. An Annual Event, we used to go to while schooling there. We go for the games, the goody bags and ofcourse the rides!

Used my square punch for 4 pictures on left hand side.

Word: Face Painting

Mother's Day Card

Your mother is always with you.. She's the whisper of the leaves.

Friends Flip Mini Album

Note: Make Time as to all the time when we've put everything on hold for one another.

Note: Chick flick as to all the funny chick flick movies/songs we've shared together over the years.

Note: Phone Conversation as to all of the teary, happy, excited news we've shared over our phone conversations.

Note: Words of Encouragement as to all of the encouragement we've given to one another.

Note: Be there done that as to all of our "been there done that" sentences.

Note: Indescribable as to all of you to me.

Nadia's Birthday Party with 10 friends.

Happy Birthday Kakak! Invited 10 friends. Scrap Party. Alexis for tea and cake. Pavlova is kakak's favourite cake. If its Pavlova it has to be from Alexis. If its cupcakes it'll have to be from Cuppacakes! Kids nowadays have so much to be thankful for.

Even Nana & aunty gayn came.

Scrap, scrap, scrap.

Hubby's Haj Book

Cover. Hambly Thick Overlays. Making Memories Grommets are great for covers to make big holes for binding rings.

Accents. (right hand corner). Round Chipboard filled with Jo Sonja's Glitter + Basic Grey's Patterned Paper + Gold Leafing. (Left hand corner) Velvet rub ons + Stickers by 7 Gypsies. Big chipboard swirls by Kaiser.

Borders. Making Memories Patterned Paper across page top and bottom. Ribbons are locally sourced. Pewter Rings (right hand corner) by Maya Road. Prima Flowers on top left hand corner + Hambly Journaling Bits.

Patterned Papers. Materials here are 7 Gypsies, Jenni Rowlin, Collection Elements and Prima Paper Flowers. The Arch like paper, above head, is part of Collections 6x6 paper pack.

Background Paper is Jenni Bowlin. Middle accents are made up of Hambly Journaling Overlays, Collections 6x6 Paper pack, Prima flowers, and little small mirror square stickers.

Here I've added Basic Grey's Merakesch Collection, Gold Leafing, American Crafts Stickers.

Dear Aning,

Adib has been cooking and making lots of yummy desserts. His Creme Brulee is the best. Some Creme Brulee smells too much of the thickening creme/milk..yeeww.. but because of the creme he uses..its to-die-for.. anyways I didn't get the chance to take a picture of Adib's Creme Brulee but here is his Souffle..not the perfect picture but you try to take a picture when everyone's waiting for their souffle cup! Stress..this Souffle recipe is from Gordon Ramsay's new book..3 Star Chef.

Souffle is soft & very light..its like you're eating thin air!! Recipe include making your own Toffee to Meringue.

Dear Aning,

Here are more Cuppacakes coming at cha'. So simple and yet so cute.

Sports Day

Dira came in second in her game. She could not get her eyes off her medal. I thought this picture says it all. The achievement she must have felt. I didnt expect her to be so into the team spirit and the spirit to win. Brave little girl.

Kakak on the other hand, loves to perform. Last year was line dancing, this year its cheerleading. All the effort put in during the rehearsals really paid off. Ms Caroline, the couch, done a great job with the routine + the uniforms. The best ever. Kakak also made an effort to search for a few cheers for the team. She really practiced hard and put all her heart into it.

Candy Candy man... sweet sugar coated candy man candy man.. by Christina Aguilera.