Play!

First layout done with papers from Club Scrap. Not sure which kit the brown paper is from. The yellow is from the County Fair kit. Imagination Project rub-on alphabets, swirl stamps from Art Warehouse Limited Edition, 7 Gypsies journaling card and a chipboard flower, coloured & stamped with Brilliance inks. Ribbon is from my stash. Design copied from a layout in a CK magazine.

Second layout uses a Scrapgoods kit. Could not figure out who makes the papers because the little strips were removed by the Club - Daisy D's maybe a guess but I cannot be sure. Art Warehouse stickers, Thickers alphas, Swirly stamps (Rhonna Farrer I think) and a ribbon, again from my stash. One of Becky Higgins' sketches.

These wooden chairs, with their strange upholstery are very old and slightly out of the norm. The whole set ~ 2 arm chairs and a 3 seater, are rockers! They belong to my MIL from her trousseau ~ that is at least 50 years. And for many summers past all the kids have spent enjoyable evenings rocking on these. They used to occupy the pride of place in the main living room in front of the TV. But with a few compulsive rockers in the household we had to put up with continuous creaking while we tried to watch the news. So three years ago, when we redecorated the house, I changed the upholstery and moved them to the children's den. This way everyone is happy!!

Lily at the playground. And yes, back then I could really squat!

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A Japanese prank ... I'll have to be careful the next time I visit there ... LOL! Been very lucky till now. They have all been perfectly behaved but this sort of thing is contagious, I believe :-)

Anyway here is the Japanese Rocket Chair ...

il Nure

First layout done with Club Scrap Outdoors kit from 2000. Heidi Swapp chipboard alphas, sei buttons, tabbed letters, and Art Warehouse and MSE rubber stamps helped complete a layout that I started in 2001. Yes, for me this has to be a record! I started this layout in 2001 and it took me 6 years to complete. The oldest element is little 'stones' corner I created with a technique learnt back then. I remember achy fingers from tearing little rounds and ovals from thick Club Scrap card stock ~ I had to use this piece since I worked so hard on it! The newest element has to be the tab on the side with 'Summer 01' on it. All pulled together today with some stitching and a design from a CK magazine.

So, how long have you sat on a layout? LOL!!

Second layout uses (I'll fill in later - too tired to go down & check supplies now! LOL!) The rub on phrase is from DCWV. Not sure who makes the chipboard flower but it is part of a set in 12 X 12 format. I coloured the flower white and then stamped with inks from CTMH and a Stampendous cube. Design inspired by Ali Edwards.

Ricky testing the waters of the Nure (kind of rhymes with 'Murray') river near our home on a very hot summer afternoon. The water is always ice cold and we have to keep away from the river bed after the rains for fear of flash floods. But that day was perfect in every way!

Lily, pleased as punch with her new 'Minnie Mouse' pyjamas. This was the first Disney outfit she received as a gift and she fell in love with it. She would wear it almost every night. We had to sneak it away for washing. And years later even when she could not fit into it any more, she refused to part with it! Actually Lily is quite the pack rat and does not like getting rid of any of her clothes, but we did have an especially hard time with these PJs.

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David Sedaris on Dave Letterman. This clip is 5 minutes long but worth listening to, I think. He is very good!

Skater Girl

First layout done with Club Scrap Heritage II kit from June 2000. 7 Gypsies quote panel, a rub on, chipboard swirl, Rhonna Farrer swirl stamps, Gelatin alpha stamps & Penny Black alpha stamps.

Second layout uses paper by Heidi Grace, Heidi Swapp chipboard alphas, MSE alpha stamps and 7 Gypsies stickers.

Is it not strange how, if you wait for a while before scrapping some photographs, circumstances change completely? I'll admit that I waited more than a 'while'. These photographs are from a Christmas dinner in 2000 in Italy. This is a work related gathering and so I guess I was not too excited to scrap the event. Another boring dinner. And the photos did not really turn out that nice. All very blah and so the photos got pushed to the back of the box.
Now when I look at these photos I am amazed at how things turned sour. Everything just disintegrated (work related, nothing personal). And so I had to finally scrap these photos because I had a story to tell. Not such a nice tale either therefore the red 'Void' as an indication of negativity.

Lily learning how to roller blade.

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Luc's first lemon

And the Fruitcake lady - she has me in splits!! What a pity I never saw her shows and so Viva You Tube!

Phuket

First layout uses Club Scrap 'Oriental' kit. Making Memories foam alpha stamps, ribbon, chipboard flourish and hand painted swirls done with the French curves set.

Second layout uses paper from Basic Grey & Carolees Creation (the punched rounds). Buttons are from sei and again Making Memories foam alpha stamps, Heidi Swapp silhouettes, and ribbon. Used the French curves again to make the lines for journalling. Design from a layout in a CK magazine.

Lily's first ever trip to the beautiful island of Phuket in Thailand. This was also her first holiday with her cousins. Love the last 3 photos of them sharing a Sprite! Anyway, both Lily & I fell sick the day we arrived in Phuket. So we spent six days in our room. On the seventh day we were well enough to step out. We had to leave the next day ... LOL! Anyway, we had good fun just that last day.

Another layout about Ricky's problem. Eye contact - or rather the lack of it. He did not like looking at anyone. So we learnt to speak in short sentences, easy things and started every sentence with 'Look at me' or 'Can you look me in the eye?' It took years of patience and love and understanding but now this problem is almost imperceptible.

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This guy draws monsters daily. This is number 19. Check out the others too. Very creative!

'Now'

Both layouts done for a challenge on the Scrapologie board. The layout required the following: Fibre, 3 Epoxy stickers, Buttons, Chipboard (but not alphas), Flower (only one) and the word NOW. I had a problem with the Epoxy stickers - I had only the words by Danelle Johnson. Took a bit of thinking which I do not like doing much ;-)

The first layout uses Club Scrap Caribbean kit from Feb 2000. I bent the Epoxy sticker rule very slightly. The '2000' is actually 3 stickers. The big photo turn is chipboard.

Second layout is done with a kit from Scrapologie. Papers include Basic Grey Phoebe, Heidi Grace Cupcakes, K& Co Amy Butler designs. Design copied from a layout by Joy Uzarraga.

Tactile problems are usually an issue with children with Autism. Ricky had a hard time with messy play. He even disliked washing his hands very early on ~ he disliked the feel of soap. Therapy helped a lot and when he was four we finally managed to take him to the beach and play a bit with some sand and water! You can see from his face that he is not completely comfortable. But I was so happy that he tried! It was a big step for all of us.

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This boy can dance! If anyone can dance that well in a suit like that, he deserves to have all the little ladies go ga-ga over him ... and the older ladies too, perhaps? LOL!!

And a beautiful ad from the Japan Ad Council about encouraging children in their creativity:

Sweet things

I want to thank everyone for the lovely messages saying I would be missed and wishing me a wonderful summer. In case you are wondering why I am still here :-) its because I actually leave on the 4th of July. Because I do not like flying, I guess I am all tensed up already!!

First layout uses Club Scrap Fruit & Vine kit from September 2001. Photo turn from 7 Gypsies, Hero Arts alpha stamps and SU Vine & leaves 2-step stamps. Design inspired from a layout in a CK magazine.

Second layout uses Chatterbox & Paper Salon papers. White 'Artsy Doodles' rub-ons are from Maisy Mo Designs. All from a kit by Scrapologie. Design by Jessica Sprague.

If these photographs are to be believed it would appear that Ricky really liked fruit. And ice cream. The reality was that to get him to hold the watermelon and take one bite I had to threaten him with 'No TV today'! And even though he does eat apples, it is a struggle every time. And this was the first time I got Ricky to try ice cream. He hated the cold feeling in his mouth and never touched it before this. While I am still trying to get him to eat fruit as often as possible, I was very happy when he refused to eat ice creams ... LOL!

A quote from Ellen DeGeneres : So many questions, most of them are 'Why?'

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A really simple Antipasto dish : Calabrese Lollipops:

And another episode of 'Just for Laughs'

Wacky!

As some of you may know, soon I'll be taking a blogging break and it'll be for a couple of months. This is because I will be away for summer. I will still be crafting but portable crafts like cross stitch and paper filigree. And so before I head off from Hong Kong, I am putting my work in order and this leaves me with little time for scrapbooking :-(

First layout done with Club Scrap Weekender kit from September 2000. Also brads from the Art Warehouse line, Penny Black stamps, French Curves and flowers from my stash. 'Memories' is a rub on from Daisy D's. Layout inspired by one in the current CK magazine.

Second layout uses paper from sei and Zany stickers from 7 Gypsies. Some chipboard embellishments ~ not sure who makes them.

Summer 2001: Just some random memories. This was the year I took Ricky's therapist, Soma with us to Italy so that she could work with him through the summer holidays. And one of my helpers ran off to become an illegal immigrant in Italy ~ lots of hassles with that. And my then future sis-in-law flew in from Ukraine. But she could not fly directly to Italy. So she took a flight to Barcelona in Spain. So we drove there to pick her up and bring her back to spend summer with us in Italy. And in the photos my mother-in-law, aunt, Ricky, Soma & I in the central Piazza of the town where we live during the year. Summer we escape to the mountains to avoid the heat of the plains.

This is perhaps not the best photo showing Ricky's eccentric nature but as I was looking through my stash I saw these stickers by 7 Gypsies and I realised that each and every one of these were perfect for the way Ricky is - funny, wacky, zany, quirky. So be expecting more 'Zany' layouts as and when I can find some goofy photos of this son of mine!! LOL!

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This is a really cool computer program that uses physics to allow you to draw objects and have them interact with each other. It's hard to explain. You need to see it to understand.

I like advertising. From a business person's viewpoint I believe it is necessary in the world we live in. And I actually really enjoy some of the smarter ones. But it is important to be aware of how we are bombarded with these ads and the manner in which it affects us. So here is the other side's point of view, which is always good to know because there is much truth in it too!

Share the Joy!

First layout done with Club Scrap Winter Wonderland kit. Stamp of woodland creatures painted with watercolour pencils. Hero Arts 'postage' stamps & QK alphabet. This kit came with sticky journalling panels. I never liked them. But now I am finding them great to use for cutting out alphabets! Corner rounder in use again!!!

Second layout uses 7 Gypsies paper, Thickers alphabets, MM foam stamps & chipboard from unknown source, painted with gold acrylic ink. Everything from a kit by Scrapologie.

This layout is for Ricky's album ~ Christmas of 1999.

This layout is of Lily and my mother. They always spend a lot of time together. I love this photo of Lily explaining the 'Puzzle' series of books from Usborne to my mum. The kids love these books! They have every one from the series. We have the books for at least 9 years and both Lily & Ricky still pick them up for a read!! I recommend them wholeheartedly! And yes, they call their grandma 'Didu' or shortened even more, just 'Du'.

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Turn up the volume and prepare to be amazed! If this does not give you the goosebumps and bring a tear to your eye, I don't know what will!

And just because he makes me smile, even though I have seen this video so many times!

Ocean Park

First layout done with Club Scrap Tie Dye kit from January 2003. Basic Grey notch tool and the scallop scissors. Design by kelbuckley from CK Gallery.

Second layout is a kit from Scrapologie, with papers from Essentials by Kate. Heidi Swapp chipboard alphas. 7 Gypsies tag. Ribbons from ANM. Design from a CK magazine.

I want to share a gift album I did. In 2005 I took my mother and an aunt to London for 5 days. My MIL was also supposed to come but then the bombs exploded and she decided to cancel. We were in London exactly a week after the explosions and hats off to Londoners for the way they handled everything. We had a lovely time!

I originally made this gift album for my mother in English. Then I scanned the pages and used Adobe Photoshop to change the titles and journalling to Italian. I then printed these out and gave the second album to my aunt.

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Video for today is a very popular one which shows Matt dancing in all the most incredible places. It's called 'Where the hell is Matt?' and deserves to be posted just because it is such a cool video!

This next video is very strange!! I thought pelicans ate only fish!!

Fun in the Sun!

First layout with Club Scrap Caribbean kit from Feb 2000. Some alpha stamps and Scenic Route chipboard alphas. For the first time, after 7 years of having this kit I finally used the two Sanford water colour pencils to do some doodling!

Second layout uses MOD paper by Autumn Leaves. Alpha rub-ons from EK Success and alpha rubber stamps from CTMH and Hero Arts. Design inspired from layout by lej at the CK Gallery.

Ricky was born in Italy in January. It was freezing so we decided to go to the seaside which was slightly more bracing. We spent almost three months at Bordighera, a beautiful seaside town near the border with France. While I stayed at home taking care of my new born, Lily went to the beach every day with her Nonna and Nonno. She made friends and also managed to catch a horrid bug, which she brought home and promptly gave to her brother!

Needless to say, every time I look at these photos I remember what it is like to have a month old baby and a 3 year old both sick with severe bronchitis. I do not think I ever want to return to this place again. Pity, because the artichokes there are awesome!!

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Traffic in India!! Yup ... it's like this in most cities. Especially the smaller ones. The following version has its playback speed increased to scare folks even more. You can see the original one here.

And a colour card trick. Very cool - watch the explanation!

2 Cute!

Where do I look for my creative inspiration, you ask? Well these days it is the CK magazines and the CK on-line gallery.

First layout done with Club Scrap Tiny Treasures kit. Not sure who makes the paper used in the second layout but it was in a Scrapgoods kit. Letters traced from Gin-X alpha stickers. Both layouts copied from the CK Gallery on-line. Designers: cayla73 and lej respectively.

Summer 1993: I took Lily to the mountains in Italy when she was still quite young. We spent all summer, from June to September there. Lily was a lovely baby. Usually I would strap her into the car seat (that is all I had with me in Italy) and keep her near me. She would follow me with those big eyes of hers while I did my chores. All I had to do was talk to her and she was content. The photo is of her and her cousin Valentina, a few months her senior. They were both absolutely adorable!!

Joe at the most important watch fair held at Basel in Switzerland. This year he did not see any famous people so I guess he settled for a photograph with the car instead ... :-)

And since some of you ladies asked ... here is Sete Gibernau sin su camisa. Now if only I knew the Spanish equivalent of hubba hubba ... LOL!

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A couple of wildlife videos today. The second one is long but I suggest you watch it if you have a couple of minutes. It is amazing!!

Disney Paris

Today was a tough day. It has been raining non stop for a week now. And I left early morning for China and had to stay there till late afternoon. For work :-( and it was wet, dirty, humid, sticky ... yuck! And with all this it took longer to do what I had to so by the time I got home it was late. I decided this was a good time to try some high speed scrapping. So here are 2 layouts finished within an hour! Both inspired by layouts in the CK magazine.

First layout done with Club Scrap Country Fair kit. And QK alphabets. Used a pen to draw the outlines in lieu of matting. The 2 small merry go round stamps are colored in with acrylics.

Second layout uses paper lace by Doodlebug. Heidi Swapp chipboard alphas. And some colored brads.

Both layouts from our trip to Paris Disneyland in 1999. It was the first time Ricky was visiting Disneyland and his reaction was not positive, putting it mildly. It was a difficult three days for all of us. But we all have good memories despite Ricky not co-operating with Minnie Mouse ... LOL! He liked the car!!

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I am sure most of you have seen this during the Oscars but these performers are so good, I am sure you will enjoy watching them again.

And this video is doing the rounds now. So it is almost a must-see ... ROLF!! Listen, if you can, to the lyrics. Especially the end. It is a hoot!

Natale 98

First layout done with Club Scrap Evergreen kit. Some star brads. Some gold acrylic paint. And some stitching. From Christmas 1998.

Second layout is an old one. Could not manage to finish 2 today! Layout is of Lily & Ricky at the playground. Ribbon, rub-on title and number stickers. Cannot remember who makes the papers.

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Here is Middle Ages Tech Support!

And this guy solves the Rubik's cube in record time!

Hit the Road

First layout done with Crate Papers Seaweed Collection and an Art Warehouse sticker.

Second layout done with Club Scrap Fruit & Vine kit from September 2001.

Summer 1992: My in-laws are usually not very adventurous folks and do not like to move out of the house too much. But this time my father in law decided he wanted to take me to a beautiful town called Santo Stefano d'Aveto near Genoa.

I was pregnant with Lily and in my first trimester. I did not have morning sickness but I could not handle the twisting and turning on the mountainous roads. So we stopped often, especially when we came across 'fontanas' or water springs. These are very common all over Italy and France (Evian and San Pellegrino come to mind). The water is sparkling clean and ice cold. the frequent stops helped me not get too sick during the drive.

Zio (uncle in Italian) Renato was so funny! He has a very dry humor and all through the trip he kept us in splits. Trust him to spot this tree and request us very seriously to take a photograph of him with the strange tree tumors!

Moto GP Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. Photos with Chris Vermeullen, Marco Melandri, Lucio C. Eliza P & a very interesting photo of Sete Gibernau. I have one of him without a shirt but I will not be sharing that one with you ladies ;-)

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I have to admit this bit of 'Mathematics' had my jaw dropping! A lot of thought must have gone into it! It is called 'Hillbilly Math'

And a really cool video about Stencil Graffiti Art:

Best Dad!

First layout done with Club Scrap Hearth & Home kit from Oct 2003. Journaling done on the paint chip thingy. 'Because' is a sticker from Art Warehouse by Creative Imaginations.

Second layout done with Scenic Route paper designed by Sarah Milne. Stickers also from Scenic Route. Ribbon from my stash. This layout has not turned out quite how I envisioned it. Happens sometimes ... right? ;-)

Put together a few photographs I had lying around of Ricky & Joe. A layout in time for Father's Day. Now to make a card ...

Lily has always been a chatty one. From the time she was small every evening she would pull up a chair next to mine and tell me everything that had happened to her during the day. I have always enjoyed listening to her. And watching her very expressive face! Even though I did not scrapbook back then, I recorded everything. Both with camera and video.

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A few days back I posted a couple of Rugby 7 layouts. What even I find most entertaining about Rugby matches is the Maori Haka War dance done by the New Zealand All Blacks. It is a sight to behold IRL! And scary too! They are very popular among Rugby fans and I believe it is mostly due to this war dance they do before the game.

ETA: I just had to change the video after Brook sent me a link to this one. Now I wish I had been with the All Blacks to behold the sight they must have seen ... ROLF!

Well ... I have been watch a lot of Haka videos the last 24 hours and I think this one is pretty cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd0kDxP04eI

And here is how you can super chill coke in 2 minutes:

Bald!

First layout uses Bazzill cardstock and some scraps of Basic Grey paper. Also a pink ribbon, alpha rub-on, decorative staples, Nunn Design brads, Hero Arts & PSX stamps. Also flower punches from Family Treasures ~ one of the first things I bought when I started scrapbooking and never used in all these years! Layout inspired by a digital one in the CK Gallery by purdueliz.

Second layout uses Club Scrap Extra Extra kit. A Basic Grey rub on and a very old paper lace from DOTS complete the layout. Layout inspired by one in the current CK magazine. And if you find the ampersand on the circle a bit strange it is because it is not an ampersand but an 'S'. I could not find '&' so I used the 'S'.

I guess we Bengali's just look for any excuse to shave off all our hair! LOL! At about the age of one we shave off all the hair of a child because of a belief that this makes the hair stronger. I am not sure if this is true or not but a bald head never hurt anyone. It is very liberating. I remember my mum shaved me bald at the age of 8 and I loved it! I had hair that touched my hips before and suddenly I did not have to bother with braids and washing and such tedious stuff. Then at about 11 or 12 years of age all Brahmin boys are shaved bald for the thread ceremony. And finally if there is a death in the family, all the men shave their heads. In this photo Lily was eating so I think that is a potato chip in her mouth :-)

Ellen and Mario Caramella married sometime in the Spring of 1995. He was the chef at our favorite restaurant and also comes from a town near Joe's hometown in Italy. They also support the same Italian football team. This is very important for Italian men ... LOL! I did not note the date but I remember that I was pregnant with Ricky then. Hence the OJ and no champagne. I cannot believe what ugly tights I was wearing!! Yikes!

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Installation of a sculpture by Richard Serra at the MOMA:

Remembering Lodovico

First layout done with Club Scrap To you with love kit from Feb 2004. MM ribbon, a Basic Grey rub-on, Ma Vinci's alpha stamps and a transparency with journaling completes this layout. ETA: Thought I should mention that the red quotes are actually a small chili punch.

Second layout uses Basic Grey Romani paper, Queen & Co adhesive ribbon, MM foam swirls stamps with orange pearlescent ink, Hero alpha stamps (for the date) & Ma Vinci's alpha stamps. 'Family' is coloured in with water colour pencils & a water brush.

Both designs inspired by layouts in the current Creating Keepsakes magazine.

For Father's day ~ remembering my FIL, a simply wonderful man, a loving husband, caring father and doting grandparent.

Photographs taken on a visit back to Kolkata India in 1992. Our house was but half built. We were all very cramped but what wonderful memories I have of this trip. The garden was blooming under the constant care of my father. My mother cooked all my favorite dishes. I visited with all my cousins and uncles & aunts. I shopped like crazy! Fab holiday and I am pleased as punch I managed to get all these photos onto a single layout!

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Today's video are both culinary tips from chef Jean Pierre. More specifically, tips on using a knife and cutting better. Some time back I took a class on how to better use the knife in the kitchen and I recommend anyone who likes to putter around in the kitchen to at least take a look at these videos.

I just noticed ~ You Tube has gotten all funky and cool!

Bora Bora

Old layouts today because I am off to dinner! It is the China Club tonight where you are literally transported to old world Shanghai. It is very romantic and the food is pretty good too!

First layout is with Club Scrap Polynesian kit. I used punches to make the flowers and the leaves & stems are cut freehand. I was trying my hand at some Photoshop fun. I would have done things slightly differently now, but as a first attempt I am pleased at what I was able to achieve.

Second layout uses Moments Defined papers and a Hero Arts stamp. Some white rub-on alphas and the red letters are cut from a computer print out.

This layout is for an Italian circle journal. Here Joe and I are in Bora Bora in French Polynesia. I myself cannot read the journaling and since I do not have the original with me let us assume that I have said many wonderful things about the beauty of this 'Paradiso' ... LOL!

Another circle journal. The theme of this was a page on someone you admired. Well, I think Jolie makes anything look good. Why not my scrapbook page? And I have to say lately I have admired the way she had given a new direction to her life. Photos printed off the net. Journaling is just a synopsis of her life.

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Camera slowed down to 80 x slower than normal speed. Amazing photography!

And the world champion for drawing circles freehand:

Bali '97

First layout done with Club Scrap Aromatherapy kit form May 2003. K & Co Chipboard alphas. A gold filigree ribbon. French Curves! design inspired by a very beautiful layout by SB Mozer.

Second layout uses paper by Chatterbox Inc. Heidi Swapp chipboard alphas. Not sure who makes the large chipboard flower. The same coloured with copper / green interference acrylics. Love these paints! Design inspired by a layout seen at the CK Gallery by wifemotherpackhorse.

1997: We went to Bali for Easter. Stayed at the Club Med Nusa Dua. When the kids were small we stayed a lot at Club Meds. We do not do so anymore. Lily was a great favorite with all the Club Med people (what are they called? I forget!). And I had to put in the bad exposure photo because in the good one Lily has her face covered with a balloon! The sand on the beaches at Bali is coarse and not very clean. But we are not complaining!

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Two simple cards I did today. I loved how the heart in the first card turned out. I made it with a glue gun and a stick of red glitter glue. When it was dry I stamped and embossed (white EP) the word 'Hugs'. Of course then I had to make the mistake of touching it before the glue had completely cooled and hardened. But the damage was not too bad!

The second card is a sympathy card so I tried to keep it as simple as possible.

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Scare tactics on a PETA activist. Really cannot figure out what the creature really is. Anyone have any ideas?? A midget dressed up?

I am a huge fan of puzzles & quizzes. And I like logic and mathematics. So here is an explanation of a very common problem presented in a very lucid manner, which I really liked. Hope you find it interesting too.

Mi Amore

First layout done with Basic Grey Romani papers. Design inspired by an Ali Edwards layout. The ribbons are from Making Memories. 'Mi Amore' is by My Minds Eye ~ Bohemia.

Second layout by Club Scrap Retreat 2002 kit. Again I used the Basic Grey notch tool because I needed to take photographs on how to get a nice scalloped edge. Alpha foam stickers and lots of brown brads. Layout copied from a digital one in the CK Top Ten Issue.

Just one of those photographs that I really like but is not related to anything in particular. I had no journaling i could think of. So I decided to scrap it with a nice poem I found on the internet. It is not the full poem. I just wanted enough to fill the circles ... LOL!

There is a very special place within my heart
reserved only for you.
It's a place where I store precious memories
of your childhood,
the little things you said or did
that endeared you to me.
The sound of your laughter, the sight of your tears.
All of this I have saved,
In my heart!

The annual company dinner, held during Chinese New Year (end Jan ~ mid Feb). This is the table of the company honchos ... LOL! And some guests. There is a lucky draw at the end and the gifts are really cool. Everyone gets a gift and also cash. The fun part is after the lucky draw. Joe usually decides he does not like what he won. So he tries to go around talking to the staff to try and exchange prizes. He is never successful but just the whole process provides a lot of entertainment for everyone.

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Some of you asked me what the secret behind using the Basic Grey tool was. Really ~ there is no secret. Just perseverance and patience (lots of it ;-). Anyway, I decided to use the tool again in today's layout and take some photos as I was working so you can see what I do. Please excuse the bad focusing. I was in a hurry!

Draw a guide line for the edge. Here mine is circular. Start with straight if you wish. It may seem easier though I think it is all the same. I use a very light pencil and prefer to draw to the correct side of the paper. You may prefer to draw your guideline on the reverse. I would recommend this if you were using light weight paper so you do not have to erase after cutting. On light weight paper the direction of the cut does not show much. On card stock I do not like to cut from the reverse because it produces a ragged edge on the right side.

This perhaps is the most important part. Align carefully the two edges of the blade to the guideline that you have drawn.

Press down hard with both hands. If you are using card stock you can actually feel the punch when the blade goes through. If, after lifting the tool you find that you do not have a clean cut, carefully place the tool again on the partial cut and compress. You can use a rocking motion but be careful not to overdo it or the tool will 'rock' out of place!

Once you have the first cut, place the tool again on the guide line, with the first edge exactly on the previous cut. Repeat pressure to cut paper. Erase guidelines when finished. Once you get the feel of the pressure and technique, the whole process really speeds up. Have patience. The Basic Grey Notch tool has its uses. I will not say that it is a 'must have' but if you have it already do not give up on it!

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Some magic for you!!

And I love this clip from 'Whose Line is it anyway?'! It was one of the shows I had to watch! Amazing talent!!

Feed Yourself!

First layout done with Club Scrap Salsa kit, some stamps, CI Alpha stamps, a photo holder and the Basic Grey Notch tool. A big "THANKS!" to Yvette ~ see the curve on the layout? Guess what came in the mail today?! You made my day, girlfriend!

Second layout is again Textiles & Notions kit from Club Scrap but this layout is completely digital. I have been itching to try my hand at the digital stuff and so I decided to do this one from scratch.

Ricky had a lot of trouble doing many things. Gross motor, fine motor and so many other problems. Feeding himself was one issue that was especially difficult. We had a wonderful therapist helping us. And everyone in the family was so determined to assist Ricky achieve as much independence as possible. After many many months of hard work Ricky managed to start eating independently! He still has tactile problems with certain kinds of foods but can manage very well with cutlery.

A page in memory of Jill Wenzel. Called 'The Wenz' :-) She was really lovely and I was fortunate enough not just to know her online, but to be able to actually meet her. She even made the coolest PJs for me!

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Todays first video shows 500 years of female portraits in Western Art:

And watch this ...

Lemme Kiss you!

Reason I did not post yesterday? I was out playing with my daughter! Yesterday was my marriage anniversary. And there is a trade fair in Las Vegas happening right now which Joe has to attend ~ every year. So I always spend my anniversary alone. Lily and I dressed up and went out for a drink and dinner. We chose Szechuan cuisine ~ hot and spicy brain numbing food!! An acquired taste for some but a passion for me ... LOL! We had a blast!

First layout done with Club Scrap Fiesta kit from Jan 2002. I used a Sticko rub-on alpha and alpha stamps from Hero Arts & CTMH. The date is a brush downloaded from some digital site. The outside corners of the frame are done with a corner rounder. The inside corners are done with the Basic Grey Notch tool. I am pretty pleased with how smooth they turned out. I then covered the whole frame in some dimensional glaze. Looks nice & shiny & 3D :-)

Second layout is done with Club Scrap Evergreen kit, QK Paige alphabet and Heidi Swapp chipboard alphas. Also a Nambly Screen Prints gold rub-on.

Whatever his problems, Ricky has always been a very affectionate child, right from his infancy. I am so thankful for this because it made dealing with everything else so much easier. And he learned early on that many times he could get out of sticky situations by just kissing his Mamma. I would perhaps be trying to tell him that he should do something differently or some such. He would decide not to listen to me and he did that by repeating 'lemme kiss you' to distract me. And then there is the expression on his face - all puckered up getting ready to smother me with kisses!

Even though Ricky has always been a very happy child, he had trouble perceiving the emotions of others. Or even expressing himself ~ telling us if he was angry, or sad or happy. Emotion is such a vague concept. I do not think it is possible to teach someone to feel and understand how others feel, yet we keep trying. The dealing of these emotions can be handled after we learn to identify them, in ourselves and in others.

And one day it happened. Ricky was watching Bambi. The scene of Bambi loosing his mother was on and I watched with amazement the play of emotions of Ricky's face. He looked shocked and then sad ... so sad! His eyes were red. I had seen Ricky watch all kinds of sad scenes without a flicker on his face. It was like he did not understand what was happening. This was so different! I was thrilled! I started snapping away with my camera till the scene got too much and he actually started crying. He then came over to me and held me tight, as I did him. I was so happy I believe I cried too!

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Just a little something for stress relief. It is called a Thymus Tap.. Easy to learn & do and extremely effective!

And to end on a light note, another 'Just for Laughs' video.