Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

The creation process.....

Some people have asked me how I go about creating layouts for workshops... well I thought i'd blog about it since this question comes up in almost every workshop....

Here's a little insight on how I create my workshop layouts.  :)

Basically i need to be inspired by the products.  I usually decide which brands and collections I want to do a workshop with and gather the supplies.  The starting is ALWAYS the hardest.  Sometimes I have some ideas for 1 or 2 layouts.. sometimes I sketch a little.

Then I go about printing a bunch of photos I think I would use.  I usually end up with quite a few more photos than what I would finally use... lol.  The extra photos gets put away in my photo container and sometimes I use them in future layouts.  Once I have the photos, I begin working on my first layout.... I actually work on ALL my layouts at the same time.  What does this mean?  Basically I start with No.1... find a rough idea of what I want to see... cut the papers (sometimes I stick them down.. sometimes I don't, yet, at this point.. sometimes I just add a light touch of glue).  No embellishments yet.. the layout is still only 1/4 way done.

Then I work on No.2.... same thing... then No.3... and if its a 4 layout workshop.. No.4.   I will end up with 4 layouts that are about 1/4 to 1/2 way complete.  I lay them all next to each other and look at them to make sure they somehow look like they belong together.  I like to see all my layouts at one go.  At this point, I continue cutting papers... reshuffling them... adding stuff to the layouts.  I can be working on all 4 of them at the same time.  Once I am happy with how the papers are on the layout, I stick everything down.  This now forms the 'base' of all my layouts.  At this point.. i heave a sigh of relief .. lol.

Then... comes the embellishments. After working out the costings and taking what I know will work with the layouts.. I begin layering the embellishments to all the layouts.  I work on all 4 simultaneously.  They are always laid out together (lol.. i take up alot of space when I am scrapping for a workshop).  The embellishments part is usually the fun part coz by this time.. 1/2 my stress is over as I already have a good idea how the layouts will turn out.  I enjoy this part most :)

After adding the embellishments... I add on the title and journaling last... do some final checks and then my layouts are complete! 

Its a long process. I dont work on my layouts all at one go.. they are usually laid out on my scrap table for weeks.  It takes me a couple of weeks to get from picking the supplies to having everything complete and stuck down (in between doing other work).

So..yep.  This is how I design my class layouts.  It's not an easy process.. it stresses me out alot!.. but its really an enjoyable one.. especially when everything is complete and done. LOL!

What's up for the next workshop then?  Hmmmm I'm still in the beginning stages of the creation process (aka...paper cutting/sticking stage).. but I can say the layouts will have - pinks, greens, yellows, blues, whites, butterflies, circles and more.  Any guesses?

Oh and while reading Cathy Zielske's blog... i chanced upon a workshop she is gonna conduct in Sept. 

im considering this...... who wants to join me????

me likey.

Just saw the REAL images for Sassafras' "Me Likey" collection on Christine Middlecamp's blog.  I must say this is really one shining example of how different products look online/in their catalog as opposed to the real deal.  The papers look much much much better than what i expected them to be.  I actually like some of them. lol.

This is one of the many reasons why going to CHA shows are very important as we are able to see the products (or most of them) up close and make better judgements about whether our scrappers would love them and  to the quantities we want to carry. 

Sadly, because of the H1N1 pandemic... we've decided to cancel our CHA Summer trip this year.  I was looking forward to spending some time post CHA at Disney World.... maybe next yr?  Well... better to be safe then sorry ya?  But panic not.... ordering still goes on.  I've been staring at the new American Craft collections all day ...... ehhehee.. sorry can't show any of them as we've been requested not to show / sneak / leak out any info before the show.

All I can say is.... we're gonna be in Thickers heaven.  Also their collections are not too bad :)    Oh and My Little Shoebox is not bad too... hehehe.

All other brands are slowly showing sneak peeks everywhere and soon we'll be able to order them and they will be at the store.........so are you all ready for what CHA Summer has to offer????

MWL DT Call

 

Hellooooooo we're having a DT call!!!!!  Don't be shy and apply ya??? You never know what we're looking for!

You can read more details at the store blog here:
http://www.madewithlove.com.sg/blog/2009/07/06/design-team-call/

Good Luck to everyone!!!

More Starbucks love...

i did this sometime back but forgot to post it up.... just another one to add to my Starbucks "album".... i should really go get a dedicated album for all my starbucks layouts.. hehe.

 

Oh and the Fun-Tas-Tic Series 2 workshop run is over.. hope that those who attended the workshop enjoyed the layouts!  I had real fun teaching them.  Here are the layouts from the workshop....... :)

 

 

 

  

and the special bonus layout...

Autobots...... roll out!

Just back from this....

 

FREAKING AWESOME! :)

Marble Chiffon Cake

I've not had the mood to blog for the past few weeks.....  lol.  So just a quick one for tonight.  Jac and I baked a Marble Chiffon Cake 2 weeks back.  It was our first attempt at a Chiffon Cake and I really loved how the cake tasted.. its light and fluffy!

This is the cake batter before it went into the oven.  Love the swirls of chocolate!

 

This is the cake after it just came out of the oven..... obviously a first time effort here.. hehehe.. i did not dare to swirl too much or too deep as i wanted the 'marble' effect.. not turn it into a chocolate chiffon... this is what happened : a layer of chocolate at the base. hehee.  Also, Jac and I were a little lazy.  Instead of using a spoon to scoop in the chocolate mix and the cake mix... we used a measuring cup (faster lah!).  I guess one cannot be lazy and take the easy way out in baking. 

 

duno why the top cracked though.... but it did not affect the taste of the cake.

 

The inside:

 

Yummmmmm... i feel hungry now just typing this post.  The chiffon cake had a tinge of orange in it as i grated some orange peel and added it into the cake mix.

Hehee..... next time we might try Pandan Chiffon Cake.  But got to find pandan paste.  Maybe got to head down to Phoon Huat for that.

:) 

Diversity bags Britain's Got Talent 2009!

Have you been following Britain's Got Talent?  Eugene and I have been following it via Youtube ever since the auditions.  The show does not air in Singapore unfortunately.  Thank God for Youtube eh?  It really connects the whole world!

Anyways the finals was yesterday and this Dance group called DIVERSITY won... beating the infamous Susan Boyle who took 2nd place.  I was thoroughly entertained by their dance moves.  REALLY GOOD.  See their performance below....

I also enjoyed singer Shaun Smith as well as Saxaphonist Julian Smith.  Really good!

blast from the past...

Just listening to some old songs on youtube.......

this used to be my all time favourite.  LADY RAIN by Indecent Obsession.

Still love it soooo much!  Wonder what happened to the band??

hello saturday....

the weekend is here  :)  Later Eugene and I will go catch TERMINATOR SALVATION.  I heard this 4th Terminator installment is really good.  We'll see.

I was browsing through some blogs recently and came across these new Prima releases.  Okay helllooo.. i have to have this

 

Pretty eh?  I can imagine making a nice broach with it to adorn a bag or an outfit.  NICE.

Anyways.. since its sooo near the end of the month... i will now announce that YEP... the October Afternoon sneaks that I've been posting is for a new workshop called FREE & EASY.  LOL! We had some problems trying to come up with a name for the workshop but since we going with a travel theme next month ... i thought FREE & EASY was quite a fun name.   So much for originality eh!

So yep.. FREE & EASY.. a new October Afternoon workshop using the latest collections - Cherry Hill and Ducks in a Row as well as the best of the best from their older collections.  You'll get to play with stickers, rub-ons, fabric, glimmer mists and more!  I'll also show you how to make your own flower embellishments (ya know we all need these tips to tide us through the economic downturn .. lol!)

 

So see you in class! :)

Jasmine's Random 5

Not quite in the mood to write a whole lot today.. so i think I'll just do a list.  Jasmine's Random 5.

1.  NEEEEEED new RED highlights on me hair.  Pronto.  Miss it so badly.

2.  Watching TVB's ROSEY BUSINESS now.  It's VERY GOOOOOD.  Safely say that this is TVB's best production for 2009 so far.

 

3.  The layout above was picked and published in the latest issue of EntreARTistes Magazine. I submitted it for the sketch challenge.  :)

4.  My shoulder is still aching. :(

5.  Here is another sneaky peeky.......of things to come. hehe.

Have a nice day......................