WOYWW: Altered Book in Progress

Happy Wednesday, dear blog friends!  Today, my desk has my assignment for Elizabeth's popular Altered Book class.  I have reinforced the inside cover and end page with some maps (from an airline magazine), scrapbook paper and a layer of wall putty (cheap gesso alternative).   Elizabeth was concerned about computers and gesso in the same table and I am one of those who has just one space for everything.  Don't worry, Elizabeth, the laptop is closed and covered when I am messing around with the wall putty or gesso!

My theme is "Journey" and I am going to make pages about different countries (since I like to get travel brochures and maps whenever I travel).   I have started to put papers, stamps and other materials in a box for this project.

Peeking out from one of the cups is a plastic spoon I was planning to make into a kid's project (I couldn't throw away the nice pink spoons which came with the yoghurt we had).

And, some bits and pieces - correction tape which I read could be used as a base to write on in journal pages, a miniature Hebrew bible which was a gift from Jerusalem and an old box of miniature perfume bottles (I am wondering what I can do with them).

That's it for this week's What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday!  Thank you so much for all your visits and comments!  I appreciate each and every one of them.

Among my previous posts - Lenten Reflections in my Prayer Journal and 2011's Lenten atc set, a Digital scrapbooking promo, and Valentine's day in Guangzhou, China.

Lenten Reflections

In the Catholic Church, we are celebrating the season of Lent, forty days of drawing closer to God through prayer, fasting and repentance.  Last year, I made an Artist Trading Card for each day of Lent. Here they are in my ATC album...

I wrote my reflection for the day on the back of the ATC. 

And I thought of posting an ATC from this collection for this year's Lent.

Of course that didn't happen since I didn't get to scan them.

Completing this set last year encouraged me to try to make my prayer journal an art journal as well.  

Here is one of my pages for this Lent...

If you would like to celebrate Lent with your family, here is a free Easter Devotional Book (to make a Jesus Tree) by Ann Voscamp.  May this season be a special time for you as well.  

I'm linking up with Paint Party Friday, Studio Sneak Peek, Faith Filled Friday, Sunday Sketches and Inspire Me Monday.

Share the Memories: Special Promo

I just found out that if you've been considering buying the My Memories Suite scrapbook software, now's a great time to do it since they have a special limited time offer from now to March 31, 2012.  During this time, everyone who buys the software using the promo code  STMMMS86032 (Copy and paste the code when checking out) not only gets a $10 discount and a $10 coupon for downloads but is also eligible to receive a One Year RAKStar Membership free!  That means a free digital scrapbooking kit every month, My Memories Suite compatible (valued at $247.35).

All you have to do is just email me your receipt after you have used my promo code to purchase the My Memories software and I will send you the gift certificate for the RakStar Membership after your purchase has been confirmed.

And here are two freebies that you can use in your projects.

Freebie Page 1

Freebie Page 2

These quick pages are also included in the pack and these papers and elements are usable in any graphics software.  I specially like the crocheted heart. So pretty!  I think it would look great in a blog header.  

Remember, if you like these freebies, please download them within 12 days since they will be replaced with different Freebies after that. 

Happy memory sharing, dear blog friends!

WOYWW: Seashell Lamps and A Princess

Happy Wednesday, dear blog friends!  Today, for What's On your Workdesk Wednesday, I have lots of stuff to put away and almost no more space to work on!  Here are the lamps that I had made using the paper and x-ray cutouts with seashell patterns (for my daughter's Fine Arts thesis).  They look great when they're lighted!  And you can also see the book I chose for Elizabeth's Altered Book Class.  I have taken out pages and wall puttied pages together (so that I don't have to fill up too many pages).

 

Here is another project using the seashell patterns.  These are old eyeglass lenses that I am recycling into jewelry like pendants, pins or earrings and maybe even magnets (again for my daughter's thesis about "Fractals and Patterns from Seashells Applied as Graphic Elements.")

And here is a wonderful giveaway that I won from Lisa Lectura (no wonder I love joining giveaways!)  It is an original hand painted and hand stitched art quilt created by Lisa! The size is 2.5" x 3.5" and 100% made with love!  When I got Lisa's email, I was already thrilled, but when it arrived and I took a closer look, I realized that not only is she amazingly lovely but she also has a special meaning for me because she is a Princess.  Princess is a word that has been in my heart in a special way this year - I am the daughter of a King, and so I am a Princess. Thank you so, so much, Lisa for this precious gift!

 

Why not drop by my previous posts, take a peek at more desks and join in the fun!

Inspire Me Monday

Twenty two years ago, I gave birth to the most beautiful little girl in the whole world (although I would understand if the other mommies won't agree with me).   Becoming a mommy was life changing for me and I learned so much about LOVE, unconditional love. 

And as I reflected on today's verses from Matthew 25, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me..." I thought of how, as parents, we are able to do this for our children.  

The challenge now is for us to also be able to do this for the less fortunate around us.   I do want to hear the words, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world." Matthew 25:34

In the Word Among Us daily devotional, it says, "Imagine what it must feel like to hear Jesus tell you: “Come, enter the kingdom you’ve spent your life build­ing. You’ll feel right at home!”

The truth is, the kingdom that Jesus describes in this parable is very much like the kingdom that these “sheep” have been building. They have been laboring to create an envi­ronment where there is no more suffering, no more hunger or want, no more sadness or isolation. They have been pouring themselves out so that everyone is treated with the dig­nity and honor befitting a beloved child of God. Isn’t that what heaven is going to be like?

In that kingdom, there will be no more thirst because everyone will have access to clean water— and access to the Living Water of the Spirit. In heaven, every injustice will be wiped away. There will be no more ragged refugees driven from their homeland by violence or fam­ine. Everyone will be clothed in a garment of dignity perfectly fitted to his or her unique nature. No one will be wrongfully imprisoned or exiled , and those who were justly impris­oned will not be forsaken but will be forgiven and restored.

Isn’t this the life we all long for? Well, if we want it so badly, let’s go out and start building it!"

I'm sharing this in Inspire Me Monday.

The Crown of Life

Just a quick post to share a part of my journal...

and for Palette and Paint, the box lid which i converted into a tray for my paints, and water soluble pastels.  I find that using these pastels makes it easier for me to cover large areas without getting the page too wet since my journal pages aren't that thick.

I'm linking up with Paint Party Friday, Studio Sneak Peek, Brag on God Friday, and Sunday Sketches.

WOYWW: The Altered Book Project and Seashell Patterns

Here's a peek at my workdesk today...

with the book that I am preparing for the altered book class with Elizabeth, the Altered Book Lover.  No, I have not read this "Handbook of Chromatography."  I actually got it for free from a second hand bookshop and I chose it from among other books because it seemed like a good book to alter.  I have started to take out some pages.

And here is a laser cut x-ray slide that I was hoping to make into a little lamp.  The patterns are from my daughter's Fine Arts thesis which is all about "Fractals and Patterns from Seashells Applied as Graphic Elements."  

She got patterns from seashells and is making a pattern book for designers.  I'm trying to help her develop some products to show that the pattern book is usable.  More of the patterns peeking out from a  folder...

And here is a little Valentine's box that one of the inmates in the Quezon City Jail gave me.  It is made from telephone directory pages with red cellophane trim.

For a peek at some other desks joining What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday, visit Julia and in case you are interested, check out my post about Valentine's Day in China.

Valentine's Day in Guangzhou, China

Late last year, our favorite budget airline, Cebu Pacific, announced a promo called "P12 for 2012."  Twelve pesos!  That's less than $1 (plus tax)!  So right then and there, my hubby decided to buy two round trip tickets and spend Valentine's day in Guangzhou, China!

We found out that Valentine's day is a big day there!  Lots of bouquets for sale...

...not only the traditional roses...

...but even teddy bear bouquets...

and bouquets with dolphins and bunnies!

It seemed like everyone was out to celebrate...

and it wasn't uncommon to see the ladies bringing their big bouquets as they walked with their dates.

 There was even a big Valentine tent filled with stuffed toys and hearts...

and greetings and signs all over...

Of course, in China, the color red is all over the place...

It was such a memorable Valentine's day for me and my hubby...

and since LOVE and travel always inspire me, I"ll be sharing this in Inspire Me Monday!

And the Winner for my Artist Trading Card giveaway is...

Nora Clemens-Gallo!

Congratulations, Nora!  Let me know which among the ATCs in this post you prefer and I will send it off to you.  Thank you to everyone who joined this giveaway.  Watch out for the next one!

Love One Another

Belated Happy Valentine's Day, dear blog friends!  I spent Valentine's Day in Guangzhou, China and I hope to share more about that later.  But for now, here are some illustrations from my prayer journal...

Unlike the usual idea of romantic love that we see in the movies, Pope Benedict XVI says, "Love is indeed 'ecstasy', not in the sense of a moment of intoxication, but rather as a journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God."  This is the kind of love I want to grow in, a love that is unconditional and self-giving.  Teach me, Lord!

I'm planning to link up with Paint Party Friday, Studio Sneak Peek, Brag on God Friday, Show and Tell Saturday, Just Journals, and Sunday Sketches .