Saying Goodbye to Digiscrap Designing...for the meantime

Well its official, I'm saying goodbye to my short stint as a digi-scrap designer at Bouquet of Pixels for the meantime. Life has a way of taking over and no matter how hard I try, I could not seem to find the time to create kits on a fixed schedule. Joni has been very nice and very patient with me and I'd really like to thank her for giving me the chance to participate. I do hope that when everything is in place I do get to start digiscrap designing again. Of course, this does not mean that I will stop doing digi-design work, just that I really can't promise to keep up and continuously produce kits and digi elements on a consistent basis.

My stuff over at BOP will be removed from their store and so I will be hosting the items over here at my blog for the meantime if anyone would be interested to purchase them.

I've also got a little wordart freebie I created for a page I scrapped:

Here is the page I scrapped:

And here is the download link:
SASSYINDY_WORDART_INYOURARMS.zip


ENJOY!!

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Limited Edition Say It Journal Mats by Rachness

How would you like to own these? Rachness Designs (Doodelle) is offering a new Limited Edition doodle pack for commercial use up at STS. "Say It Journal Mats" is a pack containing 14 files total- 8 greyscale, layered (.psd) Photoshop files with 8 corresponding .png linearts.




This is commercial use for both digital and hybrid designs and is available for 10 purchases only! Don't you love it? I always find those journal mats to be so invaluable.

You may purchase them HERE at the Scrap Team Shop. (link will bring you to the page). Only 10 will be sold, so grab your copy now!!

P.S. I hope you're better Rach!

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Have you seen the new Fall themed kits at ZigZag Scrap? They're quite wonderful, with all the yummy fall colors. Plus, they're all on SALE now at 20% OFF!

Of course Rachelle has got a really cute kit called "I Dream of Fall" and Lynne-Marie's "Cozy Paper Pack" is absolutely gorgeous! I just loved Dawn Inskip's "This is It!" kit and Cheekymonkey has got two wonderful kits out "Hoot" and "Halloween". The "In Love with Fall Alpha" is perfect for the fall layouts (heck, I even used it on a layout unrelated to fall!).

I'd like to share my layouts using these kits (you can click on them to make it bigger):

(Credits: Lynne-Marie's Cozy Paper Pack, Rachness Designs' I Dream of Fall and stitches by Gunhild Storeide)

A candid shot of my son Teo, taken last year - one of my favorite photo's of him. (Journaling: You are 9 going 10, what a wonderful year to be you! Explore your world, ask for the stars, run wild and free, laugh abandonedly, be secure, be loved, be yourself!)

(Credits: Dawn Inskip This is it!)

This is my sister's son, I loooove this photo. He is so cute!!! It's funny, because when I sent this to my sister the journaling on the talk bubble said "A Bottle of Milk Please, Shaken Not Stirred" (my take on James Bond's famous cocktail drink). It so happens, there is a joke in her house that he likes his milk "Stirred not Shaken" - hahaha! So I happily oblige my sister and changed it. :)

(Credits: Cheeky Monkey "Hoot" and Halloween" kits)

And finally, here is a precious photograph of my family (Brother, sister, Uncles, Aunt, cousins, my kids!) taken during a family trip to "Palawan". We all got up on a HUGE tree limb to have a picture taken (I love climbing trees! Reminds me of my childhood). We call this photograph, "The Family Tree" pun intended! LOL!

(Credits: Rachness Designs "I Dream of Fall Kit" and Anna BV's "In Love With Fall Alpha".)

You can click on the kit names and be taken to the page on the store to purchase them.

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A LITTLE UPDATE

First and foremost, thank you my friends for your concern - my cousin has been finally rescued from the 2nd floor of the house she was trapped in. Thank God! This is how high the water was in the house she was stuck in:





And although I have relief from the concern and worry over family's safety, a majority of my countrymen's plight sits foremost on my mind. It is so heart-wrenching to witness all the destruction and its accompanying despair.

Today, we sit on the cusp of another impending Category 5 storm rushing to seek even more damage than its predecessor. It is said this super typhoon "Parma" is even stronger that Katrina with sustained winds of 195 kph and gusts of up to 230 kph and is expected to make landfall by Saturday noon. This in the midst of relentless and heroic rescue and relief efforts from the ravages of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana). The work is unending and yet, to see the resilience of my countrymen and the "bayanihan" spirit makes my heart swell with pride. Truly, I am proud to say I am a Filipino. The country has come together - Filipinos here and abroad giving, going out of their way to make time to volunteer, to send boxes of relief goods. Giving even when sometimes there is nothing to give but time.

I am proud of my family - as usual no calamity is left unnoticed, they have come together once again to do their share. My aunt did a family text brigade to ask pledges for monetary help and time to repack and make care packages to be distributed to areas not reached by those giving the packages. A lot of our own help have been affected and we have made it a priority to help them and their neighbors.






My cousin overheard a woman in the supermarket while buying the goods, "Because we were spared, we now have the responsibility to take care of those who weren't." How true, how right.

We are still humbly soliciting from friends to add to these and create more bags to be given away. And I would like to humbly ask you, my readers if you would like to help our efforts, please do by clicking on the donate button on my sidebar. Your contributions will go to make more care packages for those people in the places where not much help has been given. Or if you wish, you may donate directly to the Red Cross.

After all that is being done and after all that we are still trying to do, we must rely on our God and place our faith in His hands. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference."

Indy

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Huh? I tagged my blog?? What???

Ok, I'm quite perplexed, I open my blog today to show my cousin and I can't find the navbar on top of my site - the one that looks like this:



What I get is this message: "You tagged this blog as having objectionable content". Here is what it looks like - my nav bar is missing.



What???? Why will I tag my blog as having inappropriate content? Can anyone tell me if you have had this problem before and what you have done to fix it? I can't seem to find any inappropriate content (please tell me I am not wrong).

Can anyone help me? This just happened today since I just posted yesterday. Is posting about my experiences and showing photos and links about the Typhoon that just happened in my country and trying to solicit some help for my countrymen inappropriate? There are hundreds and thousands of people whose medium is to use their blogs and social networking sites to show support and encourage others to make small donations to cause. I do not seek to represent any agency but am only passing on information and links to sites where interested parties may go and show support. One of those places is my own blog where I have made a pledge to help in whatever way I can - and my most powerful tool is my blog.

I have posted at the Blogger forum and am awaiting their response. If anyone has any idea what to do, your suggestions and comments would be appreciated.

Indy :)

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The Day the Rains Fell

I awoke early yesterday morning to pouring rain thinking it was just an ordinary rainy day here in Manila. I knew there was another typhoon but since we are hit by typhoons so often, did not think too much about it except a vague awareness that the rain did not seem to stop falling. DH was away on an out of town trip and so I made sure that the kids and I had some bonding time with a long awaited DVD marathon. :) Little did I know that all around the metro, the water levels were rising - at quite astonishing levels! Thankfully the power was up and I was able to keep in touch with the outside world and able find out what was happening outside. And OMG, what a disaster has been going on all around me. For the first time since 1967, my country has been hit by the worst flood since recent history. A whole month's worth of rainfall in just a span of 6 hours!!! A state of calamity has been declared in 26 provinces in Luzon, including Metro Manila. So much destruction, homes and lives lost. So many people still stuck and stranded on top of the roofs of their homes, on the 2nd floor of their homes, with no food, water and light.

Although Typhoon Ondoy has moved out, as I type this, the rains have begun to pour again and I fear for those people who have not yet been rescued. More rains mean that the water levels may not go down and only will rise again. For a country that is hit by typhoons year in and out, we are so ill-prepared for a calamity this widespread. People have been clamoring for help and to be rescued and in one badly hit area, only 2 rubber rafts were deployed - it is not enough.

WE NEED MORE HELP. MORE PEOPLE NEED TO BE RESCUED. TIME TO REBUILD WHAT IS LOST.

WE ASK FOR YOU TO HELP.

Only the photos and videos will help you understand how bad it is.














There is more, a quick google search of Typhoon Ondoy will bring you to countless pages about this. I appeal to all of you to help out. Donations can be made directly to the RED CROSS or through clicking on the paypal donate button, which will go to help all those who need help.

As of this time, my cousin is still stuck on the 2nd floor of a home with 4 other adults and one child. I have been exhausting all my contacts and calling, texting, emailing all possible numbers to let them know where they are so a rubber boat can be sent to them to rescue them. They have no food and water since yesterday. I do not think I will be able to get any sleep until they are safe. I pray they will be rescued soon.

Thank you to those who have helped me disseminate my SOS call for my cousin. Truly appreciate your help and concern.

Right now, I can't think of anything else to say....to preoccupied with worry about my cousin. But there is nothing more I can do but monitor my messages and wait. I may as well sort through my things and gather items to donate as so many people have lost EVERYTHING.

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350

I just want to take the time to post about something that is dear to me - our ENVIRONMENT, and how CLIMATE change can and will wreak havoc to it UNLESS we do something to EFFECT that CHANGE. I came across the site 350.org as suggested to me by a client for some studies I may be making on a 10-page PDF booklet related to the green movement.

This is a platform for action to keep our Co2 levels at 350PPM (would you believe it is currently at 390PPM!) I feel so passionate about this, we only have one planet to live in don't we? And coming from one of the Asia Pacific Islands - the Philippines, which is an archipelago comprised of 7,107 islands, this increase in Co2 levels poses quite a threat to where I live in - we could literally be wiped off the Earth if drastic measures are not done to decrease these levels.

There are too many telltale signs already - the weird weather, the melting glaciers, pandemics...I think you all will agree, this is no laughing matter. To not do anything about it at this point is just plain STUPID. Sorry, but its the plain truth. We have so much at stake going on here - our children, the next generation will suffer even worse. We cannot and must not allow this to happen.

So please, if you do care about this Planet we live in, take the time to read, watch, download, email or embed and share this video, poster, slide show to everyone you know and take ACTION!



SLIDE SHOW:

350.org PowerPoint Slideshow

View more presentations or Upload your own.

To further show my support - I have started to create a kit (mojo or no mojo, this is something I feel a need to do)- called "350" (of course!) Use this kit to scrap your environmental slogans, your participation in any of the 350 events, or anything and everything about the green movement, school projects, causes.... The kit will be available at Bouquet of Pixels for only $2.00. The proceeds from the sale of this kit will be donated to 350.org. It's my little way of contributing and showing my support, I hope you will show your support too by purchasing the kit as soon as its out.

Have a great day and please, respect and love our Earth!

September 27, 2009 (Sunday)
P.S. I created this post 2 days ago and was supposed to post it with the kit but I believe I need to post this now, circumstances and events in my home country the Philippines yesterday make this seem even more important. We have experienced one of the worst floods in recent history because of typhoon Ketsana, locally known as "Ondoy". The media has labeled this an epic flood since 1967. A whole month’s worth of rainfall in the span of 6 hours. Wide devastation, homes underwater, and still a lot of people stuck on the roofs of their homes waiting for rescue. This is so sad, we need all the help we can give. I am thankful my family are all safely home except for a cousin who is still stuck on the 2nd floor in one of the homes in Pasig that is under 11 feet of water. I pray it doesn't continue to rain so the water will subside. I shall repost some photos in a next entry. Please help us pray. This is really a call for each and everyone to be vigilant and to start effecting that change - our planet is in trouble and we need to join hands and work together to make this change happen.

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WHERE'S MY MOJO?

I woke up one day and my MOJO was gone....who stole my MOJO? I have go to get it back, SOON!

It seems like I've been away for ages although my last post was just a little more than a month ago. If your trying to build a scrap design career and a following, being away for that long IS considered ages. Although I would want to call this my life, real life does get in the way and is imminently more important when children and family are concerned. When the quest to make ends meet, the daily rigors of running a household, impending projects, and trying to keep a child from flunking his subjects in school mix in with trying to design - I suddenly feel I am being fed a gorgeous mixed salad with the wrong type of dressing. No matter how hard I try to enjoy and eat it, it suddenly has lost its palatability. It still looks gorgeous and enticing and I always want to try it hoping it will start to taste better but no matter how hard I try, I can't get myself to finish it. That in a nutshell is how I've been feeling about designing. I have reached an impasse and no matter how hard I try (and I've got lots of great ideas floating around) all I can do is sit and stare at that blank sheet and nothing seems to come up right to my standards.

I hope I get over this soon and my so called MOJO is returned to me.

I have still to finish that kit I'm making, oh how I wish some fairy would sprinkle some pixie dust on me and I can be super woman and do all these with lots of time to spare. Sigh! No such luck huh? Oh, and guess what, my new 300 gb external hard drive stopped working again on me, all my new files can not be accessed - and all the files I bought from the sale of Royanna and Wetfish Designs (literally days of download!) GONE! What a disaster! I try not to think of it because I want to cry just losing all those files. Does anyone know how I can recover them? I know of one place here that does it but I just can't afford their fees. So if anyone knows or has any suggestions of an affordable hard disc recovery company, then I will love you forever!!! LOL! Seriously, I do need to recover those files, even some of my design work is in there, boo hoo!

Until next post, I just had to drop by to let you know where I'm at and what's happening.

Now on to my quest to recover that MOJO!

Indy

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The Doodly Party Has Begun!

The Doodly party has begun at Rachness Designs blog Doodelle! Lookie at what Rachelle is giving away!

what a great set, whoo hooo!!!

She has me totally grooving to the song "Insomnia" by Craig David, which incidentally is a song my son Teo has been nagging me to get, haha! Thank you Rach! you saved me having to look for this song!

So Rachelle, here are my answers to your post...complete the song:

I cant sleep till ...you're next to me
I cant live without...you no more
I know that its love because...I cant sleep till your next to me, no I cant live with out you no more.

And here are the full lyrics, love it! Maybe, I'll be dancing myself in my bath later, LOL! This would be great to listen to during my daily runs too!

INSOMNIA by Craig David

I never thought that I'd fall in love, love, love, love
But it grew from a simple crush, crush, crush, crush
Being without you girl, I was all messed up, up, up, up
When you walked out, said that you'd had enough-nough-nough-nough

Been a fool, girl I know
Didn't expect this is how things would go
Maybe in time, you'll change your mind
Now looking back i wish i could rewind

Because i can't sleep til you're next to me
No i can't live without you no more
Oh i stay up til you're next to me
Til this house feels like it did before
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah

Remember telling my boys that I'd never fall in love, love, love, love
You used to think I'd never find a girl I could trust, trust, trust, trust
And then you walked into my life and it was all about us, us, us, us
But now I'm sitting here thinking I messed the whole thing up, up, up, up

Been a fool (fool), girl I know (know)
Didn't expect this is how things would go
Maybe in time (time), you'll change your mind (mind)
Now looking back i wish i could rewind

Because i can't sleep til you're next to me
No i can't live without you no more (without you no more)
Oh i stay up til you're next to me (to me)
Til this house feels like it did before (Because it)
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah
Feels like insomnia ah ah (Ah), Feels like insomnia ah ah

Ah, i just can't go to sleep
Cause it feels like I've fallen for you
It's getting way too deep
And i know that it's love because

I can't sleep til you're next to me
No i can't live without you no more (without you no more)
Oh i stay up til you're next to me (to me)
Til this house feels like it did before
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah

Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah

I've posted too the link to the song:
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Happy birthday month Rachelle!! Do drop by her blog "Doodelle" to avail of goodies she will be giving away all throughout the month. She will still be doling out freebies even to those who haven't signed up for the party. Hurry, hurry!!! And don't hesitate to drop by her stores - these packs are all being sold in limited quantities!

Have a gorgeous day!

Hope I win! hahaha!

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DOLLAR DAY at BOUQUET of PIXELS

Its DOLLAR DAY this Thursday at BOUQUET of PIXELS, and you know what's gonna be in the dollar bin for JUST ONE DAY? My Monster! Monster! Kit and my new element pack called SIMPLY GLASSY.

I'm also re-issuing my Monster! Monster! Add-On Freebie today. Make sure you head on over to Bouquet of Pixels and pick up the full Monster! Monster! kit for only $1, now that's something you have got to take advantage of - all 60++ elements and 20 sheets to scrap the sweet little monsters or monster moments in your life. This kit is great for both boys and girls and it's great for making cards and other hybrid stuff too!





Monster! Monster! Add-On Pack:



Download via Media Fire HERE.
Download via 4Shared HERE: Part 1, Part 2

I've also got a new element pack in the store called SIMPLY GLASSY which is CU/PU/S4H/S4O okay! You can create lots of gorgeous stuff with this, use them as frames, thread them together, add ribbons and dangle them, use them as ornaments...as many as you can think of! They're quite elegant, the glass is edged in a subtle shade of gold that would look good in any scrapbook page. They're also $1 this Thursday at DOLLAR DAY of Bouquet of Pixels.


Here is a more detailed look:

Drop by BOUQUET of PIXELS and click on DOLLAR DAY to avail of my designs (SASSYINDY DESIGNS) for only $1, this just happens for one day this Thursday.

Hopefully I get a little more time over the weekend to design some stuff for you to download and continue creating my two new kits. So be on the look-out for some new things coming your way.

Have a great day everyone!

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USED VS. LOVED

The past week has been quite a slow week for me, scrap-wise, design-wise.  I've been trying to play catch-up with a lot of deliverables that I can't seem to finish on time because of so many other things cropping up and pushing their way up front.  I have two kits I'm making - sitting on my desktop waiting for me to give them the time of day.  A sketchpad full of doodles I need to scan and vectorize (that's something I still have got to get the hang of - especially creating the vector doodle kind - help! anyone?) and a wonderful and exciting collaborative project I'm doing with my sister that I can't elaborate on yet - just that it involves me illustrating.  None of the things I'm doing at the moment seem to be bringing in any hard cash (which I badly need) and so there lies my dilemma of whether to pursue this lofty idea of graphic design as a career or succumb to the call of the "cubicles" (that's what I call the "corporate" office) - not that thats bad, just that I wish I could sort of marry both and get the best of both worlds - working and doing what I love best (and of course getting paid very well for it too, LOL!)

Yesterday I turned in a job application - this time for a company that deals with Children's Portraits (they have outlets at the major malls) - this seems to be the right fit "career-wise" because it would be dealing with what I feel I excel at the most - hopefully my bio would stand-out from the rest (I scrapped it!), I'd love to show you but would hate to divulge any personal info over the net...

Lets just hope this is the right one for me.

Some time ago, I received an email containing this story that I would like to share.  It is very sad but speaks so much truth about how we sometimes forget that we put love of material things over our love for our fellow man.  It speaks of anger and regretting how we use it, especially to our children, our spouses or loved ones.  Let us not make haste to say and do things we will regret one day or make judgements before we accuse someone of wrong-doing. 

Used vs. Loved 

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr. old son picked up a
stone and scratched lines on the side of the car.
In anger, the man took the child's hand and hit it many times; 

not realizing he was using a wrench.
At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.
When the child saw his father.....with painful eyes he asked, 'Dad when
will my fingers grow back?'
The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked
it a lot of times.
Devastated by his own actions...sitting in front of the car he looked at
the scratches; the child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'.
The next day that man committed suicide.

Anger and Love have no limits; choose the Love to have a beautiful, lovely life.
Things are to be used and people are to be loved, 

but the problem in today's world is that, people are used and things are loved.
Let's be careful to keep this thought in mind: 

"Things are to be used, but People are to be loved".
Be yourself.... This is the only day we HAVE. Make it a great day!

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not PROTECT you.

Stay FAITHFUL and Be GRATEFUL. 

Have a blessed day.

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Oh So Sweetly!

Good Morning! Its "hump day" today which means, the work week is almost over! Did you know that an American English idiom for Wednesday is "hump day", a reference to making it through to the middle of the work week as getting "over the hump?" I actually just found that out this week when someone referenced it...LOL!

Have you had your dose of sweets today? Delicious brewed coffee laced with sugar and cream? Dark bittersweet chocolate or the creamy melt-in-your mouth kind? Softly layered cakes or tall glasses of milkshakes? Ummm... talk about all these is making me drool. If you haven't had your dose today or have not had enough - let me add some delicious digital freebies! Maybe this will whet your appetite and maybe make you crave for more?

Rachness Designs and Krazy Mary is out with their SOTB collab called "Sweetly" which is crammed with lip-smacking sweetness and original hand-drawn goodness from Rachelle and combined with the soft, dreamy designs from Mary. Perfect for scrapping sweet moments and the people who make our lives sweet.

Here's my layout:

Now if that won't whet your appetite for sweets, try this little QP freebie which I created from this super delicious kit!


DOWNLOAD 4Shared HERE.
DOWNLOAD Mediafire HERE.

Don't miss this kit over at SOTB which is currently 50% off!

A little note of thanks on my shoutbox, comments form or 4shared would be sweet ;)

Oh, BTW, Rachelle is throwing a party! And she's giving away goodies! So head on over to her blog "Doodelle" and sign up.  I'm so excited to see what she has in store for us all.  

Have a fun sweet day!

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