Like Father Like Son

Finally a proper father and son LO. I snapped this photo on the day we were doing a family photo shoot at home and was really pleased with this shot. I wanted to list out the similarities (and believe me there are many) between them, from the one single dimple on their right cheeks to how they sleep. What I was not able to say was the fact that both of them can sleep for hours on end!! Seriously!! Haha.

Materials:- Textured Cardstock: Bazill Basics Paper and DCWV; Patterned Paper: Junkitz; Vellum: Hot Off The press ('HOTP'); Die-cut arrow: 3 Bugs In A Rug; Alpha Stickers: American Crafts; Alpha Rub-ons and Dyed Tags: Making Memories; Woven Label 'Papa': Me And My Big Ideas ('MAMBI'); Buttons: Foof-A-La; Rubber Stamp: Hero Arts; Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Faded Jeans) and Staz On by Tsukineko; Pen: ZIG Writer, ZIG Opaque andUniball.

Yeah I finally got to use my stash of buttons by Foof-a-la. Didn't bother to stitch them on with floss or thread. Just stuck them on with glue dots. Even managed to use one of the buttons to record the date the photo was taken (see yellow button). I used a CD writing pen by Uniball because I knew for sure that the ink would not smear on the plastic button. Got this idea of writing on the button itself from my sis-in-law.

I knew I wanted my journaling strips to go on the side but did not want them to hide the pattern paper or stand out too much so I wrote on white vellum. Instead of using brads or eyelets as bullets for my strips, I used a rubber stamp with Staz On ink (see below) as I wasn't sure whether or not normal pigment ink would smear on vellum. Staz On ink pads are brilliant as they are permanent (it is solvent based so it does smell a bit) and smear-free on wood, metal, plastic, glass, etc. If you buy Staz On pads, make sure you also buy the Staz On Cleaner. Normal stamp cleaners will not work. I bought most of my Staz On ink pads and cleaner from Creative Hands (located at the 4th floor of Takashimaya, Singapore). I really wanted the black ink pad but Creative Hands never had any in stock whenever I was there. I finally found the black in Paper Arts (a dedicated rubber stamping shop in Hong Kong - if anyone is going, I have the address of the shop - worth a trip if you are into stamping).

The Junkitz paper I used came with a distressed effect which I love. The dyed tags I used as part of my title was a brand new buy from Shabby Chic (from the MM Fresh Anthology Collection). The idea for the use of the tags came right of the packaging, i.e. the sample page on the back of the packaging the tags came in. Hee. I wrote the 2nd word 'like' by hand. It was my attempt at cursive writing...haha I think fail lah!!

Sadly, after I had finished the layout, I found a pack of MM star buttons in reds and blues which would have been perfect for this LO. Sigh. That's why I try and organize my stash as best I can because 'Out of sight is out of mind' and I often have to spend ages going thru all my stash for embellishments just so I don't miss the rights ones.