Feb 15, 2010

Happy Buddha


I really wanted the photo of the Happy Buddha to be the main focal point of the layout so I printed in large format at my local Walmart and then placed it pretty close to center of the layout.  I used Basic Grey's Marrakech Collection for this layout and many others of the temples in Bangkok because it seemed like it was designed specifically for that purpose.  The colours and designs matched the Thai culture perfectly.  It's funny really.  When Basic Grey first came out with collection I didn't like it at all, but after going to Thailand, I have found a love for it.  So much so that I've bought all of it.

Feb 14, 2010

Tuk-Tuks


I knew the moment we got on the Tuk-Tuks that I had to take photos because I had the perfect paper at home for a layout about them.  Do you ever find yourself doing that?

Feb 13, 2010

Grand Palace


I love those glass beads (by Robin's Nest); they provide a different way to border a picture.  Beware though, they are a lot of work to individually glue down but trust me when you are done you will love it!  Do you like the medallion on the top right side?  I love it but you would never guess where I found it.  It wasn't the scrapbooking section but the jewlery section at Michaels.  It just goes to show that you should look all over the store because you never know what you find that you can use.

Feb 11, 2010

More Beautiful Mosaics


You might take a look at this layout and think it's pretty plain. Don't worry, I agree. I did it on purpose. In my scrapbook this page sits next to a 4x6 - 6 Up page of all photos which is pretty busy so I wanted to give the eyes somewhere to rest. I wanted to show you this page because of the little tiles I found. Aren't they the cutest, most perfect embellishment for this page? I found them at the dollar store of all places and knew instantly they would be perfect for my pictures of the Grand Palace.

Feb 10, 2010

Emerald Buddha

I will be completely honest, I was a little disappointed when I saw the Emerald Buddha. I don't mean any offence by that, but I expected something completely different. Everyone said I had to go see it and when I saw this huge, and I mean huge, building for it, I thought the Buddha statue was going to be quite large. It was only 30cms (1 foot) tall! Not at all what I expected. In fact from where I was standing he was kind of hard to see. Needless to say, I am glad I saw this very recognizable statue, even if he didn't measure up to what I had in my head!

Feb 9, 2010

Wat Poh

Now that's what I am talking about.  We had heard about the Wat Poh, also known as the Reclining Buddha, and that it was really big but after seeing the Emerald Buddha I was skeptical.  When we got there I couldn't believe my eyes, it was huge!  I had a hard time getting the full statue in a single shot; it was that big.  I was told that every night someone climbs up there and pulls a blanket over the Buddha. 

Feb 8, 2010

Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua


I loved our time at the Tiger Temple, it was truly amazing! The photos I took turned out great and I really wanted to do them justice. When I first saw this paper collection from My Mind's Eye, the colors were exactly what I wanted. The monks robes were bright orange but I really didn't want the layout to be orange but this combination of greens and light oranges worked out great.

Feb 7, 2010

The Journey Awakens the Soul

This is my all time favorite photo from our whole trip to Thailand. The whole family together with huge smiles and a very large tiger sleeping in my husband's lap.

Feb 6, 2010

In This Moment

Watching my husband fulfill one of his dreams, to pet a tiger, was definitely a memorable highlight. The last picture in this series makes me laugh. The look on his face is priceless and it is at that moment that Steve realized the pure power and strength of these animals as the one on his lap moved unexpectedly.

Feb 5, 2010

Nice Kitty


Isn't it funny how scrapbooking is alot like fashion. Things come and go out of style. For awhile there Rub-ons were the hottest thing to have on your layout. In fact, I have drawers full of them! But I find myself using them less and less in favor of some of the newer items, like chipboard. So I decided it was time to start using some of those Rub-ons. I wanted something running across the top but didn't have something that big so I took a couple of different Rub-ons that were similar in colour and pieced them together across the top. You would hardly know.

Feb 4, 2010

That's Hillarious

Some more of my favorite photos from the Tiger Temple. The one of my Mom still makes me laugh! Just as she knelt down to pet the tiger, who was laying on his side, he decided to roll over on his back and present "himself" to her. It was so funny! So she decided to try to put his paw in her hand for a picture and when she touched him, he startled making my my jump too!

Feb 3, 2010

Hot Hot Hot

Aren't those just the cutest faces?! I tried so hard to fight the urge not to take one home with me!

Feb 2, 2010

Historic Bridge


I have a thing for felt these days. I just love the texture it brings to a layout. My sister-in-law found these sets of felt shapes and bought me some (she's sweet like that). I couldn't wait to give them a new home on a layout.

Feb 1, 2010

River Views


Do you see the fan in the background? That was actually a fan I bought in Taiwan to help keep me cool during the very hot days of our trip. I don't think a fan has ever been so well used! In fact, by the time the trip was over it was being held together by an elastic and a piece of gum. Oh yeah, I went McGiver on it in order to keep myself cool! Seeing as the day we took this tour was the hottest, I thought it was appropriate to use it on this layout. A great way to use some memorabilia