Tuesday 30 September 2008

Do you have back ups for your digital materials?

Hello all,
No freebies today. I guessed it is fate that is telling me not to work. I decided to bring my laptop with me so that I can do a little chinese girl designing while I am relaxing. I have a few sketches in my notepad and I am thinking of having PingPing wear a halloween costume.

What do you think? Asian themed with American culture?

Upon arrival I realised that I have packed my wire for my hard drive but I did not pack my hard drive! It was still in Shanghai and still in Shanghai. It's a sign, I take that I need to just rest and relax and do NADA. I had my murals in my Laptop so I gave that out and that was about it.

I have jsut recently bought a 1TB (Terrabyte) Hard drive. How many do you have? I think it is very important to back up your materials. At first I have only a 100GB hard drive and I thought that was plenty for my docs. Before I started scrapbooking, I only needed that much. Most of my things are saved on my LT (laptop) and I burnt them on to my DVD too.

When I started making videos, as I discovered Windows movie maker, I realised that my collection of pictures and videos and movies are getting bigger and bigger. So, I bought a 500GB Harddrive... within half an hour I was left with 150GB space, that's because BF used up almost all my space for his files. I wasn't too worried as I still have 150GB and I can tap into BF's files too!

That was 2 years back. 6 months ago, I got a 250GB. Not enough... as I have many Layouts and music and etc... I added a 2GB RAM into my LT and just 3 weeks ago I got a 1TB HD.

It is very important to get your things backed up. You don't want to risk, viruses, or death of the HD or fire or etc. All your time spent to grab freebies or making your LO using them will disappear. Call me paranoid, but I do this to that I am not worried about this. I am also thinking of saving my LOs not just in 4 different DVD but also now the online files like MEDIA FIRE or RAPID FIRE or 4SHARED.

BF asked me how many backups I have for my scrapbooking digital files, I told him about 5, DVD,3 dif HD and Mediafire. So how many back ups do you have? Media fire is free and I am sure 4shared too.

As for Nanjing, it's beautiful. I got to go there yesterday and saw a bit of view admist the crowd.
Here's a picture of Shanghai Train Station. It's not too heavily crowded, that's because the real holiday started yesterday. Here are some pictures of the crowd at the train station








and a picture of the view I saw yesterday.



Last day for my Oriental Challenge. I like to thank those who participated in the challenge and I hope you enjoy my creation for you. The October Oriental Challenge will be up tomorrow and birthday downloads will come soon after.
Have a good week ahead.

Bis Bald!
Liz

"Courtesy of thanks is a virtue."

Sunday 28 September 2008

A person's treasure can be another's garbage.

Yesterday's freebies are not everyone's cuppa tea.. But today will be my second mural stickers. This time they are also stickers from my Murals I did in Germany and this set I have the stone lion and the red dragon and also branch of olive with one daisy that i drew in ink. Enjoy it.





The next freebie is the INSPIRED BY AMELIE, they did not reply back to me after the 4th coresspondent, I wish they did, whether they like my idea or not. I think not many people are confortable in saying "sorry we don't like you to contact us anymore." They prefer to just keep quiet and ignore. The Cyber Culture is actually not polite but hey, I just do what I can and that is to share my creation with you.



Grab my Mural Stickers set two here
Grab the Inspired by Amelie here.

Enjoy ladies, and grab them here. Please leave a comment, I LOVE to hear from you.


Liz (R&R in Nanjing)


"Courtesy of thanks is a virtue"

Saturday 27 September 2008

WIDGETS and TWO Freebies! No wait Three!

Holiday!!! Celebrate!! Come and Celebrate .. it is my holiday.. Something like this, by one of Madonna's song in the 80s. But I am feeling it. You may also noticed that I have gone a little bonkers on WIDGETS. Yes, I have discovered them, well I didn't know the NeoCounter is a widget. I have added 7 more widgets to my blog. My favourites? The Blog pets! I have these pets before in real life and of course they out lived me. So it is really cool to have them virtually. Sometimes my brain still thinks I am in the 80s and finding cool things like the widgets with VIRTUAL pets just gives me the adrenaline to go on, and because of this I am almost finished with my NOV Oriental Challenge. Crazy eh?

Speaking of Widget, it is in the dictionary, cause when I typed it there's no red lines from Blogger. I believe 10 years ago, widget is not in our dictionary, just like WOK and TOFU. That is what I like about the English Language, it is ever growing, ever adopting, ever living and the list goes on you let me but I will stop here.

Speaking of.. again, yes, ever growing language reminds me Roald Dahl, he is one of my favourite writers. I learnt about him in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - the movie. I was fascinated by that all flavoured chewing gum, and that got me started on his books. He is ever making up new words... especially in BFG (BTW the reason he wrote BFG was because he loves Giant!) Words like SWISHFIGGLER, SNOZZCUMBER and one of my favourite WHIZPOPPING. Because of Dahl, I got interested in English - the language.

So, Widget is a new word for me. I heard of it when I saw them on my BF's MAC but I only thought it is for MAC and I have only the non MAC laptop.But thanks to Blogger I can play with widgets.

If you translate Chinese to English literary it sounds like new words too and sometimes it's quite funny. There were two moments in my teaching life that I have encountered that. Once a student wrote, "To cros strit you must be SMALL HEART, if not you will have accident." I called the student to my table (I was teaching in a Chinese Language school in Malaysia then)I asked, " what do you mean by SMALL HEART?"
He had a baffling look because he really believed it was English. He responded confidently, "It means careful, Ms ET! I can not believe you don't know this." It turned out that he translated careful to SMALL HEART from Chinese to English! He wanted to show off his vocabulary fluency.

In Chinese Careful means SMALL HEART when translated literary. Just like tofu which mean BEAN MUSH, I believe. I also had a student who wrote an apology letter and mentioned the word PRESSURE TEMPERATURE, literary translation from Chinese that means angry. Sometimes, I wondered wouldn't it be cool to adopt these words as well because they do make our reading more interesting.

Here are a few words of Chinese that are cool and I think the English language should adopt them in the dictionary like Widget, Wok and Tofu.
Computer - Electric Brain.
Restaurant - Rice Shop
Hotel - Big Alcohol Shop
Telephone - Electric Words
Hair Drying - Wind Cylinder
Bread - Flour Bun
and more.

Thus bring me to this weekend's freebie. I made up a new word from the doodles I have made the other day. Fleebitz! What does it mean? It means, little bits of flying thinglings doodled by ETScrap's designer LIZ!! Ha..what do you think of it? I think they will be a good strange thinglings for people who celebrates Halloween or just like to put something fun on their Layouts. The next one is just good old regular Doodle Brackets..there are 6 of them for you.



Grab FLEEBITZ here
(flowers not included, sorry)

Grab DOODLE BRACKET here






Back to my "From Germany with Love" freebie series, today will be Murals in a Germany. Yes, I paint murals in summer in Germany. Here is one of the pictures of the murals, and from the murals I have made stickers for you.

I had a lot of fun doing this mural and I did this wall and the sunflower table in 4 days. It was a spontaneous idea. I was asked what I like do to someday and I said, "You know I like Hayao Miyazaki and when I went to his museum in Tokyo, I love the idea that he painted faux windows etc. If I have a home of my own, I would dedicate one wall or two to my painting of faux something or a mural."


Next thing I know, I had brushes in my hand, 5 primary colour paint bottles and I was standing in front of a wall!! So, here is the first set of my mural stickers. Hope you like it.


Grab the MURAL STICKERS here

That's all for today. I never really wanted to blog when Blogger started and look what I am doing now but at least I feel that I am not talking about my boring life but about my passion in art and digital scrapbooking!

Well got to go, I need to pack for my holiday adventure! CROWDS of people in the train station here I come!! To infinity and beyond. (more like, let's hope I survive this train ride tomorrow.)

Have a great weekend.
Liz

"Courtesy of thanks is a virtue"

"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."
Roald Dahl

Friday 26 September 2008

The GOLDEN week and a Freebie today.

Good Day.. TGIF!
The Golden week is here! Every year from the Oct 1st to the 7th it is called the GOLDEN week. Not because it rain of gold nor the Chinese paint their city gold (instead of red though red is also an auspicious colour in this part of the world)

It started off as a trial basis where everyone in China gets a mandatory 3 days off. Why? To get the Chinese to spend money, all work no play makes Chinese people not spend money (sorry, chinglish usage). And after 1999 the trail basis becomes official because the WHOLE of China, I do mean the WHOLE, spent 1.62billion yuan that trial year. Oh what a Golden week for the people who receives those money.

So, if you are an expat in China, you know never to travel on the GOLDEN week. Not even in your own city, don't even think of stepping out of the door to visit a museum or something. STAY HOME. Why? Well us expat has never really travelled with BILLION of people.

Last year a friend decided to go to Beijing to see the Great Wall of China. I told her not to go, wait for Easter break (remember the Chinese don't celebrate this) She said, "Well, I have travelled a lot, summer in Europe by the beach, that's a lot of people, in Rome, LOADs of people etc." I coolly responded, "It's different here."
She returned and told me,"It was a nightmare, imagine the Great Wall, such HUGE place and it was filled with people inch after inch!!" Not only that she added, there were a lot of touching, pushing, shouting and just pure human making noise of a million people. Oh not to add the spitting and mysterious smell in the air and hard to get transportation.

It's hard to imagine China being so big, maybe Americans can as you are in a big country too, and not everyone has visited all the places in China. I come from Malaysia and I haven't been all over Malaysia, so imagine being Chinese. How long does it take for a man to see the whole of China? 10 years? 20 year? Fortunately for China, the Chinese loves to travel, many have not been to the Great Wall or the Terracotta Warriors, or Hong Kong etc. When they travel they spend, "work hard play hard" motto.

For many years, I have not travelled on the GOLDEN week (well just the past 3 years actually) This year I am braving myself to do it, mainly because we have found a great place to relax outside of Shanghai (See youtube clip at the bottom of the blog). If I am on my own, I would opt my cozy apartment, television and digiscrapping.

I have my train tickets delivered yesterday. I have my Resort and Spa booked (they will pick us up) I know the train station will be packed. Here let me show you two pictures, one at the Shanghai Station and the other is when we arrived at Nanjing Station.


Shanghai Station Waiting Hall


Trying to leave the station amidst this crowd!

And these pictures were taken on a weekend of a NON-Golden Week Holiday. I will take another picture this weekend and let you see the difference, I am curious as well.

Today's freebie is CLOUD Papers! I am starting a small new series call FROM GERMANY WITH LOVE. I have many beautiful flowers and pictures of this beautiful country. Blue skies and all things green. You don't really see this kind of blue skies with pretty clouds in Shanghai skyline. As you know I am still learning to 'make' things so with these clouds I have used pattern to make it look a little old. Hope you like it.


Grab it HERE.

Please leave a comment if you like my cloud papers, or if you have any criticism. I am still learning how to use the Pattern features with my PSE.

Don't forget my September Oriental Challenge kit will be over September 30th Los Angelas Time (dont know the real term for this) at 12am. I will post the October Oriental Challenge next week!


Have a good Friday!
Liz
"Courtesy of thanks is a virtue"

Thursday 25 September 2008

Stones, Stones Stones and A Freebie.

It's Thursday! Tomorrow is the last day of work and I will be away again 4 days 3 nights at a Resort and Spa. The last time I was there, there were tones of stones lying around. TONS and what did I do, besides lounging around in the private pool in the villa? I had slung my camera over my head and started taking tons of Pictures of these stones. Here they are!



Feel free to copy these two stone pictures for your own use or commercial use as well.


What did I do with them? Make something of course. I know I have seen some designers making Stone alphas and I couldn't download them because it was in 4Shared. So it is this opportunity I can make them.

I extracted each stone carefully and then placed an embossed letter on this. After 16 stones I got impatient and copied previous stones and add the letters. So the stone alpha freebis is actually in one page. I think I am getting better in making Alphas..:) What do you think? Here is the preview of the STONE ALPHA.



Please download it here









I love to hear what you think about my new alphas.
Have a good day.
Liz

"Courtesy is a virtue"

Wednesday 24 September 2008

Chinese Girls Series

Hello Again,
Two blogs a day! Well actually I planned to set the freebie today but just got sidetracked by what I read today.
Today will be the Chinese girl series. This is the 4th girl and she is holding a fan. I like making these stickers because they are fun to draw and she has always been my doodle girl when I was teenager. Everytime I would doodle in my exercise books it would be her. She does have a name, I call her Ping Ping. She has a teenage friend call Koko.. when I get the time I will draw a few Koko for you. But now Ping Ping will have to do. Please enjoy the sticker and have a good week ahead
Grab it HERE

I am going through of my Flowers from Germany and will post them more. I am also working on my Novermber Challenge.. I hope to bring the Indonesian feel to you in November. I am at the moment making some chinese zodiac animals in papercutting style for you and a new set inspired by microbs found in the lake. I know it's sort of wierd!



Yes, before I forget, here is the preview from the Inspired by Amelie website. I still have not heard from them. I guessed it must mean thumbs down? Here is the preview of my "I am Inspired by Amelie"




and also my TOU.







Have a good day.
Liz

Courtesy of Thanks,How long does it take?

I have decided to be a little more proactive in my blogging and to my few other sites than just inactive.

Today at DigiscrapDepot, I read an old posting about designing and courtesy. Apparently it is not easy to get to be part of a designing team and many great designers get turned down, not just designers like me, who is just a beginner.

At the beginning of the this month I was really excited that my visitors count jumped from 400 to now more than 5000. Looking at my numbers of downloads also made me feel really happy, and one day it dawned on me that the number of comments and downloads do not match. I did wonder if this is normal.. I looked at my own freebie hunting sessions when I first started scrapping I too did not thank these freebie givers. First, I don't know them, and second, I was too busy hunting.

Only when I started to do my own design to match with my pictures, I know it takes hours or weeks to make a kit. I have to juggle with work, boyfriend, colleagues and friends and yet must find time to design as I have projects on my own to fulfill. I can not imagine designers who are also moms, it would be even harder.

I started to leave comment.. even a short tyvm. *Thank you Very Much* and also feel happy that the designers are getting their thanks from others too. That got me to start this blog. I wanted to give freebies back to the digiscrap freebie community. I am happy for IkeaGoddess,Chickencoop, DigiFree and DigifreeDepot to give us lists of freebies and allow us to have a place to promote our freebies.

But, sometime this month I was feeling a little drained. I realised comments are very important to the designers. We get our adrenaline rush and encouragements from people who take from us. I guess it is easier to forget courtesy when you don't really see the designers or know the designers.

As for me, I will try not to be discouraged about less comments or no comments when I see people downloading my things. I will go back to my first passion why I have this blog, as to share what I have with others as I have also taken from others too. But I deep down, I do LOVE comments, it really one way to know if some one really like my freebies or do they just download it because it's free!

Grabbers, when you have time, and I know you do, especially while you wait for the download to complete, click on the comments and thank the designer who gives you the freebies for your future lovely Layouts. We thank someone who wraps our presents for free during Christmas time, we thank colleagues who uses their time to help us out, in some culture they thank and tip postmen at Christmas seasons. So, let us also thank designers to brings us beautiful papers and elements to bring use beautiful Layout to your album, hybrid projects and projects.

More Layout Challenges coming in!



Good Day Ladies,
Right before I shut down for the night, I received an email from Kimberly Ellerthorpe. Great layouts and here they are for you to admire. Kimberly, I will be sending you the links right after I post this! Congrats.

Remember, I did mentioned that I contacted someone in Inspired by Amelie Blog and we agreed that I should design something by this Inspiration. I have posted her the preview but I have not heard from her. I wonder if I will hear from her soon. If not, I guessed I am not good enough. Oh well, I will post the preview of the kit here tomorrow.

Liz

Layouts by Kimberly

Monday 22 September 2008

Monday Blues Again

How was your Monday, or more like how is your Monday so far?
Mine's ok.. in fact it iwll be over in 6hours, 4 more days to work and we have a 9 day holiday!! Woo Wee.. that is for sure.

It's the National Holiday for China, something like the Independence day for US.. it's that idea. I will be going back to Kayumanis, the Private Villa Resort and Spa.. I will probably take more pictures of Nanjing this time because this package I am taking gives us a free trip to Nanjing for a day.. how cool is that. But I think I will spend most of my time lounging by the private pool and be in the hot spring jacuzzi and do nothing.

While I am looking forward to my next holiday I am going to share this with you today. Another Nice Yellow Flower.

Please click on the Preview to DOwnload the flower.

Don't forget to be challenged. I have two Oriental Challenges that ends on the 30th September. My October Oriental challenge is ready to go and this time I have a bonus to the early birds. And I made two sets of my FIRST glitter sets too. I am really happy. Thanks to Terrim of Hawaii for leaving a comment too, very encouraging!


Have a nice week ok?
Liz

Below are the preview of my upcoming challenge and my two glitter freebie for October and more freebies as it's my birthday month!!

Sunday 21 September 2008

My first GLITTER!!


Hello! Monday is here sooner for me than for you.
Today my scrappin buddy, Susan, came over to do some work. We spent about 6 hours! Phew!
Anyway, besides doing what we were doing we caught up with our latest work or design(that's me).
Besides, scrappin we also make movies from our pictures and videos. (like the ones at the bottom of this blog) So, when we need a break from this we do that.

Anyway, I finally managed to make my own glittery things. I have always admire those that can do this...Finally I came upon a brush that can help people like me, who is not too good at computer designing but loves to design anyway. So, here's a preview.. not a freebie yet as I have to upload it in my mediafire..tell me what you think? Susan said it does look like glitters.. I still think I need to do a bit more work on them.

Have a good Sunday to those in US and elsewhere but Asia.
Liz

Saturday 20 September 2008

Another Entry!!!

Debbie sent me her LO.
Pictures taken at Morikami Japanese Garden in Florida. Another beautiful creation! I am really encouraged! I am making the October Oriental and also my Birthday Freebies. Yes, I am turning 30something soon. I will inform you when the Birthday freebies will be up for grabs.

Meanwhile, please leave comments for these three layouts from my Oriental Challenge for September.

I am also working on a special freebie for INSPIRED BY AMELIE. They have very good challenges that is inspired by the movie Amelie! I have seen it once, but don't remember much but I watched a few clips yesterday and realised it is a great show. So I am off hunting for the DVD in Shanghai. So, also watch out for the this special freebies.

Have a good weekend ladies and grabbers.And here is the weekend freebie for all of you. Click Preview to Download (Media Fire)
Liz

Wednesday 17 September 2008

Chinese Girls with a bag.


Hello there freebie grabbers!!
Today's freebie is the 3rd series of my Chinese Girls.
I am working on my October Oriental Challenge.

I guess not many people are up for challenges unless it's a designer
challenge, I say this because that's how I have come to this conclusion. I am not a professional designer, but I do think my challenges are great! So, get going and be challenged, there's only two weeks left and then, I will not be giving these precious challenge kits away.

What say you GRABBER? I call you grabbers because most only take and never have the curtesy to leave a thank you note or comments... most of us bloggers like to connect with people, not only give away things.

I do thank those who left comments, they are very encouraging.

have a good day
Liz

Tuesday 16 September 2008

View the Videos of my weekend holiday!

I have made a video of the Kayumanis: Villa Resort and Spa. It's at the bottom of my blog. Feel free to view it. I love this week and the moon was the Mid Autumn Moon we saw on Sunday night..

Monday 15 September 2008

Jonni and Sofia!

Hello freebie challenged friends,
How was your weekend? Mine was great, the moon was up and
I got to see her as I had my candlelight dinner in Nanjing.

I also received a Chinese Character LO by Jonni of her beautiful
daughter Sofia. Great picture Jonni and will be sending you your
link to this full kit soon!

I have taken many more pictures over the holiday so, I will have
October challenge soon!
I'm all rested and inspired!

Thank you for leaving me some comments! I will visit your
blog ..

Liz

Friday 12 September 2008

Mid Autumn Festival Freebies

It's the Mid-Autumn Festival this weekend and I have 3 Freebies for you! Just to wish you a Happy Mid Autumn Festival weekend from China and all Chinese people around the world.
The Oriental Chrysanthemum kit is my first kit I have designed and want to share with you. Here is my second Chinese girl sticker and one beautiful Purple flowers.

Please leave a comment before you download as it's a festival weekend for me. Plus I LOVE to hear from you and I LOVE comments. This allows me to visit your blog too!!!

Reminder: Don't forget to download the ORIENTAL CHALLENGE!! it's a totally a win-win situation!
HAve a GREAT weekend. I know I WILL. Tschuss

Liz

Thursday 11 September 2008

Nihon Yo Challenge.

Here is the first Layout and I will be emailing you Lisa. Thanks.

Will continue to add more as they trickle in. (I hope!)

I am very excited!!!!






Liz

Tuesday 9 September 2008

A flower to brighten your day

Good Tuesday to you fellow freebie lovers!
Well, it's been three days since I started the ORIENTAL Challange
and I am very excited! It's one of my few kits I have made since I started designing in March and I started Digital Scrapbooking since Nov2007.

So how do you win the challenge? It couldn't be more easier. Look at this previous blog entry and start to download! Easy peasy Lemon Squeezy ! Then make a layout with the mini freebies and send it to me and in no time you will be downloading your winning prize. Winning is so sweet and just a few clicks away.

Meanwhile enjoy my flower here, and many others in the links.
This weekend is the Mid Autumn Festival in China and to many Chinese communities around the world. People eating mooncakes and admiring the Moon. Apparently the Moon is the biggest this time. It is also Roald Dahl day on Saturday, read a book written by him to your kids or to yourself. It is great to remember wonderful writers like him..

Have a good week ahead and leave me a little love too. Happy Tuesday!
Cheers!
Liz

Saturday 6 September 2008

Weekend Grab and September Oriental Challenge


Happy weekend to you.
Here's this weekend Alpha grab. It's a Chinese News Alpha, again it is not my best freebie. I doubt anyone will download it. It is also just Upper case alpha.
Click Preview to DownLoad


I did mentioned that I will stop designing for a while to scrapbook, and I realised that I also need a break from scrapbooking so what do I do? I found myself making a new kit!
This is a Japanese Kit Challenge for you to grab the full NIHON YO kit. The kit is very cute with kimonos, sandals, fans, combs, head dress and more!! Here is the preview.












I love this kit and from there I made some add on and a quick page and here's the previews. I used mostly angelic-trust.net for the brushes and brushezy for patterns. I hope you like it just as much as I do!












So here is the challenge, download this challenge kit here and make a layout. Your layout must include the whole challenge kit and email me your LO. You will get the Full Kit, addon and quick page links through email. I will post your LO here for all to admire. Here is the challenge kit!Click Preview to D/L. (The Links has expired) The last day of entry is 30th September.

There's is another challenge that is still going on but it will also end on the 30th Sept as well. So if you like some ORIENTAL Challenges take up this one too! Use any of the embelishments or Paper to create a LO and get the Full kit right away! Click preview to download this challenge.
(The Links has expired) Well, get grabbing and get challenged.
Have a great weekend.
Liz
PS I am working on another Oriental Challenge for October.

Friday 5 September 2008

Friday Freebies


Hello there!
Here's the rest of the On the Road Kit. The weekend is here. I will be going to the computer cities this weekend for some techy shopping.
I like to have the port for extra USB port. I am running out of USB port for my external harddrives. Today I will be doing some scrap spring cleaning, I just bought the latest ACDSee and I will be doing a lot of organization and hopefully I will have a bit more room after this. I have many many Alpha and Embelishments Duplicates so thus the Spring cleaning.

Are you using ACDSee as well? Any tips?
Happy Weekend
Click image to download the LowerAlpha, Numbers and Symbols

Liz

Tuesday 2 September 2008

Terrific Tuesday Freebie!

Only Tuesday, 3 more days to the weekend.
K-Joi studio is searching for a designer.. when I saw that I wished I had joined up for the search, it would be so much fun. Well, hey maybe next time. Gives me more time to share my freebies for now.
Today's freebie for grab for you is the Lower Case of the ON THE ROAD alpha.

Hope you like it. I like to thank all of the freebie lover friends who left comments and note for me, you have encouraged me to keep sharing!!

Have a good day.
Liz
Click image to download the Lower case Alpha

PS: New to ETScraps? all my blog archives have freebies
and they are still up for grabs!

Monday 1 September 2008

Monday Blues Freebies

Hello there,
I hope you had a good weekend. I did and now I want to share some alphas with you. But Fire Media is slow today so I will give a flower today.

Have a good week.
Liz
Click on image to download


Preview of On the Road