Thank goodness the boutique is finally back into a better and faster server! It should have been back before the weekend but we found out the store data base was missing from my account! <horror> For a while there I thought that’s it, it’s all gone and I have to start from scratch. DH tried to get help from the web host help chat but it was no use. Finally he have had enough and decided to call them on the phone. Apparently during the migration process they hit a glitch and after getting 3 technicians to look into the matter, it was resolved within an hour. We also received an e-mail notification about their job completion. Now, that is service! Our yearly subscription ends end of this month and we were actually looking into changing to another web host. However, with the offer to move my account to a better and faster server and now this tech services that had been rendered, I’ll say for just about $8.00 a month we will renew our subscription with them. So AliceKohDesigns.com is back on business and I can add new products in there soon. Phew!

So how was your Mother’s Day weekend? Me, we don’t celebrate the occasion but I had a weekend break from designing. We took the trip that were scheduled before DH hurt his back so it was a nice break from the daily routine. Prior to that, there was a great offer for photo book printing that I couldn’t resist and I had to re-do all the pages I had done for Hui Xian’s vacation project because it will be in 10×10 instead of the 8×8. After slaving through late hours trying to complete the book with a new design, I realized I can’t meet the dateline. It is too tight and I don’t want to compromise my work. Hui Xian doesn’t want anything fancy, rather a straight forward layout design. I thought it would be easy to do but boy, was I wrong. I had to think more about balance and spaces used and actually threw away a few before I was finally happy with the result.

Here are two double pager I have done:
01)These pages are for the second and third pages of the book:

02)These are Hui Xian’s and her friend’s first meeting with new friends. We took her to the old Peranakan section of the town for breakfast:

I’ll be creating templates from them and will upload into the store soon.
Now I have to put my mind into designing mode again! The weekend break was so crucial for me, I am tempted to extend it for a week!

Alice

Saturday ONLY May 03, EST in conjunction with National Scrapbooking Day
Use this coupon code NSD08 when you purchase my products worth $10.00 and above and 20% will be deducted off your total amount.
Click to my Store at 3Scrapateers HERE.

Looking forward to seeing you there!
Regards,
Alice

What do you know… with the unpredictable weather we are having here, I had been happily sitting in front of my computer W.O.R.K.I.N.G undisturbed, or at least attempting too. The thunderstorms didn’t ease up making me nervous because anytime a lightning is close by we have to shut off our computers. I thought I could just sit and work peacefully at home since DH won’t be dragging us out of the house with that weather but alas… as soon as the clouds cleared off, he was all geared up ready to get out of the house.

Tobie was the next one into the car. Hui Xian and I were a bit relunctant, we just had been out so often and recently came back from Thailand. Dragging our feet and sighing loudly didn’t work as the driver and my traitor dog were already waiting in the car with the engine running. It still didn’t make me stop sulking LOL but as soon as we were off the highway and into the country road, I forgot about the heaps of work that I haven’t done, schedules I need to meet and self inflicted worries. Suddenly looking at the snout of Tobie up in the air with the wind blowing at her face released me from my tensions. Left and right new rice shoots were sprouting out of the soil the farmers had tireless ploughed before the rain. The world is renewed after the rain fall and one would really feel the presence of God when the clouds parted and beautiful rays of sunlight shone down upon the earth.

We went back to the place we were before only further using a different road. Found a nice meadow beside a river creek and the grass was low enough for Tobie to run happily around. I could swear she was bouncing with her bushy tail and she would looked back to make sure we were watching her. PEACE at last, away from the noise and bustling of our busy life.

Watching Tobie could teach us a lesson or two. Stop and smell the flowers like she did. Stop worrying what we cannot accomplish today and give us a break. Tommorrow is still another day but for this moment, to give ourselves simply to the beauty of nature and accomplish peace. It’s not an easy task if our works are aplenty, worries abound so I made this layout reminder of what my dog showed me that day:

Layout Credits:
This LO is for Paislee Press Designer Spotlight Challenge #1 at Oscraps
Papers by Paislee Press Fresh Linens Kit
Paper patterns from my Gone Dotty Frame Template and Funky Square Template
Flower from my Garden Flowers Pack 3

Thanks for reading bits of pieces of my life.
Have a good start of the week.
~Alice

You Asked For It and We deliver!
Upon customers’ requests, Pickleberrypop is organizing a store wide sales with 35% off everything in my store starting today, Monday, April 21 for just TWO DAYS. Sales ends Tuesday, April 22nd.

Come shop at my store for items as low as AUD1.40! That’s just about US$1.33!

What’s more…..
when you purchase above AUD10.00 in a single receipt from AliceKohDesigns you will receive a AUD5.00 coupon to shop in my store after the sales end. Coupon is good until April 30th.

Click AliceKohDesigns to visit the store at Pickleberrypop today!

TOP FAVORITE ITEMS from AliceKohDesigns:

1. Straps Basic
2. Loopy Loops Threading
3. Funky Squares Template
4. Get Knotty
5. Lian Double Pager Set 2
6. Ribbons Galore Colors
7. Down & Dirty Page Set
8. Pins & Stripes Alphas
9. Cherry Blossoms Page Set
10. Garden Leaves Pack 3

This has been the weather for the past few weeks. Sometimes it’s sunny skies in the morning but towards the late afternoon, rain cloud as huge as the photo above and even humongous thunderstorm clouds block the sun making everything looks so gloomy. I’ve been having to shut off my computer waiting for the thunderstorm to subside. Being alone at night with DD and listening to the strong wind blowing eerily really spooked me. I tried to be the adult here and pretended I wasn’t terrified! It didn’t help matter when I had been reading a horror story and my imagination ran riot spooking me further. I switched on every light I have in the bedroom and prayed DH quickly come back from his midnight flight! LOL

The rain did take a break for a few short hours and we managed to go for a quick trip to the country. Everything looks so fresh and the green has a beautiful, crisp shades to it. The air smells different too, not to my liking because I don’t like the smell of freshly ploughed land in the padi fields but all the same it is a rejuvenating feeling to enjoy the splendor of nature in this tropical parts of the world. Everything feels so fresh, alive and noisy!

There were egrets, water buffalos basking in the sun and then cooling off in the deep well they made in the padi field, birds chirping and giant monitor lizards the size as wide as the road! My battery went flat in my camera (though there are photos from DD’s) but I wouldn’t have been able to snap at the lizards anyway. I thought they were crocodiles! LOL Ran straight into the car but my two curious and maybe dare deviled family went chasing after them into the swamp! They called out that the lizards were more afriad of us humans but I am not taking a chance. I rather enjoy the beauty of nature in the close proximity of a car. Oh ya… unless it’s a herd of cows coming my way!

We hope to go back to the country again and see how fast the padi field has grown with so much rain. It’s great giving designing a backseat once in a while to enjoy what the outdoor has to offer.

Ladies, I have put together a 12″x12″ Template Challenge at Pickleberrypop!
Here’s the preview:

Please visit the site forum for instruction of how to download this template. This challenge starts today and ends on April 30th.

Look at this cute layout by Kirstiegai using the template above:

Credits:
Arrest Me! Alphas
Girlfriends Page Set

Here’s an elegant one from Ledamperry:

Credits:
Please visit her LO gallery for credit listing.

Thanks for looking. Come participate in this challenge.
Alice

I couldn’t think of a better name than Arrest Me! for this alphas because of the stripes. Zebra didn’t sound right and I even thought of Prison Garb but who would want to buy by that name?! 0_o I figure Arrest Me! is catchy for someone to be curious enough to know what is it about.

Here’s a preview:
Arrest Me! Alphas

It’s hand drawn and I had so much fun doodling around. This sticker like alphabets contains upper and lower case letters, numeral 0-9 and 17 symbols with 2 cute arrows.

It suits my Girlfriends Page Set and Add On very well although at the time of designing I wasn’t aware of it
Here are the previews:

Girlfriends Page Set:

Girlfriends Add On Pack:

I’m planning on a surprise photo book for Hui Xian this summer and I know this kit will be superb to do a few layouts with.

Here’s a sample:

Thanks for looking
Have a great weekend everyone!
Alice

Greetings ladies,
Easter is here again and I have 2 Easter Goodies Specials for you at the best bargain prices. 6 pieces of 12″x12″ quick pages for Easter at just $3.00 and if you like country theme Easter, now your chance to grab the page set for just $3.38.

What’s more … when you spend more than $10.00 and above in a single receipt in AliceKohDesigns.com you will receive a $5.00 gift coupon for your next purchase here. Offers are valid until March 31, 2008.

Click here to view the Easter Specials.

Happy Easter!
Alice

To those who is unaware of what a CT means, allow me to explain. CT stands for Creative Team. They are avid scrappers, talented and dedicated to produce digital designs (layouts) using the products from the designers they are associated with. Their tasks are to create and promote by posting their works in online gallerries. The benefits of being in a Creative Team is the free usage of the designer’s products.

I have been blessed with great CTs to help me advance in my scrapbook business. Being constantly in the need to create new designs, there leaves little time to create my own digital layout to promote my work. It is very crucial that customers see what can be done using my designs, hence as often as a layout is seen with my work it means an awareness of my product in the market. Recently my team has gone the extra mile for me to promote my designs when I opened a new store in Pickleberrypop. They’ve been adding their layouts in the gallerries and forums where I advertised and never failed to leave supportive words for me. It means a lot to me having such a great back up.

So us designers and a long list of it too has gone all the way to create a collaboration kit for all our Creative Teams. It has been such a fun thing to do knowing I am doing it for them to show my appreciation that we believe our team will need an extra storage space with all the designs we came up with! Just see the list of designers involved!

So here’s an extra THANK YOU card for my wonderful CTs! I love you ladies!!!

Looking forward to see all the layouts using the collab kit soon!
Thank you.

with Best Regards,
Alice

The dateline to submit your layouts for AliceKohDesigns Product Launch Template Challenge at Pickleberrypop is over. All participants have been sent a AUD3.00 coupon via pm to shop at my store in PBP.

Here are some of the layouts done using the template:

There are many more superbly done layouts. Please visit Project Gallery to view them.
Don’t forget to come back next week for another fun challenge!

Alice