Layouts for Dunia Designs + a template freebie

First of all, let me tell you what a fabulous thing a few extra hours of sleep can do to your body and sanity. :)

Another tidbit of my life: I keep the most bizaar hours. I usually work all through the night when it's nice and quiet, wake my son up at dawn to get him ready for school, then go to bed until 11 o'clock (or noon if I'm that lazy.) So there's only 3 to 5 hours of sleep each day for me. Last night I was so exhausted that I decided to sleep a few more hours and, boy, it makes all the difference. Now I feel so energized - almost like a sugar high.

Why am I wasting my (and your) time on such a common knowledge? I don't know! But that's exactly my point! When you're that high you feel like you can do anything just for the sake of it!!! LOL!

* * * * *

Alright, here's what I really wanna talk about. I told you in this post how happy I was when Dúnia asked me to be her guest CT for October and November. Now that we're close to the end of November, I can speak for certain that the happiness I felt then can never be compared to what I'm feeling now. I've learned a whole lot from Dúnia herself and her wonderful designs, and also from the creativity of all her CT members (and fellow guests - of course!)

If you're looking for some inspiration for a new layout, I would recommend going to Dunia Designs' gallery and browse through the pages her CT created. (Here at ZZS - you'll find store CT's LOs in there as well, or you may go to Dúnia's blog and follow her CT's links.) They have such different styles, techniques, and perspectives that sometimes you wouldn't be able to tell at all that these 2 layouts were made from the same kit (or even - in some cases - the same template!) No wonder their layouts made it to several forums' Gallery Standouts and the fabulous GSO blog itself so often.

At first I was (ummm, actually still am) intimidated as hell to be among such talents. But, as I said earlier somewhere in the blog, I believe if you want to be better at something, you have to learn from the best. They are the best - no doubt - and I am so lucky to have this great opportunity. Thank you so much Dunia and all you ladies!

* * * * *

Now, after shamelessly posting such a love letter in public :) I think I'd better show you the pages I made from Dunia's kits that I haven't shown here earlier. I'll start with the most recent one.

I scrapped this page for my husband's little niece, Deandré. (Actually Dee is my hubby's grand niece! Her mother, Monica, is the daughter of my husband's brother Peter. That makes my son Neill Dee's uncle!!!) She is cute as a button and just celebrated her 3rd birthday on November 17th. So, Happy Birthday Deandré!

(A little toot for myself, if I may, this layout was mentioned in ScrapMatters's Gallery Standouts too! Woohoo!)

(Please click on image to see larger one.)

All papers and elements are from Dunia Design's brand-new Christmas is Coming kit (available at DSB- NDISB - ZZ) and the template's from Bunch of Templates 2 set (DSB- NDISB - ZZ.)

* * * * *

The next one I also used one of the templates in Bunch of Templates 2 with this fun kit Smells Like Teen Spirit (DSB - NDISB - ZZ.) Although you would see that there's no "teens" in the LO at all. LOL!

Of all the pages I've made so far, this one is definitely among my favorites. It's clean, simple, and carrying a very true and personal message. I can look at it all day long.

(Please click on image to see larger one.)

Journaling Reads:
Then or now, past or present, here or there, when or where, how or why,
We know we would always be safe in your arms.

Credits: All from Dunia Design's Smells Like Teen Spirit kit and Bunch of Template 2

* * * * *

I've got another layout for Smells Like Teen Spirit, a completely different one than the first. :) This one is for Bruno, the heaviest, wettest, smelliest, friendliest yet also probably the loneliest bull terrier of my sister-in-law in South Africa. Please do click on the image to read the journaling. You just have to read it to get the page. :)

(Please click on image to see larger one.)

Credits: All from Dunia Design's Smells Like Teen Spirit kit

* * * * *

This last one is pretty special, cos it's the only page that I managed to finish while on vacation in South Africa. (It's not that easy to make yourself sit down and scrap for hours when you're always too busy resting, chatting, partying, and sightseeing the whole time. LOL!) I use Dunia's An Easy Way 3 template with her super cute All I Need Is Love kit (DSB - NDISB - ZZ.)


The pictures in this layout are of my son Neill and his close friends Prima and Sinat, at one of their playdates, having fun with fingerpaint.

(Please click on image to see larger one.)

Journaling reads:
We made fingerpaint from scratch, using equal amount of flour, salt, and water, with a few drops of food colorings.Prima, Sinat, and Neill had a great time mixing all the colors together and making fun art with their own fingers.

Credits: All from Dunia Design's All I Need Is You kit

* * * * *

Whewww, long one again, huh? Just a few more small stuff to go through.

1. By now I've learned to accept that I'm inclined to write long posts. That's why I changed the blog settings so that it only shows 3 posts in a page (instead of 7 as before) so it takes less time to open this blog. (My internet connection can be so sloooooowwww.) Do you like it better?

2. Thank you so much, Lisa, for being the first to sign up to 'follow' me! I put it there just to see what's gonna happen and I intended to do something special for the first few followers. So please wait and see, sweetie. :)

3. A little freebie for you. Thank you for sticking with me through this long post. Since this post is pretty much all about me guesting for Dunia Designs, I decided to turn the first layout I made for Dúnia into a template freebie.

(A little toot for myself again, hehe. That one also earned a spot in DST's GSO that day!)

The template is available in PSD, XCF (GIMP format), and PNG files. You may click on image to download it from 4shared (Mediafire doesn't want to play with me today, so I'm not gonna waste my time.) Just please leave me some love if you can spare a few more seconds. That's all I ask. :) Thanks and enjoy!