Ime Oranga: a talented scrapbook artist, an inspiring mom

I used to say to my son, “Anak, please don’t grow up so fast.” I want to keep hugging him as tight as I want, to keep showering him with little kisses, to keep tickling him until he rolls down on the bed laughing. I want to keep hearing his “Mom, you know what?” and relishing on every little happy things that he does. He’s turning eight in a few weeks and our friends and relatives keep teasing me because it won’t be long until my baby becomes an independent youngster with his own circle of friends, probably a girlfriend, doing what most teenagers do. And it scares me. Because deep inside, I want to keep holding on to the happy moments that we have now.

Scrapbooking is one way of preserving those precious memories. It allows you to use different materials to amplify the emotions and highlight the story behind a photo and freeze them beautifully. Some designs are so meticulously done that you could feel the warmth and love that the creator wants to impart to anyone who views them.



[Photo Courtesy of Ime Oranga (C)]

One of these magically gifted scrapbook experts is Ime Oranga. I came across her page on Facebook last year and I have since followed her. Ime creates beautiful and inspiring designs that anyone would love to look at twenty, even fifty years from now and still be able to feel the story behind them.

I consider her a very inspiring person, not only because of her creative talents, but also because she is also a businesswoman and a teacher on top of being a devoted wife and mother to two beautiful children.  I feel honored and happy when she allowed me to have a glimpse at her life as a scrapbooking mom.

[Photo Courtesy of Pretty Paper Studio: http://prettypaperstudiouae.com/gallery/dt-ime-oranga/]

Ime started scrapbooking when her son was born ten years ago. “What I like most about being a mom is having the chance to see everything new through my children’s eyes. This is what got me started with scrapbooking. I wanted to document and preserve all the memories that comes with it,” Ime shared. When asked about the inspiration behind her designs, she said, “My kids are my happiness and my inspiration. Being a mom is not an easy ride but it’s all worth it.”

Ime’s scrapbooking style is shabby chic and very mixed media. “I enjoy the process of creating and mixing products from different collections and experimenting on different kinds of media to create beautiful projects,” Ime shared.

[Photo Courtesy of Pretty Paper Studio: http://prettypaperstudiouae.com/gallery/dt-ime-oranga/]

Ime Oranga is currently a member of a design team of an online shop based in UAE, Pretty Paper Studio. She also holds workshops at Lasting Impression and Gourdo’s, both in Manila. In fact, she has an upcoming scrapbooking class in Gourdo’s on November 15, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gourdo’s, The Fort. If you’re interested to learn how to do scrapbooking, you can check out the poster below or visit Ime’s Facebook Page.