I am a 37 year-old wife and mama to two who's been scrapping for about 11 years. I have a degree in Advertising & Communications, and am currently working as a freelance graphic artist. I have a true love for art in all its forms. I love that scrapbooking combines my passion for photography and story-telling in one medium. Because most of my "real" work is on the computer, I really live for the projects that take me away from that technology.....like good ol' paper and glue! I love the tactile aspects of traditional scrapbook supplies (and mixing in a few non-traditional supplies as well!)When I first started scrapbooking, I looked to scrap magazines and online galleries for design ideas. I often lifted pages I was drawn to, always trying to add something of my own to the design. Sometimes I would challenge myself to incorporate elements from various pages I admired onto one of my own pages. I think this process slowly helped me to define my own style. I would say it has taken my about 4 years to really come into my own "style" of scrapbooking and even so, I am always evolving and trying to improve!. While I don't love every early layout I did, I look at them as a stepping stone in the creative process. Without them, I wouldn't be creating pages that I love today!
I would describe my current style as casually simple and somewhat eclectic, using a variety of products and materials. I especially enjoy documenting the everyday things in our lives: funny things my kids say, a great meal we enjoyed, or a fun trip to the park. I love to be challenged to use a particular product or technique in a unique way. I almost always include stitching, alphabets, and a bit of ink or paint on my pages. Another signature of mine is photos with white borders (I like the crisp white to pop the photos off the background), tilted just a bit on the page (I'm not a linear gal at all!)
While I love to read scrapbook magazines and see the amazing work they include, I'm often inspired by art beyond scrapbooking. Some of my favorite sources of inspiration are children's books, album covers, home decor catalogs, and junk mail! I try to see the world around me as a idea book. I carry a small notebook with me and often will jot down ideas as they strike: color combos that I want to try, a font I want to download, a song lyric that would make a good quote on a page. Etsy.com and Goop.com are two websites I love to frequent to get fresh ideas. I always find things there that make me want to sit down and create!
Through my scrapbooking, I hope to document pieces of our lives that might otherwise be forgotten or lost. I hope to share a bit of myself and my loved ones with future generations, to help them see our similarities, even through generation gaps. Mostly, I hope to leave the impression that I enjoyed life and lived it with love, passion, and hope (and had a lot of fun doing it!).
Create Well: Create to leave an impression that you enjoyed life, lived it with love, passion, and hope.
