Hi all! :o) Kylie here and I am so excited to bring you another GALLERY GIRLS feature!! I know we tend to say it over and over again, but here at the Shoppe we soooo treasure our little digi-scrapping community…and, seriously we can’t say that enough!! We are always inspired by each and every gallery post and value each and every comment!  It’s such a creative, sharing and loving environment and we are overjoyed by all the amazing talent out there…day after day, week after week, month after month!! :o) And this month it is my absolute pleasure to share even more inspiration from one of our favorite gallery girls – Aubrey…or you might know her as con01008!

From day one, I’ve adored Aubrey‘s natural flair for scrapbooking! I look forward to each and every gorgeous page that hits her gallery! Always full of extra-cute pics of her beautiful family (just look at that family portrait above…so wonderful, & smiles for miles!!!), funny little anecdotes that make me chuckle, and, amazing use of color and elegant clustering! Aubrey even creates her own acrylic-style alphas with Shabby Princess papers…isn’t that soooo clever! Everyday moments or special events, Aubrey scraps them all lovingly and with such incredible style! 

It’s been lots of fun for me to bring this post to you! Aubrey has been such a joy to work with (and email with) and she has created lots of fun new pages to share with us! And, of course, she spent some time answering our interview our questions, sharing with us about her scrapping journey and family life! We’ll get to know her better here in just a second, but first – let’s check out a new layout that Aubrey created just for this special post (there are lots more new and cute layouts sprinkled throughout the post below…so be sure to scroll down). Aubrey will also be uploading all of these layouts to her gallery…so you can see larger images and more info about each one there :o)

See what I mean about amazing use of color and elegant clustering!! Isn’t this a delicious combination!! And, as cooking is one of my very favorite things, I was immediately drawn to this adorable page! It has a perfect amount of everything…all the right ingredients, you could say! LOL!!

On with the interview…

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

Hi! My name is Aubrey and I have been married to my knight in shining armor for 9 years. I am also a stay at home mother to 3 of the most beautiful children – Kinsley, Kenton, and Colby. These four are my pride and joy and the reason I scrapbook! :o) I love to capture all the small things as well as the events of life.

Something that my friends and family know about me is that I am quite the chatterbox! My dad actually warned my husband when we were engaged that I had a quota to fill every day. It is still a joke with my husband and I! :o)

I love to watch old movies and TV shows, read biographies and classics, digital scrapbook, travel to new locations, and just spend time with my family! We are also very religious and actively involved in our church. My husband is my best friend and I love sharing my life with him!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCRAPPING DIGITALLY…AND DID YOU EVER GIVE PAPER SCRAPPING A TRY?

I have my sister-in-law to thank for getting me started with scrapbooking back in 2003. I loved it from the start! I have continually done paper scrapbooking since then and still make pages for family members. I started digital scrapbooking the beginning of 2010, but I had started doing digital crafts like invites and flyers back in 2009. That is when I found Shabby Shoppe :o) I love it more than paper scrapping; something I never thought was possible!

…a couple more gems!

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR SCRAPPING STYLE?

I am still trying to discover my style because digital scrapping is so different from paper but I absolutely love clustering! :o)

WHAT IS THE FIRST COMPONENT OF EACH PAGE YOU CREATE…OR DOES IT VARY FROM PAGE TO PAGE?

I usually start with pictures, but sometimes I will see a paper or layout that that reminds me of a set of pictures and that is my inspiration. I also love looking at the gallery for new ideas! :o)

…and I love Aubrey’s versatility in going from scrapping her kids to scrapping more ‘grown-up’ style pages like these two! Simply AWESOME!!! 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LAYOUT (TO DATE) AND WHY?

I like this one because of its simplicity and the hilarity of the moment! Kenton is so funny with his sleeping behaviors that all the pictures we have of these moments just make us laugh! My husband and I just giggled as we read the journaling that was on this page! :o)

And here is SP’s fabulous pick (hmmm… ‘great minds think alike’!)~

SP says ~ “The super cool and bold color palette is what first caught my eye with this layout! Then…when I actually opened it up and took a peek…I immediately remembered another similar layout and I just had to laugh, lol! It appears that adorable little Kenton has the ability to fall asleep, anytime…anywhere (boy am I jealous, lol)! I LOVED the ‘not quite awake’ layout – and this ‘sequel’ page is equally as wonderful (if not even more so, lol)! The pics are priceless…and I love how Kenton used his ‘time-out time’ to catch some zzzz’s :o) FABULOUS job with both the photos and the layout…and totally my ‘pick’ :o)”

WHAT TIP/TECHNIQUE DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SCRAPPING DIGITALLY?

Clustering had really eluded me until just recently. With paper scrapping I was always afraid of using embellishments because once they are used, they are gone. Digital has given me a new insight into scrapbooking that I love! I can use as many things as I want! Looking at all the inspiration on the gallery has really taught me how to layer and cluster :o)

WHAT IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR SCRAPBOOKING?

I will see layouts in almost anything! I can look at a window display at a store and turn it into a layout (much to the frustration of a friend of mine!) and I will write it down and save it for later when I am searching for a layout to use. Color is also a big thing for me. I love to look at all the colors around me and put them into the layouts I use. My kids also inspire me when I am creating a layout. The innocence and happiness of childhood comes out in the layouts to illustrate their quirks and day-to-day happenings.

…even more FUN & GIGGLES with these two super-cute pages!! :o)

TECH STUFF :o) Tell us about your camera and software!

I have a Canon Rebel Xti and Photoshop CS3. I love both of these! I do also have a point and shoot that is quick to pull out and carry in my purse. My husband actually bought that one for him because he considers the Canon mine because he has a hard time using it! :o)

FAST FIVE FACTS!

• Favorite COLOR: Any shade of blue.  I can’t get enough of it.
• Favorite FOOD: I love sushi! I could eat it everyday!
• Favorite MOVIE: Pride and Prejudice (BBC version with Colin Firth)
• Favorite SONG: Richard Marx – Right Here Waiting For You …our wedding song :o)
• Favorite MEMORY: The day I married my best friend, and of course the days my babies were born :o)

Aubrey has some seriously incredible two-page spreads in her gallery! How amazing is this one?!!! The color-matching with the photos is divine!

—————————————-

Aubrey, THANK YOU so, so much for being a part of the Shoppe’s community…and for having fun with us on your Gallery Girls feature! Thank you for letting us get to know you a little bit more…you are pure sunshine and we love ya!! :o) And, I know that we will continue to look forward to your new gallery postings and your continued inspiration!

I’ll be bringing everyone another new GALLERY GIRLS post next month…so stay tuned :o)

Thanks for joining us today!! Beckie will be here tomorrow in preparation for our inaugural FAST & FABULOUS Speed Scrap!! YAY! ~ I sooo can’t wait, it’s going to be lots of FUN!!!

KylieGallery Girls, Inspiration, Uncategorized 7 Comments

 Hi everyone!! :o)  Kylie here…and I’m really, really, really excited to bring you my very first GALLERY GIRLS feature!! (Thanks SP!!)  I LOVE the fact that every month the lovely SP has been spotlighting one of our ‘regular’ gallery posters whom we have all come to ‘know’ and love…her ‘gallery girls’!!  It’s one of my absolute favourite posts!  As the end of each month rolled around, I’ve looked forward to getting to know each, and every, extraordinary ‘new girl’ just that little bit more…and I LOVE that I get to share this month’s special post with you all…what a privilege!

And what a way to start!! :o) I am thrilled to ‘introduce’ you to the uber-talented Elisabeth aka LEGO!

Elisabeth burst onto the Shabby Shoppe scene several months ago with a LOTW win and since then each and every layout she has posted has been a pure delight! She’s a real sweetheart, heaps of fun, and an awesome digi-scrapper with passion aplenty! Her creativity knows no bounds…especially when it comes to colour! Her ability to see more than just the kit in front of her never ceases to astound me. Talk about getting the utmost out of a kit…Elisabeth is a genius!! So let’s get on with meeting our beloved Elisabeth and checking out all the amazing new eye-candy she created especially for this post…inspiration galore!!! Elisabeth will also be uploading all of these new layouts to her gallery…so you can see larger images and more info about each there :o) 

To start things off, I couldn’t help but begin right here with this quintessential lego layout! Isn’t is FANTABULOUS?! COLOUR-rific is the ‘word’!! ;o) I could stare at it all day and find new surprises – a treasure chest of elements! – a little sprout, goose bumps, clementine, hopscotch, sweetiepie, gigglebox, blossom, yours truly, gabby collection…the list goes on!! And the photos of her sweet Paulina are just as cute as cute can be!!!

(There are lots more new and super-cute layouts sprinkled throughout the post below…so be sure to scroll down)

On with the interview…

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

I’m an English and Spanish teacher for 10 – 18 year olds living in Vienna, Austria – very close to Schönbrunn Castle if you’ve ever been to our beautiful city. I’m married to the loveliest and coolest man in the universe who happens to be a graphic designer (yippee, yippee, yeah!) and about a year ago we became parents to Paulina which – as stated in one of my layouts – was quite a change in our lifestyles. But we enjoy it a lot! Before I used to travel as often as I could, with friends, my boyfriend or all alone: I’ve been to 35 US states, studied in Spain and Ecuador, took a “round the world trip” for over two months. We actually do plan to continue this passion of ours with Paulina by returning to New Zealand for seven weeks in the upcoming winter. We’re sooo excited ;-)) When we are in the country or even at home, we sit in front of our laptops ;-)), read, make plans, do some sports and eventually cook (my second favourite passion) or eat out with friends (mind you: for inspiration ;-)). Nowadays I’m rather keen on finding out which veggies my baby likes to munch …

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCRAPPING DIGITALLY…AND DID YOU EVER GIVE PAPER SCRAPPING A TRY?

I started more than a year ago when I was pregnant, actually by discovering the SP site =). When I first saw it, I knew instantly that this was made for me! I had never really done any paper scrapbooking apart from all the travel diaries I kept (with sticking in tickets, postcards etc. and lots and lots of journaling, of course). The digital approach is perfect for me for I don’t want to buy and store all the paper stuff. I like keeping things simple. Besides, I can redo layouts without having to throw away tons of material.

…a couple more pages from Elisabeth…adorable everyday moments captured with such style!! Loving the pops of red!

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR SCRAPPING STYLE?

Non-existent.

I don’t think I have a style. A couple of weeks ago I would have definitely added “yet” to the previous sentence and the fact that I couldn’t manage to make a decision about the scrapbooking style I wanted to concentrate on even haunted me a bit, but admiring all the different styles I realized I don’t really want to limit myself to one only. I don’t like a “too photoshopy” kinda look with loads of blending etc. I really like layouts that look “as if” (they could exist on paper). I came to the conclusion that there are three influences that appeal to me the most: the Cathy Zielsky style (graphic, simple, clear – I loved her book); the KayleighWiles/Georgeinci/Nath… style (a bit messy, loads of elements and brushes) and – of course – the Shabby Princess/Kylie/Beckie… style (e.g. devine clustering, great ideas, …their layouts just make me feel good!) Another scrapbooker I admire enormously is Elizabeth Kartchner: no digital stuff – the real thing, amazingly creative, crazy, sooo tasteful and her outrageous use of colours, material and patterns is just so full of life.

…ready for some more fun?!! Yes, please!!! Loving the graphic look with the ‘Amazing’ layout – utter gorgeousness!! And the “Pauli Loves Water” page is pure joy!

WHAT IS THE FIRST COMPONENT OF EACH PAGE YOU CREATE…OR DOES IT VARY FROM PAGE TO PAGE?

Actually only half of the times it’s the photo. I’ve this stock of layouts that I did and do when there are no recent pics to scrap. Others take a bath, watch a movie (we don’t even have/want a TV set), have a glass of wine to call the day…  I try to learn new things in Photoshop or Illustrator, or on a lazy evening (like mostly LOL) I try to create a new layout or just scraplift. That is the perfect form of relaxation for me ;-) So the starting point of my pages is at times a layout I want to copy/create, a new kit’s components or a photo I want to use. And very rarely it’s a story/memory I want to save.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LAYOUT (TO DATE) AND WHY?

 I like it so much because it was so not planned and yet the details are just perfect for me, like my dad’s shirt matching the club’s logo, for instance. Additionally, it was so much fun to find, alter and place all the embellishments, I like the colour combo and most of all: Paulina’s facial expressions really seem to be the ones of a fervent soccer fan. (And our team really did win this year’s national league !)

And here is SP’s fabulous pick ~

SP says ~ “I just love the HAPPY look and feel of this page! Who could resist all of these precious little munchkins…the layout just screams CHILDHOOD! I LOVE the arrows pointing to the ‘treats’ of choice (tooooo cute!)…the creative use of the floral paper…the PRECIOUS photos…the placement of the ‘word’ buttons…and the ‘subject’ matter, too! The fact that their special group of friends had babies so close together…and they manage to see each other weekly (as a group) – LOVE it…what a wonderful tradition for both moms and babies :o) While it wasn’t easy choosing a favorite from Lego’s AWESOME gallery…this one definitely caught my eye :o)”

WHAT TIP/TECHNIQUE DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SCRAPPING DIGITALLY?

The recolouring/desaturating of items in the non-destructive form of corrections and the use of layer masks. (It’s a blessing to have an expert at hand, but he does get impatient with my sometimes complicated working methods after having told me over and over again, how easily it could be done ;-)) and the “alt”+”cmd”+”z” shortcut!

WHAT IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR SCRAPBOOKING?

That’s a difficult question. My child (and her little friends) is/are the reason and justification for me to do this scrapbooking thing. When we have a lovely snapshot of her, I am really looking forward to employing it in a page. But other than that it’s mostly fellow scrapbookers and the world out there in posters, ads, nature etc. that help me to choose forms, colours, elements. My husband gave me this sketch book insisting I should scribble and draw before starting a layout. Sometimes I do it, not very often though. But when I do it, the layouts are better.

I just ADORE these two layouts! How cool is that underwater photo! WOW!! And a special birthday invite with cutie-pie pics…super-sweet!!

TECH STUFF :o) Tell us about your camera and software!

I have a Canon EOS 300D with a Canon EF 50mm 1:1.4 objective (at least half of the good pics were taken by my DH ;-) who also just told me the exact objective description btw). I use (his) Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Illustrator CS5.

FAST FIVE FACTS!

• Favorite COLOR: teal (this being the only fave-question with just­ one answer ;-))
• Favorite FOOD: asparagus risotto followed by a “susi cake” (dense chocolate cake topped with a rich mousse au chocolat)
• Favorite MOVIE: No one knows about Persian cats, Breaking the Waves, Pretty Woman, The Shawshank Redemption … there  are too many!
• Favorite SONG: “Endlessly”, “Starlight”, “Take a Bow”, … by Muse, “Elephant gun” by Beirut, “Teardrop” by Massive Attack and “Tirol Concerto” by Phillipp Glass, “Times like these” by the Foo Fighters … and believe me: I could go on and on! (Is there really anyone in the world with just ONE favourite song??)
• Favorite MEMORY: having the easiest, quickest, not very painful (and all of that very unexpectedly) natural birth I’ve heard of and being able to take this tiny little treasure home from hospital after just a few hours. And without question our wedding day which I had never even dreamed of being like it was. Additionally, I have so many travelling memories I treasure a lot, but one stands out a bit: one week of paradise on the Tui Tai diving ship in Fiji.

And last, but certainly far from least, a gorgeous page by Elisabeth to round off the post! Monotone softness at it’s very best! And I just LOVE the adorable photos of little Paulina with her Theo….oh my, PRECIOUS!!! :o) 

I sooo hope you enjoyed this GALLERY GIRLS post…and getting to know Elisabeth (lego) a little better! Be sure to visit her stunning gallery at the Shabby Shoppe, where I am sure you will find bunches and bunches of inspiration for your own pages and projects! And, of course, we’ll be bringing you another new and exciting GALLERY GIRLS post next month…so stay tuned :o)

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH, Elisabeth…for letting us get to know you and your gorgeous family a little more. It has been an absolute pleasure! You are so much fun and such a true talent. We all adore you here at the Shabby Shoppe…and can’t wait for your next beautiful layout to hit the gallery!!!

Thanks for visiting the blog today…we’re soooo delighted you did!! :o) Be sure to join me tomorrow when I announce the WINNER of our Easy-As-Pie Template Challenge 15 and share number SIXTEEN!! Yay!!

KylieGallery Girls, Inspiration, Uncategorized 8 Comments

Hey there… SP here with a super duper fun and new GALLERY GIRLS feature!!   If you frequent the Shabby Shoppe’s gallery at all…then you are SURE to have noticed our featured scrappers’ layouts - they are seriously FANTABULOUS and oh so inspiring!  I was THRILLED when Ms. Mamabean (aka Carolynn) accepted my invitation to be our latest Gallery Girl :o)  And, she has not disappointed…not only is she so incredibly sweet and funny…she is talented (like crazy talented, lol) and such a wonderful mommy!  I have really enjoyed our email exchanges…she is just as gorgeous on the inside, as she is on the outside :o)  When you get to know her via her interview questions below…I think there are two main things you will be left with…1)  her precious Charlie is everything to her…and 2)  wow, does she have some mad scrapping skills, lol!  I hope you enjoy this ‘spotlight’ as much as I have…so let’s get to it!  We’ll start with a visual…a precious photo of Carolynn and her Charlie…

 Be sure to scroll down so you don’t miss the new layouts that Carolynn created specifically for this feature!  I also included one of my fave layouts from her gallery :o)  She will be uploading all of these new layouts to her gallery soon…so you can see larger images and more info about each there :o)

So, to really ‘start’ the post, I wanted to share one of my fave, new layouts from Carolynn aka mamabean :o)  There is just something ‘magical’ about the page and I absolutely adore it!

 On with the interview… 

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

 Hello everyone, I’m Carolynn and I’m a thirty something, operational firefighter from Herefordshire in the UK. When I’m not running into burning buildings I’m busy being a mummy to my beautiful little boy Charlie who has just turned two……he is amazing and an absolute pleasure to call mine. I am single parent so it’s safe to say that life is one BIG juggle, but on the plus side when I put Charlie to bed each evening I can be completely selfish and unwind with some ‘scrap therapy’ without anyone moaning that I’m hogging the computer!!
I have been in the Fire Service for just over 8 years, I absolutely love my job but I have to say that since Charlie arrived I’m a little more thorough with my risk assessments and decision making on the fire ground………how Motherhood has changed me!! There is a big misconception that us firefighters spend all day squirting blue stuff on red stuff but the truth is that operational incidents make up a very small percentage of our working day. We spend a lot of time promoting fire safety by fitting smoke detectors in domestic properties and teaching children in primary schools things like how to make 999 (911) calls and how to ‘stop, drop and roll’ if their clothes catch on fire. We also spend a lot of time in between firecalls training with our equipment and keeping our competencies up to date.
In a former life (before I had Charlie and became housebound every evening!!) I was a bit of a party animal, my Summers were spent dancing in muddy fields at festivals or dancing on the beach on party islands like Ibiza and Ayia Napa………I do miss those days but life now is so much more fullfilling and I feel truly blessed to have such a happy and healthy child, becoming a mother is the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I wouldn’t change it for the world.   

 HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCRAPPING DIGITALLY…AND DID YOU EVER GIVE PAPER SCRAPPING A TRY?

 I have only been digi scrapping since the begining of this year and I literally stumbled across it by chance……I can’t even remember what I was browsing for initially but I somehow found myself on the Shabby Shoppe site and I just remember thinking how on earth had I not heard about this wonderful hobby before….. that said it’s probably not something that would have interested me before I had Charlie. I’ve never been a paper scrapper in terms of documenting occasions and photographs although I would consider myself quite creative…… when I was younger I used to love making my own cards to give to friends and family and I loved art and crafts at school.

Happy to share a couple more NEW layouts from Carolynn :o)   I LOOOOOVE the firefighter layout – how great to have those wonderful photos of her daily life/work!  And, the special day with Charlie on the other layout – perfection!

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR SCRAPPING STYLE?

 Hmmm……..this is difficult because I’m still so new to this that I don’t know if I really have a style. I like my pages to look busy with lot’s of layering and elements tucked in here, there and everywhere. I have to restrain myself sometimes though as it’s easy to make pages look a bit too cluttered which distracts from the photos. I absolutely LOVE Georgina’s (Georgeinci) layouts and I would say if any gallery has inspired me the most in developing my own style it would be hers. (It must be the Herefordshire thing….lol!) I’m in absolute awe of Kylie’s gallery too, she is incredibly talented and I can only dream of being able to cluster elements like she does……..her pages stand out a mile. 

WHAT IS THE FIRST COMPONENT OF EACH PAGE YOU CREATE…OR DOES IT VARY FROM PAGE TO PAGE?

 I always start with the photos and then spend ages agonising over a colour scheme or which kit to use, I find this the hardest part and sometimes I really struggle to get going with a layout. I’m a total perfectionist and it can take me an hour just to choose the right papers…..this is not good! If I’m not using a template I’ll have an idea of the design before I start……how many photos I want to use and where I’ll be putting the title and journaling etc. I very often just allocate a space for journaling and come back to it after I’ve added all the fun stuff! I love choosing and placing the elements on my page as this is when it really starts to come together, but my favorite bit of all which I always save until last is brushwork…….I LOVE brushes! For me they’re the cherry on the cake and I just love the finishing touch they give to a page. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LAYOUT (TO DATE) AND WHY?

 My favorite layout would probably have to be ‘B is for Books’. It was one the first pages I made and even though my style has evolved since then  (I would love to make a few alterations to it now!) it was this layout that made me fall in love with digi scrapping and gave me the confidence to create and share more pages (thankyou Anna for choosing it for LOTW!!)

I’m so happy she chose this one…because when choosing MY fave from her gallery, it was a TIE between this and the one I ended up selecting below, LOL!  It just does not get any better than this page :o)

WHAT TIP/TECHNIQUE DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SCRAPPING DIGITALLY?

 I think getting to know your software better makes life A LOT easier and that only happens with time, having said that although I have been picking up tips and shortcuts along the way I know I’m still doing some things the long way round and still have loads to figure out. Brushes were something I first thought had to be extremely complicated and avoided them like the plague. I didn’t have a clue how to use them until recently and in actual fact they’re so simple and incredibly versatile I really wish I’d got to grips with them ages ago. Another technique that can really make a layout is applying realistic drop shadows, when I first discovered them I just applied the same style to every paper and embellishment and I thought they looked great,  but now I look back and think oh dear, there is such a thing as ‘too much’ when it comes to shadows…..lol. 

WHAT IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR SCRAPBOOKING?

 Without a doubt my little boy is my main inspiration, without him I wouldn’t have any photos to scrap!! I’m now finding myself looking through his wardrobe thinking ‘Oooo I think I’ll take some photos of Charlie wearing this today as I have just the kit to match’….!! I’m always on the lookout for new colour schemes too……. as the majority of my pages are ‘boy pages’ it’s difficult not to become repetative when it comes to colours. I love browsing the Shoppe gallery for help with this, Jenelle’s pages are particularly inspiring as she has boys too.

a couple more new layouts for you…the LEMON FACE page is definitely another fave for me – love that pucker, lol!  And the BABY LOVE layout…it simply MELTS me :o)

TECH STUFF :o)  Tell us about your camera and software!

 If you’d have asked my this a couple of weeks ago my answer would have been very different but I happy to say that I am now the proud owner of my very first DSLR…..at last!!! Up until now I have been using a very basic Samsung point and shoot and have been VERY frustrated, having missed so many wonderful photo opportunities with Charlie or if  I have managed to get it fired up in time to capture the moment the pictures were often blurry and poor quality. That said my little Samsung did capture the first 2 years of my son’s life so I have a lot to thank it for. My new camera is a Canon EOS 1000D and it came with a standard 18-55ml lens. I use Photoshop Elements 9 and when I win the lottery/marry a millionnaire/save up enough money I would love to have Adobe Lightroom too……one day :0)  

FAST FIVE FACTS! 

• Favorite COLOR:  Pink (I need a daughter!)
• Favorite FOOD:  Lasagne
• Favorite MOVIE:  Bridget Jones
• Favorite SONG:  It would be easier to name my favorite genre of music which is drum n bass. My favorite song would have to be the theme tune to Postman Pat (it’s on my internal jukebox CONSTANTLY…..thanks Charlie ;))
• Favorite MEMORY:  Oooo….hard one!! I guess it would have to be the day my son came into this world and my life changed forever……he’s amazing x

 and last but not least…MY PICK (SP’s pick, lol) from Carolynn’s Gallery – HEARTS!  This page certainly captured my heart, the first moment I saw it :o)  There is just a wonderful sweetness to this page and the photo!  What’s NOT to love?  You can just ‘feel’ the thoughtfulness and love that went into the page – it is beyond special, in many ways!

Carolynn - THANK YOU bunches and bunches and bunches for inspiring us, and for inviting us into your world for a day!  It has been a complete pleasure and joy to work with you!  I know I’m not the only one that will be watching your gallery for your next post, lol!  Of course, we’ll have another new GALLERY  GIRLS post next month…SO MUCH FUN :o)

Kylie will be back with you on Friday – so, be sure to stop back by as she shares our FREE desktop for August :o)  THANK YOU ALL for stopping by…have a beautiful and blessed day/night!  xoxo –SP

Shabby PrincessGallery Girls, Inspiration, Uncategorized 7 Comments

 Hi guys :o)  SP here and I am so excited to bring you another GALLERY GIRLS feature!!  I am forever admiring the gallery and layouts of our next Gallery Girl…she has the sweetest little girls, her pages are always packed with adorable pics…and her scrapping style just rocks!  She is CASHARINA (isn’t that a gorgeous name? – love it)…known as MOMMY2TWO in the Shoppe’s gallery :o)  I’m thrilled to let you all get to know her better!  She is a total JOY and I have had a lot of fun emailing back and forth!  So, without further ado…let’s meet Casharina!!!

Be sure to scroll down so you don’t miss the new layouts Casharina created specifically for this feature!  I also had to include one of my fave layouts from her gallery :o)  She will also be uploading all of these new layouts to her gallery…so you can see larger images and more info about each there :o)

I can’t think of a better way to start this post…than to share Casharina’s first NEW layout with you guys…it’s all about FAMILY (and what a beautiful family they are)…which is obviously everything to her!  And, also, you get to ‘see’ Casharina in the family portraits (along with her hubby and girls!)!

 TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

I’m the mommy of two princesses, a wife to my high school sweetheart, and a daughter to the King of Kings. I am currently a stay at home mommy, which makes me busier than ever! I love photography…I’ve loved it since I can remember. I’m a former teacher, I LOVE kids and I really miss them but I wouldn’t trade this time with my girlies for anything! Scrapbooking is my form of “my time” and I love it, as well as spending time with my family!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCRAPPING DIGITALLY…AND DID YOU EVER GIVE PAPER SCRAPPING A TRY?

I was a paper scrapper until my first daughter was about one. At that time I was running out of spots to put up everything out of her way. It got to be a pain to get all the stuff out and work on a page. I put together a baby book for her and that’s the last thing I’ve completed (although it’s missing her first birthday layout…I really need to get that done!)  I’ve been digitally scrapping for about three years now. I started with making photo invitations for my little girls’ birthday party and it’s grown since then. I love how digital elements can easily be saved/put away/and changed, oh and re-used…that’s the best part!

 a couple more new layouts from Casharina :o)

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR SCRAPPING STYLE?

I’m not sure! I love to look through the SP gallery and find pages that I can relate to, most of my layouts have in some way been inspired by either a page someone else has done or by a theme/idea. I do like to have more photos than one, I can’t seem to just do a page with one photo…I always have too many to choose only one. lol

WHAT IS THE FIRST COMPONENT OF EACH PAGE YOU CREATE…OR DOES IT VARY FROM PAGE TO PAGE?

I actually almost always start with a design and then find the pictures. Now that I’m thinking about it, it’s probably completely backwards, but that’s the way I do it. I like to decide what color scheme I’m going to go with and what kind of design/template and then I design it and put in the pictures. It’s not very often that I start with the pictures and go from there; however I usually have in mind the pictures/occasion I want to scrap.

Seriously…aren’t her girls simply GORGEOUS?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LAYOUT (TO DATE) AND WHY?

 Shew…this is a hard one, but I think my favorite is my spring layout with my kids…this is just “us” – it’s what we LOVE!

WHAT TIP/TECHNIQUE DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SCRAPPING DIGITALLY?

I have two, one I only found a few days ago! My first is how to re-color items in a kit. This has made a HUGE difference in what I’m able to create and use on my pages. It makes the kits so much more versatile since I can mix/match items in different kits. The other is the use of brushes. I’m just now learning (like in the past few days) how to use a brush like a mask. I love it…it gives the page so much more texture. I know I have lots to learn but those are my two favorites at this time!

another new layout…and one of my absolute faves!  as per her style, Casharina got so many PERFECT pics on this page – love it…and it really tells the story of the day :o)

WHAT IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR SCRAPBOOKING?

Of course I’m mainly inspired by my beautiful babies/family. If it weren’t for them I’d not have a lot to scrap about. I’m also very inspired by those wonderful scrappers here in the SP gallery. There are so many talented scrappers and I try to learn from their pages and ideas. When designing new pages I try to think about what I will want to remember forever, what’s the most important part of this event? Those are the things I try to transfer to my pages.

TECH STUFF :o)  Tell us about your camera and software!

My husband/former boyfriend bought me my first real camera, and I was hooked. Since then he has supplied me with a better camera every few years (yes I’m lucky!!) He bought my first digital camera when I had our first daughter and then when our second daughter was on the way he bought me my Nikon D-40 DSLR. I love it. I’ve learned so much about photography. I study all the time trying to learn how to make my images better. I started out my scrapbooking in Digital Scrapbook Factory and quickly found I needed a way to use PNGs so I went with Paint Shop Pro. I’m now using Adobe for almost all of my work.

I just had to fit in a couple more new layouts, lol!  So many fun pics on these two pages – looks like a WONDERFUL day!

FAST FIVE FACTS! 

• Favorite COLOR:  turquoise (if I have a second: pink/turquoise!)
• Favorite FOOD:  umm…anything sweet!
• Favorite MOVIE:  Yours, Mine, and Ours…I watched it a hundred times with my Mommy when I was growing up!
• Favorite SONG:  I love old time Hymns, Just as I am…
• Favorite MEMORY:  The first time my boyfriend/husband kissed me (back in highschool!) and my babies being born, I don’t think it can get better than that!

 and last but not least…this is one of my FAVE layouts from Casharina’s Gallery…so I’m calling it SP’s PICK, lol!  the photo, the design…and most importantly – the journaling – WOW :o)

THANK YOU SO MUCH for having fun with us, Casharina :o)  It has been a total pleasure and I look forward to each and every layout you share with us…always anxious for more!  Of course, I’ll be bringing you another new GALLERY  GIRLS post next month…so stay tuned :o)

Be sure to join us back here tomorrow, as Kylie shares July’s FREE desktop :o)  THANKS for stopping by…have a beautiful and bless day/night!  xoxo –SP

Shabby PrincessGallery Girls, Inspiration, Uncategorized 9 Comments

Hi guys :o)  SP here with our newest GALLERY GIRLS feature!!  As you know, it is one of my favorite blog posts to work on, as I enjoy getting to know everyone better…and am always overjoyed by the talent we have in our little community here at the Shoppe!  Of course, this month is no different and I’m thrilled to share our next ‘gallery girl’ with you!  For this feature, we got to work with Valerie…though you might know her better as nana_vg :o)  She has been a member of the Shabby Shoppe gallery for quite some time…always inspiring us with her incredible pages and her love of journaling!  She has lots of adorable scrapping ‘subjects’…as you’ll read more about below (seriously…how gorgeous is that photo?)!  But, before we get to the interview…how about the first of many brand new layouts that Valerie created just for us and this spotlight :o)  Be sure to scroll down for more…and check out her GALLERY for larger images and more info (soon)!  

As mentioned, Valerie worked on bunches of new layouts for her Gallery Girls feature…and I have to say that this two page spread is among my favorites!  Maybe it’s because I just returned from vacation (though mine looked nothing like hers, lol)…or because I just LOOOOVE all of that pretty blue and the gorgeous ocean…but had to share this with you first, lol!

Before we see more new layouts…let’s learn a little more about Valerie!

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

I am 61 years old, the mother of four adult children (one of whom, our eldest, passed away in July of 2007), and a grandmother of 7. The two oldest grandchildren live with us and have been since December of 2002. They are now 18 and 13. My husband is a retired military officer and currently works as an investigator for our local school district. I am an HR manager and I’ve been in the HR field for over 25 years. As much as I’d love to be retired, raising children and the abysmal housing market  preclude that option. My oldest surviving child, Andrea, and her husband and two little girls, 5 and almost 4, live here in Nevada where we get to see them often. My son, Steven, recently went to work for a company in California and his wife and son, 6, will be moving there once school is out. My youngest daughter, Melissa and her husband and two children, 7 ½ and 5, moved to Africa in February. She is a Chief Mining Engineer for one of the largest gold mining companies in the world, and she is now the chief mining engineer for a property in Africa. So we’re learning all about Ghanaian culture. My husband and I, and hopefully the grandchildren who live with us, plan to visit Africa at least once during the three years they’ll be there as well as meet them on a couple of their R&R trips. So, we’ll get a little bit of world travel in. Family is extremely important to us, and we make sure we spend as much time with our family as possible. Knowing that our daughter would be moving to Africa, we scheduled a photo shoot for our entire family the day after Thanksgiving. So, the picture you see (above) is of my husband and me with all of our grandchildren. There is a layout in the Gallery that has a photo of the entire clan – all 15 of us – and it’s about my passion being my family.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCRAPPING DIGITALLY…AND DID YOU EVER GIVE PAPER SCRAPPING A TRY?

I started scrapbooking with paper in January of 1998 when my second grandchild was six months old. Then, in late 1999 a friend and I started an online scrapbooking business, Fox Tales. We specialized in pint-size (5.5×8.5) scrapbooking kits based on alphabetical themes. Unfortunately, we were before our time, and small theme albums weren’t yet popular. We dissolved our partnership in 2001 and I took it on myself. But, in mid-2002 when we relocated to Reno, I closed down the business. I started digital scrapbooking in 2005 when my third grandchild was going to be two. I wanted to make him an ABC album (which is one of the theme scrapbook kits we sold at Fox Tales in paper), but I thought if I designed it digitally, then I could easily just replace photos and dates for each subsequent grandchild, and I have. And that started the revolution. I’m still dabbling in paper only because my daughters wanted their children’s first-year albums in paper. I now have three granddaughters, 5, 5, and almost 4, whose paper albums aren’t completed. The two oldest girls’ albums are almost done, but the youngest granddaughter’s album still has a long way to go. If I’d done them digitally they would have been done at least two or three years ago. So, I have become an addicted digital scrapper. I love that I can do a layout once and print as many times as I want, and in a variety of sizes. I do layouts that feature more than one grandchild and I can print a copy for each album. I also print all the new layouts each year in 6×6 size and put in little albums for my adult children so they can have something portable to show off. 

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR SCRAPPING STYLE?

That’s hard to say. I often tend to digitally scrap in a paper-scrapping style; that being said, I also enjoy using brushes and I’m doing more and more blending photos into the backgrounds. In my next life, I’d like to come back as great at layering and clustering embellishments as many of the creative team and gallery posters are. Digital offers everything that paper can, and then there’s a whole new level not achievable through paper.

WHAT IS THE FIRST COMPONENT OF EACH PAGE YOU CREATE…OR DOES IT VARY FROM PAGE TO PAGE?

Most of the time I start with the photos, and then choose papers and embellishments. But, if I have a lengthy story to tell, I start with the journaling as I want to make sure I can fit it on my layout.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LAYOUT (TO DATE) AND WHY?

I have two favorites posted in the SP Gallery, both made with challenge templates. I love TuTu Cute because I love my beautiful little ballerina, the black and white photo faded into the background, and the comparison between her and her mom and dance. I also love Daddy’s Girls because it’s so soft and feminine and it features a tradition I’ve started of taking photos of my daughter and my two granddaughters on Mother’s Day. I love how they interact and it shows how much they’ve grown from year-to-year.

WHAT TIP/TECHNIQUE DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SCRAPPING DIGITALLY?

In the very early days of paper scrapping, I didn’t journal as much and 99% of my layouts were event-type layouts, all double-page layouts. Now, I still scrap the events, but I love the everyday moments and the stories that need to be remembered, and I’ve embraced single page layouts when they work. When I moved to digital scrapping, I was learning on my own for a long time and mostly replicating paper scrapbook pages. I love that I’ve learned to use brushes and blend photos into the background, both things you cannot do with paper.

WHAT IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR SCRAPBOOKING?

As I mentioned, family is very important to me. I love seeing my children struggling with the same issues we did when raising them, but from the perspective of a grandparent, many of those struggles are funny to me. So I am inspired by my family’s everyday life and their stories (like my Spwashing in my Pee Pee layout). My journaling has become much better from the inspiration of family and family stories. I’m also inspired by the creativity of others and I love going through the gallery and getting ideas for layout subject matter, layout design, color combinations, layering and clustering of papers and elements, etc. There is so much inspiration to be found from both the creative team and the wonderful community at Shabby Princess who so willingly share their fabulous layouts with us and let us take a peek into their lives.

TECH STUFF :o)  Tell us about your camera and software!

Gosh, I’m such a lucky girl as my husband willingly feeds my techo-junkie addiction. I’m on my third DSLR. He gave me a Canon Rebel for Christmas of 2002. It was stolen in 2006 and with the insurance money, I replaced it with a Canon Rebel TI. Then, when I was having trouble taking photos of my grandchildren as rapidly as I wanted to, he purchased the Canon 7D for me Christmas of 2009. I’ve yet to even scratch the surface of the features of this camera. I would give anything for the ability to add more hours to the day so I can spend more time with my camera. I have an18-135 mm kit lens and a 300mm telephoto lens as well as a 50mm f1.8 lens. I did tell you he spoils me, didn’t I? I also carry a Panasonic Lumix with 10x optical zoom in my purse so I have a camera with me at all times. When I started digital scrapping, I used PSE2, upgraded to PSE4, then to PSE6, and PSE8. I usually do every other upgrade. But PSE9 added a layer mask and I was taking a class at Jessica’s Sprague’s site and thought I just have to have this new version. After purchasing, I learned they’re coming out with PSE 10. But, as much scrapbooking as I do, the software is important. I’ve never taken the plunge into the full Photoshop arena because I haven’t found things I want to do that I can’t do with PSE. I’m never going to design and I can buy text paths. So for now, at least, I’m a happy girl with PSE 9.

FAST FIVE FACTS!

•  fave color:  It used to be blue, but looking at my closet, I’d have to say red and blue today.
• fave food:   I wish my favorite food was healthy, but alas it’s ice cream, followed closely by golden Oreos.
• fave movie:  I’ve loved the Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia series as well as many of the “chick flicks” (which my husband mostly won’t see, so my daughter, daughter-in-law, and I go see them), but I think my favorite all-time movie is Pretty Woman.
• fave song:  I love Country music and Celine Dion, and the Lion King soundtrack is a favorite as well. But currently, I think my favorite song is Sissy’s song by Alan Jackson. It’s about the loss of a loved one and it resonates with me because we lost our oldest daughter in July of 2007. And, her nickname for much of her life was Sis and Sissy.
• fave memory:  My favorite memories are intertwined among family and my husband especially. We will be married 44 years in July. Early in our marriage I lost my wedding ring. He bought me a wide gold band to replace it, and at that time gold was $32 per ounce (held at that price by the government), so the ring wasn’t horribly expensive. A few months later I found the ring caught in the crocheted cover of a trivet. So the gold band ended up in my jewelry box for years. But, fast forward about 15 years, and that gold band was now worth a lot more and it was still sitting my jewelry box. My sweet hubby took the ring to a jeweler and had a beautiful ½ carat diamond mounted on it. This is the same guy who planned a spectacular surprise party for my 40^th anniversary and the same guy who arranged for my daughter and her family who lived 300 miles away to surreptitiously arrive in Reno while I was out shopping and surprise me with the entire family for my 60^th birthday party. There are so many special moments and memories – all of them connected with this wonderful man and our family.

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THANK YOU so much for being a part of the Shoppe’s community…and for having fun with us on your Gallery Girls feature, Valerie - we appreciate it so much!  o)  I know that I always look forward to each and every layout that you share…and feel quite sure that we are all inspired whenever you add something new!

As always…I’ll be bringing you guys another new GALLERY  GIRLS post next month…don’t miss it :o)

THANKS bunches and bunches for stopping by…have a wonderfully blessed weekend (i’ll be unpacking and trying to get back in the swing of things, lol)…we’ll see you back here on Monday for LOTW!  xoxo –SP

Shabby PrincessGallery Girls, Uncategorized 7 Comments