Hi guys :o)  SP here and so excited to be bringing you our next installment  in our GALLERY GIRLS series!!  As I always say, it is my favorite ‘blog duty’ lol!  I really enjoy the opportunity to get to know a fellow scrapper better…and never fail to be inspired during the process!  And hey, that’s the whole point…and I know the same just has to be true for you guys as well :)  So, let’s get started!

This month’s featured Gallery Girl is the wonderfully creative and kind Rosy (also known as Rosy in the Gallery).  She has been a joy to work with (and email with) and has created lots of fun new pages to share with us!  And, of course, she spent some time answering all of my interview questions, sharing with us about our 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 Rosy 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).  Rosy will also be uploading all of these layouts to her gallery…so you can see larger images and more info about each there :o)

Like I mentioned, Rosy created some wonderful new layouts for the feature and while it is NEVER an easy task for me to choose a fave…I think this would have to be it!  I loved the creativity…and that she captured some of her FAVORITE THINGS, which will be so great to look back on one day!

Isn’t that fabulous?  It’s funny because I have been wanting to do a current ‘fave things’ layout for a while…and was even more inspired when Rosy sent me this one!  Alright, now on to the interview…let’s get to know Rosy better!

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

I’m a mennonite wife and mommy living in central Ohio. I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for 3 1/2 years and we have two precious little ones. Isaac is almost 2 and Audrey is 7 months old. My days are full of all the normal housewife/mommy duties.  I’m probably more quiet in real life than most people know me online :)

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

I did paper scrapping for quite a few years and then found it to be almost impossible after my son was born about 2 years ago. I gave digi scrapping a try and now I love it more than I ever did paper scrapbooking, which I didn’t think would ever happen!

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR SCRAPPING STYLE?

Maybe a bit “eclectic”.  It keeps changing as I try new things. I’m constantly trying to find a balance between keeping the photos as the focus of the page and the fun of adding stuff.

This is another favorite layout for me (SP)…those pics are just too cute for words…and the design is absolutely PERFECT (and something I will be trying myself, lol)!  LOVE LOVE LOVE!

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

I almost always start with the photos. I think it’s important to have the papers and elements be a compliment to the photo; not the other way around. Journaling is the hardest part of a layout for me.

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

It keeps changing; right now my favorite is “BLUE EYED CUTIE“. I love how the photo captured the blue of her eyes and I just like how the colors and everything came together.

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

There are many but some that I use the most now are blending mode/opacity changes and recoloring. I’ve also learned how to get a layer mask in PSE and using dingbat fonts to make specific element for a LO. Something that I’d like to know more about is the best printing options.. sizes, photobook vs pages, etc…

WHAT IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR SCRAPBOOKING?

The subject of many of my layouts are my children. Design ideas come from lots of places… magazines, book covers, even cereal boxes :) If I’m out of ideas I usually come to the gallery here!

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

I’m still a bit “old school” with that, but I’ve discovered that the most up-to-date equipment isn’t necessary for me to enjoy my hobby. My camera is a Canon Power Shot S3 IS and my software is Photoshop Elements 5.

Seriously, how PRECIOUS is Rosy’s next layout?  Look at those faces…and all of the yummy pink – PERFECT!

FAST FIVE FACTS!

• fave color: aqua
• fave food: custard pie :)
• fave movie: I barely ever watch a movie, so I really don’t know.
• fave song: “Would We Truly Long For Heaven”
• fave memory: our honeymoon on Nantucket Island, holding my babies for the first time

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Rosy as much as I have!  Thanks again so much, for being such a pleasure to work with…and for creating so many inspiring layouts to share with us!

Join us next month for another GALLERY GIRLS FEATURE!

I’ll be back tomorrow to share April’s FREE DESKTOP with everyone…see ya then :o)  xoxo – SP

Shabby PrincessGallery Girls, Uncategorized 8 Comments

Hi guys :o)  SP here and I am always so happy to bring you a new GALLERY GIRLS feature!!  It truly is my fave ‘blog duty’ lol!  I always feel honored to get to work with such talented individuals…both on my team, and in the scrapping community – it’s a sincere pleasure for me!

Our next featured Gallery Girl is the super sweet and talented Kim (better known in the Gallery as Five17Creations).  She was so much fun to get to know and work with!  I totally enjoyed each and every email she sent me with new layouts!  She has been busy scrapping, so I hope you are ready to be inspired!  We’ll get to know her better, but first – how about a new layout that KIM created just for this special post (there are more new and adorable layouts from Kim sprinkled throughout the post below…so be sure to scroll down).  Kim will also be uploading all of these layouts to her gallery…so you can see larger images and more info about each there :o)

Like I mentioned, Kim created LOTS of new layouts for the feature and while it was not easy to choose a fave…I think this would have to be it!  The angle is what first caught my eye…well, that and the layering!  But then, it was just so sweet and fun to see pics of their ten years together :o)

 TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

I live in Austin, Texas with my husband of 8 years and our 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter.  We’re also expecting a baby at the end of July, and my son can’t decide whether he wants a baby brother or sister.  (Sometimes he says he wants both, but we’ve told him it’s only going to be one – lol!).  Since having my kids, I’ve been a stay-at-home mom, and that’s made me love scrapbooking even more because it’s a creative outlet for me.  I keep busy with the kids, the house, church, playdates, and preschool.

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

 I’ve been scrapbooking digitally since the end of 2008.  My first project was making our family Christmas card that year.  I wasn’t sure I’d like going digital because I had been paper scrapbooking almost forever.  I’ve always loved putting together albums of pictures, but they’ve just gotten more elaborate in recent years!  After my friend taught me Photoshop and showed me some digital scrapbook sites, I was hooked.  I love that I can work on my computer when I have a few minutes, then just close the laptop when I need to be with my kids… no mess to clean up!  And I love my printed books that fit so nicely on the shelf!

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR SCRAPPING STYLE?

 I would say in some ways my style is always changing.   I feel like I see a lot of different ideas out there and like to try them all.  I’m not trained as a graphic designer or anything like that (the only real experience I have comes from being the editor of my high school yearbook), so I’m not thinking of any style “rules” as I go along.  Just putting pages together the way I like them!! 

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

I’d have to say almost always I start a page with the pictures.  I tend to lay out my pictures the way I’d like them and build the design around that.  I take tons of pictures and I just can’t help but get all my favorites on the page! 

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

 If I have to pick a favorite, I’ll say THIS ONE!  I love this layout so much partly because I just love these pictures of my kids!  I also feel like the layout flows perfectly between the two pages (I like to scrapbook as two page layouts when I can), I like the color combo, and there’s just something about the way the elements and pictures came together that I like.  Can’t explain it, but it just makes me happy looking at it :o)

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

 It’s hard to pick ONE thing I didn’t know at the beginning that I’m glad I know now.  Probably like a lot of us, I started off really simple and have learned lots of things as I’ve gone along.  I like to say my scrapbooking is always “evolving” and l look back at layouts I did a year ago and think how I could make them a lot better.  I get new ideas all the time, especially from places like this gallery.  One thing I’ve been learning about more this past year is how to creatively fit more pictures on a page.  As I said before, I take tons of them and am not good at picking only a few for my books!! 

WHAT IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR SCRAPBOOKING?

 My everyday life is exactly what my scrapbooking is all about.  And my everyday life right now is a lot about my kids, so I guess they are the inspiration for a lot of my layouts!  I want to capture both the big events and the everyday moments in a way that we will enjoy looking back on for years to come.  My scrapbooking is really about preserving the memories.

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

 For a while I was taking pictures on my good ole Kodak camera.  It was a great camera, but what I had my eye on was an SLR.  I finally got my wish this past Christmas, so for a couple of months now I’ve been able to play with my new camera.  It’s a Canon EOS Rebel T1i.  I’m sure it will take me a while to learn how to use all the functions of this camera!   The only software I’ve ever used for scrapbooking is Photoshop.  I’m probably using an older version than a lot of you, but it’s what I could get my hands on when I was getting started with digital scrapbooking.  It’s still a great program, but someday I dream of an upgrade :o) 

FAST FIVE FACTS!

•  fave color:  green
• fave food:   chocolate
• fave movie:  Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always behind on current movies, but in general I like romantic comedies best (like Notting Hill and My Big Fat Greek Wedding), and I also love classic musicals (I grew up on movies like The Sound of Music and Music Man). 
• fave song:  Play me anything by Casting Crowns or Chris Tomlin
• fave memory:  Being asked out by my husband for the first time (it’s a great story that includes passing notes in a college accounting class… romantic, right?), our kids’ births, family vacations

—————————— 

THANK YOU bunches and bunches for having fun with us, Kim :o)  It has been a joy to work with you…and I know that I will continue to look forward to your new gallery postings!

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

And, I’ll be back tomorrow with February’s PROJECT Scrap templates…and then on FRIDAY with March’s FREE desktop  (yep…a BUSY week, lol) :o)  THANKS for stopping by…have a good one!  xoxo –SP

Shabby PrincessGallery Girls, Uncategorized 11 Comments

Hi guys :o)  SP here and I am HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY to bring you another GALLERY GIRLS feature!!  I am alway in AWE of our next Gallery Girl’s layouts…her sense of style is incredible…and each and every layout a truly special and unique creation!  She has the ability and talent to tweak and rework papers and elements…which result in completely original and one-of-a-kind layouts!  I think I am also drawn to her pages…simply because like me – she has one little man, and he is definitely the focus of most of her pages!  I sometimes lack inspiration when it comes to making FUN and PRETTY pages for my little man…and when I am feeling uninspired…I go directly to her gallery and see the magic she works with her boy pages, lol!  Of course, EVERYONE can and will be inspired by her gallery…so be sure to check it out!   OH…I guess I have yet to mention her NAME, lolol!  She is KIM…known as CREATIVESPARKMOMMY in the Shoppe’s gallery :o)  So….ready to get to know Kim a little better?  Me, too :o)  But first – how about a brand NEW layout that KIM created just for this special post (there are more new and absolutely GORGEOUS layouts from Kim throughout the post…so be sure to scroll down).  I have to say that I always ‘shrink and group’ the layouts so the post does not take so long to load…but seriously – I’m not sure I can shrink any of these, lol!  I will…BUT, know that Kim will also be uploading all of these layouts to her gallery…so you can see larger images and more info about each there :o)

This layout just captured me :o)  I LOVE every single thing about it…it just has such a SWEETness to it, don’t ya think?  And, her clustering of elements and title work – PERFECTION!

 TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

My name is Kim, I live in Charleston, West Virginia. I was a 70s baby and am still an 80s girl. I have been married for 7 years (to my elementary school crush ;-), I have a beautiful (inside and out) 3 year old boy — who is my greatest joy, my miracle baby and my saving grace. I’m a full-time creative director for a small advertising/political consulting agency.  I’ve been creating, crafting, painting and drawing all my life. I strive everyday to share that creative spark with my son, who has a natural talent for drawing already. Often overheard in our house, “Mommy, let’s art today.”

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

 I’ve been scrapbooking digitally for about 9 months. My mother was our family’s historian, so to speak, and a hardcore paper scrapper. I loved looking at her work and shopping for supplies with her. I attempted paper scrapping when my son was born — with the best intentions. BUT I soon realized that crafts involving small parts and pieces did not work well with a little one in the house ;-) That is why I now recommend digi-scrapping to all my friends with young ones. I just wish I’d found digi-scrapping when his naps were longer!

Another new layout…when I first saw this one – I just melted!  It doesn’t get any sweeter…just look at that ‘auntie love’!

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR SCRAPPING STYLE?

I love sweet and simple, but my layouts never reflect that. I’m going to work on making greater impact with fewer elements on my pages – but your designs are sooo beautiful I have a hard time editing! So to answer your question, my style has yet to be defined, and is evolving.

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

I would have to say always the photo – or at least the essence of the photo.

Here are a couple more fantastic and new layouts by Kim (absolutely ADORABLE!)…

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

 Probably “My Brown-Eyed Baby” it is one of my favorite photos of Jackson, with a quote from a very special book and it was my first digital scrapbook layout, and my first post.

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

I use photoshop everyday in my job – but am surprised by the multitude of small useful things I’ve been picking up here and there.

WHAT IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR SCRAPBOOKING?

My son, most definately, but also little things like a new font (I’m a font freak) or a found natural color palette. I am also inspired daily by what I see in the Shabby Shoppe Gallery — amazing stuff — especially from the Gallery Girls who’ve come before me.

and yes…another NEW layout!  I have to say…this is a favorite – I can only imagine how much FUN Jackson had that day :o)  awesome layout design…just blows me away!

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

I use Photoshop CS5, and have some Christmas/Birthday money “burning a hole in my pocket” that I’m dying to spend on a Bamboo Tablet. I’ve never been very good at taking photos – but recently bought a Canon EOS 20D second-hand from my photographer friend and finally got lenses of my own (second-hand, as well!) I haven’t really made time to work on my skills – the photography blog tips are still over my head :o) But one of my
resolutions is to get better control of my camera and take lots of photos – I’ll need them for Scrap 2011!!!!!

FAST FIVE FACTS!

• Favorite COLOR:  orange
• Favorite FOOD:  Cheese – currently Mini Babybels, they are soooo addictive and the red wax is great for making a clown nose to amuse the little man!
• Favorite MOVIE:  Shawshank Redemption, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Old School
• Favorite SONG:  anything 80s hair band —especially KISS, and whatever my son is singing, at the moment it’s still “Frosty the Snowman”
• Favorite MEMORY:  The first time I heard my son’s heartbeat, the first time he yelled “mom” after waking up from a nap.

 and last but not least…two more layouts from Kim :o)  Just look at that PRECIOUS and HANDSOME little face and those awesome layouts!

 THANK YOU SO MUCH for having fun with us, Kim :o)  It has been a total pleasure and I leave this post completely INSPIRED…which is what it is all about!  Best of all – I KNOW I am not the only one!  Of course, I’ll be bringing you another new GALLERY  GIRLS post next month…so stay tuned :o)

And, I’ll be back tomorrow with February’s FREE desktop :o)  THANKS for stopping by…have a good one!  xoxo –SP

Shabby PrincessGallery Girls, Uncategorized 14 Comments

Hi guys :o)  SP here!  Once again, sooooo happy to bring another new GALLERY GIRLS feature to you!  Just to explain what this post is all about…all of our ‘regular’ gallery posters that we love and feel that we have almost come to ‘know’ – I refer to as my ‘GALLERY GIRLS’ :o)  So, I decided a few months ago that it would be wonderful to spotlight a ‘new girl’ each month!  So…I am so thrilled to ‘introduce’ you guys to our third gallery girl, JENELLE (though, if you visit the Shoppe’s gallery very often – you are likely already familiar with her layouts)!  She is super sweet and fun and a terrifically talented scrapper!  She has become another ‘fixture’ at the Shoppe and we absolutely love having her here!  Her two adorably handsome little men (Nick and Corey) are the focus of most of her layouts – aren’t they precious?!  Jenelle has a great sense of style – and it shows in all of her pages…as does her love of family!  So, how about we get to know her a little better?  But first – how about a couple of brand NEW layouts that Jenelle created just for this special post…

Tell us a little about yourself… 

Hi all.  So thrilled to be asked to do this for the Shabby Shoppe Blog.  My name is Jenelle and I live in Melbourne, Australia.  My husband and I have been together for 15 years (8 of those married) and we have 2 sons – Nick (5) and Corey (2).   I am currently a stay-at-home mum, but in ‘my other life’ I am a teacher.  Travel has a big highlight of my life so far, having lived in Thailand for 12 months as an exchange student and also spending a year in the UK with my husband, working in London and travelling throughout Europe, the US and Asia. 

My eldest son is due to start school in February next year.  I am so excited for him (and also excited about creating digi-scrap pages to highlight this milestone!!)  Thanks for making me feel so welcome in the Shabby Shoppe community – such a supportive group and I love looking through the blog and gallery every day! 

How long have you been scrapbooking digitally…and did you do any paper scrapbooking before giving it a try? 

I started paper scrapping when my husband and I first went on a trip overseas and had all these photos and memorabilia from our trip.  I made up a couple of albums with all the trimmings and it took me ages to complete.  Really lovely to look back on now, although I would love to re-do it digitally.  Then I paper- scrapped our wedding photos and our photos from our honeymoon travels (which is not finished I must add!).  My husband bought me my first digital camera for Mother’s Day just after my first son was born and I have been scrapping digitally since then (2005).  Little children and paper scrapping are NOT a good combination!!  Shabby Princess’ website was my first introduction to digital scrapping supplies and there has been no turning back!

How would you define your scrapping style? 

I’m not really sure if I have a style of any sort.   At high school I really enjoyed taking classes in graphics, so I do like to create pages with clean lines and I try to follow compositional rules (well, what I remember of those rules from high school!).  Sometimes, I try to be ‘reckless’ and throw things together with scatterings of elements, but it always looks like a mess to me, so I revert back to agonizing over small details again…  Aghh! 

What is the first component of each page that you create – or does it vary from page to page (i.e. photo, papers, journaling, etc.)? 

I generally start with the photo I want to highlight and try to match colours/elements to the photo (quite obsessive-compulsive about that part!  LOL!).  But if I am starting with a template, I may try many different photos before I decide which fits best.  One component that I really need to work on is the printing of my final product!  I still have not had any of my 12×12 layouts printed.  Very hard to find a good place to print 12×12 at a reasonable price and of good quality here in Australia (although Kylie has directed me to one and I will definitely be trying them out.) 

Show us your favorite layout…and tell us why you like it so much :o) 

Not sure if I actually have a favourite as such, because I tend to become quite critical of my layouts once they are finished!  Very fussy scrapper, not a good trait!  I do, however, like my layout called ‘Hide and Seek’ because it all came together very quickly and easily and that very rarely happens for me!  I knew as I was taking the photos of Corey that it was all going to come together nicely.

What tip/technique/idea do you know now that you WISH you had known about when you first started scrapbooking? 

Oh, I wish I knew all the techniques in Photoshop!  I am still learning new ones each time I scrap.  I only just cottoned-on to using guides this week and that has made life a lot easier!  I am also trying to master the Pen Tool along with creating and saving my own shapes.  One tool I have no idea how to use is the dodge/burn tool.  My new year’s resolution is to read up on those tutorials!  My sister is always on speed dial when I get stuck on something in Photoshop (she is a self-taught master!) 

What in your everyday life inspires you in your scrapbooking?  How do you transfer that inspiration to your scrapbooking pages?

I like to draw inspiration from fellow scrappers, through galleries and scrapbooking magazines.  (Georgeinci’s layouts are always a great inspiration to me.  As are the SP creative team).  I still have an interest in graphics and graphic design, so I like to look at ads and logos for inspiration, whether in magazines, on billboards, TV ads, packaging etc..  Then there are times when I get so bombarded with ideas that I just can’t decide how to transfer them onto a layout!  Not really a creative blank, more like an overload!

:::SP interrupting to show another new layout that Jenelle created for the feature (my fave!):::

Tech Stuff (tell us about your camera and your software): 

I wish I could say that I had a top-of-the-range digital SLR camera with all the trimmings, but it is on my wish list for when I return to paid work!  Nonetheless, I have been very happy with my point and shoot Fujifilm Finepix digital camera.  Had this camera for just over 12 months now and very happy with its performance so far.  To do my editing and layouts, I use Photoshop CS2 on a very old and slow computer.  An upgrade to all of these will also have to wait for that illustrious return to paid work! 

:::FIVE FAST FACTS::: 

• FAVORITE COLOR:  Blue
• FAVORITE FOOD:  Thai food and of course CHOCOLATE!
• FAVORITE MOVIE:  Mary Poppins
• FAVORITE SONG:  It’s gotta be anything from the 80’s!!  I’m a bit of an 80’s rock tragic…
• FAVORITE MEMORY:  The first time I held both my sons

 So, now you ‘know’ Jenelle a little better!  She is a constant inspiration for us at the Shoppe and I’m sure you are finding yourself inspired, too!  Be sure to check out Jenelle’s fabulous gallery for even more gorgeous layouts and inspiration!  THANKS AGAIN for being a ‘gallery girl’, Jenelle :o)

We’ll have another new GALLERY GIRLS feature for you in January – so stay tuned (you never know – it might even be YOU!)!

I’ll be back tomorrow to announce the ‘winner’ of our SEVENTH TEMPLATE CHALLENGE here at the BLOG :o)  Have a great day/night!

Shabby PrincessGallery Girls, Uncategorized 12 Comments

 Hi guys :o)  SP here!  Once again, sooooo happy to bring a new (well, our 2nd, lol) GALLERY GIRLS feature to you!  As I mentioned last time…all of our ‘regular’ gallery posters that we love and feel that we have almost come to ‘know’ – I refer to as my ‘GALLERY GIRLS’ :o)  So, I thought it would be wonderful to spotlight a ‘new girl’ each month!  And…I am so thrilled to ‘introduce’ you guys to CARRIE (aka acmckelvey)!  She is so amazingly talented and super duper creative with her pages!  She has become a ‘fixture’ at the Shoppe and we LOVE having her here!  Her two precious little girls (Laura and Rachel) are the perfect subjects (and models) for her fabulous pages!  Carrie has a very artistic and creative style…each page a joy to see :o)

So, how about we get to know her a little better?  But first – how about a couple of brand NEW layouts that Carrie created just for this post…

Tell us a little about yourself:

Hi! I’m Carrie and I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.  My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and we have two girls, Laura who is 3 1/2 (can’t forget the 1/2!!) and Rachel who is 9 months.  I have always been interested in arts and crafts, graphic design and photography.  I’ve painted since I was young, and continued developing my creative side with sewing, crocheting, photography and since working at a newspaper for a bit, graphic design. I’ve always been a bit crafty and into computers so it’s no surprise I started doing digital scrapbooking.  My daily life mainly involves taking care of my girls for I have the challenging but rewarding job of being a stay-at-home momma.  Occasionally a rough day ends with a glass of wine or margarita, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. :)

How long have you been scrapbooking digitally…and did you do any paper scrapping before giving it a try?

Like many, I started and stopped a couple of traditional paper scrapping albums, including my first daughter’s baby album, but became very frustrated at the amount of supplies, the cost, and how it overtook a room! Plus, who can keep a 3 year old away from sticky dots and cutout flowers? Luckily I discovered digiscrap a while ago starting with SP freebies and fell in love with digiscrap’s flexibility, endless possibilities and my practical side loved the reasonable cost. I did however take a break for a bit for other endeavors (started selling my handmade baby booties) that took up most of my time. This past year I started again with the SP freebie In the Groove album after  I picked up new software. It was refreshing to finally put all those stored photos that sat lonely and dormant on the computer into albums or keepsakes that my family could enjoy.  It also has fulfilled my creative side and my need to poke around in graphic software.  I have really enjoyed learning as much as I can this past year of scrapping and hope to finish my first yearly album.  Oh, and (finally) two baby albums too.

How would you define your scrapping style?

That’s hard to answer as I change up my style quite frequently. I get easily bored, so I’m always trying to come up with something new. It varies from a more modern look with brushwork or blending techniques, to a crafty page with lots of layers and clustering, or occasionally I do a layout where I try to mimic those modern, scenic quilts.  I sometimes cram as much as I can into a layout – who can resist adding just one more stitch or button? – at times I like it simple with a lot of negative space.

What is the first component of each page that you create – or does it vary from page to page (i.e. photo, papers, journaling, etc.)?

TypicallyI start with the photos. First I figure out if it’s just one photo I want to focus on or a grouping, and then I pick the main digital kit I’ll work with based on the colors from the photos. I have a bad habit of wanting to match :). I will borrow bits and pieces from other kits and frequently tweak or completely recolor some items just for a more cohesive feel or if I just really want to use that Hopscotch tab! Sometimes Istart with a favorite song lyric or quote, or an everyday moment that gives me an immediate title for me to start with, i.e. the Pinkalicious layout, and the components come in after. Other times it’s actually the digital kit that inspires me, and I end up playing with the items, a layout tends to take shape, and then I slip in the photos.  Occasionally I’ll get a random layout idea from out of nowhere, and I start with drawing the shapes.  So, to answer the question, I guess it varies :).

Show us your favorite layout (this does not have to be a new one)…and tell us why you like it so much :o)

My favorite layout is my Walk of Nature layout.  It was a labor of love. What a great feeling to have this vision in my head and be able to bring it to fruition.  What’s funny is that it wasn’t that long ago, but I look back at that layout and see so many ways I could have done it easier (I’ve had a couple of ‘duh’ moments since then), faster, differently, used other papers (particularly since I have so many more SP kits!), different techniques, etc. that might have made it better.  But, I remember how much time and labor I put into it, how much I learned, and really, why change it? It’s like a tiny snapshot of not only my perfect day with my daughter but of that stage in my creative learning.

I also like some of my layouts with just one photo, where the focus is just the beautiful faces of my sweet daughters.

What tip/technique/idea do you wish you had known about when you first started scrapbooking?

It actually took me a while to understand a clipping mask for some reason. I also wish I had known about the technique of blending and using photo actions a lot sooner than I did. Photo actions are a lifesaver to the point and shoot photographer and to the frustrated photo editor. I would get discouraged with scrapping because I never had that great of a photo to start with until I started to learn about editing a photo, which is now a lot easier once I discovered actions. Plus, actions are a fun and creative way to change up the feeling or mood of the photo.  The best photoshop and photoshop elements actions I’ve found are on Pioneer Woman and on the Coffee Shop blog.  And they’re free – how cool is that?  Also, never be afraid to crop in close on a photo.  It adds interest and motion.

What (or who) inspires you in your scrapbooking?

 First and foremost my family.  My children are amazing to me. They do the funniest things. I leave my camera out and about so it’s always in easy reach.  I love capturing the everyday. I try to take as many pictures as I can because I don’t want to miss a day in my children’s lives. I love trying to take pictures from different angles, and it’s challenging with just a point and shoot. The beautiful Colorado outdoors inspires me not just in my photo taking but in my layouts too. I also get inspiration from the many wonderful artists at the SP gallery and check it daily. The gallery is full of so many layouts I would like to scraplift. My ideas also come from ads in magazines or on tv. For a modern, clean line design I tend to get inspiration from Three Paper Peonies and Paislee Press. I also follow Ali Edwards blog – she is amazing!  I’m tempted to do the December Daily but I’m afraid I wouldn’t get past day 2.  LOL!  

Tech stuff (tell us about your camera and your software)!

I used to shoot with a Nikon N65 slr but after spending a fortune on developing film from my honeymoon it lost it’s appeal. Plus, for some reason one day it became unreliable and my pictures weren’t that great (at least I like to think it was the camera, but could totally be operator error).  So now I shoot on a little point and shoot Canon, the SD600.  Yep, several years old now, but still taking okay shots.  Never think because you take pictures with a P&S that you can’t get great shots.  I’ve played with this camera so much and I’m still learning things. A unique angle, a cute kid and a little editing, and voila! a wonderful photo. :)  Granted, I’ll never get those awesome large aperture portrait shots, but hopefully someday soon I can graduate to a digital slr.  I’m currently scrimping for a Nikon 3100, and secretly hoping it’s my Christmas present (honey, are you reading this?).  I am though always looking for a good deal, so who knows what camera I’ll end up with. I would also love to have the full Photoshop, and used to (oh I miss the pen tool!), but now work on PSE7 and Adobe Illustrator for drawing. 

:::FIVE FAST FACTS:::

•  FAVE COLOR:  not necessarily together though I LOVE Christmas, but red and green.
• FAVE FOOD:  chocolate. chocolate. chocolate. Did I say chocolate?  Is that a food?  who cares if it isn’t, my favorite food is chocolate.
• FAVE MOVIE:  Tough question. I’ll name a couple since it’s too hard to pick one and I like variety, that and I’m indecisive.  Shawshank Redemption, Never Been Kissed, the Natural, Frequency, and I have Spaceballs completely memorized (don’t ask).
• FAVE SONG:  Me and You from Kenny Chesney, Amarillo by Morning and Baby Blue from George Strait, and I like a bit of Motown – anything from Aretha, At Last by Etta James, and Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye (who can resist dancing to that groove?).
• FAVE MEMORY:  The first time I got to hold each of my girls; the 10 minutes after I said ‘I do’ and my new husband and I got to take a carriage ride alone and we just soaked in the moment (the rest of the day was a blur); the first time I landed a perfect double axel in competition; the first time I tried the pottery wheel; too many to name :).

How about a couple more NEW layouts from Carrie?

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 I truly hope you enjoyed this GALLERY GIRLS post…and getting to know Carrie a little better!  Be sure to visit her beautiful gallery at the Shabby Shoppe, where I am sure you will find inspiration for your own pages and projects!

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Carrie…you are so much fun and such a true talent!

I’ll be bringing you another new GALLERY GIRLS feature next month!  Who knows…if you are an avid Shabby Shoppe gallery poster…you could even be next !  I’ll be sending out the December invite today :o):o):o)

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY…see ya back here tomorrow when I share the template for TEMPLATE CHALLENGE SEVEN :o)  It will be a QUICK post (hey, it is Thanksgiving here in the States, lol)…and we will only be sharing the layered TEMPLATE this time around…no piece-a-cake page (hope no one is too disappointed) :o)

…HAD to share ONE more NEW layout from CARRIE (how gorgeous is this?)! 

Shabby PrincessGallery Girls, Inspiration, Uncategorized 11 Comments