Hi everyone— Andrea here,

This week I am so excited to spotlight my friend and talented scrapper Shari aka SHARIng Creations.

I have known Shari for about 16 years. She is a talented paper scrapper and I was just starting to design and I happened to mention digital scrapbooking to her. I was so surprised to learn that she had been collecting digital elements for about a year, but hadn’t started really doing anything with them. I convinced her to check out my designs, she did and downloaded them all in one night! I was so flattered when she told me how much she liked them and really wanted to learn how to use them to create a page. I showed her how and before I knew she was creating fabulous LOs and started dabbling in design. Now she is sharing her talents with us all. She is an integral part of ScrapMatters, she helps and manages many aspects of the site–she is also the person in charge of the quick page exchange. She and I have both learned a lot in the past year and have shared many laughs and frustrations along the way.

My favorite LO of hers is this one called Pillsbury Dough Boy—

I also love this one–

and this one featuring her kit “Silly Robot”…

So you can get to know her a little bit better—

What is your main job/career? My main job/career is wife and mother but I also work as a licensed child care provider. I have done that for 20 years.

Are you married? I have been married almost 26 years (yep, I am one of the oldest members of ScrapMatters).

Do you have any children? I have a few. J I have six children…5 boys ages 24, 23, 21, 13 and 4 and a lovely daughter age16.

Do you have any pets? No time for pets, too many kids.

What state/country do you live in? I am in the beautiful state of Washington in the USA.

What states/countries have you visited? I have been to too many states to name (we like to take long road trips) and I have also been to Canada and Mexico

What are your three favorite foods? I only get to list three? Okay, let’s see I would have to say Cake Mix Cookies because they are just too easy to make, homemade lasagna and pizza.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Not a real ice-cream fan but as a kid my favorite was Baskin Robbin’s Pralines and Cream

Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks? I love to nibble on chocolate chips and salted nuts so I guess both.

What is your favorite beverage? I’m not the kind of person who has to have a glass of something in her hand so I guess I would say my favorite drink is milk.

What is your least favorite food? I don’t really have a least favorite food. I will eat most anything. My mamma raised me that way. I think she regrets it now. J

PC or Mac? PC

How long have you been digi-scrapping? Since July of 07, so not too long, just long enough to be totally addicted.

What program do you use to digi-scrap with? PSE3 and PSE6. I still use my 3 because I haven’t reloaded all my actions into my 6 yet.

What is your favorite LO in the SM’s gallery? I still think my favorite LO is my “Life On The Edge”. It is the first LO I did blending and altering papers and elements. I think it is also the first one I did with only one picture on the page. I don’t even know a single soul in the picture but to me it is all about what the photo represents. (you’ll have to read the journaling)

(This is one of mine fave LOs of hers too, but since she picked it I thought I probably shouldn’t—Andrea)

What are your hobbies besides digi-scrapping? I don’t have a lot of hobbies. I am on this computer way too much. I don’t even take time to read much anymore or walk everyday like I used to. Where did my life go?

What else do you do when you are digi-scrapping—music, tv, movies? Sometimes the TV is on but I’m not really watching. Usually I am surrounded by kids so I’m keeping an eye on them.

What scrapbook technique do you want to learn? There are so many I have left to learn. I just get so excited when a new tutorial comes out that I can actually follow.

What is the most difficult part of scrapbooking for you? I think it is just the frustration of wanting to know how to do it all NOW and not being able to. I also have to be careful to not compare my talents, or lack thereof, to the talents of others. I need to remind myself that I am doing this for my posterity not to win an art contest because I really have no artistic talent. So keeping my focus on that and not becoming too critical of myself can sometimes be difficult

What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking ? I would love to take photography classes. I know that relates to scrapping but I have wanted to do it long before I started scrap booking so I think it still qualifies.

What are your favorite books/authors? I love Anita Stanfield’s novels. I also love the Work and the Glory Series by Gerald Lund. Nine, huge books that I read in three months. I had never picked up a book before then and I have been hooked on reading ever since.

What are your favorite movies? I love the first Pirates of the Caribbean, Fiddler on the Roof and lots more but those are the two that jump out at me.

What is your favorite quote? Jenkins Lloyd Jones once said, “Anyone who imagines that bliss is
normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. Most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise…. “Life is like an old-time rail journey – delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.’”

What is one of your goals for 2008? I have a few. I would like to actually get my LO’s printed in book form. I would like to be more efficient with my scrapping so I can spend less time sitting and more time being active with my youngest kids and along with that I would really like to lose the 20 pounds I lost this time last year that seem to have found me again. ; D

Thanks Shari for sharing a little bit of yourself through answering the questions and through your terrific LOs. We are so glad to have you on the ScrapMatters team.