ScrapMatters Blog » Sunday Spotlight

Sunday Spotlight – Guest Designer: Amy Stoffel

kelseyll — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:02:28 +0000

Are you ready for this??!! Guess who came back to visit us….Amy Stoffel!! Amy is our Guest Designer, which is so strange to say since she used to sell at SM!! =) So, here is what Amy had to say when we asked her a few questions….

1. Your screen name? Your real name?

My screen name is amystoffel and my real name is…..drum roll……Amy Stoffel

2. What is your main job/career?

My main job title is Mommy

3. Are you married/children/pets?

I am not married, though I have been with my partner and father of my children for 9 years, we have two boys together ages 7 and 4, and we have one dog whose name is Rex.

4. Where is home for you?

Sunny Tucson, Arizona

5. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Steak, Salsa Verde and Pickles

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Chocolate Chip Mint

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet?

Sweet

8. Beverage of choice?

Diet Coke or Water

9. What’s your least favorite food?

Rice. I don’t know why, I just hate it.

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use?

PC. Although we are buying a Mac soon and who knows…I could switch to the dark side. LOL

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started?

About 6 years. I started making little siggy tags and things with freebies I found off the internet, one day I found a template freebie and it got me wondering if there was more to it than just what I was doing. I actually googled computer scrapbooking and it was like the heavens opened up! I found tutorials and a handful of stores and never looked back. I sold all my paper items shortly after and used the money to buy kits

12. What was your 1st LO about?
Though this is not my first layout, this is the first one in a gallery It’s about my nickname for my youngest son.

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)?

I collect vintage odds and ends, I make jewelry, I read and I love to cook.

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?

Finding more time to do it!

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?

Photography. I really want to learn how to take great photos.

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?

TV, Sons of Anarchy, Ghost Adventures, The Voice, Jersey Shore and Dr. Phil. Movies, Goodfellas, Boondocks Saints and Step Brothers.

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?

I am at my dining room table I can’t work with music or television on because I get distracted very easily. Usually I just have a glass of water or ice tea, no snacks. I’m big on keeping my keyboard clean.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be?

Leaves and flower

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?

I snort when I laugh

20. When did you start designing? What made you get in to design work?

Three years ago in March. I just wanted to try it actually, I just wanted to see if I could do it and here I am three years later!

21. How would you describe your design style?

Fun, Vintagey, Colorful

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?

My kids, colors, things in my life, music, patterns. So many things really.

23. Which of your kits showcases your style the most?

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?

I don’t have a favorite scheme, but I do have favorite colors I like to use. Mostly orange, teal and yellow.

25. Favorite kit you’ve designed?

Thanks soooo much, Amy for coming back to hang out with us at ScrapMatters! If you want to see all of what Amy brought you can see her store HERE!

Lisa (kelseyll)

Sunday Spotlight: CT Member – Karen (KairynLisa)

kelseyll — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:00:56 +0000

Today we get to know a little more about one of our CT Members, KairynLisa!

1. Your screen name? Your real name? KairynLisa/Karen

2. What is your main job/career? I am a stay-at-home/homeschooling mom

3. Are you married/children/pets? Yes… with seven children between us (hence my blog name: 7kids4me, lol), our Buddy dog died last summer (

We also have three granddaughters!

4. Where is home for you? Southern Maine, very near where the Bush’s summer home is )

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? Pizza (especially with meat!), Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Strawberries

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Strawberry Ice Cream

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Both! I love to mix M&Ms with Fritos! mmmm

8. Beverage of choice? I used to love Diet Mt. Dew until I realized how bad it was, so I quit (lost 25 pounds too!) And now I drink alot of water… but at a restaurant, my drink of choice is Strawberry Lemonade

9. What’s your least favorite food? veggies P

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? I have a PC with XP

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? Since the fall of 2008. I started with SmileBox and then realized I wanted to do so much more than I could… did a google search for more info, and found ScrapMatters… I’ve learned so much here!

12. What was your 1st LO about? It was about a local nursery and their fall festival:

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? There are other hobbies, but maybe none as fun! lol I enjoy reading and all sort of handcrafts from cross-stitch to knitting to crochet – I sell my crochet hats here: http://koziesbykaren.blogspot.com/

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Hmmm, I’d have to say shadowing, getting them to look real – I’m still working on that one!

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? Is photography an option? I’d like to learn how to use my dslr in manual mode for efficiently.

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? I don’t watch alot of TV anymore… I like Historical Romance in books and movies – Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Les Miserables, Mansfield Park… but I also love a good action/suspense flick such as Taken, Lord of the Rings Trilogy or Star Wars – guess I’m all over the place!

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? Actually, I don’t have music or TV in the background, and I try not to snack at the computer (though I’ve been known to eat my meals here!) So my environment is pretty stark, ha!

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? Only two… hmmm, that’s tough! a curly string or ribbon to show motion, and buttons I think… everything else I could recreate with paper (flowers, scallops, frames, etc. – even alphas!)

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…? I’m a big genealogy buff! (Guess, I forgot to mention that in the hobbies question.)

20. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? It’s pretty eclectic, like my movies! lol I like white or light colored backgrounds and lots of white space, but I also like bold backgrounds! I love a good bit of clustering, too!

21. Favorite LOs that you have done? Oy-vey! These could be numerous… any I don’t love I tend to redo! lol I’ll try to pick only 2 or 3…

Thank so much for sharing, Karen!

Melissa (Missi_me)

Sunday Spotlight Jan 15th, 2012 – Designer: Jeanine DeOre

kelseyll — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:30:18 +0000

1. Your screen name? Your real name?

My screen name is jeanine, and my real name is Jeanine DeOre (used to be Baechtold).

2. What is your main job/career?

Right now my main job is art licensing and design, but I am also a CPA.

3. Are you married/children/pets?

I am a single mom of 2 kids – Colton, 10 and Calista, 7.

4. Where is home for you?

I currently live outside of Princeton, NJ but I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and went to college/worked in Wisconsin. I miss the midwest!

5. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Hmmmmm – just three? LOL. Diet coke (yes it is a food! it is called breakfast!!!), chocolate chocolate cake, and lasagna.

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

I don’t like chocolate ice cream BUT I love vanilla with any kind of chocolate in it.

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet?

Both. Chocolate covered pretzels.

8. Beverage of choice?

See #5 (diet coke).

9. What’s your least favorite food?

Artichokes.

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use?

PC and I use PSCS5.

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started?

I have been digi-scrapping and designing since 2004. It is a creative outlet for me. I started scrapbooking traditionally when Calista was born, using “real” paper, punches, stickers, etc and would print my photos off the computer using Photoshop Elements, which came free with a printer. I then discovered I could “tweak” photos and even add text and borders before printing! From there, a light went on and I started creating entire layouts on the computer – you would think I discovered gold! LOL!. A digital scrapper was born!

12. What was your 1st LO about?

My daughter. She was quite sick when she was born. The two pager is here:

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)?

I am a coupon clipper! I have a big binder with the coupon inserts by date, printable coupons, etc. and I stalk couponmom! LOL!

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?

To be honest, I don’t think I am a very “good” scrapbooker. I know that sounds weird! I am usually happier with my designing than I am with my layouts. Many of my layouts I don’t even post! For me, scrapbooking in general is difficult if I am doing it to advertise a kit or something. It never looks right. However, if I am doing it for my family’s sake, then it is just about my family, the subject, and what I want to preserve or remember. The papers and elements are secondary.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?

I would like to be better organized. I feel as I have gotten older I have become more scattered!

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?

I loved LOST, and nothing has really filled that void! LOL! Right now I like Blue Bloods and NCIS: LA.

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?

I have a desk in my TV room with my monitors and computers. I usually have a diet coke and a couple Hershey kisses lying around, and am probably listening to Pandora.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be?

I don’t use a lot of elements, so 2 are plenty! Probably a fastener/staple and a ribbon. I tend to layer a ton of paper rather than elements – I think that is why I would rather design a ton of papers!

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?

I was an all-star drill team/cheerleader and performed at disney world, epcot center, soldier field, etc. That seems like worlds ago!

20. When did you start designing? What is your favorite product that you’ve designed?

I started designing in 2004. I think my favorite is my “Happy New Year” collection.

21. How would you describe your design style?

I can be whimsical or shabby. Depends on the theme of the kit. Most of my designs are more about the color than anything, but no paper is complete without brushwork. .

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?

Target ads, pinterest, magazines for color inpiration.

23. Which of your kits showcases you style the most?

I think my most recent one – Hearts and Flowers. Fun colors, patterns, textures, and flowers.

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?

I like browns or blacks with a punch of color.

25. Favorite kit you’ve designed?

“Happy New Year” collection (above) and “Poppies”

Thanks, Jeanine, for letting us get to know you better and for showcasing some of your best work! You can see her whole store HERE.

Carol (Iowan)

Sunday Spotlight Jan 8, 2012 – SMG: Sandra (sberkan)

kelseyll — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:00:34 +0000

Each Sunday we like to interview a member of our community so we can get to know one another better. This week we are featuring Sandra (sberkan). She is a member of the SMG – ScrapMatters Girls and is, in fact, the assistant leader of the group! Here is what she had to say to the following:

1. Your screen name? Your real name?
sberkan…Sandra Berkan

2. What is your main job/career?
By training I am a chartered accountant but currently I stay at home with my kids. Trust me, the latter is definitely the harder job! LOL

3. Are you married/children/pets?
I have been married for 9 years now and we have three fantastic boys (6, 4 and 1)! No pets…the boys are enough work!

4. Where is home for you?
Right in the middle of the Canadian Prairies – Regina, Saskatchewan…you can check out the ScrapMatters map to find my dot there!

5. What are your 3 favorite foods?
This is hard…chocolate, tacos (I could eat them EVERY day) and a warm, buttery bun or bread.

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
One put out here by Safeway called Nuttin’ Better. It’s vanilla with peanut butter swirls and little bits of chocolate in it. SO GOOD!

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet?
Sweet, usually, though I actually tired of them this Christmas and craved something salty…that’s strange for me. I must be getting old

8. Beverage of choice?

Water…cool and quenching.

9. What’s your least favorite food?
I’m kinda picky but liver has to be up there, as well as breakfast sausages.

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use?

Mac all the way! I scrap in GIMP but just received PSE10 for Christmas so I want to try it for photo editing and text manipulation.

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started?

I have been digi-scrapping for about 3 1/2 years now. I got started when I was trying to do a photo book at Shutterfly for a trip we had taken. I was looking through the photo book options and I saw one for “Print Your Digital Scrapbook”. I was curious so I googled it and starting collecting freebie kits!! Then, I even used a couple of them .

12. What was your 1st LO about?
Our trip to Mexico, which I was trying to scrap at the time. It was my kids’ first flight. Please don’t judge me for this .

Page 1

Page 2

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)?
I do and I’m actually trying to spend more time on them right now. I cross-stitch and am working on afghans for my nieces and nephews (only 4 years behind!). I also like to play with photography and I love to travel!

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?

The most challenging part is getting the vision in my head on to paper. Often I know exactly how I want to scrap a photo but the page I end up with is nothing like what was in my head. Sometimes it’s a good thing but sometimes it’s disappointing, too.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?
I love to learn things. Right now, I think I’d like to learn to speak French better. I do OK but my kids are in French Immersion school and I’d love to be more proficient to talk to them in French.

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?
I don’t watch nearly as much TV as I used to and I never was a big movie watcher but I do love the Anne of Green Gables movies. I love Food Network and HGTV but I think Top Chef is my favourite on there. I also adore The Amazing Race.

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?
My computer is a desktop so I’m down in the family room at my desk. No food, no drinks…it still seems wrong to me to have those by the computer…you might wreck it . Often the TV is on in the background as DH watches sports or plays a video game. I often intend to listen to music but usually forget!

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be?
This is hard. I’d hate to limit myself to 2 elements! But, if I had to choose, one would be either a frame or mask for the photo and the other would be ribbons.

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?
I would but I’m not sure what it would be LOL! Um…let me think…I have always wanted to drive a semi truck…just to prove I can.

20. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style?
I have never really known what my style is. It just seems to be whatever I like. At the moment, I am kind of experimenting with cleaner, more minimalist pages to some extent (which isn’t the easiest style for me but it’s kinda fun!)

21. Favorite LOs that you have done?

I am having a horrible time choosing. Apparently I have done a lot of pages I like in the last couple years (that’s a good thing, right?!). Here are a few from most recent to oldest.

This was a Christmas present for my SIL. Her friend wrote and performed a song for her baby shower. The page made my SIL cry so I thought it was perfect. Also, I got down on paper exactly what I had seen in my head!

I did this one for a speed scrap and without a template! I was pretty proud of that.

I have begun to do more photoless pages to tell stories for my kids’ annual books and I totally loved how this one turned out.

I love the simplicity and emotion this page expresses. I also was excited about the face that I scanned and extracted my own handwriting for the word art.

This was one of the first Extreme Makeovers I did a long time ago and I still love this redo.

22. What does being on the ScrapMatters Girls team mean to you? What is the best part?

Being a ScrapMatter Girl has been one of my favourite experiences. I remember when I first saw the call and thought…I could do that, it sounds right up my alley. I haven’t looked back since then! There are so many wonderful parts…one, of course, being the people! I have gotten to meet so many wonderful ladies as we are on the team together and they have all been such a special part of my life. The other fabulous part of being a ScrapMatters Girl is getting to explore the gallery. Seeing different styles of scrapping and all the beautiful pages encourages my creativity and pushes my scrapping boundaries, too.

WOW! Thanks, Sandra, for sharing so much with us! Your layouts are beautiful and it is good that you’ve kept some of your first! We all have ones like that since we all have to start somewhere! =) Also, thank you for the time and energy you give to ScrapMatters by being on the SMG and a part of our community!!

Lisa (kelseyll)

Sunday Spotlight – Amy!, Amy Shinabarger

kelseyll — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 10:03:55 +0000

This week we got a chance to catch up with one of our regular ScrapMatters members, Amy! Thanks for letting us get to know you a little better and for sharing your layouts with us!

1. Your screen name? amy! Your real name? Amy Shinabarger

2. What is your main job/career? House Executive or Mobile Operations Manager Wife/Mom

3. Are you married/children/pets? I’m married and have 1 son. Been with the hubby since 1991 and our lil boy is 8. We have 1 lil dog and my kitty has her wings now…had her for 21yrs. miss her lots.

4. Where is home for you? Home is where my hubby, son and dog are..Stanton, Michigan

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? mmm, that’s a hard one. Preferably something I don’t have to cook or clean up after. Chinese, Italian and bread and salad, BIG salad!

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? not a big ice cream eater…but I’m gonna say chocolate chip mint

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? sweet baby, all the way!

8. Beverage of choice? use to say Coke but I’m really trying to stop drinking it at home….but yeah, coke!- great now I want a Coke.

9. What’s your least favorite food? fish

10. PC or Mac? PC

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? 1st place I registered was Aug. 2007. How did you get started? I believe I was searching for clip art and stumbled onto it.

12. What was your 1st LO about? My son of course! heehe, omgosh, really? you wanna see that?

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? Only hobbies I take serious are snappin pictures and digi scrappin!

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? hmm, good question. I have lots to learn so where to start? I’m going to go with knowing my program…I use an old version of PSE and still haven’t got a clue how to use parts of it.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? I’d like to be a better house keeper..Is that something I can learn?

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? hmm, let’s see, I pretty much like all Johnny Depp movies and my fav TV show at the moment is Vampire Diaries…those boys are yummy

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? My computer desk sits in the living room right next to the TV..which is always on. Snacks and drinks, yes I have them, nothing specific.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? besides paper and pictures right? flowers and leaves..my new fav!

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…? no, not really…I’m actually pretty boring- dizzy fun boring!

20. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? Well again, I’ve got lots to learn…so my style is always changing. Hopefully for the better. My goal is to have full pages with lots of clustering. That’s what I’m learning now.

21. Favorite LOs that you have done? alright, I’ll start with this one. I very seldom talk about myself in LOs…and since I’m being positive in it..I like that.

Up next is a template I’ve used twice and I’m so happy at the clustering results in both LOs.

and I’ll throw one more in. This one is very recent. I love how it turned out….and if I say so myself..I think the kit is a perfect pairing with my pictures. heehe, I’m a dork I know!

How fun to see that first layout and then her recent work!! Thanks so much, Amy!! Check out the rest of Amy’s gallery HERE!

Carol (Iowan)

Sunday Spotlight – Vivienne and Vanessa of ViVa Artistry

kelseyll — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:03:45 +0000

This week we have TWO Interviews to share with our ScrapMatters members!! First up we have Vivienne and Vanessa of ViVa Artistry that are guesting at SM this month and we have Cheri of Dream Big Designs!! So, grab some coffee and get to know these fabulous designers a little better! =)

1. Your screen name? Your real name?

Unica: Vanessa

Vivie: Vivienne

2. What is your main job/career?

Vanessa: SAHM
Vivienne: Marketing/Writing

3. Are you married/children/pets?
Vanessa: married, 4 girls (8, 5 and 1 yo twins), 2 cats, 3 fish and a shrimp

Vivienne: married, 2 girls (12 and 15 years old)

4. Where is home for you?

Vanessa: Florida though I’m originally from Brazil
Vivienne: Denmark (Europe) but American from Southern California

5. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Vanessa: steak, beef green curry and brazilian style strogonoff
Vivienne: Fried rice, Indian (any), roasted corn on the cob

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Vanessa: coconut with chocolate
Vivienne: Chocolate/Peanut Butter or Baskin Robbins’ Tax Crunch

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet?
Vanessa: salty then sweet then salty again…
Vivienne: salty and sour (vinegar chips, yummy!)

8. Beverage of choice?
Vanessa: green tea
Vivienne: black coffee

9. What’s your least favorite food?

Vanessa: watermelon and bell peppers
Vivienne: Boller i karry (Danish giant pork meatballs swimming in curry sauce)

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use?

Vanessa: Mac. Photoshop and Illustrator CS3
Vivienne: PC, Photoshop CS3, Inkscape, ArtRage

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started?

Vivienne: My background is in traditional scrapbooking, doing it almost my whole life but I went thru CM phase, Stampin Up, etc. Our family moved to Japan in 2006 and there were no scrap supplies and I was looking online and there it was digital…duh! I had worked with Photoshop at work and had done all my journaling and printed it but never did layouts in it. Found Vanessa on one of the forums and there ya go!

12. What was your 1st LO about?

Vanessa: Alissa’s (my oldest) birth.
Vivienne: my girls…ROFL ROFL…I deleted a lot of my first layouts…I have my first ones for Christina Renee from when I was on her CT…

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)?

Vanessa: Reading… I could spend hours at it and forget about the rest of the world.

Vivienne: Are you you ready? Reading, writing, sewing clothes, papercrafting, jewelry/beading, embroidery, quilling, battenburg lacemaking, ribbon embroidery, crochet, and cooking.

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?

Vanessa: These days finding the time…
Vivienne: So many ways to layout a page!!! which way is best????

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?

Vanessa: I would love to take some deep sea diving lessons, skydiving is also on my “after the kids are grown” list.

Vivienne: Fly a plane (hey, cool, I’ll take Vanessa skydiving and STAY in the plane).

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?

Vanessa: not big on TV right now… love movies though… among my favorites would be “The Godfather I & II”, “The Devil’s Advocate”, “The Usual Suspects” and “Mary Poppins”

Vivienne: TV: Bones, Castle, Big Bang Theory, CSI Las Vegas, the Killing (both danish and american versions), Modern Family, Babylon 5

Movies: Blade Runner, 5th Element, Memoirs of a Geisha

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?

Vanessa: anywhere, anyway… whatever I can figure out at the time with the dynamics of the house.

Vivienne: Dining room table in view of TV (for when I’m doing boring work), very quiet, no music, curtains drawn to keep sun out!

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be?

Vanessa: a flower and a nice brush.
Vivienne: Paper and Paper

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?

Vanessa: I really, really dislike talking on the phone
Vivienne: I hate vacuuming

20. When did you start designing?

Vanessa and Vivienne: About 3 years ago (October 2008)

21. How would you describe your design style?

Artistic. A bit vintage, a bit altered, a bit graphic…

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?

Mostly the art world. We love to look for different art styles, medium, etc. We also love to find inspiration in different cultures and eras.

23. Which of your kits showcases your style the most?

Probably Misfit. It has a little bit of everything we stand for there.

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?

Clear brights… all over the spectrum.

25. Favorite kit you’ve designed?

Vanessa: Vogue and Otaku
Vivienne: Otaku and Misfit

You can find their guest store at ScrapMatters right HERE! Thanks ladies for guesting and for letting us get a sneak peek into the ViVa Artistry duo!! You ladies make a great team! =)

Lisa (kelseyll)

Sunday Spotlight – Cheri of Dream Big Designs

kelseyll — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:02:41 +0000

1. Your screen name? Your real name?
It is the same for both; Cheri
And my Design name is Dream Big Designs.

2. What is your main job/career?
My first and foremost important job is a Mom. I am raising three kiddos and I always try to put that first. The other job I have is I am Cake Decorator. I have decorated cakes for 10 years and still do it as a side job.
3. Are you married/children/pets?
I have been married for almost 10 years. I have 3 kids, and as far as pets I would love to have a cat, dog, horse, lizard, bird and guinea pig. But right now we only have fish. (My little family is too allergic to animal hair.)
4. Where is home for you?
Right now, home is in Syracuse Utah. But I will always consider Portland Oregon my home also.
5. What are your 3 favorite foods?
Spaghetti, Milk and Brownies
6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate Chip Mint
7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet?
Salty
8. Beverage of choice?
Ice Water
9. What’s your least favorite food?
Sweet Potatoes
10. PC or Mac? What program do you use?
PC. I use PSE and CS5.
11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started?
I have been digi scrapping for 4 years and started designing soon after that. I had my second child and wanted a way to preserve their memories without the mess. My neighbour gave me a quick lesson on PSE and I found some freebies and tutorials online and took off from there.
12. What was your 1st LO about?
I scrapped our Family Easter Picture. I think it turned out ok for my first page ever….

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)?
I LOVE to read Paranormal Romance! I also love to run, hike, waterski, ride horses, and do random crafts.
14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?
Time! I always want to do more. It is good that I can get faster, cause I don’t think I would be able to keep up with everything I want to get done. Speaking of….let’s cruise through these questions so I can get back to scrapping. Tee hee.
15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?
Photography. My DH is way better at it than I am, but I always seem to be the one with the camera.
16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?
I really don’t watch too much TV. I really love to watch romance movies, but I would rather be at my computer than in front of the TV. Always!!!
17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?
Kids are asleep, house is cleaned and quiet. I have a nice mug of hot chocolate and I am bright eyed and the creative juices are always flowing……Bwahahahh. Yeah Right! I normally have a bit of bills, trash, and coupons on my computer desk. My desk is in the kitchen (main area of the house) so people are always running around yelling, crashing, crying. Chaos. And normally I try to zone out 20 minutes here and there to my little paradise called my PC.
18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be?
Splatters and a killer Alpha.
19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?
I can wiggle my ears. Yep, like a dog.
20. When did you start designing? What is your favorite product that you’ve designed?
I started designing in April of 2008. My favorite product is Smarty Pants. I adore school kits and this one tops my favorites.

21. How would you describe your design style?
I like to make my items look paper pieced together. And I love grungy with a bit of childishness. (is that a word?)
22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?
Everywhere. My kids, hubby, driving, reading, TV, and my dreams. Believe it or not, I dream a LOT about my scrapbook kits. I get a lot of my ideas from my dreams.
23. Which of your kits showcases you style the most?
I would have to say Harbor Bay. I love creating little characters and this has a bit of everything in it.

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?
I love boy colors. Rich Oranges, Bold Blues, Limy Greens.
25. Favorite kit you’ve designed?

My favorite is always the latest kit I have created. But right now I am most proud of A Charming Party. (My princess kit.) I just adore all the little princesses.

Thanks for letting us get to know you better, Cheri! Be sure to check out her whole store HERE!

Debby (debbysrose)

Sunday Spotlight – Wendy of wm[squared]

kelseyll — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:02:19 +0000

This week we get to check in on a long standing SM Designer….WENDY of wm[squared]!!

1. Your screen name? Your real name? wm[squared] Wendy

2. What is your main job/career? My main “job” is designing. But i’m also a student!

3. Are you married/children/pets? Married for almost 13 years, no kids and one crazy cat & dog!

4. Where is home for you? South (VERY HOT) Texas!!

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? Italian, Seafood & Italian. lol. I really like Italian food!

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Mint Chocolate Chip

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Both!!

8. Beverage of choice? Dr Pepper!!

9. What’s your least favorite food? Sushi (or anything raw!)

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? PC! PS CS4

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I’ve been digi scrapping for probably 4 or so years, and designing for almost as long. I got started while living in California! I started out as a freebie hunter (didn’t we all?), and went on from there! It was so much cheaper than paper scrapbooking, which was a huge bonus!

12. What was your 1st LO about? It was a cute picture of my hubby and I. And it’s scary!! lol.

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I *LOVE* to travel!! I also love photography!

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Finding the time to do it! When I have spare time, I usually spend it designing. So to say that i’m REALLY far behind on scrapping would be a huge understatement!

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? Photography. I would love to learn everything from taking the picture to developing my own photos.

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? I love TV, and i usually have it on in the background while I work. Some favorites are: Castle, Psych, True Blood, Dexter. I could go on and on!

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? all of the above!! I scrap/design in my office. And i love snacks & tv on in the background!

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? flowers, ribbon

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…? I think i’ve shared this so many times that’s it *IS* a known fact, but I’ll share it anyways. I was born in Italy, and have duel citizenship.

20. When did you start designing? What is your favorite product that you’ve designed? February 2008. It’s so hard to choose just one!! But I really love my Great Escape Bundle & Add Ons!

21. How would you describe your design style? Realistic, fun, funky, and very themed.

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation? Everywhere! My CT, Pinterest, you name it!

23. Which of your kits showcases you style the most? I think anything in the last year really showcases my style.

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with? i like muted colors as opposed to bright color schemes. And i’ve been LOVING gray a lot lately!

25. Favorite kit you’ve designed? The Great Escape Bundle & Add On, although, I love all of my kits!! ;D

Thanks for letting us get to know you a little better, Wendy!! You can check out ALL the goodies in her store HERE!

Kim (kjrogers01)

Sunday Spotlight – SMG Carol (Iowan)

kelseyll — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 10:03:00 +0000

Hi, all! I love these weekly interviews because we get a chance to get to know our friends in digi-land a little bit better. This week I had the privilege of interviewing SMG Carol (Iowan) for our weekly interview.

1. Your screen name? Your real name? Iowan, Carol J

2. What is your main job/career? I’m a retired teacher from Iowa. I taught special education for 28 years at The University of Iowa and the Newton Community Schools, Newton, Iowa.

3. Are you married/children/pets? I have a wonderful husband and two delightful daughters. Added to this, I have the two sweetest (and most photogenic) grandchildren on earth.

4. Where is home for you? Although I grew up in Nebraska, I consider Iowa my home. I now live in Washington … so my outer Hawkeye, inner Husker, and inner Husky are at odds (and opposite ends of the field this year).

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? Crème brûlée, Annaclair Chocolates, and Baklava.

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Coconut.

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet ? Hands down, nothing beats the orange fingers and worthless calories of Cheetos. Of course, being digital, the only orange fingerprints are on my keyboard.

8. Beverage of choice? I live in Seattle, duh Coffee!!

9. What’s your least favorite food? Lima beans, because, seriously, who likes them?

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? I am a Mac lover but own a couple PCs. I could not afford to buy programs for two operating systems and my husband uses the PC at work. Hiss, hiss, boo, boo.

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? My first digi scrapping was for a book I made about my great grandmother about 3 years ago.

12. What was your 1st LO about? My first layout was for my grandmother’s book. (I think!!)

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I have done so many crafts it is hard to list them all; some I did well, some not so well. I used to have a business called the Cellar Seller, where I made all kinds of country crafts including woodworking items, handmade dolls, tole paintings, embroidery, quilts, and many paper crafts. Perhaps my biggest hobby besides cooking and reading is traveling. My husband and I have traveled to most of the US states and several foreign countries.

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Finishing projects. This year I decided to adopt the word “complete”. I feel my life is so complete in many ways, but I really needed to complete my many quarter/third/half-done projects.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? My photography could improve tremendously. Right now, my family tolerates the fact that I will take hundreds (and on vacation thousands) of pictures hoping to get some great ones. I have taken classes and can improve my photos with Photoshop, but I would like to get my camera off automatic more often. It would be great to get quality photos from the onset and not have to do so much editing.

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? My favorite movies are Fried Green Tomatoes, The Last of the Mohicans, and Princess Bride. I really like anything on the DVR (usually NCIS) on TV.

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? I have a wonderful office at the front of our house where my computer faces the street. It is quite warm and comfy. There is always a cup of coffee sitting nearby. No Music-see answer #19.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? Definitely good frames and flowers.

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you...? I’m nearly deaf. The digital world really makes it easier for people with disabilities to connect.

20. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? Lots of clusters and a certain amount of grunginess.

21. Favorite LOs that you have done?

22. What is your favorite part of being a member of the Scraps Matter Gang?

Aside from having support on demand? The warm caring people who make this such a terrific site. I think the positive feedback that is given to scrappers is so essential. It really gives a warm feeling when people get such thoughtful dialogue about their layouts.

Thanks so much, Carol, for sharing a little bit about yourself!

Kris (PhotoNut71)

Sunday Spotlight – Sarah (zachandavasmom)

kelseyll — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:02:44 +0000

1. Your screen name? ZachandAvasmom Your real name? Sarah

2. What is your main job/career? Speech Language Pathologist (therapist for short)

3. Are you married/children/pets? I am married (almost 6 years), I have two children (Zach- 5 on Sept 15th and Ava-3) I also have one little dog and some adopted pets since we are staying at my parents since we moved from CA to NH.

4. Where is home for you? I am from NH and just moved back after being in CA for 10 years

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? Anything with sugar! Pasta and pizza. I reserve these things for special occasions but wish I could eat them all the time

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Rocky Road!

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Sweet, see question #5!

8. Beverage of choice? Coke zero cherry

9. What’s your least favorite food? fish or any kind of seafood

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? PC/CS5

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I have been digi since 2008 because I had two small children and didn’t get any traditional done anymore. I started getting serious and expanding my knowledge in early 2010

12. What was your 1st LO about? Oh geez! How about my first at ScrapMatters,

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I don’t have time for other hobbies right now. I have two kids, a husband and a full time job so they detract enough from my scrap time

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Not using templates. I never used them until the last year or so and now I am addicted.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? There are tons of things I would like to explore-photography, learn an instrument, lyrical dancing haha (I am a bit old now at 34!)

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? True Blood, So You Think You Can Dance, all the Harry Potter and Twilight movies.

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? I scrap on the couch with the TV on and usually kids or other people making tons of noise. I like to stay up way to late so I get an hour or two of scrapping in almost silence.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? Flowers and string
19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…? Little known? Hmmm….I went skydiving twice and lived in a castle in Europe in 1996 for college.

20. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? I love kits based on their elements so I try to use the ones I like the most and then add the papers. A bit backwards but it usually works for me. Unless there are some bold patterned papers then I drool and have to use them!

21. Favorite LOs that you have done?

Thanks, Sarah, for sharing more about you with us!! Images are linked to comment on her layouts! =)

Melissa (missi_me)