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I'm a huge fan of colour and keeping things simple. My style stems from a combination of my schedule and my personality. I don’t have a great deal of time to scrapbook so I try to keep my projects simple and definitive, while still portraying who I am and my style. I have always been a huge fan of color and tend to be the happiest with a final project when I use colors that I’ve pulled from the photographs I’ve chosen. If I had more time to scrapbook and experiment with my own style and new techniques, I think I would still be drawn to the same look…

My photos are focial point and my design inspiration. my Generally when I sit down to scrapbook, the first thing I do is choose the photographs I want to use. I tend to be a one or two photo per layout scrapbooker. I feel it’s a simpler style, easier to accomplish and really keeps the focus on those photos. Once I’ve decided that, I look carefully at the photos, decide what the focal point is, and look at the colors involved. Then, I decide what colors to use on the layout depending on what the photographs are telling me. If I feel the layout calls for patterned paper, I will choose that based on the cardstock I’ve already decided on. I will usually then come up with a general plan for the layout. If there is a particular embellishment I want to use on that layout, I will include that in the plan.

My inspiration starts at my family and stems from there. I’m inspired by so much. My children LOVE to have their photos taken, and I’m very lucky in that they are all very photogenic, so I constantly have an endless supply of great photos. When you are always looking at great pictures, it makes you want to scrap! I also find that I become very motivated to scrapbook when we are in the process of developing a new product line, or when we receive a shipment of a new product. I just can’t wait to get my hands on it. Reading all of the great magazines out there in this industry is also very inspiring. I find myself amazed sometimes at how some scrapbook artists come up with the ideas that they do. There are so many talented designers out there.

I am always striving for individuality in my work. As a scrapbooker, I like to develop my own style and come up with distinctive ways of using products or techniques. How will distressing an element, cutting it in half or placing it upside down add to or distract from my page? You can look in the pages of any magazine and find a ‘hot’ product used countless times, but I try to find a different way to use it, for my own satisfaction.

Right now, my best friend is white cardstock. I find myself using it a lot for backgrounds, because it really makes the patterned or solid paper on the rest of the layout jump out. Our Artsy Doodles™ rub-ons are my other favorite product right now, and I use them a great deal with the white backgrounds. If you take the rub-ons and use them on several pieces of nice vibrant colored cardstock, then cut out around them, leaving about 1/8in margin, you can place them on the white background, and instantly have an eye-catching – but relatively simple – design. It’s almost like making your own patterned paper. Then, add your embellishments, photos and title and you have a unique looking project.

Something to try. Take one of the Maisy Mo Poker Chip Flips™ and soak it or cover it in a color wash tint (Tim Holtz’s Color Washes work great for this!) Because the Poker Chip Flips™ are made of real clay, the chip itself will actually absorb the color, completely changing its look. The are originally a beige brown color, and we have turned them pink, green, and purple - just to name a few! Then, outline the letter or image with an embossing ink pen, sprinkle some diamond glaze or other embossing powder on it and heat set the chip to bring it to life!