What made this project special to us?
We were very excited by Tricia's creative use of our files from our Christmas Bucket! She used the Ornaments file to cut ornaments for each date pocket and used Santa for the "big day"! What a wonderful and creative gift idea!!
Hello everyone. I am a wife, mother of three, and a grandmother to one. I have scrapbooked for over 15 years on and off but it wasn't until I was pregnant with my daughter Alexandria 8 years ago that I started to do it on an almost daily basis. Along with traditional scrapping I also enjoy digital scrapping and I love to alter anything that I can get my hands on. When I purchased my QK Silhouette in June of 2007 I knew that it would change my way of scrapping, but not to the degree it has. I love to be able to create and design my own fonts or embellishments to fit my layout needs. I am still a novice when it comes to creating my own files, but I am teaching myself a little bit more each time I sit down and the computer.
When I am not scrapping, I am an avid photographer and love to be behind the camera. I am always taking pictures of my cats, kids, or the grandbaby. My other interests are reading and listening to relaxing music.
Which cutter do you use, how long have you had it, and tell us something that was really helpful to you in learning how to use the machine?
I use the QK Silhouette. I bought it in June of 2007 and I am still learning how to use it to its full potential. I have learned that welding letters is quite easy using Inkscape and that when using Bazzil Cardstock you need to turn reverse the image and turn the CS so the textured side is face down and to copy and paste at least once, I like to do twice for good measure to get a nice clean cut. Also when using the Bazzil Bling a third or fourth pass is needed to make sure that layer is cut through as well
Describe your crafting process (for example: are you a planner? Do you create layouts or cards "off the cuff"? Do you like to create alone or with friends? With or without music? etc.)
My creative process starts out with the photos and an idea book or two. I will sit in my living room with my husband and daughter and look through the books until something catches my eye. I then grab my blank sketch book and start sketching the layout. On that page I will list the sizes of each photo as well as the number I assign to it, the colors, patterned paper, embellishments, Title and journaling. From there it is off to my Scrap room to work. If I am in a happy and crazy kind of mood I will play either the '80's hair band playlist or the Country playlist on my computer. If I am in a quite contemplative mood the Celtic/Wiccan playlist is chosen. Once my music is playing I get the cardstock and patterned paper out and crop the photos to their specific size. Once the placements of the paper and photos is done I step back and take a moment to look at the layout and decide whether the embellies I had planned are still appropriate at this stage. Usually they are not and new ones are chosen. When I am satisfied that the layout is complete I leave it sit out for my husband or my son's fiancé to look at and let me know if something is not right. When I scrap I like to do it mainly alone, but sometimes I need someone here with me to break up the quiet and to give me advice when something is just not right and I can't place my finger on it at that time.
What do you typically pack to take to a crop?
Well I haven't been to one away from here in well over two years, but when I did go I was a planner. I have a Creative Memories paper carrier that is just perfect for this. I will plan a page down to embellishments etc, and place each planned page with photos in its own envelope. Then I take my purple and black tool tote with all my necessary tools in it and that all goes in my large rolling tote. I have learned over the years that I got more accomplished this way and I had less junk to drag back and forth and to put away upon returning home.
Tell us a fun or little known fact about you. (This one doesn't have to relate to scrapbooking or cutting at all.)
Hmm. That is hard. Well one thing I can say and most people don't know unless you have known me for years, know that I still color. I use coloring in a coloring book as a form of stress relief. It also give me a chance to release pent up creativity that I get when there are no pictures to scrap or layouts to sketch.
