About.com Scrapbooking Scrapbooker of the Month June 2009 - Kay

From the Forum

"Scrapbooker of the Month" (SOTM) is a way to honor a scrapbooker who is a member of the About.com Scrapbooking Forum. The SOTM is someone who regularly provides inspiration for other scrapbookers by participating in discussions, sharing scrapbook page layouts, and both participating in and creating challenges.

The SOTM for June 2009 is Kay Wallace. She became a member of the About.com Scrapbooking forum earlier this year. We asked her to tell us a little about herself and answer a few questions about her love of scrapbooking.

To see some of Kay's scrapbook pages visit the June 2009 SOTM Gallery.

From Kay - I am a 65-year-old retiree (now back to working part time) from Lynn, Massachusetts, who is married to a wonderful man who totally supports this habit of mine called “scrapbooking.” I am the mother of a grown son and daughter, and have not only two grandsons, but a 13-year-old stepdaughter. Together, they all keep me on my toes and in lots of photos!

I didn't "love" scrapbooking at first. I actually found it quite intimidating. I found myself copying others' styles and then comparing my work to theirs - with disastrous results. Over the first year, however, I began to feel more comfortable and to develop my own style. I actually began to allow a photograph or perhaps even a piece of paper or an embellishment to lead the way in developing a layout. I now find both enjoyment and, yes, even pride in my scrapbooking.

Stumbling upon the About.com Scrapbooking forum earlier this year has been such a joy for me. I have made wonderful friends, participated in forum challenges (even posting some of my own), enlarged my vocabulary to include such words as “hyperlink” and “monochromatic,” and definitely have become a better scrapbooker along the way!

How long have you been a scrapper? I have been scrapbooking for more than 7 years.

What started your journey into scrapbooking? My daughter introduced me to scrapbooking after her friend introduced her to scrapbooking. Isn't that how it works?

What is generally the main focal point your pages? It’s all about the photo(s). For me, there is a logical order: photo, paper, journaling, embellishments.

What kind of camera do you use? I use a pretty much “point’n’shoot” Panasonic. I have to give credit here to my husband, who takes most of the pictures that I scrap. Russ uses a Panasonic SLR.

Where & When do you scrap? I am lucky enough to have a dedicated scrapping room in my house which allows me to scrap whenever I feel like it! And I do! I also have friends over, and we scrap at my dining room table. I also attend a community MeetUp group which involves scrapbooking, cardmaking, and other forms of papercrafting. Lastly, I also scrap at the “dinette” table in my camper during the summer.

How much time do you devote to scrapbooking? After retiring, I started a .com business providing a scrapbooking service specializing in wedding scrapbooks. During the wedding “high season,” I might spend in excess of 30 hours/week as part of this endeavor. Off season, I get to scrap what I want and when I want, probably about 10-12 hours weekly.

What/Who inspires you? I draw inspiration from a variety of sources. Photos of my grandsons and stepdaughter, of course! Through forum “challenges,” I have learned to draw inspiration from other scrapbookers’ styles, from color palates in magazine ads, even from “recipes” (use a button trio, a punched border, and black cardstock). One of my favorite inspirations comes from Rebecca Ludens' sketches.

What types of layouts do you do most? (events, heartfelt, chronological?) When scrapbooking for pleasure, my layouts are always heartfelt. I scrap “in the moment,” whether it be photos of my sister as a child, my grandson’s most recent ball game, or my husband and stepdaughter off on a rock climbing adventure. I gave up being tied to a calendar when I gave up using a ruler!

What is your favorite part of scrapbooking? I love forum challenges! I love being “forced” out of my comfort zone and into a brand new way of thinking! From beginning as a one-patterned-paper-and-a-coordinating-cardstock kind of person, I have ended up being comfortable using as many as 4 different patterned papers in the same layout!

What are your 3 scrapping essentials? The first is the most difficult: a clean work surface! I also must have my laptop for journaling and my 13x19 inch printer that loves my 12x12’s!

Do you have a color preference? I have had a lifelong affair with blues. However, I have learned to embrace most colors — even pink and orange!

What are your favorite scrapbook products? I absolutely could not scrap without my rotary trimmer! I absolutely would not scrap without my Cricut!

What was your latest scrappy purchase? I have very recently made two major purchases. A 40% off coupon allowed me to finally get my Big Kick embossing system! Another sale I just couldn’t refuse was my Cricut Design Studio and accompanying Juke Box! This last one is so new, it is still in the box!

Do you have any other hobbies? My husband and I enjoy camping during the summer months. When traveling, we enjoy finding vineyards and sampling local wines.

Is there anything you do differently now, from when you first started scrapbooking? Most definitely! I have tossed out my rulers and given up striving for perfection.

Remember that you can check out Kay's layouts in this month's Scrapbooker of the Month Gallery.