Scrapbooking Styles

Today we scrapped together and after pouring over the pages of Elizabeth Kartchner's new book, 52 More Scrapbooking Challenges (you can see it here: http://elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com/), we decided we would like to write our own questionaire and post it on our blog to share more about our scrapbooking lives. So here is the Quiz and our answers. If you feel that way inclined, please put your answers in a comment and add them to our blog. We would love to read your responses:


1. How many scrapbook albums have you filled?

Mel says: 10, but I have 100's of layouts still waiting for albums. I need at least another 15.
Jill says: 20

2. The number of hours you would spend on average creating a double layout?

Mel says: Sometimes it can take me up to a week. Creating pages to inspire my students takes me time. I can't make it too easy for them or they wouldn't need me to teach them new techniques.
Jill says: 2-3 hrs

3. Where does your inspiration mostly come from?

Mel says: The product calls to me from the shelves when I'm suppose to be working and Elizabeth Kartchner's blog is my daily inspiration starter.
Jill says: A toss up between chatting with Mel and magazines (sometimes at the same time!)

4. What is your favourite accompaniment to scrapping? e.g. chocolate, listening to Robbie Williams, etc

Mel says: I love to play my favourite Dvd's when I'm scrapping on my own. True Blood is my guilty pleasure.
Jill says: My friends, Mel and Sandra

5. How old is the oldest piece of scrapbooking embellishment still in your stash and what is it?

Mel says: I first bought a coluzzle cutting system nearly 10 years ago and I still use it occassionally.
Jill says: When I first started scrapping I bought some bright blue letter stickers and I still have them six years later, used a little but still there!

6. What would you say are your 3 most used tools?

Mel says: Edge distresser, sanding block and paper piercer.
Jill says: Paper trimmer, paint brush and cutting mat

7. If you were to describe your scrapbooking style, how would you describe it?(30 words or less)

Mel says: Symetrically distressed with hand stitched elements.
Jill says: Clean lines and simple design

8. What is the thing you dislike experiencing the most when you are scrapping? e.g. dogs barking, loud music, etc

Mel says: People knocking on my front door. I have been known to close it, so it looks like I'm not home.
Jill says: Let me start off by saying I love my child dearly. I do find it hard to be creative when I am constantly hearing my name "mum......." "mum......." You know how it goes. I cannot stay in my creative zone when I hear this.

9. When do you "pack away" your supplies that you have got out to use on a layout/project?
a) as you go
b) after you have finished the page/project
c) "pack away", what do you mean?
d) other, please explain..............................................................

Mel says: d) I clean up at the start of every day, usually as Griffin is getting ready for school, so I can yell across the hallway to tell him to hurry up. I'm a multi - tasker!!!
Jill says: b) I like to have a clean desk to start my next page/project

10. In regards to alphabets, what do you like to use the most:
a) Stamps
b) Chipboard
c) Stickers
d) Rub-ons
e) A combination of 2 or more

Mel says: Chipboard, but always mix the fonts because I'm always out a particular letter.
Jill says: I would have to say chipboard and soon this will translate to using my Pazzle machine (when I am the full box and dice on how to use it).

11. Who is your biggest fan when it comes to your scrapbooking?

Mel says: I would have to say my students at Scrapbooks Etc are. I get a kick out of the fuss they make when they see a layout I created for the first time.
Jill says: Me! And only me! Glad I don't do it for anyone else.

12. What's the latest or earliest time you have found yourself scrapbooking and breifly explain?

Mel says: Being a night owl, anytime is a good time.
Jill says: 3.30 am. I was at a retreat and someone in our cabin was snoring very loudly and I couldn't sleep. So I went up to the hall and started scrapping. Next thing you know it's 3.30 am.

13. What is your favourite technique?

Mel says: Hand stitching with embroidery cotton.
Jill says: Ripping

14. What is your favourite supply at the moment?

Mel says: I just bought a set of Nestabilities Classic scalloped circles today. When I got to work it will be something else.
Jill says: Acrylic stamps

Me too!!!

Melissa says:

Thanks to Jill for motivating me to put up photo's of January's pages all completed. I had been meaning to do it for quite a while. Anyway, here they are.

I am very proud of how they look. Especially as a little collection, using the similar colours and embellishments helped to pull it all together.

Photos for January

Jill says:

Well January is over with very quickly for me as well. Here are some photos of what my journal looks like with January complete; in order of title page, goals page and January's ATC's. The end of January and so far this month, I have had quite a challenging time, personally, with a family member being less than healthy. The best thing about this challenge is it has made me look for things I am doing each and every day to work towards my goals. It does at times feel like this health issue is all consuming so to peek out from the cloud to see a bright shining light is enlightening to say the least. And as this health issue no longer incorporates my health goals, I have found my health goals have been something that has aided keeping me focused and in good spirits. Must be the endorphins!

Mel and I managed to meet for lunch last week and we discussed our journals and had a show and tell. We were both pleased and amazed at how different they were. We were also pleased we had scrapped separately (for the first month anyway) so we weren't influenced by each other and we could see what we each came up with separately. We also discussed how our styles are different anyway, and therefore two completely different journals have been created. I am definitely looking forward to our next get-together (whenever that may be-was booked in for tomorrow and has had to be postponed, story of my life so far this year!) to share our inspiration and enjoy each other's creations.

Goodbye January

Melissa says:
I am exactly like everyone else and have no clue where the month went. Though I can say that I have kept up with my goal of trying to spend more time doing things for myself and spending down time NOT scrapbooking continually for work. I can also say that my January lifescrap is completely done and I have loved every minute so far. It really was my go-to-project when I hit a scrapper's block or when I was talking to Jill on the phone. What I discovered during this time, as I snapped photo's, that it was easier for me to write the "26th - Australia Day at Cudgen Creek" and then I could elaborate when I had a little more time and felt like journalling the finer details.

I have emailed and txt Jill most days to update her as I get something else done. Maybe bombarded her might be more like it. I have truly felt so inspired that I can't help but shout it from the rooftop. Sometimes it seems hard to squeeze in one more thing, funnily enough 5 minutes here and there really made a difference in January.