Stolen Moments: Spotligting Yolanda

I love doing these spotlights every month. It is so fun to find out more about all the CT members I interact with on a daily basis. Today's person that I want to help you all get to know is....

Yolanda

{aka y_baros}

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I've been scrapping in some capacity since I was young, and with the birth of my oldest son, I really wanted to get serious about it. I used to paper scrap, but it seemed to always take too much time and I could never keep my stuff organized so I shelved it pretty quickly, unfortunately. I switched to digi almost 2 years ago and I absolutely love it! I used to make signature tags and some of the girls I made them with had started doing it, so I thought I would check it out too and was hooked from GO. There is so much less mess than paper scrapping and you don't have to truly commit to your LO until YOU decide, not when your adhesive decides *LOL* Go digi!
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? I really like to cluster elements together and have gotten a lot of compliments on that, as well as my photo editing/blending, so I'll go with that... Your weakest? Probably my shadowing. I don't spend a whole bunch of time on trying to make it realistic-looking. I will always add a shadow but it's pretty basic stuff to just give a little bit of depth.
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Edit your photos. Even if you only add a little bit of contrast or adjust the curves a smidge, it will go a long way towards making your pages just that much better; Invest in an EHD and back up your files regularly; Have fun!
Describe your scrapping "system"... What program do you use? I use PSP XI. Where do you start first - photos, papers, elements, journaling? Sometimes I will start with the photo and then find a kit to scrap it with, other times I will start with a certain kit I want to use and find a photo that's suitable for it. Do you always have something in mind when you start, or do you let your creativity guide you? Sometimes I will have an idea in mind, but I mostly fly by the seat of my pants and see where it leads me :o) How long does it take you to complete a layout? It usually takes a couple of hours for me to finish a layout. I usually scrap during naptime or when the boys are in bed for the night, so it works out perfectly....usually!
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? I try to scrap a little each day. Some days are easier than others but I would say I average about 7-10 hours a week.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? I always need a drink and some music while I scrap. Always! Occasionally, something chocolate helps boost my creativity as well....
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Playing with my boys and doing things together as a family. My boys love going to Wal-Mart for some reason, so we go there a lot and just let them take us where they will. We also love going on drives around town and seeing where we end up. It doesn't matter what we're doing because just being with them is the best!
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? I'm a really big fan of rock music and love to go to concerts with my hubby, so if I were ever able to get a picture with my favorite band, Papa Roach, after a show and scrap about the experience, I'd absolutely love it!
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? If I'm browsing a gallery and a particular page catches my eye for one reason or another, I add it to my faves. If I've got a block going on, I'll look through those pages and try to get my creativity flowing again. I guess I gain inspiration from a whole bunch of people, but ever since being at Scrap Matters, jennamy82's pages have really caught my eye. She knows I love her stuff and I think anyone could be inspired by her gallery.
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? An ALL BOY kit. Nothing cutesy but a real rough and tumble kind of kit. It would need to be full of dark, rich colors (with maybe some lighter accent colors) - blue, green, brown, maroon - dump trucks, cars, sports, airplanes, trucks, trains, etc. I'm a mom of 3 boys and there are some pretty good boy kits out there, but nothing that really encompasses the things my boys are into. Or maybe a little rockstar kit! Rock Princess for girls, and King of Rock for boys...?!

Thanks Yolanda! There are so many things about Yolanda's layouts that I love that I can't even begin to list them. You just have to see them to understand what I mean.

First Layout

I'm pretty sure this was my first LO. I really had no idea what I was doing when I made this one!

Favorite Layouts

This is one of my favorite LO's. I chose this one because I think it captures the emotion we were feeling at that exact moment. My son's sad expression, the black and white photo with all of the gray - it was definitely an upsetting experience for us both.

Another favorite LO. I love the whole composition of this one. The colors, the framed paper blocks, the way I labeled the different aspects of myself, the small little extras and the way it sort of falls off the page. Just love it.

A Stolen Moments Layout

I chose this one because I was just really happy with the way it all came together. The photo of my husband and youngest son is a sweet one and the journaling really comes from my heart. I like the blocks of paper and the way the stitches are held down with bows and buttons.