Spotlighting Cheryl

Hey all, Jewelle here again with a CTM spotlight!  I'm excited to introduce you to one of our CTM who has been producing layouts for Amber for quite some time.  Let's learn more about...

Cheryl

{aka gonewiththewind}

I am currently a stay-at-home mom with a previous career as a certified legal assistant. I’m married and have two children.  I have always been interested in crafts, but as a new mother, that translated into traditional paper scrapbooking. I was a paper scrapbooker for 10 years, and have been designing digital layouts since August 2007.  In addition to digital scrapbooking, I also enjoy reading, cross stitching, sketching and decorating my home.

1. How long have you been scrapping?  Have you ever paper scrapped?  When did you make the switch to digi and why?  I started paper scrapping in 1996 when I was pregnant with my daughter.  I’ve been digi scrapping since 8/07.  I switched to digi after I followed a Jessica Sprague tutorial in PSE for making photo collages.  I then found digital supplies online and I was hooked!

2. What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill?  Your weakest? I think my strongest scrapping skill is that I’m open to trying new things.  My weakest is that sometimes I forget about my strength and get stuck doing the same type of layout for a while.

3. What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? I would advise anyone who wanted to start digi scrapping to set aside time to learn.  Find tutorials that are easy to read and follow and invest time in getting to know your program.  Get involved in a digi community by posting in their forum and sharing your layouts in their gallery.  Make friends.  Don’t be afraid to ask those friends questions.  The digi community is so friendly and there are lots of scrappers with great skills that are willing to share and help you out.  Then never ever ever ever compare yourself to another scrapper.  You are you, and you will be showing up in your scrapbook layouts, so those pages are going to be unique.  Sure, you can copy trends or a favorite scrapper, but ultimately you need to know that your skills and heart are going onto each page.

4. Describe your scrapping "system"... What program do you use?  Where do you start first - photos, papers, elements, journaling?  Do you always have something in mind when you start, or do you let your creativity guide you?  How long does it take you to complete a layout? I use PSE 5.0, the same editing software I started with ~ and I’m STILL learning how to use it.  LOL  Most often I start with a kit and then I pick the photo.  But there are times when I’ve taken a photo I really love and I’ll start with it.  If I’m inspired, a layout (without any extractions) takes about 30 minutes.  If I’m working on a digi art journal page, then those take me much longer, mostly because I’m layering paint, doodles, and a variety of other elements and the page won’t get finished until it feels right.  Those are the pages that I actually leave and come back to.  If a layout isn’t working for me, it’s trashed and I start from the beginning as I don’t like to force things.

5. On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? I’m not admitting to anything!  **giggle**  I’d say maybe 20 hours scattered throughout the week?

6. Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda?  music?  snacks? Quiet.  And then some more quiet.  Occasionally I’ll play solo piano music or Big Band music on Pandora or I’ll listen to the playlist on my blog.  Most often I listen to music when I’m surfing the Internet or posting in forums.  When I’m actually scrapping, I like quiet.  And an ice cold Diet Pepsi over ice.

7. What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? My next fave thing besides scrapping is reading.  I read every day, and read about one book per week.  I just recently rediscovered a love of sketching, but I tend to get lost for hours doing that.

8. What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Ride in a hot air balloon.

9. Who inspires you in the scrapping community?  Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? Honestly, at this particular time, I’m really inspired by paper scrappers.  I like to go over to Two Peas and gaze at the gallery, paying close attention to shadows that are on a paper scrapped page to give me an idea about dimension on my digi scrapping papes.  I have my paper scrapping background, and I really love to see how paper scrappers use paper.  As a digi scrapper, I tend to pick one paper and load on the elements, but going through the galleries pushes me to try different things with paper.  I have so many digi scrapping buddies that I look to continuously for inspiration, and I love looking at the Gallery Standouts Blog as well.

10. If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? Given my recent journey into sketching again, I would love a B&W kit with various textures of white paper, pens with nibs, more modern sketching pens, clear rulers with black guides, twine and you gotta add some natural elements in there for me, too, ‘cause I gotta have flowers and leaves.  LOL!

 First Layout

The first layout I posted in an online gallery.  I used a freebie from Krystal Hartley.  I remember being particularly proud of my ability to recolor the word art.  LOL

 

Most Recent Layout

 

 Favorite Layouts

 To catch more of Cheryl's amazing and inspiring layouts be sure and stop by her GALLERY and BLOG.

Introducing FONTS from Stolen Moments

Okay - so maybe not "fonts" with an s... yet.. But I'm so excited to get this new product line off the ground.. It's something I've been wanting to do for almost a year now, and am so thrilled to be able to finally offer my first font for purchase!

Perfect for SO many kinds of pages, the text is easily legible - like every good teacher's should be - but there are still enough imperfections to give it a little interest and personality. Several of my CT have even said this is going to be their go-to font.. until, of course, I give them another equally fabulous one... ;)  Check it out in action..

Jordan

Niki

Niki

LaShawn

As always - 20% off thru Saturday.. Until next time.. Happy Scrapping!

CU Color Palettes and a SALE!

I've just got a quickie for you today.. First up, some brand new CU color palettes - and believe me, these are DELISH!  Lots of vintage-inspired goodness here, with a healthy dose of spring!  There is a great mix of swatches suitable for kits about boys, girls, and events the year round..

Available at ScrapMatters and 9th & Bloom..

And also, a sale.. wheeeee!!

Everything in both of my stores is 27% off thru Sunday.. How fun is that!??

Until next time - happy scrapping.. I'm off to eat some cupcakes!  :)

Spotlighting Jordan

Hey all!  It is Jewelle here again to bring you a CT spotlight!  I'm super excited to highlight this lady today, so let's get straight to it!

Jordan

{aka mommy2boyz}

I'm the daughter of a Heavenly King, proud Army wife and stay at home mom to two mischievous little boys, Brady, 3 and Noah, 1.   I started out as a high school science teacher, then taught 2nd grade, then changed career paths and was a Realtor and fitness instructor.  To be honest, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up!  LOL!  But, for now, I'm content being Mom!  I grew up in Louisiana and have, in the last 6 years, lived in Tennessee, Kentucky, Germany (where the boys were born) and now back in Louisiana.  Gotta love the Army life!  I'm thankful for the grace of a Savior and the friends and family He's placed in my life to lift me up and make me laugh!  

1. How long have you been scrapping?  Digi-Scrapping for about a year and a half.  Have you ever paper scrapped?  Yeah.  The first album I did was of my husband's first deployment. 
2. When did you make the switch to digi and why?  I switched to digi while on bed rest with Noah.  A friend showed me her albums and I was like, "What?!  You can do that digitally??  Without all that mess?!"  I was hooked.  Moving every few years (or sometimes months) made it really difficult to lug around all of those paper supplies.  Every move I was left unpacking boxes and boxes and then trying to find a place to organize it all.
3. What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill?  Gosh, I don't know! Your weakest? Multi-photo LO's!!  I always struggle with them!  And titles...I struggle a lot with the wording of my titles.
4. What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping?  Just be true to you.  Remember, that it's about telling your story...who you are, where you've been, who and what you love.  Don't stress.  It doesn't have to be perfect!  Just enjoy the process of creating something beautiful that will become a part of your legacy. 
5. Describe your scrapping "system"... What program do you use?  I use PSE 7 and dream of one day having "big photoshop".  It's just hard to justify the expense with two little one who out grow every thing in their closets on what seems like a monthly basis!  Where do you start first - photos, papers, elements, journaling?  Who knows!  LOL!  I may be inspired by a photo, a kit, a story, a font, sometimes just a single element!  Do you always have something in mind when you start, or do you let your creativity guide you?  Oh no!  I never know where I'm going or where I'll end up!  LOL!  How long does it take you to complete a layout?  On average 1-2 hours.
6. On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week?  I usually do one or two LO's a day.  That's how I spend nap times! 
7. Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda?  music?  snacks?  I'm not a big snacker, but I am a java junkie, so a hot cupa joe is usually by my side and I always listen to The Message, a christian music channel on digital cable while I'm scrapping.
8. What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping?  Travel.  I loved living in Europe, because any weekend could turn into a mini-vacay! 
9. What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it?  Spend a month in Santorini, Greece!!  My husband and I were going to go while we lived in Germany, but it's not the most kid friendly place seeing it's perched on top of an ocean filled crater!  But, one day...one day! 
10. Who inspires you in the scrapping community?  Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration?  I seem to find inspiration lurks in just about every gallery I visit!  There are so many talented scrapers and designers out there! 
11. If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? Why, she already did!  haha  She created Heartbreaker for me for Noah's 1st birthday.  He was born on Valentine's Day and I wanted to do a Valentine theme for his 1st party, but I couldn't find a kit that didn't look like Pepto was smeared all over the papers.  Pink and red would NOT work for my boy, so she amped up the grunge and Heartbreaker was born!  It was perfect!  

First Layout 

OH-EM-GEE!! I cringe looking at this now! I think this was the second or third LO I ever did. I replaced the first two already! The *only* reason this one is still on my hard-drive is to remind me that I desperately need to re-do it!! Man...I've come a long way, yeah?

Favorite Layouts

Ahhh...I love this LO! The photo is of my baby, Noah. It's probably my favorite photo of him. I love the pops of color against the black and white and I LOVE the grunge! I'm all about the grunge!! These days I rarely do a LO without it.

This is one of my favorite LO's for a few reasons. I love the bright pops of color against the dark background and I love that photo of B. You can just see the mischief. Can't you? :) What I really love about it though, is the memory it captures. These days he says so many cute little things. I love that I have this outlet to capture them all.

There I go with the grunge again! LOL! I love the colors here. This is one of my all time favorite kits too (and it's by Amber...For The Love Of collabs.) I love the photo of Brady and my hubby. I love the memories of laughter it evokes.

 

Using Stolen Moments Products

This is the first LO I did with one of Amber's kits. I used Into The Night. It's still one of my all time fav's! Looking at it now, I realize that now-a-days, I don't usually have this much negative space on my LO's. Hmmm...maybe I should incorporate it more often!

 

Most Recent Layout

This is my most recent LO and also one of my favorites. I just love the soft, vintage feel to it. Plus, it has photos of both of my monkeys! They're not perfect photos, but they're real and they show them as they are...busy and often uncooperative! LOL! :)

Thanks for sharing with Jordan!  I'm always so inspired when I see Jordan's work!  Want to see more of her wonderful work?  Be sure and check out her GALLERY!

Peek-a-Boos & NEW Designer Service!

It's been a couple of weeks since I've released anything - hope you haven't missed me too much - but I do have two fun new products for you that are ripe for the picking..

 

 

My guest stay at 9th & Bloom has been extended, and I'm super excited about that.. So, my first release for the new month is this awesome set of Peek-a-Boos.. I created these metal frames with the idea that they could be placed on your page with a different paper clipped to the mask (included) so it would seem as though you're "peeking" through one paper into the next.. You can also leave the papers out entirely and use it as a fun and unique mat, or use the mask and clip a photo to it for a versatile frame as well.. Don't forget, all 9&B releases are 20% off thru Saturday!

Check out how my CT put them to work..

 

Andrea


Sara


Jordan


Kim


Niki

 

And now - a little something for all my designer-y friends out there.. 

All designers know that the first step to selling a great product is drawing people in with a great preview, but sometimes due to time constraints or interests, you'd rather be doing something else.  So let me take some of the pressure off you by creating a beautiful custom preview worthy of your beautifully designed kit.

Upon ordering, you will receive a download of instructions to complete the order.  All I need is your kit, your logo and your packaging, and in 48 hours or less, you'll receive a 600px preview of your full kit, just the papers and just the elements custom made for you. 

 

If you have any questions about the service or the process or whatever, please feel free to email me before purchasing.. This is something I really want you to love and feel confident about, so whatever I can do to help with that, I'm more than happy to.. :)

Until next time - happy scrapping!  :)

March Guest

We are excited to have Ju Kneipp as guest here at Stolen Moments this month!  Be sure and keep an eye out for her creations, they are fabulous!