Spotlighting Debby

I'm coming to you a little late tonight with our latest CT spotlight.  Grab you something to drink to stay up a little longer, because believe me this CT member is truly inspirational.  You will definitely want to be checking her gallery out.  Let me introduce you to...

Debby

{aka debbysrose}

I have lived in Southern California my entire life.  I have been married to my husband George for 36 years. I am a registered nurse(37 years!) and currently work at a large community hospital as a nurse manager.  I have 2 adult daughters, Kim and Kelly, who have blessed us with 3 wonderful grandsons.

1. How long have you been scrapping?  Have you ever paper scrapped?  When did you make the switch to digi and why? I have been digi-scrapping for just under 2 years now. I was never a paper scrapper, I tried but just did not have the patience or time. I just could not deal with not having just the right element or paper to put on a page to help tell the story of the photos. My oldest daughter, Kim had made the switch from paper which she was awesome at to digital and she gave me a lesson and I created the Instant Granddaughters layout (see below) as part of that lesson!
2. What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill?  Your weakest?  My strongest skills are titles, clustering, and kit mixing. My weakest is most definitely page design. I really only love 1/2 of the ones I have done without templates. Next would be journaling especially non-happy stuff.
3. What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Find a digi home that feels right to you and get involved then just start scrapping. I really only learned by doing and I love to keep learning new techniques and skills.
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 am using PSE8 now but would love to make the leap to Photoshop to stretch my skills. I start a layout with photos. If I have a kit I need to scrap with, I have to find photos that will be complemented by that kit.  Color and theme drive that the most. As I said above, I most often scrap with templates, so next is to find one that works with the photos and/or kit. I usually have a vision of what I want the layout to look like as I start it.
5. On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week?  I usually do 1-3 layouts a week depending on what my work week is like. I have worked hours on one layout if it does not get near that starting vision. I hate giving up and will try several kits and page designs to make a layout work. I am most definitely NOT a speed scrapper!
6. Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda?  music?  snacks?  I scrap sitting on my comfy couch with my laptop in my lap. A cup of coffee or glass of water is usually next to me and my husband is usually watching TV.
7. What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Spending time with my family is my most favorite thing to do.  I love to sew, garden, and read as well.
8. What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? I want to go on another cruise. We have been on one, to Alaska and those were some of my first layouts and the only album I have scrapped. I want to go on another one so I can scrap it!
9. Who inspires you in the scrapping community?  Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? Oh that is easy, my daughter Kim is my biggest inspiration. I did a layout about my digiscrap daughter! I love her layouts, she has so much feeling and emotion in them and I love her page designs.  Another scrapper that inspires me a lot is Andrea Newby of Little Green Frog Designs. Her page designs are soooo creative.
10. If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why?  I finally got brave and asked Amber to create a kit. Our family is going to the Oregon coast for vacation in a few weeks and I asked her to create a beachy, vintage, eclectic kit that I can use to scrap our vacation photos with. I love Amber's vintage, artsy style and colors she uses in her kits so I cannot wait to see what she comes up with!

 First Layout

Scrapping these photos so I could hang them up together was the reason I wanted to learn how to scrap!  These are our 3 step-granddaughters at Kim's wedding. Took me 2 years to scrap this page!

 

Favorite Layouts

This layout was my first attempt at page design as I "learned" to scrap using templates.  I did use a build your own template starter but the page design is my own. I have the best sons-in-law in the world, so I was really happy how this turned out.

 A whole bunch of favorites in this layout starting with my 2 adorable grandsons, Aaron and Cameron. These are photos from 3 trips to Disneyland and California Adventure during spring break 2011, a most favorite destination for our family. I also love full page blocked designs and this one is my favorite of all those ones I have done.

 

Most Recent Layout 

We live just a few miles from our youngest daughter and her family, so everyday moments of our grandson Cameron have been the subject matter of a LOT of my layouts. Now with his baby brother, Carter, I will have lots more photos to scrap.  I love playing around with photo treatments and liked how the desaturated colors looked with the kit and the made it look like a rainy day.

 

Stolen Moments Layout

I love Amber's retired kit, Making Me Smile. This was a cell phone photo taken by my son-in-law in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland.  I had shied away from using cell phone photos but could not resist this candid shot of my grandson and me.

 

Debby's layouts are fantastic, don't you think?!  I'm always browsing her gallery to see her newest layouts.  To see more of Debby's inspiring work be sure to check out her GALLERY!